Monday, December 31, 2007

PHYPA WEN RYEA!


It has been a hectic month and I could not really spend much time with my blogspot for a while now. But what I can gather looking at the calendar that this would very well be the last post I would be writing this year unless I have a change of heart before midnight and write another. But, it seems unlikely as I am running late already for, first, a birthday party and then the New Year eve party and I don’t take things for granted when it comes to dressing up for an occasion, you see!

So here's wishing a brand new year, a very successful and bright, a very fulfilling and satisfying year for all of you. Wishing peace and prosperity; joy and happiness; smiling faces and laughter; strength in the tiring times; and will power to stay put when things look gloomy and dark. And much more of 'me-time' and lotsa time to discover yourself to know the real 'YOU'.

And here I remember a saying which is so very meaningful to me: 'Success is a journey not a destination' and similarly I put it for life: its a journey, its about growth and the name of the game is to go on and not stop as its more than just reaching a destination.

Let’s say cheers to the New Year as we pop the bubbly.........PHYPA WEN RYEA!!!!! Hic hic....that’s all jumbled up as I try to say ....(may be I am already drunk)....HNY!

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Saying Goodbye!


Just the other day I was discussing ‘this’ when I and a friend (the most down to earth guy I know for all his successes) decided to catch a movie to treat our eyes after treating ourselves leisurely over a lunch and some Australian wine.

That was a luxury for me. First I was at home all by myself and not traveling. And then it was a Sunday, a nice wintry December Sunday afternoon. And then the movie was a true blue bollywood blockbuster and a chartbuster of the season.

While we were casually chatting about the directorial lapses, and exchanging some such critical bytes after the movie we did touch upon the changing cityscape. How this city is transforming day by day which is almost like desperately going under plastic surgeon’s knives. And how multiplexes are becoming a big time favorite with the common people and the businessmen and the people in power alike. And how old cinema halls are standing like a sore point in this oh-so perfect hairline…err…cityscape.

As if someone heard us talking about it and lo and behold…almost in a few days I read an announcement with a heavy heart that this much loved movie hall, a classy address would soon go under the bulldozers to make one of those huge malls with multiplexes. One of those places where you don’t have to plan for a movie as one of those would anyway be showing what you want to watch just when one is in the mood. These days multiplexes are giving such options that planning for a movie sounds oh-so old-fashioned! Life is becoming oh-so convenient!

Chanakya theatre would not be there in future. The name which is synonymous with movie outings from childhood. It also meant good momos any time of the year. And it meant a convenient landmark where people from different parts of the city could gather when we plan re-unions and catch a movie over some yummy kebabs and entertaining bytes from friends. A lot of nostalgia of those idyllic moments spent would be bulldozed along with the movie hall.

For me at this point, it’s an end of a nice hang-out spot. And its end of a year as well which brought much changes and new beginnings. Hope Chanakya also gets a new beginning in future.

And I thank my friend for mentioning about a movie that Sunday while I was happily sipping that exotic variant from Oz or else I would have missed an opportunity to catch a movie at Chanakya one last time. Do I really have enough time to catch another before it shuts down for ever, may be Will Smith’s latest…err I am legend, what do you think?

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Speak Up!


Speak up. Say it loud and clear. It helps.

It helps as it does not keep a residue within your mind and you don’t get to hold your grudges for long. It helps as the other gets to understand your point of view and indirectly helps you resolving the matter, if that is so. Or otherwise it gives you an idea what to do next. It helps a great deal.

This is about one of my friends, a female whom I had met many moons ago at work and became friends, became almost like a family. And she would always be loving and polite and would take me as I am without any offence. She would never feel bad when I would correct her or for that matter advise her or rebuke her. I knew she likes me for my point of view and for my clarity. And this way I had become part of many discussions and her family.

But I used to get troubled at times as much of the times she would not mind my blunt ways. I had uneasy moments after commenting harshly sometimes which would make me think for sometime but I still spoke my mind all the time knowing how close we are.

But I do not have to feel bad again. She spoke up.

I am happy that she spoke up. She said the way her mind told her and she did not bother to think how I would feel. Somewhere it was not a good feeling but at a different level I felt she is no more that meek and indecisive person any more. And somewhere I felt good as now I don’t have to tell her the way I think about things she does and now she knows and she would not ask another for decision. I will feel less guilty after I speak my mind.
Well, I will remain the way I am anyway, some things just don’t change! Except one thing- my admiration for her. Now I admire her more than before.

Hey ‘you’, thanks for that verbal ‘deuce’ you lobbed at my court the other day, honestly it felt good. It’s good to be open and say things the way it is and I like it this way!
And it’s good to see some changes at least. And you scored a point there!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Will you find HappYness?


I am a morning person and I am at my creative best when its sunrise time and I am at my productive best in the morning. And today was no different and I had to put an imaginary lid on the pot where all the thoughts were brewing for my next blog, for the recipe I would try tonight, the dress I would wear over the weekend when I attend that reception and things like that.
And then there were influences all around, we humans are just like blotting papers at soaking up ideas, moods, and vibes; only difference being we can regulate our selection unlike a sheet of blotting paper which without failure would soak anything it is thrown on!

Well, to tell you the gist there were a good number of influences around me this morning which triggered my thinking process on this blog, and it was at that time when the daily planner at my desk was flashing a colorful collage!

First it was Will Smith, (this man is surely addictive) and then the film called The Pursuit of Happyness and then that sudden encounter with that bitchy colleague of mine, and the group discussion at work as we are planning to relocate our office space and then….well, that’s something within my mind which got into that ‘deep thinking’ mode!

And I was thinking how tough it is to be humble and be genuine about it.

In this competitive world its difficult to scarf insecurities and often the inner bitch peeps out and we transmit a vibe unknowingly. I feel it’s a great quality to be humble when you are sitting at the highest rung of that ladder. And only those could flash it genuinely who have reached there after traveling rough patches in life. It shows through your eyes, through your actions, voice AND you can’t act there.

We all are running in this game of life, whatever is our goal, however successful we are, wherever on the ladder we are placed. Running is the name of the game. And we do it, its habit, you know it or not.

And there I read this: "I couldn't tell you that we were homeless, I just knew that we were always having to go. So, if anything, I remember us just moving, always moving". That’s what Chris Gardner tells when asked about his life on which the film is based played by Will Smith.

Wish we knew its just so for everyone: YOU, I and everyone, may be it’s a different track, on a different lane. So gear up, on your mark…GET-SET...and Goooooooooo

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Tall Black and Sexy


Aren’t these sexy? Umm…I like them pointed, I like them black and I like them when they are real sleek. And I have many of them. Well, I am talking about my love for stilettos (this is so girlie for a tomboy).

And as I stay put on the bed recuperating from, what a very nice doctor diagnosed as, soft tissue injury at lower back, I was reading/discussing more on lower back injury and things to do etc. And there I heard from a colleague about working out on stilettos are gaining ground in Manhattan and such places. I was wondering what went wrong when I tried to run…err walk a li’l too faster on my sexy stilettos last weekend. Now you know why I had to spend much of my weekend on my back…oops, it still hurts.

Learn to walk like a lady, if you can…umm, I am telling myself as my mum told me over phone!

Saturday, December 8, 2007

be the man..err CHANGE


I was away from my sweety for sometime now, was busy teasing my brain..err I was at work and it’s a demanding field you see! But I am in so much love with my blogspot that I had to be back and make my presence felt!!

I was part of a round table discussion to discuss what policies can inspire more men to end gender-based violence globally and more essentially in South East Asia. And there I came across a few lines which truly moved me:

be the man who says NO to Violence Against Women
be the man who Stands for Equality
be the man who Breaks the Silence
be the man who Cares

And I wonder how many (MAN) would truly answer in affirmative in this so called progressive era. And I ask: Are you man enough?

Well, don’t have to answer me…think for yourself .

Saturday, December 1, 2007

November Quotes

Its December already! And I have to go on a vacation.

