Kiara

 

Unusual, that's what she was....not to mention, frisky too. Deadly combination. To add to that, she was just so beautiful with  long copper locks that would frame her sharp face, those liquid brown eyes which would make any one who looked into them quickly melt. She was friendly and fun. Full of energy and vigour. What was amusing were her quirks: the hair dryer trick was especially ridiculous. Every time we wanted a little laugh or wanted to scare her, out came the hairdryer and mission accomplished! She would run helter-skelter, looking for a "safe" spot, away from the line of the dryer fire! Ditto with a rolling suitcase  that would set her off similarly. What a gal!

That's our Kiara for you, our wonderful Irish Setter who passed away this morning.

When did she go from A-OK to Z-MINUS?

I don't know, it was all just too sudden. And perhaps I wasn't intuitive enough or observant enough. But her bodily change happened literally over night. There were signs though....signs that I didn't understand? But it all started around 6 weeks ago. The entire house was empty as we took off for a family holiday and she was left with the staff at home and a whole army of workers and masons who were working at renovations in the house. I got back a few days earlier to the distressed staff; complaining that Kiara hadn't eaten any thing in 3 days time. What ever little she had consumed, came out and she had spent the days lying listlessly in a tight ball in a corner of the house, ocassionally perking up for the doorbell. I scratched her ears and spoke to her telling her, we were home and she wasn't alone and she should eat. Et voila! My little pep talk seemed to have worked and she hungrily ate her dinner that evening. I promptly went back to my world, thinking it was just a case of loneliness. Besides, it was true that in the past year or so, Ky had slowed down considerably and wasnt nearly as frisky and foot loose as she used to be. She did greet unsuspecting strangers with her usual inappropriateness and she did seem to enjoy her daily walks down stairs. But it was noted that our bullet-like Ky had slowed down....at home we called it as her "mellowing" down.

Well, her case got better marginally, and we suspected she was suffering from a bout of food poisoning. Her nose and mouth was often caught in all the wrong places, eating all the wrong things and she had a history of a weak constitutiton. But it was nothing of consequence and poor Ky was always being scolded for "making a mess"! In any case, despite my mother's return (Ky had an inexplicable obsession for my mum!), little Ky didn't get much better. What would throw me off-track would be the inconsistency of her state - there would be days where she was perfectly normal and then again days where she wouldn't move from her spot. She was shrinking too, getting more and more frail. Again, we discounted this to her aging. The vet didn't help us either as he figured it was a stomach infection, consequent bloof reports suggested jaundice so we started medication to address that ailment.

The case of giving her davaa was a tough one. Nearly a Hurculean task in fact as she was keep her jaws locked, teeth gritted and body rigid, resisting all our innovative efforts to give her the medication. No tricks worked though and the times we would meet with success, we would soon find a little puddle of the tonic in one of her "secret" corners.....
It was getting increasingly difficult to deal with her obstinance. After 4 weeks of this nonsese, I was keen to investigate her further and got a sonography. I could sense something awfully wrong by looking at the pictures, but I put away those thoughts. But too late - the doctor confirmed within moments that our Ky was suffering from the C-word. And had lost too much of physical strength to fight it.

We were shattered.........now what?

Well, nothing really. That was 2 weeks ago, and here I am today, writing about the Lady who Lived.

There is an eerie emptiness in the house. I keep hearing her in my head, seeing her from the corner of my eye. These last few weeks took our relationship to another level. For the past 3 years, I had felt a distance in our bond, I felt put off by her marginalised affection towards me and thought Ky was happier in the company of all the new people in her life ( the girls at home, her walker, Sanjay the Shampoo guy etc...). They did most of the hands on work with her and t was only natural that she cared for them. But in these 4 weeks, I worked hard. I worked with all my might to try and fix her, fix us.............

