Vibgyor

From Trunk Calls to BBerry

2010-10-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

I always used to wonder when people talked in lengths about next generations. Now the only thing we can pass to next generations is the knowledge of how to google and even we dont they will still learn it from somewhere.

What was life like before FB applications, chats, emails, SMS, BBerry messages?

Telegrams- My earliest memory of writing a telegram goes back to school days when we were taught how to write one. I remember wishing a friend once by sending a telegram in the middle of the night.

Yellow postcards- wrote a lot of them as they were the cheapest way to be in touch with friends in different parts of India.

Trunk calls- this was the only way to make long distance calls back in mid nineties. A friend who is few years younger to me could not recall what this was and not I can only imagine people googling the term if they ever come across it.

Air mail- This was a bit expensive to send but a great pleasure to receive as the content was not open like in a postcard.

These used to be some common means of communication. Since mid nineties technology brought a lot of changes starting from push button phones to cordless phones with built in speaker in the houses. I can still remember bulky mobile phones with a tariff of Rs. 20 per call, they used to be quite a status symbol for men with very little options. However the replacement over the last 10 years have been marketed in such a way that a smart phone is the new mobile phone with tariff plans starting from paise/minute, they are essentials of life just like roti, kapda, makan.

Having seen so many changes already I feel grown up or I should say lost in technology where history is always very recent.

V!!!

'Aisha' works?

2010-09-15T02:30:00.000-07:00

I am aware that some of my friends would wonder why I am spending time writing about the film 'Aisha' and the simple answer is that Facebook is not interesting/ controversial anymore and therefore I am back to blogging.

I wish Aisha’s script had some substance to it. I always believe that it's social service to make a superior film which can entertain. But the one with a social message is extraordinary. I have oodles but not in favor of the film specially the way they have portrayed a girl from Bahadurgarh as 'behen ji'. What’s incorrect in wearing traditional salwar kameez, tidy long hair and wanting to get married?????

It was almost funny when I realised that no one in the film talks education or harmful effects of make-up for that matter. The focus on getting the looks right over does everything so much so that the girl in question never even expresses the desire to work. What a surface shine!

So does the film work...well it does in a of lot ways for many professionals living in over populated cities struggling with life and basic civic amenities like clean water, proper roads and electricity. It's beautiful to see a world of young girls dressed perfectly from head to toe in designer brands and not a hair here and there, after a stressful Tuesday at work.

Abhay Deol was totally wasted and dint have expectations from Madam Kapoor. Character development was very impressive; they all talk in different accents which gives the flavour of Delhi, being a multi cultural city.

V!!!!

Recent films and me

2010-08-07T02:33:00.001-07:00

Some of my friends think that I have an amazing patience that I allow to get tested by films. I think making a good film is like social service because they have the potential to make people happy. While we pay for all of them the satisfaction level differs every single time. Some of the films recently caught my attention even when they were not huge hits while others were a disappointment. Here is the list :

Loved :

Raavan: Critics washed it off for being predictable but my argument is that the audience knew what to expect and therefore the element of shock only came in when Sita ( Ash admits to have started liking AB junior) in reel life of the film. The story was beautifully carved to match the standards of this age. The only regret was AB junior. I wish he had acted better to leave a greater impact or Mani Ratnam had taken another actor in his place, may be Ajay Devgan.

Shutter Island: exceptional film shot on a stunning canvas. It is absorbing to an extent that one forgets about daily life. Must watch on a big screen, if not then at least switch off the mobile phones.

Liked:

Inception: Leaves you with a numbness that what if someone gets into our dreams and direct them. My goodness....admirable concept but can't relax watching a film like this. It constantly keeps your mind ticking with multiple story telling going back and forth. Not recommended on a weekday after a days work.

Kites: I enjoyed the film, it does leave you with an empty feeling unlike most Bollywood films but why release it as a Hindi film. The producers should have declared it as an English film that had an Indian English speaking man trying to communicate with a Spanish woman who can barely speak English. I would have felt extremely cheated as an audience if I dint understand English. They should perhaps take a lesson from ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. However, one scene towards the end where the central characters almost had an eye conversation is unforgettable. Would like Hrithik Roshan to get out of his Dhoom 2 mode of a cool dude and do some serious cinema.

Did not enjoy:

Rajneeti: It was all fine when they introduced the characters in an impressive way. But I did not expect the film by this title to be made on a classic i.e. Mahabharta. How did the director expect people to digest the second half with silly dialogues, lots of love between strange couples, and characters turned into our very own Bhisham Pitahmah, Duryodhan, Karan, Kunti, Arjun and Krishna. What a disappointment.

Rann: Such films are generally intriguing as they claim to show you the inside world eg. Corporate, Fashion, Traffic Signal. Ram Gopal Verma is superb with his camera angles and editting but what about the script. This was the most obvious film I have seen in the recent times. News channels spying on competitors for TRP, influence of politicians and industrialists on news and creation of news. It remains acceptable though till Mr. AB tries to prove that he is the Big Daddy and has the opportunity to say what he likes on air on his own channel. Good for TRP...MAYBE...

Hope to see some more good films :)

Roses 2010

2010-07-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

Its the second season of my rose plant in the backyard. I must admit that gardening is a very fulfilling experience. The result is not only to get the plant to flower but keep it in good health. My hard work of keeping the plant away from flies, insects, weeds and not to forget bad weather paid well.

I am proud to say that my love for pink continues....

The bees can buzzzzzzzzzzzzz off ;)

Blackpool in the summer of 2009

2010-07-24T03:23:00.000-07:00

I was going through some of the old pics and thought that these pics perfectly suit the name of the place 'Blackpool'.

Enjoy !

What's this...

2010-01-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

A wrestling show ;). All I can say is that it reminded me of junior school days when I used to play WWF cards with friends in school bus. Bret Heart Hitman, Shawn Michael, Yoo Ko Zuna, 123 Kid, Undertaker are some of the names that I can remember.

!!!!!

City of Bath

2010-01-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

I went to Bath in November, 2009 with an extremely special person in my life. Thought of posting some pics while I was thinking of the fun we had :)

Roman Bath Spa- As the name suggests!

The Royal Crescent - The architecture of this building looks impossible and is a photographer's delight. I took several pics and each pic had a different dimension to it, no wonder it's one of the most desired address in UK.

The Bath Abbey - you can't ignore 'The Abbey' when you are in Bath.

!!!!!!

Beware of me on roads now :D ;) :):):):)

2010-01-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

Read the following chat for some information on how to get driving licence. These are two people sharing their experiences about UK and UAE.

JIT: Hi
me: Hey
JIT: why beware of u... i don't understand
7:15 PM me: Got license to drive in uk :D
7:16 PM JIT: wooooooooooooh ... great I too got license .. to drive in UAE..
and it's been more than two month now im on the road
me: Its damn difficult to get one here
7:17 PM JIT: even i can drive in UK with this licence
me: I was driving with indian one till now
JIT: same here.. i got it on my fifth attempt...hmmmm
me: I got it in one go
JIT: indian is valid there....lucky
7:18 PM me: Yeah only for one yr
JIT: k
me: Uk license is valid everywhere
JIT: dubai license is valid in 53 countries
me: Ok
JIT: yeah i know...lot of English guys get license here just showing a UK one... and v bloody .. f***** Indians are treated like slaves... u have to go through a long process
me: That's coz nobody follows rules there
7:21 PM JIT: true...true
me: Does it cost big money to get license in uae
JIT: first get admission in the driving school and it takes ages to get ur turn and then parking test this test that test and finally road test which is torture....yeah... I almost shell out Dhs 6k
7:23 PM after getting a license life is now pretty better...
me: How much is that in indian money
JIT: othewise it was very painful....may be around 80,000
7:24 PM me: hahaha
JIT: in that money i could got 100 license in india without going anywhere
me: That's a relief coz I thought I m the only indian going thru this torture
JIT: ha ha ha ha
7:25 PM me: I paid £300 approx
JIT: there are lots here.. going through this
ha ha ha
me: About 25000 rupees
7:26 PM JIT: still u have spend less than what I paid and it took 8 months
me: God...Urs was more difficult for sure
JIT: so which car u driving now...
7:27 PM me: Vw polo
JIT: hmmmm...i got civic basic....with cruise
me: Waah....Auto or manual?
7:31 PM JIT: Auto... I have license to drive only auto
me: Yeah mine is manual, I can drive both
7:34 PM JIT: Had I applied for manual ... I don't think i could gave got the license.. I still might be struggling
me: Y
7:36 PM JIT: It's a strange world... on my first attempt — road test — the guy who was the first to start almost drove it on pavement and he got license i got failed ...
7:38 PM me: I can very well imagine. Here its all about getting a good instructor and confidence.
I changed 3 instructors
7:40 PM JIT: Here it's a basically a business
i changed two instructors, it was so frustrating...
me: Its the same in uk, big business for brits
X-----X-----X

The fact of the matter is that I know why we struggle to get driving license outside our own country. Firstly, it is very expensive taking lessons and then the test fees. One pays and pays unless you actually pass the tests. The only hard work I did in India was to sign and get a photograph done, thanks to the connections my driving school had. I did not take theory or a practical test. Funniest bit back home was the last fifteen minutes of my lessons, where the instructor thought of enlightening me about reverse gear :D

!!!!!

