An innovative idea

Here is one more pic:

Here is another interesting pic I clicked at Grand Mall (Gurgaon). It is a tissue vending machine. Quite an interesting idea.

The only problem is the tissues are priced at Rs 5 and Rs 10... and you have to insert Rs 5 coins to get the tissue... coins of a lower denomination (Rs 1 or 2) would be more convenient.

The placement is also all wrong. It is placed OUTSIDE the rest room. There are only 2 situations in which I buy tissues:
1) My hands are wet and I need to wipe them dry. The dispenser should be available in the rest room in this case
2) I have just stepped out of the sun and into the mall. My face is all sticky or sweaty and I need to a tissue. The dispenser should be next to the entrance in such a case.

PS: Can someone please bring 'Change vending machines' (machines which give you change) in India? Desperately need them.

Is it love?

I never knew a love

A love that could be sweeter

No matter what my mind says

Your music gives me fever

The moment that we danced

Your arms felt like a cradle

And when you took my hand

I was no longer able

It never felt so right before

I need to be with you much more

I can't believe this kind of fate

We can runaway...Is it love?

I'm always in a spell

Even when I sleeping

You're always on my mind

I hope that I'm not dreaming

If I am let me stay asleep

Don't wake me up I feel complete

I never want to feel it end

What a lovely moment

I wanna give you my love

Overtime

I wanna make love to you

Overtime

I wanna be right next to you

OvertimeI wanna be in love with you

Overtime

I am addicted to the above song by IIO... the perfect companion while driving on a deserted road... takes me back to the times spent on Udipi roads in SR's car with this song playing.

Anyway... here is a pic I couldn't resist clicking...

Yes... thats a loo... I was surprised to see lamps in the loos at Mariott (Mumbai) but this one beats all of them... it was clicked at Crowne Plaza (Gurgaon). Notice the painting in the loo. Weird!!!

Lets hate

Nothing binds people faster than hatred... I am not being funny here.

I have seen females bond over break ups with a creep (sometimes over the same creep).... colleagues bond in their hatred for their bosses or their organizations... students bond in their hatred for a professor... the list is endless.

I know a certain group of people who detested each other for many months... now they are doing everything to help out each other... 'coz of one common enemy.

I say... stop preaching about love... preach about hatred.

Hatred binds!!!

Sigh!!!

Who came up with the novel idea of 'Dialer Tones'? I have to pay to make someone else listen to my favorite song. Thats dumb... and all of us have fallen for it. I go through the trouble of picking a good song and guess what... I don't get to listen to it. Will someone please develop a 'listener tone'... so I can listen to my fav song when I call others.


Anyway... I am alone at home... the room is in a mess but don't feel like cleaning it... my clothes are not ironed but I don't care... My phone is the only companion... I cook dinner but throw half of it 'coz I hate to eat alone... I have work to do but have sworn not to touch work after office hours... I don't have anything to write yet am blogging... I am ill but don't feel like taking medicines... I am homesick but cannot go home.


Sorry for cribbing... but it is a bad time.

On the occassion of receiving appraisal letter:
Boss: So.. party time today?
Me: I guess... only problem is... there is nobody to party with

Maa

Scene 1:
Mom comes to pick me up at the airport. We have to travel from A'bad to Hmt on a bus. I am carrying a bulky heavy suitcase.
Me: Mom... why didn't you just bring a car?
Mom: I thought we would find a bus easily
Me: Thats it... you are not travelling by bus anymore
Mom: You don't have to live in luxury all the time
Me: C'mon... its a matter of 500 bucks.
Mom: 1000 bucks... why not save them if you can?
Me: Absolutely not... I forbid you to travel on buses. I will sponsor all the car expenses from now on
Mom: I will not travel by car. Do what you want
Me: Sigh... you are so stubborn

Scene 2:
Bored waiting for the electricity in the afternoon. Mom is getting irritated with 3 house flies
Mom: You 2 (me and bro) have brought the house flies. (She kills one). Yes... killed. Here open your mouth (and throws the fly on me)
Me: Yeeks.. mom. Disgusting!!! Now you are feeding me non-veg. What ever happened to all those lectures against non veg? Double standards!!!

