What's on @ BUF! (Ishita)

Hi

Right then, as is obvious I’ve been busy and haven’t been coming around here since I put up my last post…

And this is likely to continue in the next couple of weeks. On 6th I will be off to visit my folks and being online will be severely limited. But before that in the next 5 days I have a helluva lot of stuff to pack and settle plus two events coming up – the grandparent’s day show at Vedant’s school :) and a Diwali Extravaganza in out apartment complex this weekend…which ofcourse leaves me with less than 5 days to get set for my trip!!!

So now while I am away what’s gonna go on in BUF? :P

Lots if I can have my way and convince you all to be in it! I do notice it gets a little slow here towards the end of a topic…and since I will be off for 2 whole weeks, I guess it’s best to run more than one word or one topic ….

Firstly, besides the word that did get selected “color” … feel free to write on all the other words on the poll! Yes that’s – ‘Hello’, ‘Ring’, ‘Fault’ and ‘Home’!

Also from the old topics – let’s have posts on “Blog/Music/Movie Review” and “My fav recipe” ….

And if that’s not enough, how about “10 things” but this time pick a fellow BUFer and write about them!

Or any updates or dedication...

I guess that’s a lot to write and comment on for the next two weeks. If there are pending invites, I’ll try and get those done before I leave.

I’m sorry I can’t come around and leave comments…I just read up the posts I missed out on and needless to say loved them all!

Loony I envy your beautiful fingers and the way you come up with such innovative ideas!

Vipul sorry I had no clue u were unwell…hope u’re much better and have a wonderful festival wkend :)

Sudeep, Mich, Silvara, Kesh and Amit….Sudeep ke pics ka toh kya kehna :P! I’ve always loved Mich’s posts…Silvara – lovely read :) … Kesh that pic is beautiful…and Amit yours made an interesting read indeed!

Lack of time has me writing this out here rather than commenting on your posts individually….I hope you guys understand…

Ideally I'd have written a post on this in my personal blogs but since that no longer exists...I'm sharing this special mention here ... Read the following!:)

Back in May I wrote a post on the topic “One day with someone from BUF” – Read this! And this weekend I finally met John and it was fun!!! He was just the way I thought he would be and that made it all the more easy to just be myself and feel totally comfortable with him. Which I guess is the way we all (R, Vedant, Suchi) felt….in fact V is quite a fan of John “bhaiya” as he chooses to call him. Interestingly, he was John uncle till one evening he spent sometime with V playing online games and since then V switched to bhaiya… :D … and we gotto have his famous chicken curry (Read here!) which was Yummyy! :) …. All in all time well spent and I’m hoping he’ll come stay with us again! :)

That's it ppl...Have fun!

And oh yes Happy Diwali!!! :) (that's on 9th Oct)

Color: Post II: AmitL

Color,color on the wall,who is the fairest color of all? From rainbows to colored hands to memories, BUFers have said it all. But, this topic was not covered yet. So, here goes:

Thinking of color reminds me of some phrases I come across in following my vociferous reading habits. However, instead of randomly trying to collate various phrases, I discovered a set during net-surfing. So, here goes:

Red:
Red carpet treatment: giving privileged treatment to an important person
Caught red-handed: clearly guilty
Red in the face: to become embarrassed
Seeing red: to be angered
Red flag: a warning of danger
Not worth a red cent: having no value
Red letter day: a memorable, joyful day
Red tape: excessive formalities in govermental process
In the red: a term to describe an economic loss

Yellow:

Yellowbellied: a cowardly manner
Yellow fever: a disease involving high fever and jaundice that is common in the tropics

Yellow jack: a flag flown on a vessel to show that it is under quarantine
Yellowdog contract: a contract which denies a person the right to join a worker's union
Yellow journalism: newspaper articles thought to be sensationalized in order to sell more papers
(And, yellow, of course,reminds me of two cheerful oldies
"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss)
" Yellow Submarine-by The Beatles"

Green:
Get the green light: get approval to move ahead or proceed with a project or task
Green corn: the young, tender ears of Indian corn
Green thumb (US) or Green fingers (UK): an unusual ability to make plants grow
Green room: a room (in a theater or studio) where performers can relax before or after appearances
Greenback: a legal-tender note issued by the United States government
Greener pastures: something newer or better (or perceived to be better), such as a new job Green with envy: jealous or envious
Greenhorn: novice, trainee, beginner
Green around the gills: marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance
Turn green: to look pale and ill as if you are going to vomit
Going green: when someone or something makes changes to help protect the environment, or reduces waste or pollution

Blue:
Out of the blue: unexpected
True blue: to be loyal or faithful
Once in a blue moon: an event that occurs infrequently
Blue ribbon: first place; to describe something as being of the highest quality
Blue blood: an aristocrat
Blue law: laws about morality issues
Blue comedy: jokes about socially taboo subjects
Blueprint: a detailed design of an object or idea
Blue plate special: a special priced meal at a restaurant
Bluestocking: a woman with strong scholarly interests
Feeling blue: to feel sad or unhappy

Purple:
Purple prose: an elabrorately written poem or paragraph in liteature
Purple heart: a medal awarded to a US soldier wounded in battle
Born to the purple: a person who is born into a noble or royal family
Lay it out in lavendar: very cool, relaxed, and in control

Pink:
Tickled pink: to be happy
In the pink: in good health -- this phrase hasn't always had this meaning.
Pinking shears: scissors with serrated blades
A pink elephant: term to describe hallucinations during intoxication
Pinkie finger: the smallest finger on the human hand
Pink slip: notice that employment is ending
Pink collar: refers to a particular class of jobs once only filled by women

