Monthly Archive for November, 2007

The A to Z’s

Published on November 17, 2007 in From here & there and I me & myself. 6 Comments Tags: , .

The idea was:

“The instructions say that each player starts with some random facts/habits about himself/herself. As you are tagged you need to post the rules and your responses on your own blog. At the end of your post, you need to choose some people to tag, list their names and, of course, leave them a comment, telling they have been tagged and they need to read your blog for more information.”

I’m poor at tagging. So here are my A to Zs. Feel free to make your own. And let me know so that I can read yours too:

A: Aspiring writer. Since I’m not one, I blog instead.

B: Bookworm, hardcore. I get anxiety attacks if I dont read something – anything – everyday.

C: Choose to be a free spirit. Also sometimes choose to be in high spirits but I digress.

D: Dog-lover. My labrador, Winkie will testify for this.

E: Extremely impulsive. Seizing the day is my kinda thing. By the way, I have all seven days on sale now, if anyone’s interested. (E also for extremely stupid jokes that I crack once in a while)

F: Funny people, I like. Very much.

G: Gregarious. Learnt this word in college when a pal said I was one.

H: Hate Horror movies. Cant stand them. End up getting a near-heart attack if I try so much as to watch one. (Been scarred for life since The Exorcist decades back)

I: I, I, I. Its usually always about me. My blog, I mean. I’m much more considerate in person.

J: June-baby. Love this month cause my birthday falls on the longest day of the solstice.

K: Kill Bill, Vol 1. Never watched a movie quite like it. Used to own a copy… which reminds me, whoever ‘borrowed’ it – its now labelled as ‘stolen’. Beware.

L: Like living life as I want. Feel happy to be alive.

M: Muchos gracias – one of the few Spanish words I know. Or wait, is it Mexican? I wish I knew both. Ole!

N: Never say never. I’m serious – I’ll fine you 10 bucks if you say this word in front of me.

O: Oh my God! My favourite dialogue from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

P: Pablo Neruda. For the poem ~ I do not love you as if you were salt rose or topaz ~

Q: Quimbey for Mayor. If you were running for mayor, he’d vote for you.

R: Rinchen. Ok, so I like my name. Means ‘Precious Jewel’ ~ Ahem ~

S: Seems just like yesterday I was just born… I’m nearing my 30′s now… (Nostalgic but N was already gone)

T: Try to be original. Fail. Then copy and hope no one else notices. Also, Thank You – a word I say 10 times in a day since I was brought up by polite people who taught me to say so.

U: Uninhibited and will try anything twice. Doesnt anyone listen to whats Bryan Adams’ been singing for so long?

V: Venus, my home planet. As well as the bright shining star I remember seeing for the first time I looked up at the sky at night.

W: Wicked. Pronounced as WICK-ed. Name we thought of for our non-existent candle making business. Neat, huh?

X: X – the symbol of all wrongs that I give zero marks for when I correct test papers. (Am a teacher, btw)

Y: Yet to win a Pulitzer, Booker or even a National Award. Moral of the story: Think BIG.

Z: Zzzz…. wake up! You’ve reached the end of the list. Now go home.

Whats in a ‘maiden’ name

Published on November 17, 2007 in Gender blender and These thoughts of mine. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Sometime back, I was listening to a couple of married girls engaged in a heated discussion with friends of their counter parts. The argument in question was the importance or stubborn-ness: call it what you will – of their keeping one’s maiden name. My pet peeve however is an entirely different topic and deals with the M word although as such I have no issues about anyone’s last name, be it mine or someone else’s.

What was funny was that during the entire course of the argument rocking back and forth, I observed no spouse was having a direct verbal lashing with each other in the group. Guess no one wanted to have a grand finale of a fight later on when by themselves most probably.

One opinion as to why girls should vehemently retain their maiden name was that she should be proud of the name given to her by her parents and be that as it may the offspring will definitely be a product of the male lineage of her wedlock, she should at least have the courtesy of retaining the one symbol of pre-marriage identity.

