Tuesday, May 31, 2005

New songs added!

Since i am back in the blogging world, I will post 4 more songs!

I already have Fred Astaire's version of 'Let's call the whole thing off' and Claressa Wilson's 'The way you look tonight'. So added Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald's version of 'Let's call the whole thing off' (Thanks Sanity Starved! - its a lovely number) and Frank Sinatra's version of 'The way you look tonight '(since you mentioned it sd and i remembered i have it!).

Also added Frank Sinatra's 'I've got you under my skin' & 'Somewhere beyond the sea'. :-)

---

Hi all

There's some problem with my soundblox. It's not picking up songs from my server. Have been busy with some stuff...hopefully it will get fixed on its own, otherwise will have a look at it later. Sorry about this!

tc all

Monday, May 30, 2005

Blocked blog - worse than blocked nose!

I have been cut-off from the rest of the blogging world! I can't access anything with a '.blogspot.com' attached to it!! Now what did i do? These are just blogs, for god's sake, nothing illegal or indecent about these! Anyway, i was quite frustrated as i couldn't see anything all of yesterday. I can access blogger.com, even publish my posts...but can't see the published pages. Mine or anyone elses!

I figured i had to call the ISP guys. So after waiting all day for it to get fixed on its own, i attempted calling the ISP hotline. And it took me like what i thought 100 attempts to finally get through to a Customer Service officer. Mr.Leo. Nice guy, helpful. Except that it again took me what i thought 100 years of painfully spelling out 'http://aparnabanerjee.blogspot.com'! 'A for Apple', 'P for Portugal', 'A for Apple again'.....i almost blurted out 'S for Sex', but better sense prevailed and i said 'S for Site'! At times like these, i wish i had a simpler name!

Anyway, we (me and Leo) struggled through out spelling exercise and then i got onto explaining what the problem was. I can't access my blogpages, or anyone elses. I can access everything else! Mr. Leo finally understood what i was ranting about and very politely told me he will get in touch with the engineer who will get in touch with me either the same day or the following day.

But they were quite prompt, the engineer called me back after about half an hour. This time it was Mr. Dennis. So i explained to him, what the problem was and he very patiently explained to me that it wasn't from their side. He said that blogger.com website is on a different IP address and all the published pages are on a different one. Sometimes during maintenance, they block certain IP addresses (and it had to be this one!!!). So he said i should check back after one or two days, maybe i will be able to access my blog then. Basically not a problem from the ISP guys. So i am just hoping that Mr.Dennis is right and this is a temporary thing.

Went to the local cafe yesterday to access the blogs and have a look at mine, that's how addicted i have become. Hopefully i will get my eyes back sometime soon!

Till then all of you, have fun! :D

Saturday, May 28, 2005

It's the rain again!

Somehow i end up writing too many of these rainy posts. But it has been raining past few days and i 'feel' the most when its raining. And i 'feel' like writing, singing, or listening when i 'feel' the most.

It was raining hard (the kind i like) all evening, but i had to go out and get a few things. I kept waiting for it to mellow down, but my impatience took over for a change. Picked up my umbrella and went out to face the lashing water and the occassional thunder. For some reason, i feel liberated when i'm out in such weather...i feel free, im not sure why. So i walked in the rain in my blue jeans, orange cotton shirt, holding a blue umbrella. But not alone. There were a few more jeans, shirts and umbrellas braving the outpour.

I made my way around the miniature lakes on the footpath that i would have jumped into if i were a 5yr old, walking ahead followed by a bunch of giggling, shouting college kids. I had figured the lower half of my jeans would be wet by the time i returned. And I was wrong. Suddenly out of nowhere i found myself bathed in this huge splash of water, thanks to a double-decker bus. So all of us, me and a few of the kids behind me were pretty much soaked, Bridget Jones style (those who have seen The Edge of Reason will know)! I was a dark blue jeans and dark orange shirt now. The kids started giggling even more and for some weird reason i was happy!

No i didn't turn back and change. I went ahead, soaked almost all over. I didn't get soaked to skin in the rain. But i sure did get drenched...thanks to the rain! :D


Thursday, May 26, 2005

All That Jazz

New songs. Jazz this time. :-)

All That...Jazz

> Laura Fygi Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
> Louis Armstrong La Vie En Rose
> Natalie Cole Tell Me All About It
> Ronny Jordan So What
> Claressa Wilson The Way You Look Tonight

> Fred Astaire Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
> Dee Dee Bridgewater Let's Do It
> Silje Nergaard The Waltz

Beat this!

Got this as an email attachment from a friend...I'm not sure how true this is, but this is the best one i have ever come across. And even if it isn't, whoever concocted this sure has a sense of humour! enjoy! :D

---

This is an actual job application that a 17-year-old boy submitted at McDonald's restaurant in Florida; and they hired him because he was so honest and funny!

NAME: Greg Bulmash.

SEX: Not yet. Still waiting for the right person.

DESIRED POSITION: Company's President or Vice President. But seriously, whatever's available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying here in the first place.

DESIRED SALARY: $185,000 a year plus stock options and Michael Ovitz style severance package. If that's not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.

EDUCATION: Yes.

LAST POSITION HELD: Target for middle management hostility.

SALARY: Less than I'm worth.

MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: My incredible collection of stolen pens and 'post-it' notes.

REASON FOR LEAVING: It sucked.

