What do I want to do with my life??????

I'm 33 and I  don't know what I want to do with my life,
All I know is I'm a happily married mother and a super housewife.
I spent a decade on finance and thankless bank jobs,
And for the past one year chose to be at home and cook, clean and slog.
But still, there is a certain restlessness in me,
I wonder what's written in my destiny professionally!
Will I start a business in future or again join the bank,
Take up teaching as a profession at a lower rank.
I am confused and I really don't know what the future holds,
"Get another kid and wait for Mikhail to grow", many a times I'm told.
But that's people looking at my personal side
What about my goals, my aspirations? Am I being selfish, am I wrong not right.
All I know is I want to do something with my life before, to this world I say good bye,
And hopefully I do so before I turn a ripe old fifty five!!
The rest I'll leave up to God and see what's in store for me,
Till then I'll continue being a wife and a mommy happily!

Petrol Price Problem!!!

Petrol prices in India have skyrocketed through the roof,
Looks like soon we'll have to wear motorized shoes
Which will transport us freely everywhere
If prices increase further, we won't really care.

But seriously, an unprecedented increase by over Rs. 7 a litre,
The future looks bleak instead of things getting better.
Now our rickshawwallas and taxi drivers will demand a hike in fares
Prices of transportation of food will increase,
as trucks need diesel and petrol to distribute consumer wares.
And who is caught in the middle of all this, the common man!
Who now will have to account for rising petrol prices in his monthly household budget plan.
Looks like people will have to  depend more on our "efficient" public transport or car pools,
whereas our unaffected politicians will continue travelling in style with their battalion of chamchas like political fools
One solitary neta will have a fleet of 10 cars
filled with personal assistants, police and infinite bodyguards.
The rise in petrol prices have made India top the charts of one of the highest priced petrol countries in the world,
but by holding bandhs and burning effigies of politicians, this mystery of rising prices cannot be unfurled.
Did the government have to increase the price of petrol to such an extent!
since part of the petrol price is central and government levied taxes which are highly imprudent.
Some state governments have cut down or rolled back the tax,
but such a petrol price hike depreciated the rupee further against the greenback.
It seems there is no end to the woes of the Indian economy,
But for us common people the immediate solution is to make the most of what we get with our depreciating money.
Maybe we can all book electrical cars,
So hurry, rush now before stocks run out to the nearest showroom of the electric Reva!!

Thailand Travels Day 6, 7 and back

Day 6, 7 and back

So day 6 in Kanchanaburi was spent in sightseeing. Went to the death museum which explained how the Japanese ill-treated the Thais and the whites and how the bridge on the river Kwai was built as an entry to Burma and India during world war 2. 
It seems over 85000 Aussies and Brits were killed as prisoners of war. There's a cemetery of most of them. But then it occurred to me, being a true Indian after all, that weren't we Indians tortured at the hands of the Brits. More than a 100,000 Indians must have died, so what's all this crying over these goras. Anyway that's a long time ago, but I guess what goes around comes around.
From the museum moved on to the Chinese Thai temples which were absolutely beautiful.
We climbed over 200 steps to reach those sites but it was worth the climb. Poor Nigel had to carry our lil tub of lard, Mikhail who was asleep during this strenuous climb.
We travelled in an open wagon so we had the driver and his cute 2 and a half year old daughter for company too. Mikhail enjoyed the lil girl's company. They got along so well. It's so funny both kids from different countries playing so sweetly, ringing the bells together. A Very cute sight indeed!!
From there we drove to the bridge on the river Kwai, it's a bridge that's all, with a toy train!!
Lunch consisted of ice creams and juices. After a heavy breakfast consisting of scrambles and bacon, sausages, ham, croissants, toasts with marmalade and strawberry jams etc, there was not much place left in our tummies for anything more.
Evening we just relaxed, walked around in the resort over the vast expanse of green, taking in the lovely sights and sounds of nature. Nigel and I sitting on the wooden bench under the shade of a tree watching our creation play with leaves and fill a hole with all the possible dry leaves he could collect.
Mikhail enjoyed Kanchanaburi the most. He enjoyed running and playing and wetting his feet in the pool. He made full paisa vasool of his stay ;)!
We ended dinner with a lovely Thai meal from the resort itself. But no more Thai food, seriously!!!!

Day seven went in packing, relaxing, followed by a three hour drive to Bangkok airport. 
I enjoyed each and every bit of this trip. The sights, the scenes, the people, the food, the culture.
Thanks to my husband for making such a wonderful holiday possible for the three of us.
It was superb!!!
Hopefully the beginning of many more adventurous travels together!!

