10 things

I would rather be doing....
Currently: Listening to new remixes of OLD hindi film songs to create one of the many new products to be released within 10 days - not a bad job considering it's fun but having one of those day when would rather be doing

1. Finishing Eragon/Buying New Moon
2. Sorting through my shoe cupboard
3. Buying new shoes to replace what I would have thrown out!
4. Drinking a fancy cocktail with strawberries
5. planning a holiday to Turkey
6. talking to R about her new baby
7. Playing with one of the many new babies
8. Watching Gossip Girl
9. Getting a pedicure
10. Going for an excercise class

Restaurant review

Since lack of gossip in all aspects of life and sick of introspection to search for posts [refer music, 25 things], I have decided to review my favourite places to eat...please note this will all be places that serve alcohol since obviously one cannot eat dinner without booze!


All Time Favourites:

• Soul Fry: Yummy Squid Green Chilly Garlic, Sungta Maria [fancy name for prawns on toast], Portugese Prawn Rice, Mutton Sukha, and the most divine Margeritas
• Churchill Cafe - ok this one does not serve alcohol but it is forgiven since from the burgers, to the sandwiches and the pasta and the desert, everything is melt in the mouth delicious
• TheoBroma - its supposed to mean food of the gods and I agree - the food is nice but the deserts are to die for, actually to kill for - the after 9, the millionaire brownie, the lemon mountain, the strawberry tart
• Cafe Mocambo - this one serves alcohol, is a favourite of the boy and sister concern of Churchill, with yummy steaks, this ones a winner as well
• Bagel Shoppe - again no alcohol but since I have seen people smoke joints, I am not going to hold it against them! the goa sausage bagel, the yummy milkshake coffee type things, the nutella bagel, yummy I'm hungry!
• Swati Snacks - I've just realised a lot of the places I like to eat do not serve alcohol but never mind - Suva Panki, Dabka Kadhi and Makai Bhat, Baked Khichdi, Sugarcane juice etc
• China Gate Global Fusion - the Sushi oh! the Sushi, then the prawns tempura[little more salt needed] and the other wok stuff, plus the regular chinese then the unlimited soft drinks, then the desert counter + baskin's icecream - do we really need to eat anywhere else?
• Jai Hind And Gajalee - for the yummy Bombil Fry and the divine red curry with rice!
• Calcutta Club - this is the one place my father will drive 14 kms to in traffic to relish the fish in mustard gravy, chorchori bati, the yummy luchis; my mother raves about the misthi doi and the luchis....I cannot talk since I'm too busy stuffing my face. For simple, home-made bengali food, this is the place

Fancy Favourite:

• Olive - the brunch is Super, The pizza is divine, the White gold is to die for [except when they cheat and put appy fizz instead of the splash of apple juice].Normally in a fancy joint, one has to be well dressed and on one's best behaviour which is why Olive rules since anything goes

Isn't it Ironic...

.....the boy is a music fanatic and I cannot operate his ipod!

.....both BFF's cannot move without their music playing device and I can't sing a note

.....that no less than 3 friends sing in a choir and I cannot sit through a whole 5 mins of a song

.....that lyrics tend to describe my life but I can only remember songs by their videos

.....I can possibly tell you who a singer is dating but not more than 2 of his songs

....that I have not entered a music store in 5 yrs but I work in a music company!!

Don't you think?

Mini Vacation update

So it's final - I am going to Goa.... after 3 yrs and 4 months. I am flying in on Saturday afternoon by Go Air to be picked up from the airport [Friend has graciously arranged car and driver for the duration], am trying out a new hotel 'Casa Esmeralda'[which has A/C and T.V] and will be flying back Kingfisher [thanks to my kf miles]!! Another novel thing about this trip is that there will only be the 2 of us - this is a first and we actually shortened the duration of the trip from 5 days to 4 to avoid the potential of killing one another!
There are a couple of things I am looking forward to doing:

• Relaxing on the beach with a book and a beer
• Eating the Seafood platter at Britto's
• Prawn Stuffed papad at Souza Lobo's
• Chorizpao everywhere and anywhere
• Brownies from Infantaria
• Shopping down the strip

Even though I have given up the alcohol and nicotine for Lent, I am not going to stick to the resolution for the Goa period - my excuse being is that Lent is 40 days and 4 sunday - the time in Goa being my 4 sundays!

