Online, lets go back and seeing is believing

1. The helpful internet guy turns up as promised and gets my connection going. Right now its working like a dream.
2. People share their pictures from Goa and we have a lovely time reliving the fun moments.
3. I love video chat.

Tomatoes, one of those people and pining

1. Pallavi emails to tell me about how her experiments with cooking turned out. Let me just quote her: well it was a decent meal though I realized that my rajma and paneer both turned out to have excess tomatoes!!! So it was an extremely tomaty (if that’s a word) dinner!!!! I like that word. Tomaty... hmmm...
2. In the same email, comes another statement. You're becoming like those people who go to Goa at least once a year, she tells me. Well, this is the second consecutive year... and I'm rather pleased about it! But next year, I'll go some place else.
3. Dipti is engaged and her fiance has gone off to the US. He'll only come back for the wedding now, which is to be held either in February or March. She sits at her desk looking all forlorn (and extremely funny) and says "How will I wait four months to see him?"

Entertainer, variety and white

1. I'm seeing my cousin Aaditya after a long long time, perhaps a couple of years have passed since we last met. He keeps entertaining us with really silly jokes. His supply seems inexhaustible.
2. There's a handloom expo at Kasturchand Park. We're amazed at the variety of sarees available there.
3. I like wearing the crisp white chikankari kurta. Wearing white makes me feel all pristine and superior...

Deepavali, welcome and lit up

Wish you all a very Happy Deepavali... May the festival of lights bring new joy and prosperity to your lives! It's a time to be happy and to find new hope and new things to be thankful for...

1. Its Diwali... no other festival brings such a feeling of gaiety in everyone. All the houses are decked up and the evening makes us forget that there's no moon in the sky tonight.
2. We sit with huge needles and a roll of twine making garlands of marigold for the doors. Before its evening, all the doors are decked up for Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth to enter our home. Also welcoming her is the colourful rangoli near the door, over which Jui and I broke our backs. There's no way she can ignore such a welcome!
3. The task of placing wicks in the little earthen diyas, filling them with oil and placing them along the balcony wall after lighting them falls to me... they look marvellous, twinkling with their warm light against the night.

Coming back to life, hungry and involved

1. Coming home after almost a fortnight at the hospital seems to be doing some good for Grandma. She looked so frail lying on the stretcher when they brought her home just two days ago. Already, being in her own room, sleeping on her own bed and being surrounded by her familiar knick knack has brought in a striking change and she can sit up unaided and for longer durations. An unmistakable sign of recovery is the returning interest in life's daily activities - she asks me to find her pearl earrings and later tells dad that she'll clean the bunch of coriander he got from the market, and does.
2. Being at home, in Nagpur, whets my appetite. Is it the air?
3. Finding the time to be completely engrossed in a book. I didn't quite expect to like A Queen of Dreams... but I did. I got involved in it to a surprisong degree...

Earned gift, uploaded and time to go!

1. The set of strolley bags I ordered to redeem the points earned on my credit card arrive almost a week earlier than I expected them. And they arrive in a huge parcel at work and cause plenty of excitement. The bags are nice and stylish, but also look quite sturdy and convenient. Now I can take one of them on my vacation... yay yay!
2. After much procrastination and many taunts and pestering from friends, I finally upload the pictures I had taken during the past couple of weeks or so. I end up surprised when I see them, for I had forgotten clicking many of them and some have come out beautifully I think.
3. As the day progresses, I am barely able to contain my excitement enough to sit still and concentrate on work that must be completed before I leave for the vacation tomorrow. And because there are six others at work who are accompanying me, the buzz is heady. Comparing checklists, checking weather forecasts for all the places we're going to visit, making phonecalls to check on details... there's so much going on, it's hard to forget for even a moment that its going to be one fun holiday for the next 5 days!

War wounds, no snoozes and free rice

1. Showing off the black and blue bruise on my arm. It's not hurting much now, so it's all the better! There's much comment on it, and much conjecture.
2. Going through a monday without feeling sleepy (well almost!). And this despite having a rocking weekend.
3. Playing for Free Rice (look at the banner on the right hand side). Any language game instantly becomes an addiction, and this one's better, for there's much incentive to keep playing. I have donated 2980 grains of rice today. You play too!

Shy, no mouse in the house and fine writing instruments

Internet woes continue. But that doesn't mean beautiful things have stopped happening!

1. I wake up and still sleepy eyed, open the balcony doors. The first thing I see is a brand new shy little rose bud, still very tiny and still very green.
2. The mouse that has been scaring me has been gotten rid of and I can go into the bathroom without my nerves being on the edge.
3. Jui wants to buy a pen for Papa, so both of us start searching the net for one that's worthy of being held in his hands. I like the way the sites use the term 'fine writing instrument' rather than the mundane 'pen', instantly upping the glamour quotient attached to it.

Charged, traffic update and connected

1. There's a slight electricity in the air - we're planning a trip again, and though its a month away, the spring in my step is unmistakable.
2. Kris calls up to say that he's stuck in a traffic jam for more than an hour and I should avoid that particular route home. I'm so grateful he called, because I was actually planning to go home that way.
3. My internet is working. They have finally renewed it for the correct monthly plan.

Sun salutations, chai tales and the nanny

1. Finally getting the hang of the Surya Namaskar. Its a yogasana combining 12 steps and exercises most major muscles. I still can't do it perfectly, but I atleast know what I need to do better and how. The last time I did it, I had no clue what came when!
2. No tea spewed out by any vending machine can ever match up to real chai - not even the tetley tea bag dipped thick milk whitener added tea... Tea powder should be boiled, preferrably with the milk and sugar added, and with some ginger (some people like to add cardamom too, but I don't like it that much). That's the perfect chai... the caterers at work have started serving chai in the afternoon at tea time, and though its a little too sweet for me, I still prefer it to the vending machine tea.
3. Watching 'The Nanny'. I especially like the way the outrageous nanny laughs.

