Early today , I woke to a dark gloomy sky, a tiny nip in the air and the still lingering smell of wet earth from yesterday's sudden shower. The air hung heavy with the imminent promise of a wet gloomy day. And then I noticed my tiny hibiscus bud, trembling under the dew...

I made a mental note to not douse my plants in water today.

Eventually the clouds drifted along to another land and the sun shone- nice and bright.

And lo and behold, my tinny bud had blossomed into a youthful Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.

I think I would recommend "The Savages" to anyone, who'd appreciate the need to forgive, especially a parent.
"Jon, he cared, Dad did-he possibly forgot all about us, because of the ...(dementia)."

I have 'dog -eared' my copy of Kari, by Amruta Patil.
Its doing its rounds among the community of feeful , who were sucked up by it, at first glance, on a certain evening at 'Nivedita'.
I hope it leaves a happy ache in the heart of all you devourers.
I get all misty-eyed and achy when I think of the book.

To be continued, it says , at the very end, when Kari seemingly bobs out of her sewer.

I will wait...

Of a haunting late evening at work.

I have always loved her with a reverence bordering on obsequiousness. I always chose her over compatriots as the only object of my intense affection...
But today, in the quiet of the office at 7: 00 pm, I discovered him.
Ah the "but" - the beautifully worrying harbinger of a dark something to come.
He smelt of a faint burnt something, tingling the inside of my head. The redolence that hung in the air, drew me to him almost like a smooth slithering fluid movement in space. I closed my eyes, felt around for the source and urged myself away. He was no good, for my clingy self. I did not need him, to latch onto - not when I had pledged my allegiance to her, through solemn oaths, serious money and passionate research.
What do I do? My heart draws me to the forbidden, while my mind wills me to stay with my faithful paramour. She was this warm brown subtle concoction - ever delightful...
Tea, I am sorry for doing this to you.
Damn the new roasty beaned coffee machine! You, I will briefly indulge and wait to pooh-pooh away.

An entire post here is dedicated to Prats and Air Deccan

We love what you did Prats!

And Air Deccan- You rock.

Did we talk about the trip to XLRI yet?

1. I loved being a student again, if only for a week.


2. That doesn't mean, I'd willingly lend myself ever to another trip to Jamshedpur in a dry parched summer of 42 °C.


3. I'd also not willingly let my ass get hauled into Bishtupur market at 12:30 pm , not even for Chappan Bhog mithai wala.


4. I will still not go to the zoo in Jubilee Park, irrespective of season ( this means you K).


5. If by some strange stroke of warped luck , I do find myself in J'pur in summer, I 'd beg/ bribe/ do what it takes, to get an air conditioned room on campus .


6. I will remember to carry a Tristano / Rafael/ Nina type paperback, so I can lull myself into a sleep in the wretched heat.


7. I will not travel the Azad Hind from Tatanagar to Howrah or do anything that requires me to hang around the Tatanagar station till 3 am in the morning - I would much rather travel by road, the Naxals notwithstanding.

And this may not be a comprehensive list ....

The Day so far

I have been dragging my feet on my day so far.

• I think its all got to do with my 7:00 am wake up call , that did not show up. Well yes, the cook did not show up, due to an inclement cycle chain. Atleast he called. He still stays in my good book.
• So breakfast was Maggi, which I hate- Sorry, I just do. I miss Muesli. (note to self: get Muesli for broken cycle chain days.)
• I took an extended shower and primped up my hair for an hour... (aghast)
• I had a tête-à-tête with my plants :-).
• I strolled into work at 11 after having stopped by to pick up some medicines et al.
• I hung around watching some glass cleaners dangling from the top of the 10th floor and pondered awhile on their 'life on the edge'.
• I cancelled some lunch plans, cos it looked way too sunny outside.
• I am wondering whether I should do something constructive yet- like work. :-)!

Re: Emancipation

Thanks to Munna who shows up at 7: 00 am each morning to cook, one of us is sleepily walking to open the door.
Again, thanks to him, I keep wondering, what I'm gonna ask him to cook the next day. Cooking and hence picking up groceries is a planned affair. sigh
I'm obsessing about cleaning up my kitchen, after the cooking.
I have to deal with the maid, who doesnt like him much.


But then... he cooks well.

just by way of a log...

yet another girl stopped me in the cafeteria, today to admire my hair.
I may be a minor celeb, I say!
well well.

I moved locations within the office.
Have found new admirers for my sexy curly hair, apart from the airhostesses on Kingfisher!
I sit across from a snappy to be bride- bridezilla :-P.
Bridezilla likes my hair too.

