For Auld Lang Syne

Tomorrow will be a new year..the year 2009. But in this new year should old acquaintance be forgotten? Definitely not.




The English lyrics:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
And surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

HOW TO: Throw a New Years Party!

WISHING YOU A HAPPY FESTIVE SEASON!!

So new years is around the corner..and since my folks are out of town I am having a new years eve party at my place!!Woohoooo

All it takes to have a great New Year's Eve is close friends, the right attitude and of course, a place to party. So to avoid waiting in long line ups the Eve of the New Year, spending tons of money, and in order to make sure you're spending the night with your close friends rather than the coat check guy, take a look at these ways to throw a New Year's party at home.

Tell your friends

There can be no party without people.Just call those people that you truly want to spend the night with before making all the arrangements. I have called only the guys from my gang. Doesn't make sense inviting people you hardly know.

Sending invitations

In order to spread the word, your best bet is to call people to tell them about the bash. Not only is this the least expensive way, but it's also the most reliable.
If you prefer mailing invitations, send e-mail invitations.

Munchies

Light snacks, cocktails, or finger foods are the way to go on New Year's Eve, as opposed to a sit-down dinner. This will give people the opportunity to mingle with others, without restricting them to a designated seat at the dinner table. Here are some food items to have on hand:

Nachos and salsa

Pretzels, chips

Nuts

Vegetable and dip

Chicken wings

Mini pizzas

Pigs in a blanket

An assortment of cheeses

I am planning on ordering pizza and a cake. I don't know to cook and I ain't trying it on new years eve!

All the alcohol you need

This is a very important point, especially for New Year's Eve. Make sure to check your bar or fridge to see what you need to buy. Don't be a big shot and assume that you have everything, or the last thing you'll be doing is shots. Try to do your alcohol shopping before December 31st, to avoid the mayhem in stores.

But get more than you need; the last thing you want is to deprive people of alcohol, or they may just end up taking the party elsewhere. If you end up with too much alcohol, it never hurts to keep your bar well-stocked for next time.

If there's ever a night for champagne, this is it. Make sure you have some bubbly to cork open when the clock strikes twelve.

Also, make sure to have champagne flutes, or at least wine glasses handy.

If you want to get a bartender, you can get in touch with a college employment service; they may have student bartenders who are willing to work, and they are usually less expensive than professional services.

Most importantly; ensure that no one gets behind the wheel drunk.

Thankfully, since most of my guests don't drink ( ya you heard it right)....I think a bottle of vodka and few cartons of fruit juice will do.

Party decorations

The beautiful women in your place will not be the only dcor at the party; you should adorn the room with balloons (extra points for New Year's balloons, in black, white and silver); streamers; and whatever else you can muster up to make the apartment look festive.

Dig out the diwali lights and the ganpati decorations...I am thinking of bringing out my carom board, so that we can have a game or two.

Music to my ears

Having a lot of music on hand is a necessity. Your play list should include dance, dance, and more dance, and some slow music for when things get mellow. Trance music is my fave for getting everyone on the dance floor. Bollywood music also gets everyone groving.

Have a ball when it drops

The most important thing to remember when throwing a New Year's bash at your place is to have a good time, relax and realize that as long as you're spending the night with close friends, it'll be memorable.

Have a great New Years Party!!!...and if you have no where else to go, you are welcome to join my party!Cheers!!!

This FotoFriday we are celebrating the Season to Be Jolly!!

Detail from a nativity scene set in a lokal church in Eslöv, Sweden.

Two crystal balls decorated on a Christmas tree.

Danish gingerbread for christmas, decorated with father Christmas on a coloured scrap.

Danish christmas dinner with traditional christmas dishes: Duck with stuffing made of apples and prunes, roast pork with crackling, potatoes fried in caramel, sweet and sour red cabbage and gravy. The traditional christmas decoration colors are red, gold and white. The dessert is a traditional dish called risalamande.

Chocolate Santa.Simply yummy treat.

A Danish Christmas tree illuminated with burning candles, adorned with homemade Christmas decorations such as red hearts, white paper snowflakes, a golden star at the top, and gifts stacked underneath.

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!!

