Frenchman's creek

It is here! I recently purchased a 1942 hard bound gold rimmed edition of my all-time favorite novel! Yes! Frenchman's creek by Daphne Du Maurier.

While Rebecca and Jamaica Inn are close contenders to the all-time favorite throne, Frenchman's Creek will always rule the roost, in my bookshelf, at least. As a young adult, this had always been my beloved novel to escape into the beautiful locales of Cornwall, to dream of the thrills and spills experienced by Dona St Columb with her characteristic chutzpah. Since then Cornwall and Wales have been topmost in my list of must-visit-places.

There is something in the way the author romanticizes the story that has me enthralled and being the unconventional that I've always been and wished to be, this book has been a great inspiration just going by the pure and spirited romance that the novel and the author have come to signify.

Herewith this book has been affectionately enthroned in my bookshelf with utter respect and admiration.





















~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Date with dusk

Getting zoo-o-logical

This past week, I went primitive. Errrr, no I didnt exactly retro into being a cave-woman, it just means I left my daily add-ons- the cell phone, laptop and car and went on an extended break. It was a test that I've been wanting to try for a while now. Boy, it sure was a welcome load-shedding!

I went someplace where I used the public transport, never checked email nor use my cell phone. I additionally didnt have to cook or clean either. The slow paced holiday was a sure antidote for the stressed nerves and tangled mind. I have since unwound and am all set to get back in action. Yeee haw!

So I also fell in love with animals all over again. I've never been much of an animal lover and I am also not comfortable with having pets of my own, or other people's pets. For the likes of me, zoos are good enough to recharge my zoological batteries.

So enjoy and happy holidays!





I loved the tree kangaroo's sleeping pose. Adorable!

Footnote : This holiday season Santa has injected a "drinking chocolate" craving in me that just doesnt seem to go away. I've been drinking hot chocolate very religiously and I am still not over the craving. This could be a keeper fad! For the chocolate-haters like me this is a new turn! Thanks L for feeding the fad with a hot chocolate pot replete with hot chocolate packs!!

Tis that season

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

To wish upon a star

For a long time, I have evaded answering questions like "What would I do if I had a million dollars?" because, the practical thinker that I am, I always reason that I wouldnt just have a million dollars out of the blue and hence the point would be moot as to what I'd do when I did have one. But for some time now, I have begun to wonder what I'd do if I had all the money I could get and didnt have to work for it. Woah! Imagine having an unlimited stash and not have to worry about paying bills or working to make ends meet and all one had to do was assume the credit card and bank account were taken care of!

So here goes- I am all set to answer the question "What would I do if I didnt have to work for my living?"

I'd travel. Yes- And no I wouldnt take a year long sabbatical, but it would be in phases. Maybe a month and then back to home base to overcome the "home-sickness". Europe, Africa, Down under, Russia, China, South America- Yes, I'd definitely travel. I dont know how long all that would take- but who's counting right? Cause I do have all the time and money, so to speak.

For most part I'd like to sign up for classes. I know- havent I been educated enough? But these are soft skills. I know what my profession is/can be. Now I want to hone my hobby skills.

I'd sign up for dance lessons- like hire a personal dance trainer. In those months I am in between travel, I'd learn to dance. And after some extensive training, tada! I could dance to rock any party in town.

Hm, I'd sign up for baking lessons too- I love to bake and even sign up for cake decorating classes. Then I'd make a small business selling them too! Hey no one said I couldnt have a small business going.

Photography has taken a backseat for some months now. I'd go and get the Digital Rebel, that which I've been craving for and sign up for advanced lessons.

And then I'd learn to sew and knit and crochet. I'd retro back to my painting skills and paint all day. I'd have multiple tiny projects that I'd switch back and forth.

Then there's reading and writing and movies and checking out shows and exhibitions and then there's...............shopping! Gosh- to grow my shoe collection and clothes and jewelry and accessories.

Egad!!! There's so much to do ! Alright! I need a sugar daddy me thinks.

This weekend I saw a T-shirt that said "Auditions open for a new sister". I have to paint myself a custom made "Auditions open for a sugar daddy or sugar momma!". Any takers? Hm, well maybe I'll stick with wishing for a fairy godmother!

A case of the classics

Recently I had been to a book fair(not too good a one, I must admit) and sheer disgust at the thought of coming away empty handed prompted me to pick up an old-time classic by Oscar Wilde- The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have read this book quite a few years ago, as part of the classics-must-read series.

A re-read was definitely worth it and leads me to affirm my belief that "old is gold". For most part, I believe I am a sentimentalist. While I like good stories, modern day thrillers, humorists, wit and the like, my true love is always for these classics that brim with melifluous language and detailed descriptions that forces the reader to imagine and dream of Victorian period settings and grandiose surroundings. Its such an easy trapdoor to escape into utopia where the characters in the novel surround one with mystery, romance and wonder.

Talking about this novel, while I dont wish to add spoilers for those that have not read this book, I do have to mention, its not your everyday story. For the novice reader, this might as well be macabre to some extent. But the concept of narcissism has been beautifully portrayed and one finds it hard to not empathizee with the central character.

Interestingly, while I was browsing what wiki had to say about this book, I found this very interesting list. I am still wading through it to see how many I've checked out and how many need to be added to my reading cart.

Self-prediction for the day : A lot of reading is in the charts!

"Shop till you drop" season

December! -what it means to me :
- Christmas
- New Year being just around the corner
- Birthdays galore- I know too many Sagittarians for my own good!
- Shopping, shopping and more shopping
- Travel
- Endless parties and binging (as an outcome of the above mentioned events)

While I continue to be in denial that I am a registered shopaholic, I marvel at how easily I come up with excuses to head towards the mall. And the American consumerism has mastered the art of luring saps like me- I am convinced they make quite a fortune from the likes of us.

And then of course there are the wary, cautious, educated shopper who scans the websites and coupon books and all and sundry. Shopping for them is a controlled mind game and they function almost like those assembly line-ups in a mechanical factory. They move like robots from one aisle to another(sometimes I wonder if they even get snapshots of the specific aisles where their interested items are located!-ha!). The December season does nothing to unfaze their determination and resolve.

As for me, I am the harum-scarum, go-crazy-like-the-bull-in-the-china-shop kind of shopper. Let me loose in Walmart or at Neiman Marcus and I can run amock. And this season sees me at my finest lunacy. From clothes to shoes to jewelry to accessories like belts and handbags to shower gels to books to calendars to winterwear like gloves, scarves and hats and last but not least even down to cookware! Man, I shop and stock and restock till my apartment looks like some kind of warehouse. And the poor salesclerks go "do you need a gift receipt"- Nah, I unfailingly quip- This is all for me! (sheepish grin, here). But every trip has a purpose you know, I need to get presents for the birthdays, for the office secret Santa AND a gift or two for those last minute Christmas party invites(Ha! The last time I got one of those was 3 yrs ago, but I stock for this purpose-nonetheless!). And so on and so forth. I think this year I've outdone all my previous years and am pretty close to revamping my entire wardrobe-that which started with a list which said the only thing I needed this season was a set of new gloves and a trench coat! Humble beginnings, modest endings?(Nah, not so much!).

