My pink city Travelogue

I have started posting my travel experiences in Pink city (Jaipur) where I had been for my vacations a month back with family.

You can read them at Shalini's travelogue.

My experiments with baking # 1

We got this new electric oven couple of weeks back and last weekend I along with my mum made this Chocolate muffin and I should say it turned out to be really yummy *beams with pride* ..

Monday Morning Inspiration # 60

Once upon a time two brothers, who lived on adjoining farms, fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a conflict. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's tool box. "I'm looking for a few days' work" he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?" "Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you."

"Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor; in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll do him one better."

"See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence --an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place or his face anymore."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge -- a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all -- and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched. "You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done." The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hand.

They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother. "I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, but I have many more bridges to build.

To read other Monday Morning Inspiration click here.

Looks like its holidays all over again :D

It is hardly been a week since my classes started for the new semester and I was almost in the verge to make a post on what all stuffs I had been upto during my vacation .. Before even things could settle in , it looks like the college in Tamil Nadu , India will be closed indefinetly due to the war in Sri Lanka ...

This ives me mixed feeling of both happiness and also makes me a little sad. But still I'm more happy than I'm sad :)

Happy Republic day

Monday Morning Inspiration # 59

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the kitchen, with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time.

Let me tell you about it. I turned the volume up on my radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning talk show. I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business himself.

He was talking about "a thousand marbles" to someone named "Tom". I was intrigued and sat down to listen to what he had to say.

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital. " He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."


"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years." "Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime.

"Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part. "It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. "I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. "So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. "I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in my workshop next to the radio. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away.

"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight. "Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then God has blessed me with a little extra time to be with my loved ones...... "It was nice to talk to you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your loved ones, and I hope to meet you again someday. Have a good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. Even the show's moderator didn't have anything to say for a few moments. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to do some work that morning, then go to the
gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special," I said. " It has just been a
long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."

To read other Monday Morning Inspiration click here.

I drove I drove ...

Before I forget , I drove my car to satyam cinemas from my home and back to watch Slumdog millionaire with my parents... I DROVE finally and im really happy that I drove well too :)

Belated happy girl child day to all the cute lil girls, babes and all the wonderful women out there . I'm proud to be one myself :)

Today's fortune: Deal with the faults of others as gently as with your own.

This was my fortune in Orkut for the day. Many at times orkut keeps me thinking if at all there is some spying happening on my day to day deeds or my life. Strange but true..

Slum dog Millionaire review

**spoiler alert**

I happened to catch up with this Oscar nominated movie, Slum dog Millionaire this morning. Hard reality portrayed in a very beautiful way with a concise story line. Despite being really positive and optimistic about life one does have to realise the harsh facts of reality.

Is this movie about portraying the harsh realities in India ? Or the own that shows one with persevearance can win against all odds? Well, all that the director Danny Boyle wanted to say was this movie is an answer to the West's question of what makes India tick?

The story line is neat and simple where Jamal a boy from the Darvi slums of Mumbai becomes a millionaire by playing the game of "Who wants to become a millionaire?" similar to that of crorepati . The story revolves around the way he answers the question in the game , through his life s experiences which he explains when he is being doubted for cheating in the game (thinking possible how could a slumdog get all the answers rite ) .

Hats off to the Slumdog Millionaire team and many congrats to them for their 10 Oscar nominations and special congrats to our very own AR (Golden)Rahman on winning the Golden Globe award and for his 3 Oscar nominations :)

A must watch movie indeed! Have a great weekend :)

Back to square 1

Meeting old school buddies, outing with friends, loads of movies, lazy afternoon enjoying your favourite book, driving around the city (yup, Im finally learnt to drive the car and I drive it all by myself) , Long chats , new year celebrations, jaipur trip and much much more.. It time for all these fun to end and get a little serious with life and studies...

Today was my first day in college for the next new semester , thou' I had been to college to attend the two exams last week that had been postponed due to the heavy showers which happened on Dec 08. But, still I would like to think today was the day my classes officially started... I'm already starting to like this semester , all is well that goes well ;)