One more year is going to pass. And for some reasons December has always been associated with parties, get-togethers for me, not only because of usual Christmas-New Year eve fest-ing and feasting but also because of my tenures in different places had mostly ended in December. But this year I have seen more number of farewells in November; farewells of my colleagues from various offices across the globe. And that was quite a number.

And I am a sucker of good time, good food and good words.

I flaunted some of my beautiful dresses and got compliments (they are actually for my designer friend).I ate some nice food, got to know some recipes and gained some flab. I drank some bubbly and felt nice. I listened to those speeches and I saved two quotes for my blog post.

The first one is what Confucius once heard saying "Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall" .

And the second is an Irish saying "May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be at your back, may the sun shine warmly on your face, the rain fall gently on your fields and may a kind and just God hold you in the palm of his hand until we meet again".

May you all have a nice time in the forthcoming festive season as I plan to go on a vacation.

And I am done with this one for the moment; need to catch some sleep after painting the town red…..oops, in my red dress.

Oops, I am still short of one blog from hitting a half-century..whats happening in the gardens of Eden?

Friday, November 30, 2007

Monday, November 26, 2007

Shaken and Stirred

I wake up on time every morning, I seldom oversleep and most often this habit is appreciated (oops...I am at it again and when I was just told that I should be officially given a title for being the bestest narcissist in the world!).
And I still wake up on time, with my alarm, all the time, every time, tired or not, drunk or otherwise, at home or ….

Anyway, today I woke up before my alarm, before it could say Goodmorning, before I could hear that familiar sound. I did wake up earlier than my usual time, before it was the daybreak for me.

I did wake up with a sound, not usual sound though. It was with a roaring sound as if my little world was rocking as if someone is saying ‘rock baby rock’…umm, that’s not a dream. I woke up with a rocking beat this morning as we rocked with an earthquake.

For past few weeks I have been coming face to face with the fragile aspect of life, the non-permanent face of life. And this little shake called earthquake suddenly brings alive the fear of loss. And sitting on my bed, half-awake (don’t you know it was before my alarm was to sing?) I was thinking which ‘one thing’ to grab before dashing off from my apartment. We crave for so much in life and when it is the time to leave do we really get to take along what we accumulate?
And on my way to work I do ask this question to my chauffeur and he said that he would simply get himself out of the building in case earthquake makes his little world crumble. And at work I do ask the same question to my colleagues, and they just talked about saving their own lives and the lives of their near and dear ones.

Well, it’s kind of strange in this materialistic world. And I still don’t know what I will grab if I am stuck in a similar situation again. May be my phone. And my laptop. Ahhh…how can I run them without electricity after batteries run out?

What is more important to you, your life or all the accessories you accumulate to lead life?

I don’t fear losing all my data on my computer (I have lost my laptop before!). I don’t fear losing my little place, which I painstakingly adorned with things I collected from all over, from all the trips I undertake. I am not afraid of losing my life, do I really? I almost died a few years ago!
But I fear most is being cut off from my people. And I fear the most when I am away from them and in no way to communicate to my fabulously mobile set of family, when someone is happily soaking all the Sun in that bond island and when the other set is treating themselves to a royal dose of vacationing and when I almost forget my geographical locations with my ‘today here-tomorrow there’ mode of life.

And suddenly I feel the meaning of ‘shaken and stirred’ without even budging from my position on the bed! Ooops….

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Quote- Unquote

"You can never plan the future by the past." - Edmund Burke

Monday, November 19, 2007

Where do I go?

My mornings are not brighter these days...well, literally!

I wake up when its still dark, not night though but thats how wintry mornings are and I yawn sitting on my cosy bed in my dimly lit room, Good morning! Its day already!
Sun is playing hide-n-seek with clouds err fog, err .. smogs! And I wake up when its still dark. Its still not day!

And still I cant start the day...I mean, I dont feel fresh, I dont feel lively, I dont feel energized...oops, as if I am run on sloar batteries!!!

And some smog within my head covers my mind and I am at sea with questions. Questions which are so many. Questions which are multiplying. Questions which are recurring. Questioning mind!

And its like: where do I go?

Have you ever felt when you know you are an adult and there is no one to take decision for you? When you know you have grown up and people expect you to follow your own path? When you know there is no one to share your daily stories, no one to crib with about your colleagues when you reach home? When you know people around expect you to handle things on your own? When people dont show you direction when life suddenly makes you stand at the cross-roads?

Is this part of growing up? Really big? Or that one is lonely and nowhere to go?

I am living with an emotion, an emotion when you lose your parents. Thats what I witnessed THREE times last fortnight. Yes, THREE. And I am touched.

As one of my friend puts it: its inevitable, and its part of life. Yes, its life that teaches us from such examples that nothing remians for long. Nothing. Not you. Not I. Nobody.

And I still ask a question, in mourning: where do I go? I cant see a thing, its so hazy with smog...

Friday, November 16, 2007

Double meaning?

In this time of ours acronyms are very popular and we use them whenever we get a chance. Its in vogue, its fashionable and its popular and everyone is doing it! But think of times when same acronyms could stand for two completely different set of terms with opposite meanings!

I just came across one such this morning and that reminded me of another from past. Sample them:

CSW: From my area of work its always been expanded to "Commercial Sex Worker" until I got an entirely different term when this conference reminder landed at my desk. It could also be expanded to " Commission for Status of Women". Huh?

ISP: Its mostly "Internet Service Provider" in this tech-savvy, net-savvy generation of ours. But it also stands for "Informal Service Provider" when one tries to adhere to jargons used in development sector especially The World Bank's health systems reform sector.
And you wonder what internet provider has to do with those 'witch-doctors' from those tribal villages? Yeah...

There are many such..but this is enough a 'dose' to satiate my addiction with this blogspot.

Wow, talking about addiction brought forward another interesting acronym which often gets wrongly 'inserted' with this 'injecting' types.

IDU: its "Injecting Drug User" and then there is IUD: which is "Intra Uterine Device"! Hmmm...

I will come back with more on this series but later on....

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Googl(e)Y!

Got a bouncer..err want to get the meaning of something you just heard, or read or came across? Need to research on something? Search?

Well…the common practice is to look for a search engine…no real engine there, though! For the initiated its our regular lingo and a regular habit and we often don’t even say ‘serach engine’ and straight get into ‘google-ing’.

Today’s story is about our man Friday ‘Google’ who had rescued many of us at the 11th hour to get what we just needed and saved our days and made us hear all those praises and see all those rainbows…(oops…why always I talk about Sun, rain and rainbows..may be I just need to know..err ‘google it’) for all the hard work or ‘herd’ work of the google team.

Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a private enterprise on September 7, 1998 (wow, September again..and have you noticed the date?).

The name "Google" originated from a misspelling of "googol", which refers to 10100 (the number represented by a 1 followed by one-hundred zeros). Credit for naming this huge enterprise should go to their first client who, according to ‘my very reliable source of information’, spelt it that way on the cheque for their very first payment. And just to avoid all the hassles of getting back to their client and get it corrected they opened an account going with the mis-spelt version and Googol became Google!

And it remained so. So what, if it did not mean anything?

They say things change: and now google itself is a word and finds its place in diactionaries (Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary) in 2006. And it has been increasingly into everyday language, the verb "google", was added to the meaning "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet."

And we say, lets Google!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Sands and Moods: T(w)oo different!



P.S: These are some of the pictures I have recently seen and I felt how sand from the desert and that by the shore exude different moods. None of these are taken by me nor my camera was used. These are from two different sources ..err friends from two different locations from their two different travelogues.
Hey you two, I acknowledged your work, so dont take me to the courts (in two different locations...ha ha ha...ahha...I would get to see two different places that way!) .

Monday, November 12, 2007

Quote- Unquote

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."- Abraham Lincoln.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Past Perfect!

