Are you a romantic?

The other day we had a professor from Auburn University visiting our lab. During a discussion with us students he said he thought of my Boss, their colleagues and himself and all those who started out their careers when quantum chemistry was not such a hot topic as romantics. He reminisced that in those days research was meant to advance the military operations while these men and women were working on simple molecules. No wonder they were laughed at by scientists from other fields. Yet they chose to continue in their pursuit.

I would not only call these quantum chemists romantics but courageous as well.

All through our lives our decisions whether they be about what third language to take in school, which college to join, what subjects to take, which course to go for, etc seem to be guided by the ultimate goal of securing us a job with a nice paycheck. We always tend to follow conventions, whatever is the norm. But in the process we also end up doing what everybody else does.

To do something different we not only need to dream but also have the conviction and mettle to venture on to paths yet uncharted and create our own trails. So let us this new year make a resolution to bring romance in our lives, albeit of a different kind.

HAPPY 2008 TO EVERYONE!!

Delhi again

The last twelve days I was in Delhi. I had gone for work but as usual it was simply a pleasure being there. The fact that it was winters added to the pleasure. I was put up in the same hostel where I had stayed two years back while attending a conference. It brought back some great memories. There is no better movie than the flashback that you see while lying down in a warm razaai or when having a walk in the pleasing winter sun.

Other than getting a lot of time for myself I also got a chance to catch up with old school friends. One I met after 4 years and another after nearly a decade. The ties made because of having gone to the same school can be really strong. Its reason enough to talk to someone years later from having been silent classmates who never said a word to each other.

On my final day in Delhi I got a precious half-an-hour with a very good friend of mine. In the midst of meeting a million people of because his newly changed status from committed to married, he managed to squeeze in some time for me. It was a joy seeing him and his better half. This was the first time I was seeing them together as we reside in different countries. It was simply lovely. I can't explain it but I had this big smile on my face as I left for my way back. I guess it was the realization that we've all grown up... we are no longer in school. Its just that I happen to remember many people exactly the way they looked years ago in our school uniform: a white shirt, a white pant/skirt with a green belt and a green tie and white socks with black gola shoes .

Attending an International Conference: getting funding and visa

The past three months I spent a lot of my time and energy in an attempt to attend the scientific international conference 2007 MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, Mass. from 26-30 November, 2007. I learnt a lot in this process. I have decided to share my experience here as I am sure it will be of great benefit to research students in scientific fields in India.

The first and foremost step in this grand journey is arranging your funding for travel, accommodation and daily expenses. Other than applying to one's own institution/department a student may apply to Department of Science and Technology-Delhi, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Delhi, and Center for Cooperation in Science and Technology among Developing Societies-Chennai. Clicking these links will take you to the sites from where you can download the respective applications forms.

Some points to note are:
(1) You must have a copy of the invitation letter for attending the conference as it needs to be attached with all these application forms.
(2) You should start making efforts to get the original letter of invitation from the organizers as it may take time to reach you.
(3) As you only get partial assistance for traveling you should apply to different agencies simultaneously to cover all your expenses.
(4) These scientific agencies require that you apply at least 8 weeks in advance from the date of your conference.
(5) The sites say that you are likely to hear from them only 3-4 weeks before your likely date of departure. But I received a rather quick intimation from both DST and CCSTDS. Basically it depends on when the committees meet to take a decision on the various applications that they receive.

Once the applications are posted you can start working on getting cheap airline tickets and less expensive places of accommodation in the city where the conference will be held. You may make use of a travel agent for this purpose or check out the following websites: Orbitz.com, Priceline.com and Hotwire.com. I preferred to take help from NCL's official travel agent TCI. The advantage here is that a travel agent can block tickets for some weeks for which no payment is required. While if you were to do an e-booking on your own the airline will instantly deduct money from you account which may or may not be refundable.

Another very important step is getting the visa for the country you wish to travel to. In my case I needed a US visa. This involved a three step procedure: (a) payment of visa fees at HDFC Bank (b) after a gap of 2 working days allowing for processing of the fees fill an online form and secure a date for interview at the most suitable Consulate (c) submission of documents not less than 5 working days before your date of interview.

Do take note of the days on which the Applications Center and Consulate will be closed for calculating the number of working days correctly. For more details regarding the processing check out the following VFS-US website: http://www.vfs-usa.co.in/. This is the site you have to return to for filling the online form (i.e. step b).

At the day of your interview in the Consulate you should make sure that you carry all the necessary documents with you. Place labels so that you do not lose time when taking out whatever paper the Consulate Officer desires to see. Do remember to get a No Objection Certificate from your institute stating that the Head has nothing against your applying for a visa. You MUST HAVE IN ORIGINAL all proofs of the funding that you have secured. When I went the first time for an interview I had only partial funding and so the Officer raised an objection. According to him since I was going to attend a scientific conference I could not fund it from my own pocket eventhough I could afford it.

By the time I went for my second interview I had received ample funding to cover all my expenses. Despite that the Officer put the decision on my visa application on hold. It seems now even those going only to attend a scientific conference in the US have to fill the Technical Qualifications Questionnaire. The Mumbai US Consulate website (http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/hitechbs.html) says that applicants should take a filled copy of this questionnaire, their biodata and copies of their publications along with them at the time of interview.

I unfortunately didn't know this last piece of information beforehand and hence I could not receive a decision on my US Visa application well in time. So after putting in all the efforts I had to cancel my trip to Boston. It was disappointing but that is how you gain experience which equips you for the future.

Diwali memories

This diwali I happened to miss my school very much.

I remembered how a day before diwali no one would be in a mood to study. There used to be a lot of excitement in anticipation of the last two periods which were declared free for us to enjoy. Against the rules students would bring crackers. In between classes surprise checks were organized by the Senior Appointments in an attempt to confiscate the contraband. Despite that bursting of (diwali) bombs before the allotted time would take place breaking the monotony of the classes.

Once I remember how we'd hidden patakhas in our classroom cupboard and locked it. Whenever an Appointment would come we'd say that the cupboard monitor had left the keys at home. Luckily for us that day our class teacher was absent so that was one less lie.

Other than protecting our loot time was spent by giving teachers "Happy Diwali" greetings cards made on our own. I would give cards selectively to my favourite teachers.

After the 6th period all students were left on their own. Everyone would come down to the grounds. It was utter madness. Some of us girls would huddle together while the boys would have a field time bursting crackers wherever they wished. So however careful you were you wouldn't know where the bombs had been left to explode. While this was scary and the noise deafening I would still love it all. The part I'd wait for was the really long ladis that were specially bought by the school authorities to be burnt. Once lit the noise would last for quite a few minutes!!

Men and leadership

Found this hilarious quotation in yesterday's (7 November, 2007) Times of India:


Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men,
the other 999 follow women.
- Groucho Marx


I absolutely agree... truer words were never spoken!

Garfield and Ron on a diet

Jab We Met

Watching the latest Shahid Kapur-Kareena Kapoor movie Jab We Met has prompted me to write this post. The film story is that the hero-heroine meet on a train. Aditya Kashyap (Shahid) is escaping from his troubles. Geet (Kareena) is on her way home. They get off the train at one station and end up missing it. There after begins a journey which the two take together all the way from Ratlam to Bhatinda and then to Manali. At Manali they part ways. Geet stays on to meet her boyfriend with whom she wants to get married while Aditya returns to Mumbai to begin life with a new found vigour. Do they meet again? Do they fall in love? That's for you to see.

The concept of Jab We Met is not new. There have been quite a few before where the lead pair embark on the journey and as it ends they fall in love.

A classic example is Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi. Pooja (Pooja Bhatt) has run away from home. Raghu Jaitley (Aamir Khan) is a reporter for whom she is a khabar (news). A misunderstanding occurs in the end and Pooja decides to marry Deepak. Her father (Anupam Kher) reveals her the truth while taking her to the mandap. Pooja pushes Deepak aside while taking the pheras and runs away for a second time to meet Raghu in the same bus where they'd come across each other first.

