all about "The Blog"

This will mostly be my last post this year.
So I use this oppurtuinity to say the things I want to. And its all about "The Blog".
Blogger has been a pal to give me my corner to vent out my ravings. My blog is my insurance against insanity and at times the promoter of it... and I wouldnt want it any other way. Vindy is my blog rockstar, even if he cant manage to get as many hundreds of comments on his posts as Kiruba. Ramya[the brave journo], Harini [the frank mirror], Akshaya[support personified] ,Nidrajiva (PJ) and the most recent of them...Lean Dude[.....] are the kind of kindred souls I have been fortunate to contact, who I have come to admire incessantly in almost no time. This is no ordinary feat, I have never been so impressed by such a number of junta in all my life; Afterall, "i'm nothing if not critical" (Shakespeare said it in one of his plays and I couldnt have put it better)
So 'Blog' is the most popular word of 2004, quite relevant; I started in September this year and this has helped me feel less alien already [though the truth is out there still]. Writing and Reading, the chiefs of the few good habits I possess, which I had forsaken for the meaningless pursuit of marks and percentages in my college, came back to me though I was, in this case, the prodigal daughter [which is one heck of an inspirational book, do check it out if you are a girl or a non-chauvinist boy]
This is my most creatively meaningful bent ever. I feel liberated to pen my thoughts, have people read it [and people of such caliber too] and tell me what they think. My world has opened out with a really big bang. (all astronomical puns intended)
My friends, who lived in distant places, could be in on my everday life through this.
I was wished and encouraged and consoled, through this medium. The narrow-minded chennai myth was annihilated with Chennai boasting of the largest number of bloggers in general, and with those people writing about all the subjects and discussing things maturedly which a few years ago would have been completely taboo.
I grew up this year.
Yet, I am glad this year is coming to pass.
Though I am too old for blind optimism (and consequently the depths of despair), I am managing a year end cheer and a prayer for the next year to be magical for everyone. Hope and happiness for the tsunami victims is the main thing to pray for now [visit Lean Dude's blog to get the links for relief work]. My other main wish is for peace in the world. [ no time to be the practical cynic, my dear]

happy new year :D
Rain

Aftershocks

*****deeply sad and personal post warning*********
Hmm...

its been an eventful set of days;to say the least.
I took a trip to tirupathi the day before the results came.
Then the results came.
one day after the results came I went to Hyderabad for Swetha's wedding.
PV Narasimha Rao and the VIPS who came to see him made my Hyd landing very smooth and tranquil(yeah right). Wedding went very well (the only thing that was good, I mean it)
Sunday morning the earth quaked and tidal waves wreaked havoc in my place at chennai.
I was far away then.
Monday travel back to my city was under the deep uneasiness of a rumor that said a very influential polician was in his deathbed (some said already dead) and there may be imminent rioting.
Good news, now that I am back, is the that Vindy got I call and suze seems to have gotten many more calls.
For me personally, its a very bitter and sad year end. I have nothing to look forward to except my ordinarily paced career. I thank god for giving me that, and my precious family safe and sound. I am never going back to PG again, if I can help it... Too many painful memories of lost hopes. I am happy for my friends who made it.
Thanks to Jai's very kind and considerate family for hosting us in our trip and swetha's family for their attentions to us despite all the pressures and responsibilities of the wedding.
A fervent wish for the health and the happiness of the newly weds.


God bless everyone.
Rain

Not good Enough

The CAT is out of the bag.
Didn't get a single call so far and there is only one IIM that hasnt declared the shortlist yet.
My percentile is good enough to make me burn at just how close I was to achieving my aim and still bad enough to understand that CAT2004 wasnt my exam at all.
If I think I should be feeling bad, I see a thread of posts from these guys who got 99 percentiles but havent got calls from BLACK.
Not even K.
This post was to have been a celebratory/congratulatory toast, its now a lament.
Since I am too dumb to be in the IIMs, I consider myself too stupid to express my feelings, so I employ the poetry of Emily Dickinson:-

Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag to-day
Can tell the definition,
So clear, of victory!
As he, defeated, dying,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!

in mourning,
Rain

2 Brides 0 Prejudices

In the last two days, two of my very great friends have, separately, gotten engaged, to a very nice guy each. I really hope that came out well, my only other option was to say:
"day before yesterday one of my best friends got engaged. The very next day another of my best friends got engaged. "
If I chose the latter, I would become a textbook example of redundancy.

I am no Jane Austen. I am re-reading 'Pride & Prejudice' at the most relevant time, apart from the time before the release of the much hyped celluloid 'desi' version 'Bride and Prejudice. Its full of very great and witty [read extremely sarcastic] quotes. So its plausible, that I may reserve those for another occasion.
Unlike those 1800s ladies who's chief aim in life was to get married, my two friends are very warm, intelligent and pretty women who have taken a brave leap from the comfort of prolonged childhood that single life offers because they are ready to move on and establish new lives for themselves. They have been very blessed to meet the gentlemen who have assuaged their very normal fear of 'not-getting-Mr.Right'.The shores of America await the arrival of the soon to be Missuses in a couple of months.so let me wish you both (B & S) with this card :

May God bless you with a lifetime of happiness and love, comfort and understanding,friendship and laughter.
After that pious thought, I am supposed to quote some pro-marriage/engagement quote. I didnt think any existed, since the ones I know are all very sarcastic

********************only for single people*************
(hence worth remembering, like "They keep saying the right person will come along, I think mine got hit by a truck."& "You have two choices in life: You can stay single and be miserable, or get married and wish you were dead. ")
*****the engaged may continue from here*****************

So I dug deep to find something nice.
"Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable." Bruce lee[I have to agree with whatever the Master says, he cannot be wrong.]
An engaged woman is always more agreeable than a disengaged. She is satisfied with herself. Her cares are over, and she feels that she may exert all her powers of pleasing without suspicion. All is safe with a lady engaged; no harm can be done.--Jane Austen

to the 2 very special brides-to-be, "Have a lovely married life" :)
Rain

A Woman of substance

"Music was her tapas", said my mother, fighting back her persistant tears, "write that."
Yesterday was a day of mourning for us, as we went by our routines with the initmate pang of bereavement uppermost in our minds.

"kurai ondrum illai, kanna" [I have no regrets, my dear krishna]-this sums up the essence of her colorful and inspirational life.
When M.S.Subbulakshmi lived and sang, she never paid a passing thought to her gender disadvantage in a conservative male-dominated society. There just was not even a whimper of protest as she climbed up to dizzying heights and achieved iconic status.
Yet, this was a lady who never made speeches about any need for 'female empowerment'; she is a point of reference that empowerment comes from within and is not to be expected to be 'given' by men.
A symbol of Indian womanhood in the UN assembly, she performed the song of universal love composed by the venerated saint of kanchi, sri paramacharya-"maitreem bhajata..".
Her onscreen performance of Meera, has made millions see her in their images of the mewar princess and bhakti saint. Grace personified, her song renditions over-powered the likes of Nehru, Gandhi and Rajagopalachari. She enthralled audiences; when she sang, she truely enjoyed it, her words came from her heart as well and her prayers were for everyone. This songbird was powerful. But she was exquisitely humble too.
M.S's selfless life is a slap in the face of our prevelent 'greed is good' way of life. she lived and died in houses that were not her own, the diamonds that so sparkled and yet couldnt match up to her vibrant notes were only for performances; whatever she made, she gave away to worthy causes.
I am no connoisseur of the divine carnatic music, infact, I am a very ordinary child of the 'cable TV' generation who's musical interests are predominantly western and range from retro rock n' roll to alternative and trance.
But, when I pray, I feel like my soul would sing out to god in the voice of M.S.
I have managed to learn half of 'Vishnu Sahasranamam' [1000 names of Lord Vishnu] under her indirect tutelage using her recording stored in my machine in mp3.
That voice, will live forever. M.S is immortal in my memories and prayers. She is the mixed with the essence of divinity.
Once my mourning period is over, she will, no doubt, go back to being my teacher and inspiration. Immortality means work forever.

Salutations to you, My great teacher
Ramya

Who is moved by cheese ?

Very often there are some words and lines that can be described as being 'so-bad-that-they-are-funny'. NOT!
They are characterized by the audience raising his/her eyebrows, mildly shaking the head and uttering compliments like 'You are hopeless', 'Boil yer head' or the occasional '*&*%#%&**&^&%!!!'. And if the receiver of the cheesy line could help it, he/she would like to avoid you like the plague for the rest of their natural lives.

A line is cheesy when it appears so obviously fulsome as to be an insult to the person spoken to or the person(s) who happen to hear it.
In some cases, cheesy lines when repeated over and over have the tendency to markedly obliterate any presence of IQ in the receiver of the cheese. In such cases, the victim starts to enjoy the cheese, and wants to spread it around.
If this phenomenal spread is not contained we as a species may be reduced to drooling idiots.
[as opposed to what we are now?]
The chief sources of cheesy lines are TV and Movies (they are also alleged to be the sources of all evil).
The list of big cheese moments:

"Titanic": Leonardo DiCaprio's "I'm the king of the world!"
"Dirty Dancing": Patrick Swayze's "Nobody puts Baby in the corner."
"Four Weddings And A Funeral": Andie MacDowell's "Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed."
"Ghost": Patrick Swayze's "Ditto," to Demi Moore's "I love you."
"Top Gun": Val Kilmer to Tom Cruise: "You can be my wingman anytime."
"Notting Hill": Julia Roberts' "I'm just a girl ... standing in front of a boy ... asking him to love her."
"Independence Day": Bill Pullman's "Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"
"Braveheart": Mel Gibson's "They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!"
"Jerry Maguire": Renee Zellweger to Tom Cruise: "You had me at hello."
"The Postman": A blind woman says to Kevin Costner: "You're a godsend, a savior." He replies: "No, I'm a postman."

