Teeth that Sparkle!

Movie Review - Agneepath

2012-01-28T11:18:00.003+03:00

I’m a stickler for love stories. Romance, comedy and drama pull me towards a movie. Wherever there is dhishum-dhishum, I tend to stay away. Yeah, I love to see the world through my rose colored glasses!

So, Agneepath was never on my list. We were bored, walked in a mall for half an hour and decided to just watch the movie.

The story grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I had goose bumps in soo many scenes. All the characters were brilliant in their performance. After Godfather, this is the first thriller I enjoyed so much.

Agneepath is 2012’s first must-watch!

1999 – A Love Story that can color you Green with Jealousy!

2012-01-17T17:17:00.003+03:00

We were taking the long stairs to our class as our ponytails swayed left and right. They always told us to climb away from the railing for there were naughty boys always looking up under our short, oh-we-are-17 skirts! Disgusting.

Y: Do you like people with boyfriends?
Me: It’s a personal choice. I really don’t care. Whyyyyy?
Y: *Blushes*
Me: Really? Who? When?
Y: We cannot tell anyone else. He has a reputation in school.
What does reputation in school has got to do with having a girlfriend? Badnaami...haww!!
Me: Bataooo...tell me all!
After hearing the whole tale where the Kinetic Honda wriggled when he proposed, I told her if you ever have kids they will look like Dalmatians. You know, she was all white, and he, not-so-much.
Yep, we thought of kids even if we had the smallest crush. Sometimes we named them too!

2004, A phone rings. She was howling.
Me: What happened?
Y: He’s breaking up with me.
Me: Why? Wait, I’ll come over.
Y: *howls*
Me: Don’t cry ya. Tell me what happened?
After many swollen eyed sessions of ‘you’ll find someone better’ and ‘that jerk’, all became well in paradise! After all, here he had this sweetheart. And there was a big shortage of girls in IIT!

2009, A phone rings. She was mad
Y: Why can’t you come?
Me:*Don’t know what to say. Guilty,very guilty*
Y: I can’t imagine my wedding without you.
Me: I know. I really want to come, but I need to come back with my husband otherwise I’ll have to attend a wedding with my in-laws.
Seriously, I had got married in December, stayed without the hubby till June due to damn visa issues, visited my hometown again in August and October; I was in no position to attend another friend’s wedding in my maika! Although the guilt will remain forever, I still can’t figure out how I would have managed.
Y:*about to howl*
Me: You’ll be on my mind all the time. You’ll tell me all na?

January 2012, a phone rings. I disconnect it. She messages on Gtalk.
Y: You there?
Me: Ya, just waking up.
Y: Call me. Need to talk.
Me: Need to rush somewhere. Will take a quick shower and call you back.
All through the shower I knew what it was.

Me: Is it what I think it is?
Y: You one track mind.
Me: Acha, batao. Kya hua?
Y: Ummm, I need to ask you something.
Me: what?
Y: Ummm. I’m pregnant
Uncontrolled laughter for 5 minutes! Our entire lives flashed before my eyes. The staircase, their dating days, the difficult times, the mushy times, the many visits to IIT, the accident, the engagement, the accident after the engagement, the wedding I couldn’t attend, everything.
Me: All this while I was asking you if you were ‘down’ yet! And by the way, you were travelling around that time, right? Tell me ALL!

So, that’s life from the 17th to the 30th year of our lives. I can’t imagine my chaddi buddies making ponytails or running around little boys. But yes, I can imagine myself spoiling all the kids around me. Watch out for that my sweetiesss!

The time is Now!

2012-01-16T13:38:00.001+03:00

In the last episode of How I Met Your Mother, Robin goes Live on television to bring in the New Year. She says that no matter what we’ve been through, New Year gives us all an opportunity to rethink our lives and start afresh. Although the series has turned boring and doesn’t interest me anymore, I have taken this statement of hers literally.

I don’t want to write another post on failure and disgust. I don’t want to brood anymore. I am not the person I’m seeing on this blog. I even wanted to discontinue this space and start afresh elsewhere. What I was writing bored me as well. I just didn’t do it because there are so many old posts that are close to my heart and I can’t let them go.

I always thought being content in life was the biggest gift. It infused positivity and happiness. I was content with life. I still am with a lot of things I am blessed with. No, I won’t dig into details and say what I’m not content with. That is exactly what I don’t want to do, at least here. I don’t want to talk about problems; I’m more into solutions and how to go about solving issues.

I have a plan and I’m going to stick to it. I’ll punish myself if I don’t. And don’t even ask me the kind of rewards I’ve planned for myself if I succeed! The repulsion I was feeling with myself in the last few weeks is slowly disappearing. I was my favourite (Yes, yes, that is Kareena Kapoor’s line) and I think, I think I am going to be my preferred choice again!

P.S. New Year does give you new opportunity. If there’s something you’ve been waiting to do all your life, this IS the right time.

Legacy Brick

2012-01-04T19:22:00.004+03:00

If there was a museum where you could leave a legacy brick, what would it say? Something that you believed in, something you always wanted to achieve, or a message for someone you loved dearly? Think! The rule is to make a message of 42 characters (including space and special characters). There should be three lines with 14 characters each.
This exercise was taken from here

I thought and thought, and this is what I thought:

what will THEY
say,NEVER ever
think that way

The Year of Doom Begins with a Rumor!

2012-01-03T11:27:00.002+03:00

Did you turn into a stone last night? Heck, how would I know? Those who are made of rock can’t read or type comments!

Rumor has it; people who slept through last night in Lucknow have turned into stone. The power of satellites helped folks inform each other and stay up till late, lest they will turn into a boulder or a pebble, depending upon their size. (The last one is my addition to the rumor!)
Is this the beginning of rumors in the year of doom? Today there are stones, tomorrow there will be fire, day after, I don’t know, ringtones killing mankind!?

If it was all true, should we take massive loans and head for vacations? Should we start calling up people and bid a final adieu? Should we forgive and forget and have an attitude of gratitude towards everything we’ve done and everyone we’ve met? Should we think of the '10 things to do before dying?'

If it was all true and we were to follow the dreadful Mayan calendar, we should really start living it. Assuming we are all believers and therefore, start living each moment, imagine what an awesome year this will be.

C’mon people, the world’s gonna end in 2012, LIVE IT!!

P.S. The only living person in Lucknow who has actually turned into a stone with a Gucci bag is:

Greedy me in 2012

2012-01-02T13:17:00.001+03:00

This Year I want…

…to find determination

…to find a way to fight thoughts that are irrelevant

…to smile more than ever before

…to gain more clarity over the future

…to lose at least 4 kilos and look super hawt!!!

I want oodles of happiness, a healthy body and if possible, a load-full of wealth. And if God is listening, I want it today and I want it every year! Since God IS listening, Thankyou God for everything :D

Miracles and Memories – Part Deux

2011-12-26T17:51:00.002+03:00

Do you like your name? Have you always wondered how your parents finally decided to name you what they eventually did? What’s going on in my house right now is hilarious, and I wonder if every family goes through the same nightmare.

Apparently it’s not so common to use common names now. Rohit, Rahul, Karan are a strict no- no. After a few years, a school register will get a complete makeover and read names like Angad, Shlok, Vidit, Rajveer, and names that make you go back centuries. Some people have even resorted to the likes of Amelia and Alyssa because, you know, Indian names are so common in India!

Now when you are looking at uncommon names, you need approval. Everyone has their own point of view. Vivaan, to some, sounds like Vimaan. That ‘someone’ is called Indrani! So would you go by her views? Our maid laughed at the name Vedant saying it sounds like a book. She named her daughter Prateeksha. Should we take into account her opinion? Every name that me and my Bhabhi come up with is rejected by my brother and father. What do people who work with embroidery karigars like Miraj and Shadab know about uncommon names!?

To look for rare names we spoke to our younger cousins in Mumbai, you know, it’s a happp city! A 17-year old and his friends insisted on the name Yudi! They too had an opinion on every name. Virat and Samrat and Ranvir were blatantly rejected. The best was when they said that the kid will eventually grow up and Vivaan won’t suit him.

Oh yes, the ordeal doesn’t end at family, friends and maids. The astrologer has to approve the name. He has already rejected one name saying the kid would be authoritative if we name him ‘xyzee’!

It’s an awesome experience and I’m lovin’ it. I hope I remember this and be able to tell my nephew how many con-calls we had to make to name him what we eventually do. All suggestions from the blog world are welcome. And oh, I forgot to tell you, we’ve even read what celebrities are naming their kids. I’m glad we didn’t like Czar, Diva and Anya (Farah Khan’s triplets), Zen (Tara Sharma’s son) and many more in the name of uncommon names!

Another year, Same regret

2011-12-25T20:49:00.003+03:00

As I write this, I have an excruciating pain. God knows from where it emerged, but it sure made my life hell for 3 hours. It's getting better now, but the anger isn't subsiding.

Yes, I get angry when I get sick. I blame it on the things I did wrong to get into that state. I even get angry when someone else isn't feeling well. So don't come crying to me if you're unwell! I'm harsh that way.

I accuse myself for everything that goes wrong around me. It's my way of expecting less from the universe. Fortunately or unfortunately, I never punish myself for 'my' mistakes. It's both a blessing and a curse.

Today, I take the blame for not feeling my 100%. If I know the way to feel better, if I have all the faculties, if I have all the time, then what on earth stops me? Today I take the blame for letting another year go by without giving my 100% to what I set out to do.

Will I resent? I doubt. Will I make a resolution? I'm not sure. Then how do I move forward? HELP!!!!

Miracles and Memories - Part 1

2011-12-13T10:58:00.002+03:00

The last few weeks have been extremely busy. My brother had the cutest little baby boy. In the entire extended family he is the first boy of his generation, ah, what pressure! My 5-year old niece use to sing songs for him when he was in the tummy. Now whenever he cries, she starts humming “Doe a deer…” loudly and if he stops she considers it an achievement! When she saw him for the first time her hands trembled on touching him. She softly mumbled “God bless you”. The cuteness in the house is unbeatable. I see their pictures numerous times everyday and just want to be with them. How can we love our nieces and nephews so much!?

When my sister-in-law was in the hospital my niece use to sleep with me. Since she is very close to me she had no issues. Fortunately her school had holidays during that time and I didn’t need to help her with that. The only day she had school we thought we would let her bunk. She woke up at 6 a.m. asking is it morning, and that she needed to go to school! She went and told all her friends how she had a baby brother now. A friend of hers asked “Why are you telling us!” Really, I haven’t seen anything more innocent! The niece also wanted to know the procedure of feeding the baby. Do you know why? She said when she had her own baby; she should know how she would feed him!

Such things make me want to be close to my hometown. I’m fortunate that I get to meet most of my family members and friends every time I go. But then there are some whom I’ve not seen for a long time and long for a glimpse.

Such is life. We meet, make sweet memories, laugh with each other and go on our respective ways. If we meet the one's we want to, it’s a blessing. If we can't, memories don’t help much! Do they?

Bachchan baby is stealing my thunder!

2011-11-14T18:08:00.002+03:00

11/11/11 came and went. Millions made crappy pictures and displayed it on Twitter, Facebook, where else? An ex-neighbour captured the moment with candles and put it on Facebook. Some people had a baby ‘by chance’ at the 11th hour of 11th day of 11th month of 11th year of this century and put a status message at the 11th minute of it. Really, it happened on my wall! But sadly, no Ab’s baby popped out and thousands lost millions of rupees.

And now, according to the ‘latest’ reports our Bollywood damsel is all set to deliver on 17th November. Media will unnecessarily create another Gandhi Jayanti out of it and MY birth date will lose its importance. People will remember me not because I was born, but because a great man had a good-looking son, married a Miss World and delivered a future star.

Yes, Bachchan baby you are stealing my thunder. But I will still give you and your family good wishes. You know why, because people born on this date have a BIG heart, you will see!

P.S. Did you know pregnant Aishwarya is having spicy cravings?And, that there are pictures of her today entering a hospital? And you could watch those pictures with or without music? Aah, could the media be more irritating!? Leave the woman alone!

Movie Review: Rockstar

2011-11-12T16:10:00.002+03:00

Impeccable direction by Imitiaz Ali and flawless acting by Ranbir Kapoor makes Rockstar one of my favourite movies of 2011. Nargis Fakri’s lips stood out in the entire movie, but one really wished she didn’t speak through them. And the music, I thought it could be better.

The movie starts with Ranbir wanting to become a Jim Morrison. He is advised to have a heartbreak so that the true artist in him can come out. Ranbir is both dumb and cute in his approach. So, what begins with an act of falling in love with the hottest girl in the college progresses to be a passionate love story and ends in a tragedy. It rightfully transforms Janardhan into Jordan and brings out the Rockstar in Ranbir who gains all the appreciation in the world but remains a heart broken, gloomy man.

I kept waiting to get bored and things to go wrong. But Ranbir surprised everyone with all his avatars. And Imitiaz kept you interested in knowing what will happen next.The background scores were decent but a couple of songs could have been avoided. And yeah, the supporting cast did a real bad job!

But Rockstar proves that if the script is good and the lead actor does his job well, the movie can be a stunner. For me, Rockstar really is one.

The Arab world

2011-11-03T07:40:00.003+03:00

The Arab world is a mystery to me. What goes under black veils and white chongas is such a puzzle. You can read the likes of The Princess, Girls of Riyadh and Daughters of Arabia but still remain unsure about the authenticity of what has been said. You hear such incredulous stories that you wonder if it’s all true. One blog that leaves you shocked and looks a little genuine is http://muttawa.blogspot.com/. Read it and feel happy about your freedom. Sadist? Yes, we all are.

I’ve been reading here and there and thought I’ll share a few astonishing snippets.

The founder of Saudi Arabia had numerous kids (the exact number is unknown, 37 were boys). According to Wikipedia, the first was born in 1900 when he was around 24, and the last was born in 1952 before the king died in 1953. Yes, wow! And then we say our last generation in India had too many kids.

Saudi Arabia is the only nation in the Middle East where covering your face with a veil is compulsory for every woman (Maybe Iran also, I’m not sure). Even if me and you go there, we’ll have to wear a burkha with our faces covered. I have seen Saudi women in restaurants having such a tough time eating with their face covered with a long cloth. This is small in comparison to the death of 15 schoolgirls on March 15, 2002 because religious police refused to let them exit a burning building since they were not properly dressed. I wish they were called ‘The Cultural Police’ instead of putting this disgrace on religion.

Women are not allowed to drive a car/ride a bicycle or move around in Saudi Arabia without their brother/father or husband. Yes, even if there is a man with you, he has to be a close relative. Oh, and by the way, there are no movie halls in the Kingdom since entertainment is such a crime.

Having said that, it’s just Saudi that has such strict rules. In other Gulf countries, I’ve seen women in everything from a Bikini to a halter at public places. Dubai is so fashionable that it would make you look at your wardrobe and cry. People in Qatar and Kuwait are so rich that you feel like a pauper and wish to marry a rich Sheikh! You can wander on Bahrain streets at 12 a.m. on a weekend, and easily find someone who suits your budget. Yeah, when you are not allowed to do something, your craving increases manifold.

Living in the Middle East is an experience. Most(most, not all) citizens here are extremely lazy and full of themselves since they have oil and therefore a lot of money. It’s frustrating for a lot of people who have subordinates who just refuse to work and are only employed because of a certain quota. Anyway, as long as we are hired and paid enormously to do their work, we are not complaining!

On that note I’ll leave you with a joke that’s been doing rounds lately:
Japanese attitude for work: "If one can do it, I can do it. If no one can do it, I must do it."
Arabic attitude for work: "Wallahi if one can do it, let him do it. If no one can do it, ya-habibi how can I do it ?"

The kind of people I love

2011-11-02T17:07:00.004+03:00

The one’s who accept the fact that they can be extremely silly!

The one’s who can feed you anytime of the day.

The one’s who’s compliments are genuine and can make your day.

The one’s who’ll call you to inform about an ongoing sale!

The one’s who ask you for a particular recipe suggesting how much they love what you cook.

The one’s who will dress up not because there’s a crowd but because they felt like it.

The one’s who will bring you a cake on your birthday.

The one’s who call/text you even if you forget to call/text them like always.

The one’s who don’t mind you pulling their leg.

The one’s who love food as much as you do!

The one's who act funny just after one drink. And the one's who sing and laugh out loud with you after several shots!

The one’s who are regular at reading your blog :)

I could go on and on suggesting that I love a lot of people!!! Yeah, I could think of atleast one person I know for every line I wrote. So, who are the kind of people you love?

Movie Reveiw - Ra.One

2011-10-29T15:23:00.003+03:00

I’m not a Shahrukh fan. I’m not a superhero fan. I’m just a Bollywood fan but from now on, I’ll neither trust Mr. Khan nor any superhero made in India. Ra.one is a complete disaster. Nothing, absolutely nothing in the movie is worth praising. After a while even Kareena’s glowing skin couldn’t make up for the damage.

I went with another couple with a five year old kid. The kid was crying the entire time seeing the horrific Ra.one and hearing the blaring sound. The movie is not for adults and from the little girl's reaction, certainly not for kids!

I don’t have the patience to recollect the torture and write here. Please don’t waste your time and energy. Go to a restaurant, sit outside, enjoy the lovely weather, have tea/beer/sheesha, and thank God for being spared!

On Becoming Stronger

2011-10-23T21:39:00.002+03:00

I hate to travel alone. Every flight is difficult since it always involves some kind of climbing which I’m unable to do and need to take assistance from strangers. But yeah, each experience makes me a stronger, wiser person.

Not just because of the embarrassing situations I face, but the kind of people I meet. A couple of years ago, on a two seater Shatabdi, I had an opportunity to sit with a mentally retarded girl. For 6 hours, the 8-year old girl was listening to music and swayed her head like a true connoisseur. Whenever she ate or drank anything, little droplets fell from the left corner of her lip. She used a hanky with every bite she took. Her mother and aunt were on the opposite seat and I wondered how the mother felt bringing her up. Whenever I helped the girl with something, she would give me the cutest smile, a smile I would remember for life.

Once a young German lady of 30 helped me climb a bus. And then she smiled and said very casually, “Oh, everyone has problems. I have breast cancer and I’m on a mission to travel the world before I die”.

All low cost flights from the Middle East are abuzz with labourers. Last time a small time electrician sat next to me. He kept smiling, wanting to start a conversation. But I gave him little response. When the flight was hovering around the airport just before landing, he started talking. I gave him some gyaan saying you get such a low salary in Middle East at the high cost of staying away from your family, why don’t you quit? He said for a couple of thousand rupees more, it was all worth it. There was a self pride attached in working in a foreign land which he could no more give up in front of his family and friends back home.

