There was this little girl who loved to dream. She would dream of everything possible because nothing was real in her life. She wondered if she could have that extra piece of her favorite chocolate cake but was terrified at what her mom would say. And so, she would dismiss the thought. She wondered if she could have that cute toy from the store for herself but would say nothing fearing the harsh remarks from her dad. She often wondered if she could sleep with her parents at night but would shun the idea because more than the fear of darkness and imaginary monsters, she feared her parents. She would be left sleeping alone.
So, she dreamt. At least that was possible. No one could control how she dreamt or what she dreamt of. It was her dream and she created a whole new world for herself. Her very own dream world. Where she could be anything she wanted to be, do anything she liked, eat anything she craved. It was magical! And soon she would be eagerly waiting for the time to go to bed, so that she can begin her journey to this wonderland and be happy. At least for the night.
Today, she is a much happier, confident and positive individual thanks to some really important people in her life who have managed to change her for the better. And now she doesn’t need to dream about chocolate streams and ice cream covered roof tops anymore. She can just buy and eat anything! Anytime she wants to! But old habits die hard, they say. Even today, occasionally, whenever she wants a break from her dreary and usual routine, she goes back to her fantasy land.
To see what else she can create. To see what else she can be.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Our new friend – Terrorism
Friend because ‘HE’ has become a part of our lives now. We all were leading a normal but a not-so-cheerful life with our daily grinding routine- stress at work, personal problems, corruption at every step, useless politics, ineffective government etc. and as if this wasn’t enough, one day, we meet him-Terrorism. Some of us greeted him face to face and some on a TV News channel. At first, he stunned us with his extent of destruction and the ability to casually wipe out innocent lives. But then as he made his presence felt all over the world, we began to accept him. He was always there, but we ignored him. And now, he is still there, even in our city but we continue to ignore him. The channels and newspapers would repeatedly telecast the same images over and over again, maybe for a week. We would watch open mouthed and pity the deceased and their loved ones. And then, back to our daily routine. The same personal problems, stress at work…. Our day-to-day life is far more realistic to cloud our thoughts over this five day news. It happens, everywhere, we say. But we are unknowingly waiting for him.
Now he walks with us, everywhere, and we, get used to him every day. Effortlessly.
Now he walks with us, everywhere, and we, get used to him every day. Effortlessly.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Delhi Delight
All know that Delhi is the capital of India. But it is also the capital of tongue tingling, tasty food that you will find nowhere. And trust me on that one. Delhi is home to the mouth watering chaats (fruit chat, in particular!) samosas, kachoris and a special array of sweets. But the ever-so-yummy “chole” takes the cake. You got to taste it, to believe it! Not that I have traveled a lot, but I have never, tasted such delicious chole in my entire life! Though almost all cities in India dish up so called “Delhi chaat”, they have never been able to accomplish that extraordinary flavor that Delhi provides.
And this time while I was in Delhi, I just simply had to visit THE place for chaats and chole bature- Roshan di Kulfi in Karol Bagh. What surprised me was that even after so many years, it continues to retain the exact same taste in its dishes. It’s a small place, specializing in chaats and kulfi (and hence the name) and usually crowded with its regulars. As you enter the eatery, the aroma of the dishes cooked right outside lures you almost hypnotically. And you are left wondering which dish to select and what to taste because each one of them look absolutely finger licking! But you have to consider the capacity of your stomach and the aftermath of hogging onto such food (many wouldn’t mind, I know!) and that’s exactly where the tragedy of this whole thing is. To even think of letting a few items go untested is devastating. The only solace here is that you can always come back and taste the rest of the stuff whenever you want to.
So now, whenever I’m in Delhi, I know that I can go to this one place where I get to taste the authentic Delhi flavor and satisfy my taste buds to the utmost delight each and every time. And I also know that I’ll never be wrong!
And this time while I was in Delhi, I just simply had to visit THE place for chaats and chole bature- Roshan di Kulfi in Karol Bagh. What surprised me was that even after so many years, it continues to retain the exact same taste in its dishes. It’s a small place, specializing in chaats and kulfi (and hence the name) and usually crowded with its regulars. As you enter the eatery, the aroma of the dishes cooked right outside lures you almost hypnotically. And you are left wondering which dish to select and what to taste because each one of them look absolutely finger licking! But you have to consider the capacity of your stomach and the aftermath of hogging onto such food (many wouldn’t mind, I know!) and that’s exactly where the tragedy of this whole thing is. To even think of letting a few items go untested is devastating. The only solace here is that you can always come back and taste the rest of the stuff whenever you want to.
