Gratitude

For Eid, I had haleem, gulab jamuns, a chicken kebab-roll made previously on my request and then some.

A few days later, I was able to eat Mama's special chicken samosas and fine meat kebabs.

I'm really grateful for a Mama like this, who knows that the way to your offspring's heart is through their stomach.

Also, a conversation that transpired between us last night.

Mama: I can't wait to go home (i.e. India).

Me: I thought I was your home.

Mama: No, you're not my home. You're the center of my home.

If you have a Mama too, go hug her. You're the center of her home too.

O Irony, Thou Art A Cruel Bitch

I have been humming this song for the past 3 days, with no idea whatsoever what song the humming belonged.

I found out when I recharged my iPod late last night after approximately 4 weeks.

Heh.

Mama O Mama!

I apologise for this highly late post, but of late, I haven't been able to express my feelings appropriately and been uninspired to post funny stuff.

So here's another edition of what Mama's said, that's extremely hilarious.

As you all know, Prince William just got engaged two days back to K. Middleton, and the media has been gloating on each and every tiny aspect of that. While heading to bed, I started a conversation about it. Now Mama knows just how much I dig Harry and would want him to be my other half, as she knows how much I like Di.

Me: I wish I was Diana's daughter.

Mama: But if you were her daughter, you wouldn't be able to be her daughter-in-law.

Me: Yeah, you're right! But still. I'd want to be her daughter.

Mama: Yeah, that way you'd be a princess right?

Me: Nah, Im not too keen on being a princess. I just want to be her daughter.

Mama: Okay, tell you what. If you want to be Diana's daughter, I can call you Dian.

For those who don't know, Dian in Hindi is akin to a female villian. Genius wordplay on Mama's part.

So we were invited to Mont Kiara for an Eid lunch to these people's place, and they'd recently shifted there. So we were looking for where they were, and Papa had told us that they were at this place called Mont Kiara Banyan. Like the banyan tree. We kept an eye out for it for quite some time, until one point when Mama got frustrated.

Mama: Seriously, where is this place?

(after a minute)

Mama: Such a funny name. Why would anyone want to call their house Banyaan?

Me: (howling with laughter)

For those that don't know, banyaan in our language refers to an undershirt/singlet that men wear. Mama so funny. haw haw.

Anyone who knows me, knows how there are a few certain words that are my staple, whenever I wish to express myself in a particular way. The saddest thing is, I express myself the same way in front of Mama, and it gets very embarrassing when she catches on and starts applying it to conversations with me. Like hello, now I have to find new words to sound cool, because the Law of Coolness states anything your Mama says becomes uncool when she states it.

So we're in a random conversation, as we often are, and she goes:

Yeah, I know what you're going to say. This is LAME. This is so sad. So pathetic. So desi. So Pardesi. So Indian.

I didn't have a comeback because she used up all my cool words!

Happy 25th Anniversary

To my two most favourite beings in Yukon Ho.

And beyond.

You make my life all the more worth living.

(ps. one day, i will own the both of you. and everything your creator ever came up with. just you wait.)

Nights that I dream of. Perfect like these.

Why Calvin and Hobbes remain my favourite. For thought provoking cartoons like these. (Psst, click on the image, it'll go bigger and better!)

The last one ever. (This one wants you to click it too!)

Welcome Home

A moving melody.

Courtesy of T-Mobile.

Makes you want to snuggle with your loved ones does it not?

And sit by a fireplace, drink hot chocolate, or just come home to hug someone tightly.

Here, are the lyrics. Just in case you decide to sing along to it.

I'm so alone, my love without you
You're part of everything I do
When you come back, and you're beside me
These are the words I'll say to you

Welcome home, welcome
Come on in, and close the door
You've been gone, too long
Welcome, you're home once more

I thought of all the things I'd say to you
When you come back to me someday
When you are here and we're together
With all my heart you'll hear me say

Welcome home, welcome
Come on in, and close the door
You've been gone, too long
Welcome, you're home once more

There are so many lonely people
Why must they ever be apart
I hope someday you'll be together
Singing these words with all your heart

Welcome home, welcome
Come on in, and close the door
You've been gone, too long
Welcome, you're home once more
(Welcome Home)

Eeeeeagle!

What I'd imagine Graduation to feel like. 

This is also what I'd like to do one day.

Adam Peterson, I Want To Go Out With You

Dont lie. You know you're jealous of his happiness.

