tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155861952024-03-05T01:09:22.056-08:00my missing shoeI would like to call this as my virtual- doodling pad! A sneek- peek into what I like, do, think, create and am! (not in any order!) It will keep getting updated as and when I stumble upon somthing utterly creative that I feel like sharing; or a simple good- ole mind block- Whichever comes first!Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-961004979671628532012-03-18T23:54:00.001-07:002012-03-18T23:54:25.235-07:00So when was the last time you visited a Tea Factory?!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, when was the last time you visited a Tea Factory?!<br />
:-)<br />
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Recently I went to a Tea Factory which was also promoted as "Tea Museum" during my trip to Ooty. A museum that is dedicated to Tea with a capital T if I may. If you have been to Nilgiris you wont be surprised with this, as Tea is indeed such an intrinsic part of the people, livelihood, culture and history there.<br />
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This museum/ factory in question sits admist enchanting scenic beauty on on the way to the the highest cliff within Ooty called Doddabekal- the sunset view from where will be so break taking that all your hushing and pushing to reach up there will seem like a neat bargain.<br />
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Well, actually this 'museum" is more of an old over run tea 'factory' that has undergone a desperate overhauling and turned into a popular 'tourist spot' by the government for obvious reasons. There are a passages built around the even currently functioning factory for tourists to walk around, elbow each other, take pictures or plain stand in someone's way! You can take a stroll around and actually witness the different stages of Tea production all happening live right here.<br />
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The trip starts with a series of huge pictorial boards that gives you many fascinating facts about Tea. Did you know that India is the largest producer AND consumer of Tea in the world? Did you know Tea was brought to the Nilgiris by the British in the 1800s? Did you know a number of factories were built around the time to expand and commercialize the Tea production in the area by the great lords?<br />
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Neither did I. Or atleast hadn't given enough thought.<br />
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A large variety of tea is available all over the local market in Ooty ranging in price, quality, flavour, fancy packaging, authenticity and what have you. A great treat for a true Tea Connoisseur for sure.<br />
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The freshly plucked leaves go through huge conveyor belts and reach a a grinder. The leaves are shredded and made into finer pieces there.<br />
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The shredded leaves are passed further through the rolling belts to dried and grounded..<br />
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The leaves leaves goes though a hot air drier, which wit further remove all the mositure..<br />
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The shredded, dried leaves then pass though the final stage where the final addition of flavour is done.<br />
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Last but not the least, the leaves are then passed through a sieve to segregate different qualities<br />
of the leaves.<br />
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Th leaves are collected separately according to the grain size to be packaged accordingly.<br />
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Now here is the best part of the trip.<br />
At the end of the little excursion, everyone is given a hot cup of tea to sample. Now inst that sweet?! Different varieties of tea is available for one to take home too.<br />
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Do try to drop by if you happen to be in that area and want a nice cup of hot tea!</div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-84613225642812646182012-01-21T00:43:00.000-08:002012-01-21T01:39:49.702-08:00Dumped and how!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The idea was first proposed by my husband, and it was met with a very strong protest. My argument was that the idea is great, noble and all that. But nope. It aint gonna happen in OUR house. Hmph!<br />
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Ok ok..<br />
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I'll start from the beginning!<br />
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We (me and my husband) often have pondered over the waste that gets produced in a household each day. Waste- that ranges from vegetable peels, broken glass, plastic, paper, left over food and what not. Usually we dump it all in one place. It gets picked up and further gets dumped all together in one bigger place again.. And so on and on.. What will be the state of 'that place' a few years from now? A perfect cocktail of the toxic and the organic that will float around for a while and then get into the eco system- and the eventually emerge back out of our taps, our nostrils, food etc.<br />
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That's not good is it? What do we do then?<br />
<a href="http://www.dailydump.org/" target="_blank">Daily Dump</a>, a revolutionary project that was initiated by Poonam Bir Kasturi, in Bangalore had the answer! She is an NID graduate btw.Trust the NIDians to come up with such remarkable ideas! :-).<br />
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The idea was simple- sort the waste intelligently. "Use" the organic waste and help it break down to become a nutritious manure or compost, that can go back to the earth to enrich it instead of it becoming a congealed mass of plastic and paper, mixed with Sambar and vegetables, garnished with glass!!<br />
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<b>Daily Dump</b>, offers very practical and simple solutions to the problem of waste management. They have devised a variety of products to enable people to compost right at home, garden, terrace or balconies. Have a look <a href="http://www.dailydump.org/products" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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When my husband proposed to get such a composter going in our house, I had my doubts and plenty of that too. Staying in an apartment on the 1st floor, I was not sure if having a "smelly", "gooey", "maggots infested", "germs" haven was such a good idea! But much against by protests and shooting down all my "practical" arguments, he went right ahead and bought one home! No. TWO home!<br />
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I must say, that I had to (gladly) eat my own words, as all my doubts and fears fell flat!! The apparatus is rather easy to maintain. There is no smell, maggots and the like.Well, so far at least!<br />
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For starters, you have to start chucking the bio-degradable and non bio- degradable waste separately. Then deposit the bio-degradable waste it into the <i>'khamba'</i> (thats the name of the model we bought!) The<i> khamba </i>essentially is unit of 3 earthen pots stacked one top of the other. It has tiny holes on the surface and also had a lid.<br />
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First the waste has to be put into the topmost/ 1st pot. When that pot gets full, you have interchange it with the 2nd pot. When that also, gets full, you have to dump the 1st pot contents (which would already be half way with the disintegration process) into the third pot, and start using it to fill the waste now. That is pretty much the cycle. People from Daily Dump can also come for a demo, and also for "service" upon request. Here is what the khamba looks like.<br />
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Of course, there are you few things that you have to be careful with, but nothing that you will need to call a Fire Brigade for! It can easily be done by anybody.<br />
