The SMB Phenomenon

Finally, a Trip!! I was finally travelling out of Bangalore - and we were not driving down - Yeah!! Ok.. So it was a temple visit but I am travelling out of Bangalore, na? Yeah!! Yippee!! Followed by Bing Dance. While I was busy dreaming of the journey - it has indeed been a while since we travelled by train - the Arien was trying to book tickets. We found to our horror that we may not be able to travel until Feb :O

Senior Arien decides to solve the issue by opting for Tatkal and calls an agent who wud get us the tatkal tickets. While we are in limbo - nobody can say for sure if we are travelling - I am busy sharing my sob story with a friend and he adds a new dimension to my worries - the SMB.

SMB does not stand for Small and Medium businesses - rather, it stands for Side Middle Berths. If you travel regularly by train - you must be aware that there are a total of 8 berths in a compartment. I was told that now there are 9 berths and this addition is the brainchild of Laloo Prasad Yadav - the railway minister. The 9th berth is the SMB. If you are wondering where is the space for the middle berth - some changes have been made to the existing side berths to ensure the SMB can be included to the greater inconvenience of the passengers!

You can see the badly camouflaged side middle berth that looks like an extension to the side upper berth. This kinda works if the journey involves ur falling asleep as soon as you start. If not - well, where do you sit? The side berths have split seats and so only two ppl can sit there unless you are travelling as a family or your travelling companions are open to sharing their seat with you. Don't get me wrong - most folks are sweet and nice n all that - but do you want to be at their mercy? Maybe that is too strong but I feel that for women travelling alone and senior citizens - being at the mercy of the other passengers for help in unfolding the side middle berth or for a seat - when you have paid for the seat jes like everyone else - is really too ridiculous. I did hear that railway authorities offered concessions on those berths - yet to be confirmed!

The tickets arrived and both the arien and the senior Arien spent a lot of time trying to figure out if any of us were given the smbs - which the agent assured us we were not! First of all, we were not sure if the train we were travelling on had SMBs. Second, the numbers would have changed and so both myself and the taurean felt that they were wasting their energies ;P

Whenever I travel by train, I find that I am either unusually early or running late. This time, we started an 1hr and 15 mts early and still it looked like we were going to miss the train - thanks to the amazing traffic jam at MG Road and of course, the Metro construction work. Surprisingly, we didn't miss the train thanx to our driver :D The first thing I noticed in my compartment was the presence of the SMB. Next second, I was franctically checking if any of us had that number - No!! Relief flooded all our faces - it was a sight to watch :D

When I returned from the trip, I was not too surprised that sm folks had actually started an online petition on SMBs. I have added my name - pls feel free to add yours at this site:

http://www.petitiononline.com/SN2SMB2/petition.html

Christmas 2008

Wish you all a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. A sweet Christmas Carol for you - I hope you like it :)

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New Year.

Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We want some figgy pudding
We want some figgy pudding
We want some figgy pudding
Please bring it right here!

Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
So bring it out here!

Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year.

Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

Christmas Preparations - Wednesday

Wednesday turned out to be pretty hectic. I had meetings to attend - work to complete and so I was very sure I would be unable to help out in the crib decorations. We are invited to a family get-together at a relative's place at 5 pm and I opt out. The Arien decides to represent the two of us and is all set to leave at 4:30.

When I return home on wednesday arnd 7:30 - the crib looks the same! The Arien is not at home. I am very surprised. He walks in sheepishly half an hour later - with a goody bag the relative has sweetly sent for us. I am all ready to yell - "How could you forget the Crib? Aren't we supposed to be finished with it by now?" Acting as if I had completed the decorations all by myself ytdy and all he had to do was to get the crib ready. Hehehehehe :D The Arien is totally nonchalant - full of solutions/plans - "We have loads of time - I can finish it in a few mts - I jes need to get grass - paint box - blaah blaah."

Dinner was at Dad's house and I am all set to leave and I find the Arien is intent in his painting of the walls of the Crib, a reddish brown. I agree that it looks lovely - jes like a brick wall and can we get moving when he drops his bomb - He is planning on painting the roof green!! I am unable to suppress a grimace. The Arien takes the hint and decides to accompany me to Dad's place for dinner.

Dinner happens in a rush - Dad (henceforth known as Senior Arien) and bro (Taurean) are wondering why we are late... Grrr.. Taurean has to meet up with frends and is off at the unholy 9:30 pm and the Senior Arien's only comment is "Take the key". I echo the same and the Taurean grins "I have the key but I want Dad to open the door for me" and runs off before we all clobber him :D Senior Arien is busy hiding his yawns - he must be very tired - I signal to the Arien that we must leave. We leave after the Senior Arien wishes us a Merry Christmas amidst two huge yawns.
On our ride back home - the Arien happens to chance upon hay used as packing material - stacked outside a shop that is closed for the day. He hits upon the idea of using hay in the Crib and wants to collect them in the plastic bag that we carry arnd with us. I am scandalised beyond compare and attempt to steer myself away frm such behavior. I get off the bike and walk the rest of the way. Was I hoping tht my reaction would make the Arien change his mind??? ROFL :D While I was walking all alone on an almost empty road, he was busy collecting hay for the crib. We enter home and the Arien busies himself with the Crib and we are finished by 11 p.m. I accept that the Hay has indeed made the crib look pretty real and nice.

I am wondering why we are still awake and I am angrily informed by the Arien "Baby Jesus can be placed inside the crib only at 12 - midnight. " I realize I am yet to learn the nuances of christianity as followed by his family. At midnight, baby Jesus is placed inside the Crib, candles are lit, we say a lil prayer, and soon we are dead to the world as tomorrow... I mean today - was going to be a hectic day - It was Christmas.

Merry X-mas to all you folks :)

Christmas Preparations - Tuesday

When I walked into my home on Monday - I was expecting the house to be all decorated and ready - what do I find: Firstly, the front room looks absolutely bare - none of the decorations have been put up. Secondly, Arien has jes arrived home. Thirdly, I am feeling sick. I cancel my plans for going out for dinner - Arien looks tired out as well and so after irritating him 'bout his challenge of completing everything by himself on Monday - I get some much needed sleep.

Tuesday

The maid has taken off for 3 days - starting today - Soooper Timing. Thanks to her, my mornings are a lot worse than usual, especially considering I am not an early riser. We have a meeting at 7:30 pm and so I am allowed to reach late - Thank God for small mercies :) Before you know - the day has flown past and it is time for the meeting - considering almost everybody is away on vacation - the call duration is shortest ever - 20 mts :D I am grinning ear-2-ear and I rush home, happy at the respite.

The first thing I notice, is that the door has a "Merry Christmas" tagged to it. I ring the bell, though I have the key and as the door is opened, I note the the dim lighting and all the decoration that the Arien has completed all by himself - I am feeling very proud.

He has done an amazing amount of work and is looking bone tired. I am busy staring at the decoration and I hunt for his camera and start shooting. Everything looks so lovely and cute - I feel very special - I know it has not been done for me but for Christmas - but I am feeling goody good, anyways.

The cute little balloons, bells, that are part of these decorations look cute and bright and I am soon focussing on them. I somehow feel the pictures do not capture the look and feel of the decorations but that does not stop me from shooting.
I hear the Arien, flopped on the sofa, comment that the crib is not ready yet. I ignore his comment. The foundation is ready - rather the outline or structure is ready - it will be completed later - but this was done on Tuesday, all by himself with no help frm me or anybody else. He plans to get grass to decorate the roof as Jesus was born in a stable house that was a little more than a hut - he is still wondering if he must paint the roof green - I am busy shooting pics.
I totally miss the Christmas tree - a chuntu one that is also decorated with cute little balloons, bells, Merry Christmastag, that is sitting close to the crib. I am wonderstruck that he managed to complete so much in a day and he grins "I told you - I can." I know that I cannot decorate the house in this manner in a week but I can totally appreciate anyone who can :D
I also note the Merry Christmas Wreath that is resting happily on the curtain rod. I ask the Arien if we shd put it out on the door. He disagrees as he worries it may get stolen. Hmmm... Well, allrighty :)

From Zero to Hero - our Christmas decorations have indeed changed a lot :D I wonder what it will be like tomorrow - we have but one day to complete it - knowing the Arien - I am sure it will all be done by the time - I get home. Yeah... Yippee - Yooo Yooo - followed by Bing dance :D

Oopps... forgot that I have to wash the damn dishes... Grrr.... Can I not have one totally lazy day??? Ok - Don't answer that :)

I started this post showing you how the house was bare of any Christmasy decorations on Monday evening. This is a snap taken from the same angle to show you how the house looked on Tuesday evening when I reached home.

