Musings of a girl next door

New Start

2008-07-28T22:53:00.002+05:30

Iam totally looking at revamping my blog.From the layout ,to my style of writing,topics etc.Am also planning to delete a few posts.Somehow over the years I felt maybe I have come across as being very phoney.Iam going to strive to write about topics that are close to my heart in simple and lucid terms.I need feedback from people ..any suggestions?

Tarey Zameen Par

2008-02-10T18:55:00.000+05:30

Iam not going to dole out a review of this movie.Neverthless ,I am going to explain as to how this movie relates to me personally.

From time immemorial I had the fear of numbers.If alphabets danced in front of Darsheels eyes,numbers whizzed past my eyes.In some math exams I would end up writing four digit numbers with two digits reversed.This aberration was rectified as I grew older,but my fear still remains.My fear had translated to absolute tortoise level speed when it came to solving problems.My greatest ordeal till date was preparing for an exam called CAT.I mean when an exam requires for speed and accuracy,and you realise you absolutely are a dodo what do you do?Well thats a long story in itslef.Finally I persevered and got into where Iam at present.Recently as I was watching TZP I realised maybe I was dyslexic with respect to numbers.

Another particularly weak area of mine is remembering directions.I freaked out totally and realised maybe Iam going overboard and getting harried over silly things.I tried to consciously remember directions and it kind of works.I am getting better in this aspect.

My fear of numbers still remain.My dad used to say it was kind of a mental make up.I forced myself to believe him.Maybe there were less neurons or whatever that connect different parts of my brain which pulls down its processing speed.

I do not want to believe him though.I am going to make small but significant steps towards surpassing this fear.Maybe solving puzzles will help.Maybe mental calculations will.Any ideas guys??

"Ich Bin sehr Glucklich"

2007-10-18T23:12:00.000+05:30

The title roughly translates to convey the fact that "Iam very Happy".People who know me well will be astounded that Iam happy.They are used to me cribbing and fretting all the time,so this sudden happiness might seem unlike me.

I was motivated to title this post in German because Iam working for a German bank at present.My happiness is attributed to the fact that I have luckily got a great porject to work on.Work is interesting and I seem to be performing well as of now.My manager motivates our team to perform well relentlessly.I really admire his committment and unswerving desire to make this period of one month fruitfull for us .Apart from my manager my teammates totally rock.We all seem to sync well and there is great exchange of ideas.

The vicinity surrounding work is totally cool.All the major hangouts are stationed barely five mins from office.The building where I work is surrounding by swanky shopping outlets .For a shopaholic like me this is total HEAVEN .I am still looking to take out some time and buy myself some hot couture for Diwali.

All in all Iam having a great time.

Bad Luck??

2007-09-30T20:18:00.000+05:30

Thomas Jefferson once said

"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work,the more I have of it."

This quote is in line with yet another that says "A person is lucky when his preparation meets oppurtunity".

These quotes have reiterated the fact that "luck " persay does not exist.A person acheives something only due to meticulous hardwork and carefull planning.

Why am I talking about luck?Well recently I felt I was unlucky,things had gone against me .
Reflecting about it, I saw a pattern as to why I was in this kind of a fix.It was not bad luck or any other jargon of self pity.It was sheer procastination.There was a serious issue at hand to be attended to.I was doing bits and pieces of it.I did not use my discretion in trying to take a clear decision in what I was looking for.This continued for about a week and finally I land up in a kind of fix.Life is all about the choices you make..goes the adage..and here I was deserving every bit of what had happened.

For a month now,I will be sitting in the shopfloor of a top manufacturing company,while I had oppurtunities to enter a multinational bank or a fmcg.

Indolence...

2007-09-26T10:49:00.000+05:30

Iam what you would call in Tamil parlance a"Vadi katiya somberi"( which means filtered ,concentrated lazyness).I hate being lazy.I continously strive to stope being lazy, but alas habits die hard.

