Bring in the New year without spending much!!

So, it's that time of the year again and you find that a little fun could burn a big hole in your pocket ? Here's what you can do to bring in the new year with aplomb:

                                    Throwing a house party 

This is one of the most cost effective ways of celebrating the new year's eve. Invite a few close friends and make this party a memorable one. Is it not better to have a few close pals instead of a horde of strangers around you?

Now for the itsy-bitsy details :

Decor - Decorate your hall or terrace with confetti,balloons and throw in a soft mattress/blanket with cushions in a corner. Lighting could be those small colorful lights used to adorn Christmas trees. These are pretty cheap and available in most electrical shops. All you have to do is plug them into a socket.



Food - The food could be home made rotis, chinese or pizza take out or any food that makes up a hearty dinner. Cooled water and Fizzy drinks are the best choices for teetotalers. Booze lovers of course, would definitely love house parties more as they are cheaper. A few light snacks like chips, plum-cakes and biscuits could complete the night.

Music - The advantages of having a house party is that you or anyone of your pals could be the DJ. As a host, be sure to get hold of some party-trance music, hit film songs and maybe throw in some jazz for the couples.

How much would it cost?

Decoration : The confetti and electric lights would cost up to a minimum of 150-250 Rs. The blankets, cushions should be available at any household.

Food : The take out cost could be shared equally among the friends, which would definitely be cheaper than a single entry pass into any hotel party. Boozers and non-boozers could split the soda and drinks tab among themselves. The total food cost would not exceed 200-500 Rs depending on the number of friends.

Music : Nowadays, most people have music speakers or you could borrow them from one of your pals. This is entirely a negligible cost if you were to take the electricity bill into account.

Fun and Frolic :

Dancing - You could be a bad dancer and still have fun as you are surrounded by your    friends alone.
Movies - Watch a movie none of you have seen before.
Games - Card games, Uno or just catching up with friends would be fun.

The count down : Bring in the New year by a live countdown from across the world on youtube and then scream with your pals!

Have a stay over for the night with your pals and catch a few hrs sleep before they head back home in the morning. 

The art of using a washing machine

I have always been a crusader of hand washing clothes. It's a great stress buster and the immense satisfaction of wearing truly clean clothes has no parallel. All these years, I have scoffed at using the machine as I believe the machine really does not remove dirt.

Hand washing entails scrubbing with a brush, which is a sure way to remove dirt. However, it has been pouring this month with no respite and I've become a tad too lazy. Actually, the latter reason has more truth to it than the raining.

I've never used our washing machine even though it has been a silent specter throughout my washing life. But my obsession with clean clothes takes precedence over my lazy but cute bum. So, armored  with a manual,which I took the pains to download online, I set out to conquer my "dirt-fears". It was a funny sight to many at home,I was reading the instructions on my laptop on how to wash clothes. Yes, I am the tech-savvy washerwoman.

A neat rear end 

Using a machine is not just about switching it on. It's about the various combinations. There are different settings depending on whether you want to soak your clothes, wash away excessive dirt with hot water first then use another setting with cold water, whether you want to spin dry and the list goes on.

My first tryst with my washing machine was very successful. I got clean clothes. However, my next attempt was not that satisfactory, I still had dirt on my T-shirts, which I'm sure would've vanished had I just used my hands to scrub. Some really incredible people just scrub away the stains, collars and cuffs of clothes and then put them in the washing machine. Is it not easier to just hand wash the soiled clothes in the first place?

I am still apprehensive about using the machine. It does not match the human ability to remove intensive dirt. Further more, even when you follow the whites and coloreds rule, it's highly probable that the coloreds get mixed too.Hence I believe ,washing machines could be used by lazy people pretending to be busy or busy people who are lazy. They are  good options for blankets and bed sheets though.

That's my affair with the machine so far, but are you satisfied with your machine?

My conversations with a teenager..

I have had many funny conversations with teenagers as I am perennially surrounded by them. But a recent one made me blog about it.

