Weather Woes

“It’s sooooo hot. I’m so gonna melt any minute now. My prickly heat will put a porcupine to shame!"(Long drawn out “Phew” with the obligatory forehead mopping).

"Gosh! Damn this freezing cold. I can barely feel my rear." Or something equally laugh-inducing.

"If it rains one more day, I swear I’ll take a one-way ticket to Florida. And buy some shoes before I go. The dratted showers have ruined “em all!"

"Whooooooooo! If it gets any drier, I could offer myself my abrasive self as sandpaper. And at least make some money out of it."

"Why can’t it rain? I don’t even remember what color rainfall is. At least my Labrador can loll his tongue out. Lucky him. If I do the same, I would be called a drooling pervert!"

It’s always the same ol’ story.

We can never be happy with the weather. I guess that like the government, weather too is like an easy target.

Or maybe we all take a leaf out of Goldilocks' book, in love with the idea of wanting everything our way, just the way we fancy.

I’m sure that even the people of Florida crib about its gorgeous climate, probably citing that it doesn’t change enough there, or ruing the risk of skin cancer.
Sigh! We are a hard lot to please, ain’t we?

Me – let’s just say that the rains, despite their wreaking havoc on my hair, are still something that make me croon in delight. There's nothing like the pitter-patter of rain on the window panes. Snug pillow, a warm bed, a steaming cup of tea, and a novel to curl up - optional but very well appreciated.

Sucker for the rains.

Oh totally, I’d say!

It's raining cats and dogs

The dusty green leaves looked faded, crying out for rain.


The cattle on the road sat listlessly, their tails flapping to ward off pesky flies.


People from all walks of life looked up expectantly at the clear skies, hoping against hope that the fluffy white clouds would pave the way for their grey counterparts.


Their prayers were answered sooner than they thought...


A single, fat drop fell from the skies. Disbelievingly, I brushed it off as probably a figment of my imagination. Maybe it was a droplet of perspiration that had trickled down from my forehead.


The drops soon increased, till they were falling in a constant drizzling. This was no imagination – the rains had actually arrived.


Thunder and lightning, not to be outdone, also decided to make their presence felt; so there were the customary flashes and rumbling in the skies, which had within minutes, changed from a beautiful blue to an even more gorgeous grey. The afternoon looked straight form the pages of an English novel, set in their famed bleak winters.

After about ten minutes of a heavy downpour, the rains decided to go in for a more consistent drizzle. The umbrellas were all out by now in all their multi-hued splendor. Animals scuttered for cover, cars being their favored shelter. While some preferred to walk in the rains jauntily, heads held high, getting drenched like Boy Scouts out on an adventure trail, there were also the ones who walked sedately, turning up their noses at those who splashed water with their boots. These were yet some others who hung on for dear life to their umbrellas that had decided to play the role of disobedient children to the T, eagerly bent upon flying away or turning inside out thanks to the gusts that lazily moved towards them.


The divine earthy smell, coupled with the sight of children playing slushy games on the road, made me almost pine for home, where the rain Gods particularly play favorite, and visit often, much to yours truly's delight.


This rain baby can’t wait to go home...


Thank God next weekend doesn’t seem that far!

A Spicy Treat

While on a shopping spree a couple of days back, I was suddenly aware of a lip-smacking smell that wafted dreamily towards my eager nostrils.

Turning my head to the right, I saw a bunch of people, drooling not over the red-lingeried mannequin in the display window over yonder, but over some square bits of potatoes frying merrily in a huge cauldron as also tikkis doing their round swimming dance in the “tava. It was the people who stood around the man dishing out gol-guppas however, who caught my eye.

And they couldn't be more dissimilar: the panting middle-aged lady clutching her sequinned bag, the preening pubescent staring at her perfectly manicured talons shining in all their scarlet splendor, the young woman dressed in office-attire who had stopped over for a tasty bite enroute home from a long day at work, the two giggling 20-year somethings pointing at a cute tourist’s shorts (don’t ask what they were pointing at – go figure), the doting boyfriend who looked upon with affection at his gurl who had stuffed her mouth with one huge gol-guppa, another guy who looked around awkwardly to see how many eyes were upon him as he shuffled his feet, while all the while fidgeting and looking at his gurl who seemed oblivious to his unease and instead concentrated on the task at hand – viz., popping one gol-guppa after another into her mouth. A couple of guy friends also seemed to be enjoying the sweet-sour savories, tissues ready in hand to wipe their streaming noses that were definitely on fire thanks to the spicy nature of “em gol-guppas.

