New In Town

I liked (not the past tense) Renee... Have been a die hard fan... until now. New In Town is a pathetic movie and Renee looks old. I am not kidding... you can see her wrinkles- around the lips, forehead, eyes, chin etc. What the fuck is wrong with these women? I didn't pay 200 bucks to look at her wrinkles. She has access to all the beauty treatments in the world. How could she star in a movie looking like this?

The story is about a hot shot corporate female who is sent to a remote town factory to fire people there. Predictably, she makes friends, falls in love and then people find out the truth about her reason for coming there. She saves the plant and people's jobs. Happily ever after.

Please avoid.

He's just not that into you

I am reviewing this one a week late... A chick flick all the way which makes a time pass view.

Gals- watch it on a girls' night in.

Things to do on Sunday: The Schedule

• Wake up at 7 am... for some strange reason I find it easier to wake up early on Sunday... it is like I want to live each minute of the day and not waste it sleeping (I am not a big fan of sleeping during the day).
• 7-7.30 am: Water plants (my babies... :))... fertilise them... eat fruits
• 7.30-8.30 am: Gym/Jog
• 8.30-9 am: Read newspaper- The newspaper guy has not asked for his money since July (the month I moved into the flat)... I have been calling him and leaving messages requesting him to give me a bill so I can pay him... Mumbai is filled with ALL kinds of weirdos
• 9- 10 am: Give the car for repair... Maid arives... Clean house... wipe cupboards (cleaning them with normal cloth does not give very good results... any tips?), mirrors, refrigerator, wash clothes
• 10 am: Have breakfast... Sunday is reserved for Poha since it is KC's fav... he is not home this Sunday ... :(
• 11- 12: Bath
• 12.35- 2.35 pm: Movie- A Christmas Carol
• 2.35 pm: Salon
• 3.30 onwards: Relax at home... play Scrabble.... update pen drive for music in car...

Plan for Saturday: Today

• 6-7.30 pm: Pick up a CD for tonight... Fix an appointment at the garage for car repairs... Grocery Shopping... Buy plants
• 8-9 pm: Gym/Jog
• 9- 9.30 pm: Cook Dinner
• 9.30 onwards: Dinner... Movie... Plan menu for week...

I am sooooo Monica. I never imagined I have a Monica in me... but I guess it takes a Chandler (her disorganized, lazy hubby) to realize she is a Monica. I am not kidding... My house is always clean... and I get nightmares if clothes pile up for laundry... I wonder how KC will adjust with me when he shifts. How do 2 people lead a common lifestyle after marriage? How do they manage to wake up at the same time, eat together, sleep at the same time, merge their social life, have common hobbies and interests? Beats me...

In today's hectic times Sunday is the only day a couple will spend together... Should they spend it together or apart in respective activities or with friends (another question: whose friends???) or with family (whose family???)...

Married people... and also single people... and the in-between confused people... enlighten me.

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani

I had read and heard good reviews of this movie. KC and I headed for it on Saturday night. I wanted to run out of the theatre in the first 15 mins but, watching KC enjoy it, decided to stick around for sometime.

The movie is ok... entertaining. It has been made in a comic book style which is very innovative. Some bits and parts do drag quite a lot...

Ranbir is good... but raw and immature. I guess... he will get better. Anyone remember how wooden Abhishek Bachan used to be? He took the audience by storm with his acting skills in Yuva, Sarkar, Guru etc. The best part about Ranbir is his dressing sense... he can carry off pink shirts and sweaters. Any guy who can carry off pink and orange is my hero (not Govinda isstyle).

Katrina has dressed like a young girl which makes is look younger than her age. The only problem is there was no chemistry between her and Ranbir. He looked like her platonic friend or brother.

Worth a watch once... and only once.

Are you hotter???

