Hingshuti's Tag

This is a tag I borrowed from Hingshuti (a Bengali word which means jealous).

Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
Horror of course. Long live the King.

Hitchhiker or Discworld?
Hitchhiker.

Bookmark or Dog Ear?
Bookmark, I never Dog Ear my books.

Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction?
Asimov's Science Fiction.

Alphabetize by author, Alphabetize by title, or random?
Random.

Keep, Throw Away or Sell?
Definitely Keep. That's why half the time I don't get a place to sit in my own bedroom.

Keep dust-jacket or toss it?
Keep the dust-jacket but not while reading the book.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Harry Potter.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
Tired.

"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?
"It was a dark and stormy night".

Buy or Borrow?
Buy. I love to own my books.

Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse?
Browse.

Lewis or Tolkien?
Lewis.

Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading?
Anytime would do, although it's mostly afternoon reading.

Standalone or Series?
Standalone.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Salem's Lot.

Top 5 favorite genre books of all time?
Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi Horror, Suspense, Thriller.

Favorite genre series?
The Dark Towers.

Currently Reading?
Love in Times of Cholera.

And now I tag Rohini.

88 Truths

This meme was originally done by Rochak on Facebook. Although he named it 100 truths, but when I counted I found out there were only 88 points. So here are 88 truths about me. Enjoy!

LAST:

1. Last beverage → Tea.
2. Last phone call → From Madhu, yesterday at 10:54AM.
3. Last text message → From Sharmi, today 12:34AM.
4. Last song you listened to → Saali Khushi, Amit Rrivedi (Dev D).
5. Last time you cried → I cry almost everyday, makes me feel better.


SIX HAVE YOU EVER:

6. Dated someone twice → I am crazy, but not that much.
7. Been cheated on → Yes.
8. Kissed someone & regretted it → No.
9. Lost someone special → Yes, a lot of them.
10. Been depressed → Yes.
11. Been drunk and threw up → Thrice.


HAVE YOU:

12. Made new friends → Yes.
13. Fallen out of love → Yes.
14. Laughed until you cried → On a number of occasions.
15. Met someone who changed you → Yes, you all know about R don't you.
16. Found out who your true friends were → Yes.
17. Found out someone was talking about you → Yes.
18. Kissed anyone on your friend's list → No.
19. Made the first Move → Yes.
20. Do you have any pets → Not at present.
21. Do you want to change your name → No, it has it's own appeal. See, even SRK borrowed it from me.
22. What did you do for your last birthday → Celebrated it with my family.
23. What time did you wake up today → 5AM.
24. What were you doing at midnight last night → Writing.
25. Name something you CANNOT wait for → To find a new girl friend, life's too boring without love.
26. Last time you saw your father → 5 minutes back.
27. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life → Reality, it hurts.
28. Most visited webpage → http://www.rajtilak.net.


ABOUT YOU:

29. What's your name → Rajtilak.
30. Nicknames → Bunty, Jim, Raj, Tilu, Tilak.
31. Zodiac sign → Libra.
32. Male or female or transgendered → Male.
33. Elementary → Children's Corner.
34. Schools → St. Thomas' Boys' School.
35. Colleges → New Alipore College, Asutosh College.
36. Hair color → Black.
37. Long or short → Long.
38. Height → 5'9”.
39. Do you have a crush on someone? → Yes, Kareena Kapoor is still on the list.
40. Ever been in love → I am perpetually in love, I am a love-sick puppy.
41. Piercings → Yes.
42. Tattoos → No.
43. Righty or lefty → Righty.


FIRSTS :

44. First piercing → Left ear.
45. First best friends → Santosh Kumar Singh.
46. First sport you joined → Age of Empires.
47. First pet → Buso, a white Spaniel.
48. First vacation → Don't remember, was a kid. But probably was Digha.
49. First concert → None so far.
50. First crush → A college mate.
51. Eating → I am a big foodie.
52. Drinking → Quit.
53. I'm about to → Punch myself on the nose and start singing Hurt, Johnny Cash.
54. Listening to → Maahi Mennu, Labh Jauja (Dev D).


YOUR FUTURE :

55. Want kids → Yes.
56. Want to get married → No, probably not.
57. Careers in mind → Pro Blogging, successfully.
58. Lips or eyes → Eyes.
59. Hugs or kisses → As I already said, Hugs. Kisses would definitely follow.
60. Shorter or taller → Taller.
61. Older or Younger → Older.
62. Romantic or spontaneous → Romantic.
63. Nice stomach or nice arms → Nice Stomach.
64. Sensitive or loud → Sensitive.
65. Hook-up or relationship → Hook-up.
67. Trouble maker or hesitant → Trouble maker.


