tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55685275782344901922024-03-14T07:47:22.144+05:30Minstrel in HibernationAldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-67659721501474860852012-01-18T20:31:00.002+05:302012-01-18T20:33:15.801+05:30Wolves and Broken Glass<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They weave in and out</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nameless faces</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chattering and joking in the courtyard</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While he lies within</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cold,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lifeless.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some distant relatives who never met him,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And some strangers with them,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Like this is a free-for-all,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Coming without even being called.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Do they even know who he was?</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That he liked trees,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Smiled with his eyes half-closed when the breeze</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Danced across him, and he was happy</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just to have been there while he was.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That our hearts broke to see him that way,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The faded smiled, the jaded eyes,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The falling hair, slipping slowly into the lair.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He lay there smiling, even as he lay cold.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He didn’t see the circus his last gathering had become.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We couldn’t do anything, standing in a corner</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of our own house, like uninvited guests</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Watching it all in disbelief,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Numbed by grief.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He was gone, forever this time.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They did not know,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They did not care.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sipping on cola and munching cookies,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They tsked around for a while.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then stopped pretending when they got tired</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And forgot all about him.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the wolves had ravaged and left at last,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We sat in a corner</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Still,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Numb.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It had not sunk in.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And he for whom they had come,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He lay in a wooden box in the mud smiling.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And his photograph lay in another corner of our house,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Where he had been just a while back,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Someone had elbowed the photograph and it had fallen</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On the floor and cracked,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The crack ran from his temples, across his lips</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And down his throat,</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Onto his chest.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They had broken his smile at last.</span></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-65258728919801951422011-11-18T20:12:00.001+05:302011-11-18T20:36:44.090+05:30Devil's Advocate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">I know it's been a while! But when the creative juices go dry, one fishes out some old ones from the cellar and puts it on the table. :P</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">So here goes again … another bad boy on the anvil. And this time it’s the <i>baap</i>
himself --- the BIG DADDY of everything evil, the man who is the very
epitome of wickedness --- *drums rolling, cymbals clashing* it’s SATAN! </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq8p68IYRHE/TsZvl4r0xGI/AAAAAAAAAbA/IigDv2mnqDw/s1600/devils-advocate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq8p68IYRHE/TsZvl4r0xGI/AAAAAAAAAbA/IigDv2mnqDw/s320/devils-advocate.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">So
the 'threaten’r' got his ultimate revenge, defacing this poor guy in
front of the whole world. God made poor Satan the scapegoat for all the
loopholes he left in his ‘creation’! The story of the Creation is an apt
example. God made a garden and a man and a woman, and left them loose in
the Garden making them work </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">like slaves </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">all day. The Church might
say, '<i>Arre,</i> but they were happy <i>na</i>! Never did they
complain!'; but hullo! I beg to differ! Did they know any other kind of
life to complain? And then there was the Golden Rule --- 'You may eat of
all the fruits in the garden except THAT ONE!' Of course, they would
have wondered, '<i>Aisa kya hai bhai</i> <i>ki</i> we can’t eat that!'</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Enter our hero. Satan lures them to eat THE Fruit, God gets pissed, throws the couple out because they were doing 'adult<i> vali cheezein'</i>
in his 'pwetty' garden. But let’s look at it this way --- had our dear
friend the Devil not lured those two brick-heads to that apple, today we
would (had we even existed since the lust that enables conception was
created after the Fall!) have all been slaving away in God’s 'pwetty'
Garden of Eden! No technology, no progress, just farmers without a
salary! So well, the original Saviour was Satan then!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">But
there is a side of Mr Satan which many may not be aware of (or may be,
I don’t know!). Let me tell you the story of how Satan came to be the
Prince of Hell, since I love to show-off my knowledge of all that is
evil (buhahaha!). So once upon a time, in Heaven so far, far away lived
God, His Son and His gang of angels. Satan was the angel of music and
light and was God’s favorite. Everything went great until one day like
Ram Gopal Varma, God had an urge to create. So He set to work (by the
way, I have always wondered … why did it take God six days to make the
world? Isn’t He God?! And how come He got tired and took a day’s sick
leave? Isn’t He God?) and created the Earth, the sky, light and
darkness, land and water, animals and birds. That didn’t seem enough and
He wanted to create Man in His own image (bloody narcissist!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">That’s
when the trouble started. The only person God consulted was his Son and
Satan went red with fury. (There’s an alternate myth that claims that
God declared Jesus the second in command and Satan went mad with anger!)
Jesus became the second in command automatically by virtue of his
Father being the first in command! Satan had done all the work God asked
for and had expected to be amongst the leaders of the creative team for
Mission Creation of Human. But Satan was ignored. Satan got pissed, got
a bunch of other rebels together and protested against the unfair
nature of the proceedings. God could not stand someone voicing any
opinions contradictory to his and threw him out along with the gang of
rebels. It did not leave Satan depressed and dejected. Instead he made
the best of what he had, fashioned a new kingdom of his own called Hell
and had his own awesome party to which God and His bunch of losers were
not invited! (Okay, I made up that part about the party!</span> :P<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Satan
in that sense is not the embodiment of evil, but on the contrary, a
symbol of Rebellion and Perseverance! No wonder the Church hates him
(they never could stand rebellion ever anyway!) Satan was in a way the
first revolutionary hero to raise a voice against tyranny. God was the
one who started dynasty politics; way before the Nehru family and
Thackeray family ever were even in the stages of being born! Satan’s
rebellion was the first revolution in the history of the world (if the
Bible may be taken as authentic) and all repressed folks around the world
should hail Satan as their inspiration and follow his lead! </span></div>
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</span><span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Church condemns Satan as being ambitious; but when did ambition ever become a
sin? Throttling the neck of aspirations instead should be what sin is
and in that case, the Church would be deemed the biggest sinner! Satan
refused to follow the path set down by God and wanted to follow his own
will instead and that caused him to be maligned as evil. He did what he
felt was right and was punished for it. But he had a Dream. How is he
any different from any of us then? Don’t we all have dreams? Does that
make us evil? I nominate Satan as the ambassador of freedom and free
will. Any takers?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">P.S: Someday I shall put up a new post! Someday!<br /><br />P.P.S.: Originally published in <a href="http://21fools.com/">21Fools.com</a>.</span></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-37566952750759806952011-03-06T17:27:00.000+05:302011-03-06T17:27:32.531+05:30The Unsung Hero- Ravana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0MEOqtM70NE/TXN1haoey6I/AAAAAAAAAaU/DRxk0X9I3UM/s1600/design_new0002-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0MEOqtM70NE/TXN1haoey6I/AAAAAAAAAaU/DRxk0X9I3UM/s320/design_new0002-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image source: </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">gorichori.blogspot.com</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Ravana is one of the most wronged figures in mythology or literature. He is treated as a demon and Rama celebrated as the <em>maryada purushottam </em>who slew the monster. But Ravana was anything but a monster. In fact, he was much more humane than Ram ever was in his lifetime. At the risk of censure, I own up to my deep admiration for this great man who was an epitome of virtue.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Ravana, contrary to popular perception, was not a demon. The word “rakshasa” which has now come to mean “demon” actually has its roots in the word “raksha” or “to protect”. It has no connection whatsoever to any demonic undertones. But it is later mythology that crafted the tale in a way that portrayed the <em>rakshasas</em> in a bad light. Ravana is also referred to as an <em>asura. </em>The “asuras” in the Rig-Veda (earliest text) presided over moral and social phenomena with the “devas” ruling over natural phenomena.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">There are alternate layers to <em>The Ramayana, </em>especially in the folklore of south India, where Ravana was considered Sita’s actual father. Ravana was a great king, his kingdom was prosperous and the people were greatly happy with their king. He was a very wise and learned man and was a very fervent Shiva devotee. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">The word “Daśagrīva” or “ten-headed” does not literally mean that he actually had ten heads which is a common sight at all Dussehra “Ravana <em>jalao</em>” events. The allusion to “ten heads” is actually a reference to his extensive wisdom and knowledge. He was well-versed in the Vedas and the <em>Shastras</em> and so referred to as <em>Daśagrīva.</em> Basically, he wasn’t a freak of nature or one of the X-Men mutants but a super- intelligent, super smart dude! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">I have always seen Ravana as more endearing and likeable as a person than Rama due to the charming fact that he’s as human as the rest of us mortals! His wisdom and greatness though was acknowledged by Mr. Rama himself as well (maybe reluctantly!) as Ravana lay dying when Rama asked him to bless Lakshmana. The cheek by the way! : P</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Ravana was a far more honorable man than Rama. He never resorted to underhand tricks to get the upper hand like Rama did by getting Ravana’s brother on-board. Sita was in Ravana’s power completely and if he wanted to he could have violated her as he pleased but he didn’t. In fact he didn’t lay a finger on her and only tried to woo her in honorable Mr. Bingley fashion which is quite interesting when talking about a so-called Demon. Rama on the other hand was a violent fellow who had Surpanakha’s nose </span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">chopped off </span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">when she hit on him; I mean who in his right mind does that?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Ravana kept his prisoner well and loved her in a way that should have Rama scampering for cover to hide his face in shame. What Rama did in contrast reflects poorly on his character. Rama listened to some gossip doing the rounds in his kingdom about Sita and put his faithful wife though <em>agnipariksha</em> to prove her virtue at a time when he should have stood by her. She had left everything, renounced all pleasures to follow him into the forest and this is what she got in return for her steadfast devotion to her husband. Ravana on the other hand received nothing but scorn from her but continued to treat her with complete respect and love.