be prepared to be zapped

Supriya-Sachin won Nach Baliye!

2005-12-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

Yippie! I have not lost my money. Sachin and Surpiya won the `Nach Baliye' competition. But I was really dissapointed after seeing the final episode of `Nach Baliye'. It was pathetic to say the least. We all know that reality shows such as this are fixed and it is not done spontaneously the way the channel would like us to believe. But yesterday, there were too many flaws in the show and the fact that everything that is spoken on the show is rehearsed a zillion times became very obvious.

For one, the comperers were given too many lines to speak and suspense was maintained on occasions when there was actually no need for it. And the final dance competition between the two couples reminded me of competitions between two kids. It was very amateur. The two couples were on the dance floor simultaneously dancing for around 12 minutes. Ideally, I would have liked to see the couples perform 4 dances, a solo each by the performers and a couple dance each by the couples.

Worse, the dance sequence was replayed twice on the show. Maybe the logic was people who missed the first half of the show would get to see their fav couples dance. But for people who were following it from the start, it was very boring. The only good thing about the show was all the couples who were eliminated earlier performed again. Interestingly, most of the couples except for a few who cant dance for the life of them, performed really ell. So, were the couples deliberately asked to perform badly during the actual shows?

It was quite obvious that Sachin and Supriya would win the title of best celebrity dancing couple. This couple was natural when it came to thanking people while accepting the title. But I guess the losing couple, Manish and Poonam forgot the lines that were given to them. For instance, when the mike was handed to Poonam, she said I am happy that we came this far and then.....she said please be kind to animals. By god, what has loving animals got to do with losing a title?

In the end, the 3 hour show was a waste of my time. :(

Goodbye Nach Baliye

2005-12-12T03:20:00.000-08:00

`Nach Baliye', the very popular celebrity dance show on the channel Star One is coming to an end this thursday on December 15th. I am heartbroken and truly saddened. Watching `Nach Baliye', on every Thursday had become a habit. It was something I looked forward to every week.

Credit goes to `Nach Baliye' for making me a TV addict on Thursday's. The show is a wonderful concept. It is somewhere between a dance competition for small screen celebrity couples and a reality show. It is not purely a dance competition because the participants bitch, crib and complain just the way people do in reality shows like `Indian Idol'.

Although I hate reality shows, `Nach Baliye' captured my heart. It was so much fun to watch couples like Supriya and Sachin (of the `Tu Tu Main Main' serial fame) and Rajeshwari and Varun Badola (who became famous after his role in the serial `Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand') give mindblowing performances. The chemistry between some of the couples like Poonam and Manish for instance sizzles and it is so heartening to see the couples console each other after a bad performance.

The couples have their own choreographers who come from ace choreographer Saroj Khan's stable. The choreographers are too good and the show turned out to be a great platform for these guys to show their talent. I liked Rajiv Surti in particular. His choreography on Rajeshwari and Varun Badola was just amazing. Best thing about the show is that the winning jodi's choreographers get to take home a cash prize of Rs 20 lakhs.

The judges-Malaika Arora, Farhan Akhtar and Saroj Khan rock. It helps that all the three are super cool dancers themselves. Fact is I didn't know that Farhan was a dancer till I saw him on the show. Oh god... I can just go on raving about `Nach Baliye'. This thursday is the grand finale of the show. Sachin-Supriya and Poonam-Manish will be competing for the coveted cash prize of Rs 50 lakhs. I am putting my money on Sachin and Supriya since this couple is extremely versatile and both of them are equally good dancers. Can't wait to see who wins. But with the final, the show will come to an end. I will miss you `Nach Baliye'!

Flower power

2005-11-27T23:51:00.000-08:00

PHOTO COURTESY: IMRAN SAYID

I stole this photo from my wud be's blog becos I just loved it. Can anyone come up with names for this lovely flower ?

Am shocked at IOC's attitude!

2005-11-25T04:28:00.000-08:00

"Shocked over the brutal murder of its area sales officer S Manjunath in Lakhimpur Kheri last week, the Indian Oil Corporation has decided to provide security to its field staff facing life threats."

"The IOC has agreed to provide security to the field staff as also their residences following the brutal murder of its area sales officer which has exposed the amount of risk faced by the IOC staff with the involvment of mafia in the trade," Vice President, Indian Oil Officers Association, Subodh Dakwale said".

