C'est La Vie!

The Med Terrorists

2007-03-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

'Big pharmaceuticals are right up there with the arms dealers. ' says a character from the film, The Constant Gardener.

It's a brilliant film, highlighting the not-so-savory business practices of the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry.

Experimental drugs are being tested illegally on the poor natives of Africa and some drugs,inspite of obviously needing more research and redesigning, are being used on HIV +ve natives - singled out during 'free' health checkups - just to save 'precious' time and money.

One needs to check the cost of lives in third world countries - a dime a dozen for the pharma bigges,it would seem.

And it was shocking to read of the increase of clinical trials in India - it seems that a clinical boom is on the horizon and it is projected that 'nearly $2 billion worth of clinical trials will end up in india by 2010'.

For a lay person,it would genuinely seem celebratory but I wonder if it's just the human guinea pigs that is of interest to the pharma giants.

The Constant Gardener has opened my eyes to this form of bio-terrorism of sorts, all under the guise of 'research' and 'free medical aid' and shallow goodwill.

How governments,researchers,powerplayers,aid workers - all are manipulated or else 'taken care of' - like Tessa Quayle, the human rights activist who was brutally murdered because she fought for the rights of the African natives and threatened to expose the such trials in Africa.

Her husband Justin Quayle ,a diplomat stationed in Africa, loved her and supported her but never really understood her work.
He preferred to spend time in his garden,creating a safe world around himself, was rudely jolted into reality,was forced out of his complacency after the murder of his wife and had to face the lies and corruption and poltics to ensure that his wife did not die for nothing.

His search unearths a few very unpleasant hometruths and he manages to expose the huge conspiracy at the cost of his own life..

It was a very moving and disturbing film and I can almost see the script being played out again under the Indian sun this time round.

A TOI article calls India a 'prime location' because it has 'the world's largest patient pool'.
In my opinon that just translates to availability of patients who are illiterate,needy,poor and ignorant of their rights.

There alreay are many cases where trials have failed with serious consequences,even deaths of patients and no doubt, our lax regulatory policies and unscrupulous drug companies waiting to exploit the loopholes, make the risk of allowing clinical trials in India exponential.

Here's hoping that the judgement of the powers that be is not clouded by the multiple $$$ signs or else like Africa, we'll end up with a beautiful landscape tainted with human blood.

The Templar Legacy

2007-03-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

Another book on the lines of The Da Vinci Code -riddles,clues,cryptexes..get the drift - this is work of fiction about the hunt for 'The Great Devise' and the Templar treasure, is still entertaining.

I liked it because the start was set in Copenhagen,one of my favorite cities, and because I like medieval history..

'The brethren,the masters of the Temple,
who were well filled and ample
with gold and silver and with wealth.
Where are they now? How have they fared?
Who had such power that none dared
take ought fromt hem,no man so bold:
forever buying,they never sold.'

A medieval French verse aptly describes the overly solvent Templars and their sudden disappearance.

This book also states the possibility that the Shroud of Turin,which holds enormous religious symbolic importance to Christians around the world, was that of the 22nd and last Master of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, Jacques de Molay(1314).
What irony!

It's a pity I did not make time to see it(purely as a medieval artifact!) when I was in Torino a few years ago..

Cops or Criminals?

2007-02-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

"Frank Costello: When I was growing up, they would say you could become cops or criminals.
But what I'm saying is this. When you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference? "

I agree totally.

The Departed - *****

"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen."

Million $$$ Baby

2007-01-19T14:59:00.000-08:00

I don't remember any other movie hitting home quite like this one...with the exception of The Unforgiven,another of Clint Eastwood's masterpeices..

"Boxing is an unnatural act. Cos everything in it is backwards. You wanna move to the left, you don't step left, you push on the right toe. To move right, you use your left toe. Instead of running from the pain - like a sane person would do, you step into it. "

Burnt Toast

2006-11-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

Teri Hatcher's memoirs left me with just a very strong sense of taste (and smell!) of burning toast - and no pearls of wisdom.

Agreed that she is trying to be a good mother and tries really hard to do the right thing and not repeat the mistakes her parents made while she was growing up,which would make all mothers identify with her but there is just no zing in the book..

It meanders a lot- the point of which I guess is to reflect Ms Hatcher's thought processes -but,with not much to hold you attention anyway, it just causes one to lose focus entirely.

And strangely,there is a constant strain of how OLD she feels at 40..I mean,isn't 40 the new 30?!
So much for looking forward to life beginning at 40! ;o)

Although there a few funny bits, it's nothing that'll change your view of life .

Entirely missable.

Happenings

2006-09-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been interesting - the trip to Arizona in particular..

The weather has changed and now Fall is certainly here - there was sudden drop of temperature from 80F to 47F,almost overnight!

The trees have begun to shed their leaves..

Now the temp seems to be stabilizing around 60F and it is chilly outside.

What I have been reading so far :

The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie (just started)
Left to Tell - Immaculee Ilibagiza (must read!)
Perfect Soldiers - Terry McDermott (must read!)

Loads of Chick Lit - you know how that is!!

And being a diehard fan of the Bourne trilogy - re-reading (for the umpteenth time!) Bourne Identity ,the other 2 books will follow!

I also watched a bunch of nice movies -
In her Shoes (I had read the book-Chick Lit),which is quite enjoyable

Syriana - Must watch!!

Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy- Damon as Bourne is just too good!

Murder on the Orient Express - Watchable, Albert Finney's Poirot seems buffoonish,David Suchet is the best Poirot!

The Sleeping Murder - The first Miss Marple movie I have seen - lacks the punch of Poirot

Yet to be seen : Evil Under the Sun and the Dumb Witness (both with David Suchet as Poirot)

Betrayed

2006-08-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

A story that is truly disturbing,which I wished again and again would be a work of fiction.

In October 2001, the body of the world-renowned Mexican human rights lawyer Digna Ochoa was found shot in the leg and head, covered in starch and arranged beside a written death threat other "sons-of-bitch" human rights lawyers.