Another opinion was that its all too complicated having to go change one’s name and then having to do all the legal paperwork. There’s this complication of having to justify your double surnames when you are in the process of applying for a new job and all? Its not something thats happened to me but sounded like a good argument nevertheless.

Whatever may be the reason to change or not to change anything, I think its an individual decision and something that should be respected by both sides of the couple. If you do decide to keep your middle name though, I still claim that there’s nothing more irritating than stupid people coming up to you and asking you how is Mr. Your-maiden-name.

She said ‘cheese’

Published on November 15, 2007 in hopes & dreams and Life as it happens. 5 Comments

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We met this kid last week during our trip to West Sikkim. She is lovingly called Chinki-la and is about 5 years old. The best part about her is that nobody can mess with her. She’ll come straight at you and beat you otherwise. Really. She can eat throughout the length of the day and is the captain of her class in lower kindergarten. She came along with us for a day’s sightseeing trip and we were kept busy laughing at her antics the whole day through.

She says the sweetest ‘cheese’ when her snaps are being taken. I couldnt resist taking her pic from the back of the car even. After spending a couple of days with her around, I drew this conclusion that if this is what it is to have kids, I wouldnt mind having a Chinki-la of my own. Really.

Destination West Sikkim

Published on November 13, 2007 in Sikkim and Wanderlust. 2 Comments

Got back yesterday from a trip to West Sikkim which apparently is on the verge of superceding Gangtok from the itinerary of the visiting tourist. And after my trip, I can see why. We reached Pelling in the afternoon and took a short hike to Rabdentse, the ancient capital of Sikkim. The stone palace lay in ruins with the blue sky making a contrasting back drop to it. 

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In the evenings, we used to be offered Tongba, a millet based alcoholic beverage sipped through a bamboo straw. A very interesting drink which is available only in the old homes and which wont be listed on a bar unfortunately. Since we were staying at a friend’s place, his family made our stay most endearing by laying out a red carpet treatment with the most ethnic of cusines. Our favourite however was the Tongba, hands down.

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A trip to Khechoperi Lake, which is worshipped by the locals and is also an entirely natural lake was next on the agenda. Prayer flags adorned the sides of the lake as tourists thronged to turn the prayer wheels placed along the pier of the lake.

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We could not venture out to Yuksom but we did make a long journey to reach Singshore Bridge, the second highest suspension bridge in Asia. Looking down from the middle of such a high bridge is probably the bravest thing I have done in my entire life. I loved the Bridge itself and I felt it was worth travelling all the way till there just to be able to see it.

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And to think I had been wondering just last week about how long it had been since I’d last travelled anywhere. I should have such thoughts often.

The Listener

Published on November 8, 2007 in Gender blender and Life as it happens. 2 Comments

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Its always depressing getting the upset call from your dearest friends. Maybe the only thing that can top that will be of making that call yourself, in my opinion. In all of my near-three decades, I have learnt that the upset call is one of the inevitable things in life that needs no introduction and is unmistakable in its receiving.

I wish I had all the answers to life’s mysteries and why it is that people sometimes tend to behave so unlike themselves. I wish I had the power to read people’s minds and tell them to be more compassionate towards others especially to the one whom you love. Were I to be able to show people how wrong they are to be indifferent to people who care about them, I would lend them a microscope and ask them to examine other possible faults that they could rectify and do without.

I know that no one is perfect. I am also aware that people make mistakes and learn from them. And life is one big roller coaster ride that one should make the best of. But I also know that some people do not deserve to be unhappy. Or crying. And heart-broken. They deserve to be appreciated and loved and cherished. Which I would gladly do had I been in their shoes.

I spoke to my friend for a long time last night. Apart from agreeing with her entirely that she was absolutely right and everything/everyone else was wrong (thats my idea of being supportive), we talked about happier things. About what a wonderful person she is. And she was soon laughing about all the stupid things that normally goes on in our regular conversation. By the time we hung up, she was feeling slightly better or at least thats what I thought.