Note:If I listed the list of Indian cheesy dialogues, I guess I would have to reproduce the entire scripts of all the movies made so far (by this I exclude Malayalam and Bengali movies which are mostly to be counted among the depressing art movies list)
So I will not be doing this.
End of Note

From constant exposure to the cheese dished out through these mediums, the common man/woman gets less sensitive to recognizing a cheesy line from its normal counterpart and starts to react to the corny/cheesy exclamations. Worst comes to worst when they start to insist on the use of such reeking language in their normal lives.
The second stage of the malady comes when the hallowed one-liners, that are so integral to romance is converted to pure drivel cheese. Please sample the exhibits below in full understanding of the dangers
cheesiest of the oneliners:

Do you have a Bandaid? Cos I just scraped my knee falling for you.

Do you have a map? Cos Honey, I just keep gettin lost in your eyes.

Girl, you gotta be tired coz you been runnin through my mind all day.

Help, somethings wrong with my eyes - I just can't take them off you.

Please help the homeless. Take me home with you...

What time do you have to be back in heaven?

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?
DISCLAIMER: the author has the above information only by means of research and claims to never have used any such line ever in her illustrious life. Better believe it, bucko!

I believe cheese is revered as a offering to the gods in ancient Europe and
wine and cheese is a delicacy in the west (although wine causing cheese to happen is a world-wide phenomenon), Mr.Jerry Mouse of Tom&Jerry fame, has made a career out of chasing cheese and we have all been enlightened by the great work "Who moved my cheese?" [the inspiration behind the title of this post]. But I, for one, would like to limit the cheese to my pizza toppings!!

"jeez! say cheese please"
Rain

Pi the Tyger

I finished the 'Life of Pi'.
It was horrifying, revolting and interesting.
If I were an animal, what would I be? I would still be human.
Like in Pi's head he was a tiger, his mother was an Orangutan, the cook was the Hyena and the sailor was a zebra; I can't be anything else. Assuredly, this book does not have a pleasant after taste. Decidedly, I am going to have trouble eating for sometime.
Pi hits so close home. His view of Brahman, the longing for sambaar, the beach, the zoo, Ravi the cricketer... Too close for comfort.
Ultimately, its the spirit of survival that wins, despite the tortured psyche. In all a seemingly happy ending. I seriously wonder, if anyone can approach life normally after an account like that. Fertile grounds for a Hannibal Lecter in the making, if he had still taken Richard Parker with him, but very symbolically Pi says goodbye to that massive Tiger once he is rescued.
So its Martel saying, Pi is human again; anyway that part of time had never really gone away. It was there all along, taming the animal, knowing that being the animal was necessary to survive but never really losing sight of what he really is.
I hate castaway stories. I truely hate them. I loathe stories of utter desparation.
Desparation is like ghosts. If you believe they exist, you'll be seeing them everywhere, everytime the breeze lifts the curtains. Say ( and mean it when you say so) that there is no such thing, then you will be able to go through life without once encountering it. Probabilty is in favor of that. There should always be some thing we can do to make things better.

The Tiger as a symbol and an image has always fascinated me as most others, I am sure. Some poems live forever in the hearts of very un-poetic souls like me.who can forget that chilling ode to the Predator that William Blake wrote. I have read the entire works of Blake (liked one more called The Poison Tree-its all about communication). The book was given to me by my English teacher of middle school Rani Ma'am (who is almost the sole contributor to my taking up an interest in reading, writing and performing). She was quite thrilled that I liked Tyger, she even challenged me to recite it from memory. I did it.
(click pic to read the masterpiece)



Something of a religious feeling creeps in, doesn't it?

I know for those who havent read 'Life of Pi' or Blake's works (remember red dragon? reserved for a post on art :D !!) this entire post has been 'I came, I saw, I closed the Window';so due apologies. To those who are interested, I hope the links helped you know more. To those who identify-'Yaaay my target audience, please do say something...anything' For I eagerly await comments!! [as the occassion demands it]

did he who made aishwarya rai make me??
Rain

The Beach

Went to the beach after a year.
the random jottings that came off it, presented below:
Life at its most ordinary
just some people siting on the shores
tides crest and ebb incessantly
no memory remains only lores
of what consequence is anyone
in the grand majesty of the universe
does it really matter
whatever happens in prose or verse?
Just grains of sand on an infinite beach
Cold winds bite
salty waves burn into the skin
chills spread inward
soon everything passes akin
a child will not speak
and one more will not stay still
some were left to fend for themselves
others have help and they always will
fathes fails his children
a lady fought to keep afloat
she is blamed for the things she didnt know she did
random scatterings of the old
ships over in the yonder
coming or going?
stars above and all around
seeing or ignoring?
Why not just go all the way
swim against the tide
challenge the pull of the moon
merge with eternity
anyway

Hungry Heart

Preface
The title is taken from the Japanese animation cartoon of the same name, aired in Animax [the only channel worth watching in the free-to-air channels list apart from Travel&Living]
The author in choosing this, subtly draws a parallel between herself and the lead character of the cartoon Kiyasuki Kano in the point that he is determined to make it to the Japanese national soccer team as she is to becoming an IIM graduate and great Business Manager. The fact that both these character consume great quantities of food is entirely incidental.
End of Preface

There are many factors that contribute to a good physique
Favourable genes and family traits towards being thin
Exercise
a good lifestyle
a proper diet

This subject is known to me in theory only. I either dont have or dont follow the factors.Its not that god made me to be the way Gilbert Grape's mom was made.
But I unfortunately share bridget Jones's tendency to be 'always a little bit too plump'. [that is all I share with her]

Then:
When I was in hyderabad (up untill 6 months ago). I went to gym (everyday), played TT(everyday), ate only roti-sabji[healthy veg/pulses]-salad(everyday).
Now:
Now that I am back in the loving embrace of my family, I binge, crave and binge and crave ad infinitum.I can't gym except on weekends (which are better spent in the company of friends) and TT table is only a hazy memory.net result. I am my own grandma.
Diet:
If I eat to just overcome my hunger and nothing more (that is 1/2th of stomach capacity with food + 1/4th with water ) I eat a little more in the next meal (approx. enough to feed a dozen captive, starved elephants).
I decide not to snack in between meals. When I reach home, my sister stays in close proximity to me... munching on some really unhealthy fried items/ creamy pasteries and such foodstuffs generally unwelcome to a serious dieter.
Give me some credit, I count to 10 before giving in.
When I try to reduce my meal size, its either
a] an insult to my mother's culinary skills,
b] me taking out my office pressures at home and specifically at food,
c] my attempts to procure anorexia (how far away i am from there... only I know)
so one may conclude my parents are not of much help in encouraging me to stick to my diet.

Conclusions and Future Plan:
Find motivation to stay in shape--> JUDE LAW
Get more stable emotionally.
Generally settle down to a frame of mind to let go of snacking.
leave home (go to college hostel)
Take up walking and TT

on a more general note,
Jai is coming home for a month before taking up her duties serving the Devil (Microsoft). that is to look forward to. :) [yaaaaay]
Vinoo is leaving to Hyderabad and susequently (maybe) elsewhere.
Mixed feelings on this one. [want her to be happy, want to be in the same city as her, atleast]
Hope to make a tour to meet all friends before next June. [when, all things going well, I will make it to IIM]

On my way to sustain myself (a.k.a lunch)
Rain

Things we do for Love

"Do only fools fall in love?"


Whenever I pass by Adayar I wonder about this; so must most others who happen to look at the big billboard with this question as its caption.Once I asked it out to this friend of mine who was driving past this place dropping me home, he said without hesitation, 'Yeah'.
Further enquiry lead him to elaborate... "We do so many things in love, for love which we wouldnt even consider under normal circumstances. That brings us to the chicken-and-egg question: Do people fall in love and become fools or are people fools to fall in love?"
Hmmm....the last question is enough material for a million books and countless posts, but we will defer from that path, presently.
What could the worst thing that you'd never do but end up doing for love?
I went for vocal carnatic classes. I go shopping. I wrote GRE. I did the UG of my parent's choice. Would not even give a passing thought to these crude torture processes otherwise, but if ya love yer family, ya gotta grit yer teeth and get on with this.

From the state of things I see in discovery Travel and Living channel, looks like I got off easy.
If there are those of you who are sadistic and like to enjoy people rubbing their visages in common dirt, then "DATE PATROL" is the show for you.
A person taken for the episode should make a videotape of him/her self in his/her worst date dress and twirl around to let the audience have a peek at his/her physical shape and talk at length of how "I am ready to make the changes necessary" because "my experiences in dating so far have lead me to believe I am doing something wrong". In short, dress like a loser, feel like a loser and scream from the roof tops "I AM A LOSER. SAVE ME. MAKE ME IRRESISTABLE"

'Experts' in communication, body language , style and a very unecessary host descend on the victim like incan priests on human sacrifice and strive to make that person as far away from being themselves as possible and then watch from hidden cameras, the results as the transformed person goes on a 'final' date.
So loss of induviduality and acceptance of these 'experts' calling the person's lifestyle wrong entirely is ok for some televised dates and the promise of love?

