The INDIAN Niagara...:) There you go!

Jog Falls is situated amidst dense forests of Western Ghats. She is river Sharavathi, making the falls spectacular to watch specially when she is flowing full. Raja , Roarer , Rocket and Rani are how the four different falls are called. River Sharavathi then moves on and joins the Arabian Sea at Honnavar. Feast your eyes with this vedio... I have been to this place before :) College trip! What fun it was.... We trecked all the way down to the bottom of the falls in the wee hours of the morning. And then I slipped on a rock which had algae and fell.. broke my back! Or so I thought! I could not move a muscle... And remember we still had to treck back all the way up. My friends used the push-pull technology to somehow get me back up there. My friend N pushed me from behind and L pulled me from the front..and we made all the way like that. Went to a hospital and took an x-ray, thank God! it was just a muscle pull and I had not broken anything :) By the way, L was holding my hand when I fell... so he felt guilty all thru the trip that he let me fall down! He used to line-marofy me ;-) This L thingy is a saga in itself... I will write about it sometime when I get time. For all you lucky guys out there in India, time to plan the next vacation? P.S: Thanks to Pavan! He told me "how" to put this video on the blog :)

Tip Tip Barsaa Paani.....

YAYYYY!!!! It finally rained in this desert!

It started with severe lightning and thunderstorms yesterday afternoon. Out fire alarm started yelling... It's not used to this you know... It needs some burning HOT sun... Sudden lightning and thunderstorms are not acceptable... So it yelled, cried, screamed like a baby for a full 45 minutes!

My ears were gone for a toss after that. I tried in vain to stop it, but nopes! It just would not budge. It kept the fire department people busy for atleast 30 minutes before relenting!

That's all you can expect.. Now come on it's 105+ from the past 2 months and suddenly out of the blue it starts raining like that... Anybody will get scared and start crying... Yes! Including the fire alarm!

Today morning. Woke up for the first time in 4 months without sweat in my hair! I was infact feeling cozy and comfortable in my bed, thanks to a cool night :). The morning looked beautiful! My coffee actually became a little less warm when I stood in the balcony sipping it! Generally it becomes more hot ;-) That is at 7 in the morning!

Finally the umbrella which I had carried and come from India for emergency situations like this came into use ;-) Opened it and "stylishly" walked to the car holding it :D I felt so nice then... Though I feel stupid right now... ***blushes***...

My car was washed in the "car-wash" just last week. But then, some crows found it very attractive to put their "mark" on it just after the wash.. And so it was there all these 4 days.. But now after this rain.. Everything is gone! Actually now thinking back, the car looks much much cleaner now than after the car-wash thingy! Nothing to beat "natural-stuff" huh?

Was in full josh in office... Generally because of the excessive heat... It drains out all the energy in me.. And I feel so tired at office. But today.... I was so happy, cheerful, energetic.. Whatnot! I am amazed what a little shower can do to your day to day life....

So I know I am blabbering... But then I am happy... I am happy that it rained.. I am happy that I got drenched in the rain yesterday.. I am happy that I walked to office with an umbrella in hand... I am happy that I am happy...

Yes!Yes!Yes! It's still drizzling slightly.... God... Let this go on forever...:) Do I even need to mention that I love rains?

The then Mahishapuri... The now Mysore.

One of my friends sent me this and I couldn't help smiling and agreeing with "each-and-every" sentence! Here it goes.

Mysore cannot be experienced in holidays or weekends. Like a creeper growing and encircling the staff, you have to live, and grow with Mysore to experience it. You have to be with the ajjis who have seen you from the time you were soooo small, where the maid who works in your house is your family maid, your ajji had "recruited" her mother.

Mysore is:

• When you go on an evening walk, and the poojari of the Ram mandir, stops and chats with you, and moves on saying there is a pooja at 5 next morning.
• When you walk a little ahead and the librarian says he has the latest copy of "Kasturi" or "Mayura".
  
