Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Chance and Fortune

It was around 6.00 in the morning when my mobile went into its "supposed-to-be-alarming” melancholy. I pressed the snooze out of habit, knowing very well that the fifteen minutes was all that I had to revisit heaven at a glimpse. This state gives you the deepest and most peaceful sleep ever - those miraculous fifteen minutes. Ecstasy at its best! After the second spoiler in the form of a "nature's call", I had to give up on 5 minutes out of the fifteen. I made a deal to set my snooze time to 20mins for the next day - the only compensation I could think of in my "half wakeful" state. Once settled in place, I was doing the second most important thing after waking up(the snooze time is obviously the first). And when I'm attending to nature's call, I hate any kind of "creepy" interferences. I'll rephrase that as "creeping" ! The third spoiler of the day, came in the form of a 26(to be 36 soon) legged crawler which almost resembled a toddler coming towards "Mommy!". Unfortunately, I was stuck in one place, giving me no scope for movement( any of which could be disastrous in many ways! ;)) It was a milli -millipede( will be referred to as "the attacker" from now on), and by the size of it, it was either an abandoned kid or it had learnt the tactics of a good attack even while it was still in the mothers womb. The first line of defence I could think of was to stamp it with my "hawai-chappal" supported feet. I immediately dismissed the thought partly due to guilt and partly due to the uneasiness of squashing something with my "new bathroom slippers!:D" Hence I moved on to the second line of defense - Water. Since there was plenty in close proximity, I thought it would be a gentle move. All this plotting when my attacker was crawling towards me, inch by inch. And when I decided to go with the second defense, with a mug of water ready, the attacker retreated. Some luck! Maybe it was my feet or my legs or the contrasting colour of my “hawai” or let's get real – the unbeatable stench! Whatever be it, that moment I was relieved. I got into thinking. What if I had overreacted? What if I had lost my nerve and gone ahead with the first line of defense? What if I had made the first day of the milli-millipede its last day? The lucidity of it all came to me in one full blow! It is amazing when you start musing about such minute things. Every creature on earth is gifted with something or the other. Thinking about it, I don’t know how God really had all the patience to instill in every creature something special, something unique…Mind blowing! The world is made up of so many things – seen and unseen. And every minute, something ends its life willingly or is unwillingly made to end its life. One minute, one wrong move – that’s the end. But, if by some stroke of luck, the wrong move is not made, then its defiance of fate. So is this Karma? What makes this cycle go around? Still bemused by the karma of it all, I left to my room to try my hand at blogging these thoughts!

Milli Facts!

Pure Jargon

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda

Better ones

This class contains around 10,000 species. There are 13 orders and 115 families.

The giant African millipede ( Archispirostreptus gigas) is the largest species of millipede.

A millipede has four legs on each segment of its body

Due to their lack of speed and their inability to bite or sting, millipedes' primary defense mechanism is to curl into a tight coil — protecting their delicate legs inside an armoured

The best! :) :)

Many species also emit poisonous liquid secretions or hydrogen cyanide gas through microscopic pores along the sides of their bodies as a secondary defense. Some of these substances are caustic and can burn the exoskeleton of ants and other insect predators, and the skin and eyes of larger predators. Animals such as Capuchin monkeys have been observed intentionally irritating millipedes in order to rub the chemicals on themselves to repel mosquitoes( Hahaha! I love this!)

" I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm"

- Franklin D. Roosevelt




Saturday, July 4, 2009

F.R.I.E.N.D.S




So Long!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Your Shit is Your Responsibility ! :| !

There are three things which are the most personal of all issues revolving around every individual - One is Religious Preference - Which interpretation of God to follow. Two is Sexual Orientation- Left to the will of the individual. Three is - WHAT YOU DO INSIDE A LOO [ Considering only the loos with a door, latch in place and with no hidden cameras :P] It is true. What you do inside a loo is your business. How you use it, is your business. But in the end, your shit is your responsibility. Its frustrating to even think of the fact that people treat the public lavatories with all contempt of royalty, leaving it "unflushed", assuming that someone's gonna take responsibility for their shit... Drives me nuts! The immediate line of reasoning would be, may be these people are from the village and aren't used to the "toilets". Well, be it the village or a city, the shit is the same. The Cleansing agent (Water) is the same. Only the place is going to be different. My point is, why can't people use the loo, and take a look at the place, before they quit the place, thrusting the shit-cleaning responsibility to someone else ? If everybody makes it a habit to develop clean loo habits, then there are chances of seeing cleaner toilets in the suburb Bus stands, cleaner toilets in the ever stinking railway networks..The only problem one can probably take into account is the "dry", "rusty" taps. Even if the taps don't function, there is usually a tank right outside the public toilet, stored with water. I've seen this water filled tank in many public toilets. Despite this, why are the toilets a mess all the time? What is wrong in developing a clean habit? What does the system need ,to solve this problem of nasty public toilets? Well, from what I've seen, its not just the public toilets which are in a devastating state... What you are at home, you ought to be better when you are outside. So only if the clean habits exist inside a household will it reflect on the sense of personal hygiene when a person steps out of the house. The only solution is to bring up kids the proper way. It's a simple process. Teach the kids to "take a look" before stepping out of the loo. Do all that you can, to clean the mess. If every individual can take care of their shit, then soon we'd probably see a better India. India would escape the cynicism of the Brits. India would escape being called "that poor country". India would stop featuring in "world cinema" - for its harsh reality alone, ignorant of its beauty. Though this post is all about "Shit", it is small things like this, which when corrected, can save us from getting into "Deep Shit" !! *All pun intended!* :D :D :D

