Life etc.

Totally awesome news!

2010-03-11T13:35:00.001+05:30

Hiya friends!
First off, I want to say that I'm really sorry for not replying to all your earlier comments. I'm still a little lazy/tired I guess. But I did try to read & comment on your posts when I could, & I promise to do it with vengeance after the 15th!
Anyway, I have totally awesome news to share. Dad's bought me a gift! Something I've really wanted. I've even blogged about it, multiple times. Can you guess what it is?

Let me give you a little hint...

Soon it's gonna be mine!

Yes, my dad bought me a 13" MacBook Pro! Thanks Dad!!!
Anyway, the slightly sad news is that the earliest I'll get to lay my hands on this baby is by the end of this month... That's not long away now, is it?
Not that I'm complaining!

I gotta write a thank you email to my dad. I'm completely ecstatic.
Life was already good, but it just seems to have got a lot better!

Cheers,

PS- If any of you guys out there are using Macs yourself, can you maybe suggest some Apps that may be useful to me or ones that you think I might like? Thanks in advance.

Exam Malpractices in Rizvi College of Arts, Science & Commerce in Mumbai during HSC board exams

2010-03-09T22:44:00.004+05:30

When I found out my HSC exam center was in Rizvi College, I was terribly dismayed. I had heard legendary stories about how bad that college was (here I mean both student & faculty).
Anyway, I decided I had to make the most of it, & that I would only be there 6 days.

Talk about ironies.

On the day of the first exam, the invigilator who entered looked strict. I was happy. See there's something you need to know about me. I'm not perfect, but I don't believe in copying in exams, be it from a piece of paper or by asking a friend, even if I feel I'm gonna fail in the subject.
I think I first encountered this particular boy on the day of my third exam. They are a gang of 3 or 4 (or maybe 5!) who all carry a lot of chits with them, & constantly try to peep into other people's papers too. I was utterly disgusted to find that they had not one but many chits & were literally writing the whole paper from those chits. My blood boiled, but I ignored it. Besides almost all the invigilators there are either blind, completely apathetic, or both.
Today I was terribly disgusted to see that I would be sitting right besides one of these guys, but then I decided that I had to concentrate on my own paper. Then the invigilator walked it. And the repulsive guy to my right said 'Oh Fuck!' after which he gave a slight pause & repeated the same two words again. That was when I knew that he probably had some sort of information that today's invigilator was genuinely strict. And I was absolutely happy when one guys got from the said group, sitting two benches away from my 'partner' actually got caught (approximately 20 minuted into the exam). The guys started to get a whiny voice like he was crying & begged for mercy. the invigilator agreed, as long as he turned in all the chits he was carrying. He turned in 4 or 5. Few minutes later the invigilator returned to see that there were three more lying on the ground. Shheesssh!! Then the invigilator went on giving the people a supposed 'last warning' telling them that they could safely hand over chits now, but if they were caught later, they would be in big trouble (he threatened to file a police complaint!) The moment the invigilator left the room, my partner started knocking on the desk asking me for an answer (I didn't hear which answer he asked me for, there was no way I was going to tell him).
When I told him I didn't know it, he actually had the audacity to tell me to ask my friend, he knew we were friends as he had seen us together before the commencement of the exam. I ignored him & continued writing. Soon he was done with the objectives after copying them all. Then he went to the subjective questions (If you're thinking the copying stopped there, it definitely didn't! It just got much worse...)
Now for each & every question, he was removing a different chit from his sock, writing the answer, putting the chit back in his sock & removing another one. It was funny, knowing that the invigilator was 'on the prowl' yet he couldn't see this guy copying. It was also very disturbing, as I could see this all going on from the corner of my eye. I mean, it's not fair. Not fair to those who actually work for their marks, when people score distinction & higher in this way.
Finally, after 2 1/2 hours (it was a 3 hour paper), I had enough. I had given him enough warning, giving him angry looks every time he took out a chit. So I reported him. He acted totally innocent, & gave up one chit, then (keeping up with the innocent act) he emptied his jeans pockets to show he had no more chits. So I actually had to tell the invigilator that they were in his socks. And that's when the enraging part happened. All the invigilator did was take his chits & throw them out & let him continue writing as if nothing happened (whatever happened to the threats about police complaints?) The boy had copied over 3/4th of the paper now, & got most of his marks. Yet he was not punished at all! And here comes the funny part: In the last half an hour, he sat there & didn't write more than 4 lines! All the time was spent looking around & glaring angrily at me.
Well, honestly, I didn't give a damn about his anger. But I was terribly angry on all the invigilators & their turning a blind eye to all the copying going on. Were they being bribed? It sure looks like it. I feel so helpless right now, but I'm glad I didn't keep quiet.
I personally don't blame the kids itself, not that I'm saying that they didn't know what they were doing, but the invigilators should be strict, it's a boards exam, dammit! I have no idea whom to go to, whom to complaint to, because if I did I would go do it, without a second thought. But I feel good sharing it here, at least others in the blogosphere can know what type of a college it is, other than the humbug they write on their website.

Completely enraged,

Ahhhhhh!!!!

