To Us

Disclaimer: This is to notify that the following lines have been copied by me from a magazine because I absolutely love them. They happen to be a part of an advertisement of Sunsilk. These lines are for those very special, fiery, precious, important, elegant and beautiful creatures called GIRLS. Yep. To us.

Here goes:

 

It’s a gang of short black skirts.

It’s a gang of way too many shoes.

It’s a gang of how sweets and so cutes.

It’s a gang of over-used weighing scales.

It’s a gang of fat-free, sugar-free, calorie-free dessert.

It’s a gang of hearts beating for Bon Jovi.

It’s a gang of sniffles in the middle of Casablanca.

It’s a gang of long phone calls and longer phone bills.

It’s a gang of nervous breakdown over chipped fingernails.

It’s a gang of busy trail rooms.

It’s a gang of sighs outside a diamond store.

It’s a gang of purple face packs answering the door.

It’s a gang of giggles, whispers, squeals, sobs, shrieks

and stubborn silences.

It’s a gang of girls.

THE STORY OF DISTRESSED DENIMS

When you have a lot of time at hand, you tend to analyse things, people or maybe your own self. Likes, dislikes, styles etcetera etcetera. I have discovered a bohemian side of me, of which I wasn’t unaware but never did/made any special efforts to contribute towards it. Now with ample time, I am/have been conducting various (disastrous?)  experiments with my existing wardrobe.

I started off with scrapping a small part of my favourite pair of jeans. But I made a big mistake by scrapping up the wrong part i.e. near the knee. The jeans being tight-fit got totally torn at the knee!!! Not that I mind, but my dad sure does.

Well, I am planning to cover the torn portion from inside with a cloth (white) or maybe just crop them into shorts (any suggestions from your side are welcome!).

Now no more an amateur, I have mastered the art of distressing the denims. Here are some shots of my masterpiece. (It is still in the process of being distressed).

The instrument:pumice stone

Kindly don’t underestimate the job; it requires a lot of patience and perseverance. It takes hours and hours (well okay, I am over-exaggerating) actually minutes of scrapping softly the material with a pumice stone. To achieve the desired “natural” look you have to take care to not go overboard. Cool no?

Finally, I also cropped another pair of jeans. And knowing me, you would have probably guessed that I am putting the residual material to some very good use! Here is the “before” part:

And voila!

Add caption

I have a thing for bows actually…! The following pictures will explain my fixations.

I had fun doing all this even though my parents have stating having doubts about my sanity! But as long as I am having fun with it, I say hallelujah.

Double Standards!!!!!!

I am writing this post after getting “inspired” by an article which appeared in the TOI a few days ago. It threw some light on the puzzling behaviour of the censor board. The movie called “Turning 30” apparently has been attaining a lot of flake because of its bold scenes and dialogues.

The dialogue under the scanner is something like this “just because I slept with you doesn’t mean I’ll marry you”, which according to the censor board is not fit for children (oh, well, ya, whatever). The producers of Turning 30 are not amused. They argue that munni putting zandu balm on her bum and Sheila showing off her jawani is acceptable (!!!!) but not a women speaking her mind (double standards indeed, I say). Mr. Prakash Jha (producer) also said this : “A women cannot speak her mind saying, ‘This is what I am’, but she can show herself in the most vulgar manner on screen. Ek aurat soch kaise sakti hai? She is an object, an item- that’s what our current censorship standards show.”

I absolutely agree with Mr. Jha. I fail to understand why no one raises any eyebrows at the stupid shows which are aired on the TV (more accessible to the children). Have you ever noticed those silly, so-called comedy shows? Full of cheap jokes. Watching them with family is totally out of question. Are they good for the kids? Huh? Or those mind boggling shows supposedly for women empowerment and addressing of social issues. Sometimes I wonder do they bring out the “social causes” to prevent them or promote them. Many a shows are shown promoting dowry, in very subtle way of-course. Or slight indications on pallu, giving ideas to the people in general about the importance of it. I saw this show where a Punjabi girl is married into a Gujju family. And the very next day she is treated like a parasite, shouted at, forced to wear a saree, to cook "Gujarati food and of-course numerous taanaa's as in maa ne kuch nhi sikhaya? etc etc. I feel very strongly the fact that these particular things do provoke the sasu ma's to take action against their own bahu rani’s in the real life.

