Mera Bharat mahaan!

I saw Ghajini! At Chicago! Meeting fellow men who speak your language in a faraway land makes one happy. Getting to see a movie in your mothertongue, makes me happier. Trust me, even while was in India, I couldn't see Tamil movies because I was in Hindi heartland. But in English (American version) land, I get to go to a movie hall screening Tamil movie. Cool.

The movie's concept is a lift-off from "50 First Dates", where Drew Barrymore loses her memory within a shortwhile (15/30 mins, I don't remember now). But this movie utilises the concept for a so-called thriller, where the hero manages to overcome his handicap of memory loss to take revenge (what else?) on the villains! The original was a comedy movie, with Adam Sandler managing Drew's memory loss. Ghajini is worth watching once. First half, the humour carries the movie very well.

The thing I liked was Tamil fans! There were whistles when hero and heroine were introduced. truly like back in our place. I was proud! No matter where you are, you should foster your culture. That's my belief.

And Indians and Pakis as a whole nurture the subcontinent culture at Devon, a place an hour's drive from Chicago. There to cross the street, you have to disregard the rules. Waiting for pedestrian signal will get you nowhere. There i saw spittle on the streets, shop toilets littered with paper and water and suddenly population density was higher there! Just like in our country. I got the feel of our country there. Atrocious rates were quoted in electronics shop there, for a roti maker, and we had to bargain!

You can take an Indian out of India. But you can never take the India out of him!

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You can comment here on the ranting below.

Frustration in Fifty-five!

"Why am i spammed?", bellowed the blogger. The heavens thundered and boomed a stentorian voice,"Serves you right. For you were a tele-marketer in your previous birth. And that was before the privacy laws came". The blogger cackled, for then he became sure that these spammers would be harangued by nosier techniques of the future!
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I was thoroughly disgusted yesterday by the was I was spammed immediately as I blogged a new post. Immeiately I turned on the spam protection, but by then 4 creeps had sneaked in. I think seriously of breaking their brains, or whatever they have for them. I can't understand how the heck they could attract business their way by spamming others. That naive a people are there to be taken in by spammers, is beyond my ken.

Reality check! (Fiction in fifty-five)

He was with his fiancee. Mercenaries sprang on them.The road was deserted, but courage didn't desert him. He fought them off, and saved his damsel from distress. The night show ended and lonely he walked, whistling to himself,putting down his panic. But no whistling would save from his waiting shrew of a wife.

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Thanks Janani, for tagging me to write a 55 word fiction. An one hundred and fifty-five word short story and ruthless paring for an hour, resulted in this rule-conforming output. It was an eye-opener in that it made me realise the redundant, superfluent, unnecessary, needless and dispensable flab in my fable. :-)

Just my imagination!

Don't know where to begin.
Don't know what to write.
Thoughts roll on, they come in waves.
Thoughts fighting among each other for the right to write about.
I'd like to write about my shift in place of work.I'd like to write about my dislocation in culture and society.I'd like to write about the funny things, that happened, and that happen.
I also remember that I've been tagged by BarathRao and Janani.Whenever my mind is idle, and that's all the time, it thinks what to write about in less than 55 words!
Yet to put my ideas into words.Fetuses of thoughts, aborted half-way through.So here i end up writing nothing, or writing about nothing. Whatever!!This maybe the writer's clog, the anti-thesis of writer's block.Well, atleast I make a restart, after being stalled for the past two weeks!And am happy about that!

Amputated!!

God! I realise now how painful it would be when you lose a limb. It hurts like hell. There is nothing left but a ghost of a limb. You search frantically for it, only to despair over its absence. You miss it sorely. When it was there, you take it for granted. You abuse your limb like anything. It takes its revenge by leaving you. Oh! What I would give to get my limb back!

Yeah! I had to separate from my mobile. I am on a short term visit outside India and had to part with my dearest and most beloved. My mobile! And it has left a void in me. No people I can call. No person I can yak-yak to. I wail out loud. At Delhi airport itself, I feel the absence sorely. It makes me frustrated. I feel like hitting a wall. Impotent rage, as I can do nothing and international roaming is not an option for a guy eking out his per diem. Hmm.......

Let's see how I survive the next three months.
Maybe I actually miss my family of friends whom I reach out through my mobile. And maybe the mobile is just a metaphor.

P.S: I find that net cafes are not a rage in the U.S and till I buy/set up my system, my blogging too might suffer. At a time when I find so much to blog about!!

