SUPW!

Wondering what SUPW is?? Well, back in school, we used to have a period dedicated to SUPW, which means Socially Useful and Productive Work. We would all do some craft work with glue and other little shiny stuff...and we did pretty well. Over the weekend, I did the same thing as S was watching cricket and I wanted to give him at least some time, before I demand that he switch channels!! :D So I did some craft work in my pet-project, my teeny little garden!!!

1. Took some random stones and stuck it on the mutka which we don't get to use!

2. Rearranged the rack to include a night-lamp that we don't use!

3. Stuck the un-used sunflowers which do not float anymore for some reason unknown to me, on the wall.






















4. Stuck some blue stones on the clay-uruli amma got me, when we all went to a home decor exhibition in Pune and put some floating flowers in it.

5. Took our magazine rack and put it up on the wall.

Even if i say so myself, I am mighty pleased with it!!! :D

Little things!

I am stuck in a traffic jam for more than 3o minutes and totally frustrated with the whole situation, coz I really want to go to my cozy home after a long day at work.....when a baby smiles and coos at me and continues to smile, from an auto nearby! I can see spectacular fireworks in the sky, some one has saved some crackers for Diwali! :-)

There is a huge smile on my face and I am in a happy place! :D

For Pasta Lovers!

(Picture sourced from the net)

Ingredients:
For the sauce:

ginger paste
garlic paste
tomatoes - 3
chopped onions - 1
1 cup milk
2 cheese slices
oregano and other herbs for seasoning

Pasta

any pasta you like - macaroni, fussilli, etc.

Assorted vegetables - chopped ( mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, beans, etc..)
Procedure:

1. Pour some oil in a wok and fry the ginger and garlic paste till it changes color. Meanwhile, grind the chopped onions and tomatoes into a puree.
2. Transfer the puree into the wok and fry for about 3 - 5 minutes till the mixture starts leaving out water. Add the seasonings, the oregano and other herbs.
3. Warm the milk in the microwave for a minute or till it is slightly warm. Cut the cheese slices and add it to the milk.
4. Add this milk-cheese mixture into the tomato puree mixture in the wok.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes, you may also add some more milk if you feel it is too thick. It must have the consistency of condensed milk yet not too thick.
6. Boil the pasta like you would normally do ( In warm water with salt and a drop of oil) and keep aside.
7. Saute different vegetables with salt till it is cooked. Add this to the boiled pasta..
8. When the pasta is ready to be eaten, dribble the sauce over the pasta-vegetable saute and have an awesome meal! You can sprinkle some grated cheese before you serve ( if you want to!)
   Bless me as you eat! :D

Preparing for the trip...

Preparations are in full swing for our Italy Trip...we have started processing the visa formalities and also been discussing what can be covered in Rome, Venice, San Gimignano, Capri and Naples...like the 'must-see' places...any suggestions are welcome, please hit the comment space!

Got an awesome bag yesterday while we bought a big trekking bag for the trip. I am going to inaugurate it only on the trip...which is exactly a month away, and if you know me personally, you would know how much self-control it required for me to not use something new! But i will wait...after all, patience is a virtue!

I finally found a cordurouy coat in Camp ( in Pune) and it looks pretty awesome! I love it, was not as expensive as I expected it to be...

S and I will need to take a day off for the Visa, as we need to go to Mumbai for the interview. I have heard so much about the 'Deccan Queen' from my friends that I wanted to go there by 'Deccan Queen'. S is not too keen, he prefers a taxi, but I convinced to go atleast one way, maybe when we get back here...So the plan is after the Visa interview, we will go shopping in Mumbai, I know of "Linkin Road", can localites or Mumbai-experts give me some suggestions for shopping? We might as well make use of the day off, and I have heard so much about the variety-price advantage in Mumbai, I have to see it to believe it. I am only going to window-shop, I promised S! Between you and me...yeah, right!! ( Again, please hit the comment space, if you have suggestions)

Edited to add: My Mumbai trip is cancelled and my shopping plans have gone kaput! Coz the visas got stamped without an interview as S has travelled to Europe earlier and I have also been to UK a couple of years back. So much for my plans! Hmmppph.....S is very happy about all the money we have saved!

This weekend was good fun, watched movies back-to-back on Zee Studio, HBO, Star Movies and Cable that I have lost count of how many movies we saw! Also, I am mighty thrilled about my culinary expertise. We go to a restaurant called 'East Street Cafe' and another Italian Cuisine Restaurant, I forget the name, they serve some amazing pasta with the most fantastic sauce. I figured out how to make that sauce at home by trial and error and I was able to figure out the ingredients as well. It was super awesome!! Now, we don't have to spend so much money eating outside, I can make it right here at home and that too that tastes exactly like the one served in the fancy restaurants. My love for pasta is an acquired taste, thanks to S! I am so glad I can make it myself now, I wrote it down in my recipe book lest i forget...any takers?

Diwali as a kid!

Nowadays, after every festival, it takes me back in time, like I did this the last time. Apart from Janmashtami, Diwali is another festival I really look forward to. I find the significance of celebrating Diwali really meaningful. As a grown-up now, I understand that it is a celebration of the victory of good over evil.

As a kid, all I could think of, was the new clothes, crackers and holidays that I would spend playing with my friends all day! I remember cursing myself for being a girl, coz my hair would take some time to dry and I would have to wait to burst crackers while my brother would wake up at the crack of dawn and start bursting the more 'dangerous' ones while I would stick to flowerpots and discs, maybe... After lunch, we would change into old clothes and burst 'bijli vedi' by hand!!

Sometimes, I would burst one or two in my hands and hurt myself, but would bear it coz I did'nt want to made fun of, or worse, sent home! We would also collect all the ones that did'nt go up, remove the gunpowder and then, put all the remaining small 'not-so-dangerous' bijli or kuruvi vedi into a coconut shell and light it. We used to be mighty thrilled when it would fly in all directions as if we had achieved a major feat! It was considered a 'seniors' activity and I would rant and rave that I want to join my brother. He would grudgingly let me tag along coz my mom would'nt let him go without me. She would be tired from all the work at home, the least she would want is a stubborn, crying, cranky kid bugging her!

Then, for the gala, we would all save up our fancy and expensive crackers like Rockets, seven stars among others, pool it and we would all go to the terrace and hand over our precious crackers to the senior kids ( read brother and kids of his age) . We would all watch the beautiful sparkles and enjoy ourselves all together as a group. We had a lovely group in our colony, and even otherwise we would all play together. My brother and I, were so happy we lived there...we finished our homework and assigned household chores and run to play everyday! I am, still in touch, with a few of them through orkut or facebook even now.