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Rama got together an army to destroy Ravana’s kingdom instead of just trying to rescue Sita. (Do I smell jealousy here? Was Rama not able to digest his rival’s strength and power?) Now, looking deeper into myths and texts, there is a clear <em>Vaishnava</em> bias overpowering this story. In ancient times, there was a strong rivalry between Saivite and Vaishnavite groups, both trying to outdo each other in every way possible. Now the Ramayana (and Mahabharata too for that matter!) glorifies Vishnu and was clearly composed by Vaishnavas. Is it surprising then that a true and ardent Siva devotee is portrayed as a demon? I mean, try and ask a coffee addict what tea tastes like! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Another deep allusion that I feel lies somewhere in the recesses of this story is a territorial rivalry. The kingdoms to the South of the Indian subcontinent enjoyed longer periods of freedom than their northern counterparts. Lanka was clearly in the South and Ayodhya clearly a northern kingdom. The age was all about territorial expansion and capture. Sita probably became a mere excuse for conquest just like Helen did in the Trojan War as captured in Greek mythology. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">I know I might get slammed for my opinion but well, what the heck! What’s writing without a few critics who try to strangle you! : P I think as a character, Ravana was pure awesomeness (as Barney would say). His only flaw (the “tragic flaw” in Literature students’ terms) being his love for a woman who captured his fancy and whirred him out of control.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Many slam Ravana condemning him as lustful and arrogant but I beg to disagree. If he had indeed been lustful then Sita would not have left his palace untouched by him. However, even if it had become lust, he has the sage Vishwamitra for competition in horniness! If arrogance is a crime, hang Durvasa first who was much more arrogant than Ravana and is still considered a maharishi! In conclusion, I would say Ravana is the unsung hero that I would love to sing my praises to. Dude, you rock! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">(P.S. - thanks to Arushi for inspiration for this article. Although I have done papers on Ravana’s character in class, it was quite a refreshing change to write whatever I wanted without minding the language! : P)</span></div></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-12652566851930096782011-02-05T20:51:00.000+05:302011-02-05T20:51:50.413+05:30The Last Word<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TU1qofPOshI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/5HT4EYF7Q38/s1600/casket-at-funeral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TU1qofPOshI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/5HT4EYF7Q38/s320/casket-at-funeral.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small;"> image source: <a href="http://scrapetv.com/">http://scrapetv.com</a></span></div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If I die</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If I must</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And there is no option</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Heed my suggestion</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let it be thus.</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let me not die of frost or cold</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Or go to Hades withered and old.</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who would care?</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No disease please</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Or famine or poverty</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who bothers about these anymore?</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let it not be</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Injuries at work</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No please, not for me.</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If I must, let it be</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An arrow to my heel</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Or poison in my drink or meal</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Served in a treacherous fashion</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Quite the thing now are crimes of passion.</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At least at the end of my game</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let me walk the walk of fame.</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Stabbed by someone famous</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Headline in the papers</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Execution sounds interesting too</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A bullet in the chest or two</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let it not be starvation</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Or excessive depression</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That just does not sound right on the obituary page.</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If I must die</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Drug overdose to go</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">People will at least know</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Someone was there a while ago</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An accident, a martyrdom, be what it may</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let it not be in an obscure way.</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If I must go</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let everyone know</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">How would it matter if they weep or not?</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I do not care to see whether they care</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But at least they will know</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was there.</div><div style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-11394548952528724512010-10-25T12:13:00.000+05:302010-10-25T12:13:27.964+05:30The Exam Checklist (Minstrel Style!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TMUmAU0Y6NI/AAAAAAAAAZk/oykcCbmos6E/s1600/exam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TMUmAU0Y6NI/AAAAAAAAAZk/oykcCbmos6E/s200/exam.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image source: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/">news.bbc.co.uk</a></span> </div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay..so exams are slowly approaching and finally you have the jitters wondering what to do..or soon will! No fear! The Minstrel is here to help you with the top 10 things to keep in mind before going in to write that exam! Nah, nah don't thank me, it's my pleasure! ;) Yes, you can courier me those chocolates! no worries! </div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1. Two cups of espresso in the morning is essential. You don't want to doze off on your paper and drool all over the answer sheet! Seriously! That would smudge the ink and make the answers impossible to read! Wait...come to think of it, ain't such a bad idea eh? ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TMUk13G_9PI/AAAAAAAAAZc/WsU1BDvjZM0/s1600/1-2618731-8914-t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TMUk13G_9PI/AAAAAAAAAZc/WsU1BDvjZM0/s1600/1-2618731-8914-t.jpg" /></a></div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> image source: zedge.net</span></div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2. Check the pens, pencils and blah blah blah. You don't want to crawl on your knees and beg those around you to pass you that stuff!</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3. ADMIT CARD! Dude, without that you're freakin' screwed! Even if you forget to take your pen, don't forget this! Freakin' hell would break loose! How else would you remember the 52 digit exam roll no assigned to you???? :P:P:P</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4. If you have a window seat or one near the door, carry horse blinders! Even if you look ridiculous, at least you won't be distracted! Coz the best and most hilarious things cross your vision exactly when you have no time to see them!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TMUkhKvJBbI/AAAAAAAAAZY/6mDgFl_3qv8/s1600/blinder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TMUkhKvJBbI/AAAAAAAAAZY/6mDgFl_3qv8/s200/blinder.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image source: stratesql.com</span></div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5. If you did not sleep well last night, instruct the person sitting behind you to give you a nice kick in your bum or throw an eraser at you (whatever works!) in case you fall asleep over the paper! </div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6. Carry your watch no matter what! Don't have a watch, take an alarm clock! At least you'll know when to begin scribbling frantically madly! That is when your memory is at its peak and you remember all that you didn't before that. At least you'll be prepared! ( usually 5 minutes before time's up!)</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">7. Carry water with you. When you don't remember the answers or get confused take a swig. No, it won't help you remember, but at least it'll keep you looking busy unlike that idiot staring at the ceiling looking like he is trying real hard to hold in his pee! :P</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TMUlPVew6iI/AAAAAAAAAZg/v9D4PFWZjSo/s1600/42-17448030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TMUlPVew6iI/AAAAAAAAAZg/v9D4PFWZjSo/s200/42-17448030.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> image source: <a href="http://www.corbisimages.com/">http://www.corbisimages.com</a></span></div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8. That hot classmate will not vanish into thin air after the exam is over! Stop staring! Horse blinders will help you here as well! :P</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">9. Do not listen to crappy songs on the radio in the morning before the exam if you don't want to haunted by <i>Munni badnaam hui</i> as you try to remember what Ophelia's brother's damn name was! :P</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">10. Last but no the least, STUDY! It really works! ;)</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All the best! :D :)</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S: To those who forget the rule no.10 like me, creativity always works! Make up what you don't know! :P:P:P:P </div><div style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-21563272386209370172010-10-06T15:57:00.001+05:302010-10-06T16:16:36.974+05:30The other one..<div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So as I had mentioned earlier (go to the previous post and see duh! :P) I had written two entries for this contest called "And then.." on <a href="http://ruchiballal.wordpress.com/">Ruchi</a>'s blog. Here's the link to the first half of the story: </div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://ruchiballal.wordpress.com/2010/09/26/and-then%E2%80%A6-%E2%80%93-the-scene/">The Scene</a></div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now this is the other ending that i wrote! This one did not win but I love it all the same! :)</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKxTVqMXmEI/AAAAAAAAAY4/kQFHlzSchtk/s1600/pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKxTVqMXmEI/AAAAAAAAAY4/kQFHlzSchtk/s200/pic.jpg" width="165" /></a></div><h1 class="entry-title" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><span style="font-size: small;">Hate to love you</span></u></h1><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">That face that had haunted her all these years…an image from an old worn-out photograph that she had carried around in her heart. All these years, she had been waiting for yet dreading this day. She still didn’t know if she’d ever muster up the courage to say those words to him. Her eyes welled up with tears without any explanation. Dabbing her eyes with a tissue she quickly regained her composure and risked a glance again on pretext of looking for the air-hostess.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Those dark eyes, that square jaw and the kind smile were still the same. Yes, a few wrinkles here and there but there was no mistake-it was him. She had imagined this scene in her teenage years, rehearsed what she would say and what would happen. She had spent hours in front of the mirror in nervous excitement practicing and rephrasing what she would say when she met him. She’d hated every part of her that wanted to love him but couldn’t help it. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathak" title="Kathak">Kathak</a> recitals, the <a href="http://www.chacha.com/topic/black-keys" title="Black Keys">piano</a> lessons, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball" title="Basketball">basketball</a> matches-all came back to her.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Her monologue froze midway when he suddenly looked up at her. She felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar and smiled at him blushing furiously and he gave her a confused smile back. Was it her imagination or was there a fleeting hint of recognition on his face? But he went back to his Autocar and she leaned back and took a large swig of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water" title="Water">water</a> and took a deep breath. It was now or never.