Just yesterday I received a letter from my credit card company saying they just automatically increased my credit line to a very magnanimous amount. They must have noticed the flurry of activity bordering the credit limit. What does the credit card company do? While a wary well-wisher type would've have cautioned one to be thrifty and mindful of overspending, the credit company goes and increases your limit-Hey Christmas only comes once a year!

Yes, the credit card companies can never be a girl's best friend! Now diamonds- hm, after watching Blood Diamond this weekend, not so much either!!

I vote a girl's best friend is really a fairy godmother!

And on this note.........

You've Been Bit By the Shopping Bug!

You're constantly adding to your wardrobe - and it shows However, you can show some restraint. You love good deals. Your love of the clearance rack has paid off... You probably have only maxed out card or two, if at all!

Are You a Shopaholic?

The Druid speaks

The Story of the Pencil

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point, he asked:‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson: ‘I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m
using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’

Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special. ‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’

'That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on to them, will make you a person who is always at peace with
the world.

‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.

‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.

‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

'Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be
conscious of that in your every action.’




From PC's 'Like a Flowing river'

Puzzled painting

For some days now I've started on a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Its a puzzle of a painting by one of my favorite artists- Norman Rockwell. To digress, my obsession and fascination for this artist's works began with a piece that my friend Maggi wrote a few years ago, comparing the art work of Rockwell's America to somewhat of a pictorial narration akin to our very own Swami of Malgudi days. What a wonderful comparison and needless to say, so apt as well! His works of simple day-to-day living in America and the sheer humor and wit is endearing as well as touches a chord in many. The depictions are so commonplace that the message pops out effortlessly and in comic simplicity. I have been following art works by CF Payne , usually printed at the back of RD every month who is very often referred to as the Norman Rockwell of our present time. Well for more about Norman Rockwell, as always, wiki has a lot to say.

For some years now, I have accumulated a lot of Norman Rockwell's art works in the form of calendars and poster prints. My all-time favorite is the triple self-portrait. If I had to vote for a masterpiece amongst his works, I'd sure have a very tough time. There are so many that are my absolute favorites. Just this past weekend, I checked out an exhibition of his art works in Baltimore and had a gala time -eyes wide open.

So coming back to the topic of jigsaw puzzles, when I saw this one of one his works some months ago, I swooped on the purchase. But it was shelved till future notice(literally) since I didnt have the guts to start a mega project such as this one. I have put together jigsaw puzzles some years ago- but most of them were under 500 pieces and never one as ambitious as this . It has since seen the light and hopefully be rendered complete(in one piece!) soon enough.

While on the topic, I read someplace that initially jigsaw puzzles were made from wood and since jigsaws were used to cut out the pieces, it was named a jigsaw puzzle.

Brush strokes

What is it that these salons do to one's hair that for the rest of the day, one walks as if in a trance, among the clouds, feeling on top of the world , elated at having the most luxurious(that includes silky, curly, soft, rough, flowing, glowing, voluminous, colored, tinted- any and all combinations that one wants and craves for) tresses in the entire world!!!??

Every time I visit my stylist at the salon, the minute she seats me in the magic swivel chair of hers, I demand "Can you do what it takes so I have voluminous, soft, silky hair with a new style? I am bored with what I have now!". She smiles unfailingly(I am sure she smirks inwards and adds x=x+1 to her count of customers who've wished for the same)and chirps "Sure, lets get your hair washed first."

And off we go, for the next 30 minutes or so, she treats my hair to some kind of royal ritual. Giggling like a kid, I sit in eager anticipation of the outcome.

"There, you're all done now!" she announces and Voila! she swivels my chair after some 10 mins of continued whirring with the blow dryer and brush. In the mirror, while for one instant my eyes espy a hair fairy replete with the dryer taking the place of a wand. I also see a familiar face but with a freshly minted hair-do. The hair has been brushed until it shines, the shampoo and conditioner have done wonders to the texture, the additional sprays and gels and mousse and the rest of the concoction coterie that have been loaded make the hair sparkle and set in an obedient position.

As I twirl my head in a myriad different angles so I can catch a glimpse of how it all looks, the hair fairy glows with pride and purpose. When I am finally done and she rests the mirror that she has been holding up for the past few minutes, I ask her innocently "Hm, so this is gonna last till I wash next. Can I visit you every 2-3 days after washing my hair, so you can set and style my hair for me?". Her grin widens and then she chortles gleefully and says "Yea, right! Why don't you learn to blow dry your hair well?". But I do blowdry, and with my kind of attention span, its not too long before I thrust hairbrush and dryer down with impatience and proclaim "Style be damned, I am done!". There ends my enthusiasm to achieve hairdo perfection.

These short lived glories are so disappointing. One minute you are up in the clouds, the next minute you are down in the dumps with a succession of bad hair days. I guess thats part of the strategy to make these salon visits a makeover dream. I'm convinced mine was a very tempting(irresistible?) offer wherein the said stylist could have a regular guaranteed source of income , but would she really like to be styling the same head of hair every 2-3 days? Maybe monotony isn't a foible in the hairstyling world.
====================================================================================
Babies haven't any hair:
Old men's heads are just as bare;
From the cradle to the grave
Lies a haircut and a shave.
~Samuel Goodman Hoffenstein

Twinkle toes

Happy Feet
First, let me say whats already been said and be done with. Yes, its got music, its got infectious toe-tapping, the penguins are cute and endearing, its "supposed" to be a kids movie with a message(or several, as was in this case).

Phew, that said, a couple of things that didnt quite work for me. For one, the movie was unable to keep the central theme (or message) intact and kept wandering into a million byways by way of conveying embedded messages in each, which was for one, distracting and quite threaded for children. Let me even go as far as to say, this isnt truly a kids movie, in the real sense of the word. Secondly, because of the various sub-threads, the movie was much longer than the official time frame of 1 hr 40 mins.

All said and done, it is a movie about penguins and there is enough music and song and dance to provide timely lightheartedness and break from the monotony.
=================================================================================

Foot note(s) : One long weekend of the year over. Twas a time to sit back and relax.
Time to organize, time for lazy shopping, time to put your feet up on the mall benches with a cinnamon roll, time for long-overdue recipes and then a time to binge.
Got a lot of reading done, Christmas decorations are up.
With the days getting shorter, sure is cheery with holiday lights.

It is now time to go back to the grind.

Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work. ~Robert Orben

Go Dutch?

For some reason, Holland has always been on my list of must-see places. Ok, its not what you think it is- you dirty minds!!! I have had this fascination for windmills- be it in pictures or poetry. I also happen to love tulips. What better place than Holland to experience both?

Imagine a sprawling Dutch countryside strewn with windmills and tulip beds? Now is that picture perfect or what? Wouldnt that qualify to be a scenic route to eternal bliss?



Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small;
Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all.
-Retribution. (Sinngedichte.)

