Friday, April 30, 2010

I SCREAM!!!!

“Vallichaaaa!!! How do you expect my hunger to go away with these small cups ice creams?? I WANT MORE!! MORE!! MORE!!”
My Poor Maternal Grandfather stood in shock as he looked down at his two and half year old, 93 cm tall granddaughter. *How can this tiny little thing possibly eat so MUCH he thought?? And How can I probably explain to her that ice cream is a Dessert and not meant to act as a STAPLE food/ main course??* The guy at the Ice cream parlor proudly passed his judgment then and there “She has a Sweet tooth!! She will be a great FOODIE!!

Now after 21 years, I now know that, Yup that Man suffered from what is called the “Kali Zuban/ Black Tongue/ Kari naakku etc” or something of that sort! ( Lol, not that any of it was required... one look at my pictures back then and anyone could have said I had a particular LIKING for ice creams!!) I do have a sweet tooth, I love ICE CREAMS... I am addicted to them; fortunately I have parents who curb my addiction to a GREAT EXTENT! And A Brother who never loses an opportunity to call me FAT!! :) Though it’s different thing that both he and me are travelers of the SAME boat!! If it werent for them I could definitely have given Adnan Sami a RUN for his money!! (Not that M very proficient in the Singing department :P)

In Dubai, everyday We see the mercury steadily rising. The air conditioning has to be cranked up a notch or two every hour. Al this Only mounts to ONE thing – Summer is BACK.


It might only be the beginning of May, but the days are already getting hotter and the prospect of a long stint indoors is getting closer. A huge Chunk of the next few months will be spent in the blast of artificially cooled rooms both at work, home, restaurants and in the malls as well. But what are WE to do when We’re caught in the stultifying temperatures outdoors, when we need something cold, smooth, heavenly, and preferably delicious to take the sting away from the humid heat????

We’re going to have an ice cream, of course!!!

I love ICE CREAMS....Cones, cups, balls; mini melts ice creams... any thing and everything!!! I think I can partly blame DUBAI from my Ice cream addiction and attraction. Anything and everything to beat the HEAT right? To add to it we have different types of ice creams, and different brands as well… Baskins Robbins, Haagen Dazs, London Diary, Cold stone… and what not?? We have Natural ice creams, artificially flavored ice creams, and the most innovative and novel things coming up as well. If you guys havent tried, you must head down to this place in Karama, Flavours Ice Cream, during the cooler winter months there’s always the Rose Petals Ice cream (One of my personal Favorites), Mirch magic (green chilli ice cream) to put a bit of fire in your tummy. But since the summer is all about chilling out, you should try the special thandai flavour ice cream – a cooling mix of almonds, cardamom, saffron and sweet milk that replicates the refreshing qualities essential at this point. The rose petal, blackcurrant and watermelon flavours will also cool you down, but another must look out is the fresh mango flavour.With over 40 different flavours, the ice cream is freshly made every other day, it’s vegetarian!!!! :D :D

Apart from all this, we have options to MAKE our very own ICE CREAMS as well!! How cool and awesome is that??? Its like in the European countries, especially in Italy. If you go to Italy, on each corner of the street, you have a gelato shop, run by individuals who all have their own recipes!!! By contrast, in countries like India and U.A.E, Its all within a franchise, it’s really just following the book. You don’t need to be a chef, you just throw in some powdered flavouring and that’s it, but that’s gelato, and just imagine If we could DO the same for ICE CREAM!!! We can, Cant we?

Lastly, Jason LOVE once said "I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert." All I can say to Mr. Love is Sir, I probably couldnt AGREE with you MORE on that!!! :D

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

PAIN Anyone??

Okay, Imagine… Imagine the feeling of over a thousand pins, dipped in HOT boiling Oil, inserted slowly into small portions of your body at random intervals… Can you? If you can, then you have successfully lived in my shoes for a couple of milliseconds. And No I am not over exaggerating... Not at all!

I am a Patient by default! Almost always sick! Appa always says, "Common, behave normally, everyone gets sick, don’t make a big deal out of it… Don’t think about it, concentrate on something else, and you will fine!" Oh Appa, How I wish what you said was true in my case, I TRY… I definitely do… I try to ignore the pain, the anguish, the feeling of my body disintegrating into small bits… but no I haven’t quite managed to be completely able to FOCUS of something else other than the PAIN!

I have dedicated an entire entry on my blog previously on my relationship with Sickness, but this entry, well its different, because in this my main agenda is to record my feelings, at the moment as well as over the past three days.