Sometimes when I take help, little droplets fill my eyes and I try to hide them from kind strangers. And then I see people going through struggles which are enormous in comparison to mine. I told you, every journey makes me a stronger and wiser person. That’s why, even though I start fretting the bus ride a month before the travel, I look forward to an interesting journey. I hope all your journeys have been worth the pain as well.

Thought for the Day

2011-10-19T09:29:00.002+03:00

Facebook and Blogging give us a star status. People lurk, read posts, see pictures, know about my life, but divulge nothing about themselves.

Do I want to talk to my ‘fans’ and find out what's going on in their lives too?

Yes, I do!

The Best Quarter of the Year

2011-10-06T07:34:00.006+03:00

I don’t live in India, but I can still hear the dandiya sticks and picture the vibrant ghagharas. That’s the effect October has on you. Navratri, Dussehra, Karwachauth, Diwali, and plenty of birthdays add to probably the best month of the year. Really, how do we have maximum birthdays in October? (Is it something to do with February and Fertility!?)

October marks the Boy’s birthday as well. He’s never enthusiastic about it, but I am! It marks our first meeting anniversary when the Boy, after chatting online for 1.5 years, came down to my hometown by train for 2 days just to meet me. It marks our love anniversary when he went back home and finally proposed (because before that I acted like a total bitch!). For the Boy, it’s probably the worst quarter of the year since he has to remember so many dates (which, he never does!).

That's the Rangoli I made last year :)

November brings with it the best weather, when it’s neither too cold nor too hot. It brings with it bajre ki roti and sarson ka saag, gajar ka halwa, sweet rabdi, and an urge to eat lots without any guilt. It brings with it a whole new wardrobe and cosy blankets. Everything that makes you look oh-so-cute!

November is about my birthday and I’m always very excited. I hate the fact that I’m growing up, but I love the fact that I have loved each year of my life. November gives me a sense of contentment and gratefulness.
This year November will also bring the much awaited India trip. It will be 7 months to our last visit home and I'm dying to see my family. My brother will have a second baby and I can’t wait to see him smile with his eyes closed (people say they dream about their past life and smile. Yeah, LOL moment!). After my niece, this one will be the second love of my life and so the excitement is expected.

Yeah, will be turning 29, for the first time!

December makes you nostalgic about the year gone by. I always end up thinking how I should have utilised my time more efficiently and therefore, resolve to make the next one more productive. But like all resolutions, this one has no future as well.

December will bring us our wedding anniversary, third one this year. Everyone will want a chubby baby now, you know, kab kar rahi ho?! Such discussions make me most uncomfortable and I feel like running away. It’s supposed to be a happy occasion, but the pressure makes it a difficult one. Why can't some people have kids and others just have a happy life!? The only reason I would want one is to see how the baby will look like, since both of us are so cute looking!
And that’s how the year would end, with Narcissism spelt with a capital N!

Talks like a babyyy!

2011-10-05T09:00:00.002+03:00

It’s common to call a partner ‘baby’. It’s the most common name given, more common than darling/sweetheart/jaanu(!!)/etc etc etc. Why, I don’t know! Maybe you care about him/her just like you’ll care about a baby and that’s why this trend. It gets annoying when the ‘baby’ starts to behave like one in public.

Seriously, what’s with the pouting, eye-rolling and talking like a kid even when the other ‘baby’ is not around? I hate, hate, hate it! Grow up and talk like an adult. You can talk with your kid like that. Although it’s not really required ‘coz the real baby can understand the adult tone, but since you anyway behave like a moron near him, it’s ok.

But please, for heaven’s sake, don’t talk to me like a baby. How you talk at home with your husband is none of my business. But don’t pout in front of me. I feel like walking out of the room! Sometimes, for a second, just for a second, it might suit an individual. Maybe because she’s petite and has child-like qualities. But if you have a matured face, it doesn’t suit you.

And trust me; your other ‘baby’ doesn’t like it. He cannot say it because it will hurt your sentiments. But since I’m telling you today, please make a conscious effort to stop your annoying habit and restrict your urge to your partner.

Seriously, to the world, you are no baby, so stop talking like one!

Movie Review - Mausam

2011-09-30T18:49:00.000+03:00

Ok, so I haven’t reviewed Bodyguard and Mausam yet. Not that anybody cares, but I consider this my duty as a die-hard Bollywood masala flick fan!

For starters, I haven’t seen Bodyguard. After 15 minutes of the torture called Ready, I didn’t have the guts. I went to watch Mausam on the first day, but the show got cancelled (Yes, stroke of luck!!). The next day some morons entered the mall here and started their protests. That resulted in a lot of chaos. Thankfully they have not resorted to any form of violence as yet. Let’s pray for the best.

Anyway, I love Shahid Kapoor just for his cuteness. So I can watch Dil Bole Hadippa and not feel let down (you have to watch DBH to know the heights of stupidity!). Mausam is lovable for only one reason – the impractical love between Harry and Aayat.

Yes, impractical. How can a boy and a girl remain in love for 10 years just by being together for about 2 months in totality? You can be in love for maximum 2-3 years, be practical and then find someone else. How can they meet in remotest of places (Mallukot[!!], Soctland, Switzerland, Ahemdabad)? How can they not have flings in between? How can they post letters, wait for a response after changing locations and not know about EMAIL in the 21st century?

Bollywood ignores all practical aspects to show how love is above it all and true love conquers everything. While watching the movie I asked the Boy what is true love anyway!? And he just laughed it off probably because he knew I would shower a million questions if he answers that one (which, he has no ability to answer anyway!).

So, if you can ignore Sonam Kapoor and her irritating voice, the not-so romantic songs, all the travelling that they do, you can watch Mausam. Watch it at home for Shahid Kapoor and that sweet thing called love. Watch it for sweet moments that make you want to feel them in real. Watch it for the smiles it will bring on your face.

That Does Impress Me Much!

2011-09-16T18:37:00.001+03:00

Sometimes nostalgia strikes and we remember the times when we flipped pages of a real book. We remember those sweet kisses on paper that could only be sent through a letter box. We miss getting blank calls and not knowing who the admirer is. We think about the last time we printed pictures and placed them in a photo album. We hum ek titli anek titlian and instantly remember Doordarshan schedule as if memorized by heart!

But that’s as good as it gets, in nostalgia. Would I want to go back to those times? Not at all. I remember spending Rs. 4.5 for a 1 minute STD call from a PCO and it blew my meager pocket money in minutes. It created such a distance between people. The smell of cards and letters aside, there was nothing good about not having webcams, skype and smartphones that could store locked videos!

I take so many videos of my niece and nephew which they would definitely relish when they grow up. All I have from my childhood is an audio tape which doesn’t even work properly. Pictures are okay, nobody needs pictures of how I looked every second of every day! But videos, I definitely wish I had a few.

Yesterday I was reading a book on iPad. I suddenly discovered that with the help of an application I can just point at a word and it would display its meaning. Remember underlying/jotting down words and never looking them up? This was like a dream come true. So now I can read a book, play ludo/scrabble/chess, take pictures, make free calls, etc etc etc from just one device.

Sigh. Where was technology when I had Rs. 500 as pocket money and wanted to make loads of long distance calls?????

Thank your parents for giving you a nice name.

2011-09-11T17:42:00.004+03:00

I love to look up baby names whenever someone close is about to have a baby. I just love the idea that someone would actually use a name suggested by me.

Now that I’m about to become a bua for the second time, I looked up names again. In FRIENDS, Joey suggested to name Phoebe’s brothers son 'The Hulk'! To save the kid from eternal humiliation, it's not a bad idea to know all the crazy names before you finalise on the perfect one.

Before I share some of the funniest names I came across, let me tell you the names of some people I’ve know or would love to know:

Captain Batra (a surd classmate from school. Poor Captain!!)
Rhythm (A distant niece. Really, why Rhythm!?)
Ghamandi Lal Meena (A fellow collegemate of the Boy with the best name ever. Google him!)
Leeba Baby (A fellow classmate. Why Baby, I don’t know!)

I’m unfortunate to know only these four names in person. So I hunted for some more kids who would be abusing their parents for torturing them for life. And this is what made me Laugh Out Loud:

Moe Lester (OMG!!!!!!!!! Just say it out loud "Hi, I am Moe Lester.")
Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo (brother and sister probably!)
April May (!!!)
Bud Wieser (Now that’s a cool name to have!)
Dick Hunter (and so many more names beginning with the dreaded D!)
Crystal Ware (apparently a girl who was nicknamed tupperwear, silver ware, underwear!!)
Terry (who became Terry Terry after she married a guy with his last name Terry!!)

I wish there were funny Indian names on the internet. If you do happen to find any let me know. And if you want to read more, go here.

And I though Punjabi was a funny surname!

Musings from the Holiday

2011-09-11T16:56:00.003+03:00

When a villager goes to a city, I bet he has similar experiences like me! When I first went to meet the Boy at IIM from my low rated college, I was awestruck. Even the water from the water cooler tasted yum, leave alone my excitement in their colossal library! The Boy still teases me about my enthusiasm.

Anyway, so when I went to France, I was obviously dazzled by a number of things. It’s such a lovey-dovey country. At every metro station, bus stop, restaurant, square, boat, you name it, you would see couples kissing. It seemed like it was their last kiss, so passionate! Wherever I went, I looked with the corner of my Indian eye and aww’ed! It’s ok when young kids were kissing, you know, naya naya pyaar, but the best was when two oldies would lip lock, maybe there too, naya naya pyaar. You never know with these firangs!

I told you how we saw numerous topless babes. We also saw hordes of topless grannies. Ah, how the Boy made faces then! What was more amusing was how these moms would lay bare in front of their kids, not small kids, but grown up teenage boys. I was shocked, to say the least.

Eiffel Tower is world renowned and so is Mona Lisa. It’s virtually impossible to answer the reason why. They both look so ordinary! But when you go to the Eiffel tower and see the atmosphere, you fall in love with it. Maybe not with the structure but the power it has on people. Oh, there were so many kisses all around it as well!

The fitness of the people in both France and Switzerland was worth admiring. It was hard not to compare their dynamism with our desis. Even a 60 year old had such vitality that it left us feeling ashamed. I was inspired and now go for a walk when the Boy leaves home at 7 a.m(yes, that early!). I hope I keep thinking about the energy levels of the oldies and be determined to enhance my own!

I actually said the words that I’m proud of the Swiss government. Their main source of income comes from tourism and boy, you can see why. For every destination there is a bus/boat/train/cable car. The roads are smooth and the technology is unsurpassed. I went to Ladakh last year and had terrible experiences when it came to their roads. Agreed that Ladakh is admired for its raw beauty, but considering the amount of tourists that throng that place, it should be a doted child of the tourism ministry.
We went to a Gorge in Switzerland. While coming back we were directed to a train station. When we reached the point we didn’t understand where the station was. There was a small, lift-like door in a cave. We tried to open it but it won’t budge. A train was scheduled after 20 minutes. We waited only because a small group was waiting as well. When the train came, the engine driver adjusted the door of the train to the station door and opened it. We were blown, literally blown at their innovation.

There will be many more stories that will come till I go to a newer destination. And that won’t happen until the next year atleast. Till then, don’t get bugged!

Movie Review - Mere Brother ki Dulhan

2011-09-10T11:41:00.003+03:00

If anyone ever follows my Hindi movie reviews on this blog he would know I'm a fan of nonsensical entertaining love stories! I hate the ones which try too hard to create humour (Ready, Houseful, etc etc), but if it's a decent film, with naturally funny situations, a good cast and light entertainment, I recommend it.

And so I recommend Mere Brother ki Dulhan. It's a cute movie with a love story with a twist. The actors are quite charming (I'm beginning to like Imran Khan!) Most of the situations don't make sense to a normal person, but then in Bollywood, who cares! (Like how wedding cards are published after the bride and groom have reached the guest house!!!Like how Katreena manages to kidnap a sleeping Imran and drag him around town for a whole night!!! Like how everything falls in place to suit the love birds!)

You know who will marry whom from the very beginning. But still the movie is racy and keeps you gripped. I remember laughing really hard atleast twice in the movie and I smiled quite a bit (but then I'm always smiling :P)

Ah, the review is slightly confusing so you'll need to judge the movie yourself. I would definitely want you to go though :)

Best Holiday Ever

2011-09-04T21:18:00.005+03:00

Holidays are fun. You can go to Nainital, hog, play cards late into the night, take innumerable boat rides, walk on the mall road and call it your best holiday ever. More than the place, its how you feel on a trip that matters most.

I stepped out of Asia for the first time. Paris was a big city for me. Riding the metro, taking buses, walking lots, saying Bonjour/Merci/Au revoir just to make the French happy, living on sandwiches and basin water was new to me. I had heard stories and read reviews of places, but the feeling was fresh.

My fave moments were the romantic ones. We took the Seine river cruise and kissed under every bridge. There were 7-8 bridges, so to and fro, in front of people, on a chilly night, I loved those moments.

From the Seine river cruise

We went to the Eiffel at 10 in the night when it begins to twinkle for 5 minutes. The square we saw it from was lively buzzing with people. We found a corner and sat close for more than an hour and saw it twinkle twice. Priceless. We took an uncovered bus tour and it started to drizzle. Getting wet in the rain with your partner and riding through picturesque Paris – unbeatable.

A pebbly village in Paris.

We went to an ‘artistic’ strip club. The show wasn’t that great but much better than a Lido or Moulin Rouge. Later during the trip, we went to a shady strip club in Switzerland also. We were the only audience and the ‘show’ will remain the funniest and yuckiest for the rest of our lives.

After seeing all the touristy places we went to Nice, South of France. The place was a party. People would start singing, playing music and dancing just about anywhere. The beaches were pebbly but that didn’t stop the women to lay topless. For the Boy it was a real treat! We went to near-by Antibes in search of sandy beaches and fell in love again in the shallow of the ocean. Oh, and I also wore a bikini for the first time in my life and felt the need to lose some weight!

And then I fell on the road. It was horrible. Both my knees were badly scratched and I felt like crying like a little girl. The Boy clicked many pictures to distract me. And I would go ‘ooohh…aahh’ in search of some sympathy! The pain was there for a week, but that didn’t stop me from having the best holiday ever.

We went to Monaco and saw how the rich lived there. The F1 streets were amazing. So were the yachts and the cars. In the evening we walked into the liveliest place in Nice, a square with plain cafes with outside seating, buzzing with men, women and wonderful music. Leaving Nice was the saddest thing.

Switzerland was scenic and very expensive. Yes, that’s no news! Two happy meals that cost Rs. 700 in France, cost Rs. 1200 in Switzerland, a plain chapatti costs Rs. 200 and a chicken curry costs approximately Rs. 1600! We are foodies and this was a huge disappointment. Another couple friend joined us from Bahrain, and we would hunt for the cheapest beer so that we can afford good food!

Thanks to them, we enjoyed Switzerland. Otherwise me, the Boy and the scenery wouldn’t have lasted long! We love nature and the greenery and the lakes, but not for eight days and certainly not with such expensive meals!

View from a swiss train.

We went to Aare Gorge. The caves and the water gushing through it sent a chill through the spine. The mountain rides were beautiful and the weather was a delight. Again, my fave moment was sitting beside the lake with the Boy and discussing life. Another fave was singing over a 100 hindi songs at the top of our voices on a lake cruise. We rode an Ice flyer over Mt. Titlis, the joy that it brings you is heavenly.
We plucked apples from roadside trees and loved them. We had chocolates, cheese and fondue. And we rode innumerable trains. The views were breathtaking.

After day 12(of 16!) my muscles gave up. I couldn’t deal with all the walking and wanted to come back home. I love the Boy for his patience and support without which I wouldn’t be living the life I have. I love him for giving me the best holiday ever :)

When we hired a car and walked into a scenery...

Holiday Fever

2011-08-17T08:14:00.002+03:00

I’ve been crazy during the last few months. Ever since we decided we’ll be taking a France – Switzerland trip this August, I’ve lost it! I’ve devoured Tripadvisor and as a result I’m seriously considering planning holidays for people now. I know what to do, where to stay, how to move, what to eat, where to shop, the list goes on and on.

Worse (or better), I’m taking French lessons and hope to master the language in a year or so! If this is not crazy then what is.

The boy is totally bugged. All he does is follow my instructions to get the print outs from office, exchange cash, make certain bookings and read his book while I stare at the screen. He's the bread earner (ahem!) and so he has the final word on everything. Or that's what other would see it as! All he wants to do is grab a bottle of beer and wander on the streets, something that we can’t do in the Middle East. I would love that too, but c’mon, not every day!

I’m really, really ,really excited and can’t wait to board the plane now! I've mastered quite a few Middle East destinations, have seen a bit of South East Asia but it's my first time outside Asia and so the thrill is expected. What is not normal is my days of planning! Hopefully, someday, life will teach me how to live more spontaneously. Till then, bear with my compulsive need to plan.

Au revoir people. Moi will be back in quinze days with Ile de France stories and breathtaking, ah, breathtaking pictures from the Swiss Alps! (I know, so far the French sucks!)

Trying to Understand Politics

2011-08-16T11:56:00.004+03:00

I’m not into politics - neither at home nor countrywide. I hate the idea of watching over parliament proceedings because I feel it's all fake. They will do what they have pre-decided, then why all the Tamasha.

But the recent events have left me all confused. Consider the two scenarios:

Scenario One:

A monarchy which calls itself a democracy – Bahrain - witnessed a revolt. Some six months back, awaken by the revolts taking place in Egypt, Syria and Libya, the Shia community marched towards a roundabout to demand their rights. They were uneducated and unskilled to handle such a demonstration. They had no clue what they were demanding. Yet they stood together some voluntarily, some forced by the so-called leaders. All of them, really, all of them took to the streets.

They were asked by the King to come for a dialogue and put forward their demands. They said they don’t want to talk but want the Prime Minister of decades to resign and new elections should take place. The PM being a very powerful person resorted to amazing methods to shun their demand. Thousands were arrested and tortured. Hundreds were forced to quit their jobs since they participated in the revolt and didn’t come to work.

Everyday, till today several arrests take place. Just last weekend we heard gunshots for over 3 hours somewhere near-by. We keep hearing stories of tear gas being used to forbid them to gather at places.

The revolutionaries were left jobless and homeless. They have no money to feed their already starving families. They were confused before about their demands. Now they are just quiet. But the volcano can erupt anytime. When you use force to stop something like this, the consequences can be disastrous.

