The Movie of the Year

Tagged

A shiny new post, sponsored by Fathima.I don't really understand the tag very well, but I am just going to talk about the various things she has.

Family

Where do I start and where do I end? I don't want to sound cliched, but they really are the most important people in the whole wide world. I had this long post written where I talked about each person and how much they mean to me. But I chickened out and didn't publish it. I don't want to expose my raw emotions in a public blog. I just have this to say - you people are the best and I love you more than anything in the world.

Friends

I have always been blessed with good friends wherever I go. They have been there and supported me and have really given me some good times. Mwah! Couldn't imagine life without friends :-)

Love

Oh no no no no, not going to talk about my love in a public blog too :-)

Things I Like

This is a toughie. I have so many things I hate (see last post) and I need to think to come up with something I like now.

Ok here goes, I am saying it out loud - I love my teddy bears. I really do. Hugsy and Subbu (short for Subramani) are the bestest teddies ever. Can't sleep without hugging them.

*Tries to run away and hide, with face red*

Books

I love my books! My favorite author is Wodehouse and he has given me many many hours of laughter. Those of you who haven't read him, stop reading this blog and go pick up a book of his right now. I also loved Hitchiker Guide to the Galaxy in the same vein.

I love fantasy and magic, I immensely enjoyed the Harry Potter series. And of course, who could forget The Lord of the Rings. But more than these I liked this trilogy by Jonathan Stroud (The Amulet of Samarkand, the Golem's Eye and Ptolemy's Gate). I found them brilliant and I recommend this to anyone who likes magic and humor. I also liked the Eragon books of Pauloni and am waiting for the third book.

Indian/Asian writing interests me a lot. Loved Jhumpa Lahiri's Namesake. It made me reach into myself and discover. I have just started with Unaccustomed Earth by her, and this one seems promising too. And how could we forget R.K.Naranyan while talking about Indian writing. Swami and Friends is a special book. Made me get back into time, a world I had never seen and yet made me feel a part of it. I also would like to read more of Salman Rushdie. Ooh and the Ramayan series by Ashok Banker. (They aren't available in the US and I kinda feel guilty for asking those coming from India to bring me novels, seems frivolous.

The one regret that I have is that I haven't read anything in Thamizh. Would love to read Ponniyin Selvan and some of Sujatha's novels. Again not available in US!

Still have lot more to talk about, but I guess I better make it a separate post.

Movies

I am going to talk about my favorite actor here, since I his movies make a large part of my favorite movies. Kamal Hassan is the best actor ever period. The man just lives for his art. He is good at whatever he does - comedy, drama, action. My favorites among his movies are Salangai Oli, Hey Ram, Anbe Sivam, Vettayadu Vilayadu, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Kadala Kadala.

I also love animated movies. Unfortunately I don't seem to get company to watch these. I still haven't seen Horton Hears a Who for the same reason. Talking about animation, I also like Jim Carrey - the man is so elastic.

Myself

Well, what do I write here. How about I open this to discussion in the comments section? So folks, who am I?

Recent Plans
There are lots of these, coz I am the best planner and the worst implementor. Some of my recent plans are
* Volunteer at a community theatre
* Learn Spanish (I am already registered for Elementary Spanish for Fall 08 Woohoo! )
* I would like to go for some art classes. But I feel so intimidated since I have had no formal training after my school days.
* I would really really really like to learn to play tennis! But again, the intimidation factor. Maybe I should join a class in Madison.
* Go to the gym regularly (This has been on my list for many many years)
* Read some non-fiction

Activities
Well I guess I covered all of them in the above category

Dreams
Well, I am a big dreamer and half the time I kind of zone out and forget where I am. I used to do a lot of role playing when I was younger and even drew maps of imaginary islands (I drew them in detail right down to cities, states, rivers, their tributaries and so on)

But I seem to have grown out those and now my dreams are more practical (atleast I think so). I would really like to own a restaurant down the line. I would like it to be a little upscale and classy. Of course it would serve Indian food - thats my most favorite food and I know a lot about it. I would want it to be a dim-lit, date restaurant and NOT kid friendly (can't stand wailing kids). Another thing is that I want two versions of every dish, mild and spicy and people can order the one they want. I can imagine the menus right now, it would be all Indiany and glossy, and would have some small story or something for each dish. And my chef is will most certainly be straight from India. And I would really have a lot of variety for vegetarians. All this only if I earn enough money to sink into this :-)

