Monday, January 23, 2012

The Insanely Long Tag...


F forwarded this list of questions a few days back and sitting idly around, I thought today would be a great day to get on with it. Thing is, I didn't notice how many questions there were. And once I started, I had to get it over with...

1) Put your iTunes on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up.
I don't have ITunes... but there's an MP3 player: Rolling in the Deep, Lemon Tree, Chammak Challo (:|), When Your Mind's Made Up, Sound of Silence, Billie Jean 

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?
The Dalai Lama

3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.
She collected customers by going up to them and describing her services…

4) What do you think about most?
What to eat for my next meal.

5) What does your latest text message from someone else say?
I will get it tomorrow (a calendar if you, my dear readers, must know)

6) Do you sleep with ____ or without ______ on?
A blanket (or without) lights (on)

7) What’s your strangest talent?
Erm, I can eat a lot.

8) Girls…. (finish the sentence); Boys…. (finish the sentence)
Girls overthink everything; boys don’t think at all.

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?
Not one that I know of…

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?
I don’t do that K

11) Do you have any strange phobias?
I can’t watch people chopping vegetables… I am always worried they will cut themselves.

12) Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?
Sticker (it went right in and had to be medically extracted)

13) What’s your religion?
Hinduism

14) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?
Working (yes that is sad, I know)

15) Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?
On the side of it

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?
Porcupine Tree

17) What was the last lie you told?
When I had to get out of work…

18) Do you believe in karma?
I don’t have time for it…

19) What does your URL mean?
Seems pretty simple to me

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?
Weakness: I get moved very easily.
Strenth: You can never really tell what I’m thinking.

21) Who is your celebrity crush?
As of now, Ryan Gosling (this must be the easiest question here)

22) Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
No

23) How do you vent your anger?
I get very, very quiet.

24) Do you have a collection of anything?
Books & greeting cards

25) Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?
Neither

26) Are you happy with the person you’ve become?
I think I can do better.

27) What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?
Sound I hate – Honking
Sound I love – Silence

28) What’s your biggest “what if”?
…I fail?

29) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?
A little in both

30) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.
My laptop with my right arm, my lip balm with my left

31) Smell the air. What do you smell?
Nothing… I blame it on my permanently weak sense of smell.

32) What’s the worst place you have ever been to?
A counsellor’s chamber

33) Choose East Coast or West Coast?
I doubt it applies in the place I stay.

34) Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?
Errr, I can only (most mysteriously) think of just women right now.

35) To you, what is the meaning of life?
To make the most of every minute.

36) Define Art.
The act of creating anything beautiful.

37) Do you believe in luck?
Yes, but coupled with hard work.

38) What’s the weather like right now?
Mildly chilly, strangely pleasant for Mumbai.

39) What time is it?
10.50pm

40) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?
Haven’t learnt driving yet…

41) What was the last book you read?
The Sly Company of People Who Care

42) Do you like the smell of gasoline?
Not really

43) Do you have any nicknames?
A few…

44) What was the last movie you saw?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

45) What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?
I fractured both my feet together… a month before year-end exams.

46) Have you ever caught a butterfly?
Many times

47) Do you have any obsessions right now?
Yes…

48) What’s your sexual orientation?
Straight

49) Ever had a rumor spread about you?
Yes… I don’t suppose I have to say what it was.

50) Do you believe in magic?
In my good days, yes.

51) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?
I forgive, but I rarely forget

52) What is your astrological sign?
Libra

53) Do you save money or spend it?
I save as much as I can, but once in a while I splurge.

54) What’s the last thing you purchased?
Lots of clothes (it’s sale season!)

55) Love or lust?
A bit of both.

56) In a relationship?
Yes

57) How many relationships have you had?
A couple…

58) Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
Tried many times, never succeeded

59) Where were you yesterday?
A different city

60) Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
Yes, my lip balm

61) Are you wearing socks right now?
No

62) What’s your favorite animal?
Koala

63) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?
I usually don’t bother to try.

64) Where is your best friend?
In my head J

65) Spit or swallow?(;
Swallow

66) What is your heritage?
A lot of madness that comes with being a Bong… eating fish and Biryani for instance.

67) What were you doing last night at 12 AM?
Trying to sleep

68) What do you think is Satan’s last name?
Lastword

69) Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?
I suppose so…

70) Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?
I don’t know if I would get along very well with myself.

71) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?
This sounds so impossible… but I guess I would save the dog if no one else seems interested.

72) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?
a) A few, I suppose
b) Make a list of things to do
c) I would try to be brave… what else is there to do?

