tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29924602072187873342023-10-05T16:21:21.310+05:30For What It's Worth.Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-75980132617993932202016-05-18T13:47:00.002+05:302016-05-18T13:47:54.890+05:30Another Man's Wife - Manjulal Bajaj<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-72QZtAY3BJs/VzwjX9zjcoI/AAAAAAAANnI/JrtDT7aymnYZNzUUZmT1mKOYmyGKdISywCLcB/s1600/Manjulal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-72QZtAY3BJs/VzwjX9zjcoI/AAAAAAAANnI/JrtDT7aymnYZNzUUZmT1mKOYmyGKdISywCLcB/s1600/Manjulal.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Another-Mans-Wife-Manjul-Bajaj-ebook/dp/B008YNAMDU" target="_blank">Another Man's Wife</a></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.4px; line-height: 14.56px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.4px; line-height: 14.56px;">ISBN: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.6; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">9789350094921</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.4px; line-height: 14.56px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.4px; line-height: 14.56px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.4px; line-height: 14.56px;">First Published: 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Synopsis:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A collection of nine stories based mainly around rural India, with women as central characters</span></span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Genre:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Fiction, Drama</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Language:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">No profanity.</span></span><br />
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.2pt;">Favorite Quote:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">When you are in the presence of a good story, it is the only possible story - no other stories exist in that moment. ("Marrying Nusrat")</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Review:<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2012, I had reviewed <a href="http://musingsanddoodlings.blogspot.no/2012/01/a-calendar-too-crowded-sagarika.html" target="_blank">A Calendar Too Crowded</a>, and I was so disappointed by the depiction of women as either defensive or sorry figures. It was, therefore, with mixed feelings, that I took up Another Man's Wife.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bajaj's women are not defensive. They are defiant and strong, with shades of grey. They aren't always right or moral, and <i>that's perfectly alright</i>. I loved every minute and every story of it. The simplicity of the stories, set amongst the most varied of backgrounds and Indian history, made for a riveting read.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take for example, the first story, <span style="color: #990000;">"Ripe Mangoes"</span>, where the protaganist is sleeping with her daughter's tuition teacher. As the story progresses, we end up loving her, EVEN when she slaps her daughter and says "Stop Snivelling, you little bitch."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or the story of Ulsha Minj in <span style="color: #990000;">"the Birthmark"</span>, a slave turned wife, who decided not to abort her girl child. Tackling one of the biggest problems for Indian women, this story could have easily been preachy or condemning. It was neither, and much more importantly, the ending was quite unexpected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or the story of <span style="color: #990000;">"Me and Sammy Fernandez"</span>, a story of a husband-murderer set amidst a beautiful jazz background in Goa. Again, it's not the story itself that is riveting. It is the way each element is played out - the father who opposes the love marriage initially and becomes the crusader of rights for inter-caste marriages; the man who changes after marriage, and the woman who keep giving herself excuses to stay in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or the story of<span style="color: #990000;"> "Marrying Nusrat" </span>with it's thoughtful little touchers - be it a teenager getting a nickname when he mishears "PRA" as "Pyaare", the struggle of the shift from a village to a city ("To be a poor man in a big city is a terrible thing - the only bodily fluid you can discharge with dignity is sweat") or the background of old hindi songs playing on a transistor in a tea stall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or the story of <span style="color: #990000;">"Under a moonlit sky"</span>, which shows the plight of houseboat owners in Srinagar during the terror attacks, something I have frankly not given much thought to (and if I had read this first, I would have been more generous with the "Shikara" owner in Dal lake). While the houseboats resort to desperate means to survive, the once honeymooners of the houseboat are desperate for completely different reasons. </span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Verdict:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This book is not a sob story. It's the story of women who are fighters, women who have not given up, and are happy with taking their destiny in their own hands. This book is not just about strong women. It's the story of middle class and rural India, who have their own battles to fight. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its fairly obvious by now, that the book is strongly recommended for a read. At least one of the nine stories is going to resonate with you. </span></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-16042022499630459512016-02-15T04:07:00.000+05:302016-02-15T19:30:21.386+05:30Of Empusa and Turongs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Hurons and Turongs lived on the opposite sides of a very temperamental river, Empusa. They weren't very good at farming, but the presence of the moody and ferocious river (very aptly named by the way), and the fact that each side owned 30 acres of land, sort of forced their hand into it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Come springtime, the two families hired temporary labourers to till the land and sow the seeds. Empusa was fine with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">....Until one day, when she decided she wasn't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She unleashed herself on the Hurons in full fury. She overflew her banks, destroyed all the saplings and swept off the soils, ODing on the fertilizers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Turongs could hear her go, and knew that it would be their turn next.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Why, it sounds like she is laughing!" They said, with reluctant admiration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"We have to build a canal and ensure that she stays on the right."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Yes, she must not turn towards us!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thus decided, the Turongs started an elaborate mission of creating a canal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Four days later, Empusa was relatively calm. She turned and started watching them, laboriously digging and planting the walls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"What are you doing?" She seemed to ask.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Trying to one-up you!" Turongs replied.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"So, the canal is to make me turn right?" Empusa asked and snickered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Turongs stopped working, unsure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"What's so funny?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Well, everybody knows that Turongs don't make a right!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She cackled, turned and destroyed their farm in a single swoosh.</span></div>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-75271438120616129582014-12-26T18:36:00.000+05:302014-12-29T14:13:30.426+05:30The Sambar is calling!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As a family, we have had a jinx which was turning out to be a hard one to break – the jinx of no holidays. In the last 1.5 years, we planned, paid and cancelled five holidays. Five! It was getting to us, to the extent that we wanted to go on a holiday just to get it over with. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After a lot of planning and replanning, the Tadoba safari finally happened. It was a gamble to go at this time, but happy that it paid off. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3gDrYAUT1hM/VJ1cC9sjXRI/AAAAAAAAM4U/HheO_f9JjSM/s1600/Tadoba%2BJune%2B2012%2B1264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3gDrYAUT1hM/VJ1cC9sjXRI/AAAAAAAAM4U/HheO_f9JjSM/s1600/Tadoba%2BJune%2B2012%2B1264.jpg" height="198" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve</b> is one of the oldest tiger reserves in Maharashtra, and it is to the State Government’s credit that they have stood by their animals. There are no stalls, and no noises within the reserve, except for the ones made by the inhabitants. Though the spotting of a tiger ensures that about 50 odd cameras start clicking simultaneously, trapping every moment, it is all done in a silence so complete, it feel therapeutic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, to add on to the latest of fads of e-lists, here are top 5 reasons why one should go to a tiger-reserve:</span><br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5KIgHbSZ0IQ/VJ1cCf_P-cI/AAAAAAAAM4M/-iK0TH2pChA/s1600/sambar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5KIgHbSZ0IQ/VJ1cCf_P-cI/AAAAAAAAM4M/-iK0TH2pChA/s1600/sambar.jpg" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Get electronics-detox: </b>I left the mobile at home, and surprisingly, didn’t miss it for 36 hours. Of course, there was anyway no signal for a phone call, leave alone a 3G.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Re-introduce yourselves to silence: </b>I don’t know when we last encountered silence, and were at peace with it. There is so much to hear in silence – one’s thoughts for starters. My son, who would be hard-pressed to be calm at any given point of time, just sat down next to the lake and stayed still. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <b>Be the visitors, for a change:</b> Animals have the right of the way in a jungle. We wouldn’t know that in a zoo, or in a national park. In a safari, however, there is no human to nudge the animals towards the viewers. We have to be lucky, not entitled to view them. Once, a set of 4 wild dogs sat down in the middle of the road, and all the jeeps stopped. They waited patiently for the dogs to get up and go back into the wilderness. There was no honking, no talking and certainly no stone throwing – just a patient waiting. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <b>Understand how fascinating a jungle truly is:</b> Since there is no human forcing the animals on to the road, it’s up to the guide to track the animals – and they track it in the most interesting way possible – through the Sambar calls. Sambars are supposed to be dead accurate in pointing out where the tiger is. Her single sweet call resonates through the jungle, warning everyone (even the monkeys climbed up on trees when they hear it). Our guide stood on the jeep, head cocked, tracing the Sambar call, and giving us an update on how she is moving. We thought he is joking, when he pointed a finger at where she might come, and there she was. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rDC3-O1HWEI/VJ1cCRp5X-I/AAAAAAAAM4I/XZJcn6lv3Wc/s1600/tiger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rDC3-O1HWEI/VJ1cCRp5X-I/AAAAAAAAM4I/XZJcn6lv3Wc/s1600/tiger.jpg" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Acclimatize yourselves to the real king/queens of the jungle:</b> A 200 kg tiger is an awesome sight. I don’t think anyone who has seen her/him can ever get used to the sheer size and power of the beautiful beast. Sinewy limbs and curves define her, and you‘ve got to admire the beauty that is capable of killing you, should the opportunity ever arise. She knows that, and the power of that knowledge sets her free in the reserve. It’s a different ball park in a zoo of course.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Waiting for our next safari already!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">PS: The photos are sourced from Google Image search and are not taken by me. :)</span><br />