For all of those who came to our home, or knows any of us, knows Ky. How can they not, she didn't give them a chance to "get away"! Even the most timid, dog-fearing of them all, grew accustomed to her. She touched so many peoples' lives in strange and sensitive ways.The reassurance of ringing the bell only to be greeted by her enthusiastic, flying jump hello, the thumping of her tail as we would go across to meet her, or the feeling of her warm body going up and down as she curled at your feet, under the table or the tingly sensation when she would lick your tears when you were crying.

She was sensitive but in an unconventional way. And we got that. She wasn't like other dogs...and we wouldnt ever have wanted her to be. She came from Goa and we chose her from a litter of 10 puppies, because she was the puppy with the most amount of energy!

I think I speak for all us in the family when I say that she will be remembered for her indomitable spirit and her unusualness..We wish her a happy stay in the Heaven Hotel. I hope she gets to eat all the bikkis in the world and enjoys countless, joyful hours playing fetch with her spit-infused old toy.

But most of all I hope that Ky had as happy a time as we did with her in 51 A. She taught us a lot about life and love, lessons that we will never forget so thank you very much for coming to our lives Kiara.

Love live the Irish Eyes.........

Haathi Mere Saathi

The elephants come marching to town and look how pretty they are!

Gem Palace

Khanna Jewellers

Nirav Modi Jewels

I have always had a soft spot for these gentle giants and was delighted by this upcoming initiative..

The World Land Trust and ethical coloured gemstones mining company, Gemfields, together with Jaguar Land Rover and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA India), have collaborated with 10 of India’s top jewellery designers to create a unique "pop up" collection of bespoke Zambian emerald jewellery.

Following the success of ‘Emeralds for Elephants’ in London in the summer of 2010, the aim of this collection is to create awareness and raise crucial funds for the conservation initiatives of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) for the Asian Elephant in India.

 The collection will go on tour around India to each of the designers’ boutiques from August to

October 2011. On 14 October, Sotheby’s will auction the collection at an exclusive event held
in the Taj Mahal Hotel Mumbai, with a percentage of profits from each jewel going towards the
World Land Trust’s ‘Indian Elephant Corridor’ project. 

As India’s farmlands and cities expand, the Asian elephant is experiencing large-scale habitat fragmentation and loss. India is home to 60% of the world’s Asian elephant population, making their survival in India critical to the survival of the whole species.

An extensive survey across India conducted by WTI resulted in identifying 88 vital corridors for elephant movement. The Wildlife Trust of India with its conservation partners subsequently set about securing these vital corridors, of which the World Land Trust has partnered with WTI in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, southern Indian state of Kerala and the north eastern state of Meghalaya.

Securing corridors for elephants involves working closely with local communities and governments and this renders the entire process time and resource-intensive. WTI and its conservation partner WLT aim to facilitate the creation of conflict-free corridors and improve conservation prospects of the Asian elephant.

Projects such as these are a must today - they put to the fore key issues which require interest and funds, via a luxurious and decadent platform. I am completely all for Ethically Responsible Luxury.


If I were to reveal my present surroundings this overcast and rainy Saturday, most would find it rather luxurious and decadent. Alas, it is another working weekend and am sneaking in a blog post whilst nobody is looking ;)


More from me if I have an exciting Saturday night. I would really like it before the rigour of Shraavan begins for me on Monday. 

political non-affairs

Picture Perfect?

There is something very wrong with our political interests and the media certainly does it share to add lots of fodder to feed our misplaced thoughts. Case in Point: The visit of Pakistani Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar (HRK) to the capital city this week. Whilst the news agencies have skimmed on why she is here in the first place and all her official work; most amount of air time has been dedicated to HRK's style quotient. It would be right to observe that her "looks" have generated a media frenzy! Every one is abuzz with her elegant salwar suits and her choice of hand bags. This morning, I happened to watch a one-on-one interview with her on Headlines Today. After the interviewer asked a couple of obvious questions regarding her role, her objectives from the official visit in New Delhi and her opinion on the state of affairs between the two nations, he quickly jumped to the topic of fashion! Unbashedly, his face broke into a giant grin and he remarked on how "India was very impressed by the fashion put on display by her"! I cringed! Mean while, hats off to HRK as she remained straight-faced and refused to comment on the subject saying she is here for official work and that is what she would like to discuss.

