There have been a lot of things happening lately and i just did not find the quiet spot to write anything.
Today is a day that i cannot give any excuse not to write. It is someone specials birthday,some one who has been there for a very long while and yes i did write last year too.And here is what i had written http://tzarinacosm.blogspot.com/2009/10/happy-birthday-someone.html.
This year too things havent changed much, i am insulted in the same brash manner i was ten years back.
Everything i do is questioned which would shame even the worst critics.
And the best thing is i am glad that things are just the way it was.
I wish you all the happiness in the world!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Spring is in the air!
Spring is all around...the blue skies....the lush green grass...the luscious trees and the cool breeze...
A good evening walk...
A good evening walk...
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Farewell to the firebrand!
We had been planning to host a party at our place for ages, but thanks to our schedules we never came close to realising it.
This Saturday we had the perfect excuse to call for a get together. Ms K was leaving Houston for Bangalore.
We invited a score of people home for dinner and most of them turned up. Unfortunately we could not invite everyone we wanted to and there were certainly some very interesting people we had to leave out, i am sure that Ms K would more than agree to that statement.
Well i need to introduce the guest list before i procede further.
1. Ms Lav - The meek
2. Ms Ash - The commoner
3. Mrs Du - The lady
4. Mr Arj - The foodie
5. Mr Div - The boy
6. Mr & Mrs Kuk - The couple
7. Mr & Mrs Iyer - Two states
8. Mr & Mrs RadeDarsh - The new age Radha Krishnan
9. Mr & Mrs Vin - The Naughty
10.Mr & Mrs Nal - The ideal
11.Ms S - The energetic
and
Mr A- The charming
After contemplating on the logistics and food arrangements we decided that we would get some food from outside and the rest of it, we would prepare it at home.
My culinary skills are not very strong so i decided to take on the cutting/cleaning part and served my time as a dedicated assistant chef.
The appetizers we prepared were pani puri( courtesy Rade) and guacamole(again courtesy Rade).
Coke flowed abundantly.It is a different matter that i know that at least a handfull of them would have preferred it if the liquid was fermented and distilled in a different way.
We had help from almost everyone with the food. Jass volunteered for the puris, Dee volunteered for making the idlis and all the others including me were jubiliant to be treated with food.
Well i was worried when Dee called me and told that the batter did not turn well and both insisted that we not make the puris and idlis till everyone arrived.
That seemed to be the best decision as all of us devoured the hot puris and hot idlis.
Lav and Ash took care of the puris, sweating out hours near the flame. No one seemed to complain about the different countries that they had got in the shape and size of puris.
I do want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to both of you for saving the day.
Our tiny kitchen was buzzing with activity and at any point there was five people in there and food was flowing.I am sure that there are very few things in life that can surpass good food.
Most of the people knew each other but then there were a few fresh faces. Well i need'nt have worried because there was a certain some one in the group who took care that the entire evening was a memorable one.
Now to talk about certain some one who was called A, A is one of the best ice breakers i know of.
He introduced games that were totally fun and it was good to see him getting frustrated with our lot. He was all over the place, to say the least.And i am sure that he loved all the attention
showered.
Arj and Div were content in their own way. Food lights up a lot of us i gather.
We had hearty laughs over Ms Ash's intelligent questions during the Mafia game. Darsh's strategy and planning were super cool and Ms Ash's voice for the common man was applauded, the loudest by me.
We got to see a different side of Ms Du, man she almost got me with her innocent expressions during the game. It reminded about me about the natak women do, no offence meant to you dah'lin.
I know you are sweet(how can i say other wise, i derive a lot of shrimps/biriyani from you)
Ms K as usual at her garrulous best seemed to get eliminated in the first round itself, well cantblame me if i can tell when you bluff.
Mr Iyer had to leave early on account his work but Mrs Iyer stayed back. Mr and Mrs Kuk dropped in to wish Ms K luck.
The final game of the day was a spoon game organised by Amit, he ensured that sleep was that the last thing on any one's mind at 1.00 AM. There were scratches,bruises and slaps, and finally Nil emerged victorious, though Ms S seemed a very strong contender.
When all the guests were leaving A asked if some one was in for a coffee. There were a bunch of us who were in for coffee.
To cut the long story short we went for coffee at Starbucks and reached back at 4 in the morning.
Thanks to everyone for being there and let us all wish the firebrand all the very best!
This Saturday we had the perfect excuse to call for a get together. Ms K was leaving Houston for Bangalore.
We invited a score of people home for dinner and most of them turned up. Unfortunately we could not invite everyone we wanted to and there were certainly some very interesting people we had to leave out, i am sure that Ms K would more than agree to that statement.
Well i need to introduce the guest list before i procede further.
1. Ms Lav - The meek
2. Ms Ash - The commoner
3. Mrs Du - The lady
4. Mr Arj - The foodie
5. Mr Div - The boy
6. Mr & Mrs Kuk - The couple
7. Mr & Mrs Iyer - Two states
8. Mr & Mrs RadeDarsh - The new age Radha Krishnan
9. Mr & Mrs Vin - The Naughty
10.Mr & Mrs Nal - The ideal
11.Ms S - The energetic
and
Mr A- The charming
After contemplating on the logistics and food arrangements we decided that we would get some food from outside and the rest of it, we would prepare it at home.
My culinary skills are not very strong so i decided to take on the cutting/cleaning part and served my time as a dedicated assistant chef.
The appetizers we prepared were pani puri( courtesy Rade) and guacamole(again courtesy Rade).
Coke flowed abundantly.It is a different matter that i know that at least a handfull of them would have preferred it if the liquid was fermented and distilled in a different way.
We had help from almost everyone with the food. Jass volunteered for the puris, Dee volunteered for making the idlis and all the others including me were jubiliant to be treated with food.
Well i was worried when Dee called me and told that the batter did not turn well and both insisted that we not make the puris and idlis till everyone arrived.
That seemed to be the best decision as all of us devoured the hot puris and hot idlis.
Lav and Ash took care of the puris, sweating out hours near the flame. No one seemed to complain about the different countries that they had got in the shape and size of puris.
I do want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to both of you for saving the day.
Our tiny kitchen was buzzing with activity and at any point there was five people in there and food was flowing.I am sure that there are very few things in life that can surpass good food.
Most of the people knew each other but then there were a few fresh faces. Well i need'nt have worried because there was a certain some one in the group who took care that the entire evening was a memorable one.
Now to talk about certain some one who was called A, A is one of the best ice breakers i know of.
He introduced games that were totally fun and it was good to see him getting frustrated with our lot. He was all over the place, to say the least.And i am sure that he loved all the attention
showered.
Arj and Div were content in their own way. Food lights up a lot of us i gather.
We had hearty laughs over Ms Ash's intelligent questions during the Mafia game. Darsh's strategy and planning were super cool and Ms Ash's voice for the common man was applauded, the loudest by me.
We got to see a different side of Ms Du, man she almost got me with her innocent expressions during the game. It reminded about me about the natak women do, no offence meant to you dah'lin.
I know you are sweet(how can i say other wise, i derive a lot of shrimps/biriyani from you)
Ms K as usual at her garrulous best seemed to get eliminated in the first round itself, well cantblame me if i can tell when you bluff.
Mr Iyer had to leave early on account his work but Mrs Iyer stayed back. Mr and Mrs Kuk dropped in to wish Ms K luck.
The final game of the day was a spoon game organised by Amit, he ensured that sleep was that the last thing on any one's mind at 1.00 AM. There were scratches,bruises and slaps, and finally Nil emerged victorious, though Ms S seemed a very strong contender.
When all the guests were leaving A asked if some one was in for a coffee. There were a bunch of us who were in for coffee.
To cut the long story short we went for coffee at Starbucks and reached back at 4 in the morning.
Thanks to everyone for being there and let us all wish the firebrand all the very best!
Friday Movie Night :Clash of the Titans
It was after a long time that i saw a movie in these lines. I must say that i did enjoy it!
Well we went for the normal theatre instead of the 3D.
I would rate it a 3.3 on 5.
Well we went for the normal theatre instead of the 3D.
I would rate it a 3.3 on 5.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Night out!!!
Tuesday nights are usually boring but then we decided to have K's dinner party. This time it was Taco Milagro, a Mexican joint where we had loads of stuffed chillies, so much so that the name of chillies churns my intestines now :)
The difference this time was that Ms R accompanied us and was at her sweetest.
It was a 1625/1800 night out and we had our fun.
The rest of the night is a memorable haze ...
The difference this time was that Ms R accompanied us and was at her sweetest.
It was a 1625/1800 night out and we had our fun.
The rest of the night is a memorable haze ...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Good bye Ms eM!
Ms eM is leaving Houston this week for good and we had to have a special get together for that, after all she is one of the best amongst us,the co ordinator, navigator and the most reasonable one.I could go on and on because i think i have to give it to her this time.
She is my first point of contact whom i can call and talk for hours together with no agenda even in the dead of the night,in case i get an insomnia attack and she has had to hear quite a bit of bragging.
As usual Ms eM and Ms S reached more than two hours late at our place on BF and as usual the disagreements on where to dine started off and then decided on nothing as usual again.
Once on the roads we forgot that we had gone out for dinner and we had so much fun with the music that we made the most romantic and melodious song into a head banging hip hopping art form.
Ms K then pointed out to Chuy's and we flocked in to the semi deserted restaurant.
After ordering food over loads of conversation, leg pulling and meanness(i am guilty here) we signed for Ms eM's souvenir collection on a beautiful image( you are never gonna know what that is ;) )
After dinner and a few clicks we headed back on the wrong way.No one could hear a thing because of the volume, no one cared because these were the best days.