Brown:
Brown sugar: partially refined sugar
Brown bagging: to bring a homemade packed lunch to work
Brown out: a partial loss of electrical power
Brownstone: a building made out of dark colored sandstone
In a brown study: describing someone as being in deep thought

White:
White Christmas: the appearance of snow on Christmas day
White elephant: a possession that no longer holds value for its owner
White flag: the signal of a peaceful surrender
White goods: a description of household items, such as linens, towels, and appliances
White hot: extreme manner of intensity
White lie: a harmless untruth usually told out of politeness
White sauce: a sauce made from stock, butter, flour and seasonings
White feather: a symbol of cowardice

Black:
Black comedy: creating comedy out of a tragic event or situation
Black coffee: coffee without milk
Black belt: the highest awarded belt in the martial arts
Blackball: voting against someone in a secret manner to prevent them from becoming a member of a club
Blackmail: to demand payment or action by means of a threat
Black sheep: a bad character in an otherwise respectable group
Black day: a bad day; often used before the name of a paticular day to symbolize a tragic event, such as black Tuesday or black Friday.

Gray:(Or,grey?)
Gray market: the business of buying or selling items that are priced below what has been regulated
Gray mood: an unhappy mood
Gray area: caught between two differing views
Gray cells: The brain: What keeps us alive n kicking..
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Whew- quite a lesson in colors, that one,I guess?Hope you enjoyed it.(Or,did you go,ho-hum..yawn...:))

Have a nice day.

True Colors (Keshi)

This is a real photo of a rainbow providing a colorful backdrop for the golden dome of the Alexander Nevski Cathedral after a rain shower, in Sofia, Bulgaria. Taken by Vassil Doney.

I think nature produces the best colors by default design. Nothing can replace nature's true colors.

Colours Of The Wind (Michelle)

There I was sitting blue

Staring at the picture of you

Your hazel eyes made my heart sink

The blush creeping upto my cheeks turning me pink

I loved those words you said,

With a rose so very red

You've put me on a pedestal with a crown

Entangled with my locks of brown

This kind of love I have never seen

Its better than a view of lush grass blades of green

I love you more than a smushy marshmellow

You are my sun with rays of yellow

Your ways and talk always make me swoon and croon

Baby your love has left me marooned!

(very cheesy I know :P)

World of colour (Silvara)

It all started when I was a little girl. Bright eyed and eager to learn, I listened with rapture to the teacher's every word. I was the first to show her my work, grinning in pleasure when she gave praise and carefully placing each paper she handed back onto my desk.

She showed me that there was a whole world out there, that could be brought to life by me. I was awed at the power that I wielded, even as a child, and have always been amazed.

I'm talking about the world of colours.

Introduced to me, and I'm sure many of you as well, through paints and clay, we were given the chance to explore without boundaries. The primary colours, Red, Blue and Yellow were taught and many pictures of yellow suns and blue oceans and red-roofed houses were made. Then one day, my red paint accidentally mixed in with the yellow (due to an unruly child knocking over my paint tin. The biyatch :P). I ran crying to my teacher, and stood hiccuping as she smiled and pointed.

"Look!"

I watched as she used my paintbrush and slowly swirled the two colours together. "Look what has happened."

And to me it was magic. Red and Yellow, became Orange. The teacher gave me back my brush and quick to pick up, I made Purple and Green. I happily sat and painted for hours, tears forgotten.

Now my world was complete.

Colour not color pls :D... (Sudeep)

She: Tell me which colour suits me the best?

Me: Baby didn’t you know that I am colour blind?

Can’t help, but the first thing that strikes my mind is colour blind. Sometimes it is good to be a colour blind in situations where some random answer might start an altercation :D. Go here to listen to one of my most fav songs, Colourblind by Darius Danesh. Thanks to Vipul for introducing me to this song.

The next thing that the word colour reminds me is the festival of myriad colours – Holi. Splashing buckets of coloured water, hitting water balloons and smearing fistfuls of colours on faces of friends (and sometimes on unwary strangers), roaming around the city on bikes with a horde of friends in the multi-coloured attire will always be fun for me at least. Below is one of the pics during a Holi blast...

I am quite naive at posting videos/songs in a post coz blogger always fires me some error. So here is a link of a video on youtube. Won’t reveal what lies there coz then it would useless to spend time watching the beautiful video. Thanks to Yashita for sharing the link.


Wishing Sam & Diya a belated happy birthday and may God bless you with all the joyous colours in the coming year. Have a colourful weekend everyone... :-)

When I think of.... (Ishita)

Every time I sat down to write about this word “color”, my mind would go blank. Mentioned the same to Mala and she gave me the idea for the lines below.

The idea is to associate a color with people who are close to me…

I’ll start with

BLACK – it’s also one of my favs. But the person who it reminds me of is Rajiv coz of his sheer love for this color and always opting for an outfit in black when he shops for me :P … I remember one festive season he got me three outfits…all black!!

Also coz I think he looks nice in that black shirt teamed with grey trousers *ahem*

It also reminds me of my old blog :) and my love for templates with a dark background :P

RED – My son! He loves Red. It’s his fav color and somehow every birthday he ends up getting a lot of that color in the clothes people gift! Red toy car, Red yo-yo, Red power ranger….*sigh*

Also, Red reminds me of a certain someone who’s ready to be a bride :)

GREEN – Reminds me of maa and her love for plants and the little terrace garden at my parents. Mummy’s voice… that’s always so reassuring.

Also reminds me of Assam. Lush, green, wet monsoon days and all the friends I hung out with. Part of my favourite childhood memories…

SILVER (silver) – reminds me of daddy. His silver grey hair :) and sitting with him on the terrace watching the constellations and his stories of granpa and his love for astronomy….

