Wedding countdown - congrats P

My friend got engaged yesterday, my besssssssstest wishes to him ... here's wishing you P - a love story that lasts forever. Cherish all the happiness, the little things, the big ones, keep the smile on and share it with would-be Mrs P and turn her into one pucca loos character like you ....

My name is Khan

What's with this movie. What's the point. I went purely to see the magic of SRK and Kajal inspite of pathetic reviews. I didn't get to see the normal SRK, but Kajal was AMAZING.
While looking at the movie, I realised something. Turns out, it is so obvious, since it's staring you right in the face, that you miss it.
There's always support for being a Muslim, it's always Hindus who seem to be shown in the wrong light.
Take Mr and Mrs Iyer, we get to see Hindu extremists murdering the old helpless Muslim couple.
My name is Khan shows a young Khan hearing about crimes Hindus perpetrated crime against Muslims.
Fiza again is about how a Muslim kid turned to terrorism due to Hindu-Muslim riots.
The news is filled with images of crimes against Muslims during the Gujarat riots or even the Mumbai ones.
There is a definite exposure to the world when it watches Indian media - be it the entertainment movies or the 24 hour news channels- I am not surprised if all they see is that Muslims suffer at the hand of Hindus in India because it is a predominantly Hindu country. But in each scenario, I am sure even other religions suffered.
The media may not realise it, but doesn't the world need to know that too. If we do not represent all aspects of our society, won't the world too see us that ways.
We are republic, secular and democratic and proud of it aren't we. We have had people from myriad religious backgrounds lead the country, lead our second religion[ cricket ], be the entertainment stars and what not. Why then the need for separation on basis of religion.There's no movie on India's democratic life is there

Pass the port please

I applied for a marital status and address change in my passport on dec 17th 2009. I waited 45 days to hear from the police for the verification, then hubby made a trip to the 'round the corner police station.
He came back home to tell me, I need to go there too.
I went. We got sent back for a phone bill from 2009.
We returned. We got sent back for a phone bill from the previous address in 2008.
We returned. We got sent back for .. you get it, we went to the police station, home and back 4 times.
Then, turns out, since I had submitted all those documents at the time of passport application - we needn't have gone back and forth even once.

Finally, the writer guy sits to write down the information. In the meanwhile, I saw him insult a guy because he was from Tamil Nadu, being rude to a girl who didn't have any other address proof other than a rental agreement[true], try to hit a guy with a paper weight when that guy did not understand where he was to sign. He made statements about if he doesn't finish an application in 15 days, the commissioner pulls them up - what about 45 days in my case I wonder.What about police needed to come to the house and verify on their own, what about them calling up people if they can't find them. It's their job, isn't it. When Vc said, I thought you would get in touch with us , he said 'will you pay for my personal calls to all the people who applied for passports'
I used to believe that a police station is what wrong doers need to fear, but being there for 2 hours just waiting on people[police] to just sign a paper, a weird fear grew within me, I didn't want to be there, it was like my skin was crawling, like I had put my foot into crap, like I was in a stinking spot and the stench was attaching itself to me.I didn't want to look at that sick,slimy writer, it's was frustrating to keep a calm face and talk to him, anything so as to not displease him, just so my application passes.
Then, he says, the SI isn't here , come back in the evening.
I came home, took a bath to get the sick feeling off.You needed to be there to feel it.
We went back in the evening, dreading even going there, turns out he wasn't there. We had to settle down for another hours wait. Slimeball people walking in and out, staring like 'beep beep beep's. And then, the worst moment of the day, I heard a scream come from inside, a real heart wrenching sound - why , why as a person who needed passport verification did I have to be subjected to hearing a person being tortured .WHY . WHY . WHY. I almost puked right there.
Shouldn't they do it as defined by coming to my house. Shouldn't they learn to be polite to people who come to the police station. Shouldn't they know how to treat people who are not criminals. Shouldn't they know that they can't expect women to spend 4 hours in a police station. Shouldn't they know that they need to respect women, at least show respect.
I never thought I would say it, but I find it hard to believe that people who are to protect us are the ones I am afraid of.
It's feb 20 2010, more than 2 months since I applied and I still don't have my passport - just a marital status and address change.