There was no doubt that she was murdered.

She had been harassed,threatened,kidnapped twice and raped because she took on the Mexican govenment and the military on behalf of the poor subsistence farmers and the authorities turned a blind eye each time.

In July 2003,the Mexican ruled her violent death to be a 'probable suicide' and slammed the case shut.

Linda Diebel,a three-time recipient of the Amnesty International Media Award,through extensive research and interviews makes mincemeat of the suicide theory and reveals a cover-up so blatant that is shocking - Digna Ochoa was betrayed at every step, by her jealous colleagues,local authorities,those in power who promised her protection.

What Mexico is like behind the colorful tourist posters is chilling.

Diebel's book is a tribute to a courageous woman who continued to fight for the most persecuted people in Mexico,when most would have lost the nerve and fled, someone who rose from poverty and went on to win both a MacArthur "Genius" Award and Amnesty's Enduring Spirit Award and as per Diebel's expose,someone who ended up being a victim twice - first of murder,then of character assasination.

Betrayed : The Assasination of Digna Ochoa- a must read for all!

A New Beginning...

2006-07-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here I am ,at the fag end of July,comtemplating the last couple of months of my life..

It feels like I've been turned upside-down and inside-out and spun around - in other words,I've got married and moved to the US!

June was a blur,early July was fraught with nerves,what with the visa application and interview,not to mention the bombing in Bombay..

I've left my family behind,my job, friends,colleagues -a life that I knew, my own comfort zone - to settle in a new country and at times,it makes me nervous - to say the least!

But hey,I'm brushing up my photography skills,starting a new photoblog and getting used to my new home and surroundings...

And I have met over half a dozen of my school friends on orkut.

I have wonderful memories of school,my first foray into the world,in a manner of speaking - so in a way it does feel like life has come full circle.

Choosing Shoes

2006-05-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

A bowling plan gone awry resulted in me shopping for shoes!

I checked out all the possible shoe stores for a pair of 'weddingy' shoes and faced such an onslaught of - well, shoes - that it left my head reeling..

And it reminded me of a poem by Ffrida Wolfe I had read in school -

Choosing Shoes

New shoes, new shoes,
Red and pink and blue shoes.
Tell me what would YOU choose,
If they'd let us buy?

Buckle shoes, bow shoes,
Pretty pointy-toe shoes,
Strappy, cappy low shoes;
Let's have some to try.

Bright shoes, white shoes,
Dandy dance-by-night shoes,
Perhaps-a-little-tight shoes;
Like some? So would I.

BUT Flat shoes, fat shoes,
Stump-along-like-that-shoes,
Wipe-them-on-the-mat shoes
O that's the sort they'll [I'll]buy.

But since I was out with 2 girls - no points for guessing - I actually ended up buying 2 pairs of shoes - a pair of shiny wedges and a pair mules with glittery straps and a faux stiletto heel!

The Countdown has begun..

2006-05-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

30 days left to go for my wedding....and counting...

Some pearls of wisdom from my married friends :
(~courtesy of You & Your Wedding)

1. You are going to get stressed – or at least obsessed

2.. You might get post-wedding blues

3. It's not worth worrying about the small things

4. Your fiancé might not share your enthusiasm

5. Family ties are likely to become strained

6. Some things change after you say 'I do'

7. Some things don't change after you say 'I do'

8. Jealousy may rear its ugly head

9. The earth may not move on your wedding night

10. Your next career move isn't as a wedding organiser

America

2006-04-24T03:37:00.003-07:00

"Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together
I've got some real estate here in my bag"
So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner pies
And walked off to look for America

"Kathy," I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh
"Michigan seems like a dream to me now"
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've come to look for America

Laughing on the bus
Playing games with the faces
She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy
I said "Be careful, his bowtie is really a camera"

"Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat"
"We smoked the last one an hour ago"
So I looked at the scenery, she read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field

"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping
"I'm empty and aching and I don't know why"
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America
All come to look for America
All come to look for America

~ Bookends, Simon and Garfunkel

...and here I am..

2006-04-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

..back after a brief literary hiatus,which,far from being a typical R&R break, was,in fact, action-packed.

My life has changed in several ways in a short span of 2 weeks - I've got my passport..and what an ordeal that was!(I had planned to write a post abt the frustrating Indian 'system' but it's seriously not funny anymore!), I learnt to drive(YAY!!),my relocation plans are crystallizing,wedding preparations have gathered momentum,I'm moving back to my grandma's,there's another big thing I've done and on the whole,I've broadened my horizons.

I'm open to changes and challenges like never before, and it feels good - to step out of the comfort zone.

One should do it more often,methinks!

Cheers to Life!!

PS : De-stressing is still on the agenda because I'm still exhausted and stressed - mind,body and soul!

A Little Introspection

2006-04-04T04:11:00.000-07:00

When a couple of colleagues took one look at my notepad and immediately declared that I was highly stressed - and a msn stress test - jolted me out of a sort of semi-daze I've been in for the past couple of months.

To be semi-dazed for a couple of months is bad enough,but to not even be aware of it is worse!

I seem to be totally messed up right now ,what with a couple of big decisions to make on the job front,co-ordinating work with all the other auxiliary tasks, planning the wedding,closing down the house- phew!

Not being able to sleep at night,being irritable and doodling furiously(making virtual jalebis for Mandar's wedding!) seem to be a few of the manifestations of the stress I'm experiencing.

Another aggravating factor is the inter-dependence of things,the general inertia of the system and being in the limbo state for the longest time after a teensy bit of progress.

And the semi-daze seems to be my internal coping mechanism - just to let things blur when they are out of my control - which can spell disaster.

But strangely enough, things never seem blur to the extent that I don't care about them anymore- just enough to keep the anger and frustration as background processes.

That way I conveniently don't realize how much energy I'm spending on those emotions but have to face the fatigue and low-energy drive.

Lesson Learnt : Just being aware of the fact that you're stressed can cause more stress.

To Do : De-Stress ASAP.