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-77039523543241902972014-07-21T12:35:00.000+05:302014-07-21T12:35:52.131+05:30The intricacies of the side hug<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I can do a lot of things - a successful side hug is not one of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">About five years ago, I evolved from the arms-on-shoulder girl to a bear-hug woman. The sheer joy of giving and receiving so much love in a simple platonic strong-hold is so comforting. But, for the life of me, I cannot master the side-hug. There are a lot of mind-blocks attached to it:</span><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It seems akin to air-kissing - the half-heartedness of it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I never know when which hug is intended.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Arm pits. Enough said.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Considering that the Side-Hug is the new Hand Shake, I had resigned myself to accept and practice it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But then, the inevitable mortifying episode happened. I had to meet the partner of my firm - in a hotel - for dinner (All hints for why I thought this was semi-casual). I come in, and he gets up and says in genuine pleasure, "It's so nice to see you!", with arms wide open. Obviously pleased, I go straight on and hug him. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Turns out, it was meant to be a side hug. For a full 2 seconds, I am awkwardly wrapped around him, and he is trying to bring me to the side.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, I made a mental note :</span><br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No hug, until it is initiated.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Only side-hugs with bosses.</span></li>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0V__PzN9O1A/U8y6obXIk8I/AAAAAAAAMqA/IRxkJ1g8HTI/s1600/sidehug.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0V__PzN9O1A/U8y6obXIk8I/AAAAAAAAMqA/IRxkJ1g8HTI/s1600/sidehug.png" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Things were falling into place, when 2 days back, the same thing happened with a colleague of mine. Giraffe that she is, It was really awkward that I was standing on my toes, going all out, while she is wondering what to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seriously, I give up. New rule - Only Side-hugs. Period. If you come and go all frontal on me, I'll go berserk.</span><br />
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-71399655796390025742014-06-10T18:28:00.000+05:302014-06-11T05:37:48.863+05:30Charting Parenting Expectations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I remember one of my friends once mentioning that she is planning to have kids. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>
“Why?”, I asked casually.</i></span></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>She sounded surprised at the question. “Because I am going to be 30! Everyone my age already is a mother.”</i></span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>“But that really can’t be the criteria for wanting kids.”</i></span></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>“You already are a mother. You don’t know the pressure we go through”. </i></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hmm. Before I start this post, let’s get a couple of things out of the way: </span><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am a very happy and content mother. I have a son I adore, and who reciprocates that back. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have a very happy life. Enough said. </span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, despite being that spoilt, I still warn every wanna-be mothers to think it (it=baby fetish) through. There are very strong reasons for that warning, and I thought of making some charts to explain it <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(just so, next time I can send a link to this post instead of lecturing the poor souls!)</span></i>: </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>Things to look forward to while parenting</u></b></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Time Crunch:</b> No time for hobbies, sleep, friends or for exercise.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Average time spent for various activities</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QU-_Xjr23p4/U5cZW9-icVI/AAAAAAAAMgc/LC8xxIU9hoA/s1600/22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QU-_Xjr23p4/U5cZW9-icVI/AAAAAAAAMgc/LC8xxIU9hoA/s1600/22.png" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li><b>Advice overload:</b> Everyone who has an internet connection (or memory) is going to give you an advice.</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources of advice</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rJRS3W-n0jk/U5ca0sNkgUI/AAAAAAAAMgs/BUtC7DznRms/s1600/44.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rJRS3W-n0jk/U5ca0sNkgUI/AAAAAAAAMgs/BUtC7DznRms/s1600/44.png" height="208" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Finance crunch:</b> There are some additional (unexpectedly expensive) factors to consider.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sources of Expenditure</span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtx4ZKy5AmY/U5cbRKcCuCI/AAAAAAAAMg0/mgQVVbD0lF0/s1600/55.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtx4ZKy5AmY/U5cbRKcCuCI/AAAAAAAAMg0/mgQVVbD0lF0/s1600/55.png" height="230" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li><b>Stress Hike:</b> Every parent, working or otherwise is going to go crazy with guilt, and the sheer number of things to do. </li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stress and Multi-tasking levels</span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-57lUeeSZJ2w/U5cceDBfppI/AAAAAAAAMhE/uIr56dfFKR0/s1600/11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-57lUeeSZJ2w/U5cceDBfppI/AAAAAAAAMhE/uIr56dfFKR0/s1600/11.png" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li><b>Songs Crunch:</b> The choices narrow down inadvertently. </li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frequency of songs heard/sung</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BzNfmSQ7h4c/U5cb4jl0KKI/AAAAAAAAMg8/MmJ6mc0fyvY/s1600/33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BzNfmSQ7h4c/U5cb4jl0KKI/AAAAAAAAMg8/MmJ6mc0fyvY/s1600/33.png" height="208" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Of course, there are some major perks as well. Your life gets a direction, and you (finally) get some perspective. Specifically, there are two things I could think of </span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li><b>Energy Spike:</b> Coming back home is not about resting, but looking forward to some cricket/football time. </li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Average energy levels during the day</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W8ZjfT2B2JM/U5cc6M4KXEI/AAAAAAAAMhM/zfWDVQlf8BA/s1600/66.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W8ZjfT2B2JM/U5cc6M4KXEI/AAAAAAAAMhM/zfWDVQlf8BA/s1600/66.png" height="276" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Work-Life Balance:</b> The chaotic work-life balances and OCDs are finally sorted out.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Average Work-Life Balance in a week</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6vwFsHmFJIQ/U5cdVzsIArI/AAAAAAAAMhU/dq-Cp6EbuyE/s1600/77.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6vwFsHmFJIQ/U5cdVzsIArI/AAAAAAAAMhU/dq-Cp6EbuyE/s1600/77.png" height="207" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Happy parenting (or non-parenting as the case may be)!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Source: Imagination and experience :)</span></div>