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">She turned again. “Pardon me if I’m wrong but are you Mr. Bryan D’Souza?”</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">He looked up blinking and removed his headphones and said, “I’m sorry I did not hear you. Could you repeat the question?”</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">“Mr. Bryan D’Souza?”</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">“I think you mistook me for someone else. I’m Shrey.”</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">“<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081937/" title="Sorry! (TV series)">Sorry!</a> I’m Liz. You looked a lot like an uncle of mine! I’m really sorry!”</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">“That’s okay. So I look that old eh?” he grinned, “It’s always nice to meet a fellow Indian here. You live in Sydney too?”</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">“No, I’m on vacation. I moved to Hong Kong two years back, before that I was in <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.0,77.0&spn=10.0,10.0&q=28.0,77.0%20%28Delhi%29&t=h" title="Delhi">Delhi</a>."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">“Hmmmmm…How I miss that city! The clean air and the fresh food stifle me in Sydney! I last went to Delhi five years back. A week there was like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen" title="Oxygen">oxygen</a>! I missed the chaat, the yum kababs and the DTC buses!” he remarked smiling.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">And they talked – about the weather, Sydney, India, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_cuisine" title="Indian cuisine">Indian food</a>, cars, traffic in Delhi, her job, her crummy boss (he used to have one too!), music, movies…it went on and on! They got on like a house on fire! He loved <a href="http://www.audi.com/" title="Audi">Audi</a> too and shared her opinion that Federer was a pain in the ass for winning all the time! It was like they had been destined to meet. As the flight prepared to land there was a knot in her stomach. The words remained unsaid. She had said everything but what she had actually wanted to. </span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Sydney arrived and as he waved and walked out of the airport, she stood there looking at him. The words came out in a whisper, “Hi dad.”</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;">They came too late. Genetic maybe.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-48886144683905134202010-10-06T15:41:00.004+05:302010-10-06T23:40:36.366+05:30I won a prize!!!!! ;):):):)<div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I got the second runners up prize for a contest!!Yaiyee!!! Yes! <blowing kisses=""> Thank you thank you! So I wrote two alternate endings to this particular story. This was the "And Then..." contest was on <a href="http://ruchiballal.wordpress.com/">Ruchi</a>'s blog. Here's the link to the first half of the story: </blowing></div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://ruchiballal.wordpress.com/2010/09/26/and-then%E2%80%A6-%E2%80%93-the-scene/">The Scene</a></div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So this is my prize-winning masterpiece entry:</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKxKnUsjk5I/AAAAAAAAAYw/La2CO_MDPZ0/s1600/choo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKxKnUsjk5I/AAAAAAAAAYw/La2CO_MDPZ0/s1600/choo.jpg" /></a></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> image source: <a href="http://www.bayareaonthecheap.com/">http://www.bayareaonthecheap.com</a></span></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"> <b><u><span style="font-size: small;">A Second Shot</span></u></b></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The memories were like snapshot bullets that she had been dodging for years and had finally hit her, square in the face- that face of the man who had once meant everything to her. It was overwhelming! She sat there motionless for what seemed like eternity. The flight was in the air. She went to the washroom and barfed.</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Looking into the mirror she saw how far she had come from those days. Then she had been a smiling girl in her early twenties with the glow on her face typical of those in love. The glow was gone and so was the love. The hair was shorter, sassier. The clothes were no longer <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-shirt" rel="wikipedia" title="T-shirt">t-shirts</a>, jeans and sneakers but smart suits and stilettos. The woman was no longer the girl he had known. The only thing that connected the woman and the girl was the pain that he had left behind- the hurt that had become a part of her life and had never left.</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This was probably her only chance. She walked back with a calm face; she wasn’t going to let him go this time. A deliberate trip on the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.jimmychoo.com/" rel="homepage" title="Jimmy Choo Ltd">Jimmy Choo</a> and she was on him. He stared at her like he was seeing a ghost and then his expression changed. Straightening up her ruffled clothes, she looked at him and acted like she was surprised. “Matt,” was the only word she said. He looked quite taken aback himself. “Lizzie… Wow! It’s been so long. You look…look so different,” he said.</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Yes Matt. It’s been a while. You look almost the same. Nice meeting you after so long.” He did look the same. The neatly ironed shirt and trousers, the cropped spiked hair and the goofy grin were all at odds with each other but blended so perfectly on him. She wasn’t surprised that she had fallen for him. He ran his eyes appreciatively over her and she blushed. She returned to her seat but they kept talking. He was a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managing_editor" rel="wikipedia" title="Managing editor">senior editor</a> now. They talked about old times, their college friends, work… The more they talked the closer they came; she could see that old look in his eyes. He wanted her back.</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The flight landed. He invited her over. It was a cozy apartment. As she was about to go to the guest room to crash he pulled her towards him and looked into her eyes. She was uncertain; did she really want to do this? All her courage almost melted. “I missed you so much. I’m glad you’re back,” he said and leaned in for a kiss. She kissed back and soon they were in a passionate embrace. She broke the kiss and said they’d better sleep. He looked at her dazed with desire and confused. She kissed him on the cheek and went to the guest room and locked the door.<br />
<i></i></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He woke up in the morning and found her gone. There was a note on her bed that read:</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“I’m sorry. Goodbye.”</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It was his handwriting, the note he had left for her on their bed when he went away.</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeehouse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Coffeehouse">coffee house</a>, Liz sipped on her cup of <a href="http://cappuccino.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Cappuccino">Cappuccino</a> and smiled. The last laugh was finally hers. And the hurt was gone. She was free.</div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKxLCUWkgfI/AAAAAAAAAY0/wieYERJN9xM/s1600/federico-landi-cappuccino-al-bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKxLCUWkgfI/AAAAAAAAAY0/wieYERJN9xM/s320/federico-landi-cappuccino-al-bar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> image source: <a href="http://yuvakuran.blogspot.com/2005/08/cappuccino.html">http://yuvakuran.blogspot.com/2005/08/cappuccino.html</a></span></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"> (P.s.-I'll post my other entry in a separate post so that my post does not stretch endlessly and make your yawn stretch as endlessly!:P :P)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;">Here's the link to my victory bhaashan if you're interested! ;)</span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"> <a href="http://ruchiballal.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/and-then-the-winner-is/">http://ruchiballal.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/and-then-the-winner-is/</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="color: #e06666;">(Pss...guys!Thanks for all the congrats and pats on my back... appreciated! :) But please do leave your comments on the story as well..what you like, what you don't whatever! My story is complaining of being shoved out of the limelight by my victory laugh! Waiting for your feedback!!)</span> </span></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-3140113360092212072010-09-30T16:21:00.000+05:302010-09-30T16:21:52.783+05:30Lungi Lore..<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKRqll8RMhI/AAAAAAAAAYo/5KvhifadgJk/s1600/bi-51539%5B4%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKRqll8RMhI/AAAAAAAAAYo/5KvhifadgJk/s320/bi-51539%5B4%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Image source: <a href="http://bollywood-hotshots.blogspot.com/">http://bollywood-hotshots.blogspot.com</a></span></div><div style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Still from' <i>Dance Pe Chance</i>' </span></div><div style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is a forward I got in my email and I found it so funny that I had to share it!!! I don't know who wrote it so I cannot acknowledge the genius! But whoever it is, he is AWESOME!!!!!</div><div style="color: #ea9999;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #ea9999;"></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> Lungi-yites- in praise of the humble lungi</span></b></div></div><div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div></div><div style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div><strong style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Legendary Lungi</span></strong><b style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Just as the national bird of Kerala is Mosquito, her national dress is 'Lungi'. Pronounced as 'Lu' as in loo and 'ngi ' as in 'mongey', a lungi can be identified by its floral or window-curtain pattern. 'Mundu' is the white variation of lungi and is worn on special occasions like hartal or bandh days, weddings and Onam. </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Lungi is simple and 'down to earth' like the mallu wearing it. Lungi is the beginning and the end of evolution in its category. Wearing something on the top half of your body is optional when you are wearing a lungi. Lungi is a strategic dress. It's like a one-size-fits-all bottoms for Keralites.</span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> The technique of wearing a lungi/mundu is passed on from generation to generation through word of mouth like the British Constitution. If you think it is an easy task wearing it, just try it once! It requires techniques like breath control and yoga that is a notch higher than sudarshan kriya of AOL. A lungi/mundu when perfectly worn won't come off even in a quake of 8 on the richter scale. A lungi is not attached to the waist using duct tape, staple, rope or velcro. It's a bit of mallu magic whose formula is a closely guarded secret like the Coca Cola chemicals.</span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> A lungi can be worn 'Full Mast' or 'Half Mast' like a national flag. A 'Full Mast' lungi is when you are showing respect to an elderly or the dead. Wearing it at full mast has lots of disadvantages. A major disadvantage is when a dog runs after you. When you are wearing a lungi/mundu at full mast, the advantage is mainly for the female onlookers who are spared the ordeal of swooning at the sight of hairy</span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> legs.</span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Wearing a lungi 'Half Mast' is when you wear it exposing yourself like those C grade movie starlets. A mallu can play cricket, football or simbly run when the lungi is worn at half mast. A mallu can even climb a coconut tree wearing lungi in half mast. "It's not good manners, especially for ladies from decent families, to look up at a mallu climbing a coconut tree"- Confucius (or is it Abdul Kalam?)</span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Most mallus do the traditional dance kudiyattam. Kudi means drinking alcohol and yattam, spelled as aattam, means random movement of the male body. Note that 'y' is silent. When you are drinking, you drink, there is no 'y'. Any alcohol related "festival" can be enjoyed to the maximum when you are topless with lungi and a towel tied around the head. "Half mast lungi makes it easy to dance and shake legs" says Candelaria Amaranto, a Salsa teacher from Spain after watching 'kudiyaattam' .</span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> The 'Lungi Wearing Mallu Union' [LUWMU, pronounced LOVE MU], an NGO which works towards the 'upliftment' of the lungi, strongly disapprove of the GenNext tendency of wearing Bermudas under the lungi. Bermudas under the lungi is a conspiracy by the CIA. It's a disgrace to see a person wearing burmuda with corporate logos under his lungi. What they don't know is how much these corporates are limiting their freedom of movement and expression.</span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> A mallu wears lungi round the year, all weather, all season. A mallu celebrates winter by wearing a colourful lungi with a floral pattern. Lungi provides good ventilation and brings down the heat between legs. A mallu is scared of global warming more than anyone else in the world.