Marriages are made in heaven.. or is it Taj Blue Diamond

Came from Kashid on Sunday night (more on the outing in next post). Was totally void of energy but somehow got up on Monday n went to the office. After coming to the office I noticed in the washroom how horrible I was looking (tht day). The french beard i had was almost covered by the rest of unshaven part. Had worn a tee n a old pair of loose jeans, which could have easily slipped off if the belt was not in place. Could find no excuses for avoiding the work which is piling up, courtesy the pre-poned schedule of execution phase (I hate preparation phase now). Somehow as the day was reaching to an end, I got a call. (Not frm God like in 1 nite@Call centre coz i dont work there)


Anyways, the call was frm home. Mom was telling me to have food outside coz she was going to attend a marriage in Taj Blue Diamond. My mom has now stopped asking me to accompany for the marriages since last 4 years. Lets begin frm there...FLASHBACK --- I am originally a Rajasthani. But, our generations have settled in Maharashtra n 99% of my frnds are Maharashtrians since childhood. So, except the language i dont know anything about my supposedly native place. Now, in our community marriages used to take place in childhood. After modernisation has come into place, the age level has increased. But, still in some families gals are married off at 'bout 18 n guys around 20-21. Luckily my parents r not in this grp of thinkers n have not given a thought for mine. So, whenevr I went to attend marriages around 4-5 yrs back, I was cornered by ppl eager to give their daughter's hand. I m very opposed to this system n so after attending one such marriage, came home n a swear word slipped frm my mouth against an elderly person. So tht was the beginning of my mom not asking me to accompany later for any marriages (including my cousins')... n I am still grateful for tht.


So I agreed to have food outside (though frankly I wanted to go to Blue Diamond.. but no) n resumed my work. Around 20-25 min ltr my mama (maternal uncle) called me up n said tht he was waiting below my office n wanted me to come down. When I went there, he was in a car sitting with my mom n mami (uncle’s wife). They all were going for tht wedding nhe was insisting tht I too go along with them. I explained to him tht I was in no mood for attending a wedding but he didn’t budge. So I pulled on a sweater n went along. (I mean went up the stairs, luckily had a sweater in my locker n then went down) The hotel was buzzing with ppl in resplendent clothes which made me more n more awkward n giving me the feeling of being an odd man out. Soon enuf as the news spread tht Dr. Sharma’s son who has finished his graduation n is currently working is here.. I was literally dragged in a corner by 2 men n then started a barrage of questions Wht I was doing currently n then the date of birth n stuff like tht. In the mean time I was thinking how to while away 1 more hour so I started looking frm the corner of my eye at a grp of gals hoping to find a gud looking one n coincidentally she being one of those men’s daughter. But to no avail… atleast tht would have kept me busy during the wedding ceremony. Generally I restrain myself frm cracking jokes in front of such ppl, but then one of those gentlemen seemed cool enuf to bear tht so.... My mom had told him tht I wanted to study further for my PG n had no intention of marrying so soon. He countered tht with saying tht the right age for a boy to marry is 20-21. I shook his hand n said tht “I am desperate for marriage since last year but my mom wont let me think of it. Pls tell her to let me marry” n after saying tht took off frm there to meet another relative. I didn’t dare to look back at mom’s face… he he he. The wedding ceremony was over n when my turn came to congratulate the couple I was confused to whom to hand over the gift. Simply coz I wasn’t aware frm whose side I was attending. Lolzzz. But since the bride was shy n looking down (they have to act like tht???) I handed the gift to the groom, had food n then left for home.


