who i am is who i wanna be...

the year's seen me do some very uncharacteristic things. 

- it's made me live up to my responsibilities. in ways i'd wished i never had to. 

- it's helped me find a friend in someone i'd known for a long time... but never really known. and i'm glad for cliches like "it's never too late". 

- i've made some good friends online. u know who you are - all of u... and i sure will catch y'all online soon! :) 

- two of my now-closest pals have graduated from being blog-pals in this very year. 

galadriel: i know how difficult it is to listen to me crib, whine, rave, rant and still be there for me! :D thanks, babes! MUAH! 

dewdrop: u made london feel like home. fly down SOON! keep meowing! and heyy... get rid of the ramu kaka merchandise ;) 

- i ran off to london. despite having said "never again" last year. fortunately, this time was a lot better! 

- i questioned my own decisions. usually, the doubts are before the decisions are arrived at. not after i've decided and gone ahead. but well, there's always a first time! 

- vin and i have managed to live through a lot of uncertainties. but i'm not sure the worst is past us. but i do know that it doesn't matter. that if we could tide over these two years... we should be able to tide over the next as well. 

- i went ahead and got a tattoo. something i'd been too chicken to do since i was 20. and guess what - it doesn't really hurt!! 

- i've realized who my friends are. and people who have their own motives behind being friends with me. 

- i've begun appreciating my girl friends THAT much more. 

vibs: someday, i'm gonna blog those mails we'd exchanged all those years back. makes me feel real sane today! :D 

suruchi: u're probably THE person i'd turn to if i ever need to talk about anything. miss ya tonnes. and i wish i could come down to bbay. and oh, btw... vin now thinks u're on his side. but he's still scared of u! :D 

- i'm looking forward to the changes anticipated next year. 

on the whole, the year's been an absolute mixed bag. it went from not-so-good to uh-oh to horrible to okay to good to great... all within 12 months! they say all's well that ends well. and we're still here.. living and blogging. and the hope still survives - for a better 2009. and i'm happy with who i am... and the fact that i'm still open to change.. with myself and my life. i love the fact that i've managed to sustain the positivity despite everything that's happened. i am happy and content with the way life is shaping up. and with myself. so i guess it can't be all that bad. 

here's wishing all of u have a better 2009! :)

happy holidays!

ok. i'm home!
so are my bags. finally.

for the record, here's what happened:

flight landed late at boston. bad weather being the reason. at boston airport, i am told that i'd miss my flight if i don't "run across to the other terminal" REALLY?? run across?? in SNOW????

but well.. I had to get home, so i figure that's my problem. so i actually scampered across two terminals. completely failing to notice how pretty everything around was.
THEN, i'm told the flight has been delayed. not by 15 - 20 mins. by TWO hours!!!!

and while looking out at the snowed-in planes, i realize with a sinking feeling. "i'm gonna miss my connecting to houston!" i chk with the airline ppl if i can get on a later flight. wishing my bro would actually fly international routes so i can make the plane wait for me! i am told there's no later flight.

faced with the option of being stuck at dallas, i frantically call vin.
me: where are you??
vin: home. where are YOU?
me: can u come to dallas to pick me up???
vin: hehe. where are you right now?
me: i'm at boston airport. flight's delayed by over 2 hours. and i miss my connecting to houston. can u get to dallas by 8.30??
vin: yeah. of course. i can't dare leave you at dallas, can i? hehee.
me: ok. come on time. LEAVE now!

at dallas. i wait for my bags. no bags. so i run around the airport trying to locate a rep who can tell me where my bags are. *it's late. and it's the holiday season. so few reps at that hour*
at the counter:
me: *explained HOW i'd got there, gave them reqd info etc* could you tell me where my bags are?
her: *grinning at me like a cheshire cat. despite seeing that i wasn't in the mood to comprehend humour!* you'll have to call this number and press 7. they would be able to tell you.
me: you don't think YOU should call them? YOU lost my bags. i'm stranded here coz YOUR flights got delayed. and now you want me to call numbers and HOLD??
her: um.. ma'am, i would have. but it's a "customer" service number. they wouldn't speak to me.

i realized, she was serious about it. she looked a little warily at me, actually. too dumbfounded by her blondness... i DO call the number. the man there thought i'd like to chat. and asked me random details about my flights and my bags. finally, he gives me a "locator number" which i'm supposed to map online. except, they don't update their site.
awesome.

a day and a half later, no bags.
i call the number again.
i explain what has happened and give her the locator.. so she can check.
she: you came from london?!
me: yes?
she: and you missed your flight from dallas?
me: YES? *this is info i have JUST given her*
she: OMG!!! how did you get home from dallas at that hour???
me: huh? i asked to be picked up.
she: oh. then why did you not pick up your bags at dallas?

stunned silence.
she thinks i abandoned my precious bags at that airport????? do people DO that??? just like that? for FUN???

me: i WOULD have, if i COULD have. but thanks to your amazing service, my bags did NOT reach dallas. neither have they reached houston. YOU. need. to tell me. WHERE. they are! and, NOW.
she: yes ma'am. i'll just check.

ARGHH!!

finally, 4 hours later that day, my bags got home. after of course, i was made to give super-fab directions of how they could reach my house. yeah, i live here. but i can't give directions. i admit giving directions included resorting to the power of the internet! :D

and just for kicks, i checked their site, later in the evng. to realize that it still said : bags not located.

i've received the bags, but the site says they haven't found them. imagine the trauma this conflicting info would have had on me if i were as bright as their customer service rep(s). vin says i should sue them. for emotional distress.

but i'm just gonna say "happy holidays! feels good to be home. with my luggage!"

flying update

yes, i know this space has been neglected. not ony did i miss it myself.. i also got ur mesgs/mails to the effect. and yeah, sorry that u couldn't comment - i couldn't either!
on one hand, i'm really glad u guys miss me... on the other, i WISH i could blog right now. i have posts in my head... but when there's so much going on... all i can hear is white noise! BUT... here's a quick update on things:

first things first - yes, this space has another look. and this one's gonna stay a while. coz i quite love it. and of course, it has been blessed by "the bhai"
thanks lavs! really appreciate the help.
and i hope YOU who read from ur blackberry and other fancy gadgets can read this fine now. gosh! the trouble i go through for u guys...! and no appreciation i hear! hmph!

dewdrop's left. and i'm missing her terribly. but the child's having fun at home. and has assured me she shall try and visit me next year.

i leave in four more days. yes. sunday night i shall step into what i've called home-turf for the past coupla years. thanks to office, i have a lovely half-way across america flight... and given my trysts with folks at airports... i shall keep you updated with airport stories, as always.

highlights of the week:
overheard in a tube - a firang asking an indian "how IS it that all of you know computers? is it like a religion, there?"