One Equal Music

2006-04-04T02:25:00.002-07:00

.. And into that gate they shall enter,
and in that house they shall dwell,
where there will be no cloud nor sun,
no darkness nor dazzling,
but one equal light,
no noise nor silence,
but one equal music,
no fears nor hopes,
but one equal possession,
no foes nor friends,
but one equal communion and identity,
no ends nor beginnings,
but one equal eternity..

~John Donne

The Sinister Dexterity

2006-03-29T00:28:00.000-08:00

"But there are very few [Southpaws] people who are proud to be one." - this was Preeti's comment about my previous post.

Sad but true,I have to admit.

I'm not apologetic about being left-handed, but the fact remains- there has been, and there still is,a repression of left-handedness.

'Lefties' do feel that they are discriminated against, and somewhat oppressed.

Even today,left-handers face persecution in the normal,daily tasks.

I have personally suffered from the writing discomfort associated with right-handed desks,struggled to find room on the left-hand end of college benches (2-seater) to avoid knocking elbows with the ,usually,right-handed bench-mate.

That apart,the other regular,every-day implements are usually designed for the right-handed people - scissors, can openers, computer keyboard's numerical pads, golf clubs, gearshifts, and hand-held power tools - are just a few that cause complications in a left-handed person's world.

In fact,being left-handed is certainly frowned upon in many cultures around the world as many cultures simply believe that right is right, and left is wrong.

In India,Middle East(esp desert regions) and Indonesia, it is considered impolite to eat with the left hand, and Eskimos believed that every left-handed person was a sorcerer.

In Japan, a man could divorce his wife,if he found that she was left-handed.

The left-handed Romans training to be in a Roman legion would have their hands bound to their side, and would be forced to use the gladius with their right hand,to avoid interfering with the cohesion of the Roman legions.

A simple translation of the the word 'left' in different languages results in this :

Mandarin: improper
French: awkward, clumsy, tacky
Italian: crooked, maimed
German: awkward
Russian: sneaky
Portuguese: mischievous, weak
Spanish: malicious
Romanian: crooked, evil

With origins in Latin, the english word 'dexterity' conveys being skillful.

Contrarily, 'sinister' derived from 'sinus', the Latin word for left, has evil,disturbing and negative connotations while 'sinus' is harmless enough means 'pocket'.

However, 'sinus' refers to the single pocket of the Roman toga,which was on the left-hand side for the convenience of the right-handed wearer.

Even the word "ambidexterity" reflects the bias.

Its intended meaning is, "skillful in using both sides."
However, since it keeps the Latin root "dexter," which means "right," it ends up conveying the idea of being "right-handed at both sides.

If one traces the origins of modern words,one will discover that the predominance of right-handedness is an extremely old phenomenon.

But should 'handedness' really matter?

Should we tolerate a society so primitive wherein left-handedness is literally beaten out of a child,with full knowledge that the child could develop a severe stammer and which could ,in turn, lead to a host of psychological problems?

Certainly not!

Methinks,peaceful co-existence needs another 'dexterous' twist!

Advantage Southpaws..?!

2006-03-23T01:08:00.000-08:00

Southpaw : LEFT-HANDER
especially : a left-handed baseball pitcher
(merriam-webster dictionary)

It's well-known that left-handed and right-handed people view the world differently.

Research has shown that the left-handed(not biased or anything but being a southpaw myself..) use the left hemisphere of the brain to focus on the big picture - like a landscape - but to focus on details within the big picture - a hill,a lake or a house - they use the right-hemisphere.

The exact reverse holds true for right-handed people.

But what got my attention was an article about you selecting your 'preferred' hand as a 10-week old foetus ..incredible or what!

A research team from Belfast conducted an experiment ,in which they identified 60 foetuses who sucked their right thumbs and 15 who sucked their left thumbs in the womb.

(Well,technically,when you're a 10-week old foetus your movements are not under brain or conscious control - the arm movements are more likely to be some kind of local reflexes trigger by the spinal cord.

This shows that nerve connections from the body to the brain seem to develop before the connections that allow the brain to control body movements ,and this has given rise to speculation about how the foetus's body movements could somehow influence the way the brain develops,instead of the other way round - which is the popular belief.

But I digress...)

After examining the subjects as kids aged 10-12, they found that all 60 right thumb suckers were right-handed while 2/3rd of the left thumb suckers were left handed (probably changed their mind and opted for the 'dominant' hand)

Kids definitely have a mind of their own!!

Being Southpaws also helps snails - snails with left-handed shells can have a big advantage in life - predators may find them impossible to eat!

The whelks and cone shells preyed on the crab Calappa flammea get clean away as the Calappa dudes cannot open left-handed shells (from their point of view)- they have a tool for peeling on the right claw only!

It's like trying to open a can with a right-handed can-opener using your left hand and it goes like - struggle to get the grip right on the opener,struggle to fit the opener on the can,can slips/slides, you lose the grip , do it all over again, bring in a knife, hack away and by the time you've opened the lid,you've made a big mess and introduced fine iron shavings into the contents - only the Southpaws know how painfully frustrating the whole process is!

This is just not one pain point - you have the 'right-handed' peelers, scissors,hockey sticks - ok,I should stop now but I have to mention a beautiful knife - right-handed but still beautiful - I have with a six-inch blade and one serrated edge - I'm never going to be able to use it in self-defense because when held in my left hand,I'm forced to strike with serrated edge instead of the smooth,sharp edge- what a waste!

(Check out my favorite Southpaw Salvation here)

Back to our crustacean friends - when faced with a choice like this ,they prefer the right-handed shells(again..from their point of view) because with the left-handed ones,the opening is on the for which they have no 'can-opener' tool or else they have to grasp the pointed end towards their bodies.

Both options apparently are too much trouble; the crabs acts like a vegetarian in a butcher's shop and moves on to find dextral shells.

But strangely enough,instead of being numerous, the left-handed snails are rare and may even be dying out.

Similarly,10-13% of humans are left-handed.

Makes one wonder what else is at play in Nature!

Another interesting fact is that the left-handed people also have an advantage in sports like tennis,cricket and baseball.