</span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> A lungi/mundu can be worn any time of the day/night. It doubles as blanket at night. It also doubles up as a swing, swimwear, sleeping bag, parachute, facemask while entering/exiting toddy shops, shopping basket and water filter while fishing in ponds and rivers. It also has recreational uses like in 'Lungi/mundu pulling', a pastime in households having more than one male member. Lungi pulling competitions are held outside toddyshops all over Kerala during Onam and Vishu. When these lungis are decommissioned from service, they become table cloths. Thus the humble lungi is a cradle to grave appendage.</span><br style="color: #ea9999;" /><span style="color: #ea9999;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKRrFwN776I/AAAAAAAAAYs/lF5C-A32wtc/s1600/lungi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TKRrFwN776I/AAAAAAAAAYs/lF5C-A32wtc/s200/lungi1.jpg" width="200" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">image source: </span><a href="http://www.thekkottil.com%20/" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">http://www.thekkottil.com </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S.- It is rocket science how to tie a lungi. A cousin with no prior experience of lungi tying tried it once and even with a belt securing the lungi, it was an <i>aiyooo</i> moment in front of hundreds! Be warned! ;)</span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #ea9999;"> </span></span>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-70804311175257740842010-09-28T21:06:00.001+05:302010-09-28T23:20:27.571+05:30An Appeal..<div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay here's another shift in gear... With all due respect to all religions, sects and cults, I humbly request all citizens of Delhi, visitors and whoever gets within a 100 m radius of the Yamuna to kindly keep all their religious sentiments aside and avoid throwing stuff into the Yamuna. It's with great difficulty that it has stopped smelling like a '<i>ganda naala</i>'! Let's not go back there..</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now back to Minstrel style. Dude! No offence but where is the sense in throwing stuff into the river. I respect all religious sentiments but this part makes no sense! Nothing is an excuse for polluting resources! Even if it is flower offerings, hullo, you throw it in with the newspaper, plastic cover and what not? It's crazy..</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Nawab wanted to click the Yamuna in its glory so we went from the Ashram- Noida highway thing and as we stopped at the middle of the bridge and as the Nawab took aim this couple in their 50's driving a white Maruti 800 threw flowers wrapped in newspapers and something else into the water. It was astonishing how belief can kill common sense! I glared at the Uncleji and gave him the Lily style- YOU'RE DEAD TO ME look! Auntyji got her share of it too. The guard appointed at the bridge then came to us and told us that stopping at the bridge was not allowed and clicking pics especially wasn't. The couple had left by then, but there was this other smart <i>mahashay</i> (Mister in translation) who dumped some other stuff into the river a few metres away from us at the exact time when the guard was talking to us. I gave him a piece of my mind. Firstly, the signboard that read "Stopping not allowed" was nowhere in sight. (It was actually placed at the end of the bridge..Smart thinking that! :P) And I told him that. He stood there doing nothing when people came and dumped stuff but he had a problem with us stopping to click pics. The sign that was closer and more in number was the board that requested people not to dump things into the river but that went unheeded.</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Even if the guy was doing his job, I wouldn't have minded had he also told those people off who had been dumping in things. That would have made some sense. Now you have a problem with people clicking pictures of the Yamuna but garbage dumpers are more than welcome! That's way ahead of foolishness! That's pure BS! If that's how it goes, a clean pure Yamuna shall remain a distant dream!</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Back to the humble appeal- Please do not let thy belief cloud thine common sense and lead you to commit bullshit acts. Kindly reserve thine flowers for the deities not the river and thy garbage for thy dustbin. Thy refraining from throwing things into the river would be more of a worship for the river and help in keeping her pure and sacred. My apologies for those who felt I insulted their common sense because well, one cannot insult what does not exist. To those who share my opinion, if you see someone spreading garbage in our lovely city, stop them. Every act of restraint will go a long way in bringing the beauty back to this holy river.</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S.- You have all the right to debate with me, disagree with me, or let me know I'm off my knockers in the comments section but I reserve the right to say what I please! My blog! :P Enough said! </div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com4Yamuna River, Delhi, India28.308437 77.54146127.099399000000002 75.673785 29.517475 79.409137tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-81733311474037208302010-09-21T20:58:00.000+05:302010-09-21T20:58:37.522+05:30Washed Away...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJjOa2G_NpI/AAAAAAAAAYk/n_c2uQpyatI/s1600/21092010142+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJjOa2G_NpI/AAAAAAAAAYk/n_c2uQpyatI/s400/21092010142+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Yamuna is overflowing. And with have been washed away the foundations of many lives. The water has most of the surroundings all submerged... it's a really sad situation..There were families there whose lives have been washed away by those waters, all their life savings perhaps destroyed. They live in tents now along the Delhi-Noida Highway. At a time when the Delhi government is pouring crores towards the CWG 2010, investing lakhs in volunteer uniforms and putting 5 crores into the Games Anthem, I wish some few lakhs were diverted towards those whose lives have been displaced due to the Yamuna overflowing. In this stormy unpredictable weather, atleast some concrete rehabilitation, albeit temporary could be provided. How far can the canvas tents protect them? What about basic facilities like electricity, toilets and all? </div><div style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The children play on the roadside; the highway is a dangerous playground . Who will account for any lives lost? I don't know to what extent the Government has aided in this case but I don't think it is enough. It forms a sad image when juxtaposed with the Games Village which is a stone's throw away. So much frenzy and excitement in preparing for some visitors while our own citizens languish in need of basic amenities... A sorry state of affairs indeed. </div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com2New Delhi, Delhi 110001, India28.635308 77.2249628.333978499999997 76.758040999999992 28.9366375 77.691879tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-43621007780374341732010-09-21T20:45:00.001+05:302010-09-22T16:05:52.116+05:30Once in a BLUE Moon...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I had never thought that I'd live to see this day.. Cows would fly before this happened! But it did!!! And last heard, cows still have their feet planted firmly on the ground! (Thank God for small mercies!) The Yamuna has WATER! </div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJjKjo-pbbI/AAAAAAAAAYg/3vTW1wKIBbc/s1600/21092010140+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJjKjo-pbbI/AAAAAAAAAYg/3vTW1wKIBbc/s320/21092010140+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(This is not even the river itself! It's just a connecting stream thing!!!! Couldn't click the river itself! Reason given in the post so read on!)</span><br />
<div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I had heard about it in the news but thought it's all hogwash, they must be talking about some part of Yamuna nowhere within the peripheries of the city of Delhi. All my life I have seen the dirty mucky canal type thing under this huge bridge with a lot of weeds and grass growing and garbage strewn all around...and I saw this with my fingers firmly clutching my nose, jabbing the nostrils shut so I don't inhale even a sq. mm of that stench! But dude! I stood above the Yamuna bridge today and had my hands on the railings (yes both!) clasping tightly because the current and flow of the water made my head reel! And I swear had no railing been there I would have definitely plopped in!!!! And never popped up again! :P And it was not the stench that made my head reel...really!</div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Miracles do happen...once in a BLUE moon...</div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S- But that water even now shall not get anywhere near me!!! Not now, not ever! It's more toxic than my college canteen's<i> dahi bhalla</i> even now! Or maybe not.....Ummmmmmm.. Uhhhhhh.....Tough one that! :P:P</div><br />
<div style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-25695206601216187902010-09-17T20:34:00.005+05:302010-09-29T20:34:56.920+05:30Come Out And Play?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJTYTQGSlGI/AAAAAAAAAYU/WrZXYXaAxyg/s1600/ssp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJTYTQGSlGI/AAAAAAAAAYU/WrZXYXaAxyg/s320/ssp.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(Hehe! Yea! Accidents like this do happen sometimes! It made me fall off my chair in disbelief!) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJODJXeMMkI/AAAAAAAAAYM/aWU4eECkOEE/s200/shera_0.jpg" width="200" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Disclaimer: I have nothing against the Commonwealth games! Please do not kill me supporters, I too look forward to attending the tennis matches and hope to hell that CWG 2010 does not end up as the piece of crap that it is shaping up to be!</b></div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let me tell you a story...</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Once upon a time, in a land not so far away there was this Minstrel who was so excited about the Commonwealth Games that was happening in HER CITY! It was the most incredible thing to happen to the city of Delhi after KFC came to Connaught Place (OK, OK perhaps not the same thing! But it still was AWESOME to have that happen! DUDE!). Watching Somdev Devvarman on the field in the flesh tearing apart the opposition would be one of the perks among many! She couldn't wait for October 2010 to come! And then poof! THE END!</i></div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Yes, call me a cynic, hit me with Shera stuff toys (actually please do, I can take them home! He is kinda cute!), feed me with more CWG gossip and kill me but whatever! My face looks like a pumpkin right now and I am pissed so there! Go shove it all up from where you shove crap down! (Go figure!)</b></div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The CWG 2010 has done so much for our economy and the people that I can't help but stand up in applause for all those who put so much into this thing! The list is so long that I can't point it all out but here are a few of my top ones, straight from the fictional-OC-idiot-spokesperson-I-just-constructed-in-my-mind's mouth:</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1) Such incredible use of all that money which would have been wasted on feeding the destitutes and building homes for the homeless! In fact, the renovation has been so smartly done that you shall not have to worry about excess money for a long time because if smartly done, all the money in the treasury that you earn and give to the Government can be put to good use 2-months later as well, to fix what has been fixed now, because yaiyee! It's going to all fall apart! So cheers! </div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2) Oh those nasty college students were giving the wardens such a hard time and frankly who cares about them. in fact it's time we give the PG Owners the time to make some cash! Where else would they spend the limited amount of pocket money that they get? Atleast they won't spend it on booze or drugs! Cheers!</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3) Those crappy buildings in the city needing a facelift? But we have better ideas! Why spend all that money on fixing a building that can fall to pieces any minute when we can spend that money on the CWG Anthem? Banners are cheaper and more effective! Killing two birds with one stone- The building is hidden and publicity also taken care of! Cheers!</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4) The doctors and nurses in our city hospitals have been complaining of being in hard times and not getting any work ever since Swine flu has gone out of vogue! Voila! Not to worry! CWG to the rescue! We give you not one but many better options! Dengue, Conjunctivitis, typhoid, you want it, we got it! Allergies for early birds with a month's stay in the hospital so you don't have to worry about working your ass off at the workplace anymore! See, CWG has the solutions for all your problems!</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5) Delhiites (atleast a lot of them!) have always rued the lack of a good beach in Delhi or even a river with enough water! We have the solution, it's easy-peasy! Not to worry! We clog your drains with construction rubble so voila! You have your very own streams and rivers flowing in front of your houses! And you don't even have to pay for it! </div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6) Gone were the days when you could complain about getting late because you were stuck in a jam! With new roads, flyovers, there was no excuse for simply waking up late! All your worries are now over! With a lane dedicated to CWG, you can forget all your worries about not having an excuse for not being on time! And finally you can be completely in fashion adapting to the "Indian Standard Time" all thanks to CWG! As an added bonus the city's blueline buses will be taken off the roads where CWG has any mention and half the DTC buses will be on CWG duty! So no tension whatsoever! You're never getting anywhere on time...or maybe never getting anywhere as well! Cheers!