Dew Moon Drop

Memorial Weekend 2009

2010-08-30T07:28:00.042-05:00

But before I leave, I thought I gotta post what we did last May. I know, I have stretched the "being busy" excuse for nearly a year. And I missed that deadline too. For last years Memorial Day weekend, we went on a whirlwind 4 city tour on the east side. Each of them, was memorable - for reasons other than the city sights. It was our very own private 'Amazing Race'. Beginning with New York,

Air-travel with kids 101

2010-08-28T19:38:00.003-05:00

Tips on Air-travel with really young kids. - If stroller does not fit in your perimeter, chose a baby-carrier for infants. - Have light cabin bag or none at all. Ok none is not possible, what with diapers, bottles, formula & change of clothes. Whatever cabin bag, have one with WHEELS. Oh yes ! that and never overpack. - Dont forget to request for Bassinet with airlines at the time of checkin,

Wiscousin Dells

2010-08-28T03:49:00.001-05:00

Wiscousin Dells. 2 hours drive from Minneapolis. Rides were fun. The drive was fun too. Got to see actual cows ! And clothes hanging on line to dry in open ! Ya, both a novelty for apartment dwellers ! We went on a gloomy, cloudy, not-yet-springtime weekend. So most outdoors were closed. But water-rides were fun. Anyway there are way too many rides for only a weekend. I have seen more

Spring Travel

2010-04-29T09:03:00.000-05:00

Its beautiful spring out here. And its time for me to packup for Bangalore.

Bill passed

2010-03-11T00:58:00.000-06:00

Women's Reservation Bill passed in Rajya Sabha !!! Yippeeee Hoooo......

Khanomenclature

2010-01-05T17:12:00.000-06:00

While I am still in the 'naming' hangover, I might as well make a list of Aamir Khan names. He has managed to play characters with such distinct names. I mean, yes he began as Raj in QSQT. But then he moved away. The first name and surname could be so simple ones. But taken together and when played by Aamir, they become so distinct, they just stick to my mind. Like Raghu Jaitley of Dil Hain ki

Monk Rocket Boy

2009-12-26T20:41:00.006-06:00

My very first White Christmas. My Daughter's very first White Christmas too. And my Son's very first Christmas ever ! Yes, we welcomed him 2 weeks back and I became Mom, for the second time. In the middle of this crowded household, Hubby is doing just fine.Last month and half has been momentous totally. Among other things, I travelled half-way across the world, from Bangalore to Minnesota. With

Grand Canyon

2009-10-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

This has been such a long break - in my travel series. Have almost lost the thread. But putting back the memories of my travel time, nearly 6 months back ... we proceeded from Las Vegas, via Hoover Dam, to the Grand Canyon.We were short of time and needed a quick tour only. So we went, just in time to watch the sunset, the night stay and watch the sun-rise again. Inspite of all preparation, what

Kaminey

2009-10-13T10:21:00.003-05:00

Charlie voiceover: Zindagi mein do raaste hote han – ek fhortcut, doosra chota fhortcut .................Charlie: Mein fha ko fha bolta hoon.Bhope bhau: Fha ko fha nahin bolega to kya bolega.Dailogues were a gem. Especially the way each of those characters said it.Characters – each of them a sample.Story progresses subtly but definitely. So the characters were not an overload.Songs, ekdum jakaas

Loved this one

2009-09-14T20:15:00.001-05:00

With the silver trophy tucked under one arm and cradling her daughter Jada in the other, Kim Clijsters provided a huge lift for working mothers around the world as she was crowned US Open champion overnight.....No one can accuse Clijsters of having an easy ride at the Open as her road to the final included victories over both Venus and Serena Williams.

Back home time

2009-06-01T19:47:00.003-05:00

As of right now, I am heading back home to Ban-ga-looooooore !!! Yipeee !!!Masala dosa, pani puri, loads of ghee, my Mom's cooking, my Mom's cows, fresh vegetable markets, Jayanager market - ya all of Bangalore, be prepared, for here I come ...

Hoover Dam

2009-05-28T11:01:00.002-05:00

Hoover Dam, comes enroute from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon. At the crossover from Nevada to Arizona.Should definitely take this short stopover to marvel at the huge impressive dam, built in 1931 and in 4 years ! And also to gaze at the mighty Colarado river.