But left-handedness also has an increased risk of certain diseases so it's puzzling that it has still endured.

While great brains are figuring that out, it's also a fact that Southpaws are good at combat.

Although this has fired speculation about violent societies have a larger percentage of left-handers, it's established that Southpaws usually have the upper hand in fights including certain sports like boxing and fencing which are 'special cases of fights' with strict rules about intentionally wounding/killing the opponent.

Apparently,opponents just do not expect a left hook!

The Lost Art of Wooing

2006-03-21T04:28:00.000-08:00

Woo : to seek the affections of,with the objective of marriage

I have been thinking about this for a while - the Singleton Syndrome - which has now begun to emcompass men.

All my single male friends (barring 1-2 exceptions) seem singularly incapable of finding a girlfriend!

And they're all fairly nice people - no multiple piercings,black nail polish or multi-colored mohawks, but no girlfriends either.

Forget the traditional wooing, guys these days can't seem to start a conversation about the weather with a girl not known to them!

So what is the problem?

Are these guys all super-shy? No.

Are they Quasimodo look-alikes? No.

Are they sociopaths/psychopaths/criminals? No. (well...at this point,no)

Are they dumb(literally and figuratively)? No.

So why are they terrified of introducing themselves to women?

Even the pack-mentality does not seem to bolster their confidence anymore.

All a bunch of guys will do is stare,ogle and lech at a group of girls and both groups, usually, end up eye-balling each other.

Point to note : while the boys are all knees and elbows, the girls, in most cases, couldn't be bothered trying to make things easy for guys who can't even walk up to them and say Hello!

Whatever the reason for this social ineptitude,my advice to my guy friends is :
(I have had 3 requests to 'help me find a girl,plzz plzz plzz' )

1. Assess yourself (and be honest about it!)

If you genuinely are Greek-god gorgeous,you probably are seeing a very attractive woman
and hence shdn't be reading this at all.

But if women don't exactly fall over themselves for you, accept that(it can be tough!)

So if looks are ruled out, check the rest :

physique - will def bolster confidence (obsessing over it can sink you big-time!)
intelligence - either you have it or you don't
wit - either you have it or you don't
humor - either you have it or you don't
talent - either you have it or you don't, but there must something you do well!
charisma - either you have it or you don't
personality - either you have it or you don't

So work with what you have, work on what you'd like to improve on and don't expect instant results.

I mean if you are skinny ,you can't expect to get bulging biceps overnight or if you have the personality of gym socks, well , you can't turn into a female-magnet overnight.

Physique is simple to tackle, charisma is slightly tough and personality can be developed when you work on everything in between and then add some confidence to it!

That apart, just be yourself!

No guy ever believes that and I don't understand it!

Honestly,guys! Women like men who are comfortable with themselves - qualities and vices.

Nothing is a bigger turn-off than a guy trying to be something that he is not.

Be honest and laugh at yourself once in while - it's not going to kill you!
(with all due consideration,honesty just might!)

Seriously,you can't expect to get away with telling a woman she has a nice smile while talking to her breasts!

So once you're comfortable in your skin and all that,you have to make the effort of going out and meeting new people, how you do it is upto you.

As long as you break out of the comfort circle of buddies,who have seen you drunk , puking,squealing at the sight of a rat and what-not - you're on the right track!

You need to be open to meeting friends' friends,accepting introductions from acquaintances and lesser-known people.

During this process,you'll hone your social skills and hey,you might just meet that special someone!

And an important thing you'll realize is that you're not alone - there are other people like you,fumbling and bumbling around!

Now once you're on the social circuit, do all you can to make the woman you fancy remember you the next day - it could be for your ability to laugh at yourself or your genuine good humor,or your absent-mindedness or the fact that you were really desperate or obnoxious or both!!

If you nail that,you've hit paydirt!

Remember all's fair in love and war!

One Ring..

2006-03-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

~ JRR Tolkien

Very powerful lines. Always.

The Salad Buffet

2006-03-13T02:21:00.000-08:00

A quick survey of the buffet spread at the Blue D coffee shop yesterday almost killed my apetite for lunch,and got me thinking - the food was indian, the rich preparations that were presented well and would,without a doubt,taste divine- but just the thought of a 'hot' lunch was unbearable!

It was unimaginable to spend my Sunday afternoon in a stupor induced by rich food and the summer heat and so,understandably, I had an inexplicable longing for an array of cool, summer salads - crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes,cool cucumbers,fresh summer fruit,chilled dressings,fragrant herbs - sheer bliss!

The next thing in my line thought was to have a Salad Buffet!

So here is what my Salad Buffet would hold:

1. The Waldorf Tuna Salad (YUM!)

2. Pasta Salad - vinaigrette-based

3. Pasta Salad - yoghurt-based

4. Potato salad

5. Mediteraanean Salad - olives, feta/cottage cheese

6. Fresh Fruits - with whipped cream or flavored yoghurt?

Come to think of it, a Salad Potluck also sounds nice!

And it would be really useful - and FUN - for people to get hands-on.

Let's see if the Potluck idea takes off..
(here's hoping that the 'usual suspects' would support the Salad Buffet!)

Interested people,please sign-up!

Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day

2006-03-12T19:11:00.000-08:00

.... I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone

Read between the lines
What's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone .....

Oscar Fashion 2006....

2006-03-07T00:41:00.000-08:00

... and how celebrities fared on my personal style-o-meter...

Will Smith - Super Hot!
Jada P Smith - Simply Gorgeous!

Va-Va-Vooom!

(No, there is no 'blue' bias here!)

Jake Gyllenhaal - Hot!

(Where are all the hot guys gone????)

GLAM SLAM!

Elegance Personified

Golden Girl (bar the hair)

Timesless!

Adorable!

Graceful

Healthy and Happy!

Tweety-pie!
(full points for sheer guts to wear yellow!)

Getting there - definitely!

BLAAAAH!

DOUBLE BLAAAAH!!

Panels-and-Bow Disaster!!