73) You can only have one of these things; trust or love.
Trust

74) What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?
I am Singing in the Rain

75) What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?
----

76) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?
Love

82) What is your favourite word?
Soul

83) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: heart.
Blood

84) What is a saying you say a lot?
I don’t…

85) What’s the last song you listened to?
Some song on FM

86) Basic question: what’s your favorite color/colors?
Black and red. With a bit of blue.

87) What is your current desktop picture?
Cave painting

88) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?
Hmmm… I can just think of one man right now.

89) What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?
What have I achieved in life (I’m afraid it all boils down to a massive zero).

90) One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?
Try and figure out if it’s a dream.

91) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?
Teleportation seems like a nice-ish power

92) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?
It would be nice to go fishing in the lake near my old house again…

93) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
It would be nice to do a Bachelors degree somewhere else…

94) You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?
:\ I just realised there’s no musician I really want to sleep with…

95) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?
Africa

96) Do you have any relatives in jail?
No

97) Have you ever thrown up in the car?
No

98) Ever been on a plane?
Many times

99) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?
Don’t bother doing this yourself. You can do better with your time…

100) Give me your top 5 favorite blogs on Tumblr.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/images/cleardot.gifWhy just Tumblr? 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Doubt...

It's a frightening feeling -- when it seems like you're never going to be able to do any job properly in your life.

I stopped loving what I do a long, long time back... now when I sit and wonder about what to do next, failure seems like the inevitable result for each and every plan.

Doubt gnaws its way deep into your heart.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Birthday Wishlist

I am turning very, very, very old in less than a month. Okay, not as old as it seems... but old enough in any case (if you ask me nicely, I will tell you how old). And birthdays are times for gifts, lots of them and great ones. Here's what I want, suitable for all pockets and budgets (or at least collective pockets and budgets).

Caution: Since I suppose the only people giving me gifts are likely to know each other, please crosscheck... I doubt any of us will be very happy if I end up getting two or more of the same thing.
Ooh also, this is in bold because I think it's very important... some of these may be pretty expensive. I only know the price of this book... besides that I am not sure of the prices of anything. If something seems too expensive, let it be... find something in your budget, even if it's not on the list. I will be happy with whatever's given...

Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
I looooooove Bone... it's one of my favourite graphic novels and I adore it to bits. I've read the first three or four parts, hiding in bookstores, largely because I had no money to buy each volume then. There are 9 volumes, but Flipkart has it all in one big book... t's usually available abroad, but looks like the website imports it. And there's a discount too. Want!
Find it - http://bit.ly/qBDLgY







Saxony Knife Earrings
Saxony Knife Earrings, Eina Ahluwalia
I love pretty much everything Eina makes... particularly her Byzantine and Wedding Vows collection.
I ♥ these two earrings - the Saxony Knife Earrings and the Byzantine Vines.
Find it - http://www.einaahluwalia.com/contact











Jewellery at Accessorize
I've seen some stunning stuff there - and they are available in sets. Does the store have vouchers?











Heels!
Do I really need to say how much I love biggg heels (well, pretty ballerinas and all other sorts of shoes too). What I'd like most? Hmm, ard to choose, but a great pair of nude heels is very desirable I suppose.
Find it - All over Palladium!

Sequins on my dress
Almost as much as I love heels! And I believe they are quite a rage right now... everyone is making some at different prices!


Hair Accessories
If you've been out shopping with me, chances are you've seen me try on hairbands, and all other sort of hair thingies possible. Though I usually try really ridiculous things, I really like some nice hair accessories. And will not mind owning one or two. Like a flower, or a feather hairband.
Dainty clips are not a good idea though - they don't stay on my hair. Find it - Freanka http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freanka/176669452353374?sk=info. There must be more...

The Body Shop Midnight Bakula
I can't believe I forgot to add this.... I've wanted this ever since I smelt the products at the friendly neighbourhood flagship store! It smells great, everything - right from the body butter to the body mist.
Find it - At The Body Shop stores

Sunday, August 28, 2011

New Blog, Same Old Life

So now I have a new blog, one I've killed and resurrected many times over - www.thevanitykit.wordpress.com. Anyway, I thought it may be a good idea to collate my folio (or whatever you call it) into a blog, and fill it with posts about things that catch my eye, as well. I was planning for it to be in line with a fashion blog, but now I am not really sure of that... dressing up people and tracking cool clothes and accessories are nice, but I really don't see the blog turning into a daily diary of what I wear. For one, I often don't like what I'm wearing... I just put on whatever I can find. And besides, taking photos and putting it up with such dedication seems too much for me. The fashion bloggers out there must really love what they are doing...
I wish I was doing more of what I loved. Wait, I am not sure what I love when it comes to my work...
Anyway, it's Monday tomorrow and time to get back to the work desk. I could certainly do with a few changes in life. 

