Saturday, March 29, 2008

Team Lunch

Organizing lunch for a group of 30 is a stressful affair. There are people opposing the location, cuisine, the seating, the lighting and just about everything. But then they (the hungry ravenous souls ) eat like theres no tomorrow. Stress apart, I now have to explain the exceeded budget to the PTBs on Monday. Bah!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

B'lore is under construction, please visit later.

A post that I had drafted few days back when I was terribly annoyed and irked, I decided not to post it then but I see no harm why shouldn't now. The cynic in me has a strong voice, dominating my thoughts and opinions but I'd like to think that one day things will get better, that this city has hope.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The worst excuse I ever heard was at a conference few days back where the person on being forty five minutes late says "I apologize on behalf on Bangalore's traffic for being late". What the? By now everyone knows you can't state traffic as an excuse anymore. Traffic is bad (to put it mildly) and that is that. Even I am sick of cribbing about it all day long. The problem with us is we wait till we have a problem, wait till it gets worse and then discuss the problem endlessly until we tire ourselves. Like the new airport. Why weren't there enough people talking about the bad choice of location and the innumerable transport problems when the project started rather than now when it is nearing completion? That time, I actually thought it was a good idea to have a new airport considering the bad state the present one is in, why was I so short sighted? Why don't we have enough people to predict the problems we may face and prevent them?

Ok so I am rambling here but the noise, the chaos, the mess is driving me nuts and when I hear myself complain about it to the next person it drives me all the more crazy at my helplessness and the ridiculousness that the situation is. The same things are being said over and over and over. So I blog.

Right now I'd rather be the person living out far away reminiscing about the good times, about VB dosas, MTR idlis and by-two Kapi rather than be here and eat the dosas.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

I know why the caged bird sings.

Weekdays revolved on a sameness wheel. They turned into themselves so steadily and inevitably that each seemed to be the original of yesterday's rough draft. Saturdays, however, always broke the mold and dared to be different.

-Excerpt from Maya Angelou's 'I know why the caged bird sings'.

I had been looking for this book ever since Oprah mentioned it on her show some five years back, the book was either out of stock or never stocked. And then I forgot about it until I saw it at a book fair few months back. I couldn't have chosen a more perfect time to read this. It is the perfect book for summer (more so if is raining in summer) and it coupled with the long laid back weekend reminded of everything I missed about summer holidays. It reminded me of a time when everyday felt like a Saturday.

Autobiographical work of Maya Angelou, it is about growing up black in small town in Arkansas. Beautifully written, a must read especially if you loved Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking bird.

Dear Raghu, Part 5

Dear Raghu,

This episode was fun because it was fair. So much that one could see shreds of humility even in Anmol. Could it be possible that all the episodes be fair and just? But then I guess the show wouldn't be as popular and I might not be writing these pointless letters to you and asking questions to which answers I already know.

Btw, I would love to audition to be a judge on Roadies 6. So would Ringchen. How does one apply, not be a roadie but to be a panelist? We are willing to provide our services for free. Please let us know.

Shradha

Previously,

Dear Raghu, 1
Dear Raghu, 2
Dear Raghu, 3
Dear Raghu, 4



Sunday, March 16, 2008

Dear Raghu, Part 4

Dear Raghu,

All the effort you put in designing the tasks and games are an utter waste of time. Why don't you change the format of the game to something like this :

1. Put all roadies in a room, let them all fight and call each other names all day long. (You might want to change the name of the show to MTV Roomies)
2. Make sure your favorite person or HER team wins immunity one way or the other.
3. Have a vote out.

Much simpler, no?

Sigh, even my letters to you are getting predictable. But I must say I am looking forward to the next show where you tell the roadies what a horrible job they are doing, its time someone told them that.

Until then, be good.

Shradha

Previously,

Dear Raghu, 1
Dear Raghu, 2
Dear Raghu, 3

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Dear Raghu, Part 3

Dear Raghu,

Last episode was ugly. Did you intend on it being this way? It is sometimes hard to believe people on the show are kids, some as young as 18 and 19. Sometimes I don't like what I see. They constantly say its all in the game, but its not really, what we see is a reflection of their personalities. There is only so much one can fake.The cursing, the bitching, the backstabbing, the plotting and scheming is not part of the game it is part of who they are. Given this, it scares me to think that Shambhavi at 18 can be a conniving little fox (I don't like the world bitch- how is a female dog derogatory? I like the word bitching though) and makes use of people to such an extent. And Anmol, I hope someone gives her a does of reality, she thinks she doesn't want to be around the others truth is no one wants to be around her. To make things worse these people actually think they are on the show because they are special. Next season the Shambhavis and Anmols will be forgotten but what will happen to them? Do you think they are going to see themselves and the ugliness on television and wake up? Will their experience on roadies help them be better people or will they grow more obnoxious? Or maybe, hopefully, they will just grow up.

This is why reality shows are fun. You see real people and real emotions, see them make fools of themselves and you secretly thank that you aren't like any of them. So yeah for me it is entertainment but I also sometimes worry for them. Do you ever?
Does your conscience bother you that you meddle with the lives of young people and make money out of it?


Shradha

Previously,

Dear Raghu, 1
Dear Raghu, 2

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Law of Time vs Enthusiasm

The desire to do new and different things that interest you is inversely proportional to the spare time you have.

I am now relatively free at work and my enthusiasm levels to do anything have dropped to zero. Being 'available' on gtalk gives only momentary relief from the boredom. I have four posts drafted, will post them when I get busy again.

Postscript :
At the end of each post I face this arduous task of finding labels or tags that best suit the post. Believe me its not easy. There is no 'reuse'. I create different describing the same things (office, work???). I now realize there is no label for boredom. Which is impossible because so many of my posts are boredom inspired. The feature that I dearly welcomed in the new blogger is now turning into a pain in the you know where and the whole purpose is lost. Pah!

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Dear Raghu, Part 2.

Dear Raghu,

Why do I get the feeling that some things are fixed on your show? Like the part where Shambhavi wins the roulette? This is like Bani all over again isn't it? I thought her winning the 'advantage' was also unduly unfair. To quote from what you said to Snehashish the other day, 'you are making it obvious'. Maybe you should cut it down a bit next time, don't you think? Besides I don't understand why you picked Shambhavi this season, Bani was fun, this one is pure evil. Well, lets see how long she lasts, or how long you let her last.

I will be writing more often to you now so watch this space.

I love you less but I still love you,
Shradha

Previously,
Dear Raghu, Part 1.