Singing in the rain

2009-02-26T15:28:00.002+05:30

This blog has been inactive for more than a year now. And I never thought that I would be inspired to start it up again. However, the atrocity of the crimes committed against women should be enough for most Indians with even a slightly modern point of view to get up and voice their opinion through any channel or medium available to them.

First, there was Mangalore. Then Bangalore. And then Bangalore again. And again. And again. Where will this end? How long are we going to tolerate this behaviour for?

The trouble really is this. These were the first incidents to be publicised by the media, but so-called moral policing has been a hidden phenomenon of India, operating covertly in places you would never expect it. There have been scores of articles condemning "moral policing" in recent days, yet the governement, the police, politicians, the people we expect support from, do absolutely nothing to stop it. And in their silence give these men further encouragement.

Have we really come to a situation where women could be forced to act, talk, walk, dress differently? Whatever happened to the democracy and freedom that we prided ourselves for? We have spent years looking down on countries that have been in similar situations and hence slipped down to road to regressive and negative actions. Yet we find ourselves in the exact same position.

To find a constructive long lasting solution that will put these men back in their places (which in my opinion is jail) is the real puzzle. Any suggestions?

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2007-12-02T04:38:00.000+05:30

Phew, six months or thereabouts has gone by since my last post. Here I am, sitting in a new country which I now call "home". Here I am, in cold blustery weather that makes me finally understand what James Herriot was talking about. Here I am, writing in my blog after so long when really I know that if I don't finish my management essay I will be well and truly rogered.

It's been a strange sort of 2 months. First of all, they've kind of galloped by. Kind of like you turn your head and bang! You're in December! They say change is a good thing. I answer back with "who says so? And how much change?" No now I'm just being unfair. I do love my life here. I love what I'm doing, the college, the quaint little town, the Christmassy feeling in the air, the 2 pound Corona's, autumn leaves (which are non-existent now), the rabbits scampering around, fish and chips...the list is endless. What I do not love however, is washing dishes. That, and fire alarms being set off at 1 in the morning. They are a paranoid race indeed.

I've said it before but I will say it again, thank God for Moron. In a foreign country, he is the one familiar thing that I cling to. He spoils me rotten, takes me shopping, cooks for me, lets me have the side of the bed that is not up against the wall and even, on occasion, washes the damn dishes.

I named this blog "singing in the rain" for no particular reason really. I have one now.

One

2007-05-18T20:42:00.000+05:30

*Wrote this a couple of months ago. Will need to write the sequels shortly.

This morning as I was driving to work I had the sudden inexplicable urge to write something. Its funny how it always happens at the most inopportunate times. By the time I've reached somewhere where I can lay my hands on a pen and a paper, I've forgotten all the wonderful perfectly bloggable thoughts that are running through my head at the time.

Much has happened since the last time I blogged. I've started work again. With the same company. Which makes me fear very much that KC will be proved right and I will die working there. However, its a different setup and I actually, at this point anyway, kind of love my job. The fact that its just temporary certainly doesn't hurt.

Oh yes, and then there's the whole college thing. Don't really know where's/why's/how's of it. I only know that I'm going.

Then there has been all the drama of relationships that change and change and change again. Moron is simply wonderful. And forgiving. And thats all there is to that. For now anyway.

But the real reason for this post has been the trips. In 2 months, I've gone to Goa, Bombay, Goa again, Goa yet again and Masanagudi. With very different bunches of people. And they have been fun in different ways. I've been living out of suitcases and waking up in different beds every weekend. But this is the only time in my life that I get to do this shit. So I went right ahead and did that shit.

Goa Trip #1
So a friend of mine from school who we will call PK (or actually PP now) decided that she was going to have her wedding in Goa. Which was great for us anyway. Any excuse to go there after all. So Chet, Dinks and I decided to go a couple of days earlier and then Anshama joined us later that day. Zombie, Puriyada and Laksh decided to come a couple of days later. Much drinking, dancing and general mayhem was had by all and sundry. Even the normally staid Zombie and Laksh were seen letting their hair down. If you want to really have a fun wedding, you have to marry a North Indian. You have to hand it to them...they really know how to have a good time. So we would go for the functions for a bit and then slip of to the beach and lie there while sipping on a King's beer. It really was the life.
One of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.

Some kind of grotesque decorative item the hotel placed on the pull-out sofa.

We ate a lot of this. And all its cousins. Crabs, prawns, squid, mussels. You name it, we ate it.

And drank a lot of this. The vanilla milkshake looking drink is actually a really potent brew with loads of fenny in it. Lethal.

Happy : )

And then I look around...

2006-11-29T12:57:00.000+05:30

Coffee. P.G. Wodehouse. The look on her face when I come back home. 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' - any episode. Walking in the rain. Shopping - in small doses. 'Brown eyed girl'. Photographs. Daydreaming. Random e-mails. 4 page letters. Phone calls from old friends. Phone calls from new friends. Phone calls in general. Sleeping in between my parents. Chocolate cake. Chocolate anything. That first date. Falling in love. Being in love. Making love. Gifts for no reason. Playing with dogs. Beaches. Quilts. Gossip sessions. Romantic comedies. Hot showers. Water faucets. Hugging. Kissing. Old jeans. Getting buzzed. Interesting houses. Cheesy souveneirs. Lying around doing nothing in particular. Uncomplicated relationships. Singing in the shower. Lying next to him. Moonlight. Butterflies. Bubbles. Bathtubs.

Focus on the good stuff, they tell me.

Sun and sand, sea and sky

2006-11-10T12:12:00.000+05:30

Seriously, who would not want to go back to this...

And this...

And this...

And this...

If I promise to give up all dreams of being a corporate bitch, then can I live last weekend on repeat please?

City of blinding lights

2006-10-21T13:07:00.000+05:30

I feel like there's a timebomb ticking inside me. Every second that goes by is just one second closer to its explosion. And it will not be pretty.

I don't know the person that I am anymore. I seem to have just drifted into whoever I am right now - with no particular thought or direction to it. And I don't know whether whatever I believed in before even makes sense anymore. And I'm scared of giving it too much thought because that would mean maybe shattering 23 years of thinking and believing certain things and I'm not willing to pick up the pieces and start over.

People think they know me but I don't think they really do. I don't even think I really want them to. If anyone knows me I'd rather it be me.

I suppose some people would consider this beautiful. I classify this under a list of things titled "What were they thinking???". Strangely enough this fountain is located in Manipal of all places. What is lacking there in infrastructure in general, they've made up in grotesque fountains. It's enough to give one nightmares.

S-O-S

2006-07-19T12:49:00.000+05:30

Blogspot is apparently now banned in India! I'm guessing its temporary but still. As always, when confronted with something that I cannot do, I immediately want to do it all the more.

I was telling Funnylifian that the reason I don't write much anymore is simply because this blog has become everything that I didn't want it to become. It is now based solely on events that occur on an everyday basis in my life rather than the random musings and introspections for which it was originally intended.

