*Satisfied sigh*…Yet another tag to feed my narcissistic obsessions (oh, how I love talking about myself!!). This time it’s 30 questions long!

1. Last Movie You Saw In A Theater:
   Bhoothnath. It was my mother’s day treat to my mum - she’s seeing a movie in a theater after 2 years!! Gosh. Does not speak volumes about my generosity but in my defense, I have suggested movie-escapades numerous times, only to be turned down by her with the response that we should snuggle at home with a dvd. We both loved the movie. And it was a bigger treat to see my mum giggling at the gawky irascible ghost who’d started doubting his own ghostly abilities after having met his match in a razor-sharp kid. There were some cliched emotions and a tad too many songs I’d wished the director had left out of this movie but nevertheless, this is recommended for all of you who still have the child within alive and  kicking!!
2. What Book Are You Reading?
   Re-reading “Conversations with God - Part II” by Neale Donald Walsch. (This is life-changing material)
3. Favorite Board Game:
   (Political) Games played during board meetings :P. Highly entertaining… *Wicked chuckle*
4. Favorite Magazine:
   Been ages since I’ve read any of the regular magazines. The ones I’ve been reading regularly these days are in-flight magazines *smirk*.
5. Favorite Smells:
   The smell of rain on earth. Warm smell of a hug. Smell of hot tea on a cold evening. Jasmine flowers. Freshly baked croissants. Babies (except when they’ve pottied :)). Countless other smells that remind me constantly what a pleasure it is to be alive.
6. Favorite Sound:
   Pitter patter of rain, on a window sill/roof. The delighted gurgle of an infant.
   The sleepy baritone murmurs of my husband on the phone when I have just woken him up with my call
   The sound of a flute, a mridangam, a ghunghroo…
7. Worst Feeling In The World:
   Fear.
8. What Is The First Thing You Think Of When You Wake?
   *Squirm* 5 more minutes, please, please… *sets alarm to snooze*
9. Favorite Fast Food Place:
   Don’t particularly crave “fast-food”. I prefer good food served in a luxurious, candle-light, wine-dine setting ;-).
10. Future Child’s Name:
    My teen-diary has about 150 children names, penned laboriously by me for the naming needs of my entire battalion of cousins. There were a few names out of the lot that I never shared however. Those were my favorites; the ones I’d kept to decide upon when I had a child of my own someday.
    Now if you think I am going to list them here, you’ve got another thing coming mister!
11. Finish This Statement. “If I Had A Lot of Money I’d…”
    Pay my MBA course fee, elaborately furnish our new apartment (with expensive designer stuff) and fund hubby n me for a romantic trip around Europe.
    (Ah. What lovely and pleasant visions… oh wait. This was just a rhetorical question, not reality! *Pouting in self-pity* :()
12. Do You Drive Fast?
    I hope to be out on the roads as a significant threat to public health very soon. And I think I can achieve enough danger without even attempting speed-driving.
13. Do You Sleep With A Stuffed Animal?
    I do NOT like stuffed animals. I did have a stuffed Koala Bear as a child - someone gifted it to me - but I kept him in a showcase, preferring to sleep on my own :). Now of course, I have a non-stuffed, non-animal cuddly alternative
14. Storms-Cool or Scary?
    Cool when I kick up the storm. Scary when my hubby does the honours…hehe.
15. What Was Your First Car?
    I don’t have a car yet. I am about to buy one soon, but I’m on the lookout for something that can survive lots of damage… one that isn’t pretty :).
16. Favourite drink?
    Fruit Smoothies! (Recently was pretty impressed by a banana-strawberry combo)
    Mango milkshakes (I have wonderful memories of many a milkshake guzzled down on rainy afternoons…*smacking lips*)
17. Finish This Statement, “If I Had The Time I Would …..”
    I’m striving to be independent of time from now on. No more driving myself up a wall, counting the minutes left on my  watch. This is a new mantra of mine - “I have all that I want, just need to re-prioritize and live each moment fully”.
18. Do You Eat The Stems On Broccoli?
    I don’t like wasting food, so yes, I do eat the stems; But only if I choose to eat broccoli at all
19. If You Could Dye Your Hair Any Color, What Would Be Your Choice?
    Blonde and burgundy streaks for sure!!
20. Name All The Different Cities/Towns You Have Lived In.
    The main ones in chronological order: Anand-Gujarat (born, and kindergarten years), Dammam-KSA (schooling), Cochin-Kerala (college), Bangalore-Karnataka (work), Erlangen-Germany (work again), Sharjah-UAE (my hubby’s there!).
21. Favorite Sports To Watch:
    With the luxury the TV has become these days for me, I simply have more things to watch than sports. But otherwise, I do like  tennis, pool and cricket. And since my hubby is a football fanatic, I am trying to get better acquainted with that too in a bid to avoid “remote-control” fights. *Screws up eyes indicating concentrated thought*.
22. One Nice Thing About The Person Who Sent This To You:
    Is being a fraud mallu, named after a popular accompaniment to south indian breakfast foods, a nice thing?
    Well, a bachelor boy (though not for long probably) he’s extremely talented at penning humorous conversations and satirical notes (specially about mallu eccentricities :)). NC: thank you for the tag!
23. What’s Under Your Bed?
    Would like to say bhoothnath, but its probably dustnath for now
24. Would You Like To Be Born As Yourself Again?
    The answer to this question would depend on what is meant by “yourself”. I believe that the soul lives forever, so definitely, it will be me who’s back :). However, I have lived a good life as this persona, and more than wanting to be the same again, I would want to be surrounded by the people I love in this life… whenever and whoever I am born as again.
25. Morning Person or Night Owl?
    Owl, for sure. My energy peaks after 8 p.m. (*psst*… secretly: people report that I’m much more inclined to bounce about and giggle after this crucial hour ;)). However sunny-spirited a person I am otherwise, the morning sun sees me as the worst grouch on the planet - Waking up in the mornings is the biggest test for my willpower.
26. Over Easy Or Sunny Side Up?
    Sunny side up ( I hope! )
27. Favorite Place To Relax:
    I am generally a person who can relax anywhere as long as I’m tuned into my ipod. But my most favorite place is a beautiful hammock, at the Taj Coral Reef, Maldives beach - tied just outside my honeymoon beach villa. One could lay there under the shade of trees, listening to the waves of the sea 10 feet away, hear the birds chirping and never know what time meant. And to have your love next to you in such a place is … bliss 
28. Favorite Pie:
    Apple crumble.
29. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
    The king of all flavours - Vanilla.
30. Of all The People You Tagged This To, Who’s Most Likely To Respond First?
    I pass this onto the following hapless victims *Evil laugh* ;): Ooomz, Karthick, Raman Sir and Sawani.