Scene 3:
We (mom, dad, bro and me) are having a late lunch in front of TV. Mom has switched to some crap serial.
Me: Mom.. you said you don't watch saas bahu serials
Mom: I like this female.. I watch it only once a month
Me (grumbling): Its weird how this once a month turns up everytime I am around.

B'glore... Chennai

I was in B'glore and how I love the place. It is the 2nd best city in the whole world... 1st being A'bad ('World' here includes Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia and hopefully next month USA). I know the roads... I remember them so vividly it is amazing.

Tonight I am in Chennai with A2... How I miss living with females... last time I was here.. even K.S was around.
Anyway... the other night Katty and me were having dinner at Dana Choga.
Katty: so the distribution system is ... blah blah blah
Me: I don't give a fuck about the distribution system... can we talk something else?
Katty: Ok... lets not talk about marriage, family or work.
Me: Wow... then what are we going to talk about?
Katty: About us!!!
Me: What about us???
(If your best friend of 7 years said that to you... even you would be surprised)
Katty: We are always at loggerheads and have contrary views about everything
Me: Katty... friendship is not about having the same views.. it is about expressing your views
Katty: Lets play a game... lets list down 10 things we hate about each other
Me: Uh... oh... do you really want to go down that lane?

So here is the list (slightly modified to suit this blog):

Ten things Katty hates/detests about me:

1) When I say... "I have to go... I will call you back"

2) When I say... "Look you know what, I don't want to discuss this right now... I'll call you tomorrow"

3) Take advice... never follow it

4) I think a lot about my face

5) I eat non-veg when we have dinner together

6) I am totally opposite to Katty

7) I want to get married/settled soon

8) I take Katty's jokes seriously

9) I will leave Gurgaon sooner or later

10) I multi task

Eight things (2 edited out) Katty loves about me:

1) I am result oriented... my goals keep changing but I see them through to the end

2) I am selfish but with a conscience

3) I am like a coconut... tough on the outside and soft on the inside

4) I keep the friendship going using logic... use logic to sort out conflicts

5) I never judge Katty

6) I am never judgemental about Katty's stupid jokes

7) I am the first girl Katty hugged

8) I am in Gurgaon

Shaurya

Finally... a good movie. The cast is amazing... Rahul Bose, Kay Kay Menon, Jaaved Jaffery. Minisha Lamba is looking quite ugly and sounding very irritating... the end could have been better but no regrets about watching this one.

Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people

A field trip was organized by the marketing team and all of us headed to Metropolitan Mall for this movie. I was in no mood to watch it... it would have been impossible to leave mid way.
Anyway... braving myself I sat through the first half which is crap... the second half is much better... there are bits and parts when I enjoyed the movie and others when I hated it.
The idea is brilliant but not well executed.
I have been reading the tag line (refer to title of post) in trailors but didn't know what it meant.
Now I do... Yes... coming close to someone is a journey... an absolutely pleasant one...
The lyrics of songs (except one) are pathetic.
Watchable once if there is nothing else to do.

Spoliers: Story is... Ajay and his son are having b'fast on a cruise. They have a bet... to see who can patao a girl faster. Ajay has to patao Kajol sitting on another table... He approaches her... flirts and starts telling her the story of a girl and boy who meet on a cruise. They fall in love... part.. meet again and get married. After marriage girl develops Alzheimers... she is also pregnant. Doc asks them to abort child since the girl's illness will worsen. Boy and girl don't follow advice. Girl starts having spells when she forgets everything... even her pregnancy. Boy is worried but patient. They have a kid... things are fine until she accidently leaves the kid in the tub of water and forgets about it. Boy sends her to a mental asylum and is guilty and depressed after that. In the end he brings her home... as promised he takes her on the same cruise on 25th anniversary. But she was going through spell of forgetfulness and didn't remember her hubby. Ajay is the boy and Kajol the girl...