Teenager was apparently on the computer with a note pad in hand , when I walked in.

Me : What are you doing?

Teen gives me a sheepish grin and I walk out.Then, I give into my curiosity and
walk into the room again.

Me : Are you watching porn?

Teen : No. I am doing something else.

Me : I thought you were watching porn and taking notes! :p

Teen : What? Wait. Do you watch porn?

I smile.

Teen : You're smiling , then you do watch!

Me : I read sweetheart. Trust me you've no idea about romance novels.

Teen : What's porn with no visuals?

Me:  When you read it's romance , tears and strong emotion and passion.
Teen: Nothing to beat visuals.
Me: Alright. That's enough. Remember whom you're talking to.
Teen: Okay.
As I turn to leave the room,
Teen: By the way , I don't watch porn. I don't do all that.
Me:  (Rolling my eyes and laughing) Yeah Right. I know.

Brain Blues

What do you do when your brain does not seem to be working and you have a major exam coming up? And to make matters worse, it has nothing to do with memory, it's the application.
You've been confident all along and then suddenly two or three days before the d-day,you're on the operation table with your guts all open.
What do you do?

1. Switching off the brain is a very hard thing to do, especially when you have a major exam or project coming. But it's very essential to re-boot your brain. Stay away from those books for a while.
2. Listen to music. Mozart, Beethoven and the like. I searched all over the world wide web for music that helps your mind. It's scientifically proven too.
3. Play puzzles and other simple brain games.
4. Sleep well. This includes sleep cycles during the night and not day. When you're nocturnal, your brain cannot focus as much it can during the day after 8 hrs of sleep.
5. Jump around.(This is my physical exercise).Walk or go for a small jog.Physical exercise keeps you active and you'd feel fresh.
6. Drink juice. I don't know whether it helps,I just like orange juice.
7. Unwind by doing something different from your studies or work. I just did. I blogged about the fact that my brain needs a restart, with no errors and lots of free disk space on some drives .
8. Can't think more right now.

The Bad Boys - Why women find them attractive

Women have always found bad boys more appealing.

I don't think women anywhere find women-beaters or cavemen attractive in any way, so they do not figure anywhere in my "Bad Guys" category.

No, when I mean bad guys, I'm not talking just about the stud with the scary tattoo, or the mean looking biker, or the one steeped in alcohol/dope over a loved one, or the commitment-phobe ; the bad boys could be rebels in their own right, but all with supposedly good intentions and an armored heart.

So why do women find these bad boys attractive?

* Some women harbor this romantic notion that once a bad boy falls for them, these women could change the man by the power of their love. These women want to be the one whom the commitment-phobe married or the one who tasted sweeter than alcohol or coke.They see themselves as saviors or nurturers of these men.

* Women think these social rebels could never be boring and a relationship with these guys would be exciting.

* The challenge that no woman before her could tame him.

* The belief that these men are really good under the sack and the unfounded belief that she will be the last mermaid for his sailor.
                                                                                                               
* Women believe that underneath all that ruggedness and lashing out, beats a heart of gold that's waiting to be taken.

However, a research has proven that though women are attracted towards bad boys, they'd rather have good ones as husbands.

So are the bad boys doomed to be alone? Are the women playing savior for men who don't want to be saved?

Why it's important to learn how to scream-- Be aware.

Are you a woman travelling by public transport, walking back home or to a nearby place, returning home from college/work late or wade through crowds, then this is a must read for you.

Am sure every female would have come across men passing comments, coming too close for comfort, following us or brushing against us even when there's ample space for two people.

And all this even when you are clad in something called a Salwar-Kameez and look like a female clone of Will Ferrell. Some people would jump into conclusions thinking that these things happened only to Jeans-T shirt clad women. The above line was for them.

The mistake we women do is that we keep quiet, thinking speaking out loud will draw more trouble.

Contrary to popular belief, when we keep quiet, this only emboldens the perpetrator who thinks he got away with it and will try it again.