AVAILABLE FOR WORK: Of course. That's why I'm applying.

PREFERRED HOURS: 1.30 - 3.30pm., Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?: Yes, but they're better suited to a more intimate environment.

MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?: If I had one, would I be here?

DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UPTO 50lbs?:
50lbs, of what?

DO YOU HAVE A CAR?: I think the appropriate question here would be "Do you have a car that runs?"

HAVE YOU RECIEVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?: I may already be a winner of the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

DO YOU SMOKE?: On the job, no, on my breaks, yes.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?: Living in Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy dumb blond supermodel who thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd like to be doing that now.

DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?:
Yes. Absolutely.

SIGN HERE:
Aries.




The job application joke above is © 1997 by Greg Bulmash. Check out more humor by Greg Bulmash, or visit his insult database, or join his search for America's best hamburger.

---

And all i have been thinking of is how to improve my CV!! :D

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Lipsum

I think all designers (web and print) are aware of 'Lorem Ipsum'. Many a times while designing, the client is unable to provide us with content. There's a basic brief, a target audience, expectations on the look-and-feel, flowcharts and information on page/content distribution. But no real content, words that will fill up content spaces.

Word-wise designers can come up with fillers for taglines. But trying to think up copy for the content is a different ball game altogether and many a times a waste of time when you need to concentrate on the design. Filling up spaces with words like 'content here' is not an option. It ends up resembling a pattern and very different from what a chunk of actual copy should look like.

Thats when 'Lorem Ipsum' comes to our rescue. Lorem Ipsum is basically the dummy text of the print and typesetting industry and has made its way into the virtual world. It's cool how you can generate paragraphs, sentences, lists of Lorem Ipsum.

So here goes:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Vestibulum nec est nec purus rhoncus feugiat. Sed interdum dolor. Duis magna. Nunc arcu purus, semper et, dignissim a, facilisis eu, diam. Quisque sit amet arcu. Ut accumsan nunc a pede. Duis augue. Ut mi diam, viverra nec, tempus eu, tincidunt elementum.

Got that?!! :D

Get your own Lorem Ipsum here:
http://www.lipsum.com

You made my day

Sometimes when you are going through a low phase and have lost confidence in yourself, all you need is a little pep-up and everything falls into place. I have been going through a phase of self-doubt. I was once told by my far more confident-half that "Moon, you just need to believe in yourself more." And it's true, i need to believe in myself more. And a tiny bit of reassurance does it for me. And i am raring to take on this world! :D

Something like that happened today. I was chatting with a friend (my ex-boss that i talked about earlier). And here's what made me sit up straight with my head held high, chin up:

Corrinne: Yeah... but one thing's for sure... you're really a very creative person. I'm saying this not because you're my friend, but because i really see those sparks of creativity. You know, like in your posting on the what you are - your dislikes and likes, i loved how you used different coloured fonts!

Me: yeah?!! thank you!!! :)

Corrinne: I thought that it's lovely how not only did you use words, but also visuals to complement and convey the juxtaposition.

Me: Thank you!!! you made my day!!! :)

And thank you to everyone who has given me even a little bit of reassurance, my friends, my family. You all make my day!

---

Mood:
Hopeful

I'm listening to:
Bob Marley - No, woman, no cry.....Everything's gonna be alright!.....

Yeah, everything's gonna be alright :-)

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

The Sith Sense













Check this one out. It's fun! I tried to cheat it thrice, but didn't work! Have fun :D



Monday, May 23, 2005

What does your birthday month say about you? - for girls!


MARCH:
You have an attractive personality and are sexy and affectionate.You tend to be quite shy and reserved and very secretive which shows in your look. A naturally honest person, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others and love to serve and help others. You are easily angered but this doesn't effect your trustworthiness although you do believe in revenge if people mistreat you. You are appreciative and return a lot of kindness when people treat you right. Observant and assesses others. You love to dream and fantasize. Loves travelling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody. :D


What's yours?

-----

I have noticed that i get along really well with Aquarian women. I seem to have a perfect equation with them. They are perhaps all that i am not and what i would like to be - confident, focussed even though a little bit eccentric. At this point i need these two the most, confidence and focus.

So as i was saying i get along really well with Aquarian women, starting with my mother. My best friend, a cousin, a cousin-in-law who i am closer to now than anyone else in the family. My ex-boss with whom i share a perfect non-encroaching professional-personal relationship. And a friend here who i could uncannily tell was an Aquarian in our first meeting!

-----

These are testy times...and my mind is hyperactive and all over the place. Inconsequential, random blogging helps.

*Listening to - Hotel Paper, Michelle Branch*

Shutterbug

Came across these two photography websites today. Different in style and treatment but both very interesting.



Mark Ayrault

This is a professional photographer's website with some beautiful close-up shots of flowers and plants. The website itself is not too impressive (it's in flash though), but the photographs are beautiful.




3jorn

This is an ameteur photographer's website. The style is very different from the other one. It's more real, at the same time quite impressive. I like the composition and framing of the shots. The best thing is, for a change we don't have a flash website. And yes, this comes from someone who designs in flash most of the time!

Enjoy! :-)

Sunday, May 22, 2005

The Office



I bought the 'Christmas Special' edition dvd of the comedy series 'The Office'. The last one of the series. For those of you who haven't watched The Office and who like good comedies, this is a MUST WATCH.

