Preeti, sensible. emphathetic, intelligent, human !!:)

Well, if you disagree with the title adjectives, read on ... If you agree, then am impressed + shocked + confused as you could identify ME having such qualities :)
OKAY, I am in training period now. Just sharing with you the experiences of HUMAN PROCESS LAB I had last week long. Now when I say lab, there was no chemicals, motors, assignments, tests etc involved. Not even an atmosphere of lab was hinted at. We had the Lab in a
* Three star hotel bedroom, with cozy mattresses and pillows to sit on, from 8 30 am to 5 30 pm
** good free food at the hotel itself :):) (slurp...)
*** in the company of 10 total stranger colleagues, locked up in the presence of a mentor or facilitator.


There was no activity. The mentor came, and sat in our midst and 'processed' us. The task was to just talk about HERE and NOW and not the world outside the room,sans activities like debate or antakshari or any such similar thing.
DAY 1
Formal and courteous glances were exchanged and a brief intro of our variegated cultures and backgrounds. This took on for an hour. Then boredom crept in. Freedom to do anything without any guidance from the mentor who never spoke took shape into frustration.

DAY2
Same place, same set of 10 people, same mentor. Frustration took form of resentment and we took turns to get locked in the bathroom for a comfortable 20 minutes. Full day what exactly should we talk on? what was expected out of us? everything looked muddled and the objective was never understood. So we started trying to talk to the mentor as to what should be done and what to share and how to share. No help again. He simply said talk about HERE and NOW.

DAY3
It comes as a shock and surprise to me as to how the most darkest secrets of an individual could be shared with 10 others, who were just two days familiar. The power of trust of the human mind could be felt. People sought help emotional support and what not for all their problems. This feeling should be experienced and I simply cannot put it in mere words.

DAY4
Since we had become a family in the true sense of the word, laughing and crying and eating together, we started giving both positive and negative feed backs as to how they were and how can they change themselves for a better one to one relationship. There was pride shattered, images redefined, talents explored, skills sharpened and a myriad other transformations.

DAY5
We had certain team building activities and similar stuff on how to be a good listener etc..
Then finally wrapped the whole thing up. Bid adieu to my cozy cocoon, my family in room no 3135 and came out as better individuals :):)

PS: I will check out your posts this weekend for sure. Why I came to blog today is because I was really upset physically (was puking whole day) and mentally (two B****hes spoiled my day) so feeling great now after pouring out something really blissful to me in my space with you people always about(you have no choice, it has to be blissful to you too !!:):) and wanted to add many pictures out here, but somehow, MR Compu fails to listen :):)

I have 'ripped'... come on sip !!;)

From the title, if you are having fantasies of lecherous over dozes, haha gotcha!!:):)

This is yet another random rigmaroles of mine, a feast(!?!?) for all my friends and fans (yeah, the comments on my last post has got me disillusioned :):) and all you silent visitors, HUGS :), this is not a porn site:) to keep your visits secret, just leave a comment saying how my post was-bad worse or worst !!:):) ).

Have a sip of my ripped moments here for past two weeks.

1. You know what I hate more than eating bitter guard or combing my hair???

MEDICAL TESTS. Its a stupid formality which no one in the company will even bother to go through the reports, but then do I have a choice? Ignominy of my skin losing virginity to unknown gleaming hard thrusting needles in a blood test, keeping my brackish water and farces bottled without giving them the least privacy and exhibiting them , wearing a coat into which 100 Preetis can fit in for an XRay, Reading all possible combinations of alphabets in an eye test, letting the stethoscope explore my back and front... Anyways, its all over now thankfully.

2. Long live the power crisis!!:) yeah I have been provided with an electric stove, and since the power is never there, I hog out, hence saving me from my own cooking !!:)

3. I am in the company of fiver other people, three guys and two girls, one of the girls, Nanditha, qualifies as my friend, having all qualities from crazy to idiotic :). The other one is ok, a pure veggie, and has an infected brain which cannot distinguish between the aroma of potatoes and chicken fry, and we have to tell her its only potato, so that she does not die of her handkerchief pressed to her nose + mouth!!:)

4. The most deathly and destructive weapon is LOVE. No I am not suffering for the want of it, but I have it in excess. Am living with a Bengali family, who force me to eat with them, and my digestive system is really stubborn to work with their mustard oil and too much of turmeric in their victuals. I dont like people pampering me. Privacy to me is not leaving me alone in my personal issues (err..I dont have any as such:)) , but others keeping me out of their private lives . Hmph...

5. Apart from his cute round head and swayed brown colour, I love OBAMA for everything!!:) Something tells me it will be a non Bushy US from now.

6. I am supposed to be CATting now, but am BLOGging :). Did not take CAT this time. Dont ask me why. I ll tell you when I get to know why. Chennai, I promise I ll see you soon enough.

7. My childhood friend is getting married this November 30th, in this age of Internet and stuff, I still am in touch with her through inland letters. All of you wish her the best in life :):)

8. I don't like browsing centers much, they look dingy and creepy, even now the female next to me is staring at my window (sigh..the nuances of being a writer !!:)!:) ) . Will crap more often once I get a cubicle at office, now in training in seminar hall whole day listening to lectures, and somehow trying to learn the art of balancing my chin on palm eve in deep slumber:(:(

9. I have always viewed fridge as a mortuary but now, i really miss cold coffee, chill water and apples :(:(

10. I love and miss all of you and will catch up on your posts soon enough :):) HUGS !!:)

Au Revoir...

