Aaj me upar, aasmaan neeche …

Days come and go. Some stand still while some go past you in the blink of an eye. On some days, there is no motivation to get up and get going. On some days, everything seems to look and feel dreary. And then there are the special days. Like my birthday, for instance. I think of my birthday as a special day; not because I was born on that day but because everyone who cares, even a tiny bit takes the time out to call, email or message and wish me well.

So what makes a birthday special? Is it that greeting card that came in the mail? Is it the string of messages that people posted on your facebook? Is is the nice flowers that someone sent? Or is that box of chocolates and a nice bottle of wine?

Nope.

So, what does make a birthday special?

It’s the people who remember your birthday because they actually want to and not because their facebook reminded them; the people who knew that you prefer a plant over a bouquet of flowers; the people who knew that you would rather accept a book/a personal music cd/a collection of old pictures/etc. than anything else from them as a gift; the people who called you and and told you about things happening in their life instead of asking repeatedly, “so what else is going on” to fill the gaps in conversation; the people who baked a cake for you even when they knew that it wouldn’t be perfect; the people who are ready to celebrate with you, anywhere, only because they want to make it a day for you to remember; the people who would brave your cooking because they know that you want to play host; show off your cooking skills and share a meal with them along with a few laughs.

Am I older? Yes. Wiser? I suppose. Nicer? I hope so!

Here’s to another year!

~Cheers.

Rain baby! Rain!

It’s raining outside now. It’s awesome when it rains and you want it to. But what would you do when you want it to rain but it doesn’t?  Some places are facing a drought and desperately need rain. Some people would go to any length to get rain. The ancient Indians danced to please the rain gods. The religious pray to ask God to grant them favors by making it rain. Some get amphibians married, while some strut their stuff in the open and sing to ask for rain.

For now, I will get back to enjoying the rain and eating my lentil soup!

Snake? Where? On a plane?

Nope. Not on a plane but in the legislative assembly of the Indian state of Orissa.

“The assembly had to be adjourned for the day and legislators rushed outside after a cleaner spotted the reptile inside the assembly building.”

“”I hope the snake is found soon. And the democratic work of the legislature continues normally,” state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.”

“In 2006 snake charmers in the state had threatened to unleash snakes inside the assembly unless their demand for lifting a ban on snake charming was met. Correspondents say it is unlikely that the charmers had a role in Thursday’s incident. But the Orissa state assembly is no stranger to disrupted proceedings.

In the past the legislators have been responsible for disturbances by hurling footwear, breaking microphones and playing musical instruments.”

Wow, we really know how to get attention away from the burning issues like this and this, to name a few.

Listen up Mr. Patnaik, I don’t care if some reptile is slithering on the grounds of your assembly or someone is playing a flute or breaking your microphone, get some work done!

Did you say “fully-taxidermied”?

I was online looking for some home furnishings and here is something I came across. Since it is on sale, it is much affordable now than before. If only I could figure out where to place it in my house …

Air travel woes

Almost everyone who has ever traveled anywhere by air has at some point or the other experienced issues with lost baggage. The first time I traveled domestic after arriving in the U.S was to Los Angeles, with Delta.  As it so happened, my bags were not on the flight that I was on. And being the novice traveler, I had not packed any clothes for the night in my carry-on luggage. A quick trip to Wal-mart helped me get through the night and the next day. Thankfully, Delta did deliver my bags to me the very next day.

The first time I traveled to India during Grad school, I flew Air India. When I checked in, my bags were tagged for Newark. I was to fly US Airways to  Newark. However, due to weather issues my flight was canceled and I was put on a another flight which was now to JFK. I remember asking US Airways if they would fetch my bags for me and was promptly told that since my bags had been checked in, as per TSA regulations my bags would be sent to their final destination even if I don’t physically travel to my final destination. This seemed absurd to me but was told that this was done keeping in mind that the traveler will make that journey sometime. Well as you can imagine, when I got to India my bags didn’t get there.  I guess TSA didn’t care about my bags after all!

After much running around, I was able to locate them at Newark. After informing AI’s office about it, they made arrangements to have it sent out on the next flight to India. The bags arrived in good condition with nothing missing, a good three days after I arrived.

