Happy Independance Day!!!

We Indians celebrate our 60th year of Independence today (15th August '06).
And we at 61, Abbots Wharf had our own small flag hoisting ceremony! ;-)
Today I choose to look back.....
Look back and remember the sacrifices made by millions of people to bring us where we are today.
We have fought long and hard for our Independence.
All these sacrifices have not gone waste...and India, our motherland is now free.

But, now what?
What do we do, now that we are independent?
We always crib that India is this....India is that....
What do we do to make India a better place?
I very well accept the fact that I am happy that I am not anyone's slave. But I am still a slave to my passions... We are still very much in balls and chains....bound tightly to our religious beliefs...castism and racism...
Then, what are we happy about?
If we read the newspapers, all the headlines today indicate that India is on an high alert. The PM, in his address to the nation, asks Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism. Pakistan responds immidiately asking India for proof for the same.
The PM's address can be read here.

I remember Tagore's beautiful poem, which I learned in the 7th Grade.

"WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake."

That is perfect freedom. And in order to attain it, each of us need to play our part.
This Independence Day, India beckons you to do your part!

I wish you all a wonderful Independence...today and evermore.

Cheers.

Sum, Sub and lots of "Love"thmatic

When two people meet, do they instantly fall in Love?
Or, do they slowly grow into each other?
Bachelors may have a different perspective on this topic, so let me check with a married friend of mine.
You would definitely remember him...
The guy who mentioned once that : "If it doesnt work your way, try it your wife's way".
So let's ask him, what he thinks of love? Also lets check what his counterpart has to say.

Me : This is going to be an interview full of personal questions. Please feel free to "No comments" any of them if you feel awkward answering. ;-)

Me : Sub, What does Love mean to you?

Sum : Well I've come across this question many a times in my Life and always believe that "It's not the DEFINITION of love ,but the PRESENCE of Love which matters.
Love is a complicated machinery for some ,but at times all you need is a good screw to fix it .

Me : Well! Let's hope that I find my screw soon. ;¬) Sub, What are your thoughts on this?

Sub : Love cannot be described in words , it can only be felt. I believe love makes a person better coz when you love somebody you learn how to care and share.

Me (Scratching my head) : I know how to care and share? Does that mean I am in Love?
Still confused! ;¬(
How long did you take for you to realize that you were in Love with Sub?

Sum : Almost 3 months
Me : What about you , Sub?
Sub : Hmmm.. 2-3 months.
Me : I am glad both of you realized at the same time. It took me over an year to convince someone to be friends with me!!

Me : Did you propose to Sub, or did she propose to you? How did it happen?
Sum : There was nothing like ' Do you love me ?' or 'Will you marry me?' . The foundation was Friendship; "aur dosti kab rishteydaari mein badal gayi pata hi nahin chala".
Me : That's a cliche!

Me : Do you really think that the common notion "Opposites attract" is true? Are you and Sub opposites?
Sum : "Opposites attract' is undoubtedly true but that wasnt exactly the reason to bring us close. Our hobbies,interests , passions , likings , disliking were and are still almost same.

Me : Any comments, Sub?
Sub : Its not quite true in our case. Because we are similar in most things. But on the things we differ, we are poles apart.

Me : I understand that there was a time during your courtship that both of you were countries apart.Is it true that "Distance increases fondness and liking" ?

Sum : Wont completely agree with this because there is another saying called 'Out of Sight Out of Mind'. We were countries apart after around 2 years of our courtship and were already engaged , moreover we knew that its gonna last just for few months.
It really was one of the difficult days of our lives and decided that we WONT let that happen again . To hell with the fact that "Distance increases fondness and liking"
Sub : Somehow these sayings do not hold for both of us . Fondness and Liking was already there; Distance or no distance . We couldn't give time to each other , we were not there for each other when we needed . So all in all we are happy together and try to forget that phase as a bad dream.

Me : Is it true that you have to be the best of friends before you can be the best of lovers?
Sum : True in our case but i personally wont completely agree to this.
Sub : Oh Yes , 100 %.

Me : Does Love really mean to accept a person as is? Or, to try to change someone if you think that's better? Is there something that you would like to change about Sub?
Sum : At first Love really means to accept a person as is , but as they say 'Nobody is perfect' and hence love can make one a better person.
One thing I wud like to change is her 'Fear Factor'. No Roller Coaster rides , no ghost movies . She doesnt like taking risks and is content with her play safe mentality. I want her to become more strong both physically and emotionally.

Me :And how about you Sub? Is there anything that you want to change about Sum?
Sub :Hmmm..his 'who gives a damn' attitude.

Me : What would you present Sub, if you won a 10,000£ lottery?
Sum : Pheeww!!! 10,000 Pounds which means around around 8.7 lakh...Hmmm ..Cheverolet Optra wud be fine.
There are other things too but that i can buy now also without those 10000 Pounds! :-).
Me : Desi to desi hi rahega ;-) Pound se INR conversion koi aur nahi karta! What would you have done, Sub?

Sub: BOSE music system.

Me : Thanks for your time. It has been a pleasure knowing you guys. You have always seemed a happy couple. Stay the same.
Hope my readers now have a better insight to Love.

Note : To get more info about Sum and Sub, please visit their website (This is going to expire on 18th Aug, so please make it fast!!): "A Tale of Love"
And I am trying to convince them to move all the contents on blogspot. If successful in his attempt, Your's Truly will update the link!

P.S> Comments from the couple about Your's Truly.
Thank u to u too for considering us on your Noble Blog.

P.P.S> Noble Blog!! ha ha ha

Rain!Rain! Go Away! Li'l Rosh wants to play..

I hate the British Weather!!!! ;¬(
A very strong statement to make..... But its true!
The only good season in Britain is the "Summer", but sadly it lasts only a couple of months... and now it is soon fading.
Your's Truly and his gang went out to play cricket today.
They also carried football with them in case the weather played tricks and it started drizzling as the Weather Experts had forewarned.
But to their dismay, only after a over and a half were bowled, and one wicket down,
the rains came pouring down... So hard that it was impossible even to play football!!

They waited under the protection of the trees for 5 minutes before rushing back to the comfort of their homes.

And so a day wasted!! All because of the stupid rains...

"I really don't understand the rains. It doesn't rain where it is required and it magnanimously pours its hearts contents where people don't require it... It kills people by not raining...it kills people by excess raining...."

Why does it not rain when people desperately long for it? The rain shies away...killing the crops and the vegetation around.... and also crushing the hopes of the poor farmers..

I was listening to the news, and was really upset to know that the rain was playing havoc in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
People are ,even as I write, losing their lives to excess rain and flash flood.

I hope that soon someone invents something to prevent such mishaps. A far-fetched idea, but hope its comes true.

