Almost every blogger from Chennai has updated his/her blogspot about yesterday's rains and here is my two drops to it...
I got up only at 7.30 and everybody at home were talking about the rains. It was really dark and my mom had already decided that I was taking off. Dad said there is no way I could drive 15 kms and get to work. My thatha said 'Switch on the TV, lets see the floods'?! I really didn't feel like taking off, but convincing the people at home and getting to work became difficult with the heavy downpour and dark clouds. I had almost decided to settle on the couch, watch the rain, solve crosswords and laze out.
Just when I realized that we didn't get the newspaper, the power went off! So, no computer, no TV, no paper, and it is not bright enough to read a book. Amma started grumbling that she needed to grind the dough for murukku and wanted to finish some diwali savory on that day. paati thought otherwise. Just like how amma decided that I should take off, Paati thought, amma shouldn't do diwali sweets on a rainy day as this! Thatha also was grumbling about no power, no paper and told it was very irresponsible of dad not to have a transistor that runs on battery. I declared 'I have to get to work'!
Paati couldn't just believe her ears. She thought education and work is too much freedom for women. Mom got angry. Dad tried to reason out. Then the deal was made. If the driver(Narayan anna) comes, I can go to work. They were darn sure he wouldn't make it to work. Who would expect somebody to come from red hills to Kilpauk in this heavy lash! To their irony and my joy, the Narayan anna came. At around 10.40, I was off to work in my zen. Of course, with Narayan anna driving.
For the intensity of the rains/ details about flooded roads, please read other blogs. I thoroughly enjoyed my travel. To and Fro. At the beginning of the road, we'd evaluate, if my zen would make it to the end and then venture into it. In this 30 km drive, and heavy rains, there are a few things I noticed:
* Chennaiaites are seldom hydrophobic and their vehicles are partially amphibious. So what if the road is inundated? As long as the vehicle doesn't float, just hold down the clutch and the accelerator and cross the stretch
* We are entrepreneurial - People had acquired spot jobs on the road. A group of young guys would push the halted vehicles on the road for an agreed amount. They were considerate too. PTC buses are helped for free of cost
* Auto drivers are helpful, handy. To substantiate this, I should narrate a scene. A Tata indica had stopped in knee deep water(knees of a 6 footer) and 2 were finding it difficult to push. An auto driver, who came that way, put his leg out, rested it on the car and turned the accelerator of his vehicle. The car was cleared immediately
* Trees that fell on the roads were not lying around for too long. They were cleared almost immediately and hence the traffic was free flowing
* Motorists were considerate. Even in this heavy rains, they would stop to inform vehicles coming in the opposite direction about the safety in the road they just traveled
* Smart and cautious EB officials. Their timely power cuts prevented electrocution. It was a scary silent night! I realized in such weather, I miss the noise than the breeze from the fan!
* The very next day, after 40 cms of rain, life is back to normal and the Sun is smiling on Chennai!
* Chennai city Traffic police were available in most of the roads helping the public.
Call it politics or election stunt, the rains in Chennai has definitely left behind a feel-good factor!
Pottuko! We did it!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
'Ayyo..naan innum mudikave illai..'
No! These are NOT the words of
-A desperate student, who didn't complete his board exam paper
-Somebody seriously ill, worrying about his/her unfinished duties
-A bride, who is called to the stage before completing her make-up
-A doctor, who, half-way thru his surgical procedure, lost the scissors
-A perplexed film director, whose movie's heroine, announces her wedding and pregnancy.
Don't imagine any further...
These are innocent words of a software professional, who didn't complete his tea in cafeteria. If it is such a naive expression over a trivial matter, why blog about it? Well, the expression is naive, but its context is not. Well, to give you a vivid picture, here's the story.
I belong to a gang of s/w professionals, who, from the Day-1 of their career, adhere strictly to schedules. They regularly meet at cafeteria to recharge with tea/coffee twice a day, and get back to work with full vigor. What started as a 'short break', short enough to complete a 4"x3" cup of tea, grew up to be a coffee-table conference in 3 years! What once was considered as a break between work, soon turned out to be work between breaks. The priorities changed over the years. In the first year, more work would demand boycotting of tea sessions. In the 2nd year, work was planned according to avoid boycotting tea sessions. in the 3rd year, work was deferred (mind you - 'not boycotted' - we are still sincere) for tea sessions.
