100+ Reading Challenge

I found this link on Pratibha's blog and said, why not give this a try and let me see how many books I actually do read in a year (since...errr...I am always always reading like a geek :P)

For those who don't know, I also maintain a book review blog and it has been getting harder to maintain it alone, especially with the Formula One season starting. So anyone interested in writing reviews of the good books they read, feel free to drop in and I'll make you a contributor, with pleasure :)

So here's what I've read in 2009 so far:

(Will be continuously updating it)

1)  A Long Way Gone (Ishmael Beah)

2) Man's search for Meaning (Viktor E Frankl)

3) My Revolutions (Hari Kunzru)

4) Moth Smoke (Mohsin Hamid)

5) Notes to Myself (Hugh Prather)

6) The Reader (Bernhard Schlink)

7) The Japanese Wife (Kunal Basu)

8) Descent into Chaos (Ahmed Rashid)

9) Train to Pakistan (Khushwant Singh)

10) Wise and Otherwise (Sudha Murthy)

11) Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)

12) Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom)

13)

14)

15)

16)

17)

18)

19)

20)

Secret to reducing your age...!!!!

Yes. You heard it right.

All you people, worried about growing older, balder, fatter, thinner...whatever.

Remember the time when you were 18, 19, 20...or even 30?? Dont you wish you could go back to those days and be young again??  Wouldn't you absolutely love it  to be sweet 16?? Well I dont claim it will work that well but it sure is effective to a reasonable extent.

I have discovered a miraculous, non-scientific and non-surgical way of reducing age...as have many other people in India. As far as my experience goes, this is available only in India and its almost free of cost. 

Though I may warn you that it is not without its share of hassles. The waiting period for me has been more than what the TATAs are quoting for NANO. And there might be minor hiccups which will be explained in detail as you read.

Believe me. It worked for me. My age has been knocked off by 2 precious years and I am 21 again :D :D

Lets not keep the suspense going and reveal the magic formula..

Drumrolls...... :)

Presenting...

 from the Makers of Indian General Elections 1951-2009

and still going strong...

THE INDIAN VOTER ID CARDS!!

Now let's hear some true stories:

Smriti : I was actually born in 1986 but my voter ID says its 1988. I cant believe my eyes. It works..it really does. And I get a bonus gift...My adress details say I reside in 3 different buildings in my locality. Wow!! That's some bargain.. this thing works, it really does!!

Gopal Srivastava: I was born in 1956 but as per my ID..its 1958...I'm thrilled...I wish I can put off retiring two more years thanks to this formula. And guess what?? I get to be my own father too!!! 

There are plenty of such cases out there, a lot of people who've had their ages miraculously reduced. 

However the minor glitches to this amazing service include long waiting periods to get the IDs, sometimes change in the spellings and sometimes change in gender as well. Also, your father can become your mother, your mother become your father or you might end up being the mother of your father.  But these are minor glitches. Small price for getting your age reduced.

So try it today. Check with Election Commission for further details.

Believe me. It works!!! 

:)

DISCLAIMER: I know it would be a daunting task for an Election commission to create a database of such a large pool of eligible voters and mistakes are bound to happen. But I was just having fun with this. Cheerios!! :)

Time to fall in Love again

Its wednesday already and I will start falling in love again in about 3 days time.

Formula One season 2009 kicks off on Saturday with the Australian Grand Prix and I am getting excited at the prospects of McLaren not having such a great car. Hi hi hi. And no I dont want Kimi to win this year. One Champion title is enough. Lets hope some of the other guys (Jenson, Barrichello, Kubica) get their due. Brawn GP is looking really good so lets wait and watch for the season to kick off to have a fair idea of things. :)

Alright, I know this isnt my F1 blog and I should not rant F1, but that's the only thing I am looking forward to lately. I was really missing Bani the other day, with all his F1 commentary and his unbelievable technical know how. It has been kinda hard to finish my F1 blog without him around and I know it wont be done before the season opener race. :(

Yeah everyone is talking about IPL but I dont watch cricket lately. It still had its place with F1 and Tennis in my books, but that kinda got lost after the disaster of the last world cup. Was still watching it, but since Dada and Shaun retired, it hasnt been the same for me. 

