Yesterday I lost one of my best friends, Roshan Balsara/Kakalia to Cancer. I know it is human nature to always say nice things about a person after he or she has passed away, but to me Roshan’s loss is just too much to handle. I knew Roshan from college.. we met on the Badminton Court thanks to my love for the sport and her love for doing TP. I have to credit our friendship to Avinash… for if it was not for Koska, then I would not have been introduced to her. We played very often on the same side of the net, and I would often give her friendly words of advice on her game, as if I were an expert. Thanks to this, I got the tag of ‘Coach’ which she would use when ever I would get on her nerves… I must say, of all the people I have met, no one took to me faster than Roshan.
I remember the time I went back to college after my father passed away. I didn’t know she had lost her father when she was very young. She saw me entering and came up to me and hugged me. Not a word was spoken. Just that hug said a lot, to me and to her. I later got to know more about her and her family… it was easy for us to relate to each other as we both had many things in common. After we both finished college, we did keep in touch, but seldom met. We played badi a couple of times, but we spoke a hell of a lot!! Either I would call from office or she would call when I was at home. We spoke a lot… well, she spoke a lot and I listened. I guess she had a lot more going on in her life than I did. Her mothers loss affected her a lot, the depression started again and as is with all large families, problems within the family began. I shared many a moments where I didn’t know what to say to console my weeping friend on the other end of the line.
She got married to a great guy, Sarosh, a childhood friend, and began her new life of being a wife. Her wedding day will always have a special place in my heart for I wore the most hideous red kurta for an all Parsi affair!! She went on ship with her hubby and we would communicate via emails, most of which I still have. I guess she waited for some communication from her homeland and I waited for a reply from a friend.
Today she has her son Eric and a brother Xerkses keeping her name going. There are soo many things which she wanted to do before she died, but I guess the great lord had other plans for her.
I wish each and everyone of you had a chance to meet Roshan, or at least have a friend like her. Outspoken yet honest, to the point and sharp. Roshan, I wish I was a better friend to you… You will never be forgotten.
Love,
Lone surviving member of F.A.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
My Best Friend Roshan.
Yesterday I lost one of my best friends, Roshan Balsara/Kakalia to Cancer. I know it is human nature to always say nice things about a person after he or she has passed away, but to me Roshan’s loss is just too much to handle. I knew Roshan from college.. we met on the Badminton Court thanks to my love for the sport and her love for doing TP. I have to credit our friendship to Avinash… for if it was not for Koska, then I would not have been introduced to her. We played very often on the same side of the net, and I would often give her friendly words of advice on her game, as if I were an expert. Thanks to this, I got the tag of ‘Coach’ which she would use when ever I would get on her nerves… I must say, of all the people I have met, no one took to me faster than Roshan.
I remember the time I went back to college after my father passed away. I didn’t know she had lost her father when she was very young. She saw me entering and came up to me and hugged me. Not a word was spoken. Just that hug said a lot, to me and to her. I later got to know more about her and her family… it was easy for us to relate to each other as we both had many things in common. After we both finished college, we did keep in touch, but seldom met. We played badi a couple of times, but we spoke a hell of a lot!! Either I would call from office or she would call when I was at home. We spoke a lot… well, she spoke a lot and I listened. I guess she had a lot more going on in her life than I did. Her mothers loss affected her a lot, the depression started again and as is with all large families, problems within the family began. I shared many a moments where I didn’t know what to say to console my weeping friend on the other end of the line.
She got married to a great guy, Sarosh, a childhood friend, and began her new life of being a wife. Her wedding day will always have a special place in my heart for I wore the most hideous red kurta for an all Parsi affair!! She went on ship with her hubby and we would communicate via emails, most of which I still have. I guess she waited for some communication from her homeland and I waited for a reply from a friend.
Today she has her son Eric and a brother Xerkses keeping her name going. There are soo many things which she wanted to do before she died, but I guess the great lord had other plans for her.
I wish each and everyone of you had a chance to meet Roshan, or at least have a friend like her. Outspoken yet honest, to the point and sharp. Roshan, I wish I was a better friend to you… You will never be forgotten.
Love,
Lone surviving member of F.A.
I remember the time I went back to college after my father passed away. I didn’t know she had lost her father when she was very young. She saw me entering and came up to me and hugged me. Not a word was spoken. Just that hug said a lot, to me and to her. I later got to know more about her and her family… it was easy for us to relate to each other as we both had many things in common. After we both finished college, we did keep in touch, but seldom met. We played badi a couple of times, but we spoke a hell of a lot!! Either I would call from office or she would call when I was at home. We spoke a lot… well, she spoke a lot and I listened. I guess she had a lot more going on in her life than I did. Her mothers loss affected her a lot, the depression started again and as is with all large families, problems within the family began. I shared many a moments where I didn’t know what to say to console my weeping friend on the other end of the line.
She got married to a great guy, Sarosh, a childhood friend, and began her new life of being a wife. Her wedding day will always have a special place in my heart for I wore the most hideous red kurta for an all Parsi affair!! She went on ship with her hubby and we would communicate via emails, most of which I still have. I guess she waited for some communication from her homeland and I waited for a reply from a friend.
Today she has her son Eric and a brother Xerkses keeping her name going. There are soo many things which she wanted to do before she died, but I guess the great lord had other plans for her.
I wish each and everyone of you had a chance to meet Roshan, or at least have a friend like her. Outspoken yet honest, to the point and sharp. Roshan, I wish I was a better friend to you… You will never be forgotten.
Love,
Lone surviving member of F.A.
My Best Friend Roshan.
Yesterday I lost one of my best friends, Roshan Balsara/Kakalia to Cancer. I know it is human nature to always say nice things about a person after he or she has passed away, but to me Roshan’s loss is just too much to handle. I knew Roshan from college.. we met on the Badminton Court thanks to my love for the sport and her love for doing TP. I have to credit our friendship to Avinash… for if it was not for Koska, then I would not have been introduced to her. We played very often on the same side of the net, and I would often give her friendly words of advice on her game, as if I were an expert. Thanks to this, I got the tag of ‘Coach’ which she would use when ever I would get on her nerves… I must say, of all the people I have met, no one took to me faster than Roshan.
