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!