Musings of a Microbiologist

It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

2012-01-12T22:00:00.000+05:30

Beauty is only skin-deep, or so they say. I disagree. That's a notion that's highly idealistic, optimistic and removed from reality. To be crude, that's a load of crock.

When was the last time you saw an (forgive my lack of political correctness here) ugly girl get EXACTLY whatever she wanted in life? Or have things go her way all the time? Or have people be nice to her at all stages? Stop scratching your head, you haven't. Because it DOESN'T happen.

During my adolescent years, I didn't have the good fortune of being a looker. Not that I have a face that could launch a thousand ships now either, but things have definitely improved since about 6 years ago. Let it suffice to say that puberty pushed me down, kicked me around a few times, and then did a Mexican hat dance on my self-esteem. I'm just glad it's over.

Let me illustrate what I mean when I say things have improved now. I don't remember a single time back in college when I have cut lines at government offices, or had anyone LET me cut lines. I didn't get discounts at stores for no reason, I didn't have strangers offer me their seat on the bus. In short, I didn't get squat as far as unexpected favors or strokes of luck were concerned. Cut to the present. I still don't have Moses parting the seas for me. But I do get the occasional freebie, the occasional discount at petty stores. I do have people offer to let me get ahead in lines once in a while. And sometimes, I have people being nice to me for no reason. For instance, a couple of nights ago I was out with friends at an exhibition, the kind where you bargain till your throat turns hoarse so that you buy something that you didn't really need/want anyway? Anyway, I ended up getting home late-ish, and had to take an autorickshaw back at 11 pm. I scrounged around and found an auto driver who was willing to get me back for merely 4 times the actual tariff. I tried to make him settle for thrice the tariff , after much haggling got him to semi-agree. When I reached home and handed him the money and asked for change, he obviously only gave me back how much he wanted to. I made my displeasure apparent, but didn't create half the ruckus that I would have, had it been broad daylight. Now, people who know Hyderabadi auto drivers will tell you that wild horses cannot keep them away from the fare THEY want to charge you. But this guy saw me make a sulky face, and as I alighted from the auto, handed me the extra change back and said "Madam please don't be angry, here's your change. Good night." - WITH A SMILE! The optimists might argue that that's because niceness isn't always calculated, that sometimes people *ARE* nice for no reason, but once your Prozac induced stupor fades, you'll realize there is no such thing as "just being nice". This isn't cynicism, it's realism. It took me a while to get there, but I realized that good looks take you far, and that a pretty looking girl often has fortunate things happen to her that not-so-pretty girls do not.

So there you have it ladies! Whether or not good guys finish last, pretty girls always finish first. Break out your make-up , dust off those high heels and polish those accessories, because your fortunes don't come easy, and they certainly don't come if you're dowdy! So look good, even if you're not always beautiful on the inside, or in the words of Charles Baudelaire in Les Fleurs du mal (Flowers of evil) -

What do I care if you are good? Be beautiful, and be sad!

Midnight(well almost) madness.

2011-12-26T23:13:00.001+05:30

Random thoughts in my head at this second - -

Why is it only someone else's misfortunes that make you realize how lucky you are?
Why is someone else's pain the most effective balm for your own?
Isn't it strange when someone's pain moves you to tears and then THEY end up comforting you?

I had no shoes and complained , till I met a man with no feet....

Random rant --

Big shoutout to *YOU* - you spoilt overgrown brat, if you had ANY sensitivity or speck of compassion in you, you wouldn't be shooting off your mouth the way you do. The day the fates decide to teach you a lesson, the sh*t will hit the fan, and I sure as hell won't want to be around for that!

Now I'm free..

2011-12-25T23:31:00.000+05:30

Its like I wasdrowning..and someone pulled me up to the surface...Not everyone is givena second chance...very few are even given a first..I am grateful for mynew lease on life..my second chance...I'm scared, but a good kind ofscared..I'm apprehensive, yet grateful...

Apprehensionthat stems from being thrown into something new and having to deal with it allby yourself..but the good part comes in when you see that you are able to dealwith it..that you DO have the intellect you believed you did...that the personwho told you you were useless was wrong, and you were right...

