I saw this quote the other day which I really liked.. It goes like this...
The skeptic tries to explain why belief in something is irrational. The observer asks the skeptic, “So then why should I believe you and not them?” The skeptic replies, “Don’t.”
Monday, December 26, 2005
Friday, December 23, 2005
UNROMANTIC BE DAMNED!!
My sister is currently in a rather worthwhile quest. She hunts every nook and cranny for her long remembered - less encountered friends to invite to her wedding which is in February. Her visit to Bangalore serves the dual purpose of spending time with her beloved younger sister and distributing invitations.
The other day I accompanied her when she met up with her friend and his wife. The four of us went out for a coffee and tiffin at a place called Brindavan Hotel at MG Road. One of those typically Southie restaurants with long acrylic wood tables and identical chairs with fans running high above in the ceiling and waiters with those funny caps on their heads, matching their uniforms and a small sized towel slung on one shoulder. Get the pitcure?
Well her friends were very nice. A very sweet, not long married couple who seemed to talk lots and laugh even more. There I was, unusually silent, observing thier conversation when something the husband said absolutely got my gall!@!@*!! My sister was telling them " I wont take much of your time. You guys can make it to a quiet and romantic dinner for two after this at some good restaurant" when the husband replied " chae!!chae!! We never go out like that and all Ramya. We both are very unromantic. We are not into such romantic outings ". I was quite tempted to at that moment hit him in the eye and say " Speak for yourself, dude!!!". I was quite stunned at the assumption he just made that his wife would not like any romantic gestures. Give me a break! I doubt there is any girl who would not like her guy to get just a tad bit romantic atleast on occasions. A girl who does not like to be taken out for dinner and to use the quite familiar phrase 'wined and dined'. Newly married at that!
At that instant, I couldn't help but wonder.Are there really a lot of guys who actually presume that a girl does not like to be wooed? That a little bit of caring would be too amiss?? If there are,all I can think of telling them is "How presumptious can you get in just assuming that a girl would like things to be completely prosaic as you do??"Doesn't it strike them that the girl might secretly long for ( yet never admit) a little bit of that extra hint of caring?
Unromantic Husbands be damned!!!
The other day I accompanied her when she met up with her friend and his wife. The four of us went out for a coffee and tiffin at a place called Brindavan Hotel at MG Road. One of those typically Southie restaurants with long acrylic wood tables and identical chairs with fans running high above in the ceiling and waiters with those funny caps on their heads, matching their uniforms and a small sized towel slung on one shoulder. Get the pitcure?
Well her friends were very nice. A very sweet, not long married couple who seemed to talk lots and laugh even more. There I was, unusually silent, observing thier conversation when something the husband said absolutely got my gall!@!@*!! My sister was telling them " I wont take much of your time. You guys can make it to a quiet and romantic dinner for two after this at some good restaurant" when the husband replied " chae!!chae!! We never go out like that and all Ramya. We both are very unromantic. We are not into such romantic outings ". I was quite tempted to at that moment hit him in the eye and say " Speak for yourself, dude!!!". I was quite stunned at the assumption he just made that his wife would not like any romantic gestures. Give me a break! I doubt there is any girl who would not like her guy to get just a tad bit romantic atleast on occasions. A girl who does not like to be taken out for dinner and to use the quite familiar phrase 'wined and dined'. Newly married at that!
At that instant, I couldn't help but wonder.Are there really a lot of guys who actually presume that a girl does not like to be wooed? That a little bit of caring would be too amiss?? If there are,all I can think of telling them is "How presumptious can you get in just assuming that a girl would like things to be completely prosaic as you do??"Doesn't it strike them that the girl might secretly long for ( yet never admit) a little bit of that extra hint of caring?
Unromantic Husbands be damned!!!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
A VISIT TO TIRUPATI
On Saturday, my sister and I decided to make an impromptu visit to Tirumala. We boarded a volvo at Majestic at around 9.30 in the morning. We reached Tirupati at about 3.30. After buying tickets for a Darshan we started our climb. It took us about 4 hours to reach the top, but was absolutely worth it. The mountains in the dark were tinted red with the setting sun and cool breeze washed itself against our faces. It was beautiful.
