The latest entrants to join the bandwagon of "I am awesome" gang (comprising of me and Christy and a few people on the fence at the moment) are my parents ....at first my dad was sceptical about the meaning of the word....and since he is such an english enthusiast he actually checked up 2 dictionaries to understand the actual meaning of the word...it apparently means "frightening" and also "excellent"....well no need to clarify which meaning I intended to use....it would be a rather funny sight if I go around (and also make Christy go around) proclaiming that I am frightening....well after all the investigation my parents have finally decided to join the awesome gang....so now in between all her exercise my mom keeps saying " I am awesome"... our gang is slowly swelling up.....Christy and me are going to celebrate ...all are invited....
the other awesome thing today was that I actually got to go to the river side...ofcourse under the responsible chaperone of my aunt.....and the scenery was made for a postcard...the setting sun was in its full glory ...its orange hues reflecting on the river....surrounded by green paddy fields with white birds pecking at the grazing cows....my aunt and I sat down quietly appreciating the view to undertake what I called the "yoga of the mind"....ofcourse our reverie was shortlived as someone promptly came and asked us who we were and where we are from.... I quitely gave up all hopes of continuing with my yoga uninterrupted .....
Well cant blame them also ....the only activity this town affords is a walk to the river side.....to chat up with strangers and hear about the world outside.....other than this the other activity is shopping........so you have the choice of picking up "egg puffs" (yummmy) from Annes Bakery, Best Bakery, New Best Bakery, New Better Best Bakery and so on and so forth....we are obviously not well known for our ingenuity in shop names....and then there are the gold shops!!!... my mom I think is a major patron of gold in this town...and her major disappointment is that her second daughter is not that keen on going shopping for gold....well I keep telling her that if they served me better drinks in these shops I would happily accompany her....by better drinks I mean a pinacolada or a caffe frappe....hahah...
Tomm I hope to wake up early and go to the church......
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
One more tea coming up...
Now ordinarily I am actually good hostess...but my speciality is to open up a tetra pack of Real Guava juice and serve it...and since most of my guests are the "new generation" I usually have appreciative glances....ofcourse that doesnot work in Kerala ..... unless you serve coffee or tea with special Anne's bakery marble cake people would consider it totally improper...so here I am mixing tea leaves to ensure that the guests who come to visit my mom dont leave the house feeling bad about not having been treated properly.....hmmm.....
Today mom was also feeling better...she was laughing more....and today I also got mom's side of the story...she actually feels happy that there are so many people visiting her....as all her children are away she feels very lonely...well I totally understand that....and I wish she would not feel so lonely ....but I also wish people would understand on their own and not talk too long to my mom....some are understanding...like today a lady asked my mother whether the doctor had told her not to talk too much etc..ofcourse she asked this after a marathon 2 hours session on the local gossip....but there are others who still call her on the phone and ask her for recipes!!!
winter is coming down to Kerala as well...and this morning it was really misty...I can only imagine how it must be down by the river....I say imagine cos that is all I can do at the moment...tomm I am going to try and sneak by and sit by the river on my own...my mom will anyways be too busy giving recipes on the phone.....
Today mom was also feeling better...she was laughing more....and today I also got mom's side of the story...she actually feels happy that there are so many people visiting her....as all her children are away she feels very lonely...well I totally understand that....and I wish she would not feel so lonely ....but I also wish people would understand on their own and not talk too long to my mom....some are understanding...like today a lady asked my mother whether the doctor had told her not to talk too much etc..ofcourse she asked this after a marathon 2 hours session on the local gossip....but there are others who still call her on the phone and ask her for recipes!!!
winter is coming down to Kerala as well...and this morning it was really misty...I can only imagine how it must be down by the river....I say imagine cos that is all I can do at the moment...tomm I am going to try and sneak by and sit by the river on my own...my mom will anyways be too busy giving recipes on the phone.....
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
"You have a second daughter?"
My mom just underwent a angioplasty to remove 3 blocks from her heart...and I remember being stuck in a meeting the whole time in Mumbai...and finally I was able to get out of my work schedule and come down to be with mom....after all what is the point of working if you just cant make time for family....
and I am so glad I did....my mom was weak as expected ....and she was happy to see me...but she has not changed a little bit...she stills wants to get up and run around the house doing chores...the only leeway is that now she supervises....no amount of threats work on her .....she still has to get up and run...I used to always wonder why people think staying at home was easier....ofcourse you dont have a crabby boss (ofcourse diff if you have a crabby hubby/wife) but there is still so much to do ....and every vacation I would come home and expect to sit by my mom's side just reading or watching TV...but as soon as you are slowly receding into the laziness of your own home my mom would remember an unfinished business and run to do that....and she seems to be continuing that even now...which is not good at all for her condition.....
and ofcourse there are tons of people visiting her everyday...my mom is obviously popular....and most of them come to the house and ask who I am ...apparently they never knew that my mom had a second daughter...well obviously I was not climbing the popularity charts in Kottayam...and I just dont get this at all...they all come to visit a person who has just undergone a heart procedure and still insist on having coffee and talking to you about their sister's husband's cousin's son's friend's dog!!....I just could not believe people would just sit and talk for so long when they clearly know that my mom is supposed to relax.....but everytime I open my mouth it is shot down as being of the "new generation"...implying that I have no idea of what is good social behaviour.....well I dont know about good social behaviour I just know that I dont like seeing my mom getting tired from all that talking and sitting up....why do that to her people?? anybody supporting me on this?
other than that being in kottayam is both refreshing and stifling at the same time....it is nice to wake up without tension...and it is nice to see green out of the window and even when you walk outside....and it is nice to have family around to relax with ..... but there is always some lurking fear in me that I am crossing some kind of invisible boundary whenever i venture to do something...its almost like the plants in my neighbours house have eyes ....when you step out there is someone watching you and commenting on your latest pimple to the next door neighbour.....and there is always the liberty to question as much as you want about whatever you want......so I am always asked how I cope with a "lonely" house....welllll if only they come to Mumbai and see the size of our apartments they will realise that sometimes you need space from the house itself cos it is breathing down your neck......and I am always asked what I do for food...and the amazing thing is that when I tell them that I actually try to cook over weekends (and quite sucessfully I must add) they actually laugh about.....its almost like they were waiting to hear that joke from me....and they never let up till I actually change the story and tell them that I order from outside.....and once I do that, that gives them the perfect window to pounce on me yet again about how it must be so lonely to stay and eat all by myself...well obviously they have not watched "101 Juiciest hook ups" at 11 in the night with a plate of lucky briyani...it is divine.......
I miss the freedom that I have in mumbai the most when I am in Kerala...there is actually a beautiful river that flows near my house....and my mom gets paranoid everytime I tell her that I would like to go and sit there and have a solitary moment to myself...."what will people think?" is what she constantly asks me....I almost feel like blurting out "Ma the people who are watching probably dont think too much anyways"...but that is not the ideal answer to such a screwed up system....I patiently wait till I get company and then go over and sit there ...forget solitude...you would be happy if you get 5 mins without somebody's eyes glaring at you....Hmmm.....not surprisingly that when I come to Kerala I become a total recluse and refuse to say any words beyond "hello" ....and if that can be achieved with a nod then I just happily nod away....
dont get me wrong...I love many things about home....I love my family, i love the green, I love the food, I love the hassle free existence of small towns ....but most often than not I am dying to get back to the dirty city of Mumbai and breathe free...ironic isnt it? to just stroll out at 7 in the night and go to bandstand and have a cup of coffee....trust me....I appreciate my job, my life, my mumbai so much more when I see what it is like to constantly worry about someone else's opinion.....am I weird? well at least now you guys know where that comes from.....
