Things I see and read

I thought it was about time I wrote a post. I intend to tell you a little bit what I have been reading and what I have been seeing on television...yes I am back to seeing television again.

Its thanks to Khatron Ke Khiladi on Colors, the new channel from Viacom too that I am back to seeing television and making my Mom happy as I am home from Monday - Thursday by 10 pm which is when the show starts. Hosted by Akshay Kumar, 13 babes (ranging from the Tapur- Tupur sisters to Yanaa Gupta types are in it) vie for the throne so to speak. They in turn support an Army chap who has a cause and if they win, the money goes to the Army chap. 4 babes have been outed so far:

• Sonali Kulkarni - She looked unfit and fat
• Dipannita Sharma (I missed this episode)
• Meghna Naidu (quite unfair this one)
• Vidya Malavade (the worst of the lot - she refused to do a stunt which was quite unsporting in my humble opinion)

Show is paisa vasool. Akshay Kumar is a hard taskmaster and motivates them as well. All the chiks are gung ho in spite of their fears so it is a good watch.

What is not a good watch is the Ekta Kapoor Mahabharata on 9X. Boss, wot eet ees wonly! They are wearing as less clothes as possible and here I talk about both the men and women. Its tres horrible acting - they are hamming as much as possible and it most certainly doesn't match to the whoriginal Mahabharata!!

I incidentally almost watched all episodes of 'Ugly Betty' today in this marathon thing going on Star World today. Its a nice show and I can't believe me and sistah watched some 8 hours of Ugly Betty!!

Reading - Hmm...have been reading a lot...every time I finish a book, am onto the next. Have read like some 6 books atleast in the past 3 weeks. Started with Jeremy Paxman's book 'On Royalty'- this was exactly that, about the English royalty and loved it. He intersperses history with the right hint of satire and it makes for a very enjoyable read.

Then read Elmore Leonard- he is sooo one of my favourite writers. Re-read the first book I had read written by him - Tishomingo Blues - god wotta read! The lead protagonists are grey (never black and white) and there is a drug mafia fight happening during the course of a Civil War re-enactment. Then came 'In Honey's Room' - set in 1940's America about German spies in the States and the story is well about Honey :)

'Elsewhere' by Kal Friese is a collection of India essays. Some are completely inane and some are bloody brilliant. There are two which in my mind stand out. One an essay on Kashmir by Sonia Jabbar and the other a story on the Bhopal tragedy. Beautiful stories and it stirs the heart.

Alex Frater's book - 'Chasing the Monsoon' is another interesting read. It is full of technical details and Alex basically chases the monsoon from Kerala to Cherrapunji. I think the climax at Cherrapunji was brilliantly written and it certainly had more emotion than most parts of the book. (On a strange note, as I finished reading the book, the monsoons restarted here in Bumbai)

I am currently reading 'The Polyester Prince' by Hamish McDonald. My father and me were very keen to read this book for obvious reasons. As I read it, I am coming to know why it is banned here. :) I bought it off the streets so anyone wants it just ask me and will give after I finish reading.

That is it from me. The rain pounds against the windowpanes at my bedroom. Its time to snooze ladies and gents. Bonne nuit.

Reading at Xaviers, originally uploaded by KittyKaht.

Books- I have been devouring them by the dozen and this I say without any exaggeration for the past two-three weeks. I finish one and I start the other...I can't stop and there is like a force inside me saying read, read, read...Amongst the books I read so far, Joanne Harris's Five Quarters of an Orange n Blackberry Wine stand out. Read this book by Muriel Maufroy – Rumi's Daughter. V v nice. Made me v philosophical for that one nite. I read tht one start to finish. Could not stop. U read the book and you stop to think- wot is the point. Feel like there should be more. Are we already living that 'more' or wot?

I watched Musafir today – the Big T recommended it as an optimized Hindi movie to me. The back of the DVD cover read – No Justification, Only Gratification. Umm...I am nt sure I was gratified. Guys would have been gratified with the hot babes – Koena highly sucky and doing some sudsy dance with Anil Kapoor leching at her. Then it is Sunju Baba's turn to lech at her. Mahesh Manjrekar was truly creepy and disgusting and he made my skin crawl. Sameera just should nt have bothered with the clothes. Totally pointless. Action – all rubbish. Highlight was Sunju Baba's lines. Bas..total jhakaas and value for money.

