Dreaming all the way

I've decided to jot down all my dreams into a scrapbook. Yeah, you heard me right. I've been getting really weird dreams lately, and today, accidentally, I came across the perfect book for it! Its a quaint little book, with beautiful paintings on either side, titled, Day Dreams on one side, and Night Dreams on the other. I just grabbed the book from the shelf, paid the cashier in a hurry and scuttled back home to begin my stories. You see, my dreams mean a lot to me; I store all of them in a cache in the back of my mind, and whenever I'm low, I go to my dreams library, pick out a happy one, pore over it lovingly, replay it, and bam! I feel better!

Thats fine, but what is the Day Dreams section for, you might ask; c'mon, what do you think I do at the workplace?! Yeahh, you guessed right!

Come over to the office, and ask the receptionist for the most dreamy eyed kid around. You are gonna make it right over to my desk, no kidding, heh. I somehow feel happiest when I'm skiing around in fantasy world. Yeah, reality crashes all too soon, but then, ahh, those few moments of bliss! The happiness of having life exactly like you want it! Yeah, thats what day dreams are all about!

So, well, when I saw this book, I felt, why not, let me fill it up with thoughts, some crazy ones, some sombre, and a few which will elicit laughs from whoever is going to read em; thoughts which I want to cherish, just for the simple reason that they were important to me, at some point in my life. Dreams which are going to bring a smile to my face some time in the future, when I dont have the time to dream anymore...

Dostana Review

A very poor imitation of "I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry", Dostana did not deliver the goods the trailer promised. Added to the fact that I saw the English version a few days ago, Dostana came across as a damp squib. Yeah, John Abraham is an amazing piece of work, but girls, got to face the truth; he can't act. His face is expressionless, and his dialogue delivery was pathetic. The only scenes where he looked bearable was when he was not present. Abhishek was average, and the scenes where he acts like a transvestite brought an unpleasant feeling in my gut, rather than laughter. Priyanka, a pretty lass, she should have stuck to modeling. Kirron Kher, all I can say about you is, puhleease!!! Spare us the agony of seeing you act on screen! I felt like screaming, "Can someone take this bozo off the set, please! I feel like I'm in the middle of a nightmare with a harridan!" Ohh yes, Boman Irani was nice, looked convincing in the role of the gay boss. Who knows, maybe he was just being himself, heh.

Coming to the story, it starts off with John showing oodles of skin, and for a moment I was afraid he would bare it all. The storyline was not convincing in the least, for, cmon, think practically, who would agree to be gay, just for the sake of a nice apartment?! Even more sillier was the fact that Priyanka never doubted them for a moment, even though she was practically living with them. What was she, blind??? The director had no idea how to prolong the story to fit the Indian cinema mould, so he resorted to some useless gaana bajaana, with the two duds (read John and Abhi) trying to woo our too-dusky-for-her-own-good beauty (read Priyanka). Amidst all this confusion, and torture, the director had to introduce my all time favorite horror hero - Bobby Deol. God knows what the heck he did in the movie, apart from following all that the two duds told him to, like a mental retard. Cmon, didn't he have his identity? Which sane woman likes to see her man dressed as a clown, for chrissakes?! Yuck!

Boring music, boring acting, boring faces. To top it all, this film isn't even an original. They had something to measure up to, couldn't they come up with something better than this pathetic tub of lard? I feel sad, the way Bollywood lets us down every time.

1920 - A Review

A 100 times better than Phoonk, 1920 evokes fear in you, and much more than that, keeps its element of suspense throughout. As the name suggests, the film is set in the year 1920, and starts off to a mysterious death in a spooky castle, which makes you sit on edge from the start. It then takes a detour, and we get to see the love angle in the story for quite some time. Ofcourse, the hero and heroine get married, and end up at the same castle as above, to finish what no one has been able to so far - raze the castle to the ground and build a grand hotel in its place.

