Opinionated Solutions to Life's Problems

Of Hibernation Rights and Birth Rights

2007-07-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

If bears can hibernate in winter, why can't my blog hibernate in summer?

Arre sorry bhai, announcement thoda hindi filmi police jaisa late hai par I was away from the blog for a while coz of Summer-- go tell her, she is to blame :p (BTW, I think Summer is a gal coz each Summer has her own unique essences, her own vibrance and her own set of moods AND when she is sweltering and hot, she makes every guy come out and show off his abs!)

I also want to say a big thank you to Daddy's Girl for writing this. Meri rukhi sukhi zindagi mein bahaar aa gayi yeh post padh ke *shy smile like a fresh dewy madhubala in chalti ka naam gadi* "Aaj madhosh hua jaaye re, mera mann raise to three...Bina hi baat muskuraye re... (you get the point)

It feels great knowing that there are people out there who actually can see sense and feel my passion for life through all the clouds of craziness on this blog. This blog is truly an opinionated place, the only place where my opinions rule, the only place where I can offer the whackiest solutions without being asked, and perhaps the only place where I won't be judged for what I truly am...so thank you once again for this wonderful award... ( I am almost thinking of taking that contract that ajay devgan gave me for writing his filmfare awards speech, acha hua nahi sign kiya, he would never have used it anyway...weirdo).

So, while I pack my imaginary bags and get ready to disappear once again for a while, past few weeks mein life ka bulletin yeh hai

1. I discovered the joys of "aunt" hood...ab mother hood ho sakta hai to aunt hood kyu nahi?

Also discovered a few other random and surprising things like

2. Even a human being who is less than one hour old (yes, ~ 60 minutes old) has a personality all his own. When I held him for the first time, I probably went a little too near the window and he sneezed--loud and clear- and then twitched his nose AND frowned to show disapproval of the inexperienced "holder"-- all this within a few seconds. My conclusion: Respect every individual whether this person is a 100 minutes old or a 100 years. Age, status, or gender has nothing to do with respect.

The other conclusion?

Every person needs their space-- even someone who is 16 days old. Let me explain. The same little person as referenced above was crowded by 11 over enthusiastic chachi's, mami's and mama's (for non-indians, chachis, mamis, mamas are an assortment of aunts and uncles related in a thousand different ways) with sounds of "how cute", "look at the cleft on his chin, hayyyyyy kitnaaa sweet hai". He tolerated it for a total of about five minutes and then he wailed so loud, the 11 voices fell short. So there. Give everyone space. Yes! even a 16 day old little person deserves it :)

3. This summer I grew my very own tomatoes (just waiting for them to ripen a li'l more and then I will make the tastiest bruschetta ever... I also have the prettiest little yellow roses in town :-) This IS an achievement considering what one of my friend's mom told me a few years ago, "You have a big brown thumb, no wonder flowers are wiped off from the face of the garden you tread upon"...while you think about that comment (BTW, it came from a 40 year old to a 14 year old), I'm going to make some arrangements to parcel the bruschetta 8000 miles over to M aunty for her supper next Sunday ;) *evil grin*

here's some other tidbits about my upcoming escapades.

I am off again on one of my "fultu relaxation and waking up late" trips, this time I am going here ... will disappear again for a while, but it's all for good...go enjoy the summer yourself and I am going to pack my bags for real now.

Music: Zindagi mein to sabhi (Mehdi Hasan) and Hawa mein udta jaaye mera lal dupatta
Mood: Peppy

Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi Chodenge or ?

2007-06-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I got an email that made me smile so wide, I almost put Julia Roberts to shame. The email was from P, my best friend from school. P and I became thick pals from the time that she landed in my school around class VII. She had joined my school from this really hip and happening school that didn't have classes beyond class VII. She sat next to me in class and we got along famously. We hung out together and chatted on the phone in the evenings discussing about the cute guy in the class next door. Till the time that she got married (when that happened, I was doing something as unglamorous as studying for my final exams in third year of college) ; we kept in touch.

When her email arrived, I was elated. I opened it and read it through a couple of times just out of pure joy. She had written about her husband, her home, her kid, her sister, and her parents. I replied back immediately asking her about herself and what she was doing. I also wrote at length about myself and my life here, what I had been upto for the last 7 years.

She wrote back to me the next day saying that she was still in the same city that we grew up in and her current home was just 10 mins away from her parents house. She also left her mobile # and wanted me to call her.

I called her the next day and it was great hearing her voice after such a long time. We talked for a few minutes about our everyday lives. I spoke excitedly about my job, my overflowing social calendar, and how I was still very much in love with all the co-curricular activities that I did as a school kid. She told me about her kid that had just started going to school and her husband who was ever busy with his family business. I asked her about her love for music and whether she was still pursuing it. She said she was too busy. I remembered her passion for designing as well and asked her whether she still pursued it, again she said she was too busy. I chided her mockingly and she just laughed it off saying, "I am just happy taking care of the home".

After this day we talked a few more times, but I really didn't have much to talk about. She didn't know much about current topics or what was happening around the world. There were no interactive discussions or opinions being exchanged. It was becoming more like a one way dialogue. Surprisingly, I wasn't feeling the same way I had thought I would feel in talking to such an old friend.

It felt strange because I still have friends that I had from my nursery and kindargarten, I still get along well with them and they have grown with me all through these years! So what happened, in case of P and me? Did we grow apart coz our paths were too different? Why is it that I don't enjoy talking to her anymore? Why does it feel like it is just a formality to keep in touch with some friends and an absolute pleasure in keeping in touch with some?

A thought crossed my mind: What is better-- To part as friends with happy memories or to carry on a friendship just because you used to be best buddies a long time ago and friendships are supposed to be for life, right?

Music: Chanda re, Chanda re from Sapnay
Mood: Too many things going on & not able to cope up but kinda happy

(Khatti) Meethi Yaadein (Sweet Memories)

2007-05-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

I was in the midst of creating another fundu slide for the upcoming team offsite, getting all tangled up with trying to put in audio in the most creatively challenged boring powerpoint.

And then just out of the blue I got this sudden urge to have amla. For those who don't know what amla is: 1. I pity you 2. you have missed out on the tastiest food on earth second only to the God of foods- chocolate.

Amla is this small innocent looking green fruit. But put it in salted water and in three days it transforms into this heavenly tasting thing. One crunchy bite later, you are one happy person.

As a kid I remember running out into the patio when the sabjiwalah came by and frantically waving to him so that he could see me and stop by our house. And then the pestering would start. If my mom would buy a quantity less than 500 grams (~ 15 oz), I would make my eyes all wide and say "Bassssss??" (Only that much?!!!) Then I would follow my mom into the kitchen and not leave her side until she had washed and put in all the amlas in the glass jar. Then came the most difficult part- waiting. It took atleast 72 hours for the salty water to penetrate into the amlas and really I learnt to be patient during these testing times. And then after the long wait I was rewarded when my mom reached way up on the kitchen cabinet and pulled out a nice juicy amla for me.

It's funny how just a fruit has so many memories entwined around it. Now that I think back on those days, I think it was not just the amla, but this whole ritual that I shared with my mom that made it yummier.

I can almost feel the sweet and sour taste while I go back to putting my audio file together. I am totally going to take a detour to the indian grocery store this evening and hunt for my favorite little green fruit! And mom, I am calling you tonight :-)

Music: Mann Mohana Bade Jhoothe (Seema) and Tere Bina (Guru)
Mood: Nostalgic

Yeh ladka haye allah!

2007-04-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

So a really good friend of mine met me on messenger yesterday. Though I was chatting with my manager on IM, taking a call about a maha boring release next month; and eating a juicy orange--I jumped with joy seeing this particular friend pinging me nice and early in the morning.

It was cause for joy, this friend of mine (hence forth refered to as K) had almost disappeared since her marriage six months back. Before that, during her courtship period, we exchanged a lot of emails and met up a few times to share her nice khatti mithi baatein on chat.

So yesterday when she pinged me I was waiting to hear some more chatpati baatein from her about her really romantic married life. Though, what I got was some rukhi sukhi dukhi kahani!

For starters, here's the story so far-- K met M about a couple years back through a family friend and it was a typical arranged marriage with the ladki dekho ceremony and the ice cream and the hot steaming pakoras and all those good things.

After a few of such meetings, they finally decided they had enough oily namkeens and got engaged. And then, in her own words, it was bliss. Hours were spent on the phone, talking about how perfect they were for each other. Evenings were spent going for long walks in parks and watching the sunset together. Aur dekhte hi dekhte D day aa hi gaya. They got married and went off to an exotic island for their honeymoon.