I remember the time I went back to college after my father passed away. I didn’t know she had lost her father when she was very young. She saw me entering and came up to me and hugged me. Not a word was spoken. Just that hug said a lot, to me and to her. I later got to know more about her and her family… it was easy for us to relate to each other as we both had many things in common. After we both finished college, we did keep in touch, but seldom met. We played badi a couple of times, but we spoke a hell of a lot!! Either I would call from office or she would call when I was at home. We spoke a lot… well, she spoke a lot and I listened. I guess she had a lot more going on in her life than I did. Her mothers loss affected her a lot, the depression started again and as is with all large families, problems within the family began. I shared many a moments where I didn’t know what to say to console my weeping friend on the other end of the line.
She got married to a great guy, Sarosh, a childhood friend, and began her new life of being a wife. Her wedding day will always have a special place in my heart for I wore the most hideous red kurta for an all Parsi affair!! She went on ship with her hubby and we would communicate via emails, most of which I still have. I guess she waited for some communication from her homeland and I waited for a reply from a friend.
Today she has her son Eric and a brother Xerkses keeping her name going. There are soo many things which she wanted to do before she died, but I guess the great lord had other plans for her.
I wish each and everyone of you had a chance to meet Roshan, or at least have a friend like her. Outspoken yet honest, to the point and sharp. Roshan, I wish I was a better friend to you… You will never be forgotten.
Love,
Lone surviving member of F.A.
I remember the time I went back to college after my father passed away. I didn’t know she had lost her father when she was very young. She saw me entering and came up to me and hugged me. Not a word was spoken. Just that hug said a lot, to me and to her. I later got to know more about her and her family… it was easy for us to relate to each other as we both had many things in common. After we both finished college, we did keep in touch, but seldom met. We played badi a couple of times, but we spoke a hell of a lot!! Either I would call from office or she would call when I was at home. We spoke a lot… well, she spoke a lot and I listened. I guess she had a lot more going on in her life than I did. Her mothers loss affected her a lot, the depression started again and as is with all large families, problems within the family began. I shared many a moments where I didn’t know what to say to console my weeping friend on the other end of the line.
She got married to a great guy, Sarosh, a childhood friend, and began her new life of being a wife. Her wedding day will always have a special place in my heart for I wore the most hideous red kurta for an all Parsi affair!! She went on ship with her hubby and we would communicate via emails, most of which I still have. I guess she waited for some communication from her homeland and I waited for a reply from a friend.
Today she has her son Eric and a brother Xerkses keeping her name going. There are soo many things which she wanted to do before she died, but I guess the great lord had other plans for her.
I wish each and everyone of you had a chance to meet Roshan, or at least have a friend like her. Outspoken yet honest, to the point and sharp. Roshan, I wish I was a better friend to you… You will never be forgotten.
Love,
Lone surviving member of F.A.
Friday, July 24, 2009
And went on another Break!!
Well... after that nice SHORT vacation, I went on an another one to Kerala for my Bosses wedding.. Had a blast for 2 days (that's how long we went for!)
The journey post that has not been too great though.. the loads of work on my head along with the general work pressure.. Its made me more irritable and more short fused!! Not something I would like to be... but then that's me!!
Have a few topics and stories in my mind, which I will post later, when I have the time... till then.. PEACE OUT!!
The journey post that has not been too great though.. the loads of work on my head along with the general work pressure.. Its made me more irritable and more short fused!! Not something I would like to be... but then that's me!!
Have a few topics and stories in my mind, which I will post later, when I have the time... till then.. PEACE OUT!!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Back after the Break!
Hey!
Yes it has been more than 2 months since I came onto my blog.. but what to.. It's not like you were waiting with bated breath for my next post!
Of the many things that have happened, I went with my mother on a short vacation to Mangalore and Goa. In Mangalore, we were there to attend a family wedding and Goa was just a mere stop over on the way home.
Once back, work kicked into hyper gear and hence I have not been able to come to my trusty Blog!!
Hope you are doing well! Pictures and Videos of my holiday to be uploaded soon!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Music, a Global Effort!
Hey!
Back after a long time, have been busy with work.
My good friend Ryan sent me this link http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741 of how music transcends continents, countries, cultures and skin colours!
And it is also a lovely rendition of Stand by Me!
Have a listen and pass on the music!
Back after a long time, have been busy with work.
My good friend Ryan sent me this link http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741 of how music transcends continents, countries, cultures and skin colours!
And it is also a lovely rendition of Stand by Me!
Have a listen and pass on the music!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The Future of Formula One!!
So we are 3 races into the 2009 F1 season and what a season it has turned out to be! If the buzz before the season was not enough, with the new rules and the want to change the point systems et all, the grid order after the first 2 races are a testament to the fun being back in Formula One!
I don’t want to praise those group of men who would be sitting with a huge smile on their face for coming up with these new rules to encourage overtaking and making the sport more interesting. No, I would rather say that it is the way teams (& people) have had to adapt to the rules and the ugly cars on the F1 circuits that the sport has become interesting. People were apprehensive about how the new cars will look and how the rules would play the field. Some (claimed they) read the rules differently and hence were caught unawares at the start of the season… there were some who read the rules correctly (still under dispute at the FIA) and they have taken of to a flier of a start! Anyways, I am not here to talk about the rules and stuff.. I want to talk about the race.. the new season.. the new Interesting Formula One we have!!
