Last night, I had a dream where I was trying to publicize my blog and you know what that means. That’s right, folks: The horrific Apparel idea. Yeah, so I went ahead and created a couple of tees close to the image I saw in my dream. To be fair, there are a few hidden gems mixed in amongst the shirts that can identify you as a serious music blog fanatic, like, say, this one:
And, what do we have here! That’s The Official EC T-Shirt. Sure dreams can become reality. If you’re like me, you often find yourself in situations–going to work, heading out for a meal, even spending time with close friends–where nudity is scowled at. It’s a sad fact of life in modern times, but until society gets past its various reservations it looks like we’re trapped with wearing clothes. So why not save your modesty in style with an EC T-shirt!

Yes, I know: That was a bit too much. Probably best to just move right along. Besides, if I go any further, I may not be able to resist my desire to come up with the EC belt, and I think we can all agree that that should be avoided.

This is probably why I remain single.

Okay, dreaming is over. I’m going to attempt to write actual content now.
I’ve been watching this show after work everyday called ‘Veronica Mars’ (Sometimes it’s amazing that I have any friends at all.) Veronica Mars, the daughter of a private investigator, is a natural Sherlock Holmes and the serial is about how she solves all these many cases for her friends and people who come to her for help. She’s sorta like a Nancy Drew but way way cooler. The show opens with an amazing track titled ‘We used to be friends’ by The Dandy Warhols.
This track is supah! Listening to the song should give you goose bumps, or at least wake you up. It should be listened to immediately. Especially if you’re stuck at work and sick of listening to the boring radio station your fellow cube occupants love.

And with that, I’m done here. As always, any questions, concerns or comments about anything I put up this week or if you just want to confirm that, you are enjoying my blog despite an utter lack of content, feel free to drop a line in the comments section below. As for me, I’m gonna go watch Veronica Mars and hope tomorrow will be better.

Under normal circumstances, this is where you’d find my half-joking reviews of the events of my life, but in today’s post, there’s something that’s a little more important that I wanted to draw everyone’s attention to. Don’t worry: I’ll be getting back to the more lighthearted stuff soon enough, but the kind of things that I’m going to write about in a second makes me so angry that I can’t see straight, and every once in a while, you have to take some time to remind people to not act like thoroughly horrible slime.

Here are only a few examples of several instances of harassment, stalking or assault that I’ve noticed in the city-
A couple of men grabbed a friend’s ass just because they wanted to see what her reaction was. When she got angry, they laughed at her. One of my friends who work with me was being constantly pestered by a man into giving her mobile number. No matter how many times she refused, he’d still keep asking her. Another friend of mine was openly criticized by a guy, for her ability to do something really well. Others have also confirmed he’d targeted several women with the same sort of ill-treatment and disapproval.

Quite simply, this behavior has got to stop. Our city should never be a sort of place where any woman, feels unsafe or attacked either orally or bodily in any form or type. There are those, sadly, who get off on this sort of behavior and assault, whether it’s to women walking on roads minding their own business or women revealing skin. This is not tolerable behavior under any condition, no matter what you look like or how you’re dressed, whether you are in a bikini or in formal wear.

In order to prevent such harassment there should be something like a zero tolerance for such aggravation or violence against any person and knowledge should be given to victims that they can safely and swiftly report such instances to someone in authority. Having no active guideline, and being unable to give a clear answer to questions about it, gives harassment and violence one more reason to be overlooked. Harassment shouldn’t have to happen at all, but it does under no definite directions about what to do and this unfortunately invites the prolongation of such unrefined behaviors or even worse.

And on that note, it’s time to call it a night. As always, feel free to let me know about anything that caught your eye.
Man… I can’t for the life of me remember what I did last night. Oh well, it’s probably best to move on. And what better way to move on than with Rooster.
That’s right, folks: It’s a Monday night on EC, and naming a band can only mean that it’s time once again for another round of ‘Eve’s Artist’. Here’s what I picked up this week…

Rooster's ‘Home’- is fantastic, and if you’re a new reader, it’s a done-in-one that makes it ideal for rocking on to. And if you’re not, well... Pretty awesome, right?

Right.

Now then, on with it!

Of Nothing Important...

Friday was a good day. After staying up until 2:00 am cleaning up after the Gothic Nite event, Ash and I finally got some sleep. Once we were finally awake and mobile, however, the day kicked into high gear. We went shopping and then I came back to my own lair.

(Pic: Shreyas at my Gothic Nite)

One of my birthday gifts was the book ‘Girl Alone’. Reading it made me want to drink a bottle of cough syrup. More than usual, I mean.

Oh God. I thought I'd hit rock bottom with blogging, but now I'm using my blog to plug my unexciting life. Someone stop me before I start listing my current list of movies and moods.

I hate to come to this thing without anything to talk about but how my day went. It really turns this into a glorified diary, but considering that's what it is, I'm ready to roll with it.

In other news – my colleague has downloaded the 8 th and 9th episode of Burn Notice. That means that the second season DOESN'T end in a cliffhanger! Finally, the closure I've been looking for. For those who haven’t heard of the serial, check it out here. It’s a pretty good show about a spy who’s trying to find out who burned (fired) him and along the way he helps people. If you're not excited about watching this show, then you, sir or madam, are made of stone.
I am so excited about it that I’m going to consume some of those left-over alcoholic beverages and candy from my Goth night while I watch the episodes.
I’ve been blessed this year in that I’ve had an almost continual stream of new music to hold my interest. At some point, though, I got so backed up in listening to new bands and their new music that some of the less popular ones simply fell through the cracks. At the time I’m writing this I still have over twenty artists in digital format waiting to be heard {yeah, I’m a little backed up}. One band that I seemed to have passed over is ‘10 years’ and there are most likely two reasons for this. The first has already been explained, the second is well, this- when something gets super popular on hype it’s as if my subconscious kicks in and forces me to tune them out.
Fortunately for all of us 10 Years made an album this year titled ‘Division’ that simply cannot be ignored. Their clever brand of alternative metal is intoxicating and mesmerizing. No matter where you first heard this track there is always an emotion that returns each time you hear it again.

