message in a bottle (02.2003 - 09.2008)

Some nice but anonymous person has been querying my absence from the journal, repeatedly. Forced to rake my brain about its inability to let the creative juices flow freely, I am going to try and list down the reasons of my cyber silence.

1. My laptop’s hard disk has been formatted. No data, no drivers, no Internet connection.

2. Number of meetings at work has shot up magically. I am found running in and out of meeting rooms that have impressive names like Zeus, Pegasus, Delphi, and Mensa.

3. I spend all my travel time either trying to improve my score in Brain Academy or helping Mario survive the horrible Koopas. Don’t observe the world outside; therefore have nothing to rant about.

4. My new neighbor considers it his birthright (or jobright, if there is some such thing) to look into my screen and comment on its contents.

5. I have not read much in the past one month. I don’t read, I don’t get ideas; I don’t get ideas, I don’t post. Oh, but I have read a super fantastic graphic novel, incase someone is interested. Get a Life.

6. I have been fooled into giving up caffeine for six months. The fool who cannot ignore challenges walks around like a zombie most of the day. She cannot think; hence, no posts.

7. The only two movies I have watched in the past few weeks are the highly talked about ones. As the whole world is already discussing them, I do not need to talk about them. But you must catch Munnabhai, if for nothing else then for this one chaotic scene in the college cafeteria.

8. The only posts I get to see on my Friends page are those of communities. Why are you all so quiet?

9. I am lazy, beyond explanation.

When I am blue, I forget about the little things that make me smile, so I lifted the idea from Compulsive Confessor and made a list of warm fuzzies...

Books that grow on me midway; smell of old paper; spilling over bookshelves; spicy noodles; mustard; cheese; oregano; pizza with extra cheese; rain; pitter-patter on the tin roof; sound of water fountains.

The cold sensation when the air conditioner dries up the sweat; warming my toes in front of the room heater; a cold shower on a hot day; a hot shower on a cold day.

Standing in the balcony on the 12th floor and letting the breeze blow through my hair; jazz music at night; listening to 90’s film songs that bring back school-time memories; watching movies on big (really big) screens; sleepovers where you talk until wee hours of the morning; long chatty walks; long quiet walks.

Oversized fluffy bath towels; pink motorazr; hair that look like Maggie noodles; Maggie noodles; surprise gifts; unexpected sweet gestures; welcome hugs; bye-bye hugs; lengthy personal mails with plenty of visual description; the word plenty; a letter amongst bills in the post; taking pictures.

Listening to stories; having do-you-remember conversations; little babies who smile at me; eager little puppies; people who call to tell me that I am missed; bubbly cola; frothy beer.

Gossip that doesn’t hurt; Western movies; superhero comics; fanfare music; Big Chill; Flavors when it is empty-ish; Red Hot Café; sharing a hot chocolate fudge; Ultimate Spiderman; Web comics; pedicures; talking about my favorite television show or movie with a fellow fan; sound of the laughter of a loved one.

New comments on my LJ; romantic comedies; slick action flicks; discussing zodiac signs; long drives; sound of flute; a well made cold coffee; successful romances; happy endings.

Phew. Hard to believe I can ever feel low.

When I sat down to list my favorite female characters, my first thought was that of The Bride from Kill Bill. Next on my mind were Bridget Jones, Ally McBeal, and Amelie. However, these memorable characters did not feature anywhere on my final list. Despite being unique and unforgettable, these characters are unreal. The ones that feature on my list are those with whom I relate. Or I did relate at some point or the other.

Celine: From Before Sunset. Played by Julie Delpy. Celine, as portrayed in the second movie (first being Before Sunrise), strikes as an oxymoron personified. She is sweet yet angry. She is a romantic, yet a realist. She is at peace with self, still yearning. And, I think these contradictions make her real. She is full of faults and still completely endearing. In addition, she is a well thought of character that has been tempered by time. Her surroundings, her clothes, her belongings in the movie seem to have been chosen with care by the character herself. They all make her what she is.

If I were a thief, I would steal her charming little apartment complete with its furnishings and book collection.

Carrie Bradshaw: From Sex and the City. Played by Sarah Jessica Parker. Carrie is flawed, in every possible way. She is confused, obsessed, emotionally weak, confused, star struck, determined, confused, optimistic, and confused. This ultra sexy, super confident journalist makes mistakes at every step and breaks into tears as soon as she shuts her bedroom door, but she invariably pulls herself up and moves on, more optimistic than ever before. She is a character that matures over seven seasons but remains true to her original self - confused as ever. I love her for humanness and courage to face the world alone.

If I were a thief, I would steal her three friends; after all it's hard to find people who will love you no matter what. She found three of them.

Jennifer Cavilleri: From Love Story, the book. Jennifer, as I remember her, is this quick witted, simple but determined girl who follows her heart. She is a very strong woman who knows her mind, or at least that is how I thought her to be when I read the book many years ago. However, Jennifer is a well sculpted character that has stayed with me ever since.