Gratitude that comesfrom knowing that you dodged a bullet..that it could have been muchworse..gratitude from knowing that there are people standing by you..Strengthfor me comes from mom and dad, their faith in me has never wavered, and forthat I will be forever grateful. My rocks are my girls...they've picked me upbefore I fell, and held onto to me till they knew I wouldn't anymore.....As formy faith in myself, well, that's been reaffirmed by the confidence that myfriends and colleagues have shown in me..its gratifying and overwhelming toonce again be treated like an intellectual, to be given credit for having apersonality..to not be given to believe that there is only so much I am capableof..to be told that the sky is the limit, and to be allowed to believe it.

I know that this timetoo shall pass..after all, there's always light at the end of the tunnel ,right? It is karma that has brought me here, and it is karma that shalltake me forward from here... Many have not got and will not get this chance tore-live what they want to, and to redefine themselves according to theirterms...I have..

I was bound so tightin restraints, chained to a rock, and thrown into the sea, then someone cut meloose...and now I'm free...

Musings at half past ten

2011-10-27T22:56:00.000+05:30

They say the inability to accept loss is a form of insanity, its probably true. But sometimes, its the only way to stay alive.

Yes, this is a line from a TV show. Yes, it is a show that some deem frivolous. No, that doesn't make it any less relevant, any less striking. Loss...Why is it then that we find it so hard to accept? What is it that leaves so many of us in denial for so long? Loss of a loved one, of a relationship, of a job, of a friendship..at what point do these people and things weave themselves into our lives so intricately, that when it comes apart, it seems like our life has unraveled.I'm not talking about any gut-wrenching pain, or that place where your pillow is drenched in your tears, or that feeling where it seems like someone has ripped a hole in your body and you feel empty..No, its more like...there's a whole mess of crap lying around you, and you're picking up your feet to wade through it, and at some point you just give up and sit down in that mess? Anyone else feel that way sometimes?

And then at some point, you pick up and move on...and life starts to look up again...look good again..and then BOOM. One fine day, when you thought you were a rock star, you've hit rock bottom...again? One fine day, after months of feeling normal and moving on with your life, you just sit down and are unable to move for an entire day, wondering when all this happened, how to undo it? This sense of not knowing where you are in your own home, this sense of feeling lost amongst your own, this lack of comprehension of your own life and what you've made of it...

Remember when we were kids, and life seemed so simple..we all had a plan. We would grow up, fall in love, get a job, get married. Right? That was it..Then at what point did it reach this stage where you look at yourself, your life and go "Dear God, who is this and what have they done with my life? MY life....is THIS my life?" I didn't plan for the complications, I didn't plan for this inexplicable feeling of disorientation and constant anxiety..I didn't plan for my sense of calm being punctuated with feelings of failure. I planned on adulthood, but I guess I didn't plan on dealing with it. I want my money on life back :-/From the same TV show - I guess we're adults. The question is, when did that happen, and how do we make it stop?

How I lost my millions..

2011-08-22T15:22:00.000+05:30

Before you begin reading this, please take the time to note and understand, that the views expressed here are a joke, and solely an attempt at humor with respect to the contents of the following mail. I am in no way trying to offend anyone's sensibilities, religious or otherwise. I would like to let it be known that I am someone who believes in secularism and the freedom and right to practice any religion of one's choice. I would like to reiterate that this post is an attempt at humor, and is to be viewed solely as that. Any extremist , fundamentalist views are unwelcome. If you are someone who is so easily offended, kindly stay away from this blog.

Here's a mail I received a few days ago..

Assalam aleikum

I am Mrs. Nassim Abassi from South Africa, married to late Alhaji Abassi Zaahir who was until his death an exporter of antiquities based in Cote d'ivoire, we were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only two weeks.

Before his death we were both faithful Muslims. Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my matrimonial home.

When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of ($3.5 Million U.S. Dollars) in one the famous financial costody here in Abidjan capital of Cote d'ivoire.