I meet people all the time and I have been meeting people all the time, its sort of normal for someone who is always on the move. So, what’s so unusual this time around?
Well, I am back in town after meeting people whom I had known in the past, from long time who were lost when not keeping in touch was next to impossible!

The other day when I was visiting this city to attend a conference I called on a number. I called on this number to see whether this classmate of mine is still having the same number or is still living in the same city. I wanted to see some other faces as I was getting bored looking at the same faces all through the day, day after day. And I wanted to have a weekend away from that swanky hotel and see the cityscape. And my call was answered by the same voice I had expected to hear. We recognized each other and we met. It was more than when a friend meets friend.

It was a meeting-galore!

I met the whole family. His family with new additions since we last met. And as if that was not enough there was a surprise in store as I had to ‘meet’ another classmate and her family who has recently moved to this city. And it was a mini-reunion at mid-night in the middle of all those emotions and nostalgia. And I was pleased. I was happy as I could go back to a time which was so beautiful, so simple and oh-so nice! And we looked great on our customary reunion photos for our school web-album. Have a look.

And something said, past perfect!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Coming a Full Circle

Its amazing to see how life lobs at you situations, experiences with such amazing patterns. I always am surprised to find similarities in those patterns and these give me a feeling of ‘coming a full circle’! I wonder whether its me who finds these similarities or they just happen or I call for these or they just simply take place to remind me of things from past, make me ‘land’ up where I once was.

But at the end of the day its simply an amazing phenomenon to recount, to realize, to feel, to experience and to know how its when life ‘come a full circle’.

I sometimes get an eerie feeling within me as I almost feel I knew how the ‘story’ would unfold. And standing there under that over bridge at that unearthly hour I pinch myself hard to know I was awake and to believe what I was seeing which was uncannily similar a scene to what I had once recounted. I get such flashes sometime when I am deeply in my sleep and then I remember them when I see them happening exactly in similar fashion in front of my wide and beautiful eyes.

Well, before you start thinking about something meta-physical or I becoming one of those modern-day witches, I must tell you sometimes life does make you ‘feel’ what is coming a full circle and how it is to undergo when its repeatedly repeated for you to remember the phrase.

And I am amazed and I am shocked and I am a little bothered and I wish it hadn’t happened the way it circled the Sun…err my life!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Why I Write What I Write

I am back after a rather interesting trip and I am back with my blog. I am back because I am addicted to my blogspot. I am back because I am addicted to the response I have been getting: direct or indirect and I love that!

Someone just teased me the other day with a his regular nasty comment which truly reflects me and my sense of being: there is no place for 'you' its all so full of 'I'! Yes, I love myself, dont you know that?! And I am because I exist. And I exist because I want to. And I want to be like this only.

But, honestly I am overwhelmed at the response and the number of hits this blogspot has faced in such a short period of time. And this interest often makes me write more and remain in a 'regular relationship' even with my nomadic life.
This is thanks to all those people: people who read this and send comments; people who would read and discuss face to face; people who would write a blog in response to what thay had read here and then there are a number of those who are reading but I dont get to read their minds!
Anyway, at the end of the day: I...err my blog gets attention! Hmmm...attention seeking at its peak!? You gotta learn it from me....

So, you know why I write what I write and its all from my head and has no connection whatsoever even if you stop me in the middle of that huge bite I take on wrap-o-roll to ask whether I thought about you while describing a certain background. Well, life is so exciting, so full of experiences and then its so dynamic that I am seriously spoilt for choices as I find inspirations are everywhere. And I dont need preparation, its all extempore and spontaneous. So, you know why I write what I write and I exist as I exist.

As you rightly said you dont get to read what I intend to and that surely pats my back as I know I am succeeding in weaving my thoughts, pouring out my views the way I want 'it' to flow and make people read and enjoy...if not understand....

As its all about pouring out my thoughts the way my mind plays with them, uncensored.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Paradox of Choices

The other day I was busy teasing my brain over a book with a friend from UCSF which was a round-up of what she had just discussed with her friends from Malayasia under the bright Sun on the sanddunes of Jaisalmer during a camel safari. And I was happily soaking all the arguments knowing how it is to decide when we have many choices. Truly, as Barry Schwartz said, sometimes more could be so less! I know exactly how indecisive one gets however sure one is about what to chose with more options on the plate..err in life!

I am at its peak, well, if I can call it a syndrome- I have it-a paradox of choices.

I did not know it would happen to me; I had no idea I had to face it. And while I am at it I know it’s rather difficult a job than any fun. I am done with the concept of more the merrier, its so redundant. Its more is less and I am asking for MORE..gimme more!

Well, I am on the prowl and I am doing pretty well and so far I have balanced off many records (off the records, just for you!). And I find myself lip-sync-ing with Geri Halliwell as she croons, "It's rainin men - Every specimen Tall blonde, dark and mean Rough and tough and strong and lean..."

And I am spoilt for choices. And here I am with more options raining on me…Wish I could find a role model in draupadi, what do you say? That’s not a bad idea either!

Well, so is the paradox of choices. Ooops, what did you decide?

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Moving on…

I am on a self-imposed sabbatical from my blog as I am divided between mundane activities I undergo before I set out for a trip (again?). And yet I chose to mark my attendance at the blog as I cross-check with the hotel for airport pick-up. Why? Well…

Its some kind of an upheaval I generally undergo just before one of those sojourns and I regard this as one of those. Its about moving from one city to another for me and for another its about moving from one house to another. And I know how it feels when we pack our bags and look at the empty corner which once had the lamp-stand; how it is to know that those spaces would be filled up in completely different fashion when the next resident comes and how those pangs feel when we have treasured some nice moments and shared those hearty laughs sitting on that couch which now sits in the box in a dismantled state ready for a ride.

It’s quite a weak moment, quite an emotional moment.

And I know all of that from my experience of moving almost on an annual basis with my assignments in different places. And it’s doubly emotional when the ghost from the past re-visits you when you are just about to lock your apartment doors after surveying the empty space the last time. And it happened this way yesterday when things occurred the way it was never planned; words were spoken the way they were never expected and you have no clue why it happened and how it happened: the timing, the location, the emotion, and everything.

And something within me moved as I made space to walk around amidst those packed boxes and furnitures. It’s the feeling we have when we decide to move on; it’s the feeling we have when we move on even if the ghost wants to uncork the bottle and tries to cast a spell; it’s the feeling when we know where to step on even if there is a second thought; it’s the feeling that says its over even if its difficult to erase the memory; it’s the feeling that tells which one to hold on to even if you are spoilt for choices.

And life goes on…you move on...I move on. It’s just those few minutes our paths were crossed. And I have to move from here anyway or else I will miss the flight; miss the trip which I painstakingly planned; miss the opportunity to feel the nomad in me. And I don’t want to miss anything else and I don’t miss a thing. You get me? We have one life and we get one chance!

Wish you a safe journey, a journey called life! Best wishes....

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Quote-Unquote

"If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god". Napolean Bonaparte

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Quote-Unquote

"Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle". - Bob Hope

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Colors in my ribbons…

Colors make my life lively and I am fond of colors, which are bright, which are happy, and I feel colorful being with colors. I play with different colors on my canvas, I like to have different colors on my clothes and on my window drapes and my surrounding. Flowers in my vases wear happy colors, lilies in my garden smile in different colors and so are those along the pathway to work. Candles I lit in the evenings shine in colors, pens at my desk write in different hues and the ribbons….

In our awareness-maniac times ribbons or for that matter differently colored ribbons give different messages. Wondering how we had moved from colors signifying emotions to colors indicating illnesses or health conditions or social causes. And I see a long COLORful list:

Red ribbon: AIDS awareness
Pink ribbon: Breast cancer awareness
Yellow ribbon: Yellow ribbon symbolizes Suicide awareness and prevention and also endometriosis awareness (and finding cure for them).
White ribbon: White ribbon often signifies feminism and one of the most notable usages of the white ribbon in recent times is as the symbol of violence against women, safe motherhood, and other related causes.
Blue ribbon: This is the color of ocean, sea and hence any water bodies and used to signify Prostate cancer awareness (sky blue).
Jade ribbon: This colored ribbon spreads information about hepatitis B and liver cancer.
Orange ribbon: This is for animal protection awareness
Grey ribbon: Denotes diabetes awareness
Green ribbon: Signifies organ transplant and donation awareness
Teal ribbon: This is for ovarian cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome
And the list goes on…and one last color from the remaining for my blog:

Black ribbon: It is worn or displayed as a political statement.

