Trek a break..

I suffer from itchy feet all the time; it has become part of me, sort of an eczema which never cures. I don’t want to find a cure, I kinda enjoy the itch…(umm more you itch more pleasure you derive out of it, I am getting naughty here!). And I love itching..err my itchy feet. And now I am into etching…what?

Intrigued? So, read on…

I am sure you will wonder what brought her back to blogspot on 31st December when she had already written her last post of the year and vouched for a very-busy day-and-night on New Year eve. I surely shall explain - I do owe an explanation, especially when I deviate from my plan and write another post (which also means asking you to read/review it when it was unanticipated). So, I must explain, I better without mincing any more words…

So you must know what brought me here tonight ‘ignoring’ my New Year eve activities (I actually got home early and all my meetings went on well, so no worries! ‘She is exaggerating’) and preparation for my dad’s birthday (this one is real) as I found very interesting inspiration in this and this (really nice stuff!!). And they brought me back to my beloved blogspot. And I don’t seem to be complaining. Why, you wonder….hmmm

Coming back to itching and etching…I mean writing about this thing surely can satiate my itchy feet syndrome. I already find myself dreaming about a holiday in the forest of Borneo, in the serene environs of Malaysia, amidst the monks chanting Buddhist hymns in Cambodia and….and…and the list goes on. I really wish to land up in a beautiful place for my next holiday. I surely deserve a great holiday….don’t you know?


And I can’t tell you how itchy my feet are now; I have to get into travel mode soon.


Looking forward to a great year full of exciting trips, vacations, and a lot more travel writing. And I want to feel the itch err.. I am ‘itching’ to win this one.


Trek a break or shall I say, 'break a leg'!!

One more year and another…

I am at half century… Umm…I managed to score a 50. Well, I am talking about number of posts this year. One post per week on an average if you want more analysis… (he he).

Its kinda year end stock taking! Its stats, my dear, hard facts and numbers…

Not bad, I murmur…given all the nomadic existence err experiences, mood swings... (Umm, actually these are rather high-yielding times, so discount that!), other time consuming activities (read: my apartment and things associated with that) erratic behavior (read: last minute plans for movies, parties and meeting with friends on a short notice and such things). Well, no bragging, but honestly I am happy at my regular relationship with this blogspot.

This year made a mark for many reasons, for good reasons and bad.

For my little world 2008 would be a milestone, as I bought myself an apartment which I call my home. I am also happy for my trips to 25 cities and three countries this year despite not-so-good economic situation. I am happy to meet some of my old friends when they visited me. I am thankful to all who hosted me in different places this year for making my time memorable and safe. I am very happy as Mr. Obama could head for the US President’s chair on 20 January (I really am a BIG admirer of Obama!)

2008 was also a damper of sorts for global and local economy, many would not want to remember 2008 and would avoid its mention in case it re-visits (such superstitions!). Terrorism (read: cross border terrorism) was at its height in India and five major cities were attacked in 2008 causing loss of lives, property and not to mention peace. It was really B-A-D, they had a B.A.D plan to hit Bangalore-Ahmedabad-Delhi but they also went beyond their plan and added Jaipur (looks like they pre-tested their method here?) and Mumbai. Mumbai incident saw the largest casualty and maximum involvement of forces (Army, anti-terrorist squad, Mumbai police, Maharashtra police and not to mention the commandos from special security forces). And this one led to massive nation-wide awareness campaigns which has brought people of India together to fight against terrorism and made all of us stand in unity with a hope for a peaceful and democratic system tomorrow. Let’s hope for a better time in 2009.

And this one will be the last one in 2008’s slot.

I decided to punch in this one today with advance new year wishes looking at my schedule on 31st December when I will be hopping from one airport to another, talking about statistics, preparing for e.ee…egg-(and)–jams…ha ha ha exams (or taking one, not sure, lets see) and juggle in some ‘friendly’ meetings (no partying, no plans so far). I surely have a busy day-and-night tomorrow. I will tell you how I fare. So, see you next year then :)

So, here’s wishing all of you a very happy, peaceful, prosperous, fulfilling NEW YEAR. Happy New Year folks!!

Now I really want some nice food and some……do I need to tell you that also?

Corner Kick!

Ummm…so much is happening around her and she heard her muttering whether someone up there is listening to what she has been thinking…and she wonders. Well, not that she is complaining!

There is a saying ‘When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going!’. Whatever you derive out of it and wherever you come from and however you wish to read it, it actually best describes her current state. No worries, dude. She has seen these, been there and done these many times over. Now you wonder what? And she says nothing for you here.

Just a sort of example to elucidate what all these gibberish happening so far:

She is having a free time, (taken a break that is, for all you sophisticated souls). She is feeling the cool air and sniffing the soot that comes free with it sitting in the open in a posh coffee shop. She is planning to have yummy cup cakes they make in Flurys and sing Christmas carol at St Xavier’s next door. She is unpacking her old baggage in disbelief and discovering those ‘new’ shopping from 2005 from another shore. She is amazed to find how tall he can be when this hunk from Nordic took her for a traditional lunch which made her forget her own height in shock (even she forgot to stand next to him, such embarrassing moment!). She was thinking about a particular dish, just a casual thought, she was suppose to prepare under guidance (the guide went missing!) and returns to her base to find the lady in the kitchen tossing the same recipe (a variant of sorts, though). She goes out for a meeting, a more formal one and discovers her own follies and others follies too. And she goes about twinkling eyes, (hmmm..lilting music there), with a jump in her stride. The Levis from Mexico just fits her fine even now…wow!

