The View

I don't have a super-great view from the office - but here's a little description of what I see from my desk :-)

Skyscrapers and the construction drone,
The hustle, bustle, and traffic,
Endless lego-like tower of buildings,
Shape up lower Manhattan.

And then, in between those tall, rigid, lifeless towers,
The Hudson embraces the island.
Calm, serene, peaceful,
The Lady Liberty looks at us with disdain.

Website Quiz

Which Website are You?

One of those tags again!

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
*Someone* needs to shed a few pounds!

2. How much cash do you have on you? $10.00

3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? Snore!

4. Favorite planet? Earth rocks man. And the Martians better not say anything otherwise.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? KL.

6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? Sound of a kid laughing!

7. What color shirt are you wearing? Blue.

8. Bright or Dark Room? Hmm, I'd say well-lit.

10. What does your watch look like? Round dial - thin silver straps.

11. What were you doing at midnight last night? Fell asleep near the window while reading.

12. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? 'Coming in 10 minutes!'

13. What's a word that you say a lot? 'Really?' or 'Seriously?'

14. Who told you he/she loved you last? My 3-year old niece.

15. Your worst enemy? French Fries!

16. What is your current desktop picture? A beach in Goa.

17. What was the last thing you said to someone? "G'nite Mum!"

18. Do you like someone? Who's someone? ;-)

19. Would you move for the person you loved? Yes.

20. Name three things that you have on you at all times? Wallet, Phone, Hair-tie.

21. What’s your favourite town/city? London/Mumbai/New York. In any order.

22. Do you have friends at work? Of course - loads!

23. Apple or Potato Chips? Apple!

24. Favorite part of the day? Morning. It gets me going.

25. You tag? Hmm - KP, Radha, Fahd!

Wedding Jokes

One of my very dear buddies is going to get married this month - and hence, wedding jokes have become quite the norm in my gang of friends.

All of us gathered this weekend to give him an early birthday + a 'farewell to your single life' party - and to bid him goodbye as he makes his way to India this coming week. To make the celebrations a bit festive, we got him a cake that says 'Game Over' - because he's an ardent Tendulkarite who eats, sleeps, and breaths cricket!

The evening was filled with fun - and nostalgic walks through Memory Lane. We realized how quick time surpassed us. Yesterday, we were betting on who would get married first among all of us. Today, we're waiting to welcome his wife-to-be into the group. Congrats, Amar!

P.S - Here's a snap of the cake!

Best Friends, Really?

I happened to have an interesting conversation with someone today - about 'Best' Friends.

My point of view was - is there really such a thing as a 'best' friend? I strongly believe that we share a different aspect of ourselves with different friends of ours. So, if not everyone knows all aspects of you, how can you qualify someone as a 'best' friend?

Something to think about, right?

College Life

I was clearing out my college notebooks the other day, and this is what I found written on the back of one of them. I vaguely remember writing it on the last day of my last semester in college...

I just met a friend,
In the cafeteria
And that reminded me,
of my college euphoria!

Four years of college passed by,
With the blink of an eye
And all I'm left with,
Are the memories that will never die.

First year in college was the time,
To explore, laugh, play and rejoice
Second year was the time,
To make the right career-choice.

Third year brought many ups and downs,
With a million smiles and a few frowns
But this was the year of absolute elation,
Because everyone knew that we were nearing graduation!
Project reports to campus interviews,
Presentations to final reviews
Doing the right thing was on everyone's mind,
As long as we would surpass the college grind!

Everything is still fresh in my mind,
Wish life could just rewind
I want to explore, laugh, play, and rejoice,
Without having to worry about the right choice.

Today was the last day of classes,
I arrived on campus, trying to find myself in the masses
Pushing through the crowd, I saw a glimpse,
Of that 'first-year' me, with an innocent tint!

Before I know it, I'll be aged,
And I'll remember my good ol' days from college,
Sitting and relaxing, playing golf and pool,
I'll be saying .. "College is fun, freaky and cool!"

Beautiful Backyard - Take 2!

So, after raving about how I'm loving the Fall colors - here's some snaps of my backyard -

Beautiful Backyard

They stand tall,
Showing off,
Colors and hues - one of a kind.

They know the leaves will gradually part,
Revealing the bare beauty beneath,
They feel the coming of the snowy winters,
When all is serene.

Yet, even after knowing what's ahead,
They stand tall, happy, and smiling,
Filling me with awe, as I watch these colors compete.

PS: I jotted this down as I was viewing the gorgeous array of fall colors in my backyard!

Rock On!!

I've been kind-of MIA from blogland for the past month or so, thanks to the long hours at work. Finally, this is one weekend where I've not been 'on call' or logged in from home (knock on wood!).

So - to decompress and destress - I watched Rock On!! on Friday night. And wow - what a flick - I absolutely loved it!

