Speechless!

This is one zodiac sign, about which I could never reach a conclusion, probably because I always got biased.
Following are a few informations I managed to collect from the net...



The Good Capricorn and The Bad Capricorn :






















Male :

Having Capricorn rising almost guarantees success. No matter how many obstacles stand in his way, no matter how far down the ladder he begins, his achievements will lead to plenty of money in the bank. Money is important to this man, not just for the power it brings, but for the freedom it allows. He won't rest until he feels safe, and to feel secure, he must have a hefty bank account. Sometimes Capricorn rising can go too far in his need for acquisition and become quite ruthless.

Having said that, he is very responsible, intelligent and sociable. He excels in business meetings and can be quite an investor. In a relationship he wants someone more relaxed than he is, someone that can help him loosen up when he is at home. He often finds himself with a woman of less intelligence and standing in society--he likes to help her improve. If she's willing to rise to his standards and expectations, she will do well.
Together they can build up a wonderfully large nest egg that he will enjoy spending on her (and himself) when he retires. He has a hard time expressing his emotions. This is because he is quite sure he lacks the vitality of the people around him. This isn't necessarily true, and the woman that can help him gradually release his emotions will find a warm man underneath the frost.
Once he does meet the 'right' one, he will be faithful and committed to their relationship.


Female :

This woman needs to feel secure. Like her male counterpart, she seeks safety in numbers--bills, that is. She will not rest until she has a stash of money in the bank, a few solid investments, and a home to call her own. She won't necessarily depend on a man to provide her with security, as she is willing to work hard herself. But, when she does find a man she can approve of, he must not come into the relationship as a liability.

She won't support a man. She has magnificent self-control and can come across as cold and unloving--underneath the fa çade she is full of anxiety. Capricorn rising won't admit to this, though. She is very slow to commit, always wanting to be completely sure that she is doing the right thing. Capricorn rising does not like shallow or flighty men; she wants depth and expects it. If you can't give her what she needs--ie, money, honesty, a solid social standing- -don't bother trying.

She may have a fling with you, but she won't marry you. The Capricorn rising woman will succeed, either through her mate, or on her own.

Yet again, the last but one page of the calendar has been turned, yet again, a new year is waiting at the side-stage for its turn to begin the show. Yet again, it is time to light up the streets and the trees. Yes, yet again....Winter is back!!!

Everywhere I look, there are happy faces...the festivity in the air and the hope of the goodness, the new year would bring... is contagious and is spreading like wild fire. People have started planning on their picnic spots, boys and girls play batminton on every by-lane at sun-down...enjoying every bit of their
winter-breaks (I miss my cildhood :( I'm sure we all do). We adorn ourselves with the brightest of clothes and woollens...may be because, we unknowingly try to make it up for Mother Earth, who lose all her colours during this time of the year.

Health conscious people are not scared to gorge in spicy..."rich" food. The food is properly broken down by our system and so...no ailing stomachs...the secret again lies in the magic of the season...Ofcourse there is magic...people wait for so many years to tie the knot on a wonderful winter day...not for nothing, I suppose.

The first cool breeze, the first misty morning, the first smoky vapour in the exhaled breath, also the memory of the school-time 'Winter Vacations', of Christmas carols during Chapel Service, all coming back again...

When I was young, I used to have serious throat problems- Pharyngitis, Tonsilitis and my parents had a tough time...bandaging my Nefertiti-like neck with the entire length of the muffler, which almost always fell short and a part of my neck would still be visible...fun days those and nice memories...I had a friend who actually once took a scale and measured my neck and then compared it with her own...she used to ask-"Are you sure you have only seven cervical vertebrae?"and I reminded her about the number of vertebrae in Giraffe (also seven)...Even then she looked unconvinced...

Winter is closer to my heart for one more reason. This is the only time people get to realize that I am growing old and am considered to be an adult for at least that one day I call My Birthday...the remaining three sixty four days I am "A Minor"...

'Tis the season of giving and receiving, of cakes and cookies, of merrymaking and good cheer...'Tis the time to wish one and all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...

