Everything Online..Just click your worries away!!

Isnt the internet the best?I mean it was one of the best inventions ever..I know I cannot do without the phone or electricity, but after that,its got to be the net!! Add to it networking websites and blogs, and the sky becomes the limit. For hard core indian movie buffs like me, i can never tire of hearing about what my favourite stars are upto. And now we have them actually blogging and telling us what is going on with them. When you read Aamir's or Amitji's blog, you actually feel like you know them personally.

Do you remember when we were growing up and all we had were videos to be rented out from a library(Could not imagine buying one every time!!)? We used to be so excited to go rent a movie to watch. I would trudge along with my dad and brother to the little video library at the corner of the road and spend an hour looking through the list of movies written down by the library guy. This would lead to frustration since we would have no idea on the movie, the review etc.

It is quite awesome now..the digital age. Just go online , look through lists of movies, read their reviews and then make a fair decision on which you want to watch. There are plenty of websites out there which let you buy movies and rent DVDs.Then there are some which let you watch them online. But do remember not all of them are legal. So if you are someone who wants to erase piracy AND want to watch a good quality movie, then you have fewer choices. If you are looking for great desi movies including the age old classics like Gol Maal, Chupke Chupke or serious stuff like Pakeezah, there is one great website available and that is MoovieShoovie. This offers very good picture quality , a fantastic collection of movies and is legal! You want just a trailer or a song of your favourite movie?No problem.That's possible too..

I for one am hooked!!

Therapy thy name girlfriends....

So, it all started when one of my friends decided to move to another country. Over a few drinkies, as most conversations go, we started talking about taking a trip before she left..And for once even after the intoxication left us, we continued to plan it. After a lot of emails, FBing, phone calls, Bangkok was decided as the destination. 5 of us, Raks, Ashu, Jo, Div and me started off to to the airport in this big van on the 3rd of July. The excitement had begun and so had the giggles. .. Checked in the baggage, cleared thru immigration, well almost!! 4 of us did and turned around to see Jo still waiting. After 5 minutes we realised she couldnt get thru immigration cos she was a US citizen and hadnt gotten her registration done yet..After all the begging and pleading, which didnt work, poor Jo had to get her luggage and head back home...
But on the bright side, she attacked the problem bright and early the next morning and joined us at Bangkok the next day..
It was an amazing time that we all had...We shopped till we thought we dropped, but wonder of wonders, we didnt and instead got ready to party..3 days/3 nights in a row...So thats what we did..shopping, eating, partying,more shopping, more partying.. We had our good friend, Suds, who played the host to a 'T' and took us to the best places in town.
Girls, taking time away with your girlfriends, I think is an absolute necessity for good health. We are happy, so we are in a good mood. And when we are in a good mood, everyone else is happy too. So highly recommend this!!

A vacation that wasnt...

For those of you who have actually wondered why I havent blogged ( i know it is a measly few who have), I was too shocked and ashamed of myself to relate my last few days' occurrence..Anyways here goes...

We had this beautiful vacation to Phuket planned..My hubby,my son ,my brother, my SIL and their lil baby girl...2 days before the trip, we realised my passport has expired!! Me, the 'phoren' returned!! I haven't kept track of my passport ! I was too stunned to believe. We got to work and gathered all our papers, got a gazetted officer to sign some documents at 11 in the night. Monday morning, bright and early, we were there at the passport office to file for passport renewal through the 'tatkal scheme'..Expecting a day or 2 at the most for processing, I was left shocked again..After all it is 'loads of power' resting with the 'small people'..They would not so much as look at it. In fact, I knew my chances were slim when the applicant before me, a 70 year old man had got all his papers, with originals, except for his telephone bill. He had brought only a photocopy. He was pleading saying that he stayed too far and needed to come back in a bus. I know its difficult to break rules but to impolitely ask that old man to leave is the pits..
And to top it there were 2 days off for the passport office that week. Why, u ask? Mahavir Jayanti and Good Friday..Really, these guys must work for only a handful of days in a year!!
So instead of getting my passport in 1-3 days according to the expensive tatkal scheme, I get it in 11 days..More money spent but more time taken too...

Anyways, with my blessings, the rest of the family went on the trip...And had a reasonably ok time..And after the first day or so, I had a great time too (though I am not telling them that..I am still trying to play on their guilt for something interesting in return..)

Check out Jaago re! - One Billion Votes

Guys, go to:: Jaago re! - One Billion Votes 

25 Random things about myself...

I hardly ever get tagged, so when my friend , Raksha did, during her post of '25 Random things about herself', I did not want to let it pass. It took time to get inspired enough to write the same about me..Can I really come up with 25??Lets see...

1)I used to be chilled out, but recently have been bordering on Type A behaviour..Dont know how or why the transition happened..Tho, I am constantly working towards getting back to being chilled out..

