I was going through my drafts and I found this Tag.I am just incredibly busy these days and so have been unable to post.Went home for a couple of weeks mid-April, bought a new phone(A N73-I am in love again....ah the seductive joys of seamless wireless file sharing! I love Bluetooth(Yes it is a big deal if you consider the fact that my last phone would switch off every time I pressed '9' on it ) , voted for the first time(this would go into another post),managed to finish One hundred years of solitude,The Black Book(which was on the list since last July!) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist(really not up to the hype-a big letdown)Also was gifted the Entire Sandman series on my birthday! :D(I know you guys are sick already with all the gloating but seriously...do you know anyone as lucky ?).This tag is kinda sappy and I still can't remember where I flicked it from but here goes:

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your first thought be?->Screw Everyone!I hate this world.Then probably go and listen to some Nirvana.

2. If you can have a dream coming true, what would it be?->Spending all my life reading in a room full of books.
3. What is the one thing most hated by you?->The current misuse of the world 'culture' to depict seemingly legal activities in a bad light .E.g. 'Pub Culture','Eating-out Culture' etc.This is being done quite frequently and I am sick of it.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?-> invest some and spend some to buy a house for myself. will stop working and tour the world.Perhaps start my own firm if I am not too bored.

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?->I don't think so.It is too complicated and is not fun.

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?->loving someone because in this you can improvise.You just have to accept what you get when you are being loved by someone but loving someone can be done in unique and myriad ways.

7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?->I don't have to.I am already in love.

8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?->think of someone else.simple.lot of fishes in the sea :D

9. If you like to act with someone, who will it be? Your gf/bf or an actress/actor?-> No one.I would perhaps like to watch Jack Nicholson or Leanardo di Caprio when they shoot for scenes.

10. What takes you down the fastest?-> I don't know what this means but what totally demoralizes me is disinterest esp in people you care, for you.

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?-> probably a lot more fitter and slimmer and surer of what I want to do.

12. What’s your fear?->The only fear I have is of not being able to live upto my own ideals.

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?-> Like I said,I don't even remember where I got this from.

14. Would you rather be single and rich, or married but poor?->married but poor.I think poverty is a lesser curse when compared to loneliness.

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?-> look at my cell phone to see how late it is.

16. Would you give all in a relationship?->I would certainly want to give as much I can but not give up on things which I think makes me what I am.

17. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?->The one who loves me back more?

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?-> No.I hope I won't get into such nasty situations.

19. If you get to go back in time and fall in love all over again , would it still be with the same person?->Yes.I am not allowed to say anything else. :D

20. What will you do about climate crisis?-> try hybrid cars and solar heating and lighting systems.probably convince people to become vegetarians.

25 random things you did not know about me:The facebook tag

I was tagged on Facebook by The Diva.

1. I am an early riser.I am happiest if I can be up at 5 before sun rise which doesn't happen too often these days.
2. I can't understand the whole fuss about "How I met your mother' and don't find it particularly funny.However I am a big fan of Seinfeld and Will&Grace.
3. I've never read any Shakespeare (if you discount A mid summer night's dream in Sandman)
4. I love eating a variety of fruits except Watermelon.That's because when I was a kid I ate a whole watermelon and promptly puked my guts out.My favourite fruit is Orange.
5. My favourite characters in books are angst-y troubled people like Raskolnikov,Ameena Sinai,Gregor Sampsa,Rorschach (can't think any more right now :-) )
6. I am a big sucker for museums.I try to check out at least one museum in every city that I visit time permitting.Paris was a very difficult city in this regard.
7. When I was a kid,one of my favourite pastimes was to pore over Atlases.I can still recall a frightfully big number of countries and capitals.At the risk of sounding bombastic,I might just beat you in a geography quiz unless you happen to be a Geography major :-)
8. Just to clear the air on the confusion created by my various testimonials on Orkut-I support Chelsea very casually.I started supporting The Blues when Crespo used to play for them.Actually I am big Argentina fan so back then,among the major English clubs,it was only Chelsea which had an Argentinian player.Now,it is quite different so you might just catch me celebrating a Tevez or a Messi score for ManU or Barca even against Chelsea. :-)
9. I prefer Nokia phones(other than for obvious reasons) because they let me drop them from crazy heights.Once back from Goa,I was able to extract a fistful of sand (and I am not fibbing) from my Nokia phone after I disassembled it :-) They are magnificently sturdy.
   