Las Vegas

2009-05-25T11:00:00.002-05:00

Las Vegas is about 4 hours drive from LA. And man ! what a drive it is ! The route is across semi-rocky, arid desert mountains. Not a green shrub in sight. And you can see the road ahead for 100s of miles. Awesome experience, this drive.Las Vegas is simply a Disneyland, for grownups. Things to do in LV:Walk on the Las Vegas Strip. By day and definitely at night. With a millions lights around, and

Universal Studios, LA

2009-05-20T08:19:00.004-05:00

No, I not a AK or KK or even SS fan, to feature this trailer here. It's just that it features LA Universal Studios so prominently here. And I saw it fresh after our visit to LA-US, that it just got me too exited.Check out the Waterworld show at 1:02 and 3:00. Now Waterworld movie may have sunk, but the show was awesome! Number of people who

City of Angels

2009-05-15T23:25:00.002-05:00

And to finish off March and welcome April, we did a trip to my bro at Los Angeles and visit the surrounding areas. I have been living in Minnesota for some months now. And I always wondered, where is that America which I have seen in Hollywood movies and TV serials ? Everthing is so neat & tidy, lawful, well-behaved and functional out here. So, what are the showing out there ? As soon as I landed

Space visit - NASA

2009-05-05T07:35:00.002-05:00

And finally on the last morning in Orlando, we visited the Kennedy Space Center. Bus tour takes us to 3 different locations in the area. Informational video playing in the bus tells us of so many different types of jobs involved in "Space work". I mean, by NASA we think of only Astronauts and Scientists. But we don't quickly think of the variety of science fields involved here - chemicals, metals

Disneyland - The Magic Kingdom

2009-04-29T07:47:00.000-05:00

Now, Disneyland is huge. Most definitely. They have 4 themeparks there, and we visited only The Magic KingdomAway from the city. And then it took nearly an hour to go from entrance parking lot to the actual park ! Infrastruture to get people to actual park, is comparable to an actual city one. Across river by boats or by monorail. That did feel like Hogwarts entrance. With springbreak going on

Theme parks 101

2009-04-28T07:51:00.003-05:00

While on the theme of themeparks, here are some of the things common in each of them and important enough to make life easy:Parking lot - the first point of contact. Now they run for miles together, and sometimes on multiple stories. So each section or floor is marked with a unique identifier. A color scheme combined with a character name (like Goofy or ET or Jurassic Park). So it is easily

Universal Studios in Florida

2009-04-23T19:21:00.000-05:00

Universal Studios was more of a theme park. No shooting-wooting here. But it is a fun place. People dressed up as Universal characters. Movie memorabilia. Streets designed in a certain style. Playareas with a million ideas to keep the kids involved. There are so many things it's all paisa-vasool. There is even a show put up, before the actual show, for the waiting crowd too !Paisa-vasool ke saath

SeaWorld, Orlando

2009-04-21T07:45:00.008-05:00

Orlando has so many theme parks. We need to spend an entire day in each. We began with Seaworld, which is an awesome place. People above age 3 will have all the thrill watching those large fishes & other sea animals - dolphins, killer whales, penguins, & a whole range of fishes. And really enthralling shows.

Orlando - not Bloom, but the Florida one

2009-04-14T02:18:00.001-05:00

In the begining of March, while Minnesota was covered in snow, we went off to visit my friend M in Orlando, Florida. Thanks M, it was such a great holiday !First thing to hit me was the weather ofcourse. I mean, away with the jackets. All the freedom to play in the backyard, walk in & out of the house without preparation, look around and actually see more colors than white & brown.Florida

Missing snow

2009-04-11T01:47:00.003-05:00

Weather is changing very very slowly here in Minnesota. Spring is around the corner. But not completely here. Its cold at 53F, but not enough to snow. So now I have begun to miss snow.Watching snowfall is as soothing as gazing at rainfall on a quite weekday afternoon, at home. Only, this one is noiseless. And opaque. Amazingly snow can cover a whole bush in a matter of minutes. So far, snow has

50 States Coin Collection

2009-03-27T00:42:00.003-05:00

Completed the 50 state quarter coin collection in flat 2.5 months. Good one, I say. It helps that the last of the coins where released 5-6 months back. US mint had released a special quarter coin for each of the states in the country, and 5 each year since 1999. Most of the store attendents in Minnesota can breath easy now. Cause I won't be pestering them for quarters in change. And the credit

Dil Gira Kahan Pur Dafatan

2009-03-20T20:18:00.003-05:00

My Current favorite song.Actually I loved all songs of Delhi 6. On second thoughts, I liked the movie too. When it was going on, I was all eyes-rolling "when will this end" type. And after it was over, I kinda missed it, liked it. But I think that’s more effect of the music. Most specifically 'Arziyan', playing at end-credits. Absolutely lovely songs in a long time. All songs.And about 'Dil Gira

Driving in Minnesota

2009-03-05T01:17:00.007-06:00

Everyone said that it would be difficult to drive on the right side of the road - after learning to do so on the left side. Now I realise that was the easiest part ! Just follow the other vehicles. Ofcourse at any turn, we might subconsiously move to the left side. But my rule is to keep chanting "right side" in the first few times.Apart from driving on the right side, there are lot of other

Am here yes

2009-02-12T20:14:00.012-06:00

From Green Sunny Bangaloreto White Sunny Minnesotaall in 24 hours. Oh wait, it's 36 hours. 10pm connecting flight from Chicago got cancelled and I spent the night in Terminal 3 of Chicago O Hare Airport. I could have gone to a hotel. But instead I stayed back. It was not out of any sense of adventure or anything. It was more to do with the 5 handbags that I was carrying. Not to forget my tiny

Bangalore to Minneapolis

2009-01-12T08:15:00.003-06:00

Well, as of now, we are enroute to Minneapolis.

