War Rooms

Razia is upset at the present situation at the borders. She says her serial time in the night has been hijacked by her husband and even the kids, who want to watch only news these days and make her feel silly.

I wish my boss didn't bring up politics and surgical strikes in the call with my peers. I'm a heavy minority and they simply drown me with their one-sided arguments. And just because one of them had a brother serving in the army and I've never even known anyone remotely, he becomes the expert forever.

To Get Lost

I guess Lost in Translation was one of the first DVDs I borrowed from Arlington Library in 2006 and I don't think I watched it fully. Don't know why. Today, notwithstanding its bad caricaturing, I like the movie. It makes me want to be on a plane, on a lo...ng journey, to a place where people don't understand my tongue and I theirs.

Lying in Wait

Damn frustrating when you badly want to take revenge on someone(verbally, of course) but there is absolutely no opportunity. All you can do is wait and hope that it builds some character.

Facial Recognition

I think Matthew McConaughey will look quite a bit like Jeff Bridges when he grows old.

Gulping Down the Stereotypes

Can't one eat a full cake without an occasion? We love the chocolate truffle cake from Cakewalk. Every time I order half a kg cake - it's so small really, barely lasts two days for the four of us, with a lot of restraint - the guy at the counter asks me whose name should be written on it. I say none. But invariably when I bring the cake home, he packs a knife and 3 candles with it.

Tham boy is finally getting married! :)

The Other Side

I wonder what the life of the serving crew is like. We went for our team lunch today and after the food, some of the crew even danced for us, to some Punjabi songs and Gangnam style. They were energetic but it felt a little inhuman. May be I'm thinking too much but do they eat well, being in such food factories? They don't look so, though.

Irreverent

One of the mothers in the schools group messaged saying that she was having a potluck(that dreaded thing!) in her house with some 8-10 more attending. It was for tomorrow at 10:30 and she wanted me to attend along with my son. I read the message twice to make sure I got the time right and then replied that I couldn't make it as it was a working day. She writes back to say it would be great if I could make it at least by 2!

Indeed the only people I want to hear from about the latest India-Pakistan standoff are Cyrus and Kunal on The Week that Wasn't. That seems about the sanest thing I will hear. 

Tough Questions

I think my mother suffers from depression.

Mix and Match

I had a terrible dream yesterday night. That I had been cursed with the face of a witch. There was supposed to be a way to undo it which I can't recollect now. Anyway, I think I should stop watching kids' movies in the night. There may be a deeper meaning to this whole thing but I think it's useless to dream same things even after a quarter of a century.

Long Kiss Goodnight

Tomorrow is my last day on Netflix. I cancelled the subscription last month after P and I had yet another argument and invariably it all came down to Netflix. It's unbelievable how he doesn't mind if I slog late alone for the chores but the moment I sit still in front of the TV it's an offense. I had held the fort for long but this time was too much for me. It was like a crime of passion, actually; if I had held myself back for a minute more I wouldn't have done it. Rishi was pleading with me not to do it too but I fell for that moment's martyrdom I guess.

I'm going to sleep better I guess but I'm going to miss it surely. All those weird, wild qnd wonderful women especially, who are at once I-know! kind of familiar and also jaw-droppingly impossible.

"But confidences are sometimes blinding, even when they are sincere."

Bhasmasur

The premise of Bhasmasur is reminiscent of Ottaal that I watched not long ago, both finishing as the tales of early loss of childhood. Ottaal is set in such a beautiful place that one hopes for a long time, against judgement, that it will not abandon the kid to his fate so mercilessly. But Bhasmasur's environment is much harsher and it feels just a matter of time and hope seems like a lost cause. One hardly notices the irony when the father tells the boy that his boss would treat him like his own son. 

Rueful

Charity is not such a happy feeling when the receiving party doesn't value it. I feel as if I'm spoiling somebody's placid life by offering my unsolicited help. But I'll do it now with vengeance, anyway.

The Mythical Life

Just thinking of all those beliefs which ruled my life as a kid -

1. It's lucky to see mynahs in even numbers and unlucky to see them odd. I remember trying hard to chase only the odd one out.

2. It's lucky to see the water snake. They were easy to see because were right next to the stream so I frequently attributed any small luck that befell me to them.

3. If you are going to write an exam, break a green croton leaf into two. If the bubble from the milk is intact, you'll pass the exam, else you may fail. We kept breaking the leaves till we found the bubble intact so it was common to see the plant shorn of leaves during the exam season.

4. It's lucky to meet a cobra. I met once and spilled the milk I was carrying and luckily passed unharmed. This one may be called tough luck.

5. If you smell sannakki, there is cobra around somewhere. I've never seen the proof.

6. If your left eyelid quivers, it's lucky. Unlucky if it's right.

7. Don't leave the book open in the night. If a lizard reads it, you'll become dumb. This one is my favourite.

8. Don't cut your nails in the night. Goddess Lakshmi gets angry and deserts your house. I remember doing it as an act of revenge on my already-poor mother.

9. Dog howling looking up at the sky means someone around is going to die soon; the dog is howling at Yama, the god of death.

Wonder how many of these are still alive.

Riding the Friendliness

The cart guy and I are friendly now and I'm feeling better about it. We connected on the Annual Day(very useful) and today he offered to drop me to school on his scooter. I said I couldn't take it because that was the only time I got to walk these days. He didn't seem very convinced.

Stretching the Leverage

I've finally succeeded in convincing Anu not to say that she wants to be an artist when she grows up. I explained all the troubles with it(I'm an expert, right?) and she patiently heard me and quietly said ok. Then I asked her if there was an alternate profession she wanted to choose(hoping not to hear a writer) and she said she wanted to become a software engineer like me. She said she liked technology. I didn't want to trouble her anymore so I kept quiet. I suppose everybody can be happy now.

No Woman's Land

LK tells me that she would go to this project reunion thing only if I do too and it's putting useless pressure on me. I can't make it surely and she's betting on the wrong mare. I really wish I was in her place right now; 48 and children both grown up and husband not bothered where she goes. But she's been in my place before and I guess she can understand. Or she's trying to wish something else for me.