Cover page

One of the very first things I do when I come home is to start reading TOI. I love the Indian print media and goes well with my breakfast coffee :). Even more so the New Year's edition has so much to looked forward to.

So yesterday, as is customary, I grabbed the paper and sat down with what must've been my 4th cuppa for the morning. What does one usually expect? A 'TOI wishes all its readers a very happy new year', correct?

Wrong!

Here's what I saw(statutory warning- please don't throw stones at me for the bad pics, I was in a rush to take the pics while packing, unpacking, repacking, weighing etc- after all I was about to leave in 24 hrs)....

Like the second pic rightly says, it felt odd. What kind of cover page was this- was my first reaction. But as I started reading, right after 2 stanzas, I was floored. I was ready to offer pranaams to the entire team at TOI for this wonderful start to a new year. See- I am the eternal sentimental fool. If one were to tell me that Love is God, I will truly believe and agree. I will have nary a counter argument or logical/rational argument on why and how I don't believe it is not so. See- words, anger, hatred, violence all get nowhere but to more anger, hatred and violence that is eventually just destructive. In the end, who does love and enjoy destruction? No one does, at least no on in their right mind does.

















I love this tagline - 'Aman ki Asha'. There were 2 or 3 more pages with more details on the entire drive across the country wishing and working towards peace and harmony. After all, isn't that what everyone would like? Cliched it may sound, but the fact is undeniable. 'Aman ki Asha' it is for 2010. An idea whose time has come. I'm sold- hook, line and sinker.

3 idiots

After reading some preliminary reviews on this movie, we went suitably charged due to high marks given by most of the reviewers. We were expecting an Aamir's brilliance in a strong script, having earlier been impressed with Taare Zameen Pe and Lagaan.

I came out of the theater, not impressed. It was 3 hrs too long of a story and the message was quite clear very early on. It was that the rote system of learning in the Indian education system that wasn't right and we got it(quite early too). Once that was out of the way, the rest was just plain ole Hindi movie masala- some college romance, some college pranks and a very predictable climax. The scene where Mona Singh delivers here baby could so have been avoided and the ending was Oh-SO-predictable. For a engineering college setting filled with students that overflowed with this much lateral thinking, the mush was rather oblique.

There was some humorous scenes no doubt- those could easily fit in 2 hands worth of fingers(or under), these were easy to relate to and could occur in any engineering college. Aamir plays the college student role very convincingly(not surprisingly of course). The other two could've been given stronger story lines, IMO. They barely passed off as very effective sidekicks. The 'All is Well' catch phrase is definitely...uhm what shall I say...catchy? Boman Irani and Kareena are passable. What do we have left?- A very long and barely impressive movie.

Notes from back home- Dec 2009-1

Its time for some notes- notes about the small things that one does in one's hometown which can never be praised enough but undoubtedly are the prime things that one misses when one isn't here. I do have to write about our next trip which was to Nagarhole National Park along the Kabini river, but that's a later post.

* Day 0 and Day 1 of my trip found us at Bengaluru habba, shopping and enjoying the visual arts and crafts at the fair.

* Week 1- Visited and indulged in masala dosa at UD, idli/vada at Brahmin's cafe, masala dosa at Vidyarthi Bhavan(ran into a Trigonometry lecturer from PU college and had a warm and wonderful chat while digging into afore mentioned masala dosa delight), lunch at Barbeque Nation, chaat at Sukh Sagar(Jayanagar). Phew!

* Watched and enjoyed Julie and Julia and Paa. Paa is undoubtedly a great movie. The characters are warm and wonderful, the dialogues are just about right and there's none of the sentiment/emotion overload that Hindi films are known to overdo. AB Sr and Jr do justice to their roles and once in a while Vidya Balan does come through. Enough said- go watch it and see for yourself.

* Shopping, eating, napping in the afternoons, some movies, some books, visiting friends and family all make for the perfect December break!

