It is very unlikely that a glossy edition of Vogue, Filmfare or others could not make your head turn. Every edition of these magazines will have on its cover some super hot glamourous star, looking absolutely flawless. To which we are bound to react, based on our liking for the star. So even if we disagree that they are gorgeous there is something we cannot ignore. That they are in perfect shape, their skin is flawless, please note even if the makeup is bad for our taste, the skin would still look flawless.
So the next time you change your Orkut or FB profile you wish to look as perfect as you can. And thus starts the dance! Investing in expensive cosmetics, facials,visit to spas..and what not! Little do we know that no miracle other than airbrushing, can make us look like that, even Ann Hathaway doesn't look like Ann Hathaway on cover! The art of airbrushing does the miracle and it is a very expensive affair. So unless we want to go extra lengths with our pocket, we are not getting that perfect snap for our profile.
Around a year back Kate Winslet had a little tiff with a magazine when they airbrushed her curves to make her look younger and thinner. She protested saying that "I don't look like that and more importantly i don't wish to look like that". Thank You Kate! Ever since there have been many women who have publicly admitted that they don't look exactly like they are shot. For Eg. Jennifer Aniston admitted in quick mumble on a show that her famous naked photo shoot with GQ was photo shopped a tiny bit.
If we be honest to ourselves, how many times we would have cursed our not so photogenic face, to not come up with one decent snap we can flaunt to our friends. A lot of us thankfully take it in our stride and joke about it and get over it but i presume their would be many young gals who would fret over it and go to any extent to get that airbrushed face or figure. There are already far too many debates on the pressure on these young kids to look good, hence its nice to hear when a star confesses of their imperfections. Though i am not sure how many are influenced by these confessions but even if there are a handful, we should be glad.
So here's what we can do, dig up a snap which makes us happy and post on that profile, the friends and family will love it anyway!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Hairy Affair
I sat on the salon chair, and in self mocking demeanor offered the lovely hairstylist to work with limpest locks he would have come across.He had a look at them,ran a quick hand, fiddled with them and reassured, don't you worry darling, tell me when you are ready and ill have Rapunzel put to shame. I laughed. He then contemplated and said a match for these are very easy to find and they are cheaper than blonde. Wait! what did you just say i asked him. He said Extensions honey!
Oh yes, extensions i thought to myself they are the hottest trend we may choose to ignore but they are never going out of fashion ever.
It was months back that i had watched a small clipping on one of the talk shows regarding hair extensions and their origin. And was amazed to discover that the best quality of human hair extensions are made out of hair exported from India especially the Southern India. Hair export is a huge business back home, And if you are wondering how do they collect the hair, its no rocket science, the holy Temples. Yes, the temples in India are the prime source and make millions of dollars by selling the hair which is offered by the devotees as a offering to their beloved deity. Anyway who cares as one of the devotees said, i offered it to my lord and now its up to him! God bless you women.
Moving on, Approx hair worth of 8 million dollars a year is exported to the US, where it is processed and is converted to weaves. The hair exported is of various forms one of which is called the dead hair. The dead hair is nothing but the hair which comes out in combs. It was interesting to see many women in the village cleaning the dead hair and pulling them to form a bunch. i was happy to see they earn decent amount of wage through it. Anything that generates income for them makes me happy.
So,the reason why Indian hair is in demand has to do with its high cuticle compatibility with the western hair.The oval shaped, 8 micron cuticle is considered ideal as it takes pigmentation and de-pigmentation processes well. And hence they are firm and breakage proof and take the exact hair colour needed. Hair from other countries like china and japan are naturally healthy and have thicker cuticle circumference which makes them difficult to process as they aren't easy to permeate.The process of converting the hair to weaves is tedious and intense and involves heavy duty scientific terms,hence i shall refrain from mentioning the details.
In short if you are one of those whose self esteem is shattered coz of a limp hair and have developed serious psychological issues coz you couldn't wear your hair in latest trend at prom, for the lack of it, go for it.Btw if you choose to get for the heck of it, go ahead too, i am all for free will! But just make sure it is Indian or European!
