Literally Speaking

Global Business English

2011-03-27T12:04:00.005+05:30

Respected Sir,

A very good morning to you.

Please find attached the details of the minutes for today morning's team call. Since I am new to organisation, I am having difficulty in understanding the agendas of the meeting and would like to touch base with you for more clarity. Which office are you based out of? I can arrange a team F2F as needed.

At the start of meeting, I was waiting for Mr. Min Feng to join the call, he said he was sorry for late and thank you for patient. Mr. Fosters asked how I was going, I said I was going by bus. Regarding the project, Ms. Wolf asked me to marry the projects documents. Sensing my confusion, Ms. Pat said she would grease the mocked-up skids to make the process easier. She also mentioned about an alternate plan but I could not hear her well and wished she would speak a bit more louder.

We were briefed about managing stake-holders.

They will be giving us a roadmap to deploy the tools in other Geos. I was in agreement of this, as without a map of the road we can get lost easily in other Geos.

The PM also said something about becoming firefighters by pushing the backs of unreasonable clients. Before I could clarify what he meant, he said he had a hard stop and we wrapped up the meeting. We were also told to move up the other meetings in advance for a valid preponement.

Note: All action-items are to be actioned by the actioners by the end of the week.

I have tried to keep the minutes as-is as-much as-possible. I apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.

Thank you and very warm regards,

A terribly confused Indian speaker of Global English.

No, India does not have "too many" holidays.

2011-01-18T17:28:00.009+05:30

A common and rather cliched belief among many people is that Indians have "too many" holidays and festivals. Perhaps this notion stems from the fact that India celebrates Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Sikh festivals which might give one the feeling that India has "too many" festivals or holidays.

We have festivals to celebrate a new season, or a God's birthday, or to commemorate our country's freedom fighters. But what country does not celebrate festivals or have holidays for the same reasons? How different is St. Patrick's day from Guru Nanak Jayanthi? Or Memorial Day from Martyr's Day? We might take a week or two off for Dussera/Diwali, as would others for Christmas or Ramzan. We also have several non-holiday months in the year, just like other many countries. In fact, most countries have about 10-12 public holidays (source: wikipedia). Thus, if India has "too many" holidays - so does every other country in the world.

I sometimes wonder if the implication behind a statement such as "you have too many holidays" is "I work more than you do" - which is terribly rude or "I''m envious you have more holidays" which is a fallacy. I was shocked to chance upon an office blog that said "Indians have a problem of less productivity during Diwali" suggesting that taking the day/week/fortnight off for the most important festival for Hindus is a 'problem.' (In fact, several managers only give 2 days off to cope with heavy project requirements during Diwali.)

To people who make such statements, realise this, India does not have too many holidays, India has a diverse culture and ethnicity and we celebrate it through our holidays.

To Indians who hear such statements from others, share this blogpost with them :)

Go green! BMTC bus routes and carpool options

2010-11-26T21:59:00.013+05:30

For all those who want to go green, but don't know where to start!

The Bangalore Transport Information Service (BTIS) website is an easy to understand website in English, and immensely useful to those who want to commute by bus, but are not sure of what bus or route to take. It not only gives you a comprehensive lists of all BMTC buses and routes, it also has a 'track bus' feature that tells you where your bus is right now, so you know if you have missed it or not.

If you prefer commuting by car, you can check out the carpooling options available, and register as one too. You could even try the 'parking' feature that provides a list of available parking spaces in the city (supposedly updated every 5 mins).

This website is pretty cool - and takes a few minutes to understand. You could even personalise the page to routes/locations of your choice, by using the 'mapid' or 'personalise' option. As if this much information is not enough, the site also boasts of the following features:

Live traffic updates on the main-page map

Live snapshots from Traffic Junction Cameras

Commute to and from Airport

Traffic violation fines against your vehicle

Registration details about a vehicle

Post your feedback

I am not sure who runs the website (I assume it is updated by the Bangalore Traffic Police). It is an impressive and useful tool available to Bangaloreans, but it can be made better by

Including a list of bus timings and frequency

Making the downloadable application work on all phones.

Ensuring the 'track bus' feature is available for all buses.

http://www.btis.in/

Other websites that give similar information:

Jaanlo

Google Transit (for Volvo and Big 10 buses only)

Narasimha Datta's website

Go green! Take a bus, or register as a carpooler! Make Bangalore a green city.

Don't stay in Bangalore? Check out the traffic information websites for your city!

Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Mysore, Pune and Vadodara

No More Masala Chai?

2009-10-13T19:43:00.006+05:30

or free coffee or lemon tea?

No really...I never thought the day would come when cost cutting would affect the office pantry to this extent!!

I still remember my first day at work at the *free* pantry. I was your typical halli guggu (country bumpkin) who mixed milk with lemon tea, much to the disdain of my posh colleagues. It's an incident that is naratted during family functions and other social gatherings.