Christmas is a very special holiday for me. Although we dont celebrate it at home, my school used to celebrate it with full spirit. I still remember building the manger in our classroom, the special Christmas program, drawing sir coming dressed up as Santa.. And who can forget all the good food...the marzipan sweets, plum cake, candies..hmmmmm

Find out wat wiki has to say about Christmas.

Christmas Carol

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
While I tell of Yule tide treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.


Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

My dream is to fly!! SO HIGH!!

Yves Larock - Rise Up
Uploaded by Yves-Larock

Love this song. It has an awesome rhythm that make you wanna get up and dance..and fly so high!


Info:
"Rise Up" is a 2007 song recorded by the singer Yves Larock. To date, it is his most successful single, reaching the top ten in many European countries, including Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Malta and Russia. Since release, "Rise Up" has become a major hit in bars and clubs.

So as you know 15 Dec was my birthday and it was a fun day! Went out to lunch with my folks and in the evening my friends surprised me by turning up with cake and all. The biggest surprise was that Modi was there too!!She had arrived from the US just that morning and I had no clue that she was here in Mumbai.
Here is a pic of that evening. Other pics with anuja..

Happy Bday to Me!!

Hey its my bday today. Turned 23!!!!!Now only I could get a gift like this :P

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE!!!!!

Here is what my birthday forecast says...

The Year Ahead

Forecast for December 2008 to December 2009

Your birthday falls shortly after a Full Moon this year, suggesting a period of communication and teaching. You may be turned to for advice more frequently, and you are very willing to offer your help. This is a strong year for publicity and any other endeavors that involve spreading the word. As well, your ability to be objective--or to see the "big picture"--can be especially rewarding this year.

The Sun conjuncts Mars in your Solar Return chart, and you are more active, competitive, and impassioned than usual this year. Your desire nature is strong, and increased physical activity, including sexual, is likely. Independent work is favored. Competitive activities may also thrive this year. Increased energy and enterprise are with you this year. You are more willing to go after what you want in a direct, forthright, and straightforward manner!

With Mars and the Sun square to Saturn and Uranus, however, you could be quite restless this year. Attempts to assert your individuality, freedom, and originality can sometimes undermine your feeling of groundedness and security. Yet, your are not satisfied when you conform. There may be sudden and unexpected twists that force you to do something different or free yourself from old habits. Striking a balance between convention and innovation is the challenge. Setbacks tend to be temporary and often lead to new, more creative paths or solutions. Ambivalence is likely and could color many of your decisions and projects. It can be challenging at times to make one particular decision and stick to it.

The Sun and Mars harmonize with Neptune, helping to soften some of the characteristics and circumstances described above. Creativity and imagination run high this year.

Mercury forms a conjunction to Pluto in your Solar Return chart, and you stand to gain some perhaps profound new insights into your life. You can be especially persuasive and convincing in your communications, whether written or oral. You can easily slip into the role of counselor or advisor. You are inclined to do a lot of “digging”, researching, analyzing, investigating, and getting to the bottom of things. Increased psychological awareness of yourself and others can benefit you greatly, and employing strategy in your decision making is easier than usual this year. Relationships with younger people may be especially rewarding and meaningful.

With Venus and Mars in a hard aspect to each other, your affections are strongly stimulated, and you are more acutely aware of your powers of attraction. Romance, love, and sexuality occupy your mind more than usual. You can enjoy an increase in personal magnetism (as well as libido!), but be wary of competitiveness or tension in existing love relationships, as this aspect ignites your passions in general, whether they‘re feelings of love or anger! Venus and Mars also strongly aspect Saturn, punctuating your relationships and love nature with some pressure and the need to be responsible.

With Jupiter in harmonious aspect to Saturn at the time of your birthday this year, a period of constructive accomplishment is ahead. In general, you are practical, realistic, and your judgment is especially sound--and you derive much satisfaction from your work. The key to harnessing this wonderful energy is to identify and find pleasure in the simple things that make you happy. A nice balance between optimism and practicality is with you this year.

This year, you are anxious to put your plans into motion, but if you don't focus on one or two projects at a time, you could find you're just spinning wheels. You are certainly more enterprising this year, and taking a balanced approach to life, in terms of realistic expectations, is the best approach for maximizing success. This could be challenging at times, since you are likely feeling quite restless. Rebelliousness is a possible downfall. You are more passionate, excitable, and magnetic than ever, and the year is bound to be a very exciting one!