I cannot help but come back to the lyrical love posts. Each time a beautiful song about love plays on my ipod, I am tempted to write down its lyrics and capture my emotions in its lovely words… written out on my blog.

This time however, I have songs in four languages to the kitty… Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and English :

1) Saathiya, Tune Kya Kiya (Love - Hindi)

This is an older song from the Bollywood 80’s (when Salman Khan was still thin and had lots of hair on his head ;-)). Some of us mallus were amazed at the (wierd?) combination of a popular Malayalee actress Revathi with Salman in a movie called “Love” (See the song in YouTube). But anyways, I bring up this movie now not to dron about its unusual pairing but for this timeless song…

The music (by Anand Milind) captures that era and leaves you feeling like you’re walking in the Bombay of the 80’s… on an evening as the sun is setting; your heart is filled with the joy of being alive, and love. The song is sung by two South Indian singers - the maestro SP Balasubramaniam and the woman with the voice of gold - KS Chitra. SPB is flawless as usual and Chitra’s accent for once doesn’t distract you from her beautiful voice. The lilts in their voices as they sing the “la-la-la” sweeps you off your feet, a rush of emotions capture you as you echo those words with the song that makes you want to run (Bollywood style) straight into the arms of a lover, who’s telling you “jaana kahaan? aa dil mein aa”…….*Sigh*.
Not surprising, since it is penned by the genius Majrooh Sultanpuri.

[Male]
Saathiya, tune kya kiya
Beliya, tune kya kiya…

[Female]
Maine kiya, tera intezaar…

[Male]
Itna karo na mujhe pyaar… (2)

[Female]
Saathiya, tune kya kaha
Beliya, tune kya kaha…

[Male]
Yoon na kabhi, karna intezaar…

[Female]
Maine kiya he tumse pyaar… (2)

[Paragraph]
[Male]
Itni mohabbat, seh na sakoonga
Sach maano zinda, reh na sakoonga…

[Female]
Tujhko sambhaaloon, yeh mera zimma
Main hoon tho kya hum, jaane tamanna…

[Male]
Ab jeena marna mera, jaanam tere haath he…

[Female]
Maine kaha na sanam, ab tu mere saath he…

[Male]
Tho phir sambhaal, ke main chala

[Female]
Jaana kahaan, aa dil mein aa (la-la-la…)

Saathiya….

[Paragraph]
[Female]
Dil ke chaman ka, hasna tho dekho
Jaage nazar ka, sapna tho dekho

[Male]
Aise hue hum, ek jaan ek dil
Tu he ke main hoon, kehna he mushkil

[Female]
Jhonka basanti he tu,
Than he gulaabi mera…

[Male]
Do rang milne ke baad,
hothe nahi he juda

[Female]
Tho phir sambhaal, ke main chala

[Male]
Jaana kahaan, aa dil mein aa (la-la-la…)

Saathiya…

2) Munbe Vaa (S(J)illinu oru kaadhal - Tamil)

It would be sacrilege if I don’t mention Munbe Vaa in a blog devoted to love and beautiful songs. (And yes, I know I have written about this before in my album review but I can still speak volumes about this song ;)) This has kept me company for many of my travel journeys, times when I would listen ardently to the lyrics, and wonder if there would be the perfect love in my life. And then, when I would listen to them again, and sing along… living my idea of the perfect love. Munbe Vaa is one of AR’s best melodies. The prelude piece brings visions of droplets of water falling, dancing rather, as they fall softly onto the earth - only to blend with other droplets and flow into an ocean as the main song emerges.

[Female]
Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
OoNe vaa uyire vaa

Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
Poo poovai poopom vaa

Naan, naana kEtEn ennai naane
Naan…. neeya, nenjam sonnathey

Munbe vaa…

[Chorus]
Rango rangoli
KOlangal nee pOttaal
KOlam pOttava kaigal vazhi…
Vallayal sattham

Jal jal….

Rango rangoli
KOlangal nee pOttaal
KOlam pOttava kaigal vaazhi
Sundara malligai sandhana malligai
Sinthiya punnagai vannam enna…

[Female]
Poovaithai poovaithai
Nee poovaikkor poovaithai
MaNa poovaithu poovaitha
Poovaikkul thee vaithai, oh…

[Male]
Theyney nee mazhayil aada
Naan maan naan nanainthen vaada
En naalathil un rattham naadikuL unn sattham
Uyire…ho…

[Female]
ThOzhi oru sila naazhi
Thaniyena aanaal tharayinil neendhum mmm.

Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
OoNe vaa uyire vaa…

[Male]
Naan, naana kEtEn ennai naane
Naan… neeya, nenjam sonnathey…

[Female]
Munbe vaa…

[Male]
Nilavidam vaadagai vaangi
Vizhi veettinil kudi vaikkalaama
Naan vazhum veettukul
Veraarum vanthaley
Thagumaa…

[Female]
Thenmalai thEykakku nee thaan
Unthan thoLgaLil idam tharalamaa
Naan saayum thOlmel verorum saaynthaley
Thagumaa…

[Male]
Neerum sengula cherum
Kalanthathu poley kalanthavar yaar…

Munbe vaa…

The song is written by Vaali, and sung by Naresh and Shreya. See the video here. And I have seen lots of people requesting it, and have been prey to it myself - the translation of this song. Couple of versions are available on the net, but the best one I liked is this.

3) Moovanthiyaay Pagalil (Pakshe - Malayalam)
This is not a song most people refer to often. But it is a phenomenal one, if ever there can be one. Music by Johnson, written by K Jayakumar, sung by the “gaana gandharvan” Dr. KJ Yesudas. The song embodies a more mature love and its inherent sadness, pain, angst. The music and words burn into your heart, its warm embers glowing through your eyes causing you to hold yourself close, lest those feelings burst out of your heart and lose you in their midst.