If I were a thief, I would steal her happy disposition.

Kathleen Kelly: From You've Got Mail. Played by Meg Ryan. Kathleen is the most simple character I have come across ever! And in this simplicity lies her strength. A young girl with small dreams, happy in her own world, yet strong enough to fight for what is rightfully hers. Her romanticism is visible in her every action. She takes time to smell the flowers, to breathe in the aroma of freshly made coffee, and make a little kids smile. Kathleen is a character that touches one's heart without being painfully sweet, or so I think.

If I were a thief (oh, how I wish I were), I would steal her cozy, genial, and well-stocked bookshop.

Monica Geller: From Friends. Played by Courteney Cox. Monica, in one word, is obsessive. Despite being a cleanliness freak, she is warm and congenial, loves to dote over her friends, has a strong need to be liked by one and all, and constantly struggles to achieve perfection. The girl who cannot not open presents is strong willed enough to come all the way from being obese to her super sexy present self. Plus, she is a chef. It is hard to not like someone who pulls out one yummy delight after another from her microwave!

If I were a thief, I would steal her cooking skills.

1. A sociable Capricorn, who jumps all over you as soon as he is done sniffing you.


2. Likes playing ball and chewing on rubber bones.


3. Sniffs the hell out of every flower pot in his very own house every morning.


4. Responds enthusiastically to squeals and squeaky sounds.


5. Loves attention and hence, posing for pictures.

I am still on my fantasy trip, people. However, this time around I am not dreaming of beaches and hammocks but of superpowers. Here’s a list of my top three favorites.

#1. Shape-shifting: I can turn myself into any living being. What fun it is to hide myself as Nicole Kidman, a fire-breathing dragon, or the elderly vegetable vendor from across the street. Even so, notice that I cannot turn myself into inanimate objects. You see, there is a high risk involved. If I turn myself into a crystal glass, I have to stay a crystal glass until some nincompoop drops me on the floor!

#2. Flying: I fly. Rather, I glide through the puffy clouds, high above traffic-clogged streets. I visit people more often. I see the remotest places on earth by taking a flight across the deep blue ocean.

#3. Communicating with animals: I can speak dog, cat, horse, tiger, and several other wild languages. I am the mistress of the wild ones. They talk to me as I fondle them and they lie at my feet. They are friends and I am their link to the human world.

However, someone told me that with great power comes great responsibility. Catch! My frail shoulders droop with all the good work that I’ve to do. :p

Worst Advertisements of the Week

1. She-Aamir Khan endorsing Coke
2. Amitabh Bachhan swearing to have used Navratna hair oil for the last 35 years
3. Rani Mukherjee claiming her life is fun because she uses Dabur Amla hair oil
4. Hritik Roshan winning a fight after an energizing sip of Rasna Juice Up
5. Shabana Azmi saving two buckets of water by using Surf for laundry

Best Movies Seen this Week

1. Ringu – I needed mum to accompany me everywhere for a while
2. Jack Jack Attack – I simply love the kid. Period.
3. High Fidelity – What do you think gave me this idea of making top five lists?
4. Spirited Away – A wonderfully vivacious fantasy that filled me up with joy
5. Vanilla Sky – Fascinating happenings and a very hot trio

Last 5 movies seen

Finding Nemo
Sleepless in Seattle
My Best Friend’s Wedding
My Fair Lady
The Shawshank Redemption

Last 4 books read

Of Love and Other Demons – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Eleven Minutes – Paulo Coelho
The Tao of Pooh – Benjamin Hoff
Rebecca – Daphne DuMaurier

Last 3 numbers heard

Diamonds and Rust – Joan Baez
She - Elvis Costello
Suzanne – Leonard Cohen

Last 2 Websites visited

The Sun Magazine
Groovy Templates

Last 1 quotation read

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. - Robert Frost

o Waking up to sunshine
o Liquor chocolates
o Homemade chocolate cake
o Playing with a dog
o Watching them unwrap the surprise gift
o A cold (hot) shower on a hot (cold) day
o Driving in the rain
o Cool breeze running through my hair
o Sprinklers spraying right on my face
o Melodic tinkling of wind chimes
o Watching squirrels play
o Watching clouds against the clear blue sky
o Walking barefoot on wet grass
o Walking barefoot on the beach
o Discovering a childhood favorite book while looking for some notes
o Receiving flowers
o Receiving e-mails from long lost friends
o Receiving postcards
o Sipping frothy drinks
o Sitting by a silent, lazy river
o Jumping in puddles
o Discovering something new
o Discovering lyrics printed on the inside of a CD cover
o Singing along
o Relating to the fictional characters of a book
o Cheese that melts in my mouth
o Citrus fragrance of Tendre Poison
o Things that sparkle
o Taking pictures
o Making happy lists