Scenario Two:

A democratic country – India – seems to be in the middle of a revolution. They are being led by a Social Activist - Anna Hazare. Their demands are on the Lokpal Bill. They just want the bill to pass.

Simple? Not really. There is little difference between the revolution in Bahrain and India. The Lokpal Bill has everything that the government wouldn’t want to even consider. They definitely can’t use force and torture people like a Monarchy. But they can send their own groups to create riots and the revolt can become non-violent easily. The methods will be different, but the result could be same.

I saw kids on the streets as well. The Bahraini kids were shouting 'Death to Khalifa', I'm not sure what Indian children are being taught. Can't we leave innocent children away from all this?

I’m all for anti-corruption bills. I’m with the doers rather than with the cribbers. All I don’t understand is politics and how these animals chosen by us make our life hell. All I don’t like is people being tortured and unaware people being dragged into the mess.

Hopefully Anna and his team would be more intelligent in their approach and take India to new heights. Meanwhile, we’ll all have to pray that the peace and unity in our country keeps away from the dirty politics we’re about to see.

Movie Review - Aarakshan

2011-08-13T12:09:00.004+03:00

I've never seen my watch so many times in a movie. And the only reason I finished it because I thought the subject was interesting. The movie - not so much.

Aarakshan begins with the expected fight between the SC/ST/OBC and general category students. In the background there is a love story happening between the Principal's (charitable, principled, admirable,for-reservation Amitabh) daughter (expressionless Deepika) and his fave teacher (OLD Saif - someone from the reserved category). After some 20-30 minutes the movie becomes a revolution against coaching centres. And it ends there after 3 hours.

Yawn!!

The song and dance sequences that emerged from nowhere were absolutely abhor-able. The romance was dreary. The idea of Amitabh trying to prove his ideologies by beginning a free coaching centre in a cowshed was unimaginable. Students studying there and changing from losers to toppers in few weeks was miraculous. Last shot with Hema Malini emerging as a diety from Rishikesh to solve all problems was hilarious.

There were several scenes which could have been edited. We tried to laugh out loud but Uncle in the row beneath us got highly offended and so we couldn't get back every Fil of Dinar we spent.

The only highlight was Manoj Bajpai in his villainous character which too got bugging towards the end. Saif was selected in Cornell University but carried an Indian Sim card and we were on the edge of our seats to see the number correctly.

If that got us to the edge of our seats, you can imagine the boredom we went through. You can still go if all you've got at home is India-England match. Aarakshan scores above that, atleast!

Friendship is Life

2011-08-05T12:13:00.002+03:00

The Friendship that was

Rejoicing over each other’s good grades but secretively feeling jealous
Helping each other go on dates
Hearing love tales and giving a shoulder during a break up
Shopping together and fighting over the same top
Drinking coffee at Barista and talking for hours
Hogging at a favourite hangout
Watching movies and making memories that will be discussed extensively in the future
Clicking silly pictures together, giving each other cards, cutting cakes…

The Friendship that is

Helping each other get married
Hearing out marital problems
Laughing yet giving mature advice
Worrying about the future together
Discussing the pressure to get married, have kids, buy a property…
Sharing holiday/honeymoon/second honeymoon pictures over Picasa
Looking at each other on a web cam and wondering when we will get to see each other again
Planning a getaway someday

The Friendship that will be

Crying for a year on touching 30
Helping the last one get married
Calling Godmother to each other's children and fighting over ‘who gets whom’
Repeating koki, chowmien, peking soup moments in home town.
Keep the hunt on for the tape we made in the span of one year during our graduation. Keep the blame game on too.
Growing old together and telling the world that the concept of ‘forever friends’ exists :)

Happy Friendship Day my sweethearts!

P.S. And the excitement of F-Day continues. Signs that I'm still young... :D

Thought for today

2011-08-04T22:42:00.002+03:00

Be the most enthusiastic person you know and your life will suddenly become the best.

I realised this when I saw two of my friends dead tired after 4 hours of shopping but I was ready for much more! I thought I was weak but didn't realise that enthusiasm can beat all odds :)
And yes, I even made dinner and lunch after reaching home before a fashion show for the Boy while one girl ate at Subway and the other took disprin!

What Women Wear

2011-07-25T11:04:00.002+03:00

We love to look good. There’s no doubt about that. We dig compliments. Even if we’re at our worst, we would want someone to come up and say how cute we look.

But we don’t necessarily like the process of looking good. At least I don’t. Most of the time I want to wear my jeans and tee… the most comfy tee… but nooo… that’s not the norm!
Imagine who would want to wear a Jumpsuit when you know you are going to be sloshed at the end of the party? The garment is cute alright, but when you do have to relieve yourself, you need to take it all off! And the high heels that you have to – have to wear with them, just don’t get me started on them.

When I bought my first short dress I was dying to show it off. After wearing it I was not thrilled. I had to climb an SUV and there is no way I could climb with one leg up and the other down. Yes, yes there is a technique to it. But wouldn’t it be easier to wear jeans and apply no new technique to something as simple as climbing a car!

I’m planning a trip to Paris this August. When I check the forums on ‘what to wear’, the locals seem to believe that tourists in shorts look funny. Now, I would want to be my comfy best in shorts or jeans when I go for a holiday. My husband doesn’t even wear his leather shoes on weekends ‘coz he considers them ‘work’! How can you expect us to wear an evening gown and a formal jacket for a Moulin Rouge in Paris? Should we change our destination?

Well, that’s another topic altogether. Imagine the torture women have to go through when they have to put on make-up. First consider the hour given to the right base, shadow, rouge, mascara, kohl, liner, lipstic, powder, and blah. Then consider a slight smudge and the process of rubbing it off. After that comes the constant going to the washroom to keep it nice and shiny! Women in the Middle East literally live in the washroom of public places just to brush up their eye-shadow constantly.

And it doesn’t end with that. We need to remove it before we sleep and apply proper moisturizer so that our skin is soft and smooth for its next trip to the vanity box. We do all that and then you forget to compliment us, how could you?

If it were to me, I would have only jeans and tees in my cupboard, walking shoes in my drawer and a gloss in my purse. And if you didn’t compliment me how cute I looked just in that, you know the drill I’ll have to go through. Just remember your kindest words even when you see me with yoghurt on my hair and besan on my face, would you?

Movie Review - Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

2011-07-16T15:18:00.005+03:00

Three childhood friends. Guys. A road trip. Hilarious. Absolutely stunning chick as a diving instructor. Romance depicted as never before. Lessons from life explained in the form of beautiful Shayari. Breathtaking views. Powerful perfomances. Emotional sequences shown but not stretched. Love, Life and Friendship.

While Delhi Belly was great off-beat cinema, ZNMD is good old Bollywood movie with all the ingredients perfectly blended to cater the intelligent audience.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a must, must watch. Loved it :)

At the Battleground

2011-07-11T17:22:00.004+03:00

Everyone is fighting a harder battle, I know. Maybe thats what keeps me going on. I see others having issues which are more difficult to handle. Sometimes, I see people handling those issues like they were the worst ones. The latter is a sad case.

But what do you do when you try, fall. You try again, you fall. You try once more, you fall yet again? What choice do you have than to try again? Either you crib, cry and say that you are God's step child. Or you cry, get up and say, God is testing you. If you just keep crying you are giving yourself no other choice but to fail. If you try again, there is a slight chance that you will win this time around.

What if you convince yourself to try for the last time and you fail? Do you blame it on destiny or do you go hiding till you are ready to come out again?

Well, I've tried. I've tried several times. Not because I love to try and fail. But because I have no choice. I try with 100% enthusiasm. So far, I've always failed.

And to be frank, I have no hopes of succeeding. Yet I try hoping to succeed. All I hope sometimes is He is watching and would never let me fail completely. And with that hope, I try yet again.

Day before yesterday I met failure for the 1000th time. I cried. But I got up next morning with a plan to restart. And restart I will. If for nothing more, I thank God everyday for giving me a fighter's spirit.

Way to go, me! :)

Dear Bollywood...

2011-07-03T22:01:00.003+03:00

...I humbly request you to not to come up with songs like 'Ban gaya Kutta, Lag gaya patta...' and 'Jaa chudail, ja ja ja, go to hell..'.

It is creating havoc in my married life. My husband keeps humming these songs at every given opportunity. You can imagine my trauma.

Thanking you in advance.
Yours Faithfully,
A kind wife.

Delhi Belly - Movie Review

2011-07-01T00:41:00.004+03:00

So far Indian movies had cheap humour from the Govinda era.I never liked that as such. Now the humour is closer to reality and it's so much better.

Like Tanu weds Manu portrayed the unabashed Indian woman, Pyar ka Punchnama hovered around the young and the restless, Delhi Belly revolves around 3 men and the bold new era.

I still can't say much about the story of Delhi Belly because there was hardly any(I kept waiting for 'moral of the story'!!). But the screenplay is racy and does make you laugh out lots. The three main characters swear more and talk less. That's a novelty for us and so we laugh! You wouldn't have seen a more straightforward movie than this in India. Hopefully they won't overdo this either.

Tashi is not sure if he wants to marry his girlfriend. Arup is dumped by his 'chudail' girlfriend who apparently gave him blowjob which the family discovers during the pheras. And Nitin has a belly that gets upset easily. Gross and upfront, that's how these men are, reflecting the new generation who would do something only if they believe in it not because they were told a lifetime ago that it is right.

And then the crime that they mistakingly commit. They have diamonds which are passed on as Nitin's stool sample and the whole thing gets complicated. He's a smart ass and finds an easy path between right and wrong taking it as a sign from God. Again, practical with their values intact, reflecting a generation that has a viewpoint on everything. (Nitin blackmails his landlord with pictures of him with a prostitute because he doesn't have money to pay the rent. Later on when he does have money, he mails him the reel telling him to relax in life!)

Like Arup confronts the girl who dumps him, Tashi doesn't hide from his girlfriend that he kissed another girl. Don't get him wrong, he risks his life to save this girlfriend because that's the right thing to do. And when it comes to come out clean, he does. Fearless and honest.

Loved the movie for its content and boldness and ofcourse the SONGS! We need this to bring us closer to reality as much as we need Dabang to take us away from it! And please take Ready and Buddha away from the screens. We are much more creative than this.

Luxury v/s things money can't buy

2011-06-26T14:56:00.003+03:00

My husband changed his job recently and owing to a mammoth HRA, we moved into a bigger, better house. The apartment is complete bliss with huge rooms, kitchen, and the works. (My friends saw the pictures and called it a fancy hotel lookalike but whatever!)

My last apartment was very small and the furniture was not done very tastefully (it was a fully-furnished apartment). But that didn’t seem to matter. I had very loving neighbours, some 40 places to eat downstairs, a grocery store in the building and a supermarket across the street. The place was transformed into a party on weekends with the street full with tourists (read: Saudi’s who don’t get to do ‘stuff’ in their own country!)

So here I am, wondering if life is better now or its was happier then? The last house was cozy and comfortable and I had no issues. Except when the guests pondered why we chose to live in it! You know, until you don’t live in that house you won’t understand the importance of a good neighbourhood and a lively street.

I didn’t choose this house for the guests either. I love it. But I don’t know the neighbours and there is no place to eat downstairs. Although my old house is only half a mile from here, but in the desert heat and Bahrain roads which are not meant for pedestrians, it’s impossible to meet my friends every day.

When life gives you luxury, you miss the smaller things in the world. When luxury doesn’t come easy, you wish for the moon! Will we ever be happy?

P.S. I’m showing off a part of the house because that’s the only thing that’s making me happy these days!

Please hear what I’m not saying

2011-06-21T07:55:00.003+03:00

I wear a dark mascara, I wear Jimmy Choos
I drool over Chanel, I have a collection of a million shoes
I wear a confidence that only a few can muster
If I have to get there, I tend to get there faster.
But try to see the lines embedded beneath that eye
The soreness that comes, when the heel gets high.
I don’t do it all for me, I am sometimes suffering
Will you please hear what I’m not saying?

I am ruthless, I have broken all rules
I am just perfect, never have those blues.
I eat mutton on Tuesday, Temples are not for me
Feminism, AIDS, oh, I care a damn about child literacy.
But did you hear I make kind gestures to the poorest stranger
I want to sponsor a girl child, want to help her like a mother
Every night before sleeping, you’ll see me praying
But you can’t for its silent…Please hear what I’m not saying.

If I crack silly jokes, it doesn’t mean I have a non-existent IQ
If I act like a teenager, it doesn’t mean I haven’t grown up like you.
No, I won't drop the act 'coz I like it that way
And I don't want your sympathy, don't think too much after this essay.
Just be aware of the mask, 'coz like you most of the time I’m playing
Like you, I need to be heard, but first, Please hear what I’m not saying.

Inspired by this

Dogs and Bitches

2011-06-12T13:17:00.005+03:00

Warning: Teenage girly post ahead!

If I act like a bitch and pull my friends leg, does that mean I'm watching too many sitcoms? I mean, it was my friend who called another friend a damp squib, I just agreed, so it wasn't really me!

Like I have mentioned before, me and 3 of my other school/college/forever/best friends write mails to each other every few days. We might not speak on phone for weeks, but we sure know how long our flicks are.
So one of them recently had a break-up (yes we were over this phase eons ago but some girls are still in the process, sorry RC!). And this break-up kid has been all over our mails recently showing more signs of PMS than ever before. So she just cried a bit over one mail and YS asked her to take a ‘deep breath’. I just generally asked if she did ‘take a deep breath, relaxed, and spent time with herself because she deserved it’. Why the hell I become a bitch when I just repeat what YS says!?

Then there is PS. She's missing attention. You know, for a long time we were hunting guys for her. Yes, WE! She use to tell us a name that her mother use to hunt from millions of 'suitable' bachelors, we use to google him, check his salary status on LinkedIN and his social status on Facebook. Most guys have their walls out in the open. Some even have their tattoo studded photo albums. Yes, we chose the tattoo guy. We ‘eewed’ initially, enjoyed the way he interacted over his status messages, thought he looked cute in his profile pics and finally we were content. (Wow, love the way arrange marriages are fixed these days!) But for a long time PS use to date random people, exchange mails, talk on phone and then reject or get rejected.
When she got married we thought we were over her, but she's back with her new job, her marital problems and how her hubby keeps getting foreign trips from office. Now I don’t know of any company that sends their kids to Spain and Mauritius just within a span of 3 months, but whatever! So RC snatched attention, didn’t acknowledge her smallish pain(as compared to a break-up) and called PS a damp squib who needed to get off her husband's case, bitch! WHO WATCHES MORE SITCOMS AND SPENDS MORE TIME ON REDDIT NOW!?

And then there is our adorable housewife YS. Her problems start from food and end at lingerie! There are many more problems, but I would keep them for a more serious day. Her hubby also gets a lot of foreign trips, but sadly she cannot accompany him on all. Damn you, visa and allowance.
She’s a sweetheart; I can’t accuse her for being a bitch. Hmmm!

After all the mess men create in our lives, there comes Pyar ka Punchnama and songs like ‘Ban gaya kutta…’. We are nice girls who just want some love and warmth. And then they say ‘The dog in the hutch ad has to be a Bitch, you know, wherever you go we follow…’. We do leave you alone and cry on our friends virtual shoulders through such mails! Imagine the pettiness. We don’t deserve movies like that.

Seriously, after watching PKP, the moment I order, oops, request, my husband to even move a glass, he starts humming ‘ban gaya kutta..’. We lived with ‘Men are dogs’ for our entire lives, but we didn’t expect them to become so offended suddenly! C’mon Boy, stop this song NOW!
Girls, never watch this movie with your GUY, you’ll be a bitch for the rest of your life and he won’t be a dog anymore!

Watch 5 minutes of it here and you will be assured of this!

When all you know about...

2011-06-05T23:26:00.003+03:00

...F1 is Michael Schumacher and Grand Prix is pronounced in a very complex manner.

...Tennis is something called 'love', Sania and her wedding, Nadal, Federer, a few other names.

...Football is Barcelona.

...Hockey is the national game of India.

...Basketball is Michael Jordan (right? Makes me wonder people with the name Michael can make it big? Schumacher, Jordan, Jackson,...)

...Baseball is home run. (I'm reminded of some nintendo game, was fun!)

...Golf is Tiger Woods and his affairs!

...Boxing is Mike Tyson (that's also because of Hangover 2.)

...Rugby. (just remember Ross playing it for his Brit girlfriend in FRIENDS!).

I feel like a dumbass while reading about these online. Cricket is a religion but the other games...Ah, I don't even want to make an effort!

Diminishing Creativity

2011-05-24T00:11:00.003+03:00

I was looking at my old email accounts after ages. Those were the days of hotmail, yahoo and rediffmail. Since this gmail has overtaken, all my old accounts are just filled with spam.

What's more amusing is the fact that the older I have grown, the less creative I have become. All my latest accounts have my name in them! The older email read "cute_enigma"! Imagine the hardwork that must have gone into creating that email account. The next one was "nisha_scorpion". I should have guessed that I would be moving to "nisha.punjabi" very soon.
Oh, and I totally forgot about the deleted email id's I had - "theme_for_a_dream" and "rhythm divine"!

Where are the creative names dude? I miss "dollface_xyz", "sugarspice1984", "crazygal4u", "dolly2cool", "coolnutcase"...

Maybe the fun names have already been taken and only the boring real names are left now. Lets get creative... what do you think about... hmm... man.. I can't think beyond "heroine.housewife".

Yikes!

Little Mommies!

2011-05-12T17:18:00.000+03:00

No, this isn't about teen pregnancy or anything close to it. It's about my friends embracing motherhood.

It is surreal, hard to believe that people I grew up with have little people growing inside them! The little girls in pony-tails and short skirts who worried about grades and were teachers pet now worry about diapers and future of their kids. When and how did we grow so old!?

My mom once said that once you have kids your life is totally dedicated to them. First you worry about their school, then teenage, career, wedding, then grand kids... phew! Yet when a child is born, the happiness that surrounds him doesn't reflect even a hint of fear that the kid brings with him. The parents just fall immensely in love with the baby and life goes on. I'm sure they have their moments of anxiety and doubt, but it really doesn't over-power the insane love towards the baby.

Yes, insane! I've seen young mothers run after their kids for hours. One meal takes about 2 hours. So you can imagine the kind of time 3-4 meals a day take. Yet beyond everyday frustration, love glows brighter! And it is hard to believe.

Maybe till you don't have a kid you won't understand the feeling. I'm glad my little girls have been blessed with such a divine feeling. As for me, I call Godmother!

Doomed!