the boss called up Vin.
Vin's message to me : "the boss had called. i thought he had a job for ME. :("

a firang client calls and says "kya tum mujhey weekly top 10 send again please?"

okay... that's all.. and since i leave sunday... this also means that i will return the laptop saturday. and will be offline at least till monday.
given these are my last few days... i am kinda drowning in stuff to do before i leave... so will catch up on ur blogs & reply to comments soon as i can!

y'all be good...and in case i don't see you till then... happy holidays!

edited to add: you CAN leave comments now. thanks, lena... really! :)

mind becomes garden garden.

i'm feeling very green.
it's the color i'm in right now. as in... i WANT to buy a green bag, a green jacket, a green hat... i actually eyed a green phone today... u get the picture. and i actually am liking THIS green. the one in the background - and the text.
so i've decided i'm actually fond of this look. as of now. in my sleep-deprived, overworked state.

also, none of u love me. and are not helping me find a nice template. *read - designing/mailing me something that I would fall in love with at first glance and say to you "WTF were you waiting for??"*.

do let me know what u think of the "new look". pls r'ber... when u say, u don't like... keep options ready for me to either like or turn down. if you don't have options, you can always say "hmm..." or some such politically correct thing that would allow me to publish ur comment.

and till any of you actually proves to be of help *vibs???*, this phool-patti shall remain.

p.s.: no prizes for translating the title of this post.

edited to add:
credits: galadriel loves me! or maybe she just couldn't bear the garden that this page had become. so well, she showed me the "green light". and also, very kindly edited the xml after i'd slept. what would i do without u? now go.. link me in some more posts!

other options considered were templates called "chobits", "santa & reindeer", pink diva (which G loved), "vetochick" and "rigid joy".

i love me!

ok... i don't have anything of any consequence to blog... but am picking up loca's tag... and listing things i love abt myself. bcoz i want to. bcoz london's making me realize a lot of things. and fall in love. with myself. and with life. :)

i love the fact that i:
:: can smile even when i want to cry. if someone needs that smile. and they matter enough to me. and that smile will be genuine.
:: am an awesome friend to have, once u're in the inner circle. till then, it's a tad confusing... i could be rather self-centered.
:: can be, and/or seem to be, rather indifferent even while being extremely
attached to something/someone. it's not as confusing as it sounds.
:: can be rather entertaining. so if i like u. and u need ur spirits lifted. u can count on me. but well, if u're a friend, u already know that. so cross that out! :D
:: can make myself feel happy. irrespective of everyody and everything.
:: am good at networking. but i like to believe that is because i'm genuine.
:: am not ugly. and i know what suits me. and i carry off stuff rather well. yeah, i love that. i know i'm vain. so?
:: have expressive eyes. for ppl close to me, it's rather easy to know what's going on in my mind.
:: am unpredictable. yeah, despite the point above. that's coz i mostly don't know what i'm going to do till i do it. :D
:: do NOT discriminate. at ANY level.
:: know when to be modest. and when to leave that behind.
:: know how to keep ego away from my relationships.
:: am passionate about what i do for a living. and that i know, that it's not related to where i work. or what i do. it's how i do what i'm doing that matters to me.
:: am not easy. in any sense.
:: am real.

the "beast" is here as well...

the beast from the "now-i'm-on-sabbatical", "now-i'm-not" galadriel is visiting. and wants me to write 6 random things about me. i'm not sure what she - galadriel, not the beast - means by that. and despite some clarifications on gtalk, i'm still confused. as to what is expected from me. but i got the words RANDOM and SIX points. and ABOUT YOU. NOT ANYONE ELSE. so, ok. here goes:

1. i have gone thru bhojpuri songs and videos. and checked for "quality". which essentially meant that 93% of them got rejected owing to visual obscenity or vulgar language or double entendre lyrics. i actually knew lyrics to bhojpuri songs. was an occupational hazard. and no, i don't do that anymore.

2. i want to go to the thames wearing a saree, carrying a ghada and fill the ghada with water. *it being london ka gangajal and all.* and play a recorded remix *the shyla lopez* version of "baahon mein chale aaaaooooo...". recorded, bcoz i can't sing. dewdrop's gonna help me with this. considering that i don't have a saree.. and don't know how to reach the water of the thames! *i can SEE the darned river... but can't get into it. not that i've tried. but still*

3. i stopped going to temples because i was wary of leaving my footwear outside. eventually, i wasn't very sure of the whole concept of "god". but i don't believe in making a scene out of it. if it pleases my mom, or my MIL, i'll do a puja. it doesn't hamper my beliefs.

4. i don't care much for shopping but can spend hours in a supermarket. or a bookstore. i love observing packaging. and i find supermarkets very interesting. i can also spend DAYS doing nothing... i can be comfortable perched at a
corner observing the world go by. and never feel like i've wasted a minute. i am also intrigued by book covers. i r'ber the covers... long after i've forgotten the contents.

5. i'm rather good at maintaining professional relationships. and no, this isn't my superiority complex talking. i really am. *any prospective employers reading?? pls read only this piece!* i am also darned good at spotting typos.

6. i remember random crap that is of no use to anyone or me... like the license plate number of dad's cousin's car. or our old landline number. or the birthdate of a remote acquaintance's kid. or the colour of the wall behind the tv in vin's sis's apartment. or the exact shade of grey that i wanted my room to be. or my first mobile phone number.

i'm supposed to restrict this piece to 6 points. there are, of course, the other points i told u offline, galadriel. but those can't be blogged. and now it's a little past mid-night. and i need to sleep.
pls feel free to take this up as a tag or drop me six random things abt u as a comment. so liberal we are, around here, these days!

all i want is...

a couple days back, dewdrop asked me whether vin was the exact opposite of what i wanted in a guy.
and then we spotted some shiny blue boots and ran into a DM store. and the shiny blue boots had really icky plastic/rubber BEIGE soles... EWWW... yeah, i
know! can't even find decent footwear these days. sigh!

but well, since i didnt answer her, and i KNOW she reads this blog, i shall do it here.
if you'd asked me 10 years back, as to what i wanted in a guy, i'd say:
:: good looking. as well as well dressed.
:: intelligent.
:: good sense of humor
:: should speak GOOD english. and hindi. *i was a complete sucker for people who speak well. more so, in english. u know when mugdha godse says to piggy chops in fashion "tum small town girls ki problem kya hai? achchi english mein maang lo... kuch bhi de doge?" yeah, i used to be somewhat like that... though not that daft. i think!*
:: should be able to "understand" me. by this, i mostly meant it literally. that he should understand what i speak.
yeah, shallow i was. and condescending.