The censor board is but sleeping throughout this.

But when a movie shows real stuff (okay, big city scenario, but real nevertheless!) the censor board suddenly awakens. After the promos have been passed. They suddenly realise that “oh shit, not suitable for kids”!! Now how often is that a filmmaker actually makes a film with women (of today) in the central role? Seriously, when was the last time you saw such a movie? I can only recall Konkana Sen’s character from Wake Up Sid, but then that movie was Ranbir’s!

Anyways, I hate double standards. Also, on other thought this controversy sure must have done a lot for the publicity of the movie. Hope it is a good one!

P.S Can someone please explain why the comments of my blogs are showing up in the SPAM folder rather than in my INBOX???!!!???!!!

SO, WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

Happiness as they say is just a state of mind. It does not take much to make one’s own self happy. Own self you ask? In this fast paced selfish world it’s important to take care of your own whims and fancies, I think!

One fine day I decided to pen down all the things that make me happy. The most fulfilling and satisfying form of happiness is the one that comes effortlessly, usually through the most trivial sources. The kind of happiness which makes you go hmmm, life is good! I love to find happiness in small things and happenings of life.

So, here is a short list of the stuff that makes me happy.

1. Sunshine falling on my skin, making me feel alive. (Not the scalding hot one, but the pleasant bright one!)  
2. Flowers. In any shape, size, variety! They never fail to uplift my mood.
3. A great cup of coffee. Not the machine one, real stuff with the right amount of sugar and milk.
4. Small kids, babies. I love kids. Period.
5. Shoes! Buying a pair of “my kind of shoes” can keep me happy for days altogether. 
6. Talking about good’ old times with friends/family.
7. Reading a good book.
8. Publishing a post. YOUR POST HAS BEEN PUBLISHED. This line causes a light fluttering in my heart!!!!  
9. A slice of pizza with a lotta cheese! 
10. Cooking. This is one of my recent fixations. Experts say it won’t be in this list for too long!
11. Looking at old pictures. Rewinding each memory associated with them makes me happy.
12. Shopping. Well, obviously.
13. Watching an old favourite movie! Repeating all the dialogues!
14. Some soul stirring music. I am currently listening to- How am I Supposed to live without you by Michael Bolton.
15. The feel when the wind blows my hair.
16. Listening to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahib and the point when tears flow without any reason.
17. Singing in an empty room or on the terrace or talking and praying to God!
18. The days when all my family members are together.
19. Painting. I am no great a painter but the experience rejuvenates me. The freedom on using colours on the canvas is so so so enlivening.
20. Sitting on a beach. Watching the water rise and fall. Bring living and non-living stuff on the shore. Watching the sun go down. The sounds. Sigh!
21. A good sleep that totally freshens you up!
22. The feel when you get on like a house on fire with someone on the first meet.

Alright I will stop at 22, because I ll be 22 years old next month (stupid reason, I know!).

One last thing, writing down this whole list of things, also made very happy :)

stay happy, stay blessed!

More Than Just A Pretty Face.

Why women are always projected as a mere commodity(or a sex symbol as it's popularly called)? Especially in the glamour world! May it be an item number or a dream sequence (not contributing in any way to the story) or a song just for fun, after the hero is tired by flexing his muscles.

Ever since I can remember there is always a song showing the heroine dripping wet in the rains. And who can ever forget the midriff baring, cleavage showing item numbers.

My point is, aren’t women capable of doing something other than dancing around the trees? The answer of-course is a YES. There are movies which have women as the central characters but their numbers as compared to the other (commercial) ones are indeed minuscule.

I was watching THE BACHELOR  (aired of star world, 9pm) the other day. Was surprised and muffled after watching a girl in the show stripping down to attract the attention of the guy! That is precisely the reason why I decided to write this post.

You may argue that there is a lot of cultural difference between us the the people depicted in the show. However the scenario closer home is no different. Check out the shows like Splitsvilla(MTV) and TLC (CHANNEL V) if you don’t believe me! All following the mantra of “jo dikhta hai whi bikta hai”.

