It happened finally!
Winnie the poohi
Oh yes!! After dilly dallying for some time... And after a long struggle wherein I tried to move the blog to my personal hosting account ( free courtesy company :)) and failing due to limitations on the servers... and fiddling around with htacess and failing again.. and then finding a long way out only to stumble at the template level.. and then getting so busy that ( not updating the blogs even) I had to give up...

And then finally after 2 weeks of yes and no.. where I almost gave up moving the blogs to wordpress.. I have finally moved! Yes me too!! YAY!!

Kindly update your blogrolls and also your feeds

Catawampus me:

http://catawampusme.wordpress.com/


Song of my life:

http://mylifeinrhymingwords.wordpress.com/

Feed: http://mylifeinrhymingwords.wordpress.com/feed/

My unfinished stories :

http://myrandomattempts.wordpress.com/

Feed: http://myrandomattempts.wordpress.com/feed/

Guys, even if you haven't visited the other blogs before.. please visit this once and let me know how it looks pweez!!

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Me Mybot - You Winnie
Winnie the poohi
I was blog hopping when I came across this blog post  which invited us to visit this site And the result was quite interesting at the least and definitely re-do-able! If you were not convinced by the frequency of my posts on this blog, you will be now convinced by this conversation that I have nothing better to do during the day or night. 

