Life just couldnt be better

Whether AAP or baap, Delhi continues to sink and stink

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:11:00 +0000

Yesterday was the day when it poured buckets in Delhi.

The streets were filled with knee-deep water and this dirty and dingy water spilled all over, flooding homes, vehicles and all shanties. Facebook journalists armed with their cell phones filled their and other people's timelines with photos of the city flooding.

Where were Kejru and gang and even people from other party to take onus or responsibility of this mess. Had this been election season, all of these fakesters would have visited shanties, slums and colonies to talk about how PWD mishandles the situation, thumping their chests demanding a probe, seeking resignations etc. Where are they now? What this lull? Who is responsible for it?

Will Kejriwal speak up, please?

And here comes the first interview

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 17:52:00 +0000

Its sounds like bragging but its just a little bit of glee that I cant hide.

My efforts for my baby project jobsfordisabled.org have been appreciated and quoted in an interview with an online magazine. This is like life coming a full circle .... ten year ago a starry eyes girl from Shimla wanted to become 'something' in life. A decade later, she is a seasoned professional, mom, and a social entrepreneur. But the biggest challenge still remains - that of how to be rooted to the ground in all these maddening times.

Sharing here, the link to my interview. Do read and share your opinion as well.

http://www.offdhook.com/woman-of-substance/specially-abled-jobsite/

RK Laxman - The man who brought a smile on everyone's face without saying a word

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 08:17:00 +0000

Having been a media professional for over ten years, the only titles that sound - and may be appear - glamorous to all around are titles like journalists, writers, press photographers, editors.

There is a sound and silent army of desk professionals who are quietly churning crappy stories into read worthy articles. And along with them are a handful of cartoonists and traditionalists who read every word printed in the newspaper and craft the most burning issues in the most light manner in form of a cartoon. Now that's the toughest job I feel, for it requires loads of creativity and understanding of issues.

RK Laxman was the leader this gentry with much poise and calm. His 'common man' and issues raised are as relevant as they were years ago. The only difference - people then realised the issue being raised and now have a 'chalta hai' attitude towards those issues.

RIP Mr Laxman, you will be in my heart and mind for as long as I continue to read a newspaper.

This is what you are resolving to do in 2015: Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 02:51:00 +0000

Well last Sunday of 2014 has got me more active than any of the other days this year. Even before I wrap up my year, I am sorting things that I want to do in 2015. And while Im jotting my list, I think this is what most people are also thinking of doing:

1. Getting in shape – Most people want to slim down, a handful lucky folks want to gain weight. Moral f the story, no body is happy with their body type and want to alter it. Ironically, very few will actually work towards it.

2. More of ‘me’ time – Be it office folks, kids or nudgy in laws – everybody resolves to spend more time with themselves. The circle of life is such that very few actually achieve it.

3. Eating healthy – Thanks to our lifestyles, most want to eat healthy. But the moment we think of having “kuch achcha” it falls in the non-veg genre or the fried fare. You can resolve to eat more greens, but thanks to the great Indian taste buds most will fail doing this.

4. Getting up early – For most of getting up at 6 am is a daily challenge. Most of us will get up early for the first few days and will generally slouch to old routine. Reason: Overbearing routine and lifestyle where office and nuclear family demands drains us frequently.

5. Take up a habit – Everyone wants to take up a habit and nurture it with time. Some succeed other wither away but there’s no harm trying.

With this list, Im good to go in 2015. I hope I stick to these routines, otherwise you know what stopped me.

Parenting now is not a kid’s play

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 14:01:00 +0000

Yesterday a huge newspaper advertisement about a baby show at neighborhood school glared at me. I looked at it and then ignored it and then gave it a sly look. I knew for sure that my Mr Right doesn’t get excited about such shows. His reason: “my baby is not to be upheld for advertising of any sorts, whatever he is… he is good enough for me”.

Right then a neighbor – who is also a close friend and has a son about the same age as my son – popped a Whatapp message, “hey lets go to this baby show tomm…. It will be a good exposure for kids ”.

The school in question is located in the next corner, so all sorts of excuses ran futile. On the pretext of inquiring about school fee and curriculum I dished out a proposal for attending the baby show to Mr Right. Surprisingly he agreed (may be because I mentioned the school curriculum and admission inquiry instead of the baby show).

