bonne année

every time i step out, i feel somewhat like what the kids in narnia must've felt when they stepped out that wardrobe the first time.

yeah, i'm still not over it.

but well, had a lovely xmas. with egg-nog, awesome food and wonderful gifts! only thing missing was friends. but i'm sure next christmas, that will be taken care of too. *smiles mysteriously*

will try and be more regular with blogging in 2010. can't promise, but will definitely try. there is a lot going on that can count as bloggable... but more on that, later. when the time is right. and no, that doesn't mean i'm pregnant. *yes, this was for YOU! don't mail me/call me abt it!*

so... here's wishing you all have a wonderful 2010. happy new year, folks. and don't give up on me just as yet.

thoughts for the week.

as always, since there's too much brain freeze for a proper piece... a quick update... lest you think i'm dead and gone... wanted to do mini posts on each. but, then again, one post should suffice.
:: made my first snowman. ever. not for this season. yeah, i know.

:: realized what it feels to be 'dependent'. in more ways than one.

:: some ppl need to know that not everything is to be told to/discussed with everyone. irrespective of how close you may be. there are some things that shouldn't be asked. they will be told, if they need to be. if they're not, it doesn't concern you, in any way.

:: there's this constant 'need' by ppl to be competitive, to be the 'best'. a need, that is not understood by me. i can understand wanting to better yourself, not wanting to be better than someone else. that is where i lose the track. i revel in being average. i 'want' to be average. normal. okay. maybe that's the problem with me.

:: i believe every person enters our lives - unintentionally, most of the time - with an objective. once that objective is accomplished, they move out of our lives. if we're still in each others' lives... we have a greater objective to achieve.

:: if we were to consider our blogs as brands... are we, then, to blog only keeping in mind the blog's core identity? for instance, if 'inane' is the forte of this space, am i not to blog abt anything that may make sense?

and we're back.

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

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

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

touchwood!

here and now...

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

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

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

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

oh, dear!

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

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

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

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

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

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

back with a tag...

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

1.What is your current obsession ?

Bejewelled on facebook. Also, Farmville.

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

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

4. What’s the last thing you bought?

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

5. What are you listening to right now?

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

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

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

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

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

sunscreen, sunglasses...

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

only an hour? i'd go to hawaii.

10. Which language do you want to learn?

french.

11. What’s your favourite quote?

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

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

13. What is your favourite colour?

scarlet? black?

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

15. What is your dream job?

wild-life photog.

16. What’s your favourite magazine?

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

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

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

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?

visible lingerie lines.

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

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

21. What are you going to do after this?

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

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

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

eye liner, chapstick, my burberry perfume.

24. What inspires you ?

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

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

i don't use any. being myself helps.

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

i wear jeans and a tee. with heels.

27. Coffee or tea?

coffee. with milk & sugar, pls.

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

i clam up. go offline. and revisit myself.

29. What is the meaning of your name?

google it, will ya?

30. Which other blogs do you love visiting?

all those you'll find in my comments tab

31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?

cheesecake.

32. Favorite Season ?

monsoons in mumbai.

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

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

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

indifference. i'm a pro at that.

35. What are you afraid of the most?

losing my identity.

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

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

happy b'day G!

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

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

the bosses so far...

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

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

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

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

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

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

this & that...

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



have a good weekend y'all!

blog-pal? naah!

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

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

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

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

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

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

summer? really...?

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

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

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

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

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

one of the many mountains along the way...

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

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

happy happy late late

and i've missed the third b'day for my blog. was on aug 21.

it seems that my personal non-belief in celebrating b'days has translated into reality here. but this space has given me a lot. so this is the least i can do for it. so, happy b'day dear blog. i love you.

and it would probably not mean as much if it weren't for you guys who stop by regularly and comment and/or read. thank you. VERY much. for being there. through good times and bad. coz that's what friends do. real, virtual or both.

here's to new beginnings... cheerz!

p.s.: more on new home later - once i have my own internet connection.

moving on.

there comes a time in every girl's life when she has to learn the value of holding on and the value of letting go.
the letting go part is really really difficult. but i'm at it.

