The Voice In My Head…

In a sort of a silly mood & thought I’d share with you guys some of the nicknames people call/have called me over the years:

(01) Veronica Lodge / Ronnie - Have no idea why I got stuck with this nick at school, but there you have it. Assure you I am not a spoilt little conceited brat. Am glamour, style, culture and class, all wrapped up in one stunning package though

(02) Trapper - This was around the time M*A*S*H was being aired on TV. We all loved it at school & we each was assigned a character closest to our own personality. My best friend & I were Hawkeye & Trapper respectively, as leaders & pranksters of the gang. The shortest in our group got to be ‘Radar’, the bustiest ‘Hot Lips’ etc. Feel bad for poor N who because no other character was left, got called ‘Klinger’

(03) Mala D - This wasn’t widely used (praise God). Got this nick from a very naughty little boy who lived down the street from me about 15 years ago. He found out that Mala D was the name of a contraceptive & shared it with all the boys. Of course at that age it was unbelievably funny that my name sounded so similar. Recently met up with one guy from the group & we were having a drink & catching up when he suddenly goes “Mala D… do you remember??” Yeah, like I could forget. Sigh.

(04) Princess - This one is used especially to tease me because I have some very minute quirks (eg: I don’t like to eat in open restaurants) which I have Very Good reasons for but I still get rilled at by my ‘friends’. Recently got it tattooed in Chinese on my right arm during my last holiday in Goa

(05) Smiley - There was this one guy who liked me, way back in school & he told his friends “I love her smile”. Unfortunately for me, that was the time the song “I love your smile” by Shanice was on the charts & I had everyone singing it to me when he was around.

The nick Smiley really caught on in college though, when one guy K* started calling me that. He was part of this huge group and soon it pretty much spread.

Subsequently, have had a whole lot of people over a period of time call me this. I’ve even had strangers come upto me & tell me I have a beautiful smile (or something like that) & people in church who I’ve never talked to before come and say to me “It’s so great that you’re always smiling”. And I usually say “Really? Well, I was called ‘Smiley’ the whole of college”

(06) My darling Nana whom I love calls me “Melsy Wells” and “My graaaaaaaaaaaaaand daughter” She has Alzheimer’s now though, so I’m happy even if she recognises me. The nicks always adds a big smile though!

(07) Three people I used to know called me Angel, Melodious and Baacha respectively.

(08) Laila - Which is actually my second name. People wonder if I’m making a statement with it (many email addresses I use has it in ‘em) about Laila-Majnu & sometimes think I’m kidding about it being my second name. The pic is a Calligraphic Name for Laila, Modern Eastern Kufi Design, ©Mamoun Sakkal 1996

(09) And of course, there are tons of shorts on the actual name - Mello, Melo, Mell, Mel, M.

When it comes to nicks though, I’m very particular. Don’t like anyone I don’t know well calling me by a nick. Get slightly turned off if someone I’ve just met shortens my name, perhaps I don’t like people who don’t really know me to act familiar. Also wouldn’t want someone to call me a nick someone else has coined up (though Veronica Lodge, Princess & Smiley have been used by various groups over the years!)

And I though I sometimes complain & pout when the ones I love call me the nicks they’ve coined for me, I actually love it! I feel like I’m Melody to the world, so there’s something special between me & the person / group that calls me a nick.

Yes, even with the guys who called me Mala D.

Yeah, according to my trusty Nokia that’s what this last weekend was. Have a friend who just went out & bought himself the same phone & I was thinking - it’s been 5 months since I bought mine - my review - FABULOUS. Love it, love it, love it - can’t believe I was ever a non-Nokia person.

Back to my diary - Saturday 25th, went to the Marine Plaza for the fusion cooking class (see my previous post). Night, had friends come over for dinner & then we all went to Fun Republic to see “Being Cyrus”.

As things turned out, second time in a row that we went to Fun & had to see another show (this time because it was house full). Bought tickets for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”.

