Mad-mitchu and her Sentiments !!!!

Time: Past 1 A.M

Why do I keep running after things that I (deep down) know I would never achieve...Why am I running so fast in life; when I know I may Not get a chance to Slow-down when I'd really need to????Why do I not sleep well despite having a tiring day at work???
Why do I hold on to material things so Dearly in life, when I, (like everyone) know that they are Only TEMPORARY??????
Why is Money most-important to the Already RICH?????
Why is music so soul-stirring????
Why do I have the most loving memories from childhood and not many from adulthood??
Why do I sometimes pine to talk to someone, but no one has the time????
Why do 'Friends' sometimes, never be with you in your hour of need????
Why do I "really" feel at home; when I come home....Why do I find great joy and happiness in seeing my parents home when infact some hours ago we've had a big row...and why do THEY, welcome me with a smile and forget everything like nothing happened????
Why do I feel like all my troubles have vanished when my mother kisses me and cradles me in her arms like a baby????

Still Pondering,
Mitchelle.

Nirvana, Ambition and Sales...

Time: Sometime past Twelve Noon.

Hmmm....a weekend, a conversation and thoughts of attaining Nirvana...

Writing to you folks from my workplace (have a meeting with the management today), my day began with the same every day lazy enthusiasm for work, life and other things. Suddenly, while commuting my cell phone rang... (I have a 'Superman' tune for a Ring-tone) and saw a very familiar name flashing on my phone - my ex-boss'.... He began making conversation with the whats up and where abouts of the world and a couple of ideas for projects and led the conversation to a different mode altogether...he asked about my interests, what I manage to do in my free time, anything and everything apart from my work-life and I go, " I...um...well...actually...um...you know...haven't been.....um....er....upto much apart from work." Now, my ex-boss has seen me in my most active days, when I was not only working for him, but also completing my graduation, dancing in college festivals and teaching in a coaching class...all at the same time... So, this very happy boss suddenly turned glum and asked why I haven't been upto much off lately?? (It was very polite of him to frame his sentence in that order, you know....am sure he actually meant to ask.. "What the F*** is wrong with you?")... so, I told him that I (for some reason) am stuck with the same rut and quite surprisingly don't want to move out of this frame of life for now...

Then the talks of self-actualization and self-realization began, and contrary to what I thought would be my original reaction, I actually enjoyed the "gyan-session."

He spoke of an activity called "Vipassana" which is taught at a Vipassana Centre, at a place called Igatpuri in Maharashtra (about 136 Kms from Mumbai), this Buddha-technique of attaining peace of mind and realizing yourself can help people who want to break away from their current routine in life (read: MESS) and want to have some peace and calm all by themselves to gear up to earn a fresh lease of life. I was very intrigued by all that he said and questioned and questioned him till, even I don't remember, how long.

We spoke about a lot of things after that...books, that inspired and that well...didn't inspire, about family, friends, ambitions and finally sales and targets and Company achievements, when both of us realized that we had to get back to the things we started (me-my preparation for the meeting and him-well, he didn't tell me that), so we bade our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch and most importantly promised to join up places like these to understand ourselves and our life in all its intricacies....

So, all in all, it has been quite an enriching day so far....

Hoping for many more of such enriching experiences...maybe, a post or two, with loads of pictures and experiences from these places, shall be on the cards...

Till then...

Lotsa Potsa Love,
Mitchelle.

Funny Interviewing Experiences...

Hello there... Its thirteen minutes past seven and am at my work place, drained from work and taking interviews with nothing much to grin about (many people close to me tell me that otherwise too, I am always grumpy)... so its yet another boring day at work with new challenges and new thoughts but the same old grungy office and the same old faces...

But, ask me One good thing I love about my job, and that would be talking to new people - either in the form of a Potential Client or interviewing someone as my team-mate for Marketing.

I must have interviewed some 50 odd candidates for the position of Marketing and Strategy in these few weeks and I must tell you, it is a very tedious job and it often leaves me exasperated...

While some candidates are smart, witty and confident to speak to, there are the other bunch of people who don't really fare well in their interviews but are still remembered for their histrionics...

And I, for some damn reason, have borne witness to quite a bunch of characters like these...

I call recall the most funniest ones and would like to share it with you all too...