THAILAND TRAVELS - Day 5

Day 5 - 23 May 2012

From Bangkok to the back and beyond of Thailand, Kanchanaburi nearly three hours away from Bangkok, 700 ams from Myanmar ( Burma). A small little town which reminds me of the little towns in India away from the big metros.
The resort Dheva Mantra is so far away from the town..we feel one with nature, lots of greenery, birds, flowers and beautiful rooms, overlooking the river Kwai. Very quiet and serene....imagine waking up to the chirping of cuckoos or tap tap of a woodpecker...so different from City life. 
The only drawback of this resort is they don't provide toothbrushes and toothpaste, luckily we always carry ours as back up. Also the resort is away from any sort of transportation so we are totally dependent on the resort shuttle service where the poor bell boy doubles up as a driver and sometimes as manager too.
Went to the night market at the bus station...filled with food...but I'm put off now by the sights and smells...so we stuck to tuna sandwiches and chicken burgers and blueberry cheesecakes from the resort which were pretty good. Enough of Thai....no Thai food for a month...all the phads and the khaos and the other words pri....etc etc.....
Looking forward to a relaxing two days before we head back to Dubai....back to the grind and back to being Mrs. Cinderella Rangel ( though I miss it now).

Till then I'll enjoy Kanchanaburi with all it's beauty and sounds...something which I miss in Dubai.

THAILAND TRAVELS Day 4

Day 4 - 22 May 2012

So today is the last day in Bangkok. Breakfast was the usual for me....there's a huge spread for breakfast but I'm happiest with pancakes and waffles soaked In chocolate sauce and Nutella, chocolate doughnuts, marble cake, apple puff pastry and a pot of coffee. Give me chocolate anytime of day and I'm happy. 
Today we visited Wat Arun - the temple of dawn, hidden in the suburbs of Bangkok. The houses reminded me of the quaint bungalows in the by lanes of Bandra. 
The temple was beautiful with lovely statues of Buddha and lovely stone carvings. 
I have fallen in love with Bangkok, it reminds me of home. The people are extremely nice and warm. Love the way they greet with a nod of the head and the namaste.  But I guess Dubai reminds me of home too. I guess it's just me then ...wherever I go I make myself feel at home ;).
Lunch was in the hotel which consisted of Spicy Papaya salad with soft shell crabs and a wok fried rice with Thai tomatoes and pork. Nigel didn't eat as was too stuffed with his breakfast which consisted of eggs, sausages, dim sums, etc etc etc.. :).
Evening we headed out to the Sathorn pier where we saw the chao phraya river. Saw a lot of carts with street food but no more street food for me. After awhile the smell kinda gets to you.
People say Bangkok is famous for shopping but didn't shop at all. Was more interested in buying artifacts and bought a statue of the reclining Buddha , a statue of the three monkeys..I guess that's all. No clothes ...no shoes nothing. 
Dinner was again in the hotel consisting of a tex Mex Thai style pizza and shrimp spring rolls with a sweet and spicy chilli sauce and a Bacardi breezer as a digestive....needed the gas to digest the food.
The way we've been eating...hope we don't return like round laughing or should I say crying buddhas!!
Tomorrow off to Kanchanaburi which is famous for the bridge on the river Kwai and has a lot of historical monuments of world war 2. 
So tonight is the last night at Lebua Bangkok ....wonderful 4 days...have enjoyed every bit of it.

THAILAND TRAVELS - Day 3

Day 3 - 21May 2012

What a hot, sweaty day it has been!! But a wonderful sight seeing filled day.
Today we visited the Grand Palace in Bangkok which used to house the Royal Family of Thailand.
One of the most beautiful structures I've ever seen. Lovely murals, lovely statues, awesome architecture ( photos will follow once I get back). 
A must see in Bangkok though entry fee is 400 baht per person which is a bit high for Thailand standards. But after going all the way, it is indeed a site worth seeing. The temple of the Emerald Buddha was also beautiful. Unfortunately photography not allowed and I was caught for doing so.
It was so freakin' hot that we had to stop at Hagen Dazs which is in the palace area for a cool refreshing Caribbean Sunrise which is a mango sorbet with lime, pineapple juice and soda. Perfect for the hot summer day. Mikhail gulped down a chocolate cookie milkshake happily. 
He was awesome!! I'm not praising my son, but he has enjoyed every bit of the trip. Sometimes I don't feel he's two. He enjoyed climbing the stairs of the palace and took in the lovely paintings on the walls shouting paapi paapi whenever he saw flowers on the way. 
Next stop was Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha which is unbelievable. For 20 baht we could buy coins and put them in wishing bowls. Prayed for all family and friends while putting each coin in each bowl.
Dinner was at Taling Pling which serves authentic Thai food, a quaint restaurant very close to our hotel filled with lot of " goras" drinking beers chatting away. Mikhail was the only kid among us adults. 
Had a lovely Thai Green curry which is different from what we get in Dubai or Mumbai, it's spicy!!! Chicken Thai Kebabs with Spring rolls and a spicy papaya salad followed by stir fry noodles in a cat fish black bean sauce.
Dessert was the banoffee pie which they're famous for. Pretty good though too much banana.
Overall an interesting day. Enjoying every single bit of it. Feels good to be pampered once in a while. Still lots more to see. 
Let's see what tomorrow brings. Till then " Sawatdi" ( goodbye in Thai).

