Framed!

Two days before A's return, this is what I was doing! Sketching after so long really felt good, and it made a good gift too!

Weirdo!

I've been tagged by Lemon Blossom to list down 6 weird things about me, or even weird experiences that I've had. I gave it quite a bit of thought, and holy cow, I realized that it wasn't all that difficult to come up with the list! Man, am I weird or what!?!

I guess the most obvious one for me is the fact that I have a lot, lot, lot of metal inside me! I fell down and broke my left arm just above the elbow, almost 2 years back. What's weird is that it happened when I ran on the corridor of the hotel we were staying in, while on my honeymoon! :-/ Needless to say, the rest of the honeymoon was spent in surgery, and then, at the hospital! As a consequence, I have 2 rectangular plates, a couple wires, and an umpteen number of screws inside my left arm! They're supposed to be removed sometime this year; a prospective surgery I'm not looking forward to at all! :-/

So, now I'm scared to run. Yup, I'm dead scared to run! I even imagine I'll fall down the stairs every time I go up or down a staircase! Add to it, the number of accidents I've had, both trivial and serious; and I don't think my fear of running is going anywhere, anytime soon!

When I study, I almost always sit on my bed and rock to and fro, like what my aunt calls, a goods train! There is no other way anything I learn, gets into my head! When I was in school, I used to prance around the whole room, with the book in my hand. I used to even jump from one couch/chair to another, all in the name of being better able to study, while being continuously on the move! My mom still talks about this; she's glad though that now I've restricted myself to only rocking on my bottom, rather than jumping all around the house! Neither can I sit or stand still; I keep tapping my feet, or rocking. Even now, while typing this, I'm rocking to and fro on my chair! Even while lying down, my feet keep swaying from left to right, and then from right to left, and yet again, from left to right, and so on and on and on!

When I'm nervous, worried or engrossed, invariably, I run my thumb over my lower lip, back and forth, back and forth, time and again, till everyone around me goes crazy! No, it doesn't matter which thumb it is!

I have a disorder; and an obsessively compulsive one at that! I have to push a locked door a certain number of times to ensure that it has been locked, run my finger over a switch a certain number of times to ensure that it has been switched off for sure, and pull on my wardrobe handle a good many times to ensure that it is locked for certain!

I almost always choke while having tablets of any kind! When I was a kid, I used to refuse to have pills, preferring to have tonics or syrups instead; when I grew up some more and was told in no uncertain terms that at times, I just needed to swallow tablets, I would have to stand right under the fan in my room, and then only would I consent to put the medicine down my throat; now, thankfully, I don't that, but I still haven't mastered the art of swallowing a pill without choking on it!

Well, there's my list! Hopefully, I won't lose my readership after this!

Also, I tag Big B (do this one at least!), Aditi, Sumi, Mush, Miss Iyer and Dharmabum. Ah! Six in all!

Birthday Beats!

For you, Jiju:

With warm birthday wishes,
Coming your way!
May happiness and joy,
Fill your every day!
Fret, may you not,
Whatever be the reason!
With a wave of your hand,
May you battle every season!
On this special day,
May the smile never leave your face!
As with ever-growing prosperity,
Every challenge, you ace!
So, bring out the champagne,
Fill the room with good cheer!
Celebrate to your heart’s content,
As you get ready for another year!
It’s your day today,
A special one too!
Sending warm thoughts your way,
A very happy birthday to you!

Pic Courtesy: Google

An Escape to Remember...

There was once a man who went by the name of Henri Charrièr. He was popularly known as Papillon. A member of the Paris underworld, he led a life of danger and constant intrigue. Numerous comparatively petty crimes did he commit and get away with. However, one fine day, he was dealt a hard blow by way of being framed for a murder that he had had no part to play in. As is the way with unfortunate circumstances, once they begin, there never seems to be any end to them. His being framed for the murder soon led to his trial, followed by his being convicted and sentenced for life! Nevertheless, Papillon was a man of no ordinary mettle. After a brief stint of imprisonment at the place of his trial, he was soon transferred to a penal colony. One can even say that that colony was where Papillon’s real story began to take shape, the place where he came into his own in a manner par extraordinaire or excellence! From there, began a journey like no other, a journey so incredible that it’s difficult to fathom that the story recounted is fact, and not mere fiction.