Recently my doctor confirmed to me that I have serious sickness which is cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness.

Having known my condition I decided to donate this money to an Islamic institution or individual that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein.

I want a muslim that will use this mone y for orphanage homes, hospitals, mosque, schools, and propagation of the word of Allah and to endeavour that the house of Allah is maintained.

The holly Quran made us to understand that Blessed is the hand that gives. I took this decision because I don’t have any child that will inherit this money and I don’t want a situation whereby this money will be used in an unGodly way. This is why I am taking this decision.

I am not afraid of death because I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Allah. As stated in the Quran (Surah xxxvi Yasin) "Thou wariest only him who followeth the reminder and feareth the beneficent in secret to him bear tiding of forgives and a rich reward".

I don’t need any telephone communication in this regard because of my health hence the presence of the medical doctors arround me. because i don’t want them to know about this development. With Allah all things are possible.

As soon as I receive your reply I will direct you on how this vission will be realised. I want you and the Islamic institution to always pray for me. My happiness is that I lived a life of a worthy Muslim. Whoever that wants to serve our God must serve him in spirit and truth.

Please always be prayerful all through your life. Any delay in your reply will give me room to sourcing another Islamic institution or a good muslim for this same purpose.

Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein.

Your Sister in the Islam.

Mrs. Nassim Abassi.

Shall we begin ?

I'm not sure which one she wants to die from - her "cancer problem" or her "stroke sickness". Depending on which one she chooses, we could be in for a long wait, because cancer takes a long time to kill, and who knows how long she will be waiting for that killer stroke. I'll have probably died of geriatric causes by then.

If her "medical doctors" aren't supposed to know that she's dying, they aren't very medical to begin with. If they dont know about her using the telephone, well then they aren't very doctor-like either. And if they aren't any of the two, why does she want them around her in the first place? Maybe only she knows, after all, with Allah all things are possible :D

I'd reply to her but I'm pretty sure I'm not "prayerful" enough to fulfill my 'Sister in the Islam's' "vission".

And if my blasphemous nature wasn't enough to thwart my fiscal pipe dreams, Mrs. Nassim Abassi's T&Cs sure are . Here , ladies and gentlemen, comes the final nail in my coffin -

I want a muslim that will use this mone y for orphanage homes, hospitals, mosque, schools, and propagation of the word of Allah and to endeavour that the house of Allah is maintained.

Ouchie.

I knew religion was the root of a lot of evil; I just didn't fathom my lack of it would do me in one day :-/

Your blogger NOT in Islam,
Not so richy-rich non-Abassi

PS : For the people (you know who you are) who really appreciate my wit (Which can sometimes prove to be dangerous ) this is an abridged version. Kindly email me for the unabridged one :D

Na milne ke liye kya loge?

2010-07-17T06:48:00.002+05:30

I don't normally write movie reviews on my blog, but the masterpiece I watched a couple of days ago truly deserved a mention. Here's review I felt essential to post onto Rotten Tomatoes--

Satish Kaushik's Milenge Milenge should go down in the annals of history for being the perfect throwback to the 70s in the 21st century. And I don't mean that in a good way.

Lets begin with its "inspiration" from Serendipity(2001). Now while that was a passably likable movie , a clichéd plot, dull songs, and tired performances ensure that all similarities end there. The same old hero , with the same old "devil may care" attitude, that supposedly makes him cool, the same old heroine, with her "someone somewhere is made for me" attitude and a bunch of geeky , dorky friends, who lack even an ounce of character, and nothing more than props make this excuse of a movie more unbearable than it was meant to be.

I looked hard for a single frame in the movie that would interest me or seem logical, but I failed miserably. The entire premise of the movie is a joke. Why an audience would want to accept a person who wants to make fun of someone's beliefs and plays cruel practical jokes as a protagonist is beyond me.

To add to it, the music is slow, boring and soulless. The performances are pathetic, and absolutely unconvincing. Both Kapoors look like they were on their way to mainstream good cinema, and got lost. No one else is even worth a mention.