I would also like to take a year off from work and spend it on trying to write a book. I don't fancy myself to be an awesome writer, but still it would feel great to have a book. Even if it doesn't get published, the very idea of writing one appeals to me. But then, I don't deal very well with self-imposed deadlines (I should be studying for my Wireless Networks finals right now). So I guess the year might just be spent more on TV and other things than writing :-) )

So that is it, tag is done! Thanks Fathi for tagging me. Writing this has been cathartic.

Peeved

Anndddd I am back! I know, I just did a post and all that. But I realized the first page has entries from 2006 and I wanna fill the whole page with 2008 entries. So you - the reader from Wisconsin, the one from Bangalore and the one from California. So all of you keep coming back and keep bringing your friends, alright?

So as I was sitting here, wondering what to write, I realized that it is easiest to write about things I don't like. After all I do have a lot of them.

So what's it with these companies who interview and then don't get back? The least you can do is to send a line saying you are not interested. I don't expect a response from every company I send my resume to. But if you are going to set up an interview and have people talk to me, the least you can do is to send me an email saying you found some "stronger" candidate or some other corporate balderdash.

And while I am at it, what's up with these catty mommy bloggers anyway? I mean they go around bitching about anyone and everyone and when someone disagrees, they pounce on them say that its their blog and they can write what they want. But God forbid, if someone actually disses mommy blogs, they get their claws out, head out to that blog and actually try to tear the blogger in question apart. So its one rule for you and one for them?? Grow up first so that you can raise your kids right. (Since exactly three people read this blog, I can say what I want without having the mommy brigade behind me :-))

Oh I almost forgot the "Hi how are you" group on gtalk, who ping thus when they want something done. I know you don't ping me unless you want something. So cut the crap. I don't wanna talk niceties with you for 15 minutes. Just tell me what you want and if I can do it and want to do it I will. Don't start asking about my parents, sister and teddy bears in India.

Thats a lot of vitriol for you guys. I feel so much better, this is cheaper than therapy! :-) So long!

I Shouldn't Be

I have a project to turn in on Sunday and I am not even done with the code yet. I got a pile of clothes to wash and another pile to fold and put away. I need to cut my nails and maybe color them and feel pretty. I need to start work on Wireless homework. I need to sleep so that I can get up early tomorrow and start doing things I ought to.

And yet, here I am blogging. Slaving away for you all, my kind readers. (Thanks will be accepted in the Comments box. Thanks in cash will be appreciatively accepted)

So how are you all doing? Yes you, you and you. Tell me what's happening. As for me, I am just turning into a sitcom fairy. I am hooked to abc.com, cwtv.com, hulu.com and all the other magic sites that just keep dishing out new episodes of my favourites - like How I Met Your Mother. I mean, I absolutely love that show. Esp Barney and his suits. Even as I am typing it, I have a window with the latest episode with Britney on. (PS I think Britney looks adorable in that episode). And it doesn't stop with just that. I have just sobbed through half a season of "8 Simple Rules". I also watch "Aliens in America" and trying to find Dharma and Greg online. And LOST! Where do I start?

So if any of you have any idea about how to kick off this addiction, comments box please. Rest of you, just grab some popcorn and visit hulu.com

PS1 - I am soo pschyed, I totally wrote this post in 10 minutes. It usually takes hours!

PS2 - So, I write this deep come-back post that just pours my heart open and NO COMMENTS?? C'mon guys, someone notices that I've come back right?

RIP Raghuvaran

Actor Raghuvaran passed away this morning at Chennai.

http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14625366

Raghuvaran has always been one of my favorite actors who commanded respect in all his roles. Right from his first movie (Ezhavadu Manidhan), to a villain, to a gentle father (Anjali). I have always felt that he was capable of much more. In fact in the mid-late 90s there were some rumours that Shankar was going to use Raghuvaran as the hero in his next movie and I kept waiting for that to happen. Still remember seeing him, Rohini and his son at the Devasthanam temple in T.Nagar when I was still in school. RIP!