After coming home we requested Ms eM to shed a few good bye tears and damn the woman did'nt oblige. It was fun all the way.
I just wanted to tell her that i love the P and am gonna use it for the most noble reasons and for the general good as intended.
Now for the official good bye speech, in case i dont get to create a scene at the airport.
You will always remain as part of some of the best memories i ever had. Thanks for being you and wish you all the very best!And you absolutely rock!
Adieus till we meet again!
Dedicating this song to you ...
Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor
Reachin for the phone cause I can't fight it anymore
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
Another shot of whiskey can't stop looking at the door
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time
It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothin at all
It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
I just need you now
Ooo, baby, I need you now
She is my first point of contact whom i can call and talk for hours together with no agenda even in the dead of the night,in case i get an insomnia attack and she has had to hear quite a bit of bragging.
As usual Ms eM and Ms S reached more than two hours late at our place on BF and as usual the disagreements on where to dine started off and then decided on nothing as usual again.
Once on the roads we forgot that we had gone out for dinner and we had so much fun with the music that we made the most romantic and melodious song into a head banging hip hopping art form.
Ms K then pointed out to Chuy's and we flocked in to the semi deserted restaurant.
After ordering food over loads of conversation, leg pulling and meanness(i am guilty here) we signed for Ms eM's souvenir collection on a beautiful image( you are never gonna know what that is ;) )
After dinner and a few clicks we headed back on the wrong way.No one could hear a thing because of the volume, no one cared because these were the best days.
After coming home we requested Ms eM to shed a few good bye tears and damn the woman did'nt oblige. It was fun all the way.
I just wanted to tell her that i love the P and am gonna use it for the most noble reasons and for the general good as intended.
Now for the official good bye speech, in case i dont get to create a scene at the airport.
You will always remain as part of some of the best memories i ever had. Thanks for being you and wish you all the very best!And you absolutely rock!
Adieus till we meet again!
Dedicating this song to you ...
Lady Antebellum Lyrics
Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor
Reachin for the phone cause I can't fight it anymore
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
Another shot of whiskey can't stop looking at the door
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time
It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothin at all
It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
I just need you now
Ooo, baby, I need you now
Sunday, March 28, 2010
To the college and back
Sunday,
March 29,2010
Ms eM called me early morning telling that she is going to College Station to meet an old friend of ours. The weather being good i was in for the trip, before she even invited.
So Ms eM, S and me set out for another adventure in our Houston chapter.
The drive from Houston to college station is around eighty miles and a good one and three quarter hour drive.
The drive was absolutely beautiful with the spring melody in the air. Flowers were beginning to bloom in blue, violet and orange along the roads and it is one of the most beautiful seasons.The sky in azure speckled with a few white clouds like the beard of an old man danced above.
The lush green landscape with bejewelled flowers beckoned us in a way that we could not resist our selves from pulling over in front of ranches.
We engaged in our narcissistic indulgences clicking away pictures in abandon, not caring for the cars that honked at us,who were amused by our odd fixation. We got some picture perfect models in the form of stallions and mares who posed for our clicks as if they were professionals, and that is all that mattered to us.
I could'nt contain a chuckle seeing the behavioural pattern between the stallions and the mares seperated by a fence, well the pattern is universal and it is a hilarious watch.
It reminded me that we are so damn different, yet so same.
After a few more clicks we sped to our destination and reached our destination by evening. Well i must appreciate the fact that even though we promised Mr. M, our friend that we would reach by lunch we were able to make it by evening. Usually when we plan if we aim to reach our destination by breakfast, the odds are more that we would make it by dinner time. Well who cares about the destination as some one remarked, the journey is all that is important and we thoroughly enjoy our impromptu getaways and detours.
Mr M is one of our good friends and is super cool as a person. After a brief chit chat and armed with Starbucks coffees we were on a for a guided tour of Texas A and M University.
We were informed that the university was the second largest in the US in terms of the campus and it housed around forty five thousand students.
The campus was super cool and we enjoyed the evening stroll across the campus. We went to the library which was so well equipped and had such a charm,i am sure that even a person who is not interested to study would be motivated to take a book and read in this environment.
The labs looked very well equiped and the recreation center was buzzing with energy with every imaginable game being played.
It was unfortunate that we could'nt get into the stadium which was huge and was hosting some event.
However, we did manage to get a few clicks under a tree where there was an interesting folklore. A new bride was posing for pictures under this tree too,probably as part of the folklore.
Mr M and S managed to get a group of uniformed students to pose for a picture with them and it did turn out well.Ms eM and myself gave a miss on this one and chose to rest on a bench.
As we walked across the campus we found different groups of students engaged in various interesting activities. I was particularly impressed with the group of kids playing frisbee with music behind them, they had set up speakers in the open ground and the music was pure amazing.
We then met up with Mr A, a colleague of ours and then went for dinner at Rosie's PHO.We ordered different dishes Japanese,Vietnamese et al. but when it arrived it all looked and tasted almost the same.
After dinner and a souvenir picture, we bid adieu and headed back to Houston. This visit has taken a few years off my age :)
It is half past one midnight, and i better crash now. I wonder what tomorrow has in store.
Another manic monday!
March 29,2010
Ms eM called me early morning telling that she is going to College Station to meet an old friend of ours. The weather being good i was in for the trip, before she even invited.
So Ms eM, S and me set out for another adventure in our Houston chapter.
The drive from Houston to college station is around eighty miles and a good one and three quarter hour drive.
The drive was absolutely beautiful with the spring melody in the air. Flowers were beginning to bloom in blue, violet and orange along the roads and it is one of the most beautiful seasons.The sky in azure speckled with a few white clouds like the beard of an old man danced above.
The lush green landscape with bejewelled flowers beckoned us in a way that we could not resist our selves from pulling over in front of ranches.
We engaged in our narcissistic indulgences clicking away pictures in abandon, not caring for the cars that honked at us,who were amused by our odd fixation. We got some picture perfect models in the form of stallions and mares who posed for our clicks as if they were professionals, and that is all that mattered to us.
I could'nt contain a chuckle seeing the behavioural pattern between the stallions and the mares seperated by a fence, well the pattern is universal and it is a hilarious watch.
It reminded me that we are so damn different, yet so same.
After a few more clicks we sped to our destination and reached our destination by evening. Well i must appreciate the fact that even though we promised Mr. M, our friend that we would reach by lunch we were able to make it by evening. Usually when we plan if we aim to reach our destination by breakfast, the odds are more that we would make it by dinner time. Well who cares about the destination as some one remarked, the journey is all that is important and we thoroughly enjoy our impromptu getaways and detours.
Mr M is one of our good friends and is super cool as a person. After a brief chit chat and armed with Starbucks coffees we were on a for a guided tour of Texas A and M University.
We were informed that the university was the second largest in the US in terms of the campus and it housed around forty five thousand students.
The campus was super cool and we enjoyed the evening stroll across the campus. We went to the library which was so well equipped and had such a charm,i am sure that even a person who is not interested to study would be motivated to take a book and read in this environment.
The labs looked very well equiped and the recreation center was buzzing with energy with every imaginable game being played.
It was unfortunate that we could'nt get into the stadium which was huge and was hosting some event.
However, we did manage to get a few clicks under a tree where there was an interesting folklore. A new bride was posing for pictures under this tree too,probably as part of the folklore.
Mr M and S managed to get a group of uniformed students to pose for a picture with them and it did turn out well.Ms eM and myself gave a miss on this one and chose to rest on a bench.
As we walked across the campus we found different groups of students engaged in various interesting activities. I was particularly impressed with the group of kids playing frisbee with music behind them, they had set up speakers in the open ground and the music was pure amazing.
We then met up with Mr A, a colleague of ours and then went for dinner at Rosie's PHO.We ordered different dishes Japanese,Vietnamese et al. but when it arrived it all looked and tasted almost the same.
After dinner and a souvenir picture, we bid adieu and headed back to Houston. This visit has taken a few years off my age :)
It is half past one midnight, and i better crash now. I wonder what tomorrow has in store.
Another manic monday!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Mixed day!
Today was a beautiful day with fine weather and beautiful country music floating across.Thanks to Pandora and thanks to D.
TGIF
A trip to the Williams water wall marked the opening to our evening.We were just in time before the lights went out and it was a pretty sight with the water reflecting the light.
It took on a different hue when the lights went out.
We went to Pappadeux on Friday. The sea food platter was quite good!
There were no movies that we wanted to watch, so a good drive back.
It took on a different hue when the lights went out.
We went to Pappadeux on Friday. The sea food platter was quite good!
There were no movies that we wanted to watch, so a good drive back.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Yao and a movie...
It was a routine dull wednesday and it was drizzling.
I felt sick and wanted to go crash as early as possible, until K forwarded me the links to some restaurents. My illusions of bein unwell vanished as soon as i saw the menu.
I keep missing my breakfasts these days on account of my schedule which gives me time only to wake up,shower and scramble to office.
Lunch today,was also not great ,so by evening i was starved.
The restaurent that we went to was called Yao,it was a twenty five minute drive and i liked the place.K had promoted saying that it is the best chinese in Houston.It was a calm,sparsely crowded place and with K's penchant for ambience we ended up sitting at the bar.
Well with red as the theme K seemed pretty impressed with the place.
I must say that i was tempted to immerse in wine, but then the repercussions at home and my head were not pleasant images,so instead i perused the menu to select beef.
The food was fine and i am told that the wine was fine too.
It was then that i realised that K and me were extreme opposites in terms of restaurents.
She goes in for the ambience, i go in for the food.