On reaching we booked a room. When we went to collect the key, I made a rather terrible faux paus. The guy at the counter asked us " Are there men?" in telugu. Not to be proved any inferior, I decided to reply back in Telugu. I said "Odhu" ( No in my dictionary). He jerked his head upward stalling in whatever he was writing and said "What?". Deciding that he was rather deaf I repeated "Odhu". He looked rather stunned and my sister was suddenly jerking me back. I turned to her and said " Did I say anything wrong? What does Odhu mean?". With a very embarassed smile directed towards the counter guy she whispered to me "It means Dont Want". I was like "Oh" and then burst out into paroxyms of laughter. Luckily the guy at the counter seemed to have a decent sense of humour. He smiled and gave us the key.This was probably at around 9.00 in the night.
When we went to the room, much to our misfortune the loo was disgusting, the room not cleaned and the mattresses were damp. After much debating we decided that god would certainly forgive us if we didn't stay for a Darshan. We immediately returned the key where we had a lively argument with the counter guy, refusing to pay cash for cleaning the room. Saw no reason to. It had not been cleaned for us. We saw no reason to pay when we had not even occupied the rooms. We then went to the office to collect our caution deposit. The young punk at that counter actually demanded 10 bucks to give us back our CD. My sis was all set to pay it, when I just turned to her and was like " Forget it. There is no way we are paying a bribe in Tirumala!!!". Grabbed the money from the punk's hand and ran out of the place. We then boarded a bus to Tirupati and from there took another bus back to Bangalore at arount 11.30 in the night to reach at 5.30 in the morning.
We were feeling extremely guilty for not having had a Darshan so had a bath and left for a Balaji temple at Domlur to assauge our guilt. End of a trip which was a series of unfortunate/fortunate events!!!!!
On reaching we booked a room. When we went to collect the key, I made a rather terrible faux paus. The guy at the counter asked us " Are there men?" in telugu. Not to be proved any inferior, I decided to reply back in Telugu. I said "Odhu" ( No in my dictionary). He jerked his head upward stalling in whatever he was writing and said "What?". Deciding that he was rather deaf I repeated "Odhu". He looked rather stunned and my sister was suddenly jerking me back. I turned to her and said " Did I say anything wrong? What does Odhu mean?". With a very embarassed smile directed towards the counter guy she whispered to me "It means Dont Want". I was like "Oh" and then burst out into paroxyms of laughter. Luckily the guy at the counter seemed to have a decent sense of humour. He smiled and gave us the key.This was probably at around 9.00 in the night.
When we went to the room, much to our misfortune the loo was disgusting, the room not cleaned and the mattresses were damp. After much debating we decided that god would certainly forgive us if we didn't stay for a Darshan. We immediately returned the key where we had a lively argument with the counter guy, refusing to pay cash for cleaning the room. Saw no reason to. It had not been cleaned for us. We saw no reason to pay when we had not even occupied the rooms. We then went to the office to collect our caution deposit. The young punk at that counter actually demanded 10 bucks to give us back our CD. My sis was all set to pay it, when I just turned to her and was like " Forget it. There is no way we are paying a bribe in Tirumala!!!". Grabbed the money from the punk's hand and ran out of the place. We then boarded a bus to Tirupati and from there took another bus back to Bangalore at arount 11.30 in the night to reach at 5.30 in the morning.
We were feeling extremely guilty for not having had a Darshan so had a bath and left for a Balaji temple at Domlur to assauge our guilt. End of a trip which was a series of unfortunate/fortunate events!!!!!
Thursday, December 08, 2005
LADY SUSAN
I just finished reading this book.
Lady Susan is one of Jane Austen's rare unpublished works. It was written in an epistolary fashion ( letters of correspondence - I know!! I was like what???? too : ) ). Bibilomania claims that though Austen completed writing the novel , it was never published because the vogue of writing books in an epistolary fashion was long past.
I disagree.
One of Jane Austen's most famous masterpieces, Pride and Prejudice , was originally written in the form of letters and was titled 'First Impressions'. After her publisher declined to publish it, she re-wrote and transformed it into the ever famous, ever lasting and ever impressing 'Pride and Prejudice' which ranks as one of my favourite books. If she could rewrite 'Pride and Prejudice' why could she not 'Lady Susan'?
Probably because of the simplicity of the theme which would have been quite unremarkable in the regular tried and dried style of writing. I speculate. I do not judge.
But anyways, Lady Susan did deserve to be published. The self titled protagonist of this novel 'Lady Susan' is quite deliciously wicked. Not in the style of Scarlett in 'Gone with the Wind'( you end up Empathizing with her , never SYMPATHETIC-that would be the biggest insult to Scarlett!), but more malicious, more conniving and just as unconcerned with the results of her trifling with the lives of the people around her. A manipulative bitch in simple terms. : ) .