Radio-Active Disaster!!

Tribal Disaster!!

Call 911!!!

Sushi Success

2006-03-06T02:58:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to declare that Project Sushi was a success, with a decent score in the aesthethic dept - some rolls looked good (like the first photo shown here) while some rolls were actually horizontal - and scored full points in the enthusiasm and fun category!

The participants - Vikash,Murtu,Sandeep ,his wife Nimfia and your truly - have cleared the first base.

We turned out a good amount of rolls on a messy table, with sticky fingers and sticky rice,cucumber juliennes,hot pepper sauce(instead of wasabi) and tuna flakes.

The sauce was a little too fiery for my taste and overpowered the delicately flavored sushi roll.

So ,we learnt from mistakes and got the proportion right, and soon everyone had got the hang of it.

In the meantime, I put together stuff - tomatoes,cucumber,apple,celery,lettuce,lemon juice,coleslaw(99% fat free) and cheddar cheese shavings- and whipped up the superquick version of the Waldorf salad.

The coleslaw was tasty and the salad became a huge hit.
(walnuts would have been good for the nutty flavor but skipping the raisins was a good idea!)

By the time the salad was ready,Murtu had run out of patience with making sushi , Sandeep was ravenous(he made about half a dozen veg sushi rolls) and Vikash had, thankfully, had more sushi rolls ready-to-eat than the ones already-in-his-tummy!

Soon, we were tucking in, and had polished off the salad and the sushi (I still think that Sandeep and Nimfia under-ate!)

Desserts - chocolate barfi and kalakand - was provided by Murtu and was delicious!

I was full-full and happy-happy and longed to have a nice siesta but,alas, there were places to go and things to do..

Nonetheless,it was a perfect Sat lunch- Three Cheers for Sushi!

Caught in the midst of the Bozo Explosion

2006-03-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

I could finally define where I am at the moment on the work-front - in the midst of the 'Bozo Explosion' (thanks to Guy Kawasaki) - which is defined as the inevitable downslide of a "mean, lean, fighting machine of a company" after it achieves success, typically after it goes public or ,in my case, after it's bought by a giant of a company.

Out of the top 10 signs of bozosity listed here,the ones I came across as a part of 2 acquisitions were :

1. The two most popular words in your company are “partner” and “strategic”.
In addition, “partner” has become a verb, and “strategic” is used to describe decisions and activities that don't make sense.

2. The aforementioned company mission statement is one page long.

3. An employee is paid to do nothing but write a blog ,for present,at least ;o)

4. There's a lot of talk about "processes" and that they need to be followed and
optimized.
After all is said and done, more is said than done.

Some of the hilarious signs are :

- Your parking lot's “biorhythm” looks like this:

8:00 am - 10:00 am--Japanese cars exceed German cars
10:00 am - 5:00 pm--German cars exceed Japanese cars
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm--Japanese cars exceed German cars

- Your CEO's admin has an admin.

- Your HR dept has more than one person

- Your HR department requires an MBA degree for any position;
it also requires five to ten years work experience in an industry that is only four years old.

After acquisition #2, the usual post-acquisition effects were seen - people quitting en masse, the general unrest amongst the remaining (who were worrying about being laid-off, asked to relocate), little or no communication followed by a lot of visitors coming in for quick 1-2 day visits and then disappearing, and again, little or no communication about the outcome of their visits.

Also,the information filtered down through the management to 'individual contributors' was not enough to give a clear picture of what was happening - little information was not communicated effectively - causing people to hit the panic button.

This spelled doom for my company(previously mean enough and decidedly lean) which could not afford to lose any resources but ended up losing very good people.

Although,the downslide hasn't begun on an individual basis (we're yet to feel the ripple-effect ),it feels like individual contributors are teetering on the brink.

And downslide for me would be having all the creativity and spontaniety stifled mainly because now we have to fit in a very, very big picture, where one is apt to get lost, have to deal with all the big-company bureaucracy - typical decision delays, added overhead of numerous channels of communication/approval, and consequently lose the fast-pace and dynamism.

I'm hoping we're not sucked into the big picture totally but can maintain some level of independence as a 'business unit' - with almost full control over the internal functioning.

And what we need to fight for are the principles of hiring smarter than self, under-staffing, hiring the 'right' person as opposed to hiring a person with the 'right' resume and of course, purging.

Purging seems ,by far, the most sacrilegious thing to do for the top management- in the Indian context - and most frustrating for employees ,who have to bear the brunt of the top management's supreme reluctance to 'exploy'.

Big Weddings,Lack of Communication and a SuperAgent

2006-02-28T01:23:00.000-08:00

I'm just back after attending the wedding of 2 close friends, conducted in true North Indian ishtyle - loud, lavish and colorful - and all at the expense of the bride's family.

It was sad to see 'dowry' being demanded and some more untoward incidents..which could have been totally avoided had some people shown some spine!

I wonder if education has helped at all!

And back to the grind, and realized,yet again, the importance of communication and how lax everything on that front has been.

Why do people not voice their concerns?

Why is it normal to bottle things up, and let them fester, instead of making noise and trying to get answers?

I personally think that in the current scheme of things, spending a whole day talking to team members, on a one-to-one basis, would be time well-spent indeed.

On the brighter side, one agent developer was promoted to the SuperAgent level - he accomplished a task projected to take 2 weeks in 1 day!

Cool or what...?!

The name's Kool, GoKool..!

Of course, now he has plenty of time on hand to document his effort well..he can't shirk that responsibility!

Way to go,dude!

Radio Murtu

2006-02-22T04:45:00.000-08:00

A rap tribute to the one and only (applause)
Murtaza (applause)
for giving us Radio Murtu,the cool in-house radio station :

All ya people out there,
Rap it nice and loud,
We've a new RJ in da house, (yeah)

Who's da man? (yeah)
Who's da man?

Murtu is his name,
Wacky fellow,PJ King
Meet him once and you'll never be the same .. (yeah)

You're da,man! (yeah)
You're da man!

