Once upon a time....

You know ur getting older...

2009-10-28T11:54:00.007+05:30

When...
1) Quite weekends at home mean potluck lunches with close friends...
2) You come back home from office in time to watch perfect bride...
3) Your concept of "late night" means you'v slept at 12pm..
4) You hunt for pubs on the weekend which play "retro music"...the kind you'v "grown up" to
5) You start replacing "I like to gym" with "I need to gym"....
6) 90% of the parties you attend are thrown by spouses or mothers and warrant the need to buy a gift...
7) You can easily put most of your friends into two categories.. "Housewives" or "bankers"...
8) Shopping for weekend groceries is categorised as "spending time together"....
9) You start shopping for clothes that "hide it" rather than "flaunt it"....
10) You have to "plan" and "block time" in advance for boys/ girls night out....
11) Going to a halloween party feels like the "event of the month".....
12) You eat maggie on weekends as a last option rather than the first one....
13) Your more worried about giving the maid's salary on time....rather than getting your own..
14) "Child friendly" is the criteria for selection of restaurants and travel destinations..
15) The key topics of telephone conversations is recipe discussions or stock market status.....
16) 75% of the photographs posted on facebook are about your kids and 95% of your status messages are about your family....
17) You describe getting sloshed over a few margarita's as having a "wild time"...
18) Celebrating a friends bday is not as simple as buying a cheesy, silly and funny archies card followed by a cheap treat anymore....
19) Your parents are more excited to see your kids than to see you....
20) On a Wednesday evening at work you can list down 20 bullets on getting old in less than 20 mins.....

Sigh, Sigh!

"UP" and "not so UP" side of life...

2009-08-11T12:53:00.003+05:30

I know I know...I was lost in a desserted Island for the last 2 months...had gone on a exploratory trip sailing on the South China sea and this being the Typhoon season the boat got swayed and took me to a desserted island where I lived off leaves, fruits and occasional caterpillars and worms for last 2 months!--Is that valid excuse for not blogging for last 2 months??:-))

So yes last week I saw "UP"...the 3d animated movie...and for all those who have a sweet tooth....you will loooveee this movie...its the sweetest movie EVER!!!....Its such a cuttieppiee movie...imagine....flying in your own house from one place to another???

Come to think of it--isnt this an absolutely brilliant idea that could kill the airline industry--ingenious must say:-))...So it must be clear by now that I absolutely adored the movie...and its highly recommended...MUST MUST SEE!

On the "not so UP" side...yesterday went to someone's house in HK who stayed in an area called "Peak"...for those uninitiated to HK its basically an area higher up from where you can see the HK skyline in all its glory. Needless to say even a 500 Sq feet apartment here could burn your pockets (HK is criminally expensive when its comes to housing AND EVERYTHING ELSE!)

Now going to the house was not the "not so UP" part..the house itself was the "Not so UP" part....close your eyes and imagine...a three storey house in HK, in peak...each storey atleast 1000-1500 sq feet...!!....Last 5 yrs since we moved to HK..I had forgotten the concept of space...some concepts lose importance because they appear unrealistic and space in HK is one of them....or so I thot!!

I was behaving like a child in Toysarus for the first time...capturing every inch of space in the house...like if I see it properly I may even be able to take a little space home with me!!!..Sigh!!

Needless to say--I am still VERY sad and depressed and angry...did I say VERY?...I actually feel like a "HAVE NOT"!!!...And yes all those who are going to pacify me with comments like "Its ok you have a good house too"..."The size doesnt matter, its the people who make the home"....DONT EVEN TRY!!

I have decided the only way to start feeling "UP" again is to tie tonnes of balloons to this house and fly away in it...so if you notice a three storey something tied to balloons...wave out...and I just might take you "UP" with me!:-)

I am not done yet!!!

2009-05-27T09:50:00.003+05:30

They say automation makes life simpler....I say it makes you a slave...rules your life...takes away every little piece of control that you might have left and leaves you helpless!

HK is infested with great malls which have even greater toilets....needless to say all these are "Automated flush toilets" ....that have an inane ability to sense what your upto in the 4 closed walls..or so they claim!!..

And am sure these toilets have been made by a man....coz their sensing abilities are completely senseless....So heres how they work...everytime there is a slack period after a "downloading activity"....the sensor uses its "shitbrains" and assumes it time to create a tsunami on your turf... which means it keeps flushing even when one is sitting on it!!!!.....ggrrrrr....What the F***...u senseless thing....cant you see...I AM NOT DONE YET!!

The last part where I want to give up control in my life is when and how I want to clean my turf (read ass)--its a shitty power struggle indeed and am gonna fight tooth and nail to keep control over my turf!

Needless to say--no more senseless sensing toilets for me!!...I am done with these mindless quirks made for the lazy asses....I am now on the hunt for toilets in HK which do not take away the control from your life....only the shit from it!

and yes...I AM DONE NOW!

Hubby Dear....in 15 bullets...A Wifes Perspective:-)

2009-03-02T11:15:00.007+05:30

So now I thot it might be a good idea to create a sequel of me in 15 bullet pts...and a natural sequel would be 15 bullets on Hubby....

So...Here it goes...

1) His idea of a perfect day is to get up at 10:00am...10:10am sit on the sofa....10:10pm get up from sofa....10:15pm go to sleep on bed...

2) His likes to believe he is an Atheist...his definition of atheist is...he doesnt believe in praying to god...but sees no harm (in fact subtly hints) in me praying on his behalf....

3) His idea of a perfect evening is to watch Nat geo/ Discovery and see how to survive in the scariest places in the world by eating insects and cockroaches....specifically during dinner time...

4) He once ran away with his elder bro from boarding school only to be caught in the bus and taken to task...

5) He cannot multi-task. He is a man. He believes cooking and talking are too strenous too handle together...

6) His idea of pampering is to be a 1 yr old...he expects me to wake him up with a cuddle, brush his teeth, feed him, bathe him, make his wear clothes, comb his hair, put cream and put him back to sleep....have I missed out anything in a daily routine?

7) He favourite way of spending quality time with me is to watch a squash match on laptop with Chinese commentary (to help him improve his squash)...and complaints if I indicate I am not interested...with a "How can you not watch this"...

8) He starts reminding me atleatst 4 mths before, that his Bday is due "soon"...and still cannot hide the joy on his face when he gets surprise gifts from me....he doesnt want gifts..merely enjoys them:-)

9) If he could take away one word from the dictionary...that would be "No"...

10) His favourite romantic line is ...."So what are the three things you like about me?"...

11) He is a strong believer in "lead by example"....in all the dinner parties hosted by us where he is the cook...he is the first one to compliment his own dishes....:-)

12) His only requirement for a good house is a walk-in closet and a walk-in library!

13) He is a romantic at heart and his idea of romance is to discover newer types of kisses with wife...Fishy kissy, butterfly kissy, cheeky kissy...etc...

14) He is cute enough to read bedtime stories to his wife...and apologise if her if he hasnt read to her for a while...

15) If lost on an island and allowed to take only 3 things...he would probably take a book, his ipod, his NIKON DSLR.... and a bag of chocolates.....and maybe his laptop, and his PS3, and his iphone, and his LCD TV etc....:-)

p.s: Amen.

Me..in 15 random bullets...

2009-02-27T21:39:00.007+05:30

1) I am a girl but wish I was a boy...almost always...and yes the reasons are what you can predict...I wld love to have a penis to be able to pee anywhere, I think an adams apple is sexy, men have cute butts..almost all...and I prefer cute butts to sexy ones.... I detest feminists more than chauvinists (sue me) and yes I can almost always be assured of good sex....reasons enugh i believe...

2) I have a fetish for cold ears....As a kid I used to play with mom's cold ears...and now hubby is the victim...I have no other "wierd things" about me......

3) I HAVE to eat Goodday biscuits..line by line...coz as a kid I believed that thats why they have lines...I believed that was a intelligent guess...I am not a kid anymore....but that belief still remains....and yes...I have no other "wierd things" about me....

4) I miss three yrs of Blore probably more than any other phase in life...the time when I really lived my life for the first time.....and became me....it was a city of firsts for me...my first job, first fling, first love, first drink, first kiss. first salary, first rent paid, .....even though i wasnt born here....I still have a umbilical chord with blore....

5) I genuinely believe that my left foot is smaller than my right...no footwear store agrees with me....but am sure am right....why otherwise wld every shoe feel tighter on my right feet??

6) I am obsessed with checking the gas knobs and geysers at night..am OCD...I genuinly believe that even though I have closed them and checked them and rechecked them....they can mysteriously turn themselves on at night when am asleep and create havoc in the house...Did i already mention....I have no other "wierd things" about me?

7) Its been only 2 songs in my life so far that have got me sooo obsessive and excited...."Amazing" for the lyrics...and the most recent..."I wish I was a punkrocker" for the voice...Kishore Kumar i think was highly overated....rahet fateh ali khan and kailash kher I want to hear with my eyes closed and without any music....anyday...

8) The perfect romantic evening I have had has been the night in Jaisalmer...sitting in the dessert next to the bonfire...camels in the background....listening to sufi musicians live...it just couldnt feel any better for me...just couldnt....

9) If I could change my profession today....I would probably be a movie director....and maybe direct Nandita das...she is what I define as beauty....probably the most beautiful lady on screen today....and yes If I did became a man....thats who I wld go after...

10) I have probably grown wilder as I get get older....A tattoo on my shoulder, skydiving from 12000 ft, learning guitar at 30....all I need is flowers in my hair and a cycle....and I am ready to rock the 70's...

11) The biggest lesson I have learnt in the past few yrs of my life is...."Hold on to your relationships...but dont run behind them.."..its a thin line...and I am still defining the line...but I'll get there someday....

12) The best bhestest candy for me will always be phantom cigarettes...I have been hunting for them in every trip to India...last 5 yrs...but havent found them...I remember as a kid...pretending to smoke phantom cigarettes as thats what being sexy was all abt....and now...when I can smoke a ciggarette if i really wanted...I still prefer phantom ciggarettes....my original idea of sexy....some fantasies never die..

13) My idea of a perfect existence wld be to live the life of a gypsy..i guess with every different place its almost like a clean slate...the feeling of starting all over again....its like ur almost beating the law of nature....who says u cant unwind life...uh?

14) My fav quote is.."May you live in interesting times"....I think this more than anything else defines the uptopia of life for me....

15) I am 30...but i feel like 18...and the idea of an orgasmic life would be to die at 60 as a 30 yr old...

And life moves on...

2008-12-09T13:36:00.005+05:30

So whats new?...every 4 mths some young men with either guns or bombs come along...kill a few indians and walk off...Happy....And we Indians...we dont care...coz really...as long as "I am alive and my family is alive...well too sorry for the others..they couldnt survive"...isnt it?

They say its a sin to commit a crime...but even worse to let it happen...and no am not talking about the terrorists/ millitants..whatever you call them...Am referring to our very own politicians....terrorists come and kill 300 of us in a day and walk off....but the numbers that are dying becoz of our politicians EVERYDAY goes much beyond that.....

The very fact that we have lost 300 of our people on 26/11 itself goes to say how much bigger an enemy is living day in and out in our own country in the name of these politicians....our own politicians who have no conscience and soul left in them....and inspite of repeated attacks in the country have never bothered to do ANYTHING AT ALL about it....

Last 50 yrs we have sat and watched one politician after another come and stab our wounds again and again to such an extent that I daresay , the damage to india has been permanent....if anyone who is responsible for the death of these 300 innocent people...yes it is the terrorists, it is the politicians and even more it is us...

We cannot stand and blame anyone else for this but us...we choose to be destroyed...we seem to want to be destroyed...its like wer asking for mercy killing....maybe we dont deserve any better than this...coz we Indians have been too selfish..way too selfish to stand up and fight for our brothers and to change things...

And the politicians--maybe u havent got this message straight....but let me give it a shot....but ur not kings...but servants!!....ur here to serve us and to make us happy...as crude as that....thats who you are ...And I do sometimes wonder what are these politicians made of and even more so..what are their families made of???....How can they all eat and drink so happily with money that comes from the blood of others....?

So we raised a big hue and cry...and to show that changes happen... now the politicians change..the old ones have escaped all accountability safely, new ones are happy to be the new kings in the indian system and we indians have got ourselves labelled "fools" again!...congratulations India Shining!!

Shame to them and Shame to us.

And yet we announce proudly...Mumbai moves on...oh yes it does..with shame and disgrace.

Bondalina!

2008-11-17T07:13:00.002+05:30

and nope thats not a sequel of the famous thumbelina fairy tale...though maybe that would have actually been a better choice to watch! Am referring to the much talked about and awaited....bond movie...Quantum of Solace....

So this has got nothing to do with the fact that I watched the movie from second row seat at 10:00pm on a thursday (thx to Hubby dear)...but someone pray tell me...was this a Bond movie or a sequel of Spiderman (sans the web!)....

I mean...to me a bond movie has always been about the Car and sexy gadgets...which are the USP of bond...coz take these 2 things out and really whats so different abt bond movies than any other action movie????

And of course its been about hot men...(brosnan was the man for me)....but well the definition of hot really varies for men and women as far as I am concerned...while a "pout" might look hot on Jolie...but a pouty Mr bond....err....where the hell did that come from???????? (I know tonnes of women are actually swooning over craig...but puhhllessss....a pouty bond????)

Mr Director were we trying to create a bondaviva here or a Bondalina??....

And of course..I assume there was good action in the movie...("assume" u ask?)....Well yes coz inspite of sitting on the second row I still could not make out any shit that was happening in all those action scenes....

The movie starts with a car chase and the first 10 min...all you can see is the camera moving all over and then bam!...bond is out safe and sound...hmmm...so really what did happen there.....am assuming Bond flashed his famous pout to the goons and they couldnt help but fall off the cliff??:-)....

And not to mention the fact that Mr bond has beaten spidy hallow (my most favouritest superhero)...coz while spidy struggles to get into this spidy outfit everytime he needs to get into the act and spins a web to jump across buildings.....our very own bondalina doesnt need any of it....jumping across rooftops without a web is his forte....Hail Bond!

And did only me and Hubby dear notice this or are there others as well...probably the first bond movie where bond doesnt sleep with the Bond girl...????...ooh I get it...thats becoz Bondalina was tooo busy mourning the loss of Lady Bond in version 1...sigh...bond in louve!

In a nutshell...this movie feels like a remixed version of the old classics- a bad one at that!
And to me....if I am yearning for a Bond movie....quantum of Solace just doesnt wet my appetite...connery/ brosnan ur still the bond guys for me!

And next time Mr bond..can we puhhlllesss see less pout and more gadgets...I mean...not everyone is a jolie fan pls!

Abode

2008-09-10T08:06:00.005+05:30

I said in one of my previous post--I "want" to move..but I dont "need" to...I was wrong!

My landlord called 2 weeks back and asked us to pay higher rent or move out.....the choice was obvious...so we started hunting for a "bigger" apt with sea-view....After 5 days of ordeal we finally found "a" house...wont say its still "the" house...in Hong Kong..the concept of "the" house is non-existant...moving into a 100sq ft larger apt makes us feel like we'v finally "arrived"!

Anywayz...so yes..its a full sea-view apartment...(and for those who are gasping)...sea-view apt in HK is not as much a premium as Bombay or elsewhere--becoz HK is made of Islands..there is water everywhere! So Yes we are paying 50% higher rent..for a slightly bigger place...and we thought finally the nightmare is ok....we can now do the house well and make it a humble abode!!

Spoke too soon..the nightmare has only just begun....its an empty apartment...which means all the furniture needs to be made...which is quite a nightmare in HK....becoz most local furniture guys dont understand English!!!

We will be living out of cartons for a while till the furniture arrives...but come to think of it..wont be that bad...for once I can throw my clothes on the floor without feeling guilty...cant remember the last time I did that!!!!

Hubby is gonna be so proud of me for that....So heres to 3 weeks of messy me!!!:-)

Move Over Bollywood..Farhan's here!

2008-09-03T09:35:00.010+05:30

So I assume most of you "normal" people must have watched "Rock On" already...for those who havent...my sincere condolences...

Ok..so when women reach 30(and women touching the 30 mark, pls say 'yay'), they dont look for "crushes" anymore...nah nah..wer way to elite for that!..Ahem...So at 30 most of the fairer sex start looking for what I call a target for "mature leching"....and finally Rock On (thankfully)...has given us deprived women that target... "FARHAN AKHTAR"...

Ok so...whats the difference...well while for a naive 20 yr old Farhan might appear "Hot and cute and sexy"...for us hes well...quite.."Adonic", "Stylist" and maybe even "Adorable"....ahem!...use of words like Hot, Sexy, Cute might be well..err..quite "Non-happening"!

So the comments that we 30 yr olds give are usually very well cushioned and one needs to really lip-read to understand what they actually mean....for example...

"Hmm hes aging quite well" -(34 and still so hot!!)
"Didnt he look really appetizing?... (I could eat him up!)
"awww..hes such an adorable guy"...(I know I was marrying the wrong person..Always knew!)
"His voice is so "exciting"!...(What a turn-on!!)

And of course Farhan Akhtar deserves all these comments and even more...he's proved u dont have to do 10 films to "grow as an actor"...either u have it or u dont...Hes a natural charmer!

And If I relook at my "Hit-list of men"- Farhan is high, even higher on it! (NOPPPPEEE--Hit list is not the list of men you want to kill!!!...ah...naivveee!!--u dont need a list for that...do you?) . For the uninitiated ..the hit-list is actually the "Hot-List"-men ur allowed to get naughty with (Yes this is another critical element of the "mature leching" syndrome)

So Farhan...enjoy being on the "Hit-List" of 30 yr olds...till we find another target:-))

p.s:- What the heck...hes what I call total lech material--HOT!!!!
:-)))))))

TGIF

2008-08-29T15:22:00.005+05:30

Yes its finally here...I think the only think I pray for more than Fridays these days is Typhoon....Typhoon in HK means a free holiday...

Ok I think this is going to be one of those posts where u reach the end and wonder..what was the point of this post anywayz.......but then after working like an ass 5 days a week for last 6-7 years if you still havent realised that its all pointless anywayz....then u need therapy...u do!

And not that there is any Kick-ass weekend planned...but what the hell , its TGIF anywayz...!..So am starting the weekend with a few drinks at Hubbys office --yes there have a bar kinda thing where on fridays people choose to hang ard with office people even though the week is officially over! (I told u there are enugh weird people in the world....)

So the drinks will be followed by a sexy , cozy, romantic dinner date with Hubby in a new french restaurant we have discovered (plus am wearing a pretty ZARA dress today which deserves a good restaurant) and will end with a silly movie called "Made of honor"....

The next few weeks will be eventful...Hubby is off to Brazil for 2 weeks on work!!...( I mean who the hell does that....go to brazil on work?????????????).....So I also parallely take off to bangkok for work....

Wanting to shift to a new house...a bigger apartment...no we dont "really" need one..but If I say I am bored of the current one isnt that reason enugh??...House hunt last week was pretty dissapointing...I mean how much choice can you have moving from one pigeon hole to another...oh of course...pigeon hole with better woodwork or maybe an extra cupboard...that makes up for the psychotic rents...doesnt it?