Sideways

2009-01-07T09:18:00.002-06:00

Sideways. I bought this book nearly 3 years back. And now found time to read it. Its ok type. I am a very discerning book buyer. But this time I got swayed by the Sideways the movie promos.First few chapters are only about Wine and Women. Fortunately women bit eases out, replaced by some bit of adventures. I think adventure is too strong a word for what happens. It's that tame. But there are bits

Happy New Year - 2009 !!!

2008-12-31T13:42:00.000-06:00

I spent my New Years Eve with Tanni and Raj, while they celebrate his bud-day by causing a partial blackout in Amritsar. All the while Bangalore played out fireworks. And Vividh Bharti played in background. And me packed my bags for the weekend trip. And made a list for my travel next weekend. And then a list of things-to-do the week-after onwards. More about all these later. Till then ... Wish

Ghajini

2008-12-30T09:22:00.004-06:00

I think this must be the first Hindi movie I have seen, in which the eponymous character was not hero or heroine or sidekick, but ... someone else.The penultimate sequence which changes the course of Hero's life, that was so 1980-ish. I must have watched 100s of gorish voilent movies in my childhood, those being the 80s. But for this one I used my palm to screen out strategic locations on screen.

News Media Bubble

2008-12-23T10:25:00.001-06:00

Yet another instant why news media needs restraints.With competition, it has lost all bearings of priority, responsibility and honesty.News media has become a rumor mongering tool and an attention grabbing one. Most of them function like personal publicity machines of celebrities and terrorists.Terrorsits depend on media, to air, hype and pump them up in front of the whole world. Even chota-mota

Human species

2008-11-30T10:08:00.003-06:00

Malcolm's reply was immediate: "What makes you think human beings are sentinent and aware ? There is no evidence of it. Human beings never think for themselves, they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told - and become upset if they are exposed to any different view. The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and

Thank you

2008-11-30T01:38:00.002-06:00

It's over for now.Heartfelt and tearful THANKS to all the Police Officers, Armymen, Navy men, Firemen, NSG commandoes, CST announcers, Hotel staff and so many unknown heroes.

mumbai

2008-11-27T09:33:00.001-06:00

this is just way too big.i dont want to utter any foolish words.all i can think of - is protect. and defend.

RIP Micheal Crichton

2008-11-06T01:05:00.010-06:00

Oh my no !My fav author Micheal Crichton is no more. I just read and its hard to believe it.For me his books never got boring inspite of repeated reading. He brought out many of the unknown theories, technologies from dingy corners of academia into popular literature. And most of his woman characters are still etched in my mind. I loved his Airframe, Jurassic Park, Lost World, Disclosure, Sphere

Quoted

2008-11-03T13:29:00.011-06:00

Some well followed blogger used my unacked comment in her own quote.The topic is my fav one. Hmm, and no, I won't call that tightness in the chest & bubbling heat choking me, as childish anger. Yeh mat kehna, hota hain, chalta hain, duniya hain.Update: With the arrival of unwanted traffic of sycophants, my comment section is begining to resemble a Rediff Messageboard. So here is some pureed

Likhe jo khat tujhe ...

2008-10-31T14:07:00.006-05:00

Welcome to Sajjanpur was a good laugh. After a long time, I can say some film was witty & humourous. Shreya Talpade joins my list of favorite actors. Dialoges, dialog delivery by Shreyas, Ila Arun, Ravi Jhankal (Munni) and the lot brought a smile each time. Music-wise, the one that stands out and was very enjoyable was "Munni ki baari".My MIL liked it coz it potrayed the real India.

Happy Diwali !!

2008-10-27T03:50:00.004-05:00

Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali & Properous New Year !Best Wishes to our family & friends !Especially to those in Minneapolis, Tokyo, Bhilai, Moonchapra, Udupi, Tavarekere, San Francisco and Bangalore !PS: My MIL has made some of the Bestest Diwali Sweets ever.

Moon Connection

2008-10-23T11:14:00.005-05:00

Chandrayaan - literally means Moon vehicle. This one will just hover around now and send us data. And for manned missions, we will have to wait till 2015. I am amazed they implemented it so soon. I remember hearing about this plan only recently. Oh wait it was 2003 !On the face of it, what do we have in it ? Is it a Rs 400 crore waste ? Which could have been given to "feed the poor" so to say ?