In Pyar Toh Hona Hi Tha, Ajay Devgan decides to help Kajol to get snatch her lover back from the arms of another woman. In this process however they end up falling in love. In Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Vanraj (Ajay Devgan) takes on a journey with his wife Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) so that he can unite her with Sameer (Salman Khan), the man she was in love with before marriage. But when that moment arrives Nandini tells Sameer "pyar karna maine tumse seekha lekin pyar nibhana maine apne pati se seekha hai". With that she returns to join her husband.

Even though all these stories sound similar what sets them apart and makes them endearing and entertaining is the odyssey each couple takes. Its like the lines of the song Shahid Kapur sings "manzil se behtar lagne lage hain yeh raaste" (these roads look better than the final destination).

Nothing as interesting (read meeting Shahid Kapur) has happened to me on any of my journeys. I do remember however my first sojourn by train with a friend and no parental guidance in the holidays following 2nd Year of BSc. We were going to Pune from Delhi in order to work on a summer project. There was this really talkative Uncle-Aunty. In the middle of the night they were joined by their daughter who was even more talkative. They went on chatting keeping us awake till it was nearly morning. When sleep left our eyes completely these people decided to doze off. It was very bugging. I hadn't said anything earlier because I had thought they were going to get down sometime in between and that's why they were behaving the way did. That clearly wasn't the case. So later on when they got up I had a nice fight with the daughter who didn't even have a ticket and had been occupying our seats. Angry she went to the topmost berth and fell asleep and didn't come down until we reached Pune!! The other thing that I remember is me getting off at one of the intervening stations and buying some cold drinks. My friend and I saved a part of it and only when we set our foot in the guest house room did we drink it while raising a toast to an uncomfortable journey which we were not sure would come to an end.

The Blue Umbrella

Yesterday I saw the Vishal Bhardwaj directed movie The Blue Umbrella. The film is based on a Ruskin Bond novella (short novel) with the same title.

The story is set in a small village somewhere in the mountains. One day a little girl Biniya is given a beautiful Japanese blue umbrella by a tourist visiting the village in exchange for her necklace. Biniya proudly carries it around everywhere in the village and becomes the center of attraction. She also becomes a target of jealousy as some now want to possess that very umbrella.

Nandkishore Khatri (Pankaj Kapur) owns a tea stall and is always on the look out for collecting unusual things that are not easily available in their small locality. He now has his eyes set on acquiring the blue umbrella. He tries to bribe Biniya into giving her chatri to him but she refuses.

And then Biniya loses her blue umbrella. She suspects Khatri to have been the culprit but is unable to prove it. Some days later Khatri receives a parcel which is a Japanese red umbrella. All the love and attention that was earlier on Biniya is now given to Khatri. He even is invited to be a special guest at a local wrestling competition. As he is making a speech after the match it starts raining heavily. Soon the red colour of the umbrella gets washed away revealing the original blue colour underneath.

The panchayat having discovered Khatri as a thief and a liar decide to punish him by throwing him out of the village. Having been abandoned Khatri's tea stall is now a rundown place surronded only by snow and is a picture of the lonely life he is living. He still goes to the village as that is the only place he knows and can call his own. But he gets sneered there by the villagers and even the children refuse to take any free toffees from him.

Biniya is saddened to see all this and returns the blue umbrella to Khatri saying "yeh meri nahi hai (this is not mine)". With that everything gets set right. The winters obliviates and the sun returns. The tea stall is running to its old glory and Khatri regains his lost position.

The Blue Umbrella is a very simple film but what makes it special is Pankaj Kapur's acting, amazing photography by Sachin K. Krishn and the underlying theme of the story.

We all get easily attracted to all that is beautiful, be it a painting, a dress, a piece of jewellery, antique furniture or even a person. And if we owned one of these then some people would be in awe of us, some would come to praise us while still others would turn green with envy. Don't we all want to get everyone's attention.! We all want to be loved and respected!

How sad it must be then to be abandoned by your near and dear ones. Think of the elderly who are left at old age homes instead of being taken care of in their own homes. Think of the babies who are left some place by their parents who no longer want to take responsibility.

Why me?

This is one question which we end up asking ourselves when facing some very tough situations in life. We question God for putting us through our ordeal.

I'd read in a book that God does not like to get into an argument. He will never answer the question "Why me?" The author went on to say that the right the question is not "Why do bad things happen?" but "What happens to people when bad things happen to them?"

Do they take a turn for worse? Do they lose faith? Or do they rise above all of it?

I've often said (to myself) that when we do not question anything good happening to us, then we should not complain about the bad either. We should think of the darkest of days as challenges thrown at us by life which we should not fear facing head on.

What becomes of us following turbulent times is a reflection of our character and strength.

---------------------------------------------------------------
PS: Read this really nice story It's all in your response put as a post by Vibgyor.

Rules - pyar ka superhit formula

There is something inherently sweet about this movie: Rules - Pyar Ka Superhit Formula that whenever I watch it I can't help but smiling. It could be because I am, putting it mildly, an admirer of Aamir Khan and a succour for romantic comedies which are rare in Hindi filmdom.


The story is very simple.


Radha (Meera Vasudevan), an assistant photographer, is a huge fan of the model Vikram Verma (Milind Soman). One day her agency gets to shoot an ad campaign with Vikram and his girlfriend Maggie (Namrata Barua). Eventhough they are now working together Vikram does not notice Radha. Enters Daadima (Tanuja) who decides to help out her grandaughter by teaching her aakarshan ke paanch niyam (5 rules of attraction).


Rule No. 1: Aadmi ka dhyaan paana ho toh use dhyaan mat do. If you want to catch a man's attention then don't give him any attention.

That day Vikram asks Radha her name.

Rule No. 2: Aadmi ke peeche bhaagna use khud se dur bhagaana hai. Use bhaagne do tumhaare peeche. Running after man makes him run away from you. Let him come after you.

That day Vikram shares a taxi with Radha.


Rule No. 3: Aadmi ke liye hamesha ek raaz ban kar raho. Have a certain mystery about yourself in front of the boy.

That day Vikram dances with Radha in a party and drops her home.

Rule No. 4: Aadmi se hamesha ek baat chupake rakhna ki usme tumhe dard pahuchaane ki taaqat hai. Don't let the man know that he has the capacity to hurt you.

That day Vikram kisses Radha.



Rule No. 5: Agar aadmi se pyaar ka izhaar karwaana ho toh uski bahut tareef karo. If you want to make a man confess his love to you then you should praise him a lot.

That day Vikram says I love you to Radha.


By following these rules Radha gets what she wants afterall. But thats when it strikes her that she had been playing tricks on Vikram all along... that by playing by the rules she did not give him any choice but to love her. She tells him the truth believing that she couldn't be in love with him otherwise she wouldn't have done any of this.


Daadima takes charge for a second time to bring the two together knowing that Radha is being foolish. She remarks "Aakarshan ke toh phir bhi niyam hote hain par pyar ke... koi nahi."


In the climax of the film Radha climbs inside a hot air balloon to take some pictures during the shooting of a music video and it accidentally leaves ground. Our hero jumps to catch hold of the rope hanging from the balloon and climbs up to rescue his lady love!!


The following dialogues however save the ending from becoming melodramatic.




"Radha: Jab main chaudah saal ki thi toh maine ek photo dekha aur mujhe pyaar ho gaya. Woh tumhara photo tha. Jab main badi ho rahi thi pyar mere liye sirf ek khayal tha. Pyar ki kain tasveerein banaa rakhi thi maine apne mann mein... filmon se, romantic kitaabon se, gaano se. Aur har us tasveer ko main pyar samajhti rahi. Laal gulaabo ka ek guldasta, candle light dinner, barsaat mein saath saath bheegna, Valentine's Day pe kisko ek teddy gift karna, safed ghode pe ek rajkumar ka aana, bageeche mein gaane gaana, pyar bhare khat likhna, Bobby mein Rishi Kapoor aur Dimple ka ek kamre mein akele bandh ho jaana...