HAVE YOU EVER :

68. Kissed a stranger → Yes.
69. Lost glasses/contacts → Yes.
70. Sex on first date → Yes.
71. Broken someone's heart → Yes.
72. Had your own heart broken → Yes.
73. Been arrested → No.
74. Turned someone down → Yes.
75. Cried when someone died → Yes, I cried a lot when Eddie Gurrerro died.
76. Liked a friend that is a girl → Yes.


DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

77. Yourself → Yes.
78. Miracles → Happens only in fiction.
79. Love at first sight → Yes.
80. Heaven → On earth, in the lover's arms.
81. Santa Clause → Yes, as long as there are free gifts I believe in anything.
82. Peace in this lifetime → Still haven't found it.
83. Kissing on the first date → Why not!
84. Angels → I am one. Please don't misinterpret those horns, they are there to hold the halo in position.
85. Is there one person you want to be with right now → Yes. R of course.
86. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time in the past → Yes.
87. You will die Young → Yes, like Curt Kobain.
88. You will end with the one you love and learn to love the one you are with → I would always be with R.

48 - Tagged By Rohini

Rohini tagged me on Facebook. Now everyone knows that Facebook is a MMORPG, so I thought about replying to the tag here instead.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
There was a movie of the same name released the year I was born, I was named after that movie. If I remember correctly, it was a Jitendra starrer.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
I cry often, sometimes for no reason at all. It makes me feel better. Weird, huh!

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Definitely I do.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Mutton.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Of course I would be. I am nice person to befriend, there are many who would validate this point.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Often. But mainly with friends.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes. The only thing my body is missing is a full-grown bushy tail, and I do regret it often. It would have given me a chance to do something for hours.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
In India? No, I would not take a chance. In US, HELL YEAH!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Kellogs Chocos.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Chocolate and Black Current.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Eyes. They tell a lot more about them than anything else.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red. I love my lady in red.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My face. I have the perfect poker face in the world. You would not find an iota of expression on it, even under extreme conditions.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
It's not a person but a place, I miss my Delhi.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
I would surely want them to, but they can be excused. Not everyone is as unemployed as I am.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
I am not wearing pants. Now, now, don't start imagining things, it would be too gross. I am wearing Bermuda shorts, brown Bermuda shorts. And my slippers are white.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Blue. That's my favorite color.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
The smell of scorched earth right after the first brief spell of monsoon shower.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
A friend of mine, Paro.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yes, she is a very nice friend and an equally brilliant blogger.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
WWE.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Black.

28. EYE COLOR?
Black.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No, I don't need to. I have a perfect 20-20 eyesight.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Mutton Biriyani and Meetha Dahi.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Pink Panther 2. Steve Martin rocks. Madhu and I went to watch it together day before yesterday.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
*Sigh* I am not wearing a shirt. I am wearing brown colored Tees.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter. I love the feeling of warmth. Although I would prefer monsoon, rain always brings out the lover in me.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs. Kisses would come later.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
I don't have a stock phrase.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
I don't have any anti-stock phrase either. (Did I hear anyone say plagiarist!)

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Talisman - Stephen King and Peter Straub.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't have a mouse pad, I use a notepad for that.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
A silly Bengali movie I don't know and don't even wanna know the name of.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
The sound of silence.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
I have been to Delhi and Chennai.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Yes, I have a good 6th sense.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
In a hospital in Calcutta. It was destroyed a few years after that unfortunate incident.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING?
Dunno, but I am looking forward to Rohini's comments.

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
On the net.

I would not be able to tag 25 people with this humongous task, I tag Priya, Runa and Philo. Now in case some of you have noticed, yes, there is not #13. Well, in the original tag there was no #12, so I took the creative liberty of changing #13 to #12, I am a triskaidekaphobic you see. If you wanna see more such stupid informations about your's truely then check out the now-famous The 25 Random Things Meme.

The 25 Random Things Meme

This is the 25 things meme that is taking rounds of the internet for quite some time now. Yes, I have put a THE in front of it as it had become so popular that a search in Google would reveal 1,460,000 results, so we should put some respect to it. So without further ado here are the 25 random things about me that you were better off not knowing.

1. I can read, write and speak fluently in 3 languages. In fact I speak English and Hindi way better than Bengali, which is my mother tongue.

2. I am scared of ghosts, noisy firecrackers and thunder.

3. My right foot is slightly smaller than the left one due to an accident during my childhood days. Although it's invisible to the naked eye.

4. My sunsign is Libra whereas my moonsign is Gemini.

5. I used to be an amateur palmist.

6. My favorite season is monsoon.

7. I had taken courses in singing from a Guru for for almost 3 months. Then I sort of got bored of Rabindrasangeet.

8. I have a secret crush on Kareena Kapoor. Okay, now it's not a secret anymore.

9. Although I love to say that I am an open book, more often than not people have complained that I am the most difficult read.

