Embracing a new decade..with relish..

Great wishes..... Calls from people who care mails from friends who care.. Shub thanks for the wishes.. a close friend who is baking me a cake as a gift for my birthday and making her best chocolates.. a long distance call from another close pal... a quiet dinner planned...at a special place,... want to try something new today.. a day that is going pretty well I must say... Josh thanks for singing the wish to me.... LOLOL Naba... it was great talking to you ... it is this day that you really know how many actually care about you... and what you mean to them... Neels a special thanks to you for the sweet post that you put up... you rock gal.. Aqua.. thanks for remembering... I forget too.. you know... LOLOL Ronj ... thanks for waking so early and wishing me... hugss to Dhriti... and all my blogger friends who wished me.... thanks sooooo much for the wishes..... the day is rocking... Rocks.... you make my life worth living each year.... thanks for that... ****************************** Had a great lunch with a great friend... tripped on Cosmopolitian and a Martini.. and Mixed Grill Steak at Millers and great company... Distributed a rum chocolate mocha cake to friends... was a big hit.. thanks Susan.. you are a doll.. Ending my day with another long distance call from my brother posted in Kufwara near Srinagar.. says its snowing there... thanks for calling me Tushar... you make me very proud... ******************************* GAAAH am I being maudlin... welll today I am allowed to be that arent I ?? YIPEEEEE !!! TODAY MUH BUDDAY... TODAY MUH DAY.. DUM DEE DUM... TA DUM ....

Weekend that was

Was in a sneezing mode whole weekend so could not do much except for laze around and move like a sloth. My brain is full of cotton or so it seems .... The only positive thing was that I could finish my pending books yipeee.. got more books to read.... Got my BSNL connection which I had given up and now for the broadband all thanks to my office.. who have kindly arranged for this.. Was too lazy and determined otherwise to get work or anything online home.. now it seems I have no choice...... Watched Dhoom in this sloth like mood with my brains addled with slow motion version of daily life...... Actually liked the movie but found strong impressions of lot of movies such as Fast and the Furious, Mission Impossible, Matrix.. but it was well made.. compared to other copies that they have done. Loved watching Lion King too.. I loveeeee Simba, Pumba and Timone... Hakuna Matata Also watched Jo Bole So Nehal� dont know what the bomb blast and hullaballo was all about.. its just another stupid movie where Sunny Deol just keeps screaming in your ear� EEEYYYIKESS� he takes the myth of a sardar a little to far.. My input� STAY AWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY ............ This movie was definitely not losing lives over� ***************************************** A scene that I remember� Girl trying to patao Nehal Singh � in skimpy clothes.. finally kisses his hairy mouth� and then Nehal Singh.. turns and does a good impression of a gorrilla� GRUNTING� GRUNT GRUNT � until he takes her to bed� ........ hahah LMAO ........ which man in their true senses� GRUNTS just after a simple kiss.. ok GRUNT is not the word.. HRRRRMPP� GRRRRMPPP� is the exact word.. and add to that.. BIG BIG EYES�.... DAZED like in a trance.. walks like a zombie to get his girl� I think they got over inspired by B-Grade horror movies...... I was rolling in laughter.. Good heavens Hindi films are redefining romance scenes.. they need to read Mills and Boons.. I think to get ideas.. SIGH� .... PS: I am sorry if this offends you but I had to write it down� ***************************************** F1 Tamasha It was pure fluke that Alonso could get through at the top though you cannot blame him for trying really hard. He was waylaid at the start of the race which was pretty much a mess.. I felt really sad for Raikkonen who lost the race at the last but one lap.. because of his handling of the car which could not take anymore of the jerks and vibration and there was this major suspension failure� which resulted in a major crash SIGH� he got away with minor scratches and a huge damage to his car and his position�.. he needs to cool down methinks.. he looks like ice but has fire inside him� lethal combination� Sometimes it pays to drive like Schumacher.. he handles the car like a baby� I think Alonso is trying to be just like him.. I was jubilant at seeing Barrichello on the podium after such a long time.. He says Ferrari guys have been trying to improve their car and their tyres for the past three races and they saw good resut in yesterday�s race.. Good for them.. Micheal was pretty decent yesterday� if Ferrari can make a comeback now, it will prove their strength and resilience... ************************* Not a good idea to have someone stay over who is loath to do anything but sit in one place� brrr�.. had to literally tell him to go and book his tickets back home.. instead of just couch potatoeing.. bad idea to have a tiff with your spouse and go and skulk at a friends house miles away without doing much... poor thing.. but well I somehow never could identify with self pity and I-will-do-nothing-about-it-but-sit attitude. ............ I have started using this cool tool called Blogjet� to blog.. maybe you could try it.. its easy to post here.. since you will not lose your posts and all that� I am still evaluating this software.. will let you know more about it later... Tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY .. yipeeeeeee��������� dhin chak dhin chak� I dont know why but I still get all so excited when my birthday comes by� planning to go to a special place this time.. no partying just a quiet dinner..since we are still in mourning... but all the same.. its my birthday�

Vodkayaha !!