So what can you do when facing such situations? Read on:

* Some guy standing too close while travelling? Tell him to back off in a loud and clear voice. A guilty man never has the courage to retaliate in public.

* Scream aloud if you have to. Make a fuss,draw a crowd. Always know that you are never alone and help will be given only if you ask for it.

* Chances are that either you draw a crowd, who thrash him and hand him over to the police or you endure in silence. It is your choice.

* When walking alone, be aware of your surroundings. Your I-pod will only distract you. Talking on a phone does not scare away anyone. It keeps away your fears but will not help you unless that's a call to the police or someone who can arrive on time.

* When you walk faster or run, you give the knowledge to the assailant that you are scared. This makes him bold. Take a deep breath and scream a call for help.Or else walk into any residential area or apartments and ring someone for help.

* Always walk in well lit and crowded areas. The more you are visible, the lesser chances of encountering hooligans.

* When walking through crowded places, hold your bag in front of you and make eye contact with anyone trying to act funny.

* Self defense only helps as long as you are keen on using it. So if you're a black belt but a timid miss ... GET OVER IT!

* Some of us have the habit of walking with our head bowed down. Unfortunately, this does not keep the sex-starved men in this country, at bay. In fact, this makes a woman look weak and very gullible.

* Research tells that if a woman walks with normal strides ,shows confidence and looks a man in his eye, he'd think twice before trying anything.

* Remember Pepper sprays and deodorants are weapons that can be used by the assailant on you too. Carry sturdy sharp objects.(I usually carry a compass. Maybe I should upgrade?)

* If you have to throw a punch, hit the nose and/or the Adam's Apple.Just make sure, he is caught unawares and deliver the hit as powerful as possible.

* There's always safety in numbers. Call the male members of your family or trusted male friends if you are too scared.

* Trust your instincts.

Get over your shock and learn to scream like a mad woman. Use words calling for help when you scream,instead of the ones we see in horror movies. When you are in shock it's highly unlikely that you'd be able to scream like that immediately.Using words fuels your anger and anger is good in these situations.
Help another woman if she is too shocked to ask for help. Be brave and confident.That makes you scary to others.

And woman, you have a right to walk with your head held high.
All women must take care and gentlemen must pass this on to their loved ones.

Why guys sometimes are better friends...

I have some really close girl pals, but they are very few in number. Whereas, I can count my guy friends using all ten fingers.
Before, I thought this anomaly was another element of my complex-personality. But when I checked with my girl pals, we all seemed to agree on this.

So, why are guys better friends?

* They are fun.

No offense, some of us women have a good sense of humor but most men really have a knack for it. If there's a moment of hilarity with adult undertones, guys will probably laugh over it for a while, then get back to important issues. Some girls clam up. For them this would turn into an important issue. All I can say to them is, stop being anal retentive.

* Some men don't gossip

This is a pretty good thing, which I believe all men could follow. On the contrary, almost all girls gossip and some bitch around.
At this juncture, I'd like to differentiate gossip as fact involving you or fact not even remotely concerning you. 'Bitching' is when girls, displaying characteristics synonymous with scheming evil witches, exaggerate fact with their own fiction and in some cases complete fiction.
I am yet to meet a guy belonging to the above category and even if I do, I am walking the other way. Somehow, I lose my respect for people who lack honesty and decorum.

* They really don't care what other people think

Guys like to have their egos and self-respect in tact. But unlike women, they are not obsessed with what other people think about them.They make friends because they gel well. Some girls lose their own individuality to make friends so that they feel accepted.

* The trust factor

Women around the world seem to trust a guy friend more than a female acquaintance. There are certain things only gal pals can understand and things only a guy can. It's kind of a fact that guys think women are not trustworthy. I'd like to think that myself and few other women, are an exception.I feel very honored when my guy pals trust me. That makes me feel like one of them. :)

* They don't feel the need to upstage us

When a bunch of girls go out, each one wants to receive more attention than the other. Not a sin. Women are programmed that way. But when women go out with platonic guy friends, we'd rather be comfortable and enjoy the moment.