And WHAT is discussed in these sessions? If you are a s/w professional, you wouldn't be asking this question in the first place. For the benefit of those who do not belong here, I should be answering.. Well, Everything in this universe(and sometimes about E.T too) is discussed. Technological advancements, Movies, tv, Sports, Google, Politics, Socio-economic issues, Mythology, Gals, guys, relationships...What not!! You name it..and we've discussed about it! And of course, we sometimes discuss about work too...
Today, the tea session, as usual, was at its best... after about 45 mins, when the professionals thought it was time to get back to work, One o them realised, he hasn't done what he actually came for!! He didn't complete his tea!! But, these days, thats not what we go for!! These days, We don't need the tea to re-fuel.. It's the sessions that we look forward to! and 'Ayyo..naan innum mudikave illai...' just emphasized it!
Now, Do I sound like an experienced s/w professional?
-A desperate student, who didn't complete his board exam paper
-Somebody seriously ill, worrying about his/her unfinished duties
-A bride, who is called to the stage before completing her make-up
-A doctor, who, half-way thru his surgical procedure, lost the scissors
-A perplexed film director, whose movie's heroine, announces her wedding and pregnancy.
Don't imagine any further...
These are innocent words of a software professional, who didn't complete his tea in cafeteria. If it is such a naive expression over a trivial matter, why blog about it? Well, the expression is naive, but its context is not. Well, to give you a vivid picture, here's the story.
I belong to a gang of s/w professionals, who, from the Day-1 of their career, adhere strictly to schedules. They regularly meet at cafeteria to recharge with tea/coffee twice a day, and get back to work with full vigor. What started as a 'short break', short enough to complete a 4"x3" cup of tea, grew up to be a coffee-table conference in 3 years! What once was considered as a break between work, soon turned out to be work between breaks. The priorities changed over the years. In the first year, more work would demand boycotting of tea sessions. In the 2nd year, work was planned according to avoid boycotting tea sessions. in the 3rd year, work was deferred (mind you - 'not boycotted' - we are still sincere) for tea sessions.
And WHAT is discussed in these sessions? If you are a s/w professional, you wouldn't be asking this question in the first place. For the benefit of those who do not belong here, I should be answering.. Well, Everything in this universe(and sometimes about E.T too) is discussed. Technological advancements, Movies, tv, Sports, Google, Politics, Socio-economic issues, Mythology, Gals, guys, relationships...What not!! You name it..and we've discussed about it! And of course, we sometimes discuss about work too...
Today, the tea session, as usual, was at its best... after about 45 mins, when the professionals thought it was time to get back to work, One o them realised, he hasn't done what he actually came for!! He didn't complete his tea!! But, these days, thats not what we go for!! These days, We don't need the tea to re-fuel.. It's the sessions that we look forward to! and 'Ayyo..naan innum mudikave illai...' just emphasized it!
Now, Do I sound like an experienced s/w professional?
Mazha(la)i...Inimai, kulumai!
Mazhai and Mazhalai...You can never stop admiring...You'll never get bored of it..
It's quite sometime since we had a kid in the family and all of us had almost forgotten how to deal with a baby. Just then, Voila! Like April showers, came my niece(cousin's kid). Now about a year old, living in the same apartment complex, she keeps us occupied all the time!
Just over a foot tall, this little angel keeps everybody enthralled. I prefer referring her language 'mazhalai' than using its English equivalent - 'Babble'. The thamizh word is a lot poetic and meaningful. Her vocabulary is confined to only a handful of words - 'thatha'(grandpa), 'tata'(I wanna go out), 'atha'(aunt), 'mammam'( I need something to eat), 'paapa'(I/ other kids), 'aaiy'(Mostly 'I dirtied my pants' and very rarely, 'I wanna sh*t). Of late, 'aaiy', with rolling eyes and excited expression also refers to Dog (Naaiy - N). More than these words, its her actions and expressions that conveys what she wants and what she thinks! In a couple of months, we are trained interpreters cracking dumb-charades clues. She can direct us to do exactly what she wants without using any words.
The next thing I admire the most in her is the kid's expressions! It is fun to watch the kid react to many of her first encounters with nature and this big bad world! She admires crows and butterflies, tries to catch the ants and millipedes, loves to get wet in the rain, wants to hold the dog's tail, chases to the shadow of a crow and most of all, craves for spicy adult food and dapanguthu music...