She likes the more crowded restaurents and i like the relaxed less noisy ones.
[I remember that some time back we went to a nice Italian restaurent called Fornos of Italy where the food was great, the ambience was not bad and i loved it, but K missed the crowds.]
After dinner, we headed for 'She is out of my league'. Well i had'nt planned on seeing the movie in the theater but then, a movie was the best thing to wrap the evening.
We were surprised that the auditorium had a few people in it. Usually when we go to the movies,there would hardly be any people in the theater.
We assumed that the movie would be a chick flick but then some scenes were more than what we bargained for,anyways it was a good laugh,nothing more nothing less.
The evening dimmed to a foggy display of lights and 'some one' went into their land of dreams.
I felt sick and wanted to go crash as early as possible, until K forwarded me the links to some restaurents. My illusions of bein unwell vanished as soon as i saw the menu.
I keep missing my breakfasts these days on account of my schedule which gives me time only to wake up,shower and scramble to office.
Lunch today,was also not great ,so by evening i was starved.
The restaurent that we went to was called Yao,it was a twenty five minute drive and i liked the place.K had promoted saying that it is the best chinese in Houston.It was a calm,sparsely crowded place and with K's penchant for ambience we ended up sitting at the bar.
Well with red as the theme K seemed pretty impressed with the place.
I must say that i was tempted to immerse in wine, but then the repercussions at home and my head were not pleasant images,so instead i perused the menu to select beef.
The food was fine and i am told that the wine was fine too.
It was then that i realised that K and me were extreme opposites in terms of restaurents.
She goes in for the ambience, i go in for the food.
She likes the more crowded restaurents and i like the relaxed less noisy ones.
[I remember that some time back we went to a nice Italian restaurent called Fornos of Italy where the food was great, the ambience was not bad and i loved it, but K missed the crowds.]
After dinner, we headed for 'She is out of my league'. Well i had'nt planned on seeing the movie in the theater but then, a movie was the best thing to wrap the evening.
We were surprised that the auditorium had a few people in it. Usually when we go to the movies,there would hardly be any people in the theater.
We assumed that the movie would be a chick flick but then some scenes were more than what we bargained for,anyways it was a good laugh,nothing more nothing less.
The evening dimmed to a foggy display of lights and 'some one' went into their land of dreams.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Last year this time...
We had gone on a trip to Big Bend National Park and this is an article that i wrote for an internal newsletter...so here goes...
Around the World…...to Big Bend National Park
It is not very often that we decide to book an RV and prepare to spend the vacation in a semi desert. The idea was proposed by our manager and the entire team jumped at the opportunity of spending three days in the wilderness. It is almost a year
since we went for this trip but the memories are fresh in all our minds. It was a great team and a marvelous place to visit.
I remember everything vividly.
Everything was planned. The logistics were taken care of by different people in the team. The RV was booked and the rations bought. The enthusiasm was infectious. For one, none of us had traveled in an RV before. And two, the idea of going to one of
the largest parks with canyons and amazing trails was more than exciting. They say, the journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step………in our case the beginning was the turning of 2 keys in those massive RV.s. There were fifteen people including
three kids and two RVs. We started the journey armed with maps and loads of food. We filled all the cabinets in the RV with food including rice and daal and water. For the uninitiated, RV is like a mini house on wheels. It is complete with living room,
kitchen facility, bath room and bed room.
The drive was around twelve hours from Houston. We had a gala time dancing and cooking on a moving vehicle was a challenge in itself .The boys had to drive a long way so they were forgiven and well fed. We made couple of makeshift beds and
slept through the night after a round of antakshri. We drove all night and finally when the girls got up it was morning, and the terrain had changed to magnificent mountains and sand dunes flooded in sunshine.
The desert sunrise is one of the most beautiful rises that I had ever seen. (Now don't ask me how many sun rises I have seen in total). There were beautiful sand mountains everywhere and there was not a living soul in sight. Our first stop was in the middle of nowhere, an RV park. There were moun-tains all around and the climate was pleasantly warm. After freshening up there, we had a healthy breakfast on the picnic benches. We did not pay any particular heed to the crawling beings. All I can
say is that there were all around in a lot of different sizes and shapes.
We planned to see the river Rio Grande which was supposed to border Texas and Mexico or so I was told. It was a good experience as we walked along the course of the deserted river bank on the floor of the canyon. The entire team clicked away pic-
tures in various poses. I am only hoping that those pictures don't go public. As we walked deep into the canyon, we saw nature in a different light. We could almost hear the sound of silence, that is until our over enthusiastic friends started to test their voice quality and the acoustics of the canyon. Walking on the canyon floors there is serenity and tranquility pervading. We picked up several different short trails at random and thoroughly enjoyed our exploits of treading the paths less traveled.
Next halt was the Mule Ear Trail, this trail begins at the Mule Ears overlook which are two huge rocks that looks like the ears of a mule. The land here is low and the hike a little difficult with small stony hills and sand. We started down this trail and after a few slips we finally managed to reach the end of the trail. We clicked away few pics and hurried back up the trail as we were losing sunlight and had to
return back to the campsite. As the night sky descended on the dessert terrain, we stretched out tired bodies and curled up in the RV for a long peaceful sleep.
Our second morning in Big bend national park started with journey to Santa Elena Canyon. The trail begins at the end of the Santa Elena Canyon Road; we had to cross a small creek to get across the canyon road. The water in the creek was pretty low. Once across the creek, we had to climb many concrete steps and cross boulders but the sight that awaited us the end of this path was worth the effort. It was one of the most beautiful places that I have seen. It was nature in its purest elements. There was a walk-way to the top of the canyon and the view was more than spectacular. The river flowing in the middle of the canyon was gently dancing to the rhythm of the zephyr. We met a few people on the trails and exchanged polite hellos. They encouraged us to venture further into the trail. We were not disappointed by
what we saw. It is only in a few places that we find unalloyed peace and this
definitely was one.
We went to the acclaimed hot springs. That was a damp squib as it was the size of a
water tub and there were already people in them enjoying their bath with cases of beer. That did not seem to disappoint the kids and there were soon frolicking in the water. The entire gang then ventured in and had a great time.
The desert moon ever so beautiful, smiled on…….
Big Bend National Park is definitely a place to be visited especially in summer. They offer many activities like river rafting, horse back riding; hiking etc.The booking has to be done at least one week in advance. There are many sites like
http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm which will give you information on the park and its various activities. These sites also provide you with hotline numbers which can be used for advance booking.
Pravitha Philip
Around the World…...to Big Bend National Park
It is not very often that we decide to book an RV and prepare to spend the vacation in a semi desert. The idea was proposed by our manager and the entire team jumped at the opportunity of spending three days in the wilderness. It is almost a year
since we went for this trip but the memories are fresh in all our minds. It was a great team and a marvelous place to visit.
I remember everything vividly.
Everything was planned. The logistics were taken care of by different people in the team. The RV was booked and the rations bought. The enthusiasm was infectious. For one, none of us had traveled in an RV before. And two, the idea of going to one of
the largest parks with canyons and amazing trails was more than exciting. They say, the journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step………in our case the beginning was the turning of 2 keys in those massive RV.s. There were fifteen people including
three kids and two RVs. We started the journey armed with maps and loads of food. We filled all the cabinets in the RV with food including rice and daal and water. For the uninitiated, RV is like a mini house on wheels. It is complete with living room,
kitchen facility, bath room and bed room.
The drive was around twelve hours from Houston. We had a gala time dancing and cooking on a moving vehicle was a challenge in itself .The boys had to drive a long way so they were forgiven and well fed. We made couple of makeshift beds and
slept through the night after a round of antakshri. We drove all night and finally when the girls got up it was morning, and the terrain had changed to magnificent mountains and sand dunes flooded in sunshine.
The desert sunrise is one of the most beautiful rises that I had ever seen. (Now don't ask me how many sun rises I have seen in total). There were beautiful sand mountains everywhere and there was not a living soul in sight. Our first stop was in the middle of nowhere, an RV park. There were moun-tains all around and the climate was pleasantly warm. After freshening up there, we had a healthy breakfast on the picnic benches. We did not pay any particular heed to the crawling beings. All I can
say is that there were all around in a lot of different sizes and shapes.
We planned to see the river Rio Grande which was supposed to border Texas and Mexico or so I was told. It was a good experience as we walked along the course of the deserted river bank on the floor of the canyon. The entire team clicked away pic-
tures in various poses. I am only hoping that those pictures don't go public. As we walked deep into the canyon, we saw nature in a different light. We could almost hear the sound of silence, that is until our over enthusiastic friends started to test their voice quality and the acoustics of the canyon. Walking on the canyon floors there is serenity and tranquility pervading. We picked up several different short trails at random and thoroughly enjoyed our exploits of treading the paths less traveled.
Next halt was the Mule Ear Trail, this trail begins at the Mule Ears overlook which are two huge rocks that looks like the ears of a mule. The land here is low and the hike a little difficult with small stony hills and sand. We started down this trail and after a few slips we finally managed to reach the end of the trail. We clicked away few pics and hurried back up the trail as we were losing sunlight and had to
return back to the campsite. As the night sky descended on the dessert terrain, we stretched out tired bodies and curled up in the RV for a long peaceful sleep.
Our second morning in Big bend national park started with journey to Santa Elena Canyon. The trail begins at the end of the Santa Elena Canyon Road; we had to cross a small creek to get across the canyon road. The water in the creek was pretty low. Once across the creek, we had to climb many concrete steps and cross boulders but the sight that awaited us the end of this path was worth the effort. It was one of the most beautiful places that I have seen. It was nature in its purest elements. There was a walk-way to the top of the canyon and the view was more than spectacular. The river flowing in the middle of the canyon was gently dancing to the rhythm of the zephyr. We met a few people on the trails and exchanged polite hellos. They encouraged us to venture further into the trail. We were not disappointed by
what we saw. It is only in a few places that we find unalloyed peace and this
definitely was one.