Falling sick in one thing and dealing with PAIN is another. Excruciating Knee pain (Ohh… It’s a long story, shall elaborate on another entry) and this unbearably distressing stomach pain, these are two of recurring phenomena's in my life. This pain had become a part and parcel of my daily existence. My pain almost always follows a pattern, it has a schedule that it follows, Its affected by climate, by food, my places and it isn't affected by prayers, crying, begging etc. It is definitely one of THE most Stubborn and pathetically, unsympathetic things that I have ever known.

Yup, I have shown the doctor, and there is nothing wrong with me, other than the fact that I Should be losing weight for my knee pain…. (ye… That seems to be the easy out isn’t it!??). Regarding my stomach pain, it's STRESS it seems, I am taking unnecessary tension and this tension in turn causes my stomach and other functions in my body to REACT! Wow, What a Way to React!

Anyone who knows me even a little bit is well versed with my bonding with PAIN… Its like, being hit by someone, its like having a well being created in my stomach, the drilling, the coring and the then the PINS… Ohh… they are like the worst things ever… I can't sit properly then, nor stand straight and definitely not lie down as well. Most times, the pain gets so bad that it hits my head and then I have to throw up! Throwing up is definitely NOT one of my favorite past times, but that is something I spent my time doing on a random basis. After throwing up few times, then it's losing consciousness time.

Pain, vomiting and fainting, all of it seem to take with it a fraction of my internal organs as well. Aside from loathing the pain, the worriment and the exhaustion, I hate it when everyone thinks I just have a 'little stomach ache' or that I'm exaggerating. ... I can go on and on about my PAIN, but I think I should stop now… Its time for some more INSANE PAIN!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

AND, I thought you were my FRIEND!

Please note that any Reference/ similarity to any person/individual/thing is purely coincidental and unintentional! Also please do NOTE that EACH statement I make has EXCEPTIONS!!

WHO / WHAT is friend?

The Bookish definition seems to be, a friend is someone who supports you, sympathizes with you, or patronizes a group. An easily definition of that would be a person you know, like and trust.

I have people whom I know, people who support me, People whom I like and people whom I trust!! But unfortunately or fortunately they are all different different individuals!

In tough times we count on friends to help us get through. I like to think of friendship as everlasting, but is friendship truly forever? NOPE!! These days love isn’t forever, forget friendship!!

Can miles drive you away from friends you made after graduating from places like high school or college? I still remember walking across the stage at the convocation Ceremony and thinking I am NEVER seeing most of the people graduated with. And that is exactly what happened… Well for those instances you can always join networking places like Facebook. Facebook’s motto is that it is a place for friends and it helps you to connect with the people in your life. In those ways you would never be without your friends.

On these sites you can write to each other on your personal walls and post pictures. It is an easy way to communicate on the computer just like email. All your friends can follow you at once. It’s simpler than going to write an email and having to input all the recipients to receive the information along with a simple text message from a cell phone...

Drifting away from Facebook for a while, I have learnt through my umpteen experiences and I have come to realize that there are basically three types of friends a person can have. There are friends that I call “sometimes” friends, these people appear to be your friend but only when you are face to face with them, and when you are not around them they act more like a foe. They are often referred to as two faced or a back stabber. These types of friends are not very reliable nor should they be trusted. Another type of friend is the “acquaintance”. These are the type of friends that you do not necessarily hate, but at the same time you do not divulge your personal information with this person, simply because you do not spend a great amount of time with the person and do not know them well. The Last type of friend a person can have, and the best kind, is a “true” friend. A true friend is someone you know you can always trust and rely on no matter what.

It may be hard to determine if someone that you call a friend is actually a “true” friend or a “sometimes” friend. They can be very deceitful and scandalous towards you at times. If you notice...

No… I won’t say, I don’t have friends! I do… Or I think I do… But What I don’t have are genuine people who are there for me always!! (Please remember each statement I make has EXCEPTIONS!!) There are certain people, in my life, who are there, very much there when they need me, whether it’s for sorting out their issues, or hearing them out or helping them with assignments or …. You get the drift, ye? But I have no one, who would come, take one look at my face and ask me, if something wrong, (trust me its very easy for people to make out from my expression as to how I am feeling). Someone who will accompany me to places, without even me asking, someone who would volunteer to help me, someone how would never have to things before talking to me. Some one who would know me in and out and would know what exactly would piss me off and what would NOT!

