The Bougainville Love

Thorny ornamental vines, bushes or trees, named after French admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville. 

That's bougainville to Wiki. 

When I was a kid, a walk after dinner with Appa was a norm of life. It was an exclusive father-daughter time of the day. 

We would walk the length of our street, then go around this huge house at the street's end, and then walk back home the same way we came. We would catch each other up on our day's accomplishments & challenges, plans for the next day, upcoming events at my school/his office, some fatherly wisdom & advice (they just can't resist), and as we returned home, we would plot how best to trouble Amma. 

So, coming to that huge house. To me it looked nothing short of a palace, in size and grandeur, which I couldn't care less for back then. What appealed to me the most about that house, then, was its huge compound wall that had massive overhanging bougainville vines all over it, all around. Oh! What colors it added to the otherwise drab landscape! 

A part of our walk was dedicated to admiring this plant, its so many colours & shades. I would call them out one after another. For the colour/shade that neither of us could agree upon ("It's purple. No, it's magenta."), we'd come up with new names (Purgenta!!) 

I might not remember exactly what was said or what was seen, but everytime i see these colourful plants anywhere, I can still feel what I felt back then, walking hand in hand with Appa - his love. 

This is bougainville to me.

TDK [2008]

Its been a long time...since Independence Day...that i have actually been THIS impressed with a movie/ a character in particular...

Watched the movie four times, and not once did any scene get boring...
Plus, this dude is just awesome! :-)

A few exchanges/dialogues i really enjoyed...

The Joker: “I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger.”

The Joker: “Why So Serious? Lets put a smile on that face...”

Harvey Dent: "You Either Die a Hero, or Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become the Villain"

The Joker: "Y'see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little...push.”

The Joker (to Rachael) : A little fight in you. I like that! Batman: Then you're going to love me.

The Joker: You just couldn't let me go could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness, and I won't kill you, because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.

The Joker: The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules!

The Joker: If you're good at something, never do it for free.

Bruce Wayne: So, let's put a couple tables together. Harvey Dent: I'm not sure they'll let us. Bruce Wayne: Oh, they should. I own the place.

Lucius Fox: Let me get this straight: You think that your client, one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world, is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands. And your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck.

The Joker: Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fair.

P.S. Its the Joker who has left a lasting impression on the minds of the viewers, and not the Dark Knight.

Rain Rain Go Away...

Monsoons...
Rains...
Ah! The things we do on rainy days...
Smell the earth’s fragrance;
Marvel (through glass panes) at the puddles of water fast filling up the roads outside;
Laugh (while happily sipping hot tea) at the plight of the guy whose umbrella’s upended;
Dive into the warm blankets when it thunders;
Make small paper boats to go out and make float in those puddles...
...
...
...
...and the list can go on and on...
All the to-do items are actually done only when we are safe, dry and cozy...with a roof over our heads...yes, its great fun!

The rains in Karnataka have a specialty – their perfect timing...heavy showers during the office-going /office-leaving hours...and a pleasant drizzle the rest of the day. Just as my luck would have it, the intensity is at its PEAK only when I decide to go out someplace.
I go shopping - it pours;  I enter the shop – it stops; I get out again – yes! It starts!!
I leave for the office – it pours; I leave early the next day – it pours early; I leave deliberately one hour late the following day – there it is...
No matter where I go, when I leave, it just seems to reschedule itself to match my timings...

Take this evening, for instance –
Just as I finish work early and decide to leave it starts drizzling; I think I can manage it and by the time take my vehicle out, it pours with all its energy (with orchestra); I park the bike and get back to my cube – its been raining for nearly 2 hours, when there’s the first sign of subsidence... Happily I leave, only to get caught in the middle... On the slippery roads, riding a two-wheeler(cars are still better off, remember the roof?), rain beating down on my face(cant see with visor on), spectacle’s all wet and hazy, chilly winds...
Rain definitely not so cute anymore :-(
Sigh! :-

I feel that I am the chosen one!!! Well, now I can totally identify with Little Johnny’s feelings when his playtime is ruined and cries out...
Rain! Rain! Go Away!!!
Come back another day!