In a time long long ago... humans cleaned themselves only with water 'coz thats all they knew. Then someone invented a soap (don't know who... we won't get into details)... one soap was used to clean all parts of the body. Kotler's ancestor (again.. skip details) had a brain wave. He/She (no gender bias here) created separate soaps for hair (on head- lets be specific) and body. In India (we will stick to Indian History now), the hair soap had aritha, shikakai etc. For further segmentation (I still remember Kotler's fundas) shampoo was invented. Now the bathing ritual consisted of a body soap and a shampoo. Then... came the face wash. It was an instant hit (anything related to facial skin generally is a hit). So... now... bath soap, face wash, shampoo. Then... was a conditioner. It was expensive and only the rich could afford it. But not to worry... continuous advertising and good merchandising with lower prices ensured that it became a mass product.

Now we have... bath soap, face wash, shampoo, conditioner.

To cut the looooonnnnngggg story short... here is a daily ritual of any normal middle class human being (if you don't follow it... you are either poor or abnormal):

Before bath:

• Hair Oil
• Face pack
• Hair pack

During bath:

• Bath soap/ body wash with scrubber
• Face Wash
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Anti-dandruff hair cream (latest entrant)

After Bath

• Toner/Astringent
• Moisturiser/Sunscreen (separate for face and body)
• Serum for hair
• Hair Mousse (optional- mainly for parties)

From 1 product- the soap we have evolved to using 9-12 products on a daily basis.

Are we more good looking/hotter with better skin and hair than our ancestors? We are definitely richer.

You know you are in Mumbai when:

• Everything comes at a price
• Even 15 days after Diwali the postman (who is visiting for the 1st time) does not hesitate to demand 'Diwali money'
• There are only 2 seasons- summer and monsoons
• Reading about a couple's suicide in the building complex next to yours is part of news with the morning coffee
• You realize there will be traffic on every road at peak hours.... 8 am to 11 pm are peak hours
• Sounds of traffic become your lullaby
• Everything can be home delivered from... medicines to plants to DVDs to groceries
• 7% of your annual salary is your home deposit... 20% of take home monthly salary is rent
• You lose all fascination for the sea... enjoying sea view demands hours of travelling
• You can be out as late as you want without worrying too much about safety
• You are not surprised to see people sleeping anywhere... footpath, road, divider
• You start following traffic signals
• You can bribe your way through most offences
• The lesser money you have... the more arrogant you are

Green to Brown

My potted plants are dying... not all... mostly the flowering ones. KC suggested I talk to them morning and night. It should help. No... I didn't try it. There is one plant which has creepers. It is nice to observe the creeping every evening.

Today I bought 2 more plants and warned the seller "If they die within a week I will return the dead plant to you".

For the first time in Mumbai I bought veggies from the sabzi mandi. The Supermarket is a stone's throw away and I hate going to crowded places to shop. But the sight of fresh veggies... much better than those in the Mall pulled me to the market. It was nice... so Indian.

I have been looking forward to Sunday... not that there are any plans... but it has been a hectic, tiring week.

The plan is to:

• Clean the house
• Oil my hair
• Soak my feet in hot water to de-stress them
• Prepare batter of pancakes and store it for the week
• Prepare coconut chutney and store it
• Watch a movie
• Sleep
• Try cooking chicken

Need to sleep....

Traffic Woes

I get exhausted these days... don't know if it is the driving. Yesterday while returning home there was traffic at every junction... every road... Lower Parel, Matunga, Mahim, Dadar, Sion, Chembur, Eastern Express Highway. Listening to music helps me relax in traffic. One positive thing about Mumbai traffic is.. there is no un-necessary honking. I mean... while driving you won't find people blaring their horns... it only happens when somebody does not move or cuts the queue.

Today while jogging I realized I appreciate music only when I listen to it on headphones... at other times I am too distracted. In the mornings... music plays while I get dressed... and then in the car... and then while jogging when I can hear every word.

Life

While driving home today I was thinking how we live our life in compartments... interactions with different people make these compartments... your colleagues will not meet your friends... what you share with your friends is unknown to your family...

The only person with who everything and everyone comes together is with your spouse. He/She will know them all.... and connect all the dots.