WHITE (white) – reminds me of my granmas (maternal and paternal) … of thamma (paternal granma) singing early mornings….of nanima's (maternal granma) gentle reminders to chant the “hanuman chalisa” to ward of my fear of the dark….

Also reminds me of BUF :P coz the template’s been this shade from day one and then I find myself thinking of all the ppl I’ve come to know here… the good and the not so good times...the whole experience of being in it! :)

CREAM/Off WHITE (cream/off white)– reminds me of my lil niece. My favourite pic of her is in a dress of the same color. I can’t wait to see her for the first time ever next month!!

BLUE – Reminds me of my brothers… of being slung on dada’s back and whirled around the room…them singing “phoolon ka taro ka…” …me throwing my head back and laughing…watching the blue sky…

Never can listen to the song without tears in my eyes….

*ahem* right then certain ppl close to me will know the rather cute story behind “blue”. It reminds me of an old school time crush :P

PINK – coz it is such a feminine color and the first person it brings to my mind is Suchi. Whenever we think of buying her a gift, R and I end up giving her something in pink! :D It suits her best. Isn't pink the happiest color too :))

YELLOW – would be the frenz I hold so close and true to me. Esp. the sunshine girl Uttsy :) … and yes u, u and u :))

You make the world a brighter sunnier and happier place indeed!

BROWN – reminds me of “ruru” from the first day I held him in my arms and felt that first wet lick on my fingers….till the last time I saw him…old, limping and yet making that effort to show me he still recognized me. His tail wagging, his bark feeble… I miss him…May God bless his soul…

*sigh* I’m done…Thanks Mala :)

Word : Color:AmitL

Color…color…Isn’t it amazing, the variety of colors we come across daily, but, which we fail to appreciate because our mind is busy elsewhere? The first colorful post for this word, is an incident of today which goes thusly:

Red, nee, crimson: Color on the face of the lady sitting on the bench next to next to mine…why? Well, every day morning, while waiting for our co. bus, I observe that there’s a red-n-yellow taxi waiting for this lady. Today, as usual, she walked out of the building, in the blue-n- bluer trousers n Tshirt two sizes smaller than her, err, plump figure, white cigarette with light brown end burning furiously in her mouth(Probably a way to dismiss the day’s tensions or Wednesday morning blues in advance), and …voila, today, the taxi guy had left already(I saw him waiting when I reached, btw)…so, she shakes her hands angrily, dials a number on one of her cellphones(One was grey, one was dark blue), and starts screaming at the driver…’What time is it?’ He gave some answer ‘So why did you go? What 717 AM? My time is 730 AM’ –screams a bit more…then, ‘ ok, are you going to come or do I call your company and complain?’ I guess he said ‘No, I won’t. Be my guest and call them.’ And, that’s what caused the change in colour from normal to pink to crimson red on her white face, I guess.

Hehe..I felt positively tickled pink after this incident.. While she was still musing, my white co bus with Ebenezer transport emblazoned on it in red, arrived.)
I guess you can’t blame her for being off color. But, tell me, was she right to see red like this? Why do some people expect red carpet treatment always?

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And, here's some 'color'ful jokes:

What is green and sings?

Elvis Parsley!

What is black & white, black & white, and orange?

Two skunks fighting over a basketball!

What is green & red all over?

A pickle holding its breath!

What is black & white & red all over?

A skunk with diaper rash!

What is a cat's favorite color?

Purrrrrrrrrple!

Before anyone goes Grrr! at these jokes, let me say' byeeeee'!

Color Of My Heart (Keshi)

This is a pic taken by me last Spring at the Tulip festival in Canberra. When I look at this colorful pic, it reminds me of different people with different hearts. We all have the same heart but we portray different colors (all good I hope). Tell me...what color is your heart and why?

Colors (Aakash)

I love the blue of the clear winter sky,
and the dark navy on a half-moon night.
But of all the colors, one that I most miss
is your maroon lipstick smeared on my lips.

Fresh, sparkle n color :D :D :D

She is the color of my life : My mom

She is the sparkle of my eyes : My Aunt

they both make me feel fresh all the time :) muaaah

n the song below dedicated to them :)

Blue be my color.........

Well... whenever one speaks of colors the only one that comes to my mind is BLUE. Yup.... the most royal of all colors according to me. The color means a lot to me. It somehow gives me a sense of freedom, may be because it reminds me of a clear blue sky that stretches as far as one can see (please ignore the manhattans!! :D) . It makes me feel calm..... might because of the deep color that one sees in the calm but powerful oceans.

The only other color which can stir a lot of emotions within me is RED. Surprised?? Well..... this is one color which is nothing if not passionate. The passion the color red can stir within one cannot be described. And thus tops my list.

From a different perspective, color is what makes LIFE so interesting. IMO, every person we come across is like a color. They happen to touch your life and infuse in you a little bit of their color, lending you a new shade. Sometimes it's visible enough for others to notice, e.g. when you hate someone or when you love. Can anyone deny that??

Colors are the ultimate ingredient to make life interesting enough for us to look forward to another day...... always!!!

Word of the Week & Birthdays (Ishita)

Hi…

I meant to do this earlier but I’ve been extremely busy the past few days and haven’t had the chance to venture anywhere close to this laptop or any pc anywhere!! The Durga Puja festivities have kept me busy and having a rather exciting time…(will share pics on Picasa via email)

In all the excitement, I missed out on wishing Sam on his birthday! :( … I’m sorry Sam – I hope you’ll understand. Wishing you a “belated” HAPPY BIRTHDAY and the best ever year ahead!! It was his birthday yesterday…21st October.