I checked the Imdb ratings after seeing the film & it turns out that TONS of people, esp the critics LOVED this film. It even won Oscars… enough said? Yup, you guessed it, I hated it. Maybe I was just not in the mood to sit & understand the long, winding and confusing ride the put us through. Back to the present & into the past. Maybe it was the pace, which imho was terribly slow. There was a very high profile cast & all of them were very brilliant in the characters. Maybe I should just lay off the sci-fi’s for a while.

We did all have a fabulous time though, we were all drunk on laughter (if that’s possible). I had to actually get out of the car on the way home & hold my stomach cause it was hurting soo bad… a fun night we’re not gonna forget in a hurry

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Be warned, more of a rant than a recipe follows this line.
Was invited today to attend a fusion cooking class at the Marine Plaza Hotel taught by their in house Chef Mark Crocker.

The class turned out to be a very simple one - four recipes:
#1 Baby Corn Flakes Crusted
#2 Stuffed Mushrooms topped with Cashew nut sauce
#3 Potato Wedges with Cheese & Chillies
#4 Onion rings covered with Papad powder

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Sorry folks, not been too regular this week. Have been busy at work & the health’s not exactly been good either.

Have managed to jot down a couple of travel entries at my travel blog though, for anyone who’s interested in a dekho.

(To read in sequence, go to “Choose a Topic” at the top of the travel blog & choose one -”Singapore: Feb - Mar 06″ for example - & then read from below, scrolling upwards when done).

I am not a ‘violent’ movie freak nor do I enjoy horror movies or the like. I would have probably never seen this movie had the original show I intended going for (The Producers) suddenly get cancelled (we found out at the theatre).

As it were, this was the movie available for viewing. Found out that it had been nominated for 2 Oscars, had another 18 wins & 18 nominations. Didn’t really know if that was a good thing (certain Oscar movies turn out terrible) but we decided to see it anyway.

It started pretty slow and then gradually built up, both in the plot & the pace (though it was still not fast-paced). Every actor & actress in this movie is brilliant - Viggo Mortensen (who I loved in ‘A Perfect Murder’, he’s really super gorgeous & a fab actor), Maria Bello (TV’s Mrs Smith), Ed Harris & William Hurt (who played a small but great role) & you can really get lost in this film.

I didn’t find it too violent - though there were a couple of very very bloody scenes that I had to close my eyes for. Even then, considering the name, it wasn’t too bad. Movies like “Final Destination 2″ in my opinion were far more gory (for no real need wrt the plot). Found out later that the director of this film David Cronenberg (who incidentally made ‘Friday the 13th’ & ‘Madame Butterfly’) had actually cut the first violent scene as he “thought the scene was way too much and thought it glorified violence, which he was against.”

I’m not sure I’m good enough a reviewer to review the film without a spoiler - so I won’t. It’s a good enough movie for you to watch yourself & judge. Mind you, I’m not giving it two thumbs up - I was quite dissapointed at the end - for all the build up, it seemed to fall flat & end abruptly. Still, it’s worth watching imo (& in the opinions of most film critics all over the world judging by all the awards & nominations).

Is it just me or is time flying? Imagine, I’ve already been back a week!

Had a great weekend though. Friday 17th evening met up with my uncle & aunt who are down from L’Amerique. It was really good to catch up with them as I haven’t met them for some years now. Then in the night, travelled way up north (felt like it was a long distance journey!) & had a family dinner with them & almost the whole family that’s in Bombay. It was great fun & really felt like old times (minus the lot who weren’t around, I really did miss my sis & other cousins). Came home very late in the night which was not a good thing considering I had work early the next morning.

Saturday 18th, worked a half day (as I said, from early morning). Came home & immediately got cracking on a chore that’s been pending & was busy with that till afternoon. Was more than rewarded with a fun filled evening with my mum & Del - shoe shopping!!! What could possibly be more fun?

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I don’t know why the Abhishek Kasliwal story has disturbed me so much but it has. Every time I hear his name or I read another article in the papers I am filled with a deep sense of horror & grief. It just seems to be to be nothing but Evil in it’s purest form.

Abhishek was first picked up for the the rape of a 52 year old woman, who said he raped her four times in his car in the compound of Shriram Mills, which the Kasliwal family owns, in Worli. This was just five days ago, March 12th.