Playin' songs for one and all,
No adverts,yeah,none at all,
Thatz our new RJ in da house, (yeah)

Who's da man? (yeah)
Who's da man?

Murtu is his name,
Murtu sure knows his game,
Meet him once and you'll never be the same .. (yeah)

You're da,man! (yeah)
You're da man!

People, please feel welcome to rap your own thoughts out.. and we need to put a tune together...

Get Rich or Die Tryin' ~ 50 Cent

Project Sushi

2006-02-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

Now this is art on a plate!

To achieve this, in the very basic form, one would need :

1. Sushi Rice :

* 1.5 cups (200 mL), Dry, short-grain (Japanese) rice
* 1.5 cups (200 mL), Water
* Kelp (seaweed), in sheet-form(nori) or cut into strips
* 4 tablespoons (50 mL), Rice vinegar
* 2 tablespoons (25 mL), Sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL), Salt

2. Wasabi Paste

3. Filling :
Tinned Tuna, julienned
Cucumber , julienned

4. A bamboo tablemat (the kind made from strips of bamboo strung together,which can be
rolled)

5. Cling film

Now to put it all together :

1. On a clean surface, place the bamboo mat, cover it with a sheet of cling film (excess rice will
ooze onto this,instead of the mat).

2. Moisten the sea-weed and arrange on the bamboo mat.
If nori is being used, arrange it equi-distant from the edges of the mat
If kelp strips are being used, align them centrally (with some practice,you can roll them with
your hand,instead of using the mat)

3. Spread the prepared rice ,starting from the edge closer to you,covering about 3/4th of the
nori surface(leaving the edges free) in a layer about 1/4th inch thick.

4. Smear a thin line of the wasabi paste in the center of the rice.

5. Lay some cucumber strips and tuna strips along the wasabi paste.

6. Here comes the bit :

Lift the edge of the bamboo mat (with the cling film) closer to you and lift it gently and roll the
nori away from you.

Take care that the filling is not getting pushed ahead.

After reaching the other end (with no rice),press the rolled nori gently with one hand to hold
in place, moisten the end of the nori with the free hand ,finish rolling and seal the end.

7. If using nori sheets, cut the roll into 1-inch rolls.

If using strips, sushi rolls are ready.

Now all that is left is, arranging them prettily on the square plates and serving them with pickled ginger and soy sauce.

Who's interested??

Law of Location

2006-02-17T01:16:00.000-08:00

No Matter Where You Go, There You Are..!!

Casablanca...

2006-02-15T00:44:00.000-08:00

The spell never seems to diminish,and once more, I couldn't be happier for that!

And I was, yet again,drawn into the world of Casablanca,where so many different lives converged.

The atmosphere - rife with intrigue,spies,romance,politics,betrayal and the enchanting 'As Time Goes By' in Rick's Cafe Americaine - has always seemed to me almost sinister with the black-and-white photography.

Once more I wondered about Rick - cynical,brutally neutral Rick - and what it must have cost him to say 'Of all the gin joints in all towns in all the world,she walks into mine' letting us see the hurt and anger and bitterness inside.

Each time I watch Casablanca,there seems to be one more unnoticed shadowy corner which could spring yet another surprise.

This time,however,there was no shadowy corner but something right on centrestage -
S. K. Sakall as the cheerful Carl - he is such a joy to watch!

I appreciated his 'I have already given him(Major Strasser) the best,knowing he is German and would have taken it anyway' for the first time..!

And Madeleine LeBeau - she is simply luminous - with the self-realization in her eyes as she sings 'Vive La France'

I was especially touched,after knowing Marcel Dalio(croupier) and LeBeau's life story, the script seemed to be directly based on their story - fleeing Paris all the way to Lisbon, bribing corrupt officials for exit visas - the works!

In the turmoil of WWII, it seems like there was Casablanca for each man and woman.

Holding hands 'neath the paddle fans
In Rick's candle lit cafe
Hiding in the shadows from the spies
Moroccan moonlight in your eyes

where else but Casablanca..

Hindu Scriptures

2006-02-13T03:03:00.000-08:00

Apart from what history books have told me, I've never made an attempt to find out more about ancient Scriptures, and today I find myself unusually curious about what - putting religious connotations aside- one can learn from them.

Starting with the Vedas - now what exactly are these all about?

1. Vedas - Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda and Atharva-veda

The Vedas contain the 'eternal truths' revealed by God* to Rishis (seers).
The Rishis were 'enlightened' - they were the spiritual discoverers of thoughts which were already in existence.

In effect, the Vedas were not authored by Rishis.

They are not a product of the human mind.

The essence of Vedas has always existed and will continue to do so.

In the book form,the Vedas are recordings of revelations and spiritual experiences undergone by Rishis in the process of imbibing the Divine Knowledge (I prefer Eternal Truth).

The vedas also formed the basis of religion and philosphy.
The underlying principles of many religions can be traced back to the vedas.

These books are written in Sanskrit - the intellectual language of the ancient (and classical) Indian civilization.

And what fascinated me was the fact that,come to think of it, Vedas have no beginning or end.

Vedas are not merely books - they embody much more than what can be contained in the books.

Truth,it is said, is eternal and impersonal.

And it's out there for each person to understand in his own unique way.

Indian last names that indicate the knowledge of vedas (minimum 2 vedas needed to be mastered)-

Dwivedi (dwi = 'dwee' = 2) - mastery over 2 vedas,
Trivedi (tri = 'tree' = 3) - mastery over 3 vedas,
Chaturvedi - mastery over all 4 vedas

I learned from my grandfather that the knowledge of the vedas was always passed on verbally - usually rhythmic chanting of verses - until students 'realized' the truth.

(I find that Sanskrit has a unique lyrical quality that makes the chanting sound almost entrancing, even when I don't understand anything)

2. Upanishads -

Also known as 'Vedanta' - 'anta' = end

These are 'conclusions' to the Vedas.

There are 18 Upanishads containing commentaries,episodes,stories through which the essence
of life - common and metaphysical - and the views about Brahma (the Absolute) and the
'Atma' (the soul -one's true self) are revealed.

