tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-982074261365929572024-03-14T08:35:49.003+05:30...Ergo, I blog<i>Insert adorbs</i>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-72004862270404850562021-08-17T14:41:00.005+05:302021-08-17T14:41:55.576+05:30Am I back? Or is this born out of boredom?<p> How does one go about with restarting a love/a hobby/a passion?</p><p>I used to LOVE coming here with a jumble of excited ideas and thought-trains all clashing into one another, impatient to just get out and get typed out.</p><p>Somewhere along the way, when I moved out of my hometown, I started losing the habit. </p><p>It kept dying with every other week and month.</p><p>But eventually it was my PhD that killed it for sure.</p><p>Academic writing dulled my wit and humor and overall love of composing notes and blogging.</p><p>Every two years I had resolve that yes, I'm going to write. I'm not going to surrender my joys and interests for my academic degree. Unfortunately that was about it. I'd made a comeback post resolving with renewed determination and grit, and then I had be back to square one. </p><p>The obsession with social media meant I wasted every free moment looking at content instead of creating my own stories or poems or anything/</p><p>I came to the sad conclusion that I would only be able to regain my own life once my PhD was over. And now it is over and I'm confused and getting cold feet. I couldnt help wondering -</p><p>- What if I've probably lost my own style of writing after so many years of disuse? What if I'm no longer good at writing. What if even if i do manage to write one good post, I'd still be undisciplined and not write frequently enough to keep the passion alive? What do I write about? </p><p>and on and on and on my head goes.</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, if you like stream of consciousness, anxiety-infused irregular blog posts, maybe stay?</p><p>I'll share all about the niche things/situations I love, and you could read and tell me how I can dust off my dormant writing skills and get better.</p>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-68821803695518477532020-06-04T17:01:00.002+05:302020-06-04T17:02:16.429+05:30Look what my mad love for K dramas/tv made me do<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been making more comebacks to blogging than kpop bands do. Been a long, long, while since I did any blogging now though. 3 years gap? Longest so far. This Ph.D. has been sucking out all my joys and hobbies slowly but surely. None of my old blogger circle seems active anymore either. So this blogging exercise is mostly a testament to my love for blogging, South Korean entertainment scene, and was actually supposed to be just a lengthy note to my Internet bebe/daughter Rashmi.<br />
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So here goes,<br />
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Dearest Rashmi,<br />
Thank you for being the reason I've reopened this dusty ol' blog of mine. True, I'm embarrassed by most of my old posts now, but I love this blog all the same. xoxoxo<br />
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If anyone is looking for an intro into K dramas, I'll always recommend the series installments Reply Me 1997/ 1994/1988. My personal favorite from these is the 1988 series which had the most perfect depictions of good ol friendships amongst neighbors. The first installment went immensely popular in South Korea and made nostalgia and retro trendy. But mostly all these three shows became popular for bringing back the good old times where people talked more and were less distracted by internet. At the root of all these shows were human stories. The characters won your heart and then went ahead and broke your hearts with every other moment. The writer-director duo behind the shows are Lee Woo Jung and Shin Won Ho.<br />
After these three shows and their success, they created Prison Playbook and Hospital Playlist (both also must-watch K dramas). As with the Reply Me shows, these stories were also heavy on human nature and how even the person you least expected was actually driven with goodness at their core.<br />
Some have compared the Shin-Lee team to the Mike Schur and Dan Goor shows. But that would be taking away all the uniqueness and beauty that these too give us through their series. However, I agree that the heart warming and the feel-goodness is common among the two teams. But as K dramas are always shorter and end in a season (mostly 16 episodes), the feelings they cause last longer, and ache sweeter.<br />
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BUT!~<br />
This post was mainly to talk about the writer and director behind these amazing shows.They both had their starting with a Korean reality show called "One Night Two Days". And boyoyoyoyoyyyyyy that used to be one epic programme. The two worked under Na Young Suk PD for the show. (Still running, but it got diluted after Na PD left, most of the main cast left, and the show hasnt been the same since).<br />
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One Night Two Days is unique and I haven't found anything similar to this show in American or Indian entertainment. Here's a summary on the show:<br />
6 celebrities travel to a remote area of South Korea, show the unique and beautiful landscape, play games to win food/money/lodging/more comforts<br />
Why it is unique:<br />
1) The celebrities are not flops as is normally seen in reguarly reality shows, and included heavy hitting A-grade singers, and some veteran pop stars, and comedians.<br />
2) The Director (Na PD) and the crew makes them complete races/tasks/games and if they lose, they either have to sleep outside, or do something embarrassing in public, or go without dinner/eat without sides/etc.<br />
3) I cannot imagine stars in our country going through the embarrassments and ridicules these guys have been through for the show. And the crew includes the equivalents of whoever's the most adored guy in your country who is known for his sweetness? The most popular guy of them all? See what I mean?<br />
Could you see the most famous celebs in any other reality show having to hitchhike penniless across miles (can you imagine the screams from the travellers who happened to be kind enough to pick up the dude when they realize who it is?)<br />
4) An epic episode was where the cast got pissed that the crew got to enjoy great food while they had to starve after working so much (on the tasks) and challenged them to a game of vollyball (? can't remember for sure). And the cast wonnn!!! Which meant the 70+ crew were then annoyed with Na PD for accepting the bet. The losers had to sleep outside and boy it started raining on top of that. One of the assistant lightmen had reached late at night for his duty and was totally gobsmacked to see his colleagues and bosses all huddled in sleeping bags🤣<br />
5) Or the episode where the director was toootally chill and told the crew to just drive to the destination on their own. That this trip would be zero crew and they just had to make sure to get footage on their own with the cameras provided. All the cameras at the destination home were already set up. That was bizarre and unheard of, but also led to a lot of silly moments.<br />
6) I could go on, but I'm too close to this show, and too in love to be coherent.<br />
And i'm trying to finish this post in one go.<br />
All in all, this show used to be the most watched show with the highest TRPs in South Korea. Unlike egotistic celebrities who wouldn't let an atom of mud touched their holy selves, these guys cooked for themselves, slept under the stars in crappy tents, and instead of being shamed, they won everyone's hearts and became immensely popular.<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na_Young-seok" target="_blank">Na PD</a> is famous for being unpredictable and overall an evil genius. He has the Midas touch and every reality show he created after he left One nIght and Two days have also been mad successes. I wish I could drag everyone I know into watching this show. And also watch all the consequent shows he made.<br />
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For example!<br />
The next show he made was Grandpas Over FLowers, then it became successful, he created the spin-offs Sisters Over FLowers, Youth Over Flowers couple of seasons each. The concept for these shows were, he came up with elaborate lies, basically tricked them all and got them to travel to a foreign country and fend for themselves through different tasks and games. They usually got a younger "porter", another celebritiy who also got hoodwinked into the whole shindig and who has to help the older gang.<br />
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So Rashmi! (If you haven't left already =P)<br />
Na PD created a Youth Over Flowers show with the cast of Reply Me 1988 and they were basically kidnapped after the show wrap-up party they had in Phuket. The first episode of the show had the setup. Na PD meets with the director of Reply Me 1988/his former colleague and discusses how he has this idea. He then gets the managers of the guys to clear their schedule for two weeks post the Phuket-party (which was also basically a ploy i think) without the actors knowing! Then this evil boi walks up to them in Phuket and says all casual, "Let's go to Africa". I have skipped a lot of hilarious details here, but basically he actually kidnaps his cast for every show. It just gets more and more elaborate with each next season because just the sight of Na PD raises suspicion at this point for most celebrities in S.Korea now.<br />
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I wish we had such interesting directors and shows here..<br />
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But I'm truly, honestly, deeply grateful for Na PD and his One Night Two Days show on which my sister and I have had a million laughs and rewatch even now.<br />
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The saddest part is not having subbed episodes to all his shows at the ready to watch. So if any of you have randomly, accidentally, unexpectedly reached this post- and you are internet savvy plus got mad love for k-dramas and k-variety (both entirely different beasts)- and you have found sources- LET A GIRL LIIIIVE! aside the dramatics, please do share! <3<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na_Young-seok#Filmography" target="_blank">PS- Here's the list of all Na PD director/producer works worth watching</a> (even though i haven't watched the entirety of his works, i can vouch for them with my favorite pocket-dress at stake).<br />
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But honestly, WATCH everything he or his team works on. They are all pure talent and love.<br />
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ok byeeeeeeeeee! (sorry for the high-on-teenage-energy sign off, but super excited about blogging after so long =D )<br />
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Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-63843833877470723462016-07-22T15:44:00.000+05:302016-07-22T15:44:29.767+05:30This time, starting over.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This time, I hope it sticks.<br />
This time, I want it to stick.<br />
This time, I'm here to stay.<br />
This time, I want to keep at it and not stray.<br />
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This blog,<br />
All the words,<br />
Every emotion and anecdote and thought<br />
Scribbled or jotted in<br />
Under my alter ego's name:<br />
Raphael.<br />
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This time, I'm back.<br />
And I don't want to ever leave.<br />
This time, it's for real.<br />
I hope my blog forgives me.<br />
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This random, lazy poem;<br />
Is only so I can warm into the act.<br />
This is only the launch pad;<br />
Stepping stone;<br />
Before I start to scream, and yell, and tell stories,<br />
Like before.<br />
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This time, I'm writing for myself<br />
Hello to any of the old followers who still remember.<br />
Hello to anyone new who might have accidentally tripped over here.<br />
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This time,<br />
I want to start with <i>thank you.</i><br />
Gratitude.<br />
To my beautiful, <i>my own, my own, my own, </i>blog.<br />
To those who read and sent encouraging, cheerful thoughts.<br />
To all the amazing friendships I made because of the blog,<br />
<i>Thank you because all of this has endured.</i><br />
Love. Joy. Words. Pain. Life in General.<br />
The words seem cliche in the line above.<br />
It doesn't matter.<br />
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It matters that I've shared, and it has been a joy to share here.<br />
This time, I'm back in this welcome space,<br />
And I do not intend to leave.<br />
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Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-88827553003405724352013-03-29T19:12:00.001+05:302013-03-29T19:18:04.687+05:30Let's get the Liebster rolling!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't usually believe in anything like signs etcetera.<br />
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What I'm trying to say is that now I sorta do i guess. Cos an awesome sign just happened to me! I'm actually blogging today and here's why it's incredible:</div>
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1.I'm a super-lazy, sporadic blogger nowamonths, and I have checked neither mine nor anyone else's blog in MONTHS. </div>
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2.I haven't blogged AT ALL after my last post, which was three or more months back. </div>
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3.I have friends (darling ones) who are bugging me to get back to blogging. But that didn't inspire me to actually blog. </div>
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and now I'm blogging.</div>
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So guess who's the one who's made me actually take the step? Pretty, pretty <a href="http://garimazlifeblog.blogspot.no/2013/03/my-first-blog-award-m.html#comment-form" target="_blank">Garima</a>. After eons (I'm running out of cool long-time phrases, seriously) of not checking my dash, today I check in on a whim, and there's this darling comment from Garima on my dash about nominating me for the *drumrolls please* <b><span style="background-color: #ffcc00;">Liebster Awarddddddd</span></b>!!!!!!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k65cZuha0YA/UVWa2uFVO1I/AAAAAAAAAk0/q7k0qGUEIYc/s1600/liebster-blog-awards-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k65cZuha0YA/UVWa2uFVO1I/AAAAAAAAAk0/q7k0qGUEIYc/s320/liebster-blog-awards-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wheeeeeeeeee!!</div>
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First off,</div>
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Dear garima, thank you with all of me for unintentionally getting me back to blogging. and a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig thanks for taking the time to read my wack posts and feeling that I deserved a prize. I will love you forever (in a platonic, non-creepy, non-obsessive way).</div>
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So, 11 things about me. </div>
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I've done this plenty times on my blog, and if anyone ever actually read all my tag posts, they know pretty much more than enough about me. sigh. So I'll think extra hard and put in newer revelations. Aye mate? </div>
