Stranger

I see you gaze penetratingly at her,

with eyes as black as the night.
What do you hope to see?

I've watched as you move your lips,
murmuring inaudibly into the crisp winter breeze.
What are you trying to say?

You've sniffed at the air more than once,
with that roman nose slightly inclined.
Whose scent do you so effortlessly detect?

What do you hope to hear
by tilting your head ever so subtely,
whenever she has something to say?

Do shivers running throughout your body
make the fine hairs on your skin stand,
as her arm accidently brushes yours?

Let go of all five senses for a moment
and you will discover that the key to your soul as well as her's,
lies within your reach.

Random Pics

 Above are snaps of my avian pal Lucius from Sharjah as well as a picture of our dearest hostel persian cat who pees on everything in his way. Below are pictures of my visit to Dubai Mall and the gigantic aquarium with its eels, stingrays, sharks and a variety of fish as well as a snap of Bloomingdales.

Goodbye Stranger!

Uptil seven years back, I lived at peace with myself and never felt the need to look for something more. This came to an end, with the arrival of the King of Swords who's largely responsible for the state I'm in right now. He lured me into his trap with an air of detachment and somewhat good looks (which are slowly waning). He drained me emotionally and then left me at the mercy of his pompous and quick-tempered partner in crime, the King of Pentacles. Now this wasn't the sort of guy I'd even look at twice, owing to his awkward mannerisms, priestly lectures and a terrible sense of humour but in my vulnerable state I needed all the support I could get. He further messed up the situation with an artless expression of simulated feelings and bogus sugar coated words. It took me about a year with the continuous replaying of 'Wouldn't it be Nice' by the Beachboys to recover from something I thought akin to Love, with his pusillanimous sibling, Knight of Swords tiptoe-ing all over my cyberspace like a stupid little girl and sending me crappy invitations over the internet which I couldn't have bothered about even if I was the loneliest person on the planet. Moving on from this assortment of freaks, I encountered several guys at college who weren't too out of this world but Boy, was King of Wands some catch! He never seemed aware of his surroundings and always danced to an imaginary tune in his head. Friends said that he was the biggest loser they'd ever encountered and warned me against losing my self-respect for him, but I didn't listen, as always. He was like a breath of fresh air from the emotionless freaks of the past. But several phone coversations and one love poem later made me realize he wasn't my type at all. And that brings me to my current situation. Seven years of disappointment, four assholes in succession, broken dreams and lowered expectations are enough to shatter one's hopes once and for all. So dearest Prince Charming, whoever you are and wherever you maybe at this exact instant, please understand why I'm giving up on my pursuit of you from this day on.

Forsyte Saga (2002)

Starring: Damian Lewis, Gina McKee and Rupert Graves.

This film centres around the life story of the beautiful but poor Irene, who makes a huge mistake by marrying Soames Forsyte and getting herself trapped in a loveless marriage. The controlling and seemingly hard-hearted Soames is unable to understand his artistic and independent young wife who refuses to be one of his 'possessions'. She in turn, is unable to tolerate his need for control over her and his inability to express passion without coming across as hurtful. Their relationship disintegrates within two years of marriage and Irene finds love in the penniless architect, Philip Bossiney. She threatens to leave Soames after he gets abusive and eventually does leave him, after Bossiney dies in an accident. Meanwhile, Jolyon Forsyte is busy carrying on a relationship with the governess of his daughter, June, following a separation from his wife, Frances. His family disowns him and he settles down to start a family with the governess Helene. He learns that his wife is dead and proposes marriage to the governess, who accepts. Helene dies later, and he falls in love with a mourning Irene in whom he sees a reflection of himself. The two of them have a son, Jon Forsyte. Soames moves on with his life and has a daughter, Fleur from his second marriage. Second cousins, Fleur and Jon fall in love, ignorant of their parents misdeeds and pasts. The series is concluded with Fleur finding out the truth about their parents and marrying a wealthy suitor, leaving Jon heartbroken.