2011-05-08T20:31:00.003+03:00

The last few weeks have been big for the world. In one part of the universe, there was a fairytale wedding that wasted millions of tax-payers money. In another part, a bad guy was murdered(or not) resulting in varied reactions. And while all this was happening, a few brave citizens held their ground and challenged their national leaders to give them well-deserved freedom.

In other news, gold and silver prices went soaring. Right from the daughter to the mother-in-law calculated their net assets! Another website was able to lure the middle class into investing their hard earned money into a ponsy scheme that promises some 400% return in a year. Yes, speakasia. Again, right from the daughter to the mother-in-law was fascinated.

A friend was asked to take a 2-month unpaid leave that left her devastated. Another friend at a much higher level was sacked. The middle eastern crisis has left many with unknown future.

Some normal people discussed these latest happenings, ate, drank and had a good sleep. They planned about the next weekend, spent some moolah at the newest sale and vowed to lose some weight.

I admire these people. Infact I'm one of them. As the world becomes a more challenging place to live in, it's important to take these events by your stride and move on. Be it the job market, the political conditions across the globe, even the air we breathe, everything is becoming a challenge. If you watch the news regularly, the euphoric world cup triumph is a once in a blue moon phenomenon.

Watch the legendary Barney Stinson, try to develop some interest in the boring IPL this year, celebrate mothers day and plan a good vacation, those are four ways to get out of these difficult times. Go figure some other ways and let me know!

Hmmm, I miss the 20th century when life was easier and we found happiness in simpler things.

For the Love of God -

2011-04-05T19:51:00.004+03:00

- Sachin Tendulkar!

I tried to blow a whistle for about half an hour but failed! I wanted to do it for Him, for Dhoni, Yuvraj, Zaheer, Gambhir, everyone. I made silly posters with Indian flag, 4 runs, 6 runs, the works. I hosted 12 hour parties at my place and jumped like a little girl. I danced after we beat the hostile neighbours. I went crazy.

I know you did it too! How does it happen? Why do we love cricket so much? How the hell do we unite like one loving nation when only 11 men dressed in blue jerseys lift the cup?

It's overwhelming. It's the proudest moment of being an Indian. It makes me love my country and it's people. It makes me want to come back.

How and when did this develop? We are 1.2 billion people (Yes, facebook has helped me become better with my stats!). Keralites in Bahrain say they are from Kerela, not India, Kerela, when asked about their home country. Shiv sainiks try to divide us every few months. The Kashmiri's want a seperate state. Delhites hate Mumbai and vice-versa. If you are from UP - Bihar, you are 'down-market'. I can state multiple examples here.

Yet when we win, we gather at a roundabout, shout, scream, dance, wave, honk with each other despite the differences. It can happen only in India. We've had a major over-dose of cricket lately. But it deserves all the attention.

Sachin - you should be a proud man. The entire nation has dedicated this trophy to you. The entire nation has dedicated this moment of unity to you. And that includes me - thankyou for bringing joy to each and every Indian face.

We loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee you Sachinnnnnnn!!!!

:)

Lovey dovey poetry!

2011-03-10T14:59:00.003+03:00

He loves me, he loves me not
He's in your mind, he's in your thought
He looks at you and your day is made
That's how love felt in 8th grade!

I missed him, he never knew
It was a crush and time flew
What a silly love story it could have been
Oh, it was all for fun at Eighteen!

And then came first love, the movie style
Love blossomed cutely for a while
A peck here and a hug there
I dreamt quite a bit, I dreamt everywhere!

Love happened again and again
We can't get enough of it, you think we can?
And then He came like a prince on a horse
To give infinite love, like a fairytale, ofcourse!

The 8th grader in me loves to believe in romance
Like Eighteen year olds, love puts me in a trance
I love to look into the eyes just like when I was Twenty
With a kiss here and a squeeze there, love will now grow till eternity!

35 years of 'love'!

2011-02-28T20:52:00.000+03:00

We always blame our parents for our shortcomings. If you are a cleanliness freak, it’s because of your mom. If you have travel anxiety, it’s because your dad would have acidity 2 hours before every train/flight!

It’s only in moments of pride you think about the good things that you may have inherited. Like my mom’s an environmentalist who would carry plastic bags so that she doesn’t get an additional one. And now, I have the same habit as well. My dad is extremely punctual and so am I. I’ve always thought of myself as a mix of both my parents, you know, taken all the good points of both! Probably that’s why I’m perfect!

But one thing that I don’t like about my parents and myself is the inability to express love. Most parents in Indian families never even hold hands in front of their kids, atleast the generation I come from. Hugging and kissing is a taboo. I may have never told my parents or any family member if I like something about them or not. Even today if I want to go and tell them I love them, I don’t think I can.

Is this because they never expressed anything in front of us? Or is it just a personal characteristic? Well, it’s a shortcoming, let me just blame it on them and move on!

Nevertheless, tomorrow my mum and dad will be celebrating their 35th anniversary. And I want to wish them all the happiness in the world! That I can do :)

A revolution has begun...

2011-02-15T22:10:00.000+03:00

It has been two years since me and my husband moved to Bahrain. Bahrain is a small island nation in the Middle East known for its oil refineries, US navy’s fleet and a thriving night life. No one knows this Arab nation so whenever I told anyone that I live in Bahrain, it was followed by ‘near Dubai’! And now that this nation is making its place in Google news, I think some curious looks will stop.

Anyway, it has been sad two days. And I don’t know for how long this ‘revolt' go on. As an expatriate, I have my bag ready with important documents and valuables so that we are not stranded in a worst case scenario. It disheartens me to be prepared for such a situation for I love this country and it really feels like home.

To give you a lowdown, Bahrain is a very small city-country with a population of about 1.3 million. Half of these are like us, from various parts of the world to work here. This country is one of the most cosmopolitan places I know of and Hindi is actually a second language after Arabic.

I’ve met all kinds of people here. From the simple Jain who wouldn’t even smell onions to hard core non-vegetarians who can’t differentiate their spinach from their fenugreek. I’ve partied with couples who wouldn’t touch a bottle of Rum and couples whose thirst doesn’t quench at even 5 a.m. in the morning! People here dance on the streets, at the pubs and on the beach defying all facts that Arab countries are conservative.

The main problem of this country has been the conflict between the Sunni and Shia population. The king who is a Sunni has supposedly given more privileges to his own sect. The Shia, who are in majority are angered every now and then because of this. The Egypt revolution has given a ray of hope to them and therefore a revolution has begun.

It really makes the future of this country bleak. The King has been moderate in his policies and so the country has been liberal in various aspects as well. If his regime is thrown out and the conservatives take charge, I’m not sure if I will be living here.

Bahrain has really been an ideal foreign location for us. It has the luxury of being abroad and the comfort of being at home. It’s just a 4 hour flight from Delhi and keeps us closer to our folks. But we are fair weather friends. I hope we don’t have to prove it.

Love is...

2011-02-14T11:20:00.000+03:00

... when you know you've cooked a bad meal but he makes yummy noises while having it.

... when you know he doesn't like the kohl in your eyes yet he praises how pretty you look.

... when he will eat at a restaurant just because you like it so much.

... when he will not drink so that you can to your hearts content.

... when he seems to have a constant guilt that he doesn't buy you enough gifts.

... when he says 'chanel' is next!

... when he will wake up without letting you know and go to the office without breakfast and lunch so that you can chill in life.

... when he will shift himself so that you can sit on your spot on the sofa.

... when he will constantly look out for steps so that you can comfortably climb them.

... when he will support you even though his arms are dead tired.

... when he holds your hair back while you are coping with a hangover.

... when he stands with his eyes down after committing a mistake.

... when he pulls your leg in public and then hug you cutely in private for the same thing!

You might not hear him say it enough but it's there. True love is not expressed in words or on Valentines day, it's around you all the time and you can really feel it till your toes! Nevertheless, celebrate it today like never before :)

Tell me your dreams

2011-02-13T20:10:00.000+03:00

I woke up this morning with an unfinished dream. Even the alarm couldn't wake me up while I was into that dream. And when my husband woke me up to prepare breakfast for him, all I heard myself saying was 'I don't want to wake up'!

What is it about our dreams that is so interesting? These days my radio station plays a program in which dreams are analyzed. People would say how they encountered a snake or escaped from fire or jumped from a building and the specialist would analyze each and every picture. I'm not too sure whether to take these dreams as a sign of something but it certainly is a very interesting science.

In my dream I was going to meet someone I really want to meet. I don't know who this person was since I didn't see his face. But when I woke up, I felt really disheartened that I couldn't meet him. I wanted to go back to my sleep, but well, duty comes first!

I know people who see horrible dreams. I know people who remember each and everything they did during a dream. I can't remember anything. I also think that people who see scary ones take a lot of stress in life. Thankfully I've never had such illusions and would like to believe I never take stress! But really, are these two related - stress and scary dreams?

I'm sure that all of us dream big. All of us want to dream about things we would want to do but are somehow incapable of doing in real life. Sometimes when the real life dream is broken, we want to experience the feeling in our sleep. Maybe that's why our dreams have such a lot of relevance.

I don't wish to analyze them further, for a world of dreams is better left vague. It's a wonderful place and attaching a science around it would change its beauty.

Anyway, do you remember your dream today?

I'm Sweet n Sensible!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-11T22:11:00.000+03:00

If you type 'sweet n sensible blogger' on google, what do you get? My blog! Now that google has also acknowledged that those are my blog's (and therefore mine!) prime qualities, who can stop me from flaunting it!?

In other news, I've been hearing such a lot of gossip that it makes me think twice before making a friend. How can you say that the new people you meet won't be talking shit behind your back. Now you maybe sweet n sensible, but noooo, people wont acknowledge that(thats why google is my best friend now!).

Yesterday night we all got crazy drunk and my husband sang two poems full of hindi swears. I've never heard him swear except once when he met with an accident. And yesterday we all blasted. One was a namaz kind of a poem... I wish I had the courage to recite it or post a video! I just don't like people swearing. It makes me extremely uncomfortable.

Last but not the least, my best friends wedding was THE event of the year. And boy, was I proud to be THE friend who came from 'abroad' especially to attend the wedding! Everything from shopping with her to writing cards to sharing her stress to the farewell, this wedding was more memorable than my own!

Will be posting regularly from now on, and not just random news like this, much more sweet n sensible stuff! And now, I hope you type 'sweet n sensible blogger' and find me there. Ah, I just won't get over this, will I?

My Best Friend's Wedding - emotions!

2011-01-14T20:02:00.000+03:00

I've grown up with my friends. I mean cousins were there, but cities apart. And so, friends were the extended family. The bond I share with them can only be understood by people who remain life long best friends with their school friends.

When you see these friends get married you feel insecure about the future of your relationship with them. You feel disheartened that you wont be the first one to know all the secrets! And if her spouse is better, which is always the case initially, you feel a wee bit jealous too!

But all this is only till the d-day. The bond is so strong that you feel nothing but emotional. It's like someone your own is stepping into a whole new world. All you want is the most beautiful life for your friend at that moment.

Thats exactly how I feel right now. I've known P for 14 years now. We've shared everytging in life. Distance made no difference to our relationship. Love just grew stronger and stronger. And now when she's making a new best friend, I only wish her life is better than the best..

And N, I can't belive he's getting married also! He was the best driver I had and now we won't be able to dominate him! He has been the sweetest friend but somehow losing him to another girl only makes me happy.

It's rare to feel unconditional love for someone. It's rare to wish a better life for others. I like weddings because they bring out these feelings in me, especially when its my best friend's wedding. Do you feel the same too?

My Best Friends Wedding - prologue

2011-01-08T21:56:00.000+03:00

This is my first post of 2011. And the first post from my Samsung Galaxy S!! I will just write two lines since I have been up fror almosr 24hrs now and my typing on this phone sucks!

I just want to post here that this month is totally dedicated to my two best friends for whos respective weddings Ive left my husband alone for 25 whole day(and nights!). But i just love them too much to miss the happiest day of their lives :)

The rest about them deserves a whole new post. Im so excited right now that I just had to write it here!

A Date

2010-12-28T19:30:00.000+03:00

Birthday, Anniversary, Graduation day, first meeting, first kiss, first look, first car, house warming, fell in love, the break up date, fell in love the second time, the third, the forth, etc, etc, etc. Out of 365 days, at least 300 have some relevance. I don’t know if men will agree, but for women, numbers mean a lot, so what if they’re just in a calendar!

And not only happy dates, sad ones too. A particular day can bring a smile or a tear according to the bearing it holds. Why do we attach such a lot of importance to dates?

I know, to rejoice the occasion. Ask any guy and he will be torn between his loyalty to his girl and how much he dreads the occasion he had almost forgotten. If I tell my husband you missed something important today, he will first recall the date, think if it is some anniversary, obviously won't remember, ask me a million times, and then take a sigh of relief. (Only recently we agreed to celebrate only one day, and I just can’t recall which one we agreed upon.)

It happens with me as well. I will see the date on my phone and think if it’s an important date. I will think of all the people I know and if it’s somebody's birthday. Sometimes I’ll remember the birthday of a girl I knew 15 years back and smile. If I'm in the mood, I'll even say a little prayer to wish her well. Oh, I can be so sweet at times!! And yes, I can be good at some dates too.

I’m not proud of it. We should live in the moment and celebrate each day as it comes. Birthday, Christmas is fine, but remembering the first day you walked hand in hand with a special someone could be traumatizing for that someone!

So, does today leaves you confused about its significance or the lack of it?

2000 - 2010, 18 - 28, a decade well lived!

2010-12-26T22:55:00.000+03:00

Just realised - it’s not the end of a year, but an end to a decade, a decade in which I started with 18 and ended on 28. And boy, what a decade it was!

What I remember about the year 2000 is the Internet! I had a crush on every guy I met online, except one – he had a crush on me. Talk about being choosy!

2001 was about entering graduation and marrying off a cousin sister with whom I shared a number of similarities. Graduation was about the new found freedom and everything naughty that comes with it!

2002 was sweet followed by a sweet and sour 2003!

And 2004 was hilarious! This is when my graduation ended and I had no idea what I wanted to do. So I took up an MBA coaching, A freelancing job with the local newspaper and to mess it up further, enrolled for post grad in Economics! If that’s not being confused then what is!?

And it was in this year, in which I decided to marry this cute guy whom I met and now call my husband. I think that ended all my confusion and I knew I can chill in life now!

2005 was awesome. B-school and dating at JIM and IIM, respectively. I really had my hands full!

2006 and 2007 were about a wonderful college life that I miss every now and then. I was a good student, excellent at taking responsibilities and finally a workaholic in a recruitment consultancy that me and my friends started.

But after earning a little bit, 2008 was the BIG year of my wedding. I enjoyed every moment of it like a typical bride-to-be.

2009 and 2010 have been 2 beautiful years of being married and understanding life from a very different point of view. I never imagined myself as a wife and still find it hard to believe that I am one. For me, these years have been like dating a guy without the fear of bumping into a family member. I’ve lived a completely transformed life and have met so many new people in numerous different places.

If I had to choose a year in this decade, I really can't 'cause I loved each and every one of it. I wish the same for the next decade. Considering 18 to 28 never comes back and are certainly the most glorious years of one's life, I'll try to behave like an 18 - 28 in the next decade as well!!
I think it will all be about writing, traveling and continuing the trend of exploring the world with my boyfriend for life! I’m ready for all the challenges and opportunities it will bring and look forward to writing a happy blog post about it in 2020!

Watch this space and wish me luck :)

iBrag

2010-12-20T01:38:00.000+03:00

This is in continuation to this post!

So, I thought I'll delete my Orkut profile(Yeah, it's so LS all of a sudden :P). But then I thought about the wonderful testimonials some loved ones had written down. I thought of copying them in a safe folder. What's more safe than my blog... and I get to show them off too!!

Sumit(I never published this testimonial coz he, my husband, thinks his masculinity diminishes if he expresses his love in public!Maybe there is some other reason, but I have not been able to comprehend it. Since there's less public here, I would paste it!)

what do i say abt a girl who has come into my life and changed it in such a way that i just can't remember how my life was without her,and i just cant imagine how can i ever live without her!
all i can say is....
i love you sweetheart,forever!

Prachi(My best friend from school.. can't get enough of her!)

ok now tis girl is weird......she will carry her tiffin to aryans n will eat tat coz she is on a diet...n thn sum othr day will order a family size pizza, garlic bread, pasta n a pitcher of coldrink coz she is reaaalllyyy hungry!!lol....nw tats being wonderfully weird i guess. she is a frnd who'll not console u by sayng evrythng will be alrt...she'll say...stop brooding over it n face it!! she might not always say wat one wants to hear but watevr she'll say will be much more logical n sensible..(i regret of nt listening to her many times ;(... ) she is headstrong yet emotional....kamini yet sweet!! n punjabi evn u r my BESTEST frnd yaaar....n making me realise the diffrnce between having a frnd..n HAVING a frnd!! love u!

Noorien(Testimonial number 1, when you'll read the next one you'll see how much we fell in love after some months!)

well this girls a real granny... what were u talkin abt my scolding dear...talk abt urself.. she ll pass some most ruthless statements so coldly leaving the person wonder... "did i just get nagged???".. now y i call her a granny is bcoz im answerable to her all the time.. if i forget an assignment she ll give those "oh hopeless girl" kinda looks.. if im on an eating binge she ll coldly nod her head in a "no use stopping her " kinda response... but tell u the truth she has made my stay at jaipuria worth it.. i really dont know what would i be doing without her.. you ve been a great support (and terror).. thank you for getting me out of so many messes.. ( by the way you dont know but i have secretly followed a lot of your advices) love u for what u r!!!!!

Noorien(Testimonial number 2 from a girl I met in graduation, didn't like that much, became best friends in MBA, inseparable now)

Well...anyone who meets nisha for the first time wud find her very poised and graceful.. dignified n sensible... but know her more n u ll discover that she is stupid...n silly... n loves to gossip ..n a miser.. n cheerful.. n kind.. n wild....n carefree... n laughs on anything n everything... n loves to party... n loves shopping... n thats the nisha i love... She is a delightful company n a great companion when it comes to shopping... i dont enjoy shopping with anyone as much as i do with her... she is also a great friend.. i cant remember a time when i or any of her friends needed her n she wasnt there... but that doesnt mean she ll stick around all the time.. she gives her friends all the space they need n steps up whenever needed...
As for the bond that we share i think u n i both know...
So dear... here it is... ur testimonial.. finally written n uploaded.. (did i forget smth?? hope i wrote evth u asked me to write...?? )

Megha(my cousin sister and an admirer!!)
nisha...!!
a cool person...spoke to her for da 1st tym...olthough shes my cousin...but earlier she thought dat i ws too small...n mayb quite boring...

but now it seems dat she enjoyd da days spent 2gether...she is very sweet...sometimes she loves to eat and eat and eat till she literally drops...is crazy about FRIENDS...The series… ws damn afraid of havin a ride on a scooty but after tryin it she has started luvin it...a very good writer..(no doubt) has a damn cute smile...a vry good listener(coz she listened to me oll da tym) lolz... is quite intelligent n a good cook(she told me to write dis)..!!!

i thnk dat m olready missin her......!! or am i ??

shes rilli special 2 me... n 2 sum1 else olso...lolz....olthough she loves to say 'i know' but hardly knows nething.... and so i call her ....'aadhi hoshiyaar'..!!