Just imagine, he'd be so happy all the time.

What a perfect partner.

What the Dickens

A cute story that we'd all wish would come true.

We'd be millionaires that way.

Okay, at least I would.

O! Click me! Click me! Please please click me!

we're done.

approximately many days ago, i completed university. 

that particular day i went through many emotions- satisfaction, an overwhelming desire to sleep forever, a sense of eternal freedom from thick texts and words that ended with inanely huge suffixes and perhaps even a return to normalcy.

but can we ever go back there?

to what we were before we embarked on this glorious 3-year long journey? to the state of not being confused by clashing theories, naive in the ways of the world as we were, uneducated about testing times that lay ahead of us?

would we even want to go back to that state?

perhaps this will be normal for us now.

i for one, know that i wish not to return to those times. for i would be deprived of some hilarious company, some brilliant friends who have heaved me through tough and rough times, the privilege of knowing educators like the ones we were fortunate enough to both gossip and gush about, and most importantly the life lessons that make everyday of walking through those gates worth it.

when i told a friend of mine that i was going to blog about the feelings of mine of being an unofficial graduate, he wished me good luck. for there is no possible way that we can group together 3 very intense years of our most formative period of life into a singular post to impress its sheer impact upon anyone who hasn't been through our own unique experiences.

they havent been good times, all of them.

you and i have struggled through our first and second assignments, unable to find the right words and sentences that would help lift our essay from its hopelessness to give it some modicum of respect.

you and i have spent moons in the cafeteria struggling to come to terms with our own idiocy in not spending enough time with our texts when we had the time to, instead cribbing, venting, ranting, what-have-you about how little time we have to complete our assignments and exams.

you and i have have sworn that the coming semester, we'd totally get our act together and manage our time better, yet never actually doing that.

you and i have complained bitterly about cafeteria food, overpriced drinks, parking frustrations, smelly facilities and the like.

you and i have had bitch-faced friends to deal with.

you and i have weathered heartbreak, gotten over it with the help of our friends and begun life again.

you and i have overthrown hurdle after hurdle to come back stronger, humble-r. sometimes we've been weak, but forgotten our troubles amongst hearty company and pressing deadlines.

you and i have over the past 6 semesters, continuously come day in and day out to face challenges minute and overbearing as they were.

you and i have over the past six semesters packed up our troubles to allow them to recede over a pseudo-rest period (holidays as Monash would like to call it) and come back to familiar faces and troubles.

you and i have over the past six semesters, lived, learned, and breathed, as hard as all these emotions may have been at their respective times.

look back on it and tell me that you dont feel proud of yourself.

you have done brilliantly.

you should look into the mirror and think of yourself as a success.

a success that has just graduated.

a success that took 3 years to ripen, be wise and find your footing and calling in life.

a success that will only encounter better and greater things in life.

a success.

ladies and gentlemen, we, the batch of 2008, are done.
(let us lament together the loss of an epic era)

(ps. i have a wish. in march, id like to take 2 pictures with each and everyone of you. one smiling gleefully at the chance of being able to wear graduation paraphernalia and the other exhibiting our crazy kooky side. please look for me amongst a pile of tissues, and follow the sound of indian wailing. i shall be there)

4 words.

these are my four favourite hindi slang words.

. jhakaas. self explanatory. its got such a ring to saying it, dont you think? like you're really involved in the feeling and this is the only word that can aptly and wholly describe what you're feeling at the very moment. remember to extend your aaas for as long as you can for amplified effect.

. ZABARDAST! BRILLIANT WORD isnt it? like the equivalent of saying EUREKA! in times when running around naked was considered uncool.

. mast. ek dum boss.

. bindaaaaaaaaaaas. again, for amplified effect, you roll your aaas. i love saying this word. it makes me feel so carefree and happy, and just take-it-as-it-comes and positive. its a perfect word.

do you have perfect words too? if you dont, i suggest you start sharing them. words are brilliant.

Vintage Bollywood

This is why I'm obsessed with it.

This is why you will be too.

a most peculiar thing.

Turtle dove.

Picture it.

Its a bird.

Dont lie. When I told you to picture it, you thought of a flying white dove in a turtle shell, didn't you?

You know you did. 
(100th post woot woot!)

3 words.

. what does it mean when someone says 'bite me'? i mean, i know you say it when you're angry, but what does it mean? why would you want anyone to bite you when you're angry?