Aur yeh rahi yesterday's conversation snippet:

K- Hi, do you have some time to talk?
Me- Hieeeeeeeeeeee :D, Long time buddy, kaha thi tuuuuuu (yeh raha tera virtual thappad!) lol
K- :) sorry yaar, I was very busy, just aise hi
Me- Busy, ahhaaaaa, kab de rahi hai khush khabar ;)
K- Chod na yaar, are you busy now or can we chat?
Me- Not busy at all (hope the engineers on the call and my manager didn't hear that- I don't want the 79 ft scenario again, very soon in my life :-/)
K- Just wanted to talk to you about something personal
Me- Sure dear, tell me

The rest of the conversation was between the two of us so wouldn't want to share it here, but the crux of the matter was that K pointed out an issue she had with her husband M that irritated her to no end. All through her courtship period, K observed that M always paid her all the attention. Even when they were out anywhere and she saw the hottest of women pass them by; M's attention never wavered away from her face. Never did he look at any other women when he was around her--it was as if the world was made up of little children, men, and unbelievably old grandmotherly type ladies. There existed just one young beautiful girl in this whole wide world and her name was K.

This ridiculously hilarious picture was shattered after a few days of their marriage when she found M checking out women who looked like clones of Bipasha Basu. After a couple months more checking out continued (it was more like ogling K insisted), when M brought his standard down by looking at clones of Divya Dutta as well.

So, that is the story of M and K. And here's the big question in K's mind. Why do men look when they know that they have safely conquered the woman's heart and she is now under umar qaid = marriage? Why do they make her feel like the hottest girl on the planet during courtship and then make her feel like she resembles Lalita Pawar's daughter after marriage? What changes?

My simple answer for her was: It's their genes. Men have to look, its coded into their DNA. It is really hard for them not to have a roving eye but they somehow manage to successfully do this in the wooing phase. Once that is over, they breathe out and start living their normal life again--- how? By checking out every single eve on their radar :)

What do you think?

Music: Kehna hi Kya (Bombay)
Mood: Happy

Honesty in Adversity

2007-03-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

So, it feels great to be back on the ground...not from the high flying clouds but from deep down below, 79 ft to be precise. The air smells more fragrant and I now have a happy springy walk when I log off at 6 PM, rushing inside the elevator and then whistling 'Raindrops keep fallin' ; while a confused desi with disbelief writ large on his face looks at me like I am undressing inside the elevator or doing something as ridiculously impossible as that.

A couple days back as I was driving back from work, the traffic as usual was terrible getting on to the freeway. Ab mera ek narcissist logic yeh hai ki whenever I leave a little early from work, the whole of the company feels like leaving early, just to catch a glimpse of yours truly, so traffic jam to hona hi tha ;) On a more logical note, it was 5.30 PM the prime time for everyone to be on MY freeway.

As I maneuvered through the crazy traffic I thought of my first few days in the US. I always noticed how far away every car is from the other while waiting on the red lights here in Awesome Amricaa. This display of discipline and consideration for others almost brought me to tears. Okay fine, I wasn't THAT emotional.

But still, I was filled with admiration for all these people- of different shapes and sizes, ethnic backgrounds and ages following the same cardinal rule- respect on the roads for everyone else. Just as the lights turned yellow, brakes were gently applied and cars were stopped very much behind the white line (as if it were some kind of lakshman rekha). Pedestrians crossed the street with happiness on their faces- casually chatting not even bothering to look both sides before walking through the busy junction. All cars lined up uniformly- one behind the other, keeping a comfortable (read: at least 5 ft) distance between the other, patiently waiting for the light to turn green. I was shocked. Pleasantly shocked.

Just yesterday I had seen the autowallah shouting "abbey khisak na jaldi" at the scooterist who cut him from the wrong side. In return the scooterist pressed his shrill but potent (read: ear splitting) horn a few times as if it were a way to reaffirm his stupidity. Just yesterday, I had seen the old and feeble lady cross the road running as fast as she could wildly lifting her hands in all directions as if to say "stop, please, don't hit me". And the 20 something young and brash idiot almost running the poor lady over in his gleaming maruti esteem. Just yesterday, I saw a bunch of school children at the pedestrian crossing waiting for the endless stream of traffic to stop even though their 'walk' sign was on and the policeman shouting for the traffic to stop while simultaneously averting the two cows that were grazing on plastic bags happily in the middle of the busy road.

And the very next day, here I was 8000 miles from home, suddenly amidst order, discipline, and silence on the roads. In 24 hours, like magic the whole scene transformed into this serene world where no one got agitated and reacted angrily on the road. No one tried to cut corners on the road in a wild race to finish first. And, no one really acted like they owned the road or maybe like their father owned it. I always compared the orderly traffic of USA to India where the cars almost touched each other on red lights and the accelerators were pushed hard even before the light turned green.

And then I saw the same americans scurrying and pushing each other during the thanksgiving rush in malls and parking lots. I was completely in denial. This cannot be, I said to myself. These guys aren't supposed to behave this way. These are the same people who queue on red lights so methodically and drive with a sophisticated air. How can that Chevy cut off that Toyota Camry like this? The parking spot clearly belonged to the Camry guy, didn't he give his indicator for it too?

And then it stuck me. What matters is what your attitude is when you are faced with a difficult situation. When there are plenty of parking spots available, being courteous is easy. When there are just a handful of cars waiting on the red light, parking a few feet away from each other is easy. What happens when the situation is not so convenient? What happens when there are a hundred cars vying for ten parking spots?

So, let me ask you this question. When in a difficult situation, do you still remain honest or do you cheat? Do you take the easy way out or stick to your ideals?

As for me, I find it difficult sometimes to stick to my values. It is not easy being the odd one out. The one who might be labeled the spoilt sport just because she doesn't want to cut through the line for some first day first show tickets; Or the one who is trying to get the highest grades just because she didn't pass around her answer sheet during the Statistics class test and didn't 'share' her knowledge with friends.

But most of the times, I've stood my ground. I strongly believe in being honest on the road and following traffic rules. Invariably I think of my days in India. I think about the times when I was zooming on the roads in my new Santro during my late teen years and the crazy traffic surrounding me.

I am also reminded of those times when everyone around me almost connived against me by deciding to break all traffic rules. And believe me, it takes a lot of courage to stop at the red traffic light in your car when there is no policemen present and hoards of people are honking and shouting for you to move forward. It is embarrassing and de-motivating.

But when the light turns green, and you decide to move ahead, something feels right inside of you. Ahhh, now that's what honoring your own conscience must feel like.

Arre what’s this now, I counted almost four cars with single drivers in the carpool lane zooming past me. Ufff, kis kis ko sudharenge ;-)

Music: Mere hum nafas, Mere hum nawa (Farida Khanum)
Mood: Relieved and Happy

Gaon Walo Mein Mari Nahi

2007-03-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I know many of you have dropped in to say "Kaha Ho?!" on my blog. For those of you who are thinking that I am away honeymooning here, all I can say is hope you were right.

The truth is that I am buried 79 feet deep down in crazy, omnipresent work! (See the blue font update to know exactly who and what is making me so miserable)

For the first time in life, I've experienced what it is to really pine for a vacation! I am a brave gal and will climb the 79 feet in no time, till then, Ouchhhhhhh , Phir se giri, ab to yeh 179 feet down lag raha hai ;)

See you all soon :)
Still a Life Lover

Of Taj Mahal Dreams and Chocolates

2007-02-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

Seems like 'tis the season of V day posts, humne bhi likh di apne dil ki baat ;)

The root of the trouble AND The height of being cliched

Just yesterday, while browsing through Time magazine, I came across an ad from Incredible India. A black and white picture of Taj Mahal was in the background and the text read: "And to think that these days men get away with giving chocolates and flowers."

Samjhe? If you are really a fan of tube lights, let me explain the profound meaning of this punch-line (*Complete Honesty and Digress Alert- As proud as I am for my agile brain, it shuts down rather mercilessly after midnight and at such challenging times, it is a struggle to decipher witty one-liners. This realization came one night when as a teenager, I was stuck forever on a particular paragraph from a really interesting Mills & Boons novel (ahem) and even this fluff refused to enter my tiny brain* Alert over)

So, for those of you out there who share this personality trait, let me elucidate. This ad simply conveys that these days men get away with just gifting flowers and chocolates to their lady love while in the good old days, the Mughal Emperor- Shahjahan, poor guy, had to build a monument to prove his love for his girl.

This ad really got me thinking. Ab maante hai ki my beauty cannot be compared to that of Mumtaz mahal. Neither am I hoping for a Shahjahan like dude to construct a Taj Mahal for me (Shheeeshh Yaar, Taj Mahal usne apni GF/wife ke marne par banaya tha!).

I just feel that love is such a deep feeling and every woman is so unique, then why give the same gift to all the ladies in this world? And, I really like to think that just like every woman, I have a right to receiving a thoughtful gift from the man who proclaims, 'Tum to meri zindagi ho'.

Anyway, leave the Taj Mahal khwab aside, but, chocolates and flowers to express love to the most important woman in your world? It's very cliched, more like cliched raised to the power of lots of power.