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Simple things can mean a lot

Have you ever lost something you loved and got it back just when you were thinking "it's over..that's it.."... Life proves it at a lot of instances. One of God's weird ways of asking you to hang on and keep believing... Many a times, I've got that one "timing" message from someone I wouldn't have even bothered keeping in touch with. It would be strange, that someone who's just an acquaintance can send you a forward which comes right in time, just when you start the "i'm a loser" slogan. The forward fits like a glove... and everytime something like this happens, I thank "that acquaintance" and God for sending me that message. God speaks to you in weird ways...It's true. Whatever has to happen will happen... Maktub - it's written :) The entire point in me missing a CSK (IPL) match, to blog something about "maktub", "God" and all this is because I found a ring which I lost a few months back. I was studying and I remember removing it for a while. And hours later, I realized it was gone. I had lost it. I believe in Maktub, Luck and all that . I value sentiments and the lost ring left me brooding for days... You might ask "You believe in destiny..Then why believe in luck? ".. I know its logically lame to believe in two contradictory things. The point is, I also believe that everyday, you have the chance to change your life. It is written. But God wrote different chapters for each instant. And it all lies in the "choice" you make.( As understood after reading one of Paulo Coelho's book. It made a lot of sense to me :) ) What you choose, is what you become. How do you make the right choice then? This is where, "luck" comes into the picture. According to me, luck and destiny go hand in hand because God writes more than one chapter for every instant which demands your attention. I don't know if I'm right. It might sound far fetched but as long as I have something to believe in, to keep my conscience perfect, I'm happy :)
The things I lost and got back are really small. At a quick glance, it will not even be close to the "I" of important. But these are things which have their own story. They are in my life for some reason . And the more and more you explore about such "trivial" things, which you "happen to" take for granted, the more you understand about the simplicity of life and the way things happen as per schedule, as decided. Again, my God rocks :) In my blog, my God is the best Biotechnologist, the best Scientist and what not, the best of "every -ist" ;) Here are those trivial things to which I have add-ons attached :)








"Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, that desire originated in the Soul of the Universe.

And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it "

- The Alchemist



P.S :
This morning, when I was in the "philosophising" mood, I was thinking about why I have never read anything from the Quran. I have read verses from the Bible and I have an idea about the Vedas too, to a small extent. But not even once have I seen or read any verses from the Quran. It was just a speculation. I dismissed the thought soon after. And today, I was searching for a "finale" for the post. I typed "destiny + Paulo Coelho" on google and thats when I found the words of wisdom quoted above. Adding to my delight was that in the same site, I found two things which really made all the sense in the world to me.

1. Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation, and reason with them in the gracious way" (Quran 16:125)
Now you know why it made sense ?! :D

2. When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky"
(The Buddha)

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
[Hear ! Hear ! ]

Friday, May 8, 2009

Crack this :) :)




Crack this people...
Post the answers in the comment section.. Lets see how many can guess them all right.
Killing time... n patience...! ;)

Friday, April 17, 2009

Why I hate abbreviated SMS's

SMS - Short Message Service (SMS) is a communication service standardized in the GSM mobile communication system, using standardized communications protocols allowing the interchange of short text messages between mobile telephone devices. Like all complicated definitions for the simplest, "take- it- for- granted" things in life, Wikipedia baffles me with this complicated definition for every youth's birthright - SMS. Well, now that I've got the satisfaction of atleast knowing the "definition" (*duh!*) , I'll get into what really drives me crazy when it comes to an "abbreviated SMS lingo". Let me cite my frustration with an example.
SMS-er 1 : Hi
SMS-er 2 : Hi!
SMS-er 1 : Wassup?
SMS-er 2: Ntn ...
SMS-er 1 : Huh! Ok ttyl
SMS-er 2: k...





SMS-er 3 : hey you know what! You'll go crazy if I tell you this.. I 've got an admit in "!@!#!$%%%#@%" [ Translated as an "A" Grade University] with assistantship...!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) [ Author's note : The poor soul would have flooded the msg with 10 smilies expecting something more than a mere "monosyllable" from a close buddy - SMSer-4 and here's what she gets]

SMS-er 4 : K...


