Top 5 Reasons to own a Blackberry!!

You don't own a Blackberry!BB is calling... where are you?

Here are the Top 5 reasons for you to head to your nearest dealer for a BB-

1)To save your marriage/relationship: Tired of everyday fights,arguements,complaints- go get both yourselves a BB- you would be too busy trying to get to know the new member to fight and complain with and about each other.And neither of you are going to bother each other much in that way.Your marriage is safe for life and you don't even have to pay for a counsellor (which may or may not work)

2) To break your marriage/relationship: Getting choked at your existing love or married life but don't know how to end it - since you are too good to be bad to someone.Soak yourself in a BB - don't spare the bedroom,living room - not even your bathroom.Or better still if you are the one not owning it - get your spouse/partner a BB,get him/her hooked on to it and one day just throw it out of the window in front of him/her - the storm that will result will save you the future storms forever!

3)To give your professional image a makeover: Your Boss questions your committment.Mail him from your BB midnight,even if you are in a nightclub,early morning from your WC, or even when you sneak personal time during office hours for - say a massage in the spa.You wanted committment, I am giving you every second of my life.The promotion party is due sweetheart!

4)To flex your muscles: Have tight fingers which needs flexing- no worries- keep fiddling with your BB,even if you have nothing important to do.You don't pay a buck and you have a good exercise for your fingers.Not just that if you land up with a twitch in the muscles, hunt for a good looking therapist- you gain anyway!

5) You want a healthy fruit diet- HA HA you have a Black Berry- to binge on to!!!Wonder why they named it Blackberry!

Enjoy BBing- Forget Life ?

*Thanks to all my friends and family who got hooked on to a Blackberry and inspired me to put down my thoughts :)!!!

What it takes for Indian Cinema to go International?

I was writing this while watching the World's most prestigious award ceremony- the Academy. Slumdog Millionaire has bagged 8 awards and Smile Pinki won the Best Short Documentary.I was happy really happy about India being a subject of these 2 experiments of 2 brilliant film makers, and bagging the global recognition, and putting India in the world pedestal for the first time in World Cinema.In fact when Resul Pookutty ,and Rahman walked the stage for Best Sound Mixing,Best Song,and Score respectively, and were speechless for few seconds..I actually felt a lump in my throat- feeling their emotions!!!!

But while these were feel good moments -I cried actually which I never do on any such events- and very feel good moments- the only achievements that India could be proud about was Rahman and Resul's Oscars, which was theirs ...by all means!!!The excitement and joy in me for all the other categories, - well - was absent actually !!


What also made me think and feel sad about was - why both the films- Slumdog Millionaire, and Smile Pinki needed a Danny Boyle and Megan Mylan to capture India's essence,issues and story, so brilliantly?Does the Indian film industry lack good film makers, directors, or is it that we do not have the resources, or a film needs to be made in English or the lobbying and PR- or our film producers are more keen on the cliched, hero/heroine love,revenge,and some lousy comedy based stories- where a Kareena's size zero, or wardrobe, and power yoga are the source of publicising a film- WHAT?

Slumdog's budget was made on a budget of $15 MN- which is being called a low budget film- but to our standards, go ahead and calculate how much that is - ...close to 70 crores!But what about Smile Pinki?


Let's come to talent- plot,direction,music, there is no lack of it in our country..what with such brilliant off beat cinema coming up in the past few years, and concepts (don't forget SM is actually written by an Indian- Vikas Swarup) which have never been experimented before- even if they don't make box office hits- but no- there is no dearth of talents...but probably the lack of a global milestone in the vision of making a film.


And as for making it in English ...no way- Jai Ho was not in English to win the Oscar and neither was Smile Pinki (it was in hindi and bhojpuri)!!!


Lobbying?PR ? is that what it is ? I am really failing to understand what is it that we lack..Rahman's music was always brilliant, but it was because the Slumdog was in English it proved to be a wonderful platform for Rahman to reach the global platform.But even for a documentary film, why is it that no Indian film maker could make a short film on any issues on India which could make it to the world platform? Considering that we can feel, and relate to such issues, more closely and emotionally than a non-Indian? contacts,resources, reach?

Probably a combination of all the above..maybe Slumdog Millionaire and Smile Pinki has projected India as a land of creative opportunities to be explored by everyone in the world!And maybe now that 2 India based films, with all Indian sentiments, and emotions have bagged the most prestigious awards of the world,our own film makers, and producers can give a thought on the question in the title of this note rather than just wondering about the Friday's Box Office collections!

