Being RC

So, what?

2011-11-04T23:10:00.000+05:30

There were these girl and guy sitting next to me on the bus, and they were discussing the state of politics in India; the girl was saying that in her opinion new anti-corruption laws should be made which will look only at the future scams, and ignore all the old ones. What did I think: I thought her voice was SO screechy! And I also thought they were talking shop.

That's how I have become now; I don't care. About so many things. Sure I read the newspaper, but that is limited to the pink paper (occupational hazard), and the trash paper (easy on my attention span).

I don't care about most of the national news, that and this morcha, nothing - because I am a hard boiled cynic now. Here's my justification: living conditions get worse (atleast in Mumbai and Hyderabad where I have lived), I still cannot get a certificate from the government without having to make half a dozen visits to various offices (or pay an agent), Hyderabad has become a filthy joke made by TRS and others, arre even movies are getting increasingly atrocious.

So yes, I don't care because I am not very optimistic about happy change: roads are going to be bad, the metro rail is not going to come in this decade, public transport will be painful, government offices are never going to be pleasant, and no movie review will be reliable.

So what will change this sad state? I don't know. But something will, I believe. And I also believe we (I) will know when it comes. Much like how we'll know when Vishnu's 10th incarnation will mount his horse and draw his sword to kill the demons of the Kalyug.

The attraction of that cheesy serial on TV

2011-10-11T20:05:00.000+05:30

Nearly 100% of the female population I know watches Bade achche lagte hai on Sony, if not everyday, about once a week atleast. The Husband, when he comes home that early and the serial is on, makes a disgusted face and says something like "tum bhi!" (Haan bhai haan!)

There is not a shred of doubt that the serial is crap. Most of the actors are horrible, the story is weak, like coffee the Husband would make, the romantic lead is obese, the two lead characters are borderline obnoxious, and all humour is contrived. Basically everything is bad, at the best.

The attraction, I think, is the promise of (cheesy) romance... the kind where the obese boy and skinny girl are teased about going on honeymoon, and everyone blushes; where the mere touching of hands is an oblique reference to making children (and makes a week's worth of episodes). Obviously all the blushing, hand-brushing,eyelid batting, 2mm twisted mouth-spreading for a smile is all relevant only till that Maha epsiode where the leads are drunk and / or thrown into life threatening circumstances and their estrogen and testosterone levels finally go through the roof. After that, I wouldn't watch this piece of crap anymore.

Where (the hell) have the non-cheesy romantic movies gone? The last movie I gushed over (internal gushing only) was probably Godavari (Telugu). There was Swades, Dil Chahta hai, Bridget Jones Diary (hehe, yes!), even Gharshana (Telugu version of Force). All I see now is either non-existent (Mere brother ki dulhan, Dookudu), bromance (Delhi belly) or sod (most of the most movies touted as louve stories; I saw Kurbaan only recently, thought it was yucky).

So next time you see someone watching Kuch to log kahenge or equivalent; hold your contempt, and get off your silly little high horse.

PS: Are you remembering that I am sort of newly married, and think it is funny that I should be a sucker for something like this? You are still unmarried, aren't you? Wait for my seminal work titled "Debunking the major myths about marriage".

Food: the good high-giver

2011-06-10T19:56:00.000+05:30

Food is so much in the centre of so many things; weekend plan revolving around where / what to eat, happiness in the anticipation of cheese and chocolate, extreme anxiety over what to cook when guests come over (this, I hope shall pass and quickly), and (people from husband's side, kindly jump to the next para) 'healthy debate' with NA about why the wife alone needs to take the responsibility of cooking.

Apparently, we are what we eat; which makes me a true cosmopolitan. The relative who never experiments with non-Indian cuisine is some sort of a xenophobe, while Curl Head II is definitely the xenophile; Mittal, who tries to go the healthy way is de nouveaux, while the uncle who makes a face at as much as whole wheat bread is going to be fat. All of us who louve maggi (maggi, maggi, maggi!) are easy, non-demanding people, and Sage, who doesn't eat enough maggi even in hostile Gurgaon, is probably gonna be a pain-in-the-backside husband :D

This brings me to something I discovered only recently: I never thought I would care much about cooking tasty stuff, but here I am trying day after day to make fluffed-like-bubble gum-rotis! How can one with such strong louve for food be a serving non-descript fare to someone else!!

So, looking for some recipe online landed me on a website for Andhra food, and I now long for Vadiyala pulusu, and gongura pachchadi. Oh and also a cheese cake.