Are there only 3 idiots?

2010-01-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

My response is that I am glad there are only three and that too limited to the film. '3 idiots' has all the reasons to pull crowds as it is directed by somebody who gave Gandhi a new life in 21st century and concepts like 'jadoo ki jhappi' started making sense. Aamir Khan's acting is clearly the icing on cake. I waited excitedly to watch this film and went to watch it on it's release, despite minus temperatures . I have to admit that the film was entertaining and I walked out of the theatre with an encouraging mood. It is a feel good film except for certain sequences which are difficult to forget ( digest) like delivering a baby on TT table with tools like vacuum cleaner and on the top of that a newly born baby actively responds to the concept of 'Aal is well'. ?????????

I do have a strong opinion about India's education system and believe firmly that it needs to be reformed urgently. Although after watching the film I realised that it was not dealt with at all. This film did not show institutes with outstanding reputation in fine light. The only message it delivers is that well accomplished teachers are frustrated and do not treat students right. However this is not reality, my own experience with teachers has been mixed but some of the teachers I have met really deserve the best.

Rancho (central character) can afford to sing 'Aal is well' as he is genius and blessed with intelligence, but the reality is that 'Aal is not well' with most of us. It is impossible for me to imagine all photographers, actors and journalists around me and no doctors and engineers. My best friend is a doctor and I know the struggle and hard work it takes to become one. Engineers go through bad ragging but do end up making flyovers and buildings for us. India does need people who are highly educated to bring changes and regrettably everybody has to grill through the existing education system to rise and grow, if not, we will all be idiots.

Time for resolutions...

2010-01-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Its time for resolutions and here is the list...

Car pooling
Connecting with people and don't get me wrong. I am not talking about Nokia's tag line but the connection with fellow human beings which are more important than machines.
Writing letters to close ones as they are better than emails...can't be deleted by just a click.
Save water and electricity
Last and most important...stop judging people and, love and respect them for what they are.

If you (reader) are thinking that the above list is coming from a modern age Saint then you should think again as my resolution is to encourage people to follow the above list ;)

At personal level I am glad 2009 is gone and gone forever.

Happy New Year 2010 to all :)

!!!!

A sunny weekend on a gloomy one...

2009-11-21T07:12:00.000-08:00

These are some of the pics that I had completely forgotten about. But on a dull, gloomy Sunday I thought of looking at some old pics in my camera and this is what I found. Call them memories of a sunny day.
I have never seen so much of Sun continuously in the time that I have spent in this country. My trip to Blackpool was an amazing May, long weekend. It was bright and warm, so much so that the thought of removing sunglasses for photographs was disturbing.

Day two of the trip was a visit to Lake District. As the name suggests it is a mountain region with several tarns and mere.

The most common activity one would expect to do on such a trip is a ferry ride and I did that as well. But when you are in water the list of things to do go bigger and better. I saw people sailing, water skiing and canoeing. People were out and about in sun. Obviously that encouraged the child in me to try everything is one go.

Rowing was fun. On our boat, the official photographer took all these pics and more, so what I did in terms of adventure is not beyond imagination. Everything was fine till I saw an old man enjoying on the boat all by himself, it sort of encouraged me to try that very deeply.
Now, I know exactly what to do when I am there next. Till then I am watching and sharing these pics for some brightness.

BlackBerry says...

2009-10-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

When you say you love BlackBerry , the obvious answer is 'BlackBerry loves you too'...It definitely sounds better, sweeter and humbler than human beings.

Sailing on a sunny Sunday...

2009-10-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

The whole idea of sailing all day on a Sunday was thrilling actually. I enjoyed it one way but wanted to take a bus back home. I can make this sound very lavish but some facts about sailing are:

MUST go with like minded people
If not, take a book to read
MUST carry a Sunscreen lotion and sunglasses

These pics were taken on 05/10/2009 and as the title suggests, it was a sunny day.

Exploring water can be fun and risky, so do grab if you get such an opportunity.

!!!!

Love is ....(II)

2009-09-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hahahaha....another interesting one and once again about a machine. I heard a guy saying that iPhone is his cuuuuuuuuuute littttttttle baby. The only thing that came to my mind after witnessing something as funny as that was how some girls take care of dogs (pets) like their own baby.

Hey! It's not a post on Men vs Women, so please don't get me wrong.

Thank god some people like to care for living beings ;)

!!!!

Love is ...

2009-08-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Few days back a friend said to me that he loves his Blackberry and then another friend very sweetly expressed that he can't live without his iPhone. They really sounded like people in love.

Consumerism has changed people's understanding of love. This sounds like the love that comes from brand loayalty and is very capable of encouraging people to fight over their preferred brands. I wont be surprised to see the world getting divided into such brand religions where there will be no hindu, muslim, sikh and christans but just Nokia, Blackberry, iPhone, Reebok, Nike, Coke and Pepsi.

!!!!!

Machhar Ki Candy!!!

2009-08-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

Back in 2002 I saw a program on Discovery Channel about exotic and yet very disgusting food products as per my understanding. Snake blood and ant candies were shown as delicacies enjoyed in some parts of world and in my comfort zone I could never imagine something on television becoming a reality. Now, imagine when you lick a candy of Machhar (mosquitoes) coated with Tequila and caramel only to find out that there is a Machhhhhhhhar in there and not by mistake :D

Check out these pics that were taken purely in a state of shock and excitement. Let me know if you want some gifts ;)

Enjoyed??????

V!!!

Bulla ki jana...

2009-07-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

The greatest lyrics ever!

Not a believer inside the mosque, am I nor a pagan disciple of false rites. Not the pure amongst the impure. Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh. Bulleh! to me, I am not known.

Not in the holy Vedas, am I nor in opium, neither in wine, Not in the drunkard`s craze Niether awake, nor in a sleeping daze. Bulleh! to me, I am not known.

In happiness nor in sorrow, am I neither clean, nor a filthy mire. Not from water, nor from earth. Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth. Bulleh! to me, I am not known.

Not an Arab, nor Lahori. Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari. Nor do I live in Nadaun. Bulleh! to me, I am not known.

Secrets of religion, I have not known. From Adam and Eve, I am not born. I am not the name I assume. Not in stillness, nor on the move. Bulleh! to me, I am not known.

I am the first, I am the last. None other, have I ever known. I am the wisest of them all. Bulleh! do I stand alone? Bulleh! to me, I am not known

!!!!!

Life...a literature in hurry

2009-07-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This post is bitter in flavour and reader is free to go to another blog.

The other day a thought made me realise that everything around us is subjective and is based on our own interpretation. One good step for someone can be bad for another. How many times are we able to comprehend the implications of our prayers when we ask god for favours.

Something exciting for one can be life threatening for a fellow human being. Salman Khan after all did kill people due to his thrill and not to forget that most children do realise at some point or the other that they were a resultant of a two minutes passion and nothing more. Something similar has also been said in Hindu holy book Shreemad Bhagvad Geeta. Lord Krishna told Arjun to do what he was supposed to do in a battle field as a fighter. The focus was on Karma and not worrying about its result. So what if that very suggestion killed so many people and the loved ones. After all it’s all about perception.

But in actual life people are left to read between the lines. And often there are times when one gets stuck between those lines and cannot interpret. The difference between right, not so right, wrong and not so wrong fades away. As the confusion in my head seemed never ending over these thoughts I suddenly thought of a principle that was taught in middle school.
'Survival of the fittest'
This fits very well in most modern life situations. Whether it’s about life, death or relationships. One who is tough enough to battle the pressure from all ends will exist and not the rest.

!!!!!

Jai Ho for Congress

2009-05-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Jai ho seems to be a lucky composition by music director A R Rehman. It got him an Oscar and also happens to be one of the best things about Oscar winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire'. It has attracted attention which is the reason for Pussycat dolls singing English version of the song and cashing on Jai Ho.

Congress realised the song's potential as much as the filmy world did. Jai ho worked for Congress in the General election's campaign in India more than BJP's India shinning. Infact BJP had to suffer immensely for India Shining in 2004.

Enjoy the campaign video after the election result.

V :D

British Summer - 2

2009-05-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

This Summer is my second in UK and I am loving it. Long sunny days with showers twice or thrice a week and trees plants covered with colourful flowers. I am posting some of the pics taken recently with the hope that I will capture more beauty in the coming days.

Alton Towers

2009-04-13T15:44:00.001-07:00

This is my 100th post and I have loads to share.