THAILAND TRAVELS -Day 2

Day 2 - 20 May 2012

Slept for nine hours, woke up at 9.30, not done that in ages.
This feels like a holiday, no cleaning, no cooking, no mopping, no vacuuming, no grocery shopping, just relaxing with the two men in my life.
After a super scrumptious breakfast of pancakes with nutella, Danish, waffles with chocolate sauce, Carrot cake, Chocolate croissants, Lemon and poppy seed muffins, coffee etc etc...couldn't eat the eggs and the meats and the yoghurts and the dim sums etc they served for breakfast. Was happy with the savouries.
We then took a cab to the Chatuchak market which is the world's largest weekend market.
It has everything. From prawns to porn. From clothes to crockery.  
Mikhail loved the wind chimes got a pic of him playing with them. Also he loves penguins or should I say Ming min as he fondly calls them. He found miniature ceramic ones which we were forced to buy.
We walked for 2.5 hours in the sweltering heat, Mikhail walked for an hour and a half and then like a droopy flower, he slept on his father's shoulders. 
Lot of food in Chatuchak too, but we were too stuffed after the heavy breakfast. We picked up a very tasty Thai style stir fried rice with shrimps and chicken and Pad Thai noodles with Shrimps and egg.
Evening started on a holy note as realized we have the Assumption Suska Church near the Lebua Hotel, so heard a bit of the mass in Thai. A very beautiful old church of 200 years.
From there we walked and walked and walked down the streets of Bangkok. Bangkok is so different from Dubai and so much like Mumbai. Car drivers breaking signals, impatiently waiting for pedestrians to cross unlike Dubai where they actually wait for you to cross. Tuk tuk guys trying to sell us tours. Love the taxis here. They're are so colourful. They are painted in pinks, oranges, yellows, blues and greens. Reminds me of my old yellow car.
Dinner was at Kowloon which is a restaurant below the Holiday Inn which serves authentic Hong Kong food. Had lovely Sui Mai which are dim sums with Pork and Shrimps, deeply fried spring rolls with chicken and shrimp and Yeang Chow style fried rice with prawns, pork, egg and chicken. Too much meat!!! I guess tomorrow will have to turn vegetarian. Saw quite a few Indian pure veggie restaurants in the vicinity. Feel sorry for the vegetarians as Bangkok is all about meat....literally ;).
My feet ache after the walking...maybe tomorrow a Thai foot massage would work wonders.

Anyone planning to visit Bangkok, Lebua is a wonderful hotel. The staff are very sweet and helpful. Taxis are called right to the hotel door step and the best part is we've been paying by the meter.

So this is day two in a nutshell!!

THAILAND TRAVELS - Bangkok day 1

First Day - 
19 May 2012, What a first day it has been in Bangkok.  Tiring but fantastic.
Had a lovely flight, didn't sleep a wink but enjoyed one of the most beautiful sights of the rising sun, tres magnifique!! Mikhail was well behaved and slept 4 out of the six hours.
Enjoyed traveling in a traditional London taxi in Bangkok...yes....the typical London taxi.
Checked into a wonderful hotel called Lebua the state tower which overlooks the city and the river.
Bangkok reminds me so much of Mumbai, there are tall skyscrapers and then you see little shanties besides these ostentatious buildings. But it is indeed a city with soul and a lot of foooooood!!
Had amazing street food at Khao San road.  Started with Crispy vegetable spring rolls,
Phad Thai Noodles with chicken and their lovely sauces, banana and nutella pancakes, sweet pork on a stick and ended the street food dinner with Mango and sticky rice. It was different but quite tasty. Lot of Indian tailors forcing people to stitch suits hounded us too.
Saw three carts full of insects to eat, cockroaches, grasshoppers, some funny looking worms, bugs etc....Yuck!!! The sellers were charging 10 baht just to click a pic of their lovely food. Luckily was able to click it for free.
The best part was Mikhail was the youngest tourist on that road enjoying the food as much as we did. Digging into the Phad Thai with his fork biting away and he took another big bite of pork, and said yummmmm. I guess he is a carnivore like his Mommy!!
Happy to know he's going to turn out like his parents, pucca foodies.
Travelled by tuk tuk ( auto rickshaws) from khao San road back to the hotel. Man!!! Those guys are like our rickshaw drivers, zooming on the streets of Bangkok. Best part is the bargaining. The guy quoted 200 baht and luckily got him down to 80 baht. But if you give them 90, they assume the rest is a tip. 
 I think I've got a bottomless pit for a stomach so thought I'd order some dessert from the dining service at the hotel. Ordered an Apricot Verbena Pistachio cheese cake in a pot. When I saw the word pot on the menu, I thought it'd be huge. But when the waiter knocked, I stared at the tray shocked. There was a tiny glass as big as a shot glass with the cheese cake. But then optimistic me thought maybe it's all for the best, won't put on that much weight, if I eat minuscule quantities of desserts.

