Friday, December 26, 2008

Train To Pakistan

The story of Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh dates back to partition time. It is a fiction revolving around the village of Mano Majra where people are not clearly aware of the happenings in India, of how no part of the country has been spared of Hindu-Muslim hatred. The villagers are ignorant, perhaps, because they never thought of Hindus and Muslims any different from each other. In short, Mano Majra was a cultural paradise where people were religious but not religious fanatics.

The book which starts with illegitimate sex (a Khushwant Singh typecast) and ends with illegitimate death has everything - from love to hatred, from religion to atheism, from peace to riots, from life to death. There are certain instances where one would feel pukish. The writing style is purely Indian, in fact to be very precise it is typical Khushwant Singh types. 

More than the plot (since, the title of the book gives away the hint of the story), it is the characters that are interesting, especially one Iqbal who adds a little urban style to the simple, unstylish Indian lifestyle. The hallmark of the book is its insight into normal lives of Hindus and Muslims  who were  victims of circumstances and the fact that partition was the biggest tragedy in the history of India.

Yes, the book was released decades ago a little later after the separation movement but even today it remains one of the best by any Indian writers. For youth who wants to know what and how the scene was in 1947, this fiction story could throw light on the sufferings that both Hindus and Muslims underwent. The lines and thoughts are interlaced andthus provides a free flow of the plot.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

SURE SIGNS OF INTERNET ADDICTION

Who can live without the internet, right? I mean, it's pivotal to our lives, our existence and our being. From email to news to chat to YouTube, some of us would rather have a computer with an internet connection rather than food when stranded on a desert island.

Some sure-fire tell-tale signs that you think the internet is the greatest invention ever, beating even sliced bread to the ground. And all these are from my perspective. [:P]

01. You get a deep sense of sadness when you don't see a (1) next to 'inbox'.

02. You refresh all your mail accounts once in 5 minutes. For some strange reason, you prefer new email to mails to reply to!

03. You use :P while writing with a pen and paper (oh come on, you've done a :) atleast! Admit it!).

04. When people ping you asking you for help, before they can state their query, you do Ctrl-T and have the cursor in the Google bar.

05. Your chat list has a familiar 'feel' to it. You subliminally know what goes where, and if one of the regular online guys is offline, something seems terribly out of place (but you can't put a finger on it). There has to be a term for this.

06. You have a folder full of text files with answers to frequently asked questions :P

07. You love the Alexa toolbar.

08. Somehow get a kick out of watching Cricinfo commentary online, as opposed to watching a game in real life.

09. You feel the internet should never be wasted, especially an unlimited collection and keep downloading.

10. Actually cheer torrents on (Come on, you can get to 30 kbps! Go guys, go!).

11. When you say HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA or HILARIOUS!!!! what you're most likely to be doing is just smiling.

12. Refer to :P in real life as the P smiley after an incredulous friend asks why you're sticking your tongue out at a goofy angle after saying something stupid.

13. You feel extremely proud of yourself when you do something non-internet like read an actual newspaper or are writing on an actual piece of paper, so much so that you feel the dire need to go online and tell people :|

14. You have your phone attached via Bluetooth to the computer so you can send off even quicker SMSes, and can check numbers even more fundoo-ly.

15. You actually take your phone to the toilet and finish writing the blogpost, when nature calls. Like I did for this point onwards.

16. People exclaim in surprise that you actually went offline, when what really happened was you got disconnected.

17. You check your college and personal mail before brushing and going to the loo.

18. ULTRA-ADDICTION: You rename all your contacts according to how you know them (School, College, Work, Online, Others, etc) and have created mailing groups so you can spam multiple people easily.

19. You get a high when you find a long-l0st friend on Orkut, and have this feeling of relief when you finally establish contact with him. It's another matter that you may never speak to each other for months, but he just HAS to be there on your Orkut / GTalk list.

20. The last three times you saw a movie on the computer, you minimised the screen so that you could chat with someone side-by-side.

21. You find your friends in the US asking you whether it isn't time to go to bed yet, only then you realise that it's five in the morning.