Against the grain

"When I grow up, I really dont want to wilt and droop"
Cried aloud the budding shoot,
"I'd like to seed and shine, forever in a loop
To match the stars and the moon astute".
"Why, oh why, do I have to shrivel?
To shed my petals of color and swivel?"

"Well my dear" said the wise old tree,
"I've been around since you've been wee
All I can say is you dont just wither to root.
Voila! you become a juicy fruit.
Just as the sun sets for the moon fest,
As leaves shed for winter rest;
So shall you live your time the very best.
When time's ripe, thou too shall reap in the melee
For what are we, but a tiny game for nature's play."

Dor- a message thread

This movie thread left me speechless. I am not sure if I can add any more to the praise thats already been heaped on the movie. Wonderful storyline, some strong and touching dialogues, superb acting, great cast- all in all a package with a punch. I cant find anything to add about Shreyas Talpade or Ayesha Takia or Gul Panag that which has not already been said or without sounding redundant/cliched.


Some scenes that stay with me :
- Meera, upon receiving her husbands personal effects and the scene with the grandmother-in-law. One of the powerful lines "We women dont stand by each other most times, what else can we expect from men?"

- Such simple and moving scenes like where Meera goes atop a raised platform to talk on the cell phone or when Zeenat visits her inlaws monthly.

- Again another grandmother-in-law scene where she says "You are only doing what human beings can do, angels cant be this fortunate."

All in all, a very well-made movie that has a powerful message, evokes a lot of strong emotion and feeling, and the end-product doesnt turn it into a traditional artsy movie with dark and badly lit scenes. The Behroopiya characterization delivers the lightheartedness thats a welcome break.

Thumbs up for this thread.

All about B's- Bangalore bakeries

For many Bangaloreans(Bengalureans?) the word "bakery"- predominantly associated with Iyengars- will invariably propel them into nostalgic journeys where the baggage claim conveyor belt delivers myriad varieties of puffs, buns, biscuits, masala toasts and so on and so forth. If one lived in South Bangalore in the vicinity of any of these locally famous bakeries like VB Bakery and Butter Sponge, like I did, one can only wax poetic about the aroma of freshly baked bread and buns and puffs that emanates from these baking havens around 2 in the afternoon- right when college or school is out. It would be a superhuman feat to not stop at one of these bakeries and gobble a quick snack like an onion puff or a masala bun. I have spent hours in front of the cash counter trying to decide what to eat.

And yes, this is what scrimping and saving is for. There have been many afternoons where a group of buddies have pooled in their meagre financial resources to be able to indulge in such simple pleasures. I guess the term "venture capital" made its humble beginnings right here.

Recently, having stumbled upon a spate of such passengers like this blog or even this one, I was reminded of an old recipe that a friend of mine had given me. One of making j-e-e-r-a biscuits akin to those that these wonderful bakeries dish out. After making multiple batches of these jeera delicacies(yours truly not being a big fan of this spice), I tried a variation which produced amazing results.

Edited to add : As of March 2008, the number of people googling for this term(k-h-a-r-a biscuit) is roughly two per day. Its amazing to know how many people get nostalgic about this great bakery item and google for the recipe. Hence all references to this item and its recipe have been removed. While it helps my ego to see so many hits for this post, I do not see any feedback on whether anyone has used this recipe or how it turned out. So if you need the recipe for this bakery item, please do email me at the address provided in the profile and I will send the recipe out or leave a comment with your email id. Thanks for understanding.

Bean balance

  

Brunch brouhaha

Lazy saturday fare

- Besan dosa with red bell-pepper chutney
- Curd rice
- Shira(also called Rava Kesari or Kesaribath- Recipe mastered thanks to Minu)

The business of buyouts

When I first came to the US, right across from where I rented a studio apartment, was a gigantic mall. Well, at least to me, it was. While window shopping in this sea of consumerism, there was one dept store that I would invariably stop at and always find something at a throwaway price. This store, while it wasnt the most popular, it was a place that worked for me. I'd find the right sizes and the designs- all the time. A year later, when I'd since moved out of the area, I learnt that Macy's had bought it out and converted it into a regular "Macy's" store.

Since I've been in VA, I had found a similar haven in Hechts again at a mall right across from where I live. While all and sundry would rave about the JCP's and the Sears and the Nordstroms, Hechts it was for me. I would always find the cutest, the most beautiful, cheapest deals each time, every time. And that in itself was incentive to be mall-bound. Added to the fact, I believed I was getting my dose of exercise along with the excitment of finding those monetarily and girlishly satisfying deals to ensure that a trip was not an exercise in futility. Hechts(for those that are donning a deer-upon-headlights look upon hearing the name), is a local dept store chain much like JCP or Sears but predominantly in the DC/VA/MD areas.

Recently, Macy's acquired Hechts(here we go again.) and as is customary, all Hechts stores have now been renovated to the standard Macy's format. While claims were/are made that Macy's will continue to support Hechts' legacy brands, I find little solace or comfort to pledge my continued patronage. Shopping in the store isnt the same any more, its another Macy's. While this article explains(in financial terms) the reason for a buyout becoming inevitable, I dont feel assured. While the concept of "tried and tested" works from a business standpoint, as a consumer, sometimes I crave for the exclusivity- an affordable one at that. While small mom-and-pop stores are quaint and charming in themselves, I find one craves for a "department store" that, while it offers myriad choices, is also exclusive to some extent.

Ah, well, in an utopian world, I am sure one can take customization and personal choices to any length and not reach the end of it, one's entitled to such benefits in such a world. For now, retailers appear to have acquired the magic mantra to flourish. I am also sure that I would be amongst a minority that pledges allegiance to Hechts or to one dept store. But a number I am and I've heard every number counts :).

Withering wit

Yes, thats right. I had a very normal childhood like everyone else(I am sure quite a few sighs of relief can be heard upon reading this). My reading habits have followed the normal course of Enid Blytons to Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Agatha Christie. A lot of my teen years and further have revolved around the much acclaimed PGW, whose books I have read and re-read ad nauseum.

Therein resides an alternate universe of fiction- that of humor and wit. Quintessential PGW tales of the absent-minded Lord Emsworth or the shenanigans of Bertie Wooster upon the able advice of none other than his valet- Jeeves, the adorable Psmith and the one-off's like Lord Marshmorton(of Damsel in Distress fame). There are countless books, a never ending plethora of PGW fare, enough to cover the entire teenage years with mirth and gaiety. Of course, the extremely imaginative mind could romanticize on the life during the era of Sir Galahad, the over enthusiastic ones launch into PGW fan clubs, e-groups and the like and then there could be the obsessed ones that go as far as to create internet chatrooms to discuss pranks in the name of PGW! But I digress.

When I graduated from this self-induced obsession, I moved onto Frederick Forsyth, Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer and Dick Francis. For old times' sake I'd stray into the Georgette Heyer's and Victoria Holts. And of course I also indulged in "To kill a mockingbird" and "GOne with the wind" authors of the one-book-wonder hall of fame. While experimenting with new-age authors and their writings I'd always look for some successor for the PGW mantle. While James Thurber and Stephen Leacock were impressive, they couldnt deliver the consistent humor that PGW could unerringly produce each time, all the time.