We were promised 'fresh and honest' coffee, and a few months later masala chai - a perfect cure for those with chronic colds. (Note: We were getting all this for free, the same masala chai cost Rs. 25 at the airport.) There was the haunted vending machine in one pantry that would start steaming and puffing for no rhyme or reason, and only the ones who were too sleep deprived to be spooked by ghosts would dare to go there.

Then HR decided to revamp things and introduce milk powder machines that were..well...not much to blog about! There were fiery email exchanges about cockroaches and other forms of non-veg coffee found in the new vending machines. After some initial irritation, we got used to the paysam like milk-powder coffee and tea, that was relatively roach free.

Then, a few years later, they decided to re-introduce 'fresh and honest' coffee, lemon tea, and masala chai - much to our delight! Finally - a pantry that (re)served good stuff!

And despite coming full circle regarding beverage decisions, HR is once again going on a new orbit - our pantries will soon function with a smart card (really? is this a way of working smarter??) Essentially, we will now PAY for our tanin and caffeine shots. What fun is it to PAY to stay awake, to chill out, to catch up on some gossip or crib about an annoying boss or client?Paying for it makes it as boring as indulging in superficial conversations - the types all the Coffee Days and Barista's are so full of!

Well I suppose one cannot crib too much - I heard many offices function this way. Moreover this might encourage us to switch to healthier lifestyles that is not so dependant on caffeine. Wonder if they will introduce green tea...hmmm.

Yet, this is a move that has left us feeling a bit upset as the atmosphere in the pantry is going to be very different. But I suppose change management is something we are all too used to, and paying for coffee will just be another activity in this office.

The way he made me feel

2009-07-04T18:05:00.004+05:30

A week has passed and I have been reliving my childhood, feeling sad, happy and nostalgic. I did not want to write this and come off as just another person engulfed in the mania, but I write this post as a dedication to a man who almost defined my childhood. As soon as I penned this post, I came across a similar retrospective written by my cousin. He is at least 20 years older than me, and it is interesting to see how the same man influenced both of us, in different ways.

I must have been a foetus when I heard MJ for the first time. Thriller came out shortly after I was born. Having music-loving parents ensured my exposure to music started young. Having elder siblings also meant getting exposed to the "cool stuff" a lot faster than my peers. I can safely say that my relationship with the pop Gods of the 80's started when I was very, very small.

I was 7 or 8 when I heard the Bad Album (a few years after it was released). I would amuse aunty-jis who came home with my rendition of 'Bad'. When I was 9, my sister and I recorded our own version of 'Smooth Criminal' on our cassette-player-cum-recorder. She sang the bass, and screamed and howled (trivia: MJ howls 14 times in Smooth Criminal, and its one tough song to sing!). We had an argument as to whether he was saying "energy walking" or "everybody talking"…till we managed to get hold of the lyrics (a difficulty, back then.) When we finally realised he was saying "Annie are you o.k." we broke our heads wondering who Annie was.

That summer was a special one for me, for I had FINALLY learnt to do the moonwalk :) Sadly, I was only able to moonwalk that well that summer only.

I was 11 when 'Dangerous' came out. At around the same time cable TV started in India, exposing Gen X to the ever-so-popular MTV. Everyone was enthralled with the 'Black or White' video, some of us even wondered why he sang this song after becoming a white man (we did not know about his skin condition.) The lucky kids at school, who had relatives abroad, managed to get a copy of the album long before it came to India. MTV also played his older videos - and each MJ video meant the opportunity to learn a new dance step.

My 12th birthday was the best one ever - my sister gifted me the Dangerous album. Anyone who had a copy of that album was automatically deemed as 'cool'. Later that year, my classmates and I sang 'Heal the World' at the school annual day function. I'm sure it was sung at many school functions.

Two years later…HIStory was made, and we did not have to wait too long for the cassettes to come to India. Class 9 of my school did an aerobics dance to "They don’t really care about us." Weird choice for a PT dance, but it was fun. I also got the nickname of 'MJ' from my sister's friends, as I would go on and on and on about his music, dance and style.

The following commercial pretty much sums up my childhood – as I was addicted to MJ and Pepsi! Us kids would have moonwalking and break-dancing contests during lunch breaks. For all the 6 years that I was in Army School, there would be at least ONE dance to an MJ song for the school annual day celebrations.

A few years later, many truths about Pepsi and MJ were exposed. The child-abuse allegations left us confused and disgusted. It was not uncommon to see people engaged in endless discussions on whether he was a victim of detractors, or if he was truly twisted. MJ made some music, like 'Scream' and 'Blood on the dance floor', but they hardly compared to the awesomeness of 'Bad' or 'Beat It'; and with that, the euphoria started to die...