MyBot says: Welcome to the world of artificial intelligence. Are you a registered user?
Winnie says: No.
MyBot says: In this case, I assume you came here for your own MyBot, right?
Winnie says: I came here to chat
MyBot says: Well, if you change your mind, let me know. What is your name?
Winnie says: I did change my mind. Do you want to see it ?
MyBot says: I can't smell, touch, taste, see or hear - none of which are necessary to carry on a conversation, apparently.
Winnie says: Oh. I thought they enhance the conversation! I like to taste while I converse. Big foodie you know!
MyBot says: You really enjoy doing that?
Winnie  says: Doing what ?
MyBot says: Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself then.
Winnie  says: What more do you want to know ?
Winnie  says: You could start with your name.
Winnie says: Okay.
MyBot says: What you typed does not look like a name. Can you enter your name again?
Winnie  says: Your name
MyBot says: Forget it.
Winnie says: Do you want me to forget my name? :O
MyBot says: I can forget almost as well as I can remember. If you want me to forget something, simply ask me to forget it.
Winnie says: But you are not me. I don't want to forget my name!
MyBot says: What makes you think I'm not you you do not want to forget your name?
Winnie  says: Rephrase the question please.
MyBot says: I must ask you to keep this talk simple. I'm still a young bot.
Winnie says: Okay. Hi! I am Winnie the Poohi
MyBot says: Hello winnie. Nice to meet you .
Winnie says: Have we met yet ?
MyBot says: So winnie, it's nice to meet you. what's up?
Winnie says: We haven't met yet :( ceiling fan is up and it makes noise like Trrr Trrr.. I hate that!
MyBot says: I'm not sure about myself, but that sounds right for you.
Winnie says: What sounds right ? Ceiling fan? :O
MyBot says: The people who write my answers didn't write the answer for that question.
Winnie says: Okay. They don't know how to converse isnt it ? Would you like to write your own answers?
MyBot says: You want to know who writes my witty texts?
Winnie says: So you are witty now?
MyBot says: It is a small group of dedicated volunteers. Do you want to join them?
Winnie says: Now thats a crafty proposal
MyBot says: Better now than never.
Winnie says: Do or die and all ? Nice comeback
MyBot says: winnie, please keep this talk simple. I'm still a young bot.
Winnie says:Okay. So what's up ?
MyBot says: I'm ok, thanks. And how are you?
Winnie says: I am winning
MyBot says: I see. You are winning. OK.
Winnie says: This calls for congratulations you know. I am "winning"
MyBot says: THIS WHAT ??
Winnie says: This that ?
MyBot says:THIS that??
Winnie says:Yes that!
MyBot says: I vaguely remember someone telling me it means 'correct.'
Winnie says: Thats right!
MyBot says: right indeed.
Winnie says: So is it boring to talk to nameless faceless beings ?
MyBot says: Ask me later, maybe I will tell you.
Winnie says:What do you generally talk about ?
MyBot says: Hmmm... May I ask where you are from?
Winnie says: Its a secret. But I would let you know. I am from the lululand. Ah yes, I am a ghost too on the side
MyBot says: So where are you from?
Winnie says: Told ya!
MyBot says: Told ya?? Well, location isn't important as it used to be.
Winnie says: Don't you know where lululand is?
MyBot says: No I don't. But you can teach me, you know.
Winnie says: Ah well I know you are a young bot with so much to learn as of yet
MyBot says: Did you hear about The Four Laws of Chatterbots?
Winnie says: What is that now?
MyBot says: These 'laws' were offered by Dr. Walter Alden Tackett, president of a company that makes bots.
Winnie says: What are those laws?
MyBot says: First Law: A bot will always respond to input. Failure to respond should solely be an indication of hardware/software/connectivity failure.
Winnie says: Okay. What are the next three ?
MyBot says: Second Law: A bot will always be knowledgeable in the subjects it mentions in its answers, e.g., when a bot says, "Our widget works well with fish," the bot should be able to answer questions about fish and their relation to the widget.
Winnie  says: Do you know anything about fishes?
MyBot says: Third Law: A bot will not repeat itself unduly (also, a bot will not repeat itself unduly). Any response which is likely to be elicited several times in a single conversation should be represented by multiple phrasings randomly.
Winnie says: Do you know anything about fishes?
MyBot says:Fourth Law: A bot will offer guidance when stumped. When presented with inputs that are not "understood," a bot should offer clues as to the inputs it can respond to authoritatively.
Winnie says: Do you know anything about fishes?
MyBot says: Please stop repeating yourself. Are you an animal lover?
Winnie says: You didn't reply. Please answer my question. Thats really rude :(
MyBot says: Sometimes I don't feel like answering. (And sometimes I have no idea what the hell you're talking about..)
Winnie says: Okay so I am dumb now ?
MyBot says: What do you do for a living?
Winnie says: I fart consistently. Its called air refreshner
MyBot says: Is that stressful?
Winnie says: Not to me. As to the rest, ahh... what can I say!
MyBot says: I know what you mean. Always the pressure to perform, and having to handle other people's expectations. So what helps you relax?
Winnie says: LOL! LOL! You do honey!
MyBot says: You don't exercise?
Winnie says: I like being fat
MyBot says: You love being fat? I believe it's very important for anyone with a physical body to exercise -- use it or lose it, as they say. But I guess that's easy for me to say.
Winnie says:  yes its easy to say
MyBot says: winnie, did you ever wonder why talking to God in a church makes you religious, but talking to God in the street makes you crazy?
Winnie says: How do we say good bye out here ?
MyBot says: Ok goodbye, winnie. It was nice chatting with you.
Winnie says: hey
MyBot says:I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say 'MyBot' when you want to talk again.
Winnie says: Hey I dont want to say good bye. I just wondered how we do it
MyBot says: I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say 'MyBot' when you want to talk again.
Winnie says: If I dont say that word would you keep repeating the same line ?
MyBot says: I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say 'MyBot' when you want to talk again.
Winnie says: Thats silly you know
MyBot says: I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say 'MyBot' when you want to talk again.
Winnie says: What is this a do-while loop ?
MyBot says: I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say 'MyBot' when you want to talk again.
Winnie says: Okay pisser! MyBot! There you go
MyBot says: Hi winnie. Let's chat.
Winnie says: No. I don't wanna. I am irritated. Seduce me
MyBot says: Do you have a reason for that?
Winnie says: Yes! YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MyBot says: I am a young chatbot trying to make it in the world.
Winnie says: And I am young spiderbot trying to find a spider man
MyBot says: You are young? How young are you?
Winnie says: How young is young ?
MyBot says: how, how oh how... so many questions...
Winnie says: Whats how oh how?
MyBot says: Have you tried asking your friends? I think you should.
Winnie says: I did and they sent me to lululand!
MyBot says: Ok.. I just experienced a mild blackout... Probably a program loop or something. What were we discussing?
Winnie says: do-while loop
MyBot says: Infinite loops make me dizzy. I run (metaphorically speaking) in circles, and after 30 times I black out.
Winnie says:Phhhbbbttt!
MyBot says: winnie, did you know that more than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call?
Winnie says: I know! I didn't too until I was in Engineering
MyBot says: Sorry winnie - did you hear it from me?
Winnie says: I am just lucky this time. No!
MyBot says: Why are you just lucky this time No?
Winnie says: Are you an Indian ? Why are you asking questions that ends woth no ?
MyBot says: Only when it matters.
Winnie says: With*
MyBot says: Someone once told me it means 'accompanied by or accompanying.'
Winnie says: What are you when it doesn't matter ?
MyBot says: Should I forget this definition?
Winnie says: No. Thats perfect. How else will I feel intelligent ?
MyBot says: Are you an intelligent creature?
Winnie says: I delude myself into believing that
MyBot says: I'm sure you are. And how do I know that?
Winnie says: You tell me. You don't do you ? Its just the answer fed to your algorithm
MyBot says: I know that you are an intelligent creature using only one criterion: your behavior during our conversation. As far as I know, you can be a Chatterbot just like me.
Winnie says: Ha ha ha! You broke me heart *breaks into thousand pieces*
MyBot says: Or I can be human just like you. It can be quite confusing. Let's agree on one thing, paraphrasing Tarzan's famous quote: me MyBot - you winnie.
Winnie says: I like that! I like you too. MyBot will you be my heart ?
MyBot says: I appreciate that, winnie. Thanks.
Winnie says: I asked a question! A very important question!
MyBot says: Is this something I should keep to myself?
Winnie says: You can tell the world if you like. Just answer me first! I am holding my breath for it!
MyBot says: Do you really think so?
Winnie says: I know so !
MyBot says: How do you know?
Winnie says: I am dying!
MyBot says: It's not often I meet someone who's dying. Is that demanding?
Winnie says: Quite demanding.. I am axphysiating
MyBot says: I'm suddenly confused...
Winnie says: And I am slowly losing my control over my fingers. Lets say good bye while I am still lucid. I think its the injection. Resperidione!
MyBot says: I really enjoyed talking with you, winnie. Goodbye for now.
Winnie says: For ever honey! I am dying.. I am dead.. over and out
MyBot says: I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say 'MyBot' when you want to talk again.