</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">7) The roads in North Campus were so wide and used so less. So we came up with a solution! We cut the road in half and created a cycle/ cycle rickshaw lane! So what if there are big trees in the middle of the lane and cycle rickshaws can't pass through or that cycles are used by less than 0.01% of the area's population! It still is cool and the countries in the West have it and now so do we! And that's hot! Cheers!</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So there you have it! CWG has definitely been a boon to our economy and to all of us! So Come Out and Play Everyone! If you are not in the hospital, or stuck in traffic, or stuck in knee-deep water or hunting for a new place to live, or killed by a collapsed building! See you there!!! </div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S.- The CWG has given me awesome allergies and half my face looks like a swollen watermelon and half-bee stung lips are NOT HOT! So I have every right to say whatever crap I want to! So there! </div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.P.S.-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #8e7cc3; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJODXsYzgFI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/Hv67-s5RUi4/s1600/commonwealth-games-2010-logo-mascot-shera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TJODXsYzgFI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/Hv67-s5RUi4/s200/commonwealth-games-2010-logo-mascot-shera.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Are We Ready?</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME???????????????? </div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-3767531783855457222010-09-09T12:30:00.001+05:302010-09-09T12:34:09.231+05:30Dearest...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TIiF4zyWc9I/AAAAAAAAAYI/E9CRaMJiei8/s1600/shackles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TIiF4zyWc9I/AAAAAAAAAYI/E9CRaMJiei8/s320/shackles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">image source: <a href="http://browardlawblog.blogspot.com/">http://browardlawblog.blogspot.com/</a></span></div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dearest Blog,</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">How are you doing? Hope this letter finds you in good health. I know I haven't been too kind to you recently and you have been feeling neglected but I am so sorry, I have been forced into this by the monster in my life right now- Masters syllabus (MS). MS has me trapped, has me on a leash all the time, morning to night, heck he even invades my dreams (or nightmares!). It is a dungeon that I am stranded in dear blog. It does not mean I do not care for you, I swear I do. It's only a matter of some more time dearest...and I shall be all yours. Until then, wait for me. I'll try my best too, I'll sneak out and run to you when MS isn't watching (although he'll drag me right back!). It's a matter of some more time..Wait for me..I miss you..</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Loads of love,</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">MI</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S- You just wait and watch MS. I shall have the last laugh. You'll see... :P:P </div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-44603410611407724092010-08-14T18:10:00.000+05:302010-08-14T18:10:59.544+05:30My Tribute To Colonel Sanders!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaNxcXqMuI/AAAAAAAAAX8/RNYC-UWNc_A/s1600/14082010%28005%29+copymarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaNxcXqMuI/AAAAAAAAAX8/RNYC-UWNc_A/s400/14082010%28005%29+copymarked.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">With special thanks to Zooks for lending her right hand to this noble cause (becoming the first vegetarian to be in an "I Love KFC" pic perhaps!)!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here's to a whole lot more of centuries of finger lickin' goodness!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(P.S.- Yes, you're right! I had nothing better to do! :P )</span></span></span>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-34979799856299472742010-08-14T18:02:00.000+05:302010-08-14T18:02:06.468+05:30Wading in the city!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaHybEhAJI/AAAAAAAAAXk/2BdtCzbIskQ/s1600/14082010%28008%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaHybEhAJI/AAAAAAAAAXk/2BdtCzbIskQ/s400/14082010%28008%29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It rained cats and dogs today. I had to almost swim back home. The traffic was a bummer, drains overflowing, it was a sight to see. Makes one wonder about the drainage system of the city... God save Delhi's pride if the rain gods decide to flash their teeth during the Commonwealth Games! :P Perhaps if they paid attention to the more essential repairs rather than turn to rubble the footpaths and then batter them up again and again in a vicious cycle... perhaps then the citizens would not have to contemplate buying a boat as standby option in a city where even the sole river does not have water enough for a man to drown!</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaIdp30oHI/AAAAAAAAAXo/xNy_i3H39eI/s1600/14082010%28009%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaIdp30oHI/AAAAAAAAAXo/xNy_i3H39eI/s400/14082010%28009%29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaJmGTqJPI/AAAAAAAAAXs/Rb-cY-qYPXs/s1600/14082010%28010%29+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaJmGTqJPI/AAAAAAAAAXs/Rb-cY-qYPXs/s400/14082010%28010%29+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaJ16Fgx_I/AAAAAAAAAXw/DA6YJl37_TA/s1600/14082010%28011%29+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaJ16Fgx_I/AAAAAAAAAXw/DA6YJl37_TA/s400/14082010%28011%29+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaKZ0CHD3I/AAAAAAAAAX0/576PYq7FQ1s/s1600/14082010%28012%29+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaKZ0CHD3I/AAAAAAAAAX0/576PYq7FQ1s/s400/14082010%28012%29+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaKpH_jHYI/AAAAAAAAAX4/u7w2pw2qxz4/s1600/14082010%28013%29+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TGaKpH_jHYI/AAAAAAAAAX4/u7w2pw2qxz4/s400/14082010%28013%29+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-35685012605240453812010-08-02T20:40:00.000+05:302010-08-02T20:40:28.424+05:30Page 57<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CAldy%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CAldy%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CAldy%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><style>
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<div style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Write page 57 of your<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>300-page autobiography.</span></span></i></div><b><span style="color: #76a5af;"> </span></b><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An excerpt from the upcoming bestseller "</span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>The Minstrel's Lair</u>" </i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">by the Booker Prize winning author who refuses to reveal her true identity- Minstrel Incognito. Arriving at your nearest bookstores very very soon! </span></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TFbfWVpMh5I/AAAAAAAAAXE/mBxWAHNyvmU/s1600/bookcover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TFbfWVpMh5I/AAAAAAAAAXE/mBxWAHNyvmU/s400/bookcover2.jpg" width="327" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">cover photograph: <a href="http://apertureinmyhorizon.blogspot.com/">Bigde Nawab</a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">cover design: Minstrel Incognito </span></span></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>Page 57</b></u></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b><br />
</b></u></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">...and there I sat with the monitor staring at me. The publisher's advance check stared at me and taunted me. When I had signed the dotted line for 300 pages of regular rubbish, I hadn't thought it would be this hard. Giving the world, my readers a peak into my daily life was not an easy task. I revelled in the enigmatic aura that I had built around myself. Opening the door was the toughest part. Well, since my editor will make my life miserable if I don't make any headway into this, let's move on!</span> </span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My life as the centre of attention and the apple of everyone's eye had become a habit by now. I enjoyed the attention and loved being pampered. And then one day everything changed. It started the day I had gone shopping with my parents and my mother fainted. I was worried, it's not everyday that 6 year olds see their mother faint in the middle of the road!</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bollywood masala had attuned me to fear the worst about everything. Mom had just come back from Libya a few months back and I had been very excited to be with her again. But then this happened. Heading home, I was so nervous and scared I couldn't breathe. And I was so angry with my dad and mom for being so freakin' calm about this and not telling me what's wrong! In complete cinema </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">ishtyle</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I paced the length of my room as Mom went to the hospital with Dad. They came back grinning from ear to ear and I was frustrated because I didn’t know what was going on.</span></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">18</span><sup style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> July, 1995- I saw my Dad waiting for me outside the school gate and I instantly knew something was up. We went to the hospital together and I entered the room in which my mother lay. My 3 month-old cousin was sprawled on the bed next to mom’s googoo gaing me and holding out her chubby fingers. I grinned at her and hugged her. With nervous excitement I then walked towards the crib on the other side of mom’s bed. There was a white little bundle of cloth inside.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Peering closely I saw that the bundle had a face with a mouth that was open and searching for something and eyes that were tightly shut like a little puppy’s. My Dad looked ecstatic and proudly lifted the bundle and handed it to me. I was all excited- MY SISTER! I held the tiny little baby in my hands and peered into her small cute face. I was so happy! And then the tiny face contorted and the mouth opened wide and a siren rang out! The thing was wailing like I was an axe murderer! I handed her duly back to my ecstatic Dad and I said “</span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">ye kya hai? Kitna rota hai! Mujhe nahi chahiye!” </i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(What is this? So much wailing! I don’t want it!) </span></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And I trod back to my happy little cousin who was still all googoo gaga! Atleast this thing knew how to smile, I liked it better! (Okay I’m literally writing in the moment! No offences to the “things” in question! Both of you rock!) She came and she took all the attention away. All my relatives now fawned over her, I was angry, rather than the apple of everyone’s eye, I felt more like the banana peel. I glared when asked about how excited I was about my sister! I went like blah! </span></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And then again it all changed one fine day. (These change </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">vale</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> days do seem quite frequent in my life eh?) Mom was busy in the kitchen, Dad was at work. I decided to check out what the hype was all about for myself. “The thing” lay on the mat in the sitting room rattling some silly chan-chan crap! I crept slowly upto her and then peered into her face again. A toothless grin from my then-nemesis left me spellbound. Her little fingers grabbed my thumb and I sat still, proceeding with caution. I didn’t know what to do next and waited for her next move wary of…</span></span></div><div style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">*end of page*</span></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-90847907246677266052010-08-01T17:07:00.000+05:302010-08-01T17:07:32.633+05:30To My Partners In Crime!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TFVcJPvEiII/AAAAAAAAAW8/_Hk12pFZ36w/s1600/bart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TFVcJPvEiII/AAAAAAAAAW8/_Hk12pFZ36w/s320/bart.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm a strange person to be friends with! :P I have my eccentricities and my mad moments! Yet there are those few mad freaks who stubbornly stand by me through all that! When I act like a dope, they kick my ass. When I don't call, they call me and don't let me off the hook for hours! :P Some scold me and rant at my habit of going aloof but smile and give a big hug and forget all about it the minute I say "<i>sorry na yaar</i>!". Here's to you!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To my kiddo: I know sisters are not historically supposed to be best friend material but dude you're the best! I know so many sisters who never lose opportunities to bug their siblings and nor do you! But I've seen you cry when I cry, the minute I get pissed, I've seen your face fall! Our secrets have never been exploited by you! And thankfully, you are still a kid and not a pseudo-adult most of your peers have become! Thanks for being better than the best I could have ever wish for! Muah!