Amma would make tons of 'ribbon pakoda' and my brother and I, would eat to our heart's content and stomach's discomfort. What fun those days were!!

Now, I have mellowed down and spend Diwali lighting diyas at home, as you can see and visiting and receiving friends...which is great too!! I am spending a 'grown-up' Diwali, spent most of the extra off's from work, watching movies back-to-back, nice conversations with S, eating bhuttas and reading books! Of course, even now the excitement of new clothes has not gone down! I wore lovely clothes and preened in front of the mirror!

I presume when we have kids, my enthusiam for crackers will resurface or not..who knows? Will have to wait and watch!!

Diwali in our own home, 2008!

What if this had been?

What if that had not been?

Do not fret away

Remember, everything happens for a reason

You are so blessed in many ways

Why don't you acknowledge that?

Have faith, keep going

There is light at the end of the tunnel

Optimism is your mantra

Live for the moment, cherish these happy memories

This time will not come back

Remember, the future is bright and beautiful too

Yes, it most definitely is...

Festive season begins at home!

( The Mirror idea is inspired read copied ;-) from TheMadMomma! Thank you so much for the idea, I love it!! :-)

I bought small mirror pieces in various sizes and stuck it on the wall with one-sided tape. ( After scouting all over the place for it!). It catches the sunlight and twinkles now and then...I can't stop feeling so thrilled about it. As usual, I bought YET another set of artificial flowers, now I have lots of flowers in every bathroom too!! :-)

Wonderful years since Oct 11, 2002

TODAY, S and I complete 6 years of knowing each other...Oct 11, 2002 is a very important day in our lives - It is the day we met for the first time!I don't always remember the dates, S is better at that, but this time I remembered!

When I met him for the first time, I thought 'Wow! He is tall and cute!'....Now, I could write a never-ending story about him! :-) I think that says it all..

Perspective!

To get a perspective on this, I asked S what would be his impression of me as a third person or for that matter, what does he think? Do I appear arrogant?

To which his response is a well-thought out answer, he says Firstly, you are much taller than the average Indian male, which not many are comfortable with.Secondly, you are not the coy demure woman, but a confident woman who speaks her mind with absolutely no fear, even with me.Thirdly, I am not saying this as your husband, but even looking at you as a third person, you are not over-bearing or dominating. You are just so sure of yourself which is fantastic and I love that in you. So chill babe, you are cool and its a good trait and many people work towards getting where you are now.

He was like, to give you an example, your tailor ( we were discussing this while returning home from the tailor shop!) ...he welcomes you so warmly and goes J Madam..J Madam...and does so much to accomodate to your urgency or needs... I did'nt see his behave so nicely with the other women there. why do you think he does that?

Because, you treat him with respect and you are really nice to him. You laugh and joke with him like you would do with any normal person....So you are a lovely person! Your spirit and enthusiasm is really infectious and endearing...

Now, you know why I love S so much!!! :P ( It made my day to hear that from him, genuinely!!) :-)

The weekend that was...

Most part of Sunday was spent in an office get-to-gether with S's office colleagues. It was interesting to meet their families and adorable kids and babies. S and I were the youngest couple there... As I made conversation with one of the women, a mother of two, I realized that everyone yearns for something or the other in life. They always want something else, in contrast to what they have..she kept telling me how she could not pursue a career despite being well qualified as her inlaws/husband did'nt want her to work after she got married. She has two beautiful kids. I thought to myself ' So Its not just me then, who wants different things at various points that keeps changing constantly!' ;-)
************************************************************
The preparations for the trip in December are in full swing and we are almost done except for the visas. Got some nice walking shoes for me as we will need to walk a lot and I thought it makes sense to invest in some good shoes instead of carrying numerous pairs there. We scoured numerous shops before we got something that I liked, coz I have big feet!!! I have been trying to find some nice shop to buy a stylish trench coat. There are awesome styles and colors abroad, which are not too expensive either...I looked it up on the net but there is no shipping to India. I will need to ask around and look...that is one major essential detail that needs to be taken care of...which I did...I asked my friend Tess to buy it for me, coz she is in the States now and we had a long discussion about colors, sizes, prices, styles et al! Persistent you say? That I am...very sweet of Tess to help too! Lets see how it works out.
************************************************************
I try to stick to fruits on Mondays throughout the day. An attempt to cleanse the system and lose weight too. But by evening, I feel really pukish with no salt throughout the day, so i have fruits for lunch and some cornflakes and milk and something light for dinner like soup or sometimes if i am really hungry, i have dosa! :-) It really does cleanse the system, feel like all the toxins are flushed from my system. You can try it, it really helps.
************************************************************
Things are in a state of flux right now in my life. I have to wait for a couple of months to understand or even know how its gonna be... keeping my fingers crossed and hope everything happens for the best. I have faith in GOD, he knows what is best for us.
P.S - This is my 150th Post! :-)

Intimidating?

I have been told many times by several people that ( especially by men) they find me very intimidating. Apparently, I am always very sure of myself and sound really confident and fearless. Yes, I am a confident person but I fail to understand why I am intimidating? I would be lying if I say it does'nt bother me. It does.

While my mom thinks its good that people are scared of me and that men always find smart women intimidating! :P...I genuinely don't want to come across as if I am unapproachable or intimidating, especially in the workplace. It happens that people form a perception and it tends to stay as I don't really get an opportunity to prove otherwise, unless the other person gets to know me personally, which can be rare. I must admit I am not one of those shy, demure kind of women nor someone who hesitates to speak her mind. Is that arrogant behavior? I don't think so! I do not mince words. PERIOD. At the same time, I am not rude, am polite but am not sugary sweet.

As a result of all this behavioral speculation, I have tried to tone down my personality, so to speak. I try to think before i speak and ensure that I don't sound 'arrogant' or 'intimidating'. In this painstaking ( for me, it is)process of modifying my personality, I forget what I really want to say and end up focussing on how I come across...which is not a great help either! All my thoughts are lost in the presentation!
What do I do? I can't say 'I am like this wonly! Take it or leave it! In the real world, it does'nt work that way. Any suggestions?

A dear friend of mine has adopted a baby girl recently. When she went in for the adoption, she found her child and messaged me 'I found my daughter' and I know she meant it immediately. When she came back and informed me in person, her face was radiant with happiness and lit up with joy. When I hugged her tightly, I saw her bright-eyed with tears. I said a silent prayer for my friend who has been through a lot...

