Whos Among Us..

I found this pretty cool site (stat tool) Whos.Amung.Us which tracks the visitor statistics of your blog. I use both Google Analytics and Feed Burner for my blogs which obviously are quite detailed and exhaustive but the best part I liked about this site is the tracking of visitors "hour wise".
So it gives u a widget (scroll down the right bar of my blog) that displays the number of users currently viewing your webpage and clicking on that takes you to their site where you get a detailed report of the users online per hour, a map pinpointing the location of the users down to their city, and a monthly statistics report.

To top it all, u dont even need to register to use all these features, it starts tracking right from the moment you link it to your blog......its free and simple! :)

"Every event has a purpose and every setback its lesson. I have realized that failure whether of the personal, professional or even spiritual kind is essential to personal expansion. It brings inner growth and a whole host of pyschic rewards. Never regret your past, rather embrace it as the teacher that it is".

- The Monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma

[Click here to read my review]

Om Mani Padme Hum...

All of us have heard of the mantra "Om" which is considered as the universal sound, made of 3 basic sounds A, U, M.... Each sound creates a different vibration; so it is used to cleanse the mind and body and its one of the most powerful sounds to meditate on. I've noticed that just playing the Om chanting in my room it has a very calming and cleansing effect...

That being said, not many of us would have heard of "Om Mani Padme Hum" (Hail the jewel in the lotus). It is derived from Sanskrit and the originations are traced back to Buddhism and associated with Dalai Lama. I read a couple of books by Thich Nhat Hanh a few months back and that's when I had come across these words but never bothered to find out more. Yesterday a friend of mine told me the meaning of this and I immediately read up more about its benefits and also found a link to the chanting in Youtube....

Just listening to it for 10 mins had such an amazing effect! It's incredibly peaceful & calming and the tune used is so soothing that it takes just a few mins to relax your mind and body... It's purpose is to generate positive, peaceful vibrations and mainly vibrations of compassion.

OM (Ohm) - symbolizes the pure noble body, speech and mind
MANI (Ma Nee) - the jewel, symbolizes factors of method, compassion and love, the altruistic intention to become enlightened
PADME (Peh-d-May) - means lotus and symbolizes wisdom. Growing out of mud, but not being stained by mud, lotus indicates the quality of wisdom, which keeps you out of contradiction.
HUM (Hum) - means inseparability; symbolizing purity & can be achieved by the unity of method and wisdom

More details here if you are interested:
Wiki Link

Meaning and Pronunciation

Now I play it in a loop even when I am browsing, reading a book or sometimes just in the background and the whole atmosphere feels rejuvenated and peaceful... Try it, to experience it! You can even meditate on this by just closing your eyes and listening to it and focusing on the words or reciting it yourself....

There are different versions, but I liked this the best...

Pranic Healing

I was introduced to Pranic Healing 2 years back by a friend and just a few sessions had immense benefits on me. Right from that day I've been wanting to learn this myself and explore the fascinating subject further...to create a good mental, physical and spiritual health.

Over the weekend I attended the Basic Pranic Healing Course for beginners (Level-1 Certification) which is a 2 day course conducted by the Pranic Healing Foundation Center in Bangalore. With this basic course itself you actually learn all the techniques to heal your own self as well as others, starting from minor physical ailments like headaches to major ones like Cancer, strokes, tuberculosis etc. This includes distant healing as well (the patient can be in any part of the world). You can also heal to a certain extent, psychosomatic ailments related to emotional stress, anxiety and tension. But the Psychotherapy by itself is a Level-3 course, before which the Advanced Course needs to be completed.

For the benefit of those who haven't heard of this term, first of all Pranic Healing (PH) is NOT the same as Reiki. It is based on the same principle of energy and life force, but the technique is completely different and more advanced and powerful than Reiki. Surprisingly, I came across this article on Natural Healing in TOI today & it clearly describes the essence and the basic principle of PH as below-

We all have a subtle body made of energy. This subtle body is made up of life force energy; it runs through subtle pathways or meridians and centres of energy, also known as charkas. One of the main ways that a skilful healer helps the body to heal is simply by stimulating and unblocking the meridians so our natural energies flow freely bringing mental, emotional and eventually physical balance and well being. This is the main way that most natural healing therapies work. Life Force Energy is the subtle foundation of all life, a sort of cosmic soup that supports, nourishes and sustains the cycle of birth, life and death of all forms of life....

The real meaning of natural healing is to restore a person to wholeness and having a healthy body is only a small part of this. A good natural healing treatment has the effect of restoring openness to our energy system so we can receive a well balanced flow of Universal Life Force Energy that is often cut off or restricted by illness. Being cut off from this life force is often the cause of much illness

So fundamentally it is based on "Life force" or "Prana" or "Breath". The same principle is used in Yoga and Pranayams. By regulating the breathing and making it rhythmic you can activate the different energy centers (chakras) in your body which in turn control the health of different organs (see image below)...That is why yoga is both a spiritual as well as a physical exercise...It works on the subtle energy layer (aura) which is invisible to the naked eye and nothing mystical. (The concept is scientifically proven - these energy centers/chakras are nothing but the points where a large group of nerves join together which when activated send signals to the organs that they control....)

The 2 days workshop was truly an amazing experience. We not only learn the theory but also perform healing on each other in the class so that by the end you are confident of using the techniques. You will learn how to sensitize your hands to feel the energy layer and the experience was mystical. You will be amazed to feel something that is invisible to the naked eye! It's performed completely by non-touch, scanning only from the distance without touching any part of the body and I was surprised to see some of my minor pains like headache and cramps disappear within a few minutes of self healing on the very first day of the class (without taking any pain killers!). I've also tried healing my mom thru distant healing and she could notice the relief significantly....

You also learn the "Twin Heart Meditation" which is the basis of PH which energizes your body with prana (divine energy) and it can increase your psychic, intuitive and healing abilities, leading you towards spirituality. It is one of the most powerful forms of guided meditation techniques that I have come across and doing it just for the last 4 days has helped me immensely. (Will write a separate post on this soon...)

PH is not a substitute to medicine...especially when its a chronic problem. PH is more of a parallel healing method which helps in increasing the body's natural ability to heal itself faster. Some of the top hospitals in Bangalore now have a separate department for PH and they do recommend patients to try this and some of them have been cured miraculously even when the doctors had completely given up.

PH works mainly on faith. If you have faith in the technique, you can heal; if not, u won't see an iota of difference! The person being healed should at least be neutral/receptive even if he/she doesnt believe in it... a complete mental block prevents the healing...

