Best of 2008

Its the year end once again and time for a roundup of all the major events. While the TV channels and newspapers will jog your memories with the launch of Nano & Bindra winning India its gold at the Olympics or the Mumbai terror, I will here post a personal update of this year as it was for me.

# To start with, this was the year of the birth of my son. Wow! Nothing can beat that.

# We came close to clinching a deal with a US company & getting to be their Indian arm of their operations but lost it at the nick of the moment. But looking back now it may have been for the good since it might have taken from me my precious time which otherwise goes for my little one.

# Hubby dearest gifted me with a laptop - a HP Pavilion DV6500. Yet to actually put it to use though.

# One of the hardest moments was when I had to come away from my mother's after delivery. Hmm one can never do without one's mom.

# So many many occasions..right from my Seemantham (baby shower) and then the birth party we threw for all my relatives, my baby's first temple visit, his naming ceremony, the cradle ceremony, the ceremony that celebrates first time he crawled & crossed the doorstep and so on and so forth. Each one as memorable as it can come by.

# No salary month-on-month in the bank so no unwarranted spendings. And for the first time, since a very long time had to depend on someone (despite he being very generous, I must say) :)

# And again, without any doubt the birth of my son made 2008 the most memorable year of my life.

Happy New Year to One & All...:)

Phataack! Thappad Ki Goonj

Aren't we quite a slap happy nation with almost everyone ready to slap each other at the drop of a hat? I was watching one of the inane Roadies 6.0 audition episode where one girl proudly states that she is capable of slapping anyone. Hahah right!

Now that's some talent huh? But then maybe it is, for as I said we as a nation love slapping I suppose. Looking back Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth and then there was this Tamil Director who slapped the heroine of his film, actor-turned-Member of Parliament Govinda slapped an onlooker and then a TV host of a reality show was slapped by a contestant! Hahahahah

Its really a weird, weird world that we live in where smoking on screen is banned but violence, especially domestic violence is quite permissible. Take any of the daily soaps on Indian television, be it in any language and we can see domestic violence being glorified in various forms. Erring mothers, daring-to-dream daughters, unfaithful wifes are shown to be kicked & slapped left & right by their husbands, fathers, mother-in-laws and boyfriends. Every TV serial worth their TRP have atleast one slap-scene which is shown from every possible angle. uhh!

Nowadays there is a statutory warning message flashed when onscreen drinking is shown however there is no message shown when a guy roughs up a lady onscreen.

Media and especially television has a far-reaching impact on its audience and hence it is time they get a little more responsible in airing content which alters behaviour and help gain acceptance to new worldviews.

Hope you are listening, health minister dear Mr Anbumani Ramadoss.

Season's Wishes

No preachy stuff here but this quote seemed very profound. Good tidings to one and all. :)

Nothing is ever lost.
Not time; for what seems to have passed, lives on in the wisdom of future decisions. Not money; for what seems to have been spent, was only invested.
And not love; for what seems to have vanished, has only moved so close you must look within your heart to see it.

- from "The Universe"

Google Indic Translations

Have always admired Google as a company and for the innovative solutions they come out with. More proof here - the Google Indic Transliteration tool from Google Labs. Type in Tamil (or other regional languages they have provided) and it gets automatically translated into English. One can also do vice versa!

Excellent and very handy for people like my mom.

Try it - Google Indic Translations

Tap a Tap a Tap

f njk ec v vctZv xxx fbv fg affffbhuj n
s



hhsdg



[Dat was my baby expressing his views.]

Am not the philosophical kind but today I had a kind of revealation.

My little baby has grown to be adept at crawling and is now exploring his world around. I had put him in his cot with his teethers & couple of his favourite toys. Had also placed huge pillows as walls so he wouldn't come out. But the bright screen and the tapping sound coming from the keyboard was a little too enticing for the little fellow. He lost all interest in his toys and started to jump out of the cot towards the PC. Whew! All my trials to appease him with alternate toys, his stuffed animals..his pet giraffe all proved to be a waste. So about after half an hour I lost the battle out to him, pulled him onto my lap and let him loose on the keyboard. Needless to say he went crazy tapping the keyboard.