Strange things begin to happen, and the girl, Lisa, starts experiencing out of the ordinary incidents, which she confides to a priest of the church. Seizing an opportune moment, the ghost in the castle possesses Lisa, and issues an ultimatum that she's going to die within four days, and he wants her soul to be his for eternity. Arjun, her husband, goes exploring all he can about what happened to the castle, and how it got to be a haunted one. He learns all he can, the ghost is a traitor soldier, who betrays his country and fellow men, and takes refuge in the castle under false pretences. The then owner of the castle, Rani Gayatri, does what she can while she secretly sends for troops, and the soldier is killed by her troops. A ghost seeking revenge. Arjun decides the only way to save his girl is to trust God; he holds Lisa tight and recites the Hanuman Chalisa; the mantra is all powerful, and the ghost is destroyed forever, and all is well. Turns out that Lisa is Rani Gayatri re-born(yea, we expected something like this, after all, its a Bollywood movie) and the film comes to an end.

The filming, screenplay, and dialogues are nice; though the castle doesnt look like Indian in the least. It has a distinct Victorian style about it, and the locales, the hills, the meadows, show that it is not India. The protagonists acted well, much, much better than the lead actors in Phoonk. Adah Sharma as Lisa did a good job, her acting looked convincing. Did you know that the castle where the shooting for the film took place is one of the 10 most haunted castles in England? It seems the actors were as afraid when shooting the film as we were while watching the film. Must have been a first for any horror movie. hehe.

A typical weekend in Hyderabad

Weekends in Hyderabad begin long before they actually do. Confused? Let me put it in a better way. We sit fantasizing and drooling over thoughts of the impending weekend from mid week itself. Work rarely gets done, everyone is in a frenzy checking out the hot spots, booking tickets, making appointments with friends, or, for the ones who stay away from family, planning a trip home. Loud cursing and the use of the F word is not uncommon when a new movie is in town; all tickets get miraculously sold out just before you say, "Two tickets, please!" Yeah, this is life at Hyderabad.

To the less fortunate, like us, who act on spur of the moment impulses, weekends are a series of disappointments. Like the time we went to PVR Cinemas and stood in the queue for one and a half hours, only to be greeted by the red blaring sign which we absolutely hate - Sold Out. Or the time when we got to know that there was an Aviation Exhibition going on at the Begumpet Airport, and a friend got hold of three passes; we ran without thinking twice. As a result, we were caught up in a traffic jam so huge, it might easily be mistaken for Caesar's army. Needless to say, we spent hours traversing the roads, sweating profusely, and a ride which normally takes five minutes took us more than two hours. Pathetic. Tragic. And any other adjective you can think of, along the same lines.

Oh yes, and how can I forget to mention beauty sleep here? In our personal dictionary, Weekends = Sleep. No questions asked. All my friends make it a habit not to wake up before 12 noon on weekends. No, its not because we party till dawn; it is because, my dear friends, like they say, we are the Gods and Goddesses of laziness. We just can't be bothered to get up and go visiting a mall just for the heck of it. We might be tempted, ofcourse, with the right inducement. Pre-booked tickets to a movie, for one; and a more than 50% sale at Hyderabad Central runs a close second. Some days, book lovers like me love taking a stroll inside the second hand book stalls that are scattered in the city. You might find quite a few masterpieces here, at unbelievable prices.

I usually go off alone, all by myself, and do whatever fancy takes me; go for a long drive on my Scooty Pep, or visit Hyderabad Central and loiter around; I also love going over to the Cafe Coffee Day in Somajiguda and spend a few minutes of bliss with one of the loves of my life - Coffee. This is not just about Hyderabad, it is the same, anywhere; the place doesn't matter, as long as you spend quality time you can cherish later; weekends are the time when you rejuvenate yourself, let go of all the steam accumulated from five continuous days of slogging. Do what you want, no holds barred. Stay within the limits, though. We want to be up and running for the next weekend, which is just five days away now, right!

The Recession - Has it finally arrived?

People have been talking about it for months; the US has seen the collapse of a few financial giants, with the threat of more activity along the same lines. Mails have been coming on and off, about the best way to save our skins from the looming disaster. From what I've seen, read, and experienced, I can say a few things about it myself.