Divya was here yesterday and we had a lot of fun.... I hope. :) We watched SINGING IN THE RAIN (1952). Its a wonderful movie and I recommend it to everyone who loves movies. :)

Ok I need you guys to help me out here. My sister is toothpick thin and she gets really bugged with people looking at her and exclaiming "ohhh how thin you've become!!!!". She's 18 and I guess, now these comments have started to prick. We tell her she'll put on weight with time, since both mom and me were really thin until our graduation. So was dad. Now look at us fatsos. She eats well but is selective in her diet...appetite is normal...what am I doing here? Narrating it as if narrating to a doctor? Alright guys, please tell her something...esp those who put on a lot of weight after being thin :P

She said she wants to check out who the thinnest person in the world was? Coz she thinks she might just qualify. I dont think so.

Alright enough from me for now. And yes it is time for me to fall in love with Kimi again :) So this is a warning to all my blogger pals that there are chances of Kimi overdose in the upcoming posts. Kindly be on your guard. :)

Cheers everyone!! :)

P.S. Sam, ho gaya naya post ji!!! Ab bolo :D 

Waiting to Die

"Goody has few weeks to live"

"Goody has days to live"

"Goody in her final hours"

These were some of the headlines I read in the "International news" segment of newspapers that I get. NDTV had a news feature on her today and it just got me wondering a lot of things.

For those who do not know what I am talking about, let me brief you a little bit.

Remember Jade Goody, the participant on UK reality TV show "Big Brother" who came under a lot of fire for her racial remarks on co-participant Shilpa Shetty? She decided to take part in the Indian version of the show and soon discovered that she was suffering from Cervical cancer. Ever since the discovery of this fatal condition, she is yet again in the news, with her publicists informing the press about her deteriorating condition on a daily basis. The life and death of Jade Goody will be broadcast on TV channels and reporters wait outside her hospital 24/7 for any news whatsoever.

She has two children from a previous marriage and married her boyfriend in February this year.

Now this got me thinking as to what goes on inside a person's mind when they know that their death is near and the doctors give you a time line of so and so days to live?  And the way media is making news out of one person's misery, I do not know but it seems very insensitive to me. I followed the whole BIG BROTHER fiasco with as much interest as I follow any other news. Yes I did not like the things she said to Shilpa Shetty, who is not a saint herself either. Save for THE AMAZING RACE, I have never watched any other reality TV show with any sort of enthusiasm. 

I mean we talk about privacy of celebrities and their lives. Surely death is another such moment -- if not for them, at least for their families. I know Jade herself publicised the events as they unfolded, but the way media is waiting for any sort of updates just seems to me like they are asking just one question - "When will she die??".

Maybe it is just me and my demented thoughts, but I really feel sorry for the sad state of things in our times. One cannot even die in peace. I cannot even try to imagine what her family is going through....and her children. I do not know much about the kind of person that Mrs Goody is, or if the tabloids have made her so... but fact remains that she is going to die and I just wished the media didn't make it a circus-like event.

P.S. Posting after a long time, hope all of you are doing good. :)

More than That... :)

It's my foodie-goodie Nik's birthday today. :)

I just returned from a wedding, still coughing my head off and had something that I should have resisted but could not. :P 

Ah, Nik. Or Nikhil Moyal. The guy-friend I am most senti about in the whole wide world.... and was once very very possessive about (not anymore, thankfully :p...)

Nik, is the kind of friend I have actually messaged at 2 in the morning to talk about every little stupid miserable event of my life. Still do sometimes. Have been doing since my teens. The guy I get most furious with, shout the most at, spend most of my time with, someone who is an ever-ready partner for a movie in the theatres. Going to whose place feels like being home. The guy I can annoy and annoy and still get away....sadly :(  He just wont shout back at you for behaving stupidly....coz he behaves that way too at times :P Isnt it true Niks??

But above all, he is a friend... who always listened to me, when I needed listening...without jumping in and telling me what he thought. A friend, whose hug feels like the protection of an older brother... but he isnt one, mind you :P Whose admonition is in his way of sarcasm, and care, the only way he knows...with an open heart. Darsh, you're one lucky girl!! :) :) :)

Cant believe you just turned 26....Buddhe!!! Shaadi kar le re!! :P Ab tak chhabbis!! :P

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIKS... LOVE YOU LOADS!! :)

WISH YOU ALL THE HAPPINESS AND GOOD FOOD IN THE WORLD!! :P CHEERS!! :)

What the....

102 degrees... cough cough cough.....aaaacchhhoooo!!

Thats been me for the past 4 days. Today 2 degrees lesser but cough cough cough and aaaacchhoooo....FULL ON!!

Just trying to keep it short here. Trying to write as much my mind is willing to write. But given my habit of writing in detail, no guarantees. 

