tameshru

For the first time in my life

 A particular incident occurred yesterday which made me see what my life would've been like, had I made certain different important decisions a few years ago. I remember being quite shaken by that something back then, and thinking that life wasn't fair. I am now in a very happy place. Despite things not working out the way I wanted them to; Because things didn't work out the way I wanted them to.

I was the daughter that my parents had been longing to bring into this world. Needless to say, I was showered with a lot of love, and a barrage of names ranging from the normal ‘bale’, meaning kiddo, to the extravagant ‘muddu’, meaning darling, followed. Two names seem to have stuck. Amma calls me ‘gini’, meaning parrot (obviously the bird she loves most) while pappa calls me ‘dedi’, meaning darling.
Almost all uncles, aunts and grandparents picked one of these names. So I was hardly ever called by the name the purohit had so solemnly whispered in my ear. My friends called me by various variants of the name Shruthi – Shruts, Tooty Frooty, Shru, Sujji (by my favourite ayah at school) and so on.

Then I met my prince charming. While I expected to be called some silly thing like honey bun, sweetie pie, sugar syrup (yeah, I have a massive sweet tooth), my hubby dearest decided to give me names of things that he spotted around him. The funnier (and more unpronounceable) the name sounded, the more he liked it. The very first name he gave me was ‘kuda daan’ (most of my North Indian friends would very well know what that means), during our honeymoon at Himachal Pradesh! While most of my romantic notions were shattered by then, I was still unprepared for what was to follow for the next few years. Since he is a massive fan of comic fantasy, I am usually blessed with a name of one of the characters in books – usually that of the mean, evil witch or the like. I’ve been called Jörmungandr (some snake which girds the Earth), Tonks (of the Harry Potter fame), Coobeastie (Terry Pratchett’s famous cow) etc.etc. The name that has stuck with him though, is Chintu. He calls me that because he is a 6- footer, while I am almost a foot shorter than him!

During my wedding reception at Trivandrum, I saw to my horror, that my name was spelt as ‘Sruthy’, and all the mallus present at the wedding pronounced my name exactly as it was spelled. I cringe every time I see the wedding album and see my name spelt in that fashion. Brings back memories, I tell you!

I finally joined IIMB hoping that at least here, people would call me by my name. Unfortunately for me, I was one of the few people with so much work experience; which meant that most people around me were about 4 years younger than yours truly. This time I got names that made me feel really old – mother goose, aunty, why grandma even! A good friend even mentioned once that he felt he would be showing me disrespect if he called me by my name!

The name ‘Shruthi’ means a musical note, or one that is knowledgeable of the Vedas. I really wish someone would call me by that name. Maybe I’ll get my kids to call me Shruthi, instead of amma!
But what is it they say about a rose smelling just as sweet….?

I went to visit Shalini a couple of days ago. She has lovely little twins – a boy and a girl. While I could write pages on the little ones, I thought I’d stay away from writing about babies for a change.  She stays very close to PESIT, and it was lovely visiting places that I used to frequent as a student only a few years ago.

I saw our workshop and remembered my first ever carpentry piece – a T joint that I had made rather well, if I may say so myself. I remember how the lab attendant made it amply clear to all of us girls that we were not really expected to do anything on our own, and that we could ask for his help anytime we wanted. I can still feel the anger I felt at that moment, and the determination I had, to make the best piece he had ever seen. (It was not the best piece he had ever seen, but he was suitably impressed)

I remembered how 6 of us girls got caught by a policeman for going on the wrong side of a one-way, and not having our driver’s license with us just then.  We tried smiling at him, we tried pleading with him. In fact one of the girls even tried shedding a few tears, but to no avail. He slapped us with a fine of Rs. 200 each. (My brother believes that women can get away with murder, and that all we’ve got to do is smile. I wish he were around when this particular policeman caught us)

I remembered sitting on a terrace one fine summer evening, having a juicy mango with a senior I had a massive crush on, and thinking to myself that life couldn’t get any better than that. It probably didn’t get any better!