10. I am hypersensitive and a bit too emotional. I still cry seeing the lamest movies in the theater.

11. My favorite subject since my school days is Computer Science. I always wanted to be a Computer Engineer.

12. My first computer was rechristened by R as Celu. It was a Celeron 1.2 GHz.

13. I am a divorcee.

14. I have taken professional training in Kyukoshikan form of Karate for almost 2 years when I was in school.

15. I have been to all the metros in India except for Mumbai.

16. I don't forgive, neither do I forget.

17. I am a self-confessed chauvinist and egoist.

18. I am an ardent fan of WWE.

19. I am a born loner.

20. I hate to be left alone. I want myself to be surrounded by friends.

21. Yes, my left ear is pierced. It's not a falsetto.

22. I feel fascinated by nature, women, words and technology.

23. I consider myself to be a love-sick puppy.

24. My favorite food is Biriyani and Meetha-Dahi.

25. I hate lizards and liars. I consider them fall in the same rank.

Books I Read In January

A few days back Runa tagged me. The rules are that I need to mention the top five books I read in January with a short review along with a word of recommendation for each and/or any one of them for her to read. So here it goes.

The Call of Cthulhu and The Dunwich Horror

I am writing about these 2 books at the same place as both of them belong to a similar category and was written by the master of horror, H. P. Lovecraft.

Being a horror fiction fan, I am always in search of stories/novels that would make my bones chill. As most of you would know by now that I am a fan of Stephen King. But at the same time, I must say that I am quite awed by Lovecraftian horror. Although there are no comparisons between them.

In the first book, The Call of Cthulhu, this very same Lovecraftian horror has taken a new dimension altogether. It's one of his best known short stories, written in the Summer of '26 and later published in Weired Tales, February '28. This story is 3 stories linked together. It begins thus, "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents".

The second story, The Dunwich Horror, is another short story published in Weired Tales, and a core story of the Cthulhu Mythos. It takes place in Dunwich, a fictional town in Massachusetts.

I would recommend both these stories if only one likes horror fiction, or would like to spend some sleepless nights. You would find both of these books here :

The Judgement

The 3rd story that I enjoyed reading in the month of Janury was The Judgement by Franz Kafka. No, this is not written in the usual Kafkaesque tone, but this story would make you think. It tells the tale of Georg Bendemann, his father and his fictitious (?) friend.

This story has a more complex view to it then it might seem on the first read. I would not recommend this masterpiece as it makes one think a lot. You would find The Judgement here:

The Judgement and In the Penal Colony (Penguin 60s Classics)

The Short Stories of Sherlock Holmes

This is one of the best collection that I have ever read, for obvious reasons. With his brilliant deducting capabilities and Bohemian nature, Sherlock Holmes has enchated us over and over again. This was the book that had inspired me to write about the comparison between Sherlock Holmes and Hercules Poirot.

It's a must read. Find your own copy of Sherlock Holmes here:

Over 50 Stories of Hercules Poirot

One of the most egomaniacle, pompous a** that I have ever seen, Hercules Poirot is not only a direct liftup from the great Sherlock Holmes, he is also quite predictable. So I would NOT recommend this. You can find the pompous a** here:

Out of these 5 books, I think the best was The Call of Cthulhu and The Short Stories of Sherlock Holmes.

Now, I tag Philo.

Tagged By Philo

I have been tagged by Philo, so here it is.

1. If your lover betrayed you, what would your reaction be?

I don't like to react, I have the best poker face in the world. If I feel hurt (which is what I would feel if betrayed), it would not show in my reactions either.

2. If you can have a dream come true,what it would be?

Being the next Mike Arrington.

3. Whose butt would you love to kick?

Life's.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?

Simple, I'll use them :)

5. will you fall in love with your best friend?

Why not?

6. Which is more blessed; loving someone or being loved by someone?

Being loved by someone.

7. How long would you wait for someone you love?

If she loves me, then 5 years.

8. If the person you secretly like is attached, what will you do?

Nothing, would move away from her to greener pastures.

9. If you could root for one social cause what it would be?

If there's any social cause for the betterment of the legal system in India, I'll vouch for that.

10. What takes you down the fastest?

Lies and betrayal.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

10 years is too long, in the next 6 months I see myself as a successful upcoming enthreprenure.

12. What's your fear?

Of being left alone.

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you?

A very good friend who is not afraid of criticizing herself, a quality which I miss among lots of people now a days.

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?

Single and rich. Nobody said I cannot have an affair with that same woman, right?

15. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Open my eyes of course!

16. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who will you choose?

Why do I need to choose! You guys are such a spoilsport :(

17. Will you give up all in a relationship?

I did that earlier, it does not pay and it's not worth it. So, I won't.

18. Would you forgive and forget someone no matter how horrible a thing he has done?

I don't forgive and I don't forget.

19. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?

Single.