This report in the wire news today caught my eye. What is the IOC trying to say? Did Manjunath receive death threats from the mafia? Was IOC aware of this and did not report about the threats to the police. Could his death have been prevented? Does this also mean that besides Manjunath, many more honest IOC officers are at the mercy of the petrol pump mafia ?

"The murder has also forced the corporation to consider changing its inspection system and modifying it to plug the loopholes which expose the staff to unnecessary risks".

Why is the IOC turning Manjunath's murder into a security issue? Is the IOC suggesting that the only way the mafia can be stopped from attacking its employees is by giving them security ? What if the mafia bribe the security men which does happen often. Too many questions I guess with even fewer answers.

Security can only be a temporary solution to the immediate problem of death threats to its field staff. Why doesnt IOC try to bring in more transparency in the issue of licenses ? Wouldnt that stop the mafia and the thugs with political links from running petrol pump that supply adulterated petrol ?

That way, even if the field staff revoke the license of a petrol pump, the officer can do so without any fear of death threats. Of course all this is easier said than done. Corruption in the allotment of license of petrol pump has already been highlighted many times by the media. Government for its part has made a few noises about an enquiry into the issue. But I doubt if the people in the government who benefit from the current system of allotment of license will try to bring in transparency.

One solution that has often been bogged down is privatisation of the Oil PSU's or a private-public partnership. Privatisation will bring in some if not complete transparency in the system. Why not have an other round of debate on privatisation?

Like Italian food? Read this post.

2005-11-23T03:48:00.000-08:00

Last week, I had a date with my best chum at the `Little italian' restaurant in Nungambakkam. We were just going to enter the place when my friend informed me that this was a purely vegetarian restaurant. I was in a mood for non-veg food, so we moved to `Bella Ciao', another Italian restaurant down the road.

And since that day, I often dream of Italian food. `Bella Ciao' is food at its best. We ordered pasta with tomato sauce and barbecued chicken pizza. What can I say. The food was so divine I am absolutely in love with it. For the first time, I tasted authentic Italian pizzas. The crust of the pizza was so crisp it reminded me of our very own papad. The way to eat it my friend explained was to dip the crust in a mixture of olive oil, tomato sauce and tobasco sauce. The pizza was sooo delicious. Next came the pasta which unfortunately I could'nt do justice too after the yummy pizzas. The pasta at `Bella Ciao' made me realise that most restaurants dish out the ready to eat pastas as Italian food.

One more thing in favor of the resto is the pricing. The pizza which was a meal for 2 people costs us just around Rs 200. Pretty cheap I would say compared to the very expensive pizzas you get at Pizza joints and the taste was definitely far better. The ambience of the place was sexy too. It was low lit and the seating was pretty comfy.

I am feeling grey

2005-11-23T00:30:00.000-08:00

I am in a grey mood. The overcast skies outside are grey and so is my mood. I feel lazy and am sick of hearing people around me complain of fever. Wish the sun would take a sneak peak from beneath the grey clouds and shower us with its warm light.

Is Chennai a world class city?

2005-11-22T02:36:00.000-08:00

As a reporter covering the Information Technology beat, almost everyday, I hear industry and government representatives boasting about how Chennai has all the infrastructure in place to house the mighty MNC's of the world.

After listening to numerous speeches on the subject, I was almost convinced that Chennai does have the infrastructure to lure global corporations. Today after watching corporation workers manually drain rain water from the roads, I am no longer convinced.

Chennai compared to cities like Bangalore does boast of better infrastructure but we are still can't stake claim to being a world class city. In the last one month, rains have severely damaged the prominent roads in the city creating numerous potholes. Riding a two wheeler in Chennai is a complete nightmare.

Of course, every city is susceptible to nature's fury and very little can be done about the roads except repair them later. But what irks me is the fact that most metros in India including the biz capital Mumbai and Chennai do not have a proper storm water drainage system in place. We still contiue to have the storm water drains constructed years ago by the British Raj. Why can't the governments come up with an effective plan to reconstruct the old storm water drains ?

