Personal/Relationship/Thoughts

Birthday Ramblings for 2008

Posted on by Archana K B / 11 Comments

Another birthday passing by.

Does it really matter to celebrate the birthdays?

I remember calling in the neighbour family to cut the cake n all, and singing “Happy Birthday to You” when I was young. I used to wear new “color dress” in school while others wore their school uniform. They sang the same song again, and I used to distribute the chocolates mostly “Eclairs” or “Lion King” carrying to each desk. I used to get fed up saying “Thank you” to each one of them.

Early that morning at dawn, when I wake up to mom’s call from Kitchen, its not any different. When she see me, she starts singing the wish song loud from the kitchen itself, while I brush my teeth!. As if proclaiming to the world and to the house, that its her daughter’s birthday. And then, in evening, when she comes from office at around 6- 6.30, we cut the cake and share it during the late tea session. If it comes on a holiday, “payasam” would be prepared.

In college, there was no color dress. But there was “new” dress. There was no group singing of “Happy Birthday”. Instead, it shortened to “treat”. Birthday treat. It started as Rs.5/- wala “munch” and “perk ” and went on to become lunch treats as we reached the graduation days. There were festive days combined with, mostly “Diwali” and “ThriKarthika”.

At office, the lunch treats, new dress, wishes continued along with the addition of gifts and birthday bumps. The only time my room mates could lift me up and kick my a** was last year. It was the first and I guess, the last time, I received them. At the end, I felt sorry for the huge effort by the kiddo’s to life the Gulliver’s sister!!! 😛 There were balloons, there was “payasam” again, the temple visits, birthday cards, dinners, and lots of gifts.

And now, as I hit the silver jubilee, I am at this home, trying to live the role of a housewife, sitting on the pc, holding in my hand, a plate of piece of cake, bought and cut yesterday night, and blogging with the other, replying to sms messages and attending calls, very few ones, wondering whether to get up and make the “payasam” for myself and being lazy, sitting back and recollecting the old memories…

I guess its a different kind of celebration….ain’t it?

books/Reviews

Immersed in Books…

Posted on by Archana K B / 3 Comments

I had resorted to review immediately each and every book that I read, so that I could pen down my views and the emerging thoughts influenced by the writing onto the blog. But off late, the timing was not enough and bad scheduling have chopped off most of the thoughts. So before I lose them all, let me share few lines atleast for some of them.

Brida by Paulo Coelho:

I had finished this soon after I did the page123 tag. The effect of Paulo Coelho had kinda started to diminish in me one by one. Not that I disliked his theme n all, but I am not that impressed any more. Maybe that’s why I am hesitating to take up the thrid book of his from my bookshelf, “By the river Piedra…”. There had been many instances which I didn’t liked or believed in this book, say for example, the re-birth and the story of Wicca and Witchcraft. I don’t deny or say that re-birth is false, but its just that I have not been convinced yet of those thoughts. The main thing I liked is that, Brida was in search of her soulmate, if it ever existed, just like any young woman and the revelation to her that we can meet more than one soulmate in our lives. The concept of the Dark Forest was also meaningful at times, and I particularly liked the ending (if at all you have the patience to reach there!) , which is almost applicable in the present life.

Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair:

The starting of the book was great, since it spoke of the railway station and train journeys which reminded me of my own travels. There was a fictional part of listening to all the life stories of 5 people in one single night, but nevertheless its a fiction. The stories of all the young ladies strikes a note with present life, but not entirely at some places. Some places it looks exaggerated, but we never know what all happens at urban places or within relationships. The protagonist, Akhila searches for an answer whether is it essential for a woman to get married in life. The unrevealed answer is contained in the open ending, so as to create more depth in the intrigued solutions of the common question. For me, its actually par with the Arranged Marriage, but on the other side, and I feel it portrays unconventional answers, but depicting conventional importance.Continue reading →

films/Reviews

Kidnap!