Hell's Oven: Right at The Centre of It

Staying at home on my usual one-month long vacation has enabled me to take stock of my life and where I want to go from this point. One thing is for sure; I'm done living in hell's oven. It's the kind of sickening place where you get half your money's worth for every food item you purchase, making you some sort of semi-functional humanoid. It's a place where you're asked for a continuous output of information but are given measly input, on the condition that you're willing to travel several miles for it, as a result, rendering two-thirds of its population, complete morons. Everyone is more than glad to take material gifts from you, showering you with pseudo praise and affection soon after but leaving you to perish on the street from starvation right in front of their houses, months later. It's the kind of place where people occasionally complain about the pitiable state of their lives, but have no real intention of getting out of their self imposed plights. They yearn for monstrously ugly villas, truckloads of money, permanent jobs and faithful spouses. Yet, it never occurs to them that their pursuit of happiness could be simplified if only they could act saner, learn new skills, acquire more knowledge and become better people and not the pretentious saintly douchebags that they genuinely are. I'm mad at myself for having permitted others to drag me into this shithole and madder at time for not passing quicker. Spending another two and a half years here is unthinkable especially since I refuse to play along with the devil's helpers any longer. I'm sick of the 'friends' who leave you at the mercy of people they know you hate, leave you standing right beside them to witness their grotesque shagging sessions and sick of the ones who are never there for you when you most need them. Family tires me with their endless demands and impositions. Relatives on social networking sites happen to be the worst, with their pathetic posts which are in reality, desperate and annoying cries for attention. I mean who really wants to know what some sad old wrinkled hag wore to a party? You'd just be glad she's still alive and made it this far. And the flaky cousin who's constantly uploading photos and changing his relationship status to show the world how popular and desirable he still is? You'd have died never to be in his shoes, the day you witnessed him drop a bomb in a classroom full of cute eighth graders. Anyway, enough about the distant past. More recently, having to stand in the proximity of the Devil's spawn during my dearest grandfather's funeral, was more than I could bear. I could've grabbed a shovel right then, hit them all on the head and sent them flying straight into their afterlives. The disgust at encountering them wass just too overwhelming; the equivalent of having to endure an abscess in your brain for a few minutes. Year 2014! How I long for you! Your arrival is sure to kick me out of this zombie like stupor which I walk around in nowadays. The word 'Freedom' has taken on a whole new meaning for me. I don't even want a great love life anymore. To be forever free from the chains binding me to this private hell I've landed myself in, is all I ask for.

Random Must-Watch Romance Films

1. Sweet Jane

Jane, an HIV-positive heroin addict, meets Tony, a young AIDS victim with no family, and the two form a bond. Tony helps her get out of dangerous situations which she places herself in and she returns the favour by taking care of him on his deathbed.







2. Ruby Sparks

A novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.





3. Happenstance

Audrey Tautou plays shop assistant Irène, who on the way to work takes a seat on the Paris metro opposite an older woman who tries to interview her for a marketing survey. On hearing that Irène's birthdate is 11 March 1977, the woman reads her horoscope : today she'll meet her true love, but she must be patient. After she leaves the metro, a young man sitting alongside tells the older woman he was born on the same day and asks her to read the rest of the horoscope.

4. Moonrise Kingdom

An ex boy scout and a depressed girl flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.






5. One Day

After spending the night together on the night of their college graduation Dexter and Em are shown each year on the same date to see where they are in their lives. They are sometimes together, sometimes not, on that day.

6. Big Love

This sexually explicit art movie jumps back and forth between two story lines, one tracing the obsessive affair between a teenage music student and a biochemist some ten years her senior, and the other chronicling the police investigation that ensues after the man has murdered the girl.



7. Leap Year

Anna Brady plans to travel to Dublin, Ireland to propose to her boyfriend Jeremy on February 29, leap day, because, according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it.

Anna Brady plans to travel to Dublin, Ireland to propose to her boyfriend Jeremy on February 29, leap day, because, according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it.

Guillaume Canet

Born: 10 April 1973

Guillaume Canet is a top actor and director in France. Son of horse breeders, the young man spent his childhood in the countryside near Paris. In his youth, Guillaume wanted to be a horse-rider, and briefly followed a professional career in the sport. A bad fall broke his dreams led to his acting career, and success. After briefly studying acting, he started his career with the success we know. Often cast in roles of naive young men, Canet knew how to be hired for other parts. Chiseled features and real talent brought him to stardom quite soon. A star in France, well-known in continental Europe, Guillaume could become easily one of the greatest actors of the next decade. 

He has starred in several films like Joyeux Noël, Love Me If You Dare and The Beach. In 2006, he turned to writing and directing with Tell No One and won a César Award for Best Director. He's currently married to french actress Marion Cotillard, his Love Me If You Dare co-star with whom he has a son Marcel.

Below is a trailer of his best romance film by far, 

Halloween Magic for Young Women

A young lady should try to peel an apple in one continuous strip. Holding the apple peel in her right hand, she has to whirl around three times and throw the peel over her left shoulder. The peel will form the outline of the first letter of her future husband's name. If the peel breaks, it's an indicator that she will never marry (I've tried this one, and got my peel resembling a J).