Why is it that I am always listening to my friends/ random people’s woes, tensions, plights etc? Why, especially when no one has the time or the patience to listen to mine? Why is that I am expected to behave in a certain way, when they can do anything that they want? Why is it?? Why should always keep hearing other’s problems and feel for them? Why isnt there any1, when I want a HUG, a sweet word, a consolation, a Shoulder to cry on??? Why? Why AM I the Dependable one??? Trust me being Dependable is highly overrated and definitely not much FUN!

Friends are supposed to be the pearls of our life. This word bears its greater meaning only to those who could understand the greatness of its meaning. It’s some thing sacred, it needs to be cherished and build up for many years with much CARE.

Goran Stojanov once said, "One should always take care when making a choice of a friend-as the friends are the ones you pick by yourself." I must add (as always), THEY definitely did choose the right person, but I guess I DIDN'T!!!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Sleep... Oh! How I detest those little slivers of death!!

Ma, why do I have to go to bed so early? Its only 10pm!!! I can’t go to sleep this early!

Well Yup, My relationship with SLEEP, has not been a very cordial one! I always hated Sleeping. I mean, as it is we have a very short life span and soooo many many things to do. Then how in the world can we waste so much of our time sleeping!! When I was three year old and I was told to go to bed, Appa says I used to create such a huge fuss each night, and they had to forcefully put me to bed… Lol… Those were the days!!

Cut 2 –

I’m 23 and I can stay up late if I want, not sleep even. Oh my God Mum would freak out if she reads this, wont she!! LOL!

But seriously think about it, we spend nearly one third of our lives doing it, and yet, some of us never seem to be able to get enough of it. People all over the world don’t receive enough sleep whether it’s from a medical condition like narcolepsy, or simply not having enough time in a day.

The effects of getting a good night’s rest are essential and signs of sleep deprivation are not as hard to spot as one may think. Dark Circles, Puffy Eyes, lethargic body and droopy moods are a common phenomenon. Turning up at the Office looking like half dead pale zombies is not exceptional as well. :P

Sleeping is like a necessary evil for me… When I have to sleep, 100’s of things go through my head! I am always scared I wont have time to do these things if I sleep, But I have to… sleep has it own way of doing things…Eyes closing on their own, Neck drooping, hands and legs feeling powerless and more, all force me to SLEEP, though I hate doing sooo.. :S

Sleeping is like a partial death… Nope, I am serious, that’s exactly why the Savasana “Corpse Pose" the yoga asana, is the name given to the asana which is often used to begin and conclude a yoga session. It is a relaxing posture intended to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit, see the same as SLEEPING. But look at the name of the asana??
I am a light sleeper as well, if that helps!! I can wake up at the slightest of sounds/light or anything for that matter, which is great in turns of not wasting time sleep, but is horrible in terms of the fact that a dissected sleep can ruin one’s mood completely and entirely.

You snooze, you lose. It’s a catchy phrase!!! But sleep is not an optional enterprise, Quite Unfortunately!!! All mammals do it. So do birds, reptiles, and even fruit flies. Rats deprived of sleep apparently die faster than those deprived of food. In spite of these astounding facts, we know precious little about the purpose that sleep serves for us. Why do we sleep?

To understand this in simple terms, let us think of our bodies as a car. I presume everyone here owns a car, now you will all know that no car can keep going and going without a break. In case the car or the body (in the bigger picture) does not have its breaks then it will be FORCED to take a BREAK!! Refer SICK blog!! :P

Sleep is also the time when OUR body does most of its repair work, I guess; muscle tissues are rebuilt and restored. We know, for example, that growth hormone is secreted during sleep. But I guess, I CAN most definitely skip that (GROWING stuff has to END noo??), Cant I???

Having said all this and more, I still believe that Eight hours of sleep a day seems like a colossal waste of time, Right ya? After all, in the hectic world we live in, those precious hours could be put to use responding to all those E-mails, Blogging or hitting the spa. Right??

And so, HE Resigned!!

A good thing seldom last forever, and is can also be said about GOOD PEOPLE… they to NEVER last long… In the past few days, so much has been said, written and published regarding the IPL controversy and Mr. Shashi Tharoor and the Disgusting other individual

IPL Kerala team was never to be... That’s exactly what Mr. You-know-Who and gang had designed.... But Shashi Tharoor, a man completely ignorant of the political games and monarchy in India, used his complete might in order to bend the knees of these people and actually succeeded in getting the Kerala IPL team formed, nevertheless it was a temporary affair (Let’s hope its NOT!).... And now the Vicious MAN is playing politics to bring down Mr. Tharoor.....

We truly need to appreciate all the things Mr. Tharoor has done/ tried to do for Kerala including realizing the dream of our own IPL team.

