My birthday was celebrated in style. The only dampner was that Mallu was not around. Normally, I plan and I expect. This time since his travel was planned on 27th, I was so depressed that I did not plan for anything and there were no expectations in my mind. And every year, if it is a working day, I used to demand from everyone in office that they have to wish me as it is my birthday. This year I told myself - 'no such thing, you should behave like a grown up!'. Then it was full of surprises - starting from my collegemate (who seldom remembers my birthday), several people called me, mailed me, scrapped in orkut - I was really thrilled. The biggest one came in form of a celebration at office. We got an order which was WIP for a long time and hence 4 BIIIIGGGGG cakes were ordered to feed us all. When the cake was about to be cut, my boss announced that it is my birthday and I cut the choclate cake and as you would have guessed, almost everyone in the group wished me.

Moral of the story is that when you dont expect anything, whatever happens is extra and you will start feeling elated :)

It is all about TV ads today. My two cents on some of the good and bad ones. (Which implicitly means that I have become a couch potato and am unable to ignore the commercials as nowadays it is commercials which says - lets meet after a short programme break!) I will specifically talk about two ads, both by banks. The good one is the HSBC stuff - one where the daughter wants to wear the torn jeans and the mom comes and stitches it and for the same subject the green worm ad. Nicely conveyed message - different people have different needs...I feel that the HDFC one on similar lines for their savings account with Eggs is a copy!

The bad one is the HDFC personal loan one - it goes like this. The parents of the family is planning about a house interiors, and then the daughter and the son ask about their demands (Ofcourse all promised by the dad sometime or the other) and when the dad looks confused, HDFC says that he should get a personal loan to take care of their needs! I dont like the moral a bit to say the least. Am sure lots of kids are going to watch it and the parents are going to have a tough time... I believe in living comfortably with what you have and personal loans are only for emergency. This message, atleast for me was that personal loans are for living a kings life even though you can afford it! BAD.

Chennai Trip

Over the weekend, we drove down to Chennai in the year old Ford fiesta. Took the bangalore-chennai highway vira Hosur, Krishnagiri, Vellore. Roads are as good as (sometimes better) the bombay-pune expressway. Around 350 Kms, but did that in 5 hours with 30 mts break in between including the city drive times. Took a breakfast break at Hotel Tamilnadu, Krishnagiri - This has become the whole family's habit on any drive that crosses Krishnagiri. Food here is awesome.

While going, we started early at around 5:30 in the morning and did beat all the weekend traffic. Had a peaceful drive. Even I got to drive for 30-40 mts. There are four tolls - 25-35-45-30 rupees respectively for cars. After every toll, you can even find restrooms -well maintained ones. So far, I've always been forced to search for a decent hotel and have some snacks on such occasions. One big relief that you dont have to do that!

Coming back, we started in the afternoon at three and when we were out of Kathipara junction it was almost 4:15, and sun was hitting right on our face till sunset. Reached home by 8:30 with a Hotel tamilnadu break at around 6:15 in the evening at Krishnagiri. My advice is that never enter this hotel at this time of the day! While you are eating, you are eaten my mosquitoes. Such big and nasty ones and you are scratching all over yourself in no time.

The only problem in the whole drive is our country men/vehicles/herd of cows in the numerous towns and villages that you happen to pass by before you reach chennai. They dont realise the speed of the vehicle and happily cross at their own sweet pace. They even drive as if they are in US - all in the wrong side! They dont care a damn about their lives. Real scary as if you hit them, you are the one who will be repenting your whole life if something happens to them.

Anyways, that doesnot bother you too much as there is lots of good if you leave this out. Enjoy the drive.

Today is one of those bad days - Mostly because of the lack of proper sleep combined with anitbiotics. Added to that is couple of problems from unexpected fronts at office and I was really in a foul mood and sleepy when I entered home. After half an hour of trying to get Kimaya understand what I say, I was fed up.

Then there was Andrum Indrum Endrum programme that was being aired in Vijay TV. This is a concert by Ilayaraja with all the leading singers. What beautiful compositions - After I heard a couple of songs, I was slowly getting back to normalcy. Then I was drowned in it.. Any day, any year, i guess, these will give me that kind of serenity that I would need!.

I think Vijay TV aired this program as two parts. I had heard the first set lonnnnnnnnggggggg back and now this. The only problem that I found in the whole programme was Ilayaraja's daughter singing Mayil pola - Oh, that was awfully out of tune and if a person like me who has a little knowledge about music can identify that, I dont know how these muscians on stage put up with that! Am sure that it was something that could have been avoided.

Nevertheless, the nice feeling after hearing those songs, did not leave for a while.. Long live Ilayaraja.

I had a post on Marlabs's announcement of their new BI head who is none other than my hubby and that was a proud moment for me. One more such moment happened in November end which is this article:
http://dqindia.ciol.com/content/industrymarket/focus/2007/107112704.asp.

This is an article on Business Intelligence in Dataquest's November edition.He has been quoted in 4 places in the article. Needless to say that am really really really SO proud about this.

Thanking God and my lucky stars :)

Am 4 days late in wishing everyone for the new year in the blog.. but better late than never.. So here is wishing all of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year 2008. Asusual, there were lots of mails wishing new year - all kinds of categories - beautiful, funny, sentimental etc., etc., The best new year mail that I got was this...Enjoy maadi...
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Hi Folks !

It’s that time of the year when I look back and want to thank all of my friends & relatives who have sent me emails this past year........

I must send my thanks to whoever sent me the one about rat shit in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet towel with every envelope that needs sealing.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it all to a sick girl (Penny Brown); who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $50,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

Or from the senior bank clerk in Nigeria who wants to split $7 million with me for pretending to be a long lost relative of a customer who died intestate.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena is going to grant every wish of mine.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca-Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

Thanks to some of you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

And thanks to your great advice, the other day, I couldn’t even pick up the Rs. 500/- I found dropped in the car park because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

If you have reached so far…then here’s wishing you and your family a very happy New Year and may all your
wishes come true…..without having to forward this email as a necessity!!

Have fun, write more original mails and send less of such forwarded mails in 2008!!

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Yaaahoooooooooooooooo! Am home alone after 1 year and 5 months.... One part of me feels guilty about having left Kimaya at Mettur with my parents, but another part of me shoo shoo's me. Anyways now that I've left her there, there is no point feeling guilty, right. I can as well enjoy this unexpected quiet feeling.

To be frank, I did not know what to do with the time I had for myself with no restrictions.... Yesterday since I was tired, I did not give it much thought. Today I feel lost, though I went and bought couple of books, something to eat, roamed around the mall for an hour, watched Cheeni Kum (some movie, that I've been wanting to watch to see Tabu and even tried couple of times, but with some interruption, I was never successful), had junk and browse net for hours..Ofcourse last but not the least - with teacher... I'm trying to find out hard things that I can do. Hmm... I've grown used to Kimaya being around.

I strongly advocate the thought that even parents need rest at times. It is more because of the guilt associated with leaving the kid elsewhere - not counting schools and play time, makes the parents miserable. I'm trying hard to overcome this feeling. She is very happy there. So why do I crib?? God knows why!

I've, rather, my other part has been looking forward to this break, hence I decide to ignore my part thats been constantly nagging me and enjoy while it lasts..