I saw a movie rental place and remembered how we tried renting a blue movie once. We asked the guy at the counter for a ‘romantic’ movie, as none of us could muster the courage to ask him for, err, well, what we actually wanted to see. We got to watch ‘While you were sleeping’ and I must say, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, not because of the movie, but because we couldn’t stop laughing at our encounter with the man.

I remembered how Shravya and I watched an English movie at Kamakhya, only to realize 5 minutes after the start, that it was dubbed in Kannada. And when we looked around, we found to our horror that we were the only 2 girls in the theatre. Needless to say, we decided to forgo the 40 bucks we had spent on the ticket (yeah, movie tickets came that cheap those days) and decided to eat at the hotel below instead. (I did manage to watch the English version later, and it was a terrible movie anyway)

I remembered various other little things. While I did realize that I had grown so much, it was amazing to observe how it was the little things that made a dent on me. I didn’t have a single memory of a grade, of a rank, of smart answers in class.

I wonder what we’ll think about at our deathbed. I have a suspicion that it will be small little things such as these.  

We had our last class of Tracking Creative Boundaries today. The professor made us all read out a story. A story called 'Hope for the flowers', by Trina Paulus. Few stories manage to touch you at your very core. This was one of them. In a particularly vulnerable, calm state, I had an emotion that I cannot describe. I had a vision of my purpose. I felt for people that mattered to me. I felt a connect that no words can convey. I felt at peace.

The story revolves around caterpillars who are struggling to find their purpose. And about what it takes to find that purpose. Here are a few of my favourite lines -

We are where they want to get; and that's what's there at the top.

She just knew climbing was the wrong way to get high.

You must want to fly so much, that you're willing to give up being a caterpillar.

What looks like you will die, but what's really you will live. Life is changed; not taken away.

If I have inside me the stuff to make cocoons, maybe the stuff of butterflies is there too.

During the change, it will seem to you or to anyone who might peek that nothing is happening - but the butterfly is already becoming.

It's what you are meant to become. It flies with beautiful wings and joins the earth to the heavens. It drinks only nectar from the flowers and carries seeds of love from one to another.

Without butterflies, the world would have few flowers.

When someone asks me for my most embarrassing moment (which happens a lot during ragging in most schools), I wonder which one to tell them, because I have so many! I think I have an uncanny ability to get myself into these situations. Case in example-
I was staying at this swanky 5 star hotel in Gurgaon called Trident. Usually, when people called me, I would be directly connected to them. Only some calls placed late in the evening were routed through the reception.
Rohith was telling me that the folks at the reception have this sing- song way of greeting people who call. They usually say, "Trident, good morning!". One morning, just after I had messaged Rohith letting him know that I was back in my room, I heard the phone ringing. I thought I'd play the fool by imitating the lovely lady at the reception, only to be met with a very surprised voice on the other end. The gentleman at the reception had decided to let me know that I had a call, and was completely caught by surprise on hearing what he thought was another employee's voice.  I had to explain to him what had happened, and he seemed to be very amused by the story. He even gave me a special smile when I saw him the next time!
Like I said, the list only grows..,

The recent rains in Bangalore have brought back some nostalgic memories of my childhood, mostly spent playing outside in the rain (much to the chagrin of my mom). And interestingly, the first thought that came to my mind, was the wonderful smell of the earth during the first showers of the season, which made me come up with this interesting theory- the sense of smell is the most poignant of the five senses. Here are a few examples-

• Ever smelled the wonderful sambhar made by mom when you came back home on an empty stomach?
• Ever smelled a freshly powdered new born baby?
• Ever brought a flower close to your nose, and taken a deep breath? (Not if you’re allergic, silly!)
• Ever been turned on by someone because of a titillating perfume? ( If you haven’t, please let the Axe Deodorant guys know)
• Ever smelt your girlfriend’s hair while dancing with her?
• Ever got a whiff of petrol while tanking up your car?
• Ever smelled your doggie immediately after he’s been given a wash?

