Tuesday, November 29, 2005
I dont know what I was thinking when I wrote this :-)
Over time, the lines between right and wrong, good and bad, have blurred. So much -so that the line is now an imperceptible dot. A dot, whose boundaries are blotting into the background ...The dot is fighting to retain its identity, to grow, to produce more of its ilk.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
This Thanksgiving Message from the Google Team, caught my attention and required to be etched someplace for posterity:
"A Gobble approach to email.
In 1621, a few hundred Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down to celebrate a bountiful harvest. The feast lasted three days, and included fowl, venison, fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, and plums. There was no pumpkin pie, however. There was also an alarming lack of user-friendly webmail services.
Now, 383 years later, it's once again time to celebrate what has come to be known as Thanksgiving - a time to gather with family and friends and give thanks for all that we have. We have many things to be thankful for. But mostly, we are thankful for you - our users - who remind us of why we work so hard all year and why we love what we do. That's better than all the dried fruit and clams in the world.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for making our approach to email yours.
Gobble gobble,
The Gmail Team"
"A Gobble approach to email.
In 1621, a few hundred Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down to celebrate a bountiful harvest. The feast lasted three days, and included fowl, venison, fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, and plums. There was no pumpkin pie, however. There was also an alarming lack of user-friendly webmail services.
Now, 383 years later, it's once again time to celebrate what has come to be known as Thanksgiving - a time to gather with family and friends and give thanks for all that we have. We have many things to be thankful for. But mostly, we are thankful for you - our users - who remind us of why we work so hard all year and why we love what we do. That's better than all the dried fruit and clams in the world.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for making our approach to email yours.
Gobble gobble,
The Gmail Team"
Friday, November 18, 2005
Friends, Shopping, Bangalore, Pictures, Partying
A blur of events...
One and a half years of catching up.
Shopping with fun gal pals.
Tripping.
Drinking.
Initiation into a funny stoned clique.
Dee told me about my preoccupation with the past. I am shaken out of my state of denial by a tear shower. A welling resolve to bury the hatchet and all strings binding me to my past, surfaces and for once I let it burst to the surface. I have a past but it shall not bog me down. I am above the past. I have a life so much better, cleaner and honest now.
Work slips into the background almost incongruously. Deadlines don't seem to matter much. A distinct sense of detachment from "i gotta deliver on time" settles in.
A couple of well shot pics of you can be truly life altering huh?
One and a half years of catching up.
Shopping with fun gal pals.
Tripping.
Drinking.
Initiation into a funny stoned clique.
Dee told me about my preoccupation with the past. I am shaken out of my state of denial by a tear shower. A welling resolve to bury the hatchet and all strings binding me to my past, surfaces and for once I let it burst to the surface. I have a past but it shall not bog me down. I am above the past. I have a life so much better, cleaner and honest now.
Work slips into the background almost incongruously. Deadlines don't seem to matter much. A distinct sense of detachment from "i gotta deliver on time" settles in.
A couple of well shot pics of you can be truly life altering huh?
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Yesterday
Last evening:
The soft thudding of feet on concrete under the moonlight was welcome music. I had forgotten, the feeling of strangled breath, the rhythmic sound of hair swishing in the wind, the pounding of a heart forced to pump more in your ear, the warmth of blood rushing to your head flowing into your ears and then the sweat pouring down.
I like running in the moonlight.
Today
I played my first ever game of Sudoku. Sometime in the last 6 months, this game caught the fancy of a bunch of friends and a newspaper (I read). I was obviously removed from the Sudoku wave, until, I saw a hoarding in South Mumbai and then promptly launched myself into Sudoku world enthusiastically. You can see, it doesn't take much to draw me into another "waste time at work" medium.
http://www.websudoku.com/
I like, the Evil level, to describe the toughest Sudoku level. It conjures mental images of a Japanese monstrous dragon grinning and clapping :-) (also the colors - gold and purple, of scheming royalty)
2 days In Nuce!
Last evening:
The soft thudding of feet on concrete under the moonlight was welcome music. I had forgotten, the feeling of strangled breath, the rhythmic sound of hair swishing in the wind, the pounding of a heart forced to pump more in your ear, the warmth of blood rushing to your head flowing into your ears and then the sweat pouring down.
I like running in the moonlight.