Hyderabad Musings

A brief 3 days in Hyderabad on some training:
Other than my flight into Hyd. Everything was superfine!

• I mean I flew a premier airline. And no... the service was good and all that. But midway, through my flight Indra/ Zeus/Thor decided to do their bit and the sky was rent apart by a flash of silver. We were in a good 20 mins of turbulence, with a fair number of fellow passengers gripping their seats and mumbling prayers- but a certain Franseco (the commander) or his crew, decided not make any reassuring announcements and most of us took that as a bad sign. Well , as is obvious we did make a safe landing !
• Hydie's new Rajiv Gandhi Airport is smashin' , notwithstanding my cabbie, who, went around in circles in the swanky new- not so well lit parking lot, before finally pulling out.
• Lovely new approach roads to the airport.
• Pula Reddy sweets still rules.
• Novotel is the new address of luxury; move over Taj.

Chubby cheeks, dimpled chin.

Rosy lips, teeth within.

Curly hair, very fair.

Eyes are blue, lovely too.

Teacher's pet, is that you?Yes! Yes! Yes!



Yeah well, all I have now is curly hair. Nothing about the poem, ever indicated me.
It is a rather caucasian poem thrust upon us by the Raj - I mean which Indian, ever had fair hair (unless you had a pigmentation issue) or blue eyes or what have you

We are the proud dusky Indian women, with dark hair, dark eyes and wide hips.

Funny Insults- from an e-mail forward

1. Any similarity between you and a human is purely coincidental!
2. Are you always so stupid or is today a special occasion?
3. As an outsider, what do you think of the human race?
4. I'd like to kick you in the teeth, but why should I improve your looks?
5. At least there's one thing good about your body. It isn't as ugly as your face!
6. Brains aren't everything. In fact, in your case they're nothing
7. Careful now, don't let your brains go to your head!
8. I like you. People say I've no taste, but I like you.
9. Did your parents ever ask you to run away from home?
10. If I had a face like yours. I'd sue my parents!
11. Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent!
12. Don't get insulted, but is your job devoted to spreading ignorance?
13. Keep talking, someday you'll say something intelligent!
14. Don't you love nature, despite what it did to you?
15. Don't think, it may sprain your brain!
16. Fellows like you don't grow from trees; they swing from them.
17. He has a mechanical mind. Too bad he forgot to wind it up this morning.
18. He has a mind like a steel trap-always closed!
19. You are a man of the world-and you know what sad shape the world is in.
20. He is always lost in thought-it's unfamiliar territory.

21. He is dark and handsome. When it's dark, he's handsome.
22. He is known as a miracle comic. if he's funny, it's a miracle!
23. He is listed in Who's Who as What's That?
24. He is living proof that man can live without a brain!
25. He is so short, when it rains he is always the last one to know.
26. He is the kind of a man that you would use as a blueprint to build an idiot.
27. How come you're here? I thought the zoo is closed at night!
28. How did you get here? Did someone leave your cage open?
29. How much refund do you expect on your head now that it's empty.
30. How would you like to feel the way you look?
31. Hi! I'm a human being! What are you?
32. I can't talk to you right now; tell me, where will you be in the next 10 years?
33. I don't want you to turn the other cheek; it's just as ugly.
34. I don't know who you are, but whatever you are, I'm sure everyone will agree with me.
35. I don't know what makes you so stupid, but it really works.
36. I could make a monkey out of you, but why should I take all the credit?
37. I can't seem to remember your name, and please don't help me!
38. I don't even like the people you're trying to imitate, if you are at all.
39. I know you were born silly, but why did you have a relapse?

40. I know you're a self-made man. It's nice of you to take the blame!
41. I know you're not as stupid as you look. Nobody could be!
42. I've seen people like you, but I had to pay admission!
43. Why are you so stupid today? Anyway, I think that's very typical of you.
44. Do u practice being this ugly?

Emancipation!

Munna began cooking for us, starting today.
So, here's to freedom from pressured everyday cooking.
And here's to healthy home cooked food everyday...
Yaay!

Ambrosia!

Over the last 2 years , I have discovered a passion for cooking. It is a huge stress buster and you get to satisfy your creative urges too.

Last week my friend J gave me the quickest easiest recipe for a chocolate fudge and it took me a grand total of 10 minutes including cooking time to make it.
I tweaked her recipe with surprisingly satisfactory results.
Gooey Choco Fudge (microwave)
Cadbury's Cocoa powder- 1/4 of a cup
Cooking Butter - 1/4 of a cup
Milkmaid - 1/4 of a cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Walnuts - handful- coarsely chopped.