After the deluge

I had to come to Mumbai, yesterday.With a bit of trepidation, I started on the journey. I was wondering how the city is coping up after the downpour somedays back. And the heavy rains were enacting a sequel too, during the past week. On the way to the hotel, what I see! people from all walks of life, celebrating Ganesh Visarjan, with joy. And I mean by people from all walks of life. Pillayars (Ganeshas) were everywhere and on all modes of transport except his mouse! Pillayars were on bullock carts, push carts, trunks of Cars, and what else! Girls were dancing in front of such processions, tiny and huge. One could never tell that these were the same people who were inundated in their own sink of a city. Night, as I lay in bed, rain poured in torrents and the roof of the hotel amplified its force. I was wondering whether I could get my work done. Came morning and the streets were clear. Not a cesspool in sight. The city was wet though. It came alive like a wet dog shaking off the water from its fur. I got my job done, much to my relief. The hotel said that if i were to vacate by noon, it won't charge more than a day's rent. i was told that the checkout time is 12 o'clock noon! Irrespective of the check-in time. Nice way to steal. I told them that was unfair, checking out all the same. Saved my company a good amount of money! Went to a high-end showroom. Found that instead of purchasing there, I could've very well stayed at the hotel and saved money. Then ambled across to Crossword, the book-shop. Spent time, chatted on phone with my manager who was off to take PMP. We congatulated each other on our achievements. I managed to purchase books, even though I am yet to finish the ones, I purchased previously. Or should I say, booklets, the ones Penguin has brought out on its seventieth anniversary. I purchased three, already finished one, waiting for my flight. Spied a netcafe and here I am blogging. Two air hostesses came around. Which airline I won't reveal as one would understand, from what I am to tell. They came, looked around, saw that all the machines were occupied. Then they plead with the person manning the counter who shrug helplessly. They look around and then come to me, plead with me to lend my machine for just 2 minutes for they have an urgent mail to check. Gallant as I am(no sniggers please), I rise and give them my machine, carefully instructing them not to close the minimised screen, where I am blogging. They keep to their word, and give the machine back in precisely two minutes. But they forgot to close their screen. And what I see. Naukri.com!! lol. If rushing to their work, they beg to check about any new openings, I could imagine the state of their airline. Thanking that it is not the one I am about to travel, I continue to wait for my further delayed flight. It's been a good day today!!

Beckham of our Bungalow!!

My roommate is having the latest fashionable haircut. Lol. It was not the result of any planned effort, though. He didn't ape any actor for his zany haircut. All he did was to go to the saloon when Indian team was playing. ROFL. The barber was holding the knife to my roommate's nape, when, fourth wicket fell with a paltry score on the board. Kaboom! The barber became agitated and the knife went swishing high above where it was supposed to be! lol. I find it difficult to type when convulsing with laughter.To compensate the unintended cut high above, the barber came down an everything below that line. lol. And my poor room mate came, with his neck going up all the way to the top of his head. lol. lol. lol. :-)))). Now his scalp looks like a bald rabbi's cap, with pate sorrounding it on all sides. lol. I'll stop here, to finish my laughing and to prevent my hovering room mate from deleting it.

Bursting at the seams

People have not taken my philosophical outbursts kindly. My roommates slam me on the face. Other fellow bloggers, are a bit suave in their comments. All the same, giving fundas puts people off. Therefore I'll stop such drivel for now. I'll concentrate on more mundane things.
I am not fat. I am neither skinny. With such a frame, I've managed to develop a slight tummy. All time at desk and no physical exercise contributed to that. A fondness for cheese, paneer and cream of milk has aggravated this. These days my problem, deformation, rather, has assumed huge proportions with everybody taking potshots. I am bemused at this. Isn't everybody entitled to a slight bulge? Mine is not yet a case of "Tummytoe"(no, not a misspelt vegetable!). For the uninformed, that's a physical complication where a standing person will not be able to see his/her toes due to a tummy that impedes the view. Policemen are prone to develop it. Honest, mine's slight and I can still see my toes, when I stand and look down.
These days I can't have a meal in peace, without somebody commenting on the amount I eat. I feel, for a healthy body, healthy appetite is necessary. The girlish ways of snipping at morsels of food are not for me! Even men have taken to such habits, calling themselves metrosexuals. I prefer to be a retro. True, I should exercise. But when lying in the bed, twisting and turning, the blanket going under and pillow on top, does anybody in his/her right mind would think of getting up and strain their body?? For me sloth is bliss.

With due apologies to Frost,
When the woods are lovely, dark and deep,
Why should I travel miles before I sleep?
By sitting at a place, when I'm getting fed
Why should I trod, getting bled?

Getting back to my tummy, all the pinpricks about that have got to me. I am going mad these days thinking of ways to reduce it. Any method, which is devoid of exercise and doesn't advocate food abstinence, is most welcome. I plead fellow bloggers to tell me such ways.

I hesitantly tried some exercise too. I give below the prescription I found, in a newspaper.
"The following bicycle exercise, which targets all of the abdominal layers, will help make your six-pack pop. Lie face up and pull your knees in towards your chest. Place your hands behind your head and curl your head and shoulders off the floor, keeping your neck relaxed and elbows wide. Extend your left leg as you exhale and turn your left shoulder towards your right knee.
Exhale again as you switch legs and turn toward the other side. Try to keep both shoulders off the floor throughout the movements, and avoid tucking your chin in toward your chest. Stretch your legs long as you alternate them, keeping your tailbone on the floor and your hips as steady as possible. Perform five to ten repetitions, or as many as you can do before compromising your form or straining to continue."

I tried this, for a day. I am not able to continue to do this daily. And I am getting ribbed about this tummy of mine. Hope I don't develop a case of tummytoe. Meanwhile I'm sick of the PJs about rice shortages and about the fate of friends inviting me for dinner.

P.S: For all the nubile things out there reading this. This is just my stab at humour. Actually I am a macho hunk with washboard waist and biceps like cast iron pillars. Check me out! :-))

Point I ponder!!

How extremely different emotions create the same wish, I wonder!
When deepest despair hits, when it seems that there is nothing and no one left to live for, Death wish takes over.
The strange irony is when happiness seeps and pervades the soul, when not just joy and laughter, but peace and happiness takes over your being, the same death wish takes over. Since that zenith of sublime nirvana, the mind transcends, can never be repeated (or that is what we believe at that point in time), it is better to shuffle our mortal coil then, than hitting the lows after, is what your heart and soul lead you to believe.
I wonder!
I wonder why!!