and we're back.

4 days.
5 states.
1 road trip.
lunching with one of my favoritest couples in the whole wide world.
meeting rels you used to like, after a long long time. realizing they're still as nice as you remembered them.
falling in love with the niece you haven't spent any time with before.
some godawesome food.
decent weather. *read, no snow!*
good walks.
good music.
better conversations.
one playful kitty.
happy times.

this is, for me, how a good vacation ought to be.

would have been purrfect if i could've managed to stay with G.. but well, next time. also, it made me realize why i love G so much. i called... the morng of when i was supposed to land at her place, and told her i couldn't make it, as we'd had a sudden change of plans and had to head back directly... and all she said was "no worries. cool." that, to me, is what great friendship is. no explanations, no whining, no making me feel guilty. no sulking. pure understanding. and confidence, that if i could.. i definitely would.

touchwood!

here and now...

it's been a while now. a while since i came here. not only here, on this blog... but here, to this place i've now started calling home. and wonder if it actually is home. or it's another of those dreams that i won't r'ber when i wake up.

i have finally started stepping out the door without the camera. so, 'that' touristy phase is kind of over.
and it's an understatement to say it's beautiful. of course, only if you like the countryside, that is. if you're the kind of urban person who thrives on skyscrapers, this isn't the place for you. i was like that, once. a long time ago. i can't seem to remember when that person took the back-seat and let this, nature-loving freak, out.
but i don't know how many mes are within me. so i shall leave that be.

as for now, there's one thing that kind of sums it up for me, here. and considering that this place has a way of making me shut up... i shall quote vin's colleague... who said "it just lets you make the most of a moment... teaches you to 'live'... and appreciate every little aspect."
like the ray of sunshine that peeked out from behind the dark grey cloud. like the white morng, which melted away as the sun shone through... like the green of the leaves, which i don't know when i'd see next...

all in all, it's gorgeous.
and i'm sorry i haven't blogged more often. will try to be regular from next month. or maybe next year?
to all those who asked me where i've been.. i've been around. but i didn't/don't have anything much to write about. will do a picture post once i'm back. till then, happy thanksgiving!

oh, dear!

me: vin, cut your nails, dude...
vin: no, it's a defense mechanism. i will not cut.
me: defense?? when a deer crosses your path, you'll attack it with ur claws?
vin: not that deer. YOU, dear. this is all for you!

me chatting with a friend this morng, typed "MIAOWWW" in his window instead of deweys.
me to dewey: dude, i just typed your miaow in Ms window and he asked " subah kya maarke baithe ho aaj?"
dewey: tell him "maowjito hai"

again, chatting with dewey... she types a whole lot of sentences. me, who is busy trying to catch snowflakes... doesn't get the drift:
me: eh? what... who ? taiwan??
dewey: haan. taiwan. tum kya behosh hoke abhi uthi ho?

me to vin: nobody loves me.
vin: suruchi ko bolu kya?!

me telling G that when i told my ma abt baby bear, she thought it was a VERY little baby and said "uthaya nahi usko?"
G: tell aunty that if you'd uthao'ed that baby, then her baby wouldn't be here today!

well, that's what we've been upto.

back with a tag...

since i have nothing new to write... this is my way of saying i'm alive & kicking... erm.. thinking... howdy y'all?! flicked from dewey...

1.What is your current obsession ?

Bejewelled on facebook. Also, Farmville.

2. What are you wearing today?
harem pants. and a new orleans tee with a cat face on it in sequins. happy?

3. What’s for dinner?
Butter chicken, chapatis, sooji ka halva. yeah, mom's here.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?

a faux fur cap with a tail. and metal rimmed sunglasses.

5. What are you listening to right now?

mom talking in the background... 'yeh dooriyan' playing on my laptop... and the hum of the heater

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
hahahaa... she's a VERY genuine person. am glad our paths crossed.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?

i'm happy right here... :) would be happier if someone paid our rent, though

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?

sunscreen, sunglasses...

