Pottermania and me!

My mom grew up with the Enid Blyton books and she recommended those to me. I grew up reading the Famous five, Nancy drew et al.. Then one day me and my frns found the sweet valley twins, high series n started reading them. When we were almost done with it, came a new sensation across the globe “HARRY POTTER”.. the best part..my mom didnt read it.. I was going to read it before her… I heard from so many tat its awesome n I  had a hard time getting my hands on tat book.. i didnt have pocket money back then to go n buy the book..so I wud wait for my library to get it and read it.. And finally I read the first book..:D..WOWW it was..

 

Most of us have this habit of forming our own pictures/frames while readin a book. I did too.. and picturing the harry potter books in my mind, it ws mindblowing.. I used to wait for every other book to be released.. The book wasn’t a sensation just among kids.. among adults as well. JKR rocks ,I used to think n I still  think so…I used to read them again during the vacation and used to wish my school ws Hogwarts. And after a vacation I used to feel so bad tat me n my friends didn’t study at Hogwarts and didn’t have subjects like Potions, Dark arts etc..

Then the best news came.. Harry Potter was going to be made as a movie.. Once again I couldnt wait to see the characters and the book come alive.. I remember the discussions we had as to how wonderful it would be to see Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred ,George, Quidditch, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Kings Cross, Diagon Alley, Gringotts, HOGWARTS..I could go on and on..

And finally the movie released..  the first movie will forever be special to me. It was the first movie I saw without my parents. The first movie , my friends n I saw together, the first time I sneaked out , lied to my folks n went for the movie, the first time i discovered I’m horrible at lying cos the very same day I bluffed something and my folks found out we went for a movie..

We saw it at Sathyam Cinemas..I remember we were at the edge of our seats wen the movie started. I can never describe that feeling, to see my imagination come alive.. and JKR had written so well.. what I had imagined and what the movie was, they were almost similar..I enjoyed every bit of it.the movie, the time out wit my girls..

And from then on, the whole world , like us, kept waiting for the next book and the movie.. The books released and Pottermania came to an end with the deathly hallows.. The movies were left. and this year the last part released..I saw facebook status updates “An era ends”.. I saw the last part today.. just that I went with mom.. was fun again.. cos she follows Harry Potter too.. But as the movie was coming to an end..I started feeling uncomfortable .. It ws true an era ws ending.. ..

I could recall the first time I was there to see Harry Potter in action  at Sathyam and today I was again at Sathyam to see it all end..Back then, the audience clapped for each scene, be it the sorting hat, the train, Platform nine and three quarters, Hogwarts.. and today.. we were applauding when Neville killed the snake and Voldemort was gone forever.. and it was the END..the real THE END..cos all these years each time the movie ended, we knew there was a next part.. We were all up and applauding..A standing ovation of sorts to Potter era.. The movie was over, the Harry Potter series was over. I missed my friends.. There are so many memories attached to these books n movies. I understood what my mom felt about her Famous Five series and her young days.. I know I would be  recommending my kids Harry Potter jus like my mom recommended Famous Five to me..:)..

When the movie ended, I felt a part of my childhood came to an end.

@Jels, Vid n Ro.. Wish we went for the last part  at Sathyam together too .. Love u al, miss u

R.I.P.!! We couldn’t meet but I’ll miss you!

The weekend was over . A nice weekend.

Watched my favorite star’s movie.. Back home and had a nice dinner, spent some good time on my laptop after quite sometime. Then I hit the bed and so did my family. We were all sound asleep when my dad’s phone kept ringing. Of course I didn’t hear that.. It rang thrice it seems after which my dad finally picked it up. The call that has left us wide awake.

Mom woke me up and I struggled to open my eyes, I saw my mom’s face, a worried and shocked one. She then told me  ” Riya Ravi (name changed*) passed away!” And that was it.. I was wide awake too. To me , she is my colleague and a one time call friend. I found myself sitting in utter disbelief on my bed, trying to make sense out of what I heard, trying to figure out if I was dreaming or if it were all true. Then I went across to the hall. I found my dad sitting silently on the sofa, staring blankly at the table, then the floor, then at his phone.All along he didn’t notice I was there. Then he made a couple of calls. I knew he was calling his best friend Hari to tell him about Riya, his best friend’s daughter.