The other we decided that we would splurge some dough on something just for the heck of it ... We decided impulsively that it would be on the esteemed Absolut Peppar. I must tell you that this is one hell of a vodka though I am yet to get used to its peppery taste.. Here are some of the vodkas that I liked and I reccommend Vodka lovers to try Eristoff Clear Vodka ( this is the vodka I wooed my to be husband with buhahahah ) The superior class of clear Eristoff Vodka porduced from highest quality products. These have a neutral taste wchich is obtained from the finest rye. Eristoff Vodka has obtained its high standard at taste and aroma from a 19th century recipe of Mikolaj Aleksandrowicz Eristoff and the unique multiple filtration wchich ends with a final filtration on coal. The Eristoff Vodka is not just a superior vodka but also has a unique, distinctive bottle. This characteristic is appriopriate to the product and reflects the quality of princes and kings. Produced on the Bacardi Martini Licence Poland. Alcohol Level: 40% alc/vol (80 Proof) Available Sizes: 700ml Country of Origin: United States Producer: Bacardi Website: www.borninteractive.com/cybermixes/eristoff/ Danzka ( one of my all time favorites ) DANZKA� Vodka is a traditional product in packaging that is far from traditional. With its distinctive aluminium bottle, DANZKA� Vodka is very visible and differs significantly from other vodkas in their normal glass bottles. Alcohol Level: 40% alc/vol (80 Proof) Available Sizes: 50ml, 750ml Distilled From: Wheat Country of Origin: Denmark Producer: Danisco Distillers This vodka is so smooth it gives a new meaning to satin ;) Smirnoff Vodka 100 proof 1.0L Smirnoff Blue, made by the unique Smirnoff distillation process, is distilled to a higher ABV/proof than Smirnoff vodka. Nothing else tastes smoother than Smirnoff. Crafted from the finest grain and filtered in a unique charcoal process. I liked this better than Red Smirnoff any day... Skyy Vodka SKYY Quality. SKYY pioneered the multiple distillation and triple filtration process in 1992. A four-column distillation process distills SKYY Vodka at several precisely controlled temperatures, each removing specific impurities (congeners). Next the distilled vodka passes through 3 filters; charcoal, rough cellulose and fine cellulose to remove remaining impurities. Finally each batch is checked to ensure high purity levels and a smooth clean taste. Alcohol Level: 40% alc/vol (80 Proof) Available Sizes: 50ml, 750ml Distilled From: Grain Country of Origin: United States Producer: Skyy Spirits Website: www.skyy.com ( their website is quite cool) Absolut Peppar Vodka Absolut Peppar is a common vodka containing a complex taste of green jalapeno peppers and fiery capsicum spices like paprika and chili. Alcohol Level: 40% alc/vol (80 Proof) Available Sizes: 50ml, 750ml Distilled From: Grain Country of Origin: Sweden Producer: V&S Vin & Sprit Website: www.absolut.com ___________________________________________________ Cocktails I would like to have... Salt and Pepper Martini recipe 1/8 oz vermouth 2 oz Absolut� Peppar vodka Combine vermouth and absolut peppar in a mixing glass over ice. Stir, strain into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass, and serve. The Absolut Cosmo - 2 parts Absolut Kurant - 1 part cranberry juice - 1 part orange liqueur - 2 teaspoons of lime juice - 1 lime wedge for garnish - 1 small wreath of dried cranberries Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until cold and strain into martini glass. Garnish with lime and cranberries. Key Lime Martini - 2 parts Malibu Coconut Rum - 2 parts Stoli Vanil Vodka (vanilla flavored vodka) - 1 part lime juice Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, and strain into martini glass. SEA BREEZE Ingredients: - 2 oz Vodka - 3 oz Cranberry Juice - 2 oz Grapefruit Juice - Garnish: Lime Wedge - Glassware: Highball Glass Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with lime wedge. VODKA SWIZZLE Ingredients: - 2 oz Vodka - 2 oz Lime Juice - 2 - 3 oz Club Soda - 1 tsp Superfine Sugar - 2 dashes Bitters Glassware: Old-Fashioned Glass Mix gin, lime juice, and bitters in a shaker with ice. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over crushed ice and stir. Serve with a swizzle stick SILVER SUNSET Ingredients: - 1 oz Vodka - 2 oz Orange Juice - 1/2 oz Apricot Brandy - 1 oz Campari - 1/2 oz Lemon Juice - Egg White - Garnish: Cherry, Orange Slice - Glassware: Cocktail Glass Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wedge. MADRAS ( did you know there was cocktail named Madras) Ingredients: - 2 oz Vodka - 2 oz Orange Juice - 2 oz Cranberry Juice - Glassware: Highball Glass Mix all the ingredients in a cocktail glass highball glass.