• When the milkman sees you on a walk, and delivers an extra half litre without being asked.
• When you board a bus at the bus-stand and conductor-uncle gives you a ticket without asking.
  
• When you collect little red 'gulganji' seeds on your way back home from KukkarahaLLi lake.
  
• When you come by the Tippu express, and you find someone going in your direction to drop you off.
• When elephants are marched in from the forests for Dussehra.
  
• When you wait for your copy of "Star of Mysore". - That's an evening daily.
  
• When the English movies are only at Rajkamal. Or Sterling.
  
• When you look for your KEB uncle to book tickets at Woodlands.
  
• When there are student body elections in Sarada-Vilas.
  
• Mysore is the eternal SJCE-NIE feud.
  
• When Jayciana is.
  
• When you got your project report bound at Venkateshwara Binders in Saraswatipuram.
• Having grape juice at RTO circle.
  
• Buying vegetables at Agrahara.
  
• Buying plantain leaves in NanjumaLige, savoring the aroma of the agarbatti factory behind.
• Eating ice-creams at Penguin. - That was the first "all-icecream" joint in Mysore.
  
• Eating dosa at Mylari Hotel.
  
• Having biriyani early in the morning, near Philo's church.
  
• Drinking sugarcane juice near kukkarahaLLI lake.
• Munching corn-on-the-cob in the palace foreground.
  

Mysore is when I grew up in Mysore. My Mysore.
Mysore before :

• GRS
  
• Underbridge in front of Saraswatipuram Fire Brigade
• Infosys
• Ring-Road.

Those who grew up in that Mysore, will relate to me more than those who came to Mysore, to work for Infosys, or those who came to study, or those who think Mysore is a good place to invest, or those who think chilling out in Mysore is just CCD or Pizza Corner.

Oh, How they misunderstand my pretty home !!!

Found out now.. that the "original" author of this post is viky
He has commented here!

Thanks Viky! For transporting me back to nammooru...:) When I was reading this, I forgot that I was in Uncle Sam's Land..and was actually visualising each and every place you had mentioned there!

Yes! I have GREY MATTER... But it's a PAIN!

Whenever I used to complain to my mom about head ache, she used to say "don't worry, it will go in some time. Sleep for few minutes. By the way, if you have headache, it only proves that you have "head" and that's why it aches ;-)"


I now have a terrible head ache. This is bad, pathetic what not! It's been there from yesterday afternoon. It's complete 24 hours now and yet it has no idea of leaving my head. Somebody please tell me how to get rid of this?

Now that it's proven that I have a head... I don't want to prove it more... Please ache.. Please go!!!!!


I tried the below mentioned remedies- none worked, in case you are still wondering!

Had a HOT cup of STRONG coffee - This one has been tried and tested before, and it has 99% success rate!

Put 2 inches of Amruthanjan - The ad claims, the head ache will disappear in 5 mins. It's 24*60 minutes now. Still no clue of disappearing

Switched off my laptop (with great difficulty) and just stood in the balcony for the whole of the evening! - Texas is HOT! So it was not exactly very pleasant outside. But still endured it to prevent myself from going anywhere near my laptop or the Idiot Box (read TV)

Had hot water - first drank some, and then took bath also!

I generally wear glasses while working on the computer. But yesterday I wore it even while in a meeting - Thought the headache was because of eye-strain

Haven't listened to music for full 24 hours - This is the toughest part. But yes! I tried that as well

Took an advil - I am generally against taking medicines for small things. But this time it was unbearable, so at the 21st hour, took it. But it's full 3 hours after that and still the head ache is ON

Somebody please tell me.. Apart from cutting off my head, is there any other way to get rid of this pain! Innovative ideas that will make my life more interesting are welcome ;-)

The BIG challenge

I don't know what's got into P. He has vowed that he will not speak to me for 15 days!
Why? Don't ask me... I have absolutely no idea. When I asked him what got to him? He said "He just wants to "test" how long he can stay without talking to me.