I remember college cul-week the year I was 17. We had theme based competitions the entire week. On ‘villain’ day, I wore my skull T, ripped my jeans, folded my sleeves, and put a fake tattoo on my arm. My intention was to sing a Metallica song and bag a prize. I'm not sure what happened when I was on stage, but I ended up singing Bad, complete with a howl and a twirl. I did not win any prize, but I did shock a few people, and had so much fun!

My post-teen years were mostly about studies or work. Once I got myself an i-pod, I made it a point to discover new music. I knew little about the Jackson 5 and quite enjoyed listening to their Motown hits. I had heard ‘I want you back’ as a kid and always wanted to know who sung it, and was thrilled when I came to know it was young MJ on the vocals :) (It is my current ringtone)

With each passing year, there was new music to discover. I did not go out of my way to listen to MJ, except for a few favorites here and there. There was news about his converting to Islam, which I thought was a big bad joke. Three weeks ago I heard of an opportunity to win tickets to MJ’s concert in London. Boy oh boy! Was I kicked?! I missed seeing Jacko in Mumbai, maybe I’d get lucky now. I rang up a fellow Jacko fan and we both decided to participate in this contest...

And then…it happened. I was shocked. I felt a dire need to listen to some MJ songs…and tears started rolling down my yes. The last time I cried at the news of a celebrity death was when Lady Di passed away (I was 16). No, I was never a die-hard MJ fan, I never bought his albums the day they came out…but so many fond childhood memories came rushing back and the news of his death made me feel absolutely miserable! I wondered if I was being brainwashed by all the media hype. It was only when I got calls from friends who felt as bad, and for the same nostlagic reasons, I realised how much MJ meant to children born in the 70's and 80's.

I get teary-eyed as I type this. Again, it's not so much for the love of MJ…but due to the fact that he played a HUGE role as a childhood icon and as an ambassador for peace. He made us groove, and also inspired most of us to "make the world a better place". Every album of his had at least ONE song dedicated to a larger cause. For me, he gave the best memories I could have of my sister and me :)

Sure there were the weird stories, but who does not have a screwed up personal life? Celebrities in particular, are constantly in the media eye - having to live a surreal life of pleasing the public and having no private life. For MJ, it started at age 5.

Michael Jackson - May your soul R.I.P and may your soulful music rip the world. You will not be remembered for the allegations, but for the legend you left behind; for your music, for the way you moved and the way you moved us...and with that, I hope you can find your peace.

Investigating the i-pill

2008-11-12T00:38:00.001+05:30

Published in Rave Magazine, Nov 2008, Special edition on 'Youth'

Fear. Shame. Anger. Guilt.

These are the typical emotions one associates with an unwanted pregnancy - in a country where chastity before marriage is expected by many; where women continue to bear the brunt of an unwanted pregnancy. The availability of the emergency contraceptive has, however, transformed these feelings of pain and anguish into hope and happiness. We live in an age where options are limitless to the youth of today – and the availability of this little pink pill has spawned many choices. To choose contraception instead of abortion. To choose sexuality over morality. To choose living with hope instead of living in fear.

What is an emergency contraceptive pill?

Emergency Contraceptive Pills (also known as ECP’s or morning after pills), are drugs that prevent the ovulation or fertilization of an egg in a woman. If an egg is already fertilized, the pill may prevent it from attaching itself to the lining of the womb – thus stopping it from forming into a zygote. A pregnancy can only be established if a fertilized egg attaches itself to the womb, and this typically

happens 2-3 days after sexual intercourse.

The ECP is not the same as an abortion pill, as it does not destroy a zygote, but merely prevents it from forming. The effectiveness of emergency contraception is best when taken within 12 hours of intercourse, with 72 hours being the maximum time limit for it to work.

The ECP is also different from the regular contraceptive pill as it stops ovulation or fertilization instead of inhibiting sperm penetration. It is supposed to be ten times more potent that a regular contraceptive pill – which is why it is marketed as an ‘emergency’ contraceptive pill. It is only to be used as a last resort in the event of contraceptive failure or unprotected intercourse, to prevent pregnancy. The ECP does not act as a barrier contraceptive - meaning it cannot prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

There are non oral options for emergency contraception available, such as intrauterine methods where a device (such as the Copper T) is inserted in the uterus during the time a pregnancy is not desired. These methods are expensive and not as popular as ECP’s. The associated side effects are also higher as compared to ECP’s.

The Indian market

The emergency contraceptive pill was made an over-the counter (OTC) drug in 2005, but it was only with the advent of the popular i-pill advertisements that the public became aware of such a product. There are currently about seven ECP brands available in the Indian market, all of them sold over the counter (ECee2, Norlevo, Pill 72, Pregnon, Preventol, Unwanted 72).