It’s a SAD SAD SAD day that the Man who was an ex-UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information. In 2006, he was India’s official candidate for an unsuccessful (yet widely followed) bid for the office of United Nations Secretary-General… He was the first Indian celebrity to get 100,000 followers on Twitter. Unfortunately the honorable Minister of State for External Affairs and a member of the Indian Parliament from the Trivandrum constituency in Kerala is always in the news for wrong reasons...

First it was the controversy that showcased Tharoor and his boss S M Krishna being accused of staying in luxurious 5-star hotels. Then, it was about the Cattle Class Remark, following which we had the criticism following his remarks on the Gandhi Jayanti Holiday; Tharoor then criticized Gandhi and Nehru for their vision on Indian foreign policy, then the Interlocutor Controversy and now finally the IPL Kochi Team.

Honestly I feel most of the problems that have cropped up are plainly because the Indian Media and India Public have decided to NOT accept him, The politicians obliviously cannot digest the fact a man who has spent almost most of his adult life in the States, who is highly educated and knowledgeable is amongst them. Taking a close look at the controversies, shows us that it is the plain misinterpretation and mincing of words that has actually caused most of the trouble in Mr. Tharoor's Case. Let me quote the INTERLOCUTOR controversy. The Word essentially means:

Interlocutor (politics), someone who informally explains the views of a government and also can relay messages back to a government

And without even giving a thought to what he said The Media, Politicians and General public jumped into various conclusions. What he had said was, "We feel that Saudi Arabia has a long and close relationship with Pakistan, that makes Saudi Arabia even more a valuable INTERLOCUTOR for us. When we tell them about our experience, Saudi Arabia listens as somebody who is not in any way an enemy of Pakistan, but a friend of Pakistan and, therefore, will listen with sympathy and concern to a matter of this nature". He had replied this when asked whether India expected Saudi Arabia, given their close ties with Islamabad, to help address the terror threat from Pakistan.

This remark about Saudi Arabia being a "valuable interlocutor" raised such a strong reaction within the Indian political circle. The Pakistani press actually went on to report that he had proposed that Saudi Arabia play a mediator's role in improving India's relationship with Pakistan. People… People…. Please note an interlocutor is someone you speak to. If I speak to you, you are my interlocutor. He mentioned the Saudis as our interlocutors, i.e. the people they were to speak to. Nothing More and Nothing Less!!

As Shashi Tharoor once tweeted,

"Irresponsible reporting may briefly gratify a few sensation-seekers in the media, but they do no credit to the need for informed discussion of foreign policy issues in our democracy. India deserves better. So, frankly, do I."

Support Shashi Tharoor... He truly DESERVES BETTER!!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

See you NEXT Sunday!!

Dieting can change a person’s life for the better or ruins one’s health completely.

Almost 90% of the beautiful women today want a beautiful figure. That is why we are able to find a diet program almost everywhere in the country. Other than diet plans, there are also umpteen slimming places spread across Dubai... to aid women in their endeavour to LOSE WEIGHT!

"You are what you eat", goes a famous saying. If that's truly the case, then a lot of US would appear to be unhealthy, chemically treated, commercially raised slabs of animal flesh. While that is not a particularly pleasant thought, it is nonetheless a description of the typical Young human Omnivore who survives on the consumption of big MAC’s and greasy FRENCH FRIES. It's true, and what are we to do about this problem?

A proper diet program will help not only to slim down but also to have a healthier eating habit. For instance taking more vegetables and fruits than meat, avoiding fried food and carbonated drinks are healthy additions to our diet plan. For a diet program we shouldn’t cut one self from food and water.

However some people do not only go on a diet but they avoid eating and go hungry for the whole day. All they have is just either water or juices. Also there a people who buy special diet program over the counter like taking pills which are not approved by the health department and without consulting a doctor first. They do not follow the basic rules of dieting and this will lead them to some serious health problems like dysfunctional of some body parts or, even worse, death. And then we have people with eating disorders like bulimia, anorexia etc.

To keep the metabolism going strong and to prevent overeating, it’s important to have a healthy snack around every three to four hours. If you are at home, it’s fairly easy, but what about at work or in between client meetings between Al Quoz, JLT, DOZ and Dubai Media City.

