happy end to a happy week... :)

i'm DAMN kicked!
why? coz last week has been really really nice to me.
a. my bro'll be flying international from aug end. to the US! that means, he can visit me sometime. also, mom gets free tickets! YAY!
b. solitaire will be shifting to nearby big city. i am SO kicked abt that! i'll finally have a friend within weekend-driving distance :)
c. MILs coming down a tad sooner. yeah, that's reason to be happy. for vin, her and me.
and last and most important of all...
d. galadriel's visiting me!! YIPPPPIIIEEE!!!! and sweetheart that she is, she's decided to stay on till my happy budday!! to ensure that it's really happy! :) she FINALLY got her tickets last week. and since then, every time i think of meeting her, i have this BROAD grin on my face. seriously, i am SO looking forward to meeting her! she's actually one of the closest pals i have here... and there's JUST a week more till she'll actually be here!!!! YAY!
did i mention, she'll be the first blog-pal whom i'd be meeting. gosh! now i'm feeling nervous.

and of course, we saw wall-e last night. and it turned out to be everything and more than what i'd expected. so there.. another reason to have a kick-ass weekend!

all good with y'all...?

flying bluez...

wanted to do this post soon as i got back. actually, i want to do this EACH time i fly to & fro... but never got down to it. so today, i shall finally do this.

there are some things i'd like to say to random ppl who happen to be on my flight(s) or around me at the airport.

:: please do not sit right NEXT to me. esp when half the lounge is empty. even if u're an indian/pakistani/middle eastern woman traveling alone. i am not here to give u company. i don't mind talking. but heyy, u can sit two seats away and chat me up too, u know.

:: PLEASE do not scream into ur mobile phones. the world and it's aunt doesn't need to know what u're saying. even if it's an international call. even if it's a business call. even if u're talking to britney spears. which i don't think it is. unless u're asking ur client/agency/britney spears to "check behind the couch if u left the keys there?" seriously. u're not gonna need the keys till u're back, u know.

:: plz refrain from asking me if i'm middle eastern or mexican. no, i don't mind being middle eastern or mexican but i don't think it's a nice way of opening a conversation. how about "so where are u from?" or "traveling to paris/b'bay?" see? nicer?

:: i don't speak espanol. except for hola. so when u start talking to me animatedly in espanol, and i look at u and say..."sorry. english?" it means i'm not mexican. not that i'm a rude mexican bitch who's trying to avoid u. i'm sorry about the hair color... but seriously. u need to meet more indians.

:: if u're a firang *read american/european or any other white/black/colored male*, please don't say "that's such a beautiful name." it's corny. and no, it's not getting u brownie points! vain i may be, but even i know that u haven't really got the name.

:: pls do not wear so much gold jewelery that it sets off the bloody beeps during security. carry the bloody thing in ur bag if u must! wear it when u land. and how is it that i end up standing 2-3 persons behind u? ALWAYS? sigh!

:: u KNOW u have to take off ur blastid footwear at the airport for screening. could u not wear knee high boots? with or without softball socks? u take an eternity to get off those things!

:: keep ur hand baggage AWAY from me. just bcoz i look friendly doesn't mean u can knock ur blastid bags into my ass/knees or place them on my feet! and if u do so, don't expect me to smile at u. not even if u're a greek god!

:: will u pls pick ur infant from the screening tray?? ppl like me keep their shoes in it. unless u don't care about germs and want to screen the baby.

:: pls restrain urself from exploring each others' vocal cords in a check-in line. i don't care what u do as long as u don't hold me up!

:: no, i will not look after ur child while u go shop at duty free. what if u're trying to get rid of the kid, eh?! what if the kid starts crying? what if it accuses me of kidnapping it??? and HOW can u ask a stranger to "watch" after ur child while u shop?????

:: the bus/train is free. but that doesn't mean it's a first-come-first serve basis. plz don't behave like these are the bombay locals.

:: PLZ buy those travel-pack deos? and toothpastes. plz? i know u can't carry much on a flight, but if u know u stink plz do a favor on humanity. it's worth it.