That's it for today. Too stuffed to write!!

Shahrukh and Priyanka - a real life or reel life Jodi????

I'm tired of reading tabloids filled with news of an affair between Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra,
If there is an affair between them, then it's their Business and their " Lafda"!!
And seriously who cares if Gauri is depressed,
with her husband's new found love interest.
Anyway if she is threatened in her marriage, she will drown her tears,
by designing couture penthouses in Pune with her suddenly surfaced talent of decorating their interiors.
And the funniest part is; that best friend Suzanne Roshan gave such advice to Gauri,
Maybe she did the same thing when Hrithik had a fling with Barbara Mori.
Looks like all star wives take up interior decorating as an occupation,
I guess it's the best job, to keep them out of depression, desperation and frustration.

Latest news is that Piggy Chops is not invited to the Karan Johar 40th birthday bash,
He's afraid Gauri may give Priyanka the big snub and a sharp whiplash.
After all Bollywood is divided into different camps,
KJO, Hrithik, Suzanne all belong to the SRK one
And have left poor Priyanka Chopra out,as she's the new Bollywood Vamp.
And now Shahrukh is stuck between his two leading ladies,
One, his Don co-star Junglee Billee and the other his real life producer Patni.
Poor fella will have to change his image from lover boy and chant "Om Shanti Om",
if he wants to keep his reputation untarnished in Bollywood as well as his "Mannat" home.

Seriously, why can't these heroes be happy with their real life ladies,
is "Ghar ki murgi dal barabar" in Bollywood a reality!
After all, the lucky heroes romanticise the Kareenas, Priyankas and Katrinas on screen,
So why can't they in real life be monogamous and from such affairs just stay clean!!!

Happy Birthday Madhuri Dixit Nene!!

Today is the 45th birthday of the "Dhak Dhak" mulgi,
She stole the "Dil" of billion movie lovers completely.
With her acting she scorched the screen with "Tezaab"
And she danced like the waves of the sea causing a " Sailaab".
She at one time asked " Hum Aapke Hain Kaun" to the " Khal Nayak" Sanju baba,
But "Dil toh Pagal Hain" and she finally met her future" Raja".
She converted many of her ardent fans to "Devdas" when she got the marriage "Pukar" and married Dr. Nene
And broke many hearts when she relocated and moved to USA.

So let's all "Aaja Nachle" ,
and wish the forever smiling  Madhuri Dixit Nene, a very very Happy Birthday!

Child Sexual Abuse...Disgusting!!

Child sexual abuse, the thought of it makes me cringe in disgust.
The most sickening part is when you actually read about babies abused by men to satisfy their sexual lust. 
On Satyamev Jayate, it was brought out that a grand father abused his two year old grand child, Disgusting isn't it!!
But I'm not surprised that such sick minded people very much exist.
The surprising part is they could be known to you, definitely not a stranger,
for all you know they could be an uncle or your over friendly building neighbour.
He will have two grown up kids of his own,
But will molest  a girl of nine even though she's not fully grown
And the poor child will be shell shocked and dumb founded,
After all hasn't she been taught by her family, that elders have to be respected.
Even if the poor child complains to her parents and they confront the sick guy,
the perverted man will give his own story and will blatantly lie.
If such elders in our society exists even today,
I'm afraid for my child, I feel so sad and sorry to say.
Should he trust the people who ruffle his hair,pinch his cheeks or shake his hand,
It's hard to say, one of them could be a paedophilic man.
As parents we've got to protect our children, keep them safe
But is it possible to be with them 24X7, what sense does it make.
The only solution is to educate them, even before they learn their ABCs,
I know it sounds silly, but this is very much hard hitting reality!!

Mere Paas Maaaa hain!

When I think of mother, I think of  Rakhi and Nirupa Roy,
the famous Hindi film, on screen "Maas"
famous for their tear jerking Rona Dhona!!
Nirupa Roy shown in Deewar as a worker at a construction site
And Rakhi crying bitterly in Karan Arjun or Khal Nayak over her sons plight.
But their crying and "Rona Dhona" was too much to bear,
I prefer the fun loving mother of Dostana or Devdas, Kiron Kher,
or the K3G, loving and loyal wife and mother, Jaya Bachan,
sandwiched between her husband and adopted son.

Then there's the new age Vidya Balan of Paa,
who played a superb role of The Big B's Maa,
where she portrayed the role of a strong single mum,
and single handedly she won hearts of everyone.
There's the mother daughter duo, Deena and Ratna Pathak Shah,
who have enacted mother roles excellently so far,
Deena Pathak in Khoobsurat as Mother Hitler
And Ratna in Jaane Tu and Golmaal 3 as a comic mother.
But my favourite is Zohra Sehgal of Cheeni Kum,
I'm sure she still at the age of 100, 
will give the other mothers for their money, a marathon-run.