Her excitement and happiness is so infectious that I can't help being happy for her. She will bring home the baby today and we plan to go visit her tomorrow and welcome the little bundle of joy with gifts, love and loads of affection.

I have a small request to the readers of this blog. I blog in my original name, I know....and essentially write for myself, to chronicle my life...in the process, if you would like to know or interact with me and my thoughts, i totally love and appreciate it. But please do not discuss the blog topics with me or my family. For the simple reason that what i write here comes from me, not S, not my family...and once again, its MY blog! Thank you very much. I appreciate it. If you have something to say, say it here...you have to take the effort to comment. You can choose to remain silent too...not only here, anywhere! PERIOD. If you are inquisitive, its your problem! Deal with it. and NO! I am not going to stop writing!

Tales of a different kind...

I love watching T.V. and I have no qualms saying that! Having said that, I don't really watch the saas-bahu serials with a vengeance, but follow 'travel and living' and am a big F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Desperate Housewives and offlate, SATC fan!


I have been watching a new serial 'Balika Vadhu' on Colors Channel. 'Balika Vadhu' literally means 'Child Bride' which is prevalent in the rural areas of India even today! It beautifully describes the travails of a child bride, from the child's perspective with some fun elements too. The protagonist is a lovely child with such expressive eyes and innocence that when she cries or longs for her mother or wants to live her life as a child instead of being burdened with 'adult' responsibities so early on in life, it tugs your heartstrings...for that matter, all the characters in the serial play their part very naturally which is probably why I look forward to seeing it. The obvious discrimination angers you...


Hats off to the creative team for coming up with such a meaningful serial which not only entertains but also sends a message across clearly.

* Conditions apply!

You look at some interesting sale or tempting offer and get all excited. Your excitement is all dampened the minute you see the little * somewhere in the corner, in a tiny font yet it can't be ignored. Lots of things in life too comes with conditions, don't they? Let me list down some I have noticed among people, mostly the unsaid part!

• I love you if you love me too*
• I love being in a relationship provided I have my space*
• I enjoy working provided every alternate day is a holiday* ;-) ( This could be my wish!)
• You can be very frank and say what you want to, as long as you say what i want to hear*
• I feel close to people as long as they say all the right things*
• I am open to feedback as long as you don't criticize me*
• I love my parents as long as they don't interfere in my life*
• You adore me only if I buy expensive gifts for you regularly*
• I am a good person only if I don't have an opinion of my own on anything whatsoever*

You can comment here only if you have the patience for it*

*Conditions apply! Go on, add some more if you have anything...

'A thousand splendid suns' - Khaled Hosseini

I was so desperate to read this book and since I just did'nt find the time to go buy it or for that matter, when I did go shopping I simply forgot, I read the e-book ( I can hear book lovers gasping coz I know lots of people like to read from a physical book). I know that there is a certain charm in reading books which goes missing when you read it virtually. Well, something is better than nothing.

I have heard so much about this book from different people that I had great expectations. The author's eloquence takes your breath away and makes you feel as if you are with the protagonist as she goes through hell in every stage of her life. There is a world of difference between feeling sorry for those brave women by reading through the pages of a splendid book to actually going through all those adversities, humiliation, pain, agony, injustice, fear and so many conflicting not-so-pleasant emotions!

It made me think how lucky and blessed i am...to be where I am right now!

Edited to add: I am planning to read 'The Kite Runner' next...I have to warn you that the book does not leave you with a very happy feeling, it makes you really sad. On a totally different note, i saw 'what happens in vegas' this weekend, usual story but very funny!! I thoroughly enjoyed the movie!

Ban gaye ho tum meri dua... ( You have become my blessing!)

Like everyone else, if I know someone reading a palm, I extend my hand very eagerly...Offlate, I don't...but when I was in college, I would do that! My friend Ramya said I would have a very happy marraige and I would find someone who would love me unconditionally. I silently guffawed at it and thought 'yeah right!'...

Little did I know that it would indeed come true! As I see many relationships crumble around with me, even the 'intensely in love couples', it reminds me of how blessed and lucky S and I are, that we found each other. God does love me in his own way...sometimes, he gets angry with me and I have to go through some lows, which is bearable when we are there for each other....to help us tide through it. :-)
S is the perfect balance in our relationship. We (S and I) are a combination of introvert-extrovert, cautious-spontaneous, composed-flustered, mature-child-like, patient-impatient, guarded-expressive, diplomatic -outspoken...so you get the drift. We are absolutely different individuals, which is also the reason that keeps us glued together, maybe...

I love those moments, especially when I see him at the end of a work-day or when he hugs me, I feel like all is picture-perfect in my world! NOONE, but S, can bring that kind of warmth and security in my mind.

A friend of mine tells me I am a sappy wife. Honestly, I don't care what others think of me, to a large extent. No, this is not arrogance. Largely, I know what i want, cherish, treasure and love and I believe in appreciating the good things in life or the wonderful people in my life. I never want to have regrets later in life when I feel why did'nt I tell him how much I love him? Only change in me nowadays is that I simply smile. Earlier, i would get upset. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and so am I ( which i try to keep to myself). PERIOD.

Music, the rains and a long drive!

Last night, I had to stay back at work for a call late at night. S was off yesterday, so with much tredipation, I took the car to work...though i did'nt remember or realize that I would have to stay back for the call... So its about 10.30 p.m and I have to drive back home, late at night, and to add to that, its raining. Let me be honest, I was shit scared that I should reach home safely ( with S calling me every now and then, worried about me...it added to my apprehension!). Anyway, I got off to a good start and there was not too much traffic, obviously coz it was pretty late.

I put on the radio and there was some nice old hindi numbers....the lovely rains and the pleasant breeze....what can i say? I began to relax slowly and thoroughly enjoyed the drive...Usually, I don't even put on the music, coz I am scared that I won't hear others honking or something like that...I am on edge to even enjoy the music...

Sometimes, in life, some things turn out quite well even if it seemed really difficult when you started off, it could be the smallest of things!! When I first learnt to drive the car, I felt I could never do it right...I would think, you should know when to change the gears, also keep an eye on the road for cyclists, bikes, lorries, other cars, humans, animals AND maneuver the big thingy without hitting on anyone AND balance the clutch, accelerator and the brakes! There is only so much I can do, right? I am not yet there....but I am slowly getting there, in the process, learning to enjoy driving as well... Now, S need not force me to drive over the weekends ( I know he is doing it for my own good!), I volunteer to drive, which pleasantly surprises both of us!!