2010-03-05T21:30:00.009+05:30

Except the gifts my parents give me, I am never lucky while receiving gifts. And I'm not talking about the price value, I even get expensive clothes that are extremely gaudy/garish, lame video games etc. I've lived with it. I thought it couldn't get any worse. Until today...

I reached home just an hour ago. Mom greeted me at the door. I freshened up, & got ready to relax with my laptop. When I saw something lying on the bed. This -

I try keeping away, yet it follows me!

Yes, that's right, a copy of twilight! Not even the one with the 'apple-in-hands' cover but the one with the film poster on it!
A gift from one my mom's friends.
Don't get me wrong. I really like love reading & am a voracious reader. Then why this feeling, you ask? I have too many twilight crazy friends. Some of them were fans early on. The rest 'succumbed' when it all became a craze. That's when I decided I would not read the book. Or watch the movie. (I've been told it's terribly addictive. Like a Mills & Boon novel. Did I mention I can't stand Romance novels?)

And now it sits there. Tempting me. I will resist it. I will not succumb.

Wish me luck with this one!

The Screwdriver effect

2010-03-03T09:58:00.008+05:30

Screwdrivers can make you tipsy!

I always love to record 'firsts' on my blog, be it my first post, first photo with my dSLR or first try at light photography.

And today I am proud to record another first! My first screwdriver!

Now before you get any ideas let me tell you that I am definitely not a spoiled teen.

My first drink was a Bacardi Breezer when I was 11. Mommy dearest always believed in letting me try whatever I want at home first so that I am not tempted to try it in dark, shady bars with my friends (for the record, I haven't been in a pub/disco till date!) Back in those days there were just 3 flavors- Lemon, Orange & Cranberry.

The three original flavors! Still my favorite drink.

I cannot stand the taste of beer somehow, I find it yuck. The only time I can stand it is when it's shandy, which consists of half beer & lemon fizzy drink (such as Limca, but 7 Up would do too).

Sometimes I do have a glass of port wine.

Actually for me to like any alcoholic drink, it has to be sweet! That's why Breezers have still remained my favorite.

Anyway, back to the whole Screwdriver thingy.

The recipe for a screwdriver is incredibly simple-

1 part Vodka

2 parts Orange Juice

Mix it all up serve on the rocks in a highball glass.

Mom & me were at a very formal do. We've been to those things before, but usually only have juices. But this time I told mom that we should try something alcoholic. So we went over to the bar & asked for screwdrivers. But mom fretted a little when he was pouring the vodka so it ended up approximately 1 part vodka & 5 or 6 parts Orange Juice. But I was thankful for those proportions later because when I drank it, my head started spinning just a little. But once I had dinner, the spinning stopped & I was completely fine! I'm glad I tried it...

Cheers, (literally!)

My 2 cents on 3 Idiots

2010-02-28T21:45:00.005+05:30

My verdict- Worth a watch!

I saw 3 idiots over a week ago but maybe the fact it bagged 6 Awards at the Filmfare Awards last night finally prompted me to stop procrastinating & write this!

I'm not sure why I resisted watching the film for so long, despite being invited by my friends to go see the film on more than one occasion. Maybe I was irked that actors in their thirties & forties were playing engineering students. But it could be some other reason.

Well, what can I say? Most people have already seen it.
There were scenes that made me guffaw :)) (Like Silencer's now famous speech! I was just one step away from literally rolling on the floor! =)) )
But there were also emotional scenes that made me cry! :(
In short, I don't remember when I last saw a film that made me laugh & cry!
This mix of genres was handled rather well, according to me.
And now, about the famous suicide controversy-
Yes I know they they show one student committing suicide & another attempting it. But it's not like they've glorified or glamorized it it any way. Obviously the students who committed suicide in real life were already suicidal, & this just was the final push.
If there really were kids who actually were 'inspired' to commit suicide after watching this film, I would have to say that they were in serious need of help. How could nobody have seen the warning signs? I know it must have been painful for the parents to have their kids take their own life, but to blame a film-maker for it is very irresponsible, not to mention extremely stupid thing to do.

My rating- 4 stars ★★★★ (Out of 5)
My overall verdict- If you haven't seen it yet, go right now!

Love,

PS- Two Random things I'd like to add-

I notice that there's a new feature in Blogger where one can add Captions to pictures. Me likey! :)
I'd like to add a shout up here to the LinkWithin team (Liliya in particular). I wanted to make some changes to mine, so I shot them an email, & got a very prompt & polite reply plus the changes were made. Thanks for the awesome service!

Hiho Silvers!

2010-02-27T18:03:00.007+05:30

So I did get queries from a few of you wondering why I hadn't posted since long (Thanks soooo much for your concern! :) )

My board exams are on, three down three to go. I would love to talk more about them, but I made a promise early in the life of this blog that I wouldn't talk about studies here, so I'd rather stick to that.

Now other stuff. My Dad is now on his way to a port in Texas, USA & actually wrote 'Hiho Silver' in the subject line of one of his emails to us & also began it as 'Hiya Clementine!' <):)
So I gave mom the idea of beginning her reply with 'Howdy Pardner' (And no, that's not a typo, was just trying to get it, accent & all.)