1. Mix all the ingredients except walnuts in a microwave friendly bowl and beat them to get a smooth consistency
2. Place it in the microwave at high power for 1.5 to 2 mins.
You can see the mixture bubbling.
3. Remove it from the microwave and mix in the coarsely chopped walnuts
4. Refrigerate until it sets
5. Watch it being polished off- even before you can cut it :-)

Can it get any easier.

Thanks a ton J!

P.S: J's version calls for 3.5 cups sugar and 1/ 2 cup milk. I substituted it for Milkmaid.

what the hell was that?

When my mind is doing its wandering act and trailing from thought to mental image to thought, this one widget keeps appearing like a news ticker, over the last 5 years:

Class 9 or 10:

Location : hallowed classroom of the erstwhile lah-di-dah Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School

All of us kids, poring over a fancy pencil box that belonged to one loaded kid.(I remember the kid :-))

A silvery grey and black narrow pencil box.

Now comes the fancy part- I remember that we kids were trying to solve a riddle that appeared on the box. I can only remember part of the riddle and I have sought it out on Google a gazillion times-you know how Google with its incredible predictive search jazz can do anything.

This one draws a blank though.

'Facing the son of genesis, one cannot help but think.....(cant remember here on)'

I remember the loaded kid, explaining to us, how no one in the world has ever been able to decipher it, her wide eyed stories of a mystery million dollar prize money and us li'il all-believing fantasy seeking children.

I'm stuck between figuring out what the riddle was and why this widget refuses to vaporize.

Migration.

Last nite, the swallow took off on her South Asian - Australasian Flyway.

Good Luck on your journey li'il swallow!
No you did not flee!
May you chance upon the life, you choose to want!

25th February' 2008!

Movies I saw over the weekend.

Kiterunner!
"For you, a thousand times over ", is what one could say about the book , but sadly not about movie.
Like most movies ,based on books, this one too falls a wee bit flat and fails to communicate Amir's guilt, Hassan's dogged loyalty, Abba's presence in the life of the boys and the wound in little Sohrab's heart .
Ok, but not quite there!

Jodhaa-Akbar
Disappointment! What could have been a splendid film of epic proportions, lacks just that - splendour or passion. The movie is patchy, and fails to involve you as an audience. It ends up being a comical interpretation of the love between the protagonists. Ashutosh Gowarikar who gave us the sooper Lagaan and the heartfelt Swades, has lost his way in the movie's narrative and made a lengthy, silly costume drama.
Saving grace: the good looking Hrithik, the music.

My new books.

1. Aunt Erma's CopeBook by Erma Bombeck.

She says, in the Acknowledgements page:

For Betsy Bombeck, Andy Bombeck and Matt Bombeck.
If I blow it raising them...
nothing else I do will mater very much. :-)

Contents (interesting)

1. how do i like me so far?
2. the sub-total woman
3. is there a draft in your open marriage?
4. fear of buying
5. looking for Mr. Goodbody
6. is there life after packages?
7. get off your cusp and live!
8. raising consciousness in your own home for funa fn profit
9. the complete book of jogging
10. how to tell your best friend she has bad body english?
11. bringing up parents the okay way
12. go suck an egg
13. a house divided against itself cannot stand one another
14. living cheap
15. tidying up your life
16. I'll give you guilt, when I stop making you feel rotten
17. contemporary etiquette that's AWRIITE
18. I dont care what i say... I still like me

I am itching to get started on this fluffy thing!

2. The Fourth Hand - John Irving
This one is about visitation rights of widow, whose dead husband's hand has been transplanted to another man - how darkly comic is that?

Gleefully,
Happy Karma

was i complaining about valentines day?

Hell Yeah!
"It's so commercial and Yada yada yada..."

So, mine was a spectacular surprise - the husband( hitherto referred to as sweetheart on account of the surprise!)aranged for a candle- light dinner (detailed images may follow in a subsequent post)on the terrace and got wine and a mushy
2 foot high card and a a Swarovski bauble.



Its called the Foursome pendant( giggle giggle)!

he haw.

What was sweet was that the sweetheart was so exhausted at the end of the dinner thing - because of all the runnning around to pick up all the thingies for dinner - I felt sooper sorry !

