Cockroach Clusters

It has been way too long since I sat down to write (or type, in this case). The summer is bearing down upon all of us and I have been forced to stay home and while away my time in old t-shirts and shorts, sipping gratefully on some freshly blended watermelon juice and reading, actually, re-reading Harry Potter.

Let me tell you how this started. The audio book series of the same narrated by Jim Dale was greatly appreciated and recommended to me by my Uncle. He has to drive around a lot, so he used to pop in the CD and enjoy listening to Dale's perfectly modulated voice doing all the characters. So I managed to get my hands on it and gave it a listen. It must be noted that this was the first time I have ever tried an audio book. So every chapter took at least 30 minutes, the longest of the chapters being 45 minutes. Now, being a fairly fast reader, my patience wore out by the end of chapter 8 in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, not because of Dale's narration (which is fabulous, and I recommend it to all Potterheads), but because of the sheer amount of time it took to get to the suspense. If I was driving around myself, then listening to the audio book would have made sense. But I was sitting in my room and listening, without doing any other work at the time. Plus, my patience level has been at an all time low because of this blistering heat. So after chapter 8, I fished out my copy of the Sorcerer's Stone and continued my journey in Harry's world.

After I got done with book 1 (and I have read the series before, several times actually), I just grabbed the second one and devoured it like I had done the first time I had started with this wonderful magical adventure. Before I knew it, I was journeying with Harry, Hermione and The Weasleys to the Quidditch World Cup, laughing at Fred and George's attack on Umbridge with Fhizzing Whizbees, wiping down tears at Dumbledore's mangled body and discovering the secrets of the Deathly Hallows with the trio. It got over too soon. Way too soon. And as I approached the last few words on the last page of the last book, I was afraid. Afraid to let go of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Afraid to let go of Hogwarts and Hagrid. Afraid to not feel the same way about any other work of literature like I have for Harry Potter. So. Much. Fear. But then, I braved myself and finished reading those words and waited for the tears to come. They didn't. All I know is, if I don't have anybody else in the world, I will always have Harry, Ron and Hermione. And Hagrid, o' course!

And then I went ahead and got excited and ordered this:

So the magic isn't going to end after all! 

Assignment for the Week: Obituary

Cory Monteith

Cory, 31, was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room on the 13th of July, 2013, of a heroin and alcohol overdose. 

He was born on 11th May, 1986 in Calgary, Alberta, to Ann McGregor and Joe Monteith. At the time of his death, he was in a relationship with co-actress, Lea Michele. 

Cory was best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox TV Show, Glee, where he played the naive quarterback forced to join the high school Glee Club as a punishment. He has also done other films such as Monte Carlo, Final Destination 3 and small roles in shows such as Supernatural and Smallville. 

He won quite a few awards including the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards 2009, and the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Actor Comedy in 2011. 

I did not know how Cory was as a person, but his character, Finn has stuck with me for the past 4 years because of his naivete, goodness of heart, and his struggle to find himself. His constant attempt to be a better person touched me. Right from fighting off bullies to singing about his innermost feelings, Finn's honesty and soulfulness captivated me. His pure heart and dedication inspired me. Cory's death was, and remains a consuming tragedy. 

"If You Say So", a heartbreaking song by Lea Michele about Cory Monteith's last words to her. 

Gawk. Drool. Ogle.

3 days ago, a friend of mine (Tanisha) from college came over to my house for a sleepover. She's an outstation student from Lucknow, who misses her doggy (Martini) desperately and craves a home-cooked meal. This is where I come in. Actually, where my dog (Oscar), and my Mother (Amma) come in. These sleepovers usually include several sessions of snacking, doggy-cuddling, long food-related talks (both of us being HUGE foodies) and movie watching (chick-flicks, and sometimes a little more sensible movie). And then, at night comes the best session. The Gawking. Yes. We sit and Google our favourite Hollywood actors and contemplate whether to put them on our LIST (You F.R.I.E.N.D.S fans must know what I am talking about. If not, then click here.)

Now that you know what The List is, here is mine. Please note that it might have more than 5 people. 

1. Hugh Jackman

I mean, if you don't have him on your List, then you should get yourselves checked. 

2. Jim Sturgess

Look at the guy! He can pass off as one of The Beatles. Plus, he actually sings. And did I mention that he is GORGEOUS?

3. Chris Messina

Crooked smiles, anyone? I think I just died a little. And as Mindy Lahiri from The Mindy Project rightly puts it, he's totally "bangable".

4. Adam Levine

 

Yes Adam, I will put my hands all over you. 

5. Milo Ventimiglia

Jess Mariano, Gilmore Girls. Need I say more? If you still don't know who he is, then you should watch Heroes. 

6. Mark Ruffalo

He is one of those guys who you just want to marry. And have loads of babies with. 

7. Chris Pine

Those blue eyes just do a number on ya, don't they?

8. James Marsden

You can either dig him as the cynical journalist from 27 Dresses, or as the protective boyfriend and laser shooting mutant in X-Men. 

