Th(re)e Mistakes of my life

I don’t like to leave a book halfway through-no matter how intolerable it may seem. Maybe it the curiosity about what might happen in the end or maybe it is the optimism that it might lead ANYWHERE except steadily going downhill. Here are a couple of books/authors I have found positively puke inducing

The Chetan Bhagat Saga




Yes, Five Point Someone had a shimmer of what a bestseller should be like: An intelligent storyline, a backdrop you find it hard not to connect with, characters that form a varied spectrum you can relate to. When the author is an IIT-ian, you find it hard to question his Intelligence. But I found his imaginative skills poor, if not completely pathetic. The major flaw in his books is the inconsistency. One well written portion can’t cover up countless glitches in the storyline that are littered throughout the book. His books are just an apt example of what a bestseller should not be: A banal story that gets tiring after a while. His books are not sheer trash, but I couldn’t bring myself to jump across the loopholes his storyline presented with every turn of the page.

P.S I love you



For some reason, I haven’t come across a girl who didn’t like it. The truth is, I WANTED to like it. I found the storyline irresistibly unique. But I just couldn’t get past the first couple of pages. I had a hard time trying to decipher why the book appeared to be downright boring. Maybe I was expecting something exquisite, and coming across an unadorned storyline was a let down. Or maybe it is just overrated.


Sidney Sheldon


I haven’t come across anyone who is into novels and doesn’t like Sidney Sheldon. The truth is, I actually like his books. I love them for the sheer perfection his characters spell. Maybe it is the way they are drawn out-bit by bit- it is like a stroke of artistic beauty I have always found fascinating. Combine it with a mediocre storyline and something which I can’t call anything else but pornography and you have a Sidney Sheldon book in your hand. Of course, there are a couple of books with well etched storylines that surprise you every once in a while.

The Monk who sold his Ferrari


You can only like this book if you KNOW you are being preached and you don’t mind it. If you are reading this book with a naïve state of mind-not knowing what to expect, I would seriously doubt your common sense. I won’t deny that the book has an interesting aspect to it. There were certain portions that were breathtaking, things I knew all along but the book made me see them with a different perspective. But you have to actually skim through the book to pick out those rare gems. Besides the author maintains such a monotonic tone throughout the book, that all I could do was yawn and put it away. Maybe I would read it again when I’m ready for the preaching but as of now, I have had more than my share of self actualization.

Paulo Coelho




There is a certain beauty to ‘The Alchemist’ I couldn’t find in any other book of a similar genre. The sad part is, I couldn’t find that beauty in any other book by Coelho. Every other book of his is a desperate attempt to match up to the original bestseller. And the attempt is not just evident, it is pathetic.

Salmonella Scare: PB, Pistachios; Swine Flu!! What next??

I just bought Peanut Butter for the first time EVER and as luck would have had it, I came across a couple of articles about the Salmonella scare that is doing rounds in USA lately. As the PB I had got was from an American Company, I had every right to be concerned. After reading a series of horrifying posts about people who were suffering from severe symptoms that pointed towards food poisoning, I decided the most logical thing to do was to throw it away. I decided to tell my dad about it, lest he decided to take a scoop from the bottle.

Me: I'm going to to throw away the Peanut Butter
Dad (trying to comprehend why on earth I would want to do that): Huh? Why?
Me: I don't know. I just read that FDA is recalling all Peanut based products. I'm not sure which specific brands are involved
Dad: Why are you throwing it away, I'll return it tomorrow.
Me: I don't think so. There hasn't been any case of Salmonella contamination in India. They won't take it back.
Dad: You mean it isn't contaminated?
Me: um... No?
Dad: Why were we throwing it out again?
Me: :|

I'm guessing I'm just being my usual hyper self. I just want these jerks to stop inventing new diseases before I have a coronary! OK, I'm glad that the human mind is discovering new diseases every day (No,I'm not being sarcastic) And even if we haven't found the cure to every disease, we don't wander around not knowing the truth behind our not-so-perfect bodily conditions.Besides, my fear about the PB being contaminated melted away when Pistachios became the next Salmonella victim, then Alfalfa Sprouts. After that, I decided that it was time to stop keeping track of the diseases dwelling in another continent, buy desi stuff and forget about it.
Now I'll just fret about the onset of Swine Flu :/

Slumdog Millionaire: the overrated fiesta that just won't get over!, The American Tourist and blah!