Am this time not compromising on a full sea-view apartment..AM NOT!!....

Listening to Jagjit Singh in Office now...its 6:10...weekend official starts...NOW!

The Misery of Names...

2008-08-13T14:58:00.008+05:30

This topic really came from the recent baby boom that has been around us....coz presumably we have reached (or rather already crossed) the age by which we should have adorned parenthood!(ouch...ok so I have nearly revealed my age with that one...or are you guys smart enugh to figure that?:-)

So obviously all our school, college and other peer mates are now either already with little "babies or babas" or getting there or well trying to get there...phew!...(just writing this is exhaustive...imagine actually being in it!!)

And so with one such potential parents we were having a random discussion on names and how the types of names has evolved over the period of time.....and to me there seem to be four broad phases of this evolution:

1) The "lata/mati/Bala/veer/Kar/Kumar/Bhanu phase:- Simply refers to the phase where parents actually believed in the "2 in 1" system...where the one name in effect had 2 potential names hidden...so one could pick and choose what to call the person....Example names like Charu-lata, Madhu-mati/mita, Chandra-bala/Surya-veer/Chit-bhanu...yes these are real names...dont laugh...!

2) The "Mahabharat/ Mythological Phase":- Refers to the 90's and even early 2000 Gen...where after the Mahabharat/ Ramayan onslaught on TV every parent believed they were giving birth to a potential "Arjun" or "Abhimanyu"...so kids with names which were not of sanskrit origin or had a "larger than life meaning"were literally items of sympathy....sigh...(pls pls god let Ekta have some sanskrit connection...!)

3) The "Unique Phase":- This has been a more of a epidemic than SARS I think...anything that has been heard or seen before is a taboo...so names have emerged starting with letters that were unimaginable...the uniquer the better...heard of Kimara, Oas, Titli, Pal(hindi moment)..I think the Ad agencies can take a creative streak from the Gen X parents!

4) The "2050 phase:- These are the parents who either believe that the names in the world have become extint and very soon they will have to figure out other "objects/ things" to take inspiration for names....or they genuinely believe that very soon earth will exist no more and we all will need to shift bag and baggage to Mars and one of the pre-requisite for that is to have names that suit only aliens...so names based on objectives "Durex, Zero (I swear these two are actual names I have heard in HK) Apple, Peach,Pen, Pax , Avil or Posedemi(whatever that means) etc!

God save the kids of the Next gen....they know not what they'r getting into...err..or rather getting "Out" into!

Why O Why??...

2008-07-21T08:23:00.005+05:30

They'r probably the only people in the world who have the power to make you feel a million bucks or plain shit....the power these people have is something that even they havent fully understood!

Even the biggest and baddest men in the world have to sit in front of them with their heads bent and have to be at their mercy!

Yes...am talking about the Hairdressers, stylists or barbers...as you may choose to call them!!!

I almost get sleepless night a day before and after I visit a parlour in Hong kong!!...I mean this place is suppposed to be a mecca for fashion in Asia....then why the heck cant I find a single good parlour out here?????????????

Last 3 years EVERYTIME...read EVERYTIME...I have gone to a parlour in Hong Kong, they have done everything possible to ensure that I step out of the parlour looking like "MOWGLI"!!

URRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cant imagine why...why the local hairdressers have obsession to "flatten" your hair soo much and the concept of "Volume" in hair just doesnt seem to exist!(ok men this might be too technical for u..but nevertheless!)..They JUST....DONT...UNDERSTAND NON CHINESE HAIR!!..it sucks!
Yesterday despite my heart not wanting..I went to visit a so to say "highly recommended parlour" coz I desparately needed a cut (according to Hubby....who simply cant understand why any women would want hair longer than a boycut!!)..And needless to say...I am yet again .."MOWGLI" today.....

Only thing left to do is walk around in cheetah undies and jump around the banayan tree veins... singing..."Jungle Jungle Baat chali hai ..Pata chala hai..Chadi Pahan ke Phool khila Hai!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO here I come!

Lethargy..

2008-06-30T14:38:00.003+05:30

at its all time best today...just when it shouldnt be...Its the evil Monday today!

Had a grt weekend...packed with activities..ate a lot on Sunday...went for sexy Indian brunch....

I think all that eating yesterday is catching up today....my reactions are usually belated anywayz...feeling terribly lazy and sleepy....

Monday's should actually be half-day...you need atleast half a day to get over the weekend....I mean when the hell do you rest??....Weekdays you work...weekends you party...

I need sleep....and maybe a jacuzzi again today, ice-cream and maybe end with a massage....

Am blabberring...

hmm aaahmmm

2008-05-19T13:55:00.004+05:30

Good--Its Monday...some work got done...big shit off my head...

Bad--Havent had time to do any Blogging last few weeks....

Ugly--Being surrounded by people who are rude, insensitive, dumb, stupid, uninspiring, social loafers...all in one!!!

Good--Parents-in-Law were here for 3 months...and yes I survived through it...hehehe (that was a sly mean one:-))

Bad--Shoulder Pain still there--and now lower back is adding to my bane too

Ugly--Why is the Damn Sun still hiding behind the silly coulds even in the thick of may...what ever happened to those nice bright sunny days and my lovely summer dresses!!!

Good-- Am off from this madness away from two weeks to Toronto in June to see my best friend...Yuppiieee!!

Bad--Discovering am not a musical prodigy after all...my guitar skills suck

Ugly--My thighs..which forever keep expanding inspite of all the gym...Damn being older!!!

Sigh!

Deprived childhood

2008-04-08T14:50:00.010+05:30

Taking a cue from my last post...I have decided to write this post...which will give you tips on.."How do you know if you have had a deprived childhood?"...

So that those who have been victimized by the "deprived childhood syndrome"...u know its high time you sit down an have a serious..."Why did u do this to me" discussion with ur parents....

So here it goes....You know you have had a deprived childhood if...

1) If you have been eating Maggi in any form other than the simple(without veggies and with masala only) version!

2) If as a kid you have not collected the "tarzan series" of stickers inside cover of pepsi bottles.

3) If the first TV at home was a "Colour TV" and not a "black and white"one...

4) If "foreign chocolates" were always stocked in your fridge rather than a rare treat (bought by rare uncles/aunts staying in "America") and something which you would eat little little bit by bit everyday!

5) If you started going on "field trips to other cities" in school rather than 'picnics" to hanging garden/Gateway!

6) If you had more than 2-3 "special clothes" to be worn only at birthday parties (or if u went for any parties other than birthday parties!)

7) If non-school days meant anything other than playing non-stop from 12:00 noon to 7:00 in the evening--and lagori, ludo, stapoo, ghar-ghar or cricket being the main "events" of the weekend.

8) If atleast once in childhood you didnt try to run away from home(becoz life seemed "unfair"),or u got lost (probably coz u were too busy noticing toys in the market), or stole money from parents (to buy that new chocolate uv being eyeing)

9) If you did not have your own personal "treasure" collection which included things like shells, old coins, stones, beads, sticker...

10) If you and your sibling had separate rooms which you could call "your own".

Little joys of growing up...were so much more "joyous" in our times...when I look at kids now...growing up with PS3, DVDs, and Cartoon network...it feels like they are being deprived of their true "childhood"....

Thank god for giving me a 'not so deprived" childhood!!

Maggi?

2008-04-07T15:09:00.003+05:30

What is the Best way to eat Maggi noodles???????

Tell me..tell me!

Option 1 :- Simple and plain..without veggies..and only using the Masala in the pouch...in its native flavour!(SMACK!)

Option 2:- Adding onions, tomotoes, peas..etc etc tonnes of veggies over and above whats given in the pack??

Tell me Tell me!

p.s:- Those choosing option 2 need to go to "Maggi Etiquette course"--clearly they have had a deprived childhood if they have enjoyed maggi in its "fake" version!

PMS-Post dedicated and inspired by Hubby dear

2008-03-18T09:42:00.003+05:30

Yes I am referring to Pre/Post Menstrual syndrome....and yes it apparantly does exist!

There are two types of people in the world....those that suffer from PMS (no not the women...was actually talking about men..since its they who suffer from women's PMS) and those on the other side of the world who actually have PMS (thats women for you--and yes thats exactly why I have been lobbying that we should be thankful for the ones having PMS and not suffering from it..world again feels like such a wonderful place:-))!!!)

I belong to the latter category!

Ok so for all the medical researchers who want to study this syndrome--I am your ideal candidate-yes indeed...according to Hubby dear I display (or have displayed) usually most symptoms associated with this syndrome...irritation, anger, depression...In Fact I may have even invented a few not listed by them!

And am sure Hubby Dear would love me for coming up with this phrase...but he genuinely believes that for me PMS means"Psycho Mannerisms Start"!..Ahem

In fact so much so...that Hubby Dear had religiously put in an Alarm on his cell close to my due date which stated...."Psycho behaviour begins"!....Red Alert!

So now I finally have found my purpose in life...to save you men folks of the world.....And to reduce your sufferings(feeling very holy)...all you men folk will start believing I am their messiah...coz of what I am about to tell you.... for men like Hubby who dont have a choice but to live with the Psychoness of women in this time here are "tried and tested" 6 cardinal rules on how to handle it....

1) Usage of the word "OK" if increased during this phase to EVERYTHING that your women says will reduce the chances of u getting battered and bruised!

2) NO FEEDBACK--Read NEGATIVE feedback at this time can be "Constructive"--so unless you have something "Nice" to say to her and about her...SHUT UP!

3) Any Suggestion/ opinions etc at this point of time can be strictly avoided! So what if she asks for your opinion? For the inexperienced lot--this is how you handle it--Ask her for her opinion-"Am still thinking honey--what do u think?" And then whatever she says--follow Rule number 1--OK!!

4) Touching on "sensitive" topics like "Her weight, her parents, her cooking, her hairstyle..etc" can not just prove dangerous but fatal..steer clear!

5) This is however the catchy one--behaving too sweet or romantic or "over" pampering her can make you appear "unnatural"(please note..."over pampering is unnatural--pampering is advisable..in fact mandatory).
However even worse would be if you start ignoring her! Giving undue attention to your "true love" (again...notice the focus on true love) which is gadgets like PS3( ahem..refer to previous post), laptops, sports channels during this time can simply mean--Ur digging your own grave!

Only the smart and experienced ones can strike the right balance (read..with enough practice and bruises!)

6) Stopping her from doing anything ( read 2 exceptions are murder and suicide) ...by statements like "Why do you need more clothes/ shoes/bags..dont you have enough?", "I think you should stop eating so much chocolates--its beginning to show"....means your either genuinely and really really stupid or you love pain-sadistic bugger!

Like I said...these are time tested and proven theories--no women can dispute these and no man can disprove these--So men you can touch my feet now--the Mystery is solved!

P S:- Even after following the above 6 religiously if the Psycho behaviour continues...please note you are stuck with a actual Psycho........RUUUNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man and PS3

2008-03-03T16:06:00.004+05:30

Last mth for the first time in my life I struck lucky!

I won a sony Ps3 in lucky draw in a official annual dinner...(am beaming...what a win!)...and yes I was happy...not so much abt the PS3 as I was abt the fact that even I have a lucky streak in me...yeaaahheeee!!!

Hubby dear was obviously happier coz he almost thought we had a new addition to our family...(he hugged me as if I had literally delivered a baby...teary eyes...hanky pls)!!

At night on weekend after the PS3 has been set-up and games bought....(Hubby has already been on the pS3 for almost 2 hrs)....

Me:- Am going to sleep...
Hubby:- Baby dont go to sleep, come and play with me
Me:- No, I dont know how to play
Hubby:- No problem I will teach you, come sit with me
Me:- Ok give me the console, let me try
Hubby:- NO, you first watch me for sometime , learn and then play
Me :- (After 30 minutes)Can I play now?
Hubby:- Am just about to go to the next level...after this u play...
Me:- (30 min later)Now Can I play?
Hubby:- Why dont you tell me which direction to go in..cant find the way out!
Me:-After 10 minutes ...(zzzzzzzzzzz...flat on sofa)

Next night...Hubby with PS3 once again....

Me :- Am going to sleep(angrily)
Hubby:- No baby, dont go to sleep, come play with me
Me:- I dont want to (more angrily!)
Hubby:- Why?????????
Me:-Coz I still dunno how to!! (even more angrily!)
Hubby:- Why??? You played na yesterday??
Me :- DID I??????????? (Given up!)

Hubby Dear....sitting next to u...while u hold the console, u decide the game strategy and u decide EVERYTHING else...does not qualify me as a "player"!!

Men!!!!!!!

Am free...free falling now.....

2008-02-15T18:39:00.005+05:30

Sky Diving...12000ft...New Zealand, Lake Wanaka.....December 2007!

Surreal!!

Stars on Earth...!

2008-01-09T19:31:00.000+05:30

Its been a while since anything has got a lump in my throat....

But this did...didnt realise when that sly tear slipped away from my eyes on my cheeks....was too engrossed not in the movie...but just the whole feel of it...

Yes I am talking about Taare Zameen Par..

For those who havent seen it yet....you can miss any other movie...any other "super star" or whoever else you worship.....u cant..possibly cant miss this one...u just cant!

I am not a parent...but more than any serials or good parenting books.....this movie has taught me...what a good parent is all about....and what a child is possibly all about....rather reminded me what I possibly once was...

The great part about the movie is that...its not the story about a dyslexic child..but probably any other child.....the message is not that a dylexsic child is special but that every child is special.....I mean what better title could there have been than..."taare zameen par"..they'r like little
stars...on earth!

Ishaan is a child....and thats the only compliment I can give him....probably one kid who hasnt lost his innocence yet....his bug-tooth, crazy hair, scary scrowns...everything is adorable...screaming out..."U cant help but love me"!...

To me the priced moments in the movie were Aamir khans first meeting with parents...moment where Ishaans parents leave him in boarding for first time, the scene where Aamir khan talks abt "care" and the fab example of solomon islands...(the dialgoues could have killed anyone!!!)...and the icing on the cake was clearly the last scene where Ishaan sees his own painting(the expression on his face is unbeleivably believable) and the moment where he gets the prize and runs to aamir....the feeling of..finally I have done something right!!...Woah!!

Critics can say all they want but I couldnt think of anything that could have been better in the movie...or anyone for that matter!...

Taare Zaameen par is an Outstanding work of Cinema....its a movie that is not looking for oscars or awards but looking to genuinly change people's mindset...make better parents and hopefully better teachers....

Aamir Khan has proved innumerous times before.....he's a great actor...and maybe with this movie...even that hes a director in a different league...a gifted storyteller....and none of the bhansalis / johars/chopras can come anywhere close....but the fact is any good director could have made a child movie...but only a good parent could have made Taarey Zameen Par!!

Hats off to the entire team of TZP for giving the children a ray of hope!!

Jingle Bell Time:-)

2007-12-12T18:36:00.000+05:30

Its Jingle Bell times again...:-)

Yes its that time of the year again... everything just feels so much sweeter and everyone just so bearable (Just for a while though).....its red and white time again...time to jingle ur bells:-))

Love the whole feel and excitement around Xmas...there is something distinctly exciting about this time of the year...of course besides the point that work comes to a complete standstill...something about the whole festive feel...

I especially love HK during Xmas...more so than any other place (or so I'd like to believe)....lovely decorations all around....all bright and colourful and very tastefully done....In fact the first yr of my Xmas in HK is even bought two small stuffed reindeers and duly named them.."santa and banta"...(aint I clever??)

Especially love Xmas coz of Santa Claus... Santa to me always meant(and still does) this big cute fat tummy grandpa who was almost like a life sized teddy and who even at the age of..(ok I dunno his age..but whatever)...can wear a bright red and white outfit could give you a nice gift in socks, was sooo fulll of energy...was almost like an angel who would make all your dream and wishes come true, give you whatever you want!!

And as much as I might want to refrain myself I cant help creating a wishlist for santapa to fulfill....so santapa here's my wishlist...(Will also be put in my socks on 24th night and this is only coz u absolutely insisted that I have a list!!)

1) I get up in the morning with an hourglass figure and the good part has yet to come!!!...No matter what crap I eat the hour glass is untouched without ANY exercise....sigh..sigh..sigh!!!

2) That all the people u dont like around u have suddenly dissapeared and all your favourite people are with u:-))

3) I won a lottery/prize and that all my travel for the rest of my life to any part of the world has been taken care of.....!

4) From beginning of next yr I get up every morning and have a new hairstyle...(am a style diva)!!

5) I get my current salary simply to be on rolls of the company--I get paid over and above this if I "choose" to work!!

And of course I still sleep on 24th night hoping that in the morning I will see a BIG present with a tag saying "with love to his favourite girl...from Santapa":-) (anyone listening)????....

Whatever it be....Santa for me still very much exists and dont think an Xmas spirit can be complete without jingle bells in the background....without an xmas tree loaded with gifts....without loads of hope and wishes....and without a nice hug from Santa pa!

Merry Xmas to all ya people and dont forget to put up your socks!;-)

The Housewife Vacation ends!!

2007-11-10T13:48:00.000+05:30

Yes finally the Housewife vacation ends....sigh!!

I have found a job...and the corporate grind begins in just about a day....I start work on Monday...

I have been looking for the right job for a while and now that I seem to have found it...am not sure if I am feeling happy or well just a little sad....for whether u like it or not....after sometime..."the feeling of doing nothing" can just take over you and well u kinda start enjoying being lazy and lethargic!!

And yes I am gonna miss my routine....getting up at 10...then gymming and late lunch...followed by afternoon TV and then a evening walk....well now that I look back....its wasnt that bad...eh??;-))

So as the new days begins it brings with it.....a new hope for a new phase, new excitement and some new adventures in life.....and yes hoping the interesting times continue!.....

La La time...

2007-10-17T12:28:00.000+05:30

What is la la time u ask?...

Well its that time in everyones life when we all test the musical geniuses in us...(rather the existence of it!!)

Ahem!..so I finally started with my first guitar class last week.....and I made sure I kept reinforcing to Hubby dear atleast a few weeks before the class that the world would now see a new "prodigy".....and yes I genuinely believed I was one!!

And yes I entered my first class with a list in my mind of all the songs I wld learn to play in less than a month....prodigy that I was!!

I have been practising and trying to play for 4 -5 days now....And what have I been playing?

Well...no not hotel california....but "do re me fa..." for almost 4 days now...and er....am "almost" getting there!!...

My fingers are hurting...the shoulder is paining and hands are numb....and "Do re me" doesnt sound anything like it yet....:-(

But well er....who says prodigies were born in 1 day....am getting there....."almost":-))

Living Life Queensize!

2007-10-05T09:44:00.000+05:30

and yes thats exactly how it was for a week!

Am back in HK finally and yes to celebrate the comeback....hubby and me took a short vacation to this heavenly place called Boracay in Phillippines (i hope i finally got the spelling right!)

I mean we have been on other excotic vacations before but this by far took the cake...and no not so much becoz of the place itself (of coures the place was gorgeous)..but the hotel we stayed in..a place called Discovery Shores apparantly opened only 6 months back) made it every bit worth the while!!

Its amazing how a little resort tucked away in a serene island can define the standards for service!!...