Nitesh Kumar(A dear Bihari friend from Management college)
Hi.

Now I am going to write abt. one of the promoter of my favorite company.
Nissa. Punjabi
I haven’t seen iske jaisa mature person in my life. College ki to baat hi choro..
koi bhi gossip ho chahe apne batch ka ya juniors ka ya phir apne faculty.. ka Isse malum nahi ho? ho hi nahi sakta… she is my Boss in that . nisha ke samne to main 2nd hoon. But she is very very good at heart, she knows kahan per kya baat karni hai. are haan main ye kaise bhool sakta hoon in ka dressing sense best in the college. Very committed to her work Agar madam ne koi kaam than liya to karke rahengi. She is my mentor in decisionmaking . Ab humlog door ho gaye hain bahut door per phir bhi paas hain phone per..she was my first crush in the college (aisa log bolte hain..per aisa kuch nahi hai..) she is my one of the. very very very..best friend.. Be like this .forever. Its very difficult to get friend like you.
I m proud to say everybody that i m a friend of india's one of the Promising writer.

Miss u

Aradhana(A dear friend in Bahrain,and an 'un-loseable' neighbor)

N-nice
I-intelligent
S-stylish
H-humble
A-admirable............ and a lot more adjectives can be added for her.Beauty wid Brains suits her and she likes to read a whole lot of things.

I like her as she is very positive in life and ya she has taught me to be the same.though v belong to the same place but first time I met her in Bahrain. A person who is not biased in telling whatever is in her mind.she loves travelling and wanna go to diff places especially.......

her kababs are just fabb and all of us in the group are crazyyyyy of them :) v loveee them.....

most of the time v r together bt I never feel bored. feel her to b a part of ma family. she is lively and wanna live life to the Best. I wish her all the best things in life, be happy n glowing.

I guess I will keep coming back to this whenever I'm low. Now I know why we need people to comment and testify even if they say good things in person!You know, Personal Appreciation in Public!

Healing Touch

2010-12-19T00:59:00.000+03:00

I saw an episode on Oprah about this man from Brazil known as John of God. He performs surgery, makes you sit in his healing room or perhaps just touches you. He charges no fee for his healing and has supposedly cured a large number of people. Thousands of people visit him every week and the experience tend to change their lives forever.

Every small town in India have a handful of such men. Maybe not just as famous, but in their own small humble way they have cured quite a few to be tagged as ‘gifted’. I would like to believe in them but sadly, going by personal experiences, they’ve failed me. I’ve not even seen someone being cured by such people.

When a doctor tells you that you have no hope but to live with this disease, these little things give you a tiny ray of hope. I am sure many who saw this episode thought of going to Brazil and giving it a try. Coming back without being relieved of your pain is much better than never giving it a shot.

And that’s how probably how these healers have found such a big place in our universe. Some of us are skeptics who know nothing will change. Some of us are believers who are sure that this will be it. Some of us are destined to live with the pain all through. Some of us have served the sentence and it’s time to be free.

When we are cured, we look at the healer as God’s messenger. And when you cannot explain the healing process, we use the terms destiny and faith. Maybe those are the things to concentrate on when the world has given up on you.

I loved the way they ended the show when a Psychiatrist said that our heart is perhaps not just an organ that pumps out blood. It is a storehouse of love and faith. Our body, in turn, responds to this belief. This is perhaps why and how the unconventional and ‘divine’ methods of healing work.

Personal appreciation in Public

2010-12-15T21:24:00.000+03:00

Everyone loves being complimented. Of course, there is always this uncertainty about the compliment being genuine, deep in our hearts we take it as true and take pride in it.

There was a time when one person in a big group will tell you that you were looking nice. Even if you were looking drop-dead gorgeous, rarely someone would come up and say it on your face. It’s true even today. I would look at her, find her absolutely stunning, admire her dress, wish it were mine and get back to what I was doing glancing at the dress every few minutes. But I will not compliment! Yes, it is a vice and I’m working on it.

And one way is through the ubiquitous social networking. Not only compliment, sometimes I fake compliment too! But that’s not what I want to discuss. I want to talk about another vice – being complimented in front of a crowd.

If your friend calls up and tells that she saw your pictures and that you are looking amazing, you ask her to make a comment! Stooping down to such low levels makes me wonder about networking and everything social about it. Isn't a compliment enough in this day and age that you want her to go through the agony of typing a word that hasn’t been said in the 15 comments above hers!? Does count matter, especially publicly?

I don’t go to many blogs to get hits on mine. I have not shared the link on facebook, twitter or orkut. This is a very personal space and I can only share it with very close people or harmless strangers. My best friends are avid readers of my blog and they compliment me everytime they read a post. Their appreciation is what encourages me to write the next post.

But why do I get this feeling that it would have felt so much better had they written their views in the comments section and not in a personal e-mail!? Recently a friend started reading my blog and I felt exhilarated with her approval. She even discussed it with a few other friends. Yet I miss the written testimony!

What is it about public count that makes us these disgusting people that we are really not?! I am not an insecure person. Not that I don’t need approval from time to time, I don’t crave for it like this. Yet I have this subconscious desire which makes me sound like a complete idiot!

And I know for a fact that you have it too! Ever tried to understand why?

Three cheers to 2010!

2010-12-14T23:51:00.000+03:00

Just a fortnight, and 2010 will take its last breath. It’s time to look back and see how the year was, how it changed your life and how you can make the next one even better. Or, wilder!

Yes, that’s how I look at endings. They may be sad alright, but they bring with it a new ray of hope and a feeling that the best is yet to come. So, you might have screwed up a whole lot last year, 2011 is here and you have a chance to undo a few things. Me, I loved 2010 and nothing in this world can change the better 2011 I’m about to see! Oooh, I love the positivity! Here are a few lessons learnt:

Never take hubby to a hill station. He’s annoying without beer and beach!!

Exotic travel destinations like Ladakh are breathtaking. But they don’t relax you like 3 days of fun in Dubai or 10 days of just driving around in Chandigarh.

Gadgets are not just a man’s thing. I felt like a moron while writing about electronics for a while. In the end I was enlightened and in love with them.

When God gives you a pain in the ass, he has a plan. Don’t go to him and weep. Try to look beyond and think what he might be thinking for the betterment of your ass!

Never go to Qatar and Kuwait. A few scattered buildings, extremely rich Sheikhs who make you feel like a person under poverty line and a very boring night life are a few things that make these countries useless.

Never underestimate the power of singers like Atif Aslam. Oh, I had a blast at his show!!
28 is not a year to worry about your skin like that Ponds advert proclaims (the ad is highly offensive). Just the other day a guy in his early 20’s came running after me for my phone number. He even gave me an unforgettable compliment. I would have died had a guard not been around!! Anyway, thank God for such losers!

How I met your mother, Desperate Housewives, Southpark, Family Guy and The Big Bang Theory reduce boredom and fill your life with some good humour. Sex and the City starts and ends with the same thing. Yes, I watched all the seasons of all these serials in 2010. Talk about being idle!

Emailing your friends on a regular basis is the best thing in the world. Me and my friends exchange atleast 2-3 emails every week. We are in 3 different countries yet it feels like college. Open your account and mail your friends right now!

That’s all I can think of at this point. 4 stars to my 2010! If not more, I’ll be giving atleast 4 to my 2011 as well with more travel, writing, partying, learning and much more wisdom!

How many stars will you give to yours?

An Exercise

2010-12-01T22:36:00.000+03:00

I took writing prompt where I have to describe the most memorable person I’ve met. I wanted to write about this person anyway, and now I’ll do it by using prompts. It’s a little long so you can spare the reading if you like. You can take the exercise though, it’s nice.

This person may not be the most memorable, but she is certainly that one person who’s the reason for all my misery yet all my hope at this juncture in my life. Think about it, it could only be a doctor!

I met B 8 months back when I was suffering with the worst back pain I’ve ever had. It would not let me sleep, stand, bend or even sit for long hours. The only good thing about it was the emergence of the most adorable man in my husband! When he saw that I was getting use to the pampering, he forced me to see doctors. Thankfully everything was fine and so the only way out for the muscular stress was physiotherapy. I was bang on time for I had thought of consulting a professional physio for a childhood problem. God certainly knew I wouldn’t go until he gives me a BIG reason! Trust me; I welcomed the pain, however irritating it was.

Her features immediately suggested she was from the Philippines (Yes, totally a ‘chinki’!). With a small structure and a slightly stout built, B didn’t look like a physical trainer at all! But I restrained myself from judging her in the first meeting and completely committed myself in her small, comforting hands.

She told me to lie on my stomach and started my treatment with machines. She would regularly follow the same routine and end with a gentle massage. Oh, how I waited for that! No, don’t get me wrong, it was just the relaxing massage!

I love the way Filipinos naturally have straight and silky hair. B’s tresses fall down till her shoulders with such ease, I wonder if she ever has a literal bad-hair day! Another peculiar thing about them is their speaking style – they tend to sing a lot – even while talking normally their tone becomes musical. So B would ask me, ‘Niiiiishhhhhhh, how are you?’ like twenty times in one hour and I would think if my ‘I’m fine’ was a little less enthusiastic!

After a few sessions, even she understood I loved being pampered and so she immediately shifted to exercises. The gentle massages became a thing of the past and the way she started off with the toughies it suggested as if she was saying ‘Welcommmmme to the real world, baby!’.

Jokes aside, my husband calls her my Prophet. I recall her instructions while I sit, stand, walk, step, just about all the time. It would be hard for you to understand given that you have no clue about my situation. To give you a gist, it’s not fatal, it’s not visible if you don’t notice, and it’s certainly not common. The only problem is, it makes my sitting, standing, walking, steping, and everything you associate with muscles a little more difficult than normal. I’m not complaining ‘cause somehow it makes me God’s special child!

Coming back to B, she’s most brutal when it comes to posture. She would imitate me every two minutes, declare me weak and throw disappointed looks all the time. I hated her for that. One day when it became impossible to take, I broke down and explained how she was being rude. On that same day I realised that she had started thinking of me as a friend whom she could say anything. I also realised that I was not really a patient since my troubles seem really small and no one ever thought it was rude to point out.

B’s most creative with her problem solving techniques. She has understood me like no one has ever done – physically. My problem is not curable and we both know it. But every day I see her and myself with a new exercise that gives both of us hope of improvement. Sometimes I question my faith in her Prophet-like impact and if I’m patronizing a little too much.

And then a little voice tells me, what’s there to lose. I’m a strong believer of the power of the subconscious mind, and having belief in yourself and your healer is the first step. I’m doing just that with a hope that mine and my dearest B’s efforts will not go waste.

P.S. My husband will read this, nod his head right and left and say B mata ki jai! He loves to joke about how I patronise her soooo much!

Loneliness bluessss

2010-11-29T11:40:00.000+03:00

Things Loneliness at night can do to you:

Eat a bar of chocolate and wake up with a hangover (you know, the headache of losing 2000 calories)

Write intelligent status messages: ‘I hate my new shampoo’, ‘I’m with my parents in chowk(in lucknow) and missing my jaanu(husband who’s like 3 kms away in Lucknow)’, ‘my head wants to forget him but my heart is screaming how can I’ … Oh they make me sick!!!!!!!!

Start watching You Tube with a news item and then moving on to several episodes of Ellen causing a sleepless night

Playing Bejewelled relentlessly

Analysing how God has been unfair and mourning over your friend’s success!

Oh, then there’s a lot of stuff you can do with yourself which would have been easy to explain if I were a guy!

Resisting going to the refrigerator, trying hard, but giving up resulting in another analysis of how you’ve been a failure

Moral of the Post – Get a partner/Never let your husband travel for work/Make friends who can chat with you all night/Start Blogging so that you can sulk in private thinking someone would read and sympathise!!

This is how you could have said...!!

2010-11-16T00:02:00.000+03:00

No one will write a poem on my birthday for me
Not that I’m not special, He’s just not into expressing creatively.
So darling let me say, what you would have written
And since I’m penning this down, I’ll go overboard with how you are smitten!

You give me those cute names and I know you mean each of them
I know I’m a cutie, I know you’ve earned a gem!
It’s loving to have you around and how you constantly aim for my neck
I know it's sexy, just love your sweet peck..ss!

It’s easy to be your strength, for you rarely let yourself fall
It’s easy to be around, since you are there at my beck and call!
Oh baby my perfection, comes from you and only you
If it wasn’t for you, my sunshine would have been so blue!

It would have been so much better if you were capable of compiling this too,
Next year if you try my patience, I’ll treat you in a way, that’s reserved for a lucky few!

Too late at Twenty-Eight!?

2010-11-08T21:13:00.000+03:00

In a few days, I'll hit 28. Those who've passed this age think it's better than being 30. Those who're just recovering from hitting 25, can't think of being 26, let alone 28!

Such is life. It doesn't matter if you sit at home and watch sitcoms or you slog like a dog, life passes you by in a flash. And you end up thinking, what do I need to do with it!?

I don't usually think about this stuff. You know, the whole living in the moment funda. You can call it a coward trait as well. When you don't want to analyse and move your ass, it is somewhat cowardly and downright lazy.

But today, there were two instances that made me feel like a lost soul. In one, I sat like a small schoolgirl watching other girls play. I could not play. For the first time in years I felt defeated and cried. If I didn't do anything in my life, maybe I'll be recognised as the girl who could not play. Not all will visit my house and eat the best kebab and biryani I make!

The second instance was over-analysed. But somehow it taught me the value of money and how I should earn, even if it was a meager amount. Not everything could be a birthday present!

So what do I do? Should I wait for life to pass me by in the happy times I spend having fun? Or, should I try to find out if I can do something of some relevance? I know the latter sounds more interesting! Maybe I'll be brave for once and make 28 a memorable year.

I just hope this time I stick to my agenda

Behind the scenes

2010-11-05T01:40:00.000+03:00

My phase on this blog is getting so boringgggggg!!! I sound like Nisha devi!! Actually, people around me have been saying that I'm very good at inspiring. So, I thought I'll show off my talent here as well. But alas, I just cant stand myself doing this, readers or no readers!

I even thought of going a step further and writing a book. I thought I'll try to inspire through stories and blah. I don't have a problem with that. What I don't like is, being serious. Even if its motivating in the gravest of situations, if I can't laugh during my satsang/pravachan, I don't like it!

Having said that, what is this post really about? It's yet another satsang, but if I'm not funny, you'll not get to read it. So, let me give it a try!

Bhaiya, these pictures on FB. It seems like we live for them. I can't repeat my anniversary dress on my husband's birthday even if we are going out alone. Why? I'll put up the pics and people will see. Hawww!!
I can't even put my Karvachauth pics. Why? I don't want my reputation of a self-proclamed 'babe' stoop down to a behenji! Even though I loved the henna, the bangles, the tiny bindi, the chamko saree and everything associated with the beautiful festival. But well, I have to live upto a reputation.Yes, I do.
There are so many things I want to tell you about these pictures. But saying this out loud make me feel like the tiniest person on earth. Even though I'm cent percent sure you feel them too and you'll nod in agreement. Sadly, you'll only do that in your thoughts and so will I!

Don't get me started on pictures I see. Perfectly poised, newest attire, impeccable smile... makes you jealous, doesn't it? Pictures of parties which were claimed to be as perfect madness, romantic dinners that make you wonder if you're missing louve in your life and of'course those holiday shots...what can I say!?

Nothing wrong in showing off your best. And no, there's nothing wrong in feeling a wee bit jealous that your life is not as 'happening'. What is actually wrong is comparing your life with what you see and then sulking about it.

Because you actually have no idea about what's not captured through the lens. For starters, that perfect pose could be momentary, that rocking party would have gossip mongers, and that holiday you see, could have had several fights all along.
People with the worst profile picture could have the best of lives. People who don't really care about creating an album might be living in the moment and having the time of their life. These could be the most genuine people around.

There are people I know who look like they're happy, but I have proof that they're not quite there. I'm sure you know some of them too. So why sulk on seeing that attractive dress on that pretty girl? For all you know, she would never have the affection within the four walls like you do! And at the end of it all, that is what matters most.

This ain't funny. But it makes sense. Read it!Meanwhile, I'll put some nice October pics on Facebook. :D

Best Present

2010-10-15T18:08:00.000+03:00

Memories. They bring back smiles, they remind you of the tears, and if you have a happy present, they all add up to the best you could have ever had.

There was a time I use to love thinking about the past and the future. I cherished small memories and use to relive them each day. I use to wonder about the future and think if it would be happy. There were things I never imagined I could ever have. There were things I never imagined I could ever lose. Things fell into place only for the better, and I thank God for that.

I realised early in life that no matter how much I think about the past or future, it would not change my present. ‘Whatever will be, will be’ became my motto in life. And that made me a very happy person.

I was going through some diary notes and old poems today. Every word had a reflection of my state of mind in that year. I smiled at some amazing memories that flashed and had a strange feeling about the sad ones. And then, like time had stopped, there were no entries after a while.

And I realised that it was the time when I stopped worrying about past and future. That was the time I started living my life. Does this mean, we write more only when we want to capture the moment and want to relive it in the future? Really, words are all I have of my past. I’m not even 30, but my memory has had a serious loss! And when I read those words, they bring back a clear picture.

I guess I’m trying to say that it’s best to save our thoughts in our heads. Scratch your brains if you want to relive a special occasion. If you pen down every incident in your life, it will surely bring back some sad moments back in your present. Life is too short to think about them. Today is the best day of your life. Live it!

Do you agree!?

2010-10-09T19:37:00.000+03:00

So you know, I gave that crap again. Some inspiring lines about life in general. Oh, and I said it on Facebook. So there were bound to be comments. Ofcourse, why else would I post something if I didn't want some attention!! Ok, that deserves another post. Anyway, like always, there was someone who thought the statement wasn't true.