I am looking out of window, and I can see the sun playing "hide and seek" behind the clouds. Its gives me a glimmer of hope that soon it will stop raining.
Hope is that keeps us all alive..... You, Me, Our families, Our friends , Our neighbours... and ALL others we don't know yet.

Keep Living....Keep Hoping!
God Bless All!

Kyonki .. Adults bhi kabhi Kids thay

Due to Your's Truly's limited photography skills, he is using an image from the movie "Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2" and the image is Copyright © 2002 Sony Pictures Entertainment.

-----------------------

Talking about kids, have you ever noticed how kids sometimes, knowingly/unknowingly, react to the situation around them? If you hurt them, their immidiate reaction would be to get back at you...
If all around them are happy, they would definitely express their own happiness with the broadest and cutest smiles that you would ever see.
As adults we have been taught to think twice before we speak. But, kids don't act or behave that way. Kids do not think what the results of their actions might be.
They are free.. A freedom, we somtimes wish that we had! (At least I do sometimes!!)
Not caring what the world has to say.... and enjoy life with gay abandon!!!

I wish that once in a while, I could let out the kid in me.

Thought I should narrate some "Funny" some "Not So Funny" encounters with kids that come to my mind now.
I will keep updating the post as and when I remember any other incidents.

Incident 1:
------------
Some years back, there was a small mishap that happened in JamPot.
Note : People from Jamshedpur, loving call their city JamPot
A schoolbus carrying kids from LKG to 2nd Grade had overturned somehow.
Thankfully no one was seriously injured.
There was one kid, who I think was luckiest among the lot. She did not even have a minor bruise.
My aunt(again), a staff nurse was co-ordinating with the other staffs to give some tetanus shots to the injured kids.
This gal, was seeing all her friends getting some shots or medicines.
Do you know what she did next?
She started crying aloud. When the doctors turned her attension to her, she told them that her stomach was aching and that she would require a shot to cure her.
The Doctors knew that she was bluffing and again continued to igrore her, but to their dismay, the weeping only increased.
Finally they has no choice but to give her a shot of "saline" .
One shot and she was perfectly ok!

Incident 2:
------------
I remember another incident when I declined to go out to play with my niece.
Note : She was 5.5 yrs old at that time.

I was expecting an important phone call.
The call was to notify if I were lucky to be assigned a project at very famous company.
After waiting for a hour or so, I got bored and started watching television.

Into 5 minutes of watching tv, I heard my niece talk to some one that I was not currently available.And that he should call me later. That's when I realized what she had just done.

She had vent out her anger at me by making me wait further for the results.
Never again was I to anger her!!!

Incident 3:
------------
We were watching "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold" at her house. My Aunt (again!!!) had invited some of her friends to her house, that same evening.
Before they were to come, my aunt adviced my niece to take bath and get dressed.
But, you know how kids loathe taking bath!!!
Even I hate it sometimes ;¬) More so in freezing winter!

My nice decided to give her mom a tough time. Finally forcibly she was made to take bath!
Moms always WIN!!

The guests arrived and I was glad that even my niece was on her best of behaviours.
It was at that particular moment that "Richard Chamberlain" decided to kiss "Sharon Stone".... Why did it have to happen
this very instant?

My niece giggled aloud!
All attension was now focussed on her.
"That's what Dad does to Mom during the night!!"

I spoke to myself: "What the F***!!! That's a low blow!!! Definite a low blow!!! But it may be an unintentional one!! "
My aunt, being a typical desi wife, blushed... then recomposed herself and gave my niece a nice "twack!!!"


Incident 4:
------------
While on a trip to Scotland, I stayed at one of my friend's place.
It was there that we made friends with his nephew "Cal", an awesome dude.
To know his age you have to click the link on his name ;-)
I remember, how initailly he was too shy to come near us, but then later we became good friends.
And when we were leaving their house, the moment we got into the cab, he started crying?
How did he know we were leaving?
No one told him???
----------------------

Somewhere within us there is a kid still hidden... A kid who is instinctive ... rash ... stubborn ... free!!!
Maybe some people would say that they have left their childishness long back!!!
but, I totally disagree because of my personal experiences!
Kyonki .. Hum sabhi bhi kabhi bachche thay!!
Have a great day!

P.S>
Even though there is a kid inside all of us we need to remember to tame that kid! Please note : Do not cage it altogether...
But have him on a leash... We don't want the kid to take control! ;¬)

The Perfect Imbalance

An oxymoron, you would think!!! Just put in order to gain that extra hype and attention.
The same trick that the Cinema makers follow; be it the extra hype about the shower scene in the movie.. or, be it the unwanted Item Numbers with dancers showing more of cleavage rather than the actual dance itself.

But, the fact is that this term holds true to a lot of us.

I classify "Perfect Imbalance" (or, the PI factor) as a situation wherein you have a choice between the "good" or the "bad"... the "joys" or the "sorrows"... the "light" or the "darkness"... and you keep enjoying/wanting to enjoy the good/bright side and hence upsetting the equilibrium of life.
The end is definitely not pretty... Once you disturb the imbalance, you gradually lean sideways towards your chosen "good" side, till one day you fall.

Many people(this incluses me) fail to understand the precariousness of the PI situation.
Fot most of us, PI is all we crave for because we think that we will be happy if we stay in the perfect position. This is all a fallacy. No one can stay happy all his life; Or, stay sad all his life!

We tend to forget that life is all about balance... And by striving for the Perfect Imbalance, we ruin the whole meaning of Life itself.
Life is meant to be enjoyed one step at a time... whatever happens... It is Life!
As they (read: Wise Men) always say, "Change is the only constant thing in Life". And without change we are as good as dead.

My life has never been the straight kind... And I have to admit that I've, somewhere along the lines, longed for the "Perfect Imbalance"...

But i was to realize later, that it's not the right place to be. Life, really loses its meaning if ALL things go your way.
You may still breathe... But, for Life, you don't seem to exist anymore.
Slowly and gradually you lose out on those wonderful feelings that you may have encountered had you been alive.

With time, I have evolved! And I have just one advice to give:

Stay ALIVE!!! Stay BALANCED!!!

And remember, To enjoy Life; you don't need the PI factor in your life!!!

P.S> Anything in excess is bad... I will quote Shakespeare here..
"Play on you musisians. Give me excess of it..that surfeiting the apetite may
die and hence sicken."

Of Uncles and Aunties......and a Sanskaari Me ;)

Have we ever pondered that, by now, each one of us would have addressed 1000s of people as uncles and aunties?

Before we continute with this post, do you know that Jackie Shroff is acting in a new movie for children called Bhoot Uncle?
Not very long ago, he did another film called King Uncle which was a disaster.
I sincerely hope that this one is better.