Little things like offering free juice , cookies the whole day....complimentary appetizers, ice-cream when your out in the jacuzzi, little things like the waiters on their own clean your shoes /floaters with water when you walk into the resort from the beach so that your rooms dont get dirty...and the this one completely took the cake....the staff there would actually clean your feet with a towel and wipe off the sand from it when you come back from the beach!!!!...I mean who does things like this?????????....and if this aint queen like treatment what is???

The resort itself was bang on the beach...white shimmering sand, with green exotic beaches.....and little sail boats just about made for a perfect scenery....and of course not to forget the "almost broke my bones kinda massage...sigh!!!

Pics yet to be uploaded.....will follow soon..but was telling Hubby what a mistake hes made by taking me there....now this is the kinda treatment I would expect "ALL THE TIME"!!!!

But I think what made it most special was the lovely people....warm, friendly and willing to give you a lovely smile everytime they see you and of course Hubby couldnt stop oogling at the absolutely hot women (especially the resort staff!!)!

So well there is definately gonna be another time in Discovery shores....waiting to be treated like a queen again....ahem!!....(anyone listening??:-))

When the going gets tough...

2007-08-12T19:46:00.000+05:30

the tough get shopping:-)

Recently someone told me this statement and couldnt believe anything was more true than this!

Last weekend I shopped for some clothes....and i thot then that..this is it...now all my shopping from Bombay is done...dont "need" anything more...!

Realised I spoke too soon...just yesterday I realised I "needed" more shoes....my old shoes have...well...become...err....just old i guess....and yes thats reason enugh!!

And just when i finished shoes i realised there was yet another "need" of some more clothes since the wardrobe wasnt complete yet!...sigh!!....See I told ya...Its soooo hard to be a women!

Well the interesting part is the way I have managed to convince everyone that all this really is a "need" and not a "want".....err..for that matter "all" shopping for a women comes out of only needs.....right?

And of course after a hard 5 day week...we all deserve some way to recuperate and what better way than to flounder the money we have slogged sooo hard to earn...satisfying our "basic needs"...

Sigh...did i mention its tough to be a women??!

Aha Moments!!

2007-07-27T17:37:00.000+05:30

Aha Moments!

These exist. In all our lives. At various Phases. Sometimes we realise them, sometime we dont.

And just in case that start gave u the impression that am going to go on a philosophy trip...relax!..am not!Am referring more to the lighter but essential enlightenments of life which dawn on you once in a while out of the blue.

Past couple of years these have been happening quite a lot for some strange reasons !

Now Aha moments for me are not purely enlightenment moments, but are enlightenment moments which have come in slightly late in life than they do for most people. If for e.g. I had been exposed to these truths slightly earlier (or quite earlier as most people are) my reaction would have been a plain "Cool"...but coz I have been a "slow species" my reaction for most of these has ranges from "Ooh", " Aah", "Ur kidding me"...which is why these fall under my category of Aha moments.

Now why these simple learnings which form a part of natural growing up have become Aha moments for me is a different story altogether...but as a friend of mine terms it...I seemed to have had a "deprived childhood"...(Blame it on my parents!)

A couple which I remember off the hat distinctly go like this:-

1)A pig has an Orgasm that lasts as long as 30 min!!...and well thats too too too high compared to humans!(oops--I realised this only after marriage really!)
2)Animal porn is not about 2 animals, but about animal and man!(YUUUKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!)
3)Any man who says sex was bad ...is lying!
4) A zebra is white with black stripes???? (How can u tell?)
5) An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brains....(I thought that was the case with humans!:-)
6) A healthy individual releases 3.5 oz. of gas in a single flatulent emission, or about 17 oz. in a
day....(so thats how u know if ur healthy...uh!???)
7)(This one came in much earlier but remember it nevertheless)...Kids are not born through the naval!(What the hell was my Bio teacher teaching me anywayz??!!)

Ok this is not a porn blog!...but just that I have the right to feel excited about my Aha moments and share the same!!

And well like I said before these moments come to all (and I refuse to accept otherwise!)....its all a part of, as they say, "growing up"...so am growing up...FINALLY!:-)

So what are your Aha Moments??

Tagged again!!

2007-07-21T16:04:00.000+05:30

Have to crown anuja the queen of the universe!...Well anuja even if I would have met the 8 hr deadline...i cldnt have been able to deny that Anuja is the Queen of the Universe...Hail all!:-)

Yes the choice was to write my tag within 8 hrs or tag Anuja the queen of the universe....not much of a choice..eh?

So here goes my list

1) Everything in the house--has to- absolutely has to be in the right place

2) I need to know the WHOLE PLAN before I adventure out of the house!

3) I need to pee atleast twice before I sleep every night!!

4) All my clothese have to fit in perfectly--not 1 inch loose or tight--needless to say the tailor knows my statistics better than my hubby;-)

5) Each strand of my hair has to be in the right place... I will comb my hair relentlessly before venturing out!

6) In the Gym I have to follow the same routine everytime--I cant do weights after cardio--no way!

7) Everytime I see a temple I have to join my hands...

8) At work I have to start my day with a "to do list" even if I really have no work for the day!

Those being tagged are:-
Keshi, Twisted DNA, lil kath, Bob, Starry nights...!

Staying with parents

2007-07-12T10:28:00.000+05:30

And being Ma and Pa's little girl again!..

Well have been in Bombay for almost 4 months now and staying with folks after almost 7 yrs since i moved outta home!

It almost feels like "Getting back home" feeling...its a bit strange though too! Its a place with whom we have spent the maximum amount of time and yet after a point of time it gets difficult to stay for too long with them!!

Needless to say I love my folks a lot like everyone else...but realised that having stayed out for so long..u get so used to ur own "space" that u yearn for it....Its wierd how once we grow out of our cocoons its so difficult to get back into it!

Little things like having to think about calling them whenever u get late or wondering if ur too late coming home from a party and if they must be worried...u get so used to being a freebird that all this which came naturally once upon a time...feels like an effort now.

But of course no one can take away the fact that "NOONE" read "NOONE" can love u as selflessly as they do and pamper u as unconditionally as they do...and for that...I love them!!

Dreading the Rain gods

2007-05-30T09:47:00.000+05:30

Dear Rain Gods,

Please have mercy on us poor little souls down on this lowly place called "Earth". Bombay has been bestowed by your wrath last 2 years.

This year however I happen to be in Bombay and travelling through the city. Although I understand there are millions praying for you--I however am praying for you to be mercyful of all the lowly souls like us who combat the buses and trains and other miserable means of transport on a daily basis.

We do like to see and hear your presence once in a while in the form of a gentle shower--but I dont think most of us are looking forward to travelling home from our destinations in boats or swimming or reaching office with the "wet look".

Please consider this as a plea from all the poor beings who have been facing ur anger in the last 2 yrs....we hope to be spared this year!

Keeping fingers crossed....!

And let time

2007-04-23T12:56:00.000+05:30

play its part....

Have done all I could...and yet there is a lot to be done....

Dunno which way life is going to go.....uncertainity is probably the worst curse anyone has to live with.....and yet for some reason I dont want to know whats at the end of the road....

Its probably the most painful phase of my life....just when I thot the worse was over....I realised I was yet to hit rock bottom....and maybe I still havent.....

Theres a lot I need to do....mend a lotta stuff....say a lotta prayers....and hoping that somewhere deep inside there is still some strength left to pull myself thru.....

Hope god gives me another chance.....hope prayers do work....

One of those times...

2007-03-23T16:00:00.000+05:30

When your not sure how to cope with things right now......am trying...but never realised it could be so difficult....each day seems to be an ordeal...need some ray of hope soon....

Want to set things right...but looks like the only right thing to do right now is be patient.....let time do its job....wish could undo some of the things.....

Random Ramblings

2007-03-07T17:31:00.000+05:30

Yeah..this is one of those random posts.....Its been a while since I blogged...thats pretty much an indication that NOTHING...absolutely NOTHING is happening in life....life surprisingly isnt providing me with much material to blog...sigh!!

So well...its been 5 mths of joblessness and am frustated to the core of how the right job just somehow isnt finding me this time!!...

Things have been difficult....before I can figure out how to deal with one...life throws something else on ur face and expects u to keep walking with a smile.....damn!

Its only during difficult times does one understand how much we can really endure and when u need to look up to the sky and shout.."hey...have had enugh...now back off!"....

Thats precisely what I feel right now....too much going wrong all at the same time and am struggling to figure out which reins to hold on to....to get the horse of my life trotting....

So am hoping the pieces fall in place soon....and am ready to run the derby of life!

Koh Samui

2007-02-04T10:27:00.000+05:30

Yes we'v actually managed to remain married for 2 yrs.....trust me, thats an achievement as far as we are concerned--achievement big enough to deserve a celebration!

So we decided to celebrate the 2nd yr of marriage by taking a 1 week trip to this gorgeous place called Koh Samui in Thailand!...Needless to say the pictures below will say it all....

We felt like one of those phirangi tourists...sun bathing with sunscreen et all....relaxing, reading, swimming on the beach, getting a massage and completely chilling out.Hubby Dear managed to complete his scuba diving course and is now a certified scuba diver and was very thrilled abt it....and I was happy just being next to the sea for a week.

So enjoy the snaps while we get to enjoy the real thing:-))

Chaweng Beach-Beaach resort where we stayed

Multi Coloured dog!!!!

Market place in Koh Samui-Shopping time

Bar at our resort!

Seafood Seafood and more Seafood!

Our resort!!

Scary Crocodile Show!

Heaven on earth to-Koh nang Yuan beach!!

Best beach EVER been to!!!

Trip to Wonderland

2007-01-04T13:21:00.000+05:30

called Disneyland...or so!

As a kid I always dreamt that someday I'd get to be Alice and visit the wonderland called disneyland. And visit I did....but alas...the trip dissapointed me more than making me smile!...It was disneyland all right....but wasnt as impressive as I imagined it to be and of course as the entry fees amount got one to imagine!!

Apparantly disneyland HK is not half as good as the ones in US...its not complete and doesnt have all the attractions as the ones in US and that was a big disappointment....coz I was looking forward to being a 5 yr old again....sigh!!

Nevertheless it did has its good moments namely being the Lion King show, the space ride and the Parade (which again isnt as royal as the US one).....we did manage to capture a few snaps....

Hoping my next trip to Disneyland....makes me see the wonderland in all its glory!!

p.s:- More snaps on Hubbys Dear's post!

For the Bday Boy!

2006-12-05T09:43:00.000+05:30

Today its the bday of the most special person in my life....my baby, my sweetiepie, my shonu monu...yeah my hubby dear!!!!!!!!!

This little post is dedicated to the little boy inside my hubby who loves the idea of bdays and celebrations, who is excited with anything that can make him feel special, who enjoys the idea of bday parties and is absolutely thrilled with being loaded with gifts on his bday(and at any given point of time:-))

I am reminded months in advance that the Bday is approaching and that my preparations need to start....hints about what would be preferable bday gifts are also given at appropriate times....hahah....have I told u that I just love u for all this crazy excitment you create...:-)

So dearest honeybunch....just want to tell u that its your day today and hope this day marks the beginning of many more wonderful days to come in your life, that you feel special every day of your life and that may all the happiness and joy in the world be yours forever!!

May the kid in you keep the spirit of celebration alive always!!

Happy Birthday dearest Bday boy!!!:-))

Lotsa love and tonnes of tight huggies and kissess.....

The Wife!

Notes from a Bored Housewife

2006-12-01T13:22:00.000+05:30

I quit!....Yes I quit my F***** up job....that was the only way of remaining sane!

And yes am back to being a boring housewife again...!

Life as a housewife sounds busy...all the cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping that one needs to do (ahem...i have a maid for most of these though!).....so the biggest question everybody seems to ask me is..."So how is life being a housewife?".....

Well...Hubby dear has put it well..."Its the best job that u can do right now".....and now that I evaluate it...it has every element of a job u see....

1) I spend so much time with the laptop chatting with friends that am afraid I might have an affair with it soon
2) I have lunch "meetings" with Oprah--oprah show couldnt have better timing:-)
3) My "assignments" include making special dinner requests for hubby and planning for parties...(p.s:- we'r having a predated Bday party for hubby dear tomorrow)
4) The absence of my "reportee"(the maid:-)....is the biggest "stress" factor in my job as a housewife....
5) Hubby leaving office at 6:00 pm sharp is one of the major sources of "excitment" in my job as a housewife
6) I am soon gonna develop an expertise on programs aired on Discovery channels...I know the timing of practically every serial on the channels...have found a new best friend at work...the TV!

No wonder many housewives get addicted to their jobs...its a job noone wants to quit.....!!!....

Well for now am trying to catch in all the 'work experience" in my job as a housewife...till I get into the corporate rut again...as they say ..."a good work experience never goes waste":-)

Turn Back Time...

2006-11-19T17:46:00.000+05:30

Wish there was a time machine where we could stop time or just turn back time to moments of perfection.....hmmm....

I Hate my job!

2006-11-06T12:06:00.000+05:30

Never thought I would be saying this on the 4th day of my job...but what do you expect when on the first day of the job your given tonnes of work (which you had no clue how to do) and your first deadline is after a week?????????

Which company does that??????????...Apparantly mine does!

Well as they say..Your job is only as good and bad as the people around you...Could never have proved more true. My Current boss is a "B****" of the first order and I will not feel guilty even if I have to murder her.

Ok so this is a major crib post--looks like I am the latest scapegoat in the office who gets dumped work that the "B****" doesnt "like" to do (mind you this has nothing to do with if she has the time to do it or not)....

Am very very tempted to walk out of the job and say..."find someone else to screw"!...but am picking up excuses like..."something is better than nothing"...or "atleast am getting paid"...ahem....maybe coz I dont want to be an escapist.....

Hoping to get through each day one at a time....wishing theres something better in store....praying its all worth it!...sigh!

Back to work time!

2006-10-31T17:14:00.000+05:30

Yes the good old days of playing a housewife are over yet again!

After a 2 month sabbatical I start work again tomorrow. Its strange how the grass always feels greener on the other side!

While I was playing housewife last 2 months--getting up when I wanted to, eating, watching TV, reading and leading a perfectly envious life....I felt a certain something missing in life...the thrill, excitment, adventure of a worklife!!

And now that I am yet again about to step into the grind of corporate life have been cribbing..."why cant I have a few more days of playing housewife"!!?...

Hubby dear has obviously been calling me a "confused soul"....guess we humans are made that way....always wanting what we dont have!

So well, whether I like it or not...am back to playing the Consultant......and hoping the next 6 months are yet another experience in the series of many that life has offered!:-)

Diwali Day!

2006-10-22T10:13:00.000+05:30

Have realised that festivals are a lot more ceelbrated when one is outside India than when in India!!

Of course being in India has its own feel...but yesterday was my first action packed diwali day!!Needless to say I missed all the yummm sweets and the laxmi pooja done mommy style.....but think Diwali made its presence felt yesterday!

It was our first Diwali at home after marriage and yes the house was cleaned and dutifully lit with diyas and we also attempted a "mommy style" pooja at home with the aarti and laxmi katha.....and of course for the first time since moving to HK I got a chance to wear my Salwar Kameez.....Finally!!!!!!!!!

Post that we paraded to a friends place for a yummy potluck dinner which was preceeded by loads of booze and some really firey games of Taboo and cards.....and somewhere everyone seemed to be happy to be with each other and have friends around on this special day where home is missed so dearly....

The day ended by watching two of our friends getting stripped off every penny they had in a game of cards....played in true diwali "gambling fever style"......

Its strange how we indians create our own little Indians in every part of the world and so dearly hold on to what we have cherished all our lives.....these little moments of joys, togetherness, festivities....want to make you thank god for making you an Indian....I surely do:-)

So all you bloggers before I forget...."Happy Diwali wishes and heres praying for a lovely year ahead....filled with loads of joy and happiness and tonnes of smiles..."

May the Diwali fever live on....!

Am Back!

2006-10-11T11:26:00.000+05:30

Yes...after almost 6 weeks...am back again...not just in HK but to blogging too....

And yes...all those poor souls who have been woorking their ass off at work can now curse me coz I have just returned from a 6 weeks vacation.....a vacation which began with a 3 day trip to bangkok followed by 5 weeks in India....Mumbai....with parents...

To add further salt on the wounds of the already "dying with work" souls....the schedule in these 5 weeks included lotsa sleeping, eating,lazing, eating, reading, eating, meeting friends, eating, watching inane stuff on TV and eating yet again!......

I think I have got my quota of pampering for the next 2 yrs...thanx to parents who refuse to accept that am now an adult.....well whatever....whos complaining:-)

Am back now to HK and yes reality.....now I know why they say...reality is always hard to accept...sigh!!!

So now that I am back to being the housewife and religiously waiting for Hubby Dear every evening from work...guess I might as well Blog too;-)))

Thx guys for all the lovely comments on my previous blog....will be visiting ur blogs soon!

Adios....

2006-08-30T06:35:00.000+05:30

Its been a long time since I have been blogging non-stop....

And I am now tired...a bit drained....need a break...from blogging and everything else....dont want to think about anything for awhile.

Blogging for me has been a means of expression.....but you may call its a writers block, lack of creativity or simply lack of will to express myself anymore....it doesnt feel the same anymore.

Its time to take a break from the blog world...maybe for a few days or weeks...I'll be back when am ready to put some words on my thoughts....

Thank you everyone for stopping by to read and comment....from today pls consider this site temporarily closed :-)

Adios!

Sometimes Childhood Fantasies...

2006-08-28T07:26:00.000+05:30

....do come true. Yes they do!! Mine just did:-)

Two posts back in my post called "Childhood fantasies" I had written about having a fantasy of a chocolate house and many of you yummmed at the Idea of a chocolate house.....

This weekend I actually got to eat my chocolate house...all thx to Hubby dear...!!:-).....

Ok...so heres how it happened!.....Last week hubby dear and me had a bad fight....one of those..."sulking for 3 days, no talking" kinda fights...and easily categorised as one of our "worst ones".....Finally last Thursday we made up and sulking stopped....

And hubby dear to make up for it...made (ok let me use the word 'assembled' coz he didnt really make the cake but bought it from outside) a lovely chocolate cake house for me!!!!

And yes this was a surprise for me while I was away gaining some muscle power in the gym...he was sweating away at home making the house to perfection!......U dont believe me??? See it for urself!!

Pls to notice the M&M's and the little blue car and of course the Choco wafer biscuits as the roof!

BIG HUGGIEEE AND TONNNESS OF MUWAAHHH FOR MY SWEETHEART AND OUR CHOCOLATE HOUSE!!...LOVE YA LOADS!:-)

p.s:- Btw when do we shift in??

Those Left Behind...

2006-08-23T06:28:00.000+05:30

We may not remember them everyday but is it really possible to forget them completely?

Sometimes people enter our lives outta the blue , stay for a little while and then go away. But in the little while they leave life-long impact on our lives...

No matter how much u try to let go, how much u try to distance urself.....they always keep coming back to u in the form of memories and thots..and then u wonder if it was a good decision to let them go away from your lives??....did it really make sense...why didnt we just hold on to them as they were....was it really worth it to lose them?