Posted on by Archana K B / 0 Comment

I had watched Kidnap last Sunday. It was unscheduled but still we got tickets. Imran Khan would be really happy that we had seen his both films!!! Nothing much to write about as its pretty much done here. At most places, RK and me were laughing out loud for the stupid scenes, and at the artificiality of Bollywood. Obviously, how can you not laugh when an 18 year old kidnapped victim, instead of making use of the chance and escape, nurses the kidnapper who has been gun-shot!! The glam dresses of both mother and daughter are again unfit to the theme. Minisha is not fit for glam roles. She is cute and able to act, but I guess needs to be choosy. The only part I liked was the tasks set by the kidnapper, the clues, the convincing answers for the actions, and tasks and the ending, which unlike other films doesn’t end up with love story among the kidnapper and the victim!

Does it also points out at the dark side of the law system and the juvenile home treatment and jail which creates more criminals out of young people?

Internet/Links/Thoughts

Connectionz!

Posted on by Archana K B / 1 Comment

Technology has now stepped up in various ways. It has started influencing our day to day life in every possible way. We are getting addicted to internet off late. Atleast I am.

In the earlier ages, Yahoo and MSN dominated us with their chat rooms and then the messengers. The blogs and personal pages like Yahoo pages and Yahoo 360 and MSN spaces grew side by side.  Actually, the search of enhanced personal pages landed me in the world of blogs. Some say, though the world is growing, people are being worse. In handling their values, morals, and relations. But technology has geared up to teach us back the essence and need of being connected. The innumerous sites for social networking like the famous Orkut and Facebook and lesser known hi5, Friendster, Refriendz etc and the volume of registered members speaks it out. People are networking with each other and finding their lost friends and relations spread geographically over internet. Its as if the telecommunications has blended into the computer workstation. And the postal department has been almost replaced by emails and blogs. I wonder what would be the future.Continue reading →

Internet/Links/Personal

World of gadgets and gizmos

Posted on by Archana K B / 2 Comments

Computers, gadgets, gizmos, toys etc are the keywords which entices geeks and techie freaks. I am not sure how I got attached to such crazy things. Whenever I saw a mobile in someone’s hand,  I would peek it wondering what model is it, if not the number, whether it is high end or low end, or whether mine is better than his or hers etc etc. And then I used to satisfy myself that its expensive and has that n this problems and would appreciate my mobile in the end. But now, with more and more new gadgets and smartphones available at cheaper prices than before, I have started drooling again!

Long back, in childhood, I remember Appa playing with his toolkit containing screwdrivers, variety of spanners, pipe wrench etc. He had his own ways of fixing household appliances which interested me. Being the youngest daughter and spoilt brat that I am, I was like a tomboy for him, helping hands in his maintenance works. I fascinated his calculators and his expertize in mathematics. I am not sure from where he bought them, but I remember using a manual calculator, rather a mechanical abacus kinda device (googled and found its called Addiator). Then there was the digital diary, where in I stored most of my known contact numbers and imagined that I was a serious businesswoman! Those were the times, when mobile phones were too expensive to be bought and when pagers and walkie talkies ruled the world. I used to envy my friend’s father’s pager when she used to talk about it.Continue reading →

Thoughts

Being Religious

Posted on by Archana K B / 15 Comments

GSB stands for Gowda Saraswat Brahmins. They speak Konkani as their mother language. And I am one of them.

The innumerous societies and the caste system along with the religions sometimes makes me wonder at the human intellect. There have been many theories or hypothesis and assumptions on how they were created. There have been conflicts and wars on the different Gods their greatest power. The simple customs and rituals followed by several communities in several parts of the world defines their culture and distinguishes the barriers. Many times, I have seen scornful faces and discriminations between people of community for the other. These were prominent in the earlier ages, when apartheid was severe. But now, times have changed and people have grown up to some extent. But still, these issues arises when festivals, marriages and rituals are to conducted.

Being a Brahmin in itself is considered as a huge top-notch. There were several rituals to be followed as per convention, though nowadays many people are adapting to the modern world, and following only the easy ones. Finding people similar to you and in the same kind of community gives you a feeling like being in your own country. This actually doesn’t mean that we ill treat others. Respect is an important ingredient in our day-today life, and whatever community we are in, we need to respect other communities too. I had already talked about it, that being in one community doesn’t play much importance to me or defines my definition of God or similar identity. But I guess, religion and caste is not only about different Creator. It defines the way we live our daily life. And we shouldn’t mind how others live in their own world or community.
Continue reading →