Note : "I absolutely love childrens movies ;P"

Coming back to our main question for today,

What do you call your "Chacha" & 'Chachi'? Uncle & Aunty!
What do you call your "Mama" & 'Mami'? Uncle & Aunty
What do you call your "Mr.& Mrs. Next Door Neighbour"? Uncle & Aunty
What do you call your "Mr.& Mrs. Shopkeeper @ The Local grocery Store"? Uncle & Aunty
What do you call your "Dad's colleague"? Uncle or Aunty

My parents have always instilled in me a sense of respect towards others, so whenever i am unsure of the relationship, I manage to easily get out of the situation by addressing them as Uncle and Aunty.

My "Sanskaar" is so strong that once I managed to call a girl (3 years younger to me as Aunty)
Wow! I still remembered the flustered look on her face... and when she politely requested me to call her by her first name... that was the perfect Kodak Moment!
I smiled shyly... scratched my head for a while... let the information sink-in...
Trust me, it was so difficult to call her by her firstname (because of the amount of sanskaar put into me by my parents) that I stammered and stuttered before uttering "XXX" in a low voice.
It took so much of effort and cause me so much mental trauma (Don't know if I can exactly classify it as mental trauma..Ha ha ha...), that from then onwards, I never addressed her before speaking. ;¬)

But, this too wasn't without shortcomings....

I remember that once when I asked her something at the dinner table, I almost got three simultaneous responses.

Life is really tough for a Sanskaari Desi ;¬)

Tak taka tak! Tak taka tak!!

Yipeeeeeeee!!!! Sayesha commented on my post!!!!!
I am so happy that I am on the verge of being ecstatic.
I had first stumbled across Sayesha's World, when I was going thru one of my friends blogs
where she had mentioned about Namkeen doing a "Kaavya Viswanathan" (i.e Namkeen was blatantly copying Sayesha's posts and calling it her own).
How can people stoop so low as to narrate someone elses story as if it were their own?
A little bit of "Spice"( read: lie) here and there is certainly justifiable....
But if the entire curry is made only of spices, then certainly, the results wont be pleasant.

But, let bygones be bygones.

After my first visit to Sayeshaz, I could not resist going back for more....
As I said it's so tempting that "No one can read just one!!!" ;¬)
She has immense talent....
I would be the happiest person on earth if I were half as talented with the pen as she were.
Her writings are pure and chaste... not in the conventional sense though...
(She proclaims to be a Bhai ;¬)
But, when you read her posts, you know that they are for real.
She puts the smallest of incidents on her blog with so much ease and elan that even the mighty
Sachin with his most elegant of cover drives may be left behind.
(Sachin fans..Please dont kill me!!! I was just flattering Sayesha." ;¬)

I am glad that I got a chance to visit Sayeshaz.....
It's now my favourite spot in the entire Blogsphere.

Note : Your's truly has not yest explored the entire Blogsphere...
He may find more prettier places,but as they say :
"First love is first love. Nothing can compare to it!"

I watched an old episode of the "Great Indian Laughter Challenge" today, and I came to know
that when you are filled with joy...your heart goes.."Tak taka tak!! Tak taka tak!!!"
Background Music : "Tak taka tak!! Tak taka tak!!!" ....
Music catching pace now : "Tak taka tak!! Tak taka tak!!!"
Reached its peak at 200 bpm : "Tak taka tak!! Tak taka tak!!!"
Now getting lower : "Tak taka tak!! Tak taka tak!!!"

Next day morning : The silent hum of "Tak taka tak!! Tak taka tak!!!" still can be heard!

Cheers and God Bless All.

The Black Trouser Killing!!!

My running nose destroyed my favourite black trousers!
Sounds weird, I know.
But, it's true.

I had a bloody cold and a running nose...
So i took a paper towel and put in my trouser's poke'...
But, the need never arose..
So the towel stayed me in my poke'!

But, when I put my trouser for wash...
I forgot to search it for coins and cash..
So, in my trouser's pocket, the towel stayed..
and stayed there till it had it (my fav black trouser) destroyed...

Ultimate crappy poetry that has ever been composed....
(Not even worth being called a poetry! But, still ;¬) I will continue calling it one.)

Analysis : Never allow paper tissues/towels to mix with your black clothes.
It's a certain demise for all your beloved black clothing ;¬)

P.S> My bloody cold had been found guilty as charged. It has been sentenced to death by shots of Lemsip!

The Joys and Sorrows of a Desi living in a Shared Accomodation in London

When I first came to London, I was really unsure about my life here.... I was not sure if I would be able to withstand the winter.... and more than that my lonliness...
I was not certain about anything in my life at that moment.... Would I be able to make new friends here? Will there be anything bright and beautiful in the almost gloomy life of mine?
Well, by the grace of God, Life has been just perfect...
Have met some great people.... made a lot of friends... have managed to land up with amazing roommates...
No one can ask for more.....
We have rented out a beautiful apartment in one of the residential complexes. It's really a beautiful accomodation. But sharing a flat with other people comes with its own set of boons and banes.. Let me list down a few of them.

Pros :
1. You just have to cut the onions and tomatoes and wait at the dining table. Rest everything is completed by your benevolent flatmates!
2. When you go out for groceries, you have many hands to carry the stuff to home.
3. When you feel lonely, you can just barge into other's room and talk to your heart's content. (Whether they actually listen is another matter altogether!)
4. Need to play Cricket or Football, all you need to do is to whistle ... and lo!!! you have a team of 4-5 ready!
5. When you buy a new TV or a satellite receiver, you have 3-4 other people to share the expenses.

Cons :
1. When you have a personal call to make... (A REALLY personal call), the only place that you are left undisturbed is the restroom ;¬(
2. You want to watch Friends, but your roomies veto it out and watch "Big Brother" instead!!
3. More people More mess!!! More shoppers so more unnecessary stuff at home !!
4. When you URGENTLY have to go( you know where ), there will already be someone else inside.
5. When someone buys and new gadget, that you very rarely use or (Do not absolutely need), you still have to share the expenses.

Have a great day!!