if u had asked me about 5 years back, i'd say
:: the ability to make me laugh. with him, not AT him *which happened a lot*. also, without either of us having to try too hard.
:: no potbelly, no moustache, no beard... well, not that i wanted adonis... but yeah, if we stand together, he shouldn't look like i'm trying to get back at my parents for something. if i were someone of fewer words, i'd say "presentable". but apparently, i'm not.
:: good conversation skills. the ability to "hold" a conversation. and make me seem interested. very difficult, given that i was mostly self absorbed. but that i know now... then it was amazing if a guy could get me to speak to him on topics other than work.
:: had to be able to drive a car. don't ask me why. but this WAS a valid, legit criteria.
:: should not be over-possessive and insist on me not talking to my friends bcoz they were guys. well. i knew guys like this. and i realized i did not want them! :D
:: did not have an ex gurlfriend who would then make it the purpose of her life to mail me and tell me that i had stolen her boyfriend. yes, i knew women like this too. and no, i could do without the drama. really.

but all of that changed over time... as did i. i lost some of my extreme superiority complex *lost the extreme bit, i think*. and i became a lot more human. and realized that it was okay to give people a chance. sometimes.

and then, i met vin. and i realized that i COULD indeed get a guy who undoubtedly is in a much higher league than i was. or would ever be. he was what i hoped to be, someday. of course, he doesn't know this. and i wouldn't have ever agreed to it, but still. this is confession time. and i don't lie on this space. i merely evade the truth when necessary ;)

but it was then, after meeting him, that i "knew" that as long as my guy:
:: was passionate about his work and wasn't working coz he "had to"...
:: understood that respect had to be earned. by both of us....
:: knew what he wanted. from himself. from me. from life...
:: was secure. with himself. with me. with "us"....
:: could make me smile simply by "being there"...
:: realized the importance of accepting me the way i was and giving me my time & space....
:: could hold a conversation. or make me feel comfortable with his silence...
:: loved me. enough to want me for an entire lifetime...
nothing else really mattered.

of course, factors like he didn't have a potbelly, moustache or beard, wasn't an alcoholic, spoke good english, did not wear rubber chappals on a date, knew his bollywood films... DID help his case. quite a bit.
and of course, so did his dimples!

to answer dewdrop... he may not have been what i wanted at 18. but he was - and is - everything i'll ever need. :)

billo rani... wanted!

as most of u already know.. the n'bours cat stalks me.
so we *dewdrop and urs truly* decided that a good solution would be to get him married.. that way he won't have time to do these trivial things *but i can't be sure as K pointed out. one can never be too sure of males, he said* and i can enter and leave my house in peace. and on time. *had to play with the cat is my excuse for getting late, as of now*

so.. my gtalk mesg today read "need to find a bride for Chocolate"
dewdrop's status mesg read "a cat called nimbu" *no, this had NOTHING to do with mine*
so i changed mine to "will nimbu marry chocolate?"
to which dewdrop changes hers to this:
dewdropdream: A cat named Nimbu. Will Nimbu marry Chocolate? Will their kid be named Jaffa? Watch this space for 'Miaow! A Love Story of two cats in a world gone to dogs'

now i have to sue her. since i have the digital rights to that production. and she is misusing it.

after some consideration, and a serious conversation *with her, obviously* on how "nimbu & chocolate" is not a good combo.. i changed my mesg to "any1 got an eligible "biscuit"?

had an interesting conversation on this status mesg with a hitherto, somewhat sane friend, K! :D *this is reproduced here without permission. hence link to K's blog shall not be given*

K: now u wanna fix chocolate with biscuit?
me: better combo na?
nimbu chocolate... thoda weird tha! :D
K: hehehehe :D
ask for "billo rani"
me: HAHAHAHHAAA
K: and then sing
"billo rani - kaho to tumhe chocolate de doon"
me: haan.. that content is also ours! :D
K: even chocolate will be happy tht he gets the queen amongst cats
rathen than nimbu or biscuit
me: true.. very true
and mera stalker hai.. thoda standard bhi maintain ho jayega mera! :D

so that's that. and since i have work to focus on... and since i'm highly incapable of asking random cats out for other, random stalker cats... i shall do what i do next best. blog it.

p.s.: someone tag me plz? or i'm gonna continue with this inanity and then some day see how ridiculous i sound and quit blogging.
p.s.1: for the uninitiated, "billo rani" is a song featuring john & bipasha, from the Bollywood movie - GOAL. go youtube it, if u wanna see/hear it.

of this and that...

i'm completely suffering from what's normally called a writer's block. no, this does not mean nothing interesting is happening in my life. or that i'm too busy to write. i'm not. and life is quite fine, thank u. what's kept me occupied..? well, few things... weekending with dewdrop, discovering a good friend in an acquaintance, chatting with people who matter, work.. amongst others.

but well, i hate seeing the same post here everytime i wanna see my own blog *that's pretty frequent.. given that i still am in love with the layout.* so i shall go ahead and rant about things that completely rile me.

a. kangna ranaut's english. no, it doesn't irritate me MOST or anything. was just top of mind. esp her trying to say "kangraychulayshuns" to ___ and his "byooteephull" bride. STOP!!!! speak in hindi. it's okay. it really is.
b. the chicks who roam around in 2 inch skirts and stockings. when it's 3 degrees outside. and i'm layered in 4 layers of clothing and shivering. HOW the hell do u pull that off!!!! tell me someone, plz!!! are there thermal stockings i'm not aware of...??
c. the guy on the train who believes that everybody else in the compartment would like to listen to "mundian te bachke rahi". in london. plug the damn thing in ur ear! or at least update ur taste in music to today's day and age.
d. ppl who think they deserve to be respected for their age and wisdom. pls prove the latter. i shall respect u.
e. ppl behaving snooty and looking down on everything that's saleable. YOU don't like it. fine. stop insisting that everything that's commercial is crap. it's not. it earns a lot of ppl their livelihood. and entertains a lot more people. unlike what u do. nobody's forcing it down ur throat, u know? so, scoot!
f. intellectual innocence. genuine daftness. whatever u call it. i just wish i could stay away from it. and those that display it proudly. SIGH.
g. ppl who insist that the iPhone is "awesome". go, get a life! it isn't. it doesn't deserve anymore space on my blog than it already has. and no, i don't care that this makes me seem less kewl. suits me fine.
h. guys who don't understand that NO is an answer. and that usually means they shouldn't ask for what they already did. the answer will not change if u repeat the question. i do have tremendous amounts of patience. i may, however, block u if i run out of it.
i. people who fold books and attempt to read them. it hurts me to watch. i feel like snatching the book from their hands, straightening it out and telling them how to read.
j. intrusive questions. unless u're close to me and i do discuss my life with u - on media other than this blog - u do NOT need to know anything about me. least of all about my job or when i'm going to have kids. my husband doesn't care as much as u do about my biological clock. so pls find someone a li'l more tolerant. and don't call me arrogant for not entertaining u.
k. ppl who AFTER being messaged on chat immediately revert with an "are u there?" NO. that was the ghost in my room buzzing u from my id. whatchoo gonna do??

