WeLaugh when WeChat :)

My sister has gotten me hooked on to all these new gadgets and apps! Now that I have a smartphone, internet is being surfed effortlessly, Facebook is being updated regularly, e-mails are being answered promptly and chat groups are being rocked regularly. My new obsession is Friend groups on Chatting apps. My beloved friends and family spread across the world are constantly subjecting each other with their news, voices and videos, but ofcourse nobody is complaining!

So now when I saw a new contest on Indi, courtesy WeChat, about having a chat group on my smart phone, I was so excited! I have been thinking about it all the time and had to write two entries since I’m bubbling with ideas! Well, one thing is for sure - this chat group will clearly be an awesome one filled with fun and laughter.

Want to know who is on Canary’s version of Ocean’s five? My WeChat group will have the naughty and adorable Calvin (yes, of Calvin and Hobbes fame), the gluttonous lazy Garfield, the beautiful dreamy little mermaid, the brave and yet goofy Popeye and the mischievous cute Jerry (from Tom and Jerry)! I think life is short and as clichéd as it may sound, it is not well lived if not in the company of loved ones, laughing, sharing and having fun! And who else can we have better fun with than these timeless cartoon characters that can lift your spirits whenever you are low, make you laugh when you need it, help you bond with friends, show you a new way of looking at things and telling you that at the end of it nobody gets out of life alive. My WeChat buddies will always have a smile on their faces, lighten up any moment and make my world even more wonderful! I will be elated to have all you guys on this group too and can surely promise you endless joy :)

So what do you think this group be like? What riots do you expect, what hilarities do you imagine?! Let me show you a small and simple slice of their chat:

p.s. Wrote this post for WeChat, a snazzy new way to connect!

p.p.s. Though my lack of skill at the video software did not allow me to add further audio, effects and animation to make it more than the basic version that it seems right now, but still this has to be the toughest post I have ever put up. But then, also the most entertaining! :)

Bell bajao! Because you can make a difference.

Enough has been said about violence everywhere. And violence of any kind. Whether be against women in the Delhi incident, in Kashmir through militant action, in Turkey through police brutalities or in Karnataka through political manipulations. I have been thinking a lot about it, especially each time I read a harrowing story in the newspaper or watch a bloody saga on the TV. Each time I find my eyes swollen with tears or my heart in pain, I ask myself if I am taking the easy route out by just sitting in my living room and venting my emotions.

Should I step out there and do what it needs to stop this violence? Should I take part in the actions against the violence and then earn myself the right to even cry over it? Yes, I should, ideally. But will I be much good at it? Am I somebody who will be good at mobilizing people on the streets, visiting slums and educating women on their rights, talking to school children and telling them the difference between right touch / wrong touch or marching against police / political exploitation rampant everywhere?

Honestly, no. Probably the best I can do is express myself through words. I can voice out what I have been observing in the world through them medium of blogs, social networking, mails and discussions. And then hope that whoever needs to read it, will read it. And some of those who read it, will get affected. And some of the affected ones will be prompted to take an action. And each of them will chose what is that best way in which they can make a difference, in which they can stop this mindless violence that is killing our human spirit slowly, every day. So this is the way I will ring a bell. I promise to write and voice every time I notice something that should not happen, that is a stigma on humanity and goodness, that needs to be told, sung or cried out. And you?

Please do check out Bell Bajao's webpage as there is a lot more you and I do to salvage goodness and humanity and make this world a giant loving familyP

The vintage magic

I have been planning a farewell bash for one of my friends who is moving abroad. Now this a chick who loves her music, dance and colors. So as I sat down to plan a party for her, I thought what better theme than Bollywood! And since I always like to do things a little differently, I thought of retro Bollywood instead of today’s loud and garish trends. Here is what everything including the ambience, entertainment, location and food will look like:

Location: My beloved living room that has enough capacity to swallow a crowd.