My list of priorities in life

1) Family
2) Marriage
3) Location
4) Friends
5) Money
6) Career
Yes... that is the status. Job is at the bottom. I am tired of living on my own away from family and friends. Enough already!!! Who cares about the money if there is nobody to spend it on? Who cares about the career if there is no satisfaction or sense of achievement at the end of the day?
I have decided to re-structure my priorities and my life.
Here are a few deadlines:
By Jan'09 I will be located in West India as close to home as possible... come what may.
By June'09 I will be married... at the very least engaged.
By July'09 I will leave sales and move on to something more stable... but not to a desk job for sure
Thats it... I am putting these on my blog to document them... What I do today is going to influence my tomorrow.
I am not one of the ambitious kinds who wants to be the CEO of some hot shot company. I want to work well 9 to 6... return home to family and friends without interruptions from colleagues... and enjoy my life.
All I want to be is... happy.

Ramblings...............

Life has been extremely busy... work on weekends... work from home after office hours... skip meals at times... I wondered "All this for what?" Where does work-life balance go? Is it a misnomer?
Patience is a virtue (I am still cultivating it)... the result of the work came yesterday. Yes... it was worth all the lost sleep, food, thoughts etc.
Anyone remember all the case studies in MBA? Well... I was wrong. Corporate life is actually like that. But then... nobody can solve the cases till they are part of it.
Got the much needed rest today... tomorrow it is back to the pavilion. I am gaining some of the lost enthusiasm... I have received support from all sorts of people. It is an important time for me... the experiences today will mould me professionally for life. I am glad I made the correct decision. But then again... I don't have a base for comparison.

Btw... did anyone watch 'Femina Miss India'? I caught only 15 mins of it... the hot word this year is "compassion". It was used by every female in the question-answer session.

I don't understand this trend of sending wedding invitations online. It either means
1) The couple do not want you to attend... but they have to send an invitation else it will be considered rude... the middle path is an e-invitation. They should not write "Consider this a personal invite". It is misleading.
2) They are saving money and sending invitations online. A good idea.. but aren't weddings about spending money?
Weddings are quite a headache. There is 'X' who has insisted I attend her wedding... I'd rather not... they are not my cuppa of tea... find them too boring. X wants me to travel more than 12 hrs for the wedding but refuses to walk 5 mins and come over to my flat.
When I get married (if at all)... I will invite people... but never force anyone... I mean c'mon... the wedding wil happen with or without an audience (preferably without... saves expenses... and thats the Sindhi in me talking).
I am yapping now (after a really long time)... will try and stop now.
Umm... guess I cannot stop... too much to say. One major change I have noticed recently is my temper. Earlier I would just flare up and speak my (hot) mind. Now... the temper is slow to come... very slow. Even when the other person (a friend or relative) is being unreasonable and getting abusive... I hold my tongue. There is no point in talking to people in that mood. I give them time to call off (more than 12 hrs... in some cases 4-5 days) and then try to resolve the matter. It works... This is only for friends/family. I don't take shit from strangers.

PS: A1 and A2... missing you 2 like crazy these last few days... would give anything (well... almost anything) for the times spent at CCD (MIT library)... at the footpath drinking chai/coffee... late night conversations in the room... movie/sex n the city/desperate housewives sessions... New Year's trip to beach...

I know I should just pick up the phone and say "I miss you" but you may not understand. Oh.. what the heck. I will do that right now!!!

Some books... other movies

Some books/movies I have not blogged about:

1) Little women and Good wives:

I have the habit of reading books adapted to movies and vice-versa. It is interesting to compare if the director has done justice to the book. I watched Little Women a million times before reading the book. I prefer the movie... it is much shorter... well edited and the cast (Winona Ryder, Kristen Dunsten, Susan Sarandon, Claire Dans etc) is quite good. If you like classics catch this one.

2) Provoked:

I read the book first and then watched the movie. The book is fine... I was a little dissappointed with the movie. For starters... it is quite short... it begins with Kiranjeet murdering her husband... the domestic violence has been shown in flash backs. Somehow Kiran's plight could have been captured better by following a different pattern. It could have started with Kiran's marriage to her hubby... how the beatings begin... his affairs... his mother's attitude... then the killing... finally her transformation in prison and her freedom. The title of the movie ('Provoked') has not been well brought out.