If a girl has several young men courting her and is undecided as to which she should choose, on Halloween she should take apple seeds, naming one for each man and stick them to her face. The last seed to fall off is the person she should pick. 

Another common method instructed to a girl is to light two candles at midnight, then sit  in front of a mirror and eat an apple. She was then instructed to brush her hair.  An image of her future lover/husband would appear in the mirror behind her shoulder. Some believe if you catch a snail on Halloween night and lock it into a flat dish, in the morning you will see the first letter of your sweetheart written in the snail's slime.

In Scotland, a woman would name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and toss the nuts into the fireplace. The nut that burned to ashes, rather than popping or exploding, represented the girl's future husband.

If you'd like to see your future husband in a dream, then just place a sprig of rosemary and a silver sixpence under your pillow on Halloween night. If a lady wished to dream of her future husband on Halloween then she could also place her shoes in the shape of a 'T'. The 'T' was believed to be a very potent talisman with connections with the Scandinavian God, 'Thor', the 'T' representing his war hammer. Once she had placed the shoes on the floor she would then have said, 

"Hoping this night my true love to see, 

I place my shoes in the shape of a T". 

Offering Love to a Psychopath

The problem with being a romantic idealist and being in love with Love, is that you can never distinguish between the real thing and a mere infatuation. When you gift love letters and romantic poetry to your latest object of affection without bothering to get to know the real him, you often set the stage in your life for epic rejection and disappointment.

Have you ever been in a situation where your affection for someone was overflowing and been so close to having your emotions reciprocated, only to realize the whole thing was one BIG farce? Where you've called them up not once but thrice, hoping to receive atleast a single call back from them, but it never came. Where you've given them your very own handwritten love poem, only to have to wait forever for a response. A simple smile or a brief glance  never took too much of anyone's time. It makes me only feel like I've fallen in love with a psychopath who uses his charm and deceit to flirt with every woman in the universe. He never cares genuinely for anyone but himself and uses the attention he gets from women only as a means of boosting his ego. I hope my poem had the reverse effect on him and screws up every damn thing in his life from now on. Never have I given so much to a single person to just have it thrown back in my face, so unceremoniously. He's just one of the many dicks I've fallen for and intend to fall out of love with as soon as possible. I can only comfort myself by knowing that things eventually do get better for victims of the Night once the sun rises, making the world a brighter and clearer place. 

Less Than Ordinary

I’m just a teenager

Who pens down love poems

On the back of her hands

Hoping you’ll leave the land of broken dreams

And turn her dream into a reality

As magical as your soul.

I won’t dance to music

That deafens you to

The beating of your own heart

But I’ll sing a song or two

Hoping that someday you’ll wake up

And embrace what’s been there all along.

I’ll smile when you frown

And bear every cruel look you throw me

Across the room

Praying desperately the whole while

That you should never find out

How all of it hurts

Like hot wax searing tender skin.

Maybe I’m too ordinary

For someone with a name as special as yours

For, despite the secret within me

Threatening to spill out each time you get near

And strange cryptic signs showing up all around us

You refuse to see what won’t show.

One Boring Sunday Afternoon

So I was sitting on the steps to my apartment watching the rain, when I found this cute kitten who'd got lost on its way home and had decided to explore our building. All I've found out about her is that she's a really fussy eater and is extremely photogenic ( like most cats)...loves tuna and chicken but hates everything else. She doesn't even bother to sniff at the bread. I've decided to name her Whiskers. Here are a couple of photos of her.

Girl With The Sad Eyes

'Choose a career', says Mother.
'Do it perfectly', screams Father.
'Speak up', yell the teachers.
'Die!', screech the relatives.
'Get a life', cries the boy next door who hunts for crabs at night and sleeps during day.
'I don't love you', whispers the man who wishes to be canonized as the greatest saint who ever lived.

That's not what the Girl with Sad Eyes would like to hear. She doesn't wish to live by anyone's rules except her own or do anything she doesn't have the will to do. She's tired of her relatives, their never-ending gossip and primitive talk which makes no sense at all to someone raised in the city. She'd like to fall in love with someone artistic and musically gifted, live in isolation from the rest of the world and die a quick but peaceful death in a world that's too insensitive to her needs and a world which grows less polite with time. The tedious practicalities, routines, numbers and details of an everyday mundane life have begun to wear her out. Although she hasn't lost faith in herself or the hope of a better tomorrow, she soon will. She will endure only a few more of life's brutal beatings upon her fragile spirit and try hard to see the beauty in a world filled with cheap talk, filth and venom before she wastes away like ever other depressed idealist who lived before her. She doesn't paint anymore nor does she sketch nameless faces into her sketch pad. She keeps waiting for something to happen to take her out of her misery like a car accident or a strange incurable illness. Love comes and goes in the form of young men who tease, flirt and pull at her heartstrings but never stay. She comes across an occasional red rose which revives her spirit if only to some extent, until it wilts away. She tries to capture beauty and love that she sees around her in her art and tries to immortalize it, only to find the medium itself fading upon the wall and disintegrating into bits. 