2008 is a Number One year for you. Ruled by the Sun. This is a year of action. The seeds you plant now, you will reap later. Others might find you less sociable, as you are busier than ever and you focus on your activities and your needs. Still, you are outgoing and your initiative is stronger than ever. Advice - Stand alone, take action, start fresh, express independence.

2009 will be a Number Two year for you. Ruled by the Moon. This is a year of potential companionship. It is a quiet, gentle, and mostly harmonious year that is less active than other years. Instead, you are more responsive to the needs of others. If you are patient and open yourself up in a gentle manner, you will attract both things and people. This is an excellent year in which to build and develop for the future. Advice - be patient, be receptive, enjoy the peace, collect.

This week on FotoFriday a tribute to Flickr. I think it is an amazing site.It offers all the features for uploading your photos. Infact I have my own account there. But it is the professional and stunning pics that we can explore that make the site so amazing.

Here are some great photographs uploaded today

I love the flaky, old photograph quality of this pic. Also such a beautiful rainbow.


This pic is a macro shot of a kiwi fruit!! Can you believe that. It looks somewhat like peacock feathers. Amazing how an object can change according to our perspective.


This scene happens everyday in front of my window.Love the orange glow of the setting sun.


An amazing shot.The pic brilliantly captures the curves of the dunes.


Love the expression!! The emotion comes out of the pic with such ease.

8 Min Abs

Check this out!..Its a really old recording..but I think that it still works.Its just 8 min long so you can squeeze this workout into your schedule no matter how busy you are. And believe me it sure works those abs. So if you want those 6 packs popping( 6-8 pack abs are the flavour of the season apparently)try this workout.

Yo!! Pronouns in Spanish

Pronouns in Spanish are similar to those in Hindi.Here is a basic list

Type of pronoun	Purpose	Examples in Spanish (English)
Subject	Simply replaces the subject of a sentence	Yo (I), tú (you), él (he), ella (she), ellos (they), ellas (they)
Demonstrative	Replaces a noun while also pointing to it	Éste (this one), ésta (this one), ésa (that one), aquéllos (those ones)
Object	Functions as the object of a verb or preposition	El (him), ella (her), mí (me), me (me), ellos (them)
Reflexive	Used when the direct object and indirect object of a verb refer to the same person. These are used much more in Spanish than in English.	Me (myself), te (yourself), se (himself, herself, themselves)
Possessive	Refers to something owned or possessed by someone.	Mío (mine), mía (mine), míos (mine), mías (mine), suyo (his, hers, theirs)
Indefinite	Refer to nonspecific people or things	Algo (something), nadie (nobody), alguien (anybody), todo (all), todas (all), uno (one), unos (some), ninguno (none)
Relative	Introduces a clause that gives more information about a noun or pronoun	Que (that, which, who, whom), quien (who, whom), cuyo (whose), cuyas (whose), donde (where), lo cual (which, that which)
Interrogative	Used in questions	Qué (what), quién (what), cuándo (when)

Mumbai Metro 1

One of the biggest infrastructure projects under way in Mumbai is the Mumbai Metro. In a city dependent on its public transport system, the metro is expected to ease traffic flow and provide a fast mode of travel.

Work on the first corridor has already started. It will provide the east-west connection that was desperately needed.The design of the tracks and the stations seem impressive.


The next metro route will start from Charkop and go all the way to Mankhurd. The bidding process has started for this line. There is a stop on this route at BangurNagar, so I am pretty excited about it. The metro rails should be completed and running by 2014.
This is the final plan for the Mumbai Suburban Rail Network..

Just about four months back I had blogged about my favourite walking routes in Mumbai and shared on this blogs the fond memories that I had of the Gateway area. That is a reason that the attacks seem so painful. They have attacked something that is so close to my, and most mumbaikar's heart. Lots has been written on the attacks and so much has been said. Hope these words will turn into action and make our country stronger.

My last post on Gateway had pictured it's beauty...this one capture it's angst.

God Save Us!!