Fart-i-Fact

Watching Jackass:The Movie, I know, is very weird way to spend your Saturday Nights..
And having nothing else to do, Your's Truly and his Gang 'o Four, decided to spend the precious 2 hrs of their evening watching Johnny Knoxville and his band(read: Jackasses) perform idiotic stunts and getting themselves hurt in the process..
Well, one things for sure. Either you will be totally grossed out, or you will enjoy it till your bones rattle.
I have to tell you folks about one particular stunt, which triggered a array of thoughts in my mind. Have you ever thought of firing a rocket cracker from you A$$?
Well, The Jackasses have! It was one of the weirdest stunts that I have seen.
And it only question that came to my mind was "Can you burn fart?"
What if the actor had really farted during this act?
Can fart be ignited? Would there have been an explosion had he farted at that moment?
Mathematically speaking, the probability of farting at that specific moment would be very low.
These quesions made me devote some time on Sunday to surf the net and explore more about fart.
I now understand that some of parameters that lead to fart may be
a> The amount of beans+eggs+meat+cauliflower eaten the upto 24 hours.
b> Number of fizzy drinks had within 6 hours of the feat.
c> Number of chewing gums chewed within past 8 hours.
and many more on the same lines..
And as for the question whether you can ignite farts :
Research says that fart can be ignited because they contain methane and hydrogen, both of which are inflamable. If the fart constitutes of more percentage of methane, it will burn with blue flame.(Note : Methane burns with a blue flame. 10th Grade Chemistry)
Also if it contains higher than normal content of Oxygen, there is a very good change of an explosion, if you were to try to burn it.
I visited the local bookstore yesterday along with "Sarkari" who had planned to buy a good book.
While he was doing his rounds, in the cricketing books section, I wandered across to the weird and miscellaneous collection.
After browsing through a few rather weird books, I came across a title that really took me by surprise.
"Why Do Men Have Nipples?" by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg
And the tagline read :"Hundreds of questions you'd only ask your doctor after your third martini!"....
Well that's true. You wouldn't dare asking these questions to a doctor if you are sober ;¬)
So, I thought definitely someone would have the same query in mind as me. "Can you really really REALLY ignite fart".
Well this book answers this and a lot more such weird questions!
Definitely a good read!!!!

Happy reading......
Cheers!

Six Whacko Men....

Been a pretty long time since my last post... Was running on a tight schedule...
Will try to spare some solid time this week.

This picture, that you see alongside, was taken when few friends got together for a fun weekend!!!
FUN translates to (sports + booze + movies + awesome food)
I will now introduce you to the gang..(names are read out from the left...Your left).

Whacko 1 :Vishu,
-----------------
aka The Chicken Killer : named so because of his insatiable hunger for chicken!!
aka The Rebel : named so because of the fight that he put forward to get here(read: Onsite)
Note: Onsite is the most cherished place that a SE loves to be in.

Whacko 2 :Gagan,
------------------
aka The Artist : named so because of his undeniable talent with arts....and also his intermittent bursts of wierd reneditions of famous songs.
aka GBP : named so because of the uncanny similarity between his initials and Great British Pound

Whacko 3 :Sunil,
------------------
aka The WhizKid : named so because of he is the only one among us who in the Cambridge University
(more specifically, On a scholarship)
aka KappaJi : It's all in the name....Kappa is the first syllable of his surname, Ji is added out of honour.

Whacko 4 :Yours Truly,
-----------------------
aka The Genius : named so because of his ability to come up with geniunely weird ideas
aka Mamu : Dont know why???

Whacko 5 :Kanth,
------------------
aka The SportBoy : He once told me that he likes Sports, in all its various sizes and formats....A very enthusiastic Sport watcher.
aka Megastar Kanth : named so because of his passion for telegu movies!!

Whacko 6 :Atul,
----------------
aka The Saviour : named so by his colleagues for saving their A$$es during his many projects
aka Sarkari : again named by his colleagues for his routine departure from office at 6:00 in the evening sharp, very commonly associated with the Sarkari babus (Public Office Bearers).

Signing off....

Breakfast Tips for Bachelors..

You will find below some of the tricks that I use to prepare a decent breakfast.(I am not sure if others may classify this as a good breafast)
Most of it is healthy..but maybe not as heathy as an apple ;¬)
Your's truly shall not be held responsible if these recipies does not suit your palate.

1> Corn Flakes : This is the easiest, healthiest, and the most delicious way to start a day.
Type : Hot
Procedure : Take a bowl of Corn Flakes and pour a cup of milk in it. Add sugar to taste.
Place the contents in a microwaveable bowl and set it in the oven for 3.5 minutes on full power.
Expert Tip : Sprinkle some finely chopped nuts and a few raisins for additional flavour. Also a dash of
chocolate sypup will not go un-noticed.

Type : Cold
Procedure : Take a bowl of Corn Flakes and pour a chilled cup of milk to it. Add sugar to taste.
Add a some small slices of your local fruits for additional flavour.
Expert Tip : Finely sliced bananas go really well with this.

2> Scramble on Toast : Scrambled Eggs with Toast is another easy option for a healthy start to the day.
Type : Hot
Procedure : Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan. Put half a teaspoon of oil/butter to it.
Break 2 free range/caged hen eggs according to your preference and put in the pan.
Gently keeps stirring it. Add a pinch of red chilli powder and salt to taste.
Expert Tip : A generous spread of mayonaise will give the toast an awesone flavour. Goes really well
with the scrambled eggs.

3> Pancakes
Type : Hot
Procedure : Buy a ready made pack of pancakes. Place 2 in a microwaveable plate and heat for 40 seconds.
Ensure that the pancakes are piping hot beforre you eat.
Expert tip: A generous amount of Maple Syrup or ButterScotch Syrup makes these pancakes even tastier.

4> Ros'sandwitch and Tea
Type : Warm
Procedure : Toast 3 slices of bread until it is crisp and brown.
Spread a coat of peanut Butter on one slice. On another slice spread a good amount of bitter orange marmalade.
Join both the slices with the coated faces together. Now spead another coat of marmalade on
one side of the already coated toast. On the third toast apply any chocolate-vanilla spread and
join with the existing set.
Heat a cup of milk in a sauce pan. Add a small portion of ginger to it. Then add a teabag or two to it.
Bring it to boil. Now filter this into a large cup.
You are all set to have a great breakfast.
Expert Tip: Placing 3-4 mint leaves within the chocolate portion of your toast brings out a great taste.


Hope that this information is of help!

Have a great breakfast.
Cheers.

A shoulder to cry on...

"I know that this is over...
Now that we are through!
Nothing seems to make sense..
No matter what I do.
But, I try to pick these pieces..
And mend my broken heart.
All that comes to mind is..
Why did all this start?

I don't know...
I know not what to do?
Love ain't easy...
Oh can someone...
Stop this bleeding..
In this heart of mine? "
This is a melodious composition by a telegu music director, Ramana Gokula.

These two stanzas so beautifully captures my lonliness...