U let them go coz u think that is the best thing to do....coz u dont want them overpowering your entire life , every relationship and become larger than life itself......

But looking back now sometimes I do regret(and nope I dont have a politically correct..."regret free" life)....sometimes your mind yearns to speak to them..coz probably they were the only ones who listened to u, who understood u...accepted u.....

And I still wonder why did god get these people in my life...if they eventually had to go away....what purpose did it serve??....maybe I know maybe I dont....

Maybe I can change the course of things now...or maybe its already too late...

For now memories linger of those who got left behind.....

Sing Land photos

2006-08-17T09:04:00.000+05:30

Some more snaps of Singapore..finally blogger has mercy on us!

Why are you staring at me??

Am a pro at this...!

err..hows the air up there?

Isnt this a dreaammmm!

The King striking a pose-Hail!

Ek Do teen...yellow , blue and green!

Am cute too!

Awwww...get a room pls!

Get up , Stand up, Standup for the show!

Cable cars...to Sentosa island!

See the CCCC shaped Islands!

Childhood Fantasy

2006-08-10T14:39:00.000+05:30

I was pestering hubby dear to read me a bed time story over the weekend(a ritual he has to keep up with atleast once in 15 days...I need my dose of bedtime stories)..and my mind just wandered to this trek in bangalore which I did sometime back where we were playing truth and dare in the group.

I got the truth and was asked to say any one fantasy of mine and I blurted out.."Well its about having a chocolate house someday"...*silence*.....all boys laughed and told me thats a escapist answer to the question coz they expected something more "meatier"!...All girls had their faces lit up...*why didnt I think of this one look*.... Whatever!!!

I realised later on that its the absolute truth for me...I have fantasied about having a chocolate house one day right from the moment I read the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale...and hence this has been one of my favouritest fairy tale ever!

I still have 4 jigsaw puzzles which dad brought for me from abroad when I was three and it used to be my favourite toys coz one of the puzzles in that was Hansel and Gretel with the witch and a Yummmyyy chocolate house!

It amazed me when I realised that I have had this fantasy ever since I first heard this story and started visualising the chocolate house with candy bars , chocolate bed, taps, walls, utensils chairs..even commodes...heheh!!..so everytime I wanted to eat chocolate I didnt even have to go to the fridge I cld take break one part of the bed and eat!

Well someday I hope I do get a choclate house(even if its a miniature version)...Hint!! Hint!!..is the concerned person listening???

So do you have any such childhood fantasy that u still hold on to??:-)

Sing Land Story....

2006-08-02T09:13:00.000+05:30

From the minute I landed at the airport and stepped outside...the feeling of warmth was all over me...something very welcoming abt the place...right from all the amazing greenery all around the city...to the tall rise buildings in central Singapore to the party pubs in boat quay to the lanes in Little India...its seemed so different and such a contrast and yet held together by the same warmth which exists all over the place...

And yes I did visit the zoo and jumped up and down after touching the kangaroo....
Stuck my tongue out and made faces at the orangutan (specially for acqua)
Gave a flying kissy to the hairiest monkey of all (on special request from keshi)
Got a flying kissy back from the lion and white tigers( and yes they do give flying kissy...u just gotta observe them better!!)
Made fisy kissy faces at all the big sharks in the sentosa acquarium!
Tried to get a exclusive one-up close snap with the beautiful birds in jurong park....
Thulped tonnes of masala dosa at little india (think I pooed masala dosa for the next week or so:-)
Made sure I dont run out of perfumes for the next decade(Thx to orchard road, arab street, mustafa market)

But what really stayed with me were the amazingly friendly people in singapore..quite a contrast and a welcome relief from HK!

Right from every single cab driver (each one of them spoke to us like a friend and guided us unfailingly) to the Indian restaurant owner to went out of his way to feed us (with whatever remenants he could manage) at 11pm in the night..people there won us over!

Sitting in Little india makes u wonder if ur really in Singapore or a little town in kerela with tonnes of local indians all ard u..selling everything right from an incense stick to flower to food and sweetmeats....(i feasted myself to some amazing ras malai)

All in all...a very memorable trip...Wouldnt be wrong to say that Indians have made a mark there and thankfully not only retained their hospitality and warmth but spread it around amongst other localites too....

The indian restaurants in Little India..couldnt resist taking this!

Whos that looking at me???

Black or White???

Me's not lying....The White tiger giving me flying kissy...see I told u na??

Ouch!....Dont play with fire!!

Singapore at night...the warmth embraces u..!

Me...fishy fishy...touchy touchy!!

Green or yellow....fishy says hello!

Dolphins showing off...:-)

p.s:- More & better snaps on Hubbys Dear's blog soon.....

To J...from E

2006-07-26T14:23:00.000+05:30

Sometimes people enter your life and just rule over your heart completely...they enter as friends and leave as family....

I moved to bangalore ....first time outta home... in 2001 and was alone in the city, stranded...trying to settle down in the job(thx to a horrible boss) and searching for a house and missing home tonnness.....

And then happened to meet J through some common frds and she too was looking for a partner to share the house with and we started the house hunt together...not realising that in the 3 yrs together....we would not be sharing the house but each others life as well.....

J and me were family...doing everything together....remember all the treks, trip, outing we had, all the crazy movies we saw, all the low times she and I had, the first surprise bday party she threw(my best bday ever) and all the surprise bday parties each yr after that, all the times she was there beside me when I was sick..all the time we talked and chatted for hrs, all our post dinner walks followed by juice.....watching TV together, eating dinner together everyday, paying bills, all the time she cooked and I sat and watched TV and got served:-)...she being there ALL the time during my wedding, coming to chennai to see me the last time in blore.....EVERYTHING....

Bangalore felt home coz I had a family in her....and now that shes moving on for further studies I know blore will never feel the same again..no J to wait at the airport late night to welcome me:-(

But I want you to know you will always remain special to me!...and at this moment of celebration when you are stepping into a new phase of life to fulfill your PHD dream....all I can say is that....I still will be your family no matter which part of the world u are in....I will be by your side whenever you need me....

All the very best J ...you deserved this for all the hard work and effort you made and u deserve the best of everything....just be your lovable self always and u will continue to win many hearts and find a family everywhere u go....

Yuppiiiee time!!

2006-07-21T11:40:00.000+05:30

Its been almost 6 mths since I last visited a new country/city.....and now was literally itching to take off....

And finally now we'r off to singapore for 3 days this weekend....yupppiieeee....And yes its gonna be a nice "family touristy outing".....coz ma and pa are coming along too...hubby dear is playing an award winning performance of the "damad trying to impress in-laws" role!;-)...(kissiess and huggiess to u baby!)

Looking forward to the zoo( havent been in a zoo since nappy days!) and waterpark, the shopping at orchard road, the yummmmy food and yes catching up with few friends as well....

Statutory warning :-Hubby Dear pls keep a close eye on me..in all the excitment I might actually end up inside the cage and you might end up holding hands and taking a romantic walk with a koala bear!

So all u zoo inhabitants...watch out...the crazy gal is gonna be on the loose soooonnn!!!

p.s:-I think I am already getting dreams of the trip now...I had a dinosaur dream last night and I think he bit me...!!

Planoholic

2006-07-18T13:16:00.000+05:30

Ok...so big deal....everyone is like me....or atleast 10% people are like me (same thing).....and yeah am a planoholic....!!

Well over the past 1.5 yrs...to be specific since marriage( and since I had to start sharing my home, room, bed, bedsheets etc etc with someone else)...have realised I am a planoholic....I plan..almost...EVERYTHING...its like I almost know how my day tomorrow is gonna go coz I run thru it a day before in my mind.....!

I know whats gonna be made for lunch/dinner the next day and maybe the day after next too..
What I am going to do first thing in the morning and after I reach office...
What clothes and shoes I am gonna wear for the next three days....
My schedule on return from office till I go to sleep....
When I will take my medicines the next day(pre/post dinner)...
How much time I will spend in the loo and taking a bath(yes I have clocks in both Bathrooms)....etc etc....

And well yeah...planning is one thing....but I get really(I mean really ) upset if for some reason things dont go as planned.....maybe its a fetish....but hubby dear has been bearing the brunt of it.

Example ...while leaving for office in the morning one day I got dressed and Hubby dear remarked that the outfit I wore for some reason wasn't suiting me..!!..I went in and changed and after that sulked for 10 minutes and then demanded that Hubby dear tell me exactly why the dress wasnt suiting me when it suited others!!!.

After some exchange of words...I accepted the agitation was not for the dress but coz Hubby dear had upset my "plan" to wear that dress....it wasnt important if I looked bad in that dress...it was more important that my plans dont get screwed!

Ok so maybe this is a compulsive behaviour....or what the heck am a psycho...sue me!:-)

Am I the only one around?

What they say...

2006-07-17T10:49:00.000+05:30

And what they mean.

Wife:- Baby, can you please dry the clothes
Hubby:- Sure. In a while.
Hubby:- Will do when am not watching TV, eating, sleeping or playing games on my cell.

Wife:- Honey, there is a cockroach in the kitchen can u pls help kill it??
Husband:- Sure. Why dont you first try and swipe it with the broom..am right behind u...
Husband:- And will stay behind u!

Husband:- Baby...I had been to the electronic shop today...met X there...he was bought the new Nokia cell.
Husband:- Ok so I want one too!

Husband:- Do you think we need a new camera?
Husband:- Basically have made up my mind to buy the camera...just pop a yes and it'll be delivered tomorrow

Husband:- Now this is what I call a beautiful girl
Husband:- Man, is she hot!!

Husband:- "X" and me are planning to do this trip "alone"....without our wives..remember we agreed that we both have space in marriage....?
Husband:- Ok..I need to do this trip without u..coz I want to binge on tonnnes of beer and oogle at babes....!!

Husband:- Yuppiee my bday is only 5 months away!!
Husband:- Its high time you started thinking about my present!

Husband:- Btw isnt ice-cream supposed to be good for acidity?
Husband:- Ok so I finished the whole pack today!

Please note...this is a purely fictitious piece...any resemblance or inspiration from any individual living or dead is purely intentional!":-))

Soaring.....!!

2006-07-13T07:24:00.000+05:30

Was going through our Bali trip snaps and for some reason(actually for no reason at all) when I looked at these snaps...it made me wanna post these snaps....ok so this is a random post!!!

Guess something about these snaps made me wanna soaaarrrr once again!!!..(part of hubby's dear experimentation with his photography and as usual I was the "jumping" guinea pig!)

Soooaaarinng up high....the air up there feels different!

I believe I can Fly....

I Believe I can touch the sky:-)

About to reach the ground!:-(

Grounded for Life with Hubby Dear:-)

Thx sweetheart for taking these snaps and for making me jump soooooo many times just to get the "right" snaps that my heart nearly popped outta my mouth!..Muwaaahhhhhss to u!

To my Co-worker

2006-07-11T15:31:00.000+05:30

I am angry, irritable, rude and mean right now...yeah am human!

I am waiting for the day when she needs my help badly and I can sit back, look at her irritating face and say "Sorry would have loved to help , but you see its not a part of my job!"...@#$%#%

Chinese co-worker, curt and rude, rigid, racist, inefficient and unprofessional.

This post is dedicated to this lady who works with me....and defines unprofessionalism...heres a few words for u lady!

1) There are people around better than u-They look better, they are in a higher grade, are a zillion times more intelligent(have u heard of that word before???) and tonnes more smarter than u and thats why they are where they are and u are where u are...LIVE WITH IT!

2) I have worked my ass off to be where I am and I deserve to be here. You too deserve to be where you are. If you have your insecurities in life, deal with them on your own. I am not your best buddy (and dont have intentions of being one), nor your lover/hubby nor ur mom(god bless her) to take any shit from you!

3) Unprofessionalism in work place is more obvious than Big boobs from low cut blouses....if you think people dont see you shying away from work think again!

4) Team work doesnt mean having 2 hr lunches with your colleagues-grow up!

5) Your behaving like a mobile Job description and narrating "Its not a part of my job" for everything that sounds like work is not gonna fool people into believing that you want free pay!! Being rude to people is also not part of your Job..or is it!!!!!???

6) To get anywhere in life you need to work with people..not against them sweetheart!

There!!!...Phew!

Ok So I am irritable, and irritable and mean right now...Sue me!..But some people just need too see the absolutely blunt side of me and she truely is one!

Ma and Pa in Town-Part II

2006-07-07T06:11:00.000+05:30

Ok its been almost 4 weeks since parents come down and needless to say life has changed...and thankfully for the better..especially when I desparately needed them!!

And all my efforts and preparation "in anticipation of every flaw that mom could have discovered in my housekeeping skills" as cited in part 1 (scroll down for part 1) of the post has paid off and parents were more surprised than impressed--"U managed all this"??(pls note with a gaped expression on face)...thx mom and dad for the confidence bestowed:-))!

The first two weeks since hubby was away partying and oogling at "beautiful girls with ocean blue eyes and god gifted complexion" (those are his words), I was at home getting all the pampering and attention I could ask for by parents!..No complaints!:-)

Hadn't imagined that the existence of parents in your life(specially when ur not used to it) can create such a difference- there are some serious consequences when parents visit kids:-

1) The house (please note a 800 Sq feet apartment which is a luxury by HK standards) , an apartment where you barely have space to move things ard has already been arranged and rearranged 3 times....(Only mom could have managed this!)

2) The dissapearance of the concept of "Social life" . I have started receiving "Just checking to see if your alive" messages from the few frds that we have here. Weekends would be for relaxation, eating good home food and sleeping. Partying is more "stressful" than working...according to parents!..(Ahem!)

3) Newer places to buyer newer things from will suddenly be discovered. Veggies I didnt know existed will be available just 10 min from home, thx to dad's exploratory skills...(hmmm!)

4) The maid will either end up becoming a "super maid" before they leave or quit (unable to handle the pressure;-)..(thats the scary one!)

5) Updated news on all the other Indians around will be provided....pls note Indians I didnt even know(or care about ) existed!(???????????) ...there is more spice in the neighbourhood than I realised!

6) Hot food will be served....and freshly made roties.....and tones of pampering.... Weekday right from morning wake up call to breakfast to lunch to dinner and also an apple in between(slyly put in my purse by mom darling) has been taken care of--feel like a queen. (Sigh!)

7) Everything in the house will be in its place..ALWAYS....(Finally..for once!)

8) Mom's lap to sleep on everytime I am tired after office, free head massages and loads of huggsss ( Heaven!:-)

9) Hubby will behave himself...without me having to scream my lungs out!...hehahahah!!(thats the sadistic pleasure!)

10) All serials with "K" will become the only things familiar on screen! Know all the charcter and how many times they have been married and which are the latest saree trends!

11) The thrill of sitting in the bus while returning home from office...and wondering "what would mom have cooked for dinner today"?...

It so cute that at this age parents become quite like kids once again--get enamoured by smaller things in life--they still cant get over the tall, taller and even taller buildings here and want to take a snap of all the tall buidlings possible to show to their friends back home:-)

All the various types of breads in various shapes and sizes and all other baked stuff in the bakeries still amazes them!

Well u realise the value of things only when they are not with u--after staying away from home for almost 5-6 yrs now have realised how indispensible parents really are in our lives!

Right now just waiting to get home and see what has been cooked for dinner!:-))

Hope or Acceptance?

2006-06-29T15:20:00.000+05:30

I am tired and drained.

Life can be very very tiring sometimes...and each day like a hurdle race....sometimes u gain the momentum and crossing the hurdles is a part of the run..comes easy!

At other times...u just trip, u just trip over and then you wonder how your ever gonna get up, and start all over again, crossing all the hurdles yet again.

I live with my fears and I hope for respite. I ask myself what is it...Hope or Acceptance?

What is going to take me through?...Should I live each day in the hope that tomorrow is going to be better or should I today stand up and accept that this is what life is going to be like-and erase all memories of what life was , and all dreams of what it could have been.....accept life and learn to live with this acceptance.

Does holding on to hope mean I am an escapist who doesnt want to accept reality? Does acceptance mean I am not a fighter--that I have given up?

Dunno what is right or wrong--but dont know how long Hope can give me the strength--maybe its time to embrace acceptance and let my present sink in and define my future.

In the end its ones own journey-alone-Always...and with time one figures out the best way to complete the journey....its not about giving up...its about figuring our the right path!

The image of me isnt what I knew it as...I wish this image would go away, the existence erased, or taken away so that noone could reach me and I could reach no one. Away from all and everything....away from me too.

p.s :- Thx everyone for the lovely comments on my last post--didnt reply coz didnt know what to say to all of you except thx a lot!

Someday

2006-06-19T07:31:00.000+05:30

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from Indomitable will.

-Mahatma Gandhi

Weak, tired, drained,
Hope , faith, belief,
Tears, pain, agony,
Hope, Faith, belief,
Helplessness, lost, anger,
Hope, faith, belief,
Love, Patience, Will.
Life, life, life.

Trying to figure out which one to hold onto...to draw the strength from...to know its gonna be ok.

I dont want to lose myself before this.....before I find the answer....hopefully soon..Someday:-)

Till then I just keep walking.

Ma & Pa Time again!

2006-06-09T13:45:00.000+05:30

Yeah!...My Folks are coming over this weekend!!!!

This is a paranoia that tends to hit most of us who have been "staying away from home for ages now"....This is an event...and for people like us parents coming over needs nothing less than complete "event management skills!"

Spend almost the entire weekend trying to make the house look like its been inhabited and not run down by a hurricane (thx to hubby dear's mere existence in the house)!

1) Cupboards are in order(with special instructions to hubby to not ravage them!) . Pls note cupboards also have moth balls and dehumdifiers (That ones gonna stun my mom!)

2) There are towels and soaps in both bathrooms and yes the even the toilet doors have been cleaned!(Bonus again)

3) Every bottle in kitchen has a label (Mom's gonna faint on this one;-)

4) There are extra towels in the house for guests! (Good girl!)

5) Junk food has been hidden away in the top shelves hoping it'll be atleast a week till mom reaches there!:-) (Sly one!)

6) Separate washing powder is used for "gentle" and "not so gentle" clothes!....(Ok am showing off!)

7) Dust-bins in all the rooms!!! (This one takes the cake!)

8) Even windows/ glasses fall under the "cleanable furniture" in the house and maid has been instructed accordingly (Yeah am mama's girl!)

9) The fridge has rules.."Veg only in the veg tray, fruits in the last shelf only....(even mom doesnt have this rule!)

p.s:- This one is courtesy Hubby dear-he actually took it on himself to clean the fridge and set the rules!:-)

10) Water is filtered "and" boiled before drinking!( Well...things change mom!)

Guess parents will always remain parents and we will always remain the kid who will "never grow up"!:-).....the special people in their lives.

Its been almost 9 mths since I last saw them and almost feels like a decade...looking forward to watching mom stand at the door and waving at me going to office....saying..."Theek se jana"(Go safely).

Looking forward to being their "little girl" again:-)

Tag About me!

2006-06-07T10:42:00.000+05:30

Yet another Tag!....

Last 2 weeks have been crazy as devil....to add to that life hasn't provided anything specifically exciting to talk about (thank god for small mercies)...so hibernation from blog was a natural resort....coz basically I had no "bloggable text".

