Confused!

When can anyone confidently say, "I'm not confused at all"? Thinking of it, never. Some people may generally be more confused than the others, while others may claim never to be confused. But hey, is that possible? I'd say NO. Because I'm one of those who like to believe that they are decisive people- and never confused. Unfortunately, belief is not everything, I have to actually do it to prove it. Alas, it seems highly improbable in my case. I'm always confused, whether I like it or not. :-)

What shall I wear? Should I take the lift or the stairs? Should I buy this lipstick or that one? Should I smile at that guy? Should I have the KKHH ringtone or the K3G one? Should I see Devdas again or not?

Is Yahoo going the hotmail way?

As if the junk in my Hotmail account wasn't enough, I've begun to receive junk in my Yahoo! mail box. Work from home, attend this workshop, get these ink cartridges free, blah blah.

Dear God, Please protect me from junk mail! ;-)

What does not glitter may be Gold

We've underestimated the talent of the Indian weightlifters and shooters. Reminds me of what they said about the Jap-Russo war- the Pygmy of the East conquers the Giant(s) of the West!
Kudos to the Indian contingent!

Lost & Found

There are times when I look really hard for something, and look so hard that I over-look it! And then, suddenly, when I've forgotten all about it, I find it, in a place I never thought of looking for. Happened with me recently- was hunting for a very cute pocket mirror I had forgotten about, and there it was, lying where I never thought it would be. (And after a week of looking for it).

Currently, I'm on a very difficult search......for some sensible classmates who read the newspapers and know who Jinnah is.

Team work

I don't think I've actually worked with a group of strangers before for an project. Earlier, I was in the company of close friends whom I really didn't have a problem with. Now, I'm with a group of gigglish, unorganised, never-touched-a-book (needless to say), girls, who don't like listening to anyone, except, perhaps, Enrique.

So here's a question: how do you make blocked-understanding people understand what you're talking about? While preserving your sanity?

PS-- The giggly gals are whom I call the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Devdas

I finally saw the movie- almost a week after its release. That's quite a record for me, considering that it's an SRK movie.

Even though it comes a bit late, I'll still have my say, and comment on it.I loved it, and even though a bit difficult to digest, it was in every way a typical commercial venture.

I loved SRK (of course!), found Mads good, Ash Rai ditto, and the others weren't bad too. The sets, dances and costumes were marvellous.

But the music was, well, boring. (Or am I saying that because it's not my type?).

But spending Rs. 50 crore on this movie- was it worth it? After all, Mads and Ash could have done with less heavy jewellery and outfits.

Now all depends on the junta.

No More Tobacco

The Maharashtra government banned the sale and advertisement of tobacco and gutkha in the state.

That's good news for many in the state, and, of course, bad news for an equal number.

And for those addicted to it, well, you can kiss oral cancer and rotten teeth good-bye. (I know one such close person who will benefit from this ban.). And school and college kids will have one reason less to hang around at the neighbourhood paanwala. Especially the one near the school/college. Poor chaps- they might have to close business.

Hope they don't take out a morcha to protest against the ban....you never know!

PS- When's the ban on soft drinks coming? (Trust me- they're more harmful than you think).

Ragging and More!

Last week, Jaihind College, Mumbai debarred a few students (the exact number varies from rumour to rumour, but the expulsion is confirmed) for ragging a few juniors. This surprised many people since it is the first time any college has taken strict action against, er, raggers. Even though it is a criminal offence in many states and the ragger can be jailed, no one has been arrested for ragging.

Ragging is a very common thing in many college around the country. Only recently has the government sat up and taken notice of ragging as a serious problem.

So what is ragging? According to Dictionary.com, it is:

1. Slang. To tease or taunt.
2. Slang. To berate; scold.
3. Chiefly British. To play a joke on.
The seniors command the scared, shy juniors do silly things, like sing a nursery rhyme or the national anthem loudly, do sit-ups and push-ups, dance.... anything, for that matter.

It has left a deep impact on many students, especially girls, like Indu Anto, and many others we will never hear of.

But those Jaihind guys are sure lucky they only got kicked out of college, and not thrown into a dingy Arthur Road cell.

Teasing and More

On the same note, I'd like to add that ragging per se is not restricted to a few places. It's everywhere, though in different forms.

Take the example of cool USA for instance. Though the Americans may have not heard of ragging, they sure do know how to tease.

Check out Drew Barrymore's movie- Never Been Kissed. Not for the sake of the movie, but for a taste of American teen culture. Among other things, the oh-I'm-so-cool teens call Josie Geller a loser and Josie Grossie just because she is shy, nerdy and clumsy.

But here's the prank that tops it all- the guy she has a crush on (Billy) asks her out for the prom and showers her with eggs outside her home on prom night.

And then there's Full House, a popular comedy about an American family. It has the usual stuff- dealing with child and teenage problems.

Some of them are alien to me, like when Stephanie refuses to wear spectacles, scared of what her classmates might call her- geeky and nerdy. And another time when she tries to bunk school so she won't be in the class photograph, the reason being she has a bandage on her broken nose, and will be teased for the rest of the year.

Now, I started wearing glasses in sixth grade, but I don't remember being teased. Just got a few surprised looks from my classmates. And then there was a time when I hurt the area between my nose and upper lip, but never heard any snickers or comments.

So that's the difference between their teen culture and ours, and I hope that ours remains the way it is.

Beautiful!
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who's the fairest of them all?

Who can look into the mirror and be happy with what they see? Not me, or anyone I know. Perhaps not even Ash and Sush. They might be loooking in the mirror as you read this, and muttering to themselves, "Oh my God! I'm FAT!" or, "I hate my nose!"

Nothing can be perfect. No one can be perfect. But at least we try. Try too hard.

Liposuction, nose jobs, implants, rhinoplasty, you want it, you do it. It's not taboo anymore.

Those who aren't blessed with Aphrodite's looks, tough luck. Brace yourself. Even if you aren't the type who thinks too much about your looks, don't worry. Colleagues, friends, relatives, acquaintances will all unconsciously encourage you to gaze in the miror for hours trying to figure out what's right with you. You will turn up with nothing.

But it's natural. Very natural. As natural as breathing or sleeping or eating.
You have a pimple? Oh, that's natural, but bad!(You can't go on a date with a pimple!) Have thin lips? Oh, just blow them up. (Guys wouldn't give you half a look otherwise). Your pout will be perrrrfect. Just like your favourite model.

Right from the times of Cleopatra and Nefertiti, beauty has been a fixation, and not just for women. Look out for the men too!

Gorgeous models are already auctioning their eggs and sperm on the Internet to meet the need for good-looking babies. (The price ranges from $15000-$75000) and we will soon be having genetically engineered bodies.
Beauty is skin-deep. After all, your good heart wouldn't show on your face, would it? Your blackheads would.