Literature is full of people who killed or died for love. The cops have a term for these 'crimes of passion'. And all these movies that bollywood and kollywood churn out with un-ceasing regularity; what do they reiterate? the hero giving up the girl he loves for the sake of his siblings or friends or family, or him giving up his family, his money ..etc. for his love; central theme- If you love, you'd accept, accomodate, sacrifice and lose. In short, you'd be the Fool.

How far would you go for love? and how much love would leave you bending over backwards?
These queries are personal, instantaneous and induvidual, like 'how much food would I take?'
'Would I eat more even if I wasnt hungry just because it tastes nice?"

Maybe if we follow a more un-selfish line of thinking, we'd see;
There are many good intelligent people who are making fools of themselves for you.
You are worth it. Its ok to be the fool if you can find those who are worth it

On that 'Am I kidding myself' note,
Rain

The Return of the Queen

Hey I am back.
And I do feel like a Queen right now.

I had my birthday last week and my inbox was flooded with wishes. Also a coupla nice people have wanted me to come back to blog... ["I havent blushed so much since Madam Pompfrey told me that she likes my new pink earmuffs"- Prof.Dumbledore in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"]
So being in a very rare warm mellow mood, let me recount some of the warm mellow happenings in my life so far that can be mentioned in a blog.
My best birthday so far was the one that Brinda and Co. threw for me in 2000. A surprise celebration complete with cake and Dairy Milk bars for everyone (there was another guy who was celebrating that day too and the choclates came from him). I had no less than 10 great friends that time. I was the happiest, luckiest girl in the universe.
The second best was in 1999, when my brother was born 2 days before my birthday. So the all time best birthday gift 'a new darling baby brother'!!! Sri Krish is the light of my life now... a really handsome 5 year old. He celebrated his birthday this year with the children of an orphanage in Chennai - A truely meaningful action.
Third best would have to be my first birthday celebrations. I put it at #3 because I don't remember anything that happened that day, but the accounts of the people who attended it convinces me that I was quite the 'Princess'.

This year was the year of 'You-are-so-old-better-lay-back" and following the hollowed traditions that this 23rd year of life marks... I did nothing- All Day.It is a truely exhausting experience. Now I am looking for a nice retirement home for me, where I can do the simple everyday tasks with my fellow over-the-hill oldies.

Resolutions for 23rd year:
A] Lose weight. // very Bridget Jonesy, I should say ( and then shudder!)
B] Be nice to people. // hafta figure that one out, but am open to suggestions
C] Achieve life's ambitions or atleast be on the road to that. [priority #1] // the initial action from my part is over, am waiting for the great response.
D] Go back to my non-profit pursuits of creative bend a.k.a start sketching and writing again
E] Learn a new language. // looking for a zulu coaching centre, even spoken eskimo will do.
F] Pray a whole lot more and learn the stuff I am expect to know as a good hindu and as a good daughter.

On a warm mellow note of 'I am back so everybody visit my blog!!'
Rain

A Post before the V-Day

Victory Day. Not valentines.
Its this sunday. People who pray for me to do well will get big bunches of good karma.
Till then I will be underground and maintaining a low profile
All the Best To me. May I do very well.
Best to the others too.
God Bless.

Fools Rule

I took a break from work and blogging and using my limited cerebral resources in any way.
Meanwhile, far far away in America, people dug their own graves and wrote their own epitaphs with touching sincerity...

*****************If not in mood to read about politics and author's views on super powers, stop here. [Have a nice day]*********************************************************

now that you've been warned and yet braved the warning to reach this point in time and space...

I agree that Osama is bad, must be stopped.
I agree Saddam isnt a good guy. But neither is Dubya, so is it fine if Iraq attacks US and tries to change the government? Actually that would be welcome.
I feel people with education and a view of the world, should only be allowed to contest elections.
If something talks like a fool, walks like a fool, thinks like a fool and acts like a fool, then one may conclude that he/it is a... FOOL. So its kinda needed that you dont elect it to an office where there is a shiny red button that can be the Baap of the products that Sivakasi is most famous for [apart from child labourers, that is]. The 'End all' button in the hands of a person who can't even be called a lunatic because that would make the caller have to acknowledge that this person-thing might have a brain- a highly impossible and very frightening thought.

To only think about your own country is being the proverbial frog in a deep dark well in this day and age. [that is for those who are now thinking: 'isnt she an indian who's extent of foreign trips been limited to falling off the shores in rameshawaram around 50 kms near the srilankan waters..??']

Armed with these basic thoughts, I have played Political Analyst and come up with the Top 10 Traits expected out of a US Presidunk [no its not a typo]
1] Must be a failed college-student, failed Businessman, must fail to catch Osama.
2] Must look like chimp and oppose Gay marriages and talk like a badly written superhero comic character.
3] Must bring properous nation to deficit and be a right wing nut with IQ equal to the altitude of ocean floor.
4] Must have an ex-presi for daddy and the ex-governor of florida for brother.
5] Must lack the capacity to say 'Nuclear'.
6] Must treat UN and the rest of the world like refuse and in consequence be hated by every country in the world.
7] Must have an active imagination to see WMDs, Terrorists where there are none and declare war on terrorism if oil is required.
8] Must have Elephant as the symbol despite Ass being more appropriate.
9] Must have a threatening video by Osama coming in at the 11th hour before elections that says" the boogie man is coming unless we vote for DumbAss".
10] Must be George W. Bush Jr.

In conclusion, I love Dubya...he makes such a natural clown
Rain
PS: rain means no ill-will toward clowns who's exemplary service to society is commended by her, she didn't have any other way of saying that Dubya is so pathetic that its funny.

Singin in the Rain

"Rainy Night In Georgia"
and "Kentucky Rain"
"Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again",
"Blue Eyes Cryin" in the "Early Morning Rain"
They go on and on, and there's no two the same
Oh it would be easy to blame all these
Songs About Rain
Something about Singing and Rain.

I'm only happy when it rains
I'm only happy when it's complicated
And though I know you can't appreciate it
I'm only happy when it rains
Not always a "happy" song... sometimes "hopeful"...

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothin' seems to fit
Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

So I just did me some talkin' to the sun
And I said I didn't like the way he got things done
Sleepin' on the job
Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

But there's one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me won't defeat me
It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red
Cryin's not for me
'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
Because I'm free
Nothin's worryin' me
Attention: All those scratching yer heads in confusion, watch "Butch cassidy and the Sundance Kid". Starring - Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

So its been raining for two days here. people get pretty emotional during rains...which would perhaps explain the singing and the longing... For me, so far its been about a 'Rain Holiday' from school/college, a gift from God :)
Plus, we have no water here...so I always welcome the rains.

Best Rain song sequence of all time - "Singin' in the Rain" By Gene Kelly :

I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain

I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain...

and the man had a 103 temperature!! they used milk mixed in water for the droplets to be fat and sploshy!!!

A dance sequence in the movie featured Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, As an imagined, idealized dream vision in a scarf dance, she wears a long [25 feet or longer] white, fluttering and billowing silk scarf. He lyrically dances with her 'pas de deux' in a romantic setting of pinks and grays. Has to be seen to be experienced.
The movie is one of my most favorite musicals. The dialogues are wisecracks, a few examples, [Hero-Don, Hero's Buddy-Cosmo, Villian-Lina]
7] Cosmo(About Lina's abilities) :She can't act, she can't sing, and she can't dance, a triple threat.

6] Cosmo(consoling Don, who thinks his acting career is over) :Why, with your looks and your figure, you could drive an ice wagon or shine shoes! Block hats! Sell pencils! Dig ditches!

5] Don and Cosmo (Twisting the tongue of the Diction Teacher):Moses Supposes
Moses supposes his toes are roses/But Moses supposes erroneously/Moses he knowes his toeses aren't roses/As Moses supposes his toeses to be.

4] After they kiss in the scene, Lina thinks Don must have some real feelings for her, but he confesses that he is only acting:
Lina: Oh, Donny! You couldn't kiss me like that and not mean it just a teensy, weensy bit!
Don: Meet the greatest actor in the world. I'd rather kiss a tarantula.
Lina: Oh, you don't mean that.
Don: I don't -- Hey, Joe, bring me a tarantula.

3] Don is getting mobbed and calls Cosmo for help
Don: Hey Cos, do something, call me a cab.
Cosmo: (non-chalantly) OK, you're a cab.

2] Don is frustrated by the "cooked-up romance just for publicity," and he commiserates with his pal Cosmo about it:
Don: What's the matter with that girl? Can't she take a gentle hint?
Cosmo: Well, haven't you heard? She's irresistible. She told me so herself.
Don (trying to convince Lina): Now try to get this straight. There is nothing between us. There has never been anything between us. Just air.

1] Don (The ex-stunt guy who was once snubbed by Lina for asking her out; now he's a star and she is after him)
"Are you doing anything tonight, Miss Lamont?"
She shakes her head no and puts her arm through his - without speaking.
But he replies: "Well, that's funny. I'm busy."