It struck me that his repeated trials and his singleminded effort to reach the computer was so intense that end of the day I had to relent. So probably if we want something as badly as this and put in the same focussed effortt, there should be someone up there who will relent and help us get our way.

Time to Put A Full Stop.

All it took was 10-15 fanatics to shatter the peace and harmony of this nation. Not a task any soul should ever be proud of. And now the blame game and finger-pointing has begun. Its utterly frustrating & depressing to even switch on the television. The havoc wreaked by despicable religious patriotism that make people act like insensible idiots (to put it mildly) is unspeakable. I want to but will not fall into the trap of spewing a lot of vitriol out here.

Just have a few points to make -

1. Why were'nt there any heed paid to the warnings?
Every answerable official needs to be hauled and made to pay for their lack of performing their duties. And made to pay through their nose.

2. PM condemns the terror attack, issues statement, addresses the nation from a paper, conducts all party meet. So did the Pakistan government. Heck! Mr. Prime Minister you don't seem to be a real person anymore.

3. Declare Pakistan a terrorist nation.
How much more proof does one require? Anyone who does not see Pakistan's involvement in supporting, abetting and aiding terrorism are, ironically only the Pakistanis.

4. Strong new leaders are the need of the hour.
Be it Milind Deora, or Lead India winner RK Mishra. We need new faces who are ready to take the battle head on.

5. There was reports in newspaper reporting dismay over the return of the Engalnd cricket team due to the terror attacks.
Its not about buckling to terrorism, but pray tell me who is in a mood to watch entertaining sports at this crisis hour??? And why this insistence of continuing the series at a time when the nation's mourning? Isn't there anything at which the sponsors will ever stop at?

A Visit to God's Own Country - Kerala...

It was the occasion of "Chorunnu" or the first feeding ceremony of my son at Guruvayoor.

The lush green surroundings were so temtping so couldn't resist the urge to click some snaps. These are some pics taken from a fast moving car, so kindly bear with me on the quality.


Nendra Banana's - the other thing that Kerala is equally famous for.


The beautiful traditional tile roofed houses

Portal Marriages: Boon or Bane?

The other day I read an article in paper which was all about the West rediscovering the "indian arranged marriage" system and extolling its great virtues etc etc. You ask me, I say any marriage works only when the concerned parties want to make it work.

Talking of marriages, I have a sis-in-law who is an engineer by qualification, working in a well-known MNC, quite good looking and with parents who have amassed enough money to give her a fairly grand wedding. The problem happens to be in getting the right groom.

We have gone through the rigamarole of taking professional 'wedding' pictures, getting the horoscope done and uploading them in several of the available marriage websites. This not enough we have also taken the paid membership to several of these sites so as to enable us in our 'search' for the perfect groom. Its been over 2 years now with no luck.

And its not just her, my younger sister, my best friend, the elder sister of another friend all seem to have come stuck at this point. The perfect groom simply seems to remain elusive.

Its my gut feel that the number of marriage portals sprouting eveyday is inversely proportional to the number of actual marriages that take place through them. Though I dont have any statistics to prove my point, I am assured that the number of marriages will surely have come down when compared to a decade ago when marriage portals were yet to make their way. Honestly, they are doing more of a disservice than so-called "bringing soulmates together".

Now you might think its just the bitterness in me talking but let me tell you my reasoning behind it. As long as the criterion for selection remains simple enough - goodlooking, well-settled, compatible, dats fine but with lakhs of profiles available at the tip of the pointer, they are spoilt for choice - which is not a very nice thing. So now nobody wants to ever compromise. Girls now reject grooms on the basis of their accent, moustache and family responsibilities that they shoulder. Grooms are no better for I have seen several rejections on the basis of height, color and for want of better qualified professionals.

The maddness has reached such extent that its now reduced to being amusing and plain fun. There was a proposal from a decent mumbai based family where the patriarch (a banker) wanted to know the school (10th, 12th) marks of the girl. Excuse me, whaat?

And yet another gentleman clearly stated in the profile of his son, that he was looking for a family where the girl had only a brother as her sibling. His logic - the girls parents will be taken care in their old age and wouldn't be a burden on his son. Wow! I simply didn't have words to reply.

And its not just parents who go maniac in the hunt there have been boys who are so particular of the sub-sect, ancestral village as well as the nakshatrams (star signs) that suit best for them. Whew!