Baby Product Brand Endorsements

2008-10-22T11:54:00.006-05:00

Wipro Baby Diapers: I have to say that they are the best !Second option would be Huggies. And last choice will be Pampers. Wipro Baby Diapers are really cloth feel. They dont get wet & humid & stuffy, like others do.Huggies Nappy Pads: Good for nap-time use for babies below 7-8 months. Or those who have not started to voilently wither or turn around or move around the bed while sleeping. :)

Rock-On

2008-10-07T10:07:00.003-05:00

Am loving those Rock On !! songs.Not a hard core fan of rock, nor am knowledgable in any technicalities of music. I did have a Metallica phase in life. But for me ignorance is bliss, and I simbly enjoy the sounds of music.In that context, Rock-on songs are simply growing on me, each time I hear them on the radio. It's great to sing along and feel as free as a teen singing hoarse, without tune,

Linky Linky

2008-09-30T09:16:00.001-05:00

Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation StudiosAbout the increasing Ceaserean procedures in India. (Source)Power of Languages. And Internet - What Will Globalization Do to Languages? A Freakonomics QuorumAnd all of the Amul ads.

A Wednesday on A Wednesday

2008-09-17T13:09:00.016-05:00

A Wednesday on A Wednesday - wow I realised this just now !With the current affairs being what it is, the most proactive action I could take was to watch the movie "A Wednesday" ... damn I feel so guilty about sarcasm. About the recent Saturday blasts, my MIL believes in the Aamir theory. She is sure, no educated young people nowadays can ignore their family and indulge in things which will cause

Open world, open minds

2008-09-16T02:05:00.002-05:00

Govt staffers can take up to 3 yrs' child care leaveThis is one rule that could turn women in India Inc green with envy. The Centre has not only increased maternity leave for its employees to six months but has also cleared paid leave for two years to take care of children.Excellent ! Marvelous ! Stupendous ! This calls for celebration !If this (or any) society wants to progress or even stay

BBAB

2008-09-07T13:17:00.002-05:00

These acronyms remind me of the "ABBG TPOG" Song.Anyway, so what is the Height of Desperation ?Me sitting right here in India, watching Ba Bahu Aur Baby (BBAB) on YouTube !With my days tightly packed with activities, living in the cable-free world is only beneficial. But memories of BBAB was giving me withdrawal pains. Till I discovered it again on YouTube (ya me Columbus !).Anyway, it's

Orange Blossoms

2008-09-01T11:45:00.001-05:00

Clicked these fresh Orange blooms on a very early cloudy, foggy morning in my Mom's garden. I gotto say I saw my first Green colored Orange here. They say, we miss so much in city life. I still think 'growing', whether its vegetable, fruits or flowers is not our job. Thankfully, my daughter has been listening to the clucking of chicken since she was a week old. Thanks to my Mom & Dad, even I got

The One in Which

2008-08-29T08:54:00.003-05:00

... Saif says in a TOI interview:Would I watch "Thoda Pyaar..."? No I prefer American films. I don't see that many Hindi films.This reminds me of the FRIENDS episode "The One With Joey's Interview", where Joey is tensed about his interview with Soap Opera Digest magazine and enlists his friend's help to control what he says. But ofcourse, as parting shot he does blurt out something true:

Yuhooo ! And another Bronze !

2008-08-22T03:51:00.004-05:00

Ya, I think after tasting Gold, we have become more greedy.But Vijendar's Bronze is great too !There is something to be said about this Gen.Everyone kept cribbing about the "corrupt youth" and "wise elders".I say, look at the youth today. Focused towards education, careers, family, even environment. And now sports. Sports as in not cricket, but shooting, wrestling, boxing, tennis, football, golf

Lalita Pawar

2008-08-21T14:59:00.000-05:00

i found out y my one eye is closed when i wake up unexpected in the morning or middle of the night.right now am feeling sleepy.almost falling.but my one eye is open.& the other is shuting by itself !to give some background, when we were young, some of the late nights my brother & me would create some ruckus - watch TV loud & late or fight or something, my mom would stumble to our room, barely

Yuhooo ! Yet another medal !

2008-08-20T05:26:00.003-05:00

Bronze in Wrestling is great !Congrats Sushil Kumar !(Photo: ZeeNews)

Happy Independence Day !

2008-08-15T08:12:00.008-05:00

Happy Independence Day !I have a whole lot of good wishes for India. Among them:More & better roads in each & every city & village.Stricter RTO, so there are better drivers on road.Honest Traffic police to stop horrible drivers & allow only non polluting vehicles.All these leading to better safety for children, whether travelling to school in bus, auto or with parents.Overnight, sonography

Yuhooooo ! Finally a Gold !