My parents constantly warn me that I will slowly lose touch with my family after they are gone...I kinda see their point of view also...afterall when you have family you really have a sense of security..and as the famous sunscreen song said "the more you grow older the more you need people you grew up with"....now that is a puzzle that I have still not been able to solve....if anybody knows better please do enlighten me........
anyways seems like I get more philosophical also when I am in Kerala...must be the rice in Kerala....
Monday, November 28, 2005
In the land of Sambar and Idli…..
Now it is no secret that I would go anywhere for a plate of hot idli with sambar….so when I landed in Chennai this weekend, amongst other things, my top priority was to have authentic idli sambar….and that was the one thing I DIDNT do in Chennai ….well…someone should add that to Murphy’s law….when you crave for something you usually keep craving....
However I did a lot of useful things….for starters I attended my friend Meens wedding….she was marrying her classmate from ISB…. And in true traditional south Indian style had sent me a saree to wear at her wedding…and I ran around the previous two weeks arranging for the blouse which finally thanks to my extremely resourceful secretary I got it just the day before my leaving…so after having made so many people run around for my saree blouse I finally did what I expected to do ….I didn’t wear the saree!!....I ended wearing a black salwar suit for a typical south Indian wedding…where everyone comes decked with so much gold that it almost blinds you…. …well you can add that to Murphy’s law again…when you make too much of an effort you usually end up looking like the odd one out in a south indian wedding….
The other useful thing I did was catch up with my friend Liz and her husband Karthik… there were my life lines when I was in Chennai….almost shamelessly I would go over to their house almost everyday and pile on to them…. I still credit them for not screaming at me ….and now their little daughter Varshini has grown up so much….I tried to teach her to say “I am awesome” but somehow she thot it was bad thing…..and Liz has to actually pay her 2 rupees everytime she wants Varshini to wear “girlie” dresses….well Liz also pays her nephew 2 bucks to make him wear “girlie” dresses….well that’s Liz for you….I had an awesome time catching up on all the old gossip and just generally feeling good to be with familiar people….
The other good thing I did was catch up on my sleep…I slept all the way to Chennai…and then in Chennai wherever possible I slept off…it was quite embarrassing really….i went to Meenu’s place for lunch…and after socializing and eating up the food I excused myself for what I thot was going to be a small break….instead I slept for 2 hours!!...and came down only to realize that I was the last one left ….well I made the most of it and sat with her family and chatted about everything….and then in the evening we went for the movie Garam Masala to catch the really garam John Abraham...but he looked like such a dud in the movie that I fell off to sleep…..and ofcourse on the flight back also I slept off even before the take off….like my grandfather once said of me “she has some kind of sleeping problem”….Actually Papa (that’s what I called him) was right…I do have a problem…its called my Boss ..…
Anyways weekend was hectic …and next weekend I plan to be in Kerala to be with mom after her heart procedure…..now maybe it is time to try out my recipes on her …and show her that her daughter is actually a good cook…..that is ofcourse if I am not sleeping on the stove…eeee! What a thot!..
However I did a lot of useful things….for starters I attended my friend Meens wedding….she was marrying her classmate from ISB…. And in true traditional south Indian style had sent me a saree to wear at her wedding…and I ran around the previous two weeks arranging for the blouse which finally thanks to my extremely resourceful secretary I got it just the day before my leaving…so after having made so many people run around for my saree blouse I finally did what I expected to do ….I didn’t wear the saree!!....I ended wearing a black salwar suit for a typical south Indian wedding…where everyone comes decked with so much gold that it almost blinds you…. …well you can add that to Murphy’s law again…when you make too much of an effort you usually end up looking like the odd one out in a south indian wedding….
The other useful thing I did was catch up with my friend Liz and her husband Karthik… there were my life lines when I was in Chennai….almost shamelessly I would go over to their house almost everyday and pile on to them…. I still credit them for not screaming at me ….and now their little daughter Varshini has grown up so much….I tried to teach her to say “I am awesome” but somehow she thot it was bad thing…..and Liz has to actually pay her 2 rupees everytime she wants Varshini to wear “girlie” dresses….well Liz also pays her nephew 2 bucks to make him wear “girlie” dresses….well that’s Liz for you….I had an awesome time catching up on all the old gossip and just generally feeling good to be with familiar people….
The other good thing I did was catch up on my sleep…I slept all the way to Chennai…and then in Chennai wherever possible I slept off…it was quite embarrassing really….i went to Meenu’s place for lunch…and after socializing and eating up the food I excused myself for what I thot was going to be a small break….instead I slept for 2 hours!!...and came down only to realize that I was the last one left ….well I made the most of it and sat with her family and chatted about everything….and then in the evening we went for the movie Garam Masala to catch the really garam John Abraham...but he looked like such a dud in the movie that I fell off to sleep…..and ofcourse on the flight back also I slept off even before the take off….like my grandfather once said of me “she has some kind of sleeping problem”….Actually Papa (that’s what I called him) was right…I do have a problem…its called my Boss ..…
Anyways weekend was hectic …and next weekend I plan to be in Kerala to be with mom after her heart procedure…..now maybe it is time to try out my recipes on her …and show her that her daughter is actually a good cook…..that is ofcourse if I am not sleeping on the stove…eeee! What a thot!..
Sunday, November 06, 2005
So...Do you Cook??
You know its actually strange.... couple of years ago when my parents were trying their levelest best to get me married to mallu syrian christian boys I would dread one question the most-"so, do you cook?" AAARGGGGHHHH...it was enough to make me see red and I would retort by asking the already scared boy - "No. Do you?" Needless to say the syrian christian community didnt quite warm up to that question...
Not that my reaction to such a question would change now but the major change is that now I really love cooking.....every weekend is cooking time for me.....the recipes are usually sourced from my sister, aunt, my friend Devika and ofcourse my mom....and till date most of them have been non veg dishes....well not my fault -every syrian christian mallu considers only non veg as the real food, veg food being only for starters...(that might explain the expanding waistline of most mallu syrian christians)....so till date I have cooked fish cutlets, chicken cutlets, mallu chicken curry, chicken briyani, and some other chicken dish which doesnt have a name but still tastes decent when you just dont want to eat outside food.....
ofcourse when I started off it was not all that smooth sailing....Once I even called up Devika in the night just to ask her how to boil rice....and the first time I cooked the briyani I stopped the flame only when the burning smell of rice emanated into the living room...hmmm...in such situations I usually call up my mom or my sister to complain that their recipes were actually defective and that is what led to the disasters in the kitchen....they are usually laughing through the call....shameless people I tell you....
and now I am nursing ambitions of cooking desserts....the only dessert that I have made till date is a biscuit cake which I made for a friend's b'day...the cake was BAD but my friend ate it up happily in appreciation of my efforts...now I want to graduate to making proper cakes, which you take out of the oven with oven mittens...oh wait...I dont have an oven yet....well whenever that happens...
my boasting about my cooking prowess had an unintended effect....Everyone I boasted to has invited themselves over to my place this coming Sat....hmm....please feel free to give me suggestions on what to cook....including desserts that can be cooked without an oven....or maybe I will ask my sister to cook and pass off her cooking ...hahah....not a bad idea huh?