The office is a fly-on-the-wall comedy. It's fashioned as a documentary that follows the goings-on in a Wernham Hogg office and the life of its employees, more specifically the Regional Manager David Brent (a brilliant performance from Ricky Gervais).

David Brent is a character which is very easy to believe. We all have come across a David Brent at least once in our lives. And perhaps there's a little bit of David Brent in all of us. He is the boss from hell. An extremely insecure, arrogant and chauvinistic man in his late 30s. But actually David Brent is not such a bad guy altogether. Besides he keeps you in splits with his over the top attempts at showcasing his sense of humour, which no one gets.


Another character that will keep you entertained, is Gareth (again a brilliant performance by Mackenzie Crook). He is the scarecrow-resembling character, who is a bit of a weirdo but somehow always manages to score with women (but of course that's what HE says). And he is very very possessive of his stapler and anything else thats on his desk.

What works for The Office is that it's so believable. And thankfully there are no mandatory chorus laughs after every scene. Everything is just right. Even the exaggerations are just right. There's a little bit of sadness, a little bit of romance. It's one of those cases where everything is just the right mix...not too bland, nor slapstick. And the best thing is they never stretched it till it got holes in the middle. It's just 2 seasons and a Christmas Special. So it ends just at the right time!

I remember one of Ricky Gervais's appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman. David Letterman compliments him saying - "This is possibly the best comedy show i have ever seen!" To which Ricky replies with an astonished expression on his face - "Possibly?!!" :D

A must must watch indeed. This goes into my collection.

Get familiar with the office here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/theoffice/

Can we be 'just friends'?


I think my blogging-drought is over at long last and i am thinking again. Even though the subject is borrowed, i am intrigued again. Which is a good thing.

Sometime back i came across this subject on, i think Dreamcatcher's blog. And today while reading the newspaper this caught my attention...again. I found myself lapping up the article with some interest. My curiosity-meter had notched up after a long while. So i had to write something despite this being a much talked about and argued over subject. And a little bit of humour does immense good to health.


So the question is, can men and women ever be 'just friends'? In other words is a platonic relationship possible between a man and a woman. This question is applicable to the men and men / women and women pairings as well, but lets stick to the straight category for now.

Now this article puts across this question to young singles (a motley mix of expats and locals) of Hong Kong, who frequent bars with drink buddies and movies with movie buddies. These people are young, working, single and mingle a lot. The reactions to this question are nothing short of interesting and something to... argue on.

As a woman, i would like to think that a platonic relationship between the two sexes is not an impossibility. What's an impossibility is to be attracted to every man/woman you come across in your lifetime. All this of course excludes the not applicable age groups - but then not too long back Collin Farrel allegedly begged for some carnal favours from a 70 yr old! *shudder* On second thoughts are they really not applicable ages? Maybe not.

But lets talk about normal scenarios. Logic and common-sense says that it's not possible to be attracted to every specimen of the opposite sex you interact with. Attraction is a complex thing. Sometimes even an Adonis can loose all charm once he opens his mouth (same goes for women), and on the other hand a pleasing personality works wonders for attraction. Besides there are so many other factors that contribute to attractiveness - bank balance, a convertible, a penthouse and the likes! :D


Jokes aside, I would like to believe 'just friendships' are a certain possibility between two mature adults. One can be great friends with a man/woman without feeling even an iota of attraction. It's not like the teenage when crushes happen to you like pimples - one appears before the other subsides!

Sometimes it's just a connection that you have with someone and you don't think if they are men or women. It's just good clean friendship. Sometimes you come across good people in life who you want to have as friends irrespective of gender. Then again, sometimes it's smart to keep friendships and attraction apart. Sometimes attractions can end good friendships.
This is of course a woman's point of view. I would like to think most 'mature' men think the same way. But 'Mature Men' are a rare breed! And before i get crucified for uttering that, i made that comment based on what one of the men in the article has to say:
Of course i have girls who are just friends and nothing more. They're fat.

So you see i wasn't entirely wrong about maturity and men! :D

-----
In the movie Harry Met Sally, Billy Crystal [Harry] and Meg Ryan [Sally] discuss weather men and women can be just friends.

Harry: You realise of course that we can never be friends.
Sally: Why not?
Harry: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form - is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
Sally: That's not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved.
Harry: No you don't.
Sally: Yes i do.
Harry: No you don't.
Sally: Yes i do.
Harry: You only think you do.
Sally: You say I'm having sex with these men without my knowledge?
Harry: No. What I'm saying is they all want to have sex with you.
Sally: They do not.
Harry: Do too.
Sally: They do not.
Harry: Do too.
Sally: How do you know?
Harry: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally: So, you're saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry: No. You pretty much want to nail them, too.

