It must be love...

What other sensible explanation is there?

In all my years of living in this city, I have never experienced this kind of weather. the last time we had a real hot day was in the month of May. Ever since then we have not had two weeks in a row without rains or thunder or at least the drizzles and the clouds.

In fact, maximum days, there were just the light showers - the best kind of rain. Of course, there were also many days when it lashed out all the water that the sky could possibly have collected!

Here is the other thing, the confusing days. The day starts bright and then clouds up and then comes the rain, the night brings lightning. And the days that start all drippy and rainy sometimes brings up the sun soon after! Should we carry our raincoats or dab on the sunscreen? Turns out, the raincoat has had the maximum wins.

Whatever happened to hot-hotter-hottest (the most over-used weather phrase when it comes to describing Chennai). What about those good ol sweltering days with no respite from the sun?

What is really happening to my city? Is Chennai in love? Why else will it have so many drizzles and so many mood swings?

Whatever it is, it is a nice feeling :) I do hope this lasts. (notwithstanding the damage this love affair does to our roads)

The quest tales

People of Chennai! My dear brethren!
As I stand here in front of you, I have only one thing to ask of you.

I have to make a choice, and I need your help. I cannot do this just by myself, armed with so little. In this dark hour of need, all I ask for is, your advice

Show your generosity to mankind and leave your comments.

Where in Chennai in your opinion, do you find the best biryani?

I have a small list. Buhari. Samco. Coronet. Where else? where else??
I hope you see the urgency of this matter. Please, leave a comment and let me know.

A small army is waiting for adventure. Kindly...do not deprive us of what we deserve. btw, u r welcome to join the quest too.

"At one point in life you either have the thing you want or the reasons why you dont"

T shirt quote in Chennai Times today :)

A date tonight... with Paws

I need to catch a train tonight, but then, that can wait. I have a date with Paws, its going to be a very important evening. I am really excited about it :) I am going to pop the question!

Well, someone has to do it. For obvious reasons, he is not going to. So.. I might as well do it. So here goes..

"Who is taking home the FIFA world cup?"

For that matter why stop with Paws? I am going to have serious conversations with all the dogs, cats, parakeets and possibly any octopuses that I can find on the way to Nandanam. By the way, Paws is the pet cat of the aunty who i am staying with. (What are the chances of having a boy friend named Paws anyway)

Well, if I wanted to know who would win the FIFA world cup, you would think I have to actually watch the match for that. How technologically backward are you!? Dont you know how these matches are decided? O dear ignorant soul, read this-

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/now-a-parakeet-tips-holland-to-win-wc-2010/126284-5-21.html?from=tn

and this-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/09/psychic-octopus-paul-picks-spain

Here is the best bit: After FIFA, Nepal wants Paul the octopus to predict its political future. If you were one of those who went to cast the vote on polling day in Nepal, you must be feeling absolutely wasted, now that Paul the octopus is around
;)

Should I forget this?

I have not been able to get this image out of my head. I have been trying to forget this... but tell me, should I really forget it?

8 maoists had been killed in a police encounter on 16 June in West Bengal, Midnapore. Seen in the image - security personnel carrying the dead body of one rebel. a maoist. a woman. a human being. Did I give you enough key words? were you able to understand what the image is about?

Yes. you have to read the words to believe that its a human dead body that is being taken away by two other human beings.

I thought we are Indians. we treat animals better than that, dont we?

Though only 8 bodies were recovered, the officials suspect more were killed. The maoists are said to have carried away atleast 4 more bodies while fleeing. Yes, they are believed to have carried 4 dead human beings while they were fighting for their own lives.

Maoist rebels hardly ever leave behind their dead comrades, reports a website.

To me, they do not sound like the people who are capable of killing hundreds of civilians. A person carrying away a dead person risking his own life - in my dictionary, is 'sensitive'. What makes these people who have so much respect even for their dead to kill and slaughter other people?

Killing is bad. I have been taught. I am not capable of killing. But then, I have never been pushed off the brink of my existence. How can I even talk about understanding this sect of people. Would I ever turn to be capable of killing if I get oppressed the way this class of people are oppressed? Would you? Do I know the answer to this question? Do you?

lets start seeing other people

I don’t know how to start. (pause)

In any relationship, when we get to a point when we feel that its not worth it, we should start to move on and that’s what happened with us.

Its really nothing personal, we just grew apart.









There is someone else in my life...

I am sorry.



Uff… thank god I do not have to do this, as newspaper readerships are not exclusive.

When Times of India came to Chennai, I was one of those skeptical maamis holding tight to my copy of the Hindu and whispering ‘No one will ever take your place’.

But 2 years down the line, I have to admit, Times of India won me over. It had me, heart and soul, with its ‘upper crest’, edition 1.

TOI just did what Deccan chronicle never could. Tamilians consider DC a mere tabloid, the other English news papers as non-existent and the Hindu as the bible. When TOI stepped in, it was clear that it does not belong to the ‘non-existent’ class, but more in the DC class. Slowly but surely, I noticed Tamil households switching over to TOI from TH, initially for budget reasons. ‘But its cheap’ and stayed on as TOI subscribers even though ‘but its not cheap anymore!’.

Mine was a total different case. I still look at TOI news as masala coated and stir fried. Started of by placing it in between the Indian express and the Hindu. I lost my heart more recently when I laid my hands on TOI’s Saturday additional paper ‘the upper crest’. Priced at Rs.6, its not the regular news paper, but a treasure trove of articles that touch on global current affairs, moods, issues etc. Its good enough that I am willing to ignore the masala coating and the unreasonable outbursts of the TOI journalists.

Coming back to The Hindu, I still like the news, love the metro plus, still shake my head knowing/lovingly when I see the editor's apology for missing an 'r' in the previous edition page number '..' under news item '...', Still love the language, the prose and I still read it whenever I see it lying around in the office. It really touched me when I saw the declaration that Hindu would plant one tree for every copy of newspaper it prints! Thats something I will respect the Hindu forever for. But.....but I wish, it would move faster with the times. oops, pun un-intended

Well.. if Shakira says so

Waka waka.. sings Shakira
This time for Africa!

Well, I am not very convinced, but if she says so... I guess its gonna be so..

Its the song, not the game I am talking about.

Friend showed me the official video of waka waka. I have to say, though I liked the song, I am definitely definitely disappointed with the video.

I would think this is THE event, millions and millions of viewership. For the song thats so attached to it, someone could have put in a little more money, get a better location for shooting Shakira than just a grey walled studio throughout the song...In the same front angle. What were the directors thinking? Why wouldnt they get a little more imaginative? At least, a whirl around of the camera please?

I knew something was really missing in the video, only after watching it repeatedly could I put a finger on it. Okay, so you get Shakira to move in front of the camera, alright. But... You have the audacity to make her completely cover her hips!?! That is almost criminal for Pete's sake!
What was her costume designer thinking. Was he/she thinking at all?

Call me picky, but I am not crazy about the way the frames have been mixed either. ( It starts well though)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0&feature=fvst

:) thats enough complaining for the next 2 months! Anyway, its out of the system and me feeling better ;)