Ever felt so numb that you dont know what to say or what to write?? Thats how I am feeling right now..The terror attacks on Mumbai has the city frozen in horror. All I can say is that Mumbai will recover from this. No matter how hard the terrorists try we will defeat them!!

Here is a prayer going out to all thoese effected by the attacks....GOD SAVE US

THE :

Hola!! ¿Cómo estás? The long break has made my Spanish a bit rusty..hopefully I can get back on track now. Today we will learn about the :)

In Spanish, the English "the" has four equivalents!! Like most adjectives, the definite article in Spanish varies with number and gender:

• Singular masculine: el
• Singular feminine: la
• Plural masculine: los
• Plural feminine: las

When to use the spanish articles??
The Spanish articles are generally used whenever "the" is used in English. However there are some additional cases where Spanish articles must be used. This includes :

With abstract nouns and nouns used in a general sense: In English, the article is often omitted with abstract nouns and nouns that refer more to a concept than a tangible item. But it still is needed in Spanish. A few examples might help clarify: La ciencia es importante. (Science is important.) Creo en la justicia. (I believe in justice.) Estudio la literatura. (I study literature.) La primavera es bella. (Spring is beautiful.)


With most titles of people: The definite article is used before most titles of a person being talked about. El presidente Bush vive en la Casa Blanca. (President Bush lives in the White House.) Voy a la oficina de la doctora González. (I'm going to the office of Dr. Gonzalez.) Mi vecina es la señora Jones. (My neighbor is Mrs. Jones.) The article is omitted, however, when directly addressing the person. ¿Cómo está usted? profesora Barrera. (How are you, Professor Barrera?)

Before days of the week: Days of the week are always masculine. Except in constructions where the day of the week follows a form of ser (a verb for "to be"), as in hoy es martes (today is Tuesday), the article is needed. Vamos a la escuela los lunes. (We go to school on Mondays.) El tren sale el miércoles. (The train leaves on Wednesday.)

Before verbs used as subjects: In Spanish, infinitives (the basic form of a verb) can be used as nouns. The article el is used when one is used as the subject of a sentence. El escribir es difícil. (Writing is difficult.) El esquiar es peligroso. (Skiing is dangerous.) No me gusta el nadar. (I don't like swimming. In Spanish, this sentence has an inverted word order that makes nadar the subject.)

Often before names of languages: The article generally is used before names of languages. But it can be omitted immediately following a verb that is used often with languages, such as hablar (to speak), or after the preposition en. El inglés es la lengua de Belice. (English is the language of Belize.) El alemán es difícil. (German is difficult.) Hablo bien el español. (I speak Spanish well.) But, hablo español. (I speak Spanish.) No puede escribir en francés. (He can't write in French.)

With some place names: Although the definite article is seldom mandatory with place names, it is often used with many of them. The list of place names using the definite article is quite arbitrary and can be found here. La Habana es bonita. (Havana is pretty.) La India tiene muchas lenguas. (India has many languages.)

With nouns joined by "and": In English, it often isn't necessary to include the "the" before each noun in a series. But Spanish often requires it. La madre y el padre están felices. (The mother and father are happy.) Compré la silla y la mesa. (I bought the chair and table.)

In my last post I wrote about Diwali celebrations. Lakshmi Pooja is also an integral part of the diwali festivities at my home. This beautiful Lakshmi aarti is from the SaiBaba Serial.
Its a great Aarti...praying that riches come to everyone's homes!!

Diwali

So last month we celebrated Dassera and Diwali!! Two beautiful festivals.

Dassera/Navratri is a festival that is celebrated across India in various forms. In Gujarat there is the Dandia fest, in Bengal they have Durga Pooja while in the northern states they perform Ramleelas. We Kannadigas have our own way of celebrating the festival. Known as "Bambe Habba" or the festival of Dolls, we deck up our houses and create a display of dolls!!

This year we dint do anything elobrate for the dispaly ( Though I wanted to do lots, mom put her foot down.) But the main dolls which represent Adam and Eve were beautifully dressed up ( thanks to grandma :) ) .

Diwali is the festival of lights!! More about the festival here.

Diwali celebrations at my place...



Hoping that everyone had a great festive season!

Back with a Bang!!!

So it's been 2 months since I last posted here...and now that CAT is done with...I am back with BANG!!

