A Quiet Place - Movie Rant

This post has spoilers from the movie, A quiet place as well as from the series Walking dead.

SPOILERS are gonna start now. You've been warned.

Image source: https://goo.gl/dnBN4o

John Krasinski and I go way back, unbeknownst to Krasinski. 😛 Our connection is from the series, The Office (US). Back when I was working at Indiagames, I was one of the game designers for the game based on this series. And when Amazon Prime got the series to India, I binge watched it all. Total nostalgia and some more. As it happened, the day I finished the series finale, I was thinking to myself that it had been quite some time that I saw a horror/thriller movie and this was the one that was running! I'm not sure how I got *that* thought after completing 'The Office' though! 😏

Anyhoo, long story short, my friend and I landed up at the threatre to watch it. We were hoping that the crowd is not the usual idiotic ones where people end up laughing to hide the fact that they were scared and some guy showing his bravado and teasing others for getting scared or some idiot who reveals the plot. I HATE THEM ALL!

My friend did say, the chances that we may encounter these idiots would be less, as this movie is not the traditional supernatural horror. And he was right!

By the way, this is a rant, *my* rant. And hence I'm going to point out the parts *I* didn't like. This isn't a review!  I liked the movie. It was quite good! All the actors did a great job, especially Emily Blunt! If you like the horror/thriller genre, I would totally recommended that you watch it. It is a beautifully executed movie. 

So finally, let's begin. 

1) Parenting skills: 

Someone tell  me, what parenting classes are these people attending? Is Lori from Walking dead giving lessons to them? 

You can't make any noise. You let a 4 -year old (or 3? can't recall the exact age) walk into the supermarket and be on his own. He's a kid FFS! Almost drops the rocket toy from the top of the shelf, but the older kid saves the day. Even after witnessing that, no alarm bells go off in their heads. Alright, fine, supplies are important and well situation was temporarily under control. 

But then, before exiting the shop, dad says no to rocket, telling (via sign language) that it makes too much noise. Removes the battery in front of the kid, and keeps the rocket and the battery right there. I actually thought that he would give the rocket to the kid, and put the batteries in his pocket or so. That would have been the logical thing to do. But well, there is no story then! 

Anyway, the big sis feels bad for her little brother and gives him the rocket anyway. And the parents don't know this, why? Because they have got out leaving their kid with the rocket right there at the desk. (The kid who really really wants the rocket as he thinks it is the escape route and also well, he is a KID). The kid decides to take the batteries too because it was lying right there!

Cut to them walking back to their house. The dad is carrying the middle child. Followed by mom, followed by big sis (who is deaf & mute) and followed by the 4 year old in the end. SERIOUSLY??? Who does that? Even in a safe world, you keep the kids in the middle! Let the adults act as the head and the tail of a line! This is basic!! CHRIST!!!!  You can see this lineup in the trailer.

And our kid can't wait to get to the house to play with the rocket. Decides to put the batteries and play right away. Big sis can't hear. Mom and dad turn around with utter shock in their faces. Dad runs towards kid, but he is too late. (Supposed to be a sad moment. I was more angry than sad.)

There were so many ways that particular accident could have been avoided! Yikes!  Also, I'm surprised the kid kept quiet for 89 days. 

Later in the movie too, she has no idea where the older kid is and she being heavily pregnant decides to loiter around the house and lose track of time!! 

In Walking dead, the parenting skills (esp of Lori) was a lot worse! 

2) The joy of pregnancy:

Ok, I know having a child is all about life and hope and stuff! But FFS, you are barely making it alive yourself. Then why are you bringing a baby which will not understand anything about keeping quiet into this world? Are you secretly trying to feed the monster? 

I would take a dig at walking dead also here, where people are getting pregnant even when zombies are right at their front door. 

Keep it in your pants, people! I know sex could be a stress buster, entertainment or anxiety relief etc. But there are ways "to have sex" without getting pregnant!!! Aaarrgh!