Her character,her actions are portrayed in a fantastic manner; unfortunately, to the exclusion of all other characters in the novel. Therein lies the weakness of this novel. Unlike her other novels where every character is clearly dilineated and given an individuality that could quite easily carry itself outside the lines of the novel , here, most of the characters are held firmly in place strictly by the storyline. They could never survive outside the book.The end too seemed a little abrupt. Expected, but abrupt.
Yet, Lady Susan is a book worth a read and a sigh of admiration as it's very language, description and predictable irony is so purely 'Jane Austen'.
Lady Susan is one of Jane Austen's rare unpublished works. It was written in an epistolary fashion ( letters of correspondence - I know!! I was like what???? too : ) ). Bibilomania claims that though Austen completed writing the novel , it was never published because the vogue of writing books in an epistolary fashion was long past.
I disagree.
One of Jane Austen's most famous masterpieces, Pride and Prejudice , was originally written in the form of letters and was titled 'First Impressions'. After her publisher declined to publish it, she re-wrote and transformed it into the ever famous, ever lasting and ever impressing 'Pride and Prejudice' which ranks as one of my favourite books. If she could rewrite 'Pride and Prejudice' why could she not 'Lady Susan'?
Probably because of the simplicity of the theme which would have been quite unremarkable in the regular tried and dried style of writing. I speculate. I do not judge.
But anyways, Lady Susan did deserve to be published. The self titled protagonist of this novel 'Lady Susan' is quite deliciously wicked. Not in the style of Scarlett in 'Gone with the Wind'( you end up Empathizing with her , never SYMPATHETIC-that would be the biggest insult to Scarlett!), but more malicious, more conniving and just as unconcerned with the results of her trifling with the lives of the people around her. A manipulative bitch in simple terms. : ) .
Her character,her actions are portrayed in a fantastic manner; unfortunately, to the exclusion of all other characters in the novel. Therein lies the weakness of this novel. Unlike her other novels where every character is clearly dilineated and given an individuality that could quite easily carry itself outside the lines of the novel , here, most of the characters are held firmly in place strictly by the storyline. They could never survive outside the book.The end too seemed a little abrupt. Expected, but abrupt.
Yet, Lady Susan is a book worth a read and a sigh of admiration as it's very language, description and predictable irony is so purely 'Jane Austen'.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN...
To whomsoever it concerns
I hereby solemnly pledge that the below stated facts are true to the best of my knowledge -
1. I hereby reiterate that I have indeed completed by Bachelors of Engineering and am not a III std pass, leave alone a XIIth pass as you seem to presume me to be.
2. I also believe myself to have completed my Engineering degree in Computer Science.
3. Further more I do indeed know how to operate a computer and do NOT require a step by step manual on how to switch it on and be taught how to use a WORD document or how to fill in numbers in an Excel sheet.
4, Oh, I also do know my numbers of 1-9 and have indeed learn how to add, subtract, multiply and divide contrary to your inability to believe so.
4. I also declare myself to not have an IQ of -141.
5. In the certainty of your disbelief, I request you to approach the Human Resource Department and obtain a copy of my resume and photocopies of my original university and school certificates( oh, my!! they do exist!!) which attests to the afore mentioned facts.
Thanks and Regards,
Deepti
I hereby solemnly pledge that the below stated facts are true to the best of my knowledge -
1. I hereby reiterate that I have indeed completed by Bachelors of Engineering and am not a III std pass, leave alone a XIIth pass as you seem to presume me to be.
2. I also believe myself to have completed my Engineering degree in Computer Science.
3. Further more I do indeed know how to operate a computer and do NOT require a step by step manual on how to switch it on and be taught how to use a WORD document or how to fill in numbers in an Excel sheet.
4, Oh, I also do know my numbers of 1-9 and have indeed learn how to add, subtract, multiply and divide contrary to your inability to believe so.
4. I also declare myself to not have an IQ of -141.
5. In the certainty of your disbelief, I request you to approach the Human Resource Department and obtain a copy of my resume and photocopies of my original university and school certificates( oh, my!! they do exist!!) which attests to the afore mentioned facts.
Thanks and Regards,
Deepti
Monday, December 05, 2005
DEDICATED TO ALL BOOK LOVERS!
A friend of mine sent me a link to an article that expresses what i totally feel in words i could not even begin to frame! It's fantastic...
http://www.hindu.com/lr/2005/12/04/stories/2005120400270600.htm
http://www.hindu.com/lr/2005/12/04/stories/2005120400270600.htm
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