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I think the product is very well designed, well networked and most importantly, the company and the people behind it have their heart in the right place. All we need to do is give it a try. Do visit their web site:- <a href="http://dailydump.org/">http://dailydump.org/</a>. This mall step will definitely go a long long way.<br />
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<b>I have to do something about the smirk on my husband's face!!!! ;-)</b><br />
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<br /></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-36347925613634532162011-12-04T22:29:00.001-08:002011-12-05T21:12:44.469-08:00Spotted<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Oh! How I love vintage anything!<br />
Check out the new Lee window at Phoenix mall.<br />
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Wish I could have them when they discarded it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXTG9KDYT0zXa5dkc-TUjgzFBT5rwGeG1gkU3nbx9hMzxsDef9qF8OH5Vx0pcKyoX0ldQbSe-l6_9gA2c89P3-DNa6UmyL3O56kmxfJIHSkjJl5Aflqw7-sHzZWX-Sjz8DARn_A/s1600/lee2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXTG9KDYT0zXa5dkc-TUjgzFBT5rwGeG1gkU3nbx9hMzxsDef9qF8OH5Vx0pcKyoX0ldQbSe-l6_9gA2c89P3-DNa6UmyL3O56kmxfJIHSkjJl5Aflqw7-sHzZWX-Sjz8DARn_A/s400/lee2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-70351935464177048462011-12-04T05:22:00.001-08:002011-12-05T21:08:36.627-08:00Bottle art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I have grown up!<br />
Gone are the aerated drinks (<a href="http://mymissingshoe.blogspot.com/2011/05/coke-king.html" target="_blank">Coke</a>) days. Im into hard hard liquor now!!<br />
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<i>Hic</i>! No! Im talking about some more bottle art! Have a look and let me know what you think...<br />
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First, an attempt at some Indian kitsch stuff. How about Lalita? :-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnr5l7QJNciDMGRUf-2nS3f6n6ykCnXbYzsb1sm2POaGO3mcmspfTTN83w7aU0pYTzLhS7kVx93yEIO2uWjwJyi0IRJ0-5X71x3ojHF55YiRjcgh8Cqa8Sr7NHeXgjmAdMTp67vg/s1600/DSCN9687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnr5l7QJNciDMGRUf-2nS3f6n6ykCnXbYzsb1sm2POaGO3mcmspfTTN83w7aU0pYTzLhS7kVx93yEIO2uWjwJyi0IRJ0-5X71x3ojHF55YiRjcgh8Cqa8Sr7NHeXgjmAdMTp67vg/s640/DSCN9687.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Lalita</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdjnrPGumCjcILXAOqkAF4jU2k2VL8e7QqnKVV6FZKoC80vGxKAyD8rmpLRvqqowbh9RyyeX3loQufAo8C9gnI2dNI0QvgCo7SQszlDO164BjEGV76oiqDxCReNniM-PEsHORqQ/s1600/DSCN9685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdjnrPGumCjcILXAOqkAF4jU2k2VL8e7QqnKVV6FZKoC80vGxKAyD8rmpLRvqqowbh9RyyeX3loQufAo8C9gnI2dNI0QvgCo7SQszlDO164BjEGV76oiqDxCReNniM-PEsHORqQ/s640/DSCN9685.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Prayer flags.</div>
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Lalita :-)<br />
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Now for some decoupage with newspaper print over Teacher's bottle. </div>
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Les Fleurs.</div>
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Les Miserables.</div>
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Leaves.</div>
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And finally, here is the line up! :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpsmJbw_o2n_gNc-VXhW3kUf9NDFUGpxZOo2ha2BgVmu2FoUAPwAMFapa0mTJ6mTCBGvIcWhyVupFYzyZfBfKnaNjQOopEq0p3YH0aBuuTas5cAfGPn8sXqcZU0TgHtiynbUedQ/s1600/DSCN9700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpsmJbw_o2n_gNc-VXhW3kUf9NDFUGpxZOo2ha2BgVmu2FoUAPwAMFapa0mTJ6mTCBGvIcWhyVupFYzyZfBfKnaNjQOopEq0p3YH0aBuuTas5cAfGPn8sXqcZU0TgHtiynbUedQ/s640/DSCN9700.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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</div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-89974024207577411752011-11-20T20:08:00.001-08:002011-12-04T20:29:22.551-08:00Tree house<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I dont know who this house belongs to. But look at it! There is a TREE growing<i> through </i>it! When building the house, instead of taking the tree down, to suit one's convenience, the owners accommodated the tree and built <i>around</i> the tree. Incredible! Really respect that!</div>
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Have a look..</div>
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P.S:- Sorry to the owners for snooping around! :-P</div>
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Do you see the tree going through and through the ceiling?!</div>
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Not to miss, the house has 2floors+ terrace!</div>
<span id="goog_1800263597"></span><span id="goog_1800263598"></span></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-24490137613727465652011-11-17T20:13:00.001-08:002011-11-17T20:37:12.133-08:00Vintage Masala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back into action after a long time!<br />
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This time, I am back with a project of <i>vintage-fying </i>a few spice containers in my kitchen. The steel containers already growing old, dirty and boring needed some desperate overhauling (as you will see below)!<br />
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On a different note, I think <a href="http://justsomethingimade.com/">Cathe Holden</a> is god!<br />
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While I was at it, I attempted a few more...<br />
It doesn't quite make sense to label transparent bottles, but.. what the hell!<br />
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And finally, here is now the babies look inside tucked inside the cabinet. :-)<br />
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<br /></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-39289577879751104082011-08-04T23:55:00.001-07:002011-11-17T22:41:21.027-08:00Reads<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/books/8172238649?pid=yv23ftm9lb&_l=CJHVEqJO3veuHytbACc9dw--&_r=K_oRhQJOoP7vceccsdiC3w--&ref=8c783274-5c5d-49a2-81d0-b33f909982fe">Mother Pious Lady</a> </b><i>by Santhosh Desai is a FANTASTIC read! Its so warm, true and funny. And you cant help smiling and enjoying through each page of the book. It is about the Great Indian middle class's quirkiness, habits, lifestyle, values and sensibilities. Well observed and very well written</i>.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Lolita-Tehran-Memoir-Books/dp/0812979303/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321597948&sr=1-1-fkmr0">Reading Lolita in Trehan</a></b>. <i>This one by by Azar Nafisi. It is a little intense, depressing and goes on and on. It is how a bunch of girls and their professor take to English novels group- reading set in a very orthodox and strict Islamic backdrop. It goes on and on is what I can say</i>!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maps-Lost-Lovers-Nadeem-Aslam/dp/1400076978/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321598072&sr=1-1">Maps for lost lovers</a> </b><i>by Nadeem Aslam was about very on sensitive issue or an incident that happened amongst a small Paksitani community in England. Talking about the mysterious death of a young couple as well as the immigrant's feelings as they adapt from staunch Islamic ideals to a life in a progressive county, makes one relate to each character in the book easily.</i><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/books/0316126594?pid=qtw3fhllxd&_l=GOondWnomHOpT1nYHiHhRg--&_r=Ob6U6q6508_gIYllrmAkng--&ref=9c0c67b6-68fd-4b30-aa8f-1107e0d99504">The swan Thieves</a> </b><i>by Elizebeth Korsova is a very intriguing mystery about how a psychiatric builds together a case of a painter who is disillusioned and tried to attack a famous painting in a museum. It was not like edge of the chair kind of mystery, but yeah it was interesting.</i><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/books/014310425x?pid=xow3fkjt4b&_l=CJHVEqJO3veuHytbACc9dw--&_r=oBKf74JnJVyrhq18I2E7ug--&ref=b2d1f99c-0420-45b9-abc4-11debfcce3fe">Jaya</a><i> </i></b><i>by Dendutt Patnaik. Oh! How I loved this book! I think every Indian at last every hindu should read this one. It retells the story of Mahabharata in a completely broken down, simple, methodical, condensed fashion complete with diagrams and flow charts! I actually ended up taking notes in my diary for quick reference.Super!</i><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Zadie-Smith/dp/0143037749/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321598254&sr=1-1">On Beauty</a> </b><i>by Zadie Smith, was another of the feel good book I read. It was about family of a mixed race couple- A white English husband and his African wife.Good.</i><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/books/0143099701?pid=xow3f50p4b&_l=CJHVEqJO3veuHytbACc9dw--&_r=4hxfEjmdHcUfQ%20FJCgdlWg--&ref=421a0ed3-616d-4d4a-9876-2bec9f05410b">Myth= Mithya</a> </b><i>another by Devdutt Patnaik. After Jaya, I realized this subject comes very naturally to the author. This book also explores the a few of the 200 billion different Indian gods, devas asuras, rishes, their stories, why thy did what they did and what resulted of that etc etc! :-P Interesting but tiring!.</i><br />