Are you a Buddha ? Wish it was as simple as this

In Tokyo in the Meiji era there lived two prominent teachers of opposite characteristics. One, Unsho, an instructor in Shingon, kept Buddha's precepts scrupulously. He never drank intoxicants, nor did he eat after eleven o'clock in the morning. The other teacher, Tanzan, a professor of philosophy at the Imperial University, never observed the precepts. When he felt like eating, he ate, and when he felt like sleeping in the daytime, he slept. One day Unsho visited Tanzan, who was drinking wine at the time, not even a drop of which is supposed to touch the tongue of a Buddhist. "Hello, brother," Tanzan greeted him. "Won't you have a drink?" "I never drink!" exclaimed Unsho solemnly. "One who does not drink is not even human," said Tanzan. "Do you mean to call me inhuman just because I do not indulge in intoxicating liquids!" exclaimed Unsho in anger. "Then if I am not human, what am I?" "A Buddha," answered Tanzan. Courtesy 101 Zen Stories *************************************************** And life was as simple as that... once upon a time .... not so long ago

Hailstorms and then some

Just another stormy Monday Monday evening was one heck of an evening in Bangalore. I have ridden in the middle of strong windy storms before in Bangalore but Monday evening was a different weather altogether... Winds of speed 90kmph throwing in trees and twigs and branches all over... I was driving through Cubbon road when I could hear all sounds of cling clang... boom crash... on my roof and the spooky sound of angry wind... Picked hubby up and got caught in one of the worst storms ever... it was raining hail.. and trees were falling like puppets all around. Many avoided the trees falling on their roof.. some got out and decently removed the branches. It seemed that the trees were taking revenge on the human population the way it was crashing one after the other specially the weak branches ... we could do nothing but sit tight as the storm passed us over... typically as is with Bangalore weather.. after wreaking havoc, it was clear... when we reached home.... much ado about nothing... not so... *********************************************** Star Wars : The Revenge of the Sith A culmination of the cult movie and it was a good watch I must say. Great graphics... fast storyline.. sometimes a little to fast... Now we can all rest in peace that the story is completed... The animation version is much better than the movie version methinks. ******************************************* Waqt : A time for peanuts... If you ever want to feel like being in a washing machine.. this is the movie to watch... SIGH It will wring you dry of your senses... Emotional cry baby stories are passe now ... why dont they come up with something new ?? ***************************************** Bangalore Railway Station Parking I was amazed at the way the parking guys manipulate the parked cars by just pushing the front wheel with their hand. They were kind of playing chess it seemed with the parked cars as we waited for the parking space to clear. Guiness Books where are you ? You must check this out to believe it !! Sheer strength or just the right amount of pressure ?? *********************************** Shell Petrol Bunk in Lavelle Road Friends with cars and bikes.... diesel or petrol must try this Shell bunk. They provide awesome service and your car will never feel the same again... I highly recommend this place.. ********************************** F1 scene....times are a-changing Ferrari and Bridgestone defintely does not do it this time.. Michael seems to be losing his cool .. and Ralph of all people is commenting on his temper... irony of ironies... Ra Ra Raikkonen... we are rooting for you... I am glad that he is doing very well.. I also wish that Ferrari comes up with something fast so that they at least have a saving grace.. I am glad in other respects that the rest of the gang is getting their shoot at the podium. Now the competition seems fair and square... Blow me white blow me blue... I dont want a red no more....