We went to the acclaimed hot springs. That was a damp squib as it was the size of a
water tub and there were already people in them enjoying their bath with cases of beer. That did not seem to disappoint the kids and there were soon frolicking in the water. The entire gang then ventured in and had a great time.
The desert moon ever so beautiful, smiled on…….
Big Bend National Park is definitely a place to be visited especially in summer. They offer many activities like river rafting, horse back riding; hiking etc.The booking has to be done at least one week in advance. There are many sites like
http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm which will give you information on the park and its various activities. These sites also provide you with hotline numbers which can be used for advance booking.
Pravitha Philip
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Act I Scene I
Time : 4:15 PM
Date: 3/20/2010
Act I Scene I
Laid back saturday...It rained and it is beautiful to be indoors.
Catching up on Lounge. Loved that show always ...
Resisted the temptation to go shopping ...three invites for shopping and people blame me,huh???
An idea to start another blog just struck me, maybe i l start working on it tonight.
Now gotta rush to office...
Date: 3/20/2010
Act I Scene I
Laid back saturday...It rained and it is beautiful to be indoors.
Catching up on Lounge. Loved that show always ...
Resisted the temptation to go shopping ...three invites for shopping and people blame me,huh???
An idea to start another blog just struck me, maybe i l start working on it tonight.
Now gotta rush to office...
Friday movie and dinner...
Thanks to a release at the office, i got half a day off on Friday. Now for the time being i am going to forget that i have to go for work on Saturday evening,not that launching rockets is part of my profile.
After a good nap, completely rejuvenated we went for The Bounty Hunter and then afterwards for a dinner at Picos, a place where authentic mexican cuisine is available.
The ambience was kinda ok and the food was good.
Now after seeing Gerard Butler for a good one and half hours in the movie, the Mexican chef with the Italian name did'nt seem too bad either.
K engaged in some cool conversation for my benefit i presume, and was laughing her eyes off seeing me fumble with the silver ware, dropping water and then the typical scene lifted off a movie when my salsa just dripped down whenever he was nearby.
The food was enjoyable and so i have no complaints.
The only spoilers were when K insisted on loitering in the empty parking lot in the dead of night. Risk is fun,being foolish is not.
But then it went well after i screamed my lungs off and peace was restored with music.
After a good nap, completely rejuvenated we went for The Bounty Hunter and then afterwards for a dinner at Picos, a place where authentic mexican cuisine is available.
The ambience was kinda ok and the food was good.
Now after seeing Gerard Butler for a good one and half hours in the movie, the Mexican chef with the Italian name did'nt seem too bad either.
K engaged in some cool conversation for my benefit i presume, and was laughing her eyes off seeing me fumble with the silver ware, dropping water and then the typical scene lifted off a movie when my salsa just dripped down whenever he was nearby.
The food was enjoyable and so i have no complaints.
The only spoilers were when K insisted on loitering in the empty parking lot in the dead of night. Risk is fun,being foolish is not.
But then it went well after i screamed my lungs off and peace was restored with music.
The Bounty hunter
Gerard Butler is steaming hot and it is precisely for him that we decided to see the bounty hunter on the day that the movie got released.And boy, it was worth it!
The Ugly truth had set our expectations high on GB and the bounty hunter did not disappoint us. [Well i must admit that most of the chick flicks are like M & B's. It is the same story anyways!]
The plot revolves around the now divorced couple Milo(GB)and Nicole(Jennifer Aniston).They were once the perfect made for each other couple, now trying to cope without their better halves.
Nicole is a strong independant woman who works as a reporter and places her career first.She is working on a suicide-murder story that gets her into trouble.
Milo who works as the bounty hunter is overjoyed to find that he has to track his ex wife and take her to prison, since she jumped bail.He has emotional and financial problems of his own since the split with his wife.
The movie revolves around their journey where he takes her to prison and inadvertently re-kindle what they once had.
There are the goons chasing each of them all over the place.
The movie makes for good time pass and it is worth a one time watch.
Ok agreed, i dont mind watching it twice over for GB.And no we did not drool over him in the theatre if that is what you are thinking!
I would give the movie a 3.8 on 5.
The Ugly truth had set our expectations high on GB and the bounty hunter did not disappoint us. [Well i must admit that most of the chick flicks are like M & B's. It is the same story anyways!]
The plot revolves around the now divorced couple Milo(GB)and Nicole(Jennifer Aniston).They were once the perfect made for each other couple, now trying to cope without their better halves.
Nicole is a strong independant woman who works as a reporter and places her career first.She is working on a suicide-murder story that gets her into trouble.
Milo who works as the bounty hunter is overjoyed to find that he has to track his ex wife and take her to prison, since she jumped bail.He has emotional and financial problems of his own since the split with his wife.
The movie revolves around their journey where he takes her to prison and inadvertently re-kindle what they once had.
There are the goons chasing each of them all over the place.
The movie makes for good time pass and it is worth a one time watch.
Ok agreed, i dont mind watching it twice over for GB.And no we did not drool over him in the theatre if that is what you are thinking!
I would give the movie a 3.8 on 5.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Green Zone 2010
Matt Damon is the highlight. The movie is engrossing to the extent that i bit my nails to a bad shape and i dont have that habit.
The movie based in Baghdad like the hurt locker is very interesting and intriguing. The fact that it draws parallel to the real life scenario is what it makes it interesting.
Inspired from 'Imperial Life in the Emerald City' by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran, this war thriller is worth every minute.
Ironically speaking when a war is mentioned Iraq is depicted and when poverty is shown India is shown.
The plot revolves around Captain Miller(Matt Damon) working with the US Army trying to locate weapons of mass destruction in Baghdad and understands that the intelligence has been incorrect. He embarks on a journey to find the truth.
Well in some parts of the world movies form the only medium to understand a catastrophe like this. We do read the newspapers and watch countless news channels and websites, but at that time it is just news for us.
People dying are just numbers and bomb explosions usual.And as far as we are not hit directly we just dont care. But what we fail to realise is that it could me or you anyday.
Taking life and any one's dignity is no one's right and cannot be justified at any cost.
I hate to be a part of the system where vested interests manipulate man kind.
The point is clear, war is bad.
And the movie has made its point.I would rate the movie a 4.1 on 5.
The movie based in Baghdad like the hurt locker is very interesting and intriguing. The fact that it draws parallel to the real life scenario is what it makes it interesting.
Inspired from 'Imperial Life in the Emerald City' by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran, this war thriller is worth every minute.
Ironically speaking when a war is mentioned Iraq is depicted and when poverty is shown India is shown.
The plot revolves around Captain Miller(Matt Damon) working with the US Army trying to locate weapons of mass destruction in Baghdad and understands that the intelligence has been incorrect. He embarks on a journey to find the truth.
Well in some parts of the world movies form the only medium to understand a catastrophe like this. We do read the newspapers and watch countless news channels and websites, but at that time it is just news for us.
People dying are just numbers and bomb explosions usual.And as far as we are not hit directly we just dont care. But what we fail to realise is that it could me or you anyday.
Taking life and any one's dignity is no one's right and cannot be justified at any cost.
I hate to be a part of the system where vested interests manipulate man kind.
The point is clear, war is bad.
And the movie has made its point.I would rate the movie a 4.1 on 5.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday movie time : The Hurt Locker
Date:March 15,2010
Time:1.31AM
After yesterday's adventure,I got up at 2 in the afternoon and felt that i was up for an other adventure but then thought of the repercussions at office on Monday morning and decided to head out for a movie instead.
The Hurt Locker had garnered my attention through the Oscars and it was my best bet.The fact that it had a female director interested me to a good extent.
The Hurt Locker is a war movie with scenes from war torn and strife hit Baghdad seen through the eyes of a bomb disposal team. The movie describes the emotional highs and lows of war.It also emphasises on the addiction of adrenaline pumping moments where life hangs by a fine thread.
The movie has some good sequences and it certainly has you at the edge of your seat and there is no dull moment.
Although,I would not have seen the movie had it not been for the Oscars.It re instates my faith in the futility of war if the movie promotes it or not.
All in all it is a good movie,i would rate it a 4.2 on a 5 scale.
After dinner at K's favourite joint we headed back home. It is almost two in the morning.I better crash now.
Cheers to a weekend well spent!
Time:1.31AM
After yesterday's adventure,I got up at 2 in the afternoon and felt that i was up for an other adventure but then thought of the repercussions at office on Monday morning and decided to head out for a movie instead.
The Hurt Locker had garnered my attention through the Oscars and it was my best bet.The fact that it had a female director interested me to a good extent.
The Hurt Locker is a war movie with scenes from war torn and strife hit Baghdad seen through the eyes of a bomb disposal team. The movie describes the emotional highs and lows of war.It also emphasises on the addiction of adrenaline pumping moments where life hangs by a fine thread.
The movie has some good sequences and it certainly has you at the edge of your seat and there is no dull moment.
Although,I would not have seen the movie had it not been for the Oscars.It re instates my faith in the futility of war if the movie promotes it or not.
All in all it is a good movie,i would rate it a 4.2 on a 5 scale.
After dinner at K's favourite joint we headed back home. It is almost two in the morning.I better crash now.
Cheers to a weekend well spent!