Its a very big deal for me to be out firstly, that late at night all alone and all by myself drive the car home! So i was thrilled to bits! :-)

I bought a nice skirt, one size smaller deliberately, so that its an incentive to work out...and you know what?...It already fits!! I am thrilled to bits...
I want to put it down here, so that I am encouraged to work out and discipline myself everytime i read it! :D

Blast from the Past!!

From the time I created an account in Orkut, after much prodding from my brother....in the last couple of years, there have been pleasant surprises ever so often in the form of a 'friend request' from friends in school, college, people I have met from tuitions, computer classes or even acquaitances like a friend's brother or sister!! While I am not all that kicked up about acquaintances, I am absolutely delighted when I hear from a school or college friend or someone with whom I shared a close relationship but we drifted due to respective careers, marraige or circumstances.

There is a lot of joy in exchanging information about our lives in the few years we have not been in touch albeit through IM or e-mails or even phone calls. After the first paper trail, I tend to think and wonder how we have all grown and changed ( for better or worse) in our respective lives, both physically, emotionally, proffesionally and personally.

I don't believe in living in the past. I enjoy every phase to the fullest and move on...and i think that's the way it works best. You can never hear me saying 'I wish we could go back in time'....I am very happy where I am right now, and I also enjoyed that time earlier. PERIOD. However, these little surprises are wonderful as it feels really good to know how my friends are doing and vice versa! Three cheers to orkut, indeed!! :-)
I can't access orkut from work coz its termed a dating site....so I am so kicked about going home to check orkut coz a friend would have left a scrap or posted pictures of themselves, especially curious to see their spouses coz we would have discussed at length about it in college, or friends who have just had babies....it brings so much happiness and i am so excited and gush all about it to S, who can't really relate to it coz he has never met them! :D

Something to look forward to...

The long weekend was extremely relaxing and we were blissfully living in our own heaven! :-)

S and I crossed our fingers and finally booked our tickets to Italy! :-) So the preparation starts now, and we pored the net, travel books and some detailed information from a dear friend, Asha who made a trip to Italy and Austria in April this year ( she has neatly filed all the details and I get ready-made organized information!). Last time, when we planned a trip to Singapore, it was much easier as we stayed with S's mama there who also took us around a lot! Here, we will obviously have to figure out accomodation, finances, leave, clothes ( yup, I never let go of any chance!) among other things...

Anyways, I am very excited about the trip and wanted to put it down in writing!! Something that I am REALLY looking forward to... if any blog readers have some information to share, please comment...

Living separate lives...

Speaking to my SIL on the phone, who lives in the U.S for a decade now, reminded me how much our lives are separate, even from immediate family nowadays...I remember how as a kid, I have spent many a vacation, playing with my cousins, stealing mangoes from the near by factory and feeling all heroic about it among so many other exciting things we did. I vividly remember my Dad used to give away prizes for all of us for which we had to learn the multiplication tables. We would have a competition and of course, the one who gives the maximum correct answers would win them! We lived near the beach ( my parents still do!) and we would all get up early in the morning and go the beach to play in the waters and later play seven stones, volleyball, throwball etc..When i think about it now, I did have a lot of fun and I have travelled all over the country with my Mom and sometimes, cousins too!

As we grew up, especially since i got married, except for a few e-mails here and there, and of course, thanks to our respective careers we have all moved apart.

S and I often wonder, if and when we have kids, they will hardly have any family, to interact or play with, except maybe our respective siblings ( we both have only one!), and that too, if we all happen to live in the same country...

Fact remains that, work takes up so much of our time during the week, that when weekend comes all we both want to do is spend time with each other rather than socializing. Everyone has termed us an 'anti-social' couple! Just so that we have more time on weekends, sometimes i try to do the grocery-shopping on Friday evenings coz I invite my friends for dinner or lunch. Since we moved to our new home, i try and call people over...

I have never stayed alone all my life or travelled alone anywhere until i got married. Now, I am used to both. I do miss my parents even now but I am kind of accustomed to it now. Initially, I would cry at night that I want to see my mother! :-) A 22-yr old crying for her mother, I know...I was too naive those days...I think I still am, in certain ways...but I can take care of myself now, atleast I think so! On occasions like birthdays, I feel bad that I am not there with them. I try to make it special for them, and that's when I did this for my Dad! Amma's birthday is on 30-aug and I am wondering how i can make it special for her... :-) Infact, I know what i am going to do...

The grass is always greener on the other side!

We all have fantasies that we hope that it may come true sometime in future. But sometimes when it actually does happen, you don't really think it was really all that worth it, it could be meeting someone of whom you had a better mental image than in reality or doing something you thought would be super fun!

One such fantasy of mine in my teens was to live alone or with friends and do anything I want with noone to supervise me or discipline me from watching T.V. to eating whatever I want, wear whatever i want... or to go anywhere I want to! I live that 'fantasy' very often whenever S is away on travel. The initial two days are fun, to be with myself and all the ruminating! I do watch T.V. and eat/not eat if i want to, or read as much as I want, without any practical chores to do...but by the third day, my feet needs to be dragged to go back to an empty home. There is an eerie silence in the house...which is kinda prickly!

One sentence that you can often hear me saying is 'An individual is an individual', but this turns into an overload of individual space. Indeed, the other side of the grass is always greener!!

My touch to a plain candle holder!

New additions to my Home!

Calmness Personified, Literally!

Our very own Buddha under a personalized Bodhgaya tree that emanates light ;-)

The other side of the grass is always greener!

We all have fantasies that we hope that it may come true sometime in future. But sometimes when it actually does happen, you don't really think it was really all that worth it, it could be meeting someone of whom you had a better mental image than in reality or doing something you thought would be super fun!

One such fantasy of mine in my teens was to live alone or with friends and do anything I want with noone to supervise me or discipline me from watching T.V. to eating whatever I want, wear whatever i want... or to go anywhere I want to! I live that 'fantasy' very often whenever S is away on travel. The initial two days are fun, to be with myself and all the ruminating! I do watch T.V. and eat/not eat if i want to, or read as much as I want, without any practical chores to do...but by the third day, my feet needs to be dragged to go back to an empty home. There is an eerie silence in the house...which is kinda prickly!

One sentence that you can often hear me saying is 'An individual is an individual', but this turns into an overload of individual space. Indeed, the other side of the grass is always greener!!

The Baronial Ellora Caves!