Oh well, I think I've found my reason to start blogging all over again.

Dum dum dum

2006-07-06T05:40:00.000+05:30

And so I missed the month of June.

Which is kind of strange considering the fact that I had a couple of posts all half-typed out. And the fact that I now have sooooooo much time on my hands. Pretending to study is such a hard job...*sigh*....

It's been a crazy eventful month though. To sum it up, over the past one month I have caused two boys to fight over me (haha that sounds so much better than it actually was)...travelled in a second-class compartment (it's been a while for me ok...I'm a snob...so sue me!)...learned that there is always some connection with a person that you thought you'd never met before ("So you studied in college with this guy from Madras who I knew from....")...watched one cousin get engaged and another get married...been asked about a thousand times when I'm going to get married ("You're next-in-line" is the most irritating phrase in the world...especially when said with a horrible mallu accent)...made some new friends (Ash I really miss you)...gossiped (not something that I normally do)...smoked like crazy...become fat (its all that rice and fish I tell you)...got hit by a bus (it was only my side-view mirror, relax)...attended one of the most 'filmi' weddings I have ever been for (complete with elephant and everything)...fake-smiled like my life depended on it...partied like crazy...

This post, however, is not about any of that.

This is just so that I don't miss the month of July.

Eye in the sky

2006-05-24T05:19:00.000+05:30

I really wish that I could write like this. However every time I try to think of a description that is remotely beautiful and, more importantly, appropriate, I go completely blank and my thought process becomes something like this, “Yeah, so that sunset was really beautiful. There were all these colours and it was umm…yeah well…umm…really orange.” I need help.

A couple of days ago, I was out drinking and I ran into my client. Which was kind of embarrassing given the fact that I had taken the day of saying I was sick. What’s worse though is that he now knows exactly what my legs look like. All in all, I think it’s a good time to quit.

I think patting a friend on the back while he throws up is one of the most heroic things one can do. It almost seems mandatory now for me to be around when Hero decides he’s had enough to drink.

The last one week at work is unbelievably relaxing. So far today, I played su do ku, checked everyone's blogs, checked my mail around six times and called everyone in my phone book.
When I finally quit I'm going to drive myself insane.

Oh and if I was buying a suit (which is a really expensive thing to do, by the way) I would be extremely cautious about taking pushy salesmen’s advice. Especially those who talk about the advantages of the rich grey vis-à-vis the pinstripe while wearing a bright yellow shirt with Superman on it.

Updates, etc.

2006-04-24T04:34:00.000+05:30

I started this post about a week ago. Since then there have been some significant additions. More specifically, there has been one. It's in italics so as to distinguish it.

*My new house is bee-yoo-ti-ful. Really. Of course there are still parts of it that look a hurricane hit area. But it's more or less fallen into place.

*And there's a set top box. This weekend - 2 straight hours of 'Bold & the Beautiful - The Week That Was' followed by 'Desperate Housewives', 'The O.C' and other miscellaneous crap thrown in between. Bring it on!

*Hugging someone you love is the best feeling in the world. Period.

*I really wish people would ask me what they want to know about me instead of everyone else but me. I don't know when I gave the indication that I would not be willing to respond.

*When I meet people who aren't from here, I get so unbelievably excited. A hint it is methinks.

*My lymph nodes are enlarged. Which is probably not that big a deal but I'm freaked out about it anyway. If it's not better soon then I have to go for a scan.

*Yam leaves today. And suddenly I'm taken back to the way I felt when I left Bombay. That choking feeling in your throat, the uncertainty of what comes next. I don't know what I'm going to do without that girl.

*Phone calls from old friends are always good. Phone calls from old friends who are drunk as skunks are even better.

*A certain mad Madman has his birthday tomorrow. At least I think its tomorrow.

*I've quit my job. In the worst possible way. Angry words and a significant amount of screaming, shouting and crying were involved. Since then, attempts have been made at reconciliation. But the verdict remains the same. I'm not going back to fight a losing battle. Working with family is so hard.

Johnny Two Thumbs

2006-03-27T14:54:00.000+05:30

Thats the name of the tattoo parlour I went to in Singapore. Its been around for 61 years and is practically an institution. Its this tiny little place in a corner of a mall that caters basically to Chinese people. And thats where I, finally, after 4 years of wanting one and chickening out at the last second, got my tattoo done! *jumps up and down in excitement*

I don't think I'd have ever got it done if it wasn't for my uncle. I was kind of apprehensive about telling him that I wanted one, but as it turned out he was more enthusiastic than I even was about it!

And so on Saturday afternoon, he took me over to Johnny Two Thumbs and helped me pick out my tattoo. Finally chose a turtle in fond remembrance of the one Moron gave me on Valentine's Day a couple of years ago. It died in 2 days. Well thats the story I'm going to tell people when they ask me why I chose it anyway : )

I don't know how 3 days went by but they just did. If there's one word that describes Singapore, its sterile. It's beautiful no doubt but the whole city reminds me of one giant hospital. It's unbelievably clean and a bit too quiet. Even the trees look like their leaves have been put into position and dusted everyday. There are queues for every single thing - including going to the bathroom! The difference from India is evident in every nook and cranny. Personally, I don't think I'd ever be able to live there. I need noise and bustle and evergy around me - if only to drown out my loud voice!

And man oh man is it expensive! Here I was all set to go on a 3 day shopping spree - I took one look at the price of a really beautiful top I saw and realised that those dreams would have to come crashing down in any case!

Ah who cares - I got a tattoo!!

Voices in my head

2006-03-07T07:22:00.000+05:30

I always thought that writing with an ink pen would improve my handwriting. So I invested in one. It really has not helped that much.
Time seems to be standing still and the only reason I know it passes is because of the coffee guy who comes every couple of hours.
I feel like doing something creative right now.
I need a house.
I'm filled with this need to do something at this exact moment of my life but what that something is I don't know.
I doodle flowers when I have absolutely nothing to do. Or rather when I don't want to do something that I should be doing. There are pages and pages in my notebook that are filled with flowers.
I need to quit smoking. I really do. All those "one-cigarette-a-day" are really adding up.
Blogger always seems to instinctively know when I have something to write about and immediately becomes inaccessible. It's a conspiracy for sure.

Grumpus

2006-02-23T09:10:00.000+05:30

As on 19/2/06.

Ok thats not a word...I just made that up...it just seems to describe the way I feel really well...I'm feeling grumpus today...

First, I lose my phone at Chinky's mehndi. Then, the bastard who steals my phone tries calling and messaging all my friends. Then, when I call on my number, he has the f***ing balls to tell me that its his phone and his number and he's had it for the past 2 years. The icing on the cake is my wonderful service provider who informs me (after much following up) that they can't block my sim card as their system's are under updation --- for the next 5 days!!

Seriously, what the f***!