Talking about personality,I took a MBTI test recently.The test is used to determine your personality type and give you a four lettered assessment .My type was ESTP.Extroverted,Sensing,Thinking and Perceiving .The perceving part is what irritates me.A "Perceiving "person is one who plans rarely ,who goes with the situation and who is not comfortable with schedules.The downsides of a perceiving person is that they get scatterbrained and tend to dvelve into enjoying or lazying around all the time.

There is continous conflict in my mind to shift from being a 50 %Perceiving person to a 100%Judging person(person who is better planned ,blah blah),but impediments are many.Firstly its the fact that Iam lazy .Secondly I seem to have lost all my will power in doing serious things.My will power in doing trivial things is absolutely brilliant.I can for example ,clean my room at 2.00 in the night.I can read a days news paper at 12.00 in the night ,when probably the next days paper is being printed.

Another scary aspect of being lazy is the fact that it is punishable according to Indian Philosophy.A tamasik person is compared to a buffalo which does nothing and lazes around.Basically a tamasik person doesnt perform his duties to the best of his abilities.The punishment however is maniflod.He is tortured or sent to hell or whatever.Reminds me of the punishment meted out to a lazy person in the movie "Anniyan".

Dad is convinced Iam lazy due to all the pampering I receive at home.But then something has to be done about it.Iam a student now, then an employee later, and probably a wife etc etc.I cant be the princess of my Dad forever.

"Sri Gurubyo Namaha"

2007-08-15T01:04:00.000+05:30

This is how we were taught to address our teachers in School.Teachers took pride in their students calling them with respect and said “Sukhi Bhava”. I often used to wonder if teachers have ever made such a mark in my life that I need to place them just after my Mom and Dad(“Matha , Pitha, Guru, Deivam”).

Other than my KG teachers who practically reared me for 6 months ,in the absence of my mother , I cannot think of any teacher who I would be obliged to for life. Through high School and college , I showed my due respect towards them , but held no soft corner for any of them.

Things seem to be changing now. I have been taught by some amazing professors in the past four months Apart from their subject mastery, they provided some valuable insights that will remain etched in my memory. The insights provided are not listed by them in any order or given as a ready made list of things to follow. They are to be observed and learned form these maestros / practitioners who walk their talk.

Firstly I have to start with my beloved dean (Professor Of Accounting at Kellogs). Seventy decades of existence in our Mother Earth has only made him more energetic. He is the embodiment of a person who is passionate about whatever he does. He strives to achieve excellence and stresses on the need for students to amass knowledge in order to measure up to the immense competition in the corporate world. His genuine affection towards students is characterized by the fact that we fondly call him “Uncle”.

Mr Paul Prabhakar (Associate Dean at the Illinois Institue Of Technology) , apart from being a wonderful Marketing Professor,stressed on the need for us to be risk taking and develop a professional coterie in our area of work as we go along.

I would be committing an act of blasphemy by not mentioning a Professor by name Mr Nirmal Gupta. This professor is just beyond description. Awarded the Best Faculty of ISB for three years, this professor is deemed to be the Best Marketing professor in the country. His pedagogy style just leaves one dumb founded. Apart from his absolute mastery over the subject his humility and affection stands out like jewels in a crown.
His dedication towards his profession is absolutely unshakeable.

These three examples are only the tip of an iceberg. My learnings form these professors are much more. Will write a detailed post some other day.

I am already sleeping over the computer, have to start writing an assignment and its one o clock in the night. God spare my lazyness.

Economics of Harry Potter

2007-07-23T20:55:00.000+05:30

Two major events relating to Harry Potter has happened over the past two weeks .One the release of the movie” Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix”, and two the eagerly awaited book,” Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. Since Iam a huge Potter fan, I have tried here to understand the economics relating to the teenage wizard.

Firstly Harry Potter, as a popular series of books is a huge industry for publishers. Scholastic holds the publishing rights for the book in the US while Bloomsbury has a absolute hegemony in allover the world rights (excepting US).The publishers do not however control the dynamics of the market. Retailers like Wal-Mart, Online stores like Amazon and Traditional Bookshops are all vying against each other for a share in the Potter Pie. This is where the issue of pricing comes in .Wal-Mart and Amazon has offered a flat discount of 50%, while the bookstores are not able to match their prices. Bookstores are skeptical about making any profits through the sale of the books this year, while Wal-Mart and Amazon.com are sure to rake in profits due to their competitive pricing strategies. Their pricing can be understood as follows. A quick look at the demand and supply curve will tell you that when demand and supply increase the price P would be depend upon the elasticity. Therefore different companies offer different rates depending upon their competitiveness.