10. I am an optimist by nature.
11. I am a tea drinker.I was once a coffee drinker and would plead with mom to put some drops of decocotion in my milk when I was a kid.When I was a little older,I even tried milky coffee with my Chocos.But now, I prefer the unhurried mellowness of tea.
12. At precisely this point I was interrupted in office by my manager looking over my shoulder into my screen.Somehow whenever he strolls by he always catches me at some random work unrelated website.This has led him to believe I am an Anarchist and a Satan worshiper.
13. I am somehow the attractor and retainer of bad genes in my family.The tendency to put on weight and the tendency to lose hair from my father's side.Being hard of hearing at an early age from my mother's side* and random facial injuries-the work of my sis(Its not a genetic thing but I had to mention this :-D )
14. I think all tongue twisters are just too lame when compared to the baap of all tongue twisters( courtesy Vineet Jain)-"Upper Roller Lower Roller"-try it and I shall treat anyone who can do this continuously five times without faltering
15. I prefer Facebook over Orkut
16. I think Obama rocks.The man justifies the hype.I especially like the way he is trying to address the Iran issue.He exemplifies the fact that most great leaders are also great men of words and rhetoric.
    
17. I agree with those people who say that 300 the movie was overtly sexist and contrary to expectation,this is what I found out about the Spartans
18. I find it amusing that Frieda Pinto is suddenly the talk of the town and that people are suddenly going gaga over Slumdog's soundtrack when it is most easily Rehman's worst composition.Just gets to show that the world knows zilch about India.
    
19. I prefer Beer,Whiskey the way it is supposed to be had and Scotch.I think Guiness is undrinkable.Not also too big a fan of Fosters.I once tried to convince a friend that VAT 69 is actually a government-made Whiskey and is a brand to promote V.A.T. I don't remember much before or after that.
20. I would like to have a house with wooden floors.Concrete just doesnt feel right under your feet.
21. I can eat Pasta anytime of the day.I prefer Penne,Macaroni,Fusili in that order and don't like Spaghetti or Lasagna
22. Indian states that I have not been to-Himachal Pradesh,the whole of North East,Andman and Lakshadweep,Punjab,Haryana.
23. I am once a skeptic then a firm believer and now I would call myself agnostic
24. I turned 24 this 24th of March
25. ending with a Jim Morrison quote-"I believe in a long, prolonged, derangement of the senses in order to obtain the unknown."

*though my mom still retains her hearing and my dad is not overweight I am referring to thier respective sides of the family

PS:Happy Ugadi to all!

Every once in a while a tag salvages the blog from utter obscurity

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No one.My parents wanted a small and a simple name and they wanted a name which would start with an 'R' like my sister
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
About a year and half ago
DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I hate it.People have problems understanding it.I have trouble reading it sometimes.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Do not have meat for lunch or for any other meal.Strict Vegetarian.
DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No
IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Definitely, though I would have problems breaking the ice.
DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Not a lot but a little.I usually hate sarcastic people.Sarcasm is good for British Sitcoms and nothing more.
DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes,I do and I also retain all of my vestigial organs/parts most notable my Appendix
WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Yes,I'd love to.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Have not had much other than Kellog's corn flakes,Chocos and oats.Like Kellog's Banana flavored CFs
DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No. I untie them when I have to wear them again :D
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
strong-headed but not strong particularly otherwise
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Choc-a-Mocha of Corner House.I like Coffee flavored ice creams
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
The first thing that I notice about women is usually their hair.The first thing about men that I notice would usually be shoes or watches if they are wearing any.
RED OR PINK?
Red,I abhor pink.Pink is my least favorite color
WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My tendency to pack in the pounds :D
WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
I miss my friend Dipayan and the long rambling discussions we used to have about music
WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Denim trousers and white shoes
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
A Pizza (I am still at work and it is pretty late) :D
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Light My Fire-The Doors-a song which I think is ethereally beautiful(as DC would put it)
IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
I would be blue.
FAVORITE SMELLS?
Any aftershave,the smell of freshly grounded coffee,banana
WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Ankita
DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU?
Yes
FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
Tennis
HAIR COLOR?
Black
EYE COLOR?
Hazel Brown
DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No
FAVORITE FOOD?
Mom's Rajma :-)
SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Scary movies though I have watched very few.
LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Rock On
WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Red&White
SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter
HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs
FAVORITE DESSERT?
Apple Pie
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Black Book- Orhan Pamuk
WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I have got David Villa and Michael Ballack(It is a Euro 2008 promotional mouse pad)
WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
Don't watch TV at all these days
FAVORITE SOUND?
I absolutely love drum solos and Tabla solos
ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Paris
DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Yes, I can hold my breath for over two minutes :-)
WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Hyderabad,India
PS:I know this blog has been flagging off a bit these days.I,as usual, blame work.I guess the rest of 2008 would be like this.