On the heritage trail-Part 2

Day 2

The second day was not as intensive on the foot as Day 1 was. We moved from the 16th century Vijayanagar empire back in time to the Chalukyan regime between 12th and 15th centuries. Most important of the Chalukyas was Pulekesi and Vikramaditya I and II. Our first stop was Aihole, about 3 hrs away from Hampi.

Aihole - is popularly known as the cradle of temple sculpture as a lot of artists used it as a test bed for new styles of architecture and stone techniques. A tour guide mentioned in the passing that Aihole was the 'primary school'.









From Aihole, onto Pattadakal(a 15 min drive)

Pattadakal- was the second capital of the Chalukyas. It was the coronation city for Chalukyan kings. Pattadakal was by far my most favorite place of all the ones we visited. Many of the temples in this area were built during the time of Vikramaditya II. Virupaksha temple and the Mallikarjuna temple are some of the more prominent structures in Pattadakal. Our next stop was Badami, the site of the awe-inspiring cave temples.









Badami - was the capital city of Chalukyas, earlier known as Vatapi. The cave temples here are just spellbinding. There are 4 caves- one dedicated to Shiva, the next two to Vishnu and the last cave to Jainism.












Day 3 - Ok, so this is where the mythological side of Hampi surfaces. After a short break away from Hampi, we spent Day 3 back in Hampi. The resort staff had planned for a refreshing hike early in the am along a trail around the place which took us along hanging bridges and the boulders over to a vantage point from where we could view the entire surroundings accompanied by the calming morning winds and lilting river sounds. After a hearty breakfast, we were all set to scale the Anjanadri hill which was the birthplace and abode of Lord Hanuman!

The next stop was at Pampa Sarovar. There is a small lake filled with lotuses and is the location where Sabri is said to have met Lord Rama.

The last stop for the day was at Sanapur Lake(much like ending a meal with curd rice), the calm, clear waters of the lake was a peaceful and befitting end to our 3 day retreat. We went back to Mango Tree for a refreshing lunch and back to our cottage for a well earned siesta.









Our last evening was spent with a cozy campfire and the warm company of the other guests at our wonderful retreat. And thus ended our wonderful getaway into the world of history, sculpture and the finer art of escaping far from the madding crowd.

On the heritage trail- Part 1

Uhmmm...errr....sorry peeps! I've been AWOL again, but what to do? The pen hasn't exactly been my best friend for some time now. That's not to say there hasn't been much going on. Oh, there is sirree. Did y'all know I'm home now? Yes, its home for Christmas and the holidays. I have to tell y'all about my first week here but that's another post.

For now, you've got to hear about our recent trip. Seren and I set off on the heritage trail along the Vijayanagar and Chalukyan empires. What that means is we visited Hampi, Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.

Right at the onset, we were greatly impressed with our resort. We stayed at Hampi Boulders, and were assigned the executive cottage(that's the first pic on the left in the link above). The resort is scenically positioned amongst the hills and boulders around Hampi. There are about 20 cottages or so each with private walkways and provides ample privacy and seclusion to make it truly serene and picturesque. Cell phone coverage in the area is spotty and there is no intercom to the main gondola. There are also no TV's in the room or in the central dining area. The staff is pleasant, ever helpful and extremely prompt with service. What struck us was that the owner had a very good aesthetic sense and had put immense thought into making it a unique experience for his guests. The staff hold campfires every other evening and constantly encourage guests to mingle amongst each other. It makes for a very English setting with guests meeting in the common area for meals and inevitably chatting and exchanging notes about their day and visits around the area. A five star rating for sure from us and we'd recommend it to everyone. The place is rather pricey, be warned. But for the kind of amenities and service and serenity, it is well worth the money spent.








Day 1
We set off towards the ruins of Hampi, the historical nerve center of the Vijayanagar empire of 16th century. Krishnadevaraya is said to have been the most important monarch that encouraged sculpture and established trading ties with other countries during this regime. The stone chariot at the Vitthala temple is by far the biggest landmark of Hampi. Other important monuments include the Virupaksha temple and Zenana quarters that house the Lotus Mahal. Purandara Mantapa is a monument built for the singer-saint Purandaradasa right on the banks of the river Tungabhadra. King's Balance is a stone structure on which kings used to weigh themselves against gold and gems and donated for charities.