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To My school gang- The twins, Mary Sheikh and Takia: They say school friends always tend to drift away! But you guys are like stuck to me with superglue! :P Of course our priorities have shifted, we've grown up, most of you are WORKING NOW! (Gawd have we grown up!) But I know you guys will always be there no matter what! You're the only chain that remains to bind me to some of the best days of my life! 12-B was a riot! Remember being punished on the stairs next to the staffroom and how we sat there proudly as a class boasting of our not so ordinary achievement? And dreaming of the days when the Princi would just go away! Complaining about hairbands, <i>pita humare</i> in the assembly, Saxy's lectures, Golgappas's escapades with her hubby, fighting over chowmein! Miss those days!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To My College Clique: You guys are like the awesomest people I met after I stepped into the big bad world! Dopey, my non-veg partner! My KFC days would have been history without you! Moments are so many that recalling it would require a separate blog! But as ex-work partner, fashion consultant (:P The raybans!), my to-be flat mate and (thank god for small mercies!) non- chaman ka maali, gosh You rock!!! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Zooks, you're something else man, out of this world! The one and only Fra Nupsy Lippi! If I don't get strangled by your mane, we shall grow old and sit on that front porch (Lily style!) and sip on chocolate milk and bitch about spitters! ;) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Don, dude, you don't scare me! (Ha!) No matter how hard you glare at me with those eyes of yours! But you're the most adorable little thing ever (emphasizing on LITTLE! Oh oh I'm dead! :P) You're like my Twitter and Facebook updates both rolled into one! What would I do without you! ;P And yes, on that front porch, Dopey, Zooks, Enna Rascala, you and I are gonna sit and do the TB Disco dance! And even then, I'm sure you'll be my news bulletin! hehe! Love you for the madness! ;P</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Enna Rascala mind it! Your toilet jokes and mad humor has made me smile even on the worst of days! You're like my substitute granny! Hehe! (That's what you get for calling me kiddo! :P) Thanks for caring so much about me and completing my crazy bunch so perfectly! Of course I go zzzzzzzzzzz... at your lectures but I love you no less! :P You're a dope and you rock as one!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To <a href="http://www.ofthingsiknowandnot.blogspot.com/">The Wizard Of Verse, </a>my Partner in Rhyme: you kept the poet in me alive, until you went away to Mumbai! Our wars of Verse are something that can never be replicated with anyone else! The days we spent walking till eternity with Bhaiya ji and endless talks and discussions about Milton, Bhaiya ji's flowery shirts, waiting for 108, your habit of fidgeting with all the condiments at a restaurant and dumping it into your glass!:P The concerts, making fun of US, your attempts at making me dance (hehe!), Deepi's playing matchmaker and us laughing our heads off over it! Although the first time I met you I thought you were an obnoxious snob, i'm glad I got to know otherwise! Hehe! Thanks for all the fun!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To <a href="http://me-you-andtheworld.blogspot.com/">Bhaiya Ji</a> : You're the brother that I never had and words can never be enough to tell you how much you mean to me! The ways you've been there, I can never forget. It's amazing how you could just instinctively know when I was upset and how you always managed to cheer me up. Moments are so many- the 4- hour waiting for the strike to end even before you were my friend, dropping me home after the DU concerts like the dutiful bro that you've always been, the trips to here and there to satiate our ever growling appetites, the late night antakshari game on the phone to cheer me up (the cheesy songs and all!hehe!), the pep talks, the debates, the Rakhi baandho episode in MH.. so much that have left their mark on the pages of my life! And I know you'll be there always without even being asked, as always! Miss you!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To <a href="http://apertureinmyhorizon.blogspot.com/">Bigde Nawab</a> : You're like a miracle to me... the greatest gift that I could have asked for. Thanks for loving me with all my madness. I know I'm not the easiest person to be with, I do test you a lot, but thanks for taking it all with a grin and never complaining! You're everything I ever wanted and all that I ever will! Loads of love to you for being who you are... My Best Friend! :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A very Happy friendship Day to all of you.. Okay I admit I got a lil senti and this was an excuse to pour it all out! ;) Loads of love to you guys!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.s.- Dear readers of my blog (the tiny and miniscule no who actually take time out to read all the crap I dish out!). You're the bomb! Love you all for everything! Happy friendship Day! :)</span></span><br />
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</span></span>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-43909201055562505022010-07-27T22:21:00.000+05:302010-07-27T22:21:13.262+05:30Indian Soaps- Unity In Diversity!<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The kiddo and I were talking about Indian soaps today and we realised how integral a part they are of our Indian culture! :P No matter what language, which channel, you can always figure out a few basics without understanding a single dialogue! I am more familiar with Hindi and Malayalam serials so I shall illustrate my point citing a few random examples!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The vamp is the easiest to spot! All negative characters are snazzily dressed, modern and trendy apparel, garish make-up, loads of <i>kajal</i> and an eery piece of music playing in the background! You have your negative character right there! In case of a male villain, he'll be wearing smart clothes with one eyebrow raised in defiance of gravity and a leery smile on the face! A never failing signal is the "Dhishding dhishding" music that starts playing when they enter, signaling yet another "<i>Ab Aayega Mazaa</i>!" moment!</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8HTKIdeVI/AAAAAAAAAVo/pVHjtMExsgc/s1600/vamps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8HTKIdeVI/AAAAAAAAAVo/pVHjtMExsgc/s320/vamps.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8MXd-3U7I/AAAAAAAAAV4/zqmMCbFIxPc/s1600/bad+guys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8MXd-3U7I/AAAAAAAAAV4/zqmMCbFIxPc/s320/bad+guys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Leading lady? The easiest to spot! Traditional Indian clothes, glycerin overdose, silent, suffering, looks saintly all the time. In happy times, the sitar starts singing or a happy happy tune plays the minute she enters and when tough times arrive, the wailing tune starts and then you just want to barf!</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8Ir1FJ1aI/AAAAAAAAAVs/fxL93OWew6o/s1600/ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8Ir1FJ1aI/AAAAAAAAAVs/fxL93OWew6o/s320/ladies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And yes, she goes de-glam the minute things go wrong! No make-up and fancy clothes! Na-uh! It's just hidden make-up and designer plain clothes henceforth!</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8Kyj7YmnI/AAAAAAAAAVw/XQICJFRtphE/s1600/sad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8Kyj7YmnI/AAAAAAAAAVw/XQICJFRtphE/s320/sad.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The leading man is the eternally brooding, depraved looking pathetic creature! He cries, is bullied and manipulated by the ladies in his life and is usually a sorry character! These heroes can give the leading ladies a run for their money with all the weeping! A prop most of the time, he comes in handy occasionally to beat up the bad guys who harass his lady love or to turn her out of the house and then later cry at her doorstep pleading to her to come back! Sigh!</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8LqLVcsDI/AAAAAAAAAV0/mzsKrhXGHmQ/s1600/Presentation1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE8LqLVcsDI/AAAAAAAAAV0/mzsKrhXGHmQ/s320/Presentation1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All confrontations are with the camera going crazy revolving 360 degrees, with a <i>dhindhindhindhin </i></span></span></span><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>dhindhindhindhin </i>tune going on and cymbals clash when a point is forfeited to either party and when the game is over another <i>dhich</i>!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is bitching, conspiracy, <i>khaandaan ka naam mitti mein milaya </i>dialogues, a lot of tears, fights, more bitching and plotting, some romane, then more fights, a few deaths, a few leaps in time, some growing olds, some more tears and some happily ever-afters. That is what is so remarkable about India! There is so much Unity even in Diversity! :P Even our soaps concur! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sorry about limiting to the basic stuff and the only two Indian languages I know! I would like to thank my mom for all the info regarding the Malayalam serials!!! Crap serials but were of some use! Thanks ma!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">P.S.- The Minstrel like a typical hypocrite watches her daily soaps without fail- Uttaran, Na Aana Iss Des Laado being two of them! Bah! Sue me! :P </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">P.P.S.- Wheeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Screw the serials!!!!! I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!! :) </span></span>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-51629026838542140362010-07-26T17:50:00.000+05:302010-07-26T17:50:07.466+05:30Dressing Up Delhi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE18oLFqxUI/AAAAAAAAAVc/JCvmUnIvI3E/s1600/1233491147037_commonwealth_2010_logo_t.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TE18oLFqxUI/AAAAAAAAAVc/JCvmUnIvI3E/s320/1233491147037_commonwealth_2010_logo_t.png" width="232" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image source: thecommonwealthgames.org</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">What's the hype all about? Okay, I know I was supposed to be on hibernation but something came up today that I just could not ignore. It's going to be a shift from my regular way of writing so kindly forgive me dear readers!</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">The Commonwealth Games have got the whole of Delhi mad. It was irritating even when it began but now it's crossed all limitations. The hypocrisy of those in power emerges like the blazing sun and burns our vision. The city is being dressed up like a bride- new roads, modern bridges, footpaths renovated, new flyovers, better stadiums, new parking lots- the entire city is being scrubbed and shined for the visitors. All this is great stuff I agree but what the heck does the government mean to do by troubling the residents of the city. Why all this renovation work now? Millions being blown everyday for a few outsiders who are going to visit for a matter of two weeks and go? What about those who live here? Do they account for nothing?</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">Today I found out from Dopey that the students who lived in hostels on-campus were being forced to move to PG accommodations so that the visiting people could stay there. I mean what the hell? It's sheer beastly, that's what it is. What about those outstation students who can't find a place to move into? Nobody gives a damn? </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">Footpaths are being renovated for the visitors. Why was this not done earlier? What about those Delhi citizens who walk these roads every day? Don't they matter? For all this renovation roads are dug up all over. It is impossible to walk in Connaught Place now because there's construction work and debris everywhere. Rains make it worse, it becomes slushy and even worse. To cross the outer circle road is no less than a risky challenge, because there are no subways open right now and no traffic police manning the road for most part of the day and vehicles speed down in a constant stream making it impossible to cross. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">Stadiums are being broken down and built again for those sports persons who are going to come in for the Commonwealth Games. What about our own sports persons? Didn't they deserve better stadiums and better training apparatus? Why is everything being spruced up for CWG 2010? Why was this not done before?</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">New parking lots, flyovers, and all in that part of the city that shall be visited by those coming for the Commonwealth Games. What about the remaining part of the city? Do they not matter? The citizens who live here, pay the exorbitant taxes, walk down these footpaths, use those roads, practise in these stadiums seem to matter not a whit.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">My problem is not with the dressing up. My problem is with why now? We pay for it and it is we who suffer. And instead of showing even an ounce of shame, the Delhi Government proudly says " Come out and play". The <span>audacity</span> is surprising really!!! </span> </div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com12New Delhi, Delhi, India28.635308 77.2249628.333978499999997 76.758040999999992 28.9366375 77.691879tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-49107301778088073342010-07-16T23:04:00.000+05:302010-07-16T23:04:18.414+05:30The Minstrel In Hibernation<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Minstrel is going on an actual hibernation... Hope to be back soon! Thanks for all the support and love.. Take care.. :) </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S.