Oh and did I mention a certain comic character who is supposed to be funny because he has a South Indian accent? Not his character, not a situation, but his accent. I thought we had left the 1970s behind. Clearly Satish Kaushik wasn't given that update.

All in all, Milenge Milenge na hi mila toh behetar hai.

Globalization, as I see it...

2010-06-04T21:47:00.003+05:30

So I'm trying to read a blog in Hindi.
Google Chrome : This page is in..wait for it....Malay. Would you like to translate it?
Me : Cancel
Google Chrome : This page is in Galician. Would you like to translate it?
Me : Cancel
Google Chrome (3rd times a charm) : This page is in ...HINDI (yayyyyy!). Would you like to translate it?
Me( giving up) : Yes
Google Chrome : Translation failed.

me : .....

The great Indian arranged marriage

2009-12-19T19:48:00.004+05:30

Its strange how people how people refer to it by the afore mentioned name...like its becoming extinct? Much on the lines of the great Indian bustard? For those who don't know what I'm talking about - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Indian_Bustard . This bird has long been on the endangered list, and they should be too, what with being polygamous and all. Sigh, they are all the same, aren't they? Other than that, it seems to be a fairly decent looking thing, with its neck folded and periodically emanating a resonant booming call, much like my dad :D . But I digress.

Talking about arranged marriages then. People's reactions (esp in India) to how you got married is a testament to changing society, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Many many moons ago, telling someone you had a "love marriage" would elicit a "*GASP* LOVE MARRIAGE?? NARAAA-YANA...". Today , telling someone you have had an arranged marriage makes them tilt their head and look at you like you are a cockroach doing the hula dance .. "ARRANGED marriage? REALLY?...hmmmmm". Sometimes makes me almost want to go "sorry?"

I'm not going to wax eloquent about arranged marriages, thats been done to death...However it IS undeniably an excellent source of entertainment, for the people uninvolved. I'm thus going to take this opportunity, to make fun of one of my best friends and her trails and tribulations. :D

Starting from a 47 year old who asked her to marry him, to whom she promptly replied back "Sorry I'm kind of your daughter's age", to a high school dropout who told her that he was "wanting to be prime minister in his dream, but mother woke me from dream, but one day I be Prime Minister", I think this girl has seen the worst in suitors. Oh no wait, there was also the guy who said clearly in his matrimonial ad, that he didn't care to know about the kind of girl that he was marrying, only about whether or not she resided in the United States or the UK. Charming :)
But my personal favorite was the guy with the PhD, holding a job paying the big bucks, who used to whine to her everyday at 6 pm, about how much his life sucked. She still gave him the benefit of doubt for a while, but I think when he missed his flight and called her and whined "Why does everything happeennn tooo meeeeeee?", she was kind of ready to give it up.

I guess what I'm trying to say to her is , amidst the child molesters, the wanna be movie stars , the piggyback to USA artists, the slightly uneducated punksters, you might, JUST might, one day see a normal guy. A guy who likes good music, good food, good books, has a job, has nice friends and a nice family. More importantly, who likes holding your hand, who likes to introduce you to people, who may or may not know how to dance, who can bring you home safe when you're drunk and who likes watching sappy movies with you...err...well.. WATCHES sappy movies with you. That's the day you will feel better about this all, and it will make all the hurt go away. And the day when you fall asleep in his arms, and I mean like actually sleep 8 hours straight, not doze off for an hour and wake up and go sleep somewhere else, that's the day you will know...like, actually KNOW ...

So hang in there, its happening...everything worth having, is worth waiting for...just like me :P

Latest favorite quote...

2009-06-15T07:09:00.001+05:30

Tum jo ho woh tum nahi woh woh hai,
Woh jo hai woh woh nahi woh tum ho,
Main woh hoon jo main hoon,
Ya main bhi woh nai hoon jo mai hoon?
Main kaun hoon.......

Source : Andaaz Apna Apna

What is it about people?

2009-03-18T00:04:00.002+05:30

1] People who make their gtalk/gchat status - "this is what I had for dinner last night" AND uploading a picture of it as the display pic (err...does it look like I care???)