Ambience / Decorations: My husband has these cool vintage records that will add well to the ambience. I will make strings of them and hang them around, now that there is no player to actually play them. Last Sunday I went to the nearby party store and picked up some 70s looking disco balls that will pump up the décor. These will help me create a disco dance floor space complimented by some colored lights which I will make by pasting translucent paper to my regular lights and bulbs. The retro décor will make my chief guest and all the other guests feel like they have stepped back in time. As a cherry on the icing, I plan to organize a best costume contest as it will help me make everyone dress in the 60s and 70s style!

Food: If I want it to looks realistically retro, I will have to tie the theme into the menu. I googled a bit and realized that the 70s were simpler times, so serving nostalgic, simple dishes will work great for this theme. Firstly, there will be some classic vintage cocktails and what is vintage more than a martini! For finger good, there will be lots of cheese puffs, chips, samosas and chicken wings to take care of both the vegetarians and the non vegetarians. For the main course, again I will fall back on Kitchens of India again just because they are so reliable and will take off a load off my back. Also, after drinks and appetizers, most of my friends hardly eat anything. Since the chief guest is a proud Tam will a lineage of awesome Chettinad food, I will get atleast 10 packets of Chicken Chettinad and 5 packets of Paneer Darbari. With some ghee rice prepared easily at home, I will be all set for a lip-smacking feast!

Entertainment a.k.a. Music: Well, isn’t this the easiest? Retro music was magical and I just have to pick any 50 songs off the internet or my own playlists and play them on loop. All the favorite artists of my spunky girl are going in there: Steely Dan, The Beach Boys, Diana Ross, Bee Gee’s, Marvin Gaye, Barry White and K.C. and Abba.

Thanks to awesome Google tips, Indiblogger and Kitchens of India, I am ready to have a groovy time at my retro farewell party!

Canary and all her eye candies!

Group chatting is so much fun! It is like the world is being brought closer every second. You are in office and you want to share a spicy little tid-bit with all your girlfriends? Voila! You have chat groups on your smart phones that make it easy and exciting! WeChat – the new way to connect – is one of the better apps that lets you connect faster and smoother! So when they asked us this....

If you could connect with 5 or more people in a WeChat group - who would they be, and why? What would you talk about? The people can be dead, alive or even fictional.

.....I just had to participate! And I decided to bring in the heartthrobs of all times and all geographies together for my exclusive little soiree ;) So, ladies (though I am sure men love these heartthrobs as much too), here are the members of my WeChat group:

Brad Pitt from America: He has to be on this list and if you have seen The fight club, Ocean’s Eleven, Snatch, Burn After Reading (and the list goes on and on and on), you will know what I mean. Born on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri, Brad is a global icon.

Daniel Day-Lewis from Britain: He is the only person in film history to win the Oscar award for Best Actor three times. Born in London, England, he is the second child of Cecil Day-Lewis (A.K.A. Nicholas Blake) (Poet Laureate of England) and his second wife, Jill Balcon. This man stands out for his phenomenal talent and so I wanted him in the group.

Féodor Atkine from France: Born in Paris of Russian-Polish descent, he has had a career in European cinema and television since the early 1970s, and made occasional appearances in English-language films, notably as the Russian gangster "Mikhi" in Ronin, and as Woody Allen's brother in Love and Death.

Stefano Accorsi from Italy: Stefano Lelio Beniamino Accorsi (born 2 March 1971) is an Italian actor. Accorsi was born in Bologna. He graduated from Bologna's Theatrical School in 1993, and acted in the theatre for several years before moving to cinema. In 1995 he played the lead in Jack Frusciante è uscito dal gruppo, one of his best known films.

Shahrukh Khan from India: To all of us from this land, this man needs no introduction. Hamming as he perfects, he does know how to win hearts. Probably for a lot of girls under 25, he may be an uncle, but for those who grew up learning about love in the 90s, he was the man.

So, lets see when these eye candies get together on my Wechat group, what sparks fly!

Errrr, there seems to be some error in transmission! Gentlemen, look here, if you please! This is my WeChat group. Yes, here! Right, oh! You never realized I was here?

Now we're talking, boys! OK OK, I will give hugs to all of you.

WeChat, you're amazing! ;)