Anyway, that's about it cos I’ve got a show to watch! Stay tuned for more updates as we move through the week.

The track below hails from the brilliant album ‘Division’ which was released this year. I’ve been persuaded to post it here. For those of you looking for more of their music, check out their myspace page {link below}. Cheers.
http://www.myspace.com/10years

Hittin the Silver

It’s September 24th, or as we like to call it in my family, Christmas II. It’s on this very date back in 1983; I made my debut as a new member of the family. Sorry. I must rephrase- two babies made their debut as new members to the family unit, to what I am assured were mixed reviews. My mum wanted my older sister to have a companion but unfortunately there were two of us, so my older sis, any which ways, ended up being alone. Little did my folks know that their little bundle of face-kicking joy would grow up to achieve an incredibly tiny amount of sub cultural fame by writing about her life and music on the internet.

Which, needless to say, I’m totally doing again tonight.

Like a lot of literary and culturally rooted internet- confident girls in their mid–sigh–twenties without really great musical talent, I spend a lot of my time dreaming of being in a band and making it big. I mean, there’s always a chance, no matter how small, that I could go out on some dark night and meet the devil who would offer to get me all famous at the cost of my soul. And of course, in a couple of days I’d be, in this progressively imaginary situation, really famous- playing with this awesome band and climbing the world charts like wild fire. What I don’t think about, is the name of my band or the kind of music I’d actually be playing. Having the actual talent helps too, but since I’m playing ‘imagine this’ I can let that go.

We’re getting close to the end of the day, and as my birthday fades over the horizon, for my friends reading this- you can finally stop worrying about what you’re going to buy for me- it’s over and I loved the gifts and the wishes and the attention.

And really what better way to spend your birthday than to listen to music with people I love. It’s proof that we are living in the best of all possible worlds.

Okay, folks: I like Switchfoot as much as the next person–or let’s be honest here, way, way more than the next person but I’ll admit their last two albums didn’t really blow me away. Since I’m a huge fan of the band and their album ‘The Beautiful Letdown’ here’s ‘Dare you to move’.
It’s the song I was born to sing.

And that wraps it up for today. As always, I’ll be back soon with updates and music. In the meantime, if you’ve thought of a name for my band, feel free to mention it below.

P:S - I also happen to share my birthday with two AWESOME people, my friend Benny from the good ol’ party days and Sam, the go-to-guy. So I will have to eat two large slices of cake today in honor of them. Plus one to grow on.

mmmmmmm, cake.

‘Happy B’day to ME!’

**mumble mumble** Damn youngsters! Stay off my property!!

An Update

Saturday: There were some really cool clouds out. The ones that look big, fluffy, lumpy like the way perfectly-made mashed potatoes should look. I got back home with Ash at 6:00 pm after buying my birthday dress, holed clay pots and stuff we needed for the invitations. Bought some presents for my friend, the airhostess and decided to give them through Ruan as she’ll be leaving to Doha end of the week. Then Ash and I got down to handwriting the invitations using a couple of lines from a spooky Edgar Allan Poe poem.
After finishing the invitations, we gave each other a look of relief and then proceeded to snapping off pictures of each other.

Sunday: Invitations- check, Dress- check, Caterers- check. All that’s left is the big part of getting my terrace ready for the party which is going to involve a lot of cleaning up. The day of rest before the big storm.

Mr. Flirt is back. For those who didn’t know (which is about everyone), Mr. Flirt left for a week to another country but is back. I now suddenly feel all carefree, smiling, like I’m dancing on sunbeams. I hear the breeze ruffle blades of grass and sigh in happiness; can I possibly decide upon a course which offers even more pleasure? Perhaps.

Moving on, we exchanged easy, playful hugs and kisses in the form of sarcastic comments and in denial that we both missed each other. Finally after a long conversation, we ended the call secure in our friendship and love.

I also went to Amway for a product sampling event with my sisters and I met one very interesting young man- a man who knew a lot about facial products. After he was done with my sister’s face, he signaled me to take my seat. I looked at him and said ‘no one touches this face except me’. He laughed and boy! That was one awesome laugh and just then I regretted for not having my face pampered. Visit to the nutritionist was worse. He wrote down a couple of numbers on a piece of paper and handed it to me. This led to a terrible realization- I was underweight. I walked out and met my bro-in-law who was waiting in the car. The drive back we had to endure my sisters go on and on about how the guy who did their facials was like god and it so made me jealous.

Monday: The preparations are coming along nicely and Ash did a great job on sticking to it and helping me out. I think we are doing great apart from the fact that I cant stop myself but invite every person I meet.

Keeping my fingers crossed about the whole thing. Will keep you updated on the latest…
‘Bottle it up’ is a fascinating track after the big international hit ‘Love Song’ by American singer-songwriter and pianist Sara Bareilles. The song, slowly making it onto the charts, is about love which is what makes the world go round and everything else worth it. With simple but effective instrumentation it’s one of those songs that you’d love to sing along to. Sara Bareilles is a keeper.

Know E-vuh-leen Better

Time for an episode of ‘Know E-vuh-leen Better’

Here are some things you may not know about me:

I was gifted a huge stuffed monkey when I was 11. It always gave me nightmares but I’d never give him away to my twin. He still sits on the chair next to my bed.