Today, it was icy cold but I was surprised to see harried parents running towards school along with their kids. And kids, my my, were dressed in attires cut straight from Bollywood. A little girl had put on fairy dress, a boy was dressed as krishna, another one was dressed as politician, and my kid was in the rockstar avatar. I had done the basic minimum – put him rugged jeans and jacket and a spiked hair. Every kid beamed with smile, chased balloons at the school campus, got busy drinking cola and munching chips.

Of course there were the regular rounds to judge a kids’ activities, parents’ awareness and other things. What struck me was that there were so many parents even from very humble backgrounds. This whole glitz wasn’t just about middle class people. Also the awareness rounds proved that every parent had decent knowledge about hygine, good eating habits and even about inculcating good habits in kids.

A decade ago the numbers for such parents could have been less. Almost all parents were curious about admissions, curriculum, schedules etc. Given the fact that most kids there were below 3 years and the concern that parents had for these kids and learning processes was really noteworthy. I cant really say if so much concern is a good thing or not but then in a society where good schools = good marks = good future equation holds prominence what else can you expect from a parent?

Travel tales: When I have new found respect for few politicians

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 18:39:00 +0000

When you think of travelling alone that too ferrying your one year old prankster, the only thing that comes to mind is worries and discomfort. Of course all these things are a part of any mommy's life in varying degrees, but you occasionally come across strangers who knowingly or unknowingly make your travel easier, rather fun filled at times. Same happed to me this time around.

I was scheduled for a 2hour long flight to Dharamshala with sonny dearest and knowing his tantrums, I was secretly praying for him to sleep through this haul. However as it happens always, he got in the hyperactive mode right from the moment he stepped in the airport. His routine of running around, shrieking and befriending strangers started. We got in the line to board the flight and I spotted a familiar looking elderly gentleman standing quietly in the line. I looked closely and realized that he was Mr Shanta kumar, the senior BJP leader from the region. He was minister in central govt earlier and has held many helm positions throughout his glorious career as a politician.

He was standing there quietly waiting for his turn and this behaviour is a miracle of sorts among Indian politicos who are known to throw their weight around in public places. I stooped ahead to introduce myself and he polietly replied with many queries about my life, work, family etc. Suddenly Parth started giggling and Mr Kumar noticed the youngster, and very calmy he started talking to Parth. Now how many times have you seen a seasoned politician doing that? Parth too smiled at all his queries and for a moment these two seemed best friends around. Then i took leave of him and got in the sky bus. He got a seat while me and parth were standing. Mr Kumar immediately got up and offered his seat to us. Another glimpse of the man and his values.

Later we boarded the plane and headed to our seats. This incident left me shell shocked and i have new found respect for Indian politicians. Whatever stuff the others are made of, but Mr Kumar and his breed of politicians are keeping the mill going in India. http://t.co/oRiaEcg4lQ

Here’s why you should not marry your daughters early

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 18:45:00 +0000

I had earlier written about my household help’s youngest daughter taking to school and computer classes eagerly despite all odds @ this post http://yojanasharma.blogspot.in/2012/06/just-another-reason-why-life-just.html

This girl came to visit me yesterday. She drops in occasionally at my place to pick old magazines. I have a one year old running around the house and keeping magazines on table is like inviting him to tear off the magazine and reading leisurely is the last thing on my agenda these days. Just to get rid of the guilt of not reading magazines, I feel happy in lending them to the maid’s daughter who will learn some new things from that stash.

This girl is barely 17, tall, lanky and decently dressed always. She smiles very rarely but has an intelligent gleam in her eyes. Besides the magazine, she doesn’t talk much. This time however she had a polite request.

Initially, I didn’t hear it properly. I turned around and inquired about the request. She had spotted my son’s walker kept alongside rags under the staircase. He has grown from that phase of taking initial steps and doesn’t need the walker anymore. She inquired about its usage with my kid. I replied negative, “he doesn’t need it now. Its just occupying space here”. She replied, “If you don’t mind, can you please lend this for my sister’s son. He is 6 months old and has started taking his first steps, we can't afford to buy this for him, and its required just for few months”.