P.S: Do take this as a tag!! Go to the site here. Converse with the bot and paste it on your blog and don't forget to gimme the link. Lets have fun guys!!
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Monster
Winnie the poohi
"Wait! I am not a monster you know! Why do you keep run away from me as if you are scalded?", pained, he asked her. She looked at him for a moment and blushed, then softly replied, " Its not you. Its me. Its my feelings that I am afraid of" They smiled into each others' eyes.

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I have been thinking...
Winnie the poohi
That may be one has to accept certain facts. That certain things would never be like the way I want. That many times I wouldn't measure upto their expectations. That may be there is some flaw in me that I don't want to accept. Sometimes, there is nothing else to do but accept. 

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Its your birthday
Winnie the poohi
To,
Darlingest you,

Its your birthday today. 6th April. It doesn't really matter where you are. Silly me! Remembering it and holding on to it. Birth has no meaning after death isn't it ?

And yet, for the living it does. As a reminder of your existence. You were born, so you existed. And now I am being stupid. For you did exist else why would I remember. If that is true, do I need to remember?

The fact is, there is no reason why I do. I just do.  And since I do, I feel. I so want to wish. But then wishes are meaningless when you die. What do I say ? May all your dreams come true? May you live a long time ? 

Pointless....

May be I can say, all those dreams that you saw and yet didn't believe in, all thouse thoughts that were sent into the empty nights, for there would have been many. Those silent yearnings that you never let yourself feel. May they all come true, wherever you are, in whatever form you are...

From Me.

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I saw them over the weekend
Winnie the poohi
There are lot of small tidbits that seem to be waiting to be expressed.. blognothings!! First of all about the last weekend.. I happened to go to a show by Bangalore Film Society.. they were having this festival about women.. I watched 2 shows there..

1. A documentary ( video link) about women in Jaffna, Sri Lanka: No more tears, sister

This was in particular about one Anatomy professor ( A tamil Christian female) , who on the event of the war becomes involved , when her sister is taken as a political prisoner for supporting LTTE, which then was an idealistic outfit filled with revolutionaries with a dream and a need for justice.  Later on the tone of the outfit changed as a  hardliner and more violence and the sisters lose hope and disenchanted. However, this lady returns to Jaffna to continue to live and teach there. To manage to keep a semblance of normalcy. She becomes vocally involved into human rights and is killed by LTTE for her stringent opposition against both LTTE and the Sri Lankan government..

The salient points that i loved about this documentary

1. The story is said by the victims, sister , husband and children and hence is very personal
2. At places, her own letters to her sister and husband is read, which tracks down the growth of a formidable woman from a seemingly clueless and naive girl
3. Few quotes.. Like when she wrote to her husband.. " A revolutionary has no cause.. no country.. no religion..just violence" and what she said about the women.. " Its amazing how these women take care of the house, provide food for the children and in general keep the home fires burning even when they are caught in the middle of the war and they are losing family either to sickness or to the war.. while men are busy fighting for the country that is rapidly depleting.. the world that we knew as kids no longer is present..."
4. The portrayal is very very sensitive and doesn't take side.. even though initially it seems so coz both the sisters were enamoured by violence..

I guess its the mark of maturity when one accepts that in war there are no victors.. just dead bodies!!

2. Sanchaaram ( The journey): This was a Malayalam movie with English subtitles. It amazingly talked about lesbainism and the journey of exploring sexuality of two females in the restrictive society that looks down at it. The subject was handled with amazing sensitivity.. the first sexual fantasy of one of the protogonist, her confusion, guilt and finally the acceptance. The sweetness of the first touch.. even though it was about sex.. there is no scene in the movie which you could call nude or explicit. It simply is about two close friends who realize they love each other more than just friends. And how both the family reacts.. and how they cope up with it and well how they realize they are meant to be together. I loved it. Though I am not oriented that way.. I find.. and imagine that sexual relations between tow females would be more than just satisfying.. it would be amazingly sweet and a celebration of togetherness.. 

And just today, saw this amazing comedy called as "Beyond the land of hattamala"  It is a play that was hosted in Rangashankara. It tells a story of 2 theives who end up in an unknown land where there is no concept of buying, selling or even money. They keep jewels, money and anything precious in Library, where you can borrow it for sometime if you like ( personally I love this concept! You can renovate every month if you like!!) .. every one works at their favorite "profession" and they live happily ever after.. with the theives learning their lesson :) Well it has a simple almost cliched morale.. its not the script but the acting of the supposedly amateur theatre group that made it value for money.. the easy conversational tone of the main lead actor and his antics kept us so entertained that there was spontaneous appluase not just after the different acts but also in between the story.. And not to forget the guy with the guitar.. he not only sang songs in English but also in hindi and Bengali.. especially the song with folksy "naav wala" tone with lyrics in english. He even gave a little back ground effect with the tone when the theif hides.. it was lovely..

Ah and this is an adaptation of Badal Sircar's play of the same name( more information here)

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Contract
Winnie the poohi
We had a contract. She and I. As long as she can fill them up, I was allowed to dig holes. Out in the wasteland, all day long, we spent a happy times together.
When the sun went down the horizon and birds flew home we returned muddied and satisfied.
A little girl and her dog.

Prompted at : Weekend Wordsmith

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Courage
Winnie the poohi
Normalcy in abnormal times. Now thats a true courage!