We have yet another birthday coming up this week. Yes it’s our very own Diya’s b’day on the 24th!

Time also to announce the new Word of the Week – “COLOR” (received the max. votes in the poll counter!)

I’ll update the poll counter later today. Please keep sending in suggestions and ideas.

Have fun everyone … :)

Sparkle Me Timbers! (Michelle)

Being a very materialistic girl, the first thought that pops into my mind is the glint of a precious stone sparkling in all its glory luring me to want it :P I'm totally the type that gets distracted by things that sparkle.

But lately theres only one thing thats been sparkling a lot

and its all because of all my friends!

Thank you guys so much for all the good wishes, phone calls, text messages, facebook gifts and posts...made my day!!!

Most importantly, thank you for sparkling your way into my life! :-)

Sparkle Part II:AmitL

Hi,all,just thought of some more sparkles over the working week...As I always say,keep your eyes and ears open,and,ideas come naturally.(both good and mischievous,of course..haha).

As sparkling as:(Now,many of these are India-specific,hence,there're links,which are,err,Keshi-specific,and,for any others who're not familiar with our country's sparklers)






- Preity Zinta's smile in the first part of 'Salaam Namaste'
whether she's RJing,or, listening to Jaaved Jaffrey say 'Egg-jactly' or' The ghosts of the kicks not listening to the talks'(Laaton ke bhoot baaton se nahin maante')
















- Vidya Balan's pearly white-all of them sparkle when she goes 'Goooood Mooooorning,Mumbai', in her role as a RJ in 'Lage Raho Munnabhai'( Hehe-even the IMDB article says 'great teeth')






- Birbal's wit in Emperor Akbar's court, when he was asked silly questions supposedly meant to trap him,but,he managed to wiggle out courtesy his wit. Like,when Akbar asked him,when they were out for a stroll:
How many crows are there in my kingdom?
Birbal: "There are ninety-five thousand four hundred and sixty-three crows in the Kingdom".
Akbar: How can you be so sure?
Birbal:"If there are more crows than my answer, then some crows are visiting from other neighboring kingdoms".
"And what if there are less crows", Akbar asked.
Birbal: "Then some crows from our kingdom have gone on holidays to other places".
(Now,doesn't that remind you of school days?I'm sure today's school kids would just say 'arghh' to such a joke.)

Want more tales for ole time's sake?Read right here.
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Here's looking forward to the next 'word',Ishi.From the polls,it looks like 'color' is going to be THE ONE. Have a great weekend,everyone.Cheers!

Sparkle (Sam)

For me sparkle is the the bubbly,
the clear glass of water
with sunshine streaming through
on a cold winter winter morning.....
Sparkle is the light I see,
in those special eyes....
when I see some one with
a tearful eye...
for joy or sorrow i shall not know...
Sparkle is what I see...
on a clear night
staring in the sky...

Sparkle (Aakash)

Before you leave me
alone tonight.
Before tears drown
your little lies.
Tell me is it my
heart that burns
behind the sparkle
of your eyes?

Bappy Hirthday Buggzzz..

Sparkling wine for wishing the most active Pune blogger on BUF, Michelle and also Richa on their birthdays. I am sure you both must have had a wonderful time yesterday. We all wish that the coming year is even more wonderful for you. Have a great time and lend a sparkle to both the worlds, real and virtual, with your lovely smiles.

P.S.: Now Michelle won't complain on the increasing alcohol intake :D Cheers!

Birthday Wishes

Hi,all,

Courtesy the Sunday holiday yesterday, even I forgot a birthday dedication post. So here goes(albeit,a day late) a birthday wish in the form of a poem, for the two birthday 'celebrators', Michelle and Richa.

On your birthday we wish you much pleasure and joy;

We hope all of your wishes come true.

May each hour and minute be filled with delight,

And your birthday be perfect for you!

By Joanna Fuchs

Cheers and have a great year ahead.

Sparkle (Silvara)

Mehndi laga ke rakhna, doli sajake rakhna.....

The sounds of wedding songs fill the house. The air is light, people are smiling and laughing. Work is being done in regards to the wedding, people being called up, often turning into hour long conversations. Sometimes they want to speak to her, and she dutifully obeys, laughing at all the right places, chatting to them amiably.

Her cousin's wife comes over in the afternoon to help. She is young, younger than herself, having been married for just 2 years and already with a toddler son. But the cousin's wife always seems older and wiser and she wonders if this is how she will be as well.

She plays with her hair, teasing it up into a fancy bun. Her sister brings down her wedding outfit, the hand embroidered jewels sparkling. She places it over her head, in the way she will wear it on the day. For a moment, everyone is silent, taking in how the colour complements her skin, how the work on the material sparkles and shimmers in the light. She looks into the mirror and sees how she will be on the day and smiles. But inside she feels a twinge of sadness as she watches them looking at her.

They all move to the other room and put on some songs, the wedding outfit forgotten. They start to play some more of the dancing numbers. The sangeet is coming up and nothing has been prepared. Her mother wants her to dance to an old song. She thinks it's too...well....old. But cousin's wife says it's a beautiful song and it will be very nice to dance to. So she goes off to download the song so they can dance.

The song is nicer then she expected. She had heard it before, but always thought it that wouldn't suit the occasion. But when she hears the words again, tears unexpectedly come to her eyes. There is a verse singing to the mother, telling her that, tomorrow the sun would shine, the birds will sing...but she would not be there. That life will go on, but there will always be a gap.

And she wonders, is this how she will feel. If this is how her mother will feel. She looks at the sparkling material of her wedding outfit, lying on the table, and for the first time she doesn't want to leave.