I am also fascinated by her grasping and learning capabilities. It is fun to watch the kid learn with perseverance. Did you know that its by practice, that we shoot the eatables from our fingers into our mouth accurately? For a first timer, the hand does not go to the mouth directly. She made a couple of attempts - First time, on to the nose, second on the cheek, and third time, her hand swayed about, but reached the mouth finally!
I can go on and on about this...but what I need to say, our Thiruvalluvar, encapsulated it perfectly in a tongue twister couplet!
'Kuzhal inidhu, yaazh inidhu enbar,
(tham) makkal mazhalai sol kaladhaar'!
It's quite sometime since we had a kid in the family and all of us had almost forgotten how to deal with a baby. Just then, Voila! Like April showers, came my niece(cousin's kid). Now about a year old, living in the same apartment complex, she keeps us occupied all the time!
Just over a foot tall, this little angel keeps everybody enthralled. I prefer referring her language 'mazhalai' than using its English equivalent - 'Babble'. The thamizh word is a lot poetic and meaningful. Her vocabulary is confined to only a handful of words - 'thatha'(grandpa), 'tata'(I wanna go out), 'atha'(aunt), 'mammam'( I need something to eat), 'paapa'(I/ other kids), 'aaiy'(Mostly 'I dirtied my pants' and very rarely, 'I wanna sh*t). Of late, 'aaiy', with rolling eyes and excited expression also refers to Dog (Naaiy - N). More than these words, its her actions and expressions that conveys what she wants and what she thinks! In a couple of months, we are trained interpreters cracking dumb-charades clues. She can direct us to do exactly what she wants without using any words.
The next thing I admire the most in her is the kid's expressions! It is fun to watch the kid react to many of her first encounters with nature and this big bad world! She admires crows and butterflies, tries to catch the ants and millipedes, loves to get wet in the rain, wants to hold the dog's tail, chases to the shadow of a crow and most of all, craves for spicy adult food and dapanguthu music...
I am also fascinated by her grasping and learning capabilities. It is fun to watch the kid learn with perseverance. Did you know that its by practice, that we shoot the eatables from our fingers into our mouth accurately? For a first timer, the hand does not go to the mouth directly. She made a couple of attempts - First time, on to the nose, second on the cheek, and third time, her hand swayed about, but reached the mouth finally!
I can go on and on about this...but what I need to say, our Thiruvalluvar, encapsulated it perfectly in a tongue twister couplet!
'Kuzhal inidhu, yaazh inidhu enbar,
(tham) makkal mazhalai sol kaladhaar'!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Had fun being out of place!
I had mentioned in my previous post about the FH&RA and the people who had come for it. It is the *****( 5 star) and ****(4 star) hotel owners and delegates from all over India! Definitely, a down- to-earth software professional, a cool college student, and an orthodox housewife can never fit in the scene! But we had fun!
The college student (read my brother) asked the s/w professional(read me) for a suggestion on his attire for Sivamani's concert. 'Should I wear formals? or casuals?' I, with all the knowledge acquired over the years on dress-code, gave a sly grin, and said, 'Formal? are you kidding? Go casuals dear brother!' My brother, surprisingly, for once, thought his sis was right, and chose to don his favorite hardly washed jean and a denim shirt to go with it. We reached there and voila! All the men folk were in designer suits!! The most casual attire in the crowd was 'khakis' with a solid color shirt - the business casual in the s/w world!! My brother burnt me down with his stare! Thankfully, two other men were dressed in casuals as him, but they were fellow drummers in Sivamani's troupe! The only soothing factor for my brother is that, his sis was the only gal in salwar, plaited hair and plain face! All the other young women were in trousers with their hair left lose and painted face! So we did quite stand out!
At the doorway, a few gentlemen and ladies, were chatting and smoking! First cultural shock for the orthodox housewife (read my mom). She saw them, raised her brows and exclaimed 'Don't we look out of place?!' But, I could hear her pray to her favorite Gods - 'Don't let my kids get influenced by this!!' followed by a worried look.
We went into a silent auditorium and Sivamani's drums was a real treat..Again, I had mentioned enough about the irrelevant audience in my previous post. For the kind of music - typical 'kuthu', be it a college student or a s/w professional, we wanted to get up and dance... But the audience would sit still as if they were listening to Pandit Ravishankar's sitar or Hariprasad's flute!