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<br /></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-26220414545630635212011-05-25T04:58:00.000-07:002011-05-25T04:58:08.764-07:00Random<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixvCoKtaUnn4ZM-04WzwTInD160-f_1mx3BaJT67TPGtQNzc2J2YuRgpOLBSMN2wZ-mkFDIA0OeYfoMXJzkOqU_sBUcm2QT1d8dsWB9murrm9AXIsqCDaAtbSzHGP1P5KpEEmTQ/s1600/DSCN7927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixvCoKtaUnn4ZM-04WzwTInD160-f_1mx3BaJT67TPGtQNzc2J2YuRgpOLBSMN2wZ-mkFDIA0OeYfoMXJzkOqU_sBUcm2QT1d8dsWB9murrm9AXIsqCDaAtbSzHGP1P5KpEEmTQ/s320/DSCN7927.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Never Ever!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8DLu2i_F5nqVwer7L_q9azoI9ZdlKYpbmm8K0lgYM5rLjKw4JGxMGrkqOdUT-vU4NJhtpUYXxpZ8o6RuPdZa2eXcqoRyNUmT-8xWNy2rZvh4_nhcrL8bVyS4IHYE1VJUBemauA/s1600/DSCN8002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8DLu2i_F5nqVwer7L_q9azoI9ZdlKYpbmm8K0lgYM5rLjKw4JGxMGrkqOdUT-vU4NJhtpUYXxpZ8o6RuPdZa2eXcqoRyNUmT-8xWNy2rZvh4_nhcrL8bVyS4IHYE1VJUBemauA/s320/DSCN8002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Something wrong with the "E" here.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQdmQ8teOdjh04Naq1o6xR2BiKJkwm6WuV54BoYbYTARzRtARi6QWY4w1VgrS2BzD4Caz0HdbLSARjzlZjuUPfjRRg68F2gYszrBLr0lPchrigSxycINawY9YxnXKp3lej4SuBw/s1600/DSCN7636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQdmQ8teOdjh04Naq1o6xR2BiKJkwm6WuV54BoYbYTARzRtARi6QWY4w1VgrS2BzD4Caz0HdbLSARjzlZjuUPfjRRg68F2gYszrBLr0lPchrigSxycINawY9YxnXKp3lej4SuBw/s320/DSCN7636.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hotel Prem Pavitr anyone?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ebfWzOOGKkxleEtvXEdNDUM4ENDo2HrbBIni4cQW77cr19WGI7zpyFI8C_YPIK9gZwtUym_lT-LkR6dan_m23Ft0GEKQjuXWAVVQKZwLDn2mReyP92m2Et6G_68X0H6cipfwog/s1600/DSCN7694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ebfWzOOGKkxleEtvXEdNDUM4ENDo2HrbBIni4cQW77cr19WGI7zpyFI8C_YPIK9gZwtUym_lT-LkR6dan_m23Ft0GEKQjuXWAVVQKZwLDn2mReyP92m2Et6G_68X0H6cipfwog/s320/DSCN7694.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Towering Eles! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogn5RXzpbwjNEThvUwB2y_tVdLkAN0H1L9DpqKEk2btlVPBGcX_pCwwqrvYgB-XOMaBK17oAtzK81K80QL49sNfqFciWVvHLVljLU96jCvIo3DOykeJqbUn83ie4Um3lI_TJDrw/s1600/DSCN7133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogn5RXzpbwjNEThvUwB2y_tVdLkAN0H1L9DpqKEk2btlVPBGcX_pCwwqrvYgB-XOMaBK17oAtzK81K80QL49sNfqFciWVvHLVljLU96jCvIo3DOykeJqbUn83ie4Um3lI_TJDrw/s320/DSCN7133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dr. Ambedkar's head in Buddha's lap! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiJfgnjOVorjKtUMlfiANsIhuP3DIu7RZCEZUOjuSUUF54BxYTkr60HiHi4rCb_cyw9RAhl_G0PGX-uEIoT0aosAOokIET9Qmv0OLrRje7S6Ir5ArGpuhkCJvNWwkiUYt69QggA/s1600/DSCN8424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiJfgnjOVorjKtUMlfiANsIhuP3DIu7RZCEZUOjuSUUF54BxYTkr60HiHi4rCb_cyw9RAhl_G0PGX-uEIoT0aosAOokIET9Qmv0OLrRje7S6Ir5ArGpuhkCJvNWwkiUYt69QggA/s400/DSCN8424.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I dont know what it means but I'm sure its something important!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLRhBdX6wOzEPgUcSurz7ixU0vCIbjyslAkiVxoc3502c__YeyhTc1R6ddRLK3vlgHCHwmUoRb-2hHn9ISuTK2HSs0TC5s6-XEpDPjXqgtEQ8lIvrg0u-q213EIfKPX0XfqCcCQ/s1600/DSCN8103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLRhBdX6wOzEPgUcSurz7ixU0vCIbjyslAkiVxoc3502c__YeyhTc1R6ddRLK3vlgHCHwmUoRb-2hHn9ISuTK2HSs0TC5s6-XEpDPjXqgtEQ8lIvrg0u-q213EIfKPX0XfqCcCQ/s320/DSCN8103.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Counselling anyone? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-55133100914794466142011-05-25T04:56:00.000-07:002011-05-25T04:56:46.973-07:00Reads<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ok! So I have been away from posting anything for sometime.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">First, a quick round up of what I have been reading (no details or pics of books this time!):-</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Indian-Novel-Shashi-Tharoor/dp/1559701943">Great Indian Novel</a><i> </i>:-<i>Ahh! How I love Shashi Tharoor! Despite questioning his taste in general and womenkind in particular, I simply love what and the way he writes! 'Great Indian Novel' is simply a must- read.</i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i></i> <a href="http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/eatpraylove.htm">Eat Pray Love</a> :-<i>What can I say?</i> <i>I shouldn't have bothered and just seen the movie instead! Read it if you really want to but please the book borrow or something.. and like- definitely not pay for it. Please!!</i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dork-Incredible-Adventures-Einstein-Varghese/dp/0143067117/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299136654&sr=1-5">Dork</a>:- <i>I had stumbled upon a blog- <a href="http://www.whatay.com/">Domain Maximus</a> and found it rather quiet funny. The same author had written 'Dork' and I thought it would be a great read too. Sigh.. only if life was that simple and predictable!</i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://samitbasu.com/books/the-simoqin-prophecies/">The Simoqin Prophecies</a><i> </i>:- <i>I finally caught hold of this and kicked myself for not having done it earlier! Samit Basu writes like no other ever<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i> has</i></span>. The book is 4 dimensional. It picks you up, spins you around and turns ya inside out. The visuals in front of your eyes zip past so furiously fast, that you'd be skeptical of your otherwise real surroundings! </i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://samitbasu.com/books/the-manticores-secret/">The Manticores Secret</a>:- <i>This is a sequel to 'The Simoquin Prophecies' and the author promises you a bigger treat this time right from the word go. You cannot keep it down easily. Thats the least and the best I can say about this.</i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Remains_of_the_Day">The Remains of the Day</a>:- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i>A Booker Prize Winner of 1989. Written by Kazuo Ishiguro. It was a very light, feel- good, warm kinda novel. The kind that one can never say anything bad about!</i></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/freakonomics-steven-levitt-stephen-dubner-book-0141019018" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">Freakonomics</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">:- </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Read it if you.. how should I put it..are like my husband?! It </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">oscillates between being</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"> intriguing to a little boring to li</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">ttle interesting to being </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">completely</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"> off- tangent! Atleast thats how I can best put my experience</span></span></span></span></i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/blink-power-thinking-without-malcolm-book-0141014598">Blink</a>:- <i>Again, a gift from my husband. If you are not the self- help book kind of a person, you may skip this one too.</i></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryx_and_Crake" style="font-family: inherit;">O</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryx_and_Crake">ryx and Crake</a>:<i>-</i> <i>OH- MY- GOD! Margaret Atwood is a magician. No. A wizard! No wait. God! I think this is the best book I have ever read in my life! (Take that with a pinch of salt!) You have to experience this one to understand what creative writing can be</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/b/books/namesake-jhumpa-lahiri-book-0007258917?_l=CJHVEqJO3veuHytbACc9dw--&_r=3GeJojhcDIS2eB0NcoZ0yA--&ref=4bcfb368-376b-42b6-aa7e-a49a6d4a8159">Namesake</a>:- <i>If you want to let out a deep sigh, curl up and feel happiness then this Jhumpa Lahiri classic can be one of the options!</i></span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br />