At the end of Day 1 we were exhausted, partly due to our own stupidity actually. We'd been warned to not take the Hampi ruins by foot since it covers about 25 kms. We started walking towards one set of monuments and by 1pm we were hungry and our feet were slowly beginning to kill us. Howoever, lunch at Mango Tree totally rejuvenated us. This restaurant was uniquely built around mango trees with unusual seating areas- low tables with floor seating. The restaurant is also located overlooking the wilderness and woods, so be prepared to catch some wildlife roaming around while you recharge your batteries. Being a pure vegetarian restaurant, the Mango Tree thali was scrumptious replete with thin, soft chapathis, a healthy sabji, a kootu, some rasam, sambar and rice. We coupled the thali with some refreshing lime juice.

This done, we decided to take on the next half of the Hampi trail by auto(which was by far the smartest decision we took). By around 5pm, we'd covered about 80% of monuments. See, there are two aspects to Hampi- one is the historical part, revolving around the Vijayanagar empire. The other is the mythological part- Hampi is also Kishkinda, Hanuman's birthplace is located right here.

More on this side of Hampi in the next post.

Inside the nostalgia dome

So how many of you grew up watching 'Crystal Maze'? No one? Bah!

This weekend, out of the blue, I was reminded of this game show. At one point in time, I nursed a secret wish to be a part of the show, I imagined myself collecting crystal balls and winning the show. The last scene where everyone congregates in the giant crystal dome with slips of paper fluttering around for everyone to collect is etched permanently in my mind.

Youtube can be a life saver most times. Are you surprised that I could find some of the Crystal Maze episodes out there? Well, I wasn't! As I rehashed these episodes, I chuckled at the costumes from those times. While they appear quirky now, the seriousness with which people played these games and had fun while doing so, is infectious. It definitely made me want to be in the show all over again.

Reality shows and game shows of current times appear rigged and are extremely scripted, I am told. I couldn't tell if this one was so back then, all I knew was it was a super cool game to play, thanks to the pyrotechnics, what more can a kid ask for?

Ooooh, I just remembered. I wanted to be on the Bournvita Quiz show as well, remember that one? Did you have a TV/game show growing up, that you wanted to be on?

Its a pleasant surprise when...

....out of the blue, the gym instructor plays a Bollywood track as accompaniment to the workout.

One silent night

Into the stillness of the night
As silence envelopes around tight
A lone lamp shines
While a lone soul dines
Its not a clear sky and hence
The clouds seem to weave dense
The moon tries but can't shine
While a lone soul dines
Holiday cheer has landed
In many a Christmas tree planted
There's hope and faith
In a pair of stockings
For what's a Yuletide in taupe
Red, green and gold is fit for the kings
In the silence of the night
As a lone soul dines
What a wondrous treat to sight
There's magic in the air, He signs.

Giving thanks!

This year, thanksgiving came in its true spirit. It came with the spirit of cozy dinners and lunches with friends and their families. The warmth of candle light and incense sticks, the aromas of chef specials, the scent of fresh flowers, the simmering spices and flavorful dishes...the teasing, lazing around watching trashy movies, the silly questions of trivial pursuit, test driving the kindle, playing Wii bowling(my very first encounter with Wii, btw) with my friend's 6-yr old niece....

Here's a peek into one part of the holiday which was a very traditional North Karnataka meal at Suj's place. My, what a delicious spread it was! I was 'spread' out on my couch for hours after this wonderful feast. What is a Thanksgiving holiday without some overeating, eh?

Up

Not having watched an English movie in a long time, Up was the perfect come-back-to movie. It came with high recommendations from my coworkers and when it finally landed in my hands hot off the redbox vending machine at the grocery store, I couldn't get to it for about 4 days, by which time it almost became a to-do chore to be ticked off my long list.