</div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-38340110638284076922014-02-27T18:07:00.000+05:302014-02-28T10:11:06.832+05:30The Train-Thief Operating Model<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hypothetically, if you are considering a career as a train-thief, what model would you use? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- A simple case of pick-pocketing from the back?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Use a weapon to scare and/or intimidate? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- The whole run-and-smash-into-a-bystander-and-steal?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But (and what a huge <i>But</i> it is!) what if you are claustrophobic and can't stand the train crowd?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well then, there is a new model of stealing, where you don't have to be technically <u>in the train</u> to do your job. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/indianews/mumbai/woman-tries-to-foil-robbery-in-coma-after-fall-from-train/article1-1118618.aspx" target="_blank">Take this case for example</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A fishing rod may be a one-off case, but the concept itself is not. Let me elaborate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A stretch of my train journey is well-known for such weird-thieving attacks. Since this stretch happens to be a few minutes before I have to get down, I inadvertently end up getting a </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">prime viewing spot. So, in a span of around 4-5 months, I have been a bystander in two attacks: </span><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VeVyNlo9gKY/Uw8yDVgD5fI/AAAAAAAAL0k/ELwv86TccMg/s1600/Train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VeVyNlo9gKY/Uw8yDVgD5fI/AAAAAAAAL0k/ELwv86TccMg/s1600/Train.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Attack 1</b>: Train starts decelerating with the oncoming of the next stop. Girl standing next to the door and playing a game on phone. One </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">hitherto-unseen guy sitting quietly on top of the train throws a well-aimed rock at her hand. Phone is dropped in shock Guy jumps down, picks it up and </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">runs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Attack 2</b>: Speeding train. Girl standing next to the door listening to music on phone. She idly wonders why a man is standing on a </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">lamp-post right next to the rails. As her bogie approaches the post, his hand shoots out. By the time she realises what has </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">happened, the train has sped by, and she is left phone-less.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These incidents are very interesting, not just because of the method of stealing, but because of the reactions it generates in the train. There are, broadly, four categories:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Wise Ass</b>: The middle-aged women who give advice on not using the phone while standing next to the train and not to hang at the train door. Some random ones rant on mobile phones being the bane of our existence.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Angry Ass</b>: These hurl abuses at the thieves, which end up resonating inside the compartment, cracking a few ear-drums. ("M***ch*d!!", "Suar ki Dum", "S**le", "AAAAEEEE").</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Curious Ass</b>: Wondering at the reaction (or lack thereof) in the victim. Take this Overheard conversation between two ladies as an example:</span></li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"She was in shock, Bechari".</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Yes, losing a phone like this".</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"What else could she do, cry in public?"</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"She will go home and cry".</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I am sure."</span></i></blockquote>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Amused Ass</b>: I think that's just me.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-17083425479343794452014-01-17T14:08:00.001+05:302014-01-17T14:08:57.510+05:30Blogathon Post 14: The Questionable dilemma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UrN65Llx9W8/UtjqZe_e94I/AAAAAAAALzM/wsceKx39-2w/s1600/4W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UrN65Llx9W8/UtjqZe_e94I/AAAAAAAALzM/wsceKx39-2w/s1600/4W.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">R's Mom had done a series of posts on answers to some "whys" <a href="http://readingthroughrsmind.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/the-why-answers-blogathon-post-10/" target="_blank">here </a>and <a href="http://readingthroughrsmind.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/more-whys-answered-blogathon-post-15/" target="_blank">here</a>. My son , unlike other kids, does not ask 'Why'. He asks "Where". All the freaking time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Take this for example:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">"So, The Cindrella goes to the birthday party..."</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">"Where?"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">"to the birthday party."</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">"Where?"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">"At the prince's house."</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">"Where?"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">"In a castle in Chennai."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You get the gist right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, keeping the essence of RM's posts, answer the following "Where"s to the best of your abilities (no obvious answers please!):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. "Let's put on socks now". "Where?"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. "Let's go and fly kites.". "Where"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. "You know what time it is?". "Where?"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. "Did you see the moon?" "where?"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. "So the first pig built his house with straw..." "Where?"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. "And then Bambi grew up..." "Where?"</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Looking forward to the answers already!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dreamymommy.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/blogathon-jan-2014/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtCXitahXU0/Utjqc9v76OI/AAAAAAAALzU/U3jOZchKQvU/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-82260508562115607122014-01-16T16:37:00.002+05:302014-01-16T16:37:46.073+05:30Blogathon Post 13: Clients say the darndest things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love my job - not only because it is intellectually satisfying and lets me practice my introvert-ism, but also, because it provides some really good laughs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Following are some of the utterance by clients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"This discussion guide is so good and thorough, that I am sure that you have not done it by yourself."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"You are very pursuasive, aren't you?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I felt like you were telling me a story, until you interrupted it with a question".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Oh you are from India. You guys have a great cricket team."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Do you have openings in your office?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Its Doctor, not Mister."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"You are an Indian? But you speak English so well".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I kid you not - I have not even rephrased any of the above.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br /></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-7524382981565891212014-01-14T23:23:00.001+05:302014-01-15T09:12:30.594+05:30Blogathon Post 12: The Gifting Theory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was meant to be a routine interview with an expert to understand the market. Of course, there was one difference - the person was a government employee.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My colleague and I were well prepared for the interview, until our manager sent us an SMS. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Buy a gift for the person and make sure it is a good one."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Like Sweets?" We texted back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"No, like expensive stuff" He replied, giving us a budget.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Clueless, we bought some quality stationary for him and conducted the interview. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Post that session (which went well BTW), pulling our manager's leg, we exclaimed sarcastically, "So, that was unexpected."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He said, "Don't blame me! He called up asking if you guys will be bringing a gift or not.".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To say that we were surprised is putting it mildly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have been raised by an idealistic couple who placed a lot of importance to ethics and morality, more so than tradition and culture. My father, though a Government servant all his life, has not taken a single bribe. Though he did get these 'gifts' - of sweet packets and stuff, it didn't stop him from doing his job</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, which he believed very strongly in</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> (he was in IT, PF and Pension departments through his career span). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, my dad accepted gifts without doing anything in return. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Without experience, I am not sure whether the asking of gifts (and not money) in return for some information (Which is supposed to be part of the public domain) should be considered as a bribe or not. But the audacity of the asking for it, like a kid asking for a return gift in a birthday party, stumps me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have you had similar experiences?</span><br />
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<a href="http://dreamymommy.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/blogathon-jan-2014/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I0e2zvIptaU/UtV4iL0u2dI/AAAAAAAALys/m13J3-k2k7s/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-58212433919191201042014-01-13T11:39:00.003+05:302014-01-14T16:50:51.006+05:30Blogathon Post 11: The Dream Book Shelf<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Most of us have a dream home - I have a dream book shelf. The shelf would be of rich solid dark wood,which would cover one </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">side of the wall of the study room. There would be enough room for each book and each section to standout and to breathe. Needless to say, apart from the books and probably a chair or two to sit in and read, the room wouldn't have anything else. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Something like this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0H3QpDr8XaA/UtOB4YY1NAI/AAAAAAAALyY/nu4_nAcjp5E/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0H3QpDr8XaA/UtOB4YY1NAI/AAAAAAAALyY/nu4_nAcjp5E/s1600/book.