The Time Traveler’s Wife – Movie Trailer

I loved the book and when I saw the trailer I knew I was going to love the movie too. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is one of my favourite books. IT is probably the sweetest love story I’ve ever read. So, I’m really looking forward to this movie…

In love with this…

Ok I am in love with this:

LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay) – Piano Cello – by Jon Schmidt

Sacrifice – My Nightmare

Anyone who knows me a even a little knows what a major bibliophile I am. I love reading books, buying books, collecting books…I even lend books to friends albeit grdgingly as I know most books are never returned to me! So yes, as I was saying I love reading books and usually read before I sleep.

Now I’ve read resports and studies that were conducted that say reading just before sleeping is not good as it doesn’t let your mind relax. But for someone like me who looks at reading as a stressbuster, I never thought this really applied. But boy was I wrong!!!

Just as usual, I decided to end my day yesterday by curling up in bed with a good book. The book I chose was Sacrifice by S.J. Bolton.

As the jacket said, the book was going to be about:

Moving to remote Shetland has been unsettling enough for consultant surgeon Tora Hamilton; even before the gruesome discovery she makes one rain-drenched Sunday afternoon . . . Deep in the peat soil of her field she finds the body of a young woman, a gaping hole in her chest where her heart has been brutally removed.

Three rune marks etched into the woman’s skin bear an eerie resemblance to carvings Tora has seen in her own cellar. But as she uncovers disturbing links to an ancient legend, the unfriendly detective, her smooth-talking boss and even her own husband try to persuade Tora to leave well alone. Is their concern genuine? Perhaps, for when terrifying threats start rolling in like the cold island mists it seems someone wants Tora out of the picture, once and for all.

Sacrifice will grip readers from start to finish. It is a bone chilling, spellbinding debut set on a deceptively beautiful island; an island with a hostile heart . . .

Since it sounded really exciting, I knew I was going to enjoy it. And enjoy I did.

Most thrillers include the classic ingredients present in every suspense story – a wronged protagonist, multiple suspects, henious crimes, bizzare occurings et all.Sacrifice had all these.

However, Sacrifice had something more. It had humour – which I thought was rather refreshing. See, when you are reading a thriller, wither you are biting your nails off or are seriously scared and start feeling the presence of all things creepy around you. But with this book, every now and then, I had to stop to laugh out loud. The protagonist, Tora Hamilton, although smart and unusually brave also has a giggly little schoolgirl inside her who can see humour in morbid situations as well!

Maybe that is why I egged on and finished the entire book last night before I went to bed thoroughly satisfied with a good story, well etched out characters and some spooky norse folklore. Little did I know that was a mistake I made.

The moment my head hit the pillow I was asleep. But then I found myself in the Shetlands witnessing the gruesome crime highlighted in the book. And if that wasn’t enough, I saw myself as the victim! To make matters worse, I saw my ex as the villian…

That was it, I woke up with a start and wasn’t able to sleep again. Now guzzling my fourth cup of coffee, I am struggling to stay awake while I work.

The question now is, would I read such a book again? My answer – definitely. The very fact that I saw myself in the story is a good enough indication that I had really and thoroughly enjoyed the book and wanted to be a part of it.

So go ahead and check it out…but maybe you shouldn’t try reading it at night.

On creativity:

If we fail to nourish our souls, they wither, and without soul, life ceases to have meaning. The creative process shrivels in the absence of continual dialogue with the soul. And creativity is what makes life worth living.

~ Marion Woodman

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun.

~ Mary Lou Cook

In order to have a real relationship with our creativity, we must take the time and care to cultivate it.

~ Julia Cameron

My interview

The rules:
Respond and rework; answer the question on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add more one question of your own.

What is your current obsession?
Decorating

What is your weirdest obsession?
Collecting bookmarks

What are you wearing today?
A pink t-shirt, black jeans and floaters

What’s for dinner?
Dal-rice

What would you eat for your last meal?
Prawn curry

What’s the last thing you bought?
A gorgeous bag

What are you listening to right now?
Lloyd, I’m ready to be heartbroken by Camera Obscura

What is your favorite ice-cream flavour?
Madagascar Fine Chocolate from Gelato

What do you want to do at this very moment?
Making pasta

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
On the coast of Spain, or on an island in Greece!