In which we do asinine* tags for wont of better things to do ..

The tag goes like this:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.


and so:
1.Python Cookbook**-Martelli,Ravenscroft&Ascher(O'Reilly) -which contrary to all expectations is not about exquisite cuisine or fear of snakes.
2.Done- a book of 800 pages no less
3.The fifth sentence-
def workdays(start,end,holidays=,days_off=None)
4. The next three sentences-
if days_off is None:
days_off =5,6 #default to saturdays and sundays
workdays=[x for x in range(7) if x not in days_off]

5.Found this tag on Space Bar's blog and I tag Ankita,Dreamcatcher(who is pretty jobless anyway),Deepika,Solitary Reaper and Indira.

*isn't asinine such a cool word?Roll it over in your mouth and say it slowly.So deliciously condescending.***
** Accusations of being a geek/IT type will not be entertained.
***I sound more and more like my favorite bloggers.****
****welcome to the labyrinth of recursive footnotes :-)

I got tagged by DC so here goes.

Ten things I miss in my life (in no exact order)
1. The British Library in Ranchi and the smell of the books there.
2. Playing Tennis under lights!/playing tennis
3. Sis - who is on another continent now.
4. My house in Jam esp the garden in winter in the afternoon.
5. sitting in the last bench in college with Akhil, laughing for no reason and at practically everything.
6. A very old and a dear friend of mine called Vaibhav - not able to locate him on Orkut either
7.Brahmin's coffee bar's idly/vada/coffee
8.Kaveri restaurant in Ranchi
9.A who moved to Delhi recently
10. quizzing with fellow Freud's nightmares (that was my team)

Ten things I want to achieve within a decade from now.
1. Backpack across South America with friends. Live there for two years, maybe.(similar to DC)
2. write a book
3. complete Ulysses :-)
4. Go to Kailash Mansarovar
5. try Sky diving.
6. contribute to an open source project.

7.Learn how to play the drums (very highly there)

8.learn decent cooking

9.start building my own house

10.vote in all the elctions I am eligible for.

this was fun!

I got tagged by Deepika here.The rules.
1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged, write a blog post about their own 8 random things, and post these rules.
3. At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and include their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
4. If you fail to do this within eight hours, you will not reach Third Series or attain your most precious goals for at least two more lifetimes.

OK don't the 1. and 2. points mean the same thing?since the people I wanted to tag have already been tagged,If you are reading this consider yourself tagged.

Eight random things about me:

1.One of the greatest pleasures that I indulge in is laughing at my own jokes.I laugh in such a way that the audience laughs at my laughter rather than the actual joke.So I get away with the most inane PJ's.

2.I get claustrophobic in the AC compartment of trains and have difficulty sleeping in that climate controlled rickety thing.

3.I prefer eating salads,soups and all things 'healthy'.If you want to torture me,just get me a meal of fries,cola and burger.You would rather see me at a SUBWAY than a McDonalds.In spite of this I am not really in good shape.

4.My idea of heaven is a place where you could play tennis to your heart's content and never get tired.preferably clay and under the lights.Also one of my childhood dreams was to win the French Open.

5.oh! and I have a very short attention span.I have only seen about 100 movies in my 22 years of existence.even when I do watch ,I see it in sittings.I saw Bheja Fry in 3 sittings and saw the two seasons of Prison Break over a period of 1.5 months.

6.I like girls with beautiful hair,long hair,coloured hair,highlighted hair-really in love with the Gothic look :D ;I hate girls who gossip,the 'I have to be home before dark' types,the unread/dumb/bimbo types,the typical Bangalore engineering female.

7.I am very immune to weather and my mood does not depend on whether its cold,hot,rainy,windy etc. and I usually can brave it all.One of the reasons why Bangalore's much vaulted great weather has not made any impression on me.

8.I usually do not complain at all and can be a very adjusting person and get along with almost anyone.In case this is sounding like an entry in a matrimonial website,let me tell you that I suffer from multiple Dr.Jekyl and Mr.Hyde syndrome and am different things to different people.That's why all my Orkut testimonials are very different from each other.

PS:have not been able to blog much even though there is no dearth of topics.There have been tectonic shifts in life.College got over and have started work-which is proving to be a strange experience,more about it later I promise.