The Lion is King

Yesterday was the impromptu Movie Marathon Night!!
I landed some DVDs and the timelimit till today morning, and boy if my DVD player could talk...it would sue me for overworking it!!!
The movies were JURASSIC PARK III , GoDZILLA and THE LION KING.
And this is in the ascending order of Watchability, maintainance of Viewer sanity and net worth.

The Lion emerged the King for a variety of reasons.
First it was a cartoon, so that fact notches it up by a few points automatically in my opinion; second, the Songs...each one lovable and each one so relevant.
Sample :
"Hakuna Matata...what a wonderful phrase"- also the great motto; as in, "what the motto with ya..." ok so its funny only for Timon.
"Circle of Life" - A lesson for humans as well as cubs that are about to be Kings.
"And I just cant wait to be king" - just what every kid feels.
and the closing strains of "can you feel the love tonight.." :
Timon (Muskrat)-"And if he falls in love tonight, he may leave us soon. His Happy days with us all history... in short our friend is Dooooooooooooomedd!!"
- self-explanatory. :p
Each and every small and great character is so finely tuned and made unforgettable:
Timon, Pumba, Rafiki, Zazu...these guys are the side kicks, but boy do they have some niche scenes!!
I could re-collect Zazu's mornful song as he is imprisoned by Simba's mean Uncle Scar:
" Nooo body knows the trouble I see....Noooo body knows my sorrow"
it tickles me to death!
The Lion King is for kids of all ages.
and I am a kid for all age...
Rain

International Treasure

Ordinarily, I would be the last human in the world to ever recommend a movie starring Nick Cage. The last as in, the aliens-came-and-blasted-everybody-but-spared-me-because I-am-quite-alien-myself, kinda last.
But if that big issue has been sidelined, and so also the other big issue of my blog starting to look like a Philum-review blog, then there must be a good enough reason for it;
THE NATIONAL TREASURE


It’s a fast paced Da-Vinci like enterprise taken by Ben Franklin Gates(Cage) aided voluntarily by the Computer nerd Riley (who doesn’t get the girl) and not-so-voluntarily by the Director of the National Archives, Dr.Chase (as if they let twenty somethings be that) , in his endeavor.
The quest is to save the Declaration of Independence, which doubles as the invisible treasure map, from falling into the hands of the nefarious (but foxy) Ian Howe (Sean Bean, Boromir of the LOTR, fame).
There is the dollar bills, American national monuments, loads of trivia, the unfinished pyramid with the all seeing eye, gunshots, car chases, hoodlums and the rest of the stuff that makes giving Rs50/- to a theatre, worthwhile.
And the ending is really surprising, the people find the largest treasure ever, the Hero gets the girl and a big house, the nerd gets a Ferrari. No, I was just kidding, its ending not surprising at all.
What is surprising is an old hag like Cage coming out with justice done to this movie. By making it believable that he is a cool guy obsessed with a apparent lost cause.
If you liked Da Vinci Code. Watch this.
(No I am not getting paid for promotion.)
Rain

Geriatric

You know you are old when…
· All your favorite songs come under “Golden Oldies” compilations.
· When the son/daughter of the actor you had a crush on is in the film industry now.
· Young children everywhere call you aunty.
· People look at you strangely if you walk with a balloon in hand and no child accompanying you.
· You used to play outside with other children after school and not go for tuitions and abacus classes until high school.
· People everywhere call you “Amma” or “madam” when you can remember they used to call you “Paapaa” before.
· Sometimes you can’t remember what it is you are supposed to be remembering.
· Cousins look around in your closet to find “retro” clothing.
· You are not allowed to go on the caterpillar ride or climb onto the swings in the park.
· All of your sentences to younger people start with “when I was ….” Or “In my time…”
· You worry about the future of your country.
· You don’t get a hat on your birthday party and your mom won’t allow “Harry Potter” theme.
· You best friend is married and other friends have children.
· Latest heartthrob of the masses is young enough to be a kid-brother.
· Your parents are at the sans eyes, sans teeth…condition.
· You take sick leave when you are actually sick.
· All the characters in the cartoons are old enough to be your kids.
· You love giving advice.
· People never listen to your advice
· You start to use the aphorisms and maxims that you parents used to drive you crazy with.
· You dress like your mother.
· You wonder about the topic: when do I know that I am old?
· You call yourself 23 years young.
· You get jealous of the fact that school kids have cell phones now but you never got it when you were in school. [same goes for DVD players, sony play station and short kurtas]
· You like to say “Children nowadays…” with a disappointed expression and sigh.
· You were alive during the gulf war
· You’ve seen Pope John Paul when he could still move.
· Bridget Jones seems to make sense to you.
· All the best fun you’ve had, happened atleast half a decade ago.
· You are not allowed inside Cul Fests.
· Cops never ask to see your license.
· You wish they would.
YOU KNOW YOU ARE OLD WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL YOUNG ANYMORE.