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

only an hour? i'd go to hawaii.

10. Which language do you want to learn?

french.

11. What’s your favourite quote?

there are always flowers for those who want to see them.

12. Who do you want to meet right now?
suruchi.

13. What is your favourite colour?

scarlet? black?

14. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
a black halter dress with an uneven hem... it was the first outfit vin got for me.

15. What is your dream job?

wild-life photog.

16. What’s your favourite magazine?

Reader's Digest. i don't read mags anymore.

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?

digital converter box? i don't know. i have 100 on me... haven't spent it yet...

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?

visible lingerie lines.

19. Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon?
freida pinto.

20. What kind of haircut do you prefer?
anything goes. my hair looks the same, no matter how you cut it!

21. What are you going to do after this?

chat with galadriel. like i was before i started doing this.

22. What are your favourite movies?
it's an endless list.

23. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?

eye liner, chapstick, my burberry perfume.

24. What inspires you ?

depends on which sphere needs inspiration... but mostly, life.

25. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:

i don't use any. being myself helps.

26. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?

i wear jeans and a tee. with heels.

27. Coffee or tea?

coffee. with milk & sugar, pls.

28. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?

i clam up. go offline. and revisit myself.

29. What is the meaning of your name?

google it, will ya?

30. Which other blogs do you love visiting?

all those you'll find in my comments tab

31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?

cheesecake.

32. Favorite Season ?

monsoons in mumbai.

33. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me?

ma's cooking... come over! u'll get whatever you'll want!

34. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?

indifference. i'm a pro at that.

35. What are you afraid of the most?

losing my identity.

36. My Question: Is it possible to be in love with two persons simultaneously??
sure it is.

now, as dewey says... Ya wanna da tag? Take-a da tag!

happy b'day G!

here's wishing a really really special purrson, a really really special day!
happy b'day gurl!

here's wishing you a wonderful b'day with wonderful ppl and a really wonderful year ahead!
you're the beshtest!

the bosses so far...

dewey blogged abt her boss making me remember the gems of bosses i've had. till i ended up unemployed. again. of course.

my first boss - a boss i seldom speak abt - was one of the most random, most eccentric bosses anyone could ever have had. but fortunately, for me, i didn't have to deal with him much... i left that job in abt 3 months... and i don't even mention it on my resume, considering it doesn't really count as work experience. all i did there was manage paperwork. but yes, i did learn how to handle eccentricity.
sure as hell helped me along the way. also, that one job ensured i left advertising for good.

i joined c2w... where they seemed to empathize with my wanting to leave the prev job. the place seemed nice.. and talking of bosses, this one was a classic. in fact, i still believe he makes a fantastic boss. he grooms you fabulously *i owe my stinker-writing endorsed-by-vibs talent to him*, manages to get the best out of you... and is so hands-on that it merely inspires you to do your best. and the most important thing i learned was that no matter how big you are... you always have time to revert to all the personal/client mails you get. i still attribute my being down to earth *or whatever of it is still untainted* to that one boss.

next was the celeb boss. his quirks i've blogged about before in a few posts... absolute one of a kind! most important learning from him? that only substance is zilch in marketing. you HAVE to have the right attitude. not too much, not too little. JUST right.

then, of course, was the classic hungama. they say that fire is the test of gold... hungama proved to be that fire for me. i grew tremendously... professionally and personally. "the boss" had some qualities that i believe no other boss would have. he's thrown me into the ocean with a mere safety jacket... and watched me struggle... being there ONLY when i've almost drowned. IF i've drowned! :D
we've had our share of tiffs and disagreements. but end of the day, he knew how to create, develop and grow a business. he had this amazing knack of knowing what a "resource" is good at and getting the most out of that one resource. i don't think i could have learned "that" from anyone else.
add to that his quirks.. the fact that he never sleeps, the fact that he doesn't believe in communicating with you unless u're dying... his ability of saying the most hilarious thing in the most matter-of-fact way.. and that thing stops being hilarious... and actually comes up as a feasible solution to the issue.. and leaves you thinking "i'm so stupid to not have thought of that!?"
but there's one little fact that i would always remember him for. he has gone out of his way to help me. and i hope i don't ever forget that.