Lekin ab main jaan gayi hoon woh pyar nahi hai. Pyar woh hai jo...


Vikram: Jo tum mere liye mehsoos karti ho. "



Radha's description of love as 14 year old is so true. It comes very close to what I still associate with romance. So also are the lyrics of the song Kabhi phool dena... which tells what all happens in the name of love.



Kabhi phool dena...

Kabhi phool dena manaane ke liye
Kabhi dur rehba sataane ke liye
Aur kabhi kabhi khamosh baithe
Yunhi baahon ke sahaare
Suraj bujhaana saagar kinare
Phir raaton ko chaand ugaana
Waise pyar ke naam yeh toh yaaron
Sab hua hai
Ab yeh pyar bhi ho jaaye bas
Itni dua hai
Kabhi raahon mein phirte rehna
Bina kahe bas yunhi sunte rehna
Kammo mein uski saanson mein
Jalte hue pighalte rehna
Its only love I want to
Hold on to
And forever let it stay
Its only love that I need
Its only... only love

Janmo ke waade
Har baat pe kasam
Kabhi jaan kehna
Kabhi kehna haan sanam
Aur sau sau baar yeh kehna
Le aayenge hum taare zameen pe
Jo kahoge toh jaan bhi denge
Waise pyar ke naam yeh toh yaaron
Sab hua hai
Ab yeh pyar bhi ho jaaye bas
Itni dua hai
In lamhon ko rokne ki
Woh naakaam koshishein karna
Jo guzre hain saath unko
Phir yaadein banaake rakhna
Its only love I want to
Hold on to
And forever let it stay
Its only love that I need
Its only... only love

Love you... Aamir

Aamir Khan has finally revived his website http://www.aamirkhan.com/ and in what a smashing way!!

Aamir Khan is going to show the very first preview of his directorial debut Tare Zameen Par on his website. He is going to continue blogging with all the original posts and comments being shifted to aamirkhan.com. The most exciting news is the feature of a 24x7 live chat room where he'll drop in somtimes by announcing earlier and on other occasions as a surprise. In his personal chat he'll invite some chosen few to chat with him one on one until he decides to stop.

Amazing right!!

As always Aamir Khan's ideas are original and I love him for that.

I am copying his latest and also the last post on the Lagaan Blog here for everyone to know what my favourite actor is upto. :)

"Goodbye. Last post.

Well folks, all good things must come to an end and it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that this is my last post on this blog. I want you all to know how much I have enjoyed interacting with you’ll and will terribly miss this very intimate space that I shared with you. I know that along with me many of you have also gotten used to this space and have got used to hanging out here. Friendships have been formed here and new acquaintances made. Ideas exchanged and comfort zones created. Not to mention squabbles. Unfortunately all of this will have to end now. The reason guys, is that henceforth I will simply not have either the time or the bandwidth to continue with this blog.

Before I get all emotional let me say a quick goodbye and make my exit, as this is tough for me.

Alvida.

Love.

Aamir.

Gotcha!!!
This blog is coming to an end folks and I wont have the time and bandwidth
because THE PARTY IS SHIFTING TO http://www.aamirkhan.com/

I can’t see your faces right now but I’d give my right arm to be able to.
Sorry guys I couldn’t resist it. Ok let me get serious now.

Over the last few weeks apart from working on the post production of TZP, I
have been working on activating my own web site http://www.aamirkhan.com/ , which is
why I have not been very regular on my blog. Currently I am launching my site
with only two features, one is my blog which will continue as before, and the
second is a chat. This is probably the first of its kind (I think) and it was
developed on specific requirements given by me. This will be a 24/7 live chat.
Anyone wanting to be part of it can just jump in. Whenever I plan to come on
live on to the chat I will give you’ll prior notice…, or I might not. Which
means, that if I have 10 mts free I can log on, and if I see an interesting chat
taking place then I can just join in. Also this chat will have two rooms. One is
the general chat room where everyone will be and the other is my personal room.
So I can pick anyone from the general chat room into my personal room to have a
one on one. Every one can watch us chat while they continue in the general room
but you can’t come in. You come in only if I click on one of you, and leave when
I want to invite someone else. Got It? Well once you see it on the site you’ll
get the picture. Importantly if I chat from a computer which has a camera then
you’ll see me live as I type. I hope this puts an end to speculations about
whether its really “me”.

Also, to view my site you don’t have to register, but to post a comment on
the blog or to take part in the chat you do have to.

Ok now for some time lines.

1. This blog i.e. lagaandvd.com will cease to function on the 9th Oct at
precisely 11:59pm Indian Standard Time. All the posts on this blog will carry
forward into the archives of aamirkhan.com, so you can still access all the
earlier posts and comments.

2. www.aamirkhan.com will be operational from 10th Oct at 12:01am Indian
Standard Time. And hopefully my first post on http://www.aamirkhan.com/ will be up
then.

3. On 10th Oct at 9pm Indian Standard Time I will come on for my first live
chat with y’all. I will remain live for precisely one hour 9pm to 10pm. So make
sure you have registered before that.

4. On 11th Oct I will reveal to y’all the first images of TAARE ZAMEEN PAR.
This will be through a curtain raiser that will be on the site http://www.taarezameenpar.com/ .
Remember I had promised that y’all will be the first to see anything of the
film. Well here it is. This curtain raiser breaks world wide in theatres on 12th
Oct, but you can see it on the 11th at http://www.taarezameenpar.com/

5. On 12th Oct the curtain raiser breaks in theatres world wide and I would
really like it if y’all could catch it on the BIG screen, 5.1 Dolby surround
sound and all.

6. On 13th Oct I will once again come on live from 8pm to 9pm IST. By now
I’ll be dying with anxiety to hear what you’ll think of the curtain raiser.

At this point I would like to thank Carlton and his team at hungama.com,
Kalpendu, Nishant, Ninad, Aditya and Manesh who are from the creative team, and
Tarun who is from the tech team. These are the people who were behind the
lagaandvd blog. And thanks to Mandar, Gauri and Kalpendu for developing the chat
which I will be using on ak.com.

I’d like to clarify that within the given time I have not been able to work
in other features yet on ak.com, but I’ll keep adding them as we go along. Also
I’ve had absolutely no time to work on the design front so right now ak.com is
extremely plain and simple, no frills.

So see y'all next on http://www.aamirkhan.com/ "

Ten on ten

Today I completed my 4 month transform package at the gym!! Yipee!!

Summarizing, the first 3 months I was very regular going 6 days a week to Solaris. But after that I got tired. I lost steam. I bunked many times and the days I did force myself to go I didn't follow my weight training and exercise seriously. But I kept on with my dieting and didn't resort to binging on unhealthy foods. The result is that I have succeed in achieving my target of reducing my weight by 10 kgs!!

I am now taking a break from the gym for a month. But I am going to keep up with the disciplined lifestyle that was introduced to me on 6th June, 2007. I am not going to sit idle. I am going to play serious badminton with a friend every morning starting Monday. This will be a welcome change.

I have however decided to join Solaris all over again after this brief period. When I do that I plan to take up a personal trainer who will motivate me when I start slacking. The target will remain the same as the first time... to score another ten on ten.

A tale of two cities

Of all the cities in India that I've been to, the ones that I imagine myself settling in are Delhi and Bangalore. Read on to know why this is so.

I was just 2 months old when I first arrived in Delhi. Its the city where I grew up and which I grew to love. I've now been living in Pune for over three years. This is where my home is. But its when I go to Delhi that I actually feel as if I've come home. Its a strong bond of some 23 years!!

True I used to dislike its summer season. But I equally loved and still love everything that the dilli ki sardi brought... sitting in the garden under the lazy looking sun, the warm razaai which I would just not want to get out of every morning, the cold winds turning me into Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, the fogs so dense you could bearly see the neighbouring house, the waaf (cloud) coming out of my mouth as I'd take a puff from the invisible cigar imagined to be held between my fingers, the half an hour late school timings, the Mummy-made sweaters, the hateful scarf which I would take off the moment I'd get inside a bus, the rains which would inevitably fall on Christmas like showers of blessings and my shivering as a result of refusing to wear anything warm in our Christmas party.