Last but not the least PH is a skill and needs to be mastered gradually (just like driving). You cannot acquire it in few days or give up hope. It is said that healing comes only by practice & sometimes it takes years to develop the skill. But just following the basic steps does give you the desired relief, till u master it!

Looking forward to doing the Advanced & Psychotherapy Courses (level 2 & 3) in the next couple of weeks...

The Paradoxical Commandments

Someone forwarded a mail today on this ... felt good reading it and had a strong urge to share it here... Sounds so simple and paradoxical of course! But quite difficult to implement for sure..

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

Book Giveaway: Dancing With Ana

Here is a chance to win 3 free copies of the book 'Dancing With Ana' by Nicole Barker, which is a Young Adult fiction novel. This giveaway is open till September 10th 2009 and the winners will be announced the next day on my book blog.

The author sent me a review copy a few weeks back and this being my first expermient with the YA genre, I absolutely loved reading it... very heart warming, light and fun to read. Click here if you want to read my review of the book.

Click here to participate in the giveaway and win a copy for yourself.

Yeh dooriyan..

Yeh dooriyan, In raahon ki dooriyan,

Nigahon ki dooriyan,

Hum rahon ki dooriyan,

Fanaa ho sabhi dooriyan....

Kyun koi paas hai, Door hai,

Kyun koi,Jaane na koi yahan pe....

Aa Raha paas ya door mein ja raha,

Janu na main hoon kahan pe....

Yeh dooriyan, In raahon ki dooriyan,

Nigahon ki dooriyan,Hum rahon ki dooriyan,

Fanaa ho sabhi dooriyan....

Kabhi hua yeh bhi, Khali rahon pe bhi,

Tu tha mere saath

Kabhi tujhe milke lauta

mera dil yeh khali khali haath,

Yeh bhi hua kabhi, Jaise hua abhi,

Tujhko sabhi mein paa liya....

Tera mujhe kar jaati hai dooriyan,

Satati hain dooriyan, Tarsati hain dooriyan,

Fanaa ho sabhi dooriyan....

Kaha bhi na maine, Nahi jeena maine,

Tu jo na mila, Tujhe bhule se bhi,

Bola na maine ki chahun fasla

Bas fasla rahe, Ban ke kasak jo kahe,

Ho aur chahat yeh aur jawan

Teri meri mit jaani hai dooriyan,

Begani hai dooriyan, Hat jaani dooriyan,

Fanaa ho sabhi dooriyan....

Kyun koi paas hai, Door hai, Kyun koi,

Jaane na koi yahan pe....

Aa Raha paas ya door mein ja raha,

Janu na main hoon kahan pe....

Yeh dooriyan, In raahon ki dooriyan,

Nigahon ki dooriyan,Hum rahon ki dooriyan,

Fanaa ho sabhi dooriyan....

Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Have you ever found your "perfect" book? It's an amazing feeling to read the perfect book at the perfect time in your life! This one was mine :-) It's one of the most AMAZING books that I have read so far and something that I'll read it over and over again and treasure it in my bookshelf. I highly recommed this book, especially if you are looking out for some kind of an inspiration in life, or if you are going through a journey of finding your true self! This one might just do the trick for you.

Click here if you want to read my review of the book.

This book is full of anecdotes and pieces of wisdom scattered through out...I absolutely loved them; something that I want to keep reading and reminding myself often..am sure you'll know why, when you read these :)

*********

“[My guru] says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you are fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it…”

*********

"You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select what clothes you're gonna wear every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control. Drop everything else but that. Because if you cant learn to master your thinking, you're in deep trouble forever"

*********

I was full of a hot, power sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to, remembering my Guru once said - "You should never give yourself a chance to fall apart because, when you do, it becomes a tendency and it happens over and over again. You must practice staying strong, instead".

*********

'Guilt’s just your ego’s way of tricking you into thinking that you’re making moral progress.’

*********

You are, after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts and you are the slave to your emotions

*********

"In desperate love we always invent the characters of our partners, demanding that they be what we need of them, and then feeling devastated when they refuse to perform the role we create in the first place".

*********

Ketut said he could answer my question with a picture. He showed me a sketch he'd drawn during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had four legs, and no head. There was a small, smiling face drawn over the heart.

"To find the balance you want, this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God"

*********

The other problem with all this swinging through the vines of thought is that you are never where you are. You are always digging in the past or poking at the future, but rarely do you rest in the moment. It's something like the habit of my dear frined Susan who - whenever she sees a beautiful place - exclaims in near panic "It's so beautiful here! I want to come back here someday!" and it takes all of my persuasive powers to try to convince her that she is already here!

Now, give me one good reason why you wouldn't want to pick up this book! :)

Early bird...

(Photo courtesy: Google search)

Till about a year back I used to be like a night owl, sleeping late and waking up late. It's different when you are studying in a B-school; there you dont have a choice but to make your days as long as possible. But when you get to doing the normal things in life and get set into a routine of going to work every morning, waking up early becomes inevitable.. Even then I used to wake up just an hour before leaving for office, leaving me with enough time to get ready and scoot!

My schedule completely changed once I started doing yoga in the mornings. Waking up at 6AM sharp seemed quite difficult initially, especially during monsoon & winters when you feeling like snuggling up! But now, after a year of waking up at 6 everyday, I realize that my biological clock is so well tuned that I wake up without an alarm at 6am sharp including weekends and it seems so easy and natural and feels great... Sometimes seems like a miracle, how our bodies are made up to function this way!

Why am I writing all this? Well, few people at work often ask me why I am an early riser and what I get out of it...I thought this would make a good post!

We've all heard of this famous quote since childhood days -

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” - Ben Franklin

I don't know about the latter two but makes u healthy for sure!

I've derived a lot of benefits switching from being a night owl to an early riser-

• Amazing start to the day by doing yoga/exercise. Maximum amount of calorie burning happens when you exercise the first thing in the morning and also improves your metabolism. So obviously your health improves!
• Grow yourself - Quiet time for yourself to meditate, contemplate and introspect!
• Watching the sunrise feels good (Well you cant literally get to watch amidst these concrete buildings in bangalore, but u get my point? :) )
• Fresh air - which otherwise is impossible to get in a crowded city!
• Productivity increases - I sometimes keep my most important work for mornings coz the mind is fresh, concentration levels are high without many distractions
• Beat traffic - starting early means less traffic and commute time, so in turn lesser stress
• Enough time to have a heavy n healthy breakfast which is the most important meal of the day

Read this article - Tapping the power of your morning routine by Jim Citrin. He says "The quiet of the morning is often the time when your mind is at its clearest and most well-suited to solving important problems". 80% of the executives he questioned, wake up 5.30am or earlier.