and like most good things in life... the value of these bosses i realized AFTER i had left the organizations... as they say in hindi... der aaye durust aaye... one thing's for sure... if i ever get back to work... these bosses are going to be a horribly tough act to follow...

this & that...

from now on, G will be referred to as "kind" galadriel... after a dear friend of mine who saw our recent pics on my FB commented that she looks the "kindest" of the lot.
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it's been 3 weeks for me in the new house... and i still am trying to get accustomed to the fact that if i step/look outta my house - it's gorgeous all around! looking at the hills and lakes still makes me smile in child-like wonder. i'm hoping it stays this way for a while at least.
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we're off for the weekend... i may be off blog for a little while; at least till ma's settled in... those of you who miss me, pls do mail me. i promise to mail back. and when i get back here, i hope to see at least a few of you regulars around... other than dewey and the kind galadriel, of course :D
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amongst other things... my beloved himesh is back! :P the first time i heard this song was when SEV merrily played it for us... and the comic quotient just increases as the days go by. if you need a smirk/laugh.. please do view.



have a good weekend y'all!

blog-pal? naah!

i know a post is due on galadriel's visit... but try as i may, i cannot write anything about it. for some strange reason... it feels a li'l too personal to post it here... on the blog.. publicly. more like when your best pal visits... and you have a fantastic time.. but you don't blog it.

it's surprising how within a year... she's gone from acquaintance/blog-pal to really really close friend. when you don't even realize that you're sitting while she does the dishes in ur house. one whom you can tell to cook while you get dressed. one you can nag to make chai in the morning, even for the man you married. in fact, HE nags her to make tea. THAT is when you realize how close a friend she really is.

of course, it was really nice to have SEV there, too. and now... finally... i can say that she's in good hands. whatever little niggling doubts i may have ever had *because i hadn't really met him* are now put to rest. good choice, gurl.

the weekend flew by. with lots of chatter, lots of food... and lots of laughter. and before i could realize it, we were saying our goodbyes... vin did attempt saying bye to me too at the airport... but G refused to take me with her. i think everyone's had enough of me. *THIS is where you extend sympathies and say.. "no, no.. we've NOT had enough of you"*

the highlight of the ENTIRE weekend... despite the gorgeous lakes and mountains and company... was definitely the baby bear, that scampered away into someone's backyard coz we scared it with our big red car. our hands were full with food and our mouths open in amazement. so, no. no pictures of baby bear. you HAVE to take our word for it.

as for G and satish visiting us... this pic is proof...
now off i go... looking forward to mom's visit. cleaning up my house. unpacking. yeah, ma reaches here this sunday. whee!

summer? really...?

so... we've settled in.
a little.

lots of boxes that still need to be unpacked.
but that's ok.
it IS feeling a bit like home already. even with the boxes.

and of course, the wise galadriel... who is obsessive compulsive about cleaning visits me this weekend. *wheeee!!!!* i think i shall make use of her OCD and let HER unpack the rest for me. as a house-warming gift? and hopefully, she'll make us sambhar this time.

anywhoo... the story so far... for those of you who don't know and would like to know *you would, wouldn't you?* is that we've shifted to a little hamlet in NY from a little bigger hamlet in texas. and summers - the way i knew them - have now ceased to exist. from a 100+, we're now living in temps that barely touch the 50s in summer. and i'm loving it!
the ppl are lovely, our apartment's really nice... and the place is gorgeous. and since words really don't do justice to it, i shall leave you guys with a few pics. all clicked near the new house.

the lake... vin's work-place is on the banks of this one...

one of the many mountains along the way...

one of my personal fave pics... :D
so.. that's that... shall see you guys soon. and get back to regular programming real soon.

p.s.: you may want to click on pics to see them without my background messing them up.