After the show, was the most funniest part! the dinner! A well-laid Buffet from Radisson - Obviously veg and non-veg. My mom, already had butterflies in her stomach! She was so scared of mistaking a non-veg dish. Her loyal lieutenants assured to help her out. As soon as we entered the buffet lounge, to the left, was a neatly laid table with colorful glasses of drinks. My cousin, an 8th std. kid, went to the stall, turned to us and asked, grape or apple nectar? Just then, we realized she was asking us to make a choice between, wine and beer. Told her, we don't drink fruit juice on Saturday evenings and brought her from there.
The theme of the dinner was 'Tamilnadu dishes' and on the menu, was Meen kaara kuzhambu, kozhi varuval and eraichi masala - items to be avoided by the veggies.. Mom kept repeating these names in her mind and cross-verified it with the name boards. Then, there was a 'Paalkatti kootu' It was a dish out of grated paneer which looked like grated egg.. After having a mouthful of it, mom had a doubt if that was egg!! to add to the irony, my brother, to have some fun, suggested to my mom, it looked like egg.. She almost threw up. She wouldn't trust my analogy with the name. She went to the waiter, to confirm that it was indeed vegetarian.
There was Mr.Strongs juice bar(BAR??) and they came around giving small pints to sample - color of grape and apple nectar again - Mom refused. On further enquiry we realized it was indeed grape and apple and took the pints. Got reminded of a famous tamil proverb - "panamarathadiyil..."
My brother and I had some fun with a game - The goal of the game, to identify the type of the 'madhubaanam' in people's hands and if possible, infer the 'round' the drinker was indulging himself in, by the way he holds his glass, by the way he behaves silly or walks...
After the dinner and the customary goodbye, we were ready to leave. At the exit, Mr. Strongs, were giving promotional gifts to everybody - A bottle of chamagne, red wine, whiskey :-) My brother and I were thrilled. Mom sighed. After we got it, we realized that they were just look-alikes!! It said Old Secret - COLA, Red Wine - Non Alcoholic, Chamagne - 0% Alcohol. Mom was thrilled! We sighed!
But the evening was indeed good! Was a treat to eyes, ears and mouth!
The college student (read my brother) asked the s/w professional(read me) for a suggestion on his attire for Sivamani's concert. 'Should I wear formals? or casuals?' I, with all the knowledge acquired over the years on dress-code, gave a sly grin, and said, 'Formal? are you kidding? Go casuals dear brother!' My brother, surprisingly, for once, thought his sis was right, and chose to don his favorite hardly washed jean and a denim shirt to go with it. We reached there and voila! All the men folk were in designer suits!! The most casual attire in the crowd was 'khakis' with a solid color shirt - the business casual in the s/w world!! My brother burnt me down with his stare! Thankfully, two other men were dressed in casuals as him, but they were fellow drummers in Sivamani's troupe! The only soothing factor for my brother is that, his sis was the only gal in salwar, plaited hair and plain face! All the other young women were in trousers with their hair left lose and painted face! So we did quite stand out!
At the doorway, a few gentlemen and ladies, were chatting and smoking! First cultural shock for the orthodox housewife (read my mom). She saw them, raised her brows and exclaimed 'Don't we look out of place?!' But, I could hear her pray to her favorite Gods - 'Don't let my kids get influenced by this!!' followed by a worried look.
We went into a silent auditorium and Sivamani's drums was a real treat..Again, I had mentioned enough about the irrelevant audience in my previous post. For the kind of music - typical 'kuthu', be it a college student or a s/w professional, we wanted to get up and dance... But the audience would sit still as if they were listening to Pandit Ravishankar's sitar or Hariprasad's flute!
After the show, was the most funniest part! the dinner! A well-laid Buffet from Radisson - Obviously veg and non-veg. My mom, already had butterflies in her stomach! She was so scared of mistaking a non-veg dish. Her loyal lieutenants assured to help her out. As soon as we entered the buffet lounge, to the left, was a neatly laid table with colorful glasses of drinks. My cousin, an 8th std. kid, went to the stall, turned to us and asked, grape or apple nectar? Just then, we realized she was asking us to make a choice between, wine and beer. Told her, we don't drink fruit juice on Saturday evenings and brought her from there.