Don’t know whether I will be attending any marriages in near future but…

Old ppl used to annoy me at weddings by pinching my cheeks n saying u r next. But they stopped doing tht when I did the same to them at funerals

Hot n Spicy

The title is neither the name of a Chinese hotel at ur street's corner nor a soup on its menu, but is the name of a recent movie. Garam=Hot n Masala=Spice. So Garam Masala, true to it's name is hot n spicy. Hot coz the 3 leggy new actresses add to the movie's oomph quotient while spicy coz they r staying with the same guy but get to know 'bout it at the end (movie's end .. not the guy's end lolzz). Akshay Kumar (AK) n John Abraham (JA) play the roles of photographers working with a glossy magz company. So the start is ofcourse an eyeful of foreign chicas grooving to the music n posing for these dudes. AK is already on the verge of getting married to Rimii Sen, but he has a disease called as 'roving eye' which makes her almost walk over him. Then AK with help of a colleague manages to rope in 3 air-hostesses to be his g/fs ... n look at his luck .. all r working with different airlines. AK is very efficiently managing his office work (???) n triple-timing the flight timings with the help of his cook (Paresh Rawal) n mechanic (Rajpal Yadav). JA comes to know 'bout this n as a true frnd comes to share the burden ;). Chaos rules the house n both do some stupid n funny stuff to keep the 3 gals out of each other's reach. But the gals find out the plan n phhhhuuuuussss.. a typical Hindi movie ending with AK going with RS.

Except a few funny incidents n AK's good timing, not much can be expected frm this movie (inspite it being Priyadarshan's). JA looked good in Dhoom but looks better n cool in this.. no wonder Bips is all gung-ho over him (the roles could have been interchanged betn Akshay n John). But being his first venture in comedy, he doesnt come good. Neha Dhupia n Rimii Sen have a blink-n-miss role.. suits them. Paresh Rawal n Rajpal Yadav r wasted. The new heroines... dont know their names.. even the director might have forgotten till now.. are just to please the front benchers n demand more whistles as the movie progresses. Have read tht this movie is based on the real life of Akshay Kumar who was two timing with some actresses b4 his marriage. The music is gr8 n the song Ada is the rage of the town. Even if critics say tht the movie isn't funny, it is declared a hit all over.

My rating: OK.. worth one dekko

Also saw Harry Potter.. but nothing happened in the movie till interval. Also they created enthu by the superb stadium n didnt show the match. Emma Watson looked amazing when she descended the steps for the dance. Finished... thts it!! Read the book instead.

Going on a short trip to Kashid this weekend .. c ya on Monday.

Gimme a FIVE

Parag had tagged me last week... so here we go

Five movies/shows/sitcoms I'd watch anytime
1. Sarfarosh n Andaz Apna Apna

2. Gr8 Indian Laughter Challenge - selected acts n Office Office

3. Tht 70s' Show n Seinfeld

4. Phone Booth, Unfaithful n Wild Things

5. Fusion flicks ... not every but i like some of them

well the nos. r five ... :P

Five things I miss now
1. Sleeping till noon

2. Jogging on the hills in the evenings.. i really miss vetal/hanuman tekdi

3. Bunking lectures n telling the Head of Dept. tht i was representing our college in the inter-collegiate matches ;) n he agreeing to all my stories :) .. instead we all used to play on the college grnd

4. Sitting on the terrace n watch eagles soar high up in the sky ... one of my fav passtime

5. Daily dose of Durga cold-coffee .. Day-b4yest the waiter inquired if i had become very busy coz i was not coming regularly in the evenings... i wasn't aware tht even the waiter knew me (or is it tht only he knows me :P) ... first i thought he was offering me his job... he he he.

Five favourite music bands/performers
1. Enrique

2. Any of the combination betn. KK, Kunal Ganjawala, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, Sadhana Sargam n Shaan

3. Robbie Williams

4. Euphoria

5. Jagjit Singh

Five favourite lines
1. Where life had no value, death sometimes had its price - For a Few Dollars More

2. I am/We r leaving ... Amey uses it in restaurants when the service is very slow. Also, it is one of Paresh Rawal's line frm the movie Garam Masala

3. Hum jahaan khade hote hain line wahin se shuru hoti hain - Amitabh ... i like to add to it aur wahin par khatam ho jati hai :P