Here are some ideas for portable healthy snacks, to keep you healthy and productive:

In Your Car:

* Almonds (unsalted preferably)
* Animal crackers
* Fruit snacks
* Graham crackers
* Mixed nuts

Your Desk Drawer at the Office:

* Canned fruit
* Fruit (apples has the longest life span, though I hate Apples!!! Urghh)
* Instant oatmeal
* Canned shakes (e.g. Slim-Fast)
* Microwave soup cups
* Peanut butter and whole grain crackers

In the Mini-Fridge at the Office:

* Low-fat or non-fat yogurt
* Single serving orange juice bottles
* Single serving tomato juice cans
* Sliced veggies and reduced-fat salad dressing

In Your Handbag or Backpack:

* Baked or reduced-fat potato chips in a zipper bag
* Baked tortilla chips in a zipper bag
* Cereal (low sugar preferably) in a zipper bag
* Cereal bar
* Mixed nuts in a zipper bag
* Popcorn (preferably air-popped) in a zipper bag
* Raisin mini boxes (Yummmmm)

In my opinion there is nothing wrong in going on a diet as long as ONE can follow the correct way of eating and has a good enough reason to diet. :D Every SUNDAY is like a I AM ON A DIET AND I NEED TO GET FIT Day!! But somewhere down the SUNDAY, Things go haywire and my diet goes for a toss... LOL… But then I can’t start the same on the next day, because the next day is not a SUNDAY, and we just have to start on a SUNDAY don’t we… LOL… Not a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or a Friday… Only on a SUNDAY!! So I am Waiting for the Next SUNDAY!! LOL Cya Diet… Cya next Sunday!! :D :D

P.S By the way, if you guys do have other proven healthy snacks, please do share them in our comments. :D :D :D

Energy SAVERS!!!

I am Switching Off! Are you?? A Pensive Abhishek Bachchan says looking intensely into the camera… But the Question is, is it ENOUGH?? A Small Step of course, but it should definitely gradually turn into something much bigger and more definite.

The Earth Hour, as we all know, started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change.

A year later, Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Burj Dubai, The Burj Al Arab, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

But switching off the lights for 60 minutes in a year, is comparatively insignificant, if the inherent meaning of the EARTH HOUR is lost!! Below are a few things I think we all can adapt in our daily lives, both at work and at home so as to leave at least a little bit of natural resources, energy and a little bit of the World, for the coming generations!! (Adapted from Herosofuae.ae)

1. IT’S COOL TO BE A LITTLE WARMER!

Once you’ve adjusted your AC to the temperature you want, turn it back up just 2-3 degrees. You’ll hardly know the difference, but it will make a difference to your consumption. Also remember to turn it off when you leave your home. That 2 degree difference can save you around AED 245* a year!

2. DON’T STAND BY, SWITCH OFF AND UNPLUG!

If you leave your computer on standby overnight, it uses almost as much electricity as it does when it’s switched on. Remember to turn it off and unplug! You can also switch off the monitors, printers, fax machine or copiers during breaks or when you are leaving your desk.

3. BE BRIGHT! SAVE MONEY!

Energy saving light bulbs are much more efficient than the traditional version and last up to 10 times longer. Next time you need to replace a bulb, take the energy saving option. You can save a very worthwhile AED 806* by making this switch.

4. ESSENTIAL LIGHTING!

We have plenty of SUN here in the Middle East! Allow proper outdoor lighting to illuminate the space. Turn off non essential and decorative lighting especially in unoccupied areas. Use task lighting to directly illuminate work areas instead for brighter area lighting.

5. GET YOUR RATINGS RIGHT! LOOK FOR ENERGY STAR!

Most office appliances these days have an energy-efficiency rating. If you’re buying one, choose the one that’s the most energy efficient and ask the supplier if they have this information. When purchasing PCs, monitors, printers, fridges, washing machines, fax machines and copiers, consider ENERGY STAR models that “power down” after a period of inactivity. If appropriate, use laptop computers – they consume 90% less energy than desktop computers.

6. GOING OUT? TURN IT OFF!

Get into the simple habit of switching lights off whenever you leave a room.

7. DETECT THE MOTION!

Install motion detectors or dimmers to control lighting in frequently unoccupied areas, such as restrooms. Rewire restroom fans to operate with the lights.

8. AUTOMATE LIGHTING SIGNAGES

Install time clocks or photoelectric cells to control exterior lighting, advertising sign lighting and some interior lighting.

9. KEEP COOL AND INSTALL BLINDS/ CURTAINS!

It is not only enhance the design of your home/office but adding curtains, blinds, solar screens or shades to your office actually helps in cooling down the space.

10. SAY NO TO EXPENSIVE EXTENSIONS!

If you have an extension lead connected to a wall point and it’s switched on, you’re needlessly wasting power. Switch off and – better still – unplug it!