Happppppppy Valentine's day

YAYYYYYY ...

New Year, New Place

Started with my new company, it is indeed a strange feeling to be in a building full of people you have never seen, never met.
Lots of waiting in the reception area later, I met the HR, my new Team Manager, team mates. Looks like a whole new beginning. It seems like every beginning is an opportunity for infinite possibilities, a fresh start where you can do things differently or the same way again ;0
New cubicles, a lovely terrace pantry with a beautiful flower garden and a nice view, a library that actually stocks Rd, nice people - the manager asked me to join his group for lunch, the building looks awesome, well what else, oh yeah, I dont know any of the things that I am supposed to be working on- eowwwwwww - back to books and learning for me.
Well, wish me a wonderful beginning and a wonderful time here ..
And I wish the same for you for the new year ahead.

TATA bye bye

My 5 years in my first company has drawn to an end. And as I look back, I know that it has been one heck of a roller-coaster ride.
I learnt how to actually use a computer - 4 years of engineering and the internet age couldn't make me do it, but work did.
I moved from calling IT and Computer Science engineering graduates as IT guys and included myself in that group of 'techies'.
I was forced to learn computer languages ;0 Harder than that was learning 'People interaction skills'.
Work is never really painful when you look back, but I remember complaining, cribbing that it was so hard and never finished.There were lots of late nights where friends would wait for each other to finish. Then there were the fights - cold war style with so many people who had made life mini-hell for me.Turns out every incident good-bad has actually taught me something, while there are still somethings that I continue to repeat for the heck of it, some are real lessons about what to stay away from.
For the longest time, I hated the open politics or at least the un-acknowledged undercurrent that runs through every team, every office, every group of people. I hated,still do, it when I saw people 'butter' their way through life, though I had lots of people telling me to fit in , I think I took pride in stubbornly staying me. One of my achievements, 5 years in an IT company and I am still BLUNT. Guess thats why only my friends can stand me ;0
I did get a chance to go abroad to the US of A. lots of new things that opened up.
I have made friends for life - that's my favourite part of all the above lot.
It really is funny that at the end of such a long 'journey', it's the smallest things that come to mind.
When I was leaving, I remembered the first time I walked into a lobby and how awed I was at the receptionist talking smooth and juggling 10 calls a minute. I remembered being wow-ed by the entire wall in the ladies room being a mirror.My first look of a cubicle that I had heard so many jokes about.My first manager, the first late night stay, the first appraisal, the first friends, the first team outing, the first salary, the pride in buying something on your own, and so many more. And of course, I did get married while I was in this company.
Sigh, no matter how prepared I was for leaving - 1 month notice is a lot of time - putting on the tag one last time, submitting it to the HR , it did tug at my heart when I saw the big name board on the building one last time, I felt so senti when I was taking my vehicle out the parking lot for the very last time, and the worst was when I was passing the gate for the last time as an employee - I knew it was over - no more turning back.

An ode to the flame

Friday, January 2, 2009

It happened !!! It finally did, the cooker stopped after just one whistle and then died on us. Vc walked in to find that the cooking gas cylinder had finally run out.
It lasted 8 months almost. It gave us a scare a couple of times in its 5th month when the flame turned orange and all thought that it was finally time.
It stood by us when lots of people, parents, friends, the gas agency guy too all ridiculed us that it lasted way longer at our home than any other home they knew.
I will miss the first household appliance that Vc got.
Here's to it's memory !!

Myu tata

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Its about time isnt it ! I mean I am cooking every day and this blog doesnt get all the attention that it actually deserves. yeah yeah rub your hands in glee, coming up is my next 'mis'adventure with cooking :)


What I used :
Pillsbury vanilla cake mix.
Oil
Egg

What I did :
followed instructions on the back of the Pillsbury cover ! duh !!!