:: 6 inch stilletos?? on a 22 hour flight? really?! with skin fit jeans and an excuse for a tee? i understand that this might be your first trip to india *by overhearing conversations between u & ur folks* and i love the fact that u're trendy. and yeah, those heels are nice. but seriously, u're gonna be SO uncomfortable.. u won't even be able to say "beauty hurts" by the time u land.

:: u there! applying 24 kilos of duty-free purchased make-up on ur face... yeah u?! can u not hog two mirrors and the entire sink. i need to brush my teeth and catch my next flight. besides, this is not ur personal spa. it's a public washroom!? also, plz... go light on the make-up, will ya? u're scaring me.

:: the luggage carousel doesn't throw away ur bags if u don't get to them first, u know? the bags come back. and back. till u claim ur piece of junk. and PLZ... if i'm standing there. with a cart. DO NOT try to jump in front of it. i simply gnash the cart into ur shins. i don't think u like that.

:: it really won't hurt u - u wannabe hulk - to help me lift that 22 kg bag off the carousel. instead of waiting for me to 'make eyes' at u and say plz. i am nicer when u volunteer. i may even say thanks and/or bye to u.

which character is it, anyway?

my fave literary characters. tag is flicked from dottie. has been twisted to include comics under literature. but honestly, i LOVE comics!

a. cheshire cat. from alice in wonderland. the words of wisdom. the smile that stays on. holistic gyaan at its best. and most simplified. my all time fave character.

b. nina. from preethi nair's beyond indigo. if someone ever made me a protagonist in a book, i'd like to be like nina. who knows her mind. but is confused at the same time. someone who's not scared to defy norms to get what she knows she wants. what i like most about nina...? she's real.

c. batman. LOVED him since i was a child. my fave superhero. the only human superhero, in fact. no superpowers. just human-created gadgets that help him fight evil. and oh, what gadgets!

d. veronika. from veronika decides to die by paulo coelho. It tells the story of 24 year old Veronika, who appears to have everything in life going for her, but who decides to kill herself. it's base around the subject of madness - or what we perceive as 'madness'. around the theme that collective madness is sanity.

e. gandalf. LOTR. THE wizard. amazes me. i'm in total awe of him.

f. howard roark. of ayn rand's the fountainhead. theoretically perfect. someone i'd idolized at some point of time in life. realized that i'd have to be an entirely different me to be like him. didn't think was worth it to change myself that much. but the admiration didn't wane.

g. the little prince. simplifies the most complex, most profound gyaan. and lends his own unique perspective to everything i see.

h. Mo, the pig. from Animals, Inc. The pig who manages to run an entire farm. a great lesson in business. of how it only takes the right leader to have a successful business. simplified. so that even an actual pig may understand it.

i. jean grey. from marvel's X-Men. have always wanted to BE her. :(


okk... i list only 9. coz i like the number! i tag galadriel, suruchi, loca, pix & the newly found "lost on the street" to do this tag. lost's tagged coz last time she asked me why she wasn't tagged. gurl - piece of advice - don't do that. ask galadriel. she still regrets. :)
anyone else who wants to pick up the tag - plz do so.

of extra marital sex...

another arbit snippet of conversation. bcoz what is this blog, if not a public display of the inane conversations me & mine keep having.

or, the way i see it, our new-found logic of why ppl have extra marital affairs/sex.

vin: u know, the male population is far more than the female?
me: stale data. so?
vin: hehe... wonder what happens to all the single men...
me: what happens bole toh?
vin: as in, if all the women get married, whom do these men end up with?
me: oh.. that! they probably just have sex with the married women.

know me, do u?

k3 tagged me to list down 6 quirks. now i've done this here... but for someone who's quirk faktor is like this, it shouldn't be difficult to do it again, eh?