Now, don't get me wrong guys and please don't sulk. I am not an Ehsaan Faraamosh kinda girl. And I love, noo LOVE, noooooo lurveeeeee chocolates. And I do appreciate when guys try hard enough. But, chocolates and flowers? Dude, you really need to take a class on 'The use of creativity in romantic expression 101'.

Maybe something that is less expensive than the chocolates+flowers+card put together will do the trick. Maybe it won't. But it has to be something really reallllllly customized---something that just screams 'YOU are the one' to the woman who is THE one for you. Something that is one of a kind, just like the woman that you love. Something that is just perfect---for her.

Work at it guys, it's definitely easier than building a Taj Mahal and you will be rewarded.

And gals, badi khush ho ke baithi ho sab ki sab. There is something that you all have to do also. What? Arre get ready yaar, wear your best smile and your sexy dress---your man is going to ring the door bell very soon. And hey, don't rush to empty the vase, he's not getting you flowers this time ;)

Music: We Have All the Time in the World - Louis Armstrong AND Chupke Chupke - Ghulam Ali (playing one after the other continously, quite a concoction it's created in my head)
Mood: Optimistic

Weird me? Find out for yourself

2007-02-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

Sakshi tagged me and on a magnificent day like today when spring has made a cute cameo appearence in the movie called winter, nothing feels better than talking about yourself. Narcissism ki jai ho!! So here goes:

Three things that scare me:
1. Pessimism
2. Unrealistic expectations
3. Natural calamities

Three people who make me laugh:
1. My brother
2. Chandler Bing on F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
3. My weird + highly lovable friend S

Three things I love:
1. Music
2. Dance
3. Fragrant flowers

Three things I hate:
1. Lying/Liars
2. Peeling garlic pods (really it is ewwwww)
3. Waking up early

Three things I don’t understand:
1. People who kill in the name of religion
2. People who expect the world from you only to give you nothing in return
3. Why we don't have a half working day on Friday

Three things on my desk:
1. My bottle of water
2. A Kathak CD that someone gifted me last weekend
3. My laptop

Three things I’m doing right now:
1. Thinking about my grandpa and grandma
2. Looking for a decent pic of me to upload to the work directory--am drawing a blank and it's been an hour that I've been searching. Ufff yaar, how difficult it is to find a pic that has the right amount of attitute and a professional smile (yes, there is something like that).
3. Listening to Asha singing Tum se mein juda nahi from Hum Dono and thinking how someone could sound so innocent and mature at the same time. Also wondering how great a music director Jaidev was and why he didn't give music in too many movies. Here's a hard kick on the ass of all those directors who didn't give him a chance. Also making a mental note to listen to one of my fav song from Gharaonda next, that has music by Jaidev also.

Three things I want to do before I die:
1. Experience unconditional love from someone other than my parents and brother.
2. Spend an entire night talking to someone about everything under the sun.
3. Fly a plane and/or Fly something that get's invented that goes much faster than a plane and is lighter than a plane.

Three things I can do:
1. Dance hysterically/suggestively - depending on the company I have at that point in time ;)
2. Laugh at myself
3. Be truthful--- almost always

Three things you should listen to:
1. The sound of water-- flowing gently in a creek or roaring wildly in the ocean -- IMO its the most relaxing sound in the whole world second only to my parents soothing voice over the phone!
2. My constant blabber-- if you are someone who knows and talks to me
3. Zakir Hussain's tabla-- why? suno to jaano :)

Three things you should never listen to:
1. Music from musicians who don't tune their instruments before performing.
2. Adnan Sami-- at any point in time he sounds constipated and it is awful to listen to a constipated fat man.
3. People who tell you to stop trying coz you don't have it in you. They lie. If you want it badly, you always have it in you--not only to succeed but also to excel.

Three things I’d like to learn:
1. Belly Dancing and Trapeze
2. Ice-Skating
3. A couple of exotic foreign languages

Three favourite foods:
1. Chocolate cake made by mom
2. Death by chocolate - chocolate cake at my fav restaurant
3. Cadbury's fruit and nut chocolate from back home

Three beverages I drink regularly:
1. Lassi
2. Lemon juice
3. Chocolate milk

Three TV shows/Books I watched/read as a kid:
1. Mahabharat and Mowgli on Doordarshan
2. Spiderman comics
3. Enid Blyton- Famous five and Secret seven books

Three people I would like to tag:
Art Navy, Strider, Sudipta

Music: Do Deewane Shaher Mein from Gharaonda
Mood: Happy

Picture Perfect Moment Part 2

2007-01-24T16:55:00.000-08:00

A lot of blogger friends have been asking "What happened next?" after reading Picture Perfect Moment Part 1 featuring the one and only Hot Surfer Guy (HSG). Yaar kitne berahem ho, I fell down, became ghayal not with the first nazar but like really ghayal literally and all you guys can think about is what happened next. But as roothaaaaa as I may sound, I'm nottttttt, so here comes part doojaaaaaa ;)

So even though I had never felt this embarrased in my life, I knew that courageous was the way to be in front of such a handsome and adventurous dude.

He: Oh My God!! Are you okay?
Me: Hell ya, I am more than just okay!! (with twinkling eyes et all)
He: So, what just happened? Did you just lose balance and fall?
Me: (Thinking fast- here's my chance to salvage my ruined reputation) Oh, he he, I didn't fall down!! I do these exercises for fun all the time. That was a tough one with the 15 ft height and all and I guess I didn't land too well, you know, lost my balance a bit, but that was fun!
He: Aahaa! Well, that was very impressive, I am just concerned about the blood coming out of your left hand though...is this also common during such stunts that you perform?
Me: What's life without a little adventure (with my most endearing + stylish + sexy look)
He: Incredible! (looking genuinely impressed)
Me: :)
He: :)
Me: (Aur yeh aaya first date with hunk ka invitation)
He: Hmmm, beautiful day, do you...do you

OMG, OMG, OMG!!! Yeh kya ho gaya, how did you fall down, are you okay, did you bruise yourself? Arre koi jaake first aid kit le aao, Just see how injured she is.

Irrelevant advice alert: Friends are important in life. But sometimes, the timing with which they enter and reenter your life can be disastrous for the health of your romantic life.

And I swear the cut on my hand was barely half an inch long.

It was pure tragedy when 6 of my friends decided to wake up, get ready, run 2 miles, AND reach the exact spot where I was standing with HSG at the precise moment when he would have uttered some incredibly magical words. They stormed into my life at this a really fragile moment.

And I am sure you know it doesn't take much to scare off a hot surfer when there are six noisy and sympathetic women hovering over a single dazed woman's bleeding hand.

Music: Still Immersed in - Aye Hairate Aashiqui Jaga Mat from Guru- This song refuses to leave me. I keep humming it and I like how it sounds in my voice!

Mood: Hating Winter Mood

Picture Perfect Moment

2007-01-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

She woke up refreshed and after many months she had seen the 9.00 AM on her cell phone while still lying sleepily in bed. She loved the feeling of a full night's sleep. No project deadlines, no 7 AM meetings. As she got up to walk to the verandah, she could feel the energy within herself. Ahh, what a good night's sleep could do. Ahh, life was good!

Outside, a cool wind was blowing on this unusually hot December day. The sky was clear and the fushcia bouganvillea against the deep blue ocean backdrop looked gorgeous. Indeed, it was a picture perfect day. Not wanting to miss a single minute of this breathtakingly beautiful day, she ran inside the room and into the shower and was out in no time.

Wearing her summery peasant top and a pair of shorts- [how thrilling is it?- wearing cool, light, summery clothes on new year's eve!] she headed out and towards the water.

As she ran towards the water, she couldn't wait to feel it on her feet. The water was biting cold. Ouch!! Suddenly she realized that the pacific can never be as inviting as the caribbean. Smiling, she started climbing up the narrow clay road that led up to a small park. Taking out her camera, she focussed her attention on a bunch of yellow roses and clicked.

After several more pictures, something in the water below caught her attention. He was moving sleathily with amazing grace, bending down on the surf board traveling the whole length of the wave- speed and precision all rolled into perfection right in front of her eyes.

As soon as he finished riding the wave and crashed down into the water, she clapped gleefully and whisled noisily; like a kid at the circus. He did it again and yet again and everytime after he finished, she clapped with as much enthusiasm as the first time.

And then it happened. She saw him coming out of the water towards her. She took a few steps forward too; casually and stylishly walking towards the windy clay road. And then just as their eyes met, she fell--not in love-- but 15 feet below on the beach.

Confession time- I've never stared at a man (or anyone/anything for that matter) and lost balance (literally) ever before. I would like to think I just lost balance and slipped. But, I think I was just ogling too hard and lost all sense of place and time. Thank God for the sandy beach.

Everything said and done, haaye woh nazar ka milna, it was truly qaatil :)

Music: Aye Hairate Aashiqui Jaga Mat from Guru
Mood: Missing India Mood

77 felt good after 33

2007-01-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara was sunny and more importantly warm ( ~77 degrees). We went running on the beach everyday.