The theme of the dinner was 'Tamilnadu dishes' and on the menu, was Meen kaara kuzhambu, kozhi varuval and eraichi masala - items to be avoided by the veggies.. Mom kept repeating these names in her mind and cross-verified it with the name boards. Then, there was a 'Paalkatti kootu' It was a dish out of grated paneer which looked like grated egg.. After having a mouthful of it, mom had a doubt if that was egg!! to add to the irony, my brother, to have some fun, suggested to my mom, it looked like egg.. She almost threw up. She wouldn't trust my analogy with the name. She went to the waiter, to confirm that it was indeed vegetarian.
There was Mr.Strongs juice bar(BAR??) and they came around giving small pints to sample - color of grape and apple nectar again - Mom refused. On further enquiry we realized it was indeed grape and apple and took the pints. Got reminded of a famous tamil proverb - "panamarathadiyil..."
My brother and I had some fun with a game - The goal of the game, to identify the type of the 'madhubaanam' in people's hands and if possible, infer the 'round' the drinker was indulging himself in, by the way he holds his glass, by the way he behaves silly or walks...
After the dinner and the customary goodbye, we were ready to leave. At the exit, Mr. Strongs, were giving promotional gifts to everybody - A bottle of chamagne, red wine, whiskey :-) My brother and I were thrilled. Mom sighed. After we got it, we realized that they were just look-alikes!! It said Old Secret - COLA, Red Wine - Non Alcoholic, Chamagne - 0% Alcohol. Mom was thrilled! We sighed!
But the evening was indeed good! Was a treat to eyes, ears and mouth!
Mellifluous Thundershowers
Last week's rains had given Chennai a fresh, clean makeover, and I was enjoying my weekend lazing out, and admiring the lush green neighborhood. I had not planned anything for the weekend. I made a few attempts to grab a ticket for 'Maestro' - Illayaraja's live concert, but in vain. The weekend was quite eventful, considering that I did not have any plans until Saturday noon. Dad got an invite for FH&RA's(Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Asscoiation's) All India Convention - Golden Jubilee Celebrations. This is a 3 day convention with lectures in the morn and cultural Shows in the evening followed by good dinner from Radisson. Obviously, our area of interest was the cultural show and the good food.
On Saturday, Sivamani was performing live! I've always been awe-struck by his magical hands. I've heard him in cine-music, I've heard him in instrumental albums, but always in combination with other instruments. Being a lover of soft, carnatic genres of music, I really wondered if a drummer could treat my ears for hours with pleasing music!
It was a treat indeed. The very sight of Sivamani amidst his array of percussion gizmos of all sizes and shapes was breath-taking! And, to see him handle them and produce music out of them is amazing! The rhythm and the charm in his hands weaves a roller-coaster ride for you.. It might be easy to play Indian folk, Indian classical, western folk, western classical, heavy metal one by one - But to flow from one genre to another keeping the rhythm and back-ground note the same was astounding..
The piece I liked the most was his Afro-music with a 'Tarzan hoot'.. It really felt like hanging in the vines of a jungle with Trazan and Jane! I was also thrilled to watch him produce music by tapping his mouth! The hall was acoustically constructed, and the sound waves traveled well. The decibels were at the right level. But for a misfitting audience, the show was indeed a mellifluous thundershower, and I enjoyed getting drenched! The top brass of hospitality industry from all over India was indeed a wrong crowd. They enjoyed his music, but wouldn't react much. It was like shunning from a cool drizzle with a black umbrella on a hot summer evening. Mild claps would be the result of a complicated rendition. I strongly feel, the best applause a musician could get, is the audience involvement. That would encourage him to exhibit his talent to the fullest. This audience participation or rather the lack of it was quite disappointing. At the most Sivamani could get out of the audience was a few rhythmic claps in sync with his performance.
On Saturday, Sivamani was performing live! I've always been awe-struck by his magical hands. I've heard him in cine-music, I've heard him in instrumental albums, but always in combination with other instruments. Being a lover of soft, carnatic genres of music, I really wondered if a drummer could treat my ears for hours with pleasing music!
It was a treat indeed. The very sight of Sivamani amidst his array of percussion gizmos of all sizes and shapes was breath-taking! And, to see him handle them and produce music out of them is amazing! The rhythm and the charm in his hands weaves a roller-coaster ride for you.. It might be easy to play Indian folk, Indian classical, western folk, western classical, heavy metal one by one - But to flow from one genre to another keeping the rhythm and back-ground note the same was astounding..