She knows of an old man whom everyone calls 'mad'. But only she knows the truth about what happened to him. His is no ordinary madness. He was once a poor violinist...a simple man...an idealist who made the biggest mistake of his life when he decided to marry. The poor artistic soul was soon pulled into the harsh world of liars and opportunists where reality was much different from anything he had ever experienced. His family now consisted of a terribly vain wife, selfish children and an emotionally indifferent sister, all of whom, burst into his quiet world and pulled him down to hell with them. Today, he just chooses not to remember a soul. He isn't really mad. Just beaten at a kind of chess known as Life.

Below is a song that I've dedicated to him.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

'The Ghost and Mrs. Muir' is a romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie.

Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison

In 20th century England, a widow named Mrs. Lucy Muir searches for a house to live in after an argument with her in-laws. She settles for a cottage along a seaside village called Whitecliff despite being warned that the house is haunted by a captain who apparently committed suicide. She moves into the cottage with her daughter, pet dog and maid and gets into a conversation with the ghost after provoking him to speak. During their quarrel, Lucy discovers that the captain died accidentally in his bed chamber. She tells him to be nicer and not to use uncivilized language with her being a lady and all. They gradually develop feelings for one another, with her being the obstinate but charming young lady and him being a loud and arrogant seaman.

Lucy's in-laws show up at the cottage telling her that she's now become a pauper as her investment income has dried up and that she should return to her late husband's house in London. Lucy refuses them and turns to the ghost for help as he urges her to write a book based on his numerous adventures at sea. She writes as he dictates and goes to the Publisher's with the manuscript. The publisher, greatly impressed by the captain's story, agrees to publish the book. On the way to the publisher's, she meets Miles Fairley who begins flirting with her and even pushes her to ride in a carriage with him. She discovers that he is a well known children's author who writes under the pen-name of Uncle Neddy. This begins a series of flirtatious episodes and courtship which angers the jealous ghost, making him come to the realization that he has fallen in love with Mrs Muir and that it is only healthy for her to carry on a relationship with a 'real' man. He tells Lucy, in her sleep, that she ought to forget him and vanishes.

Lucy wakes up thinking that her quarrels with the Captain were only dreams and comes under the impression that the book was written only by her. Meanwhile, she gets a cheque for the book, enabling her to buy the house and runs to Fairley's house to tell him the good news. She discovers that he is a married man and returns to the cottage with a broken heart and lingering emptiness. She subconsciously longs for the captain, despite believing that his ghost never existed.
She lives in the cottage for several long and lonely years and her grown up daughter visits her from University with her fiance. From their talk, Lucy comes to the realization that the Captain's ghost really had really existed but mysteriously vanished from both her and her daughter's lives. The final scene is her as an aged woman who dies while getting ready for bed at night. She drops her glass of milk and the Captain appears only to pull the spirit of the young Lucy away from the body. The two of them walk down the stairs and out of the front door, into the mist.

Yann Tiersen

Yann Tiersen is a musician from France. His musical career is split between studio albums, collaborations and film soundtracks with a distinctive sound that is always involved. It can be recognized by its use of a large variety of instruments; primarily the guitar, synthesizer or violin together with instruments like the melodica, xylophone, toy piano, harpsichord, accordion and typewriter.
His most famous soundtrack for the film Amélie was primarily made up of tracks taken from his first two studio albums. Below is one of his soundtracks 'Loin des Villes' composed for the film Amelie.

Birthday: 23 June 1970
HIS NATAL ASPECTS:

Sun Trine Jupiter: A trine formed between the Sun and Jupiter shows a generous degree of creative talent making it a favourable aspect for musical expression. Yann has a considerable amount of self-confidence, and he likes himself without being conceited or boastful. He is intelligent, articulate and very well informed on many subjects.

Sun square Uranus: A square formed between the Sun and Uranus shows that Yann is impulsive and unpredictable. He is original, but sometimes impractical. He like to do what he wants at his chosen time and pace. Nervous and accident prone, he may face a few obstacles on his path to success. With time, his views may remain eccentric and liberal, but they become more broadly based and humanitarian.