Confessions of a callophobic

2011-05-31T11:19:00.000+05:30

Google says that Telephone was found in late 1800s, and it took about a century for its wide, widespread acceptance globally. I should have been born sometime in that period!

While there are other things that I tend to be lazy about, nothing comes to close to my aversion towards making calls. It is quite strong, unexplained, rather horrible and always embarrassing. My new year resolution for 2010 and 2011 was to call regularly and everything, and the improvement is still too minute to be perceptible to naked eye. Infact, I have started to take the offensive now: told Curl Head II that I am horrible at making calls, and that she shouldn't feel bad that I didn't call!

While friends telling me that I am something animal-like for not calling would make me less guilty earlier, everyone's been "oh, you must be busy adjusting to the new life" since the wedding. While it is true, I could (ok, should) have managed to call.

So, Pramod Khanchandani, if I don't call you today, emmm.. I will call!

Arranged happiness

2011-05-18T20:16:00.000+05:30

I remember Curl Head II and I reading this blog of a guy analyzing (at great length) the shortcomings of an arranged marriage. I didn't agree with most of his theories anyway, but nothing poofs them more than some recent happy faces.

Mr. and Mrs. Bade log looked happy and many other nice things on Monday! So did Mr. and to-be-Mrs. Seth.

So here's to all sorts of marriages! (It really is not the case wishing my pain (I first said plague!) onto everyone, no, not today! :))

Miserable love?

2011-05-16T10:05:00.000+05:30

Fact: NA likes to think that I like to be miserable sometimes.

Proof of my magnanimity: That may be true!

So my last gloom was about how little life changes for men even after they get married; it was triggered by NA leaving for office as usual (keyword: as usual), and lasted till evening. It was after a happy moaning session with Dilli-ki-gau that I remembered all the good things about NA, about being married, and it was back to sunshine already!

Real sadness comes unannounced really, and only just weighs on you, without any drama. Like getting a recently passed away and much loved uncle's birthday alert on email. We miss you Peddayya.

Point of this post: Want to write.

Uncomplicated

2010-07-25T21:45:00.000+05:30

Increasingly feel the need to uncomplicate - taking things at face value and leaving it at that seems to be the best shot at peace.

That said, I met an unbelievably unidimensional person recently and ended up getting extremely infuriated. The almost godly demeanor, derision towards everybody with an independent (or not) mind, and complete lack of non-slapstick humour made her seem so archaic. Somehow, I felt that acting like she was old as Tyrannosaurus Rex was a source of pride for her.

I alternately wanted to doze off and argue for almost all that she said, just that she wouldn't care either ways. She plodded on with random observations and jokes regardless of my complete lack of interest. Some character, that.

Getting to the wrong side of 25

2010-06-27T21:00:00.000+05:30

Ok, so all my life I've been among the youngest ones in a select population - was among the younger students in MBA class, same in the first job. But now, it has changed. And how. There are 21 year olds working in my office! Not in the same role (thank god!!), but 21, and working for 2 years!

It gives me such a complex, seeing these little children thinking of what do next, partying, etc, etc; and the head starts going "whirr, whirr, whirr... she's only 21, 9 years before getting to 30!"

Then I saw recently that the vigil idiot guy is only 22. First up, I totally love his reviews (http://www.thevigilidiot.com/), but 22! And then my boss is only 9 years older than me and he is high-high-high up from where I stand. So, that comparison sucks too.

I am basically freaked at turning 26 soon. Keep thinking of all the surveys which have check boxes in the range 18-25 years and then 26-45. Officially, one is not the 'young crowd' anymore.

All things remaining the same, one does seem so 'unsettled' at 26, than at 25. It is ok to make no investments (material, emotional, others) at 25. But not thinking of any of it at 26 seems imprudent. Damn, it is the official passing of 'ah-no-care-in-life' phase. Even Olay's age-repair (or whatever) cream is targeted at women over 25!

So, I got over a month before transitioning to 26-45, please do not ask me for parties when I do transition. Please remember giving gifts would be a good way to cheer me up :)

2010 Year to date

2010-04-18T16:29:00.000+05:30

I logged into my bank account's netbanking portal today, first time in the 6 months after I opened the account and paid the credit card bill. It is not much, but I am feeling rather happy with myself. I had to do it for nearly a month now, and I managed it in time,without missing the credit card deadline. I hope my most-tech-freak-friend will buy me a gift now :)

I am getting addicted to facebook. I feel like buying a nice phone with all jazz when I think I could update status from office etc. But then I recall I broke my last two phones by throwing them to ground. Still doing the penance.