And for laughs:
Well, I didnt know that microwaveable bowls cant be used for cooking in the microwave!!
After putting in the batter into the bowl, I realised that my microwave doesnt have a temperature setter, ah well, cant do anything after having come so far, now can I?I put it in anyways and set the timer for 25 mins. I settle down comfortably with a novel waiting for the ting ting ting 'Your food is ready!!!'
I am not sure how much later but I get up to get a nibble since I was getting hungry, and I see smoke billowing out of the kitchen. There's no fire, thank God but the source is ,you guessed it, the hero of the story- my darling mirowave!
I turned off the switch and pull open the door, the plastic bowl's half gone, melted onto the glass floor, bursting as it died onto to walls of its confines changing the palette of heaven to that of hell.The cake was still there, it dint vaporise!!! darn!!! but it had turned into stone(the mister checked)

End Result :
The smoke caused far too much of coughing and brought about a mini-breathing issue not to mention burning eyes!
Its been 3 days and there's a faint burnt odour in my kitchen and not just when I open that darned door!
The inside of my brand new microwave oven has turned from white to a dirty brown(not on the outside though, its mishaps are its to hide ;))

Moral of the story: Dont get into cooking extra stuff just coz you got home early from work !!!

Peas Pulao

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

What I used:
Rice(Cooked)
Peas
Onions
Green Chillies
Oil
Salt
Cardamom
Cloves
Ginger-Garlic paste
Sugar

What I did:
Started with the rice cooker, got to have the rice ready before we start.

Chop up the onions and green chillies.Heat some oil in the kadai(and definitely do no add ginger-garlic paste now!!!) Add the cardamom and cloves, followed by onions and chillies. And now the ginger garlic paste. Wait till all looks fairly cooked and add the pretty peas :D. Give them some time (and don't let them get squishy!) and add the rice, some salt and a dash of sugar. Mix it all up properly and tadaaaaaaa......

and for laughs:
I got to move Vc away from the tv and come running into the kitchen ! All I had to do was heat the oil in the pan and add the ginger-garlic paste directly. It spewed it all out like there was no tomorrow, I had stand at the far end of the kitchen and watch all the oil spurt out all over the clean ledge and all the utensils kept around. We couldn't even reach the stove to turn it off, the brave knight tried to by shielding himself with a towel, but just as he reached out to turn the stove knob, a nice drop of boiling oil landed right on his wrist and he hopped back into the safe zone ! I ended up with a half burnt pan and it took me 15 mins to clean up the oil splattered all over the walls and the floor , not just the ledge ! and I did have an oil coated cucumber to contend with ;)
and of course,Vc says "Tv isnt as interesting as the kitchen ;) "
Made my day !!! uahahhahhahahaaaa ....

End Result:
Not happy with the result :(

Good 'ol Indian Pizzzzzzzza ...

Saturday, March 8, 2008

What I used:
Mozarella cheese
Pizza base
Veggies:-
Beans
Carrots
Cabbage
Capsicum(I know, Its not there in the snap)
Onions
Green Chillies
Tomato sauce
Garam Masala
Oil
Salt
Microwave Oven

What I did:
Chop up the vegetables.Heat some oil in the kadai, chillies go in first, followed by the onions until they are a light brown. The veggies go in next. Add salt as per taste and a sprinkling of garam masala. Toss it around for a while till properly cooked.
Spread tomato sauce on the base, the vegetable fry goes on top of that. And grated cheese right on top, generously please.
Set the microwave oven in convection mode at 190 deg C, pizza on a microwaveable plate for 4 minutes.
and tat-ta-daaaaaa.

and for laughs:
Well me cooks and you don't get a laugh or I don't get scolded, nah, not possible!!
I had put one in the microwave and was getting the second one ready and I smell smoke.I was worried the pizza was burning, but nah it wasn't that.There was smoke coming out of the electrical socket.The poor thing had fused.And yours truly decided to do it the old fashioned way. Put on the dosa tava on low heat and put pizza2 on that.And 5 minutes later the base had fried out, charred black.
I had dad's lecture about not being patient enough to wait till he got another adapter.Mom saying she was trying to make it while waiting (scores a point).HeHeHe

End Result:
All still standing and it was rather good, if I may so.