The World of Tomorrow

Yesterday began well enough, with an upsurge of patriotism in my heart, as me and my father watched the republic day parade. All that build-up went bust as soon as the following program showed some citizens, who were at Rajpath, expressing their feelings. Not that they didn’t say “patriotic, proud, happy”.etc. only thing being, they had no idea that we have a separate day called Independence Day during which time we thank our freedom fighters for getting us our country back. No one seemed to realize we were supposed to be celebrating the declaration of us being a republic and us having our own constitution.
Then I got cynical to the vein of patriotism that seemed to run through all the special programs that day and went for the movie for which I could manage to get decent tickets at the last possible moment. I thought I was lucky to get to go for a movie starring Jude Law, the added bonus being Angelina Jolie. I think that girl Rocks!!!

If the fate of the world depended on a guy like Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), the Sky Captain, in the “Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow”…there wouldn’t be a day after tomorrow. His taste in women, for one thing, is enough to spell doom. For god’s sake Gwenyth Palthrow [Who I thought I couldn’t hate enough after “Shakespeare in Love”, for which she even got a goddamn Oscar!!] is the nosy girl reporter ( a la Lois Lane) the ex-flame of our Sky Doofus who in his wooden way tries to hide how much she means to him. Painfully enough the intelligent viewer (me) is forced to sit through scenes where in the upside down reflection of the hero’s plane make hllod reads polly (the name of the heroine. Just say it out loud “Polly Perkins”-I break into hives), surely anyone who is not 13 years old and in the throes of his first infatuation will not find their supposed romantic banter in any way...romantic. Jude’s English accent, I mean Brit accent is so funny that the intelligent viewer cant take Joe Sullivan for the dashing adventurer he is supposed to be…I mean..”Ppawlee” and “taukeeng” are being said and we are supposed to hear “polly” and “talking”!!!
He is on his way to find the villain Totenkoff who with the use of his nepali girl and robots( straight out of 1960 sci-fi movies) manages to kidnap (among others) Dex [what else do they name boy geniuses?] the right hand scientific innovator. Polly wants (among other things) the story, so she hooks up with him. He and she do a “Hum-Tum” every now and then and reach a point when there is no fuel, just then they reach the abode of Capt. Frankie Cook( Jolie), who should be the Sky captain, in my opinion.
When She sets her eyes on the Perkins specimen, Frankie says “What is that?”. No truer words were ever spoken. Then there are some robot fights and then the hero and the heroine save the day.

So I was made cynical about the world of tomorrow. Then my neighbor Trup, who works for an NGO, gave me the CDs of “Guess who’s coming to Dinner?”. I have a lot to say about that one too. But for the maintenance of my reader’s sanity, my new concern, I will keep my views on that for the next post.