programming has been irregular of late coz i've been busy. packing, sorting... vacationing! :D
we finally shift on sunday. and i will be internet-less till further notice.
so this here, is kinda sorta an announcement that this space is taking a break. more by default than by choice.

i shall see y'all soon. from a pretty little hamlet - far far away - which shall be known as "home" for future references here.

miss me. coz i'm gonna miss you too.

biker chic

on the way back home from a lovely weekend at the beach, a group of bikers pass us... conversation, automatically, veers to bikers. and my fascination for the breed.

me: would be SO kewl if you had one of those bikes, no?
vin: for you, you mean?
me: of course! i already have a tattoo, leather boots, jacket and an 'i-give-a-fuck' attitude. i almost qualify for being one of them!
vin: hmm... the pillion seat is called a bitch seat.
you TOTALLY qualify for that!

too much love is happening

me: u know suruchi has ALREADY bought the cutting glasses i was telling ma to pick for us. WITH the stand!
vin: you had told her also?
me: i didn't tell her! she got it last week only. BEFORE i thought of it!
vin: then why did she buy them?
me: i dunno. telepathy. she thought i'd want them! that is JUST so sweet na!

pause.

vin: i'm even MORE scared of her now. this is sweet, but it's so scary!! how did she know!
me: she knew. bas! and i think it's damn sweet!

after abt 5 mins of thoughtful consideration, while i chomp down on pizza, the man makes a puppy face, looks extremely forlorn... and says...

you know... i can never love you that much.

Galadriel ke Mann Ki Baat

... jusssst like Rakhi ke Mann Ki Baat.

since amey suggested that UGC could be YOU users actually writing posts here... I took it quite seriously... and of course, made puppy faces and asked Galadriel - of the phamous galadriel porn blog to do me a guest post. NO, this is not a porn guest post. That, is restricted to HER space.
here, she writes this:
--------------------

So she successfully bullied me again and made me write a guest post for her. Now I am not as hardworking as her other victim. I am not going to dig up her old posts (I haven’t read all of them, but don’t tell her, she’s already out to slit my throat) or send her much appreciated gifts. All I’m going to do is what I can do is write something heartfelt and hope she doesn’t knock the crap out of me for being all senti. (Or get the crap knocked out of her by all the other people she didn’t ask to do a guest post! *smirk smirk*)

The first time I became aware of her existence was when she commented on my post. And I think I have Alice to thank for that. Continuously commenting on each other’s blogs, pulling each others’ legs all the time and basically just having fun – this was how our friendship (fraandsheep?) began to grow. When I do a search in my gmail for her, it returns countless results. The first page reads “1-20 of thousands”! We have come to the point where we cannot go one day without mailing each other.

I have seen her transform. One minute she is an 8 year old, laughing at people’s funny accents and the next minute she is a strong wise old lady, giving me sound advice. It makes it so much easier to bounce ideas off of her because she won’t ridicule you. Most likely, she’s already been through a very similar situation and has reacted exactly like you. I have finally begun to understand the meaning of mental connection and how it transcends all physicality.

One of the things I love most about her is her complete lack of pretense. She hates it if anyone calls her beautiful. Like me, she has no illusions about her looks. She knows exactly how attractive she is or isn’t and is one of the few people who are completely satisfied and comfortable in their body. That itself adds oodles of charm to her persona.

I have really only known her for the last year and a few months. And yet I feel like we have known each other for years. So much, that she is the first person in the United States whom I visited and stayed over with. I haven’t even visited my family, which lives on the West Coast. And yet, I have not felt the need to go knocking on her door every so often, like I see so many “BFFs” do all the time. I am perfectly happy seeing her probably once a year, maybe less, hopefully more, now that she’s moving (yayy!).

Currently, of course, we’re totally digging Rakhi Ka Swayamvar. Our chat conversations read like dialogues from the show. We’re waiting with bated breathe to see if she really does marry Eeles *gujju* Parujanwala or the slimy weenie from Deeelie. Makes for very interesting topics for discussions.

But since I don’t know how to end this post, I will leave you with this amaazing clip of our heroine trying her hand at being.. er… human! And oh yeah.. I lauwe you Raysh!!!!