Even in places that have new storm water drains, water logging still exists because of people's tendency to dump garbage in the drains. No wonder, Chennai has so much water logging on the roads! Most of us dont have any civic sense but we are very quick in criticising the government for being inactive. The problem of flooding and water logging is not something that can be solved by speedy government action. It is a combinations of so many factors, most of which relate to basic infrastructure issues.

If the government wants to project Chennai as a world class city, certain basic infrastructure issues have to be dealt with. Brushing them under the carpet is not going to help.

Open graves in Anna Nagar

2005-11-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

Large pits can be found everywhere in Anna Nagar these days. The pits have been dug up to clean the clogged storm water drains which took a beating during the recent rains.

A few of the pits are large enough for an elephant to sleep in it. All the main roads in Anna Nagar including the Chintamani stretch and Shanti Colony road have been dug up. Driving in Anna Nagar has suddenly become very risky. The problem is compunded by the sand that is heaped on the open ditches, making it really hazardous for commuters especially two wheeler riders. Two wheeler riders beware !

Funnily, whenever I look at the pits, I am reminded of open graves.

Relax! Its ok to read blogs at workplace

2005-11-11T01:10:00.000-08:00

Do you spend hours at your office surfing blogs? If you do, please dont feel guilty. You have company. A report by the leading advertising magazine Advertising Age reveals that 1 in 4 people in the US labour force (35 million wokers approx) spend an average of 3.5 hours a week reading blogs at the workplace. Employees take a 40 minute break from their work daily to read blogs. Hey, after reading this I was jumping in front of my computer. I spend more than an hour reading blogs on the job and I was feeling so guilty about it. :)

Wait! There is more. The online version of the Ad Age magazine ran a poll on "whether employees should be allowed to read non-work related blog on the job". According to the poll, 85% of the voters were in favour of employees' reading blogs on their employer's time.

But I guess this was not the response the magazine expected and now they are claiming that Gawker.com hijacked the poll. The report says that before the weekly poll was to close, Gawker.com had this warning on its site, "A Disaster Awaits at AdAge.com.". The warning basically urged people to vote in favour of blog reading.

The vote tally was apparently 58% against employees reading blogs but after the Gawker post the tally was 85% in favour of blog reading by employees. Well whatever be the whys and wherefores, I am just thrilled that `ITS OK TO READ BLOGS ON THE JOB'.

I love Pink

2005-11-08T02:32:00.000-08:00

I am thinking of colouring my hair. How about the colour Pink?? Will I be named `Pinky' once I colour my hair? :)

Photo Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Ye gods! Why am I blogging?

2005-11-08T01:09:00.000-08:00

I have had 100 hits on my site in the last one week and it seems like the right time to contemplate on the purpose of this blog. Right from the day, I started blogging, which is over two weeks now, I have received compliments and criticisms alike.

Funnily, many of my readers have advised me to make my blog lively by posting exotic (Porn??) and rare pictures. The comment was actually on the Delhi blasts photos that I had posted. "I don't like your blog. It is sooooo tragic. Why do you post photos of tragic events on your blog. Replace it with some pleasant photos," was one comment.

Another friend of mine felt that the blog was too `newsy'. According to her, dailies dish out enough news for the public to drown in and posting the same on my blog did not make sense to her. "Make your blog innovative by posting pictures of scenic places in Chennai that no one has seen," was the comment. This time around, it was my turn to be zapped ! Honey, If no has seen these places, then they probably don't exist.

Seriously guys my blog does not have a specific purpose. I am not trying to make my blog look `different' or `sexy'. For me blogging is therapeutic. I started my blog on the advice of a friend and to my suprise I have really enjoyed writing about my thoughts and observations.

And, I honestly can't help it if my posts contain news updates. Hey, at the end of the day I am a journalist and news is in my blood. How can I ignore major news items like the tragic Delhi blasts in which scores of lives were lost? It is not in me to turn my back on tragedies in the hope that I will never ever be a victim of such mass murders.

A final disclaimer: This blog like the title suggests was started because I have loads of time and a lot of thoughts to share with whoever is unlucky enough to read this blog. I am not and I will not use website `fundas' to attract an audience. Period.

Hell of a journey!

2005-11-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

Phew! The bike ride today between my office and my house will go down in my memory lane as one of the riskiest journeys I have ever undertaken. It had been raining incessantly from morning and I was enjoying the rains till the time came for me to report to office.