P.S. Having said all this, I still believe that the most soothing sound is the moosic of the rains, beating down hard...esp while trying to fall asleep...Nature singing a lullaby! Aaah! :-)

Before Sunrise

There’s this friend of mine. Our wavelengths/frequencies (or whatever other term there exists in the science textbook) has always matched. Have always trusted her judgment. As always, wasn’t let down this time either.
Read about this movie in her blog. Without even giving it a second thought, got the movie and just finished watching it.

This decade has witnessed the evolution of a new *supergenre of movies which I’d like to call No-Frills Movies. Despite expensive sets, exotic locations, world-renown cast, great background score, cool graphics, billion-dollar promotions and a plethora of other such accessories, a movie might go lost on the audience. What really never fails to leave an imprint is a simple story just told in a simple way. They might not be huge collectors at the box office, but they certainly do give the audience their money's worth and something worthwhile to think about outside the theatre as well.

If you haven’t already guessed it, Before Sunrise belongs to this new-era genre - No-Frills, Romantic. The movie is nothing but pure conversation between 2 complete strangers from completely alien cultures, who meet on a train. Annoyed by a bickering couple (more so by the fact that the couple is fighting in a language they cant understand :-)), they strike a conversation, build a rapport and then go on to make this absolutely impulsive/freaky decision to explore the city of Vienna together and spend the day together; the wildest thing they have done so far.

No spoilers here...I couldn’t reveal more of the movie even if I wanted to because there is nothing more. This is the plot. That’s it. The whole 1h.36m.44s is about how they spend the day simply by talking to each other. Natural as it comes. I know there's room for skepticism here. I really never thought something like this could hold my attention, let alone make me sit and write a blog about at this hour of the day! Pleasant romance. There are so many exchanges between the lead actors which make you wonder "now, there's something I’ve never thought about like this..."

liked 2 tracks -
Come Here (Kath Bloom : woven in)
Living Life (Daniel Johnston/Kathy McCarty : closing credits)

On the whole, a simple story brilliantly executed.
Before Sunrise, anytime of any day!

P.S. I have this feeling that JAB WE MET, on some level, might have drawn inspiration from here; with the added masala that is so characteristically Bollywood. Well, in my opinion, good from good is always good :-)
P.P.S. I hear there's a sequel to this - Before Sunset. Sincerely hope they've not killed the spirit of the original in this one....as always happens with most sequels.

1:40 ki blog...Ooty ke naam!

एक चालीस की blog...

Surprisingly I'm awake way past this time almost everyday these days. It has become my biological clock that just doesn't let my system shut down any earlier. I realize that it has been quite a while since I've written anything here...lack of time...in the office and out of it there's a lengthy list of the daily chores to be done...that by the time I'm done crossing out the last item on it, I'm exhausted and its time to call it a day.

Moreover, its a pain to have to sit in front of a computer again at home when all that I've done for the last 10hrs at work is precisely that!

Anyways, found some time and energy to spare today...and am going to write about the first thing that comes to my mind in this flow...

The last couple of weeks and weekends have been really hectic - the former work-wise and the latter on the personal front. Of the umpteen number of places I've been to, the most memorable has been the ride to Ooty last weekend.

The longest/highest/steepest/most nerve racking/gut wrenching/breath taking/horribly sun burning yet THE MOST enjoyable bike ride of my life till date....hold on, breathe easy....i obviously wasn't riding! (wat were you thinking!?!)...all these adjectives are my observations strictly as a pillion :-)

As has been observed time and again, only last minute plans have worked out and was no different in this case. We had decided to go ahead with the weekend plan (to any place) with how many ever people we interested. Most of the plans get cancelled because we try to accommodate our plans into a common "free weekend"...which is practically non-existent! This time, since we were in good number, we decided to carry out the long-pending plan of a trip to Ooty.