Austin - A lot of things can happen for coffee
It was another boring Friday because i had a rather dull day at office. So when the uneventful release was over at midnight K and I decided to hit the roads for coffee at a Cafe in Austin. Well having to drive a hundred and fifty miles for coffee seem to be the last thing to be worried about.
In fact as the journey turned out we found that we had not worried for anything.
Day:March 12,2010
Time: 9.30 PM
Venue: HPL,Houston
Decision makers : K and I
Destination: Cafe Mozart
Distance:150 miles
Decision: Hit the road
Day:March 13,2010
Time: 12.08AM
Venue: Marquis
We hit the roads on full gear. There was music, and the roads at night were at their alluring best.
Time: 2.30AM
Venue: 30 miles to Austin
K woke me up in the middle of the drive to show me the lights of the city below. And man was'nt that a pretty sight.
These days we have developed a strong penchant for driving at night. Be it roaming around the streets of Houston in the dead of the night or driving around the 6 th Street in Austin for the nth time. Now, before you get any ideas let me make it clear that this trip was meant only to get coffee.
K does the driving and i for my part enjoy the sights,scenes and lights, occasionally describing them.
So when K jostled me up from my sleep i woke up to find her giggling away and telling me that we have reached but the cafe was not in sight, and we were safely parked in some parking lot.
When i looked around in that sleep induced stupor i almost felt that i was back in some residential colony in Kerala.
After all most of the places do seem to look alike at 3.30 AM in the morning.
We drove around for two more minutes and saw water and there were closed restaurants in the vicinity.
Finally to our shock and surprise we found Cafe Mozart closed.
Now blame the two know-it-alls who assumed to be open 24*7.
It was then that we realised that we had not checked the timings of the Cafe and ended up parking in front of the Cafe at 4.00AM
It was pitch dark and we almost thought that we should panic when we remembered that even though we had no food or water on us were were well stocked in terms of maps,mobile charge, K's new iphone and of course the naughty GPS.
We decided that we would go to a 24 hour open Starbucks,to our surprise there was none in the vicinity.
After trying unsuccessful attempts to wake up a few sleeping beauties we decided to hit it out on our own.
We drove around the deserted streets of Austin,paused to view the State Capitol in all elegance.
We headed out it to a Denny's and had an early breakfast.
After chit chatting and warding off a few un interesting advances we decided to take rest in the car, and as K dozed off in front of Denny's with a view of the Capitol dressed in beautiful hazes of white and golden orange ...i did what i did best...surfed the internet.
And the next time she opened her eyes, it was a bright beautiful day with warmth and sunshine in place of the cool starry night.
The Capitol looked different in the day time,probably more stoic.
Thanks to google, we figured out a few places of interest.
And yes now we were all set to go to our destination to get that coveted shot of coffee.
We reached the Cafe Mozart and man wasnt it worth the drive!
It was situated on Lake Austin,almost in the water on the banks.It had a serenity which hung over the place with the morning sunshine streaking in complementing the coolness of the river below.
There were wooden benches alluding old world charm.
People were trickling in and by the time finished our coffees the place was getting crowded.
K fell totally in love with the place, and vowed to come back again the same day.
We then headed to Lake Travis, and ended up at Bob wentz park which offered scenic views of the Lake.
The lake was clear and blue.
We lazed around all morning, sitting on the river bank and dangling our feet in the water.We dozed off on the boat docks soaking up the sun. It is a different matter that we emerged tanned three levels more.
We also walked the shore lines.
It was then that i realised that i lost my spectacles on the way, we walked another mile to retrieve it.And to my immense relief i found it where i left it and i thankfully remembered where i had kept it.
Now to our dismay K discovered that she lost her pendant. We walked back another mile to retrieve it from the boat deck.
Lucky us that we got what we had lost, not that we were worried that a black cat had crossed our path when we started the journey.
It was late afternoon when we thought of heading back when we realised we were completely dehydrated and starved.
Thanks to our planning skills we had no real food, but when we ransacked the car we found some vadas S had left for us, some snack from office, melted chocolates and some water.
On the way back there was another park which we visited. The terrain was beautiful and the shoreline was rugged and natural, but wait i think everything about the place was very natural ;).
We were super hungry and planned to get lunch at a nice restaurant. Unforunately the wait times were a minimum of an hour and we had to go a long while before we re fueled our selves.
We then head back to Cafe Mozart.The atmosphere was very contrasting now, from what we had seen in the morning.In the morning it was laid back, in the evening it was teeming with life.It was a different hue altogether.There was a boat sales going on next door and the place was swarmed.
I had my signature black tea with lemon and K insisted on having some dessert.
Once lunch was done we were recharged and decided to head back.
On the way as usual i dozed off when K woke me up and told me that we were running out of fuel.We took the exit and filled the tank.
Too tired from lack of sleep and exhaustion, we decided to take some rest.
It was at this precise moment that i appreciated K's super car. The seats were comfortably stretched and we slept off in the petrol bunk in front of a Texas gift shop as if we had no worries in the world.
An hour later K nudged me awake to tell that we need to get away from there before we became the local spectacle.
In our sleepy stupor we got off onto some road and realised it too late that we might have lost our way.
We were stuck at a feeder road.
It was pitch dark.
The lane that the GPS suggested looked run down.
The black cat that had crossed the road came back to haunt us both. But luckily for us, we did not open our mouths to mention it.
Gathering our wits we went forward and were on the right track soon.
By around 12 the next day we reached home. A total of twenty four hours on the road, all in the name of coffee!
In fact as the journey turned out we found that we had not worried for anything.
Day:March 12,2010
Time: 9.30 PM
Venue: HPL,Houston
Decision makers : K and I
Destination: Cafe Mozart
Distance:150 miles
Decision: Hit the road
Day:March 13,2010
Time: 12.08AM
Venue: Marquis
We hit the roads on full gear. There was music, and the roads at night were at their alluring best.
Time: 2.30AM
Venue: 30 miles to Austin
K woke me up in the middle of the drive to show me the lights of the city below. And man was'nt that a pretty sight.
These days we have developed a strong penchant for driving at night. Be it roaming around the streets of Houston in the dead of the night or driving around the 6 th Street in Austin for the nth time. Now, before you get any ideas let me make it clear that this trip was meant only to get coffee.
K does the driving and i for my part enjoy the sights,scenes and lights, occasionally describing them.
So when K jostled me up from my sleep i woke up to find her giggling away and telling me that we have reached but the cafe was not in sight, and we were safely parked in some parking lot.
When i looked around in that sleep induced stupor i almost felt that i was back in some residential colony in Kerala.
After all most of the places do seem to look alike at 3.30 AM in the morning.
We drove around for two more minutes and saw water and there were closed restaurants in the vicinity.
Finally to our shock and surprise we found Cafe Mozart closed.
Now blame the two know-it-alls who assumed to be open 24*7.
It was then that we realised that we had not checked the timings of the Cafe and ended up parking in front of the Cafe at 4.00AM
It was pitch dark and we almost thought that we should panic when we remembered that even though we had no food or water on us were were well stocked in terms of maps,mobile charge, K's new iphone and of course the naughty GPS.
We decided that we would go to a 24 hour open Starbucks,to our surprise there was none in the vicinity.
After trying unsuccessful attempts to wake up a few sleeping beauties we decided to hit it out on our own.
We drove around the deserted streets of Austin,paused to view the State Capitol in all elegance.
We headed out it to a Denny's and had an early breakfast.
After chit chatting and warding off a few un interesting advances we decided to take rest in the car, and as K dozed off in front of Denny's with a view of the Capitol dressed in beautiful hazes of white and golden orange ...i did what i did best...surfed the internet.
And the next time she opened her eyes, it was a bright beautiful day with warmth and sunshine in place of the cool starry night.
The Capitol looked different in the day time,probably more stoic.
Thanks to google, we figured out a few places of interest.
And yes now we were all set to go to our destination to get that coveted shot of coffee.
We reached the Cafe Mozart and man wasnt it worth the drive!
It was situated on Lake Austin,almost in the water on the banks.It had a serenity which hung over the place with the morning sunshine streaking in complementing the coolness of the river below.
There were wooden benches alluding old world charm.
People were trickling in and by the time finished our coffees the place was getting crowded.
K fell totally in love with the place, and vowed to come back again the same day.
We then headed to Lake Travis, and ended up at Bob wentz park which offered scenic views of the Lake.
The lake was clear and blue.
We lazed around all morning, sitting on the river bank and dangling our feet in the water.We dozed off on the boat docks soaking up the sun. It is a different matter that we emerged tanned three levels more.
We also walked the shore lines.
It was then that i realised that i lost my spectacles on the way, we walked another mile to retrieve it.And to my immense relief i found it where i left it and i thankfully remembered where i had kept it.
Now to our dismay K discovered that she lost her pendant. We walked back another mile to retrieve it from the boat deck.
Lucky us that we got what we had lost, not that we were worried that a black cat had crossed our path when we started the journey.
It was late afternoon when we thought of heading back when we realised we were completely dehydrated and starved.
Thanks to our planning skills we had no real food, but when we ransacked the car we found some vadas S had left for us, some snack from office, melted chocolates and some water.
On the way back there was another park which we visited. The terrain was beautiful and the shoreline was rugged and natural, but wait i think everything about the place was very natural ;).
We were super hungry and planned to get lunch at a nice restaurant. Unforunately the wait times were a minimum of an hour and we had to go a long while before we re fueled our selves.
We then head back to Cafe Mozart.The atmosphere was very contrasting now, from what we had seen in the morning.In the morning it was laid back, in the evening it was teeming with life.It was a different hue altogether.There was a boat sales going on next door and the place was swarmed.