[Male]
Moovanthiyaay pakalil raavin viral sparshanam
TheerangaLil baashpa deepangaLil
POrithal naaLamaay nombaram…

Moovanthiyaay…

RavEReyaay piriyaanaruthathoru nOvin rapadikaL (2)
Choodathora poompeelikaLaal koodonnu koottiyallo,
Janmangalee veenayil meettum eenam
Moolunnu raakkattukal

Moovanthiyaay…

YaamangaLil kozhiyan madiyaayoru tharam thEngunnuvo (2)
InnOrmayil kilivaathilukal thaane thurannuvallo,
DoorangaLil enthino kannu chimmi
Veendum nishagandhikaL

Moovanthiyaay…

4) Is This Love (Whitesnake - English)
This is my most special song and it will remain so forever. I heard it for the first time (sent to me by my very special person ;)) at a time when I was just waltzing into love and to this day each time I hear it, it brings in those wave of emotions. The thrill, the magic and the feeling of floating in air :). It beats everything else in this world. (Btw, you can see the video here)

Should have known better
Than to let you go alone
(It’s) Times like these
Can’t make it on my own
Wasted days, and sleepless nights
An’ I can’t wait to see you again…

Find I spend my time
Waiting on your call
How can I tell you, babe
Back’s against the wall…

Need you by my side
To tell me it’s alright
Cos’ I don’t think I can take anymore…

Is this love, that I’m feeling
Is this the love, that I’ve been searching for
Is this love, or am I dreaming
This must be love
Cos’ it’s really got a hold on me…
Hold on me…

Can’t stop the feeling
Been this way before
But, with you I’ve found the key
To open any door

Can feel my love for you
Growin’ stronger day by day
An’ I can’t wait too see you again…

So I can hold you in my arms

Is this love that I’m feeling
Is this the love that I’ve been searching for
Is this love or am I dreaming
This must be love
Cos’ it’s really got a hold on me…

Hold on me…

Is this love…

Hmmm. Yes, it is!

*Sigh*. What a wonderful feeling it is table to observe silence in your ears, interrupted only by faint squeaks of far away squirrels, or the occasional chirp of a bird on a tree nearby. Luxuries beyond definition.

When your day begins with the sound of your mobile alarm rudely awakening you from a deep slumber, accompanied by your involuntary groan at facing a new day of work, you know that life isn’t all it is made out to be.

Ambition is overrated in today’s world. From childhood, you’re taught to battle with life’s forces, stomp out your competition, push yourself to the extreme and prove to be the ultimate survivor. Ride a wave of glamour, glitz, fame, money and power. Reduce your hours of sleep, make each moment count and let the world huff and puff to keep up with your steep rise.

Even if it means that your head is constantly cluttered with useless information, almost making you think you’ve become a schizophrenic. And making you forget all of that which really matters. You eat food so fast that you’ve forgotten what makes any meal distinct – the taste doesn’t count anymore, does it? – only time does. The bags under your eyes, your constant respiratory ill health or the digestive tablets you pop by the dozen are all hidden from the glare of your followers. Somewhere a secluded doctor is privy to the depressing problems of your body combating with your lifestyle.

Take it easy, buddy. Life can wait. Time can wait. People can wait.

YOU matter. Your happiness matters.

And the realization that your happiness may not be what the world defines as happiness also matters. In the long run, yes, it will matter that you have survived. But it will also matter HOW you have survived.

Making today’s time count is important. Making your life count is more important. Don’t drive yourself up a wall where you’ve finally nowhere to go but straight down.

Wake up in the morning - tomorrow morning – and take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself, “are you okay?” “Are you feeling good?”

Spend some moments to savour your feeling about yourself. Savour your realization that you want to make life easy and good for yourself. You want to make that effort. Only because you are the most important person in this world. To you.

And also because you will never be able to give to someone else, unless you have given to yourself. Your friends, your family, your spouse, your kids, your colleagues, your work, your boss – everyone is counting on you to keep yourself happy. Because if you are unhappy it will show up on all of them. If you have catered to your needs, you will be more willing to cater to theirs.

Ask yourself therefore: “what is my need?”

Do you yearn for time? Drop thoughts of your work and backlog – or maybe family pressures and commitments. Go, take a walk – somewhere where you can see and hear nature, possibly breath in fresh waves of air and feel your mind soar as your lungs expand. Don’t let thoughts clutter your mind. Occupy yourself with the present and your basic need to enjoy the moment.

Do you yearn for love? Go find it. Find it in the arms of a lover in your life, who’s ceased to occupy your formost thoughts - yes, there was love sometime in your life. Just that your drive for success has blocked that primal need too.

Or maybe you still don’t have a lover – if there is someone nearby who could fit the bill, go tell him or her how you feel. That takes quarter of the effort of having to keep your emotions bottled up within you.

And if you don’t have anyone at all, well, what the hell. Find friendship. Friendship eases even the most difficult of pains. Sob on the shoulder of a friend if you’re sad. Or better still, go get you and your friend large buckets of icecream. Crash on a sofa and watch your favourite comic movie. Healthy doses of laughter, and you’re left feeling fit and fine in a jiffy.

Connect with your emotional and physical selves. Hug your parents, and don’t say anything. Stop giving vent to the need the fill out verbal voids with nonsense. Ask your mother to rest her tired head on your lap, and gently let her know that you’re there for her. Place your hand on your father’s back, and soothe him silently - almost unconsciously.

Watch your little child play and let him/her/them use you like an amusement ride – climbing and running amok – nothing can gladden you like the pitter patter of tiny feet/hands – amidst of course, your groans of pleasurable pain. Take your teenage daughter/son out somewhere, where you both can connect – listen to him/her without judgement, and let them know that whatever goes wrong in their lives, you are there for them. Do you have a spouse who’s been with you for years, and you haven’t told them the magical three words lately? Say it now. And mean it. Marriage bonds two people in a way not even a blood relation can – it is the most precious of relationships. Make it count.