Among other things, there are some potentially exciting new things happening in my life, but I don't really want to talk about them just yet (Because you see, in my family, the word 'plan' shouldn't be in our dictionary, because the more we make plans, the more we are forced to break them. I've known this ever since I was little & I'm used to it now.) So, let's just wait & see.

I haven't forgotten that I was supposed to post about the movies I saw, will definitely do that in the coming week.

Oh & if I haven't been commenting regularly on your blogs, I'm very sorry. I'm a little busy & most of the time my भेजा (brain) is completely fried (If you didn't see the film then you really aren't going to understand what I mean.

Cheers,

PS- Follow my blog with bloglovin

Been nominated for Blogger's Choice Awards 2010

2010-02-19T17:41:00.007+05:30

I'm Totally surprised!
...There's no other way to describe it! :-O

All of you guys must have heard of the famous 'Blogger's Choice Awards' at some point or another. They are these awards hosted by IZEA where users vote for their favorite blogs.

Anyway, a month or two I ago, I idly registered at the website because I just thought it could be fun. And then I forgot all about it! Right now I was just googling my blog! (Yep, I do that sometimes! ;) ) And I saw it's listing on the website.
But here comes the pleasantly-surprising part- I already have a vote! More than 80% of blogs on that website do not even have a single vote! It was a lovely little surprise for me.

I have been nominated in 4 categories-

1. Best Geek Blog

2. Best Photography Blog

3. Best Pop Culture Blog

And last but definitely not the least...
4. Freakiest Blogger

So here's what I ask of you. If you have enjoyed reading my blog &really think I 'deserve' a vote in any (or all!) of the categories, then please do so.
Voting doesn't take long! All you have to do is sign up on the site, then you can vote for any amount of blogs in whichever category you like! Votes are counted separately for each category so if you really like Life etc. you can vote for all four!

If you have added your blog to the website, don't forget to leave a comment so I can check it out & vote! (And if you haven't added your blog yet, what are you waiting for?)

Thanks,

Of exam stress, foursquare & slightly problematic holidays!

2010-02-17T20:10:00.005+05:30

I know it's a long post title but it's the only way to explain what this post is really about!
I mean, my HSC board exams are 5 and a half days away. I'm not the type to be tensed by exams. But I know that these are important. And yet, I feel so surreal. And numb. But I also have this recurring migraine.
But life's not that bad! I did watch a few good films in the last 2-3 weeks.
Yeah yeah don't you sit there & judge me for watching films when my exams are so close. I have to indulge in some form of recreation & meditation just doesn't work for me!

Anyway, I did love the films I saw. Will definitely blog about them very soon.

You know what I'm hating the most about all this? Not being able to blog! (I did do a post on my food blog about my not-so-successful attempt at baking strawberry muffins) Mom hasn't really put any restrictions on me, but it's just that when I do use the computer I'm playing one mmorpg or another (mmorpg stands for Massively multiplayer online role-playing game. I discovered them over a year ago & play them on-and-off. They are great when you're homebound as they consist of giving commands at regular intervals.)

And I'm also hooked onto foursquare. Which is terrible, when you're homebound. I hardly go out these days, unlike when regular college was on. And since foursquare consists of geo-tagging, you have to be one who travels a lot. So it really sucks, getting hooked onto a nice game at a time you can't play it. I think I hit a ceiling that day when it emerged that I was actually jealous of some people because they were 'mayors' of many places on the game (Mom just had a really good laugh! :)) ) I happen to be a mayor of just one place- where I live! I spent some time fantasizing about how I could have been mayor of a ton of places if I was still going to college. I guess I'll just have to wait till next year. *sigh* Anyway, if you use foursquare, feel free to add me as a friend. All of the current friends I have are inactive there, & it sucks to see I'm the only one on the friend leader boards, every week! :(

Moving on now, to the Summer Holidays. Those bittersweet holidays. Everybody loves holidays, right? So why am I calling them bittersweet? I'll tell you why. We're first going to spend two or three weeks at our Home & a beach resort in Goa. Then a week in a luxury hotel here in Mumbai itself. Then two weeks at a beach resort at Kovalam Beach, Kerala. I do love beaches! (*incase you're wondering who the 'we' is, it's my parents & me! :) ) Then why am I unhappy? Because for approximately one & a half months or even two months, I will not be having any internet access. That's right, no tweeting, no blogging, nothing! :(

We think the resort in Goa might just have Wi-Fi as a value added service. Then I will at least get access for a week. If not, I'm not sure what will happen. I really, really don't want my blog to die. Or for you guys to stop visiting. Maybe I'll take some tags & then schedule them so they can get posted during my absence. But it still doesn't make up for the real thing. Still unsure what to do.

Anyway, I'm off. At least now you know why my posts are so infrequent.

Miss me!

Because I really miss you! *muah* :-*

First Recipe up!

2010-02-12T20:17:00.000+05:30

Hey, this is just a short post to let you guys know that I've published first recipe on my cooking blog 'When Magali Cooks'
It's a recipe for Devilled Eggs, & it's really quick & easy!
Here's a picture:

So, you hungry? Head on over there to let me know what you think. Also don't forget to comment there.