The Market for Harry Potter books is according to theory”Perfectly Competitive”. It has many buyers and sellers and essentially the same product is being traded. But, we can safely conclude that the market is Monopolistic Competition due to the following reasons. The book being the same is being sold through different modes wherein huge differentiation exists. For example direct selling is different from, retailing which is again different from e-commerce. Since the supply chains here are essentially different, the product though the same is priced differently .Essentially the market is not a “Price Taker”. In order to stay competitive the companies try different advertising strategies/promotion campaigns. For example Amazon.com held this contest called “Harry –est.” town in America offering a reward of 5000$ for the town which accrues highest sales.

Huge popularity for Harry Potter has spun a mammoth allied market.This can be related to the concept of “Demand for a complement increasing when the demand for the core product increases”. The market estimated to be around 10 million USD consists of glasses ,watches books and games. Its a mini industry on its own. Recently Warner Bros has planned to set up a theme park totally dedicated to Potter ,costing around half million dollars by 2009.

The greatest Cash Cow due to the Potter Mania is Warner Bros which has already earned close to 330 million dollars in the opening week of the movie.Everytime a Potter movie releases Warner Bros Stock prices go up, while in the lean period they go down.

Though the last book has been released, it doesn’t spell the end of Potter mania, publishers hope to earn close to 10 million USD, a year through sales of the seven books in future.

“Chipkali”

2007-07-11T00:36:00.000+05:30

Lizards in my house are a creative lot. Heres a sneak peek into the kind of gimmicks they can come up with.

Gone are the days when they used to hide behind crevices and get intimated by humans. Lizards consider the well polished granite flooring in my house as their playground. They jaywalk ,trudge,skip and gallivant around my hall without the fear of humans stepping on them.

One fine day when I happen to open my eyes after a brief prayer I find a lizard forming an ornamental necklace over poor Lord Ramas neck.

Two Lizards have formed an orchestra in my bedroom and have vowed to entertain me throughout the day, by their constant droning.

For the first time in my life I caught the sight of a thirsty lizard drinking water from the tank of my potty.

Apart from this they have proved to be nuisance in my kitchen wherein the sight of a lizard gives me jeepers .Food infected by a lizard is supposed to be poisonous.

Considering the fact that they are increasingly multiplying in my house , I have to do something. One solution my dad tried and worked well was pour boiling water on them , when they sneer at me in the kitchen.It immediately kills them.

Now, what I do about the umpteen other lizards in my house. Should I call pest control? Or are there Grandma solutions for such problems?

People please suggest ways to sound the death knell for these darned creatures.

P S: I wonder how people worship these pesky creatures in a Vaisnavite Shrine in Kancheepuram .Maybe in ancient days they did not seem so obtrusive as they are at present.

Federer is God

2007-06-07T21:24:00.000+05:30

Now, the title of my post is highly cliched.Everybody Knows Federer is God.His prowess as a sportsman is unimaginable.His Game is almost flawless.By almost I mean the one fort he has left unconquered ,that of the French Open.He beat Nadal in a clay court recently, so looks like he is improving on that front too.

But I do not want to discuss his game.I want to reveal the strategic interest that I have in him or rather in his personality.

Acccording to me Federer is perfect marraige material.Now let me list the reasons as to why he makes me swoon everytime I see him.That is iam going to perform a character glorification about the fed express.

He has been committed to the same girl for close to four years now . Therefore he is highly trustworthy.

He is a go getter.Failures upset him, success never eludes him.

He is handsome.Cute smile, lean trim body, and great hair.

Off the field he is supposed to be a gentleman.He crusades for various social causes.Recently he came to cuddalore to meet the tsunami victims and add his two cents in their rehabilitation progarm.

He"s g0t the cash registers ringing incessantly.So marrying him makes it perfect for girls to travel all across world,Sit all decked up during matches and flaunt rock diamonds in their hands.