oh yeah, btw..there's a ghost in this apartment. *and no, it's not me - for any of u who wished to suggest that. HAHA. funny. yeah, right!* the door opened by itself late on sat night - dewdrop's witness to that.
this morning, the washing machine started automatically. i asked the flat-mate if she'd set it... and she hadn't. there were no clothes in it, after all. so yeah.. am kinda spooked out.

what did u say again...?

it has been proven. my friends are mad. all of them. also, they're REALLY entertaining. so reproducing chats - mostly with permission. suruchi/vibs... i don't need ur permission :P

me: how old is she?
X: 24
me: child marriage!! heyy bhagwaan!!!!
X: arre no, i am actually one year younger
me: what? as compared to...???
X: than my official age.
eh? ever heard of anyone like this?

suruchi: are u allowed to legally keep pubs at home there?
me: PUBS? u mean CUBS, right? well...
typos are an interesting way of life now... :)

A: when're u having kittens, catty?
me: not yet. but will let u know. y the sudden concern?
A: then i'll gift them a yarn of wool.
dewdrop's addition to this conversation:
when they're kittens, they can play with it. once they grow up, u can knit mittens for ur kittens.
conveniently forgetting that I can really not knit. and my kittens will be human!

me: main tumpar book likhungi
J: likho. it will be a bestseller. loyalty mujhe dena
me: ???
uncertain pause.
me: loyalty u have. Royalty, i'll pay u.
hmm.. forgetting R is just not done, is it?

me: arre the n'bours cat - chocolate - stalks me, u know.
A: he must be discussing with his friends over a pint of milk at the cat-bar later... of how there's this hot indian cat who's shifted into the building.
me: yeah right! arre he's scary.
A: poor chocolate. you'd make a great couple, u know... chocolate and rayshma.
me: hahaa... u've lost it!
A: purrfect pair. it'll make a great movie also.
me: ???
A: presenting... a love story of 2 cats, in a world that's gone to the dogs.
me: hahaa! u're gonna make it?
A: yeah. and i'll get pussycat dolls and snoop dogg for the soundtrack.
i should've pitched for digital rights! ;)

i get a mail from J saying "am online, login?" so i do.
me: am so happy u're online! :)
J: 4 minutes.
me: what?
J: i'm online for 4 mins.
WTF!!!

me: i was watching chocolate *refer above* attempt to stalk a bird today.
dewdrop: then what happened?
me: by the time he could move, the bird had flown off. going by his size, he should hunt deer.
dewdrop: hehe... what would u do if he'd caught the bird?
me: well, nothing. what did u think?
dewdrop: you could have snatched the bird from him actually.
okkk....

Vibs: WHERE are the skimpy clothes u are giving me?
me: arre i have to die for u to get them.
Vibs: oh. i thought because u're in london u're giving them away.
me: no no... later. there'll be more till then.
vibs: i'll wait, then.
silence...
me: :(
vibs: not for u to die, idiot!!!
well, anyone who thought otherwise here???

jaane tu...?

there's something about being in a new place by myself that manages to stir something in me. it's a feeling i can't explain. it's excitement, it's anxiety... it's a sense of looking forward.. it's a feeling of having left something behind.. it's a lot of things. it's nothing.
never before have i felt a sense of loneliness, tho. i've always prided myself on being rather self-sufficient. but then, never before have i wanted someone else to be with me.

the other day, i was walking down on oxford street with my iPod in my ears... the place was as crowded as it always is. the feeling of being lonely in a crowd was really really strong. that's when it rang through my ears...
kuch kam... roshan hai roshni
kuch kam... geeli hai baarishein...
kuch kam... lehraati hai hawa
kuch kam hai dil mein khwahishein...
tham-sa gaya hai... yeh waqt aise
tere liye hi thehra ho jaise...

i sat down at the cafe at the corner... and just looked around... and realized it really wasn't what it was... it was how i was seeing it.

and the iPod moved on to the next track...
jaane kyon... dil jaanta hai... tu hai toh i'll be alright.

yep. i will be alright. this trip WILL be more fun than it already is. and i will manage to make the most of it. coz i will be with you.
someday. hopefully, soon.

snip-snip

hectic week. snippets for thy info and entertainment. i said some, i heard some... i overheard none. enjoy. coz that's the biz now, innit?

"i'm here to ensure she pitches for business, and not her job"

"is that not your picture?
hain..?? THAT..?? erm... NO. that's priyanka chopra. we have a policy about employee pics."

"i'm going for nemo on ice. you have kids?
erm.. no... but i could borrow some if they're mandatory"

"let's work together in the coming future..."

"never thought we'd bond over trashy hindi film music... but is nice"

"u solved the entire sudoku grid in 23 minutes??"

"u're lucky for us."

"felt the chill. saw some snow. YAY."

"your mp3 player thinks it's damn smart. THAT is the problem"

"either i'll get him to sign. or i'll take his job and sign it for u myself"

"what do i do with THIS? i haven't seen a device that plays this in a really long time"

"this is to bring to your kind notice that i have successfully managed to schedule a meeting for Mo.."
"let me successfully bring to your kind notice that MO has left."

"am listening to amrinder gill..."

"am reviewing dostana & yuvraaj... for pleasure"

"i've lost 2 kgs. i should be back in shape by the time i get home"

"the tattoo will peel off. like a wound." *WTF*

"its really, REALLY nice to be back in touch with you"

"go & blog, bitch!"

"you want katrina's gown?"

"rub neigh banaa di joedi? that's a name, eh?"