So things are going to change out here...Will try and write about things that are going on around me..I am also thinking of starting a section on preparing for various entrance exams!...I could give out some tips considering the fact that I have been preparing for CAT since the past 6 months...

Also will try and spice it up a bit...hmmm still thinking on that part..
OH!..I am also reviving my other blog..the one that was meant to trace my fitness routine..and I am planning to link the two up...

Anyhow.....This blog was meant for me...I write here for myself and not thinking what others want...thats the reason I dont go around mailing people to check out my posts....and this is not going to change...

This Blog is after all dedicated to ME!!

Ganpati Bappa Morya

A Short Break

I will soon be going on a short break from the blogging world.What with Nov 16th and my CAT looming so large over the horizon, I dnt think I will be able to post regularly.

But this does not mean I am gone.I will try and post whenever possible.We will part to meet again..

Adios!!

Noun - Adjective

As we had seen last time, nouns in Spanish can be either singular or plural. But, unlike in English, adjectives in Spanish can also be singular or plural. Also, nouns in Spanish can be either masculine or feminine, and so can adjectives.

BASIC RULE:

• Singular nouns are accompanied by singular adjectives
• Plural nouns are accompanied by plural adjectives
  
• Masculine nouns are described by masculine adjectives
• Feminine nouns are described by feminine adjectives
  

In other words, the adjectives chosen to describe nouns must match in both number and gender.

To make the adjective plural, follow one of these steps:

• If it ends in an unstressed vowel, add -s.

• If it ends in a z, change the z to a c and add -es.

• If it ends in another consonant or a stressed vowel, add -es.

To make a masculine adjective feminine, follow one of these steps:

• If the singular masculine adjective ends in an -o, change it to an -a

• If the singular masculine adjective ends in any other letter, the feminine form is the same

Govinda Govinda

Govinda Aala Re Aala Zara Matki Sambhal Brij Bala..
Although todays not a friday..still some photos of the Govinda celebration are in order



After yesterdays all night long celebrations at some places...today is the day of Govindas.
Here is an article on Janmastami and Govinda celebrations.

Janmashtami

Tonight we celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna.Every year mom prepares for this joyous occasion a huge variety of sweets.Krishna or Vishnu is said to love not just sweet but also decoration...so the house is decorated with flowers as well.

Such festivities always bring a smile on my face. There is so much going on..everyone seems to be enjoying themselves..and there are lots of special dishes to enjoy( thats the best part..he he). And the best part is there are so many occasions to celebrate!!

Coming back to Janmashtami...here are a few songs dedicated to The Lord on his birthday!




Sung By MS Ofcource...

Signs Of A Changing Time

When did Mumbai become so intolerant!??

This is something I have been wondering this past week...When did bullying become the norm of modern society?..When did the politicians get the right to destroy a city??

The whole Marathi signboard issue has raised such questions and many more.When MNS was formed it was touted as a different party.It boasted of highly educated party members instead of the usual criminals as the core party think tank.
Then where did they go wrong??What made them think that anyone would support such arm twisting techniques???

I am not against having signboards in Marathi...What I don't understand is the demand to have Marathi as the largest font...does increasing the font size increase the value of languages??

Marathi, like all Indian language is rich and powerful.Lets not demean it by fighting over the size of it's text.Instead lets try and popularize the various abhangs of the great Marathi Saints.Dont force it down peoples throats..give them a chance to enjoy it and discover its beauty by themselves.

And Please Please Lets Be Tolerant!!

Benediction

Here is the video of Maitreem Bhajata, sung by M.S.Subbulakshmi. The magical voice of MS makes this song even more wonderful. MS had sung this song at the UN World Council as well...I wish some of the leaders had taken the meaning of the song to heart.



About the song:
This benediction was composed by His Holiness Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamy, the Sage of Kanchi, Known to all Indians as the "Paramacharya". It was rendered at the United Nations on Oct. 23, 1966 on the occasion of the UN day, by Bharat Ratna Smt. M.S.Subbulakshmi.