Today
I played my first ever game of Sudoku. Sometime in the last 6 months, this game caught the fancy of a bunch of friends and a newspaper (I read). I was obviously removed from the Sudoku wave, until, I saw a hoarding in South Mumbai and then promptly launched myself into Sudoku world enthusiastically. You can see, it doesn't take much to draw me into another "waste time at work" medium.
http://www.websudoku.com/
I like, the Evil level, to describe the toughest Sudoku level. It conjures mental images of a Japanese monstrous dragon grinning and clapping :-) (also the colors - gold and purple, of scheming royalty)
2 days In Nuce!
Monday, September 26, 2005
3 days in a row...
The Sun is shining down on Mumbai.
The skies have emptied their largesse over the last 4 months and have no more to drench us with.
It is nice to feel the sun beating down your neck.The dusty streets have never looked this welcoming.
And now we approach October heat!
There shall be cribbing about the intolerable heat in 2 weeks now.
Its amazing how short-lived human memory and satisfaction is. We shall always ask for what we don't have. We shall consistently forget how much we yearned for the very thing we crib about.
Sigh! Human Nature.
The Sun is shining down on Mumbai.
The skies have emptied their largesse over the last 4 months and have no more to drench us with.
It is nice to feel the sun beating down your neck.The dusty streets have never looked this welcoming.
And now we approach October heat!
There shall be cribbing about the intolerable heat in 2 weeks now.
Its amazing how short-lived human memory and satisfaction is. We shall always ask for what we don't have. We shall consistently forget how much we yearned for the very thing we crib about.
Sigh! Human Nature.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Post hibernatum...
20 odd days since the last time I blogged - Bad, very bad.
Work, more work, running around, sleeping. "Sleep", my personal paradise reduced to a mere 6 hours. Sometimes I wonder what I do with my time - I don't think I have been doing any "me " stuff. Work has robbed me of vestiges of personal time and space.
I haven't done anything remotely creative.
My attempts to read "Sophie's Choice", which is truly engrossing, have been repeatedly shot down by my tired eyes. William Styron deserves better so, Sophie's Choice waits until, I try to get some order in my life.
Today is a new day - another one of those days- when I promise, myself a new order and sanity in my haphazard existence.
My social networking is at an all time low - a thumbs down on that account as well!
As a step towards 'me time', I saw, the Amitabh- Rani starrer Black on TV,and loved it. Tear shedding and a quick thankful prayer for the world of sight and sound followed.
My mother loves the movie Khakhee with the crazy enthusiasm of an Amitabh fan. She sat me through, parts of the movie- only so that, she could regale me with dialogues, she has learnt, by watching the movie 5 times.
Meanwhile, I think I can produce a decent rendition of Vertigo considering it plays in my ear almost all day.
I don't quite know, how to sign off, so here go -abruptly!
Work, more work, running around, sleeping. "Sleep", my personal paradise reduced to a mere 6 hours. Sometimes I wonder what I do with my time - I don't think I have been doing any "me " stuff. Work has robbed me of vestiges of personal time and space.
I haven't done anything remotely creative.
My attempts to read "Sophie's Choice", which is truly engrossing, have been repeatedly shot down by my tired eyes. William Styron deserves better so, Sophie's Choice waits until, I try to get some order in my life.
Today is a new day - another one of those days- when I promise, myself a new order and sanity in my haphazard existence.
My social networking is at an all time low - a thumbs down on that account as well!
As a step towards 'me time', I saw, the Amitabh- Rani starrer Black on TV,and loved it. Tear shedding and a quick thankful prayer for the world of sight and sound followed.
My mother loves the movie Khakhee with the crazy enthusiasm of an Amitabh fan. She sat me through, parts of the movie- only so that, she could regale me with dialogues, she has learnt, by watching the movie 5 times.
Meanwhile, I think I can produce a decent rendition of Vertigo considering it plays in my ear almost all day.
I don't quite know, how to sign off, so here go -abruptly!
Monday, September 05, 2005
On an extended bout of paranoia...
left work early with most others, as I saw storm clouds gathering over the Mumbai sky.
A "dark as night" sky at 5:00 p.m.
Flashes of lightning and claps of thunder- reminiscent of the biggie- 26th July!!!
Well, so far, it has just been another dark wet day- nothing bad, nothing flooded, nobody stranded.
Weather Check at 8:09 p.m, Monday, 5th Sep'05 - all is well.
A "dark as night" sky at 5:00 p.m.
