Uncertainty rules our lives!

Why is life inundated with uncertainties? I understand that we all need some excitement, thrill, adventure in life but that doesn't mean one should always be surrounded by maybes and maybe nots, right?! If you look at all the decisions that you need to take, be it on the professional or for that matter even personal front; the uncertainty element is inherent and you gotta play your game keeping that in mind! Tough! Making things happen is not that easy after all. And for someone like me who thinks too much, it gets really difficult at times. It becomes all the more difficult when you mess something up. Hell yeah!! If you ask me what is the one word or bunch of words I would never ever like to use, it has to be "messing things up". More often than not, it is not the lack of knowledge/skill/tact that spoils your plans; it's the pressure that does...and then we end up saying maybe luck wasn't on your side! Yeah right! Luck is such a chancy phenomenon that you have to think twice in order to believe it exists. Okay, I'm not here to talk about luck right! So, there are these bloopers which keep surfacing once in a while reminding you that they exist and bring along with them various phases. To begin with, the goof up phase is followed by the dilemma phase which adds to the restlessness quotient and here's where your patience is tested and you are like why me????!!!!! I don't know how many of you have experienced this but this is precisely what I'm going through right now and is probably the reason why I thought of blogging.

Whoever said that I want to know what my life would be like, 2-3 years down the line? I'm totally fine with the surprise element :) however, I could certainly do without the uncertainty factor!! Getting rid of it completely is kinda hypothetical but I would definitely not mind if the UI (Uncertainty Index) dropped by a few points :) And for that to happen, maybe I need to pull up my socks ("socks" reminds me I have to go shopping :D)!! But seriously, I realize something needs to be done about this and now that I know what the "what" part is, the "how" portion of it, as Rhonda Byrne puts in The Secret, would be taken care of! (Thanks Universe!!) So, on that note and a positive one at that, I sign off!! But hey before I do that, I would like to honour uncertainties by saying just two words- BUZZ OFF!! :D

Wake Up Sid puts you off n how!

Okay so what was Ayan Mukherji thinking when he made this movie? I am pretty sure he was more occupied with the costumes, sets and all other aesthetic items rather than the story/script which happens to be the most basic part of any movie. Agreed that the movie is based on a conventional theme which leaves very little room for experimentation but that also means putting extra efforts in order to keep the audience's interest alive. Sadly, this doesn't happen.

So Sid, a downright wastrel with a devil-may-care attitude whose sole job is to squander his dad's money ends up flunking his exam, gets into a string of arguments with his dad and eventually leaves his home. Well, no surprsies there! Then, he moves in with Konkana Sen Sharma (I forgot her name in the film!), his good friend (who earns the "good" tag in a ridiculously short span of time!!) I know it's just a movie whatever! Anyway, to cut a long story short, Sid learns his lessons while he's staying with Konkana, ends up getting a job and eventually mends his broken family ties. But in the bargain, Konkana who is totally in love with Sid, is devastated as now he would no longer be staying with her...but Sid soon realizes he loves her too and Wake Up Sid finally ends! Phew!

Ranbir was uber cool in the movie...the styling, costumes everything was brilliant..there's not a shred of doubt about that! But the movie lacked content! Characters lacked strength and that's the reason why this movie fails or let's just say doesn't make a mark! You know when we checked the show timings, we learned that Cinemax was not even screening it (just in its 3rd week)! I was kinda surprised considering the movie got rave reviews and stuff....but after the movie I realized I shouldn't have been surprised at all!! Wake Up Sid just drags and by the time Sid wakes up, the audience ends up falling asleep! Too bad!

.......unleashing the power within

There are times when I wonder what if we led completely aimless lives? In fact, sometimes I do feel my life is absolutely aimless, filled with a void (oh cmon plz don't laugh!)..and then there are times when life offers so much that I'm overwhelmed by all the things around me....in short, life plays games with us and it is upto us to realize and at the same time distinguish between truth and illusion. Anything that is in abundance would never make you feel what it means to you till you experience a shortage of sorts (which by the way is a law so we shouldn't really blame ourselves :D)!

So in this royal mess called life, it is very important to know what you want, what is dear to you and then chase it accordingly. I have come to realize that once you know what you reallllly (note the Ls there!) want, all those dilemmas, apprehensions, fears vanish like they were never there at all! And a huge believer in God that I am, Mastercard's tagline works well for me although with a teeny weeny change - "for everything else, there's God!!" What a comforting line!

This one's a rather abstract post but just wanted to get my thoughts out of my mind and what better outlet than http://catchrucha.blogspot.com !!! :)

Even complete strangers can teach you a thing or two!

My Monday mornings (around 7:15) generally involve waiting at the Aundh bus stop to get back to Mumbai. Now, this has sort of become a routine unless I plan to stay in Mumbai on weekends...Anyway so this bus stop isn't any ordinary bus stop...it's a junction where all office goers, commuters (Pune-Mumbai travellers in particular) wait for their respective buses...The Neetas, Prasannas, Shivneris all halt here and in case you are a regular at this stop, you know you get to see a lot of familiar faces (as in people waiting for their Pune bound buses)...although the Pune Mumbai junta is not the same everytime....dunno why I see new faces all the time!