So now, whenever I’m in Delhi, I know that I can go to this one place where I get to taste the authentic Delhi flavor and satisfy my taste buds to the utmost delight each and every time. And I also know that I’ll never be wrong!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
A genius called Sreenivasan
If someone were to talk about the superstars of Malayalam cinema, only two big names come to mind. Mohanlal and Mammootty. But there is another actor who may not be as glamorous as these two, and yet a superstar in his own right. He is short, dark, does not look anything like someone who should be in front of the camera. Apart from being a brilliant actor, he is also an amazing story writer, screenwriter producer and director. And when you see his movies, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
He is Sreenivasan.
The supporting actor or the comedian or the funny con man, whichever role he plays, he is impressive. Sometimes he is right there getting punched, embarrassed, making silly faces and dancing with his two left feet. And sometimes he just touches the heart with his deep, thought provoking movies and stories that are unforgettable. What amazes me most is the way he humors himself. Several movies written and acted by Sreenivasan are masterpieces but I cannot resist mentioning two particular movies that showcase his witty side. One is Vadakku Noki Yanthram in which he plays a husband who is so conscious of his average looks that he suspects his wife of having an affair and how he ends up looking totally idiotic in front of his wife and family. This movie won him the state award. Another movie worth mentioning is Paavam Paavam Rajakumaran- my personal favorite. This movie is about a simple, stingy bachelor –played by Sreenivasan, who shares his rented house with 3 other guys and how these guys cheat him into falling in love with a girl. Hilarious and at the same time a powerful performance by Sreenivasan. He doesn’t mind debasing and humiliating himself on screen to get his thoughts through. Which actor would risk that these days?
A serious comedian and film maker who is not here for glamour and not here for minting money. He is here for a sole and a responsible purpose- to entertain. And he is a genius at it.
He is Sreenivasan.
The supporting actor or the comedian or the funny con man, whichever role he plays, he is impressive. Sometimes he is right there getting punched, embarrassed, making silly faces and dancing with his two left feet. And sometimes he just touches the heart with his deep, thought provoking movies and stories that are unforgettable. What amazes me most is the way he humors himself. Several movies written and acted by Sreenivasan are masterpieces but I cannot resist mentioning two particular movies that showcase his witty side. One is Vadakku Noki Yanthram in which he plays a husband who is so conscious of his average looks that he suspects his wife of having an affair and how he ends up looking totally idiotic in front of his wife and family. This movie won him the state award. Another movie worth mentioning is Paavam Paavam Rajakumaran- my personal favorite. This movie is about a simple, stingy bachelor –played by Sreenivasan, who shares his rented house with 3 other guys and how these guys cheat him into falling in love with a girl. Hilarious and at the same time a powerful performance by Sreenivasan. He doesn’t mind debasing and humiliating himself on screen to get his thoughts through. Which actor would risk that these days?
A serious comedian and film maker who is not here for glamour and not here for minting money. He is here for a sole and a responsible purpose- to entertain. And he is a genius at it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Trip to Aurangabad
Our trip to Aurangabad was an alternative since we had originally planned to go to Matheran for the weekend. But I'm glad we made it there. I had read about the beauty and importance of the Ajanta and Ellora caves in my text books way back in school(these are one among the World Heritage sites), so we decided to check it out. To reach Aurangabad, it took us a five hour drive from Pune. We checked into our hotel ( Lemon Tree) and after a couple of hours of rest and lunching, we went to see the Ellora caves which are just 35 kms from the city. I suggest you get directions before driving as the directions on the road are not clear, and you are often left to wonder whether you are on the right road or not. On reaching the Ellora caves, we hired a government guide who first led us to the Jain caves.
Here let me brief you about the Ellora caves. There are a total of 35 caves here out of which some are Jain caves, some Buddhist and the rest Hindu caves. The largest and most beautiful of all the caves is the Kailasa cave( Hindu Cave). Since the Jain caves are the farthest, we were suggested to go there first. Our guide led us from one cave to another and I was impressed by the marvel of the people way back then who made these beautiful caves by hand and without any help of the equipments that we have today. You gotto see it to believe it! I was already thrilled by the first cave that I couldn't wait to see what was in store for me as we moved further. After the Jain caves, we drove to the Buddhist caves. The 10th cave here is the only “Chaityagraha” which has a Stupa standing in the middle of the cave. This was primarily made for the monks to chant mantras and when the guide demonstrated by chanting “Om” , the cave was filled with his echoing voice. If one person could make this effect, imagine what numerous monks could do! And finally we reached the biggest and the most important cave of them all. Kailasa cave. You cannot and shouldn't miss this one. And boy, was it crowded!! All the photos that you see describing Ellora are form this cave. It took us one hour to cover just this one cave. Now this particular cave is not carved from the inside of a rock, but looks something like a rock temple. There is a Shiva lingam in side this temple ( hence the name), which is sadly being misused by our very own people. It was not a pleasant sight to see instant “pujaris” appearing and performing pujas and collecting money, when this is an important world heritage site which doesn't deserves to be contaminated with agarbattis and kumkum! Anyways, that was the end of Ellora.