So you get to grow yourself professionally, emotionally, spritually, mentally and physically!

All about books..

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." - Mark Twain

I just noticed that since I started my new book blog, I have stopped writing about books in this space completely. The last time I made a post on books here was in April and since then my reading has picked up pace like crazy! Considering the fact that my job is so hectic these days and consumes most of my time during the day as well as the night, I am glad that my reading has increased beyond my expectations. My colleagues ask me how I manage to read so many books when all of us are so engulfed with proposals/deadlines/calls et.al... well, even I am suprised that I am able to squeeze in so much reading off late. Maybe becoz I have made it a habit to shut down my laptop and read for at least 1 hour before I sleep everyday and substitute the time spent watching the idiot box and the stupid reality shows with a good book! It has become a ritual now, which cant be broken :)

And of course, just the thought that a good book is waiting to be read at the end of a long day makes the day happier...

Just a quick peek into the books I read in May & June. The list looks quite long for a 2 month period, doesnt it? ;-)

Books read
1. Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
2. Buddha Mind, Buddha Body - Thich Nhat Hanh
3. Keep off the grass - Karan Bajaj
4. Stay Hungry Stay Foolish - Rashmi Bansal
5. Dont lose your mind, lose your weight - Rujuta Diwekar
6. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
7. Energy of Prayer - Thich Nhat Hanh (Not reviewed)
(Click on the titles to read the reviews)

Currently Reading
Princess - Jean Sasson

On the Shelf
1. Kafka on the shore - Haruki Murakami
2. The Guns of Navar One - Alistair Maclean

Federer wins wimbledon... Roddick wins hearts

Yesterday's wimbledon finals was way more sensational than last year's. Roger Federer was playing for his 15th grand slam and Andy Roddick for his first wimbledon title. The synopsis - "Roger beat Andy in 5 gruelling sets. For almost 30 games, they went back n forth holding their serves until Roger broke Andy's serve to end the longest fifth set and create history".

But the 4hr15mins game tells a slightly different tale! Before and after the match started, most of the world including me would have wanted Federer to win. Winning a 15th grand slam & making that mark in history is something I felt he deserved.

But Roddick shocked the millions of Federer fans by winning the first set and left us groaning! Then on continued his impressive play till the last game, with an amazing level of energy, grit and determination. Even Federer couldn't manage to break his serve...not once in the entire 4hrs!! Roddick played exceptionally well, it was not only his serve that was strong but once the ball was in he was so aggressive and controlled the points at the baseline, running to the net and thru the entire court!!

In the 5th set, though my heart was wishing Federer to win, I did secretly pray for a Roddick win sometimes. Not because I started disliking Federer but Andy Roddick was undoubtedly playing better tennis and he truly deserved to win yesterday's match. With too many unforced errors and inability to convert multiple break points, Federer definitely did not play his best game...not expected out of someone who has won 14 grand slams before. But he did show his class by shooting out aces like fireworks and showed his experience and character by maintaining a calm & composed outlook as Roddick came forward and attacked him, though he was not having his best day.

"I just want to say congratulations to Roger", Roddick said after the match. "He's a true champion and he deserves everything he gets....It was a pleasure playing him today". The sight of watching Roddick see Federer lift that cup, with moist eyes wud have brought tears to most of the viewers. But sports is cruel, there can only be one winner. The sad part is, Andy won 39 games and Roger 38 and yet ended as a runner-up! Hmm...so is life..its unfair...

I feel Roddick played like a true champion and he deserved the tile as much as Federer, if not more. To me, they both were winners, even though Roddick lost the match..

Music or Reality?

I strongly feel that MTV should change its name to RTV! (Reality TV). A channel that was started more than a decade back, whose sole purpose was to play quality music is now showing everything other than music....It's almost as if they feel there is a dearth of good music in this world and they are doing everything to fill up the 24hours with these chain of reality shows...

It started off with Roadies and now there is Splitsvilla, Teen Diva, Fast & the Gorgeous, Airtel MTV Connected (some new show about twins).. I might have missed out quite a few here!! More than being entertaining, they are all just bitchy, full of drama and fake. But I can understand why people end up watching these... Having watched 2-3 episodes, I myself have got hooked onto Roadies/Splitsvilla just to see how stupid people can behave...Sometimes there is nothing good to watch on TV over the weekends and you just end up seeing this crap!! Whatever the reason, MTV's TRP seems to be soaring high...

But I sometimes wonder, even if MTV stops making these reality shows and gets back to playing music like good 'ol days, will people still watch it?? I guess 10-15yrs ago people used to wait in front of this channel to see their favorite song/video (when tapes and CDs were expensive to buy)... but with technology at our fingertips, we probably can get any music online and any video on youtube. So MTV probably did have to rethink its strategy and do something else other than playing just music! It's fairly obvious that it can no longer be a primary source of music like it had been for years. But I dont think they can afford to change the channel name either... "MTV" as a brand has built a great value over decades and changing it would only mean losing this entire brand value...

So I guess all they can do is to try and increase their viewer base and TRP with these stupid-fake-quasi-reality shows...

Thursday Tidbits: #5

2 minutes to a happier you

- Found this nice article on the Prevention magazine's website...

As per this, below are some simple ways with which you can lift up your mood... (For the complete article, click on the link above)

• Flip through your old photos
• Munch on Nuts
• Inhale a calming scent
• Open your shades - let the sunlight stream in
• Walk around the block
• Clear away clutter
• Think Fast - Turn your thoughts into a race!
• Cue up YouTube - for a hearty laugh
• Rethink your retail therapy - before you plunk down that credit card
• Put on a happy face - just smile! :)
• Zone out - rest, peace, quiet and solitude
• Chat up a friendly neighbor - socialize with a cheerful person
• Chop veggies - good unwinding technique
• Do a good deed

Agnee

....the new face of Indi-rock is the perfect blend of contemporary musicians. The band formed about a year back comprises of the trio - Arijit, Koko and Mohan. What adds the majaical touch to this band is the unique individual styles and influences that each of these members bring with them. Arijit with his Jazz-Rock, Koko with Classic rock/pop/indian and Mohan with carnatic/hindustani classical music. That's indeed a huge pool of talent!!!!!

Though I havent heard too many songs by them, the very few that I have listened to, have mesmerized me. I absolutely fell in love with the new theme song that they composed for Splitsvilla-2 (why I watched that crappy show is a totally different post by itself, so no questions entertained right now!!) . I've been desperately looking for the source of this music and finally managed to find out today and I'm damn thrilled about it :)

Here's the song I'm talking about. I *loved* the melodic content of it...beautiful!!
(The band was invited on the show to play the song and the video below is that part..)



