Games on Facebook

Lately I have been totally and completely obsessed with the games on Facebook.

It first started with Word Twist where you have to form as many words as you can with the letters given. I started making up jumbled letters and un-jumbling them in my sleep!!

Then came Pathwords (which I still play at times). You connect letters in a kind of grid to make as many words as you can. There is a live tally ticking away on the side of the screen which tells you which of your friends you have beaten with your current score. That really revs you up!! And so, makes you want to play till you die. My mom is currently so hooked on to Pathwords that I get at least 6 challenges from her a day!

Then came what I like to call the 'Ville' games. Oh man!! Are they the rage or what?!?!

Farmville makes you grow crops ranging from strawberries to daffodils to rice; to can plant grapefruit, peach, apple, avacado, olive and apple trees (God knows how they all grow side by side and in the same weather!); you rear farm animals - pigs, cows, goats, ducks, chickens, horses; you even get to buy baby elephants (!!) and grass topiaries. Once you start theres no turning back!

YoVille is virtual living. You have an apartment which you slowly decorate, and YoVille has all the amenities you can wish for - a furntiture store, a clothes boutique, a bank, few restaurants, a racing course, a casino, a beach - you name it! And you have to maintain 'friendship levels' with friends that you have invited to the game!!

Then came Happy Aquarium. Its basically what the name suggests - you own an aquarium, try to add more fish, keep the tank clean and feed the fish regularly and your life goes smoothly. The cutest part is when the fish mate. They do this circling 'dance' and the screen goes red with big hearts! And when it clears an egg drops to the bottom of the tank. Damn cute!!

The one I am currently most obsessed about is Cafe World. I own a Cafe which I must maintain by furnishing, expanding, hiring and cooking. It has to be looked into every few hours and now my day revolves around when I should check on my cafe next (I have 11 hours to go presently)!!

Not to leave out - Treasure Mania (lots of fun if you like little puzzle-games), Scrabble, Uno and a gaziilion others!!

I love 'em all!!!!

The Amulet of Samarkand

So happens that I am at the Chennai airport waiting to board the flight to Colombo, and S decides to pick up something to read.. I tag along, sternly making up my mind not to buy anything for myself - after all I have my holiday reading already lined up.

But I have this thing about bookshops. If I visit one, I cannot leave without picking up something! I felt guilty about indulging, and so picked up this book with half a heart. I read it in a day and a half and absolutely LOVED it!

I have been meaning to read a fantasy book for a while now. I have this sudden love for the magic, gore and mysticism that this genre offers. 'The Amulet of Samarkand' by Jonathan Stroud did not disappoint.

The first of the Bartimaeus triology, this is the story of Nathaniel, a young, upcoming, emotional and extremely rash apprentice-magician and the djinni Bartimaeus that he summons.

Nathaniel lives with his master and mistress and is bitter towards the attitude his master has to him. The emotion strengthens when Simon Lovelace (a magician-minister who's ambition is to take over the government and will stop at nothing to achieve this) pooh poohs him as a mere child. An angry Nathaniel summons Bartimaeus, a 5,000 year old djinni, to seek his revenge.

The Amulet of Samarkand is a fast-paced, action-packed story with very funny, witty footnotes (I actually had to put down my book at times because I was laughing so much). Jonathan Stroud moves from the second-person narration of Nathaniel's story to Bartimaeus's first-person narration with elegant ease.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amulet_of_Samarkand

Good Night and God Bless

M gifted me this book during a trip to B'lore. She is a ardent fan of Indian writing and was trying to get me to read some 'quality' books for a while.

I finally picked this one up from my shelf after 6 months of her giving it to me, and I regret not reading it earlier!

Good night and God bless by Anita Nair is a collection of short essays. Nothing spectacular. Except that it is! Every piece has an anecdote that she relates to some book, line from a book, character from a book... A complete comparison of events, people and places in her life with events, people and places that she has read about. And if you are a voracious reader yourself, you will love it!

When I thought the essay I had finished reading was the best I had ever read, the next one came along! What made the experience even more delightful were the little sketches and footnotes. I was floored by her wit.

Anita Nair's passion for reading, writing, food and life is exuded in every page. I loved the description of her study and hope to have something similar soon!

The best part though is the list of recommended reading that the author has given at the end of the book. I have written them down and intend to buy them all!


http://www.anitanair.net/novels/Goodnight_and_God_Bless/publishers_gnagb.htm

Ayubowan!

Went to Sri Lanka!!!!