20. List of people to tag : Nimisha, Priya, Rohini.

Sing Along :-)

I always wanted to make a list of my favorite songs. The songs that I like to sing and no, not in the bathroom. These are songs that I would like to sing with a loud voice without caring much of what others mind think. These are the songs that I listen to almost everyday. I love to listen to them when I am going on a long drive, while feeling the wind on my face, when I feel like fly away with the winds of my dreams. These are the songs in which I try to find peace, trust, love, happiness, solace. These are the songs in which I try to find myeslf. So ladies and gentlemen, without much ado let me present to you a list of my favorite songs.

1. The Sound of Silence (performer: Simon and Garfunkel),
2. Tinka Tinka (movie: Karam, performer: Alisha Chenoy),
3. Zara Sa (movie: Jannat),
4. The Eye of the Tiger (movie: Rocky, performer: The Survivor),
5. Someday Out of the Blue (movie: Road to El Dorado, performer: Sir Elton John),
6. Every Breath You Take (performer: Police),
7. Unbreak my Heart (perfomer: Toni Braxton),
8. Truely, Madly, Deeply (performer: Savage Garden),
9. Have you really loved a Woman (performer: Bryan Adams),
10. It must have been Love (performer: Cher),
11. The Wall (performer: Pink Floyd),
12. Pour Some Sugar on Me (performer: Def Leppards),
13. Iron Man (performer: Black Sabbath),
14. November Rain (performer: GnR),
15. The Man who sold the World (performer: Nirvana),
16. It Smells like Teen Spirit (performer: Nirvana),
17. Susanna (performer: The Art Company),
18. Living Next Door to Alice (performer: Smokie),
19. Sun is Shining (performer: Bob Marley),
20. Girl (performer: Beatles),
21. Streets of Philadelphia (movie: Philadelphia, performer: Bruce Springsteen),
22. Iris (movie: City of Angels, performer: Goo Goo Dolls),
23. Send me an Angel (performer: Scorpions),
24. Dragula (movie: The Matrix, performer: Rob Zombie),
25. Love Bites (performer: Def Leppards),
26. Kiss from a Rose (movie: Batman, performer: Seal),
27. If Tomorrow Never Comes (performer: Ronan Keating),
28. Hotel California (performer: The Eagles),
29. Tequila Sunrise (performer: The Eagles),
30. Hello (performer: Lionel Richie),
31. Hazard (performer: Richard Max),
32. Words (performer: the Boyzone version although the Bee Gees version was equaliy good),
33. Love me Tonight (performer: Don Williams),
34. Cocaine (performer: Eric Clapton),
35. Careless Whisper (performer: Wham),
36. Another Day in Paradise (performer: Phil Collins),
37. Aye Zindagi Gale Lagale (movie: Sadma, performer: Suresh Wadkar),
38. Bheegi Bheegi (movie: Gangstar, performer: James),
39. The Sunscreen Song (performer: Baz Luhrmann)

More next time because the list is virtually endless. Till that time listen to this and enjoy!

The Mosaic Tag

I found this interesting tag along with some others at Anindita's blog Wily Banter. The moment I read it I knew that I had to and I mean I really had to put it up on The Chronicles of R. So here it is, thanks Anindita :)

The rules are:
1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page of results, pick one image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

The questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food? right now?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. What is your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. What is one word that describes you?
12. What is your user name?



Now, start guessing answers!

I was Tagged!

TAGGED!

Shweta tagged me. So here you go -

1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATER?
Jannat

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING?
The Cruel Legacy

3) FAVORITE BOARD GAME?
Chess

4) FAVORITE MAGAZINE?
Playboy ;-)

5) FAVORITE SMELLS?
The smell of rain soaked earth

6)FAVORITE SOUNDS?
The sound of silence

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Feeling lonely without R

8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE?
I think of R

9) FAVORITE FASTFOOD PLACE?
Pizza Hut

10) FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
R should be the right person to be asked this question.

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT - "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I'D"
Have gone to Switzerland for my honeymoon

12) DO YOU DRIVE FAST?
Let's rephrase the question, DO U DRIVE?

13)DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
No

14)STORMS - COOL OR SCARY?
Cool

15)WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
Hot Wheels

16) FAVORITE DRINK?
Coke

17)FINISH THIS STATEMENT - "IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD"
Have gone for a movie and dinner with R

18)DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
No

19)IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
Salt and Pepper

20)NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN?
Calcutta, Delhi

21) FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
WWE, Cricket(if the Aussies are playing), Football(if the Argentines are playing)

22)ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
She is a very good friend

23)WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
Mini-me

24)WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?
Always

25)MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
I was always a creature of the night, so a Night Owl

26)OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Sunny side up

27) FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX?
In her arms

28)FAVORITE PIE?
Chocolate

29)FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Black Forest ice cream cake

30)OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
Who would publish the reply to this tag first


My turn to tag.

I tag Shruti