* The guy friends are not competition

They do not have qualms about providing guidance to their close friends. They instill the determination to achieve. Men compete but they also help out their close friends in need. Men have an unwritten code regarding sycophants and back-stabbers. They never respect such people and have very low tolerance towards those scum bags.
Women perceive other women as competition. We'd rather stay quiet than helping out another one of us in need.

Am yet to come across other reasons on why guys are better pals. Will keep you posted.


Am more of a 'split the bill' kinda girl so I do not let others pay my bills.More often I pay theirs.( GIMME MY MONEY!!). Further more, am yet to receive any solid evidence of their help apart from the occasional therapy they provide when am crying my heart out. So the above observation has been made truly without any kind of bribery involved.


PS: Any future rewards shall be appreciated and dealt with in kind. :-p

How to make a sad person be Happy

In the cynical world we live in, being self-centered and shrewd is seen as being clever or smart. 'Survival of the fittest' has its origins from the great Mr.Darwin and has wound its way into the depth of humanity.

Sometimes I wonder how other living beings co-exist.Of course the deer is hunted down by the ever-powerful tiger but how would you explain instances where a wolf nurses a lion cub, which lost its mother? Or when a wild elephant stays with its young that has fallen into a pit , without concern to its own safety?

I get goosebumps when I read such articles in the news. These animals, without the supposedly-human sixth sense put us to shame. And we humans constantly want better lives, but we are actually debasing ourselves.

We are running around in circles trying to be satisfied with life. The minute we stop running, the world as we know it would reach a stand-still.I am sane enough to realize we will never stop, irrespective of the amount of natural disasters that come our way.
But what I realize is that in another Hundred years, we'd be mere husks of humanity.
And I want to do my best to stave off this possibility.

We have the notion that compassion is extending help to those who may not be privileged as we are.
We fail to realize that in daily life, our friends, our family or acquaintances sometimes need compassion too.

How to make a Sad person Happy?

1. A person could be sad for many reasons, sometimes they just need a patient ear, so listen.

2. I came across this pearl of wisdom--"Never ask what is wrong. Ask how you can help." The person may not want to share what is troubling them, but if you are keen on helping them, ask them how you can help.

3. Sometimes even when you extend your desire to help, they may be skeptical. Let them know you are still waiting with your hand held out.

4. These things will make them realize that someone is willing to bring them out of their gloom.That will certainly alleviate the depression.

5. Give them chocolate. It has been scientifically proven to make us feel better.

6. Try to cheer them up by sharing common activities together. Laughter is truly contagious.

7. Give them inexpensive, but funny gifts.
Case in point: I once received a crude stone with my name painted on it. I didn't know whether I should laugh or throw it back.But it made me happy. :) Or how about an ice-cream of their favorite flavor?

8. If they are female,show them pictures of female actors with nose jobs and tell the person they have a wonderful nose.

9. If they are male, show them pictures of female actors who've done all kinds of jobs. That will surely perk them up .(Pun intended);-D

10. Give them time to heal but stay with them all the while.


Remember someday you may need a shoulder to lean on.

This list is never ending. Are there other ways to make people happy? Do let me know :)

What women want from Men and what we actually get..

I have always been keen on reading and, researching about the varying facets of human personalities. The most repetitive line I've come across is that, "Women are a puzzle". On the contrary, we're very simple beings with basic expectations from our opposite sex.

Be it our fathers, brothers, friends, spouses or the strangers we come across while travelling, while shopping and the occasional creeps. This is what we expect from you men, and what we actually get.

What women expect from men:

1. Respect:
One of the defining factors of the Homo sapiens existence. Women do not want to be referenced as Madame, we know that's asking for too much in this age.
We would like men to respect our decisions and we want our opinions to be listened to.
Women are programmed to feel uncomfortable when men come too close within our physical space.
We know we are made differently from men and we are the weaker sex in terms of physique.
But, respect us for our minds, our beliefs and our tenacity to over come all odds we face in this male dominated world.