Only select students were allowed to know the answers of the mysteries of life and creation -
the simple reason being that knowledge couldn't be handled by all.

3. Puranas

Meant for the masses,the Puranas were written to impart the essence of the Vedas to the
common man - who could not understand philosophy.

They emphasize the worship of Brahma(the Creator),Vishnu(the Preserver) and Shiva(the
Destroyer)

The abstract truth is given 'form' here - gods and goddesses emerge, idols and symbols are
introduced.

Religious fundamentalists today seem to be exploiting this layer - where the Truth is to be interpreted in the common tongue for the common man - to start wars, to kill, to oppress, all in the name of God and religion.

Maybe all we need is patience and the desire to find the essence behind the teachings of our faith.

* Henotheism - the key to Hindu theology - is the idea that although there are many different gods and goddesses, each is a representation of one Supreme Being.

Morale boosting..the French way

2006-02-09T03:27:00.000-08:00

A little blinkey ad in the sidebar of my browser window caught my eye, and a few clicks took me to : http://magazines.ivillage.com/marieclaire/frenchdiet/howtos/0,,80jnh093,00.html

Wow! A Wine,Chocolate and Cheese diet????

Sounded too good to be true..!
And I delved in deeper (naturalment!) to find that it did make sense, I mean how could one go wrong with '1/2 hr of moderate exercise,3 full meals(with fresh veggies and meat), baguettes,cheese,butter and no snacking' and hey ,some wine too!

The logic being that 3 full meals with all fresh,regular ingedients (nothing low-fat,low-cal,fat-free) keeps you fuller longer so that you don't snack(this is the real culprit,anyway!)

But what took the cake was the quiz 'What Kind of French Woman Are You?'

(Granted that it had almost no competition,with the other quiz being 'Test Your Portion IQ')

The result was : You are most like: Juliet Binoche.

With a sprinkling of adjectives like 'Elegant', 'striking' and 'sophisticated' , also 'classic beauty' and 'strong character', it sure made me feel good..and not like an overall social snafus!

Ego massage aside, I seriously think that the French way is the smart way..and hell, it's my grandmom's reccomended way too!!

The Morning Poem

2006-02-07T23:58:00.000-08:00

I woke early one morning,

The earth lay cool and still

When suddenly a tiny bird

Perched on my window sill.

He sang a song so lovely

So carefree and so gay,

That slowly all my troubles

Began to slip away.

He sang of far off places

Of laughter and of fun,

It seemed his very trilling

Brought up the morning sun.

I stirred beneath the covers

Crept slowly out of bed,

Then gently shut the window

And crushed his fucking head.

I'm not a morning person.

(Allegedly, translated from an ancient Urdu poem - until I''m able to trace that..)

My thoughts were on the same lines this morning,not so very lyrical,though.

They were more incoherent, and infused with more than the permissible amount rage.

And targetted towards a dog with enormous lung capacity, barking its head off before dawn - for the pure pleasure of barking..!!

It would have been a nice day..

Feelin' Good

2006-02-06T03:47:00.000-08:00

On a Monday????

Unbelievable...but true!

I'm feeling good..and happy and perfectly content with my life, as is..

Nope, there's nothing I'd like to change - not even the shape of my nose!
(So there..now you know how serious I am!)

I've had a perfect weekend...not that it was elaborately planned or filled with spectacular events (house-cleaning and a flooded kitchen,anyone?!) but it was great..just great!

It was just what I needed!

I guess at sometime my subconscious took over and pulled me out of the life-is-so-blah rut I had gotten into.

I saw a movie - Rang De Basanti (flawed plot but likeable,nonetheless)- with a mixed group of colleagues and then we hung out at a club.

Coincidentally, another bunch of friends were partying there as well so drinks and jokes were going around pretty fast (Suraj singing Balle Balle took the cake!)

Couple of tequila shots, a Margarita pitcher,a strawberry hookah, cool company, good music(retro,classic rock) - oh yeah, I sang myself hoarse - was the perfect mix for a Sat evening!

Opening up, going with the flow,letting my hair down felt so good, I almost felt like I had forgotten how to...

Sure feels good to feel good!

Note to Self : Margarita by the pitcher is totally acceptable..and recommended!

Killing in the name of...

2006-02-02T23:06:00.000-08:00

God

Freedom

Rights

Vengeance

Power

Control

Faith

Greed

Desperation

Insanity

Lust

Honor

.
.
.
.

Fun

Fun??

Last night a friend saw a pyramid-shaped corporate building and casually said,'Won't it be fun to have a bomb go off at every level,starting from the top?'

At that moment I was certain that phlegm (been down with a severe cold for the past 2-3 days) had now blocked my aural canal which resulted in morbid distortions.

It was one moment when my expression said it all, thankfully, because my ENT was totally out of sync anyway.

My friend repeated his brilliant idea ,slowly, (btw,ENT issues do not mar the brain functionality!) and proceeded to tell me about the coolest ever fireworks show held in the tallest building (101 storeys) in Taiwan,which had fireworks going off on every storey starting from the top.

Now I agree that must have been spectacular, because I personally believe nobody does fireworks like the Chinese, but what got me was the casual replacement of 'fireworks' by 'bombs'..!

(And I'm certain,my friend was not alluding to an old,derelict structure ,which would have to be razed to the ground)

So,would it actually be a source of amusement to some to watch a building blown apart by bombs?

Would real fire,smoke,blood,bones and body bits* be props of an entertainment show in the near future?

How's that for a scary thought!

I would have thought that the difference between 'fireworks' and 'bombs' is so obvious....now I wonder, is it??

* Blood,Bones and Body Bits - Nick Arnold, Horrible Science series (totally awesome!)
(And no,it's not a how-to-be-a-terrorist manual)

Go figure!

