Now on to the women folk - most women who cringed at Sreesanth's wild antics and murderous looks are now saying = "poor sree what a paavam guy! My mother was saying "he is such a young fellow" the same lady who used to be unable to watch his teeth-baring snarls and growls. Sree, you have endeared yourself to the women finally here! :)))

However, the tale of an obnoxious weed who slapped or is it zapped an aggressive bully into blubbering little boy sure is a superb media circus. Looks like cricket is finally deciding if it wants to be a gentleman's game or a contact sport in an entertainment format that is backed by big bucks. Sree and Bhajji have bigger decisions to make - they will decide if they are long lost brothers or people unable to stand one another.

I'm wondering how they are gonna be playing together in the one-days after this? Hmm SRK and Preity can probably give the two private tuitions on how to kiss and make up and be professional in true Bollywood ishtyle. ;)

Now for my IPL favourite - I am for Chennai Super Kings have been with them from the beginning all thanks to Dhoni. So any favourites in the IPL for any of you yet?

As for all the macho mallu men out there, well ... such paavams all of you are inside right? Before the stones reach me... I will use Fraiser's(the sitcom) line and say this "Shyama Menon has left the building"! J

When I went to Ooty

There I saw a Kutty (sometimes changed to Mammooty)

Sitting on a Chatti (pot)

Eating a plate of Rotti (bread)

My brats are singing in the Toyota Innova we hired, cousins, and us on a short trip to Ooty. The drive up was long from Trichur where we all assembled and started our trip. The hairpin bends up to OOty got our driver sick. Anyway, he got us there safe and went to sleep after puking. My hubby's Doctor Cousin and hubby were the others with us and since they knew about Ooty more we were on a conducted tour. Surprisingly, with no pre-conceived ideas my hubby decided to relax and go with the flow. Ah peace! :)

Do you know what is the one necessary requirement your co-travelers should have? Love for food! If that is there the trip is already a hit. We were to reach Ooty for lunch and leave the next day before lunch.

My hubby starts ranting if we cannot find a good bathroom and his cousin the doc was equally finicky about public bathrooms and roads Did I mention that she lives in Adelaide, Australia? There I was thinking. we had better find a good place or else they will go on a crusade against the country.

However, the doc's hubby who went to school in Ooty in one of the famous residential schools of the hill station had found us a lovely place called King's Cliff, which had a good view and must have been an Englishman's house of yore. They have nine rooms and all called after Shakespearean characters - we were in Othello! Gulp! I even saw an Iago room there.

We had a small sitting area then the bedroom with a fireplace, a dressing area, and the bathroom. The bedroom had a bouncy bed and a beautiful green chair near the fireplace. The tariff included breakfast and lunch and we tucked into some fabulous food on the lawn under a garden tent where the breeze would come in now and then with chilly air and none of us had any warm clothing.

Brr brr! After having a Minestrone soup, Mahe Dum Biriyani which has fish and not chicken a revelation to me, Kheema kulcha, chicken do pyaaja, beef steaks, butter chicken,vegetable fricassee and tiny scoops of ice cream which tasted like homemade ones, we walked down to Charing Cross and then took an auto rickshaw to the lake.

The boating was good. the water is green and dirty said the boatman the lake being a catchment area the water fills up and never leaves. After that, the brats did some bumping cars and 3-D shows and my smaller son came out howling! We had roasted corn, cotton candy, sugarcane juice, and even fresh carrots with their green leaves on.

Finally, we did horse riding. I was on the tallest horse and it was a she named Rani and she was no scrawny emaciated horse but a huge powerful animal. So when her reins got entangled with my hubby's horse's reins she shook her head vigorously and I feared she may gallop away. I thought of Christopher Reeve for a moment and went Gulp! However, nothing happened we went for a long trot, the kids and us and it was a treat!

Horse riding on the road made people going and coming look out at us, we all did some cowboy like poses, clicks and all hubby I bet imagined he was Clint Eastwood. As we got off there were some goras waiting to ride the horses and they sat on the horses as if to say - this is how the real cowboys do it. However, on closer observation they were also hanging on to the horses for dear life. Horse riding got Superman paralyzed; well you cannot help being a little scared.