Then came Stephanie Jordan who testified that Kasliwal often picked up prostitutes but failed to pay them.

With her was Dilip Shetty, who also knew Kasliwal, and had accused him of previous instances of drug and sexual abuse. He says Kasliwal & friends often had sex with him (a homosexual) and many instances were against his will.

Then, two days ago, another woman, a young call centre employee came forth with the accusation that she too had been sexually assaulted by Kasliwal and his friends three weeks ago at the Mumbai Pune Expressway where she had been dumped naked.

Obviously this is a pattern that Abhiskek Kasliwal and his friends are used to. To commit such acts in such a short span of time makes me wonder how many others he has raped or not paid for prostitution are still out there. It makes me wonder at what age he started these things.

And it makes me wonder what could possibly make a 26 year old boy commit such horrific acts… Is it because as the heir to the Shriram Mills he has always had more money than he could possibly need? That he needed new highs - that all the drugs & group sex couldn’t give him?

Is it because he knows that daddy has so much power that nothing he can do can ever affect him negatively (indeed daddy Kasliwal has come foward “my son is innocent”, surprise, surprise). Did his friends too have the same security - that the Kasliwal name & money would save them from any trouble - while they gang raped women?

What is really disturbing to me is however that this is not an isolated incident. There are so many Kasliwals out here. I (unfortunately) know some guys with probably 10 times less wealth, who also booze, dope & sleep around, all on their daddy’s money. Mercifully they haven’t assaulted any women. Not that I know of anyway.

One friend once told me that I was living in a bubble. That I didn’t know what really went around in the world around me. I am now inclined to believe him. I am also inclined to get back into my bubble. To be as good as I can be, lead as good a life as I can lead and not get affected by the pure evil all around.

Am I a coward for wanting this? In this corrupt country we live in, I know no other way. I know that I, an ordinary citizen, can never ask for justice against the big-wigs. I know that to do so, would only be trouble for me.

I am absolutely certain that justice will not be served in the Abhishek Kasliwal case. What indeed is justice in his case? Certain Asian countries say that justice for drug users/suppliers & sexual molestors is the death penalty. But we are not from those countries. We are from a country that lets Manu Sharmas walk scott free after shooting someone in the head in a room full of witnesses.

Jai Bharat? Only if your dad’s an MP or a wealthy industrialist.

Update, 20th March: Read this. Excerpt:

Dr. S Malini, a forensic psychologist, said the men told her: “Please manipulate the results and certify Abhishek as innocent. His family’s reputation and pride has taken a beating. The scientific tests have a lot of credibility and people will trust the report.”

Despite all the paper headlines we read in March stating “No Bail for Kasliwal” here’s an Update, 19th April:

Abhishek Kasliwal, the son of a leading city industrialist, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court Tuesday in the case of allegedly raping a 52-year-old woman at a textile mill here last month. The court granted Kasliwal bail for Rs.50,000 and asked him not to leave Mumbai without its permission.

Kasliwal is accused of raping the woman March 11 in his car at the Shriram Mills compound. He had offered the victim a lift to Mumbai Central railway station, but instead drove her to the mill and allegedly assaulted her there. A lie detector and brain-mapping test were conducted on Kasliwal March 19 at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Bangalore

Thx to all who entered the Perfect Lover Contest!

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

*In the “How well you know me” Catagory -

1st Place - Aparna - pretty much hit everything I want to the T !

I’m sure u’d luv a guy with a gr8 sense of humour. He has to be intelligent and shud be well read, ofcourse. He should be broad minded (shudn’t flinch when he sees yr greek god post.lol). And lastly, i’m sure u’d want him to be real fun to be with. Good looks, u’d consider only as an added bonus.

2nd Place - Harsha - almost perfect answer as well… And while I do want a non-alcoholic, I’m not particular if he drinks alcohol !

Simple guy, confident person, who has good sense of humor, with decent bank balance, non-smoking, non-alcholic, who will take good care of you and can say “melody hai chocolatee…..dekho kitnee chocolatee”

3rd Place - Ahmad - and no, you’re not “infringing on my privacy”. This is an open blog

i feel u’d prolly go with a simple regular guy who’s devout in religion and very compassionate of heart…

*In the “How interesting your answers are” Catagory -

1st Place tied - Van & Tess - Loved both your answers! Van; CK underwear model, yeah! Law - great answer!! & Tess, you mentioned Brad & Wodehouse & my darling Darcy in perfect combos, great answer!!