How bizarre

2006-02-16T13:25:00.000+05:30

--> So yesterday MM calls me "Whines are we on for dinner? All us single folks will head out to Aqua and ruin Valentine's Day!" I'm always in the mood to make people uncomfortable (muaahahahahaha) so I was full enthusiasm. And then I realised... 2500 bucks for dinner!! And not a buffet or anything...at least then I suppose I would have been able to justify it somehow in my head by eating like a pig...but its a freakin' set dinner!! What if you don't like what they're serving!?!? What is it about Valentine's Day that makes people go beserk? When you think about it there are more than enough days to celebrate, what with birthdays and anniversaries and what not. And it suddenly seems to be more in your face than ever. Even my gym is decorated with heart shaped balloons!

--> I finally went and got myself a pair of glasses yesterday after 6 months of whining about having broken the old pair. Its amazing how much more I can suddenly see. I'm just loving it!

--> A couple of days ago I got into a huge fight with my dad...something that I never do...and I was really really upset about it. And then when I called this friend of mine to cry, all he said was that he had other plans (which were, needless to say, pretty unimportant) and couldn't talk. And suddenly my biggest problem was no longer that I was fighting with my dad but that someone who was close to me didn't have the time for me because he cared about what the rest of the world thought. Its strange how it only takes a minute for a situation to change completely.

--> Have you ever put something into your mouth thinking that its going to taste a certain way and then realised that it tastes completely different from what you expected and that it was pleasant anyway? I love that feeling of momentary surprise.

--> Fabindia's just launching a whole line of body care products and I get to try them ALL first. I love that my mother works for them :)

--> I thought I'd forgotten how to flirt. Till last weekend. Last weekend was the weekend of holding hands and dressing up and random compliments and that head rush that I have missed for about 4 years now. Its good to know that I still have it!

The curious incident about the dog at midnight

2006-02-15T03:48:00.000+05:30

So its a typical Tuesday night. I was home earlier than usual and my parents and I were sitting around and chatting in their room. Taika of course was flat out on the floor - she needs her 8 hours, the lazy lump - when suddenly she jumps up, runs to the window and starts barking like crazy. Normally she does this only when our resident cat is around - she hates the cat because he keeps stealing her food and she can never catch him - and we tend to ignore her till she shuts up. But for some reason, my father decided to go check what was bothering her. And thats when he saw it.

This 'face' was standing right outside our window and staring back at him.

So my dad starts yelling in Tamil asking the 'face' who he is. The 'face' stares back some more - manners obviously not being a priority - and then does an about turn and walks out through Pra's (my neighbour) house - through a gate thats always kept locked.

By then I called Pra who wasn't at home but he immediately called his brother V who came running out to see what had happened. V is this 6ft 3 dude and while he's actually a sweety, if I didnt know him, I would be scared as hell if I suddenly met him down some dark alleyway.

Moving swiftly on, all the neighbour's gathered together downstairs, a first probably in about 10 years (the people in my colony, in case you haven't gathered, are not too friendly with each other) and discussions ensued on who could have broken in. My father had just finished describing the guy when Uncle X (I call him X as I have no idea what his name is even though he lives next door to me!) suddenly noticed a guy standing near the gate who fit the description exactly! So V and his friend Baldy went to the gate and caught hold of the guy and brought him in.

I couldn't help feeling sorry for the 'face'. He made absolutely no attempt to escape or deny that it was indeed him outside our window. He seemed not quite there though I dont know if this was because he was a 'mental case' as we so crudely put it over here or because he was stoned. Maybe it was a bit of both. Apparently he'd come to our house looking for food and had in fact stolen some from Pra's house. Also, we found some prayer books in his bag which he'd taken from Pra's mom's room. If only he'd just come to the door and asked for help.

And so we called the cops. And of course they took their own sweet time to get there even though the police station is less than a kilometre from our house. 45 minutes to be exact. Their excuse was that there was no vehicle so they had to take an auto and come. Its almost laughable really!

The funniest part was when they questioned the 'face' on why he'd chosen our house he said that Shivaji Ganesh (a really famous long dead Tamil actor) had called him to his studio which was in our house! Talk about delusional! Finally they took the poor guy away and the excitement was over.

Taika is suddenly the hero of the day. With her new found elevated status, she can now sit on our heads if she wants to and there will be absolutely no complaints. Even my father bows down to her and shuts his mouth - well he has to as he's busy eating his words...the number of times he made fun of her saying that she was a useless watchdog.

And did all the neighbours bond after that and talk about tighter security and "Neighbourhood Watch' and all that crap? Nyahh! We just went back to our lives and continued to ignore each others existence : )

How I'm going to miss this place when I move!

Like a rolling stone

2006-02-10T03:15:00.000+05:30

Tagged by the Archster. Alrighty then. 20 things about myself, in no particular order of preference, as follows:

I can not function without my morning cup of coffee. Which, incidentally, I invariably end up spilling on myself.
I don't need to be the center of attention. However, I do need that one person from whom I require loads of attention. And when I say loads, I mean shitloads.
I always have this secret fear that my flight is going to crash. So just before it takes off I HAVE to call my dad and have him confirm that there is no way that that can happen to me and the odds of it are really low yada yada yada or I will just make a huge fuss and get off the flight. I really will.
I am a confirmed hypochondriac. I honestly think that I have every illness known to mankind.
Once I've made up my mind about something, don't even bother trying to make me change it. It takes a LOT to convince me to think differently.
What you see is what you get. I don't believe in layers. They just seem pointless. Of course this also means that I rub many people the wrong way.
I am unbelievably lazy. Even something as simple as getting myself a glass of water can sometimes be way too much trouble.
As anyone who has read my blog before can make out, I love dogs. And I'm way nicer to them than I am to people. God help a person who tries waking me up at 3 in the morning because s/he needs to pee!
My biggest fear is that I will wake up one morning and I will be blind. The fact that I haven't worn my glasses in about 6 months really does not help too much!
While I flare up really easily, I just can not stay angry with people. Believe me, I've tried!
I don't need to know everything about everyone. And I can't understand people who do. Sure, I like to gossip as much as the next person...but if someone doesn't want to tell me something about their life, I'm not going to get into a huff about it.
I'd rather bitch about someone to their face than behind their back. I can't pretend to like people when I don't.
I have this overwhelming urge to drop all plans of MBA's and corporate lifestyles and do something random like theatre.
I'm part of that rare breed of girls that hate shopping. Mainly I think because I'm too lazy to try on stuff.
I'm not proud of it but I am never on time. Ever.
I don't seem like it at all but I'm actually a very very shy person. When I'm with a bunch of people who I don't know, I don't open my mouth.
I need to live near the beach. There's something about is that is just so comforting and somehow I feel like I can breathe easier. My one year in Bangalore, I just felt so claustrophobic.
I find it way way easier to get along with guys than with girls. They're just so uncomplicated and there are no double meanings whatsoever. Having said that, all my best friend's are girls and I don't know how I would get through anything without them.
I have this sneaking suspicion that I am in the completely wrong industry.
I really really try not to judge people. And I will never bitch about someone I don't know at all.