1. i have to have long showers. like a minimum of 30 minutes or so. otherwise, i don't feel clean.
2. i can survive - happily & healthily - on a pure non-veg diet. i have lived for almost 2 years on a chicken diet. *with eggs, rotis, rice, milk & bread, but primarily chicken* after that, i realized i hadn't eaten any vegetarian food and decided to eat some.
3. i have to check my mails first thing in the morning. even before i brush my teeth. on all weekdays.
4. if something - a thought, concept... anything - gets fixated in my head; i'm extremely restless till it's actualized. this doesn't necessarily mean that i proactively try to actualize it. but i don't rest till it's done.
5. i HAVE to use conditioner after every shampoo. even if the shampoo used is a shampoo plus conditioner. no, it doesn't help. my hair still looks the same.
6. i don't like too much sunlight. i can't see if it's too bright and i'm not wearing sunglasses. i avoid going out into the sun as much as i can.
7. i adapt rather easily. i'm not addicted, per se, to anything. i can live without any & everything. no matter how much i love that p'lar thing. and i can also be happy without it.

oh.. okay... that made it 7. so be it! anyone who wants to do it is free to pick it up.

wolf wolf wolf!

have u ever had a problem bcoz u lie rather confidently. not lie... i wouldn't call it that. but u claim to know something that in reality u haven't the faintest idea about. not to brag or show off. but just?
i do. at times. under the following circumstances mostly.
:: am too bored to continue the conversation.
:: i'm hungry. *happens a lot more frequently than u'd think!*
:: i want to end the conversation coz i have something really kewl to discuss *happens ONLY with V.*
:: the topic of discussion doesn't really affect my life. or V's.

of course, this habit was formed as an occupational hazard. where the boss would commit something to MY client and i had no idea about it. but of course, when the client called, i had to sound like i knew. so i did. and to my credit, never has the client seen through this trait of mine. so yes, i'm good at it.

but then, this got translated into personal life as well. like if V'd ask me.. was it the next left or right? i'd confidently say left. when i had no idea where we were!

but by now... V's got used to this habit. and sometimes, he can actually tell when i'm not sure. and when he can't tell, he keeps questioning me to make sure i really DO know what i'm saying i know.
for instance. today. i asked him to pick me a book from the library. *yes yes.. i was too lazy to go out in the frikkin TX heat!*
so this is what ensued on mail.
me: need u to pick this book for me. details attached. now, the details included call no *reqd to identify book*, name & author.
vin: which library?
me: evans
vin: u sure?
me: yes.
vin: did u actually check?

DAMN!
of course i checked!!! if i know the call number, of course i've seen the library name! but no, man HAS to ask me! and this is not the only instance.

nobody believes me anymore. much like the little boy who cried wolf.
sigh!

stori-time

tagged from here...
the original stori - as below... *if u aren't proactive enough to click on the link above!* the tag is to take the stori ahead in EXACTLY 55 words. don't ask me why. galadriel started this. so all questions to be directed to her. no point killing the messenger.

galadriel's stori:
"She wondered if she could ever count each of the twinkling stars in the night sky. The clock in the tower struck 9. She had to get back to reading her text book, ignoring the weird grumbling noises her stomach was making. The flickering orange street light looked like it would go put any minute."

my 55 words:
she considered her options. she cud complete reading before the light died on her. or she cud eat. or of course, she could attempt to count the stars. it was in the midst of this contemplation that her phone buzzed. books aside, hunger aside... she now focussed on the screen. should she answer... she wondered.

and now, in true tag-style... i pass this on to preethi. go on, gurl... play with ur 55 words...

beer & chip(s)

conversation friday evng. after a couple of beers each.

me: arre yeah.. i had to tell u. we need to have a daughter.
vin: HUH?
NOW..??!??
me: no, no! don't be silly. whenever we have a kid, it HAS to be a daughter. i've already found a groom for her also.
vin: *stunned silence*
u've done what?
me: found her a groom. i'm SO proactive na? took my mom 26 years to find me u.. but look at me! daughter ka pata nahi, i have a groom ready for her.
vin: who is it?
me: chip. dottie's baby. he's adorable!
vin: chip? his name is chip??
me: hehe.. yeah. arre what's more.. they're m'ian also. ur mom will be so proud of me!
vin: our daughter will marry someone called CHIP? our son in law will be called CHIP???
me: yeah. he's a damn cute kid! me likes. me approves very much. she will never know that she has the option to disapprove. *feeling very proud of myself at this point of time. i attribute it to the beer.*
vin: and what has this cute CHIP done to deserve u as a M-I-L? hehehee...!

little does Vin know that you guys *some of u at least* think i'm nice n all. sigh!

recap...

okay. so apart from the fact that life has been topsy-turvy of late, there's lots more to recap. since this space is not going to be about any negativity, we shall focus on the good and the weird. also, things are way too personal to put them on a blog this time. there are things that'll have to wait till i'm ready. as yet, i'm not.

the speakable highlights of my trip would be:
- catching up with A. like nothing had happened. A is the same friend who'd stood me up last time and then disappeared. but he texted me when i was in pune. and i replied. as simple as that. and we met. and spoke. like nothing had ever happened. he didn't offer explanations. i didn't ask for any.
oh yes, i did think of standing him up. but suruchi gave me a very disapproving look.

