Seasons greetings...

It is that season where people make spending seem dispensable, by throwing unnecessary money on greeting cards and roses. They drop every single fruitful activity they could otherwise do in the time they think of a present or the type of the flower.

I have never understood the fascination that women crowd possess for flowers/bouquets. Maybe one has to be in 'love high' to even slightly understand the logic behind. Or perhaps, somebody like me, who buys plastic bonsai from IKEA to decorate the center table in the living room, can never understand.

If a guy, let's say is in love head over heels with a girl, he would certainly buy her a present for Valentine's Day. My sources also say that it would be considered a federal offense in the girlfriend court, if the guy doesn't! That's not the point anyways. The point is wouldn't the girl know that a gift is coming her way? And if the girl has set the expectation right, the guy probably is dreaming about the present too.

I wonder what's the fun in knowing they would receive something for sure on a particular day and still associate a 'surprise' element to it. Once again, 'love high' I guess.

Next lamest idea (probably the most ancient technique as old as 6000 years) is buying Greeting cards. And these days there are those "record your voice/music and send your 'love' through paper" cards. How creepy is that?! Wouldn't it just be easier to make a phone call and say I love you?! Atleast we can save the planet by cutting lesser trees.

I believe this is still so true.

Valentine's Day, like most other occassions, is definitely passé.

Wait..why so happy?

I find it insanely funny when most people, once every year, scream their lungs out for something so trivial that happens every day. Strike of the clock at midnight! I was watching CNN this morning and amazed myself for the umpteenth time, at the amount of hulla-gulla thats being created for the imminent new year celebrations. In the simplest of perspectives, it's just another day. Yet, people jump around as if the earth would come to a stop if they dont. 

I would have received a minimum of 50 emails in the last 2 days wishing for New Year - I wonder how many of those people really wish I have a PROSPEROUS new year. 

On a different note, life of humans thrive in this planet just because of plain vanilla belief on various things. People believe without thinking, because if they do, they would clearly know its just a make-belief. People make themselves believe that a party is a mandatory activity for new year. They never wonder if the movement of the calendar (invented by ancient humans) to the next cycle become a good enough reason to shed some dollars and drink/dance the night away. 

And even if its just the calendar movement, New year for most countries does not fall on January 1st. Yet people celebrate on Jan 1st. Maybe people just need excuses to get away from mundanity. 

We do things just because everybody does, don't we?! 

I'm amazed by us!

Observant Women

In the first one hour at work this morning, I ran into 8 people from my team (6 of them being men and 2 women). They all asked how my vacation to Florida was and I had my standard answer "short!" But the women didn't stop with just that. They went one step ahead and showcased their observational skills meticulously. They both casually said that I got some nice tan. I gotta admit that my skin is a little sensitive and shows up change in color pretty fast. But this time, the tanning (thanks to the Sun, he was scorching and heating the soil to 85 F) I thought wasn't all that starkly blatant. But these women they find out. And my boss she asked me if I slept at all in the last 3 days. Maybe my eyes showed.

In general, I have observed that women observe a lot. They know you and that’s it - they have this ability to sense the minutest change. This is especially amazing, when most of the guys would not recognize the change, even after a lucid explanation. I go to work with a half-sleeved shirt, one of my lady colleagues would be the 1st to ask me about it. I have a hair-cut, one of the ladies would ask. I don’t shave and go to work, one of the ladies would ask. I don’t get a proper sleep last night and get a small black circle around my eyes, one of the ladies would ask first. It's just not at work it works the same way with my friends circle too. When guys don’t notice or have a problem with me not tucking my shirt, most of the ladies would. They would at least ask me for an explanation.