2] People who write blogs and display msgs addressing movie stars, rock bands and celebrities (RIIIIGHT- because they've just been dyyyyyying to hear from you. AND breathlessly check your blog and gchat status everyday to find out what you think about them)

3] People who use "ma/ lyk /da" and the ilk (Come ON! Are you telling me that ALL the money your parents spent sending you to school went down the pooper???)

4] People who wear their jeans below their underwear (Come on kid, PULL UP YOUR PANTS!)

More later :D

Off the top of my head...

2009-03-06T04:17:00.002+05:30

Friendship is a weird thing. You spend months, sometimes YEARS thinking someone is your friend..and one fine day you figure how little you actually know about him/her. I've recently learnt a lot about friendship...some of which I wish I hadn't learnt..then again, its not ALL bad..

Someone I had considered a friend for a while now did something no friend ever would, or should..another one of my best friends showed a side of himself I had never seen before, which completely perplexed me..then again, someone I hadn't spoken to in years recently became someone who talked me through a very bad time, and continues to talk me through ...well... graduate school ;). And then I made a friend in 3 days, who I think will be a best friend for life. The significant other , who I met a relatively short while ago, has fast become one of the best friends I ever have, or ever will make :)

I repeat myself when I say- weird, this friendship thing....life was so much simpler as a kindergarten goer. The kid who pushed you on the playground was the bad guy, and the kid who held out her hand and pulled you up was the good one..and that was that. None of this business about having to understand hidden motives, circumstances, situations and all that nonsense.

The guy wasn't cracked then,when he said - "A friend is one who walks in when others walk out"

About the Mumbai blasts - Not

2008-12-03T05:45:00.002+05:30

Everyone is writing about that in their blog. So I wont. I don't think talking about it will help..atleast not here.

To everyone reading this blog - if you are that concerned and agitated about the current state of defence and security in India, please don't waste time discussing it online. Go out and vote in the next general elections, state elections, whatever, instead of calling it a "chutti" and sitting at home. If you feel that no one is worth voting for, then cast your vote as a "I vote for none" vote....yes, there IS that option...look it up. This isn't a dinner/Barista discussion topic. If you want to do something about it, go out and atleast show your support at candle light vigils, and in peace protest marches. And if you cant do that, then, I repeat, don't waste time being a pseudo intellectual, and discussing it online.

I'm veering off topic. This blog post isn't about terrorism. Its about happy stuff, and what may seem to many like frivolous stuff. So tough. If you expected a high end discussion on foreign policy and the Simla pact here, pphbbttt to you :)

I feel free today. I feel happy. I feel like I've shut a door behind me. And opened a new one in front.

Its been ages since I waited for the phone to ring. Been ages since I waited for an email, an IM. Been ages since I danced to random songs, since I sang while I cooked. But now I do.

Its been so so long since I checked off days on the calender. Been so long since I looked out the window and felt happy at the rain. Been so long since I cuddled up to sleep feeling happy. But now I do.

Yesterday morning it snowed. And it was cold. And wet. And miserable. Yet I stood at the bus-stop grinning like an ass. Weird.

Its been a long time since I've felt something. But now I do. Its been a long time since I waited for something..some day...someone...but now I do.

Life is back :). And all I can say is -

"You are what I never knew I always wanted"

-Fools Rush In

The story of the dumb "phak", and other anecdotes.

2008-10-07T08:20:00.006+05:30

So I don't know how many of you feel this way, but I , for one, am perplexed by women who abuse all the time. Let me rephrase, I'm perplexed by people who abuse all the time.

One of the most over-used (I was going to say abused, but then it seemed cliched) words of all time is the F-word. There are people I've known who find it essential to use the word fuck (this is an R-rated blog post) in almost every single sentence that leaves their mouth. "Fuck you..yada yada" or "F that shit .. etc etc" or "you etc etc fucking etc etc". I mean how hard is it to not use the same word again and again? The English vocabulary is very very vast, and people who are giving/have given the GRE will nod their heads solemnly when they read this. For the rest of you guys who read well, you should still agree. But I digress. Inspite of having a gazillion words, of which I'm sure a good many are abuses, why, why is it so so life essential to use the word "fuck" ?