Doesnt this seem convincing enough to wish for a husband like Federer.Well ,people say aim for the stars and you reach the sky.I dont know if my Dad can find me a Federer, but yeah nothing wrong in wishfull thinking.

Salsa,Jive and the Cha Cha Cha.

2007-05-14T00:21:00.000+05:30

I was intiated into formal dancing at the tender age of 6 years.Like any Tam Bram girl I was learning Bharathanatyam.The school in which I studied encouraged Indian art and motivated the students by giving them various platforms to showcase their talents.Performing well meant good recognition amongst teachers and classmates.Being rotund in size did not deter me from qualifying to the finals of the Bharat Kalachar Scholarship for exceptional performance in Classical dance.Thereafter my dancing career spiralled down due to health problems.

I loved dancing.Bharatnatyam especially called for poise , grace and a unique blend of facial expressions .Since my formal dancing career was defunct , I tried my hand at dancing for any kind of music that I heard.This usually consisted of Tamil Gaana songs,or sizzling hip hop music.The dancing was all done in the confines of my room or at New year parties with my family.This kind of informal dancing was fun mainly because I was tapping my legs to the tunes of good music.

After years of no formal training,when I got an oppurtunity to learn the Salsa,Jive and the Cha Cha Cha I was thrilled.These three dance form unlike Bharathanatyam require a partner.Its more like a team effort.If you manage to master all the steps and happen to feel glum about it , you are completely mistaken.You might still end up looking silly in front of the crowd if your partner is gauche.So its all about getting the rhythm and being in sync.Unlike Bharatnatyam these dance forms require no specific facial expressions other than carrying a smile on your face.The thrust is on the leg and hand movements done gracefully and in tune with the music.
But like any other dance form , its a great way to get some exercise.

My legs and hands are aching , but I dont seem to mind it.Afterall learning any form of dance is tough be it Kathakali, Odissi,or Salsa.

But yes , learning a form of art gives a lot of creative satisfaction.

Reel Life & Real Life

2007-04-29T20:16:00.000+05:30

Girls go about sashaying in the skimpiest of clothes.Guys cuddle them, smooch them or even perform acts of utmost taboo.No moral policing is being done here.People dont raise a hue and cry.So no major questions are raised .Gyrating semi naked heroines are ogled at by different age groups.They say its all REEL life.

What happens when a handsome fifty year old gets caught by the heat of the moment and repeatedly kisses an "Indian" actress.Sentiments are flared.People denounce the act.Reactions galore.How could two people kiss on stage in a Live event .Its "REAL" life for gods sake!!!.They should have acted responsibly .It was a AIDS function afterall.Events unfold and junta are deeply stirred with emotion.One such gentleman files a PIL .Richard Gere gets an arrest warrant under section 294 (performing obscene acts in Public).

One word can decribe the unfolding of such events.HYPOCRITES.Obscene acts in Reel is ok, but in Real it flares up people, and kindles them to recite the epochness of Indias socio Cultural edifice.What they fail to realise is that more often than not movies reflect a part of the changing face of society.They also depict a cultural change espoused by the Gen X or Gen Y .They can ogle at gyrating semi naked woman on screen but a kiss in public is a NO NO.When will our society stop being dualistic and accept facts as they are?

So next time when two people in love want to share a moment in public please rethink. No kissing on the cheek repeatedly allowed.A safe solution is in hand .Please blow out kisses to each other.Its an age old formula and it doesnt involve touching the member of the opposite sex.

Agree to Disagree

2007-04-16T13:08:00.000+05:30

Iam very passionate about watching good ,quality cinema.Watching movies of different genres makes for good timepass and also improves our perspectives on varied issues.The bottleneck here is to find these movies.

Generally we depend on word of mouth.Friend X calls , raves and rants about a movie ,we are impressed and think its surely worth a watch.Another alternative would be to peruse the papers /net and look for the critically acclaimed 'reviews' written by movie enthusiasts.These critics give an indepth analysis as to the strengths, weakness , bottomline , storyline and what not.This review is akin to a SOP that students write eager to impress the higher authorities .