And then I hear a suggestion at a luncheon on colors I should wear more often. See, do I have a choice there? Yes, I like the color RED, more deep the better for its passion, for red roses, red wines, and those red dresses!

Gimme, RED!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Quote-Unquote

"When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder." James H Boren

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Chivalry in the time of ….

Our behavioral pattern says so much about the kind of person we are. And often 'others' pick up the nuances from the ‘doer’ more than the ‘doer’ itself. And it’s all in front of your eyes. A shrug there, a twitch of facial muscle there, a handshake or the way you bid goodbye, everything tells your side of the story. However impressive your voice could sound from the other end of the world but a look at you while you are at it could truly say whether you could REALLY, well…. And our age old, much cliché-ed saying seeing is believing still rules the roost!

We all have heard the word called ‘chivalry’ sometime in our lives and however well we cram the codes of chivalry its our action which qualifies us as one.

And I know how it was when those shrugs could not hide what all was going on in the head. And I know how it was when those drinks little too many needed to be relieved off at a regular intervals. And I know how it was when one fails to say thank you after singing a song or say goodbye when it was time to say one. And I know how it was when the handshake was just not warm enough to seal it with a kiss. And I know how you spell chivalry however logically you claim you compose. I know how one can still remain ill-mannered, ill-behaved even after twirling with an ivy. And I know what it means to get rid of something where chivalry does not exist…

And I know what I saw. And I believe! Ahem!

Friday, October 19, 2007

My First Cut!



This should have been Solna’s first blog, the numero uno from her stable but the way things flowed she did soak up the issue and kept it all tucked up in her mind! But the stain remained in her thoughts. And that was enough to remind her about it all over again…and she is at it again. Call it a Period!

Well, that’s not to our very familiar 'fullstop' but the menstrual cycle all fertile (sic) females undergo regularly, monotonously, naturally, obediently, cyclically..phew! Damn, its that common term we use to refer the phenomenon, Period!

I would be dishonest if I don’t mention a blog and that discussion with the blogger which gave me a mental-shake the other day which made me think about it more vigorously than the shake even!

That was the time when I was contemplating on starting my own blog, that was the time I was stranded in the center of middle of no-where, that was the time I wanted a pair of ear to vent out my thoughts, that was the time when I wanted to undertake a journey to a place oh-so romantic and that was the time when my mind was fertile and thoughts were ripe and aplenty. And then came my moment of turbulence on that gloomy morning at the banks of Narbada.

I have a rebel in me. I have never bowed down to mundane traditions or superstitions without my share of reasoning but this is one such issue which makes me say, “I am down but not out yet”! Well, the ghost of this superstition has remained with me and revisits me from time to time to make me get those ‘doubtful’ moments, shall I or shall not I?

A woman is rendered ‘polluting’ during this period and she is forbidden from many of day-to-day activities (since I am not intending anything academic here I restrain myself from going in details as things are changing and this itself is a matter of debate and there are cultural variations). Well, to bring the point home: a menstruating woman is different from a non-menstruating woman. And whether a woman is menstruating is privy to herself or some of her close female (mostly) relatives. So, the decision to enter a shrine and paying reverence to the almighty is completely at the discretion of the ‘polluting’ individual when she declares herself one.

It is where Solna stood at the banks of Narbada as the clouds in her mind and the ghost of the superstition fought a gloomy battle for her to see no sign or indication. And she stood there at the banks of Narbada. And the superstition remained and so did the stain.

But at last the thoughts are released and the blog happened. The first cut which took time to release, to see the light of the day. Its Sunshine time in Solna’s mind. And she hums a song which says…"The First Cut Is the Deepest"..well....

And now standing in front of yet another sanctum sanctorum of a goddess who is worshipped for power Solna hears her mind murmuring what happens when SHE gets her period?

True, period has etched a strong impression in her mind.
Well, its Period for now!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Sex in the City!


Its ‘Sex in the City’ for me these days…its all so sex-ed up!!
Well, I am not talking about the famous sitcom anyway but something where I or for that matter my life is getting all so full of sex!

Hmm, need to explain a bit more to make you stop from taking a wrong direction, stop rolling your eyeballs and keep those heavily mascara-ed eyelashes at rest…ahhh, breathtaking eyes!

It has been a regular affair for me to get queries on sex..umm sexual behaviors and such at work and also from friends. Hold on! Before you wear your detective glasses let me tell you I am no sex-agony aunt or a pornstar but my work on high-risk population for HIV makes me a reliable source of information on such oh-so clandestine matters.
And I have been hearing queries, doubts of my friends, sometimes from my friends for their friends.

But suddenly things were too much for me: wherever I go or look I only see or hear or read sex and I thought I should take a break and relieve off my tensions…umm!

My day at work was as usual: I had to go through the signs of forced sex and things like that. And then, an old friend typed in a passage asking me to comment on its validity as she and her gang of women friends had doubt on …well, you guessed it by now. I dutifully answered, discussed. Then I went back to my chores in that new city and it was tiring as when I travel I am extra finicky about things...thats a different story! Then there was a phone call from a long lost friend and I was at my warmest best to let (IT) know I was in travel mode and that we could have an extended conversation when I land at my turf. In doing so I did mention about the historic places I could sneak in that afternoon and pop came the question: those erotica? Well, I did not see any to arouse my senses..oops! Anyway. Then almost at the stroke of midnight my IM popped up another face in doubt, now on behalf of someone else: I tried to rightfully answer (them). As if these were not enough, my ‘conference reminder’ sent me an invitation to attend a conference which is a discourse on how to write well on sex! And I ask, what?
And I came back home over the weekend to know two of my friends are expecting and then on Monday when I was back at my desk with that ‘sunny’ view I was treated with a news that stork has visited two (or three? is not her husband my colleague as well?!) of my colleagues’ families…And I say, what?

I tell you, its all-so sex-ed up here. Give me a breather, please! Ufff!

Quote-Unquote

“No matter how dark the night, somehow the sun rises once again and all shadows are chased away" David Matthew

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Within a Cobweb


Past few weeks had given me enough reasons and time to ponder, situations gave me enough of ‘me-time’, locations had given me enough of solitude and friends had given me enough of space to brew my thoughts and then my loved ones had given me the strength to walk with my thoughts till culmination. And my pregnant mind could successfully deliver what I have been nourishing, nurturing for, well, a few weeks! Yes, I want to be a mother, want to hold my baby when it comes out my womb and the wait is killing me. But, not any more: I have delivered my thoughts, something which is so mine, so my own. And thoughts remain with me as a shadow like a toddler holding on its mother and we exist together, inseparable.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Quote-Unquote

"Wisdom is knowing when you can't be wise." - Paul Engel.

October song


I'll sing you my October song, there is no song before it
The words and tune are not my own, my joy and sorrow bore it
Beside the sea, the brambly briar in the still of evening
Birds fly out from behind the sun, and with them I'll be leaving

The fallen leaves that jewel the ground, they know the art of dying
And leave with joy their glad gold hearts in scarlet shadows lying
When hunger calls my weary footsteps home, the morning follows after
I swim the seas within my mind, the pine-trees laugh green laughter

I used to search for happiness, and I used to follow pleasure
But I found a door behind my mind, and that's the greatest treasure
For rulers like to lay down laws, and rebels like to break them
And the poor priests like to walk in chains and God likes to forsake them

I met a man whose name was Time, he said, I must be going
But just how long ago that was I have no way of knowing
Sometimes I could murder time, when my heart is aching
But mostly I just like to stroll along the path that he is taking

(as sung by The Corries)

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

May you rest in peace!