The ride to the office was tough, visibility was very poor and the rains were piercing my body like sharp needles. I reached office thouroughly drenched and before my clothes could dry it was time for me to leave. It had been raining heavily for hours together and when I left office, I could barely see the roads which were submerged in rain water.

Right from my office in Royapettah till Anna Nagar, there was knee deep water on the roads. It was a very treacherous drive home with the rain cruelly stinging my face and with the knee deep water which gushed up each time I accelerated my bike. In a nutsehll, it was like driving in the middle of the sea.

A saving grace was the fact that it was a Sunday and the traffic was minimal. And of course, my faithful scooty did not let me down by stopping mid-way. Thank God, I somehow managed to reach home safely. In fact, there were moments when I thought that I wouldn't make it.

Rains have disrupted normal life in Chennai in so many ways. An attendant I spoke to in the petrol pump station told me that he has been living in the station for the past three days. I wonder how many more people have not gone home because of the rains.

PS: There is prediction of heavy rains and gale winds in Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu over the next 48 hours.

Id Mubarak !

2005-11-04T04:08:00.000-08:00

Id Mubarak to everyone!

Are you listening Mr Minister ?

2005-11-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

I am fed up with the antics of a certain Union Minister (name withhold on purpose). Mr Minister, loves to meet the press junta in Chennai to tom tom his achievements as much as his ego permits.

Of late, Mr Minister has got into the habit of holding press conferences on the outskirts of Chennai, particularly on weekends (esp Sundays) and public holidays. Logic is obvious. Our dear Minister loves to spend time with his family in Chennai on weekends and holidays and since air travel is expensive, Mr Minister has come up with an interesting solution.

The politician arranges his meetings in such a way that it happens on a Sunday or on a holiday which ensures that the event sponsors pay for his trip. According to the grapevine, he is apparently paid around Rs 30 lakhs for an event. Isse kehte hain Sone pe Suhaga!

While this may be a common practise among politicians, what irks me the most about this Minister is his attitude towards the press. Mr Minister believes that the press will follow him wherever he goes like the `Hutch network'. He is so confident about media coverage that he calls them ahead of time and makes then wait for hours together for a piece of news which deserves just 10 cms of news space.

In fact, the Minister often holds meetings with the company in question or delegates for an indefinite period of time while the press is waiting for him to arrive. No one including the Minister's PRO have any clue about when the meeting would begin and the media is forced to wait endlessly. Recently, at a press conference after arriving two hours late, Mr Minister coolly declared to the press that he had no news to share with them. If there was no news to share, why did you arrange for the press conference, Mr Minister??

Road blocks

2005-11-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

This huge banyan tree, reportedly more than 50 years old, came crashing down on Ritherdon Road in Chennai. The tree was so huge that it is taking days to cut it. Though the tree fell on the morning of the cyclone on October 27, it has not yet been cleared. As of today, only the top branches of the tree have been cut to make way on one side of the road. This picture was taken on October 30, Sunday morning. The road was blocked for more than 6 days.

Photo Courtesy: Joseph Pradeep Raj

Happy Diwali!

2005-11-01T05:15:00.000-08:00

Golden Temple in Amritsar

Source: Hindustan Times

Bloggers block

2005-11-01T04:21:00.000-08:00

Right now I am suffering from a writers block. I dont plan to write anything today instead I spent my time installing a site meter on my site. This will tell me the number of people who visit my blog in a day. Me and my big fat ego!

India won!

2005-10-31T04:03:00.000-08:00

Yahoooooooooooo! India has won the match. We beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets Tragedy is that we were following the match closely on TV and just when India needed 2 runs to win and the entire office was watching in anticipation, the TV was switched off. Sigh! I missed the last few glorious moments of the match. :(

Diwali-Cricket bash

2005-10-31T01:37:00.000-08:00

I am having a gala time in office. Its Diwali time and we have switched off our work mode. TV is on and we are watching the match between Sri Lanka and India. India has scored 188 runs at the time of writing this post. We need to make 298 runs in 22 overs. Looks like it will be a nail biting match.