Until I was 10 I believed pelicans picked up babies from some place and dropped them in homes.

The first album I ever got was ‘Step by Step’ by NKOTB.

I’ve never been to Mexico, but I kinda love salsa bandera.

I lived briefly at a family friend’s house when I was about 8. They had two sons who were also twins named Warren and Ricardo. One day Warren walked up to me, got down on one knee and asked me if I would marry him. He promised he’d give me a lot of kids.

Warren is now a priest in Canada.

I used to have an impressive collection of track pants and army boots 7 years ago.

I hate people that list Bacardi Breezer as their favorite alcoholic drink.

At the beginning of my 14th year, I was 4 foot 11 inches tall. On my 15th birthday, I asked god to make me taller than my mum. By my 16th birthday, I was 5 foot 2.

And then I stopped growing.

I am monophobic.

In school I had a colossal crush on the kid that everyone bullied. He finally spoke to me to ask me my friend’s name. I can still feel that pain.

He asked me out 20 times after 2002. I hate him.

Secretly I still think I’m going to make my mark.

I had to visit the school counselor once every week for a couple of months because I stapled my classmate's hand (in my defense, she was annoying).

Give me a minute as I inwardly burst into tears over the official death of any remnant of youth I once had.

Okay! I stumbled upon this track by Nightwish and I love it! Hence, it has made its way onto my blog. If you’ve ever liked anything else I’ve ever posted here on EC then I strongly recommend that you listen to this track. Trust me, this is good stuff. Their operatic melodies are intoxicating and mesmerizing. The more I listen to this track the more I find I love it, and the more I struggle to accurately define it. This is one of the songs that’s going to be played at my themed party- should induce the whole gothic feel.

Regardless of the root of your frustrations, it is Friday after all; a little tune can go a long way towards soothing your anxious mind and heart. Enjoy the music.

Nightwish- 'Eva' (Instrumental)

More Birthday

I was in a haze of bliss a couple of days ago when I was talking to a college friend about the Naga way of life. It surprised me that I knew so much about my bro-in-law’s culture. This trip to Nagaland in November is going to involve a lot of research and I’ve also decided I’m going to learn a bit of the language- at least proper pronunciations of certain words and phrases.

My ex arrived in town yesterday. We are a long way away from getting into the R-word; and, it has become obvious to me and probably to most of you that I am on a search not for the love of somebody else but for self-love, which I am also a long way away from. It's also a combination of other things. Lately, I haven’t had any free time and it's difficult to find the time I need to write a post well. I also find myself wondering how much of what I feel really belongs on this page and how much should stay in my head. It's difficult to tell whether it's the mood disorders talking right now or common sense. Perhaps it's just one more of the things I find overpowering for no good reason at the moment.

I meant to post sooner but I got an unexpected call from my friend and blogger Abhi who told me he was in town and wanted to meet up before he left to Mumbai. I was introduced to him by my best friend Imcha a couple of years ago. Abhi, short for Abhishek, was this charming young man who spent hours talking to me about myth, history and art- I’m just very interested in it and he just happens to know loads about it. I know he’ll turn quite red in the face reading this but he’s one person I’ve always been in awe of. He is quite an inspiring person, a talented artist, an amazing singer and he speaks of art with such passion that it can literally get you high. If you have a minute and are in the mood for clicking and viewing unique pieces of art, click the link on the link is listed below!

http://www.abhiart.blogspot.com/

His recent work differs from the sketches he showed me when I first knew him. Now it’s more free form and fluid. To see his work in color with a more intuitive approach makes you wonder what he was thinking while sketching. The ability to paint his emotions is what I find so therapeutic about his art.

Under the ‘Blogged’ banner you will notice a slideshow of Ev’s Wish list, developed in order to help my friends figure out what to buy me for my birthday. Now come on, with a list like that, how can you guys not love me? I've been seriously planning my party from the decorations to the caterers to the seating arrangements and… I’m gonna have an inflatable bed. Talk about going all out! While I have an idea of what I'm going to do, I'm still kind of freaking out and nervous and excited and proud and brimming with all sorts of emotions about the whole thing. Cons- My nerves will probably take over me on the real day. Pros- Everyone will rush up to me after the party and stutter breathlessly that they loved it. I will thank them very calmly and tell them I had a great time. And the worry that my body would suffer would be worth it just to see them love my party.

And Dex is coming!

He’s had his priorities drastically misplaced for so long so I didn’t even include his name in the guest list but after his surprise call last night, he assured me that he wouldn’t miss the big day.
I feel kind of lame using this blog as a platform for publicizing my birthday, so I'm going to do my best to keep it to a minimum. That being said, next Friday, Sep 26th I’ll be throwing my birthday party as Wed (my actual birth-day) will just be too difficult for people to make it.
Hey, I might be growing out of being a youngster but I’ve got to come back as a star.

.....And I finally have the soundtrack to WALL-E. Sung by Peter Gabriel, here is ‘Down to Earth’

Counselling Myself

It would be a boring betty-friendly world if our flights of imagination were confined to only those whom we really held in high opinion and loved. I’ve noticed that at times people find themselves attracted to people who hurt them (such as ex boyfriends); people we know we shouldn't be fantasizing about (married ex boyfriends) and people we don't even know (movie stars and dead heroes who shaped history). It's totally fine, as long as we’re on the right side of the law. What fascinates a person is a difficult principle. Some of it I can understand and I’m able to draw assumptions from — I like guys with long hair coz my first real boyfriend was the first person I loved to bits — and some I won't. I have no idea why I still have the hots for Robert Redford. I mean, look at him. He's a hundred years old (or at least very close to it). Attempting to make sense out of it is pointless. It's random, like my dreams. All I’m saying is that I’m done with judging myself for it. I guess it's quite normal to go out with someone who looks like my ex. (Readers, you want to chime in here?) I've done it and I don't worry about getting stuck in a rut or anything coz if my taste has changed once, it'll alter once again. If not, I’ll just go with the flow. As long as people don’t mess with me psychologically, who cares?