So don’t ever see “Sky Captain…” unless you want to commit suicide by killing your brain.
On that bright note,
Rain

Fwd:

A Fwd
There comes a time when even the most maligned form of communication called a forward starts to make sense to you. It is a symbol of just how lifeless a person can get.
Ordinarily, I would say that fwds have saved me from certain insanity that comes from paid unemployment. Lately however I have begun to understand the importance of pretending to give importance to dignity [whatever that is…]. So one should not enjoy the experience of receiving a mail not written by the sender, which is sent to a million others apart from you showing just how much of a priority you are given and which will no doubt be sent to you repeatedly by all your acquaintances who get it themselves.
So I will be politically correct and say I hate fwds- they are stupid, impersonal and annoying. So are most of the people you are forced to live around, however, we shall pretend that it doesn’t bother us. [Phoney alert]
Having strayed from the main path of just introducing this post, I will try and redeem myself. This fwd I got today morning. I think it’s a sad story of the certain clan of young people who have sold off their right to have a life apart from office to the MNCs they work for.
Cyber Age Movie Story
Hero is a software engineer. He does not have a life worth speaking of. He spends eighteen hours a day in the office working and browsing the net.
Heroine is a software engineer in the same company. She does not have a life either. She spends eight hours in front of her PC, thirteen hours in front of the TV and the remaining, sleeping.

One day, Hero meets Heroine in a staff meeting. They argue endlessly about the insanity of Microsoft applications.. especially Outlook 2003. Couple of such fights later, Heroine is found drinking coffee with Hero in Office canteen.
"What is life?" asks the Hero looking at the vacuum right above her head.
"I've been wondering too." sighs the heroine.
"Why are we fighting over Outlook 2003?" Hero drinks his black coffee.
"And why are we not talking about Lotus NOtes" Heroine sips her Latte.
Hero shakes his head.
"It's not about software products. It is about life. I guess life is much bigger than OUtlook 2003."
Heroine nods. "I think it is. I am not sure though. Do you know that Microsoft has come up with a fix to that bug you've been using to prove Outlook is a worthless piece of garbage?"
"Heroine," Hero is now determined, "From this moment onwards, I am not discussing anything remotely related to software."
"Fine Hero," says Heroine, "Good bye then."

Hero then returns all the Sybase manuals to the library and rents out "how to live a life?"
Heroine meanwhile gets into an altercation with the villain during a conversation on Sharepoint server. Villain vows to format the hard disk of the heroine.

Heroine takes her PC and runs away from the cubicle trying to escape from the villain's evil intentions. Since it is night shift, no one comes to her rescue.
Hero, who has been reading "how to live a life" very seriously, suddenly finds out that he loves the heroine as much as he used to love Tetris. So hero messages Heroine on Yahoo Instant messenger. But there is no reply. Hero does not understand it. He knows that the heroine is supposed to be in night shift. What is she doing in Night shift if not on Yahoo Instant Messenger? As far as he know that is what people are supposed to do in night shift.

Hero senses trouble. He runs barefooted on the InformationSuperhighway and reaches office just in time to see the villain snatch the PC out of heroine's hands and type the command "Format C:\". When his fingers get to the "Enter" key, hero delivers the killer punch on villain's face. Villain is thrown back. But in the process he manages to press the Enter key...

The world comes to a standstill. The sky roars. The Rain pours.Heroine breaks down. Villain is on cloud nine. But our Hero isn't sad.He is smiling. Villain cannot understand. Hero then says, "Villain, You should learn DOS properly. Your grave mistake...".
He shows the monitor to Villain. The DOS command prompt says "Are you sure?".
It is waiting for a "Y" to commence the formatting operation.
Hero then simply presses "N".Villain cries in frustration "Nooooooo" and charges like a bull. Then follows a lengthy fight. Heroine meanwhile calls the police and they come right after hero beats the villain to pulp. Without asking any questions, the police understand who is hero and who is villain andtake him into custody.

Heroine, tears in her eyes, takes her PC, switches it on and jumps with joy when she finds her favorite Calvin and Hobbs collection in tact in her C drive.
"You saved my data" she exclaims.
"No, you saved it yourself." hero says.
"No.. Jesus saves. I don't" she cries.
"Nothing happened na." Hero consoles.
"Let us get married" heroine sheds some more tears, "I want someone by my side to protect the Calvin and Hobbs collection on my PC".
"I love you Heroine" says the hero.
"I love you Hero" says the heroine.
"So you agree that Outlook 2003 is a bad product".
"No I don't. Why not we talk about Lotus nOtes?"
The End.