The auspicious hour for watching the movie arrived serendipitously. On the Wednesday before the Thanksgiving weekend, I came home drained from work. It had been an exceptionally rough week, considering it was a short 3-day one, it seemed like it was inordinately long and hard. With a plate of grilled veggie sandwich in hand, I popped the DVD in and hit play.

Since I hadn't bothered to read up reviews of the movie, I had no clue about the movie or the story. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. This Disney Pixar animation movie was a delight to watch. I'd find it hard to claim it is a kids only movie. I wont say much about the story itself, cos one's got to watch it without any spoilers to thoroughly be immersed in this delicious comedy. Hence I will say less, but I'd insist nonetheless- if you haven't watched it already, put it on your must-list. You won't regret it. For once, I definitely don't foresee rotten tomatoes thrown my way for suggesting so.

Oota from my hometown

For a small dinner party this weekend, my menu was typical Bengaluru fare. It read thus

Maddur vade with chutney
Bisibelebath with (cucumber/tomato/onion) raitha
Curd rice
Sandige(that's vadam for the tams)
Shavige payasa(vermicelli kheer)














(Sujatha Ramesh : Since you asked for my weekend updates as well as what was cooking in my kitchen, this is entirely aap ki farmaish! :)

The treasure hunt

Sigh! No, this isn't the pirate's treasure we're talking about. I wasn't influenced by the movie 'Blue', trust me.

It all began when I got this innocent coupon for Macy's. 10$ off for a purchase of 25$ or more it declared- in red! The Christmas season sale is on, earlier than usual this time. Well, considering the fact Macy's is temptingly located right across from my subdivision could be viewed as a boon, at times. I drive past the place every day to get to work, to shop, to get chores done- well you get the point. It would be hard to not pass Macy's.

So the coupon said it was an early bird special. Valid only between 7am to noon on two working days- Tuesday and Wednesday. Now my long time readers should know by now, if ever the word early bird was to be coined, it'd have to be cos of moi. I mean no one else exemplifies the term better. So that part is pretty set. The master plan was to stop by on the way to work. Refer to the line about having to pass by Macy's everyday. Oh, btw, the coupon also said- 'Doesn't apply for preview sale on Tuesday'. Great!- Wednesday it would have to be.

Now we get to the way the mind plays games. 10$ off it screamed. If you find something for 25$ at minimum, you'll land yourself a steal at 15$. Worth it, it convinced the rest of the self.

Thus convinced, I landed at Macy's at around 7:15am on a Wednesday- I felt like a shopaholic. But nonetheless- I had already decided what I wanted badly. A pair of corduroy jeans. I found the Levi's aisle, tried a pair on and within 10 minutes I was set. As the saleslady at the counter scanned the item and the coupon, she goes 'Ma'am, I am sorry. This coupon isn't valid on Levi's'. She also generously pointed to the long list of excluded brands which I had conveniently dismissed on initial glance. 'What brands can I get then' I asked innocently. 'Ma'am, we've found it easier to just scan and determine if it qualifies or not rather than memorize what brands to not buy' she beamed.

Sigh! On to Round 2. I went back and spent the next 20 mins finding a pair in a brand that wasn't listed in the coupon. Fitting done, I went back to the counter. Same cycle of scanning item and coupon. This salesday declared 'Ma'am I am sorry this coupon doesn't apply. If the sales price ends in .98, those items don't qualify. Watch out for them!'.[I later determined half the store was full of brands that didn't qualify, the other half were prices ending in .98!!!]

Round 3, we're nearing 8am now and I am getting frustrated. Rinse, lather, repeat. I find another brand[which isn't on the list], the price doesn't end in .98[see where the treasure hunt part comes in?], it fits me somewhat and I believe we're good to go. This time at checkout, after scanning item and coupon- salesday goes 'Ma'am, I'm sorry but this was a preview item. The coupon doesn't qualify on those.'. As you can tell, I had had it. 'Ma'am is there a particular aisle I can go to and pick up items for which the coupon would qualify?' I ask in my politest voice.

'Oh, but Ma'am, we don't have those in one place. There are strategically placed all around the store, in various racks and aisles and brands. That's why we open the store at 7am. So people can spend time looking for deals.'