Today is 2 October and I write a tribute. Its not for the 'bapu' but a 'dadu'!

That was a deal: you get a testimonial and you write me a eulogy. I did not take it seriously. Testimonial happened nevertheless. Then it was repeated again: you get a blog dedicated to you and you write me a eulogy. Blog came, all sunshine and all that. I still brushed off the idea of eulogy with my regular charming smile! Awesome!

Then one day I was reminded of my debt. I paused and retorted back, what? In no mood to get swept by another emotional trip I was rather rude and harsh. That’s something which comes very naturally to me…it’s bitter-sweet truth about me! Lovely!
Then I was told ‘in bold and underline’ that the demand was genuine and he wanted it before he really ‘needs’ it. Well, to tell you the truth I brushed aside the demand in my mind even though I did not speak my mind that evening, you see, I was busy! I was paying attention on my presentation…oh-so important is the plight of rape victims.

And it was off and away from my mind or scheme of things until this morning when I read about the death of a rhinoceros (I’m really sad, I feel like losing my family member!) and I was reminded of that eulogy stuff again. So, you know whom to thank for this one: you may want to thank the reporter who published it or the chap who decided to send this particular edition to my room and then thank heavens that I had time to browse before dashing off all bright and bleary eyed! Oh-so HOT!

Well, coming back to eulogy: I have never done this and no one has ever asked me to do this. Though I remember a request for playing a particular tune when funeral time comes which is no more in my scheme of things and the task had fallen on another shoulder. Whatever…

I am no writer and have no magic with my words though listening to ‘its only words’ brings tears in my eyes…did not you say, grievous eyes? I thought they are beautiful?
Hope I do justice to the job for which I am the chosen one (I am saying a silent prayer…hope your mum does not read this one!)

My deepest feeling tells he is a good soul. I have first met him more than twenty sunny years ago, the day I begun my classes in that new school in New Delhi and that was it, only that much. ‘Dadu’ to all: a class mate; little shy, introverted and definitely he preferred keeping his own group of friends. So, at the end of our school-years we only knew each other from distance. I know people did keep me at distance; there was a lot of awe or woes! Nevertheless, I was aware about his participation in school activities and I am sure he knew about what all I did to make news as that was easy! There was an instance where he did land up at my place with some other friends just as when we finished school and all set to face the big bad world and there we lost each other.

Call it a surprise or miracle we found each other after 14 years through a common e-forum. It was our school again: our common point.

Is this what you read on eulogy? No? Well, then you hunted a wrong head for the job!

A friend who shares some of your passions: traveling and trekking and then we found another common passion for photography. O’ how can I forget our exchanges on cooking tips? He gives words to what I think in my mind and cant express; he becomes my dictionary when some idiot makes me stumble with words; he inspires me for maintaining my blog; he is a comfort when life suddenly makes you feel its all thorns and roses were fake; he makes me read male psyche and at the same time make me go ahead on the ‘knotty’ road and tells me the difference between a feminist and a rebel and suffers silently when people poke their dirty noses on his personal life and push him to choose a path which he does not have an inclination to tread. And then he confuses me on things which are oh-so personal!
My friend, I can understand you, at least I try to. Understanding a human is a complex affair and I aint any specialist. I don’t know whether I really follow what you write and say but I try to.

And now things look so different: ‘dadu’ is a dude; we have a gang of common friends; our locations are at stone’s throw distance and then I have to keep tab of the time when he would need a eulogy….what a job! Dude, I have never taken any assignment without a contract….you get me?

Its time I thank the great lord for getting me a friend in life when I needed one. Thanks dude for being there. Thanks for the gift of two weeks for life would have been very different without you. Now I know I am HIS chosen one, HE likes to see my smiling face when people are hell-bent for a sob-story on display! Sweetness!

Tell me, in this world can a man and a woman only be friends, when both are single and ready to mingle? Ummm, that’s the question everyone is shooting and I am badly wounded…: show me the meaning of being …err thats a song..oops..which is the way to emergency, I need first aid fast? Fallen head on…too much of vodka, you see…hic hic!

Just let me know how much time do I get at the funeral for my eulogy? That’s rude? Well…wake up…it’s not the time yet. Follow me? Stand there and bask in the Sun as long as it shines, go grab your moment under the Sun, so said Solna!

Are you laughing here? Good for me, I like the way you laugh! Ummmm…
Eulogy which is not one…..thank you and no thank you!

Monday, October 1, 2007

A Poison Potion


Talking about addiction, poison and such things.….phew…I am still at it…. oops, its an old habit which hasn’t died yet! And the thing of the matter is that I like all these: to dwell on things and the hangover after trying on different drinks, that is.

My latest addition err addiction is a thing from Czech by the name of BECHEROVKA. A friend from Prague very recently introduced me to this 'satwik' drink and I am happy that I developed a liking for the herbal drink

BECHEROVKA is a speciality liqueur produced solely and only from medicinal herb extracts (composition is a secret) macerated in spirit using original Karlovy Vary water and barrels made from oak which are placed in cellars at a natural temperature. Every day their own laboratories check the chemical results of the macerating processes and the results of the maturing in barrels.

It has many uses, can be used as: a complement to your digestive routine and its regular and healthy functioning; a pleasant and effective aperitif before meals and digestive after meals; a pleasurably bitter "long drink" for any opportunity during the day; a base for many delicious cocktails, especially aperitifs like Be-Ton. And most definitely for raising a toast for health and jolly good time!
And it can cure of all ills: that’s what Czechs claim, not me!

Hmmm..thats again a food for thought…err drink…Hic! Nora, I need another drink!

Sunday, September 30, 2007

India calling…


I am back after a brief hide-n-seek with my blog. And its September again…..talking about addictive behavior and such things.….phew…I am still at it…. I surely know how to dwell on things for long. And my love affair with September continues…..

In between brainstorming on issues of sexual violence around the globe and listening to discourses from Belgrade, Cape Town, Dhaka, Karachi, Melbourne, Nairobi, Pretoria or preparing our presentations from India, I did indulge in my addiction …shhhhh!!!

Call it my love for numbers or statistics or such and that was enough to keep me away from anything pessimistic when mood in the room became gloomy thinking about what happens to a rape victim when she approaches a facility (medical or police or judiciary) for help. I am sure I along with my fellow researchers from all these places would come up with comprehensive models suitable in our regional context even though I did not give all my ‘thinking time’. And why not, it’s a moment of glory and it’s easy to float on the wave of adulation and that’s something I like…It gives you a definite high!

And the statistics tells that India is on the top of the world and I am not only talking about Cricket but two more sports. We are the world champion of T20 when our men in blue (or Dhoni’s devil) made others see only blue or green! And then in Hockey we became the Asian champion on 9 September. As if these were not enough I drag something from end of August (29 August to be specific) when we won the Nehru cup in Football.

Its sunny moment for India and it’s our moment at the top of the world. Ouch….60 is HOT! And then again it’s my September connection or sunny connection that makes me go ga ga in joy. When the weather is just right and when I like the way wind plays with my hair and when everything looks just oh-so perfect...oops...

My bytes on India continues out of the conference room…hope my friend from Serbia is still tuned in, are you? And my ode to September continues….

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Tack så mycket!



The other day I read a blog which is dedicated to my sunny connection (or me?) which made me think more on the Sun, the moon and the stars… and which further inspired me for another blog as I let my imagination loose after a jolly good evening…and I like to think!

Thanks Rahul for sharing your thoughts and interpretation.

After talking about the Sun and the Moon, I move on to the stars and why not???
Stars are all over…twinkle twinkle little stars with starry eyed people, star crossed couple…wow, is not that rhyming??? And our age old star mania, both with the ones on the screen and then with those on the sky!