• One day little Johnny was digging a hole in his back yard.The next-door neighbor spotted him and decided to investigate.
  "Hello Johnny, what are you up to?" he asked.
  "My goldfish died and I'm gonna bury him," Johnny replied.
  "That's a really big hole for a goldfish, isn't it?" asked the neighbor.
  "That's because he's inside your cat!"

• A Sunday school teacher asked Little Johnny, "Do you believe in the Devil?"
  "No," said Little Johnny. "It's the same as Santa Claus. I know it's my daddy."

• Little Johnny was getting bad grades in school. One day he stepped up to the teacher's desk, and announced, "I don't want to scare you Miss Finch, but daddy says if I don't get better grades... somebody is gonna get a spanking."

• A door-to-door salesman comes-a-knocking and 10-year-old Little Johnny answers, a beer in one hand and a lit cigar in the other.The salesman says, "Little boy, is your mommy home?" Little Johnny taps his ash on the carpet and says, "What the hell do you think?"

Two of my favorite - Sensible ads from a mail I received this morning....

40 words

When I look back at the flow of events today, it appears to be a blur. They say, 'Morning shows the day', please read on and let me know whether what they say is right or wrong.
I was sad since morning, couldn't see a ray of hope by which I could be happy. My TL, Debajyoti sensed it and tried his best to motivate by forwarding me a few of his favorite songs (one of them being a Himesh Reshmiya number :-)). I began the music therapy session and towards the end of the list, reached a Gulam Ali – Gazal (Humko Kiske Gham Ne Mara) which did wonders to my mood. During lunch, when I was jotting down the lyrics of the gazal for future reference, Tanusri asked me to go with her outside, where she said “some people are singing along-with loud music, you want to come and watch?” I moved out with her quite unwillingly and stood there in front of a wheeled stage, where a certain karaoke competetion was being held. A representative approached us and narrated the process :
"This is a promo offer for a certain cell phone and we have arranged a karaoke competetion, all you need to do is sing along with the track, the lyrics would be displayed on a board". I said i'd compete. I climbed on to the stage, the song that was given to me was my unluckiest song of the recent times. I call it unlucky because, whenever I have tried to listen to it(leave alone singing or even humming), something or the other has gone wrong. I sang the entire song and was given a T-Shirt at first and later a Laptop-Backpack (the first prize) for the day.
The last time I performed on-stage was in August 2007 (occasion-Barshamangal)...don't feel like singing at all these days, dont know why...i hope i get back to the mood(of regular practice) soon. Wherever I go, even on social networking sites, my aquaintances and friends keep asking me the same question,"You still singing, right?" I had been repeatedly told by my teachers in school and professors in college,"no matter what you grow up to become, never quit singing". Am feeling extremely guilty for having discontinued (my singing lessons, for the first time in the last 22 years of my singing career) what used to be a passion and devotion for me. I apologize to everyone for this, I also look forward to starting my second innings in singing, i'm a tad bit low in confidence at the moment, please pray for me.

All my close aquaintances have been talkers and I have been the listener, the very patient listener. I still remember all that each of my friends( and also foes) had confided in me years ago. There had been times when I almost dozed off while tryig to pay attention to friends' late night sob stories and most of the times I ended up sobbing along with them. The reason why, they still remember to give me a phone call, whenever they have to say something...anything.

Twenty six years of listening practice and no talking made me a complete silent person. I dread talking these days, go off...as in, if there exists a switch to my system, then it involuntarily turns off when there are too many people around. I actually am scared that no one will pay attention to me if I ever have anything to say, so much that, whenever I speak, I increase my talking speed to God knows how many words per minute to finish off my story as soon as possible....at the end of which, my listeners (poor souls :-) ) look completely harried, attacked and lost. Sorry pals....but I genuinely love that look on your face :) What can I do? You dont give me a chance to speak!!

I do not plan to whine in this post of mine, on the contrary, I would request one and all..."Please guys!!practice listening to others, coz, if you do not listen to people like us, then we would one day revolt and stop listening to you"

After all, who do we go to when we want to be listened? Not to practical people, who will tell us exactly where we are going wrong bluntly on our face and ask us to re-think the entire phenomenon in question. On the other hand,we go to someone, who will give us a patient ear, who would listen to the entire story and in the process help us feel relaxed and also make us find out a solution for ourselves and we go back home and have a good night's sleep.

