long time...

a lot has been happening.

amongst other things - for those of you who came in late - i'm back to school. after four years of procrastinating and choosing alternatives, i've bitten the bullet. and school is one whirlwind affair.

when you get used to having your time and space to do things that you like; it's difficult to adapt to a routine which requires you to be at your sharpest at any hour of the day. to get back to reading case studies and writing papers. to listening to a prof talk for close to three hours. difficult is an understatement.

so yes, it's been different. and difficult.

but i'd like to think i'm getting the hang of it.

the positives... realizing that you haven't lost the touch to befriend people. people that you genuinely like and get along with. it's comforting to know that people like this exist. that the possibility of finding 'good' friends still exists.

that there still is hope.

the negatives? not being able to speak to people who sort you out. who know you. who love you. who miss you. no matter how many times you say "i miss you", it's just not enough to convey how much i really miss connecting with the people i care for. and saying that i'm busy makes me feel very inefficient and inadequate.

so yes, i'm hoping i've managed to adapt. and that i will make time for things i like. and the people i love.

hopefully, i won't abandon this space either. this blog means way too much to me to let it die. so here's committing myself to it. and to school. and to those in my life that make me feel good about being me. you all know who you are... thanks for being so patient. thanks for being around.

means a lot.

p.s.: the humor shall return. soon.

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!

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.

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! :)

heyy... i'm alive!!!

well, it's been so long since i came here. wow! actually, wanted to come here y'day... but i lost the link to my blog. just today, i realized that i've linked it up on orkut... so here i am!

what has been happening? well, in no p'lar order... this:
moving. we've finally moved into our apartment. unpacked almost all the boxes *except the 3 with the books & 1 with some of the footwear.* and all except 3 bags. yes. all 3 bags are filled to the brim with MY stuff. i cannot unpack them yet coz i have to figure out where to put the stuff once it's out. sigh! i should really get to that, u know...

MIL. it's been a relief, as i keep saying. we get along as well as we did when we lived away. and i don't think it's too soon to say we like each other. she's been here a while now, after all. if she wanted to be mean, she'd have tried by now. but no, TOUCHWOOD. i have a nice MIL. there, i've said it!

work. things are moving at a snail's pace. and i'm thoroughly disgusted with that. i like things to move fast... shall do a post on that soon.

HURRICANE! yes. it came, it howled, it rained. Ike left a lot of folks homeless, water-less, power-less. not much damage here. we're all fine, thank u. our phone lines have died, tho. so if any of you tried to call me and couldn't get thru, plz note - I AM ALIVE. and i DO get VMs. *yes, galadriel - that was for u. YOU bitch!*
and yes, to all u nice folks who mailed/scrapped me. thanks. felt really nice to know that if i died one fine day, ppl would notice.
to you morons who call urself my close friends and didn't know i was hurricane hit - u have me to answer to!

blogging. hasn't been happening. neither me visiting nor writing. but then, here i am. trying to blog when i should be thinking of where to put my stuff! i do make feeble attempts at reading ur blogs. but i haven't got down to all of them yet. i will.soon. promise.

thanks for being around... if any of you still are, that is!

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.

pit-stop

a quick update:
:: dad's a lot better now. at least he's gone home. and provided he continues behaving like an obedient adult, he'll be fine soon. :0)
:: suruchi hasn't succumbed to any of ur bullying. she still hasn't written a piece for me. so i'm still sulking.
:: my aunt is with me for a week. *she also has my goodie bag, courtesy my mom. YAY!* this means, no blogging this week. also, we're celebrating with lots of good food & gossip at our place this week. so if any of you wish to drop in - for food or gossip - u're invited! the gossip MAY be shared with you later as well.
:: sunday was my niece's *cousin's daughter's* happy bud-day party. with ponies et al. awesome fun. not to mention, amazing food. umm... no, i didn't ride on the ponies.
:: conversation with V has been most amusing in the past coupla days. will post it later.
:: the next post will NOT be a part of the 250 posts.

this quick update was just to tell u guys "thank you." i really REALLY appreciated the concern. feels good to know that u guys miss me! :) i've not been reading ur blogs of late. will catch up with all of you next week onwards. take care y'all!

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....?