22. You looked at the computer clock first for the previous point, and then, incredulous, you look at the phone.

23. The idea of signing out of GTalk is antithesis to your entire being. What if someone important pings while I'm sleeping?!

24. You waste time reading useless lists like this and say, "That will never happen to me."

PS: Slightly related post: here.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

New Year's Resolution

Wikipedia's Definition -

A New Year's Resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. More socio-centric examples include resolutions to donate to the poor more often, to become more assertive, or to become more economically or environmentally responsible.

Wiki's hackneyed Resolutions -
  1. Lose Weight
  2. Pay Off Debt/s
  3. Save Money
  4. Get a Better Job
  5. Get Fit
  6. Eat Right
  7. Get a Better Education
  8. Drink less Alcohol
  9. Quit Smoking
  10. Reduce Stress

The real Definition -

No.....its not the old saying "Resolutions are meant to be broken "....Gen Y doesnt break them....its for keeps...and its real...

The real Resolutions -

For Girls -
  • Be nice with others - specially boys. (Phew)
  • Will ditch a dude within 1 year.
  • Try and be updated abt fashion as much as possible ! (kewwwwwwwl...)
  • Keep gaining weight. Put on at least 30 pounds. (Dats me!)
  • Stop biting my nails.Be SLOWER to pass judgment on a person.( :-O )
  • Recognize and compliment the beauty of others. (Naahhhh......)
  • Spend more on clothes than make-up.
  • Make my bed EVERY morning.(Ahemmm.....)
  • Dye my hair purple and try to figure out who I am. (waow)
For Guys -
  • Always replace the gas nozzle before driving away from the pump.Always wear clean underwear, "just in case".
  • Keep an extra safe distance when driving behind police cars.
  • Will not bore my boss by with the same excuse for taking leaves but think something more innovative.
  •  Will do less laundry.... and use more deodorant. Will avoid taking a bath ....whenever possible..... and conserve more water.
  • Spend more time watching TV . (Arrgghhh...)
  • Chat more over phone / Internet.(yea....!!)
  • Stop exercising. Waste of time.
  • Procrastinate more. (Hehe)
  • Drink. Drink some more.(..................write ur comments)
  • Start being superstitious. (start...???)
  • Spend "more" less time at work.
  • Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.
  • Polish my habits: Maybe smoking!(some more)

Friday, December 12, 2008

Hair Straightening Tips


With a hair straightener  you can do far more than just straighten your hair. Hair straighteners are versatile, multi-purpose styling tools that can be used in a variety of ways to create a huge range of exciting and dynamic hairstyles. With a little imagination, your  hair straightener can transform your look and bring real personality to your hair.
Adding shine to your hair they say this is now possible by straightening your hair using special straightners. Years ago there were the Babyliss Straight and Shine Steam Straightners which for 7years ago worked very well at straightening your hair and seemingly adding shine to your hair. There is now a newer version of these called Thermaglass Salon Slim Hair Straightners, these are supposed to give your hair a smoother and straighter look whilst giving your hair extra shine.


There are also different widths of hair straightners the wide ones and the slim ones. The wide ones are better for people with thicker and longer hair whilst the slim ones would take a lot of effort to straighten thick hair but work well on long hair just takes a little longer.

Modern flat irons
High-end modern hair straighteners have ceramic heating elements, which cause less damage to hair, are more effective and heat up faster than non-ceramic coated heating plates. Less expensive brands usually do not have ceramic heating elements though some may have a paint-like coating that gives the appearance of ceramic plating.
Many high end straighteners claim to use ionic and infra red technology, which claims to seal in moisture and oils and to reduce static and frizz.
Depending on the hair type, repeated use of hair straighteners, like most other heat styling tools, can cause varying amounts of damage such as split ends, thinning of the hair shaft and even causing hair to become brittle and prone to breakage. Generally, after extensive damage, hair will show signs of dryness and display an unhealthy appearance. However, many companies, such as L’Oréal and Tresemmé, have began to manufacture heat protection sprays and cream which aim to reduce the amount of damage that is caused by the use of straighteners.

