Editor's Choice @ Blogjunta.com

Got this mail in my inbox today:

"Dear  Yuvika,

We the Team BlogJunta are pleased to inform you that one of your posts has been selected as one of the picks for BlogJunta Editor's Choice. Congratulations! 

We enjoyed reading your posts and are sure everyone who reads it will love them too. Keep dishing out such wonderful posts and we'll keep picking your posts for Editor's choice..."

I clicked the link and noticed that a number of posts had made their way to the Editor's Choice - However, that does not diminish my delight - awards are awards, after all. Thank you blogjunta.com and congratulations to all fellow bloggers!

The post that was picked was my latest one: Sleepless (:D) in Seattle.

So the badge that comes with the recognition is as follows, and shall now be proudly displayed on my side bar.

What an encouraging start to the day! Cheers!

Sleepless (:D) in Seattle

(P.S. Don't snicker at the done to death, highly 'filmy' title - humor me pls :))

Spent a weekend at the emerald city of Seattle. A very welcomed change from the tough, arid topography of Arizona. As the plane descended over Seattle, the sight of green pines and cedars across the low lying hills made a picturesque sight.

In keeping with its notorious reputation of being cold and wet, we were greeted by light rains at 9 degrees (C). All through the two days, the clouds bullied the sun into submission, every time it peeked in, daring to play hide and seek. It is no surprise then that the Twilight series is set in the state of Washington (Forks). Though Forks did not form a part of our short itinerary, I was constantly in the look out for speeding (good looking) vampires and the likes, much to my disappointment...

We did the standard touristy stuff - the famous Space Needle, Seattle Center, Downtown, Pike Market, Experience Music Project (Paul Allen's museum), the waterfront, and ofcourse the tourists-must-do duck ride - which takes you on land and on water, with the guide giving you a lot of information on the history and geography of the place. 

The Lake Union boasts of a number of boat houses and floating houses that could cost you anything above a million dollars, if you wished to buy. Any one leaving an inheritance behind, please remember me and this wish of mine. Would love to have a beautifully done up boathouse, with elegant furniture - wake up in the morning to the gentle lapping of the water - bliss! One of my dream holiday homes :P.

A non-caffeine person like me showed little delight at the first ever Starbucks. Infact, I find it embarrassing to enter a Starbucks - not a person to enjoy coffees or teas or lattes, I end up ordering a hot chocolate, which shows up on their kids' menu :(. But if you are a coffee person, Seattle would be heaven for you - there's a Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee and Tully's outlet almost everywhere!

What made our trip even more scenic and memorable was the changing color of leaves thanks to the onset of fall (my love for the fall eulogized here).

Here are some pics from the city...

Aerial view of Seattle downtown 

Seattle harbor 

At the Experience Music Project (the image is 90 degrees inverted) 

The Space Needle

The Pike Market

The lovely autumn hues

The boathouses you would want to buy me

Fremont bridge as viewed from the Seattle waterfront 

The Desert Beckons...

Relocated to Phoenix/Arizona for the time being. Wrote a bit about the desert experience in my post here. However, visiting a place as a tourist and trying to make it a home involve two very very different perspectives, is what I have come to learn in the last couple of days...

Though the weariness of the unfairly long journey from India to the far west and the eternal battle with jet lag continue to make my days hazy still, I have begun to get a general sense of what I am going to like about this place and what not...

What is definitely a thumbs up...

The proximity to so many tourist destinations - doable drives, one-day trips, weekend getaways - I see them all coming. Even though I have had an overdose of California, the neighboring states of Colorado, Nevada and Utah seem very inviting - Arizona itself boasts of the many canyons, hiking strips and what else to do with 12 months of sunshine!

And what is going to be a constant "cribbing" point...

12 months of sunshine - searingly hot summers and luke warm winters :(. If you have known me well enough or have been following this blog long enough, you know I am not a Vitamin D person. But oh well! The consolation factor is thankfully there is no oppressive humidity. The atmosphere is rather dry, which works well with me - not taking into consideration the constant dusting I will have to do around the house. (I had forgotten the word "dusting" when we stayed in Chicago - one never heard of "dust" in an American city, no? :D)

...So much for the first impressions, let's see how we fare now....

