The Other Side of Life

My family is full of News junkies. Has always been. My earliest memory of the television is the Samachar and News in English at 8pm on Doordarshan. A melancholic looking Sunil Tandon would read the day's top stories and leave within 15 minutes to make space for the even more melancholic looking Salma Sultan.  I distinctly remember a fine winter evening in 1994, when the 8 pm news was delayed by 4 minutes and my Dad commented that something big was up. We waited with bated breath as the anchor announced the demise of an ex-President of India. This was followed by a national holiday and 10 days of mourning and non stop Pandit Bismillah Khan's Shehnai on TV. For a 7 year old, the choice was quite simple - A day's holiday or 10 days without Shriman Shrimati. After that incident, every time the news got delayed even by a few seconds, I prayed fervently for the well-being of every President alive on earth. Wonder how many lives I saved! And then gradually, as bedti...

( Thank you, BlogAdda! ) So now that work's out of the way (I loved saying that!), let's get down to some serious business, shall we? Someone once told me, "There's a business model in everything." And I laughed it off. But today, I thought about that, and realized he was right. And so, presenting to you my list of top 3 business ideas.  This list is issspecial because its a reflection of the little teeeny-weeny business sense I have. Be considerate. (I am open for partnerships, especially of the monetary kind, where you bring in the money, and I bring you guaranteed fame.) FORBES TOP 3 BUSINESS IDEAS BY YOURS TRULY AT NUMBER 3: THE RETORT MACHINE Let's be frank. We have all been there, haven't we? Intense moment, strong argument, you are in the middle of it all and blank. That smartass has thrown a horrible comment at you, and you have no idea what to say. The proverbial cat which got your tongue is pretty much swinging on it, while you, poor you, you ...

So this be my last post from workplace. Will someone be kind enough to remind me why I thought this was going to be easy? I remember thinking getting into a good B-School was the tough part. But this? Quitting the job? This was supposed to be easy. I guess it's just the change resistant hormones in me that are speaking. A couple of months later, college will become the new "normal life". Till then, thankfully, God has given us the short vacation! Needless to say, I'll miss quite a few things from here, most importantly the salary and a few close friends. But with a dozen formalities that need to be completed, I think that's the company's way of cushioning out the slight bit of nostalgia. :| Wonder why this song's playing like crazy in my head? Because I am scared. For those who have seen Sound of Music, they need no introduction. For the others: What will this day be like? I wonder. What will my future be? I wonder. It could be so exciting to be o...

Statement 1: I love good food. Statement 2: I love watching food shows on TV. Statement 3: I love eating. Statement 4: I love Nigella and her gorgeous bites. Pray, which of these above statements points to the conclusion that I love cooking? None, in my opinion. Which explains why God decided to play a cruel joke on me, by putting me in charge of the kitchen for two whole months. Two whole months. I have, or rather my family has, come to terms with this twist of fate and has left me to my whims and fancies. While all that is cool, I learn, as usual, the hard way, that cooking is no easy task. No. It is not easy, especially when you have an audience to please, and particularly when the audience is your doting Dad.  Anyone who gives me the "You are 23, will get married soon and manage the whole household" dialogue gets a Parantha made by me. (You have no idea what you just asked for. Believe me.)  I know. This happens the first time you handle the kitchen. So its okay. But...