We watched a bunch of surfers one day. Here's a picture of a surfer in motion and for those of you who have seen ice skating; surfing I thought resembled it- the angle of the bodies, the rhythm of one's body that coordinated with the rhythm of the waves, and the grace with which the surfers rode the waves was impressive. After watching these guys in action, I put surfing on my to-do list for life.

I made friends with a real hot surfer who was riding confidently on the waves- he had the cutest dimpled smile and the most amazing baritone voice.

Hope all of you had a lovely beginning to 2007. Cheers to Sun, Santa Barbara and Surfing ;)

Music: Piya haji ali from Fiza
Mood: Bored and Want to go back on vacation

And here's bringing Bora Bora & Tahiti to the top!

2006-12-19T09:21:00.000-08:00

Lucky fishes- they get to swim in paradise, all day long!

A Coral Reef on an island in Tahiti

Now that's what I call a 'Hammock in Heaven'- Priceless

A Lagoon in Bora Bora

So, I have this To Go list. In case, you are thinking, it's not a list of sandwiches that I need to get for the offsite from TOGO's yaar, it's my own personal places to go list complete with all type of information that I've collected about that place. A colleague just got back from his honeymoon in Bora Bora and Tahiti and shared some pictures. Ahh the pictures were all it took for me to get these two places somewhere on my top 10 list.

BTW, is anyone wondering why this post is so short? That's coz a picture is worth a 1000 words, that's 4000 + words for you. Okay fine, that was a lame one but I am so lost in the pictures right now, the brain doesn't have any more RAM left for generating humor.

PS: Somewhere in my (near) future I can clearly see bora bora and tahiti. For the year end though, I am driving down here. Here's hoping all of you have a fantastic start to 2007. Cheers!

Music: The Ketchup Song, Las Ketchup
Mood: Peppy

Eight Wonders

2006-12-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

Such a magnanimous title I've given to this post. This is what is called the height of raising expectations and then making someone fall down with a loud crash. Maaf karo yaar, I couldn't think of a better title.

Sudipta tagged me to write eight things about myself. Now, this one sounds difficult just like those open book exams in graduate school, which were the most difficult of all. This one is very open ended, a seemingly innocent sounding tag.

But my grey cells are tired abhi se thinking of eight random things about me. No, I’ve not rented out my brain to someone else today. Blame it on the Monday. So, I am going to do a little cheating, thodaaa saaa. I am going to look above in my profile and borrow a few things from there and write about them. Good idea? Thik hai, here I go:

1. When I was in school, my favorite subject was Math and I sucked at it big time. Now, this sounds unbelievable since we are taught earlier on in life that when we do something that we really love, and try hard enough, we succeed. Obviously, there are exceptions to this hypothesis. I loved math with all my heart- it awed me, made me laugh with its logic, and then loud dhumppp (that's me falling on the floor looking at my mid-term grades) and crash + thunder (that's my parents reaction). As you guessed it already, it was a one sided love affair. Like a rejected lover, I tried and tried to win the love of my beloved, and then finally after years of this depressing chase, I was rewarded when my love showered me with results- Ahh, it felt like heaven to see that 9 come a spot ahead (as in 94) instead of the spot after (as in 49).

2. I love jasmine flowers. The smell is intoxicating and I think it is what heaven must smell like (Not that I am in any hurry to experience that, yeh to mera imagination hai yaar). We have a jasmine plant in our garden back home and it is some special variety that blooms right after the first rains of the season. Divine :)

3. I admire die-hard optimistic people. Realists are boring and Pessimists are cynical. But optimists? They make the world an interesting place to live in with their positive energy and their never-say-die attitude. Personally, I swing between being an optimist and a realist. I can rarely come out tops after being really down in the dumps. Sometimes my attitude doesn't give me the push I need. I'm working on being the die-hard optimist that I so admire in a few people around me. Yeh bhi hoga :)

4. There is something about eating chocolate ice cream at midnight. It turns into something tastier, and more irresistible. I've experienced this so many times, I am almost certain there is a chemical reaction that takes place in chocolate icecream every night at 12, something like cinderella's slippers or some such cutsie thingy ;) Try it.

5. Swimming makes me go wild. I don't need no hard drinks to do that to me. Just give me H20, lots of it, and all around me and I cannot resist the urge to just jump in and swim till I am so hungry I can eat a tub of chocolate ice-cream. I like everything with pristine clear water associated with it- waterfalls, cute little water fountains, rains, the gorgeous caribbean.

6. Ever heard that the full moon can make you a lunatic? I've got proof. Yes it does. I go crazy whenever I see the full moon. Naah, daarna manaa hai yaar, I don't metamorphosize into some wild wolf or anything (though that would be damn cool). I just feel a certain kind of high when I look at the full moon for a long long time. I feel a definite pull and feel lighter for some reason. It's like there is a supernatural force acting on me. Muaaahhhahahaha darr gaye na? Just kidding, its just that I love to lie around under a full moon, its just very romantic. Simple :)

7. Dancing is a way of expression for me. Probably the best way that I express myself. I am no Madhuri with her perfect moves or one of those divas of miss universe; but I just enjoy myself so much when I dance that it makes everyone around me kinda go nuts too. I just let go and let the music guide me. No thinking. No complications. Nothing technical. Just pure bliss :)

8. I get really hungry at 12.29 PM every day. Like precisely at the same time. It’s like magic. I get drawn out of my chair and inside the café in seconds. And the first bite goes inside the mouth at 12.29.00 , Not a second late, not a second early.

The last one, I just pulled it right out of my hat, was just kidding, couldn't think of anything else!

Such a freaky dame this one is. She sounds like whacky and stupid all rolled into one, Do I hear this playing in your minds huh?! Now, there goes my uncontrollable fit of laughter again :)

I tag: alan, rai, the lonely traveller, bhuvanesh, di, and inder.

Music: Naina Milaike from Saathiya
Mood: Happy

PS: I am in the process of adding bloggers to my blogroll. I started with much gusto today morning but my manager spoiled it all by giving me loads of work. That's called the 'New Worker Risk', everyone seems to take advantage of your majburi just because you are a new bakra at the company. So if some of you don't see your names on the roll, don't feel offended and run after me like Darr ka SRK. I am going to have all you lovely people up very soon :)

PPS: Made good use of a part of my Saturday afternoon. Blogroll complete. Yay!

The Bright (Bride) Side!

2006-11-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

Weddings are always fun though most of my friends say that they are more so when you belong to the dulhewala's side. The logic? More fun, less work. In reply to their kaamchor wala logic all I can say is 'Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swad'. The crude translation of the one liner would be something like: 'Until you experience something, you won't know whether it's good or bad or heavenly or hell-like'. And more literally ' How is the monkey to know the taste of ginger' Nah, socho mat, it doesn't make sense.

So, anyway, getting back to the less work for the groom's side funda, there is less work involved for the groom's side because weddings in India have traditionally been and still are held at the bride's home with her father taking on the entire organizational and financial responsibilities. The preparations start months in advance with planning for the wedding hall, decorators, caterers getting underway not to forget the most cliched and overhyped first night room in a 5 star hotel.

When I fondly think of the weddings that I have been a part of- of cousins and my real brother's *digress alert* I never understood the term real brother and real sister. I mean my cousins are also all real, they walk and talk like normal people and I love them a lot too, I think I should think of a better word differentiator than 'real'. Chalo, sochna shuru karti hoon, after writing this post ;) *digressing over*

Going back to the weddings---when I reminisce about the weddings that I have been a part of somehow the weddings of my sisters and friend's sisters just stand out in memory. Countless memories flood my tiny brain and I suddenly feel elated without any reason.

Just yesterday I was remembering my best friend's sister's wedding. It was in February when the air is fragrant with the onset of spring, the most romantic month in Ahmedabad, IMHO. We started the preparations by helping out with cleaning the entire house. It was quite a task but the entire weekend went by in a daze with seven girls all chirping and giggling and making fun of the always dreamy bride to be. We were rewarded with trip to the best pizza place in town topped with movie tickets to a hit flick by the friend's dad who couldn't recognize his own house when he came back from a business trip. Now that says tons about auntyji's housekeeping capabilities but that could be a post for another time ;)

Then came the fun part- Shopping, nooo SHOPPINGGGGGG :) Ya, that's more like how we felt. What started with serious stuff like heavy jewellery and saris quickly turned into a fun trip when we stopped by the bangle store and the lingerie store. Ahaaaa, this was the chance to get our GK up- (Na jaane kab kaam aa jaaye!) GK is General Knowledge yaar. While we picked out the most raunchy lingerie for the blushing bride to be, all the elder women who accompanied us (Haaye yeh na insaafi, Unko Yaha BHI aana tha), said Shhhhh Shhhhh with amazing consistency while we couldn't stop our loud laughs.

When the wedding day drew close, from almost a week in advance we all camped at the friends place- cooking fun stuff, making mixed tapes for the ladies sangeet, booking the mehendi girl and generally fooling around having fun.