Not that my reaction to such a question would change now but the major change is that now I really love cooking.....every weekend is cooking time for me.....the recipes are usually sourced from my sister, aunt, my friend Devika and ofcourse my mom....and till date most of them have been non veg dishes....well not my fault -every syrian christian mallu considers only non veg as the real food, veg food being only for starters...(that might explain the expanding waistline of most mallu syrian christians)....so till date I have cooked fish cutlets, chicken cutlets, mallu chicken curry, chicken briyani, and some other chicken dish which doesnt have a name but still tastes decent when you just dont want to eat outside food.....
ofcourse when I started off it was not all that smooth sailing....Once I even called up Devika in the night just to ask her how to boil rice....and the first time I cooked the briyani I stopped the flame only when the burning smell of rice emanated into the living room...hmmm...in such situations I usually call up my mom or my sister to complain that their recipes were actually defective and that is what led to the disasters in the kitchen....they are usually laughing through the call....shameless people I tell you....
and now I am nursing ambitions of cooking desserts....the only dessert that I have made till date is a biscuit cake which I made for a friend's b'day...the cake was BAD but my friend ate it up happily in appreciation of my efforts...now I want to graduate to making proper cakes, which you take out of the oven with oven mittens...oh wait...I dont have an oven yet....well whenever that happens...
my boasting about my cooking prowess had an unintended effect....Everyone I boasted to has invited themselves over to my place this coming Sat....hmm....please feel free to give me suggestions on what to cook....including desserts that can be cooked without an oven....or maybe I will ask my sister to cook and pass off her cooking ...hahah....not a bad idea huh?
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Happy b'day to christy
30th was Christy's 5th b'day...my sister woke him up in the morning to take my call ....and all I heard was a muffled whine... Christy was apparently angry at being woken up.....well I agree wit the kid...even I get mad....I got to meet him only in the evening .....I had envisaged meeting up with him and going to some fun amusement park like place in Mumbai for his b'day...instead I met him at Pizza Hut...well seems like you like what your parents like till you are 18 :)...my sister and my brother in law are crazy about pizza hut....I walked in holding a huggggggeeee gift for christy...he saw it (as did all the other kids at Pizza hut) and immediately guessed it.. a remote control monster truck!!!!!....at his age I would have been the happiest to get that kind of a gift...infact I would be happy to get that kind of a gift even at this age :)....
I missed him b'day party ofcourse....he was king for a day ....and he apparently made every kid dance....and at the end of the day he hugged my sister and said "thankyou mummy"...my sister says thats when she realised the joys of motherhood...ofcourse after that it was back to screaming and shouting at Christy and her lamenting her motherhood ....hahahah..
the other news is that I have no other news.... quite frankly there is no time for anything else now....and now the best plan is to not make plans...it seems like the partners of the firm know before itself the plan you have made for the day and ensure that you never stick to it....its like the saying 'ssshhhh the fridge is listening' .....the fridge that seems to always know when you are planning to buy something special and it always break down just before the big day....well the thot that the partners of the firm are akin to the fridge is kinda of funny...well the way they are all expanding kinda makes it more believable i must say...
Saturday, October 22, 2005
3rd or 4th ...what does it matter?
Ok ok…so I made a small mistake in my last blog…as one friend generously pointed out to me, I am actually starting my 4th decade instead of the 3rd.….but I would rather go with my friend Devika’s observation that I had actually not finished my 3rd decade yet…apparently the 4th decade officially starts when you complete your 31st year…so that leaves me with one whole year….so think I am going to stick with Devika’s interpretation and believe that I am still finishing the last pangs of my third decade…
But moving into the thirties is not that different actually….as someone wisely said - "now you are old enough to take decisions and yet young enough to make mistakes”…and although not related , another wise observation was “growing old is not an option..growing up is”…
Well moving on from such highly profound thots to the other happenings in my life….work has been crazy for me which explains the late blog….and now I have added another activity into my life to pack up my already cramped schedule… the gym!!! Which was a much needed addition considering I didn’t get any exercise other than exercise for my fingers…so now I try to run to the gym to do a quick 30 min workout…...in addition to burining calories time at the gym is also time one gets to spend with oneself....ofcourse today I was sooo engrossed in watching a bond movie that instead of doing introspection I ended up working out for 1.5 hours !!…. well no sweat..there is always time to mull over ones life...
The firm also hosted a Founders day party for all of us and our families today….. As my parents could not come my sister and christy came along as family….For some strange reason Christy announced to his friends that he was going for Vava aunty’s b’day party celebrations…..and for a week I tried to train Christy to say “Good morning” and “Namaste”…. And today at the function he proudly muttered “Good Morning teacher” to everyone… hmm…at least it means that he is learning something at school….but the event was totally fun….we played games….ate a lot….and then finally ran to a theatre to catch the show of Hanuman… where I promptly slept off ….waking up only when Christy started climbing on his chair and jumping off...all in all a good fun day….
Taking about b’days …its Christy’s b’day a week from now….and my sister has been secretly planning his b’day party…..or at least she thot it was secret….imagine her surprise when a lady whom she hardly knew told her that Christy had just invited her for his b’day party!!! Obviously the kid is a great networker….
In other news Bunty, my erstwhile pigeon is back…and this time she has come back with a companion …. That meant double the melting eyes ….but I definitely didn’t bargain for two when I wished for Bunty to come back …..and about wishes coming true how about that sea facing house?
ohh...the 101 biggest celebrity oops has just started (yes people I do watch it).....byeeeee....
But moving into the thirties is not that different actually….as someone wisely said - "now you are old enough to take decisions and yet young enough to make mistakes”…and although not related , another wise observation was “growing old is not an option..growing up is”…
Well moving on from such highly profound thots to the other happenings in my life….work has been crazy for me which explains the late blog….and now I have added another activity into my life to pack up my already cramped schedule… the gym!!! Which was a much needed addition considering I didn’t get any exercise other than exercise for my fingers…so now I try to run to the gym to do a quick 30 min workout…...in addition to burining calories time at the gym is also time one gets to spend with oneself....ofcourse today I was sooo engrossed in watching a bond movie that instead of doing introspection I ended up working out for 1.5 hours !!…. well no sweat..there is always time to mull over ones life...
The firm also hosted a Founders day party for all of us and our families today….. As my parents could not come my sister and christy came along as family….For some strange reason Christy announced to his friends that he was going for Vava aunty’s b’day party celebrations…..and for a week I tried to train Christy to say “Good morning” and “Namaste”…. And today at the function he proudly muttered “Good Morning teacher” to everyone… hmm…at least it means that he is learning something at school….but the event was totally fun….we played games….ate a lot….and then finally ran to a theatre to catch the show of Hanuman… where I promptly slept off ….waking up only when Christy started climbing on his chair and jumping off...all in all a good fun day….
Taking about b’days …its Christy’s b’day a week from now….and my sister has been secretly planning his b’day party…..or at least she thot it was secret….imagine her surprise when a lady whom she hardly knew told her that Christy had just invited her for his b’day party!!! Obviously the kid is a great networker….
In other news Bunty, my erstwhile pigeon is back…and this time she has come back with a companion …. That meant double the melting eyes ….but I definitely didn’t bargain for two when I wished for Bunty to come back …..and about wishes coming true how about that sea facing house?
ohh...the 101 biggest celebrity oops has just started (yes people I do watch it).....byeeeee....
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Feeling Legal in a Regal way...
Or was it regal in a legal way? well quite frankly I dont really remember how I felt as I was in a daze all along.......