-----


Thankfully not all men are Harry! :D

* When Harry Met Sally excerpt taken from:
South China Morning Post *


Creep

Okay since some people are such creeps (including me!), this one gets added to the stack. And i wonder why my New Year resolutions never work! :D

I know you Radiohead fans must already have this one with you. But what the heck! I get to post something! :D

Rolling Stone review
Flashing a song called "Creep" as a musical ID takes cheek, but then, everything about these Brits is unabashed. On their debut, the swagger affected by every arch-Anglo since the Kinks is already in full effect. Three guitars (and bass) and a singer whose narcissistic angst rivals Morrissey's ("I will not control myself!" Thom e. Yorke screams on "Vegetable," and on "Prove Yourself" he mourns, "I'm better off dead"), these five Oxford lads come on extreme. What elevates them to fab charm is not only the feedback and strumming fury of their guitarwork Ð and the dynamism of their whisper-to-a-scream song structures Ð which recall the Who by way of the early Jam, but the way their solid melodies and sing-along choruses resonate pop appeal. On "Blow Out" they savage a bossa-nova intro with sheer noise; "Thinking About You" is bitter folk with acoustic guitars soundly pummeled; and the rest of "Pablo Honey" is equally surprising. If they don't implode from attitude overload, Radiohead warrant watching.

Review taken from: http://www.greenplastic.com/

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Thoda Angrezi ho jaye?

Okay i have a confession to make. I am going through an extremely shallow phase where i don't have anything to talk about, introspective or silly. But the problem is i have gotten into the habit of blogging and a stagnating blog gives me the heeby-jeebies. I should get out of this addiction, untill then i will continue posting :D

Now since i didn't have anything to talk about, i thought let me piggyback on my soundblox and post some more songs. This time english. I know there are lots of Pehla Nasha fans out there...promise i will ressurrect it again on this blog. But let's have some good english numbers for now. But on a more practical note i don't think i can continue to be this extravagant with my song postings, i will run out of them very soon at this rate! After this one, the deck will be shuffled fortnightly. But for now...enjoy! :D


Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader - This perhaps is the most known song from the british group Toploader. I love this number...it's smooth and very difficult not to move on this one. More info on Toploader here: http://www.angelfire.com/music4/toploader/

Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer - This is from the 'Best of' Collection...i totally love this one. The voice, guitar...i can imagine a swing, backyard, grass, afternoons...

Listen to more of Sixpense here: http://www.sixpence-ntr.com/home_content.html

It Ain't Over Till It's Over by Lenny Kravitz - Now i don't have to talk about this one. It's an all time favourite!

Get more of Lenny at this very well-designed website: http://www.lennykravitz.com/

Please Stay by Kylie Minogue - I am a Kylie fan. I am a fan of her transition from the 'Locomotion' girl to the 'Red Blooded Woman'. She is beautiful, smart, sexy and has the ability to evolve. My best wishes to her as she fights the breast cancer.
Her website has been temporarily disabled...still here goes: http://www.kylie.com/

Feel by Robbie Williams - I think i had mentioned somewhere before that i am a big Robbie Williams fan. He has an amazing voice not to mention he is an awesome performer. His bad boy image is all the more attractive apart from his boyish good looks! In fact i remember on his Singapore tour, he was categorically asked by the authorities not to resort to any of his crazy antics (flashing his butt etc). So he was more or less well-behaved :D

He has a damn good voice. He can sing without instruments and it will still sound good - that's the measure of a good voice according to me. This particular song is a favourite of mine. He infact cried on this one while performing live (can't remember where).
Get more of Robbie here: http://www.robbiewilliams.com

Achilles Heel by Toploader - Let me end with another Toploader number. Nice one this!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Added five more to go for a fortnight!

Crawling by Linkin Park - I dig Linkin Park and i dig their videos more. Awesome animations. Linkin Park website here: http://www.linkinpark.com/index.php

There There by Radiohead: Radiohead were the originals. Coldplay were said to be Radiohead wannabes, quite unfairly so. Since then Coldplay have arrived on their own. But i like Radiohead as well. Get to know them well here: http://www.greenplastic.com/

After The Rain Has Fallen by Sting: He is one of the best voices on this planet and one of my favourites, besides being an expert in certain things Tantric. One of my friends in Delhi revealed quite excitedly that she saw Sting in Dharamshala. I went to Dharamshala and kept my eyes open - just in case i get lucky. But i didn't. So i make do with his songs instead! Get stung here: http://www.sting.com/home.php

Iris by GooGooDolls: Another all time favourite. A friend of mine used to sing this damn well. More GooGooDolls at: http://www.googoodolls.com/main.html

Shakespeare in love by Layla Kaylif: This one is a beautiful number sung beautifully by Layla Kaylif, from the movie Shakespeare in Love. Joseph Fiennes who plays Shakespeare is damn handsome. What's interesting is that, Shakespeare in Love and Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth released around the same time and both starred Joseph Fiennes. I don't like Gweneth Paltrow much, but i like her voice. She has a very nice voice.

Okay i shall stop posting any more songs, for a while. And this time i mean it!! :D

Sunday, May 15, 2005

New songs

O Sanam by Lucky Ali is one of my favourites. The sound was fresh and different from everything else I had heard. And the pyramids looked awesome...left a lasting impression on me. I can listen to this one any number of times...

Chalo Tumko Lekar Chalen from Jism is another one that I like. In fact I like it more than Jadu Hai Nasha hai.Bipasha looks awesome (i love what she wears in this song). And it can't get any hotter than John Abraham in bollywood!

Neeley Neeley Ambar Par. Who else could have sung it but Kishore Kumar. This one oozes romance! But I'm not sure who the music director is. It's either Bappi lahiri or Kalyanji Anandji. Love the guitar...[Latest info from sd - music director is Kalyanji Anandji!]