Well, lets see what Wednesday holds for me :) Hopefully, the plan is not to dump Wednesday decorations on me :(

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year, if I don't catch you b4 that :D

Christmas Preparations - Week of Christmas - Monday

Finally, after waiting (im) patiently for Christmas - we were finally at the week of Christmas :) What I really lowe 'bout Christmas is the shopping. Considering I wasn't buying anything for myself - that is indeed surprising!

Last year we had been to Mandya to shop for cute stuff for the kiddoes - we went by bike -received royal scoldings frm most of the family junta, boring lectures on the perils of going by bike frm everybody who knew us - "Going by bike was way too adventurous - U shd have taken the bus- blaah blaaah"- and so this time, we shopped at Bangalore. Was it adventurous - well, Ob No.. unless you want to discuss driving in Bangalore or finding parking space - which cud easily be another post - but, we did have some fun.

We had planned to start decorating our home two weeks b4 Christmas. Finally, the last weekend b4 Christmas also went flying past. On Sunday evening, I initiated the Gift Wrapping session. I still recall how we spent the day before Christmas last Year. We were multi-tasking (wrapping Gifts, decorating our home, arranging the crib), we were also losing our patience and our tempers, the crib design turned out to be too complex to begin with and it was close to midnight. I did not want a repeat of that, this year. We finished Gift Wrapping by 8 p.m. I was planning to do a Bing dance and stopped myself jes in time :P
Monday morning on the week of Christmas dawned late in our home - I awoke only at 7:45 and the Arien got up at 8:15 and we realized tht home decoration was going to take up a lot of time.... and we were yet to start on that. The Arien jumped at the challenge and decided to finish the entire decoration for Christmas by himself, on Monday. I would have liked to laugh at the plan but I would probably be asked to help him out until midnight and so I said "All the Best" and left for work :D

On my way to work, a former colleague and gud frend, calls me twice in the span of an hour, and follows it up with a message that simply says "Call me" and soon I am agreeing to a dinner plan with some of my gud ole frends - all thoughts of X-mas decorations go flying out of my head :(

Can I have 1 more?

Everytime I look at a shoe store - the Arien makes me feel like Oliver Twist. His reaction is akin to Mr. Bumble's shocked exclamation "Oliver has asked for more". I, of course, feel that I have very few pairs of shoes in the first place.

Last weekend we went shopping for Christmas. I wanted to get myself two pairs for day-to-day use especially as my pair of sandals had suddenly turned squeaky... Yupp - it squeaks as I walk and is a total embarrassement to me :( Well, if I was hoping that Christmas was going to make the Arien change his mind - then I don't know the Arien at all - and so I am Oliver Twist yet again. Grrrr...

I am totally cheesed off at his reaction and decide that I need a major distraction or I was going to be cranky :P and so I pick up "Lord of Chaos" of the Wheel of Time series. I am back to my sweet and calm self after an hour of reading. I venture out of the room to see what the Arien is upto and what do I see: All the pairs of shoes that I have ever owned are placed in a neat line. As I stare at the long line - I am dumbstruck. I did not know I had so many pairs. In fact, I do not remember when and where I purchased one pair. I see the two pairs I had purchased for my wedding - one looks fab - the other looks dirty and is in need of repair. One cute pair looks enticing and I am soon wearing it, excitedly, like a child.

As I look around for the Arien - I find him at the computer watching me. I smile sheepishly. The Arien has to of course, rub it in. He wants me to wear all the shoes one by one while he takes a snap of all the shoes that I have in my possession. That way, when I say I want to buy one more - after seeing this collection - I may decide not to.

I am not too happy with this idea but I decide to go ahead with it - with one small change. I plan to wear the salwar suit that the shoe goes best with while taking the snap. The Arien is fine with the change.

What he does not know is I have quite a few salwar suits that won't have matching shoes or sandals. I can go shoe-shopping once again b'cos of his snaps. (Evil Grin :D)

Fitness and Me - Past and Present

This is one of those crazy posts where I discuss fitness and the sometimes Wah Wah! and most times Blaaah relationship that I have with it. Jes like how work does not seem like work when you are enjoying it or having fun - I feel fitness does not feel like work when you are having fun. Having said that, it takes a while for a person to identify their "Zen option for Fitness" - the first option you try out may not be the best or even the right one for you.

I have tried out quite a few fitness options that worked for me such as: Yoga, Odissi, Dance Aerobics, and Gymming. Of course, my issue with fitness is entirely different. Consistency is the only way by which you can have a fantastic relationship with fitness. Of course, inconsistency is my middle name. I could say that I prefer variety - but that would not be true :P

I opted for Yoga because there was a Yogashaala, next door. Also, everyone at home swore by Yoga. Initially, I struggled to conform to the new regime. Before I knew it, I was a regular - lost a lot of weight - regained the figure I wanted - and my confidence soared. Before long, I forgot that Yoga was keeping me fit and dropped out of class - did not continue Yoga at home - and generally went back to lazy ole days.

When enlightenment dawned, yet again - I enrolled for Odissi classes alongwith my cousin - it seemed like an interesting option to combat after office boredom and would probably help me shed some weight as well. After a few months, the teacher moved to Dubai. Instead of waiting for a new teacher - I decided to join Figurine Fitness for Aerobics.

To be honest, Dance Aerobics taught at Figurine Fitness was/is my favorite way to get fit. I lost a lot of weight - most frends, who knew me frm the fat n flab days - were totally zapped at seeing me looking so fab and fit - I was thrilled at receiving praises - I cud fit into my Jeans - I purchased new ones - I was into only wearing Jeans - and then I go back to good ole lazy days yet again.

As confessed already, I am totally inconsistent. Over the last 4 years - I went back to Yoga - dropped out - went back to Aerobics - dropped out - joined the Gym - (I totally hated the monotony of a Gym. Nothing prepared me for the blaaah mode of the Gym.) - lost interest. I went arnd trying the same fitness options but remained inconsistent.

Currently, I am trying my very best to like the Gym (Fingers crossed). Yup - I have now gone back to that fitness option. Also, I am trying very hard to be consistent (Fingers crossed). Will update you on the latest happenings on tht front when there is something to report - if I am back to inconsistent - well... I hope not :D

Driving my Honda-Activa (Two-wheeler)

After months and months of taking the cab home - I was finally going to drive my two-wheeler after almost 7 months. I was a reckless rider before and usually scared the folks who rode pillion and so I did not think it was going to be difficult at all. Haven't we all heard that you can never unlearn cycling or swimming or biking. It may take a while to get started but you cannot really forget.

The morning went in a rush - waking up late, running arnd the house looking for the missing salwar, ironing the salwar, making coffee and then tea, picking up the newspaper, welcoming the maid who brought the the milk in, rushing for my bath, making a quick breakfast of Idlis, and waking the Arien up - all hpnd like one huge chain of events. I rush out, knowing I am already late and this was a foolish idea - Mondays and beginnings do not really go together.

I come down the stairs and look at my bike, a black Honda Activa, - it is dirty. Grrrr... I should have given it for servicing yesterday, instead of a week ago. Hunt for a cleaning cloth in all the bikes - find one that is a torn vest and so dirty that I want to cry that I have touched it. Decide not to look further - who knows what I may find :( Bike shall not be cleaned. The next thing I realize is that I cannot carry the phone in my hand. I remove the bag from my shoulder, put the phone in the front pocket of my bag, and then wear the bag again. I am already bugged and the drive is yet to start.