The firm flew us to the royal city of Udaipur for an offsite - or as understood in ELP temporary shifting of office for a few days......I was left off the previous day at midnight only after i promised to read the documents I had drafted overnight...but considering there was no night left the promise seemed stupid...so I reached home at 1, packed my bags, compressed 8 hrs of sleep into 2, woke up at 4 in the morning and ran to the airport to catch the 6 o clock flight....so in between all the packing and running around I hardly got anything constructive done .... except for noticing the new spanky Jet Airways counter ...making its poor cousin Indian Airlines look even poorer...........am a total Indian Airlines fan....not cos of its public sector status but cos they remind us that service is not about looking good but about being served good....ofcourse when you have someone looking like Aishwarya Rai/John Abraham serving you you are more likely to forgive her/him than anyone else if the soup lands on your head rather than on the tray.....anyways moving on....
and once we landed we were assigned our respective rooms at our very own royal palace overlooking the lake....my room for some strange reason had a chinese theme to it....maybe the hotel's idea was to make me feel chinese in an Indian way...well not that I had any time to feel chinese or anything else for that matter...we were soon caught up in a session of talking about the firm and its values....with just 2 hours of sleep they could have been talking about the latest celebrity gossip and I wouldnt have blinked an eyelid...and at the end of the session we were asked what word comes to our mind .... well no need to scratch your brains for that one... Sleep was the clear winner...
Udaipur trip also coincided with my b'day....I heralded my b'day dancing with my office colleagues at a royal hunting lodge...and woke up in the chinese room facing Udaipur lake next day and tried to contemplate the meaning of being in the right side of 30...well quite frankly I doubt whether there is any meaning ..and I doubt even more whether I would want to know ....so I did the next best thing....went for a full Kerala massage in Udaipur!!!........where I tried to pretend I was not from Kerala in the hope of listening in on what the ladies were saying about me...I mean what better way to hear about yourself than eavesdropping....but my accent gave away my mallu identity the moment I opened my mouth...well after that it was total bonding about Kerala and mallus....
Also went for a stroll around the palace to imbibe the history..and Shiks this palace reminded me so much of the Alhambra in Spain......similar gardens, similar figures of lions-except that the lion here was smiling ..was told that the lion was smiling cos he had seen so many pretty women that day....well ladies that clarifies the question for us...males of any species are the same ..... with a lion at least nobody will rob your house ...
The flight back was a little more exciting than expected...leveraging on my b'day I asked to see the cockpit...which they graciously allowed....much to our surprise we were actually being flown by a Russian Pilot....who seemed totally cut off from all the attention we were giving him..and an Indian pilot who couldnt stop grinning from ear to ear from all the attention....in the five seconds that we were there they told us which lever to pull to get the flight off the ground...I guess in an emergency I can at least take the flight off the ground .....so what if I have to live in an adrift plane for the rest of my life...
Coming back to Mumbai was however the best....especially since my b'day celebrations still continued after I landed.......but regally and legally speaking the trip was all in all a good one.....I lived in a Chinese room in a Rajasthani Palace, ate italian pasta cooked in a royal kitchen, had a Kerala massage and was finally flown back by a Russian pilot!!..totally cosmo experience dont you think? Not a bad way to start your 3rd decade I would say....
Saturday, September 24, 2005
what to do ?.....
as my famous professor quipped in NLS ...."just in the sense, what are you doing?" (please add mallu accent for extra effect) .........while he was referring to my sleeping in corporate law class the question he asked is one of the eternal questions dogging everyone with a brain.... what to do with life?
the Indian education system mandates that you should know what to do with your life by the time you are 14/15/16-which is probably the age when you have just realised that Santa Claus is not real and that babies are not delivered by Storks...so at the most confusing stage in your life you end up making a decision about what to do with the rest of your life.... thus begins the saga that is the story of every person ..... poring over textbooks to crack the IIT exams (even NLS exam nowadays :)...) ..after all if you are not an engineer how can you possibly get a good bride/groom? or to crack that all india medical entrance exams to get into that elusive list of top 5% of India's intelligensia....graduation not being enough you end up getting submerged in text books to do your post graduation as well.....all in pursuit of a decision which you took when you were 14/15? ....
which explains the import of the question-what to do with life? Is life about sticking by the decision you made at 14? or is it about acquiring assets-a huge house, a huge car, diamonds? Or is it about showing others how perfect a life you have- a classic Hum Aapke Hain Kaun family who sings and dances to communicate to each other with a house in London and two kids (a boy and a girl of course!) thrown in for good measure ? or all of the above?...........
Maybe wondering what YOU want to do with life itself is life.....poring over options, talking to friends, scaring your parents about the probability of you joining the PLO, wondering how to ensure your good looks continue till when you are 40...All life..
at the cost of sounding mushy I think life for me is about playing with my nephew and have him recite "vava aunty (that's me) is the best" over and over again (all done voluntary I must add :)..) ....hugging my sister and telling her that she is the best....or feeling happy and celebrating with your loved one on a promotion or acquisition of a house or a car....
and sometimes it's simply about about enjoying hot briyani with your loved one at the end of a famished day...ahhh...
Just in the sense, professor ..are you listening?
the Indian education system mandates that you should know what to do with your life by the time you are 14/15/16-which is probably the age when you have just realised that Santa Claus is not real and that babies are not delivered by Storks...so at the most confusing stage in your life you end up making a decision about what to do with the rest of your life.... thus begins the saga that is the story of every person ..... poring over textbooks to crack the IIT exams (even NLS exam nowadays :)...) ..after all if you are not an engineer how can you possibly get a good bride/groom? or to crack that all india medical entrance exams to get into that elusive list of top 5% of India's intelligensia....graduation not being enough you end up getting submerged in text books to do your post graduation as well.....all in pursuit of a decision which you took when you were 14/15? ....
which explains the import of the question-what to do with life? Is life about sticking by the decision you made at 14? or is it about acquiring assets-a huge house, a huge car, diamonds? Or is it about showing others how perfect a life you have- a classic Hum Aapke Hain Kaun family who sings and dances to communicate to each other with a house in London and two kids (a boy and a girl of course!) thrown in for good measure ? or all of the above?...........
Maybe wondering what YOU want to do with life itself is life.....poring over options, talking to friends, scaring your parents about the probability of you joining the PLO, wondering how to ensure your good looks continue till when you are 40...All life..
at the cost of sounding mushy I think life for me is about playing with my nephew and have him recite "vava aunty (that's me) is the best" over and over again (all done voluntary I must add :)..) ....hugging my sister and telling her that she is the best....or feeling happy and celebrating with your loved one on a promotion or acquisition of a house or a car....
and sometimes it's simply about about enjoying hot briyani with your loved one at the end of a famished day...ahhh...
Just in the sense, professor ..are you listening?
Sunday, September 18, 2005
tickling ....
The last week was a usual week...12 hour work shifts punctuated by efforts to have a life outside it...needless to say my efforts in the latter direction failed consistently.....and a good sense of humour was the best way to get by ...
ofcourse my profession provides me with good fodder for humour .....noo this is not one of those classic lawyer jokes where all lawyers are made to jump into the sea with an anchor tied to their legs or screw on a light bulb.... this was about definition of the term "force majeure", which technically means "Acts of God" and includes natural calamities like flood, storm or in todays times George Bush. Force majeure was however defined as "an event caused by superior brute force"....Needless to say my colleague who reviewed the document had a lonnnnngggg night...........
Ofcourse my sister and her husband have a good sense of humour........Saturday was the last day of Ganesh utosav...and that is the day the whole of Mumbai goes to the sea....though I have never witnessed it I believe it is quite a traffic stopping event...with loads of people carrying ganeshas and immersing it in the sea......and as always I tried to get out that very day....my sister ofcourse put a spoke to my plans when she remarked casually that people might mistake me for Ganapati if I went out ......hmm..... am trying not to think of it as any kind of reference to my physical appearance, past or future....