It was a usual Monday morning, mundane and uninspiring. Despite of it being a holiday, it was hard to escape the blues Monday morning brings the moment you open your eyes. As tempted as I was to hit the snooze button, I'm glad I didn't. Had I done that, I would've missed the sight of a lifetime. ( OK, maybe not a lifetime, but it was still more amusing than dozing off after 9 hours of sleep :| ) On the deserted roads of Model Town Market was an American Tourist frantically jumping up and down with joy- pointing at a cow sitting right in the middle of the road. "Its a cow!" He screamed with such delight that I wondered if cows have become extinct in America. What followed was his digital camera taking shots of the cow from every possible angle. Was he insane? Or maybe he was just a typical American with a fascination towards Indian poverty.
That brings me to an over hyped & overrated film, which for some weird reason, made it to the Oscars. And no, you do not get any points for guessing the right answer.



Our hearts still swell with joy whenever someone even utters the word "Slumdog" or if they are playing "Jai ho" at the local radio station (No wonder Congress is trying to cash on it. Not that I care, politics is hardly my forte and no, that is nothing I am proud of) I'm not going to bash this film because the director is not of Indian descent, or if the Slum bit was overplayed to gather public sympathy for the lead character. I don't believe that it was-overplayed, that is. To create a 'Rags to Riches' scenario, you need to show the rags, and a background locale that goes in sync with it. And when you think about poverty, India is almost a synonym. The critics said that it created a wrong image of India for our western counterparts. But then again, it shows a side of India that is still alive and vibrant, morbid and demented. Dharavi is a part of India we can't shy away from. So I'm not going to rant on about how the Americans still slot us as beggars and thieves(I mean, come on! Even we slot them as immoral, dumb maniacs who don't deserve the money they are minting) Yes, there is more to India than Snake Charmers, Mango Trees, Ayurveda, Yoga and Aishwarya Rai. (Not to forget our 'Cash-Meer' issue :/) But anyone with an IQ that isn't drooping in a negative spectrum can decipher that. So why do we even bother to defend ourselves when there is nothing to defend.
And remind me again, what is so extra-ordinary about 'Jai ho'? It is a catchy, foot tapping tune that gets banal after a while. But then again, A R Rehman is a maestro. Saying anything against him is a sin I won't commit. (Oh wait, I already have :|) When everything is said and done, I'm proud of the fact that the guy made it to the Oscars. (Well, my inner patriot is anyway) Kudos for him :)

Anyway, I just found out that 'Anyways' is grammatically incorrect. It makes as much sense as saying 'Anyhows'
Who knew!

Diet Myths

1. Drinking water before meals/just drinking water bloats you up


You can't seriously believe that! Water does not stay in your body for long (unless you have kidney malfunction) In fact, drinking water with meals is a good strategy to curb unnecessary hunger pangs. Think of it like this: When you don't drink enough water, your body presumes that you are unable to access water to quench your thirst-so it retains water, which in turn causes bloating.
Aim for a minimum of 8 glasses per day. But its fine if you don't want to go with numbers. Just keeping yourself hydrated is enough! The best test to check your hydration level is (its gross to admit it, but it works!) to check the color of your urine :|
If it is colorless, you body is hydrated. If not, BOTTOMS UP!

Note: Don't go overboard with drinking water. (It is for you if you are drinking INSANE amount of water and not sweating it out) I don't mean to scare you, but there was a case of a woman whose organs drowned in the excessive water she consumed :/ It is not likely to happen if you're not gulping water like an insane maniac but- just so you know!

2. Eating less leads to faster weight loss




Surprise! It doesn't! If you are taking less than 1200 calories and have a moderate lifestyle, you're pushing your body towards starvation mode. You'll just wreck your metabolism by eating less and no, you won't lose weight. Besides, depriving yourself increases future chances of a binge. Also, controlling your diet alone WILL help you to lose weight, but the results will come at a snail's pace. Incorporate cardio and strength training to see faster results and to improve your cardiovascular health.