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Kashid beach

Which language do you want to learn?
Italian and Arabic

What’s your favorite quote (for now)?
It’s gloomy. It feels like a red lipstick kind of day…

What is your favorite colour?
Currently yellow. Usually Aquamarine

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
My pink t-shirt

What is your dream job?
Opening my bookstore and a coffee shop somewhere next to a beach

What’s your favourite magazine?
Cosmopolitan, Grazia

If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on?
Clothes!

Do you admire anyone’s style?
My friends Aparna and Ikshita

Describe your personal style?
Relaxed, casual

What are you going to do after this?
Have another cup of black coffee without sugar

What are your favourite movies?
Pretty woman, Bridget Jones’ Diary, In the mood for love, Love Actually

What’s your favourite fruit?
Strawberries!

What inspires you?
Rain, delicious food, books, coffee, people

Your favorite book?
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Do you collect something?
Bookmarks and books!

5 Things

5 Random things about myself

1. I love collecting bookmarks as much as I love collecting books – I have them in paper, metal, plastic, fabric, a beaded one etc

2. I ask for a discount on anything and everything I buy

3. I have to wash my hair everyday or I feel like I’ve not taken a bath

4. I sometimes don’t answer phone calls ever from my closest friends for months

5. I hate bhindi, gavaar, french beans and anything else from that vegetable family

5 Simple Pleasures

1. Hot steaming cup of coffee on a lazy, rainy afternoon

2. Collecting shells on Kashid beach

3. A bar of chocolate that has melted – I love to lick the silver wrapping paper

4. Sleeping on my ridiculously early morning ride to office

5. A nice cold shower after a long hot sweaty train commute

5 Things I still have from my childhood

1. All my report cards from Jr. KG to 10th standard.

2. A cute little pink frock that I had when I was 2. (Saving it for my daughter!)

3. My Barbie’s furniture (My Barbies were brutally murdered by pesky nieces and cousins)

4. A mammoth book of fairytales my uncle gifted me on my 5th birthday

5. A small wooden horse covered in suede – a childhood favourite

5 Places I have to visit before I die

1. Spain! (Just anywhere in Spain)

2. Greece – Santorini

3. Brazil

4. Morocco

5. Sikkim – Once again

5 Things to do before I turn 30

1. Become a published author

2. Start my own writing agency

3. Learn a dance form

4. Learn another language

5. Buy my own house and decorate it

Books on my ‘I want’ list

Oh there are some books I have been wanting for quite some time now. Three of these have already been made into films (films that I love) and one is currently under production. I think it should be fun to watch.

Is it a coincidence that most of them talk about food in some way or the other?

1) Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

2) A Good Year by Peter Mayle

3) Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes

4) Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

:::99 things:::

Saw this here, and thought I’d play along …

Here are the rules: Bold the things you’ve done and post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (Indian version of girl guide sales)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Living the hi-life in times of recession

Okay, here’s another post on breakfast. However, this time it’s a little different and as the tradition goes – quirky!

So, on a lazy (more like drowsy) Saturday morning in office my colleague A walks up to me and is like…I am soooooooooooooooo hungry. Need some food now. I said, cool, lets order something. But, madam had some other ideas. Suddenly she says; let’s go to Four Seasons for breakfast.

Now let this be known, we are jhola-toting, chappal wearing, khadi kurta variety journalists (ok maybe not really…we’re more of torn jeans and sneakers variety), we don’t earn in lakhs. Also in this time of recession, sometimes even the cafeteria food could look extremely expensive (on the day before salary is credited to the account). So, for us to decide on a whim to go to a fancy-shmancy hotel for breakfast was nothing short of absurd.

But, as most women are, we two impulsive enthu-cutlets called up the hotel just to know before hand what the damage would be like for a buffet breakfast. We found out – not much. We could afford it, if we don’t attend the sale at Mango.

