I had a short discussion with a friend regarding my Missing Something post. It began with me telling him how for no particular reason the slogan "Is there something missing in your life?" had stuck with me. The slogan is somewhat unsettling because it makes you wonder immediately about what it is that you don't have but at the same time have a strong desire for.
My friend then told me about the slogan that he likes. It says "The rest of your life - starts now." He said that unlike my slogan this one is not just positive in nature but reality based. In his own words this slogan means "That chillax dude... what's done is over. Now you have the rest of your life."
As I write now and give a second thought to the first phrase I realize that it has a positive connotation as well. It makes you sit up and take a peek into your life. You may have been living happily all the while not knowing that something essential was not there. The flip side is it does not tell what action to take after finding that missing something. This is exactly where the second slogan scores. It not only tells you to begin things afresh but also the time to do so. Many occasions we are wanting to make a change but are unsure of the moment to bring it about. This slogan says "DO IT NOW".
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wishing well
During a chat a friend of mine said to me "If wishes were horses I wish they could fly." It made me wonder what form I'd want wishes to have and I came up with this short poem. Hope you like it. :)
If wishes were horses,
I wish they could fly
If wishes were flowers,
I wish they would never die
I wish they could fly
If wishes were flowers,
I wish they would never die
If wishes were flames,
I wish they would always be glowing
If wishes were raindrops,
I wish they would go on endlessly pouring
If wishes were burning candles,
I wish they would never melt
If wishes were wishes,
I wish they were truly meant
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Number one
The one song that always comes on my lips when I think of romance is Pehla nasha pehla khumaar... from the movie Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. Like in this song so in many hindi films the stress is invariably on the word pehla (first).
Pehle pyar ka pehla gham... (Papa Kehte Hain) talks about the first hurt experienced in first love. Can we ever forget the pehle pyar ki pehli chitthi that the heroine Bhagyashree sent off a pigeon to deliver to Salman Khan in Maine Pyar Kiya? There is an old song Aaj unse pehli mulakaat hogi... which Rakesh Roshan sings in anticipation of his first meeting with Hema Malini, his prospective bride. In Sirf Tum the heroine Priya Gill complains that she doesn't know what to do since its the first time she is in love. She sings Pehli pehli baar mohabbat ki hai kuch na samajh mein aaye main kya karoon... in the beautiful backdrop of Nainital.
There are many a songs that have paid tribute to love at first sight. Like in the duet Raja ko rani se pyar... (Akele Hum Akele Tum) Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala admit pehli nazar mein pehla pyar ho gaya. In the movie Run that I saw a few days back, Abhishek Bachchan professes merrily Pehli nazar mein dil diwana ho gaya, yeh toh dhadka aur kisika ho gaya... after seeing the first glimpse of Bhumika Chawla.
Then we have films with names like Pehla Nasha, Pehla Pehla Pyar, Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar and even First Love Letter. All of these to my knowledge sank at the box office.
There are many dialogues too that talk about various firsts. Often lovers can be found to proclaim "ki tumhi mera pehla aur aakhri pyar ho", that you are my first and last love. Post interval Kal Ho Na Ho begins by showing how hearts of various characters are breaking. Thats when Preity Zinta acknowledges "Apna pehla pyar bhulana aasaan nahi hai... its not that easy." In Hum Apke Hain Kaun, Salman Khan confesses to Madhuri Dixit "Aaj pehli baar koi ladki hamari gaadi ki front seat mein baithi hai." bringing out the significance of the simple act of giving her a lift in his car. These days Anil Kapoor can be caught declaring in trailers of the movie Tashan "Afterall first impression is the last impression."
My personal favourite however is a scene from the not so famous film Dil Maange More in which when actress Tulip Khanna patches up with her ex-boyfriend reasoning "Aakhir woh mera pehla pyar hai.", a heartbroken Shahid Kapoor retaliates in a timid voice "Pyar koi race nahi hai jisme pehla, doosra, teesra hota hai. Pyar sirf pyar hota hai."
Pehle pyar ka pehla gham... (Papa Kehte Hain) talks about the first hurt experienced in first love. Can we ever forget the pehle pyar ki pehli chitthi that the heroine Bhagyashree sent off a pigeon to deliver to Salman Khan in Maine Pyar Kiya? There is an old song Aaj unse pehli mulakaat hogi... which Rakesh Roshan sings in anticipation of his first meeting with Hema Malini, his prospective bride. In Sirf Tum the heroine Priya Gill complains that she doesn't know what to do since its the first time she is in love. She sings Pehli pehli baar mohabbat ki hai kuch na samajh mein aaye main kya karoon... in the beautiful backdrop of Nainital.
There are many a songs that have paid tribute to love at first sight. Like in the duet Raja ko rani se pyar... (Akele Hum Akele Tum) Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala admit pehli nazar mein pehla pyar ho gaya. In the movie Run that I saw a few days back, Abhishek Bachchan professes merrily Pehli nazar mein dil diwana ho gaya, yeh toh dhadka aur kisika ho gaya... after seeing the first glimpse of Bhumika Chawla.