I really have to.... WAACK it out

This is slowly getting on to my nerves... i really dont know what to do... I have this friend who I like a lot.. but I also realise that her way of looking at life is quite different,... well thats why I like her... She was paranoid about not becoming a mama... I was always there ... encouraging her that well becoming a mama sometimes is not just wham bam and thank you mam... when you really want it ... LOL... and so on days went... After months of deliberation she is on the way to become a mama... Just when I thought that this was a great time and obviously I was very happy for her... she has elevated herself to another level of paranoia .... this time it was me... Everytime I try and chat or talk with her... she keeps pestering me with the same questions over and over again... Why are you not yet a mama ? When are you going to be one ? Dont waste time... ( nodding her head) its dangerous you see ? Something wrong with you.. you must go to the doc... GRRRRR... Till date I have had some 10 conversations with her and each time she sings the same old song.. I am frankly getting really pissed... to such an extent that I am praying that her kid pops out soon and keeps her so busy that my reproductive system will be out of her mind.... Why of why cant she be happy that she is carrying a child and let me be !!! Well first of all its personal... and second... this thing is unnatural.... I have tried being diplomatic to her but she does not seem to stop... SIGH I had heard about friends being pestered by their married friends to get married so that they also enjoy marital bliss..... Its sad to say but this attitude of hers is really making me run a mile from her... She is bent on dissecting my reproductive system... just because well... ( I am stumped) BRRRRR... I am really feeling like a dizzball.. and I hate the fact that this friend does not seem to know when to stop... there is something like backing off when the other does not want you to intrude... even if she thinks that its in the name of concern.... where did all the funny hours we spent over coffee go ? its times like this ,... I hate the concept of so called close friends who think they know more about you than yourself.... SIGH ... I just finished cutting off a conversation with her going through the same lane of thought,.... and though I am usually great with being straight and all.. I cannot for the life of me be rude to her... and tell her to stop prying... EGAD... the penury of being close..... when did it become so complicated..... Avoidance is bliss... now ... so it shall be ....

Trek trek trek... and phussssssssss :)

Trekking through the tea gardens, originally uploaded by Jilmil.

Walking through the mountains is an exhilirating feeling Crickets can be very spooky Sleeplessness does not do very well for trekking You can see some of the most beautiful flowers in Ooty Kotagiri is another beautiful place you must go if you are interested in trekking Good company always makes up for almost anything Great to be in a new group who are as freaky minded as the rest of us. Animals are always a great time pass event at 2AM in the morning Missed Satriani but dont have any regrets... after the wonderful trek... Its a scary experience to sit in a bus with a sleeping driver who is driving with his eyes closed. The Nilgiris is one of the best parts of South India... Surly drivers make surly companions... even though the ice is broken... Pykara Falls is nothing great... but it has great beauty around it.. Sick jokes can actually entertain us on the highway... my head in going ping pong .. with the ping pong joke :) EGAD I learnt various ways to kill an elephant ... through a joke.. buhahahaha Great to know the Kool Trekkers.... looking forward to another trek soon .... PS: will come back with the new template... till then its back to old one ... :)

Ta daaaa....

And here I am again with another new look.... Need to fine tune it... will do it later... Weekend is here and the hills beckons again... Going for a trekking trail this time... to OOTY - Porthimund... Details ... as soon as I am back.... Till then have a great weekend folks...

A long but not so lost friend...