I visited my apartment over the weekend, and saw this notice put up near the lift. It read -

All flat owhers are requested to pay their electricity billys before 02-01-2007 is a must.

Signed 02-01-2008

Now I've heard of the Atomic Kittens, but the Electricity Billys are a first. I do hope the flat guys construct better than they spell!

Pareto Efficiency is a concept in Economics that states that if an economic system is Pareto efficient, no individual in that system can be made better off without another being made worse off.
I've been hearing (and seeing) a lot of folks on campus who are committed, falling for other people on campus. It struck me then, that affairs/ relationships are also Pareto Efficient. You can't make someone better off (in this case, the new object of your affection) without making someone else miserable ( the Ex, and a lot of times, you)
This is what happens when I'm jobless :-P

Nadal made a tall comment some time ago, saying that he would have been the world number one, if Federer weren't around! We all know that two follows one, but there is a world of difference between being the best, and being second best.

Just when I was going about telling the whole world that Roger was the best there ever has been, a much-retired Sampras beats him in straight sets! I am a huge fan of Sampras, but I'd always thought that Federer was better. Guess I was wrong

How often have you seen people totally lost in capturing a moment in their camera, and completely missing enjoying the moment?

I recently went on a trip to Wayanad, and there are some beautiful moments captured in my head. I wanted to share those pictures, rather than photos of the trip-

 
I saw clothes of various colours and sizes being dried on large wild bushes and staying in their place without the help of clips

I saw a house with a big deserted courtyard and a red tricycle in the middle

I saw a fishing rod hanging from a bridge- with neither man nor bait on either side

I saw the roots of a small tree penetrating a big, old rock right on top of a mountain

I saw a small stream running parallel to the road, with little black fish swimming furiously in it

I saw a little boy dressed in shorts, selling sweets alongside a highway- and cars passing by, taking no notice

I saw a classmate lost in her own world, when people around her were gyrating to some raunchy Hindi number

I saw these, and much much more...

Most kids want to be an engine driver when they grow up. I'd always wanted to be a paper boy. I loved the way the guy who delivered my paper would keep a different paper under each arm; one behind his ear; another one in his collar; yet another one in his belt. I admired the way he'd keep his balance on the cycle, yet aim the paper so as to land on a balcony at times, or sometimes swing it directly into the waiting arms of the old man across the street. I thought it was the nicest thing to wake up on a warm sunny morning, take my bicycle out, ride around the neighbourhood, and fling newspapers around. Of course, I never gave a thought to how difficult it would be to wake up before the sun was out every morning, or how painful it would be to find a dry corner to sort the papers out on a rainy day. All I saw was the bright cycle, the sprightly boy, and ringing of the cycle bell... Oh how I wish I were a paper boy!

My neighbour, a lovely young marwadi lady, got herself a new scooty. I see her painting the town red on her new bike. The adorable bit is that she wears a saree, with the pallu over her head! And the pallu remains intact right through the ride. She tells me she has never felt so independent all her life!
Her mother-in-law insists that she should keep the pallu over her head whenever she is out of the house. When I asked about her daughter-in-law's latest  conquest, she said to me, "hum to bohut broad-minded hain. humne usko bike chalaneki ijazat de di hain"!
Instead of commenting on the mother-in-law's skewed sense of broad-mindedness, I'd rather enjoy the daughter-in-law's sense of freedom. And the lovely sight of her, prim and proper on the speeding bike!

Chappell had his faults but Indian cricket, and the cricketers in particular, would be living in delusion if they convince themselves that he was the problem. Chappell held up a mirror to Indian cricket.  - courtesy cricinfo

I feel sad that Greg Chappell submitted his resignation yesterday. The man may have had his faults, but he tried to  bring  in a fresh approach to Indian cricket. I will surely miss him.