At this point, honorable mention is due for Charles Schulz Peanuts, Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes, Gary Larson's Far Side Gallery and of course, the Asterix collection. These have always provided all-time anytime amusement much like an over-the-counter remedy for bad moods.

So back to humorous fiction. Yes, we are still in the quest of a successor. For a brief period of time, I was an avid reader of Erma Bombeck. I loved her style of writing and have quite a few of her works that come in my all-time favorites gallery. I have dabbled with the works of Garrison Keiller, Lewis Grizzard and oh, did I mention Mark Twain? While I liked Twain's characterization and his tongue-in-cheek style of humor, I find some of his works too lengthy and wordy.

So at this time, thanks to a friend of mine, I was introduced to the world of Bill Bryson. His profile mentions that humor and travel are his forte. Right after my heart- what a combo! Yes, I enjoy his writing, his simple verbiage and the ability to see humor in daily living. That, I believe, is his selling point. Whether he is talking about hiking the appalachian trail, or backpacking in Europe or the idiosyncracies of the autocratic English language- there is humor and yes- wit. I have religiously devoured all his past works. So when I heard that his latest- a memoir titled "The Life and Times of the thunderbolt kid" was out but in Large Print hardbound editions, I was not deterred. This has since been devoured and digested. Yes, Bill Bryson's humor is always welcome.

Also, again thanks to the same friend, I discovered Dave Barry and David Sedaris. I have to admit I am not a big fan of David Sedaris' works, Dave Barry is tolerable. Then there we have the Helen Fieldings, Lauren Weisbergers, Emma McLaughlins, Sophie Kinsellas....some impressive, some downright disappointments.

So to conclude(phew! yes, I can understand) I still havent been able to name that able successor to the PGW throne. Most likely, there might never be one. Amazon and Borders section of "humor" is a dwindling rack space that shrinks every time I am there and that in itself causes a dip in my enthusiasm. But as we know- hope springs eternal in the human breast. Ergo, the quest continues............

Footnote : This past weekend I managed to watch "The prestige". I later learnt that it was based on the novel by the same name by Christopher Priest. The movie has Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johannsen and directed by Christopher Nolan(of the Memento and Batman returns fame). A very well directed movie with an interesting theme based on two rival magicians in UK in the Victorian era.

A related post thats an interesting read.

Diwali

  
From darkness to light - with sugar and spice and everything nice!
  

The weekend, "The departed" and the fillers

Fall appears to have befallen along the North-East coast. While the colors set the trees and scenery ablaze for the next few weeks giving the eyes a visual feast that cheers one and all through the bleak winter days, what it also means is that another year is slowly coming to an end. And as always, it seems like the year has crept by slowly and stealthily but surely, once again. While spring cleaning is time to bring out the shorts and flipflops, shop for suntan lotions and latest bikini fashions, put away the coats, jackets, scarves and gloves, fall's equivalent is autumn stocking (my term for an eqvt for spring cleaning) is the time to plan for leaf peeping, warm sweaters, garamchai by the fireside and unwinding to see the year off and welcome a new one.

Fall pic courtsey Milind Desai


So this weekend I got to watch the "The Departed". Rotten tomatoes and wiki pretty much say it all. As always Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio deliver superb performances that keep one hooked till the end.


Book read updates :

Robin Cook's Marker and Crisis - Rating 7/10 - Worth a read- thumbs up
James Ellroy's Black Dahlia - Rating 5/10 - Gripping story but mediocre narration
Frederick Forsyth's Afghan - Rating 6/10 - Not upto the mark of a usual Forsyth
PC's The Devil and Miss Prym- Rating 5/10 - The concept, while interesting, the flow wasnt smooth,hence the book fell flat(imo).
Andrea Smith's Sisterhood of the Blackberry Corner - 8/10 - Simple, touching and sweet.

In the reading checkout cart :

Julia Glass' Three Junes

Hm, in the need of book recos, me thinks.

Aye mere udaas man

Album: Maan Abhiman
Singer: Yesudas
Music: Ravindra Jain
Lyrics: Ravindra Jain
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aye mere udaas mann chal dono kahin door chalen
Mere humdam teri manzil ye nahin ye nahin koi aur hai
Is bagiya ka har phool deta hai chubhan kaaton ki
Sapne ho jate hain dhool kya baat kare sapnon ki
Mere saathi teri duniyan ye nahin ye nahin koi aur hai.

Jaane mujh se hui kya bhool jise bhool sakaa naa koi
Pachtave ke aansoon meri aankh bhale hi roi
O re pagle tera apna ye nahin ye nahin koi aur hai
Patthar bhi kabhi ek din dekha hai pighal jate hain
Ban jate hain sheetal neer jharne mein badal jate hain
Teri peeda se jo pighale ye nahin ye nahin koi aur hai.

Wordfly- Buzz!!!!!

I've heard "earworms" are songs stuck in the head. I think I've contracted a variation of this mind virus. Of late, I have random words that keep buzzing in my mind. I've been observing and its not a word that I read or heard around the time that this word pops in my mind. Out of the blue, it has made an appearance and buzzes around like a fly. It doesnt go away even if I were to use it when I speak or write on a daily basis- obviously it doesnt support a use-and-lose policy. There's no determinable fix as far as I've seen, after a while the fly just buzzes away till a new one surfaces, again- out of the blue.

For example- right now the word-of-the-mind is nom-de-plume. I mean, come on, its not that I can randomly start up a conversation about Eleanor Hibbert and smoothly state "Oh, her nom-de-plume was Victoria Holt or Jean Plaidy". Sounds way too fake. And I havent read any of her books in a long time now.

Before this one was chagrin. And the one before that was nonchalant.

Geez, I dont know where I pick 'em up from. To an outsider, it almost sounds like I am preparing for my TOEFL or some such thing.

Science, I hear, is yet to find a tried and tested solution to get rid of earworms. I am sure its going to be a while before they get to working on wordflies(which btw, is a term I coined- rather like my version of earworms). I have to resort to home remedies to find a fix for this wordfly and until then I shall continue to string along sentences with these high-strung words in a desperate attempt to rid my mind of this annoyance.

Maybe I should try the transmogrifier and have Calvin mutate it into an earworm. At least that is an established virus. Better a known virus than an unknown bacteria?

Calvin- HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dust you were born and to dust you will return

A potter sat with a mound of clay in front of him. He made a pot and a vase with it. A lady stopped by and picked up both.

She filled water in the pot and her whole family drank cool water at every meal.
Her husband got her flowers once a month at the fair. She used the vase for those flowers.

"You are such a loser" said the pot to the vase. "You just look pretty but what use is it, if you only get to show off once a month. Look at me, I am so useful. The whole family uses me everyday, all the time. They cant survive without me!"




The vase upon hearing this felt depressed. "Its true what the pot says. With all this carving and painting, whats the use of looking pretty if I only get used once in a month. It would've been so much better if the potter had made me into a pot too!"