Numero Uno

2006-02-09T07:19:00.000+05:30

Hard work is finally paying off! MY ad campaign, the one that I (alone I might add) have worked day and night on, the account that I have sweated (?) blood and tears for, for which I have cried and whined over, my baby, six months down the line has FINALLY come through for me!

Its rated #1 baby!

I'm on such an adrenaline high!

Here comes the sun

2006-02-01T09:37:00.000+05:30

I think that everyone has one redeeming feature for all the other crappy ones you end up inheriting. I think my hair totally redeems my nose.
When people used to tell me that they got close to someone really quickly, I would wonder how on earth that is possible. It takes me forever to let my guard down and open up. I now know that not only is it possible, it is also true.
The grab is the greatest invention of all time - if you get the perfect one of course.
For the past one year or so I've been feeling really emotionless. Until yesterday. Yesterday I cried. A lot. Hysterically almost I think.
Sometimes your oldest friends are your best friends. And sometimes they are not. Sometimes I miss Madman. Other times I don't at all.
While everyone I know seems to love the Ferrero Rocher gelatto at Subway, I think it's highly overrated. I can't get through more than half a scoop. Whereas the bitter chocolate...mmm...now that I can eat a lot of.
I love yellow. It's such an unbelievably happy colour. I always wanted a wall in my room to be painted yellow so when we moved into this house that's the first thing I did. I'm going to miss my yellow wall when we move.
Strangely enough I find meaning in the words of a Bryan Adams song. They go like this: Free is all you want to be. Dream dreams noone else can see. Sometimes you want to run away. But you never know what might be coming round your way.
I love the word 'aquiesce'. It just sounds nice in my head.
This blog template just does not suit me. But I can't seem to find one that does.
Sometimes even when you want to be there for a person, the words that come out seem so meaningless. And they just don't measure up to the trauma that that person has gone through. Saturday was like that. I felt so helpless.
At the end of the day, I am a true blue Mallu. I love my malluness. I absolutely revel in it.
I really do want to go for jiving classes. Rat you also please do something about it.
I must write one more point or this post would end with thirteen points and that would just be unlucky. I wonder when I got so superstitious.

You know you have no life when...

2006-01-31T06:30:00.000+05:30

...all the phone calls on your call register are to and from clients
...the only men you've met recently are over 40, balding and with the beginnings of a paunch
...you finally make it for a movie that you've been dying to see and spend the most part of it outside consoling your irate client
...ALL your dreams end up as nightmares with you chasing deadlines, however unrelated that may be to what you were originally dreaming
...you miss your first cousin's engagement because your campaign is in the 'launch' phase - irrespective of the fact that it has been that way for the past 6 months
...you spend Saturday nights at home watching movies while your parents are out partying
...its 10 pm and there are no indications of going home
...you cant enjoy the few times that you do go out partying as your too busy worrying about the number of meetings you have to go for tomorrow
...it becomes hard to even go to the parlour and get your upper lip threaded

Aargh!! What on earth is happening to me!?!?

2006-01-27T00:20:00.000+05:30

Damn she was cute!

The heights of laziness

2006-01-22T03:12:00.000+05:30

Sorry Rat but I'm stealing your post...the things marked in bold are stuff that I've done, italics means I want to do it and the rest are the ones that I havent done and don't really give a damn about anyway...I hope my parents dont read my blog...

Taken a candlelit bath with someone
Said 'I love you' and meant it
Said "I love you" and not meant it
Hugged a tree
Done a striptease
Bungee jumped - though how I'm going to do this I dont know as I'm shit scared of heights
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise - all the time in Bombay
Gone to a huge sports game - ATP Tour???
Slept under the stars - well briefly in Goa - I was lying on a deck chair and I just kind of passed out
Changed a baby's diaper - my cousin's...and that is the sole reason why I never want to have kids!
Taken a trip in a hot air balloon - but with the heights thing again I just dont know
Gotten drunk on champagne - the first time I got drunk was on champagne
Given more than you can afford to charity - giving to charity is one thing but more than I can afford...I dont know...
Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - God yes! While I was on stage actually! It was so unbelievably embarassing coz no matter what I did I couldnt stop laughing!
Bet on a winning horse - I'm talking about you Moron!
Taken a sick day when you're not ill - still do!
Asked out a stranger
Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier - ok this just seems like a fun way to pass time!
Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
Taken a midnight skinny dip - I'm sure I would freeze...I hate the cold...
Taken an ice cold bath - not voluntarily...the damn geyser wouldnt work!
Ridden a roller coaster - but it lasted about 3 seconds
Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking - all the time
Adopted an accent for an entire day
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
Loved your job for all accounts - not anymore though
Taken care of someone who was shit faced - thats how I spent this New Year's!
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Had amazing friends - 'have' is a more appropriate word actually
Stolen a sign
Taken a road-trip - and was completely wasted by the end of it!
Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
Milked a cow - why oh why would one want to!?
Sung karaoke - Bohemian Rhapsody at that!
Lounged around in bed all day - actually my favourite past time as of now
Played in the rain
Done something you should regret, but don't regret it
Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
Gotten married
Been in a movie
Crashed a party
Loved someone you shouldn't have
Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy - apparently
Made cookies from scratch - when I was 6 or something
Gotten a tattoo - No. 1 on my To Do list
Got flowers for no reason - I never thought it would be but its actually one of the sweetest things that someone can do for you
Got so drunk you don't remember anything
Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
Performed on stage - this is something that I actually miss...I used to be pretty good at the whole theatre thing...
Eaten shark
Had a one-night stand
Been on a cruise ship
Spoken more than one language fluently
Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
Picked up and moved to another city to just start over to be with the one you love - hmm not the wisest thing to do in retrospect
Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking - Every. Single. Day.
Had plastic surgery
Broken someone's heart - yes and I feel really guilty about it
Been fired or laid off from a job - though this is fast becoming a possibility!
Broken a bone
Killed a human being
Ridden a motorcycle
Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph - its such an adranaline rush really!
Eaten sushi - and it was gross
Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime - I just want one
Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
Gotten someone fired for their actions
Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them - do ashtrays count?
Been a DJ
Smoked a cigarette
Crashed a friend's car
Been in love
Been dumped
Snuck out of your parent's house - never needed to
Been arrested
Gone on a blind date
Flown a kite
Built a sand castle
Played dress up - hasn't everyone!?
Cheated while playing a game - bluff!
Been lonely
Fallen asleep at work/school - slept through 3 years of college
Been robbed
Been misunderstood - all the time
Run a red light
Liked the way you look
Questioned your heart
Been obsessed with post-it notes - different coloured ones
Felt like dying - and I really cant understand people who feel this way...nothing is that bad
Cried yourself to sleep - many a time
Played cops and robbers
Made prank phone calls - haha Tina Teapot and Lyla Lampshade
Written a letter to Santa Claus
Sung in the shower - another favourite past time
Had a dream that you married someone - and it was freaky
Sat on a roof top - as kids on Sanju's rooftop
Talked on the phone for more than 4 hours
Believe in ghosts - umm well not exactly anyway
Jumped into a pool/hot tub/lake with all your clothes on - not like I had a choice about it...I was pushed in...
Laughed so hard you cried
Laughed so hard you peed
Have had a fantasy over someone you love as a good friend
Studied ballet
Been able to live without your mobile phone for a day in your normal life

Reminiscing...

