with me... always!

preethi tagged me to write about one material possession that i absolutely cherish. i'd also recently read dotmom's post on d same tag. well, for someone as possessive as me, writing of ONE is so difficult. more so, after i've read how beautifully these women have written about their beloved possessions, it makes the task that much more difficult!

i love everything i own. the cellphone i bought with my own money *the first gadget i'd ever bought with hard earned money*, d myriad footwear i hoard, which ensure that i never get caught on the wrong foot, the studded brooch passed on to me by mom, d typical & traditional maharashtrian studded pearl set with the nath, the bracelet with the single turquoise stone set amidst diamonds which belonged to my mom's mom and currently rests safely in india, my cherished jewelery box which travelled over the seas to be with me despite weight constraints *it weighs 1.35 Kilos*, the adorable ganesha that suruchi gifted me which i keep looking at all the time, the bright, happy green bell vibs gifted me on my b'day *she wrote "time to bell the cat" on d packing!*, d marble name-plate vibs got me which spells out my name in one piece of stone, the wine corks i collect, or the beautiful turquoise pendant and earrings which was V's wedding gift to me?

or maybe, my prized collection of stirrers which stir up a gadzillion memories. these stirrers have been with me since i started work. they are placed in an adorable designer cutting-chai glass, which i also treasure!
they've moved with me as i shifted jobs and found a place of honor on all my workstations! they've fought it out with me. and no, none has been stolen.

they bring back memories of my wonder years. they take me back to mondy's & leo's... d amazingly lazy times spent there... there are 2 that read 'toto's'... there's a couple from moshe *the transparent ones*, taking me back to the lazy lunches & mango cheesecake...

there are a few that read "CO" - they go back to my first visit to d sports bar... for some strange reason that i don't recollect, i'd had nimbu pani that day! that also reminds me of the transformation from the first visit to the time i knew the server's family history and the manager knew my fave drinks and my membership number!

the shocking pink are from poly's... and remind me of vibs & d mad dancing-with-the-mirror fighting! d butterfly/bow-shaped ones are from enigma... when we were too tired to go anywhere far *that was near suruchi's place*.. there's a couple from zenzi... three from china joe's and two from Vie... they bring back fond memories of some really well spent evenings... of people who were friends and sadly, can no longer be referred to as the same...

then there are a couple from goa - that remind me of d days when i cud party all night and get back to work the next day... also, of the time when we were 3 single women, partying & getting high on the sun, sand & surf!

the star-shaped ones are from harmless "sweet limes" had at various restaurants in b'bay... a'bad... UP... delhi...

there's the stirrer from my first stay at bro & bhabhi's home in b'lore... there's another couple that we flicked from jumeira in dxb. when, tired after working for the event & starving due to lack of food availability *coz of ramadan!* we finally found food in the "covered, hidden" area of jumeira hotel! that also reminds me of the bonding with AAH... and him picking another stirrer after i'd flicked one, saying "wot the hell!"
then there are those "sent over" by adorable clients, who knew i liked stirrers... smirnoff, bacardi.. coke. the trumpet stirrer takes me back to when a colleague, D, sang with a band at the not just jazz by the bay... amazing voice, wonderful person. i wonder where she is now...

good times... better memories... and the best possession... people bring back souvenirs. i bring back stirrers.

p.s.:
i tag all of you open to a challenge, to take this up. specifically, i tag suruchi, ks, pixie and lavs! fuzzy & orch, are u gurls done with ur pending tags, so i can start tagging u again?!

edited to add: i hereby officially tag suruchi and galadriel on ALL tags that i undertake. neither has the right to debate this announcement!

KISS!

i have nothing new to write, so flicked this tag from I2W, here. so, here's a list of d simple things in my daily life that make me feel happy... and in case u're still thinking of the title... well, am Keeping It Simple, Stupid!

- getting mails - and i mean mails, not one-liners - from very close frenz.
- logging in to find minal and/or suruchi online. and available for chat.
- cheesecake.
- going to bed knowing that i don't have to wake up early the next morning.
- that wonderful mix of a little bit of sunshine interspersed with a little bit of rain.
- going on an impromptu drive along the countryside.
- going through old photographs *physical or digital*
- parle G with coffee.
- breakfast in bed.
- knowing that u have friends that u can wake up even in d middle of the night "just because" u felt like talking to them.
- spending half a day bitching online with frenz and then not having to worry abt cooking for the day coz u can always order in!
- that 'moment' when u just look at ur partner and feel "i must have done something right for him to be with me"...
- being told u look good even though u're still in d PJs u wore to bed last night.
- going out random shopping and finding JUST what u thought u wanted!
- being given flowers. just like that!
- a good conversation with someone who listens to what u mean, not what u say. *and knows u well enuf to not be presumptuous!*
- logging in to see lots of comments on a blog piece! :)
- catching up with dotcomrades; either via mail, chat or blogs
- people paying you the money they owe u without u having to "follow up" for it. *i am so optimistic!*
- finding dollar bills in d denim pockets that u're about to drop in the laundry basket!
- coming across a friendly kitten on a random walk.
- being able to discuss personal 5-year plans and realizing that both of u actually want the same things!
- as i said earlier, reading a 'good forecast' in a monthly horoscope.