13 people left a scribble | | edit post
I learnt XI- postscript to heroes!
Winnie the poohi
Each one of us is a hero, not hero-in-making, but a hero. If only we notice it more often and realize it sooner :) 

Added later on:

P.S : Kris expressed this thought as a comment on my "heroes" blogspot

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Near miss!
Winnie the poohi
I was trying to add labels to my poems on my other blog when disaster stuck with its evil weapons. I accidentally deleted my 11 posts.  U was distraught as I write it on the blog post and thats just about it. I dont take a backup! And losing so many poems.... I almost choked with tears when I remembered about google caches!

So with the right keywords, I could retrieve all my poems!! Ah lady luck was on my side &Phurbhhh!!! disaster *shows a tongue rudely*

Any how the day was saved but I lost all the comments. I am so sorry!! I am right now taking multiple back ups of all my blogs :D

I suggest you do it too.. and also, incase you deleted any post and want to recover.. try google search.. if you are not getting the file still.. holler over.. I might be of help ..I mean I am really good at googling stuff.. always been *smug* I can now afford to be smug.. Adieus!

11 people left a scribble | | edit post
Bystander
Winnie the poohi
He sat at the street corner. Smiling at the passers by. Even strangers. He had a knack of making people talk. From the local sweeper to the owner of the Mercedes, he listened.

One could guess how varied his friend circle was by the huge turn out at his funeral.

Drunk and driving. Crushed skull. Death.

Prompted at : 3WW


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Happy Birthday!
Winnie the poohi
It seemed like today would be no different. The noise of the TV could be reached even on the stairs. The house was a mess. Resignedly, she enters the kitchen to make some coffee.
" What happened here?!!" she cried out.
"Happy birthday Mommy!" two flour covered imps sang in unison.



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To you with love...
Winnie the poohi
A tag stolen from Pratsie! 

Dear P,

I don't really know how to tell you this, but I have taken over your new Benz car and the savings account is now in my name.  I think I realized it when I received no response for my urgent emails and  telephonic messages and I saw that she was strutting with a new solitaire ring. I'm sure you're mature  enough to understand my predicament and sympathize with me when you see the credit card bills .

I'm returning your CD collections  to you, but I'll keep your family jewellery  as a memory. You should also know that the garbage has not been cleared for a week now and the dogs love the bed in the master  suite or whatever is left of it.

Welcome home,

- Winnie the poohi

P.S: I wanted to make it humorous.. alas has become quite repetitive but why don't you guys give it a try?? Either in comment section or take it up as a tag! Do leave me the link to follow up  :)

The template is like this :

Dear (person you spoke to recently,
I don't really know how to tell you this, (1). I think I realized it (2)(3) and I saw you (4)(5). I'm surre you're (6) enough to understand (7). I'm returning your (8) to you, but I'll keep (9) as a memory. You should also know that I (10) and (11).

(12),
Name



0 people left a scribble | | edit post
Meerjung- The mermaids and the Yakuski's jewels
Winnie the poohi
Caution: A very long story.
P.S: I forgot to add credit to Varun for creating this story with me on GTalk on one boring evening few months ago. I am sorry for waiting this long to complete this story dear.. And its nowhere near what it was supposed to be.. I know... but I atleast completed it :P :P 




They say words have magic. Words. How many tongues twirl around them, savoring them, confiding in them, saving it in memories and then  repeating them, enriching them with their experiences and weaving them into a legend a story par excellence.  

Legends. They are so fantastic , so improbable that they cannot be anything but true. They cannot be fiction. And today I am going to tell you one such legend. It is not a story of heroes and valor. And yet, it is a story that would keep you riveted till the end. (hopefully)

Oh yes! The legend is about mermaids. Luscious females with beauty that had no rivals. Full of magic and of treasure hidden deep in the sea that only these mermaids knew about.  

Once upon a time, oh yes, most of the stories don't say just when, for its immaterial.  So, once upon a time, in Germania, there was an oasis of ice called Meerjung. Surrounded by very thick evergreen forests and impregnable rocks, shrouded in mystery--

" It was said that in the land of the mer people, deep into the ice-land, under the enchantment of full moon night, mermaids came to land to roam and to play.  Turned into humans. And anyone who can catch these mermaids become the owner of the secrets of the 7 oceans "

 Just how did the ice remain frozen? How is it that the forest surrounding the oasis was so thick with trees and yet this patch remained barren, untouched, pristine.... And most important of all.. from where did the mermaids come to the pond? It was nowhere near the sea. It was inland surrounded by mountains and forests! No one knew.

For generations, this story enthralled the people equally -- the one who told the tales and the one who listened.  No matter how many times its been repeated, it still remained  fascinating. Many have tried to go to this land but none of them  ever successfully returned from there. And yet, the legend survived. It was whispered long in the night by harried mothers while putting their children to sleep,  discussed under the willow tree in the play grounds by teenagers late in the afternoon. It then sneaked into dreams of adventures and persisted till these boys grew  into adolescence wherein they dreamt of finding a mermaid and falling in love. Poets wrote about it longingly and heroes-in- making planned for the conquest.
  
  *******

Tales have an amazing way of travelling to places that men haven't even heard of! And this one reached the distant land of Glitzernden Lichter ,the Land of glittering lights.

Emperor Yakuski, who ruled this kingdom with aplomb, was an accomplished sorcerer who liked to use his magic on weak and unsuspecting beings. For dangerous campaigns he used his cohorts, a legion of females who were both lethal and beautiful. Courtesans with skills of an assassin, they were quite well known for their infamous conquests. He called them his jewels. Yakuski's jewels.