The cost of Cipla's i-pill is currently Rs 82.50 and is easily available in any chemist shop. Though the oral ECP is the cheapest form of emergency contraception, the i-pill’s price may not be very inviting to a vast majority of the Indian population. The Consortium for Emergency Contraception in

India

states that “pricing should be kept as low as possible, to make it accessible to poorer classes, in whose case the need may be more.” Unfortunately, the i-pill does not address this.

Cipla has also set up helpline numbers to answer questions about the i-pill. The numbers are 1800-22-9898 and 022-3200 0055 and are operational 7 days a week. The operators are only available between 9.30 am and 6 pm. This means that any queries that occur the night before or the morning after, need to wait.

Cipla also has an exclusive website for the i-pill (www.i-pillcipla.com) with an exhaustive FAQ list. Strangely, it took me many minutes and the combination of several keywords to find this website via google. There is also no mention of the i-pill on the Cipla wikipedia entry. There are however, blogs and webzines that have information and opinions on the product.

Wonder drug or wicked drug?
The common side effects associated with an ECP or a birth-control pill include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and headaches. Cipla’s i-pill also warns users of “chances of unexpected vaginal bleeding, but this is not dangerous and should clear up by the time you have your next period.” A medical check-up is not required for consuming the i-pill (unless you have a serious health ailment) and the i-pill claims to have no long-term or serious side effects. All these factors are expected in a drug that is easily available without medical prescription.

While some doctors say the i-pill is harmless, there are others who advise consultation prior to the consumption of the pill. Contraceptive pills, in general, are known to be infamous for causing ovarian cancer and other hormonal problems, and the i-pill’s side effects cannot be ignored. There are some doctors who state that the i-pill can cause complications such as menstrual irregularities and abdominal pain. Over-use could also lead to infertility among women.

They also suggest that the i-pill should also ideally be used by women between the age of 25 and 45, and only as an emergency measure. But there are a number of teenagers who consume the pill as a regular contraceptive, without knowing its detrimental effects. Many young women feel they can do without other forms of contraception, without realizing the dangers of STD’s or hormonal imbalance. The i-pill comes in a box that warns users about it not preventing sexually transmitted diseases, but states nothing about age group or how often it can be used. A health warning comes inside the packet about the adverse effects of the pill – in fine print that is quite likely to be ignored by distressed women who are rushing to prevent their pregnancies.

The power of communication

There is no doubt that Cipla’s aggressive marketing strategy ensured it became the number one ECP brand name in everyone’s mind. Advertising not only helps to popularize a product, but shapes opinions of it as well.

Cipla played it safe by targeting its first set of advertisements at married couples. You had a newly married couple, a middle aged couple, and a young couple (with their wedding rings as prominent as the product itself) in the television advertisements. Even though the ads captured the sensitivity of the issue of unwanted pregnancy, there are mixed opinions in they way they handled it. Vineet Kumar, a software professional says, “the ads capture the anxieties of the couple very well and help allay the fears of unwanted pregnancy.” While Sandhya Rao, a knowledge manager says, “Why is it the woman's onus to ensure there are no "repercussions" to what both participants "enjoyed"?”

The newer television ads are more in-your-face and also include the unmarried woman.

One ad in particular, has a salwar clad, bindi wearing girl as the worried protagonist. This shatters the myth that only ‘skirt wearing party going’ girls engage in sexual activities. The new ad campaign focuses on the advantage of prevention over cure – the tagline being “Because prevention is better than abortion. Isn’t it?”

The other ad shows a woman getting a call at about 2 a.m. from a distressed friend/relative who has engaged in unprotected sex. She advises the woman in distress to take the i-pill as a precaution, to stop a pregnancy from happening, instead of waiting for an abortion. What struck me about this ad, was the ease with which they brushed the topic of unprotected sex. The NACO is going the extra mile with its condom ads and ring tone, but this ad seems to do just the opposite. No doubt the purpose of the i-pill is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but the ad could have spoken of a case of failed contraception as against no contraception, and driven home the point that the i-pill does not prevent venereal diseases. This is particularly interesting, since Cipla is one of the largest manufacturers of antiretroviral drugs (that fight HIV/AIDS).

The i-pill ads also do nothing in educating the public about the side effects caused due to misuse of the product. Ashwini Rao, a finance professional says “The company should realise that they are selling a serious product, and should come with a warning that these pills are to be taken in an emergency situation only.” (Addendum: Mint magazine has written an article on how these ads have come under the govt.scanner)

‘Getting back to life’

The sexuality of the modern Indian is no longer something to be embarrassed or ashamed of – but something to acknowledge. The i-pill is therefore not just a pill, but a reflection of the way the youth thinks. The message that prevention is better than cure appeals to many – and has left us with a useful and perhaps life-changing choice. A woman no longer has to undergo pregnancy, motherhood or a forced marriage in the event things do not go as planned.