Once when the vase came out for its monthly display on the ledge, it decided to end its life. It tipped over the edge and fell. Crash! and broke into a thousand pieces.

"Lord!" cried the lady and showed the husband, "Wonder how it fell, it must've been the tremors that caused it. I liked the vase so much, it was so pretty that I bargained with the potter to strike a deal. He gave me a pot for free . Now I'm stuck with the pot.Its been used so much, its going to wear out soon and I'll have to get another one.". So saying she gathered the pieces and trashed them.

Upon hearing this, the pot got distraught. "I came for free???????. God, am I that worthless? Will no one buy me for what I am? I wish the potter had turned me into a vase as well. Now I am worn out and overused, they are going to get rid of me soon. I might as well end my life instead of being discarded."

The pot degraded earlier than its time, it cracked and broke into pieces. "Oh well" said the lady "It was too worn out anyways, time to get a new one" as she got rid of the remains.

===================================================================================

A few "moral of the story" quotes :

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

If you really put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price. ~Author Unknown

Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality. ~Les Brown

If you doubt yourself, then indeed you stand on shaky ground. ~Henrik Ibsen

Luxury or Convenience?

Is there anything called too much convenience? I think there is and my bank just delivered a service to that effect.

So, continuing on this topic that I blogged about earlier my bank has taken the term "convenience and service to customers" a notch higher. Maybe where you live(in the neighboring planet, maybe?), this service has existed for many years but for me this was new.

I drove up to BOA's ATM to deposit a check. Earlier I'd have to grab an envelope, counter-sign the check, include my account number on it, then go through the on-screen steps and insert the sealed envelope and about 2 days later I'd see the amount in my account.

And now, gone are the envelopes. The ATM smarts asks that the check be inserted into the receptacle. It scans the check and displays it for one to check the amount. Once the amount is confirmed, it chokes out a printed receipt which includes the scanned check and voila!!! The deposit is done.

Hence, I ask, how much of convenience becomes too much of it? With this kind of service, I'm sure in a few months' time I am going to take my bank too much for granted.

God bless Online Banking and BOA-may your tribe increase!

Amen~

Omkara

The movie : http://www.omkarathefilm.com/

The review : http://ia.rediff.com/movies/2006/jul/28omkara.htm

I think this review says it all.

Watched it last night. Saif is brilliant and has really outshone himself in this movie. This truly establishes Saif as character-actor. I am glad for him. Despite his shaky beginnings he has finally made a mark for himself in Bollywood. He shines throughout the movie and has brought out Iago's character to perfection.

Ajay Devgan as Othello and Konkana as Emilia- well cant expect any less from either of them. Kareena as Desdemona is probably as good as anyone else-better Kareena than say Sushmita. Bipasha Basu and Vivek Oberoi- it could have been any Tom, Dick or Hari doing these roles. Vivek is easily forgettable though he had quite a good role in Cassio. Othello is a dark tale full of hate and jealousy. The movie definitely brings the same emotions out- only with an Indian flavour. Amazing photography and
locales. Definitely worth a watch even if Othello is a tried and tested formula. Due credit must be given to Vishaal Bharadwaj for the music and bringing out the Othello formula with an Indian touch and in a modern time setting.

Trip to Flushing Meadows

I can safely say that most of my sports interests come from my dad. My dad will watch any game that airs on TV and has played cricket with passion for the better part of his life. There have been many times we've been stopped on the streets to be told that someone or the other has played cricket with my dad at the National College grounds.

Anyways, that said, I am an avid tennis fan. I remember the time my dad hurriedly bought a color tv just before Wimbledon, so we could watch in color. I am poor at remembering stats-like I can't remember who played which match in which year but I have strong prejudices for certain players. I love their style and strength. I've watched my dad cheer for Navratilova and Chris Evert and Connors and McEnroe. I have since developed likes and dislikes of my own. I adore Graf and have had a poster of hers in my room for most of my teenage years. Agassi and Sampras have been my favorites in recent times but I've rooted for Becker and Edberg and Sabatini and the best of the best for many years. And I always vowed to myself that I'd watch some(if not all) of them play live sometime in my life.

Let me stop rambling and launch into the reason for this post. I was at the US Open men's final yesterday. We spent the whole day lounging at the USTA center since the match wasnt scheduled to begin till later in the evening. I had great run-ins with Navratilova and Connors- tooks pics and got autographs. I was awe-struck coming face to face with these tennis greats. People I had watched many times on TV and never imagined I'd get to see them in person. Can you believe that Martina won her doubles title just the day before and at this age? What amazing dedication and brilliance. I was sure proud to witness in live her induction into the Court of Champions. Truly a glorious moment.

Sighted some celebrities, played the stop-pong game, grabbed souveniers and generally had a great day at one of the great tennis stadiums. The weather was perfect The finals, well what can I say? There's got to be someone out there to beat Federer-Roddick sure had a good fight going for a bit, but didnt go all the way. Maybe next time. For now Federer rules.

An awesome day and makes me want to visit the Wimbledon and the French and the Aussie Opens. Maybe some day...................

Books binge

11am-Sunday

I realised I was done with my chores for the weekend. Laundry was done and neatly piled up. Had whipped up a simple meal for the day. The kitchen had been scrubbed clean, the dishwasher loaded and cranking away to glory. The plants had been watered, the tiny apt tidied up- I was really done!! And I had the rest of the day to myself. I had made no plans to go anywhere and wasnt really motivated to make any new ones anyway. I checked and rechecked my list of to-dos. Nope, nothing missing there.

Alright, I decided to myself. Today is officially the veg-out day. Yaaayyy! It's been a while since I've had one of those. I had some books that I wanted to get for a while. Reading was probably the order of the day. I checked my library's catalog online- No luck! All the books I was looking for was either checked out or on order.

After a quick brunch, I dashed to the nearest Borders. I systematicilly found each of the books I was looking for and piled them up in on corner. Whoa!! All of them were hardcover editions, none in paperback-yet! That's gonna burn a hole in my pocket, I thought to myself. Two of the three claimed a 20% off for Borders club members(That I am-phew!!). I flipped through the pages of all of them and was convinced I need to have all three. Thus convinced, I moved towards the counter- Why not? I thought to myself. Today I need to read and hence I need all the ammunition I can get.

The lady at the counter scanned my Borders club card and said a few words that sounded like music to my ears- "Ma'am today you have a personal shopping day pass to Borders. You get an additional 10% off on all items!!!!!. You must have received our email notifying you." Aah well, maybe I did and I deleted it as usual. But what a stroke of luck! Usually I never make it to any of these discounts and sale days cos I am so bad at keeping track of them.

The cash machine totalled up my purchases. Although it wasnt cheap(in the true sense of the word), I had received sufficient discounts on the books to not make me feel guilty about the splurge.

Armed with some spicy Haldiram snacks, diet coke and hot tea, I settled myself on the couch. There I remained till this morning. I had ravenously devoured one and a half book by then, interspersed with a few rounds of dozing. I got up only twice. Once to get a refill on the snacks and then later for dinner.

Apart from those two trips, the couch has been my resting place for most of the delighful Sunday.