I knew for sure that the elder two sisters work along with the mother to make a living. The one in question – is the second daughter – is barely 19, was married around 2012 in a haste. Then, the mother, had come asking for gifts. And this year she has a 6 months old kid!

What is with Indians and marrying girls early? Here was one daughter who was married very young, had a kid and was fighting daily battles to earn two square meals for her family. She was looking for a walker for her kid, while the other one was more fortunate, had little education and was looking for magazines to gain education and move up in life.

Girls who are married off early become mothers soon and things like education, freedom of thought, decent lifestyle, food, health, nutrition and making it big in life comes to a halt. Girls who study further have a chance to take up jobs, earn salary, support their families, gain self-confidence, have a decent lifestyle and make happy and healthy mothers later.

Of course I gave away the walker but this is just the beginning of a dark road for this mother. What starts with borrowing a walker, becomes a struggle for decent schooling and living later. And the only person who suffers in this situation is the woman of the house.

Time to think guys, lets talk about it among our own circle. If we can change the fate of one such would be young mother then it’s a job well done. What say?

When vacations become 'I want no vacations'

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 07:44:00 +0000

What's with Delhi and vacations? Or if I may be little more precise, what's with everybody and 4 day long vacation. A sudden 4 day long vacation comes up and everybody get packing to the nearest hill station. And the first question that everybody asks is: "aren't you going anywhere?"

I honestly replied to a neighbour, "no, with 1 year old prank machine I can’t think of going on a trip as such. I have plans for some shopping spree where I can regale him in day time and be back so as to not interrupt his food-potty-pee-nap schedule. And to my dismay she glared at me and replied "ya that happens". And this comes from a 40 year old woman who has raised 3 kids.

- Is it mandatory that everybody should be going 'somewhere' to spend vacations?
- Is staying at home and having fun your way not vacationing?
- Is it bad on my part of think of my little boy and not go on vacation?

As it turns out that she had plans to go to Shimla - my home town and wanted me to help with her boarding and lodging. I did give her some references but she wasn't as organized as I had expected her to be. She left everything for the last minute and as luck to have it almost all boarding options - hotels, lodges, guest houses, PGs etc have been more than full this season there. Shimla is close to Delhi hence is an obvious choice for holiday goers.

With her 3 kids, husband and an aged MIL she stepped out of Delhi in her swanky SUV in a hope to book hotel on the spot. And after finding no option she has been buzzing me to help her. I want to have a hearty laugh now but thinking of her plight I feel sorry. Its like vacation become harrowing and that can happen to anyone. No offenses taken but yes, I don’t want to go on this kind of a vacation.

Lesson for me - plan things in great detail, especially when you have family along. You can sleep on a log of wood but your kids can't.

Will life be any better with this mindset?

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 12:32:00 +0000

A friend posted proudly 'got my husband to cook after 10 years' on her FB page. Plethora of likes, and comments as mushy as 'awwwww', 'so cute' followed and it got me thinking - does any man post about his wife cooking for him daily 3 times at least, and on Sundays it can go up to 4-5 times as well since the heavy ass snacks are too much in demand that day.

Sample this, when a man cooks - he is a great husband, and when woman is cooking then its usual part of the day. I'm not saying that men should cook food every day, I'm also not saying that women shouldn't cook all days. All I’m saying is that running a house is a joint responsibility. If a woman cooks it should be appreciated - not taken like a job she was supposed to do without any hangups - similarly when a man cooks it should be respected that's all, not glorified like winning a warfront.

Am I thinking too much about this cooking session? What say guys?

If you think you are a super woman, then read on

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Fri, 23 May 2014 12:34:00 +0000

When we were growing up in the 90s, we thought:
- We were the coolest generation around
- What we were doing was really different, rather revolutionary
- How we lived was the only way to live
- Our parents and especially their parents lived in dark ages

Years later I have realized how mistaken we were.

Life with a ten month old son, a communication consultant job and thousands of household chores isn’t easy. It’s literally like getting up as soon as you can, rolling a healthy bite for the kid while checking on work related mails, simultaneously talking to mom on phone and discussing everything on the earth. I thought I was a super mum, a power puff girl and a superwoman garbed as a mortal.