Curling With Hair Straighteners
Curling with your hair straightener is a simple way to add body and texture to your hair. Although it may seem surprising, a  hair straightener is actually a very effective tool for creating curls in your hair.
Begin by straightening your hair if it isn’t straight already. This will give you a “blank canvas” to work with.Divide your hair into sections. The more sections you make, the looser your curls will be.Clamp your hair straighteners over a section, trying to keep the heated plates as close to the roots as possible. As you pull your hair straighteners through your hair, turn them 180 degrees by rotating your wrist. Make sure you maintain an even, gentle tension on your hair. To produce tighter curls clamp harder, rotate the straightener more and increase the tension on your hair.Don’t brush your hair after curling – simply tease your fingers through it to add body and bounce.

Creating Flips With Your Straightener
Creating flips with your hair straightener is an easy technique that adds real character to any hair style. To create a flip in your hair, simply straighten your hair as normal, but, when you reach the tip, curve your hair straightener outwards to introduce a flip out, or inward to create a flip in. This straightforward technique is a great way to add interest and put an intriguing spin on a straight hairstyle.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Stop Accusing Muslims as Terrorists......


Most politicians are corrupt but thr are a few who are honest and work really hard for improving our country. Most Hindus and Muslims are good and want 2 do good to the country. But there are a few who are corrupt and unpatriotic. We cannot blame all for misdeeds of a few, nor should we generalize and be judgemental.- While we are all sorry sad and angry 4what happened, I think that rather than play a blame game, let us introspect. First of all, we should try and get the Government we deserve. After all, we elect them. We went through the emergency years and after it ended, we went back to the same inefficient ways. Military rule or emergencies never solved da problems anywhere. Only responsible behaviour from the people under democratic rule has a chance. Secondly, each one of us has to be a disciplined soldier by being law abiding and civic minded citizens. Let us first improve ourselves. We spit anywhere we like, (do many more indecent things), we scratch our heritage and monuments to write names of lovebirds, we cross roads and railway lines when and where we like, we waste time in useless discussions at work lowering our productivity (which is perhaps lowest in the world) and most of all, we divide ourselves on religion, caste, colour and creed and deprive ourselves of dabest brains who migrate after getting fed up with da system. How can we blame them if they seek opportunities abroad ? Wats wrong in being ambitious ? Terrorists will continue to thrive as long as we cant look after ourselves and our country by inculcating discipline and civic sense and honesty all around.
War is the last resort. Wars never solved any problems for any country. It only created new ones. Let us all look inside us and introspect before blaming others for terrorist attacks or for our country's countless problems. Trials on terror are pending in our courts from many decades. Even a mercy petition of Afzal is still pending before our President. How cheap we are on political front? On intelligence front we are much weaker. We never try to learn from USA, England & Israel. Reason? Corrupt Nation. Corrupt Politicians. But Corruption starts with people and ends with people.Why are some people corrupt? Who bribes them? We know da answer ! I voted recently.To a person who has been doing a lot for my region since the time I had known him wen I was 5 yrs old.But he didnt win. Coz he wasnt able enough to give away cash or free lunches to da poor ppl who were brought to da city for "VOTING" Wat could he do? You have an answer?Patriotism doesnt start and end wid saying 'Jai Hind'. It comes with obligations stated above.I am very sorry to say that we as nation have no character. We are ready to make "Bangladeshi" to "Indian" by providing fake "Ration Cards" only for just few votes. Bloody Corruption!
Are we well equipped with sophisticated weapons? No. We have no funds for these things? Really? Where does the TAX that we pay go? We have fund only for Swiss bank lockers. Politicians use intelligence for their own greed and not for nation's need. Power comes from top nothches. If top bosses are not loyal towards their duties how can we expect da same from ground level? Our military force took 59 hours to flush out terrorist. Why? This is because our tactics, weapons, devices are old and need change. Same goes for our will power as a nation. It's a zigzag way. We all are responsible what happened at Mumbai. Now there is need to pin point. War against terror is not a static thing. It needs periodical check. We, the common people also are responsible for it. We all act in isolation. Now this is time to act as team.