The logistics were to be arranged next. The guys had already been to Ooty a couple of months back...by bike...it was ONE adventurous trip where the 5 were luck to come back alive :-) They decided that THAT adventure was NOT enough and felt the need to relive it. Hence the decision to RIDE to the hill station. The challenge was to secure one more bike (7ppl-had 3 bikes in hand-needed one more). Got it friday night, all bikes tinkered here n there and made fit to carry load...

Assembled @ the Vontikoppal "adda" at 5a.m. We were ALL supposed to be there at that time, but some people conviniently snoozed their alarms, ignored 2 wake-up calls and slept on... :-) After a nice hot cup of tea to rid us of the last remnants of sleep, we hit the roads by 6-6.15a.m.

Morning Tea

Rise and Shine!

The early morning ride was simply awesome as this was the first time i got to see sunrise in Mysore. We took our own sweet time on the road...stopped again for breakfast. The ride through the forests was enjoyable. It was a really pretty sight. As usual we were greeted by a cute elephant family, of which the youngest decided to clean its nose on the first hand offered o it! Nevertheless, we also got to see a couple of deers & chipmunks as well.

The jumbo family & the unfortunate incident :-)

Great Roads

After crossing the forest, the road was pretty bad for a few kilometers. The inevitable twists n turns had set in along with the uncomfortable pressure drop inducing that *pop*ing in our ears :-) The much dreaded hair pin bends (36 in all) were traversed in succession...it was the FIRST time that I could appreciate the steepness, altitude and the danger of these U's....gets missed in bigger vehicles.

Stopping for rest/refreshments/photo shoots at regular intervals, boy were we relieved when we crossed the very last hair pin bend...1/36 and Welcome to Ooty were an oasis in the desert...

OASIS

Our first task on entering the city was to find a decent place to stay in...the added constraint of 2 girls made the search a little more challeging. After 30minutes of dust, exhaust, cement and blistering heat, we found a good place to rest our tired limbs (yes! being a pillion, sitting behind doing nothing is also extremely tiring!!)
After depositing our luggage, we prowled on for lunch and the attraction for the day - Doddabetta Peak.

Our Hotel

The place had no charm of the winters, but was breath-taking nevertheless. Misty or not, nothing could stop the photo shoot :-) Thee was on fire with the cam in hand...after spending about an hour on the peak, we decided to go visit the Rose gardens.

DoddaBetta - BigHill

On the way we bought my favorite item - the bubble blower...blowing those streams of bubbles into the sunlight, watching them glitter, flutter and then pop into a mist is a splendid sight! That is precisely how we entertained ourselves in the rose garden as it had nothing much to offer to us.

Another game the guys (read Sridhar) decided to play was Tie the ShoeLaces...Thee and i were the only 2 who had the necessary props (shoes/laces), hence, we were the chosen targets. After fighting for a few minutes, decided to give in to his whim...

We (esp. the riders) were beat and so decided to call it a day. went back to our cottage, freshened up (got horribly burnt - got neither sunscreen for the heat nor moisturizer for the night's cold) and watched TV for a while before getting the cards out...i learnt a new game - 5 (i think thats what its called) - and we ended up playing this one on and on and on and on and on......broke for dinner....resumed and continued till we were all delirious with sleep...

We were woken up the next day as early as 7am...பக்தி பரவசமான ஒரு channel போட்டு எழுப்பி விட்டான் ஸ்ரீதர் - that பக்தி பாடல் was கந்தர் சஷ்டி கவசம்...it really worked, though....we were all out of bed in no time :-) after our baths, morning tea, photo sessions and check out, we headed for the attractions of the day - 6th mile, 9th mile, Pykara lake...all the while continously munching one thing or another.