Now there have been numerous cases wherein I have wanted to bonker my freind who recommended the movie.The movie according to me would have been a damp squid and all the hullabaloo made in the papers
about it would have been totally unwarranted for. This has happened many a times in the recent past. That is when I realised that liking/disliking a movie is solely subject to a person's individual opinion/mood.That is why critics review movies like 'Babel' as having exemplaray performances and a must watch , while I had to administer headache pills after seeing the (uncensored)version.Another grossly overrated movie would be 'Namesake'.The movie's picturisation though taken from Jumpa Lahiris book is highly cliched.The conflicts of an ABCD has been watched a zillion times.The underlined meaning of why the boy was called 'Gogol' losts its appeal in the early stages of the movie.After the travails that the Ganguly family go through Oh-shima (thats how Ashima is called )decides to return to India, but the main person behind the weaving of the stroyline is left abrupt .His Bengali wife has dumped him,but he seems to be happy because he has an depressed Russian author's book for company.

So how does a person choose to see a movie?.One read reviews ,listen to freinds but finally its your say to watch it.Do not blame them at all regarding their opinion .Agree to disagree(albeit in a cool manner) as each person is subject to their opinion .

Adverse-Enticements

2007-04-10T22:21:00.000+05:30

Advertisements have always interested me.It fascinates me as to how they can catch a person's attention within a span of 30 secs and sometimes go to the extent of convincing them to buy the product.The highly commercialised World Cup this year was a great opportunity to observe the different advertisements doled out by Corporate Majors.Some ads are brilliant , they rouse the viewer's attention and ultimately lead to amazing 'Brand Recall'.The Moto Rockr Ad looks sleek and suave.Airtel's Dheko Ji kaun Aaaya Hai has supposedly stirred emotions and is a big hit amongst the middle aged .

But I do not want to dvelve upon the so called winner ads.I want to touch upon a few ads that have made me cringe and shudder with utter dismay.Take for example a recent Rediffmail ad.It is one of the most slimiest ads of the season.The picturerisation is gross and the double meaning is even grosser.I wonder if any viewer with his mental faculties intact would ever get enticed by such an ad.Such ads are surely adverse - enticements.

Talking about ads ,I have to mention Pepsi's failed attempts at marketing their soft drink.Their ads pale in comparison to that of Coke simply because they are staunch believers of promoting their soft drink through our Cricketers(or something related to cricket) alone.Even SRK tried various gimmicks ranging from OHH AAH India -AAya India , to the recent Blue Billion and the Ladega tho Jeethega Ads.God save these fellows .Madam Indra Nooyi CEO of Pepsico who is known for her astute strategies , has porbably failed to realise that none of her soft drink division's ,marketing strategies are working in India.After India's World Cup debacle , one would expect Pepsi to lay off their fervour for Indian Cricket Centric Ads.But these guy never despair.They dole out a new ad.Its absolutely Brilliant !!!It showcases a group of young Indian boys who stitch over sized cricketing attires with hopes of winning the world cup 2011.

Another dowright loser ad was Zen Estilo's.Initially the ad reminded me of some nursery rhyme.It had ticky tacky or picky packy being repeated untill it got onto a person's nerves.Thankfully the rhymes were done away with after the agency realised that toddlers werent going to buy cars after all.

I hope ad agencies can innovate and bring out more number of appealing and enticing ads.

Divine Intervention

2007-04-09T23:43:00.000+05:30

Few years back, I could easily be referred to as 'Agnostic'.I say agnostic because my prayer smacked of rote recital , as my belief in the almighty was very shaky.Visiting temples everything seemed fine but I seemed to be struck with a wave of questioning everything that happened around me and demanded a logical explanation.Now I seem to be clear with the basic tenet on which my faith in the lord rests.I call this tenet 'Divine Intervention'.

Oprah Winfrey once said "Pray like everything depends on God , and act like everything depends on you".I totally subscribe to her view .Performing our duties to the best of our abilities might ensure 99.99% success , but there is always the 0.01% of Divine intervention which ensures final fructification.Also there have been instances when we are simply at loss as to why such cruel things happen to us.These things belie Science , Logic and Reasoning.I would put such things also as the ramifications of the power that the almighty wields over us.My tenet of Divine intervention also rests on the corollary that "God helps those who helps themselves".