Everything went smooth till I stepped out to meet my granny. The 85 year old woman with numerous health issues was more radiant than me. She immediately hugged the kiddo and somehow he also loved her company. There were no prank, no tantrums, no shrieks. She cajoled him with poems in Pahari, Hindi and half baked Punjabi and he played to her tunes. She gave me more ten more kid recipes to try out.

Later mom told me granny took care of me right from when I was 3 months old till I was three years old. She took care of me singlehandedly , even when she was running a household of 20 people including unmarried daughters and newly married daughter-in-laws. And of course, she had her own mother-in-law to look after. And not to talk of scores of guest who would come unannounced and stay for days altogether.

Despite being a class five pass out she ran the house with such an elan that nobody left home without having food, without carrying meal for next time, wearing old, tattered clothes, no guests were left unattended and her house was sparkling clean all the time.

I thought: “what was she made of? Had I been I her place I would have died of sheer depression of having to manage so many things.”

May be they were the generation of superwomen, super mums and power puff girls. Hats off to those women and that generation! In the meanwhile, I’ll try to take tips from her on how to manage things PATIENTLY.

Enjoying snowfall after a decade

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 07:35:00 +0000

All of us want to wake up to a beautiful morning and what if you wake up to see snow clad mountains right in front of your eyes???????

“Awesome”, “Amazing”, “Waooooooo” and what not. That’s what I was yelling this morning.

I was fortunate enough to wake up to enjoy this view right from my bed room. Here's a glimpse for everyone to enjoy.

Location: Shimla, my mumz house

The adieu is still afar

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 02:37:00 +0000

It's been a long while that i've posted something on this blog. For those wondering if this space is still kicking, here's the word - this blog is alive and very much on the horizon.

Personal commitments and health issues kept me away from many things that I love to do - blogging being one of them. Soon there will be more fun notes about why life couldn't be better.

U-turn in dressing: Back to the 90's Govindas

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 06:15:00 +0000

Spoiler Alert: This post is strictly for those who grew up in the 90s.

Back in 1993-94 life was much simpler. I was in class five and life was just about books, friends, movies, vacations and stuff happening at home. We had a VCR - which was like the coolest thing to own - in that age. During vacations, dad got us video cassettes which were on rental basis and hence every minute with the movie cassette seemed precious. Occasionally we invited our cousins for these "movie shows" but rest of the time me and bro would fight about which movie to watch.

We saw 'Aankhen' (1993) and were dazed with the histrionics of Govinda and Chunky Pandey but one thing that struck us was the awkward clothing sense. Like these very bright coloured shirts in gaudy colours, Govinda in white shoes and pants and dancing away to glory. And it wasn't just Govinda, it was the popular trend. I clearly remember most friends discussing these absurd colour & dressing combinations, belittling this sense of dressing and codenaming "Govinda" to all people who followed this dressing.

Belonging to salaried-class family in a sleepy town, it was too much for our imagination to bear as to how could someone wear this awkward 'florescent' pant/shirt.

This went on for quite some years and whenever me and gang of college friends saw somebody with purple pants, bright yellow shirt, red/green cap or anything that would be bizarre by average sensibilities was called 'Govinda'; or 'Govindi' (if it was a girl). PS: This wasn't to belittle the great actor but his popularity was such that almost everyone wanted to copy his mannerisms and at times went really far aping his dressing style.

Now cut to 2012, the bizarre coloured pants, striking combinations are in vogue (suddenly). This year the most popular clothing is chinos (now available in feminine version as well) - informal, comfortable cotton pants in as many bright colours as you can imagine - purple, bright green, yellow, red, orange - whatever you dare to wear.

Team this with a contrasting top/t-shit and loafers (both again in bright colours). You'll find many (read hundreds) of college kids, yonng professionals aping this dressing. And you'll find them everywhere - malls, eateries, so called "handing out" zones et al.

Makes me think if I was wrong about the "Govinda" remark in the first place. And while I write this, I am reminded of bright red loafers that hubby dearest gifted me a month ago. He thought it was cool and would be quite a style statement for my Singapore trip and he boasted "try wearing something classy". "Classy?????????? bright red shoes??? Well so after so many ages I have joined the "Govinda" clan after all.

Just another reason why “Life Just Couldn’t Be Better"

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:31:00 +0000

Writing after a long time, but this incident is so compelling that I could not stop myself from sharing it with others.