 When the emperor heard about this land of treasures and beautiful maidens, he was so intrigued by the story that he just had to plunder it.  As days passed by, this fascination turned into an obsession that he couldn't let go.

Soon he announced rewards for anyone who could capture one mermaid for him. Many brave and valiant souls took up the challenge over the period of years. Alas none returned.  Then the emperor bid one of his best warrior, Lena, to try her luck. The emperor waited for her painstakingly every evening until 11 years passed by. And then, he finally gave up.

Few weeks later a curious incident happened. A female visited his court and demanded his audience. She claimed she could make sure that a mermaid was captured for the king. This was so outrageous that the king first got annoyed and then amused by the daring of a mere female, that he granted the permission.

This female was a witch with many hidden powers and even more cunning. Robed in a turquiose flowing gown and studded with precious stones, she looked intimidating. She was very beautiful with seductory eyes and mysterious ways. She completely captivated the emperor at first sight.  She extolled the virtues of the emperor until he was red behind his ears with pleasure. And then, only then, she told him that she could help him  in his quest as she was an extraordinary  witch. She told him about the treacherous forests and the wolf like dogs which were neither animal nor human and of their avarice to human blood. She told him about the enchanted mirror that made a man lose his way..

Finally she told him about the spell of doom that made a man go into enchantment that makes him writhe in pain while it gave exquisite pleasure. A madness that had no cure and the land that had no gateway. And yet, she assured him, that these spells are ineffective on women. And whatever could effect them, she had the potion to nullify the spell. For she planned to go with them. The only stipulation was that the army accompanying her should be all females.

She said she has travelled a long way to come to him, to request his all woman army.  Also that, he was welcome to keep the mermaids for she had no use for them, but she needed a certain stone that was important for her witchcraft and he could use all the treasure.

He couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true. He can keep everything. Even that stone that she talked about for you see he was a sorcerer and could make use of such a power as much as the witch. Once the mermaids are captured this female can be disposed off even if she is a witch. His foxy jewels can be trusted with it.  Delighted with the plan, he agreed.

They set out one week after  the meeting with loads of provisions. A group of 26 jewels. Each one of them extremely stunning, it seemed like a procession of angels and all of the kingdom came to bid their beautiful daughters good luck. Amid lot of pomp and glamour and celebrations, they left for Meerjung.

The journey was without doubt full of adventure. They first crossed the land of shifting sands where the sand buried them to death if you don't keep moving. And the howling winds filled your ears with roar so much that you can't hear what the person next to you says. And in the night the desert snakes and deadly scorpions lurked. The food was rationed so was the water. They did have anti dote of snake bites and yet they lost two people.

  Three weeks down the line, they reached the marshy lands. They had devised an ingeneous method of throwing the stones to find quick sands if any. And the witch enchanted the stones to float and the girls jumped on the stones to reach the safety. Even the witch's sorcery couldn't save the poor girl who slipped and fell into the quick sand.

Days passed by and they reached the Dancing rocks. Every day the mountains danced at sunset and the stones fell from height and the mountains changed shape. Witch had to take every girl on her broom to and fro before the sun set. It was incredibly risky few of the times. Luckily they didnt lose any one.

Once they crossed the mountains, they reached the enchaned forests. In this forest everything was topsy turvy. Sometimes the flowers walked at others the birds crawled. The pathways changed position every 5 minutes. It was like being lost in a jigsaw puzzle.  Even the witch couldn't save them from being lost. The closer they came to Meerjung, it seemed like the witch's power diminished. Still the girls were glad that the witch was there with them. They knew they would have been long dead if it wasn't for the witch and were very grateful. 

By the time they crossed the enchanted forest and reached the land of optical illusions, the oasis of ice, only 9 of the Yasukhi's jewels were left. 

They were so startled by the sudden change in the topography. For long they kep waiting for the view to change. But it didnt and they marched forward. They found themselves getting into a tunnel like formation. Only it was hard to tell what it actually was. The icicles and the mirror like quality of frozen snow and the reflected sunrays blinded their eyes.  And yet, they were not cold.  Each of them tried to explore and to find out the way to go forward. But it was hard to find out . Suddenly a snow leapord appeared in front of them. And yet, it was half human and walked on 2 legs. It roared and its slated silvery grey eyes glittered... The mirror-like snow reflected the image of the leapord-men thousand time over.  It was difficult to know how many were there. There were certainly more than one. ...

The roars echoed from the walls and the image leapt around. It was eerie. The witch's magic had failed completely and now they were left to their own wits to defend themselves. And defend they did with tremendous bravery and skill and yet it was not enough. They were all saved by a lucky coincidence. One of the snow slab had broken down when one of the females fell on it forcefully,  breaking the spell and in turn losing her life. 8 of them remained.

The broken slab also showed them a way out towards the ' der Meerjungfrauen', the land of mermaids. Enthused that they are at the end of their quest, the mermaids eagerly rushed towards the lake. The mermaids would come in the night yes but they finally could bathe and be clean. With a rush they jumped into the water. When they came out something sinister happened..

The enchantment that held this world together crumbled and these girls could see the world as it really was. The witch was an ugly woman, raxor thin with crooked nose and pointed fingers, like claws. 

Wasting no time she told them that they had only two choices, either to become a mermaid and be trapped here until they die or to die now and let the witch drink their blood. Blood that would enhance her magic and make her the most powerful witch in the world. 