Thud![head hitting the sales desk]

Footnote : What did I do eventually? I went to the gloves and socks aisle and bought myself a pair of gloves and socks[which I probably didn't need, but I'm told you can never have too many of them, once winter sets].

Yup! I found my treasure.

All time high- November 2009

Ack! Its been 3 months since I did the monthly all-time high. Unacceptable!

So what I'll do to make up for it is to post 3 this month, one for every month I've missed.

I will start with one of my all-time favorite singers - Manna Dey. This classic by him is timeless. The melody, the meaning, the voice, the lyrics- simply divine.



Tell me how you like it(Aside, did you notice the lyrics in the side bar of the youtube clip? Pretty nifty- no?)

Of this and that- 1

Alright, alright...I am still around. The sun has finally emerged in our very-Seattle-ish part of the country and all is well with the world now.

The only way to begin a comeback is with a serving of this and that, which officially will now be converted into a series...and counting.

-I watched 'Blue' and 'Ajab Prem ki ghazab kahani' this weekend. Watched 'Wake up Sid' some weeks ago. Loved the music of Blue, thanks to ARR. I am now a big fan of Ranbir Kapoor- the boy's got oodles of potential and talent. Wake up Sid was simple, cute and relatable- specially Konkona's character. APKGK(which would be ajab prem etc etc) was another simple movie, much like Welcome to Sajjanpur. Simple, quirky, funny- no great and complicated story line here. A simple love story. [I have noted the number of times I've used the word simple- that's exactly 5, counting the last one]

- On the reading scene, there hasn't been a lot of traction. I am now deeply entrenched in painting(yes, the art kind) and of course farming.

- Leaves have now been shed in the yard and I have officially turned into the leaf-packer of my adda. I can speak intelligently about raking leaves and using an electric blower. Hallelujah!

- Can you believe it's Thanksgiving already? Where did the year go? On the bright side, I'll be home for Christmas.

- Have you listened to the music of Paa yet? No? You should- its awesome! Listen to it here for now, then go grab a CD on Dec 6.

Enough about me, now y'all tell me what you've been upto. What's the plan for Thanksgiving? Doing anything fun?

Talk to me!

My next to-do is to change the blog header. Something fall-ish me's thinking. Sound good? Catch y'all in a bit. Till then take care and shabba khair.

Diwali wishes

to all the readers of Curiously strong...

Annam Parabrahmam

Back in April, when I called her on my birthday, I found that she was out spending her time thus. This impressed and interested me immensely and I concluded there was a message for me and ever since then, this bug has been successfully implanted in my mind. While I browsed the fmsc site, it became more and more evident that this seemed like a Mid-West organization that didn't have too many such events out here in the Mid-Atlantic region. While I found other volunteer opportunities in the meanwhile, I just couldn't squash this bug.

Sometime back in June-July, I was back at the website and was surprised to hear that they would have the meal packing event on the road through fall of this year. The closest location happened to be in PA, about 2 hrs away from my place. This was scheduled for October and as I mapped out the location, I discovered, much to my delight, that the route to get there was along one of my favorite roads. A road that I have driven along many a spring/summer morning or evening right after a satisfying meal when the mood craves for a long drive, along winding roads and lush fields and thriving farm stalls selling berries or pumpkins or fresh apple cider. It was a done deal. What could work out better, right? Right!

Food has always been a big part of me. I enjoy my food, specially good food. Its what defines me and I believe that no gathering of friends and family can be a success without food being involved. I think food is a unifying thread that binds cultures and personalities. I am a foodie and hence it was no coincidence that I signed up for the 'Feed my starving children' make-a-meal event.

The drive began at around 6am, on a somewhat cool fall morning. There was a mild drizzle which didn't really dampen my spirits since dawn hadn't set in yet. I reached there in good time and was welcomed by a group of volunteers who showed me around the warehouse where this event was scheduled. In addition to meals, this distribution center also supplies clothing and shoes to about 55 countries around the world. The people who make Crocs had just sent 18 pallets to be shipped to the underprivileged.