The i-pill is definitely a better choice over abortion – in a country where approximately 20,000 women die annually due to unsafe abortions. It is also a great option in the event of forced intercourse or rape. While it cannot erase the trauma of rape, it can at least eliminate the possibility of childbirth.

The i-pill is perhaps a welcoming sign of the changing times,but the grey areas cannot be ignored. The availability of the pill as an OTC drug tends to encourage over-consumption of the product, posing serious health risks. And like regular contraceptives, there is no guarantee that the ECP is 100% foolproof. The only way to know if it has worked is if a woman’s period resumes. Till then, she has to wait and watch and worry.

Whether the i-pill encourages sexual irresponsibility or not is also debatable. Back in the 70’s, a typical response to “main tere bacche ki maa banne wali hoon” (I'm going to be the mother of you child) would have been that of anger and blame. With the i-pill, one may not hear such statements anymore, but one might get to see a new breed of pill-popping PYT's who enjoy sexual freedom at the cost of their health. We still have a long way to go before male hormonal contraceptives are available in the market. Till then, birth control continues to be a woman's responsibility.

For the youth, such an option is available – but do more options liberate us or confuse us?

(All images have been taken from the internet)

Synthpop goes my heart!

2008-09-07T17:56:00.000+05:30

It is for my love of the music, beats, clothes, hairstyles, accessories and moves shown in the video below I strongly believe I was born in the wrong time and place!

Yes that is Hugh Grant (who looks rather young) who can't dance and this video is from a movie I happened to see today and is a really cute tribute to 80's pop!

And I am so so so so glad that skinny jeans and pink hair highlights made a comeback!

Guess the Boys - II

2008-08-04T18:40:00.000+05:30

An Apple a Day

2008-05-26T11:52:00.001+05:30

An apple a day keeps the doctor away
If the doctor is cute, keep the apple away
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Only if you aim well ;)
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
A garlic a day keeps everyone away
(Vampires too!)
An apple a day also keeps allergies away
Antioxidants and all
If an apple a day causes leukemia,
It’s been genetically modified.
An apple a day
Makes the oranges and mangoes jealous
An apple, one day
Did not keep Adam away
An Apple a day keeps Microsoft away
I heard people in New York never need to see a doctor...
An apple a day sadly does not keep the creeps and pests away!
An apple a day,
Makes a hole in your pocket :(
An apple a day,
Is bloody addictive!
Many apples a day
will constipate you...
You're the apple of my eye
No Wait! It's just a sty...
An apple of the eye a day
Keeps the opthalmologist away

Lively and Unpredictable

2008-02-25T10:28:00.000+05:30

I'm a stage actor (of sorts)
perhaps that explains why I'm so 'skit'tish

Virginal one liner

2007-12-27T18:45:00.000+05:30

Man chases woman - woman likes to be chaste

Maidan-e-Jung

2007-12-26T09:41:00.000+05:30

Look at the results for a Jung personality test I did.

ENTJ - "Field Marshall". The basic driving force and need is to lead. Tends to seek a position of responsibility and enjoys being an executive. 1.8% of total population.

Try the Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

If only I had tried for the Indian Army.
Who knows - I might have had a parade ground or a road named after me :)

Diagram of a blog

2007-05-20T21:26:00.000+05:30

I couldn't agree more...click on the image for a larger view

Indian Beatles!!!

2007-04-07T13:55:00.001+05:30

Bollywood legend Shami Kapoor coupled with the king of all playback singers - Mohd. Rafi - create magic in the following video. If you thought Anu Mallik was the only copy-cat in Bollywood, you're so wrong!

Autogato - would you call this plagiarism or creativity? ;)

For another perspective - click here

For me however - Shammi and Rafi rock :)

'Enery the VIII I am!

2006-11-17T09:00:00.000+05:30

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE happy rock from the 60's...and I was so happy when I discovered the following video i just HAD TO share it with everyone I knew...this is one of my favorite songs and the lead singer (Peter Noone) looks absolutely adorable

Henry the VIII by Herman's Hermits:

For those of you who cannot follow cockney, here are the lyrics:

I'm Henry the eighth I am
Henry the eighth I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an Henry (Henry)
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam)
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
Henry the eighth I am

Second verse same as the first

I'm Henry the eighth I am
Henry the eighth I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an Henry (Henry)
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam)
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
Henry the eighth I am

H-E-N-R-Y
Henry (Henry)
Henry (Henry)
Henry the eighth I am, I am
Henry the eighth I am

Yeah!

Guess the boys

2006-08-20T13:26:00.000+05:30

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

2006-08-08T13:42:00.000+05:30

"Originally the Whoopass Girls, the Powerpuff Girls were created by CalArts student Craig McCracken in 1992 in his short film Nikki's Ninja Fighting Superpowered Girls! in A Sticky Situation. The short was selected for Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation in 1994; subsequently McCracken submitted it to Cartoon Network while working on Dexter's Laboratory. As Cartoon Network couldn't keep the offending name, the girls were renamed the Powerpuff Girls.