The quick trip to Mumbai was absolutely awesome. I think the best thing I did so far this year.

Really sad the curl-headed girl had to move. And to Chennai, of all places. Wish she would come back soon. (Also want to get her job).

I want to be more regular in calling people. I must have called NV two weeks back, but generally being lazy / tired / pissed / retarded. And I know she understands, so I wring the benefit to the full. :) So gonna call today.

Want to watch more movies, but don't think that'll happen. Leader was the last. Totally think Rana Daggubati is more hot than a good actor. But hot is enough. :)

On Sundays I think about work, and I know it is 'the good stuff, man!!'. On other days, I really try to think that, but am mostly too tired. :(

And there's so much good news I heard and so much I am looking forward too this year :)

Bring it on, whoever there is to bring on!!

The Best things resolution

2010-01-27T20:21:00.002+05:30

Life's best things are those we take for granted / forget, missing them in the earth-shattering speed to achieve the next milestone, and the one after that.

I am not talking about award winning book type smelling-the-earth-after-first-rain things here. I am talking about things more tangible: like I have a really nice pair of jeans, which I insist on keeping safe in the cupboard (kyunki kharab ho jaayega / ivvala adi veskokarle, anta avasaram ledu), and drool over another one that costs three and half grand, which I can afford, but will not.

The thinking is this: what I have is going no where, so I forget about it and let me concentrate what else do I want. Recent evidence from empirical experiments proved that this is particularly moronic thinking.

Personally, I am at a great place right now; I am with the people that matter the world to me, no fights above what tv channel to watch, and This is what I'd have wished for an year back. This, I want to remember every time I tend towards that pathetic, pitless, senseless sadness; to be happy for the gifts I got before panting towards the next goalpost.

PS: (Touchwood)^10^10^10^10 billion
(Just to be safe!)

The noise in the head

2009-12-31T15:48:00.000+05:30

I have time on my hands off late and surprisingly, I end up doing the most engaging thing - screwing my head up thinking of the various ways in which all the choices I made will go wrong, and I will have IDIOT branded on my forehead. (Emmm.. if you know what I mean here, It is not something you wanna be proud of!!)

Even more frustrating is the wait - wait for things to happen, the 'right time' to come, for you to get better at what you do, and similar bull. The gyaan is available anywhere you'd care to look: from the internet, friends, me-too relatives, acquaintances: that you'd just have to be patient. Yes sure, but will you please give me the instruction manual.

The thing is that there is nothing that can help, except may be closing all your orifices and shouting "wollaioi wollaoioi wollaiooi" every time the ugly questions start popping up in the brain.

The only way is to really shut up and let the things play out and hope for the best, I think. Any suggestions are most welcome.

26/11 2009

2009-11-26T21:33:00.000+05:30

This is mainly about two things

1) Hyderabad municipality elections
2) One year since 26/11 today

It is fancy to bash the media for everything, and I plan to indulge in it completely.

So much media space given to the Mumbai attack today, trying to revisit every little scrap of detail for the benefit of the viewers / readers. God knows what is this expected to achieve; it is not some rare-to-come win of the Indian cricket team that we'd nostalgically chew over.

The attack was something we shuddered about, even as we went to work the following day (even in Mumbai, even in South Bombay), and still get creeps about. But watching a TV show on how the attack happened one year down the line is hardly going to help. Like trying to study Black & Scholes while watching a porno movie, it will do nothing. Assuming one wanted to study.

Whatever had to change had to happen in the one year that went by since the attacks. Sadly, not much changed. There are a few cops sitting at CST now, a 'beeper entrance' and that's it. Many stations don't have it. Proudly, Mumbai went back to being as it was.

The thing is, nothing can change until we change. Such a big operation the terrorists, somebody must have noticed something fishy somewhere, if they had reported it then, possibly (possibly!!) the attack could have been thwarted.

This is where bullet point 1. comes in too. Apathy. The roads in Hyderabad, at least where I stay, pretty much suck. There are power cuts, water shortages (sometimes) and limited connectivity through public transport. And I stay in an 'upper-middle class to close-to-stinking -rich' residential area. One Congress MP's house in 10 mins away from mine, on foot.

Despite all the problems (not the MP, silly!), we do not vote. Less than 50% polling, even after all of this. Surely a nation which can spend money to sms to save Rohit Verma's ass can definitely spare 30 mins to go and vote.

I don't have a solution (the questions are so long here, who knows the solution), may be we know we'd lament with or without involvement, so we'd rather save the energy. Save them for the parties, where we can discuss politics and problems, no end. That will impress the women (or the men), I guess.