Make life count. Good day everybody

P.S. Want to know what I’m doing as I write all of this? I’m in a room, glittering with the light of the morning sun. The air is fresh, smelling of beautiful blossoms somewhere. Outside the window, squirrels hop along trees, and birds chirp their music. Occasionally, the sound of a train passing by, talks of people’s journeys. Journeys of life…

Getting kids to feature in ads in one sure shot way of getting me to pay attention :). And I know I speak for a large majority of the crowd that gets swayed when teensy weensy children come on your screen and endorse so many of those brands out there. There have been very few adverts I haven’t liked featuring kids - and those would usually be the ones that make kids mouth unnatural or precocious lines.

In the recent past, there have been lots of ads that have grabbed attention, and have kids in central roles - such as the “Sorry Bol“, Hutch You and I ad, and Lead India. But my personal favorites are the following:

• One of the earliest kiddie ads that I can never forget - the Dhara ‘Jilebi?’ ad. This kid is yummier than the jilebis in the ad - SO adorable :).

• Awarded, and forwarded all across the internet - the Greenply “Savitri” ad. Simply superb!

• I never knew the name of this bank, till this kid stepped into an ad, and showed me what the right ad can do for brand recognition - the Bank of India ”Piggybank” ad:

• Finally, a childhood ad that I remember so well just because its theme song invokes such nostalgic memories… This is a Lebanese ad for Nido milk powder. This ad didn’t work because of a particular kid - it was just the pout of the child going to school for the first time, and the tears welling up in the mother’s eyes that was enough to tug at heart strings across the world :).

Mmmm. Wonderful, aren’t they all?

Update: Karthick has just posted the new Vodafone Customer Service ad featuring a little girl and yes, the Hutch puppypug! See it here Indian Vodafone Commercial - Happy to Help (Full).

Have you ever heard of someone taking a tag after 10 months? Well, that’s exactly what I’m out to do right now. Its been 10 months since Ooomz has tagged me with his 123/5 post, and here I am responding to it now! (In my defense, I’ve got the time only now you see ;)).

A brief repeat of the rules of the tag - its all about writing what’s written in the 5th paragraph of the page 123 of the book I’m reading right now. In my case, the book is ”Ageless Body, Timeless Mind” by Deepak Chopra. Here goes (the 4th paragraph of the page, since there is no 5th para, and my move is as per the rules):

There is no denying that free-radical damage occurs and is suspiciously linked with aging, along with cancer and heart disease, the two leading causes of death. Yet it has not been shown that older people necessarily have higher levels of free-radicals in their cells, or lower levels of antioxidants. What I’d like to suggest is that free-radical damage is but one type of imbalance that can occur at the level of cellular intelligence when the balance tips towards entropy. If the body’s intelligence is at full strength, disorder and chaos do not attack a cell. The basic tenet of life extension - preventing free-radical damage before it occurs - is sound. To do that, however, we need to understand a cell’s intelligence directly.

Profound, eh? :). Well, this is the first book I’m reading, authored by Deepak Chopra - a pioneer in mind-body medicine, and holistic healing. Before reading this book, I was acquainted with metaphysics, healing and a bit of quantum physics (Autobiography of a Yogi by Swami Paramahamsa Yogananda comes to mind). But this book has introduced to me some mind-boggling concepts, especially in Part One “The Land Where No One is Old”. Referring to the body as a storehouse of energy and information, Deepak analyses its biochemistry and drives home the importance of awareness in definining its intelligence, processes and existence in this dimension. Part Two speaks about Aging and Awareness, and with it the plot thickens - merging theory with case studies and exercises. With “Defeating Entropy”, “The Science of Longevity” and “Breaking the Spell of Mortality” - the other three remaining parts, the mind-body can no longer be relegated to being an incomprehensible, indisciplined instrument. Deepak tries to bring to light our unconscious programming that’s the root cause of sickness, deterioration, and also seeks to break moulds of how we’ve perceived growth and aging. Deepak’s writing is not for the faint hearted  - some lines/paras would need two to three reads for the full breadth of its significance to sink inside you. Interpretations could vary and even change the whole dimension of your thought - especially since concepts of time, space and reality, all fade into oblivion.

The above paragraph is an excerpt, and concludes a chapter titled as “The Free-Radical Theory” in Part Three. The chapter tries to expose the paradoxical nature of free-radicals, once thought of as the enemy because of its contribution to cellular damage, till it was proved that they are beneficial also in maintaining the body’s balance and protecting it. The chapter and the paragraph seek to show a bigger picture to the Free-Radical debate, by encouraging us to see beyond the damage, examine and solve the original cause. What I also found relevant in the chapter is the mention of how people are (even today!!) always so ready to consume antioxidants, vitamins and other drugs (beta carotenes, vitamin B, C, E, zinc etc), in the belief that they’re contributing to their personal health and life extension, when in reality these may end up doing more damage than good.

Coming back to the purposes of this post - apart from my need to take up the tag in the first place :), it also lets me tell you that if you have the time and interest in all of the above, pick up this book, or atleast read up on material in this line of thought - be aware of your body, and know that the way you perceive, understand and choose to change will make all the difference. There’s a lot out there that you probably don’t know, yet!

P.S. Ideally I’m supposed to tag 5 people. But then, I choose to just throw open this tag to anyone else who thinks they’re reading an interesting book and would like to talk about it.

So, 2007 has been amazing.

I’ve travelled in Europe (albeit at the excuse of work :)), and I’ve gotten married - infact, spent more than half a year in nurturing and giving wings to a relationship that promises to take me on a joy ride, into the sunset of the future  - with my partner for life.

Other important things have happened too, materialistically and professionally speaking. Materialistically (actually *technologically*):

1) I’ve FINALLY got myself a Laptop in July this year. This is after contemplating the extreme step (for a person who thinks as much as I do, of course ;)) first in August last year!  It’s an HP Pavilion dv2000 - and in addition to being sleek and chic, it is top-class in terms of features. The experience so far has been worth every penny spent, and I look forward to more “intimate” times with this new companion of mine (of course, second to you-know-who ;)).