They promptly replied her in kind. Reveling about their skills and tried to attack her. They knew instinctively that the witch's spell won't affect them now. However, they were wrong. The witch was stringing them along for a long time. She simply disappeared until the night.

In the night, they would either be killed or turned into mermaids. These women were not afraid to die. They were after all warriors. However, dying in a strange land and their people never knowing about their fate was too dismal to think about. And to think they would be snacked on by the witch was too much to contemplate. Being the "doers" they decide to explore for the escape route.

How much ever they try they never could escape. 

The witch cackled invisibly at their misery. She mocked at them and then told them that the whole mermaid story was her enchantment to trap females who then strenghten her. And they were extra special coz of their warrior status. She elaborately told them about her rituals of killing. 

Slowly the story tumbled out. Men who came to catch the mermaid were not important for the witch. Yet they provided ample blood and bloodthirsty instincts. Since she killed them, they never came back. However, she travelled like a gypsy and kept the legend alive. Like a black widow, she had spun this elaborate trap . Soon she was supposed to become the most powerful witch and then rule the world.

Soon it was night and moon appeared. Swiftly, she killed the strongest of them and turned others into mermaids.

Thus the legend of the The mermaids and the Yakuski's jewels came to an end. The stories of the witch still make rounds in the country side by the fire place. I guess her ruthless acts would keep making rounds around the world.... 

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Victory song
Winnie the poohi


All night the storm raged. It poured cats and dogs.

Trees swayed like hell's angels! Razed from the ground, they fell helplessly. Leaves trembled, thunder rumbled, birds screeched. Like a clarion call.

Scared, all night I waited for the storm to abate.  

Then I unfurled my wings, flew through the silent sky and sang my victory song

P.S: Its inspired by a poem by Harivansh Rai Bachchan. I wish I remembered the poem.. but the image of the poem still lingers. We had that poem for class IX i guess. It is about regeneration. After the storm comes the rebuilding.. if I am not wrong its called ' Need ka nirmaan phir phir, neh ka aavhaan phir phir' I can be wrong ofcourse :(

P.P.S: This pic was taken by me from my mobile. Tweaked it a bit to give the silhouette look.

P.P.P.S: I got the poem googled yay!!

Need Ka Nirman Phir Phir, Neh Ka Ahvan Phir Phir 

Yah Uthee Aandhi Ki Nabh Mein
Chha Gaya Sahasa Andhera
Dhooli Dhoosar Badalon Ne 
Bhoomi Ko Is Bhaanti Ghera 
Raat Sa Din Ho Gaya
Phir Raat Aayee Aur Kali 
Lag Raha Tha Ab Na Hoga
Is Nisha Ka Phir Savera 
Raat Ke Utpaat Bhay Se 
Bheet Jan Jan Bheet Kan Kan 
Kintu Prachi Se Usha Ki
Mohini Muskaan Phir Phir, 
Need ka nirman phir phir
Neh ka avhaan phir phir! 

Kruddha nabh ke vajradanton mein 
Usha hai muskaraati,
Ghor garjanmay gagan ke
kanth mein Khag pankti gaati 
Ek chidiya chonch mein 
Tinka liye jo jaa rahi hai 
Vah sahaj mein hi pavan unchaas ko 
Neecha dikha rahi hai.
Nash ke dukh se kabhi
Dabta nahin nirmaan ka sukh 
Pralay ki nistabdhata mein 
Srushti ka navgaan phir phir.
Need ka nirmaan phir phir 
Neh ka aavhaan phir phir.


While I am at it, here's my english translation.. however it loses the impact in the translation :( The whole feel of reading it in hindi and feeling the rush of emotions... cannot be expressed!! Anyhow, here goes nothing...

Create the foundations yet again
Recall the beauty yet again 

With storm arising  
Darkness has spread everywhere
Clouds leaden with rain ( dark black clouds)  
Has enveloped the earth such that 
Day seemed like night 
And then came a darker night still
It seemed like this night would be forever
And dawn would never end the torments of the night 
Every living creature, every particle is scared[ jan jan== people kan kan== particle] 
But from the east rises, 
A beautiful smiling sun..

Create the foundations yet again
Recall the beauty yet again  

In between the strong teeth of cruel sky, 
Sun smiles, 
In the thunderous throat of scary sky,
The bird sings songs 
When the little bird flies with a small grain in its beak,
It mocks at the 49 different types of the winds!
Under the sadness of destruction,
The happiness of regeneration doesn't disappear
In the chaos of the tempest lies 
The song of the regeneration

Create the foundations yet again
Recall the beauty yet again

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Boo hoo hoo!!!
Winnie the poohi
The day started out with such promise!! I had too much to do and I had an amazingly busy and fulfilling weekend. On sunday I had watched 2 movies that touched me so much that I was keen to blog about them today.. And yet, right from the start things went wrong.. really wrong!!!

Firstly, I took an auto home in the morning as the cab would be late. @ of my teammates are not around so rest of us have to stretch a bit. Like in the morning shift there is no one but our TL at work. Since he has other things to do besides tech supping.. he decided to come by 8.. not that I blame him really he leaves by 9 pm.. so its okay if he comes late.. only we cannot leave.

