He works for the networking dept in the office. This russian guy - reminds me of Jude Law in Enemy at the Gates! Tough guy who NEVER smiles. I don't know how he maintains that stoic look, I have often wondered if it was something against me or the world in general. Soon found out that is how he naturally was. But still makes me wonder - Can someone have gone thru life and not learnt to smile??
Anyway - one day I got some choclate cake just in the spirit of the season and he came by my desk with this other guy who is a friend of mine.
The change his demeanor underwent is something to be documented! Aside from five year old children I have never seen that expression of pure pleasure!!!!! Apparently he had seen the e-mail abt the cake at my desk and come with his friend to get some of it.
Not one word was spoken - he just stood there with a sheepish grin while his friend got a piece for both of them. With great difficulty he grunted out a "thank you" and went away grinning.
And now everytime he passes by my cubicle he smiles this like we share a secret all it took was a piece of cake! ;)
PS: originally published on sulekha weblogs
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Recipes
ok - as per Jelly's request here is a recipe to the common green chutney and by that i mean the dyed in the wool south indian chutney - don't come looking for the northy types - imli chutney etc!
Green Chutney
Grated coconut - say abt one fistful if frozen - or grate half a fresh coconut.
1 tbsp - channa (the yellow kins with which besan is made)
Cilantro - few stalks
Green chillies (extra hot kind) - 6
Ginger - 1 inch piece (optional)
Tamarind - 1tsp (if paste)
salt to taste - can add later also - so easy with that.
Put all ingredients in Blender/Processor and puree & voila you are done. You can season it with a few mustard n cumin seeds and red chillies spluttered in oil. You can also add urad dal and channa dal to the seasoning (also called tadka, waghar, or woggarNe in other languages)
Coming Soon...... Red Chutney
Green Chutney
Grated coconut - say abt one fistful if frozen - or grate half a fresh coconut.
1 tbsp - channa (the yellow kins with which besan is made)
Cilantro - few stalks
Green chillies (extra hot kind) - 6
Ginger - 1 inch piece (optional)
Tamarind - 1tsp (if paste)
salt to taste - can add later also - so easy with that.
Put all ingredients in Blender/Processor and puree & voila you are done. You can season it with a few mustard n cumin seeds and red chillies spluttered in oil. You can also add urad dal and channa dal to the seasoning (also called tadka, waghar, or woggarNe in other languages)
Coming Soon...... Red Chutney
Shayri...... in progress
hello there,
am just using this as scribble space for now ... will add or modify as and when things progress, with my poetry i.e.!
Adding some previous stuff here:
The perputual pathos of siggy's poems inspired me to write this sher
please add to it if it inspires u 2!!!!!!! i mean my sher not siggy's poems
:)
haal-e-dil ka izhaar kar bhi na sake
tum se bichadke mar bhi na sake
jaam-e-zindagi pee bhi na sake
dard-e-dil magar chupa bhi na sake
tum hamare na ho sake
aur hum kisi ke na ho sake
the creative comments on this on from sulekha are worth backing up as well i think, so here they are:
zindagi ki kitaab mein tum ek harf ho ik kone mein
Mein ik harf hoon ik kone mein
Chaaha behad magar hum milke ek lafz na ban sake
from mez_charu
Kshitij bas nazron ke saamne dikhayi di
Paas gayi to door nikalti gayi
Bas jahan khadi rahoon
Vahi se apalak niharthi rahoon
Par na koi gila, na koi shikva
Jo bhi mila bahut hai
Mutthi bhar yaadon ko
Hatheli mein sametkar
Bitaaoongi umr baaki-
from dear ardra_vamsi
am just using this as scribble space for now ... will add or modify as and when things progress, with my poetry i.e.!
Kaun hai woh jo mere khayalo me hamesha rehta hai
Kaun hai woh jo mere zehen me gharonda kiye baitha hai
Kaun hai woh jise mai bhula nahi paati
Kaun hai woh jise shaayad meri yaad bhi nahi aati
Guzre kayi din tere intezaar me
Likhe kayi nazm dil-e-bekaraar ne
Arzoo teri dil se mita nahi paye
Lekin ab tak tum kahi nazar bhi na aaye
Ek umr guzar gayi dil se baate kiye
Ek umr guzar gayi tumse baate kiye
Jab milenge tumse to kahenge kya
Agar tum na pehchano to karenge kya
*Bahut lambaa safar tay kar aaye hai
Magar iraada pakka kar aaye hai
Jo tumse na kahenge haal-e-dil
Na milegi mohabbat ko manzil
Attempt at translation:
Who is he who is always in my thots
Who is he who has found a place in my heart
Who is he whom I cannot forget
Who is he… maybe he doesn’t even think of me?
