Through an elf's eye...........

Weather Update

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:43:00 +0000

It didn't rain or snow last night! What a bummer :(

October and Winter

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:50:00 +0000

Its October. The leaves on the trees have not even fallen off. And yet - its raining big fat hailstones and there's snow predicted for tonite! Winter is HERE. A bit too early, I must say!

All's fair in love and politics?

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:52:00 +0000

I don't think so. And read this. Its utterly disgusting. Just to show people like these - I hope Obama wins!

I Wanna make some dough!

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:57:00 +0000

I think I have figured out a way to. ;)

Tips to a wonderful married life???

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:57:00 +0000

Here's an interesting excerpt from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray.

The best of women (I have heard my grandmother say) are hypocrites. We don't know how much they hide from us; how watchful they are when they seem most artless and confidential; how often those frank smiles, which they wear so easily, are traps to cajole or elude or disarm - I don't mean in your mere coquettes, but your domestic models, and paragons of female virtue. Who has not seen a woman hide the dullness of a stupid husband, or coax the fury of a savage one? We accept this amiable slavishness, and praise a woman for it; we call this pretty treachery truth. A good housewife is of necessity a humbug.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above belong solely to Thackeray and his grandmother (God rest their souls) and have no bearing upon R or me, so help us God!

Found my Daemon

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:23:00 +0000

Last month

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:20:00 +0000

A lot happened last month. First was an agonizing wait for my Advance Parole to be approved and then endless shopping for chocolates and knick knacks. What do the 2 have in common? I was going HOME after more than a year! :D Happy me!!!!
Though there was a lot of anxiety over the Advance Parole, I managed to get on that airplane in the end. Got picked up at the airport by Elf's sis. What a cutie pie she is. Oops! Forgot to mention the whole reason for going to India. My brother in law's wedding. So you can imagine the hustle and bustle. The wedding was at Trivandrum, which is the capital of Kerala. A whole 11 hrs away from Calicut. Needless to say, it all went well. Had fun with R's cousins. Don't remember laughing so hard or joking around after my grad days.
I cannot begin to describe the shock I experienced at seeing all the changes back home. Remember that attack of nostalgia I had described earlier? All that vanished into thin air. Poof!!!! The face of Kerala has changed, with clumps of high rise apartments doting the skyline like unwanted warts. I hated it. My tiny house sits in a tiny lane, so tiny that it can be considered a one way lane. And in that space, there are 4 - 5 apartment blocks. And the price of land has skyrocketed. Much as it is good news for me, I feel sad at the way the place has transformed.
Now back to my Advance Parole. My husband's company sent it to Bangalore and so we had to postpone our tickets, lose some money in the bargain and then pack our bags and head off to Bangalore 2 days before we had planned to leave home. Bangalore was another shock, the same story being repeated, except on a bigger scale. :( Shopping, which I used to think was cheaper in India, turned out to be just as expensive as back here. The only good thing that happened was that I got to meet 2 of my dearest friends. It felt so good to sit and blabber my heart out. :)
After all this, I was so eager to get back, even NJ seemed way better. Guess am a proper NRI now, living the American dream.
PS - It did not rain even one day while I was there. :(

I met the Angel of Music

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:45:00 +0000

Last night in NYC. Ha ha ha! Don't think I have gone crazy, but to some of you out there, that name might strike a bell!
The Phantom of the Opera is what am talking about. The longest running musical on Broadway and I finally got a chance to go watch it last night.
Needless to say, I loved each and every thing about it. The set, the characters, the costumes. They were brilliant, and the music - mindblowing!

That's one off my list of broadway musicals to watch.

Lost forever? Not quite....

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:24:00 +0000

Ever wonder where all the unclaimed baggage go to? What happens to all those clothes, knickknacks and jewelery? I used to think they would eventually be destroyed, what with the security regulations at airports and all. Apparently not!
All these "lost treasures" end up in a huge warehouse in Scottsboro, Alabama. The place is as big as a city block and the items are put up for sale at very low discounted prices. People from all over US travel to this sleepy town in search of bargains. Stories of finding hidden treasures sewn into the seams of suitcases are not so uncommon. They seem to have found a lot of unusual objects from a diamond mounted on a platinum ring to 500$ tucked inside Barbie's head.
Sounds really interesting, doesn't it? Sweet home Alabama! ;)

A weekend in the city......