Papillon, written by the man himself, traces this extraordinary journey with amazing alacrity and ease. As one flips through the pages of the book, what immediately strikes is the clarity with which the author seems to remember almost all the events and incidents that were a part of those incredible years of his! Seemingly trivial and paltry moments, seem later to be of enormous magnitude and significance! In fact, while setting down to write the story of these years of his life, Henri Charrière is believed to have filled in page after page, and exercise book after exercise book, in an attempt to bring to life those years in the minds of the readers! I must say that he has successfully accomplished that and how!!! It’s difficult, nay, almost impossible, not to get drawn into the shoes of Papillon and his friends, as they so diligently and painstakingly plan their escape and freedom from captivity! Although, some of the earlier pages of the book may give you the idea that it’s going to be a boring autobiography, what follows in the next pages will leave you gasping for breath, as also eagerly turning the pages! Some of the incidents that have been described in the book are often gruesome in their very truthfulness, but you will feel compelled to stay with the story, right till its very end.

I, myself, am only less than halfway through the book, having just started reading it, but I didn't want to wait till I completed reading it, and only then write about the experience! I felt the need to write down my initial impressions about it, so moved am I by many of the incidents recounted and re-lived in the book. The author’s description of the colony of lepers and the kindness and generosity that they extended to 3 escaped convicts, is among the most touching pieces I’ve ever set my eyes on!

As is wont, based on the book, a movie has also been made. Unfortunately, it did not completely stay true to the original script of the book.

I’m surprised that although I’ve had this book with me for a good many number of years, I'd always kept it for another day, having ever had something else to read! Finally getting down to reading it has been a pleasant surprise; not the boring documentation of a life history that I could have imagined it to be!

Time: Yours and Mine!

You may be really punctual,
While, some other may be not,
But, what is just not done,
Is to think else's time is rot!

If you do commit to a time,
Stick to it; waver from it, don't!
Trust you once, will all do,
But, a second time, one won't!

Everyone has things to do,
Places to go to, chores to end!
Isn't it just common courtesy,
At least, a message to send?!?

A quick little ring of the phone,
Will keep your time and mine!
Timely respect for else's minutes,
Will keep all dandy and fine!!!

Time is ever so very precious,
It be thine, or even if paltry mine!
Bide by it; and if not really able,
A lil' courtesy can keep you in line!

VisualDNA

I actually wanted to post on an altogether different topic today, but I'm too high strung to do so! It'll have to wait for tomorrow!

This VisualDNA link was sent by a friend of mine, and it's quite interesting, to say the very least. I thought it'll be good to share it here, with all of you. It assesses various facets of a person's personality. I don't know how true it really is, but it sure was fun doing the exercise! Try it if you like taking such tests!
I'm apparently a "Sofisticat" by mood, a "Conqueror" when it comes to fun, a "New Wave Puritan" by habit, and a "Love Bug". Any matches, anyone?!?

In Single Digit! Finally!!!

It feels surreal,
Is it truly for real?
Only, 9 days more!?!

It's a shot of a countdown that A made long back, when the number of days was more than 600!!! It looks even better when the mSecs and Secs fields tick by with amazing speed, but the code is in JavaScript, and I'm unable to use it here.

Another One Bites the Dust!

Many a sentiment,
Had I; with my pouch, watch, slippers. :-(
Good time to shop, though!?! :-)

Why Not Gryffindor? Or, At Least Slytherin?!? ;-)

Found a link to this quiz over at SML's blog. I am destined to be in Hufflepuff; which house do you think you'll fit in? I'd have preferred one of the two houses mentioned in the title, though! No, I'm not moving over to the dark side!

Congratulations on making Hufflepuff!

You're one hard-working, loyal, compassionate little thing, aren't you?! Well, there are some good things, and some bad things about that. Bad things first, so after you're let down and crying your eyes out, plunging into a state of depression, I can cheer you up with the better facts. Bad thing, your house has a horrible rep for being a bunch of wimps. Sorry. Good thing, it's not quite true. You're tough! It's hard to be loyal! And remember, Hufflepuff is you! Don't be ashamed of yourself.