Why does it hurt when you lose someone/something you love?
Even though the loss could be partly credited to your insensitivity..and partly to your foolishness... You still feel the pain.
You can feel the pain slowing buildng up like a volcano; ready to erupt any moment.
Slowly and gradually your fingers feel numb....
Then all of a sudden you feel the touch of cold metal on your skin..
You cannot resist...you cannot move...
The blunt edge of the cold metal rests on your chest now...
You stop breathing, as if waiting for the metal to plunge through you and relieve you of your misery..
of your suffering...your loneliness...
The eerie silence hammers againsts your brain like clashing cymbals... the silence keeps building and so does your agony...
All of a sudden, the metals pierces its way through your skin... not enough to kill you...
but enough to make you bleed and aggravate your pain.

I close my eyes and try to think of the most pleasing moments in my life... fun times with family...
time with friends... Drop by drop, the wound is taking aways my strength. My mind goes blank!!
It feels as if the source that charges me is cut off.
I can hear the blood drops falling agains the tiled floor... as if dancing an rejoicing in my misery..

It is at moments like these that you miss your family and friends...
All we need at these moments, is a shoulder to cry on!!!

Suddenly, I am reminded of how beautiful it was to hear the raindrops beat across the windows..
Through the blurred window, I see my family.... happy!!! My friends... celebrating .
Colours return back to my eyes... The surroundings are not grim and dark anymore...

There is happiness everywhere... My pain is gone... the wound vanished!!!
I feel a hand on my shoulders.. and a gentle voice says : "Don't worry. Everything is OK.
There's a lot to celebrate in your Life. I will be there for you whenever you need me"

I look around and I see no one... but I shout with joy... "That's my guardian Angel!"
I am ALIVE & I need to CELEBRATE!!!

Heaven in your eyes..

One of my friends, Jeevan, mentioned in his blog about using Pandora to listen to music.
And believe it or not, I am now in love with Pandora’s Music Box.
It allows users to create a radio station that is almost 85% to their liking.(Don't ask me how I reached at this number ;¬)
You can add a station by adding one or more songs/artists you like.(Tip: Adding by songs will get you a better result)
These generous people at the music genome project add songs to your radio playlist according to the song/artist you chose to create the station.
You can then keep rating the playlist, and finally create the perfect radio station that you dreamed for ;¬)
You may find more details @ Jeevan's Alterlife
BTW, today, I tried to look for one of my favourite songs "No frontiers" on Pandora.
It's one of the sweetest songs ever; so beautifuuly sung by one of my favourite bands, The Corrs.
Well actually this is a cover version of an old song by the same name. ( I don't remember the artist though)
Another trivia about this song is that this song is not sung by the lead singer of the band, Andrea.
Instead this is sung by Sharon and Caroline Corr.
(Note: Andrea is the most beautiful of the three sisters. I have had a crush on Andrea too.... ;¬) It probably lasted a week)
Now back to our story, I could not find this song listed on Pandora.
So, I mailed the helpdesk about this and requested them to add this song their already amazing database.
I was not expecting a reply. But, to my surprise, I got a personal mail back from a guy in the Pandora support team, asking me to send the name of the album to which the reqested song belongs.
That's when, like a bolt of lightening, it crossed my mind that this song was also named as "Heaven Knows". I finally found my favourite song.
If you get time, then please do listen to this song. It will really soothe you, however hectic your day may be.
Here it goes:

"If life is a river and your heart is a boat
And just like a water baby baby born to float
And if life is a wild wind that blows way on high
And your heart is Amelia dying to fly

Heaven knows no frontiers
And I've seen heaven in your eyes

And if life is a bar room in which we must wait
'Round the man with his fingers on the ivory gates
Where we sing until dawn of our fears and our fates
And we stack all the dead men in self addressed crates

In your eyes faint as the singing of a lark
That somehow this black night
Feels warmer for the spark
Warmer for the spark
To hold us 'til the day
When fear will lose it's grip
And heaven has its way

Heaven knows no frontiers
And I've seen heaven in your eyes

If your life is a rough bed of brambles and nails
And your spirit's a slave to man's whips and man's jails
Where you thirst and you hunger for justice and right
And your heart is the pure flame of man's constant night

In your eyes faint as the singing of a lark
That somehow this black night
Feels warmer for the spark
Warmer for the spark
To hold us 'til the day
When fear will lose it's grip
And heaven has its way
And heaven has its way
When all will harmonise
And know what's in our hearts
The dream will realise

Heaven knows no frontiers
And I've seen heaven in your eyes
Heaven knows no frontiers
And I've seen heaven in your eyes"

I wish I could see heaven in someone's eyes.....
Sigh!

Have a great day.

Cricket Shiket Haye Rabba...

After coming to London, I have developed a greater passion of the Gentleman’s Game, “Cricket”.
Maybe the proximity to Lords, the Mecca of Cricket, is influencing me.
One of my close friends, a superb cricketer, once remarked that I had the mind of a cricketer and not the body… I still can’t get over it. ;¬(
But anyways, last Sunday we played a lot of cricket… (Basically a toned down British version of our very own desi gully cricket).

Talking of Cricket, reminds me of some of the now world famous Siddhuisms…

• “The ball went soooooo high up in the air that it kissed an air-hostess on its way back.”

• “He will fight a rattlesnake and give him the first two bites!”

• "Statistics are like miniskirts, they reveal more than what they hide."

• “In London they drive on the left, in India we drive on what is left!”

• “You got to choose between tightening your belt or losing your pants.”

• “Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.”

• “The Indian team without Sachin is like giving a kiss without a squeeze.”

• “The Only Thing You Get in Life without Trying is dandruff.”

• “You cannot make Omelettes without breaking the eggs.”

You may find more of these if you just run a search for “Siddhuism” on Google Search.

This morning, during breakfast, I was going through some articles in CricInfo.com and I came across another Siddhuism:

“If One Day Internationals are "Pyjama" Cricket the 20-20 competitions is "Chaddi" cricket…”

I shudder to think what Siddhu ji would say about our version of Gully Cricket.???
(I may be giving some great ideas to the Playboys and the Hustlers…. Or, maybe they have done this already.)

PJ, I know...

Cheers!!

The Anchor, the Sailor, and the Ship

"In the thunderous tempest called LIFE,
When only the dark rolling clouds are in sight...
When the sharp needles of raindrops pierces through my skin...
I feel no agony..no sadness...no pain..
'Coz I know that you are My Anchor, Sailor and my Ship."

I am not a poet...nor I pretend to be one...It's just one from the list of random awakenings that oft awake me from my slumber...

Isn't it true that our Lord is our saviour in all these precarious and tricky situations that we are stuck in?
Lord, You are the anchor, that holds our family together when the storm strikes.
When the current challenges and tries to engulf us and set apart our family, you are the sailor who rows the boat to safety.
You are the Ship, the safe house of our family...
We praise you today and evermore....

God Bless.

The Story of the Bens.....