Flashes of lightning and claps of thunder- reminiscent of the biggie- 26th July!!!
Well, so far, it has just been another dark wet day- nothing bad, nothing flooded, nobody stranded.
Weather Check at 8:09 p.m, Monday, 5th Sep'05 - all is well.
A South Indian Soiree
I had quite forgotten, what a South Indian wedding can do to you.
Two weddings in quick succession, were enough to tire me of the soft rustle of Kancheevaram Sarees- not that I'd stop hoarding them, now ;-) and banana leaf feasts.
A South Indian wedding, like any other of its ilk, elevates the subtle act of people watching, to undisguised proportions. Each woman, is reveling in the variegated display of jewels and silks and probably conjuring up images of her next must-have bauble/saree.
No self respecting "native" at one of these South Indian weddings shall be caught dead in anything but a Kancheevaram, unless of course, you are a man or a child.
I like, "the steeped in culture" feel of eating the wedding feast on a banana leaf, but, I cannot manage the mad scramble, to gulp my meal, before it decides to flow out the central rib of the banana leaf. For someone used, to holding a plate of food in one hand for eternity, perched, on the couch, staring at TV or reading, the nimble agility that is required of the banana leaf is a tough ask.
The South Indian wedding ,though I make it sound like that, is not all silk and food and plantain. Agreed, we don't usually make a song and dance out of much,wedding or otherwise, but we do have some interesting rituals preceding and following a wedding.
For the first time, I saw a little song and dance sequence as an optional pre-wedding ritual, where, Radha is married to Krishna, and devotees organize a mock dance competition to honour the Lord Krishna. What was most interesting was, only men, partook in this competition and these, men were not young, except maybe in spirit. The entire sequence, is enacted with a rice pestle, as a prop. This, perhaps because, the child Krishna, was bound to this pestle, as punishment for stealing butter.
Cool huh?
Two weddings in quick succession, were enough to tire me of the soft rustle of Kancheevaram Sarees- not that I'd stop hoarding them, now ;-) and banana leaf feasts.
A South Indian wedding, like any other of its ilk, elevates the subtle act of people watching, to undisguised proportions. Each woman, is reveling in the variegated display of jewels and silks and probably conjuring up images of her next must-have bauble/saree.
No self respecting "native" at one of these South Indian weddings shall be caught dead in anything but a Kancheevaram, unless of course, you are a man or a child.
I like, "the steeped in culture" feel of eating the wedding feast on a banana leaf, but, I cannot manage the mad scramble, to gulp my meal, before it decides to flow out the central rib of the banana leaf. For someone used, to holding a plate of food in one hand for eternity, perched, on the couch, staring at TV or reading, the nimble agility that is required of the banana leaf is a tough ask.
The South Indian wedding ,though I make it sound like that, is not all silk and food and plantain. Agreed, we don't usually make a song and dance out of much,wedding or otherwise, but we do have some interesting rituals preceding and following a wedding.
For the first time, I saw a little song and dance sequence as an optional pre-wedding ritual, where, Radha is married to Krishna, and devotees organize a mock dance competition to honour the Lord Krishna. What was most interesting was, only men, partook in this competition and these, men were not young, except maybe in spirit. The entire sequence, is enacted with a rice pestle, as a prop. This, perhaps because, the child Krishna, was bound to this pestle, as punishment for stealing butter.
Cool huh?
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
Odors
Being myopic confers one with an innately sharp sense of smell.
I wouldn't call that a very good thing,because, there is a wire connecting the nasal nerve to the head and the extremely sensitive nose in contact with unpleasant odor triggers a headache, when it gets irritated by any odor which,well, irritates it:-).
Sequence of events as it occurs:
Odors wage war on the nasal nerve (I think some knowledgeable types call it Olfactory or something)
Odor Type: Happy/ Unpleasant
Result: Peace/Jangling
Result (Result): Tug at the connecting wire
Result (Result(Result)): Sniff seeking out odor/Irritating headache.
Its interesting, the number of odors that I encountered today. I probably paid too much attention to them today.
In retrospect, must have looked quite a mutt, sniffing and crinkling my nose :
I try holding my breath, the entire time the chloriny affair prevails, but when I exhale a li'il, the odors attack with a vengeance. So I am going to throw all that unwanted effort outta the window.
I only just discovered that dried sunflower has an extremely earthy, herby smell- likee
I also like the smell of green tea and aloe and so the folks in Bath & Body Works stopped making it!