Saved from the green eyed monster

2005-10-30T02:28:00.000-08:00

I have been behaving stupidly, irrationally, and utterly childish for the last one month. All because I could not relate to my guy's profession. My boyfriend has a long time dream of making films and though I have always claimed that I don't have a problem with it, I often felt insecure about him joining such a glamourous and in my view a notorious industry.

I was consumed by doubts and insecurities that my boyfriend would be snatched away from me by glamourous women, once he entered the industry. I felt sick to think that I had turned into a jealous and irrational girlfriend, who restricts her boyfriend and wants him to dance to her tunes. I refused to think of myself in those terms but sadly this is what I had become.

Things however changed for good today. I had a long chat with my guy and we both spoke about our fears, insecurities, doubts, cultural differences etc. We both spoke but our conversation this time was not laced with unnecessary arguments that ends up in a fight. It's amazing that when two people talk about their problems, without any bitterness, the issue in question gets resolved by itself.

Finally, I got over my fears and insecurities (I must say DJ is very persuasive) and promised my boyfriend that I will give him my complete trust. Since then I feel much better (and not like the bitch I thought I was turning into). I can only surmise that for a brief period, I was consumed by jealousy and jealousy as people know has no rhyme or reasoning. My jealousy too was over trivial things but what can I say, for some time even I had become a victim of the green eyed monster!

Al-Qaeda behind Delhi blasts?

2005-10-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

Now the Delhi police suspects that the deadly Al-qaeda group is behind the Delhi blasts. Apparently, the bombs that were constituted were different from the bombs used by terrorists groups from J&K!

Whodunit

2005-10-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Who was responsible for the blasts ? Not suprisingly, the Union Home Ministry suspects a Jammu and Kashmir connection to the serial blasts in Delhi. The blasts coming close on the heels of the resignation of Mufti Mohammad Sayed as chief minister of J&K, makes it convenient to bring in the J&K angle.

According to Rediff, the home ministry had alerted the government that activists of the People's Democratic Party in J&K had close links with the Jammat-e-Islami and militant groups like the Hizbul Mujahideen and the LeT. I guess some kind of reaction was expected since the activists had not taken their supremo Sayed's resignation very well.

How did the three blasts happen inspite of the alert and the knowledge that the government had with it? Intelligence authorities surely have some anwering to do.

Chaos after the blasts

2005-10-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Police sifting through the wreckage at a blast site

Carnage at one of the blast scenes

Bystanders at one of the three markets in Delhi which were rocked by bomb blasts

Source:AFP

Delhi blasts claims 48 lives

2005-10-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

The latest reports suggest that atleast 48 people have been killed by the Delhi blasts, which happened around 5:30 pm today. This figure may rise, as things become clearer.

I hate to talk about precious lives lost in terms of bodies and casualties but in times of such tragedies we journalists often end up reporting deaths in a cold and unemotional manner. It is a fallout of our profession.

Red alert in Delhi

2005-10-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

A red alert has been sounded in Delhi following the blasts. The public has been instructed to stay at homes and avoid busy market places. Again, a case of warning that has come too late. I seriously doubt the terrorists or whoever is reponsible for the attacks would target a market area again.

Security has also been beefed up in Mumbai, Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal and Haryana.

Three serial blasts in Delhi

2005-10-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Source: Hindustan times

Three blasts rocked New Delhi today. The blasts occured in Paharganj, Sarojini Nagar and Govindpuri areas. The Paharganj and Sarojini Nagar blasts occured at 5:30 pm today, when the markets were crowded with Diwali shoppers. 15 people have been killed and 25 injured in Paharganj blasts according to some reports. 70 people have been injured by the three blasts. Earlier, there was a report of a blast in Gole market too but now it looks like that was a rumour.

Of course, the reports coming in now are still hazy. Police is keeping mum on the perpetrators of the blast though it does look like the work of terrorists. Will keep updating on the tragic blasts.

Photos of Chennai after the storm

2005-10-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is Srinivasapuram, a slum near the Marina beach in Chennai. The photo was taken on October 28th morning, the day after the storm.

This is the huge sandbank created on the Marina beach, where the sea had come in on the day of the storm. It literally looks like a river snaking its way through the sand.