maa, tujhe salaam!

there comes a time in ur life when u start feeling very primitive. very tech unsavvy. for me, d time is now. i'd heard that if u have to keep climbing d professional ladder, u need to stay abreast of technology. but this is not professional *those skills are still fine!* this is personal.

at school, at college... i was usually one step ahead of my peers vis-a-vis techiness. *ONLY that* while some dabbled at how to use a computer, i knew programming. while folks struggled with ppt, i was figuring out flash. when d phone lines were busy, i'd simply text home.

in fact, ma learnt to text when i was at MICA. *pa doesn't like technology much. and still doesn't use cell phones or computers!* those were times when texting was a lot cheaper than calling. *even incoming calls were charged!* also, i'm not much of a phone person, so texting was my thing. she, then, picked up abbreviations that not many knew. *mobile phones and texting were quite new in india, then. in fact, she still uses more abbreviations than most people my age!*

then, of course, i started working. and while others worked in traditional media/marketing firms, i started off with "new media". online advergaming was the way i earned my pasta & cheese. technologies changed, and i started working in mobile media. while my frenz were trying to figure out how their high-end cell phone worked, i could give u sermons on mobile VAS, tell u how to make ur battery last longer AND give u mobile market stats. this period kind of made my ma very tech unsavvy. there was no need to chat *since i didn't chat from work*, and since i lived in bbay, she'd just call instead of texting. she, then started texting my bro. *he'd shifted town by then* i r'ber once when bro called me and said "what the hell is 'hw ws ur day? v r gng out 4 dinr, wl cl whn bk.'" that was what ma had texted him. and he blamed me for it. *of course, i told him he was primitive! and EVERYone wud know that. but that's a diff story!*

this morning, i got two mails from ma.
one, with the subject line: "this is mom", informed me that she had a new gmail id, and she'd added me to gtalk, so we cud now chat. the mail was signed off, "cheers, mom"
and mail two was a picasa link to pics & videos of my bhabhi's babyshower!!! pics and videos??? picasa??? URL?? my MA!?! even V doesn't know how to upload videos & send URLs! of course, i logged in *i'm an obedient daughter*. my ma was online... WITH a status message & everything... and asked me to download "proper" gtalk instead of chatting from d inbox. so she cud voice chat with me. VOICE CHAT?! also, i now have to get a web cam. *she already has one!*

i, honestly, have NEVER voice chatted or used a web cam. and then, i realized. my mom is way more tech savvy than i imagined. and of course, more than i am. geez! i better roll up my sleeves and get started. but till i get there, kudos to her! for being welcoming to technology, and beating her son AND daughter at what is allegedly, their game!

wonder what next! blogging, maybe...? geez!

the difference...

the difference between the ideal and the real world. sigh!

so far this year...

in the past 20 days, i've realized:
- january is the worst month of the year.
- there's a fine difference in what i think i want and what i work towards achieving.
- that it's FUN to hang out with gurls. *did a kinda gurlz-nite-out on saturday and i really had a good time!*
- that i, actually, DO like winters in TX!
- reading a 'good forecast' in a monthly horoscope can psychologically make me feel better. even if nothing good is actually happening, it makes me feel all bright n happy!
- interacting with humans is good for my mind & soul.
- as much as i may deny this later, i AM a very balanced person. i use my head AND heart to think.
- i am not the most unfortunate person in my world. people in my life have issues, which are way more serious than not having a work permit/job.
- i need to let people who mean the world to me KNOW that they mean so much to me. or they're gonna disown me. soon.
- white noise. is. good.

p.s.:
note to minal: i DID take ur advice :)
note to suruchi: am reallie reallie sorrie....?

ahem...

while it gets colder and there are "ice" warnings in TX, there's a lot of noise in my head. white noise. it may take a few hours to clear or a few days. will get back to blogging when i can make some sense of it!
thanks a ton to all of you who checked in on me. no, i haven't hibernated, haven't resolved to blog lesser and of course, since there's no snow here, not buried in it! i shall see u here soon... y'all have fun!

...thought for d weekend...

"But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown."
- Carl Sagan.

welcome kyra

while i'm pondering over pets... and when we'd get one... and the pros & cons of cats v/s dogs... i've adopted kyra. there she is, in the left sidebar.... my new baby tiger.
i've wanted a pet tiger for as long as i can r'ber. dad conveniently ignored those demands. alongwith ones for a horse and gadzillion other seemingly inane things! V tries to change the topic. and then tells me, "it's not legal, u know." like i care about that! well, since the men don't comply, i decided to go ahead and get one for myself. i'm an independent woman, u see!

so, all u folks who drop by here, do say hi to kyra... or i'll have to feed u to her.

the A-Z of... ME!

flicked this tag from here. mainly, coz i'm kinda out of anything new to write about. and i still want to blog!