I had my signature black tea with lemon and K insisted on having some dessert.
Once lunch was done we were recharged and decided to head back.
On the way as usual i dozed off when K woke me up and told me that we were running out of fuel.We took the exit and filled the tank.
Too tired from lack of sleep and exhaustion, we decided to take some rest.
It was at this precise moment that i appreciated K's super car. The seats were comfortably stretched and we slept off in the petrol bunk in front of a Texas gift shop as if we had no worries in the world.
An hour later K nudged me awake to tell that we need to get away from there before we became the local spectacle.
In our sleepy stupor we got off onto some road and realised it too late that we might have lost our way.
We were stuck at a feeder road.
It was pitch dark.
The lane that the GPS suggested looked run down.
The black cat that had crossed the road came back to haunt us both. But luckily for us, we did not open our mouths to mention it.
Gathering our wits we went forward and were on the right track soon.
By around 12 the next day we reached home. A total of twenty four hours on the road, all in the name of coffee!
Friday, February 26, 2010
My mail to Gautham Menon for VTV
Dear Gautham,
First of all i am not sure if you would check your guest book.I did not have any means of reaching to you. And i hope you see this because it is 1.30AM and i just saw VV.
I loved Minnale and Kaaka Kaaka,sadly VV does not live upto your standards.Minnale is one of my all time favourites and i never get bored seeing the same movie again and again.
The plot of VV is excellent,it is simple and has a refreshing flavour. I loved the female protagonist but somewhere the movie stretched achingly slow.
I never write to any director,but i write to you because there was potential to make a great movie but some how some thing was missing.
The music was ok and the movie was a little above average partly for the treatment.
I almost felt that you had a real insight with how women think.Had it been a little carefully done it would have been great.I wish you all the best for this movie and for your ventures in the future.
Regards,
Friend
First of all i am not sure if you would check your guest book.I did not have any means of reaching to you. And i hope you see this because it is 1.30AM and i just saw VV.
I loved Minnale and Kaaka Kaaka,sadly VV does not live upto your standards.Minnale is one of my all time favourites and i never get bored seeing the same movie again and again.
The plot of VV is excellent,it is simple and has a refreshing flavour. I loved the female protagonist but somewhere the movie stretched achingly slow.
I never write to any director,but i write to you because there was potential to make a great movie but some how some thing was missing.
The music was ok and the movie was a little above average partly for the treatment.
I almost felt that you had a real insight with how women think.Had it been a little carefully done it would have been great.I wish you all the best for this movie and for your ventures in the future.
Regards,
Friend
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Black,white or grey!
The other day a close friend read a few posts of mine and commented that a tussle was evident.
When i thought about it, i felt that it could be probably true.
Maybe i was looking at getting a black or white, but all i am getting are shades of grey which is a little tough to comprehend.
And so grey it is, various shades of grey.
When i thought about it, i felt that it could be probably true.
Maybe i was looking at getting a black or white, but all i am getting are shades of grey which is a little tough to comprehend.
And so grey it is, various shades of grey.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Life matters!
We are a generation of people who are paranoid of ageing. On second thoughts every generation like the previous ones worry about age and we have classic examples of men and women going to great lengths to retain their youth.
We have many fears in us but then we rarely have the courage to talk about but then it manifests itself in different ways.
I can talk about women because i am well acquainted with the species.
The subtle ways we express our fears take the form of our constant obsession with weight and fat.It seems like everyone around me is talking in terms of pounds and calories. I was immune but,thanks to a few pointing fingers, i join the league now.
The excessive obsession with skin and hair care can also be partially attributed to the innate fear of aging,sickness and dying.
I remember as a child that i used to take it for granted that my grand parents are meant to be old. I always heard them say that they have lived their life.
Thanks to my 'big mouth' i was always making fun of them,but for some reason when one of them quoted out a proverb for me,it caught my attention.The idea loosely translates like this. 'When the ripe leaf falls, the tender green leaf mocks and laughs at the falling leaf not knowing that one day it is going to face the same fate.'
Well that made an impact on my impressionable mind. I must admit it was not a very exciting prospect.The thought of growing old,sickness and death did not seem very appealing to me. The last one particularly.
The whole idea was disturbing and the urge to cling on to anything earthly was strong.
Learning detachment is a very tough lesson. And the secret to peaceful living is on similar lines.
What happens if you die today?
Well i lived most part of my life lazying around thinking that i have a lifetime in store. But when i tried to quantify that number it was outright ridiculous.
If you take it or mock it,this is the plain truth.
My only question is are you willing to leave everything right away,as it is?
The answer would be 'No' for 95% of us.
What if?
We grew old gracefully, wrinkles and grey hair did not matter adversely.On the contrary if we gracefully moved away for the next generation parting with all the wisdom we obtained in our life time.
We grew more compassion.
We picked our friends wisely filtered over time.
We thanked for all the minute seconds that mattered.
We were comfortable to move on.
We had no liabilities to any one in terms of anything.
We were completely satisfied with what life had to offer.And what we gave back.
And then living becomes precious meaningful and worthwhile.
We have many fears in us but then we rarely have the courage to talk about but then it manifests itself in different ways.
I can talk about women because i am well acquainted with the species.
The subtle ways we express our fears take the form of our constant obsession with weight and fat.It seems like everyone around me is talking in terms of pounds and calories. I was immune but,thanks to a few pointing fingers, i join the league now.
The excessive obsession with skin and hair care can also be partially attributed to the innate fear of aging,sickness and dying.
I remember as a child that i used to take it for granted that my grand parents are meant to be old. I always heard them say that they have lived their life.
Thanks to my 'big mouth' i was always making fun of them,but for some reason when one of them quoted out a proverb for me,it caught my attention.The idea loosely translates like this. 'When the ripe leaf falls, the tender green leaf mocks and laughs at the falling leaf not knowing that one day it is going to face the same fate.'
Well that made an impact on my impressionable mind. I must admit it was not a very exciting prospect.The thought of growing old,sickness and death did not seem very appealing to me. The last one particularly.
The whole idea was disturbing and the urge to cling on to anything earthly was strong.
Learning detachment is a very tough lesson. And the secret to peaceful living is on similar lines.
What happens if you die today?
Well i lived most part of my life lazying around thinking that i have a lifetime in store. But when i tried to quantify that number it was outright ridiculous.
If you take it or mock it,this is the plain truth.
My only question is are you willing to leave everything right away,as it is?
The answer would be 'No' for 95% of us.
What if?
We grew old gracefully, wrinkles and grey hair did not matter adversely.On the contrary if we gracefully moved away for the next generation parting with all the wisdom we obtained in our life time.
We grew more compassion.
We picked our friends wisely filtered over time.
We thanked for all the minute seconds that mattered.
We were comfortable to move on.
We had no liabilities to any one in terms of anything.
We were completely satisfied with what life had to offer.And what we gave back.
And then living becomes precious meaningful and worthwhile.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Valentines day gala for the singles!
Valentine's day is a special day for singles too!
I am not going to talk about the cute valentines day cards or the red roses or the huge soft hearts in red or the balloons or the volume of gifts arranged decoratively in shops for the dreamy eyed cute pairs.It is because i know that the cute couples are comfortably settled in their universe with no one but them in it.
My wishes to you!
This post on the contrary is dedicated to the singles out there by choice or otherwise trying to cope with the day's blues.
I personally dont care too much for the day not that i am immune to it, but simply because I learnt in a beautiful way that everyday should be a valentines day.
I experienced something that a lot of people had experienced in the past.And i am sure that there are a few very well known people who thought on similar lines.
A paradigm shift is when you get a different perspective of the same situation that you had seen earlier.
Something like that happened to me a couple of years ago.
When i go home for vacations, my mom thinks it her duty to show case me to all the relatives far and near. As most youngsters of this slighly aging generation i would rather watch a movie or curl up somewhere with a book rather than answer questions on when they can have their 'Chicken and biriyani'. I would have plainly told them, that i could buy them a dinner any time instead of trading me off in marriage for the delicacies,had it not been for my mom's stern glances.
But this once it was different, she asked me to come along to a friend's place to see her ailing dad. Now this man was over ninety and was obviously breathing his last. I have seen old people in close quarters but then it was scary. This time around i did not feel scared. I was contemplative.
When i went to see this man, the sight unnerved me completely.
He was frail,shrivelled, small and breathing very loud.
He did not have any control over his senses or emotions.
He did not know that there is a family looking after him with loving care.
He did not know the past, present or the future.
It changed my perceptions on people and on life. I stepped aside and looked back at all the people in my life who mattered to me and decided that it is at the present moment that i can show them that i care. Ever since then i have not wasted any opportunities to let them know that they matter to me.
Now this gesture need not be only for a romantic liasion. It could be your parents,friends or for that matter any one.
There is a little secret that i use to determine the priorities in life . I imagine that i am six feet under the ground, buried and then think what matters then.
Trust me a lot of things in your life changes.
If you treat everyone with love, care and respect at all times, everyday is Valentine's day.
After having said all this why did i chose such a topic.
I happened to see some one who was lonely. The pain in the voice was hard to disguise and it made me look around.Well what did i do? I did not talk to that person again. Talk about compassion.
There are a lot of faces bearing the same expression. It is hard to imagine that with so many people around how could you be so lonely. And statistics prove that this fact is alarmingly true too. There is a feeling of incompleteness and a 'missing something feel'. I was happy to hear from a friend that this particular feeling melted away when she got engaged. I can bet that not a lot of people are lucky as she is.
People drive them selves crazy doing something that just keeps them occupied and at the end of the day are lonely souls. Being alone makes them uncomfortable and scares them to no end.