For the curious, that made it this far, the books I got were :

Robin Cook's Crisis
Frederick Forsyth's Afghan
Paulo Coelho's The Devil and Miss Prym.

Reviews will be posted later.

Career counsel

I tried this quiz at blogthings on a whim. While I use blogthings as a stopgap arrangement to distract myself, this one kind of intrigued me, because these days I really wonder if I am in the right job. Granted, I do, what I've learnt to do for so many years now and learnt to do it well and give it all I have- but all said and done- is THIS really my true calling?

One of my favorite quotations goes :

"It's no good running a pig farm badly for thirty years while saying,
"Well, REALLY I was meant to be a ballet dancer."
By that time, Pigs will be your Style."
-Quentin Crisp

So true! Maybe thats what it is. I've been doing this job for so many years that this is all I know. Perhaps if I'd started out being a ballet dancer, I'd have done that well enough. While technical skills has never been an issue for me, I suck at people skills. After a while, regardless of how many skillful arrows you possess in your quiver, its your social skills and marketing skills that really help you move upwards. I've learnt this valuable lesson a tad too late.

Now that I have identified my issue- there are two solutions. One, that I improve on the skills to succeed or change my profession to something that doesnt need any people skills. Research maybe? I can almost see myself in a white coat holed up in some dimly lit lab. I've always wondered if I could've taken to arts/crafts/literature full-time. I am constantly told that I wouldnt have succeeded as much as I have in this current profession. But its about the road not taken. Do I have the chance, time and patience to retract and start all over again?? Does life really give everyone a second chance? I am constantly amazed at people who make enormous shifts in their profession at any age and still go on to succeed. I wish I could will myself to do that.

So this is what blogthings came up with :

Your Career Type: Investigative

You are precise, scientific, and intellectual.
Your talents lie in understanding and solving math and science problems.

You would make an excellent:

Architect - Biologist - Chemist
Dentist - Electrical Technician - Mathematician
Medical Technician - Meteorologist - Pharmacist
Physician - Surveyor - Veterinarian

The worst career options for your are enterprising careers, like lawyer or real estate agent.

http://www.blogthings.com/idealcareerquiz

The last line makes sense- I abhor lawyers. Looking at the options suggested though -one thing that pops out is the Dentist portion. I guess thats a logical conclusion from the assumption that I am "precise, scientific and intellectual". Bah!

And Surveyor??????!!!! Whatever!

To sum it all up, I either improve on my people skills and climb the corporate ladder or sign up for a degree in veterinary medicine and be surrounded by pets.
Oh, did I mention- I hate pets?

Food for thought, indeed!

=================================================================================
So while on this topic, I also tried this one. I loved what it had to say!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatadvanceddegreeshouldyougetquiz

You Should Get a MFA (Masters of Fine Arts)

You're a blooming artistic talent, even if you aren't quite convinced.
You'd make an incredible artist, photographer, or film maker.

So what say?

Liberty

There is an age, an age when everything is a challenge
Every challenge is welcome
As one adds more lines around the bark of one's life
Probably a stress is all its become
The mind reads like a to-do list
Nothing's ever done and festers like a cyst
To trudge along the same path becomes a chore
Time outs in life are no more
To a soul that aches to break free
The mind's doctor prescribes liberty

JFI for August- Akki Rotti

My first food blog and offering for the JFI for flour hosted here

Being from Karnataka and Bangalore the one dish that came to my mind when "flour" was mentioned was the mouth-watering brunch soul food-the akki rotti. There are many interesting additions for the simple "rice flour" to dish out mouth watering variations of the akki rotti. My mother usually makes it with onions and freshly grated coconut. This gives the akki rotti a crisp texture(which my poles-apart sibling loves). I, personally, love the softer version. That of adding cucumber and sometimes dill leaves. Dill gives a wonderful aroma and of course abundant proteins. Grated cucumber dispenses water and the soft texture. During the season, most Bangaloreans would add fresh avrekalu(aka surti papdi lilva) - but then in that season Bangaloreans would add this ingredient even to their tea and coffee, if they could!!! :)

So, without further ado, here's my humble offering- the akki rotti

Ingredients :

Rice flour (sieved to remove lumps)- 2 cups
Grated cucumber - 1 cup
Chopped dill leaves - 1 cup
Green chillies - 5-6(according to taste)
Jeera - one or two teaspoons
Salt - according to taste


Mix all the ingredients together and knead into a soft dough with warm water. Add water slowly while kneading so that the dough doesnt get too watery.

Once the dough is ready, heat the tava and start making rottis(I make mine using aluminium foil with oil spread on it). Divide the dough into hand-size balls and pat them with sufficient water and oil so they are flat. When tava is hot enough, spread some oil over the tava and invert the aluminium foil and sprinkle cold water on the reverse, so the roti peels off onto the tava. Cook well on both sides. Serve hot with any kind of side-dish like green mint-coriander chutney, pineapple gojju, onion-tomato gojju or even tomato sauce. Its seen here being served with Indira's red bell-pepper chutney(yumm!!!). This dish makes one very thirsty- so make sure you drink plenty of water during and post-meal. Oh and its lights-out siesta time after this brunch. Of course, Sundays are reserved for Bisibelebath!!

Bon Appetit!

To see a world in a grain of sand

Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahi milta
Kahin zameen toh kahin aasmaan nahi milta

Jise bhi dekhiye wo apne aap mein gumm hai
Zubaan mili hai magar hum-zubaan nahi milta
Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahi milta

Bhuja saka hai bhala kaun, waqt ke sholay
Ye aisi aag hai jismay, dhuaan nahi milta
Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahi milta

Tere jahaan mein aisa nahi ke pyar na ho
Jahan umeed ho iski, wahan nahi milta
Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahi milta
Kahin zameen toh kahin aasmaan nahi milta

-Nida Fazli

Non-violence or Victimisation?

One article after another, one site after another, I should just stop, for my own sanity's sake. Each story is more gut wrenching than the next. How many more Indians need to be sacrificed at the terrorist altar for our countrymen to wake up and retaliate?

Our PM says "We will win the war on terror." How? By just wishing it to be so? By prayer? By standing in the sidelines and watching the bloodshed?

Are we such a lame and passive nation?

Newbie on the block

She's all wrong, they said
She cant walk and she cant talk
All she does is throw a sock
Oh, boy she cant do that either too well
But we have no time to dwell
On such inane histrionics
Cos we are on tonics
To be entertained by the best
We're sorry your girl is not as good as the rest

But, she's my baby , I wail
She's good as gold, she wont fail
She's the apple of my eye
Sweet as a pie
Give her another chance to show
Just how well she can bow
and sing and dance and talk
Cos after all, she's but a newbie on the block.