Yes I was one of those people who did not like the rules and look of Formula One being changed… Ok, I was also one of the same group that said that Formula One had become boring! With Shumi winning every race in sight, which someone said was down to his skill and some said was down to team orders… Formula one had become stagnant with the Ferrari’s and the Merc Mclearn’s at the starting of the grid and everyone else after them! They infused Juan Pablo Montoya with the Williams BMW and later with Mclearn, but he was not enough to infuse the passion back in F1. Alonso picked up the steam with his Renault and started giving Shumi a run for his money.. and then HE moved to Mclearn as well… and then thin fizzled out!! (it seems to be a trend that those who move to Mclearn loose their steam!) but jokes apart, the sport was dieing.. these change in rules has not only brought new life to the sport, but also made it interesting. You no longer have one or two teams leading the pack right from the start. You have the middle runners now fighting for the top spot. You have the Ferrari’s and the Mclearns way down there at the bottom (middle really, the Force India cars are there remember!) you have the traditional winners Hami and Kimi and Massa down there at the bottom of the pack fighting their way up the grid to finish in the points. I mean, it would take me a long time to think back to the time when a Ferrari was in the bottom 7 of the grid! I agree that the new rules were introduce to create a level playing field for the teams on the grid without making them use the same engine or same designed car etc. but somehow I feel sorry for the Ferrari’s and Mclearn’s as it seems that these rules are made to bring down their standards. They are not struggling when others are flourishing! (and the tables were turned all these years!)
So what should we look forward to in the coming season? Well, for sure, a different set of drivers on the podium, surely exciting races and lots of post race appeals!
Formula One 2009…….. BRING IT ON!!
I don’t want to praise those group of men who would be sitting with a huge smile on their face for coming up with these new rules to encourage overtaking and making the sport more interesting. No, I would rather say that it is the way teams (& people) have had to adapt to the rules and the ugly cars on the F1 circuits that the sport has become interesting. People were apprehensive about how the new cars will look and how the rules would play the field. Some (claimed they) read the rules differently and hence were caught unawares at the start of the season… there were some who read the rules correctly (still under dispute at the FIA) and they have taken of to a flier of a start! Anyways, I am not here to talk about the rules and stuff.. I want to talk about the race.. the new season.. the new Interesting Formula One we have!!
Yes I was one of those people who did not like the rules and look of Formula One being changed… Ok, I was also one of the same group that said that Formula One had become boring! With Shumi winning every race in sight, which someone said was down to his skill and some said was down to team orders… Formula one had become stagnant with the Ferrari’s and the Merc Mclearn’s at the starting of the grid and everyone else after them! They infused Juan Pablo Montoya with the Williams BMW and later with Mclearn, but he was not enough to infuse the passion back in F1. Alonso picked up the steam with his Renault and started giving Shumi a run for his money.. and then HE moved to Mclearn as well… and then thin fizzled out!! (it seems to be a trend that those who move to Mclearn loose their steam!) but jokes apart, the sport was dieing.. these change in rules has not only brought new life to the sport, but also made it interesting. You no longer have one or two teams leading the pack right from the start. You have the middle runners now fighting for the top spot. You have the Ferrari’s and the Mclearns way down there at the bottom (middle really, the Force India cars are there remember!) you have the traditional winners Hami and Kimi and Massa down there at the bottom of the pack fighting their way up the grid to finish in the points. I mean, it would take me a long time to think back to the time when a Ferrari was in the bottom 7 of the grid! I agree that the new rules were introduce to create a level playing field for the teams on the grid without making them use the same engine or same designed car etc. but somehow I feel sorry for the Ferrari’s and Mclearn’s as it seems that these rules are made to bring down their standards. They are not struggling when others are flourishing! (and the tables were turned all these years!)
So what should we look forward to in the coming season? Well, for sure, a different set of drivers on the podium, surely exciting races and lots of post race appeals!
Formula One 2009…….. BRING IT ON!!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Lord of the Rings!
Today I headed into my first client meeting representing my new team, i.e. Starcom iP ALONE! I was very nervous as this was the first time a client would have associated a face to a service or product he is buying and paying for. And more so, I would be representing an entire company and their beliefs and values and I was shit scared… I was scared as I was not fully confident of what I was presenting. But as the meeting went on, I was made aware that the meeting was more important for the others who were there, than for me. (we discussed things which were not pertaining to what I had to present)
As I sat there, with 4 other men at the table, discussing CRM and BTL and what not, I could not help but notice what was on their fingers… RINGS!
Yup, each of them were wearing at least 2 rings, 1 I assume was a wedding ring and the other was a stone. Each man at the table had a different coloured stone. One had a white, one had a red and the other 2 I don’t remember right now… each of the rings occupied a prominent position on their hands. It was more like the rings which were doing the talking. Some on the right and some on the left hand, each ring was a gold ring (or so it seemed) Which lead me to a small insight into the minds of Indian people, no matter how learned they are, or how well they have progressed in their respective fields, religion and personal beliefs still hold the upper hand in their life. No matter which B school you may have passed out from, if your pandit told you to wear your birthstone, you will attribute your business’s success to the rings! Nice big fat ones, coloured with rocks of all shapes and sizes…
It got me thinking... if THIS is the norm people believe in, then will be successful in my career? I don’t like to wear anything on my fingers!!!
As I sat there, with 4 other men at the table, discussing CRM and BTL and what not, I could not help but notice what was on their fingers… RINGS!
Yup, each of them were wearing at least 2 rings, 1 I assume was a wedding ring and the other was a stone. Each man at the table had a different coloured stone. One had a white, one had a red and the other 2 I don’t remember right now… each of the rings occupied a prominent position on their hands. It was more like the rings which were doing the talking. Some on the right and some on the left hand, each ring was a gold ring (or so it seemed) Which lead me to a small insight into the minds of Indian people, no matter how learned they are, or how well they have progressed in their respective fields, religion and personal beliefs still hold the upper hand in their life. No matter which B school you may have passed out from, if your pandit told you to wear your birthstone, you will attribute your business’s success to the rings! Nice big fat ones, coloured with rocks of all shapes and sizes…
It got me thinking... if THIS is the norm people believe in, then will be successful in my career? I don’t like to wear anything on my fingers!!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Choosing Life over death
So yesterday in Church the priest was reading out the notices and he said that lets all get together and show our support against the new bill which gives people the right to end their life if that is thier choice. Which was basically the stand taken by the church (I assume it came from higher orders) that if someone is suffering and wants to end his or her suffering when they know that they can't get any better, then they cannot!