Alton towers trip was meant to happen last year in summer with uni friends, actually it did happen but without me. I got a second chance to see one of the most visited theme parks in Europe. This place made me forget everything including recession and credit crunch which is the hottest topic of discussion these days. The car parks were full and it was one of those rarest occasion where I got to see crowds queuing up to buy tickets. The fast track tickets were all sold out and Alton towers was jam packed, no wonder it was an Easter Sunday.

Here is the map of Alton Towers to plan your day. Alton Towers has everything one wants to see but not the time. So its the best to plan what all you would like to see specially in groups.

If you think the park is for kids then you are right. It has a monorail, sea world and lots of other attractions.

And I got most of my courage from children getting out with smiling faces from rides in which I could not even open my eyes. Must take rides in the theme park are:

Oblivion - I had the hardest time waiting for this in que. Announcements like 'Are you ready for it' on mike made everything worst. My heart was pumping and my head kept on telling me not to do it. This ride was smoothest and makes you feel breathless, weightless, endless and not to forget tension less as one has better things to worry about. Guess what??? Life of course :D

(Pic bought from Azahar Machwe in one pence ;) )

Air - My friends enjoyed this one the most. It happened to be the only ride where I managed to open my eyes. But I found it too long as it was just 10 seconds longer than the other rides. Every second was IMPORTANT.
Nemisis - when you are around Nemisis you know it is going to be scary. The sound around the area is crazy. I wonder how people manage to work in a surrounding like that. People say that it is one of the best roller coaster rides in the world. I say that the ride made me understand what darkness is like when eyes are tightly shut :D
Spinball wizzers - Was the most irritating and jerky of all. But it helped to prepare for the coming thrills as this was the first ride in Alton Towers.

Rita- I missed this ride as it wasn't operating on that day probably due to technical problems. But it is known to be the best roller coaster there.
Congo river ride - this was my kind of ride. This was one ride I admired in all Hindi films with foreign locations. I would recommend this for people of all ages.

Important things:

Must take hair bands, head bands and bandanas to cover hair during the rides. It can get very difficult to sort them out after roller coaster rides.
Don't wear hanging stuff like long earing and chains.

Don't be afraid of taking the single ques as most of the thrilling rides are about individual fun and saves a lot of time.

In the end I want to introduce the castle I thought of seeing when I entered and happily forgot about due to rides and is the first thing on my list for next visit.

Finally got D(e)V D

2009-04-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

It's a film that I eagerly waited for and was disappointed when it was not released in any theatre near my house. I am an Abhay Deol fan and the whole idea of doing Devdas in today's scenario was an appealing concept and enough a reason to wait for a good online DVD print for downloading.

Dev D got very good reviews from the critics and I would like to agree with what most people have written about it. It does deserve a 5 star for the script, details and acting. Director Anurag Kashyap has done a brilliant job in carving out a striking story set in today's Punjab and Delhi. The whole definition of love seems to have changed and emotions have been replaced by needs. It’s a straight forward story and I admire the director's guts to do another film on Devdas after Sanjay Leela Bansali's attempt, which is still quite fresh in our memory.

There is no comparison between the 'dress drama' Devdas and Dev D. The only comparison I would like to draw is between SRK and Abhay Deol's acting. Abhay Deol was superb and I wonder what SRK could do minus the dress drama, huge sets and unrealistic world of emotions.

Mahi Gill (Paro) and Kalki Koechlin (Chanda) were very well suited in their respective roles. The music is enjoyable, however the film feels like a musical in patches. Emosanal Atyachaar and Duniya Gol were my favourite songs. My only complaint is with the use of MMS case for sensationalising the film as it must have made the lives of those involved even worst all over again.

On the whole Dev D was a very different cinematic experience and I enjoyed the no-nonsense approach of the film.

V!

What's in the initials...

2009-03-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

If you ask me I would say Friday, the 13th. Yes it was a Devil's day of sorts and it began to be different from the first thing in morning. My day was very well planned for a change. What did change everything was a mail from HSBC on my name. It was a good morning letter asking me to pay 70 pounds 63 pence to clear off all debts immediately or a legal action would be taken against me and a solicitor would contact soon .

So, at first I did not know what it meant. Then I tried searching for details in a five page letter, whether that was for a debit card, credit card or a bank overdraft? My head was full of questions and the letter did not contain any information to settle curiosity. The next best thing was to call the bank and I did exactly that but in a jiffy. The gentleman on the phone was polite and my guess is that he spoke in Spanish or may be french accent. Not to blame him but that's how things were meant to be, my phone banking security code was locked due to misunderstanding of questions asked.

Then I rushed to the bank. Now, with two problems, one the letter and if I was needed to pay and for what when I have the basic account which means no debit card, credit card or overdraft facilities, second to unlock my security code. I explained my first problem to an executive to which she promptly replied that the letter was for my spouse. I felt like laughing in nervousness and told her that fortunately I was not married after which she asked me to wait. Experience in bank was pleasant enough minus the waiting time. This waiting time was good 15 minutes and the worry of the rest of the plans started to bother.

The lady then checked account details which were fine and she could not think of any reason of why that letter was in my hand. The only thing she said was that occasionally people of same initials move to same houses and the bank continues to send letters to previous occupants. The account was unlocked with the mystery solved and lesson learnt. The rest of the day was good and for the first time I got satisfaction from the money that goes in for a day bus ticket.

This whole incident reminded me of a quote.
“When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
However, in my case these first things happen without much effort.

V !

Slumdog millionaire has done it!

2009-02-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

This film has got luckier than expected even by director Danny Boyle. SM was an obvious winner in Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscars. But what has it done for Indians, has it really taken us to an international platform? I have been reading about what Indian film professionals think about SM. Some think the film has shown India in awful light by screening its slums and not the development it has undergone over the years. The film's screenplay was an adaptation and therefore the scope for deviating was not huge. However, it was a bit complicated to understand how children raised in Mumbai slums start talking in British accent.

As far as Indian film industry goes, the success of SM may not bring in major changes to the way things happen here. Most good films like Oye Lucky...still go unnoticed in our award functions and instead SRK gets a nomination in best actor category for Rab ne...a film that I have not heard one person appreciating. On the other hand, the west appreciation has never concerned seasoned actors like Om Puri and directors like Shekhar Kapoor. A minor revolution that can be expected is in the treatment of technicians like sound mixers, editors and cinematographers. They are the people who make films and never get appropriate recognition. Resul Pukutty’s win at the Academy awards has opened a new world for our creative technicians.

The only major change that I can see is for slum children Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail who actually got the opportunity to be on the red carpet in Oscars. The west recognition does not matter to them, they are probably not even aware of what they participated in. It felt good to see their innocent and non-business faces amidst publicity seekers. My day was made when Azharuddin after returning to India said in an interview, that they have done something that even Amitabh Bachchan could not do for the country. Now people in slums look upto them and are probably waiting for their turn to be a Latika or a Salim.
:)

Snow of Feb, 2009

2009-02-05T07:18:00.000-08:00

First heavy snow of 2009 brought cheer and brightness to the bleak atmosphere. People came out with families and friends to play and make snowmen. I had some fun too, here are the pics that were taken in the backyard and front yard. My favourite are ones of the bench covered with snow. It looked so beautiful in the neighbourhood house that I dint hesitate to peek-a-boo.

Frontyard looked lively with neighbourhood children playing with snow and giggling.
Cauliflowers in the backyard. Is it?It really looks like one.
Footsteps...Feel free to follow at your own risk. Peek-a-boo in neighbour's garden was worth the effort.

A better angle for clearer and wider view.

When can I return to work: PM

2009-01-26T02:36:00.000-08:00

This is one of the first questions Indian PM Manmohan Singh asked the doctors after a heart surgery in AIIMS.

My interpretation of his statement is effortless, puzzled and humorous. The PM is too eager to get back to his office, the office which rules the world’s second largest population and is striving too hard to grab the first position. But why is he too keen to get back? Is he anxious on the subject of Mumbai attacks, dialogue with Pakistan on terrorism, introduction to Barack Obama or Satyam scam.

Or the worries are deeper, internal and more personal. Does the statement indicate his limited fondness for officiating PM Pranab Mukherjee? Well, may be! But the message is very strong and clear to a hopeful mother Sonia Gandhi that he is not letting the throne go to toddler Rahul Gandhi so soon. To make sure it all goes well and PM is not poisoned to death in AIIMS, he wants to return to his wife Gursharan Kaur for home cooked food.

Politics is good fun and provides better entertainment than hindi films!

:)

At your own risk!

2009-01-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

I am finally posting a film that I directed in 2005 with two friends. I say finally because finally I have managed to gather the guts to do so. It's a documentary film and after noticing people's reaction I started to believe what a documentary filmmaker once said to me, filmmaker has to be passionate enough to make a docu as there are no audiences for it.

Somebody very close actually got up for a glass of water in an eight minutes film. Many a times I have forwarded this link to my good friends, so I am now extending the torture by posting the link here with expectation that viewers will be generous enough to leave a comment. I hope you enjoy the experience.