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<li>I'm a tumblr person now. I had been a devotee since last year, but now I <b>am</b> Tumblr. =P And if you're on Tumblr, do follow me!I want more blogger buddies to follow there =D I'm <a href="http://ergo-i-blog.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">ergo-i-blog.tumblr</span></a> =D<br /> </li>
<li>I have these super-vivid daydreams and sometimes I can't help but physically react to them. Like, I see myself in Hogwarts about to be hit by a hex, and in real life, I'm ducking. get what I mean?</li>
<li> I think Community is the best tv show of all time. ALL TIME. It ranks higher than F.R.I.E.N.D.S even, for me.</li>
<li>In case you didn't know earlier- I'm a leftie.</li>
<li>I can cook up a mean curry. If I'm the mood.</li>
<li>There's nothing more moving and emotional than kdramas.</li>
<li>There's nothing more real, meta and awesomely hilarious than 1n2d, THE Korean reality travel/bromance show to beat out all bromances ever. EVER.</li>
<li>I'm married to the above mentioned two, and Tumblr.</li>
<li>Love books. Buy me books or even take me to book stores, and I'll be signed-sealed-delivered-yours (whether you want that to happen or not =P )</li>
<li> I tend to make every person I love, listen/watch/check out things that I'm in love with. Be it music, shows. books, places. It can be annoying I guess if you're the leave-me-alone type, but it's worked on my friends!</li>
<li>Impulsive shopper. Picky shopper. </li>
<li>And here's a bonus I just remembered! After a really good phone call with a favorite person- I like to text them on it. =)</li>
<li>AND I can be awfully self-conscious and aware.</li>
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Now to answer Garima's questions:</div>
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<li><strong>Define Love</strong><br />Love is about caring enough for the other person to not limit them/ control them. Respecting them.<br /></li>
<li><strong>The unforgettable moment of your life</strong><br /> Er.. plenty? College provided infinite unforgettable moments, so did my alternate life online.<br /></li>
<li><strong>Favorite sport</strong><br />Badminton.<br /></li>
<li><strong>Three songs you love to hear</strong><br />On top of my mind right now- "Rest"/Standing Egg, "Dancing on my own"/Robyn, "I'll follow you into the dark"/DCFC.<br /> Mind you, only three were asked of me, and this is NOT a definite list. I love lots of music<br /></li>
<li><strong>One thing that you would like to change about yourself</strong><br />Definitely change my tolerance level. I'm impatient and can get angry for the smallest thing sometimes. Just returning after upsetting my mom, so I know for sure that I need to become more patient. =(<br /> </li>
<li><strong>Three words to describe me</strong><br /><b>Imaginative</b>, <b>Friendly</b>, <b>Studious/hard working</b>-but can be <b>lazy</b> when there's nothing to motivate me.<br /></li>
<li><strong>If you could live anywhere, where would it be?</strong><br />South Korea (fastest internet, where all of my favorite actors are), or somewhere quaint and calm like Scotland or New Zealand =D)<br /></li>
<li><strong>Your weakness</strong><br />I'm too self-aware and my self-esteem can sink at any given moment.<br /> </li>
<li><strong>Health, wealth or fame. why?</strong><br />Definitely health. How am I to enjoy being rich if I'm not healthy enough? And not interested in fame, UNLESS it's tumblr fame, or blog fame- in which case my priorities would need rearrangement.<br /> </li>
<li><strong>Do you believe in fate or destiny</strong>?<br />Sure</li>
<li><strong>If you were granted three wishes, what would it be?</strong><br />This is my favourite kind of question!!<br />One- Fastest internet speeds,<br />Two- Make time an illusion and relative so that I get to watch all seasons of Doctor Who without wasting any time<br /> Three- Make genie give me a 10 more wishes. =P<br /><br /><br /></li>
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Now to explain rules of Liebster and nominate bloggers who deserve the award:</div>
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Liebster is a German word for sweet, nice, dearest, beloved, lovely, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome, that my blog is ;)<br />
The award was started to bring recognition to new bloggers (or those with fewer than 200-300 followers) and serves as motivation for those nominated to keep blogging. <br />
There are few rules for receiving and passing on this nomination further.<br />
Kindly thank the person who nominated you and acknowledge him/her by mentioning their blog link for the same.<br />
Each person must post 11 things about themselves.<br />
Answer the Questions that the nominator sets for you + create 11 Questions for the people you have nominated.<br />
Choose 11 deserving bloggers and link them in your post.<br />
Go to their blog and inform them about this by commenting on one of their posts.<br />
Don't tag back the person who mentioned you.</div>
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Here are the bloggers I want to commend for their wonderful posts:</div>
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<a href="http://18downingstreet.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">1.Owais</a></div>
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<a href="http://lonelysidewalk.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">2.LD</a></div>
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3.<a href="http://vyoworld.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Viyoma</a></div>
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4.<a href="http://jerlyt.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jerly</a></div>
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5.<a href="http://amrita1987.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I'll try to be truthful-wala Amrita</a></div>
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6.<a href="http://madhushadash.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Madhusha</a></div>
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7.<a href="http://revathiunlimited.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Revacious</a></div>
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8.<a href="http://stylisharjun.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Arjun MS</a></div>
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9.<a href="http://nehasjournal.blogspot.in/">Neha</a></div>
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10.<a href="http://itsvalentine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dr Mandeep Kanuja</a> and</div>
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11.<a href="http://rishakalra.blogspot.com/">Risha kalra</a></div>
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And the 11 questions I want to ask them:</div>
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<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">{I'm pretty self-concerned at the moment, so here goes:} What do you think of my blog and why do you think it's a mess? {hehe}</span></li>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"> </span>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">Are you on Tumblr?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">Your favourite celeb crush =D</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">The book you're currently reading (What do you mean you don't read?}</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">Your go-to movie. The one you can watch million times, every time you are depressed or feeling down, and which you'll never get bored of</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">Are you a leftie?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">What's your dream job? Have you ever tried to actually make it a reality?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">Your favourite tv show!</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">And your favorite tv character!!</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">Road trips or stay-in-front-of-my-computer?</span></li>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"> </span>
<li><span style="color: #134f5c;">Make up a question you WANT to answer =)</span></li>
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Hehe, I know i know. Too many <i><b>what's your favorite</b></i> questions. But that's how we gauge and understand more about friends! Plus, how much fun is that last question eh? Hope at least one of you will actually answer to this post of mine. =(</div>
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Love y'all!</div>
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And God, I sure have missed this blogging thing! =DDDDD</div>
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Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-1126508330985078512012-12-31T09:20:00.001+05:302012-12-31T09:57:36.961+05:30For a good, clean, new year ahead<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey all,<br />
I know my posts are getting more and more sporadic patterned and I have only my own lazy ass to blame.<br />
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Anyway, like the rest of Indian bloggerverse, I wanted to share my grief on what happened to the girl on that fatal Delhi night. I realize it's a topic talked and talked about to the point of numbness.<br />
So instead, I'm going to share an excerpt of a pdf I'm currently reading. It's about the migration that Prophet Muhammed {Peace be upon Him} and the community made 1434 years ago to escape from the torture and difficulties being meted to them back in their homeland.<br />
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Don't worry, it's NOT HISTORICAL, NOT RELIGIOUS. Mostly the following portion is about the importance about goodness of heart, walking the talk, being practical in faith and not just be preachy.<br />
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I just felt the need to share something good of heart, what after all that violence, tears and pain. I might do a post ruminating the rampant rape culture in India. But that's for next post.<br />
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For now this talks about five important things we should work on:<br />
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<b><i>Faith</i></b><i>: A weak faith is the first enemy of a prospect</i><i><br /></i><i>immigrant. The first immigrants would have never left</i><i><br /></i><i>all their possessions behind and migrated unless they</i><i><br /></i><i>had faith as solid as mountains in God’s words and His</i><i><br /></i><i>prophet’s leadership. Like them, we should work on</i><i><br /></i><i>strengthening our faith to be able to pull away from</i><i><br /></i><i>what God has forbidden.</i><i><br /></i><br />
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<b><i>Knowledge</i></b><i>: Our second enemy on the path of Hijrah</i><i><br /></i><i>is ignorance. Only with good knowledge could our faith</i><i><br /></i><i>see us through the trials and tests of staying on the</i><i><br /></i><i>straight path. This knowledge should not be limited to</i><i><br /></i><i>religious information only, but should also include</i><i><br /></i><i>modern sciences and arts, history, philosophy, world</i><i><br /></i><i>news, other cultures and other religions. Muslims had a</i><i><br /></i><i>glorious civilization only when they knew the true</i><i><br /></i><i>meaning of knowledge.</i><i><br /></i><br />
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<b><i>Acts of worship</i></b><i>:</i><i> </i><i>While migrating away</i><i><br /></i><i>from what God has forbidden, we have to have a new</i><i><br /></i><i>destination to migrate to, and that destination is</i><i><br /></i><i>determined by the degree of our closeness to Him</i><i><br /></i><i>through worship.</i><br />
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<b><i>Desire</i></b><i>: The Quran describes eloquently the different</i><i><br /></i><i>types of human desire “nafs”, and it is the responsibility</i><i><br /></i><i>of each of us to discover which type they belong to and</i><i><br /></i><i>follow the Quranic wisdom on how to deal with its tricks.</i><i><br /></i><i>Controlling one’s urges and desires is detrimental to how</i><i><br /></i><i>much success in this life one achieves as a migrant to</i><i><br /></i><i>God.</i><i><br /></i><br />
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<b><i>Ethics</i></b><i> : A person who is full of great concepts and no</i><i><br /></i><i>deeds to prove it is a loser. Unless we can “walk the</i><i><br /></i><i>talk” there would be no hope for us to strengthen our</i><i><br /></i><i>will to reach our goals and our resistance to distractions.</i><i><br /></i><i>And unless our Islamic ethical system is apparent</i><i><br /></i><i>through our everyday behaviors and manners, there is</i><i><br /></i><i>no hope for us to be true Muslims either according to the</i><i><br /></i><i>Prophet’s hadith. For what good is it to veil, www.onislam.net</i><i><br /></i><i>pray and</i><i> fast then steal, lie and gossip? When the Prophet begins</i><i><br /></i><i>by describing a Muslim as someone who is well</i><i> </i><i>mannered, he is actually reminding us that Islam is a</i><i> practical code of ethics not just a set of spiritual</i><i><br /></i><i>concepts.</i><br />
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That's it. I guess this isn't exactly a fun post to read through, but I just needed to do it. Like a note-to-self.<br />
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Hope we get to hear only good things next year. As impossible as it seems, at least we could contribute to lessening the evil, one person at a time.<br />
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<span style="background-color: cyan;">Here's to a glowy 2013! </span><br />
Aam'een<br />
Amen<br />
Bhagwan meri prarthana sune!<br />
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Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-39435911139992312352012-11-17T15:10:00.000+05:302012-11-17T15:21:51.915+05:30The year that was mine.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Entirely mine.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So</span><span style="font-size: small;"> here's what was going on while I went on blog-hiatus. Gak, these days (months, more like), everytime I blog, the post is by default a comeback post.</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>My IIMK life has come to an end. (Tragic sigh follows)</li>
<li>Which also means that my hostel life is over. Phew! </li>
<li>Niqah over (I know I make it sound like an army commander reporting about a completed mission. That's how I felt once the hullabaloo had died down.)</li>
<li>My heart wants a sabbatical, my brain wants other stuff. </li>
</ul>
Yeah, I wanted to do this post couple of weeks back, but like everything else I plan, this one got pushed down the procrastinated-pipeline-of-things-I-totally-have-to-be-doing-already.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: cyan; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><i>Living Alone</i></span><br />
Fending for myself in a new city was daunting, sometimes even aggravating in the start. Especially when you are a lazy bum and a geographically retarded bum at that, like me. Fun nevertheless. I could make impulsive decisions and just go buy stuff when I fancied so. I could do crazy stuff and just be me, and not worry, since hey- no one cares! And the beauty of earning and spending it on my family and myself. I still remember receiving my first paycheck. Great day!<br />
<br />
And haunting the second hand book store. It became my favorite haunt in all of Calicut <i>after </i>IIMK. Thanks to Rahul!<br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: cyan;">Roomie love</i> <br />