As for me, i chose to get a tiny trim!
Photo Credit: http://www.cartoonstock.com/
Oh yes, extensions i thought to myself they are the hottest trend we may choose to ignore but they are never going out of fashion ever.
It was months back that i had watched a small clipping on one of the talk shows regarding hair extensions and their origin. And was amazed to discover that the best quality of human hair extensions are made out of hair exported from India especially the Southern India. Hair export is a huge business back home, And if you are wondering how do they collect the hair, its no rocket science, the holy Temples. Yes, the temples in India are the prime source and make millions of dollars by selling the hair which is offered by the devotees as a offering to their beloved deity. Anyway who cares as one of the devotees said, i offered it to my lord and now its up to him! God bless you women.
Moving on, Approx hair worth of 8 million dollars a year is exported to the US, where it is processed and is converted to weaves. The hair exported is of various forms one of which is called the dead hair. The dead hair is nothing but the hair which comes out in combs. It was interesting to see many women in the village cleaning the dead hair and pulling them to form a bunch. i was happy to see they earn decent amount of wage through it. Anything that generates income for them makes me happy.
So,the reason why Indian hair is in demand has to do with its high cuticle compatibility with the western hair.The oval shaped, 8 micron cuticle is considered ideal as it takes pigmentation and de-pigmentation processes well. And hence they are firm and breakage proof and take the exact hair colour needed. Hair from other countries like china and japan are naturally healthy and have thicker cuticle circumference which makes them difficult to process as they aren't easy to permeate.The process of converting the hair to weaves is tedious and intense and involves heavy duty scientific terms,hence i shall refrain from mentioning the details.
In short if you are one of those whose self esteem is shattered coz of a limp hair and have developed serious psychological issues coz you couldn't wear your hair in latest trend at prom, for the lack of it, go for it.Btw if you choose to get for the heck of it, go ahead too, i am all for free will! But just make sure it is Indian or European!
As for me, i chose to get a tiny trim!
Photo Credit: http://www.cartoonstock.com/
Thursday, May 14, 2009
YouTube Hai Na
Its 7pm EST and you don't remember mom's biryani recipe. Got up this morning with a tune in your head and wish to sing along only to find you don't have the CD. Remember an old DD commercial and wish you could see it. Its Diwali and u need to play one bhajan coz u never bothered to learn it from your mom. Roadies has started again and you still haven't got your Dish connection.
Do these sound like problems? Not any more Na! Thanks to those lovely PayPal employees who created the magical world called YouTube and later sold for a whopping billions to google!
Yes all you can think of, YouTube has it. It not only allows you to catch up with your missed TV shows but also allows you to express your views. How Nice! How long have you waited for this? What a nice way to express your love for your favourite movie star or even better what better way to call them names...No one knows who you are... And even if YouTube maintains database of IP addresses and username you use to login. why would they want to hunt you down. You are just one of many. So this gives you complete freedom to let loose.And you are right.
And please don't think YouTube is irresponsible.See when you upload the video it warns you of copyright issues, it warns you against adult contents, Right! But still if you come across such inappropriate content how on earth you expect YouTube to find them so fast...forgot they have videos of anything you can think of, so do your math,one individual equals n thoughts so considering the half of the earth's population...considering YouTube is blocked in China,Thailand,Iran and few more countries, how many videos can they monitor?
After all aren't we all are responsible citizens, the responsibility should be with us and not with techno giants, after all what do these poor souls gain from it apart from goodwill! Right!
So go ahead fellas use it or abuse it..its all yours!And next time you find a nice link do share!
Do these sound like problems? Not any more Na! Thanks to those lovely PayPal employees who created the magical world called YouTube and later sold for a whopping billions to google!