The piece I liked the most was his Afro-music with a 'Tarzan hoot'.. It really felt like hanging in the vines of a jungle with Trazan and Jane! I was also thrilled to watch him produce music by tapping his mouth! The hall was acoustically constructed, and the sound waves traveled well. The decibels were at the right level. But for a misfitting audience, the show was indeed a mellifluous thundershower, and I enjoyed getting drenched! The top brass of hospitality industry from all over India was indeed a wrong crowd. They enjoyed his music, but wouldn't react much. It was like shunning from a cool drizzle with a black umbrella on a hot summer evening. Mild claps would be the result of a complicated rendition. I strongly feel, the best applause a musician could get, is the audience involvement. That would encourage him to exhibit his talent to the fullest. This audience participation or rather the lack of it was quite disappointing. At the most Sivamani could get out of the audience was a few rhythmic claps in sync with his performance.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Tangled Knots II - Missed the Miss?
Cast : Betty, Rexx, Tony, Andy, Larry, Sam, Freddy
Betty and Rexx were best of friends. They did their school and college together, but now, have moved to different cities and had lives and interests of their own. Yet, they stayed in touch and were close buddies. Rexx lived in a different town and Betty was with a good crowd of friends in a different city. Betty was a cool socializing gal and she made lotta friends in the city but two special ones - Freddy and Sam. Freddy and Sam were so different from each other! Sam, a genius, was a practical introvert with slapstick sense of humor. Freddy on the other hand, was a party animal, an artist and fun loving. Betty and Freddy got along very well. They had lotta things in common and were very comfortable with each other. But it was Sam with whom Betty was awe-struck! She liked him so much, she wished to impress him. Betty and her friends went for a holiday trip. Betty spent most of the journey with either Freddy or Sam.
It was Betty's birthday. On this special day, she got a surprise gift from an anonymous person! The gift was amazing and expensive. A Swarovski crystal cut intricately into a caged parrot.
But who could have sent it? The gift was just signed 'Your Friend'! How will Betty find this out?!
Is it her lifetime buddy Rexx? Is it the introvert Sam? or Is it the artistic Freddy?
With the help of Sherlock Holmes and Hitchcock of her gang, Betty figured out that it was Freddy! She was elated by the reciprocation of her friendship!! So thoughtful of Freddy!! But what the naive Betty missed, Hitchcock and Sherlock smelled....This is not just friendship! They did tell Betty about it. But Betty was naive and could not/ refused to believe it. The birthday bash went fine and it was obvious to the rest of the world that Freddy was getting interested in Betty. But Betty had no clue!
Will Freddy propose? Will Betty accept? What happens of Rexx and Sam? Do they choose to be her friends? Who will Betty accept if they also choose to propose?
It's for time or my Episode: 2 to answer!
Gyan #1:
Theorem : When you give hints to a girl, it is most likely that her friends will realize your intentions perfectly than the girl herself!
Corollary : If you are interested in a girl, give hints to her friend ;-)
Betty and Rexx were best of friends. They did their school and college together, but now, have moved to different cities and had lives and interests of their own. Yet, they stayed in touch and were close buddies. Rexx lived in a different town and Betty was with a good crowd of friends in a different city. Betty was a cool socializing gal and she made lotta friends in the city but two special ones - Freddy and Sam. Freddy and Sam were so different from each other! Sam, a genius, was a practical introvert with slapstick sense of humor. Freddy on the other hand, was a party animal, an artist and fun loving. Betty and Freddy got along very well. They had lotta things in common and were very comfortable with each other. But it was Sam with whom Betty was awe-struck! She liked him so much, she wished to impress him. Betty and her friends went for a holiday trip. Betty spent most of the journey with either Freddy or Sam.
It was Betty's birthday. On this special day, she got a surprise gift from an anonymous person! The gift was amazing and expensive. A Swarovski crystal cut intricately into a caged parrot.
But who could have sent it? The gift was just signed 'Your Friend'! How will Betty find this out?!
Is it her lifetime buddy Rexx? Is it the introvert Sam? or Is it the artistic Freddy?