2006-01-10T03:50:00.000+05:30

A bit late but anyway...2005 for me was:
- reconnecting with old friends
- finally letting go
- family crisises (I'm not sure if thats a word though)
- quitting my first job
- curly hair and straight hair and soooper hair cuts
- making new friends
- realizing that I need to make an effort - some of the time at least
- being the centre of so many controversies (a first for me really)
- fighting about the most trivial things
- bad bad habits
- thoppehs (its never been as big as it is right now)
- socializing more than I have ever done before in my life
- moving home again
- finally getting a dog after 22 years of wanting one
- blocking out emotions to a certain extent
- instant connections and no interim periods
- enjoying tamil music
- realizing that my oldest friends are still my bestest friends
- surprise endings
- spontaneity in some things and extreme caution in others
- laughing hysterically

I'm going to be uncharacteristically soppy and say that I honestly dont think I could have got through the year if not for the Madras gumbal (aka Bobo gang) - Angel, Anshama, KC, Dits, Preeetika, Chet, Anjix, Antoorie, Golti, Dulq, Tugin, Tam, Pondatti, Warne. Its quite amazing that most of us have known each other for about 18 years now and we're still friends. With no complications at that.

And of course the Dodo gang. Making new friends is always really hard but they made it feel like a breeze. Here's to the original Quaking boys - Pra, Hero, Ketchi, Sidhu, Shish and Shrat -Rat and Ash.

At the end of the day, there's nothing like family and I'm going to miss Yam terribly when she leaves in 4 months. Really dreading it. And Moron who is still like family for me. I dont know how I would survive without him.

Anyway, here's to the coming year and to more ups than downs!

These happy days are yours and mine, happy days!

2005-12-10T09:03:00.000+05:30

Well I must say that as days go, this one has been fine and dandy so far!

A typical day for me goes something like this:

Get up at some unearthly hour in the morning to one of the following - Taika licking my face or - Taika barking in my ear or - Taika trying to nudge me awake with some miscellaneous article of my clothing that she will rip to pieces if I do not get up and chase her around the house.
Remain grouchy and sleepy till my morning coffee comes.
Try and get online only to invariably find that my BSNL connection is, as usual, not working.
Faff around till the time that I'm supposed to be at work and then run like crazy and get ready.
Drive like a maniac and curse the living daylights out of everyone in my way.
Fight for parking space with the watchman. Every single day.
Somehow get through work - by drinking countless cups of coffee, chatting (online and on the phone), browsing, pretending not to sleep.
Try and leave as early as possible but normally end up staying till at least 7:30-8.
Contemplate going to the gym - and decide against it as always.
Take the dog for a walk.
Sleep.

Today however has been different - so far anyway:

Woke up with the absence of tongues (no comments please), barking or clothing in my face. Either all that had happened and I'd slept through it anyway or Taika's just fed up of me.
Sprang out of bed and ended up having breakfast with my dad which was great as I rarely get to spend time with him.
Got online because miraculously BSNL worked!
Was actually ready on time for work for once and was even waiting to get there after 4 days of sitting joblessly at home (I was sick).
Drove peacefully to work, beaming (somewhat scarily maybe) at fellow commuters and singing to 'Beautiful Day' really loudly. I love U2.
Arrived at work only to find that there was all the parking space in the world.
And that the Big Boss B was out of town for the day so there was noone to breathe down my neck and make me all tense.
Lunch with KC at 'Subway' for which he was only 20 minutes late - a record really by his standards - normally when I'm meeting him anywhere I'm resigned to waiting for at least 45 minutes. And we got free ice cream! And different flavours at that - mint and M&M and tiramisu!
Even the weather seemed to be holding out - it was nice and breezy when I got out of Subway and started pouring only after I was safely inside office.
At about 4:30 checked in with the Boss (not to be confused with Big Boss B) whether there was anything to send out. And there wasn't.
So finished reading 'Tortilla Flat' by John Steinbeck in the one and a half official remaining work hours for the day. (I seem to have become a bit of a bookworm. Read '100 years of solitude', 'Love in the time of cholera', 'Of mice and men', 'Animal farm' and 'Tortilla Flat' in the span of two weeks. No mean feat I assure you.)
Left at 6 sharp. A lot of people at work shot me dirty looks on my way out. Muaahahahaha.
Again, the rain obligingly held out till I reached back home. I hate driving in the rain when there's traffic. Though there's something about it that makes me think that I'm in a Jewel video.
Realized that in about a week, Angel will be back. And a few days after that, Madman will arrive. Hopefully, with a lot of gifts for me.
Also realized that tomorrow's a Saturday. I love weekends!
Heck with this kind of day, I may even make it to the gym. Or not. Probably not.

Yep, its been a pretty good day!

Bombay Express

2005-12-08T07:11:00.000+05:30

A couple of days ago I was looking through a friend’s college photographs and all of a sudden this big wave of nostalgia came and hit me bang in the middle of my face…college in India is a different experience altogether…not for us are the novelty of spring breaks and Thanksgiving…but just the feeling of being somewhere in between a child and an adult that is indescribable…

I want to go back to the city which never sleeps. I want my biggest problem to be whether to go for my 8 o clock lecture or not. I want to sleep during classes and hit snooze without feeling guilty. I want to be able to drink from 11 in the morning if I want to. I want to go for the 1, 4, 7 & 10 shows of movies because I have nothing better to do. I want to stroll down Colaba causeway and bargain with Malayali vendors for fake sunglasses which I know that I will never buy. I want to sit on Marine Drive the whole night and drink endless cups of chai and watch the sun rise. I want to not have to bargain for cabs and autos ever. I want to go to a pub where I can listen to some really good music. I want to watch amateur theatre and afterwards rip it to shreds and dissect it. I want to fight for the first seat on the top deck of a double decker bus and feel the dusty wind tangle up my hair. I want to feel the panic of not having so much as a text book the day before my final exams. I want to sit on the window ledge of my rented room and stare at the smoggy night sky and daydream. I want to be able to sleep in the afternoons and watch mindless soap operas which seem to be reserved only for that time.