Scared by such a possibility I sat at home with my sister and Christy doing what every family would do .....watching TV!!...ofcourse I had to wrest control of the remote from my nephew who insisted on watching a japanese converted into english cartoon....and introduced him to some nice hardcore Arnold SCHWARZENEGGER....It was my brother in law's turn this time as he kept calling the Governor of California "Shivashekaran"....first I thot he was referring to one of the many mallu magazines lying around the place and a Shivashekaran in that ....only to be introduced to his theory that the Governor of California is an exiled Tamilian and that Schwarzenegger was actually the german version of the name Shivashekaran.....am sure my friend Shyam would be happy to endorse that view....considering it is his ardent belief that there is a Tamilian hidden in every human being....
and I think my Boss also had a sense of humour when he msged me last night saying that I would have to take a call at 5 in the evening on Sunday....hahaha...did I hear it right? Sunday??? u mean the day even God relaxed after creating the world?? ....I hope I dont keep laughing through the call.....
anyways gotta to get ready for a biggggg Onam Sadhya at Devika's place......
ofcourse my profession provides me with good fodder for humour .....noo this is not one of those classic lawyer jokes where all lawyers are made to jump into the sea with an anchor tied to their legs or screw on a light bulb.... this was about definition of the term "force majeure", which technically means "Acts of God" and includes natural calamities like flood, storm or in todays times George Bush. Force majeure was however defined as "an event caused by superior brute force"....Needless to say my colleague who reviewed the document had a lonnnnngggg night...........
Ofcourse my sister and her husband have a good sense of humour........Saturday was the last day of Ganesh utosav...and that is the day the whole of Mumbai goes to the sea....though I have never witnessed it I believe it is quite a traffic stopping event...with loads of people carrying ganeshas and immersing it in the sea......and as always I tried to get out that very day....my sister ofcourse put a spoke to my plans when she remarked casually that people might mistake me for Ganapati if I went out ......hmm..... am trying not to think of it as any kind of reference to my physical appearance, past or future....
Scared by such a possibility I sat at home with my sister and Christy doing what every family would do .....watching TV!!...ofcourse I had to wrest control of the remote from my nephew who insisted on watching a japanese converted into english cartoon....and introduced him to some nice hardcore Arnold SCHWARZENEGGER....It was my brother in law's turn this time as he kept calling the Governor of California "Shivashekaran"....first I thot he was referring to one of the many mallu magazines lying around the place and a Shivashekaran in that ....only to be introduced to his theory that the Governor of California is an exiled Tamilian and that Schwarzenegger was actually the german version of the name Shivashekaran.....am sure my friend Shyam would be happy to endorse that view....considering it is his ardent belief that there is a Tamilian hidden in every human being....
and I think my Boss also had a sense of humour when he msged me last night saying that I would have to take a call at 5 in the evening on Sunday....hahaha...did I hear it right? Sunday??? u mean the day even God relaxed after creating the world?? ....I hope I dont keep laughing through the call.....
anyways gotta to get ready for a biggggg Onam Sadhya at Devika's place......
Friday, September 09, 2005
Feeling of being wanted.....by pigeons!!!
Call it the charm of my house or even me...for the past few weeks I have been fighting a pigeon who has been desperately trying her best to build a nest on my bathroom window...
infact the pigeon, who I shall lovingly call "Bunty"(cos she does look as chalu and round as Rani Mukerjee in Bunty aur Babli), has altered my daily routine ....Now it goes somewhat like this....Get up in the morning, go for a bath, open the bathroom window, throw out the twigs Bunty has flown in to build her nest and go to office...evening come back from office, go for a bath, open the window and throw out the twigs once again and then sleep...and every time I did this Bunty would roll her eyes at me trying to melt me into submission....but like someone told me "all you can or will get at the end of the day for your hospitality is an egg!!"... so with such profound insight nudging me I decided not to invite Bunty into my house and my life....and went about happily with the routine ....
until today......when I saw that there was no Bunty or the twigs to throw out of the window....she had finally got the message and discarded all attempts at building a nest ....the window was like any other window - no life there to interest me now....I miss Bunty.....she had become such a part of my life ....so much so that I had unknowingly started introducing her to my friends...."do you know the pigeon who comes to my bathroom window everyday?" "Do you want to meet the pigeon who lives in my house?".....Not that any of my friends reacted enthusiastically to that suggestion....
Anyways I miss you Bunty....Have a good home wherever...and may you have a thousand eggs!!...and if you do, keep them away from my nephew... Talking about my nephew ....he is the cutest .... One day I jerked up from my sleep on hearing a loud "Good Bye"....it was Christy saying Good Bye to me in all his school finery-a school bag that was twice his size to carry one book and a lunch box, a blue water bottle and black shoes with white socks...promptly after saying Good bye he pushed my head back into the pillow and said "now you go back to sleep and stay home"....ofcourse going back to sleep is the last thing on your mind after such a warm greeting in the morning...
Okk think I want sleep and sleep wants me.....Heres wishing and hoping everyone feels wanted everyday of their lives.....
infact the pigeon, who I shall lovingly call "Bunty"(cos she does look as chalu and round as Rani Mukerjee in Bunty aur Babli), has altered my daily routine ....Now it goes somewhat like this....Get up in the morning, go for a bath, open the bathroom window, throw out the twigs Bunty has flown in to build her nest and go to office...evening come back from office, go for a bath, open the window and throw out the twigs once again and then sleep...and every time I did this Bunty would roll her eyes at me trying to melt me into submission....but like someone told me "all you can or will get at the end of the day for your hospitality is an egg!!"... so with such profound insight nudging me I decided not to invite Bunty into my house and my life....and went about happily with the routine ....
until today......when I saw that there was no Bunty or the twigs to throw out of the window....she had finally got the message and discarded all attempts at building a nest ....the window was like any other window - no life there to interest me now....I miss Bunty.....she had become such a part of my life ....so much so that I had unknowingly started introducing her to my friends...."do you know the pigeon who comes to my bathroom window everyday?" "Do you want to meet the pigeon who lives in my house?".....Not that any of my friends reacted enthusiastically to that suggestion....
Anyways I miss you Bunty....Have a good home wherever...and may you have a thousand eggs!!...and if you do, keep them away from my nephew... Talking about my nephew ....he is the cutest .... One day I jerked up from my sleep on hearing a loud "Good Bye"....it was Christy saying Good Bye to me in all his school finery-a school bag that was twice his size to carry one book and a lunch box, a blue water bottle and black shoes with white socks...promptly after saying Good bye he pushed my head back into the pillow and said "now you go back to sleep and stay home"....ofcourse going back to sleep is the last thing on your mind after such a warm greeting in the morning...
Okk think I want sleep and sleep wants me.....Heres wishing and hoping everyone feels wanted everyday of their lives.....
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Time Management...did I miss a class in law school?
Difficult to answer that question since I missed lots of classes in law school....ostensibly learning life ....
but one of the first lessons you learn on entering the service industry is that ur time is no longer urs....its effectively mortgaged to clients....ofcourse you are getting paid for that ...but for me that is a large part of the change that has come along with my new job....So time managment has become a new buzz word in my head.....and so far it has translated to the following:
a) gulp down the idli/dosa ( a can of coke will help you do that fastest)
b) run instead of stroll from the train station
c) read the newspaper in the train with others
d) most importantly trust the maid who comes to clean your house-so that you dont have to run after her also
e) recognise that you have no time for social niceties- so it is ok to not stay and talk to your nice neighbour
Ofcourse there are times when you wish you could just climb up 15 floors in 5 seconds (yes my office is on the 15th floor!!) and also that you could just jump down 15 floors (and also land safely I must add) instead of waiting for the lift to come up....