The four main band members steal the show - the characters are so different from each other, yet so similar. They all have unique personalities, yet one thing brings them together - passion for rock-style music.

The movie's got a fresh feel to it - it's very today, very contemporary. It's handled well - how the four friends split, and the journey that brings them back together - the audience doesn't feel like a mute spectator, but feels a part of their life. It doesn't feel like the actors were 'acting' for the sake of it. They looked their part, and it shows!

The soundtrack is has got a interesting kick to it - Shankar/Ehsaan/Loy have definitely showed versatile talent.

Must must must watch!

Tags

I get these silly questionnaire things as forwards from my friends. They're kind of fun, and at the end, I get to tag three people! Enjoy :-)

Where is your cell phone? Lemme go look!
Your hair? Long
Your favorite thing? Books/Movies/Music
One thing you hate - My alarm clock - it wakes me up!
Your dream last night? *Sigh* - It was about work.
Your favorite drink? Coffee, Coconut Water
What you’re not? Pompous
Where you grew up? India
The last thing you did? Checked my work email (I'm crazy)
What are you wearing? It's midnight. PJs!
Your mood? Content
Missing someone? Yes, terribly.
Something you’re not wearing? My glasses
Favorite store? Borders/Bath & Body Works
Like someone? Trick question!
Your favorite color? Yellow, Aqua Blue
One word you overuse - 'Seriously?' or 'Really?'
Wrap gifts? or Gift Bags? - Wrap! It personalizes the gift.

Three people I tag: KP, Radha, Mr. S.

Johnny Gaddar

I had never heard of this movie until a friend of mine recommended it to me. I watched it this past weekend, and I have to say, it totally took me by surprise.

Initially, I thought it was one of those really terrible Bollywood thrillers (read Humraaz, Ajnabee, Aitraaz), but that was a totally wrong assumption! It's actually quite different from the typical Bollywood movies that claim to be 'thrillers', but are nowhere close - because they try to add meat and masala to them for no solid reason.

The plot was quite interesting, and the ending was a complete twist, which I had not expected. The movie kept me glued to my seat - it's very well executed. Totally recommend it!

Five Things You Don't Know About Me...

1) I'm the most organized person at work. My team admires my eternal 'clean desk policy' as they call it. But my room at home is... well, an organized mess (and I hate washing dishes) :-)

2) No music, no life. I can safely say it's one thing I can't live without.

3) I bite my nails (I'm pathetic, I know).

4) I absolutely love travelling, but I get home-sick quite often during trips.

5) Despite majoring in technology, I'm el-stupido when it comes to buying laptops & computers.

Movies-to-Watch List

With work being very busy over the past few months, I haven't had a chance to catch up some of the movies I wanted to watch. So the next few weekends are going to movie marathons!

Here's the movies-to-watch roll -

1) Johnny Gaddar
2) Khoya Khoya Chand
3) Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local
4) Wall-E
5) The Dark Knight

Stay tuned for the reviews!

Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na!

I saw Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na last weekend, and I thought it was a fantastic flick.

Actually, if you think about it, the concept of the film isn't very unique; it's rather trite for mainstream Hindi-cinema. But, what makes it a fresh entertainer is the way the film is executed. It's got wit, humor, emotions, all meshed into a sumptuous entertainment package.

I thought that each character was defined really well. They're unique in their own personalities, with no overlaps between them. The scenes amongst the group of friends are real gems, and they definitely took me back to my college times and had me thinking about my gang of friends.

Oh, and did I mention the fabulous soundtrack?

Summer Fun!

I went with my family and friends for a day of picnic-ing & camping - and it was fabulastic!

We hiked through a nice trail, sat by the lake, around the camp-fire eating, drinking, playing games... and just talking. There was good music, great food, a slight breeze in the air, and a mutual feeling that life is best when shared with those that you truly care about :-)

Ups and Downs

One of my lunch-time musings!

Gazing out the window,
Reflecting on years bygone;
Thinking of moments,
Happy and sad;
Thinking of times,
Good and bad.

Then I realize,
Downs should not be forgotten,
For they are a reminder of the ups that came after...
Blissful moments should not be forgotten,
For they form the memories, we cherish forever.

Juno

I just watched Juno, and I think it's a fantastic movie. It was so refreshing, witty, sarcastic, and funny!

It was a different take on teenage pregnancy - and Ellen Page played her part to the T - a tough cookie, but with a soft & emotional inner-core.

The scenes between Juno, her mom/dad are awesome. I was kind of taken back by how calm Juno's parents were when they found out about her pregnancy - they did not judge her one bit - they just thought of next steps.

Juno handles the situation maturely though - all through the movie, I was thinking - can a girl who's merely 16 have such a balanced head on her shoulders??

Overall, a very different angle on a sensitive societal issue.