My team-mate and I once happened to visit this Management Institute in the Central part of Mumbai to recruit students for Marketing and though we never had a single select from there, we managed to gather quite a few laughs... Almost all the incumbents, had rehearsed answers, as if, they had been trained a night ago in answering the questions, it was funny to see each of them answer in not only the same words, but also the same intonation, gestures and expressions...Man, did we laugh our B***S out or What ?@?@??@#@?@?@?@?@
Also, when we asked them about their salary expectations, them being complete freshers, demanded a slightly overpriced amount (considering MBA to be the recent Fad), and when questioned on their credibility to earn the amount, they simply stated that since they spent a fortune to earn the degree, they would want a certain amount to fulfill the circle of ROI (Pretty honest these lads, I must say...but who would want to hire someone who doesn't think he/she is worthy to earn because THEY are skilled but because their supposed Degree cost them a Fortune...I mean seriously, what are we...an NGO????)

Well, there are quite a few funny ones but I somehow can't recollect them...maybe, I could put them up in my ensuing posts...but the one I am about to narrate to you is the funniest, I have ever come across...

We once had a 30 year old FRESHER, who never worked in his whole damn life, come to have himself interviewed for the post of Executive, Marketing.

He was well co-ordinated with his attire and appearance in place. The interview went on smoothly till I asked him why should the Company pay him the amount he quoted?? To which, this sweet, innocent 30 year old answered that the rental rates in his vicinity were of a certain amount and he would require the rest for his monthly grocery expense, with 4 movies in a theatre and 2 weekends of Clubbing or Beach-partying. (?@?#?@#?@?#?#?@?#@?#?@.... I mean clearly, I asked you WHY we should pay you in terms of your WORK and NOT your bloody grocery and party expenses)... All my colleagues left their desks and came to the interview cabin because they wanted to have a glimpse of this funny character...Jeez, I didn't know what to ask him next, I thought maybe he was a little nervous so I asked him questions that would ease him, so I asked him of his leisure activities, to which the Man replies that he loves watching movies, I say Great...which was the latest one you managed to catch and he goes...Ohh, I saw "The Sixth Sense"...I say, Great that is an interesting choice, what is the name of the Director??? He says, " Shyam Benegal.".... I go @)(#U*(@U(*@#*(@Y#U(@U#(*@U#(*@U#(@ (Hey Relax...in my mind, obviously)... Now, for the all the ones who don't know.. the director of Sixth Sense, The Village, Unbreakable and some other notable movies is M Night Shyamalan...whereas Shyam Benegal is a renowned Hindi Movie Director (Its not that I love both of them, but when you watch a movie as famous as The Sixth Sense, you need to know WHO made it)... Anyway, I had turned RED (with ANGER) by the end of this howlarious session and I decided to put this torment to an end, so I say... "Thanks a ton, I will ask my HR Manager to revert to you with my feedback...to which the 30 year old Man says, "I would prefer to have a call than an e-mail, I love the personal effect you know, and besides, you are the one who interviewed me and I liked you a lot, so is it OK if ONLY YOU call me, say maybe, 9 at night and then we can have a chat?" God alone knows, how I managed to control my anger, but I just said, I would try my level-best to personally call him and let him know of his status... My Manager, colleagues and everyone else were so stunned by that, we were just sitting silently for 2 minutes and then everyone burst out laughing...Man, was that funny or what???

Hmm...hey...I have another candidate come in for an interview, so I will have to cut this post short...(well it isnt that short actually)...

More from me after some more hillarious experiences...

Till then...

Lotsa Potsa Love,
Mitchelle.

Must-watch Movies...

Time: 22:59 IST
Topic: 5 Best Movies that have made me go... ENCORE!!!
I will go in reverse order, cause as they say, SAVE THE BEST FOR THE LAST!
Number 5: Bhootnath (2008)
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan (GOD of Indian Cinema), Aman Siddiqui (cho cute!!!), Juhi Chawla (her best, as usual) and Shah Rukh Khan (well, lets just there...there is nothing much he could do here)
Review: Don't be surprised at that last comment, no offence, but the movie clearly belonged to Big B and Small A. Their timing was simply superb. One of the best movies I managed to catch after the horrendous Tashan and Krazzy 4 (I must have been on sedatives for these ones, I am sure!!!). Everything was placed well, though I still believe the second half could have been better in editing. It was great fun to watch kids and parents around me in the movie hall, roar with laughter and cry with an innocence of a new-born. I lost myself for a while too, keeping all my workplace worries and home thoughts out of the window. All in all, GOOD FUN!!!