P.S: Also discovered a connection between the odors and the throat.
I am one hypochondriac mutt- my olfactories (yes that's what they are called) rest!
I wouldn't call that a very good thing,because, there is a wire connecting the nasal nerve to the head and the extremely sensitive nose in contact with unpleasant odor triggers a headache, when it gets irritated by any odor which,well, irritates it:-).
Sequence of events as it occurs:
Odors wage war on the nasal nerve (I think some knowledgeable types call it Olfactory or something)
Odor Type: Happy/ Unpleasant
Result: Peace/Jangling
Result (Result): Tug at the connecting wire
Result (Result(Result)): Sniff seeking out odor/Irritating headache.
Its interesting, the number of odors that I encountered today. I probably paid too much attention to them today.
In retrospect, must have looked quite a mutt, sniffing and crinkling my nose :
- Shampoo and conditioner on freshly washed hair (happy odor) -sense of freshness
- Warm vanilla sugar (ditto)- ditto
- Filtered coffee at 7:30 am - zingy
- Crisp toast-delicious
- Dusty road- puky
- Chlorine/sulfurous odor on the factories belt- terrible, nauseous, puky.
I try holding my breath, the entire time the chloriny affair prevails, but when I exhale a li'il, the odors attack with a vengeance. So I am going to throw all that unwanted effort outta the window.
I only just discovered that dried sunflower has an extremely earthy, herby smell- likee
I also like the smell of green tea and aloe and so the folks in Bath & Body Works stopped making it!
P.S: Also discovered a connection between the odors and the throat.
I am one hypochondriac mutt- my olfactories (yes that's what they are called) rest!
Friday, August 26, 2005
I ask myself
...if there is a specific reason, why I was put where I am and if anybody thought up a good enough reason to answer this question.
Am I here as part of a mission that I am not yet aware of?
Am I a just a miniscule speck in the bigger scheme of things?
If yes, what the hell is the "bigger scheme of things"?
And am I really that "miniscule"?
Is someone watching while, my life unfolds with each passing day, to reveal, more people, things, emotions, secrets,activities.
Is someone, checking stuff I do, off a general list of human flaws?
Does this person, insert a little smiley, against a particular horrible deed, and annotate " I knew she'd do this ".
Is someone taking stock?
Am I here as part of a mission that I am not yet aware of?
Am I a just a miniscule speck in the bigger scheme of things?
If yes, what the hell is the "bigger scheme of things"?
And am I really that "miniscule"?
Is someone watching while, my life unfolds with each passing day, to reveal, more people, things, emotions, secrets,activities.
Is someone, checking stuff I do, off a general list of human flaws?
Does this person, insert a little smiley, against a particular horrible deed, and annotate " I knew she'd do this ".
Is someone taking stock?
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
"How long does a journey have to be before it qualifies as one?
I ask because I've had some that were four feet long, some 25 feet, others that were the length of India, and yet others that, with a slender needle of a silver plane, tacked together great sheets of ocean and continent.
The four-foot journey was the longest.
Four feet is the breadth of an average surgical cot.
For two years it was the breadth of my world too-a world that smelt of cold, canned oxygen, and sweetly sickening ether.
....The way I was positioned lying on my side like a child's rag doll, and looking through the railings of the surgical cot, it seemed to me that the world had bars superimposed on it and life could be viewed only in segments, if one had to make sense of it."
-Geralyn Pinto, Re-Routing
I ask because I've had some that were four feet long, some 25 feet, others that were the length of India, and yet others that, with a slender needle of a silver plane, tacked together great sheets of ocean and continent.
The four-foot journey was the longest.
Four feet is the breadth of an average surgical cot.
For two years it was the breadth of my world too-a world that smelt of cold, canned oxygen, and sweetly sickening ether.
....The way I was positioned lying on my side like a child's rag doll, and looking through the railings of the surgical cot, it seemed to me that the world had bars superimposed on it and life could be viewed only in segments, if one had to make sense of it."
-Geralyn Pinto, Re-Routing
Crash Triads
I knew it was waiting to happen.
When the Cypriot crash , was followed in quick succession by the Venezuela plane crash, I told friends, "There is going to be a third - plane crashes in the past have always been in threes", and today, I read about the third crash- the Peru crash.
Sad, spooky, but hell a triad ...