I must say, I first saw all her pictures and me first thought was, "Wow! Another Paki stunner who looks fit for the movies." And yes, I did think about her great looks and impeccable turnout. Modern day Asian Jackie-O. I imagined her to be a soft-spoken lady, and probably a front for some one's ulterior motives in an effort to show the democratic and liberal avtaar of the "new" Pakistan. My after thought was for the life and security of her family and herself....and hoped that she had enough of cushioning from the inside.
But hearing her speak, what first got to me was her voice - throaty, smokey and strong. She was very articulate and careful with her words, not letting on onto anything. She didn't seem even a tad bit apologetic on the situation between the two countries, just pragmatic. She also was clear to state that India and Pakistan view one another as The Enemy and then ended the interview by describing this as an "in-stable" region.

Hard hitting words.

Moving to a hitherto, peaceful and sane part of the world - Norway. What transpired there was completely surreal and sadistic. Eerie, eerie, eerie.........
I am extremely glad to read today's update that psycho-anaylysts and intelligent reports are not letting him pull the "insanity" card that easily. The evil creature is completely at ease through his criminal procedures. 3 days post the massacre, he was grinning at the cameras as he was escorted from the court to the prison. He has absolutely no remorse what so ever of his actions.

For an excellent account on the freak:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3713668/Killer-smile-of-Norway-Nazi-Anders-Breivik-as-he-is-driven-from-court.html

Cant believe his skull/bones badge was stitched by an embroiderer in Varanasi! Stuff nightmares are made of.

H-alleluah !

There are bags, and there are bags and then there is the one and only, Bagwati.

Pardon my attempt at a little tongue-in-cheek attempt to introduce the subject matter of this post: the Birkin.

This post is being written, taking into account that there are many people in this world who don't know the Birkin and to all those - don't worry - stay tight for a little Birkin 101!

Victoria Beckham owns a mind blowing 100 plus Hermès bags (over $2 million dollars worth, according to Purseblog.com). Top of the list from her enviable collection is her Hermès Ostrich, Crocodile, Rouge and White and Black Clemence Birkin bags.Rumour has it that hubby, David Beckham once gifted her an £80,000  diamond studded Birkin! I can't even imagine the special Birkin that would be commissioned in celebration of the birth of their first girl. 
However, Mrs Beckham is certainly not alone in her hankering for Hermès, as the designer label's extensive waiting list of high profile names lays testament to.

And true to claim, my curious eyes made a beeline for the hand bag corner as soon as I entered the boutique; only to be promptly informed that all the Birkins were pre-ordered and were sold out. Wow, that is day 2 for you... 

On 20th July, Hermès opened its flagship boutique in Mumbai at a wonderfully historic and apt location - at an Art Deco building along the Horniman Circle Garden, in front of the beautiful Asiatic Library. Sans any elaborate invitations or announcements, the legendary French house opened its doors to the city. With 3 un-missable full page advertisements and simple mailers, the 15,000 sq. ft store commenced business. The moment I saw the announcement, I was itching to go and devour the space. Hermès boutiques have always been known for their clean lines and "maison" like layout. More than the interiors, the wares are the stars. Gorgeous silk carres drape one wall, another wall is highlighted by the dramatic Equestrian pieces, the colourful beach towels provide distraction towards the home section and the enameled bangles tease you towards see the Bijoux and Gifts area. Not to mention, the strong link Hermès has always maintained with the Arts. Almost all its flagships have an area dedicated to contemporary art display. 