Number 4: Taare Zameen Par (2007).
Cast: Darsheel Safary, Darsheel Safary, Darsheel Safary.
Review: The movie clearly belonged to this eight-year old wonder! I am still amazed on how Aamir Khan managed to lay his hands on this kid, he surely reminded me of The Kid from Charlie Chaplin's plays... The movie was great fun with a message on Dyslexia (which I think is the latest fad, just like Size Zero)... There were certain scenes from the movie that instantly reminded me of my school days like the scene where all the kids were gathered for the morning assembly and some kids were shown yawning, digging their noses and lots more...something that we would often do during our school assemblies (yawning, I mean ;) )... The movie scores in the second half after Aamir Khan comes in as Ram Nikumb - The Arts teacher, but the audiences only wanted more on Darsheel... I loved the way the song, Taare Zameen Par was pictured, especially with all the lesser blessed children (SECRET: I cried like a baby)... You must watch this movie once, for Darsheel...

Number 3: Princess Diaries 1 & 2, Enchanted, Gameplan (All Disney Movies).
These are real Pop-corn movies that make you want to take a day's leave and watch for its sheer nonsense and innocence. These movies definitely lift my mood that the gory ones my brother makes me watch (eg. SAW Series, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Grudge, Ring and all of those!!!).
I am a very clean person who doesn't like gore (Read: COWARD) and would prefer these mushy movies over the ones my brother rates higher... I sometimes do wonder, if my brother and I are actually blood-related.

Number 2: Rang De Basanti, Guru, Chak De!
These come under the patriotism genre and I quite like each one of them. Each driving a message in its own sweet way, where Rang De Basanti was a little too much to believe, Guru has definitely inspired a lot of people I know in and around, to transform themselves into entrepreneurs (successful or otherwise) and finally Chak De! for its sheer love for a game lesser known in a Cricket-crazed country like ours. Two Thumbs Up for these movies !! अवेसोमे (well, that is actually AWESOME in HINDI)

Number 1: My Brother Nikhil.
Cast: Sanjay Suri (splendid!), Juhi Chawla (again, her best) and Purabh Kohli (never knew he could emote!!!)
Review: Cried my heart out and was so happy to watch a movie so simple and moving, a movie that helped me understand that, it is not important to know how a person contracts the HIV+ virus and subsequently develops AIDS, its not about the questions a society throws at your face, but its the sheer love and support one should render to people like these, in their most trying times...
The movie takles issues like AIDS and Homosexuality with great class and sensitivity. But, what it does most importantly, is teach people to live!!!
A Zillion Thumbs Up for this Movie (and I love the song Le Chale sung by KK)
Thats all on the movie front for now...
See ya soon... till then....

Lotsa Potsa Love,
Mitchelle.

Back to Blogging...

Hey there....

Feels so good to blog after such a long time...was trying to gather certain pieces in my life (though some of them are still scattered) and that consumed more of my time.

A lot has taken place since my last blog, but I wouldn't know where to begin..its 22:49 IST and that too on a Saturday, God...I feel so daft, to sit back at home and type when all my friends and contemporaries are out there, doing what they do best...PARTYING...

So, would you want to ask me, am I missing out on that, I would say NOPE... I am just a tetotaller and HATE the sight of booze, snort or anything that is vile in nature...don't think am trying to be mama's girl, its just that I don't understand why one should waste so much money on something that, literally and figuratively, goes down the drain (the toilet that is, for daft ones like me!!!)

Okay, enough of my nonsense...I have decided to write something nice today and every ensuing day, till I keep this blogging craze on, and I know, you people are done for good with my keedas, so I have decided to dedicate each day's blog with what I experience in this great city called Mumbai, my personal experiences with people and work, and opening my thoughts to you on my passions in life, MOVIES and BOOKS.

So, I guess after a little dope on what I am going to bore you on, I would like to say, " Welcome One, Welcome All, to this crazed little world of Mitchu-madness!!!"

Lotsa Potsa Love,
Mitchelle.