Now I know some of you might say that it is like legalising Suicide, but then this is not the same. Here it clearly states that if there is an elder who is unwell, then they have the right to euthanasia. Now I think that is purely fair. If you have a terminal disease and you KNOW that you will only keep on suffering if you go on with the medication, then would you not want the choice of ending your life? I mean you are already suffering, you are wasting your money on medication, you know that IF you do recover then you will not get back to a normal life... then should you not have the right to end your life? Provided it is your decision and not any others?
But then I also feel that others, like family members should have the right to decide if the patient is not conscious. Having gone through personal experience, I think it is only fair that this bill/rule be passed and it should come to effect.
I would like to hear your point on this...
Now I know some of you might say that it is like legalising Suicide, but then this is not the same. Here it clearly states that if there is an elder who is unwell, then they have the right to euthanasia. Now I think that is purely fair. If you have a terminal disease and you KNOW that you will only keep on suffering if you go on with the medication, then would you not want the choice of ending your life? I mean you are already suffering, you are wasting your money on medication, you know that IF you do recover then you will not get back to a normal life... then should you not have the right to end your life? Provided it is your decision and not any others?
But then I also feel that others, like family members should have the right to decide if the patient is not conscious. Having gone through personal experience, I think it is only fair that this bill/rule be passed and it should come to effect.
I would like to hear your point on this...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Some Like it WET!!
Like it WET!!
This morning I was standing and watching my car getting a nice high pressure wash down and as it was standing there, in all its glory… I suddenly realized how beautiful my car looked!! Its colour was standing out, the glasses was shinning and the colours on the break light cluster was really standing out! And I said WOW!! Just a little bit of water and see the difference!! Now don’t get me wrong, we have had the car for 3 years and I have NOT stopped loving it at any point in time, but I just realized how beautiful it looked… when I saw it all WET!!
This got me thinking, that this concept is true for MOST things in life! I mean you guys would agree with me that a Girl looks her best with her hair wet… and you women would agree with me that vegetables look fresh when sprinkled with water!! (you naughty people.. you thought I would say a wet man na..) So ya, water is the basic ingredient that makes things look sexy and beautiful! Hey, maybe that’s the fountain of life!! Maybe WATER is the solution to all our problems!! I read a mail sometime back educating me on the benefits of water! (have found the mail and have put it below)
So ya, at the end of the day, maybe we need to have more water in our lives.. either on us or in us… either ways we will look beautiful!!
WATER
#1. 75% of people are chronically dehydrated.
#2. In 37% of people, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.
#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
#4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters
#5. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
#8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?
COKE
#1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
#2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.
#3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
#4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
#5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubbleaway the corrosion.
#6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
#7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.
Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
#8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
#1. the active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.
#2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.
#3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years!
Now the question is, would you like a glass of water?
This morning I was standing and watching my car getting a nice high pressure wash down and as it was standing there, in all its glory… I suddenly realized how beautiful my car looked!! Its colour was standing out, the glasses was shinning and the colours on the break light cluster was really standing out! And I said WOW!! Just a little bit of water and see the difference!! Now don’t get me wrong, we have had the car for 3 years and I have NOT stopped loving it at any point in time, but I just realized how beautiful it looked… when I saw it all WET!!
This got me thinking, that this concept is true for MOST things in life! I mean you guys would agree with me that a Girl looks her best with her hair wet… and you women would agree with me that vegetables look fresh when sprinkled with water!! (you naughty people.. you thought I would say a wet man na..) So ya, water is the basic ingredient that makes things look sexy and beautiful! Hey, maybe that’s the fountain of life!! Maybe WATER is the solution to all our problems!! I read a mail sometime back educating me on the benefits of water! (have found the mail and have put it below)
So ya, at the end of the day, maybe we need to have more water in our lives.. either on us or in us… either ways we will look beautiful!!
WATER
#1. 75% of people are chronically dehydrated.
#2. In 37% of people, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.
#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
#4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters
#5. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
#8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?
COKE
#1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
#2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.
#3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
#4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
#5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubbleaway the corrosion.
#6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
#7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.
Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
#8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
#1. the active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.
#2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.
#3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years!
Now the question is, would you like a glass of water?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Michael Moore Movies
Hey!
So they were showing this movie Sicko by Michael Moore on Star Movies yesterday afternoon, which is about the health care scenario in the US. Right throughout the movie, he was drawing comparisons between the way America treats its people and how other countries treats its sick and unhealthy. The basis of the movie/documentary was that in almost every country outside of the US (London, France & Canada) has free health care, so if you fall sick then you have to pay through your nose to get treatment. In fact, the movie showed a few cases where a couple of kids had died in America as their parents employers did not cover the medical condition they had.
What stood out through the movie (for me) is that how one sided the entire movie was. Right through the movie, they were only showcasing how great the other countries are and how they treat their people soo nicely etc. (I don’t know how much of that is actually true) As I watched it, I started developing hatred towards America (but that’s ok, I didn’t like the country anyways) but somewhere down the line, I realized that the entire movie was shot such that you feel hatred towards the US on purpose. This got me wondering, is this the right way to make a movie? I mean I know that mostly movies express a particular point of view or have a message, which mostly the view point of the makers of the film, but when you are making a kinda documentary, is this fair?
This, for me, casts doubts on the documentary 9/11 which showed George W. Bush to be a dumbF%@#. I am sure those who saw that movie reaffirmed their faith that George W. Bush was the worst President in recent times. And he won an Oscar for it as well!
Really makes you draw parallels with cinema here in India with cinema abroad. While both have a story to tell, how they tell and how receptive the audience are differs a lot!
So they were showing this movie Sicko by Michael Moore on Star Movies yesterday afternoon, which is about the health care scenario in the US. Right throughout the movie, he was drawing comparisons between the way America treats its people and how other countries treats its sick and unhealthy. The basis of the movie/documentary was that in almost every country outside of the US (London, France & Canada) has free health care, so if you fall sick then you have to pay through your nose to get treatment. In fact, the movie showed a few cases where a couple of kids had died in America as their parents employers did not cover the medical condition they had.