Alone does not mean loneliness. It is easy to say 'enjoy the solitude' when you are pining away for company,I know. But the moment you start appreciating your self things change for the better.You cannot feel bored if no one is around.
But believe me if you are your best friend, you have a lifetime of a good relationship.
There are the lonely hearts pining away for a Valentine, just like last year and the year before that.
There are the others who are very much comfortable on their own and not looking for a commitment but are bugged by curious people with prying questions.
What ever be the case singles find this day special in a way that they sometimes may want to avoid it too.
On a serious note if you really wanted to have a fun Valentines day, here are some of the things that you might want to try.
1. Call up your near and dear ones. Tell them you care.
2. Send that long lost school friend a mail or post a card to tell them that you still remember them.
3. Indulge in gifts,clothes,perfumes,shoes,choclates or whatever you want.
4.Be an angel to some one :)
5.Have fun.
I almost forgot to tell that if you did have that secret crush for months,just go ahead and propose .Who knows...You might just get 'Yes' for an answer!
I am not going to talk about the cute valentines day cards or the red roses or the huge soft hearts in red or the balloons or the volume of gifts arranged decoratively in shops for the dreamy eyed cute pairs.It is because i know that the cute couples are comfortably settled in their universe with no one but them in it.
My wishes to you!
This post on the contrary is dedicated to the singles out there by choice or otherwise trying to cope with the day's blues.
I personally dont care too much for the day not that i am immune to it, but simply because I learnt in a beautiful way that everyday should be a valentines day.
I experienced something that a lot of people had experienced in the past.And i am sure that there are a few very well known people who thought on similar lines.
A paradigm shift is when you get a different perspective of the same situation that you had seen earlier.
Something like that happened to me a couple of years ago.
When i go home for vacations, my mom thinks it her duty to show case me to all the relatives far and near. As most youngsters of this slighly aging generation i would rather watch a movie or curl up somewhere with a book rather than answer questions on when they can have their 'Chicken and biriyani'. I would have plainly told them, that i could buy them a dinner any time instead of trading me off in marriage for the delicacies,had it not been for my mom's stern glances.
But this once it was different, she asked me to come along to a friend's place to see her ailing dad. Now this man was over ninety and was obviously breathing his last. I have seen old people in close quarters but then it was scary. This time around i did not feel scared. I was contemplative.
When i went to see this man, the sight unnerved me completely.
He was frail,shrivelled, small and breathing very loud.
He did not have any control over his senses or emotions.
He did not know that there is a family looking after him with loving care.
He did not know the past, present or the future.
It changed my perceptions on people and on life. I stepped aside and looked back at all the people in my life who mattered to me and decided that it is at the present moment that i can show them that i care. Ever since then i have not wasted any opportunities to let them know that they matter to me.
Now this gesture need not be only for a romantic liasion. It could be your parents,friends or for that matter any one.
There is a little secret that i use to determine the priorities in life . I imagine that i am six feet under the ground, buried and then think what matters then.
Trust me a lot of things in your life changes.
If you treat everyone with love, care and respect at all times, everyday is Valentine's day.
After having said all this why did i chose such a topic.
I happened to see some one who was lonely. The pain in the voice was hard to disguise and it made me look around.Well what did i do? I did not talk to that person again. Talk about compassion.
There are a lot of faces bearing the same expression. It is hard to imagine that with so many people around how could you be so lonely. And statistics prove that this fact is alarmingly true too. There is a feeling of incompleteness and a 'missing something feel'. I was happy to hear from a friend that this particular feeling melted away when she got engaged. I can bet that not a lot of people are lucky as she is.
People drive them selves crazy doing something that just keeps them occupied and at the end of the day are lonely souls. Being alone makes them uncomfortable and scares them to no end.
Alone does not mean loneliness. It is easy to say 'enjoy the solitude' when you are pining away for company,I know. But the moment you start appreciating your self things change for the better.You cannot feel bored if no one is around.
But believe me if you are your best friend, you have a lifetime of a good relationship.
There are the lonely hearts pining away for a Valentine, just like last year and the year before that.
There are the others who are very much comfortable on their own and not looking for a commitment but are bugged by curious people with prying questions.
What ever be the case singles find this day special in a way that they sometimes may want to avoid it too.
On a serious note if you really wanted to have a fun Valentines day, here are some of the things that you might want to try.
1. Call up your near and dear ones. Tell them you care.
2. Send that long lost school friend a mail or post a card to tell them that you still remember them.
3. Indulge in gifts,clothes,perfumes,shoes,choclates or whatever you want.
4.Be an angel to some one :)
5.Have fun.
I almost forgot to tell that if you did have that secret crush for months,just go ahead and propose .Who knows...You might just get 'Yes' for an answer!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Blogging away!
I had taken a hiatus from blogging for a brief while.
The reason being that quite a few of my friends and acquaintances forced me to think why i blog?
They asked questions!
1.Who the heck wants to read my blog?
2.What is the godamn point? (Well some one actually went ahead and told me that they dont enjoy reading my blog as much as i enjoy writing them,talk about being blunt.But since the person in question is a dear friend i forgive and move on stoically! ).
For the others who have the same train of thought i have just one piece of advice and that would be 'Dont read.Dont read my blogs if you are so repelled by the idea.
Well coming to the question at hand I think i always knew what the answers are and that is the reason why i am doing it.
The answers are simple.
I have formulated ten reasons as to why i blog.
1.For one this is one way of sharing some of the nice things happening in my life and also some of the not so picture perfect moments. It is all fun and part of the larger picture. It is sharing a piece of my life, a few moments in time.
Good or bad doesnt matter. It is a connect forged with the reader.
2.Ten years down the lane when i check my archives i would smile and say 'Man, I was young!What did the heck was i thinking?'
Today i would say that it is worth the embarrassment.
3.It is the easiest way to let people know who you are or you who you want them to think you are. It changes perceptions[not that i want anyone to,but it is fun].
And in my case the perceptions are so really different that i am tempted to question if i have a split personality disorder.
Deranged, idealistic, quiet, gregarious, hyper active, loner,out going, shy ,extrovert,snobbish,sweet, considerate,heartless,caring...phew now which one of these is true? Well i dont want an answer to that, but you get the point right?
4. Writing is creative and postive. It keeps me going. It makes me feel good.It lifts me up when i am down.
5.It is sharing of ideas and thoughts.It is most often a good thing.
6.It is my space and my cosm.No one questions!
7.I can say things that i normally would not say it straight on the face. I know that this is not the bravest act but then, sometimes it helps.
8.It makes people think. I never forget a well written article.
9.Writing forces you to think, about your opinions,likes and dislikes. It makes you understand your self better.And the best thing about blogging is you get to know about what people think about what you think.
10. The fringe benefits are you can bitch, talk behind anyones back and vent out your frustration about anyone you want.Not that i want to talk about my manager here ;)
These are some reasons i blog.
However for people who want to start blogging my piece of advice is
1.Do not share confidential/personal information.
2.Be aware that there are not so good people around too.You wouldnt want to be cyber stalked.
3.Know your boundaries.
4.Your prospective employer might want to do a google on you and you seriously would'nt want to post something detrimental to your prospects.
Good luck and Happy blogging!
Get started guys!
The reason being that quite a few of my friends and acquaintances forced me to think why i blog?
They asked questions!
1.Who the heck wants to read my blog?
2.What is the godamn point? (Well some one actually went ahead and told me that they dont enjoy reading my blog as much as i enjoy writing them,talk about being blunt.But since the person in question is a dear friend i forgive and move on stoically! ).
For the others who have the same train of thought i have just one piece of advice and that would be 'Dont read.Dont read my blogs if you are so repelled by the idea.
Well coming to the question at hand I think i always knew what the answers are and that is the reason why i am doing it.
The answers are simple.
I have formulated ten reasons as to why i blog.
1.For one this is one way of sharing some of the nice things happening in my life and also some of the not so picture perfect moments. It is all fun and part of the larger picture. It is sharing a piece of my life, a few moments in time.
Good or bad doesnt matter. It is a connect forged with the reader.
2.Ten years down the lane when i check my archives i would smile and say 'Man, I was young!What did the heck was i thinking?'
Today i would say that it is worth the embarrassment.
3.It is the easiest way to let people know who you are or you who you want them to think you are. It changes perceptions[not that i want anyone to,but it is fun].
And in my case the perceptions are so really different that i am tempted to question if i have a split personality disorder.
Deranged, idealistic, quiet, gregarious, hyper active, loner,out going, shy ,extrovert,snobbish,sweet, considerate,heartless,caring...phew now which one of these is true? Well i dont want an answer to that, but you get the point right?
4. Writing is creative and postive. It keeps me going. It makes me feel good.It lifts me up when i am down.
5.It is sharing of ideas and thoughts.It is most often a good thing.
6.It is my space and my cosm.No one questions!
7.I can say things that i normally would not say it straight on the face. I know that this is not the bravest act but then, sometimes it helps.
8.It makes people think. I never forget a well written article.
9.Writing forces you to think, about your opinions,likes and dislikes. It makes you understand your self better.And the best thing about blogging is you get to know about what people think about what you think.
10. The fringe benefits are you can bitch, talk behind anyones back and vent out your frustration about anyone you want.Not that i want to talk about my manager here ;)
These are some reasons i blog.
However for people who want to start blogging my piece of advice is
1.Do not share confidential/personal information.
2.Be aware that there are not so good people around too.You wouldnt want to be cyber stalked.
3.Know your boundaries.
4.Your prospective employer might want to do a google on you and you seriously would'nt want to post something detrimental to your prospects.
Good luck and Happy blogging!