Still she is continuing and she is wanting to do ‘this and that’ (she remembers him say ‘this and that’ on phone from across the border) amidst of all this madness - a kind of schizophrenic situation by the river. And the gentleman from the bay was right, that was her schizophrenic moment!

Then comes a realization, something so crucial dawns on her. So how far will you go? And she says ‘all the corners of the globe’. It keeps her going. And that gives her a kick!

Are there any corners, world is a round place, isn’t it? And more so, even flat, he he…

Missing Link

I am missing my Mr Globe (you know who I am talking about, don’t you?). No, I am not talking about any variant of Mr World or anything of that sort. He is the one who sends me to the globe to check where on earth he is located every time we communicate.

Yes, he is a globe trotter of sorts. I have a nick-name for him (it’s just for me, so you don’t say, ok?). I call him ‘Lonely Planet’ (good naturedly, I say giggling!!).

I realized that he has not been up and kicking for past few weeks and that he has been recuperating from a nasty infection. I was amazed at the ease with which he actually described that; I have seen/heard men not describing much about their illnesses. One of my researches on masculinity did trace why ‘they’ do that. Oops, you got me talking about my work on my blog, yikes! No complains….you better know what do I do for my living err….for my .nomadic existence, or better even, what makes my life so nomadic (the other day the hunk err the Prof from Uppsala called me vagabond much to my dislike, though. I gave him a benefit of doubt considering the amount of English communication in the university town of Uppsala…here goes…oops ‘shala’!!). Anyway…I move on…

I wish LP a quick recovery; want to see him up and kicking. I really do. More so with a selfish motive, since he had not read my blogposts for many weeks now, and I had not heard him discussing them.

So, get up, get going and start reading and let me hear your comments and how you like them. Ooops, such stern female this one, no mercy at all..he he.

Quote-Unquote

"It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it" - W. Somerset Maugham

Why Lie?

It was strange, I will say very strange.

I was in a meeting with someone who is not a stranger and yet not a celebrity but so much is known about him (may be he did not know that). And during the course of interaction I did ask him not-so-important questions which he very promptly answered. I repeated the answers since I had heard before (and known) something completely different so that he gets a chance to correct himself. Yet he repeated the same response. Hmmm, I wondered and stopped still looking eye-to-eye with him. I did see a slight hint of discomfort. Well....

I wonder why people lie about little things in life, when so much more is already known about them (thanks to websites, authentic ones at that) and especially when its about mundane things as trivial as which school one attended and from which University/city one graduated. I cannot understand what makes people cringe and not say the name of the university if its a small town? Why people are so insecure and hierarchical? I would like to think one needs to stand by these little facts of their lives, or else one will always run for cover under a Gucci dress or an Armani suit to feel great. Life is about being honest. Life is about acknowledging who we are; where we came from. Its our habit of hiding such trivial facts makes these issues so-very important to us, have you ever wondered that? Its we who first value-judge a thing before others do.

Sir, just so you know its an utter shame for a person like you to suffer from such insecurities as after doing so well and achieved what all you have so far you should have felt proud to mention your alma mater and the city you came from. Or else you should not have mentioned them in your bio or better even went to another school and re-done your degree.

Well, at the end of the day, you are a liar for me even if you stand tall among people but you score quite low on my list.

Me(N)merizing…

I wonder what make men meet another woman….

I have no problem with friendships with men, with their chivalrous gestures. But I am talking about special attentions from men which are uncalled for, do you get it?

I am talking about those thin lines between mischievous and flirtatious pokes and those disgusting, very suggestive activities. I am talking about when much married men try their hands on other women. And I ask what make these men take interest in another woman? Hmmm…really a good question when we see number of application for separation and divorce is going north in geometric proportion, and we hear stories of bad marriages and ‘caught him red handed’ tales from our female friends and colleagues.

Sometimes, I think twice before I plan to attend a get together at my married friend’s place. Well, I take care, you know. I have seen myself. I have experienced myself how my very confident female friend found herself in a not-so-great situation and how she did not feel confident about it. And I didn’t feel great about it either; not comfortable in such company when my idea of attending such functions or get-together is spoiled.

I do not go to these get-together with an intention to score a point over any of my married female friends with their husbands wearing lecherous hats. I am chirpy, friendly, extrovert, I have confidence to strike up a conversation in a gathering, and I have self respect. And I do look good sans cellulite! These definitely make me look attractive on any day of solar calendar! And most importantly, I really DO believe these are not reasons for a man to stray and forget his vows he had once pronounced when he took that holy bow.

Well friends, it’s disgusting. I hope my friends read this and know how I feel about all these. And why sometimes I am so choosy about who all are coming to a party, you know?

Hmmm…. Give me a break from double standards, lecherous men, ‘good-husband-trying-on-their-wife’s-friends’. Just know that I have friends (both male and female) who can give me good company, respect and great time. And another thing, I like my company to a hilt, so, you don’t have to worry even if I am single and looking. It is to say I am not looking at you. So, stay away and let me walk my way. Got me?