Speaking of Divine intervention I visited Srirangam a week back with a close friend.It is obvious that Srirangam lacks in funds when compared to the likes of Tirupati.But I do not understand why major portions of the temple near the corridor etc has to be unkempt .Also there were only two Sannidhis (Rama, and adjoining Andal) which donned fresh paint and looked bright.Am I being ignorant in questioning as to why other portions
looked lacklustre? Also the utsavar at Tirupati seems to be glistening (if Iam right tirupati temple is also pretty old),while the utsavar at Srirangam seemed a little dull.Does "Ranga"lack funds or is it not being dispensed properly.

At Srirangam there were recitals of hymns which I was completely unaware of and varied other things that I completely had no idea about.But I learned what interested me and what I thought could enrich me as a person. Finally ,I have to mention that I was completely besotted by my friend (and her family's) warmth .

Kya "Cool" Hai Hum?

2007-03-29T23:05:00.000+05:30

Summer heralds a lot of things in India.It gives a welcome break for our school and college going population.The onset of South west moonsoon is during the first week of june.The king of fruits,and juicy watermelons are available only during this season.It is a given that every family vacations during this season to escape the scorching heat , or to meet their kith and kin.

So , barring the cruel heat what plays spoiler to all the delightfull things that I have mentioned above?The term can be given by a famous equation P=V*I.Let me explain the nomenclature.

Here ,

P=>Frequent Power Cuts
I=>Intensity of heat
V=>Potential Difference(ie Amount of Energy required to bear the heat from the time the power goes off till the time its back again).

As we can see the terms are directly proportional.So by the above power equation it is inevitable that when the mercury touches the highest there is a power cut and vice versa.Higher value of P also means higher V which leaves us all in despair.

I was faced with a similar situation yesterday night.My room seemed like a oven manufacturing coking coal.I was sweating profusely,and adding to my irritation were the mosquitoes who reached a crescendo with their buzzing ,near my ears.In such situations we lose all our "Cool"mentally and physically.So how does a person brave 4 grueling hours of power cut in the night?

This is what I tried. I imagined myself swimming breaststroke in crystal clear , icy cool water.Some how I seemed to get serene and slowly drifted off to sleep , with these images rewinding again and again in my mind . I dont know whether this will work again, but iam thinking of a long term solution .Iam sure the only feasible one would be to buy a generator.Lets see .

Autocrats

2007-03-28T13:10:00.000+05:30

Chennaites have ,for long been ruled by autocrats.They are akin to other autocrats in the world.They are tyrants , dictators and despots all put together in an inimitable combination.The only difference , the autocrats I am referring to here fleece the commuters of the city.

For the uninitiated let me explain the basics .Meter system is absolutely obsolete in Chennai Auto rickshaws.So , cost of travel is an arbitrary amount which solely depends on the commuters haggling prowess .More often than not , the costs are exorbitant. Travelling a distance of 6 kms back and forth costs me 120 rupees , while travelling a distance of 350 km in train costs 180 rupees.Any attempt at trying to logically reason out or allude to how cheap it is to commute in autos in other city's is followed by a nasty retort wondering why we opened our mouths in the first place.

My car driver looking at the bright prospects of earning close to 30,000 rupees a month quits his 5000 rupees job and is a auto driver today.He says he earns close to 1000 bucks everyday easily .The cost of petrol though is only to the tune of 200 rupees.So 800 *30 =24,000Rs. He pays an EMI for the auto which is close to 4000 rs.So net take home salary is 20,000 Rs.Bravo!!!!. He earns more than fresh S/W engg who has done 4 years of engg.

My only question is , if auto drivers earn so much then why do they lead such despicable lives? Maybe they are prey to vices , or maybe they are under the clutches of gangsters.Beats me.

The State Government has recently released a regulatory mechanism to streamline the pricing.These rules have to be strictly adhered to from July .I broached this topic to an auto driver yesterday.He said"Amma , so what we will rig the meters".I was dumbfounded.