Besides that Pune absolutely pales in front of Delhi. Afterall Dilli ki baat hi kuch aur hai! The moment you step a foot there you get an absolutely different feel.

No wonder wanting to keep my ties with Delhi intact, when I had just joined my lab in NCL I would introduce myself by saying that "I stay in Pune but I am basically from Delhi." Though I no longer use that line whenever someone wants to pull my leg he/she recites my dialogue loud and clear without fail.


With Bangalore it was a completely different story. It was love at first sight. My sister's wedding reception resulted in my first trip there. The morning of the reception Ulka and I explored MG Road and Brigade Road. A day after with a car at our disposal Daddy and I did quite a bit of moving around. I found everything grand be it the IISc Campus, Bangalore Palace, Vidhan Soudha, Forum Mall or Kemp Fort. Short though my visit was I returned to Pune to announce to everyone that I'd found the city I wanted to live happily ever after in.

I have been to the city 3 more times since then. Once on official purposes to attend a summer school for two weeks. They made us work so hard that I was actually happy to head back to Pune. On the other two occasions things were leisurely. Besides Ulka would pamper me at home. Everyday we had to do something different. She always took me to the most coolest places for shopping and I would always come out impressed with every mall and food court we hit. Take my word as I speak from experience Casa Picola serves the yummiest chicken and fish burgers.

One of the things that I have heard people complain about is the heavy traffic in Bangalore. May be if I were to get caught in it everyday I wouldn't like it either. But other than that I don't think there is any grudge that one could hold against it.

What surprises me most is that eventhough I don't know every nook and cranny of Bangalore, I somehow never feel like a stranger there.


Between Delhi and Bangalore I wouldn't be able to make a choice on my own. I am hoping for time to take care of it.

Some bad luck and some good luck

Just like millions of Indian cricket team's supporters I too was looking forward to watch the Twenty20 World Cup final against Pakistan. At 5.30 pm on Monday I found myself glued to the television. After an hour suddenly the cable went away. Every minute I prayed it to come back. But my bad luck. The screen remained blurry.

Not a person to give up easily, I decided to follow the match on Radio Mirchi. On most occasions when I want to hear songs all I get to hear are ads. But on Monday evening when I didn't want to listen to music thats what was being played without breaks!

Suddenly it struck me that I could learn about the score on the internet. So I turned on the computer but much to my dismay the server was down. That's what Adrian Mole would call "worse luck."

I could hear claps, cheers and whistles coming from near by colonies and my longing for seeing the match increased by a good 100 folds.

From the drawing room window of our house we can see flats in the building standing upfront. I noticed that a tv was on in one of the apartments where some boys stay. But I couldn't see it clearly because of the great distance in between. I remembered luckily at that time that Daddy had been gifted binoculars. Still better I managed to find them.

Using those binoculars I saw nearly the entire Pakistan's innings. I was really scared all the time that one of the guys will suddenly decide to look out of the window or go to the balcony to find me peering into their lives. I persevered against all odds pretty much like our team who went on to clinch the coveted championship.

Its astounding... the things we sometimes do to get what we want.

Hope floats

Remember Red, hope is a good thing, may be the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
- movie Shawshank Redemption

If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.
- Martin Luther King (I have a dream... speech)

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
- Oscar Wilde

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
- Dale Carnegie

What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.
-Emil Brunner

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all.

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

- Emily Dickinson

Spin-a-yarn

"There is always a story behind a picture."

says Julia Ormond who plays a photographer in the movie Sabrina, to Harrison Ford.

In my final year at school as Director Publications I had organized a week long literary event called Born Free to celebrate 50 years of Indian Independence. The competitions of the literary week were such that students from class sixth to class twelfth could participate in them. We had a book reading competition, an Enid Blyton quiz, a poetry writing competition, an essay writing competition and my personal favourite of the lot the Spin-a-yarn contest. In the latter we gave contestants chits to pick and each chit corresponded to a particular photo. Depending up on what the photo told them they had to spin a yarn, that is, write a story.

One of the photos was of hundreds of mice surrounding a bowl of milk. It was a coincidence that this picture came the way of a good friend of mine participating in the competition. I had thought that my friend's effort was one of the best stories but to my disappointment the judges felt differently.

I have to admit that while it may seem that the inspiration behind Spin-a-yarn was Julia Ormond's dialogue the suggestion to hold such a competition was actually given by my elder sister. My sister who was then doing her graduation used to tell me about the various festivals stretched over days going on in not just her college but also through out Delhi University. This got me excited enough to organize Born Free in school.

The Literary Week turned out to be a huge success and we even managed to get a monetary grant allotted from our Principal to give books as prizes to all the winners!!


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The original post was:
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In the movie Sabrina, Julia Ormond while urging Harrison Ford to take photographs of the scenic beauty around them says "There is always a story behind a picture."

What kind of story would my photograph tell? It would depend on a number of things. Like...

Is it a baby pic or a grown up one?
Whether I was simply posing or was caught doing some action?
Am I standing alone or am I part of a group?
Whether alone or amidst a crowd, am I looking happy or crying or frowning?
How are the other people seeming to interact?
What is the backdrop of the picture? A room, a stage or some beautiful landscape? Or was the photo taken during a celeberation?

The answers to these questions will help reveal my story though only in part. A collection of photos would give away a lot more. Even with the thousand words spoken by each photo, the compilation may still fail to tell the entire tale of my life. But whether a partial or complete account is disclosed what kind it shapes into lies up to us.

Very simply be good if that is what what you want your photos to say.

Success stories

Everyday while commuting the 10 minutes distance by road from my home to NCL I see hundreds of people. Many live in luxurious apartments and many more have an impoverished existence. But does this mean that only the ones with wealth are accomplished?


What about those people who struggle everyday but never give up? And those who continually work for a better future even while knowing they may never reach dizzying heights?

What about the father who always puts his family's needs before his own desires? And the ailing mother who forgetting her pain is always planning for her children?

What about the son whose eyes never miss his parents' selfless acts and does everything possible to fulfil their dreams? What about the daughter who when the time requires takes on all the responsibilities on her not so broad shoulders?


All these might not make to prime time news but aren't these success stories as well?

Jealousy

I feel pangs of jealousy on many occasions like...

when I read a beautifully written piece (post actually)
when I hear soul stirring music
when I come across heart tugging lyrics
when I see someone possess a charm that connects them easily with the people they meet
when I find a person climbing ladders of success
when I meet a couple very much in love

I know that exceptional words, music, lyrics, charm, success and love do not always come easily. So while turning a shade green I also end up simultaneously admiring those who've achieved partially or completely all of the above.

I may not mean anything ill but envy can't be something good because it doesn't leave me happy.

Ratatouille: change is nature

Yesterday evening I saw the movie Ratatouille (pronounced Rat-a-2-ee). I found it to be more than just a fun film. It taught me a great lesson through the story of Remy.

Remy is a rat - a rat with a gift. By simply smelling a dish he can tell what all ingredients went into making it. When rats are supposed to steal food for surviving he dreams to be a cook!! In the face of strong disapproval from his father Django, Remy sets out to turn his dream into a reality.

At one point in the film Django presents to Remy a bleak future by showing him a shop displaying dead rats killed by the rat poisons that it sold. But Remy does not waver. The following dialogues are then exchanged between father and son.

Remy: No. Dad, I don't believe it. You're telling me that the future is... can only be... more of this?
Django: This is the way things are. You can't change nature.
Remy: Change is nature, Dad. The part that we can influence. And it starts when we decide.

What we want to become is indeed in our hands. All we've got to do is believe in our potential. We shouldn't let anyone set limitations to our goals. When feeling down we should remember the advice a bird had given to a mouse (in Stuart Little - 2)

"you are as big as you feel."