Unlike the other luxury brands that the country has welcomed, Hermès has taken some unusual and distinct steps whilst entering India. Most people wouldn't even know that Hermès has been in India since 2008, tucked in a little corner of the Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi. It is believed that their motivation for coming to India has not been based on statistics, but because of the strong Indian customer based it enjoys in London and Paris. Next, after lying low for the past 3 years, Hermès took its second step, opening another corner, this time in a Tier 2 city, Pune. You might think, "why Pune?" Visit Pune to find out! The city is bustling and crawling with professionals, industrialists and real-estate developers, over and above the growing number of expats and tech guys. Moreover, the Pune-ites are getting increasingly brand conscious and the community of ladies-who-lunch is strong. With the swakiest real-estate and hotel projects under way (For example; Phillipe Starck's YOO! Pune project), the life style is pretty darn good and its only going to get better. Hermès picked the Istaa Hotel in the upcoming Yerawada area for its second venture. Smart, I say!


After months of searching for a perfect location in Aamchi Mumbai, they finally stumbled upon 15A Horniman Circle, the building which happens to be located at “point zero”, from where all distances in the city are measured. Architectural firm RDAI (The Paris based firm which designs all the Hermès boutiques around the world), meticulously restored the facade and 3,500 square feet of interior space, incorporating the signature mosaic floors, wood and leather that are common across many of the brand’s outlets. In fact, Hermès, which runs a philanthropic arm called the Hermès Foundation, has already donated money for the upkeep of the Horniman Circle gardens and will support the renovation of the Asiatic Society Library by donating proceeds from the sales of its special edition “La Danse du Cheval Marwari” silk scarf. 

In another departure for its stores in India, the second floor has been converted into a gallery space, which is currently showing an exhibition by German photographer Karen Knorr. French CEO, Michaud says they will use it to host a mix of Indian and French artists, as a way to promote a “Paris meets Bombay” exchange of ideas. 

I appreciate the ideals with which the Mumbai project has been laid out and hope the store does well...Go there with heavily lined pockets and an open mind! 

The only grouse I have is the "H" Belt Army that is going to take over the city....girls and boys sporting the signature-buckled belt that sort of screams, "Here I am!"


Well, Hermes is certainly here indeed and is in it for the long haul. 

A Black & Blue Weekend

Sigh, it is Monday and I can't wait for the weekend. Oh wait, it just ended!

This is a certainly going to be a long week....and the incessant rain won't help make it any shorter.

I for one, had an exceedingly hectic weekend, which could probably explain why I am already itching for the next one!

Friday evening was spent at the movies, watching the delightful and delicious ensemble cast of 'Zindagi Milegi na Dobara'. What a fresh and fun movie! Most importantly, it is a movie projecting a healthy lifestyle.

To begin with, "boys trips" are soon going to be the norm - so girls be ready-steady for that! And secondly, the summer "It" destination is going to be Espana - muy bien!

Before I go on, I must sad, that despite loving the movie, there were many times (especially in the second half) where my attention drifted. I definitely thought the movie could have been cut by 20 minutes. There were many instances where it went from pensive to photogenic and turned into a discovery channel-esque scene. Too much time was wasted on the adventures, giving the audience more details than necessary and taking away from the story line. That was my only rouse with the movie, oh that, and Kalki. I understand that her role was to be of a somewhat stuckup, pretty and prissy little miss, but I frankly found that she didn't fit the character at all. And I know she has achieved a cult status post Dev D and is known to have great talent, but I didnt find her performance noteworthy either.

That being said...the boys were terrific. All 3 of them, although, I am more partial to Hritik (aka Hercules) and Farhan.
Hrithik never ceases to surprise me with his Greek Good looks, Adonis-esque body and molten eyes, you would never imagine such a pretty boy to be able to dance, act and even sing! I have met a couple of guys like him who are on roll - trying to rake in as much moolah as they possibly can at jobs that suck their souls out of them, leaving them high and dry. All the little personality nuances and insights into a prototype London Banker/Trader were neatly added into his role. His transition from hard to soft was also done very well...