I put on the helmet. The helmet makes me feel claustrophobic. My forehead itches and I hit the visor of my helmet and then realize that I am wearing a helmet and cannot really reach my forehead that way at all. In fact, I cannot reach it at all unless I remove the damn helmet. I decide that the itch can wait. Jes FYI - I always hated the helmet - I used to drive 14 kms to my office without helmet b'cos I did not want my hair looking awful. That was until a policeman caught me and fined me Rs.200 for the offense. I have always worn my helmet, since then. :P

I start the vehicle successfully and move towards the gate - The Security Guard is standing outside the gate and waving at me to stop - which probably means a huge vehicle is coming tht way. A moped drives past. The old man (Security Guard) signals a Go. I stare at him and want to shout a thing or two - am prevented by the helmet and then, my vehicle stops. I start the vehicle and rush to the gate before the Security Guard can stop me for a kid on a tricycle and almost hit a lorry coming in the opposite direction. Oh well... my ride has begun.

I am terrified... I close my eyes everytime I see a vehicle too close for comfort. I am constantly hanging on to the brakes and so I am hardly moving at all. Everytime I accelerate, I hit the brakes n so its a kinda jerky jump ride - which was so not the way I rode before. :(

The traffic, of course, is awful. I finally reach the office - it has taken an hour and a half - and it is 11, now. The new helmet that the Arien got for me refuses to fit into the storage compartment of the bike - so I lug my bag, the laptop bag, and my helmet up three floors - I am out-of-breath, bugged, and my hair is so flat - I look awful. My colleague comments "What hpnd to ur hair?" - I decide not to reply and act as if I did not hear her comment. I am so tired of the bloody ride that I am all for taking the cab in the evening.

Do I want to do this again? REALLY?? Well, there were moments in the ride, when I felt the thrill of before - it oddly felt so liberating so I will def drive again. Hopefully it won't be as bad as this one - Fingers crossed.

15 Park Avenue

After a late evening meeting that ended at 8:30 pm and a phone call that ended at 9:30 pm - I was bushed. When I reached home - I was hungry, cranky, and tired. The Arien was watching Beowulf, again. Noting how tired I was, the Arien handed me the remote so I could channel surf. I was touched but not before I realized that the Arien knew that if I don't like anything - I will hand the remote back to him. Hmmm...

Thats how it happened, I was channel surfing and found myself watching 15 Park Avenue. It had jes started.

It is a very sensitive potrayal of a family and how it deals with Schizophrenia. The family consists of a mom, two sisters, and a brother. The person afflicted with the disorder, Meethi, is the younger of the two sisters, played by Konkana Sen. The older sister is played by Shabana Azmi (Anjali). The part of the mother, has been potrayed astonishingly well by Waheeda Rehman. The brother essentially separates himself from the entire scenario and the movie is actually 'bout the three women and how they cope or deal with each other, the circumstances, and how it impacts them.

The Arien remarked after a few minutes that the movie was likely to be depressing but we were unable to turn it off - it was very well shot, the actors played their part very well. Rahul Bose, plays the role of Meethi's boyfriend who is engaged to her and then backs out of the relationship, post a very scary experience that pushes Meethi over the edge.

It is also about the guilt that each member carries in their heart - the mother as she brings tanthriks to cure Meethali, Anjali, as she disbelieves Meethali when she says that a Tanthrik had come home, Rahul, as he goes on with his life, the father, who feels it is somehow his fault that his daughter is like this.

It is a serious movie, but the sensitive potrayal, the fantastic job done by all the main characters, Konkana's potrayal, has resulted in the movie being a must-watch.

The ending is one of the scariest bits of the movie - it is more symbolic and for a lot of ppl - that may be a lil difficult to handle or understand. I actually lowed the ending. The thin strand by which schizoprenics are attached to reality was clearly emphasised in the ending.

I think Aparna Sen (Writer and Director) did a fantastic job of this movie. You could also catch Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, and 36 Chowringhee Lane, also by Aparna. This is a serious movie, so mind it - a la Rajnikanth ishtyle :D

Vaaranam Aayiram

It was a lazy saturday - I slept most of the day away. I was reading Lord Of Chaos - and fell asleep imagining myself to be Elayne. I woke up to have lunch and fell asleep again after that. This was no way to lose weight - but I had built up an amazing amt of sleep debt and I wanted to clear it. When I awoke next, it was 6 - a swarm of mosquitoes bit the Arien and so I awoke amidst his shouts that I should have closed the balcony door. Resisting the urge to shout back - I ran to close the door and decided to make a cup of tea to wake us up from a totally unproductive day.

While we drank the amazing tea - I had perfected the art :) - I tried selling the idea of going out - we had spent the entire day indoors and I wanted to go on a drive. The Arien felt the same way and was glad to comply. Actually, his plan was to gorge on a Zinger. We hurriedly got ready - I called up my Dad to tell him that I was not visiting today - and we left at 8:30 pm. Tch Tch... remember that the piscean takes forever to get ready b'cos she gets distracted :)

As we drove towards Indiranagar - I ask the Arien if he can recall the last movie we saw at the Theatre - while we ponder over this - we realize that we haven't been to a theatre in a while, now. The Arien suggests catching a movie - I am suddenly not so sure - Wht 'bout Dinner? - We won't get tickets - the movie will end at 11 - isn't that too late? The Arien coolly brushes my questions and we head towards Lido. Surprises of surprises - we get the tickets - I am in shock :D

The movie is good until the Interval - after that it starts to drag - you almost want to say "Ok - I got it - Move on or end it". I do not plan to share the summary as the movie is still new. If you want a summary, see Vaaranam Aayiram.

What I liked 'bout the Movie

• I connected with a lot of stuff that the young Surya goes through. I spent my teenage years in Chennai - some of my memories are of Kamal Hassan (Apoorva Sahotharagal), freedom to listen to any kind of music (Hindi songs/English songs) at home, having the freedom to call your friends (boy/gal) home, boys fighting over a gal etc. - maybe that is part of every one's teenage years irrespective of where you are... but it was nice to revisit it.
• Most movies deal with lowe between the Hero and Heroine and while there were two heroines - the focus was on the lowe between the Hero and his father.
• The romance of Surya and Sameera - it was subtle, understated, and quite real.
• The romance of Surya and Simran - was mature, real, and not over the top.
• Everybody did a good job - they played their role well.

What I did not like 'bout the Movie

• The movie was 'bout Surya and his Dad - While the emphasis was on him - the other actors were almost jes eye-candy. This made the story one-sided. For instance, there was no telling moment for any of the other actors. Maybe the impression was to convey that their life revolved around him which does happen in some families.
• It was a lengthy movie and some scenes could have been removed - they were only trying to over-emphasise the point. Some scenes - you actually felt your patience was being stretched.
• A few unbelievable portions of the movie.

Suhasini, an erstwhile actress, had reviewed the movie in her show - I do not catch the show often and so I cannot recall the name of the show. What she did not like 'bout the movie are as follows:

• The actors burst into English suddenly - the father calls the son Kiddo - when the son is no longer a kiddo. Disagree.
  I am sure most of us think in English, in India. Most of us lapse into English while talking with our parents, relatives. I am still called "Aela" and "Kozhandhai" by my grandma and aunts.
• The fact that the parents lowe each other is brought out too many times during the movie by the father, mother, and the son to be almost boring. Disagree.
  I have a friend, whose parents are almost always saying exactly the same things. She always hoped she would be lucky in lowe and she is. So, it does happen in some families.
• Simran, a beauty, has been made to look ugly while everyone in the movie talks of how beautiful she is. Agree.
• The movie does not let any of the other actors go beyond their role except Surya. They all seem single dimensional and Surya seems multi-dimensional. Agree.

Well.. thats it - catch it and let me know if you agree or diagree. Oh btw, the title of the movie is a part of a Hindu verse.

Wild Hogs

It was a Monday and - I was waiting to go home as soon as I walked in - I had some blaah work to do - which was done in record speed. Quickly, before ppl realized I was out of the door - I left :D - Ya.. I do that smtms - provides sm vago (pronounced - Vague + O) excitement and soon I was at home. After a really loong time, instead of reaching home an hour and a half after I leave, I was going to be home in less than half an hour.