Having said all that about the Earth Hour, I have also to say that it has nevertheless done a lot to raise awareness of climate change issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a VOICE on the future of our planet and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future for our planet.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Malabari?? Sorry you got that WRONG!!!

What’s common between Chief Justice of India, Indian Foreign Secretary, Indian Defense Minister, the latest Indian to represent India at the Miss Universe, Vidya Balan, Chief of "Chandryaan’, the Indian Space program, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, Chief of the new Federal Investigation Agency, John Abraham, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, The only Indian to contest for the UN Secretary General's Position, the chief of Staff for Security to UN Secretary General, Oscar Winner Resul Pookutty??

Well they all hail from the only 100% literate State in India, which is also rated the most baby friendly state with the lowest infant mortality rates and the best Health Care Model by UN!! They ALL hail from God Own Country, KERALA!

Take a look at the Atlas, Asian continent, the Indian Subcontinent, Look at India. One look at India and its difficult to spot Kerela, a small state at the tip of India…. Considering all this it has definitely come a long long way!

It’s very easy to find Keralite laborers, farm workers, artisans, technicians, illiterates and semi-literates all migrating to all parts of the WORLD. These are people who start with just knowing how to speak that to in ONLY their mother tongue. It’s through hard work, determination, perseverance, enthusiasm, stubbornness, persistence, and an inherent sense of Humor, they learn the trades and also languages!!! Hindi, English, Arabic, Tagalog and many other languages necessary to sustain them in any place that they go. Now how many people can actually do that?? I have many friends, Sindhi’s, Gujratis, and Punjabis who constantly say Malayalam is difficult and they can NEVER learn the language… Of course you can’t, because it all in the head, Once you decide something is Difficult and unattainable and then you JUST can’t!!

True, none of them speak in Queen’s English, but most of the world doesn’t do so either, then why is it that only Keralites are ridiculed? The great Chinese Population, majority of the French, German, Arabic, East European and even good percentage of UK population do not speak English or speak only a version of it. ?? Nor the vast majority of Indians can speak Hindi, our National language???

You simply CANNOT hate a race/tribe based on generalized assumptions!! It’s simply disgusting and racist!! The Americans calling Muslim Terrorists is RACIST, but Calling Keralites Kalle Malabaris is NOT?? If they are dishonest, cunning, untrustworthy, sly and uneducated etc we definitely criticize people but otherwise, is it FAIR?? So why hate Keralites?? I think its PURE Jealousy!!!

See its simple…In cities like Mumbai and Delhi; people have seen Keralites as Nariyal Pani wallahs, manual labors and shop assistants etc. But in the Middle Eastern Countries, States, Australia, England, people are amazed at their success, influence and the sheer majority… IT completely irritates most people, they just cannot take it that those who cannot speak Queens English have become so successful?? Those who where dhotis are now in trousers! Those “Kalley lungi wallales” are now in the company of multinational and multicultural people.

WE do not apologies for our success, whether you like us or not, We are full of sympathies for most people from other states of India as your fishermen, laborers, artisans do not dare or care to come out of their villages, because they are illiterates!! Our men (however they might me) are not, they challenge themselves!!! They become successful!! Look at Joy Alukkas, Yousif Ali, M Ramachandran, Sunny Varkey…. All are at high positions and have strong holds in the Country governments as well!!

And last but not the least, there’s Something I Really NEED to clarify……..People, you know Malabar is only a part of Kerala and it’s are wrong and stupid to call Keralites as Malabaris, this shows the Ignorance of the Geo-political facts on your end!!! Do you call all British people as Scottish or Irish?? Do you call all Americans as Texans or New Yorkers?

So stop this, get some information on Indian states, start reading newspapers!!!

Pretence or Productivity????

The Clock strikes 1730 hours and there ought to be a marathon towards the cars… But NO… Not in my office… People as in my colleagues are still working; working as though if they don’t work today, Right now, this moment, there is going to a major Catastrophe!! Ohh Common…. Ours is a Design House… What would happen?? I can So very well understand if we were the Meteorological department or the Police Force or say even the Stock exchange (Hey wait they too shut down, don’t they????)
 
My Question here is, isn’t 9 hours of Work enough already??? Of course it is... When we take a closer look at my HARD working colleagues, the picture is CLEAR…. They are HARDLY working… and it’s so frustrating for those EARLY leavers like ME… No one can work continuously for sooooo many hours… EveryONE needs a change of air, space, people around them… But NO... Not these guys, these guys don’t seem to understand that at all and sit in the Office all day long and way beyond the normal working hours and WHY??
 