Pehla Nasha. Now this was the time when I (like the rest of the female population of India) wished it was me instead of Pooja Bedi, Aamir Khan was kissing! The way it was choreographed/picturised (Farah Khan) is also very interesting and a first in bollywood. The visual if you notice is in slow motion, but the audio is at normal speed. While shooting, the actors would say the words at double the speed while acting it out normally, so that when it's shown in slow motion, it's in sync with the audio!

Rising from Ash(es)



Ash goes from garish


to elegant sexy!

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Random


Sometimes life seems like a run towards the horizon. You see it's there but you never reach it.

Sanity Starved's post quotes from John Lennon's song - Life is what happens to you, While you are busy making other plans. I don't know...life has always happened to me and i did not plan anything. Just let life happen to me. I haven't yet boarded my train of 365s...have just watched it chugging along. The only plan that i have is to have enough money when i'm old. I wouldn't want to depend on anyone.

Life is erratic. Can't bear anymore of it from people i interact with. Solid, reliable is a reassurance i wouldn't want to be without. And thank god (or whatever it is) for letting those pillars stay around me. Everything else can change. Everything else will change. Everything else is kaleidoscopic.

Two steps forward. Cautious. Wait-a-bit. Take two more steps. It has always worked for me. Things that have happened fast have always been a flash-in-the-pan. Expectations are also daunting. It's far better if you start at a normal pace and grow gradually, instead of euphoria followed by disinterest. Steady is good.

Arrogance is offensive. Quiet confidence is impressive.

A pair is good. A pair is beautiful. But solo is important. Important for survival. For what will you do when the pair no longer exists?


Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Sound Bytes

I have added a new feature (check the side bar, below Archive links!). Will be posting songs that i like once in a while. Keep checking!

Think it will work better for broadband users. Also listen to the songs with headphones on, laptop/PC speakers are not good enough, methinks!

I know the Box doesn't look that great aesthetically, i did what i could for now. Will keep tweaking the look in future. But then there's only so much i can do to change the look, the source-code lies with Laszlo and i am not a champion programmer. But i thought it's a great feature and it's free! :D

Okay now the songs. If you notice there are two tamil songs - Rasaathi & Vaseegara. Thanks to my South Indian friends i have an apetite for good South Indian music even though i don't understand a word! Rasaathi is a Rahman number from Thiruda Thiruda. Those were the days when we used to dig Rahman big time. The best thing about this song is that it's just vocals - chorus and Shahul Hamid's - and guitar. That's all...but it's an awesome number!

Vaseegara is another number i love. From the movie Minnale. Picturised on Madhavan (the slim version whom i liked quite a lot! - unfortunately most South Indian heroes expand horizontally after stardom!) and Reema Sen (yes, a bong again!). They made it in hindi as well, starring Diya Mirza and Madhavan. But somehow the hindi one doesn't sound as good!

Have fun! :D

*The music posted here is for listening pleasure only and not for any commercial gain.*

11:23 AM




Ever thought you would see Shahrukh in a humungous Rajasthaani pagdi and moustache? I guess not! :-)

But it's refreshing to see him different from the Rajs and Rahuls he plays in quick succession. Although quite truthfully its far less torturous watching Shahrukh 'Rahul' Khan any number of times than to watch Salman 'Prem' Khan! My apologies to all Salman fans. :-)

But heres a warning for those who expect modern, peppy numbers from this movie. You will be dissapointed. The flavour of this soundtrack is distinctly Classical and Folk. So don't expect Bunty Aur Bubly to take a ride here. Having said that, this is a soundtrack which screams 'different'. Bollywood music is fast becoming less monotonous!

The best track of the album is of course 'Dheere Jalna' rendered beautifully by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. This one has an instrumental version as well which is again very nice to the ears.

Khali Hai Tere Bina is a slow number by Hariharan and Bela Shinde, a sad but a very nice number.

Kangnaa Re is a fusion of classical and folk tunes. It's nice and predictable. But lets be fair, not every track will sound like Dheere Jalna.

Laaga Re Jal Laaga reminded me of Ghanan Ghanan from Lagaan. They are similar in treatment and about rain.

Minnat Kare again is a fusion of folk and classical. An all girls number and nice.

For some reason, Phir Raat Kati reminded me of some song from some Govinda movie. I don't remember which one but as i listened to this one, this other song kept buzzing in my mind. Now this one goes folk all out. It's rajasthani folk music all the way. Not exactly my cup of tea, but keeps the folksy flavour of the album intact.

Personally i loved Dheere Jalna and Khali Hai Tere Bina the best. Like i said before, not everyone will like this. But then perhaps that was not the intention in the first place.

The story itself is interesting; based on a folk tale. A ghost falls in love with a bride who has been abandoned by her greedy rich merchant husband. Hmmm...should be an interesting watch!

Listen to the songs here:
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/l/17/s/movie_name.7893/

Paheli - Solved?




Ever thought you would see Shahrukh in a humungous Rajasthaani pagdi and moustache? I guess not! :-)

But it's refreshing to see him different from the Rajs and Rahuls he plays in quick succession. Although quite truthfully its far less torturous watching Shahrukh 'Rahul' Khan any number of times than to watch Salman 'Prem' Khan! My apologies to all Salman fans. :-)

But heres a warning for those who expect modern, peppy numbers from this movie. You will be dissapointed. The flavour of this soundtrack is distinctly Classical and Folk. So don't expect Bunty Aur Bubly to take a ride here. Having said that, this is a soundtrack which screams 'different'. Bollywood music is fast becoming less monotonous!