Get started guys!
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Ms eM
I had always wanted to write about Miss eM.I dont think such an idea would have crossed my mind a year ago when i met her in Houston.
The reason is that i am a doubting Thomas and i never take things at face value.I need to have proof and data validating a particular instance or occurence and i am sure most of us are programmed like that.
The last time i met her she was this shy and introvert lady with a few extra kilos.
This time when i met her almost a year i was forced to tell her that she had changed altogether.She lost pounds and was looking fabulously well.
The secret was gymning. She is confident and an extrovert now. Now she has her own point of view and take on life.She is the woman of today.
I am very happy for you and i wish you all the very best.
A drive to 'no where' in the middle of a freezing night
'Man proposes and god disposes'- This is the usual adage that we are used to hearing but i am in a different kind of dilemma.Here 'i propose and they dispose'.I had planned for a quiet weekend and as i enjoy my evening nap,i am gently woken up by my ring tone.It goes like this 'Hiding from the rain and snow...'.[It is time to change it though].
On the other end of the line M declared that i have to be ready in another fifteen minutes and all i could mumble in that stupor was a faint yes.
I was late as usual.I was given no answer as to where we were heading.And the drive to 'no where' in the middle of the night began.
Thanks to M's direction sense we were stranded near a pond full of ducks eyeing us suspiciously.It was a nice place,very beautiful and dramatic,the only slight problem being that it was around -6 C.And to add to it i have to hear comments like 'It is not that cold na'.I was freezing.
I dont know why my friends have a different take altogether.When it is almost freezing instead of snuggling in a blanket,they prefer to have leisurely walks on deserted roads at midnight. Well it is perfectly alright if it stops there,but they dont.They insist that i join the fun too.It is a different matter however that even though i reluctantly join these crazy people i end up having absolute fun.
Phew!
Finally we decided to call it a night after a rather uneventful drive. My only crib was that i needed something spicy to eat.I mean my taste buds were on its death bed after yesterday's cooking disaster.[I had prepared vada yesterday, the comment i got from A was that there is less salt,less onion,no pepper and no ginger.Other than that everything was fine.I had tried to emulate S,but sadly it just did not happen].
After some rather un successful attempts with the GPS on finding a proper restaurant, well that is not big surprise as it was past eleven in the night, we drove in to 'Taquerias Arandas !Sabroso Sabrosito!.
We discovered that it was supposed to be an authentic Mexican eat out.
I could have eaten an elephant and still wanted dessert.I almost filled myself with the tortilla chips they offer.
After a quick strategy on how to attack the meal all of us placed our orders. I love the way we eat our food. The mission is 'No wastage' and everyone gets to taste everything else. This is the best thing about eating out with friends.
The restaurant was welcoming and staff was good.
After my last experience at an eat out where i was assured that the food was extra spicy and i had gotten to eat sweet chicken, i was a little skeptical about the spice part here.
However all my apprehensions were dismissed as i dug into my extra spicy shrimp. M had ordered a combo and it was great.
S***a had a good time with a large bowl of chicken soup.It took lot of courage and effort to clear it clean.
We looked on as she successfully cleared the contents in a diligent manner.
I will post the before and after pictures of this episode as soon as i can.
After a rather heavy dinner i was dropped at my place. And S***a and M head back to their homes.
I cant help but say that i had a nice time.
On the other end of the line M declared that i have to be ready in another fifteen minutes and all i could mumble in that stupor was a faint yes.
I was late as usual.I was given no answer as to where we were heading.And the drive to 'no where' in the middle of the night began.
Thanks to M's direction sense we were stranded near a pond full of ducks eyeing us suspiciously.It was a nice place,very beautiful and dramatic,the only slight problem being that it was around -6 C.And to add to it i have to hear comments like 'It is not that cold na'.I was freezing.
I dont know why my friends have a different take altogether.When it is almost freezing instead of snuggling in a blanket,they prefer to have leisurely walks on deserted roads at midnight. Well it is perfectly alright if it stops there,but they dont.They insist that i join the fun too.It is a different matter however that even though i reluctantly join these crazy people i end up having absolute fun.
Phew!
Finally we decided to call it a night after a rather uneventful drive. My only crib was that i needed something spicy to eat.I mean my taste buds were on its death bed after yesterday's cooking disaster.[I had prepared vada yesterday, the comment i got from A was that there is less salt,less onion,no pepper and no ginger.Other than that everything was fine.I had tried to emulate S,but sadly it just did not happen].
After some rather un successful attempts with the GPS on finding a proper restaurant, well that is not big surprise as it was past eleven in the night, we drove in to 'Taquerias Arandas !Sabroso Sabrosito!.
We discovered that it was supposed to be an authentic Mexican eat out.
I could have eaten an elephant and still wanted dessert.I almost filled myself with the tortilla chips they offer.
After a quick strategy on how to attack the meal all of us placed our orders. I love the way we eat our food. The mission is 'No wastage' and everyone gets to taste everything else. This is the best thing about eating out with friends.
The restaurant was welcoming and staff was good.
After my last experience at an eat out where i was assured that the food was extra spicy and i had gotten to eat sweet chicken, i was a little skeptical about the spice part here.
However all my apprehensions were dismissed as i dug into my extra spicy shrimp. M had ordered a combo and it was great.
S***a had a good time with a large bowl of chicken soup.It took lot of courage and effort to clear it clean.
We looked on as she successfully cleared the contents in a diligent manner.
I will post the before and after pictures of this episode as soon as i can.
After a rather heavy dinner i was dropped at my place. And S***a and M head back to their homes.
I cant help but say that i had a nice time.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Surprise visit
It was just another week day for me today. Thanks to the 3 hour session that some office folks arranged for moving in to a new office building.
The new office is spectacular.The high point of the floor i am assigned to are the huge windows where sun shine can stream in.It is well lit and beautifully overlooks the I-10.
The key take away from the meeting for me other than the impressive facilities is that there is a good possibility of having no casual fridays. Another boring set of white/blue formals.
My new desk would be right in the center of around twenty folks and surrounded by the 'higher ups'.I am pondering on the levels of my patience.
This is intrusion of privacy at every level :(
I console myself saying that the 'bucket full of sunshine' is worth the compromise.
After the meeting,i had to rush back to complete some long pending work for which I had been given rather stern deadlines. I must admit that this was created by myself because i had chosen to cut the branch on which i was comfortably sitting. Details cannot be shared on account of the confidentiality clauses i had signed in a hundred different places without once reading it.
The first instinct after coming home is to run to S's place. I did not need further encouragement as i heard her talk to A on the phone saying that she is preparing 'dosa' at her place. I was at her doorstep the next instant banging the door down. Yes,she did open the door with a smile.
As i comfortably settled at her place feeling at home all the while, i got a call from S***a asking my wherabouts. She had been trying to infuriate me with constant tales from pages out of a book that i am not particularly not interested to read.
To add to it all, she disconnects the phone in between and does'nt bother to pick my call. Phew!!!
There is a thud at the door and two people just strut in. It seems like S***a and M decided impromptu to drop in to return my purse with my debit and credt cards that i had left in the car last time we went out.[Wonder what i would have done without internet!].
I know i am a 'Doubting Thomas' but i would give it to them for springing a welcome surprise on a chilly night.
I would not be doing enough justice if i dont mention a particular 'high priced' jacket. All that i can say to the wearer is that it looks cute on you*.
The rest of the evening just flew by with S as the master chef and A and me as assistants preparing dinner.
It was fun and laughter before we decided to call it a night.
P.S:I realised that i have enough material to write an epic on mega level blunders.
* Conditions apply ;)
Last but not the least thanks to both of you for driving down!
The new office is spectacular.The high point of the floor i am assigned to are the huge windows where sun shine can stream in.It is well lit and beautifully overlooks the I-10.
The key take away from the meeting for me other than the impressive facilities is that there is a good possibility of having no casual fridays. Another boring set of white/blue formals.
My new desk would be right in the center of around twenty folks and surrounded by the 'higher ups'.I am pondering on the levels of my patience.
This is intrusion of privacy at every level :(
I console myself saying that the 'bucket full of sunshine' is worth the compromise.
After the meeting,i had to rush back to complete some long pending work for which I had been given rather stern deadlines. I must admit that this was created by myself because i had chosen to cut the branch on which i was comfortably sitting. Details cannot be shared on account of the confidentiality clauses i had signed in a hundred different places without once reading it.
The first instinct after coming home is to run to S's place. I did not need further encouragement as i heard her talk to A on the phone saying that she is preparing 'dosa' at her place. I was at her doorstep the next instant banging the door down. Yes,she did open the door with a smile.
As i comfortably settled at her place feeling at home all the while, i got a call from S***a asking my wherabouts. She had been trying to infuriate me with constant tales from pages out of a book that i am not particularly not interested to read.
To add to it all, she disconnects the phone in between and does'nt bother to pick my call. Phew!!!
There is a thud at the door and two people just strut in. It seems like S***a and M decided impromptu to drop in to return my purse with my debit and credt cards that i had left in the car last time we went out.[Wonder what i would have done without internet!].
I know i am a 'Doubting Thomas' but i would give it to them for springing a welcome surprise on a chilly night.
I would not be doing enough justice if i dont mention a particular 'high priced' jacket. All that i can say to the wearer is that it looks cute on you*.
The rest of the evening just flew by with S as the master chef and A and me as assistants preparing dinner.
It was fun and laughter before we decided to call it a night.
P.S:I realised that i have enough material to write an epic on mega level blunders.
* Conditions apply ;)
Last but not the least thanks to both of you for driving down!
Saturday, January 02, 2010
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