So signing off amidst the singing, the rain and 'singing in the rain'
Rain

Number Teary

I added a hit-counter. why so late?, people may wonder...I hate and avoid numbers. So I tried to pretened that it didn't matter how many people got enlightenment frommy very own bodhi tree in cyberspace [I have "Neuromancer" lined up for now]. But my blog seemed so incomplete and without a measure of its effectiveness without a hit counter; I had to get over my breaking into hives at the sight of hindu-arabic numerals and install one yesterday. Up to now 30 innocent people have taken their first step towards brain-damage...I feel very proud. Closing your face with the blanket when you sleep is also another step towards brain-damage, FYI.
DyslexiaI was a schooler bad at maths, then I became a high schooler bad at maths proceeding to be a college-goer who was bad at maths now I am an engineer who's bad at Maths.

there are many dyslexics who are who have been labelled lazy and stupid; instead their disability should have been recognised and they should've been helped to overcome it.I remember being severely reprimanded by my mother for not being able to distinguish between b and d, not being able to process mirror image concepts, getting stumped by trivial math-related topics that everybody got easily.That was way back in the late 80s when there was not much information about learning disabilities. Even then, despite my poor marks in maths and my struggles with the multiplication tables [which I have still to win] the one good thing I had going was that my Mother was convinced that I was not lacking in intelligence [many claim she's very wrong, and she is getting convinced by those people now] and that there must be some other explanation for the problems. Mine is a family of Bankers and Mathematicians, they thought I was adopted. As far as they could figure, a child good at languages and communication who simply can't do math didnt seem to match the gene-pool she was alleged to have sprung from.
In India we define intelligence purely by the number-skills that children exhibit. A student not good at maths is a poor student.Now I see there are so many groups devoted to learning disabilities, especially dyslexia, so there is hope for another dyslexia little girl to not be branded 'lazy' or 'not trying hard enough'. Maybe she'll attend training to help her build her confidence with numbers.
There is the other end of the spectrum, the children who are multi-talented, very high IQ but completely lack social interaction skills, communication and expression- the Autistic. That is another disability taken very lightly here, attributed to everything from the 'normal family trait for late speech' to the hyper-activity of the child being taken as a good sign [something so sexist like 'Boys will be faster and more mischevious']. It might be wishful thinking on the part of the family to completely ignore dire warning signs like the avoidance of eye-contact with people and repetitive play activites as mere a 'phase'. These gifted and slightly cursed children have a nightmare time in 'special' schools [where they are mostly treated like they are retards] and in 'mainstream' schools where they lag in 'achieving' the class average[ and are deemed a 'troublesome' or 'poor' student]. Therapy in India for a recognised autistic child is expensive as well as fruitless. There is just no scientifically organised method to cope with this Disability here, simply because there is not much research and development being done here. The matriarchs and patriarchs still wax how 'its common for a couple of children in a generation to be late at picking speech and are generally shy with people' and that they 'never made such a fuss of that before'. Those people need to be put in a time machine that goes only one way and sent back to the dark ages. Today is a frenzied, friendless, competitive race and no one will accomodate those who are not up to speed.My dyslexia is not an excuse for me to avoid the numbers which are a lifeline for any manager. I will overcome it.Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Auguste Rodin, George Patton, and Woodrow Wilson were apparently dyslexic. I have good company.
Awareness, is the only responsibility expected from the rest. be aware that there are those who are not as well equipped as the others to learn and interact. Thank God if he has spared you of the pain of being disabled.
Rain

***pian World

I don't think its a wanton thing, but the books I am reading (Fahrenheit 415, 1984, Catch 22...) mostly have the word "Dystopian world" in their reviews. have I become cynical about the prospect of a wonderful future, or atleast the rosy illusion of it ? [I think I have myself provided the answer to the question]
Well the nature is getting pushed way too hard, American-Pakistani-Indian politics reek,Sachin's not able to play and even if he does the others will make sure it amounts to nothing, extremism is on the rise, there are unnecessary wars, people are starved, or tortured or killed for the most dumb reasons,I havent been loyal to my preparation schedule. I fell sick, still not ok completely. Enough grounds to add on an additional 10 kgs. Which I have done easily.

But like Speilberg movie endings my post will end happily [if possible]; I am an eternal optimist [now that is 180 degree]World will get better, I will get better, Rainforests will get better, sachin will get better, USA-India-Pakistan will get better. Future is very utopian.
On a see-saw,
Rain
PS: Yahoo messenger doesnt work, I am feeling very oohay...

Rain plays havoc on cricket

By the way, I am not referring to myself when I say Rain. I mean the weather phenomenon which has completely drenched the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai where India seemed like it had a good chance of victory if they make 210 runs today. People were dying of drought in this very state a couple of months back, now its pouring cats and dogs.
Murphy is having a field day. Worst comes to worst - there will be a draw. Actually, the worst would be some convuluted clause from the mysterious treatise of Messrs Duckworth and Lewis, the kings of cricket horrors, that the ultimate victors in this case would be the United Arab Emirates Team-since they have no rain.
Speaking of draws - check this quotation, straight from the person's mouth taken yesterday by a reputed news agency Reuters- Law lamented how waking up to read the story of their (Law and Miller)"engagement" put him in a awkward situation."I think it's a terrible shame that the editors aren't recognizing their responsibility," he said. "It just seems so careless and nasty."
Some astrology poster had it dead right when they put , as one of the 10 reasons that I would be a Scorpio : "Want what you can't have". and they missed the rest of the sentence "...and get it, anyway."
I am not saying any thing at all. I just can't stop grinning and its scaring everybody here... :)
My bit for world peace. And accounted nightmares for those who see my mysterious and blood curdling smile. Hehe...[:maniacal grin:]

Dandiya went better than expected. Danced till 2 in the morn, had to recuperate the whole of sunday to make it to office without looking like the victim of third degree torture.
Sis on the other hand, roamed jauntily without the slightest sign of weariness. Oh ye fit beings, hark! I am weak and proud, ye hear?!!!
Mother was properly embaressed with my extensively uncoordinated movements, Appa didnt care, I had a blast with my extensively uncoordinated movements and didn't care.

I believe that the Gujjus have the right ideas to make a community strongly united. The community that treads on each other's toes for 9 nights a year stays together. It became brutal at one point of time- one very enthusiastic garba dancer gave a wonderous thunk right on the lip of the lady unwisely placed right behind her. The lip split and it was bloody. There was also a lot of slamming into things and people going on. It was a rugby match with the players in kurta-pyjama or chaniya choli uniforms. It was amazing and I loved how sportive these people are, no body made any fuss and all tried to have a good time.

Met two of my college juniors there. Both being my sister's peers showed their class by proving practically that we have 11 fingers, here is an extended explanation for befuddled people like moi:-----
Required:
You need a hand, a finger not attached to the hand already taken and some elementary addition.
Method: take the hand (preferably left hand for Right-handers and vice versa) and spread the fingers wide. Then take the finger from the other hand (preferably pointer finger from the right hand of right handers and vice versa for the lefties[who think right!!])
Now carefully prod each of the fingers of the left hand once from the thumb to the pinkie while carefully muttering the count-down.
If you following instructions right you will mark the thumb as "10"... and finally to the pinkie as "6". capisce? 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 - the 5 fingers of your left hand.
Now how many fingers do you have in your other hand (the normal/default value is taken as 5)
Conclusion:
thus 6+5 = 11. End of theorem.
And we thought polydactly made Dr.Hannibal Lecter special...
Such a lot of gyaan for 2 in the morning! from such enlightened minds. :)
Ah to be in college again and try to prove the presence of a ghostly 11th finger!
I have decided to apply the same to the toes once I start college, which will be june 2005, all things going well. I am soo going to be killed in the campus :)
On the note of typing with 11 fingers,
Rain

One where Jude turns a Judas and I have no name…

Jude should’ve thought a bit about what I would go through before he went to the papers with his idiotic proposal to that bimbo(some Sienna Miller) that too in my most favorite..(yet to go there) city-Rome.
A small technicality, that he doesn’t know I exist… that is coming in way of true love…
Such highly trivial non-issue. Being the Indian girl that I am, I will faithfully wait till he returns to me. [:misty teary look:]

Back in the real world, where I promise to not be schizophrenic for atleast a while,
Navaratri has started. Spent most of last evening in setting up the golu stand and arranging the dolls…in the morning we added a new star attraction- blinky lights… around the 3 steps. J
Shopping for the Choli for Saturday night Dandiya dance is done. Apparently the car is in a bout of its frequent coma attack and God alone knows the logistics of how me and the family are going to make it back to the House after the dance. That is it for updates.

For some unknown reason, there are a band of people who like to not be called by their real names. I don’t mean like IMs or Login names, I mean the actual names-like the ones your parents give you and you hate them for it.
I already told you about Pi-Han who likes to be called Daphne, there is one more who’s real name is A***** and like to be called N****. Wonder why?
Taking a leaf outta their book, maybe I should be called something other than Ramya- which has become a generic name thanks to the mob tendency of Tamil parents from 1980-1990. Its seriously horrible, if there is a tamil Brahmin girl going down the road who may be placed in the 18-25 years category, anyone can scream “Ramya” and guarantee atleast a minimum of 5 heads will spin in the direction of the call.
Hey, may be the name ‘Guy’ was once specific, and since all parents in France had little/no imagination, there came a time when Guy became synonymous with …well, guys.
Similarly a tamil guy will be a Sriram/Srinivas/Ravi and the girl a Ramya/Priya. And after 1994, almost all girl children are Aishwarya and after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai [a phenomenally dumb movie] all the boys are Rahul. Name is a point of individuality, I really wish people would stop following trends here. Do new parents actually do this:
Parent X: “So you thought of any name for that pink shrimp of a baby?”
Parent Y: “I figured we would just follow the season’s pick outs…”
Parent X: “Everyone is currently naming the children JackAss after the popular MTV show”
Parent Y: ”We could do that…”
Parent X: ”We have a daughter, dear…”
Parent Y: “then Mallika she is…” [:father looks very disturbed:]

Its almost like Anthem a very rare, short novel by Ayn Rand-where people are called Equality 1-234, International 2-8376, Union 2-3875… so there will be Ramya 9-99999999999999999 one day.