And what do I say about Farhan - compact and commendable! Here is another powerhouse of talent. The guy can hold his own despite his atypical looks, voice and non-Bollywood personality. Kudos to him to remain true to his art and continue with cinema that was once looked at as off-beat.

Another strong point was the dialogue, which I found was spot on - real, casual and natural. The screenplay could have been tighter, but there were so many difficult and poignant scenes that were carried out effortlessly. I particularly liked the scene when they begin the car journey and Farhan flicks away Hritik's phone and this naughty, childish act opens up a closed box that until then, has been carried with them like a burden. Hrithik indicates that Farhan's childish and non-serious attitude is no longer cute or charming. It is just plain embarassing and often hurtful. It was an important turning point, early in the movie and managed to address Hrithik's raw sentiments perfectly. Fast forward to the scene on the cliffs in the latter half of the movie when Farhan apologises to Hrithik, this time, from his heart.
The other tender scene was when Katrina guides Hrithik threw the deep seas as he bravely confronts his fear of the water.
And the last favourite was when the Spanish chickita and Farhan are enjoying a private moment, literally, lost in translation and she says to him "you make jokes all the time but with your eyes are sad." Oh! How romantic and delicate!

All three of the boys looked healthy and trim with lovely tans! Throw in Kitty Kat, Bagwati the birkin, some incredible locations, perfect cinematography, hot wheels and you're whizzing onto the road trip of your youth!

So it's a definite must watch for those who are contemplating it. And if it is Inox that you're headed to, be careful of your head - lest a tree come falling down again.

It is true that Nature's wrath has no bounds. We must begin to respect Mother Nature and appease her, because when she gets angry, there is no stopping her. The tragic incident that took place outside Inox on Sunday evening is a case in point. The tree outside came tearing down - killing an innocent mother and daughter, as well as crushing several cars and toatalling a Bentley! All this in the matter of a few minutes. I happened to enter the theatre literally minutes before the tree came down, and once in, there was no knowing of what happened outside, until the end of the movie. As I drove out, I watched a macabre-like scene unfolding in front of me - with huge cranes sawing the branches off, ambulances on stand by, and cars being excavated from under the heavy branches. Really bizarre.

For the first time in a loooong time, I think we have no one to play the blame game with on this one!

Il pleut (It's Raining)

Thick-skinned or thick-skulled is the question?


Speaking for myself, I would say, I belong to the former category. Hardened, toughened and sort-of anesthecised over the past few years by the recurring acts of terrorism that the glorious city of Mumbai keeps facing. As a citizen, there is not much we can do at this point. When the very basics are not in place, what extra measures can be taken by the people of the city? This is a city that is the home for 17 million (and counting) - and yes it is true that it is not a feasible number for one little island to bear the responsibilities for but this has always been our reality. So when will the people who are supposed to govern our city and the state acknowledge this fact and take steps to ensure a decent standard of living for them? As they remain cocooned in their cushy, warm surroundings, driving around in state-given cars with half of the police force "protecting them" whilst they zip about town on pseudo-official work. 
Admittedly, I don't follow our political scenario closely at all. I am fortunate that I have very tuned-in, well-read and well-informed parents who discuss the state of affairs with us every day, passionately and in detail. Most of what I know about the details of our governance (or the lack of!), is through them, combined with the little I absorb from the newspapers that I dutifully read every morning. But with the numerous and parallell-y important problems that are going on, how does one keep abreast with the news? It is tough to say what is more relevant or more pertinent or more grave - Bad is Bad. Each of these issues affects some party or the other and hence, how can one measure one man's loss over another's? 