For me Sun is synonymous with light, life, joy, brightness and things so positive, so charming, so colorful and all in all it exudes happiness. I never thought how so much of Sun could be oh-so different until I read that blog post… Well, coming to think of it : I do see the truth, I could feel the feeling. Yes, Sun does symbolize lonliness however powerful it may be, however important it may be. Yes, too much of Sun is not so full of life, it could be just so lifeless like in a desert. Yes, I can now see there are other sides of Sun as well like a coin.

And yet again its an awakening time for me…Sunrise time!

You take note as we talk about a Sun on the earth and her sunny side story: and this Sun has many stars and moons around her; all so star crossed …ummm, star kissed!

Sunday, September 23, 2007

You know what?


I sure knew I am addictive, people get hooked to me….but now I know I am addicted and I am hooked! This is addictive; I am doing it all day, everyday, 24x7. You know how it feels, I am completely hooked!

Intrigued? Well, read on…

Well, its not any man, nor a substance nor a drug neither any toxin but its some space under the world wide web where you can pour out your thoughts unabashedly and yet not ruffle any feathers or poke anyone’s ego…oops….did I really reach them whom I wanna bash, I wonder?!
And you know what?? I am hooked onto you, my blogspot!!

So, what do you think? Suggest a karmic solution, a rehab option or supply me the poison err pat my back with your comments…anyway, that’s your call and I sail on…
Yes, I am on the move and till I come back do keep me updated on whether someone really burnt her bra or smoked some dozen cigarettes…ha ha ha!!!
I am getting sinister by the day…oops..then what goes in the night, I wonder? I leave that to your creative imagination!!

¡Hasta entonces, adiós!

The Daughter in me


From fire to fair: from bra burning to babe worshipping, I have seen them all.

I am in a celebratory mood today and why not?
Today is ‘daughter’s day’ and I (along with many others) am thriving, basking in glory and soaking in all the bubbly err attention! And that’s definitely a good feeling for all of us, daughters!

‘Happy daughters day’ to all you there; especially for those who could withstand social pressure in their walks of life; for those who escaped that brutal decision of their family and could breathe air after coming out of their mothers’ womb; for those who could be the torch bearer of an empowered generation; for those who could match steps with progress and technology balancing household chores with élan. I salute all those brave hearts and minds who took the challenge to bring on this earth their own girl child(ren) going against family’s wishes. Long live ‘girl child’! Look up and march ahead…the road is paved and it should be good if not smooth.

I am happy and daddy is having a jolly good time! And Sun is smiling, err shining.

Friday, September 21, 2007

I hate you Bitch!

I knew I would hate you the first time I met you on that hot afternoon last summer and I was right.

Well, it’s been many months we have found each other in the vicinity yet at the core we can’t stand each other….admit it, you bitch. However civil we try to remain in our daily interactions the truth is you always have an eye on me and more so now when you find me right under your nose. You know, actually I had taken a bad decision…but, not any more….

I can’t understand why you bring your fucking face in front of me every morning on your way to ------ and again so many times during the day during your countless ----time. I don’t understand why you hover around me pretending you came to meet someone else. I don’t understand why on earth you are so curious about what I do. I don’t understand why you hear what I don’t even think in my head and concoct a story. I don’t understand why you always think you could interpret correctly something about me when you just see things on façade. I don’t understand why you don’t understand that I am not like you. I don’t understand why you don’t understand that you have no business with my personal life. I don’t understand why you don’t understand that I don’t like you. I don’t understand why you don’t understand I give you a f***. And for so many moons I have been trying to tell you I could see the witch underneath the façade you wear during the day…err in life! And that I find you damn superficial and brainless even if you are holding that hot seat for long. And I REALLY don’t understand why you don’t get back to what you have at your desk….Get back to work, be professional.

And I know how you would feel when you come to know what I did today. But as always it came my way and I had no inkling till the last moment and then I knew how desperate you were for that…oops! I pity you. And I am happy I will not see you every morning hovering around me wearing that bitchy..err evil grin. You know, you can’t even imitate me there. First you don’t have a face like me so you can’t wear a smile like I do and then you don’t know how to smile.

Smile from your heart and the world smiles with you …oooo, I forgot that you don’t have one…bad advice there. Would you ever try to be genuine? When?

And you are a bitch and a bitch and a bitch and will always be ever and ever and ever…a super-duper bitch! I am sure you are fond of titles..there you go..on the fire! Burn your bra or lit a cigarette or go green or turn red or burn into ashes, I dont care.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Fon(e)y Connexion!


I am a proud subscriber of Vodafone from today and it feels good. Well, not because I have any thing with a brand global or anything on that line. For those interested in hard facts err.. statistics: it’s the second largest telecom provider after China Mobile; I get this piece of information from my well informed brother who is in the helm of affairs in telecom sector.
I am not talking about any of that but an incident as I am reminded of one such from a time that has been so long ago…

It takes me to the year 1978 and to a city called as ‘city of Joy’. I and my entire nuclear family (sans my darling brother as he was still in my mother’s tummy or may be even not there….shhh..) landed in the city after our much talked about North Eastern sojourn.
It was one evening when all family members gathered to meet the new family. My parents left Calcutta as a couple and came back with a new addition… (That’s me!) And I was introduced to all the family members; actually, the other way around. For me that meeting was where those words got faces which I had only learnt to pronounce from those picture books one reads after your honeymoon with alphabets.

And as usual I was the show stopper or the garrulous most and no one complained (that’s how I would like to believe!). My memory seldom fails and I still remember how I caught attention of my maternal grandfather who by all standards the most suave gentleman I have ever seen in my life. I went near him, stood very close to him almost grabbing his knee (well, I was only that tall then to reach that far!) and said: ‘we got our phone connection today’ and then looked up to him to check whether he took notice of what I just uttered. He promptly grabbed me and made me sit on his lap and fondly asked me: ‘what is a phone’? And I very intelligently (as usual…can’t stop patting my back ..ha ha ha!) retorted back: ‘P-H-O-N-E- phone’. And he smiled. And then I looked at him again and said: ‘why, you thought I would say F-O-N-E?’ And next I heard a huge roar of laughter in the room.
And as usual I made people laugh….well, that’s a different story.

Well, my FONE connection continues as my service provider still spells it that way. V-O-D-A-F-O-N-E- Vodafone.
And now you know I have new connection err Vodafone!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Happy Birthday, smiling face!



Another birthday and my ode to September continues....

September is rather a birthday month indeed! Our good friend smiley turned 25 today. On this very day in 1982, Prof Scott E Fallman of Carnegie Mellon University for the first time gave birth..err conceived what was a series of three characters: a colon, a hyphen and a parenthesis and asked us to read it sideways to see whether it's smiling :-)

Voila! our smiling face, a symbol of good time was born.
Long live smiley !! :-) ummm, I am seriously smiling here! :-D

Quote-Unquote

On a sunny note, another one on sunny connection!
"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." Wow...so said Buddha.

Quote-Unquote


After all, no matter what happens, the Sun rises every day. Wow, what a sunny note !!
I am a sunny gal, dont you know?

September....encore!


"Though we've got to say good-bye for the summer .......Yes, its gonna be cold and lonely summer.....So let us make a pledge to meet in September and seal it with a kiss."

Thus goes the lyrics...err thats how I recall what Brian Hyland once sang. For whom? Any idea?!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Buongiorno, Principessa!


Good morning, sweet princess! Welcome!

It’s such a sweet feeling to have your own child; it’s such a proud moment for any parent and more so, if its the first time around. And I am sure my friend felt just so after a wait of those 9 (or so) months when you get to see what was growing in your tummy; you get to hold what has been playing inside you and kicking you when you wanted to catch a nap! Congratulations and best wishes as you become the proud parent of your baby girl.