A few tips from Asha the Expert:
1. Think before you leap. Companies have been laying off employees not in tens and twenties, but in thousands. So, grab the job you already have real hard, and stop thinking about changing. You'll lose your only source of income, and might have to go back to the miserable old life of having to ask for money from Dad.

2. Stop splurging, start saving. You never know, you might be the next person in line to get the dreaded pink slip, and be out on the road with just a month's paycheck in your hands. If that happens, my friend, you'll need more than a month's salary to keep you afloat. Stop visiting those malls for a few days; believe me, you've already got enough clothes and accessories to last you a lifetime.

3. Invest wisely. Check out the scene before plunging into any investments. The market is in a really tricky state right now; just one push might turn the tables either way, and you know which way. Hold on to your cash, transfer it to a nationalized bank, if possible; stop those new investments, and, well, for those which you are already committed, double check once.

4. Quit worrying. All of us have bad times, once in a while. If you happen to be caught in the middle of all this melee, dont panic. Remember, this is not going to last forever. Times change, markets change, and stock exchanges change. It is all about how well you handle yourself in times of a crisis that will determine your future. Also, we never thought twice before asking Dad a few bucks; he'll not think twice before doing the same, now. After all, what are Dads for?

All the very best to us then, and here's hoping that we emerge unscathed from the entire episode. God forbid, if something wrong does happen, don't forget to turn to your loved ones for support. That is something you'll never lose, come what may.

Horn Art

This post is for all the art lovers of this world. I've grown up surrounded by these priceless pieces of art, and it was not till I came out of my shell, that I understood their value. Beautifully carved, and made out of Buffalo horns(yes, you heard me right!), these works have a sheen, a smooth texture, which is untouched by time.

I once had a piece, of a damsel, which was meant to be a gift; I carried it around for more than 2 years, before I could ultimately part with it, and even then, it was as good as new. All these works here have been the handiwork of craftsmen from Parlakhemundi, of Orissa. The cost of these treasures is unbelievable, with traders buying them directly from the masters at a price of about 200 bucks apiece, and later reselling them for 10 times their cost.

It requires great patience and skill to carve a single sculptre, and the craftsmen spend days and nights on it, honing a shapeless, dull, stinking piece of horn to the beauty that you can see here. The first piece is of a mother crane feeding her baby; not so difficult to guess, huh? You have birds sitting on a tree, and a pair of elephants trying to fell a tree in the second image.

The pieces are smooth to the touch, and add an elegance, and style to any living room they find their presence in. Curiosity about them has considerably grown, since the children of Parlakhemundi have gone to bigger cities to earn their livelyhood, invariably taking these with them, since, for us, they represent a part of our culture, and, a part of growing up.

I dont ever remember a time when I was not in the presence of these sculpted pieces of art, and, strangely, I associate them with home. I only hope they find recognition. If anything deserves fame, then this is it.

Chained to chain mails! Please forward or else!

When I say chain mail, I am sure everyone knows what menace I'm talking about, cos it spares no one. Every bloke with an email ID is sure to have been a victim more than once, and the real sorrow is, unlike spam, chain mails are usually sent by someone the victim knows. Tragic. Really tragic. A few trademark mails play on people's emotions, where the subject of the mail is a non-existent little girl or boy with an unspeakable disease. Others play on people's fears,cursing them with bad luck if they don't forward. The wonderful thing is, people still fall for these phonies. That is the hardest part. I sometimes have the same mail for about 10 times in my inbox, forwarded over and over to the same people, and I feel like screaming, "Gimme a break!!!" Well, since I got the mail 10 times, and I haven't forwarded it even once, am I going to have bad luck for 10 lifetimes, what?

Microsoft is sharing its fortune. Bill Gates is going to give away a chunk of his shares if we forward the damn mail??? Where are your gray cells, fellas?! No, you are not going to get a call from the love of your life if you forward a mail to a dozen people, you got to do it the old fashioned way, I'm afraid. No one ever lost families or millions of dollars just by failing to forward a mail. If that was the case, Wall Street and the Stock Exchange would go broke. Every broker in the world would be busy monitoring the flow of chain mails and forwards. Just imagine that. And no, your wish is not going to be granted at 12 midnight if you forward a mail to 50 people, no sirree! There would be no God anymore, people would be depending on software guys and techies to draft such mails and send them so wishes could be granted just by the click of a mouse.