Am not saying you should blindly agree to marry the first person your parents show to you but just give a sensible thought before rejecting a profile.

The only ones who are laughing their way to the banks happens to be the portal companies. With banner ads to newspaper pamphlets they are enticing every eligible girl and bachelor.

All I can say, good luck guys. :)

Thus Spake a New Mother (contd)

In the same breath, here are a few other truths...

1. The intense & insane love you will feel for your kid will send goosebumps down your spine.

2. You will be amazed to see the perfection of the tiny form and gush happily that it all works and how!

3. You will realize that nothing smells quite as divine as how your baby does.

4. Every time you see your husband being so, so gentle with him, your heart will swell with pride and love.

5. You will feel something nice about your strong, able body....no matter what it looks like.

6. Traffic jams, global warming, bad bosses....everything else will seem simply silly.

7. The first time you leave him even for a shortwhile will break your heart and when you return home to him your heart will flutter like it has never before.

8. You will mentally list up the places you want to show him, things you want to tell him and imagine his gurgles & giggles.

9. You will realize slowly that you can still travel, meet up with friends, and think of a career for yourself.

10. You will not be able to wait for him to utter his first word, the first independent step he will take & that very first hug.

Thus Spake A New Mother...

What they don't tell you but what you need to know during the initial months of having a baby:

1. 3 o'clock in the morning with a screaming newborn is *very* different from a 3 o'clock pyjama party with your friends.

2. There will be at least once when you are so frustrated that you want to slam your head against the wall, throw yourself to the ground and cry.

3. No matter how helpful your husband is he will never be able to do it like you.

4. Pumping is embarrassing, weird and you find yourself totally obsessing about how much milk goes in those bottles.

5. You will feel so vulnerable about your body and crave compliments more than ever before ("Wow, can't believe you had a baby" - works every time)

6. Your day will be scheduled by the TV shows (11 am - Saas Bahu (feeding), 2pm - Tamil soap (cereals & veggies)...4pm Friends (nap time) 3 more hours until hubby comes home)

7. A long, hot shower for your achy body (without you imagining your baby crying himself hoarse/ images of him tumbling from the bed)will feel like being on a Caribbean cruise.

8. You will become obsessive about the order that everything in the darling's cupboard (diapers to the left, burping cloths to the right, nappies folded triangularly and so on & so forth)

9. You will feel envious at least once of a couple leisurely sitting at a café with a steaming cup of coffee (probably on a sunday after they just woke up and had sex 30 minutes earlier)

10. The dress that doesn't fit you anymore are the ones that look most alluring and seem totally in fashion.

Swami Satchidananda Attains Samadhi

Pujya Swami Satchidananda attained his samadhi on the night October 12th at 8:10 p.m.
Though he lives in our thoughts and through his ideals, the world has lost a spiritual leader.

Making oneself useful to the society should indeed be the foremost objective of every one. Whenever opportunities arise, serve humanity in whatever way possible, considering such service as Seva of God. - Swami Satchidananda

Anandashram – A world-renowned spiritual centre propagating the ideal of Universal Love and Service has been a beacon-light to humanity and a solace for the poor and needy through its multifarious humanitarian activities. The Ashram, founded in 1931 by Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas and Pujya Mataji Krishnabai, was being ably guided by Pujya Swami Satchidanandaji.

(Pic courtesy: Yogasanft) The bhajan hall at Anand ashram with the life size images of the divine masters Pujya Swami Ramdas & Pujya Mata Krishnabai.

Dangerous Liaisons

Controversy seems to be the easiest route to success. Be it movies, models, politics even lame TV serials today rely on some controversy or the other to up their TRP's. Nobody cares how you reach as long as you are up there.

The latest controvery seems to be around the book - "The Jewel of Medina" - a historical fiction which is about the child-bride of Prophet Muhammad. Author Sherry Jones saccharinely says its a well researched "love story" between the 54 year old Prophet and 6 year old A’ishah who happens to be the daughter of his brother. Aa-a-ah!

Random House who had reportedly paid an advance of $100,000 slowly distanced themselves when they received "cautionary advice not only that the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that it could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment" and realized they could be in the epicenter of a storm. Published by Beaufort Books the book could well be on its way to become another bestseller.