Thanks, & Happy Cooking!

Guess what arrived in the mail!

2010-02-10T13:16:00.000+05:30

Remember all the stuff I mentioned in my post 'You know what's better than shopping? Personalized shopping!' ?

Well, after a slight delay, all that stuff has arrived now so I can post about it. First, let me show you all the stuff I got for myself- (In descending order of my liking for them)

My visiting/business cards. I ordered 250 of them. And no I'm not planning to actually take up professional photographic assignments (unless someone personally asks me to!) but it still feels nice to actually have my own visiting cards. If you magnify the image you may find parts in the middle of the card patch. That's because I had to remove my address from this picture & I think I did it rather clumsily. I really ought to learn Photoshop.

And this is my personal canvas tote. I fell in love with it when I knew it would be eco-friendly cotton. It has my name & my blog url. I plan to carry it for any blogger meet/tweet up/twestival I go to. Oh mom is the model in this picture.

This is my personalized dog-tag. On side 'A' it has a picture of my Mom & Dad with the words 'I ♥ Mom & Dad' written below in the picture in bold lettering. The starting 'I' & ending 'd' got cut off a little bit but I don't mind.

On side 'B' it has a picture of me & my really good friends (from college). (From top: Brinelle, Me & Angela) With the letters 'bam' written. BAM is obviously our initials & I know that we aren't in proper order, we just didn't think of it while clicking the picture. Oh this picture brings back a ton of happy memories. :)

I wore it to my French classes yesterday & a lot of my friends from there were really inquisitive about the dog-tag& they all loved it!

And from here starts the knick-knacks I got my parents. For my Dad I got-

This personalized wrist watch with a Xena, Gabby & Argo print. I am a HUGE fan of the series (Xena: Warrior Princess). Really huge. But dad likes it too. Especially Gabby. So I got him this watch. Hope he likes it. (I think he will.)

And here's my second gift to him. A T-shirt with our family picture printed on it. The sentiment behind this one goes way back. When I was just a six month old baby & dad was sailing, Mom used to regularly send him new photographs she clicked of me or of both of us together. So once when he was in Manila, Phillipines, he went ashore with one of those pictures of mom & me & got them printed on ~~a T-shirt~~ twelve T-shirts. In those days the printing quality was nothing like we know it now, it was just one color (grey) & looked pretty pixel-lated (You have to keep in mind that it was over a decade & a half ao, way back in 1992!). Obviously I am virtually unrecognizable. But we still loved those T-shirts. He wore them throughout the years & now I think he's down to his very last one. So I got him this T-shirt with ~~three~~ four of us.

(This picture was taken in Safari World, Bangkok, during our vacation there last year)

And last but not least, this is my gift to mommy dearest-

A personalized heart pendant, very similar to my dog-tag. On side 'A' it has a family picture (+the tiger cub) taken at the same time as the picture I got printed on Dad's T-shirt. On side 'B' there's a picture of dad & her (also taken at safari World!). I know she likes it but it seems she's feeling a little shy to wear it!

So, what do you think of all the stuff? Would love to hear your views.

Love,

Ray-Ban chick

2010-02-08T13:45:00.010+05:30

First things first.
I'm not dead! (In case you thought I was!)
Just a little busy. And stressed. You see, I have my H.S.C. board exams coming up. The thought of which makes me a little cuckoo. So now I'm gonna talk about stuff. You know, materialistic things. So if you're the kind who hates materialistic people, do not read further. And I know you're not just gonna stop reading now, so consider yourself forewarned!
Did I tell you guys I got a new pair of Ray-Bans? (gift from Mommy) I am in love with vintage-style frames (you know, browline, horn-rimmed etc.) Also, both my Mom & Dad have two absolutely iconic Ray-Bans- Dad has Aviators while Mom has Wayfarers. (Yes I purposely linked to the Wikis so you can read up a little & find out why am I so in love with them.)
Hence, I always wanted my own Ray-Bans. I had planned on getting Wayfarers (you know the colorize range makes them in absolutely cool colors?) But I kept going in & out of stores & never got the colors I wanted. So then one day I did. This pair of bubblegum colored (yes that's what I call them) Clubmasters which are based on the Browline style. And now for their grand unveiling on my blog-

Obviously people are gonna wonder why I got such weird glares. Especially when they cost more than my cell phone. So let me tell you. I just saw Quentin Tarantino's 1993 flick True Romance & loved all the glares in them. Vintage. I was a year old then. Most of the shades you see now-a-days are either Aviators or those supposedly-fashionable huge glares that all the so-called fashionistas wear. Which were cute at first, but are oh-so-generic now. I wanted something different & quirky to suit my personality. And I got the perfect pair. Thanks Mom :)

Cheers,

P.S.- Remember all the internet shopping I mentioned in my post 'You know what's better than shopping? Personalized shopping!' ? All that stuff has already arrived in the mail, save for one things which got delivered to my old address (my mistake). Mom is gonna pick that up tonight so expect a blog post about it in a few days!
Also, I had earlier published a picture of my glares taken with my cell phone camera. But that was blurry, & mom ate up my brains till I changed it. The current picture is much, much better!