Anyways, you know by now, that I totally lowe thrillers, and horror movies but did you know that I also lowe the in-your-face comedies? Well, I do. And, when Wild Hogs was the evening entertainment - I simply could not resist.

There were so many things that you can laugh at and when you look back - maybe even connect to - that I was ROFL :D It did not require you to put on your thinking cap and ponder over the subtle humour - you jes fell over laughing b'cos it was so in your face.

Tim Allen was always a favorite - from the Home Improvement sitcom days. He was not at his funny best, though. John Travolta was, not surprisngly, very good :D If you have seen Grease, Face Off, Broken Arrow, and then Wild Hogs - Well, you can then easily appreciate the actor, in him. Let us not forget Pulp Fiction which was simbly 3 good :D - Yup. Macy and Lawrence provide the needed distrations - sometimes over the top distractions - but one has met smne like them at sm point or the other. The movie recieved quite a few negative reviews but was a top grosser. That proves that critics and their reviews do not make or break the movie - the audience does.

Of course, there was stereotyping - but I liked it all the same. Chk it out when you want a total break from whtever is bugging you - I can totally assure you that you will enjoy the break and totally forget what was bugging you :D

Mangalore - Day3 - Contd.

The plan was to make the Arien feel that a holiday was indeed happening :) Well, after the breakfast and shower, I managed not to utter the horrid words "Can we take a break now?" and instead said "Letz gooo."

Day 3 Contd

The first stop was at the Aloysius Chapel. This was quite close to the Periera's Hotel and it brought an angry frown to the Arien's face and I burst out laughing. I really wish I had a snap of that place. The Aloysius chapel was an amazing piece of art. The paintings or rather frescoes were xtremely lovely and as we tried to take a picture - someone shooed us away and asked us not to take any snaps. 

The next stop was the Sultan's batherry - which was surprisingly spelt as Battery. Yup :)

I could not figure out what this place would be like from the name. It felt like we were driving forever - I was worried we were lost yet again but thankfully we were not. 

When we reached, we were in for another shock - it was like a stone structure that had no meaning.

It had been used by the sultan to protect and watch his land from intruders. This is a picture of the space where the soldiers could place two guns and shoot at intruders. Otherwise, honestly, there was really nothing to see. Plus, we reached at 1 and it was really hot. We saw a young couple - looking very much in lowe - heading towards the boat and thought why not... there was a ferry that would take us to a beach on the other side for Rs.3 each. I thought the amount was hilarious and so we paid Rs.12 for a round-trip for both of us.  

 The first thing you notice as you get off the boat is that the beach seems secluded and we realized that we had actually reached the lovers rendezvous. The whole place was crawling with 16 somethings - shyly looking at each other. It was kinda Ohmygoodness :O

We had reached the virgin beach, TaneerBhavi Beach. There was absolutely no shelter after we crossed the small clearing that was filled with trees. Young couples sat in the clearing and whiled away their time while the two of us walked on the beach - Madness - us and the birds were the only living beings on the beach. Yuppp - Oh ya, let me not forget the one couple that was as mad as us and braved the sun. However, they were braving the sun for an entirely different reason (for a cootchie-coo) - we suddenly felt so old :(

Anyways, after spending 'bout an hour in the hot sun - we decided we must get back - we still

 had to visit the NisargaDhaama. On our way back, there was a chuntu church and we saw these cute puppies sleeping - they looked so cute inspite of the heat. 

As we took the snap, they woke up and posed for us. This was almost like peekaboo - only with puppies :) They were choo teeny - they look awfully huge in the picture - thts jes the Zoom :D

They were ready to follow us and we did not have any snax with us - plus we were going to turn cranky b'cos of the heat, no food (lunch-time had come and gone), no water either. We sat down under a makeshift hut and waited for the ferry to return and pick us up. I was totally down and out and we still had the Nisargadhaama to visit.

I was hoping the Arien would decide that we had enough for the day - but the Arien is true to his type and so after we reached the Sultan Batherry - we had lunch and proceeded to Nisargadhaama. That will be part of another post - Yup Day 3 was indeed hectic. :D

Mangalore - Day 3

Surprise of surprises - I woke up early (7:30 -Ahem!!). To make up for yesterday's flop show I came up with a soooper plan of visiting a beach in the morning and most of the other sightseeing spots after 11. Sulky Arien was still not convinced that I would implement the plan.... anyways thats how Day 3 started.

Day 3

The first visit for the day was to the Ullal beach that had been re-christened Someshwar beach.

It was lovely in the morning. I cannot get over

the first sighting of the beach. There was a temple (Someshwar, after which the beach was named) atop a hillock and by the side was a road that led to the beach. This photo was taken

from there. The sulky Arien's sulk disappeared and he was soon all smiles. He actually complimented me on my plan to visit the beach in the morning. The waves were aplenty and all over there were warnings 'bout swimming in the beach. We were not planning on swimming anyways and so it didn't matter :)

Did I tell you that there was almost nobody else at the beach? Well, I guess if you live next to a beach - it loses some of its charm and ppl don't flock to it.

Of course, that makes it great for us but I was pretty surprised all the same. Thats a picture of our footprints on the sand. As you can see we were the only ones on the beach. The beach was clean and did not have plastic and a lot of all the stuff you usually have come to expect on a beach.

If you have been to the Marina beach, in Chennai, in the evening - you are likely to find zillion ppl on the beach jostling to find a spot near the best spot (which does not exist), stalls selling Chilli bhajjis, fish fries, Bhel puri, etc. etc. etc and a lot of yelling and screaming. Panamboor was kinda like that but the stalls were not on the beach. Well, I haven't been to the Marina beach in some time and so maybe things have changed... Maybe.

Anyways, back to the Ullal-alias-Someshwar beach... as we walked, we saw a fisherman throwing his net to catch some fishes.

The waves were quite high here and atop another hillock we saw a man meditating. While we were distracted by the fisherman's catch, the meditating man left and we found that it was getting pretty warm.

I proposed moving back to the hotel as we had a full day ahead and we were already wet to the knees :) We went back to the hotel to have a quick shower and breakfast and then move to the other tourist spots of Mangalore.

The plan was to go to the Sultan Batherri and Nisarga Dhaama - I was reminded of the trip to Mysore's Nisarga Dhaama. Hmmm... I hoped that it was a good place to visit.

Out of Time

"Do you wanna watch a horror or a thriller movie?" asked the Arien while he fiddled with the DVD player. I was undecided - what did I want to watch? Both genres are my favorites and I can never make up my mind and so I was wondeing if this was some kind of trick question. Worrying that my delay would make him choose cricket or worse action movies as the evening entertainment - I screamed "Thriller". From the startled look on his face, I knew that I had jumped the gun. Oh well.... Anyways, Out of Time it was.

The movie stars Denzel Washington, Eva Mendes, Dean Cain, Sanaa and others. In the movie, Denzel is in the process of getting a divorce from his wife, Eva, while he is having an affair with his college sweetheart, Sanaa, who is married to Dean. Denzel is the Chief of Police in Banyan Key, a small town. Eva is a homicide detective. Sanaa does not seem to have any job and Dean is an ex-football player who abuses her. While you are wondering if this is all the thriller has to offer you and feeling a lil disappointed - the movie throws you a twist.

Sanaa is diagnosed with terminal cancer and she decides to change the beneficiary of her life insurance policy to Denzel 'cos he has been so good to her. She cannot afford the alternate treatments and so decides to leave town and die peacefully someplace else. Denzel, getting all emotional decides to get the loot maal that has been left in his Safe for safe-keeping and give it to her so they can fly away together. He hands over the money and asks her to meet him at 11:00 pm. 11:30 comes and goes and Sanaa does not turn up. He drives to her place - it is totally dark. He goes back home and is now majorly worried 'bout her - he keeps calling her and then falls asleep at his couch.

He is woken by the explosion - her house goes up in flames and both the bodies (Sanaa and Dean) are charred beyond recognition. He meets Eva at the site and the investigation begins. Considering he is the beneficiary of the life insurance, he is the prime suspect - the federal police want the loot mall back and he is literally running out of time.