4. Corner seats hain na? ... Haan ek yeh corner ka aur doosra us corner ka - again Amir but frm Rangeela

5. Tejaa main hoon... mark idhar hai - Paresh Rawal frm Andaz Apna Apna

Five Things I want to do
1. Stay young forever (if possible.. my Aurora shld be brilliant enuf to ask Zeus for tht)2. Go globe-trotting

3. Not just plan but do something 'bout my PG

4. Read interesting books n interesting is a very relative term

5. Watch a hell lot of movies n write reviews .. lol .. i know this will be true

Five guys who will help spread this venereal disease

Why shld only five of them be later blamed for spreading this. So I tag each n everyone reading this. Leave back a comment here when u r done with it

My Experiments with Truth - M.K. Gandhi

I don't like ppl who lie. I mean if it is just for the sake of fun n not causing any harm to others, it is ok... i m into it 24x7. But, not otherwise. If u remember I had written a couple of posts back tht I had just completed my probation period with my current employer. But, for bagging a new project I was told by my manager to lie about a few things which I was very awkward telling the client. I won't go into the details of it but I feel tht u shld get work on ur merit or capability to do it n not by bragging. Another incident which pissed me was around a couple of weeks ago. During a client visit, everybody was asked to dress up in formals. Why to pretend in front of them? Let them know tht we -work- here... why shld it matter wht we wear or don't wear. I m not at all comfortable in formals. The first time i wore them was when i was a co-host for a programme n i was like "How am i to speak wearing this neck-gripping tie? uggghhh ... save me pls." Anyways, all of us came dressed up for the client visit n the client representatives were dressed down.. literally. I mean the guy was wearing a 3/4th n a tee & the gal was in a micromini. Yeah.... a micromini... not a common sight here, so no wonder all guys were ogling at her. I was discussing this with one of my seniors, who had recently come frm Singapore (where the client is based), 'bout this casual vs formal stuff. He said tht wht the clientele was wearing was almost the same they wear daily at work. I almost fell frm the chair "WHAT!! If the gal wears tht stuff daily then wht does she wear in casuals... a bikini?" ... lol. This time he fell frm the chair ;). Anyways, wht I want to say is tht i can work in a comfy environment n clothes I wear do count for me.

Ok enuf of bitching about the company. One of the things I like here is tht we r allowed to listen to music. Not many of my frnds have tht privilege in their companies. Currently my playlist consists of:

You are my no. 1 - Enrique ..... Beautiful lyrics

Chodo na Mujhe - Rules

Kabhi Phool Dena - Bombay Vikings .... Amazing lyrics with an equally amazing backgrnd score

Dil Jo Bhi Kahey - Dil Jo Bhi Kahey

Ada - Garam Masala

Dil Samunder - Garam Masala

Tu Kaun Hai - Lucky Ali

Ishq di galli - No Entry .... Catchy tune n i feel like dancing

Aashayein - Iqbal

Guilty - Blue

Ishq Hai Jhoota - Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena

Summer of 69 - Indianised version .... earlier i thought they just messed up the song but with the flute n Hindi wordings it is awesome

Aaja Piya - Remix ... probably the only remix which i luv

Tera Intezaar - Rahul Vaidya ... i cant believe i m listening to one of the voices frm Indian Idol

Kase Sartil Saye - Diwas Ase ki .... one of the most fav song

Who am I?

I m a Rogue .. yeah.. thts wht one of the sites says when I took their test. I totally agree with the result. Infact my frnds call me a sweet rogue... so no clashing of views on this. Parag n Suraj have also taken the test n both are Wizards. I know both of them since many years, so I can say tht the result is just perfect. If u want to find out who u r then just scroll down a bit n click the link on the right sidebar.