So today is Day 0.

It kinda feels very weird.. I am used to talking to him atleast 3 times a day.. Not long calls, just 5 mins each time. Sometimes he calls, and sometime I call. He has asked me not to call him over the weekend also...

A few reasons (based on the history), for him to stop talking to me. (None of them have lasted more than a few hours though):

• When we have a fight - Now that's quite obvious.
• When there is a India-Pakisthan cricket match being telecast live! - Absolutely "nobody" is supposed to talk to him during this time. And yes! This silence lasts for a full day - That's the longest!
• When he has quarelled with his mother or sisters... and I support "them" instead of him.
• When he is extremely upset with his friend A. - Don't ask me why he stops talking to "me" at such situations.. but he does that anyways.
  
• When either me or him are on-travel overseas.
• And ofcourse when he sleeps! - Nothing can disturb him, my phone calls are blissfully ignored.
  

In the present scenario, none of the above condition holds good... so why this naatak?

I HATE THIS!

God Bless America... and India more than that please....

"Indian" Independence day celebrations in America.

• Independence day March - American Flags held in hand with Indian Tri-Color as Shoulder belts.
• The march band - Not sure what they played, but were all some american numbers. That much I could make out. (They confirmed that later on while thanking the school band!)
• Shouting - Jai Hind, Vande Mataram , Azaadi Amarrahe and God Bless America all at the same time!
• The stalls - All "supposedly" authentic Indian stuff. The prices were well.........! If I ever loose my job, I am going to join this "business".. ;-). Buy something in India for 100 odd rupees and sell it here as "desi stuff" for atleast $30!
• Newly weds - clung together like they have been "joined" by fevicol. I wonder what's with desi couples in videsi envi... too much physical love for display! I can understand if it was some romantic place or something remotely close to that... but come on.. it's Independence Day celebrations remember? It's a big ground with some stalls around. I wonder what's romantic in that?
• Rows and rows of food stalls :-). No surprises in that. Indians are fond of food like ants are fond of sugar :-). So there is Gujju, Punjabi, Mumbai, Gulti, Mallu, you-name-it kind of food. We are celebrating world food day.. in case you are asking :P
• National Anthem - Sung by a female in a "raaga" of her own. I always thought you are not supposed to add any "beautification" stuff to the national anthem! It's not to display your singing skills. There are other songs for that.

Anyway, even with all these.. it was a wonderful evening. Saturday evening (the pre-poned Independence Day celebrations!)

The best part was concert by some sa-re-ga-ma-pa singers. Though nothing fantastic, it was good.

The grand finale was fireworks. I will upload the video of it soon :)

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY FOLKS!

Update:

We the people shall celebrate the anniverseries of these momentous events, which occur in 2007. What the governments seem to be ignoring, we shall celebrate in our own way.

Please copy the image above and put it in your own blog, along with this request.

Source: Jag's Blog

We are being ruled by MORONS!

Yes. This is exactly what I felt after reading this article!

The gist of the artcile, if you are too lazy to read the whole thing! (Frankly speaking these days I am more happy reading movie reviews than these news items. It makes me feel irritated seeing the sorry state of affairs!)

US embassy : Warned India of terror attacks by foreign terrorists - possibly the al-Qaeda - between Aug 11 and Aug 16.

Our Reaction (wah! wah!)