As of March of 2006, The Powerpuff Girls has been taken off the air due to bad scheduling and a lack of popularity. However, episodes still air in Britain .... While many believe that the series is canceled, Craig McCracken denies this. He is currently busy working on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and most of the crew who worked on the series is busy with other projects. McCracken states that in time, he will make a few more episodes of The Powerpuff Girls."

source: wikipedia
_________________________________

Whoopass girls...interesting :))
and I'm still not sure why it would feature in the sick and twisted cartoons festival.... twisted maybe...but not sick!

For those who want to download the spoof on the beatles, click here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005MEP9/102-5515632-5316108?v=glance&n=404272

Wikipedia's take on The powerpuff girls Meet the Beat-Alls:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_the_Beat-Alls

Obituary

2006-04-14T15:52:00.002+05:30

One of the greatest legends of Kannada culture passed away on Wednesday, and this is how his fans paid homage to him:

Rajkumar was truly the ‘prince’ of Kannada cinema. He was not just a great actor, but an icon of Kannada culture. To quote my friend KS, “Put Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bacchan into one person, and you have Rajkumar”. He was a simple man, who never got into politics. Post the Veerappan kidnapping, the state’s respect for him grew twice fold. In fact, he even suffered from a mild form of Stockholm syndrome following his kidnap. He respected his fans as if they were gods, referring to them as abhimani devargalu.

...and this is what they gave him in return.

Apparently the agitated fans went on a rampage because they were denied a glimpse of their Annavaru (elder brother), and thought that attacking the police and destroying public property would prove a point. 5 people have been reported dead after yesterday’s violence.

A friend of mine who happens to know the Rajkumar family was appalled at the attitude of the kannadigas who had come to pay their last respects. ‘Fans’ had destroyed the compound wall of the star, turning into actors themselves by faking sorrow every time a camera appeared in front of them. He told me that “Karnataka witnessed two deaths yesterday, the death of one of the greatest icons of Kannada culture, and the death of culture amongst Bangaloreans.”

Up north, young Javed Mohammed breathed his last after succumbing to third degree burns. Javed single-handedly rescued six children from a devastating fire at Meerut three days ago. His family members believe that he died due to medical negligence, and they resorted to throwing stones at the hospital where he was admitted.

Thursday was a sad day. A day of many deaths. The death of a celluloid hero, the death of a real hero, and the death of basic human respect.

May their souls rest in peace.

Mirth & Merriment

2006-01-15T18:30:00.000+05:30

Good friends of the Bottle! Good Comrades of Mine,
Stand up and pledge deeply the god of the Wine
Who makes duties vanish, and sad memories fade,
Each amour requited, each corking debt paid!
- Anonymous--Old French Poem

Bryng us in good ale, and bryng us in good ale;
For our blyssed lady sake, bryng us in good ale.
Bryng us in no browne bred, for that is mad of brane;
Nor bring us in no whyt bred, for therein is no game,
But bryng us in good ale
- Anonymous, circa 15th century

Drinking will make a man quaff,
Quaffing will make a man sing,
Singing will make a man laugh,
And laughing long life doth bring,
Says old Simon the King.
- Anonymous, Old Sir Simon the King, referring to Simon Wadloe, tavern-keeper at the "Devil," Fleet Street, 1621

Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used.
Exclaim no more against it.
- William Shakespeare, Othello, 1622

Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over;
For to-night we'll merry be
To-morrow we'll be sober.
- Old Song, 18th century

This bottle's the sun of our table,
His beams are rosy wine;
We planets that are not able
Without his light to shine.
- Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Duenna, 1775

If with water you fill up your glasses,
You'll never write anything wise;
For wine is the horse of Parnassus,
Which hurries a bard to the skies.
- Thomas Moore, 1806

Oh for a beaker full of the warm South,
Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene!
With beaded bubbles winking at the brim,
And purple-stained mouth.
- John Keats, Ode to a Nightingale, 1819

I taste a liquor never brewed
From Tankards scooped in Pearl
Not all the Vats upon the Rhine
Yield such an Alcohol!
- Emily Dickinson, 19th century

Sparkling and bright, in liquid light,
Does the wine our goblets gleam in;
With hue as red as the rosy bed
Which a bee would choose to dream in.
- Charles Fenno Hoffman, Sparkling and Bright, 1842

A medium Vodka dry Martini--with a slice of lemon peel. Shaken and not stirred.
- Ian Fleming, Dr. No, 1958

Here With my beer I sit,
While golden moments flit:
Alas! They pass
Unheeded by:
And as they fly, I,
Being dry,
Sit, idly sipping here
My beer.
- George Arnold, Beer, last century

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
- George Carlin, stand up comedian, this century

And last but not the least:

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
- The Bible, I Timothy (ch. V, v. 23)

Yellaru wokay, cool drink yakke????

