There is nothing more relaxing than...

... 2 hours in the salon after a hectic day.

The house is a mess and full of dirt. I have not cleaned for 2 weeks now 'coz of the illness. There is so much to do tomorrow and I managed to finish some of it today... visit to salon, grocery shopping, clothes washing.

This is how my day will be like tomorrow:

• 6 am: Wake up and pick up KC from Vashi
• 7.30 am: The maid will come to clean the house. I have to ensure she cleans everything by following her around
• 8 am: The cook will come to cook b'fast and lunch. I have to guide her since she will cook Chinese for lunch
• 8.30 am: Clean the house
• 9 am: Bath and b'fast
• 10 am: Visit the salon
• Rest of the day: Spend time with KC. I also need to find time to visit the gym

Sundays are so hectic. I wish I had Saturdays off. I would have finished the boring chores on Sat and relaxed on Sunday.

Even after Meter Jam initiative in Mumbai the cabs and auto walas have not changed. It is pure torture finding a cab/auto which will take me to my destination without over charging. I travelled by a cab today whose meter was faulty. I had to pay extra 'coz of the meter.

Does anyone know a phone no where I can register complaints against these monsters? Going to the police station to lodge these complaints is too tedious.

No Smoking

I wanted to watch this movie for quite some time... it has been directed by Anurag Kashyap. I remember when it was released smokers liked it while non-smokers could not understand it.

The movie is ok kinds... I appreciate the experiment but it isn't one to be watched in the theatre. The story is about a guy who is a chain smoker. His wife leaves him because of this and he enrolls in a rehabilitation centre suggested by a friend. Thats when things go wrong... according to the centre if John smokes the first cigarette his bro who is in the hospital will be put in a chamber of smoke, on smoking the 2nd cigarette his fingers will be chopped off, on smoking the 3rd cigarette his wife will die and on smoking the 4th cigarette he will be considered too addicted to give up on nicotine and his soul will be separated from the body.

You get the picture... an experimental movie.

Inception

I was quite pissed with KC for watching this movie without me. I had been badgering him for 3 weeks. There were no good torrents to download and when he gave me a bad review I gave up.

Thankfully, my bro had not seen it and we headed to the theatre on Rakshabandhan.

Well... I don't understand what people found complicated in the movie and had to watch it again. I guess, you shouldn't get into the details.

The movie is ok kinds... I felt like the director went out of his way to complicate it. Worth a watch once but definitely does not deserve all the raving it has been getting.

It is nice...

... to talk to friends... there is the assurance that I am not alone... that there are other people (like me) suffering in a similar manner... and it is nice to gossip... there is the knowledge that strangers are also suffering in a similar manner.

Lafangey Parinde

I don't know why I went for this movie.... these days I only watch "different" Bollywood stuff... none of the usual for me. KC was bored and wanted to catch a filum so we headed for this one. I already knew the story and the reviews.

Read any website for the story... it is a different story with Bollywood treatment. Very avoidable. There is no logic or sense in it but Deepika and Nitin have made genuine efforts of acting. Full marks to them.

Watch only if nothing else is available.

Peepli Live

I was eager to watch this one... 'coz of all the hype. Peepli Live is a movie about farmer suicides, government's apathy towards them and media circus. It is not about a happy ending or even getting a solution... it is about reality and the end is as real as it happens which may get disappointing. I liked it... but not many people will.

The chase for sensation by the media is hilarious and portrayed very correctly. I hope the channel guys watch it and realize how stupid they look on TV.

The actors are fabulous... worth a watch.

Eat Pray Love

I caught up on reading in the hospital (yes... it was malaria... yes... I was in the hospital). KC bought me this book and I was glad. I have been reading about the movie based on it which stars Julia Roberts.

The book is a true story about a woman and her search for God... she travels to Bali, India and Paris after her life falls apart. It is an ok ok book which got too heavy will all the meditation and God talk.

I hope the movie is better.

English August

I wanted to pick up this book for ages. There is also a movie based on it but I cannot find the CD or torrent.

The book is about a young man who gets into IAS. The prestigious position in India... the book is about Agastya's one training during IAS. The profession is not what it is made out to be.

Agastya is from Kolkatta and Delhi... a youngster who loves his booze and drugs. He is sent to a small town- Madna where he spends most of the days boozing, masturbating and doping. There is a time when he thinks of quitting and going home but his father urges him to stay on.

In the end he stays on... and despite best intentions does learn a few lessons... but gives up.

It is a depressing book... and removes the lustre from IAS profession.

Worth a read.

Hiya... I am ill... just got tested for Malaria. I hope the reports come negative tomorrow. One moment I was busy with work in the market and could feel the beginnings of a terrible headache which I shirked off as stress.... the next moment I was puking my lunch in the office loo at 6 pm. I drove home holding on with difficulty. All I wanted to do was stop my car at Powai and puke.

I took the day off today and felt better by afternoon. But as evening crawled I started shivering and felt the fever on me. The doc was kind enough to prescribe fewer tablets (I cannot take tablets). KC is adamant about coming home over the weekend... but this month is hectic for both of us and we cannot afford to lose work days. The phone kept ringing every hour and I didn't know how to tell everyone to leave me alone. Sigh!!!