I miss the smells and the noise and the hustle and the incredible energy that surrounds everyday life in Bombay. I miss being able to take off whenever and wherever I want to. I miss vada pav and bhel puri and roadside sandwiches and frankies. I miss ‘Sunlight’ and ‘Gokuls’ and all the shadiest of bars that we used to go and drink in whenever we had no dough. I miss eating in cheap mallu joints where you got the best beef in the world. I miss smoking at the bus stand outside college and the Midday crossword that I used to faithfully do every single day (mainly because it cannot get easier than that). I miss the shoe shops on Kemps Corner and the milkshakes at Haji Ali and the strawberries and cream at Bachelor’s. I miss karaoke at ‘Jazz’ and pickled chicken and spicy pork pizza at Pizzeria. I miss the old buildings of South Bombay – they are so elegantly beautiful. I miss knowing the order of stations from Church Gate to Mulund (Church Gate, Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Bombay Central…). I miss the independence that comes with simple things like being able to take a cab alone at one in the morning if needed. I miss the anonymity and the feeling of being lost among the crowds. I miss night shows at ‘Sterling’ and ‘Regal’ and the rolls at Bade Miyan’s after a night at the ‘Ghetto’. I miss knowing that no matter what happens nothing will break down and life will go on. I miss the concerts at Rang Bhavan. I miss sneaking into the hostel to catnap and eating mess food with exotic names like ‘Egg Mauritian’ and ‘Egg Burmese’. I miss wide pavements and wider roads. I miss breakfast at Mondy’s and beer at Leo’s and Starters. I miss not caring what I wore to class and loose jeans and short kurtas and oshos and oversized bags stuffed with nothing. I miss getting drenched in the rains and sitting in cold draughty classrooms and shivering my ass off. I miss Orange and Jahangir Art Gallery and familiar bus routes and Barista and a million other things.

I miss Bombay.

Writer's block

2005-12-01T05:30:00.000+05:30

I have to write an invite to Dan Weiden...Dan Weiden! Ok that may mean nothing to most but in advertising terms he's huge...and somehow or the other I have to convince him, never mind why, to come halfway around the world to Madras...and I have no idea what on earth to say...I mean there are all these ideas flowing in and out of my head...actually there are about a million - my head at the moment is reminiscent of a cricket stadium during an India - Pakistan match with everyone pushing each other to get a better view...but on paper...aarrgh...nothing's coming out right...

And instead I think of
- The random guy I met this morning who said he'd seen me at "the blues"...what on earth that is I have no idea.
- The conversation I had with my boss yesterday, which I'm sorry was too weird, where he told me that I was an attractive young woman and hence should be careful of my office interactions. Hahaha.
- For the nth time do I move to Bangalore or not. Great job, money's good, I'd be working with my old boss who I love. What's holding me back?
- Why my shower just does not work like its supposed to. Is a hot water bath too much to ask for?
- I need to take Taika to the vet. I'm sure her ear infection is back again.
- The Christmas decorations that are being put up in my office are just too ugly for words.
- Why I get the worst clients? Why? Why?
- Is million-watt hyphenated or not.
- I need new shades. And reading glasses. And a watch and work clothes. And the money to buy them.
- What in the world do the lyrics of 'Cornflake Girl' mean?
- My presentation war with KC. I can't wait to kick his ass.
- A regular 9 to 6 job. My new obsession is to find one.
- Madman's going to be here for a whole month. Yayy! I can talk to him everyday if I want to. We are so going to kill each other by the end of it.
- Whether my chappals go with what I'm wearing.
- My mother who is a sweety and who I'm really really missing right now.
- Why it is assumed that when people are single they must be looking out for someone to be with.
- When I'm feeling so low that I just want to break down and cry, conversations with Moron make all the difference.
- Coffee. In desperate need of the daily afternoon dose.
- Why we give deadlines that there's no way we can stick to.

One things for sure - I chose the right line of work. I can talk about random things with no end in sight - a prerequisite for my job. There's no way I'd have made it as a copy writer.

Creative license

2005-11-27T03:52:00.000+05:30

Ok so I've been getting a couple of calls in the last few days...just random ones...where people would suddenly ask me how I was doing and if I was sure that everything was going good and all that jazz...and I was wondering what on earth was going on until someone dropped the ball and told me they'd read my last post and were a little worried about me...

-----------NEWSFLASH-----------

Whiney aka Whines/Whinsey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A just tied 5 helium balloons to herself for no apparent reason and was carried away never to be seen again. This is thought to be a suicide attempt owing to the fact that her last post on her blog seems to be somewhat in that vein.

----------------end-----------------

Nyaaahh!! I dont think so!!

Creative licence people! A line, along with 'design element', that my creative department is only too fond of throwing in my face.

And so to all those people who thought that I was going to OD on sleeping pills or slit my wrists:
1) No I do not have suicidal tendencies
2) I have never had suicidal tendencies even in the days when people used to think it was supposedly cool to say that they wanted to jump off buildings (Anjix and Bunini, I mean you)
3) No I am not still in love with K
4) If you think I'm still in love with K anyway, ptoooeeey to you
5) Contrary to popular belief I have moved on with my life
6) Also contrary to popular belief, I am happy
7) And by the way the operative words were "A YEAR AGO" in big bold letters right up front
8) If you all can find the time to read my blog and obviously care enough to call and check if I'm ok then why on earth cant you also just leave a comment? Huh??
9) Only about 3% of what I write is the actual honest truth
10) So deal with it

PS - I love you all and it was really sweet of you to worry :)

A year ago...

2005-11-25T03:10:00.000+05:30

...I was in love with an illusion.
...I believed in unconditional love.
...I worked till at least 11 every night.
...I ate chinese food almost every day - the spicier the better.
...I was so caught up with living in the past that I didnt realize what was happening right in front of me.
...he fell out of love and I didnt even realize it.
...I fell out of love and I didnt even realize it.
...my work came first.
...my uncle was fighting a losing battle for his life.
...I cried at the drop of a hat.
...I had escape routes and no responsibilities.
...I started caring about the way I looked and dressed.
...I was voted 'Best Newcomer' after 6 months of work.
...cold water baths were out of the question.
...getting a dog was a distant possibility.
...I curled my hair because for some reason I thought looking different might stop the pain.
...I used to have a drink at least 4 times a week.
...I was broke at the end of the month.
...I was fighting with my neighbour about where to park my car.
...I was trying to figure out whether I was brave enough to leave something that had been my life for 3 years and move back to a place where I no longer knew anyone and start fresh.
...I realised that I wasnt.
...I decided to move anyway.
...my dinner sometimes used to be a packet of biscuits.
...I barely saw my room.
...my reflection in the mirror looked completely different.
...I thought being stuck in a dead-end relationship was OK.
...I spent all my time with family when I came home on holidays.
...the little things used to matter.
...my life used to revolve around someone else.
...seems so far away.

The malluness of mallus

2005-11-23T07:00:00.000+05:30

Note: No offence meant to anyone on this. Just a couple of observations sparked off by some recent events.

Ok so I'm a hardcore mallu fan myself...being a product of the species (albeit practically an outcast) its not like I have much of a choice on it...but they're definitely an amazing bunch of people...extremely strong-willed...and really good fun to be around...

This post is not about any of these things...it focuses primarily on qualities that seem to be characterisitic of them...and you can think its endearing (??) or irritating depending on how you look at it...

1) The need to know everything even about random strangers: I for one, have exceptionally bad reactions to this one and immediately feel the need to say something scandalous and innapropriate. For eg - I was at B&B with the Dodo's minus two and due to a fairly large intake of beer felt the need to run to the loo every 2 mins or so. And there's some wedding happening in the vicinity so on one of my trips there's this gaggle of old mallu aunty type women also waiting to use the loo.