It was this morning that I discovered something after which my face simply lit up! I realized there's this uncle I keep seeing everytime, waiting for his office bus and always sporting a pleasant smile with such a refreshing look that would probably defy his age!! Seriously!! And that's when I was like if people his age can be so cheerful and lively, why can't we? Believe it or not, most of the youngsters at this bus stop have such expressions on their faces as if tragedy's struck or something!! I know that isn't my problem..it's entirely upto them to choose their expressions but it makes me wonder especially when I look at this ever smiling uncle (I don't even know him by the way!!) and I feel like yes, this is how life is meant to be lived! So what if I have to go to work, so what if I have to travel all the way to Mumbai, my smile is my asset and I should flaunt it no matter what! :)

Kudos to this stranger who taught me something today :)

Inspirations appear in some form or the other!

On a lazy Sunday evening, I tuned in to NDTV 24x7....it was the 'The Car and Bike Show' on air hosted by an incredibly dynamic and charismatic guy called Siddharth Vinayak Patankar. The omniscient Google helped me find out the name and his background:) Anyway, coming straight to the point, Siddharth, a reporter with NDTV since 1999 and now an editor, is a deadly combination of flamboyance, brilliance and panache. I was completely awed by his style and wondered how reporters like him could be so perfect! Soon, I realized, if there's anyone I would want to be like, it's him! And by the way, when I said he's a huge inspiration for me, my team mates winked at me...alright the guy is good looking but that isn't his fault na...he's one helluva reporter!

In our busy schedules and our pursuit for growth, we need people to draw inspiration from...people we can learn from...after all, that is what makes this ride called life complete and fulfilling :) It's upto us to identify our idols and learn a thing or two from them. Believe me, it is from such folks you get your courage and confidence! To me, Siddharth symbolizes zeal, intelligence and most importantly, amazing confidence!! His shows on NDTV absolutely delight yours truly! Hats off to Mr. Patankar :))

You ain't seen nothing yet!

Well it's not that I want to get philosophical or something but there are experiences in life which make you think hard in order to find out why something is happening to you or why you come across people who are almost impossible to deal with...like in the last 2-3 months, there were a couple of challenges both on work and personal fronts. As far as work goes, well I guess I had my share of ups and downs, not the sinusoidal kinds though!! :D And when your ego clouds your mind, you are in deep trouble! It then doesn't matter what you think for the simple reason that at the end it is gonna leave you frustrated about everything. As it is, frustration in this world is like a commodity which is up for grabs and that is probably the reason why we all end up picking quite a chunk of it! That is why, Rule #1 is to keep that ever inflating ego aside and think with a relaxed mind...again, the intention isn't to get preachy here! But this is what I realized of late and I thought this is something which I ought to share with everyone. One round of introspection once in a while can do you a world of good! Trust me ;) Another thing I observed is we sometimes, blow things out of proportion....this I concluded after my chats with mommy darling, my life skills coach! :) So, Rule #2 is to treat all problems uniformly and not to attach so much importance that all the other things in life cease to matter! And that's that.

As for the impossible souls one has to deal with, I wonder why they do not fall under the extinct species...maybe if they did, how would you and me learn our lessons? :D You know if you ACCEPT things in life, half your problems actually disappear! For example, since I'm like a cleanliness freak, I expect everybody else to be like that (read roomies)....but that is where the huge mistake lies! Forget cleanliness and if indifference is all you get, you have a sure shot recipe to go berserk! !#@$#@ This is where Rule #3 comes into picture which is "It just doesn't matter coz we need to respect people's idiosyncrasies and eccentricities after all" HEHAHAHA!! Maybe this is my way of comforting myself but it does help! I mean not everyone can be like me and it is this difference I believe that sets me apart! I am not on an ego trip mind you but when you come across lousy people in life, you're compelled to make such statements! Take it or leave it!

Sarabhai vs Sarabhai!

I don't even remember the last time I blogged (alright there is the time stamp just below the post so what:D).....again just as I mentioned in my earlier post, too many things have happened since I last blogged....some controversial, some nasty, some fun etc etc. Deja vu or what!

And I so hate it when I can't blog :((( Now that I'm done cribbing, I can start with the actual post!

Recently, I happened to watch an episode of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, a comedy serial that's aired on Star One. Boy that's one heck of a show! The characters, the performances, the comic timing...it's just legendary [Barney style ;)]! I had always heard people going gaga over it but I never really got a chance to check it out myself. And now I'm like a huge fan of the show! I'm still on a lookout for all the 60 episodes that were aired; for now, surviving on the episodes I managed to get my hands on!!

Maya Sarabhai is a pleasure to watch...full marks to Ratna Pathak Shah for her acting which according to Maya's lingo would qualify as 'upmarket', if you know what I mean :D Indravadan, Sahil, Monisha all of them add to the humour quotient...hey and I haven't mentioned the funniest of all...yes Rosesh Sarabhai...momma & whoopy, his hallmarks are amazing creations!!!

Even if you are like in the most awful mood, just a single episode can work wonders in terms of fixing your mood.....hats off to the creator of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai! I just love it :) And by the way, not getting time to blog is just 'so middle class' hahaha!!