I am thinking that a change of first name is in order here…(change of Last name will happen when Jude Law proposes… very likely to happen)
Unfortunately I am not getting anywhere with this. Maybe I should contact Charlie and Marta Kauffman to lend me the imagination that leads Phoebe to change her name to Princess Consuelela Banana Hammock and Mike to Crap Bag [if you can’t place F.R.I.E.N.D.S characters, then go find yourself some cds and lend them to me too].

Signing off as No-Name,
Rain (a direct contradiction)

2004

This is not a year end introspection, there is a lot of time for that... This is also not a review of a book, I don't think I have the qualification to write one for this book, the book...

I read it yesterday and got a Brain-Ache that lasted till today morning. Not a head ache, mind you. The terms that rule the lingo roost today all came from this single piece of future prediction and the images... better see it to believe in contrast with a 'real' counterpart.


Need I say more?
Just a thought on the phrases that plant themselves in to the mind :
ThoughtCrime [having WMDs], DoubleThink [They have WMDs...wait ..no they don't], NewSpeak [US War on terror, Allies, Global alliance, 9/11, shock and awe, ... oft repeated, words that are brainwashed into people] , War is peace [To ensure right governance to the Iraqi people], Freedom is slavery [what are the iraqi ppl but oil producing slaves?], Room 101 [the World today]
2 + 2 = 5 --> Pakistan = Ally in the War against terror.
telescreen- replaced by the TV and the Internet.
for more on 1984's and 2004's NewSpeak, click here. You will not be disappointed.
I know I may offend some people, but as a point that I am not yet Winston Smith [a brainwashed convert] I post this.

Oranges and lemons
Say the bells of St. Clements
I owe you five farthings
Say the bells of St. Martins
When will you pay me?
Say the bells at Old Bailey
When I grow rich
Say the bells at Shoreditch
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney
I'm sure I don't know
Says the great bell of Bow
Here comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head
Chip chop chip chop the last man's HEAD!
DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER, PROUD TO BE A THOUGHTCRIMINAL :)
Rain

Compliments and how to take them

For the life of me, I don't know anything about this. Some are born deprived of the genes that ensure right reactions/responses to compliments, I am a registered case of that syndrome, soon to be named after me.
People tend to make observations...like the other day when my mother said that Udhav Thackeray probably had a habit of sucking his thumb for many years as a child, she got this inference from observing his teeth as NDTV showed a close up of him giving a speech in a campaign rally. Believe me, this image will not make the next Shiv Sena Supremo.
Raj Thakeray called Laloo Yadav a monkey who can't take care of his own state and claims to work for the development of maharashtra (where elections are happening today). That observation makes me a big fan of Raj.
But observations are not enough grounds upon which to decide to shower compliments( which is not the case in either of the above observations)
Its quite rare that I get compliments, but it would make me entirely a lot happier if they were stereotypical. If some one were to come up to me and say "good work" or "good speech" and such, we could just go with the "thanks" routine... but if god sent you people that said cruel things to you in the guise of well-meaning compliments? what then ?
To illustrate my point, I present before you some of the truely hideous compliments I have got:
"Your specs are great. you look like a stud"-- helloo! I am a GIRL... so by intrinsic agreement, I must never look like a stud. No matter how handsome I look in my angular glasses.
"Dear, your face has a glow. tell me are you in Love"--Hate gives that glow too, apparently...
"You are so intelligent. Got XX% in college and working in computer company"-- Yep, I must be considering only around zillion ppl have achieved the same feat; Boy, do I stand out from the crowd or what?
"You are a very good singer. I know for sure, I mean how different can two sisters be?"
--As different as chalk and cheese, or in this case as the musically gifted and the musically impaired.
"You are such a healthy girl."-- So you couldnt just say fat, huh? you dorky, politically-correct vermin.
"Did anyone mistake you for Aishwarya Rai?."--Didnt meet any blind person other than you.
"Its a cinch for you, After all what do you lack?"-- this is the mother of all trick-questions, but I will be frank [not Joe..or any other name that immediately springs to your poor-joke infested mind] I lack everything.
"You used to be so beautiful as a child"--Am I the only one who notices this person talking in past tense?
"Your son has taken completely after you"--That beautiful child is my brother.
??!!#%&$(*)***********************************************************
Let me assure you that the people who have said all these things are really nice and were speaking their mind out. They didnt have any intention of harming me. But I really wish they were less mislead about me. :p
On that wishy-washy note,
Rain

A Tribute

Vinoo told me just about an hour ago...Shri.Ram Kalia had passed away. Somehow it doesnt seem possible that he will no longer come to prayer meetings and saturday havans, will not take large (gigantic) strides and tower over us [he was really tall and we were very tiny children], will no longer call us 'his grand children' [somehow he meant that.. :) ]

We considered him a Dictator. He was too. It wasnt possible for anyone to take this person anything other than dead-seriously. He was a man of action, personified Integrity and Pride, patriotism and sacrifice. Mr.Kalia always wanted to help those who needed him. He was always the strong one. Only once I saw him broken in spirit, during the memorial meeting for his son Kamal Kalia, the army hero.

But when he said something, it was the stuff that should be etched in stone. During my interview with him, he pointed to the chart showing the four houses of the school (Pratap, Shivaji, Bharathi, Tagore) and told me and my father, "I see her, leading one of these houses, one day".
Of course, that never happened; you see, our school believed that House Captains should be chosen among those who did their homework, who never argued with teachers and those who were aligned to the code of discipline that the school tried to impose.
But, Nevertheless, the man saw in me the potential for leadership. So I will try, till the end, to see how I can make a difference to the world. [I swear I am not sarcastic]

This occurance, has triggered all the memories of school. The time when we thought we could do whatever we liked and wanted to achieve. like the song:
"Those were the days my friend. we thought they'd never end. we'd sing and dance forever and a day. we'd live the life we choose, we'd fight and never lose. those were the days...oh yes, those were the days"
We came from a school like the one in the movie "Dead Poet's Society". we were told there were only few things we could be after education-Engineer/Businesswoman/Doctor.
We were taught to believe that we could never be failures. We were taught that we are better than most and that its our responsibility to grow to dizzying heights and try to lift up the downtrodden.
True enough, most of us are living up to it. 90% are in the states, researching science and computers, 9.99% are working as Engineers and Doctors , .01% are happy in other pursuits.

Kaliaji, was proud of us, all the Davians, those who he knew and those who he didnt. I know, that if I were to get to do what I really want to, as opposed to what I am doing [no matter, how well] that he'd feel like I lived up to his exceptions. DAV, Gopalapuram will never ever lose his presence.
God rest his soul. Sir, Be at peace.


Rain

Reunion Day II - Return of the Inolas

I am so incredible happy today... my very deep sadness has been erased off completely.

a]Inolas[ until she lets me mention her actually, I guess this should do] and I are not estranged anymore...Hurrah and a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER!!! [4th Oct]

b]Pumpkin called, he is having an absolutely mind-blowing successful work week full of felicitations, dinners and his hardwork being appreciated. Meet you at Dandiya, Dude.

c]I finally understood that all the members declared in a class without mentioning access specifiers are public and not private; ok, my joy at this is considerably much lesser than the others :p

d]Made a friend today who is Taiwanese by birth, a south-african by life and a member of my firm in the Connecticut division. She and I met at training yesterday. Pi-Haan (she likes to be called Daphne, is a great person) full of smiles always [ an ordeal only brides have to go through in India and that too only during their receptions!!! ] Hope she has nice things to say about India and Chennai when she returns to the States.

I found stamp collection to be a dull hobby-but it sure beats the hell out of, hold your breath-Java error messages collection. yes Ladies and Gentlemen, Human kind has evolved and given rise to the species called Homo Sapiens Errorenous-met the cheiftainess of the clan today.
when the trainer tells us what to do, she attempts the stuff as unlike the given instruction, in several different (wrong) combinations and delights when the compiler screams profanities.
Since we were neighbours, this is the kind of output I have been given, (thanks to the girl who loves error messages) :
Interface methods cannot have a body. \\ Mulder, we have a body-less entity
Type mismatch \\ Pyar kiya to darna kya ?!! besides, opposites attract.
Doesn't contain the required class \\ Are you taking about me!! [angry grimace]
please name the file "somename".java \\ Numerology?!! Dont believe in that -RRaamyaa
final method cannot be initialised \\ oh...hence the words 'final' and 'initial' [:enlighment:]

PS: the words follwing the '\\' symbol are comments - the last words of ms. MocaChino Sumatra.

why and how am I able to list out these? is it due to my stupendous memory powers!!!
quite close, but NO. SHE MADE ME WRITE THEM DOWN!!!
Me, the one who had never made notes in all the educational institutions I haunted, once I was past the "can-get-caned" age. [sigh!!]
Had I not given in to the whims of this person I could have angered her, gotten bitten for my pains and would be in the process of turning into one of her kind, her by nighfall!!!. Then I would spend my life writing wrong syntax and getting high when they come out wrong, I would be the scourge of Quality assurance personnel, the Bane of Six-Sigma Champions and Best Friend of the Bugs!!!

Enough said, I think. I should be closing shop now. Warm welcome to Karthik, Suze, PJ and all the others who visit the blog. Become regulars.

On the note of 'Inolas is back'
Rain

Mucho 'bout zilch

Goof-ups are great levelers. I lost 100 bucks to some administrator’s billing me for a service I didn’t use. “Its not your fault”, he agreed, “but what is done is done…sorry”.The philosopher.

One more goof-up: the caterer didn’t make enough dessert, hence when I went to lunch, late, he said,” eat whatever is available…its on the house.” The Saint.