Looking deeper shows us a common thread between these sooo CALLED “Productive” Individuals…. most of them are BACHELORS!! These are people who have nothing to look forward to in the evenings. People with no/ minimum commitments and families back HOME! These are people who have lost the will to live LIFE to the fullest, they are content with the small things in this world… Their dreams and aspirations are limited. And therefore they stay at the Office itself for longer than required and charge OVERTIME and for what?? Well I think I have managed to narrow down to a few reasons why I think they do SO!
  • Stay in the office till long, Pay less for electricity at home!
  • Free Internet, Phone, Coffee and Air Conditioning as well.
  • Privacy! Most of the bachelors in Dubai stay in sharing accommodations in an attempt to save as much as money as possible.
  • Extra Money!!!
The Unfortunate part is that majority of the EMPLOYERS equate LONG HOURS with PRODUCTIVITY. Which is definitely not the case!! Just because I leave office at the regular time does not mean that I m in any way doing less work than them nor is it Vice versa. These people need to invest their time and energy in things that are much more effective and productivity not for any1 else but at least for THEM, may be NOT monetarily but definitely morally and ethically. Common get out you guys and do something!!! There are end number of things that can be done in order to fill the vacuum that exists in this solitary, lone lifestyle in Dubai!!
  •  Learn a NEW language
  • Teach yourself to play an instrument
  • Start working out!
  • Develop a Hobby
  • Start helping out at the cat/dog shelter!
  • Start Meeting People!!...... or soo many other things that's there to DO!
People… it is always better to do things the right way, at the right time and enjoy life! You guys are not always going to remain BACHELORS… at least NOT all of you… :P
 
One day you guys will get married, and then it will be impossible for you to stay in the office till late because you will have other responsibilities and commitments and at that time your BOSS, the very same guy who praises you saying “He??? He is such a Hard worker… stays in the office till late in the night and works with all his heart! Sincere and dedicated young chap!! Unlike those other people who run at 5.30 as though they were watching the clock all day” He too will change and blast you later saying “What’s wrong with you now… you were sooo good and dedicated, now all you want to do is leave early!!”
 
So guys lets create a healthy work culture, work within the office hours with full dedication and sincerity and LEAVE the office at COB!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Will they? Wont they? Do we really CARE??

Will Sania Mirza marry Shoaib Malik after the controversies the Pakistani cricketer is involved in and the bad press their alliance has got?

Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik set to bridge India-Pakistan divide with marriage!!!!

ZEE NEWS, NDTV, STAR Newsss – all of them shows us reporters summarizing the Sania-Shoaib story…ending it with pathetic look in their eyes and a poignant question on their mouths….. “Will these two marry on 15th April - this is the most important question on the minds of people in Ind-Pak!” AS IF!!!! WHAT the hell is wrong with news reporters - Can someone please tell them we couldn’t actually care less!

I NOW know… Indian media is made up of bunch of JOKERS... NDTV included, common how else can you justify… RAKHI ka Swayamvar??? Rahul ki Dulhaniya??? Ohh GOD! At least this SM drama is a notch above that nonesense!!

The question is SO??…. So what if they don’t marry, or if they do? Why do WE have to be bothered?? Agreed all of us are more or less much more bothered about our neighbor’s lives than our own. But why? Is it healthy?? I can assure you its NOT.. Not to this Level!!

The funny part is people actually think this is a UNIQUE union bridging the two nation’s bitter sporting and political divide. For all those people who think that this marriage will be a small step in cajoling the two clashing countries to communicate are under a major major misconception! If Cricket couldn’t do it… this definitely CANNOT!!

But the bigger question here is the Celebrity fixation!!! Have you ever looked at pop culture icons and wondered why certain celebrities appear in ads? Especially when the person has no perceptible affiliation with the product being sold in the ad. It seems like there is some mystifying force that attracts companies to recruit these stars to be in their ads.

What’s happening here is that these ads try to entice viewers into looking at them by displaying popular figures who are popular and controversial. Remember Akshay Kumar’s Lewis Unbuttoned campaign?? Oh God, What the hell was that??? SO ya the man asked his wife to unbutton his jeans on stage… SOoo… Was he NUDE??….Whose sentiments are being hurt HERE??? That’s IT! Obliviously each and every one of us is entitled to an opinion, But in my personal opinion, what we need to learn is WHERE to STOP!!!

These people are appealing/ CASHING IN on OUR obsession with celebrity’s lives. This disease which we have been stricken with is I feel an attempt for people to pay less/no heed to their own problems. By focusing on the imperfections of superstars, we can feel some relief that our own lifestyles and imperfections are not as bad as they seem!!! Right??