With the help of the SMS-er's 1,2,3,4 I guess I have made my point. These are conversations which have happened in everyone's life.. But why do I find it hard to digest ? Wait a minute...! I guess I din't complete the picture.. The frustration about the above messages is not about the insensitive feeling of SMS-er 4 nor the aloofness of SMS-er 2 ! It's got more to do with the phenomenal reason for this post - The Abbreviated SMS's. Particularly from SMS-er 4 . The K followed by three dots - meant to represent Okay. Well..as a lover of the language, I wish the SMS-er had spent some time for adding an O, cutting short on the dots ! ! To get it straight, OK is itself a short form, an SMS lingo for Okay... But the abbreviation for this lingo which already is a short form drives me nuts. Thou shalst argue that that's what SMS's are for...To make communication simple and faster. But my plight is that sometimes the "K" sounds ruder than it was meant to be... It is quite understandable that the SMS-er is in a wreck with no time for typing long replies. Still, if there was time to type in three dots in a row, then there should've been time for an "O" ... Even more funnier is the ones who reply with "OK k"... These are the ones who have mixed feelings about this entire "lingo" scenario. Poor ones they are..They can't pick between the two and hence end up making the reply a combination of both the forms of OKAY... :) A ratiocinated person would think "OKAY" alone would've conveyed the message ... :) Well...that's all I got to say about the secondary abbreviations which might not be of grave importance in comparison to the other gruesome things which rule the world... But to reach the big ones, you got to start from the small ones..My plight is one such... :) I'm trying to make this world a better place by starting at something which is of least importance or even worse not even acknowledged by any... Now..I know your laughing or "rotfl" ...Hahaha ...wipe that smile off your face and leave a comment! :) :) :)

The very bored and scared of getting into "writer's block" Sowmya signs off now..
Adieu!
TTYL ;) :) :) ;) :p

Note : For those divine beings who couldn't catch up with TTYL ...its the "abbreviation" for "talk to you later" ... ! :) :) :) :)
Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits...The rebels....The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them,
disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They invent...They imagine...They heal.
They explore...They create...They inspire.

They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?
Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones,
we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world, are the ones who do.
( And I say - Hear! Hear! ;) )

- "Think Different" , Apple Computers


Friday, April 3, 2009

Juno scores 10 on 10

The very first time I heard the name "Juno" , I thought it sounded very unique. It was Dominica who suggested  this movie. I have this habbit of asking people to shut up when they start discussing a movie I haven't seen. Just my way of preventing them from blurting out the "entire story in 4 lines"... Hence I was thrusted with just a gist of the movie. The story revolves around a teenager who gets pregnant and its all about how she faces it. The moment I heard this, I labelled it a "must-watch" movie. I wasn't surprised when Domi told me that this movie has won the Academy award for Best original screenplay in '07 and has earned three Oscar nominations. Expecting a very serious and emotionally challenging movie in store, I settled down with a cup of coffee, propped comfortably on a cushion. The title soundtrack was really different and it somehow seemed to challenge my thoughts of the movie to be an emotional roller-coaster. Sixteen year old Juno discovers that she is pregnant with a child fathered by her friend and admirer Paulie Bleeker. She decides to confess to her parents about her unplanned pregnancy. Unlike "our movies", her parents take it well and agree to her decision of giving the child for adoption. The best thing about the movie is that "it proved me wrong" all the way till the end. It was unexpectedly funny and it had a feeling of wry humour which I thoroughly enjoyed. The dialogues were amazing. Every character had its own "punch" . The movie dealt with complicated things like Pregnancy and Abortion in the most sophisticated way possible, like it was "child's play"! The scene where Juno tries approaching an abortion centre where she meets one of her classmates holding placards against abortion was touching. Juno then decides to find a decent couple for her child. Aided by her friend, Leah, she finds an advertisement in "Pennysaver" where she comes to know of one such decent couple - Mark and Vanessa. Another brilliantly shot scene in the movie is the one at the mall where Vanessa experiences or rather  feels the baby in Juno's womb. It again came as a surprise to me that everyone around were good people. There was not a hint of "villainism", "emotional mockery" or anything which happens in any other "sentiment" portraying movie. All the roles had their say, well characterised with extremely witty lines. Juno has a stepmom, she is pregnant, goes to school covering her "planet" (that's how she calls it) with a normal T-shirt, looking extremely odd and out of place. But this package didn't have the "step-mom cruelty", the "peer pressure", "raw comments" or anything that would bring your eyebrows together. That is something I had to appreciate in the movie. It was portrayed in the best of spirits and it felt more like a happy go-lucky sort of movie to me. No raw sentiments or emotional rigmarole and somehow, even if I accepted defeat in the end, it gave me the satisfaction of having spent my time on a good movie. Paulie Bleeker makes you wonder how he had the guts to actually do it. Well, from the looks of him in the movie, he is portayed as a shy person who romances with his books and goes running every morning wearing a skimpy outfit. He is so kiddish and contrasts Juno's bold feminist character. The chemistry they shared (did they?) was a real point blank statement complementing the line "L o v e simply is ..." On the whole, though I saw it pretty late, I'm glad I saw it atleast now. It does leave an impact on you - good one or bad one is left to your judgement but you better watch it. It's worth the risk...Trust me ! :)