Don't get me wrong. I'm no babe in the woods/Mother Mary idolizer. I nurture a healthy appreciation for gutter language as much as the next self respecting person. But I also pride myself on knowing more than one swear word. I fail to understand how one's frustrations are alleviated by wishing/hoping/suggesting that whoever/ whatever has angered or upset you, should get laid. No discrimination between a crappy printer or a shitty ex-boyfriend. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it supposed to be a pleasurable experience (well mostly anyway) ? Then why would you WISH that on some a**hole who pissed you off??? ALSO, I haven't understood the full significance of "kiss my ass". I mean , all I can think of when people say that, is why? Like..why?

Yesterday morning, when I was at work, checking my email, reading the news and finding other ways of procrastinating, one of my best friends sends me some chat transcripts of a conversation (I use this term very liberally, and you would know why if you read those chats) that he had with a girl who apparently likes him. The interesting part here is that she is his girlfriend's roommate and "very close" friend. So far so good. I mean ok , she likes him even though he's her roommate's boyfriend , but whatever. I don't judge, because I've been in sticky situations before. BUT I've never reacted the way this babe has. So lets call my friend X, this girl Y, and his girlfriend Z.

X is recovering from chickenpox. And Y insists on calling him poxy foxy. You heard it right- poxy foxy. Still, X being the nice people-loving person that he is, decides to let that pass, God bless his soul. Y then proceeds to instruct him to have tea/soup , and light digestive "bikies" as she endearingly calls them (thats right - biscuits). She then continues with giving him a discourse about how he isn't meant to be with Z, and that he has a fucking attitude, which by the way, he apparently needs to "keep up his ass". She rants on for 3 webpages about how he should fuck everything, how she wishes everything would be fucked, and how everyone world wide will fuck everything. (I might be misinterpreting here, but by this point I had a splitting headache, and there was just so much that I could digest...after all I didn't have the "bikies" :P) She also insists on calling him "my love", which is immediately followed by a "go to hell, I don't know you anymore, bye". And just when you feel "Yes YES, she's FINALLY ending this conversation", she comes back with a "But my love, you ..". At that point, I almost yelled out, "NO NO, Don't dangle the dream and take it away!!". So I steeled myself and started to read again (before you ask me WHY? , I'll have you know that X wanted me to analyze the chat , and see if I saw what he saw. Now I don't know what he saw, but all I saw was someone who needed immediate psychiatric attention and intense medication). Anyway, she then transcended new levels of stupidity, and began calling him a dumb "phak" (read fuck), and oh, also found herself thoroughly amusing, and kept laughing at her own brilliance. To cut a long story short (It was way longer than this - BELIEVE you me!! ), after prolonged profanities, and excessive usage of "phak", she concluded her discourse with telling him not to eat proteins , "which means eggs, chicken ok my love??"

All I can say is, the F-word is like stocks and shares - it has its highs and its lows. And like with stocks, unfortunately, this seems to be an all time low. Another friend of mine, capitalizing on this ..shall we say, situation, , has started work on a book -"The effective use of Expletives - Tips from a fucking expert" . I'm thinking a collector's edition of that has got to be express delivered to Y.
Its too bad my lab doesn't have a bar, because I'm tellin you, I needed shots after this. And X (he knows who he is) owes me for this big time! Because I'm telling you, its not easy to read sentences that have "d" in place of "the". Or ""dis" in place of "this". Or "n" in place of "and". I mean, for crying out loud, its A , N, fucking D!! How hard is that????? But of course, rants of this nature merit another post ;)

Of STIs and more..

2008-07-04T06:01:00.004+05:30

So as an introduction to my blog, I thought I'd write about my work (don't start snoring yet!)