Listening is an art. People who listens are emotionally closer to all, than people who talk. He is more beloved, magnetic and does universal good to the way a person feels just before speaking his heart out. Imagine, when we pray to God, it is only we who speak, He just listens, we earnestly hope that He listens. Why? Because we want to be listened to, all of us.

People who call themselves 'good listeners' speak to God more often (because He is the only one who listens :)) and have very few (may be, one or at the most two) friends who they confide in.

We should all remember that Listening is a great role, it is a gifted art. So, listen to your near and dear ones, listen to your child, listen to your husband, listen to your friend even listen to your enemy, let him speak as much as he wants. They will all thank you for that, in their heart of hearts, without even thinking conciously about it :)

I was a bit low since morning today. At the end of day in office, I chanced a view at my blog and trust me, my blog looked very beautiful. Know why ? From a PR n/a, it has become a PR 3. I was soo happy that I almost shouted out. Nibedita joined to my enthusiasm and kept chanting rhythmically along with tiny jigs...... " jjhinka chiku...jjhinka chiku...jjhinka chiku". I dont know how long this PR 3 will exist, but at least for today, I have a reason to be Happy :)

Below is a set of questions I found in a blog over the net and even if nobody tagged me with this, I sure have tagged someone in the end :)
Okay, so my answers are as follows :

1) If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
Tell him "Tata Bye Bye"

2) If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?
Go back to my childhood days, sing a duet with Sonu Nigam, put on a few kilos...

3) Whose butt would you like to kick?
Liars' and hypocrits'

4) What would you do with a billion dollars?
Chuck my job...get a two storeyed house built with a colourful garden all around it...make my self a walk-in closet...buy a convertible...take my parents for a world tour...

5) Will you fall in love with your best friend?
I'd prefer falling in love first and making him my best friend later...

6) Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
Believe you me...it is always best when reciprocated..one way hurts...

7) How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?
Eternity...(honest...provided the wait is worth)

8) If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?
Not his fault...neither mine...so, I'd wait for my Mr. Right.

9) If you like to act with someone, who will it be? your gf/bf or an actress/actor?
Actor, ofcourse..I can't act and if i'd act with my bf(who I presume wud be equally bad at acting) then the director wud have to be either deaf and blind or insane to cast the two of us...

10) How would you see yourself in ten years time?
With the same eyes, still without any spects...okay..seriously.. Mother of two adorable kids and wife of a loving husband...

11) What’s your fear?
That I am not being able to trust anyone again...lately..marriage

13) What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
:( no one tagged me...I took this from a blog I found on the net... :(

14) Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor?
Happily married and acceptably poor... :P

15) What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Count the number of days to Saturday..

16) Would you give all in a relationship?
No no...I'v gotten mean...

17) If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?
Two people at the same time?...I dont think so....

18) Would you forgive and forget, no matter how horrible a thing someone has done?
I know forgive...but who is 'forget'?...

19) Do you prefer being single or having a relationship?
It is a beautiful feeling to be loved and equally beautiful to love...Yes, I would want to be in a relationship.