Hufflepuffs to Remember

Cedric Diggory

In the Spirit of the Day...

There's an article I wrote for a publication almost a year back, which, though not a typical Valentine's Day message, does explore a lot of the folklore and stories behind this day. I thought it'll be right to post it here today (with a few subtle changes), in the spirit of the day! Whether you believe in celebrating this one day of love, or celebrating love the year round, examining the legends behind such a celebration can be quite a warming experience. Here goes then... !!!

Valentine’s Day

February 14th – The day that sets young hearts and the ‘not-so-young’ hearts aflutter with a gazillion emotions coursing through them!!! The month of February has become synonymous with romance, love and all things ‘bright and beautiful’…and not to forget, mushy!!! What better time to whisper sweet nothings into your loved one’s ear than when the new year has just blossomed into the second month of its existence!

Legends – The history behind this universal day of love and its patron saint, St. Valentine, are both shrouded in a seemingly unfathomable fog of mystery. However, legends about St. Valentine abound aplenty. Going by the folklore, Valentine was a priest who lived in Rome in the 3rd century. Emperor Claudius II, ruled Rome during that era. He came up with an interesting, albeit horrifying decision. The emperor believed, and rightly so, that the soldiers who were not married, who did not have wives and children back home awaiting their return were better suited to war than the ones who had a family to think of. He therefore decreed that the young soldiers in his troop were not to tie the knot! This created quite a panic and the soldiers were aghast at this cruel decision. Legend has it that Valentine was totally against this injustice meted out by the emperor. Valentine started secretly solemnizing the marriages of the young lovers. When the emperor came to know of this insolence, he ordered that Valentine be put to death.

Another legend has it that St. Valentine provided the means of escape to Christian prisoners trapped in Roman prisons. These prisoners were subjected to all kinds of inhuman torture practices in these jails. Valentine was jailed for his blasphemy. The story goes that he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter, and was also the first human being to send a valentine greeting card! He signed the card as ‘From your Valentine’; an expression that is used to this day by lovers sending cards to their valentines!

Neither the legends, nor the Catholic church, have been able to bring to light the mysterious St. Valentine. The Catholic church has 3 saints by the given name of Valentine or Valentinus! To complicate matters further, all of them were martyred! It sure looks like the identity of the genuine St. Valentine is going to be cloaked in a fog for some more time to come, if not forever!

Even though St. Valentine’s day started off as a Roman and Christian tradition, at this present date, almost all the countries if not all, celebrate February 14th as a day of romance and love with aplomb! As an aside, in India, some people in the arena of politics in particular, have raised objections to the celebration of this day, labeling it to be a Western creation that is against the Indian tradition and culture. In spite of such objections and obstacles, this day continues to be celebrated in India too.

Cupid – Any discussion on love and romance is incomplete without the mention of Cupid, the messenger of love! Cupid is believed to be a young, mischievous fellow, carrying a bag full of love arrows. Love arrows that he aims at people to instill and grow love in them! Quite a helpful tool, if you come to think of it! Just aim an arrow at your latest crush and watch him or her lay down their heart at your feet! Quite a thought, if I may say so myself!

As for St. Valentine, lots of stories are prevalent about Cupid also. In Greece, Cupid was called Eros, the son of Aphrodite, the renowned Goddess of love and beauty. In Rome, he was Cupid, the son of Venus. According to the legend, Cupid was keen on a beautiful woman called Psyche. Venus, being jealous of Psyche’s beauty, was not at all happy at this turn of events. However, Cupid married her and the two lovers lived in happy matrimony. Unfortunately, there was one glitch in their happiness. Psyche was an earthly being and was not allowed to look at Cupid’s face. Goaded on by her sisters, she committed the mistake of looking at Cupid, and as a result found herself in an open field. Psyche walked a little distance and came upon the temple of Venus. Venus, who did not like her, gave her a box and some tasks to complete, each one more difficult than the last. Venus told Psyche not to open the box she was carrying and to bring back the beauty of Prosperine, the wife of Pluto. Despite her best efforts, Psyche was unable to keep herself from opening the box. Soon, temptation got the better of her and she opened the box, only to fall into a deep slumber. When Cupid found her lying down in a motionless sleep, he forgave her and locked away her slumber in the box. Venus also forgave her.