Welcome, sweet princess.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Lost and Found


Who moved my ch....err Tuborg? Did not I keep it here last night? May be I am imagining or I was dead drunk? Well, I and Denmark and for that matter anything Danish, goof up all the time, its nothing new. Hic hic!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Living like a Nomad



Looks like mustard seeds under my feet had started to roll again…whoosh..and I am on the roll again! Wow, I like the feeling, moving on the fast lane, going atop thousand miles and being there where you want to. It’s a heady feeling to have those gusts of wind on your face, wind playing with your locks; I like that look, my unruly locks!

Payer tolaye shorshhe’- this Bengali proverb if translated literally in English would mean mustard seeds underneath your feet. The first time I had heard the phrase as a toddler was when my grandmother, a very accomplished poet/writer on her own right told this to my dad to mention his ‘today here-tomorrow there’ lifestyle with innumerable transfers in and around the country.

Well, I inherited his genes. I am a daddy’s gal, don’t you know?!!

As a child I used to dream to see all the corners of the World, cross all the oceans and travel to all the continents and I look at the list I have in front of me which lists the name of places I have been already and to which all I want to set my feet. I feel HAPPppY! It gives me a sense of achievement, a sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment. And the music on my ipod plays: where do you go? And I sing back: I will let you know!

It’s living like a nomad at its peak and I am lovin’ it. That’s how McD lures you....err sales those fatty burgers, not for me, though! Hmmm, I am so hungry and where is my fillet-o-fish???
Ooops, I remembered something…Its party time: Nous avons une partie ce soir; venez-vous?

Friday, September 14, 2007

Quote-Unquote


There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who walk into a room and say, "There you are" and those who say, "Here I am". Abigail Van Buren

Quote-Unquote

'Occassionally wrong and rarely in doubt', says who?

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Seven Seven...Dirty Seven!


I am good with words and not numbers, well thats how I like to think. But my report cards always told me and especially my dad that I have a thing with numbers!
Now what??? Numerology or Algebra? Well, none of that. I realized I remember things and also numbers, wow! Its about the cruise on the Nile and our group of Seven: three couples, who adopted me on board 'Nile-Ritz' and I.

Who are these couples? They looked like retired couples on holiday when I was assigned a huge table, all to myself right next to them. And little later I knew their food preference as they were not able to fill their plates with Egyptian delicacies. I was observing them, well, not that I was smitten by any one those three men but I was a vegeterian myself that time. (What?? travelling in Egypt and vegeterian! Yes... ) I guess the manager on the deck was also as observant as me and decided to join both the tables, obviously after getting a nod from both the sides. And we became SEVEN and we had ONE common thing between us: greens...go greens...ooops, yikes!

And for those 4N-5D it never occured to me I started the trip alone. We talked, joked, ate, drank, danced, played (I still remember those games of table tennis, hope they got back those ping-pongs I sent all over!), and again played (this one is for those games of cards and Tambola or shall I say 'Bingo') and had a blast.

The list of common things increased as we mingled, which included two languages, one vacation a year and then a common civilization (the Indian Sub-continent). Thus started our story.

Anyway, coming back to numbers: how Dirty Seven came into being...read on...

If you have ever heard Sudanese/Egyptian accented English then you would comprehend this one better: but I give it a shot with my words! In this part of the world (or shall I say people from here) 'T' is spoken with a slight dip in 'Z' and thus all words starting with a 't' like 'the' etc would sound like 'zte'. We had a winner in our group in everything, be it the Bingo game; or belly dancing or fancy dress competition.
It was that game of Bingo again: it was when we needed a 37 to complete the row and win a 'pyramid' and we were not able to locate a 'zirty seven' on our bingo coupons! And then one among us said 'Bingo' and prompty went for the prize and then another started to shout "Dirty Seven- Dirty Seven' and our group got a name. And we were christened as 'Dirty Seven' ever since. Long live SEVEN- SEVEN- D-I-R-T-Y-S-E-V-E-N!!

So, where is Dirty-Seven heading in 07? Well, where else but to one of those SEVEN wonders (have you checked the new list, its still there, no??)! Seven...oops see you there!

Dialogue Collage: Art of Confusion


Wow, I progress from monologue to dialogue, at least in this post, that is! No, it isn’t.

I talk a lot, I am a talkative person, I am a monotonous talker, I am a monologue marathon, I am a chatterbox and I am what I am. What? I thought I make sense and that’s why you listen, I did not know you can’t hear and that you can’t say….ooops!

This blog finds its place as I am asking myself questions and looking for answers from people (do I??) whom I have come across in life, people whose comments had struck a chord somewhere yet did not create a symphony, people who liked listening to me yet did not understand what I meant and people who confused me with their own ways of confusion….or that was making of Confuscious?! Wisdom galore! I would not get there. I would not try. I hate confusion.

Have you heard of a phrase, ‘we are (two nations) separated by a common language’? Well, G B Shaw said that first and I heard it again yesterday, oops! And it was not the first conversation, not even the second...actually, I lost counts after all those chatterathon.
Why that phrase? Well, may be I did not have the twang or simply because I was not making sense and others were not following what I was saying. I guess thats something you know when you make those first few conversations and don't wait for the marathons to get over.
And I am confused as when you say what you say and people laugh, you feel they are enjoying or you think they think you are funny or a fool; meaning you communicate, you make sense and others understand. And communication continues.
People look forward to hearing from you as that makes them happy and you feel they understand you; you convey meaning and you communicate. And communication continues.
And then after an epic communication series you hear it ...what? Why that phrase happen? Either people are confused about something or trying to confuse you. I guess people learn to express what they think before the river changes its course. Diplomacy personified??!! No one would find a patron in me here, never.

I did not know I was talking to make no sense (thats sort of an insult for someone who exists because she communicates) or the other had an ear-plug, is it? Thankyou very much for the comment but I have been successfully communicating so far and none complained. Wish some one found out the indicators of cultural difference at the outset without wasting time,energy,resources. Wow, someone forgot to ask for tips from an Anthropologist or ran out of logical excuses...hah! Wake up, life is not so logical, anyway.
Well, you cant impress me much, that goes the lyrics here.....Ohh, its such a shit...all crap (sic)

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Come September


September has always been a special month for me ever since I have come out of my mother’s womb. And I am sure it must be for many others, for good reasons and bad. Don’t we all know about Osama’s success: the infamous 9/11?

It was a ‘Come September’ for me this time, literally! I was waiting for it; well, my birthday month. But this year I was waiting for a reason, waiting to see something, waiting to know something…I am a curious being, don’t you know!? And what a wait that it was and what a revelation that it has been!!! It is a Double Whammy for me and believe me you not, I had a safe landing…oops…my nose!! And most importantly, my heart is in place and so are my feet and I am walking again. My logical friend (a female) asks me bitterly, if ‘its all good’ then why are you talking about it??? Yes, it is good to know that your intuition is your best friend and you only have your answers and that no one can decide for you and that one should not ignore the first signal and wait for a ‘seven-month-itch’ (Hey, doesn't Seven and September has a connection?? Thinking in French?). And then it is important to talk about things in life, its essential to express and let others know how you feel and its good to share what you learn, spread the education (as if people care?). Ooops, expectations again! The practical me is angry as she says ‘Did not I tell you to cut down on potatoes..err expectations?’ Well, it’s human to err and I am no different as they say experience makes what you are and I am happy that I have added on some, if at all. It reminds me I had read it somewhere, where, I ask? O’my bonnie baby, is not that your tag line on all those e-notes you send me; why did not I get the meaning then?? It’s all my eyes’ fault, sexy eyes or Spanish eyes…whatever! My eyes were blind or I blind-folded them (I have a naughty thought here..wanna know???). And I liked the act!!!

As I am giving a quick read before I press ‘publish post’ I am also readying myself for yet another celebration, its Happy Birthday time for my brother …and where is the crystal bonsai…oops…where did I keep the gift???? Ouch, this hurts, its that ‘seven month itch’…where is the ointment, could you pass it on, please???