--------------

i lauve you too, G! you're going to be the firsstt fraynd to visit me when i move! it's making me actually look forward to moving! :)

:(

after years of convincing yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to...
after years of believing that you're not afraid of anything...
after years of believing that you ARE the best...
after years of believing that you are absolutely independent...
after years of maaroing lines like "i am woman, hear me roar" etc...
after years of believing that you don't need anyone else to survive, or even to live...

after all those years...




... all it takes is ONE measly roach to make you whimper on the couch & dash those beliefs.
sigh.

UGC

since i don't know what to blog about. and since none of you tag me anymore.
i shall use alice's excellent SEV-inspired idea. and use user-generated topics to come up with posts.
so now, YOU tell ME what you'd like me to write about.

some things i cannot do, hence should not be suggested:
- book reviews.
- film reviews
- music reviews.
well, reviews of any kind.

and yes, till you suggest - this qualifies as a post. also, suggestions are welcome all the time, but would love prompt suggestions. as is the case, the man i married is traveling and i have loadsa time to kill on my hand. and NO, i don't need to be reminded that i have to pack. i know. i WILL get to it. eventually.

*for the uninitiated, UGC - user-generated content.

reasonable excuses

okay... since it's been a while since there's been a proper post... i think i owe it to the VERY few ppl who bothered to notice!
quite a bit has been going on.. highlights of which are as follows:
- SHE is back2blog. all engaged n all. so, go congratulate her! while, dewey is away. that kinda reflects on the low comment count, doesn't it?! but she's been kind enough to visit the blog and get those exotic country flags up there! thenks.
- vin walks the walk on the 14th. FINALLY. that will get it's own post. pucca.
- we're a month away from moving. but we still don't know the EXACT date we move, which mover we would use or when we would move out our stuff! we do know where we're going. thanks heavens for small mercies.
- i've started thinking of packing... which essentially means that my house now looks like a warehouse that was raided. yes, the second bedroom is kinda littered with most of the stuff that should be packed. and erm... yes... i will get to it. eventually. which also means that no guests are now allowed to visit! :D
- i realized that i have a helluva lot of stuff. never thought of myself to be a hoarder. but i guess i have some of my mom's genes too!
- EVERY little bit i own has it's set of memories attached and i can't get myself to give it away or even worse, trash it. makes it all the more difficult to pack and puts me in a vague mood.

this coupled with the fact that there haven't been ANY decent hindi movies of late ensures that i've been leading a rather hassled life. and no, i do NOT wish to watch rakhi ka swayamvar. neither will i watch the potter movie. thank you very much!

so there! now that i've got that off my mind... maybe i can get back to posting regularly...
i know i haven't been too regular on all the blogs i read. but i shall make up for that. soon.

socially networked

i'd never really taken to social networking.
long back, when i worked in b'bay, an acquaintance had asked me why i didn't have an orkut/FB account. and i'd said "who has the time! besides, i'm in touch with those i want to be in touch with."
partial truth, that.

i definitely didn't have the time. and i was in touch with most of the people i wanted to be in touch with.
some people... i'd lost touch with. for no particular reasons. definitely not because i didn't want to be in touch with them. but sometimes, life happens. and you tend to oversee people who were/are important to you. people you have some really awesome memories with. people who would make you fight. sometimes for them.... sometimes with them! but people you can't really be mad at for long.

when i got to the US, i registered on orkut just to see what the hype was all about. now i had the time... and my friends were across the seas. this seemed like a good way to stay in touch. i started an FB account... then deleted it coz i didn't see the point of it... then, last year, when i went to london, i got back onto FB... played games, took silly quizzes... again, wasting time.
but it wasn't until now that i truly realized how "nice" it could feel.

i got in touch with a couple of really really good friends that i'd lost touch with years and years ago! friends that i'd tried to find earlier... but somehow hadn't managed.
and now, thanks to FB, i've re-connected with them. it's a lot of catching up to do. we all have changed quite a bit over the years. but we're still the same people. it's amazing how and what the mind remembers. silly details... random trivia. but well, i'm happy. to have met them. to have taken the time out to be on a social networking site. and to have finally realized what the hype is all about. for me, now, it seems totally worth it!

in a day...

here's what the quote of the day, on my gmail, was today.
Timothy Leary - "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition."

i neither agree. nor disagree.
but, me likey.
why can't i come up with such witty one-liners?!

and amongst other things... research explains why i can't ignore my niece who is rather cat-like. or why my whining cannot be ignored. or why dewey can sucessfully nag me. little manipulative, no? well... who woulda thunk!