When the Cypriot crash , was followed in quick succession by the Venezuela plane crash, I told friends, "There is going to be a third - plane crashes in the past have always been in threes", and today, I read about the third crash- the Peru crash.
Sad, spooky, but hell a triad ...
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Things about monsoon I only just noticed
- There are 5 little waterfalls on the dirt track to the office - very pretty.
- Occasional cows on this dirt track, are the brazen types, who stare the car in the face and dont budge, even on honking incessantly - talk about feeling cowed!
- Lanky stray dogs, have their paws splattered with slush on account of splish-splashing about in the potholed streets- they look like teddy bears with painted paws.
- When I step out of the car just outside the office, it rains really hard and stops as soon as I get into the lobby - also interesting to note is the fact that it doesn't rain all the ways from home to office.
- You spend much more on pot-pourri in monsoons trying to get the musty smell outta the house.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Books I am reading
Joseph Heller: Catch -22
Roald Dahl: Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life
Amitav Ghosh: Dancing in Cambodia, At Large in Burma
Roald Dahl: Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life
Amitav Ghosh: Dancing in Cambodia, At Large in Burma
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Week 1-back in Mumbai
At the end of week one in Mumbai, I have to my credit the following:
Tue, 2nd Aug '05, 7:45 am.
Step out from shower. Need to blow dry hair, to make it look unlike raggedy doll. Discover that hair dryer is broken- motor burnt while self was away across 7 seas. Sigh exasperatedly, about looking like raggedy doll on day 1 in Mumbai office. Keep grumbling about broken hair dryer through breakfast. Mom gives me a piece of her mind: do you realize that Mumbai has just faced a natural disaster where people have lost lives ,among things, all you worry about is a "Hair Dryer". Feel ashamed. Mom goes on about a lack of civic responsibility. Feel more ashamed.
Cellphone with outgoing barred:
My cell phone operator decides to bill me for charges incurred in Feb' 05 in Jun'05. I take my time understanding that delayed billing scenario. Operator loses patience, sends several warning messages that outgoing shall be barred-self ignores messages, outgoing barred, continue to receive messages about incoming to be barred if payment not made. Finally, shake myself out of lazy stupor and walk in to make appropriate payments. All credit cards declined and debit card not accepted. Sheesh! My cellphone woes continue until, I go pay cash now.
The rickshaw wallah piece
Walking around with only indian currency notes of denomination 10, 20 and higher. No small change. Rainy day, 7 pm IST, rickshaw meter display : Rs. 11 . Apologetically explain to rickshaw man that have 10/ 20 and will require Rs 9 in change. He hears change jangling in my wallet (i.e quarters, dimes, pennies etc..). Explain that I cannot transact with that kinda currency. RM (rickshaw man) gives me withering look, grumbles loudly about losing a Rupee, shoos me out of the rickshaw. Feel embarrassed and walk away.
Another rickshaw wallah, explained to me that I have absolutely no sense of direction, on my way to a friend's pound party luncheon. I argued otherwise and told him about having lived in the locality for at least 18 years. He was not convinced, said he had not seen me in the last 6 months. Sigh !
One rickshaw wallah who was actually nice to me was an old Allahabadi man, who chattered on incessantly about the changing times and explained that, "beti..zamaana kharaab ho gaya hai". Faced with the same change trouble while getting off, I let him keep the change, for fear of making another enemy in the Rickshaw wallah community. He blessed me and said that I'd have a wonderful day.:-)
The eve-teaser.
Running an errand in the locality, a man, who looked at least 45-50 years old, passed a cheap comment on me. I bristled with anger and uncharacteristically turned back, walked up to the man and told him in Hindi, " Out of respect for your age, I am not going to say this rudely, but, please talk with a little more decency". He said " Sorry Madam". I felt good and surprised at my self. I know, that 6 months ago, I would have ignored the comment and walked on in embarrassment. I feel empowered.
Lighter wallet
I got myself, expensive rain shoes from Catwalk. For the rains, for sloshing around in Mumbai type potholed roads - Rs 900. Insane freaking idiot. Still like shoes.
- Peeved Mom
- Cellphone with outgoing barred
- A totally pissed rickshaw wallah( make that 2)
- One eve-teaser less in my side of town (I hope)
- Lighter wallet
Tue, 2nd Aug '05, 7:45 am.