More details on the band here

I've heard and read that they have a great stage presence... waiting to see them live on stage sometime..

Thursday Tidbits: #4

BookCrossing is defined as "the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise." The term is derived from bookcrossing.com, a free online book club which began in order to encourage the practice, aiming to "make the whole world a library."

http://www.bookcrossing.com/

A nice cool website for all those who love to read and are passionate about books. You can read, register and then release your books into the wild...for other people who are interested in reading the same. You can also follow their progress with a unique tracking ID on the label..I haven't tried doing this myself but nevertheless looks like an interesting concept. You can also read reviews, know the latest in the book world, join the community and discuss in the forums and interact with like minded people

Hum chlormint kyun khatein hai?

Looks like Perfetti has signed up the Khan brothers (Salman & Sohail) as the new brand ambassadors of Chlormint mouthfreshner. Caught this Ad on TV yesterday and I was seriously at a loss of words... Creativity seems to be going down exponentially in the Ad world or is it just the new mantra that if you can't make a good Ad which people will remember (in turn increasing your brand recall) then just make a bad one....... coz the end result is the same, people will still remember the Ad - just for a different reason!!!!! So you move up on the brand recall either ways... hmmm...interesting!

I was just browsing thru the reviews on this ad and was quite surprised to see the large number of ppl who actually loved this one - now, that's called tapping the fan following!! You know who I'm referring to, dont u?

99

In the last few months, there have been quite a few unconventional movies being made in bollywood and I've tried to watch each one of them. I have been quite impressed with the script, story line and quality of these movies...though most of them haven't done well at the box office (Glad to see that few movie makers have realized this is not the only criteria that defines a movie's success!)

A movie, with an unusual title - 99, starring Bomman Irani and Cyrus Brocha *had* to be something different and it sure was! The movie is set in the year 1999 (hence the title) in the year when communication media such as cell phones and internet were booming. Two small time crooks Sachin (Kunal Khemu) & Zaramud (Cyrus) get caught with a bookie/gangster and become his recovery agents. They end up taking on the biggest bet of their life on a cricket match...and the question is whether they will manage to hit that century in life finally, having been stuck at '99' (one short of the elusive century)

Some people say that 99 falls in the same genre as Guy Ritchie's cult crime comedies like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels but more toned down and 'Indian'ised. The only complaint I had was the slow pace, especially in the first half. But it was well compensated in the second hour where the plot unfolds really fast and keeps you engrossed.

Apart from the length, the movie scores in all areas - perfect casting, fine performances, smart and slapstick comedy that can make you roll on the floor with laughter at times. In short, 99 is an interesting, smart, well-made, good looking film and a complete entertainer, if you go without much expectations..

Quote for the week

Loved this one ... so simple yet so profound..
So if u want to change something u do, change the way u think abt it!

I haven't tried yet, but I will...for sure

Movie Review: Angels and Demons

After I read this book by Dan Brown, I've been eagerly waiting to watch this movie and it finally released in India yesterday. The book was definitely a good read, it had everything that a mystery/thriller novel should have. (Click here to read my review of the book). My first impression was that the book was more apt for a movie becoz of all the masala and high intensity drama...so I was all the more keen to watch this translate into the big screen...

Whoever said 'dont judge a book by its movie' said it right! I didn't enjoy the movie as much as I liked reading the book. It is obvious that a 600page book cannot be made into a 2.5hr movie with that level of detail. But there was a serious lack of adrenalin in the movie. I was also a bit disappointed with the change of plot and the drastic reduction in Vittoria Vetra's (the female lead) role. It was almost as if she was insignificant. She played a very important role in the book and her revenge against her father's murder was the main focus. But that was completely removed here and she was made to look like a redudant actor. I had even expected a different climax but was glad that it wasn't completely different from that of the book. Even though the story was altered, it was at least weaved in well to reach a logical ending...

Tom Hanks as harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is quite impressive though the script doesnt do enough justice to showcase his ability of solving those cryptic puzzles to find the path of illumination. Last but not the least, I loved the visuals and effects. It was a treat to see those monuments, churches, symbols, statues etc described in the book! That's probably the only part of the movie that I liked. I'd anyday prefer the book over the movie :)

Thursday Tidbits: #3

I've been drinking a lot of green tea off late and hence googled up facts on it to gain more insights...Here are some random facts about Green tea.

Did you know....

• Types of green tea - Chinese, Japanese, Decaf, Asian, Herbal


• A cup of green tea should only steep between 2-3mins whereas black tea needs 3-5mins and herbal teas about 5-6mins


• Green tea tastes the best when the water is just below the boiling point whereas Black tea is best with boiling water


• Green tea is made from the same plant (Camellia sinensis) as other teas such as black and oolong, but with a different process.


• Green tea is green because it is not fermented. Hence green tea retains more health benefits than black tea because fermentation causes destruction of more nutrients


• Green tea has been shown to increase calorie burning and fat oxidation and hence used widely by people for weight loss


• Green tea contains compounds known as flavonoids, which are also found in broccoli, grapes, and red wine, and which are known cancer fighters


• Beneficial molecules in green tea may protect the liver from toxins, including those from tobacco smoke and alcohol.


• Green tea also contains natural flouride, which is a known cavity fighter.

So..what are you waiting for? Go Green! :)

Keep Off the Grass..

"All of them had some version of the same advice that I intuitively believed in, but was glad to hear from folks who had lived it. Ten years from now, none of my present concerns would matter. Would I care whether I was ranked in the top five or the bottom five of the class? No! Would I care whether I learnt finance, operations or marketing at the IIM? No. I realized that the only thing I would care about after graduating from here would be whether I had been happy at the IIM or not. Did I have experiences I would remember? Did I have relationships that would stand the test of time? These would be the only things I would look back at, and judge my level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction during my time here"

These lines from the book Keep off the Grass, echoes *exactly* my thoughts about B-school life :) I absolutely loved these lines...Sometimes you feel overwhelmed when someone else can express thoughts on your mind so easily and so well...

Click here to read my review of the book

Short notes..

Watched some good unconventional hindi movies over the last few weeks..

Gulaal - One more compelling movie by Anurag Kashyap after Dev-D, full of political drama which takes democracy to a different level, has perfectly etched characters combined with a powerful plot and superlative performances by every actor. With a lot of violence and a Shakespearean ending, the movie is definitely not for a mass appeal. I admire Anurag Kashyap for making such bold and different movies like Black Friday, Dev-D and now Gulaal. Glad to see that there are a few directors who dont care for commercial success alone!