2006-02-01T23:27:00.000-08:00

WILT thou then, my soul, never be good and simple and one and naked, more manifest than the body which surrounds thee?
Wilt thou never enjoy an affectionate and contented disposition?
Wilt thou never be full and without a want of any kind, longing for nothing more, nor desiring anything, either animate of inanimate, for the enjoyment of pleasures? nor yet desiring time wherein thou shalt have longer enjoyment, or place, or pleasant climate, or society of men with whom thou mayst live in harmony?
but wilt thou be satisfied with thy present condition, and pleased with all that is about thee, and wilt thou convince thyself that thou hast everything and that it comes from the gods, that everything is well for thee, and will be well whatever shall please them, and whatever they shall give for the conservation of the perfect living being, the good and just and beautiful, which generates and holds together all things, and contains and embraces all things which are dissolved for the production of other like things?
Wilt thou never be such that thou shalt so dwell in community with gods and men as neither to find fault with them at all, nor to be condemned by them?

Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, X

Its Shoots and Lives

2006-02-01T01:17:00.000-08:00

Its Chutes and Leaves

Its Chutes and Lives

Eats Chutes and Leaves

Its Shoots and Leaves

Eats Shoots and Lives

Eats Shoots and Leaves

Is it ok to be 'discrete' when I really want to be 'discreet'?

Wouldn't a careless placing of 'hypotension' in place of 'hypertension' result in a serious case of misdiagnosis?

And one glance at 'Chainees Food' is sufficient to drive away all my appetite for Chinese cuisine (which is particularly painful because it is one of my favorite cuisines)

Granted that the 'Chainees Food' joint was a street-side stall and the owner, in all probability, was never taught English, so it is understandable in a way, but to see 'privileged' people admitting to being 'priveleged' on paper makes me want to sock someone in the face!

Why are we so careless about spellings?

Why has a regular spellchecker tool gone from being an aid to being a crutch?

How many of us are confident of sending out an email without running a spell-check first?

Lynn Truss has taken up cudgels to fight the cause of Punctuation (http://eatsshootsandleaves.com) but methinks we have a problem, a big problem, one rung lower - word formation.

Do we really need a 'Spell Correct' movement for people to take notice?

I was shocked to hear my cousin was given a serious dressing down in school for wearing unpolished shoes but got off with hardly a reprimand for 'therepy'.
Some therapy, I must say!

If Lynn Truss is a stickler for correct punctuation, I'm a stickler for correct spellings.

I find it visually disturbing to read an incorrectly spelt word and to be faced with this :

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid!

Perfect recipe for a slow, persistent headache!

And yet a spelling mistake is casually dismissed as a 'typo' and laughed off.

Standards are being lowered at an alarming rate with emailing and txt msging growing to be as necessary as breathing.

Will we have a whole generation unaware of the fact that 'ur' , 'gr8', 'ata2ud' is completely 'nkorekt' and frankly, very 'anoyN'??

Yesterday while in conversation with a colleague, I was told that it is alright to make spelling mistakes as long as you get your point across.

I beg to disagree.

If I have to read a research paper on Tribology (a study of design, friction, wear, and lubrication of interacting surfaces in relative motion) and am faced with Tribeology (which doesn't mean anything!) in place of Tribology, I'm going to find that very hard to forgive!

My firm belief is that in English, you can't spell with your ears; you have to spell with your eyes.

And yes, I like pandas. They eat shoots and leaves.

After EI, it's EE

2006-01-31T00:57:00.000-08:00

Google tells me that earthlings have their IQ and EQ sorted out by now, but crisis is brewing in the EE pot.

Not surprisingly,the first result for 'Emotional Energy' was Oprah's website, which tells me :

'It's an epidemic, as described in Boston-based psychotherapist Mira Kirshenbaum's revelatory new book, The Emotional Energy Factor.'

The Emotional Energy crisis has already reached epidemic proportions and I have just discovered that I maybe one of the millions waking up each morning feeling fatigued and drained just thinking of the day ahead.

This admission has cost me some, because where I come from, having a standing appointment to get your head shrunk is not a cool thing - it's not even 'normal' and anything remotely 'mental' is B-A-D!!

And then again, someone who'd like to call themselves healthy(like yours truly)-with a fairly normal life (needing some exercise and a dietary tweak thrown in) - shouldn't normally be afflicted with anything of epidemic proportions!

But I've got to swallow the bitter pill and accept it, after all, I am having the classic symptoms :

1. I do feel drained in the mornings

2. Everything is great on the surface - a good job, great friends/family, wedding round the
corner,the feeling of being 'settled' in life - but there's no 'zing' to life, life feels strangely
'empty' at times

Expertspeak tells me stuff I already know - do something new, stop procrastinating, have fun, let go of the past , 'keep the flywheel spinning', 'reclaim the meaning of life' ...

The real challenge for me is tanking up on the little in-between thingybob called Self-Motivation..

Making the Switch

2006-01-30T03:40:00.001-08:00

I finally did it!

I let go of the past, spring-cleaned my life and stopped to smell the flowers...well,almost!

The tangible output of it all was a BLOG to replace my annual journal or diary,if you like!

Call me old-fashioned (I'm not really THAT old!!!) because I haven't let the machines take over my life- a battery-operated toothbrush is NOT a necessity, E-scrabble doesn't work for me and I love 'writing' letters (snail-mail for the uninitiated)- but all this apart,there are some things that technology simply can't replace!

Like books...and journal writing.

E-books just don't cut it, though I do read them once in a while.

And I can't imagine writing a 'personal' blog because how can it be personal ,if the entire online community can read it and comment on it??
and I'm told that I defeat the whole purpose of blogging if I keep my blog 'private'!

So here I am in some weird ,nested paradox trying to tell you that I find journalling more appealing in my own blog!

To start blogging to me is more than an 'upgrade' , not just a matter of switching media, because I absolutely love writing journals, ever since I started journalling at the age of 12.

It has been a very personal experience, writing my thoughts,feelings - even the most banal experiences - so I'm skeptical of taking to blogging, on a personal level, that is.

*Sigh* there just ain't any room for doodles and pressed flowers and other small things that help create wonderful memories...

2 fav journal-based books :

Diary of Anne Frank
Zlata's Diary