We all have our issues and irrelevances to work out ourselves. Maybe being nicer to each other can be the little ray of hope that shines on our lives. After all, you live only once. Surely we can afford to segregate all things upset and shelve them so that you live & let live, happily ever after.

Live & let live-in?

Published on November 2, 2007 in Life as it happens. 2 Comments

As much as we, the current generation of Indians are burdened with the responsibility of carrying on the slowly dying torch of our rich and varied culture, I sometimes wonder how many years more it will take to be finally rid of all sorts of pretentious charade that is still prevalent in our society. Take the living-in culture, for instance.

I know of my younger friends who’ve recently started earning a living and for the convenience of finance, security & company they’ve moved in together in a big city far away from their homes. Now, the house owners have to be told that the two people are married. Only then, will they allow a guy & a girl to rent at their place. This is a common story, especially in metro cities.

While more and more people are coming forth and openly living in with no concern to the moral police or whoever it is that takes interest in all these developments, the society we live in still has to accept a couple living-in out of wedlock.

Whats ambiguous is that while the new arrangement is rampant and growing, the older generation continues to look away and pretend it aint all happening right before their very eyes. Maybe the reason is their own up-bringing which strictly forbids such kind of goings on, as are so many people who’re still being brought up in the same manner.

The only thing is, the new generation of society is changing. And I dont think we can do anything much to prevent that from happening. In the meantime, whether people choose to Live and let Live-in, is a big debate that will probably outlast my generation, at least.

Freaky Friday

Published on November 2, 2007 in Moo-vies. 0 Comments

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I dont know why I like this movie so much. I have watched it like 10 times already still I went and watched it all over again last night. Jamie Lee Curtis is awesome when she’s trapped in the body of her 15 year old daughter, Anna. Here were my favourite dialogues:

Anna (actually Mom): Hello. Hello in there? Wake up, honey. Wake up. Wake up! That is it!

Mom (actually Anna): [Groaning] Oh…Oh, could I just have, like, one minute, please?

Anna: Honey. Look, I think something’s happened to us.

Mom: (All wide eyed) What are you???

Anna: It’s me. Mom.

Mom: You’re not my mother!!!

Anna: Yes, I am.

Mom: Get away, you clone freak!

Anna: Don’t you use that tone with me.

Mom: Oh, my God, you are my mother!!!

Anna: And you’re not who you think you are.

Mom: (Looking at the mirror) Look at me!

Anna: We seem to be inside each other.

Mom: I’m old!

Anna: I beg your pardon!

Mom: Oh, I’m like the Crypt-keeper!

Anna: Okay, that’s enough.

Both: (Looking at each other) Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

Football frenzy

Published on November 1, 2007 in Sikkim. 2 Comments Tags: .

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Once a year during the months of October – November, my state (of Sikkim) hosts a football tournament to the delight of thousands of fans sitting in the galleries of the Paljor Stadium. The tournament sees the participation of a host of local teams as well as football teams of Nepal and even Nigeria, who were specially invited all the way last year.

Sikkim may be one of the few states of India where football, not cricket is the more popular sport where kids aspire to be the next Bhaichung Bhutia, even as Tendulkar continues to remain god to others. Even the government offices and schools close in the afternoons so that people can watch the games. The Governor’s Gold Cup remains to be the only topic of discussion during this time of the year in Gangtok.

Sometimes it so happens that a sore loser team gets so pissed with a winner team that they go and pick a fight with them and appallingly, bash them right in the middle of the football field. About two years back, one team got beaten up and sadly havent returned to the tournament till date.

I still remember last year’s final match. I got separated from my group due to the thronging crowd all over the place. After buying a really expensive ticket – read: best seats in the stadium – I ended up sitting on the stairs alone, next to the best seats which were all occupied yet went on to enjoy the game on my own as well as the rest of the screaming crowd.

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