There are some people that I've never met, but I feel some sort of connection with them. Feels like the end of an era when they die, and it affects me deeply. For instance, when writer Sujatha paased away sometime back. I've never read any of his books, but K has regaled many Ganesh Vasanth stories to 4 wide eyed kids, sitting on a mat on the terrace.

And John Ritter. I was just watching some episodes of "8 Simple Rules" and I couldn't stop tearing up during the episode where they write in his death. During the days of Pilani and Zee English, I would wake up at 7:00 a.m to catch reruns of Three's Company when I came to Chennai for holidays. It was impossible not to like Jack Tripper. I was awesomely pleased when Zee Cafe started showing his new "8 Simple Rules" and though he looked older and puffed up, watching him seemed to be a thread of connection to my careless days as a college student.

Death is the most irrevocable change I can think of and every time something like this happens, I wonder about my own moratality and if I will truly start existing after I die. I know the brain controls my thoughts, but I always think of my mind as being right behind my forehead and not in the middle of my head. So what happens to my thoughts, my feelings when I die. I have trouble believing eveything vanishes when blood stops going to the brain. But there are cases of amnesia, where damage to some parts of the brain, causes people to forget things. So is this all there is to an individual, some pieces of wrinkled tissue bathed in blood?

Updated: Was talking to my dad about this and he said that I was named Sujatha (which is what my family calls me) 'coz my dad was a big fan of his work.

My many voices

* (Insert whining voice) Grad school is hard!! Really. I am neck deep into assignments and projects and extra credit homeworks that I need to absolutely do to get a passing grade. And you know I love the internet - blogs, youtube and all. But sometimes when I am working on the Internet Protocols project, a part of me wishes the internet was dead! (Quit whining)

* (Insert happy voice) I am going to Disneyyyyyy in December!! So yaaay! I love toons and I love theme parks, so Disney is like fairy land to me. A New York trip is also in the offing, with skiiing and all (keeping fingers crossed) (That's all the happy I can muster right now)

* (Insert this date that year voice) Today someone was talking about Hyderabad and I really miss it. It was the best 3 years of my life. Friends, money, movies, food .... Happy times (Stop reminiscing)

* (Insert heady voice) Love the remix song from Polladavan. I like the original song better though! (Song over)


*(Insert Eureka voice) The reason I listened to the above song is aahaafm I like listening to Chennai FM, makes me feel as if I am back in Chennai. But ironically, I never listened to FM when I was in India. (Wishing for more Eureka moments in projects and homeworks)

* (Insert angry voice) I hate the female at the Student Health Services who keeps insisting that I have TB though I have shown her the clear X-Ray!!! (Darn paranoid nurses who hate me)

* (Insert sleepy voice) I need a nap. I don''t know if I am getting senile or going back to babyhood, but I do need a nap. NOW (Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

And I am backkk!

Dusting the cobwebs away from my blog for the umpteenth time after numerous writer blocks. And grad school isn't helping either. Yup this blog is now brought to you from Raleigh, North Carolina and I now join the bandwagon of the American Desis at whom I directed many blog attacks.

So all ye erstwhile readers and commentors, come back and lounge in here again. (S are you listening)

I will now start off with how beautiful Raleigh is and here is a pic of fall color at a lake in our campus.
And since that is out of the way now, I can talk about what I don't like about the US of A. I hate it that we don't have autos here. I hate having to walk 25 mins or take a bus to get milk. I hate that it is nearly impossible to get good Indian food outside of home. I hate the options or the lack of it that vegetarians have in all restaurants. I hate having to talk in a fake accent to make people understand me. I hate to pay Rs 100 for a good cup of coffee. I hate to wear heavy coats thats difficult for me to lift. I wanna go back to Mummmyyy!

People who take the above paragraph seriously and accuse me of being a hypocrite can go to hell

On a totally unrelated note, what is it with these mommy bloggers who post innumerable pictures of their kids, but guard their identity with their life? If I have a kid, I would be more concerned with protecting her identity than mine. Just one word for you mommies - pedophiles!
So kind readers what's up in your lives right now? Leave me a comment and we can talk about it :-)