Scene today – Though the legends and stories behind the celebration of the day of love and romance are captivating, very few of the celebrators today know the existence of such rich folklore. Gifts, cards and business form the crux of Valentine’s day today. The innumerable card companies that have sprung up in the recent past are proof of this. They cash in on the emotions of the people and offer promotional offers and bargains to further lure young lovers. Sadly, love, like all other things, has been reduced to big business.

On the brighter side however, if you are somebody’s valentine this season, you can rest assured that you will be showered with lovely gifts and cards. Today, the market offers a wide and breathtaking variety of gifts and cards to choose from. There are numerous items on display, catering to every budget and style.

Uh-oh! Are you telling me you have no valentine this year?!? Fear not! You can buy all the lovely things available in the shops for yourself! Come on, a little bit of extravagance has never harmed anyone! Moreover, it is not every day that you get to overindulge yourself! Also, lest you think otherwise, being your own valentine and buying gifts for yourself, is not passé; it is very much in and trendy!

As a parting shot, have my fellow Indians ever wondered why Children’s day (November 14th) comes exactly 9 months after Valentine’s day?!? Sure beats me! (wink! wink!)

If you are in love with the idea of love,
While the sun shines, make hay!
Pull up your boots and put on your gloves,
For, here, today, now; is Valentine’s day!!!

Pic Courtesy: Google

Oops! Will I Do It Again?!?

Think before you leap! It's easy to be wise after the event! These are not phrases alien to me! I do completely understand what they mean! Why then do I inevitably think only a fraction of a second after I've done the deed?!? Or, in the particular case I'm talking about, a couple of hours later! What is the deed I wanted to undo, you ask?!? Well, let's just say that a few days back, I sent a mail with a line I hadn't meant to have included in it! :-/ I did have a partner in crime in this instance, but that didn't help quell either of our uneasiness or anxieties! Not to say that that was the first time I'd done something like that! Sending text messages to the wrong person, getting confused and replying to the wrong messenger window in haste, sending mails (yeah, I've done it more than once!) to the wrong person; been there all, and worse still, done that all!!! I'm usually quite meticulously careful, but my scatterbrain self sometimes plays its much loved trick, and makes me blush with embarrassment, right down to the very roots of my ramrod straight strands of hair!

Often enough, nothing too bad has resulted from such mix-ups, but the moments after I do such things are painful nonetheless! In those moments, I feel only those emotions that begin with a t or a d, or an a or an f; trepidation, dread, apprehension, fear, tremor, distress, anxiety, fury (at my stupidity); you get the picture! Basically, the entire gamut of tremulous emotions that begin with any of these four alphabets! If I remember correctly, it's only once that I've really had to explain myself, while striving not to allow my embarrassment and the consequent reddening of my cheeks and all other visible parts of my body and face, display my discomfiture and bashfulness, enough to make me more of a dodo than I already was! No, dodos aren't extinct; there's a small one still alive somewhere in the confines of my oft pea-sized brain!

Most times, of course, the mix-ups have been relatively harmless, inviting, at the most, a noncommittal shrug of the shoulders, both mine and the receiver's! :-) Out of the some that have led me to almost sleepless nights, I was rewarded with being made the butt of many a joke for many a day for one of the earliest ones, a cheeky reply for another very stupid one, and absolutely nothing (barring a restless weekend) for a very recent one! Uh-oh! I hope I didn't speak too soon! The last one hasn't been too long gone to have been forgotten or buried somewhere deep inside the recesses of the minds of everyone concerned! Why else would I take so long to get it out of my system so!?! I've been toying with writing about this topic for quite a while now! (Not long enough for the deep burial thing to happen, though!)

Anyway, the crux of the matter is that I need to stop writing things to people they're not meant for, or sending things to people they're not meant to reach! I'm sure at least some of you have had yourselves succumb to such moments of temporary and partial brain numbness (if I may call it that!), but belonging to a clan or generalizing, doesn't make it even a wee bit better! Considering that I haven't been brave enough to recount the actual incidents, I don't expect I'll get to hear anybody else's either, but it sure feels good to have this out of my system!

