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! :)

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.

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.

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.

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.