Since we still had time on our hands we went to see the “Bibi ka Maqbara” built by Aurangazeb which is a sad replica of the Taj mahal. Now anyone who has seen the Taj cannot bear the look of this structure. It is not maintained well and looks so dirty. I just hope that people visiting this maqbara don't assume that the Taj would be something remotely similar!!! No people, Taj is something out of this world and something to visit before you die!! After taking a couple of snaps and purposefully wandering ( for the heck of it) we headed back to our hotel. We had our dinner and relaxed by lazing by the pool at night. Ah, superior bliss!!!
On our second day we couldn't visit the Ajanta because it is closed on Mondays. So, we drove around the city and had some fun in the hotel. We were supposed to leave on the third day, but before that we decided we just had to check out the Ajanta. And we drove off. It took us 2 hours and a couple of wrong turns(thanks to the road instructions!!!) to finally get there. By the look of it Ajanta seemed much bigger than Ellora. To reach the caves you have to take a bus and ride up to the caves. No private vehicles are allowed to the top. We reached there, bought a copy of the Ajanta caves from the Archaeological Survey of India counter and headed straight above. There is a little climbing to do before you actually get to the caves. Some info about Ajanta. There are a total of 28 caves here, some finished some half-finished. The Ajanta caves were re-discovered unlike Ellora. Meaning, the Ajanta were there all along but since huge trees had grown and surrounded the caves, none of it was visible unless it was accidentally stumbled upon in the early 19th century. These caves, in all, form a horseshoe shape and down below runs the Wagholi river. Since we had a time constraint ( as we had to get back to Pune the same day) we decided to visit only the important caves. These caves are all Buddhist caves, similar to Ellora, but you can see fragments of paintings too. Paintings done with natural colors which are wearing off, due to age and more importantly negligence. Nevertheless, if I had returned home without visiting Ajanta, I would have missed it big time! I am glad I made it. By the time we finished our little trip on the top and returned to out car, it was noon. And from there we headed straight to Pune and reached home by night.
Phew!!
Frankly, I never imagined our trip would go so well. Not only was it a nice change but it also helped me reunite with my old love, something that I had forgotten and let go during my busy life. Archeology, historical art and architecture. It reminded me what getting in touch with our past meant. This trip was wonderful and has left me wanting for more.
Here let me brief you about the Ellora caves. There are a total of 35 caves here out of which some are Jain caves, some Buddhist and the rest Hindu caves. The largest and most beautiful of all the caves is the Kailasa cave( Hindu Cave). Since the Jain caves are the farthest, we were suggested to go there first. Our guide led us from one cave to another and I was impressed by the marvel of the people way back then who made these beautiful caves by hand and without any help of the equipments that we have today. You gotto see it to believe it! I was already thrilled by the first cave that I couldn't wait to see what was in store for me as we moved further. After the Jain caves, we drove to the Buddhist caves. The 10th cave here is the only “Chaityagraha” which has a Stupa standing in the middle of the cave. This was primarily made for the monks to chant mantras and when the guide demonstrated by chanting “Om” , the cave was filled with his echoing voice. If one person could make this effect, imagine what numerous monks could do! And finally we reached the biggest and the most important cave of them all. Kailasa cave. You cannot and shouldn't miss this one. And boy, was it crowded!! All the photos that you see describing Ellora are form this cave. It took us one hour to cover just this one cave. Now this particular cave is not carved from the inside of a rock, but looks something like a rock temple. There is a Shiva lingam in side this temple ( hence the name), which is sadly being misused by our very own people. It was not a pleasant sight to see instant “pujaris” appearing and performing pujas and collecting money, when this is an important world heritage site which doesn't deserves to be contaminated with agarbattis and kumkum! Anyways, that was the end of Ellora.