Sure this life came with its baggage. My colleague and I had joined together, and lived together. Boy was that mad. We're as unlike each other as possible. To the point where if I like something, I <b>know </b>she'll hate it, and vice versa. We couldn't stand each other's lifestyle. So when she moved out after getting a new job- the move practically saved our friendship. Ridunkulus as that may sound. See, some relationships are like that. It's better not to spend too much time together in such cases cos that will just ruin things.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I made a truckload of friends at my hostel. A motley crowd in fact. They came and they went. Some stayed longer thanks to their respective exams or courses, some lasted only weeks before they ran from the crap food and kleptomaniacs that infest the hostel. But despite the number of days they spent there, I fell in love with all the girls who were unlucky/lucky? enough to be my roommates. Some were strong, intelligent and outspoken and awesome like my first roomie Amu. Some were whimsical like Luna Lovegood (Leah!). Some were mature and sametime crazy like Christie. Whichever way, all beautiful, all amazing.<br />
<br />
Coming back, main point of the whole crazy hostel life:<br />
I lasted a whole year!<br />
It's definitely something to be proud of, kid. I survived bad food, consequent sicknesses, forthmentioned creepy kleptomaniacs and more. <br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: cyan;">Niqah-</span><br />
ok, I'mma be brief about this cos ceremonies and social functions ain't my thing. And the Niqah just emphasised that fact. I love being around my family. Extended family included. I unconditionally love them all no matter how weird or flawed they may be. They're family. Everything's forgiven.<br />
Anyway, my Niqah event was crazy fun thanks to this extended family. We came together as one single unit, had fun, goofed around and in general- had a great time. What I didn't love was the dress-up part. SO not me.<br />
<br />
And the wedding songs that I usually am ok with when singing <i>for </i>someone else getting married. But when it's me they are singing to, I'm actually yawning! I can't stand the cheesier than cheesy lyrics (try this: <i>"the girl blushed as they made her wear the pretty flowers". </i>Gaaaaah. Seriously? <i>Seriously? </i>I'm supposed to not laugh at that??!)They're fun as long as you don't sing em to me!<br />
<br />
But it was fun watching my cousins and mom and dad and the photographer who came plead and beg me to <i>Smile like a girl would smile dammit! </i>All I could muster was my half-smile/smirk.<br />
And here's proof that I've had the same smile ever since I was a wee bratty kid. (I was a brat. A spoilt one at that)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le smirky face</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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They wanted something else. I tried a grin, but that was ruled out as unwholesome. How? Was it an alligator laugh? Or you find the girl seeming like she's on dope? Maybe it's the second. Or maybe it's just me. Siiiiiigh.<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: cyan;">IIM aka Heaven aka Para-para-paradise</span></i></div>
Saving the bias for last.<br />
Like I mentioned, my IIM phase is over. And that's a huge void that will never get filled up. Ever. <i>This is where I need a melodramatic emoticon to express all my melancholy and pain at departure from said heaven.</i><br />
<i> </i> <br />
This is where I got over the <a href="http://www.ashuspeak.blogspot.in/2011/09/waving-goodbyes-trying-not-to-cry.html">trauma</a> I had received from my dept head from post grad years. ok, I <i>really </i>want to say awful things about him, but I realize I'll just be damaging myself, so I refrain.<br />
This is where I grew into a confident, self-assured, strong person. Most of that had gotten wiped off the slate from the above mentioned miserable black hole of a human.<br />
This is where I lived in an awesomely happy environment, great colleagues and superiors and had the luck to work under the Most Amazing, The Person I Respect Most, Perfection Personified, Frikkin' Amazing Guru - aka, my Boss. Or in simpler terms, the Chief Librarian & Information Officer plus a million other titles he works by. I'm still awed by his humility despite how genius he is. He could have been a mean pig, but he chose to be awesome. Respect.<br />
This is where I perfected my work ethic and realized I'm a quick learner and pretty sharp at my job. Yay! Major ego boost.<br />
And how can I forget! This is where I got the chance to meet greats like RBI Governor, ministers of Kerala Cabinet and all. <br />
This is where I fell in love with the awesomeness of Tumblr too. And also found and fell irretrievably in love with <a href="http://judging-book-by-cover.blogspot.in/2012/03/ultimate-hitchhikers-guide-to-galaxy.html"><b>The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.</b></a> <br />
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This is where I fell in love over and over AND over again with a place. I don't think words can do justice to how unbelievably heavenly my work place is. <br />
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See what I'm going on an on about?<br />
The clean, clean, cold air. The long walks downhill, the adorable workplace friends (I love you allllllll!), the everyday joy of going to work here!, and the fact that we get to work in a place where the work ethic mostly consists of 'do your work. no need to stress out. is all.'/ I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting the finer points.<br />
But oh well, one can never explain beauty. Only attempt and fail.<br />
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I just made a point to take a mental snapshot of my paradise before I left. (cries into pillow)<br />
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Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-21401031513386910902012-10-09T14:42:00.001+05:302012-10-09T14:45:08.475+05:30Birthdays and things giving me warm fuzzies lately: Pt I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>It's my birthday</i></div>
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<i>I'll get high if I want to</i></div>
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<i>Can't deny that I want to</i></div>
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<i>But I'll lie if I have to</i><i><br /><br />(</i>Florence + The Machine cover)</div>
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Nothing like a bit of Florence to liven up, angst up things.</div>
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<b><u> Birthday!!!</u></b></div>
<br />
Ok, first off I'll calm down. Next, I'll tell you all how I'm not exactly pro-ceremonies. I'm the kind who skips all sorts of ceremonies That includes birthdays. I don't really care about birthdays any more. <br />
<br />
ONLY, I have an amazing set of friends and family, {and since recently, one adorable fiance}who have been showering me with birthday wishes, lots of amazing surprise gifts and hugs. Maybe that's why we should get into the birthday spirit. It reminds us of all the people who take the time out for us, spend days thinking what would be the awesomest gift to give us, and in the end? I'm a radiant being, happy and once again reminded of how blessed I am.<br />
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<u>Le blessings</u> =)<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I'm thinking I must be a known, certified, chocolate-addict; considering all the chocolate gifts I received. And all I have in reply is, "Yessir!". </li>
<li>One buddy sprang a surprise on me, giving me an IIMK souvenir coffee mug. Hurray!</li>
<li>But I must say the awesomest of all the awesome gifts I got was definitely what my techie-minded platonic got me. An app! Designed especially for me! Of my blog!! That's like awesome of epic proportions! You're perfect bro!</li>
<li>God Almighty was super considerate and for my birthday I had lovely, dark climate, no heat, mild showers. Love.Love.Love. =)</li>
<li>I've been listing my gifts (aka additional blessings) and I'm STILL going to do this one tiny gripe here, IN SPITE of everything. Beloved everyone in my life, for my next birthday or anything important in my life:<br />Gift me books. Books and more books. I can NEVER have enough of books. So.. in case of you find this annoying, you can instead just take me out on a platonic book shopping date. I'm super-easy to please! You don't even have to spend a dime on me! </li>
</ul>
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<u><b>Platonic book dates </b></u><br />
And that last thing about platonic book dates reminded me. I just went for one two weeks back with an equally book-crazed soul. That was so much of amazing. We scouted out this second-hand book store. And ohmygoodness. They had piles and piles of great books, popular books, unheard-but-sounds-thoroughly-interesting books all stacked up in rows and rows. The pair of us spent a good part of an hour digging into the mounds of paperbacks and by the end of it, I had decided on 3, he had decided on 2.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;">AND I was acknowledged for my talent/knack at finding the better books.</span></li>
</ul>
But seriously, it's more of a thing like how desert animals can sense water from anywhere. It's a sense thing. And I'm so not showing off that I have a talent at these things. ;) *wink-wink-nudge-nudge<br />
Haha. Jokes apart, thanks Rahul dude. You're a friend indeed. You got me to overcome my inertia about exploring the better parts of the city where I've spent a whole year doing nothing much but just work.<br />
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Anyways, presenting to you, my haul from the adventure. May such fun repeat themselves ever and ever on.<br />
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My year at IIM is almost over, so I'mma be returning home. Take at the least a short sabbatical, read, read, read, watch movies, do stuff with friends. <br />
And erm, will be getting legally married by the end of this month.<br />
Hahaha! Was that a total mindf**k hiding subtly in between the lines for you?<br />
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<u><b>My Niqah</b></u><br />
But yeah, true. Technically I'll be married on October 31st of 2012 since we're doing the Niqah on that day. But no major change really. No moving-in, no nothing of the sort for now. The wedding will be only next year. So yeah, I'm getting married, but mostly it will be like an engagement period. Even though Niqah is what's important in our faith. Wish me luck for that day though! I'm totally socially awkward, tend to be foot-in-mouth most of the times and occasionally publicly weird as well.<br />
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<u><b>City tripping</b></u><br />
Went a bit footloose all over Calicut city (mall hopping mainly), and guess what I found and bought at the mall this weekend?<br />
<b>Jenga!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</b><br />
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Ok, for those of you who don't know;<br />
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Check from 6.49 mark of the video. This clip is from my ALL TIME favorite reality program "<b>One Night Two Days</b>", a South Korean chunk of awesomeness where 6 celebs go tripping, solving missions, just being them dorky selves and in between- like here: Playing StarCraft like nerds and then, Jenga!!<br />
That's how I wanted to play Jenga and ended up buying a pack for myself.<br />
I know most of the world knows S.Korean pop culture only as Gangnam Style. But seriously, there's a whole alternaverse of friggin' awesomeness in South Korean pop culture.And this clip is one of them being much tamer than they usually are. And they usually are dorks.<br />
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<i>-Spoken like a true, devoted fan of 4 years and counting.<br /></i>Take care!<br />
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PS- I definitely need a tag for pop culture.</div>
Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-10873824010386515082012-09-14T10:55:00.001+05:302012-09-14T11:05:41.753+05:30Lyrical videos!! (and then I meander into covers territory)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Aw man,<br />
I've been wanting to talk about them since ages. <i>Ages! </i>I mean, c'mon, what's not to like?<br />
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More and more artistes are turning to releasing lyrical videos initially and building the hype up thusly, getting viewers wanting more- and bam! comes the real deal. Only, for me, I'm more vested in the lyrical video than the actual music video of songs.<br />
<br />
Usually you get so caught up in the video, that you wholly or at least partially get distracted from the music.Seriously, check out most of the m/vs. They spend like pots of gold and churn out the flashiest scenes for the single. Result? Humungous dollops of eye candy (which is always nice!), but makes the music secondary.<br />
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Take "Payphone" for example. It's so frikkin' movie-like, that I didn't notice the music,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KRaWnd3LJfs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>UNTIL Julia Sheer came up with the loveliest cover of the single. <i>Then </i>I was hooked on to both the cover AND the original for life. Luff.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/lY4P_W59t2M/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lY4P_W59t2M&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lY4P_W59t2M&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>WHICH is why "Someone Like You" is awesome. Also "Rolling in the Deep". Ok, both are different in tone, but BOTH focus on the singer and the music. (And duh, I'm an Adele fan, which probably became obvious with this one sentence).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hLQl3WQQoQ0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Y'anyways, I'll try to stop the veering off the topic, and steer us back in. Lyrical videos. As in, the whole lyrics of the single showing up all over the video instead of sexy, almost-naked ladies and just as nonsensical stuff. So awesome! I mean, this is how music videos should have been since the beginning. Yeah, I know how most videos have chyrons and important words from the lyrics showing up anyway. But lyrical videos are a different planet. Just love! Here are three of the lyrical videos I loved. This one was the first lyrical video I noticed as such. Which isn't ancient and is kinda very recent, in fact.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-3D5FwwtNVM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Katy Perry's "Wide Awake</b>" lyrical video was adorable. For me anyway. I cherished it even more when I realised what crap the real music video was. Duh. Katy Perry, are you pretending to be a witch in that video? Is that a reference to Omen I see in it in between? Is that the Cheshire Cat? Have I gone mad? Way too many questions and swear words rushing all at once within my head. Not good.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OHkvan-NFnM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b>Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years"</b>: That song was so sweet. Saccharine. I just wish it weren't linked up with THAT dreck movie. If you know what I mean. And then last week or so I met <b>Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together"</b>. And again, it was the lyrical video that won me over, more than Taylor in a platinum ponytail and is that a 60s era scene you guys are grooving to?