Keep Sparkling (Vishesh)

well it will be history and it is....but its beauty will keep sparkling in our memory :)

Sparkle (Poo)

A wish for you because you mean so much to me
I’m hoping that you spend your day just where you want to be
With people whom you love and doing things you love to do
‘Cause you deserve a special day that sparkles – just like you :))

Shining Hearts (Keshi)

Sparkling wine...sparkling hearts...a sparkling love...and sparkling smiles. I shine on you..like you shine on me. A shimmering light that never really dies...

My Forever Sparkle (Ishita)

Call me crazy but the lines below just happened when I was drifting off to bed, having tucked away my baby (err..he prefers being described as a “big little boy” now!) … it’s past midnite, so rushing through…simply had to get this done or else I’d change my mind :P

“Sparkling diamonds
Sparkling brook
Sparkling stars
None compare to
Your sparkling look

You’re special in everyway
Growing dearer everyday
You make me smile
Laugh a while

I may call you a brat
You drive me nuts
But I luvvv you
No if no buts
none compares to you!”

For my forever sparkle – Vedant :)

Word of the week: Sparkle: AmitL

My eyes 'sparkled' when I saw the word of the week, just when I was leaving from office, on the last day of the 'short hours' month. Wanting to start off on it'asap' (as Ishi suggested so nicely..*smiles*), with Notepad in hand,I walked absentmindedly but determinedly to the co. vehicle,and began noting the sparkles which I've come across till now,and, was able to think of quite a few- enough,so to speak, for the first post.

I love these sparkles:

- The way the water of the sea sparkles,when we're on the beach,with the sunshine making it glitter just that special bit extra.

(Note: I specifically avoided mentioning any of the sparkling heavenly bodies which sometimes float around on the beaches,especially in Dubai...err..no further details...since I haven't been there since two years)




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- Sparkl(e)-ing mineral water- which has a certain fizz to it- Perrrrrrier(I always forget where to stop the 'r') I believe,is one of the brands. It tastes better than the coloured waters which are sold in cans as fizzy colas,I feel..and,it's surely more healthy.







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- Sparkl(e)-ing eyes- anyone who displays them, is a genuine person, is how I read it, and, I'm usually right- sparkling eyed people do have a zest for life,and,are usually pretty optimistic, as opposed to people who display eyes which are just too tired to even shine a wee bit,even in the morning. And,if the lady's sparkling eyes are accompanied by impish smiles..ooh la la..smiles and goes into typical Piscean dreamland...:)

(See pic:One of my favourite comic duos-Terence Hill's eyes-sparkling,just like his roles in the comic movies the duo did together.
(Couldn't remember a heroine with similarly sparkling eyes,yet..except,perhaps,Preity Zinta?)



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- Sparkl(e)ing diamonds- err,this one's for the ladies to elaborate on...personally,I haven't seen too many of them in real life(except those tiny tots in my ring),but, in movies- yes, even though I know fully well that it's glass and not the real thing,still, the eyes go wide,imagining the market of such a bauble if it was genuine.
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Lastly, my favourite pastime besides Scrabble, where English is concerned: How many words(three letters or more) can you make from a word, sparkle in this case,which is a dream word,since it has two nice vowels in it? I came up with:

Park, spark, par, rap, speak, ape, reap, pear, pale, spear, perk, leak, lake, leap, ear, are, lap, pal, ale, paler, lark.. still debating further... oh,yes ..... sap, spa, lea.....
Anyone wishing to add more,you're welcome.:)
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Loon Gal, before you ask,yes,after all my thoughts were penned down,I did 'insanely' google'sparkle' to see if I could find some pics related to the word(I did find them), but,only in the images section...*whistles*..from sparkling sarongs to swimsuits to a sparkling spectrum of colours, there were vivid images of all the sparkles available in google's world. But,don't google the web for 'sparkle'-it'd take away the freshness of what one writes from one's imagination..correct?

Have a sparkling happy weekend,everyone..looking forward to some nice posts on our BUF,which really sparkles these days.Cheers.

NEW Word of the Week & Updates (Ishita)

Ok time again for a new word (though I am a day early with this post). The last day for the previous word is still Friday 12th October, 2007 but you can start off with the new word asap! It’ll run till next week sometime depending on the pace of the blog.

But before that we have couple of birthdays coming up :)

Yes our very own Michelle and a dear friend Richa (she left BUF but I’m sure many of us would love to wish her on her special day). They both share the same birthday – 14th October!!

Remember people, anyone can do birthday/anniversary/ special day dedications and there’s no limit on dedication posts, so don’t forget to wear your party hats and wish them the best ever!!! :) Add the post label "update" and "special post" along with your name label for such posts...thanks :)

The new word of the week is - “Sparkle”

The poll counter is back! I’ve put in word suggestions there (from lists sent in by you all) and you can vote for the next word.

Fresh as frisky lambs: AmitL

(a)Fresh as:

Frisky lambs on a hill. Don't you find it a really 'uplifting'scene, to see the young uns gambolling on hillsides?

(b)Fresh as: The reverberating sound of a baby's laughter- at such times,you can't help but smile,however off-mood you may be.(PS The baby's courtesy google)















(3) (I feel) as fresh as ever(nee,no comparison to the other 'fresh' ones, after a month of reduced working hours(2 hours less than normal).Tomorrow's the last such day,though...then,it's back to the 8 to 530 routine. But,since I feel so,err,refreshed,I'm sure it'll be aok,except,of course,for the sleepy mood at 4 PM,for 3-4 days. Nothing to feel sad about-can always read a few BUF archives at such times(surreptitiously,of course) during the 5-10 min self-imposed tea break.(Breaks are a must,incidentally- to avoid computer vision syndrome,you know....it means,you can stare at the computer,but,not at the worksheets..grin..just a law I made!)