A - Available? - for a job, yes!
B - Best Friend - can't name one. they've been there like guardian angels. even at times when i thought all was lost. and they know who they are.
C - Cake or pie - cake. double chocolate fudge cake.
D - Drink of choice - pure, plain water.
E - Essential thing used everyday - Laptop/internet.
F - Favorite Color - black. nothing's as sexy.
G - Gummi bears or worms - neither! and y would i eat worms?
H - Hometown - Pune
I - Indulgence - cheesecake :)
J - January or February - February. lesser expectations. and dad's b'day!
K - Kids and names - umm... not applicable yet.
L - Life is incomplete without - immediate family and close frenz
M - Marriage Date - june 16, 2006.
N - Number of siblings - A Big Brother
O - Oranges or apples - apples for me, oranges for V!
P - Phobias or fears - slipping and tumbling down the stairs while trying to go downstairs. everytime i get out of the house!
Q - Quote - there're always flowers for those who want to see them. *flicked from beyond indigo by preethi nair*
R - Reason to smile - can be absolutely trivial... unexpected rains, d smell of moist soil... flowers, baby cats and dogs...
S - Season - monsoons in india, spring here.
T - Tag three people - someone who blogs, someone who loves me and someone who has d time!
U - Unknown fact about me - *this blog doesn't leave too much unknown...* i'm finicky about water temperature. drinking water HAS to be cold. shower water HAS to be HOT!
V - Vegetable you don't like - coriander/parsley, anything that appears "leafy" *suruchi will confirm that my knowledge of veggies is extremely questionable! even paneer is a veggie for me coz it's veg!*
W - Worst habit - peeling off skin from my fingers, lips and feet. *yeah, i KNOW!*
X - X-rays you have had - dental. *no, that wasn't a typo. i sed Dental, not Mental!*
Y - Your favorite food - north indian, italian and chinese.
Z - Zodiac - cancer *i'm directly indirect*

thank god for gmail!

i am not the usual wife. i don't nag V over the phone. i usually avoid nagging him, in fact! but there are days when i HAVE to! the 'HAVE to' could be coz of a couple of reasons. like me having to tell him something, me wanting to bitch about someone, me confused over what to make for dinner, or me feeling d urge to trouble him. but i don't like calling. *if u've been reading this blog, u'd know my inherent dislike for the usage of a telephone for anything other than work!* so like a good husband, Vin mails me every day from work. once in the morning. then, when he takes a lunch break. *yeah, he's very cute n all. rite!*

i didn't get any mail yesterday. and it was almost his lunch hour. so i sent in a polite reminder mail saying "my mail?!?"

an hour passed. no reply. two hours. still no reply. now, if u know me, u would know that i'd be really irritated at this non-responsive and irresponsible behaviour. *i'm a drama queen. rite!*

so i went back, *to my inbox, of course* clicked compose, typed V in the "to:", pressed enter, skipped subject line and typed in the message: "how dare u not mail me?! now have lunch and mail me. pronto!!" and promptly clicked on send.

if i were in outlook, this mail would've gone thru. subject line, or none.

but, BCOZ i'd skipped out the subject, and bcoz i use gmail, *ONLY bcoz* the kindly virtual soul warily asked me "send without subject?" and THEN fortunately, for everyone concerned, i checked the recipient id. it wasn't addressed to MY Vin, but d Vin who heads my ex-organization's current US office! based in NY. and THIS would have been a little past HIS lunch hour. geez.

for a minute, i was tempted to click send anyways. JUST to scandalize d other vin. but then, i've decided to try and be less wicked this year. so i let it be.
of course, i resent the mail with the correct id to the correct recipient with a subject line of : "non-receipt of daily mail"

did i tell u, i love gmail?!

let bygones be bygones...

there was lots in the year that went by that i'd rather forget. but some moments that made everything worth it! and i'd rather blog those to read and feel nostalgic at a later date! here're my hi-points of the year that was:

- getting my learners' license. to drive. not kill.
- the dubai stint. more so, coming back home from there.
- virtually meeting some really genuine folks. am i glad i blog!
- giving volunteering a shot. it's not as bad as i thought! it's actually fun. and the people are really interesting.
- knowing there's going to be an addition to my family... M's gonna have a baby!
- me NOT going back2school!
- making some really good friends!
- our first anniv. was all the more special coz we couldn't really be together or celebrate either of our birthdays.
- spending quality time with ma when i went down from dxb. had been a really long time since we just sat and talked. about everything and nothing.
- figuring out what i really want for myself. at least for the time being.

just hoping 2008 gives me a lot more to be thankful for! also, my way of saying "happy new year y'all!"