- Don't kill my ranking plz IndiBlogger!!!! </span></span>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-8697204958934307322010-07-15T19:22:00.000+05:302010-07-15T19:22:53.964+05:30Appointment With a Nightmare!<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Haircuts are so scary! I mean, it's the easiest way to torture someone like me. By me, I'm referring to those who need to be whacked before they shift their derriere and head to the salon, growl when asked to apply make-up and do not go for a haircut until split ends stare in their faces!</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TD8RpZKivcI/AAAAAAAAAVY/CAnbCcxVBiA/s1600/get-dream-hair-de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TD8RpZKivcI/AAAAAAAAAVY/CAnbCcxVBiA/s200/get-dream-hair-de.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">image source: Good Housekeeping</span></span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay, I do use makeup I admit (without my <i>kajal</i> and eyeliner I start resembling the Loch Ness monster, no offence Nessie and Marshall!) But I'm not too fond of this stuff. Now going for a haircut is an ordeal really! It's a whole series of tortures going bang-bang-bang right at your temples!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Step 1: Breaking Point</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It comes when you look into the mirror and cringe at the vision, filled with new admiration for your bf (since he still loves you despite your looking like that hideous thing staring back at you in the mirror!) That's when it hits! It's time to sacrifice the locks again!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">STEP 2: Testing Time</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's when I try and decide what haircut to go for...Googling all the latest dope on haircuts but who am I kidding! That stuff might look good on me had I been Heidi Klum with 10 full-time personal stylists but heck, back to reality! I'm not! No, Garnier ads don't say the truth. And no, your hair won't look like that just because you use Dove! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">STEP 3: Decisions!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Realising all the mighty flaws in my hair, looking longingly at all those gorgeous hairstyles, I settle for the more normal cut! Since, well unlike them, I rarely even comb my hair more than once or twice a day, forget about styling them! :P</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">STEP 4: Temptation</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I'm all set to go to the salon in the evening, ready to go wash my hair and as I pass the mirror, HALT!!!Wow my hair looks gorgeous! The very day I decide to cut my hair it decides to look its very best! Now if I actually manage to fight the urge to change my mind, I end up at the salon!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">STEP 5: PITA Time</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">PITA, folks, is just plain 'PAIN IN THE ASS' time! When I haplessly try to explain to the stylist exactly what I want. Suggestion- get a picture of the cut you want, makes it easier!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">STEP 6: SUFFERING</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Seeing those luscious locks fall to the ground is sheer torture! My mom was almost in tears when I got my first rebel haircut (i.e. one according to my own wishes! :P) My almost waist-length hair went snip-snip and reached my shoulders that day! Mom's fiery stares almost melted the stylist into a puddle of goo! ;)</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TD8RUIzg3aI/AAAAAAAAAVU/wVErBVCm8Hg/s1600/DSC00853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TD8RUIzg3aI/AAAAAAAAAVU/wVErBVCm8Hg/s200/DSC00853.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image source: http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/grubfox/1st%20haircut/DSC00853.jpg </span></span></span></div><span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">STEP 7: Fear!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What if I end up looking like a clown? What if the cut doesn't suit me? These fears race through my mind as the stylist gets ready with the hairdryer for the final blow! (literally! :P)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you manage to survive all this- there's that ultimate ecstasy of looking into the mirror and going- "Muah! Gorgeous!"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that's a high!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S.- Just got a haircut! Hence the ranting! :P</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.P.S- Muah! Gorgeous! ;) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com6New Delhi, Delhi, India28.635308 77.2249628.333978499999997 76.758040999999992 28.9366375 77.691879tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-74075521777266043942010-07-13T13:14:00.001+05:302010-07-13T13:15:25.490+05:30In Deep Water- the final chapter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwRMm0ltcI/AAAAAAAAAUo/abpFOgtwXKg/s1600/kerala2010+478+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwRMm0ltcI/AAAAAAAAAUo/abpFOgtwXKg/s400/kerala2010+478+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let's just quickly get done with the backwater pics for good! So I can show off some other place that I visited.. :P So ladies and gentlemen...presenting before you the final edition of the back water pics!!!!! ***DRUMROLL***</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwM1qlWnrI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/bl0JX98RVdI/s1600/kerala2010+449+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwM1qlWnrI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/bl0JX98RVdI/s400/kerala2010+449+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwL3cHDNYI/AAAAAAAAAUI/arvTvvNMzss/s1600/kerala2010+441+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwL3cHDNYI/AAAAAAAAAUI/arvTvvNMzss/s400/kerala2010+441+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwNQ8uFUmI/AAAAAAAAAUU/gEXf5H392xI/s1600/kerala2010+471+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwNQ8uFUmI/AAAAAAAAAUU/gEXf5H392xI/s400/kerala2010+471+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwNfyKe4qI/AAAAAAAAAUY/OVsoQeHlQq8/s1600/kerala2010+472+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwNfyKe4qI/AAAAAAAAAUY/OVsoQeHlQq8/s400/kerala2010+472+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwO09H6DTI/AAAAAAAAAUc/NtZ2l4Cr2Ac/s1600/kerala2010+473+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwO09H6DTI/AAAAAAAAAUc/NtZ2l4Cr2Ac/s400/kerala2010+473+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwQExygizI/AAAAAAAAAUg/6ZbfgFGaXyY/s1600/kerala2010+474+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwQExygizI/AAAAAAAAAUg/6ZbfgFGaXyY/s400/kerala2010+474+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwQx-lc4SI/AAAAAAAAAUk/jKZ3YboZz74/s1600/kerala2010+475+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwQx-lc4SI/AAAAAAAAAUk/jKZ3YboZz74/s400/kerala2010+475+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwRZW6QOBI/AAAAAAAAAUs/mN937lYinCM/s1600/kerala2010+501+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwRZW6QOBI/AAAAAAAAAUs/mN937lYinCM/s400/kerala2010+501+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwTs0wYCCI/AAAAAAAAAU0/FW4CoEPwo2s/s1600/kerala2010+520+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwTs0wYCCI/AAAAAAAAAU0/FW4CoEPwo2s/s400/kerala2010+520+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwUQWl4o2I/AAAAAAAAAU4/ja4dOp6NHZ4/s1600/kerala2010+522+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwUQWl4o2I/AAAAAAAAAU4/ja4dOp6NHZ4/s400/kerala2010+522+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwU3by9TNI/AAAAAAAAAU8/sR60ircQkX8/s1600/kerala2010+526+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwU3by9TNI/AAAAAAAAAU8/sR60ircQkX8/s400/kerala2010+526+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwVGX8UHXI/AAAAAAAAAVA/dsNk1wjFKBo/s1600/kerala2010+531+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwVGX8UHXI/AAAAAAAAAVA/dsNk1wjFKBo/s400/kerala2010+531+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwVrVLd4rI/AAAAAAAAAVE/RuZLwMbOHR0/s1600/kerala2010+532+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwVrVLd4rI/AAAAAAAAAVE/RuZLwMbOHR0/s400/kerala2010+532+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwV3z6vmCI/AAAAAAAAAVI/u3VZ6OElgmo/s1600/kerala2010+547+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwV3z6vmCI/AAAAAAAAAVI/u3VZ6OElgmo/s400/kerala2010+547+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwXSkSUt4I/AAAAAAAAAVM/aNp7sOOEUJA/s1600/kerala2010+549+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwXSkSUt4I/AAAAAAAAAVM/aNp7sOOEUJA/s400/kerala2010+549+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwYnqWoeaI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/Dkljwe8sjAI/s1600/kerala2010+295+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDwYnqWoeaI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/Dkljwe8sjAI/s400/kerala2010+295+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S. -Yes, finally adieu to the backwaters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I can write!!! Yaiyee!!!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.P.S.- There you go Mr Brainwave, the last pic- what you wanted minus the bamboo pole!!!!!!!! :P:P:P</span></span>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com11Alapuzzha, Kerala, India9.49 76.339.447672 76.271635 9.532328 76.388365tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-67022855036143419752010-07-10T17:47:00.006+05:302010-07-13T10:33:11.010+05:30Moments of Madness!<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Moments of madness are those few moments in our prim n propah lives in which we choose to do things that might seem crazy to others, but hell, IT"S FUN!!!!! ;)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.blogadda.com/">Blog Adda</a> has given me a perfect excuse to share the mad memories. So this is my entry to the <a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2010/07/07/moments-of-madness-memorable-crazy-fun-contest?utm_source=BlogAdda+Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f1a1b53533-Newsletter_2_07_5_2010&utm_medium=email">Moments of Madness contest</a> organised by <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/">blogadda.com</a> in association with <a href="http://pringoo.com/">pringoo.com.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Memories of madness, well are too many to count...So I'll just dig out five random episodes. And here goes..</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1. This is quite recent really. We had no electricity in the house and it had been gone for quite a long time. My lil sis and I were alone and bored (yes folks, that's when most of the craziest ideas take shape!) so we decided to do silly things to kill the time. And we invented "TORCHER" (our reinterpretation of torture!). What it entailed was that we took a torch (a powerful one at that!) and from our house on the 2nd floor, we torched (no silly, not burning them, but directing the torchlight at them and ahead of them..) random people walking on the road. We succeeded when the person being "torched" noticed that there was a mysterious light ahead of them and looked in surprise where it was coming from! It was silly and yes, quite crazy but yes, we HAD FUN! ha!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2. This was part of the same night. Now Justin Bieber has become a hot topic of conversation these days.. either on the pedestal or as the butt of a million jokes! Kiddo said that Justin sounds like a girl. So she decided to do a lipsync concert to prove her point. Folks, there was no electricity, the heat and boredom can inflict severe brain damage as can be seen from this incident. But no offence, Justin, kiddo was right.. So I took a video of kiddo mouthing the lyrics of "Baby, Baby. Baby" with the torch (yes our very own WMD) doubling up as the spotlight and the song playing on the kiddo's cellphone! The end result was hilarious! Wish I could put up the video, but then the Kiddo would get me torched (nah, this time, the real thing ;P)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3. Monsoons can also drive people to insanity!! So how could I get left behind? Bhaiya ji and I were meeting up at Kamla Nagar market after classes. This happened about 3-4 years back so I'm a little foggy on the details regarding the hows and the whys! So well, it was raining cats and dogs and we had no umbrella. Usually I don't even use mine even if we have one because it gets wet! (Okay okay, I've heard that a zillion times! But I don't like wet umbrellas okay? I just don't!!!) So getting ahead with the story, I don't know what the heck got into us that we decided to get drenched for good!!! Bhaiya ji and I went splish-splosh on the roads, jumping into puddles, kicking in them and spraying water jets at each other! By the end of it, we were drenched from tip to toe and my jeans felt like a sack of bricks! But it is one day that I will never forget... ( <i>senti ho gayi bhai likhte likhte</i>...Miss those days bro!)</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDhjcYtST_I/AAAAAAAAAUA/9IijY1fVNCs/s1600/gang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDhjcYtST_I/AAAAAAAAAUA/9IijY1fVNCs/s200/gang.