It's a regular Sunday morning when I wake up only to let the maid in to do the basic chores. Other days, I don’t have that luxury and I'm already up and ready to leave for work when the maid turns up for cleaning. And maybe she was waiting for this day, she quietly mopped the floor besides me while I read the movie reviews. Then she politely asked me, "yeh jo aapka compooter hai woh dusre se alag kayon hai" (why is your computer different from others). I looked around and found that both my Ipad and laptop were kept on the dining table (somehow dining table becomes the gadget desk on weekend when I just use stuff and leave them for charging)

As I gaped at her, she pointed at the laptop "yeh wala" (this one). I understood she was talking about the laptop. I told her that this was a computer and was light and mobile and was called laptop. Then I probed into her query and realized she wants to know the difference between desktop and laptop.

I thought the conversation would end here, but it went on to an interesting point. She disclosed that her youngest daughter is studying computers (probably doing a basic course) and wanted to practice it further and hence wanted to buy the cheapest options available!

I have met her daughter at two instances, then I simply gave her some eatables and nodded happily. Now my respect for my maid has gone up by many notches. She works all day to ensure that at least one of her daughters has a better life. Two of her elder daughter are already married and they work along with the mother to earn their bread and butter. This is the third and the youngest daughter and is in Class 10th. Anyhow, I told the maid about assembled systems and how she could get a cheap deal at Nehru Place, especially if she gets a used desktop.

My this bit of information seems to have worked like magic on her and she has been asking me for more information and probably a reference to buy on old, used desktop. She's trying to save up her money and she has made me a mentor for this assignment. Two things that struck me -

- Your parents will slog their asses off to give to the best in life. They are not God, but just next to God.

- If you want to make it big in life, then no body (not even God) will come in your way

I don’t know what further turn this story takes, but incidents like this make my blog title more endearing and apt - "Life Just Couldn’t Be Better" And how many of you agree with me?

Ten Things You'll Learn in First 2 Years of Your Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:26:00 +0000

Last week was a landmark of sorts as I celebrated two years of my marriage. These two years have been the busiest years of my life (this may look repetitive but believe me these were MAD years) where all my worldly knowledge, patience and skills were put to test. Here's a low-down on how these years passed:

(Dedicated to Vishal Sharma)

- When your maid, cook & driver's phone no. are on top of your phone's 'Speed Dial' list

- When your maid's health matters more to you than your own sickness :)

- When your driver shows up in the morning, and you beam with happiness and recite 'Thank God. He's here"

- When Saturday shopping spree is replaced by weekly grocery stuff

- When you return from vacations carrying piece of native furniture/ethics paintings/artwork as memento. The regular retail list for bag, shoes, face packs, clothes is a forgotten story.

- When 'I have some personal work' excuse defines chores like attending distant relatives' anniversaries, neighbourhood get-togethers, loner landlord falling sick and you attending to him, some kiddie's b'day bash. All sorts of random things that you can't define and describe in corporate circles.

- When you'll find yourself fretting over recipes, how-to-clean-haldi-stains more often

- When you become a liaison officer between your parents, in-laws, distant relatives. Making sure each one gets equal footage (that word jus crept in form the work dictionary)

- When you'll surf internet mostly to download recipes

- When you buy Nalli sarees and call them 'investment' because you know it well that you'll wear them once your lifetime. Later your daughter may cut out a dress for herself using this saree (and you’ll happily oblige – at least its being used).

What you get in bargain:

- A long list of new-found relatives; and gradually many of them will be on your friends' list

- Your skill set on 'what-to-speak-when' will improve dramatically

- You will learn this secret art of smiling and attending guests even when you have chronic migraine. Much needed in life, especially in office.

This is an endless list and will keep adding to it. You are most welcome to add on to this list.

Real life tales .... wish they were untrue

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:22:00 +0000

Just heard a story where a woman returning from office at midnight was struggling to open the lock of main gate to her house while her family slept peacefully saying that the gate is already open and assuring that she can just walk in easily. She spent 5 mints standing on main gate figuring the lock and other hinges of the gate. Now knowing how 'safe' Delhi is – whether day or night -, had the woman been mauled outside her house (as we know has happened in some cases in Delhi), would the family muster courage to admit that they had been careless in this entire situation? Probably, they could’ve claimed that it was woman's fault for returning home at wee hours – “what’s the need, you see?”.

