Archive for October, 2009

Shopping is always good fun

{ October 17, 2009 @ 4:11 am } · { PSBB, chennai, on and off, ramblings }
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Either you love it or hate it but you never escape it,thats a very cheesy way of putting across the experience of shopping but I would take that. Shopping like all the things in life which is fun but injurious like smoking,drinking,doping and blah blah is addicting. And its a costly and a time consuming addiction. There is an art involved in it. You need to know what to buy and where,bargain the correct way,see the most susceptible face and catch hold of that shop keeper and get yourself a good deal.I always love the whole experience.I still remember the blast we had in college trying to get ourselves cocktail dresses in a boutique. We would try out all clothes and pose for pictures and the shrewd owner would pretend not to notice because she knows we would ultimately fall for one.

There have been whole set of research papers on why women like to shop and men dont. People have come up with all kinds of suppositions and theories that I would come to believe it holds a vital key to unlocking the human psychology.And i really dont give a damn. I think people should work on how to open men up to the possibility of showing an ounce of patience when on a shopping trip.that particular evolution needs to come along. I have shopped in many places but the place I loved the most so far is Goa’s flea markets. They are designed for you to sin ,literally.Its the kind of place where your bank account would always take a nosedive,so throw your cards out before you enter the shop lest you end up spending a fortune.

But theres always a moderation thats needed and its with time you learn not to buy everything you see like a kid in a supermarket.But whats most interesting while shooping is to observe the riot of colors on the streets. its always fun to shop on the streets than showrooms. You save money and you enjoy yourselves. Its often a photographer’s delight.The people crawling across,the expression on their faces ,the vivid madness of it all is always worth capturing.I find the entire experience rejunevating and why not you are after all buying yourself some good stuff and thats always fun!

Chetan Bhagat’s ‘2 States ,The Story of My Marriage’-A Review

{ October 13, 2009 @ 7:03 am } · { QTB, book review, ramblings, review }
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Chetan Bhagat’s latest offering exactly takes off where he last left with 3 Mistakes of My Life.By now you as a reader would have settled into a familiar rhythm with this fellow. From the mandatory number in his title to his sense of humor you must have seen it all.But the reason why he clicks is also the reason why rom coms are a hit-its fun. His latest book is perhaps the best one after that much promising debut. Its tailor made for a movie and I want to see one by Imtiaz Ali.The story is about cross cultural differences and their significance in a love marriage.His sense of humor is at its easiest best.By now we know his books are always semi autobiographical and Hari,Shyam,Krish are all same at some level. He takes on the vibrant Punjabi culture and the more conservative tamil counterpart with a perfect sense of familiarity and alieness combined. His mockery as he says in the prologue is laced with liberal doses of affection.
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So if you are a tam bram or a punjabi you would all the more enjoy this book if you have the ability to laugh at your own community Some of his one liners are just on the dot like the one where he says there is absolutely no love left between a couple by the time you convince both the families for an amicable marriage.Another one where he says what a marble is to a Punjabi is the same as a foreign degree to a Tamil.Or his poking fun at the quiet tamil households and fat punjabi aunties is equally fun.
He gets most of his facts right from the various tamil ceremonies involved to the lifestyle of the people. Thus he notes all that would be familiar to the people from the community-the idlis in the morning,quiet lunches,carnatic music,hindu,even Bay Area in US,obsession with IITs and IIMs and so on. The only place where he slips is when he confuses a nakshatram or a star with a jaatakam and the name manjunath is hardly a common tamil iyer name more likely to be a kandu one.

When you read a bhagat you read it because its entertaining not for literary value, so grab a hot mug of coffee,recline on a sofa or bean bag comfortably ,put on some good music and munch along a bag of chips as ypu read his latest book. Its fun,light hearted and entertaining!