Full Disclosure

Was re-reading some old books...

The first thing that comes up when talking about Michael Cricthon's "Disclosure" is sexual harassment, in particular, the sexual harassment of a man by a woman.

Fair enough, but to me I find the book is actually a really good mystery story.  As Sanders (the protagonist) is advised throughout the book "Solve the problem."

I liked the movie too.  This is one case where the movie does not disappoint.  I did see the Hindi version "Aeitraaz" too - with Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor.  Actually it wasn't too bad - only wish they hadn't gone the "utmost devoted loyal wife who will lie on burning coals for her husband" route.

Disclosure - Revenge is Sweet and best served cold...

Nostalgia

Folks from India - do you remember those blue inland letters?

For the longest time ever I always thought they were "England" letters.  My parents  used to regularly write to their folks back home using inlands.  I remember my mom or dad leaving a small space at the very end where I inevitably would write:

"My dear Uncle/Aunty or Grandpa/Grandma,

How are you?  We are fine.  I went to school today.

Write soon."

And then would follow a drawing of a house or a car - colored most painstakingly.  After this came the most important task of all to go and drop the letter in the mail-box and wait for the reply where the usual comment would be "By the way Uncle/Aunt/G'pa/G'ma liked your drawing.  They say you've improved a lot".

When my sister went off to Medical School and I was given the privilege of actually writing a whole half page to her.  By then I had graduated to writing poems!  "There was mouse who lived in a house, His tail was blue and one day it grew etc". (Probably put her off Literature for life!)

And the terror of telegrams.  Telegrams meant one thing - either a death in the family or a serious illness with summons to hop onto the next available bus.   It was the maids that communicated arrivals of the dreaded telegrams.  "You know madam - one of those horrible telegram things arrived at so-and-so's house.  Madam So-and-So burst into tears and they are leaving for the bus-depot in an hours time."

Few years later - it became acceptable to send telegrams for Birthdays and Weddings and later extended to congratulating someone on passing their exams.  Since the amount you paid was based on the number of words - the less said the better.  The P&T came out with a list of standard greetings.  So all you had to do was to pick the number.  So if it was someone's birthday you simply said "17" and the recipient would get to see "Many happy returns of the day" - while you paid only for that one word.

Here's what I found...from the Rourkela Post Office site - looks like not much has changed ...

List of Standard Telegram Greetings

1. Kind Remembrances and all Good Wishes for the Independence Day (18)
2. Sincere Greetings for the Republic Day Long Live the Republic (19)

FESTIVAL

1. Heartiest Diwali Greetings (1)
2. Id Mubarak (2)
3. Heartiest Bijoya Greetings (3)
4. A Merry Christmas to you (9)
5. My Heartiest Holi Greetings to you (20)
6. Heartiest Pongal Greetings (26)
7. Heartiest Gur Purb Greetings (27)
8. Heartiest Onam Greetings (29)
9. Heartiest Ugadi Greetings (33)
10. Wish you a Happy Bihu (35)
11. A Happy Easter (36)
12. Heartiest Greetings on Buddha Jayanti (37)
13. Heartiest Guru Ravidas Purnima Greetings (39)

SPECIAL OCCASIONS

1. A Happy New Year To You (4)
2. Many Happy returns of the day (5)
3. Hearty Congratulations on the new Arrival (6)
4. Greetings on the occasion of Parvushan-a day of universal forgiveness (28)
5. Heartiest Congratulations on Greh Pravesh (38)

WEDDING

1. Best Wishes for a long and Happy married life (8)
2. May Heaven’s Choicest Blessings be showered on the young couple (16)
3. Wish you both a happy and prosperous wedded life (17)
4. Convey our blessings to the newly married couple (25)
5. Best Wishes on your wedding anniversary (30)

GENERAL

1. Congratulations on the Distinction conferred on you (7)
2. Hearty Congratulations on your success in the Examination (10)
3. Best Wishes for a safe and pleasant journey (11)
4. Many Thanks for your good wishes which i/we Reciprocate Most Heartily (13)
5. Congratulations (14)
6. Loving Greetings (15)
7. Wishing the function every success (21)
8. Many thanks for your kind message of Greetings (22)
9. Best Wishes for your successes in the examination (23)
10. Wish you a happy retired life (31)
11. Wish you a speedy recovery (32)
12. Congratulations on your victory (34)

Wohlumpix

So another one has gone by...

In my mind will forever be etched "Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil"  and the 1/100th of a second miss.

But it seems to me - if way back in 1984 without all these hi-tech advancements in sports, the training, the scientific fitness and nutrition regimes - if Usha could make it to the finals and almost get there - why hasn't it happened subsequently for other Indian athletes?   I'm talking specific about track and field - not other sports.

It was my mom's maid Laxmi who got me thinking when excitedly over the phone she wanted to know if "Junior Amma" was watching the actual  "Wohlumpix"  in person - not realizing that London is on an entirely different continent altogether!  

Shyam did you go to any of the events?

The 1928 Olympic 110-meter hurdles

                                                Well, Laxmi - live TV is the next best thing eh?

Exciting...Amazing...WOW!!!

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever..."  Keats

Fragrance|Perfumes|Designer Fragrances

Tigers and Tamarind and other things...

• Taking a cue from MIM here are some bullet points in no specific order... "Puli" or tamarind - a key ingredient to sambhar, decided to make itself scare from my pantry one fine day. It must be noted that would be the day when we have guests coming over who are eagerly anticipating "othentic" South Indian cooking. My niece finds it extremely amusing that the word "puli" also means tiger. (OK...OK... there is a variation of pronunciation but let's not get into that with a 4 year old). So I had to rush to the Grocery - and found a new brand - "Rajini". I can tell you while the tamarind did not go and make itself into sambhar with no intervention - it certainly had a tiger-worthy quality. So far all of the brands of tamarind I have been using had been quite insipid, but in this case I can claim I finally found the "asli" puli. 

• Read the "Weight of Heaven" by Thrirty Umrigar. Very disappointing. She starts of very well but doesn't know how to end it properly. I always keep thinking why writers can't end books nicely - in a "happily ever after" way. Especially here, given the way Frank is portrayed one would not expect him to end up doing what he does - it absolutely does not gel. 

• Was watching "Land Girls". Pretty decent series. The story and plot were predictable but what I really liked was the attention to detail in the settings. They've taken the pains to create WW2 era settings.

Summer Wildflowers Chicory

When summer starts - wild chicory is in bloom everywhere. I love the blue and I love the insouciant way they dot the roadsides. So I picked up a brush...and this is what resulted...