Moon trine Mercury: The trine formed between the Moon and Mercury shows a shrewd, careful, and sensible mind. Yann has a logical, judicious, and pleasant way of expressing himself and he does it in a straightforward fashion. This aspect is favorable for communicating with others especially through music.

Moon trine Jupiter: The Moon forms a trine with Jupiter showing he possesses a glowing, generous personality. He has a confidence that he can deal with about any crisis in his life and his enthusiasm generates optimism in those around him. His imagination is expansive, and he is able to see ways to work out most problems.

Yann has a powerful aspects between his personal planets and Jupiter. Jupiter being a planet which is associated with freedom, good fortune and exploration and being in trine to his Sun and Moon give him the ability to experiment with different styles and create beautiful music. His Sun square Uranus aspect makes him create pieces which are authentic but different from mainstream instrumental music and slightly risky. Moon trine Mercury shows that he has no trouble expressing himself creatively and can do it with incredible ease.

5 of the Top French Romance Films

Amelie

Amélie is a story about a girl named Amélie whose childhood was suppressed by her Father's mistaken concerns of a heart defect. With these concerns Amélie gets hardly any real life contact with other people. This leads Amélie to resort to her own fantastical world and dreams of love and beauty. She later on becomes a young woman and moves to the central part of Paris as a waitress. After finding a lost treasure belonging to the former occupant of her apartment, she decides to return it to him. After seeing his reaction and his new found perspective - she decides to devote her life to the people around her.

Un Coeur en Hiver (A Heart in Winter)

Beautiful violin virtuoso Camille has two obsessions: the music of Ravel, and a friend of her husband's who crafts violins. But his heart seems to be as cold as her playing is passionate.

Cyrano de Bergerac

A dashing officer of the guard and romantic poet, Cyrano de Bergerac falls in love with his cousin Roxane without her knowing. His one fault in his life, he feels, is his large nose and although it may have been a forming influence in his rapier-sharp wit, he believes that Roxane will reject him. He resorts to writing letters to her on behalf of one of his cadets, Christian, who is also in love with Roxane but just doesn't know how to tell her. She falls for the poetic charm of the letters but believes that they were written by Christian.

Hors De Prix (Priceless)

On the Riviera with her elderly provider to celebrate her birthday, Irene slips down to the hotel bar when he falls asleep on her. She mistakes barman Jean for a well-healed guest and he encourages the deceit by taking her up to the Royal Suite for the night. A year later the same thing happens but this time her lover finds out and disowns her. Now knowing Jean is indeed a barman of little means doesn't stop her from continuing to live in style until his money is gone. He soon finds himself in Irene's business with older and worldly-wise Madeleine, and though Irene also takes up with a new paramour the two of them keep in increasingly close touch.

Jeux d'enfants (Love Me if  You Dare)

As adults, best friends Julien and Sophie continue the odd game they started as children -- a fearless competition to outdo one another with daring and outrageous stunts. While they often act out to relieve one another's pain, their game might be a way to avoid the fact that they are truly meant for one another.

Grow Up, Nut!

1. Just because someone smiles at you on the street, doesn't necessarily mean they like you. It could just be that they're trying to be polite or daydreaming or something.

2. Standing for ages in the centre of a crowded convenience store and gaping at a packet of grated coconut never got anybody anywhere. Yes. It is coconut.  And No! Time isn't on your side.

3. Never try 'dusting' clothes outside a window especially when you're born with butter fingers and live on the 2nd floor of a building. Unless of course...you want people to think it's raining socks and underwear.

4. What's the point in trying to communicate in English with a pigeon who's got a brain half the size of yours? You're no Dr. Doolittle.

5. You should probably forget about that crush you had on some boy in kindergarten. It isn't likely that he remembers your name from back then, when he couldn't even spell his own! Get over him already!

6. Using mom's expired make-up isn't a better substitute for the newer stuff. All of it will just ruin your skin.

7. Cursing people behind their backs and in your diaries will never help get the message across to them. You may as well not exist to them in the first place.

8. Eating excess food won't make you as strong...as much as it makes you fat.

9. Telling small white lies to people who love you dearly (not me) isn't something to be proud of...just expect to lose their trust.

10. Stop acting sweet and dumb. It gets on my nerves!

Somewhere in Time (1980)

A beautifully filmed romantic science fiction movie about a playwright who becomes smitten by a photograph of a young woman at the Grand Hotel. Through self-hypnosis, he travels back in time to the year 1912 to find love with actress Elise McKenna.

Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeves

In May 1972, college theater student Richard Collier is celebrating the debut of a play he has written when he is approached by an elderly woman who places a pocket watch in his hand and pleads "come back to me".