On one pan of the balance we have 100 Indian Rupees, on the other we have 10[ the value of the lunch had it not been free]… not quite leveled, but its on its way there. I know I am entitled to 9 other free lunches, when they present themselves before my money [the principal amount] gets returned to me by karma- the chameleon.
Unthinkingly, I have just made my first balance sheet. The markings of a Managerial head honcho, wouldn’t you say? [if you say it well-enough, I may hire you to be my head sycophant…Tee Hee]

I have also managed to come up with a theory on saints, poets, philosophers and mystics; they were all software professionals once, who were hired by a renowned company and put on bench. Then their bosses forgot about their existence. Why would anyone ponder over the mysteries of our existence or purpose, unless he/she were paid reasonably, was fed coffee/tea every couple of hours and most importantly, was not given work. This combination of a false sense of security and inebriation ensures that even the most wooden of programmers start to wax eloquently about the meaning of life…[which is most accurately mentioned in the ultimate book on philosophy ‘The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Universe’- review, coming soon to a blog near you. Namely, my blog.]
Everyone knows that those questions are abstract and pointless. But pondering over the mysteries of life serves as explanations when someone catches you napping with your eyes open. So it’s the natural occupation of the bench-warmers. Naturally.
Lucky them. If we working people were caught napping with our eyes open, we say ‘I am totally with {someone’s name, who is mostly likely to have said something}, in this question (about which we have no clue)’; then we proceed to shoot an encouraging smile at the person who’s name you mentioned and if its socially permissible, pat him/her on the shoulder. I know this may sound like a cheesy version of a Dilbert comic, but truth is stranger than fiction, guys. [these clichés have me enslaved, I blame my education and my English teachers]
I have some technical enrichment lined up for myself next week. We’ll see how that goes… I am so sure I am going to have a lot to say on that. And it won’t be about developing portable components using polymorphic properties exhibited by the instances of objects which have been derived from their abstract parents. Welcome to the corporate world, where lingo and catch-phrases rule and goof-ups are a way of life. Working- that is optional.
On the note of, “Calling Elvis, is anybody home?”
Rain
PS: Happy weekend.

Mon histoire dans une langue différente

bonjour Mes personnes,
I do not speak any French, Spanish or german... but I have absolutely thrilled myself with my own elegance. Like my comment in vinod's doodleboard "I have time and only Babelfish for company". Heh, very bourgeios comment, I admit.

Met a Garuda Sanjeevi online who only got 99.99 percentile in CAT. A very average score one would say...in mars, maybe. That one is not me; I simply am amazed by how forthcoming and simple the man is. And he is the uncrowned king of understatements: he says his exam had gone well and he get 6 iim[there are only that many] calls; he says his GD/PI for IIM-B wasn't so good- he is studying there now. Had a fun time chatting with a complete, very intelligent, stranger. I am usually very shy among new people. [no snickers from those who know me, please...]

I added the Calvin and Hobbes link from here, so that those who love 'em can reach 'em. Orkut has been a revelation to me, that I am not alone in my universe, there are thousands like me [ mental picture: an entire city of Agent Smiths in the climax of Matrix Revolutions]. So I busied myself in sending out invites, to have mes personnes join my friends community. Networking can be fun, but not the version about which mr.Tanenbaum has written volumes. [bleah!!]
So Orkut gets a link from here. And last [for now] but not the least [couldnt bypass cliches, sorry] is my most fav site in the whole wide world.. GOOGLE.

I'm thinking of adding another heading on the side bar called "Blinkie of the week" or "Blinkie Linkie", because... and you guessed it, I am into making blinkies now. Blinkies, for the uninitiated, are animated gif images. I am using the garden variety MS Paint to make them, hence they arent exactly very jazzy. Nevertheless, I will upload them here once I figure out how (to work past the firewall)...

My other creative pursuit has been in the field of the highest form of poetry... ze Limerick
here are my offerings for today...[ brickbat-deflector on, I can't be harmed]

there was a lady called Ling-ling,
Who really loved singing,
others cried out, "Oh My!
if we are all going to die...
what is the point in living?"

A love letter came for Freddy,
tied to the bow on a Teddy,
Then he felt a deja vu...
memory of something old and new
he explained, "You see, I read it already!!"

there was a guy named Ford,
from one jar to another he poured
water very slow
why? when asked to know
said he did it 'cos he was bored.

On the note of, "I know by now you have snored...",
Rain

Of Horror & Of Rhyme

I have for some reason, a habit, of reading horror novels at night. Like the mosquitoes, grow resistence to the repellent we use for our own mental satisfaction, I have grown resistant to the average level of gore to truly enjoy spine tingling horror. When the King [ the only King] invokes vomit in other people, I find his writings to reflect all the facets and emotions of Homo sapiens sapiens.

Yesterday was a breakthrough, I lost my non-reaction to horror for nearly 20 minutes and clambered up to my Mother at 3 am, when I was done with “From a Buick 8”.

My mother was alarmed, you would be too if your 22 yr old came to you in an unearthly hour and demanded to be protected from pink-haired ET thingies spewed out of a made-up Buick 8. I have a non-passionate, mild sort of liking for cars, as opposed to those intense feelings that guys have or them; and at the outset, the story is about a car that is not a car but like a prop which acts like a doorway between our world and ‘god-knows-what-the-hell-it-is’. People, things, flora and fauna that are kept in its vicinity doing its light and temperature shows [ the temperature drops, there is a feeling of a mild earthquake and it glowers out in violet and purple, my favorite colors] sometimes disappear, and sometimes don’t. Out of it, come still-born or dying monsters that are a horrible parody on our life forms, here the pink thingie comes.
But it’s subtly about a boy trying to re-discover his dead father among the memories of his father’s co-worker friends; his inability to accept the senselessness loss of a parent and having to live through it. About a bunch of Pennsylvania state troopers, their close-knit lives and their loyalties to sworn secrecy. It was great.

I remembered a limerick told by Srikanth, a couple of years back:
“Roses are red, violets are blue. Limericks should rhyme, but this one doesn’t…”
The recollection came from the Calvin strip where our hero writes one for Susie Derkins [the future Mrs. Calvin]: “Roses are red, a deep crimson hue. When you get into trouble, you turn the same shade too”
Which in turn brought to mind other Roses are Red maxims, like :
“Roses are red, violets are blue. Smell my socks and kiss my shoe”
“Roses are red, violets are blue. Monkeys like you, should be locked in a zoo”
So, I googled about it and got a link of small children who have each written their own versions. If you want to check out all of them, click here.

I am posting here some that caught my fancy: [In sequence with my original comments]
Roses are red that car is black Look over there Now I've got your snack. [very me]
Roses are red. Lilies are white. I've grown an inch. My undies are tight. [as a consequence of the previous action?]
Roses are red. Violets are blue. I'm in trouble. What did I do? [ My most frequent lament]
Roses are red, Violets are blue, I copied your test, and I failed, too! [Other people’s lament to me (smirk)]

On a poetic note, “Roses are red, violets are blue. The post is now ending; well, boo hoo!”
Rain

Omens and Demons

Today I lost all the mail, I had in my inbox for a month,including the Calvin resources link [BoooHooo].Walked in to the pouring rain, amidst the strong sunshine to my transport to the office. 2 Omens, 0 interpretations.
Then on the way, There was this guy dressed as Hanuman [My mostest favoritest of the Hindu pantheon Gods other than Shiva] walking along the road. How often would people get to see guys in Monkey God suit walking on the road when its raining while the sun shines furiously?!! Omen #3
I finish Catch-22, which most people found funny, but I found it really depressing and made me think about the futility of war. Demon #1.
I also sat through, much to my growing disgust, the address to the United Nations by one of the foremost 'allies' in the war against terror. The man, who is a dictator[Demon #2], spoke at length about the democratic processes in Iraq and Afghanistan and expressed his approval. If he liked Democracy so much then why the &^%* did he make a sham out of general elections in his country and change the Prime Minister more frequently than socks?
That $%^@#&$, kept mentioning, the {name of a controversial religion} world's attributes. lets call it Muslin. He said 'Muslin World is not happy', 'Muslin World expects...', 'Muslin World's problems...' etc.
Helloo..... There is only ONE WORLD and its for EVERYBODY. That is what the UN stands for.
He also advised my country on what 'responsible behavior' he expected from it... the guy that was at the centre of things when they infilterated in to our territory - so many young perished because of madmen with blood-lust like him. Then they stand in the pulpits sermonizing like they are so self-righteous and sanctimonius.
I didnt mean for my blog to be a vent to my political opinions. But I am the black dot on a white board, you may interpret me anyway. "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE".