My bags are packed. Tickets reserved. Good wishes and blessings from all over lavishly showered. Just that I have to start. New job. New place. New people. New everything.Every end has a new beginning. This is the end, beginning awaits me. It has been a wonderful journey here, leaving footprints on the memories of my sands of time. This space has crept into my circle of 'family'. I started this space as a means to kill time and improve my ahem.. writing talents!!!(yeah, stop sniggering at the latter half now). In the process , got life time friends here as an unexpected bonus (err...hoping to improve writing talents too).

Now How can I leave then?? IMPOSSIBLE :):) I am to this blog and you all as I am to coffee and smileys, indispensable parts of my identity.. Just that my crapping frequency MIGHT reduce (remember 'might' dont have high hopes yet :)). I hate good byes and farewell talks. So , just saying Au Revoir, until we meet again... Dont you dare not to miss me, I promise to catch up soon on all your posts :) HUGS :):)

Here are a few lines of the current track for you,

as we go on..

we remember

all the times we've

had together

that s the last change

come what ever

we will still be

friends forever :):)

lalalala lal lalala

lalala lala

la lala lala

friends forever!!

PS: Wish me luck :)

PPS: This song is dedicated to ALL my crazy chirpy fuzzy whizzy supersonic and idiotic friends !!:)

PPPS: Didnt use my precious and sensible thoughts much for this post. The words came in a flash and click, down here:). So just bear with its bits and pieces.

A Fine Balance Indeed

I fell in love again (click here to know about my first love). This time it is Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance. I totally surrender to such a towering masterpiece creator. From the cover page, which shows a 10 foot long vertical pole with a horizontal crossbow 9 foot from the ground, onto which a little five year old girl perches, her hand outstretched skyward and the pole sways precariously, being supported by nothing more than a man's thumb, a fine balance continues till the very end.

The introduction reads
Holding this book in your hand, sinking back in your soft armchair, you will say to yourself: perhaps it will amuse me. And after you have read this story of great misfortunes, you will no doubt dine well, blaming the author for your own insensitivity, accusing him of wild exaggeration and flights of fancy. But rest assured: this tragedy is not a fiction. All is true.

Mistry has stuck to his word to the dot. The 614 pages throw light on the realities of intricate lives of four people, Dina Dalal (a widow) , two cobbler turned tailors (Ishwar and Om) and a college student (Maneck), who struggle under the Emergency Regime during 1975. The things these four have in common are dignity, self-respect to live on their own and shut out mercy and sympathy, dregs of humanity which otherwise lost its meaning during those dark bleak days,a caring heart and of course inseparable poverty. I turned every single page saying, yeah life will get less complex, their checkered fates will change, things will be restored with smiles and hugs finally like in the usual movies and sitcoms, but was miserably wrong and ended up wetting my cheeks ( last time I had watered sockets was after seeing Sadma (Hindi) or Moondram Pirai (Tamil) , ten years back). This book also re frames the good old adages to Truth never Triumphs, What you sow is never what you reap, Honesty is not the best policy, Jaisi karni waisi nahin bharni. I wont call it pessimism but the simple fact of LIFE elucidated with a fine balance of love, honour, ego, sarcasm, laughter, hunger, anger, suspense,uncertainty and revenge.

When Dina gets to know of the fatal accident that killed her husband due for dinner , the dignity and poise with which she handled herself is extraordinary for words. All she said was that his food was still there, and that it should be given to the beggars in the corner of the street.

How the birth of daughters in upper castes and sons in lower castes brought upon beatings to the bearer and the child by the male chauvinists of the upper castes is a heart aching read.

A very nice thought saying " human face has limited space, if you fill the space with laughter , there wont be room for crying".

An irony dipped in humour when a quack tries to sell Potency Potions with the cries " Does it stand but not straight enough? is there a bend in the tool? Leaning left like the Marxist-Leninist party? To the right like the Jan Sangh fascists? Or wobbling mindlessly like the Congress party? Fear not for it can be straightened! Try my ointment and it will become hard as the government's heart!"

A crippled Shankar, who crawls along pavements collecting alms is one person with whom you cannot empathize. Not because you have an iron heart towards beggars, but because he never lets sympathy creep into you. He is a character blessed with a great sense of humour, optimism and helping tendency, notwithstanding the God's blessed physical impediment.



There are a few censorious parts in the book, where the fine hair line difference between love and lust is lost, the beautiful feeling is messed up conveying just Strip... Bang...Whewww..making you mindlessly flip through, albeit return after a while, to make sure you did not miss on something read worthy.


I have spent six sleepless nights now on this, not that I am a slow reader, but because I could not bring myself up to gulp down its magic and essence quicker than six nights. Brilliant English in which there is yet again, a fine balance of rich vocabulary not compromising on emotions that tumble down like a smooth waterfall. It is shortlisted for the Booker prize and I vote for it. I am not a good reviewer of books, this is my mediocre yet sincere attempt.This review made me buy the book and read it till the end. This is a must read for all those who breathe good books and also have the fire to become a writer. I warn you again, this is not a light read but truth in the crudest form which slaps you left right left.
To conclude, Rohinton Mistry -I SALUTE YOU