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Obviously, the books will be categorized and organized into the following:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Romance:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Margaret Mitchell: Gone with the Wind</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nora Roberts: All of hers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Thrillers-Nail Biting:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sidney Sheldon: Tell Me your Dreams, If Tomorrow Comes, The Stars Shine Down</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Michael Crichton: The Lost World</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stieg Larsson: Millenium Series</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Arthur Hailey: Detective, Runway zero-eight</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Thrillers - Languine and Intelligent:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Edgar Allan Poe: Any of his</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Agatha Christie: Hercule poirot series</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oscar Wilde: THe Picture of Dorian Gray</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Fantasy Fiction:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tolkien: LOTR Series</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">R.R.Martin: Game of Throne Series</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">J.K.Rowling: Harry Potter Series</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Mythology/Historical Fiction:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Chitra Bannerjee Devakaruni: A Palace of Illusions</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amish Tripathi: Shiva Trilogy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Devdutt Patnaik: Sita</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Christian Jacq: The TutanKhamun Affair</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Margaret Atwood: Alias Grace</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Beauty of written word:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Salman Rushdie: The Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Gabriel Garcia Marquez: One Hundred Years of Solitude</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">David Mitchell: Cloud Atlas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Love for details:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Margaret Atwood: The Blind Assassin and Alias Grace</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Arthur Hailey: Hotel, Airport, MoneyChangers, Wheels</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Robin Cook: Any of his, especially Brain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Re-living childhood:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enid Blyton: Famous Five Series</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enid Blyton: The Six Cousins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Shed a Tear or Two:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Daphne De Maurier: Rebecca and The Hungry Hill</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rohinton Mistry: A Fine Balance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Khaled Hosseini: The Thousand Splendid Suns, And the Mountains Echoed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Witty reads:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">John Irving: The World According to Garp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ken Kesey: One flew over the cuckoo's nest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nora Roberts: Any of hers would do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Santosh Desai: Mother Pious Lady</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Steve Toltz: Fraction of the Whole</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bill Watterson: Calvin & Hobbes</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have read all of the above books more than once, and still can't get enough of them. </span></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-45107238569982508052014-01-12T16:01:00.002+05:302014-01-12T16:02:48.504+05:30Blogathon post 10: The written word<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While cleaning the cup-board in the morning, I found this: a letter that I had written to A in 2008.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq85CPNgQ9Y/UtJuaoIsp4I/AAAAAAAALyI/3KWgjbfp9R4/s1600/Pictures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq85CPNgQ9Y/UtJuaoIsp4I/AAAAAAAALyI/3KWgjbfp9R4/s1600/Pictures.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After spending few joyous minutes wondering about the contents, my favorite pen (Waterman!) and the mood while writing the letter, it was a bittersweet realisation that the letter writing habits have diminished over time. Scrap the fancy word, they are practically non-existent now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Whose letters have made your memory? Mine have been made by Suba, my BFF who meticulously wrote letters detailing out most of the school incidents and Aarthi, who would end all of hers with cartoons and jokes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Good 'ol times!!</span><br />
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<a href="http://dreamymommy.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/blogathon-jan-2014/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bEh9LVEPgow/UtJsLnZc9DI/AAAAAAAALxo/H4dW9y1IwVE/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-12523005700877576742014-01-11T14:24:00.000+05:302014-01-11T14:24:15.840+05:30Blogathon Post 9: Dreaming a reality<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a lot of dreams. There is the dream to overcome road-fear and re-learn driving. The dream to finally be a better swimmer. The dream to do some DIY decorations at home. The dream to make that Agra, Amritsar, Kanha, Sundarbans and Tadoba trip which have already been planned to some extent. The dream to quit this and do what I want to do (yes I know, and it is not impressive to many, except me). I know very few people who act on making theirs a reality. They get bogged down by the lack of time, energy, concentration, and also, money. I am one of those who has an excuse for every unrealised dream. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is why, it is immensely heartening to see my mentor (and relative), <a href="http://rangarajaniyengar.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ranga</a>, taking his dreams by its horns. He just thought a bit differently: He thought of the ultimate goal of the dream and started from there. For example, few years back, I remember him wondering how it would feel to see his books in crossword or landmark. Few months back, He was determined to help the painters who paint on the street for few coins. Stringing the two together, he has come up with an innovative idea. You can check it out here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-book-a-train-of-thoughts/">http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-book-a-train-of-thoughts/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would be great, if you can contribute, if not monetarily, through your words and a virtual pat on the back! :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have similar stories to share, I would love to hear them!</span><br />
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<a href="http://dreamymommy.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/blogathon-jan-2014/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p8EI96mUw1k/UtEFIRMqt0I/AAAAAAAALxM/NZdvJZFxehU/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-86809267980423376712014-01-10T11:04:00.001+05:302014-01-10T11:10:53.137+05:30Blogathon Post 8: And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">I haven't
written a book review in a year, and ever since I read this book, I knew I
wanted to re-start writing with this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">I wrote multiple
versions of the review, and deleting all of them, since<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hosseini is
my favorite author.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No words can
do justice to his writing.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Here is my
attempt to at least chronicle the experience of reading one of his works.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rZDMF27qF5U/Us-C0YUORTI/AAAAAAAALw8/s60klQ8Fi9U/s1600/And+the+Mountains+Echoed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rZDMF27qF5U/Us-C0YUORTI/AAAAAAAALw8/s60klQ8Fi9U/s1600/And+the+Mountains+Echoed.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/and-the-mountains-echoed/p/itmdp95gaa4pp2xg" target="_blank">And the Mountains Echoed</a><br />
<b>ISBN</b>: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">9382951008</span><br />
<b>First Published in</b>: 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Synopsis:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The third book by Khaled Hosseini is set in
Afganistan, and revolves around the story of a brother-sister duo, which later branches
out to introduce multiple characters of the plot.<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Category:</b><br />
Simple-Wordy, Serious</span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Genre:</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fiction, Drama<br />
<br />
<b>Language:</b></span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No Profanity at all.</span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Favorite Quote:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Kabul is a thousand tragedies per square mile.</i></span></blockquote>
<br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Review:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The book starts
with a father telling their children a fairy tale. While one would expect a "and they lived happily ever
after' at the end of it, being Hosseini's work, this tale moved me to tears, and set the mood for the rest of the book..</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">The essential
core of the story is the relationship between Abdullah and Pari, where the latter is sold off to a
rich and childless couple Mr.Wahdati and Nila, through the siblings’ uncle,
Nabi. The parting of the siblings, while not described in detail, is explained by
their step-mother, Parwana, in just a few words:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><i>“It had to
be her. I am sorry, Abdullah. She had to be the one.” The finger cut, to
save the hand.</i></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Worse yet is
how the story pans out. While Abdullah, the doting brother, does not have it in
his capacity to forget her, Pari, quickly moves on owing to
her age and a new exciting life. For her, Abdullah is a dim memory, which would strike
her again in full force in her old age.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Hosseini takes periodic
diversions to include the fringe characters (which don't seem like fringe once you are done with the chapter, at least until one starts reading the next one). Thus, we get to know about their
mother Parwana, and her insecurities with her sister Masooma; the insecurity
with started during birth:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(Masooma) was
merrily passed around, from cousin to aunt to uncle. Bounced on this lap,
balanced on that knee. Many hands tickled her soft belly. Many noses rubbed against
hers. They rocked with laughter when she playfully grabbed Mullah Shekib’s beard.