The passport didnt come that day. We had to wait over the weekend. But it did surface finally and plans were made almost immediately. Super package!! 3 nights in the Taj Exotica, Bentota; 2 nights at the Galadari, Colombo; airport transfers; hotel to hotel transfer; bed and breakfast, all for INR 31,000 odd.

We left at 10.30 on the 2nd of Sept., Wednesday which happened to be S's 30th birthday! Got an upgrade on Sri Lankan. Did you know you have to wear full pants to travel business class?? Weird and stupid if you ask me! Anyway, S had to change out of his shorts. Sri Lankan has deteriorated since the last time I flew the airline (in 2005) - no alcohol was served, food was pathetic, that too on business class! Service was good though.

We landed in Colombo after an hour and a half and passed immigration and customs suprisingly fast. The drive from the airport to Bentota was very pleasing. Bentota is a village south of Colombo. It takes around 2 and a half hours to get there from the airport. Nearing Bentota, the road runs along the rocky shoreline. This is one of the most picturesque routes I have ever seen!

Taj Exotica is awesome! I heard that it's like Fisherman's Cove here, I think it's much much better. Although smaller, the sea and the property are beautiful! Our room overlooked the Indian Ocean (the receptionist said it was not 'directly' sea-facing; it was good enough for us!!). We had the most wonderful 3 days there. Only, the food is pretty expensive. But the breakfast spread took my breath (and hunger) away! What a spread!! Appams, stringhoppers, fish curry, potato curry, chicken curry, idli/ upma, a dosai counter, an omelette station, an array of breads, vegetable and fruit juices, sausages, meat, eggs, baked beans, potatoes, tomatoes, cereal..... need I go on??

We had lunch at 2 other resorts nearby. One day at the Lihiniya Surf Hotel. S said the place reminded him of the town in 'Grand Theft Auto - Vice City' and so instantly loved it! He had a pizza and I opted for the prawn biryani. The prawns were juicy and big, but the rice was not much to talk about. The next day we went to the Serendib. I would NOT recommend this place AT ALL!!! S had a pasta and I ate the chicken curry and rice. We got a whopping bill for extremely salty food. I am certain they charged for the salt!

Overall, the Taj was the best. After all, what more could one expect?

The Galadari at Colombo is rated 5 star but could fairly be a 3-4 star hotel. A once-grand hotel that has obviously aged - the wall paper was peeling at the ends, there was mildew under the basin in the bathroom... The view from the room, though, was breath taking. It overlooked the Indian Ocean on the right, and right in front of us was the old Parliament building which is now the Prime Minister's Office. Beautiful!!

We spent 3 days and 2 nights at Colombo. D, who loves there, took us to The Museum which is a night club at the Galle Face Hotel. I found that I actually knew the songs they played which I loved!! The next two days were spent predominantly shopping. First at House of Fashion... big mistake!! It was a Sunday and resembled a fish market. Did NOT enjoy shopping there, although we picked up some pretty decent clothes. What made it worse was the 20 minute wait in the line to pay. Bloody pain! Anyway, the next day we went to Cotton Collection and Odel. CC was nicer I thought.

We took the flight out of Colombo that evening and were here by 8 that night.

What struck me most about Sri Lanka was that it is so CLEAN. Even though the LTTE has fallen very recently, the place does not look war-torn in the least. The country seems to clean up good. Having said that, I suppose the northern parts were most affected in the civil war and they will have obvious wounds.

Also what I loved was the friendliness. The Sri Lankans make excellent hosts.

A trip to never forget!

T discovered her foot last week and put her toe in her mouth yesterday! I received many replies (to the SMS that I sent out) that oohed and aah ed. It was quite cute really. One minute she was clutching onto her foot and the next, her toe was in her mouth. Looked like a little Krishna!

The past week has really taken a toll on us. T refused to sleep even for two hours at a stretch during the nights. So we have had hardly 2-3 hours of sleep each day. This makes us cranky and upset every morning and the only thing that stops us from tearing at each other's hair is the wonderful smile she gives... never mind that she's bawling her head off in a couple of hours again!

I tried something new the day before and it has yielded results these past two nights. We keep her very occupied till about 4 - 5 ish and then take her out - a walk day before and to Palimar for tiffin yesterday (we ate the tiffin, she watched the crowd). And then its bathtime at 6.30 - 7.00 ish. Shes asleep by 9 and doesn't get up so often after that.

She now totally rejects my breast - which I consider a blessing in disguise! Its much much easier to express into a bottle and store it. I felt very guilty initially, also a little miffed that she would treat me so. But I am now looking forward to a trip abroad thanks to this new found freedom!!