My ex - ‘M’ comes back to the city in a week. It never worked out between us coz we both expected things neither could give. Nevertheless, we are still very good friends. I guess one thing I consistently do is have a lot of contact with my exes. I’m definitely not a pain-avoidant.

After the breakup I take time to go through my own sort of healing process but I do start interacting with my exes after I’m completely over them and when it's much easier and more enjoyable to hang out with them as a friend. As a result of which, most of my male friends are my exes. ‘M’ comes in time for my birthday which means that I have an extra friend to celebrate with- more presents!

I spent a significant amount of time today planning for my birthday. I’ve decided to have a themed party! Yeah and it’s a gothic one. Planning is still underway and lots of lists to come up with so I’ve got Ash to help with all of it.

For those of you who are interested in the recording below by David Usher and it is quite amazing. It’s worth listening to it just for the acoustic version of ‘The Music’ (and the rest of the tracks are equally compelling). I still love David Usher three years and a thousand playbacks since I heard it the first time. If you like this song then I highly recommend listening to ‘black black heart’. It sounds great.

A Weekend with Ash

On Friday I went clothes shopping with my friend Ash, who has a terrific sense of style. Afterwards I went to her place to stay over for the night. One of my favorite things about Ash is that, she can and does make a diagnosis of people at the drop of a hat- My friends, men I introduce her to and people we pass on the street. It’s all very disturbing but true. So while I met her to get details of what she had been up to she ended up dissecting my life. After that we talked about how we had to figure out our lives; we discussed careers, what most of our friends were up to, and a plan to move to her list of most livable cities in India. Among our many pastimes, Ash and I count discussing our dislike for marriage as one of our favorites. This is because our approaches on the subject allow for maximum conflict and arguing with parents. Eventually, after a great many frustrating conversations, we have been able to reach a compromise: we will live together at the age of 30 when our folks have given up on us. This satisfies both my need for someone caring to live with and the desire to have a person that understands me completely. She has that look that makes you want to sit on her couch and tell her about your mother. Our friendship developed in college. She was a cheerful girl whose open face and sprightly demeanor allowed her to make jokes about anyone or anything. She spared no one, not even me and that’s why I was terribly fond of her. I realize my good friend will be highly uncomfortable with being discussed online but that’s just something she’ll have to deal with, on her own.

Though the continuous disappointment and relentless drama in my life, have been the core of this blog since its initiation, the permutation of good friends and decent drugs has meant that they are joined every once in a while by something impending, if not contentment, at least glimpses of it.

In a week and a half, I will enter my 25th year on this earth. I have been trying and trying to figure out how the hell to celebrate it. A couple of months ago I had the most brilliant idea anyone's had since slicing bread: I would invite my crew to join me at this local pub and they would drink in my honor to The Doors and Jimi Hendrix (okay, not so brilliant or new). But my heart isn’t in it.

My friends who are way past twenty five tell me that twenty five is much better than twenty.
I am full of hope that this is true. I mean, they could hardly be worse, could they?

Could they?

I went for the movie WALL-E in the morning with Tony, Runa, Ruan, Runa’s little sister and her friend. We felt like kids again (or I did, anyway) as we watched the movie. What’s not to love? The movie has cute little robots that make you go awwwww….
I did like one particular song performed by Peter Gabriel that played while the credits rolled. Until I get my hands on it, I guess I’ll have to stick to uploading this track by Keane on today’s post.

Alternative rock giants Keane was on the top of their form when they came out with ‘To the End of The Earth’ in 2001 that was part of the B-Sides not released on albums. True to the genre, the track, ranged from 3 to 4 minutes. This song encompasses a wealth of piano rock, with Tom Chaplin producing some of the best singing of his career. Click on the player and have a listen to ‘To the End of The Earth’. You’ll love it.

What I Feel...

...definitely a thrill that my best friend Imcha, is the first Naga fashion designer to be part of the illustrious Lakme Fashion Show. I've seen him work so hard all these many years and it's lovely to see that work come so far. He sent me a link - a feature on him on The Morung Express website.

‘Telling Stories through Experimental Clothing’

Kohima September 11 : “Telling stories through his experimental clothing” is what this young Naga designer firmly believes in. He is now the first-ever Naga fashion designer to be selected for India’s premier couture event, Lakme Fashion Week. This year’s edition commences from October 20 to the 24th. Lakme Fashion Week, a joint initiative by Lakme and IMG, is one of the biggest fashion events in India.

Imchatsung L Imchen, a recent post-graduate from the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad reveals that translating tribal art into his graphic contemporary designs is for anyone who believes in appreciating ‘the untold stories’.

Growing up in a small town at Medziphema, Imcha studied in St. Francis De Sales School till his standard-X after which he pursued his pre-university from Kohima Science College. Being a science student venturing into fashion, Imcha reveals: “my parents wanted me to be a doctor. However, I had other plans in mind. I applied for NID right after my degree exams and I was blessed to be chosen among the first batch of Apparel Design and Merchandising. My family has been really supportive throughout this journey”. Imcha is the youngest of five siblings and is son to Prof. Lanunungsang Ao, from Mongchen village of Mokokchung district.