"thanks. you have a weekend too"

LOL! yes, you have one too, my friend. :)

sliding blues...

so far.. in all the years of working, i've always had friday evening blues.
for one, it was the day my content refreshes happened across circles. and i was dying to know how a certain piece was doing over the weekend.
secondly, i used to hate weekends. the only thing alluring about them was that I could possibly sleep in late over the next two days. but if u've worked where i did/do... you'd know that's quite a remote possibility. in all probability, there will be some client working, who'll want to discuss fortnightly plans on a saturday morning.

so i'd come to hate friday evenings. when i used to get back home from work and think of the impending weekend, i looked forward to monday mornings. and actually was excited on sunday evenings, that i had to go back to work the next day. i always used to wonder what it was about monday mornings that people hated *except monday morning meetings and mail-filled inboxes ;)* i had made myself believe that if u liked what u did enough, there would be no monday morning blues.

i still have them blues. but over time... and age, i guess... they've shifted. from friday to monday. i'm actually dreading the forthcoming week. the week is so busy that it seems to justify why i'm here.
has the passion for work dimmed? i sincerely doubt that. i don't think i'd be here if that were the case. and considering that i still categorize movies by "ours" and "crap", i have reason to believe that i'm still the same workaholic. and yes, i still love what i do.

but maybe, over the years, i've realized i need "me time". more than work needs me. also, i've had a fabulous weekend. and despite my current state of missing home desperately, i had fun. the last two days passed away in the blink of an eye. i have ticked off one item on my "to-do-in-10-years'" list. and now, i'm dreading monday. experiencing what is addressed by mortals as monday morning blues.
sigh.
how the mighty have fallen. or... have they?

racism or desi-ism?

i've lived in the middle east, US and now in london. i'd heard that a lot of these countries are racist. but had never come across any racism.
until of course, i walked into stores manned by desis.
have u ever wondered why it is that these people - of the same race/color/caste - whatever the criteria may be... are so biased towards us?

initially, i felt it was something about me. that they felt they should treat me differently. and not, good different, mind u.
for instance, when i'd walk into a desi-manned store, pick up whatever it was that i went in to buy and move towards billing. i'd always give a broad smile and say hello! irrespective of what colored person was manning the billing counter. now, if this were a firang, the person would always - no exceptions - smile back. and we'd chatter about random stuff and go about our days.

but god forbid, there be a desi at the counter. forget smiling, they would refuse to even LOOK at me. in the 2 years of my masters, they taught us that "customer was king" in this case, queen. and that it was basic appropriate-ness of the nature of their business that they should SMILE at me. but well, they seemed like they were doing me a favor by selling me stuff. even if the "stuff" was potato chips!

why am i bringing this up today? because after a week in london, i entered a store manned by a desi woman. all i wanted to do was top-up my prepaid card, so i could call home. i hand over the card and the money - so she knows i'm not just looking around there - and i smile at her and say 20 pounds, pls? she frowns at me, takes the card and the money and walks off reluctantly to the machine towards the back of the store. then, 2 minutes later, she looks at me suspisciously and says "this doesn't work".
me: ermm... sorry?
her: this doesn't work.
me: i heard you. what do you mean it doesn't work?
her: i can't top it up. it says it's invalid.
me: OK. what do i do about it now?
her: i can give you a voucher. do you want it?
me: well, as long as it tops up my card, yes. i do.
her: sigh. ok.
she goes back.. does something... and gets me a receipt-like paper.
i look at her waiting for an explanation, since i'm obviously new to this.
she doesn't get it.

me: what do i do with this?
her: oh. u call 150. and do the needful.
me: thank u. *trying to figure out what the hell "do the needful" would imply!*
and i "do the needful" and finally have a topped up card.

now, compare this to the scene just a couple of days back - friday, i think.
i walk into a cyber cafe. there's a brit running the place - i don't know if he owns it. i ask him "how much per hour?"
he smiles at me and says "ek pound"
i stare at him.
he smiles again and says "aap kahan se hai"
i almost faint.
then, i gather my wits, smile back at him and ask him "achchi hindi bol lete hain aap."
him: oh! i'm born here. par hindi aur gujarati bol leta hoon. punjabi aur bengali samajh leta hoon. bolna nahi aata.
me: how about english, eh?
him: oh yes, that too! so where are you from?
and we have a pleasant conversation - he shows me what PC i can use. and then proceeds to play songs from "tashan"
i am MIGHTY impressed. and leave the place feeling nice. *and of course, selling him a ringtone worth more than what he charged me - thereby making myself feel prouder*

if someone who's not an indian can go to that extent to make his customers feel comfortable for a mere ONE pound, why is it so difficult for indians to make other indian, paying customers feel comfortable? is it really mandatory to frown or snigger at other indians???
and you know what - it's only the indian store owners who have this issue. the pakistani ones are usually nice too. in fact, they even enquire about where u're from, if you need any help etc.
i fail to understand WHY this is so. for people from a so-called "hospitable" country, they sure seem to have a lot of issues being hospitable to fellow countrymen.

i will it to thee...

when Ike had hit houston... galadriel had called to check whether i've died. and if i had, she wanted to know what i'd left for her in my will. so i thought... let me actually make a will. and make it public. so here goes. and i'm excluding family from this list.
suruchi: she gets ALL my stationery. all my books, except the dictionary. and my shuffle alongwith my music collection. she's the only person who can appreciate my music collection. aside from poonam. but then, i want to leave my shuffle to advika. so...

vibha: ALL my skimpy clothes. and my stirrers.

minal: my photos. and my passwords.

poonam: she gets vin. and everything that goes along with him. :D it's a long-standing arrangement between us. she also wanted my shoes, but they won't fit her. oh yeah, she also gets my non-skimpy clothes. ALL of them.

galadriel: well, u want my jewelery. so u shall get it. as a speshul bonus, i'll also give u my hand-bags.

dewdrop: she gets all my footwear. she also gets my bags. since she called them 'funky' :D see? flattery will get u almost anything. once i'm dead, of course! :D

joy: u get back the pre-paid card u got me! LOL!! and u can keep my phone with it. actually, no... let vin keep the phone.

ambarish: my dictionary. not that he needs it. but i think he would like it.

that's it. short and sweet. i can't think of anything more that i treasure.
all of u who've got stuff... lemme know if u're happy. the rest of u... like there's a hell lot reading, but still... if someone were to leave u something in their will... NOT money, obviously.... what would u like?

edited to add: alice gets any and all cat pictures that i possess. by the time i die, if i have any cats, she gets them too. i'm sure u'll take good care of them :)

squirrel whisperer..??

ok... r'ber i told u about how the uncle where i was currently staying at was a psycho? ok. here's why i said so. and yes. he was very entertaining.

for starters, he would REFUSE to let me enter the kitchen. he insisted on making me b'fast and bringing it to the table... AND serving it. so far, so good. i'm not one to complain abt comforts. but last morning, over breakfast, i was looking out onto the garden and noticed two really fat *and i mean REALLY fat* pigeons. so i commented - more to myself - that the pigeons were so fat they couldn't fly. THAT set off uncle on a spiel. he said, and i quote :
"there are squirrels also that come. they used to cause lot of trouble before. throwing nuts around on the lawn. but then i trained them. i would sit out in the garden every morning till squirrels came. then when they tried to put the nuts down, i would tap stick in front of them. took seven months, but i trained them. now they drop nuts in the corner only."