Thanx to How Do we Know I am now back in action with a tag which insists on making me think!!...damn...( as if work wasn't enough!)

So here it is.......a tag abt me!:-)

I am thinking about....too many things I shouldnt be thinking!
I said what I felt.
I want strength...to get through life.
I wish for a magic wand to change everything I wanted to:-)
I miss my life before.
I hear my thoughts clashing in my mind.
I wonder if am such a bad student that I cant figure out what life is trying to teach me right now?
I regret not being able to handle things better.
I am ...who I was.
I dance to express.
I sing when I am alone cooking.
I cry.....to let go off the pain.
I am as blunt as they come.
I make with my hands...lots of hugs..for hubby!:-)
I write what I cant say.
I confuse telephone numbers...ALWAYS.
I need a friend always.
I should learn to accept life as it is.
I start with an "intention" to finish!
I finish...every book I start...hate leaving any story unfinished.....every story should have an end...:-)

Phew that goes my free time for the day!...Was a "though provoking tag"....so other victims are ....Hubby Dear, Bold, Keshi, Sudarshan, lil Kath, Yashita, Suga and Khushi.

The Irony of Options....

2006-05-23T09:32:00.000+05:30

U cant live with them or without them!

Well..how many times do we recollect ourselves saying.."What other option do I have"?...or " I wish I didnt have so many options...cant make up my mind!"...

Yeah...thats the irony of options...too less and it feels like they dont exist..too many and it makes u wonder why they exist!!...

Well..even more difficult is when you face both these situations together....although on the face of it, it feels like life has presented you with many options to choose from....yet in reality, these options may not really exist...coz there are too many "Buts" attached to each option in life....nothing comes without a cost....does it!?

The debate is always between "What I want to do and what would probably be right for me!"...

And yeah....."Choose what u think is the best" or " Where do you see your life going?" or "Whatever you choose will eventually be best for you".....kindly note...such comments DO NOT help and are not welcome!":-(

And yeah as most men would say now.."See, thats why we say, women can NEVER decide"...so yeah. its true for me..I DEFINE INDECISIVENESS!!!!....

Hmm....maybe I will just have to resort to flipping the coin.....

My Hero...

2006-05-15T08:47:00.000+05:30

Yes..for 2 hrs we were in the theatre ...eating lehar kurkure and my hero(Hubby Dear) was "saving my life"....from the evil goons...while err..I was sitting right next to him!

We went to see MI3 over the weekend--for me the only motivation being to oogle at Tom cruise (so what if hes 40....hes still as much a lech material!)...and thats that...it didnt matter if the movie per se was nonsensical and the action was'nt even that grt...and that's how I assume it is for most women...

However realised that for men..(generalised based on Hubby dear's behaviour)....watching sports or a movie is not about watching the movie or sports per se..its about feeling like the Hero himself who either scored the goal or saved his wife for those 2 hrs !!!!

Yes throughout the 2 hours Hubby dear kept believing he is the Hero and especially 'My hero" with statements like..."If u get kidnapped baby then....I will also come and save u....like him now I am gonna jump!! "I will also ride the bike like this","See even I run like him"..."Dont worry, I will also punch him like that"..blah, blah!!...

And of course I had to play along by asking questions like--"But Tom Cruise has a team to help him..whom will you get to save me"!...to which the reply was "Dont worry, I will get"A"..(his best frd) to mastermind the whole plan..and then I will come and rescue u"...!...Thank you god for giving me literally a Knight in Shining Armour!!:-)

Finally I had to burst the bubble and tell him 'Honey am right here, ur not a secret agent and well...I dont think I have any intentions of being kidnapped.....so lets leave all this for Tom Cruise..he gets paid in millions to do all this crap u see":-)

It was almost like young boys who have just got a new gun and they pretend the enemy is around them and shoot like they'r the brave hero cop....killing everyone around!!...bang, bang!!

Guess that's why they say...Boys will be boys....guns, gadgets and girls...prasadise for them!

Thank you honey for "saving " my life yesterday and for being so cute!!....Lets please watch a mushy romantic movie next week...Id rather see u imitating the romantic dinners and cute pick-up lines !;-)

Ducking your Boss

2006-05-15T07:27:00.000+05:30

Why is it that EVERYTIME I dont feel like working my boss decides to play the devil!

Oops! After 4 years of work life and 5 bosses that was a silly question to ask really--Thats what the deplorable species called "the BOSSMATE"(thats my contribution to the dilbert diary) has been created for-To make us realise we are lowly souls and mere mortals and our fate embraces torcher...sigh sigh!

All MBA courses should have a specific "mandatory" subject on "Seven Effective tactics of ducking your boss"...for now based on my indepth and varied experience with my various bossmates the genieus in me has been able to coin these for the larger good of mankind on how to handle your bossmate...

1) If he sits close to you stare at his screen more than he does at yours--make him feel guilty about even writing a personal one liner mail!

2) Dodge your cubicle inhabiting timings-when he goes for lunch--take a short nap and when he's back--run for food like you live for it!

3) Everytime he opens a unofficial site--"Ask inquisitively and "innocently"--"Hey isn't there supposed to be a firewall on this site?"-Basically let him realize he's being watched!!:-)

4)Put as many stuffed toys and caricatures on your PC as you can to show as little of the screen--maybe even a huge--"Mind your own business Garfield Teddy!"

5)Keep putting his stuff (like pens, papers, his important documents in other cubicles away from his cabin--FAR AWAY!--when he's not around so that he has to keep spending as much time as possible away from you (always have the belief that its "YOUR" area and he is an intruder there) and you can live in peace:-)

6) Type vigorously on the keyboard (like ur murdering the keyboard) with a constipated and intense look on your face EVERYTIME he's around--This look is a substitute for a "Am dead busy" placard

7) Sneeze, cough and pick your nose everytime he attempts to turn around to see you--basically disgust the hell outta him!!

8)If none of this works--QUIT!--your a loser--join a company where you are the boss--you deserve to become one!

All the points mentioned above are views of the author and have been based on extensive trial and error and more trial and even more error, research & observations. Only those with a brave and adventurous heart and rich parents/ fiance/ spouse are advised to try these.

Any consequences through any of the above points are merely coincidental.

Reply to Hubby's Open Letter:-)

2006-05-10T11:11:00.000+05:30

Hubby Dear,

Thank you for the letter-it seems quite professional and polite. From the last week(ever since our return from bangalore) you have been "pestering" me to "re-negotiate" our terms of contract which you signed earlier this year-I need to figure out who is the culprit behind this! (please note juice is not alcohol and drinking juice doesn't get one drunk)

Let me first explain that in order to negotiate the contract--you need to have executed atleast "some parts" of the contract--may I request you to please list down all the responsibilities which were assigned to you and which you have "actually executed" before we start re-negotiating???:-)

My responses on your points below:-

1)I too have studied economics for 5 years and thank you for reminding me the theories and even more how these can be applied to real life situations. One more concept we learnt in economics (which I hope u remember) was "Optimum utilization of available resources"--and I am a die-hard follower of this concept. The excel sheet of roles and responsibilities intends to put this concept to practice--using the "resource" called "The hubby" to optimum use:-). Also according to the xl sheet there was supposed to be equal division of labour--in case you haven't realized 90% of the house work is "still" being done by me....sigh!(Thats what marriage does to u!)

2) One thing I have not told you too-which is--men who have a inferiority complex are a big turn on for me honey. I would suggest you live with your inferiority complex so that we lead a happy, contended and sexy life! As for the kisses sure they will continue honey...muaaah!

3) I agree you are clumsy--and this is something you have said not me. If laying and clearing the dinner table is creating stress for you--I would suggest from today onwards we have dinner in the kitchen itself. That would be the perfect solution--that way we don't even need to fight for the remote while having dinner--wat say? ;-)

4) Not quite sure which discussion you were referring to--however this morning the clothes were put in by me simply coz you were too busy snoring:-). In case you think handling the washing machine is "too complicated" for you--I can suggest a simpler method-wash clothes with your hands!...am sure u can handle your hands without any problems..right baby?

Please note-you have a really cute butt(have told u so too-cutest EVER!)...in fact women often love cute butts!...however sitting on your ass for too long will flatten your butt and that would be terrible--especially all the hot chicks that you will get to flirt with in Germany!..So its in your best interest to not keep sitting on your ass for too long!:-)

Yours lovingly,

Lotsa love , hugs and MUUWWAAHHHHS

The Wife

p.s:- Yes you can take the soft pillow and blanket but no AC sweety!:-)

Am back!

2006-05-08T07:40:00.000+05:30

Yes am perfectly ok-safe and sound, alive and Kicking and not given up on blogging yet....for all those who were wondering....if I was "letting go" blogging...sadly for all you guys...the torcher of my blogs is resumed and continues!:-)

The last week was spent in my second fav city in the world bangalore(bombay being the first!)...and needless to say....I was literaly in a mood to throw a tantrum on the airport to not come back at all....

Even after 7 mths...the minute I landed on the bangalore airport..it felt like I was never away from it..for some reason only India can do this to u!

Even though 1 week was too short by any standards....it was every inch worth it...

Right from the terribly heat and humidity

House hunting in the ever-so crazy crazier and craziest traffic

The two darlings,J and Roze who actually came to the airport at 1 am in the night just to see me!-Muaahhhhs to both of u!

Eating...read (thulping) as many dosas and indian food as I could digest without throwing up, especially hot idlis for breakfast!

Meeting most of the friends and people who mattered to me...

For all the tight hugs from EVERYONE I met--been almost 8 mths since anyone besides Hubby gave me a tight hug!!

Staying with J my ex roomie with whom have spent 3 yrs....the back home at last feeling!

Watching my first hindi movie on big screen in 7 mths-"Darna zaroori hai"...missed the whistles in the theatre though!--why have people stopped whistling..!:-(

Playing pictionary with the "gang"...Thx truckers letting me relive the simple pleasures of life

Having Mc Donalds Veg burger....yummmmm (HK doesnt have any concept of veg burgers!!!)

For a brand new hair-cut--which according to my friends makes me look Chinese (Am ignoring this comment!)

Thx all you guys...for still being the same crazy people that u always were....and thx for still loving us as much!

Love ya guys!

Letting go....

2006-04-27T14:30:00.000+05:30

Was having a random discussion with a very good friend yesterday who was talking about some personal experiences and the discussion left me with some very interesting thots....something thats relevant to all of us.....random yet penning down nevertheless....

Let go..

Its amazing how these two words have the power to grab our lives in such a strong way and nearly strangle the life out!

Its not about trust, honestly, positivity etc etc....the success of a happy today...is in the ability of letting go the "yesterday"...

Doesn't matter how good or bad ur past has been....either ways...we need to LET GO....break the chains and move ahead.....everytime u try to walk with a lease on your leg...u will walk awhile and then fall...keep falling till u break the leash off!

Unfortunately most of us prefer falling rather than breaking this lease off....

The most beautiful form of existence is that which is absolute--which is here now, today for the moment.....no matter how great your past has been....with no comparisons and references to any time other than today....

And although people often talk about letting go off the bad aspects of the past...I believe its even more important to let go off the good aspects of your past....to be able to really live....

Its the happiness in your past that doesn't let you accept the sadness today...coz u feel you own happiness

Its the success in past that don't let u accept your failures today--coz u feel ur capable of better

Its the adventures in past that don't let you enjoy the stillness in your life today--coz u believe that life without adventure is death

Its the goodness in all the people you loved in the past that doesn't let you accept the faults in the people who you love today--coz u believe that faults cannot be loved

Its all great times with your best friends of the past that doesn't let you accept fights with your friends of today--coz u believe that you deserve better

Its your love in the past that doesn't let you accept your partner today.....coz u believe u can never feel the same way again

Its only when you let go off your past that you will have space to let in your present--Unless you fully let in your present-- it will never be your past---its a cycle....and letting go is the key.

Its only if the sun sets every evening that it can rise anew every morning....

Truths about marriage

2006-04-25T13:01:00.000+05:30

Love is temporary insanity curable by marriage:-)

Happened to read this article on truth about marriage....somewhere and laughed at how funny and yet true some of these were!

1) I think, therefore I'm single.

2) Do you know why God withheld the sense of humor from women? So that we may love you instead of laugh at you.

3)The only time a woman really succeeds in changing a man is when he's a baby

4) I fell in love at first sight… I should have looked twice.

5) When a woman steals your husband, there is no better revenge than to let her keep him

6) All tragedies are finished by a death, all comedies by a marriage.

7) A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.

8) You know what I did before I married? Anything I wanted to.

9) If a man is talking in the woods and no woman hears him... is he still wrong?

10) The challenge of marriage is to discover who you really married

11) All my life, I always wanted somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific!

The highlighted ones are my favs!

Thats why they say...The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret!

The Missing Tag

2006-04-19T15:53:00.000+05:30

Nope..its not a tag that I lost-but a tag that is hell bent on depressing me!

I mean why would I want to sit down on a busy Wednesday evening and write about all the things in the world I miss the most!!..Well coz untill I actually started I realised this was a tag difficult to end!

Coz fact is I probably didnt realise I missed all of these--I mean really missed them till I wrote the list...

1) Miss myself-I, Me, Myself--Who I was born as..just being me.

2) Miss crying (read howling) when I want to and feeling its a part of growing up...rather than feeling am already a grown up

3) Miss the "Shes-MY-girl" look(beaming proud look) on my granddad's face everytime I made a silly drawing as a kid.

4) Miss sitting with my friends at every phase and thinking of "what next phase in life" almost everyday and yet not having to do a thing about it!

5) Miss hugging my mom tight till I feel asleep.

6) Miss my bangalore life-the 3 years of freedom--every emotion- anger, fear, anxiety, joy, sadness hurt, loneliness and still knowing life couldnt have been better!

7) Miss the thrill and excitment of every crush have had and not done anything about-and yet knowing there's another one in store!

8) Miss being the "pampered-tantrum-throwing-spoilt-brat " always and getting away with it..EVERYTIME!

9) Miss all the fights I had with my bro--I mean why do Bro an sis stop fighting when we become older--Isnt that a "must have" for the relationship??

10) Miss being in control of my life--every aspect of it...of knowing I can make is all right.

On the other note--"U miss stuff only that uv had"!

Thank you god for all the misses I feel today....looking forward to many more!

Thx patient for tagging me

p.s:- No one tagged on this one--anyone wanting to visit the world of nostalgia is free to consider themselves tagged!:-)

Nasal Harassment at work

2006-04-11T11:57:00.000+05:30

I am planning to create a poll on this and then file a petition for a law on "Nasal Harassement at workplace"

I have sneezed atleast 20 times(no exaggeration) since morning and its now becoming a ritual!

No this post is not a rambling about how well I can sneeze--but a depiction of what the Chanel's, CK's, Ralph Lauren's of the world are doing to poor souls like me!

The Lady in cubicle ahead of me has a perfume obsession--I mean literally!!...She even has a sly bottle tucked away in her drawer, one in the purse , one in the pouch in the office bathroom and god know where else!! She probably sprays on EVERY part of her body, every piece of clothing (maybe even her belts!)....She probably even has a separate cupboard at home just for perfumes....

And mind you according to observation these perfumes are used like medicines everyday-prescribed dosage ...thrice a day , one spray each time!!..I sit behind a perfume maniac and am turning into a perfume skunk myself--uuurrggg!!!...

So everytime the maniac gets into the spray act I tried my best to make the loudest 'on her face kinda' sneeze--however have realised its time to spray the truth right on her face....

So using the skills of being a HR professional I make a humble request to her...

Dear Ms Perfume Skunk,

Its great that you like to smell and smell and smell and smell good. However I do hope you realise you action is likely to create nasal harassement at workplace and is what I would classify as Obsessive compulsive disorder.

Please note in case your obsession for perfumes is to fool the world coz you do'nt have a bath everyday -- please understand you stink either ways. You need -"de-aroma therapy".

In your self-interest I would request you to please refrain from such nasal harassement activities. It is people like you who make HR people look good-coz you are better than them in making any workplace even more stinky!

Human beings are different from dogs-we dont dig sniffing other humans!

Looking forward to co-operation!

Please note:- Perfumes are meant to be used--Not to be marinated in!

Stinkingly yours!

Accchhhooo!!!

For the Best

2006-04-06T08:06:00.000+05:30

It all happens for the best....they say..

Does it? Does it really? Does everything really happen for the best...ALWAYS?

Or is this just a way of consoling ourselves.... something I have always debated about.

Used to believe earlier that everything happens eventually for the best....but in the recent past...my belief is beginning to fade away...

Are we fooling ourselves into believing that for every bad that happens in our life(and continues to happen) there will eventually be SOMETHING good out of it...which will justify all the bad..the pain, hurt, agony its caused us?

Does everything really become ok in the end? Does everything really have a purpose? And what if we get through with out lives not even realising the purpose of all these things?

Am not so sure...in my own experience...sometimes things dont change..EVER...don't improve...or become any better and I have still been unable to see how it eventually happens for the good?

Not to say that we lose hope in making things better- but the devil's advocate is saying we all have been living in this illusion ....and we continue to do so...

The reality maybe that for some people, some things..dont change EVER...things may not become any better and that eventually there might be nothing good coming out of all the bad things that have happened to you....not every bad may have an eventual good hidden inside.

Its not about being negative...just realising that not EVERYTHING happens for the best....and that's probably as much of a fact as life itself.

So we take each day as our whole life. Hoping and praying that the new life that tomorrow brings will be better.

My Dream...

2006-03-30T09:20:00.000+05:30

What are your dreams? What do you wanna do? ..

Minita asked me this question while responding to my comment on her blog....and for some reason it took me awhile to really answer that question....

The shocker to me was that in the past few years I have been so caught up doing things and the kind of work that is no where close to my dream.....(simply coz am qualified for it!!)...that I don't even know what my dreams are?...What do I actually want to do in life?

Dunno if I still have hit the nail on the head....maybe this is it...maybe its just a phase...but I know that today if I close my eyes for a while and consider an Ideal world ...then my perfect state of being....would be as a traveler!

Not a tourist...a traveler....exploring the world....not the Paris, NY's but the little towns, forests, cities that offer the real taste flavour of life.....seeing EVERY part of the world....everything there is to see....its an endless world.....full of endless roads, streams, galleys, riverbanks, forests and above all people....to be able to capture as much of the world there is....Every place has its own story, own flavour, own lesson, own experience and own memory to offer....and I want to assimilate it all!

I know its a fantasy today--maybe some day I'll have the courage to give it all up and just take off...not knowing where I am gonna go....and yet knowing that the road I walk on will take me to the place I want would love to be in....

Have started traveling a bit but most of the travel has really been more as a tourist....but well atleast there is a first step....there's hope!:-)....

So..What are your dreams? What do you wanna do? ..

Of Broken vows...

2006-03-27T06:51:00.000+05:30

*Once there was a handsome prince and a beautiful princess...They met each other at a ballroom dance.... The prince asked the princess for a dance and the minute they took the first step together, sparks ignited....

They danced and talked for hours. The prince wrote letters to the princess and the princess waited for the letters with aniticipation.....