Back to the grind

Some two Friday's back I found myself whining in front of Lalitha saying that "I have no work to do. Give me some work to do."

Lo and behold God my plea and for once gave me what I desired much sooner for my liking.

I had just spoken those words when my boss entered the lab to tell me that the report of my paper had come. The reviewer had put up some questions which needed to be answered. Revising the paper kept me busy for a few days.

Then yesterday I had a discussion with my boss and another professor. Its outcome was out that I now have to do more calculations before we can communicate my second paper. The results will ofcourse add value to it and will only refine my paper.

For that I have to get back to the grind.

Though this is what I had asked for, suddenly I am not so enthusiastic about it. :p

My comments on Lagaan Blog (3)

Click on the titles below to see Aamir Khan's posts.

POST: Ghajini

I haven't seen either Ghajini or Memento so can't suggest any hindi title for it. Ashutosh Rana and Atul Kulkarni are great actors who would excel in the villain's role. Rana's postman in the movie Dushman was really creepy.

I have got to mention this one of my friends Lalitha is a huge fan of Surya. So she felt really pleased when I told her that it was Surya who persuaded Aamir Khan to accept the offer of remaking Ghajini. :)



POST: Its Memento not Momento

Instead of calling a film bad you instead say that it didn't work for you. That's very decent of you. But some films are terrible and leave you wondering what made the producer spend so much money.



POST: Of Federer, fans, Fanaa and Films

I saw the Federer and Nadal match. It was awesome. Both the players were on equal footing. But I was on Feferer's side. I was watching a tennis match after a long time and it was worth my every second's attention.

I was not expecting Fanaa to be purely a love story. When Rehaan is revealed as the mastermind behind the bombings I thought something interesting would happen. So the second half was a let down. But the dialogue "aap Rehaan ko utna pyaar nahi karte jitna woh aapse karta hai" became a hit. My brother-in-law loved your performance in Fanaa. In his own words you gave a realistic performance. I am sure whether people liked Fanaa or not they could not have left feeling unimpressed by you.

Like with many things it is indeed difficult to please everyone. But some of your films have managed to touch the right cord with people however different they may be.

According to me a movie should entertain as well create awareness or teach something. It should leave you with something to ponder over. Munnabhai series and Rang De Basanti are classic examples. Even Lagaan and JJWS tell that if you put your heart and soul you can achieve even what looked unattainable.

Just as our political, administrative, legal and educational systems sometimes fail us so have movies even in fulfilling what you've called the "primary responsibility of entertaining".

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A reminder: As with my previous posts on Lagaan Blog these comments too are directly addressed to Aamir Khan.

Happy day!

This is not just a smilie face. Its how I am feeling right now: Happy. :)

Tum yaad aaye

Yaad kiya hai maine tumhe
Suraj ke ugne se
Uske bujhne tak
Chand ki roshni mein
Taaron ki chaadar ke saath

Yaad kiya hai maine tumhe
Tapti garmi mein
Kaanpti sardi mein
Patjhad ke mausam mein
Aur saawan ki rimjhim boondon ke saath

Yaad kiya hai maine tumhe
Shorogul mein
Khamoshi mein
Kabhi tanhayi mein
Hoti thi jab kabhi tamaam logon ke saath

Yaad kiya hai maine tumhe
Naaraaz hokar
Kabhi pyar se
Kabhi hanste hue
Kabhi aansuon ki barkha ke saath

Yaad kiya hai maine tumhe
Har pal har ghadi
"Kya mujhe kiya tumne kabhi yaad?"
Dil mein is sawaal ke saath

I was inspired by Javed Akhtar's lyrics of the song Tum Yaad Aaye to pen the above few lines. Below is original one for comparison.

Album: Tum Yaad Aaye

Music: Raju Singh

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

Singer: Alka Yagnik

Jab geet baharon ne gaaye
Tum yaad aaye
Jab khushboo ke badal chaaye
Tum yaad aaye
Jab subahon ne rang chalkaaye
Tum yaad aaye
Jab mehke shaamon ke saaye
Tum yaad aaye
Tum yaad aaye

Jab koi sunehra din aaya
Jab mausam jhooma lehraya
Jab rut ne li ek angadayi
Jab dhoop mein garmi si aayi
Jab rang naye kaliyon ko mile
Jab daali daali phool khile
Jab phoolon pe bhavrein mandalaaye
Tum yaad aaye
Jab geet...

Jab koi sunehri raat aayi
Jab taaron ki baaraat aayi
Jab ambar mein taare damke
Jab aangan mein jugnu chamke
Jab hui ghaneri khamoshi
Jab chaayi halki behoshi
Jab raat ne tan mann pighalaaye
Tum yaad aaye
Jab geet...

Instant dismissal

Most of us tend to believe in conventions and so end up instantly dismissing people and their ideas without giving a thought to the efforts and feelings these people might have put in.

Take for example a personal blog. If I am not pouring out my innermost feelings for once and writing something very simple like quotations or putting the lyrics of a song or a poem that I happen to like then why should someone label it as a "zabardasti ka post" (a post out of compulsion)? Does there have to be some deep hidden meaning behind every post of mine for it to be called one? A lyricist does not have to fall in or out of love every time in order to write a song for that situation in a film!! I don't have to be on the verge of losing hope if I want to post on my blog on the same topic!!

Another instance is when in love you are supposed to behave in a certain manner, say particular things and remember each and every move of the person you love. But even if we somewhat fail in these attempts that should not be the reason for anyone to dismiss all those emotions that we had felt for real.

In our professional life we'll come across those who'll tell you that your work is nothing great. They'll try to put you down and very brutally instantly dismiss everything you've achieved. Such situations demand that we have confidence in ourselves. And if our results were incorrect then we've simply got to pull up our sleeves and prepare to slog.

We also have a habit of getting influenced by looks. But we should not turn a first bad impression into a last impression. We should have faith in the goodness of people and shouldn't shy away from giving them a second chance.

I really wish we (incuding myself) could stop being very critical and hold ourselves from walking over other people's genuine endeavours.

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PS: By tradition this has become a real post which have been compelled to write. :p

India questions

Today I saw a program India Questions on NDTV in which the studio audience was putting up questions to our ex-President APJ Kalam. Two points were raised which set me thinking.

First one was that whether making a bomb hampers world peace. My answer is it doesn't. What I feel is that today its all about protecting our country. India simply cannot remain emptyhanded while other nations go about arming themselves. We cannot act all naive and foolishly assume that we'll never be attacked. We have to be prepared for any eventuality. If and when the time comes we should be able to defend our country. We know from 100 years of experience how difficult regaining lost freedom is. If giving up weapons amounted to world peace then why haven't countries dissolved their armed forces as well?

Another question that was asked was if he believed in death sentence. Kalam said he didn't think that he had the right to take away someone's life and so was against it. But then what about other forms of punishment? In view of Kalam's philosophy what right does one human (a judge) have to put another human (a criminal) behind bars for 14 years? On the flip side wouldn't crime thrive and terror reign supreme if we didn't have any policing and judicial system? Like Daddy said, when I raised these points before him, these questions have always struck us men and women but in all these years we haven't been able to come up with conclusive answers to them.

Hoping against hope

I have used the phrase "hoping against hope" innumerable times all through school, college and now as I am doing my Ph.D. Even in the worst case scenario I preferred to imagine that something good would happen, I preferred to believe till the last minute that whatever was not working would suddenly start functioning again and that eventually everything would just fall into place. Hoping for the best is what kept me going.

Can one completely lose hope?
Is it really difficult to get back the lost hope?
Why aren't some people able to make a U-turn after reaching a dead end?

In the last few years I have come across quite a few headlines in papers giving the news of an IIT student committing suicide. It saddens me to learn that these young kids chose to embrace death instead of life.