2) To utilize my laptop effectively, I also got a BSNL DataOne Broadband connection at home. Getting the connection was probably the only thorn in the bed of roses last year - whew. What a wait!! (although I know people who’ve endured far more than me) - how many times did I go up and down the road that leads to the Telecom office in BTM?! (In case anyone needs directions, you know whom to approach!!). The connection (UL900) thankfully is great in terms of speed, and download capability - and I’ve just discovered the pleasures of watching movies online :), at YouTube & Google Videos. So, three cheers to internet liberation at home!

3) I’ve also got an Apple 80 GB Video iPod as a companion for all the nightmarish journeys on Bangalore’s famed Hosur Road (although I must divulge that BTM Main Road is worthier of the honour now) - from home to office and back. If all this time, I was worried about storing my 15 GB songs somewhere, my iPod ensures that I have this worry no longer. And looking at the bright side, I still have 65 GB left to fill!! Its musical-heaven for me these days… *Dreamy smile*.

To avoid being labelled an incorrigible show-off, I resist the temptation to list all the other material gains

As for work, this year has been hectic. But it’s also been extremely productive - the year has ended with a promotion, incredible insight, new distinct directions of growth, and I’ve fulfilled one of my long standing goals at work (Gosh, can it get better than this?) - so I’m heaving huge sighs of satisfaction.

Standing where I do now and looking back at the year past, I also go back to my Happy New Year post - way back in December 2006:

“2007 promises to be an important year in my life… what with lots of professional and personal changes on the horizon. I don’t have any material/physically quantifiable resolutions yet, and generally never do, since I doubt my ability (*smirk*) to stick to them with a steadfast resolve.”

I (tongue-in-cheek) state that the resolutions I made, still stand; Much easier to stick to them you see, than for e.g., the tried and tested I-promise-to-exercise-and-lose-weight one ;). Any more new ones? - would have to be only one:

• Be grateful to God and to myself.  Thank you God, - for being there, showing me the way - in fact, the countless ways, and proving that “No matter how screwed up you perceive your life to be, never underestimate God’s love that rescues you right back” is completely true. And my last vote of thanks goes to myself - for falling, but knowing enough to pick myself up, wipe the tears and stumble onwards with vigour. For learning that life is best lived with the least complexity - just a dash of innocence, a thimble of honesty, a pinch of hope and loads and loads of Love.

Happy New Year everybody!!!

P.S. Last year this time, I also exulted at having my blog registering 10,000 visitors. Today, its speeding towards 50,000! So, although I did announce a closure of vote of thanks, it cannot be truly closed unless I count you out there - Thank YOU :). And yes, I will see you later!

It’s been an eventful year.

Coming back from my trip to Germany, all I knew was that I would be getting back to the groove, with all things that were familiar - my life, my family, friends, and work in Bangalore. What did happen however, was something I wouldn’t have even dreamt of.

Looking back, I (the ever-romantic, raised on the staple diet of Indian love stories and international-chick-flicks) wonder if it wasn’t all like a fantasy… scripted by God. How is it that you’re never prepared for the most momentous of life’s occasions? I waited upon all corners, for love to turn up… and yet, it snuck on me when I was least expecting.

He dropped into my life one Wednesday evening; his baritone (or so I believe ;)) echoing at the other end of my mobile phone. I started off with a strange tinge of nervousness, my mind throwing up a whirl of questions. The conversations started there… but nervousness was soon replaced by comfort, and ease. Laughter came on next, followed by intrigue, excitement and an unmistakeable vibe. Finally, one day, it all came to a point where we both just knew at the same time… this had to be it :).

As I made the second call from my phone that night, to my parents at 11.00 p.m., I didn’t know what to say - all I remember is “I said Yes”.

On the 7th of July, we were engaged formally - our engagement pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Engagement. Was it the special date (7-7-7), or the torrential shower that ensued as soon as he had finished putting the ring on my finger, moving everyone present to murmur about its auspiciousness, or just the fact that he’s made me aware of happiness I never knew existed, which makes me feel so right about it all?

The only thing difficult about the engagement period was the countdown :). Almost 4 months went by; announcing my commitment, or talking about my “fiancee” were experiences unto themselves. Alongside, I found myself in the midst of new found attention ;), an altogether new set of people to get to know and adopt, and dozens of things to do… courtesy our elaborate plans of course!

And then, there was love. To attempt to write about love would be to open the floodgates of my romantic aspirations, and that I would leave for now… only to point at what I have called my description of love through lyrics.
 

Incredible love led to an incredible wedding :)… on the 28th of October. The pictures are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Wedding, and http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Reception. So far, its been two months of marital bliss, experiencing my dreams of companionship and love, in life; and looking forward to much more in the coming years. Yes, 2007 has definitely been an eventful year :).

And for those of you wondering why I’ve neglected to say the name that comes with mine now… its Binoj.

After mulling over silently, chewing on it anxiously, and coming close to exasperation about not being able to find time to blog, I’m finally back. (Yes, yes, stop rubbing your eyes in amazement ;))

Whew!!! It’s been a looong time - and more importantly, one hell of a ride, these past few months.

Not one to keep you nibbling your finger nails - here is part one, of trying to reconstruct the highlights:

Germany to India

My Germany adventure turned out to be much more than I’d bargained for. All I knew when I went from Bangalore, that fateful day on 3rd February 2007, was that I was going for a 2 month work stint, in Erlangen, Germany, with the additional hope of visiting the city of my dreams - Paris.

After reaching Germany, I spent 2 weeks battling the confusion of whether to like or dislike the place I was in. Soon after, liking won hands down, and I was firmly and happily ensconced in the chill of the European winter, basking in the warmth of the friendly people, and the comfort of exciting things to do - at work, and at play.

Till I knew better, I spent the first two weekends in office, doing what I enjoyed so much - hearing the steady drum of my fingers on the keyboard, churning out, what I call works of art, in code :). And then, I discovered my newfound love - (before you start conjuring up visions of Prince Charming) - Travel.

Ah… (*contented sigh follows*)…Travelling in Europe - has got to be the most wonderful thing to do!

Be it the dynamism of Munich, the quaintness of Chiemsee, the storybook-romantic paths of Rothenburg, the youth-filled-freshness of Wurzburg, the stunning Rhine and Moselle valleys, on the side of which you would find Koblenz, Rüdesheim (famous for its wine gardens), and other tiny little hamlets, or going, on two consecutive days, to drastically different places like Nuremburg, a city peppered with everything you would ever want, and the Bavarian Forest, where you could walk miles in the chill of the woods, only to find at the end of it, a cafe filled with happy people, waiting to welcome you into their lives with a cup of freshly brewed cappucino. 