Super Summer

Summer's a happy season (blistering hot at times, but happy). Everyone's in a good mood, bright colors are in, the trees are green, there's flowers everywhere, people travel, blah, blah, blah.

It's funny though - to see the effects of summer on work life. When old man winter sneaks up on us, people are all gloomy because of the snow storms, it gets dark out at practically 4 pm every day, so the evenings are pretty much spent indoors. People don't mind working late.

Boom, the summer strikes - and people are in a fabulous mood all of a sudden, half the office disappears into thin air - and it seems like all of them are on vacation at the same place. Everyone wants to get out early and enjoy the nice weather - and yeah, not to mention, the entire building goes out for lunch, leaving the cafeteria with one or two loners.

It's strange how the weather impacts us humans.. :-D

Emotions

I had a passing discussion with a friend recently, about emotions.

"What's the worst emotion or feeling in the world, Sneha?", she asked me...

I mean, let's face it - one time or another, we've all felt lonely, sad, unhappy, angry, etc. For me, though - the answer came out almost instantly - as if, somone had lifted the lid off the top of a boiling pot - and as if, the steam was waiting to gush out.

"To dislike someone, especially if that someone is your friend..." - that's what slipped out in a fraction of a second.

I'm not going to go into details here as to who that person is, or why what happen did happen, etc. etc. But stuff happens, life moves on - that's what they say.

Easier said than done...

Food for Thought

I like collecting quotes that are both catchy and meaningful. Grey's Anatomy is one of my favorite shows - and the following is from one of the episodes where Meredith's character is narrating -

Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.

It's a great play on words and I think the essence of it is quite true. Should you abide by the rules or break them? Should you live with the rules that your surroundings encompass, or should you make your own?

Some decisions are are hard. Tough life.

Umm, who're you?

It's funny how 'segregated' our own personalities can sometimes become. Who I am from from work separates me distinctly from who I am when I'm amidst friends and family. And what adds to this - it happens subconsciously!

I was discussing this with one of my friends the other day - and we were saying how people like actors and ventriquolists might be dealing with it. When filming for a movie, is it ever difficult for them to step out of the skin of their 'characters' and step in to their 'own' skin? Do ventriquolists forget what their voices sound like after a while? Can this really happen?

It's strange - funny strange - the things that we do to ourselves sometimes.

India Calls...

The following came to my mind, after I spoke with my grandma this morning...

A weekend call back home,
To Aaji every Sunday,
Takes me back in time,
Reminds of what I've left behind,

She speaks of all our relatives,
She speaks of all her friends,
She talks about the spoiled kids,
She talks about the chores the baai never did.

She asks the routine questions,
Inquires about everyone,
She tells me what she's cooking for dinner tonight,
And I can't help but think about the things I've left behind.

Amidst all this,
In between her words,
I feel the warmth of her hug,
I taste the spice in her Amti,
I see the smile on her face,
I hear nothing,
But the one thing she's saying...
"Come back soon, I want to see you..."

Books-To-Read List

Not too many years ago, I got into the habit of making a list of the books I've always wanted to read. I went to Borders over the past weekend, and after that trip, I added another 5 books onto my already-too-big list!

Here's the to-read roll -

Yacoubian Building (Alaa-el-Aswany) - A book set in Cairo, in the 1990s, around the time of the first Gulf War. A synopsis I had read in a book review mentioned that it explores many themes that are considered taboo in Arab literature (such as extreme views regarding political correuption, homosexuality, sexual repression, militant nationalism, etc...).

Binodini (Rabindranath Tagore) - This book was turned into a Hindi movie called Chokher Bali. Ever since then, it's been on my list, and I still haven't gotten to it. It's a must-read in the next month or so for me!

Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy) - Ok, I have to admit, this one's been on the list for a long time - but I just never had a chance to get to it (primarily because of it's length). Work life gets the best of me these days, and I've always wanted to read this book when I had ample time on my hand. I better get started, or it'll never get scratched off my list!

Kabul Beauty School (Deborah Rodriguez) - This is an interesting one - and I say so, not because I've read it, but because the blurb on the back of it made me buy it! It's about an American woman who opens a beauty school in Kabul, Afghanistan. It's her journey through the thick life of Kabul and harsh culture shock she initially had to survive through. I'm guessing this should be quite similar (in theme, setting, etc. ) to The Kite Runner and Thousand Splendid Suns (both by Khalid Hosseini).

Remember Me? (Sophie Kinsella) - I'm a die-hard Kinsella fan. I've pretty much read all of her Shopaholic books, and they are absolutely hilarious. No kidding, I had to stop myself from reading her books on the bus ride back home from work, because the guy next to me kept staring at me everytime I cracked up (which was waaay too often). Her books are a good stress-relievers and they're usually one-nighter type of books. I cannot cannot cannot wait for this one either!