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/gcMn_Eu-XTE/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gcMn_Eu-XTE&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gcMn_Eu-XTE&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><i>OoooooooooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOooh, we called it off again last night,</i> <i>But OoooOOOOOOOooooh!</i> I LOVE that Oooooh part SO much! <i> </i> <i> </i> </div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-22059104222349067462012-08-08T15:42:00.000+05:302012-08-08T15:42:56.131+05:30The post about the fact that I've put a ring on it. Metaphorically =)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Yes ladies and gentlemen and the wookies all over who bother to check up on my blog. Back with apologies for not blogging so long and happy news!<br />
<br />
I'm engaged.<br />
Cue squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and in case of friends <i>you-gotto-be-kidding-me. </i>(which i can totally understand considering what kind of weird nut I are.)<i><br />
</i><br />
<br />
No seriously. I'm engaged. No longer single (<i>that was awesome while it lasted</i> =) ). Will be married next year and then moving to Mohali to boot. Lol.<br />
<br />
Quite a huge much to take in i guess. Anyway, he's from the same profession as me (Libraries you nerds!), which means we've loads of common ground in between. But no, it's actually an old fashioned arranged marriage, even though everyone's second guessing considering we're both librarians. Gah. Doncha know I never was a romantic? Well, ok, sure that's going to change <i>now </i>though. *Giggles!<br />
<br />
Righto then all. I'll be back with a more proper blog post later down the week.Otherwise I'll be getting killed by a dear friend who has promised to do the deed if I ever stop blogging. Where'd I be if not for such awesome friends?? And now, signing off. and taking my fiance with me. neener!<br />
<br />
Annyeong!<i> </i> </div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-21287453427889546992012-06-29T15:06:00.000+05:302012-06-29T15:06:19.582+05:30The Happy Drug =)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Aloha!<br />
<br />
Back after lightyears and I'mma jump straight to the point. This post is poetry; inspired by a sweetheart buddy. So I take this occasion to dedicate this poem to her as a belated engagement gift. Congrats love! On the other side, this post inadvertently also works for me in the anti-drugs cause angle of things.<br />
<br />
So here's the deal: It's part love, light, joy, friendship AND it's partly say-no-to-drugs-and-get-high-on-healthy-things.<br />
<br />
Off you go!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div style="text-align: center;">Drug me out of my depression,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sing me out from my frustrations,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hug out the tears I've been fighting back,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and hit me if I ever switch to drama queen mode.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Like this and more,</div><div style="text-align: center;">be my drug,</div><div style="text-align: center;">my song,</div><div style="text-align: center;">teddy bear,</div><div style="text-align: center;">bitch for life.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Love you!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NHIcKsH83mk/T-1YupOMv8I/AAAAAAAAAfo/i7DgeYNS7uM/s1600/tumblr_lzvadppIdS1r64hz3o1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NHIcKsH83mk/T-1YupOMv8I/AAAAAAAAAfo/i7DgeYNS7uM/s320/tumblr_lzvadppIdS1r64hz3o1_400.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">-and smiles, and support, and music, and books, and maybe a happy dance =)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jtg0rIsGRNg/T-124oVk-UI/AAAAAAAAAf0/U2mOsoHCTvM/s1600/tumblr_l5q57m7rI31qb0gcro1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jtg0rIsGRNg/T-124oVk-UI/AAAAAAAAAf0/U2mOsoHCTvM/s320/tumblr_l5q57m7rI31qb0gcro1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mascot of the anti-drug cause =P</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Get the drift? Love and support are the best drugs. Oh, and music, books, wacky friends (but that comes under the "love" dept already) and all other good things that don't require you to stick needles down your flesh and snort artificial stuff. Keep it real people.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Keep it really real. You don't need to get high on chemicals to be happy. Get yourself some proper friends and work on building up joy. Stat.</div></div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-19069472970873065972012-06-06T12:11:00.001+05:302012-06-06T12:14:18.159+05:30Good things ALWAYS follow up when bad things happen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Wheee!! *Does the happy dance*<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-koS3ubwAA8o/T878NJ1GfhI/AAAAAAAAAfc/Gyk0A2UQIbI/s1600/Happy+Dance.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-koS3ubwAA8o/T878NJ1GfhI/AAAAAAAAAfc/Gyk0A2UQIbI/s1600/Happy+Dance.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Was kinda out of alignment from bloggerhood for a while, and now? It feels sooooooo good to be back! Gak, I'd really wanted the entire world to love the song I posted in my last post. Well, doesn't matter since I got two lovely ladies to fall in love with the craziness. Mission 2% success!<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, I was having to rough it out for a while these past few weeks. Favorite cousin gone and settled away in Dilli, favorite torrent site for all my Korean tv-stuff being mean and banning me for God-knows-what-weird-reason. And to top all this? I fell sick thanks to hostel food and had to stay put at home for 8 whole days. On Leave from work. And now thanks to getting sick for so long, I've run out of all my Casual Leaves quote. Daaaaaayum. Worse was that my till-then darling hostel-warden not only doesn't give a care, she doesn't even bother asking where on Earth I was away for one whole week. Reason? She knows and doesn't care that lots of us hostel people have been falling sick and stuff. Duhhhhh.<br />
<br />
Then I lose all my weight (<i>as if I had any to start with. mph.</i>) and get back to my workplace to find that the canteen has been relocated to the End of the World. <i>Literally </i>the remotest, further-most corner of the whole, wiiiiiiiiiiiiide campus. And even worse? The food has taken a turn for the worse. How am I supposed to get better when you dish out floopy food and give me hundreds of flights of stairs in between to reach the damned-canteen? It's as if the Universe is against me gaining weight. <i>Thou shalt live stick thin and not ever gain even a gram beyond your 39kg self. </i>Gah!<br />
<br />
But since I firmly believed that good things always follow bad stuff (that's a tested-to-be-true Islamic saying). No matter even if they come in truck loads or Titanic loads. Here came the<b> awesome news</b> three days into unconcerned hostel authorities, trashy canteen food and the Flights of Horror and 3 days post-recovering:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><u>Pay raise and new job designation!! </u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Which means more yayy and that finally we're elevated off from our lowly trainee situation. Awesomeness! Awesome even if our superiors want us to throw them a party for this good news. Whatev, you need pizza, I'mma get you all a pizzeria! Happy mood reigns supreme,<br />
and there came <b>good news # 3:</b><br />
I now have 3gb+ data to shell out on this month on my smart-ass phone/ Yippeeeeeeeee!!<br />
and the <b>other important good news</b>:<br />
IT'S FINALLY MY FAVORITE SEASON!! <b>MONSOON is here!!!!</b><br />
<br />
I'm sure I've forgotten some other random good stuff going on in my life, but well- all that matter is that nothing can bring me down/ Not mean people, hostels or 1000 steps to cross and reach lunch. Plus I'm happy my decision to stick on with current job went well.<br />
Stay patient, be positive and good things will definitely come your way. =)<br />
<br />
Anyone else got good news to share?<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-47479690747305577032012-05-22T12:50:00.001+05:302012-05-23T11:19:10.453+05:30Of Banana-Potato and consequent ear worminess<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Yeehaw!<br />
Introducing the insane "Banana Potato song" by the <b>Minions</b> of <i>Despicable Me</i>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v2TJnUA1nYE/T7x4SCavrZI/AAAAAAAAAfI/_sAMRLmB1Vs/s1600/banana-potato-song-minions-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v2TJnUA1nYE/T7x4SCavrZI/AAAAAAAAAfI/_sAMRLmB1Vs/s320/banana-potato-song-minions-1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I've been lazy on the blog-front and mostly busy with work and stuff. This <i>stuff </i>includes browsing le internet and not realizing I've been at it from sunrise to sundown. So yes, I've been reading up fun stuff, and chanced upon this crazy-crazy, REALLY crazy song (but I'd rather just call it my ear-worm-of-the-month). And I insist on the word crazy or even ridiculous 'cos I seriously haven't been singing anything else much ever since this song got stuck in my head, heart and ear. Gah! Insanely addictive for me.<br />
<br />
I've been singing this A LOT and ALOUD all the freakin' time so much that I effectively drove my usually-calm roomie up the wall. I'd pick up my banana (le fruit of choice for me most of the time) and start singing like crazy: "bananaaaaaaaaaa-potato-naaaaaaaaaaaa, banaNAAAA,potatOOOOOOOOnaaaaaaa". Now that quite sums up the lyrics portion for ya. tee hee!<br />
<br />
Said song is from the trailer of <i>Despicable Me 2 </i>and the reason I even bothered listening to it is because my favorite dorky female celebs (from the other universe of South Korean pop-dom that I so <i>religiously </i>follow) randomly sang it on a radio show. That was so super crazy too! I mean, they were hitting all the high notes and singing with all their heart <i>this song. </i>LOL and ROTFLMAO of humungous proportions for me.<br />
<br />
Presenting to you- <b>The Banana-Potato song</b>. The original and the cover by Girls' Generation's Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vNie6hVM8ZI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qACRSq20yQ4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
</div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-15276910272229679622012-04-24T10:45:00.000+05:302012-04-24T11:36:23.336+05:30That negativity-inspiring-muse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To you,<br />
With loathing and<br />
Wishful thinking<br />
(Since I'll probably never say this aloud).<br />
<br />
Time goes so slowly by<br />
When I'm by your side.<br />
And I just can't wait<br />
for the moments together<br />
to get over.<br />
<br />
Every word you say is<br />
-trash<br />
Every thought of yours<br />
-better off unsaid<br />
And every single deed of yours<br />
-makes you more tiresome for me.<br />
<br />
Why did you have to happen to me?<br />
Why you in my life?<br />
The questions in my head<br />
Annoy me like you.<br />
<br />
Sick and tired of your faking<br />
All I want is to stay away from your crazy.<br />
What's the use of those smiles,<br />
When every next word of yours is guaranteed to be lies. <br />
And when I see you be fake nice again,<br />
I want the world to stop doing anything else...<br />
And throw things at you.<br />
<br />
You lie,<br />
Don't even blink an eye,<br />
Twist your words,<br />
And not so much of guilt or regret in anyway.<br />
<br />
Nothing about you works<br />
the right way round.<br />
You'd chat, lie, be mean<br />
if that got you a win.<br />
<br />
But when I try to bite back,<br />
Not fight back,<br />
Curb the bad feelings towards you?<br />
There you come shuffling in,<br />
with all that contagious negative vibes in tow-<br />
So immense they could ruin a whole continent<br />
So vile that I'm scared by mere proximity<br />
So manipulative that I want to scream and<br />
want the world to know the truth of you.<br />
So false, it's bizarre no one notices.<br />
<br />
I look at you,<br />
and all I can think is<br />
-bitchface.<br />
Doesn't matter what others think you are,<br />
I know you for what you are-<br />
and that's:<br />
Awful through-and-through<br />
Shame to my gender,<br />
Hypocrite,<br />
Why, no principles whatsoever.<br />
<br />
She thought you're just silly,<br />
He thinks you're not much,<br />
They think you're just a random normal somebody,<br />
But only I can see that you're my personal nightmare-come-to-life.<br />
<br />
What've you done to me,<br />
Messing up a good girl's soul<br />
Somehow trying to make me mean like you.<br />
And I never hated on anyone,<br />
Never ever badmouthed even the foulest person I knew.<br />
But you turned things round,<br />
Screwed my good life.<br />
<br />
All I want is away from your drama<br />
Exit-Stage-Left.<br />
<br /></div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-91669583313369335062012-04-20T10:35:00.001+05:302012-04-20T14:42:52.263+05:30The long-overdue post. The brace-yourselves-for-the-next post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Anyaseyo all! (that's hello in Korean, duh. I just wanted to start off on a random and different note)<br />
<br />
So! A post has been overdue and I've been frikkin' busy what with having the unique luck of being assigned to two departments in the same month. Which means, I'm working ALL the time since I gotta do the stuff in THIS department, and by the time I'm tired, it's lunch and post-lunch, work for the next department. Yay, life can be exhausting AND fun all at once. So obviously I like it when I'm working, ergo-no complaints. BUT! that also by default means that NO SLACK TIME for poor me. Draw in a sad face of me while you're at it.<br />
<br />
Mostly, this post is a filler and to brace you for the next post, which is NOT gonna be an easy read. Why? I'm usually a happy-go-lucky person, never badmouths even the meanest kid 'round the block and generally my posts resonate with the wonderful things I'm going through. You can ignore the "bad day" posts of mine since they're rare and sad. Anyway, the next post is like- <i>whaddayacallems?-</i> urban poetry?<br />
No rhyme to the poem, but lotsa reason.<br />
<br />