Ravi (name changed*), Hari, dad and a few others are good friends, from the same batch. All of them started out together in the film industry and are still together. And Riya is Ravi’s daughter. Ravi and dad wanted  Riya n I to meet and become friends. When dad told  this  months back and asked me to give her a call, I was like “What???”.. I kept postponing  and avoiding it for sometime. Finally one day I took her number and dialled. It rang a few times and then came a “Hello”.. It took me almost ten seconds to react and return the hello. Trust me, it was quite awkward to call some girl up and tell,”Hey our dads are best friends,come on lets meet and be friends too”

The initial 2 to 3 minutes were quite funny, but after that when the two of us learnt that we felt the same way about making the call, we were totally comfortable and spoke for almost 15 to 20 min. For me, striking a conversation with a person I don’t know for that long is a big deal. Once again, she felt the same way. That was what she told me when we hung up ..Our conversation circled our dads, their work, and how both of us landed in IT instead of our dad’s profession, and Infosys, the work, the FC,  where she stayed, how she was finding chennai. I learnt she lived with friends in an apartment, went home for weekends. She didn’t like the food all that much at our food court. She was telling me that I must be enjoying working at chennai cos my place is here and that I get to eat my mom’s food everyday. When she found out that I was out into CCD and how I ended up there she felt genuinely bad about it and then to lighten the mood, she started kidding that she will trouble me here after if she and her friends had any issues with their pc or work. We later decided that we ll meet sometime at office for a coffee or juice, and we were telling  that we might have already seen each other a lot but didn’t know that she was Riya and I was Priyanka ..So after a nice long talk, we hung up.

After the call, I just looked at my phone and smiled. You know how it feels after having a nice chat. That call had a feel good factor to it. I thought it was not a bad idea that I gave her a cal. I was worried that she might not talk properly and just hang up in a minute, but she was so sweet and friendly. I know she must have been a wonderful person. For few people , I can just tell it from their voice , the way they speak.. She was one such person. A lovely girl!

And now , she is no more..its so hard to believe. She met with an accident, along with two more girls, few hours ago. A car accident, her dad had gifted her the Ford since her other car was quite old now. Dad and Hari  helped Ravi Uncle deliver it to  her a month or so back.  Ravi Uncle’s manager gave dad that call to inform about the accident.He said that Riya and her two friends passed away in the accident  I believe the girls might be her roomies. He said that he was on his way to the Chengalpet hospital. Dad is also on his way there now.And here I am, at my laptop scribbling away  not knowing what to do cos I just can’t believe the girl I spoke to just once, the girl that made me realize that striking a conversation with a stranger isnt tough after all, my colleague, my dad’s best friend’s daughter, the girl my dad wanted me to be friends with is no more.

We both had to and wanted to meet, but we just put it off after that one long feel-good conversation and now its too late!

May God give strength to the families of Riya and the two girls.

Riya, We didn’t meet, but that one conversation was truly special. It was great talking to you.My family and  I have been up all night and I have been thinking of our conversation. You shall be missed. Love you Riya, May your soul rest in peace.

Just a thought!

Mood: Sad yet happy :s

Listening to : Danza kuduro -Fast Five sound track  ( I dnt understand a word in tat song, nor do i want to know.. I just love this number)

Its been quite a while since I blogged. Everyday I read my colleagues’ blogs and I get tempted to start one there and write, because most of the time I am at office. I feel like writing and I don’t have access to wordpress there

How would you feel if someone doesn’t let you do what you want to do?.. I know its horrible..I have been through it. Mom used to do that , but only because she cared for me. And few days back I did that for someone .. only difference was that he wasn’t my kid!

When it comes to dealing with guys , I can say I am pretty good or lets say I was!

I was I’d say because I was single back then..he he.. I have become a bit stern nowadays to my guy, listing do’s and dont’s..And I feel terrible about it. Cos that is just not me!! But somehow I realised this yesday that guys would not be nice  if we drew the lines for them. They hate it and that’s when we invite trouble for ourselves. So i decided to  give him the freedom he wants.. and it would be his definition of freedom not mine..The more you try to keep him to yourself the more you are pushing him away.. Well that’s how I ll feel if someone did that to me.. On reading, you might be thinkin I have been giving the guy a tough time, you must be thinking I am a total villain… Well i am not.. I am just confessing my stupidity of late.

As much as they love you, they also love their bachelor life. And as long as they tell you everything about it, you don’t have to worry. Well my guy does.

Don’t hold him back (in captive ), let him go and enjoy as much as he wants. At least this way you will know about everything he does, else he will have to hide and do things from you..which one is better? Ask yourself! And despite giving the freedom, if he chooses to hide things from you, do stuff behind your back, You’re better off without him!!!

P.S : Giving them the freedom, gives you the freedom as well !!

What if..!!!

What if I had never let you go..la la laa laa sung by Kate Winslet..Yes that’s one of my favorite songs…But no.. My post today is not about that.. Its about the What if’s in real life situations.