Since we still had time on our hands we went to see the “Bibi ka Maqbara” built by Aurangazeb which is a sad replica of the Taj mahal. Now anyone who has seen the Taj cannot bear the look of this structure. It is not maintained well and looks so dirty. I just hope that people visiting this maqbara don't assume that the Taj would be something remotely similar!!! No people, Taj is something out of this world and something to visit before you die!! After taking a couple of snaps and purposefully wandering ( for the heck of it) we headed back to our hotel. We had our dinner and relaxed by lazing by the pool at night. Ah, superior bliss!!!
On our second day we couldn't visit the Ajanta because it is closed on Mondays. So, we drove around the city and had some fun in the hotel. We were supposed to leave on the third day, but before that we decided we just had to check out the Ajanta. And we drove off. It took us 2 hours and a couple of wrong turns(thanks to the road instructions!!!) to finally get there. By the look of it Ajanta seemed much bigger than Ellora. To reach the caves you have to take a bus and ride up to the caves. No private vehicles are allowed to the top. We reached there, bought a copy of the Ajanta caves from the Archaeological Survey of India counter and headed straight above. There is a little climbing to do before you actually get to the caves. Some info about Ajanta. There are a total of 28 caves here, some finished some half-finished. The Ajanta caves were re-discovered unlike Ellora. Meaning, the Ajanta were there all along but since huge trees had grown and surrounded the caves, none of it was visible unless it was accidentally stumbled upon in the early 19th century. These caves, in all, form a horseshoe shape and down below runs the Wagholi river. Since we had a time constraint ( as we had to get back to Pune the same day) we decided to visit only the important caves. These caves are all Buddhist caves, similar to Ellora, but you can see fragments of paintings too. Paintings done with natural colors which are wearing off, due to age and more importantly negligence. Nevertheless, if I had returned home without visiting Ajanta, I would have missed it big time! I am glad I made it. By the time we finished our little trip on the top and returned to out car, it was noon. And from there we headed straight to Pune and reached home by night.
Phew!!
Frankly, I never imagined our trip would go so well. Not only was it a nice change but it also helped me reunite with my old love, something that I had forgotten and let go during my busy life. Archeology, historical art and architecture. It reminded me what getting in touch with our past meant. This trip was wonderful and has left me wanting for more.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Update
It’s been long since I wrote something on this page. Have been busy, lazy, depressed, worried….everything but creative! It feels as though so much has happened in the past few months, and yet, practically speaking, my life is just the same. Well, of course, the experiences were not the best, but I must say, they were so many that I didn’t realize how time flew.
As of now, things are starting to get a little better, (touchwood!) and I just hope that I don’t get back to my old self again, which I hate. When I say my old self, it is definitely not like me at all. It is some superficial control on me, something that takes me over and makes me do things that I don’t want to, which I regret later. Hope “she” never returns.
Ok, so now I’m looking forward to this break, I’m going home actually, but again I won’t be able to freak out coz I have my exams round the corner and I have lots to do. So I just hope that the change of place and change of activities would do me good.
So goodbye to the old year that made me miserable and here’s to the new one that, hopefully, would begin on a positive note…….Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all!!
As of now, things are starting to get a little better, (touchwood!) and I just hope that I don’t get back to my old self again, which I hate. When I say my old self, it is definitely not like me at all. It is some superficial control on me, something that takes me over and makes me do things that I don’t want to, which I regret later. Hope “she” never returns.
Ok, so now I’m looking forward to this break, I’m going home actually, but again I won’t be able to freak out coz I have my exams round the corner and I have lots to do. So I just hope that the change of place and change of activities would do me good.
So goodbye to the old year that made me miserable and here’s to the new one that, hopefully, would begin on a positive note…….Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all!!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Not-so-perfect!
Yes I have heard this before that life has its ups and downs. And it’s the “downs” (which occur too often!) that gets to you but we need to be patient and let it pass. But, like any other philosophy of life, it is better said than done.
When you are having a bad time, nothing seems to work. Instead, it just gets worse till the time you don’t remain capable of proving your sanity to yourself (which, let me tell you, is the worst part!!). You blow your head off but the problems just keep adding up and piling up like colorful scoops of ice cream on top of each other…...not as yummy as it may sound!
But, practically speaking and having learned from past experiences I can say that the truth does lie in the fact that the sun needs to set for it to rise again the next day. And it’s only when you know what darkness is that you will appreciate the significance of light.
Naah, I don’t want to turn this into some kind of a weighty message…..nope! Just wanted to point out that if you are having a bad day, just remember that it’s not going to stay forever. Simple!
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