• Mr. V. K Duggal (Home Secretary): When we receive inputs, we will sensitize our state government and our police force as they go about making security arrangements based on the information provided. It's a very innocous advisory and that's just about it. In other words, promptly dismissing the "warning" as something "unlikely to harm or diturb anyone"!!! I wonder which part of the world does he live in? Has even heard of 7/11?
• Mr. Sriprakash Jaiswal (Minister of State, Home): Till now my ministry has not received any reactions and in fact as the advisory has come from abroad, it must have come to the MEA. If informed we will take all the appropriate steps. Wow! How cool is that! I mean these poeple are heroes man! They are not scared of anything! Wow! Hats off to their bravery! When it comes we will see attitude... when? after another 300 people are dead?
• Indian authorities have put major airports on red alert: Fantastic measure! Do they think that these terrorists are also morons like them to fly to India, just 1 day before they bomb the country! **Clap** Clap**. I am not saying that airports should not be on alert.. but boss! that is not a big thing that they have done and definitely not enough!
• Mr. A N Roy (Mumbai Police Commissioner): There is no need to panic. In case you come across any suspicious person or object, inform the police immediately.

The last one was super! I mean, terrorists attacks are not child plays. We have seen the samples of them! Be it 9/11 or 7/11 or everyday what's happening in Kashmir. And we are NOT "supposed" to panic? What then? Sit and wait for "anything" to happen?

And a normal Indian's day: Meet hazar people, busses, trains, road, theators wherever! And If I see anything suspicious report... What If I fail to notice the suspicious thing? What if it does not look suspicious?

Only GOD can help us! Each one of us have to be careful if the so called "protectors" are not doing their jobs. I am not saying that we should live with fear every single day. But just be cautious of your surroundings.

I also understand that it is not a cake walk to the intelligence agencies to find out who is plotting what plan and how to counteract it. I am just disgussted about the attitude of these people!

I want to see if they will talk the same if all the Z-security for them is revoked!

Hey! Nincompoop - will you EVER learn?

I will NEVER learn! I have been in this kind of situation a hundred times before.. but still!!! As some people say "Naayi baala donku" (You can never straighten a dog's tail!).

I can't say "NO" to people on their face. Be it official or personal. I always end up taking too much of work on my head in office, becasue some person will have some commitments and has to go early... but I cancel all my own plans and do his/her work as well! wah! shark wah!

Yesterday evening 7pm. One girl in my appartment block calls me and asks if she can stay with me for 2 months? And great old me says YES even without batting my eyelid.

She shifted all her stuff today... and believe me there is LOTS!!!!

Now I am regretting it. I can't share my room with one more person. I need some privacy!

Can somebody tell me how to kick myself?

The switch for my electric blanket is with somebody else...

Frankly speaking I do not know what to write about P. Should I write about him as a person all by himself? Or should I write about him as Mr.Shark? ;-)


P is very reserved to the outside world.. kind of keeps to himself unlike me who has some million friends and can talk even with a wall!!! He takes a LOT of time to come out of the "formality" mode and speak with people casually. So there it goes... our first difference :)


P shows his emotions right on the face. He CANNOT lie. This is good for me since I can always catch if he is lying to me about something... but bad for him because he can never hide anything from anybody ;-) Just by listening to his "hello" you can make out if he is happy or sad or not-so-ok or hungry (yes! you can make out that as well...) And all this is just listening to his "hello" over the phone... so you can imagine if he is right in front of you... you can even make out what he had for lunch ;-). This is difference number 2! I NEVER show my emotions on my face... I might be all gloomy and sad... but then I talk to people around me as if I am the most happiest person on earth! I rarely share my feelings with anybody.. sort of inside-myself kinds!


For P.., I am the most important person in his life. (Many people will be jealous of me.. I know ;-)). He will leave anything and come and meet me if I ask him to. This reminds me of an incident.

I was studying engineering at that time... and my semester exams were on. It was the last day of the exam.., It was a tradition of sorts for P to come and wish me for each exam personally. It so happened on this particular day he had to go out of town for some work. He had called me and wished me... But then, just as I was going to college, there he was! In the usual place.. standing and waiting for me.... He had driven some distance of 60kms inbetween his work... just so that he can come and wish me for the exam. He went back to work after that!!!!! P.., I fell in love with you all over again on that day... :)

Truly speaking I am not at all like that. For me also though P is the most important person in my life.. I am too practical!! I let my mind rule more than my heart! So there it goes another difference!