Ordinarily, I would never post anything I didn’t write myself, but just that, I couldn’t have written a more heart wrenchingly true account of the lives we s/w junta lead myself.
Lets just hope this is the first and last Fwd: Post
Rain

New Kid on the Block

Its tough being the new one in a set crowd.
Remember starting day at the new school? Of course you do; things like that you never forget. College was another thing, everyone was the new kid so everyone started on equal footing. But in office especially if you shift departments and projects you get placed among people who have been with each other ever since creation.
You don’t match in a million things- food preferences, personality compatibility, technical expertise, understanding and rapport. A grey alien would be more comfortable in your seat than you in that circumstance.
It takes time to fix your routine into the team’s and no part of that inclusion is bound to be seamless, in other , less kind words, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.
People don’t smile at you or greeting comes your way, no banter and lots of stiff formality.
Worst comes to worst when, more often than not, the new one commits a big momma blunder as an unintended part of an exercise meant to illustrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. That is, no one asked you to do it, but you did it, and you screwed up-big time.
That is fine. Anything that doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.
Bloopers are just the after effects of the self-induced stress and the self-propagated pressure of trying to win over everyone instantaneously.
You’re no Princess Di. Deal with it.
Settling into a new group is a time-consuming process and is equally painful to all in the group. There’s always that optimistic thought that says –“ hey, who knows? I may be the best thing to ever happen to these people. They’d probably like to welcome me with open arms. Once I stop being on the defensive.”
Deep breathe. Remove self doubt. There is never going to be a “World’s greatest klutz” event at the Olympics, so to speculate if you would be the hands down winner at such a competition is , as it will always be, a fruitless exercise [ an exercise where there is no scope of weight loss]. Also there will always be quite a number of people are more pathetic than you.
Live to fight another day.
Or live till a even newer kid shows up on the block making you the veteran.

Where the Eagles dare..

hey all, happy pongal, sakranthi or whatever it is that is relevant to you that marks the start of spring.
I went on a mahabalipuram drive with my family on saturday that got extended into a pilgrimage when we landed at a place 18km from the resort beach front called "Thirukazukundram" loosely translated as " the blessed place of the eagles".
It was bad enough that my uncle forced us into visiting the croc bank on the way to Mahabs (where I had lost the massive appetite I am famous for) and that 5 super-sized adult homo sapiens sapiens were packed into one wagon-r along with a growing child of 9; but the cream was that this temple was on top of a hill, entirely to be covered on foot... needless to say, no one was prepared for it.
My uncle goaded the younger lot, that is , me (yaay , I am still young and restless)
my sister and my cousin (the 9 yr old aishwarya ) by telling us about the pair of jumbo sized golden eagles that would make a trip all the way from Kasi to come here by noon exactly every day and partake the offerings left for them in cups at a certain side in the hill. They were supposed to be Siva and Parvati themselves making an appearance for the benefit of the devotees. Eagles are a symbol of this divine strength, Romans, Americans, Sumerians, you name any country or civilization that was ruling the roost in their day and you’ll find eagle symbology in them. I am totally in love with the eagles for their beauty and their embodying all that is good and great. So I was desparate to catch sight of these show-stoppers.
My aunt, who everyone says I will look like when I reach her age, bravely managed to puff her way up even if it did take her a full 30 minutes more than it took the men (uncle and dad) and the young.
It was nearly sun-down when we reached the top and went in to pray to the mula moorthi (main deity). There the pujari (who spoke 3 languages) assured us that the eagles that had been coming for centuaries or to be exact, as long as anyone can remember, had stopped their appearances 5-6 years ago, but that very day we had come, they too had come and hovered around the temple in circles, but not landed to take the offerings.
He was not sure if the birds that had come that day were the very same representatives of the godly couple that had made this temple famous, for there were some speculations that the visits ad stopped because the eagles could've died and that the returners were new-comers.
I was certainly disappointed to have missed the old birds of the legends as well as the new comers (who we missed by some 4 hours)but the hike up and down the picturesque hill and the sunset view from the top more than made up for all of it.
Mahabalipuram is more somber than I remember it to have been, maybe because, of the near destruction it faced a month back. Also East Coast Road is dotted with the temporary relief tents and stranded people of the each front. So there is nothing much to say about it.
I spent some 200 bucks more on books (2 new-are you afraid of the dark, Prodigal daughter, 2 very very old- Jaws and 13 ghost stories). had Pizza over the weekend and almost bought new sport shoes. Is this mindless-money spender the new me?
I believe in Evolution,
Rain
PS: until I am settled, the posts will be sporadic. plz adjust.