2008-08-11T01:46:00.003-05:00

Yuhooooo ! Finally a Gold !Congrats Abhinav Bindra !!!A perfect Independence Day gift !

Mother-In-Law Blogs !

2008-08-06T11:35:00.003-05:00

After Amitabh, Aamir, Salman & others, finally my Mother-in-Law has stepped into the world of Blogging !She will showcase her culinery adventures here. Most of which she can prepare blindfolded too. But here it is mainly for the benefit of her Son-in-law & Son who can feast their eyes (आँख सेक लो) on good home-made, actually Mom-made Indian food, from East & West parts of the globe,

Secure Gift

2008-08-01T02:42:00.002-05:00

Now-a-days all personal interaction, happens on mobile phones, webcam video-conf & voice chat, IM and ofcourse Emails. Postal service and courier is only for official documents & bills. Really, all romantic notions of letters have been thoroughly & definitely squashed.But once in a while, courier brings along a surprise or much-awaited gift. A usually very quiet, sober collegue of mine & who did

It's out there. Really ?

2008-07-26T12:44:00.000-05:00

I liked this desciption of Scully."....This weekend, she'll be bringing all those chops back to the role that made her, and that's good news. In an entertainment world where women are disappearing from multiplexes, where men bulk up as superheroes while women don't eat but sip pink drinks, we need to remember that there was once a very short heroine who hunted monsters and talked about Einstein,

"Time Management" by Randy Pausch

2008-07-25T14:47:00.004-05:00

"Time Management" by Randy Pausch, November 2007 - 86 min - Nov 28, 2007 Found this link from Jugalbandi.It was a great lecture. Not a dull moment in that 1 hour. So humorous, so positive, so true. I must have read those points a hundred times in magazines, weblinks, what not - while doing something else too. We have taken multi-tasking to its heights, that now its a time waster. Instead watched

Not fine at all

2008-07-25T05:22:00.006-05:00

TodaySerial bomb blast in Bangalore7 9 blasts rock Bengaluru - 7 in the afternoon & 2 in the evening on Mysore Road.(Image from CNN IBN)Glass breaking, metal dent,material possesions accquired after so much hard work,getting damaged, destroyed,Only the owners will know its pain.One needle prick, one knife cut, hurts so bad.How might the injured feel now ?And the kids and family of the "lady

Turn, straighten, turn, straighten

2008-07-22T14:30:00.002-05:00

Let me begin with the grand 94.3FM Radio One PJRajnikant Idea No 111nama - The other day I went to the park. Policeman came and started screaming at me. I gave one tight slap. I said, "What is this ?" Car-ra. "Where is it?" Park-ka. "So what is this?" "Car Park". He he ha ha ha ha ...May not be funny in print, but it's funny to hear it on Radio. Especially that Rajni imitator. But something which

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

2008-07-15T15:24:00.006-05:00

Just now saw ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’. I maybe out of movie watching or reviewing circuit, but I can't resist a choco-romance flick. I had to see what everyone was raving about.Definitely good movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the part from the time Jai tell his Mom "Never again" and steps out of his home, till the end. Or rather from the time he enters Sushant's house. And "Jignes The Patel". He was

Happy Birthday Baby

2008-07-11T20:50:00.001-05:00

Aankhon mein teriAjab si, ajab si, adaayein hainHo…ankhon mein teriajab si, ajab si, adaayein hainDil ko bana dein jo patangSaansein ye teri vo hawaayein hainAayi aisi raat hai joBohat khush-naseeb haiChaahe jisse door se duniyaVo mere kareeb haiKitna kuch kehna haiFir bhi hai dil mein sawaal kaheenSapnon mein jo roz kaha haiwo phir se kahun Ya naheeAankhon mein teriAjab si, ajab si, adaayein

Pappu radio chala

2008-06-18T09:45:00.002-05:00

There is something about morning commute and radio. Wind in the hair. Gloomy cloudy sky even at 9am. Driving on a route with no signals, slowing only at speed-breakers. And suddenly scream "Hooi hooi hooi hooi, But Pappu cant dance sala ..."Radio One 94.3FM is my current favourite day-time radio channel. (Nothing can beat Vivdh Bharti for a quite peaceful night). And I have to endorse RJ Prithvi.

Monsoon & Mangoes are here !

2008-06-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

Monsoon arrived on the cue, straight this weekend. Actually Monsoon is too heavy a word. In Bangalore, it only means dark clouds, cool wind and light showers. All the road flooding is man-made, so I wont include it in Monsoon definition.And this being Mango season, they are just everywhere. Whether it's chilly, dark outside or hot sunny afternoon, nothing beats a tangy kairi with salt & chilly !