The 'N' miles are all shooting spots...a lot of films/songs sequences have apparently been shot at these amazing locales. After the வித விதமான photography on the 6th mile, we decided to move 3 miles down :-)

"Log"ged on the 6th mile

The masti that ensued @ the 9th mile was one of the very best! The sight that greets you as you climb up the hill is a complete contrast to the awaiting scenary on the other end. Lush green forest, bright-as-sunshine flowers, the mountainous backdrop...a sight to behold... reminded me of the title track of the movie - "Sound of Music"

"The hills are alive with the sound of music

With songs they have sung for a thousand years

The hills fill my heart with the sound of music

My heart wants to sing every song it hears"

The boys were on a roll in the 9th mile...well, literally!!!

Adra raama adra raama adra raama!!!

The triple roll

The RACE - வெற்றி நமதே

The road to Pykara was simply superb - bike ride, such good road, surprisingly pleasant temperature, the company and music....couldn't have asked for anything more! :-)

After Pykara, we decided it was time to head back home if we were to make it before sunset. it was already 3pm. We made excellent time back down - with limited no. of stopovers...we only broke for tea once - where we checked our weights (nope...don't even think about it...NOT going to reveal the figures) and got to play on the swing - another top scorer on my list of favorites!!!

By the time we reached home (read as Vontikoppal adda), it was 7.30pm and the stress of the 2-day ride was beginning to tell...we decided to make dinner at home - kept it simple and sweet. While dinner was getting prepared, we played one more round of that card game (yea, had become addicted to it), settled expenses and uploaded pics...after sumptuous dinner, bid goooodbyes and headed home and straight to bed.

It was a great weekend, albeit a beauty spoiler :-)

Weekend Masti

Unless decided impulsively and at the very last moment, a trip NEVER EVER happens! especially when the no. of likely participants is in the double digits.
Tested and proven right yet again...

Monday Bliss :-)

If anything could've brought a HUGE smile on my face on a Monday morning (other than a cam, ofcourse :-)) is THIS....

Yet another day of broken connection! :-)

Totally Cracked!

This is how i feel today! :-) :-)

2007 - The year that was

Yet another year gone by.

A mixed bag of fun, laughter, tears of joy/sorrow, heartaches, stress, toil, mood swings, joblessness, celebrations... ... ...

All the close-to-my-heart memories that 2007 has left me with...


My baby – My Pep+
My first possession in the true meaning of the word…I love her! Cant do without her…



Made it in the papers! Cited as an example, I believe! LOL! :-)

A grand evening!


The ONLY bench period in the last 2 yrs @ Infy. Although it lasted only for a week, enjoyed it to the fullest! :-) The team/fun has never been the same ever since...


Got a chance to see/stay @ the Bangalore Infy Campus…Headquarters…place is simply majestic (though many might not agree). I loved it! Parents did too!

The “BESTEST” 3days weekend ever …in Wayanad! Loved every moment of it.

Another impulsive trip…to Pune :-) Met up with these guys after a year or so…
Solllid fun! Makkkssst! :-)

Bday gifts – unexpected and lovely! Its almost as if these guys read my mind!!

One of the saddest things i've had to deal with this year – bidding farewell to G2, Nehsara

Can’t ever forget being a part of the Hootagalli Hawks :-) Proud of it!
And the happiness after the first (and the only) victory :-)

My second baby – My Guitar. Spanish, Semi Acoustic, Electric, jet black! I love her too!

Met with an accident...late night, poorly lit & poorly laid roads, rains...the perfect scene... couldn't see a big pit; skidded there...had a nasty fall...broke my ankle, bruised my leg/hand :-(

Melkote trip – despite my “broken” leg! Totally worth it though…

Moooooksie – one of the quickest friends I’ve made…and the friendship lasts! Ultimate fun!

The first time ever that I had made Paalak Paneer…turned out Yummmmmmmmmmmmmy!!! :-)

Completed both the manadatory certifications for the year at the very last moment! Oh, what a relief!!! :-)

The teary exit from the theatre after Taare Zameen Par...this movie touched me like no other movie has ever before...