They started meeting each other in the lovely palace garden and finally one day the prince bend down on his knee and said.: "Hey beautiful one, will you marry me"?

It was the most grand wedding the kingdom had ever seen...two beautiful people deeply in love...taking the marital vows...the prince taking his lovely bride on the golden chariot....united for EVER!

Its been 6 months since the grand marriage day...the princess is back to her fathers palace.....waiting for the official separation papers to be signed.....love is no more.

Every story doesn't have a happy ending..moreso in real life.Happened to get in touch finally with a friend of mine in bangalore for the first time since we moved to HK 6 months back....he got married in dec last yr....and his reply to all my "hows marital life Q's" read.."well I should let you know, we ran into lot of problems within one month of my marriage and she has been back home from Jan beginning. We would go through divorce".

I am still shocked-These things are supposed to happen to others!..Not to you or people u know!..Or so I thot....he was a good friend and a nice guy..why him?

But then..Fate doesnt judge you before owning you......

Hes the 5th person in the list of people who have got separated within a year....all cases I have heard of in the past 1 yr and reasons similar -incompatibility...Why is all this happening?..What happened to the good old days of.."Together for life"?.....Dunno who is right and who is wrong...not intending to jugde what went wrong and what could have been done better....however what has happened to our patience? why is our level of tolerance so low towards people we love and care about? Why do we feel adjustment and compromises are below us?

I do believe strongly that one should NEVER stay in a relationship which causes more pain than happiness, and that one needs to have 'exit options'--however I also believe that we don't stop watering plants because they grow slowely...when u love a plant u try everything to make it blossom...u change the soil, the pot, the location, fertilizer...EVERYTHING before u throw it away!.....Unfortunately most of us seem to be discarding our plants too soon.....before we have given them a chance to grow....

The damage could'nt be repaired...the prince and princess moved on with their lives...alone....the fairy tale was'nt a story of love anymore...but of broken vows.

No work mood today!

2006-03-22T07:41:00.000+05:30

No Work Mood today...
....Work sucks or rather... doesnt exist!! (Yeah am one of those lucky ones..touchwood!)

Well it was almost a fantasy with me to get paid for atleast one month without any work and its come true!:-)....and stemming really out of the theory that I believe in strongly--"If a company hires me they need to pay me to be on their rolls (coz well they do get business by showing to their clients that we have X thousand qualified people with us!)...and if they want me to work as well , then I need to get paid extra! (Hubby's almost given up on me)

Its been almost a month since I joined work and well most of the month has been spent net surfing and writing insanely long mails to friends who till now didnt exist! Coz well am still supposed to be new here and in the "honeymoon phase"...

Well which brings me to the point-why, pray tell me why do I need to come to office everyday when I dont have anything 'value adding' to contribute! Sometimes when you get up in the morning and feel that no matter what..am NOT gonna work today!( have been in this mood for a month and its getting dangerous with every passing day)

So how do we handle days like these when u just dont feel like working?--coz I don't have a valid reason for leave!--what do I tell my boss?--"Hey babe, Am not coming to work today coz I am in no mood to work!"-Yeah sure!But then come to think of it--IT IS a valid reason! I mean Mood swings are not in my control and if my mood swings are unfavourable to work..well too bad!

And whats the point of me dragging my butt out here when am probably not even an inch productive today..maybe companies should just face realities and have leave for such reasons...and there can be n number of them...like:-

1)" No work mood today" leave
2)"Daru Party hangover" Leave
3)"Too much sex last night" Leave
4)"Maid's unwell so need to nurse her" Leave
5)"My Dog puked last night" Leave
6)"Didnt have Ironed clothees to wear" Leave
7)"Parents coming to town so need to clean the Pigsty " Leave
8)"PMS" leave for women
9) "The last episode rerun of Amercian Idol is on in the afternoon and i missed it last night"Leave
10) "The cute babe/dude in the next cubicle is on leave today"Leave
11) "My Gf/bf caught me fooling around-I need to go under cover" Leave
11)"Just Like that" Leave (Thats my favourite one!:-)..

and the list goes on..and mind u these are all reasons that are extremely "life-impacting"--now if I dont have Ironed clothes to wear coz my Dhobi for some godforsaken reason didnt turn up or I missed the last episiode of amercian Idol(I mean whats the point of seeing all the other episodes if u miss the last one!)..How do I come to office????

....Bossmate are you listening!!...AM NOT GONNA WORK TODAY!!WOW!!--FEELS GRT!:-))

If only...

2006-03-18T08:14:00.000+05:30

...Am in one of those "If only" moods today....!

Very dangereous this type of mood is...all great discoveries and inventions were started with these two words...Imagine where would we be today if the Einstein's and Galileo's of the world had'nt been in this mood-If only The world had ligth at night, If only I knew whats making the apple fall down..etc etc!

And yes I have a huge list of if onlies.. what are my If Onlyies...for the day??...Here goes the list.. If only...

.... I did'nt have to work but get paid as much ....
I had a chocolate house where I could get up in the morning and eat the bathroom tap!(Hint!Hint!) :-):-) ....
Mommy could be with me everytime I wanted a hug and pampering and nice food and then go back to bombay everytime I need to party late;-) ....
I did'nt have to wax, or do my eyebrows, underarms(ouch!!..that one's bad!!)...:-( ....
On the first of every month I got up in the morning and Voila! ...had a new hairstyle! .....
God had'nt made something called Milk--Yuukkk!(thank god for bournvita!) .....
There was real santa claus .....
I had a candy floss machine at home...yummmm:-) .....
I was big enough to ride a enfield bullet:-( .....
All my good friends were always with me...in the same city.....
Everyday would be "Ekta Pampering day"(Hint!!Hint!!) .....
God granted me a new wish everytime I sulked:-)

If only...if only...time would stop...! or maybe not!!...

Would like to have a fresh list of If onlyies tomorrow:-)

??!!

2006-03-14T06:12:00.000+05:30

Guess what....Saw a completely bald man (those with shiny bald head types) with a sly comb tucked in his trouser pocket!!!!!!!!!
????????
why????

The Ideal Man in 8 simple steps

2006-03-08T07:27:00.000+05:30

hmmm...so its my turn now thx to Ron-Well atleast I could have got a better tag-like 8 simple ways of grossing out people or 8 innovative ways of farting in public!

Sigh...well whatever..atleast this gives me something to keep myself busy with during office hours!

Guess am supposed to state the rules so here it goes:
1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of their perfect lover.
2. You have to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game and leave a comment on their comments saying they've been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, there's no need to post again.

So here goes my list and well mind you a lot of this is fantasy(in fact most of it)....coz any women in her right mind would know that the species called "ideal man" is endangered if not extinct;-)

1) Needs to be my best friend-MOST IMPORTANT-I mean If I am seeing him or married to him and I have a crush on some guy-he should be the first one I should want to run to to talk to about it!...He needs to be my friend first before anything else! I know thats asking too much but hey like I said its a fantasy list!

2)Must Absolutely, must like to read bedtime stories to me!...No alternative to this and I dont mean reading out ayn rand books as bedtime stories. I mean Enid Blyton types original ones and well the icing would be if I do fall asleep while he is reading:-)-Hubby dear scores high here!

This also largely inclues pampering me-I mean cmon!...EVERY woman wants to be pampered....its her way of feeling special and important part is, pamper me by my definition of pampering and not be his definition ..(Hint!Hint!)

3)Should be able to stand up for me in front of others (even his family/ friends) and drive the point that -"Hey , Shes my wife/ girlfriend and u need to respect and accept her just the way I have!".....thats the deal clincher to me!

4) Similar to Ron's-Must be comfortable doing potty talk, farty talk, burpy talks ...whatever with me and not think about it as different to any other 'intellectual conversations" we might have

5) Be able to handle my mood swings-trust me I have loads of them!-and in most cases should be able to handle the situation if I am unreasonable and not expect logic in EVERYTHING!

6) Express his love..whether its a hug, kiss or cute cards, music, cooking for me ...whatever....its not about having said it once or at one phase of ur relationship--but keep the spark & excitment going!..It should be ok for him to say he missed me or that he feel lost without me:-)

7) A chavinist is a strict NO-NO. So believe in a equal relationship in every way. If he can have night-outs partying with his female friends-so can I!

8) Should want to make the most of life in everyway-try out new things, experiment , want change , create change and adventure in life. Very important for me coz although I am restless and get bored very fast with status quo, however am not too easy with change and hence he need to compliment me there!

Well thats the fantasy list-not as difficult as I thought!.

But keeping all the lists aside, this is specially for my cutie hubby dear-who says u need an ideal man to be happy--what say sweety?:-))

Now to list the other 8 tagged victims....hubby dear, nidhi, bharat, Jupe, PT, abhishek, 4wd and Bob dear....:-)

p.s:- Update--Hubby dear has posted is tag blog.....%$#&^#@ (and you guys thot my list was wishful!)

The Grind Begins!

2006-03-06T08:14:00.000+05:30

Yes-The days of glory are over, the grind begins!
Last week was my first work week in HK-yes hubby dear works three floors below me!

Week one has been good, having a workoholic british boss(lady mind u) ,meeting team members, listening to boss bitch to me about superboss, repeating over and over again that I am an Indian, I am married with no children, My profile is blah blah blah......etc etc....

Like everywhere else HK worklife and environment has its own peculiarities and one week of "pretending to be busy" has given me enough time to observe people ard from the corner of the eye:-)

Thankfully on day one my PC/ email, desk etc all was set-up. Please note I had a full stationary loaded desk cabinet given. In fact there was also a hanger provided to hang my coat...full impressed I was...have realised people here have a somewhat fetish for stationary..the stationary boy almost got reprimanded by his boss because I didnt have pencils in my stationary cabinet..woah!!

The first ten minutes in the morning are spent in the "setting up the workplace ritual"..yeah its almost like a ritual, cleaning the desk of papers, putting tiffins in the fridge, arranging stationary, arranging the extra peices of clothing on hangers(not to be left on desk!)...etc etc...

Its by and large a peaceful work environment where chinese collagues (once they start noticing a new face) will pass by with a cordial 'hi with a smile' on the face...implying..."I am supposed to know, but i dont...and well If I do have to, HAVE to , know u, then I will eventually anywayz , till then Hi with a smile"...cool!

In most places office desks are provided to enable storage--unlike here where they are provided to enable Stuffage!!....Most desk will be Overflowing with not just papers but with lots of other knick-knacks, snaps, tonnes of stationary, plants(yes!), toys, cups/mugs, toiletries....and between them somewhere a PC....sigh!

Every female colleague has a small pouch of toiletries put away in the bathroom , for their three hourly touch-up sessions...this one's totally beyond me!!!

The most notable feature however is the fetish for "between meal snacks" which is almost as important as the work itself!....each desk has one indispensible corner dedicated to food storage which includes chocs, chips, biscuits, cookies, crackers and some unrecognisable stuff...and mind you PACKS of these....and yes they are replenished religiously on a weekly basis!....Am still struggling to finish one box of biscuit wafers!!

So am trying to fit in to the HK way of working...putting my coat on the hanger provided, have now two packs of biscuits and a dedicated bottel of water.....have managed to put one pen holder with two pens and some files to occupy the desk.....and of course stuck tonnnes of useless print-outs on the pinboard....:-))

And of course writing this post during office hours helps me give the 'one week only and am already busy look".....phew!

HK...here I come:-)

p.s:- Yet to figure out what to put in the bathroom pouch!!??;-)

Shaving and Men!

2006-03-03T18:58:00.000+05:30

What is it with these two??...Why cant they live together in peace under one roof!

Was having a discussion with a british couple last weekend over dinner and we happened to 'stumble' upon the forbidden topic of shaving--especially so on weekends!...hmmm

I was amazed to see how "not shaving on weekends" is a worldwide laziness 'syndrome' with men and not restricted to nationality, location, size, looks.....etc etc(whatever!)

I mean women wax too and atleast we DO have a logical excuse to not want to do it...its painful!...and yet its done...religiously every time its required to be!

Its amazing how many excuses the 'ever so creative' minds of nthe male species can pull out every weekend to not shave-and mind you these vary every weekend!...(Please note--these are based on actual and observable behaviours and any exaggeration could be purely intentional!!:-)

1) "If I shave too much my hair growth increases and then I have to keep shaving more and more!"....so????????
2) "My skin will become hard with too much shaving"--err...honey women dont really get turned on by a 'soft chin'!
3)"Hey its a weekend!...holiday time, am supposed to be off every ritual of the weekday"--Sure, how come its not applied to eating, drinking, sleeping and watching TV as well???
4) "Know what, am trying a different look-I need some change!"--Can I apply some make-up on you as well?
5) "Think I look quite hot with a stubble-girls dig this look"--Oh cool...reason enugh..doesnt matter if your wife doesnt!:-)
6) "I know u'd love me anyway!":- Sure sweety, ur not leaving me with too much choice here are u?!!!

And there are probably dozens more....If only men out their "Oh-so creative" minds to better use;-)

Well...anything written in this post is not a piece of fiction and any resemblance to any individual or mammal living or dead is by design!:-))

Shopping with the Opposite Sex-My Version!

2006-02-27T18:16:00.000+05:30

This post has been inspired by Hubby Dear's very 'eye-opening' post here, forcing me to publish the other side of the story!

All married folks will agree that shopping is one of the most lethal causes for fight! Yes, (having learnt this lesson earlier itself) there have been rare occasions when I have turned to Hubby dear as a Shopping 'companion"...and these are some reasons why men(most of them) can be easily a desperate choice for shopping!

1) Shopping for men is abt buying the "first thing you like"...not the "best thing you like". So in all probability you will like something in the first 2-3 shops you visit and hence anything that needs more than 4 shops to buy invites the "Why do you need this?...dont u have enugh of these already"...q!

2) Men never like to do the dirty job at home-throwing the garbage, cleaning the bathroom sinks, toilets!...It all needs to be done, only not by him. Same holds true for bargaining.!Bargaining is embarrassing. Its not bad-just 'embarrassing'. So while wifey 'shamelessly' bargains and disregards the honour of hubby dear (sigh!)....hubby dear will stand 200 mtrs away during the process and pretends to be an alien till the deal is struck--and when we have got the gold at dirt price wifey dear gets blessed with a "Am proud of u hug"!-Thank u hubby dear for being there!

3) Expensive is good. Yes-any brand(the brand itself doesn't matter), just the fact that its a brand is good enough to attract a purchase from the opposite sex. More importantly only expensive is good!....So while they admit that they genuinely like some "cheap" stuff, it is below them to possess anything that is without an original label!..ahem
p.s:- Have grown up in Bombay thriving on road side vadapao's and shopping at fashion street/ linking road-thank god I had a normal childhood

4) Shopping is about buying!...Well there is no concept of "Window Shopping"...if you go to shop you buy....err...hubby dear ideally yes , according to the dictionary shopping is with the intent to buy....but most women havent EVER opened a dictionary!!!!!!....They just need to kill some time and convince themselves that the stuff they've got already is better or cheaper!

And well Hubby dear for future reference...When a woman asks for opinion during shopping....she doesnt really care for your opinion(she knows exactly what she wants!)....shes just checking to see if your still tuned in or checking out some other babes shopping ard!.....;-))

My Anthem...

2006-02-16T20:10:00.000+05:30

This song has been my anthem for a while....something that has kept me going often!

Some things stay with you and some things never leave you--This song to me is something like that..........Its Amazing (lines in italics are godly lines EVER)!

Amazing- by Aerosmith
I kept the right ones out
And let the wrong ones in
Had an angel of mercy to see me through all my sins
There were times in my life When I was goin' insane
Tryin' to walk through The pain

When I lost my grip And I hit the floor
Yeah, I thought I could leave but couldn't get out the door
I was so sick and tired Of a livin' a lie
I was wishin' that I Would die
It's Amazing With the blink of an eye you finally see the light
It's Amazing When the moment arrives that you know you'll be alright
It's Amazing And I'm sayin' a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight

That one last shot's a Permanent Vacation
And how high can you fly with broken wings?
Life's a journey not a destination
And I just can't tell just what tomorrow brings
You have to learn to crawl Before you learn to walk
But I just couldn't liten to all that righteous talk
I was out on the street, Just a tryin' to survive

These are a few of my Favourite Things!

2006-02-09T21:27:00.000+05:30

1) Talking to Myself
2) My 30 min shower bath everyday-put under the category of -"My time with myself"
3) Seeing old photographs
4) Getting Pampered-Loads!
5) Hubby reading bedtime stories to put me to sleep
6) Mom's Pav Bhaji
7) Doing baby talk with Hubby dear
8) Hugging Lolly-My 3ft tall garfied teddy who always has his arms open for me-ALWAYS THERE FOR ME!
9) Listening to Aerosmith's Amazing-Just singing along makes my spirit soar!
10) Chandru's vada pav and Dabeli in Chembur station(Bombay)
11) Eating cheese maggie with pringles and lemonade for 'brunch' at 3:00 pm on a lazy sunday afternoon while watching crappy movies on DVD cuddled next to Hubby dear
12) Discussing recipies on international calls with my bestest friend -santy(she always makes my day!)
13) Discussing about crazy and wild school and college days with my best buddies
14) Having what hubby dear calls-"Our cute fights"
15) Chocolates!

Any of these make my day:-)

Bali for Me

2006-02-03T20:00:00.002+05:30

The first Milestone was achieved-finally! 365 days post the well celebrated ceremony of marriage--yes we survived and emerged breathing and alive after 1 yr of marriage!;-)

So hubby dear(who sweetly did all the planning) chose Bali to be the destination for celebration....and celebration if was....galore!

We stayed in two different places in Bali for 3 days each-Ubud (the traditional bali) and Kuta (The hip and happening place)....for the complete Bali experience...

A few highlights of the Bali experience...
1) The most AMAZING resort called The Chedi Club in Ubud (thx hubby for choosing just the perfect place)...set in the middle of paddy fields and the most exotic villa cottages...EVER..hmmm
2) The 'almost' open bathroom( dont get ideas!)....made bathing a whole new experience...;-)
3) The awesome service and people-completely won us over!...the resort actually has one host called "butler" assigned to each guest...ours was a sweet girl called "Saturi". Unlike the so called "5 star hotels", this place indeed defined what hospitality is all about--EVERYTIME a guest returned to the resort from sightseeing, the security would inform the respective butler of the arrival at the gate and before we entered the reception area...there was out Butler greeting us with a namaste , eager to know how our day went!
4) The absolutely fabulous artwork in Ubud...yes Ubud is known to be the artisans village!...Every house there apparantly has atleast one painter...needless to say the canvases said it all....we picked up 6 paintings and loads of other wood work and still feel it was'nt enough!
5) The Awesome Paddy field trek which was the silver lining of our stay in Ubud-Thx Sutari for the awesome experience.
6) The absolutely-"To die for" Pancakes in breakfast at the resort!!!--BEST EVER!!!!!!!!....with Honey and fresh fruits....yuummmmm
7) The fact that Indonesian culture is sooo similar to India--the dances are similar to our classical dances and inspired by Ramayana and Mahabharata characters!...that was news to us!
8) The adorable scene of a monkey with its new born(littlest monkey ever!) clutched in its arms....was a sight...picture perfect!
9) The Kuta experience-Hard Rock Hotel (where we stayed) opposite the beach-to just walk over when we wanted to!
10) The BIGGEST EVER pool I have EVER seen--its so big its actually got a mini beach in there!--must dive into!
12) My first ever experience of watching the complete deal getting done!--in the hard rock pub--women walks in with a guy(apparantly her pimp)-both sit down on the same table as ours--they order a drink--women gets up and does one dance(seductive enough for men to notice her)--she drinks and enjoys music indifferently--man walks and scouts around the pub for potential client--finds one white guy--strikes a 10 min conversation(pointing to the girl)--closes the deal(I believe)--walks over with the 'client' to the girl and introduces them--sits away and lets the two of them "bond".....phew!...my first experience of watching the end-to-end deal closure!
13) The most memorable moment for the entire trip--Hubby dear and me both got permanent TATTOO's done as our wedding gifts to each other on the anniversary day!!--....(see pic of my tattoo!)--feel wild once again!
14 ) Hubby dear's scuba diving experience and his childlike excitment about it....he actually got a video done of himself underwater with fishes....(Love him more for being crazy too!)
15) The romantic and cute anniversary celebration dinner at Hard Rock Cafe....two of us and just us!:-)..muah!
16) The "holding each others hands" walks on the beach and our first sand house together (well it almost looked like one).....priceless moments for a perfect celebration.