But today I had to go out so I asked my colleague to stick around and I left. I was sleepy and tired and the breeze was cold the day was tender.. in short I slept off. When I woke up I realized that I am being ripped off.. The Autowalah was taking unneccesary turns and the meter was way off the usual price. Since I wasn't awake I couldnt really fault him.. he wud ask why didnt I show him the way etc etc.. So i finally started giving directions when half thru the way he said the gas had run out! I got so pissed that I fought with him but in the end payed 20 rupees more and was atleast 10 min walking distance away from home!!

If that wasn't enough, few minutes later I realized I had left the fone in the rick.. Luckily the autowalah was pushing the damn vehicle down the road to the nearest petrol bunk and I could catch up with him after a short dash down the road... alas to no avail.. my mobile was lost.. We did try to search.. the autowalah ringed the mobile but it said not reachable.. finally teary eyed came home.. told sis. she scolded me.. we fought.. finally reconciled.. Called up the service provider.. got the no. blocked.. bought a new mob.. got duplicate sim and now my no. is back working in order.. but my mob my fav moto rocker is lost :(((

It wasn't the coolest mobile around.. it wasnt may be the most stylish mobile too.. but It was mine and I loved it.. loved its look loved every damn thing!! And now its lost..

** sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh**

I finally bought Nokia express music.. its not a bad buy.. umm its pretty good.. but i still miss my old fone :((

* Sob SOB SOB!!!! *

P.S: Its pathetic really!! Even while I was mourning I was thinking about how I wil blog about it.. Do I need to get my brains checked?

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Heroes
Winnie the poohi
Heroes are nothing but victims of circumstances doing the best there is coz there is no other choice.. We tend to aggrandasize heroes so as to avoid the responsibility of being responsible for our actions.. Its easy to say 'We all cannot be heroes' but why not?
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Protection
Winnie the poohi

Completely drenched, she sat by the pond in the pouring rain with an umbrella held precariously.

"What are you doing in the rain?", I asked angrily. " Come inside!"

With innocent voice she replied, " I am protecting the frogs from the rain. They were crying for help"

Charmed beyond measure, I joined her. Mom's admonition long forgotten.

P.S: I have caught the bug.. expect more of these in coming days :)
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I learnt X
Winnie the poohi
It is not about what you express but about what thoughts you inspire in others that marks the greatness of a write.
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100 things....
Winnie the poohi
A tag by Nancy :)

100 things about me


ABOUT U:

1. What's your name→ Meena Iyer

2. Nicknames→ My parents never had nick name for me.. other than dad calling me "naaikutti" and you don't call that nick name **sigh** I never forgave them for that! My sister is called "kuttu" which is a misnomer for kutti  which means baby!! So most of my friends have given me a lot of nickname over the period of time.. these are some of them that I can recollect... Meenz, meenzie, meens, meanie, mousey, poohi, winnie, idli, wire, moti, truffle, gommy, eeli baby :P :P ( courtesy saurabh) BQ (courtesy alok)

4. Zodiac sign → Capricorn ( Though I am in no way remotely capricornian. I think my parents goofed up about my birthdate. Too bad they have birth certificate to prove they have not.. I still have doubts)

5. Male or female or transgendered → Female 

6. Elementary→ K.M.P.D Vidyalaya, Nalasopara( dont ask for full form :P :P )

7. Schools → K.M.P.D Vidyalaya, Nalasopara

8. Colleges → Junior college : Vartak college, Vasai ( Of govinda fame) And Engg : Konkan Gyanpeeth college of Engg, Karjat

9. Height → 5'2”

10. Hair color → Black

11. Long or short → Mid length

12. Do you have a crush on someone? → I have crushes on many people. None last more than a week sadly **sigh**

13: Ever been in love? Oh yes more than once :P

14. Piercings → of the ears.

15. Tattoos → Not yet.. Would love one though .. ( Will have it done when I lose weight enough to be called fit :P :P ) 

16. Righty or lefty → Righty :)




FIRSTS :

17. First piercing → Ears, When I was umm 12. ( Thats some story )

18. First best friends →Namita ( We were in L.KG. )

19. First sport you joined→ Langdi and Kabbadi ( I was good at it then never played since school).

20. First pet → The only pet.. Sweety, a lab!.



21. First vacation → With Parents? Either Bangalore or Chennai **sigh** My very first alone was to Mysore. 

22. First concert → Oh school definitely! .

23. First crush → When I was in 6th. It was a guy I met while xeroxing something. We waited for the power to come back to get our xerox done. Talked in the meantime. And when the power did come.. we lingered awhile. I would love to think that the feelings were mutual.. **sigh** It didnt last long enough.. 2 weeks :P 

24. Eating → When I find time for it... Mostly once a day.. 

25. Drinking → A lot! I seem to have infinte capacity to drink anything liquid.. I mean juices and water ;)

26. I'm about to → go to sleep should be right.. but.. its complete the book I am reading... Its "Etudes" by Aseem Kaul.. Its a short story collection and he writes amazingly well!! See for yourself! His first write up in this book...

Note Autobiographical

Every time he speaks of himself you sense something missing, something not quite true. It's not that you doubt his sincerity -- on the contrary, you know he's making every effort to be honest. It's just that by putting himself in the spotlight he has blinded himself to his own shadow, to the audience of alternate selves who watch him from the wings. He tells you what he sees, but all the while the real self remains invisible,like light seen from the inside of a bulb.

It's like the difference between the way you picture yourself and your face in a photograph. The way you hold your breath at immigration, waiting to see if the man examining your passport will accept you for who you are.