Also, did the newborn not cry at all until dad came along? Or the fireworks went on for thaaat long? 😕

3) Nailed it:

It's been more than a year! You know how careful you have to be. And yet when the clothes bag was stuck, mom decides to apply force and pull  it instead of stepping down and taking it without risking any noise! There was a good chance, that the force applied could have snapped the wooden plank and there would have been noise!  Again, the movie's plot wouldn't have been there without that nail, if you think about it.

4) Glass is life:

For someone trying to live by without making any noise, they sure have a lot of glass items around the place. 

• The lantern kept so frigging close. 
• All storage containers were glass (I understand glass makes for a better storage, but is it worth it?)
• That photo frame (which is the major plot point). Why not just take the damn photo? Why take the whole frigging frame??

Honorable Mentions:

1. Why wasn't the older kid allowed in the basement? My friend and I discussed some potential theories but none of them seemed justifiable enough to not let her go.  
2. Also, in all these days, I'm sure dad could have found time to tell her that it isn't her fault and that he loves her or so. Ain't that hard!!
3. That old man is an asshole. Period.

My Dark Twist:

1. What if she had figured out that the earpiece annoys the monsters and turns it off right at that instant to kill the dad because she doesn't like him anymore? 👼👿😁

That's a wrap. I should have written it when the movie was fresh in my head. I may have missed some points. But hey, I at least wrote it now! 😅


Also if you want to read up on what makes it a good movie, then read my friend's post. I totally agree with a vast majority of what he has written there. That's why I would totally recommend this movie.

True Blue Cricket

Now that India is out of the World Cup, things can return to normal eh? Nope! Now we will continue to trash our team for not making it to the Finals. Who cares how they performed before. It is always about the last match we didn't win!

Let me get this out. I'm not an ardent cricket fan at all. Athough I have been the designer for definitely more than one Cricket game in my career so far! I don't stop work or other engagement and get glued to the TV. But living in India, the spirit of cricket is hard to pass. You become part of it, whether you want it or not. I don't even know the names of all the cricketers, but honestly it's gorgeous to see the men in blue on the play field.

Image Source: http://goo.gl/OFwtxo

Albeit, not being a crazy fan, I've had my own stupid superstition moments when it comes to India playing. We all know what I'm talking about. If I move from this seated position, India will win / lose. If I watch the match, India will win / lose etc. We are all guilty of it and I'm not here to question that. But even that should be taken lightheartedly. I find the experience fun (ny). And it bloody well should be!

So Virat Kohli was dismissed for 1, when we had a big total of 329 to chase. That unfortunate hit that cost us his wicket, made everyone sad and skip a heart beat. Do you even imagine what Virat Kohli and his loved ones must be feeling? Hell, we don't even let poor Anushka emote properly by zooming in the damn camera on her. You can argue that being celebrities, they signed up for this, the lack of privacy in turn for all the fame and luxury. Fine. A good argument maybe. But what's up with bashing Virat and terming Anushka as the "panauti" (someone who brings bad luck)!

Grow up, you damn idiots! So, what if that shot by Virat ended in a 4 or a 6? Then Virat is awesome and Anushka is?

I'm not saying that I'm some saint who didn't laugh at some of the jokes that were made. Let's face it, some were genuinely funny! And it's nice to have the ability to laugh at ourselves. But I do question the intentions behind some of the jokes. And few others were just in bad taste.

To all the nut jobs, who take the blame game too far: I wrote about our own superstitions while India is playing a few paragraphs above. Have you ever wondered that you may be the reason Virat Kohli was dismissed or the reason behind India's loss? Maybe you are the "Panauti"?
"That's absurd!", you may say. How can "you" watching / not watching that match contribute to the actual game? Exactly, you dumasses!

Would just like to quickly mention how we all termed Deepika Padukone as "Panauti" for Kingfisher's fall and for other things. Yep, it was all her, the cause behind the fall of Kingfisher Airlines! *This sentence is brought to you by 'Sarcasm'. In case your lovely brains don't get it the first time!*

I'm not gonna write an open letter to Anushka, because I'm pretty sure she is a head strong girl, who will let this also pass. If she is even midly troubled, I wish her the strength to get past it. The same to Virat Kohli and to all the cricketers & their loved ones.

