Dec 10, 2007

Three Weeks...

3 airport visits
1 arrival, 2 departures
2 vacations, 1 for good
4 adults, 1 infant
8 huge luggage's, 7 carry ons
a lot of hugs, a bit of sentiments
...and then, they were gone...

Mood: Sound of Silence, lyrics here.

Dec 4, 2007

Dhan Dhana Dhan DHOKHA

Just sat through Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. I had seen bad ratings, but read one good review. Would have watched it nonetheless, but the review made me look forward to it. However, I was very, very disappointed. The review was a dhokha and the film was a pain!

The bottom-line is, there really was no buildup. Okay, we get it this bankrupt football club needs to win a championship, and 30 Million British Pounds in order to save their club from being sold to some builder. BUT, at least try to show how in the freakin' world this team of fatties lacking practice or any good players goes on to win a championship! According to Boman Irani, the team's coach, they had to win 30 matches. I only saw three, played against the SAME TEAM - Aston!

John 'hot body' Abraham, plays for Aston when the film starts, randomly comes to this South Hall (fatties) Team, signs a contract with some other team in the middle of the movie, and then comes back to SH to play the championship game. WTF!

This Bangladeshi guy ends up crying in every scene because no one gives a damn about his team. Apparently, he came to UK just to play for South Hall.

For an unknown reason, the viewers are made aware of the sad little detail that Arshad Warsi and his wife do not have any children. In the middle of the movie, for no apparent reason, the wife becomes pregnant (no sex scene either!). How did she become pregnant? An affair, I'm sure, because Warsi is always playing football or entertaining his fatty friends, whom the wife despises. Anyways, so by the end the little bastard is born, named after the HERO of the film - J 'hot body' A - after all he's the only one who knows how to really play this 'pao hila gend uda khel'. The film, finally, comes to an end after every single damn individual gets his bloody photo clicked with the little bastard, even the team mates who never had a single dialogue, but could be scene in the background every now and then.

Unless the version I saw was significantly cut and lacking major parts of the movie, this was a total waste of time!

Dec 3, 2007

Let's F*ck Baby!

Both Russian and US scientists are out there researching the best positions for sex in zero gravity, in space.

The issue of sex in space is a serious one.

Hmm. Sexual satisfaction is pretty important, I guess. But what about single men and women who go on long missions, do they also get to have sex? With colleagues? (Question raised because they only mention 'married couples' in the article).

People have differing opinions on whether or not Sex is important in a relationship or marriage. There are virgin married couples out there, living happily together. And there are people who switch partners like they change clothes. What's your take on sex? Its importance in a relationship? Or its need for a healthy growth of a relationship, or an individual?

Dec 1, 2007

November 2007

1 month
4 weekends
5 destinations
6+ interstates
42+ driving hours

and whole lot of masti!


Nov 14, 2007

Children's Sight

Do you usually smile when you see a little kid? Why? (Or why not?)
a) The kid is cute.
b) He/She reminds you of your childhood days.
c) You're just used to smiling when seeing a kid.
d) The parent/guardian looks at you, and you're forced to smile.
e) The kid looks at you, you want to give him/her a good impression.
f) Everybody does it! It's a natural law.

Thank you for your answers. Please add something else if you wish.

Happy Children's Day!

Jul 2, 2007

P for...

Pleasant - The weekend stay up in Charlotte, North Carolina at Ritu Masi's. I was there hardly for a Saturday. The other two days - Friday and Saturday - were spent traveling. The journey is only 4 hours one way, but let's just say...

Public Transportation - sucks! I took Greyhound both ways. And I was nothing less than...

Pissed - My bus was supposed to leave at 8 AM on Friday. I arrived on time at the station, had my ticket in hand, was waiting patiently. 7:50, 7:55, 8:00, 8:10, 8:20 - no word about the bus. I finally go up to the counter to find out what's happening, only to discover the bus left! WTF... I had to wait another 3.5 hours to catch the next bus. A new issue while returning. The bus I was to board was overbooked! Had to wait another 1 hour.

Pathetic - Greyhound toilets. I had to...