Its a no-brainer that I went to the splendid Ellora Caves over the weekend! :-) We made plans last weekend but finally did'nt make it coz we did not make proper arrangements. I have read so much about the Ajantha & Ellora Caves in History at school, I had great expectations. It did not disappoint me one bit, the architecture and the grandiose is simply magnificient...

Its about a 4.5 hrs drive and we spent about 4-5 hours exploring the caves on Saturday and we left Aurangabad on Sunday and drove back for another 5 hrs...S drove the car throughout,put up my legs and slept halfway!!! The natural light falls into some of the caves so beautifully..its a sight worth watching and I am assuming it is a deliberate attempt for natural light to flow in!! Some of the caves smell of bat poo but i guess that is something that can't be helped...and in some of the caves, restoration work is going on and hence are closed for visitors...There are about 35 caves or more in Ellora alone! By the time we finished exploring all the caves, it became dark and it started raining! S and I went to a nearby snack place and had kandha bhajiyas (onion fritters), and enjoyed watching the rain, while talking about our childhood days...it was a very pleasant evening!!

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped to buy Paithani sarees, which is an Aurangabad special and an age old art of weaving. I don't wear any sarees at all, so instead I picked up a Paithani Double Bedsheet...in black!! ( Yes, I love black!!)

I guess i really need to build my stamina coz i am feeling extremely tired and dragged myself to work today! My whole body aches and I look like I have worked hard at the construction site with the local mason!

But, S and I really enjoyed this trip that we plan to do many more such trips often...

Home Improvement Idea I - Revisited!

...Instead of spending some more money on buying furniture for the T.V. room in addition to the sofa in the Living room, diwan in the balcony, and numerous other necessities like double beds in every room....I converted an extra mattress into this low seating with colorful cushions thrown in....a cozy setting, ideal to cuddle up and watch T.V. or movies together... :-) It also has storage space where I can dump all the extra bedsheets, pillows and sundries...

Also, there are cloud shaped backrests which are not seen, as there are cushions in front of them!! Its the same thing, just a better photo!! :-)

Home Improvement Idea II

This is a simple paper light I picked up in Pondicherry. As part of customizing the T.V.Room, I pestered S to hang this up for me. Then, I took some artificial creepers and covered up the wires and viola! I have a pretty nice looking addition to the room which also provides light;-) What do you think? :-)

Natural fragrances are something!

When Ritu visited me, her sweet little daughter gave me a big bunch of Rajnigandha ( I have to say that I had no clue about these flowers before, though I have always curiously eyed it at the florist's shops!). It exudes such a lovely fragrance in the entire home, I have one more reason to get back home! No perfumes or room freshners can match the fragrance that nature offers - be it rajnigandha in this case or the smell of Jasmine ( I love fresh buds of Jasmine!).

I am addicted to this fragrance that I replenish it from time to time! An indulgence that is simple yet refreshing!

A weekend well spent...

Did a little bit of everything this weekend....and I have come to work with a good feeling! :-) Saw 'Jaane tu' on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it, a light-hearted romance with some humour every now and then...Both S and I did a bit of cleaning too, as I was equipped with the vaccum and S with Colin! ;-)...I am surprised to say that I actually enjoy cleaning and its almost therapeutic...went grocery shopping after the movie and made pasta for dinner! Pasta is something I could never imagine myself eating, but recently I have acquired a taste for it, thanks to S!

Sunday began late as I lounged around reading the paper in leisure and we had a heavy breakfast. S and I are planning to go to Rome in December and kept discussing the finances, leave at work and of course, the dates!! I have to figure out how to get the Schengen Visa done too and hopefully ( my fingers crossed!) our trip gets confirmed soon!!! I am soooooo excited...
That's how we planned our trip to Singapore last year and it was super fun!! We watched many movies too and played a game of scrabble in the evening, which was a lot of fun! All in all, we enjoyed ourselves TOTALLY!!

Edited to add: I am planning some new home improvements...will post pics soon as soon as they get done!..and oh! i almost forgot, I managed to get a haircut too!!

A MUST watch!

I saw an awesome movie called 'Pay it Forward' last night on HBO. What a beautiful movie! The movie starts off in the classroom and the teacher gives a Social Science project to the kids about changing the world and to believe that Goodness till exists. One of the kids ( the same kid who was the protagonist in 'The Sixth Sense') comes up with an ingenious project idea and the story moves on to show how the little project becomes a movement. It was a touching movie and reiterates at every point that there is Goodness in each one of us, just needs to be discovered by self!

I was bawling at the end of the movie ( I know I am hyper-sensitive!) and was gasping for breath, ya I cried sooo much. It inspired me to be a better person at some level and I will work on it. I don't want to reveal how it ends and spoil your experience.

I am sure there will be reruns of this movie, do watch it if you can !!!

What is this world coming to?

It was one of those days when S was away and I went to the nearest grocery store, on the way back home from work to buy my staple diet of bread! As i parked my bike, I noticed these school kids - two girls and a boy sitting right outside the shop ( Its a big shopping complex with lots of flats nearby) in a residential area. They were dressed in their school uniforms and must have been in Xth Standard...I just glanced at them as I entered the shop...

When i got back and was about to start the bike, I saw all of them smoking cigarettes...and the boy takes a drag on one hand, and slowly smooches the girl in the most vulgar and cheap kiss I have ever seen....the other girl looks on as she sits nearby at them! The girl he was kissing slowly smiles as she starts biting his neck!! I was shocked, to say the least and pinched myself to make sure that I am not having hallucinations in the middle of the day!

As I went back home, I had tears in my eyes and I don't have a reason for it. I just cried and was really upset to see innocence raped like that...I am not a prude, but what i saw that day saddened me a hell lot...They were kids, for God's sake!

Restless!

I am feeling restless right now...( all those well-meaning friends out there, I am absolutely fine, no problems...its just me!)...I feel as if I didn't do anything completely if you know what I mean? I could have pursued my Music with more passion instead of simply going with the flow like everyone else...why didn't I goad myself further, I think, when I hear awesome soul-stirring music and think why didn't i explore the music in me...I can already hear my mom in the background screaming 'I told you so...'.

I have a healthy mix of friends, there are those who are happily married with kids within a year or so, totally domesticated and there are those who are pretty much single and career-oriented jet-setting around the world and there are some others who are precisely like me. I am neither here nor there....I am not too domesticated nor too ambitious. Is that good or bad? Most importantly, does it need to be good or bad? what's important is that I am comfortable where I am...Well, I AM! But I do think once in a while if I am living life to the fullest, doing everything that i wanted to do?