Now, I don't know that person well to make a judgment. And it's not really important if that statement/quote/saying holds true or not. What's important is that if someone is trying to infuse some positive energy into your stressful life, you embrace it or try to rationalize it?

If I say, "with all the drudgery, its still a beautiful life", you can either say if there's drudgery how can life be beautiful. Or, you can sigh and agree with me. If you disagree you're just looking at the negative aspects and creating further stress. Isn't it better to go with a positive person than trying to prove how she is over-the-top optimistic!?

Really, I don't know how such people will survives years of agony at home and stress at work. Believe it or not, being positive is not an easy job. It requires years of conditioning. You might be so engrossed in your rational world, that this might be of little significance to you. But someday, when you will reflect upon your life and think of the bad times, you will realise how different things would have been had you been more agreeable with people who tried to bring a smile on your face!

Choose Optimism

2010-09-13T23:35:00.000+03:00

These days, everyone is crazy about eating right. Our day begins with gallons of water and ends with a reluctant evening walk. Fruits, soup, salad, cereals accompanied with yoga, running and different forms of exercise are a part of our strict schedules. But even after rigorous efforts, our lives seem to be the same - dull and stressful.

While we take care of how the mirror responds to our figure, we forget how important it is to be positive to make things work better. When we gulp down that tasteless glassful of bottle gourd juice, we feel our job is done. We really don't realise how important it is to like it and drink it willingly. That apart, we don't even know how important it is to smile a million times in a day.

It's really all in the mind. If we love our life, it surely is beautiful. Even if it isn't but we still repeat how beautiful our life is, it becomes that way. I've tried it and so far haven't had a gloomy day. You might be going through a tough phase but if you walk through it with a positive hope, things become much easier.

I can't stand people who crib about their difficult life. Dude, I have a tough life as well. Nobody here sleeps on a bed of roses! I can't even fake sympathize with sad smileys. We all have to find a way out on our own.

And my way out is through my mind. I never think about what I don't have. I love my life and thank God for what he has given me. My life is the best and everyday is better than the last. No, I don't force myself in saying all this, it automatically comes. Yes, it takes conditioning. There are days when I have to force, but since my mind is conditioned it's not hard.

Some people think all this is super crap and I hate them! You have a choice - you can either criticize optimism, make sarcastic comments and remain sad for life or embrace positivity and transform it. At the end of the day its not about how you starve after 6 p.m. to remain fit, it is really a mind game. Choose optimism and you will live happily ever after :)

Incredible India?

2010-08-18T16:29:00.001+03:00

The Commonwealth Games is the hottest topic on every Indian's mind. When I went to Delhi last month, I was stunned by the Domestic and International Terminal. Delhi roads and the idea of re-designing Connaught place impressed me too. It all looked pretty neat from the outside.

And then the scams hit the headlines. The treadmill and the toilet paper made more noise than anything else. Forging documents, teams walking out and leaking rooftops were breaking the news.

The inquiries will set in, there will be questioning and eventually things will die out. Even if there is a leak and spectators experience discomfort, the nation will forget after a while.

Only the tourist will remember each and every detail. They will take back memories of Incredible India as Disturbing India. If the babu's up there can be corrupt, do you think the taxi wala's will listen to Amir Khan? Do you really think Khan power is more encouraging than our 'exemplary' leaders?

The recent floods at Leh have been devastating. I was there just 10 days before the calamity and the place was full of foreign tourists perhaps more foreigners than Goa. There are thousands stranded at the Leh airport even after 12 days. Shouldn't the government be responsible to bring them back? The image has been shattered. Those outside who have been watching the news would think every tourist destination in India is incapable of doing anything for the visitors. The result is not difficult to imagine.

It won't be a surprise if CWG is a failure and if India's image is worsened. I just hope we, as citizens, fare better than our leaders in what we do best - being hospitable. I hope, if nothing else, the Khan power works and people take warm memories from the games.

Sheddin' a tear or two..

2010-08-12T22:17:00.000+03:00

- So I cry everytime I leave my parents house. I hate parting. Even if I know I'll be back in no time, bidding adieu is the toughest thing to do for me.

This time I was strong. I smiled all through. Just as the car moved, my four year old niece said 'come back soon'. Hearing something like that from her made me bawl like a baby!!

- My mother-in-law is the sweetest person on earth. When she asked me to do something only a mother would, I spared no time and shed a tear or two!

- It's amazing. Even when I know there is 'something' I can never have and I've made up my mind that its no big deal, every time someone mentions things related to 'it', I have eyes full of tears. Why do we want everything in life? And why are 'somethings' so important?

When someone says something nice, when someone mentions a short coming, I get emotional. Is it a sign of immaturity?

My problem is why do we need to control our emotions when emotions are all we live for?

Someday I'll start a blog with only answers to these super-tough questions. Till then, I'll jump like a moron with happiness and cry like a baby when sad, what is life otherwise.

Love cont.

2010-05-23T00:56:00.000+03:00

I'm new, into a marriage that is. It's been 1.5 years and still feels like it has always been this way. I loved my life without the wife tag. And I love my life with it. Nothing has changed or so it seems. If nothing more, my life has become better.

This makes me wonder, why do people dread marriage? If 2 people fall in love, have a strong bond and feel they can live with each other for the rest of their lives, then why do they fear registering it? There's always a risk involved, there's always this feeling of not being able to work it out, but isn't it a risk worth taking?

All the girls my age who got married around the same time as me, are crazy in love. 1-2 years is good enough a time to know things are sailing smooth. Again, future is unpredictable, but the present, well, all the girls admit - is lots of fun!

Is it too soon to tell? Are they pretending? Or, do we always look forward to something worse? If a couple is happy we fear something is about to ruin their happiness. When I talk about the newly wed girls, I do have a large database. Most of them feel they are still having an affair, just with a different last name. Could we ask for more?

If marriage is such a good thing, then why even after a certain age we feel we are not ready? And if we say we are, we have that unsettling feeling which tells us all is not well. Are we ever ready?

I know marriage is a Big thing. It requires commitment and adjustment. It requires patience, tolerance and a lot of understanding. There, that's why we fear it. We are afraid we might not be able to give our all to the relationship and wreck it in the end. What we fear more is how the other person might not be able to give his all in return.

If you're in love and you think you're almost there, I think marriage deserves a chance. No, its not trial and error. But if you're willing to walk your bit and have a little faith in your choice of partner, then be sure of succeeding at it. You'll never be ready. It will never be a cake-walk. It will require hard work. If you're willing to ignore the work you're putting in and concentrate on the beautiful results, love will continue happily ever after.

Just like in my case. And I'm not pretending.

Embarrassed.

2010-05-13T01:43:00.000+03:00

Not once, not twice, but so many times in our lives. It might be the best ever new year party, and you trip. You might have the best reputation at college/work, an emotional day and you break down. A simple spelling error, a witty comment went pinching, a bathroom door left unlatched...and the E word spills over.

The memory of it is horrifying. What were those slam books thinking when they wanted us to rake our brains for 'the most embarrassing moment ever'.Heck, I have loads of them.

Like today, nothing unusual though, a perfectly healthy looking girl cant climb a stair case just because it's a little too high. People look, I'm sure more with surprise and pity than with humor. But it makes me feel worse. Why do you have to stare? It ruins my day and makes me feel sick.

Which I'm really not. I'm a hardcore optimist (in theory atleast!) and keep reminding myself of all the great things I have been blessed with. I have a perfect life with a perfect partner and a perfect family with a perfect set of friends. I have luxury, I have comfort and I have happiness around me all the time. Yet, one flaw and it spoils the whole party.

And so I take being embarrassed as a part of life. These moments have left me in tears but will continue to happen. Some would be simpler like crying when I shouldn't. Some would be tougher like not being able to get up after I fall down. There would be eyes questioning and looking for a clue. I don't need to explain. I'm sure you have your own shortcomings and embarrassments. Go figure!

Lastly, I would say the meanest things if you ever ask me my most embarrassing moment. I throw that part of my memory in the dumpster. Forgetting is the best policy!

p.s.Oh, I hate to discuss shortcomings on this blog. But today I just felt the need.

Two different worlds

2010-05-04T14:50:00.000+03:00

I've had the opportunity to be super lazy lately. I've been traveling with my husband for his work, so no household work means no work and all play.

No work and all play also means a lot of contemplation. Stupid questions like 'what am I doing with my life', 'Am I good at anything at all', blah blah come to my mind often. I pay no heed to these baseless doubts. My funda in life is clear, think less do more. Just one drawback, I do plan a lot and so the funda goes awry!

Anyway, to keep myself from thinking too much I watch a whole lot of tvduck. Now that's a site where you have all these angrezi drama series,sitcoms etc. Most first episodes have disappointed me. I started with Sex and the City and got absolutely hooked. What fascinated me was obviously, the amount of sex these women crave for! That and the female bonding which is as much fun to watch as the real coffee dates with my girl gang.

Another thing that's keeping me busy is the fascination for the world I see around me. The women behind veils and their life without them. I've read Girls of Riyadh and been reading Daughters of Arabia. You have to read these books to know what goes on in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Clearly I detest that country. Bahrain shares a boundary with it and recently we went for a drive there. Now I know, I even detest the air around that country!

I have nothing against any religion. I have friends, very good friends having different belief systems. I get extremely interested when they talk about their faith. It's the freedom of women that make me hate the country.

So there's liberty in Sex and the City where women sleep with different men every week till they find the right guy.They live independent lives, wear sultry clothes, and do what their heart desires. Whereas, here is one alien land where women are not allowed to drive, can't go out if not escorted by a male guardian, marry and divorce a man according to his willingness, let him have several partners and not say a word against it, i can go on and on.

I'm sure Middle East would be the area with the highest per capita expenditure on make up, perfumes, and bags. That's because, well, firstly these are the only things visible because of the abaya and secondly, they are immensely insecure about their relationships. I happen to meet a girl from the 'celebrated' land and the stories she told me were both amusing and disturbing.

I feel blessed to be born in the land where we are free. We have the right to sleep with several men and wear whatever we feel like. What we can do and what we do is another issue altogether. But atleast I know that I won't die in a building which is on fire just because the firemen wouldn't rescue me since I was not dressed properly. Really, this happened.

I recommend you both SatC and Daughters of Arabia or Princess for that matter. I also recommend you to read and watch these two at the same time. You'll feel stunned and blessed and your love for India will grow manifold.

Deadline uploaded

2010-04-12T23:55:00.000+03:00

I just scanned through my posts in 2007... the year I started blogging. I love all the posts! Makes me wonder why I don't blog anymore. Its like a life's journal. You can see the state of mind clearly through those posts.

Probably when you're writing for a living you have the 'flow'. Now that I rarely do that, and I clearly cant explain why, I'm at a loss for words.

And so, I've decided. I have a story idea... for a book. As of now, I dont know if I'll publish it. I have no clue how I will go about it. I don't know if someone will read it! But write, I will.

Why am I writing this here? Well, I have a tendency to drop things even before I start. Writing this down helps me make a commitment. I also need a deadline. Lets make it April 2011.

It all sounds very stupid. What the heck, this is my space, my journal. Laugh if you wanna, i'll see you in 2011. With or without 'the book'!

Emotional Atyachaar

2010-03-03T15:06:00.000+03:00

Since the last few months, I haven't seen much on TV, thanks to a constant problem with my provider. Somehow, I don't feel the need to get a new one. Really, it's so much better to connect to the internet or listen to radio rather than watch these disgusting TV shows.

So who do you think RAHUL will marry?? I don't have a favorite. If I did, I would not want her to marry this loser! Remember him on BIGG BOSS? If he is what he was on that show, and quite likely he is what he was, I pity the girl who would marry him!

And what's with this Emotional Atyachaar on Bindaas??Spare me the fake reality shows. Girls smooching on TV, guys being slapped, the lecherousness, uff...give me something real like Khatron ke Khiladi or entertaining like Roadies, this is downright disgusting.

The only thing I like on TV now is How I Met Your Mother. Somehow it comes once in 2-3 weeks. What's the deal guys? Make it a regular show!Natonal Geographic and Travel & Living has quite a few good shows too. But most of the times they are repeats.

I wish TV was better. If you have any suggestion, do let me know. Maybe I'm convinced to get a new set top box.

Sachin aalaa re...!!

2010-02-24T19:40:00.000+03:00

I don't know anyone who isn't proud to be an Indian. Nevertheless, on a day like today, when the God of cricket, the master blaster, Sachin Tendulkar hits the first ever double ton in an ODI, that chill runs down your spine.

Really, that hero gives us yet another reason to be proud, proud to be an Indian. More power to him :)

Some days are just bad.

2010-02-23T16:59:00.000+03:00

You know you have to be positive, but it seems too hard.
You try to ignore the problem and focus on the good things, but the negativity finds it's way through.
You try to smile, but tears just come out from nowhere.
You know its nothing as compared to the lives of a million others, but you start comparing a few handfuls.
You know this too shall pass, but somehow it drags on.
You know shopping, eating, drinking, laughing can fight the blues, but all you want to do is be alone.
You know there's nothing that cannot be sorted, but the answers don't satisfy you.

Really, we know all the positive words, have all the possible answers, still, some days are just sad.

To gym or Not to gym!

2010-02-18T13:55:00.000+03:00

Whenever I have to exercise/do yoga/go to the gym, there are always the two of me. One the stronger me who says you can do it girl, just 5 more minutes. And the other, a much stronger me who says, tomorrow I'll do 5 more minutes, today let me take a much deserving break!

I know for a fact that everyone takes the much-stronger person to the gym as well. So how does it go? Let's call the determined one Fatty and the less determined one Aalsi(Lazy in angrezi, oops, english)!

Fatty gets on the treadmill, after 2 minutes:
Fatty: Wow, it's been 2 minutes. Today I'll stretch the 20 minute run to 25.It's going pretty well, I feel so energetic.
Aalsi: Hahahaha, we shall see.

After 5 mins that seem like eternity
Fatty: I'm just feeling the heat, its good for me. The weekend's coming. Can make it to 25. Keep going girl. Starts to sing out loud.
Aalsi: Only 5 minutes. When I'm shopping time flies by, and here I am, 5 minutes seem to be like an hour.

After 10 mins that seem like a whole day
Fatty: (she's becoming weaker) Let me complete 20. then will see about the 25.
Aalsi: Cool hai, 700 metres. Thats a whole lot. I'll finish in 15 minutes.

Fatty: Trying not to look at the time. Determined not to look for the next 2 minutes.
Aalsi: Within 30 seconds she feels its been 2 minutes, looks at the screen, bangs a little, makes faces, wants to get down.

15 minutes pass. Fatty wants to make use of the time she's taken out for the gym. Aalsi wants to get down and chit chat with her friend.

On a good day Aalsi wins. But, ya, a girl gotto do what she gotto do, so I try to put Fatty in the lead. Anyway, it's time for me to hit the gym, Fatty is pressurizing. Aalsi is kinda sleeping. Hope she doesn't wake up till I really get on that treadmill!Wish me luck people :)

So who's awake at your place,hmm?

When I was His phone!

2010-02-15T16:41:00.000+03:00

He loves it more than anything else and so I made a wish, a wish to be my husband’s cell phone. The next morning, magically, life changed, and I was ringing to wake S up.

My whole body was shaking. I was humming Winds of Change, S’s alarm tune. He loved to wake up to it. When I wasn’t a phone, I use to shake him up, lovingly stroke his hair or just ask him to wake up in a lifeless tone. And here I was, at 6 in the morning, singing and whistling.

I saw his hands come up to me. He opened his tired eyes and pressed my left foot. Oh wait, that was a snooze button. ‘C’mon’, I thought,’ get up and let me sleep a little more’. But he wouldn’t budge. He snoozed me 6 times! And me, like a loyal phone, sang his favourite tune till he woke up at 6:30.

While I lay there, I thought if he realised the human me wasn’t next to him. But he didn’t. It was as if he knew that I had transformed into something I had wished for. He loved it, I’m sure.

I feared the next few moments. S would wear his lenses and put me on charging. I had a clinging feeling on my right foot and I was being transferred energy. It was nice. Without any effort I could get food and water and a willingness to be active all day. I dozed off till I was woken up to a sick smell.

Ah, there it was. I hated it when he took his cell in the loo. Eww, it was smelly all around. The only solace was the touch of his fingers all over my body while he spent 15 mins on the pot. I was willingly showing him his new mails, Facebook updates and Tweets. He opened Google news and scrolled down to Entertainment. Really, reading an update on Angelina Jolie is not news hubby. So that’s what you called important. Ha, now I knew.

He charged me yet again and finished his morning chores by applying half a bottle of Armani Code. Today, I would know who smells it anyway.

He didn’t even miss me at breakfast. It was as if he loved cereals and milk to omellete, nuts and a very healthy glassful of juice! In between his spoonfuls, he kept touching the screen as if Angelina Jolie had another update.

It was fun being driven down to office. For a change he concentrated on the road more than me, his cell phone. It was 730, I dozed off as usual!

I was claustrophobic in his pocket. I wish he could take me out. But for over an hour, busy in some stupid meeting, he didn’t even look at me. I had to make a noise to get out of the darkness. And so I beeped without a reason. He took me out, looked for reasons and when he couldn’t find any, he just calmly put me on the table.
So my beeping made no difference to him? Men fail to understand our tears and ignore the whole thing. But c’mon I was the phone, you know, The phone whom he loved so much. He ought to pay more attention.

After he was done with his submission, he picked me up. Oh, so he was busy, now he would look into the unusual beeping. He didn’t! He wrote an sms to his friend for a booze party at night. Hey, that’s all men do when the wives are not around, right? Uh, I was the one who flashed the positive reply from the bugger who would dirty my house that night.

Work kept him busy. He didn’t need entertainment so I was ignored. I rang a few times during the day. It was weird how I was full of life when I had to hum his favourite caller tunes. I wondered if it was really me around him the whole day, would he ignore me in the same way. He dare not!

It was claustrophobic again while going back home. He hummed songs that were played on the radio. Doesn’t happen when I am in the front seat. Was I stopping him from being himself? Quite sure, I was!

He kept looking at me at home. From news to mails to an episode of ‘How I met your Mother’, I followed his command. He smiled at me, laughed quite a few times, it was all too good to be true! Then the friend came and the booze party began.

When that other guy asked my specifications, S proudly chattered all. He remembered evey bit about the phone. He wouldn’t know what color his wife likes, but the RAM in the phone was told even before it was asked.

He was reluctant to hand me to him. S was being possessive of me. Or, was it the phone? Ah, I guess that was one similarity I shared with his N900!