The best track of the album is of course 'Dheere Jalna' rendered beautifully by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. This one has an instrumental version as well which is again very nice to the ears.

Khali Hai Tere Bina is a slow number by Hariharan and Bela Shinde, a sad but a very nice number.

Kangnaa Re is a fusion of classical and folk tunes. It's nice and predictable. But lets be fair, not every track will sound like Dheere Jalna.

Laaga Re Jal Laaga reminded me of Ghanan Ghanan from Lagaan. They are similar in treatment and about rain.

Minnat Kare again is a fusion of folk and classical. An all girls number and nice.

For some reason, Phir Raat Kati reminded me of some song from some Govinda movie. I don't remember which one but as i listened to this one, this other song kept buzzing in my mind. Now this one goes folk all out. It's rajasthani folk music all the way. Not exactly my cup of tea, but keeps the folksy flavour of the album intact.

Personally i loved Dheere Jalna and Khali Hai Tere Bina the best. Like i said before, not everyone will like this. But then perhaps that was not the intention in the first place.

The story itself is interesting; based on a folk tale. A ghost falls in love with a bride who has been abandoned by her greedy rich merchant husband. Hmmm...should be an interesting watch!

Listen to the songs here:
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/l/17/s/movie_name.7893/

Monday, May 9, 2005

Nostalgia

It's pouring outside. It's almost dark and i can hear the thunder. And i feel a tiny bit nostalgic. I dreamt of home yesterday. Home and moments that i have left behind. I know this is a diversion from the 'current mood of sillyness' which i had enthusiastically proclaimed will continue for some time, but i don't particularly feel silly at this moment. Guess it's the rain.

I would like to think, i have come a long way. A long way from the giggly, naive teenager that i was. On being prodded once, Chitra told me what she thought of me when we first met. 'Freshly hatched egg' was what she said she thought of me! Did i come across as that naive?!! It seems i did! But then that was long back. My friends have seen my journey from 'Freshly hatched egg' to what i am today. Someone has always been there with me in my worst moments.

Somehow Kavita and me never talked about fashion and accessories and the usual girly stuff that is the main topic of discussion amongst most girls that age. Perhaps it was because of her age. She is 5yrs my senior. But we surprisingly connected well! Maybe i wasn't that naive after all! I was the youngest amongst my friends and in a way it worked for me. We had more to talk about. More than what i would have if i had been with girls my age. I remember the grand plans that we made, on our bus rides back home. Plans about saving up money and taking a euro trip, just us girls. Travelling and not resorting to a cooped-up existence is something that i dreamt of even then.

My friends have been witness to my goof-ups and embarrassments as well. I remember this incident on Kavita's wedding. She was getting married to a bengali. All of us - our whole batch took a trip down to Lucknow and i have hardly had so much fun...ever! Because it was a Bengali wedding, we had a 'Bashor Ghor'. On the wedding night, all friends and family gather around and spend the night singing, dancing - having a good time basically. Now we had some singers in our gang - the girl's side. Jeevan was there with his guitar, and of course yours truly had to sing. I could sing quite well back then, it was customary for me to sing in gatherings of this kind those days. But that was long back. It's different now. Anyway as i was singing, and i reckon i must have been singing well enough, one of kavita and her husbands friends started tossing money on me! And my obvious reaction was that of shock! I had never expected anything like that and i had seen things like this in movies only and that too 'you know in what' settings. I was embarrassed. I was very very embarrassed. But i continued singing - later i learnt that it's not an uncommon practice in lucknow. It's part of their culture and is a token of appreciation. I was relieved. There are countless such moments that we have shared. Countless nerve-wracking moments on being proposed, little crushes that are so much part of being young.


Some years later, they were there by my side at my wedding. Chitra and Kavita, both dressed in red border saris - perhaps they thought it appropriate for a bengali wedding! But there was no throw-away money this time around :D

I am happy that i am in touch with all three of them. Chitra i chat with almost everyday. She has been with me through my darkest moments. I meet up with Kavita and Preeti whenever i'm in Delhi. I guess our friendships survived because we were there for each other all along, but we never owned each other. Each one of us is living a different life, but each one of us will somehow or the other always be there in each others lives.

I got this really nice email from Kavita after i met up with her in delhi this time around. She wrote:

Hi Appu


I keep looking at the photos of us, its really nice. Its nice to feel that time has passed and some things (like u just dont change).

I thought i have changed a lot. But perhaps i haven't - inside.

As i sit inside writing this while it's pouring outside, i can't help but remember this incidence.


It was my 18th b'day. Kavita and me stayed nearby so the days she brought her moped i would take a ride with her. But there was no moped that day. So we had to take a walk from our Art School to the bus stop, which was some way. And all of a sudden it started pouring! There we were two friends walking in the pouring rain. Me in my blue embroidered salwaar kameez. Bouquets in my hands. Lots of roses. Lots of cards inside my bag. And soaked to the skin. Walking in the downpour, not a care in the world, not even bothering to take shelter! I remember saying that the rain was a birthday gift from the heavens above! I have always liked rain - the one that lashes out and pours.

It's raining pretty much the same now, but i haven't taken a walk in the rain in a long while. I haven't been soaked to the skin in rain, in a long while. I would love to though. Some other time.

Saturday, May 7, 2005

Another inane post - but i had to post it!

