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

ಹಾಗೆ ಸುಮ್ನೆ - Just like that

Have you ever wondered what is the purpose of your life?

When I was in XII, we had to repeat the Chemistry exam as the question paper had been leaked i.e, someone had sold the question papers to a particular town in remote Tamil nadu. Most of us thought that that was xtremely unfair. For me, it was more so, because I disliked chemistry. I also believed that I had given my best shot for the exam. That paper was never corrected, so we will never know. Anyways, I actually hated organic most with all those benzene equations and now I would be forced to actually prepare. At that time, I was also a follower of a philosophical movement headed by a Guruji and fast gaining acceptance. When faced with the Repeat Chemistry exam, I really could not accept that this was actually good for me. I mean HOW?? While everyone around me made peace with it, I could not or rather would not. I was actually tempted to not write the exam. Yes.. I actually thought that God should take care of it.

Realizing that I could easily drop out of the entire philosophical movement one of the followers wanted to have a talk with me. I went with an open mind. He asked one of the students to get only the cap of a kinley bottle. I tried to keep my skepticism aside as I really needed an answer. When the student returned with the cap, the follower asked me "What do you think is the purpose of this cap?" I had a frown on my face as I said "To ensure that no impurities get into the bottle." He claimed that my answer was fantastic. I had a really nasty expression on my face. Then he asked "Does the cap know what its purpose in life is?" I was the cocky kid now, n I said "Of course not." before anybody had the chance to answer. I was waiting for his "Fantastic" so I could leave.

He had on a serious expression and said "Just like a cap that is created by man is not aware of its purpose but the man who created it, is aware, God created you and is aware of the purpose of your life.... " I interrupted as I felt everone knows this much "So we jes wait to get enlightened or do we go hunting for this purpose?" I actually wanted to say "A cap cannot ask this question - I can, so the analogy really sucks" but because quite a few ppl had gathered and I did not want to embarrass the follower, so I did not share my views on his analogy. He replied "Do you realize that you have asked the toughest question that can be asked by a person? Are you aware that everyone wants an answer to that question? Also, did you know that nobody asks this question when everything goes as per their plan? The moment things do not go as per their plan - we ask God why he is unfair... or what is the purpose of my life? In your life, repeating the exam is unfair and so you ask this now. When you completed the Chemistry exam well, did you ask Why is God unfair?"

I had no reply. In fact, I felt what he said was right. I was very accepting of their philosophy when everything was going well... Hmmm - I wondered if I was shallow. It was a looong Moment. While I thought 'bout this - the follower said his goodbyes and left.

I wrote the exam and scored an excellent score in Chemistry as well as in all the other exams. I did not wonder 'bout God's fairness, then. Of course, there were quite a few moments in my life since then when I wondered why God was unfair or what is the purpose of my life. So have I figured it out? Nope.. I have no clue... Do you??