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Blood and Tears...

Once, every year or two, ever since I came to live in this city, I've seen this city burn... sometimes the trains which millions use to travel, sometimes rich hotels that you would think would be oblivious to dangers or, like today, just a set of crowded roads picked at random.
The nature of the attacks surprise me every time... they hit whenever I least expect it, when I almost forget that such things are possible here.

Bleeding bodies, broken bones and shattered hearts and hopes...

...it's never easy.
Not for anyone - not for those at the spot, not for those stranded on the roads, not for those waiting for loved ones to reply to calls and messages or return home, not even for those who are sitting safely at home.

But it's not time to get angry... not yet. The hatred and retaliation can wait for a few days. Now we need helping hands, not heated nerves. There will be another day for us to fire our guns, if we have to.

Friday, July 08, 2011

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 30

FAVOURITE COFFEE TABLE BOOK
I just realised today is the last day of the challenge... no more breaking my head over which book to write about, rushing to finish posts before midnight, and feverishly discussing posts with friends who are also facing the challenge. Besides, I ended up thinking of books and stories I had completely forgotten about. This was fun...

I am not going to say anything much, but that I had wanted this book from the moment I lay my eyes on the cover (and the synopsis) in a monthly press newsletter from the publishers. I didn't even had to flip it open... one glance at the grey silk cover and I was smitten. It was also one of those times when I merely said that they book looked expensive and did not dare to ask the publishers for a review copy, because it was so frightfully expensive.
But, without even asking for it, one morning, many weeks later I cam to office to see a huge package lying on my desk... they had me the book. Oh, and I've never wanted a coffee table more eagerly than now. Designers, old and new speak about their perception of couture (a much misused term), which are accompanied by beautiful pictures from the runways and vintage shows. Plus, there are some stunning portraits of the designers from Rankin.
My clothes may not suggest that, but I have great admiration for fashion and see it as a form of art... I love how the book  brings out the significance of fashion designing, as opposed to merely making clothes (ready-to-wear).
...I really need a coffee table to display this.

Couture in the 21st Century
Edited by Deborah Bee
Price Rs. 2499

Thursday, July 07, 2011

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 29

BOOK I AM CURRENTLY READING
I had a lot of books to read, but when I saw the review copy of the book I am writing about today, I pounced it before anyone else had a chance. The perks of coming to office before most people!

I loved Arvind Adiga. I loved The White Tiger, and while I know a lot of people who did not like the book at all, I totally loved it. So I was pretty excited when I heard his new book was about to release.
Don't be discouraged by the bright pink jacked of the hard cover version. The story is as gritty and 'un-pink' as Adiga can get. The story is set in Mumbai, and is a great (not always beautiful though) glimpse of the city. Also it's central narrative about the residents of an old cooperative society who have received a lucrative offer from a real estate developer, is a story many people of the city have lived through.
Adiga writes with a certain rage I have come to like. His stories are set in very familiar urban surroundings and I often feel like I know what he is talking about even though nothing like his stories have ever happened to me (thank heavens).
I like how Last Man in Tower is progressing, as of now. But what can I say... I am a fan.

Last Man in Tower
Written by Arvind Adiga
Price Rs. 699

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 28

LAST BOOK I READ
Today's and tomorrow's questions must be among the simplest in the challenge. Thank God for small mercies!

All my friends who had read this food have only had very good things to say about it. So it was hardly a matter of time before I was ready to pick up the book myself. The title, Like Water for Chocolate, sounded familiar. Once I began reading it, I realised why... I had written about this book's cinematic adaptation in an article about Spanish food-related movies. This is the story of Tita - her joys and sorrows - which are often expressed through food and the kitchen. Women, all over the world, have traditionally been associated with their kitchens. This book used the same idea, but in a innovative way. So you have the story of a woman's life interspersed with recipes (that look very promising) and directions on how to cook... magic realism and culinary lessons blend without a hitch into the story line.
It's easy to finish the book in one go. I did... though I wish I had copied the recipes before I gave the book back.

Like Water for Chocolate
Written by Laura Esquivel
Price Rs. 400+

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 27

FAVOURITE FICTION BOOK
I realised I'm almost coming to the end of the 30 Day Book Challenge, and I find today's question very intriguing. I have written about many of the books I like (and dislike) in the last few days, so now I'm confused again.... which is my favourite work of fiction? I suddenly don't think I have read enough books, because I can't quite determine out an absolute favourite.

I am leaving this blank... I haven't figured it out yet.

Does it mean I am failing the challenge? Well, I suppose no one could care less. 