The Calm After the Storm!!!

Okay, so the bandh and the ensuing holiday today served one useful purpose at least! I finally set upon setting straight my completely messed up closet, it having dawned on me a few days back that it needed some straightening up! Of course, having my parents down for a few days, and their constant harping (like only parents can do!) on how it needed to be set right, did help the cause a good deal! As a result, my clothes don't thankfully tumble out the minute I open the cupboard, any longer! I feel like my good deed for the day has been accomplished (in this case, the good coming out of it affecting only me for the most part!)!!!

Take a look at my super duper neat shelves of clothes now! Of course, the question is how many days it will stay this way! I wonder why it is that the shirt I feel like donning on any particular day will almost always be found only at the far end of my just perfectly set right closet!?! I guess, all my shirts, eventually, and one by one, follow one of those theories that say that the need to access a thing is always inversely proportional to its accessibility!
No, I did not take the before picture!!! Aren't the reasons painfully obvious?!?

The Lazy Cat!

Okay, writing haikus seems to have taken a hold of me! Hopefully, this will be the last one for some time!

A thought did strike me,
A sudden bolt from the blue,
Featured, you are not!


Yeah, I so love lazy Garfield. I've even once gifted a Garfield-shaped telephone to A; and to think the poor cat hasn't featured in my blog yet! (Discounting the passing reference I've made to him, of course!)

Thanks for the wallpaper, Miss Iyer!

Inspired Haiku!?!

I can't catch a break!

Pounding inside my head so,

Whatever do you gain?!?

Pic Courtesy: Google

A Welcome Change...

What a welcome change! After so many consecutive outbursts of violence and destructive behaviour in the city, it's nice to see that the recent tribunal verdict on the Cauvery issue hasn't triggered as much backlash as was expected. Sure, there have been reports of sporadic acts of disruption, mainly on the day the verdict was made known, but compared to the quite consistent rounds of violence that the city has been reeling under, these acts were largely dispersed and easily dealt with. The precautions that were taken beforehand by the police force in the city seem to have been a useful insight. Even the bandh that was supposed to have been held tomorrow, the 8th of February, 2007, has been postponed to accommodate an intervening airshow! Monday, the 12th of February, 2007, is what it has been shifted to. Maybe, by then the anger over the verdict would have simmered down considerably for the bandh to be called off altogether! Not that the working girl in me is exactly rooting for the same!

I've often wondered what it is that gets us so excited about getting an unexpected holiday, even if we have nothing great to do with the time off!?! I mean, I'm sure most people don't want or condone such acts of violence or even protests, but I'm certain only a very small percentage will not be looking forward to getting a day off! Even if our workplaces are places that we enjoy being in, even if we have great relationships with our co-workers, we still wait and watch for that one day when we needn't direct our feet to the confines of our offices; and at the slightest notice of its arrival, we hurry forward to catch its fall, all the while augmenting its importance! Does it mean that we work only because it's expected of us, only because it's a done thing?!? Or, does the mentality of a schoolchild waiting for the holidays, a break from school, stay with us all through our lives!?! That's not saying that most of us didn't enjoy school either! I know I did, and yet, holidays were another sure shot welcome change!

A Little Narcissism!!!

Okay, Miss Iyer has tagged me. I have to list ten things that define me, and considering that I don’t feel like writing about the continuing tense situation in Bangalore today, I thought I might as well do a little self introspection!

Ten things that define me,
Now, that’s a real tough call!
Will ten suffice, I wonder,
Isn’t that an order tall!?!

My every quirk and foible,
Is an intrinsic part of me!
Bundling ’em up from one to ten,
Quite a task, it’s going to be!

1. The first thing that comes to my mind is how stubborn and short tempered I am! I seem to be able to blow my top quite easily; sometimes, at the slightest of things!

2. My loud voice has to be at the top of the list too. I can talk only at a high volume, so much so that whispering is quite a chore for me!

3. My books are my haven! I have quite a truckload of them, and I’m extremely possessive about them. I absolutely cannot do without reading, considering the countless hours of delight that this activity has provided me with! In fact, I’ve read a good many number of my books over and over again, and each time, I’ve felt the same rush of thrill and excitement!