Moral Battering- Is the Media listening?

Guess who did the best job Moral Battering in the much talked and shocking Satyam revelation.The media and specially I want to mention one specific media house who took absolutely no responsibility on the authentication of its reports on the company.Every report seemed to have picked up a headline which kicked the moral of every Satyam stakeholder real bad.And I have no qualms sharing the initials TOI/ET.Anyone well versed with the media houses would know whom I am talking about.Let me give an example- there was a report stating that Satyam employees have received an email from HR announcing that there would be no salary for 2 months.I read the report in the online version on TOI/ET,and was shocked.Being the wife of a Satyam employee, I knew every little developments in the company.There was no announcement as such which was even close to that.My knowledge was confirmed through all the comments which followed that report.And sadly even after the constant reminder to the editor by the readers, no effort was made to remove the report.

This was not the only report with such misleading and unauthenticated information.Many followed after that.

But this is what these reports did-

1) Calls from every concerned family member/friends frantic over this news.Wondering what is going to happen to the family!

2)Team members calling managers of their project early morning half crying "what will happen?"

3)Spouses worried to hell and calculating where to cut down expenses, even if that means withdrawing the basic costs.

4)Sleepless nights to 50,000 employees and their families, who were already in a state of shock.

5)And who knows "suicides"

And God knows what more!!!!

I still remember reading the role of media.One of which is to focus on the problems of the common man and discuss solutions.Is that what this media house was doing actually or misleading and speculating too much, adding more problems to the existing ones for the stakeholders of the company.

I really hope the media starts behaving a little more responsibly and also be considerate on the moral of the readers which may be affected considerably.Please do not BLOW THINGS OUT OF PROPORTION...and do the job the way it is supposed to be done!

Care about you, if you love others...

I have heard "Live for others" but what I really like to believe is "care for self, if you want to live for and love others".No what I don't mean by this is that you should be self-centred and selfish.What I am talking about is caring about your self - physically,emotionally and mentally.

What I am writing now is a global topic,much debated, much concerned and a very serious health issue among women.We all are aware but I am not sure how many of us has taken the first step towards it.I am glad I did it - my first Breast Cancer Detection test!!

I felt like a fool when I told my doc that I never had a BCD TEST ever in my life!She looked pretty shocked when she heard me say sheepishly the soft "NO".I asked myself why didn't I ever do it?Interest,lack of knowledge, initiative or simply ignorance about myself.

Let's talk figures- The number of breast cancer cases is estimated to have reached 1.2 million worldwide.An alarming fact is that the incidence of breast cancer is rapidly increasing in urban India and has overtaken cancer of the cervix as the number one cancer in our major metros according to a study conducted on women and cancer in India.

We the urban,educated,career minded women or super-moms, sadly- ever even think about it.Infact atleast 10 women among my closest circle of friends have not got a Breast Cancer test yet- that included me till recently.

We are pretty good in updating ourselves and even treat ourselves with the latest laptops/mobiles/designer wears/make-up/shoes/accessories- hey but did anyone remember your body needs- your health.We don't forget a monthly parlor trip even if its for a hair cut, dining out every weekend, catching up on a movie and everything else on earth except - dear women- our health check-ups.

My realisation came late but atleast better late than never.I love my family and friends a lot and so I care about myself.I know if I suffer ever, I will make them suffer, so the least I can do is get my tests every 6 months.And no its not just limited to a single disease alone, wake up and learn about your body as much as you can.

You care about every other person close to you, then why is it so difficult to care about someone who is closest to you-YOU!!
Go ahead right now - take the first step and see the difference it makes to your existence!And get atleast one woman follow your step.....

Take Care :)

Disconnecting the Roots

Some people after reading this post may swallow my thoughts with a pinch of salt.