Step out from shower. Need to blow dry hair, to make it look unlike raggedy doll. Discover that hair dryer is broken- motor burnt while self was away across 7 seas. Sigh exasperatedly, about looking like raggedy doll on day 1 in Mumbai office. Keep grumbling about broken hair dryer through breakfast. Mom gives me a piece of her mind: do you realize that Mumbai has just faced a natural disaster where people have lost lives ,among things, all you worry about is a "Hair Dryer". Feel ashamed. Mom goes on about a lack of civic responsibility. Feel more ashamed.
Cellphone with outgoing barred:
My cell phone operator decides to bill me for charges incurred in Feb' 05 in Jun'05. I take my time understanding that delayed billing scenario. Operator loses patience, sends several warning messages that outgoing shall be barred-self ignores messages, outgoing barred, continue to receive messages about incoming to be barred if payment not made. Finally, shake myself out of lazy stupor and walk in to make appropriate payments. All credit cards declined and debit card not accepted. Sheesh! My cellphone woes continue until, I go pay cash now.
The rickshaw wallah piece
Walking around with only indian currency notes of denomination 10, 20 and higher. No small change. Rainy day, 7 pm IST, rickshaw meter display : Rs. 11 . Apologetically explain to rickshaw man that have 10/ 20 and will require Rs 9 in change. He hears change jangling in my wallet (i.e quarters, dimes, pennies etc..). Explain that I cannot transact with that kinda currency. RM (rickshaw man) gives me withering look, grumbles loudly about losing a Rupee, shoos me out of the rickshaw. Feel embarrassed and walk away.
Another rickshaw wallah, explained to me that I have absolutely no sense of direction, on my way to a friend's pound party luncheon. I argued otherwise and told him about having lived in the locality for at least 18 years. He was not convinced, said he had not seen me in the last 6 months. Sigh !
One rickshaw wallah who was actually nice to me was an old Allahabadi man, who chattered on incessantly about the changing times and explained that, "beti..zamaana kharaab ho gaya hai". Faced with the same change trouble while getting off, I let him keep the change, for fear of making another enemy in the Rickshaw wallah community. He blessed me and said that I'd have a wonderful day.:-)
The eve-teaser.
Running an errand in the locality, a man, who looked at least 45-50 years old, passed a cheap comment on me. I bristled with anger and uncharacteristically turned back, walked up to the man and told him in Hindi, " Out of respect for your age, I am not going to say this rudely, but, please talk with a little more decency". He said " Sorry Madam". I felt good and surprised at my self. I know, that 6 months ago, I would have ignored the comment and walked on in embarrassment. I feel empowered.
Lighter wallet
I got myself, expensive rain shoes from Catwalk. For the rains, for sloshing around in Mumbai type potholed roads - Rs 900. Insane freaking idiot. Still like shoes.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
A particularly sweet gesture
Retrospect:
I picked out a customized number plate for my friend's Merc: AETOS.
AETOS- Eagle, almost defines his glider of an E430. I was going through a particular "Greek words are so cool" phase, when I chose this for his plate. A fairly effective phase, involving rummaging through Greek name sites. Truth be told- the phase lasted for 3 days, after which, I was sick outta my mind of Greek/Latin/ Hebrew names et all.
Getting on to the gesture, which is the subject of the blog- I never thought I'd get to see the plate before I left Charlotte for Mumbai. But the plate was ready the day before I left, and my friend made me a "I'm goin to miss you card" with the picture of the plate- 'AETOS 9' , it said.
It feels nice to have christened something - Almost parentesque!
Is this how you feel when you name a baby or a pet???
I don't know yet , how that feels, but this sure feels good!
I picked out a customized number plate for my friend's Merc: AETOS.
AETOS- Eagle, almost defines his glider of an E430. I was going through a particular "Greek words are so cool" phase, when I chose this for his plate. A fairly effective phase, involving rummaging through Greek name sites. Truth be told- the phase lasted for 3 days, after which, I was sick outta my mind of Greek/Latin/ Hebrew names et all.
Getting on to the gesture, which is the subject of the blog- I never thought I'd get to see the plate before I left Charlotte for Mumbai. But the plate was ready the day before I left, and my friend made me a "I'm goin to miss you card" with the picture of the plate- 'AETOS 9' , it said.
It feels nice to have christened something - Almost parentesque!
Is this how you feel when you name a baby or a pet???
I don't know yet , how that feels, but this sure feels good!