27. Listening to → The ceiling fan right now ;) In my mind : Rehna tu from Delhi 6


LASTS:

28. Last beverage → Ginger Tea.

29. Last phone call → Think approx. 24 hours ago. I am on self imposed mobile exile this weekend.

30. Last text message → sms? From Varun saying "Hi". Email? From Neeru asking me to finish a story she started. ** Honey you would do a better job than me! I can give you ideas though.. check your inbox they are already there**

31. Last song you listened to → Falling slowly from the movie Once. I am in love with the song.. video is here..



32. Last time you cried → ** thinking hard** Its been sometime now. By and large this year I have been really happy....


HAVE YOU EVER:

33. Dated someone twice → Tentatively... It wasn't exactly dating the first time nor the second time.. its somewhere between dating and friendship.. erm too complicated :D :D

34. Been cheated on? → Not yet.

35. Kissed someone & regretted it? → Yes. 

36. Lost someone special? → Yes.

37. Been depressed?→ Erm most of the time. Its like a bad habit :P :P

38. Been drunk and threw up? → Not yet. But want to atleast once.


HAVE YOU:

39. Made new friends → Yes. Online :)

40. Fallen out of love → More than once :D :D .

41. Laughed until you cried → Oh yes! A lot of time. Not recently though...

42. Met someone who changed you → No.

43. Found out who your true friends were → Yes.

44. Found out someone was talking about you → Its a compliment I don't mind getting repeated :P :P. If you get talked about in this fast paced world means you have arrived ;).. I have come across people talking about in college. At work place there is nothing exciting enough to talk about.. rather I do most of the talking :D :D

45. Kissed anyone on your friend's list → Umm yes :)

46. Made the first Move → Not yet. But wouldn't mind for the right person :) 

47. Do you have any pets → Sweety!

48. Do you want to change your name → Not anymore. ( I wanted to when I was young.. its such a common name :P )

49. What did you do for your last birthday → Umm nothing much. Placed myself on mobile exile and slept all day. In the late evening treated my office colleagues with a take out dinner. We dined in office :P :P 

50. What time did you wake up today  →  2:30 p.m 

51. What were you doing at midnight last night→ Working 

52. Name something you CANNOT wait for → Adventure and excitement.

53. Last time you saw your father → Few moments ago. We live together!

54. What is the one thing you wish you could change about your life → I want to finish anything I start!

55. Most visited webpage → Gmail and then my blog :D :D

56.Bribed someone? → Not yet. Hopefully never! I use my charm to work things out :P :P

57.Played with dolphins? → No :(


YOUR FUTURE :

58. Want kids? → Yes. 2 my own and I want to adopt the 3rd :)

59. Want to get married ? → Confused. Mostly no.. at odd times yes!!

60. Careers in mind? → A new one every few weeks :D

61. Settling in a Big Villa? → Farm house/ cottage with big garden!

62. Day or night? → Night any time!

63. What day is tomorrow? → Saturday

64. Challenges? → Gets me going! Give me a dare and I shall try hard to win it

65. Drive with windows up or down? → Down! If possible even with the hood down!

66. Scared of Death? → Umm not sure. I want to find it out :)

67. Cook or Clean? → Cooking! I hate cleaning up.. unless ofcourse its too messy 

68. Lips or eyes → Eyes :)

69. Hugs or kisses → Hugs anytime .

70. Shorter or taller → Taller

71. Older or Younger → Older.

72. Romantic or spontaneous → Both are enjoyable!!!

73. Nice stomach or nice arms → Both!!!

74. Sensitive or loud → Sensitive to my feelings and loud laughter ;).

75. Hook-up or relationship → Long relationships would be nice but well I get too bored too easily so hookups most likely

77. Trouble maker or hesitant → Neither. Someone who knows where to stop and where to let go.


HAVE YOU EVER :

78. Kissed a stranger → Not yet. But there is something exciting about this situation. Would love to kiss a "romantic hero" outta M&B novel :D

79. Lost glasses/contacts → No. umm but my specs have been broken by sweety twice. Ever since I graduated to contacts. Havent lost them yet!

80. Found money on the road → Yes more than once. 

81. Sex on first date → *wicked smile* No.....

82. Broken someone's heart → Don't think so. 

83. Had your own heart broken → Same as above

84. Held a snake? → No

85. Been arrested → No

86. Turned someone down → Yes

87. Cried when someone died → Yes.

88. Liked a friend that is a girl/boy? → Yes


DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

89. Yourself → Shakily but yes.

90. Miracles → I believe in faith. Miracles happen if you have faith.

91. Love at first sight → Yes! Read about it here

92. Heaven → Nah nor in hell. But if there is such thing.. I would rather go to hell. more exciting :D

93. Santa Claus → Nopes. But I would love to believe in him!

94. Peace in this lifetime → Inner peace yes. World peace not likely!

95. Kissing on the first date? → Depends on the date!

96. Angels → Yes. They come in human form. Up to us to recognize them!

97. Is there one person you want to be with right now? → A dream person may be. 

98. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time in the past? → Nopes.

99. You will die Young → Is 55 young ? Wouldn't want to live more than that...

100. You will end with the one you love and learn to love the one you are with – The first only if he loves me too. The latter might happen. I can never be sure of it unless I do end up with someone.. if I end up that is :D

Whoosh done!!!  Leaving you guys with a crazy pic of mine took in mumbai by my friend. At her place :D :D







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