Maybe it’s the way women are created to be - to find out all minute details and to candidly ask about it too. Considering me, I find it a little difficult to notice changes in people, unless they make it too-obvious-so-one-can-never-miss types. Hypothetically for example my male project manager dressing up in a silk saree or my fat female colleague sporting a bikini to work or my peers walking in the cafetaria in NASA space-suits. Other than such clamant changes, I react the same way to them. I once even missed out noticing when one of my cousins asked me if I notice any change in her face. She actually had a "nose-poke"(is that what they call it?) and in spite of her wearing a nose-ring, I blinked and guessed if she did some hair-coloring. Though not all men are as stupid, most of them fail to notice small changes in people. But almost all women on seeing somebody get to the job quickly and scan for the change. And adeptly identify it too. Maybe that’s the same reason Indian women are obsessed about purchasing bling bling jewelry and silk sarees. And make sure that they showcase in the weddings and public functions.

They are so smart that when lady1 sees lady2 in a wedding, she instantly saves the details of lady2 along with her attributes (like color of the saree, type of the jewelry, amount of jewelry, etc.). The next time they meet in a common function, lady1 would do a quick scan and compare her current sight to what is already stored in her database. If she finds a match, this is how the conversation would mostly be like:

lady1: "Oh! You are wearing the same necklace that you wore last time around too!"
lady2: "Yaa, just like your third bangle from the front on your left hand. I saw you wearing that last week in Ravi's wedding too".
lady2: "??!!"

One can see this kind of a behavioral trend, not just in weddings but in all women-women encounters. When college girls meet up, most of the conversations would involve at some point or the other "Hey, this earring is so cute" or "hey, this outfit suits u so well" or "you must not have wore a dupatta for this" or whatever. Even small girl kids from school when they interact would talk about their plaited hairs or their uniform skirts. And I have seen my Paati talk about how her Madisaar looks rich compared to her counter-part-neighbor Vanaja Maami. After all this, I tend to jump to a conclusion that women in general are pretty observant.

So, women get used to correctly identifying the change in the other person, ask for an explanation and get what they look for most of the times. And slowly they extend this behavior towards men too. And gradually towards everything around them. They know if something in their surrounding changes. Even to a very small extent. After all, it is of course nice to be noticed at times. At other times, it might not.

But the bottom-line is one can never try to escape women!

Valentine's Day

= Vela-not-ine's day! (Jobless losers day!)

Somebody should have killed St.Valentine before he did some crap to create a day like this!

Me?? Getting killed??....What???

"How many people are killed in Road accidents?" asks one villager, Sify reports. And this question propped during the talks about the ban levied on "Jallikattu"(Bull fight in Tamilnadu, India) by supreme court. It is funny to think when people compare the deaths in road accidents to Jallikattu casualties. And most of the villagers have tonsured their heads, went on hunger-strike, road rokkos and even offer a threat to immolate themselves. Ha! Do I call that spirit? And they argue that their villages have become world-famous because of this sport! When from killing people and torturing cattle have become sport? And they argue that it is many times safer and less-cruelty-imposing to the bulls, when compared to "Rekhla", which is a form of bull-cart race. And after all, they say they celebrate "Maatu Pongal"(a function dedicated for Cattle) and bulls are sacred for them and they wouldn't harm them no matter what. Quite funny!

Well, like kids crying and getting a bad-quality chocolate that might affect their health, these poor villagers have done all "nataks" to convince Supreme court to lift the ban(sort of) and have the "Jallikattu" go on under Government supervision!

Namba aalungala adichukka mudiyaathu pa! (Nobody can beat us!)

Christmas and my weekend...

What a weekend had this been?? My activities in a nutshell:

1. Paid a visit to New York City - Realized I still love my home away from home
2. Watched National Treasure – Understood treasure hunting is a little better than software industry!
3. Watched Mamma Mia Broadway show – Best thing that happened to me, of late
4. Met my friend on his bday – Got him a surprise gift, only to be surprised that he got the same gift for himself a day ago!
5. Tried Puerto Rican food – Made me realize I love India
6. Portrait of my face – After 20 mins of motionless stature, I saw the painting to realize I couldn’t recgonise myself. Phew…but one thing became clear: how difficult it would have been for Kate Winslet in the movie ‘Titanic’ (yaa yaa, so for DiCaprio)!
7. Went to Saravana Bhavan – Felt Puerto Rican restaurant was better
8. Watched Final Destination 3 and Poseidon – TV is the best invention in this world!
9. Watched 'Oram Po'(tamil movie) – Chennai Auto-rickshaws in street-racing! Enjoyed watching it.
10. Drove to Pittsburg on Christmas day – Had a darshan of Lord Balaji and lots of desis. No traffic in the freeway :)
11. Sad part - Did not watch even a single episode of Everybody Loves Raymond these 4 days :(

Are you with me?