Leaving the whole blame game on
the girl friend aside, we also go into trashing the team's performance. Yes, maybe they could have done better; maybe they did give it their best. I don't know. All I know is, it's okay to analyze about something you are passionate about. But remember one thing, you are not the one standing on the field, playing the game. If you take your analyzing skills to a whole another level, then please get started on your training, join the team and prove it!
It's so much easier to talk about what went wrong after it's over. When you are put there, things are a lot different.

And if you want to break your TVs over this, well... up to you really! I paid good hard-earned money for mine. So stay away from it! And to this young man, I have no words to say. Pun not intended.

My dear Indian Cricket Team,  I'm not one of your typical die hard fan. But when you do something awesome, I totally scream with happiness and when you fail to do so, I am a tad bit sad, clap for your effort, look forward to the next epic win and move on. #BleedBlue

My dear Men in Blue, you did great this time. Go home, relax, spend time with your loved ones and party! Before you know, there's another match waiting for you.

My dear Indians who refuse to grow up, please do or keep your mouth shut and your hands away from contributing to more garbage. #SwacchBharat

Happy Onam!

Onam is one of the most important festival of Keralites. Onam celebrates King Mahabali's visit. He is lovingly called as Maveli. There is a story behind this festival. The story in my words:

Once upon a time, there was a King called Mahabali. During his reign, everything was perfect. People were treated equally. Deceit, lies, thefts, murders, corruption etc were unheard of! Everyone adored him. A generous, just and loving King. There was no poverty and everyone was content. He was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. The only problem was he was born into an Asura family (the Prahlada lineage). This was not a problem with his subjects.

Image source: http://goo.gl/fqaktC

It was a problem for the super jealous Devas. They were scared that their so called supremacy was going to be challenged by him. How can the stupid subjects prefer a King who does everything for them over the Devas who devote their precious time watching the Apsaras dance for them!? And our God Vishnu decides to take the Devas side for He-knows-what reason. He disguises himself as a poor Brahmin and goes to the generous King Mahabali and asks for pieces of land that he could cover with three steps. Mahabali obviously said he could have as much land as he wants.

As soon as Mahabali promised, Vishnu (disguised as the brahmin -Vamana) grew into some giant-ass size and with one step covered the whole earth, the skies with the other and asked the King as to where he should keep the third step. Mahabali offers his head to keep up the promise. Our God places the third step on his head and pushes him into the Patala(the underworld, the netherworld.)

Onam is the boon that Vishnu gave Mahabali as part of fulfilling the promise; 10 days to visit his subjects every year! Excellent work. Deprived us of a good King! I mean, that's brilliant! Wow!

So well... At least the King gets to come and meet his beloved subjects (who, thanks to him being in Patala have become murderers, rapists, criminals, corrupt & what not).  After seeing his subjects' current state, I don't think he comes anymore. But I would love to believe he does and in this 10 days, decides to take some of the above mentioned subjects back with him to Patala and make sure they get "treated well".

I, on my part, try to please him, to do the needful with some mere food offerings (that ideally we end up eating).

Avial, Pal payasam, Malabar Kootu curry,
Sambhar, Matta Rice

This year we did not put any pookalam (Flower decorations). Here's one from 2010. We had access to two flower types of the same species and managed this, thanks to some leaves :) :

Pookalam @ 2010

You can read the full story (not my version) here: King Mahabali & Onam. The only thing that is probably wrong is that Asuras are not Demons; much like how the Devas are not Gods.

Side Note: There are versions of the story which says that Mahabali went to Patala as that was the only realm left for him, thanks to Vamana (aka Vishnu). There are some versions which says that Mahabali was over ambitious and snatched Heaven from the Devas and which is why Vishnu helped them regain Heaven from Mahabali. I don't even want to comment on that. Just putting it here!