10 Medical Blogs You'll Wish Your Doctor Had Read

2010-02-04T17:55:00.007+05:30

This is a guest post by M. Ellen Ward

10 Medical Blogs You'll Wish Your Doctor Had Read

Sometimes you wish your doctor knew a little more. The 10 medical blogs that follow are ones you'll wish your doctor had read. After all, you want your doctor to know as much as possible to help keep you healthy.

Family Medicine Notes

The Family Medicine Notes blog is written by Albany Medical College's assistant professor of family medicine and assistant dean of medical informatics. He talks about relevant health issues like asthma and bacteria vaccines, and about how long doctors should spend with patients.

Corante In the Pipeline

The Corante in the Pipeline blog is written by a chemist employee of a drug company. He explores why some medications work while others don't. He covers the excitement of the search for medications and the politics of their dispersal.

Corante Living Code

The Corante Living Code blog covers a variety of topics. Its author is an employee at a biotech company and blog addresses and investigates new areas of medical research. This blog could help your doctor keep up with recent developments in medicine.

Medpundit

The medpundit blog is written by a 40 year old doctor located in Ohio. Her perspective is unique because she began her work in a practice owned by a hospital and has moved into the world of private practice. She offers opinions and insight on media presentations of medical information.

GruntDoc's Blog

The GruntDoc's Blog is written by Allen Roberts. He is a 40 year old emergency room doctor uses this blog as a platform to address any topic that crosses his mind. When the posts are medical in nature then his experience in a trauma center that sees around 65,000 patients each year shines through.

KevinMD.com

KevinMD.com is a blog that you will certainly want your doctor to read. It speaks on how doctors can make life better for their patients on a grander scale than they often do now. He also covers topics as popular and varied as salt consumption and bariatric surgery.

Doctor David's Blog

Doctor David's Blog is a place for anyone, including your doctor, to learn more about oncology, cancer treatments, and the latest medical news. This compelling blog brings information with a humanistic perspective that all medical professionals could use a little more of.

NHS Blog Doctor

When you visit NHS Blog Doctor, you will find a place to read strong opinions with an entertaining style. Your doctor would likely enjoy this and learn what others think of current medical news.

The Insomnia Blog

The Insomnia Blog helps to reinforce in its readers' minds just how crucial sleep is to health. Sleep medicine and its current issues such as the effect of social media are mentioned.

Healthy Recipe Doctor

You'll wish your doctor had read this Healthy Recipe Doctor blog because so many people forget that it is diet that contributes to and even causes the majority of health problems.

You'll wish your doctor had read these blogs for information and perspective. You want your doctor to know about medicine and everything that is connected to it. Even doctors cannot know what they never learned.

M. Ellen Ward writes about how to get an lpn to rn online

5 Things we REALLY can't live without.

2010-01-30T15:04:00.004+05:30

I was just filling in some info on a social networking website when I started to think about it. One comes across this question very often 'What are five things you can't live without'

The aim of that question is to show the type of person that you are.

There are obviously many different types of answers to the said question.

Girly girls might write stuff like make-up, comb, a mirror.

Social types might list friends, cell phone. Sentimental types might name family- parents/a partner, whomever. Pet lovers might even add their pet's to the list. Intellectuals would add books. Geeks would add their favorite gadgets.

My answers were- a camera, my laptop, an internet connection, a good book to read, & my spectacles!

Those were my answers because they said 'things'. To me people aren't things, so I didn't list any humans.

But that got me thinking. Because these things have been tested. I have been on short breaks without my laptop, much less an internet connection. I have lived. I have been on month long holidays with just one or two hours of internet access. I have lived. I have always been a voracious reader, but nowadays I'm supposed to be with my text books a lot, so I turn to the computer in my free time. There are books I have purchased approximately 3 months ago, lying unread in my book cabinet. I'm living. And as for my spectacles, my eye problem is pretty small. Take away my spectacles, & I'd be distressed, but I'd still live.

See what I'm getting at? Almost all the things we consider essentials, (except food, water & oxygen) are the things we love. But take them away from us, life would be sad, but we'd still live! (Barring the suicidal types of course. I can't relate to them because I'm a fighter.)

So the next time you are parted with things you love, despair, but not for long. Life goes on, it always will.

All about typoz!

2010-01-26T21:51:00.010+05:30

You know how I could become really rich quick?

If I was paid a dollar for every time I published a post, read it & went back & edited it because it had a typo (why else?)