Mallu Aunty 1: Sthalam evadya? (Where are you from?)
Me (blank stare): ----
Mallu Aunty 1 (to mallu aunty 2): Idha oru english type aana (She's one of those only speaking english types)
Me (attempting to redeem myself): Ilya inikya malayalam arayaam (No no I know malayalam)
Mallu Aunty 2: Oh ningalum kalyaanathana vanadaano? (Did you also come for the wedding?)
Me (hello?? I'm wearing jeans and a T-shirt! Do I look like I've come for a wedding??): Ilya kudikyaam vanadaana (I've come to drink my ass off!)

And run out of the restroom leaving shocked expressions all round!

2) The need to talk in malayalam to everyone around even when they're not in Kerala: As is clearly illustrated in the above. Though I cant really complain about it as I'm a guilty party as well. Especially when I need something urgent done at work, I rattle away...and in the most terrible malayalam...and it works too!!...if I'd said the same thing in english there's no way I'd be home by 7 almost everyday :)

There was this one time when I was flying to Colombo from Trivandrum and I didnt have some stamp on my passport that I apparently needed...but I stammered away in my broken malayalam...which was far worse in those days...and jumped on the flight anyway...though I dont know if thats because of the language bonding or my (ahem) exceptional powers of persuasion! Or it could just be that I whine a lot and it probably seemed like the easier option at the time.

3) The need to get sozzled and make complete asses of oneself: Especially prevalent in the males of the species between the age of 18-30. And a couple of females as well (sheepish smile). Particularly noticed this tendency when I was in college amongst my Bombay boys...it was almost always the mallus causing the havoc and creating the scenes and these pavam chinky/rajput/any other region above Karnataka guys who got caught up in the entire thing and walloped in the end!

4) The need to argue about everything: Potato...potaato...who cares!?!? Its a freakin' vegetable...you really dont need a 2 hour discussion on how to pronounce a stupid word...proper noun! If wasting time by having pointless arguements could be a career option, we mallus would rule!

5) The need to hitch up everyone above the age of 20: Ok I really do not get this one...so what if your 26? Your happy...you have a successful job...really nice friends...beautiful house...does it really matter that you dont have and maybe dont want the husband, the kids, the home with the white picket fences?

6) The need to be fair: With relation to skin colour. Why on earth does the colour of your skin have anything to do with how you look? If your fair does that automatically make you beautiful? And why does it seem to apply only to women? I've heard matchmakers actually reject women because they happened to be on the darker side.

7) The need to criticise everything coupled with an inability to pay compliments: According to the mallu dictionary, there is no such word as perfect. For eg - your going out for dinner...and your in that madly-in-love-cant-take-my-eyes-of-you stage...so you take the time to get all dressed up and smell nice and wash your hair and all that other "I'm in love" crap. And then K would say something like "Have you put on weight?" Like what the hell is that??

Oh and Rat, "What are those earrings?" would definitely qualify under this category!

8) The ability to take a joke: Definitely our best quality probably the only reason that I may not get pounded into the ground and beaten to a pulp for writing this post!

Midnight blues

2005-11-16T11:00:00.000+05:30

Well not exactly there yet but its going to be a long night for sure...and to top it off I have cramps...really bitching cramps...my eyes are shutting...moodiness is back in full swing...and I'm pissed off coz I cant go to the gym and I really want to...I hate IT clients...they're the scum of the earth...and I thought my keeping-a-toothbrush-in-office, curse-all-Wiproites, Bangalore days were over...feels like I'm back at the beginning again...full circle really...except without the loving boyfriend to go home to and the amazing boss to cry and whine to...I'm home though...and there's Taika who always makes me feel better no matter what...but I have to be home for that...not stuck in this stupid office which is more like an icebox than anything else...I dont understand why people feel the need to lower the temperature so that your hands go blue and you need to wear a jacket to work in freakin' Madras...they're all demented...this is a really angry post...well not really angry, more like pissed off...like I just want to bitch-my-ass-off-to-somebody kind of pissed off post...I have a feeling that I'm going to re-read this and delete it...or not...ok I'm officially rambling now...

I'm it!

2005-11-14T01:07:00.000+05:30

Tagged by the Ratster (haha I kind of like that Rat)...so without much ado:

Seven things I plan to do:

Backpack across Europe - especially want to see Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and then maybe hop across to Morocco
Study more - doing what and where still kind of undecided
Buy a huge house by the sea where I can keep LOTS of dogs - other than pomeranians...hate them...
Get a high flying job so I can be - so to speak - the corporate bitch :)
South America baby - Kodath hold on I'm on my way!
Work out - hey I'm trying!
Fall in love again - not any time in the near future though - cant quite deal with it

Seven Things That I Can Do:

Sit through and even contribute to a certain extent to conversations that revolve solely around cars and women and off late even cricket!
Drink, drink, drink and then drink some more
Think that I have every illness known to mankind - I'm a hypochondriac
Fake cry
Have a conversation on the phone even though I'm sleeping and sound normal
Have a conversation on the phone when I'm drunk and sound perfectly sober
Read anything I can get my hands on - not as much after I started working though

Seven Things I Can't Do:

Handle awkward situations - I run away at the hint of trouble brewing
Desert someone who needs me
Be the socialite ie pretend I love the world and hug and kiss everyone I meet
Talk in Tamil - pathetic I know since I've lived here pretty much my entire life
Go a day without listening to music
Handle the cold - I freeze in Madras
Multitask

Seven Things I Say Most Often:

Shit happens
Whatever man
Shut up
Stop irritating me
Rocking
You're such a rockstar
So what?

Seven (Untagged) People I Want To Tag:

Hmm...noone I know blogs...

Kill all voicemail

2005-11-08T03:00:00.000+05:30

What is it with all these "just-picked-up-their-bags-and-gone-to-America" types and their voicemail messages? Why cant they just pick up the damn phone?

Ok so first of all, its really annoying that everyone that I pretty much know has absconded halfway around the world...second of all its really irritating that out of this "everyone I know", about a quarter are people that I really care about...

Result: I have noone to whine to over here!

And when I feel the need to have a mid-week crisis whining session (like when I break a nail or get my jeans wet in this neverending rain) and I have to make an ISD call I expect them to bloody well pick up! Who cares if its 2 in the morning for them!!

So this is the scenario: I'm already in this mindf***ed state of mind. Pick up phone. Dial number. Wait with bated breath. Phone rings once...I cant wait to tell M about my rotten week...twice...he will pick up this time at least right? ...thrice...come on come on pick up pick up...four times...i cant believe the ass isnt picking up his phone!after my 40 or so e-mails blasting him about the same thing?...five times...one last chance to redeem yourself M...beep..."Hi, this is M, I cant come to the phone right now yada yada yada...

So I leave a really rude message for the nth time and slam down the phone...follow up with rude e-mail just to make sure the message is received loud and clear...