I am in a country which can proudly call itself being truly global and secular with the highest acceptance level of hundreds nationalities and several religion.OK lets for once ignore the comments made by the President about middle-class Indians -which has drawn enough criticism for the lousiest comment made by a world leader- and some psychic fanatics whom i chose to ignore too.I am talking about people generally.I have neighbours from Mexico,Puerto Rico,Kenya,Tanzania,Pakistan,Iran,China,Japan,Korea, and probably more whom I haven't yet got introduced.Its amazing how every nationality acknowledge and accept each others presence so graciously even if it is on a non-personal level.But my spirits most of the times really fall low, when I see some of my fellow Indians who somehow are so much in awe of being in the West that they practically start feeling that they are "a little above the other".No I am not saying all are like this but a sizable number of Indians do have this unnecessary "snooty attitude".When I walk into a Walmart I have more non-Indians wishing an extremely enthusiastic Hello than my fellow Indians.In fact there isn't even a single Indian who has ever smiled back to me when I have given them an acknowledging smile- forget about saying hello.And other times, my smile or hello is received and responded with a doubtful smile or look.

I want to ask them at that point if there is something wrong with my smile or you don't like my face maybe!

A few months back I went out for lunch with my class mate whom I met after 12 years.Incidentally her room-mate a fellow Indian turned up in the same restaurant, and we were introduced.Guess what response I got - a shabby and disinterested Hi and a face turned away.I was aghast!If this was the kind of room-mate she has, God save my simple hearted friend.Well later I overheard the "roomie"chattering away with her American friend in a funny accented yankee English which made me laugh.By the way I later got to know that she apparently considers herself an American since she has been in US for about 6 years- post her college, and she finds it degrading to make Indian friends.And she has moulded herself completely into the American lifestyle.Congrats!Another Indian Born Confused whatever....Now there are certain typically Indian womanly traits in her which I should not be discussing which somehow contradicts her American moulding.On the other hand my friend later had a new American room mate who came all the way to see her perform Kathak dance in an Indian Community festival, and sat with us for long to discuss the dance,food and culture of India.

Similarly I was out with lunch with a common friend who is an American and she was too keen to learn the art of wearing a Saree.But to my dismay there was an Indian woman in the group who proudly claimed she didn't know to wear one.

I wonder what is the thought process that goes behind this kind of a psyche?What is it that my friends from India achieve by trying to ignore associations with their roots, specially before their American friends?Its amazing how most nationalities looks up to India- for its traditions,art,culture- and how my dear friends choose to ignore their existence in order to fit in.I do understand people who may have been born and brought up in this country may not be able to associate themselves,but these are people who have strong roots in India, and are completely different people when they are among their families back home.Don't they ever question - "who am I " and "Shouldn't I be respected for what I am - instead of faking to fit in"?Why is that the pressure of fitting in makes them lose their self-identity?Why is it that the other nationalities have succesfully fitted into this country keeping their identities intact?I am probably the nth person to ask these questions.

Will a pleasant smile and a genuine "Hi How are you" cost them their dollars?I have gathered that there are two groups of Indians here.The ones I am talking about, and the ones who are still the same people in spite of being here for ages and citizens of this country.The saddest part is the second category of rooted people often are advised by the first category to change themselves!

Its really sad that a chunk of Indians choose not to define India to be their roots.The irony on the other hand is being from India and following the Indian ways, and culture- is considered pretty cool.Trust me my neighbour and my common friend and lot many people I met- from this country have showed deep interest in Indian recipes,yoga, the art of wearing Saree, festivals and many other things.

Our country today is a global brand, and I feel pity for these people who are yet to update themselves with this fact!

People,open your eyes,soon your condition may be like the Dhobi's....let me not say more.

As it is people don't like my face to even give a grin,and if someone happens to read this- would probably not digest my presence!

God save them, and me!

..till my next post- take care and Jai Hind!

-CHATS

@raised eyebrows

i am glad that i am not the only one who has undergone this :) and as both my friends have rightly said, our children will probably take more pride to see their mom a complete balanced woman in control of herself.My only dissappointment is when your many from your own circle leave that question mark.And i hope they soon change their minds.Or like my hub (my loving word for hubbies)says "don't get confused with remarks,its our decision and we know what we are doing is for the best" ...cheers to the new generation,liberated hubs :)

Welcome to My Space

This is probaly yet another of those thousands blogs created to generate thoughts,share them and after that......well we don't know....

My space welcomes everyone's thoughts and most importantly how those thoughts have or will have seen some action.Ideas and thoughts locked up in mind is nothing but unused icons in the desktop.
So feel free to comment on what i opine,and most importantly peep into yourself to see if you are making any effort to action them.

Hear from you soon.

Cheers,
Mahua (a.k.a Chats)