:)

Whats new ?

2009-01-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

The above pic was taken on a road journey. A planned journey without any plans as such towards new life, new place and a new year 2009.

:)

Filmy 2008

2008-12-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

I am a film buff and enjoy any good to bad film, however I can do very well without action and horror dramas. 2008 has been a year of firsts. It also happens to be the year where I discovered the fun of watching online films in the comfort of four walls on my bed with food, pint of water and snacks alongside. Online films can be paused as well as can be enjoyed with cooking, cleaning and even sometimes with work. Even better is that one can sleep and continue even discountinue, depending on the quality or mood. And all this without the pinch of having paid for it or the struggle to reach a theatre.

This works well with most Bollywood films where the brain can be switched off, but I was taken by a surprise several times. Some films were excellent and could be enjoyed even with a compromise on picture quality and just acceptable sound. I am listing down few films that I really had fun watching.

A Wednesday

Aamir

Dasvidaniya

Oye Lucky ! Lucky oye

Mithya

Rock On

Ru-ba-ru

Via Darjeeling

Jaane tu ya jaane na

Sorry bhai

Ofcourse there were few huge disappointments as well

Yuvraj

Dostana

Singh is King

Tashan

Mission Istanbul

Thoda pyaar thoda magic

Jodha Akbar

Bachna ae haseeno

Kismat connection

Love story 2050

Ohhh I am feeling good ! I thought it will be a struggle to list the same number of films in both the lists but the bad ones were as easy to list as the good ones were.

I am yet to watch Rab ne and thankfully it does not excite me enough. Ghajini is a film that I would like to watch as its an action film and I am not too keen to see Aamir's eight packs on big screen.

Christmas reflections

2008-12-26T15:21:00.000-08:00

These pics were taken in High Cross, Leicester. It is a shopping mall and a huge part of it is covered with a glass structure. I had an excellent time admiring the Christmas decorations and capturing them on camera was an interesting experience.

:)

News channel skit

2008-12-26T15:08:00.000-08:00

A friend forwarded a hillariuos news channel skit which has also been put up on youtube.com. It is fun and a must watch. One of the actors is an old friend and this group of actors are better entertainers than the actual news anchors.

:)

Interesting Mistakes !

2008-12-18T17:05:00.001-08:00

Click on the pics to view them closely and see what has been called interesting. The effects are due to camera shake in Leicester, City Center. The place was beautifully decorated and well lit for Christmas celebrations.
:)

Oye Lucky ! Lucky oye!

2008-12-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

This film is as interesting as the tittle is. Oye Lucky is director Dibakar Banerjee's second successful attempt after much appreciated Khosla ka Ghosla. A film like this proves that there are no camera or edit tricks required for entertaining people. It's just a matter of good research and script combined with brilliant acting.

Oye Lucky is a comedy film with a strong message ( watch the film for message), it manages to keep the viewers focus in place. The edit is rough, which makes the whole the story looks like a real one. Best thing about the film is its consistency in the tone in which the dialogues are delivered, it irritates yet entertains at the same time. The feel of the film is very North Indian just like Khosla ka Ghosla and looks like the director is well aware of Delhi.

Most people must have already seen the film by now, but I strongly recommend it to those who have not, as this is the first film I could watch twice online, in the past one year.
ENJOY !

:)

S(F)unday

2008-12-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

Perfect Sunday or Funday as I occasionally used to call them in India literally used to mean a summery sunny morning/afternoon setting. I used be be lying on the sofa looking at the clear blue beautiful sky, with dazzling pink bougainvillea flowers blocking my view. Thinking about various things and also nothing most of the times. To make this picture perfect, some sparrows and a squirrel used to jump around in the balcony in search for water and food. They were my best weekend friends.

Sundays in UK can be fun with friends and specially if one doesn’t hope them to be sunny. Food of course tops the priority list. But the comfort of being home is always absent. The weather conditions are pitiable! It’s dark, windy and cold. The pigeons here remind me of DDLJ where Ambrish Puri says, 'yahan ke to kabootron mein bhi apne desh jaisi baat nahin hai'. I feel like one of the birds SRK refers to,that lost her way and came to an unknown land and now remembers home amidst the new world.

Sydney = Romance

2008-12-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks T for this beautiful postcard. It actually added to my list of firsts, this happens to be the first postcard I have received in UK. I hope to see Sydney soon to share my experience with you.
:)

Mumbai happened for good!

2008-12-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is what I feel about the whole episode. The attack was certainly different in many ways than what India has seen before. Terrorists taking the sea route and using hand grenades was definitely different. But the best of all things were the hotels that were targeted. In most previous attacks it was always the poor and middle class who died in train blasts, Sarojini Nagar blasts and many others. The rich continued to live in luxury, sometimes also participated in talk shows of channels like NDTV. But Hotel Taj and Trident are not visited by poor people.

This attack was the first of its kind to target the rich Indians as well, who talk about the spirit of people to move on and live, but they will now understand what it means to move on. I hope the rich will use their power and influence to the best to pressurise authorities in India to get active and stay alert at all times. Specially the Mumbai film industry and the big business houses who talk all the time but never come up with serious stuff as they take their security for granted.

Thanks to terrorists for Mumbai attacks because from time to time it’s important to wake up people in deep sleep. Now it is the same India for all rich and poor, a terror state, which can encourage unity between different classes in the society for common good.

India people fighting????

2008-11-29T08:03:00.000-08:00

That was the question asked by my housemate from Russia on an extremely cold afternoon in kitchen. We don't understand each other but she could clearly communicate her fear of what was known to her about Bombay. The conversation clearly indicated that terrorism has no language just like love and needs no communication skills.

After tracking NDTV live online for three days, it felt that Bombay episode was a replay of many things that have been seen in the past instances of terrorism. Government's inability to take quick actions, politicians trying to gain votes out of a disastrous calamity and media being news hungry and absolutely insensitive in their coverage.

What hurts the most is that a major part of our income in India goes in taxes. Where are these funds used and what for. Why should the politicians enjoy the best of life from our money, when they can't provide us with a sense of security. I know we Indians have the spirit but it is a choiceless choice too move on. There has to be a day when all of us stop and say 'NO MORE' to the government and through them to the terrorists.

WARNING: DO NOT EXPLOIT OUR SPIRIT !!!!!

Colourful moments...

2008-11-27T20:11:00.000-08:00

Before going to India I had a long unwritten shopping list, which seemed never ending. I enjoyed adding more and more to my list but what matters is the accomplishment. After reaching home shopping took a back seat in list of priorities. It was delayed and delayed and delayed till the last day, date and moment. The frustrated me on the last day in Lajpat Nagar dint know what to do and where to go and finally decided to get mehndi done on left hand.

Mehndi guy did his job well. He told me about contracts for mehndi in marriages and will be working in three shifts due to heavy rush of wedding season.

The result was good!

And got better only. These pics were taken in the flight while I was enjoying the colour.

The pic below reminds me of what comes has to go but this whole experience of getting mehndi done was pleasant and motivates me for more attempts.

The shopping list is only getting bigger and better, but who cares its just a list !
:)
P.S. I forgot to titile the post and the it was added later.

Its time...

2008-11-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest feelings is to be in the comfort of family, friends and home. The things on my priority list vanished as soon as I landed. I met almost everyone close. Some managed to surprise me and I surprised few as well but now it's time to head back.

I am putting down the lyrics of one of my favourite songs from KANK for the people I love and care for, who miss me as much as I miss them, when we are not together.

Tum ko bhi hai khabar
Mujhko bhi hai pata
Ho raha hai judaa
Dono ka raasta
Dur jaake bhi mujhse tum meri yaadon main rehna

Kabhi alvida na kehna
Kabhi alvida na kehna
:)

My love...

2008-10-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

I love this plant, the flower and the colour. I get a homely feeling with bougainvillea around.

:)

LHR - DEL

2008-10-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is a birdeye view of the skyline, Afghanistan sand and rocks and Delhi. The last few pics are of the Delhi runway.

The flight was interesting. There was hardly any sleep for me and therefore watched What happens in Vegas, Chandni and Tere ghar ke samne. I also had the time to look around and see what other people were watching. Some of the popular films on flight were Dil to pagal hai, Taare zameen par and Hum dil chuke sanam. Dont be surprised by so many hindi film viewers as this was a Jet airways flight.

:)

After effects of dissertation

2008-09-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

I have been saying funny things to people off late. Here are few for the readers:

1. My plan is not to plan

2. If life, love and luck are kind enough to give a second chance...GRAB IT!!!

3. Life is like a bubble...LIVE IT!!!

4. 'Move on' is the easiest suggestion to give and most difficult to follow.

:)

NDTV is BULLSHIT !

2008-09-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

This post is being written with NDTV's famous programme 'We the people' playing in the background. It has become like a Star Plus soap which is very predictable.