What stood out through the movie (for me) is that how one sided the entire movie was. Right through the movie, they were only showcasing how great the other countries are and how they treat their people soo nicely etc. (I don’t know how much of that is actually true) As I watched it, I started developing hatred towards America (but that’s ok, I didn’t like the country anyways) but somewhere down the line, I realized that the entire movie was shot such that you feel hatred towards the US on purpose. This got me wondering, is this the right way to make a movie? I mean I know that mostly movies express a particular point of view or have a message, which mostly the view point of the makers of the film, but when you are making a kinda documentary, is this fair?
This, for me, casts doubts on the documentary 9/11 which showed George W. Bush to be a dumbF%@#. I am sure those who saw that movie reaffirmed their faith that George W. Bush was the worst President in recent times. And he won an Oscar for it as well!
Really makes you draw parallels with cinema here in India with cinema abroad. While both have a story to tell, how they tell and how receptive the audience are differs a lot!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Back to work... but what to do!
Yes, despite repeated warnings, I went to work today. (Repeated warnings that I should rest after having malaria) I went to work as I was kinda bored at home done nothing. I slept all I could, I watched as much TV as was possible... so I said I need to get to work..
Work was not as much as I would have liked it to be... You see, we are in a transition period so things were a little chill at work. So I am done with work and looking to head home in a little while. I was (and still am) hungry but i didn't know what a Malaria patient can or cannot eat, so I took another litre of water and filled my stomach. (it didn't help, I am still Hungry)
So now I am looking forward to practises which should start soon. I must tell you that the Salvation Singers should be singing at St. Peter's Ground on the 27th of March in aid of the amazing Dilkush school. So do come, we are aiming to build aware n raise a lil money as well.
Heading home now.. got unwanted guests coming over...
:(
Work was not as much as I would have liked it to be... You see, we are in a transition period so things were a little chill at work. So I am done with work and looking to head home in a little while. I was (and still am) hungry but i didn't know what a Malaria patient can or cannot eat, so I took another litre of water and filled my stomach. (it didn't help, I am still Hungry)
So now I am looking forward to practises which should start soon. I must tell you that the Salvation Singers should be singing at St. Peter's Ground on the 27th of March in aid of the amazing Dilkush school. So do come, we are aiming to build aware n raise a lil money as well.
Heading home now.. got unwanted guests coming over...
:(
Monday, March 2, 2009
Down for the Count!
I think by now it is public news that I was down with fever(Malaria) So after staying at home for 4 days (including Sat & Sun) I have finally driven myself online to escape from boredom!
It is surprising how a small bug smaller than my little fingers’ nail, can cause a big man to be out of action for days… It is no wonder that Discovery Channel as well as the Gunnies Book of World Records calls it the World’s Most Dangerous Animal! Just because, in places like Africa and Rural parts of the world, malaria has killed millions till date! And all this is caused by a Female Mosquito! I’ll bet this would be the only place where people will be happy with a low sex ratio!!
So how was it staying at home for all those days? Well as a kid, I would always look forward to that Thursday in the week, coz that was the day we got a holiday from school. I would look forward to lazing around, going down to play or go to Worli Seaface on my bike (read: cycle) just to have fun and relax! Then when I started working, I would look forward to the Saturday, as that was the day to unwind, relax and distress… Sundays was always busy with Church and Badminton etc…
But HOW much of relaxing and distressing can you do for FOUR days!! Man it was too much! Okay, the 1st day I slept quite a bit, as I needed that… the second day I caught up with music and my guitar… the third day I was tired of sleeping and my fingers were kinda hurting… I secretly wished I hadn’t given back Lorraine my book, I was already half through it… the fourth day was oooohhhhh ggggooooddddd!!! I know the doc has said to take rest and I did get weak and all from the medication, but hell I am going back to work tomorrow man.. this is just too much!! I have slept enough to NOT get sleep in the nights, I have watched enough TV to know that Nat Geo and Discovery repeat the same programs during the week, but at different timings and I am pretty sure I have done significant amounts of observation on the mating habits of pigeons!!
NO MORE PLEASE!!!
So ya.. next time you see a mosquito, be sure to kill it no matter what your religion says or PeTA or anyone else… KILL THOSE BUGgers!!
It is surprising how a small bug smaller than my little fingers’ nail, can cause a big man to be out of action for days… It is no wonder that Discovery Channel as well as the Gunnies Book of World Records calls it the World’s Most Dangerous Animal! Just because, in places like Africa and Rural parts of the world, malaria has killed millions till date! And all this is caused by a Female Mosquito! I’ll bet this would be the only place where people will be happy with a low sex ratio!!
So how was it staying at home for all those days? Well as a kid, I would always look forward to that Thursday in the week, coz that was the day we got a holiday from school. I would look forward to lazing around, going down to play or go to Worli Seaface on my bike (read: cycle) just to have fun and relax! Then when I started working, I would look forward to the Saturday, as that was the day to unwind, relax and distress… Sundays was always busy with Church and Badminton etc…
But HOW much of relaxing and distressing can you do for FOUR days!! Man it was too much! Okay, the 1st day I slept quite a bit, as I needed that… the second day I caught up with music and my guitar… the third day I was tired of sleeping and my fingers were kinda hurting… I secretly wished I hadn’t given back Lorraine my book, I was already half through it… the fourth day was oooohhhhh ggggooooddddd!!! I know the doc has said to take rest and I did get weak and all from the medication, but hell I am going back to work tomorrow man.. this is just too much!! I have slept enough to NOT get sleep in the nights, I have watched enough TV to know that Nat Geo and Discovery repeat the same programs during the week, but at different timings and I am pretty sure I have done significant amounts of observation on the mating habits of pigeons!!
NO MORE PLEASE!!!
So ya.. next time you see a mosquito, be sure to kill it no matter what your religion says or PeTA or anyone else… KILL THOSE BUGgers!!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Snip Snip… Its Recession time!