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</ul></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-78508533610516749642011-05-24T05:08:00.000-07:002011-11-17T22:42:49.031-08:00Coke- King<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Don't you just love the shape of a Coke bottle?! What can be more basic, classic, well designed and ergonomic than the shape of the good ole Coke bottle?<br />
Dont believe me? Ask Calvin!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PCQc7Q-j1qFkVvUIcjyOs6bfdPBIsoPVJ9-QcZmyuYWGA2LD3QKGBl9KsLT6drlywd7NbEVeRXO7DGRSfep6MUpMUqTwHjpP6ippJohxnKisBKJ-Jorv_51ZZe1Y8PNWDpHAZg/s1600/f8a3b3705e07012ee3bf00163e41dd5b.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PCQc7Q-j1qFkVvUIcjyOs6bfdPBIsoPVJ9-QcZmyuYWGA2LD3QKGBl9KsLT6drlywd7NbEVeRXO7DGRSfep6MUpMUqTwHjpP6ippJohxnKisBKJ-Jorv_51ZZe1Y8PNWDpHAZg/s400/f8a3b3705e07012ee3bf00163e41dd5b.gif" width="400" /></a><br />
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Anyway! So I took up painting <i>on </i>these<i> </i>bottles in question. Besides being easily accessible, what I loved about it was it's characteristic of identifiability and of course it's generic shape!<br />
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A Coke bottle remains a Coke bottle no matter what you do with it!<br />
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Leaves</div>
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Can you spot the overlapping fishes?</div>
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This one says "Coke- King"!</div>
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On one of my more daring days I even attempted this!</div>
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A Chinesy filigree!</div>
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Last but not the least, my personal favorite. A Pipli Coke bottle!</div>
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And this is how these new additions look sitting over my book shelf! :-)<br />
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<br /></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-84463665294929480982010-09-28T22:02:00.000-07:002010-09-29T05:49:42.639-07:00BonsaiThere is something that is not quite right about about Bonsai I tell you! You could be looking at a splendid 100 years old Banyan tree, that has aged gracefully looking all so majestic and wise, but for the small problem that it is only 1 feet tall!<br />
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Now I understand that, Bonsai is an art form that only the passionate, the patient, the true nurturer can even dream of creating. But looking at a Bonsai has always made me feel a little queasy in the stomach! To put it simply, it looks like an evil scientist's lab experiment! I mean isn't one altering and twisting a <i>living thing</i>'s physical and natural make up for one's selfish amusement for the sake of art after all?<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">This week, </span>Chitrakala Parishad </i>in Bangalore<i> </i>is holding a Bonsai exhibition. Must admit, my strong opinions about this artform, was slightly given a rest. I sincerely did appreciate the people who painstakingly and so lovingly must have nurtured these plants (or are they called trees?!) A lot of Bonsai- enthusiasts were seen appreciating and sharing notes and clicking pictures..just like me!<br />
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Here are some pictures that I clicked.<br />
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</div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-48471659832007911002010-09-28T21:09:00.000-07:002010-09-29T05:52:42.024-07:00Onam- reloadedI have written about my famiy's die hard , uncontain-able enthusiasm when it comes to unabashed display of <i>Mallu</i>-ness <a href="http://mymissingshoe.blogspot.com/2010/09/onam.html">here</a>. And when it comes to being the keepers/ promoters/ followers/ patrons of the traditions, culture, customs of the great Mal- land, we would proudly stand united more strongly than volunteers of Chipko movement could ever imagine.<br />
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This Sunday, was the the day of the much awaited communal- Onam celebration day. What does that mean? It means the Mallus from 1st block of, the 2nd lane of, the south- western part of Banaglore decided to get together and celebrate <i>Onam</i>. Again. So what if the real Onam has actually happened, celebrated, done and over with some two months ago?<br />
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Now, I have had a couple of close encounters and many narrow but successful escapes from being a part of this Onam- frenzy back in Delhi. But Bangalore (and marriage!) changed many things. When I am really saying- "You have to be kidding. Please count me out for heavens sake!", what actually comes out of my mouth is- "WOW! What will I wear? I cant wait!!!"<br />
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This year, (this is an annual affair of course, if you haven't figured out yet!) as usual everybody at home was super- excited. Besides the bad karaoke songs, zero- practice stage dance performances by kids , microphone screeches interrupted by inaudible speeches by the president (not of India duh!)- of the organization, bouquet handing to chief guest, prize distribution for 1)essay writing 2)recital 3) drawing 4) chess 5) voodoo doll making... was my family's favorite event!!!!!!!!! Any guesses?<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.co.in/images?hl=en&q=pookalam&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=677">POOKALAM!!!!</a><br />
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This could be my deja- vu, but the family got into plucking, sorting, cutting flowers the previous night of D-day. Again.<br />
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But of course this time it was different. This was for a <i>competition</i>. So obviously we were under more pressure than Sheila Dishit doing the finishing touches to the CWG preparations. We came up with a "design". We sketched. We debated. We re- sketched. We spread out newspapers on floor and made<i> life-size</i> design- "lest we made mistakes tomorrow!"<br />
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Finally, at the end of this grueling exercise and my husband's sinking patience level, we were ready with an <i>un-beatable </i>kick- ass design, a load of flowers and excitement.<br />