It's about one of the only two persons I <strike>hate</strike> loathe on this world. That's intense and I didn't really want to blog about the way I'm feeling (nay,repressing) about the darkness emanated by said person. But then I realized, dayum, if I don't vent about it, I might die suffocated by all the bad thoughts and it's always better to share everything here. Where else could I do that?<br />
<br />
To quote a drama,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: small;"><i>"Share if it's good news, so that the happiness multiplies.<br />
Share if it's bad news, so that the hurt/pain can be halved/lessened."</i></span></blockquote>True that!<br />
<br />
<br />
EDIT- I decided after posting this and ruminating quite a bit, that hating on someone no matter how hateful, just brings me down to their level. Not very helpful. So cheer me on about my new decision to just post the next post and I'mma try to get over the <i>bad feelings </i>and stay neutral (like my darling Riff told me to, yday) regarding everything hateful. Not gonna exert myself over something awful anymore people!</div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-16559933461340516922012-03-13T15:43:00.003+05:302012-03-13T15:47:33.531+05:30All Tagged-y<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><div style="text-align: left;">The good thing about procrastinating when you ought to be doing that tag is that, someone else also tags you and so can just just do 2 tags in one. Haha! or maybe not.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, I got tagged by the friendly neighborhood bloggies <a href="http://dreamingindecember.blogspot.in/2012/02/tagged-im-exhausted-after-finishing.html">Sujana</a> and <a href="http://rahul-aggarwal.blogspot.in/2012/03/tagged-tag-thon.html">Rahul</a>. Thank you for the tag! Mucho gracias really! Cos I sincerely believe that there's nothing like a classy tag to bring lazy bloggers like me back to back. Yo!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Laying out the rules for anyone who still hasn't come across them. Improbable as that sounds though..</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here!</div><div style="text-align: left;">The rules are-</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rule#1: Put the rules on your blog.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rule#2: Every person tagged should tell 11 things about themselves, answer the 11 questions asked by the one that tagged you, tag 11 other people and ask them 11 different questions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rule#3: Let the people whom you tagged know you've done so.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rule#4: Don't tag anyone who's been tagged before.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rule#5: Really do tag 11 others, don't go all ''if you want to take this tag''</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>11 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now this is a bit more tough than it seems cos of all the "tell me random things about you" tags I've done in the past. But I guess everyone else has been through that too?</div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I worry that wearing sandals that are larger than my feet will cause em to grow enough to be fit for the sandals. I don't know where I got that idea from, but it sure stuck on. Funnier is that I wear my uncle's old hawaii slippers around my hostel though, which are reaaally too big for me. Why despite the fear of feet growing big? Laziness my love. Too lazy to go out and buy another pair.</li>
<li>"<i><b>Everyone's nice, until proven otherwise". </b></i>Pretty much what I prefer to think of the rest of the world. That's a more comfortable way to live life cos it means, for me, there are only 2 people in my world that I actually can't stand. Everyone else is really nice, and I'm ok with letting them all have more than ten flaws to them. =)<br />
Might as well spread the motto to the rest of you all.Try living this way! =)</li>
<li>I'm the ultimate book-crazy and book-snob and book-happy person out there, well, at least according to me! Working at a library means I get my hands on all sorts of amazing paperbacks, hardbacks, and all sorts of heavenliness that comes in the shape of books. I LUFF my job!</li>
<li>My phone and I don't get along really well. I use it only when the need comes for music or communication. Hate having to hold a phone when I'd rather not. Which also means I've missed out hundreds of important calls and had One Angry Mom call up my colleagues or friends cos she couldn't get through to me, and yell that "just throw the phone away if you won't keep it around!!" In fact, most of my mom calls are fielded by my friends, come to think of it!</li>
<li> I hate having to attend weddings on principle. But recently, I've been to weddings that I <i>really </i>wanted to be at, and <i>loved </i>being there too. =) But still, I hate weddings. So much so that I wish I can just run away with the guy, his immediate family, my family and my friends and have a simple function. I'm the kind who thinks it's a waste of a whole lot of money which could otherwise be spent on getting me a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Just you wait till I actually get married!</li>
<li>Might've mentioned this plenty times, but-i LOVE brothers. (Cos I don't have one? Ain't that obvious?)I'm a sucker for brothers. Which means if you came up to me and said "I'm your brother", I'd fall flat, splat and do anything for you even if you broke my heart thrice and some more. True story.</li>
<li>And I love my sister to bits. She's my faux-kid to play around with, sneaky-partner-in-crime, best friend and so much more. Everyone says I ruined her for life by making her addicted to South Korean pop culture like me, but really, she fell for the deal all on her own. I swear!</li>
<li>Everyone hereabout already know my love and madness and obsessive relationship with South Korean music, dramas, movies and pop culture. This mention was just for the new readers. =) I can even speak and understand quite a lot of Hangul (Korean) these days. <i>Sashiriya! </i>(It's true!)</li>
<li>It wasn't always like this, but nowadays I need to have the right mood to watch movies and eat chocolates. Not happy with this change. =(</li>
<li>I'm inherently unceremonious about everything. <i>Almost</i> everything anyway. Must have something to do with my being <b><i>a leftie</i></b><i><b>.</b></i></li>
<li>I love checking out couture. Especially Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer collections. Though I avoid the strictly summer-only collections like the plague. Way too much of skin instead of pretty clothes always annoys me with its absurdity. </li>
<li>AN EXTRA- I tend to malapropise and mix up words a lot. One of my friends tell me that she always has to guess out what I mean, cos what I speak usually sounds too post-modern and weird. Lol. But this is only in the case of my mother tongue. I'm smoother when I'm talking in English.</li>
<li>And one more- I dress sloppy all the time to the point that mom wonders maybe God had planned me to be a boy but somehow things ended up with me being born a girl.</li>
</ol><div style="text-align: left;"><u><br />
</u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><b>SUJANA'S 11 QUESTIONS:</b></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1) What's your favorite place?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Hmm, where I did my undergrad-Brennen college? Or that vacation retreat of my uncle's? oh well, both!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2) If you had to marry a celebrity, who would it be?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Rahul Bose! or Arundhati Roy. And there's this really cool rocker-celeb Korean out there from</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>3) Do you want a twin?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Nooo!!!!!!!! I'm fine by me. I did want one for sometime back when I was a kid though. But I guess i twin brother would have been cool. =)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>4) How long is your oldest friendship?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Since I was a wee-baby? I got all my long-lost neighborhood buddies back, thanks to Orkut and dearest Facebook. Thank ye, lords of Social Media!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />
5) What's your greatest achievement? </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> If I can make a friend/person look up to me, If I can make just anyone happy- I'd take that to be a big achievement. =)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>6) If you could only talk to one person for the rest of your life, who would it be?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> There's this whole herd of best friends I'd want to spend my life with. There's Dope, my Rock, Ms Sunshine, Sister, Twin (<i>though we've been really uncommunicative nowadays</i>), Khe, China, my own Sassy Girl, The Good Girl, the Rocker, the BrothersTwo, Peepi, MotorMouth, and a whole lot of others I can't find nicknames for for now. But right now? It's Dope Proper.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">But if you asked me the<b><u> song for life- i have just one answe</u></b>r-</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Rest-Standing Egg.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hphzAIwwTm8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>7) Socks and sandals- yes or no?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Never!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>8) Choose your power: Mind reading or invisibility?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Mind reading a hundred thousand times over!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>9) What's your method of transportation?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Pillion riding on bikes with girlfriends. =)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>10) Favorite book?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Why not just kill me?Say just one???</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>11) Facebook, twitter or neither? Why?<br />
</b>Where's the "both" option? But I treat my Fb like my Twitter anyway.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />
<br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><b>RAHUL'S 11 QUESTIONS:</b></u></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>What are you passionate about?</b><br />
Words, music and good friends. And fun Korean dramas. =)<br />
</li>
<li><b>Cinema and politics- what do they mean for you?</b><br />
Good cinema can go a long way in strengthening innate goodness in people and I love watching good movies; and politics? I want to find at least ONE politician who has actively worked for the mass before I die.<br />
</li>
<li><b>One good thing you want to happen in India, for people – Long term?</b><br />
I want Indians to stop being hypocrites and do the good things you want to see in the world instead of just talking about change.<br />
<i></i></li>
<li><b>One good thing you want to happen for yourself – Long term?</b><br />
I want to feel confident about myself. All the time. Period.<br />
<i></i></li>
<li><b>One good thing you want to happen for yourself – Short term?</b><br />
Find a well-earning permanent job stat.<i><br />
</i></li>
<li><b><i><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></i>A frank thing you want to say about one of the bloggers here?</b><br />
I want to see Mohua blogging again and my Pretty Wanderer to blog more =)<br />
</li>
<li><b><i><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></i>Belief in God?</b><br />
Yup. Wholeheartedly believes in monotheism.<i><br />
</i></li>
<li><b>One thing you would surely do to uplift this poor country?</b><br />
Not splurge on anything. When I hear so-and-so spend more than sane on such-and-such clothes, hair, wedding etc, I feel horrid thinking of the less privileged who could have gained something more important from all that money.<br />
Plus I had like to make charity every month once I have a job that pays well unlike this intern thing.<br />
</li>
<li><b>One secret about you?</b><br />
Just one? =)<br />
<i></i></li>
<li><i><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></i><b>Do you hold any regrets in your life?</b><br />
That I can't sue my <a href="http://www.ashuspeak.blogspot.in/2011/09/waving-goodbyes-trying-not-to-cry.html">bastard of an ex Dept Head</a> . That I couldn't confess a whole lot of things to people that mattered and now it's too late.<i><br />
</i></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span><b>Adventure if any in life…lets count</b><br />
Getting lost in the city all alone<br />
Girl trips. They always end up becoming adventures =D</li>
</ol><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><ol style="text-align: left;"><b>MY 11<i> taggedies </i>(short for tagged buddies- much too corny, and I accept that accusation with bowed head)</b></ol><ol style="text-align: left;"><li style="color: black;"><a href="http://thisistherealitarin.blogspot.in/">Blahbaholic!</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://boxingwords.blogspot.in/">Choco</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://purplechronicle.blogspot.in/">Kajal</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.lifeunordinary.com/">Gayatri Rao</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://anuglyhead.blogspot.in/">Red Handed</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://littlemomentsofbliss.blogspot.in/">Serendipity</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.nehasblog.com/">Neha</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://diwita.blogspot.in/">Diwita</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://nonaspensieve.blogspot.in/">Nona</a></li>
<li style="color: black;"><a href="http://taintedfingers.blogspot.in/">Mr Jovita</a></li>
<li><a href="http://madhushadash.blogspot.in/" style="color: black;">Madhusha</a><br />
<br />
These are some of the blogs I recently started reading and LOVING. And the questions? Here they come!</li>
</ol></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>That one song you want to force the whole world to listen if you could, cos you love it so!</li>
<li>Are you happy the way you are?</li>
<li>You have a whole lot of money and you can buy just one thing-what'd it be?</li>