Three cheers for some great ideas from BUFers for this word(And,a few more to come till the 12.10 d'line,I hope)

Ishi,here's looking forward to the next 'word'.

Fresh... (Aakash)

Last night it didnt rain
there was a full moon
and no clouds to hide.

Last night it didnt pain
I knew you were there
in his arms held tight.

Last night, I yet again
thought of you, when you were
near, how everything felt right.

Last night, will but remain
the last night to miss you, and
that I'll never again kiss you
in tinted traces of twilight.

For this morning to my heart
will be a fresh new start...
just like another day.
Fresh.

Freshen Me Up (Messy)

a book, my glasses and a place to lie down and read... thats all i need to freshen up...

this pic was taken when i had gone to matheran with my husband... whenever i am on the move i NEED a book... i NEVER travel without one... the best feeling of freshening up is to go to the mountains and read non stop... hold a book in my hand and walk the paths with trees surrounding me and birds chirping around... horses moving ahead and fresh breeze rustling my hair...

thats getting FRESH for me....

Fresh - A feeling (Ishita)

"Fresh is a feeling
a feeling divine
a new begining
like
a new bottle but old wine :)

Fresh is a feeling
a sweet and pure fragrance
leaves me smiling
like
the aroma of our friendship
untouched by pretense..."

Ps: I got a word list from Keshi. If others have any ideas, please email. Will start a new word if the pace of the blog slows down...ok? :)

Fragrant Fresh Feeling (Ishita)

Time for festivities. Mithai. New clothes. Navratri. Puja. Dusherra. Diwali. Reasons to celebrate. Smiles. Colorful attires. Sounds of the dhaak (drums). Pushpanjali (offering of flowers to the deity). Yummy snacks at local melas (fete’s)…so much to look forward to!

And yes my favourite – Mehendi :)

Which brings me to the Word of the week – Fresh!

I love henna when it’s freshly applied. I love the fragrance. I love the cool cool feeling on my palm. Not that I need an occasion to indulge in my love for mehendi but yes, festivals and marriages without mehendi seem so incomplete to me!

Below is a pic from my trip to mussoorie with Uttsy. We sat there in that rather wet and clammy evening getting mehendi put on our hands … brrrrr… we shivered but loved the whole fun of watching the lovely designs and the attention we drew from the passers by :)

Pretty ain’t it?

Ps: Festival preparations, travel preparations (going to my parents next month) and a painful nose piercing :’( experience have me all tied up. Please excuse my infrequent visits and late responses. Right now I’m way too feverish to hang around online for too long *sigh*

****A pic post the nose piercing and pre the painful aftermath which explains my smile! Right now smiling hurts even more *sigh*

Fresh (Silvara)

Change is inevitable. We need change to move on, turn a new leaf, use that second chance. I believe BUF has been given a chance to start afresh and so we begin all over again....

Fresh ideas, Fresh sights, Fresh sounds - everything new!

Fresh to me is the smell of brewed coffee in the morning. It is the sound of the magpie whose warbling wakes me up in the morning. It is the sight of the roses in my garden starting to bloom again. It is the sunshine after the rain. It is the cool breeze that wafts over a lake and it is the drop of water that slides down the glass of chilled lemonade.

Fresh is the new fashion season - new colours, looks and clothes. It is going back to a favourite spot and seeing it again after years, with new eyes. It is the rhythm of a new song that enraptures my senses and keeps me grooving throughout the night.

Fresh is the knowledge that I can pick up after making a mistake and start out again once more. It is the reassuring smile of a friend who has given you the chance to make things right again. Or the embrace of your lover after parting ways in anger.

A poem by one of my favourite poets, Rumi says it all.

The garden of
Love
is green without
limit
and yields many
fruits
other than sorrow
and joy.
Love is beyond either
condition:
without spring,
without autumn,
it is always fresh.

Fresh Caresses... (Keshi)

Something fresh this time from me...a pics-only post to convey my thoughts :). And one pic here was taken by me...which one is it, can you guess? Have a good one guys and keep your thoughts Fresh all the time...

Fresh It Up! (Michelle)

The word 'fresh' reminds me of so many emotions.

Sinking my teeth into a fresh subway sandwich tasting the lettuce, pickle, the sauce and the chicken being complimented by the mustard (yes I began with hunger because I love to eat)

Fresh hot tears on my face while watching a sad movie

The fresh smile my friends give me early in the morning when they see me

The fresh feeling I get after I've just had my shower laced with the fresh fruity smell of my soap

Starting fresh with a friend you've had a fall out with.

Having a fresh mind and accepting everything that comes by way with a sprinkle of positivity

Fresh opinions, ideas and friends that I've found here.Keep it fresh guys.Lets always keep BUF fresh!

Fresh (tulipspeaks)

Word of the week: Fresh: AmitL

Hi, all. I was going to begin this post, feeling fresh as a daisy, in the early morning, but thought better of it, firstly, because it’s a holiday today, and my mood is as fresh as can be. So, here I am, in the late evening, penning my, err, fresh thoughts:(Pic clarification: I did not bake that fresh-baked smile(y)).

The word ‘fresh’ conjured up the following memories: (I tried to link up each one. Was I successful?You tell me, please!)

- We go , pick up a load of bread at a bakery, and ask ‘Is it fresh?’