Would they admit that they'd been careless handling the entire situation? Is sleep so precious that you can compromise on somebody’s safety?

U-turn in entertainment

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Till recently, we have watched Tv serials 'inspired' or plainly adapted from movies, where the serial's story-line simply follows a popular movie's plot and it eventually becomes successful. Recent one is 'Pyaar Ki Ye Ek Kahani' (PS: title is as tacky as the series) which is very similar/inspired to the popular vampire love story Twilight series. Also there's 'Love U Zindagi' running on TV which is an adaptation of 'Jab We Met'.

Now this trend is about to change with successful serials replicating their story lines on the 70mm screen. We recently had 'Khichdi: The Movie' in 2010 which was a cinematic adaptation of the famous tele-series by the same name. Now Pankaj Kapoor's famous Office Office joins this league. Kapoor's new movie (tentatively titled) 'Pension Ki Tension' which is a take-off of his popular sitcom Office Office. Kapoor, along with his co-stars from the TV serial are living up their tele-image on the big screen as well.

If this movie is a hit or not is yet to be seen but it is certainly a pointer of many new trends coming in entertainment.

BTW, do you want any specific tele-series to be made into a movie? You can share in the 'comments' section.

Hair and there... Wise-crack from an ordinary day

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:28:00 +0000

Bad hair day turns out to be the day when I was noticed most. The usual morning rush and migraine stroke didn't leave me much time to wash hair this morning. Result: I landed in office with olive oil dripping from my hair.

I hoped to lie-low and just be confined to my workstation all day. Just then an urgent department meeting was called. My super-boss introduced us to his successor and everybody stooped ahead for a generous hand-shake with the new guy. With dismal smile of my face and oil-soaked hair I also welcomed him. I'm sure he nick-named me 'oily', 'greasy-looking' or any other phrase that suits this description in Japanese. (PS: my super-bosses are Japanese)

"What an impression," I yelled at myself and walked back grudgingly to the workstation. In next hour, we got a mail about formal lunch in the honour of my new super-boss. Entire floor was invited for the fiesta... "humiliation" was the only word running on my mind then.

I got along with three other female colleagues, who in turn give me 'oh-there's-something-wrong-with-your-hair' look. Of course in corporate squares such things are never mentioned directly, your looks say it all. I quickly put up false attitude and pretence, but sub-cautiously I tried to hide myself in the crowd, I tried stay behind of others, I tried to walk next to the wall and tried out ten more cheap tricks to make myself invisible.

Horror struck when I found the cafeteria full of dignitaries and expat officers, of course including all top-bosses. The MD called for everybody's attention, introduced new super-boss, thanked the present super-boss and called for quick introduction with prominent people in the place.

Department heads stood up for introductions, suddenly I heard my immediate-boss's name. I froze, she was sick and hence out-of-office. I stepped forward to tell everybody about the situation, the present super-boss called me to explain 'little' about our team. With oily hair I marched ahead, managed an impressive speech about internet, websites, social media etc. I step down and more introductions continued.

The generous new super-boss took over the stage. He didn’t remember most names, so he used generic references to thank all people there. And then he lobbed a bomb at me, he thanked me referring to me as "the lovely lady with stylish hair-do" - I had just waited for this moment. Wanted to die-that moment but thought about my parents and discarded the idea. Now, everybody's been teasing me with this incident.

PS: Many here think that new-boss is impressed with my hair-style, wish I could tell him the truth.

(This post is a work of fiction, it doesn’t have references to actual people)

Sachin and his (im)possible makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:14:00 +0000

‘Is Sachin Tendulkar undergoing a makeover?’ I asked myself. But then I dumped this question outright and realised that Sachin is definitely not a person who needs/has to undergo image makeover. He has a larger-beyond-life persona and things like makeover are only for attention-deficient glam dolls, Sachin stands at a pedestal beyond comparison and explanation.

My reason for such a question is this advt -

Just spotted this advertisement of a popular brand of cameras that Sachin Tendulkar endorses. Noticed that Sachin’s hair have been morphed - our Master Blaster is known for his eccentric curls and this advt. features him in straight hair. For once I thought that this could be Sachin’s attempt at make-over, but this could well be a photoshop job. No offence but I like Sachin with curls, with his trademark sincere look and down-to-earth attitude.