The Acharya (1894-1994) was revered by people all over the world for the simplicity in his life and his profound knowledge of virtually every subject of concern to humanity. Very few had known about his deep and extensive knowledge of linguistics and the importance of the subject in understanding the basis of the scriptures of the country. He had mastery over several world languages as well. His lucid presentation of linguistic aspects of Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, English, Greek etc., along with the connections to History, Names of villages and places, etymology, was sheer joy to those who listened to his discourses

Here are some more peoples thoughts on this song
From Stanford
The Avial Blog

Maitreem Bhajata

In the time of so much violence and enmity, here is a small prayer and an invocation to God

Maitreem Bhajata...people...Make Friends and not enemies...

[Image - Acharya]

Wat a Cube!!

The Beijing National Aquatics Center is no ordinary cube. I think it is a wonderful example of modern architecture and deserves the epithet of a superstructure.

To the less informed, The Beijing National Aquatics Center, also known as the National Aquatics Center and better known as the Water Cube is an aquatics center that was built alongside Beijing National Stadium in the Olympic Green for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

It is unlike any other sport complex.The name 'Water Cube' comes from the fact that the structure looks like it is made up by water bubbles.To get this effect, the building was constructed using innovative materials like ETFE(Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) rather than traditional materials like concrete and glass.This new material is what makes this structure stand out.ETFE is a type of plastic, developed as an insulating material for the space program by NASA.It also helped in making the building eco-friendly as it lets in more light than glass and also because of its insulating properties , it saves on heating costs as well.

The design of the building is also very innovative.The outer wall is based on the the pattern that is formed by taking a slice through foam.It looks simply amazing!!Dont believe me??Have a look yourself.


You can find more info about the water cube at it's official site.

Gender Bender

Ah!..Gender in Spanish!!

The first thing to remember is that in Spanish almost everything has either a masculine or feminine gender. There is no neuter gender.

Also depending on the gender of the subject the entire sentence has to change.The basic rule is that masculine nouns go with masculine adjectives and articles, and feminine nouns go with feminine adjectives and articles.And if you use a pronoun to refer to a masculine noun, you use a masculine pronoun; feminine pronouns refer to feminine nouns.

Confused already??..Its only the start!!

BASIC RULE
Nouns and adjectives that end in -o (or -os for plural adjectives) generally are masculine, and nouns and adjectives that end in -a (or -as for plural adjectives) generally are feminine.

For eg.

• the man: el hombre (masculine article, masculine noun)
• the woman: la mujer (feminine article, feminine noun)
• a man: un hombre (masculine article, masculine noun)
• a woman: una mujer (feminine article, feminine noun)
• the men: los hombres (masculine article, masculine noun)
• the women: las mujeres (feminine article, feminine noun)
• the fat man: el hombre gordo (masculine adjective, masculine noun)
• the fat woman: la mujer gorda (feminine adjective, feminine noun)
• some men: unos hombres (masculine determiner, masculine noun)
• some women: unas mujeres (feminine determiner, feminine noun)
• He is fat: Él es gordo. (masculine pronoun, masculine adjective)
• She is fat: Ella es gorda. (feminine pronoun, feminine adjective)

So as you can see, the articles, adjectives and pronouns all change with the gender of the subject.

Happy I Day!!

Wishing everyone a very happy Independence day...the irony however is that is has become just another "day".It is now no different than other days that we celebrate; like valentines, new years and so on.

Somewhere in all theses years of freedom that we have enjoyed, we forgot the importance of freedom.The sense of patriotism is sadly missing from my generation.The argument put forth by many is that the reason for this is the fact that this generation never experienced the absence of freedom.
But I beg to differ. This can't be the only reason.No, the cause of this deteriorating patriotism is the absence of respect towards the nation from it's very leaders. When the people who run the nation pay only lip service in the name of patriotism and terrorize innocent under its guise, how can the masses be expected to hold a fervent love for the country.

I and my friends are not pessimists. I truly believe that some day India will rise to be the worlds superpower. But looking at how things are going and the people leading this country, I wonder if that dream will ever come true. May be 'Bharat Mata' will have to rise herself to lead this nation to its glory

Jai Hind!!

When our voices are one

The past week has seen an escalation in the sectarian violence in J&K. At a time of so much unrest and fractions within the nation, let us remember a few words from this song..one of my favourite patriotic songs..