With the help of Sherlock Holmes and Hitchcock of her gang, Betty figured out that it was Freddy! She was elated by the reciprocation of her friendship!! So thoughtful of Freddy!! But what the naive Betty missed, Hitchcock and Sherlock smelled....This is not just friendship! They did tell Betty about it. But Betty was naive and could not/ refused to believe it. The birthday bash went fine and it was obvious to the rest of the world that Freddy was getting interested in Betty. But Betty had no clue!
Will Freddy propose? Will Betty accept? What happens of Rexx and Sam? Do they choose to be her friends? Who will Betty accept if they also choose to propose?
It's for time or my Episode: 2 to answer!
Gyan #1:
Theorem : When you give hints to a girl, it is most likely that her friends will realize your intentions perfectly than the girl herself!
Corollary : If you are interested in a girl, give hints to her friend ;-)
Monday, October 03, 2005
Commercial Break
In the TV world, commercials time more than the episode hours for a mega serial. Here, we'll have commercial breaks only between full episode runs. And it is time for one. That 'DDLJ eh kya?' is over, I would like my readers to come out of that and get ready for the next one. So, relax and analyse the commercials.. The standard of commercials in India is getting to be better. Witty, Cool, chweet, sentimental, acrobatic - what not? They all display a good amount of brain and hard work . And of course, we have the controversial ones, not so good ones and really bad ones.
Talking about the controversial ones, the one that comes immediately to my mind, is the latest Lux Ad, featuring King Khan! Lux Beauty soap which had featured India's top Bollywood Queens like Madhubala, Hemamalini, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla,Karishma, Aiswarya Rai now has a male! For the first time in 75 years of history!
So, what is the analogy behind this? What was the thought process that led to such a major decision? How did the agency dare to change the legend? What was the business strategy behind this? An analysis at these various aspects in an angle of my own follows... Lets answer the following questions! with a logic
1. Who are the target audience and prospective buyers of the soap?
Girls and Ladies
2. What is the age group in India who are choosy about their soaps?
Now: 12-35
3. Are these prospective buyers naive, uneducated and ignorant?
No
Gone are the days when Ladies believed that a beauty soap can really make them look like Hemamalini or give them that complexion. Gone are the days when the uneducated women goes to the shop and asks for Madhubala's soap or Juhi's soap. And, most importantly, gone are the days when women felt embarrassed to watch a commercial featuring revealing men. It is very, very logical of the ad agency to believe that SRK could get his prospective buyers to watch the commercial than what Kareena can!
Considering the equality in thought and behavior that women are claiming, it's more likely that a person like SRK who has a great fan following of the fairer sex could attract them as well. The most feministic mind would think, if gals can endorse after-shave lotions, why can't guys endorse beauty soaps?
Consider this scenario: Aish endorses and the ad comes up between a mega serial and a couple get to watch it. The scene at home would already be sour as the wife will wanna watch the serial and the husband will want to switch channels. But, when the ad comes up, our man will watch it open-mouthed and the wife will wanna switch channels.
1. Will the wife ever buy the soap?
2. Even if the husband buys it for her, what will she infer from this action?
Considering all the above factors, I think it is quite a brilliant idea to make SRK endorse Lux. Additionally, if the guys also buy the soap, will HLL have anything to lose? ;-)
Talking about the controversial ones, the one that comes immediately to my mind, is the latest Lux Ad, featuring King Khan! Lux Beauty soap which had featured India's top Bollywood Queens like Madhubala, Hemamalini, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla,Karishma, Aiswarya Rai now has a male! For the first time in 75 years of history!
So, what is the analogy behind this? What was the thought process that led to such a major decision? How did the agency dare to change the legend? What was the business strategy behind this? An analysis at these various aspects in an angle of my own follows... Lets answer the following questions! with a logic
1. Who are the target audience and prospective buyers of the soap?
Girls and Ladies
2. What is the age group in India who are choosy about their soaps?
Now: 12-35
3. Are these prospective buyers naive, uneducated and ignorant?
No
Gone are the days when Ladies believed that a beauty soap can really make them look like Hemamalini or give them that complexion. Gone are the days when the uneducated women goes to the shop and asks for Madhubala's soap or Juhi's soap. And, most importantly, gone are the days when women felt embarrassed to watch a commercial featuring revealing men. It is very, very logical of the ad agency to believe that SRK could get his prospective buyers to watch the commercial than what Kareena can!