But the above are just the reel mothers, not the real ones,
I'm sure our mothers are all of the above and more, 
they are indeed super mums!
They are tough nuts to crack, disciplined and kind,
Our best friends, fun to be with and loving at the same time.
They stick up for us when they know we are right,
And even empathise and understand our helpless plight.
There is no definite role to portray our mums,
Because they are super human
and we're lucky that we've all been blessed with wonderful ones!

'Hair'ital Woes!!

I did the keratin treatment six months ago,
But that has not put an end to my hair woes.
The hair is back to being frizzy and I'm turning grey,
Maybe it's the water, in Dubai it's hard they say.
I find it really absurd that my hair is so thick and rough,
When my mother is blessed with lovely wavy hair that's so soft to touch,
And my dad I can't really comment or say, 
as on his pate there's not much hair anyway.
Thought I'd blame it on the genes but it's sad I cannot,
I wake up in the morning looking like The Jungle book Mowgli,
Hair all ruffled, though I'm fully clothed, not in the funny red shorts.

A friend has suggested drinking lots of healthy milk,
But I rather substitute a glass of milk, with a bar of Cadbury's Silk.
I really hope and pray, Mikhail doesn't get horrible hair like me,
but I can't even say he should get his father's hair,
Cause he's turning bald you see.
Though I know one day, Nigel will have a lovely Marlon Brando bald pate,
I'm still trying to figure out the future of my hair's fate.
Looks like I'll have to live with my "hairital" woes,
but I've decided, no keratin, no straightening, no relaxo, not anymore!!

Is Facebook becoming too personal???

What I find extremely weird is daughters/ sons wishing their parents
happy birthday on Facebook,
where the poor folks do not have accounts or even have time to give a second look.
Wives wishing their husbands happy anniversary or professing their love,
Looks like they either don't meet each other at all or live in separate flats, one on the floor above.
Siblings stating how much they miss or love each other,
Ain't there another medium to discuss feelings and sentiments than being such a social networker.
I'm not anti sentimental or anti expressive or anti social,
I just find that's it's funny to express feelings on Facebook and being vocal.
It doesn't take more than a minute to pick up the phone and wish your parents or siblings a happy anniversary or happy Birthday,
Even though you are in the same city or miles apart, faraway.
And you don't need to say I love you to your wife or husband when she/he is by your side,
You can say it to his/her face, on Facebook you don't need to be so mushy and lovey dovey and write.
Facebook is a fun site, where we can promote social causes, writing, reading, jokes and with family and friends, have a ball.
We don't have to be so personal and over expressive to one and all.
I'm not here to find fault or criticise,
I find it extremely amusing in short, to be precise.
People can write posts and comments and continue with what they do,
I'm just blogging here , so don't condemn me, just expressing my point of view.

Happy 34 Mom and Dad!!

Nearly 4 decades ago a Parsi man met a Christian woman,
The start of a love story of two wonderful humans.
They met in a bank just like my husband and me, 
And fell in love so very instantly.
But since they were from different faiths, they did face opposition,
And there were some villains who tried to enforce a separation.
But their love for each other was so strong, that everyone did see,
And on 10th May 1978, the Parsi man and Christian woman married finally.
The above two people of whom I'm talking about,
Are my loving parents of whom I'm very proud.
They've been married to each other for 34 long years,
And been with each other through all the thick and thin,
Through happiness and tears.

When I look at my parents, I feel extremely happy,
That I've been brought up in so much love and I'm part of the Daji family.
I've never ever felt the need of a best friend,
Cause I've been able to discuss just about anything with them.
Very rarely you get such parents, with whom you can communicate so openly,
But my parents have been besides parents, my friends, my confidantes, literally.
Even now, I know my dad can still woo my mom with his fantastic wit and humour like he did yesterday,
And my mom will love and take care of my dad like the superwoman she is, in every way.
So today, I just want to wish them a very Happy Anniversary,
And may God bless them and keep them healthy,
so together they march on to anniversary number fifty!

Life is a risk....take it...

Life is a risk, but risks we must take,
Else later as time passes by, we will realise that a mistake we did make.
We are given only one life to live, each individual with different life years,
But if we have to take a chance, we can't always live in fear.

If you love someone, tell the person that you do,
be ready to face the music cause' he/she may not feel the same for you.
But it's better than keeping all those feelings pent up inside,
at least now you know how he/she feels, there's nothing more to hide.

If some person who is interested in you, does suddenly come your way,
And if you like him/ her too, don't turn or walk away.
Give this person a chance to be part of your life,
Don't judge him/her based on education or qualifications without knowing what's deep down inside.
Because if you are waiting for Mr. Or Miss Right, then you'll be waiting for long,
cause there is no one who is absolutely perfect, you'd even ignore Sita or Jesus Christ,
if from heaven they came along.
From studies to marriage to relocation to leaving my job, I know in my life I've taken risks
But I've accepted everything in my stride and don't regret any of life's twists.
I'm not here to impose my thoughts but here to give my point of view,
you can like a chewing gum spit it out after you do chew.