Pee - but I couldn't. While going to Charlotte, I only had to hold it for about 2-3 hours. But I set a new record on my way back - six long hours of bladder control.

Let's talk about happy things now....
Phenomenal - Ritu Masi's new house. Huge kitchen, spacious rooms, a mandir that can hold 30-40 people easily, nice neighborhood, beautiful lake view from every angle of the house, HDTVs (yes, multiple HD TVs), nice furniture, what not! Oh, and 900+ TV channels. Hmm...

Back to my own reality now...
Psyched - that's too strong a word, but still I'll use it (for the heck of 'P for...') to describe my emotions about an NYC trip, coming up in 2 days. Leaving Tuesday evening, returning Sunday. Driving.

May 24, 2007

Maa Tujhe Salaam! - II

Figured out something after 12-14 years.

While standing in the balcony, I saw a kid-mom combo strolling around the apartment complex. The next thing I see, the mother is running and the kid is trying to catch her. Reminded me of my bachpan. We - Mom, Hansag, and I - used to do the same. And just like this kid today, Hansag and I could never catch mom either. It never made sense to me back then. I mean, she's a MOTHER for god's sake! How can she be fast and tricky and all. She used to tire us out, ending up winning herself.

But today, the mystery unfolded in front of my eyes. It's pretty simple, I don't know why it never made sense to me back then. Well, adults are taller and can cover a greater distance with just one leap. DUH! One adult step, equals two or three kid steps. It always made sense to me when walking, but not when running. Reason? Simple. You walk beside your parents... but don't run beside them in a park, when playing.

Another Salaam goes out to the Birthday Woman (IST)!

May 16, 2007

Shock-E-Awe

What's the news?
My black eye.

Cool, a Black Eye! How'd you get it?
Fell in the bathtub, hit something around the end of the left eyebrow.

Is it bad?
Not really. I couldn't open that eye for the first two days. It did look pretty scary for the first two days. So bad, I had to wear an eye batch. Pirate style ;)

Nice pirate touch. Does it hurt?
Well it looks like it hurts a lot, but honestly it does not hurt at all.

Is everything cool?

Cooler than ever. I can still see through the eye, there were no stitches involved, no medication either. Neither for the swelling, nor for the big red clot I have in the eye. The doctor just suggested applying ice.

Blood clot?!
Yeah, it's a huge one. It's like my eye has 3 colors now - White, Black, and Red. Although it has been there for a week and a half now, the sight of it still scares me sometimes.

Oh my god, are you sure it'll go away?
I understand it can be hard to believe doctors, who knows if they're lying to cheer you up, to not upset you. But for some reason, I trust doctors like they're a species of deities. Well, doctor uncle said the eye will be back to normal in a few weeks, and I - considering him one of the highest powers in town - believe him. On the other hand, if my thobda does not go back to being the stupid thing it was earlier, somebody gonna get a hurt real bad!

Poor baby!
Yes, I know :( ...thanks for feeling so very sorry for me. I absolutely needed it!

Maa Tujhe Salaam!

Seeing Tripty and Siya today reminded me of Mom. The way Tripty was playing with her little daughter, and the way Siya was enjoying everything her mom was doing. From playing drums on Siya's back, to tickling her until she couldn't laugh anymore. From giving her enough time to catch on her breath, to doing the round-circles-on-hand followed by fingers-running-up-the-arm to make the excited Siya laugh a little more.

Of course, I don't remember any such playful moments from eighteen years ago, when I was two. But I can bet on my life - literally - that I had several of those. Make that numerous. Countless actually!

I remember when Hansag and I were old enough to start building memories for a lifetime. Back then they didn't seem so beautiful, or something to hold on to... but now, unfortunately, they're all I have left.

This is something that happened probably everyday around second or third grade. Our bedtime was something around 8 PM (or maybe 7, who knows).. but neither Hansag or I could fall asleep that early. To pass time we used to talk, or have a fighting match on the bed (the bed being the ring), or call in mom every five minutes and ask her for a glass of water. After drinking every drop, we'd ask for more. Two glasses were more than enough to make our tummies feel full again. So, we'd just stand up on the bed and hug and kiss her for several minutes. It must have appeared silly to her, at least it does to me now. What a silly way to pass time, to avoid sleeping, to talk a little more, to have an excuse for not waking up on time the next morning. Yet, a beautiful memory. A silly childhood routine, turned into something I often think about.