I saw a different facet of Germany each weekend and picked up little souvenirs from each place visited. And even then, it’s the memories of drinking hot soup after a tiring walk, yummy ice-cream eaten on cold winter mornings, a cable-car ride over acres of wine gardens, and sweet strains of an lonely saxophone heard in a train station, that keep coming back in my reminiscences. Even though I began my travels with treks in the winter, soon, it was to be in the glory of the sun shining fully and splendidly on me, while flowers of every imaginable color decked even the loneliest of paths. The only thing I ever regretted was not having the fortune of seeing the full extent of spring, and the onset of summer, in Europe. Well, those are reserved then for later ;-).

Apart from Germany, my travels took me to the Paris and to the Netherlands.

Paris fulfilled a life-long dream of mine. Just to be in the sheer romance of Paris - a city I’d read so much and imagined even more about - was SO worth the wait! J’aime Paris!!

I went up the Eiffel Tower and discovered that it made my heart skip a beat each time I looked up its complete glory - night or day. Stand anywhere on the landscape of Paris, and see it emerging - a beacon on the cityscape. At night, the tower is sheer brilliance, with millions of lights and a breathtaking view of the city.

I was totally enamoured with Paris - I ate hot waffles dripping with cream and sugar, and heavenly crepes with bananas and chocolate, visited the Notre Dame cathedral and felt its sanctity touch my soul, marvelled at the opulence of that which is Louvre - a maze of hallways filled with all kinds of art - that would take you 3 months to look at, even if you were to devote only a minute per artifact! Walked across the Champs-Élysées (pronounced as Shaanz-Eleezay) twice to experience just being in the centre of Parisian haute couture, prayed for the soldier’s souls at the Arc De Triomphe, and topped it all with an incredibly romantic (sans a romantic partner ;)) river cruise on the Seine, music playing in the background, a slight drizzle decorating the city, and falling in love with Paris’ sights. At the end of it all, I said: I’ll be back :).

Netherlands was yet another experience to cherish - going to Amsterdam, The Hague (or Den Haag), to a windmill village (Zaanse Schans) and to Keukenhof over the Easter weekend.

Amsterdam is a city for poets (if we ignore their fame for not-so-soulful exploits ;)). The below-sea-level city is built with an intricate network of waterways to prevent the water from flooding it, and these canals are nestled between the streets lined with the quaintly designed houses. Canal buses are an alternative mode of transport (other than trams/buses) and give you a view of the bustling crowd, canal-side cafes, boat houses, the city square, the parks and the museums (some are frightfully expensive) of Amsterdam. From there, off to Den Haag, a strikingly different place - all glass, metal, high rise buildings and a completely commercial setup. Madurodam is the miniature of an entire city in Den Haag, showcasing Holland’s premier sights and is therefore, a very popular tourist destination. I felt the inner child in me awaken :), as I gleefully peered through the windows of tiny chateaus and clock towers, saw minature trams on Madurodam’s roads, and was lucky enough to visit the Magic Ice Zoo, which is a May attraction in Madurodam - a zoo containing ice sculptures of all kinds of animals - sculpted to perfection, and maintained in -11 degrees temperature.

And finally I and my friends were extremely lucky to catch the yearly tulip extravaganza in Keukenhof, which is an hour away from Amsterdam. If you wish to see God’s creativity and man’s ability to nurture that creativity, on full display, a visit to Keukenhof is a good idea. Acres and acres of gardens, showcasing flowers so exotic and unbelievably beautiful, that your breath would surely be on hold all the time. A paradise for flower lovers and almost all women :), including me.

And so, that was a glimpse of my travels earlier this year. Returning to India in May, armed with pictures, and curios, I knew that the trip had warped me for life - it had discovered in me a newfound passion for travel and given me enough picturesque settings to have all my romantic dreams in.

Wait; the story is not over yet. There’s been much more happening in my life, and I’ll keep you posted with the follow ups, so don’t go anywhere ;-). Be right back!!

It’s nostalgia season now, since I’m briefly separated from the land I love. As I listen to songs at work, the sweet strains, bells and percussion of the music takes me into a land of my dreams… a world, a piece of which, I’d like to share with you all, right here, right now. As ever, my obsession is still Love.

So here’s another iteration of Lyrical Love. Enjoy!

1) Theeram ThedumoLam (Vandanam - Malayalam)

This is one of my ever-favorite songs in Malayalam. One that brings me visions of the green fields, the silvery green water in the ponds and the warmth of the traditional, Hindu ancestral homes in Kerala. Theeram thedumoLam is from the malayalam movie Vandanam, which is set in Bangalore. Strangely, my visions are quite different from those shown in the actual movie visuals - and yeah, I have a reason for the contradiction :).

The first time I heard the song, when I was in the 6th or so, was in Kerala during my summer vacations. The thrill of being in the beautiful natural environment, with my family around, coupled with adolescence and romance slowly creeping into my being, was like magic. I and my cousin sister (a year older than me) - more best friends than relatives - were in a world of our own… secrets, mystery, music and the first set of cupid’s arrows being pierced through our childlike hearts. Listening and humming the songs around, playing secret games with each other and discussing movies, our first crushes and our awakening to the beauty - of the world and people, around us.

Today when I hear this song, I still feel my heart tugging with the same emotions…Innocence is bliss, Love is divine.

Here is the lyrics of the song… sung by M. G. Sreekumar and Sujatha, written by Shibu Chakravarthy and set to tune by Ouseppachchan. Spare some time to listen to the song whenever possible.

[Chorus]
Dheem thana nana nana nagruthanithom,
Dhirana dhirana nana nagruthanithom.