So, I guess if you have not heard about the global recession then either you are blind and deaf and mute AND live in a cave somewhere in the Himalayas, or are Steve Job. But like seriously, most of us ARE affected by the recession in one way or the other. People are loosing jobs, some have their pay cut, some are assured of no incentives or some businesses are spending less. Infact, I hear (unconfirmed) that the great L&T has cut 20% of peoples pay but has made it a 4 day week BUT is working on two shifts system which ensures work on all 7 days of the week!
However there is one job which is not affected through this recession… Barbers! (n I am NOT going to say Saloon or remove this post from my blog, like SRK, because of some association somewhere has a problem with the calling their profession a Barber!)
Seriously think of it, all men have facial hair, be it head or chin. Some men like to shave at home while others go to the barber. But I am sure no man (not many if there are any) who cuts his hair at home! (I tried it once n it was a disaster!) So, putting on my Economics cap, the haircut is the fixed income, and the shaves etc. are the variable. I mean NO man will say that I will spend less and not have a haircut just because of the recession in the economy! I am sure after a couple of months when he has to invest in hair clips to part his hair from blocking his vision, someone will tell him to GO CUT HIS HAIR! And even fewer will go in search of an alternate barber who is cheaper than his current one just to beat the heat! (again I am the exception here, coz I found this saloon at Century which was cheaper than my regular guy across the main road, who just A/C’ed the place hence increased prices. So I walk to Century to get a haircut. Though just recently the century place has caught up on costs but I still go coz it’s a catholic establishment) So where were we? Ya so the best job it seems right now, is that of a barber! And also, besides the shaves n haircuts, there are also those who come for massages and hair dye and facials!! Those could be bonuses!! Then there are tips which are given sometimes… that could go under misc. income. (ok I will REMOVE the Economics cap now…) you just need to set up shop where there are lots of men (try planet earth) and you are done!! And you don’t have to worry about long term job security, coz as time goes by more and more boys will hit puberty and there will be more hair to cut! (ohhh stop you filthy souls!) So ya, lets give up all those high profile jobs and lets get forget all that years of education and lets start making money!
Oh needless to say that this does not hold true on women… coz your haircuts are like 75 & 100 bucks n stuff and if you get a job in the saloon, you will probably want to try out the manicure and the special waxing and the facials n what nots, which obviously you will want for free since you work there… Very soon you will be using more than what you will be getting paid for… so that wont keep your job safe for very long… I hope you have figured out this, or do I have to reach out for my economics cap??
And ya, did I mention that I got a haircut recently!!
However there is one job which is not affected through this recession… Barbers! (n I am NOT going to say Saloon or remove this post from my blog, like SRK, because of some association somewhere has a problem with the calling their profession a Barber!)
Seriously think of it, all men have facial hair, be it head or chin. Some men like to shave at home while others go to the barber. But I am sure no man (not many if there are any) who cuts his hair at home! (I tried it once n it was a disaster!) So, putting on my Economics cap, the haircut is the fixed income, and the shaves etc. are the variable. I mean NO man will say that I will spend less and not have a haircut just because of the recession in the economy! I am sure after a couple of months when he has to invest in hair clips to part his hair from blocking his vision, someone will tell him to GO CUT HIS HAIR! And even fewer will go in search of an alternate barber who is cheaper than his current one just to beat the heat! (again I am the exception here, coz I found this saloon at Century which was cheaper than my regular guy across the main road, who just A/C’ed the place hence increased prices. So I walk to Century to get a haircut. Though just recently the century place has caught up on costs but I still go coz it’s a catholic establishment) So where were we? Ya so the best job it seems right now, is that of a barber! And also, besides the shaves n haircuts, there are also those who come for massages and hair dye and facials!! Those could be bonuses!! Then there are tips which are given sometimes… that could go under misc. income. (ok I will REMOVE the Economics cap now…) you just need to set up shop where there are lots of men (try planet earth) and you are done!! And you don’t have to worry about long term job security, coz as time goes by more and more boys will hit puberty and there will be more hair to cut! (ohhh stop you filthy souls!) So ya, lets give up all those high profile jobs and lets get forget all that years of education and lets start making money!
Oh needless to say that this does not hold true on women… coz your haircuts are like 75 & 100 bucks n stuff and if you get a job in the saloon, you will probably want to try out the manicure and the special waxing and the facials n what nots, which obviously you will want for free since you work there… Very soon you will be using more than what you will be getting paid for… so that wont keep your job safe for very long… I hope you have figured out this, or do I have to reach out for my economics cap??
And ya, did I mention that I got a haircut recently!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Quarter-life Crisis
This was a mailer sent to me... I think it is ABSOLUTELY APT for explaining what's going on in a Twenty something year olds mind...
BEING IN TWENTIES - SOMETHING... :) It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now. You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, meanor insincere, but that they are as confused as you. You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward. You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. You want to settle down for good because now all of a sudden that becomes top priority. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You begin to think a companion for life is better than a hundred in the shack and for once you would not mind standing tall for that special someone which otherwise you had never thought of until now. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to yourtwenty-something friends.... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion... We call it the "Quarter-life Crisis"
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Wonders of Technology!!
I know Marco will be more than happy to read this one.. and possibly contribute as well…
Now I know we live in the 21st Centuary n all that.. and that we have reached such far advancements that you get cell phones with memory which is slightly less than MY COMPUTERS!! ( ya I got a real old system at home..)
But today was possibly one of those realization moments for me… I was chatting with my good friend Rowena online today… she was telling me about how loverly Coorg is and how she wants to take forward her holidaying idea online… (Rowena does bookings for those people who want to holiday in Coorg, with staying, transport everything…) so right now she is doing this by sending all her friends details about holidaying in Coorg via mail and how to contact her, and then count on their referrals and word-of-mouth to spread the word.. so she was now looking at making a website… so she asked me about details and stuff.. (since I am in a Media Agency) and I in turn asked my Good Friend Natasha if she could help out Rowena.. (Natasha is my chirpy friend from office who recently got married, to a handsome hunk I must say, and now is in Chennai) so Nats told me to get Rowena to get in touch with her..
