Happy Birthday, Brew-of-Life!

It's been one year since I've started blogging.

To be honest, writing has always been a stress-reliever for me. Whether it's on the back cover of a notebook during a lecture (you can tell how industrious of a student I was), or few lines in my planner on the way home from work- it's one way of squeezing out all of the convoluted thoughts in my brain - in, well, somewhat of a coherent manner!

This blog has provided me with space - a much needed tiny corner to pour my brew of life into this cauldron of world-wide-webness.

Thanks to all those who read this (hellooo, anyone out there?!) and all those who take the time out to put in a comment or two. It's much appreciated :-)

I've been MIA!

Yes, the blogsphere did seem a tiny bit far away. Long work hours had consumed my life for the past month-and-a-half or so. Not that the hours are any better now. Yet, here I am, on a Monday night, with an itch to pen a few words down.

What did I do while I was MIA? Nothing jazzy, actually. Spent quality time with family, hung out with close friends, did some quiet reading over the weekends. Sometimes, amidst a hurricane-like life, you find solace in the littlest of things. That's what the last two months were about.

Oye Lucky Lucky Oye

To be very candid, this movie seemed hopeless when it came out. I had no intentions of watching it, until KP insisted that I do. And, I'm glad I took his recommendation seriously!

It's a very well-executed movie. No mirch-masala, no unnecessary drama, no over-the-top emotional saga. The story? Totally believeable, down-to-earth, and real. Lucky's first crush, his behaviour with his Dad, his early years, the circle of friends he has - all these bits seem very tangible.

This movie reminded me a lot of Khosla Ka Ghosla, which is also directed by Dibakar Banerjee. He's done a great job with keeping things at ground level in both flicks.

And Abhay Deol? He's not so bad afterall :-)

A must watch for all those in favour of independent/parallel cinema!

Sunny Mexico!

I had nothing in particular to write today, so I thought I'd post pictures from my recent trip to Mexico. The weather was lovely; the sea, picturesque.

I had a chance to travel quite a bit - took a day trip to see the Mayan Ruins at Chichen Itza, which is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Visited Playa del Carmen and Cozumel Island. Also had a wonderful time in and around Cancun itself.

Snaps from the trip follow -

Carribean Sea + Beach @ Resort

Whose line is it anyway?
(Ferry terminal @ Cozumel Island)

Colorful hand-woven hammocks

Pyramid of Kukulcan
(One of the 7 Wonders of the World)

Beauty in the ruins?
(A photo that I took came out very desktop wallpaper-ish)

I'm sure I'll rave more about the trip in future posts. For now, let's not push you into the dark hole of boredom!

Miscelleny

Today has been a fantabulous day.

My release at work went great this morning.
Then I made a phone call which changed someone's life and made another someone really happy.
I was told by a friend that they're really lucky to have me in their life.
And now? It's party time. NYC, here I come! :-)

Relentless Journey

The journey is borne
When you throw your cap in the air,
And party the night out.

At a glance,
The road ahead looks lit by success,
And paved with opportunity.

You start walking,
And along the road,
Are rocks of hardwork,
Boulders of long hours,
Pebbles of frustration,
And bricks of satisfaction.
There's twigs of silly moments
Where your questions get laughed at,
And trees of proud moments,
Where someone says 'I like your idea on that!'

You think it'll end,
But it never does!
Endless and relentless,
Day in, day out,
This walk continues forever.

Take 15

I like making lists. So what?

1. This blog has 5 faithful readers in the entire world. I'm one of them.
2. I've tried my very best at swallowing (I didn't say eating) oatmeal. Can't do it. In all its slimy glory, the food makes me cringe.
3. White Chocolate Mocha and Espresso Truffle are two of my favorite drinks at Starbucks.
4. My English accent (Indian or American) depends on who I talk to. And it's entirely subconscious.
5. I'm addicted to 'Tere Naina' from Chandni Chowk to China right now.
6. I call my Mum every day when I leave from work. And I ask her the same question every day - 'What's for dinner?'
7. The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache!
8. Every town's local 'Subzi Mandi' is a monopoly.
9. I love cooking!
10. #9 has a disclaimer attached to it. Don't expect me to wash dishes.
11. Life would be very incomplete without music.
12. Rabindranath Tagore is the only man who has written national anthems for two countries. Jana Gana Mana for India and Amar Sonar Bangla for Bangladesh.
13. I used to be able to pull a lot of 'one-nighters' for several books that had me hooked. Can't do that now. What used to take a night now takes a week. Sometimes even a month.
14. Walks in the rain are amazing. Being drenched to the bones? Even better!
15. I have a 'lucky chain' I hold onto every time I'm releasing something into production.