Oops time over for blogging.....part of my new "time managed" regime
but one of the first lessons you learn on entering the service industry is that ur time is no longer urs....its effectively mortgaged to clients....ofcourse you are getting paid for that ...but for me that is a large part of the change that has come along with my new job....So time managment has become a new buzz word in my head.....and so far it has translated to the following:
a) gulp down the idli/dosa ( a can of coke will help you do that fastest)
b) run instead of stroll from the train station
c) read the newspaper in the train with others
d) most importantly trust the maid who comes to clean your house-so that you dont have to run after her also
e) recognise that you have no time for social niceties- so it is ok to not stay and talk to your nice neighbour
Ofcourse there are times when you wish you could just climb up 15 floors in 5 seconds (yes my office is on the 15th floor!!) and also that you could just jump down 15 floors (and also land safely I must add) instead of waiting for the lift to come up....
Oops time over for blogging.....part of my new "time managed" regime
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Good luck to all for all their treks...
Just to set things straight I am just not a trek person....and the reason for this is not cos, as someone once famously said , "what is the point of going up if you are just going to come down"....its more deep than that....and quite frankly it is tooooo deep for me to try and answer that..so moving on....
this blog is about people who actually trek...its about my extremely adventurous friend Shiks going with her dad for a trek to the Mansarover lake (or somewhere in the vicinity)....wherever it is she is going I want to wish her all the best ....Shiks come back with lots of news, views and ofcourse your digital photos.....and in the course of the trek if you find discover the meaning of life please do share with me....
Ofcourse living in Mumbai you trek everyday .... I meant the mandatory trek every day to work on the Mumbai local trains.....first it is the agony of standing at the "right" spot...and if someone has actually found that spot it is all about thinking on your feet ..... or rather thinking where to put your feet so as to ensure that at least some parts of your body get into the compartment...amidst the chaos brought on by the approaching train you grab your bag, your umbrella (in the rains), and your wits and make a lunge for the first class ladies compartment hoping that you have landed somewhere near the intended spot.... the cardinal rule is never to let go....... just grab the pole...or the person nearest to you who was lucky enough to get in....and off you go on your 30 minute "joy ride" hoping along the way that your freshly ironed shirt will have some remnants of it's crispness left when you reach Churchgate........when Dadar station arrives you will see how a safety valve operates....people stream out of the compartment as if a valve has been opened .....suddenly leaving a lot of space relieving you momentary.......but soon the load from Dadar enters shattering the 2 second utopia u lived in..... all is not bad actually.....u get to hear other people's love stories....u read books together (since its in your face anyways)....common fare include the Da Vinci Code , Paulo Coelho, chicken soup for the soul etc etc.....and once you reach Churchgate you feel as if you are part of a community....some things in life are indeed priceless!!!
anyways I better sleep now to get ready for my trek tomm morning..........
Cheers!!!
Monday, August 22, 2005
Counting sheep can make you sleep ..or in my case weep...
okk ...here I am at 11:30 in the night bright and sleepless.....this despite the time tested (and not to mention, failed) method of counting sheep....for one you really do need to concentrate to count the sheep and then also after a certain point of time the sheep actually get boring-all of them are white and lets face it..attributing differentiating features to them will take more time than you have for sleep...okkk I am going to stop this nonsense before somebody wants to shear me like a sheep.....
it has been one week since my new job....and I am still getting used to the place....especially missing the pantry service at IDFC.....at the click of 155 you could actually get any beverage you wanted...now clicking and ordering on the internet might get me things quicker than the pantry here....well its not that bad....most days I go down to "Tulsi" and eat my idli dosa bathed in sambhar....a practise that good ole chennai inculcated in me...but now I get to eat my idli bath while watching a fat round rat running around the place (taking away all the purity that is associated with the name Tulsi)...when asked, the manager put it down to the rains!! come on people ....what will we say next? the titanic sank due to the rains?? hmmm...or did it??
well it has also been a week since I changed my hair to poker straight.......my sister took a look at me and said "its different"....and continued as if life was normal....a thot endorsed by my friend but who did say "I cant get used to this Alice"....other than the usual comments about how nice my hair looks (which I used to get even with my previous hair style) and also the highly expensive shampoos that I am mortaged to buy from now on, it seems like my new hair style has not materially altered my look....which only goes to teach us all a valuable lesson "you are better than your mane"....go figure that one out...
okk think I am going to bed...need to take a steam to relieve my cold and a long day awaits me tomm....but there is a yummy treat waiting for me at the station tomm morning...devika is getting me her home made idli and sambar (thankfully I dont have to see the rat tomm morning then ....yay)....yummy...sorry shyam...its only for women who battle men on the trains every single day....and btw ur coffee powder still smells yummy.....
so byeeeeee for now
P.S. A specialllllll thanks to those who looked after me during my cold and fever.....and to all those who missed my blogging while I was out of commission....
it has been one week since my new job....and I am still getting used to the place....especially missing the pantry service at IDFC.....at the click of 155 you could actually get any beverage you wanted...now clicking and ordering on the internet might get me things quicker than the pantry here....well its not that bad....most days I go down to "Tulsi" and eat my idli dosa bathed in sambhar....a practise that good ole chennai inculcated in me...but now I get to eat my idli bath while watching a fat round rat running around the place (taking away all the purity that is associated with the name Tulsi)...when asked, the manager put it down to the rains!! come on people ....what will we say next? the titanic sank due to the rains?? hmmm...or did it??
well it has also been a week since I changed my hair to poker straight.......my sister took a look at me and said "its different"....and continued as if life was normal....a thot endorsed by my friend but who did say "I cant get used to this Alice"....other than the usual comments about how nice my hair looks (which I used to get even with my previous hair style) and also the highly expensive shampoos that I am mortaged to buy from now on, it seems like my new hair style has not materially altered my look....which only goes to teach us all a valuable lesson "you are better than your mane"....go figure that one out...
okk think I am going to bed...need to take a steam to relieve my cold and a long day awaits me tomm....but there is a yummy treat waiting for me at the station tomm morning...devika is getting me her home made idli and sambar (thankfully I dont have to see the rat tomm morning then ....yay)....yummy...sorry shyam...its only for women who battle men on the trains every single day....and btw ur coffee powder still smells yummy.....
so byeeeeee for now
P.S. A specialllllll thanks to those who looked after me during my cold and fever.....and to all those who missed my blogging while I was out of commission....
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
First day
August 12th, 2005 will always be very memorable...it was the first day of my new job at ELP.... and it was the day my IDFC stocks just soared on the NSE giving me excellent returns for the 6 years investment at IDFC........
now on to my first day at ELP ...I waited at the lobby for what seemed like eternity but was only 30 mins....till Flora (the receptionist) gave me a desk to sit on.....as expected (actually quite unexpectedly) there was no computer at the desk and I was supposed to make do with this "temporary desk" till my desk was ready.....all would have been fine if I had not been saddled with work that required constant research and e-mailing from (yes, you guessed it right) the INTERNET!!...I kept jostling between people who were going in for meetings to use their computers...I think the tension of releasing the computer on time must have stressed me out more than my first day at work.....finally Indian independence day saved me...no August 15th didnt deliver me freedom from anything (although that remains a cherished hope to this day)...it merely ensured that people left office early to catch their flights for the long weekend......which gave me uninterrupted computer time till 9 in the night..... and at 9 in the night I was quite happy to go out with my new colleagues for a drink at Geoffery's....
This day was also punctuated by warm surprises.....evidence of people's concern and love for me....in the morning I was told that there was a bouquet of flowers for me at the desk.....and lo and behold the most beautiful red and yellow flowers greeted me...it was from Vaiju who had taken down my address and sent me flowers as a good luck gesture...I think my day was made then and there and I was confident that I would actually have a nice day...u r the best Vaij....and in the evening I was taken out for a spectacular dinner in celebration of my first day at work.....what more could I have asked for-thankkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk u.....ohh not to forget my insurance agent who also got me a bouquet the previous day as a farewell gift.....as a thankyou gesture i shall try to get him more LIC bakhras....