The issue is obviously Delhi blasts and what a big nonsense it is. The anchor, Barkha Dutt seems to be insensitive. She asked a victim's relative how he felt after his relative died in Karol Bagh blast....Madam Dutt consider yourself very lucky if you don't know how it feels when a loved one dies like this... And then they have the usual heroes of the programme, Congress spokeperson Abhishekmanu Singhvi and Arun Jaitely from BJP. Both argue about what Congress is doing for security and what BJP did not do and is not doing in BJP ruled state. Both the political parties don't want to disturb their vote banks.

How sad is the fact that in their useless debate they remembered law, themselves and their parties but happily forgot victims and Delhi blasts.

'We the people' actually have no choice but to move on and 'WE' are not interested in debates.

Another important thing Barkha Dutt is not good as an anchor a number of times and this episode was just another example. However 'We the people' will appreciate if NDTV arranges for a fruitful discussion instead of a Dog vs Cat sessions on sensitive issues merely for high viewership.

Mission B-A-D

2008-09-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

Banglore-Ahmedabad-Delhi were the targets of Indian Mujahideen. Are people in such terrorist groups human???? How come they think their mission is bigger than fellow human beings and above that what is the mission. What will they get if people leave home with a terror in mind that each bye to their loved ones can be the final bye forever.

Everyone I know wants to kill them, everyone abuses them. Then why cant something be done about these camps. Being away from home can be extremely painful when such attacks happen. I understand all of us have to die one day, but why should a terrorist group decide anybody's life span.

The role of the government is very questionable in this. A government that is so busy with the nuclear deal and with the opposition so eager to bring it down, it feels as if there is no one at all thinking about citizen's sense of security. Who wants their sympathy, when will the actions speak louder????. People in power are as helpless because they are busy enjoying what they have, given by us.

My heart goes out to the blast victims and their families. We are sandwiched between terrorists and the government. God bless us all in the world of terrorism.

:)

Picture perfect Leicester

2008-09-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

This pic was taken while I was returing home one eve. I pass by river Soar everyday but have never seen it so calm, so still. It appeared to me like a mirror and thanked for mobile phone camera technology as I captured the beauty of the river.

:)

Souvinier from Poland

2008-09-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

This post is for a very special friend from Poland. She is my housemate and makes me feel at home when least expected. We hardly get to meet despite of living in the same house. But whenever we do, she greets me with her magical mother like smile whatever the time maybe.

Thank god for her.

:)

Who knows knowledge ?

2008-09-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Knowing too much sometimes takes away the joy of life. These days I am writing a report on knowledge. By doing so all my energy and the knowledge for namesake has drained completely.

I did everything that I was not expected to, to gain some knowledge, like watching FILMS, NDTV online, BBC online and friends, in the time that was given for research and preparation. The worst was planning a trip back home over and over again. And guess what...I am back to my normal way of working i.e. always performing under pressure by choice or call it by habit.

The other day I was talking to a friend and said, 'I have knowledge and can work for a while' when I wanted to say that I have energy and can work for a while. In another funny conversation I asked a friend not to worry about his report, to which he quickly replied, 'don't worry I have knowledge'.

For now my dictionary begins and ends with KNOWLEDGE. I think all the worry, tension, anxiety, nervousness, stress, excitement and pressure is thanks to knowledge that I don't have yet working on. I hope this pressure will feel like pleasure, happiness, delight and enjoyment after the report is submitted.

:)

Life is like a bubble

2008-09-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

My latest laptop screensaver is of bubbles and it is also the inspiration behind this post.

In grand scheme of things our life is just like a bubble...a bubble is born to fly happily and stays happy but not for very long... sometimes it has to fight with other bubbles and odd air flows.There are bubbles within the bubble of life like joys, sorrows, love, family, friends... The reality of all bubbles is that they die at one point...no matter what.

If our life is like a bubble, I wonder when I burst...where will my air go? will it vanish...

On a lighter note a friend said that life is like a bubblegum...chew it till the flavour ends :) I will say enjoy it till the flavour is there.

:)

Where is my magic wand????

2008-08-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Why are children shown and made to believe in magic wands in films and stories when they dont exist ??? I wanted one very desperately when I was in class 4. That's when I appeared for my first exam and I din't know what was happening. Basically the whole examination pattern was newly introduced and most students were confused about it. My preparation was poor and after the exams I thought it was the end of class 4.That was not the end.

It was the beginning, the beginning of bad or no prep for exams. Now its time again to look for a magic wand. Life goes in cirlcles, I am in a new system once again. Don't really know how things work but wish I had a magic wand that could make my 3000 words to 13000 or 500 to 15000 words. The magic is only in adding a figure here and there and therefore looks small. But this small change will make life easssssssssssssssssy...are the magician's listening...their customer is waiting here...

:)

Yaadein...

2008-08-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

Bad thing about bad memories is that they keep coming back...
Good thing with good memories is that they last forever- Unknown

My interpretation is that bad thing with bad memories is that they cause pain when ever they come back. Good memories make a tough journney smoother and bring a smile out of the blue.

This reminds me of one of my favourite song from hindi film 'Yaadein'.

baatein bhool jati hain....Yaadein yaad aati hain...yaadein...ye yaadein

:)

Quick salald

2008-08-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hungry and dont know what to eat. If this tempts you then read on to know the recipe. You can guess most ingredients from the pic as well.

*Chopped Red bell pepper
*Chopped cucumber
*Chopped sweet onions
*No cheeeeeeeeeeeese if you can do without it. I can't do without it on most days. The one used here is mozarella.
*Salt to taste
*Lemon drops
*Oregano or mixed herbs

Mix them all in a bowl and forget photography.

:)

Bus ride to Woodhouse Eaves

2008-08-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

Photography can be very interesting on a sunny turned rainy turned sunny day.

First two pics were clicked from bus. I wish the bus broke down near the river for a while, but all wishes don't come true. Do notice the gloss on greens. Pink is the cameras favourite and in the last one, the photographer says, 'hi' to all. ENJOY :)

Dreamless Dreams - II

2008-08-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

I had no intentions of writing further on Dreams, but a friends call made me so excited that I had to share it with others. I was very troubled by my own dreams when I last wrote about them and therefore forgot to mention that several dreams take us to cloud nine. They are so beautiful than reality that one doesn't feel like opening eyes after that. These are also the dreams that you want to run to someone and talk about in one breath. Such are the dreams we all dream for like getting a CEO job, scoring distinction marks, marrying the person one likes, job promotions, India winning the world cup ;) and so on...

I was touched by this friend’s call, who chose me to share one such beautiful dream. Actually this person shared happiness which I am sharing with you.

Spread your happiness too, SWEET dreams to all.

:) :) :) :)

Jaane tu...ya jaane na - II

2008-07-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

In my previous post on Jaane tu...ya jaane na, I mentioned about good performances by side characters in the film, and specially mentioned Genelia's brother. I liked the way his character was shaped and the relation he shared with Genelia. The guy plays role of a maverick brother and his acting was superior to most other seasoned actors. This is what made me search for more about him.

His name is Prateik Babbar s/o veteran actors Smita Patil and Raj Babbar. No wonder there was some sort of familiarity about him and his acting. This was also his first film, however Imraan Khan got the biggest piece of cake, thanks to uncle Aamir. But Prateik's acting genes did not go unnoticed. The policy of ‘let the work speak’ worked well for him.

:)

Dreamless Dreams

2008-07-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

In all these years I have heard a variety of meanings of the word 'Dream' but truthfully have never understood anything about them. People have tried defining them and their significance. But I wonder their level of success, if any. I am talking about dreams that we see while sleeping.

I can easily call my dreams my best friend. They make me see and feel the world that is out of reach. On this planet of technology, seeing family and friends on web camera is easy. But meeting them in dreams changes the intensity of interaction completely. Sometimes these dreams have indicated the future, sometimes they fulfilled what did not happen in the past. I intermingle with strangers in strange situations. I see dolphins frozen in blue water and I do question myself when I see SRK as boyfriend.

Some dreams make life very difficult. There are times when I wake up extremely worried and tensed and there are other times when I get up with a sense of satisfaction and a smile on face. There are also dreams that are recurring or continuous, there is something similar about few dreams. I doubt if these dreams point to anything at all. I still reach nowhere thinking about dreams but I continue to dream.

:)

English Rose - II

2008-07-22T20:57:00.001-07:00

I took these pics from mobile camera, as I could not control myself from capturing the beautiful blend of colours. Enjoy the different shades.

:)

2007 2008

2008-07-20T07:46:00.001-07:00

It's my blog's first birthday. Last year on 20 07 2007, I started posting and the first post was named 20072007 as my brother made me realise the sequence. The sequence still remains interesting i.e.20 07 2008. So much has happened in this year and Vibgyor is a reflection of some of the most beautiful moments. Not just that it has been my friend indeed, when I could not talk.

Thankyou A for introducing me to blogging.