Thanks, my dear birthday boy for dragging me out from where I was and introducing me to the world waiting for me…..Happy Birthday, my bonnie baby! And we sing along a song, do you??
And I say ‘hej do’ to that ‘seven-month-itch’!!! Ooops..thats in Swedish just so you know. Hope you are reading it.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

She Walks in Beauty


Every one is going ga ga over her; she was talked about in the past and she is being talked about now and why not, she is the epitome of beauty! While everyone is at it I also grab my moment under the sun…err moon (Though it’s so very unlike me. I seldom tread a path taken by many just so you know!). She is a gorgeous thing on earth ever since she happened and this one is my ode to love, my salute to something so eternally beautiful (oops..again this is so unlike me, worshipping beauty and I? Well, there is always a first time, no?).

Folks, hold on, stop rolling your eye-balls, she is not any female (hetero is the word for me..hic!) but she is our very own Taj Mahal!

I was waiting for that moment to set my eyes on her white marble body, for that special moment under the full moon light. And it’s such a whale of an experience. Wow! and I was floored, my eyes were moist, my throat was dry and heart was beating fast or dancing with joy??!! My joys knew no bounds and I was thrilled…well, that joy was short lived thanks to some rude security personnel who goofed up their watches from the pick-up point and then again at the screening points and my love affair lasted for just about 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes for which I had paid a special sum to ensure my date under moonlight…well, don’t you know good things don’t last for ever?!
But the ‘die-hard’ in me has plans to make it last longer and here is wishing that I could work with Uttar Pradesh Police Force one day and get night shift patrol duty at the monument and quench the romantic in me. Wah, what a thought! I very much could spend all my life admiring the charm and the romance of those moments. Who knows that could open doors for alternative career options of a poet or a creative writer...making of a maestro…ahhh…the 'alert me' says shouting, “wake up! You dream a lot.” Oh, yeah...its time to get practical!

If visiting Taj under moonlight could be so heady, I can only imagine how Shah Jehan used to feel looking at his beautiful wife, the great Mumtaz Mahal. He decided to make this beautiful mausoleum, befitting her beauty who died at childbirth in 1631, a tribute to love and beauty from a husband, a lovelorn, heartbroken Mughal Emperor called Shah Jehan.

Well, now I know for sure ‘beauty rules’! Ooops, why did not I know this before….alas…all those beauty crowns could have been mine…ha ha ha!!! At least someone mentioned a Taj souvenir to me, thats not bad!!

Monday, September 10, 2007

Mirage or Marriage


We just had a school reunion, and we relived our past drenched in nostalgia, laced in an overdose of double meaning vocabulary (some learnt for the first time that I could utter them and I for sure was surprised more than once and asked myself ‘how come its me all the time that my innocent words are sounding so...ummm.. sexy?!’).

Now coming back to the course of interaction, I guess it went on following a set pattern: people start gathering, people talk, and people exchange numbers and then people disperse. And what people talk? Well, definitely about others lives and the most personal the better!!! Someone starts counting the number of singles in the group on the lines of a cricket coach recounting fall of wickets! Somebody would simply turn into an agony aunt or uncle (depending upon gender) to solicit marriage, giving their voluntary services to the most unwilling customers…err.. friends. I silently say a prayer for all the singles in the group before the assault starts.

Well, marriage is a personal choice and decision; some marries early and some late and then there is a whole drama called finding the right chap..err match, even if you find one you have to make sure whether that would stay or stray and overall that bloody decision making process makes you feel like a dog (it reminds me I have to get rid of those dog biscuits myself…what a joke!) and more so if you are a representative of fairer sex even with right amount of education and moolah and sans those cellulites. I am sure in this insecure time as ours even a single man must be seeing stars in the day when it comes to arriving at a decision even if he knows he is not getting younger by the day.
Well, so, you all self-certified agony aunt/uncles, do you get the right picture now??? And most importantly, if marriage is the panacea for all those ‘imaginary’ ills then who would not want to bow for the holy vow? I am sure even though single-hood is smart, single-hood is envied and sought after but with our cultural norms (self imposed or socially imposed) it’s what we all would normally want (oooo, when someone wants to become a zen guru or a nun, please forgive me!).

But then a reunion is a reunion and for that matter a meeting is a meeting and why we have to follow a set pattern (oh so boring stereotype) as if social behavior is programmed. Well, they are actually programmed by our culture but are we not sounding as if we lost our heads and forgot to talk about other things under the sun??? What about rainbows (it rained this afternoon, may be we missed that pattern on the sky!!!)??
And at the end of the day when I am reminiscing about what all we talked, my bloated stomach reminded me..oops…we forgot to discuss what all we ate….burp… drank, did not we??? And in my head I hear a song ..It happens only in India…(do you remember the lyrics by any chance and can you sing along with me??)

Saturday, September 8, 2007

O’daddy!




Sending children to schools and that too to the ones you want, could be the most challenging task for any parent if you are from the city I come from and from the time I am living in. But someone had a lucky trip down there! It’s my dad and I guess he must have been the luckiest dad in terms of being able to send his daughter (and his son) to the schools he wanted in different cities and when he wanted with his untimely transfers.

The first one, an all girl’s school in the heart of a city in ‘city of joy’, had fascinated him when he as an NCC cadet set his feet in that huge stadium overlooking a school and he dreamt of sending his daughter to that ‘lake side – park side’ school one day. And the great Lord had granted him the wish, first with a daughter and then with a posting in that city when the daughter was just at the right age to go to school! It gives me a good feeling whenever I am reminded about this story… (You know, I love all that sentiments and things like that). But the ‘naughty-me’ is not satiated and intrigued about the source of his fascination since my mom came from a different city altogether and hence studied in a different school!!!! But the daddy’s girl in me says shouting…'don’t you know about his fixation with percentages and report cards????'. Oh yeah, good academic records, of course….



The second school from my daddy’s list is in the heart of the capital city with a name of a hill which is synonymous with the hot seat in the greatest democracy (oops….I am almost sounding like a quiz master and hey, don’t you scratch your head…its Raisina). He had heard about it during his innumerable visits to the capital city and wished his children (this time my brother had joined the team) to go to this school if he ever gets posted in the capital. His wishes were granted again when he got transferred to the capital in the middle of a year (to make the situation tough for us!). We both, brother and sister, had to sit for admission tests in an unlikely time to get admission (in the middle of an academic session as we were switching from different states and also different boards) and lo, and behold…the school had just one seat in each class we were to get in. And his wishes were granted again. Touch wood!

What do you say…is not my dad LUCKY?!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

The Rising Sun and Me


This is my space under the Sun (yea, I've a 'sunny' connection)…err in the wide web world and this is the first post which would be nothing less than a glowing tribute to one and only—I , me and myself! Yes, and I am on the right turf as this is the introduction, so…..

I am a special 'case' from the time I was born, and the place I was born and to the set of parents I was to become the (first born) daughter. I always get a special feeling whenever I introduce myself, be it in front of a new gang of classmates or friends or colleagues. At times I had asked myself whether it's me who glorifies all these mundane facts to some sort of important statistics but I am sure many would not have all these fascinating description about their birthplace and the naming process, about being the only female child to her parents, and in the entire family.

I was born in the tribal hinterland of India in the remote North-Eastern state, where my father was posted with my mother (who was pregnant with me). My mother chose to have the baby in that remote area declining the requests of the relatives and loved ones and their pleasant homely comfort. She was adamant and no one could prevail on her. My birth was awaited for very many reasons. My parents were married for many years without a living child of their own. My big sister (though I have never seen her) died four days after her birth. So, I had to be born and had to be alive to make my parents laugh and make them HAppPPY, to make my mother proud of her decision and to make my dad keep the name he chose after the place which gifted him and the family their only female child.

Life so far has been a roller-coaster ride for me and I am happy that I am still sailing, I am still rolling and I am still alive! Thanks to all who helped me in making what I am, shaping the person in me, tolerating me and hating me and nonetheless loving me. And, I am happy to be the girl from the land of rising sun, 'Apatani chhowali', the way my dad refers me fondly!!