Yes all you can think of, YouTube has it. It not only allows you to catch up with your missed TV shows but also allows you to express your views. How Nice! How long have you waited for this? What a nice way to express your love for your favourite movie star or even better what better way to call them names...No one knows who you are... And even if YouTube maintains database of IP addresses and username you use to login. why would they want to hunt you down. You are just one of many. So this gives you complete freedom to let loose.And you are right.
And please don't think YouTube is irresponsible.See when you upload the video it warns you of copyright issues, it warns you against adult contents, Right! But still if you come across such inappropriate content how on earth you expect YouTube to find them so fast...forgot they have videos of anything you can think of, so do your math,one individual equals n thoughts so considering the half of the earth's population...considering YouTube is blocked in China,Thailand,Iran and few more countries, how many videos can they monitor?
After all aren't we all are responsible citizens, the responsibility should be with us and not with techno giants, after all what do these poor souls gain from it apart from goodwill! Right!
So go ahead fellas use it or abuse it..its all yours!And next time you find a nice link do share!
It took me time..
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Earthquake Trilogy
The world of cinema has had some successful trilogies . But the one i am to talk about isn't in midst of space or medieval world. Its in midst of the destruction called Earthquake.
Its a trilogy by simple genius of Kiarostami, often referred to as Earthquake Trilogy.And please do not associate maudlin melodrama and misery and gloomy background score,his movies are anything but these.Kiarostami's films are known for their simplicity and their earnest realism.
The movies have 1990s Iranian earthquake as a backdrop. The Iranian tradition ,language beliefs and faith.
The trilogy starts with 'Where Is the Friend's Home?', story of a conscientious boy who should return his friend's notebook, failure of which may lead to expulsion of his friend. A simple and honest tale.
The second is 'Life and Nothing More'(or Life goes on...), story of the film director and his son who set to find the kid who starred in his movie 'Where Is the Friend's Home?'. During their search they meet a young married couple whose ancestors died in quake but they decided to marry anyway since the dead did not foresee their demise hence they would rather live and marry. The beautiful scene which caught my eye was a women watering a pot of flower in midst of a rubble. Symbol of life and subtle emotions expressed with genuine gestures.
The third is 'Thru the Olive trees', which revolves around the production of movie 'Life and Nothing More' . The movie takes a complicated turn as the simple brick layer Hossein ends up playing the part of groom in the movie , which has his love interest Taherah as bride. The girl who is educated and is recently orphaned is least interested.
The movie ends with him following her through the Olive trees, where he gets an answer..left to our imagination.
My amateur writing is unable to capture the magic that he weaves. Hence i suggest you watch it! The simple conversations ,wit and irony are difficult to ignore. The movie will leave u with a smile and fonder heart.
Ciao!
Its a trilogy by simple genius of Kiarostami, often referred to as Earthquake Trilogy.And please do not associate maudlin melodrama and misery and gloomy background score,his movies are anything but these.Kiarostami's films are known for their simplicity and their earnest realism.
The movies have 1990s Iranian earthquake as a backdrop. The Iranian tradition ,language beliefs and faith.
The trilogy starts with 'Where Is the Friend's Home?', story of a conscientious boy who should return his friend's notebook, failure of which may lead to expulsion of his friend. A simple and honest tale.
The second is 'Life and Nothing More'(or Life goes on...), story of the film director and his son who set to find the kid who starred in his movie 'Where Is the Friend's Home?'. During their search they meet a young married couple whose ancestors died in quake but they decided to marry anyway since the dead did not foresee their demise hence they would rather live and marry. The beautiful scene which caught my eye was a women watering a pot of flower in midst of a rubble. Symbol of life and subtle emotions expressed with genuine gestures.
The third is 'Thru the Olive trees', which revolves around the production of movie 'Life and Nothing More' . The movie takes a complicated turn as the simple brick layer Hossein ends up playing the part of groom in the movie , which has his love interest Taherah as bride. The girl who is educated and is recently orphaned is least interested.
The movie ends with him following her through the Olive trees, where he gets an answer..left to our imagination.