I am still hoping that the government monitors the strict adherence of the new mechanism and humbles these autocrats.

Movies ,Admonitions&Food

2007-03-26T19:19:00.000+05:30

Watching a good movie in the theatre is supposed to be a fulfilling experience.By fulfilling I mean the ambience , company of family or friends,snack time during interval and varied other things that goes into ensuring a glum expression while heading back home.This is the ideal scenario.

What happens when you watch a movie sitting at incline of close to 135 degrees?One you end up with a neck pain.Two you get glares from the people who accompany you cause they know you are the one who booked the tickets.Three the heroine of the movie who already has prominent eyes looks devilish when viewed from the afore mentioned position.

This is what happens when a person books tickets online at unearthly hours when owls are the only creatures supposed to be awake .The printout of tickets lay deep inside the recesses of my purse.When brandished at the n th hour( I mean after getting to the screen where the movie was playing) I realise that I had booked tickets to watch the movie at very close quarters.Well that's a very polished way of putting it , cause my parents and myself occupies the third row from the screen.My parents were totally miffed.But they showed complete restraint in not bashing me up in front of hundred odd people , and just shaking their heads completely disgraced by what I had done to them.I couldn't obviously feign innocence, so I submitted my apologies which was duely accepted.Weird isn't it?I did not want to repeat this mistake ever , so like a responsible daughter stood up and scanned the length and breadth of the seating area.I came to the conclusion that anything below the half of area would not make for an ideal movie watching position.The various screens in Satyam Cinemas are constructed differently.For example watching a movie in Six degrees even in say the fifth row doesn't seem all that uncomfortable.I made a mental note to henceforth study each screen to ensure smooth sailing in the future when I am at the movies.

Moving on to other things ,eating out for me is not just about the food.I love to observe the cutlery, upholstery and the interior decor of the restaurants.SWAYAM offers a good mix of everything.They have SILVER cutlery!!!!!, nice decor and a neat outlay .Food was okay, only thing please do not order Chettinad Tomato Soup there cause it is plain Tomato Rasam given in a silver bowl with a glamourised name.

Cricket and the Indian Pysche

2007-03-23T15:25:00.000+05:30

I was all geared up for the World Cup this year.Having been a mute spectator to the game for a number of years ,I was determined to learn its technicalities from my father.I started with the fielding positions went on to the bowling methods, batting strokes and finally ended after sensing a look of despair on my poor Dads face.The first intial matches barring a few piqued my interest.Group eight matches would surely be more interesting with the top eight teams battling it out.I mentally made up my mind to watch ever single one of them.

Then came the news of Bob Woolmers death.As per news that just came in,it has been confirmed that he was murdered by strangling.Also the rough draft of the autobiography he was working on(wherein he has allegedly given the nexus between Pak cricketers and bookies)has been stolen.Speculations are rife as to why he was murdered .Iam no sensational journalist , so I would not go into that aspect but what is interesting to note here is the far reaching implications of this event .

Reaction to his murder by the ICC CEO Malcom Speed "The news is shocking and "Yes" corruption is prevalent in the World Cup."

Time and again the the cricketing audience have witnessed match fixing reports some which have had conclusive evidence .First it was Manoj Prabhakar later Azar , Cronje and Jadeja.The reports of this being a major reason for the murder of the Pakistani Coach has also been highlighted.Why does the game still hold fancy to so many cricket frenzy audiences in India?For all you know the corporate bigwigs would have paid lumpsome amounts to Sri lanka today inorder to lose.Ultimately even if Team India had regrouped itself and given the best peroformance ever, doubts of the audience having been taken for a ride lingers.

Audience frenzy for Cricket in Indian Subcontinent =>Market for betting, Corporates advertising haven,Rich dividends for broadcasters(70% of ICC's revenue is from India), and more recently murder of the Pak coach .

Maybe somebody can explain why we still hold on and follow the game with such vigour after shady revelations .

My interest seems to be dwindling again ,and Iam disgusted with the spectre that is haunting the so called "Gentlemans Game"