This fixation that the media entices leads to celebrities lives being invaded by the paparazzi and by stalkers on one end and on the other side this fascination with controversial celebrities also leads to stars like Shah Rukh Khan (who during the promotion of his movie My Name is Khan resorted to some cheap publicity to get people into the cinemas), to purposely cause controversies just so he/she can make some more money and stay in the limelight. What WE need to do is start minding our own business!!! Letting these Soooo CALLED Celebrities live in peace (or otherwise) and to stop letting the media point our noses into what THEY think is important!!!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

So, what’s My SOOPER Power???

With GREAT Power comes GREAT Responsibility!! Well that’s what Benjamin Parker Said, You guys surely remember him… he is Spiderman’s Uncle… Rather Peter Parker’s Uncle! Well I can be responsible enough, so where’s my SUPER POWER???

Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to be able to do something SPECIAL! Something different, unusual and exceptional! Call it a fixation with Cartoon Network or with the Marvel comics, whatever it may be, I am absolutely floored by the concept of sleeping as an “Ordinary” person and to WAKE UP with special flying abilities, X ray vision, possessing animal-keen senses, diamond hard skin, powers of persuasion, lots of enhanced physical capabilities, coupled with retracting bone claws, definitely slow aging process, and a SELF HEALING property maybe!!

WOW, how cool would that be??? If I have all these powers, I would manipulate the world, the material world, and the people in it. I would change seasons, go anywhere I wanted, teleport, bend spoons (and a whole lot more as well):P. I would hop over the all the HIGH rise buildings in SZR, get rid of my fear of HEIGHTS, and no, I wouldn’t want to have the webs, nah… not those (kind of icky aren’t they), but I would rather depend on sheer force of what I know about the universe and its design. I would learn, quite easily (painlessly mainly), kung fu, aikido, taekwando, kalari payttu, kick boxing and Karate as well.

I know I know… I am quite sure that you guys are all thinking about the yummy hunky Hugh Jackman, the gorgeously delicious Keanu Reeves, innocent Tobey Macquire, and the feisty Uma Thruman from the Kill Bill Series… These descriptions are rushing to you with great familiarity and I am quite definite there will be an exhilarated adrenaline rush as well; Of course!! See If just reading about these powers and watching movies showcasing them gives us such a RUSH, imagine what would happen if we ever get a chance to experience it??? When I watch movie, they stick to me, I live them, not once but over and over again… Ye I know it’s kind of freaky, that’s how it is… I am the protagonist of the movie for the next couple of days… and the movies, they generally strike me and keep me spellbound and I am just slouching in my living room staring blankly at the Plasma, imagining the possibilities!

Super heroism can be summed up pretty much by men and women in tights fighting crime, villains and often depicted as idyllic. Which is quite strange actually considering they were all/ mostly social outcasts, Right?

NO be seriously, I like to see/ BE super heroes as an answer to all the problems but at the same time people with normal feeling, they are after all human beings somewhere down the line, with the same emotions as people feel. Like a unique figure with extraordinary powers can solve our day-to-day problems. Oh! If Wolverine could save people (read ME) by climbing on walls and carrying me on his strong shoulders and rescuing me from the pathetic TRAFFIC, surely things like Me coming to the Office LATE wouldn't happen ever again...right? It’s incredible to having super powers; I'd say all the abilities introduced by these Comics really are awe inspiring.

Everything about superheroes is SUPER! They dress in awesome (Okay, agreed some are funny) suits. They flaunt around their powers. They impress. They solve problems. But in the real life, it’s quite unfortunate there is no fighter of GOOD, to help us from our issues. Because in reality the danger that we have is OFTEN with ourselves; yup!! We're these small bundles of emotions that constantly change the way we behave; perform, the way we live, interact etc.

I think I were a super hero, my special ability would be reading emotions and absorbing them. Well that’s because I know am a good listener, I can listen to people, and they feel easy to open up to me. Just about anyone, even people whom I hardly know find it completely unproblematic in telling me their secrets… New people at work, people I meet through FB, through the shows that I do, people I meet through friends… At times I feel as if am oozing out some vibes that make people feel, I make them feel better… like Pepper… Ye, Pepper makes us remember our deepest secrets and feel the need to get it out with… So I would love to grab onto all the negative feelings that build up in the human soul and filter them, shake them off completely, leaving only the positive emotions.

I would be, what I would like to call, an Empath!!! To take the HATE out of the Universe... That would make this WORLD a better place, now wouldn’t it??? :D