My result says:

You're clever, funny, and full of surprises. If you're still in school, you're probably the class clown. If you work, you're probably on the verge of being fired - but who cares? Your job's boring anyway. When it comes to leisure, you'd rather watch cartoons, crash a wild party, or stage a practical joke than have an elegant tea with your grandma. You're not big on being "civilized" or following "rules" such as that pesky "speed limit." Above all, you're a trendsetter and a force of chaos. You see tradition as something to be questioned, structure as something to be toppled. You're popular, charming, and entertaining to be around. You'd make a great actor, comedian, or a rock musician. Everyone loves having you at parties, because with you there, no one has a chance of getting bored.

Your Mission:
You were put on this earth to humble people. They will be easy victims, because they're attracted to your charm and wit, and they're too slow to see what you're doing behind their backs. You are the one who has to pull the rug out from under the big guy, because let's face it - you're the only one who can get away with it. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to Get Away With Something. Something small, or something big (but please, something legal). Make your boss laugh at himself. Get money for a homeless shelter by posing as a panhandler. Do coin tricks for kids. Get away with an awful pun. Run for governor of California. Get away with SOMETHING.

Give me your blood, I will give you freedom: S.C.Bose

Last week I donated blood for the 10th time... i m keeping track of all my donations coz recently i read an interview of a man who was donating it for the 100th time. I m not far away... just another 0 to go... :). So when I reached Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, the doctor told me tht I was called upon to donate blood for an emergency heart operation. She also introduced me to the patient's son. He had earlier called upon the services of his frnds but some of them had failed the test on various grnds like less haemoglobin count or high blood pressure (the hospital atmosphere sends shivers in some ppls bodies). Alongwith me was another man... probably in his mid 30s'. This dude was donating for the 1st time.. i guessed tht immd. frm his questions while filling out the form. This man n myself were called in at the same time. Since i had been there earlier i straightaway went in n sat on one of the cots. Now, this man didn't know where to sit but he started acting as if he visited there regularly. I think he assumed tht i was scared of donating n he started mumbling something like "It is very painful... big needles" just to scare me off. Since I almost was confident tht it was his 1st time, i kept my mouth shut (an unusual thing though) n waited for the expected fun. The nurse took my form first n after the preliminary tests started the procedure. I could look frm the corner of my eye tht the man was disappointed coz I didn't wince even once. Then the nurse proceeded to do the same with him. After about a minute or so, his machine started beeping. The reason was tht his blood flow rate was very slow. So the nurse took out the needle frm his right hand n a new needle was inserted in his left. When the donation was over this dude had both his hands folded up frm his elbows. When the coffee was served he couldnt unfold his hands n was looking at me gulping down my cuppa. When I was leaving, his coffee was already cold n I couldnt stop myself frm saying "The coffee was nice. Sorry u couldnt enjoy it ;)" Gosh I m so mean... but thts me. Anyways, I appeal u all to donate blood regularly. Or atleast do it during emergencies like I do.

No. 1 .. but counting backwards

It amazes me to see tht so many directors are obsessed or superstitious when it comes to the names of their movies. Rakesh Roshan n Karan Johar suffer frm the K-syndrome. On similar lines, David Dhawan has suffix No. 1 to almost all his movies. No matter whtevr result the movie gets at the box-office, these ppl don't leave their old habits. But dont they understand tht simply by naming ur movie alongwith No. 1 at the end doesn't create a blockbuster. It needs a good script n a decent crowd of actors, who can act.

Was witness to a horrible movie this Saturday by David Dhawan which goes by the name Shaadi No.1. Shaadi in Hindi means wedding. The movie begs, borrows n steals heavily from some forgettable flicks Masti n No Entry. The story (if i am permitted to use this word for this movie) is simple. Three guys, who have become disinterested in their wives due to their continuous refusal to go to bed, start looking outside for some enjoyment. They soon find 3 gals with the help of their boss (the 3 gals r the boss's daughters'). Then the usual sing-n-dance routines in the beautiful locales of France. Ultimately, with the help of a long-lost brother the couples r reunited n then the audience has to suffer the be faithful.. love ur wife... blah blah blah. The actors who should be arrested for being a part of this disaster are