Now, why do we ask this? Do we expect him to say ‘No, it’s not- it’s stale, but take it all the same.’
Now, why don’t we think of some fresh questions to ask instead of the above one?
Questions brings to mind:

-Those smart alec questions from a guy who thinks they’re farm fresh, but, which bring a fresh slap to his face.

- Face reminds me of nose, and nose reminds me of smell, nee, aroma- I remember another form of ‘fresh’- the aroma of freshly baked biscuits, near the bridge in Vile Parle(I forget- is it the Parle factory?), which makes me want to ask the rickshaw guy to take me straight inside the factory to imbibe the aroma.(I wonder why no perfume makers think of marketing this as a fresh scent?). Rickshaw reminds me of travel, and, travel reminds me of showers.

- So, there’s the re-fresh-ing shower I take, after returning from work, which helps to wipe out the day’s work related stress and relax the mind…the cool water droplets trickling down the face, the back,(Nee, no further descriptions.LOL) are enough to make me emerge from the shower, feeling in tiptop shape to go out for my evening walk, now extended to 45 mins minimum, since the weather’s improved.(touchwood). Travelling (From work) reminds me of holidays, and holidays reminds me:

-Fresh is how I feel when I return to work from a short/long holiday to India and especially to Baroda. I occasionally used to use the ‘fresh ones’ tissues, on sultry days. (Are they still available?). Baroda reminds me of MS University, University reminds me of :
-Ragging of ‘fresh’ men in colleges- deplorable, but, also reminiscent of the most humorous of scenes was from ‘Munnabhai’, where Sanjay Dutt ends up giving the ‘fresh’ers a delightful time by making the seniors do the ‘chaddi dance’ after demonstrating his muscle-power. Munnabhai reminds me of the movie when it was shown on our TV channels, and TV channels remind me of:

-Fresh news, in the form of ‘breaking news’(I never understand- why is it ‘breaking’, instead of ‘red hot news’ or something? ) – news which ranges from a lady committing suicide in some obscure town of India to electricity getting switched off in some area of another town, to some old man murdering his uncle’s son’s daughter’s brother-in-law or something, to donkeys falling into a well. I guess they have to give some sensations in that ‘news bar’, so, they do, huh? News reminds me of crime, and crime reminds me of identification of criminals by :

-Their fresh footprints in the snow which help identify a murderer in crime serials, and, there’s fresh blood on the body of the murdered in Perry Mason novels.(My favourites).
Perry Mason novels remind me of how much I enjoy reading, particularly with :

-A glass of fresh fruit juice or fresh lime juice to refresh me while I’m reading, rather than having a cola which is acidic enough to clean the bathroom tiles. That reminds me, when I don’t have a glass of juice handy, I use:
-‘freshman’s chewing gum’ sometimes to help me concentrate. Gum reminds me of googlegum(Now, I just made that one up), so, I went to google, and found:
-Some examples of ‘fresh’ on the net: ( Google threw up 231,000 results, btw)

1.Fresh.com is a modern beauty care company

2.Fresh 102.7 FM, a radio station in NY.
3.Fresh FM: 92.7: Dedicated dance station based at Adelaide, Australia
4.FRESH: Foundation for Real Estate Students from Holland.
5.Fresh baked fractions: A game on : http://www.funbrain.com/fract/index.html

Brains reminds me of BUF, and, BUF reminds me of:
The best example of ‘fresh’- the fresh posts from BUFers, which make my day so regularly by their innovativeness, and the fact that each person has a unique, err, ‘fresh’ style of writing? (Thank you, all!). Of course, let me add, many posts on the individual blogs that I read are equally ‘fresh’ and often leave me feeling great to be alive(fresh? Hehe).That reminds me to wish you all:
Cheers. Have a nice, fresh weekend and a nice, fresh new week on Monday, when you read this post.

fresh !!(vishesh)

now fresh..

it brings to my mind fresh kapi..
fresh flowers...
fresh start...
fresh after a rain or shower..

fresh in the morning...
fresh after a cat nap in the afternoon...
fresh after sleeping in the class....
fresh after doing something good...
fresh after playing my violin...
fresh after writing poetry...
fresh after playing football....
fresh after talking to friends...
fresh after having a drink..
fresh after a swim...
fresh with fresh ideas..


It seems this fresh topic fresh is fresh enough to freshen me up!lol:)

and here is something super fresh for all of you :)



lol hope you like it :)

Virtual Relationships (Suchi)

Hi people!!! It has really been long since I last blogged. However, visiting BUF is like visiting another relative of Ishi :), this is like her work place. There isn’t just couple of topics that I have missed here, I have not written on most. So I finally decided to write…… about something that is very close to my heart – VIRTUAL RELATIONSHIPS.

I have shared virtual relationships with people since possibly 1998 or earlier even. Made many good friends even from the singles/ match making sites. I have known some wonderful people even from the blog world. It would be very unfair on my part to name a few and not mention the others who have stood by me in all my odds for so many years or those who have given me reasons to smile. I have been in love also through the internet :D.

Therefore, I would be writing about the lessons that I have learnt from virtual relationships. Lessons that scare hurt and make me smile as well.

The biggest drawback of a virtual relationship or friendship is that we cannot see the person, no matter how many times a day we talk or exchange the emails etc., the basic fact of knowing someone is so incomplete without seeing and spending time with each other. These are behavioral requirements of any friendship. It is also about the vibe that we get from people which keeps us going in any relationship. Moreover, this vibe comes only when we meet people. In many virtual relationships, as my personal experience says, friendship falls apart within a few weeks like a pack of cards. All those months of smiles, giggles and calling one another, vows of everlasting friendships, etc. etc. goes down the memory lane.