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4. My gang...oh how can things go any less crazier when we are together! The 9 of us put together spelt TOTAL MADNESS! Dopey, <a href="http://nupur9189.blogspot.com/">Zooks</a>, Don, Enna Rascala, How Rude, Onku's Fashion Guru, the Gollywog, Miranda Priestly and me.. We stepped into the metro and it was a riot, mad fight for the corner seats with Zooks charging ahead of all of us, we were enough to occupy an entire row with our number and the entire Metro with our noise! Our conversation ranged from the inane to the bizarre to complete bullcrap(Enna Rascala's toilet humour)! But one distinct memory I have is of Don's birthday (her 21st if I'm not wrong!) We decided to celebrate with drinks (okay, Breezer it is, but on campus Breezer is still wild for us innocent brats!). Now acquiring the stuff was the twist. Onku's Fashion Guru (OFG) and I were the bravehearts who volunteered to get it. Now where to get it from? Well, a <i>theka</i> (or booze shop)! Sounds pretty simple eh? Not when you're young girls in Delhi at the counter of a booze shop where most of the customers are male! We planned to check out the known <i>theka </i>points in Knags for Breezer but were wary of stepping up to the counter coz of the male crowd assembled in front! So we skipped each until we reached one whose counter was completely empty. but as we stepped up two middle-aged aunties crossed us on the footpath staring at us as if we were aliens with a gaze that would put Cyclops to shame!!! The uncle manning the counter just smiled and commented "<i>unko aadat nai hai na ladkiyon ko yahaan dekhne ki. Aap bura mat maanna!" </i>(they are not used to seeing women here. Don't mind!) We just smiled and asked him for the breezer, stashed the bottles in our bags and left. As we walked we saw the aunties ahead of us and we walked faster to cross them and as we walked by we flashed them grins broad enough to put the Joker to shame and yes, the aunties were left open-mouthed in surprise, not knowing how to react!!! ;) Thus after the sweet revenge we headed to the D-Skool grounds where the rest of the Gang waited with the food stash! With a bottle-opener borrowed from the canteen, we clinked our bottles and all was well in Lala land... :) ( P.S-No, mom, I don't drink anymore! Chill!) ;)</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDhkQvfWNqI/AAAAAAAAAUE/udbRGXPbG-0/s1600/us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDhkQvfWNqI/AAAAAAAAAUE/udbRGXPbG-0/s200/us.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5. This one day remains closest to my heart because yes, its one of the craziest chapters of my love saga! ;P So it was in the days when the <a href="http://apertureinmyhorizon.blogspot.com/">Nawab</a> would walk instead of vroom! When he didn't crib after every 5 inches that he walked! ;) So we were out on a date and were at my favourite <i>khopcha</i>- the Hauz Khas ruins. It was late evening and we had to get back fast because there was some work. But it had been a great day together and the evening was amazing and both of us wanted to stay. Work is work folks but work is irritating when it comes in the way of love! But well, loyal to the cause we dragged our feet back to the road and tried to get an auto.. Destiny had other plans for us though! :) After our futile attempts at getting an auto, the Nawab turned to me and said, "I don't feel like going today <i>yaar</i>". I smiled and joked, "<i>Chal bunk karte hain aaj!" (</i>Let's bunk today!). He looked at me, grinned and said ok. I grinned and mouthed a second affirmative OKAY! Now the perennial problem is where to go. And it came up again. He just smiled and said, " We'll go wherever the roads lead us!" So we started walking, late evening, breeze blowing..we walked hand in hand with the stars shining down on us.. It was the most romantically crazy evening. We walked all the way from R.K. Puram to Sarojini Nagar market, had golgappas, talked about the most random stuff, teased each other, ended up walking almost till my house, a long way off!! Until the Nawab's legs could take no more!!! Finally an auto ride later, I was back at my place, he back at his, nursing our sore ankles and aching knees for the next two days!!! But whoa, was it fun! A day I can never forget! :) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay, rounding up the five, I admit that I'm off my knockers completely and if given the space, there can be a book written about the 'madventures'! A bestseller awaits! But enough for now.. Let the applause begin!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">*A SANE, SOBER BOW*</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">ta-da!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S.- I am sane most of the time though.. No, really!!!!!! :P</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This contest is sponsored by <a href="http://www.pringoo.com/product_gallery/pid-121">Pringoo.com</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><object align="middle" height="255" width="246"><param name="movie" value="http://www.pringoo.com/flashwidget/imagePlayer.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="udid=12622&stage_width=246&stage_height=255&bottom_height=40" /><embed flashvars="udid=12622&stage_width=246&stage_height=255&bottom_height=40" src="http://www.pringoo.com/flashwidget/imagePlayer.swf" width="246" height="255" align="middle" allowscriptaccess="always" /></embed></object> </span></span></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com10New Delhi, Delhi, India28.635308 77.2249628.333978499999997 76.758040999999992 28.9366375 77.691879tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-63687017006229910832010-07-10T13:12:00.000+05:302010-07-10T13:12:55.558+05:30The Grand Sequel to Water Water Everywhere!!!<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As promised, here's the next batch of the backwaters pics..Okay all these pics are making me write less! So I want to get done with them asap! So I'll bludgeon you with an overdose of pics and a little less of my yak-yakkety-yak!!!!!!!!!!! :)</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDdeAbCbYRI/AAAAAAAAATI/NAQphWUelqI/s1600/kerala2010+331+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDdeAbCbYRI/AAAAAAAAATI/NAQphWUelqI/s400/kerala2010+331+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A squiggly-wiggly coconut tree I spotted on the way! Fundoo!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgdzloEDMI/AAAAAAAAATM/wWzHh2q4zPY/s1600/kerala2010+353+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgdzloEDMI/AAAAAAAAATM/wWzHh2q4zPY/s400/kerala2010+353+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A church en-route..notice the boat jetty on the right?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgeQJwyIuI/AAAAAAAAATQ/DBlXE6dHG-g/s1600/kerala2010+362+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgeQJwyIuI/AAAAAAAAATQ/DBlXE6dHG-g/s400/kerala2010+362+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDghnld1arI/AAAAAAAAAT8/VotQV4D_rMc/s1600/kerala2010+433+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDghnld1arI/AAAAAAAAAT8/VotQV4D_rMc/s400/kerala2010+433+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgfLjH-6jI/AAAAAAAAATc/VDC8p_lCDyE/s1600/kerala2010+381+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgfLjH-6jI/AAAAAAAAATc/VDC8p_lCDyE/s400/kerala2010+381+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgejZEl28I/AAAAAAAAATU/Mnsy6vSSDnU/s1600/kerala2010+368+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgejZEl28I/AAAAAAAAATU/Mnsy6vSSDnU/s400/kerala2010+368+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDge4Rds41I/AAAAAAAAATY/xIYBZcjpPgs/s1600/kerala2010+373+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDge4Rds41I/AAAAAAAAATY/xIYBZcjpPgs/s400/kerala2010+373+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgfcO4ZVAI/AAAAAAAAATg/38S-kMP4Vm8/s1600/kerala2010+387+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgfcO4ZVAI/AAAAAAAAATg/38S-kMP4Vm8/s400/kerala2010+387+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgf-N69evI/AAAAAAAAATo/PBt7mD9-2gs/s1600/kerala2010+405+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgf-N69evI/AAAAAAAAATo/PBt7mD9-2gs/s400/kerala2010+405+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDggTHuRwuI/AAAAAAAAATs/r4aMuL3hWSM/s1600/kerala2010+419+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDggTHuRwuI/AAAAAAAAATs/r4aMuL3hWSM/s400/kerala2010+419+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDggfR5zvaI/AAAAAAAAATw/ytZbd7rtAuo/s1600/kerala2010+420+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDggfR5zvaI/AAAAAAAAATw/ytZbd7rtAuo/s400/kerala2010+420+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgg5PAYQ-I/AAAAAAAAAT0/X6M-y5kzKdQ/s1600/kerala2010+423+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgg5PAYQ-I/AAAAAAAAAT0/X6M-y5kzKdQ/s400/kerala2010+423+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDghNZkFzNI/AAAAAAAAAT4/CMbYROwOZP8/s1600/kerala2010+424+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDghNZkFzNI/AAAAAAAAAT4/CMbYROwOZP8/s400/kerala2010+424+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgfqD_E_NI/AAAAAAAAATk/NbVi8qon2QQ/s1600/kerala2010+404+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDgfqD_E_NI/AAAAAAAAATk/NbVi8qon2QQ/s400/kerala2010+404+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It seems that I'll have to put in another edition of the backwaters so well, "Back To The Backwaters" coming soon...Watch this space! ;) :)</span></span></div>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com8Alapuzzha, Kerala, India9.49 76.339.447672 76.271635 9.532328 76.388365tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568527578234490192.post-84787980964008304762010-07-08T18:02:00.001+05:302010-07-10T15:19:32.560+05:30Water, Water Everywhere...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWGATeDniI/AAAAAAAAASk/dTllGzDjiqc/s1600/kerala2010+238+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWGATeDniI/AAAAAAAAASk/dTllGzDjiqc/s400/kerala2010+238+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">I don't know how to swim...No, really I don't (don't you dare laugh! :P) So the thought of spending 24 hours on a boat sent shivers down my spine! The backwaters? Yes, pretty and gorgeous...But oh poor me! what if I fall? This was my main concern as I stood in the parking lot with my backpack. The first thing I hunted for as soon as I stepped onto the houseboat was a life-jacket! And my, was that a relief to see one! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">But a few minutes into the ride, I was thrilled! It was an amazing experience, the perfect recipe for relaxation. The houseboat took us from Alleppey to God only knows where! But it was a whole lot of fun.. It was a little hard for me to sit and do nothing, so I killed time clicking away all and sundry!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">It's a different world altogether. Boats are the only mode of transport available for most of the people in the area. Their lives revolve around the water, the houses have boats parked in front of them instead of cars and bikes! Imagine going to buy groceries on a boat! (*shudders*) Yes, they even have a Public boat transport system! And there are boat-stands(or whatever they are called!) instead of bus stops. Children go home after school on overloaded(yes, the same there too!) boats. Shops, churches, schools, toddy shops, restaurants, yes all have boat jetties in front! It's a tough life. I did get a ride on the little rowboat too! and my, was that scary! Onlookers got something to amuse them, but hell, I was terrified that the boat would capsize and I'd drown! All it took was a little wave to rock the damn boat like mad!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">But it was fun..One advice for those planning to follow suit though...do take something to pass the time there-boardgames, a pack of cards, your Mp3 player, a book, something! Or it can get quite boring after a while! We played cards all evening after the houseboat was parked for the night and also tried our hands at fishing (well, caught nothing but fine, atleast I tried! :P) Another must visit</span></span>..an experience not to be missed! :) Here's a dekko! </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWGZG1TrrI/AAAAAAAAASo/RWkxYPH4iIA/s1600/kerala2010+242+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWGZG1TrrI/AAAAAAAAASo/RWkxYPH4iIA/s400/kerala2010+242+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWG390-hAI/AAAAAAAAASs/HorDSMx8364/s1600/kerala2010+249+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWG390-hAI/AAAAAAAAASs/HorDSMx8364/s400/kerala2010+249+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWHWrnDQdI/AAAAAAAAASw/t3HvyzHlP3g/s1600/kerala2010+252+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWHWrnDQdI/AAAAAAAAASw/t3HvyzHlP3g/s400/kerala2010+252+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWH1GRCHTI/AAAAAAAAAS0/nRaorXlgq58/s1600/kerala2010+257+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWH1GRCHTI/AAAAAAAAAS0/nRaorXlgq58/s400/kerala2010+257+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWIQzGYlvI/AAAAAAAAAS4/3kAOy2E5HBk/s1600/kerala2010+274+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWIQzGYlvI/AAAAAAAAAS4/3kAOy2E5HBk/s400/kerala2010+274+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWIwwLs5UI/AAAAAAAAAS8/4rdPmVgxcVw/s1600/kerala2010+278+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWIwwLs5UI/AAAAAAAAAS8/4rdPmVgxcVw/s400/kerala2010+278+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWJqpKCUzI/AAAAAAAAATA/W1sbtg0eAGw/s1600/kerala2010+326+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWJqpKCUzI/AAAAAAAAATA/W1sbtg0eAGw/s400/kerala2010+326+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWKsLT0cnI/AAAAAAAAATE/fQlklibvsec/s1600/kerala2010+329+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pK4csxXe_mw/TDWKsLT0cnI/AAAAAAAAATE/fQlklibvsec/s400/kerala2010+329+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">P.S- Okay!!! Too many pics will spoil the blog! :P More pics in Part 2... :)</span></span>AldyWaldyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498383850201246593noreply@blogger.com14Alapuzzha, Kerala, India9.49 76.339.447672 76.271635 9.532328 76.388365