Yes, S and I have decided that we deserve a holiday. Its been over a year since we stepped out of this city. So imagine our glee when this package to Sri Lanka fell into our laps. Incidentally, S turns 30 this coming Wednesday (2nd Sept.) and that's enough excuse to pack our bags!

So we are all happy till we find out that we don't have valid passports - both of us. We spent the inital part of this week at the passport office, which I GUARANTEE is the WORST WORST WORST place on this side of the planet. The sea of bodies that forced their ways to the front of the queues was, at best, disgusting. And the formalities!! My God!! I need 3 documents to proof that I live here... Isn't it enough that I have a passport already and it just has to be renewed???

Anyway, I am expecting our passports this evening and we confirm our trip tomorrow. *touch wood*

No. 1 on the most popular news items on CNN.com today is a story that is taglined 'Child bride's nightmare after divorce'. A horrifying description of 12-year old Nujood Ali's 2-year marriage to a man who is 'old and ugly' and beat and tortured her. Saddest part is, after the divorce was granted, the husband was not prosecuted but compensated for his loss as per Sharaiah law. Poor Nujood was ordered to pay him more than $200. This from a family that refuses to send her to school citing that they cannot afford the travel or the food expenses.

This has happened in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen and has taken the whole world by storm. How many terrible similar incidents in our country??

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/08/26/yemen.divorce/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

The disappointment that was Roja

We went to buy groceries yesterday and Shravan sees this DVD that has Mouna Ragam and Roja in one. Now we both absolutely love MR (Mouna Ragam, not so much Mani Ratnam), and I loved Roja the one time I saw it, so I was super excited about seeing it again.

Roja came out in 1992, when I was in the 9th standard. We saw it at Prarthana, the only drive-in theatre in Madras. It was raining and there were 5 of us in the car. I was on a 'date' with whatshisname and everyone dared us to kiss. But Arvind Swamy was more interesting to me than this boy!

Arvind Swamy.. what a dream boat! Especially when he looks out of his 'prison' room and croons to Roja....*sigh*.... never mind how he looks now!!!!!!

Anyway... back to the movie. I was soooo disappointed!!! I am very sad. Somehow, the cracks in the movie stuck out distinctly this time around.

Like the climax. Rishi (Arvind's character) is running for life down slope after slope and finally comes to this dam across which stands his Roja. How did he know his way there? How did Roja and Nasser and the army know that they would meet at that exact time and that exact place? Why does Pankaj Kapoor's character (can't remember his name) let Rishi go? And why the hell didn't the army shoot down Pankaj when he was right there, a sitting duck??

The music was absolutely amazing! The soundtrack has definitely stood the test of time. Confirms my belief that A.R. Rahman is by far the best musician of our time.

I felt the movie lacked depth. When I saw it the first time, sitting in the car, with the wipers on fast, it seemed so full of emotion. I remember coming home with a blissful weight in my heart. I didn't feel a thing this time. Anyone want to venture a guess why? Let me know!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roja
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105271/

The Hangover

It's Doug's bachelor party! And its in Las Vegas!!

Four friends - Doug (Justin Bartha), Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) - road trip to Vegas 2 days before Doug's wedding. They drive a swanky Mercedes that Doug's father-in-law to be (also Alan's father) lends them. Stu has lied to his long-time, nagging girlfriend that they are going to Napa Valley.

The friends decide on the villa instead of regular rooms at the Caesar's Palace - on Stu's credit card. And then the party starts. They have one shot each of a drug-laced drink on the roof of the hotel. And thats all they remember!

When they wake up the next morning, the villa is a complete mess - sofa singeing, broken glass, a missing tooth, no mattress in Doug's room, a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet and NO DOUG!!

Then starts a frantic search for the bridegroom. They finally find him, just in time, on the roof, completely sunburnt.

This is one of the most funny movies I have seen in recent times. A LOT of sexual references s (subtle and otherwise), this movie kept me in splits almost all the time. Alan and the baby were hilarious, as was the drama with Mike Tyson! My favourite, though, was the Chinese don, Mr. Chow, who kidnaps 'Doug' and demands $80,000 that they had stolen from him.

A must-see!!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119646/
http://hangovermovie.warnerbros.com/

Little T and Me

21.06.2009: I'm a mother! Wow.. cannot believe it... My beautiful baby girl, Triyana, was born on the 2nd of May this year. Its been 1 month and 19 days of motherhood and her time on big bad earth!