20) The person you want to tag.
Shambhavi

Saturday 13th Sep
The day of our journey. We were unable to put our entire concentration to work and waited impatiently for the clock to strike 2:30 pm, the time for our official logout. God had been benevolent throughout the trip, read on, and please count the number of times, for me.
We did not have to wait for long, there was a major fault at some nearby electric post and there was no electricity from 1 in the afternoon. We had candle-light lunch together, chatted, planned and at around 3:00 hopped onto our Scorpio. There was another car as well, a Honda City. Our Scorpio had a more experienced driver and Laltu(our driver) knew the route so the other car had to follow. It was tremendously hot and sunny the entire day, but the moment we began loading our luggages, the weather changed and it started raining just as we started. We drove through the slow traffic initially for jam due to heavy showers, but once we reached the Vidyasagar Setu (Second hooghly Bridge), there was no stopping us, the cars kept racing ahead. After about two hours of journey, we received a call from the Honda City, which had lagged behind. Their car was making terrible sounds, the silencer pipe needed welding. They had stopped at a garrage and would take some time to re-join us. We were stuck near the Kolaghat bridge traffic jam, one flank of the two-way road was being repaired.
I had the sole responsibilty of handling the finances for this trip, all the money as well as the bills were with me. After more than two hours of our journey, just before Kolaghat bridge, Bappa-da asked me, "Sunrita, did you bring that file? It had the bill for the hotel booking". I was unable to speak, my hands went numb, felt light in the stomach and head, I could only manage to shake my head from right to left in response. There was a dead silence. "What are you saying?" said Sud from the rear end of the car. Then there was silence again. I always carry a 'jjhola' with me, because of the journey, I had myself cleaned the bag the previous night and got rid of every piece of unnecessary paper. Even then my bag looked like it was nine months pregnant. It seemed like eternity. "Had this been the world of Harry Potter, I could have done an 'accio' charm to bring that bill from my office", I imagined in silence. I could clearly visualize my desk at office and the yellowish file lying innocently just next to my system. Tan spoke, breaking my trance, "Check out your envelope"...and I reached for it inside my pregnant bag, almost as if I was under some spell. There it was, the photocopy of the bill, neatly folded in between the five hundred rupee notes, I had completely forgotten about that at the freak of the moment, thank 'Prabhu' it was xeroxed in the first place.
We reached Sher-e-Punjab dhaba, Bappa-da called up the hotel and enquired about road conditions and dinner facilities while also confessing to them that we were not carrying the original bill. After hanging up, he came to us with a big smile,"It's alright they said, it does not matter". Phew!! I started speaking again after I don't know how long. We had samosas and egg pakora, the other car had also arrived at the dhaba by then. We started off.
It was drizzling and the Honda City could not be sighted at the back. We called them up, Dipu, from the Honda, informed us, their wiper was not functioning. We stopped, waited for them, found a mechanic, repaired it and after forty-five minutes resumed our drive. The drive was fabulous, the roads were deserted and there was a sparkling moon, only an 'ant-bite' short of being the full circle. It was a very long journey.
The last 5km of the journey was beautiful. We had to drive the entire length on the beach. The only lights visible in front were emanating from the car headlights and in it we saw hundreds of red crabs scattered on the shore. Some local people had adviced us not to venture outside the track marks already left by other cars on the beach, the reason being that, there was quicksand and our car tyres could easily sink. On seeing the crabs, Shanky got so excited that he actually drove out of the marks and came next to our car, and just as we were about to enter our hotel, their car tyre sank in the sand. At long last when we disembarked in front of the hotel gates, a manual clock was struck twelve times.

Sunday 14th September : Dinner was served at 1 am. Next morning we woke up early at 5:30 and rushed to the beach.

My pet "Sunday"- a Red Crab The most co-operative member of our group - Tinnu and Sheikh Sammad-a local boy, showing us how to catch a red crab

Mandarmani bade us a teary adieu while we left the hotel early next morning at 5:30 am. God was good to us for the entire trip like I have already mentioned. We realised that for the nth time when we saw The news headlines (both print and tv) next day - please CLICK HERE

Thanks Arindam-da for everything, this was my life's first independant trip, I learnt a lot from you...Thanks Tanusri for being there with me for Mandarmani partII....Thanks Binod...Thanks Rima..Thanks Sudeep for being such a sport and also for ALL the lovely snaps...Thanks one and Thanks all

It was May 2007. We were a happy team in office. Our Team Lead was a psycho, but we managed to smile in spite of all odds. Seven of us were almost the same age-group and had a lot in common. Never-ever did we have a calm day under Him. On one such summer morning, when we were all tensed as usual, one of us suddenly came up with the idea of a tour – somewhere....anywhere.
Suddenly the entire room started chirping, an idea from here, a suggestion from there. The Google search engine helping us in finding out nearby places...
“Digha”, someone said....”Naaah”, was the chorus response..”Shankarpur”, another suggestion, “Ummm, what else ?”, then came the name - “Mandarmani !!”, a senior had gone there recently with his wife for a short honeymoon ( I personally believe, honeymoons should not be short and should never be to a place close to where you stay...), anyways, so Mandarmani it was going to be. We downloaded snaps of Mandarmani from the net and set those as our desktop backgrounds. Looked up everything we needed to know about the place. Counted the number of heads, decided on the mode and date of travel, calculated the per-head costing. Only thing that was left to be done, was to GO.
Then, the issues started coming up, somebody had to attend a wedding, another one did not get the permission, blah blah and blah. Mandarmani did not happen.
I was amongst the two most excited people, with few of us having issues at homes and otherwise, I became very sad at the cancellation of the trip and my colleagues never mentioned “mandarmani” in my presence again 'cos I gave them the, 'you better not mention, or else I will blast you' look whenever they did.