They marveled at her easy, sociable demeanor. They lifted her up and admired
the pink flush of her cheeks, her sapphire blue eyes, the graceful curve of her
brow, harbingers of the startling beauty that would mark her in a few years’
time. As Masooma performed, Parwana watched quietly as though slightly
bewildered, the one member of an otherwise adoring audience who didn’t understand
what all the fuss was about. Every now and then, her mother looked down at her,
and reached to squeeze her tiny foot softly, almost apologetically.</span></i></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">The insecurity, in time, had ghastly consequences – the events penned down in such a
way that you end up feeling sorry for both of them, and their loss of
innocence.</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">We are
mystified over Mr.Wahdati's marriage with Nila (Pari's adoptive parents), until we understand the meaning
of Nila’s mysterious statement: "It was always you Nabi".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">We find out
about Mr.Wahdati's neighbours Idris and TImur and their visit to Afganistan where they meet Roshi, a victim of a bad accident. While we believe one to be worse
over the other for his show of exhibitionism, we are made to realise that it is
this poorly judged character that actually ends up doing a good deed. The
concerned one, who starts making excuses for his lack of inaction justifies it such: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><i>Roshi has
become something abstract to him, like a character in a play. Their connection
has frayed. The unexpected intimacy he had stumbled upon in that hospital, so
urgent and acute, has eroded into something dull. The experience has lost its power.
He recognizes the fierce determination that had seized him for what it really
was, an illusion, a mirage. He had fallen under the influence of something like
a drug. The distance between him and the girl feels vast now. It feels infinite,
insurmountable, and his promise to her misguided, a reckless mistake, a
terrible misreading of the measures of his own powers and will and character.
Something best forgotten. He isn’t capable of it. It is that simple. </i></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Not to be left
behind, we are given a glimpse of life in the siblings' village, through the
eyes of the Adel, son of a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> wealthy landlord who attains the lands through unethical means, and how Adel </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ends up adjusting to the truth.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><i>The part of him
that over time would gradually, almost imperceptibly, accept this new identity
that at present prickled like a wet wool sweater. Adel saw that, in the end, he
would probably accept things as his mother had. Adel had been angry with her at
first; he was more forgiving now. Perhaps she had accepted out of fear of her
husband. Or as a bargain for the life of luxury she led. Mostly, Adel
suspected, she had accepted for the same reason he would: because she had to.
What choice was there?</i></span></blockquote>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hosseini has
used different forms of narratives in this book. There is first and third
person narrative, letter-writing and interviews to bring the pieces of the
puzzle together. The novel is completely different from his previous two due to the broader focus. While <i>The Kite Runner</i> was essentially
about children and<i> The Thousand Splendid Suns,</i> about Women in Afganistan, <i>And
The Mountains Echoed</i> lacks a central character theme. It could have been set
up in any country in any part of the world. There are stories of every
character, which, though tied together by some common threads, could make for
an independent reading as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">None of this
dilutes the fact that it is impossible to read the book without getting
emotional, at one story or another. And that like his previous books, you can
never get your mind off it, even months after reading it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><b>Verdict:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It would be a
cardinal sin for anyone to not read it.</span></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-43245835088197849562014-01-09T12:05:00.002+05:302014-01-09T16:48:25.797+05:30Blogathon Post 7: You know you are a south-Indian when you:<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wCxA6UYOQEo/Us5C3NTokbI/AAAAAAAALws/AB6KSeMN4LE/s1600/si2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wCxA6UYOQEo/Us5C3NTokbI/AAAAAAAALws/AB6KSeMN4LE/s1600/si2.jpg" /></a></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Can survive on home-brewed coffee dicoction for days on end.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Skip a heartbeat or two on hearing "Kurai Ondrum Illai".</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Had a crush on Aravind Swamy.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Are possessive about SPB, AR Rahman, Asin and Siddharth. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Get used to:</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">explaining our different name spellings - "Yes, there is an 'h' in there. No, we don't have an 'h' in everything".</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">retorting on - "You don't look like a South Indian".</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">busting the myth of "I thought South Indians had curd rice everyday."</span></li>
</ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">End up having Pongal, Idli and Dosa for breakfast every other day, whether you like it or not.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enjoy educating, and giving the recipe of dosai molagai podi.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have at least 10 relatives in IT and/or settled abroad.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Believe that South Indian Marriage food/Kalyana Sapadu is beyond comparison to that of any other region/community. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Think that if it is a saree, it should be kancheepuram silk.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXmkaaAV3iI/Us5CkmBsKJI/AAAAAAAALwo/gQd-u93HP7M/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXmkaaAV3iI/Us5CkmBsKJI/AAAAAAAALwo/gQd-u93HP7M/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-55836683273005393322014-01-08T11:38:00.001+05:302014-01-08T12:37:52.145+05:30Blogathon Post 6: Top 15 Book-ish Moments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E75MCUBTPnQ/UsznrDkhh7I/AAAAAAAALwE/51KpWkZ-5WU/s1600/Documents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The simplest of books can pack a very impactful moment or two. While the book as a whole may have been forgotten (or moth eaten), a single line, para or scene remains etched in our memories forever. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E75MCUBTPnQ/UsznrDkhh7I/AAAAAAAALwE/51KpWkZ-5WU/s1600/Documents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E75MCUBTPnQ/UsznrDkhh7I/AAAAAAAALwE/51KpWkZ-5WU/s1600/Documents.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My personal top 15 such scenes include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>1. Gone with the wind: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Scarlett O'Hara tearing the curtain to make her dress.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the very first scene, Scarlett sitting with the twins in the sunlight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2. Rebecca:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Maxim patting his wife's head absent-mindedly (like one would pat a puppy).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3. A Thousand Splendid Suns: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The ceasarean birth of the protaganist's son without an Anaesthetic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4. Kite Runner:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The protaganist finally finding the boy in ghonngroo n dancing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5. And The Mountains echoed: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The separation of the brother and the sister.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The final scene - Alzheimer's is my worst fear, second only to paralysis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>6. The Lord Of The Rings:</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Legolas seeing the Balrog for the first time ("Ui! Ui! A Balrog!").</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Ent's song.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>7. Game of Thrones:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jaime's multiple utterances of "Things I do for love", each having a different context and meaning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The death of Tywin Lannister.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cersei's walk of shame, and the final scene between Petyr, Sansa and Lysa in Ice & Fire</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>8. Tell me your dreams:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The realisation by the investigators that that all the three are actually... the same. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>9. The Satanic verses:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Eating the fish - bones and all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The "Taka Tun Taka Tun" Song by Gabriel as he falls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>10.A Fine Balance:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The worm in the stomach, it's extradition and the final weight gain. (For a long time, I believed I had the same issue)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>11. The Picture of Dorian Grey:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The disposal of the body so that no trace of it remained - I thought it was a creative leap by the author, until "Breaking </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bad" happened.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>12. Twilight:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first time Bella saw Edward - Nowhere close to my love story, but in a parallel world, I can imagine being that smitten </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">by Ashwin since he is like the epitome of my dream man.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>13. One hundred years of solitude:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The trail of blood - Such a fantastical (and creepy) notion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>14. The Six Cousins:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rodderick's shoe cleaning obsession - I have a similar obsession, so can imagine why Roddy enjoyed it so much!