She has changed so much these past few weeks. Her features have become more defined, she has more expressions now. She has started to coo and laugh! I didn't feel like a mother on Mothers' Day last month.. felt wierd when everyone wished me. But I do feel more like one today, on Fathers' Day!

My days have revolved around her. Feeding, changing nappies, giving her a bath, changing nappies, changing clothes, changing nappies, baby language, changing nappies, feeding her, putting her to sleep, changing nappies, feeding her...:))

I recommend motherhood. It has been frustrating at times but on the whole a very enriching experience that has taught me so much about myself. I did not know that I had so much energy in the middle of the night...

04.08.09: So Triyana turned over!! 4 days ago. She did it thrice and hasn't succeeded after that:) She now talks and talks. Shes a morning person - just like her father. The minute I wish her 'Guten Morning' (in my own silly sing-song way) she beams at me. Such a pleasure!

We've finally settled into a routine of sorts. She wakes up around 6.30 every morning and we lie in bed talking and playing for about half an hour. Then she is transferred to her chair (this blue rocker that has a vibrator as well - she used to fall asleep everytime I switched the vibrator on, but has become cleverer in the past 3 months) while I make tea for myself and coffee for Shravan. By the time I drink my tea, she's ready for a feed and then she falls asleep. That gives us time to finish up chores, chat, eat breakfast. Once she wakes up, it bath time! She kicks and plays as I rub oil over her body. She also likes it when we sing to her... my singing has improved tremendously, Shravan says. I think so too!! Anyway, T seems to like it and thats that! Hmm.. back to the topic. Shravan who is bathed and ready, takes T down to 'big house' (as we call my in-laws' place which is on the other side of the road) once she is bathed and ready. It is then my turn to get bathed and ready and run off to work.

Thats the morning, and the most eventful part of the day for most days.

The Duchess

Based on the life of the Her Grace Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, the Duchess is a story of aristocracy, deceit, adultery, love and politics in England during the 1700s.

Georgiana is married to the Duke of Devonshire, who is a sullen, chauvinistic man desperate for a male heir. He has been promised that Georgiana will be able to bear him his son at the earliest. G., as the Duchess is called affectionately, is soon with child. But is shocked to find that her husband not only sleeps with the maids of his household, but has also borne a daughter from one of them. She agrees to raising the child as her own.

The Duke is soon disappointed that G. has borne him not one but 2 more daughters. He holds a grudge against her, claiming that she has not fulfilled her duty as his wife.

Georgiana, in the meantime, has become extremely popular, a fashion icon. She also proves that she has a sharp mind and everyone is intrigued by her. At one party, she meets Mrs. Elizabeth Foster, who befriends her. They get along famously. Bess has been forbidden to meet her 3 sons and is living on a fast depleting sum of money. G. convinces the Duke to let Bess stay with them.

Georgiana and Bess have a glorious time together till, one day, G. arrives home to find Bess and the Duke in bed together. She demands that Bess leaves immediately but the Duke refuses. She seeks advise from her mother who says that she will have to resign herself to the situation.

Mr. Charles Grey, a friend of G's, is part of the Whig Party and hopes to become Prime Minister one day. She helps him campaign and soon they fall in love. Georgiana proposes a deal to the Duke - Bess and the Duke have her blessing if she can have a relationship with Mr. Grey. The Duke is furious and ends up raping her.

She is now again with child - this time she gives birth to a boy, much to the Duke's delight.

Bess arranges for a rendezvous between Mr. Grey and Georgiana - they become lovers but are not very discreet. The Duke, once he gets to know, gives her an ultimatum. Either forget the man or forget her children. She chooses her children, but is pregnant again, this time with Charles' child.

She gives birth to a daughter in the country and turns in the babe to Charles' family.

Georgiana goes back to a 'normal' life. She is, once again, the lovely, popular Duchess, and gives Bess and the Duke her blessing. They live together till her death.

Keira Knightley as the Duchess does a super job. Her transition from a newly wed teenager to a mother of 4 has been portrayed beautifully. The castles, ballrooms and locations of the movie are very appealing and true to life.

Last Chance Harvey

This a wonderful, mature love story.

Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) is a musician. He writes jingles but has always wanted to be a jazz pianist. He isn't happy with the way technology has taken over the music industry, and seems to be becoming obsolete to his bosses. His daughter is about to get married in London for the weekend and he looks forward to the trip.