<li>How many of your blogger buddies have you met in real life?</li>
<li>What's your idea of a perfect day?</li>
<li>Books or their movie versions- which do you prefer?</li>
<li>A quote you want to pass around</li>
<li>Rock, jazz or pop?</li>
<li>I'm a Potterhead, so here goes- Which House is Hogwarts would you want to be sorted to?</li>
<li>What habit or deed of others annoys you the most?</li>
<li>Make a question YOU want to answer!</li>
</ol>*Extremely pleased with myself for having FINALLY done the tag. Yay!! <br />
<div><ol style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></ol><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>1<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></i></div></div></div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-55766949766991530272012-02-21T11:07:00.000+05:302012-02-21T11:07:04.919+05:30Prayers from a Mallu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Mallu</strong>:- Proper noun. Slightly derogatory term used for Malayalis aka Keralites who display behavior said to be characteristic of their community. A typical Mallu will</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>be very laidback, and thus peace-loving and detests violence most of the time. Being lazy, we will-</li>
<li>jump in at every opportunity which claims to make big money easily,</li>
<li>have an opinion about everything- about that girl next door who flirts too much, that auto driver who charges more and more every next time, about social media, USA's foreign policy, Manmohan Singh, in short- EVERYTHING. Hell, even that unemployed bum has an opinion about why no one's doing anything about global climate change.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnbCB4DSpp0/T0MtBRWHtWI/AAAAAAAAAck/dejP4_uTFeU/s1600/malayalee_men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnbCB4DSpp0/T0MtBRWHtWI/AAAAAAAAAck/dejP4_uTFeU/s320/malayalee_men.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>We Mallus are worldly, well-read (<em>at least 95% are</em>), intellectuals, or pretend-intellectuals <em>(but even they will know all the facts and are updated on the news and goings-around)</em> and sometimes even other-worldly (<em>might as well make some money off other-worldliness while we are at it!</em>) </li>
<li>There's a running joke about how there will be a Mallu in every nook and corner of the Earth. (<em>You've definitely heard the joke of how when Neil Armstrong landed on Moon and saw that there was this Mallu running a tea-shop there,right?</em>)</li>
<li>We LOVE hartals. Whether we support the cause or not is an entirely different thing. Which is why, come every other unknown political party who claims to have been offended by so-and-so or such-and-such situation and declares strike or hartal- we CELEBRATE them. We cheer each other with "Happy Hartal!/ Hartal days are back again!" texts. No, I swear this is true. I can personally vouch for this being 100% reality, cos I celebrate along too! Back in school days, we'd students strikes practically every other day. Ergo, we'd go to school, get taught for a period or so before the school gave in to the student-strike that came strutting in from the other school next door. Then us girls would all hang around our empty classrooms, schoolground, munching away happily on snacks and yummy lunches, before finally going home in the best of happy moods. Tee hee! So you understand that protests are pretty much in-built into the Mallu system.<br />
Upset about the grades? Protest march. Teacher being partial to some student. Gherao him. Exam papers may have been leaked? Boycott college for days. You want an upgrade on paycheck? Strike! Pissy with the govt? Strike! Hartal!</li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fe7Ox7ahPJ0/T0MtIeGWVdI/AAAAAAAAAcs/akK1xI2TAfw/s1600/2008070454790301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fe7Ox7ahPJ0/T0MtIeGWVdI/AAAAAAAAAcs/akK1xI2TAfw/s1600/2008070454790301.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This poster is pro-hartal and reads "Yay Hartal! Hartal wishes to all". I know, we're a crazy fun lot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
And this last characteristic brings me to the topic. By now you've a fair idea of what to expect from a Mallu and the fact that I'm a Mallu too. =D<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">And like at least some of my readers know by now, I'm working at IIM-Kozhikode currently. Yes yes, thanks for the congrats and thumps on my back and everything. It's amazing and lotsa fun working there too. But! The one drawback of it all is that I have to work 9-5.30 Monday through Saturday. Which means I get just one measly holiday a week. Barely, hardly, not at all enough.</div><br />
So?<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm reduced to waiting for general holidays which don't happen much. The only other alternative where we get holidays would be when there're vehicle strikes, hartals or the sort happening and you can't make it to work.</div><br />
And me being me, always ends my prayers these days like this,<br />
<em>"God, please let a hartal happen on Saturday or Monday so I can have that extra day off."</em><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Absurd you thinketh? Well, God sure did answer my prayers last week. Only that it was limited to that particular municipal corporation my hostel is in and which meant, yeah I got my day off thank-you-so-much, but that the IIM administration marked it as leave taken by me since there was no hartal as such where IIM was. Dang!<br />
<em><br />
</em>So this week around, I prayed more specifically.<br />
<em>"Dear God, please give me a hartal more than six hours".</em>This time around too God was gracious enough to answer my prayer. Only, I got a Hartal in my district alone. IIM will be able to function anyways and everyone else will turn up for work. All but me. =( Which obviously means they'll once again mark me down as on-leave.<em><br />
</em></div>But on the bright side, I already was home all of yday since it was a general holiday. And I got to stay back today too. So it's Sunday,Monday and this Tuesday. Chock-fulla holidays! Though I'll be paying the price for today. Hmph.<br />
<br />
Next time around I'mma pray with the wording so correct, connotation and implication so accurate that I'll land myself an awesome hartal-holiday. Just you wait and watch!<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><br />
</li>
</ul></div></div></div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-53530837057049818152012-02-08T11:29:00.001+05:302012-02-08T11:30:42.884+05:30White, white lie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">"<i>Liar".</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
At first it was just a passing thought. Like a stray hair caught in the wind. Flimsy and with no weight of its own to mean anything huge.<i><br />
</i><br />
<br />
She didn't linger on it. So there she was on the phone, talking about a million different things with<b> </b>Mira, and among them, they eventually ended up talking about her weight.<br />
<br />
"Yeah sis, I've heard all this a million times over. You think I don't worry about this? Aren't I freaked about how it might wreck my health?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>And J did know how scary things could get. The blackouts for one thing. She was never sure where and when she might fall apart, unconscious. Only to wake up elsewhere with no memory as such of the falling apart or anything.</i></div><br />
She could hear her cousin's racked breathing from all the hyper-freaked rant about how J never cared enough about her own health.<b> </b>Mira took a moment to control her feelings; mostly fear and worry; she was close to tears by now. And completely frightened by what thoughts might be going through J's head. With good reason.<br />
<br />
J in turn let out an almost ruthless laugh and chuckled the words out, "Hold on didi! I just want to know how much more I weigh these days- is all! God, you sound like mom these days".<br />
<br />
Mira calmed down considerably, but she still couldn't tamp down her suspicions.<br />
"It better be so. Or you and I will have words, with a shrink in tow. I'm not even joking anymore."<br />
<br />
J dropped the cheery act and snapped back drily,<br />
"Of course. Anyways, class is over for the day. I'm heading home now. Call you later when you're off work."<br />
<br />
-"Had lunch?"<br />
-"Yup Mira, with friends from canteen. Bye."<br />
J cut the call with that.<br />
<br />
She finally got off the phone and looked around. It was past lunch hour and most of the students were back in their classes. She gathered up her bag to say goodbyes to friends before leaving for home.<br />
<br />
And as expected, everyone was lazing around in the computer lab.<br />
<br />
"Oi, J! There you are! We already had lunch since you took so long. Wanna go to canteen together?"<br />
"You didn't eat anything na?"<br />
"Where <i>were </i>you anyway?"<br />
<br />
Multiple voices yelled at her when she stepped into the lab.<br />
<br />
"I'm off to home guys. Mom's expecting me for lunch. So bye!" J replied, collecting the remaining notes and stuff strewn over the place and stuffing them into her bag.<br />
<br />
"Girl, you're totally missing out on the fun of eating with friends these days.. In fact, it's been <i>months </i>since we shared lunch together." Runi muttered<b> </b>annoyed.<br />
<br />
J gave a taut smile at that and left after a couple more hugs and goodbyes.<br />
<br />
<br />
...<br />
liar<br />
<br />
<br />
Liar<br />
<br />
<br />
LIAR<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>LIAR</b></div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-44037293994109353562012-01-21T14:47:00.000+05:302012-01-21T14:47:56.266+05:30This one goes out to you. And you. And her. And him.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><em>This one's for those friends of mine,</em><em><br />
</em><br />
<em>rare finds</em><br />
<em>who stand out in any crowd.</em><br />
<em>The ones who've stood up for me,</em><br />
<em>Held me when I cried,</em><br />
<em>Hugged me while I died inside.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Made my day </em><br />
<em>when it was otherwise so mundane.</em><br />
<em>Loved me and reminded me</em><br />
<em>of all the awesomeness I'd forgotten about me.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Yeah,</em><br />
<em>This post is for those amazing friends</em><br />
<em>who made my day, week, month and the year.</em><br />
<em>And off we start 2012.</em><br />
<em>Belated happy new year fellow-wookies!</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MtnaEDiHaZk/TxqBfZw4NZI/AAAAAAAAAbw/d2nbTsYLvK8/s1600/catsanddogs.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MtnaEDiHaZk/TxqBfZw4NZI/AAAAAAAAAbw/d2nbTsYLvK8/s400/catsanddogs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tGNowE5aems/TxqCPCNVg7I/AAAAAAAAAb4/L9zPuvzOgVM/s1600/godlovefriends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tGNowE5aems/TxqCPCNVg7I/AAAAAAAAAb4/L9zPuvzOgVM/s400/godlovefriends.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Because I love you,<em><br />
</em></div><div style="text-align: center;">And will stay so,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Things are easy.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Questions are answered to,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Problems solved.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Because I am so,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and can't be helped otherwise,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'd rather the world understand.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Let me be,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Let me rise.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And now that I know you're hurt the same,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Please don't protest, deny or blame.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Good feelings grow,</div><div style="text-align: center;">They will finally show-</div><div style="text-align: center;">The world's not such a bad place afterall.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Life's worth living,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hugs happily shared</div><div style="text-align: center;">and smiles easily passed on.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So we'll hold hands,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Roll the roads and rivers </div><div style="text-align: center;">that keep us apart</div><div style="text-align: center;">into nothingness;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and I'll hold your hand tighter-</div><div style="text-align: center;">'cos friends like you</div><div style="text-align: center;">are godsends,</div><div style="text-align: center;">one of a kind,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and were custom-made for me!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><em><br />
</em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em><br />
</em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em><br />
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</em></div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-58236496977929438642011-11-05T13:04:00.000+05:302011-11-05T13:04:10.959+05:30Be sad and rich or be happy and footloose?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The things people do and seek out, try out.. all the sake for that very elusive drug called happiness. Really, in the end, when you're asked, "why do you study?"<br />
-"to get a job."<br />
"why do you need a job?"<br />
-"to earn money and fend for myself, stand up on my own feet."<br />
"and after that, what?"<br />
<br />
Well what follows is that either you haven't planned that far out into the future, and you're not that into philosophy and the baggage it comes with.<br />
<br />
I was just doing a bit of introspection [which really means lotsa thinking when you're bored with nothing better to do, really!] and how I'm faring- now that I'm settled down as a trainee/intern/whateveryouwannacallem- and very happy too-- but with the meagre stipend only. And since I'm lucky enough not to be worried about matters of more gravity like having to substantially provide for family etc, I have the freedom to live off on my own.<br />
<br />
And I wondered.<br />
<br />