PS: This is a long story so please go ahead with your own time and risk... :) .. its close to my heart and it shows how a soul can survive inspite of all odds... yet another victory... to life.. This is a story about a friend who is very dear to me and with whom I have so much history that shaped our lives... Early 1970's . Not so long ago... in a small town lived this generation of kids who were born somewhere during the time when the concept of flower child was not totally faded out but it had reached its point and when technology was just arriving into this sphere.. Shillong was the name of the place and life as usual comprised of simple things as eating sleeping and chilly wiinters... and lots of warmth in the family... it is a small town where everybody knows everybody else and any little incidence is news for all. Houses were built.. with great hopes and dreams... near the workplace which would help the families manage their home and work well.. neighborhoods were formed on hills... One such neiighborhood was Jils and one was of Deeps.. Though it was two hills but the houses were placed in such a way that the road which connected the two mounds of earth was just 15 minutes walk from each other and thats the time it took for Jil and Deeps to reach each other... but things were pretty obscure since the kids were still dependent on parents for socialising.. Typically the parents worked in the same office so there was a lot of interaction on and off but the kids never bothered to find out where they lived... as age set in and the the education educated the kids.... they became friends... since they happened to study in the same class and in the same school... what a convenient coincidence for the parents... when they found out... Standard 1, 1981. Jil was as usual a stumbling impulsive kid making lot of gaffes and faux pax and always wanting to get away with naughty stuff. A chatterbox the teacher named her yet she seemed to have an OK impression on the teachers since she would keep her grades high. In fact she would top the class. Deeps on the other hand was quiet and shy with a very pretty smile and really always striving to get the better of Jil. She would top the class when Jil wouldnt. Fiercely competitive and not bothered to hide it... She could never comprehend how Jil managed to get better marks than her sometimes.. sometimes Deeps would get ahead but that did not matter to Jil since there was always a next time... but it did hurt when Deeps would come and show Jil her marks... far be it from Jil to show this,.... in fact Jil did not care either ways as long as her parents were happy and she was happy.. bull for competition... it was always a matter of going forward... Competition always bored Jil and she did not give it much thought... Deeps on the other hand...kept every milestone as a memoir or so it seemed since she would always remind Jil of how less than her Jil got she got or how much more Jil got... and they would always be behind each other every now and then in the ranks.. and it would change every time.. but they would be neck to neck with the marks... Fast forward to Standard VIII, 1988. By now it was predictable seeing Deeps' reaction to results and it was a standing joke with all ... how she would get disturbed if she got less than Jil in maths. Maths, English and Science was Jil's forte and if I remember correctly Geography, and some other subjects were Deeps' forte where she always managed to score more.. Maths was something which always kept fluctuating sometimes she was better sometimes Jil was... She had a tutor in her sister so she would score higher sometimes... By this time the teachers also would have fun putting Jil and Deeps as adverseries ... something fun for them to gossip about.. By now a group had been formed and Jil and Deeps were in the same hang out group. The group had fun... doing all sorts of things and Jil and Deeps realised that they could be good friends if this feeling of competition was knocked off.. Jil thought.. oh well it was Deeps who started it and she should ignore it... by now Jil too got in the game and started organising her stuff.. Deeps was thrilled to have Jil reacting at last... and well now the game was getting warmer.. Standard IX, 1989. Jil and Deeps respect each other and start accepting that one is equal to the other.. albeit reluctantly.. but I am sure Deeps thought that she was better than Jil always. Anyways... this was the time.. the basis of friendships started to form.. and Jil and Deeps were in their teens already realising that hypocrisy was not going to solve stuff. and they were both straight talkers and thats why they acknowledged each other as friends... Life was cool.. They were also living and breathing Pink Floyd.. Standard X 1990. thoughts are flying asunder... hormones kicking majorly and Jil and Deeps are right in the middle of it. Jil always being a tomboy never thought that spending time ogling at the boys was something useful but she did enjoy doingit with her friends... what the heck.. Jil has a crush on the cutest boy who lives near her school... and her heart goes flip flop.. she has been swooning for this hunk from STD VIII but all secretly ... Jil also knows that she will never have the guts to go and speak to this guy.. but it was heart stopping fun just to see this guy... Jil and Deeps have fun sharing what if secrets with each other... they were growing girls who need to talk a lot... and the best was that they were very much like each other... brash... boisterous... totally freakky... totally cool...without any inhibitions.... It was very convenient that their houses are15 mins walk from each other and one good way of spending time is that they can communicate through sign language from their balconies. Jil's balcony had uninterrupted view of Deeps' house entrance and terrace... and vice versa... The introduction of telephone took communication to one more level... and this time ... Jil and Deeps would be cooped up in their respective rooms discussing general stuff... and yes more importantly their imaginary love lives, music, movies, etc. Deeps tells Jil that she is nothing ... has no qualities when compared to her sister.. who was some two years older and was excellent in studies....her