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Here is what we did:-<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For the uninitiated, this is yellow- bosomed saakshaat- Shakuntala devi</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">lying down waiting seductively with her aid- <i>Bambi </i>for Dushyanta<i>.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other contenders for the big prize were:-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieU0FfXg66Nw-bp5ATzu2s0IjglIBk22ZlkwCfmd9mx2KS_QZJApWkBlwONvxNwT-qhOzpI4EiVMqmAIcUCV7FWcL1VXFoE_jfV9iE6GA0pyczFS5OraORA8hoQg-RCd7mtpJitA/s1600/DSCN8172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieU0FfXg66Nw-bp5ATzu2s0IjglIBk22ZlkwCfmd9mx2KS_QZJApWkBlwONvxNwT-qhOzpI4EiVMqmAIcUCV7FWcL1VXFoE_jfV9iE6GA0pyczFS5OraORA8hoQg-RCd7mtpJitA/s320/DSCN8172.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzh2Yh1uIk6mcoBlPhFSbo2aFktCpngZHHypR_DoDEhZFn8-mlf4npl8e0D5AJxDMv9GhYzoL4HO-gI9UBP_G2ZoODcRCH-RR-Nr2-Z1kPdR5TXE5muNZ30itLZzBg2HdtmbIFg/s1600/DSCN8173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzh2Yh1uIk6mcoBlPhFSbo2aFktCpngZHHypR_DoDEhZFn8-mlf4npl8e0D5AJxDMv9GhYzoL4HO-gI9UBP_G2ZoODcRCH-RR-Nr2-Z1kPdR5TXE5muNZ30itLZzBg2HdtmbIFg/s320/DSCN8173.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzoDTBGdqYL368XF14nF-M90dN_boGqoPcmsTcPy28ThWxiyoYZR-NvHOn_7l1tauaH3xtG3kgl0JMwJJQ31zzuSxIyZgyCrx14GDh4AV4SSmeerTkhVUqDiSdcFlmmTZL3zj7w/s1600/DSCN8174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzoDTBGdqYL368XF14nF-M90dN_boGqoPcmsTcPy28ThWxiyoYZR-NvHOn_7l1tauaH3xtG3kgl0JMwJJQ31zzuSxIyZgyCrx14GDh4AV4SSmeerTkhVUqDiSdcFlmmTZL3zj7w/s320/DSCN8174.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9wuQr1LJnLA1RxFkDrjAsJOzdtdwP_Gsq6arg5k1gRliLNoR5Eqfg72jne6A6h4dEYY4ZDe9NkG0tzNRujdzbwOHZvHUA-2hk8aAX15zp9kl3nqWFbxDioklszliZ4zsPsYUbA/s1600/DSCN8175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9wuQr1LJnLA1RxFkDrjAsJOzdtdwP_Gsq6arg5k1gRliLNoR5Eqfg72jne6A6h4dEYY4ZDe9NkG0tzNRujdzbwOHZvHUA-2hk8aAX15zp9kl3nqWFbxDioklszliZ4zsPsYUbA/s320/DSCN8175.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You might want to know if we won the prize.. Well, we DIDN'T! :-(</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The judges clearly thought our <i>kick- ass</i> Shakuntala was no match to the fantastically symmetric, innovative, and neatly put floral designs made by others... sigh!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-44215879681639452052010-09-14T21:43:00.000-07:002010-09-29T00:56:33.368-07:00The girl who kicked the Hornet's nest.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_16BrDFlBipbx3A20FSk7YHJWuenV60jgWDFvl5obb-urakmaKhGX9nwlpZu_vKJ9spPy2vq8P9tQLjiO_voarcwNBnPApI5XtVsFVVWdx3n5lVEfYzlHYjkSq1_ABT3ZZlOEQ/s1600/the_girl_who_kicked_the_hornets_nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_16BrDFlBipbx3A20FSk7YHJWuenV60jgWDFvl5obb-urakmaKhGX9nwlpZu_vKJ9spPy2vq8P9tQLjiO_voarcwNBnPApI5XtVsFVVWdx3n5lVEfYzlHYjkSq1_ABT3ZZlOEQ/s400/the_girl_who_kicked_the_hornets_nest.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />
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Brrrr!<br />
I have no one to blame why I bought this book, but myself! Shelling 350/- at Crosswords can be a good motivation for not dropping the book mid- way!<br />
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Firstly, the book is a sequel to "The girl who played with Fire". These series are translation from Swedish 'best seller', 'millenium trology'. It is supposed to be a investigative- thriller. But the basic plot and the bulid-up in itself lacked any mettle or any amount of suspense and thrill you expect from a 800 page book.<br />
It is not that the book lacked any fizz at all, there were indeed more than a couple of occasions when you didnt want to keep the book down without knowing what happened next- I can think of the court scene and the part where Lizbeth gets trapped in a ruin- old house with her killer step brother for example.<br />
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I dont know why the author was so generous with details- like names of people and streets. Believe it or not, the first chapter itself covered names of about 25 characters and about 15 names of places/ streets- some of which by the way, did not surface again (at least significantly) in rest of the book! On top of that the names were Swedish! Names like <i>Nicander, Blomkvist, Zalanchenko, Tortensson, Ingemarsson, Niedermann, Bublanski, Mia Johansson, Bjurmann, Miriam Wu, </i>and names of places like<i> Goteberg, Lindome, Mosebacke, Trollhattam, Enskede, Nosserbro, Nykvarn, Sodertaje, Sahlgrenska hospital, Vasaplatsen and Svavelsjo Motorcycle club</i> gets a tad difficult to remember!!!!!!!!<br />
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Sometimes, you read a book, and think- I'd rather have seen the movie instead. And sometimes you see a movie and think- I'd rather have seen the movie when it came on TV instead. Well, this book was one such. Prrf!<br />
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.Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-40538098078750442332010-09-14T21:07:00.000-07:002010-09-14T21:52:51.276-07:00The Book Thief<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzBkAuOwe1xmQdBrI0yyVfjWq_vhxCuoPEWDL32JaciPBVOA88vy7Xy4S7V1QhpsLhQKt3uCx7XneM83JoPBWN0L32THZ5kt-wRiVZck0xX41JRD-FTOtPr77xo3p4XuMRZ_Ajw/s1600/Book-Cover-the-book-thief-by-markus-zusak-5681586-318-500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzBkAuOwe1xmQdBrI0yyVfjWq_vhxCuoPEWDL32JaciPBVOA88vy7Xy4S7V1QhpsLhQKt3uCx7XneM83JoPBWN0L32THZ5kt-wRiVZck0xX41JRD-FTOtPr77xo3p4XuMRZ_Ajw/s400/Book-Cover-the-book-thief-by-markus-zusak-5681586-318-500.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br />
First thing I want to tell you about this book, is that I cried! :'( ! It is not anything I am proud of, but I swear I did! Now, I am not a person who cries easily reading a book ("P.S. I love You" is not counted!), but this book got me feeling all low and boo- hoo senti!<br />
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The narrative is the most interesting part of the book. The story is told by none other than <i>Death!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
The book reminded me of "To kill a Mocking bird" for some reason. The protagonist is a young girl. You would completely relate to her innocence and her playful, light hearted, approach to life.You would be pleasantly surprised that your own child-like quality is not burried as deep inside as you had thought!<br />
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Set it Germany in the 1940s, a little girl Liesel Meminger lives with her adopted family, is an avid reader. She spends her simple life reading... <i>being read to </i>by her father (one of the most touching moments).. running errands for her mother.. playing, swimming and cycling with Rudy, her childhood best- buddy..<br />
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Not everything is sweet and happy though. In the back ground, are very disturbing and much more grave social realities like poverty, social discrimination, hiding of a Jew in the family's basement, Nazi concentration camps, bomb dropping over random towns etc. But all these is seen through the protagonist's point of view remember? The seriousness and the gory-ness is somewhat cushioned and you start thinking like the little girl, who's life is concerned only with her immediate surroundings.<br />
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I will not give away, what happens in the end (and what made me cry!). It is very touching and and will make you value relationships and the importance of expressing yourself at the right time- before it might get too late... sigh.. <br />
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.Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-79213405744062202882010-09-14T21:01:00.000-07:002010-09-14T21:01:28.515-07:00The Pregnant King<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">picked it up primarily because I was intrigued by its title, and must say I wasn't disappointed a bit! The plot is a fine blend of a completely fictional story &characters along with the famous characters from </span><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Mahabharata</span></span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(which again is debatable if it is fiction or not). The author almost crosses over the fine line of historically charged tales and characters that you have grown up believing and listening to from <i>Mahabharata</i>, and mixes it with a completely make- believe </span>new set of characters and plots, that it leaves you forgetting what is what and makes you absorb in the entire story as it is.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The story explores stereotypical "roles" each gender carries out to adhere to the society one lives in, and questions how the classification of being a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">male</span></span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">or a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">female</span></span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">gets altered or is affected when one assumes the role of a gender other than, that of</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">yours.