The make-a-meal event began with a short video about the starvation that is out there, primarily in countries like Haiti. To further enforce this fact, we went through a small exercise. The organizer made 80 of us gathered there to stand up. One by one she would call out certain 'conditions'. All of you that wear glasses, raise your hand- and then she would go 'then if you lived in these countries, you couldn't get glasses. So for the rest of this exercise, shut that eye or eyes and realize your plight if you were here'. Next- all of you who have fractured a limb-hands or legs, raise your hand- and if you did, you wouldn't have had any treatment, so for the rest of the exercise consider the hand or leg to be out of function. So on and so forth she went- those of you who've had measles and mumps- sit down- cos you would not have survived out here.

At the end of the exercise, almost everyone was sitting, which means 80 of us would've been wiped out. A pretty daunting realization, eh?

Within a few minutes we were in the packing center, with hair nets and gloves. We were given instructions on what each food packet would contain and the quantities. Chicken(powdered and dried)-1 packet spoon, vegetables(dried)=1/2 spoon, soy-1 cup and rice-1 cup. Once the packet was filled, it would be weighed and sealed. These sealed packets would be packed in boxes, 36 to a box.

Each station had about 5-6 people to ladle the food, fill the packet, weigh, seal and pack. Thus we chugged along for an hour, the atmosphere filled with cheer and busy chatter. I was paired with some high school children :D who had volunteered as part of after-school activities.

When we were called to stop, 80 of us in one hour had packed 13,608 packets. That's 378 boxes. That's food for 37 children for 365 days. Yes, in just one hour of time. As the boxes were loaded into a pallet and sealed for shipment, we were asked to gather around and sign the boxes with our messages and with a short prayer of thanks, we were asked to disperse.

On my drive back, the rain had cleared and the farms along the way looked green and fresh. Thanks to my recent farmville pursuits, I paid special interest to the red barns, wheat and berry patches, granaries, hay bales, wood-piles, farm cottages and so on and so forth. The lines between farmville farms and real farms began to blur as I soaked in the beauty of these sights. The route was familiar and soothing, the breeze was light and airy and the skies were blue and clear ;I needed nothing else to end my morning.

I was back home for lunch, food that was all the more significant thanks to my early morning venture.

On this vein, have you heard this quote by Gandhi? “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” Yes, there's hunger out there, hunger that kills. Not that you don't know this already, but please- please don't waste your food.

Annam Parabrahmam- Food is God!

Till the cows come home

Literally and figuratively speaking....I could be AWOL for a very long time, cos you see I now have a new responsibility. My mornings begin with milking cows, shearing sheep and collecting fruit off of my pear, cherry and apple trees. Evenings begin and end with harvesting, plowing and planting the next batch of crops.

Yes, you're right.[And if you're one of the denser ones and still haven't got it, obviously you aren't on Facebook or don't hang out there much :)]. I am knee-deep in the trenches with Farmville.

Let me explain, please! Trust me, there's a story and a jolly good reason.

I've been asked to join the sisterhood of Farmville for some months now, by some well meaning friends and the little firecracker called Seren. I have diligently avoided it like the plague, cos you see I have never been a virtual/video game person. *Gasp* I know! Having used computers and software for this long, starting from the times of Tetris and Solitaire to the Wii's and Playstations of the now(and god knows what else that's in right now)- video/online gaming just was never my cup of tea. Hence the pushback.

Then recently a little incident caused me to lose my emotional crutch of many years. I felt severely handicapped and that one day I decided to take the plunge. I fell hook, line and sinker into the Farmville pond! Its funny how a relatively unconnected incident has a ripple effect in another relatively unconnected realm of space.

And thus I have found my calling. There's a lot of financial planning lessons in this venture- what crops to invest in, how much it'll sell for, what to re-invest in, when to splurge(should I buy a tool shed, does a fruit stand make sense-will it do good business?, planting a rice crop definitely warrants a well, the ducks and the swans need a pond...so on and so forth). In between all this, you find a small segment of time to help out your neighbors- you chase raccoons and foxes and mice, rake the leaves off their farm...and in doing so you get to visit their farms while they're away. You take a minute, a breather to admire their layout. Each farm is laid out differently.

