January: Santa comes to town

So after a microwave and a washing machine, now I've been getting clothes and instant foods and trinkets. AND a calendar and a unicorn. I be happiest with unicorn. Here's a pic stolen from Google:


Now, I'm in Pony collection mode. :D

Life in bullet points - Jan 2010, Week 2

• So I washed a month-old dirty clothes last night in the new washing machine that Poppa gave. Pictures by the end of the week. LG it is. Though Videocon Washing Machine had a better ring to it.
• The washed clothes smell beautiful.
• Drowned a biggish spider in Mortein Mosquito Killer the day before.
  
• Got gift: Diary from Munich. Antique look. Tied with pink ribbon.
• Have finally begun watching The Godfather. Should finish by the weekend.
  
  Mew all.
  
  @ Inihos: Price tag for Moo
  

Dumps

I'm down in the dumps.
And it's not a nice dump even.
And this is not poetry.
Though it looks like a poem.
I want a nice, wonderful day.
But not feeling terribly wonderful inside.
Maybe I need sleep.
Or a day off.
Or a vacation.
Or just some hours of doing nothing.
This really isn't a nice dump to be in.
:( :( :(

Cows, buses, pups and books

I'm going cow shopping tomorrow. To buy a cow with pretty eyes, long eyelashes, who prefers chewing gum to cud, and sings "Goru hoon main" to the tune of Sunita Rao's famous "Pari hoon main".

Second, I have realised that, usually, the crowded-er buses are the ones that travel quicker. Forget the travel light option.

Third, puppies with wrinkly faces are the best of the lot.

Fourth, I have acquired an autographed copy of a cookbook authored by a grand-aunt. It's in Bangla and has loads of very Bong, very easy recipes (especially lots of desserts). If you want to buy a copy, it's available for Rs. 50. Consider this a marketing ploy. Hee :).

Puppy faces

Facebook 'Holi' fad follow-up

This is a follow-up post to my rant about the 'what colour bra - facebook fad' the other day. I still think it was a (very?) silly exercise. But I read up a lot about it today, and here's what I found/concluded/etc.:

• It is believed to have begun by some ladies in Detroit. But no one really knows where it originated so far. Two women, in fact, claim to have got the earliest mails that day - but at the time, it had not yet been linked with breast cancer. Later in the day, these two ladies that this very had been sufficiently modified and turned into a viral 'awareness' tool.
  
  
• How far this spreads awareness is still a question in my mind. But it works in the American context, reminding women to go in for their annual mammogram. In India, how many women actually schedule one until and unless they find a lump somewhere? I'm 25 and I don't go for these check-ups. And I don't know anyone who does either. Makes you think doesn't it?
  
  
• I still believe that there should have been a short attachment with the mail or the status update.: a link to a cancer site, a message that goes: Have you gone for your check-up? Just typing out your bra colour does nothing for the cause. And I'm convinced that minus the 'breast cancer' tag, many women would not even have gone along with the gag.
  
  
• If I got a similar mail in future, I would react the same way. Every little step forward is a step forward, but some education must accompany every fad. Had the mail not made angered me, I would've just written out my undercolours, had a laugh at my male friends' expense and forgotten about it. But as it turns out, the fad made me react - and it's got me thinking about that annual mammogram. Will I go for one in the near future? Perhaps not. But at least it's got me thinking.
  

Two things

1. All the Get Well Soon wishes for ailing Jyoti Basu. Great communist, and Guiness Book entering CM he may be, but is it reason enough to want him to live forever? He is 96, for God's sake. An old, old man. Isn't this kind of an existence just punishment to him.? Let the old man go in peace at least.

2. The new Facebook fad goes like this: In honour of breast cancer awareness, we are playing a game...... silly, but fun! Write the colour of your bra as your status, just the colour, nothing else!! Copy this and pass it on to all Females ...... NO MEN!! This will be fun to see how it spreads, and we are leaving the men wondering why all females just have a colour as their status!! Let's have fun!! - Send this message on to all females on your friends list.

That's one version. I got two more. It made me angry. The status message thing sounds fun, but why tag it with breast cancer awareness? Is there a link, or a message that adds some value? Why the need for the "Oooo.. I'm doing this for society" tag at all? Bullshit! It's frivolous and an insult to people who have battled breast cancer or know people who have. If you need a gimmick to spread awareness, it needn't be boring, but it can be a little informative at least.

Ditto for Pink Chaddi campaign. Frivolous as hell. The hype, didn't necessarily change any mindsets.

Q: What did I, a potential breast cancer victim, learn from today's exercise?
A: What colour bras every chick on my Facebook friendlist is wearing.

New Year Wishlist

• What I would most like this year is a windfall. Pennies from heaven. Euros if possible.
• Next, a little persistence - so that my never-ending book could see light of day.
• Peace, peace, peace, and still more peace.
• A life - friends, fashion, fun and fantastic food (especially crumb-fried fish).
• Wonderful hair days throughout the year.
• A monsoon to remember.
• Movies, books that make me laugh aloud and/or squeeze out a genuine tear.
• A clock for my house.
• Entertaining bus rides.
• One adventurous, unplanned trip to Madhya Pradesh. Or Kerala. Or Rajasthan.
• Time to blog more often than in 2009.
• A good year.