Manic Mondays!

Well, contrary to what I've written as "Manic Mondays", Mondays are not manic at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. Mondays can be safely termed as dull, boring, and sleepy, and the one thing which I absolutely hate is waking up to another Monday morning. It is all very nice for the Tom Sawyers of this world, pretending tooth ache and going to the extent of even losing the tooth in question(!!!) and conveniently missing school on Monday. If only it were as convenient for us poor employees. Ahh, well, I dont deny that I exercise my little gray cells on Sunday evening( you gotta be prepared in advance, guys!) and think of probable and convincing excuses for going in a couple of hours late on Mondays. My favorites being, a visit to the doctor(I have an unbearable pain in my tummy!), a visit to the bank(havta send money home, they need it badly!), bike's punctured(we both know I'm lying, but try proving it!) and, the most classic excuse of all, which the boss cannot refute in the most extreme of circumstances - Traffic Jam. Traffic jams are a boon to us here in Hyderabad, and invariably used by more than 50% latecomers. The rest is all quite easy, and something I'm quite adept at... Pretending to be busy and harassed at work, giving the boss an impression that you are one of the few hard workers left in this world; roam around the office a couple of times during the day, shuffling a few papers and muttering to yourself; this also gives the boss the same impression. Open Gtalk and Yahoo Messenger stealthily, and chat to your heart's content. Before you know it, its evening, time to leave, and thats another dreaded Monday laid to rest. In relative peace.

Leaflet from a devil's diary - A short story

Dear diary, I opened my eyes to a dark, windy day. A perfect day for us devils, I thought, as I clapped my hands gleefully n stomped out of my bed. Performed my daily ablution of dustin' myself thoroughly wid ash. It took me the better part of an hour, n I did it with great fervour. Why is it, my dear diary, tht though I do it twice a day widout fail I dont get any fairer?? Hurried to the office n smiled at the pretty receptionist, who glared in return. I mean, its not my fault tht I've got stubby legs n funny horns, aint it? Anyways, my momma says I'm the most handsome devil ever born, and let anyone who thinks otherwise rot in fungus!

The boss was positively fuming today, mebbe he's got somethn on his mind, the poor feller.... Heard from the grapevine that he's got severe poop problems, so why doesnt he go to the witch doctor and do somethn abt it, for chrissakes? Hell smells bad enough, and now he's just adding to it. Aargghh, hell is teeming with hundreds of new souls everyday, and these guys don't even give me a raise for all the extra torture that I've had to do; cmon, how much more can a devil take?

PS: Guys, I've run out of ideas for this piece. In case any one has any idea as to how to continue this, please let me know. I shall be more than happy to write their name in this space. I look forward to giving this baby a happy ending, folks. Please help. :-(

Acting Vs. Politics

What is it about these two fields, anyway? Are they one and the same, with just a thin line in between???

I really dont understand why successful actors, with a good name in the movie industry risk everything they have, and join the murky world of politics. This trend is not prevalent just in India, but in the US too(remember Arnold? Ronald Reagan?)... Ohh, politicians were always great actors, in fact, I wonder how they act so splendidly without ever enrolling in an acting school, heh.

After a spate of actors entering the political arena, the latest to join the bandwagon is our South Indian superstar, Chiranjeevi. I know its wishful thinking, hoping Chiranjeevi is going to make a difference, and that the lives of Andhraites are going to take a turn for the better; like some cine industry scribe put it, he never cared tuppence for the film industry people, and the people he knew; so how on earth can we expect him to do something good for the people of the state?

Political campaigns have a volley of actors at the helm, so much so that, people forget the real meaning of these meets, and flock just to catch a glimpse of their favorite actor/actress. Talented South Indian actress Soundarya lost her life when she was on her way to attend some similar meeting. What a meaningless end.

