Last year, I remember having a conversation with my colleague, A, just outside the office canteen, on how much I like to blog but never seem to come up with ideas. She mentioned that her friend had once decided to blog non-stop for 30 days. Setting a fixed time and thrusting a deadline on herself helped to achieve the goal.
2 months ago, I visited another random blog, which was an everyday photo blog. The author posted a picture of her life everyday. Since then, I have been inspired to start a regular photo post.
And the 'Foto Fridays' posts on this blog have taken form because of this inspiration.
March Photo A Day Challenge is a month long marathon to post everyday photos - each one of a kind. Here's looking forward to a month long of pictures, posts and experiences. :)
As children, we have played lots of games - hide-and-seek, blind man's bluff, den, catching catch, red letter, dumb charades, UNO and what not.
And then there are the board games - Ludo, backgammon, snake-and-ladder, checkers, roulette, bingo, carrom... I can keep going all day. In fact, I am playing a game right now as you read this. The game is, not recalling my favorite game, but instead it is which games do I re-collect the most and can relate to my childhood days.
Board games like Monopoly and Scrabble, and card games like UNO and regular playing cards ruled my house back then. I don't re-collect the memory of who bought / gifted them to me and my kid-brother, H, but the unforgettable memory is how much fun we had. The whole family - Amma, Appa, mama, mami, H and I - would scream "UNO" till late night while Thatha (my grandpa) would prepare to retire for the night & leave occassional reminders for us to sleep too. No one listened to him though ;)
Ten years ago, the games stopped. Studies, job, dance, ups-and-downs, family and what not has been ruling my life since then. The only game played in these years must be carrom with the Oceans' 16 gang on Saturdays, to while away the time during bunked lectures. ;-D
But I never dreamt I would get a chance to re-live my childhood memories again. A stroll down the family games aisle at the local Walmart one day & there I was, missing my childhood and most importantly, my brother H :(
With the winter spell going on, LP and I eagerly look forward for weekends - not to go out but to visit the Fast Friends and play games. Monopoly and playing cards rule the roost now. I have learnt 2 new card games - 28 and Bluff :) From London streets - Mayfair Avenue, Piccadilly Square & Oxford Street, the lingo has now changed to US Avenues - Boardwalk, Marvin Gardens, Illinois Avenue.
T. G. I. F. :)
Let's play !
So, tell me, which game helps you to trace back to your childhood days ?
Now you see it, now you don't. :) The summer is so eager to get here that even winter can't withstand the heat.
Image 1 - See the snow flakes starting on the window. Image 2 - Within a minute, the sun comes out and absorbs everything. Image 3 - Before you know it, the sun is out again - bright and shining ! :)
Did friends & relatives ask what were your plans for today ?
Every year, I have at least a few people asking me this question. Comparing thoughts I read today on another blog, I would like to know your take on this.
What's your thoughts about celebrating love on Feb 14th every year ?
Should there be a special day to say all those things you missed telling till now ?
What do you prefer - a single day of celebration or a life-long celebration ? :)
- I feel it's a nice idea to commemorate a day for love. This doesn't mean, you don't have to spend time with that someone special on the other 364 days. It's just a way to help set the mood.
- Special moments can be anytime & anywhere. A special day should only mean, saying all that you wanted to say in addition. :)
- I prefer a life-long celebration always. But the single day of celebration can definitely be a day to celebrate it in a "different" way.
I just had the weirdest dream. I woke up in the morning today with a vague image of Hrithik Roshan in my head. Reason - He was "in" my dream.
No, we were not deserted on a distant island like in "Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai"! No, we were not singing songs for each other ! And definitely, we were not deeply and madly in love with each other ! :-D
Before you go about assuming all possibilities into this dream, let me tell you it was nothing great. Because his whole family was in the dream too. :P
As it occurs normally, I didn't recollect the entire sequence of the dream. I don't know why I was in his house with his family in the first place. I want to say it was because I always wanted to appear along side him in a dance competition, but I dare not ! :)
Like a house guest or a visitor, I remember staying with his family at his home, which was rather decked down and small for an actor in Mumbai. I looked around to see the interiors of his home and clearly was not impressed. His two sons were running around, playing in the house and his wife was ... well... I remember her just being there. While I still stood there tracing the links back to my existence at that moment, my alarm went off and it was time to get up. I woke up on my bed, on a normal weekday with work and lots of things lined up ahead of me.
Although I was confused on the dream, it definitely left several questions in my mind.
Of all the great people and actors I look up to and who inspire me, why did I dream of Hrithik Roshan ?
- Am I a secret admirer ?
It's not possible because I have never been a big fan of his acting. Like every actor, I like him a normal amount. He is definitely handsome, strives to be physically fit, has average acting skills and without a doubt, of the current lot, stands out as the most outrageous & accomplished dancer.
- Did I watch any of his movies yesterday, which left some thoughts back in my sub-conscious mind ?
No, that didn't happen as well. I watched his 'Agneepath' more than 2 weeks ago. Now, I have not watched the Amitabh-starrer "Agneepath", but it definitely has to be incomparable to this one. I ended up liking Sanjay Dutt's villian performance (as Kancha) more than Hrithik's hero performance (as Vijay) :P
- What's with this adulation & obsession ?
Even though times are changing, I believe there are still a fairly larger amount of people who would love to know more about star gossip than real world news. In my terms, someone who appreciates a person's performance & his/her work, looks forward to some great movies & enjoys the entertainment, has to be a genuine fan. Striving to know every update of the person, encroaching on the personal details & later pondering on the events if they are the best or worst for the person, inquisitive to know what he/she wore for their wedding & where they spent their honeymoon, is not a part of being a fan.
True, we have all been there before - loving, hating, fantasizing or extra-admiring an actor to a greater extent with photos, interviews and what not. But, over time, we need to ask ourselves - Is it worth it ? Is it required ?
There was a time in my life when I had a favorite actor, a favorite actress, countless photo collections and gossip catch up. Till 8 months ago, reading the local newspaper meant picking out the Entertainment plus for spicy updates. But everytime, the same question popped up in my mind - "Is this piece of information helpful to me ?" Now, I hardly visit or search about latest tinsel town's news, I spend more time enjoying the show and loving the characters of the plot.
Tell me what you feel. Had the definition of fan-admiration changed over the years ?
I came across this advertisement a month ago and loved it. Don't you think it brings out the true knowledge levels in some of us ? Take a look and tell me how you fared. :) I got 5 of the 8 questions right :P
Gallons of water, vibrant colors, exquisite sounds and a fishy smell :p surrounded us as LP and I visited the local aquarium with the Fast Friends gang today.
Jelly fish
Aquarium visits are interesting. Walk around in twists and twirls, stare at the beautiful creatures, gather a fact here, touch a fish there and finally you exit with a big smile on your face. :) God's creations which, you can never believe, exist in the same world as you in a far-away sea or in a nearby pond/lake.
Mickey mouse meets penguin :)
Penguin land
The visit made me nostalgic and I traveled back in time to reminisce some of the other few aquariums I have visited. Posting some of those moments here -
Jelly Fish @ Sentosa Island Aquarium, Singapore
London Aquarium
Finding Nemo :)
And on a funny but certainly not a demeaning note, LP and I had once been to Mussoorie, Dehradun where we were offered free tickets to the nearby aquarium as part of the hotel package. Excited and curious to know about the different species preserved in a hill-station, we were stunned when our visit started at the entrance of the building leading to a short corridor and ended at the end of the walk. :-D
And it was then that we looked at the pass and realized the ticket was afterall only Rs. 5.... Hee hee ! ;)