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>15. The world according to Garp:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The car accident - I just couldn't get over it, close second to the Thousand Splendid Suns scene which gave me a lot of </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">sleepless nights.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Are there any that stand out in your memory?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dreamymommy.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/blogathon-jan-2014/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LBdaniQehWk/UsznsbUhRkI/AAAAAAAALwM/xT5pLPiGYBk/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-77748899618163901442014-01-07T10:41:00.001+05:302014-01-07T10:43:38.810+05:30Blogathon Post 5: A Picture speaks a thousand Posts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, spotted in a hospital run by a trust with a Christian Malayali majority, was this sign:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y4Rt59cRWg/UsuLhZ96XdI/AAAAAAAALvs/m_TCfnXf7Zs/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y4Rt59cRWg/UsuLhZ96XdI/AAAAAAAALvs/m_TCfnXf7Zs/s1600/11.jpg" height="260" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Makes one wonder what prompted this, doesn't it?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://dreamymommy.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/blogathon-jan-2014/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IjuE5as2K0M/UsuLhQK1COI/AAAAAAAALvw/m92QUVsnX9Y/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-65599788548442729232014-01-06T15:27:00.003+05:302014-01-06T17:09:22.197+05:30Blogathon Post 4: The Train Retorts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We get to hear the weirdest things in train, and better yet, say the most shocking things before we can stop ourselves. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here are some common phrases said and heard:</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bachon ke saath chadte kyun ho? </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(Why do you board train with kids?)</i></span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bewakoof ho kya? </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(Are you dumb?)</i></span></b></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Itna chipakne mei kya mazaa aata hai? </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(What pleasure do you get out of gluing yourself to me?)</i></span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sab jaanwar banein to jarrori nahi na ki hum bhi ban jaayein.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(If others are behaving like animals, doesn't mean that we behave like one.)</i></span></b></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Baal aage le loh, meri naak mei jaa raha hai. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(Keep your hair in front - it's getting in my nose.)</i></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Arre, upar to pakad lo - mei armrest thodi na hun? </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(I am not your armrest - hold the links above.)</i></span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Itne aaram se baithe ho, chai laaon kya?? </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(Sitting so comfortably, shall I bring tea for you??)</i></span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Haath Neeche! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(Hands down!)</i></span></b></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Joote utar ke paav seat pe rakho Aunty! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(Keep your leg on the seat after removing slippers Aunty.)</i></span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hato ek minute, khidki se kachara phek deti hun. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(Move - I have to throw the garbage out of the window.)</i></span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thoda sarak ke baithon na. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(Sit tight no?)</i></span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mera teen saal ka beta hai - aap to usse bhi jyada ziddi ho. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>(You are more stubborn than my three year old son)</i></span></b></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A: Meherbani karo - hame jane do. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">B: Hum kya picchar (movie) dekhne aaye hai?? </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(A: I request you to let me go. B: </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Do you think we are here to see movies??)</span></i></b>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In case you were wondering, the ones in green were uttered by yours truly. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dreamymommy.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/blogathon-jan-2014/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rkSH4g4yhwI/Usp-tg3s_bI/AAAAAAAALvc/gEcXTgM2h9c/s1600/dsc01234.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">PS: The lack of posts over the weekend shall be compensated. Somehow. I hope! :D</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-10833262474557597082014-01-03T11:28:00.001+05:302014-01-03T11:28:28.065+05:30Blogathon Post 3: The New Resolution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Every year, I make the same resolutions that I had made the year before, and diligently break them in the first few days. This year I decided to do something different, and make do-able resolutions which does not require a complete 180.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So my 2014 resolution is (Much fanfare)</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Stop multi-tasking.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yes, no typo there. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I end up wanting to do so many things at the same time, that I get tired and do nothing at all. </span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygmLHOcXeTo/UsZP4RZ7GQI/AAAAAAAALvI/WY8rHPotHOw/s1600/multi_tasking_woman.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygmLHOcXeTo/UsZP4RZ7GQI/AAAAAAAALvI/WY8rHPotHOw/s200/multi_tasking_woman.gif" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, this year, I am going to focus on one thing at a time. It started with the <a href="http://musingsanddoodlings.blogspot.in/2014/01/blogathon-post-1-how-was-your-new-year.html" target="_blank">new year's eve</a>, and then, followed up with not even <i>researching </i>on all the courses that I want to do and the treks that I want to go to. There are a couple of big things happening this month, and they will be having all my attention~ (What! I couldn't bring that number down to one - then I would go crazy!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">More significantly, I have finally merged all my blogs into one. I am so proud of my book reviews (like insanely obsessively proud, even if no one reads them!), and happy with the documentation of the cooking, but don't see the need to have different space and different time allocations for the same. So, all the posts have been merged into this blog, and you can check them out individually on the top tab of this blog's home page!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>I feel clear-headed already!</i></span><br />
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-22401174841292129142014-01-02T15:35:00.000+05:302014-01-02T15:39:39.905+05:30Blogathon Post 2 - The real story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once upon a time, in a small village in Tamil Nadu, a boy named Rama Chandra Hari Shiva got friendly with an ape and named him Rachahashi.
Rachahashi was very sweet and friendly, and Rama quickly formed a strong bond with him.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n9hjAApHxxs/UsU5oXArC3I/AAAAAAAALu0/7tbmKQRiZIY/s1600/Ape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n9hjAApHxxs/UsU5oXArC3I/AAAAAAAALu0/7tbmKQRiZIY/s320/Ape.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><i>Source: Telegraph</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He was also very lithe and agile, and like all the members of his species, enjoyed climbing and jumping from one tree to another. Rama tried to warn him about the dangers of his monkeying around, but to no avail. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The inevitable happened when the<a href="http://www.blogger.com/(http://www.english-for-students.com/The-Cap-Seller-and-The-Monkeys.html)" target="_blank"> cap-seller came to the town</a>, and decided to sleep under the tree where Rachahashi was playing with other monkeys. After the cap-seller executed his master plan, all the monkeys threw their caps. Unlike them however, the ape, in his excitement, immediately jumped to catch his cap, and fell face down with a huge Thud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rama, crying uncontrollably, took him to the nearest vet. The nurse was patient until she saw that the pet was an ape and Rama was holding a tooth larger than an average human’s. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Ok, What’s that?” She asked, angrily. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“That’s the tooth he broke.” Rama spluttered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“GET OUT OF HERE. Don’t you realise what you have done?” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“But this is my turn…” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rama was then aware of a commotion inside the doctor’s room. The door banged open. The nurse looked nervous and told the gaunt figure standing there,
“But Doctor, he didn’t know...”
She stopped as she caught a sight of him. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The doctor was pale as a ghost as he stared at the nurse, Rama, Rachahashi and the tooth. He then gave a thin screech and ran out of his clinic, into his car and drove off at breakneck speed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“What the hell was that?” Rama asked. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Nurses tut-tuted, opened a tube of fevicol, and generously applied inside the ape's mouth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Don’t you know the famous adage?” She asked. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Which one?” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“That an Ape-Pallu* a day keeps the doctor away?" She asked, as she stuck the tooth back in. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rachahashi gave a gummy smile, while Rama pondered at his life of fruity misconceptions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>*Pallu means tooth in Tamil.