Shopped for sweaters as the evening came and Eucalyptus oil, Vanilla, and tea for people back home. By the way I have no clue what to do with the Vanilla any ideas anyone? Then we headed back to King's Cliff where the fireplace was lit and watched Rajnikanth's film Arunachalam "a copy of Brewster's Millions", I announced as soon as I saw the old Rajnikanth giving the conditions for his inheritance to his son. Both men did not care they wanted to see some Rajni antics.

Next day everyone had a good breakfast buffet to choose from with croissants, brown toasts, oats, mashed potatoes, masala omelettes, sambaar vadas, rotis and dal and for some reason sausages were not on the house and you only get four for 50 rupees. The men made a note on the feedback form they provided about this.

Went to the Botanical garden, enjoyed some lovely flowers and ferns, and felt tempted to go back for the flower show in May as most of the plants were full of tiny buds and they are to all bloom together and wow then. After this we headed back home with the brats singing. the song at the beginning of the post! When I went to Ooty... la la la la!

P.S. Was busy at home a lot of things happened will blog about it soon but wanted to get the Ooty post out first as its fresh. Waiting to catch up with all Ilanders now.

So there I was participating in all sorts of things these last two weeks and discovering certain dormant muscles in my legs and arms and having a blast! :)

We usually have fancy team names - Eurpean Football club names etc and last year I was in "Chelsea". We also have team colours and all the houses numbers are drawn from lots by team captains. Team Captains are usually sporty boys from classes 8 to 11. Classes 10 and 12 kids have a hard time with their Public exams and so do their mothers. The topper kids are totally banned by these conscientious mommas. The others who are all-rounders have permission for a team game or two.

The rest of the kids and their parents are actively into all the events. This time we had American Basketball team names and we were in "Lakers". In case you're wondering why these firangee names let me tell you I guess its easier to chant these names compared to screaming Mohunbagan or Salgaocar from the spectators area. So we have Volleyball, Throwball, Basketball, Football, Cricket, Badminton, Table Tennis, Carroms and Cards as team events for men and sr. boys and women and sr. girls, and for junior boys and girls.

Then there is running, swimming, walking and even fun events like slow cycle, lemon and spoon etc to ensure the most participation. It's a big event and a sports committee organizes the whole thing and the captains come to your home to put you into respective events. There are rolling trophies and team trophies and it all culminates with a party to felicitate the winners.

For me - I won gold in throwball and bronze in basketball and I did shoot one basket, thank you very much! :)In the individual events I was a close fourth in swimming and in running I was out in the heats itself. Oh well, that's when you realize how not fit you are. I have since lost weight and am already plotting to lick them all in swimming and running next year. Okay, running maybe a little too much to expect.

I got two medals, hubby got 7, my older one got 4, and the little one got 1 medal - not a bad haul. By the way ,I am one of the loud cheering gang of women who sit to watch all events. I even ended up falling while cheering. Hubby retains his "fastest man" title and son got his first gold in swimming. Little one for lemon and spoon so we are all winners and mighty proud too!

All partisan residents had fun and loads of healthy fighting! Of course, there was the one odd mom who went overboard cheering for her cub and the dad who scolded his son for a mistake, all adding to the fun. The taunts, the cheers and the jeers - ah what fun we had! It was alarming for the men to see a few docile women turn into ferocious umpires as they played. As for the guys who were the real umpires they had a tough time. LOL.

Back on track with walks, swims and even a little workout in the gym. Next time I should be back with a couple of individual medals to brag about. Howzaaaaat? :) Nothing makes you feel alive like sports especially when you are playing yourself!!!

P.S. I got 14 runs more than sportstar hubby he was out @ 0!!! :D

As for Diwali or Deepavali as we say around here, I must admit its one of those festivals that is traditionally not celebrated in Kerala. So growing up I did not celebrate it at all. But once I got married I try and include certain rituals of all festivals in the spirit of doing something ancient.