Wooden Monsters

Check this out.

May 12, 2007

last.fm

I listen to music a lot. Used to play Bollywood stuff all the time, but now I'm extremely bored with that. Have started listening to angrezi sangeet (finally!). Like a few bands.

Discovered last.fm and iScrobbler through iusethis in mid April. Have been scrobbling ever since then. Came across a number of bands due to last.fm - Beck, Incubus, Spoon - by checking out what my friends and neighbors listen to. It's a cool little tool if one's into discovering new stuff and willing to check out other people's interests.



The 'recently played' list is available on the sidebar of the blog (is that what it's called? hmm...) as well.

Apr 25, 2007

twentieth 'dhoom'

चलो, इतना तो पता चल गया कि in order to type and see हिन्दी on screen, I need to use Firefox on Windows. Or, soon figure out how to fix this thing on my Mac.

I haven't yet shared my birthday adventures on this blog yet; am wondering if I should.


Well, I turned 20 this past Sunday on April 22, 2007. I don't get excited about any holiday, I actually hate days like Diwali, Holi, New Years etc... when people take a hiatus from normal life, and end up emailing, scrapping, snail-mailing everybody they know, even people they haven't talked to in years - except on these special occasions. I believe all these are a waste of time, money and energy. Yet, there's one day that comes every 365 days, when I go crazy. I have no idea why I do that, can't find a logical explanation. All I can say is - I go crazy on my birthday!


This year too was a lot of fun. I did some pretty नौटंकी-like stuff. You know, the usual me.



Can't share a whole lot, but the highlights are - I went clubbing, and there it was full of धूम!

Apr 24, 2007

Blogger in हिन्दी


Saw this on my Blogger Dashboard today.

और हम भी शुरू हो गए मामू!
Thanks to Anupama and Nitin.

The only problem is that Safari doesn't support the editing toolbar and therefore I need to use Firefox or Camino to be able to type in Hindi.

Another problem, I can't see what I'm typing in either Firefox or Camino because the Unicode is not recognizing the Devanagari Script. So, I only see question marks.

Need to try Opera next.

Apr 19, 2007

I think, I'm mad about this!

I don't know about others, but I hate reading news, specially long articles. I believe news should be two paragraphs at max.

I really like those write-ups which cover everything they have to say in 10-15 sentences. A full page article giving details, quoting people, and then describing the professions of
those people for a half page are really annoying. In addition to that, there are news pieces that spread over several pages. What's up with that? I understand the need for details, but then I also understand the need for quick update.

All news websites should probably adopt the BBC style - a summary of the article before one gets into reading a 10 minute text.

PS: Got a call from Bhai Jaan. Schernekau - my 12th grade English teacher - has requested the satire I wrote for her class, she wants to use it as an example. After two years, when I read it again... it makes me laugh! That was the initial intention as well. Though, I still wonder if I was too harsh :-? Schernekau scribbeled only a few words on top of my paper - 'I think I'm mad about this' - the grade I received - a perfect 100 :) - along with that piece being published in the school magazine.

Apr 18, 2007

inLove


Intimacy, originally uploaded by idogu.

hosh waalo ko khabar kya, bekhudi kya cheez hai
ishq keeje, phir samajhiye, zindagi kya cheez hai!

unse nazarein kya mili, roshan fizaayein ho gayi
aaj jaana pyaar ki, jaadugari kya cheez hai!

khulti zulfo ne sikhaayi, mausamo ko shaayari
jhukti aankho ne bataaya, mehkashi kya cheez hai!

hum labo se keh na paaye, unse haal-e-dil kabhi
aur vo samjhe nahi , ye khaamoshi kya cheez hai!