“I admire works of international designers and the list could go endless. I also take inspiration from the works of great artists like Piet Mondrian, Monet and Beethoven. Sabyasachi Mukherjee is one Indian designer I really admire…observing ‘normal’ people in the streets. Nothing feels ordinary to me.” says this young designer when queried on his inspiration. His talent in design varies from being a photographer, a graphic designer to that of a fashion designer. Professionally trained in piano till the 5th Grade, he proved immense drive by being a scholarship recipient of the National Talent Search in Academics when he was 12 and folk music when he was 10. Creative Arts as interdependent as it is on each other, Imchatsung Imchen crossed that fine line from being an artistic science graduate to a fashion designer after his Bangalore rendezvous with the creative arts (he took up Multimedia programs simultaneously for two and half years while doing his B. Sc.). He then and moved to NID where his talent was further honed.

As a modern day maverick, he has designed face masks and gloves with nanotech fabrics (showcased at the first Design Idea Fair 06, Delhi) and yet is able to bring his love for the traditional arts, crafts and the rich tapestry of folktales from the North East of India, especially Nagaland, into his designs. He pays homage to handloom works and the dying art of traditional dyeing. As a person who firmly believes in the storytelling aspect of art, whether in terms of fashion, music, fine arts or literature, he works closely with craftsmen from different fields from the North East in order to preserve valued traditions as well to promote the diverse cultures of the region.

A science graduate from St. Joseph College Bangalore, Imcha has done freelance work in branding and corporate designs. He has interned with United Fabrics Bangalore in Home Furnishings. He has also worked on a diploma project with Weekender, Gokaldas Images for Jeanswear Spring/Summer ‘07, and had his final garments sold at Weekender as well as Central and Shoppers’ Shop retail outlets.

Imcha, being one of the few to be selected out of 189 aspiring designer-applicants for the Lakme Fashion Week, believes in promoting the rich folklore, diverse culture and colors of the tribal hills, into mainstream consciousness. When queried on the future for youngsters in the fashion industry, Imcha disclosed: “Firstly, for anyone who wants to pursue a career in the fashion industry, it isn’t as swanky as it appears. There is so much hard work and dedication one needs to put, besides honing one’s creative skills. I know lots of Naga people who are in the creative industry and we will see them rise. I am proud of being a Naga, but more than that, I know I am a human being trying to make a difference in this world like any other. It just starts with a dream and whatever situation one may be in, it is never impossible. It is never too late”.

“My theme is titled “Mangko Akir” (Headhunter). My inspiration comes from the symbolic valiant colors and distinctive textiles of Nagaland. We were once known to be fierce warriors. We took pride of our identity and transparency that ruled the system. And I aspire to bring this aspect to the forefront through my collection. All the fabrics used in the collection are woven by local weavers in Nagaland.”

A man who is influenced by the arts, crafts and colors of the Naga world, Imcha has found a way to translate these influences of his homeland and culture into young, modern and contemporary interpretations of wearable art. Headhunters and their colors of valor, meshed into a fusion of Naga legends and designs, Imcha believes in the promotion of the hand-woven textiles and traditional dyeing methods of the Nagas through his collection.

To My best friend,Imcha- our song!

Ryan Star and My Thoughts on Marriage...Again

My dad’s sisters and brothers came home the other day and while my Khasi side of the family is pretty cool, the pure tamilians aren’t. They’re always asking me why I don’t have a boyfriend that I can settle down with soon. I always shock them by telling them I’m involved with someone casually and we try to keep it fun and effortless. That always leaves them convinced that my soul’s been sold to the west and its wild ways. Why I don’t have a boyfriend? Hmmm… right now, I can say that my life’s reasonably busy and I know from experience that having a serious boyfriend is something you have to be ready for and something that one cannot get into nonchalantly. It takes some effort to do it right and make sure everyone’s happy (that doesn’t just include you and him but your parents, siblings and most importantly, your friends). I’m getting used to the idea that I don’t need someone in my life at all times. Being single is becoming more my natural state but as I get older that is changing (in a week and a half I hit the big two five). I imagine I will get married at some point in time when I loosen up on the fact that marriage is a trap that a lot of people get caught in. Did I just sound preachy?

I’m off to Ash’s place tomorrow. Its girl’s night tomorrow. It’ll feel just like the old days when I was stuck at her place to finish advertising projects and we’d crack up on men, fashion and food. I’m bringing Xanax and she’ll probably get Valium. Endless tea sessions. Music and my humor should get the party started. Yay!

The brief moment of excitement by that exclamation point has now passed.

How many of you guys watched the show ‘Rockstar Supernova’ that came out in 2006-2007? There were 15 contestants that were battling it out to become the vocalist of the supergroup ‘Supernova’ that had musicians- Tommy Lee of Motley Crue, Jason Newsted of Metallica, Gilby Clarke from GNR. And I’m getting to the point now. There were two guys I was rooting for- one was bald Icelandic heartthrob Magni Asgeirsson and the other was hottie hot stuff Ryan Star.
He wasn’t only hot but he had a voice that was raw, the one that can hypnotize you until the set is finished. Ryan Star is a treasured hero in my collection. Eliminated in the 9th week of the show, moving on, seemed a daunting challenge but he has built a remarkable fan base with his music that strips everything down to the essentials. Go ahead listen to it.

Thank you for meandering through this meandering meander. I will return to rationality at some point soon.

Good night.

Ryan Star with ‘Back of your car’

One FINE Day!

                                                                   Good Ol' Friend

                                                   One of my favourite posters in this place

                                 I should get rid of the date stamp on my digicam. 

                                 I love this snap taken by Shreyas.

                                          Yea, that's Shreyas. Love to the photographer.