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There is a beautiful folk song that describes the story in Malayalam. I'm embedding two renditions here. The first follows the original tune. The second is a newer take on the song and I like it too.

The song is long and people shift / skip the verses in various renditions. The overall translation is as follows:

When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people were equal.
And people were joyful and merry;
They were all free from harm.
There was neither anxiety nor sickness,
Deaths of children were unheard of,
There were no lies,
There was neither theft nor deceit,
And no one was false in speech either.
Measures and weights were right;
No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people formed one casteless races

Source: Wiki

The (sad) State of Journalism

Woke up one fine morning only to see that I was featured on Page 1 Bangalore Mirror (BM) Newspaper. Amidst confusing wishes from people, I also got "wow" messages for getting featured on BM; until I specified that the photo that appeared was without my consent. And then all the "wow" turned to "wtf"!

The news was related to the terrible experience I had with an auto driver and the swift action taken by Bangalore Traffic Police and the involvement of a concerned citizen who followed up the complaint to it's fulfillment. You can find more details about that in my previous post: Click here

Here's the only interaction I had with the BM reporter (Screenshot of what was posted as comment on the post I made on BTP followed by facebook message interaction)

Interaction with Bangalore Mirror reporter

Nowhere in this interaction have I mentioned about allowing the to use my photo nor have I been requested for the same. 

Given the nature of the article, there could be a possible retaliation from the auto driver; considering he knows the apartment I stay in. And instead of protecting my identity, they have gone ahead and printed my photo. 

Now the argument could be that I have already posted on my blog and raised a complaint to BTP on facebook. and both carried my profile pics or so. But please note that the "blog" here is my own and the facebook profile is mine too. I don't need to take any permission for that. Also online media is way different than print media. Print media is more accessible to people. Also, this news was on Page 1! with a picture of the auto driver and a picture of me right there inset. 

I wish the reporter was more sensitive about it. Or at least consulted me before using the picture and I would have denied it right there and then. They could have ran the article with just the quotes and the pictures posted by BTP (BTP did not post my pictures)

My parents were quite worried! I have started carrying a pepper spray and now being extra cautious. 

But Purnima Iyer (Seetharaman), who came to the city from Palakkad, Kerala, is a gutsy woman. 

The above is a quote from the BM paper. This information was taken off my public profile on facebook. Palakkad is listed as my hometown. The photo too was probably taken from my facebook profile. 

Please note that my photo on facebook is privately shared. Non-facebook users don't have access and facebook users who are not my friends see only a small profile picture (as per how facebook shows) which is view-able only (cannot be clicked and enlarged). And this is what was used to print in the article. 

Which means, that a private photo was printed without taking due permission. However, I'm sure loopholes will be found around the use of my photo. Especially since online rules are just weird and not transparent to people like me.

I wrote a letter to the editor at bmfeedback@gmail.com. No response. I wanted to file a complaint to Press Council of India. As per rules, I was to write a letter to the editor and try to resolve matters if possible. If not, I can go ahead with the complaint but a letter to the editor was a must. Which I had already done. 

However, considering the amount of mails the Editor must be getting in a day,  I decided to call the BM office and requested to talk to someone regarding this. I was directed to the Editor. I spoke to him. He tried to convince me saying it was a positive article. I agreed and told even though it was a positive article, they should not have printed my photo without my permission. To which he said they are aware of my concern, will see about it. I against insisted it was not right and then he told me that whatever was printed was on public forum and they had every right to print it. I tried to reason with him saying that my photo was not on public forum and was not public property to use. To which he said it was on public forum and they could print it. He was keen on hanging up and when I asked if I could proceed with a formal complaint; he said I may do so.

As per what some journo friends have been telling me, what BM did was probably not illegal. It is a question of morals and ethics.

They printed my photo without clearing it with me. When I reached out to them, I at least expected an apology. But... Sigh...

Even the source of the picture was not mentioned...