I can speak for myself and I am sure many would agree that we've had an easier life than our parents. We didn't have to give tuition to fund our education. We were never made to take care of the household and look after our brothers and sisters when we were in school. We didn't have to walk miles to reach our colleges. How many of our wishes were not granted by our parents?

May be we've had it too easy that at the very first instance of hard luck coming our way we begin to crumble. Whatever happened to that age old mantra of "if you try and don't succeed try, try again"?

We must remind ourselves like the dialogue from The Shawshank Redemption that "hope is a good thing" and we don't need any courage to hold on to it. Infact holding on to hope gives you the courage needed to face the future.

Deadlock

A few weeks back I found myself unable to decide between two choices. My heart was set on one thing while my mind was telling me to do the exact opposite. One second I'd feel like following my heart and the next second the brain. I just wasn't being able to figure out which way to go.

It was like a deadlock.

The Dalai Lama in the book The Art of Happiness says that in such situations you should ask yourself "what is going to give me pleasure?" If doing one thing is going to make you happy while the other option will leave you discontent then it becomes obvious which road one should take.

This one simple question helps you decide what you want to keep in your life and what you should discard... an easy way for removing all the clutter.

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PS: I am putting below the post that I had written originally. The criticism for it wasn't well received initially. :p Quite some time has passed since then. And so I decided to take it up again. I am hoping that I get better comments for the second attempt. :)
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I was just wondering why does confusion arise. Is it because of us having two minds or two hearts at the same time?

I think if we were functioning only with our brains or only our hearts then decision making would probably be an easy task. We might not be taking the correct decisions but atleast we'll be able to arrive at some conclusion.

Its really when the mind and the heart affect us simultaneously that it becomes diffcult to make a choice as both pull us in opposite directions. Whether you go this way or that you just don't get it right. Whatever you do, you don't feel any satisfaction and contentment.

This situation is what is called a deadlock.

New quotes

Fear is in the eye of the beholder.

Yesterday I saw this quote written on the back of someone's t-shirt in the gym and I liked it very much.

A new attitude will always lead to a new result.

Two years ago Daddy had gifted me a "motivational calendar" as a birthday gift. But surprisingly I never noticed this quote until yesterday.

The first line reminds me of the days when I used to fear going to the gym. Everything looked to sophisticated. Everyone seemed to know everything. I couldn't imagine myself fitting in. My very first day there one trainer made me stand practically in the centre of the gym to do warm exercises. I'd felt really funny as if all eyes were peeringat me. As I looked around it wasn't so. Later I realised there were more people like me who didn't know much about the machines in the gym. Within a day my fear was gone. All it had needed was me taking that one step inside the gym.

The second quotation puts into words what I have been feeling since I started going to the gym two months back. The new result is not just the kilograms of weight lost. I am happier than before. I am more confident than before. I want to learn new things. I am willing to go for morning walks with Daddy on Sundays. And I am thoroughly enjoying all the attention that I am getting now.

So, do not let fear hold you back from bringing about a new change in your life, whether its personal or professional.

Lovable rogues

Thats the how I'd describe characters in movies who are always up to some tricks, always getting themselves in trouble, always doing things wrongly and yet eventually getting it right that you just can't help falling in love with them.

Sanjay Dutt's Munnabhai MBBS definitely belongs to this category. He is the Bhai whose job is kidnapping, making men cough up money (that is hafta vasooli in hindi) and breaking people's bones. Not wanting his parents to know the truth he leads the fake life of a doctor whenever they come visiting. Obviously the parents end up very hurt when they learn that Munna is actually a gunda. Yet it is this rogue who ends up saving many lives where real doctors had given up and Munnabhai goes on to become Munnabhai MBBS. He rightfully deserves thousands of jaadu ki jhappis.

Another of my favourites is the character of Sunil played by Shahrukh Khan in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na. The story of the film is very simple Sunil loves Anna but Chris is also in love with Anna. In order to dissuade Chris from confessing his feelings Sunil ends up telling him false tales about Anna. How she is a flirt. How because of her some boy became mad and was sent to New York. How she was even trying to lay her trap on Sunil. No wonder Anna gives him a tight slap when finds out all this. Sunil ends up telling Father (Naseeruddin Shah) of the church "maine toh aise hi bol diya". In between Sunil fails for third time in his college exams and to save face ends up taking a nakli (false) marksheet to his parents so that they'll allow him to continue his career in music. Unfortunately for him this marksheet has been made by a Don who is his fan and so all the marks are on the higher side. Sample this... a 95% in Economics!! Worse still his parents throw him a surprise party. Feeling terrible Sunil confesses everything then and there. Ofcourse he gets first thrown out of the house but as Father makes people realise ki Sunil ka dil kitna saaf hai (his heart is so pure) everyone forgives him. Towards the end of the film Sunil's marriage is fixed with Anna. He is filled with joy when he happens to chance upon a conversation from which he learns that Anna is still in love with Chris. The next scene takes place in a church where Anna is in the bride's gown and everyone is waiting for Sunil to come. But he is not the groom. He stands there behind Chris putting up a brave face. As the ring falls from Chris's hands and when even after knowing where the ring is Sunil says he hasn't found it your heart just melts.

Another actor who has perfected being a lovable rogue is Aamir Khan. There are two films in which I absolutely adore him. The first one is Dil Chahta Hai. As Akash Khanna he is constantly upto something and a master at troubling people around him. His habit of making fun lands him in a fight with friend Sid. More problems await him as he falls in love with Shalini who is obligated to marry Rohit. A memorable scene from the movie is when Akash is talking to his father on the phone. He is trying to control is tears but his voice gives away. It reminded me of the way I had talked to Daddy over the phone on my first day at IIT Bombay.

The role of Aamir Khan's that I love is Sanjay Lal Sharma, Sanju in short, of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. Sanju does everything wrong. He tries to change his exam answer sheet, hides his report card under the bed, picks up fights with boys, lies about being the son of a rich businessman in order to get himself a girlfriend, squanders father's money to buy his girlfriend an expensive gift instead of depositing it in the bank and ends up being the reason behind his elder brother Ratan getting beaten up by his enemies rendering Ratan unfit to participate in the intercollege cycle race. Until the last incident Sanju was without an aim, without a care in the world and considered himself pretty much outside the family. But seeing his brother bleeding on the hospital bed and his father helplessly crying Sanju changes. He becomes responsible. He starts taking care of his father. He decides to take Ratan's place in the cycle race. He goes into the race fully prepared with the goal of beating his arch enemy who was also the winner of the previous two races and because of whom Ratan had come second. Even today when I watch JJWS the final minutes of the competition get me all excited and I just end up applauding as Sanju comes up trumps.

Among the "real" characters that I've come across if there was someone whom I could call a lovable rogue then it will have to be my friend Lalitha. She isn't really a Lallu which her pet name might wrongly suggest. She is always making fun and cooking up stories some times. Once we were planning to see a film at my place and she ended up inviting everyone. When some of the guys took the invitation seriously and from being just two we became some 6 people she realised she'd got me into trouble. We finally ended up having a nice times as the film Chup Chup Ke was pretty funny and we also ordered pizzas for company. Ofcourse she hasn't thankfully reached the extremes of the Sanjus, Akashs, Sunils and Munnabhais of the film world and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't ever happen either. :p

One constant complaint

If you were in my position

Agar tum meri jagah hote toh kya karte?

If you were in my position then what would you do?

This is a question which has been spoken many a times in Hindi movies by heroes and heroines in order to justify their actions.

In a love triangle one of the lead characters resolves never to reveal his/her feelings and takes a step back because thats what someone else in their place would have done. The Rishi Kapoor-Dimple Kapadia-Kamal Hassan film Sagar is a classic example. So is the Sanjay Dutt-Madhuri Dixit-Salman Khan starrer Saajan.

When the unfaithful husband returns to his wife pleading forgiveness, she asks him just one thing. Would he take her back if she had cheated on him? In Arth Shabana Azmi refuses to accept Kulbhushan Kharbanda back in her life. In the most recent Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna Preity Zinta slaps Shahrukh Khan when he tells her the truth about his affair with Rani Mukherjee and throws him out of the house.