Hmm...maybe thats why he's not picking up though...

Coming out of the closet

2005-11-01T17:25:00.000+05:30

Well I guess the anonymity's kind of over...*sigh*...I think I miss it already...just left comments on Rat's and Ketchi's blogs as a symbol of my "coming out"...

Hello world, my name is Whines and I'm a blogger...

I think I'm mixing up coming out of the closet with AA meetings though.

Topsy turvy, straight & curvy, roundabout, in & out

2005-10-21T13:14:00.000+05:30

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

- The White Queen (from Through the Looking Glass)

Seriously a concept you need to live by in Madras. And I thought moving back home would be a breeze. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever get used to the place!

So I started a blog. And other than a carefully selected few, who know pretty much everything about my life anyway, neglected to mention that I have a blog to everyone else. Not for any particular reason and not because I dont want people to read what I've written (lets face it, public forum! how deluded would I have to be if I thought that!) but because I just wasnt ready for all the judgement that goes along with the whole thing at a time when I'm still trying to adjust into my new life.

And then yesterday a friend of mine (not one of the chosen few obviously) calls "You have a blog!?!?" And me (completely caught by surprise) "Wha...???Whaaaaaaaaa...??????????? How???? When????? Why???????" Boring conversation follows where I keep asking him how he found out and he for some reason thought it would be amusing to not tell me until I whined so much that I guess it wasnt that entertaining any more and he told me that my friends roommates boyfriend who is his friend had told him about it.

At this point, I lost interest in the whole thing but thinking about it later I realised that this is the way this city funtions. There is just no freakin' way you can keep even one thing quiet. Even if I go into my house, into my room, lock the door, shut all the windows, draw the curtains and then sneeze, my neighbour will probably come up to me the next day and ask me how my cold is!

Another small point of concern - had I just wasted about 20 minutes of my time begging someone to tell me how they found out about my blog!?!?! What on earth has happened to me!?!? Do I not have a life anymore???????

Conclusions formed: 1) Everyone knows everything about everyone
2) You can make a huge drama out of any situation

Madras - you've got to love it and hate it!

Interludes

2005-10-17T18:30:00.000+05:30

You know how you sometimes crave for something familiar, almost forgotten but still hidden somewhere in obscure corners of your mind...more so when your away from home which, agreed, I'm not at the moment...but for me I guess being away is the familiar part...being back home takes some serious getting used to...but just things like eating mama's chocolate cake(she never bakes anymore!)...or the smell of that first coffee of the day...or the feel of your oldest pair of jeans...022 numbers on my cell phone...being called whines...gossiping with old friends...fighting with my dad...P.G. Wodehouse...

Yesterday, for me, was familiar...K's in town (for almost a week yayy!!)...and though I've never got to spend time with him in Madras, spending time with him was exactly like spending time with him anywhere else...I think my relationship with him is the one thing that I'm really proud of...not too many people can say that they have a great relationship with their ex boyfriends...in fact not too many people can say that they have a relationship at all with their ex boyfriends...but when I think of K, I just have to smile...

And yesterday was perfect...a long drive down ECR...blue skies...sitting on the beach and drinking (had some serious Goa reminiscing!)...just being ourselves...completing each other's sentences...knowing exactly what he was thinking and about to say...it was the most fun that I'd had in a really long time...simply because I dont have to try even a little with him...I can just be myself and screw the rest...

Thank God for these little interludes in my life!

In batches of three

2005-10-08T01:00:00.000+05:30

This is something that I stole from a friend's blog...and I dont know how many of you know this but I do everything in three's or multiples of three...to the extent that even the volume on my system will have to be a multiple of 3...so anyway I thought its fun...and it makes you think a bit...and sometimes, not always, thats nice...

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
Smits
Mallu
Whines/Whiney/Whinsey

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
sa
Smits
That’s it I think

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
My Hair
My nose
My “thoppeh”

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
My Legs
My Arms
My Smile

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
Dying
Cockroaches
Losing a friendship

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
Deo
Earrings
My bracelet

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
Deo
Earrings
My bracelet

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS (currently speaking):
Alanis Morissette
Tracy Chapman
Rolling Stones

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS (currently speaking):
Brown Eyed Girl
Talking about a revolution
Cornflake girl

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP
Humor
Understanding and if not that at least tolerance
Commitment

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE (in no particular order):
I wish I lived in Goa
I’m so glad I got Taika
I love my job

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
Reading
Singing in the car really loudly
Playing with my dog

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
Figure out whether to move to Bangalore or not
Get my glasses fixed
Sleep

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
Investment banker
Travel journalist
Housewife

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
Spain
Greece
Morocco

THREE KID'S NAMES YOU DON'T LIKE:
Senthil
Lalitha
Meenakshi Sundaram

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
Travel the world
Fall in love again (seems unlikely at the moment)
Start an animal orphanage

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A BOY:
I can drink like a fish
I run away from potentially bad situations
I use “unladylike” language all the time

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A CHICK:
Chocolate helps any situation
I love romantic comedies
I can take hours to get ready

Calvin & Hobbes cracks me up

2005-09-27T11:22:00.000+05:30

This is exactly me! Thats the amazing part about Calvin & Hobbes. You can always find something which is so relatable, so real, and even a serious problem seems hilarious!

Taika: "great change"

2005-09-24T17:52:00.000+05:30

In the past 4 months I have gone through what is probably the biggest change in my life. A change that forced me to get up before 6 AM every day (unheard of for me...didnt know what sunrises looked like!), stop going out and partying (for a brief period of time of course...now its all good), exercise regularly (another first!) and basically think about something else other than ME!

4 months ago a brat with mournful brown eyes and the cutest face entered my world and right now I dont know how I managed without her. I've never had someone so happy to see me at any given point of the day and even though I sometimes leave her all alone she's never reproachful. While she may ruin my clothes, dirty the house after rolling in the mud, try and steal food of my plate and generally cause all hell to break loose...at the end of the day who can resist this face...

Of singing in the rain

2005-09-23T23:50:00.000+05:30

"Singing in the rain" is probably one of my all-time favourite songs. There's something about Gene Kelly dancing around a rainy street hugging lamposts that makes me smile at any point. I sing it in the shower, in my car while I'm driving ( no music system so this is entertainment a la me), when I'm sad, when I'm happy.

The funny part is I hate the rain or to put it more specifically, I hate getting wet. Its all good when its pouring outside and you get to sit at home under a quilt...but when I think of Bombay days where I used to have to sit in cold draughty classrooms completely drenched...I shudder to think how I went through it.

But every time I think of these words...

I'm singing in the rain

Just singing in the rain

What a glorious feelin'

I'm happy again

I'm laughing at clouds

So dark up above

The sun's in my heart

And I'm ready for love

Let the stormy clouds chase

Everyone from the place

Come on with the rain

I've a smile on my face

I walk down the lane

With a happy refrain

Just singin',

Singin' in the rain

...all I can think is the man's right...there's nothing happier...