Eight years later, Richard is a successful playwright living in Chicago, but has recently broken up with his girlfriend and is struggling with writer's block. Feeling stressed from writing his play, he decides to take a break and travels out of town to a hotel. While looking at a display in the hotel's museum, Richard becomes enthralled by a photograph of a beautiful woman. He searches for any clues that could lead to her and finds out that she was the late successful actress, Elise McKenna. He hypnotizes himself in his own hotel room and gets transferred to the year 1912 where he encounters her as well as her very possessive manager, William. Elise and Richard fall deeply in love despite William's numerous efforts to put an end to their romance. Just as things begin working out for the two, Richard sees a coin from his real present which pulls him out of his hypnotically-induced time trip. Richard later dies from shock, starvation as well as a broken heart and is reunited with the young Elise in the after life.

Top 5 Tim Burton-Johnny Depp Collaborations

1. Dark Shadows

An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection from a witch.

2. Corpse Bride

When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.

3. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical.

4. Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of 3 people with the culprit being the legendary apparition, the Headless Horseman.

5. Alice in Wonderland

19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Back Home...At Last!

My Artwork

This painting was inspired by Stephen King's novel 'Bag Of Bones'(Maine).

Stephen King's most gripping and unforgettable novel, Bag of Bones, is a story of grief and a lost love's enduring bonds, of a new love haunted by the secrets of the past, of an innocent child caught in a terrible crossfire. Set in the Maine territory King has made mythic, Bag of Bones recounts the plight of forty-year-old bestselling novelist Mike Noonan, who is unable to stop grieving even four years after the sudden death of his wife, Jo, and who can no longer bear to face the blank screen of his word processor. Now his nights are plagued by vivid nightmares of the house by the lake. Despite these dreams, or perhaps because of them, Mike finally returns to Sara Laughs, the Noonans' isolated summer home. He finds his beloved Yankee town familiar on its surface, but much changed underneath -- held in the grip of a powerful millionaire, Max Devore, who twists the very fabric of the community to his purpose: to take his three-year-old granddaughter away from her widowed young mother. As Mike is drawn into their struggle, as he falls in love with both of them, he is also drawn into the mystery of Sara Laughs, now the site of ghostly visitations, ever-escalating nightmares, and the sudden recovery of his writing ability. What are the forces that have been unleashed here -- and what do they want of Mike Noonan?

Based on Christopher Pike's book 'Sati' (Arizona)

I once knew this girl who thought she was God. She didn't give sight to the blind or raise the dead. She didn't even teach anything, not really, and she never told me anything I probably didn't already know.

On the other hand, she didn't expect to be worshipped, nor did she ask for money. Given her high opinion of herself, some might call that a miracle.

I don't know, maybe she was God. Her name was Sati and she had blonde hair and blue eyes.

For all who meet her, Sati will change everything. Sati may change everything for you.

My Pet Pigeon

Sun in 8th house (Scorpio's House)

A couple of astrological facts that have come true for me being a Sun in 8th house person..

1. No matter how much distance I try to put between my father's side of the family and me, I never am quite able to. Any joint allainces we strike up with them tend to be fruitful and links with them have always been beneficial. I tend to benefit more from links with them than with my mum's relatives.

2. I was separated from my dad for most part of my childhood when he'd gone abroad to the gulf and left me behind in India to stay with mum and the remainder of my family.

3. I'm an extremophile. I either really dislike something or absolutely love it. Same thing applies to personal relationships. I never grow fond of someone I hate at first sight...the hatred may get diluted..enough for me to interact with him/her professionally but it won't ever be true genuine affection.

4. I get even with enemies. Forgiving and forgetting isn't my kind of thing at all. I save all memories for later and get my revenge when the time and setting's right.

5. I never give up on the challenges that life throws at me. I keep overcoming obstacles and become stronger and more powerful with each one...never losing faith in myself. Like a Scorpio which regenerates appendages, I keep getting transformed with each problem I encounter and develop new qualities and skills that make better equipped to handle future obstacles. I may feel depressed once in a while but a new day brings new rays of hope.

6. I intimidate people I meet without being aware of it. They do admit to being a teeny bit scared of me because they've no idea what to expect and also due to my initial frosty attitude to them that eventually thaws off.

7. I tend to be psychic at times. I trust my instincts and am more inclined to listen to my gut feeling than anything else in times of emotional crisis.

8. I'm very interested in occult sciences such as astrology, tarot and numerology. Anything taboo tends to capture my attention. Criminal behaviour and psychology are two subjects I love reading up on and researching even more as compared to occult sciences.