Sometimes in order to save a character from going through tough times the hero or heroine is willing to trade places with them. Manisha Koirala in the very melodramatic Mann looses her legs in an accident and decides never to disclose this to Aamir Khan until he finds out the truth in the climax of the film and says "kaash yeh haadsa mere saath hua hota" wishing to have been in Manisha's place instead.

In movies whenever the scene calls for people to be modest about the good deeds they've done they exclaim "agar aap meri jagah hote toh yahi karte" (if you were in my position you would have done the same thing). This dialogue mostly comes after the hero has saved someone from committing suicide or getting run over by a car or from being robbed/beaten by gundas.

In the comic caper Tere Mere Sapne the two heroes Arshad Warsi and Chandrachur Singh literally switch their positions by interchanging their professions of a taxi driver and a business tycoon to experience the different lifestyles.

A week or two back I was reading a book called The Art of Happiness in which the Dalai Lama has said that one way of overcoming your anger (and thus removing one factor that leads to unpleasantness) at someone's bad behaviour is to put yourself in their place. What kind of a life a person must be leading if he has to rob or cheat you in order to make ends meet!!

Not only is this a surefire way for us to understand other people better but also a rule that will turn us into better human beings. If before hurting or decieving someone we gave a thought to what we will be making them go through, it would save a lot tears.

Monsoon magic

Forget the potholes and the water logging and monsoon becomes the most romantic season of the year and also the most enjoyable. There are so many things that come along with the incessant rains which I happen to love.





The cold strong winds that make you shiver and the thick black clouds that span the sky.







The different shades of green all around and the saundhi-saundhi mitti ki khushboo (sweet smell of the soil) that emanates as the first rain drops fall on the ground.








The rain drops that soak you however you hold the umbrella and the many hued umbrellas themselves showing that variety is indeed the spice of life.










The deliberate walking through the puddles and the splashing of water while doing so.












The rainbow that leaves you in awe as it seem to curves over the entire city and the joy of having spotted it.










The smell coming from a home where hot pakoras (fritters) are being fried.











The garma-garam chai ki pyaali (hot cup of tea) in one hand and a book in another.











Watching the pitter-patter raindrops while standing by the window and automatically singing romantic numbers.










Not to forget the wonderful sleep which catches you any time of the day.






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PS: What is your favorite part of the monsoon rains?

Dal kebabs

Learnt this new recipe for making kebabs from dal. As the kebabs turned out real well (see the picture above) I am putting the instructions here for those interested in giving it a try.

Ingredients:

2 cups chane ki dal

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp salt

2.5 cups water

finely chopped: 2 onions, coriander leaves and 2 green chillies

1/2 tsp amchoor powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

juice of a lemon

Method:

On a medium flame, pressure cook the first half of the ingredients until the first whistle blows.

After that lower the flame and cook for another 15 minutes.

Turn off the flame and let the pressure release on its own.

In the meantime chop the onions, chillies and coriander leaves and keep aside.

If the water from the dal mixture has dried then take it out in a large dish for mashing. (If the water hasn't dried then heat it over a high flame mixing it all the while until the water dries.)

With your hands, mash the dal into a smooth texture. Add the onions, chillies, coriander, lime juice, amchoor powder and garam masala. Mix them well.

Make balls taking a part of the mixture and then flatten them.

On a non-stick pan heat oil and place the kebabs. See to it that both sides become brown.

(By using a non-stick the quantity of oil needed reduces. You may spread the oil on the pan only once in the beginning. You need not use oil again and again. Or you could grill the kebabs.)

My all weather friend

Today is 5th August and Friendship's Day. Therefore, I've decided to dedicate this post to my all weather friend- Daddy. He has always been there for me. He is the one I always turn to when I need advice. He is the first one I share any good news with, be it about my triumphs at gym or reactions to my presentations or singing or the funny going on's in my lab. Daddy is very easy to talk to and its just wonderful to hear him speak on so many issues with such ease.


The best thing about him is how well he understands what I want even when I don't say it. For example, yesterday when I woke up late I asked Daddy why he allowed me to sleep so late, he answered that he knew that I wasn't in a mood to go to the gym otherwise like everyday I would have set an alarm. And indeed it was so!!


The worst thing about Daddy is how he somehow manages to spoil all the secrets. Like once my sister and I were hiding under the razaai a gift which we wanted to give Daddy as a surprise on his birthday. But before we could do that he removed the razaai from exactly that spot in order to keep tea cups for us when he had the whole bed to place the tray!! Then he has a knack of discovering what chocolates I have been eating by accidently discovering the wrappers that I hide under my bed.


Another thing that he is very good at is fooling me. On one of my birthday's I woke up very excitedly. First Daddy only gave me a card saying he was very busy so couldn't get a gift for me. I felt instantly upset but the very next moment put on a smile saying its ok. Thats when Daddy produced my gift. I had been longing for wind chimes those days and thats what he had got for me. Then another incident is related to Daddy's birthday two years back. I had placed his gift on the table before going off to sleep. When I woke up in the morning I asked him how he liked his gift, he said he didn't notice the gift. Feeling irritated I was forced to get out of bed when I realised he was just joking!!

In a nutsell its great fun being my Daddy's daughter. :)

All the world's a stage

When Shakespeare wrote the above line in his play As You Like It, he meant how as "merely players" we act differently while going through the various stages of life: infancy, childhood, lover, soldier, justice, pantaloon and second childhood. But I was struck with another meaning of the same phrase.


I was wondering how on a lot of occasions we put up an act.

It could be when we are showing off. Or when we are teasing someone behaving all the time as if we didn't understand a thing. Then are days when we don't want the world to know what we are going through inside and put up a big smile on our faces. You might be wanting to probably say a million things but you just hold yourself back. You could be hating someone and yet behave normally with them. Or you could be in love with someone and yet make light of it because eventhough they know you don't want them to know.

We indeed are extremely able in hiding our true feelings.

When the role demands we end up being great actors giving award winning performances.

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PS: This is my 100th post and it took we a while to write it. I was in the same position as so many batsmen who are at 99 and are looking for that one run to score their century but find it hard to come by. I had to refrain myself from churning out a silly poem, putting down lyrics of a song and writing about a news clip in order to reach the landmark number. There are a lot more things I want to talk about which will be easy to do now that I've crossed the desired target.

From fat to slim (6): how to keep going??

I have now been going to the gym for 1 month and 3 weeks. Occasionally I feel these urges of having a pastry or eating a burger. Its finally becoming boring including salads during and fruits after the meals. Someone recently asked me "isn't it frustrating?" Thankfully I haven't reached that stage yet.

Ofcourse there have been days when I've woken up at six in the morning grumbling "mujhe gym nahi jaana!". I then remind myself of the oodles of weight I've lost, the stamina that I've gained and the compliments that are still pouring in. And finally nothing beats the happiness on being able to fit into my old college jeans!! That's what has been keeping me going.

My trainer had told me that 25% of the weight loss is a result of exercises and 75% of it comes from dieting. As I have been constantly reminding my elder sister, this does not mean that I have been starving myself. I am just eating healthier. My lifestyle has become more disciplined. I know things can only get better from here.

I read in a magazine where one woman said that she sticks her latest slim and trim photo on her fridge. So whenever she opens it she always picks up an apple instead of a pastry or a chocolate. For another lady putting pictures of her old fat self on the fridge did the trick. :p

There is a fun way too of making oneself stick to the regime. Treat yourself at the end of every month that you followed the diet and exercise drill. Like I bought two nice tops for myself some weeks ago. I am already being told by friends to buy new jeans next for myself! You can decide to get yourself pampered by going for a massage as a prize. :D

I do eat a small packet of Lays once during a week. Since I can't do without cheese in my sandwiches I have switched to low fat cow's cheese. As I hadn't eaten junk food in all this while I didn't mind indulging myself when I attended my friend's wedding reception last week. I ate sandesh, barfi and a slice of cake. I even ate chicken and fish avoiding the heavy curries and only taking the chunks while doing so. When I hit the gym again after a three day break I put in an extra 20 minutes of cardio in addition to the regular half an hour of treadmilling and crosstraining.