Barah Aanah - is again not a 'typical hindi film', more of an experiment, with a short and simple story of 3 unlikely friends who are not happy with their lives. It's definitely not a comedy as the makers make it out to be. Naseeruddin Shah is the main attraction, delivers a good performance mainly through his facial expressions, though he has a very few dialogues but the maximum screen time. The pacing of the movie in the first 1 hr is very slow and can test your patience. However, with no songs, the movie is kept short and crisp and definitely worth a one-time-watch.

Straight - another light-hearted yet low key hindi movie based on homosexuality after Dostana & Fashion, which cruises through some untrodden paths. Vinay Pathak delivers an awesome performance with a great timing for comedy. There are several Laugh-Out-Loud moments as well as some sweet sentiments. The script has an interesting idea but fails to explore it deep enough and settles with a safe ending. Again I wouldnt classify it as a great movie but it's not unwatchable either.

200

Ah! I just noticed that this is my 200th post after 3yrs of starting this blog :)

Why is it a big deal? Well, it's really not but it's just a small milestone and we all know the importance of milestones in life. It's these small targets that act as checkpoints through which we keep track of our progress and they remind us that we are on the right track of achieving the larger goal...in any aspect of life. They are small yet significant events (or turning points) which indicate that we are moving closer to our destination. So go ahead and set up these small milestones to fulfill bigger dreams in life!!

The best way to mark this post is with this pic I took a few months back at Hesarghatta :)

Bikhre Bimb (Odakalu Bimba)

I've been wanting to see this play for over a year now and finally made it to Rangashankara yesterday. What an AWESOME play it was! I am truly at a loss of words here. For the first time I felt that a play was worth a lot more than what it was priced for (100 bucks). Believe it or not, it runs full house every show even today, years after being created...

Bikhre Bimb, which means Broken Images, is a one-act play written and directed by Girish Karnad originally in Kannada and later translated into Hindi as well as English. Now, if the hindi version itself was so good, I am sure I'll love the Kannada one ("Odakalu Bimba") even more. Original versions always have the maximum impact, dont they? :)

For starters, Arundhati Nag is the sole actor of the play who delivers a spectacular performance leaving the audience mesmerized with her talent! The play is a portrayal of a professor & a kannada short story writer-Manjula Naik who achieves success, wealth and fame overnight with her bestseller novel in English. The script moves on to tap into her inner soul and slowly the story reveals the truth about her book, marriage and her personal life in a very intricate and powerful way. The television image, call it the character's self image, alter-ego, conscience or the inner soul, is like a co-actor on stage whose job is to interroagate the character to reveal her true self. At the end of the play, there is a blur created between the real and the self-image and you are unclear on where one starts and the other ends. The story by itself is not unique but the way technology is used (multiple TV sets on stage) to unveil the true story bit by bit and the PERFECT timing & co-ordination between the actor and her image on TV will just leave you speechless!! It was truly a wonderful experience watching Arundhati Nag's effortless yet brilliant performance on stage...

I was surprised to learn that this play was Girish Karnad's first directorial venture in the theater space. His understanding of the character and the plot is extremly intuitive and the language of the script is pure and marvelling. It's a true reflection of what a gifted playwriter he is.

If you are a theater person and you still haven't watched it, then what are you waiting for??? Make sure you dont miss out on the next show!!

You can book tickets online for the play at http://www.indianstage.in/

Thursday Tidbits: #2

Today's tidbit is another useful website that I found:

http://www.saleraja.com/

I came across this site which has a consolidated list of all the sales and promotions currently going on in the city in various categories - Apparels, Electronics, Household, Footwear etc. So if you are looking to shop and want a good deal and plan which shops/malls to visit so that you can optimize your time, this site might just help you! You can also search by Locality and Brands, in addition to the item categories. The drawback is that the site currently caters to 2 cities only - Delhi and Bangalore.

Talk about being crazy!

Came across this piece of news on domestic violence...A new law in Saudi Arabia. Now, if this isn't being crazy, then what is! I'm amazed at where the world is heading into!

"Husbands are allowed to slap their wives if they spend lavishly, a Saudi judge said recently during a seminar on domestic violence, Saudi media reported Sunday. Arab News, a Saudi English-language daily newspaper based in Riyadh, reported that Judge Hamad Al-Razine said that "if a person gives SR 1,200 [$320] to his wife and she spends 900 riyals [$240] to purchase an abaya [the black cover that women in Saudi Arabia must wear] from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment."

Quote for the week

I can so totally relate to this! Feel like this more often than not...

Thursday Tidbits: #1

I realized that my blogging frequency has gone down recently...to keep it more regular I decided to start this new weekly column, every thursday where I'll share some piece of useful info that I come across - it could be anything - like a useful website link that not many people know about or some health tips, articles worth reading and so on...So, don't forget to visit this space every week! :)

Here's the tidbit for today:

http://www.investmentyogi.com

I came across this pretty cool website that has multiple tools!

1. Budget calculator - helps you in planning your budget. You can track your income and expenses and organize them under various categories.

2. Tax calculator - quick and easy tax calculator which helps you estimate your taxes

3. Tax Planning - helps in planning your annual taxes with information on income tax slabs, tax covers, etc
4. Financial Plans, Insurance needs, articles and lots more!

So what are you waiting for? Go and explore the site! and let me know if you found it useful :)

Book Review: Angels and Demons

Author: Dan Brown
Pages: 610
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Fiction
Rating: 4.0/5

I was a bit let down by this book as compared to The Da Vinci Code coz it seemed more like watching a highly dramatic bollywood movie. But hey! it's supposed to be a Thriller, so I can discount this fact and say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book which always kept me on the edge of my seat with its share of surprises and a never expected nail biting finish. I dont mind suspending my disbelief if the story is well written and it can keep me hooked till the last line of the last page!
[Click here to read the complete review]

:-)

Miss Wormwood: What state do you live in?
Calvin: Denial
Miss Wormwood: I dont suppose I can argue with that..

Calvin's quotes *always* put a smile on my face :)

"When someone is searching", said Siddhartha, "then it might easily happen that the only thing his eyes still see is that what he searches for, that he is unable to find anything, to let anything enter his mind, because he always thinks of nothing but the object of his search, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed by the goal. Searching means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal... You, O venerable one, are perhaps indeed a searcher, because, striving for your goal, there are many things you dont see, which are directly in front of your eyes..."