9. People often think I'm upto no good and get paranoid regarding anything I do because of my deeply probing questions. Thing is, I can't help asking questions about what makes me curious... superficial small talk can never satisfy me. I'd rather go dumb and deaf rather than carry on casual conversations with people.

10. Complete strangers on the street are attracted to me in a way that's really weird to describe...as though I generate a magnetic forcefield around me that they can't resist or something. And no matter how modestly I dress, I attract stares from people wherever I go.

Knight of Swords

He realizes just how much he hates me,
every single time we exchange an SMS.
There isn't a single thing in this world,
the two of us can agree on.
'Love dies when bound in marriage', I say
'That's ridiculous', says he,
'The sanctity of marriage is one to be cherished for life.'

I hate him in turn,
for being so much like his logical sibling,
whose every action is dictated by mind,
every word uttered is thought over so much it loses emotional value
and the pros and cons of every decision made are weighed icily
using that trademark logic and reasoning
leaving the heart playing no role whatsoever.

We realize just how much we detest each other
and should have let go of our love-hate bond
years ago and would have lived never to regret it.
But for that extraordinary communication between us
that doesn't only flow...it leaps and bounces,
giving neither of us the will
to terminate it for good.

Cruel Me

What makes him think he's the most handsome guy on this planet? With a stick thin profile that could easily be blown away by the slightest breeze..his skin so greasy; no girl would ever want to look at him, let alone kiss him..his speech so heavily accented and never quite being able to get the message across with all his annoying lisping..His third grade english and his sickeningly huge ego that no one can ever pierce through...If I had the time I could go on and on with this many defects but I don't care any more. He's the kind of guy you could have fling after fling with and break his weak little heart into a million bloody pieces, but what's the use, if he never opens it up to anyone? I don't regret having told him to buzz off and get out of my life in the cruelest manner possible. I actually feel damn satisfied and quite happy with myself for standing up to such manipulation and abuse for the very first time.What's the most he can do anyway? Cry to his nice mama about what the mean girl next door said to her precious darling? Or drive off like a maniac on his scooter to complain to all his dumb friends who can't do shit about anything? I'm sorry I wasted precious time and phone credit on a selfish prick like him who couldn't know Love if someone slapped him in the face with it. I'm not the one in jeopardy of having had my heart broken this time...I haven't anything to lose since I closed myself to him a long time back leaving behind only the superficial small talk...the kind that frivolous socialites at high society parties are well versed with. It's time to begin a new chapter in my life and to close the previous one for good..and let go of you completely.

The Place I Call Home

Its strange how much I miss that place. I've tried ignoring that familiar pain of separation more than once..but it haunts me everytime I long for a little stability in a life that's prone so often to sudden, disruptive and very permanent chaos. Forget an emotionally stable life, is geographical stability too much to ask as well? I wish for those never-ending long lanes lit with their dim lamps after sunset, like strings of fireflies lighting up the infinite skies. I try enjoying the greenery that's now in abundance around me but end up thinking subconsciously of golden brown landscapes dotted with dusty floating greens that get camouflaged in it's shimmering sea of gold. I dream of those long walks in bright sunlight which beats down on you but never burns. It feels like I've left a part of my soul there. Which isn't surprising, considering it was there that I first truly fell in love and where I'd experienced the most painful heartbreak uptil date. I'd spend hours struggling to find stars which hid behind buildings in their desperation to avoid my gaze. It made me mad at the time but I now understand that they were just trying to help the fool who'd stuck her head too high up into the clouds to see how deep she'd have to fall once the illusions had faded. It was the beauty of the City which assisted the stars in their mischievous game of hide and seek. Something I'm now immensely thankful for. I can never appreciate the place that saw me being born into the world...not as much as the 'concrete jungle', which helped me find something precious that I'd risked losing forever.