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Dont ask how, but King Yuvanashva </span><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">gives birth</span></span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">to his son, but that makes him a father or mother?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After queen Shilavati's husband dies, she takes over and rules the kingdom justly and fairly and never lets her kingdom feel the absence of a true king for years. But does that mean she can be called a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">king</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Shikhandi once a woman, borrows a man's genitals from a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></i></span><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">yakhsa</span></span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">to prove to her newly wedded wife that</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">she</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">is a man. But what is Shikandi truly? A man or a woman?!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">There are many such bizarre twisted situations and plots that is thrown in between the length of the book, that is <i>supposed to</i> leave one thinking.. so what IS it that really makes up for one's gender-construction...(which, I dont think is very pleasant thing to do!) is it the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">physical</span></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">attributes, or is defined by the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">responbilities </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">ones plays out, or is it all "</span><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">in the mind</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">" after all.. :-p. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Whatever it is, frankly I dont think the book is supposed to be all thought- provoking or even is a story that you will want to remember and re- tell to your grand children one day!!!!!!!! </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Nevertheless, it is an interesting read and a book that I would say is a pleasure to own.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-85464928097970209202010-09-01T06:07:00.000-07:002010-09-14T21:53:18.489-07:00Onam<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Onam the <i>harvest festival</i> of Kerala, is celebrated to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">welcome<i> king Mahabali</i> who comes to pay us (by "us" I mean the Mallus strictly!) the annual visit from the deep dark under-ground (literally)! If you are REALLY looking for the tale, then follow this <a href="http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/Onam-Legends.htm">link</a>!</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Onam is synonymous with a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">lavish spread of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><i>sadhya</i>:- feast and<i> pookalam:- </i>the design made with flowers one makes in front of their house as a way to usher in Mahabali, prosperity, luck, wealth... Wait a minute.. that was Vishu! </span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Let us come back to Onam. :-P</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Well, growing up in the concrete jungles of Delhi, this ritualistic flower arrangement routine was conveniently skipped by my mom during Onams! Blame it on lack of as many flowers blooming in Delhi during that season, her 2 lazy kids, or simply the lack of time because I dont remember getting a holiday either from school, college or work on Onam-day.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Things changed, after I moved to Bangalore! At my husband's house, Onam is a serious affair and the flower- arrangement- tradition reaches whole different level </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">mind you</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">! A variety of f</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">lowers are <b>bought</b> from the whole sale market of Bangalore, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><i>pookalam</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"> is put for <b>ten days</b> in succession, the household is engaged/ employed/ coaxed/ blackmailed into plucking the petals of flowers, cleaning, sorting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">and <b>cutting </b>them further into smaller pieces for "finishing" and "neatness"!!! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">It </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">almost like the house is participating in some kind of a competition and Mahabali is personally visiting each ho</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">use with a notepad and pen in hand giving points for design, neatness, execution and X factor!</span></div><div><br />
These are few of the designs I managed to click (and participate in) over the last two years!<br />
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</div></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-13752381301513359592010-08-18T01:47:00.000-07:002010-08-18T21:20:44.908-07:00Lub- Lub- Lub<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">This post is exclusively dedicated to my my friend and my ex- colleague, Lavina M</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ahbubani.</span><br />
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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">"<i>Laugh</i>", "<i>Levitate</i>", "<i>Labbu</i>", "<i>Tommy</i>" or <i>"Labunanda Saraswati Swamini"</i> as she is fondly called, is an extremely talented young girl. She is utterly creative and is always spinning with ideas and is ever- enthusiastic to execute them! At any given point of time- she would always be found in the middle of painting, sketching, pasting, sewing or even nailing or sawing! </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">One of the many things she had done were these amazing series of hand painted canvas shoes.She managed to turn around the dead old boring looking <b>Bata</b> canvas school shoes into an absolutely funky, custom made and wacky fashion statement! Shoes that were based on themes ranging from Ed Hardy, graffiti, Monsters, Chocolate attack, Skulls, Auto rickshaws and what not- got into circulation not just amongst her colleagues and immediate friends circle- but also reached her friend's colleague's neighbor's cat's cousin too!!! You simply MUST check them out. She would gladly share it- and of course, extra cash never has hurt! ;-)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">You can catch more of her work here- </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.coroflot.com/lavina_rm" style="color: #0065cc;">www.coroflot.co<wbr></wbr>m/lavina_rm</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">But then, shoes are just one of the manyyy things she does. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Recently she was commissioned by <a href="http://www.lifestylestores.com/">Lifestyle</a> to do up the store's <i>wall </i>for their teen wear brand <b><a href="http://www.lifestylestores.com/exclusivebrands/ginger/ginger.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Ginger</span></a>. </b>Ginger- is a peppy, young, fashionable brand for young girls. For Lifestyle's latest store that opened in Chennai, she (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">and her accomplice) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">designed and actually hand painted the store's wall. You will have to visit Lifestyle- Chennai to see this in its full splendor! </span><br />
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</span></span></div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-14101816863541473342010-08-16T21:18:00.000-07:002010-08-16T21:18:54.115-07:00Twlight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>I could be damned for saying this- but I refuse(d) to read the sequel of the oh- so- popular <strong>Twilight </strong>series! Phew! I said it. :-P<br />