If I were offered a well-paid job as guest lecturer at my former college under that <a href="http://ashuspeak.blogspot.com/2011/09/waving-goodbyes-trying-not-to-cry.html">very scary boss</a>. Would I pick that up stat? Or would I rather live light-hearted on a measly stipend off on my own?<br />
<br />
Funnily enough, as much as I'd like all the extra moolah I could possibly earn- I would choose the second option. I get the experience of working under one of the awesomest, known-across-library scenario-in the world, nicest boss/Chief at one of the awesomest campus around India. Hey, it's not every day you get to work for a whole year at a campus that resembles a hill station dammit!<br />
<br />
YOU check the previous post and THEN you check out the campus I'm at. AND you decide.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oaMlQ3DUQfI/TrTlnuUu9kI/AAAAAAAAAa4/rZpjo1ihd-o/s1600/Photo0122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oaMlQ3DUQfI/TrTlnuUu9kI/AAAAAAAAAa4/rZpjo1ihd-o/s400/Photo0122.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rumlnSleaTM/TrTlxxYfzBI/AAAAAAAAAbA/DMycQgRE--E/s1600/Photo0126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rumlnSleaTM/TrTlxxYfzBI/AAAAAAAAAbA/DMycQgRE--E/s400/Photo0126.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n6KugQ1PkoM/TrTmOU1_CFI/AAAAAAAAAbI/yV8mhlujhRs/s1600/IIMK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n6KugQ1PkoM/TrTmOU1_CFI/AAAAAAAAAbI/yV8mhlujhRs/s320/IIMK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Happiness? Or money?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1bJ4gvXvtNo/TrTmjtUem8I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/jrvnGBVExes/s1600/angry_boss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1bJ4gvXvtNo/TrTmjtUem8I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/jrvnGBVExes/s1600/angry_boss.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-54589317421257176832011-09-29T10:49:00.002+05:302011-09-29T10:49:33.392+05:30Waving goodbyes, trying not to cry, trying to blot out misery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Omg.<br />
I must have totally lost my mojo. How else do I explain spending over 2 months away from blogging, and still not regretting that?<br />
I've been the laziest bum that ever was let astray on the face of earth and I've been watching; NAY; marathoning dramas, series and movies like the world's ending the very next day. well, it might. but that wasn't my point anyway.<br />
<br />
So..<br />
I'm done with my post-grad years. I'm still contemplating research, but not gonna go down that road for a couple o' years anyway.<br />
<br />
Thinking back to these last 2 years still makes me feel awfully queasy. or specifically, that week. Uh, yeah i get it that i'm not exactly making sense- but it will when you read on.<br />
<br />
All these years as a student- be it at elementary school, high school, college and beyond- i've been one of those goody-two-shoes kind of student. May not have come out first place during school- but I was always loved by teachers. Never exactly did anything wrong, and i was favorite student for quite a lot of my teachers. I'm not kidding when i say that even after all these years, some of them still talk about me with a smile on their face to their current students. ACCEPT IT! I WAS THAT NICE!<br />
<br />
Why am I ranting on when it's obviously making lesser and lesser sense?<br />
<br />
Hm, let's just say there's someone who feels that way. Ok, i'll just refer to him/her as Someone in this post for now. Someone is temperamental to begin with. Volatile emotions and highly oscillating mood-swings. So one moment Someone is being nice and talking well with me. Next thing I know, I'd called up Someone to confirm stuff about a job offer s/he made to me. Let's just say s/he was planning on making me and another classmate low paid guest lecturers. Like, real dirt cheap. Which was also probably why the call never went the way it should have.<br />
<br />I has said just one sentence to Someone, in English, to keep it polite and formal, unless s/he found me to being rude to their face. Yeah, one has to keep literally a million things in mind before saying a word to this person. I swear. S blows up right in my face (ear) about how I'm being rude (<i>cos allegedly i spoke throughout the call in English, being distant </i>[WTH? are u kidding me?]<i>)</i>, mean, disgusting and to just refuse the job offer if I weren't interested.<br /><br />Truth is, I'm interested. And S is my teacher. But S didn't even bother answering whether S would be covering for my travel expenses even. Youch.<b> #worstphonecallever</b><br />and since he blew out in a rage w/o answering on the pay, my family guesses they weren't gonna pay me much. probably lesser than less.<br />i cried.<br />
<br />So next time I went with classmates to collect certificates and get the hell outta that place, I knew i'd be facing the wrath of something I knew I didnt deserve. Boy, was I right.<br /><br /><i>Things said to me:</i><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I'm the worst student ever in S's entire life.</li>
<li>I'm mercenary (not the exact word, but all the paragraphs worth of ranting s/he spewed in my face amounts to that word I'd say)</li>
<li>I should get the hell outta here if i'm expecting same pay scale as guest lecturers.</li>
<li>etc etc etc painful stuff.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I kind of cried again right there. Yeah, call me out on being softie, but I can't handle allegations that maketh no sense. I know S can be angry and then go back to nice real quick. Not in my case. Not yet anyway. I also know S regularly abuses every subordinate and hurls fierce insults at them in public. Yeah, not exactly a well-loved person in there I'd say.<br /><br />Good to have finally gotten out of there. There were great friends, good teachers, beautiful memories.. But why did the ending have to be so messy ?<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J8fKANHeeys/ToP-CImjNLI/AAAAAAAAAao/AEqMY-dIKwI/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J8fKANHeeys/ToP-CImjNLI/AAAAAAAAAao/AEqMY-dIKwI/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<br />Anyway,<br />goodbye my pg years, and dept</div>
<div>
adieu,</div>
<div>
alvida,</div>
<div>
annyeong,</div>
<div>
and every other way to finally sever ties with that horrid memory.<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<i>Waving goodbyes,<br />I'll Trying to keep from crying<br />Closing a chapter of life,<br />Blotted by black memories and white.<br /><br />{</i>o my! that was so spontaneous! *must work on it}<div>
<br />PS- Gilsha, you're an amazing friend whom I never want to lose. Sorry for all the times I may have been mean to you. Forgive me =)</div>
<div>
<br />PPS- and no, i didn't take up that job offer. in case you were wondering. not worth the insults i'd've to face anyway.</div>
</div>
Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-63116917649503504852011-07-12T07:04:00.002+05:302011-07-12T07:25:05.502+05:30And Stanley is a leftie!<div align="center"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">How can a story be THIS beautiful, and be heart-warming and</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">heart-breaking all at the same time?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://movie-area.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Stanley-Ka-Dabba-2011-the-gank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://movie-area.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Stanley-Ka-Dabba-2011-the-gank.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Oh Stanley and your elusive dabba. You had me, my soul, my all, from</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> the opening credits itself. (Yes adorable mini cartoon, I'm talkin' </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">abt you!)</span></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Stanley ka dabba is one of those rare, Rare, Very rare movies where</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> you get to see the child being-well, a child. I'd grown tired of all</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> those hundreds of movies out there where kids behave prissy, with</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> aggravating know-it-all teen sass. *Points accusing finger especially</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> at the kid in Cheeni Kam who wanted to watch porn {granted she was</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> terminal, but what's with the double-entendre laced inappropriate</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> crushing on your sixty-plus neighbour? Weeeeeeeeird and</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> uncomfortable.} and her ilk.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> On the other hand, the nicer ones include the friends in Paa, Taare</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> Zameen Par and company. But yeah, TZP is practically an Amole Gupte</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> product, so the normal children characters are expected.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">So, Stanley and his friends are such good hearted darlings like kids</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> normally are, that it's a pure delight just to watch them interact</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> on-screen.</span></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Ooh, and for once, we get to see a deep-rooted stereotype squished.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> About time too. The rich, fat boy is actually nice and the kind who </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">shares his tiffin!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://wallpapers.oneindia.in/d/322599-2/stanley-ka-dabba-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://wallpapers.oneindia.in/d/322599-2/stanley-ka-dabba-05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">And coming to the titular tiffin.. There's actually a parallel to</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> Stanley's absent tiffin. Stanley meanie Hindi teacher, of the</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> voracious apetite, Verma sir (Amole Gupte) who doesn't seem to have a</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> tiffin either and shamelessly digs into everyone else's tiffins-</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> students and teachers alike. Thumbs up for such a believable</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> performance Amole Gupte! More so for the utter lack of vanity with</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> which he essays the role. You'll totally want to pull out his hair out</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> cos that's how believable he makes the character.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-auBS8gXAKxo/ThupD3s4hOI/AAAAAAAAAZM/D_kJBB4eSC4/s1600/stanley+leftie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-auBS8gXAKxo/ThupD3s4hOI/AAAAAAAAAZM/D_kJBB4eSC4/s320/stanley+leftie.png" width="320" /></a></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Coming to one of my personal favorite moments in the movie. Every </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">frame of it is a personal favorite for me, but this one's all the more </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">dear cos:</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> How not to love the fact that Stanley is a leftie, with all the </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">mundane leftie problems lefties face every day of our lives. Your left </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">elbow constantly hitting your right handed neighbour's elbow just one </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">of the many problems you face in a right-dominated, right-biased </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">world. I'm so familiar with that happening like ALL the time at </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">school.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">But what's more personal is how effectively the director captures each </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">teacher's reaction to this problem. Must, must, MUST gush about how </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">much I love him for including this detail into the story. So trivial,</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> and yet so true!</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> My sister and myself have this fetish for finding out lefties among</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> celebs. So when we do find one eventually, it's always a thrill and</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> squee when you note a compatriot. "omg, i didn't realize he/she's one </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">of us!!"</span></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">To say more would be to kill the fun for ya. But I must say, the</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> first time around I sniffed like a little girl by the end of the</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> movie. The second time round? I bawled my eyes out. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Apart from the explicit storyline, Stanely ka Dabba mainly is</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> concerning a universal problem. But i'd be a spoilsport if I were to</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> spill more beans. Considering how this is the core of this heavenly </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">fare.</span></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Alright, happy movie watching everyone. Love you Stanley and all </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Stanley-friends!</span></div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-39624660708287135342011-05-15T12:06:00.002+05:302011-05-15T18:21:31.201+05:30About The Gods of Headbangs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hu32cbSAcVk/Tc8cao12R5I/AAAAAAAAAY8/Wsy3WLCLOUc/s1600/profile_pic2_1287510736_1287510799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hu32cbSAcVk/Tc8cao12R5I/AAAAAAAAAY8/Wsy3WLCLOUc/s400/profile_pic2_1287510736_1287510799.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The DownTroddence/ The Adiyalans</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<br />