The above feelings of mush/ sweetheartliness might last for maybe a week. :-P

Notes on "Feb 14th"

So, its that day of the year again - every mall/store/restaurant/chinty dhaba is offering "valintin"(:-)) specials.
Everywhere you see - red baloons - heart shape and all. GAAAH!
Its such a commercial event - there is immenese pressure on gifting spouses/loved ones/ prospective girl/boy friends etc. Its no longer , " bottom of your heart " feelings or such like, cos, hey you dont need a day to express bottom of heart type feelings. But what the hell, maybe some folks really live for THAT day , to express, undying love.

That apart, I love Google's Valentine look: Eventually, isnt that what , we all want out of a relationship?

Walk into the sunset, with your gnarled arms linked into another wrinkle-lined one? :-)

My friend baked her 5 year old boy a spectacular cake and wrote him a , "will you be my valentine?" letter in wax crayons. He loved it and is apparently, taking it to school to show everyone.

I got the husband a jacket, he had been eyeing for a while!(no rude surprises, there)

I got myself some books from my old book store, on church street.

And yes, I am waiting for my evening!:-)

Of the many Highs!

I have never been too much of a " invest your money " person. But having a parent who, worked in a Bank for some 25 odd years, and who can nag the living day lights out of you really works.
So I discovered a new high the - Stock market. And am I on a roll ? I completely get my kicks out of moneycontrol.com.

Redecorating the house. he he... Floor mats, curtains, cushions - any woman in her basic womany elements will swear by this one, as it falls under the larger, high called Shopping.

Films Films Films: what do I say. The spouse and me spend a good 20 mins every 2 days in the local DVD place arguing over which film to rent.
The Bucket List (Jack Nicholson always rocks), Juno, The Curse of the Golden Flower (What opulence??)- for me the nicest part of this movie was the hilarious court criers, who go yelling every hour - hour of the Tiger, hour of the Dragon.. hourof the Monkey (giggle giggle).

Books - Turkey is so exciting - atleast in Orhan Pamuk's world.

Recipe of me!

The Recipe For Harini

3 parts Drive 2 parts Wit 1 part Attractiveness Splash of Naughtiness Finish off with an olive

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Of Dard-e Disco and 4 year olds

Of course, Om Shanti Om and SRK have been in the news for SRK's abs and more.
I have been watching rushes of OSO , with the detached involvement of a channel surfer- at breakfast and other meals in front of the TV.
With my friend's 4 year old- its been a lot more, I figured.
While driving for lunch, the cute li'il fellow, decided to quiz me.
Bemusedly, I decided to enlighten the kid.
So I said , " Go on".
He says, " Do you know my favourite song?".
I said , " No Sam - you tell me".
He says, " will you sing it, if I tell you?"
Thinking, it must be some popular ad jingle or Cartoon n/w theme song, I urged him to go on.
He said, " Dard-e Disco!"
Me, "What?", thinking I heard him wrong, never heard of '...Disco' something.
He latched on to it, and chuckled, "YOU DONT KNOW- DARD E DISCO!"
After expressing his shock and joy that, I " don't know anything", he proceeded to sing - " Woh haseena woh neelam pari, kar gayi kaisi jadoogari, Dil me mere hai dard-e disco".
He had me repeat after him, until he was rest assured that I had learnt the 2 lines.

So then, I saw the song on TV yesterday for a whole 2 mins and was surprised at the kid's accuracy.

Sow sure has an absorbent sponge for a son.

so... I am back from my vacation

Tra..la..la..la!
My birthday gift was 5 days in Thailand, and what a gift it was...
Of course, we still argued every 150 seconds on the last day of the trip and it was allowed, because, my birthday was technically just over.
And of course, my husband proved,to be just as easily irritable as mom says, dad is.
But of course, this doesn't take away from him the pretty garnet ring and other sweet things he got me.
He is such a stickler for airport rules, in a weirdly fanatical manner.
"you are allowed only one piece of cabin baggage-so shove your handbag inside your backpack."
Other people who lug around some 6 shopping bags are just rule breakers, who say "Sawatdee Khaa" and flout airline rules. That the airline doesn't mind, as this is a relatively empty weekday late night flight, hardly matters.
Sheesh!
Also, the husband shall not experiment with Thai food, cos we burnt our very intestines one day, with authentic Thai food(its all the wife's fault - you know).
Husband will only eat chicken variations from bloody KFC (no offence, but KFC... oh please)or Mac D's - the wife on the other hand can experiment with other variations of Thai food, because she is a " retarded culture soaking extremist", who wants to drown her self in "local stuff", all the time. And oh , did we mention, how difficult it is find to find vegetarian Thai food in pork, sharkfin,seafood, beef loving Thai Land! But hell, the extremist wife will seek the very hard to get things.