It's irritating. Because I'm not stupid. Or dyslexic. I was a spelling bee champ in school. Twice. (I'm not trying to show off you know). And also because I'm always picking out spelling mistakes other people make (I will never forget about this one cousin who is supposed to be 'really smart' but listed 'Desperate Housewifes' as her favorite TV show on her profile on a social networking site)
I keep asking myself why it happens. I've found some answers. Sometimes I'm blogging in a hurry. But that doesn't explain it because I spend hours together at the computer.
Maybe because I'm a little bit of a hypocrite. (Aren't we all?) A certain Bible verse comes to mind.
Actually, I think I know the real answer. Probably because I'm proud. I have some weird, warped pride that tells me that I have no need to read my own blog posts just after I write them. I might re-read them later. Or tomorrow.
Luckily for me, Mom the great comes to the rescue. She makes it a point to read my blog posts as soon as she knows I've published one & shows me all the typos. Nowadays I've taken to leaving my blogger account logged in so she can just correct them for me. Aren't I lucky to have a mom like her? Thanks Mom! :)

Here's a comic on typos. Enjoy!

(Please note that my typos ARE NOT intentional!)

So, do you make a lot of typing errors too? Do you know why? I would love to hear about it!

Love,

An Awesome comic I found on the web!

2010-01-25T13:18:00.006+05:30

Did you read it? Wasn't it AWESOME?
I couldn't help but share the awesomeness.

Cheers,

You know what's better than shopping? Personalized shopping!

2010-01-22T12:25:00.002+05:30

Oh wait, who am I kidding? I often get excited with silly little things.
But I'll share anyway. As you people know, I'm supposed to be preparing for my dreaded board exams, that are looming ominously overhead like some storm cloud that are gonna come & bring destruction with them. I try to ignore them. I'm not getting much studies done but my brains are still baked most of the time ~X( (I would even pull my hair out if I didn't love it at the moment!) And now for some random news from my life-
I actually saved up some money & did some internet shopping. Bought some personalized stuff (who doesn't just love stuff with their names/photos on them?) Oh and wait there's more! I even ordered a couple of personalized trinkets for my parents for their anniversary. Yes I know I'm boasting here, it's just that it's the first time in my entire life that I've actually bought something for them with my own money & it's also the second time in my life that I've ordered stuff off the internet with my own money. I must say this independence thing feels real good! :D
I can't wait for the stuff to arrive (since it's shipping from USA it might even take a month or even more! :( )
But I can't wait to get my hands on the stuff & I promise to take pictures & post them here!

Love,

Wedding Anniversary & Birthday Wishes to the two Most Important People in my life

2010-01-20T01:00:00.009+05:30

As many of you might already know, I am not really good at those clichéd or mushy wishes. So I am just gonna try & say this in my own (possibly clumsy) way.

Dearest Mama & Dada, Happy 20th Wedding Anniversary. (only 5 years to go for your Silver Jubilee!) From you two I learned that marriages are not rosy or perfect. But they're still worth it! May you both see your Diamond Jubilee!

And also Happy Birthday Dada, May you live to cross a hundred years!

And oh, here's a little picture greeting-

I know I don't always say this, but I love you two a lot. Even though living with you sometimes drives me crazy!

I don't know what I would do without both of you

Your loving daughter,

My tattoo is complete!

2010-01-14T16:56:00.008+05:30

Yesterday was the third (& final) session for my tattoo. The wait & the pain was all completely worth it! Here's a picture for all you guys who haven't seen it on Facebook or Twitter already. Yesterday Kevin (the tattoo artist) worked on was the shading- of the dragon's claws, wings & face. I am somehow in love with the wing shading. If you do click the picture to magnify it don't forget to check out the wing!

I had started the tattoo about 7 months ago!

He even did some minor touch up work on the Aries '♈' tattoo near my Ankle & it looks much better now! A line had somehow faded slightly while healing (that happens sometime I guess) & the tips were not too well defined. So Mom always talked about how she liked the star tattoo more (you know, the twin of the Aries tattoo) (check the picture on this post) But now she says she actually likes this tattoo more! I'm quite happy with that because even though the star is pretty, the Aries one represents me more!

Overall I am quite happy with it & more importantly relieved that it's over! Iwas supposed to go for Sherlock Holmes today but decided against it because- 1) I was lazy 2) I was in terrible pain.

Cheers,

Why I (sometimes) HATE Being 17

2010-01-12T17:32:00.005+05:30

Don't get me wrong, being 17 can be a lot of fun. But then it can be a pain too. Let me give you a little example.

It must have been three to four months ago when I happened to chance upon the trailer of the then-upcoming film 'Sherlock Holmes' on the internet somewhere. It seemed like an exciting film with a good star cast. But then even if it was just Robert Downey Jr. acting, I would have gone for it. Now don't mistake me for some silly, hormonal teenager who is in love with the guy. In awe of him, maybe. Charmed by his acting, probably (He was great in Tropic Thunder!). But not in love with him.

So the moment I had watched the trailer I told my mom that I definitely would go to see the film. Then I downloaded the trailer, & watched it a few times (I do that, you know. I did it for This Is It too.)

I was somehow under the mistaken impression that the film would be releasing in March or April. Then somewhere early December I saw the trailer again. And in the little credit that appear at the end of film trailers, I suddenly saw something written, in bold letters- Coming Christmas Day. Whoops! I had got the date all wrong. My Prelims would be beginning on the 4th of January, & there was no way I way I could see the film when it released (It's Christmas Day, for God's sake!) & the chances were bleak of me seeing it later, it would have probably gone out of most major theaters by them. Sigh. But I soon forgot about it with my exams preparations & all. Then on one of my exam days, I went to see a film with Mom at a major multiplex. And I saw a huge poster, Sherlock Holmes- in theaters January 8th. (so typical na, films releasing late in India?) Still, I was happy, I would get to see it!

