New Address – www.shibani.net

Have shifted my blogging address to http://www.shibani.net

I disappear…

I disappear…no, not the song from Metallica for Mission Impossible. My internet was down a hell lot this week.  So, I couldn’t post stuff here ontime and am putting them as and when I had written them down. I really hate my ISP. The engineer came to check the net line today, after lodging a complain during the start of the week. I want to change my connection asap. I think MTNL offers a good deal – might just check that out. For someone who is so addicted to being online, even if I’m not on chat or checking mails, having the net down is like suffering. Anyways, hoping that its going to be ok now.

Confessions on the keyboard

I spend most of my day at work, infront of the computer, hitting keys and dragging the dead mouse. I get home again to sit infront of this machine that I am typing on. Yes, it gets on to me at times. I read somewhere that if a person sits for more than 4 hours a day infront of the comp, he is most likely to be depressed. But I can’t help it. Like many, this idiot box (the prized title has now been shifted from the television to the computer) is my bread and butter – and jam and cheese. And who can forget the entertainment and resource value that it brings. I can’t live without a computer but I think I could reduce my time using it when I’m home. Maybe I could watch some T.V.

Honestly, I am not a t.v. person. I don’t watch much t.v. I can’t see t.v. What do I watch, anyways? Well, if you ask me to see those saas-bahu serials, then please, go away. And even if it wasn’t for those ghar ghar ki kahanies, every other serial or soap comes with a predictable story based around the same theme.

But of all the boring serials starting with ’K’, the subject of my daily disgust – ’Kyonki..Saas bhi kabhi Bahu thi’ tops the list in simply being the most crankiest, bad-est (yes, its worse than worst) and torturous sabun.

Ages back when the serial was launched, I watched it with keen interest. I liked Tulsi and the then Mihir (no. 1…plenty have come after him). The serial made sense and I used to look forward to my half-hour of good quality family drama. Soon the drama got out of control. My favourite Tulsi was now becoming a ‘crying machine’ and her character was moulded to be the ‘I-am-the-best-bahu-and everyone-else is-wrong’. Not real, right? But this was not it. Not only Tulsi, everyone in the serial exuded a sense of unrealism. Mihir died. The entire nation cried. I heard all around me including my neighbours, old aunties and colleagues discuss this tragedy. Kitty parties, buses, trains, etc. this sudden turn in the story made good gossip. Anyway, Mihir got back and saved his beloved Tulsi from marrying someone else in true Hindi drama style! Slowly the story evolved, some relatives were wicked others were not. More rona dhona! More disgust and that was enough for me to decide to stay away from this serial. If you have to keep your mind intact-stay away! That was what I followed.

Although I haven’t seen that serial in years, I can still hear about the happenings in the serial from everyone around me. So now it comes down to this – Tulsi will leave her house or threatens to do so if her mother-in-law, husband or someone – maybe anyone does not agree with her view point. She will again be put on life’s crossroad where she will once again emerge as the ‘Most Wanted’ mother-in-law/daughter-in-law/grandmother, even if she has to kill her own son for this prized title. Unreal? Mihir will still be popular among women and will still have some woman chasing him (I think Mihir’s a grandfather now or maybe a great grandfather too). Ba will continue to lecture and shed tears by the litre (She probably competing with Tulsi). Gautam and his siblings/cousins will marry and find other women/men. Some vamp-ish member of the family with high arched eyebrows will continue playing the prank and poison the rest of the pariwar’s ears. Some relatives will just move around like props! In short, more mess, more non-sensical stuff and another half hour of torture to your already stressed out mind.

Switch to another channel – 5 mins into that soap and crap! its the same thing as the previous one. Everything seems like some pathetic medicine in a different bottle. People should just boycott these serials. Looking at them, I feel I was better off with my pc.

Anyways, after surfing through all the channels, I resolve and swear not to spend time on shows and channels other than these -

• Cartoon Network – esp. The Tom & Jerry Show
• Discovery Channel
• Music channels – unless they play boring music
• Travel & Living – I simply love ‘While you were out’
• Sports channels

Dammit! Here I go again! Telling myself not to waste time with the comp and I’ve already spent a lot of time writing this. Hmm, maybe I should do some reading.

Adios!

Negative Words List

Hurt >< Pain >< Betryal >< Hate >< Black >< Dark >< Fade >< Passive >< Death >< Deception >< Scar >< Forget >< Abuse >< Empty >< Farce >< Ego >< Sins >< Blank >< Break >< Crash >< Drown >< Disgust >< Slave >< Trapped >< Sad >< Sorrow ><Depression >< Fall

(Will Update this space soon)

..the devil & the deep blue sea

My mind is (con)fused! Making up my mind has always been a tough task. I find it just too difficult to decide between things. Its almost like a case of choosing between ‘the devil or the deep blue sea’. Either ways is just as good or just as bad. What does one do in such a situation!

I think the main problem is having too many options. Yeah, ofcourse, that makes sense. Lesser the number or options or perhaps no options and no confusion in deciding. You have only one choice and one vote.

Perhaps its the ‘libran curse’ to be unable to decide. Whatever it is, I need to break-free of it and come up with a possible solution that would then show me how to face the devil and reach some safe shore from the deep blue sea.

SOS!

Quote of the Day

For sometime, I’ve developed this habit of sending out mails and forwards with a quote/proverb attached as my signature. I don’t like really high funda philosophy that makes you think 2 times before you derive any sense of it. Something simple which has meaning is what I look for. This is my current signature -

“Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can’t prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you’re presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power.”

- Blaine Lee, “The Power Principle”

Today, when I read this quote, I look at it with a different perspective. Read it again. Isn’t this what Mumbai is about. We have been shocked, we have been angered, we have been stirred but we haven’t lost hope. We refuse to give up. We’ve been shaken, anguished but we will cope with the challenges that a daily life sends our way. That is our power. That’s our spirit, keep it up!