30 years of deliciousness.

yup. it's official.
i have a box which says so!

a box, that reached me after an entire treasure hunt... and a wait - that seemed rather long! a box, that arrived after i was made to straighten my hair WHILE i was online and chatting. a box, which i presumed had CHEESE in it. a box, which i was told had a video of ALL the cheesy b-grade videos which had a heroine named reshma.

it didn't.

but let me start at the beginning. i woke up - on my 30th b'day to hear galadriel say "don't call me back. i'll talk to you tomorrow. bye" in the MOST khadoos voice. this was thanks to the man i married... who saw her missed call from the prev night, accessed VM and held the phone to my ear while waking me up.

a little later when i logged in and went to dewey's.. *yeah, i do that obsessively*, i saw this. then, i was bullied by G to go over to hers and do the entire treasure hunt. *all of it isn't here, but i can't share the rest!* the prize at the end was undisclosed.

so, after abt half a day... of waiting, of chatting, of hearing these two snickering... finally... i got this:

a delish snickers cheesecake.

and it kind of set the tone for the wonderful day that followed.
galadriel, dewey - you gurls are absolutely fantastic. it takes a LOT to go through so much hassle... more so, coz i know how caught up both of you are right now... really really appreciate it! you both mean a helluva lot to me. and i can't thank this space enough for enabling me to meet you. i wish you both could be here... but since that wasn't possible - this was as close to purrfect a bday i've ever had!

and all of you who mailed me - i haven't got down to reverting yet. i promise i will. today! dewey's been nagging me to do this post... so the mails were on the back-burner. but i really really appreciate the wishes. thanks a ton! i had a wonderful day. :)

decadent

what with the b'day coming up n all... i was asked if i've been thinking/contemplating/introspecting... no. i haven't. somehow, the mood isn't right to introspect too much. that'll happen as it does. irrespective of the date/year...

but dewey's been nagging me... and i also want galadriel back to commenting here *she was on leave, she's back now & needs a new post to comment on!*
so, i'll try and summarize this decade. i've changed tremendously as a person in the past 10 years. i don't even know where and how to start jotting it down. most of this blog is abt the past 10 years of my life.
it all started with me leaving home... it seems so long back if i think in terms of years. but i can r'ber everything so clearly, that it seems like yesterday.

mostly, i figured things as and when... other than at mica, i never had the time to actually chew on things and then analyse. i didn't even know they were learnings till a couple years later, when i looked back and realized how much i had changed. i didn't know then, that change was not always bad. that it was inevitable to change. but i learned.

have i grown wiser over the years? i'm not sure. but yeah, i have grown up. in ways i hadn't thought possible. if i were to look at me 15 years ago - i see a totally different person. okay, not totally different. but a LOT different. more impulsive, faster to react, someone who didn't know the difference between reacting and responding... someone who took ppl at face value. someone naive... definitely a lot less cynical and a lot more self-absorbed!
but still, in a lot of ways, i'm still the same. i still cannot think beyond me and mine first. only that now, i know when to curb it. i am definitely a lot more tolerant. more at peace with myself. i know where i am... and where i'm heading. and that even if i don't always know, it's alright. i do know how to manage relationships a lot better and to pick my battles wisely. i now realize that i don't always need to be in control of everything. that it's okay to let go. in a lot of ways, i'm content. but there is still this need to know more. to try and be better. and i hope that always stays.

so well... before this post turns into a mush-fest and i get into serious introspection; go ahead & wish me. while i go off and have fun! and as long as u wish me while it's the 9th in ur country - u don't have to add a 'belated' to it! :D

plus five

prats tagged me to do the 5 things abt me... and considering she's blogged after all these months only to tag me, i shall do it. also, it indulges the vain me! :D
so, here's 5 things abt me, in no particular order of importance.