So we light lamps make some sweets, burst some crackers and have fun! That's Diwali to me the dancing lights make me happy I enjoy decorating the balconies and float some candles in an uruli, have some flowers around and clean the house.

We play Holi, again a festival not celebrated in the South traditionally but then its such a fun festival though I'm not sure what it is all about really! We also enjoy decorating a little plant for Christmas and also put up a star! The kids love it! For Id I don't know what to do, but I eagerly await being invited to the breaking fast feast! :) All the goodies served with a lot of bonhomie makes me happy! So happy Diwali/Deepavali and I will be celebrating with you in my own way!

Now for the main news! I'm happy to report our apartment is now recycling our garbage. The Kerala Builders Forum(KBF) has helped our society implement this and most of our residents are eagerly sorting our garbage into green and yellow buckets! These buckets are collected by women who come daily and they take it to be processed into compost!

The plastic is going to be used to repair our road nearby they are planning to have vehicles collecting unwanted plastic from houses to polymerize the roads. I am told the gravel will be coated with plastic polymer and this will make the roads five times stronger. That's like the ultimate thing that can happen in Kochi! :) Pinch me!

Milk packets are to be washed well and should be cleaned before it goes to the yellow bucket. Plastic bags used to buy fish and meat should similarly be cleaned before it goes into the yellow bucket. I have decided to carry a box to buy fish from now on. Hope that goes well! The compost will be sold by the women who collect the garbage and we are asked to pay them one or two rupees daily as an incentive!

We are all excited to say the least, frantic calls going on between women here - "Where does the coconut shell go yellow or green bucket?" - A common question?" - "It goes to the yellow bucket whereas the husk to the green bucket!" comes the answer! Happy recycling everyone! :) Lets grow more trees and keep our flora and fauna safe!

Reports of Polar bears drowning of exhaustion after swimming miles in search of solid ice to rest on got to me! That's when you realize if it's going to really bad for humans it's going to be further extinction for animals! :(

We are also told that the US is the largest contributor as a nation to this. Despite our massive population we contribute very little. Now after decades of energy wastage with heated pools sprawling malls with air-conditioning and all sorts of unnecessary wastage Americans are hopefully awake. But, we Indians are into the mall revolution now and itching to buy LCD TVs and other snazzy gadgets and yet.

Perhaps, it is the best time to worry about global warming, as we trail blaze with more buying power and new found aggression and zooming economy, lets take a step to lay the foundation to prevent our planet's worsening state.

No more is Osama a threat or any kinds of fundamental crusades a problem when our home the planet is itself in danger! The more you read about it the more detractors you find for Al Gore and IPCC. However the Nobel Prize does give a whole new stamp of authenticity to the issue.

What can we do? Our Iland has been very proactive about this issue and more than 200 posts about the issue have been published. Friendly Ghost has put up 4 posts on the burning issue this month. Posts on Water harvesting have appeared months before the movie snowballed the issue into what it is today. The least I can do is encourage you to watch the movie "The Inconvenient Truth" and urge you to.

Ok I may be a little too psyched to elaborate on this effectively, so will copy-paste what Mainak Mazumdar(our resident Iland expert on environmental issues) has put in his post.

Global Warming can be reduced at our personal levels by doing the following things:

1) Usage of Fluorescent Bulbs: These compact fluorescent bulbs help to reduce the level of carbon dioxide usage. It saves about 300 lbs of carbon dioxide and approximately dollar 60 a year.

2) Check your car's air filter monthly. This will save 800 lbs of carbon dioxide.

3) Usage of Recycled Paper: Stress on the usage of recycled paper. This saves about 100 lbs of carbon-dioxide and almost dollar 40 a year.

4) Install a Low-Flow Showerhead: Usage of less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. This helps to save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and dollar 150 a year.

5) Take Shorter Showers: Taking shorter showers can save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and dollar 99 per year.

6) Thermostat should be adjusted: Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and dollar 98 per year.

7) Buy Energy Certificates: Help spur the renewable energy market and cut global warming pollution by buying wind certificates and green tags.

8) Plant a Tree: Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

9) Unplug Un-Used Electronics: Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year

10) Bring Cloth Bags to the Market: Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires no additional energy.