Since i am in an inane/ridiculous post spree, and gladly so after some very introspective ones, i thought i should continue with the current mood of sillyness. And so here goes.

I indulged in my staple diet of tabloid news today. Hollywood to be precise. Cameron Diaz & Justin Timberlake getting married? or not. Jessica Simpson all over Fred Durst. Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston separation. But then hollywood (and our very own bollywood) has seen enough of these break-ups and hook-ups. And lets not talk about sad things, lets talk funny. So as i was going through all this, i came across something very funny. It seems after...

Bennifer - part I
Bennifer - part II

its time for some Brangelina!
(whoever comes up with these terms?!!)




Both voted the prettiest of them all!

Now it can't get hotter than Angelina - Bee stung or not! Tattooed or not! I would think perhaps only Natalie Portman can pack that much punch when she grows up, she's still quite young. And like Angelina she is also a Gemini (and i still haven't gotten over her and Clive Owen's spell in Closer).
And Brad Pitt is a pretty boy indeed! Second only to George Clooney i think. Although i'm sure more than half the female population of the civilised world will disagree with me.

So here's to the pretty girl who wants to adopt a kid from each religion and the pretty boy who wants to be a dad desperately! Here's to Brangelina!

I spotted a Spotted Dick!

Yes, you read it right! Let me explain how...

A few days back i was watching one of those stupid Reality-TV series (but i still watch them!). This one had a few American girls competing for the title of 'The American Princess', wherein they had to go through 'rigorous' training in being ladylike. Basically how to walk-the-walk, talk-the-talk, eat-the-eat and look all dressed up and elegant, upper-story being empty...not a problem.

So in one of the sessions they were being tutored on table-manners by none other than Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's butler. While he was tutoring the girls on how to eat - which fork/spoon to use etc etc, in came this delicious looking thing. And he informed us (the girls and i) that it was the 'Spotted Dick'.

Come again...Spotted what? Me and the girls asked.

Yes you heard it right, 'Spotted Dick' he said, which simply put is a traditional pudding. Now that's some pudding!! :D

So that's how i spotted the Spotted Dick. And then i had to go into my google over-drive and spot it again!

So girls (and boys) here's the Spotted Dick recipe for you:




6 servings

8 oz self-raising flour
1 pn of salt
4 oz margarine
2 oz castor sugar (superfine)
4 oz to 6 oz sultanas (big-raisins)
6 tb water

1 - Have ready a sheet of foil or a double thickness of grease proof paper brushed with melted margarine.

2 - Make the pudding crust: Sieve the flour and the salt. Rub in the margarine. Add the sugar and sultanas. Mix in the water to make a soft dough.

3 - Turn out onto a floured board and form into a roll.

4 - Wrap loosely but securely in the grease proof paper or foil. Tie or seal the ends.

5 - Place in the steamer and cover tightly. Steam for 1.1/2 to 2 hours.

6 - Serve with hot custard sauce or sprinkle with castor sugar.

Variation: At stage 3: Put the mixture in a medium-sized (1.1/2 pint) pudding basin with a round of grease proof paper in the bottom and brush all round inside with melted margarine. Smooth the top. Cover with foil, or double grease proof paper brushed underneath with melted margarine and steam for 1.1/2 to 2 hours. Serve with hot Custard sauce or sprinkle with castor sugar.


[Recipe sourced from
www.recipesource.com]

Those of you, who are familiar with Irish/English cuisine will be familiar with this dessert. Some more information:

The earliest recipes for spotted dick are from 1847. For non-British readers, "spotted dick" is a boiled suet pudding, with bits of dried fruit (usually raisins or currants) that (as already noted) look like little spots.


The Oxford Companion to Food comments that, strictly speaking, "spotted dick" is made by taking a flat sheet, spreading sugar and raisins on it, then rolling it up. A similar dessert is "spotted dog," a plain cylinder of suet paste with the raisins and currants and sugar stuck into it, so that the spots are visible on the outside. Both spotted dick and spotted dog were traditionally boiled (or even steamed) in a cloth, but nowadays they are usually baked.

The dessert is slightly different in Ireland. In Ireland in the late 1800s, the tradition of yeast-bread manufacture was not strong, so most breads were raised with bicarbonate of soda and an acid, rather than with yeast, and thus called soda breads. Thus, the spotted dick in Ireland is sweet soda bread, with sugar, currants, and raisins, and it's also called the spotted dog or railway cake.

[Info courtsey
www.straightdope.com]

Have a great time errr...savouring some home cooked Spotted Dick. :D

Friday, May 6, 2005

05/05/05

A friend of mine reminded me today was 05/05/05. I was like...oh really, wow! I didn't realise that!

And it was then that it struck me how much 'for granted' I take dates and time. I don't keep track of dates on a day to day basis. If you were to ask me off-hand what date it is, it would take me a wee bit more than normal to give you an answer. But I am good at remembering b'days of my friends and family. B'days and Sunsigns. :-)

Is it that in the end your life becomes a succession of 365 days? You don't even realise till one has turned into past and another one is staring you in the face.

In school, everytime I jotted down a new year on my notebook, it left me with bittersweet feelings. As juvenile as it seems now, I would find it difficult to let go of the past year. It left me with a faint sadness - as if I was letting go of something personal. Something that I owned and felt attached to. But the sweet of the bittersweet meant I was excited with the thought of new experiences, another year of growing up and one step closer to adulthood. But that was then. Teenage. When adulthood and emancipation were infinitely charming and exciting.