Globally, we live in terror-struck times. But what I find deplorable about our particular case is how many times do we need to go through it to come out a tad wiser? Every city in the world which has been an innocent victim of terrorism, has taken every single measure to make sure that it won't fall prey to such an act ever again and the perpetrators have been found and dealt with in the manner they so deserved. 
And what is different here in India? Ahhh, this is where the thick-skulled lot comes in. The entire lot of them, useless and unaffected, give news channels quotes such as, "This time, we will bring the guilty to book -- make no mistake about it." Oh, the same way we have booked, our friend Ajmal Kasab? Lovely, in that case! The state spends approximately 30 crores (~6.7 million USD) towards the safety and upkeep of the lone terrorist whom we managed to capture post the 3-day massacre in November 2008. He gets tandoori chicken and biryani when he so desires, he gets to watch his favourite movie occasionally, he declares his want for a bride, and yesterday he got the best birthday celebration of his life - fireworks and blasts at 3 nerve centres of the city of Mumbai. Arey wah, life ho to aise...


Thus it is no surprise then, that what ought to have been India's message to the budding generations of soon-to-be-terrorists (it is a career option nowadays and applications are accepted through the year), by capturing and consequently killing Ajmal Kasab that very instant is quite the reverse. We have taken care of the man, kept him alive longer than his original fate (he had set off on a"divine" suicide mission) and have given him more stability than he got in his home town (he came from an impoverished village called Faridkot in Pakistan). We ought to have said, "mess with our life and property and pay the price for it!" Instead, we have given birth to a fresh new batch of terrorists who know that they can plot and pull-off any kind of operation with ease in India and not even have to die at the end of it all!


What an inviting proposition no? 


Further, we suffer from the severe and blatant lack of accountability. It is a society governed by the sentiment of "We will see when it happens..." There is no fire in the belly of our politicians, other than the heartburn caused from excessive gutka and other such substances they consume. They haven't lost their place of business, their brother, their sister, nor have they been amputated, put into a coma or lost their lives. So how would they know?


More so, we live in the most technologically-savvy times, we are a nation producing global I.T geniuses, we are an information hub, and yet, we have the cheapest, most outdated intelligence machinery? We rely on foreign governments to give us tip-offs and instead of heeding to them, what do we do? Ignore. 
After all, ignorance is bliss........


I don't know what I'm supposed to feel at the moment. I'm sad, but not depressed. I'm angry, but not enough to do very much about it. Must I stay home and ponder about this terrible happening. Will it look bad if I continue with life as I knew it? Hmmm


On that note, i'll hastily end this out-pour.


Just about 15 hours ago, the blasts had taken place a few hundred meters from where I work. Has life and activity stopped here? Most certainly not. In fact, the pace has accelerated. What choice do we have? We have wounds to clean up and mouths to feed. Life must and will go on.

It isn't called a Back Up for nothing

Boo! was what we got, a Boo! Hoo! is what we did post our failed mission to Hakkasan a few nights ago...

6 die-hard Hakkasan fanatics set forth from town to make it for an 8pm reservation at the restaurant.
Arrived and seated, we had already discussed the menu and what we would order the entire car journey through and were in attack mode as soon as we got there.Based on feedback from our friends and families that had already been there, we knew what was exorbitantly expensive and could be skipped! Luckily it happened to be a dry day and we were spared from ordering alcoholic bevvies.
Post the rapid-fire ordering (unfortunately the crispy duck salad wasn't available), we begun to take in our current surroundings and just as we noticed the interesting lighting effect of water ripples created on the ceiling, we found ourselves enveloped in utter darkness.

A few moments of hasty scuffling and confused whispers later, a few attendants brought little tea light candles to our table along with the 2 appetisers we had asked for. (The vegetarian lettuce wrap was yum but I think Royal China still scores higher, and the Enokoi mushroom steamed dimsums were a bit strange and "besan" like). In any case, we greedily dug in despite the lack of light.