There was nothing new today apart from the fact my room mates bought home "A bottle of Single Malt Whiskey".
It came along with a certificate of authentcity..That stated that it has been put in cask for 12 years and that it has the flavours of Speyside, the place where it was distilled.
It also stated that the water that has been used was from the springs from Ben Bracken.
Ben is to Mountain as Loch is to lake.
I am reminded of an incident that happened during our tour to the Scottish Highlands.
Our tour had a group of chinese people and I was unfortunate enough to be seated near them. They are by nature, very good people...The only thing thats bad about them apart from their poor english, is their eagerness with their cameras. They are really keen to capture everything that they see.
And by the way they ask a looooooooot of questions!!!!
The incident follows:

Nagging Chinese Hag(Not used in general context. I love the Orient.) : "Which mountain is that one?"
Me: "That's Ben Nevis! the highest mountain range in Scotland."
NCH: "Okay."
And she captures the ben in her high end megapixel camera.
NCH, pointing to the mountain next to the previous one: "Which mountain is that one?"
Me:"That's also Ben Nevis! Ben Nevis is an entire mountain range.". I replied with a smile, disguising the irritation that was slowly builing up.
NCH:"Okay."
She again points to the mountain and clicks.
NCH, poking me with her fingers:"What mountain is that one?"
A really irritable Me:" That's Ben Affleck!!!".
Unable to bear the torture any further I turn away from her and start gazing outside from the window and pretend to doze off.

;¬) Cheers!

Need For Speed - Underground

Past few weeks have been really FUN... My roomie Chippa a.k.a. The Chicken Killer,
introduced me to NFS - Underground....And boy, I am hooked onto it.
Superb Game...Really.
Note: I will introduce him to you folks shortly.
I remember my college days, when NFS-Porshe was a craze in the GVIT Boys Hostel.
Those late night chai and maggie noodles...God!I miss it.
And everyone in the room trying to outplay others in NFS.
Talking about NFS, I definitely need to mention something about this pal of mine, Jallu a.k.a JBC a.k.a. The MasterMind.
This guy would challenge to beat any record on NFS. Only thing that people had to do was let him alone in the room with the computer.
God only knows what he did in the room alone...But he would most often than not come out with a smile and "Ja dekh le. Tera record beat kar diya hai maine." dialog.
There is so much to write about this guy that I think I should dedicate this post to him.
This guy is one of the most brilliant guys I have met. He is an out and out flirt too .... very popular with the gals I must say ;¬)
Intelligent as he was, he was involved in many masterminded plots. It's a different story that most of them did not culminate to his satisfaction.

Now back to NFS - Underground, After having explored so much of it my next target is the newer version of NFS called Most Wanted.

See you at the finish line, Mate!
Cheers.

The Winds Of Change.......

I have been saving this post as a draft from a very long time...25 days to be precise..... :¬)
Today I decided to publish it and close the chapter..

When I first landed in London, I was under an impression that I too would be working in, say the 30th or 40th floor of a skyscraper.
But, when I reached my office in Liverpool Street, after having lost my way for 30 minutes, my dreams were totally shattered.
I walked into a 5 storey building which seemed to shout out loudly, it's 100 years of existence in my ears..

Well, to be frank I love changes..
"Change is the only constant thing in our life."
Having worked in India prior to this, this trip was a welcome change for me. Even though the office did not appeal to me, the work sure did.

Now last month, when the company decided to move its operation base to Canary Wharf, I was among the happier lot. Canary Wharf, unlike Liverpool Street, is one of the newly constructed areas.
The offices here are very similar to what I have dreamed about..

I have always loved the winds of change gushing against my face. I know and believe that it always bring me good tidings... And this time, the gift was that I rented out a beautiful apartment alongside a canal. ;¬)
And the icing on the cake is that I walk to my office!!!
"A little walk will definitely not hurt me." (Mr Fatty disagrees though..)

I have again waged a war against Fatty..Lets see who wins!!!

Have Fun!!!

House by the Lake...

Like a lot many people I know, even I have a dreamer in me. When things go rough, it's the beautiful carpet of pleasant and wonderous thoughts that Mr. Dreamer weaves, that soothes my nerves.
I am 25 now, a software engineer by profession, currently loving what I am doing. But, 15 year down the line, Mr. Dreamer doesn't see me continue doing the same.

He suggests that I rather buy a large ranch... raise livestock .. or maybe grow apples, strawberries, and other fruits in my farm....

Whenever Mr.Dreamer shares this dream with me....I am drawn to it like a moth to the light.... Oh! How much I love the dream of owning a house by the lake.... .a large farm .... and a ranch...
But this is all in Mr.Dreamer's dreams.

In reality will Your's Truly be able to do that? Well! He doesn't know.
There is always a thought that nags him..
Will his loved ones approve of this?

And that's when it strikes me that I have a very long period of time in hand to realize my dreams...but before that I have responsiblilties to shoulder...and promises to fulfil.

In Robert Frost's words:
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep. "

Have a great day! And may God fulfill all your desires.

Mumbai....(City of .......)

The following are my personal views, and the contents are not meant to hurt anyone's sentiments.

Wikkepedia says :

"Mumbai , also known in English (now unofficially) as Bombay,
is the capital of the state of Maharashtra,
and the most populous city of India,
Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India,
and houses important financial institutions,
such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE),
the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the corporate headquarters
of many Indian companies.with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006)."

Because of all this, Mumbai has been on the targest list for most terrorists ( read cowards who kill innocent people in the name of freedom fight, religion )
Little do they know, that these intermittent acts of cowardice cannot shake the faith of a nation as large as India.

Mumbai Blasts: We did it: Lashkar-e-Qahhar
PTI / New Delhi July 16, 2006

Is Pakistan really behind all these incidents? Should India actually close down all ties from Pakistan? can Pakistan survive alone, without a helping hand from India?
These questions and a lot others have always come to our mind, whenever we see an incident like the recent Mumbai blasts.

I am not the right person to answer these..But i do have my own views. I feel that Pakistan is really behind all these...they may not be masterminding it, but i am definite that they sure are lending a helping hand to these terrorist organizations..
India should stop importing stuff from pakistan...Let's us see how Pakistan's economy thrives if India lets go of it.

I am sharing a mail from one of my friends from Mumbai (a day after the recent blasts), Ajju:

What happened yesterday was horrific.. The death toll is sure to reach 200 (unofficial more than 500 dead and 800 injured)... It could have been one of us.. We are back to our own offices hoping everyone around us is safe.... We carry on with our regular lives just a day after our " nervous system " the mumbai metros are bombed.. We carried on with our regular lives just a day after our houses are flooded with water... We carried on with our lives just a day after some SENA ppl burnt buses and other thing just to prove a point... And we still carry on as though nothing happened. I am fed up of b'bay now guys. I dont think this can be a city where i would want any of my loved ones to ever visit, leave alone stay here.