Next day, when it was me again, I tried to hum Winds of Change so that he would love me as much as he loves his phone. He looked at me with his cute sleepy eyes and asked me to stop singing . I hugged him and said nothing. He kissed on my cheek and went back to sleep. I scored over the phone!

Moral of the illogical story: It’s not that they loved their gadgets more, it’s just the way gadgets come with specifications, don’t fret when he doesn’t pay more attention to an unusual beep, never feel ignored and just be on their command all the time.
Oh, I learned a lot while I wrote this story. Why don’t you try a hand at being something that you aren’t for a day. It’s fun!

Bad Romance?

2010-02-15T12:21:00.000+03:00

I don't know any girl who doesn't dream of her guy coming home with a bunch of flowers. Yeah, every girl wishes for surprise gifts, candle lit dinners, close dancing, isolated islands and all the stuff that Mills and Boons was made of. Our fascination for romance doesn't die even if the partner is not keen enough.

More often than not, he isn't! My Boy read somewhere a few months back that romantic novels and movies put wrong ideas in a girl's head. That statement has stuck with him. So whenever i am watching a chick flick with love blooming from all angles, the Boy makes a sick face! Why such a big gap in the XX and XY chromosomes? Why can't they be cute and romantic once in a while and fulfill all our expectations?!

My argument is, we have rather high expectations! If he buys me a gift, I expect another a few days later. If he buys me flowers, I tend to believe I will get them frequently!Most men understand this, give up and stop being romantic at all.

Another argument is that every guy has a different way of being romantic. Some may hold your hand while watching tv, kiss you every time the elevator door closes, make excuses to eat at your favorite eatery, you know, do things that are not usually depicted in books or movies.

So this Valentines Day, even though I nagged and got a very smart watch, I've decided to appreciate the smaller romantic gestures and not look for something that every Tom does! I don't think I'm compromising. Maybe I'm just growing up and looking at the menu has become more interesting than looking into the eyes at a candle lit dinner!

Spread love babes and make everyday a Valentines day :)

The decade that was

2009-12-28T11:19:00.000+03:00

As a decade is coming to an end, I'm thinking of everything that went on. From being a naive school girl to a grown up woman handling a household, this has been the most eventful decade. And probably it will remain so.

I loved growing up with each experience and have no regrets whatsoever. It's crazy how we mugged up for board exams, thought of every possible option for graduation and ended up doing the mundane, spent college life sitting in the cafeteria laughing our hearts out, participated in the rat race by taking the ubiquitous CAT, ended up in a regular MBA college and enjoyed every bit of our education years.

Friends were the most important part of this decade. These were the real gems whom we could cherish for a lifetime. I'm glad I made the right choices. Today, in sunshine or in rain, I can turn to them anytime and never be disappointed. Sadly, some friendships couldn't last, but the ones that did, have stood the test of time.

This was a decade full of love and I didn't spend even a moment without it! There was a time I was broken till the limit of being depressed and disheartened for days, but God had a different plan. Thankfully, he always sent angels down my way. And we found each other in the most amusing way there could be.

Talking of angels, I've thanked God for them each day. There are several hardships I go through every so often. Most of the times it doesn't look as bad as it really is. And somehow from somewhere emerges this one person who helps me. I never thank them enough for I feel embarrassed to be helped, but I do bless them from the core of my heart. As the decade ends, I think of these family members, my closest friends and a lot of total strangers. I don't know how I could have done without you.

I'm people centric. For me goals, money, materialistic comfort, traveling.. all this isn't as important as the people around me. Sometimes I feel it's not the right approach to life but then emotions take the top priority. And the rest doesn't seem to matter.

Among all the other things that happened, some work and a lot of play, easy paths and the roads taken, hardships, struggle and a sense of achievement, I dedicate this decade to all the wonderful people with whom i lived it. You have made me who I am today, and really, I think I'm pretty good :).. God bless you all!

One world - one nation

2009-12-10T11:57:00.000+03:00

I saw 'Paa' with a Pakistani friend. Incidentally in the morning we were discussing about our religions and how we were similar in most ways than not. The first scene in the movie showcased how Auro won the first prize when he depicted the globe as one entire nation without any boundaries.

I come from a country where we learned to live comfortably with different kinds of people from the very beginning. We went to a Christian school, had a Hindu teacher, made friends without even knowing the caste/culture/religion, celebrated eid, christmas, diwali and gurupurab with equal fervor and the works. As we grew up, we saw friends falling in love with the person and not the religion. Some are married now, some bowed down before the society.

Today I'm living in a country where we have people from almost every corner of the world. As always, the host nation is quite unfriendly to the vast majority of immigrants from the subcontinent. I don't blame them considering what was said about people who migrated from UP and Bihar to Mumbai. If tolerance is so weak within a nation, its unfair to expect anything from across borders. But I've noticed a silver lining in this whole Us v/s Them drama. The victims unite disregarding their nationality. So, between us, there is no India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. Most of us like each other's company and are fascinated by the similarities between us. Language creates a wonderful bond and we find solace in knowing how we enjoy and dislike the same things. My Pakistani friend told me a lot of things about Islam and I shared my knowledge with her. And we both drew the obvious conclusion that its the extremists who plant seeds of hatred in us.

The idea of One-world, one-nation is possible only when we are not rigid in our minds.Considering the big divide between North Indians and South Indians within and outside the country, the one-nation theory sounds highly unrealistic. It can be the subject matter of great speeches and outstanding movies, but in practice it is hard to imagine.

Lets forget the technical problems that can arise, can you imagine us tolerating and accepting each other like we really are and removing all the barriers?

End of First's?

2009-12-08T12:20:00.000+03:00

I celebrated my first wedding anniversary yesterday. It was a rocking first year of being married to my love of 5 years. Between all the smiles and tears, there was a feeling of satisfaction. It feels great to have someone by your side, someone to care for, someone to look upto, someone to love... strange how I can't imagine my life without him.

There were times in this year when I thought it was so much better when we were living our own lives and met each other in a few weeks. Then there were times when I thought how was I living away from him for 26 years of my life! But no matter what thought I had, I thanked God each day for sending an angel my way :)

When I look around and see guys around me, I feel I have the best deal! Yet there are times when it seems some things could improve. And then I argue with myself, what was life if it was perfect! And, well, are we ever satisfied?

I don't want to get into details as to how we celebrated our anniversary. Lets just say we did a lot of first's! As expected I didn't get any gift. I saved a whole lot of money to give one and was veryyyyyy happy with the response and the pampering I got. Of'course I wrote a poem to mark the occasion. It's depressing to think that the first has ended. I'm looking forward to the second's and I'm sure they will be better than ever before :)

If poetry could do it, I would grab our year in beautiful verses
If words could do it, I would fill pages with our experiences
No essays, no letters, no blog posts can express my feelings too
Just look into my eyes and you’ll know how much I love you!

If sky was the limit, my happiness would touch it
If fun was the criterion, it would surpass all measurement
No scales, no tests, just nothing can say I’m among the lucky few
Just look at my smile and you’ll know how glad I am to be with you!

Teethy Times

2009-11-30T22:41:00.000+03:00

So where should I start? A movie review? Well De Dana Dan was funny in parts. So I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. Kurbaan was 2.5. What do they think, with just a steaming scene (which btw was censored in my Middle East :( ..) they would grab our attention. Plus, it was a repetition of New York which, I thought, was way better. That Ajab Gazab flick made me think how cutie Ranbir is losing/wasting his talent. Hopefully Rocket Singh would be fun. Infact out Bollywood is losing it. I haven't gone crazy about any movie after Jab We Met. Angrezi movies, well, I'll be honest with you, I'm not a fan. First, I don't like a lot of sci-fi, action, drama etc. I just like romantic comedies! Second, I don't understand a lot of it, a lot of times. Period.

Political issues? That BJP Ayodhya thing is taking too much space. When will all the drama in this world end? Jail people and get over with it. I pity how Pakistan is seeing terrorism at its peak. This is what happens when you don't stop the wrong doers at the right time. Something happened to the Thackerey's recently. The kind of politics they are into, I really don't care.

Global issues? I'm deeply concerned about global warming. Everytime I buy a milk carton I think of the plastic I'll be throwing out. I don't know what to do. I live in a country where there is no public transport(and so we bought a HONDA CIVIC recently..!!it has nothing to do with the post but no harm in a little flauntingg :)), per capita pollution is one of the highest here, people use plastic like they use oxygen, trees are visible only if I attach binoculars to my window... I can go on and on. I feel the need to do something but I really dont know how, what, where...

The best topic...Entertainment! So Shilpa Shetty got married and her glow quotient was awesome!! I heard Kangana and Gauri Khan tripped and her saree in the reception was falling off all the time... or was it the shoulder-less blouse!? I'm a die-hard BIGG BOSS fan...I might not enjoy whatever is happening in that shitty house with a bunch of losers but I do watch it religiously every day. Double standards, huh? You bet!

Did I miss out on anything? Yeah, the emotional, psychological issues. I've been expecting way tooo much. So this best friend didn't call me on my birthday and I dished out anger like never before. She called me up and started shouting. I cried and felt guilty for getting angry! Expectations lead to anger and disappointment which leads to depression resulting in higher expectations from your loved ones to make/keep you happy. So did I learn not to expect? NO.

I've written on topics which should have taken atleast 10 posts. So does that mean I'll be back in a couple of months. Nah, I have to put my blog back on the block now. High time, really, high time!

Back?

2009-11-30T22:16:00.000+03:00

In a week from now, it will be a year to my wedding. It will be a year to postponing writing and everything to do with it. During this period I've written many unfinished posts. But friendship, love and marriage have been the only topics and so I refrained from repetition by leaving the posts where they are.

I have a habit of writing a few pages in my diary whenever something important happens in my life. Like the first time I met The Pati(!), the first time he held my hand, first fights, new romance, meeting parents, long distance...sigh. But everytime I begin to write about the first few days of the marriage, i fall short of words. Is it me, is it the wedding or has marriage made me a different person?

I'm so into my new life that the past has faded. All I want to do is learn new dishes, look gorgeous, explore the city with him, make memories and create more love in our small world. His work keeps him away for a few days in a week and I feel the love growing! Distance never made my love grow fonder as it does now. We spend each day like there was no tomorrow! And I've understood that it's this way I want to spend the rest of my life.

That doesnt mean I'll forget my main aim. We've been apart for 4 months, still its been a year. It's time to hit back and get the rest of my life in place. In place it will be :)

Post Wedding Woes

2009-09-16T13:59:00.000+03:00

A wee bit late for the post wedding woes.But that's how it is, finally I feel married! People use to ask me if it has changed. And I use to wonder what changes. I'm still the same, he's still the same...just that we are having so much more fun. Yup, thats changed.

And then it all changed! The most bugging thing after a marriage are the babies. C'mon people give us a break. Grown ups make babies. I'm not one. My hubby is still in his diapers!! Isn't it enough that we got married! We didnt plan it 5 years in advance...it happened when it was suppose to happen. So when I touch feet of this aunt she tells me, 'Putravati bhav' (may you be blessed with a baby boy.), another tells me you guys should have one right now, a third tells me to start eating right, a fourth...ah, I have plenty of them! Incidently I live in a building where almost every couple has a new born. All they talk about is how the baby keeps them awake all night. Babies, babies, babies!! I use to like kids earlier, I dont hate them now, I just dont feel like being around them so much. Am I over-reacting?

Socialising is such a problem after marriage. You like someone, your partner doesnt like the spouse. What do you do? Now my hubby is a special case. He only likes being around his bachelor friends! I dont mind those guys either 'coz they are fun and atleast they dont talk about babies and discuss recipes! But then I feel weird when one of them accidently comes up with a swear or when they all put their glasses together and expect me to say cheers too! The Indian girl in me is absolutely uncomfortable.

The worst is when we wives become our husband's moms. Poor guy, he married his girlfriend and ended up being tortured with healthy food,juice, milk and gallons of water! Its now that I understand how my mom use to be after my life. And I hated it. He hates it too, but like my mom, I'm adamant!

And then I have an identity crisis. In no way do I want to lose my identity and just hang around with my husband's. I'm a sindhi, he's a punjabi. When people question me, what should my reply be? My surname is Punjabi, his is takkar. I'm cetainly not making it Punjabi Takkar!!!! What should I say? I'm from Lucknow, he's from Haryana. Where am I from? It leaves me confused. For the first time I'm unable to solve a problem!

Lastly, I've become a full time housewife. I'm loving it so far. I have a few other duties too that I'm fulfilling with complete devotion. Somehow it leaves me with no time to blog, write or read. I have no complains with my life and everything is just perfect, yup, the woes too! Oh, and I'm going to India again for Diwali. And I'm looking forward to it sooo much :)

If anyone is keeping score, I'll see you soon!

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-07-31T21:31:00.000+03:00

I promised that I will write regularly. But that promise was broken to fulfill a bigger promise to my best friend - attend her wedding.

And so I had to leave my hubby dearest yet again for a few days and fly back to my home town. The fact that I had just gone to Bahrain and was coming back to India to attend a friend's wedding seemed indigestible to people. No one said anything, but they did raise eyebrows and said weird things like 'bahut achi friend hai kya'!? Had I said it's my cousins wedding, no one would have questioned. Why do we place friends last in our priority list? For me, friends are much more important than relatives whom we don't know from adam.

Anyway, it was also my first time to attend a Muslim wedding. We might be really different from each other but its strange how we have such similar customs.The sangeet songs, mehndi, hiding the shoe, opening thread from each others hand tied before the wedding, fishing for a jewel dipped in milk...lots of similar things.

Coming to the point, this post is for my darling. I have loads of best friends but somehow N has a very special place in my heart. We've been friends only for 4 years but this period has been so significant in our lives that we're inseparable. She did what nobody else could - make me open up and talk about my deepest emotions. We can talk endlessly, maybe because she's such a chatterbox. I had a love-hate relationship with her when we were doing MBA together. She would never help me much with 'our' project and I would crib how irresponsible she was. I shared loads with her, but she never did. After college we started becoming better friends. We started a small HR company and life changed for us.

We became best, best friends. I've written a lot about love and friendship on this blog. It's because these are the two subjects that hold most importance in my life. I learnt a new meaning of friendship from N. And so I cherish our bond most. If I had a problem, I never hesitated to share it with her. I felt proud when I could help her during her most troubled times. When I had visa issues after marriage and I couldn't be with the boy, N was the best support. It was her prayers too that helped me reunite with him. Whenever we were together, any third person seemed like an intruder! Oh, it sounds as if we are lovers...my bhabhi and my hubby do call us that!But that's how it is - a very very special friendship.

N got married yesterday to this sweetest guy. At one point I felt guilty of feeling jealous since she had a new 'best friend'! But that didn't last long for I was more happy for her to have found a guy who's just perfect. I want to be great friends with the guy too...so that our friendship could grow stronger. I want to tell her today that I love you N...and we'll be friends forever. We're married, our time zones don't match and we'll certainly wont be in the same city anymore...but we'll be together...in thick and thin...like always. And like true 'lovers'....distance will make our hearts grow fonder :)

It's Official!

2009-07-19T16:27:00.000+03:00

We've heard a lot about Indian Babus. Any procedure that involves any government related employee, we know it would be ages before it reaches completion. From getting a telephone repaired/disconnected to renewing a passport to getting a driving license, the bigger it is the more cumbersome it gets.

Sometimes we are lucky and things go on smoothly. I would call such people blessed! Sometimes we are rich and we bribe to get our work done quickly. Again, blessed. But most of the time any amount of incessant cribbing falls short of the the torture we go through.

And so in my mind, government employees were slow, had an easy 9-5 job involving more of chai, samosa and gupshup than work and cared little about their customers. Until yesterday that is. So I’m in this country where Arabs have earned huge sums of money by refining oil. Sometimes their day begins at 8 and ends at 1. Their weekend is almost a 4-day thing wherein they work only for half day one day before and after the weekend. During Ramadan, i.e. for over a month in a year, their day ends at 3. Yesterday I had Visa related work. I went to the ministry before it opened so that I was amongst the first ones. There were about 50 more people like me. Even after 1.5 hours after their scheduled opening time, work didn’t start. Then the guard comes and says, today we have decided to remain closed!

Laughable, it is. This is just a small example of how the, well, babus operate here! It takes months to get a driving license. They fail you atleast twice before finally giving it. Finding a licenced instructor is tougher than finding God! When you do find one, he will ditch you a lot of times wasting precious time and taking your frustrations level to unbelievable heights. And then they show you attitude!

After seeing all this I have new found respect for our country! We are highly effective, laborious and cordial. Even a rude official answers your queries. Here, you would be lucky even if they understand what you are trying to ask! This doesn’t mean we should ignore the loopholes in our system. There are miles to go before Indian authorities reach global standards. But as they say, we find more satisfaction in life by seeing those who are below us, and so I am proud of things back home!

I hate myself!

2009-07-14T14:59:00.000+03:00

Just for the time being though! I'm reading blogs after more than a month now. I had made a few, very few friends in this written world but it seems I've lost them now. I'm so engrossed in the small things in life that I'm not doing what I like doing best - writing and reading.

I feel guilty of wasting the precious time I've been given. Although in the last 1 month I have discovered a whole new place, met loadssssss of new people, have successfully changed a bachelor pad to a beautiful house(if you dont know, its a tough task!) and have cooked sumptuous grub for my darling hubby who has acknowledged every morsel to encourage me!! So what if my chapatis are still square, they are fully blown up and soft!

And that's why I love writing. You see, this post may seem petty to yo. But after writing all that I have done in the past 1 month, I feel less guilty!

And yes, I will write regularly from now on. Hopefully by declaring it publicly I will find time and return to my love often :)

Misc.

2009-05-31T22:16:00.000+03:00

Much has been spoken about photos and Facebook on this blog. I came about something very interesting today which I just have to share. Its regarding, again, pictures.
So we all try to be our witty-best when adding a line or two with our mundane pics. And some people go an extra mile. The pics I saw today had intriguing captions like - Flower, Leaves, Tall tree, Road, Me, Me near a tree - below, what else, a flower, leaves, tall tree...you get the drift.

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What's up with this 'How well do you know so-and-so quiz?
My husband scored a 60% after much deliberation. His answer to such disastrous result "Sweetheart there's mystery in our relationship. I want to know you more and more each day."
To state that he has learnt to handle me after all these years would be an understatement.

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My visa delay has actually become a joke now.
A friend wanted me to get serious when I was actually laughing out loudly. I suggested her to say something like, 'Nisha, imagine if your visa gets more delayed.' She did as I said.
It didnt help at all.