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And then of course, thanks to BM's news, I now have hate comments. No one entertained it though. But it's just weird people try to make a racist issue out of everything (the comment on BTP page)

Screenshot of comments on BTP page

And this at Bangalore Mirror article's comments section:

This still seems a one sided story... it seems that she is clearly exaggerating and playing a naive victim. But I don't think that is the case here. Unfortunate the driver has no say in this :-(

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However I'm not generalizing all reporters. Because I did have an ethical reporter approach me on the same incident. A screenshot of the interaction of facebook follows:

Interaction with Deccan Chronicle Reporter

Hope there are more reporters like the DC reporter who wanted to talk to me before printing anything. Also, the reason I had agreed to talk to DC was because it was going to be a general issue as seen in the conversation.

Auto Driver or Gunda?

I just had a terrible experience with an auto driver. The vehicle number is KA 41 1504. The driver's name is Reddy

Image Source: http://coloringpages101.com/printable_page/368/Vehicle_Transport/Auto_Rikshaw

I took the auto from Fortis Hospital at Bannerghatta to Electronic city Phase 1. As usual no auto drivers were ready to come by meter. Finally a rate of 300 Rs was fixed with this guy.

Since I was unwell, I told him to take via the Silkboard road. Instead he took via some alleys, full of speed bumps and bad roads now and then. And finally when he dropped me at my destination, he demanded more since the drop location was about 3-4 kms inside from the main road.

I argued that I have been dropped here before for the same rate and to that he started screaming. Argument is not what mattered to me, but his language and tone. He was screaming unnecessarily on the top of his voice for no reason when I was not being disrespectful. I kept mentioning that there was no reason for him to raise his voice as I'm talking politely.

For that he went on to talk that he is a "Reddy" and flaunting what he could do etc.

I told him that he was wrong in the eyes of law that he did not switch on the meter and now he is arguing for more money.

I finally asked how much he was expecting as this was beginning to worsen my headache. He said extra 80 rs for 4 kms. I told him that it was not going to happen and gave him 330 rs as total instead. For which he said "what will happen with 30 rs".

By that time, I had heard enough of him and I said 30 rs is a big amount for me and that if he doesn't want it, I will keep it with me. To which, he almost threw the money at me and started screaming more. So much that all the security guards and people were beginning to gather.

Then just as soon as I was about to get down, he snatched the money from my hand. (Obviously he wasn't gonna let it go!) He was beaming with anger for no apparent reason.

The security guard helped me out of the auto and I told the auto driver again to be respectful and talk properly. I reminded him again that he is wrong to have NOT switched the meter on and that I could take him to a concerned official and his license maybe cancelled.

To which he said he doesn't care about all that and he knows how to manage that. I noted his number and walked away while he was still screaming behind me.

This was a really disturbing experience for me. This is not the first time I have argued. But this is the first time someone has spoken as rudely as this guy. I'm quite amazed that I still managed to keep calm. He did not deserve it though...

I rarely take auto rickshaws... Now I'm going to outright ban them from my life! I'm not sure if I have conveyed the rudeness of that driver enough here. Wish I had recorded the whole thing! As simple as just starting the voice recorder on my phone.... Sigh..


P.S: I've messaged the Bangalore Traffic Police about the same via their facebook group. It's high time the auto rickshaws started using the bloody "meter"!

Image Source: http://sansui.tradeindia.com/digital-auto-rickshaw-meter-8111.html

ANDROID USERS:
Try this app. Once everyone starts using it, it will be very helpful!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Vehicle_saviour
About Saviour: http://www.nextbigwhat.com/reviews-of-autos-taxis-saviour-297/

P.P.S: Some information I got off the facebook group from a civilian facing the auto rickshaw woes:

(Thanks to Mr. Chandan (as seen in the comments section) for the same)

For Refusal SMS

AUTO REF AUTO NO. LOCATION TIME OF REFUSAL

EXAMPLE: AUTO REF KA01XY1234 MG ROAD TO KORAMANGALA 5:30PM

For Overcharging

AUTO OVR AUTO NO. LOCATION TIME OF OVERCHARGING

EXAMPLE: AUTO OVR KA01XY1234 MG ROAD TO KORAMANGALA 5:30PM

SEND TO 52225 For Airtel Subscribers.

and SEND TO 9663952225 for Non-Airtel Subscribers.

