Hubby and I had a weird way to resolve an arguement today. 10 minutes of online chatting sitting in the same room, only five feet apart from each other solved the problem.
We used to imagine scenarios like these, during our pre-marital days - laughing over the possibilities of preferring chatting to talking in our daily lives, possibily sitting right next to each other!
We laughed it off then, as seriously preposterous and a vaguely silly thing to do.

I think we just proved ourselves as a preposterously vague silly couple...

Its justifiable to say that when you're paying a certain amount of money, you want something that no one else has - or that no one else should have.
This creates quite a bit of havoc amongst providers. When you go to buy a particular dress, or fancy a piece of jewellery - or even want to throw a party - the one sole condition is - it has to be exclusive. No one else should have it, or even dream of having it.
I went to a friend's exhibition yesterday and she had displayed about 30 dresses. Apparently, every third person who stepped in went ga-ga over a pink piece she had designed.
Each one asked her whether anyone else had ordered for it, or if she would be taking orders on it. And to each she said this was an 'exclusive piece' - only one of its kind. Almost like Taj Mahal. As if she had cut the hands of the embroider after he finished with it.
Surprisingly, at the end of the day she had quite a few orders for that one. And then, she finally let the last of them buy the original piece itself. 'It looks so beautiful on you", she pumped. "It looks exclusive!"
When the buyer left, she threw herself at the couch and asked 'She looked horrible in it.. didn't she?"
I would say, she looked exclusive to me...

In India, we give a lot of importance to education. Sometimes people delay other important things in life in order to get a certain degree of education. From Matrimonials to Job Interviews, the educational qualification is a matter of high importance.
I have a friend who is an MBA. I, myself, have only so far accomplished a high school degree. She has five more years of 'education' than I can boast of.
She is currently a housewife wondering why she is one. I am currently reaching for the sky and questioning why not.
Our situation reminds me of a story by Sudha Murthy. It touched my heart and left such a strong impression that I've narrated it many times over to my kith and kin. Its a contrasting story about two women. The first is highly educated and the second is a mere maid with almost no education. The first happened to be a great scholar at college. She gets married, and suddenly her life is all about her husband and children. She is dependant on her husband for every decision in her life whether it is choosing a school for her child or buying her vehicle.
On the other hand the second woman is a mere maid, but she assists her husband in raising the crop on their land. She works so hard at gaining sense and intellect of the right crop in the right season that her husband does not plant anything without her consultation.
This story means a lot to me - because it talks of opportunities wasted and opportunities created. I wonder if they can teach in schools how to create opportunities out of the most inopportunate situations in life. How is an MBA truely better than a high-school dropout? How can we then, judge a person based on their education?
I think I've found the answers I need - have you?

At the ending of a good get together with friends, me and my friend entered the elevator, after the customary bu-bye's. For five good minutes, we chatted inside the elevator before realizing its not really moving.
"Isn't it strange", she says "Why wouldn't this move?"
Agreeing with her ponderings, the thought of being caught in the elevator crossed my mind. "Don't panic", I repeated to myself.
It took us a few seconds more to realize that we were yet to press the button for the ground floor. Its really unfair, I think, for having to tell the elevator where you want to go. It should be psychic or something.
Big business idea, anyone?

It is a surprising fact to know that most women to claim to keep a 'fast' on Karva Chauth, do everything but that precisely.
They're waking up at 5:00 a.m. to gorge on Paranthas and Sweets, sleep until 12:00 p.m. - Do Puja at 4:30 and then they can have any kind of liquid they want.
At 7:30, they're onto breaking the so-called fast and eating to their heart's delight.

And for all that, they expect their hubbies to buy them gifts, new clothes and what-nots.
I had dinner at 8:30 last night, worked until 5:00 a.m. - and then woke up at 12:30. All this while, I didn't take a morsel of food or glass of water. Thats 16 hours of fasting for you - without intention or reason. So am I really a bad person for not keeping the Karva Chauth Fast?
Or can I rejoice in knowing as much that as long as my husband loves me and I love him - there really isn't a reason to blackmail God for a long life.
I just want a happy one.. thats all!

I just spent the last hour preparing someone for the U.S. Visa Interview. At the end of it all, he looked gratified and satisfied, thanking me for my divine intervention. Had I not told him the nitty-gritties, he wouldn't have dreamt of making it through - he exclaimed.
I suddenly feel like a Social Worker, imagining myself in the clothes of Barkha Dutt (she's not a social worker, I know - but her clothing fits the bill), minus the short crop.
How many people can I send to the U.S. (for legitimate travel purposes only) can be an achievement in its own. Personally, I dread the thought of one of my benefactors not making it through, and coming to me with disappointment in thier eyes.

I know I'm way ahead of myself.
But my blog doesn't mind!

Suddenly, the city seems to be full of Beggars of all shapes and sizes. There are various deformaties and abnormalities amongst these sad souls. But it doesn't seem like they want to do something about it.
Once, I remember, someone offered a beggar on the street to come work with him - and earn a decent living instead of begging for money. The offer was refused. I guess they're so used to getting their bread and butter begging for it - rather than earning it.
Its quite sad when you see mothers training their children to beg effectively, pulling at the dupatta's of ladies or promising good health if bestowed with a rupee or two. Why won't they just let them get education at a Govt. aided school or something?
Though my heart pines for their misfortune, I still don't give them the money they beg for. For, it'll only encourage more people to choose an option like this and give up the hope of being someone better in life.
While we eat our good food and roam in good cars - it is true that life out there is very bitter.
A sour thought in itself...