A non-typical weekend

I cleaned, hooked up with Jai, entertained my relatives, broke my spectacles after nearly tearing up my lenses, missed going out to meet Lavy, went out to book fair, bought some ‘unusual’ books. All this in the 2 days reserved for lazing and more lazing!!
Read on.
These afore mentioned activities either rarely occur individually or never happen at all.
First and foremost, I cleaned up the house. My parents nearly had heart attacks and my sister was struck dumb (ah..those few moments of peace) because of this, so I have decided to forego the opportunity to repeat this act again. Sacrifice for the family. That is my motto.

Why did I clean? Jai came over with her mom. Havent seen Jai in more than 2 years. I was so glad to receive her that I would have even gone on to the extent of cooking myself, but she wisely declined a potential health hazard, for I am all good intentions but I am no Yan (who can cook…remember the cheerful Chinese guy who used to chop things really fast?).
She had some great presents for me- a collector’s Library Edition of ‘Pride and Prejudice’
And the eternal favorites- chocolates!!
We talked like we’ve seen each other a lot, more about the current life and related topics. "Remember when we were…..” sort of reminiscences are usually associated with meeting friends made in school, a healthy dose of which serves to revive some pleasant moments, but if that is the sole sentence starter it means the people have out-grown each other and are just clinging to nostalgia. We, however, are still relevant to each other; we do interact regularly even though I am still India-bound. Jai Internet!!
Appa took me to their temp place of stay so we could talk some more. Which we did at length, and that is a nice experience.
Sunday dawned, I was looking forward to Lavy’s call as she landed in Chennai from the land of rasogullas on her way to her native to spend some days with her family. She called at noon and we made plans to meet in the evening. That plan was thwarted by the unfortunate tendency of my glasses to escape the confines of my spectacles frame which snapped a joint open. I was left blind. [my lens had been damaged the day before as the result of an accident concerning it falling on the ground ]
By the time my father got the errant spectacles corrected by the optician, she was well on her way to her home. Hopefully, I’ll get to meet her before she flies back to the land of gangully worshippers.
My vision was restored in time to make it to the book fair that evening. I enjoyed browsing the second hand pavement shops that thronged the outer boundaries of the fair grounds than the main exhibition itself mainly due to the variety, topics of interest and a point to consider – I could afford those.
Also, I stretched my boundaries by procuring, in good condition, A james bond novel [Gold Finger, I am sure it will be a novel experience] , 1984 [need anything be said? ], a collection of short stories picked by Alfred hitch cock [Sis’s pick, she seemed unhappy with that later], a self-help book [I’m ok, You’re OK. Really??] , the 3rd book of the Blade Runner series[I’ve only seen the movie and never knew of the books] and Ramana Maharishi’s very brief answers to “Who am I?”[that doesn’t come under fiction though].

The pavement book gods assured my sister of a ‘Prodigal Daughter’ in good condition in a few days time, so I think I will be going back there to uncover more treasures.
The weekend rounded off with watching ‘meet the fockers’- a really bad advice. You definitely don’t want to meet the burnses or the fockers. Ever.

Apoorv just gave me a very bright idea. Think I’ll just go with it.

Change is my middle name,
Rain

Who is Ramya?