My Usual Existential Crisis and The Verve

Five reasons why my day isn’t so good- The air conditioning at work makes my fingers numb and makes me visit the bathroom hourly. The cold virus is up and about and I haven’t got it yet which only means that when it actually does catches up with me I’m going to be out like a sedated beast. My American boss has not been very merciful on my audit scores. My TL and I have been working out ways to prove his case wrong. Mr. Flirt has not had any time for me lately. And finally, I’m just awfully moody. I’ll try a cigarette for now because my pills will just knock me out and there is much blogging left to do.

So, I made plans with my friend Ash this weekend. Hopefully a change in surroundings will perk up the mood, as I’ve been particularly down in the dumps these past couple of days- I’ve always known I was perfect material for an early mid-life crisis. Lately, I’ve been having nightmares. Which is kinda weird since it’s been a long while since I’ve even dreamt. These nightmares usually involve some ugly revelation about something or somebody I really like. For the past few years, it seems I’ve shut down my brain, turned on the autopilot switch and now it’s like all psychological blockades are falling apart from growing old. Goodness, I really have a problem with this age thing. I find it funny how something that used to excite me before, doesn’t anymore. Few things in life feel new. I guess that’s why most old people travel to find something fresh and experience something new. But what happens if you don’t like traveling? Then I suppose you live your life like one of those characters T.S Eliot was talking about in ‘The Wasteland’- Not living but just existent pieces of flesh. Don’t you just love Eliot? For me, He and Nostradamus were so much alike. They had that whole shock factor thing going. Nostradamus was the monster when I was growing up. My parents made me watch those scary movies of his when I was a kid. In college, it was Eliot. But then again I have people I care about, beliefs I hold onto and music to make me feel like I have some sort of purpose after all.

So, I just wait for something good to come my way.

‘Sonnet’ by ‘The Verve’ is undoubtedly the most beautiful track from the album ‘Urban Hymns’ released in 1997. Since a sonnet is really a terribly ordered piece of poetry. I always thought the song was a reference to love not being perfect, the way it seems in poetry. Seriously, this is a wonderful track to have stumbled upon this month and I’m convinced that this song should go up on the post today. Enjoy at your leisure.

People ask me why I am attracted to cute, extraordinarily self-involved people who are into the arts be it photography, painting, singing etc. Weirdly I feel some measure of inexplicable desirability towards them. When I get into it, I’m always thinking that this one is different from all the others and he proves it just for a few days. He recharged batteries you thought were dead, boosted your fading morale and massaged your deserted ego. And then your little trip is over when he doesn’t really give a damn to know what you like anymore. He doesn’t want to get your hints and he can’t care less if he’s pushing the right buttons. You think both of you are trying to make this work. Really, it’s just you trying and then it gets a little sticky and you go home, curled up in bed thinking ‘it’s my fault’ and you see, that’s exactly what he wants. The artist, never likes to nudge or hint or take his hand and move it or even blurt out ‘It’s over’. No, they’re difficult for a reason. They’re out there to make you realize that you don’t fit into their made up little complex world, you don’t fit into his ritual and you’re just an interchangeable character in his script. When you’ve been at this game as long as I have, the hope that others maybe different from your ex, is hard to come by. There’s a place for optimism, of course, but please, I’d have to be crazy to live there. So, I’ve decided I’m going to make some changes. I, honestly, do not like older men because I think they’ve had their share of fun and I’d be too childish for them. But I think I’m going to give them a try. I already have one in mind. This is sure to give me some instant content to work with.

I feel like my head is going to split even more than usual because today I consumed no tea and no sugar. I did this because I am so addicted to the book ‘You Are Here’ written by our girl The Compulsive Confessor. I have been sitting bolt upright at work since morning reading the book. If I had a book like that to read everyday I would never be depressed again.
Sometimes blogging can be as much of a curse as it is a blessing. Let me start with the blessing. I usually have lots of time to listen to loads of music. The curse comes into play when I love a band and I have them on repeat for a few months before they’re drowned out by the latest bands everyone simply must listen to. Sometimes old and less famous favorites get lost in this mish mash of new music. Fortunately, for the music world last week my boss introduced me to a band called The Pineapple Thief. I’ve listened to this particular track called ‘Shoot First’ countless times that I sing along to aloud, regardless as to who’s listening. Here is enough that could easily qualify as a good starting point for your Pineapple Thief love affair.

Another Weekend at Pecos

Pecos
Church street, Brigade Road
Drinks consumed: many beers

Yesterday, it was planned that we’d meet at PECOS for brunch. Shreyas and I promised each other- ‘We drink for 2 hours and we’re out of here’ but I’m glad PECOS had plans of its own. When a friend called me, I told her, "I'm observing the fact that it’s 8pm. I seem not to have moved, and I'm wondering what to do about it." Well, this time we really outdid ourselves. I had two options. First, I could just observe and analyze my situation. Or second, I could move. When I type it now, it doesn't seem that complicated, but I promise that in the moment it was. From this event, I realized that I will probably be dead due to alcohol poisoning if I actually keep this up.

I am a sucker for nostalgia and a self-proclaimed Pecos devotee. I am unable to give up my love for the beer-soaked music lover’s dream place. Pecos is one of those pubs whose clientele listen mainly to classic rock and is never in danger of hearing Britney Spears or something equally awful. This watering hole contains a much larger working class faction than the yuppies flocking to Church Street’s trendy eateries, pubs and clubs. Through the front door, up a flight of stairs, on the first floor, the first table on your right- my favorite seat in the house. Unlike so many drinking areas in the city, this one feels like you've stumbled upon a brilliant secret. Running a good pub means more than cleaning the taps and offering cheap draught beer. It's also about making the pub a place that people can call "home." And what better way to create an environment than by playing music that will make even the snootiest music snob smile? Pecos leaves in the classics much longer than anything new. While the place tends to get crowded on weekend nights, it is almost always empty early, making it easy to find a seat.