The movie's pace goes up considerably as they (Denzel and Eva) come to know that Sanaa was not suffering from Terminal cancer. When the phone records of Sanaa are faxed to the office and Denzel is deleting every record of his name, and when a neighbour states that she saw Denzel on the night of the fire - you are trying very hard not to scream. The tension is considerable.

The end is predictable and as I don't want to spoil it for ya - go catch it. For a few moments, the tension is simbly amazing as Denzel tries to keep one step ahead of the investigation. Alls well that ends well - See it over the weekend and let me know if you liked it as well.

Now, I am running out of time... hehehehehe :D

Mangalore - Day2

After a looong drive that could be summed up as Day1 - which was fun - I was looking forward to Day 2 at Mangalore....

Day 2

The day started when I awoke at 8:30 am. I was actually surprised that it was not later ;P As usual, the Arien woke up as if the day was already over and we had missed some hazaar stuff. Anyways, after a lazy breakfast and a rushed shower, we were off to visit some temples... we first went to the Mangala Devi temple. We reached jes in time as the temples close by 12. Inspite of that, we decided to visit the Kadri Manjunath temple. The main deity's sanctum sanctorum was closed to everybody and so after visiting the other diety's shrines, we had to leave. That picture is of the doorway to the Kadri Manjunath tempe. It was a warm day and the time was around 1 when I took the snap. :)

The Arien wanted to try out mangalorean food and so we decided to go to Periera's - a resturant-cum-hotel which was supposedly renowned for authentic mangalorean cusine. The Arien was majorly excited and so we went around asking for directions. After circling the same place thrice we realized we were lost. It took us till 2:30 to find the place and what a shocker it was :( Firstly, it was so sad looking that I was very sure I did not want to eat there; Secondly, it was a Non-Veg resturant (this was new: any resturant does not want to miss ou on the veg crowd and so throws in a "veg and on-veg" by-line) ; Thirdly, the resturant had been closed a long while ago. The Arien totally lost it especially 'cos he was very hungry and we did not really know the way back. We drove around and ate at the first place we saw which was (ob.) a mistake.

Anyways, the moment we reached the Hotel, I wanted to have a chuntu snooze and so we decided to go to the Panamboor beach after the snooze around 4:30pm. I woke up at 5. By the time I got ready and we found the beach it was 6:00 pm. Yupppp.... The Arien walked around with a growl and was totally irriated that I could sleep on a holiday... Do not look at the logic.. Seriously :D

We stayed at the beach till it was 8:00 p.m. and then left - I promised that we shall leave early tomorrow and check out the Ullal beach. At that promise and a lovely dinner later - good mood was restored to the angry Arien. Meanwhile, I was crossing my fingers as I can never get up early when on a holiday :D

Mangalore - Day1

Finally... A planned vacation :) After thinking, planning, researching, fighting, and almost cancelling we decided that we were going to Mangalore. It was almost an 8 hr drive - assuming we drove with minimal breaks and at an amazing speed... daunting task for most ppl but I had the enthued Arien as my travelling companion and so ob... it was a fun journey :) Lets start at the beginning...

Day 1

Somethings never change, Arien wanted to leave at 5 am and we finally left at 6:40 am :) And as predicted we hit the Yeshwanthpur traffic and slowed to crawling pace. I spent the next half hour staring out of the window at other vehicles as the Arien went on and on about how we should have started at 5 am over and over again. The Piscean has a fair amount of patience and tolerance especially wen she is in the wrong :P

We finally got out of the traffic mess and moved towards Neelamangala and got the shock of our life. There was so much fog or mist (I am never sure which is which) that we could barely make out the road ahead. I had to, of course, state that had we left earlier as planned, well, maybe we would be waiting near Yeshwanthpur for the fog/mist to clear... Hehehe I know that was a cheap thrill... Kya kare control hi nahee hotha!

Anyways, we were soon speeding along towards Kunigal as the sun peeped out. On the way, we say a board pointing to Shravanabelagola... and we were soon moving towards the Bahubali monolith.

I had totally forgotten 'bout the steep climb to see the Gomateshwara. Considering the sad state of fitness that I was in - it was a herculean task. I remember having climbed the same pretty easily some years ago... Maaan!! Well, I huffed and puffed away as we climbed the steep hill. I was very tempted to change my mind half-way and the AC in the car was so tempting... but I went on... surprisingly :) It was also a pretty warm day which added to the discomfort.

We saw a bunch of school kids climb the hill effortlessly and that kinda seemed to call attention to my fitness albeit lack of it... Grrr... When I thot we had reached, I remembered that there were more steps and so we went on and on and on.. I saw a few old people being carried on a cane chair by some folks. I also saw some old people braving the climb while I was taking one of my many frequent breaks.

Seeing the Bahubali, so huge, clean, and so well-maintained was a splendid sight. It is 60 feet in height and is supposedly carved out of a single stone.

The pujari spoke good English and was busy explaining the history of Bahubali to some foreigners. The abhisheka of the huge Bahubali happens only once in 12 years and the last one had happened in 2005.

Puja is done everyday for the small bahubali, seen in the picture on the right.

We started walking down the steep hill and the climb down was easy (ob) and so we hopped, skipped our way down... I was a little apprehensive of the effect of the climb on our feet later in the evening. We were soon on our way to Chenrayapatna where we were supposed to have breakfast... it was around 11:30 and we both agreed that this called for a brunch and we could try the Kamat near Chenrayapatna.

We reached Kamat at 12 after almost giving up the hunt for the Kamat hotel.

There was no crowd... we were almost the only folks at their dining hall. The food was jes okay but we were extremely hungry and so we wolfed it down while stating that the other Kamat was so much better.. The service was pretty good that it actually scared us :)

We were soon speeding away to Sakleshpur and then came the dreaded ghat section. The condition of the roads deteriorated from bad to worse and we were shocked at its state. The drive alternated between slow and bumpy to fast and bumpy - it jes felt far more painful when we were fast :(

The ghat section was scary. We came across a bunch of men looking down a ravine and as we went around the hair pin bend, I saw a mini-lorry that had fallen in. I urged the Arien to go slow as I did not want to end up in a ravine. We thought the roads would get better as we reached Mangalore... Hahahahahaha :D

The sakleshpur route to Mangalore is really the worst route a person can ever drive on. We drove without a break and reached Mangalore at 6. We checked into a hotel and decided to have a chai while we plan our day-2-day activities for the next few days... after an amazingly good chai/coffee and steamed wantons - we decided that this was a fitting end to Day1 - no more driving. (I did not drive but I was glad to comply).

The hotel had a very popular resturant which served yummy food and so we decided to have dinner there and sleep early. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day said the Arien - while I dreamt of lazing away my sunday :)

One Rainy Evening

It was one of those atypical evenings when I left work at 6 pm and it was raining cats and dogs. I just felt glad that I was leaving for the day. It was one of those days. I always felt that I was running away on those days... not really leaving for the day. Leaving early i.e at 6 p.m. made me feel xtremely guilty : (

The cab arrived while the three of us, who were generally travelling in the same direction, stood watching the rain and commenting on it. Topics are scarce when it is raining like crazy and so one ends up saying the most inane things like "Its raining heavily na?" when it is obvious to all. And everyone agrees or comes up with something even more inane. We all jumped into the cab as if it was going to rush away without us.

Once the cab is on its way, I usually gaze outside or pick up the phone and start chatting instantly. This usually depends on my cab companions. Today my cab companions were two talkative guys who started talking in Hindi and I thought "Ok... lets start dialing.." when I was interrupted.

The bespectacled northie asked me "Is Bangalore always like this? ... in some state of construction which never gets completed?" while pointing to the Metro construction that was underway on MG Road. Being a Bangalorean, I know I am supposed to feel all supportive of Bangalore and yadda yadda yadda but Hello this is so not the Bangalore I fell in lowe with... so I laughed and agreed. I remember the time the Koramangala to Domlur flyover was being constructed and we wud be stuck in the same place for hours. We didn't complain then... why wud we now? While I pondered over bangaloreans apathy, the other bespectacled northie commented "In Noida, things happen so swiftly... I am very shocked at what is happening in Bangalore." More nodding and smiling from my side.

