Of Saturday and Sunday

After a very long time, I had a fulfilling weekend at Hyderabad. Yesterday went for a movie with Neha and Samarjit. Though I felt the Govinda movie a bit boring, the constant Neha-Laughter on every scene, made me feel that I am a highly humorless guy and hence I have no right to say that the movie was boring.
Another usual incident that happened in the cinema hall was about an unknown couple sitting next to me. Till interval, the girl was sitting besides me. Post interval, the guy (her husband/boyfriend/fiance/whatever), swapped seats. Fearing his sweethearts security, he sat next to me. Though even after swapping, there was a strong man sitting next to her(on the other side). Which means that guy thinks I am more a threat than the strong guy on the other side.

The best part of the evening was the dinner after the movie.

We went out to dine at Basera. After a very long time, after those college days, I saw someone doing justice to the unlimited Buffet system. The foodie in Samarjit was in full form(which according to him, is nothing compared to his old times). And I am really happy as long as the person with me goes on doing justice to food, so that I can do some justice to the Alcohol.
Ohh don't think I am a drunkard. Yesterday It was only cold drinks (Beer has fallen into that category ever since Egg became a veggie).

All this was at the Ohri's restaurant at Basera. For the dessert (another beer) we went to the Pub at basera. There we were witness to come cool dudes and dudis, who were drinking and dancing, with no sense of what is happening around them. Probably, they were chilling out. Or probably we are so crude dudes, that we can never do that, even If we really want to. Anyways, watching them was fun. We came to know what all we can never do.

So obviously today morning starts at noon. Evening went on a long drive with Ramesh along Shamirpet lake. Ramesh is one such nice person who is ready to join whenever you invite him. Way back did something which I have never done before. We stoppped-by at a soft toy stall. Probably the soft boy in me aroused today. Got a 2 and a 1/2 feet white feathery teddy bear, which, considering my height, looks really big when I see it. Now the question: Why should a crude-uncool dude ( the closest antonym of cool dude) like me, buy a teddy bear? Ohh no idea. Still thinking on it.

Anyways the weekend was really memorable one.

Postscript: Reader might think how boring this author is, who thinks and writes about people having fun/chilling out at pub as a very unusual act. Also reader might think why cant this guy gift the teddy. Remember, the author is still single and has given up looking.(the tragic end of the single and looking phase).

Why do I blog?

I was just thinking what makes me blog. Or rather why do people blog. The post might be really boring, so continue reading only if you can bear the boredom.

Sometimes I think I just blog for ego-satisfaction. What do I get when someone reads my blog? Or what does the reader get? Whatever we do in life, their would certainly be some purpose behind it. It can be as simple as to live a life to - earning money or making friends or achieving fame or attaining pleasure. Or it can be to help someone.

Same applies for blogging. If it is a technical blog, you might blog to share your knowledge, initiate some discussions, criticisms on your ideas or showcase your ideas. Or to publicize your idea or yourself.

So now comes my concern. My blog here is not a technical blog. Neither it is an informatory blog, in the sense not a notice board kind of stuff.
It is just a board where I write what I think, or rather what goes on in my mind. Then why cant i write in a diary and keep it only for me. Why should the whole world know what I think. I am not thinking on any social issues which need mass opinion/criticism. Then why?

Is this ego-satisfaction? Is it that I want to be known to more people? Is that the reason I write my thinkings on a public place? Some old time bloggers say a blog is ones private place to express oneself etc etc. I do not agree on that as, if you think it is really a private place then make your blog a private one, readable only to you. Otherwise a blog is a public place, just like any website.

So why do I write my thinkings on a public website? Is is that i want to know what people think about my thinkings? I do not think even thats the reason. See the comments on my blog, hardly one or two for every post. Very rarely 4-5. It has never crossed 10. Unless when some spammer tries to sell Viagra through a comment on my blog.

Then why? Is it to increase my page rank on Google? Even then what do I gain? Again Ego satisfaction. I can ask myself why do I work. There definitely I gain something. My company also gains from me. So thats a different case.

Now let me come back. Is is it that I want to make myself in sync with the web 2.0 thing. Definitely not me. I have been blogging since 4-5 years, thats much before web 2- the cool stuff. So thats also rules out. Which leaves back only ego-satisfaction. Which I am unable to accept. Off late, in the last couple of years, mostly on Dash-Maniac I have tried to make my posts have a bit of humor. So that, the person who reads it, might laugh at least a couple of times. Which really makes me happy. I think through any of your writings the person opposite has a good laugh(of course in a positive sense), you have definitely done something good. Few of my good friends say, they laugh a lot when they read my blog. (But they, like me, actually laugh for any small thing. You laugh and tell some simple thing, they will start laughing).

O.K i guess this is getting really boring. Friends say something has happened to my psyche after I had that that tooth ache and subsequent treatment.
Anyway I still lie confused as to why I blog? Or even why I write this post?


Postscript: Reader might think how boring this author is who writes some senseless intellectually depressing stuff on a weekend evening. Why cant the author freak out or chill out during the weekend, instead of sitting in front of the comp and writing some junk. Remember, the author is still single and has given up looking.(the tragic end of the single and looking phase).