I work in the field of Infectious diseases, and since most of our work deals with trying to understand how disease affects humans, we work with human cells as a template for our studies.
I, in particular, study certain STIs. Although not many people would admit this, I do believe that what I do , is very useful and essential in the study of women's health. However, I will admit, doing what I do, detailed studies and descriptions of certain organs and processes becomes essential. Uncomfortable situations have been known to arise, and we counter these with a sense of humor.

I was quite apprehensive about working in this field initially. Apprehension soon changed to alarm and horror on learning that my research advisor would be a member of the opposite gender, who was just 8 years elder to me. I was prepared for a significant amount of embarrassment, followed by panic, ending with a desire to jump out the nearest window. (If you're wondering why I over-reacted so much, its because you don't know how taboo using the S- word is , while growing up in the 90s in India). However, what I wasn't prepared for, was an advisor like mine (who henceforth shall be referred to as D)

D has left standing instructions to people who work in my lab, that everyone should know all about s**. The ins, the outs (pun unintended), whatever there is to know, should be known. So if you ever catch me reading seemingly perverse stuff on the internet, I'll have you know, its essential to my research.

My work might be embarrassing to some, is definitely not meant to be discussed in polite company, and always elicits "OH! really?"...followed by uncertain silences from people I tell about it..but I sincerely believe in it, and stand by my belief..the day I lose this conviction , I'll quit working here (because, difficult as it may be to comprehend, but working with..ahem..certain types of samples , just isn't that much fun). Till then, I will continue to be amused by people's reactions.

A certain colleague summed it up pretty well, when I explained to him that the human cells we used , were cervical cancer cells. His succinct reply was - "Eww..gross!"

Well put.

South Indian cinema- From Rajnikanth to Siddharth

2008-07-04T05:03:00.002+05:30

Ok, so its probably not a great idea to write the second post in my blog about something which I have very little knowledge of.
I don't understand Tamil, and probably never will. Dont get me wrong..I think its a great language, very deep, very meaningful, culturally rich and with a fantastic history behind it..just like my mother tongue Malayalam. However, not even to save my life could I ever speak it..again just like my err.. mother tongue..I guess I'm..linguistically challenged?
However I'm NOT visually challenged..and while the finer nuances of the language may be lost on me..the magic of sight has enabled to make very astute observations about Tamil movies and its songs, actors etc...vis-a-vis .. they were AWFUL.

Lets take a trip back in time..to somewhere in the 70s or 80s..or maybe even as late as the early 90s...lets face it, more often than not, watching those movies, or even snippets, made one want to cry one's eyes out...
Leading men, who continued to play leading mean..err..men , well past the ripe old age of 60..AND thats not the best part; what truly bewilders, is that they played those roles opposite nubile nymphets of 16...I'm not going into lurid details here (for the benefit of those who may have just eaten or may be going to eat)..but whats comes to mind is "AAGHHH..MY EYES! MY EYES!" Anyone who may have had the misfortune of seeing 'Sivaji', will agree with me, that seeing Rajnikanth instantaneously multiply into 20 of himself..is NOT pretty. Songs picturised amidst 567 clay pots of every perceivable shape ,size and color, and the lead actress wearing something suspiciously similar to peacock feathers and pearls, with 237 dancers in the background, dressed in exactly the same costumes, didn't help either.

Which makes you heave a sigh of relief, when you see Tamil cinema today. Talented actors, good looking actors, but most importantly , YOUNG actors, are a veritable pleasure to watch. Its quite refreshing to see performances by people who DON'T look like their hair stylist and fashion designer conspired against them,who DONT have mustaches that look like bicycle handlebars, and who haven't escaped from a home for the elderly. Actors like Siddharth, one of Tamil cinema's newer acquisitions, in my opinion, have revolutionised the image that a majority of India had about south Indian men. I mean, I'm not one to drool in public....but yumm! ;)

I digress, but to veer back to the topic, south Indian cinema today is much more striking than it ever has been. Great storylines, mind blowing music, good performances and pleasant looking actors make watching these movies an experience, that DOESNT leave one's psyche scarred for life.

Lets hope the trend continues, or as my dear north indian best friend says "NOT BAD for a southie yaar!!"

Amen to that.