- i expect a lot from ppl who i'm really close to. but it's never more than what i would do for the person. it's almost always 50-50.
though, the closer you are to me, the more i tend to take u for granted. sure u'll know how much you mean to me. but i expect you to u'stand when i disappear for a while... and re-emerge. i expect you to continue where we left off. and not sulk and whine. i also give you the same space. and if i do anything to upset you, i WILL make up for it. however best i can.

- i believe that all of us, as humans, are extremely selfish. we evaluate pros and cons of most situations and if we think something may be detrimental for us, we avoid it. there are exceptions. but very few act out of their love for random mankind. we bother about "me and mine" mostly.
and i don't think it is a wrong thing. i accept the fact that i am self-absorbed and move on. unless i manage me and my world properly, how can i think of contributing to anything larger...?

- i believe relationships are very complex. and every r'ship has it's own dynamic. i don't take moral stand-points on r'ships and/or affairs anymore. i used to. till very recently. i believe i've come a long way from being a judgemental bitch to understanding that there may be hues that i neither see nor comprehend. and i leave them be. i no longer think of ppl who put themselves down for their partners as doormats. or ppl who have affairs while in a stable r'ship as bitches/bastards. they have their own reasons. i simply don't judge. and i don't know how long this non-judgemental phase will last - but this is as close as i get to saintly! :D

- i know that i will not lose my individuality. i used to be insecure about this. quite a bit. esp when i had just got married. but now i'm sure. it's something that's me. it may change... it may get better or worse. but it will still, quintessentially, be me.

- how patient i am about something depends directly on how beneficial that thing is to me. at least, how beneficial I perceive it to be for me. which is why i seem to lose interest in things rather soon. however, if i really want something, i can be extremely tenacious. to the point of being a pain in the backside for everybody around me. such things are rather few, but they're absolutely worth it!

i also have dottie's domestic horror tag to do... will get to it in a bit.

now, doing guest posts.

since, it's not enough to restrict the madness to this space, we shall continue it here.
if any of are actually entertained by inane bollywood-like stories... do hop over and read the desi-ized story of nero.
in parts. because picture abhi baaki hai, mere dost...

problem-solving music

issue:

one of the boys that stay upstairs, plays the tabla *or something that sounds like it* THRU the day. and really late into the night. i don't know what he does for a living or how he survives. but it's rather silent here... and the noise annoys me.

usually, i ignore it. but i've been home alone and have enough difficulty falling asleep without that irritating noise!

also, normally, i'm rather forgiving. but the reason i now p'larly do not like these boys is that they shoved stuff down the kitchen sink and clogged up the entire line; affecting mine, of course. and i had to run around looking for maintenance ppl - coz apparently, they only care abt the music, not backed-up sinks or roaches! but that issue's been taken care of by the maintenance guy who came by last time. so, coming to the current problem of too much tabla noise...

possible solutions:

a. go upstairs and tell them to keep it down.

b. call the main offc and complain. so, they can send a huge guy to warn them and/or stick a notice on their door.

c. go upstairs and stick a post-it on their door.

excuses for not doing any of the above: i'm not whiny. i AM lazy and don't wanna climb up stairs or change and go out. it's too hot to go outside in the day. i don't want to go knocking on strange boys' doors at night when i'm alone. and i prefer solving my problems myself.

so, my solution:

after two days of tolerance, i play himesh. non-stop.

from 8.30 a.m to 7.30 p.m.

then, i pause the playlist and take the trash out. when i realize that it has already borne results.

result: he has stopped playing. and has stuck a post-it on our door saying "sorry if we were noisy"

well... peace. and i hope they don't start off again, or i'll have to find himesh's version of gayatri mantra and play it real loud early in the morng.

for 'better' or for 'worse'?

after a really genuine attempt at seizing the cheese fries out of vin's hand... i failed. i don't take that very nicely - not winning, that is. so i did what i do best. i used the claws.
and then, i did what i do next best. i made puppy faces, so he won't get too bugged. *yeah, that still works - depending on the seriousness of the damage.*

he looks at the gash, then at me. and quips:
"thank god you're the better half. wonder WHAT would happen if you were the worse."

so crazy. so honored.

badge of honor bestowed upon Her Royal Madness. *ME!!!!!!*


just when i was beginning to believe that madness is a quality seldom appreciated... this is what my beloved dewey mailed me today. and then followed up till i did this post.
but honestly... me LOUVE! both, dewey AND the badge. and all of you. who encourage the madness! :)

p.s.: all the words above the badge are hers.

tag-of-the-month

since i have nothing intelligent or inane to say, i was gonna flick this tag from loca. but before i could do it, prashanti tagged me. so here...