It's nice to see your letter published in the newspaper especially if it's The Times of India!!

...and it's just a click away!

Missed blogging!

It feels great to be back on blogger especially after such a long break; the break wasn't a deliberate one...it's just that when you've got too many things to do, you kinda get stuck somehow.

Anyway, to sum it all up, life has been full of drama since the last time I blogged. Too bad I won't be able to write about it coz the drama was on the personal front :D Hey but a lot of drama has been happening in the Indian political scene as well and how!! Add to it the ongoing IPL saga...in short, there's drama all over :) Do you think I'm straying from the topic but I guess there isn't any topic in the first place heahahahhaha!!

Well, actually I have got way too many books to read for now so will be back soon :)

A Gimmick called "upto 51% off"...

What do normal people generally do on weekends especially when it's the "end of season" sale everywhere? Right, they go shopping....which is precisely what I did along with my roomies on saturday...there was this huge Shoppers' Stop ad that was published in Bombay Times which we came across and thought of giving it a try...and off we went to Inorbit, Vashi...little did we know that what was in store for us was huge disappointment...:(

Ok, so Inorbit Mall is located right next to Vashi railway station and boy! it's one helluva mall! It's colossal and houses all the branded stores you could possibly think of and that might lead you into believing that shopping over here, must be a completely different experience altogether....which is actually true...you know why? coz we ended up getting back empty handed! I would say, that is a completely different experience indeed!!! Not one store had decent stuff to offer and in the name of 50% off, they had all trashy items on display. Believe it or not, every single store had the most hideous collection ever which is why maybe, Inorbit witnessed low footfalls! Forget the quality of the collection, what was all the more frustrating was the pricing...ordinary stuff with extraordinary (read huge) price tags...aarghh...mall experience REdefined I guess...

I don't say malls always have the best to offer but you do expect to pick a couple of things at least, if you are out shopping...anyway, sometimes things get strange :D

And speaking of strange things, this cafe I spotted at Inorbit needs a mention...it's called "Potpourri"; nothing strange about that, in fact, it being my blog's namesake, I like it even more...what was strange cum funny was the fact that the cafe had a marathi board which read "पोट पूरी" (the 't' is silent for heaven's sake)! I bet that made you laugh hahaha!!

A HIT...and mind you, NOT by chance!!

So I find myself booking tickets for Luck By Chance on a Saturday morning, that too at 9:30 am and 9:30 being the operative word rather number :D But considering the astronomical ticket rates at multiplexes nowadays, it's these morning shows that come to the rescue of us otherwise huge money spenders (courtesy Shoppers' Stop, Brand Factory et al)!! Anyway, that's really not the idea behind this post...
Let's get straight to the point...Zoya Akhtar, the Director has finally arrived! Yep it's Luck By Chance I'm talking about and trust me, what a fantabulous movie! Intense, intelligent and leaves you wanting for more...all the characters have been etched in such a superb fashion that you get to see different facets of the ever intriguing human psyche! Hats off to both Farhan and Konkana for such brilliant performances and not just them, it's the entire cast that's done a fab job!

The opening credits feature with all those people in the background, who are associated with the film industry in some way or the other...be it the tailor stitching clothes or artists painting posters or even people selling tickets at the counters in cinema halls...of course, the list doesn't here...Zoya has been pretty meticulous about it! If this is how the film kickstarts, then you know what's in store for you..yep something beyond your money's worth! Having said that, I would like to add that you would also come across Farhan shooting songs a la Shahrukh (the typical mushy romantic songs that Shahrukh's delivered till date) but even then he isn't bad after all haha!! The screenplay is excellent and for all you movie buffs (even non-movie buffs) out there, it's a real treat in the form of Luck By Chance!

All said and done, it's a hit and definitely NOT by chance!!

Daylight Robbery!

Often we come across overpriced items in malls, swanky retail chains and it gives you this "what-the-hell-how-can-something-be-priced-like-that-when-it's-not-worth-it" feeling! Well, that's what today's mall experience is all about. If you are lucky, you could get a fair deal but that's rare. And you go to a relatively smaller shop, chances are that you may get the same thing cheaper. Such is life.

Well, this experience is not just limited to malls. There are more players here...a visit to your doctor may leave you with a similar feeling. I'll tell you how.
The other day, I went to my doc for some reason and I was prescribed medication for two days...the doc's advice came with a disclaimer saying if I wasn't alright in two days' time, I would have to drop in again at her clinic. I took it with a pinch of salt hoping that such a thing wouldn't happen...but as luck (or the lack of it) would have it, I had to drop by for the second time at her clinic...things were fine until I was asked to shell out the same amount I had paid her two days back. I was shellshocked at this atrocious act...I mean as far as possible, aren't docs supposed to treat/cure their patients in one go or is it something that has to happen in dribs and drabs?? To top it all, she says, that's how the system works and if I visit her for the third time, I need to pay her the same amount AGAIN!!! I'm sorry lady if you can't do your job well, you have absolutely no right to blame it on the system...probably it's time to get your act together coz there are way too many docs out there and probably doing a much better job than you...