1 Continuous shot

2005-12-23T18:26:00.000+05:30

got this cool snippet form songfacts.com:

The video Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve featured "one continuous shot of Ashcroft bumping into people as he walked down Hoxton Street, a crowded shopping area in London. Other videos with 1 continuous shot include Lisa Loeb's Stay and Coldplay's Yellow"

Cool ah?

Can you think of any other music video which is just one shot?

is U2's 'Sweetest Thing' one shot?

Mainstream music!

2005-11-10T11:07:00.000+05:30

The love song of H J Singh

2005-10-21T16:41:00.000+05:30

Two friends and I were carolling and decided to get a bit creative. The following song is to be sung to the tune of 'Jingle Bells' ;)

Balle belles balle belles
Balle all the way
Oye tussi aao saade naal
Balle in the khet
HEY!
Balle belles balle belles
Balle all the way
Tussi aao saade naal
Balle in the hay

Dashing through the khet
On a tractor with my mate
Eating sarso da saag
With a soni kudiye

Come to my Punjaab
For there I am the King
And if you marry me you'll be
Mrs. Happy Singh

Hey!

Balle belles balle belles
Balle all the way
Oye tussi aao saade naal
Balle in the khet
HEY!
Balle belles balle belles
Balle all the way
Tussi aao saade naal
Balle in the hay

The True Meaning of Love

2005-10-02T23:19:00.000+05:30

Following the events of a creep bothering my roomie, and a great story I had read in ‘Chicken Poop for the Soul’, I was inspired to compose the following. This was published as a V days special in my University newspaper in 2003. The speaker is your average creep, and this story may help to justify why creeps are the way they are.

“All you need is love…love is all you need” said the Beatles.

People talk about love all the time, They discuss it, preach it, make movies on it, overrate it…but no one could possibly know what love really means, the way I do. I learnt the true meaning of love right here, in Hyderabad Central University.

It all started at the famed tea-shop that people lovingly call ‘Gops’. A few years ago, the most beautiful girl in the world came there to have a cup of tea. She was a regular visitor, and occasionally, our eyes would meet, and she would demurely look away. I was careful to only look at her and not become a tea-shop starer in the process. (You see I was quite concerned about women and their issues). This carried on for months, but I never dared to speak to her.

As those months sped by, toward the end of each day, I found myself looking at my watch, counting the moments until I might see my mystery woman again. I began bunking my classes so that I could reach Gops early. I would lounge around, see her approaching on her cycle, and only then proceed to order a cup of tea for myself. As this went on and on, I realised, to my amazement, that I was falling in love with her.

Finally one bright sunny day, I summoned the courage to speak to her, “Excuse me, what is your….” And that’s when I saw her roommate yell “You’re engaged?!!! Wow! Congrats!!”

She was engaged. I was shattered. Suddenly, everything seemed vague and endless. I stopped going to Gops; I even stopped going to class! My fantasy, my dreams, heck, even my reality had been destroyed!

But one day, one fine day, I saw a stray dog eating from a garbage bin and an epiphany happened! I realized how silly I had been. Just because she was not free to love me, I had stopped loving her. I had fallen into a terrible trap. I realised that my love for her had been so dependent on her returning those feelings.

On that day, I realized that true love is unconditional. I had spent too much time all my life refusing to love another person until I could be sure that my love was returned. That was not love, that was simply a form of narcissism. The real expression of true love does not need anything in return, and I was in love with her.

I shaved, freshened up, read a bit (all this after what seemed like ages) and rushed to Gops at 6 p.m. sharp. I saw her, and this time, without any second thoughts, I stared at her. I realised that mere glances were not enough to show my true love for her. And so I kept staring at her, continuously, without batting an eyelid.

I kept this up for a week. I had to let her know that I could never lose sight of her, she was so precious to me. She would understand. To reassure her, I followed her all the way to her hostel. Sometimes I even followed her to her classroom or to the library. I would then happily turn around and proceed with my other work.

A few days later, I managed to find out her room number. To my luck her window was right in front of the hostel gate. I then started standing in front of her window, and with every glance of her, my love for her just grew. Every time she lifted the phone and said “Hello…hello…who is this?”, my heart throbbed for her. It did not matter to me that she did not love me – anyone can love a person who loves them back. But I was experiencing a truer love.

Her roomie had yelled at me on a couple of occasions. Her classmates would shout at me and hurl streams of abuses everytime they saw me. Some stronger looking men in her class even threatened to beat me up, but that did not stop me.

One freezing cold day she saw me standing outside her window, and came rushing outside, adorably bundled in shawl with tears in her eyes, asking me to stop it and to leave forever.