STOLEN - Lucy Christopher

I recommend this lovely book written by Lucy Christopher, to all those readers who'd enjoy a well-written, forbidden and beautifully tragic love story. It speaks of the kind of love that's socially unacceptable; yet it doesn't fail to blossom between two individuals amidst the red sand dunes, scrubby terrain and scorching heat of the Australian outback. Tall, blonde and blue eyed Ty McFarlane kidnaps sixteen year old british Gemma Toombs at Bangkok Airport and takes her all the way to his homeland (Australia). She wakes up in a house located in the middle of nowhere with only the most basic facilities. She attempts to escape from him a couple of times and even tries to commit suicide once, only to be stopped forcefully...but continues to have hope that she'll one day be rescued. She learns to cope with the unbearable heat of the desert, all the while keeping a distance from her seemingly 'evil' abductor whom she once found so attractive. He refuses to believe that he did the wrong thing bringing her there, saying that he'd only just saved her from the empty, purposeless life of the city and brought her to a place full of spirit and meaning, where the stars at night show you the way and the entire place sings out secrets of the Universe. As time passes, she gradually begins to see him in a different and more positive light. His creative style of artistic expression by painting himself with colours from his natural surroundings, the tearful moaning in his sleep that seemed to come from deep within his soul, the hurt visibly etched in his features whenever he speaks of his neglected childhood and of parents who never cared...touches her deeply. She opens herself up to his magical world where there aren't any unnecessary restrictions and where each and every thing around them has its own importance, living or not. Before she can return his love, she gets bitten by a Death Adder, forcing him to make the difficult decision of returning her to the city to receive urgent medical attention. Meanwhile, he turns himself in.

Back in the city, she writes Ty a letter (the entire book) as a means of controlling the overwhelming emotion she feels for him; this being a suggestion from her psychiatrist who accuses Gemma of suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. She cries as she types, asking him to forgive her for accusing him as being guilty during the courtroom trial and for being responsible as to having him sentenced to several years in prison. She hopes that he'll go back to the outback after being released and grow properly into the light this time, never having to go to such dangerous extremes to find the love he has always desired.

Valentine's Day (Venus square Pluto Transit)

I have to say, this isn't an aspect you'd want in your natal chart. People with this as a natal aspect almost always suffer from want of true love and an extreme lack of it. At some point in their lives, they come across their perfect lover only to discover that he/she is already emotionally attached to someone else. This pain keeps repeating itself in every relationship thereafter, in a vicious cycle, making it near impossible for the native to let go and come to terms with the immense disappointment. These relationships are ill-fated with jealousy, suicidal depression and heartbreak waiting right round the corner.

With sweet and cuddly Venus having squared Intensely passionate Pluto on the 14th of Feb, it's not surprising to note alot more broken hearts, in comparison to, loving embraces and candlelit dinners. A guy I wouldn't normally look at twice, demanded centre stage in my love life. It was an emotionally draining Hell, with him showering me with love one minute and threatening to break up our potential romance, the next. How could I have developed such strong feelings for some stranger who I'd gotten to know in just two days? How could this man with is broken english and sub-par grammar have created such havoc in the life of someone who detests anything less than perfect communication? Well I blame it all on this planetary transit which made this year's V-day the worst by far.

Watch this Video to understand more about the Venus square Pluto aspect and the suffocating emotions which accompany it.

                                                           

                                                    

                                                     

Xavier

I'm not much of a party animal, yet, something last night made me alot more sporting than I usually am. Waiting anxiously for the party to commence, I scanned everyone who walked through the front door. Half an hour passed by and the room filled up with strangers who'd come just for free drinks and small talk. I went out onto the verandah and gazed up at the stars, sighing for no apparent reason and feeling disappointed about something I couldn't understand. Forcing myself back to reality from daydreams that get me nowhere, I sat down to read my horoscope and make sense of the commotion in my mind. Then He arrived. Seeing him enter, an involuntary smile lit my entire face the way it does when I encounter someone special and I dropped everything in my grasp. He sees pleasure written in my features and teases me a little, hoping to provoke an explanation for that unexpected response. At that instant, my mind travels back a few weeks in time as I see him recreate magic on a stage to elicit louder applause from a satisfied audience. Time, being like a huge void which sucks out everything in existence, save for for the two of us facing each other...him on the grand podium enacting the role of someone so unlike himself... and me utterly enchanted by his every theatrical movement. I could recall how that handshake had felt during our brief introduction...how our fingers had made contact like pebbles rubbing together to create a friction that could light up the whole sky, in flames which could never be extinguished. He may just be another stranger...or more?

Unrequited Love

I sit basking in the warmth of day

When I accidentally look your way.

Then I see your face turn crimson red,

And I can rightly discern from the look

What could have stimulated such a response.

But I shall never reciprocate that emotion

Atleast not where you’re concerned.

You make such a show in class

About your talent and your unique style.

But let me tell you something,

You’re as special as that pebble on the street

That gets stepped on by ever pedestrian

Who happens to pass by.

Female attention is a great way

To pamper an ego which need none.

But you keep the flattery going

Thinking you’re the man they’ll remember

Next morning

Little do you know that they’ve

Forgotten you even exited

Before they retire to bed at night.

It’s pitiful seeing you preen

And clear your throat to say something

You’re sure will make my head spin

And cause a commotion of butterflies

In my stomach.

But my heart beats only from Him.

Sadly, ‘Him’ isn’t you.