Even our dear respected politicians have turned towards acting nowadays; what with Laloo Prasad Yadav having an entire film named after him, and on his way to acting in his second, I seriously doubt whether these two industries are planning a merger.

Hmm. Should be quite interesting.

Nostalgia

Parlakhemundi, the place where I grew up, is a paradise for lazy bums like me; I still remember the summer holidays I spent as a kid, when I had nothing better to do except think about what games to play; I remember the times when we had a hard time deciding whether Hide-and-seek, or Chasing game was a better choice. When we didnt know what having computers in the house was like. I love these warm, drowsy, afternoons, when you feel like doing absolutely nothing, just laze around in the house, or maybe go out into the backyard and climb the gauva trees, and yearn for the juiciest ones which are always out of reach. On days like these everything is unusually silent, and the normal sounds of nature, like the twittering of sparrows, or the occasional bark of a dog, are amplified. Those sounds soothe me like no other, and it is the only place where I feel absolutely at peace with myself.

Even now, years later, whenever I visit my grandparents, deep inside my heart, I feel like I've finally come home. The house itself, rambling and huge, feels welcoming and warm, and I feel an overwhelming sense of security. I guess there is something special about the place where you spent your entire childhood, where all the townspeople live as neighbours. I feel glad that none of those people have changed, and I feel happy about the fact that they still remember me, as the child that I was, and treat me with the same affection whenevr I visit the place. Parlakhemundi is the only town that I know of, that has'nt changed; new buildings might have cropped up, and new people might have made it home; but the real spirit of the place, the old-world feel... they're exactly the same.

I feel thankful, that I have a haven to escape to, when I find mundane life too much to bear; I have a home, which will always wait for me with welcome arms, and people who I love, will always be there to love me in return.

Kung Fu Panda Review

Kung Fu Panda is like a whiff of cool air after all those action flicks, Wanted, The Dark Knight, and Hancock. Chock full of humor, the film portrays the dreams and aspirations of an overweight, lovable panda, Po. Po wants to be a Kung Fu warrior, but feels thats an impossible feat, partly due to his weight, and partly due to his responsibilities towards his Dad's noodle restaurant. Po's fortune changes when an announcement is made regarding a search for the Dragon Warrior, and Po decides to try his luck. Needless to say, our hero gets selected as the Chosen One, and embarks on his adventures. How he realizes his dream, and proves that he is, indeed, the Dragon Warrior, forms the crux of the story. The film has been made with a liberal dash of humor, but it has its serious elements as well. The animation is excellent, and so are the graphics. The film can be seen by all age groups, since it has a subtle message which says, "Dont judge yourself too hastily, dude, success lies in your hands, entirely!!! No secret ingredient!!!" So all you young uns out there, who were hoping to pass your examinations without studying, take care! You might not be as fortunate as me! Heh.

Phoonk Review

Deccan Chronicle sums up Phoonk in just one sentence - "Phoonk fails to scare!" Yea, I expected to shiver, and planned on viewing the entire movie through slits in my fingers, but found out that there was absolutely no need to do so. The only way Phoonk scares the audience is through its blaring sound effects. The sounds are deafening, and are a torture on the eardrums. The lead actor is way below average, tries too hard to be the tough guy. The vamp in the film acted horribly, laughing like a cackling rooster, and screaming as if she had sat down on a ton of red hot bricks. She leaves the audience grimacing at her expressions. There is no story at all till the interval; we spent the entire time waiting for something, anything, to scare us; the movie was finished before you could say "Boo!" and the entire theater was in splits, which made us wonder whether Ram Gopal Varma had in fact misled the audience when he said its a horror movie, finally revealing that he had made a comedy, instead.