What we get:
We are told by the outside world that it is not our place to have a voice and if we did, we have to face consequences.
Some of us lucky ones may have the freedom,our needs for a better education or work valued, but we cannot truly say that we have escaped the,"you are a girl" line.
No matter what we achieve or are striving to, it is harder for us than you. Appreciate the fact that we have to work twice as hard as men to prove ourselves.
We are made to live in fear that we must return home sooner from school, college or work. Our fathers and brothers try to protect us from other men. Chivalry from stranger will never go unacknowledged.These men do not expect anything, they just help because that's how they are.Women respect such men, who help us in our time of need.

2.We expect financial stability:
Women are always thought of as greedy for money, the truth is we just expect financial security.
We do not seek Prada bags, Jimmy Choos and Audi cars if you cannot afford it, but if you can, we do not see the harm in asking you out on a splurge. ;)
Financial security has been programmed into the women's brain from time immemorial.We have been the nurturers and men providers. Now we are multitasking being both. We just expect men to be good providers. How, expecting a good salary ,so that we do not incur debt; have healthy food;or forced to live frugally; a home in a decent neighborhood and our occasional clothing splurges can seem money-minded is ridiculous. We do not want to live rich. We want to live comfortably.But, I agree comfort factor varies for different women. If we are accustomed to a certain life style and then we find that our expectations are not met, we are of course likely to complain.
Just be sure you pick the right one. ;)

What we get:
Tirades on how much shopping we do, being termed as gold diggers. Even after providing a considerable income, managing the household and putting up with the manly egos, we are ridiculed if we splurge once a while. Women are more cautious to first see that the rent and all bills are paid and ONLY THEN some of us save like misers and some shop like kings.

3. Appreciation/Care:

Respect goes hand in hand with appreciation or care. Say, we've had a bad day at college or work, have a care to ask us what went wrong. We know you cannot resolve all our problems, but we'd be happy that you asked. Once in a while, pitch in when we ask you something from the groceries. When we cook our arses off to please you, and it turns to be a damp squib, laugh it off and remember we've made some good food too. If we are sick, know that we hate it more than you do.

What we get:
Of course, some of the male species are very intelligent they take us out, protect us, buy us things,and make us feel cherished. For all those men, we women salute. The others however, confuse being affectionate as being weak or less manly, hence they try and put us down every chance they get.
For them,I have to say that the men who show that they care,acknowledge the fact that the women in their lives only make them stronger and not weaker.

So I conclude that the women in your life, your sisters;mothers; girlfriends/spouses; colleagues; the nameless women who struggle daily to get a seat on the public transport; the woman peddler on the streets; the woman who hears the cat-calls and comments but walks away like nothing happened and this humble blogger just want:
To be treated with dignity and earn our respect,
To give a little Affection/Love which we so easily share with you,
To provide physical,emotional and financial security.

Now, Is that so difficult??

For all the over grown Boys out there..Become Men!

All the twenties and thirties Boys, Learn something from this! (for the forties and beyond if they are still boys,during their middle age crisis, God help them!!).
Boys,Learn to be Men! Women don't need macho boys. We need Men.
Check out this link:

http://menshealth.intoday.in/menshealth/story.jsp?contentid=3276&sid=5&cid=22"
Courtesy: Men's health magazine

Better save the page or buy the magazine and stick the page onto your mirror and look at it daily.Wait, when was the last time you guys saw a mirror? Stick it somewhere you're bound to see if you really want to prove yourself as a man.
We'd see whether these important commandments drill some sense into the thick skulls you guys have.

Thor Movie --Review

I just caught up with the new 3D movie, Thor and I felt there was not a proper review in the internet which did the film full justice. And, I wanted to rectify that by writing what really captivated me and the audience in general about the movie.