Hav spent many days waiting for you
hav penned many poems with a (heavy?) heart
can't stop thinking of you
but where the hell are u? :-P
It’s been an eon since I spoke to my heart
It’s been an eon since I spoke to you
What will i say when i see you?
Will u recognize me for who i am?
*I have traveled far to get here
But I have made up my mind
If I will not express my feelings
My love will not find its destiny
*not too thrilled with this one! :-P
Adding some previous stuff here:
The perputual pathos of siggy's poems inspired me to write this sher
please add to it if it inspires u 2!!!!!!! i mean my sher not siggy's poems
:)
haal-e-dil ka izhaar kar bhi na sake
tum se bichadke mar bhi na sake
jaam-e-zindagi pee bhi na sake
dard-e-dil magar chupa bhi na sake
tum hamare na ho sake
aur hum kisi ke na ho sake
the creative comments on this on from sulekha are worth backing up as well i think, so here they are:
zindagi ki kitaab mein tum ek harf ho ik kone mein
Mein ik harf hoon ik kone mein
Chaaha behad magar hum milke ek lafz na ban sake
from mez_charu
Kshitij bas nazron ke saamne dikhayi di
Paas gayi to door nikalti gayi
Bas jahan khadi rahoon
Vahi se apalak niharthi rahoon
Par na koi gila, na koi shikva
Jo bhi mila bahut hai
Mutthi bhar yaadon ko
Hatheli mein sametkar
Bitaaoongi umr baaki-
from dear ardra_vamsi
Friday, November 05, 2004
Morning Walk
Morning Walk
The world seems to have transformed this morning. There is a carpet of yellow covering almost every inch of the way on my usual path. The rain has softened the leaves to a soft shawl for the earth. “Out with the ole” is the thought that crosses my mind. Nature shedding her garb to don a new one. I envy her – such lovely colors and shades – not bored a single day with what she wears is she? Not too long ago green was in, of all shades and hues. Then we had the pinks and maroons & browns and golds and all the shades in between. Like a fashion show in progress, inspiring everyone from designers to poets.
Now it has all evened out to a common yellow. I feel like drawing an analogy about how basically we are all alike underneath it all. Only until I look closely at the leaves in my path. Each one is different from the other. Size, color, texture although they are all from the same kinda trees. I am lost in my observation as a strong gust of wind whips me around and blows my similarity theory away with it.
My my! What are you trying to prove mister? We know we cannot live without u, can't describe you much without seeing you can I? Let go of my scarf now will you.
Instinctively I brace myself against the headlong gust of wind and look up into the skies.
I am blinded by the clear brilliant blue. Just a few tufts of white cotton floating around to break up the blue. Maybe, that is a palette more colorful than the landscape around. Every time I look up I find a different shade displayed. Making me wonder how I would look in a dress that shade?
Musing thus, I pass the school grounds which are a bright green after the night showers; I soak up the clam of the street at this hour. Soon it will be transformed into the excess energy zone any school is; kids running around, playing games and making a ruckus in general.
The school guard waves a “have a good weekend” from across the street as she gets ready to hande the morning traffic. As I wave back I see no reason why it would not be.
*~*~*~*
The world seems to have transformed this morning. There is a carpet of yellow covering almost every inch of the way on my usual path. The rain has softened the leaves to a soft shawl for the earth. “Out with the ole” is the thought that crosses my mind. Nature shedding her garb to don a new one. I envy her – such lovely colors and shades – not bored a single day with what she wears is she? Not too long ago green was in, of all shades and hues. Then we had the pinks and maroons & browns and golds and all the shades in between. Like a fashion show in progress, inspiring everyone from designers to poets.
Now it has all evened out to a common yellow. I feel like drawing an analogy about how basically we are all alike underneath it all. Only until I look closely at the leaves in my path. Each one is different from the other. Size, color, texture although they are all from the same kinda trees. I am lost in my observation as a strong gust of wind whips me around and blows my similarity theory away with it.
My my! What are you trying to prove mister? We know we cannot live without u, can't describe you much without seeing you can I? Let go of my scarf now will you.
Instinctively I brace myself against the headlong gust of wind and look up into the skies.
I am blinded by the clear brilliant blue. Just a few tufts of white cotton floating around to break up the blue. Maybe, that is a palette more colorful than the landscape around. Every time I look up I find a different shade displayed. Making me wonder how I would look in a dress that shade?
Musing thus, I pass the school grounds which are a bright green after the night showers; I soak up the clam of the street at this hour. Soon it will be transformed into the excess energy zone any school is; kids running around, playing games and making a ruckus in general.