parents always compared Deeps to her sister... and well made her a underconfident wreck from inside without realising it... Jil is of the opinion that Deeps was a much better soul... in all her bias and told her so... Little did she realise that this sibling comparison was slowly eating away at her soul...Jil now understands why Deeps always wanted to be better than her. It was like scoring with someone else what she could not score at home.. which made sad but perfect sense... Deeps by now undergoes a major change by falling in love with her tenant who lived below her house. He is a younger boy but Deeps does not care though Jil raises her yet undefined eyebrows... Deeps, a true Scorpio goes ahead in this relationship with the full trust of a confused teenage adult whereas Jil is a little cautious.. advising her to take it slow. Jil instinctively senses that this is not how it was supposed to be since the boy is not at all what suited Deeps but she keeps quiet.. what would she know about all this... but....Deeps becomes a new and confident person when with Sanjay without the shadow of her sibling. She flowers under his attention .. .and she is more gregarious then ever.. Jil is happy to see Deeps bloom... Deeps' life now revolves around Sanjay... this dude who according to Jil was invisible. As the seasons fly past.. the peer pressure is getting high and studies become the main focus.. early morning to late evening would be spent in homeworks and assignments... and tutions.. the only relief would be school time... where all would joke around... and share their dreams. Jil has her world which comprises of being a school prefect, more friends, management of juniors, etc Deeps quietly slips off into her own hazy but happy world of knowing a guy.. in all her innocence.. .Jil sees this and is gentle with her even when some make fun of her. Jil by now counts her as one of her very good friends. Evenings are spent in walking that little road... discussing about how best to do what.. parents come to know and Deeps is ready to fight for her boy.. with nothing but pride in her hand... Jil stalls her .. and talks to her.. more walks are taken in the cold chilly air between our houses with our folks watching out for us from that balcony.. Deeps is frantic,... Sanjay is bowing under pressure and he seems to be trapped... but does not want to leave either... they change houses... Deeps is desperate.. more walks are taken.... this time Deeps almost goes over the bend... studies... love life competition and living up to her sibling's standard was more than she could take it... but she fights back.. Jil is there by her.... not knowing what to do yet.. trying to make her find a balance in this situation...but Jil sadly knows that the breaking point is so near and hopes against hope that Deeps regains herself soon and not give in... November 1989. Winter sets in and studies are in frenzy. To top it all insurgencies start and Shillong is no longer a safe place. We have stray incidences of crime which are getting more frequent day by day. As if in tune with the time.. Deeps falls ill with Typhoid and she is serious... Jil rushes to see her but knows she will recover at her own pace.. all the pressure is taking a toll on her. When she recovers, she loses more than her hair which is normal. She loses some memory and her grasp of learning. This is not visible. March 1990: It is exam time ...one of the most important exams in our life.. the first big exam and it is just few days away.. everyone is studying hard.. revising all that was learnt through the year... Deeps is still recovering and somehow once they manage to have their evening walk together.. Jil sees that Deeps is talking nonsense.. there was no link to what she was saying but Jil comes to know that Sanjay has left her when she was sick. This drives Deeps over the bend and is the last straw, Her psyche flips over slowly and she undergoes a total personality change.. from the shy demure Deeps to an angry kid who lets out all the abuses that she can for her parents, her boyfriend. .... Jil is bewildered and scared to see her like this and tries to talk to her but Deeps snaps at her and tells her to keep quiet. Deeps tells Jil that she is hearing voices in her head and she feels that she has no control over her emotions.. Jil's heart sinks lower... she tries to get the focus back on studies and tells her that they will deal with this after the exam... Deeps is not convinced.. she is on her own trip but she agrees to go back to her studies... Exam begins. The next morning is History paper... where we have to do lot of cramming... Jil is busy mugging her dates... Napoleon, Qutub-ud-in Aibak, Mohammad Bin Tughlaq. Bahadur Shah Zafar, Aurangzeb, Harrapa and Mohen jo daro civilisation, stone age.... etc etc... Suddenly as the dusk is about to fall, the phone rings... Jil feels disturbed by lets her dad answer it. Dad is looking at Jil with serious and Dont-do-this-eyes. Jil nods and tells him to make some excuse. Dad gladly does.. not telling Jil who it is. After sometime the phone again rings.. persistently.. this time.. Dad the good human being that he is cannot avoid anymore and summons Jil to answer the phone... Jil takes the call and hears a desperate mother appealing for help... Deeps is in trouble.. and is asking only for Jil... She is going mad throwing things and is asking for Jil... she would only listen to Jil... Jil is in a dilemma. But she agrees without hesitation assuring the mother that she was on her way. Jil's parents warn her of dire consequences and reprimands her... but she beeseches them to let her go... She knows that Deeps needed her.. and Jil will be there no matter what.. Jil runs with her fast beating heart towards Deeps' house and those 20 minutes seem 20 hours.and Jil wishes she had wings. Finally Jil reaches Deeps' house.. and sees that the whole house is in shambles.. Deeps obviously has had a panic attack and she loses her bearings and went about in an abusing spree.... Jil goes and hugs her trembling body and soothes her... requesting her parents to go out of the room. Jil asks her quietly when Deeps sobers down looking out of the window.. what was the matter... Deeps hugs Jil back tightly and a tiny trembling voice very