August 2008, lunch break at office...same process repeated...same name came up...someone said....”Mandarmani”.... [ there were two major differences this time, (a) it was a different department...so..new TL...thank God and (b) old team mates replaced by new ones....the old ones are scattered all over the country now...one in Chennai...another in Mumbai...still another, in a separate company...only one colleague still remains ].
It took two days for all the decisions to be taken, I am the cashier, therefore in the thick and thin of things...yet...I lack the enthu which I had a year ago. Initially I thought..may be because there is still some time left for the trip I am not getting into the mood, but now this is too late, I mean, we are going this Saturday and I still do not feel a thing... Strange huh ??
Someone called me 'melodramatic' few months back (that really really hurt)....ever since then I completely have turned emotionless...God knows what He has in store for me, but I simply do not get moved by ANYTHING these days. I smile for a short while, I do get angry at times...but all for a very very small period of time.

I just hope, I get into the tempo soon enough....need to get back home and start packing my bags. More on the trip to Mandarmani along with snaps coming up in the next post. Until then...stay tuned.

I have always taken keen interest in birthdays and zodiacs. There are hardly any dates that I forget. Everybody who knows me, is aware of this passion of mine. Arindam-da forwarded me the following e-mail this morning. Hope you also find the information interesting.
Match your birthday with the tree and then scroll down to read the description that follows. Read it, it is quite cool.

Dec 23 to Jan 01 ---------- Apple Tree
Jan 02 to Jan 11 ----------- Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24 ----------- Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03 ---------- Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08 ---------- Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18 ---------- Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28 ---------- Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10 --------- Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20 --------- Lime Tree
Mar 21 (only) ------------- Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31 --------- Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10 ---------- Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20 ---------- Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30 ---------- Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14 --------- Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 --------- Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03 ---------- Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13 ----------- Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23 ---------- Fig Tree
Jun 24 (only) -------------- Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04 ----------- Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14 ------------ Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25 ------------ Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04 ----------- Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13 ---------- Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23 ---------- Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 01 --------- Pine Tree
Sep 02 to Sep 12 ---------- Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22 ---------- Lime Tree
Sep 23 (only) ------------- Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03 ---------- Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13 ---------- Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23 ---------- Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11 ---------- Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21 --------- Ash Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01 --------- Chestnut Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11 ---------- Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21 ---------- Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only) ------------- Beech Tree

TREES (in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, And attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.

Ash Tree (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt, Likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes What life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially in dependent, wants love and affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, sexually oriented, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great intelligence.

Fir tree (Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress well, loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them, hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many friends, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite moody, broad mind, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgement and expects complete fairness, love nature and animals.

Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for fami ly and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree (Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self-esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

I woke up late today, had a hasty shower, skipped breakfast and somehow left home for office. Could not catch my 9:20 a.m bus on time, did not expect to do so. The bus depot is very close to my place, so, I got up in the next bus and waited for it to leave. All the while mentally calculating the left-over permissible minutes, that we could avail to be late to office...most of it already being used up since it is the 27th of the month. Our company HR, named it 'The Umbrella Minutes'.
After getting myself a good window seat in a Euro II bus, I adjusted my FM channel in my cell phone and settled down. The bus slowly but steadily filled in and after about five minutes, left the depot.
You must be thinking, What is so unusual about all that I have written so far. Yes, you are right, nothing strange, nothing unusual. We are all so used to our surroundings and so used to the fact that everything is the same. We get up in the morning, leave our homes for work or school, then eat when it is time to eat and finally leave office to come back home and restart the same process. We seem to be stuck inside a big computer program, which has an infinite loop. We are so used to this loop repeating itself at regular intervals, that we do not even make an attempt to come out of it, thus we are forced to...ah...well sometimes.....