[Male]
Theeram thedumoLam premageethangal thannu
EeNam cherthu njaan innonnu kaadhil paranju

[Female]
Ee raavil nee enne thottu thottunarthi
MinnumkuligaLil LaaLikkum
Njan oru chithra vipanjikayaay…

[Male]
Theeram…

[Paragraph]
[Female]
Pon thaazham poonkaavukaLil,
Thannaalaadum poongaatte,
Innaa thirayude thirumuttam
Thoothu thalikkaan nee varumo

[Male]
Mungi kuLi kazhinjeththiya pennin
Mudiyil choodaan poo tharumo…

[Female]
Aaa…

[Male]
Venn thaaram poo mizhi chimmi,
Mandam mandam maayumbol
Innee purayil poomanjam,
Ninne urakkaan njaan virikkum

[Female]
Swapnam kandoru poovirimaaRin,
Pushpathalaththiyil, njan urangum

[Male]
Aa….

[Female & Male]
Theeram…

2) Un Samayal Arayil (Dhill - Tamil)

This is a crazy song indeed :). When I heard it the first time, I wondered what the lyricist was thinking of… But over time, and with the proper translation of the lyrics, it occurred to me how much the simplest of lyrics can hit you in the softest spots :). See the lyrics below- I’ve given the translation alongwith each line, since it makes much more sense that way… The song is tuned beautifully by Vidyasagar, worded by Kabilan and sung by Unnikrishnan and Sujatha.

[Male]
Un samayal arayil, naan uppa sakkaraiya? (In your kitchen, am I the salt or the sugar?)

[Female]
Nee padikkum arayil, naan kangalaa pusthakamaa? (In your study, am I the eyes or the book?)

[Male]
Nee viraLkal enraal, naan nagama modirama? (If you are fingers, am I the nails or the ring?)

[Female]
Aaa, nee idalkal enraal, naan mutthama punnakayaa? (If you are lips, am I a kiss or a smile?)

[Male]
Nee azhagu enraal, naan kaviya oviyana? (If you are beauty, am I a poet or a sculptor?)

Un samayal arayil…

[Paragraph]

[Female]
Naan vekkam enraal, nee sivappa kannankala? (If I am shyness, are you the reddishness or the cheeks?)

[Male]
Naan theendal enraal, nee viralaa sparisangala? (If I am the touch, are you the fingers or the sensation of it?)

[Female]
Nee kuzhanthai enraal, naan thottilla thalaatta? (If you are a child, am I the cradle or the lullaby?)

[Male]
Nee thookkam enraal, naan madiya thalaiyana? (If you are sleep, am I the lap or a pillow?)

[Female]
Naan idhayam enraal, nee uyira thudi-thudippaa (If I am a heart, are you the life, or the heartbeat?)

Un samayal arayil…

[Male]
Nee vithaikal enraal, naan vEra viLainilamaa? (If you are seeds, am I the root or the fertile land?)

[Female]
Nee virunthu enraal, naan pasiya rusiya? (If you are a feast, am I hunger or taste?)

[Male]
Nee kaïdi enraal, naan siraiya dhandanaiya? (If you are a prisoner,am I the jail or the punishment?)

[Female]
Nee mozhigal enraal, naan tamizha osaigalaa? (If you are language, am I Tamil or the sound?)

[Male]
Nee puthuvai enraal, naan bharathiya bharathithasana? (If you are Puthuvai (Puducheri), am I Bharathi or Bharathidasan?)

Nee…

Nee thanimai enraal, naan thunaiya dooratthila? (If you are solitude, am I your company, or far away from you?)

[Female]
Nee thunaithaan enraal, naan pesava yosikkava? (If you are my company, should I speak or think?)

[Male]
Nee thirumbi ninraal, naan nikkava poyvidavaa? (If you have your back turned to me, should I stay or go away?)

[Female]
Aa…Nee pokiraay enraal, naan azhaikkava azhuthidavaa? (If you go away, should I call out to you, or cry?)

[Male]
Nee kadhal enraal naan sariya thavara? (In your (if you are) love, am I right are wrong?)

[Female]
Un valathu kayyil paththu viral (On your right hand, there are ten fingers)
En idathu kayyil paththu viral (On my left hand, there are ten fingers)

Dooraththu megham, thooralkal sintha,
Theertha mazhayil, thee kulippoo…

(The far-away clouds, start a drizzle
We will be immolate ourselves in the rain…)

3) Kya Mujhe Pyaar He (Woh Lamhe - Hindi)

One of the recent songs that have caught my fancy. Kya Mujhe Pyaar He from the movie Woh Lamhe, has two versions - a slow one and the remix: The slow version is the one to listen to, although the remix is pretty racy and can get your feet tapping, and your body breaking out into a jig. Pritam’s music, lyrics by Neelesh Misra and sung by Kay Kay. The slow song begins with guitar strings, a slow chorus and within a second, you’re caught, blinded, trapped. Kay Kay’s voice sounds like steel, cutting across your sensations with his unwavering rendition of “Kya mujhe pyaar he, aisa khumaar he”. I cannot desist from mentioning the the song is another of Pritam’s blatant lifts (of the track Tak Bisakah by the Indonesian rock band Peterpan), but its hard to ignore its wonderful music and worse :), its lyrics… Just the song to express the first sensations of love for a person. With this song, love is no longer a soft feather wafting across your face. It is like being under a waterfall, falling in sheets, pricking like needles, bringing with it, a cold thrill inside your body and soaring your senses to newer heights.

Read further for the lyrics. I will try to put up a translation when I have time, later.

Kyoon aaj kal, neend kam, khwaab zyaada hai
Lagtha khuda ka koi nEk iraada hai
Kal tha faqir aaj dil shehzaada hai
Lagtha khuda ka koi nEk iraada hai

Kya mujhe pyar hai… ya..
Aisa khumaar hai…                           (2)

[Paragraph]
Paththar ke in raston pe, phoolon ki ik chaadar hai
Jabse mile ho humko, badla har ik manzar hai

Dekho jahaan main neele neele aasmaan thale
Rang naye naye hain jaise ghulte hue
Soye se khwaab mere jaage tere waasthe
Tere khayaalon se hain bheege mere raasthe

Kya mujhe pyar hai… ya..
Aisa khumaar hai…                           (2)

[Paragraph]
Tum kyun chale aate ho, har roz in khwaabon main
Chupke se aa bhi jao ek din meri baahon main

Tere hi sapne andheron main ujaalon main
Koi nasha hai teri aankhon ke pyaalon main
Tu mere khwaabon main, jawaabon main, sawaalon main
Har din chura tumhe main laatha hoon khayaalon main

Kya mujhe pyar hai… ya..
Aisa khumaar hai…                           (2)

- Yes, you’re reading the title right. [This will also perhaps explain my silence for the past 1 month- I can safely blame it on the chaos before a trip]

For 2 months, or to be precise, for atleast 7 more weeks from now, I will be staying in Erlangen, Germany… which is geographically in the Middle Franconian region in Bavaria, Germany. I reached here a week ago. Its not a pleasure trip; I’ve come for work reasons entirely. Although, I will not be ignoring the pleasure aspect atleast on weekends ;).