Alankar called me up today and tells me "You sound like Kishore Kumar". I say, make me say another sentence and I might just start sounding like Bappi Lahiri. Yeah he'll like that!! :P

Was asleep all of Saturday. Record. Have not done that in...I dunno...since the first few days of my life on this earth. Have had a total of 4 meals in the last 4 days but have managed to drink up an ocean almost...dont ask me which one....I'll tell you about it when another glacier melts at the pole.

Been trying to read posts and comment on as many as possible. Have commented on few and left apologies on many. (Rakesh and Jiggy....yaar concession de do....heavy heavy posts hai aap logo ke... :p)

Finished reading MY REVOLUTIONS by Hari Kunzru and now on to THE READER by Bernhard Schlink. I also got TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom, so Hemz, you will have to get me something else...just couldnt resist picking it up :)

Cough Cough... Was watching some soap on TV with mom and commenting something a while ago.... realised with this kind of voice I should shut up for the time being. Its a scene where someone has died and I am trying to make a smart-ass comment but end up sounding like I am crying myself. So...husssshhh!! 

Murthy Uncle was here to see me in the evening, advising me on the medicines I should take...and return a few DVDs he had borrowed. Gave me a crash course on alcohol I can take and in what quantity (in limit!!). If only Mom and Dad were around when he was giving me those lessons, I would have loved to see their reaction :P Murthy Uncle is very nice by the way...very very cool. I hear Rum is good for cold, isnt it...what say mom?? :P [In MY head, I can already hear her say: "ladki haath se nikal gayi hai" :P]

Yesterday's newspaper had a picture of Kylie Minogue and Akki Baby, posing for some movie they are shooting..BLUE I think thats what its named. Kylie's smile suddenly made me aware I have bunny teeth like hers... Well I know I have bunny teeth, I brush and notice them everyday. Havent thought about it lately, coz I have gotten used to getting my pics taken with my mouth shut. Someone tell me how to have a gorgeous smile  like Kylie's with Bunny teeth like mine... I'd like to do a little HAPPYDENT WHITE promotion myself, thank you very much.

Cough Cough...another bout.

Have to replace D-COLD TOTAL in the medicine cabinet first thing tomorrow morning. Just noticed I ran out of it. I'm still a little weak, though I can drive up to the pharmacy, thank you very much. :) 

Vinay, I am still reading....just not commenting....I am running out of adjectives to describe your talent, you are just awesome!! I can do a re-run of adjectives if you like...But I assure you, I am still reading :)

Nancy's post today made me realise how much I love Diva....and also hate her.....but Love her more....god!! Grrrr ... :P Wanted to call, but as usual, too lazy to do that. Did I mention in the 25 things that I hardly make calls....I take them mostly...I'm not a phone person...haan if Diva calls, I always have a conversation....otherwise its...errr...ummm...what else? Nik knows it. We have been friends since I dont know when and on Shivratri we spoke on the phone for like 1.5 hours for the first time. BIIIIIG feat for the two of us. 

Kochu, PJ are missing from action. I was gonna say the same about Anoop but he just came back and blogged...so, welcome back Anoop. :) 

Mithe, still have to read the conclusion of the story. 

Aditi, I hope more people are reading your wonderful blog.

Pratibha, one talented Naisaiku writer... absolutely loving your blogs lately.

Nikhil, your post made me laugh so much...I dont want to think about it. I still am giggling.

Sam...ho kya raha hai??? Bahut romantic posts chal rahe hai aajkal?? ;)

Blog Mum Renu, just wanted to give you a hug >:D<

Swats, Like the pic in the hat...looking cool :) And wonderful new post too!!

Val...still have to read ur 25 random habits..will comment soon.

Ria... I saw a pic of Beyonce today and it reminded me of you...I swear!! O_O

Anil, given any thoughts to the home decor yet?? ;)

Shalom... Thank god I am not the only person who loves cheese :)

Vee, Dostana was nominated for best picture at FILMFARE?? o_o BULL!! What is happening? 

Rahul, hope practicals went well.

Neha...beta thoda to simple language mein likh diya kar!! :( 

Rajesh, where have you gone?? ARR And Shreya, all winning awards :)

And I was thinking I can finally rest...my mind was constantly thinking of things to write and blogs to visit!! 

Chalo Chalo bahut ho gaya...already coughing too much and going sniff sniff sniff. Will be back in action soon. Tab tak miss mat karna!! 

ALL WELLS HERES :)

P.S-- Sourish....chal ab fir se first comment maar ;)

P.P.S --- Mummy, font theek hai ab?? Now dont come back home and tell, "Yeh kya bakwaas likha hai!!" :P