Even though women and proved themselves to be equal and better than menfolk at various spheres and endeavours, it is still not enough. Very recently at an interview I was with two other guys, our topic of discussion was WOMEN ARE BETTER MANAGERS THAN MEN. I was taken aback when one the guy very casually and very matter of fact-ly commented that even though women are doing good, it’s not possible for them to be better than men. His reasons made me laugh really!

1. because they are not physically strong . oh yea really? So? How is it even relevant!
2. because they cannot work at night, its not safe. And who makes it unsafe huh?

Whatever the reasons, he was pretty obstinate. It was then I realised that even today there are many men out there who feel that women are only child producing machines, doing additional jobs like cooking and cleaning your stuff. For them the girlfriend should be hot and sexy but wife should be simple and untouched.

The matrimonial page on the newspapers makes me oh so mad. A decade has passed, I find no major change. The girl should be simply, fair, good-looking, homely (whatever that means). Thankfully some sane people do include the education criterion.

It’s really very frustration to see women being projected at mere commodities. What’s Even more frustrating, is the fact that the girls (young) are ready (and sometimes even happy) to be just a commodity!  Just want to say that there is more to us, we are not just a pretty face!

The Extra Edge!

 Hello. Blog-doston.

I hope the New Year has been bringing a lot of happiness and good luck to all. For me, it has just brought a lot of cold, fog, ice-cold winds…… it has become mandatory to be bundled up in layers and layers of clothing (I have also brought a topi!). Small activities also need a lot of deliberation like how important the task is? Do I really need to pee or can it wait? Do I have to scratch my head and hence take my hand out of the warm cosy blanket? You get the vibe right? I HATE WINTERS (though there are things that I like about them)!

Now that I am satisfied cribbing about the cold I will come to the point. The point is that I am reading a book called The Time traveller’s wife. Many of you must have heard about it and some would have even seen the movie. I am still in the process of reading the book, but it has already had a very strong effect on me. I am so fascinated by the time travel the hero Henry is capable of(actually not capable of, he cannot control or direct the phenomenon). Though the hero does not think much of it and is unhappy about his “superpower”, but then even Spiderman isn’t.

Few lines from the book:

from the movie!

When Henry meets Clare, he is

twenty-eight and she is twenty. He is

a hip librarian; she is a beautiful art                  

student. Henry has never met Clare

before; Clare has known Henry since

she was six...

All of us have a hidden desire of having a superpower. I have one (one?) too. Invisibility. How cool would it be to sneak up on people and see what they are upto. Also a great speed (like that of vampires) so that I can go where-ever I want to and like whenever I wish to. Also the power to read a person's thoughts. That would be so interesting and controversial. Hmm, so that’s my thing. What’s yours? Do share. Would be fun!

Also FYI, I have the soft copy of The Time Traveller’s Wife so if anyone is interested do let me know. I will be happy to help.

UP AND DOWN IN THE LIFE

[The title of this post has been ripped off from a book called UP AND DOWN IN THE DALES. If ever you come across this book do not miss reading it! Strongly recommended. There is nothing special about this book, but the simplicity and the soft humour is the highlight.]

Life is indeed a roller coaster ride. Showing you highs, then suddenly taking you to the bottom and finally gracefully gliding back up. Again.

The different times teach us different things, about life, about us and about the people around us. When everything’s alright one really doesn’t care about anything. Hitting an all-time-low is a nightmare for anyone.

Sometimes when feeling low, I crave for a “someone”. Someone who will hold my hand and looking into his eyes I ll forget everything else. Someone who ll say nothing, just give me a hug, which says it all. Someone who ll put me to sleep and sing me a lullaby. Someone who will carry me to the balcony and count the stars with me, when I can’t sleep Someone who smiles at me with a breakfast tray when I wake up. Someone who will get me flowers just like that. Someone who kisses me when I lose my temper.

Oh yes I am a hopeless romantic (bigger than the biggest) and it seems like I have gone way too far with the vivid description of “someone” or rather what the someone should do to/for me. I need to stop now.

Well, I know life is all about being practical and smart. But it doesn’t hurt to be a little foolish and silly (and a hopeless romantic) at times.

So three cheers for “someone”.

Also a very happy and bright new year to all you wonderful people out there.

Hope you have a great one!

Ciao.