50th random post

I wanted to post this, just for the heck of it! :D
While talking to my long-time married friend about shopping, she remarked:

"Oh, I can never go shopping with X. His taste is so different from mine. If his wish were to come true, I would be walking around in micro mini skirts. And to think - most husbands are happy if their wives would not expose too much....but mine is just the opposite!"

Now that is worth a thought! ;)

Happy Onam

"Hridayam niranja onamshamsakal" to one and all.
I had a wonderful Onam a day ahead of the actual one. On Sunday to be precise. And since my apprenticeship last year, I have come a long way. Actually cooked on my own, that is :D
Made sambar and calan and payasam. Had a very nice onasadya with R's cousin cooking the rest of the kuttam.
That was for lunch. To make up for the overdose of authentic Mallu vegetarian food, we decided to end the day with chicken biryani. Yummy yummy! Right now, my life is all about good food and TV and a lot of unwanted but blissful sleep. :) Life is GOOD!

Chill Out...

Literally!
Dubai's Chillout is an ice lounge and the first of it's kind in the Middle East and the ninth in the world. Well - it is THE latest hangout place and no wonder - everything in there is made of ice! Can you believe it? And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING including the chairs, tables and glasses. The temperature is a chilly -10 deg C.
The place seats 40 people and the cover charge is 65 dirhams (17 USD) and this includes winter gear, disposable gloves and boots and a free drink. The employees of the place are from Russia and Romania. 50,000 kgs of ice has gone into building this room.
Here is a video of what it looks like.

Facing foreclosure?

Be careful about what you do in the US.
Most of us who read/watch the news know about the fallout in the housing market. As more and more people find it difficult to meet the monthly payments, they wish to bailout. And usually, they do this by selling their house for less that what it is worth and getting their debts canceled. Well, sounds reasonable, does it not? But there is a catch. The IRS will send you a tax bill on the amount of debt canceled since this is treated as an income. (Form 1099). On the other hand, if the debt were to be canceled after declaring bankruptcy, this will not happen.

Well - the first thought that came to my mind was - this system is really screwed. I mean - people who cannot make the payments are the ones who sell their houses and move on. And it is not like everyone gets the whole amount back. But then, thankfully you can appeal against this and prove that you are insolvent and win.

Read this article to know more.

Pure "dabbankuthu"

ha ha ha! I watched this song while I was in Cyprus. Must be one of the most colorful songs ever. Notice the people in the background? It is all a matter of perspective

Am I homesick?

I guess I am. Coz for the first time in 6 years, I feel like going home. I miss Kerala. :( Onam is around the corner and my parents keep telling me that its been raining in Kerala all this time.


I miss the rains - the kind that starts one evening and doesn't stop till the next. Miss traveling on a highway while it rains so hard that you can barely see what is in front of you. I used to sit near the window and watch the rain fall.
I miss the small lanes that you have to travel through to reach a house. Villages in kerala are famous for their 'ooduvazhikal' - small mud roads that are too narrow for any car or bus. Its fun to walk through them with both sides of the road covered in green.
I miss the greenery, the wild growth of plants and coconut trees in each and every house. :)
I miss the roadside vendor who sells you tender coconut water and tries to overcharge you at the same time. :D Gosh! what fights me and my friends used to put up, all for saving a buck. Hahaha
I miss the small quaint temples. Going to one of these hidden in the country side is mind calming in itself.



On a different note, this song is a beauty. Though R says that the lyrics don't make sense, I love the song for its music which is by none other than the maestro Illayaraja. It is from the movie "Achuvinte Amma" and has Meera Jasmine and Urvashi in the lead roles. Directed by Sathyan Anthikad, this is a story with a twist. Well, there is another reason to love this song. Watch it to know why. :D

And in the news today....

A man in Houston ordered flowers on 1-800-FLOWERS for his girlfriend and a Thank You note gets sent to his house, which his wife picked up. Already undergoing divorce, the wife promptly doubled the amount of cash settlement and its costing him half a million now.
Well, what does our man do? Sue 1-800-FLOWERS since they breached his contract not to send anything to his house and collect 1.5 million as damages.
Phew! Such shocking terrifying heartrending news, isn't it? Ha ha ha, I have to admit - the American News channels do give Malayala Manorama a run for their money.
PS - I watched this snippet on NBC news. :D

Woman Power

In a land where Muslim women are literally kept under wraps, this woman really stands out. Majda al-Bahr, is a Muslim taxi driver, that too in Jerusalem. That is something remarkable and her courage is outstanding.
On my trip to Israel, I ended up going to Jerusalem with a young Israeli Arab as my guide. At the end of the day, we became very pally and he showed me his wife's photograph. But he would not show it to any of the guys in our group claiming only his family members are allowed to see her and no other male can look at her. At first I thought he was kidding. But he was not. (And believe me - She was HOT! ;) ) That is when I got a taste of how conservative these people are.
Need I say more? Read this to know what I am talking about. Hats off to Majda!

Go Mallus!

Casablanca is being remade as an Indian movie.
The language? Malayalam
Actor - Suresh Gopi (Woo Hoo :D)
Actress - Mandira Bedi (YUCK!)

One movie to definitely look forward to. Read this to know more.