:)

Leicester soaked up

2008-07-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is how Leicester was for the last two days. I find such weather lifeless but life goes on.

:)

Jaane tu...ya jaane na

2008-07-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

bhejafry.net seems to be my best friend in UK. This is where I watch the latest hindi flicks. I got to watch Jane tu..ya jane na. BBC radio and few other friends gave good reviews of the film and so the excitement was obvious. The print wasn't very good but I have learnt to compromise on that front.

I think the film is just a onetime watch and thats really not expected from an Aamir Khan Production. The story has nothing new to offer, it probably is the most predictable story I have seen in the recent past. But few elements are excellent. The concept of being a 'Mard' has been redefined in a way which is impossible to achieve. Imraan Khan, Aamir Khan's nephew happens to be the hero of the film. He is cute but his chocolaty looks get a bit uninteresting after a while and so is the case with Genelia. Genelia needs serious acting classes as I also saw her in Mere Baap Pehle Aap and she was awful.

The fun of the film is in the characters that are set with the main actors. Parents, friends, police inspector, brother , cousin brothers even girl friend. These characters were given due importance and they added a different flavour to the film. The best of all was Genelia’s brother.

The film has been used very well for Aamir's endorsements i.e. Toyota Innova and Coke. In instances like when one of the character asks for Coke on the rocks, Jaane tu... gives a look of a commercial advertisement. This film has more of such cliches. The biggest one being Imraan Khan running to stop Genelia on the International Airport. Running on International Airport looks like a very cool thing to do in films and most films make this look like a joke. I am sure Imraan is a good, smart and lucky runner. Lucky because he ran for a film shoot, in real life the police would have shot him down for being a terrorist.

:)

Relationship and complexities

2008-07-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

I was going through one of the beauty magazines which had a separate section for relationship issues. I always ignore these sections in the first go, yet read some of the issues with great interest. Some of the people really talk interesting stuff. Here are few which grabbed my attention:

1. Girl’s problem, "And with online/long distance, I was getting what I was not desperate for and not getting what I was desperate for"

This issue actually made me look for the real meaning of desperate. What dictionary.com failed to explain was that what can be the level of desperation in human beings or there is no boundary at all. Is it grabbing everything/everyone that one gets and use everything as opportunity?

2. Man chats with his woman co-worker on camera after work sometimes also late nights. This man had a problem that his wife does not trust him although he maintains a very honest relationship with her and the wife is told about even if little bit hugging and kissing happens online.

So I started to wonder if this is honesty then what does it actually mean. Does it not mean to avoid such situations from happening in the first place, if it happens does it not mean discouraging the same? And do chat emoticons mean anything at all.

These are all tricky questions to answer and probably when people can’t understand the simplest things they look for a third person’s advice. This also keeps these otherwise useless magazines in business.

In my opinion relationships were, are and will always remain complex. As I was discussing with a friend that we don’t love what we have and we love what we can’t get. So the vicious circle of complexity is never ending in human nature.

Long to short days

2008-07-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

English summer is beautiful when it doesn't rain. The sun covers up for all that it is unable to give in winters. The days are long, infact very long and are full of energy. The sun rises at about 4.45 am and sets nowhere sooner than 9.30 pm. One can hear birds chirping and children playing on streets. Now is the time when the days are getting shorter once again and each day sunrise is delayed by approximately one minute.

Tyndale Street, Leicester at 8.30 pm

And the same place at 9.30 pm

Comedy of errors

2008-07-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

After writing a post on types of errors it is very appropriate to write more about errors. Chatting with people can be humorous frequently. I am certain that all of us make typing mistakes or typo errors as some people call them, but these errors can bring an element of fun from nowhere at all. I enjoy when my friends make them but I laugh more loudly sitting unaccompanied in my room when I make such errors. Below are few on the top of my mind:

i love (live) on hinckley road
This very error also happens to be the motivation behind writing this post at midnight. After this error my friend could not end laughing and therefore decided to call, to pull my leg further.
can u give me a sex (sec)
This is the most hilarious typo error that I made while chatting with a male friend. The embarrassment ofcourse is understandable from both sides. Now, I am hundred times more cautious while typing sec, or replace it by brb (be right back) or just a moment.
i am god (gud)
This one really sounds rude but all I can say is no t(error) it’s just a comedy of errors.

English Rose- I

2008-06-19T04:21:00.000-07:00

I am naming this post as English Rose- I because there are more to come. Unfortunately, I don't have the camera with me everytime I see a beautiful rose on the roadside. Here are few from different places. The experience of capturing the first one was amazing. As I was taking the pic I realised the flower had a beautiful fragrance.

A bunch of wild red roses in Leicester.

Budding pink rose in Staines, London. This pic was taken by TKS's camera.

Full bloomed pink rose with dew drops in Warwick.

Alpenlibe...raha na jaaye...

2008-06-19T03:06:00.000-07:00

Many of my friends continue to ask if I miss Alpenlibe so much and if I get it in UK. Well the answer to both the questions is 'NO'. Its not the candy that I crave for but its the advert that I feel like singing every now and then. The lyrics and music are smoother than the candy itself.

Sometimes advertisements are more entertaining than films or serials. I remember ads that I used to watch as a child and can still sing effortlessly. Some of them were hilarious and used to sing in groups in school as well, like jab mai chota bachha tha, badi shrarat karta tha, meri chori pakdi jaati...jab roshan hota Bajaj...ting ding ding ding ding...

Another ad that used to get a lot of attention during family dinners was Cadbury's, kuch khaas hai ad where the girl runs to her boy friend/ husband in a cricket ground after he hits a six. I will admit that I only used to wait for the ad between boring news bulletins as it used to bring in some fresh air and happy faces. The arguement used be on whether the situation is possible in real life or not. Real life ofcourse is more spontaneous and has better moments, however this particular ad and the series that followed was actually appealing.

Lijjat papad...he he he...he he he, surf ultra's daag ...dundte reh jaoge and pan pasand's shaadi aur tumse??? kabhi nahin !!! remain to be few of my favourites from the good old days.

:)

Leicester

2008-06-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

These are the pics of Leicester city centre on a cold windy summer eve. Do notice people in jackets, caps and overcoats.

Friday, the 13th in UK

2008-06-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

The first 'Devil's Day' in UK was quite interesting as a friend said its a lucky combination. It took me back to my school days where we used to wait for something evil to happen. Even till few years back I used to message all my friends, and call it their day to have a bit of fun. I also remember failing in a Maths test in middle school on the same date and day, it was not a new thing but it happened just before the summer vacations.

I also noticed that Uphaar tragedy happened on Friday, the 13th. 13 is a fascinating number, it not only scares people in horror films but also in real life, like Chandigarh does not have Sector 13, so its 12 and then 14 after that. A lot of hotels don't have the 13th floor or room number because of the jinx attached to it.

My day was relatively full of new things:

Walked to St. Margaret's bus station for the first time. This was to see off a friend. Everytime I go there it reminds me of my landing in Leicester with few heavy bags and nowhere to go.
Inaugurated a new Hawkin's pressure cooker which recently came from India. The first pressure cooker preparation attempt in UK was Pulao that came out as Kichdhi :D which I would have never had if it was not my preparation.

When best friends are together

2008-06-13T04:15:00.001-07:00

The pics are self explanatory of the kind of time I had with TKS. Her visit brought a series of new and first experiences in UK. This was the first visit of someone very very close from backhome and life felt like coffee (emotions) with cream (fun). One week flew like seconds and before I could realise that it was the truth, it was over. Dreams do come true, like this one did. Now Best is with her and Friends with me and lets see when the Best Friends meet. Thank god for her.

4th June'08

2008-06-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Want to remember this day as two pieces of my heart are travelling internationally.

AG is on his way to US, god bless him :)

TKS is on her way to UK, I hope to have good time once again in life :)

Bon Voyage!

When it gets sunny

2008-06-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

These are pics of one of the very few sunny summer days I have seen in Leicester. People celebarated a working day in the sun with friends and family like a weekend because it mostly rains during the weekend here.

Someone once told me that there never is a perfect situation, so try make whatever you can from what you have. I think it fits well even with the weather in UK.

No Extension

2008-05-28T04:34:00.000-07:00

This was my tutor's reply to a mail which meant nothing to her. It probably was rules, regulation and ego matters. The result of which is 4000 words in exact 48 hrs. I feel terribly confused about the whole thing. In a way its a blessing in disguise as with a BIT of hard work all exams and reports will be over on time, as expected.

The Morning Sky

2008-05-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

These pics were captured at 4.30 in the morning from my room window. I understand why photographers set an alarm to capture this beauty. But it was not difficult for me, I slept after the sunrise. However, the only trouble was the size of the window, which restricted my movement.

Enjoy the pics...