i rest my case. also, i pack my bags and shift off tomorrow morning. to a house of promises. for starters, it's near dewdrop's. secondly, i will be better connected to the internet. and most importantly, i can move about without worrying whether i'm upsetting the "system" of the frikkin house!

greetingz from the dark side.

i have reached. safe and sound. and the madness has begun. as already documented HERE. please read that if you actually want an update. :P

to fill in the pieces she left out... i HAVE to tell you the finger-bowl story.
so we're at this swanky italian place for dinner. it was my first night there, and jet-lag disorients me. so i do not remember the name of the restaurant. however, there was a vespa contest which dewdrop entered after much sniggering about "who would want a vespa?". and erm.. she really WANTS the vespa now. for classified reasons. so we shall hope she gets it, won't we? YES, we will.

ok... coming back to the story... so we're waiting for the bill. which, btw, we haven't asked for. and daftish-looking italian wannabe doesn't do anything unless he's told, i guess. so he doesn't get us the bill. i DO mention it to ms. dewdrop. that we should TELL the moron explicitly to get us the bill, but she has a different agenda. she has just had the entrepreneurial break-through idea of the century!
she's focussed on the candle on the table. and she wants to pour water into the candle stand around the candle. the neembu in our water could then be added to the thus-warmed water and THEN used as a finger bowl. tada! brainwave of the century!!! and i tell u, she better copyright it. someone's gonna read this blog and steal it. and then they'll earn all the monies... and we'll be left washing our dirty fingers in candle stands! and then they'll say, women aren't inventors. hmph!

of course, dewdrop has already told you about the cute driver boy she'd arranged to pick us up at the airport. and of course, we DO identify fiat logos.. but unfortunately car logos aren't on the side of cars. so we couldn't see it. so we waited till driver boy got out of the car and picked my luggage. then of course, he told us we could leave the trolley where it was. felt like india to me! :)

and that feeling only heightened when we reached my temporary place of residence. for one, uncle wouldn't stop talking. for 2 anti-social women like us, this was a bit much. also, he has a "system" for placing the spoons on the table. i could go on, but no, thanks. erm.. yeah, i shall let y'all know when i move out.

i HAVE to mention that dewdrop was kind enough to write a nice, detailed mail to vin as well. since i didn't have net access. and the next day, when vin called me he said i should learn mailing from her!

and yes, the cocktails we had on evening one didn't really affect us much. coz i managed to reach home from the tube station by myself. of course, dewdrop made sure i got onto the correct tube. :)
and right now, i'm "abusing her hospitality" to quote galadriel. and am finding myself a place near hers. SOON.

and oh yeah, did she mention we howled at the moon last night and then meowed for a while at Victoria? well... this is just the beginning.

my bags are packed...

and i'm ready to go. well, almost.
most formalities are done with. and i have no further excuse to not go. though leaving vin here should be excuse enough. but well, i guess it isn't.

so, let me make this official.

i leave for London on the 10th. i may not have access to internet at least till the 14th. so i'll see y'all here post then.

and dewdrop - i'll see u. real soon. :)

share spare bed?

the english language is very phunny. i was house-hunting on an online site. this is what i come across.

"nice, spacy double room in 3 bed house. good located. nearing tube 5 minutes. two bed taken. we look for female to share other bed with. non-smoking only please. if you interest, mail to me. also you can call --- *number*"

if u must ask, i got scared, and didn't mail her. also, i couldn't pronounce her name.

p.s.: this is post # 301. somebody stop me!

happy b'day galadriel!

we don't only laugh at people. we also wish people, who provide us good laughs and promise to provide us with porn * here, here AND here*, a VERY ROCKIN' BIRTHDAY!!!
DO wish her luck as well. what with blinds falling on her head, she sure needs it!


image: gettyimages dot com

T20: the tag

RULE #1 People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

RULE #2 Tag 6 people to do this quiz and those who are tagged cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by continue this game by sending it to other people.

loca tagged me. am not linking to her.. u can reach her blog by clicking on her name in the comments section!

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
figure out what "betrayal" stands for there... and then, if need be, take him out or move on or leave it. *that, in the don corleone way of "taking out"*

2. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?
i dream of both of us being employed in the SAME country with jobs that we'd like to be in. *YES, i'm very self-centered.*

3. Whose butt would you like to kick?
i have a list, actually. but today, erm... well, can't name the person. he/she reads my blog. but they know that i want to kick them today.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
travel, buy a house *so i can get my pet*, save the rest. *u thought i'd say "i'll give it away to charity", didn't u? HAH!*

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
and what good would THAT do me now...?

6. Which is more blessed: loving someone or being loved by someone?
being loved. completely and selflessly. it's empowering. and divine.

7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you love?
hain? wait for what? for him to come home from work???

8. If the person you secretly like is attached, what will you do?
then, it shall remain a secret. where's the rocket science in that?

9. If you could root for one social cause, what would it be?
is peace on earth a social cause? i'd like to root for that...

10. What takes you down the fastest?
that's for me to know and you to guess.

11. what resurrects you the fastest?
a hug from someone i love. it tells me that all will be well. soon.

12. What’s your fear?
that i'll make the wrong decisions and then insist on living the consequences.

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
honest, easy to get along with. very genuine. wish i can meet you, gurl!

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?
if i'm single and rich, why will marriage make me poor? i already have the money don't i? oh wait, u're implying i marry a con-artist who runs off with my money???

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
make vin bfast and check mail. *sometimes, simultaneously*

16. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously who will you pick?
neither. i'll pass and wait for the higher love. BLECH!

17. Would you give all in a relationship?
if by all, u mean my individuality, my self esteem... then no. i am incapable of that.

18. Would you forgive and forget someone no matter how horrible a thing he has done?
i don't hold grudges. i believe if someone mistreats me, it's bcoz i let them. and yeah, i never forget either. i may pretend to, but i don't.

19. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?
i loved being single. and i'm loving being in a r'ship right now.

20. tag 6 people.
galadriel, suruchi, pixie, lavs, pavi, K3.

there, done!