The New Year 2008 eve dinner in “Green Leaf”

The most awaited time of the day – coffee time!!! No mean feat walking from SDB4-SDB3…the fact that we do it everyday goes to show the fun that more than compensates for it... idhu dhaan enga kutti sevuru! :-)

THE CORE GANG!!

And, last but definitely not the least - it all began @ Blogspot this year!!!! :-)

In retrospect, the year couldn't have been better!! :-) Way to go 2007!

2008's here with a lot more to get done!

Life

So very true...Completely agree...

Strung!

At last!

I've found my true love.

A love with all strings attached! All 6 of them! :-) E to E!



"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"
-- Berthold Auerbach

So true.

The peace that music brings can be equalled to none other.

Hootagalli Hawks

All work & no play makes Jack a dull boy!
Every company understands this and constantly tries to organise some fun event at reguar intervals. One such event organised by the STEM team was the League Cricket - the Super Eights.
(8 teams; 8 players (1girl+7boys) to a team; 8 overs to an inning)

We were very excited about this. (well, we're ALWAYS excited about anything that has no remote connection to work!) Each phase was enjoyable indeed!

Phase 1: Putting together a team
It was already mentally decided i guess that the BB gang would form the team. There were 10 of us; decided to take turns among ourselves to play/sit for matches. Anant was to captain the team.

Phase 2: Christening the team
The team name was decided - "Hootagalli Hawks". Hootagalli is the location of Infy,Mys. Don't know till date HOW the HAWKS part fit in place...somebody just mentioned it,sounded good, and LO! we were christened! :-)

The next 2 phases just go to show our OVER OVER enthusiasm!!!

Phase 3: The HH Logo
Sri's creativity @ its best, i believe :)

Phase 4: Team T-shirt
Started as a 'joke' @BB headquarters, motion put to vote and actually passed! We got out TEAM T-SHIRTS made! :-) With the logo in the front and our name & number @ the back.



Well, what can i say! :-)

Phase5: Practice
Well, we were so consumed by the third and the fourth phases that we forgot all about the main thing - the game of cricket. No one was a regular player and until then all my cricket experiences had been limited to the idiot-box :-)

Only then did it dawn on us that it was HIGH TIME that we started some practising as well. It was decided that it would be done over the weekend. Some guys "sacrificed" (i quote) their trip home that weekend and stayed back in mysore. "That displayed serious commitment and dedication from the team" (i quote again!)

Phase6: The First Match
Monday, the most dreaded day in any IT professional's life, was made all the more worse by the fact that our first match was scheduled that afternoon. We had practiced well, nevertheless, that fear factor somehow managed to creep in. Our captain rose to the occassion and gave a pep-talk :-)

A part of us was scared and the other part was excited to be wearing our t-shirts. By now it/we had become the talk of ST. :-) The girls had made banners as well...for 4s and 6s!!!

After winning the toss, our captain chose to bowl first. The first over was supposed to be the girl to bowl/girl to bat over. The rules were like this -

1. The girl had to play the entire over; everytime she was made out, her team would lose 2 points (yes! negetive points! might as well have been the GRE, eh? ;))
2. In the event of an all-out, the girl had to come back and bat once again - this time the guy would bowl to her.
(toooo complicated!!)

I managed to finish my over with 1 wkt, 1 extra and 7 runs. Phew! not bad! :-) We played really well and our target was 66 in 8 overs. Our batting was good too; but we did struggle a little to get the 60 runs. The last over was a-run-a-ball situation. We managed to score 65 and level the scores.

The bowl-out:
For the un-initiated, each team would get 3 chances to bowl and knock off the wicket/stumps. After the first bowl-out, the score was nil-nil. Every attempt was testing for the bowlers and nail-biting for the rest.