After all life is a journey which one must explore,
On opportunities that come your way, don't always shut the door.
Live life to the fullest give each day your best,
And then when you know you can't do more, just leave to God the rest.

Can some Bollywood mommies make successful comebacks??

They came, they ruled, they conquered movie buffs worldwide with their mesmerising charm on screen,
Will these Bollywood mommies rule the roost once again and displace the reigning Bollywood queens?
They had at one time sparkled and had their share of success,
But it seems the glamour and glitz of tinsel town, they can't seem to resist.
That's the reason why Sridevi, Karisma, Raveena, Madhuri and Juhi have made or are making comebacks,
After all they were the original divas with picture perfect looks to match.

So let's start with Karisma who will be seen up, close and personal in 3D "Dangerous Ishq",
Couldn't she have made a better comeback than with Rajneesh and Vikram in a movie such as this.
She has stated that the movie needed actors with no image,
Or does she mean that no well known actors wanted to act with her, 
as their reputation they didn't want to damage!

Then there's Madhuri who made a comeback in 2007 with " Aaja Nachle",
But sadly it flopped and once again to the US, the actress had to "Kisak le",
She played a superb judge on "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa",
Let's see if at the age of 44, she makes a successful comeback with Vishal Bharadwaj's "Dedh Ishquiya".

I remember seeing Raveena in "Budha Hoga Tera Baap" romancing the Big B,
Looks like she suffered partial blindness and the script she didn't see
where she took up such a role of " Kamini", a despot,
It's sad cause the movie was made solely for Amitabh and had no story or plot.
Hopefully, "Shobna's seven nights" works out where it seems she'll be seen in a bold avatar,
if not, she'll have to stick to doing item numbers such as "Chandigarh ki star"!

Juhi Chawla, one of the few actresses who after marriage has been pretty active on-screen,
If you've not caught her in " My brother Nikhil", " bas ek pal", 
then you'll surely catch her in the kurkure and Ashoka Paratha ads, she seems to be an ad queen.

And last but not the least, my favourite Sridevi, 
the south siren, super actress who I'm looking forward to seeing very shortly.
She's making a comeback after 15 years, 
Hope she does make a successful comeback with English Vinglish, she was last seen in Judaai,
Otherwise she'll just have to continue making Boney Kapoor's favourite dish in her air conditioned Rasoi.

It's sad that when it comes to actresses, once they marry all is lost,
But in the case of actors, even at the age of 70, producers will cast them at any cost.
I guess such is the state of women actresses in the Indian film industry,
Unlike in Hollywood where actresses are treated like their male counterparts, equally.
It is disappointing that the Raveenas, Madhuris and Karismas, who were once loved by both masses and classes,
are stuck in an industry where there are limited role choices.
Hopefully they do succeed in the new roles they play,
And we enjoy watching them, the way we did in their younger days.

Satyamev Jayate on female foeticide

Yesterday watched Satyamev Jayate hosted for the first time on television by Aamir Khan,
and he struck a chord by hosting it with great sensitivity and élan.
The topic was on abortion and female foeticide,
And the poor women on the show brought tears to everyones eyes.
It was shocking and disheartening to hear how they were ill-treated,
But they faced the trauma with great determination and courage.
They stood up to their in-laws and husbands who didn't want a girl child,
Such horrific behaviour made me lose my trust in human beings for awhile.
How could they even think of abortion of the female foetus,
When the mothers in law, themselves are females, don't they realise this!!

Amisha, one of the women went through six abortions because they were girls not boys
And Parvin, who gave birth to two girls, was tortured by her husband in such a horrendous manner that her face was totally disguised.
But the most shocking of all which was talked on the show,
Was that female foeticide happens in cities and among educated, much more.
Dr. Mitu Khurana faced similar torture when she gave birth to female twins,
Her educated Saas tried to push one down the stairs, but luckily, the child was saved by a miracle.
And the sad part was, this family boasted of high education and high posts and cadres,
But in reality, no qualification or degree can change such villainous characters.
It's really very sad that there is an imbalance in the male to female ratio,
It seems as per 2011 census, the female to 1000 males is only 914. (nine one four).
I guess the government will in future have to legalise homosexuality,
With the decrease in number of women, men marrying men will become a reality.
It's also disheartening to know that unethical medical practitioners are part of this game,
They should be punished for encouraging such an inhuman societal shame.
But if the high and mighty themselves in these unethical acts are involved 
how can the issue of female foeticide ever be solved.

However I feel Aamir has taken the correct step to address this issue in the best possible way,
Where people all over India would have watched this show since it was telecast on a Sunday.
And who better than him to take on such serious issues,
People will surely watch raptly their favourite Rancho aka Phunsuk Wangdu.
But hopefully, our Indians don't only watch but learn from and do something about it,
if not, we will be back to square one where female foeticide continues and everything illegitimate!

Aishwarya Rai's weight gain...is it such a pain!!!