Travelling in a local at 6 pm is an experience which is very hard to describe.200+ people are cramped in space designed to accomodate 75.... And an explosion to happen there, i shudder to think what people would have gone through.
Such cruelty and hatred against humanity. All the blasts happened within 11 min and in first class compartments which is packed with regular train travellers. People who were on sideboards were thrown off the train on to the tracks and were crushed by other trains and those who were inside were blown to pieces.

Where do u go what do u do? Life ki koi value hi nahi hai. I am sick to my stomach of these cowardly acts. Nothing else.

Thanks Ajju for sharing you agony and thougts with us.

Stay safe..

The Magic of Three!!!

This beautiful photograph is taken by Ann, a Taiwanese friend of mine, during her visit to the beach.
I was strangely attracted to the uncanny symmetry in the picture.
Wise Men say that an idle brain is devil's workshop. And idle as I am on a Sunday, I start my random and weird musings... I start picturing the same image with 4 gorgeous legs....Nah!! The allignment is not proper...
There is something really magical and strange about the number three...
"Three" for me symbolizes Stablilty..
When you want to keep your camera steady what does one use? Well, of course; A tripod...Not a quadrupod...not a pentapod....but a tripod.
What do you need to draw a star...You need two triangles.
There are a lot of references in the Bible of the number three..e.g. 3 temptations of Jesus Christ, The Holy Trinity, On the third day Jesus rose again...

Some historians say that the number three indicates completeness and is superlative—a thing is entirely what it is said to be. Like say, a person dead three days is definitely dead. Someone who is worshipped as thrice holy is perfectly holy.

And its not that three is always associated with the good always....You would already know that "Two is company...Three is crowd"...

I don't what I have jotted down...I am pretty much sure that this is not going to make a good read...

Have a great week ahead folks...
Cheers.

P.S> There is also the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice".... ~_~
"Three blind mice, three blind mice,
See how they run, see how they run,
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a thing in your life,
As three blind mice? "

The Genius..

It is really funny how the dumbest guy in the class would inevitably be labelled as the "Genius".
BTW, Yours truly has never been the "Dumbest Guy".... But people have addressed him as "The Genuis".
Well, the saying goes that Genuis is what Genius does!!
So the question that arises now is "What the $$$$ did I do to get labelled as a genius"?
Let me think!!! ( I am scratching my head now. )
Well I don't remember!!
Yours truly has been called by other names too. "Mamu", being the silliest of them all.
For the ignorant:
"Mamu" is slang for an indian constable(generally imagined to be in a half pants). Another relation of the word "mamu", is to "Shakuni Mama". The most cunning and shrewdest guy in the whole of Hindu Mythology.
This is a perfect example of sheer misunderstanding. I have never had a liking to half pants, nor was I half as cunning as "Shakuni".
Fact~ Keralites are assumed to be cunning.

But guys you need to understand that I am a fraud Mallu. I have never stayed in Kerala. I do not understand perfect Malayalam. I speak in a language which I classify as "Something like Malayalam". Maybe the guys who gave me this weird nickname need to enlighten me.

Now coming back to the nick that I like the most - "The Genius"
After 10 minuts of scratching my head...and another 15 minutes of sulking, I am now resigned to the fact that it was the case of " Apne muh aap miya mithu ".
Oh My God! I am a Self Proclaimed Genius ;¬(

Cheers.

P.S> The photo is of a cool dude named "Caliq", son of one of my friends bro. Sorry dude, I should have taken your consent before publishing your photo. But I guess you don't mind. All the gals who go thru my blog will definitely drool over you.

Sky is not the limit!!

During my 10th grade, one of friends had written the following quotes in a card.
I don't remember the occasion, but I do remember the quotes (Well! Sort of ;¬).. Here it goes..

It is in hoping that we dream....
In dreaming that we seek...
In seeking that we find...
Our life's desires...

So don't ever be afraid to reach for the skies.
Always believe that sky is not the limit...

Don't ever curb your imagination.... Whatever we see in today's world were once imagined.

Someone very wisely said, "If you can imagine it you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it.".

Have a great day! God Bless.

P.S> Don't daydream ;¬)

Ma - The strongest woman in the world

My mom is my Life ... my Inspiration ... my All!!!
She has mentored me throughout my life and will continue to do so evermore.
Well, truly speaking she is the strongest woman I have ever set my eyes upon, in the whole wide world.
I can still recall the morning of 24th September '03, the day that turned the life of my family upside down.
That was the day when I was supposed to leave back to Bangalore after having spent over a week with my parents.

Onam, the harvest festival of the Keralites, fell on the 24th of Sep '03.
Well there was no celebration for us, coz dad met with an accident the day before.

None of the Hospital staff... Doctors... Friends... Relatives, none of them had any hope that my dad would survive.
To tell the truth, after witnessing the condition of my dad even my mind was clouded with fearful thoughts... The only hope that I could see was in my Mom's eyes.
She believed that my dad would survive.

Such was the seriousness of the injury that even the doctors refused to operate on my dad unless we sign a paper that stated that if anything bad happens during the surgery they would not be held responsible.
I overheard people talking to my Mom and telling her that I should be made aware of the situation.
All of them believed that if my dad were operated on, he would never come out of the O.T. alive.
And my Mom, brave as she is, shielded me from all there painful words that I was just a kid.
A kid!!!! I was $$$**££ 23 years old, but I never bore the responsibility that I should have.
During that phase, and even now, my mom shouldered all the responsibilities.

She took command of our family and never lost her faith. She sometimes cried alone but almost never when we were near her. Even her faith must have been challenged at times, but she never lost hope.
She tended my dad, day and night!!
After being on an artificial respiration machine for over a month, my dad finally breathed by himself.
Even the doctors admitted that the recovery was nothing short of a miracle… and that it was due to the constant care administered by my Mom.

Our God, who works wonders, gathered our broken family together and gave us all a new lease of life.
By God's grace, my dad is well. Even though he is not physically and mentally a 100%, but we still thank God for whatever blessings he has bestowed upon us.

When others try to imagine how God would look like, I close my eyes and imagine my Mom. She is the closest to God that I can get.

I still feel sometimes that I never thanked my Mom as much as I should have done...
Thank you Mom, for being the backbone of our family. Thanks for giving me courage and strength when I needed it most.

To the best Ma in the world...I Love You.

The Luncheon...(The La Tasca Story)

Couple of weeks back I went to a Mexican resturant called Chillies and that brought back some memories of my luncheon at La Tasca ...

I could have named this post as "Close encounter with the snails and mussels!!!" but that sounded like a cheap Z-grade movie title.
So what are we waiting for? Let's start with "The Luncheon".