Considering the equality in thought and behavior that women are claiming, it's more likely that a person like SRK who has a great fan following of the fairer sex could attract them as well. The most feministic mind would think, if gals can endorse after-shave lotions, why can't guys endorse beauty soaps?
Consider this scenario: Aish endorses and the ad comes up between a mega serial and a couple get to watch it. The scene at home would already be sour as the wife will wanna watch the serial and the husband will want to switch channels. But, when the ad comes up, our man will watch it open-mouthed and the wife will wanna switch channels.
1. Will the wife ever buy the soap?
2. Even if the husband buys it for her, what will she infer from this action?
Considering all the above factors, I think it is quite a brilliant idea to make SRK endorse Lux. Additionally, if the guys also buy the soap, will HLL have anything to lose? ;-)
Tangled Knots I - DDLJ eh kya?
Episode: 4
Jessi actually spotted the chemistry between Raj and Simran. She knew both of them were interested in each other but are not just saying it out..She gave them courage - Raj, the courage to propose and Simran, the courage to accept.
The proposal and the acceptance sequence can itself go for 2 episodes and can be rated 'comedy' - Yes. You read it right! 'C-O-M-E-D-Y' not 'R-O-M-A-N-T-I-C'. But am not going into the details of it. That is in no way related to our analysis on the complexities of human relationships. You might wonder if the first 2 episodes were, if this episode is and will the future episodes be? But as you already know the answer, mega serials neve talk to teh point.
Simran is a good Indian daughter and her Parents are typical Indian, orthodox parents. They love and care for Simran and had great dreams about her wedding. So, when Simran and Raj broke the news to her parents, they flipped out! They can never accept Raj. They can never accept Raj coz he doesn't have a mouche! Simran couldn't just believe it! All for a Mouche?
Yes. All for a mouche..Her parents couldn't imagine being ridiculed by their relatives. They strongly believed that guys without mouche cannot suppot their daughter life long.. Raj and Simran being good kids, decided to wait till her parents agree...
You might wonder, Why can't Raj just sport a mouche?! Well, can you imagine SRK with mouche? For some, it is by birth, they cannot have a mouche. Blame it on God! But losing your loved one for that is too much to ask for!
So, Raj and Simran decide to play the 'waiting game'... From days to months to years...It is 4 years and they are still waiting for her parents to accept.. Their careers lead them to different destinations. In 4 years, they got to meet each other on a daily basis only for about 1 1/2 years. Rest of the days, they were thousands and thousands of miles apart, but just a call away..
Now, relating to the title, will Raj be able to claim Simran's hands with her dad's nod, is for time to answer...
Wait for a new Episode soon..
Jessi actually spotted the chemistry between Raj and Simran. She knew both of them were interested in each other but are not just saying it out..She gave them courage - Raj, the courage to propose and Simran, the courage to accept.
The proposal and the acceptance sequence can itself go for 2 episodes and can be rated 'comedy' - Yes. You read it right! 'C-O-M-E-D-Y' not 'R-O-M-A-N-T-I-C'. But am not going into the details of it. That is in no way related to our analysis on the complexities of human relationships. You might wonder if the first 2 episodes were, if this episode is and will the future episodes be? But as you already know the answer, mega serials neve talk to teh point.
Simran is a good Indian daughter and her Parents are typical Indian, orthodox parents. They love and care for Simran and had great dreams about her wedding. So, when Simran and Raj broke the news to her parents, they flipped out! They can never accept Raj. They can never accept Raj coz he doesn't have a mouche! Simran couldn't just believe it! All for a Mouche?
Yes. All for a mouche..Her parents couldn't imagine being ridiculed by their relatives. They strongly believed that guys without mouche cannot suppot their daughter life long.. Raj and Simran being good kids, decided to wait till her parents agree...
You might wonder, Why can't Raj just sport a mouche?! Well, can you imagine SRK with mouche? For some, it is by birth, they cannot have a mouche. Blame it on God! But losing your loved one for that is too much to ask for!
So, Raj and Simran decide to play the 'waiting game'... From days to months to years...It is 4 years and they are still waiting for her parents to accept.. Their careers lead them to different destinations. In 4 years, they got to meet each other on a daily basis only for about 1 1/2 years. Rest of the days, they were thousands and thousands of miles apart, but just a call away..
Now, relating to the title, will Raj be able to claim Simran's hands with her dad's nod, is for time to answer...
Wait for a new Episode soon..
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