Poor Aishwarya is facing so much flak for putting on oodles of weight 
such is the cons of being an ex Miss world and the actress' fate.
Don't  people realise that the poor woman has five months ago, given birth,
A normal delivery, the most painful, life changing event on earth.
And that, after delivery she needs to eat well and healthy, 
to breast feed and give all the nourishment she can, to her little baby,

Seriously, why are people so obsessed with being skinny or the size zero world.
why can't people let Aishwarya enjoy, the joys of motherhood with her baby girl.
I'm sure losing weight is the last thing on her mind,
being a doting mother is the most important thing in the world for her this time.
She may be a famous actress, celebrity or an international  figure,
But she can live the way she wants, she is not justifiable to anyone, 
definitely not to the media or newspapers.
She has not hidden from the camera or gone under the knife,
Then why is the media so harsh on her and making about her weight such a strong hue and cry!

How can they compare her to Victoria Beckham who shed her weight in weeks,
But that Posh Spice is anorexic, she must have had only fresh air to eat.
It's really very sad that the media is advertising her weight in such a cruel manner,
instead of talking about the lovely role she's playing, as Aaradhya's mother.

Aishwarya Rai is giving her all to motherhood and to her family,
after a few months, I'm sure the media will forget about her and focus on Shilpa Shetty.
Till then Aishwarya, you'll have to face, the media heat and quotes
But I absolutely understand what you're going through, 
from this mother you'll get 100% support!!

Stress...the new status symbol....

Just read an article in the Khaleej times yesterday,
Where people think stress is the new status symbol and it's cool to be stressed and busy all day.

If you say you're stressed or busy,
They'll give you a hundred more reasons as to how stressed or busy they are,
Trying to show off that they are important and they've even cut short their sleeping hours.

Looks like people are becoming stress addicts,
with people constantly saying they're busy, busy, busy, 
It seems to be becoming a bad habit and a new etiquette worry.

It's weird how people feel being stressed is uber cool, hip and happening,
Where people feel that, if they're not busy or stressed, they've not accomplished anything.

It's also funny how people think being stressed or always busy is a qualification 
Sometimes it's great to just do nothing, unwind and spend it on relaxation.

If you go on hankering I'm busy or I'm stressed, you'll surely alienate yourself,
Because frankly everyone has pressures and they don't want to hear the same thing, they rather hear happier news instead.
Cause' no one will think being a busy body or stress addict is impressive,
People will only wonder why haven't they found out a way to deal with it.

If I said I'm always stressed, to me, it would be very demeaning.
And I'm sure if I went on saying it every time, it would be extremely irritating.
Yes, I remember having work stress where I was married to my work,
And spending over 14 hours at office after my baby's birth.
But now if I say I'm stressed, I really need a whack ,
Cause' I know it's tiring being a homemaker but I enjoy it tremendously,
and that's a fact!

Do we all need a Digital Detox....

Don't we all need a digital detox,
Where we just stop chatting and pick up the phone and talk.
Where we spend less time with friends or acquaintances on Blackberry and Facebook,
And spend more time with those physically around us, or spend time reading a good book.
We all have become so impersonal and lost that human touch,
Where we are closer to our Smartphones and Tablets than people, 
has life advanced so much!
Where we rather discuss our private life on Facebook or on Twitter,
But forget to call those who are close to us or those that really matter.
Some people even chat while having their lunch or dinner,
They forget that there are other humans too and forget their messaging etiquette and manners.

Yes, it's great to have to such advanced technology where we get to know how family and friends across the globe are,
But we don't have to spend the whole day online, we can chat with them for 30 minutes or maximum an hour.
We all enjoy reading blogs and posting stuff online too,
But I'm sure that's not the only work, all of us do.
There's housework, office targets to achieve, besides checking Facebook updates,
It's ok if you miss checking your wall or posts, you won't be marked late.
I love Facebook, I love blogging and I love chatting with my friends and know how they do,
And I'm sure many of you out there in the virtual world love to do so too.
But I still feel I'm getting a bit addicted to my IPad and Blackberry,
Which move with me from one room to another, hand in hand, literally.
So from today, 4th May 2012, I've made a conscious decision, 
Less Facebook, limited  chatting, maybe some reading, painting and catching up with good ole television!