It is absurd to state that all terrorists are Muslims...just go through this link.. (or click on the headline of this post)http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/terroristoutfits/index.html ....now you must know wat m trying to say... Bajrang Dal, VHP,Maoists, LTTE, naxalites, etc are no less than terrorists.
I think these perpetrators should not be named "Terrorists". They should rather be called "Dastards" or "Poltroonists" or rather "Stalemates". Associating a high-impact word such as "Terror" with their names makes them feel all the more powerful and confident abt their acts...These whitelivered guys dont have enough guts to face their own frustations of life and are devoid of any productive aim in life...
I guess all this discussion and awareness is more visible coz this time its India's Financial Capital dats hit! This time the elite class was hit! This time infrastructure of big honchos were hit! This time a metropolis was hit! There have always been instances of many more heinous crimes where gruesome killings had taken place....but they passed off like small incidents..No matter how much superficially we say "WE ARE INDIANS WE ARE INDIANS "...the fact is we actually dont consider ourselves as united Indians....we are still divided as States....no one shouted a slogan when hundreds of Oriya Christians were burnt alive in the name of religion...no one brought up a rally wen Gujjus at Akshardham were targetted...no one exchanged mails when LTTE killed scores in southern states...

First change yourself...then play the blame game !

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Fun Time





A woman announces to her friend that she is getting married for the fourth time.






"How wonderful! But I hope you don't mind me asking what happened to your first husband?"
"He ate poisonous mushrooms and died."



"Oh, how tragic! What about your second husband?"
"He ate poisonous mushrooms too and died."



"Oh, how terrible! I'm almost afraid to ask you about your third husband."
"He died of a broken neck."



"A broken neck?"
"Yeah.He wouldn't eat the mushrooms."

Sunday, January 13, 2008

He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything


1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster.
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Dating Stories

Some of my commentors have poured in their dating stories....even u can send me ur stories, ur hangout fundas, et all and get them up on my site for the girls to know....keep posting !

Kashish, 18, Mumbai
After months of text-flirting I’d scored a date with my crush, the only problem was my height. I’m only 5 foot and he was a whopping 6’2”. I thought he probably wouldn’t fancy me once he realised how little I was so I borrowed a pair of my Mom’s 8 inch heels. Everything was going fine until we went to walk down the steps from the restaurant into the foyer. I buckled, snapping one of my heels and falling down the entire flight of stairs just as a huge family party was arriving. My date looked so embarrassed when the waiter handed him my broken shoe. In the future I’ll just be myself.

Jasmeet, 15, Delhi
One of the fittest boys in year 11 started pushing notes through our door addressed to ‘my dream girl’ saying how much he fancied me and wanted to go on a date. I was over the moon and when he finally left a note asking me to meet him at a certain time and place after school one Friday I begged my Mum to let me go. I spent ages getting ready and bragged to all my friends about my ‘dream date’. The problem was when I got there he didn’t seem to recognise me. To my shame it turned out he’d been leaving the notes for my big sister and didn’t even realise I existed! My friends have never let me live it down.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

know which look suits your body shape














curvaceous (like Kajol)


Dont hide away under baggy clothes. Accentuate your curves with clothes that fit instead.Avoid: Skinny jeans. Spaghetti straps.














boyish (like Kangana )

Balance out your straight figure with girlish accessories and long hair.
Avoid: Roll necks. Baggy tops. Straight leg trousers.

























bootilicious (like Beyonce)

Wear lighter clothes on your top half and stick to darker shades for trousers and skirts.
Avoid: Pleated skirts. Micro minis.

















slim (like Deepika )

Try flat-front trousers or low waist denim to hide any pre-period tummy bloat you may get.
Avoid: Trend overkill.3/4 length trousers.





i hope u make the best out of this info...........................stay stylish....!!!!!!!!!!!!

hi everyone

shagoon here....

welcome to my blogosphere ....

u can find more abt me on my profile... down under in dis page
i hope to create a good interactive circle here.... each week look out for what's new here.....

i would feature goodies and tips for all...which m sure would take u a looong way....

join in...start blogging....start posting....be the 1st to write a comment....