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<a href="http://dreamymommy.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/blogathon-jan-2014/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ_Oqdb6OFg/UsU5LG26hVI/AAAAAAAALus/Cl4_w6lnMuU/s320/dsc01234.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-49908366913147947992014-01-01T14:24:00.001+05:302014-01-01T14:28:13.661+05:30Blogathon Post 1 - New Year's Eve<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2013 had been, in general, good for me. Granted, I can’t think of a single significant event in the year that would change the course of my life in the foreseeable future (The Child was already born, The Husband was as loving as ever, no job changes and no filing for bankruptcy). But more importantly, I can’t think of a single untoward event that made us unhappy. That’s something that few people can boast about and we <i>had </i>to celebrate that. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5yUn1VVljqQ/UsPXNppkeDI/AAAAAAAALuU/iMUmU33FOM4/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5yUn1VVljqQ/UsPXNppkeDI/AAAAAAAALuU/iMUmU33FOM4/s1600/12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Rediff</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, Ahaan and I got one of those Pillsbury ReadyMade Cakes (Yes, we are THAT lazy!) . We came home, had our milk and coffee, and got to work. He sat on the Kitchen Counter, opened the packet and poured it in the container. He broke the eggs while I mixed the batter. He licked it periodically to ensure that the taste was up to the mark, buttered the baking pan, and we kept it in the oven. 30 minutes later, the fruit of our labour was enthusiastically admired, while we excitedly waited for the Man of the House to come back from office and cut the cake with us. The cake was universally declared to be "Yummy Yummy" and we went off to sleep. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">About 70% of my essence is restlessness. I have to always.do.something.super-exciting, and keep making plans and counter-plans. I am so glad that the restless me took a backseat this year-end. A simple baking time on new year’s eve, pancakes on new year and some quality time catching up with friends made me realise that I couldn't have celebrated this in a better way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That sounds incredibly boring, but I have a feeling that of all my new year celebrations, I am going to remember 2014's for a very long time.</span><br />
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-84283738377680097902013-12-10T16:01:00.001+05:302013-12-11T10:48:26.767+05:30What is your taste of winter?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For me, it tastes like spicy Pudina and muted Paalak. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The winter has finally (FINALLY) started in Mumbai. In a la Ratatouille scene, the first chilly wind that hit my face immediately transported me back by 23 years, to a December morning in Delhi. The chills had just set in then, and my sister and I wanted to soak in the heat (<i>Sigh!The Sardi ki Dhoop</i>). So, we had set up two chairs in our terrace and encapsulated it in a huge bed-sheet to form a tent. We had settled in and were reading our comics, when our mother came in with the lunch: Pudina Thuvaiyal (Chutney) and Paalak kootu (Daal). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I can still recall the steamy combination and the exact taste of the lunch – and the memory is crystal clear everytime the winter sets in.
None of us would have foreseen that more than the big things, the smaller events would remain indelible in our minds; that without warning, we would get hit strongly by a wave of nostalgia so unexpected in its vividness that it would require a literal stopping in tracks and a moment of appreciation! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My most significantly insignificant memories include- </span><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The keerai koottu; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Paati telling the story of Ahalya while giving us lunch;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The tasty (and as yet, unbeatable) Delhi’s shani bazaar’s chole bhature, and the accompanying carrot pickle; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first scooty accident with sister, while I was having ice-cream; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first trip to Chills-Thrills-Frills and having a thick shake with sister;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Eating Mumbai Masala Sandwich with sister for the first time at Egmore;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Having Spring rolls with Suba at Raahat Plaza;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Seeing the completed Katipara junction from an Airplane; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first ice-cream outing with the person I eventually ended up marrying; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first view of Mumbai; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first time my son (and niece for that matter) came running to give a hug; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and the first time he finished his lunch and said “Amma? Nalla irundhudhu” (It was good.). </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wonder if I am creating an equal amount of good big and small memories for my son – the kind that would hit him 23 years later, tug his heart, and make him smile wistfully like nothing else can.</span></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-18922084909274853772013-10-24T17:47:00.000+05:302013-10-24T17:47:49.042+05:30Cold Wars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“It takes about 1 week to get over a cold if you don't take medicine, but only 7 days to get over a cold if you take medicine.”</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I am sure you have heard that adage. I can actually see you smirking and smiling knowingly thinking about how some idgits take medicines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, give yourself one tight slap. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-10VKSabjlR0/UmkOmu8Lh7I/AAAAAAAALeU/4fE05j_l9Ds/s1600/common-cold-symptoms-picture.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-10VKSabjlR0/UmkOmu8Lh7I/AAAAAAAALeU/4fE05j_l9Ds/s320/common-cold-symptoms-picture.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the common cold does not, apparently, have a cure. There are hundreds of viruses and no one knows which virus does what and how it can be attacked. Yada Yada Yada. That logic took a major extrapolation to that obnoxious phrase above – a phrase that I took so literally for four years, that I ended up with two nose operations, and put my son through a lot of trouble. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I get this feeling that many people want to punch when I smile knowingly like I have been through worse and their nose problems are paltry by comparison, but I am such megalomaniac like that. Moving away from my character issues, if you have a cold, don’t be a loser, and think of a way to cure it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you averse to allopathic cures? Welcome to the hundreds of thousands of the members of the paranoid family, who think that all medicines- eat-into-the-stomach-walls-and-weaken the body-and-make-the-bones-brittle-and - OMG I CAN'T BREATHE!
I am right there with you (Paranoia is my chief characteristic trait, followed closely by, yes, megalomania. *word of the day*). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But cold, as much as it is common, can actually be tackled in the simplest of ways: </span><br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Do Pranayam</u></b>: My worst bout of nose-block was during pregnancy, and my yoga instructor told me to do the Pranayam to “channel the energy of the sun through one nostril and moon through the other. The former will ensure that the child is intelligent, and the latter will ensure that he/she is wise”. Now, I have no idea where my son is in the scales of wisdom and intelligence, but way to make one feel guilty for being unable to breathe in either sun or the moon! </span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I digress. Do it. Nothing like Pranayam to clear up the depths of your mucked up castle walls (and rooms if your sinuses are into the act as well). Imagine giant cobwebs full of dirt, and infected with fungi, which can be killed only by clean fresh air. </span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Clean that nose:</u></b> No, not by nose picking *rolls eyes*. That’s like cleaning the chowpatty with a tissue paper.
Take some saline water and a pump. Pump in the water in each nostril, while holding your breath (or you daredevils can breathe it in – the sting is enough to keep your eyes wide-open for hours). Bend down, and all the water comes out. You wouldn’t think this is much, but this is like spreading a disinfectant in the ruined castle.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Cave in and use some drops:</u></b> And again, make sure they are saline. If you have to do step 1 and 2, you need to create some space – and saline drops work well (unless you have a more serious issue – go to the doctor you lazy person!). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Try the Ayurveda route:</u></b> Now, the recommendation-post is going to take a slight historical detour. </span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In all my maternal wisdom-glory, I strongly refused to give my son ANY medication for his cold except the usual hot water, drinks etc. The result? In about a week, he developed a chronic cold, a very bad chest congestion (I could feel the congestion when I kept a hand on his chest – nightmare I say), frequent vomiting out copious amounts of mucous and a lethargy that was painful to watch. Quite by chance, one of my friends suggested ‘Bal Gutti’ – which is, a packet of some 20 actual jadi-bootis, that have to be extracted in limited quantities and mixed and given (it’s an interesting procedure – ping me, and I will share the rest). The jadi-booti required for each problem was different. Fascinated, I got to work (I am sure all our grandmothers did the same – but we are such a screwed up generation). Within two weeks, the son was back in form. </span></ol>
<ol style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But all this happened after around 6 nebulising sessions, and 2 months of strong antibiotics and steroids. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, if you have a cold, don’t sit down, close your eyes and say, “sigh, no medicine will cure it”. Or take a painkiller/analgesic and take a nap. Get off your rear and do something, before it becomes worse.</span></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-7791099704279587002013-09-11T23:03:00.000+05:302013-09-11T23:03:16.286+05:30Know Thy Neighbour?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am awkward and socially inept. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, when I was a teen, I was sure that I would grow out of it and blossom into this lovely, graceful and assertive woman, who would be every woman’s best friend and every man’s secret desire. Instead the dangly teenager grew into a dangly woman. The tripping-over-my-own-feet traits carried on well into the late-twenties, and the brain-freeze during conversations continued unabated.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, like <a href="http://musingsanddoodlings.blogspot.in/2013/02/fancy-bottles.html" target="_blank">Project Presentable</a>, I decided to take up ‘Project Social’. I had a shorter list to adhere to this time:
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smile at everyone. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make an effort and know the neighbours. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a week at least, all seemed well. On the 8th day, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it all came crashing down. All because of two back-to-back neighborly incidents.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Case I: Distracted Dads</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On one of our usual Mother-son walks in the building compound, I ran across this father playing cricket with his 9-yr old son and 3-yr old daughter. Deciding not to chicken out now, I introduced myself and asked about his children, school etc.