I got the afternoon show at 4:15 and I was very excited as this was my first 3 D movie!
As it was a case of novelty for me, I was the person trying to catch the snow-flakes till the guy behind told me to stop catching imaginary flakes and watch the movie. But that didn't dampen my movie experience at all.In fact, by that time I was engrossed into the movie.

The movie begins on Earth wherein we're hauled into the blowing winds which rapidly becomes a tornado by a astro-scientist Jane(Natalie Portman)and her two friends Erik and Darcy.
From here, as a prelude, we are transported to the realm Asgard(ASS-GUARD, sorry I couldn't resist).
In Asgard we're introduced to Odin(Anthony Hopkins- Shining through again), Thor( Chris Hemsworth-- who looks absolutely yummy!!)and his brother Loki(Tom Hiddleston- Portrayed Loki without any hysterics) and a multitude of Thor's loyal comrades.

The realms Asgard and Jotunheim are on the brink of war and Thor arrogantly lands on the enemy realm and a fight ensues. Odin gets angry, relieves Thor of his powers and banishes him to earth. He throws the mighty Hammer so that it could be held only by a Man fit for it. How Thor changes ,retrieves the hammer and fights off the evil forces form the story.

The character sketch has been done well and the scenes with Jane and Thor a pleasure to watch, poignant and sweet. The effects and the details into the realms Asgard and the frost realm Jotunheim are breathtaking. There's never a lull in the story line and it moves at a brisk space.

However, I felt the part where the mighty Thor's change of attitude citing Jane a reason was a bit far-fetched. There were very few scenes that could lend credibility to this. And, we see Jane the brain behave like a simpering school girl during the few scenes she's around Thor.

How a virile, arrogant guy, finds a woman behaving like a school girl with her first crush, attractive, is beyond me. As a female, I'd rather have Jane maintain some womanly dignity. Thor doesn't need a girl, he needs a woman to pull his mighty rear a peg or two.

And, yes. I did drool during the scene of Chris Hemsworth without his shirt. That's an added bonus. The men and the boys get to see the action and effects while the girls and women get to see Chris and the way he kisses Jane's hand.(Ahh.. Sigh..)

Overall the movie is a family entertainer!
My Rating--4 stars

Beauty products and me

The Woman that I am: Beauty products and me: "'ve decided to jump in2 the foray in the search for the ultimate cream tat will clear my zits and give me clear skin!!I wish there was some ..."

The Free-Floaters

Every1 knows that Man is a social animal, then what about the people who travel alone or like their personal space a tad too much? Does that mean they're not social?

I make quite a few friends, stay in touch with them through electronic means and even meet few of them when the notion strikes me.
The prospect of making new friends never fazes me, what does, is the meeting of like minded people. In that aspect, I've very few pals who fit the bill. I could never be a hypocrite and be very close with people who are radically different from me.

That said, I do maintain relationships with such people too but only because either we known each other and it would be rude not to have small talk with them or we fraternize for mutual benefit.

So why are people networking and socializing with friends anyway?
* They want to relax and have fun
* They seek some help
* They do not want to be alone

All the reasons above show that Man is an opportunist in many ways. And it has been accepted because there's this symbiosis between people.
Also people try hard to please others as a means of being accepted with other people.

The ones who scorn this and live their life by means they see fit are seen as opposing to the group-friend society. I'd term them Free-Floaters.

The free-floaters are overtly social only with close friends, and have realized early on that they would rather be themselves than please everyone.
Further more I realized as a free floater ,that when you move away from people whom you do not think of as a potential friend or an annoying relative who's a change face, either they let you be yourself and keep a respectful distance, or when they know that you are not bent on pleasing them,they try their best to please you, even though that is impossible as you can see through their facade.

So if you are a Free-Floater, be glad that you have a mind of your own and you socialize with whom you want.The when and the how are entirely based on the availability, time and "your space" factor.As a free-floater, be proud that you do not belong to any cliche bandwagon.