27 January, 2009

Pull yourself Up!

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

Padmashree Aishwarya Rai Bachan - You agree?

Well, I do. I've hated her always, infact I don't know any girl who doesn't. I remember once a well wisher of mine had written a book and in that book he had a picture of his near a picture of Aishwarya Rai Bachan and he added "I get to be near her only here!"

I don't really remember why I started hating her. Her 'Meenakshi' character in Kandukonden Kandukonden was really good and she did a very good job. The stubborn, adamant girl with a heart of her own and a world of her own. She played the character really well. So was her double role in Iruvar. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (though when I see it now is annoying) was a good one too. Initially, I remember now - I did like her. Somehow her interviews are so bad she pisses people off. She is not so down-to-earth as she portrays herself. Becoming the Bachan Bahu has added to the woman's air.

Somehow when the announcement for the Padmashri was on TV, I was not so surprised about she getting it. Yes, it does sound very very bad when you say them in a line Padmashri Kamal Hassan, Padmashri AR Rahman and then her name. Urgh! But somehow she does deserve it. (believe me its taking me a lot of convincing to type this!)

She has added to India's glory right from her Miss.World. A regular at the Cannes, jury of Cannes and all the other movies around the world adds to her blah blah. She has had a perfect life so far, wishing her good luck. (I had to cut it here, could not continue!)

I laugh at people when I find something funny.



There are a few people who do so much to get other people's attentions, a few others who don't try much, a few more others who just don't try at all but still do, a few others who don't try so they will get the attention, but the few who just be themselves and get the funny side of others are the best! One such case on the Begumpet flyover on Saturday when Jeanette and I went shopping.

We had just laughed at a woman who was trying to save her boyfriend/brother/the guy on the bike with her's hair from flying into her mouth. Just after that we saw this guy who had hearts drawn on his helmet with various color glitter pens. I HAD to take a picture cause I wanted to put it up here.

P.S : Helmet guy : If you are reading, sorry!

22 January, 2009

What The Eff - 3!

Living practically 13 hours a day in office - I successfully used the word 'Bastard' for the first time in my life. It so happened that it came very casually and that made me feel all the more worse!! Urgh!

Why should other people's language influence the way you speak?! - It's like a passive smoker become an active smoker! And of all the people Naveen had to hear it - What the Eff!

A beautiful movie!




Working for Google has its benefits – number one the food, number two the transport, number three the lovely people with you who will have all kinds of movies with them that they can pass on. One of those movies that I borrowed from a friend is the ‘The World’s Fastest Indian.’

I find it really difficult to fall asleep before 11pm these days so I decided to put myself to sleep with this movie. The story is not complicated, does not have flying men, does not have men armed with forces that can destroy the universe and its evil powers – btw these kinda movies are not my type. The movie is about this very determined old man who wants to break his own land record on his hand built motorbike – The Indian. He lives in New Zealand and wants to break his record in America (where he has never been before.) The basic encouragement and warmth he receives from people of his little town and Thomas – the little boy next door is heart breaking. (To be honest I cried when I watched him leave to America – somehow I has this feeling he would die in the US or something)


“Dad doesn’t think you can do it, he says everyone thinks that – Except me!” – This was a moving line from the little guy! “If you don’t follow your dreams, you might as well be a vegetable!” – This is what he tells the little boy before he leaves. I don’t really wanna know what it means but it was such a nice thing to hear! The basic culture shock he faces in America is depicted so well – I loved the way he answers the waitress for how he wants his eggs “I want them cooked dear!” It’s nothing much to listen to but coming from an adorable old man is so sweet!

The movie ends beautifully with Burt (oh, his name!) breaking his own record and returning home for a warming welcome. The movie closes with titles that say he did go back and break 9 more of his records.

From this movie –

Peeping on your lemon tree helps fertilize the plant – doesn’t pee fertilize all kinds of plants?

In America you are not allowed to park your car on a highway – never seen any police patrol on our highways!

You should always have someone to look up to – I always thought outperforming yourself was the only thing to look up to in life. (No comments about this, please!)

Never watch a very nice movie before you are going to sleep – You don’t sleep till 3 am that night! (or the next morning!)

I loved this movie! – MUST WATCH!