The 2 starters were over and still no light.Hmmmm, even the couple on the table on our right who up until then seemed to be enjoying their spontaneous candle-light dinner, looked a bit concerned. When we demanded the waiter attending to our table to give us an idea on when to expect the electricity to come back, he confidently said, "Ma'am there is a power cut everywhere, on this street, actually around the whole of Bombay!" Utter nonsense! The manager then came up and went from table to table explaining that the technicians were working on fixing the fault and would need some time. We felt a little bad and decided to wait it out just a little while longer......after all, we hadn't crossed borders after a 2 hour journey to suffer defeat so quickly.

Thirty minutes later, there seemed to be no light at the end of this tunnel (metaphorically and literally speaking!); so we marched out. As a matter of courtesy, we did ask for the bill, but a quick group-chat ealier, we had decided that there was no chance this experience warranted a bill.
When we go to the entrance, we say the entire street was brightly lit, as was the bank in the very same building. How come such a highly-acclaimed restaurant, newly opened hot-spot, not have an efficient backup generator?

Devastated and disappointed, we walked into the safest and closest bet - good ol' RC. (The logic being that we had already started with Asian fare!)

As standard as the meal there was, we all pondered on how fresh the food we had had, really was since it arrived within moments of our ordering it. Dim sums, sure they might be steaming in the kitchen and are then just placed into the baskets for serving....I'll even say OK to the pre-prepared sauces (oyster, black bean etc), which can just be mixed with the meat/fish. But to get the crispy aromatic duck in a blink of an eye is not ideal at all!

After we hoovered the food, along with the addictive chilly sauce, one of the girls decided that we just had to get a single portion of the crispy honey noodles so that was ordered. What came to the table was this.................

The portion was SO large that it made a perfect center piece on our soya-sauce stained table! it also made the perfect-ending to a completely ridiculous evening!

PENDING: Hakkasan Review!

of bits and baubles....

For all the girls who like original, interesting, bold jewellery pieces, I suggest a quick trip to Nitya Arora One can each her at +919819754148 or by email valliyanbynitya@hotmail.com to make an appointment.


Nity has been designing fashion jewellery for at least 5 years now, if my memory serves me correctly. After a year's program at Parson's, New York, she is back and with a bang launching her label at funky new Bandra store, Atosa....


I must say, Nitya herself, makes for the best brand ambassador for "Valliyan" (her label) and if you ever wonder how to combine her pieces with your fashion, look her way for style cues! Be assured that you are wearing a one-of-its kind fashion statement.


Anyway, I wont say too much...found a few pictures of her latest collection, et voila!

Delhi (under)Belly

Fresh....................is not the word I could use to describe my sentiments after watching Delhi Belly last night in a completely booked cinema, second week riding high. I should have taken a pair of ear-plugs to sound-proof myself against the wretched, noisy, loud and exaggerated toilet "sounds" that form almost a background bass beat to the entire movie. That grossness aside, I enjoyed the movie immensely.

I liberally give the movie a score of 4.5/5; with the highest rating going to the excellent script. The entire cast was fabulously well-cast and delivered on-screen. The only glaring irregularity I found was the horrendous, hole the 3 leading boys lived in. Even the poorest of our poor live in better maintained slums so it is highly unlikely that 3 highly educated, seemingly decent (although, Arup's back ground maybe questionable) boys live in a sub-standard, un-hygenic, disintegrating apartment. Given that this particular premises played a very pivotal role in the entire movie, I felt the lack of conviction that these 3 struggling professionals would ever choose this dump; no matter how grave their personal circumstance.

Vijay Raaz was terrifically styled and all the scenes with him, his goon like subs and Vladimir were tight. The detail of throwing in an English couple who find themselves in the thick of things was rather smart. It also threw light into the plight of unsuspecting travellers when they visite  India and when their trips go from the beautiful to the bizarre! Moving on to the 3 Female leads of the movie - Shehnaz, Poorna and Anusha - who held their own.