Tender, tonic for the soul and pretty change

1. The rose plant has tender new leaves - all shiny and reddish purple - evidence that the plant has accepted its new home and is taking root.
2. Its been a long, tiring day. As I set out for home, I'm moving and driving solely on will. As if on cue, all the radio channels start playing beautiful songs. There's something of a tonic in the music and when I reach home, I'm feeling much better.
3. I remember a friend who used to be a tom-boy in school. She's changed so drastically since she got married. Every time she posts new pictures on Orkut I'm freshly (and pleasantly) surprised. I see a pretty, feminine girl looking back at me from the photographs.

Customer Service, Smooth and Yellow Chillies

1. A top that I bought a few does ago isn't fitting me all too well and want to exchange it. The catch - I've lost the bill, though the tags are still hanging on. I go to the mall, prepared for war, but I'm surprised. The girl at the customer service desk is helpful and says she'll change it for me if I find something in the same brand and at the same price. Luckily I do.
2. After the servicing, there's a noticeable change in the driving experience. I never thought my car was not smooth, until this evening when I realized how smooth it suddenly seemed!
3. A new restaurant's opened in KP - Sanjeev Kapoor's Yellow Chillies. The master chef's restaurant lives up to our expectations in terms of the culinary and dining experience - the 'Lalla Musa Daal' as they call it (more commonly known as kaali daal or daal makhni) is exceptional. The mocktails are refreshing too...

Absurd mind in a house of bheegi ladki, far away...

There are times, when you see everything around you moving along perfectly well, without your dependence. On such days, you are well placed to spend a lazy day at work. Such a day was today.

1. Experimenting mind games

My first round of experimentation has ended, without any casualty. I found it hard to implement initially, but now slowly after much deliberation, I find it rather amusing. There are more interesting things to follow. One learning - 'Always keep them guessing'. More to come in future.

2. Absurd Chit-Chat

There is an old friend, with whom my conversations haven't changed in any manner, for the last 9 years. Post graduations, jobs, her marriage have miserably failed to change the tone. It breaks new records of cheekiness and absurdity each time. Obviously having an hour long chat like that has never harmed anybody.

3. Looking forward to a House of Cards

The fact that I am going to watch another thrilling and suave episode of 'House of cards' after I finish writing this- makes it hard to go on writing. An elegant and extremely well written script of a classic political thriller. You know it, even if it was not from the accent, when you watch something made by the British. I have found no form of Literature or Art more intriguing (consistently over the years) than, what comes out of England. Highly recommended.

4. Whiling away...

Whiling away time... listening to old songs from 'Chalti ka naam gaadi'. One of those movies, where each song is a gem. I love this movie.

5. 'Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si'

Since we are talking about 'Chalti ka naam gaadi' let's also talk about the most famous song from it. I remember listening, singing, whistling to this song... so many times. This happened to be one of my favorite songs to sing, back in college. We even had a medley of 4-5 songs, which used to start with me whistling to the tunes of this song. This song has a cult following in India. Is it surprising that it features the super beauty queen (Madhubala) in a wet saari and one of the most diverse artists India has ever seen (Kishore Kumar). The pair derive their amazing chemistry in the movie, from a real life romance which soon tied them in matrimony, after the movie.

Here it goes - YouTube Video


Ik ladki bhigi bhagi siSoti raaton mein jaagi siMili ik ajnabi seKoyi aage na peechheTum hi kaho ye koyi baat hai, hmm



(Dil hi dil mein chali jaati hainBighdi bighdi chali aati hain) -2Doondh laut ti huwi balka ti huwiSaawan ke suni raaton meinMili ik ajnabi seKoyi aage na peechheTum hi kaho ye koyi baat haiHmmEk ladki bhigi bhagi si..



(Daagmag daagmag lehki lehkiBhooli badh ki behki behki) -2Machli machli gharse nikhliPaghli si kali raaton meinMili ik ajnabi seKoyi aage na peechheTum hi kaho ye koyi baat hai, hmmEk ladki bhigi bhagi si..



(Tan bheega hai sar geela haiUs kaa koyi pech bhi dheela hai) -2Tan ti jhukti chalti ruktiNikli andheri raaton meinMili ik ajnabi seKoyi aage na peechheTum hi kaho ye koyi baat hai, hmmEk ladki bhigi bhagi si

No noise, curd and free bird

1. My current favourite song, Khuda Jaane, is being played on the radio, so I roll up the car's windows to cut out the noise of the traffic.
2. There's thick white fresh curd for lunch. Even looking at it lying in angular lumps in the bowl is such a pleasure. And it tastes even better than it looks. There's no need to add any salt or sugar to it.
3. As I come home at night, the streets are free of traffic and I can cruise along happily, enjoying the feeling of freedom and loving every minute of it

Neat and tidy, towards better health and prankster

My internet connection is playing the traunt, hence the irregular posting. I hope to be back online soon!

1. I come home to find the house in neat order and the dinner cooked. The rose plant has also been watered. The maid's back! Yay!
2. Even though its too late to go to the gym by the time I'm done in the evening, I still find the time to come home and do some yogasanas.
3. Tanmoy calls me up very gleefully to tell me about a prank that he's played on Shreerang. "Its going to drive him crazy!" I'm told with much delight.