Monday, July 04, 2011

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 26

FAVOURITE NON-FICTION BOOK
I hardly read non-fiction... I never end up picking those at bookshops, and it hasn't helped that a lot of the non-fiction books I've read have turned out to be incredibly, terribly boring. There have also been some very good books, but I am not sure if a book like Bitter Chocolate is my favourite... it moved me alright. But my favourite, I am not so sure. I also pondered around Vincent Van Gogh and Marquez for a while... and then decided to take a lighter route.

My favourite non-fiction book is full of laughs, even though its premise is rather sad one. Bhaskar Ghose was director general of Doordarshan when it was still a channel we all watched. He speaks about his experiences, some good and a lot of bad, during his tenure and all the series and developments on the National Channel in those days. He brings forth the corruption and lethargy of the government and the total incompetence (at times) of people working in TV in those days. DD produced some of its best works during those days, and I wonder if they would  have not fallen from grace had he been around longer. So, I am not a big fan of long, non-fiction stories, so this has been among my favourites - it has a serious background, but the writing is engaging, funny, light-hearted and lucid. And despite the carefree narration, it talks about some pretty serious issues that gripped the government and I&B ministry in those days (and possibly, even now).
I heard that Bhaskar Ghose has come up with a new book, and if it's anything like his earlier work, I am picking it up.

Doordarshan Days
Written by Bhaskar Ghose
Price Rs. 385 (Hard-bound)




Sunday, July 03, 2011

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 24 & 25

Another Sunday, another combined blog post.

BOOK THAT CONTAINS MY FAVOURITE SCENE
This wasn't easy... far too many scenes, right from Cinderella to The God of Small Things popped up before my eyes. It took long and hard thinking, but when the scene, it was right there before my eyes.
I love this book (who doesn't) and while every chapter in the book is a little masterpiece, one of my favourite scenes is the one towards the end, when Holden takes his little sister Phoebe to the park. She wants to ride the carousel and he buys her a ticket and puts her on it. She rides on, carefree and happy, just as he realises he doesn't want to be a catcher in the rye. And in that moment, he finds happiness, in the simplest way possible. I think I cried when I read that.
The lines that got me - "I was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth. I don't know why. It was just that she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all. God, I wish you could've been there." 


The Catcher in the Rye
Written by JD Salinger
Price Rs. 335 (approx) 


FAVOURITE BOOK I READ IN SCHOOL
This was one of the easiest questions I have ever had to answer. Even as I read the topic, I knew what my answer would be.
It was dark and mysterious and an absolute dazzler of a book. I was hooked to Joseph Conrad's novella from the minute protagonist Marlow began his story. Or perhaps it was in the way, the cities were described, from London to the heart of Africa, cold and grey and steeped in history and conflict. As the story of one man's journey to find another in the deepest part of the Dark Continent unfolded, the novel became a study of people and ideas as well as colonialism. Few books have intrigued me more than that one, and I always found something new each time I read the book. Africa never seemed more enigmatic or alluring.

Heart of Darkness
Written by Joseph Conrad
Price Rs. 68 onwards

Friday, July 01, 2011

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 23

BOOK I TELL PEOPLE I'VE READ, BUT ACTUALLY HAVEN'T (OR HAVEN'T FINISHED)
Oh well, there are a lot of these books. No, none of the books listed in the last 22 days can be part of this category :-P. I really have read all of them. But I find myself pretending to have read up some books when I actually haven't... especially when it's part of a conversation and I need to keep it going. They are like those things that come up in the moment... "have you read that book? Oh yes, I have... my god, isn't it nice?" Come on... everyone's done it sometime. It helps, I suppose, that I read up a lot about books online, especially if they interest me.

I was trying to think of book I haven't read at all, then realised it was embarrassingly high. One of them is Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake. And the tendency to bluff about the book emerged a little too strongly when the movie based on the book was released. I have never even touched the book... ever. I am not sure what the cover of the book looks like (though I guess after the movie, it must have been Tabu's face, or Irrfan Khan's). I thought the movie was okay... nothing as brilliant as some of my friends said. So every time one of my friends compared it to the book, I would vociferously support the book. This is also one of those books which I have not even read anything about. So my arguments usually were totally out of nowhere... I just assumed the book was pretty similar to the movie. I even claimed that since I didn't like the book, I couldn't like the movie either. Note: I've read Lahiri's other books, and a lot of her other writings and I quite like her work. I am just not sure why I never even try to read The Namesake. And clearly, if anyone's reading this blog, my wonderful critical analysis of the book or the movie is not going to hold much ground anymore.

The Namesake
Written by Jhumpa Lahiri
Price Rs. 395