Day ended and weekend started.....in between running around for things I have been busy teaching my nephew new words....the latest being "I am awesome"....trying to inculcate self confidence early in his life......a point crucially missed by parents of most kids who take it upon them to point out only the flaws.....and also teaching him to speak on the phone....not an actual phone but a spoon that doubled up as one....it was cute nevertheless especially when he "hung" up on me when I asked him whether he was studying in school....well Christy (when you are able to read this) I am going to be asking you more uncomfortable questions in the future and you better not hang up on me.....
Thats the news from my side.....ohh did I also mention that I now have poker straight hair??
now on to my first day at ELP ...I waited at the lobby for what seemed like eternity but was only 30 mins....till Flora (the receptionist) gave me a desk to sit on.....as expected (actually quite unexpectedly) there was no computer at the desk and I was supposed to make do with this "temporary desk" till my desk was ready.....all would have been fine if I had not been saddled with work that required constant research and e-mailing from (yes, you guessed it right) the INTERNET!!...I kept jostling between people who were going in for meetings to use their computers...I think the tension of releasing the computer on time must have stressed me out more than my first day at work.....finally Indian independence day saved me...no August 15th didnt deliver me freedom from anything (although that remains a cherished hope to this day)...it merely ensured that people left office early to catch their flights for the long weekend......which gave me uninterrupted computer time till 9 in the night..... and at 9 in the night I was quite happy to go out with my new colleagues for a drink at Geoffery's....
This day was also punctuated by warm surprises.....evidence of people's concern and love for me....in the morning I was told that there was a bouquet of flowers for me at the desk.....and lo and behold the most beautiful red and yellow flowers greeted me...it was from Vaiju who had taken down my address and sent me flowers as a good luck gesture...I think my day was made then and there and I was confident that I would actually have a nice day...u r the best Vaij....and in the evening I was taken out for a spectacular dinner in celebration of my first day at work.....what more could I have asked for-thankkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk u.....ohh not to forget my insurance agent who also got me a bouquet the previous day as a farewell gift.....as a thankyou gesture i shall try to get him more LIC bakhras....
Day ended and weekend started.....in between running around for things I have been busy teaching my nephew new words....the latest being "I am awesome"....trying to inculcate self confidence early in his life......a point crucially missed by parents of most kids who take it upon them to point out only the flaws.....and also teaching him to speak on the phone....not an actual phone but a spoon that doubled up as one....it was cute nevertheless especially when he "hung" up on me when I asked him whether he was studying in school....well Christy (when you are able to read this) I am going to be asking you more uncomfortable questions in the future and you better not hang up on me.....
Thats the news from my side.....ohh did I also mention that I now have poker straight hair??
Friday, August 12, 2005
Time for change....
Y'day I bid IDFC goodbye after 6 long years ......change is always difficult and it was the same for me....I was quite frankly gripped with a certain amount of sadness at leaving the organisation I had come to consider as "mine"......now it was time to move on elsewhere ....
I will miss a lot of things about IDFC ....the pleasantness of being greeted warmly by Vaiju every morning....the luxury of turning around and talking to Shyam or Vinita about law or even about life......the opportunity to buy pastries and invite all the foodies (apart from Shyam and Vinita, Nari, Japs, Aditi, Nasra when she is in town etc ) and have them contemplate why the waist line stays the same..discussing gossip with Devika and Ranjan every morning...and being able to pick up the phone and talk to people without introducing myself......just the comfort zone.....
But now it is time to face the change awaiting me....
I will miss a lot of things about IDFC ....the pleasantness of being greeted warmly by Vaiju every morning....the luxury of turning around and talking to Shyam or Vinita about law or even about life......the opportunity to buy pastries and invite all the foodies (apart from Shyam and Vinita, Nari, Japs, Aditi, Nasra when she is in town etc ) and have them contemplate why the waist line stays the same..discussing gossip with Devika and Ranjan every morning...and being able to pick up the phone and talk to people without introducing myself......just the comfort zone.....
But now it is time to face the change awaiting me....
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Go-aaaahhhhhh
Finally I did what I have always wanted to do...without waiting for time or tide I went and booked myself a holiday in Goa...3 nights and 3 days.......
It was the prime of monsoons...and Goa was green.....and unlike last time when I went with my friends where the concentration was only on finding an inexpensive place to stay near the beach I was able to appreciate the non-sea beauty of Goa this time round...very much like Kerala for those trying to get a picture in their minds..... but the best site that greeted me was the HUGGGGEEE ship that was marooned on Calangute beach....apparently it floated just too close to the shore in the storm...and now it looks like somebody had planted it there to enhance the view of the sea from Fort Aguada....
Fort Aguada was all that I imagined it to be ....beautiful, comfortable, fun and just peaceful....the perfect recipe for a great holiday....my room was a garden view room facing the sea.....quite a pretty picture .........I also lazed around by the pool....slept like a log whenever I wanted to.....went for a walk on the beach.....and even rented out a bike to go buy wine...ever since I sold off "Herbie" (my old bike in B'lore which was very generously named so by Toto for having a mind of its own) I have never ridden a bike ... so this was like a re-enactment of my Bangalore days......and it was awesome!! Anna if you are reading this we must ride a bike again someday.... Sitting in Goa I seriously contemplated taking a 10 day long backpacking holiday in Goa when my equally enthusiastic friend Devika suggested it....she has promised to take me to the nooks and corners, not yet touched by the non-goan civilisation, where I can contemplate and mull over the historical bearings of the State........and one more piece of information that Devika provided me was that Goa is the only state that has a civil code!!! did anyone know that??
Coming back to Mumbai was the hardest part.....after the most awesome holiday.....but here I am writing this story....going to IDFC for the last few days...and then onto my new job on the 12th....in the meantime my advise to all those reading this -TAKE A BREAK!!! NOW!!!
It was the prime of monsoons...and Goa was green.....and unlike last time when I went with my friends where the concentration was only on finding an inexpensive place to stay near the beach I was able to appreciate the non-sea beauty of Goa this time round...very much like Kerala for those trying to get a picture in their minds..... but the best site that greeted me was the HUGGGGEEE ship that was marooned on Calangute beach....apparently it floated just too close to the shore in the storm...and now it looks like somebody had planted it there to enhance the view of the sea from Fort Aguada....
Fort Aguada was all that I imagined it to be ....beautiful, comfortable, fun and just peaceful....the perfect recipe for a great holiday....my room was a garden view room facing the sea.....quite a pretty picture .........I also lazed around by the pool....slept like a log whenever I wanted to.....went for a walk on the beach.....and even rented out a bike to go buy wine...ever since I sold off "Herbie" (my old bike in B'lore which was very generously named so by Toto for having a mind of its own) I have never ridden a bike ... so this was like a re-enactment of my Bangalore days......and it was awesome!! Anna if you are reading this we must ride a bike again someday.... Sitting in Goa I seriously contemplated taking a 10 day long backpacking holiday in Goa when my equally enthusiastic friend Devika suggested it....she has promised to take me to the nooks and corners, not yet touched by the non-goan civilisation, where I can contemplate and mull over the historical bearings of the State........and one more piece of information that Devika provided me was that Goa is the only state that has a civil code!!! did anyone know that??
Coming back to Mumbai was the hardest part.....after the most awesome holiday.....but here I am writing this story....going to IDFC for the last few days...and then onto my new job on the 12th....in the meantime my advise to all those reading this -TAKE A BREAK!!! NOW!!!