Monday, August 01, 2005
On my way to Mumbai
29th July '05
My friend Suds, gave me a GW notebook and pen. Kinda cool...
I started writing/sketching in it...on my flight from NY to Paris to Mumbai
It feels good to pen thoughts...and re-read them back to yourself.
I like the sound of my thoughts..."Narcissa" or getting there!
Excerpts from my scribbles
My first entry in the book was a sketch, badly drawn, but hell, it was a visual imprinted on my mind while peering out of my cramped window seat on the Charlotte to NY leg. It is an aerial view of NY, taken while waiting for landing clearance at JFK. I compared my sketch to the Google satellite map, and well, I was looking at the Fort Wadsworth area which ran through the middle of the New York Bay and created an Upper NY and Lower NY Bay Area.
My friend Suds, gave me a GW notebook and pen. Kinda cool...
I started writing/sketching in it...on my flight from NY to Paris to Mumbai
It feels good to pen thoughts...and re-read them back to yourself.
I like the sound of my thoughts..."Narcissa" or getting there!
Excerpts from my scribbles
My first entry in the book was a sketch, badly drawn, but hell, it was a visual imprinted on my mind while peering out of my cramped window seat on the Charlotte to NY leg. It is an aerial view of NY, taken while waiting for landing clearance at JFK. I compared my sketch to the Google satellite map, and well, I was looking at the Fort Wadsworth area which ran through the middle of the New York Bay and created an Upper NY and Lower NY Bay Area.
Google has the most awesome satellite pictures...
Woman at Security Check In at JFK: Very nice!
Seeing that I was having a hard time saying BYE to Avi and Prach (I walked in and out of the security check-in queue 3 times), this nice lady said, " Don't worry, I'll let you know, when you absolutely HAVE to go in. Talk to your friends till its time."
Me (all gushy): You will???, thanks that's awesome!
Thank you, 'nice lady'!
29th July'05 (Airborne between NY and Paris)
Misty eyed after reading Sud's letter. Immediately thought of our common mantra 'b**** to the world' and new 'happy me' and dismissed angst.
30th July '05 (Towards Paris)
The sky (somewhere on European territory): Whipped cream over blue granita.
30th July'05 (5 mins before landing at DeGaulle)
Neat, symmetric, triangular,trapezoidal and several unnamed bounded spaces created by straight lines. French meadows huh? Undulating...
Smooth touchdown in French territory...(9:21 am Local time, 3:30 am EST, 1:00 pm IST)
Taxiing....
Number of times re-read all received cards and letters : 3 times.
Misty-eyed: equal number of times.
Still Taxiing...
Acutely aware of pain in back and lower back.
Long awaited "Welcome to Paris message " in French and in English.
Finally got off the freaking plane (a good 30 minutes after touchdown).
De Gaulle, Paris ( 11:00 am Local)
My Nextel phone miraculously rings.. displaying Avi's number. Talk to him until battery dies. Happy Girl. (For the joy of communicating in English...)
Pick up a KENZO parfum for MA. Scent is "Rice Steam"- I have a thing for weird scents. Dismissed Ginger as ORDINARY and Bamboo (spinach smelling) and White Lotus (stale flower smelling) as over the top.
Ran into French family from NY-Paris leg. The kids still vying for 'Papa's attention'. (Screamathon- 9 hours straight). The Papa in question was my travel companion (in the aisle seat) who spoke only one English word- Good Morning (ok two!).
Sitting right across from an ABCD family on its way to a Bandra wedding. Hear snatches of choli, zardozi and ghaghra type conversation. Also hear a forceful piece on conservative dressing in India from Mom to 3 daughters. Daughters SIGH.
Sleepy...Tired....Switch off.
Friday, July 29, 2005
My Last day in the United States...
Heading back to India tomorrow.
Mixed feelings about return.
Had so much fun.
I will miss so many people, places and most of all- my space.
The "Staying in touch"phase, begins.
What seemed like second nature, while here, will suddenly be slotted as a task.
But its something I want to do, because, the task and the people around the task make me happy.
And Happy Karma, will do just that..Stay Happy!!!
Mixed feelings about return.
Had so much fun.
I will miss so many people, places and most of all- my space.
The "Staying in touch"phase, begins.
What seemed like second nature, while here, will suddenly be slotted as a task.
But its something I want to do, because, the task and the people around the task make me happy.
And Happy Karma, will do just that..Stay Happy!!!
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