Remembering the Ghazal Maestro...

Jagjit Singh passes away today - ending with him is an era of ghazal music. 

To most people, the name Jagjit Singh has been synonymous with ghazals - his melodious renditions in his very trademark unique voice have given poetry and shayari a distinct space in the music world.

May his soul rest in peace.

The following are my most favorite ghazal numbers by the legend...

Tumko dekha to yeh khayal aaya...
Zindagi dhoop tum ghana saaya...

Yeh daulat bhi le lo, yeh shaurat bhi le lo...
...woh kaagaz ki kashti, woh baarish ka paani...

Hosh waalon ko khabar kya, bekhudi kya cheez hai...
Ishq kijiye phir samajhiye...zindagi kya cheez hai...

Badhi naazuk hai yeh manzil...

Mohabbat ka safar hai...

Tum itna jo muskara ho...

Woh kya gham hai jo chhupa rahe ho...

Koi yeh kaise bataaye ki woh tanha hai kyun hai...
Woh jo apna that wohi aur kisi ka kyun hai...

Chitti naa koi sandes...
jaane woh kaunsa des...jahaan tum chale gaye...

Koi fariyaad tere dil mein dabi ho jaise...
Tune aankhon se koi baat kahi ho jaise...

A mini retreat…

Spent the last weekend (add two more days to that) at Bhimtal – being from Uttaranchal, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that our family’s favorite vacation spot is always somewhere in the himalayan hills. (You could also read this post I did a while back). 

Bhimtal was beautiful. The verdant greens, the pine forests on hills surrounding the so many “taals” (lakes), the placid waters, the serene ambiance – sheer bliss and complete therapy for the dust laden, hurried city souls. 

I am in awe of the leisurely paced life in the hill towns of Uttaranchal. Yes, there are infrastructural issues and a lot of everyday hardships that we “tourists” tend to brush under the carpet so as to not taint our idyllic version of the landscape, but the charm of kumaon is undeniable. The clean air, the fresh dew, the rejuvenating sights and sounds – all make you forget the filth and grime that lurks a couple of hours away.

This time the highlight was our boating experience at “saat taal”. Since October is considered an off-peak season, there was hardly any sign of human life around – and that itself was very soothing for the eyes and heartening for the spirits. We hired a pedal boat and pedaled the entire length and breadth of the lake, which was spread out in all its glory only for us. We soaked in the calm of the silently rippling waters and the gentle sway of the wind, wishing that these moments would last forever…

Till we meet again!

I am out of Chennai starting Oct 1. Don’t ask me if this is a permanent move or how long I’ll be away. Frankly speaking, no clue! One thing that I am sure of is that nothing is permanent – so all those happy that Chennai will be a quieter and saner place in my absence, beware – you never know when you’ll have to eat your words. Meanwhile, keep glued (I so wish :)) to this space to know what I am doing with my life…

Chennai – A two and a half years of love and hate – and now that I look back, more love! 

For every aspect that I have disliked about Chennai – I have been blessed with a hundred reasons to like it. I have blogged, tweeted, facebook’ed a lot about what irks me about Chennai – the language problem, the infrastructure, the weather, the traffic jams, the early morning crackers on diwali etc etc. But you know what, I have thoroughly enjoyed my life in Chennai – and I do not say this to sound politically correct – I have just been exceptionally lucky to have met the right people at the right time!

Apart from the positive and pleasant home and family support (a special mention to my bro who painstakingly spent most weekends with me :)), the following have been my top 5 lifelines in Chennai:

• The work colleagues who are friends first: Like I said I was plain lucky to have met the right people! Considering my social life outside of those I know at work and family was zilch, I was fortunate to have struck the right chord with some like-minded people at work who were extremely compatible with my craziness!  Ofcourse, fortunately I don’t leave them behind – the bonds are deep enough to only grow stronger.

• Ericsson : For the professionally satisfaction and personal growth

• Autorickshaws: This three-wheeled wonder ensured that I reached wherever I wanted – whenever I wanted.  Rain or sunshine – the most dependable mode of transport in Chennai (Yes, you spend all your energies haggling for the price and still end up paying much more than required – but oh well!)