Photo Courtesy: Joseph Pradeep Raj

North Chennai submerged

2005-10-29T01:33:00.000-07:00

Parts of North Chennai (which is where I live) is still submerged in rain water. I just saw a report on NDTV on how North Chennai is partially submerged in water. The channel had clips of people wading through waist deep water and complaining about the lack of action on the part of the Chennai Corporation.

I have been hearing similar reports about certain areas in the city still submerged under rain water. The corporation is being blamed for the delay in manually pumping out the rain water.

To be fair to the government, the Corporation and other government authorities have been working round the clock to restore normalcy to Chennai. I guess help may reach some parts of the city (especially the suburbs) a bit late, but this is expected considering the fact that many areas of the city have been severely hit.

its fun to be cut off

2005-10-29T00:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is fun to be cut off from the world, the way I was yesterday. Power was cut off in the city to avoid electrocutions. My mobile phone was not working and my house lines were jammed, so therefore i was technically cut off from the rest of the world.

Suprisingly, I didnt miss my phone much except when I felt like speaking to my boyfriend (that really hurt). Free from the interference of electronics gadgets, I spent my time chatting with my family, drinking cups of hot steaming coffee and reminiscing about old times. I had loads of fun!

Honestly, I don't remember the last occasion when I spent quality time with my family. My routine is kind of fixed. I rush to the gym in the morning, leave for work and when I return by 8 pm, my family is already glued to the TV watching sob (oops soap) operas. Myself, I have dinner and spend my time browing the net.

Though I am still basking in the memories of the good time, I had yesterday, I am sure that today our lives will return to our fixed routines. Anyways, yesterday was surely a memorable day for me.

Calm before the storm

2005-10-29T00:28:00.000-07:00

An eerie calm prevails in Chennai. The skies look so strange and clear today, quite a contrast to the dark menacing clouds which wreaked havoc on the city yesterday.Chennai is warm today with no hint of rain bearing clouds. The water logging on the roads has dried up and the roads are again visible.

The much dreaded storm is crossing Tamil Nadu and the latest news reports suggest that the depression, which is centred 150 km north east of Chennai, is moving in a northwesterly direction and is expected to reach Andhra Pradesh today afternoon. In AP, people living in the coastal areas are being evacuated. The storm is expected to move towards Orissa where heavy rains have already started.

More updates on the rain will follow.

its raining men

2005-10-28T00:26:00.000-07:00

Its raining cats and dogs over here. In fact, I am using the UPS on my computer to write this post. Will keep posting updates. Tata

Rain drops are falling on my head

2005-10-27T02:31:00.000-07:00

Weird Weird Weird! Yesterday, I did everything, I possibly could do to avoid the lovely rain drops. Normally, I would have gone and done a jig or two in the rain. But, I had a meeting at the Taj Connemara and naturally I did not want to arrive at the meeting looking like a wet kitten.

Things however did not go according to plan. Inspite of the raincoat, that I had on, I was a bit drenched but I was you can say presentable. Smug at having avoided the rain, I started climbing the steps of the Taj, when suddenly I felt drops of water falling on my head. Imagine my suprise!

Apparently, there was a leak in the hotel ceiling and to my amusement the hotel had placed muddy buckets all along the staircase to catch the rain drops. Guess, the five star hotel follows an ancient method of rain water harvesting. :)

dark fate

2005-10-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Is it a curse to have dark skin ? In the Indian system of arranged marriages, to have dark skin is surely a curse for prospective brides, though interestingly, skin color-the ridiculous measure of beauty in India, does not apply to men. "Wanted a fair, slim, tall, beautiful girl" is a cliche often used in the matrimonials ads and sadly enough, the ads speak a much larger truth.

I was in the marriage market for some time (though I am now out of it, since my knight in shining armour has arrived) and have a first hand experience of arranged marriages. This is how it normally works: A dark or a wheatish skinned girl is forced to pay double the dowry that a fair skinned girl pays. The logic is simple. Nobody wants a dark skinned girl and if a family is generous enough to accept a dark girl, they expect to be adequately compensated for it.

"Aapki ladki kaali hain. Hum use apne ghar ki bahu bana lenge, lekin dahej mein koi kamin nahin honi chahiye," is the silent and sometimes overt message that is conveyed to the bride's family, who after innumerable attempts at getting their daughter married off, agree to the heinous demands. The prospective groom (who is sulking because his would-be wife is dark) and his parents play on the `dark skin factor' to squeeze out every penny from the bride's family.