"blind"-folded

let me tell u the story of a friend of mine. a blog-pal at that too. so some of you may already know her.

so, galadriel's on a sabbatical. she'd like ppl to believe that it's because she's going thru a "bad phase"

but let me give u the real story.
the blinds in her apartment weren't functioning. so the maintenance guys came and fixed them. NO, nothing happened with the maintenance guys. she's a good (??) gurl and this isn't HER porn blog. so.

the blinds were fixed. and the curious cat that she is, she had to play with them. like a cat plays with a ball of wool left around? that way.

and while this cat was playing with the window blinds... they fell down. ON her head! HAHAHAHA... !!!

and THAT is why she's on a break.
so there.

no, this story has no relevance for any of u. but i could visualize the blinds falling on her head and i found it hilarious. also, i have nothing else to blog about!

inquisitiveness... u're a process!

now that i'm done with the visa process, i can finally blog this! i HATE all visa processes! the last time was a nightmare with the US visa. this time, a lot better with the U.K.

but i like the UK. i can relate to it. their questions are so desi! i could imagine a pot-bellied indian govt official asking them to me. but of course, they're nice. and really helpful, if u must know. really. unlike what any indian govt official has been to me, so far.

at the beginning of the application, they insist we must submit our original documents. because, to quote them "It is better to explain why you do not have a document than to submit a false document in its place."
so sweet.

after asking me the basic details, we come to the part of children.
do you have any children?
what amazed me was the tone of the questions that would follow if i said YES.
where do these children live?
where are these children now?

uhh... am glad i don't have kids yet!
so i click no, and move on...

will any other children be traveling with you?
hain? WHY would i want OTHER children with me? i like kids n all... but i don't like traveling with them. really.

then, there are three pages asking me to 'fess up if i'm a criminal. i doubt a criminal would cave-in to the nature of the questions, but i guess they need to ask them by security standards.
however, while going through them, i was tempted to say yes when i was asked if i have been involved in anti-social activities in the past. i asked vin... "uhh... is turning up nose at new desi neighbor an anti-social activity?? do they need to know that? will it affect my visa app?" i followed vin's advice and said "no" to the question... if u must ask. so now i presume i'm quite social.

next question:
Have you, ever been a member of, or given support to an organisation that has been concerned in terrorism?
wishful answer: if you grant me a visa, i'm a hungama employee. we regularly terrorize our clients and competitors. we actually take pride in that... but i guess that doesn't count. if u mean national terrorism, then no. corporate? yes! :)
actual answer: NO.

Have you engaged in any other activities that might indicate that you may not be considered a person of good character?
wishful answer: there may be people who think so. but i wouldn't include them in my references, u know. and will someone please define "good character" to me?!
actual answer: NO.

this one had me completely foxed.
what do u intend to do in the UK?
erm... i dunno... travel around. see the place, the people that ruled us for so many years. i've heard it's a beautiful country...

do u have family here? do you intend to visit them?
HAHAHA... i'd love to not visit any family, u know! anywhere!

and then, u come to my favorite part... which made me feel like i'm going through an interrogation by an aunt in dilli or kanpur...
how much do you earn every month?
how much do you spend every month?
how much does your husband earn?
What is the cost to you personally, of your stay there?
How much of your total monthly income is given to your family members and other dependents?
Who will pay for your travel?
Who will pay for your food & acco?

erm... am so glad i knew the answers. and i guess they're correct too.
u know, end of the day... i AM glad i got my visa. i'd have gone through this for nothing otherwise! of course, now i'm also prepared to attend family weddings and give the "sahi jawaab!"

disclaimer: this may not be verbatim, unless said so... this is what i remember. and like most things in this blog, please take this with a pinch of salt.

not yet leaving on a jet plane...

u know how you have people who year after year do the same things? i think i'm becoming one of them. of course, a lot of the details have changed... so it's not exactly the same. but still.

last year, this time, i was super happy to be home. after a depressing 3 months in dubai. this year, this time... i'm planning to fly off to depressing london.
of course, i don't know WHEN. because in typical cult-fashion, the cult has disowned me shortly after i received my UK visa. now it's upto me to call and check and follow up whether they want me in UK after all. SIGH.
dunno if you r'ber, but i went through the same 'unknowns' last year before the dubai stint happened.

there's something abt the cult... they send me to lovely places in real bad weather. it was dubai in the peak of summer. now it's london in the snowy winters. guess not everyone likes me. but to quote the boss "if you think i don't like you, then you must see what i do to people i really dislike" well, considering he's the desi version of don corleone, we shall not want to see that.

agreed, it's not the best time to go there. but heyy, this isn't a vacation. i'm going for work.

silver lining? dewdrop's there. and i really wanna meet her. Poo's also a couple hours away from london. so i'm hoping we can catch up. and hopefully, it won't be as depressing. going by the recent conversations, it won't be remotely so.

now, if only i knew when i had to leave, i could fix up my acco and get excited about going...

p.s.: since i didn't mention. i'm also excited about kicking ass by being at work. that's my favoritest part of working with the cult. no other place will praise you for being snooty with a client.

humor in daily life...

we had friends staying with us. they were sitting in the living room watching animal planet. some show abt saving some snow fox or some such cute looking animal. i still don't know which animal. i waltzed in mid-way while an australian wild-life enthusiast played with the creature.
me: awww... SO cute!!! what IS he??
H (friend): *giving me a rather surprised, confused look* umm... u think he's cute?
me: of course!! who wouldn't. i've never seen that before though. WHAT is he?
H: they're referred to as "homo sapiens". this one is a white male. australian, to be precise. there are lots of these around, actually. your neighbor? the one you turned up your nose at last evening? he's also the same specie. though not australian. i'm surprised you hadn't 'noticed' one before. esp since i'm one too.

and that was the joke of the weekend. hmph!
and YES, i can identify humans. it was the fox i was asking about.

room-mate or not...?

am i missing out on anything by never having had a room-mate?
i mean, sure i've shared the room with poo for 2 months or so... but she's not someone i'd consider a room-mate. i could adopt that gurl and not feel weird!

college was at home.. post grad was single occupancy rooms *thank god for that!* and work was living by myself. i always felt that i wouldn't be able to share a room with anyone coz i need a lot of space.
but was watching will & grace last night *DON'T ask me why!* and wondered what it would have been like had i had roomies...

going by what i've heard my friends say of their roomies... i think most of them in real life are psycho.

anyone has anything nice to share about their roomies? anyone managed to be real close friends with a roomie? or is this another of those 'grass-being-greener' aspect that i can do without...?

pretty good.

long back, when i'd asked u guys to tell me what i should blog abt... loca had said "blog abt how u came to terms with your looks..."

i didn't blog about it because i was way too embarrassed! :D
first of all, i never really thought i look good. *i mean, have u seen my hair???*
all my life, except my parents and hubby... i think loca and DDD are the only ppl who've called me "pretty". of course, they haven't met me! so pliss to not believe what they say! i don't look beautiful or pretty. but i still have loads of attitude! :D

growing up, i had pretty low confidence. now u've got to r'ber that this ME had a brother who was an all-rounder *studies not included in that* he sang amazingly well. played *and excelled at* soccer, cricket and hockey. got along with everyone. was smart. dressed well. had tonnes of friends. was a terror to most.
i went to a convent. i was generally treated as a snob by my bro. i was a stickler for language, dress, footwear. i matched my belt & handbag with my footwear. i painted my nails. i was rather condescending *i still am. sometimes.*
and the worst thing? NO boy ever flirted with me. or maybe i was too daft to understand that.
but really. which girl goes to 5 years of college without a single boy hitting on her??? well, ME! i did.