So I shared email i.d.s and within a matter of 10mins, Rowena added Natasha on G Talk, they chatted and shared ideas and costs, finalized on something (rough) and now Natasha is going to share and estimate of the total cost of the work with Rowena on Monday! All this in TEN MINUTES and with Rowena being in Coorg, Natasha in Chennai and ME in Mumbai(that too Kanjurmarg)!!
Now THAT surely speaks volumes of the reach of technology and making the world smaller by shrinking boundaries and blurring out borders!
Now I know we live in the 21st Centuary n all that.. and that we have reached such far advancements that you get cell phones with memory which is slightly less than MY COMPUTERS!! ( ya I got a real old system at home..)
But today was possibly one of those realization moments for me… I was chatting with my good friend Rowena online today… she was telling me about how loverly Coorg is and how she wants to take forward her holidaying idea online… (Rowena does bookings for those people who want to holiday in Coorg, with staying, transport everything…) so right now she is doing this by sending all her friends details about holidaying in Coorg via mail and how to contact her, and then count on their referrals and word-of-mouth to spread the word.. so she was now looking at making a website… so she asked me about details and stuff.. (since I am in a Media Agency) and I in turn asked my Good Friend Natasha if she could help out Rowena.. (Natasha is my chirpy friend from office who recently got married, to a handsome hunk I must say, and now is in Chennai) so Nats told me to get Rowena to get in touch with her..
So I shared email i.d.s and within a matter of 10mins, Rowena added Natasha on G Talk, they chatted and shared ideas and costs, finalized on something (rough) and now Natasha is going to share and estimate of the total cost of the work with Rowena on Monday! All this in TEN MINUTES and with Rowena being in Coorg, Natasha in Chennai and ME in Mumbai(that too Kanjurmarg)!!
Now THAT surely speaks volumes of the reach of technology and making the world smaller by shrinking boundaries and blurring out borders!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Is this Mumbai’s Protection?
It is surprising how the Police of Mumbai always end up doing things which often just don’t make sense! I wonder if any of you folks went to Shivaji Park of late.. If you do go there late in the night now, you will find no one there! Just not a single person! This is the same Shivaji Park which is smack in the middle of the city.. The same Shivaji Park which was our last open garden where you could go walk or run or jog anytime of the day or night, without being judged… This is the same Shivaji Park, where I have spent many hours just sitting and chatting and felt safe and secure without a threat or worry!
I was really surprised last night, when I visited one of my favourite hangouts… Not a soul around… nobody sitting and talking… no families come out after dinner and sit and chat… no aunties or uncles jogging or walking.. nothing! Not even the beggers (tempted to say slumdogs) Nor the actual dogs barking around! It was E M P T Y!!!
No wait, there were people around…. COPS!
These cops were shooing off people who, after having a nice quite time at Baristas & C.C.D., were wanting to sit and chat a little more on the pavement of the park.. BUT WHY?? Do you feel people sitting in a jeans and T and come with nothing but wallets in their hands at 12.30 in the night, would be planning to bomb the city? Or be carting around explosives! Get real man… Instead of the cops patrolling open spaces and shooing off people who have a life, they should be patrolling the slums and the various entrances to the city, to watch out for suspicious activity… I mean poverty can drive a person towards crime.. not coffee!!
It is almost like the Police are putting the fear in people and being the Terrorists here! I mean, they intrude into your life, disrupt your fun and waste your time and threaten to take you to the station… for what? Standing close to a girl in a public area for the whole world to see!! Stop the Moral policing and just protect our lives!! Do your job of protecting the people.. and Not threatening the people!!
So where does leave us, partying night loving people? No place to go, no place to hang out… well, by the look of things, either the Police Station or Home!!
Shanghai!! Ya right!!
I was really surprised last night, when I visited one of my favourite hangouts… Not a soul around… nobody sitting and talking… no families come out after dinner and sit and chat… no aunties or uncles jogging or walking.. nothing! Not even the beggers (tempted to say slumdogs) Nor the actual dogs barking around! It was E M P T Y!!!
No wait, there were people around…. COPS!
These cops were shooing off people who, after having a nice quite time at Baristas & C.C.D., were wanting to sit and chat a little more on the pavement of the park.. BUT WHY?? Do you feel people sitting in a jeans and T and come with nothing but wallets in their hands at 12.30 in the night, would be planning to bomb the city? Or be carting around explosives! Get real man… Instead of the cops patrolling open spaces and shooing off people who have a life, they should be patrolling the slums and the various entrances to the city, to watch out for suspicious activity… I mean poverty can drive a person towards crime.. not coffee!!
It is almost like the Police are putting the fear in people and being the Terrorists here! I mean, they intrude into your life, disrupt your fun and waste your time and threaten to take you to the station… for what? Standing close to a girl in a public area for the whole world to see!! Stop the Moral policing and just protect our lives!! Do your job of protecting the people.. and Not threatening the people!!
So where does leave us, partying night loving people? No place to go, no place to hang out… well, by the look of things, either the Police Station or Home!!
Shanghai!! Ya right!!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Misrepresentation of India
India has been getting into the spotlight of late with the success of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, but is the representation of India fair? What brings me to this question? Two factors, well actually 2 movies…
Lets start with Slumdog Millionaire. I am sure that most of you have seen this movie by now and have either come back with a happy feeling, or feel like it was just another movie… What ironically the movie is meant to be about, is a love story and not a story of rags to riches! (Quoting the Director and main cast from their respective appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) The point I am trying to bring out here is that yes, although India is poorer than the US and other so-called ‘Developed’ Countries, we are not known only for our poverty! We are being stereotyped into this third world place where we are the world’s garbage dump! The slums ARE a huge part of Mumbai, but Mumbai is know for many more things than just its slums!! We have some of the richest men in the world living here! (Read Ambani’s, Tata’s, Birla’s etc.) We are after all the financial capital of India! We have some of the most expensive office spaces in the world! Standing in the league of office space of greats like New York and Wall Street. Hell Rolls Royce sold out all the cars they imported to Asia last year and India forced them to get more cars this gone calendar year than last!! (For those of you who must know, last year they sold 1212 cars, over 20% higher than the previous year’s figure of 1010 cars sold in India) Yes, the super luxury marquee Rs. 5 Crore car sold One Thousand and Ten Units in India last year, that’s 5050 Crore Rupees changed hands last year…
If not money then technology! We recently completed our first mission to the moon, which carried equipment for none other than NASA! In sports, we had a very good run at the Australian Open (Tennis), Saina Nehwal is in the Top 10 rankings in Woman’s Badminton. We are (finally) winning in the Hockey tournament in Punjab. Our wonder Boy Vishvinathan Anand is the World Chess Champion and the Snooker World Champions have mostly been Indians. Surely we all are not living in Slums!