Life is wierd sometimes, and the human mind is even more complex. All you can think of is about acheiving or getting something and once you do, you move on to greener pastures now that its done! You dont linger on to enjoy or appreciate what you have achieved..isnt it?
I hate people who cross items off their balance sheet and check with you to compare with yours! Am i not doing the same?

Sometimes, in the middle of the day, I feel like hugging someone or wonder if a hug would clear my mind? I really need the warmth of a hug, maybe I want reassurance, I dont know, am i weird?

So this is what is royalty?!

With the lovely weather and monsoons comes the inconvenience of trudging along slippery and slushy roads while riding the bike to work...As I rode to work today, I see a cute little 'royal' kid of maybe 3 yrs or so on the road....I say 'royal' coz his mom scurries along with him hurriedly, holding an umbrella over him, while he saunters along with her, casually glancing at everyone, enjoying the weather and basically enjoying himself totally, oblivious to the chaos around him and a quizzical expression on his cute little face...I just could not stop smiling... Children, I tell you!! :-)

Where do i stand?

The car driving is going on well and I have successfully driven to work for the past one week, though it requires deep concentration and I am soo much on edge that I am all stressed out and sweating! :-) But I am not giving up and continue to drive even when it was raining today and I was not too confident...

With S being away, I didnt really look forward to the weekend. Surprisingly, time flies when you are with friends...I went for a movie on Saturday with Vibs and her husband Bajrang, the movie was nothing to write home about...but was good fun meeting up with them. They came all the way to my place to pick me up and got dropped back as well as it was quite late in the night... On Sunday again, I met up with my friend A and over lunch, we decided on going for a movie yet again! Off we went to her place, informed her husband and went for the movie 'Aamir'. The movie is quite short by Bollywood standards, but an awesome movie. Everyone should see this 'must-see' flawless script! I simply loved the movie.No song-dance routine or any item number rubbish that draws your attention away from the main plot. So it was a well-spent weekend, but at the end of the day, I still missed not having S around me...

On the work front, a senior manager has kindly accepted to be my mentor. I was suprised that he judged me so well in just a matter of few minutes. I am working on being positive, calm and to overcome my emotions which will definitely help develop my professional demeanour and personally as well. Now that I have identified where I could improve myself, I am going to start working on it seriously...

I have been tagged back!

Onlineraga tagged me back! I think the essence of the tag is to encourage you to pick up a long-forgotten book and read! ...And it did push me to read this wonderful book. Its a collection of 'Selected Short Stories' by Rabindranath Tagore which is profound in some and downright funny elsewhere!

The rules of the tag:

• Pick up the nearest book.
• Open to page 123.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post the next three sentences.
• Tag five people, and acknowledge the person who tagged you.

" In the end, Ahir village also brought out a paper. They didn't mince their words. They hurled insults with such zeal and in such crude and vulgar language that the very letters on the page seemed to shreik before one's eyes."

Thanks Dhati, I had forgotten all about this book that I borrowed from my friend...to read!
I tag Ritu, Vibuti, Satyajit, Revathi and Cartoonist!

The Monsoons and a challenge!

The monsoons are here and I love the rains! Of course, I would be in bliss if i could sit at home, reading a nice book while sipping tea or watching a movie cuddling with S! However, there is something called work to be done in an office and I have decided to sacrifice that during the week...but weekends will be a different story!! :-)
...While I am very happy about the rains and the monsoons and the weather ensures that I get up with a smile on my face, it poses other practical problems like commuting to work on my bike can be very problematic and a drenched me! For some time, S has been grumbling, complaining, begging, threatening and every thing possible under the sun to make me drive! I can drive confidently if he is sitting along with me. But I am shit scared to take the car all by myself coz firstly, its a big car and secondly, i dont want to cause any damages to the car or anyone else on the road. But I cant afford to remain scared forever and refuse to drive the car. I know that! If I can ride a bike like a pro, the car will be easy too, with practice!

S is travelling to UK for 2-3 weeks and the car is at my disposal. So we have a deal, if I drive to work in the car in this period all by myself ( I dont have a choice!), I get diamonds. The materialistic side of me is overpowering and the lure of the diamonds are strong! I have accepted the challenge....I have a lot to gain, diamonds and I will dispel the fear in me....If i lose, big deal...HIS car is damaged... ;-) (just kidding!!)...I know i WILL do it...

I return home from work, enjoying the ride on my bike, smiling to myself as I can feel the cool breeze on my face, lovely mountains and beautiful clouds and think to myself how lucky I am to live in such a lovely locality, when I see a little girl sitting all cute wearing a stitched sari probably…and I want to tell her “Darling, You have a lot of time to be a woman when you MUST be fully dressed in sarees or any formal clothes…why don’t you enjoy your innocence and wear cute frocks or shorts and play with abandon…while you can!”…and I start reminiscing my childhood when I was carefree, spirited and innocent!

The Quirks Tag!

Vibhuti has tagged me and for the love of God, I cant understand why anyone would be interested in reading about my Quirks!..ahem, anyway here I go…

1. When I come back home from work, even if I am dog tired, the first thing I will do, even before I keep my bag down is to straighten the cushions or arrange the strewn newspapers. I am totally obsessed with my home and like it neat, clean and organized. Also, I can never get enough of cushion covers or artificial flowers…it’s almost like an OCD.
2. I prefer chat / SMS /E-mail conversations to phone calls or direct person-to-person conversations. There is a certain thrill in the virtual world as you don’t what is to come…it is like anticipating for the unexpected, very similar to how Life is! Philosophical, eh?
3. I don't trust men sporting a full beard ( not french beard, S has one! , I mean the full-faced beard!) and guys who wear kumkum! When I was in college, my professor said candidly that such men are not trustworthy and I blindly believed him! I still do...
4. I just detest, absolutely detest seeing someone brush their teeth, neither do I let anyone see me brush…I find it extremely gross!!! Why, you ask?...Ahem you asked for my quirks?
5. My hair has to be soft, silky and shiny everyday!!! On days, I don’t get the time to wash my hair, I imagine I look bad and am all fidgety and all I can think the whole time is that I should have washed my hair today as well, like I am feeling right now!!
6. When I get some new clothes stitched from the tailor, even if I have like a dozen ( I always have!) to be stitched and even if it means numerous inconvenient trips to the tailor’s shop, I will ALWAYS give only one outfit at a time. I have this intuition that if I give him more than one, he will spoil it! I feel he will lose interest by the time he gets to the second one. Yeah!! Go figure…
   
   Now, its my turn to read other interesting blogs with interesting quirks!
   