• Food: Eating out in Chennai is quite cheap compared to most metros. From the Murugun’s and Saravana Bhavan to the Italian and Chinese specialty restaurants to the five star buffets – Chennai can gratify any palate!

• Shopping: Now this is a lifeline for any girl in any city. Chennai offers a range of shopping experience from Pondy Bazaar to Khader Nawaaz Khan Road to Spencer’s, City Center and Express Avenue, and if you have the visa (or mastercard) power, nothing can keep you down and low!

So here’s a toast to the good times, we will meet again because it is not only a very small world but a round one too! Cheers!

An Open Letter to Facebook

Dearest Facebook, 

I have been an FB loyalist (bordering on an addict) since the last four years now. 

No, I may not have grown crops or tended the cattle but I have painstakingly taken most of the quizzes my friends asked me to even if it meant answering what my favorite color was only to know that I am supposed to be married in 2012, when I already have been at the altar way before, but never mind that.

Though I am guilty of ignoring help requests on mafia wars, I have tried to honestly reply every time I 'visited' my own profile and you asked me "What's on your mind?"

I have lol'ed and rofl'ed on PJs my connections posted, I have graciously "liked" and "commented" on crazy pics, I have controlled my rising temper at being poked unnecessarily by random strangers, I have kept my wall 'well-posted', and myself updated on all the notifications...

Over the years, I have patiently put up with all your makeovers and supposedly improvised look and feel (s); I have even indulged your eccentricities via blogger, twitter and the now extinct Orkut...

...And all that I ask in return is please STOP complicating the user experience - whatever happened to the KISS principle - Keep It Short and Simple! You introduce Friend Lists to help me control better what I share with whom and then you go ahead and come up with this totally insane idea of 'Subscriptions'. Why the hell would I want to subscribe to someone I am not even friends with - Do not give me the TWITTER example - I'd rather tweet instead! 

One reason, I haven't dated Google Chrome as yet is because it tried to do too many things for me. And that's exactly where you are headed, darling FB.

Now, I login to FB and can't figure out where my lists are amidst all the clutter. I am still struggling to find out how to see the friends in a particular list.

A 100 usability experts might come up with a 1000 reasons on why the new interface is better, and over time I will get used to it and even find it convenient, but then like someone very aptly "shared":

I realise that this is your way to use new tricks to keep the old flame alive, but my love, take this tiff in the right spirit, and always remember to pls KISS and make up!

With all my love,

A slightly jilted (us)(lov)er

Vandhan Vendraan

So finally - my first tamil movie in a theater - Vandhan Vendran (He Came, He Won)! 

Definitely not a good pick for a first timer, but then I had been warned enough so my expectations were pretty low - I was more excited about the experience of watching a tamil movie in a theater in Chennai - and that was quite enjoyable - so the movie itself is pardoned :D. (I have seen better tamil movies but only on TV/DVD and with sub titles.)

I swear I have never seen such enthusiasm and cheering and hooting and whistling in any other movie I have watched till date - People tell me this is nothing compared to the roaring applause and vocal support that movies with Rajnikant, Surya and others get - So till I am able to vouch for that first hand - this movie tops the list :).

Now you might wonder how I - a non-tamil speaker managed - Simple, I seated myself next to one of the most patient person in the group who painstakingly translated the movie to an extent that I could fully understand not only the story line but the double meaning humor (and as they say, the punch) too. 

As for the "watching experience", didn't you already know I am a fast learner - So when Jeeva entered, and Nanda graced the screen, when Tapasee made her appearance and Santhanam made an entry, I took the cue from my neighbors and clapped my hands and joined in the hooting (it's a pity I cannot whistle) - and believe me I had super fun. I also cheered (super loudly) when certain dialogues were spoken in hindi - what was that saying - "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" :P :P.

I feel inadequate to really critique the movie, so no rating but here's my opinion on it - The story line was not at all compact - it was too flawed and long winded with all the nested and never-ending looped flashbacks. The movie itself could do with a lot of editing!
There isn't much to talk about the cinematography, though I must mention I loved the Kerela shots. 