On the wedding day, it was such a crazy scene with everyone scurrying around making sure everything was perfect. While we dressed up in our best cholis and saris, did the last minute running around (where the hell were the two rose garland's for the bride and groom), and rushed into the waiting car that whisked us to the wedding venue, everyone had just one thing in common- a big smile playing on their lips.

The wedding in itself was a huge success. While we pranced around in our finery playing the sexy bridemaids to the hilt and innocently flirting with the hot guys in sherwanis from the groom's side- the bride and the groom exchanged vows of togetherness for life. Amidst colorful flowers, sumptuous food, soulstirring music, and loud firecrackers when we hugged the bride good bye, there was just one thought in everyone's mind- Cheers to their blissful wedded life and Cheers to weddings and all the work associated with them- afterall that's not work, that's fun all the way.

Music: Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Mood: Nostalgic

Tagged

2006-11-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

Aashun tagged me. And it's an interesting one coz I think we all can list our favorite movies in one breath but how many of us remember particular scenes from movies? Meri memory ke baarein mein kitaabe nahi likhi gayi hai so I know that it sucks, but when it comes to fav scenes, my dimaag runs like Basanti's Dhanno so here goes...

1. Vivien Leigh, Gone with the wind: Vivien plays Scarlett O’Hara, the zesty, sexy, flirty gal who every guy desires. When Clarke Gable who plays Rhett Butler is leaving Scarlett, she begs in front of him something that is so uncharacteristic of her. But then just the next second she rises like a phoenix when she says, "I'll go home now, and I'll think of some way to get him back! After all, tomorrow is another day!" And there shines grit and resilience on her face. I love the way she says this historic line. Pure brilliance.
(BTW, the movie's poster is also one of my fav's- for me it signifies romance in a photo)

2. Madhu + Arvind, Roja: The scene where Madhu comes out of the shower wearing Arvind's sweater is just so damn cute. The way Arvind eyes her is oh so sexy. And the love making scene after all the nazar ka milna? Perfect.
(BTW, I heard that Arvind got divorced. Hmmm, opportunity knocking Kya?)

3. Julia Roberts + Richard Gere, Pretty Woman: The scene where they are both in the bathtub and Roberts asks for more money that Gere is willing to shell out. Roberts is sitting behind Gere and has her legs wrapped around Gere from the behind. When he asks the reason for her higher price, she goes like--"Honey, I'm 46" from waist to toe and that's 92 inches wrapped around you right now". Gere concedes with the sexiest smile a salt and pepper haired guy ever had. Bahut badhiya ;)

4. Saif Ali Khan, Dil Chahta Hai: The scene where Saif has forgotten his date with his girl friend Priya and is at Aamir's home. He is holding the phone and says one but after another--Goes something like par, lekin, magar, but ......... aakash ke ghar. When he says the last three words he looks maha hen-pecked and like a real bruised doggie. Very cute, Nah, CUTE :)

5. Aishwarya + Shahrukh, Devdas: I think this one would qualify as cliched but what the heck, I am going to list it anyway. The scene where they both laugh out loud after crying buckets on Ash's shaadi just makes me go all weepy-weepy. I don't believe that people should finish 100 bottles of daaru after one's love in 30 days days and die at 40, but something about Shahrukh in that movie and a couple of such scenes makes me believe in unconditional love. Too Qaatil!

6. Farhad and Daniel's daughter, Crash: The scene is chilling and refreshing both at the same time. Sounds paradoxical? It is. The entire movie is about perspectives and first impressions. In my view, this movie is a tight hard slap at the guy who said "First Impressions are the Last Impressions". The scene is played outside Daniel's house. Farhad is there to kill Daniel. Suddenly out of the blue, Daniel's 5 year old daughter (who BTW looks s0 angelic, it makes me wanna adopt! Seriously) Newayz, so the child runs out towards her dad but Farhad has already fired by then and the bullet hits the girl in her chest. The shock and guilt on Farhad's face and the anguish on Daniels is captured oh so beautifully. But then comes the absolute kicker of a scene. The girl just stands there- ALIVE. And both Farhad and Daniel along with the viewer is dumbstruck. How can that happen? Watch this movie for this scene and you won't forget it forever.

7. Sridevi + Anil Kapoor, Lamhe: The scene where Sri and Anil are celebrating Sri's b'day and Anil presents a necklace to Sri. The look in her eyes is oh so fab. And then she just turns and pulls her hair up with a giggle. Anil gets the cue and puts the necklace around her neck and she giggles some more. It's weird that I found this extremely cute in this scene whereas in other movies when Sri's giggles and her voice is as thin as a sevaiyya, she reminds me of those white little bakris that roamed near our school playground. But this scene has just the right proportion of horniness+innocence in Sri's eyes. Nice.

8. Aamir Khan, Sarfarosh: The scene where Aamir is lying in the hospital after breaking his legs and an intruder comes in to kill him. The way he chases that guy is pure grit. And then after successfully dealing with this guy he smiles slyly. His clothes are torn, his body is damaged but his grit is still intact. The conscience still shines through and his patriotism just makes me wanna say, Salaam!!

9. Mike Myers + Verne Troyer, Austin Powers: The scene where Dr. Evil (Myers) is sitting at the table with Mini Me (Troyer) sitting besides him and he is trying to say something when Mini Me interrupts. The way he says, Shhhhh and Mini Me goes but, I wanna say and Evil goes Shh and Shhhhhhh some more is just so hilarious. The scene ends with Evil laughing his evil laugh with his smallest finger between his teeth. Classic Powers, Classic Evil. Moi Loves It :)

It's a jumbled up list guys - going from Scarlett to Sri in a second but that's just how my dimaag works. Sorry :)

I tag sreicanth, psv, and chitrangada. And all those you want to do this fun tag!

Music: Bin tere sanam (remix)
Mood: Hopeful

Yeh Rahe Pictures

2006-10-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Update

I just had to post these pictures up

Look how innocent sharmila looks --- She's thinking, "Aaj mein hamare beech ke saare jhagde solve karungi"

Look how dreamy rajesh looks--- He's thinking, "Aaj mein hamare beech ki saari deewarein gira dunga, to hell with the countless jhagdaas!"

PS: The pictures and captions alone won't make any sense without first reading the post below. This is just a 'logical' extention of the post below. BTW, I can't promise that these would make any sense even after you read the posts below. Bas aise hi style mein bol diya :p

Music: Roop tera mastana (LOL sachee!)
Mood: Whacky

He said, She said

2006-10-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Picture this- An argument between a man and a woman. A sentence here, a fitting retort there. An angrier judgment and an even louder response. The bedroom door banging, the study door banging. SILENCE.

15 minutes later...

Emails being checked in the study room ... work getting accomplished in its normal way

Sobbing and thinking and analyzing in the bedroom ... not even a thought about anything but the fight.

30 minutes later...

Mood's almost back to normal in the study room (That's Mars for you)

Mood's lousy (yah itna lousy jaisa a half-baked cold pizza is--ewwww) Mood's ditto like it was before half an hour (Ofcourse! Venus)

After much ado when Venus comes face to face with Mars, looking like a heartbroken sharmila tagore in Aradhana with that "OMG mein barbaad ho gayi, m pregnant" kinda look, the first thing she says is, "We need to talk"

"Uh huh" says Mars knowing very well that this is the beginning of his end (looking just as clueless and ever horny as rajesh khanna does almost in 99% of the movies)

---irrelevant lines alert--- BTW, I read in some statistical survey on some cheesy website that 99% of men think that make up sex is the best way to get a fight over. Dunno what that one remaining guy was thinking. They didn't poll the women for this question. Maybe because they didn't want to have a hoard of women with baseball bats attacking their office cause this was afterall the most preposterous question in the whole wide world---- bas khatam ab back to our jhagda.

So, the kind of psychology freak that I am, Mein sochne lagi ki, When it comes to resolving conflicts do men and women really approach it differently?

Do women want to resolve conflicts by talking and clearing misconceptions, setting rules and boundaries?

On the other hand do men like to just get it over with during the fight and not dwell over the 'same stuff' again and 'discuss' the issues later?

I think men and women do approach conflicts differently. Men don't really think that an argument here or there can end a relationship. Women on the other hand feel that all issues that arise NEED to be addressed, NEED to be solved and NEED to be discussed. While she would spend an entire afternoon desecting her BF's or husband's reaction during a particular fight; this sorta thing wouldn't find a mention in the guys dialogues with his friends.

So, I have kind of come to the conclusion that the analyzing, thinking, and discussing is not worth the effort. If all you are going to get out of your genuine desire to 'work things out' is a half hearted "Uh Huh", I say let the issues remain, let the men have the peace of mind they desire, let the harsh words disolve into the thin air without any resolutions...until the next fight that is ;)

Music: Jaane kya baat hai from Sunny
Mood: Dreamy

Modesty- the best policy?