:)

Aamir on Shahrukh

2008-05-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

"Shahrukh is licking my feet and I am feeding him biscuits every now and then. What more can I ask for? Now, before you jump to any conclusions let me add that Shahrukh is the name of our dog. And before you jump to any further conclusions let me add that I had nothing to do with naming him. In fact Shahrukh is the dog of the caretakers of our house. When I bought this house it came with the caretakers and their dog! Apparently Shahrukh (the actor) was shooting for a commercial in this house a few years ago, and that very day the caretakers bought a pup…, and named him Shahrukh. What are the chances of me buying a house which comes with a dog called Shahrukh!!! (aamirkhan.com)

This is an excerpt from Aamir Khan's blog. This post was very much in news for obvious reasons. I have friends who are die hard fans of both actors and I like them equally. I think actors like anyother professionals should be known for their work and not statements. SRK deserves every bit of this as he has made fun of people in television shows, interviews and media interactions in the past. These people include politician Amar Singh and Director Sanjay Leela Bansali.

However, I don't understand the need for Aamir Khan to get into controversy without any reason. Aamir is believed to be an intelligent actor and his marketing / publicity tools are innovative specially around new releases. Then be it Mangal Pandey mouchtache, DCH hair style, Narmada after RDB, Coke quality justification or this one for instance just before the release of Gajini.

Types of errors

2008-05-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be aware of Statistics but it sounded like Greek to me till some days back. Few friends wonder how at this level group studies help, well it does, quite a bit. We studied about Types of errors in null hypothesis and didn't know how to memorise. We applied theory to real life situation, and the results are for you to enjoy.

Type I error: Rejecting the right

When one has the right person in front of them and yet they reject them, is the Type I error. Say for instance in a relationship or marriage. All of us wait for the right (dream) person to come and in the process reject the rights in front of us. If you look around then the frequency of this kind of error in real life is quite high.

Type II error: Accepting the wrong

Marrying the person one should not be marrying is the best example of Type II error. Obviously this is the error that scares people from getting married and once married, life is nothing but the acceptance of the fact that Type II error was happily made. Who makes this error??? almost everyone, lots have already made and accepted it, others are on their way of doing so.

However the best situation in real life is making both Type I error and Type II error. And after few years of relationship you live with Type II error and regret for all Type I errors.

In short life is all about trial and error or if I may say, 'trying the errors'.

:)

'Bhoothnath'

2008-05-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

What do I do, when I have lots on my mind...well two things...watch a random film...or write a post. This time I am writing a random post on a random film ' Bhoothnath'. The first time I started watching it, I got scared by the intial sound effects and ambience and therefore preferred to sleep.

Next day again I had lots to cover in terms of reports and exams. Again I chose to go back to 'Bhoothnath' to find out what was so horrifying about it. Well nothing really, as its about an angel. I am not telling the story here but want to share the good bits of it.

Juhi Chawla has sung in the film for the first time. Her voice is really sweet, blended perfectly with a smile which is audible in the song as well.

SRK's jokes on Juhi, who plays his wife.

Priyanshu Chatterjee got two or maybe three sentences in the film but he was good. I really liked him in 'Tum Bin'. He has an excellent voice.

Watching 'Bhoothnath' was a good time pass. :)

Surprise Surprise!

2008-05-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

How about a surprise??? Are you surprised??? Don't be... I was surprised by a surprise! You also go ahead and prepare a surprise for your loved ones... Don't wait for it to happen to you, when you are planning, someone else might be planning one for you. It is worth every single effort you put into it...sometimes surprises can make a day special... or even life special.

How am I feeling... still very very SURPRISED !!!!! Thank god for a wonderful surprise (17/05)

:)
Friends, please don't ask what the surprise was...coz I will not tell the truth anyway :D

Tulips

2008-05-14T06:33:00.001-07:00

Few days back a friend called me 'Pinky' for obvious reasons. So, here are tulips in different colours. I also found pink tulips and could not control my love for the colour. Enjoy the colours....

Two in twenty four...

2008-05-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

I am sure by now you must have guessed what this is about! Is this about shopping or bargaining or some other good deal. Well actually none of these. Its about two dreams in twenty four hours and their similar nature.

Dream 1:
My professor is Muslim fellow from Pakistan and when I go to him with a problem, he says you Indians will never change your approach and capture stuff. I get angry ofcourse and tell him to mind his business and not get personal. I also ask him to stay in his boundary. After the dream I was very upset and was thinking that teachers are teachers not hindu or muslim and so is the case with students.

Dream 2:
I dream of a Muslim actor...no prizes for guessing this. I dreamt of SRK as my boyfriend. We walk in some unknown place, probably a film location. We also happen to play badminton in a shopping mall. Ohh... what a dream it was. I was flying high for sometime even after getting up.

Now comes the analysis bit. Both the dreams had Muslim men in it, which makes my liking stronger for them. But the first dream I hope never comes true and nobody faces such a humiliation. The second I know will never be true so all SRK fans from India, Pakistan and the RoW should get it often.

Sweet dreams and reality to all :)

Just like heaven

2008-05-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

This post is for my brother. I was not with him physically on his last two birthdays. Life seems to be changing quickly. Last year he was not home and this year I was not home. This also happens to be my 50th post. I took few pics in a park in Leicester and I am sure if I manage to force him to see the blog, he will enjoy them. The theme ofcourse is 'Just like Heaven' as nothing according to me can be more beautiful than this.

First experience with UK police

2008-05-07T04:14:00.001-07:00

My term is about to end but the firsts continue to happen. I never thought this will be a part of my blog but the truth is different. Met the UK police early in the morning sharp at 10 when I was about to leave home. I was late as usual and did not expect anybody to come at that time forget the police.

They came for some investigation regarding someone. But this post is not on the reason of investigation. It is about my experience with the police men. They were four of them out of which one was a middle aged man in crisp uniform. The other three were all young good looking hunks in white Tee and jeans. I hope Delhi Police sends its official team to UK for a research on why police men here are so handsome and not in Delhi.

On the other hand I think if police men were good looking in India then women drivers would make more mistakes to seek attention from traffic police and it will be worth getting into a conversation with them.
:)

Water water everywhere

2008-05-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

This river is opposite my business school, here are some routine activities of River soar captured on a sunny evening in Leicester.

:)

Source of Joy

2008-05-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

This source of joy is also my source of energy on a cloudy dull day

Thank god :)

Living alone is fun !

2008-05-04T14:52:00.001-07:00

Home sweet home. This feels mine as I am never forced to clean it.

My dressing table.

This sofa is hardly used for sitting.

Kaju katli from India given by a friend and I hated sharing it with friends.

First Gurudwara visit in UK

2008-05-03T03:28:00.000-07:00

This was one one of the first suggestions I got from an experienced person, that I must find out the local gurudwara as Sikh community is friendly. But it took me good seven months to do so. This visit was planned within seconds with a group of friends. All of us were excited for the langar(food prasad).

Leicester Gurudwara was very peaceful, just like gurudwaras in India there was an old man saying gurbani on the mike and a lady to distribute Kada(sweet prasad). After sitting there for few minutes it felt that I was home. It also reminded me of college days where I used to go to college gurudwara and sit there for sometime. The visit used be very voluntary, sometimes with complaints and sometimes with no reasons at all.

Then came the best bit of our gurudwara visit i.e langar. All of us had stars in our eyes with a plate full of proper Indian food. Five of us were eating, enjoying and thinking. I don't know what others were thinking but I was thinking what I eat these days is not upto the mark and suddenly I had tears in my eyes. I missed home, my family and also my bestest friend with whom I used to go to gurudwara for an outing followed by an ice-cream session at India Gate.
:)

Is customer the prey?

2008-05-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

This is what I call price war at its best. UK's retail market cant get worst than this. There are four major retail super markets. Tesco leads in this race and has maximum market share. This pic was taken in Sainsbury's which stands third in this race after Asda.

Take a look at the offer, I guess this is what the company does to lure customers when they have nothing else to offer.

Ek machhar

2008-04-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Me: how did u get a cut while shaving

Me: was it serious

KA: arey yaar mat poocho

KA: shave kar chuka tha... ek machchar aa gaya... use udane laga but razor haath mein tha

KA: nose aur lip ke beech mein touch kar gaya

I can understand how troublesome Machhar can be sometimes. This also reminds me of hindi film Shataranj Ke Khiladi where Sanjeev Kumar tells his friend, '' amma miyan is nak chade machhar ne naak mein damm kar rakha hai."

First drive in UK

2008-04-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Yeah this convertible BMW is the first car I drove in UK. This master piece was bought by a friend few days back and I was wondering how it feels to drive an open car in cold UK climate. This friend was nice enough to take me out for a short drive and I asked to drive myself for just 100 meters. But as I started to drive I managed a decent 200 meter stretch. It felt excellent, the car has everything to live upto its label.