But then, even with all these differences, I have never felt that close to anybody else other than P. Yes! I am sort of a boring character.. I didn't even have a crush on anybody else before P!!!

Infact I was not even interested to get married... I had seen too many troubled marraiges around me.. and somehow that had left me not to beleive in the institution of marraige and all this "mooha".

But then, the entry of P changed everything. No! It was not love at first sight! (Though, P claims it was for him.. but I don't believe him..;-)). He was first my "teacher". Yes! whatever little programming I know today, it's all because of him.. :). Then he was my friend.. and then he became my boy-friend. It has been a beautiful journey... :)

Some of the things that I like about P..,

• He is always straight forward. He tells what he feels. He does not think one thing and tell another thing!
• He is very caring, not only with me.. but even with his friends and family, Goes out of the way to help people around him.
• He does not care about money! I hate people who think 100 times before spending even 100rs. But he is not like that... and I love that! After all what is the use of money you have, if you can't spend it!
• He is smart... I mean the way he talks, the way he presents himself... man I love him for that!
• He is clean :D Yes! That had to be a major criteria for me :) He is extremely cautious about his clothes.. (just like me).. irons them neatly each and every day he wears them. Goes to office, very well dressed! I hate men who don't care about their attire.. and don't even bother to take bath to go outside leave alone ironing clothes!
• He is extremely sensitive towards my feelings. He is the ONLY person who can make out how I am feeling inside... though I might be just the opposite on the outside.
• And most important... man! is he a good listener... with me, who can talk on and on about anything and everything, you need a real good listener as a partner..! And he is more than what i asked for :D

Some of the things which I would have loved if he ..,

• I wish, he could stand Shah Rukh Khan! It's a big effort to make him agree to go for a SRK movie with me... (I strongly feel this has more to do with Jealousy rather than hatred for SRK.. but till now he has not confessed!)
• I wish, he could learn to talk in Tamizh.. :)
• I wish, one day he owns a mercedes benz... :D
• I wish, he controls his temper atleast a little bit... is he short tempered? don't ask!
• I wish, he hadn't had 7 girl friends before me!!! :(((( (Now, it's another matter that those were all those school-crushes kinds... and never went beyond buying an icecream in the evening types... but still....!!!!!)

P.., THANK YOU... :)

• For making my life so beautiful.
• For everything you have done for me.. and for us.
• For making me feel so special when I am with you.
• For being just YOU

So, finally... this is what I have learned from being with P all these 6.5 years!!! yes! it's been a long time.. but a beautiful journey!.

Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride
worthwhile.
~ Franklin P. Jones

I love this man... If only everybody thought this way!

Ladies are gonna love Indian men for thinking this way!!! Really worth the read...

It seems that an article was written to a well-founded magazine, by an English woman who requested a response from Indian men. She got what she asked for (and more)!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------

This letter was written in response to an article:

Dear Editor:

I'm sorry but I would like to challenge some of your Indian male readers. I am a White female who is engaged to an Indian male, good-looking, educated and loving. I just don't understand a lot of Indian female's attitudes about our relationship.

My man decided he wanted me because the pickings amongst Indian women were slim to none. As he said they were either too fat, too loud, too mean, too argumentative, too needy, too materialistic or carrying too much excess baggage. Before I became engaged, whenever I went out I was constantly approached by Indian men, willing to wine and dine me and give me the world If Indian women are so up in arms about us being with their men, why don't they look at themselves and make some changes.

I am tired of the dirty looks I get and snide remarks when we're out in public.

I would like to hear from some Indian men about why we white women are so appealing and coveted by them. Bryant Gumbel just left his wife of 26 years for one of us. Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, the model Tyson Beckford, Montell Williams, Quincy Jones, James Earl Jones, Harry Belafonte, Sydney Poitier, Kofi Anan, Cuba Gooding Jr., Don Cornelius, Berry Gordy, BillyBlanks, Larry Fishburne, Wesley Snipes...I could go on and on. But, right now, I'm a little angry and that is why I wrote this so hurriedly.