-from Marasim...
written by Gulzar; sung by Jagjit Singh

Apr 16, 2007

Farewell.


enough is enough! 2, originally uploaded by urline.

zindagi khaab hai tha humein bhi pata
par humein zindagi se bahut pyaar tha
sukh bhi the, dukh bhi the, dil ko ghere hue
chaahe jaisa tha, rangeen sansaar tha
chand din tha basera humaara yahaan
hum bhi mehmaan the, ghar to us paar tha
humsafar ek din to bichhadna hi tha
alvida, alvida, alvida kehna hi tha

-Mukesh's Song.

Apr 12, 2007

Shady Shaadi


Listen to Gudgudee and Jaagte Raho. Two feel-good (and the only songs worth listening to) from the recent bollywood flick Just Married. Usually, I like Pritam's compositions. Lately, he hasn't been so amazing.

As per the 2+ hour film, it was nice. The end, however, ruined the whole thing. The writer could have thought of something else. Hell, after reading the script or at least when editing the stupid thing somebody should have said something!

On another note, how rational was it for the director to name the movie 'Just Married'? It's hard enough to find it on IMDb since in 2003 Ashton Kutcher's romantic comedy was released by the same name. Plus, there are a thousand other
Just Married's on there.

Apr 9, 2007

SINGeet


powered by ODEO

Closed eyes. Light creases on the forehead. The 'bindi' area applying its gravitational force on eyes and the creases. Neck moving slighty around allowing the head to lightly wobble. A humming sound generating from the throat, finding its way out the nostrils. Lips moving apart, giving way to voice.

dil ke mere paas ho itne
phir bhi ho kitni door
tum mujhse, main dil se pareshaan
dono hain majboor

aise mein kisko kaun manaaye
din dhal jaaye haaye, raat na jaaye
tu to naa aaye, teri yaad sataaye


:)

I like Mohammad Rafi's voice and songs as well.
Lyricists are awesome people.
Music Composers are even better (sometimes).

Apr 7, 2007

I Have a Dream

There was a time - 6 or so years ago in 8th grade, to be precise - when I wanted to become a Radio Jockie (RJ).

I thought I had a good voice.
A voice people would like to hear.
A voice that'll move listeners.
A voice that could do miracles.

Blah, Shit, Crap!

This was in part because back in Xavier's, I ended up being the MC - Master of Ceremony - for a number of assemblies (both Class and Common assemblies).
[definitions of both...
Class Assembly is when one's section presents in front of their subgroup, example Junior or Senior school.
Common Assembly is when the entire school is present at one location. Classes ranging from Prep to 12th grade. These are done on occassions like Gandhi Jayanti etc.]

Many times, my classmates would vote for me to be the MC. And once the job was done, people - friends, classmates, teachers, even strangers would come to me and say 'that was amazing!' This made me believe I had a good voice. A voice people would like to hear. A voice that'll move listeners. A voice that could do miracles. Blah, Shit, Crap!

The reason I'm writing this is because, somewhere inside I still want to do that - become an RJ. Not until I retire of course, but for a while. It'd be fun. I want to hear myself on the Radio.

GSU has it's own station WRAS88.5 FM. The entire Atlanta area gets it. And, I wish to be on it someday.

Good Evening Atlanta...

Apr 5, 2007

Mukesh

I feel sorry for myself.
I believe you should too.
Why?
Because...
Because, I like Mukesh.
Mukesh, the singer!
Yes, I like Mukesh the singer.

Then why am I sorry?
Why should you be sorry?
Because...
Because, I like Mukesh.
And, because...
Mukesh is amazing.
And, because...
I discovered the amazingness of:
Mukesh,
His Voice,
His Songs,
His Pain...
a little too late.
Too Late, I say... Too Late!

Why Late?
Why do I say, Too Late?
Well, because...
Because, it is late. Too late, I say.
Too Late.

I wish, I wish, I wish.
I wish, I had known him before.
I wish, I had listened to him before.
I wish, I had discovered him before.
I wish too many things, I know.
But, really! I really wish I had...

Before you ask me 'Why?'
I'll tell you 'Why?'

I listened to many stupid sad bollywood songs
in an era.
In an era, now gone,
Left behind, fogotten.
But I'll remember it always.
Remember it because,
I didn't have Mukesh back then.

Oh, it would have been an experience.
An experience, better than the one I had...
only, only if I had known Mukesh.
Known Mukesh back then!