My amateur writing is unable to capture the magic that he weaves. Hence i suggest you watch it! The simple conversations ,wit and irony are difficult to ignore. The movie will leave u with a smile and fonder heart.
Ciao!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Colours
A poem written by me ages back!
Yes, she is green
But not with envy.
Yes, she is blue
But not with pain.
Yes, she is red
But not with anger.
Yes, she is white
But not with fear.
With joy and spirit they paint her soul
With hope and desire they fill her heart
With care and wisdom they stroke her mind
So she wears the colour up on her Being
For not what they imply
For not what they connote!
Yes, she is green
But not with envy.
Yes, she is blue
But not with pain.
Yes, she is red
But not with anger.
Yes, she is white
But not with fear.
With joy and spirit they paint her soul
With hope and desire they fill her heart
With care and wisdom they stroke her mind
So she wears the colour up on her Being
For not what they imply
For not what they connote!
Peace and Quiet
The blog is up and has successfully triggered many emotions all over globe. HK/Bangalore/Mumbai/West coast is congratulatory and thrilled. Phew!!
But the stir is where it always was..three decades later too my dad seems Happy yet skeptical. The conclusion i presume is Padhai Khatam!
Multitasking is an art i have worked hard to acquire.Don't have a strong history to back up on this one...hence i am keeping mum!
Peace and Quiet!
Photo Credit :http://www.cartoonstock.com/cartoonview.asp?catref=jkn0415
But the stir is where it always was..three decades later too my dad seems Happy yet skeptical. The conclusion i presume is Padhai Khatam!
Multitasking is an art i have worked hard to acquire.Don't have a strong history to back up on this one...hence i am keeping mum!
Peace and Quiet!
Photo Credit :http://www.cartoonstock.com/cartoonview.asp?catref=jkn0415
Monday, May 11, 2009
Male domination Girl !
Bravo has a new series. The Fashion Show.
The contestants of which are flamboyant,weird and talented. Their backgrounds ,intriguing even so more.
Day one and i am annoyed and amused by one eclectic and eccentric gay designer, who calls his fashion a finger print , It has an I.D. Interesting! Okai, so he happens to win the Harper's Bazaar mini challenge along with two others and so was the team Lead. "Drum roll".
The challenge starts and the claws are out! Not only our super flamboyant underwear flaunting diva shuts a 23 year old by accusing her of dressing like a 40, he throws the cheesiest line i haven't heard for some time....
"Male Domination girl get used to it"!
Need i say the girl looked confused!
Don't worry sweet heart as u said get your drama queen beauty sleep. Both of you aren't going anywhere soon.
The contestants of which are flamboyant,weird and talented. Their backgrounds ,intriguing even so more.
Day one and i am annoyed and amused by one eclectic and eccentric gay designer, who calls his fashion a finger print , It has an I.D. Interesting! Okai, so he happens to win the Harper's Bazaar mini challenge along with two others and so was the team Lead. "Drum roll".
The challenge starts and the claws are out! Not only our super flamboyant underwear flaunting diva shuts a 23 year old by accusing her of dressing like a 40, he throws the cheesiest line i haven't heard for some time....
"Male Domination girl get used to it"!
Need i say the girl looked confused!
Don't worry sweet heart as u said get your drama queen beauty sleep. Both of you aren't going anywhere soon.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
"है देखने की चीज़ इसे बार बार देख"
"गुलज़ार-ऐ-हस्त-ओ-बूद न बेगाना-वार देख ,
है देखने की चीज़ इसे बार बार देख "
- कलाम इकबाल
है देखने की चीज़ इसे बार बार देख "
- कलाम इकबाल
InshaAllah Kalaam Sahab, aapka kalaam sar aakhoon pe. surprising nahi hai ki gali ki majnoou ke liye yeh takiya kalaam hai!
This is one my fav gazals, i have been listening to it for many months. Sung by old Pakistani singer Ustad Nashnas. Hardly any hindi speaking would be ignorant of the second line though!
Beautifuly sung, its a passionate request, frivolously spoken .....need i say more!
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