Its been a roller coaster ride--and have felt the rush in my head everytime the ride dipped and the twist in my stomach everytime it went high....and yet I want it to continue forever....

Here's to us...Hubby Dear...Forever...and ever!

My Chinese!

2006-01-21T19:54:00.000+05:30

Only after you have eaten the original chinese noodles do you realise what we indians have done to the original.I am about to the do the same for chinese language-Indianise it!

Yes, my endeavour with chinese(Mandarin to be more specific) has begun last week and it almost feels even learning Chemistry in school (I used to get nightmares) was a piece of cake as compared to this.

I have joined a Mandarin speaking course and well...the good part of the course is that there are just three of us in the class , one funny german guy and one hot & cute british dude(full oogle material!)......the sad part is that there is no back bench funda here....EVERY word I say is clearly seen and heard and well...there is WAYY too much personal attention!

It almost feels like I am not learning to talk chinese but learning to talk itself!!!!!!...The teacher actually gets words written on paper banners and uses other "cute" teaching methods....hah!....even in kindergarden I didnt get to learn through such progressive teaching techniques!;-)

Some shockers about the language after my first two lessons:-

1) There is no concept of grammer in Mandarin!!!!!!!...(imagine how chill life would have been in school if english language didnt have grammer!)....Its all about tones and sounds!
2) The same word can be spoken in four different tones and each tone has a different meaning!--Go figure!
3) I realised why Chinese people ate soo much gum all the time--to get their mouths used to all the stretching and twisting thats required to speak this language!!!!!...After the first two lessons I actually had to not speak for a few hours to give my poor jaws some rest!
4) He and She or rather Man & woman are both called by the same word- ta!...err...how the hell is one supposed to differentiate what gender is one referring to??

There is no particular accent in the world(and my experience with the german and british colleagues) is good enough to learn this language--you just need to be born chinese to be a natural at it!

On that note my attempts to bell the cat continue for another 6 weeks....and I hope after that I atleast dont forget English if not learn chinese !

Till then...ziajian!(bye bye!:-)

That time again

2006-01-11T18:19:00.000+05:30

Well..Its that time of the year again...when u look back solemnly at the year gone by and of course pray for the year ahead!

Yeah yeah...its yet another 'looking back at 2005" boring post!

Well now that I have announced its gonna be boring, I'll keep it short to minimise the torture!:-)

2005 may actually prove to be a make or break year for the rest of my life ahead( most of it atleast!)....in many ways....as they say...Too much has happened in this year too soon!....guess 2005 has been like a mystery book(wondering what next).....

Within 7-8 mths there have some significant status changes in my life which almost seem scary now....wonder How I even went thru them!....

1) Single to Married:-Changing my whole life, direction, focus and in a lotta ways me Of course

2) Indian Resident to NRI:- Well within 6 mths of married life we moved to HK.....never in my wildest dreams did I imagine HK it would be for me....I was the first person I knew EVER who was going to HK!

3) Consultant to Housewife:- Been unemployed now for almost 6 mths and was looking forward to joblessness after 4 yrs of crazy worklife.....feels like have had my fair share of it...need to start making my life miserable again!:-)

Guess every change brings with it a new hope, anxieties, aniticipation, its share of ups and downs and eventually becomes a way of life.....getting you ready for wheel to spin all over again....

2006 has not started on a perfect note--but guess that means that the best has yet to come:-)

With that hope....Welcome 2006 and let the mystery continue....!

King Kong

2005-12-29T21:42:00.000+05:30

My first movie in HK happened finally and after a long time feel like I went to the zoo-three non-stop hours of mindless creature watching(cageless!)...well thats King Kong for u!

King Kong to me was a classic example of mindless action--sadly the action was not only unimaginative but also boring-and actually being pitched as a Glorified and screwed up far-fetched version of the none other than -Beauty and the beast-Phew!!

The story begins with a Obssessed Movie Director who wants to explore a unexplored island and film it to showcase the world--and well Mr Director cum Explorer would put Columbus to shame for all his brave obsession to explore the island!

To add to that there is a "Oh so pitiable" Ann(supposed to be "beauty") happens to meet our obsessive director and being desparately poor that she is she takes the "big step"(literally) on the ship to explore the island thinking that its actually going to shoot in singapore....

Needless to say the ship does end up reaching the unexplored island(even thou there was every attempt to put a 'kahani mein twist there')-Eureka! The next two hours of the movie can basically be summed up as --Hero of film Mr Beast 'King Kong' makes entry(finally after 1 .5 hrs!), steals our beauty, falls in love with her( How--coz our beauty dances in front of the big beast-uh!--How brave!), and then like the true hero saves her life from the villans in the movie(also four legged), beauty starts liking beast and vice versa, and in the end Beast sacrifices his life (by falling from the tallest building in new york) for his undying love.......Sigh!...how original!!!

And if this original stuff wasnt enugh....some more "highlights" in the movie:-
1) An absolutely "Zee horror Show" version of the tribals in the Island called "Skull Island".....movie is a must see just for this scene--Outrageously hilarious!!
2) The director of the movie has not only successfully managed to fool the beauty into accepting the role in this crappy movie but also got away with giving her only 3 dialgoues(repeated at regular intervals)- 'Nooooo', 'Beautiful' and of course--tonnnes of screaming!!
3) As if the existing storyline(or the non existence of it) wasnt painful enugh-the story is not devoid of the romance bit-Of course there is the other man in the beauty's life who falls in love with our brave beauty on the ship-hanky pls! (even if he was better looking I would have forgiven his presence in the movie!)
4) Not to forget our very own obsessive Mr columbus who is soooo obsessed with bringing this lost island to the world that even when there are dinasour like creatures running towards him he chooses to film them rather than run.....Paramveer chakra for him pls!
5) Not to be missed the "your are like my son" dialgoues between the two crew members of the ship--Touching!--but err, still to figure out why the hell was that required at all in the movie??....oh yeah..forgot...to have the emotional angle covered...woa!

This -ladies and gentelmen, is King Kong for u!

Err- Mr Director just a tip-its ok for the audience to be mindless while watching a movie, but this doesnt apply to the director while making the movie really!!

Like I said- I'd rather even make a trip to the zoo or watch a movie called Ping Pong, Ding Dong.....whatever!!!!!!!!

p.s:- happy new yr wishes to all fellow bloggers-Happiness always!

Murphy's Law at work

2005-12-17T10:56:00.000+05:30

Time and again it seems to work!

Something happened last week and got me thinking about Murphy's Law and what it is all about and how its ALWAYS just seems to work and crop up in our lives at the absolutely unwarranted times -time and again!

And it happens to EVERYONE--many times over and over again!

Which led me to ask-what is this law really and how the hell does it work and why?

The law states "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong" in a given situation-question still remains in my mind--WHY???

How many times do we experience this?
Just when you HAVE to reach someplace on time--the bus (that you normally see atleast every 5 min) doesnt turn up for 20 min.

Just when you dont want your maid to take leave coz ur expecting guests--she does!(without informing u)

Just when u absolutely shouldnt forget your passport at home to catch a flight-you do!

I CAnt even remember the number of times I have said to myself--Just when I DONT want this to happen--it WILL!

Well, whats still a mystery to me how it works all the time unfailingly and even more so-why??-Why do things have to go wrong-sooo wrong when you soo dont want them to?

Well it's almost like saying that "Dont will anything too hard"-coz if you do--you are actually willing for it to "Not happen" rather than happen!--SCARY!!!

The question now is-To will or not to will!?

Big B-Branded!

2005-12-08T18:12:00.000+05:30

Last 2 weeks atleast 50% of the time on the Indian News channels has been dedicated to Big B's illness and of course all the mania associated with it...people worshipping and doing all kinds of rituals for him...etc etc!

Well, I dont have an opinion on whether this kind of adulation is right or wrong-nor am I Big B's biggest fan, but yes I have begun to admire the man over the past few years simply for the personna he has created for himself.

However thinking about it, do beleive that if anyone deserves this kind of adulation(if at all!!), then well probably Big B may be close on the list...

Which got me thinking on why is it that Big B really has become SUCH a big name in India--I mean he is being literally worshipped!!!(in an era where sons dont even care for their own parents!)...to me the answer is not soo much his acting or his Hero antics on screen as his "almost hero like" image off screen as well!!..

Here is a man who plays hero to millions of fans on screen, who idolise him as being the perfect son, father, lover, husband..man of principles...blah, blah and well he has successfully managed to pull off the same image for himself alive off screen as well....Kudos!

Its amazing how over a career running thru decades..there has hardly ever been anything negative written about Big B as a person...no pub brawls, no hunting episodes or mistreating girlfriends etc etc....

To me Big B is probabably one of the best examples of a great brand. Any brand typically goes through three basic phases in its lifecycle:-
1) Initiation
2) Growth (includes Peak)
3) Decline

Although Big B's initiation into this industry was not an easy one--he reached growth with zanjeer , which of course was the beginning of the growth phase for him. Clearly one of the reasons for the stupendous success of the angry young man "Brand" was that it actually mirrored the reality of the society in terms of unemployment, poverty and frustation amongst the youth.

However this was followed by a natural decline with films like Jaadugar making it clear that it was time to exit...!

And yet Big B is still there...why?..well coz the only way to give a second life to a brand is to rebrand it!...create a new brand and KBC did just that for him!...(although it was tried earlier too with music vidoes like Abby baby which failed miserably)...

Fact is there are very few brands in the world which have gone thru successful rebranding and emerged as winners both times and Big B is clearly one of them..a classic example of growth yet again!

Well either ways..for the sake of all his fans and for all the timeless entertainment he has provided us.....hope we continue to see him on screen for a long time!

Down Memory Lane

2005-11-29T18:07:00.000+05:30

Happened to read this really nice blog of one of my fellow bloggers which talked about a old documentary/advt on TV when we were kids and was by far one of most memorable advt even to date...called Ek-Anek titli song....and suddenly a host of memories associated with TV and ads since childhood came crashing down....

One of my earliest memories are clearly of the first Hindi serial ever-Humlog!...At that age I hardly understood too much of the serial...but it still had to be a "Must watch"..simply coz the whole family(joint family then) would sit glued to the TV then and well...its simply meant that nothing else was more important then!

A little later came the classics....HE Man-and the masters of the universe, Spiderman(the very original cartoon version) and my all time favourite EVER..GIANT ROBOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!...How could I (or anyone!) EVER miss that serial!!!

Still remember giant robot used to come in the evening and we kids used to be glued atleast 10 min before it started to ensure we dont miss an inch of the subtitles..coz the entire Giant Robot hand movements were featured in the subtitles and that was something...we just HAD to copy along with the serial!!!:-))

And of course a little later DD was nice enugh to initiate something called FUNTIME during summer vacations in the afternoon from 12:00-2:00pm..where they showed stories of Ali baba and of course fairy tales enacted...still remember clearly..Hanstel and Gretel being on the top of my list!!

More recently was of course--JUNGLE BOOK-with Mowgli and his "Chaddi pehenke phool khila hai"...song..which I think was a bigger rage with kids(and adults--was an adult by then i think!) than any bollywood number I can think of..

But the icing on the cake to me and what made TV so much more interesting and memorable then were clearly the cute and silly ads...and yes Ads somehow never seemed like a nuisance then!...few that I can remeber top of mind...

1)Nirma ad--Iske Jhhhaaaag(extra stress on the a) ne Jadu kar diya...heheh...I still sing that song so naturally every time I see nirma soap!
2) Bajaj Lights---and its ever famous jingle..."Jab mein Chota Baccha tha...!
3) Hawkins pressure cooker...."Khana jaldi pakaye..kaisi siti bajaye..
4) Lijjat Papad!--And the stuffed bunny...saying..hehehehe....gawd!!
5) Tata soap--which literally went like..Tata ka OK..Dhulayi ka sabun!..:-)
6) Surf ad and its ever famous UshaJi!!--classic!

Well am sure there are many more that I have missed out....

Point being that somehow these were some of the things we saw and heard while growing up and well somewhere influenced all of us as kids...

TV today almost feels like a different generation with separate channels for EVERYTHING!....but I guess most of us who grew up at that time would never want to trade those fond memeories of the Idiot box with all the possible channel today.....NEVER!:-)

Tai Tam

2005-11-26T20:44:00.000+05:30

Thats the name of the place we trekked today...our very first trek in HK

HK with all its tall concrete buildings and vast sea almost cheats you into beleiving that activities like trekking and hiking were a distant possibility coz the landscape for the same would be a rarity...but we were wrong!

Today we managed to go on our very first trek in HK to a trail called Wilson/HK trail to a place called Tai Tam reservoir(sounds almost like the name of a railway station)...cute eh:-)

Well we thought so too..once we started out...once again felt cheated!...Coz the trek turned out to be atleast 4 hours of solid walk!..non-stop, without breakfast and in the hot sun!....

Thankfully we had enough good company to keep the walk on(5 of us)....

What struck me was well slightly funny...after doing all these treks in thick jungles in India without a guide or any paths or signboards to tell us where we are and where we are going...here every trekking path has a proper trail with...proper signboards and even tables laid out for lunches and barbeques...hehehe its funny..but the trek was fun..

And some funny sights were too see other trekkers from all over the world trekking with knapsacks, "Umbrella and walking sticks!"...well this place still hasnt ceased to amaze me!

We finally reached a place called Stanley Market which had this amazing open restaurants and we managed to regain all the calories we had lost in the day by a lavish meal!

All in all....perfect day...met some great people, was as close to nature as could be doing one of things I love most doing and..nothing better but to end it with a nice chicken Pizza!:-))

Here is to yet another great memory...in the string of many!

Notes to Myself-Me

2005-11-20T11:05:00.000+05:30

This is probably the boldest and most honest note I have ever posted on the Blog...This is one of those notes that one writes in your absolutely private diary and ensures that its torn before anyone reads it...

But I had this urge to blog about it...coz I had hidden it from myself for so long that I wanted to unhide it now not just from myself but everyone...

Something happened last night that cleared my head about a lot of things, about myself....not the dark side of me..but Me

1) I am selfish-very selfish
2) I take more than I give-in most aspects
3) I Am Money Minded
4) I am a dependent person
5) I am demanding in a relationship- very
6) I end up controlling others lives
7) I am rude and mean and hurt others to seek revenge
8) I am short-tempered and hurt others with my words.
9) I squabble over petty things in life and am unreasonable
10) I am insecure

This is Me. Sorry. Not sorry for being me--but for how me would have hurt those who are with me.

Thats why I probably have never truely been anyone's friend...Not sure if I would be able to love someone like me...but there are others who claim they do and I believe them....

I wanted to be a friend and ended up being a boss
I wanted to be a friend and ended up being a Advisor
I wanted to be a friend and ended up being a Wife.

Its nice to finally see things clearly...and this is not a self-pity post...just my first attempt to be honest to myself before I lose the courage.

I dont intend to end this note by saying that you will shortly see a Me-Part 2 which will be a different version of me...coz I am not sure if I can and want to change any of it. No, am aso not saying...this is Me-take it or leave it....

Some stuff I will change, others no, still others Dunno...

Only time will tell.

To Mom

2005-11-19T13:35:00.001+05:30

Dear Mom,

This piece of note is dedicated wholly and souly to you...

Why?..after 27 yrs of existence do I decide that you finally deserve atleast a few lines for you...Coz for the first time in my life I feel in your shoes..

You'v been a housewife all your life...and I having travelled the life of a student, to working spinster, to working wife to finally a housewife...have always smirked at how peaceful a life a housewife has....Alwways kept asking you.."What do you do in the kitchen the whole day?"..."Why dont you go out and do something more with your life?"....

These questions always coming from genuine ignorance of the fact that mom probably never needed to get out of her housewife clothes or probably never had the time to.....

And how I have reached to this analysis....coz am obviously in your shoes now...living and reliving it everyday...Read this...

Daily Routine
1) Break fast for hubby early morning - 10 min
2) Lunch for Hubby packed early morning - 15 min
A quick nap once hubby leaves followed by ablutions
3)Cleaning the house (mopping, scrubbing the floors)- 20 min
4) Cleaning toilets -15 min
5) Making the bed-10 min
6) Dusting the House- 15 min
7) Washing and Drying clothes- 15 min(Thank you Dear Machine)
8) Cleaning Dishes from Breakfast- 15 min
Quick Lunch for myself
9) Cleaning Dishes post Lunch- 20 min
10) Cleaning Kitchen before Cooking- 7 min
11) Cooking Dinner- 2.5 hrs
12) Cleaning dishes once again- 15 min
13) Wrapping dried clothes- 10 min
14) Grocery Shopping- 1-2 hrs
Hubby returns
15) Heat and serve Dinner- 30 min
16) Post Dinner cleaning Dishes- 20 min
17) Final Kitchen Clean up-10 min

End of day

Please note:- Schedule continues mostly the same on weekends too....so there are no weekly offs....

Sorry mom for not being able to realise that this is a difficult and "very difficult" job...and thank you for all the years of relentless, non tiring efforts to give us a beautiful home.

Never again shall the questions be asked....

Your Daugther

The Kite Runner

2005-11-16T20:44:00.000+05:30

Well...exactly the question I had in Mind when I read this title...What does this mean...whats a Kite runner?

And this is the reason I picked up this book!.....Easily one of the best books I have read(in fact probably the best book I have read!)..Its an absolute must read for those who love to read!!!

Its written by an Afgani Author called Khalid Hosseini...and must say...Kudos to him for having created a masterpiece....

Book is about two afghani kids and their lifespan who grow up together(one is the master and the other the servant in the house)....and is based in the pre-post taliban rule on Afganistan era...certain incidents and their impact on their live!

Not sure which is better...the story or the narration...either ways..its a clear winner. The story is genuine, real , easy flowing and as engrossing as any Da Vinci version...inspite of not being a thriller.