Long-term parking in the bath tub

1 - Bath Salts
1 - Bubble bath
1 - Hand and Body lotion
1 - Body Bar
1 - Bath and Shower Gel
1 - Creme Bath
1 - Body Butter
1 - Bath Sponge
========================
Total = Long-term parking in the bath tub

The woods are lovely, dark and deep

*********************Disclaimer - All characters are fictional****************

She was always tempted to wander off into the woods while visiting her grandparents in Simla. "Dont run out in the woods by yourself, Suj, its not safe" her ajji would caution her all the time. But she loved running through the wet grass, through the myriad trees imagining herself to be one of the Famous Five characters, out on an expedition. She wished she had friends to go with. But if she couldnt find any, she would still go by herself.

One such day, she had strolled too far away from her house. .......
She comes across a clearing and right in the middle stands a small shed from whence she could hear the sounds of metal. Curious and eager, she tiptoes to the open door of the shed and peers. She sees a bare chested man working and welding inside. He was sweating profusely with his brows puckered and working feverishly on the piece of metal in his hands. She stands there watching him work with wonder in her eyes. After a few minutes, the man looks up and finally catches sight of this young girl in a frock and sandals standing at the door. He smiles at her and shouts "Welcome! What brings you here, little girl?" . "Um, I stopped to see you work" she says. "Thats great, would you like to sit down and watch? I have a pretty stool that I just made yesterday. You can be the first to test it for me." and he moves to the back of the shed and pulls out a beautiful metal carved stool much like the moda her ajji had in jute back home. He places it on the floor with a perfunctory dusting with his handcloth. "What are you making?" she asks.

"Well, my girl, Swamy sir has asked me to make him a bench for his garden. THats what I am making." he says. "Can you make small things? she asks. "Small things? Like what my dear?". "Like a doll." she says. "Ohhh, you are a funny girl. I dont usually make dolls with metal but I could make you something small" he offers. "oh" she says and sits silently while he goes back to working with his furnace and hammer. He watches her as she sits silently, swinging her legs while watching him work. "So, what can I make for you?" he repeats.

"Whatever you like." she says and continues to watch. He walks up to a small cupboard and pulls out some candy. He offers the candy to her and says "If you can come back tomorrow, I'll have something for you. But I have to lock the shed and go for lunch now. You should get back home too, its getting late and your folks will be worried. Do you know how to get back?" "Oh, yes I will come back tomorrow. I can find my way back now. Bye" she says cheerfully and hops out of the shed. He waits for a while till she is out of sight to shut the door and walk away.

"I'm back" she announces as she enters the shed. She is in a pretty pink dress with sandals. "Nice to have you back, little girl." says he. "So do you have my present?" she asks eagerly. "Of course, I do" and he pulls out a red cloth bag from his dhoti pocket. Out comes a miniature metal photo frame carved with beautiful floral patterns. "Ohhhhh" she gushes as her hands try to grab the work of art. "Its so pretty!" she announces after caressing the tiny photo frame in her tiny hands. "I'm glad you like it" says he as his face glows with happiness , satisfaction and pride. "But what do I do with it?" she asks worriedly, as though he might take the precious gift back since she didnt know what to do with it.

"Oh, my girl" he says, "you know, when you grow up into a pretty young woman, a knight in shining armour is going to come across you, lost in the woods, like this. He's going to sweep you off your feet to his land far away. You will make his life for him and when his job makes him go away for long periods of time, what better way to save your love's picture, than in a metal photo frame? You will look at it and be cheered while you wait for his return."

"Yayyyyy!" screams she with joy while clutching the little cloth bag which holds her precious gift. "All right, you run along, my dear, I have work to do now" says he. "Ok, I have to go back, ajja said I have to take the train back home to Delhi soon. But thank you so much, I love it!" says she as she hugs him tightly and runs away. He waits once more to watch her disappear behind the trees.

==================================================================================

"Ma'am" can we take the chest away" asked the burly guy pointing towards the oak chest sitting in the middle of the empty room.

Sujatha turns around, rudely awakened from her reverie. Sifting through the chest had taken her on a joy ride on a time machine back when she was a little girl. Her hands recall holding something small in them. She looks at her right hand and eyes the small metal photo frame. It was intact, in the same red cloth bag that had come along with it, many years ago. She could recall the faint smell of metal even now from the bag. That was 40 yrs ago when she had only been 10. Then she had not known how her life would turn out. Heck she hadnt even known then that it would be 40 yrs later that she would hold the frame in her hands again. Sujatha had grown up, studied till she had a doctorate in bio-technology, an emerging field , in those days. She had moved abroad and had lost track of time when she was immersed in research projects.

She was one of the lucky few who kept getting one good project after another with abundant funding to continue her research and produce brilliant results. Her hard work was paying off. When she entered her 40s, she was a succesful research partner in a reputed firm. She decided to break off and start on her own. She had sufficient skills and experience to do it by herself. 10 yrs later, her company was one of the leading firms producing cutting-edge products and services in the bio-tech industry. Her name featured often in the bio-tech journals and she had authored many books on the subject. She had made a mark for herself.

She was now moving to a new house that she had built along the Pacific coast. It was a multi-million dollar splurge with sprawling gardens and modern day gadgets within. The view of the beach from her patio of her extravagant residence was breathtaking. The backyard of her house connnected to a hiking trail that led directly into the woods, much like the ones she loved to stroll back in Simla.

Thats was the clincher for her to buy this house, the woods nearby.

The oak chest had been with her all these years. For most part, when she had lived in her one-room dorm at the university. She had never needed to open it, except that she had misused it as a seat to dump all her books and clothes upon. But she had religiously moved it from dorm to apartments to her townhouse for 25 years without ever opening it and since it had a good latch on it, there was never a cause to worry. Now, that she was moving out to her new house she had felt the urge to review her existing baggage, to shed the old and unwanted and ring in the new and improved.

While she caressed the photo frame, it dawned upon her.......there had never been a knight in shining armour and she had never been swept to any land far away. She had been so caught up with everything else that she had probably never paid attention to finding these wandering knights. Or maybe she had never come across any.
=====================================================================================

Sujatha places a picture of a sunset she had captured some years ago, along the Greek coast in her beloved photo frame . She puts it proudly on her mantelpiece next to a vase of beautiful tulips. Her new home glows with the new lighting fixtures and the aromatherapy candles she has lit all over the house. She sits down on her ottoman and grabs a cup of tea and glances out at the beach, with the sun ready to lie down for the day. She heaves a sigh of satisfaction and picks up her novel.

A frame is meant to capture anything beautiful and as they say....beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Blogthings galore

You Are a Purple Flower

A purple flower tends to represent success, grace, and elegance. At times, you are faithful like a violet. And other times, you represent luxury, like a wisteria. And more than you wish, you find yourself heartbroken like a lilac.

What Color Flower Are You?

You Are Bold Red Boots

You like to put your most outrageous foot forward!

What Kind of Boots Are You?

Your Power Color Is Gold

You're dependable and hard working. You never miss a deadline - and you're never late. You have a clear sense of right and wrong. You're very detail oriented. You get frustrated when your friends are sloppy - or when they don't follow through. You're on top of things, and you wish that everyone else was!

What's Your Power Color?

You are Barefoot!