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I mean, had I been 16 years old, love sick, Bryan Adam's looping in my head, having a crush (geez! I haven't even used that word since a decade!) on my neighbours "cute" son, at the same time having romantic fantasies with my pink fluffy teddy bear... perhaps! Who know?! :-)<br />
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But given this day and age of CWG screw ups, Shashi Tharoor's raunchy wed lock, Julian Assange and Wikileaks it would definitely take way more than a college going, baseball playing, marble faced, <em>apparently</em> drop dead good looking, smoogy woogly vampire's love- story (seriously?!), to impress me. Add to that a "damsel in distress" angle!<br />
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I haven't watched the movie(s) yet. But from what I hear- the movie does full justice to the book, which I think is enough reason for me to steer clear from that too!.<br />
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.Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-85909847475974587852010-08-16T06:28:00.000-07:002010-09-14T21:53:36.468-07:00TattooGmail status msg is fun. It lets you leave a sort of "thought for the day" or should I say- "grevience <em>of</em> the day" for your pals to see and comment/ laugh/ sympathize/ ignore!<br />
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Anyway, one of these days my status msg read:-<br />
n e e t a<br />
[wants a haircut, hobbes tattoo, play a musical instrument (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACWdB7QX_F8) and a strong cup of morning tea... Not in any particular order!]<br />
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A little bit background-<br />
<ol><li>I need a <strong>haircut</strong>. I have been harping and cribbing about it for a while now. I just cant seem to find enough time but surely enough <em>excuses</em> to keep postpoing it!</li>
<li>I plan to get a <strong>tattoo </strong>of my idol- Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes) one day! Again, I keep talking about it all the time- but I have not been able to find the answer a few questions- the <em>where, </em>the <em>what</em> and the <em>why</em>?!!!</li>
<li>Being able to play a <strong>musical instrument</strong>, is something I always wanted to do. I did try my hand at violin for a year. But that was way back and way difficult! Since then, I have not been able to pick up a musical instrument more than an Ipod!</li>
<li><strong>Tea</strong>. A strong sweet cup of chai is the least you can ask for on a Monday morning!</li>
</ol>My colleague Sini, a real sweet heart read my status msg decided to give me a tattoo to cheer me up! Sini btw, sports some 3 (and counting) awesome tattoos herself!<br />
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Here is what she did!<br />
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What do you think? Cool, huh?!Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-70069446318033656002010-07-10T05:10:00.000-07:002010-08-16T21:20:55.929-07:00Posters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsxXJ5WKF9699Jh56P4_65LwFFFkEirefOR9XqNN9hRIXLyfo2WTyz7lZWATjMotUG-2IULH4Sk7TlZ3RV2qiAtKRD4u2vjzYVzMs7b5Xv6zQwRC-Xh47vywsezHJv3WyeASCAQ/s1600/DSCN5558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsxXJ5WKF9699Jh56P4_65LwFFFkEirefOR9XqNN9hRIXLyfo2WTyz7lZWATjMotUG-2IULH4Sk7TlZ3RV2qiAtKRD4u2vjzYVzMs7b5Xv6zQwRC-Xh47vywsezHJv3WyeASCAQ/s320/DSCN5558.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bangalore raided by political posters.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I would like to know, who is paying for all that Flex posters?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn7GiuQdUUhAFD-Vbe6nL1Dfl3tqIXl4tmL6KeqFPHQdt_2exSWc6Mjzpjlm9DWb5GqReFIoWPJfbsFRW7XuuxZ1ve95xDcdWlxZj79VZxlQdbklnmehzSBgb0KbmmAHOC1jqEA/s1600/DSCN5558+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn7GiuQdUUhAFD-Vbe6nL1Dfl3tqIXl4tmL6KeqFPHQdt_2exSWc6Mjzpjlm9DWb5GqReFIoWPJfbsFRW7XuuxZ1ve95xDcdWlxZj79VZxlQdbklnmehzSBgb0KbmmAHOC1jqEA/s400/DSCN5558+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">AR Rehman featuring on a political poster- holding the Oscars.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Hope AR knows about this!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0xkeG5hsKecoTN-lu1_i_DCEdqo7hJnjjHyNmYUhBt8UcMJtyi1WCNpKqMYCF0CrgpkBNlLwp-C_Dj8RVa4Lg71hkTDP3ggf_yAY7KhznhBHiYC8WITvnik-H0B5v9Ae23Ax-g/s1600/DSC00805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0xkeG5hsKecoTN-lu1_i_DCEdqo7hJnjjHyNmYUhBt8UcMJtyi1WCNpKqMYCF0CrgpkBNlLwp-C_Dj8RVa4Lg71hkTDP3ggf_yAY7KhznhBHiYC8WITvnik-H0B5v9Ae23Ax-g/s400/DSC00805.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZnSjPxdnkjJdsIz4jFf-QHkdfmnU5_KxNicoLtFrtKsAkqENnu4Q1RDkbqSNz1sGJ8fSlTSr9q3BvCMNhcxRfmIUgDGhMyvHl4BiPK9wZBrQsRBdw53D7LhNQEpNxQbD1Y54VA/s1600/DSC00806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZnSjPxdnkjJdsIz4jFf-QHkdfmnU5_KxNicoLtFrtKsAkqENnu4Q1RDkbqSNz1sGJ8fSlTSr9q3BvCMNhcxRfmIUgDGhMyvHl4BiPK9wZBrQsRBdw53D7LhNQEpNxQbD1Y54VA/s400/DSC00806.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Supriya Pig?</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYj8DHboqXzhSHq2YvMoqvyqQEF1bbilOr71dGZPrNQYZXI8WqGXLvxig1PaOB4jMdcAT6CKj-LlY1CLDfuSGkkWQttRIvHzu2Ikod2RhYbq7fGkMGhYmBaEEd9m6Z3neSoYyIQ/s1600/DSCN7107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYj8DHboqXzhSHq2YvMoqvyqQEF1bbilOr71dGZPrNQYZXI8WqGXLvxig1PaOB4jMdcAT6CKj-LlY1CLDfuSGkkWQttRIvHzu2Ikod2RhYbq7fGkMGhYmBaEEd9m6Z3neSoYyIQ/s320/DSCN7107.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Are those pigs or rats? Eeee!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aArGcGC7aNE_9JJ3kp7EIbuFWD8X_6hBn06C_G8zPr8WSyt5XA331WMTTPKRyv7laZIL1uWjiTqk6vEkFLjkbWv8-2HLMAy1CG6sUX5GHRKzeFA9B0GUL4J3d30T05P2dSFItQ/s1600/DSC03804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aArGcGC7aNE_9JJ3kp7EIbuFWD8X_6hBn06C_G8zPr8WSyt5XA331WMTTPKRyv7laZIL1uWjiTqk6vEkFLjkbWv8-2HLMAy1CG6sUX5GHRKzeFA9B0GUL4J3d30T05P2dSFItQ/s400/DSC03804.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Nisha and Sushant .</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMNMLylwp_ABIieUmMjGr_I_uc9_JKGUfo8mMZoOvwWmEnlbsvNrIjFKssHsan6-PdMgOYFgh88ymy5tLpyBb9tQ1JL47dyo_eyRx9iUtXHsUhveyaGcWdn9vGbjg7x31p0z0hQ/s1600/DSCN7838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMNMLylwp_ABIieUmMjGr_I_uc9_JKGUfo8mMZoOvwWmEnlbsvNrIjFKssHsan6-PdMgOYFgh88ymy5tLpyBb9tQ1JL47dyo_eyRx9iUtXHsUhveyaGcWdn9vGbjg7x31p0z0hQ/s320/DSCN7838.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Do not urine here!</div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-90981268579896396042010-07-09T23:54:00.000-07:002010-07-10T23:26:31.073-07:00Fun at workThe reason why I like my work place is that it has a certain buzz about it! I am lucky to be surrounded by fun, creative, funny, and like- minded people. Also, there is an in exhaustive source of input from all directions- unrestricted internet, books, magazines, random colors, fabrics, visuals, techniques and crazy ideas keep us bumming with more creative energy! Add to all that 3 jobless people itching to do something fun and this is what you get:-<br />
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<strong>Project</strong><br />
Making side tables for a colleague's new home. Brief- it has to cost <em>nothing!</em> <br />
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<strong>Lets get started</strong><br />
We had couple of cardboard boxes lying around. The cardboard box that is used for packaging formal shirts. We made a strong structure out of these boxes (a cube structure) using cellotapes.<br />
Then we lavishly wound brown packing tape to make it stronger and give it a textured finishing to the insides of the table.<br />
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Once that was in place. We cut up assorted colorful printed fabrics and placed them over the frame. And laminated that too to the frame- with regular transparent cellotape!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also scattered some colorful sequins while taping the whole thing. That way the sequins remained sandwiched and added glitter to the already kitch side tables!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is how it looked after it was completed. (Please ignore the mess in the background!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Yay! Side tables. Made out of junk at office!<br />