Feb Movies

• Milk - Loved Sean Penn [think he might be gay - poor Robin Wright], James Franco is soo hot, P learnt what she has been doing wrong - need to pick up guys in a subway on your birthday, Cannot understand how Anne had 3 kids, loving the 'Twinkie Defense' - going to use it next time goof up at work
• The Pink Panther 2 - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan should only speak Hindi since noone understands her english, John Cleese endearing as usual, Steve Martin funny as usual, Jeremy Irons - surprising!, Andy Garcia - gracefully sullen as usual, Alfred Molina - why?
• Valkyrie - Had no idea there were 15 assassination attempts on Hitler's life from within his army, very impressed, had no idea germans spoke with an american accent, liked the way Hitler's own emergency plan was used against him
• The Curious case of Benjamin Button - Loved loved loved this movie!! the storyline is fantastic, Brad Pitt is gorgeous, Cate Blanchett is beautiful, the emotion, the misery, the joy, the love - I could feel it all. I would have picked this for the oscars anytime!
• Slumdog Millionaire - I liked the movie but definitely did not find it anything to rave about - maybe for people who are not exposed to India at all, it was fascination but for anyone who has ever lived it, it was a regular feel good movie. Some of the flaws were very basic - KBC or WWTBAM? is essentially not a live format - it is a prerecorded show.
• Dev.D - thoroughly enjoyed this modern version of Devdas after the overdone hype of the SLB version. The change in setting from Cal to the Punjab was a mini shock but still...the soundtrack is awesome from Pardesi to Nayan Tarse but the icing on the cake: Patna ke Presley - Emotional Atyaachaar. What was nice is how the women are shown as emotionally stronger whereas the male protagonist cannot deal with his own feelings
• Underworld: The Rise of The Lycans - was interesting to see the prequel, did not live upto the first 2 but was good!

The secret....

....to happy living is that THERE IS NO SECRET. No self help book, no video, no guru can help u find peace - psycho therapy yes!! but trying to think positive, or act positive by denying a problem is not going to help anyone! Life is not meant to be one continuous round of joy - it is not meant to be disected into segments and there are no mantras to chant when the turn for unhappiness comes - you have to learn to deal with it yourself!

Hey Upper East Siders...

Rumour has it Curly Girlie has fallen into the trap of watching the most addictive television show. Will she be able to fight off the addiction and go back to leading a normal life? or will she be joining her colleagues in gossip girl rehab when there are no episodes? Only time will tell…
Xoxo
Gossip Girl

I've been quite active I think in the recent past - watched Dev.D, Underworld - The Rise of the Lycans and He's not that into you. I've not read a lot tho I finished Jasper Ffordes 'Big Over Easy', another crime novel and in the middle of 'Something Rotten'. But what I really have been doing for the most part is watching 'Gossip Girl' - yes I know how scandalous is that? My life could not further away from that and yet that is pretty much my highlight of the day - what will Blair and Chuck do now? Will Serena and Dan make it? Will Little J ever turn out to be a nice person? Will Nate find one girl and settle instead of trying it on with every chick he meets? So many questions....I watched 18 episodes of season 1 across 3 days - trust me I was not answering the phone, I was not moving my eyes from the TV screen lest I missed one minute of the Upper East Side life!
In other Televison related incidents, recently, I have been obsessed with Kyle XY [I follow this on TV so it's even harder], Desperate Housewives Season 5, Heroes [of course, but this chapter leaves a lot to be desired], and my current comedy favourite - How I Met Your Mother - if you have not seen this show, quit reading this right now and go watch!! It is one of the funniest sitcoms to start this side of the 21st century. I have to say tho I'm a little bit addicted to the new 90210 but I think that it's just a throwback to the original Beverly Hill series which all of us have good memories of espescially me with Luke Perry - I wish he would do a guest appearance on the show.
So as you can see, Ive been slightly involved! What is it about TV shows that make me forget my real life and get involved in the convoluted imagination of a script writer?

**the note on top written by colleague who introduced me to GG!