I have been told to enjoy this new routine. Well... sweating out is no fun. But its not too bad either. Neither is it too difficult.

My small bit of advice: Be serious about your targets but don't take it too seriously. There's nothing wrong in wanting to look your best as long as you don't get consumed by it.

News items!!

Heard some news stories lately which caught my attention and it looks line that only women are creating headlines these days!!

First one of them was about Shilpa Shetty being bestowed an honorary doctorate by the Metropolitan Leeds University for her outstanding contribution to cultural diversity. An honorary degree is conferred those who have put in years of efforts and created a mark for themselves in various fields be it theatre, art, literature or science. Shilpa Shetty however, has got this degree purely on the basis of her current wave of popularity. She did not even accept that she had faced racial discrimation on the Big Brother show. She even reverted from her very first reaction of "yeh kuch zyada ho gaya" to Richard Gere's action on stage. Since when has going for some functions in England, meeting Tony Blair at a gala event and getting a role in a musical constitute an outstanding contribution? If Universities will go on awarding doctorates to the undeserving then what regard will we continue to hold for a Ph.D.? Students have to put in years of hard work doing research as part of getting a doctorate. Why should Shilpa Shetty be handed this simply on a platter?


The other news item that took me by surprise was the release of Monica Bedi. What was worse was her being celeberated as a star in her village and hindi film directors saying that Monica's tryst with jail should not be the reason for not casting her in a movie. There are people with scripts ready to form queues outside her abode!! How come they didn't spot her talent earlier on?

Last week during one of our lab treats the discussion of Pratibha Patil was opened. This was before the Saturday election. India having a first woman president sounds really good. But shouldn't the honour have gone to someone having the same stature as Dr Radhakrishnan, the first male president of our country? I was watching her interview on Doordarshan that was telecast a day after the results were announced. Pratibha Patil was asked how she was feeling after becoming the President of India. She answered "bahut harsh ho raha hai" minus any emotion conveying the happiness and excitement. A recent Times of India editorial suggested that she could spend her time at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by gardening. I do agree that the President does not have a role in the governance of our country. But that does not mean that the man or woman occupying that post has no importance. In crunch time will Pratibha Patil be able to stand her own ground? I hope she ends up making more consequential decisions than a switch from dosas to uttapams in the breakfast menu.

Gym's peppy songs

Here are the lyrics of the some of the songs that are played in gym and which I happen to love coz they are very foot-tapping and even to some extent motivating. :)

Movie: Lakshya

Haan yehi rasta hai tera

Tune ab jaana hai

Haan yehi sapna hai tera

Tune pehchaana hai

Tujhe ab ye dikhaana hai

Roke tujhko aandhiyaan

Ya zameen aur aasmaan

Paayega jo lakshya hai tera

Lakshya toh har haal mein paana hai

Mushkil koyi aa jaaye toh

Parbat koyi takraaye toh

Taaqat koyi dikhlaaye toh

Toofaan koyi mandlaaye toh

Mushkil koyi aa jaaye toh
Parbat koyi takraaye toh

Barse chaahe ambar se aag

Lipte chaahe pairon se naag

Paayega jo lakshya hai tera

Lakshya toh har haal mein paana hai...

Himmat se jo koyi chale

Dharti hile kadmon tale

Kya dooriyaan kya faasle

Manzil lage aake gale

Himmat se jo koyi chale

Dharti hile kadmon tale

Tu chal yunhi ab subaho-shaam

Rukna jhukna nahin tera kaam

Paayega jo lakshya hai tera

Lakshya toh har haal mein paana hai...

Haan yehi rasta hai tera

Tune ab jaana hai

Haan yehi sapna hai tera

Tune pehchaana hai

Tujhe ab ye dikhaana hai

Lakshya toh har haal mein paana hai

Movie: Fight Club

Joshilay jawan ho

Khud pe gar gumaan ho

Aate hain yahan pe

Hone ko fanaa woh

Go go go go Fight Club

You got to go Fight Club

Go Go Go Go Fight Club

Yeh samaa yeh mastiyaan

Yeh diljawan aa rahe hain

Hum dilon pe mehfilon pe

Ek nasha laa rahe hain

Door se majboor se

Kuch yoon dilon ko thaame

Aa rahe ho dekhne ko tum naye hungame

Milke raho fight club

You got to go Fight Club
Go go go go Fight Club

Door hai shor hai

Hum aankhon mein hai sharaare

Dil jo chahe khibch laaye

Hum zameen pe sitaare

Yaar bhi dildaar bhi

Rang bhi raag bhi hai

Pyar bhi takraar bhi

Aur jeet bhi haar bhi hai

You got to go Fight Club

Go go go go Fight Club

Joshilay jawan ho...

Movie: Metro

In dino dil mera

Mujhse hai keh raha

Tu khwaab saja

Tu ji le zara

Hai tujhe bhi ijaazat

Karle tu bhi mohabbat

Hai tujhe..

In dino...

Berang si hai badi zindagi

Kuch rang to bharoon

Main apni tanhaayi ke vaaste

Ab kuch toh karoon

Berang...

Jab mile thodi fursat

Mujhse karle mohabbat

Hai tujhe bhi ijaazat

Karle tu bhi mohabbat

Usko chupaakar main sabse kabhi

Le chaloon kahin door

Ankhon ke pyaalon se peeta rahoon

Uske chehre ka noor

Usko...

Is zamaane se chup kar

Poori karloon main hasrat

Hai tujhe bhi ijaazat

Karle tu bhi mohabbat

In dino...

Movie: Gangster

Ya ali reham ali

Ya ali yaar pe qurbaan hai sabhi

Ya ali madad ali

Ya ali yeh meri jaan yeh meri zindagi

Ishq pe haan mita doon luta doon

Main apni khudi

Yaar pe haan luta doon mita doon

Main yeh hasti

Ya ali...

Mujhe kuch pal de ghurbat ke

Fakiran teri chaahat ke

Rahe bechain dil kab tak

Mile kuch pal toh raahat ke

Chaahat pe ishq pe haan

Mita doon luta doon

Main apni khudi

Yaar pe haan luta doon mita doon

Main yeh hasti

Ya ali...

Bina tere na ek pal ho

Bina tere kabhi kal ho

Yeh dil ban jaaye ek pathhar

Na isme koi hulchul ho

Sanam pe haan

Ishq pe haan

Mita doon luta doon

Main apani khudi

Kasam se haan luta doon mita doon

Main yeh hastii

Ya ali...

Alfredo pasta

This is my favourite and is loaded in calories. But is absolutely yuuuum. Lip smacking.

And as I am not going to make it for a loooong time now I won't be able to put up any pic here. :(

Ingredients:

250 g dry pasta
water in a ratio of 3:1 with pasta
3/4 packet of fresh cream (the small pack :D)
50 g butter
3 cheese cubes grated
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp pepper powder
Salt to taste
Veggies of your choice: I usually use 4 small sized capsicums cut lengthwise. Other occasions I add some mushrooms cut in quaters.
You may intead add small pieces of chicken (but I haven't tried this yet)

Just listing the ingredients has made my mouth water!


Method:

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook it for 15 minutes until it softens and expands. Then drain out the water.

In a large kadhai melt the butter.

Add the fresh cream slowly over a reduced flame.

Add the grated cheese in small portions.

Keep stirring all the while so that the sauce becomes smooth.

Stir in the milk and season with garlic powder, oregano, pepper and salt.

Simmer over low flame for 2-3 min till the sauce thickens.

Stir constantly.

Mix in the veggies/chicken and cook till they turn tender.

Put the pasta and mix well.

Cook for 3 min.

And voila!! Alfredo pasta is ready to be served!!