We were to have a second round of bowl-out. (If this turned stalemate again, we were to divide the points for the match) In the very LAST attempt, Karthik managed to do the trick!!! We scored. WE WON!!! and what a victory it was! Mind blowing! Stump knocking!! ;-)

Who would've thought our first game was to be scripted just like the India-Pak match in the T20 WC! AWESOME!! This euphoria lasted all day/all week; until the next match...

Phase7: The Second Match
We were a little too over confident for his match. No heebe jeebes this time, though i fail to understand why! We had just managed to scrape through the last one, and we hadn't even thought about cricket, let alone practice!!
On top of this, we got to experience the most @#$%^&#$% umpiring there could've been. No excuses; the outcome was inevitable and well-deserved(in my opinion atleast :-)). We lost!

Phase8: Strategy Planning
We realized the next match was do-or-die for us. Lots of things were discussed about the different permutations and combinations of other teams winning/losing/our chances...i'm NOT going to get into the details. Still no talk of PRACTICE!

Phase9: The D-day
It would suffice to say we lost. I'm not saying anything else about that ill-fortuned day!

Phase10: The Award Ceremony
All participants were given a stress-buster ball. We, the Hootagalli Hawks, were awarded the Best Team Spirit award!

So, haarke bhi jeet gaye hum! :-)

All in all, the entire experience was just unforgettable!! All i have to say, or rather sing (for this became our team song) is:

Hoota Hootagalli Hawks
We will, We will give you Shocks!! :-) :-)

The Hootagalli Hawks

P.S. STEM - SunTrust Event Management
P.P.S. SunTrust Bank - our client
P.P.P.S. BB - long story ;-)

Love in a mental hospital

I would've read this a thousand times, yet, it has me in splits every time i read it....
i just HAD to post this....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital.
One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there.

Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out.

When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna's heroic act, she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.

When she went to tell Edna the news she said, "Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged; since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of another patient, I have concluded that your act displays that you have a sound mind. The bad news is, Jim, the patient you saved, hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he's dead.

Edna replied, "He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?"

Drive Carefully

After AGES something useful was posted in the BB today...and something THIS good is a first...
Felt everone HAD to read this...

(Deepak, this one's for you....)


Ordinary People

Walking on the road, you pass so many people. Some look confident, purposeful, well-dressed, well-maintained. But the majority appear so ordinary, wear ill-fitting clothes, unfashionable footwear, have too much fat or too little, nothing remarkable about them, nothing attractive.

But yet someone somewhere eagerly waits for this unimpressive man to come home every evening.Someone's entire world turns around the strength of this frail-looking woman.Someone's very purpose in life hinges on this brash youngster cutting through traffic.Someone knows only the shelter of these old arms each time their world begins to crumble.Someone will count hours, minutes, and weep like a child when this pock-marked face alights from a long-distance train.

Someone will cave in, crack up, and never be the same again if this one person disappears from the face of the world.

There are no ordinary people.
Drive carefully!

Brush It On

In life we pick up a lot of things - good/bad habits, vocab, mannerisms, accents and so many other such stuff - from people around, incidents, mistakes, books, songs...from absolutely anything. Oooh...heavy!

I picked up something too...a hobby; from my roomie - Anupriya. I once saw her sitting with these 2 t-shirts, admiring them. I thought maybe she'd just bought them and really liked them or something (you know how girls are! :-) ) Also lying around were 2 paint brushes, paint bottles and a print-out of the very images on the t-shirts. It was only then that i realized that she had actually painted thhat rose and calvin on the t-shirts - a bday gift for a friend.

I wanted to try it out too :-) Took an old t-shirt (first try and old tshirt: very important combo!); chose something i thought i could paint and got to work. It turned out...well, see for urself :-)

A couple of my other creations, once i got the hang of fabric-painting :-)

Not really all that difficult, this. Its handy as well...it not only makes your plain, dull, boring clothes more fun to wear, but you also get people to "wow!" your piece of art!! :-) Show off time!! I've tried it, and believe me, it works! :-) :-) :-)