I think that everyone at many points in time would've just asked themselves, "Who (or What )am I?"
Not like the bollywood routine with amnesia patients or Sachin's World Cup ad [mein kaun hoon?, mein kahan hoon?], but more like Bulla Shah's musical contemplation about him not knowing who he is, in a very theological or even spiritual sense.
More often than not, the answers will not please the questioner.

Googlism is a cool tool, to find what the www thinks of the keyword, in this case your name.
I present, the heavily censored version of "Who is ramya?", by Google. Afterall, its the internet, and it has more crap than good stuff. Having a namesake who is known for item numbers in the South Film industry does not help much either.
***the laughs may start here****
ramya is concerned about communication throughout akla and about communication from akla to people outside the
ramya is far from being solved
ramya is the theme of the film
ramya is the one of the first bharata natyam dancers to be included in the touring artists roster of the california arts council
ramya is good at ?"
ramya is not one of your part
ramya is presently undergoing intense dance training under prof jayalakshmi for greater finesse
ramya is his wife
ramya is waiting to kill karan when there is no "bottu" in kousalya's fore head
ramya is associated with the american model yachting association
ramya is more natural in her treatment of everyone around her
ramya is my rider
ramya is groomed in the illegal trade by narayan keni an ambitious fellow who slowly paves his way into active politics
ramya is a sadist
ramya is stunning
ramya is luckier
ramya is cool
ramya is writing a case study focusing more in depth on how differing discourses and practices of ramya is doing her m
ramya is pursuing a phd at mit
ramya is avoidable in role not worth writing home
ramya is a biomedical engineer
ramya is currently working in client side
ramya is now 12 years old and plans to go to the us and become an astronaut
ramya is not suitable
ramya is a different fish
ramya is not at all a bad move
ramya is willing to do light housework
ramya is the surprise element in the film
ramya is confident that by learning a lot of things in this program she'll understand the manager's role better given the opportunity [ROTFL!!!]
ramya is making food
ramya is inside israel
ramya is willing to bring her music system and jay will bring an extension chord
ramya is from the hebrew
ramya is working with denise milhorn and kara with michelle ardell; both professors are from the department of pharmacology
ramya is out
ramya is seen as an ultimate hero
ramya is there to help
ramya is currently at my house and we have been online for the past couple hours unsuccesfully looking for quizzes
ramya is the coolest
ramya is her good friend
ramya is currently finishing her ms in computer science at boston
ramya is from dubai
ramya is sure to provide voltas the same big push with the masses that she did to padayyapa
ramya is a rare chess player who is humble and unaware of her achievements
ramya is not
ramya is seemingly in deep thought on the ponderous subject of which dish to choose
ramya is my name
ramya is currently a senior at princeton university and continues to be an active volunteer with manavi
ramya is from bangalore
ramya is the most recent case in point
ramya is to star in a heroine
ramya is looking for
ramya is playing a junior to balaiah

There is also the "What is" and "Where is" options to playing around in Googlism. Although this exercise was bit fun at times (especially the results made bold), I don't think we've managed to find a satisfactory answer to the main question...

Scully, some questions were never meant to be answered, [I heart Mulder]
Rain

I will survive

Gloria Gaynor, proclaimed that she would survive, what most assume, are heartbreaks and I plan to emulate her. Apparently Jude Law has proposed to Sienna Miller and given her a big cluster diamond ring, just when I was busy in hyderabad...
So I have decided to abandon him. Its one thing to pursue bachelors in daydreams, but engaged and married guys? No way... that is where I draw the line.
Goodbye Jude.


until your next eligible bachelor phase, that is :p
OK. So I am hopeless. Sue Me.
Rain