And then two more prettily-smiling girls queued up to taste a few, right hands outstretched to hold the leaf-saucers the gol-guppa maker proffered them.

No points for guessing, one of them was me.

Five minutes later we made our way towards what we had essentially set out for – shopping.

The red-eyes gave us away.

As also our grinning faces and lip smacking with the flavor.

Movie Review: Speed Racer

Slotted in the live action anime film category, Speed Racer had generated more than a fair amount of interest even before its release. It therefore came as no surprise to me that it was showing to packed theaters.

The Racer family first tastes sorrow with the death of the elder son, Rex, while participating in the grandest of all races – the Casa Cristo. Pops (played by John Goodman) and Mom (Susan Sarandon) are naturally protective about their second son, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsche) racing the family Mach 5 to the doomed race. Throw in a darned younger brother, Spritle (Paulie Litt) and an exasperating family chimpanzee, Chim-Chim, and you have the entire happy family. And oh! You have the luscious Christina Ricci, playing Speed’s girlfriend, Trixie.

Though why on heaven’s she agreed to sporting the hideous bangs and pixie cut is something I totally failed to understand.

Moving forth with the plot, there is trouble in paradise. Speed is determined to throw all cautions to the wind, and participate. The owner of Royalton Industries, played by a balding Roger Allam, makes a money-spinning deal with Speed, who turns it down, inviting his fury against him. The 2 hour 15 mins flick also has a race-fixing angle thrown in, a Japanese brother-sister duo keen on rescuing their family business, and Speed’s rival, Racer X (Matthew Fox), who bears an uncanny resemblance to Speed’s deceased brother, Rex Racer.

And now coming to the special effects.

Mind-blowing to say the least. I’m not really a gaming aficionado, but I must say I was impressed by the sheer magnetism of the super-flashy cars that seemed to defy all forces of gravity and physics.

Though there were more than a share of scenes that seemed to be laughing upright at logic, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of it all. The cars hurtle, dash, plunge, and teeter, reel, swerve, careen – they look born to rule.

The slapstick humor is a little out of place in this otherwise lithe movie, but what the heck, all’s fair when there are so many flashy beauties on wheels involved. Vroooooooom!

The kiss between the two protagonists just at the end of the movie is the sorts that makes you go Awwww.

I should know.

"Cos I did...

My verdict is out - Cancellation isn't all that bad a word

The word “cancelled” has acquired a new meaning altogether for me. A very pleasurable one at that, let me add. (Mandatory cheeky grin, and wink).

Imagine saying good bye to the one you love, with a heavy heart (although you are trying your best strong face). I should know. I bid adieu to TOOMA* like that every time he leaves the city. Leaves even generally stoic me with a heavy heart. And a face which is way longer than the river Nile. But a face which would leave no one in any doubt about the cheerfulness of the face-bearer. Talk about irony. Sigh...

But the very next moment, when your beau calls, albeit not to bid a fond farewell, but to inform you that his flight back has been cancelled, several emotions are bound to cross your mind.

As they did with me.

Happiness, an indescribable sense of relief, a grateful look at the sky above, a silent prayer of Thanks to He who looks after all of us and indulgently gives in to our whims on more occasions than we can count, delayed gratification (cos I get to see him not now, but within a couple of hours), an inordinate urge to clap in sheer delight, break out into a delirious jig, and a Cheshire cat grin – all of these, and a couple of others crept pleasantly into me. Leaving me warm all over, the feeling akin to sitting inside a toasted blanket, sipping a steaming caffeine-kicked cuppa, while it is freezing, and coldly unhospitable outside.

Christmas sure came early this year for me;-)

And then it all dawned upon me.

The realization that I could spend some more time with him, at the sight of whom my heart does its own sweet little Karaoke number, and with whom I would love to have all my dances with...

** Yay! Yay! Yay! ** (Mad, gleeful song and dance show on full display).

* TOOMA – The Object Of My Affection.