20 January, 2009

What's the big deal with Slumdog Millionaire?

I watched Slumdog Millionaire (downloaded version) even before I could release in theaters and before it could win those awards. For a movie made with a game show in mind, one should remember that ALL the questions cannot be related to Jamal's life. Yes, there were exactly 3 that were depicted in a way that he didn't know but you gave him 3 lifelines!! (I hate the word slumdog by the way!)

I also don't understand why a kid who has lost his only parent, who has no means of income, no other relation but his brother who is equally empty, who does not know what to do for a living, who has runaway from a gunda, who has just escaped getting his eyes scooped out HASSS to come back to look for a girl who he barely spent 3 days with. DO NOT TELL ME HE LUUUVESS HER. If you were in that situation BELIEVE ME you won't even bother about your own brother let alone the girl who came running behind. Fine, he wants to be with her soooo much. FINE. Get it.

HOW ON EARTH IS IT SUPREMELY POSSIBLE TO REMEMBER THE FACE OF THE GIRL??? KIDS ABROAD DO NOT REMEMBER THEIR GRANDPARENTS FACES WHEN THEY RETURN TO INDIA!!!

Why, WHY, WHY, WHHYY will a guy with a super fluent English accent not be hired as a call center executive and be the tea waala instead??? He speaks the best English in the whole movie dammit!!

And a movie revolving in and around Mumbai can be in English. Yes, can be. It can be.. but what was wasn't that great! You guys really couldn't pull it off too well.

The fact that Anil Kapoor actually gives him the answer for the final question is UNBELIEVABLE. Oops.. sorry we're in India right? OK Believable.

The kids in the movie were brilliant.. great job! Acting was very genuine...hmm.. Like the director told me to do kinds!

Mumbai's slum life captured beautifully! For an American director the script and the little details are amazing!! Could have worked a little more on the story though. Believe me Director Saab : Hats off to the victory of the film but its highly impossible that all those questions would be revolving around the guy's life! And to not know Gandhiji was the heights!! If politicians had a chance they would kick some serious American Arse for that! But don't worry, they are not reading my blog or aware of all this. :D

Could have been better!

15 January, 2009

Greed at a cost!

I have always had cravings for more... well... who doesn't?! When I was in Class Two - I always wanted an extra piece of birthday cake at every party though we were taught that its manners to take one and say Thank you. But when your friend has loads left and she says "Pragi, take one more" I would!! Hehe! When I was in college, my dad gave me limited allowance - as pocket money and as college fund. Meaning I would get an allowance of 5000 bucks for my food bills in hostel, cultural bills in college and auto and other stuff. Some days my dad would put in 10000 bucks to transfer to another account or for 2 months together - I always wanted to withdraw a little more for a little luxury that month.. and I Would!! These are these tiny little cravings of mine which I have felt happy about.

I have a few.. actually a lot more... cravings for luxuries... Attainable but at a cost! I've always wanted to do some things which I know are out of affordable areas. Here goes a list below :

1) Stay at the Burj Al Arab once
2) Buy a proper DSLR camera for my all time photography skills
3) Go into a shop and pick up EACH AND EVERY THING I LIKE and want to buy
4) Live for one day like a queen - Wake with music on my ears, bathe with roses in my tub, eat with an actual golden spoon, wear the most expensive clothes I own (Guess a Burj experience will be just fine!)
5) Buy a good designer evening gown for a great amount of money
6) Shop in New York for a full evening and never run out of money
7) Buy my friends and family everything they've ever wanted
8) Own a state-of-the-art farmhouse with all facilities and a pool
9) I think I'm done. If not I'm gonna come back! :)

Black Gray White




Has there been a question where you might want another option other than YES and NO? That's what my dad calls the gray area. "Either gimme a black or white - I don't want to hear any grays."

13 January, 2009

What The Eff-2!!

With a recuperating fever, cough and cold I've been sleeping very night on 250mg medication and a spoonful of Benadryl (or what you might call the sleeping medicine.) Its very difficult to wake every morning to take the cab to office so I usually take the share auto to office. Its a pain to change autos at 2 diff stops but I get my PROPER sleep and the day goes well!