The SMS hasn't worked for me though...

To register complaints against autorickshaw drivers demanding more money than normal meter fare, people can dial 080-25588444/555 and register the complaint.After the welcome message, register your complaint by a voice message. The duration is 60 seconds.

During the call, provide details like the auto’s registration number; the place (of the incident), date and time; and type of offence (whether refusal or demanding more fare).

UPDATE: July 17th 2013:
Bangalore Traffic Police has taken action. Auto driver was fined 1100 Rs, asked for a written letter of apology and given serious counselling. Click this link to see the effort by BTP :)

Update: July 20th 2013: Click here

Never say No?

Never say "No" Isn't that something we've heard too often? But I think it comes with a small asterisk (*) that says rarely say "Yes"...

I'm one of those who failed to see the asterisk mark! I seldom said "No" in my life... This may come across as a very positive point, but it is actually the exact opposite!

Why did I never say "No"; - fear of hurting people, fear of not getting something right if someone else does it, fear of not being acknowledged, to please the other person, to help the other person, to clear disputes, to get it over with, blah blah... the reasons are so many, but it all comes to the fact that I never mastered the art of saying "No"..

Yes it is an art! A very important one... If you don't learn to say No, you will be taken for granted and expected to do whatever it is that you did, and more; sadly with negligible appreciation.

I remember my friend Jayashree telling me about this movie called "27 dresses". She said she saw me in the lead character's role instead of the actress. She asked me to watch the movie, so that I can understand what I do from a third person's perspective just to make sure I can learn to say "no"...

It never really occurred to me that it was such a big deal before... and when I did realize it, it dawned upon me that I've lost a great deal of myself while doing things for others. But its hard to give up the habit overnight... It been a year or more I've ventured into the path of saying "No" and I still have a long way to go...

For those similar to me, start it already.. better late than never :)
It's not about what you can do, it's about what you want to do!

P.S: I had a similar post in my older abandoned blog... Just felt like writing a better version here.

Passport Form submissions made easy? Ya right!

Ok, so my husband had gone to apply his passport... We tried the online registration first, since it apparently gives an appointment (Date and time). We tried for Jan and unfortunately the the earliest date we could get was 3rd Feb. So then we thought we will go by the usual long process... The forms were available on the website and we downloaded it. Filled it properly and my hubby went to submit it...

Tada.... it is THEN revealed that ONLY online registered applicants can submit. So, after the unsuccessful attempt we came back and yesterday managed to submit the application after a lil problem.

Since they have stopped allowing people other than the one submitting their forms, I stood outside while my husband went inside the office.

While outside, I saw a lot of ppl in trouble as they had no clue where to go for what and I was giving them guidance better than the guard standing there. So I thought maybe I will list down some points here.

1. You have to do ONLINE REGISTRATION - here. Now unfortunately, only after filling up all the details will you know the earliest date of appointment. But let that not disappoint you. Apparently IT DOESN'T MATTER!!! So, confirm the appointment and take a printout of the form.

2. The printed form will have your name and surname all under the 'surname' field... No, it doesn't matter now as it is happening from 'their' side. So chill!

3. Also, there still will be a lot of fields that will be blank. No their system is not smart enough to print a NA where NOT APPLICABLE. Comeon, its Indian govt we are talking about... Can they ever make things simpler for the general public? NO!!

4. And there will be some more fields which you will have to fill out manually anyways...

5. They don't give a damn about the date. The main thing is the serial that gets printed with the online form. The date is like a dummy.

6. And the time... EVERYONE GETS 10 AM! 10 am to 12.30 pm is the time they entertain people there. And u thought u had a 10 am appointment?? Haha... When my hubby and me got there at 9.15, there were already a 100 people ahead! Think about the guys who turned there at 10! :P

7. If you don't know how to fill the online registration form, then they do it for you at the passport office for Rs.35/-. The counter's name will be ONLINE REGISTRATION. This confused so many people coz they thought that this was the line to submit forms of those who did an online registration... Seriously? Re-read last line of Point 3!