unlike Deeps pipes in... " I am not able to recollect anything" ... Jil is astounded... and helpless.. How ?? Deeps says again that her memory is like a blurred slate and she cannot remember any details of the History subject. Even Maths was an effort for her... She showed me that she could not hold her pen straight.. The writing over which she had earned so much praise was just thin thread lines... without forming a letter... or an alphabet.. Jil does not know what to do.. she is overcome and slowly tears roll down Jil's cheeks and Deeps knows and Jil also knows that there was nothing they could do but submit to fate. Deeps cries harder at the unimaginable loss. Jil cries for her friend... and at the total tragedy of the whole situation feeling so helpless. They sit like that for some time... till Jil tells her to take a break and give the exam again next year. It was obvious that she could not sit for them. Deeps shivers harder at this and tears of pure pain and frustration beats at her. This day before the history exam will remain in Jil's memory till her memory dies...Jil will never understand how one can lose total control and what a painful situation one can be when one sees a perfectly normal soul go slowly and painfully lost.. in the depths of her confusion... Jil finds it difficult to comprehend with her teenage brain how such a silly situation could lead to such a serious siituation. For a girl who was well known for her good marks, it was a fluke of fate that everything be taken away from her... after bringing her to the end of the goal but thats the way it was. That was the last Jil saw any sign of the coherent and brillant Deeps. Exams come and go. Deeps sits through it all never writing anything in the paper.. she comes every exam day.. sits through the exam and go back... all quiet.. it was as if she was trying to fight her inner demons but not succeeding,.... Jil sees Deeps moving further and further away from her and she cannot do anything about it..Deeps clearly was one of the very few who failed and by this time Deeps becomes another person altogether... totally silent.. speaking when spoken to... not laughing much... friends try and help her... but she shuns everyone... she can no longer identify with Jil... Jil is frustrated... but she still keeps trying.. Jil cannot imagine what she has lost by losing Deeps ... Deeps goes deeper and deeper into her world and becomes a recluse... while time flies... Jil is instructed by Deeps' mother not to come by. Jil is hurt but she understands. Jil wished Deeps would call her. Deeps does not answer the phone and her parents were not helping by barring her friends from visiting her. Jil gives up reluctantly knowing that when time comes Deeps will meet Jil again as coherent friends. Meanwhile, society starts being very cruel to her. The whole town assumes that Deeps is insane. The whole town writes her off and make fun of her... Jil can only ignore the hearsay.. wishing that people werent so cruel... Jil's heart does not give up. Jil sees from a distance.. from her balcony when Deeps listlessly staring into the space... and Jil is heartbroken only praying to god to get her friend back to normal .... how she wishes that Deeps calls her for a walk.. Pre-Univ 1992. Deeps is not giving up. She has fought back... it took two years but she is fighting back... she slowly regains her writing skill... some of her spirit but is a totally different human being now. Jil meets her sometimes on the road.. longs to talk to her but Deeps who is with her mom quietly says hi and walks along.. Jil understands that Deeps that she knew is lost forever...and only a miracle would bring her back... Fast Forward.... 2003 . Deeps emails Jil about her marriage to someone. Jil is pleasantly surprised and wishes her well. But Jil knows that the guy whom she was marrying was a vagabond and a useless freak who went about womanising from his teens. But Jil thinks that people change and well teens are always a bit wild... for some and marraige was was a serious step with parents blessings. Jil is thrilled... squashing her doubts.. 2004..fairy tale ends .. . Jil gets an email from Deeps .. saying that she is filing for divorce since the man concerned already was married and he played a game all along. Jil is shocked and hates at being right. Deeps asks Jil for evidence.. but what good will just words do ? Hard core evidence was what they were looking for... As usual.. the man escapes.. by pleading insanity in wife... there the dark past comes calling back to Deeps .. and Jil can imagine what she might be going through again pained at her loss.. All through the year Deeps is the one this time who corresponds over email.. Jil invites Deeps for a visit to Bangalore but Deeps is reluctant... so many years have passed. What would Jil be like ? Is she still my good friend...Deeps shifts to Calcutta from Shillong and a new life begins. Jil is esctatic. Jil cannot thank God enough for Deeps... this time not asking why she had to go through this.. but grateful that Jil could see some of the old Deeps back in action. This would do for Jil. One hot summer evening in 2005. The cell rings and it says Deeps Cell. Jil eagerly picks up the phone.. to talk to her. Deeps slowly says that she might be coming to Bangalore after excitedly talking about everything but nothing.. just like the old days... Jil's joy knows no limits... Jil is mentally hugging Deeps... and telling her how much she would just love to see her and talk to her.. how much Jil would like to take a walk down memory lane and start from the moment where they left off... before life took over... Yes the news of the impending visit from Deeps is making me feel really great. She is just another normal woman now going through her normal life.. A lot of times the past should remain where it should,... in the past.. and one needs to carry on from there.. I see new hope in Deeps.. I see another long but not so lost friendship rejoice... Yes there is reality in dreaming after all... so what if it took more than a decade to reach there.... It is worth it.. Welcome back... my old friend... and a big toast to new beginnings.... I am proud of you..heres to you and me growing old together... heres to life heres to friendship.