He : "Its ok, lets go for it."

She: "C'mon, I am not with you. I know where you are heading towards?"

He : "Oh, you don't have to be bothered."

She: "Are you nuts?

He : "Hey, there's nothing to be scared of. This is what people do!”

She: “I know. Guys are always like this” *sighs*

He : “Hey dear, please…”

She: “You don’t have to beg like this. Just think about it once”

He : “Yaa, I did think. It is perfectly fine"

She: "Did u even forget that I'm elder to you?"

He: "I'm sure its ok"

She: "How can it be ok?? What would the world talk about it? That too on the christmas eve"

He : "Why do you have to think about the world. It always talks"

She: "No way, I am not doing it"

He : "Hey, I'm sure it'll remain a secret between us"

She: "Secret. How come? Somebody in the house would definitely see us"

He : "Nope. I'll make sure that nobody sees. You don't have to think this much"

She: "How can I not think?"

He : "Just look at me once. It is me who's asking"

She: "That’s what is making me think"

He : "Please…"

She: "Are u sure it'll be only once?"

He : "I swear to God, it'll be only once"

She: "You sure we'll not get into any trouble later?

He : "No, not at all. I'll even forget that we did something like this"

She: "Ok then. Just this once. Lets do it"

He : "Yes!!!"


And the kids arranged the stool and started stealing the christmas candies from atop the fridge.

Christmas and my wedding!

This is the festive season. The apartment I stay, all houses that I see during my commute and even my workplace is completely embellished with flowers, lights and of course the Christmas tree. Though I don't celebrate Christmas, this whole decorations gives me a feeling as if I'm very much a part of this. And all my colleagues are busy spending their evening and weekends, shopping. They ask me ideas and I suggest them a gift or two. Most of their objective is to give their kins or friends, a big surprise. They wanna make sure it's the right gift and something their friends or kins would love. They simply wanna see the recipient happy. But the one who receives the gift wouldn't know until the gift is opened.

My parents casually ask me, if I'm ready to step into the "Marriage market". They want to see me "Settled in life". I wonder how come this word "Settled" in all Indian family lexicon means the same - "get married and have kids". I don't know how come they equate "getting married" and "Settled". For me, the word "settle" presents a different meaning altogether. I simply can't think of it as getting married, for I would still have a lot of things to do even after wedding. But when I think a little hard, I understand that "Settle" is a subjective term. And one can call themselves "settled", only if they don't have any more desires to be satiated. And i presume getting settled is more like counting till infinity once. And I tell my parents that I need some more time, maybe a year or two. They say they are absolutely okay with it. Once i give the green signal, they'll spread out my "jaadhagam" and my profile to strangers. It is more like uploading your Resume in job sites. And it doesn't stop there. I need to see the photos of those "matched" profiles and I'll have to serve as a HR guy, recruiting the right candidate. Or perhaps not to hurt "Bharathi Kanda pudhumai penngal", let me rephrase the word "Recruit" to "Merger". So, I'll have to select the right company to have a merger. And "equality of rights" is evident from the fact that rejections are likely from both the ends. All these, just by looking at something called "profile" and a "photo". I would never know who or what or how the bride would be, unless I marry her. But my parents say they would get the best(huh?) girl for me. They simply wanna see me happy.

But nobody would know unless it happens. In more ways than one, I think Christmas gifts and Arranged marriage looks the same to me

I'm yet to see both! :)