Just finished sprucing up this image borrowed from the Collection at Wills India Fashion Week 2006. This was an experiment in colors, brightness, vectorization as well as complete Processing Magic. Click for a full view.

Software Used: Photoshop CS2
Time Taken: 1 hour 15 minutes

Let the ice cubes flow!

Suddenly these unpredictable 'reality' shows are predictable. When Sum asked me who will win the 'Jhalak Dikhla Ja' content, I told him Mona Singh, because she's the most unpredictable/unexpected contender of them all.
And there we go - while Shweta was awesome at what she did, it wouldn't have been such a surprise to the viewers, if it hadn't been Mona.
So well, guess what, while Sony made loads of money off the SMS'es and of boosting Shilpa Shetty's new nosejob's ego - We're not surprised.

Its just another yawn for just another Reality Show - which is anything but real..

It was a casual evening with casual plans but somehow I ended up owning one of these sleek babies called Moto Ming. Ming, in Chinese, means clear and bright - and I can't think of a name that suits this phone better.

I had the Nokia 7710 previously. I had no complaints, no reason to make the shift. So why did I? Here's the lowdown on what made the difference - and why this was so worth it.


A) Heaving over Heavy Phones:
The Nokia 7710 really made a 'big' impression with its size and weight. At 190gms and impressive dimensions of 128 x 70 x 19 mm, it was the reason I fell in love with it. The awesome big screen promised many hours of happy movie watching to my eager eyes and eased the use of complex applications like Excel and Word. But it was not meant to be Happily Ever After. Soon, I had to carry a purse just to carry the macho phone around, and it just won't fit in an average sized pocket. If it ever did, I couldn't sit or walk comfortably with the load. I also realized in little time that although the screen was advantageous, the size and weight nullified everything - and I stopped carrying my phone altogether. Adding still, I didn't want to scratch it, and the cover was much too heavy itself. Combined, the phone was equivalent to carrying a brick around - and it wasn't much fun after all.
The Moto Ming weighs 122gms and the fitted cover only makes it feel even lighter. It is one of the smallest Smartphones I've ever seen and fits so comfortably in your pocket, that you won't even notice its there. The screen is quite bright and impressive, and the transparent lid ensures extra protection for the same. I love feeling so light and carefree, and the fact that I don't have to carry a handbag anymore.


B) At Snail's Pace:
When I bought the Nokia 7710, I was introduced to the fact that it uses the new Symbian 90, created specifically for Smartphones. This made me look forward to a lot of cool features and freeware. However, even that was not meant to be. I found soon that Symbian 90 was not developed any further, and even the Nokia 7710 was on its way to extinction, meaning I really wasn't going to get anything beyond what was already there.
Still, I wasn't disappointed, because the 7710 was powerpacked with some good utilities. However, the speed was so slow and it hung so often, that I barely had the good fortune of being able to use them effectively. It came with a great browser, and with the screen it had, it could've been an awesome surfing experience. But the Internet worked even slower on the phone, and even that could not be taken to its advantage.
The Moto Ming is based on Linux OS, meaning a very stable and fast interface promising almost no hanging or crashing. Of course, Linux is as unpopular as the Symbian 90 for smartphones, but Ming also supports J2ME applications - so hopefully we'll get some good stuff all the same.


C) Necessity v/s Provision:
The Nokia 7710 had a lot to offer in terms of features. But it was always a PDA first and a phone much later. The interface had little support for the phone and the contacts loaded too darn slow to make quick calls. Infact, you couldn't dream of calling anyone whilst driving - you just couldn't operate it with a single hand! The 7710 had to be operated with both hands, and the interface demanded the use of stylus, no matter what the function may be.
The Ming, however, differs in this regard. It is a phone first and a PDA much later. Infact, it can be called a phone with added features. The features are not too great and it lacks many utilities 7710 had, but it makes dialling and receiving calls genuinely easier. It can be operated mostly without the stylus and easily responds to a single hand.


D) Regrets:
I love the Ming, but we all have our regrets ditching one thing for the other. The ringtones don't ring loud enough for one - you really have to strain to imagine if your phone is ringing. The camera is 2.0mp v/s the Nokia's 1.3mp, but the display on Nokia made them look sharper and bigger. The screen is smaller, compromising on cool things like watching movies.
I love the Business Card Scanner on this one. It lets me click a photo of a Business Card and automatically saves the printed information as a contact - very techie and cool. I also love the fact that it comes with a 512mb card, saving me the cost of buying an additional one.


Verdict:
I'm glad I made the shift - and would recommend the Motorola Ming to anyone who wants a Smartphone at an affordable price. Its awesome to look at, feels very comfortable in a pocket and enhances your Brand Image for sure. And if you can find some good J2ME applications to conform with it - its truly a rockstar!