Among other actions that can be taken are:

Start a Club: Start a global warming club at your locality or with your friends or your next door neighbors and set goals to curb your energy use.

Speak Out: Run for global warming platforms. Place your views about what you are doing to curb global warming emissions.

We cannot afford to ignore this problem not in the least after all we have the largest portion of the youth of the world in our country and the planet belongs to them! And let me end by wishing for energy efficient malls and gadgets for India!

]]>

Dumbledore, Rowling has now revealed, was once in love with the dark wizard Grindelwald and most of the younger days are revealed in the "Deathly Hallows" which I now will re-read with this new angle in mind. Before you think I am shocked and upset, let me declare I was amused and happy and was enjoying the uproar and happiness it caused in different parts of our world.

I am happy that the most popular children's book series that is equally loved by adults has finally outed a major character as gay. Kids growing up will learn tolerance and acceptance and also hopefully will learn to respect people with different sexual orientations for their talent and work more. Top marks to JK for all this.

However, she has also been quite wily about her famous gay headmaster. She waited for the series to end and for the money to roll in before she revealed him. I read news stories citing clues to Dumbledore's sexual orientation through out the series, some even came up with smart-alec new clues like this one -

"While the anagram 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' is 'I am Lord Voldemort,' 'Albus Dumbledore' becomes 'Male bods rule, bud!'" :D

I cannot but wonder how successful the series would have been if Albus Dumbledore was introduced in the first book as a gay headmaster!

Anyway JK's a smart and a woman and like most women all over the world wants acceptance tolerance and peace. Oh well there are whole lot of men who want peace too :D. Let me end this post borrowing a few more lines from the LA times article as a teaser!

"Dumbledore was a champion for the rights of werewolves, giants, house elves, muggle-borns, centaurs, merpeople -- even alternative marriage. When it came time to decide whether the marriage between Lupin the werewolf and Tonks the full-blooded witch could be considered natural, Professor Minerva McGonagall said, 'Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world.'"

Hope you all share Dumbledore's view! Cheers!!! :)

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Crickets' back and we are a nation again and with one religion. The country's inner boundaries are bleared we are united and there's a team that plays till the very end to win. How and when did this happen and isn't it just fabulous?

You will have to excuse me I am so bowled over by the new team it's like a new discovery. Well you see I was one of those who gave up on the game some years ago and I am admitting here that no Tendulkar or Ganguli or Dravid or even Sehwag did make me wanna watch a match for a long long time!

I am also Googling everyone and feeling mighty pleased at the littlest of info seen on the net. Who is my favourite and I'd say Dhoni! Impressive captain, calm and dignified and surprisingly just made for captaincy. Also each time he came on the field with his helmet and long hair I"m reminded of the Amar Chitra Katha drawings of say someone like Arjun ready for battle.

About Sreesanth I have to say, he is different, even though I wince each time he gets all pumped up, and worry about what he'll do next. Well looks like all the men out here love his aggressive nature and even the &*&#@#% he mouths. It's that Marlborough macho Mallu man psyche. They love his aggression and looks like so does Pepsi and Nike who are offering him endorsements :D You have to hand it him those glares he gave them Aussies were priceless.

Pathan brothers what can I say they provided that age-old Bollywood style flavor to all of this- brothers united and winning and we all still love those tales. Small town boys making it big makes the whole win even more super again we feel they are one of us we can all make it big too. I am guilty of picturing my lil boys in their shoes too. I watch them for some signs these days "do you want to be a sportsman?" I ask now and then. they are perplexed. I keenly observe the kids playing around our house - who knows maybe a prospective sports star or two, a couple of uncut diamonds like Gavaskar said maybe.

To cut a long story short I am hooked once again and waiting for all the matches and hoping to be in the stands when they play in Kochi on Oct 2^nd. I also hereby promise that I will stick by them till the very end and will never forget that they do unite us all as a country as a single religion, as a passion and makes us all Indians first! Three cheers to team India! Hip hip .... HOORAY! :)

All this month we have been car-shopping and with the intention of upgrading to a sedan from our 7-yr-old Santro. Considering that we have to drive in Kochi of all places where the roads are quite narrow and where nowadays most people are planning for two cars - you can imagine the quandry!