I was dreaming of the Bangalore that was - trees, parks, cool weather, early morning joggers, dew drops on the leaves, loong walks, lazy holidays, cubbon park, bhutta... when the first northie spoke again.

From the pitiable state of the Metro construction, we moved to movies which is one other topic which can be a major ice-breaker. Soon we were discussing the great movies we had watched and the ones that were not worth missing. The rain had become a drizzle by the time we reached CMH road, Indiranagar. Both the northie's got off at Indiranagar after an interesting discussion on how I was able to identify one of the guys as a Bengali (Bengoli).

I think the amit_123 stereotypes given by Krish Ashok is almost too good to be true - except in the case of Bengolis :) I could not tell the first Northie that, could I? I must do a blog post on Bengolis. They are almost true to type as Madrasis or Malayalis... Well, that is an interesting idea for a blog.

Apocalypto

During the course of the conversation on a rainy evening, one of the northies had told me that a movie I mustn't ever miss is the Apocalypto. You must know by now that I usually do not pay heed to most of the advice given to me. Yup, I am kinda stubborn though you wudn't guess it from knowing me. Most ppl are not aware of what I really like. However, the way he insisted piqued my curiosity and I decided that I must check the movie out.

And so it happens that a few days later, we were all set to watch it. After selling the movie like it was nobody's business, now I was worried... suppose it was awful, suppose we got bored, suppose we did not understand it at all, suppose .., suppose... Ufff!!! Lots of ppl assume one is extremely intelligent :P and ask you to either read or watch stuff that is either oh so boring (Yawn!) or is totally over the head (Over Head Transmission) and so you kinda are left with the sad task of going over it or coming up with creative truths (lies) using one's wild imagination.

Anyways, so we started watching it... it starts off pretty slowly with a bunch of tribesmen hunting for an animal in a jungle. The hunt itself is interesting and after they capture the animal (which was probably either a wild boar or an ant-eater) they split the remains amongst themselves. They are happy with the results of the hunt and start dividing the spoils while specifying why X deserves a specific portion of the animal. I was kinda reminded of the Appraisal system in huge organizations. :D You cannot really understand what they are saying but you can kinda figure out as they speak a language that is kinda pre-historic. Lot of pointing, laughing, expressions, etc.

The hunters consist of the head tribesman (an old fella), his son, and few others. As they move towards their settlement, there is a lot of noise and they are all a lot more cautious and wait with bated breath. Suddenly, a bunch of other tribesmen appear - they offer a gift of fish and ask if they can pass - the head gives them permission to use their jungle as a throughfare - and as they move - you wonder if one of them will betray the trust and there is a lot of uncertainity - suddenly you realize that they are not be feared as they seem to be running away frm smthng and almost an entire settlement is moving out - the head tribesman's son (Jaguar Paw) seems disturbed and wonders why an entire settlement is leaving. The head tribesman notices this and as they reach their settlement - pulls him aside for some advice - Tells him that he fears the unknown and that fear is a disease and he must get rid of it before he enters the settlement.

The next day, in the wee hours of the morning, their settlement is brutally attacked. Jaguar paw manages to move his pregnant wife and young son into a pit to ensure their safety and then fights the intruders bravely - all the adults are captured and the children are left behind. The adults (grouped into bunches of 7) are tied to a bamboo pole and are taken to the intruder's settlement. The intruders (Mayans) travel a long way back to their settlement with the adults. On the way, they all notice a young child, who wants them to carry her - they push her away as she is suffering from a disease that has no cure and she predicts doom for them - she says that they will be vanquished by the one they have captured who will convert the day into night and will run with a Jaguar. The Mayans feel uneasy but continue on ahead. The move from known to unknown is shot so well that you feel you are one of the adults tied to the bamboo pole.

The tribesmen reach the Mayans settlement and stare at sickness, death, hunger, ppl covered in white stuff which causes them to spit blood, and at some women who are covered in jewels. The women are sold as slaves and the men are taken to be sacrificed to the Sun God. As Jaguar paw is going to be sacrificed, an eclipse occurs, and the sacrifice is stopped. They are all set free as the Mayans think that the Sun God is satisfied and does not require any more sacrifices. The chief of the intruders is cheesed off that he went through all the trouble of getting them here for nothing and offers the prisoners as target practise for his group.

The last part of the movie simply zips past to a nail-biting finish with Jaguar Paw escaping the Mayans, saving his wife and son(s) and moving on.

If you like thrillers, then this is a must watch. Check it out when you are free and I promise you - you will not regret it. Oh.. and this movie has been directed by Mel Gibson. For the folks who watch movies at home with the clan - there is a fair amt of nudity in the movie. The movie is 'bout tribesmen and settlements and has been handled aesthetically. The nudity does not distract you from the story. To let me know what you think, send me your comments :)

Mysore during Dasara - Day 2

Day 2 dawned bright and sunny only I did not witness it 'cos I woke up at 10:00 am!!! I really wanted to get back to sleep but the Arien was as usual fully charged and ready to begin Day 2. Waanhh :( We planned to visit Chamundi Hills. Last nite, during the palace visit I had seen a "Welcome" sign which seemed to be hanging in mid-air. The wise arien informed me that the lights were actually placed on the way to Chamundi Hills and that we would be seeing it the next day. So we were off after a hot cuppa chai and a cud-have-been-better breakfast :)

We started Day2 with a visit to the St. Philomena's Church which was a gigantic gothic structure that is entirely made of stone. It was an imposing structure and we looked like ants when we posed with the Church in the background. I gave up trying to get the entire structure in a single snap. We spent some time inside the church and walked along a corridor that had all the patron's names etched on it. It was a hot sunny day and after admiring the structure once more, we decided to move on. I have heard that it was the Wodeyars who were involved in the construction of this new church i.e they were the sponsors not the masons :) It is considered a secular monument. Hmmmm....

I wanted to visit the Silk Factory and the Sandalwood factory that I believed was located at Mysore. I found, to my chagrin, that the sandalwood factory was actually at Bangalore. Of course, the Arien disagreed. It was a sunday and I was sure it would not be open and so I cancelled that plan.

On the way, we saw the railway museum. It was tooo cute. It looked like a photo op and we surprisingly, took a keen interest in not only photographing all the engines, but also pretending to drive them. The dustbin was also shaped like an engine and so we took quite a few pics. They even had a modified Austin, which was to run on the railway track. Naturally, we were not allowed to sit inside or drive it but it was fun anyways. Inside, we also had a look at the Maharani's saloon carriage, which was one of the exhibits. An old old man started describing what we could clearly see and so we decided it was time to kiskofy :D

Oh! Before I forget they had on exhibit, one of those black telephones, which we had during the early eighties, where one had to dial and not press keys - remember?? It made me nostalgic... I remembered how I would come home from school and talk to my friends, separated for barely 10 minutes, for hours and get royally shouted at by mom. She could not understand what I had to say that couldn't either be said tomorrow or could have been discussed 10 mts ago :) My classic excuse was homework which did the trick most times.

Back to here and now. We had lunch at DasaPrakash. It was nice, simple, and reasonable. It took us quite a while to find it though. It almost looked as if it was Mysore's best-kept secret :) Anyways, did you know that Mysore is actually a short form of Mahishasuranaooru?? Mysore was actually home to the daemon, Mahishasuran, who was killed by the goddess Chamundeshwari. Atop the Chamundi hills is the temple of the goddess and a scary statue of the daemon as well. It is a lovely ride up the hill and the place was surprisingly crowded. We got off the car and saw the huge statue of the daemon and realized that it was not too huge :) Ok... I am exaggerating... its just that after seeing the Cathedral, I was kinda expecting a really huge statue. The statue was broad, defintely taller that an average male and so I guess it was huge.