Yes, I drank 6 (or more)

…..but no, I wasn’t.

First, we drank a couple of pitchers with Venky and Alexis. After they left Shreyas and me decided we’d have another and head out. But then Ck joined us and we had a couple more beers to wash down the lunch. Ck left and movie plans were being made. However we weren't ready to leave yet so we hung around till I spotted someone I recognized. My dad’s best friend. I invited him over to our table and we had a couple more pitchers. Who would’ve thought I had more in common with the old timer than my dad had with him. I got back home, spoke to Mr. Flirt, who was awfully ill and then I stayed up late talking to an ex who’s going to be back in b’lore next week. Funny, how we both decided within a couple of hours that we wanted to get back with each other. I need to stop drinking so much!

Feels like yesterday and today blended into one. Today has been one of the most relaxing days ever. I slept in and only woke up at 10.30 in the morning. The only productive thing I did do was clean up my room and it feels so good to have a clean room. The best part of the day was Onam lunch at Runa’s place and here I am updating the sweet nothings of a beautiful day on this blog. I was planning to watch Veronica Mars but have decided to get started on fellow blogger- The Compulsive Confessor’s book ‘You are here’. And thus ends my update on the weekend and yes everything about it was awesome and wonderful.

A favourite at Pecos- 'The Joker' by Steve Miller Band.

The Age-old Dilemma

It is at last certain that I am old.

And what has made me accept this sudden revelation? Is it because my back aches whenever I sit for too long or because I’m constantly sighing? Or is it the abundant use of white eye shadow I’m forced to resort to conceal my tiredness? The trouble I have in remembering simple words? No, it’s none of these. But it’s something quite close. I don’t get my tummy. And before those of you who know me say, oh no, you look great, let me tell you that I weighed more the past few weeks than I have in 5 years. How does this makes me old, you ask. Well, my body is slowing down. The rate of losing fat has been abnormally unhurried. Now, when I really want to fit into something tight, I realize I actually have a stomach that doesn’t look too enticing on my tiny frame. I was soon thrown into a mental picture of a fat woman with flabby parts bumping into people. The entire thing was disastrous and I decided I needed to go on a diet immediately. I am considering organ removal. That ought to be my passport to weight loss. I don’t really need both of my kidneys anyways.

There are other options of course,

1. I’d hang on to my organs and just start shooting up. I hear meth/heroin addiction seems to keep people quite thin.

2. But then I also hear TB is totally the way to go these days for weight loss. Problem is, how would I kiss my boyfriend (not that I have one, but if I do) through an oxygen mask? Nevermind.

3. meth + hepatitis = model.

4. Fluid retention.

5. Good old fashioned food poisoning I hear helps you drop seven pounds in a week. I'm sure I can find plenty of eateries around here to help me out with contracting it.

6. Thoughts to bulimia?

These should work, but they all seem bloody extreme. I’ll most likely lose the weight but I’m sure I’ll look quite terrible once it’s done (in the unlikely event that I actually survive).

As of yesterday, I’ve started working on an exercise routine at home which will help me get some abs instead of a cute bulge as everyone else likes to call it. My diet will of course exclude avoidance of alcohol and meat. For I surely will die if I don’t have them. If you can help, please let me know. That’s if you’re willing to be helpful to the aged.

Why won’t I go to the gym? Oh no! A couple of days at the gym below my office left me quite embarrassed when I almost fainted. I looked so graceless, I couldn’t stand it. I wanted the floor to open up, swallow me whole. So I’ve decided that the next time my strength runs out I’ll much better like it if it happened on my floor.

Forgive my shift in music, but while I focus on my health I’ve been searching for music to help me exercise to. I’ve had the amazing luck to find a singer that’s been influenced by Portishead but drapes a delicious dance beat across the song. This is what pop music should aspire to be. Solid verses, catchy chorus, hooks you’ll be humming for days. Honestly, it’s that good. This is magic contained in 3 amazing minutes.

Have fun this weekend in whatever state, country or continent you’re currently residing. Cheers and come back often.

Natalie Walker- 'Pink Neon'

September’s Here

A little less from me now that September looms large. Ah, glorious September, my favorite month of the year. Birthday coming up (yay! presents) and celebrating the end of a year of determination and despair. Or rather the survival of it. I’ve turned down a trip to Goa with my crew because I need to save up for my big trip to Nagaland. Had a nice chat with Imcha, who’s very very busy getting his line ready. My best friend is one of 9 designers taking part in October’s ‘Lakme Fashion Week’. He’s currently in Nagaland getting his clothing line created with the help of naga weavers. I got a little peek at his line and it looks absolutely fabulous.

It feels like it was just yesterday the both of us were sitting on his couch, watching the rain fall and having some hot soup prepared by his sister and now, he’s some hot shot designer that I can never seem to get to talk to. Today, he seemed very happy when he told me his work was going well and a minute later he sent me a picture of himself applying makeup on some model and above the picture he wrote:

‘hey princess...
hope this would remind You of me.
miss me

muah
imcha’

(Had to edit the picture or Imcha wouldn't approve of me uploading it with the model's face)

I’m terribly envious that he got to live his dream and terribly proud that he made it.

If you've been reading this blog, you must have guessed that I like movies. A lot. And I store DVDs, particularly those of my favorite movies. I also get a little carried away with the available extras. I'll watch movies with the commentary on, especially if it's a good one that features the cast as well. I completely de-stressed yesterday, by watching a few movies- ‘Rock On’- my first hindi flick in two years. Quite good, I must say. I read this blog that explored the theme of ‘compromise’ and ‘choices’. Only made me want to watch the movie again. The other movie was ‘Definitely Maybe’. One of those mushy-romantic love stories with humor thrown in to save it. A movie I could’ve done without watching.