The Corporation here is also very adamant on digging up the perfect roads for pipeline laying right before the monsoon. We have slushy muddy roads and huge ditches even on bridges these days. But hey the old car was having AC problems for the second time now. So there we were test driving the SX4 from Maruti to Ford Fiesta and even the Cheverolet Aveo and all this time worrying about the tight turns that we make in and around town.

I read blogs and reviews on mouthshut.com and even bought auto magazines with a host of comparative articles on all the cars in the segment. The brats were getting auto wise too and are now more into the makes of toy cars they have. The lil one was calling out to his brother saying "the Porsche is getting really heavy in my hands" much to my dismay!

They pointed out Audis to me and know all the diff Merc classes! Hubby turned away from American cars saying no re-sale value. Then came the news Skoda will bring out its small car - the Fabia soon and Honda and Mitsubishi too would follow suit. We were back to thinking maybe a small car is indeed better for us by now.

Then we got news of a Baleno and an Accent up for sale on a slashed price as they were being phased out. You can imagine your head is reeling by now. There was also a bout of lets give the Tatas our money and buy an Indigo after all the Co. has done wonders for the country. However, one day it finally happened - we went to see a car and ended up sitting in the hatchback model in its showroom.

The feeling was instant - the two of us did not feel like getting out of the car. So a couple of weeks later I've got a new Boy Friend we brought him home yesterday a gleaming new KL 7 BF **** and its divine! Hubby and I are fighting over who will drive it everywhere. "You can expect a few scratches and dents on the car you know", I tell hubby and immediately he goes on the "this-country-is-going-to-the-dogs" tirade.

The brats are belted up at the back and not liking it one bit and eating in the car is a "no-no" and they are missing the old Santro I can tell. So do I actually...By the way I am not telling which one we bought just in case I get comments saying the others were better! Clever right?

Hyderabadi Zafrani Pulao is what I need now after watching the movie "Cheeni kum" It is the catalyst in the hook-up here. A cooking mishap, and yes no sugar is to be added in the authentic Zafrani pulao we are told! An age-defying romance - but what charms you is the romance itself. There's no flowery language or endearments but loads of playful dialogue.

The sixty-four year old Amitabh(Buddha) is suave and dashing and incredibly sexy with his pony tail and all.

He is a control-freak chef with "The best Indian restaurant in London" and keeps his underlings on a tight leash and they provide the slapstick comic relief. The other important character in the romance is - the umbrella and it is forever being used by both protagonists - returning it becomes the reason for the promise of another meeting.

AB and Tabu make a fresh romantic couple despite the age they match each other in the volley of words and there are no cheap lines or breaking into song and dance or even praises of beauty or anything of that sort no one dwells in the superficial too much... except for the Versace glasses AB buys on a whim to impress Tabu. AB who does not own a car says, "a taxi is more sexy."

Talking of Sexy, the ailing little girl with large sad eyes, the one in AB's life before Tabu arrives - Sexy stands apart with her take on life for someone so small. However Zohra Sehgal AB's mom who lacks cooking skills with a fetish for well-built wrestlers on TV is superb. She has mirth and cheekiness written all over her face and wants her son to go to the gym daily.

Ilayaraja's "cheeni kum hai cheeni kum hai ..." is included here and there whenever the pair ends a conversation on a romantic note. The romance builds up beautifully and has to be seen and not spoken about. The second half is mostly in Delhi and with Paresh Rawal, the Gandhiwadi father of Tabu, who has resigned himself to his 54-year-old self.

At the end you leave with a silly romantic grin on your face wishing you had such an opportunity. Tabu tells her dad its better to live with someone you love for five years than to live in a love-less marriage for thirty years.