We also went to the temple inside. It reminded me a lot of the visit to Tirupati. We were pushed and pulled in all directions as we moved closer to the diety and then we were allowed a brief 2 seconds to figure out what the goddess looked like before we were pushed out of the way by some self-appointed queue mover. I was totally cheesed off. On our return, we walked via a chuntu market where they sold so many things that I was almost dizzy. I got myself a lovely Ramar Pattabhishekam picture, a chamundeshwari statue, and a Ganesha statue for my home. Was unable to get a picture of Aanchaneyer but was otherwise thrilled as we walked back to our car. I was getting cranky and tired and so wise arien decided to break for coconut water, and cucumber slices. I forbade myself from worrying 'bout health aspects and hogged on the cucumber slices. :)

On our return from the hill, we came across the beautiful black Nandi, which was really huge and magnificent to look at. Arien opted for sugarcane juice while I went up to admire the Nandi from close quarters. As I walked down, Arien was busy purchasing cucumber slices yet again. A foreigner was attempting to purchase some pineapple slices. I felt it was extremely adventurous of her. Then came the best part of the incident, the fruit seller tried to sell his pineapple slices at a higher price to the foreigner but the foreigner had picked up some of the local language, Kannada, and told him that she will not pay him Rs. 5 more than the others. As we left, we could hear the fruit seller muttering that it would never do, if these ppl learn our language :)

We returned to Bangalore around 9 pm, dead tired, bone weary, and xtremely sleepy. We had stopped at Kamat's for dinner and so we had no complaints. Tomorrow is a working day.... Groan..... I want my weekend back :(

Mysore during Dasara

Day1:
It was yet another unplanned trip to Mysore. Rather, it was a trip that had been planned for the next weekend but enthued Arien decided that he was too bored to stay at home this weekend and so we were going to Mysore tomorrow. I was totally tempted to say NO. If you are wondering why?? Well.. that is because I am a lazy piscean who prefers to relax (code-word for laze) at home after a tough week of writing highly technical stuff which no one reads and he is an Arien who lowes to travel, work hard, keep busy, etc etc etc. So did we go? Of course, we did. Lazy piscean had promised that she would try to be enthusiastic about sudden trips and so she could not really say No, could she?? Grrr... As usual, Arien decides the time when we would leave for Mysore which is between 4 am and 5 am. Egzactly!!! Well.. we finally leave at 6 am :) No trip to Mysore is complete without a stopover at Kamat and we did that.

We decided to visit Krishnaraja Sagar Dam. They have a cute little aquarium inside, where the star attraction was a fish that cost forty thousand rupees.

Hordes of locals and the two of us spent

more than an hour gaping at all the fishes and the celebrity fish in particular. I have never spent so much time in an Aquarium before and I was informed by the wise Arien that the Bangalore one was a lot better. The celebrity fish looked like a villain in a hindi movie. It had an eye that looked akin to a glass eye and stared you down.

There were lotsa other fishes too. We, now have appr. zillion snaps of fishes, most of whom I

cannot recognize or name :(

Anyways, we started walking towards Brindavan Gardens. It was a looong walk... and it was noon and surprisingly the weather was humid. I felt like I was in Chennai and that surprised me quite a bit. I had not been to the gardens in a really looong time. The garden was renowned for being the location where most film songs, romantic scenes were picturised not so long ago. It looked lovely from outside but on closer inspection we found that it was xtremely dirty :(

The flowers were in full bloom and looked very pretty and the waterfalls looked nice too. I recalled that they had the musical fountain at 7 pm. We were roaming around the place at 1 pm and soon it just got too hot and I got too cranky. Also, around the same time, we figured out that all hotels at Mysore and Srirangapatna were fully booked and that we may not have a place to stay the night. Yuppp... However, that did not deter us from taking quite a few snaps of the place that was. We also realized that everybody comes to enjoy the water fountain later in the evening and you cannot see the dirt at that time :) Well... not sure if that was nice to know or not... hehehehehe :)

It must cost a lot to maintain the Brindavan Gardens the way it is - I mean the flowers looked so lovely and colourful... I am just wondering about the number of people who have to work to make the Brindavan Garden look good... and while there is always scope for improvement... it is a great effort in itself. Anyways, I soon lost interest in the Gardens and wanted to know where we were going to stay, if we planned to stay on. A sudden cancellation by some person was a lucky break for us. We decided to check-in, have lunch and then plan our next outing. After a not-so-bad lunch, we were tempted to take a nap but did not do so. Instead we decided to check out the amusement park, GRS. There was some half-day offer kinda thing and so we decided that it may be worth the look. I was totally tired and did not want to go on the thrilling water rides and opted for the slow water rides. Managed to get completely drenched in the wave pool. As if that was not enuf, it suddenly started raining and did not abate for almost half an hour :( If it weren't for the fact that I was totally drenched, I would have found it funny :P Anyways, we decided enough was enough and headed back to the hotel. A quick shower and a hot cuppa chai later, we were ready to check out the Mysore palace. The time was almost 8:15 pm and the whole place was lit up and it looked so lovely. All roads that lead to the palace were lit up and so we followed them to see the palace. There was a Carnatic concert going on at the same time which is that small corner which is lit up slightly differently. I have heard that for the entire navarathri, various artists would come and perform for each day. I was pretty impressed though I was unable to recognise the singer. The crowd was not unruly and we were able to move around without worrying if we would lose each other. We were late and we did not have too much time as they planned to close the place to visitors in less than 30 mts and so we walked around as if we were going to miss the bus - we did not have time to gape, stare in awe, or comment on the beauty as we were worried.... However, we did the entire round and left before they started closing the place for visitors. It took a while to sink in. We stared in awe as we moved out. Security was at an all-time high and for the first time I worried about bombs. I mean bombs are usually placed at places where there are huge crowds... Time to stop worrying 'bout stuff like that and concentrate on something else... Dinner?? Yeah!!

We decided to have dinner at a popular place, Parkland Hotel. It was the worst experience ever. We waited till we almost dropped off and when the dishes finally reached our table, it was stone cold. I am not exaggerating. We managed to gulp down the food as we were not really sure how long he would take to bring it back and we were totally sleepy. I was trying very hard to keep my eyes open. The theme at Parkland was good and drinks were being served at an amazingly fast pace and since we had not ordered any drinks.. I guess they forgot about us. Well, never mind.. we were ready to go back. We quickly paid and left for the hotel. When we reached the hotel, we realized it was almost 11 pm. That was end of Day1. Zzzzzzz... Arien starts snoring ... Hehehehe :D

Wonder La

It was going to be one of my classic lazy sundays when I get up late, have breakfast at lunch time,  and watch re-runs of F.R.I.E.N.D.S or a romantic comedy which I would have seen a zillion times already. Well, that was not to be. Usually, I am extremely cranky when my classic lazy sunday is tampered with but I decided to go with the flow for the first time when the plan was to go to Wonder La. I have been crazy 'bout amusement parks and scary rides for a loooong looong time now and have been to Wonder La thrice already with office junta. This was the first time we were going to an amusement park by oursleves in a really looong time.. Shocking :(

Anyways, we started the day by having breakfast at Adigas (a popular eatery for vegetarians) - which has the fastest service, hugest crowds, tastiest food at the most reasonable prices. It had been our family haunt on sundays before we moved to far far and away. I usually opt for take away, also known as Parcel, because finding a chair or a table is quite impossible at Adigas. Anyways, I was coming here after a loong time and I totally relished the experience and did not do my snob act at standing and gulping down my idli vada :P We left in about 20 mts, a record almost, considering that if you had visited Shanti Sagar, you may leave in an hour if not longer :D

It was a sunny day and I felt that we would be roasted and cooked by the time it would be evening but surprisingly it was not that hot. We paid for the tickets and went in. I was intent on not missing the rides that I had missed earlier because of the shocking crowds.

Regarding the rides, the Maverick is one helluva ride. It actually does an amazing number of somersaults, back-flips, and you spend a lot of time upside-down! You are asked to remove loose change which you have kept in your pocket, spectacles, chains that may fall off etc etc. Dupattas are of course a No-No. The Sky Wheel, which is the giant wheel atop a tower allows you to have a nice view of the entire landscape of Wonder La. 

Thankfully, it does not go at top speed. 

The Pirate Ship, formerly known as Columbus, is more like a pendulum.