The school guard waves a “have a good weekend” from across the street as she gets ready to hande the morning traffic. As I wave back I see no reason why it would not be.
*~*~*~*
Monday, May 10, 2004
Meenaxi - A Review
Saw Meenaxi in the weekend – most people told me it was boring or incomprehensible or plain waste of time. But yet, having watched “Gajagamini” I knew what I was getting into – I had liked that also – so went ahead and watched it. Did not disappoint me at all – in fact it hit home harder than I thought possible.
I will not uphold it as a good movie anyday – if you are expecting drama and a story this is not a movie for you. It is the exploration of an idea – to me it felt like just letting my mind go on a trip of imagination.
The movie is about the struggle of an artist to write this unusually different story to capture the “ehsaas” or essence of this character in some form. The embodiment of this feeling is Meenaxi. The writer has come up against a psychological block which prevents him from concluding his stories or resolving his characters.
It is amazing to see how deeply the writer has understood the female mind. In fact his protrayal of the male mind is not as fine – it is more or less surfacial. The male character is kinda there – hanging around in the background – it is the female who is in charge of the situation – she is the one who has to make a decision! Somehow the characters do not reach resolution – there is something wanting – something lacking……in the thought flow, in the narration, in the characterization or simply in the author? The obsession with the character – the feeling that he will be able to understand it better by somehow altering the location, situation or the supporting characters is so realistic. I am sure many of us who write seriously on sulekha would be able to identify that struggle to color or flesh out a character. Personally the half dozen unfinished stories in my computer are a testament to that!!
Trying to fit into words the essence of a character is so difficult and somehow never seems to do justice to it. I could identify with that elusive search for completion – in more ways than one! It is amazing what an artist can do with feelings.
The camerawork is excellent – I guess we shud not expect anything less from Santosh Sivan!! The choreography and art direction are too bollywoody for my taste – inspite of which the cameraman had managed to make it look like one long painting flowing and merging to make a narration. I wish they had taken out half of the dialogues, given the cameraman the central idea and let him run with it. Felt like he understood the idea better than the director!
Anyways I enjoyed it like a piece of art – gave me lots to think about.
The dialogue “Zindagi ek ehsaas ki talaash hai” about summarizes the effort.
I will not uphold it as a good movie anyday – if you are expecting drama and a story this is not a movie for you. It is the exploration of an idea – to me it felt like just letting my mind go on a trip of imagination.
The movie is about the struggle of an artist to write this unusually different story to capture the “ehsaas” or essence of this character in some form. The embodiment of this feeling is Meenaxi. The writer has come up against a psychological block which prevents him from concluding his stories or resolving his characters.
It is amazing to see how deeply the writer has understood the female mind. In fact his protrayal of the male mind is not as fine – it is more or less surfacial. The male character is kinda there – hanging around in the background – it is the female who is in charge of the situation – she is the one who has to make a decision! Somehow the characters do not reach resolution – there is something wanting – something lacking……in the thought flow, in the narration, in the characterization or simply in the author? The obsession with the character – the feeling that he will be able to understand it better by somehow altering the location, situation or the supporting characters is so realistic. I am sure many of us who write seriously on sulekha would be able to identify that struggle to color or flesh out a character. Personally the half dozen unfinished stories in my computer are a testament to that!!
Trying to fit into words the essence of a character is so difficult and somehow never seems to do justice to it. I could identify with that elusive search for completion – in more ways than one! It is amazing what an artist can do with feelings.
The camerawork is excellent – I guess we shud not expect anything less from Santosh Sivan!! The choreography and art direction are too bollywoody for my taste – inspite of which the cameraman had managed to make it look like one long painting flowing and merging to make a narration. I wish they had taken out half of the dialogues, given the cameraman the central idea and let him run with it. Felt like he understood the idea better than the director!
Anyways I enjoyed it like a piece of art – gave me lots to think about.
The dialogue “Zindagi ek ehsaas ki talaash hai” about summarizes the effort.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Wanted Ad
A friend of mine fwded this to me the other day, purely for the entertainment value of it.I was awestruck by it to say the least. I really don't want to make fun of it - but just an example for examples sake :)
Now please don't launch into a girl bashing frenzy!
My only question after reading it was - is this for real??
Personal Details:
25, single, never married, hindu male from UP, INDIA
Family Details:
father business, mother house. one sister - married.
About Myself:
I believe in dreams, dreams which are birthed by God which will not fade away. My passion is for missions. I am looking for a girl who loves the lord passionately. I am presently woking as a private doctor in India. So if you are a girl, give me a shout.