(Van)

He’s an ‘underwear’ model for CK who’s done his PhD. in Law, features in his own cooking show, travels the world for UNICEF, part time song writer/singer, and on the weekends he likes to go skydiving.

(Tess)

I’d put my money on someone who looks like Brad Pitt(ya, i know very cliched but hey he’s still cute), as funny as Woody Allen n P.G Wodehouse rolled into one, not as rich as Bill Gates but still has enough to keep u in style (U cannot live on love n fresh air, girl!), has that irresistably arrogant air of Darcy, is as smart as whoever created Google(yes, i knew at some point, now I don’t remember)and above everything else is Catholic!

3rd Place - gps - and only because you said “won’t mind sharing his chocolate…”

he should not be a frog
must have the standard qualities: smart, funny, witty, (yes, tehy are different!)
added bonus: built like a greek god
extroverted…. and loves to travel
fondness for animals…

with accent

wont mind sharing his chocolate… and walking around with ppl dressed like taxis!

and someone who can see all ur other wonderful qualities!

Kick on the Behind to Lothario for wanting to set me up with Homer Simpson!! I’ll get you for this dude

U deserve someone who’s more than ordinary…someone who thinks he is charming , witty , confident and knows how to treat a woman…Even when he’s not under the influence of alcohol.

Somebody like Homer Simpson… LoL

& a Big Virtual Kiss to Sim for saying maybe I’ll find him in Australia, thx darling

.

PRIZES PRIZES PRIZES!!!

1st Place: Virtual T-Shirts, 100% Cotton, White or Black (your choice) with “I entered this stupid online contest & all I won was this Virtual T-Shirt” on the front.

2nd Place: Virtual Chocolates. Your choice of Toblerone (black) or Ferrero Rocher (24pcs)

3rd Place: Virtual gift voucer for INR 150 (lol)

For those who won - you may also display my winner’s prize (below) on your blog if you so desire (save on your pc & then upload, no direct linking pls!)

So this guy comes upto me tonight & says “Melody, from the day I first met you, I always had this feeling that you looked like someone I knew - but today I finally figured it out….”

“No, not Michael Jackson”, says moi…

““, says he “no, Mandira Bedi“.

Weird thing is, this is not the first time I’ve gotten this. Last time was when I wore spaghetti straps & sari (geez, I wonder what we had in common then, lol)…

Whatcha think???

Added after ‘ka’s comment:
Mandira’s the one on the left. For my global readers, here’s info on Ms Bedi

(and rarely allows you to either)

My health’s crazy. Get back & promptly fall ill due to the change in weather - seems like Mumbai’s being having it’s share of weather weirdness (Global warming?) with thunder & rains mid-March. While putting me on anti-bios, doc also orders a CBC. Darn, like most normal people, I hate it when they stick needles in me.

Home’s crazy. There’s tons of work to do. Maid’s done the bunk (again) and we’re (again) left to fend for ourselves. Clothes to be washed & dried. Food to be made. Dishes to be done. And let’s not even get into the dusting.

Work’s crazy. It’s always crazy, but then there’s that added masala when you’re away for a bit & find out that people are getting married & going on leave and let’s not forget the tons of paperwork & accounts that always accompanies the year end.

Personal life’s crazy. Parties aplently as the plane touches down. Saturday night went to Otter’s for a private party. Met Bacon* who’s not taken (*name changed to protect Bacon’s identity, lol). Sunday was Ana’s farewell. Had dinner at Maharaja’s at the NSCI. Don’t know about the food (am still kinda under the weather) but the company as usual was fun. Finished off with waffles at Waffles Co, Breach Candy. Had to cancel with one friend who also wanted to go out Sunday night. And had to make up story for other ‘friends’ who are trying to get me to host party in my house. Yeah right.

So basically am in a nut-house, drowning.

It’s good to be back.