What particularly left a bad taste in my mouth, was the other movie ‘Outsourced’. Talking of the typical BPO boom which swept the city, albeit Nation a few years ago and made India the Call Centre Capital of the world! A Typical story of an Amercian who sees his job vanishing as Indians are doing what he does, for less than half his charges!
What was bitterly wrong was the way Indians were depicted. Firstly, the story was shown to have taken place in a village on the outskirts of Mumbai, which made one assume that this land is full of only villages! Then our Foreigner Man falls in love with a head strong Indian woman(village woman mind you), only to leave her and go back home when his company finds a cheaper alternative to India. China!
The way we are portrayed shows Indians to be dumb and to be ridiculed upon. Now I do have a lighter side to life and I will give in to the argument of ‘Freedom of Expression’, but to what extent? To dumb us down to such an extent that the Ambani’s and the Tata’s of India are forgotten? Only to be replaced by an old man who scratches his arse to depict WHY we consider our left hand dirty! (which I am not sure is entirely true!) If dumbing us down was done on purpose just to make an award winning movie, (yes it won some International Film Festival awards) then I think the actors, if not the director, should have thought twice before going out of their way to humiliate us Indians! If it was made to purely garner some laughs, then ok, I will keep my mouth shut. But by showing us all in a bad light? Not done honey!
So what’s the bottom line here?
Well, I just wanted to get you thinking…
Don’t believe what you see in movies?
There is more to it than what meets the eye…
Lets start with Slumdog Millionaire. I am sure that most of you have seen this movie by now and have either come back with a happy feeling, or feel like it was just another movie… What ironically the movie is meant to be about, is a love story and not a story of rags to riches! (Quoting the Director and main cast from their respective appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) The point I am trying to bring out here is that yes, although India is poorer than the US and other so-called ‘Developed’ Countries, we are not known only for our poverty! We are being stereotyped into this third world place where we are the world’s garbage dump! The slums ARE a huge part of Mumbai, but Mumbai is know for many more things than just its slums!! We have some of the richest men in the world living here! (Read Ambani’s, Tata’s, Birla’s etc.) We are after all the financial capital of India! We have some of the most expensive office spaces in the world! Standing in the league of office space of greats like New York and Wall Street. Hell Rolls Royce sold out all the cars they imported to Asia last year and India forced them to get more cars this gone calendar year than last!! (For those of you who must know, last year they sold 1212 cars, over 20% higher than the previous year’s figure of 1010 cars sold in India) Yes, the super luxury marquee Rs. 5 Crore car sold One Thousand and Ten Units in India last year, that’s 5050 Crore Rupees changed hands last year…
If not money then technology! We recently completed our first mission to the moon, which carried equipment for none other than NASA! In sports, we had a very good run at the Australian Open (Tennis), Saina Nehwal is in the Top 10 rankings in Woman’s Badminton. We are (finally) winning in the Hockey tournament in Punjab. Our wonder Boy Vishvinathan Anand is the World Chess Champion and the Snooker World Champions have mostly been Indians. Surely we all are not living in Slums!
What particularly left a bad taste in my mouth, was the other movie ‘Outsourced’. Talking of the typical BPO boom which swept the city, albeit Nation a few years ago and made India the Call Centre Capital of the world! A Typical story of an Amercian who sees his job vanishing as Indians are doing what he does, for less than half his charges!
What was bitterly wrong was the way Indians were depicted. Firstly, the story was shown to have taken place in a village on the outskirts of Mumbai, which made one assume that this land is full of only villages! Then our Foreigner Man falls in love with a head strong Indian woman(village woman mind you), only to leave her and go back home when his company finds a cheaper alternative to India. China!
The way we are portrayed shows Indians to be dumb and to be ridiculed upon. Now I do have a lighter side to life and I will give in to the argument of ‘Freedom of Expression’, but to what extent? To dumb us down to such an extent that the Ambani’s and the Tata’s of India are forgotten? Only to be replaced by an old man who scratches his arse to depict WHY we consider our left hand dirty! (which I am not sure is entirely true!) If dumbing us down was done on purpose just to make an award winning movie, (yes it won some International Film Festival awards) then I think the actors, if not the director, should have thought twice before going out of their way to humiliate us Indians! If it was made to purely garner some laughs, then ok, I will keep my mouth shut. But by showing us all in a bad light? Not done honey!
So what’s the bottom line here?
Well, I just wanted to get you thinking…
Don’t believe what you see in movies?
There is more to it than what meets the eye…
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Here I am.. this is Mi!
Hey there!
Welcome to my blog! Acctually I should be welcoming myself to my blog first!! Coz I created it!
So what can you look forward to reading on my Blog? Well.. All about Mi!! (ya I know what you are thinking.. he sounds a bit self centered!!)
Well, the thing is that, I love to go on yapping and yapping and spreading gyaan of all the things I have seen and heard, which I feel the need to share.. so Hence I thougth, why single out a person and go on yapping to them, why not yapp to the whole wide world!!!
Sounds neat na!!
Keep reading this space!
Welcome to my blog! Acctually I should be welcoming myself to my blog first!! Coz I created it!
So what can you look forward to reading on my Blog? Well.. All about Mi!! (ya I know what you are thinking.. he sounds a bit self centered!!)
Well, the thing is that, I love to go on yapping and yapping and spreading gyaan of all the things I have seen and heard, which I feel the need to share.. so Hence I thougth, why single out a person and go on yapping to them, why not yapp to the whole wide world!!!
Sounds neat na!!
Keep reading this space!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