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Storm before the Calm
Wouldnt it be nice to believe that the Storm is actually over and the calm is now on....anyways not going to delve too much on the rains anymore...as with everything people have a short memory and the mumbai rains is likely to be submerged in the annals of history as one of the many natural calamities that hit India....ofcourse the fact that Mumbai overtook Chirapunjee in having the highest recorded rainfall might stand for a long time to come....so I guess my great great great grandchildren/nephews/nieces might be able to relate to their friends about how one of their ancient relatives was stuck during the deluge of "Torrential Tuesday" on 26/7....well nice to know I am leaving behind a legacy and something for the future generations to talk about ... and I am still so young :)
Otherwise the rains have enabled me to spend an awful amount of time with my nephew Christy...with my penchant for making children cry it is kinda of surprising that my nephew follows me around like a little puppy...almost like that orange ad that shows the cute little puppy following the little boy with the caption "wherever you are we are there"....well in the case of Christy he also bites me like a dog...something that my sister accuses me of inculcating in him....well what could I do -his nose was sooo tempting....hahaha....okkk all your child activitists please calm down......in my defence it was a reenactment of a scene from "Finding Nemo".... but it is amazing to see them pick up adult habits....like the other day when people called me on the phone he kept asking me to tell them "can I call you back later?"...something that I have often told people when at my sisters place....I didnt even realise he was listening to me.....the only thing that makes him quiet is the Tom and Jerry show....
Everytime I see him I keep thinking....Hats off to all the mothers for taking up the hardest job in the world ..... over and over again..... 1 billion times over in India....
Otherwise the rains have enabled me to spend an awful amount of time with my nephew Christy...with my penchant for making children cry it is kinda of surprising that my nephew follows me around like a little puppy...almost like that orange ad that shows the cute little puppy following the little boy with the caption "wherever you are we are there"....well in the case of Christy he also bites me like a dog...something that my sister accuses me of inculcating in him....well what could I do -his nose was sooo tempting....hahaha....okkk all your child activitists please calm down......in my defence it was a reenactment of a scene from "Finding Nemo".... but it is amazing to see them pick up adult habits....like the other day when people called me on the phone he kept asking me to tell them "can I call you back later?"...something that I have often told people when at my sisters place....I didnt even realise he was listening to me.....the only thing that makes him quiet is the Tom and Jerry show....
Everytime I see him I keep thinking....Hats off to all the mothers for taking up the hardest job in the world ..... over and over again..... 1 billion times over in India....
Monday, August 01, 2005
Rain rain go away....
well....monsoons are soo strange...just when it started in the beginning of July it stopped....and there was a lull for about 15 days....days were getting warmer...and there was even a talk of how the water levels in mumbai was going to go down.....and I kept longing for more rain....mumbai is at its romantic best during the monsoons....and I kept wishing that it would rain again...
and boy did it rain!!! a years supply came down in one day....and before you could say "thank you God..now please stop" there was another deluge today....drowning some parts of the city yet again...once bitten the administration was better equipped this time round....there was information available this time round....and offices were forcibly shut by 2....pity for the people who actually managed to reach office after almost risking the normalcy of their lives...and surprise surprise the police were actualy using boats to reach people....so my idea of building a boat was not that far fetched right?:).......and as usual the most reliable source was the FM stations...prompting me to wonder how one could create a radio station for these kind of emergencies.....any ideas anyone?
its pouring outside...luckily I am at home....not someone elses for a change....watching the news to figure how badly my city is doing.....
and boy did it rain!!! a years supply came down in one day....and before you could say "thank you God..now please stop" there was another deluge today....drowning some parts of the city yet again...once bitten the administration was better equipped this time round....there was information available this time round....and offices were forcibly shut by 2....pity for the people who actually managed to reach office after almost risking the normalcy of their lives...and surprise surprise the police were actualy using boats to reach people....so my idea of building a boat was not that far fetched right?:).......and as usual the most reliable source was the FM stations...prompting me to wonder how one could create a radio station for these kind of emergencies.....any ideas anyone?
its pouring outside...luckily I am at home....not someone elses for a change....watching the news to figure how badly my city is doing.....
Friday, July 29, 2005
Calm after the Storm
Last night it rained heavily leading many of us to fear that the city would be plunged into another chaos. Getting ready for office I was unsure what to take with me..a boat?? anyways setting aside all fears I took the local train to churchgate...which was as packed as ever...... churchgate station surprised me....this was the place where thousands had found shelter the last two nights...and today it was clean and neat...not a sign of the mass of people that had accumulated there ...... mumbai was back ......
Office was like a theatre with people relating all their stories excitedly.......heard both good and bad stories....but mostly good...about a spouse being rescued from a sinking bus by strangers...about a taxi driver not taking money from people for a 12 hour journey....people distributing biscuits to waiting cars.....children being taken by the watchmen and personally delivered to their parents care..... some bad ones as well......about the taxi driver who transported some stranded teenagers home and the family haggling with him about his meter charge....about bosses taking their cars and leaving their employees behind without even a question.....well they say crisis brings out the best in people...in some I guess it brings out the worst.....
I personally couldnt have survived this as well as I did if people had not reached out to help me....especially new friends in Mumbai Sean and Jodie who personally called and gave me shelter in their homes....Anna thankyou to you too for them ......and my aunt, Sarah Kochamma, who ensured that I was safe and warm in her house till things settled down....not to mention the yummy chicken she cooked for me while I was there..... and all the people who kept enquiring after me......I guess I am lucky.....
now it is the calm after the storm.......I am building a boat in the meanwhile....
Office was like a theatre with people relating all their stories excitedly.......heard both good and bad stories....but mostly good...about a spouse being rescued from a sinking bus by strangers...about a taxi driver not taking money from people for a 12 hour journey....people distributing biscuits to waiting cars.....children being taken by the watchmen and personally delivered to their parents care..... some bad ones as well......about the taxi driver who transported some stranded teenagers home and the family haggling with him about his meter charge....about bosses taking their cars and leaving their employees behind without even a question.....well they say crisis brings out the best in people...in some I guess it brings out the worst.....
I personally couldnt have survived this as well as I did if people had not reached out to help me....especially new friends in Mumbai Sean and Jodie who personally called and gave me shelter in their homes....Anna thankyou to you too for them ......and my aunt, Sarah Kochamma, who ensured that I was safe and warm in her house till things settled down....not to mention the yummy chicken she cooked for me while I was there..... and all the people who kept enquiring after me......I guess I am lucky.....
now it is the calm after the storm.......I am building a boat in the meanwhile....
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Mumbai in a new light
What an experience!!! the whole of mumbai came to a standstill on the 26th ....and yet the people kept moving...I just love mumbai...no city can replace this one....people were dirty and wet.....out of touch with family....sleeping next to dogs at stations....wading through water to reach their children....fighting off snakes.....and yet kept finding humour in the whole thing......some might say what else could one do....but people opened up their homes and hearts...people from nearby building actually took home children who were stuck in buses and schools.....radio stations played songs and gave directions and updates.....and the city just kept going...........ofcourse nothing is perfect and neither was Mumbai...administration just collapsed.....technology failed at the wrongest of wrong times..information was hard to come by......and I began to wonder whether the city would get back to normal.....feeling of total helplessness......but morning came and things were almost getting back to normal ...the great local started running transporting a harried lot to their homes... hats off to them.........and an enthu cutlet friend actually reached office on time today morning!!!
As someone said 'give me mumbai anytime'.....I am in love with this city....
As someone said 'give me mumbai anytime'.....I am in love with this city....
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