2)I get inspired by women who seem to have it all figured out!!

3)I want to backpack around the world...Hopefully there is a permanent remedy for my 'motion sickness' soon:-(

4)I apparently drank 1/2 a bottle of kerosene when i was less than a year old..That could explain the extreme motion sickness..

5)I took my walker at the age of 1 ,saw the open door and scooted.Went to a friend's house, till everyone panicked and finally found me. That was the day, we knew i was not going to be a home body...

6)My longest telephone conversation was 7.5 hours, non-stop..Ha..and people thought I was the quiet one!!

7)That conversation must have done it..Now, if I talk for more than 15 minutes on the phone, I get a pain in my neck..

8)My dad was the most intelligent and the most chilled out person I have known...

9)For a party of mine, he filled coconuts with beer and passed it around to my friends..Of course we were all above 18..I didnt know any dad who could do that..

10)I will never forget the look of pride on his face when both of us saw my 12th results..It was all worth it...

11)I hate secrets..

12)I hate MCPs..

13)I cant believe I am still in Number 12!!

14)I love that my son is such a free spirit and so smart..Though, these are the very reasons, I lose my temper very easily with him..He can be quite a smart *!@

15)I am still waiting for my perfect job...

16)I love my family, but I cant do without my girlfriends..

17)I don't like confrontations of any kind..

18)I love sitcoms..I need an episode of 'Friends' before my sleep..

19)I find it difficult to relate to people when they say they don't read novels of any kind.. I feel the desperate need to convince them to try ..Getting into an author's amazing imagination, is something everyone needs to try..

20)I am convinced I was a nomad in my previous birth since every couple of years I feel I need to relocate...

21)I always dream of going 'back to school' again...

22)I need to be kept busy or I can drive myself and the others up the wall..

23)I need some time everyday to do my yoga and pranayam..

24)I always thought I would be an ideal wife..No possessiveness and nagging was always my motto..Till of course I got married..What can I say..Maybe its in the XX chromosome..

25)I admire myself for the fact that I can graciously accept when I am in the wrong and will try my best to fix it..

Progress??Really??

I am all for new initiatives. The latest I read was 'Bring SMILY RIDE in Bangalore traffic'. I am mighty impressed. The action plan seems simple enough:
1)Just follow the rules and Lane discipline ALWAYS. NEVER EVER violate traffic Rules.
2)Keep smiling at Signals..No arguments, NO shouting, NO Honking and DONOT provoke others to violate.
3)Just display (Show off) to others that you are a strict follower of traffic rules by tying RED and YELLOW (TWO ribbons..just to differentiate if some one has habit of tying ribbon for prosperity etc.,) RIBBON to your vehicle in prominent place..(Say side mirror on Cars, Bikes or buses) and ENROLL minimum TEN people in your life to participate in this MOVEMENT. And each of them will Enroll TEN Others and the chain goes on.

Everytime someone in the car starts cribbing about the traffic or honking, I try and remind them about the 3 principles to follow. But you know, sometimes it really becomes difficult!! I was sitting happily in my 7th floor apt sipping my morning coffee, lazing. Just happened to peep out of the window and this is what I saw:

Can you believe this is not Majestic? It is Sarjapur Road/ORR intersection! Make way for flyovers and underpasses..Make way for progress. And while that is going on, expect quite a lot of jams along the way!!And dont forget, keep smiling:-)

Anyways Cheers to Ananth and the 'Bring Smily Ride in Bangalore Traffic'. Read http://www.ryze.com/posttopic.php?topicid=1014040&confid=366 for more...

Some Valentine's love for our planet?

1)Buy a potted plant of red roses instead of a vase of red roses. Go to a nearby nursery and pick up one. These last longer and are environmentally friendly..

2)Make your own chocolate instead of buying from outside for a change. Here is a simple recipe:
Sugar-1 cup
milk powder-1 cup
butter - 3/4 cup
cocoa powder - 3/4 cup

Make sugar syrup.
Add the butter and stir till it blends with the syrup.
Whip the Cocoa powder and milk powder together.
Add this to the butter and sugar mix.
Keep stirring till it becomes thick.
Grease a plate. Pour the mixture into it.
After it cools, cut into pieces and refrigerate.
Add nuts like cashews if you like.

3)Make valentine cards with handmade paper or buy the ones made out of handmade paper.

4)The best gift: name a star after your loved one, buy a piece of the rain forest, make a donation in their name, etc.
For naming a star go to: http://www.nameastarlive.com/?src=google/

To buy a piece of rainforest go to: http://www.adoption.co.uk/rainforest/

For more interesting tips on Saving our planet:
http://liveearth.org/2009/02/save-a-little-love-for-the-planet-on-valentines-day/