On a lighter vein,this guy from Blore sympathised with my position in the forum and said the my messages were "nice and cute" [shudders] . My mother wants to visit the blog, I told her that it wasnt a good idea. Still I made the preparations. [refer to :&am;^$*% and other such blocked out words]

On that smug note,
Rain

Change

I know that 'Nothing is permanent, but change', that has been the story of my professional life.
There was a killing of a 21yr old call centre professional when she was on her way home, very near my own a couple of days back. My parents thanked the lucky stars that I had gotten relieved from night support, this change was asked for and got by me. Otherwise, I know for a fact that they wouldn't have had a good night's sleep, especially in the light of the unfortunate end of Stephanie.
So its good to ask and face the prospect of rejection rather than just meander unhappily and pile up frustration by the truckload. Got a great link for Calvin and Hobbes strips online from this gal at the forum. Got a great mail from a great friend, that showed just how lucky I am to have people who wish me well and make efforts to help me out.
Thus encouraged by all the positivity, I have decided to try my best and live up to everyone's expectations of me. I would like to take this opportuinity to register my extreme hatred for FIREWALLS. true that they try to save your system from viruses[ Hell, I even made one as my major project in college, but they are being used as tools for preventing the people from accessing topics that come under the different categories of forbidden subjects. Today was absolutely the crappiest; I tried the Google url and got the message:
" Prevented by {Firewall Name} due to the presence of category:'SEX'"
Gee, Really?!! How, dammit?!!
It seems my juniors are being forced to watch TV programmes on waste management and professional ethics, these topics I never even had in my syllabus [thank God]. Got the info from Vindy's latest post. If something was worth committing suicide over, I guess this would be it.
One more thing that could cause dementia, diahorrea and schizophrenia is the movie of Rob Scheinder [ that should be enough to scare even the stoutest heart] I saw yesterday [ as my other options were :a] the same movie , b] that very same movie and c] the same damn movie again; called 'the hot chick'. If they tried making even a very remote remake in Bollywood, I am so sure that the Saffron wing and women's groups are going to break anything they lay their hands on which is connected to the people in the film. Quite validly may I add. I only pray that my worst enemy should not get the situation so as to watch a movie so sub-standard.
On that disgusted note,
Rain

Two of different kinds

The soldier who saw everything twice; is a chapter from Catch-22, a description of a soldier who sees 2 fingers, 10 fingers and no fingers as "Two" uniformly. My neighbour had the feeling that she was down with the same disease on saturday when I was visited by a couple of 5 year olds, who, coincidentally were one single egg at one point of time. the world's most grown up kids, Rajashree and jayashree [ also the name of a very great friend of mine], tolerated my childishness with non-chalance and changed their expression from 'uninterested' only once- at the mention of 'choclate'. Their mother expressed one opinion that had come to slap me and my long-suffering sibling very often, if we dare to venture out together-"why! I would have thought you[me and the long-sufferer] are twins, had I not known you long."
Hmmm.... this wasn't the first time such a speculation came up. From a house wife in Bellary district of karnatak to the Hip and intelligent IIT students, this wide range of people have all been under the impression that we are twin sisters. We both feel very insulted at that.
Plenty of people have pointed to her photos and asked me, 'Where was this picture of you taken?'. That was the second most embarrassing supposition of the general public made about me with regard to my appearance.
What is worse is the fact that we supposedly sound like each other too... [ so god ran out of gene combos and repeated the good version?]. Funny, that I am musically impaired and She is a celebrated singer. Everytime that my sister's friends called home and I happened to be unemployed and in enough good spirits to pick up the handset; the typical conversation would go as follows:
X: 'Hello?!!'
Me: 'Hi.'
X: 'So. what did you decide?'
Me: ''bout what?... who is this?'
X: [mimics me] :'who do you think @#$%^ ?'
[ we go in to a loop of about 5 repetions of 'who are you' and 'you guess']
Me: [still polite] 'May I know what number you want'
X:'you mean between 1 and 10? why would you want to know that?'
Me: ' Can you atleast tell me who you would like to speak to?'
X:[suspiciously] 'Why are you talking like a Butler? and your english accent sucks!!!'
Me: 'Never mind. Go Ahead'
[ X then goes on to give me an update on the adventures of the numerous couples, who I assume are in their place of education. The next monologue is about what everyone was wearing. I begin to nod off at this stage]
X: '{my_sister's_name}, You there?'
Me: 'So you want {my_sister's_name}? Let me call her. Whom shall I say is calling?'
X: '{my_sister's_name}, you dope! now you are pretending to be a combination of your sister and the butler!!!'
The thought of the combination, sends shudders down my spine as I transfer the post of patient listener to my Sister and run for my life.
My sister however hasn't been fortunate enough to mislead my friends. She is far too nice over phone to ever be confused with me.

But we have differences in a lot of other things. Memory power for one; I don't have any, she has loads. Two different, unrelated friends of mine would have left from here over the weekend, I have been wanting to meet them. I even got the number of one, but couldn't remember it later. As a result, she must have been off to Hyderabad, having waited to meet me in the station. And the other one would have met the similar fate with the exception that her destination is Kolkatta. God I hope that they remember the extent of my memory and forgive me, like they usually do. I have been feeling quite guilty about that.

On that sober note,
Rain

Lover's Spat on the Train

"Tis' better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all"

NOT. Tis frequently heard of, that innocent bystanders face misery when they inadvertly come in between 2 gangs... ha ha .. that sounds like a walk in the park, compared to what happened to this innocent bysitter [moi] on the train yesterday.

Dusk was approaching and a slight drizzle had started. Dodging the muddy pools, I sped my way up to the 2nd floor platform and got into a compartment .... ok, cutting the boring story short;

I was sitting idly opening "CATCH-22", hoping to have a good read, when a young lady who looked 15 stomped in and literally pushed me out of the seat as she settled herself adjacent to me. She appeared really pissed off, i was about to give her a piece of my mind relating to taking out anger in public, when a sweaty pimply youth of 19 came breathlessly in. he quailed under the fire from her eyes, his expression akin to a sacrificial lamb.
She plopped her bag next to her free side to prevent him from settling there, so he sat on the other side of ... me. It was like 'pati, patni aur woh'.. rather like 'girlfriend, innocent bysitter aur sheepish boyfriend'
then the torrent started both in words inside the compartment and in the heavens outside of it.
He had apparently "Treated a girl like a house wife"
did he "expect her to wait for him daily till 6.30"? why should she care of he works out?
[ although, I speculate that that action of his might've actually initiated some interest on her part. ]
yes, very relevant questions all. He had nothing to offer by means of answers. He smiled.
He could have stuck needles into his eyes instead. Because that enraged her further - 'She was talking seriously and what did he mean by laughing at her?'
then there was a brief quiet spell, I actually, managed to finish the preface and go on to the first chapter.
Boy turned to me suddenly, toward her actually and very eloquently said "Hi". No reaction.
He shot his hand out in front of my and his girl's faces and waved it. She turned now.
No words. she resumed her normal position again. He then proceeded to state that:
'excuse him but he had said hi'. magic of undefeatable logic.
The lady now went from shrill to supersonic, she stuck her arm out to him [ and also me as I was right in between them] and shook it threateningly.
'Stop it', she said,'I am trying not to hit you in public' [hidden implication being that she hits him a lot in private. snickers] 'I don't want to create a scene here' [ a little bit too late for that I should say, she had created a whole epic complete with drama, emotions, love, tragedy and comedy. had she hit him, it would have served the purpose of the mandatory action sequences required.]

I would've stayed on just to watch if our action-oriented anti-heroine had bashed her sorry boyfriend [ who had just come in from gym, mind you. she was anorexic. so picture the girl beating the guy.] but my father had unfortunately taken it upon himself to take me home from the station. So very unwillingly I stepped out to my station just as things were getting interesting. The last I saw of the couple was him inching closer to his lady love, the barrier dividing them [ moi again] not longer existing and her just looking at him in expectation.
the ending that lovers walking in to the sunset are made of.
And they lived sappily error after...


On a note of being 'Unhooked and Happy' :)
Rain

Biz Gyan

I have decided on what I am going to be when I grow up. I will be a manager Honcho who spews out words like 'risk prediction', 'liquidity', 'cash flow reserves', ' predictive initiatives' , all with a superior smirk for a gaping audience. That inspiration I got from the first session of my seminar on Business Knowledge today, the second session was apparently good too. only I was not awake to reap the riches. I woke up just when the speaker started to ask questions, on the session taken, in order to while away time pleasantly. I was just 2 people away from that guy all the time and that had not stopped me from a great pre-lunch nap. But the very same position now held the threat of me being the target of a question that I will definitely not know the answer to...
Thanks to the large head of a mallu guy in front, I was shielded from this potentially embarressing situation.

A horrible lunch later, I attended the session by a lady I made friends with of late. She was plagued by a rival team demanding the conference room that very instant, she didn't let go, but had gotten nervous. The results were predictably lukewarm. I still feel like I have rolled out of the top of eiffel tower without a parachute on. I could really do with one of jeevs' famous pick-me-ups.
on that sleepy note, as I go sleepwalking to my work,
Rain

Re-kindling the dead flames

Yesterday was DG’s [devil-guy] birthday, and I wished him today. He supposedly confirmed with his mother and let me know how wrong I was chronologically. I think his actual mother was a jackal; I do remember the story of Omen.

But ‘dread fascination’ is as old a characteristic of a human as dreams. You deeply dislike something but you enjoy mentions of it. Makes life interesting. Why else would people be interested in Bikers, Witches and Devil-worshippers? Me- I enjoy any tit-bits I get about anything even remotely mysterious or evil. I am really hopeless about this. So I like keeping in touch with DG. I have Pumpkin to thank for the great clarification he provided in my mind with respect to DG.

So my liking for forbidden subjects leads most people to believe I am very vile, while on the contrary I am quite a purist. But V, the eternal questioner has asked me many times, ‘would you judge people who date or marry inappropriately?’
‘ Would you dislike me if I married a younger guy or a much older man?’.
I am very much against me doing any of these things and will even try to talk her out if she considers them, but ultimately I will stand by any decision my friend chooses to make.
Truth is, I can’t dislike V or Pumpkin even if they harm me wantonly, as one has done already. I will always remember them even if they choose to break off contact.
The conflicts that deep affection brings are myriad and all painful.
But these are my feelings and I will acknowledge them. My sister has tried to convince me to forget old friendships that did not work out, quite unsuccessfully I must say. I have to admit that I even wanted to try , then I realized there is no way I can actual achieve that. There are a million things that will remind me anyway. So many things bring 2 people as friends and when they are apart, the very same things let them know that they don’t have that precious friend anymore.