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 13:42:00 +0000

NY is what am talking about. After leaving my job, R and I seem to be spending more time in the city during weekends than ever before. I have to admit I have fallen head over heels in love with NY. The old buildings, the bustle of people and the charming parks have captivated my heart like no other place has. Each time we go, we find something new to do - let it be dining or movies or....well, let's just say dining! :D
Well, this weekend was no exception. Saturday night was spent at this very charming restaurant called Aspen. I was completely bowled over by the decor. The food was excellent and the service - impeccable. Needless to say, we left the place feeling quite sated and in no mood to do what we set out to do - the famous Brooklyn Bridge walk. :) But that did not stop us from going to Max Brenner. This is one experience which I feel every chocolate lover has to go through. Oh man! The chocolate crepes (Parisian style) were absolutely sinful! For all you ignorants out there - Max Brenner is this chocolate cafe set in Times Square. The place goes by the name - Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man! But do not be fooled. There is no bald man! It is all a marketing gimmick by 2 Israelis, who started this place in Jerusalem 10 years ago. The bald man that you see in Oded Brenner, one of the 2 founders of the place. That is one place I will visit over and over again. Cross my heart and hope to die! ;)
We ended the night watching a hilarious French movie called Le Diner de Cons. I have had a brush with French movies while I was a kid and I thought they were quite original. This movie is a laugh riot from the beginning to end and the actors are brilliant. Well, so ended Saturday on a high note.
Sunday was again spent in the city. I had been waiting for long time to watch Vanaja ever since I read about it. The story as such is OK and the movie tends to drag at times. But the actors - they were brilliant. The young girl, the landlady and the maid were amazing and I guess that was the best part about the whole movie. They are not mainstream actors but I felt the director has done a brilliant job bringing out the best in them. At the end of the movie, we met the girl who played the role of Vanaja. A very sweet and shy person. :)
After the movie, we did do the Brooklyn Bridge walk. Yesterday was perfect in terms of weather and the walk into Manhattan was quite romantic. I was just sad that it ended too soon. Gotta do this again!
I have come to the conclusion that eating is a big part of the whole experience of going to NY. The place is filled with restaurants and yesterday's dinner was Thai food at this tiny but highly rated joint called Pam. Good food and good service all over again.
Well, what more do I need to say? I am having the time of my life! And the next time I go, I think I should get one of those wildly popular t-shirts which declare - I Love NY! Coz indeed I do!

Poo venam...

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 18:56:00 +0000

Does anyone remember this song from the movie "Oru Minnaminunginte Nurungu Vettom"? An oldie. I have been listening to old malayalam songs nowadays and I came across this one.

The movie itself is a lovely story about a childless couple (Nedumudi Venu and Sharada) who adopt Parvathy and how their lives change after that. I remember watching this when I was a kid. Directed by Bharathan, it is one of those movies which stay in your heart forever. It also got Venu the state award for Best Actor.
Well, the waves of nostalgia just keep coming....:)

PS - For some reason, the embedding has been disabled. Hence the link.

50th random post

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:14:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:36:00 +0000

"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...

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:32:00 +0000

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?

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:33:00 +0000

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"

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:49:00 +0000

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?

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:09:00 +0000

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....

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:04:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:05:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:21:00 +0000

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.

New World! New Name ;)

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:09:00 +0000

One of the funniest ads I have ever seen! Made me laugh my head off the first time I saw it!

Enjoy!!! :D

5 things I hate....