Then we have films with names like Pehla Nasha, Pehla Pehla Pyar, Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar and even First Love Letter. All of these to my knowledge sank at the box office.
There are many dialogues too that talk about various firsts. Often lovers can be found to proclaim "ki tumhi mera pehla aur aakhri pyar ho", that you are my first and last love. Post interval Kal Ho Na Ho begins by showing how hearts of various characters are breaking. Thats when Preity Zinta acknowledges "Apna pehla pyar bhulana aasaan nahi hai... its not that easy." In Hum Apke Hain Kaun, Salman Khan confesses to Madhuri Dixit "Aaj pehli baar koi ladki hamari gaadi ki front seat mein baithi hai." bringing out the significance of the simple act of giving her a lift in his car. These days Anil Kapoor can be caught declaring in trailers of the movie Tashan "Afterall first impression is the last impression."
My personal favourite however is a scene from the not so famous film Dil Maange More in which when actress Tulip Khanna patches up with her ex-boyfriend reasoning "Aakhir woh mera pehla pyar hai.", a heartbroken Shahid Kapoor retaliates in a timid voice "Pyar koi race nahi hai jisme pehla, doosra, teesra hota hai. Pyar sirf pyar hota hai."
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Missing something
"Is there something missing in your life?" I saw an ad placed on a Cafe Coffee Day table saying this. Though I don't remember what the ad was about for some reason these words stayed with me. Wanting to do something creative I decided to represent this slogan in different ways. Following are the end results.
This is inspired by the many fill in the blanks questions I have answered in school exams.
An incomplete rainbow is what came to my mind at first.
If you were not getting your fruits of labour then it would probably look like an orange without its pulp. This description is somewhat based on "Where is the pulp?" commercial.
"Where is the hero of my real life?" is what this one means. I have always wondered that when facing dogs.
Everything except my US visa was arranged on time for my Boston conference. But without the last jigsaw piece I was left stranded in Pune. Looks like this is going to be my favourite story.
This is clearly a result of my watching the movie Sunday where one Sunday goes missing from the life of the heroine Ayesha Takia.
This is inspired by the many fill in the blanks questions I have answered in school exams.
An incomplete rainbow is what came to my mind at first.
If you were not getting your fruits of labour then it would probably look like an orange without its pulp. This description is somewhat based on "Where is the pulp?" commercial.
"Where is the hero of my real life?" is what this one means. I have always wondered that when facing dogs.
Everything except my US visa was arranged on time for my Boston conference. But without the last jigsaw piece I was left stranded in Pune. Looks like this is going to be my favourite story.
This is clearly a result of my watching the movie Sunday where one Sunday goes missing from the life of the heroine Ayesha Takia.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Oil free masala baigan
One of the acts that eating healthy involves is reducing your intake of oil. But practically all the dishes that we eat are cooked in oil. Here's one of my stried and tested recipe of making tasty masala baigan without adding even a drop of oil!
Ingredients
Small baigan (brinjals) cut into quarters or 2 big ones cut into small cubes
1.5 tsp imli paste mixed in 1/2 cup water
Dry masala:
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
1 tsp salt
Method:
In a bowl place the baigan cubes and add all the dry masala. Mix it well so that all the baigan pieces get evenly coated with the masala mixture.
In a kadhai, add 1/2 cup water and the masala coated baigan. Cook covered for 15 min while stirring from time to time to avoid the vegetable getting burnt.
Stir in the imli-water paste and cook for 2 min more.
Masala baigan is now yours to eat!!
The end result would somewhat look like the photo (below) of "Masala eggplant sabzi" posted on http://ahaar.blogspot.com.
Ingredients
Small baigan (brinjals) cut into quarters or 2 big ones cut into small cubes
1.5 tsp imli paste mixed in 1/2 cup water
Dry masala:
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
1 tsp salt
Method:
In a bowl place the baigan cubes and add all the dry masala. Mix it well so that all the baigan pieces get evenly coated with the masala mixture.
In a kadhai, add 1/2 cup water and the masala coated baigan. Cook covered for 15 min while stirring from time to time to avoid the vegetable getting burnt.
Stir in the imli-water paste and cook for 2 min more.
Masala baigan is now yours to eat!!
The end result would somewhat look like the photo (below) of "Masala eggplant sabzi" posted on http://ahaar.blogspot.com.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Baby talk
I may have been relegated to the position of Maushi 8 weeks back but I got to get a taste of the tasks that come with it only last to last weekend. I was in Bangalore for a few days during which I got a chance to give company to my then 7 week old niece Mandavi.
Mandavi has turned out to be a morning person much to my father's delight and he has been telling everyone that they have similar waking up timings. So during our stay every morning between 6 and 7 she would be handed over to Daddy and me. On some occasions she would be active, on some lethargic and on still others she would fall asleep cosily in Daddy's arms. Any discomfort caused because of a slight movement or a noise like opening of doors would be met with disapproval.