The film is a poor copy of the box office hit The Exorcist, and even then the likeness was utterly dissatisfactory. The only scenes which have some element of horror in them are not even real, they are just dreams. The one where the hero dreams of prowling through his house, and the one where the maid dreams about the mother-in-law. The actual scenes featuring the girl fail to impress. The Baba is spooky, and looks like a bhoot himself. He overacted like there was no tomorrow, twittering his eyes in a ridiculous manner, and looking like he might drop dead any moment. The only thing his rasping voice did was grate on the audience's nerves. The end is quite sudden, and if you turned for a moment to have some popcorn, or sip some pepsi, blimey! You'll have missed it, and wonder what could possibly have happened within such a short time.

I would rate Phoonk a 1 on a scale of 5, and would ask you not to waste valuable bucks watching it in a theater. If you love Ramu too much, and feel like watching it nevertheless, get a CD or a DVD. You'll not be missing anything.

Ever felt like quitting?

You ever have the feeling, where you just wanted to scream, smash the screen before you, and stomp out? Ever felt that mind numbing sensation, which you used to feel way back in college when listening to your parents' lectures? Aaarrgggh, I feel the same way now, buddies! Every morning I wake up and think, "Awww, Lord, no, not another working day!!!" If it wasnt for the life saving two days they call weekends, I wonder what on earth would've happened to me.

A boss who expects me to work wonders, and frowns when that (predictably) doesnt happen; a senior colleague who thinks she is the CEO of the company, and we are all born to slave under her; colleagues who feel the same as I do, which doesnt help matters any, cos all we do since morning is gossipp about everything under the sun, and collectively concentrate on new epithets for the manager. Sales is a real tough job, cos even though you are a star performer, the moment things begin to slack, you are dropped like a hot brick. You gotta perform, period. Now, I'm the sort of girl who's too fond of laziness; I hate people who boss me around, and I'm the perfect taurean - I can be very, very stubborn when I choose to be. All this combined, matters have gone from bad to worse with my new boss. I feel like running away, but not before I give everybody a piece of my mind. I've reached my limit, after seeing the same faces everyday, and doing the same thing over and over again, for two long years.

Sometimes I daydream about being born in the Ambani family, or the Mittal's; I probably would have gotten fat and round like their sons, but heck, what does it matter, anyway? You miraculously get surrounded by new friends, get invites to parties, and literally have a good time, without doing a single thing whatsoever. Hmm, I would get bored of it within a few days anyway, and clamouring for the life I am leading at present.

I guess the human mind always craves the impossible, always pining for something out of our reach. Guess I shall have to make an effort to like the slum I am in, and like the pests generally known as the managers, and the team leaders; appreciate the mediocre life I am leading right now, and daydream about what I could've had, if only things were different.

To go, or not to go

Its monsoon time in Orissa, Dad wants me to come over for the Varalakshmi Puja on 15th August; I am scared to journey through all those waterlogged areas, brave the raging elements, and come back to Hyderabad in one piece, by Monday morning. My favorite train, Falaknuma Superfast Express has turned its tail and started detouring from Orissa ever since the onset of monsoons. I am left with just two options - Visakha Express, and the Konark Express. Visakha leaves Hyderabad at 5PM, drags itself with difficulty all the way and leaves me on Bhubaneswar station at 7PM the next day. Whereas, Konark leaves Hyderabad at 7AM, and dumps me at BBSR the next day morning at 4AM.

To top it all, I hadnt even booked my tickets, and the waiting list showed100+. Aaarrrgggghh! Might as well go anyway, since my leave has been approved, and I have been feeling suffocated since the past few days. Tatkal reservation cost me an extra 150 bucks, but atleast my ticket showed waiting list 18. It was reduced to WL 07 by the time the chart was prepared, and I was a goner. To top it all, I contracted a slight fever that evening, and I boarded Visakha Express with a running nose, blaring cough, and high temperature. I had to run the entire length of the train twice, requesting the TTEs for a berth. They were adamant, saying the train was full and it was impossible to get one. Finally, when it was nearing night, and I was fully exhausted, I let it slip that I had a few bucks I was willing to spare; and a berth miraculously appeared, for 200 bucks.