I have decided to do my South trip. I have some ideas abt dates. Lets see how it all goes. The road to good intentions is cobbled with stones from hell. (Poetic license I am allowed) :D

Sun kissed roads

Warm blue air

Scent of the bumble bee

Flowers strewn everywhere

The yellowed meadows

Trees lit with an incandescent light

The birds dancing with the currents

The blackberries ripe with their juice

The apple green of the new born leaf

The colour so rich it startles me

Colours everywhere..they surround us

Yet we don't see

We choose to to be indifferent

Living average Joe lives

Smell Feel Sense Touch Live

Should be the new mantra

Whispered n yelled with fervour

It would let us unfurl

Like a butterfly in the sun

The Watchmen

Read the Watchmen. I loved it. Its boootiful artwork and some of the panels are gloriously filled with colour. Storyline is dramatic as hell and u SHOULD read it as quickles as possible. For more on the book read here

My weekend

I had a very nice weekend. I relaxed, rested, slept and cooked and studied Geometry. Accha tha! I cooked Misal Pav with my sister fr lunch on Sat and well except for the fact that we could not put loads of chilli powder and it was a wee bit too yellow (coz of the turmeric overdose) but apart from that for a first time, it came out really good.

Raat ke liye we made Tomato Soup with a Twist. We went the whole hog with the croutons etal. Niceness it was!! :D The recipe came from here.

Then of course things had to get balanced out on Sunday where we had rasam and cabbage prepared by my dearest mommy! :) I mean from all this nice khana to rasam and cabbage - the pits eet ees! But sistah and me survived to tell the tale I guess.

Bhel and random relatives in the evening..and oh yeah, I read this most amazing book 'Spell of the Tiger' by Sy Montgomery. Kyaa phatte book tha. I loved it and am under the spell of the tiger for sure now! Bonobibi and Daskin Ray are as much part of this book as the tigers are. The tiger stories freak u out...leaping 20 feet in the air, jumping onto boats to get to their human prey amongst other things..I mean, that is some crazy shit! But the amazing thing is you read the book and you believe in the tiger cult yourself and realise the importance of the tigers to the ecological system of the Sunderbans. Nice read and recommended for certain.

Reading Tamas and its aftereffects

Listening to BB King and staring at my palm tree and talking to Mother..its nice...:)

I have been reading Tamas. It has been affecting me quite strangely. I have read newspaper reports and the like about communal riots, felt pain and distress but not like this. The book is about ordinary people, not about politicians making merry while the cities burn. I pass this road which goes past the Hiranandini Hospital and there are slums on one side of the road. I look at the kids, the people from different communities and I wonder would they fight against their neighbours.

There is this incident in Tamas - the part where I am at. This Sikh couple living for 25 years in one village, surrounded by Muslims and how the same people who would drink tea at their shop, destroyed it. They have to leave the house they have known for such a long time and move away because of communalism.

Communalism is a dirty word - has become a dirty word rather. Politicians use it, NGO's use it, upwardly mobile professionals use it. What does it mean? I was thinking I have never been a part of a riot and in my lifetime I never ever want to be. Its human being against human being because his religion comes in between. Religion is an ugly word too - bandied around too often and misused too often as well.

Work is calling now..more on this later

Lifeaseetees

Mins Blogger is back, out of beta, wonder when we r gng to be like tht with our product! That would be nice......

I have been reading and reading and I feel insatiable with this need to read...I don't go a day without reading..Rt now, I am reading 'The Agony and the Ecstasy' by Irving Stone. Its a biography of Michelangelo and its fabulous! I mean, I find it hard to believe some of the stuff here but its a great read trying to understand how the mind that made 'David' - one of the most beautiful things I have seen btw!

I saw David in Florence...he is the most perfect man ever. I am now reading as to why he chose to make David that way, the pose, the reasons behind the pose..oh man, bootiful stuff! That set me getting nostalgic about my time in Italy and what a glorious time I had! Spent 16 days in that country and boy I wish I could go back there! With patience comes things and that is what I hope! Florence- the Doumo, Sienna and the cobbled streets, Rome, Pomepii, Positano - boooooooootiffffulllll with the lesbian hostel warden! Ah, memories, so sweet.....

Further down the path and remembered Ncl friends - and went into work and had got email from Mica.....so cool that was...coincidental and everything but still! Day progressed and suddenly something happens and I am like man, why me types!! Its like I attract trouble or men can scent it - whichever comes first!

I met Mun yest and had a such great time catching up with him man! Wheee that was! Been friends with him for 19 long yrs and I am loving eeet!! Ended up talking about my love life as usual! How wierd that should happen with today's RTC man! I can't wait to see Man (where the fuck are you da??)...

I also did some screwy shit and I can only apologise to person concerned. Honest mistake meant well but sometimes things get wierd! Sowie baby, didn't mean any harm at all!

Cutlet's and Ganja's wedding went off fabulously! Loved being bridesmaid and loveeeee my dresss!! Shoes were bashturd in end but still worth it I guess! Wot women do for vanity I tell ya! I caught the fucking bouquet which of course made me the talking point of Den's family! Bloddy nonsense I tell ya...Den beetch even put that fucking snap up!! Blodddddy I tell ya!!

I am gng to Kashid for NY and can't fucking wait! The work that I am doing rt now, I am going to be heartily sick of by the time it finishes so just as well I would say I am going away. I pray for Mrs Karnik's soul everyday!

That is it from me....enuf update crap I reckon....