Museum Outing

2008-06-01T04:56:00.002-05:00

To kick start my nephew's summer vacation here, we decided to visit Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological museum & Venkatappa Art Gallery at Kasturba Gandhi Road (approach it from Hudson Circle).Driving anywhere in Bangalore is dead tiring. And that we were. First thing we did, well after a nearly half-an hour of parking struggle, was to grab a few chairs and gourge on sandwiches. Thankfully

My Mom's Kitchen Shelf

2008-05-25T20:48:00.006-05:00

My Mom's Kitchen Shelf. And my entry to the CLICK May 2008 event.This month's theme is "Beans 'n Lentils". I have always been a fan of Lentils or Daals. And only now do I realize, that they are a manna. Very nutritious and tasty and quick to cook, especially for Baby food.Let me share my recipe for Baby food. This has variety and considering that it has to be made day after day, for 3-4 meals a

What I Did This Summer ?

2008-05-19T22:41:00.003-05:00

Summer vacations. We are half-way through. Schools might start in a few weeks. I don't remember much details about my vacations, except it was fun, just games outdoors with my brother and friends or visits to Grandpa home in Udupi. That totally changed with college and after starting work, I think I completely forgot what it means !It's only now with the challenge of entertaining my cousins &

Voted !

2008-05-12T09:44:00.000-05:00

For the Karnataka Assembly Election on 10-July-2008. For a government that will complete all the in-progress Road work.And a whole lot more.

My Daughter's Room

2008-05-09T01:32:00.001-05:00

Made this watercolor for a Drawing competition. Topic was "Vision 2020". So my entry was - "My Daughter's Room in the Year 2020" !

Up in the skies

2008-04-25T00:30:00.001-05:00

My baby's second flight. On our way back from Pune.Clouds looked like delicious ice cream scoops.Despite many attempts to show her the clouds, she simply focussed on the window glass pane. Maybe it was too much glare for her.

Zindagi ka Language

2007-10-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

Zee Studio is showing 'Mind Your Language'. Finally 7pm has a fresh show to see, after nearly a decade of F.R.I.E.N.D.S rerun on the same slot. MYL is a terrific laugh riot. Each episode is a gem. They should really coin a phrase - 'as patient as Mr. Brown'. Phew what a class of students ! Each one better than the other.There is a certain innocence / naiveté in watching these retro shows. Zee

In Love

2007-09-19T00:59:00.001-05:00

As on July 12th, I crossed a major milestone in my life. I became a Mom ! To my lovely Daughter !To sum it up - Absolutely unbelievable ! I am still reeling in disbelief. Hubby is equally affected. Even while going through the mundane routine, we still manage to float in a dreammy world. Her face, her smile, every little twitch of eyebrow, her eyes, everything leaves us speechless.

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

2007-07-27T12:14:00.000-05:00

The first book I read, in my new life, was Harry Potter Book 7 ! My Hubby remembered to buy it dot on 21st july, even while hunting around for baby stuff. And I read it while my baby slept. So I pretty much gave up my sleep time as well. But unlike other HP, I didn't sit through the night reading it. I am not that much of a superwoman.Was good. Was defintely better than HP-B6. In sharp contrast,

Happy New Year !!! 2007 !!!

2007-01-01T13:52:00.000-06:00

Lage Raho ... Munnabhai

2006-12-01T10:45:00.001-06:00

Munnabhai is great stuff. Good thing they got the idea of making Series instead of Sequel. That gives them enough freedom to play around with story, characters & actors, while repeating only two of them - Munnabhai & Circuit !This movie also opens with a kidnapping. But removing Munnabhai from this equation, make the MBBS kidnapping a better one. Anyway with the camera totally focussed on Circuit

Picnic @ Lalbagh

2006-11-27T13:12:00.000-06:00

Lalbagh Potluck Picnic What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon, than with friends in Lalbagh and enjoying a yummy potluck lunch. We had yummy Bread Rolls by Rachana, filling Kachori & tangy Tomato chutney by Sharad, delicious Aloo-Mutter by Kusuma and a lot of Veg Pulao & Chana-chole by me. The sunny afternoon meant we needed no excuse to first simply gorge on the lunch and then laze

Hop, Jump & Skip visit to Udupi

2006-11-24T11:06:00.000-06:00

I find it very amusing when friends praise the beauty and tourism value of Udupi. Whether it is the Udupi Krishna temple, or Maple beach or the Saint Mary's Island.That's because Udupi for me, has always been my Grandpa's home, to go to for summer vacation. I never explored it as a traveler. Ofcourse we paid customary visit, to the temple and beach. But more interesting things were watching all