However to me the catch is the excellent narration...the way the book has been written and the fabulous characterisations....each character has been groomed and almost nutured through the story...!

To me the true test of a good writer is one who can force the read to put himself in the shoes of the characters and feel exactly what the characters are feeling!....in short feel what the author feels when he is writing the book....to me this book did just that....made me ask ..."What would I do if?....What would I feel if...?

Already looking forward to his next one....the Kite Runner has won me over....!

Live life Queen Size

2005-11-15T21:09:00.000+05:30

Yup that's how I felt in Malaysia.Actually felt like one of those American tourist I used to see in India living like Kings and making sure they enjoy all the possible luxuries thrusted on them (how torturous)!Ahem!!

Residing in the Marriott hotel in Kuala Lumpur(actually place called Putrajaya close to KL) I felt like a princess!(equally tortured)!

Hubby dear had to be in Malaysia for work for three weeks and how could poor wife stay alone in HK all the while-so a mutual pretext of a second honeymoon was worked out and there I was forced to devour all the luxuries alone(poor me!) while hubby dear religiously spent 12 hrs a day working!..sigh!

Well though hubby dear laughed it off I actually had a busy and tiring day (once my day began that is)...beginning with a quick breakfast and then an hour at the gym, followed by well 30 minutes of Jacuzzi, occasionally by sauna, a generous shower(30 minutes atleast), next activity obviously being lunch , TV , reading and maybe a 1 hr nap. Just when I began to realize its evening it was time for a swim in a lavish pool. By this time hubby dear would usually return to accompany me for dinner....Woah!(that's a lot stuffed in a day)...and mind you it was all free(I hate them!!!!!!!:)

Have explored KL on the weekends and well its a nice simple place with of course the Petronas towers being the fame story, and people here being slower than trams!..An eg is below...

Me in Mcdonalds asking for a veg burger meal...(pls note the Meal combo typically have a non cheese burger)
Me:- Wld like a Veg cheese burger combo meal
Waiter:-?..sorry..U want a veg burger meal
Me:- Yes, but a veg cheese burger meal
Waiter:- Sorry mam...but we have only veg burger meal...
Me:- So??..u have a chicken Cheese burger right..?...so why cant u give a Veg cheese burger?
Waiter:- Am sorry but we have only a veg burger
Me:- Ok u have a veg burger..and u have cheese?
Waiter:-...Yes
Me:- Then take the Veg burger and Add cheese and charge me for the cheese!!!!
Waiter:- Okkaay...so u want Veg burger and add cheese
Me:- YESSSS!!
Waiter goes to his boss to check if thats a possibility!!!..returns
Waiter :- Ok mam...50 cents more...we give Veg burger and Add cheese
Me:-Okkkayyyy...So u cant give me Veg Cheese burger but thx for giving me Veg burger with Cheese!

Thankfully Malaysia is not as maddeningly expensive as HK...so it's a relief and well I managed to sneak in atleast an evening of shopping and buy some lovely Malaysian Masks of wood!

So that was life in Malaysia....and who's complaining...u don't get to be a queen everyday...though a red carpet could just complete the picture(is the Marriott listening!)

Am Back!

2005-11-14T20:16:00.000+05:30

After almost 3-4 mths of hibernation...this blog is back in action...no more snoring!

Well my first blog from the chiny land...hong kong...!

And well what am I doing here...dutifully fulfilling my marital vows to be here with hubby dear....so while he gets the moolah in, I make sure the moolah gets put to good use:-)

And what has life been like in the first one mth....here is HK files for u...

Well to begin with, life has changed.,..in all ways possible!…HK has done to me what even marriage couldn’t….have become a HOUSEWIFE!!….and well ahem….its not thaaatttt bad!!Well I actually enjoy watching desperate housewives!

After 2 weeks of exhaustive house search, scanning nearly 40 houses in this time, we have FINALLY managed to finalise an apartment….Thank you god lord for small mercies in life!

Day begins with the alarm at 6:30 pm…which is supposed to wake up hubby but ends up waking me up too….and then the dutiful wife prepares breakfast and well also packs the tiffin for hubby dear so that he doesn’t have to spend the day eating noodles.

8:00-11:00 am—nap time once again…(well some things cant really be expected to change)

11:00-11:30-ablution time

1130-12:30 –Gym time…well yeah am a part of the hip GYM going “housewives”….and well even though hubby dear might not agree…think am beginning to build some muscles on my arms and legs….full proudness happening….in fact it’s the most important chore for the day…cant be missed!

12:30-1:00 half hour bubble bath..hmmmm…..now u just have to be deep in water (and the bubbles of course) to know how it feels!…..hmmmmmmmmmmmm

1:00pm:- Lunch time and well oprah gives my company for lunch everyday….

2:00pm—Have to watch, cant be missed activity for the day—Bold and Beautiful time..well and I am not ashamed to admit that it is not as bad as I thot it Would be..I mean it gives me an hour of company….soooo…!

3:00-5:00pm- Dinner time….and yes the cook(err chef) works her magic!!….the entire course…rice, dal, vegetable and almost roti likes!(hubby dear will not agree with the roti likes though)

5:00-6:00- TV, more TV, Reading, more reading ,…have probably watched every serial on star world and every movie on star movie( coz these are the only two English channels available)

6:00 pm-9:00pm- Was house hunting time with hubby !

Note:- In between hubby dear would dutifully call 2-3 times to check if am still sane!

Well its not that bad really, though am still trying to figure out if it’s a completely different world or just another version of the same one I have been used to for the past 27 yrs!!

Some highlights to help you understand how ‘another’ this version of the world is:-
1) Mercedes also operate as cabs here!!!….Name the car and its there on the roads…actually saw a Ferrari, Audi, Mercedes(all types probably),Lamborgini,Rolls Royce…etc etc….amaziiinnnnggggg convertibles…..yummmmm….yet again makes us feel deprived and hubby dear is still gasping for breath!!
2) Monday –Friday the entire city seems to be a walking a newspaper (black, white and grey!)…must admit they look great dressed in business suits…probably the only reason that makes me want to go to work..!
3) Chinese seem to have a fetish (read obsession) for shoes, ALL shapes, sizes, colours ( the weirdest of them all)..are worn and adorned here!
4) Vegetarian food has to be hunted down(literally)…its almost like an adventure to find veg food places!
5) Infrastructure is amazing and transport is awesome….thank to bbay traveling seems like heaven here!
6) People here actually have the audacity to call a 5x6 sq feet cubicle as a room???…..(its now that I really miss my blore home!!)

Well that’s a snippet of life in first two weeks.,..managed to make friends with this Indonesian and now Australian lady also staying in the same service apartment and realized that well people everywhere are the same!

Beginning to feel more settled down here and of course begun to travel alone and well its nice to spend hubby dear's money…..trying to see how soon I can get myself occupied in the corporate world again….

Every week is a phase and well looking forward the next few weeks to get into our home and well start life all over again….doing the place, settling down and the works..guess feels like am at the beginning of the circle once again !!!

Mall Epidemic!

2005-05-20T12:21:00.000+05:30

The break-out has happened and there is no cure now!...Its spreading increasingly and steadily in all parts of bangalore.

Bangalore has finally arrived--or so it has been made to sound!

And well has nothing to do with the IT boom, with the increasingly growing(read bursting) cosmopolitan culture, sky-rocket real estate rates(Bombay move aside)....but is purely a factor of the number of malls this city seems to be squeezing into its bosom.

The latest entrant in this epidemic is the Forum/ Bangalore Central entities. And your right--I am one of those who strictly believe that malls are over-rated in terms of what they have to offer as an entertainment value....but ever since the Forum epidemic bangaloreans have started behaving that life without Malls just never was!

Check this out...
Yesterday evening at Forum( not weekend yet), 10 pm show for a Hindi movie....HOUSE FULL(5 hrs in advance)!!!!

Not just that...the mall is bustling with people who are window shopping ,moving up and down the escalator when the shops are already closed!!!!!:-))

Outside the movie room--You can see more kids than adults!!! ( whatever happened to "early to bed"school days and bedtime stories!????)

If you have had a bad day....driving on these two roads can convert you into a murderer!

Even worse the movie seats in PVR dont even slide back--even a Rex and Plaza had better ones dude!!!

Well not saying that Malls have nothing to offer...u get to see the chics and dudes there( if they exist at all!), chance to do AC shopping in the summers and well good place to hang-out without spending a penny, loadsa movies at one place...but then err, other than the AC part doesnt Brigade road offer the same too!?

But to me the biggest change that these malls have brought out for a place like bangalore is to make junta realise that there are chances of life after 10:00 pm and to me that just about makes up for everything else!!:-)))

So much as I may talk abt the ills of Malls...well what the heck!...enjoy them while they stand!

The Blues day

2005-04-25T10:13:00.000+05:30

Its here again..like a monster not willing to go away...every week....month after month, year on year...the Blue monday is here again!

If I was lucky enough to be granted a wish--without doubt it would be to take away this day of the week!

And its not about it being the first day of the week--its just something about it being "Monday" which has a boring, lethargic, depressing tone to it...

After a fab weekend...spending half a day at a friends farmehouse, an evening in a lovely place for dinner listening to some fabulous live music, being treated to lunch and dinner by generous friends...which sane person would EVER want to work!!..And well...not that I would ever want to work anywayz!

Been really thinking hard on how to take away this bluey feeling every monday(maybe its also gotta do with my husband running away to bombay every monday for the whole week!)....but somehow dont seem to be getting anywhere near to cracking it!!

And I know for sure...its not only me...there are atleast millions others who dread the demon...so if anyones been lucky enugh to crack how to handle thie monster please let me know asap........puuhhhhlllesssssss!!!!!!!!!!

Husband Appreciation day!

2005-04-19T10:35:00.000+05:30

Usually am a non- believer in such created days.
Not that I have anything against them but am not a "have to buy a archies card" kinda person too...

But today morning , I was shown the newspaper explicitly by dear Hubby since today happens to be "Husband Appreciation day" apparantly.....everything I do has to be linked to me showing my appreciation towards him , or everything he wanted was put under the excuse of the day...!

And after that every sentences that hubby dear spoke ended with..btw today is hubby appreciation day.....;-)

So, what the heck....dont care if it is actually hubby appreciation day or not, this blog is still dedicated to my dearest hubby who also happens to be my most favourite person in the whole world....dont think there's any better way of appreciating you than letting you know that am happiest when am with you!!

MUUUAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

B-rrrrraaatttt!!!

2005-04-14T16:14:00.000+05:30

"The good part about marriage is that after a hard days work--you always have some one to come back home to"!--My husband favourite line!

So true.....Tuesday evening I finally agreed to this--the pleasures of marriage, never though I would say all this -but feels wonderful that I do have someone to come back to after a bad days work....so what if that someone is squeaky, has a tail, whiskers and is really creepy and dirty!!!!

I married my boyfriend--but am living with a rat!...

Tuesday night after I realise that my humble abode had been attacked by the creepy enemy I decided to stand-up and play the brave soldier -Bravo!

So after gearing myself with armour( shoes which covered every inch of feet to ensure no contact with the enemy) , trying to make some noise (screaming, yelling, shouting, banging)breaking all hell loose in the house I realised I could not play Alexander--I needed an army!

So after running around to find someone, anyone who could protect my kingdom from the onslaught of the rat, I finally found my army -a noble watchman was dragged to fight it out. After 2 hrs of "battle", jumping across the kitchen till 12:00 on the night trying to provide morale support to my soldier to do the "fight unto death"....the rat remains.

A tired,exhausted, sleepy, wounded me...decided to play it smart and use the strategic warfare technique and laid a mousetrap....the trap was laid with tomato as a bait..the enemy came, nibbled at the tomato , enemy left... trap refused to work....rat remains!

So after trying all I could---I have decided that the only way out is to play it humble and adopt the request( read beg, plead) technique with Mr rat to leave my kingdom....

Dear Mr Rat,

This is with reference to our brief encounter this week where you almost fell on me. Would like to begin this letter by first apologising for "disturbing" your meal( on snacks bought and paid by me) in the cozy corner of my house. The intention was clearly not to harm or disturb your lovely dinner in any way.

In the recent two days ever since you have decided to invite yourself as a guest to my house I am having sleepless nights and nightmares about you(Sorry If I am sounding harsh). Also I have noticed that the entire top shelf of my kitchen (which incidently is my favourite junky food shelf) has been bitten, eaten and left wounded by your attack(I repeat all paid by me not you)--has been an immense source of pain for me--Sigh!

In context of the above would request(read beg, plead, on my knees) you to find another abode for your establishment since I do not see, much as I might like,this association working out in the long run. Would appreciate if you could give me a time and date for the exit.

If you do agree to move out, for your kind gesture, we would be glad to offer you a piece of bread(with butter if you choose) as a Parting gift! (open to negotiations)

Hope you would consider the request and take appropriate actions at the earliest.

Looking forward to your response.....
Ekta

p.s:- Pray this works......Amen!

Aur Kya?

2005-04-08T11:45:00.000+05:30

Its a species which I have recently discovered....they have been in existence for as long as man learned the skill making inane conversations....however for some reason I had never encountered them...(thank you almighty once again!)

And then it happened yesterday....my first "conversation" with an "Aur Kya" conversationalist...

A old friend of mine who apparantly didnt seem to have any work on hands and assumed the same for all other living and known souls on earth...The ordeal began when she called me at 11:00 am in the morning , when you just about kick yourself to work and then this call where she assumed that I was waiting for her call to blog out the entire chapter of my 26 yrs with all its hidden secrets...

Well seems easy....the aur kya work almost seemed like a remote control in her mouth...after every 2 sentences I spoke, she simply blurted out..Aur kya(think the count was around 20-21 aur kyas)...after which I was supposed to continue the monologue..err "conversation" forward..!!

And so the conversation goes...
Me:- Am fine
She :-Great...kya chal raha hai?
Me:- sab theek hai- tu bata...
She:-kuch nahi yaar..works on ...aur kya
Me:- Been busy with work and well settling into married life..blah, blah, ...
She:- grt..sounds nice...aur kya
Me:- Blah, blah, blah, blah.
She:- wow sounds fun...aur kya
Me:- and then the client was terribly upset...blah,blah,
She:- Shit!..thats bad....aur bata

And smart me, I realised I had fallen into the"Aur kya" trap after nearly 10-15 minutes of this conversation....

Yes...exactly the same sentiment..Puhhllllessss dont make me your source to kill time....aur kuch nahi!!!!

The "Post" phase

2005-03-09T12:48:00.000+05:30

Am back..alive, kicking and panting!!

37 days post marriage and the post phase is still sinking in...

Marriage was a party contrary to all the stories I had heard..loads of relatives, friends, rituals and attention....and well yes I actually danced the most on my own sangeet and know all the latest Hindi Blockbusters by heart!....was partytime all the way!

Back to reality now--and nope reality hasnt really smashed or even hit me on the face....settling in has been well...er...quite an experience....

Right from figuring out how each nook and corner should look like, to 'managing" the servant from 7:30 am in the morning, to fixing breakfast and the menu for dinner daily, to keeping tab of the dhobi, paperman, house groceries.....EXHAUSTING!!!!!!

With one room in the house finally done up feels like a achievement worth nothing less than the olympic gold...after all the running around we had to do for the carpenters and furniture shops and curtains....blah blah blah....

And just when you thinks its finally done...u realise on how the most important things have been missed out..we'r stil surviving on illegal gas connection:-))

Highlightes of these 37days:-

1)Went grocery "shopping" with two senior ladies from the bldg who now treat me as a part of their gang and expect me to do the "shopping" with them every week!!
2)A cool cook who can cook!!!
3)A "shocking" eye-opener that curtains could actually cost you upto Rs11000!!!!
4) All stories about men as men are true--they fart in bed, cleaning room is about picking clothes from bed and throwing them in the cupboard, shaving needs a reason, they can survive without sex but not TV....and the list continues....
5) In all official forms I am now "Mrs"....!!

According to my dearest husband(who btw wants to still live under the belief that am his girfriend") sees marriage similar to change of job.....probably coz like work, you dont have to work hard on it anymore...just work smart!

And what I love most about being a married girlfriend--Well...coming back home to a lovely hug everyday....kinda gets u going!":-))))

Rendezvous with MIL

2005-01-03T13:42:00.000+05:30

No I wasn't wearing white and nor was she.Felt strange calling someone else "mom"....ur always taught there is just one...and then suddenly there was supposed to be another one....so to take away the dilemma thot should call her "mamma" instead....didnt help..still feels as strange.

My first one-one discussion/ chat/ bonding or whatever u call it session with my Mom-In-Law happened yesterday and made me realise that the possibility of a "saas-bahu" episode was remote here--MIL and me bonded(though dissapointed at the lack of adventure in my to-be-married life..sigh!). Had met her once for 15 min before my engagement and then on engagment and then yesterday!( Strange but true....some people are just born lucky!;-)

I was invited by her for a specially cooked lunch(which included my favourite baingan ka bharta) by her, post which I was taken to a room for a getting to know each other session!

P.s:- Was actually contemplating earlier if I should make a PPT about I, Me, Myself to present to her--going by consulting experience a PPT helps focus on only things you want to bring in focus....(easily avoidable topics were my cooking skills, my late night working and party hours etc etc)..but then better sense prevailed!

This was followed by a 4 hr session where I was given a run down about "everything I should know" about them all and the family I was soon to be a part of...was dutifully done by mamma....leaving me drained, informed, exhausted , happy , confused and safely bonded:-).. To execute the task to perfection the grand finale was done by a nice watch gifted to mamma....

My first reaction after I left her was to call my mom...realised was just to confirm that she still continued to be mom and wasn't intending to give up yet:-))

Reassured....thank god for small mercies in life!

p.s:- New year wishes to all!

Red and White time!

2004-12-23T17:21:00.000+05:30

Past month has been bad, very bad, very very bad in terms of work. Was almost feeling blue till I realised it was time for Red and White again:-)...and this realisation happened when the Xmas party in my office started.

Love this season and time of the year. Much more than Diwali, Dassera or any of the so called "Applicable to me" festivals!.....No particular reason but probably because Xmas always signifies a lot of colour and brightness!

Unlike a Diwali and Dassera which have "Stories" and "Reasons" for celebrations...Am not too sure what the story behind Santa Clause is?...someone in office tried to search the "google" to find out about santa clause when I asked this question and thats when I realised what a disaster it would mean to me to know what santa clause was about, his "history", where he came from and what his "story" was!

To me Santa always meant(and still does) this big cute fat tummy grandpa who was almost like a life sized teddy and who even at the age of..(ok I dunno his age..but whatever)...can wear a bright red and white outfit could give you a nice gift in socks, was sooo fulll of energy...was almost like an angel who would make all your dream and wishes come true, give you whatever you want----and I'd rather let this fantasy be:-)

There is something exciting about this time of the year...of course the best part is suddenly work comes to a standstill but besides that maybe the anticipation of something new, something better....maybe its just about hope!

Whatever it be....Santa for me still very much exists and dont think an Xmas spirit can be complete without jingle bells in the background....without an xmas tree loaded with gifts....without loads of hope and wishes....and without a nice hug from Santa pa!

Merry Xmas to all ya people and dont forget to put up your socks!;-)