- naming the baby. and she's called "Mihira"... and she's extremely adorable. she gets the cutest dimples ever!!! cuteness quotient threatens to compete with Vin's dimples even!

- chance encounter with a jyotishi. the crystal-ball reading gypsy woman types. eerie. VERY eerie. it deserves a complete post.

- meeting saty. in b'lore. he was a senior of mine at MICA. met him for the first time after he convocated and left the hallowed grounds. realized how much we've changed and how much of ourselves we've retained.

- being missed. sneha called me the day i was to leave. we're not really the bestest of frenz that can be or anything. and maybe that's why, it mattered that much more. it was really heartening to know that she was there if i needed to speak to someone. :) thanks, gurl. really.
galadriel called as well. but i'd have killed her if she hadn't. so no thanks to her! :P
and of course, there was all u guys. i was so touched by the mails i've got. from all u blog-pals. i may not be able to reply to all yet. but your words really mean a lot to me. some of u guys even checked with suruchi & galadriel on what was happening with me! wow! i am so touched. and SO glad that i'm part of such a lovely place. for once, i'm glad i'm unemployed... coz that's the only reason i got onto blogger and met you all.

- mumbai. i have no words to describe how nice it felt be there. and to spend time with joy, vibs, suruchi, ashish & advika. really. they were the only people i met up with while there. and it was worth every moment of it. love y'all SO much! and oh yes, was awesome to get drenched in the pehli baarish in mumbai :) more on that, later.

- home-coming. there's really no place like home. and though at times, i do get confused about where home is... it definitely is with V. finally, am sure of that.

how nice!

there's so much i have to write. and i have no idea where to start. it'll all be put down here. in what order - my disoriented mind does not know yet. but dottie's decided to make life easy for me. she's also said some very embarrassingly nice things about me here ...

now, dottie is a person whom i'm quite in awe of. i still don't know why. she's one of those people whom u just "know" are nice. and u hope their niceness will rub off on u in some way or the other. of course, the fact that she volunteers to send cake for vin is only further proof of her niceness. and now, she's gone ahead and pledged her Chip to my future daughter. that's one of the key reasons why i want to have a daughter now. so she can marry His Chipness. and then, i can brag of being related to dottie.

abt the award... it's said *and i've copied* that "This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people, good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!" given that definition, i'll pass it on to:
upsi: she pops up when i need her the most. i have no clue how she knows. and everytime, she cheers me up. even a mail from her makes me smile and feel good. i promise, i shall come to dallas to meet u soon. of course, u remember the payasam, right?

solitaire: she knows exactly what to say & when. her genuineness really really manages to make me feel all warm & fuzzy. am so glad u're shifting into the n'hood, gurl! :)

preethi: absolute optimist. she can fill you up with so much positivity, you'd be hopping around like an energizer bunny on steroids. she makes you feel nice about the world. despite rising fuel prices, global warming, personal lows... anything. keep smiling, gurl. it's one infection we can do with!

suma: she's someone who can point out the silver lining on the darkest cloud. when u're her friend, you needn't worry about finding a shoulder to cry on. i hope someday i can be somewhat like her.

there! go on, gurlz... your turn to spread the love...

p.s.: my blog-roll has disappeared. and i'm still WAY back on catching up on most of ur blogs. so pliss to bear with the me. any inconvenience is slightly regretted.

this space still lives...

am back. physically, at least.
will be back to this space - and urz - in a couple of days... when my house & mind is sorted out.
it feels very nice to know that you all have been with me thru-out. really.
but all that later.
be good, y'all. see you real soon.