8. YOU'VE TO CROSS SIGN ON UR PHOTO IN THE PP FORM. I'm mentioning this in caps coz a poor lad was asked to go back because of that... I mean how long does a sign take?? Sheesh!

9. Proof of Residence is always a pain... When they say electricity/phone/water bill and bank statement and all, what they actually mean is.... for the period of one year... Get one of say Feb 2009 and one of Feb 2010.....its to make sure u stayed there for an year! They want 2!!

My hubby had just one bill of last November... But somehow the lady accepted it after a warning that if asst.passport officer doesn't think its enough, you will have to come again and submit a 2008's copy... I can't guarantee abt ur form anymore than that... Wow!

10. And where do you go to submit it? speed post center is easy right?
HA HA FOOLED YA!GO to the passport office if you don't wanna waste your time! When my hubby headed to the Speed post centre, they said they don't take it there anymore as they've no idea what happens to the forms they send to the passport office... *gulp*.

The first response however was, "passport forms? here? where did you get that idea from?" And my hubby showed them a board just across the wall which stated "Passport form accepted here!"
Brilliant ain't it??

No wonder people these days wanna get the passports done through agents!!

Art of Writing!

I've always wanted to write, write well, ...no... better... maybe the best!
But I lack the ability to play around with words. Different synonyms and beautiful "dictionarized" words! Now thats not a word, but it sounds cool.. U get what I mean? But of course, m not talking about made-up words...

Somehow it seems uneasy... it seems as if I know it but I just can't get it...I have had countless dreams where I can hear myself deliver fabulous speeches or write a great document.. and they were brilliant!

So then how is it that my sub-conscious mind knows about all this and I don't?

I even went through some of my old documents, random scripts and fan fictions.. They seemed good for a beginner... But instead of becoming better, I'm lost...

Its even harder to learn when you know it already...
I do not know what has caused this to happen? Maybe my self-confidence is lost... I've too much stress... but I do not want to take them as excuses!

I want to write, write and write better. I don't want to ask anyone if they find it good.. I should know it myself!

Why can't I just get out that what's deep inside me!? I need to master the Art of Writing!

A Snoring Dream

Hmmm... So everyone in my family except me is blessed with the gift of snoring. Me, the unfortunate one can't snore and hence can't stand the others snoring next to me and hence can't sleep!

I sometimes used to wonder how peacefully they slept, while besides the snoring, the paper fluttering or the door's slight banging, or any small sound bothers me so much till i fall into deep slumber.

Once i tried to snore rather act it out and i realized that your own snoring sound can be heard by u from the inside with a great echo effect that no other sounds matter...
Also u can tune it to a rhythm u want... ok so this maybe weird, i try to find rhythm in these sounds so that i can expect them in the same pattern and get used to it and find some sleep...

On on the whole, because of the snoring, I couldn't sleep for a good two hours last night. Hence this post.

Bomb Scare @ Raghuleela Mall

Our office is in the 11th floor of the IT park behind raghuleela mall...
Yesterday, i came, started my PC, was browsing the net... and right when i thought i will go pick up something from the canteen, than ma friend called and said.. "Don't panic, just get everyone and come down"

Now, "Don't panic" is usually panicky!
We didn't know what to do... Soon enough our HR head repeated the same words... and off we went... All this while, we were thinking it was a fire drill.. So we even took the stairs!

Few workers on the 6th floor had no clue what was happening and they were asking us! So we were going down and down the stairs slowly... Ya no stampede as no one knew what the whole thing was about... My fiancé was nicely drinking his coffee on his way down..Heh...

So we got down and learnt that it was a bomb scare.... Best part was that people were gathered right next to the building.. What's the point??

And then it rained... and guess what, ppl headed back to the building for shelter! It was funny....

The security guards had no clue what was going on.. Terribly mismanaged ppl! Our company heads and employees were taking the initiatives to get ppl to a safe distance..