Of Shoelaces...

Did you know, its rather impossible to buy ONLY shoelaces in Bangalore?
Rather, impossible to get.
I scoured the "you get anything here" areas of Bangalore and just about every shoe shop (huge brand, chinty shoe shop etc.) for a specific color -type (cream/blue- thin round)for A's ID shoes.

You only have the plump broad black/white ones, which a) dont match with a weird blue and crean shoe and b) more importantly-don't slither thru' the shoe eyelets

Damn those shoes and damn the woman (ME)who insisted that the shoelace be pulled off, when the shoes were washed and also the woman (ME AGAIN) who , while fidgeting with the lace, pulled the tag thingy that lets you lead the lace thru' the eyelets.

My Aura

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

maybe i just should stop questioning, the purpose of my life.
may be i just need to understand that i have no hidden role in the larger scheme of things.
may be i should focus on reading with my heart and soul. And not just flip thru the pages.

totally out of focus- there is a heavy fog in my head. its a fog that envelopes the direction of my thoughts and life. My bubbly exterior is slowly dropping its visage to reveal a completely clueless, unfocused thought process.
I don't know if its the new job , the cold, or the fact that another birthday is fast approaching.
I take stock periodically (period varying by degree of happiness).

storybookboard

1. Wee Willie Winkie- Rudyard Kipling
2. While the Auto Waits - O'Henry
3. Witches Loaves- O'Henry
4. Salmon fishing in the Yemen - Paul Torday(in progress)
5. The Inheritance of Loss - Kiran Desai (in progress)

UnSiblings and such like...

I used to have an imaginary younger sister.
I created her, on the fly, each morning, her supposedly annoying antics et. al.
I wonder what people with siblings feel about me...
Not having a sibling was the worst thing that could have befallen a kid in Class 6, except maybe, having to wear glasses. Now that was worse- but in a whole other way.

I think i tried to evade glasses, until, the teachers would catch me squinting at the board or copying notes from the neighboring kid and force me to put them on.

I think I had a pretty traumatic kidhood.

Rest of weekend

Shopped !

nice laceup sandals...from 6th Block, KM

A is soooo lucky, he gave Sivaji a miss...

Laila and Mariams ghosts have been put to rest.

Am on Linbaba now.

'Sivaji'

i saw it...

really nothing more to add...

EXCEPT, Rajanikanth can get away with bull crap...

EXCEPT, i spent the longest 3 hours of my life, watching 'Sivaji".

WAS almost thulped for announcing the above, in public.

WILL dig down into the Rajani archives...JUST!

A Perfect Fri'day'

Cold, wet, morning

• Hair set successfully, despite rushed morning. :-)

• Task mails, quickly dispatched

Drizzly rainy afternoon

• Hair still 'well set' :-P

• Awesome pepper paneer fry in Shezan made with lotsa 'kadipatta'

• Window shopping thru' Pantaloons new collection (happiest moment)

Rest of office time well spent in listening to Radio Indigo.

Packs many splendid 'reads'

I have been tripping through Khaled "Kite Runner " Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'.
It has been a compelling read and has been keeping me up till dawn even at the end of really tiring days...

I am anxious, to get back to Laila and Mariams life, later tonight.

Among other noteworthy events, lined up for the weekend:

Rajanikanth's Sivaji.

Shopping for shoes/ bag/clothes.


heehawhaw

Trainspotting!

Mark Renton, the narrator:

"Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed- interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing sprit- crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing you last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life...

But why would I want to do a thing like that?

I chose not to choose life: I chose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who need reasons when you've got heroin?

Anyone, who talks about missing the good old days- has obviously not seen the stationery, thats out there these days.



Its so cool- I want to hoard stationery period.

I quite like this philosophy myself!

"I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time."

~Charles M Shulz

Updates as of 3:00 pm IST


A bad throat infection is setting and nothing can avert it, from its destination of choice.

BBC Entertainment Rocks!

This conversation between the protagonists of My Family, the show on BBC, is a carbon copy of my conversation with the better half- only thrown in with more abuses and insults..

The scene : Husband and wife, on a Saturday evening, wondering what to do.

Wife (repeatedly, to the husband, who is ignoring her and reading newspaper) : We should do something together, you know.

Husband (after much nagging): Why cant you just 'be', honey, and not 'do'- we are human beings after all; not human doings.

Wife : you are a human doing, you know, and not a necessarily good one, at that!