The six piece metal band's current line-up boasts of some of the finest talent in metal hereabouts. No kidding.</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">They have won headbangs everytime they do a gig,without fail. Plus the accolades, cheers, critical praise- the popularity rising, and the prizes that keep pouring in, everytime. Every f***king time. See? I tolja, their rhythm make me use expletives in the best ways possible.</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Last I know, they won 'Amplified' at the NIT-C(alicut) annual fest Raaga, beating every other competitor from across the country.</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">So if you find yourself screaming hoarse for their signed albums one day in the (hopefully) recent future, remember that you heard of them from me. *smug</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Or you probably know them perfectly already. </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">(damn i'm slow. Was planning to do this post exactly one year back, can't believed it stayed a draft for so long)</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to go to any gig of theirs. Wish as I might, it won’t happen. Gah, who heard of petite, headscarf wearing girls at metal concerts?? Not that I care, but I don’t have anyone close-by for company anyway.</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">So how would you like this post to actually start off? Intro on the kings or their music? I self-voted and decided to introduce their music first to the uninitiated:</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">THE METAL THEY CREATED</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Death Vanity</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">- the first single. I'll change my name, my ways, my whole life if you can NOT headbang to this one. Seriously, from the first strings itself the song takes a hold onto you with a death grip and makes sure you have fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. It's so sophisticated, polished and perfect, you wouldn't guess it's Downtroddence's very first creation. Their perfect first child. </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/K1RD-vnebE8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Then there's </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Vengeance</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">, their cover of a band called Evergreen. Though I'm addicted to Death Vanity, can't say the same for Vengeance. But I'm not an authority on metal, so you should decide how amazing this song is for yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Who can forget <b>Hell within hell</b></span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">?</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WQ4XXzKKHOY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">And there is </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Shiva</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">(!!!!!)- awesomely head-bang-y. And THE BIG NEWS IS THAT, IT'S OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO IS OUT ON YOUTUBE. Released this 14th of May, 2011. Hells yeah!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0jj37KEQofU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Another work of theirs that I really, truly, deeply love is known by the very attention-grabbing name </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Ortniavis</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"> which had me going all, what the...? But really the meaning in within the name itself. This song has quite the back story going for it, but that would be for the next post.</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyways, talking about this track, Ortniavis is different from their other works in that, it is not hard core metal, and more of an experimental thingamagus. (<i>Wot? That word's in the dictionary. Which one? My own</i>.) Gorgeous and appealing to the senses. Period.</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZCqgT0rOAwY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">Guess I have your attention now! The next post is more of an interview-metamorphed into a blog post about the evil metal geniuses who are behind The Downtroddence. The concerts they have done, the stories behind their works and all that jazz. </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>Oops.</i> </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">All that metal.</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "Times New Roman", serif;">=D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_255209583"><br />
</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_255209583"> </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/THEDOWNTRODENCE?ref=ts">Their Facebook official page</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDownTroddence">Their YouTube official channel </a><br />
</span></div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-35415786902116655472011-03-30T07:19:00.002+05:302011-03-30T07:22:42.899+05:30Gettin high<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lr-_y5LUtBA/TZKMphuAiWI/AAAAAAAAAY4/gQLgZquVQIU/s1600/kitten+is+too+happy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lr-_y5LUtBA/TZKMphuAiWI/AAAAAAAAAY4/gQLgZquVQIU/s400/kitten+is+too+happy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The more the ecstatic people, the more the creeped-out factor</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<br />
Reason # 1 why I'm blogging now<br />
Lol. Looks like the blog's still being pissy about the forced starvation part. Well, it had piss anyone off if they were put off fodder too. So here I am trying to fend off dissertation deadlines and the impending exam season by blogging. Or trying to blog.<br />
<br />
Reason # 2 why I'm blogging<br />
But why am I actually blogging now? Things really nice and heart warmingly sweet have been happening to me. Mostly so since I don't usually feel like there's any reason people not in direct proximity of me would remember me with love. Not that I'm a nightmare to be around or anything remotely that kind. But still. Everytime someone mentions me with love, I go all; me? You're actually talking about me? You happen to like me a lot?- and that happy mentioning of me by a friend/ good friend/ girlfriend is enough to place me on cloud # 10 in a helium filled state for a looooong time. And recently, a couple of friends; friends whose opinions reaaaaalllly, reaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllyyyyyyyy matter to my happiness and overall peace even have been saying such good things about me [not in my face, mind you. I never take in-my-face compliments seriously even when they are sincerely made] and helping me even if it tires them, that I'm the happiest girl in the world for now, <br />
Yay! Keep me this way please! And thank you dearest Lord for all the unexpected love showers I'm receiving.<br />
<br />
Reason # 3 why I'm blogging<br />
And on the other hand, I have recently noticed that I have become a sort of Addiction Initiator-SLASH-Addiction Catalyser-SLASH-Addiction Facilitator for quite a lot of classmates. Lol. It all began with this semester, which is our last, and so, fateful semester as regards our future. Yet, as we have become such experts in procrastination, everyone just slouches all over the place and day dreams until the tests and then do one-night-stands with notes. Thanks to lack of faculty, things have pretty much boiled down to self-teaching. <br />
<br />
So as i was blathering, we slouched a lot for the last few months. Everyone has their own way of killing time. Mine was playing "QuadraPop" on buddy Gilsha's SonyEricsson. And boy was I addicted to that game. I had play it for hours on end, even killing all the phone battery at some instances. Then another friend asked for my Nokia and got hooked to "Bounce" for time killing purposes. And before I knew it, things came to the scenario where practically everyone was playing games on everyone else's phone. I had step in the classroom and get asked for my phone before even getting a Good Morning. Oh well!<br />
Life moves on and everyone kind of was de-addicted to phone games. Not all though. I'm still stuck with QuadraPop.<br />
Anyway, THAT was when i started playing Mahjjong on our Ubuntu system. And behold! Sue and Gi get addicted as well!<br />
<br />
And here comes the mother of all addictions I spurred-that beats all the other addictions i ever brought:<br />
Korean dramas.<br />
<br />
For the last three semesters that we were in post graduation together, my classmates all just scoffed at this weird love i had. Then this semester, I gave the last drama I watched to Bhavya who wanted to know what the noise I made was all about, and,<br />
BEHOLD!<br />
Bhavya is the first one to fall And she fell so damned hard that even I'm surprised and the impact it has left on her. Now she even beats me in talking non-stop about the dramas, the actors, the celeb gossips even. I drew a lot of flak from friends for this. Lots of annoyed curses even. Heh. And funniest thing? I didn't even have to bother to deflect them. Bhavya did all that PR talk for me and even did story telling for the rest. Just.Plain.Awesome.<br />
So I decided to take it a step further and when we girls were all together, Bhavya and yours truly kinda kidnapped and hijacked everyone for full measure, and did a speshul private screening of the first few awesome episodes of that awesome drama. Wadduyuknow? Quite a lot of people fell hard for the drama. And everyone wants a bit of the Korean magic now.<br />
<br />
And the ones who didn't fall for the magic?<br />
They are still iffy and giving me baleful stares straight from their closed hearts. I don't mind at all. I have completely converted Bhavya into a full-on faithful ally to the point where-<br />
she and I re-enact our favorite parts with Korean dialogues to boot and <br />
squeal in utter joy when our actor crush breaks up with his girlfriend, <br />
and together we have gotten more addicted.<br />
<br />
Life's gooooooooooooooooooood!</div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-41517778333589411672011-03-17T20:24:00.000+05:302011-03-17T20:24:16.424+05:30The constant push-and-pull I engage you in..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So things have come to a point where every heart-to-heart I try to have with Blog boils down to the Awkward category. This one was no different..<br />
<br />
Blog <em>[who's in an aggravated mood thanks to my frequent absence]: </em>Oh lookie lookie, who's come along now after ignoring me blatantly all this month and more?<br />
Me <em>[feeling ashamed]</em>: Yeah love, you have every right to feel that way. Punish me as much as you want, but please don't leave me!<br />
Blog <em>[not as yet in a forgiving mood]</em>: Why the hell are you back though? Exam season approacheth i bet!<br />
Me<em>[feeling cornered and caught]</em>: Riiiiiiiiight. What else but deadlines could bring me running back into your arms these horrid days?<br />
Blog <em>[depressed,yet happy to have me back]</em>: Dayum. You could've at least tried to sound romantic about the running back into my arms/wings/side bars part.<br />
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<div align="center">*</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Back! </div><br />
</div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98207426136592957.post-64820761856156441802011-02-15T06:51:00.001+05:302011-02-15T06:53:40.821+05:30Why I used to heart PostSecret part II- and still do<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ErfoPE7Yr2I/TVnR2CUTLsI/AAAAAAAAAYU/6iZ19JbMfpo/s1600/maze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ErfoPE7Yr2I/TVnR2CUTLsI/AAAAAAAAAYU/6iZ19JbMfpo/s320/maze.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j_yvLe6hcRM/TVnR8ECkDLI/AAAAAAAAAYY/2wfocTHtGYI/s1600/makeroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j_yvLe6hcRM/TVnR8ECkDLI/AAAAAAAAAYY/2wfocTHtGYI/s320/makeroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1zB15VJH15s/TVnSE4D98tI/AAAAAAAAAYc/Y1AlBVvIhX4/s1600/japanese+prayer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1zB15VJH15s/TVnSE4D98tI/AAAAAAAAAYc/Y1AlBVvIhX4/s1600/japanese+prayer.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rA0IDM-jvmE/TVnSKDDvrtI/AAAAAAAAAYg/erUVMMF07TY/s1600/isitasacrificeifitdoesnthurt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rA0IDM-jvmE/TVnSKDDvrtI/AAAAAAAAAYg/erUVMMF07TY/s320/isitasacrificeifitdoesnthurt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8AVVa3dlAKA/TVnSRWX4dbI/AAAAAAAAAYk/I0IVJIHFJ_g/s1600/hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8AVVa3dlAKA/TVnSRWX4dbI/AAAAAAAAAYk/I0IVJIHFJ_g/s320/hat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UUgHPSN0K9Y/TVnSauAOElI/AAAAAAAAAYo/8oUaYb_fv8c/s1600/ggg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UUgHPSN0K9Y/TVnSauAOElI/AAAAAAAAAYo/8oUaYb_fv8c/s320/ggg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">***</div><br />
The last 3 are from Feb 14/2011<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l9Rr8GiXww0/TVnSzvnlu9I/AAAAAAAAAYs/jqc0UF922LY/s1600/coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l9Rr8GiXww0/TVnSzvnlu9I/AAAAAAAAAYs/jqc0UF922LY/s320/coffee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nWqCibw8PZM/TVnTd6kBpII/AAAAAAAAAYw/EvkzjPmn-FQ/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nWqCibw8PZM/TVnTd6kBpII/AAAAAAAAAYw/EvkzjPmn-FQ/s320/flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prJ9yBY4LAM/TVnTrbca6gI/AAAAAAAAAY0/yWfoTFiQOtI/s1600/meds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prJ9yBY4LAM/TVnTrbca6gI/AAAAAAAAAY0/yWfoTFiQOtI/s320/meds.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
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But the gems like these seem to be lesser and lesser in frequency nowadays and it's more about pervy sex habits and infidelity that I get to see whenever I give the site a visit. But still, the last 3 were from yesterday's post. And I especially heart the last one since it's just so beautiful! I mean, the maturity in that relationship.<br />
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Have a lovely day y'all!<br />
Spread the joy =)</div>Azra Raphaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502011104151390253noreply@blogger.com3