2006-10-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

I received a very motivating email forward this morning, you know, not the regular inspirational message that tells you ten things about friendship in a weepy powerpoint and then tells you to forward it to ten friends lest you want to lose ALL your money and your EK AKELA BF in just ten minutes.

This one was ekdum alag, it had a long list of things that will make you contented and happy at the end of a long day if you did them/put them into practice/understood them. I took fancy to one particular sentence that said: "Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born." It stuck me because it was so simple. And so very difficult to achieve. Atleast, IMHO.

I truly believe that the higher a person goes, the easier it is to be modest. Imagine a person whose resume reads like a dream--- Best school- Harvard or Oxford, Best job- CEO of Google or some such super hot company, University accolades, Co-curricular activities ka champion and all those small little perfect things that adorn a dream resume. Add to this a George Clooney face and a Bill Clinton personality. Theek hai chalo, Ek Carmen Electra jaise biwi bhi karlo add.

Now, I believe that it is simpler for this person to be modest and underplay some of his achievements. The world already knows him, talks about him, worships him. Kitne saare log look upto him as Big Boss. He has a LOT of things going for him so its easier for him to be modest saying "Nahi, mein itna bhi mahaan nahi" with a shy shahrukh khan dimpled smile.

Now, take another scenario of an average guy--- B+ schooling grades, thik thak university and a decent paying job. No George clooney resemblance here but definitely a khwab for that Carmen look alike next door. This guy does a great job at one of the company meetings and then brags about it for the next one year to all his friends, family, neighbours, and the doodhwala. He tells everyone who earns less than him, how successful he is at his job and how much they will have to work to reach at his position. "Yeh aasan nahi hai" he would say with a sly shakti kapoor style, as if he has the mantra to turn sand to gold, when an innocent looking junior tries to know the secret to his "success".

Do we know one of these people here? Do we? I think we do. A majority of us would fall under the second category- average success in most fields with a relative decent success thrown in one of the things that we excel in. Would you leave a chance to blow your own horn if its probably something great that you have done in a long time? (And the fact that you know it is going to be another zillion years to your next achievement!) Would you be full of humility and modesty and shake off the ' Wah Wah's' with a smile saying, "It's nothing."?

I think it is very difficult being modest. It is more difficult being modest when you know you have achieved something big and no one seems to be recognizing it, talking about it. That said, I want to be a more modest person. I am working at it. Bada mushkil hai!

Music: Intehaan ho gayi from 'Sharabi'
Mood: Optimistic

Navratri Nostalgia

2006-10-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Girl Talk- the phrase conjures up images of a bunch of girls- chirping and giggling. It also brings back memories of a time back home in India when some of us close friends used to gather for a sleep-over.

Sleepovers were most popular during Navratri days- the nine nights when friends would gather for Dandia and eventually end up at a friends place for the after party. Dandia makes you seriously hungry and there is nothing like a butter dripping, dil ki arteries ko successfully blocking karnewala Pau bhaji at 2 in the morning after the crazy dancing.

At home, over warm mugs of chocolate milk and chips we talked about everything under the sun- (ok yes BOYS were a big topic, but not the ONLY topic!). Sleep was an alien concept for that one night and we gave a good whacking to the first gal who yawned.

Gossip was an integral part of all sleepovers and just like ganeshji ka naam leke you start a shubh kaam, we gals started off our sacred secret sharing session (SSSS!) with a generous dose of gossip. Sample this: Amaresh was indeed at Neerja's place when Sunidhi called her to discuss some Statistics ka problem. Neerja solved Sunidhi's statistical problem on phone but Amaresh was probably studying a different kind of statistics at Neerja's. So thodi si gossip, khub saari masti and the chips cracking by the dozen!

A lot of conclusions were made and behavior analysis gurus would have learnt a thing or two from us. So, If Ankur and Akanksha were deliberately trying to be apart during the raas, it is possible they might be in bed together by now. Or likewise if Shashank was being overly friendly with his girlfriend's best friend, we are going to see a dramebazi se bhara breakup anytime now.

So with so much gossip and good food, can dil ki baat be far behind? Sleepovers bring over a certain vulnerability and as guards are dropped some confessions came out. Like when a friend of mine told me that she hated me the whole first year of our college coz she saw me chatting in a friendly way (flirting?!) with a real college cutie or when another friend said to me that she secretly admired my dress sense all through college before we finally became close buddies in the final year of college!

And then, just like that, the sky turned pink and the dawn broke. The energetic chatter died down but the hot coffee that the most generous soul (read:friend's mom) brought for us at 6 in the morning successfully managed to keep us from dozing off.

Living miles away, I do miss Navratri back home. But more than the dandia, I miss the mindless talk at sleepovers and that heart clogging Pau bhaji that bonded us all for life.

Today at lunch, while I was getting nostalgic looking at my tiffin (I got Pau Bhaji today- look at the irony of the situation!), I got invited over to a friend's place for an informal lunch. Now, this friend N is a colleague of mine but for the last few months we have kind of hit it off on the friendship aspect too. And over some 'not-so-tasty' Bhaji pau and some really nice bhindi we got talking. And though, we didn't have the entire 8 hours that sleepovers usually have; we made the most of the two hours that we spent together by talking incessantly about everything under the sun (And yes, once again BOYS were one of the topics)! Amidst lots of smiles, we said good-bye...Whoever said, Change is the only constant in life ko mera big salaam :)

Music: Roz roz aankhon tale from 'Jeeva'
Mood: Contemplative

Aah India

2006-09-29T01:01:00.000-07:00

Fact: It takes 7 minutes for one email to download on Satyam dial up connection in Ahmedabad.

Fact: It takes a very strong willed Life Lover to go through the ordeal of starting her computer (8 mins) + connecting to satyam (3 mins) + logging on to the internet (1 min) + writing the blog (no approximation possible).

Satyam was solely responsible for ruthlessly cutting me off from my blog world throughout my unplanned India trip.

So here's a hats off wala salaam to all those active bloggers out there who do their thing- the dial up connections notwithstanding.

This had to be the one time in life that I took one of the fastest decisions (apart from the one time that I decided to run 17 miles in one day but that can be a story for another time).

So here I was sitting in my sad little cube at the office at 3.30 in the afternoon waiting for a meeting to start. At 7.30 the same evening, I was on my way to the airport- I had decided to go to India, bought the tickets, done the packing (sachee!) and set the longest vacation response in the history of Outlook all in a matter of 4 hours.

It was a whirlwind visit- 16 days- and even though I went for not such a pleasant occasion, I still filled my mind with mere desh ki lagan and my lungs with the polluted but mere apne desh ki hawa. Amidst the scooterist with a sly smile on his face and the sabjeewala with a terrorizingly loud voice calling out to me- I felt complete. Just as complete as kamal hasan felt in pushpak when he visited his chawl after that 5 star hotel experience.

Don't think I am losing my mind but I am actually enjoying jetlag since the last 3 days. September nights in northern california can be creepy and very very interesting- the air is crisper and having hot bournvita at 3.30 in the morning is real soothing. Not to mention my utter success at being able to ignore everything that G is saying in the morning in the next aisle. With my brain already dead by morning and my mind already asleep G can shout at the top of his voice and it may just sound like a lullaby to me. Aah the pleasures of jetlag :)

Music: Aye Saala from RDB
Mood: Wide awake and can solve 11 Statistics ke problem ABHI!

Cube Chronicles

2006-08-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

If you are like the thousands like me who spend their day in a 9X9 ft cube in a typical tech company, you know what it is to have noisy neighbours- cubemates as some of my friends call them.

Not very long ago, I had this ideal cube on the 2nd floor. It was at the end of a row of cubes and had this nice view of the trees and balcony complete with bistro sets. What really added to the 'ideal' factor was the fact that I was surrounded by quiet, considerate, and workaholic cubemates.

Then a few days back, at 4'o clock one afternoon I saw a few people casually strolling the aisle next to where I sit. They were checking out the empty cubes and joking about putting a table tennis table right in the middle of both aisles.

I forgot about this day until a few days back when I saw all the cubes getting inhabitated by these really loud people who were never on conference calls but always talking to each other the whole freaking day. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt- maybe they were just settling in- initial jitters you know.

Now, they are all settled and very much feel at home here- proved by their constant chatter. But, I am only irritated by this one character G who looks really breezy with his hawaiian shirt and flip flops dress code but when he talks...time stops for me. His really shrill, full throated voice cuts through every tissue of my brain producing instant headaches. His telephone conversations seem to go on forever.

Oh wait, I hear a real time conversation...