His son, getting impatient. started talking to his father, giving no heed to my lame conversation attempts.
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Son: DAD! Are you attracted to her?
</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Dad: No, But I AM distracted.
</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Son (nodding sagely): Me too Dad. Me too.
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>And they resumed playing.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure there is a compliment hidden here somewhere, but in the face of the blunt rebuke; I can’t seem to find it.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Case II: Mistaken Identities</strong>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As all festivals are wont to do, we were making the expected neighborly rounds for some gossips and some blouse pieces (When you think about it, it all comes down to that). One of these visits involved an old Paati, with whom we had conversed via the balcony a couple of times.In case you are wondering, yes, such things still happen. She lives with her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter- who we didn't have the fortune to meet or converse with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we went to her house, there was another couple present. Considering that we didn’t know much about the family, we were relieved when the lady introduced herself as the daughter-in-law’s mother. Conversation flowed freely thereafter, but, I really wanted to see the daughter-in-law. So, I asked the man,
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Me: “Has your daughter gone outside?”
</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Man: Who?</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Me: The grand-daughter's mother. Has she gone out?</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>After a moment’s silence, </strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Man (Smiling): “She is not my daughter. She is my wife. I just didn’t have time to dye my hair today. And yes, she has gone outside.”
</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>
</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As my dad succintly put it, "That's a nice way of ensuring that they never call you again". But there was a silver lining in this - the next day, I saw him with freshly dyed hair.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after ‘distracting’ one man and creating confusion in the family of another, Project Social has also been parked indefinitely.
</span></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-55019295300473130452013-07-31T12:59:00.000+05:302013-07-31T14:55:24.162+05:30Sock Up!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The tiffin boxes for son, spouse and self are ready and packed. The morning ablutions are done and a half hour Yoga session has happened. The kitchen has been marginally cleaned. I leave home on a relatively high note. Much <em>much</em> later, I note the white socks.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Considering that the outfit of choice today was a steel grey shirt, a black pant and brown (men’s) shoes, the white socks are an abomination; even I can’t ignore the flashes of white my feet provide as I half-run to catch the train.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That took me back by 15 years, to my last year in school in Gujarat, which, unfortunately, believed that skirts made for ideal uniforms for girls. Some of them, even then, looked pretty or charming or plain hot. Some, like me, looked like a scarecrow. The skirt, however, was the least of my worries. The socks were a different issue altogether.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My parents invested in quality socks – there was always a lot of importance attached to neatness at home. Shoes were polished almost every day, and the loose socks were immediately discarded. Despite that, we all liked to make statements with our socks:
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuX4QfFdQ7Y/UfjISamalmI/AAAAAAAALCw/o54PndQPamg/s1600/new.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuX4QfFdQ7Y/UfjISamalmI/AAAAAAAALCw/o54PndQPamg/s1600/new.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Socks Types</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Google Images and musingsanddoodlings.blogspot.in</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Prim and Proper:</strong> Ideally ironed, the socks were pulled to their maximum capacity to let no crease show. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Baggy and Sloppy:</strong> An attempt to appear cool and sloppy at the same time, the socks were purposefully made baggy by lowering the elastic band. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Rolled and Strong:</strong> This was usually ideal in making strong statements, especially during the Sports class.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Folded and Neat:</strong> I cringe when I realize that this was my favorite version, my dangly legs ending in this bow-like thing I created lovingly every morning.
</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, I never knew what statement to make, and ended up making one every day (A Psychiatrist would have had a field day with me).
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now that I have grown wiser (Stranger things have happened), I realize that we need to don all the four roles at least once a day;
</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Prim and proper to run the family on clockwork, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Rolled and Strong to get through the daily challenges, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Folded and Neat to manage a schedule, and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Baggy and sloppy to remember to have fun while doing it all. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Of course, this does not add any value or provide consolation to the fact that I look like Michael Jackson with two left feet today.
</span></div>
Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992460207218787334.post-35164776513424214152013-07-23T15:49:00.001+05:302013-07-23T16:08:55.221+05:30Girlish Cars and Boyish Flowers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the 2.5 year old offspring of mine has been going to
school diligently for about a month now. A lot of compromises and rearrangement
of priorities later, things were finally falling into place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is, before I realised that pre-school was more for the
parents’ benefit rather than the child’s. In Ahaan’s own words, he goes to
school to play. For us however, the school has taught us time management, wardrobe
management, lunchbox planning and alarm clock dependencies. It has been an interesting
experience to say the least, and we were becoming experts in that… until the
school decided to throw a curveball, in the form of a “Hawaiian day” (cue: Eye
roll). Secretly, I was very excited about my first mommy-assignment, and started
planning strategies and counter-strategies. 2-days before the D-day, we go
shopping, just to find that there are no shirts with flowers (or leaves or
trees) for boys. No as in NONE. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After almost 3 hours of running unsuccessfully from one shop
to another, I called for reinforcements. My sister (while she was first in line
when the lords were distributing imagination, innovation and creativity, I was
in the ‘talking without thinking’ line) listened patiently before asking why I
can’t make it myself. She gave a lot of ideas and sent me multiple photo-sets,
and a bit of an effort later, the shirt was ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oyjH1MSPAqo/Ue5Wtn98EYI/AAAAAAAALBg/5zeFbNStX1U/s320/IMG-20130723-WA0000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tada! My version of the Hawaiian Shirt!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oyjH1MSPAqo/Ue5Wtn98EYI/AAAAAAAALBg/5zeFbNStX1U/s1600/IMG-20130723-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, apart from being an egoistic post showing off my
borrowed creativity, I was very upset about what we are doing to our children. To
put it succinctly,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: currentColor; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><tbody><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Characteristics<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></strong></td><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></strong><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boys<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></strong></td><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></strong><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Girls<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colors<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black, Blue, Grey, Green, Red, White<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pink, Yellow, Orange, Red, White<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tailoring<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loose and Baggy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tight fits with frills and fluffs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Designs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vehicles (2-wheelers, 4 wheelers, trains, aeroplanes) , Fierce Animals,
action figures<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dolls, pretty girls (& fairies), Domesticated animals, flowers, lot
of lace and glitter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Messages<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Macho and Muscular (<em>I am strong!</em>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cute and Feminine (<em>Daddy’s little girl</em>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toys<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vehicles, Animals, Mind Games, Action figures<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 154.05pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dolls (and lots of it), Doll houses (and other sets) and handicraft
kits (jewellery, pots, sparkles etc)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We as a society either have a zero tolerance for uniqueness
or don’t have the patience to nurture it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be fair, a change is tantalisingly around the corner. </span><a href="http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Men are wearing skirts now</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
and two of the most admired characters on TV include Jassi (from
Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi) and Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The boy-who-wanted-to-be-Sheila was one of the best stories to come up in Bollywood (Bombay Talkies) in recent times (if ever). </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As parents, we can contribute to the change
too, by remembering some basic points:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Blue does not make a boy, and pink does not
define a girl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A girl likes kitchen sets, but given a chance,
she would also like a toy-truck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A boy would love to cook, clean the house and
say hello to plants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>When (and that’s a giant When) you catch
yourself stereotyping people, give yourself one tight slap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That ought to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Note: </strong>This is a hypocritical post, and I know I stereotype
as well. But well, to modify the Stark motto: <em>Change is coming</em>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
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Archanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00493611165991451807noreply@blogger.com4