And this is now.


A few months back I went through the same feelings that I experienced while jotting-down the year on my school notebook. I knew I was hitting the big 3 soon. It was quite unbelieveble that I was crossing the threshold to the 30s. That I was leaving behind my 20s; a whole decade of being young. Funny how I had stopped thinking in terms of age once I crossed my teenage. But all of a sudden my third decade was not a thing of a blurred future. It was real, staring me in the face. I was a little sad...no honestly I was quite sad for sometime! But again the sweet of bittersweet came to my rescue (as did my friends and family), and I started seeing all the perks of being 30! I am so much more aware of myself. I think I understand people better. I hope I am more mature - a lot less of the girl in me, a lot more of the woman in me. I wouldn't want to loose the girl altogether though. And I can finally look down upon the 20 somethings with an air of 'I know it all'!! :D

Even then, I sometimes wonder how many more 365s do I have to go through. And should I just relax and see them go past me, one after the other. Or do I jump-in and run along? For some reason, I feel like being a spectator, for now. Tomorrow at some point I'm sure I would want to jump in. I wouldn't want to be left wondering in the end - the last 365, why didn't I jump-in after all?!

Thursday, May 5, 2005

What colour are you?


WINTER SKY

You were given rare combination of artistic creativity and financial know-how. It is a wonderful gift to be able to create your dreams while building a financial structure to support them. It is important that you share your talent and your wealth with others because it is the sharing that will bring you some of the most worthwhile blessings. Your personal color helps you stay centered. Wearing meditating or surrounding yourself with Winter Sky infuses your life with faith and magic.

So what colour are you?

*For the design conscious, don't skip the intro. It's well done, i like the flash transitions.* :-)

Tuesday, May 3, 2005

The potter's wheel



The wheel spins into a blur. And your fingers caress the wet shapeless mound to give it shape and identity. Wet mud. Sensual. Your fingers are like a dancer's or a masseur's fingers, soft yet firm. You see contours emerging from this shapeless mound, much like a baby in the mother's womb. Just a little stress there, a different choreography of the fingers and you see a whole new form unfold before your eyes. The incredible feeling of creating something.



I have always wanted to learn pottery and i was happy that i could make that happen...finally. I risk sharing a few of my creations with the world at large. They are not the best ones, but they are special to me. They are my babies. Like all first good things, the first crush, the first kiss, the first painting, the first sculpture...my first attempt at pottery :-)

Which Desperate Housewife are you?



Aparna is the Susan of Desperate Housewives!

You always mean well, but somehow things don't always work out as you'd planned. It doesn't matter. You take your tumbles with good grace and always come up smiling. But try to remember you're the grown-up in your family.
hmmm....:P


So which one are you?

Sunday, May 1, 2005

Parineeta - A trip down melody lane



From Uttar Pradesh to Bong land. That's the extent of my musical journey these past few days and boy am i pleased!!

The 50s, 60s, and early 70s were the golden era of the bollywood musical scene, each decade with a glitter of its own. Then came the late 70s and 80s and bollywood saw the worst in music (barring a few exceptions). 90s was thankfully far better but not quite. And then came the 21st century and by some stroke of genius the melody and novelty starved bollywood music scene is back on track. Hopefully.


Now back to Parineeta.



First things first, this is a must-listen album for anyone who prefers melody and the oldies. The sound of this album is similar to the likes of 1942-Love Story (Kuch na Kaho, Rim Jhim Rim Jhim - the haunting melodies basically).

Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal are in top-form. My favourites would be 'Hui Main Parineeta', 'Piyu Bole', 'Raat Hamari to'.

Piyu Bole is a beautiful number. Extremely melodious and refreshing. And very mmm...singable (if there's any such word) :-) Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam sound divine and damn good together.

Hui Main Parineeta is outstanding. Sounds very different. Very romantic. It's based on Piyu Bole but has been treated in a totally different way, giving it it's own identity. Awesome!

Raat Hamari to is a slow, haunting, sad number. Chitra has sung it beautifully.

Kaisi Paheli Zindagaani takes you down the memory lane to the night club numbers of the 50s & 60s . In the same vein as the classic Geeta-Dutt, Asha Bhonsle night club numbers (remember Howrah Bridge?). Sunidhi Chauhan renders this well. This one has been picturised on the one and only Rekha! So should be an interesting watch!

Soona Man ka Aangan is a sad number sung by who else but Sonu Nigam. He seems to have mastered sad songs :P. Supported beautifully again by Shreya Ghoshal. I read somewhere that, so taken-in by this song was Sonu Nigam that he actually ended-up crying up for real during recording. Phew!

Kasto Mazaa is a nice number. Sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. But not as outstanding as the rest in my humble opinion. Has been picturised on the Darjeeling train i suppose.

Dhinak Dhinak Dha is the only number which err...sticks out as a sore thumb in this album. Maily because it's quite loud. It's a naughty shaadi number. But i am least keen to listen to this one.


This is a must-listen album and i think a must-watch movie as well, going by the looks of the movie-stills. Can't wait to watch Saif Ali Khan in bong-garb, he sure looks hot! :D


Listen to Parineeta songs here: http://www.musicindiaonline.com/l/17/s/movie_name.7875/