9. Benedict Cumberbatch

I think in these times, it would just be unacceptable to not have him on the list. Gotta love a man who can pull of a scarf. Plus, British Accent ladies!

10. Colin Firth

This is just unfair to all the women on the planet. I officially declare him - Panty Dropper. 

11. James McAvoy

I was openly drooling during Penelope and Becoming Jane. James, you've put a spell on me. 

P.S. This article has been inspired by my sister's article on a similar topic. Here's the link. 

Follow her on http://i-am-a-big-girl-now.tumblr.com/ and www.watermelonwedges.blogspot.in. 

A Little Bit Of Paper, & A Little Bit Of Glue

Hi!
For this week's assignment, we had to interview any person (other than any family member) who is a professional. I chose to interview my neighbour, Mrs, Laxmi Pillai, an entrepreneur who started a small venture 5 years ago. Let's find out more..


1. Could you give me a quick introduction of yourself?
Hi. I am Laxmi Pillai. I am 39 years old and I started a small business called Paper Wonderz about 5 years ago. I basically make cards, photo frames, bookmarks, notebooks, etc. 

Mrs. Laxmi Pillai, the woman behind Paper Wonderz

2. So, how did you start this project? What triggered your interest?

    I have always been interested in arts and crafts. Papers and crafts fascinate me! Its my favourite hobby. I have also pursued Interior Design after my college. I always used to help my kids out with their projects. I think that's what got me started. 

3. When did you decide to convert this hobby into a small business? And do you plan to expand?

    I started making these products about 5 years ago, but I actually started selling them only a year after I began making them. I have had no formal training for this. 
    I am quite happy with the size of my business right now. I don't think I will expand. 

4. What kind of raw materials do you use for making your novelty products? 

    I use a variety of materials. Acid free papers, stamps, ink pads, handmade papers, and other usual items like Fevicol, glue-sticks, scissors, etc. 

5. That sounds interesting! Do you get all these materials locally? 

    I actually get them shipped from the USA. Stuff like acid free papers, stamps, etc, I order them online, from a U.S based website. Other materials I get from Bombay itself. 

6. Could you enlist for me all the products that you make?

    Ya sure! I make notepads, notepads with magnets (for fridges), scrapbooks, mini-photo albums, post-it holders, cards, bookmarks, and envelopes. 

Purse cards

Photo frame

Jot-books

7. Where all do you sell your products? And how has the response been?

     Usually at exhibitions. I have my own stall from where I make the sales. I have done quite a few exhibitions till date - World Trade Centre, Blue Sea in Worli, Ville Parle, Urban Haat and CBD Agro Society in Belapur.

I am very happy to say that people love my products! I don't really want to get into the sales figures and all, but there has been tremendously positive response about my products. I am also launching a new set of products, specially for Valentine's Day!

8. Okay Aunty, last question! What is your most favourite product to make?

     I'd have to say the cards! I can't pick one type of card though. The never ending cards, gift-box cards, purse cards, popsicle cards, basically, all of them!   

Cute little purse cards

Gift-box cards!

Popsicle cards!

Never-ending card

This tiny purse opens up into a big card. Looks can be deceiving eh?

Get your personalized scrapbooks today!

Contact Mrs. Laxmi Pillai at - 

Paper Wonderz, The Craft Studio

Phone: 9920156460

www.paperwonderz.blogspot.com

email id: paperwonderz@gmail.com

Photo credits: Govind Pillai (Follow his amazing work on http://instagram.com/govind_pillai)

Restaurant Review: The Bagel Shop, Bandra

Hi!
So today, I will review The Bagel Shop, which is located in Pali Mala Road, Pali Hill, Bandra.

And here's what it looks like:

It looks like The 'Oagel' shop in this, but the 'B' is behind the pretty silver decoration. 

Tucked away behind myriads of potted plants in the slopes of Pali Hill, The Bagel Shop is the perfect place for a late afternoon rendezvous. The plants all around the cafe keep the air cool, which makes sitting outside without the air-conditioning extremely pleasant. The ambience is dominated by the warm colours on the walls and comfy chairs and couches to lounge in. Once you settle into your seat, you will immediately feel the leisure and quiet wash over you. I noticed that people frequent this place for informal meetings or to work peacefully (free WiFi yo!).

What I found a little disappointing was the service. You have to wait around for the waiter for 10 minutes and then ultimately give him a shout out to come and attend to you. Apart from that, the food takes about 10-15 minutes to arrive after you've placed your order. I ordered a Grilled Beef Bagel with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard and cream cheese, and a Strawberry Smoothie. My friend ordered a Bagel with Nutella. My beef bagel wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The beef was overcooked and chewy (not tender and juicy like I expected), and honestly, it wouldn't have harmed to have more cream cheese. But the bagel was delicious in all sense of the word. The crust was crunchy and the herbs just added to the overall flavour. The smoothie was nice and fresh, but a little less on sugar, which I didn't mind in the least. My friend's Nutella bagel was intensely gratifying.