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
my hair's not as bad as i think it is!

2. How much cash do you have in your wallet right now?
$7 and 45 GBPs. i had to find my wallet for this, u know?!

3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
floor.

4. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
i dunno. i think it's one of those "i have a special announcement" kinda calls which i don't bother answering.

5. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
real tone: "pls pick up the phone, will ya pls pick up the phone?"
ex-personal fave: real-tone of "aye chhori... zara nachke dikha"
NEVER failed to make me smile when my phone rang!

6. What are you wearing right now?
i'm a very private person. i refuse to answer this! :D

7. Do you label yourself?
i don't understand labels wrt humans. i DO label boxes when we're shifting though.

8. Name the brand of the shoes you currently own?
ALL the shoes i own? i don't think so!
the ones lying here are aldo ankle boots and black reebok sneakers.

9.Bright or Dark Room?
dark.

10. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
prashanti: interesting.
loca: one of my oldest blog-pals! really like this one! :)

11. What does your watch look like?
a mobile phone. that's what it looks like.
the wall clock is square and has a rooster on it.

12. What were you doing at midnight last night?
cleaning the dishes before going to sleep.

13. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
i don't get text mesgs. and i don't r'ber what the last text i got 3 years ago said.

14. What’s a word that you say a lot?
maaaoowwww... or meoowwww... or miaooowww... you get the point, right?

15. Who told you he/she loved you last?
technically, minal.
but a few mins before that... dewey. and when dewey was told that minal beat her at the tag, here's what she said:
"dammit
no she cannot

I LAUUUUUUUUVVVVVVVEEEEEEEE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

maine chillake bola

I win"

so.. there... also, dewey wins coz she tells me she loves me at least 3 times a day. everyday. :)

16. Last furry thing you touched?
eh? my niece's stuffed toy, maybe. i dunno.

17. Favourite age you have been so far?
now's the best time.

18. What was the last thing you said to someone?
in person? seee yaaa... to vin.
online: "muah!" to dewey.

19.The last song you listened to?
rishte... life in a metro.

20. Where did you live in 1987?
at home.

21. Are you jealous of anyone?
erm... no. i'm too self-absorbed to notice anyone else in that much detail.

22. Is anyone jealous of you?
i wouldn't know. are you?

23. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
engagement ring, clothes, footwear.

24. What’s your favourite town/city?
Mumbai.

25. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
no clue! i think when i was at mica, i wrote a paper-waala letter. can't r'ber to whom, though.

26. Can you change the oil on a car?
theoretically, yes. practically, never tried. *i'm theoretically purrfect, u see*

27. Your first love/big crush: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
i don't even r'ber my first crush. *gosh! i'm old!!*

28. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
no. nothing hurts.

29.What is your current desktop picture?
a picture of cottages at saranac lake in winter.

30. Have you been burnt by love?
no. not been "burnt" by anything.

what do you do...

...when u realize that someone you were talking to was trying... really trying, to annoy you. and is now annoyed themselves. bcoz you didn't get annoyed.
in fact, you didn't even realize the attempt. but then, it's been brought to your attention by a mutual friend. and u're amused, at the most. by how much effort ppl need to put in simply to annoy you. and fail to understand why it would be worth the effort.

what do you do, then? do you...
a. go ahead and remain unaffected... annoying the person who was trying to annoy you.
or
b. pretend to be annoyed and let the person be happy with their cheap thrills.

hmm... the nonsensical quirks of human beings!

edited to add:
here's what i do: i blog about it, knowing fully well that said friend reads this space. and is going to be more annoyed now. THAT is how I get my cheap thrills. sulk not, my friend! such is life! :)

tag-of-the-month

was tagged a long time back by pixie to list down 9 of my most vivid and special memories... i'm doing only the special part today... the ones i r'ber vividly are too random to put down as memories. the mushy nature is due to being alone at home... it tends to make me all senty and nostalgic!  

so, in no particular order... these are my tag-of-the-month moments: 

- walking down marine drive while it drizzled. u haven't lived if you haven't done this. it's just SO special. 