You're a total free spirit, go with the flow girl You can't be restricted by shoes for very long And unsuprisingly, the same goes for men Your match is out there - and he's as carefree as you are

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Your Scent is Lemon

Vivacious, tangy, and lively You are one gigantic ball of energy!

What Scent Are You?

You Are Spring!

Hopeful Playful Sweet Fresh Airy

What Season Are You?

Your Gemstone is Aquamarine

Intuitive, tranquil, and trusting. You inspire others to have faith in themselves.

What Gemstone Are You?

Deities deified

"Who are your idols?" is a question I am asked very frequently. Many times, I have brushed it aside saying "Oh, well- there are too many to list for so many different reasons and causes" I would quip. But when its been asked one too many times, I decided I would organize my thoughts and say it out loud what's been on my mind for some years now. Its a painstaking task, since there are so many people out there to be idolized. If you scroll down the list, you will notice that its an all woman star cast. This was totally unintentional and I am surprised by the fact, myself. I can only reason, that being a woman, somewhere at the back of my mind, I'd just steer towards those wonderful women with outstanding achievements. What I do admire in these women and similar ones is that they not only excel in their chosen field of profession, but they also devote ample time for social causes, be it for their hometown, for their motherland or for the people around them, where they leave an indelible mark for themselves for many years to come.

So here goes, enjoy the roll-call.

Disclaimer : This listing is in no particular order of prominence, preference or prejudice or priority and hence to not be treated as one.

1. Kiran Bedi is an Indian police officer and is the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). She has served in different sectors of the IPS like narcotics, in charge of Tihar jail, VIP security and traffic management. Such diverse divisions, such challenging postings and most important of all, what an achievement to have survived in such male dominated positions. A landmark for Indian women, the kind of mark that is set in stone in the annals of women's emancipation and empowerment. Hence she features large in my list of admirable women.

2. Kiran Mazumdar is an Indian entrepeneur and as of 2004, the richest Indian woman. She is the founder and chairman and Managing Director of Biocon, a leading biotechnology venture started in 1978(a first at the time for India). Biocon has since become the first for many reasons ranging from the first biotech company to receive ISO9001 certification in India to producing the a cholestrol reducing molecule approved by the FDA. Kiran is a true blue Bangalorean, born and brought up in the city. She has received many awards from the Padma Bhushan to the M. Vishweshwaraiah award. Despite the many hardships she has faced, she has continuously striven to make a mark in a field that not many ventured and wow, what a mark she has made! Another noteworthy facet of this legend is her keen interest and participation in improving her home town. She has actively campaigned and raised her voice for things that the city needs and has been a long-standing committed member for such civic causes.

3. Kalpana Chawla is an Indian born American astronaut who lost her life aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. Born and brought up in Punjab, her idol was JRD Tata. She did her bachelors in Aerospace Engineering and moved to the US where she went all the way to obtain a PhD and landed at NASA. She joined the NASA astronaut corps in 1995 and was selected for her first flight, the first Indian born woman to receive this honor. With the Columbia space shuttle disaster, India has lost a great role-model, a committed astronaut and a great personality. She serves as a role model for many women, in India and abroad.

4. Amelia Earhart was an American aviator and first woman to have flown across the Atlantic in 1928 and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932 among the many firsts against her name in aviation. Her career and her mysterious disappearance while flying around the world in 1937 catapulted the most intensive American search across air and water. Her life, personality and career has inspired many for many years now and will continue to do so. Her passion for flying and calm and collected persona coupled with her will to break all barriers with courage and persistence sure sets a lofty ideal for American women and across the world.

5. Madame Curie was a two-time Nobel laureate and pioneer in the field of radiology and radioactive chemistry. She, alongwith her husband Pierre, has worked diligenty for some brilliant discoveries in radioactive technology, which is prevalent to this day and age. Her star-studded research resulted in the discovery of two important radioactive elements polonium and radium. She became the first woman to receive a Nobel prize, she went on to receive TWO- one in Physics and one in Chemistry. She remains the only woman to have won two Nobel prizes in two different fields. What an amazing woman at such an age in history filled with strife and struggle. She donated her and her husband's gold Nobel Prize medals for the war effort during WW1. Her death in 1934 was due to over-exposure to radioactive elements, much of which was stored in the shed of her house with no proper safety measures. She was known to carry test tubes full of radioactive isotopes in her pocket, and stored them in her desk drawer!!!

6. Steffi Graf is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players to grace the courts. 1988 was the golden year for this German wonder where she won the Grand Slam and went on to win the Olympic Gold all in the same year. She is the only player to have been the No 1 player to have won the Grand Slam four times. Fraulein Forehand as she was called, due to her brilliant display of forehand, she went on to work on her backhand skills to reign supreme in women's tennis for many years till her retirement in 1999. After her retirement she dated and married another tennis great- Andre Agassi. What a pair!!! I am awaiting eagerly for their offsprings to display the same charm, style and grace that both their parents individually showed in abundance while on court. Prodigal geniuses no less.

So thus I have listed some of the greatest of the greatest women from a wide range of time periods that have emerged successful amidst hardships with perseverance, effort and single-minded dedication to their respective causes. I am also proud to note that some of them are Indians, my own kind. Kudos to these great women and may their tribe increase!

The druid, decoded

My earlier review of Paulo Coelho's Zahir (herewith referred to as PC, or simply the druid) did not do justice to illustrate my addiction, affection and obsession for this writer. In professional terms, he is an author, his books are classified as fiction. But if I had my way, I would file them under philosophy. For some months now I have been devouring every website and book that his fingers have graced.

I am told that he has been "accused"(maybe that is too strong a word) of trivializing philosophy and the art of life. But I believe for some, simplistic presentation of philosophy(call it philosophy for dummies, if you will) is the only channel to nirvana. Therein PC is the right guide.

I have seen many pictures of this prophet, and the image that comes to my mind is that of the druid Getafix from Asterix. Granted, Getafix mixed concoctions for the Gauls to develop superhuman strength, similarly PC conjures potions for minds to develop superhuman strength. I have always found his writing to be simple in wordings and structure. But the message is clear and crisp.

I always wonder if his translated works are such superior works of prose, how much better the original could be. I am very tempted to learn Portuguese just so I can read exactly what this druid wrote, in his vernacular and literally seated inside his mind. My out-of-this-world wish is that if I could get ONE chance to spend some time with this word-magician, maybe sit at a cafe over coffee just to hear him tell me in person that "We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path."

Ah, well there are so many of such pearls of wisdom that I would want him to tell me in person. Maybe a coffee break just wouldnt cut it. I'd get greedy and might want to extend it to dinner.

I have religiously tried to read every translated work of his, follow his blogsite like my daily online Bible and read his journals and e-zine with reverence.

For those that are scratching their heads as to who this PC character could be and are curious enough to check out his works, some websites have been included below. Be warned- don't take my word for it. Read his pennings and if you feel that instant connection, you'll find yourselves in an alternate heaven amongst the crowds rooting for this druid. If not, I'm sure, at least for a short period of time, your mind and intellect was challenged and you'd have highlighted at least one line for future use or recall.

The druid's website
The druid's blogsite
The druid's E-zine