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:18:00 +0000

at the workplace

1) Food at your desk - Gosh! How pathetic and gross! The smell, oh the smell! Food, especially Indian and Chinese food stinks when you have it at your desk. Don't people just get that? Food is to be had at the cafeteria, not at your desk!
2) Kids - No, I do not work at a Montessori, thankfully! Not that I don't love kids, but when I am deep into debugging, hearing my neighbor's kid test his/her voice box is not what I need! If you need to pick up your kids from school/crèche/party or whatnot, pls do drop them at your place or take the rest of the day off! The office is not for them to run around. And we are not here to amuse them. Sheesh! Talk about saving on baby sitters!
3) Conference calls - No one can escape these. I have more than enough in my calendar; I do not want to listen to yours! If you happen to attend a conference call, at least use the phone receiver or use a headset. We get more than enough of our share, thank you very much!
4) Blah Blah Blah - OK, admit it! Everyone loves to talk! But talking in your mother tongue for the rest of the world to hear is not really exciting for us. Save that for your home/fun time!
5) Not refilling the coffee jugs - In spite of the new coffee jugs, there are times when I find them as empty as they can be! :(
The rest of the things that happen there - well...sigh! That is a whole new story

To lead a team....

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:11:00 +0000

Well, as most of my readers know, I do not have tons of work experience. This is my third year and in these 3 years, I have worked under 3 – 4 GLs. Most of them were cut from the same cloth but there was one who stood out. Maybe he is not exceptional when compared to the other people I have not yet worked with, but for me he was someone special.
Consider this – am a new employee, barely in the company for 6 months and I get thrown into a new project. My team lead, let’s call him C, gives me small tasks in the beginning and then later he starts pushing me to do bigger better tasks. Soon, I was leading a small team from the client side into learning, and setting up their environments for a new project. He made me the focal point for the client to interact with. All that aside, he never questioned me about the status of the tasks assigned to me. I never felt I was working under pressure, even for the tiniest of the tasks and he trusted me implicitly. Whenever we faced issues, he would first make it sound like a joke and that set the mood for the whole team and made our work easy.
After 1.5 years of freedom in that team, I moved on to another team. It is the same product that am working with and the work is fairly similar. But here, the tables are turned. I feel as if am a novice and in our team, the team lead acts as if he is the only one who knows stuff. Well – R, the team lead, even goes so far as to review our mails before sending it to the onshore team! :O
Talk about trust. He goes to each and every person and checks what they are upto, sits with them to solve issues, sits up late debugging issues which we are supposed to solve!
Everyone calls R Super SME (SME being Subject Matter Expert which is the lowest rank of programmers!) OK – everyone appreciates his efforts and frankly – I think his team members are happy he does the work for them. I was horrified in the beginning. Thankfully, I was there with him only for one month and I moved to the

.
But this is what I felt during the whole time. When it has been proven over and over again that every member is capable of doing his job, why does he come and breathe down our necks? Is it lack of trust? Is that what makes people micro manage? If so – am sorry, but I find that whole concept repelling.
I was chatting on the messenger with C yesterday and I realized how much I miss him, and the work that we used to do. There, we were all equals because we were free to toss ideas around and he treated us with respect. A respect which we returned tenfold, because at the end of the day, we knew that he was the expert. Well, though R is an expert, am sure no once can say the say about him. He just does not let others grow.

Am not going to tell you what I learned from this…..coz I am not an expert, yet! But someday…..

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:14:00 +0000

AM SO PISSED I COULD BASH SOMEONE'S HEAD IN!
I mean - WTF! I HATE people who honk at you while you're driving. Yea Yea - you might ask how the hell I managed to survive in India?
Hmmm - let me put it this way. In India - everyone honks...the place is in a constant state of noise pollution. But here, as in US, people honk at others when they wanna say - hey, you made a mistake. OK - am fine with that too coz I did hear a couple of them during the early days of my driving.
But listen to this - here I am, in my car, waiting to get onto the main road and believe me - lunch time is not exactly the time when roads are free of traffic. This car comes and stops behind me and starts honking at me! :O
What the hell does he want me to do? Get onto the main road in between all those cars flying by? I had been in such a good mood after that awesome lunch and a nice mallu comedy movie! All that went flying out of the window!
What is it with such ignorant bull headed pathetic losers anyway? GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Christie's charm

noreply@blogger.com (D for Dawn) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:41:00 +0000

"An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her." Guess who said this! :)