I gave the money with reluctance and cursed the system from the bottom of my heart. I slept throughout the entire journey, and not even gossip in the compartment about floods at Rajahmundry woke me up. The train finally, mercifully, reached Bhubaneswar, and I caught hold of one of those mini buses which frequent the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack highway. Luck seemed to be mocking me, cos with Cuttack just 05 min away, the bus sputtered to a halt, and thick, hot, smoke started coming from the engine, making it unbearably hot and suffocating. Needless to say, the bus was filled to overflowing, and people started screaming and jumping out of windows. I have been reading too many thrillers recently, and in my mind's view I could see the bus catching fire, and exploding, with me coughing and huddled up inside.

I got up, collected my bags, and started elbowing my way towards the entrance. It was a huge relief when I got out into the open, and breathed in huge gulps of air. I was sick and tired of my misadventures by then, and I motioned to an auto rickshaw which was going in the general direction of Cuttack. I finally reached home at around 8PM, and collapsed on the sofa, my fever kicking in big time. Guess my Dad was overjoyed to see me, but that happiness was shortlived. I spent the entire vacation sleeping, sneezing, coughing, and literally making a nuisance of myself. The only good that came out of this miserable experience was that I was able to bag an extra couple of days leave, spent more time with my family than I did in the last couple of years(yes, I stayed for 8 days, guys!!!) and finally came back to Hyderabad on the 20th. I am still coughing away to glory, but a few days of bliss, where I slept uninterrupted, were worth the effort.

My Sunday Luncheon at Barbecue Nation

Sunday morning. I woke up at around 11AM to the incessant ringing of my fone, and cursed. I absolutely hate waking up, period. I perked up somewhat when my cousin said we would be going out for lunch, and I could bring a couple of buddies if I liked. I was adamant that we would go to Barbecue Nation, cos I just love the barbecues they have to offer, and the drinks are on the house, too, hehe. Sunday being Friendship Day, we were unable to get a reservation and had to wait outside for more than an hour, which dampened our spirits somewhat. There is nothing worse than waiting with a hungry tummy, more so when you have already tasted the nose-tickling, tummy-rumbling, aromatic delicacies that are just within your reach, like sour grapes.

We were finally escorted to our table at around 3PM. Barbecue Nation is special in the fact that each table boasts of its own tiny barbecue, and you can have your meat just as you like it. Fresh veggies, marinated and coated liberally with spices, arrived. BBQ Nation have a lunch buffet, and these barbecues are merely starters. Red, green, and yellow capsicum, tiny potatoes baked in their skins, baby mushrooms, broccoli, and fresh paneer make up for the veggie palate; the non-veggies had a field day with chicken kebabs, fish, and prawns. The service is excellent, with the waiters keeping an eye on your plate at all times, replenishing it as soon as it gets empty.

Unfortunately for us, the place was filled to overcrowding, and we had to wait for a long time before the waiter topped up our barbeques; the buffet closes at 3:45, and we spent precious time just waiting for the kebabs and stuff. At around 3:30 our waiter came over to us with an apologetic expression and informed us, very politely, that we had around 15 min to finish our meal. We scrambled towards the buffet; predictably, I ran for the desserts counter. BBQ Nation serves excellent desserts, and the baby gulab jamuns are a real treat for taste buds. I served liberal helpings of pineapple souffle onto my plate, along with a couple of chocolate truffles, a few baby jamuns, and a couple of icecream dollops thrown in for good measure. By the time the waiter arrived again, I had finished my jamuns and was tucking into the souffle; we looked at the clock; it was nearing 4PM. We motioned him for the bill.

We had to look at the bill twice to believe it. Unlike other days, when its 250 bucks a head, the buffet was priced at 450 bucks per head, and we being 5, it totaled to somewhere around 2300 bucks, luxury taxes included. We had ordered drinks(welcome drinks are on the house at Barbeque Nation), but we were given a bill for those, too. It seems they don't offer welcome drinks on Sundays, and, they added a further 500 bucks to the bill. We paid without batting an eyelid(after all, it is deemed uncool if we exclaim over the bill) and went out, licking our wounds in silence. To sum it up very nicely, we paid 2800 bucks for a plate of roasted potatoes and capsicum, a few gulab jamuns, and some time in plush surroundings. Will you go there again, you might ask me. Ofcourse I will! But not on Sundays! No, sirree!!!