Big Boss 4 – Seema brings back old memories

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 10:37:00 +0000

Big Boss 4 comes to an end today. Not that I watched it every day or I will miss the drama there, in fact I'm happy that it’s over and here's hoping it may be replaced by some meaningful/entertaining show. I don’t detest this show, but didn’t find it entertaining enough. I only watched its handpicked episodes and that too for the sake of just one person - Seema Parihar. Sounds unbelievable, but it’s true.

She was certainly the most non-glamorous characters in the BB house and possibly the only one who didn’t have any big recollections to flaunt there. Throughout her stay there, she seemed like the only one who didn’t utter swear words. That seems like too much of a big deal for a person who has seen a rather rough side of life, when compared to other contestants who seemed city bred and so-called well cultured.

I had spoken to her way back in 2006 when I was working with HT and was doing a story for cinema section. The story was about real people telling their own stories through films. Seema had then just finished shooting for her biopic - Wounded directed by Krishna Mishra. You can read it here - http://www.hindustantimes.com/Real-heroes-take-to-reels/Article1-107951.aspx

My conversation with her was very short but it was a very frank account of her life. She told me she didn’t need glycerine to act in her film because a mere recollection of her past life and incidents make her cry. She told me she is very uncomfortable settling in big city life. Now, it seems she has become more comfortable with people and the ways city life. Saw her jiving to Munni Badnam and whatever numbers. Good luck to her, hope she remains as rooted to her sensibility as she seemed.

Eleven resolutions for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 07:08:00 +0000

Even though making resolutions may sound obsolete in this age, I still feel it’s a good practise because its puts you in a thinking mode about your personal goals. Even if you achieve just half of them, you would be able to change your life by some miles.

So here go my 11 resolutions for the year 2011 –

1. - Get rid of driver’s phobia and not think that everybody on the road is about to hit me when I’m at the wheel

2. - Get back to reading, even if I can finish just one book in three months

3. - To stop watching stupid Bollywood flicks and instead spend this time and money on buying books

4. - Get into fab zone, a possible U-turn from the flab zone where I’m currently headed

5. - Remember imp birthdays even if I have to get a tattoo to put all the dates

6. - Stop thinking about office when I’m at home

7. - Not obsess about rules and regulations everywhere, especially when I’m in Noida

8. - Just chill at times

9. - Take short trips back home more regularly

10. - Learn pottery painting

11. - Last, but the most IMPORTANT – get a punching bag to my divert anger

Living in the age of Reality TV

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:41:00 +0000

Got a mail last week. The subject line was as provoking as its message, it read - ‘Stuck With Wrong Parents’. It is a promo for a show being aired on UTV Bindaas where the lifestyles of youngsters are pitted against the older generation. Saw its promos on TV as well where youngsters are yelling and screaming for possible ‘interference’ and ‘intrusion’ in their lives and later the shouting turns into name calling.

Of course, it looks like great ‘masala’ and a sure shot formula to gather enough eye-balls for the show but a sad pointer to the fact that TV producers will go to any length to win more audience. Also, a stark reminder of how gullible our generation is (me included).

Gone are the days when people wouldn’t give out their secrets for anything. Remember the age old saying – maine use zubaan di hai (I have made a promise) and people would go to any extent to keep up their promises and reputations. People wouldn’t hang around with folks who had tainted reputations. No one would dare to start any controversial topic, leave alone become a centre pint of any uncomfortable conversations.

Now, things are different. Our generation is more than happy to be a part of controversies. ‘Gossip’ is the buzz word everywhere, and the gossip mongers are as happy as their subjects. We are dying to be part of shows like ‘Big Boss’, where every bit of lives, every moment of our day will be on display. We don’t mind losing our cool in public, retorting or responding to any claims or allegations heaped on us, even if it is coming from a dead fly. Patience, calm, grace, dignity are words found in the dictionary only. Otherwise in practical life we are all willing to give up everything for five seconds of fame, some Lakhs of Rupees or some recall value even if its comes for all wrong reasons. And this is where the clever producers win. They whip up shows where our meanest instincts are on display and they get more TRPs for bringing out the worst in us. Thanks to this new trends we have no bodies turn into instant celebrities, look at the likes of Rakhi Sawant, Raja Chaudhary, Dolly Bindra.