The End

What a way to end my weekend... Well last week it was only words .. meetings and words and late nights.. which was fun.. After an exhausting session of work I am planning to get away early with the permission of my boss.. as I am ready to pack myself up... a young un comes to me with a forgotten task that I had asked his help for. He remembered and I totally forgot.. I give him the time to fix the stuff up with whatever was wrong. We had worked together and he came out to be a sweet chap ... fresh out of college and lot of dreams and enthu to work... I was feeling quite old but heck I matched his verve and talked about everything music and iPods, etc... ( ah ye! of the young world) This time he comes to finish what I had requested regarding a project. As he is working away at my laptop, he looks around and softly asks me... A : Pallavi, do you know a good hair salon for men ? Me ( looking around and seeing no one nearby ) : yes.. there are many .. why ? A: Well tell me about a good one !! I need to know... Me (quite puzzled by his insistence but willing to help) : Well you could go to this ABC salon. A: Great, now what do you think of my hair.. ( he is trying to lengthen his hair and its in that funnyt stage where all the hair seems to curl up in the wrong side). Me: Well you are in that stage where it is growing in all directions ( subduing a yawn) A: Yeah, well I have a difficult time managing my hair.. Me: Smiling and telling him that it is only a phase ( thinking to myself... good lord why am I in this conversation.. I so wanted to go home and sleep) A(After typing some more commands, he softly asks): So what do you think I should do... I was thinking of straightening my hair. Please suggest Me: Well you could do that.. ( not willing to go into something which I did not know) A: No please tell me... Me: ( now really feeling trapped) well you could straighten it ... ( and before I could finish) A: No I think I shall smoothen it. Me ( all these were new terms for me ... ) Ahem what is smoothening ? A ( goes to give me an explanation) : well what do you think? Me: I think I really am not the right person to talk to... considering I had little or no hair on my head ... A: Ok cool .. Me: maybe

does it make sense

I had decided that I would not blog about work and also found an anonymous space for my rants...so the point is that I will definitely rant without being under the eyes of the benign and cute ministering angel or the general junta.. albeit anonymously.. buhahahaa !!! ...... but I cannot help but blogging this.. here.. In a meeting where we were reviewing doc contents, it was instructed by the Senior Management again and again to remove noise words... such as Enter the, Specify the, Select the... which is normal for a standard online help. According to the feedback, we should have used neutral sentences.. well I thought that instructions to a user needs to be very implicit when talking to a user... I guess it was a question of rolling the way the ball rolls... and what they said also made sense... so "off with the noise words' head" we went.... As we were trying to form content, Josh, my team mate piped up with an analogy... we have to make a biryani without turmeric, salt, etc. We cannot comprehend documentation without actual instructions for a user..to do something and just provide an explanation for that field. But we got around to preparing this kind of biryani without the main ingredients... nothing is impossible after all. When reviewing the doc suddenly we come across a noise word.. Specify.. all 4 of us who were drilled not to use noise words piped up "no noise words" The gentleman in question pipes back... oh bull... boo boo booo there you are for noise words... this sparked off a humorous discussion on noise words.. go figure.... boo boo boo !!! is that enough noise or what... If we were not to use noise words for the sake of not repeating ourselves... what would a man drowning in the river be instructed to do to avoid shouting HELP HELP HELP... I was imagining a scenario where my purse got stolen and I shout chor chor... what would be the alternative... for this noise word... LOL or for that matter what would be a KNOCK KNOCK joke be like without noise words... Of course.. these thoughts were kept within the conference room ... and we all know that when the time comes ... we will also make a noise about the noise words... LOL Coming to a feature... which said that this was the extension of another feature... Someone... who was pretty tired and a reluctant reviewer comments... This is like : Who is Appaswamy ? Brother of Uppuswamy Related to that we had a session on sentence jokes... here are a couple which I picked and couple which we laughed about .... In an English examination paper: Write a sentence on Rendezvous. I do not know what Rendezvous means so I asked my friend what it meant. ( well that is a sentence isnt it ?? go figure LOLOL) Teacher: Give me a sentence with the word "indisposition" in it. Pupil: I always play center because I like playing in dis position. Teacher: Give me a sentence starting with the letter I. Student: Ok I is . . . . . Teacher: No,no. You do not say I is, you say I am. Student: Ok. I am the ninth letter of the alphabet. Teacher: Ronald, spell 'bet' Ronald: B-e-t-t Teacher: Take off one t. Ronald: Which one? Teacher: Please state the formula for water. Student: H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O. Teacher: Wrong Student: How can it be wrong? Yesterday you said to formula was H to O!