   The Meme rules --

• Link the person who tagged you.
• Mention the rules in your blog.
• Describe 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
• Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.

Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs to inform them of having tagged them.

Ritu

Preeti

Arundhati

Revathi

Themadmomma

Babies Anonymous

Boo

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

S and I had just got back from a pretty long stay in the UK, a long time away from home, our people, family and friends and we were in the midst of setting up our home here in Pune. S was off to work and I was left to do the arduous task of unpacking and arranging all our stuff, since I didn’t have a job to go to, at that point of time. I was feeling very lonely, bored and longed to see a single soul from my family or friends or even someone remotely familiar…so basically I was homesick!

As I was brooding and waiting for S to return all day, I get a call from S informing me that my friend Nikitha’s friend (She lives and works in Bombay) would visit me and pass on a parcel that she wanted to give me. So I tidied myself up to look presentable and decent for the stranger friend who would come home anytime. Within a couple of minutes, the doorbell rang and I greeted the stranger guy ( who happens to be a sweet guy by name sumit). He smiles and says here is the parcel and I see that his hands are empty! Out of nowhere, Nikitha springs up and gives me a big warm hug and you can clearly hear shrieks of joy from the union and I can’t stop grinning. I was overwhelmed with joy to see her, she stayed with me for a while chatting and left for Mumbai by evening. She had come all the way from Mumbai just to give me a surprise!
I had a warm fuzzy feeling all day and was full of smiles when S got back home and I eagerly started relating the surprise to him!! What a wonderful surprise that was, just when I needed it. Indeed, A friend in need is a friend indeed!! Niki is a darling friend of mine, she is like a charming little kid with the most warm smile and a loving personality!

'Kamala Sanyaas'...

I am someone who thinks about something or the other all the time, read worry sometimes too!! So in order to help myself, I had decided that I would not think too much about anything and just go with the flow!! It is indeed, really very difficult for me, but something that I am trying to cultivate for my own self!

A friend once told me that you should learn to detach yourself from self...no this is not the way to attain nirvana or anything, it is simply a technique to view the events or things that happen to you, as a viewer...detached from yourself. It is called 'kamala sanyaas'....similar to the 'Lotus' flower. If you notice a lotus closely, the water does not stick to the leaves....it remains detached from the leaf/flower, hence the comparison! So I try and keep telling myself not to think negatively or worry about something that I don't have control over...but I am so wierd...

..Like S once told me a story about a guy who would complain of headaches and go to a doctor regularly with the same complaint. The doctor figured that there was nothing wrong with him to cause any headache and realized its all in his mind...so he said everytime you suffer from a headache, take these pills...but try not to think about monkeys when you take them!!

Invariably, the guy would only think of monkeys everytime he needed to take the pill... :D

Similarly, I start thinking about why I don't worry about the things I used to...now...ya! Go Figure!!! :-)

Sappy wife thy name is yours truly!

I was flicking through our wedding album ( got hold of it only now, was with my MIL so long!) a couple of days back and could'nt help wondering where S and I stand today as opposed to our wedding day. Like everyone else, I dreamt of a loving partner, unfortunately I didnt get that....I got a wonderful partner who dotes on me like I was the last lovable person left on this earth!! ( Gotcha??)

Let me begin by saying that I did't instantly fall in love with him and I definitely don't believe in love at first sight. I believe love needs some time to grow strongly and to remain that way. Our relationship has evolved over the years and now we are so in tune with each other that we can complete each other's sentences or for that matter, to a large extent, know what the other was thinking about on a certain instance, without any of us uttering even a word about it.

Romance is not just about heart-shapes jewellery, roses or diamonds....the real romantic love lies in the small gestures that we do everyday...like when S covers me up at night when I am too deep into slumber to realize am cold or when he chides me for leaving my clothes on the floor sometimes, yet organizes my clothes in my wardrobe and ( I am much better at organizing my clothes now, thanks to him!) indulges in my gardening skills and gingerly pulls out the car to get some more potted plants for the nth time, or when he grudgingly shops along with me for artificial flowers or cushion covers, which he knows I can never have enough of....There are so many things I could write here...that he does for me! very thoughtfully I must add...in addition to making my birthday or our anniversary special!! :-)
I believe it is these little things that make us happy and certainly the fact that we have so much to share everyday, when we get back from our respective work-days. It is very nice to know and share each other's perspective about our respective careers at the end of the day.

I am a very hot-tempered woman, and I lose it at the drop of a hat... Being with S has mellowed me down in so many ways that sometimes, when I do control my temper, it amazes me. He is so much part of me, that even when he travels for just a couple of days, Urs truly is fully transformed into a pining and sappy wife! I don't think THAT is gonna change for years to come...for all the above said reasons and more...God bless...

true to the title of my blog...

I am just gonna ramble on here...Offlate, I have been having some really wierd dreams, so wierd that I can't imagine where to start....THAT wierd!

Anyway, you know I am this restless kinda person....and routine bores me like anything. I get up in the day thinking there will be surprises...of course i am only talking about pleasant surprises....may be something like an award at work or even better a promotion, a holiday to Newzealand, a gift? new clothes? if not, a new lipstick? or maybe even something as simple as a day off...Like back in school, when you reach school to find that its a holiday!! Its an awesome feeling...am sure everyone else feels that way too, Now come on, dont you? I read my forecast everyday in the paper, but I am that kinda optimistic types who thinks only the positives will work for me. If there is something negative, I always think 'Come on, there are other pisceans in this world, must be for them!!" :D

The trip that I spoke about here is happening and I am going to Pondicherry in June. Lots of poeple go " Pondicherry?? Why would you want to go there???" I dont know...I think it will be a lot more pleasant in those beaches rather than the Goa ones ( atleast the ones I went to..) where all you can see are hordes of people on dirty mattresses and young boys pestering you to go on one of those water sports thingies. Now, I am all for fun and frolic but its an overkill when you are not allowed to settle down or even decide what you want to do...So puhleez, Pondicherry anyday, thank you!! I had a rocking time there once when I went with my office folks, it was such a lot of fun and a really memorable trip. I loved the quaint little town. Also, the incentive for me is that I get to visit my folks and stay with them. Incidentally, their anniversary is the next day to mine...so one more special reason! :-)

All my close friends have had babies and I have not seen them all in a long time though I am constantly in touch through IM..dont know how many people I can visit in such a short while! Wish there were many more hours in a day to do all that I want to do or need to do...