Improper use of urban land

This comes as a follow up of Jayati Ghosh's column on "Uses of urban land" in this fortnight's Frontline. She talks about the more-than-needed malls coming up in South Delhi, thus terming it as not a very proper use of urban land.

Most of the development in the urban land is happening in the form of Malls,
Multiplex, IT Parks and Residential townships. Of the above, latter two are justifiable to an extent.
But consider malls and multiplexes. What is the real use of these? Flow of money? Today malls and multiplexes seems to top the list of places where urban population "freak out".
Does freaking out only mean Purchasing things/ spending money/ watching a movie? A well known mall in Hyderabad used to be second home for an ex-colleague and friend of mine. She used to believe in Shop, Eat and Celebrate.

I remember this was not the trend a decade ago, or rather 3-4 years ago. I remember people visiting the nearby park to spend the evening. Other places to freak out included beach, planetarium, museum, zoo, forts etc.

Today there is a segment of urban population, who no longer visit these places for entertainment. They instead prefer shopping, watching a movie and grabbing a coke and have a combi for lunch/snack, all at the same place - the nearby Mall. Or is that that they enjoy spending money, just because they have more of it?

Is it because the malls are the safest and most convenient places to visit?
Probably cool dudes prefer taking their sweethearts to such cool places, since the crowd at these malls is also cool. They could feel that places like beach, the multiple class cinema halls (the huge ones comprising of A class, B class and balcony, ideally not located in malls), parks are generally inhabited by rogue stags like me, who they think might be a possible threat to their relationship. Or they probably think rogues like me indulge in certain unconstitutional activities. Actually what they do not understand is such places are most safest for them and people like us are the safest. Anyway people like me are chronic stags, and we have been like that since birth, so there is no chance of your girl getting attracted to us!

I understand that mall phenomenon has taken over only a minor segment. But consider the amount of urban land taken over by them, right at the heart of the city, making it usable only by that niche segment of urban population.


Postscript: Contrary to the author, the reader might still prefer to choose a mall/multiplex over planetarium/museum/zoo/fort to "freak out". Remember, the author is still single and has given up looking.(the tragic end of the single and looking phase).

A day of bliss

Today I was just thinking of what makes for a day, at the end of which you can say you had bliss, a one-off day.

This is what I could think of and what I have been wanting to have since long.
Wake up in the morning by 6 AM to the hymns of MS Subbulakshmi's Suprabatham. Open the door, to see the Hindu lying on the veranda. Comfortably lift the paper and you should not see any pamphlets falling off from within the paper. (Which is never the case with the Hindu/Times in Hyderabad, or may be off late in Madras also. Recently Hindu gave a half page ad clarifying that it's not them who is doing this manipulation).

An easy chair in the Veranda, sit on it and mom comes with coffee - Not the Bru/Nescafe kind, but the proper filter coffee, with its rich aroma spreading around the veranda. This used to happen when I was in Madras, the only place I have stayed in an independent house.

Filter coffee with Hindu paper - Ah the best combination you can ever think off!
Neha says here, that when it comes to filter coffee I am The Sanjeev Kapoor of it!
An hour passes by reading Hindu.

Have a bath. Visit the nearby temple. Reminds me of the KK Nagar Aiyappa temple:-)

Head off to watch one of those morning shows like the Sun TV Vanakkam Tamilagam/ Asianet/Surya TV.

Next in the line comes up the most important and exciting meal of the day- The Breakfast - called so since you are now breaking the fast you were on since previous night.

For me, an ideal one would be some hot - steaming - soft Idly (Ohh ya the Khushboo idly kinds) with equally good Sambar and coconut chutney. The chutney would taste better to your tongue if its bit wet and hot (not the temperature). A plate of pongal would top up the pleasure. And some sweet - best at this time of the day would be the sweet pongal or Chakkara Pongal as it is called in Tamil.

An hour passes by watching one of those debate shows on TV - Sun TV Arattai Arangam. Next in the line is some mild reading. Spend some time reading the Sunday Magazine/Frontline kinds.

Now comes the lunch time. I would prefer a kerala Palakkad lunch.
Top it up with one of those Sunday special movies on Asianet/Surya. Next comes the sleep time.

The evening would be more fun if the next day is also a holiday, if not as blissful as this. Else the sheer thought of the next day routine makes this evening a dull one:-)

Head off to meet some school/college friends. Drive along to ECR. Used to be our everyday hangout in the last two years of college. Ashok Nagar to ECR , with a 2-3 minutes tea break(glorified way of saying a cig break), every 4-5 km - CIT Nagar, Adyar, Tiruvanmiyur.. Mostly till Mayajal - Oh not to watch a cool movie, but only to the tea kadai opposite it and to the un-attended beach alongside.

Way back home visit one of those Udupi hotels for the pre dinner intake. Set Dosa would fine at this time. Back home, have a light dinner, sleep.

This would be bliss! A bland way of so.. A one-off day.


Postscript: The activities and ingredients that make up bliss for the author need not be same for the reader. Remember, the author is still single and has given up looking.(the tragic end of the single and looking phase)