Finally after few hours, it was declared off for the day and most of us left home... After another few hours of scanning (its a 16 storey building!), the bomb squad returned empty handed! Hoax call!

And later I read from here http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/jul/170709-bomb-scare-Vashi-Twitter-Raghuleela-Mall-Vishwaroop-Park.htm,

that the news they received was the bomb was gonna detonate in 20 minutes! Now, if that bomb was there for real, then I would've been alive to write this post.... Coz i think we all reached the ground floor only by then or later maybe!!

And ppl were being let inside the mall. Only the It park was blocked... Communication gap..

If it really was a 20 minutes timeline, then most of us would've been dead by now!

The only girl left!

So.. yes... by next week, i will be the only girl left in my studio...

When i joined here, we were 6 girls..

Then one was asked to leave... which left us 5...

Then a small merger happened which added 2 more girls...
Our count increased to 7!! Wow!

Then another one was asked to leave.
3 quit for personal reasons...

Which left three of us...
Now one, my good friend, left since she is getting married...

The second last one - the last one being me - is also leaving by the end of this week...

So that leaves just me.....
*Sigh*

Girls and gaming hardly last long here.... :(

XKCD Comic

This is one of my all time fav...



When this happened to me, I really wanted to slap the person hard... ok very hard... after i broke my head trying to find the third word and when he gave this stupid solution.....

This comic is for that guy!!!

Blah Blah

I don't know where to start off! I've so many things to write, thanks to my personal experience as well as inputs from my friends...

All of us must have seen how sucking up to your boss helps... You've seen the way they easily get promoted, respected and given authority...

Well... and then some of us are still unable to do it...

What happens if you don't?
Your promotions never happen or they are delayed.
Your talents or efficiency hardly gets appreciated.
You are made to feel outcasted..

And what if you are a girl?
Ha Ha! Screwed!!
You are not taken seriously.
They think you are brainless.
Whatever you try to do is ignorable!


Besides all this few of us girls still stay in this partial world trying to make a point every time and failing miserably at that...

Less efficient men get paid more... Taking on roles they are unable to handle.

Irrespective of having better qualities, we get sidelined... I'm pretty sure some of the guys will also agree with me on this point.

Only when dire necessity comes is when you're needed.. till then you're optional! You don't even know that such a project exists!!

We are all asses working our ass off all day only to get nothing in the end... No appreciation, No respect, No importance, No money either!!

And then you slog and slog with no time to blog!!!

Dream House - Not in reality!

Considering the property rates in Mumbai, it really is just a dream to own a house of your choice. Once upon a time long long ago.. I had a dream to buy a 3 BHK atleast which has now come down to 1 BHK which also nowadays seems unlikely!

A frigging decent 1BHK also costs around 30 lacs even in Koparkhairane area!!

To own a house these days is like achieving a herculean task!!
And I'm not including the higher class society. They can still afford.

I really dunno what's gonna happen in few years or months!!
With the property rates so high, there are high chances the rental live ins are gonna be at its peak. Thats probably the cheaper way out. But then ppl have to be ready to move in and out!!!

Oh GOD!!
Gimme some money to buy a 3BHK!!
;)

Strike 18/21 n Get Married?

Earlier we were forced to get married early and now we have decided to take that step on our own?
Well, Of course I do know that this is a personal aspect and it varies from person to person.
A couple of years back, I remember most of my friends saying..
"Marriage? Now? Is'nt that so soon? My career is important..."
And I completely agreed with them, only to attend their marriages last year and to recieve calls regarding their 'Good News' ;)

Well, I aint saying its wrong.. but y this sudden change? Any idea?
Recently I read an article - a survey on youngsters getting married. Girls of 18 and guys of 21 are married. And in fact, they are finding it easier. They say marriage has taught them to be responsible and to work even harder and to enjoy the little pleasures of life.

And I always thought getting married early was trouble!!

Well, I stick to my view of getting married as late as possible, but please do come if I invite you to attend my marriage in a couple of years.. Ha Ha! ;)