As for the music - quite pleasant to the ear...Infact I took an instant liking to the closing credits song:

Coming to the cast - I absolutely fail to understand why Tamil directors cast these north indian actresses - who cannot speak the language, cannot emote, cannot act, cannot dance and do not even look pretty! What's the point - fair skin doesn't buy you an audience - hasn't that been proven time and again at the box office? Are none of the beautiful tamil "ponnus" interested in Kollywood? And that's all that I have to say for Tapasee!

Having had grown up on an overdose of Hollywood and Bollywood, I like my actors to be good looking - and that's where Jeeva fails - he is very average - can't say much for his acting - I think he did an overall okay job. In comparison, I liked Nanda a lot - he was convincing as the bad boy (and scored a notch higher in the looks department too).

Santhanam made a reasonably decent comedian - His south indian hindi was really hilarious, especially in certain dialogues, and so was his acting - I enjoyed watching him and his antics!

Like I said - sorry, no recommendation or final verdict on this one - Vandhan Vendraan will remain special for being my first tamil movie in a cinema hall!

[Image Source: Google Images]

WTF Series: Episode 04: Assange vs. Mayawati, 2-1

Love All

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U.S. Embassy Cable: “Mayawati – Portrait of a Lady.
Key phrases include:
“…eccentricities, whims and insecurities”
“…employs nine cooks (two to cook, the others to watch over them) and two food tasters”
“…When she needed new sandals, her private jet flew empty to Mumbai to retrieve her preferred brand”
“…she constructed a private road from her residence to her office, which is cleaned immediately after her multiple vehicle convoy reaches its destination”

Assange vs. Mayawati, 1-0

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Key excerpts from Mayawati’s defense:
“The owner of Wiki leaks appears to have gone mad or he has joined hands with our opposition parties to malign my government."

“Mr. Assange should be sent to mental asylum by the country he belongs to and in case if there was no place for him, he should be sent to Uttar Pradesh. We will put him in the Agra mental asylum.”

“Those who have said that I have 9 cooks must be lounging in my household somewhere and washing dishes, that is why they claim to have such detailed knowledge of what happens in my house.”

Assange vs. Mayawati, 1-1

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Assange’s rebuttal:
“…(CM should) admit her error and apologize.”
“Should she fail to do so, she is welcome to send her private jet to England to collect me, where I have been detained against my will.”

“…I would be happy to accept asylum, political asylum, in India–a nation I love. In return, I will bring Mayawati a range of the finest British footwear.”

Assange vs. Mayawati, 2-1

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What entertainment in international media – It’s almost like kindergarten kids arguing back and forth – I wonder what will be the defining game point!

Seriously WTF!

The Myth of Sisyphus

Even if you are not half the FB addict that I am, I bet you must have noticed the "On This Day in 20XX" notifications that pop-up on your sidebar in Facebook, giving your status updates on the same dates for the previous years. It's like a forced trip down memory lane, but guess what - I am not complaining. 

I am totally enjoying not only reading my old status messages (yeah, yeah, go ahead and call me a narcissist :P) but also all the comment threads that follow. It is super fun - ofcourse, you need to be jobless enough to (a) notice the side bar, and (b) have the time to read all the old stash - but then oh well!

What made me write this post was this uncanny coincidence...so the following was my status message on this day in 2010, where I mention feasting on butterscotch icecream. 

Surprisingly (or not), I am doing exactly the same thing today - binging on butterscotch icecream - I swear which is not my favorite flavor. 

And thus, I was reminded of Albert Camus. The Myth of Sisyphus, anyone? In a way, I am where I was and continue to do what I was doing - 12 months just sneaked in from nowhere. I have always sworn by Camus' philosophy of absurdity and the futility of human life, and with each passing year my conviction only gets stronger - there is an inherent pointlessness in all the toil and the days that go by...

(However, with this realization I am still not going to give up my material (or online) possessions or obsessions - because if everything is meaningless, then I'd rather scrounge for the pseudo yet satisfying sense of satisfaction that these little (!) things give me - so don't worry, I am here to stay :D).

Coming back to FB and Camus - it is kind of oxymoronic to say this - but both continue to rock (till a more profound tragic moment of self realization hits me)!

Oh yes, hello September!