Loved these lines from the book Siddhartha (by Hermann Hesse) that I am reading currently...

Orbis Terrarum Challenge - 2009

Bethany is hosting the challenge once again this year! It has started March 1st and goes on till end of Dec 2009. I had a lot of fun participating in this challenge last year and I even won a book :) It got me interested in a lot of genres and gave a kick to my reading habits! If you want to see the list of books I read as part of this in 2008, here it is.

I am already done with my book for the month of March (A Flight of Pigeons by Ruskin Bond) and will be posting all the reviews of the books I read on my book blog.

Here are the details if you wish to take part in this challenge.

http://orbisterrarumchallenge.blogspot.com/2009/01/rules-and-regulations.html

Main Challenge Rules:

*The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins March 1 2009(you are welcome to join later) Through the end of 2009.

*For the challenge each reader is to choose 10 books (for the 10 months).

*Each book must from a different country, I have decided to go by the country of origin of the author, or the country he/she lives in is fine as well.

*You don't have to have a list, that means you can change your mind at any time. As long as there are 10 from 10 different countries, written by 10 different authors: Anything goes.

The bottom line: choose 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries.

Earth Hour - Do you want to make a difference?

Switch off the lights between 8.30 to 9.30pm on March 28th
For more information and to sign up for the event, visit www.earthhour.org

Two years ago, a movement called Earth Hour was started in Sydney. Millions made a statement by switching off their lights. Just for an hour.This year, on March 28 we the citizens of the Earth, will make a pledge to do the best we can. Earth Hour will reach global proportions!
Close to a billion people from 930 cities across the world will join this show of solidarity against climate change. They would turn off the lights of their homes and offices for an hour between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm (in their respective time zones) to tell the world leaders they want something done... Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and absolutely free!

So, what are your thoughts?

Dev D's music...

I never bothered to listen to the songs from Dev D till I watched the movie recently. The only song that was given limelight in the promos/trailers was 'Emotional Atyachaar' which didnt appeal to me much, though it was different and funny.

But when I watched the movie I realized that it has lovely music - not just one, but a lot of good tracks!!! I would have really missed it out if I hadn't seen the movie. I guess thats why the initial marketing/promos is very important to sell the movie, especially its music. With the busy lives that we all lead, not many of us go buy CD's or download songs of all the movies that release. It's either through word of mouth or something catching your attention in the trailers.... I feel Dev D's music didnt get all the credit it deserves only because one song got all the attention and buzz.... what a waste!

Amit Trivedi, who has earlier composed for the movie Aamir, has made some marvellous tunes for Dev D. He has tried just about everything - rock, pop, bhangra, fusion, classical...and more! There are about 18 sound tracks but I have fallen in love with the 2 songs 'Nayan Tarase' and 'Paradesi'...both are folk fusion tracks. While Paradesi has a slight western touch to it, Nayan Tarase starts with a classical touch and progresses a bit towards rock...Amit gives his own vocals to Nayan Tarase; his voice adds to the lovely music. Toshi (one of the favorites in Star Voice of India show) does an awesome job with the song Paradesi...I absolutely loved his voice.

Some of the other good songs to look out for - Yahi meri zindagi, Saali Khushi, Duniya and Dhol Yara Dhol...

TV Meme

After movies, it's now time for a TV meme :) I found this on Amy's blog and I just couldn't resist myself from posting it here! It's pretty interesting if you enjoy watching sitcoms/TV shows..
(These are answered based on the shows on Star/ZeeCafe... haven't considered any of the Indian TV shows)

1. Name a TV show series in which you have seen every episode at least twice:
Friends, Seinfeld (Most of them), Mind your Language, Different Strokes, Full House, Small Wonder, Who's the Boss, Bewitched... Not just twice, I've watched every episode more than 5 times I guess!!

2. Name a show you can’t miss: Scrubs (As of now)

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to watch a show: I dont think any one actor would make me watch a show... The show must be interesting, funny and good overall

4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to watch a show: None so far!

5. Name a show you can, and do, quote from: FRIENDS!!

6. Name a show you like that no one else enjoys: Hmmm...I guess if you dislike any show you will surely find someone or the other who likes it! So I have no answers :)

7. Name a TV show which you’ve been known to sing the theme songs: I would love to sing the one in Scrubs...though the complete song is not aired on TV...it's there on the DVD :)

8. Name a show you would recommend everyone to watch: Scrubs, for sure! and also Who's Line is it Anyway

9. Name a TV series you own: As of now... Seinfeld, Friends, Scrubs, Sex and the City. Will be adding more soon.

10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium, but has surprised you with his/her acting choices in television: Can't think of anyone...really!

11. What is your favourite episode of your favourite series? - Both parts are tough to pick! If I consider FRIENDS, then it would be the episode where Ross gets a tan :)

12. Name a show you keep meaning to watch, but you just haven’t gotten around to yet: There are more than one actually.... Grey's Anatomy, Monk, 30 Rocks, Shark

13. Ever quit watching a show because it was so bad? If I can count the reality shows, then it's definitely 'The Moment of Truth' !!

14. Name a show that’s made you cry multiple times: None so far..

15. What do you eat when you watch TV? Hmmm... sometimes dinner else nothing!

16. How often do you watch TV? Everyday! :) Sometimes I leave it on while I blog or read a book...so it's usually there in the background without being given much attention. But I never miss my favorite shows!

17. What’s the last TV show you watched? I'm watching a lot of repeats...So I have no idea which one to pick, really!

18. What’s your favourite/preferred genre of TV? Drama with a pinch of comedy (something like scrubs).

19. What was the first TV show you were obsessed with? Full House (when I was in school)

20. What TV show do you wish you never watched? Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives (had seen an episode of each of them)

21. What’s the weirdest show you enjoyed? Cant think of anything...I have either liked a show or disliked it completely...

22. What TV show scared you the most? Tried watching an episode of X-files long back and it scared me off! Maybe that particular episode was bad!!

23. What is the funniest TV show you have ever watched? Mind your Language.. It's hilarious!!

Movie Meme

It's been almost 3 yrs since I started blogging but I haven't tried even one blogging meme so far! That's strange considering the fact that meme's are pretty common in the blogging world. But not all meme's are fun and I'm too lazy to put in thought and answer all the questions! I found this movie meme today while reading blogs and I really got pulled into it..so I had to post it here! :)

This one is a list of "top 100 greatest american movies of all times" from the AFI (American Film Insititue) list on their 10th anniversary (1998). You highlight the ones that you've seen and add three more of your choice at the bottom.. I've just watched 7/100 which is pathetic!! :( Well..the only solace is that I've seen more of the latest movies than these old ones...so am trying to find a list for that :)

Want to check if you are a movie buff? Then feel free to pick this up and link back to this post or leave a comment!