Casino Royale

2006-11-19T03:32:00.001-06:00

Too good, I say. 3 out of 3 of us found it that way. It's 1 am and I am still wide awake in awe.The opening sequence may have been cryptic. But I got my answer, as to why they have bathroom tiles in background for the signature scene where we see Bond through a view hole, fire a shoot.And we also come to know why he drinks Shaken Martini only. And the secret behind his suave black suit dressing

Vivah

2006-11-18T23:11:00.001-06:00

3 out of 4 of us found it ok. It was actually was. It's Sooraj Barjatya's capability that he can make an absorbing movie out of a non-topic. From the promos I felt it's going to be a bore. The first 15 minutes did feel that way. But with the boy-girl meeting & 'Do anjane ajnabi' song, it turned out well. We hoped for some drama, which came in the form of an unaffectionate Aunt. But that was

Chores

2006-11-10T21:00:00.000-06:00

Rakhi Sawant is our house favourite contestant in "Bigg Boss". She is simply super ! It was a relevation to see her uninhibitedly wash clothes, mop floor & prepare upma. All her mercurical dialogs are entertaining. She should definitely win.And why I connected with her, was when in yesterday's episode, she screams this, while rinsing clothes -"Moushi, tujhe to dus hazar pagar dena chahiye. Apun

World's Best Crab Curry

2006-11-06T20:14:00.000-06:00

By my Mom, of course. The curry is coconut based, grinded fine with chilly, turmeric, tamarind, cummin, coriander, pepper etc etc. Standard Costal recipe. But Ah the delicious, soft, almost salty meat to be sucked out of the bulky long shell. Or to be scooped out. Or gently coaked out cm by cm by teeth.There are some bad side-effects as well. Any pointed edge might hurt the tongue;

Jaan-E-Mann

2006-10-28T10:51:00.004-05:00

Watched Jaan-E-Mann and 5 out of 5 of us loved it. Initially from promos it felt like a sad serious triangle movie. But actualy it is a lot of comedy, with a equal

Men & Cricket

2006-10-27T23:52:00.001-05:00

Our TV has conked out and in repair shop. So yesternight we followed the India vs West Indies match on Radio. Raj: Neighbours sunenge toh hasengeLast 10 overs were very interesting, very tight. '13 runs for 13 balls'. But wickets were going off pretty quick. Then Lara came ... it was all quite here. Commentators paint quite a picture - hyped up Lara's entry & "how everyone shakes with fear". But

Happy Diwali !

2006-10-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

Hope you had a Great one ! We spent the Diwali weekend with my parents. And that meant lot of sweets & namkeens. I reprised my traditonal role of assitant, while Mom churned out the good stuff. So while I crushed elaichi, cut karanji and shaped chaklis, Mom rolled out besan laddoo's off the hot ghee-dripping dough. Evening was spent unravelling the rolled fairy lights and decorating it on grills.

Fresh Bangalore

2006-10-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Vidhan Soudha This week has been truely amazing. Bangalore looked like the same city, but in a parallel universe. Less crowds everywhere.With a long weekend, and Wednesday off, half or rather more then half of the population was away.Visually everything looked amazing. Less people everywhere. Definitely peaceful & quite mid-days. I even got to cruise at 5th gear on BTM layout road. Those who

Roses Pozes

2006-09-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

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Fanaa

2006-09-07T23:53:00.001-05:00

Inspite of all the negative hype created by pretentious reviewers all over, Fanaa was a good movie. It had every thing you need in a movie. Comedy, tragedy, good locales, lovely songs and great cast. All in the right measures and none overdone. What else is there, come on.2.5 out of 3 of us liked it. The 3rd person was tired of the 2nd half, as it was her 2nd & forceful viewing.I loved it even

NICE Road

2006-09-04T15:37:00.002-05:00

What a NICE road indeed !This one stretches from Kanakapura Road (near Talaghattapura Police station) to Mysore Road (Kengeri).Distance-wise it is 9.6 km and takes 5-10 minutes max.This is a surprising, coz to reach the same place via Kanakapura Rd, Ring Rd and Mysore Rd takes like 1.5 hours in daytime. (10 minutes ! That is too much shock, when its the first time).I even got to cross 100 kmph.

Rang De Basanti

2006-08-21T23:40:00.000-05:00

Finally caught with Rang De Basanti, though on TV. I was always miserable I missed seeing it in theatre. Now even more so. It's great movie, good fun.I am as mermerised as Aamir is after he finds out Alice knows Hindi. Too good.The movie sets it's spunky but pleasent tone right from Alice's reply to her boss :) I was laughing throughout the ad-break that followed.For once they don't lecture us

KANK

2006-08-16T14:09:00.001-05:00

When the movie actually ended, I just had to yell "Thank God, its over". Phew, what a relief ! My hubby has put his foot down, "That finishes our film quota for the year". Well any Hindi movie with so much resources is definitely watchable once. So is this. Not a bore definitely. 5 and a half of us had great time laughing throughout the 2nd half, when SRK & Rani were miserable and constantly

Happy Independence Day !