As for the UTV show ‘Stuck With Wrong Parents’, I would say Shravan Kumar must be turning in his grave after hearing about this shows.

PS: Shravan Kumar is the mythical character who carried his aged, blind parents everywhere to fulfil their last wishes.

Technology: Boon or Bane?

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:40:00 +0000

Technology has made communication much easier for us. We easily connect to people through phone, chat, text, web-conferencing, mailing etc. At the same time, technology gives us the flexibility to ignore people with whom we want to maintain a distance. Like we can choose not to answer a call from a pesky relative or ignore e-mails sent by random strangers. So is technology really helping people stay connected or is it helping them create manageable distances?

Just wondering if technology is helping us grow in actual terms.

Salman and the social media strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:34:00 +0000

So its social media all the way. From Shashi Tharoor to your neighbour almost everybody is on Facebook, Twitter and making the best use of it.

For now its Salman Khan who is making the best use of social media tools. There may be rumours of Salman Khan quitting Twitter et all but his fondness for Web2.0 suggests otherwise.

Yesterday his team uploaded an ‘clarification/apology’ video on Youtube to make his stance clear on the Mumbai attack remarks. The user salmankhanclarifies (on Youtube) has already received 33,910 views with close to 569 comments.

Link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmHREC5Sg3Y&feature=topvideos

Then Facebook is hosting a ‘like’ link called ‘10-reasons-why-dabangg-rocks’.Trust me, There wasn’t even one or may be half a reason why one should watch this film. I don’t hate Salman Khan, but I didn’t like the film.

And of course the web is full of hundreds of film review, blog posts, opinion polls, posters, photo-galleries for Salman, official fan clubs and scores of fan posts.

Thumbs up for his social media strategy.

The other side of Delhi

noreply@blogger.com (Yojana) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 05:26:00 +0000

When I started with new job, I thought it would be about new work assignments, new boss and new colleagues. And well there's just an addition here - I got a taste of a different culture as well, a 'mini Delhi' living within Delhi.

My new job takes me to a distant corner of Delhi, actually the border of national capital - Badarpur Border. This place is a meeting point of three states - Delhi, Uttar Pradesh (bordering to Noida) and Haryana (touching base with Faridabad).

When I say 'border', I don't mean a barbed wire cutting out geographical boundaries, it’s a highway that connects three different states. This highway hosts the corporate offices and warehouses of many MNCs including Sony, Nissan, Porsche, BMW. And this is what makes the place unique.

This location makes that place a melting pot of many cultures. The crowd here comes from two distinct worlds:
First, the white collar workers working in swanky offices, donning best formals and branded gear; and second the local crowd most of whom come from nearby villages and work in the factories/warehouses.
The cultural backgrounds here are as different as their attires, mannerisms and aspirations. When I move around with my female colleagues for ice-cream breaks, the crowd around giggles carelessly, making remarks about formal attires and dressing. So, it’s like either you move around in your vehicles or give in to the jeers of local crowd. This is when I miss moving around carelessly in CP, Saket or Sector 18, Noida. All these places are the hub of new-India where professionals usually gang up at cafes, ice-cream parlours, coffee houses and eating joints and nobody would even wink at you skirts or slim-fitting jeans. But this is not the case of 'Border'. Barely 20 kms from CP, this place hosts the conservative Indian sensibilities.

If you take a bus towards CP or south-Delhi, you'll find college students, working professionals who will happily accommodate you and won’t even turn around to notice what you are wearing.

This is not the case with 'Border'. If you are travelling towards Border in a bus, you’ll almost be doomed. The crowd includes the 'ammajis', 'taujis' and 'bhaiyas' from the north-Indian Jatland. They'll stare at you even if you are in simple formal, stare at your laptops bags and check you out throughout your journey. Many don’t just seem to understand hell why is a girl travelling in bus at 8 am or 7.30 in the night. May be this is the real India which begins from Delhi borders and extends all over the country.

May be this is where we actually live beyond our swanky offices and posh eating joints. The sooner, we realise the better it is.