I have always been a fan of Mexican food...The food looks so delicious and appealing...
I am especially fond of fajitas...

But, that Sunday, I opted for the more exotic "Paella Valenciana", a Seafood plus Chicken Paellas. Little did I know that seafood need not necessarily mean fish.
We were served a large bowl of paellas with a combination prawns, squid, mussels, snails, monkfish & tuna...Mussels & Snails !!!
Oh My God!! What did I get myself into?

Couple of guys who had opted for a more common Vegetarian option were laughing at my plight. Having waited for over an hour for our food, we hogged on whatever was served.
With a fake enthusiasm, I tried to gather as many chicken pieces as possible from the wierd mix of sea food.
But on second thought, the food was not that bad. ;¬) And it was FUN.

Have a great meal folks!!!
Cheers.

The Haunting...

I cannot close my eyes.....I cannot sleep!!! the moment I drift into sleep, she comes to mind.

Who is she? What does she want? Why does she haunt me? All these questions are still unanswered..
I know she is stunning...but I havent seen her...
Something within me tells me that she is pretty.

Her voice is soft..like the gentle breeze that blows across the trees...The soft murmer...

These thoughts linger in my mind.

Is she for real? I don't know!!! She feels so real.
Is this Lust? Is this madness?
Has being away from my loved ones driven me to insanity?

I close my eyes...I drift away to sleep... Did someone just call me? I open my eyes, bewildered... Where am I? The landscape looks alien to me...No people around!!!!

Then I hear her gentle voice again...I hear hear singing out my name...I follow the voice...I can see her sitting in a field...I reach over and tap her shoulder....She turns .....and Zapppp!!!!!!!!!!

Before I could see her face, the whole world seems to tremble.....I can see the world shrinking before my eyes...My vision gets more blurred. Layer after layer, the world keeps shrinking till it becomes the size of a marble....The world stays still before my eyes...I look closely into it, desperately trying to find the faceless beauty that evaded me.....

Then all of a sudden without warning, the marble comes to life. It hisses and puffs, and then shoots towards my forehead....
BANG!!!!

I'm back to reality....soaked in prespiration...and sit still on my bed....floundered...

Another bad dream!!!! And yet again late for office!!!!

Krrrrrrishhhhhhhhh.......Na

Krrish!!!!!Dunno whats with the 'R's.... Numerology they say....
Why is it that Krrishhna Cottage (BTW I don't know if it had these many 'R's and 'S's) was a disaster and Krrish is a Mega Hit.
All are gaga over Hrithik's performance...and the grandness of the Rakesh Roshan product(pun intended!!)
The special effects were supposed to be equivalent to to Hollywood, if not bettter.
Boy!! I nearly broke into laughter after watching the movie...
I know what you are going to ask next. This was not supposed to be a comedy movie. It was an action adventure.
I laughed because the movie became a super duper hit. Did all the viewers leave their brains at home when they went to watch this movie? There was nothing new in the movie. The same old superhero stuff heavily borrowed from the "Original Caped Crusaders" (Read: Batman with Superman skills)
The first half is childish...with "Krishna", the seedha saadha gaun ka chora playing pranks with "Dunno what her name was", the sheher ki gori....
Rekha never looked her part as a 25 year old's Grandmom....She looked the same as she played mom to Hrithik in "Koi Mil gaya" the prequel to Krrish...or better known as the Indian version of the Speilberg special "E.T.".
But one thing I need to admit. Nobody could have pulled off playing Krrish with such elan as Hrithik did. Move over Khans....He is definitely a star!!
The movie, however bad it may be, will be thoroughly enjoyed by the Indian masses and is sure to be the biggest money spinner of the year.

P.S> I am eagerly awaiting "Superman Returns". Hope the movie works wonders. ;¬)

Love (F)Actually !!! ;¬)

Following are some facts about love which I have come across in various magazines, articles as well as interaction with other people.

a> Love is a profound feeling of CARING about someone or something.

b> Lust is not a part of Love. If you Lust then its definite that you do not love.

c> Love is always about Trust.

d> Sacrifice is a part of Love. But, if someone asks you to sacrifice something for the sake of Love, then its not love at all..

The most famous chapter on love in the Bible is from 1 Corinthians. Here it goes:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)

I am not a wise man, but let me answer what Love means to me:

"I love my Family. It is the one thing that I can sacrifice my life for without even blinking an eyelid. I feel comforted in their midst.
I love God. I trust him with my life. There has never been an obstacle that my loving Lord has not cleared away. Sometime I ask...but most often he does it even before I turn to him...
I have had lot of romantic crushes, but just one that I can classify as love coz I felt great when I was with her. She was so caring.
So, just to summarize, Love is the feeling of great Comfort, Trust and Caring that can make you happy whenever you are sad....that can motivate you whenever you are disheartened...that can fill your life with fragrance when the whole world is reeking of filth"

Showers of Blessing...

Don't we all secretly pray for blessings from our Lord Almighty?
I sure do that...I pray that every morning I be blessed with the best of days...
Isn't it perfectly normal that we are not happy with whatever we are bestowed with...and we crave for more?
I want to read out a couple of stanzas from one of my favourite hymns "Showers of Blessing"

There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.


The thing to notice here is that "mercy drops are falling around us"...but we still plead for "showers of blessing"...

I may not be interpreting it the correct way..

But I feel that Our Lord, generous as he is, listens to all our prayers..Even though we ask for more and more..he patiently listens to all and answers all.

Have a great day. God Bless you.

The Aftermath!!!!

What a game!!!! I was absolutely glued to my seat during the entire course of the match. The English played really well, even though they were a man (read Wayne Rooney) short.

Finally it came down to a penalty shoot out and in the end Portugal prevailed.
It was a tough game that saw Portugal unable to score even though they were a man up for the last 40 odd minutes.

It’s really tough on the fans who believed that England had a chance at the Cup.
“We are not going home”…This was the song that was being sung by all British fans..
But sadly, they are all heading back home. It’s really disheartening, but that’s life.

To see Lampard, Gerrard & Ferdinand cry is not a pretty sight.

But otherwise it was one of the more even matches in the whole World Cup 2006.

Rock of Ages.....

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

Wonderful hymn. Isn’t it?

The story goes that the lyrics of this hymn were inspired when Augustus M. Toplady got shipwrecked and took shelter from the storm & the rage of the sea by hiding under a rocky over-hang. He wrote the lyrics of this hymn on a deck of playing cards that was with him .

Praise The Lord! Halleuyah!!! How wonderful are his blessings.

God has been there for me throughout my life…and whenever I am afraid of anything I come to your shelter.

Thanks you Lord for being my Rock.

And, I will evermore praise and glorify you.