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
2. CASABLANCA (1942)
3. THE GODFATHER (1972)
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
15. STAR WARS (1977)
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
18. PSYCHO (1960)
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
33. HIGH NOON (1952)
34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
42. REAR WINDOW (1954)
43. KING KONG (1933)
44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
48. JAWS (1975)
49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
53. AMADEUS (1984)
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)
58. FANTASIA (1940)
59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
61. VERTIGO (1958)
62. TOOTSIE (1982)
63. STAGECOACH (1939)
64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
66. NETWORK (1976)
67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)
69. SHANE (1953)
70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
71. FORREST GUMP (1994)
72. BEN-HUR (1959)
73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
78. ROCKY (1976)
79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
82. GIANT (1956)
83. PLATOON (1986)
84. FARGO (1996)
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
89. PATTON (1970)
90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)
91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)
92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
93. THE APARTMENT (1960)
94. GOODFELLAS (1990)
95. PULP FICTION (1994)
96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
99. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

My 3 picks - ( so that makes it 10/100! )
101. Twelve Angry Men (1957)
102. Trainspotting (1997)
103. The usual suspects (1995)

Book Review: Black Friday - The True Story of Bombay Bomb Blasts

Author: Hussain.S. Zaidi
Pages: 290
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

The whole world had witnessed the most brutal serial bomb blasts that shook Bombay on 12th March 1993. There have been probably many more such unfortunate events in the city and the rest of the country but this one is supposed to be one such incident, which even today, after more than a decade, can shake the readers as much as it shook the entire nation then. [Click here if you wish to read my complete review]

Rehman does it again!

I have always been a big fan of Rehman's music, from the days of Roja. I can never forget the songs 'Chinna Chinna Aasai..' and 'Pudu Vellai Mazhai...' They'll always remain in my favorite list..

I feel he is one such guy in the industry who has something fresh and unique in every piece of music that he composes. Hmmm...some people are just gifted in life! Waiting for his music does seem worthwhile to me...

After working his magic with 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi...' in JTYJN and winning the Golden Globe award for Slumdog Millionaire, Rehman is back again to pour his charm in Rakesh Mehra's Delhi-6. It has about 10 tracks which is a fusion of various genres. He is never scared of experiementing... you can see a dash of rap, hip-hop, alternative rock and jazz in his compositions. That's the best part of his music, u get variety...!

The promos of Delhi 6 opened with the song 'Masakali..Matakali'. Obviously then it was thought to be the best of the 10 songs... I absoutely loved it!! The music is very playful and chirpy with a fluttery sensation and Mohit Chauhan's (front man of the band Silk Route at one point) voice adds a rustic charm to it and makes it even more desirable...It's sometimes impossible for me to proceed into the album to listen to the rest of the numbers, without playing this on Repeat mode...I just love listening to this over n over again...

I also loved the song 'Arziyan...' which has a Sufi touch to it. It's simplicity, melody and lyrics impeccably echo it's heartfelt emotion... Now, it's kinda difficult to choose the best between these two :)

Let's just hope the movie is not a let down and does as good as it's smashing sountracks!

My Review on Ezine

Ezine articles featured my book review on AIDS Sutra on their website yesterday :) Here's the link to the article - http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1908824



They also added me onto their Expert Author's list, so now I can post more articles there, which am planning to do very soon. If you want to view all the articles or subscribe, you can visit this link - http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pratima_Jayaram

Orbis Terrarum Challenge Winners

Last year, when I got into reading books all over again, I took part in the "Orbis Terrarum Reading Challenge" hosted by Bethany on B&B ex libris in 2008. She announced the winners last week and I am thrilled to be one of them!! :) Eagerly waiting to receive the bookie gifts! It was very nice of her to have agreed to send me those gifts all the way here, though she is based out of US…Thanks Bethany!

On seeing the response to last year's challenge, she has now started a dedicated blog for the OT challenge and plans to host it again this year. Am eagerly waiting to take part in it!

If you would like to know more on the books that I read for this challenge, click here and if you have any books that you want to recommend for this year, don't forget to leave a comment :)

Life is too short...

All of us at some point would have felt that life is short, for we humans..... but for puppies, it way toooooo short! You ask me why am I thinking of puppies suddenly? Well, about 5-6 weeks back a dog (bitch, to be precise) that used to roam around on our street (being well fed by my parents :)) laid 8 puppies right in front of my house, near the gate. They were the cutest set of puppies I had seen; I just loved watching them lying around next to the tree, being nursed by their mom so lovingly.

(Took this pic from my balcony just few days after they were born ... )
It was just about 3 weeks since they were born, when a scorpio went over 2 of the cutest white puppies that were sleeping by the roadside and they were just smashed to death instantly :( I really wonder how a driver can just run over pups sleeping near a tree, not even on the middle of the road! It was a sad sight to see. Their mom now chases every four-wheeler that passes on this road and barks like there is no end. What more can it do?!

Anyways, another pup was taken away by someone (hopefully they are keeping it as a pet!) after a few days. At least it would have got a home to live and wont die coming under some damn vehicle. The 5 remaining puppies grew up to be nice and fat, eating 4 meals a day that my mom feeds them. They are very naughty and keep running around on the road even though we have made a cozy place with a few old carpets near the tree so that they can sleep. Though this is a small cross-road, the number of vehicles passing by is pretty high during the day and there is always a danger of someone running over. It's a pity that they never realize this!!

The saddest part is today evening, a bike (not even a car) went over another pup and it died right in front of my parents eyes. I just came in 10 mins later to see it lying dead. The other one is badly hit and just doesnt open its eyes; but it is still breathing, so we kept it inside a cardboard box and covered it with a small carpet to keep it warm. That's the max that I could do...to just keep it warm in this weather. But seeing its condition, am not sure if it will survive till tomorrow morning.....just keeping fingers crossed! We put the remaining 3 inside the compound so that they are safe, but they just sneak out thru the gate every few minutes...now what more can we do?! :(

It just feels terrible to see only 4 puppies (1 badly injured) remaining out of the initial 8. And it is even worse to see them die right in front of your eyes. Feeling so helpless. I really wish I could do something to keep this injured puppy alive :( But I guess this is the fate of all street dogs... just have to accept it and move on...... sigh!