Many a time people take us for a complete ride and especially when we start falling for someone we have never met or just met once or so, of course through the virtual world. Do we actually know and realize that we are being taken for a ride? It is so darn easy to cheat on the people in the virtual world.

I am sure most of you would relate to things I have said like “been there, done that” and would still go on making friends in the virtual world. :) So will I! We do not stop living when there is a catastrophe then why should we stop loving? :)

New Topic (Ishita)

This will be short and quick. More or less an update on what’s going on with me with respect to BUF.

I’ve heard from you (some not all but that’s ok) since the last post. I know one thing that setting up something that will appeal to everyone is next to impossible but the idea is to make it as acceptable as possible.

The first thing is, the basic essence of BUF is that it’s not a free for all group blog. It runs on the idea that people blog on something specific for a specific time period. I can’t generalize it and make it free from topics, then it would be “just another blog”. But yes, more flexibility is doable.

Secondly, there has to be a limit to the no. of posts per day – 1 to 4 should be fine – too much of it can clutter the space. And one post per BUFer for a topic too is fine or max two if there’s scope for more to be expressed regarding any topic.

I have some ideas in my head but since I have to get back on track, I’ll be slow with things here. Plus I want to settle everything before I go off on my vacation in Nov. Time is short and the festival season is slowing me down here.

In all this debating and talking through, I forgot to update stuff in the template. Plus not having Abhi/Sam with me in admin or any technically sound person is a severe handicap. But I’ll work out something. So basically it’s time for less talk and more work for me!

FYI, I will shoot a mail to the “still missing” people and I guess we’ll be a smaller group but hopefully a more focused and dedicated group of Blogger friends. I’d also welcome mails from those of you who can help manage BUF while I run off next month for my long awaited trip. I’ll need two people to coordinate – thanks :)

Now till such time I don’t get it all settled, I’d like to suggest a topic idea.

We run a word every week and you get to write a topic related to the word – any context, how you interpret it is your look out – be creative or funny or serious or miserable or happy …. Just write ppl !

And let’s limit it to two posts per BUFer for the coming week. I mean max two. If there’s just one from you, that’s fine too.

The word for the week starting Friday (5th October today) to next Friday (12th October) is –

“Fresh” (now use your imagination with this one :P)

Ps: I have a post sent in by Suchi that I will put up later in the afternoon. Please start this topic later in the evening so I have time to put hers up….Thanks.

The Great Extinction (Keshi)

(This was an old post from my personal blog...I just felt like putting it up here so people can laugh a little...just like how Poo thinks we should smile often...so enjoy guys!)

Genre: Humor (so chillax).

Ladies and (sometimes-not-so) Gentlemen, it seems like my love-life is in extinction. Therefore do I even have to tell you about my rather invisible sex-life? It's as dead as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Precious fossils of it can be found in my mental museum. Well I'm not complaining cos I think this is how it was all laid out for me by the old man upstairs - maybe He knew where it would have taken me and slowed the pace after a few demented Dinosaurs. Just like wildlife protection is necesssary, Keshi's love-life protection is indeed required but it has no funds or organisations around it. No one seems to be even thinking it's an endangered species - most of them see it as a nutty species that need to be left alone. Anyways as endangered as I may feel, I also feel a great sense of relief that my love-life is near-death. Cos it lets me look around without bias and selfishness. I don't mean that people who have a love-life are selfish, but having a love-life in full swing sometimes makes you blind to other areas in life. Been there done that, so I'm talking about me, not you. Well the number of BFs I have had in the past (according to my love-life stats) is quite a healthy number and although that number is dwindling right now resembling the white Rhinoceros' count, I don't think my love-life needs to be secured in a sanctuary somewhere in Africa! Sometimes I do feel like I'm a rare species that's being oohed and ahhed at by a group of people on a safari. Anyways why do I think my love-life is in extinction? Well this is why:

**Potential partners only exist in the past/movies/blogs and is as rare as spotting a Giant Panda on any Tuesday
**Everytime my Blue-bellied Parrot of a love-life gets lucky, there's always a habitat killer
**When I do find a great guy, in the end it turns out to be that he was just hunting for my 'tusks' - leaves me feeling like an African Elephant
**When things get serious in my love-life, the very next day it mocks back at me like a Hybrid Spider Monkey and asks me to get real
**Each time I try to recall my last romantic encounter, I laugh like a Gorilla - not cos it's funny but cos the 'last time' seems like it was 100yrs ago
**Old aunts remind me that I'm running around without a man for some time now and that it's really uncommon in our family as much as the Red Wolf is in the world
**I'm receiving alot of wedding invitations these days (most of the brides are younger than me) and usually I end up being the only Snow Leopard at these weddings
**My mum says I'd be married to my car and closet forever, and each time she says that I disappear in a dash like the Pygmy Possum
**A friend brings a marriage proposal (for the 1st and the last time) and when I meet him he turns out to be a hairy-nosed Wombat - yes rare but wouldn't mind his extinction

**The opposite sex who is the responsible care-taker of my love-life seems to be pouncing away from me like a Sumatran Tiger that's being hunted for skin
**A great catch is as rare as a Silver Shark is and it seems such guys see me as a common over-populated kind of shark

**I feel as blue as the Blue Whale when I go to parties and see couples hugging and kissing that makes me wonder if I'm the only Brontosaurus left on Earth

**Mistletoe seems like some long-lost memory of a Short-tailed Chinchilla

**Going back to memories of past BFs and relationships makes me feel like I'm walking in Jurassic Park
**However, to me marriage sounds like a Californian Condor out to get it's prey so its really ok guys, I'm cool, don't shower me with sympathies now pleeeeeease ;-)