Jaya and Rekha...Kiss a Kursi kaaa...( thanks Namz for the title)

As if there are less problems and troubles with the political world 
Jaya has issues with Rekha sitting behind her in the Rajya Sabha,
Just in case her head does a twirl.
I don't blame Jaya for not wanting  Rekha within arms reach,
But there's no need to display her feelings so publicly.
Rekha on the other hand is desperately trying to amend the relationship with the Bachans which has gone sour,
But Bechari Guddi, doesn't want a Silsila part two to take place in the Rajya Sabha.
She has already faced Silsila part one which was not only "reel" but very " real"
Though Rekha has innocently denied it, saying that she wasn't Amit's girl.
And Jaya too has always on TV been in denial, 
from Simi Garewal's 's talk show to Koffee with Karan, stating that there was never any marital trial.
But the Rajya Sabha is the perfect set for the Silsila Sequel,
thanks to the setting by our President Pratibha Patil.
Javed Akhtar the lyricist of the original Silsila is also a RS member,
the political backdrop in the RS will surely be an affair to remember.
with Jaya the wife and Rekha the Ex-flame,
It'll surely make Amitabh feel embarrassed and a bit ashamed.
Mr. Bachan has always been my favourite hero,
But poor man, I'm sure he didn't anticipate his personal life turning to a political "Pati,Patni aur woh"
Where biwi aur woh fight over kiss a Kursi ka,
While filmmakers can cash on this scene with a movie titled "Silsila in Rajya Sabha"!

Sachin in Politics....nahiiiii

First Jaya Bachan joined the upper house Rajya Sabha,
Now the south Siren " Khoobsurat" Rekha,
And to top it all, it's Sachin Tendulkar, apna Tendlya.
Is it the right move made by the cricketing hero
Where his knowledge of dirty politics is zero.
On the field he deals with batsmen, fielders and bowlers,
But now he'll be face to face with all sorts of political furor.
Corruption, deception, scams and lies,
Hope Sachin knows what he's in for and does realise,
That politics is different from cricket and each person has their own core competency,
Where success in cricket  must not be linked with political astuteness ability.
Maybe I am wrong, maybe Sachin will make maximum use of his popularity,
Maybe he will work together with Sonia and the Congress for the betterment of society
But if he does join the Congress party, would it be a good move,
I am sure it has already put Mns and Shiv Sena in a foul mood.
After all Sachin is a Mumbaikar, a Marathi mulga,
Has he done the right thing by accepting a seat from the Congress, for the Rajya Sabha.
He had already rubbed the Sena the wrong way by saying that "Mumbai is for all" in 2009,
Hopefully while dealing with these parties, he uses tact and diplomacy this time.
If he does accept the offer from the congress to join their party,
Like Manmohan Singh, he too will have a backseat driver in the form of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi.
Is such a move made by the Congress to sweep under the carpet, the Bofors controversy,
Or is Sachin needed to help Rahul and in turn save the Congress Party.
Well, enough blogging on politics and Sachin joining the Congress and Rajya Sabha.
There are more interesting tops like apna Rekha and Jaya.

Vicky Donor...to sperminate or not...

In a country like India where we have over a billion population,
where people prefer to be childless or DINK and at times support abortion
Vicky donor seems to be a film supporting the exact opposite,
touching a funny issue such as Sperm donation.

A topic which people would be embarrassed about
the director and producer have approached this subject sensibly,
making it a light hearted honest film for young and old, without a shade of doubt.
Aryamaan the hero, in his debut film shows great acting talent,
Playing a good-for-nothing bloke from Delhi without any job employment.
Until he suddenly realises, he's got sperms of superior quality,
Which he donates to couples suffering from infertility.

This movie does set a new adage, 
where couples are not able to conceive due to stress, health reasons and even age.
Vicky Donor is a perfect example of edutainment,
Which educates the audience on sperm donation and also is pure entertainment.
It will surely open the eyes of many who wish to conceive,
That using sperms from a donor is not a bad idea you see.
Earlier it was considered scandalous and taboo,
people were conservative then and would surely make out of it an issue.

Vicky Donor is surely a catalyst, where discussions on infertility can be held openly,
providing for infertile couples an ongoing platform,
It's 2012 you know, one no longer has to be so "chupa chupi".
Though i seriously hope, people don't become too selective or meticulous 
Where sperms are only wanted from cricketers, movie actors or noble winning scientists.
So that their sons and daughters become the next Hrithik, Shahrukh or Priyanka,
Or cricketers like Sachin, Dravid and Sehwag or Lasith Malinga.

But hats off to John and Shoojit for making such a wonderful movie,
Hopefully more movies on more taboo subjects are made, 
Educating the people with sense and sensibility!!

Four months of my life...

Four months of this year have past,
Time really waits for no one, it moves so fast.
The first month started with the parents Dubai visit
And completion of three years of marital bliss.
February was the month, I got a year older to 33 from 32
Reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, a bit of sadness and happiness too.

March, the beginning of spring,
indeed loads of happiness and joy it did bring,
The In-laws visited us on the fifteenth
And we celebrated Mikhail turning two on nineteenth.
They spent with us 30 whole days, where we lived with each other as a family,
And learnt each others habits and ways.
April, started with a soulful Easter and shopping for the new house,
And on 14th we were back to being three, Mikhail, me and just the spouse.
Finally on nineteenth we moved to our new home on the eight floor,
These four months have been wonderful,
couldn't ask God for anything more.
Though I still wonder what the next few months hold in store,
A much needed holiday to Bangkok, Pattaya
Or amchi Mumbai in India.
Will just have to wait and see, what new surprises spring up on me.