Don't be mad with us White women because so many of your men want us. Get your acts together and learn from us and we may lead you to treat your men better. If I'm wrong, Indian men, let me know.

Disgusted White Girl,

Somewhere in VA.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Response:

Dear Editor:

I would like to respond to the letter written by A Disgusted White Girl.

Let me start by saying that I am a 28-year old Indian man. I graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management. I have a good job at a major corporation and have recently purchased a house. So, I consider myself to be among the ranks of successful Non-White men.

I will not use my precious time to slander white people. I just want to set the record straight of why Indian men date white women.

Back in the day, one of the biggest reasons why Indian men dated white women was because they were considered easy. The Indian girls in my neighborhood were raised traditionally.

Nowadays, in my opinion, a lot of Indian males date white women because they are docile and easy to control. A lot of Indian men, because of insecurities, fears, and overall weaknesses, have become intimidated by the strength of our Indian women. We are afraid that our woman will be more successful than us, make more money than us, drive nicer cars and own bigger houses. Because of this fear, many Indian men look for a more docile woman. Someone we can control. I have talked to numerous Indian men and they continuously comment on how easy it is to control and walk over their white women.

I just want to set the record straight. I want A Disgusted White Girl to know that not all successful Indian men date white women. Non-Whites like Ahmad Rashad, Denzel Washington, Michael Jordan, Morris Chestn! ut, Will Smith, Blair Underwood, Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Chris Rock all married strong Non-White women. And, to flip the script, there are numerous white men, in and out of the spot light, who openly or secretly desire Non-White women over white women. Ted Danson, Robert DeNiro, and David Bowie to name a few. I just don't want the 'Disgusted White Girl' to be misinformed.

Stop thinking that because you are white that you are some type of goddess. Remember, when Non-White Egyptian Queens like Hatsepshut and Nitorcris were ruling Dynasties and armies of men in Egypt, you were over in the caves of Europe eating raw meat and beating each other over the head with clubs. Read your history! It was the Non-White woman that taught you how to cook and season your food. It was the Non-White woman that taught you how to raise your children. It was Non-White women who were breastfeeding and raising your babies during slavery. It is the Non-White woman that had to endure watching their fathers, husbands, and children beaten, killed, and thrown in jail.

Indian women were born with two strikes against them: being Non-White and being a woman. And, through all this, Still They Rise!

It is because of the Indian women's strength, elegance, power, love and beauty that I could never date anyone except my Indian Queen. It is not just the outer beauty that captivates and draws me to them. It is not the fact that they come in all shapes, sizes, colours and shades that I love them. Their inner beauty is what I find most appealing about Indian women. Their strong spirit, loving and nurturing souls, their integrity, their ability to overcome great obstacles, their willingness to stand for what they believe in, and their determination to succeed and reach their highest potential while enduring great pain and suffering is why I have fallen in love with Indian women.

I honestly believe that your anger is geared more toward jealousy and envy than snotty looks. If this were not so, then why do you continuously go to tanning salons to darken your skin. If you are so proud to be white, then why don't you just be happy with your pale skin? Why do you continue to inject your lips, hips, with unnatural and dangerous substances so you can look fuller and more voluptuous? I think that your anger is really a result of you wanting to have what the Non-White woman has.

BOTTOM LINE: If I were looking for a docile woman, someone I can walk over and control, I would give you a call. But, unfortunately, I am looking for a Virtuous Woman. Someone that can be a good wife and mother to my children. Someone who can be my best friend and understand my struggles. I am looking for a sou l mate and; unfortunately, you do not and CANNOT fit the bill.

No offense taken, none given.

Signed,

Indian Royalty.