3 cheers to the girls!<br />
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<span style="color: #fff2cc;">.</span>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-48380547126368509372010-07-09T03:17:00.000-07:002010-07-09T03:17:08.356-07:00RainI am not too much of a morning person. I mean, I can wake up to catch a 6am flight to <em>without</em> an alarm clock if needed, but if given a choice well I dont mind being in the land of nod till late.<br />
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But put together Bangalore weather, lazy rainy morning, my beautiful lush green appartment, Nikon camera in my hand and I would behave like a lost parched traveller from Kahahari desert seeing rain for the first time.<br />
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</div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-68670282499640316332010-07-09T02:50:00.000-07:002010-07-10T23:32:45.895-07:00The Peacock Throne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60aco0dCpWETjL_i2Crkj6YsD8135Fdn0mNH13VcJUsZJHk3I7t6yl3XLF8El9dr-Qz69NrYyH7uviGa_6I1MQfo1kyX66sCWO1xEs3Mk9lBUz1xpPvQFLa9CKpLZpQCpRMU52w/s1600/imageservice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60aco0dCpWETjL_i2Crkj6YsD8135Fdn0mNH13VcJUsZJHk3I7t6yl3XLF8El9dr-Qz69NrYyH7uviGa_6I1MQfo1kyX66sCWO1xEs3Mk9lBUz1xpPvQFLa9CKpLZpQCpRMU52w/s200/imageservice.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>I am a true blue Delhi-ite. If you have had any remote association with Delhi, you either would be in love with it or simply loath it but you cannot stay indifferent towards it. And if you have any remote association with Delhi, you would know what exactly I mean!<br />
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I am not going to go on to why I love Delhi. I am not going to explain what makes my heart skip a beat when I see a DL registered car in Bangalore.. or why I would want to gloat everytime someone mentions Delhi flyovers and wide roads as if I built it personally!.. <br />
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Here, I am about to talk of the book I am reading- <strong>The Peacock Throne</strong>. It is quite an interesting, heart rendering read. The plot and the characters can be imaginative and yet are so real. It is primarily set in Old Delhi- the yester-year hub of today's capital dating back to the Mughals. <strong>Sujit Saraf</strong>, the author has beautifully caught the dynamics that play out in the streets of Chandni Chowk of Delhi. Chronologically starting from Indira Gandhi's assassination, the plot reels through different changes that happened to Delhi, its people, the surroundings and activities as a result of each significant milestone in history of Delhi. <br />
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What is striking about the book, is that the characters are so alive and real. I will not be surprised to actually find <em>Gopal Pandey,</em> the chaiwala- the typical poor, naive, complacent, unfortunate old guy in a tattered shirt with missing buttons and wearing translucent scratched spectacles ... to <em>Gauhar</em>, the once upon a time 'street child' who spent a few years in the care of an NGO and later misled, lives a life of a vagabond... <em>SohanLal, </em>your typical fat sethji running a saree shop in Chandni Chowk, sitting on his gaddi while indulging occasionally in local politics.. or even <em>Chitra</em> the convent educated feminist, who fresh out of college, starts out with high principles and ideals and passionately starts an NGO, but gradually slips away into being a sensation monging press reporter and gradually works her way up to be a chief editor. The characters are entwined together perfectly and come in a subtle yet strong association with each other to form this beautiful, REAL and believable backdrop. <br />
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We all know about important events in history like Indira Gandhi's assassination, Mandal commission, Babri masjid, Green Delhi drive, demolition of road encroachment etc. But we miss/ overlook the smaller details, the people, the feelings, the sufferings, the turn of events that emerged out of these bigger events that makes into recorded history.<br />
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I think, that is that essence - that of the human angle that the book has managed to capture. I will go the Rajeev Masand way and rate The Peacock Throne 6 1/2 out of 10!Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-37949284128038060932010-07-07T06:50:00.000-07:002010-07-07T08:55:57.306-07:00Do not try this at home. Again!Not Zen, but a simple stroll down your trusted neighborhood departmental store is all that takes to make one learn the fine balance between efficiency versus stupidity, hard work versus <em>smart work</em>, value of money versus careless splurging, respect for fellow human beings versus rolling your eyes at the aunty who wants to take her sweet time counting her Sodexho coupons at the cash counter.<br />
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On one side we have an array of peeled, shelled, cut, cleaned, cellophane wrapped, neatly labelled vegetables and meat.. processed, treated, attractively packaged frozen foods... ready-to-make mixes, powders, sauces.. what have you! ... And on the other is the old school way of doing things- washing, peeling, chopping, grinding... authentic, traditional and charming to taste buds and not to forget the <em>purse strings!</em><br />
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Well, me and my husband decided to take Zen into our hands! We thought- Hmph- this commercialization is making us all lazy, and at that too at a cost (literally). Why buy Ginger- Garlic paste in a bottle, when you can make pure unadulterated GG paste by the peeling and grinding yourself- and save money as well? <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So we go grocery shopping. We see a good ole- Smith and Jones and we say- prrff to you! We are going to make <strong>our own</strong> GG- paste- double the quantity and at half the price. B-)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
We brought the loot home like excited kids on an exhilarating secret project. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And started peeling.. and peeling.. and peeling. Did I mention peeling? And oh ya- peeling!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It took our 4 hands, and 5 man (and woman!) hours each, good share of the weekend and LOTS OF patience to get this!<br />
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</div>We were tired, we were frustrated and we were smelly .. BUT we were happy to have accomplished the task with team work (read not bringing up- who's idea was this?!), and more importantly- we were <i>wiser</i>! Not to try this at home. Again!<br />
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<em>P.S:- My mom's smart Alec comment after I told her my gruelling experience- "LOL! It is not meant for people like you!! Why don't you buy ready made paste? Smith and Jones perhaps..."</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Neetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12337719436818488524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15586195.post-6666206128282106592010-06-07T22:34:00.000-07:002010-06-08T02:47:33.027-07:00wallpaper<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Mission</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I wanted to cover window panes in my kitchen. The window in question overlooks the corridor of the apartment outside, and I didn't want to take a chance with anyone trying to peek in!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Lets get started!</strong></div>I love Economics Times. Ok, not so much for its contents as much for its vintage feel of the pages! I love the Peach- ish Beige tone of ET. I downloaded some old <em>Coke</em> print ads... And I did the forbidden! I printed on ET pages cut into A-3 size sheets!<br />
<strong>Tip</strong><br />
If there is a paper- jam in the printer, don't forget to make huge and inncocent doe- eyes a la Puss in Boots from <em>Shrek!!!!!</em><br />
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