Book Review: The White Tiger

Author: Aravind Adiga
Pages: 321
My Rating: 4.5/5

This book, the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2008 had generated a lot of curiosity among the readers and I was eagerly waiting to get a hand on it too; wanted to figure out if it was just a hype or there was really some substance in it, worthy of the prize. I picked it up in Dec'08 and nearly took a month to finish because of the hectic work schedule, but if I count the actual number of days I read the book, I have probably taken about 4-5 days...
[Click here to read the complete review]

A quote..

...by Marilyn Monroe. Came across while browsing thru the web and really *loved* this one, so thought of sharing it here..

Check your reaction time

Want to check how fast you react to changes?
Feeling tired or sleepy and want something to wake u up?

Check how alert you are by taking this short 1 minute test (it's more like a game than a test)
It's pretty cool!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/

Orbis Terrarum Challenge - Round up

Am finally done with the OT reading challenge hosted by Bethany. This was my first ever reading challenges and I completely enjoyed it!! If not for this challenge, I would have probably never read books from so many different countries :)

Here's the list of my 9 books with the links to the reviews -
1. The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid (Pakistan)
2. Sister of my Heart - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (India)
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)
4. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov (Russia)
5. The Bastard of Istanbul - Elif Shafak (Turkey/Armenia)
6. In the Country of Men - Hisham Matar (Libya)
7. Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Adichie (Nigeria)
8. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding (England)
9. After Dark - Haruki Murakami (Japan)

[Click here if you are interested to read more ]

Violet Hill...

This song 'Violet Hill' (Alternate Rock genre) is by the band Coldplay from one of their recent albums Viva la Vida or Death and all his friends (released May 2008). It is supposed to be the group's latest & first single..

I heard bits of it on Zee Cafe yesterday and it really caught my attention, so downloaded it immediately and have listened to it like a zillion times by now! I absolutely loved the music and even the lyrics... During its first radio play, this song is supposed to have gotten about 600,000 downloads!!

I have always loved Coldplay's deep and soulful style.... It's nice to see that the band is still making such wonderful music even after the massive success of A Rush of blood to the Head and X&Y.


Was a long and dark December
From the rooftops I remember
There was snow
White snow
Clearly I remember
From the windows they were watching
While we froze
Down below
When the future’s architecture
By a carnival of idiots on show
You’d better lie low
If you love me
Won’t you let me know?

Was a long and dark December
When the banks became cathedrals
And the fog
Became God
Priests clutched onto bibles
Hollowed out to fit their rifles
And the cross was held aloft
Bury me in honor
When I’m dead and hit the ground
A love back home unfolds
If you love me
Won’t you let me know?
I don’t want to be a soldier
Who the captain of some sinking ship
Would stow, far below
So if you love me
Why’d you let me go?
I took my love down to Violet Hill
There we sat in snow
All that time she was silent still
So if you love me
Won’t you let me know?
If you love me,
Won’t you let me know?

Welcome to the new look!

I was experimenting with templates for my book blog and found this current template which I really liked, so thought of updating this blog as well since I was getting bored with the coffee cup design.. I kinda liked the way it has turned out! :) There's more space for the posts and the sidebar also has 2 columns, so that lets me add more widgets and customize the look of my blog...
It also has a set of links on the header bar which gives it a 'tabbed' look that helps me categorize... Also liked the new blog-roll widget which sorts the blogs based on the most recent updates....

Will add a few more things soon.....enjoy the new look! :)

Book Review: Purple Hibiscus

Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Pages: 307
My Rating: 2.5/5

After reading a couple of excellent reviews about this book I decided to pick it up as part of my Orbis Terrarum Challenge. This one is a debut novel of a Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie, who is also the author of 'Half of a Yellow Sun' , winner of the Orange Broadbank Prize for Fiction-2007. Amazon reviews give a rating of 4.5/5 for Purple Hibiscus, but for some reason I just didnt enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Maybe I had very high expecations from it![...Click here to read the complete review...]

Show me the money..

A great article by Thomas.L.Friedman on Obama........... a must read! He always amazes me with his writings!


[President Bush, because he was so easily demonized, made being a free-rider on American power easy for everyone — and Americans paid the price. Obama will not make it so easy.
So to everyone overseas I say: thanks for your applause for our new president. I’m glad you all feel that America “is back.” If you want Obama to succeed, though, don’t just show us the love, show us the money. Show us the troops. Show us the diplomatic effort. Show us the economic partnership. Show us something more than a fresh smile. Because freedom is not free and your excuse for doing less than you could is leaving town in January.....]

Book Review: AIDS Sutra

Author: Multiple Authors (Anthology)
Pages: 345
My Rating: 4.0/5
AIDS Sutra presents a side of India which is rarely seen before. This is one book which needs to be read by a wider audience. It will definitely open your eyes to the harsh realities faced by people in the underdeveloped & underpriviliged societies........[ Click here to read the complete review]

Learning to focus...

Been learning yoga for the past 4 months and I have always had thoughts to write about it, but the posts never made it here, for the lack of time. .... ..... .....

When you first start doing yoga, it seems to be oriented more towards the physical side but gradually you do realize that it has an equal impact on the mind; and slowly you notice that the body and mind start to function in unison...

An hour of yoga typically includes a couple of mins of deep breathing, 5-10 mins of meditation followed by a few mins of pranayam and then the asanas (postures) for the rest of the session. Though it seems like you are spending only about 15 mins on your mind and inner self, gathering thoughts and trying to focus during those initial 5-10mins of meditation is the toughest. And this is what yoga eventually does; it prepares you to sit in this state of silence and balance for a long period of time; that's the ultimate objective of practising yoga, apart from the zillion other health benefits...

It's only when you sit in silence, even for a short while do you notice how stressed your mind is! It's hard to keep your mind still. Just as you sit for meditation, turbulent thoughts flood your mind; the harder you try to gain control, the tougher it gets. It's like trying to fetch some water to drink from a muddy pond...the more you struggle to fill, the more muddy it gets. But allow it to settle down for a while and you'll see the mud settling at the bottom, leaving clean water on the surface. So let the thoughts flow in, give them the time to settle rather than chasing them and you'll soon find that desired calmness, however fleeting it may be.

It is said that finding a point of focus helps to maintain this state for a longer period.....focusing on your breathing or a mental image or chanting holy syllables (jap) verbally/mentally are some things that help. All these techniques render the mind pure, directing the energy inwards and thus helping us find that focus, inner peace and balance...

One more last thing to remember, just like the way our state of mind affects our body, the reverse is also true. Keeping your body absolutely still and physically relaxed also helps calm the mind to a great extent...

One good link that I found - http://www.how-to-meditate.org/