It seems like the West can't have enough of courting danger. Like forbidden love they seem to be so enamored by Islam and their prophets. As for me, I definitely want to lay my hands on this one and find if the book provides "humanizing glimpses into the origins of the Islamic faith, and the nature of love, through the eyes of a truly unforgettable heroine - Amazon" or if it is "soft porn which is inflammatory, unfair to Islam, and unfit to publish" as described by Prof Denise Spellberg.

After "The Da Vinci Code" historical fictions by relatively unknown or first time authors seem to have become the trend.

Ganesh Chathurthi

Here is the picture of a very differnt Ganesha idol from our nearby locality. With orchestra, loud music, children displaying their talents, prasad distribution and contributions pouring in, it was a fun night.

Back after a hiatus

As a brand new mom the kaleidoscope called life looks even more colorful and appealing. Honestly, motherhood is indeed a life-changing event. A different path takes me ahead and I won't stop raving about it.

All that and more soon but for now I just want to experience once again familiar waters of - blah blah blah....publish! :)

So here's me back 2 blogging with this post.

Halle Berry, J-Lo & Me...

Here are some more on the list - Nicole Richie, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Alba, Nicole Kidman.
Yep, its baby boom time and I just seem to be bumping (pun unintended) into pregnant ladies everywhere, even on-screen. In our own bollywood backyard there was Mahima Choudhary who is said to have recently popped out a beautiful girl. And then there was this news of Ash joining this elite gang but soon the news was squashed down as a bad rumour. Ok, then so be it.

This is a new phase in my life, a huge change - from spreadsheets to spreading sheets. I wouldn't go on to say that being pregnant is all roses & peaches (far from that actually) but its a new and exciting experience for sure.

I initially thought about airing all the trials & travails of being pregnant. On - the terrible morning sickness, round ligament pains, Braxton Hicks contractions, food cravings,....of anomaly scans, glucose tests, gestational diabetes....from childbirth & lamaze classes to maternity shopping. But then I decided there are so many pregnancy forums, guide books, websites and blogs for all of this information that I dont need to turn my blog into another one.

Moreover, let me confess am also busy these days planning & organizing for my seemantham (Indian baby shower) function, hunting madly for baby names, patiently listening to loads of advice and worrying about the D-day.

Wish me luck & pray for me. :)

So if I go missing all of a sudden for a couple of weeks, you all know the reason.

Tata Nano - Junta Ki Gaddi!

Just saw the launch of the new 'people's car' - Tata Nano I must say the Tata's have pulled the proverbial rabbit out of a hat! The design, though varying a little from the original design sketch, has not been compromised on and goes on to resemble a lot like the Zen Estillo. With they claiming that the car meets all fuel, safety and environment standards including Bharat III and Euro IV, it must be sending shivers down the Maruti Suzuki spine.

What I loved about the Nano -

1. A car for just 1 Lakh rupees or $2500 - Thats a auto-revolution by national and international standards! "Hmm, shall I buy new a hi-fi stereo's set for my merc?" "Well, why not rather buy nano for my child?"

2. This coming from the Indian stable makes it all the more special. Come on world, stand up and take notice.

3. Cars won't be out of reach of the aam junta. Now every Ram, Vicki and Hari - be they students or peddalars can afford one.

4. Autorickshaw's: would we still need them?

The Only worrisome fact - Indian roads and other basic infrastructure will need a serious upliftment.

Hats Off Tata, for changing the world of automotive forever..

To All New Beginings...

Life is seriously such a paradox. We are so engrossed in the permananecy of the present that we actually get the time to feel bored, idle away moments but when one looks back and see the amount of time that has escaped from our grasp, it seems like an eternity has passed by.

There was a time when I could not think of anything apart from my exams, projects.
and grades. Friends were then such an integral part of life that there wasn't a day when we didn't hang out with each other. Now all I get and (I also admit) send are a few lame text messages wishing them appropriately the season's best wishes.

Well, life changes, priorities change and so does many other things I suppose. But no more blah, blah's this time round, just simple wishes to one and all.

Prospero Año Nuevo 2008

Psst: I just noticed this is the 6th year for my blog!! whoa, am a blogging dinosaur.