This morning I got into this auto where 2 very old ladies were sitting. They were to get off at Madhapur and I noticed one of them had the eye patch on. Also, the other was holding a set of hospital files. When we reached Madhapur the auto guy did not stop where he was asked to and he kept driving till one of the ladies nudged him with the files. He stopped the auto about half a kilometer. The ladies were OBVIOUSLY bugged with him cause now they had to walk back and IT IS TOUGH TO WALK WHEN YOU ARE SO OLD AND WITH A GOD DAMN EYE PATCH! The auto guy did not say sorry nor did he speak to them properly. He yelled at the women when they asked him why he didn't stop and then the guy did the most horrible thing - lifted his hand to hit one of the ladies.

I got off the auto and said "That's it you bastard. What audacity you have to hit a woman." The scene was totally dramatic in the Madhapur junction and I was holding the guy's hand up and the women abused him in GOD KNOWS WHAT LANGUAGE. The traffic police came up and helped the women get into another auto to take them to where they wanted to go. The auto waala now got back into the auto and dropped me in front of office. I gave him the money and somehow I knew I was not done with this guy. I held the auto's steering or whatever and gave him gyaan in Hindi! (I was good at it!)

"Aapki maa hothi tho aap aisey karogey kaya?! Sharam nahin hai?" The guy looked sad for a minute and said "Madam, paisey ke liyey madam." I gave him another 5 bucks and said "Ley Paisey. Ab chalo maafi maango." He said "Sorry madam." I gave him the dirtiest look ever and walked away!

What's with people who cannot be nice towards others? Don't make the extra effort - just have some manners for god's sake!

Be it men or women - basic manners!

07 January, 2009

What The Eff -1!!

I have been cribbing about many things but I never put it here cause it gives my blog a negative effect! I decided I WILL from now. So copied from MTV is What The Eff!!


WTefF!!

WTF 1 - The service person fills the tray with about 10 plums this morning. A woman from the floor walks by and takes away 9 of them, leaving one that was a little spoiled! Seriosly - What The Eff!!

05 January, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Its 2009 already!! Ha! And I'm done with my exams! So relieved.

My new year did not start off like it always does. It's usually Lakshmi/Naagu/Hari/Padhu/Naveen and all the other in no particular order. But this time at exactly 12.00 am my phone was not ringing. It was a surprise that most of the above mentioned people did not even call. Padhu wished me 2 minutes before 12 and I apparently replied 'Happy Birthday 2009' in my sleep. I spoke Hari and Naveen who were having fun in their own places.

I sent out a whole load of messages from my phone and the replies kept flowing in! The weird thing about this new year was that the closest of people didn't call except Padhu, Naveen and Hari. The most unexpected people called at midnight and somehow it didn't feel like new years. Ya obviously, I was studying for an exam, I was half asleep on my cot, and I was not even bothered.

I called all those idiots who always call but never called this time. I treated myself with pastries worth 500 from Karachi Bakery after my exams. My first day started off with a mobile snatching incident. A guy tried to steal my phone but somehow my hand's grip is good and I escaped from spending another lump sum.

Its been a week now and I hate to say this But I feel great to be back in office! Though it means having to put up with Guni 12*7!! hehe! Alls well! I'm done with exams and back to work! Feels great! :D

This year I'm looking forward to SOOOO many things that will be a BIG turn of events in my life! My sister is getting married, my brother goes to college, I finish 2 years in Google this year, a handful of my friends are getting married this year, my dad becomes governor of his set of clubs, my mom's gonna get a microwave as her birthday gift, I finish my MBA and I'm finally going to Kerala and to the US for a month!!! :D

I'm gonna collect a set of my sister's pictures and make a collage for her as a wedding gift! I'm gonna buy my brother his first phone! I might quit Google but not sure! I'm gonna be Pragathambal MBA! ;) and best of all is the U. S. of AAAA! Hehahaha!

I didn't feel this way about 2008 when it started. I love 2009 already! :D Looking forward to all these to just HAPPEN! :D

Happy New Year if anyone is reading! :D Hi-fi!

Winter soup - Recipe

Hello All! Winter does call for some cozy and cuddly food. My first choice for cuddly winter food would be a  good bowl of soup. Initia...