2006-08-15T02:00:00.000-05:00

One of the things, from my last year's list have come true. And rest seem to be on the way.For this year, I can only add more:Better security intelligence framework to take pre-emptive actions,No more floods or farmer suicide,More road creation - all over India,along with stricter RTO - for driving license and pollution certificates,Continue the success rate and good quality in Indian cinema &

Golmaal

2006-08-09T19:37:00.000-05:00

If this year did not have so many good movies, I would have declared this one The Best Movie of the year. Well atleast this is definitely the Best Comedy Movie of the year. Not to be missed. It falls in the same category as Garam Masala. 3 out of 3 of us loved it. And the whole theatre audience was with us. Laughing throughout. It began with a tapping Golmaal song. Sleazy video definitely, but

Omkara

2006-08-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

Omkara is a good watch. 5 out of 7 of us liked it. Inspite of knowing what it is about and how it might end (Othello), the movie has a lot more to offer. Power dynamics, which can apply anywhere in the world. Dangers of naivety and being openly vulnerable. And when bad luck piche padtha hain, toh koi nahin bacha sakta. That happens to Ajay Devgan because of his misjudgement. And to Vivek for no

Friday Night Playlist

2006-07-28T16:30:00.000-05:00

Bijuriya (Remix) - Shaadi se pehleAu au Ashiqui mein teri (Remix) - 36 ChinatownZara Jhoom Jhoom (Remix) - Tom Dick & HarryAfsana Banake Bhool Na Jaana - Dil Diya HaiEk nazar mein bhi - Taxi 9 2 11Zehale muskin - GulamiKhalbali - Range De BasantiDil Na Diya - KrrishKajra re - Bunty aur BabliAisa jadoo dala re - KhakeeNaam hain tera tera (Remix) - Aap ka Suroor.

Mera Piya Ghar Aaya, O Ramji !

2006-07-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

Blasts

2006-07-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

This is too horrible for words.Morning, 5 blasts in Srinagar. Evening, 8 blasts in Mumbai.I was commuting at the very same time. Only in a different city. Reached home to get this news and spend all evening watching the images. Of mangled train compartments, rush in hospitals, rain soaked onlookers, of first eye-witnesses choking when they recounted what they saw,people trying to reach home and

Final is over

2006-07-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

I stayed up till 2:30. And for what ?It was such a boring match.Hardly any goals. 2 goals in 90 minutes. One was Zidane penalty which looked simple, but he dinked it. And other Materazzi's one, which was the only good one.Then extra time. Nothing again.2 hours gone, and then penalty shootout.I mean, what is the thrill about a penalty shootout ?If that's what they wanted, they could have done it

Under-estimator

2006-04-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

Oh my poor blog. No updates for so long. But I am so relieved - they didn’t destroy it, as a punishment for inactivity.But I checked - most of my fellow bloggers haven't updated in a quite a long time. Maybe it's that time of the year, when everyone is flooded with work.So well my excuse is thatwith everything happening at work,and absolutely nothing in personal life,what can I blog about ?No

Happy Holi

2006-03-15T02:01:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year !Time for gulal, and water ballons,To be doused by buckets of colorful water,and forcibly plastered with gulal and other colors.There is no escape, cozIt's Holi !Wish you all a very Happy & Colorful Holi !!!!

TTC Subway

2006-03-06T17:17:00.001-06:00

* TTC Subway I have to say, I was most impressed by the subway system of Toronto. Entire public transit system actually - TTC.Bangalore commuting hassles being what it is, it is no wonder that the one thing I valued was the convenience of this transit system. I made the most use of the Weekly PassWant to cross a few blocks ? Hop in the nearest subway.Live in the suburbs ? No problem. Park your

Niagara Falls

2006-03-02T19:43:00.000-06:00

Here is the grand Niagara Falls ! From Canadian side.It was huge and definitely beautiful. But it took us nearly an hour to settle down and have a good look. Man ! the mist doesn't let you stay still. Coupled with a cloudy sky, it completely drenched us. Raincoat ponchos from the sovenier shop, where we took refuge, came to our rescue. Speaking of souvenir shops, I seriously looked out for

Kingston

2006-02-28T10:40:00.001-06:00

While Montreal & Quebec were all snow covered, the very same day Kingston was completey snow-free, sunny and beautiful. The sunny bit can very deceptive. Temperature would still be in the negative range.Kingston was erstwhile capital of Canada. In 1844, only after 3 years, capital was moved to Ottawa. Reason being Kingston's proximity to another country.This is the Kingston Townhall, which was