The Water rides are altogether too amazing. I had never ventured near the water rides previously and so this was my first time. I was completely terrified and did not go on more than a few rides. Twister was nice and fast and I was real terrified and so closed my eyes towards the end and almost drowned - ok ok I was exaggerating - I got some water up my nose. The Water Pendulum almost gave me a heart attack as I thought we may end up toppling over and the rush is simbly fantastic. The wave pool and the lazy pool are nice if you just want to laze in the water. The artificial waves are generated once an hour or so and ppl throng the wave pool when it is time. They have a new attraction, Friendly Fish, which was a beeg hit among kids. They were so excited that I had to check it out. If you have ever been to Sringeri, where one feeds puffed rice to the fish on the banks of the river... well this attraction is identical except that the fish at Sringeri are dark blue or green in colour while here they are in lovely shades of yellow and orange. 
So if you stay in Bangalore or are visiting and if you are crazy 'bout amusement parks and crazy rides then WonderLa is a must visit for ya :)

Killoo Ki Kahani - Episode 638 (Part1)

Kalyani felt ready to scream in frustration. Life was so damn unfair. Why was Devika so mean? Why did she have to wake up so late? Why? Why? Why?? She could feel her face going red as angry tears welled up in her eyes. She walked slowly back to her cube. There was no time for research, she may just have to use her imagination to get the damn script ready. If Devika liked it, she was safe else her dream would jes remain a dream. Nobody would take on someone who had been fired by Devika. Bloody Devika. Bloody Bloody Bloody. Oh ho!! As if by saying bloody a million times, would turn things around, a small voice interrupted.

In a fit of temper, she threw all the papers strewn on her desk into the dustbin. Immediately she realized that the details of the earlier episode was in one of those papers. Aathera Karanukku Budhhi Mattu - she could almost hear her mom say that. She picked up the papers and started reading to know what was currently going on Killoo's life.

The original script was:
Killoo was a bubbly, enthusiatic, funny, naughty girl who lives in a small village, aptly titled, Chottapoor. She has the unique trait of being the only educated girl in her village and while her parents worry 'bout her marriage, she wants to go to the city for higher studies. Her wish is to complete her studies, do some job wob, and then come back to the Gaon (village) and become a teacher. It was supposed to be a simple love story.

However, the falling TRPs of the serial made the script writer come up with some amazing changes to the script.

The updated script was:
Killoo arrives at her aunt's house in Mumbai and is thrown into a family mega drama. Her uncle is having an affair with his secretary. Her aunt is one of those devotional women who spends a lot of her time in the puja room. She has two cousins, Rema and Govind. Govind is an arrogant college senior who will graduate in a few months. Rema is a fresher in an All Girls college and she hates her cousin, our Killoo. The gardener has a sinister expression and keeps talking 'bout Bhooths (ghosts) and black magic. Killoo's uncle has a sister who also lives in the same house, called Parvathi. Parvathi's husband died many years ago and rumour has it that she murdered her husband. She is generally bitingly sarcastic to the maid, cook, and other servants. She tends to treat Killoo as one of them and does not have a single kind word for Killoo. In fact, she asks Killoo to start working to pay for her accomodation. Killoo joins a Call Center.

Kalyani is ready to scream!! The script writer had lifted ideas from existing soaps, serials and she was now expected to fill in and complete it? Grrrr... Now what??!! She picks up the phone and asks Ramu kaka to get her a nice hot cuppa chai so she can think. She starts to imagine herself as Killoo. The bholi bhaali Killoo, who is attending college in the morning and working at a call center in the evenings. Hmmmm.. Why not introduce a lowe angle at the call center? Let it start with conflict and then move to Lowee... Aiyoooo that is already done! Grrr... Ramu
Kaakaa - where are you?? I need the chai now.... Brain refuses to work :(

Killoo Ki Kahani - Episode 638

... And the winner of the Year's Best Script Writer award is .... (Total Silence) ... Kalyani. Everybody starts clapping and cheering her. Her manager, Devika, was actually smiling... that was a change. Kalyani prepared to get on the dias to receive her award. She checked to see if she had her impromptu speech ready, and tried to recall whom all she must thank. All was indeed well, her cue card was in her hand, hidden in the folds of her duppatta and she stepped on the first step. Suddenly, her cute, sweet niece, Shreya, appeared near the first step and started shouting something. Kalyani was unable to understand what Shreya was trying to say because of all the clapping and cheering . She tried to pull Shreya closer without attempting to carry her as she did not want her new red chiffon salwar kameez to get rumpled. Shreya screamed "Wake up Kalyani chithi - Paatee is coming with a stick." She smiled - maybe Shreya was going slightly mad at the thought of all the fame and popularity that she, Kalyani, would be bringing to their family. It was enough to make her go mad so I guess it was understandable - must talk to Kalpana though. Hmmm...
Thwaack!! Ouuchhh!! What was that? Oh no... her mom was near the dias, with a stick and wearing one of her old nighties ... Oh noo.. How does amma always know how to convert one of her best moments into one of the most embarrassing moments? Everybody was now staring at her not awe-struck but in shock. Grrr....
Thwaacck! Thwaacckk!! Oouuccccchhh... Kalyani woke up in a hurry almost falling out of her bed, shouted "Amma... cudn't you jes wait till I came home? You have managed to embarrass me and yourself by beating me with a stick on National Television ". Kalyani stared at her mother's furious expression and then at herself and realized that she was having one of her "2-real-2-be-a-dream" dream and that she was going to be very very laate. She rushed to the bathroom, pushing Shreya out of the way. She could hear her mother screaming at her door as she started brushing her teeth. Damn Damn Damn ... the dream was 2-2-real. Grrr...
In an hour's time, Kalyani was ready to leave. She decided not to have breakfast as she did not want to eat Idlis, which was invariably the breakfast today and her mother would not tolerate any comments on the breakfast after the disaster in the morning. She sneaked out of the house while her mother was feeding Shreya. Poor Shreya, at that age, you really could not escape the Idli. Hehehehe - She remembered how even at that age, she would not eat idlis and was branded stubborn. Well.. Well.. Well.. aaj kal ke bachhe - No rebelling spirit... Hmmm.. Well, Kalpana was not too rebellious anyways. She was the miss goody goody who was now Mrs goody goody. hehehehe.. I am too nasty. But really, looking back, she did her engineering as appa wanted her to, married the Iyer boy whom amma selected and now she was re-joining work after a solid break of 5 years. I sometimes feel like shaking her. Because of her, I always end up as a nay sayer, a breaker of rules, and stubborn .. Grrr.. Uffo... Did I have to give my bike for servicing yesterday of all days? Now, I have to wait for the auto guys to show some mercy on me. Aiyooooo.
Finally, walked into the Shrushti Telefilms office. She had on her best close-up smile. She was going to be the Best Script Writer, na?? Aaaj Mein ooper, aasma neeche... Aaaj mein aagey, Zamana hai peechey... lalalalala lalala laaa.... was the song her mind was singing when she heard a shrill "KALYANIIIII!!! You are laaate again." Uffo that was Devika. She will kill me - better ditch the handbag and act as if I have been here for more than 2 hours. Damn Damn Damn Damn... no one in sight. Ok... will handle this with trademark nonchalance.
Kalyani: Good Morning Devika, I know you are going to ask me how is today's episode coming along and I have the bestest News for you.
Devika: Oh really?? I am all ears.
Kalyani: I plan to bring Abilaash, Killoo's long lost brother, back into the picture. The episode begins with his entry and depicts how he is welcomed back into the family and ends with his leaving. Howzthat??
Devika: Oh really?? Have you forgotten that the actor who played Abilaash broke his contract and joined Bhavani Telefilms? Are you doing this on purpose? Do you want me to fire you? You really cannot be that stoopid, can you? I am going out with a client now. I want the script for today's episode at my desk in an hour. When I come back, if the script is either not at my desk or is not to my liking, you can leave. Do not bother leaving your home address as I do not plan to pay you for the work done this month. Am I clear?
Kalyani: Of course.
So what did Kalyani write? Did she get fired? Wait for the next update ;P