G: Hey buddies!
X, Y and Z in unison: Hey!
G: Do you know if a particular allergy medicine can make you groggy?
Y: I think I have heard this one does
G: Damn, Damn, Damn! (In a record breaking shrill + loud voice)
Z: What what?
G: I took that one this morning and now I am falling asleep walking
Z: I think you should rest
ME: :-)
G: No, I think I need to stay around for a while to finish that xls
ME: :-(
Y: We can finish it tomorrow also
ME: :-)
G: Oh the freaking headache!! (Shrill raise to square) But no I HAVE to finish this today!!
ME: :-(
X,Y,Z (in unison): Please go, NOW, you look terrible!
G: OK
ME: :-) :-) :-)

At the risk of deserting this post half way, I am going to finish that incomplete email that I needed to send to my manager half an hour back. The job is more important than my blog ;) AND I need to finish a LOT before G comes back tomorrow!

I Wonder Why

2006-08-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

Someone recently forwarded me a list of all these Wonder Why's. I thought some of them were really cool!

Can you cry under water?
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How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
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Why do you have to "put your two cents in".. . but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?
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Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?
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Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
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What disease did cured ham actually have?
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How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?
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Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?
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If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?
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Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?
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Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?
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Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway.
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Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural
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Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
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Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?
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If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?
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Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!
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If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?
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Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?
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Why did you just try singing the two songs above? ;)
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Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt?

The thing about truth

2006-08-26T22:57:00.000-07:00

Something that always strikes me about truth is how easy it is to be on its side. I mean haven't we all lied sometime or the other in life? Even self- proclaimed truth addicts like me have lied sometime or the other in life. It's not like an angel once told me not to lie and I stopped. It's just that life becomes so much simpler when you tell the truth like it is. No jhuth and no 100 jhuth's to hide the one jhuth. Agreed? ;)

The Asses OOPS SS's

2006-08-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

I've talked about habitual insult inflictors on my blog about crafty people and the sadistic pleasure that they derive from hurting someone with their words.

I am feeling the need to write about another group of people who are passively causing disruption in many normal lives- They are the Sympathy Seekers (SS's).

These are some key characteristics of a compulsive sympathy seeker:

SS's are looking out for kind words from every person in this world.
It doesn't matter if SS's are happy or sad; they want sympathy ALWAYS.
If SS's feel happy for some strange reason, they are quick to turn it into a sad moment as soon as they sense a potential sympathy giver around.
SS's feel a strange sense of satisfaction after a long sympathy session that they got from someone. I think it almost feels theraupatic to them, how sick!
SS's are human beings too and sometimes they feel happy, really deeply happy and they kind of start liking this feeling until they meet their old, long lost sympathy giver buddy who drags they back to the sweet feeling of taking sympathy. The dialogue progresses like this:

SS: Hey buddy, long time, no see (with a huge smile on their face- unbelievable yet true)
SG (Sympathy Giver yaar!) : Hey good to see you but you look different (See the emphasis on the word- different)
SS: Oh ya? You mean different in a good way right?
SG: Ummm, well, uhhhhh, Yah yah
SS: Hey c'mon yaar, tell me na, what's there in your mind.
SG: No, yaar, it's just that ummm, you seem to look a little down
The Ummm, well, uhhhh seems to have worked, aage padho!
SS: Oh yah? Well, no, I am doing ok, I guess (See the word 'guess', there is where the doubt begins to enter dear SS)
SG: I hope you are doing well because, I feel you have lost your smile somewhere, I remember you as someone so happy and always smiling
SS: Yah, work has been really hectic and at home too, it's just ok (it was fantastic but the potential of a calming sympathy session made it 'just ok')
SG: Want to talk about it?
SS: Sure

DONE. Three minutes turn around time. From Happy to SS. Kudos SG, You did it again in record time.

SS's favourite phrases are: 'I am sorry for what happened to you', ' you look so sad and miserable', ' do you want to talk about your pathetic state', 'you have lost your smiling face!', 'I am always available to talk (ie. listen to your shit) whenever you feel the need.'
SS's hate people who tell them to grow up, stop seeking sympathy, and generally get on with their lives.
SS's ALWAYS crave for more sympathy. They don't have the word 'contentment' in their dictionaries.

If you ever meet a SS and your personality doesn't allow you to be a SG then back off, BACK OFF, real quick before you get sucked into their sad, little, pathetic world. Consider yourself WARNED.

Chottu, this one is for you!

2006-08-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

It had been raining since morning but I still had to go to school, tuitions, music class and when I got back home, I was fully drenched even if I had a raincoat on (sometimes I wonder what those raincoats do, coz they are extremely uncomfortable and actually limit your movements), but anyway, so I was completely drenched and went straight to the bathroom to take a warm shower.

After a nice hot dinner, I perched myself on the swing outside in our covered verandah. That's when I saw him. He was completely drenched, barely able to keep his eyes focussed because of the rains thrashing wildly. He just stood there for sometime, staring intently at me, before he took a few steps towards me. I stopped the swing abruptly meeting his gaze and trying to get a good view with the dimming lights of the road not helping me. Suddenly, he came a few steps closer again but that is when I saw the limp, as I got nearer, he just kept staring at me. I thought he would run away, after all that's what squirrels do when they see humans so up and close. But, he (I named him chottu- meaning 'small' and 'tiny') didn't budge, not even when I picked him up softly. He looked tired and weak, but I could feel his heart thumping in my hands. I ran inside and grabbed a rag to dry him up. I also got an old shoe box that I lined with a soft towel. I put chottu inside the box and ran in the kitchen to get some milk. Fortunately, I found an old mustard bottle cleaned and put away by my mom in one of the cabinets (This was the only- first and the last- time that I've had use for an empty cleaned up mustard bottle- more on that later~!). I filled it up with a little warm milk and held it up to chottu. He didn't seem interested. But, when I approached him a few minutes after, he eagerly lapped up the milk, and I could see how hungry he was. I could almost see a satisfied smile at the curve of chottu's mouth when he was done with the milk. Nah, that wasn't my imagination!

In about two hours though, I could see chottu closing and opening his eyes intermittently. At almost midnight, he closed his eyes but I could see his heart thumping inside the shoe box. I slept with a satisfied feeling.

When I woke up the next morning, it was sunny and beautiful...exactly like those days when the rains do a clean up job of the entire city. I eagerlty went upto chottu's small bed but he was still sleeping; the only difference was that I could'nt see his heart thumping. My heart skipped a beat. No, this cannot happen. Chottu is fine I told myself again.

Chotu was put to rest in a nice flowery corner of our garden, though my association with him lasted for just one evening, I missed him. Chottu was the first loss for me. I had never seen death and this was the first time that I had seen a living being alive one day and then dead the very next day. This was the very first time that I realized that how much ever you try and wish for few things to be alright and always with you, God sometimes can take them away.

This is also the time I realized why my mom never wanted me to have a dog as my pet. She knew it would be fun for me all along the way but maybe the eventual loss would be too hard on me. As I grew older, I've learnt to deal with loss much better but still think about Chottu sometimes...some connections have no logic to them, let's not spend time analyzing them, let's just enjoy their memories, for years to come.

O Saathi Re, Vishal You rock!

2006-08-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Just heard the songs of Omkara. I liked Beedi Jalayke ;) but I loved O saathi re. It has been sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Vishal Bharadwaj; who is the Director and Music Director of this movie.

I always knew Shreya Ghoshal was talented but Vishal's rustic and mature voice came as a pleasant surprise. His voice is so earthy, so full of passion that I almost cried listening to his paragraphs.

This particular composition has been picturized on Kareena and Ajay and is loosely based on Raag Gujri Todi- which is a melancholy Indian classical raga; one of my favorites.

The year that is zooming by

2006-07-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

This year is officially the fastest year I've ever lived. What does that mean? It is going by sooo fast, I saw an ad for a Garba event on my company alias and was so freaked out.

Is it Navratri time already!!!

The other reason for this feeling is the fact about how the financial years here get so messed up with the real year. Only yesterday my colleague waved at me and said, "Hey, I am going on PTO, see you in '07", this was the beginning of my freaking out feeling and I shouted back "Buddy, please say FY'07, that would mean a lot to me" and he chuckled back saying, "I know what you mean, ain't the year passing by tooo fast"

BINGO :-)

So what's the solution to this seemingly innocent problem? Everyday, do one thing that takes some effort but gives you immense joy. Simple? Yes. Memorable? Yes. Would make the year seem longer and well lived? Yes.

Okay here's a little quiz - just think of the year in which this event happened, you'll be surprised at how recent it is in your memory yet how further down the year actually is.

START (noooo cheating!)

1. The Columbia space shuttle explosion in which India's Kalpana Chawla died

2. The Kathmandu-Kandahar hijacking of Indian Airlines flight

3. The shocking epidemic of Plague that struck Gujarat and killed 100 people

4. Berlin Wall demolished

5. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi killed by Tamil suicide bomber

6. Nelson Mandela becomes first black President of South Africa

7. Indian Ocean Tsunami

8. IBM introduces its first personal computer

9. The Godhra Train Burning episode and Gujarat riots where ~ 2500 people died

10. Internet electronically connects the globe.

Don't peek until done ;-)

1. 2003
2. 1999
3. 1994
4. 1989
5. 1991
6. 1994
7. 2004
8. 1981
9. 2002
10. 1995

Figures of Speech

2006-07-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

How I wish I had an English teacher I could have looked up to in school. Unfortunately, all my English teachers were dry and disinterested in their students and worse- their subject. Add to that the fact that they weren't such masters in their subject too (I found that out much later when I confirmed that sentences cannot be started with 'because' because 'because' is a conjunction- ishhh that was a mouthful!)