Cocaine Khan ... oops i mean the stylish Fardeen Khan

Zayed Khan ... uggghhhh

Sharman Joshi .... "Excuse me" who is he???? (remember him frm the movie Style)

Ayesha Takia ... it seems her lips have been permanently set to smile...even in emotional scenes

Soha Ali Khan ... she reminds me of Pinocchio

Esha Deol ... no matter how bad she acts, starkids will continue to get movie offers

Riya Sen ... only looks n nothing else

Aarti Chabria ... less said the better

"Dr. Love" Sophie...i understand tht not all VJs' can act, but atleast they shld be able to deliver a dialogue

Sanjay Dutt ... a brother in need is a brother indeed... pls stop tht Punjabi accent

There is no storyline, no acting... only Sharman has a better timing for some comedy. The guys look blank, wives r totally dressed up n the temptresses r totally dressed down. Songs have forgettable lyrics.. only the "Dil nahi toda karte" is worth listening for one time. The director David Dhawan, actor Govinda n No. 1 tag used to create magic a few years ago. Probably, David is missing Goliath... i mean Govinda. Govinda can return to films.. as it is he is doing nothing in politics.

Roaming here n there.....

Went to Mahabaleshwar on Monday with college frnds. Don't be surprised to read tht this was my first visit to Mahabaleshwar. More surprise... i found it not worth of another visit. But probably the reasons might be tht the climate was not cool as it is most of the times (atleast thts wht i have heard) n also after seeing amazing hill stations like Shimla, Shillong, Darjeeling n Dalhousie... Mahabaleshwar didn't seem like a 'to chill out' place. Add to it paying the taxes all along the road.. it is bullshit. Pollution tax, toll for crossing frm Pune to Old M'shwar, again for crossing frm Old M'shwar to New M'shwar, vehicle tax (also include rate per head count)... boy oh boy!! How come ppl visit this place 2-3 times a month? Luckily Tushar had been around here many times (25 or 26.. omg), so he knew which points to visit... though at many times near a bifurcation he used to look in one dirn n point to the other one. Anyways had a good time on Tabletop where we got to sit in a giant wheel. It was exhilarating especially when it had no safety harness n locking rods. Had to clutch the sides of the basket... wooohhoooo!!! Will post pics in a few days.

Since AnonymousBlogger is full of praise for my reviews here is another one.... lol. Seems my company is bent to take me on outings coz went to Bashos' for celebrating one more successful project completion (i m now working on a small 15 day project.. maybe another party in offing). Bashos' is located in Koregaon Park way ahead from Burger King. The name comes frm a great Haiku poet (if u follow Veggiebabe's blog u will know wht a Haiku is). It is more famous for the hookas they serve rather than the food. If i had known this earlier i would have stuck to my lunchbox. Anyways, the food was good there. I hate smoking (n smokers too), but since the hookas were non-tobacco gave it a try. We have to inhale flavoured steam n exhale it ... wht the hell is so innovative in this. If u have had cold then u already did this ... putting a towel on ur head. So the result was tht the hooka really pissed me n now I dislike smoking more. Bashos' serve around 10 flavours of hooka n only one flavour of icecream... tht is bad. U will understand this if u are an avid lover of icecreams. Posted some pics so tht u get a -sniff- of wht we inhaled there.

Heartfelt condolences for all the relatives of the victims in the New Delhi blasts. Outgoing Chief Justice Of India R.C.Lahoti in his outgoing speech said "India lacks the political will to fight against terrorism. Has anyone thought why America wasn't attacked again after 9/11. We have to learn something." One of my fav teachers Prof. B.G.Kulkarni passed away last week. Also, my frnd Saurabh's gr'mother passed away. May their souls rest in peace.

Tomorrow India take on Srilanka in the 4th cricket one day match in this very city n I m not able to get my hands on tickets of any price. May the best team (read India) win n the spectators get to see Sachin n Sehwag kick the asses of the islanders.

Happy Diwali

Wish u all a very Happy n bright Diwali!