Neend na aaye....tere bina....
Dil Ghabraye...tere bina..

....Its a Sunday evening, S has just gone to Bangalore.....and am left home in the evening We have been messaging each other ever since...I miss him! I know its only a couple of days, but i still miss him....I like to see him around...in the background, reading a paper, polishing his shoes, drinking coffee, listening to his music that I simply cant understand, talking to me, teasing me, cuddling with me watching TV, fighting for the TV, hell...even playing his games on his stupid mobile!...Hell, I MISS you dude...


....I am alone at home. The house is extremely quiet...and I look out the window as I write here...wondering where I lost something really precious that my hard working parents struggled to give me...and I feel like an ass...I hope to God I have not lost it and get it back!! :-( I cant stop thinking about it...apart from S!

Flashback...

A couple of years back, when S and I were living in Bangalore, S joined a gym and I accompanied him. The gym instructor was the typical macho guy with biceps, triceps and the works…I went up to him and enquired about the facilities, timings etc. and he was actually quite pleasant…

The next day, S came back home, not looking too pleasant….so I asked him what happened…and this is what he had to say…
S was working out in the gym when the instructor was making small talk with him…
Instructor: Sir, do you stay near by?
S: Yeah, sort of...( he is not the type to make small talk, he is usually quiet unlike me!)
Instructor: I have seen that girl pretty often on the road…the one who came with you yesterday…
S (doubtfully): is it?
Instructor: I was wondering about her?
S: as in?
Instructor: Is she your sister?
S: NO! ( an emphatic one!)…She is my WIFE!!!
Lol…I couldn’t stop laughing for a long time. To this day, it amuses me when I think about it…for some strange reason, after several such incidents, people tend to think we are siblings. For the love of God, I don’t understand why, coz we have very different facial features…but we are both tall and round faced!

Sometimes, I wonder what it would mean to have a sister. I have a great relationship with my brother and we are pretty close. When I see my friends with sisters, I see an easy camaraderie; almost a mother-child relationship without the formal frills and a lot of close friendship put in…its beautiful. It makes me wonder how it would be to have a sister…of course, as a kid, I didn’t want a sister coz the selfish-me didn’t want to share my clothes, accessories or anything with another girl who happens to be my mother’s first or second child! (Yup, that’s what I thought a sister could be. nothing more, nothing less!!)… I now know how wrong I was…coz it is like nurturing your kid, though it sounds clichéd, the idea of sharing your dreams, love, affection, parents, home, secrets, clothes, rooms and everything wonderful and happiness that only sharing can bring about…an almost selfless perfect love…

I must say I have always wondered when I look at sisters and if one of them is prettier or more successful than the other, do they feel jealous or have a low self esteem? But I always end up answering my own question. Do I feel jealous or envy my brother for being successful or for being happy? No, all I can feel is an immense pride and happiness to see him happy and successful…isn’t that how sisters would feel too?...But something that I am sure of is that girly conversations and late night talks definitely happens only among sisters….I have good fun with my brother and we share a few laughs and talk/support each other in times of crisis…but we don’t really talk about everything under the sun for hours together, I think it is something to do with women… I guess I will never know… There is no limit to anything that your heart desires, isn’t it? Brother or sisters, siblings are priceless and it’s a feeling that cannot be described easily in words…as a kid, there were times I hated having an elder brother….but fact remains that I cant imagine my life without him now…I proudly proclaim to this world that I am indeed blessed to have such a wonderful brother – the most caring and loving sibling anyone could have! J

Sheer bliss!

S and I had a very relaxed weekend. On Saturday, we decided to go to a different restaurant instead of the usual haunts. We went to this swanky greek restaurant called ‘Seasons’….the food was awful (the serene and beautiful ambience was lovely)…but the most important factor sucked big time, I can't stand bland food! Anyway, we ate in slow motion and on our way back had such an interesting conversation that S missed a turn and we ended up driving all the way to Satara! Got back home by midnight, was good fun though…

Sunday was very pleasant and a cool breeze kept caressing our faces, as S and I sat on the swing ( yup, I am crazy about that part of my home!), sipping cold coffee….we kept chatting and laughing about something that I cant remember now….most importantly, both of us were two shining happy faces reveling in the joy of a nice evening spent in our lovely home!! I felt so content and blessed…

...hmmmmm.....

I have been busy for the past few weeks with house guests, work and a few other things to be taken care of, at home. Though, I have been reading all the other blogs in the meantime, I did'nt really have anything interesting to write home about..

A little self-introspection I did made me realize that I have become so much calmer!! While, in the past I would have reacted immediately, in recent times, I have learnt to keep quiet and not say anything at all, which in itself is a big step for me....so I keep telling myself ' I am proud of you, girl!!' I have always been under the misconception that being outspoken is the right way to be... unfortunately for me, nope! it doesn't help...people judge you for it and the impression stays!! I guess I am getting older and its showing in my personality! :) My frequent reactions to most things is to smile, but my face gives me away as you can see myriad expressions on my face even if my mouth is shut! he he...come on, gimme a break...it takes time!!

On a tangent mode, and for some strange reason, I am longing to go to Pondicherry, maybe I will discuss with S and we can celebrate our anniversary there... By the way, I celebrate my fifth wedding anniversary this June, if any one can give me some interesting and unique gift ideas, please leave comments. I want to make something personal for S, not some expensive gift or anything please....something that I do with effort, straight from the heart kind of thing....and no! poetry is not something I am really good at....this is proof for that statement! ;)

I have started reading books and can't imagine why I have been wasting my time talking!! :D
Its sheer bliss to sit with a good book on the swing with the chimes and the sound of water gushing in the background...after the constant chatter at work for both official and personal purposes and of course, being ME!....the reading sessions are a welcome break. I cant believe am saying this, but I love the solitude! ( not more than a few hours, thank you!)

I am hooked on to this song by the band 'Fuzon', yup the same band that sang the lovely song...'Mora saiyaan'...in Hyderabad Blues 2! This new song is soul stirring ( for me!)...its titled 'Neend naa aaye' and really romantic!! Go listen to this song here and if you like it, go ahead and download it...you wont regret it! Trust me..of course, if you are the melody loving kinda person I am! :-)

I loved this Quote!!

Life gives Answers in 3 Ways...

It says YES and gives Whatever We Want,
It says NO and gives Us something Better,
It says Wait and gives Us the Best..