it was later. MUCH later. that i figured out why. after one year of post grad actually. when a batchmate pointed it out. first, it was my brother. he used to drop me to college sometimes. and most guys were scared of him. he had friends all over the place, r'ber? so he knew exactly which guy spoke to me! so, guys who were interested stayed away.
secondly, our group had guys like my brother. so other boys - the ones i may have had a crush on - stayed away. FAR away. didn't even smile at me. so i went through 5 years of college without realizing that guys would ever be interested in me!

at MICA, i was too much of a snob. i was too busy cribbing about how i didn't like the place and the food for one year to flirt or do anything else. by the second year, anyone worth being interested in was already sleeping with someone else. and that, kind of put me off.

so it was only after i started working that i realized that i didn't look too bad. but that was it. i did have ppl tell me i was 'hot'.. in fact a junior told me "i'm bragging to my pals that i have a hot, young boss" given that he was a model, it was rather flattering. but that was the closest anyone's ever come to calling me pretty.
even today, when boss offers me an assignment, he follows it up with "pls get a hair cut before you join".

i guess it works well for me. i wouldn't know how to react to compliments anyway!

p.s.: this is not for u guys to tell me i look good. i know i do. it's just an honest admission that i never knew i looked good till a rather old age!
p.s. 1: thanks, Loca, for the topic.

one in a million

lena awarded me this. and it's been ages ago now. so here it is. i'm really really pleased. and lena - thanks a ton gurl! u're one friend worth so much more than a million dollars! :)
in award tradition, i'm supposed to pass this on. so here it goes:
suma. *see what happens when u motivate me by calling me pretty & young?*
preethi.
lavs. *for having a baby, managing him through all his troubles and rendering an unflinching account of it. loved the candidness there.*
sahana.
loca.
trish.
pavi.
pinku.
prats.
K3.
keshi.
rita.
alice.
ankur.
CU.
CG.

and every one of u who reads me. who has stood by me. through good times, not-so-good-times, breaks and rantings. you know you deserve it!

**i'm not linking up... have stuff to do! :) pls collect ur awards guys! :)

heyy... i'm alive!!!

well, it's been so long since i came here. wow! actually, wanted to come here y'day... but i lost the link to my blog. just today, i realized that i've linked it up on orkut... so here i am!

what has been happening? well, in no p'lar order... this:
moving. we've finally moved into our apartment. unpacked almost all the boxes *except the 3 with the books & 1 with some of the footwear.* and all except 3 bags. yes. all 3 bags are filled to the brim with MY stuff. i cannot unpack them yet coz i have to figure out where to put the stuff once it's out. sigh! i should really get to that, u know...

MIL. it's been a relief, as i keep saying. we get along as well as we did when we lived away. and i don't think it's too soon to say we like each other. she's been here a while now, after all. if she wanted to be mean, she'd have tried by now. but no, TOUCHWOOD. i have a nice MIL. there, i've said it!

work. things are moving at a snail's pace. and i'm thoroughly disgusted with that. i like things to move fast... shall do a post on that soon.

HURRICANE! yes. it came, it howled, it rained. Ike left a lot of folks homeless, water-less, power-less. not much damage here. we're all fine, thank u. our phone lines have died, tho. so if any of you tried to call me and couldn't get thru, plz note - I AM ALIVE. and i DO get VMs. *yes, galadriel - that was for u. YOU bitch!*
and yes, to all u nice folks who mailed/scrapped me. thanks. felt really nice to know that if i died one fine day, ppl would notice.
to you morons who call urself my close friends and didn't know i was hurricane hit - u have me to answer to!

blogging. hasn't been happening. neither me visiting nor writing. but then, here i am. trying to blog when i should be thinking of where to put my stuff! i do make feeble attempts at reading ur blogs. but i haven't got down to all of them yet. i will.soon. promise.

thanks for being around... if any of you still are, that is!

blog BFF

loca awarded me this one! :)
i'm thrilled. so much that i'm stealing net time to post it.

and i pass this on to:
galadriel
dewdrop
suruchi: blog or otherwise... i can't do without u!
minal: i hope u still read my blog
alice
preethi
suma

i know i can count on any of you at any point of time! blogging wouldn't have been the same without you gurls. am sorry if i missed out on a lot of u. am a tad hurried right now... what with stealing internet time & all! :D
see y'all on the 12th now!

muah!! :)

edited to add: also awarding this to dottie. but i don't think i'll ever be able to be on back-slapping terms with her. i am too much in awe of her for that! :D

brilliantly urs... :)

i've often said how much i have learned from this whole blogging experience. and that learning just doesn't stop. blog-ville continues to amaze, astonish, humble and, sometimes, turn me to mush!
there've been so many times that i've read through some blogs and wondered if i can ever reach that level. that is why when dottie said she had something for me.. i thought it was a tag. and i was SO touched to see her call my blog 'brilliante'. umm... i dunno why the spelling's so italiano.. but heyy, i LOVE the award!!! and having got it from dottie, it means that much more to me! so, here i go flaunting it! :)here're the rules for this one:
This award is for blogs whose content and design are brilliant as well as creative.The purpose of the prize is to promote as many blogs as possible in the blogosphere.
Here are the rules to follow:
1. When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back
2. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.
3. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Brilliant Weblog’
4. Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).
5. And then we pass it on!"

And the seven brilliant weblogs I award are:
i. galadriel : i like her design *yeah yeah, i grudgingly approve* and i LOVE the content. read this if you don't believe me.
ii. solitaire: she continues to educate, question, entertain and stir up emotions that are commonly termed as "disturbing". and she manages all her blogs AND a career. awesome.
iii. dottie. she's single-handedly responsible for my baking skills (?) and of course, her parenting tips are something i'm gonna preserve for when i need them.
iv. mayg: love her blog - content AND design. her point of view is just so refreshing! and of course, she ROCKS at her work. i bow to this master.
v. dewdrop : LOVE her writing style. and her. umm.. ur blog design could do with some work, tho gurl! here's to brilliant miaows! ;)
vi. lena : LOVE the designs she picks for her blogs... and love the way she realizes the importance of friendship.
vii. keshi: candid, straight-from-the-heart... love the confidence and the variety of topics she blogs about. every morning, there's a post that makes me think... she MAKES time to blog. and actually reads all ur posts, understands and comments.

there ya go... spread the sunshine, gals!
and dottie... thanks! :)

edited to add: this post also marks the 2nd happy budday of this space. yeah, i've been at this for 2 years. WOW.