The one question that has always kept me wondering is "how to talk to babies?" Thats why the first few days Mandavi would inevitably get bored in my company. But then my sister gave me a book to read and on Monday evening I took ideas from it and managed to keep my niece's attention for 45 minutes! It was a big achievement to get her to excited enough not to miss her parents absence who taking advantage of the situation could eat dinner together. Once during the maushi-niece session Daddy came and tried talking to Mandavi but she completely ignored him! It turned out that my success wasn't a fluke. I gave a repeat performance the morning we were leaving for Pune.
Here are a few tips for the novices:
1. Always call the baby by his/her name.
2. Address yourself by a particular relation, for example, Mummy, Daddy, Maushi, Ajoba, etc instead of using "I".
3. Every time you recite a nursery rhyme or poem use actions. Remember twinkle twinkle little star and machli jal ki raani hai?
4. If you are seeing the baby after a long break you can describe what all things you did during that duration. Like I told Mandavi about where I had gone, what all the shopping I'd done, what were the colours of the clothes I'd bought and what I ate for lunch. :p
5. You can tell the baby stories. Since I couldn't remember the old tales I told my niece about "Finding Nemo".
6. You can ask questions to babies and give them some time to respond assuming they have started making sounds. "What is baby going to do today?" "What does baby want to eat?" "What should Mummy cook today-baigan or bhindi?" "Should Daddy go to office?" are some examples.
I have to admit that my niece was so taken by all that I was talking that she was excitedly kicking her legs. By the end of my nonstop chatter, she was at the peak of her energy while I was completely drained. My sister finally took possession for her and I got to have a well deserved dinner.
As I watched my sister and brother-in-law take care of my niece and not just for 45 min but every minute of the day, it instilled in me a greater respect for all parents. I can now picture what all my own parents must have done for me back when I was like Mandavi and so can't help but love them even more today.
Mandavi has turned out to be a morning person much to my father's delight and he has been telling everyone that they have similar waking up timings. So during our stay every morning between 6 and 7 she would be handed over to Daddy and me. On some occasions she would be active, on some lethargic and on still others she would fall asleep cosily in Daddy's arms. Any discomfort caused because of a slight movement or a noise like opening of doors would be met with disapproval.
The one question that has always kept me wondering is "how to talk to babies?" Thats why the first few days Mandavi would inevitably get bored in my company. But then my sister gave me a book to read and on Monday evening I took ideas from it and managed to keep my niece's attention for 45 minutes! It was a big achievement to get her to excited enough not to miss her parents absence who taking advantage of the situation could eat dinner together. Once during the maushi-niece session Daddy came and tried talking to Mandavi but she completely ignored him! It turned out that my success wasn't a fluke. I gave a repeat performance the morning we were leaving for Pune.Here are a few tips for the novices:
1. Always call the baby by his/her name.
2. Address yourself by a particular relation, for example, Mummy, Daddy, Maushi, Ajoba, etc instead of using "I".
3. Every time you recite a nursery rhyme or poem use actions. Remember twinkle twinkle little star and machli jal ki raani hai?
4. If you are seeing the baby after a long break you can describe what all things you did during that duration. Like I told Mandavi about where I had gone, what all the shopping I'd done, what were the colours of the clothes I'd bought and what I ate for lunch. :p
5. You can tell the baby stories. Since I couldn't remember the old tales I told my niece about "Finding Nemo".
6. You can ask questions to babies and give them some time to respond assuming they have started making sounds. "What is baby going to do today?" "What does baby want to eat?" "What should Mummy cook today-baigan or bhindi?" "Should Daddy go to office?" are some examples.
I have to admit that my niece was so taken by all that I was talking that she was excitedly kicking her legs. By the end of my nonstop chatter, she was at the peak of her energy while I was completely drained. My sister finally took possession for her and I got to have a well deserved dinner.
As I watched my sister and brother-in-law take care of my niece and not just for 45 min but every minute of the day, it instilled in me a greater respect for all parents. I can now picture what all my own parents must have done for me back when I was like Mandavi and so can't help but love them even more today.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Family matters
I was recently asked how important is the involvement of a family when it comes to a marriage. If a boy and girl like each other and want to get married then does it matter if they don't get along well with each other's families?
My personal take on it is that if after marriage you are all going to live together under one roof then yes it would make a difference. You wouldn't feel much happiness amidst an atmosphere of discord and bitterness. Even otherwise, wouldn't you want your life partner to care for those who've taken care of you all your life? And wouldn't you want your family in return to love the one you love so much?
My personal take on it is that if after marriage you are all going to live together under one roof then yes it would make a difference. You wouldn't feel much happiness amidst an atmosphere of discord and bitterness. Even otherwise, wouldn't you want your life partner to care for those who've taken care of you all your life? And wouldn't you want your family in return to love the one you love so much?
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