My Weekend Bash - The Dark Knight!

Weekends mean party time for all Hyderabadis, and we were not surprised, therefore, when we encountered SOLD stamped against every show in PVR Cinemas, Sunday evening. We loitered at the ticket counter for over an hour, hoping that a couple of cancellation tickets would pop up. Whether it was our persistence that paid off, or whether the guy at the counter was sick and tired of our droopy faces, we'll never know. The light flashed available for Batman, we raced like mad to the counter, outran everyone else, and before we knew it, we were marching triumphantly to the theater, tickets, pepsi and popcorn all in place.

I looked forward to a good deal of excitement from the film, and, it didnt disappoint me. The Dark Knight is a Batman film, but we cannot term it as a superhero film in the strictest sense of the word; Our Batman is not a typical superhero, he cannot fly on his own, he doesnt have a readymade web springing from his wrist with a single flick of his fingers; nor does he have the uncanny ability to know what's happening in every nook and corner of the world. He is more of a masked James Bond, a techie, who relies entirely on his hi-fi technical equipment to defeat his enemies. The enemy, in this case, being our Joker. Heath Ledger portrayed himself as the Joker to the hilt, so much so, you find it difficult to associate that this amiable, handsome young man played one of the most gruesome villians with panache and style. The character of the Joker is malicious, cunning, and heartless; he knows how to play around with people's minds, influence them, provoke them to his benefit.

Other characters in the movie include Harvey Dent, the District Attorney; Harvey is ambitious, and nurtures hopes for a city free from crime; he wants to make it happen, and soon. So much that, he risks his life, his career, to catch The Joker. Harvey is in love with his attractive assistant, Rachel, and is full of optimism about his life. Fate has other plans in store for him. Lieutanant Gordon is Batman's trusted ally, and the backbone of Gotham's legal department. All in all, the film was awe-inspiring, though I could'nt help feeling for Heath Ledger, the actor. If you havent watched it yet, then please do. Its an experience in itself.

My virgin blog

Hmmm... So I've finally started. After months and months of procrastination, I've finally registered, and now here I am, writing my first blog. I mean, why is it that I dont get any ideas like all those folks out there? I see hundreds and thousands of superbly written pieces, and I'm like, think, Asha, think!!! You are bound to get some ideas, something, anything, on which you can write a few lines without stuttering to a stop midway! Suddenly, one fine(or not so fine) day, "Eureka, eureka!" I screamed. Inspiration strikes! Why not write something on this very predicament? Bulls eye, I thought. Atleast, I'll be starting my foray into the blogging world, if not with a bang, then atleast with a squeak, heh.

From all the blogs I've read so far, I've noticed that the title should be as catchy as the story; if not, you don't have hopes of garnering interest from co-bloggers. This being my first ever blog, I thought of naming it "My first blog". But I aborted the idea, since it sounds like I'm still in my 8th standard, writing English essays and studiously doing my homework. So what other word would substitute for "First"? I thought hard. Initial? Naah, sounds boring. Premier? Sounds even more boring, if possible, alongwith stuck up thrown into it. Inaugural? Eeeek! Gimme a break, people would say. Maiden? Sounds horribly like a prude, I thought miserably.

I'll think of a suitable name for my baby(yes, it is!!!) even if I don't do any work the whole day, I swore to myself.

20 minutes later, I was still trying to use my gray cells, when my colleague sauntered along. He noticed my puckered up face, deep in concentration, and asked me what the matter was. I told him. "Ohhh, cmon, Tampa, you can't be so dumb! What other substitute for "First" would garner more interest than a "Virgin"?!" I was skeptical, but once he's stuck on something, that's it. He's stuck. I sighed, and muttered a weak yes. He walked away jauntily, leaving me to finish my precious blog in peace.

And that, my dear friends, is all about my "virgin" blog! I'll have to see whether I manage to rummage around for ideas, and all I can say is, if I dont, you're gonna find another blog here titled, "My swan blog"!!!