That was when I realized how much she cared for me – she knew about my asthmatic condition and was genuinely concerned, else why did she decide to speak to me personally? I loved her even more than ever. I promptly returned the next day, and continued to stalk her and stare at her, day after day; winter turned to summer, and this went on.

I was summoned by my faculty, the students’ union, the women’s collective and his Excellency the Vice Chancellor. They warned me to stay away from her. Anonymous people starting pasting posters about me all around the campus. I only smiled. What kind of weak love, I wondered, could be so easily deterred by the cold hands of law? True love, I knew, could not surrender so easily.

A few days later a big man approached me at Gops. He must have been her fiancé, who was never around for her the way I was. He punched me several times, in front of everyone. This, I understood, was a true test of my love. Too often in life I had allowed embarrassment or discomfort to force me to hide my feelings. Not any more. Each blow on my face strengthened my love for her, as they served to prove the depth of my feelings.

Whoever thought that being rusticated from the University would keep me away from her? If a flimsy piece of paper could stop me, then my love for her could not possibly be true.

Many others would have stopped after the first arrest, but those people are the kinds who are dependant on the feelings of others to determine their own feelings. If my love could not survive a few months of separation, it was mere infatuation. Lust. So on the day of my release I returned to her hostel. (The security guard was always asleep.) I stood in front of her window, loving her even more than ever.

The toughest test of my love came when they shifted me to the asylum. It has been a year now, and often I’ve wondered if I still love her. But I know that that is what they want me to think. And then I remember that true love cannot be defeated by time or distance; true love is eternal. And no matter how long they keep me locked away, no matter how long they test my resolve, the hour I am free I will return to her side.

For that is the true meaning of love.

“Whatever you do, I’ll be two steps behind you,
Wherever you go, and I’ll be there to remind you
That it only takes a minute of your precious time
To turn around, I’ll be two steps behind.”

Mount Carmel College

2005-08-19T15:21:00.004+05:30

I happened to unearth this really old article I had written for mtvindia.com in 1999, while still in college.

MOUNT CARMEL COLLEGE

Nothing could be a better attention grabber than that. For the tube lights who still have the 'gases' running through their bheja, this is probably the first girls college any Bangalorean can think of. Interested persons may read on.

MCC - Also known as the 'fashion ramp' college because of the number of models and Miss India's it has produced. Of course, this college has also produced some excellent sports persons, contingent commanders (defence type dudettes), businesswomen, journalists and actors. In simpler words, the BESTEST girls are here.

How to get there: Ask any guy for directions.

Best mode of transportation: A CBZ or any cool bike, cos only that will help u 'pick up' the chicks.

Dress code: a 'modest' code, the meaning of which only the princi knows.

Places to visit: The drives, curves, canteen, auditorium, dilapidated buildings and union room.

Danger zones: The English dept. and the main gate. Can be visited only if u wanna get jacked.

People to visit: Sr. Jesuina (princi), Chechi (lady in the canteen), Mutthu (the keys guy) and the nutty union.

People to avoid: Mrs. Ranita Hirji, Mr. Ramesh, Miss Priscila, The librarian, the dogs on the drive and all people mentioned in this article, when they’re in a bad mood.

Most wanted students: Kavita Shekar (college prez.) and Jyotsna Grover (general sec. alias 'attendance girl')

Hang out spots: The drive, the canteen and the porch.

Things to do: Eat Chechi's greasy donuts and talk about your latest diet, eat in general, hang out at the cool spots, pass comments at others when really jobless, get jacked by the lecturers, study once in a while and attend cultural fests.

Courses offered: PUC - Science, Commerce and Arts, BA, BCom, BSc, MCom and some vocational courses such as Travel and Tourism (if u wanna go abroad), Communicative English (to communicate when u go abroad) and Nutrition & Dietetics (So that u don’t get constipated when you are abroad).

Admission criteria: U gotta be

1) Female or convincing enuff.
2) Smart and good looking3) A smart 'ass'et to the college.

If admission is still tough then either become a catholic, or a model.

Types of people found: Mad nuts, wannabe babes, serious studs, enthu patakis, dramatic dudettes, freakin fuskis and college and admin. staff.

Facilities available for treating the above: Psycho lab, Science lab, Playground with the works, Library, Chapel and greasy canteen food.

Other facilities: Audis with sad and good acoustics, loads of old buildings and a Coca-Cola counter.

Co-curricular activities: Adam teasing, gupshup, eating, fashion team, NCC, public speaking association, dramatics, quiz association, nature club etc etc etc.

Most happening event of the year: CUL-AH, the college fest that happens every January.

Most important activity throughout the year: Yenjayment!!!!

Greatest achievers of MCC: Lara Dutta, Vasundhara Das, Maya Sharma, Nisha Millet and Aparna Popat to name a few...

and now you can even add Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma to this list!