I knew Imran Khan could act and was a very competent actor, but to think him and the rest of the cast floated a movie speaking in English 95% of the time, I thought deserved a special mention. The best part all of them were so natutral and normal; unlike Ash and friends a la "Pride and Prejudice" who narrated their dialogues as though they were in a school elocution or diction class.

Interspersed with timely, witty tracks, the movie made a quick watch. The pace was good, the script was excellent, performances were original and the ending was just superlative and I'm not referring to the Poorna-Imran snogathon, I'm referring to the brilliant end-credits track. It was so utterly brilliant because of Aamir's "surprise" performance and his glorious chest hair! I left the movie dancing to the beats of i hate you (like  I love you) feeling absolutely jhakaas!

If you havent watched it yet, I say Bhaag bhaag DK Bose, DK Bose ;)

Half a year down: Is your cup half full or half empty?

Well, this cutie-pie sure has his cup half full - Atta boy!

So for all the half-empty cup holders, let's learn a trick or two from his drinking style...

But seriously, can any one help me track how this year has just whizzed by in a flash? I remember the new year day with crystal-clarity (pun intended: I froze my bones dry and got my obliging mother to tag along for the ice-ride in Paris last winter and we ushered in the new-years with frost bites, stuck in a far-away garden with no cabs to take us back into the city! Brrr...)

Technically, a lot has happened in these dizzying past 6 months -but if I take a moment to recall this time, I literally draw a blank. We live in a world which is moving so very fast that I am afraid we are quickly failing to savour special moments in life. Or let me put it this way, we live in an enhanced world; a world that each of us knowingly or un-knowingly draws a lot from. Not only are we expected to perform but we expect to get a lot from the world too. Thus raising the average standards we set for ourselves and those around us. In this nutty equation of improving our lives (or so we say), I feel we are losing out on many simple basics. Basics - such as family, health, the arts, the outdoors, a nice cup of tea, an evening stroll....All of these simple acts have to be enhanced. For example,nowadays, we don't just go to a concert, we go to a stage-performance. The show is rated by the outfits, the makeup, the dance, the lighting effects and various other elements of the super-natural. Least attention is paid to the actual singing or musical talent of the performers!  

2011 was supposed to be a great year for every one in general. As opposed to 2010; which was marked by "predicted" disasters, 2011 was/is supposed to be a relatively trouble-free year. But in these few months, history has been created and destroyed in so many significant places all over the world. From the ongoing Libyan crisis, the Egyptian uprising, the alleged murder of Osama Bin Laden, The Japanese tsunami and nuclear crisis, the Royal wedding, the iPad revolution,the election of the first female Thai President....one could go on and on. Every morning we awake to a barrage of terrible news and a heavier barrage of "vital information" that our minds ought to remember for a host of reasons (to have conversation, to make smart jokes, to remain relevant, and most importantly, to manipulate to one's own personal advantage). 

For most of us, all this goes into one ear and comes out of the other, for some - a little gets processed and for the least, some information is retained. 

So in all this keeping up, we are keeping out precious memories that no iPhone, blackberry, youtube or facebook can preserve. At the end of the day, only that remains which is retained. 

So my wish for myself for the following 6 months is to rewind and reflect...I am going to plug myself in to the charging socket before the batteries die out.  

Lust worthy

Polaroid Instant Mobile Printer - Polaroid Grey Label™

For some one ridiculously nostalgic, this is the best gift ever (Hint! Hint!) >> I absolutely love photo booths and the polariod camera. Check out the spiffy model, launched this June.

Unfortunately, Polaroid isn't officially available in India and might be a pain sourcing the film which is not only expensive, but comes with an expiry period - killing the thought of bulk-purchase.

Boo! Well, I'm not going to let that very important detail get int he way of getting my hands on one of these.........

I'm sure my good friends at Red Light and Polly can help me sort out the film crisis.

If any one has any ideas on how to get the camera and the film - share!

xx