I know.
I know, I need to answer 'Why?'

It was a time
of
Life.
of
Love.
of
Pain.

Something, Mukesh would have made better.
Just by being there.

Mar 29, 2007

Oh, What Fun it is to Ride...

...a curvy handled two wheeler!

Now, that summer (or, spring - whatever) is here, I've finally shed all the excessive clothing that I desperately need during the winter months. With this new season and change of weather, a new thrill, a new activity, a new passion has also entered my life - bicycling!

Riding a bike is one thing, all kids (or at least, most) enjoy this activity during the evening hours of their school days on roads, or in parks, or in neighborhoods, or in driveways. I too enjoyed it as a youngster. Racing with friends, counting laps, even going to the neighborhood market to get bread or milk (in India, of course) for household needs. In US, however, I did not have the pleasure of riding and riding like I was having fun, like there was nothing else I would do, or anything I would trade that hour of bonding with my bike for anything. Every time I would see someone on a cycle I would crave for just ek chakkar (one ride). My parents even bought a cycle, but I did not enjoy it as much. I went on road trips and rented bikes, yet it wasn't as satisfying... as today.

Today, I rode through Atlanta. Not on the pavement (or, sidewalks) as I had been doing for the past several days, but on the streets of Atlanta next to the cars and trucks who were going at 35, 45, and even 55 miles/hour. And today, I was happy, excited, thrilled, satisfied, proud, an achiever! Today, I felt like going on forever, not stopping for anything. Today, I had a new energy, for something I truly loved, and continue to love. Today, I've become a cyclist, once again!

On my way to greater rides...
Hail the bike Lords!

Jan 31, 2007

Breakfast in America

No matter which fast food place one decides to enter before 11 AM to fill up their hungry tummy, what one gets is not unique to any specific restaurant. Be it McDonald's, Subway, or Dunkin' Donuts the Breakfast Menu is the same everywhere in America!
Buttered or Chicken Biscuits
Waffles or Pancakes
Eggs, Omelet
Coffee, Milk, Juice

There is no variety. Nothing to look forward to or get excited about. Certainly not a chance of jumping up and down with a smiling face upon the discovery of the absolute need to have breakfast in some fast food restaurant. When there are so many fast food places in America that serve variety of things from burgers, to sandwiches, to tacos and burritos during the normal hours, why can't they come up with something creative for the early hours of the day? Something that closely matches their regular menu?

More companies need to be Apple like ...and... 'Think Different'.

Jan 19, 2007

Sexed-Up Semester

No, I'm not having a lot of sex this semester, neither watching a lot of sexually erotic movies, nor dressing up in sexy clothes. Instead, I'm taking a Sociology course titled 'Sexuality and Society'. They don't teach us when, how, where to approach someone for sex, neither do they teach us about the various positions, nor the art of achieving orgasm. Instead, we study how sexuality is shaped by society, how it differs from culture-to-culture and time-to-time, and what are some serious issues we're facing today.

So far, I really like the course. I'm learning things that never even crossed my mind, and also things that I wanted to know about but never got serious enough to google.
For example: Did you know... Vibrators were originally invented as a health aid. Until the early 1900s, women who had high sexual desire were believed to be mentally ill. Vibrators, before which doctors used to manually rid of a women's sexual desire (please imagine what that might mean), were used as a tool to calm a woman's sexual desire.

Another Example: Did you know... Intersexed individuals go through a genital correction surgery soon after birth (in America). The treatment continues well into childhood and sometimes even during the teenage years. This leaves the individual with scarred genitals which hurt, and (s)he also looses the reproductive ability. If a male child is surgically made a female (this might be needed when a child looses his penis due to a disease or accidentally), the parents must insert some kind of object into the vaginal opening every single day so that the opening doesn't close.

There's a lot of learn in this class. But I probably won't be writing much about it because, 'society' - dear readers - doesn't allow 'open discussion' of such matters. And I'm pretty sure, some of the people who read this particular post would say - 'What kind of a person is Geetali? Plus, she's a female! Girls should have decency and should not go out running around talking about sex. She's crazy!' ...My response: 'I don't give a damn about how I'm supposed to be.'