Kate Walker (Emma Thompson) works at Heathrow, collecting statistics, questioning passengers - who are mostly rude, Harvey being one of them. She lives near her mother who is lonely and keeps calling her all the time. Kate hopes to become a novelist . She is single and lonely.

Harvey arrives in London only to find out that he is the only one at the hotel and that everyone else is staying at a house rented by his ex-wife and husband. He meets everyone at the rehearsal dinner only to feel left out. He also learns that he has been fired. He promises his daughter that he will be at the ceremony the next day, but not the reception since he will have to catch the flight back home.

Meanwhile, Kate has a date who has invited his friends to the table. She ends up feeling left out and leaves, disappointed.

Harvey misses the flight the next day and bumps into Kate at the lounge while waiting for another one.

What ensues is a warm and poignant story of two middle-aged, disappointed people who find love in the most unexpected place.

http://www.lastchanceharvey.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1046947/

An Unfinished Life

A drama about a father who can't get over his son's death and needs someone to blame for it. He blames his daughter-in-law who was driving when the accident took place and is estranged from her.

Einar (Robert Redford) owns and runs a ranch in Wyoming. He also takes care of his long-time friend and colleague Mitch (Morgan Freeman) who has been mauled by a bear. Jean (Jennifer Lopez) who was married to Einar's son turns up one day with her daughter to get away from an abusive boyfriend. Einar lets her stay for a while till she can earn enough to move on.

Einar gets to know his grand-daughter and, with a some pushing from Mitch, learns to forgive Jean and accept her as family.

Mitch tries to come to terms with his crippled condition by accepting the bear's attack as a natural event - an accident as well.

A heart-warming story of forgiveness and acceptance.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0350261/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Unfinished_Life

'Naming of the Dead' by Ian Rankin

This is the first of the Inspector John Rebus series books that I have read. Set in Scotland, it is a fast-paced crime story about a frustrated, aging cop and his young, ambitious lady partner in search of a serial killer.

The book spans one week, during the G8 convention in Edinburgh and the London Underground bomb blasts in 2007. These events play an important part in the story and has been neatly woven in by Rankin.

It is obvious that the author is passionate about music (especially from the late 70s and the 80s) - he mentions lyrics, albums and trivia about bands.

Emotions run high in the book - 3 funerals, a badly hurt mother, differing sentiments, protecting family, wavering diplomats, red-tape, suicide - its got it all!!

A fun read, will definitely pick up another of his books.

Slumdog Millionaire

I disagree with those who think that 'Slumdog Millionaire' shows India in a bad light. If anything, it shows India in its reality and has brought unprecedented global acknowledgment to our country. The Academy Awards this morning was proof of that - 9 awards!!!!

India's pride, however, is not any other award but of the music category. A.R. Rahman and Gulzar are the one's Indians should be proud of. In spite of the movie being based on India, it is NOT an Indian movie. But the music is! It is a pity, though, that the Oscar is not for either of their best works. Rahman has been known for far superior work - in the last year itself. More of a pity that it takes a foreign director to bring these two geniuses to the limelight.

I personally did not like the film. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it. I blame the book 'Q&A'!! A much more interesting story without the 'Bollywood' frills would have been nicer, I think. But then, this version has won all the awards!!!!

Congratulations to Rahman and Gulzar!

Mangalore Pub Attacks

I agree with Renuka Choudhury when she says that the Sri Ram Sene is the Taliban of India. Infact, I would like to go a step further and say that all the radical Hindu groups in this country qualify for that post. The worst part is, they are proud of what they do.

I was watching NDTV the other day and one of the Sene members said and these are not his exact words - 'In India we believe in the phrase Matru Devo Bhava. A woman who will or has attained that status has the responsibility to act in the "right" way'. This basically means that a woman should not drink, smoke, hang out with boys (friends or otherwise) or have any fun of her liking. Her place is in the kitchen and in her husband's/ father's territory. Whatever happened to the rest of the beautiful phrase - Pitru Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava, Athithi Devo Bhava??

Does a man who is or will be a father not have the same responsibility then? Should he also not act in the "right" way and be a role model to his children?? What about the Acharyas or Gurus of modern times - are they right when they plant bombs in Muslim areas?? Is it ok to immolate guests in our country just because they are Christian and have come to do what they believe is their bidding???

I respect that everyone has a right to his/ her opinion. Many men and women in India frown upon the pub culture and especially upon women frequenting places like that. Is there not a better way of expressing that?

I fear for my children!

Handbook 2009

I just read this email from my friend Monica.
HANDBOOK 2009 Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes' walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:

40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about


One of the few I ended up forwarding!