My two paise.

End of an era

2009-10-28T20:58:00.000+05:30

So Mumbai has come to an end, at least for now. God I miss it and how! I am all excited about being home, etc, but Mumbai has been home to me for so long, and so much more! I met some of the best people I ever met all my life, made the biggest decisions of my life, had the happiest, saddest and also the most scariest moments of my so-far-so-short life!!

I know even as I am out of it now, that I am never loving another city like I love Mumbai. For all that it is, panipuris and sandwiches, parties and pubs, rasta shopping in Bandra and causeway to the various boutiques (where I could only window shop so far!!), the autos and taxis with the (relatively) fair meters, the list is endless...

I will also miss the comforts of staying by myself, maggi for lunch and dinner is unlikely to happen anymore, just as crash diets can never happen again (not with food being stowed under my nose, no way!!). I will miss having to be friends with the watchmen, who will help you pay bills, get maids, electricians, plumbers and god knows what else. I will miss having to think about (and sometimes hating) what to cook for lunch / dinner / breakfast tomorrow.

PS: Argued with mum in the kitchen today about turning the gas on before placing the pan on it. She yelled at me saying I waste gas like that!!

The problem gripping the nation

2009-10-08T20:58:00.004+05:30

Is the ubiquitous layer of adipose tissue around the waist!! I was walking back home today and saw 3 jawans, all of them with a rich endowment! And then there are aunties who I know visit the gym fairly regulary, and could pass off as being in 'decent shape', till you see the mound in the front! My once thin and lean friends are still so, expect with the semi-circle in the middle!!

What is it with the belly! Surely it was not beer for all of them!

I conclude, after extensive examination and research, that in 90% of the cases it is happiness that 'pushes' the projection. Check out the number of newly and happily married people who seem to grow a tond in a matter of months!

Isn't it so unfair that the first ounces (or pounds) of extra fat in the human body seem to go deposit there, out in plain view!!

Btw, I am home! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!! My only worry is that all the rice and mithai and chocolates and bajjis and others, etc will show sooner than later!

This and that

2009-05-10T23:43:00.003+05:30

There is something about best friends' weddings. Two of my best friends have gone down that lane now and one is all set for a November date. Suddenly you're planning outings with couples rather than just your friends.

I had so much fun attending the curl headed girl's wedding in Hyderabad and then the reception in Lucknow! But tomorrow is a Monday :(

What do all the comments for the first post mean: we seem to be a family of weird-named people!! :D

Of growing up

2009-03-22T17:59:00.008+05:30

I listen to a good amount of carnatic music these days, would make my dad so happy if he'd know. But the thing is I always liked that stuff, but somehow always avoided accepting that I do. I remember as a kid when I used to play those cassettes when there was nobody at home. I think back then I had to dislike it becuase dad liked it, so it was sort of the 'uncool' thing to like.

Most prejudices, I think, are as old as we are. I recently heard of a 40 plus someone who's gone from agnostic to spiritual to religious all in a few years. I think it was always there, the whole religious thing. It manifested itself differently, like in detesting other communities, supporting political parties that are supportive of his religious views, however skewed they might be, etc. Like I stupidly thought Indian music was uncool, may be he thought doing shrine visits at 40 sounds more acceptable than what it would at 20 something. Or may be I am being too cynical.

So it is this thing about how tastes change, or how we grow to accept our tastes as they are. However, what with tastes / opinions becoming more rigid and such close-ended loops with each passing year, it is sometimes a shame we call it growing up.

All about the name

2009-01-31T15:59:00.007+05:30

When you got a name like Ramya Camasamudram, it is relatively easy to stand out. And once out of the four southern states, you needn't even get to C..., Ramya is enough!

Actually there is limited scope for distortion here, it is either Raamya, Raaaamya... stretch the 'a' for more varients. And there was this guy in my class who would call me 'Rrumya', with double 'R' and the 'a' all condensed because I corrected his Raamya once!

What is probably the funniest is when I get calls from people selling credit cards or insurance or mutual funds or loans, they are so not sure about whether it is a Ms.Ramya C something or a Mr. Ramya C somthing they would talk to. Been addressed as both, obviously.

How did I decide on writing about my name- just got a call from a Raamya category colleague. Though I can't remember if I ever corrected him, got used to it now; I spell it out everytime I have to give my name to someone, like for a Pizza order too! The pronunciation is screwed, but it is still better than Ramaiyya!!

Off the track - I wanted to write something today, and was bored of my old blog. So got this new one. If only everything else was this easy to change!!