Then there are the conversations with your virtual neighbors, in real time. One good friend and neighbor(and probably the one that gets credit for finally luring me into the sisterhood, who shall hitherto remain unnamed :P) asks deep questions about what the final intent of the venture is. Is it about hoarding cash? Is it living for the day, spending all your gains and going to bed satisfied and exhausted- with the gratifying feeling that you have individually created a wonderland? Discussions with your sibling on a good strategy for high yields and profits. Signing up the mother so she can donate animals and trees to the cause(all the while she shakes her head in disbelief and wonders whats to become of her daughters). All that's left is to get North Pole(the dad) an account and setting him up for some post-retirement occupation.

So, my readers, that's really what I've been up-to lately. I include some pictures, for your viewing pleasure, of my little plot of 'virtual' land. If you peer closely, you can see the stone mailbox, my picnic set, a pond with ducks and swans and my sign post which goes :

Life on a farm is a school of patience; you can't hurry the crops or make an ox in two days. ~Henri Alain

Being an earth sign, while I'll write more about this tendency of mine to be deeply grounded in reality in another post altogether- this little virtual venture of mine seems to strongly work in its favor.

Time to harvest some bananas and head to the market! Ciao y'all and I leave you with this quote

“Writing is conscience, scruple, and the farming of our ancestors.”
~ Edward Dahlberg

Letter to the writer

Dear blog owner,

You have been MIA lately and terribly missed in these parts as well. Summer is almost over in this side of the world, as colors slowly change and the weather gets cooler- it's time to write about what the seasonal change brings. You must be getting ready to make warm soups as the days get shorter and darkness descends sooner than later.

I can tell you've been busy and distracted and somewhat disconnected. But you have to be back soon cos this is your home away from home. There have been visitors that come here, quite a few in fact, but none stop by to say hello. They are all silent, with nary a word spoken. I try to get them to drop a note, but perhaps your silence tells them to leave you alone.

See? I got a new header as well. From where you'd been to recently, the beautiful and picturesque Lake Tahoe. I figured that might draw you back. Did you have a good time? Want to tell us about it? Have you watched any movies lately? Read any good books? What's the latest in the music scene?

Do tell! And come back soon- my friend, my owner, my alter-ego.

Love n hugs
emolior.blogspot.com

09/09/09

On this day, what is on its way
Come what may
It tells you there's more than one
That listens to you when words are none
Cos you see, whats a few thousand miles
When love can fly across seas and stiles
Many happy returns for this day
Its all in what's on its way!

Happy Birthday!

Footnote : Aside, go here for more on what 09/09/09 means

The stuff dreams are made of

The output - A dream

Mumbai - PG accommodation.

Learning to use the local train system.

Finding and exploring the areas for the best chaat, best places for some thrift shopping, travelling in the vicinity.....

a year long sabbatical from the day job, signing up for a dance course at the Shiamak Davar dance academy.

The making

• Wistful conversations with a friend about R2I. When, why and the how. Some many questions, so little easy answers and solutions.

• Long hours of sofa-bound watching of all of the following :

Shahid on Tere mere beach mein(btw I am loving TMBM- especially the fact that its theme based. Shahid was on the show for the topic 'second chances' along with Genelia, also like the idea of donations to the people that need it the most)

PC on TMBM(She was on the show with the theme 'People from small towns making it big in Bollywood)

Shahid/PC interview on Kaminey

Shahid/PC interview with Lola kutty

Rajiv Gandhi awards ceremony

(aside, do you guys see the pattern? Good :-). Makes it easy for me)

• A few painkillers in the system

• A re-read of Eat Pray Love, thanks to a must-have-in-your-bookshelf copy that was delivered from Amazon just before the long weekend. If you haven't checked out the book yet, you should!

• A long time unfulfilled wish to learn to dance(having two left feet serves as a constant reminder)

All add up to produce above mentioned output.....ya, the stuff dreams are made of!