. why do people always write/say, 'it goes without saying that...' when in fact they end up saying that thing that can go without saying?

. i only called this 3 words so that people would click on the link. because i crave attention and i know how to get it. from all the wrong quarters.

Good Morning World.

So up til now perhaps the only widely discussed debate you've heard of is the Rasa Sayang War between Malaysia and Indonesia. Everyone has their say and whatnot. But this post is not about that. Its about what those words embody. Also, you might know (or you mightnt [awesome word no?]), actually its more likely that you mightnt know, but there is yet another third (or 14th) version to it. 

So, here's the first version we're all used to hearing (Malaysia).

This, is the 1960 version you've never heard (probably).

You might be going WTF at this, but I'd like to tell you something. This is a very popular (or maybe its just me and my obsession with old movies) song that many Indians know. When I was 6, my Papa took me to Singapore and we saw a Laser Show at Sentosa. Papa recognised this song and was like, O, it's from that Shammi Kapoor movie, and for quite some time, we thought that the Malaysians or whatever took the song from the Indians, and that it was an Indian song with 2 Malaysian words in it. Years later, hearing it around, we realised how wrong we were and how predictable our songwriters were, even back in the 60s.

The words after Rasa Sayang translate into, Love's name is Rasa Sayang

Jai Hind.

(its cute though, isnt it? and catchy.)

Also, isnt it ironic that we're all battling about a song that is titled Feeling of Love? Or is it just me?

Abeer In Essence

I am sure you wont disagree.

(isnt this also just genius?)

If This Doesn't Make You Cry, I Don't Know What Will

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

StoryCorps are awesome. Visit them.

Change?

so i've seen exactly 3 things in the last 2 days that have led me to 1 conclusion- really? is it finally happening? 

(didja see what i did there? 3,2,1. BOOM!)

for starters, you have China and India entering IMF more strongly, which i think is awesome, as we all know of the long-standing ills of this primarily West-dominated institution. im so excited about what this can mean for the future generations. it may take a very long time to effect this or for something solid and substantial to come off it, but hey, baby steps. the last time any progress had been made in this was like, never (such a bimbo, arent i?). so its good. and spells in the long run perhaps some toe-curling change that might not be readily accepted by everyone in the West. maybe now we'll be in a further state of deadlock. where previously only the US and European countries were consulted for loans now they (C and I) will be too, but given that China and India wont readily let their rivals get off easy, perhaps the entire decision-making process will just get more tense and be a dead-end. maybe these guys wont be the good guys we hope they'll be and give less-conditional loans and fairer terms to poor nations. maybe they'll side with the bad guys. who knows? but i for one, hope.

this ones a little tricky. obama, the media darling in india right now, hasnt put a foot wrong, indeed, making the statement that the US will back India's bid to be on the UNSC. face value this means alot because everyone knows how the US is perhaps the most powerful hand in the UN, and how decisions that are contrary to her interests dont often see the light of day. so her backing someone like India, who's known to have made some interesting choices (and is currently at loggerheads with Pakistan and China) comes as good news and a sure-fire sign that the benevolent day isnt too far away. except, maybe it is. though i was certainly not expecting such an announcement (i dont know if this was on the agenda or not for political analysts) it has now brought on a fresh wave of cynicism in me. what if this is a twisted game the big Bo's playing? its a populist agenda, you have a whole loada brownies backing it, this translates into stronger economic and business ties, indian voters in Amreeka will probably vote for him and his party now, economic ties and good business keeps the average Amreekan happy, which is why he'll probably vote for the Bamas' again the next time round. and isnt that last point the most crucial of them all? he and his party have just lost a huge amount of support back home, and this not only serves purpose for the aforementioned, but also helps his image overseas. not just in India, but elsewhere where he'll be seen as the good guy trying to bring about some healthy good altruistic change, thereby garnering the support from World Inc. but theres other hurdles. anyone who's even read the brochure of the UN knows how notoriously slow they are in implementing anything at all.

one of the more obvious pitfalls and faults of democracy? certainly. China and Pakistan wont like this, so they'll go against this entire thing, hold up the process and hopefully, by the time they're done, we'll have a brand new Amreekan President, which means that what USA would want at that time could be particularly different, and perhaps, not so sympathetic to Asia's whiny tunes. again, i hope.

mr. netanyahu doesnt like doing what everyone else is doing. good for him. he just does what he wants. good job mr prime minister. good job.