4. I truly cherish the friends I’ve made over the years, especially over the last few years. What they say about friends being a big influence in our lives is not just a saying. Methinks, mine have shaped many of my beliefs and thought patterns!

5. There are very few people I really really like or love. Unfortunately, the auras/vibes, call what you will, of a very small number, seem to match with mine, or appeal to me! I usually form my impressions about people/things very quickly, and almost never change it much! Of course, there have been instances when I’ve changed my mind about somebody or something, but I think they’ve been few and far in between! In fact, A and I often joke about me having a hit list (it's fictitious, of course!)

6. My desire to obtain a doctorate degree is quite overwhelming. When circumstances prevented my becoming a medical doctor, I vehemently decided that I’d do a PhD and prefix a Dr. to my name. It’s quite heartening that I’m well on my way to achieving this objective. In this sense, I guess my fetish of adding degrees to my name, defines me, in a quaint, albeit, comforting way!

7. I have an obsessive need to travel. Travel not only to the usual places or even the exotic places, but also to places where one would think twice about going! I love the feel of winter, the feel of snow, the feel of the cold; it’s not surprising then that the places that boast of these attributes feature high on my list!

8. I have to have the last word in a conversation, especially with online messengers ruling the roost! If I don’t have the last say, it feels incomplete to me. Maybe this is because of my inherent need to please people; it makes me think that they may be miffed if I don’t respond enough or properly to every line of every conversation!

9. I love laughing non stop! I love it when people make me laugh! I love the fact that A does this very thing so well; making me laugh, that is! I love chocolates and cheese, not to mention having a sweet tooth for almost all kinds of sweet dishes/sweetmeats, the works! Oh, I also have/love this spontaneous knack of relating real-life incidents to episodes/happenings in the F.R.I.E.N.D.S series, or to Shahrukh Khan movies!

10. Most importantly, I know that A was meant for me. I have known it for what seems like forever! I get bored extremely easily, even if there are a dozen things I can do; but A knows exactly how to snap me out of my bored state! His presence in my life defines my happiness, love and laughter. I don’t think many of the above would seem fun, otherwise...

I tag everyone; all who chance upon this,
No pressure whatsoever, but try it, do!
Indulge in this once; a fun exercise it is,
Glimpses into your self, it'll be for you too!

End of an Era...

Companion mine,
Five long years, did you serve me,
Cherished will you be.

P.S. Yeah, it broke! :-(

Another P.S. Yes, it's my first attempt at writing a haiku.

As an Aside...

I got this as an e-mail forward. I've seen something similar to this earlier, but this one really takes the cake!
I don't know who created this, but the creativity and imagination of the artist are stunning, to say the very least! Scroll down slowly to soak it in properly!

Nice to see my place (spot?) in the entire scheme of things! :-)

My Baby's Christening!!!

A few days back, I decided to name my camera. I didn't want to keep referring to it with words like "camera", "cam", or any other such mundane word. In the beginning, A was quite amused that I wanted to give a name to my camera, akin to my doll and stuffed toys, but in a little while, he came around! :-) We came up with a number of silly names, ranging from flashy and messycam (I'm called messy by a number of friends), but nothing sounded quite right. Okay okay, I admit that most of these names were my brainchildren! <sheepish grin!>

Then, A came up with uncanny! I played around a bit with the word and voilà, my camera has now been officially christened as unCANny!!! The word uncanny because I vow it'll take uncanny, perfect pictures of anyone and anything I focus its lens on to! All the pictures will bear an uncanny resemblance to the original, whether shot in part, or in whole; this I solemnly promise! The capitalization of the letters CAN in the middle of the name is because unCANny belongs to the Canon family! <grin>

Actually, A uses the word uncanny quite frequently; of course, only because I quite frequently try doing an impression of him! Considering that they're more of the mocking kind, my impressions of him are not exactly uncanny! Well, alright, they totally suck; but the impressions of reality or otherwise, taken by unCANny, most certainly won't!

P.S. Notice my new clock on the left navigation bar? It's right below the SIFTING THROUGH TIME section. Pretty, ain't it? Well, of course it's in pink! Whatever were you thinking!?!