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There are several benefits of having a guy friend. On the other hand, he hardly has any if his female friends are devilish.
The other day we asked him to show us isolated lanes and by-lanes where he and his friends 'took' their girlfriends in a car which has window panes covered with sheets darker than a moonless night. After much coaxing, he showed us two of them. We were really impressed and thought we could help our nieces and nephews someday.
And ofcourse, we will tell our friend's wife (whoever she will be) how he took us to that lane too.

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The other day I was listening to 'Tamma Tamma loge' on radio while driving. Somehow it's easier to remember the lyrics of old songs and so I wanted to sing along loudly. I wanted increase the volume and go dhinchak dhinchak in the car.
I was too afraid to ruin my reputation in the city and so I didnt. But really what's so wrong about it? Especially when songs back then had much better lyrics and tunes.
Barring Tamma Tamma, ofcourse. Bappi da is just another league altogether.

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Ok, I gotto go now. Otherwise it will be waking up time for granny and she'll start her harangue on how its better to sleep early and get up early. I, on the other hand, think its actually practical. This way somebone or the other is always awake at our place 24 hours. We really don't need a watchman.

Feels like 16 again

2009-05-22T21:20:00.000+03:00

Warning: Girlish post ahead

Remember when you were 14 and you had your first crush? I do! I could talk to my friend endlessly about how that guy looked, behaved, walked, stared, etc etc etc. We would give the guy a girl's name so that when we were talking on the only landline in the middle of our homes, mom wouldnt know we were talking about a boy!
There were days full of sunshine when He spoke a word or two with me. And then there were sad days when He was absent, from school of course!If he showed even minimalistic interest, life was complete!

Today when I look back, it sounds so funny. I dont even want to see the guys I was even remotely interested in! We were crazy. We shared every single detail. If the crush blossomed into love the chats were even longer. How he became friends, how he proposed, how he would propose, how he held your hand, how he kissed, when will you marry, what will you call your children...ah, the works! This was the best part of female bonding.

I know every girl goes through this. If she doesnt, I pity her. I thought this was kiddish and happened only when we were younger. And so, when a friend of mine who has recently started knowing a guy started sharing minute details, we laughed our hearts out.

She was telling me silly things about him over the phone. I didnt want to spoil it for her and so I smiled just to myself. I never thought that at 26, I will be hearing things like this again. But that's the beauty of falling in love. The initial part has so much to share. So much to know. And so much more to discover.

Yeah, it feels like 16 again. Or, maybe 20, when I saw someone blushing because she had fallen in love. Maybe its what teenagers do. Or maybe its what every girl does when she falls in love. I still do it but not with the same fervour. But today, it really does feel like 16 again :)

Counting my blessings

2009-05-21T22:30:00.000+03:00

I'm an optimist. Not the enthusiastic pain-in-the-neck chirpy type. But a normal thinking-positive-when-things-dont-go-well kinds. And so, in times like this, when I'm desperate to re-unite with my husband, for reasons more than the 'obvious' one, I count my blessings!

Yesterday i had a chatty day with this friend of mine who's getting married to her boyfriend from 9 years. It makes me proud when I see them together for I was among the first 2-3 people to 'know' about their affair in school. Anyway, so she told me, I'm going to name my first girl Nisha. There are no words to describe the feeling I had. Well, she has one more reason to name her daughter this, but I'm the reason too. Thank god for friends like these who make this world such a beautiful place.

And then, in the evening another friend called. She said, I was thinking who is the one friend whom I badly want in my wedding. And the answer is you.
I'm emotional like crazy and that made tiny water droplets fill my eyes!!If this is not a blessing, then what is.

Rest later, right now I'm just too happy to flaunt the halo around my head :)

Men can never win.

2009-05-21T22:13:00.000+03:00

He: (while watching a match)I'll talk to you after the match.
She: Of course, the match is more important than me.
He: arre...

---

She: (while watching her favorite soap) I'll talk to you in half an hour
He: ok, cool.
She: See how happy you are, you really didnt want to talk to me.
He: arree...

Ah, women! And proudly so!

Why I dont blog these days...

2009-05-10T20:27:00.000+03:00

...well, its a sad hopeless situation. My hubby works in this country where the dependent visa is complicated and seems to be in the hands of some morons. Not that this country is some London/U.S...just that they seem to think of themselves to be something...uhhh

And so, i'm stuck here.And its been 3 months...and I dont know how long will it take. I'm not as sad as it reads! Just that I cant think. I dont do anything that requires me to wreck my brains. I'm just lazying around and enjoying all the pampering...but its the first time I'm not enjoying it as I should.

I'll hit back...and when I do...there will be no turning back. Till then, I just hope someone is missing me.

***sympathy and encouragement is welcome :)

55 word Fiction

2009-03-30T20:56:00.000+03:00

‘It’s all hogwash,’ she thought while wearing her satin gown.

Suddenly she saw his reflection in the mirror. His hands wrapped her tightly around her tiny waist. Her heart palpitated and her body froze with fear.

She shivered and remembered her aunt’s advice. ‘Om bhur…,’ she chanted and the spirit, thankfully, left the haunted closet.

I picked up this tag from D's, and its awesome. Write a post in 55 words, you'll enjoy it :)

Picture This

2009-03-14T19:15:00.000+03:00

A picture is worth a thousand words. Probably that’s why, with the advent of digi cams and mobile phone cameras, we are always looking for moments that can be captured. Our state of mind, our lifestyle, our stage in life… just about everything is stored in the My Pictures folder of our PC’s. Or better still, in our photo albums in FB!

While on my honeymoon, I picked up dresses that would picture well. I practiced three kinds of smile for my wedding. One with a wide toothy smile that said ‘I’m on top of the world’, second a calmer smile that said ‘I’m glad you came’ and the third, the most fake, ‘I’m shy coz I’m the bride’! All for the 8 kg album that occupies a large part of my wardrobe now.

That’s okay for everyone does that. Wedding happens once in a lifetime. But these days, we click not for the memory, but for our Facebook/Orkut profile. The most boring are those who hardly ever change their mug shots! Like my husband, he hates being clicked. He mastered the art of faking a picture-perfect smile on our wedding. The video, however, captured his act and the audience could not help but laugh. Anyway, his profile pic on FB is almost 1.5 years old. Really, he needs to get a life!

Ha, that’s what the digital age has done to us. I have what, just about a 100 photographs of the first 18 years of my life. My niece, who is 3 years old, has 100 for every 3 months of her life. And don’t even get me started on the number of videos in which we capture her every move! She is least interested. And so we have to take atleast 10 pics on the same location so that the picture is perfect.

There was a time when a 36 film roll would finish only after a year of grabbing birthdays, anniversaries, diwali, holi, rakhi, school fests and other occasions. It got us excited. I went to this studio just because the guy there was cute. And now, it’s been quite sometime since I’ve actually printed a snap.

Don’t get me wrong, I give my all for saying cheese and getting clicked. In fact I am the one who’s clicking all the time. But sometimes we get so involved in seizing the moment for the future, that the present is lost. Sometimes we overdo it so much that the picture hardly speaks a few words. And well, you know it’s a mania when you do a fun activity ‘coz it would picture well and not capture it ‘coz it was fun.

It’s too soon to say if we would relish these photographs like we relish the older ones when technology was sluggish. What we do know is that anything in excess is not good. And so, moral of the whole jabbering, say cheese, but not always with an intention to get framed!

lost in randomness!

2009-02-14T22:11:00.000+03:00

I got tagged by It's me. Its high time I started responding to tags and awards lest people started avoiding me!!
So here goes the rule:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1.I love myself, really, I do! To add to this fact, I think highly of myself! So, don't be surprised if you find this post somewhat narcissist! (after finishing the 25th point, I guess it isnt really that bad!)

2.I am very cautious when it comes to making friends. But when I do, they are for ever. And I don't call them friends, I call them best friends!

3. I'm not so good at secret keeping. I have to blurt it out sometime. You know, to show off that I know stuff!

4.I'm pathetic at showing off. I might leave my place trying to look all glam. In just a few minutes, I'm a plain Jane. I wish I could fake it a bit.

5.I hate pretentious parties. I just hate them. Maybe and if I am ever able to throw one, I don't know how will I manage it.

6.I am crazyyy about order and management and discipline and time!I hate that about me, but I just have to do the right thing at the right time(sometimes before) at the right place. I pity my husband...coz he's just the opposite. Or, should I say, he's normal.

7. I'm smiling most of the time. I can't stand people who don't and the ones who fake it.

8.People around me think I'm very intelligent. I'm not! But I don't want them to know.

9.I dig compliments. I dig them like crazy. And when someone does compliment, I think they are lying.

10. I'm awful at lying. It shows on my face.

11.I get sleepless nights if I offend someone. And if someone offends me, he shall never be forgotten. Forgiven? Maybe.

12.I can't express my deepest emotions verbally. Maybe that's why I use poetry.

13.I admire a lot of women out there. And I would like to believe that someday I'll look as hot as them!!!!!!!!!!!

14. I'm not a writer. I want to be one. I don't have the confidence...

15. I'm really vulnerable when it comes to my teeth. uhhhhh! My fascination for them justifies the title of this blog.

16. I shared my first crush with my best friend. You wont believe the fun we had during that phase. Ah, I miss school!

17.My brain is awesome at multi tasking. It's thinking of at least two things at a time. I'm planning to take up meditation to cure it!!

18. I can sleep 24*7. I don't understand how people can get bored. We always have the option to sleep!

19. When I met my husband for the first time, he had ruffled hair and an unshaven beard. I, on the other hand, did everything on a salon's list. So you know, I don't believe in love at first sight!

20. I don't have the so-called luck line on my palm. Still, I win at cards, tambola, internet contests, etc. I've been lucky in love as well! I guess I'm 'lucky by chance' ;)

21.I believe in good deeds. I believe whatever we do comes back to us sometime or the other. So does in the blog world. I comment, you comment. Right?

22. I started using the internet when I was 17. I made loads of good friends 'coz it was all about chatting back then. I've lost most of them. Once in a while I think about them and google their names...I really must be crazy!

23. I have a fetish for writing down recipes! I hope I use it when I start cooking for my husband.

24. I am a romantic at heart. I have the movie tickets of my first movie with my hubby, the 3 roses he has given me in these 6 years(!!), the top I wore when I met him for the first time, the chocolate wrappers, etc etc etc :)

25. It took me 3 days to write this post. I hate telling people about me like this. I like them to figure it out! Or, maybe I’m afraid of shedding one of the many masks I wear…

I think I am the last one left to take up this tag!!Please take it if you havent been tagged!

Love is...

2009-02-13T21:08:00.000+03:00

They say they cant define love
They say it's a gift from the Lord above
They say, if you find someone, you're lucky
They say, true love, doesn't find many.

I say love, it's you
It's in your eyes, so pure and so true
It's the way you hold me when I fall
It's in my name, when you call...

I say love, it's you
You might just say it in words so few
It's the hope you give me, inspire me, adore me
It's the way you make me feel oh-so-lucky.

I say love, it's you
Your touch, your warmth...just your presence too
You're my angel, really, a gift from the Lord above
When I see you, I just know what is Love.

:)

Jai Ho!

2009-01-22T20:05:00.000+03:00

First things first, it’s great that a movie that’s Indian in a large way has won 10 Oscar nominations. Yeah, Slumdog Millionaire has done us proud.

But the debate that’s doing its rounds in India is whether the movie is putting up a wrong picture in front of the whole world about India being a land of the poor.

Well, I am yet to see and form an opinion on the movie since it is releasing tomorrow. Nor have I traveled the world as such to know what the present opinion of the world about India is. From what we hear and read, India is known as the land of many cultures, traditions, festivals, and diversity in various forms. I guess it’s a widely known fact that India has one of the largest populations with masses living in utmost poverty.

Unless someone knows an Indian abroad he will not know the true picture of the country from outside. When Aishwarya was on Oprah Winfrey show, Oprah was shocked to know that Indian kids live with their parents even after they graduate. She didn’t know that virginity was considered a Big issue in our country. She was somewhat unaware of the Saree as well. If she didn’t know much about our value and family system, it’s very difficult to expect it from an ordinary American citizen.

That’s just one very different example that I know of. What I'm trying to ask is that what is the true picture anyway? Isn’t poverty a major part about our country? If someone was watching CNN a month back, wouldn’t he know about the terror attacks? Will he conclude that India is always under terrorists?

I hope not. Sure it would evoke some thoughts, but an intelligent person would not generalize the whole thing. And for those who want the world to paint only the rosy picture(read : all of us), lets hope after this movie loads of film makers will throng India and someone would definitely show the India that we dream about.

Lastly, I’ll watch this movie and hope it’s as good as our expectations. Hopefully it will make lots of money and it will do nothing to our ‘image’ abroad!I've also heard that the producers might share the monetary success of the movie with the Indian slums.So, all is well. Why the fuss?

A Happy Begining

2009-01-07T15:09:00.000+03:00

I dont know from where to start - the wedding, the honeymoon, the vacations, the present or the future. It all seems like one big dream. I have forgotten my life before 7th dec 2008. No, its not Ghajini fever. Its just, Im living in a different era from the last one which, surprisingly, seems like someone else's life.

So like all annoying baraats, this one arrived late as well. Like always I was at the venue even before the guests! My parlour had some 20 brides getting dressed. That made me feel like someone not-so-special. And it assured me that I need not worry for there are loads of people who go through the same nervousness. Yeah, I was all chirpy thereafter.

While waiting I had the yummy grub and chatted with all my friends who had taken efforts to come from various places. I met friends and cousins whom I had not met in ages. I agree that Indian weddings are a big waste of money. But the kind of emotional bonding it brings about is worth admiring. Anyway, I had lost track of time and had a gala time. After all, it was my BIG day!

And then the Dulha arrived. I could see his sweet smile under the sehra that really bugged him. I had heard somewhere that one of the best moments in a wedding is when the groom and the bride look at each other. Oh, I saw a lot of love :)

Picutres with friends and family followed and then the wedding ceremony started. I love it when the pandit explains each and everything thats being done. Our pandit was nice too. Although he got me really emotional! Then came the toughest part - saying goodbye. I cried like a baby and the Boy counted how many else were crying!

It's strange with us girls. The moment I said goodbye and went to His house, I was like I belonged there. Sometimes I feel guilty of not missing my house, family and friends. At the same time I feel proud to have found a husband, a family, a house that doesnt make me miss my past. My new parents are one of the best in-laws I have seen in my lifetime. The Boy has been a sweetheart. He's getting use to a responsibility and he doesnt seem to mind it. Guess he's growing up!!

What should I say about our honeymoon. I'm sure I will never have a vacation as beautiful as that one. Everything in Goa was perfect. The hotel, the beach, the weather, the cruise, the food,the beer and everything else you can associate with Goa and a honeymoon ;)

We also took a short Jaipur-Ajmer trip. And now we are planning to temporarily settle down. I dont look like a new bride at all except for the red bangles in my hand. I'm still the same pyjama t-shirt girl I use to be. I help my mom-in-law in the kitchen, take care of the house, wait for my hubby and touch feet of loads of people. But that doesnt make me feel any different.

Thats how happy I am after a month of my wedding. And I really cant believe my luck... :)

Hope to be back soon. Till then, Happy writing!

Enough is Enough

2008-11-28T17:45:00.000+03:00

This post, like my previous posts, is about weddings. But this wedding, which was scheduled just a day before mine, will never happen. When I think of the girl who like me, created a wedsite, must have packed her trousseau, had her lehnga trials, dreamt about her honeymoon...her future ...lost her fiance in the ongoing massacre, my heart skips a beat.

We cant even begin to imagine the plight of the family who lost their son. Nor can we feel what the families of other victims are going through. How can we begin celebrations of any kind when something as simple as eating out has become so dangerous?

We've had a lot. I really dont know whom to blame. I just want to know what can I do so that when I die, I'm not a part of such ghastly headlines...

Talking of similarities...

2008-11-23T20:52:00.001+03:00

I never put hello tunes in my phone. This week, I thought of adding one. And strangely enough I found them very similar to weddings! How? Here are a few observations:

1. You try really hard to decide the best hello tune for your listener. Just like you decide the best venue, card, food, etc.

2.You spend moolah. But all for the entertainment of the caller. Similarly, you spend lakhs for the whole wide world who get entertained at your expense.

3.You, however, never dial your number to enjoy your tune. At the wedding, you are decked up, handling heavy clothes with a fake toothy smile touching everyone and anyone's feet. Nah, you don't really enjoy your own wedding.

4. Like the song selected, everything about your wedding says a lot about you.

5.If you want to spend more money, you can customize tunes for different callers. Likewise, you organize different functions for different people. You know sangeet for aunty ji's, cocktails for uncles and bachelor party for friends...

6. It doesnt matter if the caller likes your tune, he has to bear it. Weddings can be a social nuisance for some.

7.There are some who would call you just because they like your song. Like the ones who will come to your wedding just because you've laid some yummy grub.

8. It becomes boring after a while and you feel like changing it...hmmm...that's a similarity that I still have to experience...

Ah, weddings are all I can think of :)

Changes

2008-11-13T17:56:00.000+03:00

As time goes by and life meanders into a new era altogether, I think of the numerous emotions a girl goes through when she is getting married. She blushes when her fiance's name comes up, her eyes are filled with tears when they discuss that she'll soon go away, she has a sinking feeling whenever she attends a wedding, she's joyous when she thinks of all the new things that are going to happen to her, she gets upset when she thinks of all the sacrifices the parents have to make for her, she is proud when they talk about everything that is perfect....

These and a lot of emotions fill a girl's heart. And when they get mixed up, the feeling is absolutely blank. Really, it is Blank.

I wonder if it's that big a deal. Everyone gets married. Then why do I feel so 'out-of-the-world'? I'm sure I'll be laughing at myself a few days later when I think of the past. But right now, I feel Blank.

And when I think of the era that was, I wonder if the next step would be as beautiful. I remember changing schools, houses,colleges, friends, love interests. I remember I was afraid to embark on a new journey everytime. I remember being nervous about the future. But then...I also remember settling down, cherishing and living every moment there on. I never ever thought that yesterday was better than the present.

God has been kind. And changes have been always for the best. I'll be alright! Moreover, I have my Mr.Right with me to take care of that :)

p.s.This is more of a 'Dear Diary' kind of a post, nevertheless...

I miss...

2008-11-08T18:18:00.000+03:00

blogging...
writing...
sharing...
reading...
commenting...
replying...
...and everything to do with this virtual world.

I have nothing much to say for I feel blank these days. Life has only one aim - getting married. Scary yet exciting. Sad yet happy. Real yet a dream.

I will be back soon. And then I'll share everything! Everything? You wish! :)