This is indeed a sad reality and one that is silently being tolerated by a large section of the society. "How will we get our daughter married, if we dont pay dowry," is the popular argument. Dowry, sadly is still perceived to be a necessary evil.

I will end this post with a fact that pains me no end. In India, every year, there are 15,000 dowry deaths, mostly, `kitchen fires' set by greedy husbands and in-laws. Is this the fate that parents rush to buy for their daughters ? Is it worth it?

cost of marital bliss

2005-10-21T02:36:00.000-07:00

I am furious, incensed and angry beyond words. All because of an agony column that I read in a daily today. Agony columns do not figure on my list of `must read' sections in newspapers but today a colleague suggested that I read an agony column titled, `Grandma's tips for a happy marriage'.

Male chauvinism is intolerable but female chauvinism (if indeed the writer was a woman) seriously gets on my nerves. The column dealt with the problems of a woman who is being harassed by her in-laws and her husband for dowry that can be paid only by a king. The demands included 50 tolas of gold, a car, a plot of land and in time would have included even the cost of constructing the house. The woman wrote in saying that she left her husband because of the harassment and wanted to patch up now.

Now comes the worst part. The advice from the ridiculously titled columnist `The Grandma', is like a slap on the face of every self-respecting woman. The columnist advices the woman to be submissive to her in laws and give in to their demands since, `she can afford to give the dowry'.

Here is an excerpt from the column. "You must work hard at impressing them and be in their good books", "Give in to their demands. Since you say your parents can give you gold, car etc, let them give it to you". Of course as an afterthought, the writer warns the woman that dowry is illegal but the purpose of this warning is lost when she says that if the lady wants to save her marriage she has no choice but to be submissive to her greedy in-laws.

While this may be true, it made me wonder about the heavy price some women pay to preserve a marriage. Should a woman sacrifice her self-respect, dignity, pride and everything else that is so dear to any human being, just to save her marriage. Is it really worth it? Frankly, in my opinion, a woman should walk out of the marriage rather than suffer such indignities.

Long live PR plants

2005-10-20T03:26:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is not to hail or bash the Public relations community.

Ya ya, a disclaimer should ideally figure at the end of a statement but in this case, I thought it made perfect sense to have it at the start. The truth is I had a shock this morning when I read an article on IIPM in a leading English newspaper. Believe me the entire article reeked of a PR plant. Irritatingly enough, the article did nothing but praise IIPM and the book, "Count your Chickens before they hatch" by the institute's director, Arindham Chaudhuri.

In newspapers, very often you will find PR plants. This is of course nothing new. The cause for my irritation is however the fact that journalists invariably can do nothing much to ward off the PR plants, especially if the order to do the story comes straight from the top.

Spot the PR plant: Here is a tip to spot PR and marketing driven stories. Inevitably in such stories, you will find a large ad of the company in question either right besides the story (normally it is not this obvious) or it will figure in some other section of the paper.

Do try this out!

Oily revelation

2005-10-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

I am a self-confessed foodie and inevitably any conversation I have ends up on a `foodie note' (No don't look up the dictionary, there ain't no such word). In a similar conversation laden with food topics my colleague made a revelation which I thought was interesting.

Remember, the hot cauliflower bajjis dripping with oil that you get at the beach. Have you ever wondered the cost cutting measures that bajji vendors do to make a living. Yes, cost cutting though a jargon mostly associated with large inefficient corporates is more widely practised by the roadside vendors. Here is one cost cutting measure that will put off many bajji lovers. Apparently, the oil that is used by the vendors has passed the hands of atleast three owners previously. Here is how it works. Five star hotels dispose off used oil to smaller hotels who again resell it to roadside vendors at (you guessed it right !) dirt cheap rates. Sigh! I think it will ages before I have a bhajji at the beach again :(

First of all First's

2005-10-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

Yippie Yippie ya ya!!. Finally oh yes finally I have done it. Who woudnt do it? The ones who have been there and done that can vouch for its pleasures. Ladies and gentlemen, I have finally created my own blog ! Yes I have arrived late into the world of blogging but what the heck I have ARRIVED!!!