So yesterday some friends & me went to check out the timings of the film at a local theater. It had 7 screens, so we took it for granted that it would be showing in one or maybe two of the screens. But no! Avatar & Paranormal Activity were showing, but not Sherlock Holmes! I resigned to the fact that i wouldn't see it.

But then I opened the latest copy of my favorite magazine. And it had Movie Reviews. And Sherlock Holmes has 3/5 stars! I know the reviewer could be harsh, so I also knew that it was a good rating. That's when mom told me that a friend of her's saw that even the Gujarati paper had given it a 3 star rating. So there I was, magazine in front of me, making plans about when we should go for it. When I saw the horrible things- the bold letter A surrounded by a circle- the dreaded A rating! (Adults only)

See where I'm getting at? Just three months till my eighteenth birthday. Three measly months.

I am not giving up yet. I'm even going with Mom, so that they will be a little placated. But the problem is, everybody tells me I look way younger than I am. In normal circumstances, that would be a complement.

I'm still thinking of strategies. Planning to go on Thursday. But my tattoo will still be healing, & I'm not supposed to leave home for a week. But I don't care. I still want to see it.

I WANT WANT WANT TO SEE IT! *stomps feet*

I'm thinking of many strategies. Like if I wear a tank top & show them my back tattoo will they be convinced that I'm over 18?

Have you ever experienced anything similar? Have you ever got this frustrated?

XOXO

A Little Confession

2010-01-12T15:21:00.000+05:30

Hey you guys, firstly I wanted to apologize for not posting for so long. I know so many of you were used to a new Post here everyday because of NaBloPoMo. But I have been super-busy. First came my prelims. They're over now, but I'm still feeling a little tired mentally. I'm also working on a new project I'm not ready to officially unveil to you guys yet, but if you look around a little you're bound to find it. Then I have this recurring migraine that refuses to go away. And I'm somehow still unhappy with my template, so I'm looking around to change it again. Oh and I have the last sitting of my tattoo tomorrow, so I'm nervous about that too!

I just needed to let all of you know.

Hope you'll understand.

Love,

An interview tag.

2010-01-07T15:24:00.021+05:30

Follow my blog with bloglovin
I know that I'm supposed to be studying right now, but I'm taking a break & I've been tagged by Rohit, so I figured, what the heck?!

Rules for those who are tagged :-

1. Respond and rework – answer these questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own, and add one more question to the list.