Grilled beef bagel with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard and cream cheese. 

The strawberry smoothie was fresh and yummy. 

You can't really go wrong with a Nutella Bagel. 

This place will leave a slight pinch in your pocket. The bagels itself aren't all that pricey, (unless you order something fancy like Tuna which is for Rs. 400), but the taxes make the bill quite a burden on your pocket money. But if you're looking for a New York-kiosk-style bagel, then you should definitely drop by. Just follow these guidelines:

1. Keep it simple. Order something like a Nutella bagel, or a Cinnamon Bagel, which they serve with butter, so that you can enjoy the taste and flavour of the bread. 
2. Spend a good hour and a half: To get the full worth of your money, I think you should stay for an hour and a half or so. Just sit back in your chair, take occasional bites of your bagel and participate in conversation with your friends.
3. Carry some work along: If you want to work or write, this place is perfect. Sit back with your laptop, a bagel and a coffee, and the words will just come to you. 
4. Use their free WiFi: Even after spending 2 hours at The Bagel Shop you still feel like you haven't gotten your money's worth, just ask them for their WiFi password and download your time away!

My overall impression of The Bagel Shop is favourable. If you have an exotic taste, then you should try their chorizo bagel, which is beautifully smoky and oozy! Or just stick to their Bagel with butter, because you can never go wrong with that! 

Bon Appetit! 

This movie is funny funny funny funny funny funny!

As I was involuntarily bobbing my head to "Aaj blue hai paani paani paani paani.." (Though I have to tip my hat off to Yo Yo Honey Singh for refreshing his vocabulary for this one), I knew that life, as I knew it, was soon coming to an end. Yaariyan is a movie about five, for want of a better word, horny college students with no other ambition in life apart from kissing members from the opposite sex. The movie begins with a slow-mo shot of Lakshay, the not-so-charming protagonist, chasing after a girl to get his first kiss, who for some reason is barely clothed despite living in the cold temperatures of Sikkim. The guiding motive in this entire movie is to protect the college campus from an Australian takeover which would convert the campus to a casino. In order to win the premises, college students from India and Australia would compete in a 5-round competition. The rest of the movie is a blur, to be honest. Since the movie is targeted to the youth, who according to the makers of the film are interested in nothing but sex and booze, the music composers put together 2 party tracks - Yo Yo Honey Singh's "Aaj blue hai paani paani.." and ABCD for the pyjama party, which was nothing short of an orgy. 

There were so many moments which left me completely baffled. Like how Saloni, the archetypal scholar’s winning chess move miraculously brought Debu (Lakshay's childhood best-friend) back to life only to kill him in a few minutes just to give the Indian team enough motivation to win, and was actually ruthless to the poor boy who had tried to protect the Indian team’s honour. Or how Saloni, went from being the shy, reserved, fully-clothed Indian girl to naval-showing, asymmetrical skirt wearing bimbo in just seconds, and for what? To win the playboy’s heart. Or what TVS scooters were doing in Australia? Or what a homosexual was doing at a girl’s Swayamvar. Mind-boggling, I tell you. But the worst bit was to see Debu die to arouse patriotic feelings in Lakshay long enough to win the competition.

Yaariyan has got to be one of the worst movies I have seen in my lifetime. The shoddy plotline, mediocre acting, unrealistic dialogues, ridiculous costumes, horrible music and atrocious direction did not add to its likability. Hey, but don’t let me stop you from watching it! 

Until then, enjoy the foot-tapping beats of Mr. Yo Yo here. 

Um.. I created this blog because...

Hi!

I am Roshni Sridhar. Mass Media student. I thought it sounded funny in my head thinking that , but it sounds funnier saying it out loud. 

So lets get right to it then, shall we? I created this blog as an assignment. A Journalism assignment. And what am I going to post here, you shall ask? Its simple. Weekly assignments given by my professor. So this week it is a review piece for a recent Bollywood film. I haven't started working on it yet, let alone watch the film, or even pick one for that matter. As a student of BMM (Bachelors of Mass Media, i.e.), I solemnly swore in the first year that I would never ever start working on an assignment before hand. EVER. This report is due on Saturday, so I'll start watching the film Friday midnight, fall asleep during the movie, down a few coffees, tape my eyelids open, somehow manage to watch the film, and finally, after all this ordeal, get to know that the due date for submission has been postponed a week. That moment will be so glorious, that I will shove my laptop aside, and sleep the best sleep ever. With snores and all. Then the entire week shall pass, and I will be staring at the film again, because I will have forgotten in all my earlier excitement what the film actually was all about. So this process will be repeated dutifully till the end of the semester and the professor will be forced to grade us for our assignments based on our final exams. HURRAH! 

I am kidding though. I will post stuff weekly. I don't know what stuff. But 'stuff'. So await my awesome review for some film I will pick last minute! 

I don't even know who I am writing for, except for my professor, who will probably give me a horrible grade for this post. But whatever. I just needed to post a sort of intro to this blog. And here it is! 

Happy reading! :)