Well us married ones, let's romance too. hubby and I had a bike ride in the rain on our way. Not bad right? Verdict: Must Watch ****

Sooni sooni khoyi khoyi aankhein meri dhoondhein tujhe hi..
kabse haan kabse..
Ab aaogi, tab aaogi.. kab aaogi poochoon main yehi..
khudse haan khudse..
Main hun yahan tu hain kahan, Aahein meri sun..
Sooni sooni khoyi khoyi aankhein meri dhoondhein tujhe hi..
kabse haan kabse..

Mere jazbon ko dard de ke,
Gum hue tum kahan chain le ke..
Dhoondti tumko meri aankhein..
Bin tere thehri hain ab yeh saansein..
Zidd pe ada hai yeh dil.. jinaa kiye hain mushkil..
Bass mera khud pe hi hai kyun.. kyun..
Sooni sooni khoyi khoyi aankhein meri dhoondhein tujhe hi..
kabse haan kabse..
Ab aaogi, tab aaogi.. kab aaogi poochoon main yehi..
khudse haan khudse..

Kya milla tumko yun sata ke..
Is tarah se mera dil jala ke..
Na raha jaaye ab to tanha..
Chubh raha shool sa lamha lamha..
Ik baar to aao.. phir chaaho to jaao..
Khelo na yun mere dil se..

Cheeni kam hai, cheeni kam hai.. thodi thodi tujh me hi kam kam,
hai kam kam..
Sooni sooni khoyi khoyi aankhein meri dhoondhein tujhe hi hum dum..
o hum dum
Main hun yahan, tu ho kahan.. Aahein meri sun..

Sooni Sooni, Khoyi khoyi Aankhein meri dhoondein tujhe re..
kabse haan kabse..
Ab aaogi, tab aaogi, kab aaogi.. poochoon main yehi..
khudse.. haan khudse..

Reading the title let no one think I'm here preaching religion or spiritual stuff... I merely talk of the more mundane stuff of a household. Before you make me out to be the poster girl of family matters let me admit I'm quite clueless about all these things...But I wonder if you guys have anything you do as a family every day?

All members together doing something as a family and here, eating at the dining table watching TV is not what I'm calling a ritual. But, an act done with the sole purpose of bonding with your loved ones. In my house I have tried many of the stuff I heard or read and even watched on TV and somehow things never became a habit.

We begin something and soon end up losing our way and finally it's another drill given up much before it took root within. However, we have embarked on a new one now and its plain old Yoga and meditation (TM Transcendental Meditation, the Beatles will vouch by it) with our first-born between us. The younger one will eventually follow as soon as we decide this is something forever.

Watching our first-born teeter and totter doing the Asanas fill the two of us with glee and we with our stiff morning bodies are encouraged to do more. By the way the lit scented candles gifted by our own Misty and family add to the ambience. A ritual finally forever I believe we have made.

The meditation bit I must admit my hubby is better at and we are watching our lil guy emulate us. My mind wanders all the time as I focus but feel, a certain calm as the days go. I also want to thank another blogger friend for encouraging me to take up 5 minutes of mediation.

Holidays are done it was fun and everyone's re-charged and by the way a little bit of shopping nearly got me in a spot of trouble. I got two Hi-Design bags for a steal for 800 rupees only, thank you and there I was skipping along with my kids and hubby with a grin even Garfield can beat all set to shop more at Fab India, when a little while later.

I forgot my new bags at the back of the auto rickshaw we got in. My hubby immediately gave me a long speech and ran behind the auto but to no avail. The brats holding my hands on either side pitched in "Are you going to cry now?" and "Don't worry you can have my money"! Also- "How much did it cost?" and "Dad may say things but don't worry" and so on.

Luckily, the guys at Fab India - good resourceful people they are, took my hubby on a bike to the auto stand where the auto driver was waiting with my precious bags! Phew! Hubby was back with me with a smile and I immediately agreed to go to the restaurant he picked("Rendevous" will have to be next time) and we both ended up shopping with a vengeance at Fab India in gratitude.

By the way, the brats were singing a new tune now from either side "You have to be more careful, poor Dad had to run so much" and "He must be tired with all this and you must give him a leg massage tonight!"
I'm happy to report humble me did their bidding and the bags are wonderful btw!