The bus reached Lake Gardens and slowed down due to the heavy traffic during office-hours. On the left hand side footway, there stood around ten kids, all of them street children. None of them were more than two or two and a half feet in length. Still nothing unusual you say. Well yes, the way they stood was unusual. All of them, formed a circle, holding hands, occupying quite a lot of busy walking space. They were all dressed in tattered, unclean clothes, some had half the portion of their body covered and the tiniest and the cutest of the lot....hardly three years old, did not have a thread on her body. They all stretched their hands (the smallest one had to stretch the farthest to reach the two children at her sides), a broad grin sketched on each of those faces, not a drop of worry anywhere...and a small boy walking all around them with a twig in his hand....playing some kind of a game which looked like a combination of 'ring-a-ring-a-roses' and 'i-sent-a-letter-to-my-mother'.Everyone in the bus turned around to see the spectacle and smiled at each other...forgetting all their personal tensions and worries.

I completely forgot that my cell phone was camera enabled. I wish I had a snap to post here. We call a child's smile to be the most contagious and they are the blessed few who are still out of this infinite loop.They gave many of us a reason to smile this morning. May God bless those little angels !!

I wished a funny wish,
A funny wish, wished I
If you wished the wish I wished
You wished the wish, wished I!!


One of my favorite songs...

Film : Teen Bhubaner Paare
Starring : Soumitro Chatterjee, Tanuja
Music : Sudhin Dasgupta

Hoyto tomar e jonno
Hoyechhi preme je bonno
Jaani tumi ononno
Aashar haath barai

Jodi kokhono ekante
Cheyechhi tomaye jante
Shuru theke shesh prante
Chhute chhute gechhi tai

Hoyto tomar e jonno ...

Ami je nijei motto
Janina tomar shorto
Jodi ba ghote onortho
Tobu o tomake chai

Hoyto tomar e ....

Ami je duronto
Du chokhe ononto
Jhhorer digonto jure, shopno chhorai

Tumi to boloni mondo
Tobu keno protibondho
Rekho na moner dondo
Shob chhere cholo jai

Hoyto tomar e jonno ...

My school-time friend, Priyanka Pal has recently turned into Priyanka Saha. Her metamorphosis has enabled her to get involved in various activities which was not undertaken by her previously. Well, in this case, I am only talking about her culinary creativity.
I started cooking since high-school, took it as a passion and simply love it.
Here is, the recipe which involves a fish that every bengali is a fan of.They literally wait round the year for this time of the season, the only time when Hilsa is available in the markets.
The following recipe belongs to Priyanka, after she shared it with me, I took her permission of posting it here and off she went, "Haan Haan..."

Ingredients :

Narkol bata (Coconut paste)
Shorshe bata (Mustard Paste)
Kaancha lonka bata (Green Chillies paste)
Salt
Holud guro (Turmeric Powder)
Laau pata (Gourd leaves)
Threads
Ilish (Hilsa)



Method :

All the above ingredients (except the Laau pata and the threads) are to be made into a paste together and applied over the pieces of ilish. The fish, coated with this marinade, needs to be kept aside for a couple of hours (the longer, the better).

Take each of the pieces of fish and apply a fresh coating of the marinade, then wrap it around with the Laau pata and tie it up with the thread.

After all the pieces are tied up, heat some mustard oil in a pan and fry the Laau pata-covered ilish on medium flame so that the fish inside the leaves gets cooked thoroughly.

Serve along with the Laau pata and Steaming rice.



Recipe courtesy : Priyanka Pal (Saha)

Everything happens for a reason.
Days change, with every passing season.
The delicious mango, only accompanies the scorching Summer sun,
Christmas comes but once a year ; and life is not always fun.
You reap the benefits only if you work hard
Then, keep your cool, 'cause, 'Virtue is its own reward'.
'Faith will move mountains'; 'Look after number one';
'Make hay while the sun shines'; 'Easier said than done'.
'Nothing ventured, nothing gained',
And finally, 'All good things must come to an end'.