I wish I was a kid who didn’t have to do all the thinking, live life like a king..always n forever.. but that didn’t happen..I grew up!! And today am working, earning for a living, doing the math to spend and save, trying to figure out the taxes n stuff,  waiting for weekends to have a vacation out of it n so much more.. God.. I really miss the assignments and exams..They were so much easier

Is it so tough for me cos I am in an IT field, somethin I was least bit interested in?.. Is it cos I dont find myself doing anythin creative?..Is it because I dont find time for myself?..Or Is it cos I  work for a reputed concern, have a decent pay and have a life that looks so comfortable from a third person’s point of view?

What If I did what I wanted to right from start.What if I hadn’t  listened to my parents and continued with my interests like music, dance, writing and made a profession out of it, Would i have been happier? Would I have had a comfortable life?…

Why is it that you have to think so much when you grow up? I know ..ppl would just say.. go by your gut feeling, do what you want to do.. It sounds so great , you’re almost there to start off doing what u love..and al of a sudden there are so many voices telling you “this is a good decision.. this s the worst mistake of your life..you’ll do great, you ll be a poor soul ..you cant fend for your family with this..blah blah blah”

Its so bugging sometimes….you’ve so much within you but you can’t move on with al these complications in your head.. One would love to ignore all of it and claim that they’re ready to do what they want to do..but its tough when you’re an adult, you constantly weight the pros and cons for anythin n everythin, cos you cant afford to take the wrong decision.. the What if’s keep lurking in ur mind somewhere

Well a pretty insane post huh? :s.. I know I cant help it.. am aiming at a career shift..switch to do stuff I only dreamed of.. But I am in ocean of What If’s…Argh!

I guess soon enuf I am gonna take the risk and give it all a shot.. cos I wouldn’t know if I never tried..If it all goes well then it ll be great.. and if it doesn’t, I’ll just call it a long break or a vacation sorts from what I’m doing right now

The Daily Trauma..apart from work :P

Current Status : Confused & Tired, Staring at my pc al de time.

“Alright Alright, I lost the postaday challenge but no harm starting off again right??”, says my mind.. so I guess I’ll start again

From my last post one can easily guess I didnt have anything concrete to write about,  not that I have one now ..Well, I am scribbling cos I just want to write .. I’ll let you people in on a little secret.. Whenever my mood is low or if I am super frustrated, or somethin like my current status, I have to listen to music with my headset on.. Music, anythin would do from the list I have on my mobile or I should be listening to music and travel in a bus ( I know thats weird ) or I have to scribble whatever I am thinking.. This time its the pc infront of me, So am writing.

Today am gonna scribble about the traffic here in Chennai, India that is the major reason why most people get back home with a foul mood ..Especially for people like me who travel 50 Kms ..to and fro..everyday ..to get to work and go back home.. Morning I have to leave my place by 6.20 to catch the bus to reach office by 7.45 am..spend 9.15 hours at work.. leave from work at around 5.20 pm..travel the same distance n reach home by 7 pm with no traffic, and if there’s traffic..then its 8.30 or 9 PM.. and as soon as I reach home, My day is almost over :O.. Why won’t I be in a foul mood!!!

Well the government and all those biggies, traffic control system etc are doing every bit to have a smooth flow of traffic, especially during the peak hours. There are so many fly over’s coming up, many have already come up, metro rails et al..al of this to help us commute better.. But here’s the common man always creating the traffic, no matter what..

Yes its the people who always create the traffic jam , making travel hell for themselves and others.

Its rare that I sleep while I am travelling, And last week I did, when I was returning home in my office bus. I woke up all of a sudden, with so much honking, the roaring engines, people yelling at each other and I was almost falling off the seat in my bus..after which the bus came to halt and all the vehicles came to stand still, with the engines still running..It took me quite sometime to figure out what was happening..And then..It was nothing new.. the same old traffic..Arrrggghh!

There are lanes for the motorists  and same way for the buses , cars, lorries, tankers etc..But no one follows that.. There would be a signal ahead.. It would be red , so anyways u gotta stop there. only when it turns green can you move.. but nope.. that doesnt go into the ppl’s head at all.. I wonder if they keep their brain aside while driving.. all the vehicles have to be there at the starting point, lik its some kind of race, and the signal is their starting point..so they don’t wait behind each other, they overtake, they no longer drive on the road but on the platform, especially the two-wheelers and reach there.. And when the signal turns green, they’re all stalled there.. motorists squeeze their way out like a snake and go.. the other vehicles keep honking.. in the meanwhile, some lorry would have hit a car in all this chaos, and there’ll be a scratch or a dent in the car.. so the car owner stops and the drivers of both the vehicles start fighting and blaming each other.. both of them are not ready to move their vehicles,  until one decides to pay for it or a traffic police comes over.. so the other vehicles behind have to just watch all the drama and wait ..