Malaria is becoming a problem in Mumbai but I didn't imagine it could affect me. There are no mosquitoes at home. Thankfully I stay on the 8th floor where the stench of garbage strewn around the building cannot reach.

Anyway... I managed to finish all seasons of 'That 70s show'. This is the only series after Friends and SATC that I have completed.

Here are my thoughts:

• I wanted Jackie and Hyde to end up together... they made a combustible pair
• Dana should have ended up with Randy... they were quite perfect for each other in season 8. But she goes back to Eric. Real life is about moving on and not getting stuck in a rut
• Dana gives up college 'coz she cannot part from Eric but he does not think twice before going to Africa... and she talks about feminism???
• It was shock to see the teens working at various jobs instead of attending college but thats American life, I guess
• Fas's native country is not revealed till the end... and that is hilarious
• Eric's parents were consistent through all the seasons... damn good

My bed is filled with clothes, medicines, laptop, books, thermometer. I hate to sleep in such a messy place but have no energy to clean.

Btw... illness did not deter me from washing clothes. :)

The Great Indian Novel

There are some books which make you feel like life was incomplete until you read them... you wonder how you went through life without delving into those pages... how you can have a library and not stock this gem.

TGIN is one such book. I am amazed... such imagination, humor, writing skills... very few writers possess these traits. I wish I could write like that. If I was asked for one boon I would wish to write like Shashi Tharoor.

This book is about Mahabharta and Modern Indian history. The characters of the epic become synonymous to the politicians in freedom movement and later period. So... Bhishma is Gandhi.... Karna is Jinnah... Duryodhan is Indira Gandhi... Pandavas are Congressmen... so on and so forth.

Worth a read.

Aisha

Umm... hmm... umm... Where do I begin? KC didn't like it... I did.

Aisha is a simple movie... about love, match making, Aisha, Delhi high society. It has been years since I read Emma (the book this movie claims to be based on). There was a phase when I read all Jane Austens one after the other and all the stories are muddled by in my mind... there is Pride and Prejudice (have read and re-read and re-re-read it), there is sense and sensibility about 2 sisters... and some more.

Anyway, the movie is a total rip off of 'Clueless' with one difference... Abhay and Sonam share a sarcastic friendship in this movie while in Clueless Alicia's half brother (the hero) was sympathetic and patient with her.

Sonam fits the role very well... she is every inch the spoilt brat who thinks meddling in other people's life is doing social work and helping them. Ira Dubey reminds me of Lilette Dubey. Their voice is so similar. Somehow she reminds me of the female in Monsoon Wedding but thats not her.

Abhay Deol is damn good... as always.. Cyrus is every inch the "loser" he is playing.

The characters may seem far fetched to some people but I have come across such people. A lot of females (I know some of them) stay home waiting to get married and have enough time on their hands.

I loved the portrayal of Delhi high society.

Gals will love it... men, not so much.

AND the clothes surpass expectations... I have been reading so much about them... Sonam is dressed beautifully in every scene. At times the movie does become a brand endorsement for L'Oreal... Dior... LV... Bru etc but thats ok.

Anil Kapoor should have launched Sonam with this flick instead of the other duds. I still don't like her... but atleast she has done something right.

Once upon a time in Mumbai

I was eager to watch this movie due to the good reviews everywhere. KC and I went for a late night show.

The movie is strictly ok... the first half is the saving grace.... 2nd half is crap and climax is the worst. I felt extremely let down by the end (thankfully I get 1+1 ticket free with my standard chartered credit card in PVR).

The story is done to death before... Company, Sarkar, and that Ram Gopal Verma movie with Randeep Hooda... Ajay is a don with a heart. He falls in love with an actress Kangana (looking fab). Enter- Emraan Hashmi who wants to be rich by hook or crook. His love interest is Prachi (looking good). Predictably, Emraan betrays Ajay. There are a lot of loopholes... Randeep Hooda as the cop is excellent in 1st half.. in 2nd half there is not much for him to do.

Watch it once without expectations and you just might enjoy it.

Food I have not touched/smelled/eaten in 15 days

• Potatoes... once my staple diet is off limits
• Cheese... Imagine eating Italian without it
• Butter...
• White Bread... Brown bread it is
• Rice for dinner... it is allowed for lunch
• Maggi... I never believed I could survive without it
• Chocolates... Once upon a time my fridge was always filled with chocolates
• French fries... A staple at Mc D... If placed in front of me I might give in and have 1-2 fries... but thats it... never more
• Chicken Mc Grill... Zinger burger... The fear of calories keeps me miles away from the outlets
• Pizzas... Once a part of my diet 1-2 times in a month
• Ice creams... I have a whole box of ice creams in the freezer which will have to be thrown away soon. It was my saviour during summer
• Ghee... not even on rotis
• Sweet corn ready made soup

But... it is worth it. :)

If only I told you what I was actually eating... yes, yes I am allowed to eat.