Bathroom singing in the hall

Had a party last weekend at my place. One of my friends had brought a guitar, my brother plays the sax well, and we ended up humming a few songs instead of the usual desultory conversations that take place when people talk about jobs, kids, holidays and stuff.

Not that its bad, it is just mundane. This served as a good hour for everyone to get into the act(helps if you are a little high) and nobody cared if they couldn't sing well. Nobody cared if they forgot a few words. Heck, nobody cared if new lyrics were invented- lyrics that may be making a few of the original singers turn in their grave(if they are dead of course. If they aren't, their lawyers would sue if they heard these renditions)

Good way to enliven the party. As you can see, I'm still in a good mood.

Bhope Bhau

Hey, I saw a cool film yesterday: Kaminey. While I have serious issues with the film's storyline(I dont see it working if it wasnt stylised), and the rationale behind the speech impaired twins- I loved everyone's performance , especially Amole Gupte and Priyanka Chopra.

Amole Gupte takes the cake. I never thought he could do a quietly menacing Bhope Bhau. This guy had conceived Taare Zameen Par for chrissakes. You would look at his media pictures and think cuddly Santa Claus.

See this film and you'll think that no more. I loved one scene in particular: where Bhope Bhau and his victim play a "Bang Bang" kiddy game with real pistols. Its his quietness that works.

Wont say anything more. Check the film out. And do watch out for the stylish way in which things aren't explained to us as if we were schoolkids as well. Good fun

Time flies when you have small joys

It has been a year that I've written this blog, and share as many peculiar small joys with you as possible. It hasn't always been easy. I have sometimes not found anything to be joyful about for months. But I did a check. I've written 85 blogposts in a year, which means that I've seen a small joy and shared it every fourth day or so.

That's a very good feeling to have- the ability to identify joy atleast twice a week and share it with you guys. A bonus: remembering some when you are feeling low.

I'm also experimenting with the style of the blog- trying to keep it pithy, focus more on the joy rather than me, and I think my blog writing is evolving.

Thank you for following this blog with me so far. I'll surely keep those small joys flowing.

Black humour at the Airport

I was at the Airport last night, waiting to pick someone up. I noticed that the whole airport was full of people looking like they came from a sci-fi movie with their swine flu masks. I dont wear one personally, but I dont have anything against anyone wearing them either. Its just that if you see a huge conglomeration of people dressed up funny around their face, doomsday pictures start floating in your head. So I decided to see the lighter side of things here.

I noticed two: one is people wearing masks lower their masks to talk to each other. That doesn't make any sense at all to me. And then one guy actually lowered his mask and sneezed. I didnt know whether to laugh, cry, feel scared, or sneeze myself :)

Naturally August

Everyone is wearing a mask nowadays- swine flu in the air in Pune! So it's time not to go to malls, multiplexes, crowded places.... but how about going to one of the nearby hills or the University of Pune, or some nice garden like Empress Gardens or Kamala Nehru Park? Or if your office is closed, why not go a li'l outside to Panshet, Mulshi, and the like?
And hey, even if you are in some other city- the small joy still holds good as long as the weather does... go visit nature... this is the time, folks, and perhaps better than doing the usual - swine flu or not!

Weekend Epicure

Nice place, this new Trikaya fine dining restaurant near Bavdhan. Overlooking some pretty green hills, this big and tastefully done up place serves up some nice south east asian food and the drinks arent too bad either. It's well laid out, and some has some interesting sub themes. The service is nice, and the atmosphere relaxed.
Probably only two flies in the ointment: it is a little pricey, and I wish they'd opened out the curtains and let patrons have the view. But since I was going out after a very very long time to a fancy place like this, it was epicurean delight to say the least. I recommend you try it out once.

Using the Map at the workplace

It has been a few years now that I have been trying to use the Map that Matters as a tool to help people help themselves, especially in tough situations at office. I must say, it is a challenge every single time because the dynamics for any situation are so different, and it is a learning experience for me every single time to not solve things, remain true to being a guide, and other things.
But it is cleansing every single time, and it helps me as much as it helps the other person. That's because I learn so many things!

Help a Reporter Out

Or HARO for short. It is a unique service that Peter Shankman has started, and what I like about it is the spirit in which it functions. What does it do? Well, you become a HARO family member and get email alerts for reporters on the lookout for a specific kind of news. If you think you fit the bill, you respond to the reporter and take it ahead. It is a free service for reporters, and it allows people their 15 seconds of fame or even salesy types to put a legitimate plug in. The way Peter Shankman earns money is through an advertising model- though you can barely smell the advertising, it is that engaging.

Do read the 5 rules of HARO before you respond to any query. What I find nice about this service , as I said before, is that it is such a cool, giving sort of idea that actually works. Enough said.

Sharpe Child

Tom Sharpe and Lee Child: two authors I read for the first time in the last few days. (Wilt, The Visitor). Sharpe is over the top funny, a little too sexual, but genuinely hold your sides funny still. Child has created a really interesting hero: Jack Reacher. His mystery is a bit stretched, but its fun in a "Criminal Minds" way.
Small joys, highly recommended!

Amazon? Amazing!

Boy, yesterday, I got a neat surprise: saw my book on Amazon, Borders, Tesco(!) and other sites! I searched for " The Map that Matters+ Siddharth Deshmukh" and I got a bunch of results that I never thought I'd see. (Hint- you could try that out as well:))

It's a great feeling to be part of something actively where I was a spectator/browser/at best buyer before. I'll keep you guys posted on my story- you'all have been part of the journey, and thank you very much for it.

Touch of Flu

It aint anything to laugh about, but if you have a touch of flu- very common in this season in Pune- then you'd really do well to have someone fix you up. You know what I mean. It's either a mom, a life partner, or someone loving ( normally a woman )who just takes charge of pampering you. A bowl of chicken soup here, a warm blanket there- and various small other ways of making you feel special when you are sick.

I'm not talking of the really unwell times here- just that "sick enough not to go to school/work" type of illness. Its good enough to prolong your illness by a few hours for that kind of attention!