Windy Madness

Happy 2005 one and all.
I went round and checked out how most had spent the dawning days of this fledgling year, and FYI am presenting the way I spent it. In my most uncharacteristic way yet- by spending.
When Peggy Lee crooned "Hey, Big Spender", she sure as hell was not talking about a guy version of me. If I could publish testimonials from my friends, they would have to touch, at some point or another, on my aversion to spending. They would also mention quite a number of other things best left unsaid, hence they will not be asked to write anything for me which is about me.
Do I need any of the 6 items that I purchased ?
need as in 'can't do without' - definitely no. I have spent 23 years on earth without them and I don't see any requirement for them now.
need as in 'its nice to have it'- definitely yes. Its nice to have so many things, you can't buy them all, so why buy these ?
Yes, I am guilty as hell. Cant even be acquitted for being a victim of the "Impulsive shopping disorder", I did have sufficient time to think and decide. So I attribute it safely under the 'madness' category, as that is one thing I can never be accused of not having. And I blame the moon.
Anand has the moon calender in his blog, to which he gave a link from the comment window. So I like any other materialistic coveter took one moon phases calender to adorn my blog. Its beautiful. Notice the location of the calender, right under the moody section. So I can have my private study of how the waxing and the waning of the moon is connected with my moods, then I generalise that all crazy people and beings from outer space may be categorised based on the tabulated readings on me.
One of the things I bought, which I am proud to declare is my very own home vcd of "Gone with the Wind".

An ode to failed marriages. No one in the entire book has a good marriage, just like real life, and unlike most other literary works [except "Wuthering Heights" which is also a true picture of "happily married" being an oxymoron].
I bet, that most guys can't stand GONE.. unless it was about stealing cars and had Angelina Jolie in it. Katie Scarlett O'hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler(vivien leigh) is a southern belle who wants to seriously compete with Elizabeth Taylor in the maximum number of failed marriages a person can have.
Not really.
Scarlett is a person who will do anything to get what she wants. She has no qualms or guilty feelings when she marries Charlie to spite Ashley, or steals Frank from her own younger sister so she can take his money to pay taxes on her estate. When Rhett(Clark Gable), that rascally scallywag, who is of the type that can only appeal to you in books, suggests that she take up a position as his mistress as he is not 'the marrying type' (which again is appreciable in a straight man only in books), she actually wants takes up that offer when she is in need of money without much of a conflict with her non-existant consience. Scarlett is one reckless anti-heroine; if there is such a thing, afterall women need not be goody-two-shoes all the time. So that is her appeal.
If there be one really loathsome character who you want to slap its Ashly hamilton without a single shred of doubt. He is a really pathetic creature who wants to be loyal to his sweet wife, Melanie(Olivia De havilland) when she is around and wants to kissy-kissy with Scarlett when she is about him.
In between there is a picture of life during civil war and Scarlett re-deems her bad impression with the readers by heading her broken household and running the show, taking care of her sisters, servants, old senile father and Melanie & Beau (the baby she helped deliver).
So this ideal woman, having married once for spite and once for money decides to marry Rhett butler with cynical thoughts on his offer of 'marrying for fun' which she rightly believes exists only for the men. she has a daughter with him, the beautiful Bonnie Blue Butler (when wheedling Wade and sickly Elle are the products of her previous two marriages are completely cut off from the movie entirely) who dies the same way her Pa did, by falling off the horse trying to jump the hedge. This move entirely separates the Butler couple who already have many issues like the wife's 'mental infidelity' with Ashley who is 'technically loyal' still to Melanie and Scarlett's miscarriage that was caused by Rhett's mean insults. In the end, Melanie who has been the only woman admired by Rhett and the only soul who doesnt believe that Scarlett is out to get her husband Ashley, dies and at that point, after some contemplation, Scarlett gets enlightened with the fact that she loves and wants to live all her life with Rhett and not Ashley as she has wrongly thought all these years.
Famously Rhett says "frankly my dear, I dont give a damn" to her entreaties to work on their relationship and walks away.

Brinda gave me the book written by Margret Mitchell, when we were in School.
And there was this other girl Shalini with whom I discussed, researched and concluded that Rhett was Scorpio and Scarlett Aries (the latter part of the result irritated Brinda for a bit, but she took it sportingly in the end as it was not meant for being taken personally by her).

So was buying the original VCD of "Gone with the wind" akin to throwing the money into the wind?
Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn either,
Rain

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.