I spent all of Sunday evening singing Court of King Caratacus by Rolf Harris, and I must admit, I haven't had such a wonderful time in ages. I'll paste one line of the lyrics here, so you'll understand why I had such a good time -

Now the fascinating witches who put the scintilating stiches in the britches of the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

I mixed up the prepositions most of the time, but when I did get the entire sentence right, I felt on top of the world.

It feels really nice to behave like a child; to sing with careless abandon. (It helps to have a spouse who hasn't lost the joie de vivre, either )

What are the songs that make you feel really happy when you sing it?

I got this forward a while ago, and thought it was bloody brilliant -

 Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine.

  A backward poet writes inverse.

 A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

 Dijon vu: the same mustard as before.

 Practice safe eating -- always use condiments.

 Shotgun wedding: a case of wife or death.

  A man needs a mistress just to break the monogamy.

 A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

 Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play.

 Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?

 Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.

 Reading while sunbathing makes you well-red.

 When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.

  A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired.

 What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway.)

 Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

 In democracy, your vote counts. In feudalism, your count votes.

 She was engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off.

  A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

 If you don't pay your exorcist, you get repossessed.

  With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.

 When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.

 The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

 You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

 Local Area Network in Australia: the LAN down under.

 He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

 Every calendar's days are numbered.

 A lot of money is tainted: It taint yours and it taint mine.

  A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

 He had a photographic memory that was never developed.

 A plateau is a high form of flattery.

 A midget fortune-teller who escapes from prison is a small medium at
 large.

 Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

 Once you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.

 Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.

 Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

 Acupuncture is a jab well done.

 

I wanted to surprise Rohith on his birthday. Problem was, he was in Pune while I was in Bangalore. prithu told me about this site,  Hindustanlink.com, which makes deliveries all across the country. I placed an order for a cake at about 11 am and he got the cake by 5 pm in Pune!
Placing the order was totally hassel free. What I liked was that I didn't have to fill up a form or sign in. I could just search for what I wanted and give the destination address, make the payment and voila, the gift was delivered within 6 hours.
I was very impressed with their service.

A friend told me about Fever - 104 FM, the newest entrant into the exploding radio scene in Bangalore. Their motto is "more music and less talk", and they sure live up to it!

I had forgotten how pleasurable it is to listen to music without the constant chatter of the RJs - mind you, I have nothing against the RJs - everyone except for Rohit Barker is tolerable. It's a very nice 20 minute drive back from office to home with just music - no RJs, no painful ads. The only complaint I have is, they don't play enough english music.

I wonder how they make their money, though. Any thoughts anyone?

The erstwhile senior Muslim cleric in Australia, Sheikh Taj Aldin Alhilali, made some highly offensive statements last month. He was speaking to a congregation at the Lakemba mosque about the "immodest" dressing of women. "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside ... and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat?" he asked. Talking of a hypothetical rape victim, he said: "If she was in her room ... in her hijab, no problem would have occurred." Of all the nerve! How can anybody make a statement like that?

It doesn't matter what the girl wears. If a guy can't keep his hands (and other body parts) to himself, how in heaven's name can he blame anyone else? I can think of a lot of things that a fully clad woman could do to him in her hijab that'll let him know not to let his cat out of the bag!

The Baker commission is supposed to have released its recommendations on the conflicts in Iraq. They appear to include suggestions that American troops should withdraw from combat operations and offer support to the Iraqi soldiers instead.
Mr. Bush though, has said in the recent past that he is not inclined to withdraw soldiers from operational duties.
Can someone please put some sense into that man's head?
We have the American soldiers killing people; we have the Shias and the Sunnis at each others' throats; we have murderers wandering on the streets of Dayali, massacring even women and children.
Is the country doing better now than when it was under the dictatorship of Saddam? Is this the peace that the US wanted to give to Iraq?