Well this experience was another first of its kind. I must mention the fact that I do not have the license to drive in this country and therefore I also feel a bit silly for not controlling the temptation. :)

Such is life

2008-04-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

A very special friend unexpectedly wrote a long email to me. This person has influenced my life in many ways and has seen life closely. I think all of us have something to learn from the mail. Following are the excerpts:

1. Just remember that happiness starts within yourself. you find this happiness inside of you.

2. As long as you stay positive and communicate with each other truthfully you have a strong foundation to build your lives on!

3. Remember relationships takes a lot of work, give and take,compromise, trust and loyalty on both parts.

4. Put those negative thoughts aside! when you start to doubt your happiness push those thoughts away and think of all the happiness you have now and tell your self that it will continue.

5. Worrying about the future is a waste of time and takes you away from living today! Live each day to the fullest in the moment.

6. Appreciate what you have each day! any day you wake up - IS a GOOD DAY!

7. A new day is a mystery full of hope-new possibilities-a chance to learn new things-a continuation of love.

8. Appreciate everything, your health, the good food, the refreshing water, the sun or rain, the fresh morning breeze, look for the good in everything.

9. Even if something difficult should happen - there is a lesson to learn, a decison on how to respond, a chance grow, a chance to make it better!

10. Keep your lives simple, love yourselves first, love others second, don't let material things or other people come between you and you will love forever.

These lines are now safe and even if the email gets deleted I have the wise words here.

Thankyou G for your unconditional support :)

Toothpaste

2008-04-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my post is about toothpastes but I have few interesting instances to share about them.

First one of course is like a nightmare. In class 9 or 10th we were asked to write about our dream. I wrote all kind of funny things but the funniest was from a friend in class who wrote about using shaving cream instead of toothpaste in a half awake state. I was totally disgusted by that thought then and was always very cautious in the morning after that.

Second came few years later when I slapped my brother early in the morning because he did not squeeze the tube properly. It was not a mistake and he definitely did not deserve a slap for that. It reminds me of my stupid behaviour and feel very sorry even now when I open a new toothpaste.

The next two are relatively recent.

One of which happened with a friend who was given to use Nivea on toothbrush without information. This person had nothing to say about how it felt but the logical reasoning followed by saying that it smoothens the skin inside mouth.

Another funny incident happened with me, when my father asked me if I want anything from India. I asked for few things and also a toothpaste. All this was fine until a friend came to know about it and made me feel like an utter stupid. I wish that my personal lists are not leaked out in future.

:)

What do you see???

2008-04-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

This pic was taken in London Underground. Take a look at the pic carefully and enjoy.

My Easter break

2008-04-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

The title looks like a topic for an essay in school but this break indeed was very special. Memories of the last two weeks will remain with me for all my life. I did everything that I never thought I will. This included a lot of unexpected travelling, friends, conversations, including a visit to a CASINO. I dint play due to lack of courage and my lady friend won a decent 100 pounds after loosing few hundreds of pounds.

15.03.08

First visit was a short yet sweet visit to Birmingham. This came as a bit of surprise to me when a friend called to find out if I would like to join her and her friends. I had nothing to do so I thought why refuse fun. We did not go to any popular place there but to a shopping mall. Since we were three girls in a group of four it was good fun spending money in clothes and Indian snacks. This was followed by my first Casino visit.

16.03.08

Next visit was to Oxford. This place is known for its world class universities. This trip was also with the Birmingham group and we were only keen on finding another casino in the city instead of its beautiful British architecture. And thankfully we dint get one there which helped me return home in time.

19.03.08

This was my usual trip to Bristol to meet friends.

22.03.08

Then came a long weekend and all enthusiastic friends wanted to do something. We planned and planned and planned and finally planned not to do anything at all because of bad weather forecast, travelling, distance etc. etc. This day also happened to be Holi and so we planned to eat Indian delicacies at home. But an early morning call from a friend changed the entire plan upside down and we did get out of quilts on a cold sunny cloudy windy rainy day. I will never regret this decision as I got to visit Stonehenge and Bournemouth on the same day. Weather played an important role in all the fun. It was damn windy in Stonehenge. If I was few kilos lighter in weight I could actually fly on that day. Then faced hail storm on our way to Bournemouth. It was sunny again when we reached Bournemouth could actually see the reflections of clouds in the sea and it snowed in the evening.

27.03.08- 28.03.08

This was a fantastic trip and was as unexpected as others were. Went to the land of tennis Wimbledon via London city. Spent few very beautiful moments on Thames. Next day was wet and windy and it also was the day to see Wimbledon courts. Somehow we managed to reach the courts only to find out that the centre court was being renovated. Could not see the courts but still I can proudly say that I have been to Wimbledon.

Now at the end of my vacation I feel like a school child who left all the work during the break for the end. I had my share of fun, fights, games, trips and food. But the end has to come so its time to get back to individual reports and group presentations.
:)

I think...

2008-02-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

I need to grow up !

Snow in Leicester

2008-02-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

Date:02/02/08

Time: 3.30 am

Location: Leicester, as seen from my room window

It finally happenned after a long long wait and too at midnight. The impact of the snowfall was not big but I used double quilt to sleep after seeing it.

Orkut 1010

2008-01-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

As the title suggests this post is about my Orkut profile which has 1,010 scraps now. This post was supposed to come on 1000th scrap but I was caught with exams and assignments. Also, I was thinking who will write the 1000th scrap for me when I had 999 scraps. But it did not take much time for the suspense to die as two full fledged convos happened on Orkut itself.

This may not mean anything at all to some people but it does mean quite a bit to me and reminds me of my best friend who kept on sending invitations to me to make an account unless I made one. Initially she was my only friend and then another friend found me somehow. Through these two friends I found and made more friends, people found me and the stories goes on till date.

In all this while I have checked people's profile randomly, also checked profiles of people I don’t like much, got random scraps from Orkut majnus saying 'will u be my frand' and 'u r butifool'. Also, met few very good and old friends through Orkut. It is so much a part of our lives that instead of exchanging phone numbers, people say, don’t worry I will find you on Orkut. Wishing on festivals and remembering birth dates have become much easier.

Are u still wondering why a post on Orkut...Well the reason is that I happened to be a part of a group which was recommending Orkut to a friend who was very reluctant to make an account but agreed to us when he found out that there will be girls from all over the world. That is what orkutting is all about.

Dont worry...I am good

2008-01-21T04:19:00.000-08:00

This pic is for family, friends and their families that I am taking good care of myself and eat healthy food most of the times. Thank you for caring and asking about food even before finding out how I am...
:)

I love Anne J. Broderick...

2008-01-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

...coz of her attitude towards work. Anne is my Markets and Marketing course tutor and working with her can be extremely interesting and frustrating. It can be very annoying to have a class after exam but not if its Ms. Broderick's. She puts in her best effort in everything and so a revision class before the exam of her subject was important.

She arranged for an extra class right after an exam. In this very class she was 15 minutes late which is very unlike her. She looked quite upset in the beginning of the class with god knows what. But she is so enthusiastic about her subject and teaching that after first 15 minutes of the lecture she was cool, smiling, cracking jokes and was enjoying herself.

But what makes her enjoy all this... was the question that came to my head. Most of the students were sleeping in the class, and the body language of the rest was clearly begging for mercy after sleepless nights due to the exam. But Anne is Anne. She works very hard and expects the students to do the same. And that is the complaint point of all the students. She made our lives hell because of reports and is very well aware that tutors never get the credit for anything good. Given all that she chooses to do her best, and probably that makes her the person with the right attitude. :)

Party time...

2008-01-18T19:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's exam time and I don't feel like studying :)

Today another landmark has been achieved. Appeared for the first exam in UK , also my first exam in track pants since I was up all night in library and went straight to the examination centre from there. Sometimes life can get funny :)

The god of small things

2008-01-08T04:53:00.001-08:00

Friends, this post is not about Arundhati Roy's book but my little experiences. In the past few days I have started feeling the presence of god even in the smallest of things. Few days back when I was taking out a packet of Top Ramen noodles, I thought I was left with only 6. When I checked they were 8 of them.

While leaving India my father packed a lot of ITC packaged food which is thankfully over now. One evening I cooked rice and did not know what to eat it with. I thought of having an ITC packed sabzi with which my experience has not been great. For the first few times I only got to eat Aloo Mattar :(. So I stopped bothering about them. On this very evening I was thinking no aloo mattar please! And I tried my luck. I could not have asked for more. It was Kadii, one of my favourite combo with rice.

Then there was another such evening where I was desperate to eat as i did not have proper breakfast or lunch that day. Rice was ready and then again tried my luck and I chanted no aloo mattar please ! And guess what I got. Rajma, the only thing I enjoy the most with rice other than kadii.

That's what my god of small things does for me :)

Life is beautiful

2007-12-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

Location: Tower Bridge - London

Time: 14:08

Don't know this newly wed couple but god bless them with happiness.

A combo gift

2007-11-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

It was a long day and just as I entered my house I found this beautiful set of flowers waiting for me. Now, there is a better reason to remember this day...

Meow Meow

2007-11-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

This video is for all cat lovers.