(...In a school musical based on this song I played the part of the Kannadiga.It was my first appearance on stage...Ah...old memories)



Mile sur mera tumharaa, Thoo sur bane hamaraa.... sur kee nadhiyaan
har disha se behkee saagar mein milee. Baadalon ka roop leiker
bharse halke halke... Mile sur mera tumharaa.. thoo... sur bane
hamaara.. Mile sur mera tumhara...

Chaain taraj tahin nyay taraj
ek but baniye saayen taraj

Tera sur mile mere sur de naal
milke bane ek nava surtaal

Mile sur mera tumharaa....tho sur bane hamaara..

Mohnja sur tohi desa pyara mile jadein geet ashaanjo madhur tarano
bane tadein
Sur ka dariya bahte saagar me mile badlaan da roop leike barasan
holle haule

Isaindhal namm iruvarin suramum namadhakum.. Dhisai veru aanalum
aazi ser aarugal Mugilai mazaiyai pozivadu pol isai ...Namm
isssaiiii.... Thik thakida thathikakidA....thaka thimi thaka junu

Nanna dhwanige ninna dhwani-ya, seridante namma dhwaniya..
Naa swaramu nee swaramu sangammamai, mana swaram ga avatarinchey

Ninde swaramum ningalude swaramum otthucheiyum Namudeya swaramai....


Tomaar shoor moder shoor srishti koroor koi ekshoor[2]...
Sriishti karoon woi katha

Toma mora swarer milan srishti kare chalbochatano

male sur jo taro maro, bane aapno sur niralo

majhya tumchya julta tara madhur suranchya barasti dhara


Sur ki nadiya har disha se behke saagar mein mile...
Baadlo ka roop leke barse halke halke..
Oh...Mile sur mera tumhara tho....sur bane hamara...

Mile Sur mera tumhara
tho sur bane hamara tho sur bane hamara
tho sur bane hamara

A long break

Back again after a weeks break!!!..just did not find time to post. I know, it a lame excuse...but thats the truth.

Lots happened this week...so have lots to post about in the nest few days...Now only if I could keep some time just for blogging and not fall asleep...

opening cermony

Some videos of the opening ceremony....my fave part is when the performers run around on the globe...simply wow!!!


China Dance Performance - video powered by Metacafe




2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony - video powered by Metacafe

8.8.8.8.8.8

Today at 08.08.08pm 08/08/08, the millions around the world witnessed the opening ceremony of what is slated to be the most spectacular Olympic there can be. Only I was not one of the millions; instead i spent that hour in my class studying... :(

But it's all right..reached home in time to watch the lighting of the Olympic torch and caught the rest of the highlights on the news channel later on.
Here are some neat pictures of the opening cermony.

The Olympic rings were raised in the stadium

Performers walked around a floating sphere while the Chinese singer Liu Huan and the British singer Sarah Brightman sang the official theme song for the Games

Performers created a spectacluar light show

The former Chinese gymnast Li Ning carries the Olympic flame around the top of the stadium
Li Ning lights the Olympic flame

Fireworks explode over the Bird's Nest stadium

Soldiers stood to attention as fireworks went off

The number 8 is believed to be lucky by the Chinese...but in India some consider it to be unlucky as well!!Hope this Olympics turns out to be lucky for Indians..keeping my fingers crossed

As a kid I always wanted to become an architect. And even now there is nothing I like more than observing the city's architecture..From the old British colonial buildings to the super modern skyscrapers that now dominate the skyline, I find all of them really interesting. It's also no surprise that one of my favourite show on T.V is Superstructures on NGC.

So in keeping with my love for architecture...I plan to post some buildings and structures that I think deserve an applause...be it for their innovative design or their mega scale.

Let me start with Mumbai city...One of the best structures comming up in this city has to be the Bandra-Worli sealink. Though nothing compared to other sea-bridges in the world, it is still the most advanced one in India.

It is also very important in terms of traffic management in Mumbai.At present, Mahim causeway is the only link connecting western suburbs to island city of Mumbai. The existing north south western corridor is highly congested and during the peak hours results in a bottleneck at Mahim Causeway.It is hoped that the construction of the project link will provide an additional fast moving outlet from the island city to the western suburbs & provide much needed relief to the congested Mahim Causeway.