Here’s my update:

Details of my trip: Air France flights from Bangalore to Paris, and then onward to Nuremberg (or Nürnberg). Travelling to here wasn’t all too pleasant - there was turbulence during both flights (esp. the second one, which was a tiny plane, and decidedly uncomfortable :(, although the flight attendent was very sweet), and my digestion system turned topsy-turvy, esp. since I have previously also demonstrated an uncanny ability to turn air-sick. Its taken me a week almost to get back to normal.

Lifestyle: I’m doing well. Living in a nice (in fact, luxurious) 2-room apartment, on Paul Gossen Strasse (that’s how its called, but in German it’s written as Paul-Gossen-Straße). I have company - one of my friends, is living in the same apartment bldg as me, so we’re together most of the time. There are also other Indians (with and without family) from office in nearby apartment complexes, so my first weekend was spent in visiting some of their homes, and feeling less homesick.

Weather: I’ve reached Germany on a not so nice time technically - its winter here and temperatures are varying from 0 to 5 to 10 degrees centigrade. However, it could have been worse - supposedly there’s much less cold here than there is usually at this time of the year. In a week, I was blessed with sightings of snow for only about an hour. There is rain though, and there is considerable wind, which is making the cold worse. I’m hoping I can see more of snow later. Of course, its important to have the right kind of clothes here. I’m decked from head to toe except when in the office and at home. So if you see someone looking like a tiny terrorist in Erlangen, you could think that it’s me :). Here is the pic which shows what I look like here - I’m showing off my black head-to-toe attire, including gloves, taken in my apartment:

Food: Not really much of an issue, since I’m comfortable with continental and the like, food. Had a couple of trips to the supermarket over the week, and loaded my fridge with goodies. Once in a while, my friend n I are cooking Indian food, so nothing much to miss. My only worry is the extra calories which I’m going to put on because of the cheesy, fatty stuff I eat over the week. Have to hit a gym soon.

General impressions about the place:

After getting over the initial feelings of “no place can beat India” :), I have started to appreciate the place for what it is. Erlangen is a picturesque place - I’m hoping to take pics and upload them soon. On the top are two pictures of the wonderful view from my apartment window.

Erlangen is spic n span; sometimes, I feel like I’m walking in a fairy tale setting - what with all the cottages, the stone pathways, the clock towers etc. Lots of pretty sights around, including the people. The areas surrounding my apartment are more businesslike, but the places around Siemens City (my office i.e. - Siemens AG takes up a substantial part of Erlangen, and its people, so I’m just using the phrase because there are just so many offices of Siemens around here that its almost like a city in itself) are very pretty and have an old-world charm.

People: Germans here are friendly, and strictly polite. The reason I say the latter is that you’ll get Good morning (Guten morgen), Good day (Guten Tag) etc, with a smile, from virtual strangers, sometimes on the road, sometimes in the supermarket, always in the elevator, and many times in the office. It’s almost like a rule. But beyond that, they are a little hesitant. I’ve been told that for socializing more, they would probably wait for an invite, and you would do good to follow the same. They are also less likely to go over-the-top or shake themselves loose in public (like Indians ;)), and going by protocol is important for many of them. So they may appear stiff/unfriendly sometimes. But the truth is far from that - so don’t go by initial impressions.

Infrastructure, and rules: Both of these bowled me over in the first week. The infrastructure here is very good - they have marked paths for cyclists on the road, and for walking in some places, and since there’s the population is small here, everything is well under control. There is no manic rush, no honking, yelling, no road-rage, and no crazy pedestrians waiting to jump in front of your car. There are signals for walking, and hence you must wait for the signal (even if there are no cars in the vicinity) - dashing on the road when you feel fit, is totally a no-no. The pedestrian has the upper hand here, so if you happen to be in the middle of the road, when the walk signal changes, you need not make a break for it. The cars will wait till you are safely on the other side of the road.

Travelling within the city: The bus transport system here in fantastic - very well laid out, lots of buses at all times. There are numbers for each buses - At each bus stop, there will be a map posted along with information about all the buses coming and going from that stop. The information for a bus is usually: the number of the bus, the stops it goes to, the timings for all the days of the week. There are usually buses, every 5 minutes in all the main stops. And they adhere to the time very well. At the max, you can expect a 2 min delay. A traveller like me would take a monthly pass (Mobi card) which I can get for 34.17 Euros, and with that I can get on any bus, and go anywhere within the city, any number of times. There are no conductors in the buses, so no one will ask you for your ticket, except after 8, when the driver of the bus will open only the door next to him for entry, and you have to show him your card. Within the bus, there is a digital display of the forthcoming stops. Also there is an announcement mechanism, where a nice female/mail voice in German, will tell you what the next stop is. If you want to get down at the next stop, you will have to press a button inside the bus (there are many of such buttons strategically placed on bars within the bus - so you will have easy access wherever you are sitting), and the digital display will then display “Wagen halt” next to the stop name, which will mean that the bus will stop there. Only one person needs to press the button of course - but don’t automatically assume that the bus will stop at all stops. You need to look for the “Wagen halt” on the display next to the stop name. If it is not displayed, press the button, and it will be. If it is already displayed, it probably means that someone else has pressed the button, and the bus will stop.

Whoa. What a load of details. I would have liked to write about entertainment and the like here, but will reserve it for future posts. Right now, this one almost sounds like parts of a German cultural training :). Anyway, this will do for the first set of my initial impressions here. More updates will be coming later hopefully, so for now, Guten Tag :)!