My love for the language was largely developed at home with grandpa being one of the best orators that I've ever met and my parents writing flawless English and also encouraging me to read as much as I could.

The best thing I like about English language is the impact that it creates when used correctly. Words have varying degrees to express just the emotion that is needed. I am happy-I am overjoyed- I am delighted!

There are a bunch of things that delight me and Figures of speech (FOS) is one of them.

Oxymorons is a FOS that uses two terms together, that normally contradict each other.

Here's some that I came up with (add to the list if you have more!)

almost exactly
exact estimate
friendly fire
true lies
virtual reality
open secret
found missing
only choice
terribly pleased
pretty ugly
rap music

I love the way 'Hyperbole' lights up a comedy piece. Here's some for you guys

"I nearly died laughing."
"I heard that a million times."
"She had a zit the size of Texas!"
"That's the worst idea I've ever heard."
"You are the ugliest person in the world!"
"This is the worst film ever made."
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

How about this one?

I've told you a million times not to exaggerate!

Waging Peace

2006-07-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Crafty people confuse me. They confuse me with their words, their insults, their actions and their constant endeavour towards thinking and executing a misdeed that supercedes their earlier ones exponentially.

Psychology fascinates me and so I am currently involved in a small project to understand more about the psyche of a person whose main aim and occupation in life is to hurt people- emotionally.

There are many types- some do it with a brash on-your-face attitude, some do it with slick understated sentences, some really prepare hard for it and then strike at the perfect moment, and some are just plain geniuses- they excel at this craft like they always knew it.

So, why do some people like to hurt other people by their words? I like to call it the 'War of Words'. I say that because it is actually like a war that is being waged by one person on another unsuspecting person with the intention to win by emotionally insulting, bruising, hurting (= defeating) the opponent.

In my view people do this for several reasons- lack of confidence, lack of opportunities in their own lifetime (or atleast the belief that they had less opportunities), jealousy, more jealousy, addiction to sadistic pleasure, lack of control of their own lives and of those close to them, plain hatred for the opponent that can stem from one or several of the above with different degrees of permutations and combinations.

I've dealt with the brash ones and the understated ones at several times in my life. I deal with these people with patience because I truly feel that they are unfortunate souls. Unfortunate because they need someone else feeling bad to feel good about themselves. That, I feel is a very pitiable situation to be in. Imagine not having anything in yourself or around you to make you happy and imagine being in a constant state of heightened high-pitched hatred for someone...the thought itself tires me out.

That is the reason why I am patient while dealing with such people. You talk to them, try to counsel them, and generally make them realize that there are indeed things in them and around them that can give them some pleasure and satisfaction that this new feeling can be perhaps a different experience than the sadistic pleasure that they have so gotten used to; and this works a lot of times...At least the now seemingly sober war experts eliminate me as their opponent!

But how does one deal with the really seasoned players for whom this genre of war is a passion- they love it and excel at it. This is still a question for me and I am delving deeper into many a psyche to discover the truth. I shall surely post it up on my blog (if and) when I find the answer.

Till then, I am going to continue waging peace...war of words is not fun.

Food and F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

2006-06-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by the speed and efficiency with which my mom cooked delicious and healthy meals at home. As kids, I remember my brother and I being raised on a nutritious vegetarian diet with some eggs thrown in for the 'extra' protein. Never once do I remember going to sleep feeling hungry or bloated. Sometimes, I did complain about the 'eating daals everyday' routine but overall I loved my mom's home cooked food.

As I grew older, like most Indian households, my mom started teaching me easy recipes and then things like Rotis and Khichdis that you can have almost everyday. Suddenly, my fascination turned to dislike as I vehemently opposed the idea of making food every single day (albeit the opposition occured only in my mind!)

Then came college, higher education and so many extracurricular activities that my parents joked about me just coming home to sleep and eat. And cooking took a back seat.

Everything dramatically and drastically changed when I moved to the USA. Four ugly looking electric stoves, loads of veggies in the fridge and 7 Indian recipes cookbooks stared me in the face everytime I ventured in the kitchen. Eating out wasn't healthy, wasn't cheap and wasn't fun (everyday).

And, that is how I started cooking regularly- starting out with baby steps (a simple veggie with rotis brought over from the indian store) to the more elaborate (sabji, daal, salads, buttermilk and rotis brought over from the indian store). Ok, so I didn't cook everyday with my hectic work schedule but I managed to do it atleast thrice a week and in about a month, it started getting less of a 'chore that gets on my nerves' to a 'task that relaxes me'.

I've now ventured into Italian cooking with a gusto- Surrounded by thyme, rosemary and basil I cooked up quite a pasta storm in the kitchen yesterday!

Now, I look forward to reaching home from work exhausted, freshen up, quickly decide a menu, take out the ingredients from the fridge, turn the TV around to face the kitchen and watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S while I cook. It's relaxing in a different sort of way.

Walking relaxes me because it gives me the time to look at things that I miss when I am driving my car. Dancing relaxes me by the enormous amount of exercise involved, Music relaxes me like no other thing and cooking, well yes, cooking relaxes me by being repetitive, its almost therapautic for me.

So while I chop up the fresh yellow and green bell peppers, tomatoes and walnuts for my salad, Joey comes in to say 'How u doin' and I also laugh out aloud with the whole gang- Yep including Chandler ;-)

Spending VS Investing in the Big R

2006-06-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today I had a very interesting conversation with S3. We were discussing ummm.. rather debating on whether it is best to work on a not very rewarding relationship or move on and invest that same energy in a new relationship.

S3 believes that a person always has his or her sixth sense to guide them away from an unrewarding relationship. So when you think you have tried enough, spent enough energy and think you are running out of passion to keep the relationship alive, walk out. It will initially take courage but once you are out of that area, first physically and later emotionally, you will feel much better about it.

I believe that every relationship is different and has a different set of challenges. You can never be completely familiar with every challenge that a relationship will throw at you. With a new person, there will be a new set of problems and probably a new set of happy moments too. When you invest a couple of years moulding and working on a relationship with one person, you are giving much more than your time- you are investing your soul into it. Do you want to walk out of it just like that?

Sometimes it can take more time for some plants to flower than other's who do in one season. Does that mean you uproot it and sow it somewhere else in the garden? What if you discover after a few growing seasons that there are no flowers yet and guess what? The garden center expert says the first place was probably better for the plant, it just needed some more time!

I feel relationships are just like that- some take longer to reward you and some really flourish in no time. I agree with S3 on one thing though- If you are with a total useless person, don't waste your time and just leave. But on second thoughts S3, don't you think we are intelligent enough not to fall for absolute jerks? ;-)

BTW the weather just got hotter making some of my colleagues and friends go all red, I being the Amdavad gal am enjoying the hot days, turn up the heater a notch up God, I am chilling down here!!

Summer in California

2006-06-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Everyone looks so excited around me today. I can see people's smiles getting broader and their gait getting a little bit more springy, and I am thinking to myself, what is the reason?

It's not just a handful of people at work or in the gym who look happy; everyone I see, looks happy today. The woman at the reception desk said a highly cheerful hello to me this morning when I walked into the office, my colleague in the next cube is singing to herself, the woman at the red light signal waved at me and smiled and I also saw some men on the sidewalk running in their Nike's- their shirts off and their faces wet with the cold Aquafina that they are emptying on their heads.

And suddenly it strikes me- Summer has officially started in California!! It's June 21st, the longest day of the year and the day when summer makes a grand entrance in a Californian's life.

It's true, California is called the Golden state- with sunshine and great weather all year around- But this year, it got pretty cold here with rains almost everyday from December to March.

I guess that explains the fanatic frenzy of Californians welcoming summer with an enthusiasm not seen in many years- they are out to have fun with a vengeance- I am joining in too with an oath to live each summer day as if it were to last forever!!!

Cheers to California summer and the Californian spirit...Ahhh the taste of those juicy cherries handpicked from Brentwood and Ohhh the fresh Apple cider with just the right tinge of bubbly freshness

123 of Blogging

2006-06-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, after almost a year of flirting with the idea of having my own blog space on the net, I finally succumbed to the attraction and opened my account here.

As people who know me closely say- you have opinions about everything in life! I have opinions about music and movies and monkeys and mad cow disease!

The only thing I leave out is having opinions about people- coz that's judging someone and I think that is not very much fun.

I am going to come back tomorrow- renewed and rejuvenated to write more...

Here's some nice one-liners to cheer anyone who reads my post...Ciao :-)

- Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go!
- A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it!
- Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other 999 follow women!