2. Then tag eight or ten other new set of people.Break the rules if you want but do Answer them all.
~~~~~~~~~

1. What is your current obsession?
☛ ~~Getting a Macbook Pro~~ Anything Mac. Oh & I'm always obsessed with Xena: Warrior Princess.

2. What are you wearing today?
☛ A green divided skirt & a purple tee (Okay I know it's not a very good color combination but I am at home so don't judge me!)

3. What’s for dinner?
☛ Not sure, ask mommy!

4. What’s the last thing you bought?
☛ I can't technically say that I bought something as I don't earn any money. But the last thing I picked out was a hot pink halter dress that I fell in love with. Probably gonna wear it for my eighteenth.
And this is worth a mention- The last thing my mom got me was a pair of diamond earring. Did I mention she goes gaga over diamonds & buys a lot of them, all the time? Why I could honestly ask her to buy me a diamond bracelet that costs 1 lakh rupees (or more!) & she would probably take me to the mall tomorrow. But if I ask her to buy me a MacBook Pro, the answer would be 'You get everything too easy, no not yet, you already have a laptop, blah blah blah'

5. What are you listening to right now?
☛ Get back by Ludacris. Never fails to cheer me up.

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
☛ I don't know him too well. But he seems like a sweet, honest guy who blogs his heart out.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
☛ I can think of sooo many different places. One would be the Himalayas, as Rohit said. Breathtaking view, & I live Buddhist culture. But I can't stand the cold. Another place would be a tropical paradise- Hawaii, Mauritius, Bora Bora. Or a Grecian island.
Oh but who am I kidding? I am a City Gal. Don't think I would manage adjusting to such slow, simple ways of life. So my final answer is a toss up betweenNew York City or Paris.
An after-thought- Bangkok is really nice too!

8. One thing you wanna change about yourself ?
☛ Stop being so foul-mouthed.

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
☛ I'm thinking- Bangkok!

10. Which language do you want to learn?
☛ French! Then I can ace my French exam.

11. What’s your favourite quote?
☛ You can see one on my sidebar. But my latest favorite is this other one I just read on a blog "And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." by Sylvia Plath

12. Would you cook for me?
☛ Yes! But give me a few days notice before visiting!

13. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?
☛ Throw them out of my life forever (I do that all the time!)

14. What are you afraid of the most?
☛ Hurting someone….and not knowing it.

15. Who do you want to meet right now?
☛ Lucy Lawless! I've always wanted to meet her. Though if I did, I just would know what to say.

16. What is your favourite colour?
☛ My current favourite is Purple. Green comes a close second. But overall I like most colors.

17. Give us 3 styling tips that work for you.
☛ Have your own totally unique style.

18. What is your dream job?
☛ Be a journalist!

19. What’s your favorite magazine?
☛ TimeOut Mumbai, Reader's Digest, Chip, Digit.

20. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
☛ Put it into my MacBook Pro savings fund.

21. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
☛ People wearing clothes that they can't carry off.

22. Who according to you is the most over-rated writer?
☛ I can't mention one here, I have to mention two three- Chetan Bhagat, Stephanie Meyer & J. K. Rowling.

23. What brings a smile on your face instantly?
☛ Getting a new gadget I've been wanting. or even seeing it up for display in a shop. But other than that, there are a lot of things that make me smile :)

24. A word that you say a lot?
☛ I dunno, you tell me!

25. What kind of haircut do you prefer?
☛ I'm pretty experimental with my hair, I keep changing it all the time. But overall I like layers.

26. What are you going to do after this?
☛ Go to see the film Bolo Ram. Hope I like it.

27. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
☛ Listen to music, eat chocolate, watch a feel-good movie

28. What makes you go wild?
☛ Lots of things! :O
I especially hate it when people like to have fancy gadgets that they don't even now how to use!

29. What are your favourite movies?
☛ Tropic Thunder & Pulp Fiction. And for a whole lot of others check out my profile.

30. What inspires you?
☛ Anything I see around me.

31. What do your friends call you most commonly?
☛ Mags, Maggie.

32. Would you prefer coffee or tea?
☛ Depends on many things- my mood, the weather, etc. But I am addicted to neither.

33. Which other blogs do you love visiting?
☛ The ones I follow.

34. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
☛ Anything chocolate! Chocolate cake, chocolate walnut brownies. But I also love mango soufflé.

35. How many tabs are turned on in ur browser right now?
☛ 8

36. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
☛ Yikes!

37. Favorite Season?
☛ Definitely Summer.

38.One wish that you really want to see it come true?
☛ Lots of wishes. But I'm keeping most of them to me ;)

39. What breaks your heart?
☛ People who break their promises (okay, I'm not being fair here. I do it sometimes too, but not intentionally!)

So this was my tag! I enjoyed taking it!
I was gonna tag other individually, but it's so darn complicated. Some people don't like tags. Some have already taken the tag. So anyone who reading this tag is free to take it! Do leave a comment so I can check it out!

Cheers,

Life etc. celebrates it's 1st Birthday!

2010-01-05T10:51:00.007+05:30

I had decided to not do any narcissistic post in a while, but this is different...

Guess what!

Today Life etc. celebrates it's first anniversary (or blogoversary)

I can't believe it's a year already! I kept many blogs before that, but didn't stick to any. Then one day I decided that something had to change. And the result is this blog!

I just had a mini party-of-sorts, with a chocolate cake (not that I need an excuse to eat chocolate cake or anything). Oh and before I forget, the slice in the last picture is for *you* my dear reader.

Anyway, my prelims have started (yesterday) so I'm supposed to be studying these days.
No wait, jokes aside, I am scared. I've never felt so out-of-touch with my studies. I really need to buck up.

So no blogging for me for a week. (I'll have to recover from the whole NaBloPoMo hangover too, you know!)

Bye for now,

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T00:01:00.031+05:30

[Note: I wanted to wish you guys exactly on the dot of midnight & hence I scheduled this post]
Exactly on the dot of midnight (at least here in Mumbai, India) I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone reading this-

A Very Happy New Year 2010

And here's little quote to begin your New Year

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

-Edit Lovejoy Pierce

May this New Year bring you opportunities, good friends, good fortune, joy☺ & love ♥

Cheers,

Update: I spent New Year's eve at home with Mom & my laptop. Mom gave me half a glass of wine that made my head spin & I brought in the New Year chatting with a New Friend on Google Talk.
I was satisfied! How did you bring in your New Year?

Guess who just got their first tech article published?

2009-12-31T18:17:00.002+05:30

Me!
I am now gonna be a contributor to fonearena.com

My first write-up on the Apple Tablet just got published!
For now it's just something I'm doing for fun.
Just trying my hand at technical writing.

Let's see how this turns out!

Any geeky people out there, do tell me what you think of the article!

Cheers,

Two Words for You

2009-12-31T14:38:00.002+05:30

Today is the last day of the month of December. The last day of the year 2009. The last day of NaBloPoMo for me. And I have two very special words for you, my blog reader. And they are-

Thank YOU!!!

Thanks for reading my blog every day. I know it got boring.

Thanks for commenting every day too. I came so close to abandoning it around after the 7th of the month. But mom & my blog readers gave me the strength to keep going. And I did. And I'm feeling so self-satisfied at the moment.

And here's a World War II poster-style tribute to my satisfaction! :P

Anyway, I'll say it again. Thank You. I think it's a nice way for me the end the year 2009 on my blog.

Take care, & have a great New Year's Eve.
Love,