I am MBBS from good college. I am very much interested in going US and settling there. I want to marry good looking, nice indian girl who knows indian tradition, settled in US - girls with green card preferred.
Only serious people respond to this. if you do not send picture with first e-mail i will think you are not interested. please also send date and time of birth - for horascope matching.
Thank you and best of luck for your search.
and the best part is the id: something on the lines of Lover_Boy or loveboat or something!
DISCLAIMER: Describes no one I know or u know! No offence intended to any sect, section or cadre of society in India or USA, male or female! everything modified to protect reality! ;)
Now please don't launch into a girl bashing frenzy!
My only question after reading it was - is this for real??
Personal Details:
25, single, never married, hindu male from UP, INDIA
Family Details:
father business, mother house. one sister - married.
About Myself:
I believe in dreams, dreams which are birthed by God which will not fade away. My passion is for missions. I am looking for a girl who loves the lord passionately. I am presently woking as a private doctor in India. So if you are a girl, give me a shout.
I am MBBS from good college. I am very much interested in going US and settling there. I want to marry good looking, nice indian girl who knows indian tradition, settled in US - girls with green card preferred.
Only serious people respond to this. if you do not send picture with first e-mail i will think you are not interested. please also send date and time of birth - for horascope matching.
Thank you and best of luck for your search.
and the best part is the id: something on the lines of Lover_Boy or loveboat or something!
DISCLAIMER: Describes no one I know or u know! No offence intended to any sect, section or cadre of society in India or USA, male or female! everything modified to protect reality! ;)
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Poetry in Motion
Imagine this scene...........
driving from NY to Florida......I-95 S........middle of the nite.......around 1 or 2am …… definitely after midnite!
One Black Camry, One Red RAV 4, another white SUV, another sliver/grey SUV and a couple more stragglers here and there.
All cruising down I-95 in the dead of the night! >80 mph is a foregone conclusion.....I am driving the Camry, after a few minutes of staying behind and between the SUV's I get the usual itch to have the open road in front of me.
You see I do not have a problem with staying at a certain speed limit or driving with a couple of vehicles around me but I cannot be hidden behind some vehicle! I have to get to the point where I have the open road in front of me, doesn't mean I will speed to get there but sure as hell would maneuver to get there!! ;)
Anyway this SUV person is not in the mood to lead so makes way for me. I am only too happy to lead. I set the pace to somewhere between 85 and 90 mph and for the next couple of hours our merry group cruised down from NC down all the way to Savannah! We let one another take the lead for every half hour or so and keep up the same pace.At one point it felt like a single body of metal floating down the highway!
How I wish this kind of team spirit would be prevalent in other spheres of life also! I felt like a warrior leading the way out of a tricky maze or like a lead dancer in a complicated routine!! It was absolute poetry in motion while it lasted. And like all good things kind of disintegrated after we passed Savannah (I guess my retinue had to take a break :) !) and soon I was left the way I started alone on the highway to the Atlantic!
I wish there was a way to bid them all farewell and Godspeed and thank them for the silent company on a dark deserted highway.
So this blog is dedicated to all of those co drivers on I-95 that nite.
driving from NY to Florida......I-95 S........middle of the nite.......around 1 or 2am …… definitely after midnite!
One Black Camry, One Red RAV 4, another white SUV, another sliver/grey SUV and a couple more stragglers here and there.
All cruising down I-95 in the dead of the night! >80 mph is a foregone conclusion.....I am driving the Camry, after a few minutes of staying behind and between the SUV's I get the usual itch to have the open road in front of me.
You see I do not have a problem with staying at a certain speed limit or driving with a couple of vehicles around me but I cannot be hidden behind some vehicle! I have to get to the point where I have the open road in front of me, doesn't mean I will speed to get there but sure as hell would maneuver to get there!! ;)
Anyway this SUV person is not in the mood to lead so makes way for me. I am only too happy to lead. I set the pace to somewhere between 85 and 90 mph and for the next couple of hours our merry group cruised down from NC down all the way to Savannah! We let one another take the lead for every half hour or so and keep up the same pace.At one point it felt like a single body of metal floating down the highway!
How I wish this kind of team spirit would be prevalent in other spheres of life also! I felt like a warrior leading the way out of a tricky maze or like a lead dancer in a complicated routine!! It was absolute poetry in motion while it lasted. And like all good things kind of disintegrated after we passed Savannah (I guess my retinue had to take a break :) !) and soon I was left the way I started alone on the highway to the Atlantic!
I wish there was a way to bid them all farewell and Godspeed and thank them for the silent company on a dark deserted highway.
So this blog is dedicated to all of those co drivers on I-95 that nite.
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