I consider my self to be lucky as on both occasions, my bags arrived in one piece with everything intact. Though, there are many who are not so lucky. This is one such guy. He did get mad but when that didn’t work, he decided to get even by writing and singing a song about the incident. Good going, I say!

R.Fed versus A.Rod

I was going to title this post ‘Federer’ but realized that it isn’t fair to call it that. Roddick deserves the same if not more spotlight than what Federer is being given.

The match was already in the third set when I started watching. Federer and Roddick had won one set each until then. Then Federer picked up the third set after a tie break and Roddick came back to beat him in the fourth set. At this point when we went to commercial, I knew that the fifth set was going to be good. A fight to the finish.

Roddick was in amazing form during the match. He seemed to be drenched in sweat. But even at game 30 in the fifth set, he looked fresh. Federer didn’t seem to be in his best form. Some of his returns were all over the place. He seemed to be stuggling on many occasions to break Roddick’s serve. It took Federer thirty games to break Roddick’s serve. Thirty!! Up until the 29th game, Federer was not able to break Roddick’s serve even once. Then, Roddick slipped. He made an unforced error. That cost him the set and the championship title.

This is one match that both of them will remember for a long time.

For Roddick, he fought until the end to defeat a man he had lost to eighteen times before, to a man who is a strong and focused player, to a man who only last year walked the hard walk to the changing rooms after being defeated by Nadal.

For Federer, he fought until the end to win back a cup he had lost to Nadal the year before. For him it was icing on the cake, after winning the French Open last month. For him it was a match against a worthy opponent that lasted long enough to make him appreciate this victory more than any other.

Blame it on … ?

I read this statement by Jenny Sanford released earlier this week. I was glad that she didn’t do what countless other politicos’ wives before her had done i.e. stand by their men when they were publicly apologizing for their infidelities. Jenny asked Gov. Sanford to leave the house they shared with their two children until they could make some amends to their relationship.

Then I read this statement today:

“Of course I’m not saying that Mark is gay,” Sanford said, “but he may as well be.  The moral decay in this country has claimed another victim and this time it was my family.  Our marriage was perfect until these laws started passing around the country. Clearly the slow dissolution of the sanctity of marriage in America seeped into Mark’s psyche until he no longer felt compelled to abide by our vows.”

Jenny, it is statements like these that make me think of Republicans as being daft.

Mark Sanford did what so many married men before him have done and so many more after him will. He cheated on you. He cheated on you with a younger woman. He didn’t cheat on you because homosexual people are being given the right to wed their partners. He didn’t cheat on you because he thought your marriage had less meaning now than it did before. He didn’t cheat on you because he felt that America was going morally bankrupt.

He cheated on you because he was looking for some spice in his life. Maria probably gave him an outlet.

No point trying to divert the issue by blaming someone else. Let’s call a spade a spade. He was a lying and cheating S.O.B. Let’s leave it at that.

Tell me my fortune

… while I finish my shower.

Tea, healthier than water?

I cannot imagine starting my day without a hot cuppa. The chai has to made a certain way. Add some slices of ginger (alternatively, one can use cardamom) to boiling water. About two minutes later add the tea leaves. A minute later, add some milk. Depending on how strong or light, one prefers their chai to be, the quantity of milk  and water can be varied. Use sugar or sweeteners as needed.

You know the chai is ready when the flavor of the brew permeates the senses!

I have rarely consumed more than one cup a day. And, I can never imagine tea to be a substitute for water. On a hot summer’s day, nothing cools me down faster than a glass of chilled water. Drinking tea in the scorching heat seems like an alien thought to me.

There have been numerous studies in the past on the pros of drinking tea. Though this one seems to suggest that drinking tea multiple times a day can have more benefits than gulping down water! So, is tea healthier than water? You decide.

Just beat it!

Eddie Murphy tried to keep him away from his gorgeous Egyptian queen in Remember the Time. Suzie sizzled in a red dress with him in Blood on the dance floor. He showed you a view of how the destruction of the earth will unfold in The Earth Song. He danced to the drum beat in They don’t really care about us.

He may have had emotional issues. He may have suffered from skin ailments. He may have lived in a house which looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale. He made pelvic thrusts popular. He was a fashion icon. He was a weirdo,  a recluse, a genius. He danced like no other. He is Michael Jackson.