So having checked all that, we set out on foot (the hotel is like next door), confidently walked up and stepped in – A in pink corduroy capris and a purana blue t-shirt and sneakers; me in an ancient black and white kurta, black trouser and chappals. We went straight in and loaded up!

It was interesting that we were the only guests there. So naturally the hotel staff had nothing else to do but hover around us. With a lot of bemused looks, we were expertly introduced to some exotic breakfast spread with names I cannot pronounce. The staff was kinda sweet, carrying our plates for us and all that.

So we both sat ourselves down at a table next to an interestingly manicured lawn and a weirdly decorated patio. Weirdly because there were some mismatched sculptures and a weird collection of trees. Not so surprisingly, we also saw a curious amalgamation of the rich poor sitting right there.

Right in front of us was a Lokhandwala Building and next to it a Mumbai chawl…and between the two a shabby little tree with a sole bird’s nest which a crow was trying to encroach upon.

Still the setting was charming. Nice crisp morning and good food and steaming hot coffee, that’s all I cared about. Soon we got our cold cuts and cereals and an assortment of croissants and fruits from the cold breakfast buffet. While polishing off a slice of brie, a waiter asked us to place our hot breakfast orders. We ordered scrambled white eggs for me and eggs-benedict for A.

Since we were chatting a lot and had already stuffed ourselves with pain au chocolat, croissants and marmalade, granola and milk, brie, strawberry yogurt, fruits, cold cuts and pound cake, we weren’t very keen on devouring the eggs. And A doesn’t eat bacon. Her eggs came with bacon, so she couldn’t eat it anyway. I had a little bit of my scrambled eggs and wasn’t to keen on having the rest.

A waiter noticed this and walked up to me asking if I’d like a fresh plate of eggs since the egg whites had been cold now. I declined. Nevertheless, he went ahead and placed an order for me insisting that I shouldn’t have cold egg whites as congealed protein doesn’t taste good. I appreciated his concern but finally had to confess – I’m too full to finish the eggs! With a smile, he left us alone.

After some time, we paid the astronomical bill (honestly, I could pay for a hundred breakfasts at the office cafeteria with that money – we calculated); we exited the hotel. At the gate we bumped into Julie, the lovely black Labrador sniffer dog. The darling dog was so excited when we started playing with her. The hotel staff was further amused at us. And the dog clearly was in love with us! After a lot of patting and tail wagging and licking and sniffing we finally left the dog and the hotel premises to head back to office.

An interesting Saturday morning with an EXPENSIVE breakfast, a puzzled hotel staff, an eager and friendly dog and an experience to remember for a lifetime – today was something

I’ll remember when someday breakfast at a 5 star hotel would be a daily affair for me (yeah I’m gonna be rich…either I’ll earn a lot or marry a rich fella)!

Medu-wada morning

After two days of healthy eating (raw and boiled veggies and fruits) and having lost only 100 grams(!!! !!!)…I finally ordered a good breakfast of Medu-Wada-Sambar from my office cafeteria.

Now nothing’s really unusual about that…I mean me ordering medu wada. I like medu wada – crispy, crunchy, hot and doused with ladles of sambar served with fresh coconut chutney on the side. Hmmm yummm. I mean no one can get a medu wada wrong – no matter how shabby the place where you eat it is – even my office cafeteria. If it’s hot…it’s gotta be good.

Alas I was wrong! I should’ve realised that when my order appeared with fork. I mean which anna ka cafeteria serves you medu-wada with a fork??? Anyways, while I was still musing about this, I absentmindedly stabbed my wada only to realise, I needed, not only a fork but maybe a knife and perhaps a chainsaw as well to cut through that lump of uncooked hard dough!

Getting the wada down to a bite sized piece was impossible and putting this scary looking chunk in my mouth was unthinkable. Needless to say I threw it away, called anna and scolded him for this sorry state of wadas.

So there I was, on a day I decided to swerve away from my diet, only to be brought back on track by an unruly medu wada! (yeah I decided to go with a plate of fruits instead!)

P.S.: For people who don’t know what medu-wada is – think of a savory dough-nut served with a spicy Indian curry.