- reaching home from school to an excited dog who'd ALWAYS be happy to see me. no matter what my day had been like.  

- suruchi's house. all the evngs spent there... chatting, bitching, cribbing, whining... mostly, bitching... there was a comfort in knowing she was 10 mins away. and i really really miss that.  

- going off on drives on sundays with the family. EVERY sunday. all four of us. not knowing that this won't last forever. and soon we'd have to make plans just so 4 of us could be under the same roof together. sigh. 

- the 4 days i spent at minal's in 2004, when i was SO unsure of where i was headed in life. 

- galadriel visiting me on my bday last year. she was the first blog-pal i was to meet... and i was quite unsure how i'd live up to my virtual image. i am still amazed by how comfortable we all were with each other! 

- dad calling and telling me that i'd got through to mica. i made him read it out to me. i was afraid he mis-read NOT accepted, as accepted!

- feeling intimidated by the brightness of people who worked with me at c2w. not knowing whether i deserved to be there... with them... in the same room. *this was way back when i wasn't as smart-assed abt myself!*

- saying goodbye to dewey at the bus-stop. she was leaving for india the next day... and i'd be gone from london by the time she got back. *i'm not good with good-byes*

- landing for the first time in the US. and thinking that vin wouldn't be there to pick me up coz he'd acquired cold feet and wanted to back-out! yeah, i REALLY thought he wouldn't turn up and i'd have to figure out a way to go back. i was more relieved than happy to see him there. 

i realized i've already crossed the limit of nine. but i don't think memories is something that can be limited by quantities. which, again, is the reason i blog. to r'ber things... such that i don't need to limit them. and there's a dozen more i'd like to add here... but then again, some are much too private and much too special to be shared. so, for blog & tag purposes... this should do for now! 

see y'all soon. 

i've got "royal" mail... :)

r'ber how ecstatic i get on receiving surprise gifts in my mail? well, click here if u're really interested!

so, today...there was a surprise in my mailbox. there was a key. not to a corvette or a house... but to the bigger mailbox, which holds "packages". dewey had been rather persistently asking me if i'd checked my POST - since monday. so, obviously... i knew she'd sent me something! and i've been eagerly anticipating this "post" since then.

i reached into the mailbox and picked out this large red flashy box with "royal mail" stamped on it. dunno about you, but i have never got "royal mail" before! heck, i barely ever get ANYthing addressed to me other than flying miles statements!

so i rushed back home with the huge box, cut it open... and dropped all the straw on the carpet *yeah, i know*... and out came this gorge box..
at first glance, i thought the mad child had sent me ice cream!!! it sure looked like a yum ice cream tub with the awesomest li'l kitties on it... and she HAS been talking of sending me cheesecake... the box also had a sticker which said "NOT a TOY"; i quickly removed the sticker and trashed it along with the straw.

once i'd done that, i opened it, rather carefully wondering if this was ice-cream or cheesecake or jewelery...

and out came a kitty mug with a delightful red tassel!! and it's filled with cookies! :D i HAVE promised to save at least one cookie for vin... as per her instructions. but we shall see.

and now, while the bitch watches wolverine, i sit here alone and miss her! how i'd have LOVED it if she'd hand-delivered this! i solemnly swear that i will not ever let anyone else even touch this mug! other than you - when u come over! do make that soon.
now let me go clean the carpet and drink coffee in my new mug! ^_^

follow thy own beat

rather late in the night... after a hectic 3 days. vin's really sleepy.. and after being sleepy for the entire day, i'm finally awake.

vin: PLEASE sleep! i've to get up early tomorrow.
me: but i's no being sleepy. wake upppp!!!
vin: ENTIRE day u were sleepy and crabby. pls sleep now. or at least let me sleep.
me: but now i'm NOT! and if i'm awake and u're here, i HAVE to talk.
vin: read something boring. u'll feel sleepy.
me: no, i'll go have coffee
vin: NOO!!! coffee's a stimulant. u'll be awake longer!
me: but i want to be stimulated into sleeping. so it should do that, no? NO?