And this gets worse, if the road is narrow and there’s a two-way traffic, Well I travel in one such road everyday, I literally pray everyday before reaching there, that there should be no traffic.. Cos  the same thing happens, and the worse part… vehicles from both the sides just end up facing each other.. not one can move.. My house is just 15 min away from that place but if there’s a traffic jam it takes me almost an hour n a half to reach..

If this is one sort of problem in traffic, the other reasons would be political meetings, or some politician would be crossing that place so all the vehicles have to wait till that person crosses, else it would be a funeral procession or some accident.. And Accident , yet again cos of not following traffic rules, rash driving, guys driving bikes at speed so high like that of those in race courses..if they are so keen why don’t they go to F1 racing and show their stunts there instead of killing themselves and others with their driving, same with cars and lorries..

An will you believe , each day its only getting worse.. the traffic and the driving.. I am so scared to drive on the main roads these days…

And this is the part which gets on my last nerve.. there’s a hell lotta traffic only when I’m heading back home and I reach damn so late and there’s absolutely no traffic while coming to office: |..Why Why Why????

Clueless n Bored

Its been a very dry day although its friday..I wonder why!!..

Back home early from work..online.. with family..its nice.. but still boring..I am bored after a long time I guess.. I find nothing to do :O..

I don find anythin great to blog about..So am just scribbling away ..

Gonna meet my friends from school tomorrow..a reunion sorts..lets see how many turn up!!.. Shd be fun! I m just hopin i wake up on time n I don feel lazy tomorrow

Tried waking fluffy up but in vain ..She’s sleeping like  a log ..Argh!

I guess I’l  do de sand sequin art thingy i bought,  ..I hope I get somethin nice to write about in soon!!..Cya for now

WTF!!!!

Social networking sites, Facebook, Twitter everywhere!..

I saw a tweet yesterday which said , “We are the WTF generation – Wikipedia , Twitter , Facebook “.. I simply loved it

I must say Facebook  has been the most interesting social networking site (SNS) so far, atleast for me.. And Tweeting is fun!

There’s a trend in each phase of life..I’ve witnessed it.. Started with the video games, remote controlled toys, computers, Internet, Yahoo, Gmail, messenger, YM, Gtalk, Orkut etc.. and now its facebook and twitter.. If at all you haven’t been through any of this, people think you’re some kinda alien, someone who doesn’t have a life, someone who is basically boring!.. outdated, an old generation etc ..

And if you have been up to date with all of it, you’re simply the coolest kid in the block!..Hell yeah.!..And today, the craze is just too much, Its gone so far that companies have to ban these sites so that their employees didn’t spend their time in social networking..And eventually people look for proxies cos they just can’t sit without it. I am not going to accuse the FB, Twitter crazy ppl, cos I m into them too, wel of course I ain’t all that crazy about it ..

And ours is the generation which has short forms of almost everything..You have LOL, ASAP, FYI, LMAO, ROFL, BRB, BFF, TIA..and the list would go on and on..short forms for messaging to formal mails. ..How much more lazy can we get???

Orkutting,facebooking, tweeting..new terms we created.. some day they might even find a place in the dictionary for our kids I guess!

We think we have so much fun doing all of this, we actually  forget what fun really means. I loved the part where Adam Sandler tried to get his kids out to play and showed them how much more fun it is outside.. in the REAL world in Grown-ups! ..Cos trust me, our generation is missing out a lot and no wonder we all are lazy gooses and get tired very easily.. But hey one would definitely argue, why slog out at a farm when you can do farming sitting on a couch, run a cafe, or build a city, own a zoo, birdland, do some treasure hunting , play FIFA, wrestling, Cricket etc.. all from one place!.. Seems like a very intelligent argument na.. but trust me its no where close to the REAL FUN one can have! If only one could get his butt off the couch and move around a bit.. And I will confess, that I have been a couch potato ever since I started working.. I have fun with these SNS’s but I terribly miss the fun I used to have!

Ppl these days are so much worried about when they have to harvest, or what if their crops withered ..that they totally forget there’s a life outside the computer!.. How about we played some real time games like “Homeville”, ‘FamilyVille”..”GET-A-LIFE”ville!!

I was in to farming, I am playing cityville..But my patience lasts maximum til level 25 or so ..

Tweeting and status update on FB.. Sometimes they are really funny.. One would even update : “In the loo”.. LOL!!

That’s the situation these days….Some ppl put up totally funny updates, at the same time few are really good!!..

But no complaints..everyone’s doing  that now, so do I..Someday this would wear off too and there will be a new trend .. once again… ..

So until then Its WTF i!!!