Time for some serious reporting on what's been happening in my life lately...

'Lately' ? How lately..hmm...that has to be decided upon first.

Okay, let me not think, I'll just begin typing....


The person I loved the most...My Didibhai (first cousin)....has almost gone missing since the year 2000...post her getting a job in the northern part of the country and then later, her marriage.

The last time.....

• I was Happy...no...'really' Happy, was a month and a half ago.
• I went for a vacation, was two years ago.
• Heard about someone, who IS happy...don't remember.
• I gave a great solo performance on-stage...a year ago.
• I chucked swimming because of my fear of drowning in a 21 feet deep swimming pool, two years ago.
• Sketched and painted....three years ago.
• Sat down seroiusly for singing practice....2 months ago.
• Cooked a real tasty dish...last year September. It was 'Chicken Overseas'.
• Decided for the nth time, that I wanted to learn driving....a month ago.
• Thought about taking care of my diet....this morning :)

Ingredients :

Chicken - cut into small pieces
Cinamon, Cardomom and Cloves - finely ground to a powder (Garam Masala powder)
Ginger and Garlic paste (Garlic paste more in quantity)
Limejuice
Tomato - cut into small pieces
Onion - finely chopped
Black Pepper

For the Marinade :
To the chicken - add black pepper powder, ginger-garlic(more in qnty) paste, salt, garam masala powder, lemon juice, mix well and keep aside for a couple of hours.

Method :

Fry the chicken pieces in vegetable oil and keep separately.
Heat some oil in another pan, add into it, tomato, finely chopped onions, very little sugar, salt and cook till onions turn golden brown. Then add in the fried chicken, toss well till the chicken mixes with the other ingredients and 'Chicken Overseas' is done.

My favourite question when I meet someone for the first time is "What is your Zodiac sign"? From a very young age, since the time I started taking interest in Zodiacs, until very recently, most of the men I have met, answered me with, "I am a Cancerian".Ninety percent of the men I have met till date, starting from my father, to my friends' fathers, to one of my closest friends, to most of my tuition friends, my cousin, my favourite cricketer (Sourav Ganguly- yes, I'v met Dada as well :))..phew!...everybody, yes, everybody has been a Cancerian.There was a time, when I felt that I knew a Cancer inside-out.

Following are a few personally observed Cancerian(man) attributes :

. Sweet & Innocent smile
. Very sharp and pointed nose
. Prominent cheek bones
. Extremely popular(mostly for good reasons)
. Lovable
. VERY Energetic and Always ready to help
. EXTREMELY talkative (frequency decreases/increases with age)
. Popular among the women folk(aunties, female friends, sisters)
. Never says "NO" unless it is absolutely impossible
. Stubborn (both for good and bad reasons)
. One of the MOST caring zodiacs
. Selfless
. Harmfully sentimental and sensitive
. COMPLETE foodies
. Mummy's favourites
. Mummy is their favourite as well :)
. Insanely possesive
. VERY dedicated lovers and expects the same level of dedication in return
. Think and act at the same time
. Witty
. Capable of taking good instant decisions
. Don't get angry easily, but when they do, make sure you are far far away from him.
. Loves his Sunday shopping (vegetables and other eatables)
. Emotionally dependant on loved ones

A says "Lead", B says "Follow".
Cadbury says "Relish", Bitter Gourd says "Swallow".
Whether to trust, whether to stiffen,
When to speak and when to listen ?
Sometime later, or, is it now ?
Not that I don't know, but, please tell me how.

I am neither a Saint, no, burglar also I am not.
That's the reason, I fall amongst the confused lot.
A says "Go", B says "Wait".
How do I know ? Is it really getting late ?
Is there a Tomorrow ? Is there a Today ?
Where is the Drop Of Golden Sun, where is the Ray?

A calls me Silly, B calls me cool !
To seek the sky from the terrace, do I need a stool ?
I am a tiny rivulet, on its journey to meet The Sea.
A says "Look in front", B says "Come with Me".
A says "Dont fall", B says "Rise and see",
"There is the new Sun, there is God and that is your Sea.

Still peeping through the keyhole of a glass door?
No, finally, I am not confused anymore !!!