As I write this I’m enjoying a bowl of cold cereal and milk and listening to this track by Radiohead called ‘High and Dry’. It managed to wrestle with the other songs on my playlist so I’m going to be uploading it today. The melody is brilliant and the instrumentation lush, a really great song. In my opinion, the lyrics of this song are poetry. There are many interpretations of it- unrequited love, unhappiness with the world, not taking things for granted- endless meanings. Unlike Radiohead’s other songs this one is a wee bit too normal for me. Lack’s the trademark weirdness of the band.

I can’t wait to be done with tomorrow. Work rigorously through the week; give way on Friday; get up woozily on Saturday; panic on Sunday about going to work the next day and on Monday the cycle begins. Before I go off on a rant, here’s the song that made it to Billboard Hot 100 in 1995.

Things you cant get out of

I’ve become aware of the fact that I’ve been using my mobile too much lately. And by the time I realize it’s too late for me to be conscious, my sleep has disappeared and I lie awake wishing I hadn’t thrown away my sleeping pills. I wish I could turn off my mobile but I fear the result of an anxiety attack. I remember very clearly, the day I left my mobile at home. I was expecting a call from the crooner. That day didn’t go so well. I was grumpy, restless, I cussed all day and I had hallucinations. I’d hear my phone ringing faintly when it really wasn’t. I’d feel the need to check my bag for the phone to check my messages or missed calls and then realize I didn’t carry it with me. That’s when I accepted the reality that I had a problem. I’m not even sure if it’s completely physical or if it’s also a psychological issue. It’s sort of bizarre to understand how one can get so attached to a little device. This has of course got me thinking about other things in my life that I might be obsessed with- like some other gadget or food or alcohol or men. I think I might just try to go without any of the above for a couple of days, or at least choose one and see if my opinion or anything like that changes.

My sister has told my older sister and me that she wants to get married to her boyfriend next year. When my older sister told me that in 2003, I screamed for joy and wished her luck but you see it’s a different case with my twin. My folks are pretty cool with our lifestyle but if there’s one thing they’re particular about, it’s the religion part of it. We’ve been brought up in a devout Baptist (protestant) home and my dad is an important man at our home church so my twin’s plans of marrying her boyfriend who happens to be Hindu by religion, well, isn’t going to get him screaming for joy. Last night I was hunting for a photo album that had a picture of my sister and me when we were kids. I found it in my drawer with no trouble at all.
And now, the music- I’ve been listening to this brilliant artist all day at work- Sia is an Aussie singer.

The album 'Some People Have Real Problems', is stunning work. One of the outstanding tracks is the three minute up-tempo ‘Buttons’ that I’ve uploaded below, which is alluring in its own right. So now do yourselves a favor and enjoy the track.

On The Subject of Cooking Shows, Neville, Music and More

I hardly get to watch TV because as soon as I return home from work I’m on the laptop again typing my thoughts away. When I do watch TV, (which is sometimes on the weekends) my older sister is usually at home handling the remote and I’m forced to watching a cooking show on Travel and Living. Let me tell you these shows are everywhere and you can’t seem to change channels without coming across one. As much as I don’t cook (unless you can call making Maggi cooking), I have occasionally watched these shows and I’ve noticed a few things that stand out. So most cooking shows are about making great meals at the comfort of your own home with ingredients that you can find quite easily. But the stuff cooks always use on their shows, are things I’ll never find in my kitchen or at the local store or at a fancy store or in B’lore altogether. Can some hot, talkative cook just tell me what I can do with bread, eggs, tea and normal cheese? If they can, then they might be worth watching. Then we come to the tasting act. The same bloody reaction from every damn cook gets kinda frustrating. For once I wouldn’t like to hear the ‘mmmm...’ and ‘ooooooohhh’ and the ‘it’s divine’ or ‘mouth-watering’ or ‘heaven on your tongue’ (well, you get it). I would love to hear someone say ‘it fucking hell tasted like horseshit’. Not really, but I’d just like to hear it once rather than watching someone pretty much getting turned on by food. I hear female cooks like va- va- voom Nigella Lawson is getting a lot of male viewers. Guess that moaning thing’s not going to change anytime soon.

I know I keep going on about this quite often but you gotta feel my pain. The state of the music industry- it’s so very obvious the junk that’s famous nowadays. And yet numerous people continue to support the very junk that waters down the quality of music.

I hope you guys have visited the new blog I’ve created. As you can see I haven’t written more than a post but that’s only because the weekend was horribly crazy. On Wednesday, I should post something on my knight in shining armor. I’m constantly adding new music to this blog so keep reading. If you’ve got any questions/comments please contact me.

I’m finally done with ‘Burn Notice’. Just waiting for the next few episodes of Season 2 to be released in the US. It is a good action series and an entertaining watch. Definitely worth watching to understand the life of a spy.

I finally got to see the musical ‘All Shook Up’ and it was a great experience. Two and a half hours later I was left with the biggest crush on the lead actor- Neville De Nazareth. He could just about be the best imitator of Elvis I’ve seen in B’lore. I know I had mentioned my uncle John was too. He could be the king of the west but Neville- rules in b’lore. He was also one of the contestants at the Opus Kroaknights. Overall, I’m just about recovering from the play last night but still feeling elated because of all the dancing I saw and the singing I heard.

The Wallflowers have made its mark on the music world, while amassing their own, unique group of devotees and selling millions of records in the process. Their reputation as a must-listen-to-band is well deserved… So check out their track below titled ‘One Headlight’.