So, as you can pretty much see, I'm booked for the next good several weeks! Don't hate me if I don't return your calls... ;-)

Unaccustomed Earth

Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth came out on April 1st.

Of course, myself being an ardent Lahiri fan, went out to B&N to get it as soon as they had it - and my oh my, it's been a great read!

I like Lahiri's works for her writing style, her diction, her plot structure - and the variety of themes she incorporates in her collection of short stories. This happens to be one such collection - full of stories about relationships - between a father/daugther, a brother/sister, a husband/wife, a man/woman as 'friends', and a lot more.

Her characters tend to be of Bengali origin (for the most part), typically immigrants or children of first-generation immigrants from India. I can, on a certain level, relate to some characters. I think that makes it even a better read - is when you can see a reflection of yourself in a particular character - and when that character is going through a up/down in his/her life - you say to yourself - Yeah, I've been there.

I like the cover too - I think roaring waves symbolize the ongoing predicament and emotional turmoil in each character's mind - something that they sometimes cannot express outwardly.

I'd definitely recommend this book - amazing read over all!

Foodie

I was 'tagged' recently by a friend to draw up a list of five restaurants I visit the most near my workplace.

Since I work in the city (and chances are, I've probably been to more restaurants in the city than I have back home), I figured I might as well list the names of my top 5-places-to-go-when-I'm-dying-of-hunger around here :-)

Zeytuna (Middle Eastern/Mediterranean)
I love this place for its funky-ness. You enter through a mosaic tile doorway, and there's a tree-trunk like structure in the center. The entire interior of the ceiling is designed to look like the leaves of a tree. The food ofcourse, is a whole entire story all-together. My favorite here is the huge buffett spread they have here, which features really yummy babaganoush and spinach pie.


Lemongrass Grill
This is my ultimate go-to place when I'm craving Thai for lunch. Thai food is all about the balance of flavors - sweet and sour, spicy and mild. My favorite is the Penang curry, with Thai Basil Fried Rice - Yum-o! The Som Tam (Papaya Salad) is a refereshing salad, and the Miso soup is perfect for a rainy day!


Niko Niko
Good Japanese food - Good Vegetarian Japanese food - isn't very prevalent. I love Niko Niko for its Curry Don. It's steaming white rice, with a generous portion of spicy curry (with potatoes & carrots) on top of it. It makes a perfect lunch if I haven't had a morning breakfast :-)


American Masala
I discovered this one very recently - it's actually owned by an Indian chain of restaurants called Baluchi. I have been here only twice - and both the times - the food has been delish! Like most of the restaurants in the area, they serve combo meals. Their Chana Bhatura is to die for, and the Kathi Roll is fab!


Chipotle
I heart Chipotle for its Burrito Bol. It's enormously filling, and I can only hope that I don't fall asleep at my desk after eating one of these! Another fave of mine here is the Guacamole. It's absolutely yum! :-)


I don't eat to live - I live to eat!

Dilbert

This comic strip was a much-needed laugh during my lunchtime today!

Meme!

I found this on Mr. S's blog - and really liked it. So, here's something you might/might-not know about me!


You're feeling: those darn Sunday blues again!

To your left: a pile of mail and magazines that need to be looked through/my phone

On your mind: What should I wear to work tomorrow?

Last meal included: Dosas (Indian food)

You sometimes find it hard to: take a chill-pill!

The weather: a bit chilly and windy

Something you have a collection of: teas, earrings, bags

A smell that cheers you up: coffee brewing

A smell that can ruin your mood: smells of NYC subways... yuck!

The current state of your hair: solid :-P

The largest item on your desk/workspace (not computer): my desk lamp

Your skill with chopsticks: okay-ish

Which section you head for first in a bookstore: new fiction/non fiction

Something you’re craving: Cafe Coffee Day's Cool Blue!

Favorite place to go for a quiet moment: the little stream behind my house

You’ve always secretly thought you’d be a good: doctor!

Something that freaks you out a little: people who manage to act like control freaks

Something you’ve eaten too much of lately: sweets.. which I need to cut down on.. ;-)

You have never: gone skydiving

You never want to: change who I am for anything or anyone

An Attempt

As I was chatting with a very good friend of mine today (you know who you are...), I realized how much I've always wanted to blog, to jot down my thoughts, to combine the eency-weency snippets of my life and random recollections, into one single repository. So, here I am, once again, attempting to accomplish this. I hope this attempt turns out to be a successful one!

It's Sunday evening - I'm sitting here with my iced coffee and a HUGE pile of time-sensitive paperwork in front of me that deserves immediate (italics absolutely intended) attention. Yet, here I am, once again, writing my first entry in, what I think, is my about-to-be permanent blog site.

So, stay posted people, you're about to get very lucky with all the jazz that's going to happen on this blog! :-)