3. Drinking lemonade with honey helps weight loss


Ahem! :|
For the love of god!
Yes, lemonade gives your metabolism a boost but you can't rely on this miraculous secret alone :/ Continue this practice, by all means but don't expect instant weight loss by sticking to just this little metabolism booster. Also, OD-ing on lemon can harm your kidneys so make sure you are diluting the lemonade with enough water!
And FYI: 1 tbsp of honey has almost double the calories than 1 tbsp of sugar. The difference is that sugar has hollow calories while honey has vitamins and minerals. So yes, honey is a better option than sugar but opt for minimal honey. Also, refrain from using artificial sweeteners.

4. Brown sugar is healthier than white sugar

Yes and No!
Yes because it contains traces of magnesium ('traces' being the keyword here)
No because you'll have to eat a boxful of brown sugar to register any significant impact.
So, you're not eating healthier when you opt for brown sugar over white sugar. They have equivalent calories.

Note: Whole wheat bread IS better than white bread
Whole wheat rice IS better than white rice
Whole wheat pasta IS better than white pasta

5. Black coffee is your secret weight loss weapon

Hah!
Black Coffee simply causes fluctuations in your heart rate for a while and then your body gets used to the caffeine. Also, caffeine is known to trigger insomnia. Instead of becoming a caffeine addict, opt for green tea- which also happens to be a great source of anti-oxidants.

6. Ghee is better than vegetable oil


Ugh!
No, it isn't. Ghee is pure saturated fat. And while it isn't all that bad, vegetable oil with a considerable percentage of monosaturated and polysaturated fats is always a better option (make sure it has ZERO trans fat) Olive oil, is the best option. At the end of the day, almost all oils have equivalent calories (about 110 calories per tbsp) some are just healthier than others! (Try nut based oils)

P.S These are just my personal opinions and even though they're technically correct as far as my knowledge goes, you might find contrasting views on similiar topics

Dev D:Review

Was it really a Bollywood film? I still can't comprehend how an Indian Director could churn out such a film and get away with it. It was the first 'Anurag Kashyap' film I saw and the guy has a new die-hard fan. Whether it is the characterization, the storyline, the music score, the cast: every single aspect of the film is breathtaking. The first five minutes of the film are enough to make you realize that it isn't an ordinary bollywood flick. (I dare you to watch the film and not say "What the hell!" out aloud :P) I can understand why many people found the whole concept offensive but frankly, it isn't. Yes it is bold, but not obscene. It doesn't reduce your memories of the original devdas to tatters but merely helps you create new ones. (There are moments in the film that bring a smile on your face even when you're done watching it) The ironic part is that the (so-called) offensive tone doesn't lie in the visual graphics-but the dialogues (which maybe the reason why the censor board gave a free rein to it) I'll just list up the pros and cons:

Pros:
*They're not overstating the term "Coming of the age Cinema" when they relate Dev D to it. It is different-and it is brilliant.
*The three main leads are superb. Abhay Deol surpasses himself (yet again!) and the gal who played Chanda morphs from a school girl to a sex worker with such ease that it is almost unnerving. But the surprise package was Paro. Having seen flashes of a film of Mahi (some weird Punjabi flick with its own take on 'Meri Padosan') I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary. But she is-extraordinary... and more!
*Average music that goes brilliantly in sync with the film (and how can you not love 'emotional atyachaar')
*THE ticket scene. The most phenomenal comic sequence I have seen in bollywood since ages. I had to actually pause the film because I couldn't stop laughing.

Cons:
*Too many suggestive dialogues and too many scenes that make you cringe. It is not the sort of film you can watch with your family. (Reminds me of a girl who had gone to see this film with her parents. Dad walked out the moment Dev said "Paro main aa raha hoon " :| ROFL!!)
*The 'Chanda' angle was overplayed. I loved how her story was built up but after a while I was so sick of watching it get dragged on that the only thing on my mind was "Get it over with already!"

It is a morbid film. You'll enjoy it while you're watching it, but it'll leave you with a sinking feeling. It is not Karan Johar's sugar coated romantic flick where guys are sweet and decent & girls are nice and homely. This film explores a completely different aspect of the spectrum. It is crude-but not tasteless. Stay away from it if you want a 3 hour no-brainer bubbling with romance (You might want to dig up an old Kuch Kuch Hota Hai DVD for that)
But don't bash this film if you watch similar story lines in hollywood flicks and not even wince but create a havoc when the same interpretation is given in Hindi. That is the definition of having double standards!