Rain

PS: In my defense, I was running a high fever when I wrote this. I am anything but sentimental.

News Bits of no use

Hello and welcome to the news that is of no use. We are pleased to supply unwanted information for the simple pleasure of seeing you unhappy. Moving on to our section-wise detailed news.
Statistics & Surveys:
My contacts grew by approximately 1249735 today, according to a survey by AC Nielson and ORG Marg combined. Actually, I joined a nifty forum- the people there are pretty standard, they discuss stuff that is important/pleasant to discuss, I met so many people who's profile is the same as mine.
Weird Tabloid stuff:
Nice to know that you were not the product of mutation due to irradiation, or that the stork dropped you twice on your head before delivering you to your address.Most of all its great that your actual parents from Madeupplace-X didn't pack you off in a crummy space craft because you were born really ugly[even by alien standards].
Lifestyles and Entertainment:
I got a chance to post an avatar of myself in this forum, so I chose the one that was exactly opposite of how I am, to represent me. Naturally, she is stunningly beautiful. Then this guy comes along, and his avatar is the boyfriend of my avatar. Hmm... relationships are very difficult. Even Barbie dumped Ken, so there is no reason why me in my Disney Avatar should not abandon my useless Disney boyfriend and go for Batman[ aka Bruce Wayne = Super hero+multi-millionaire, what more could anyone want anyway?].The reason for my having joined this forum had been effectively put in the back burner to die slowly.
Review:
I visited my junior's blog today- it was a black-n-white affair, full of logos of the various forums and brands under his patronage. A far cry from his friend's slick and self-promotry blog. both good in their own counts. I really have to do something to jazz this place up, right now its very vanilla, and that is the description that has never been used with regard to me since I have been very much a choclate with tutty-fruity[didnt say nuts hah ahahah].
News Closer Home:
I was privileged to bring my sister very bad news yesterday, having checked her results online.
so clap your hands and call me 'Harbinger of evil academic news to sibling'. Not a very kodak moment.
Not Lost but Found Section:
I found V's casettes and CDs in my room yesterday, so if you are reading this, remind me to return them to you.
Business/IT Page: Microsoft:
I have decided to join some satanic cult and curse Microsoft for making Xp and selling it to me, last week my system crashed for the zillionth time and I have switched to another os now. So I am having the rookie user problems now. Nevertheless, the assurance that my operating system will not be a homing beacon to all worms,viruses and other such cyber-contagion is a fact that relieves me. So boo to gates, unless he is willing to share even 10% of his wealth with me.
Health/Ill-Health:
speaking of contagions, I am prevented by my very appealing runny nose and my hypnotically watery eyes from posting any further curses and bickerings.
For further needless negetivity, return to this blog.

On that 'Thank you, Come again' note,
Rain

How was weekend?

I really wonder about this Monday vs. Weekend syndrome. The very same pepped up individuals who wished you ‘A Happy Weekend’ verbally, musically, accompanied by dance and mostly via mail, drag their steps and have their faces elongated by forces other than gravity when they meet you on Monday. The same people enquire ‘How was weekend’ with a sigh like they were asking about the memories of a recently dead beloved puppy/grandmother. And most importantly, they don’t care to listen to the reply;
You could have very well said, ‘yeah, I dug a hole and reached Fiji. Where I met Brad Pitt surfing[ wouldn’t that be the day], he asked me out… one thing led to another and we have set the date for exactly one hour after his divorce with Jen is legally pronounced.’ ‘you might as well start calling me Pitt’. [ what an unfortunate name, he had to be goodlooking to survive with this through high school]
The above statement would have made a very wooden statue flash its eyes but not the Monday-haters, they will smile mistily and say ‘Hmm.. yeah well’. [ what you said, sounds to them like ‘ bleh blah blue blunk blaha’]

The worst thing about Monday is waking up in the morning. But that is the case for every other day too. So as far as I am concerned, Monday is like every other day.

People who hate Mondays are those who like to think that their weekends were very cool and that if it could’ve been extended, that they would’ve had a blast. I say ‘like to think’
because the very same species, I know for a fact, spend their time watching ‘Walking with the Dinosaurs’ or ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’. Worse when some of these mammals crowd up and try to outdo one another in a contest of who has the most number of trivia about Gates and Torvalds. One thing would lead to the other [just like my supposed date with Brad, only in the extremely different way] and finally the group will be at each others throats in a debate about Linux vs. Windows.

The other extreme is occupied by those rare individuals who actually have a social life. These creatures have plans for weekends that doesn’t involve fatty foods, Telly, cleaning and parents. These people actually enjoy their weekends in the company of others, doing cool stuff like ‘Hangin’ , ‘Chillin’, ‘Checking Out’, ‘Killin Time’..etc. and many other such stimulating pursuits. So every Monday for them is the promise of the next wonderful weekend. These are the people that the Monday haters steer clear of, because the happy people will not mind elucidating their good times and that would reproduce the same reaction that Marie got when she cheerfully suggested that the starved crowd consume pastries if bread had run out.

I belong to the middle earth category [ I am not a hobbit, a little bit of an elf perhaps]. I welcome weekends because it means I don’t have to be anywhere from 9-6, don’t have to get mail from people, don’t have to answer them,…many many such benefits exist. I don’t have exciting times at fabulous places with gorgeous people. But I love crashing over at my friends’, catching a movie perhaps, having hours of conversations with the people I like, getting into a book while my music plays in the background.
I know fully well that if I don’t have 5 weekdays, then my weekends wouldn’t be special at all; and that it would mean I am unemployed, which is the last thing I want to be, with the exception of being Laloo Prasad Yadav.
So I welcome Monday and the possibilities it brings for the entire upcoming week. That is once I am up from bed I welcome Monday.

On that cheery note on a great Monday that holds the promise of a wonderful week ahead,
Rain

New beginnings in the old office

One small train journey for Rain, a giant step in support for the client. I am back in the city office where I first reported before being sent to the new out-of-the-entire-planet office towards the end of my role, in the latter place I have spent 2.5 eventful weeks doing research on ‘how long exactly does it take to drive a sane person crazy when they have absolutely nothing to do’. Now I am back here that too for a long period of 7 days. After that back to the Old new office to resume my duties there in greater detail.

So in a nutshell, I am going back and forth so fast and equally such that they cancel themselves out and according to the Laws of Physics [which I abuse frequently in the blog; but at all times I am better than Tollywood stunt directors, who have no-^#$*ing-idea that such a thing as Newton’s laws exist]. Thus we come to the conclusion that Rain is at equilibrium; hence she must be standing still. Maybe not all of her, but that grayish oozy stuff inside her shapely skull [one more controversial topic] is staying perfectly still and is giving a very good impression of not being there at all. Thousands swear by this.

I can see the headlines in ‘who cares a damn times’ as :
Our investigators have only been able to produce circumstantial evidence to support the presence of this organ- that being the unusual pull of waves towards Rain when she is near a water body. But, her sister has countered that by suggesting that the pull could’ve been due to the rest of her immense self, rather than the hypothetical think machine that accounts for 1/8th the weight.

Small amount of good stuff exist:
A] my new boss thinks that I am crazy- due to my appalling [to him] reactions to his mail asking me to come to the old city office for a week. The reaction consisted of 3-4 mails sent consecutively asking him to understand that the sender is not a paranoid schizophrenic but is quite longing to work, while successfully conveying the very opposite.
B] he came to my new old seat in the old city office and found me, in the same order as his visits; 1] downloading unnecessary stuff [read free audio player software for a system which does not have a sound card. In lay terms, buying a boombox for a deaf guy],
2]checking mail from my very mature batch mates [ plz interpret the content in bold italics a being mildly sarcastic] which dealt with one of the guys’ lovelife written artistically and subtlely in 38 font sized lime green and red bold letters of Lucida Console.
3] TTBP
[heh heh , you will never find out what the third one is… this I leave to your diseased imaginations]


so much for the first day back. Weekend is approaching, let the Party start.
On a note of having a meeting in 15 minutes for which I have not yet started preparing,
Rain

Reunion Day

Today was good in a very 'Hallmark movie' way. There was this guy who sent me an email with a pretty shocking subject so that I would read the mail; which incidentally was not at all what I expected it to be [ because I am one of those crazy people who think subjects are relevant to the mails]. He just wanted to take focus away from the fact that he had not contacted me in a while.He shall from now on be called 'Pumpkin'

Anyway, his trick worked, my legs have been pulled longer by him[ I fell for the farce with all the grace of a duck on a oily floor]. I wished for god to continue to bless the man, or should it be maan...[try saying it in an imitation of some rasta man, bob marley, if you will]

Also this girl I used to know,Who Pumpkin has christened 'Vinimise' had a really long conversation with me. I feel like I am closer to her now more than all those days when we sat together in training. She is in another city now, quite far away. Pretty lonely and homesick. I was like that a few months back. Now I am fine, I wish that these set of people (S, L,Vinimise and P) come home and be happy soon.

I am in contact with my school friend V, who is one of the few sane people who thinks that I may amount to something in life... So right now, friends-wise I am very rich. I wish I was rich cash-wise too. Like the button buddy "To be so beautiful and not rich..."
ok, its not remotely relevant to me, but I can say it is, I can say many other much believable things- Ladies and gentlemen, I come from my home planet madeupplace-X in the outer orbit of Pluto.

On that very true note, finding some gentlemen in black attire hovering near me, I sign off
Rain