Stained Glass...

...Notre Dame De Paris! Exquisite, isn't it??

One of my quirks!

It is already a month since we moved here! Time just flew by, am still waiting for my furniture and all my precious photoframes and knick-knacks to arrive. Till they do, I feel like I am living in someone else's home! Well, I am sort of,...but don't you think these little things that you can relate to, cozy up your home? Like the odd cushion with the special cover you had to argue about buying or the photo collage that reminds you of fun times or a lovely holiday or that lamp shade you insisted on buying!

Note: My current home in Paris, which I shall modify soon with my stuff, will update that pic once I am done and of course, my stuff arrives!

It breaks my heart to accept the fact that some one else is living in my own home. Yes, we found a tenant for our home and my amazing friend took care of everything for me. I know you got to be practical and all that blah, but it is a home ( Click on this link to read the earlier post) we built with a lot of love, effort and utmost detail. But like S says, even if someone else lives there, it is still OUR home! Well, that is indeed some consolation! :-)

I strongly believe that your home reflects your personality; just like how well groomed a person is, reflects an individual's personality. I am not referring to good looks ( that would be a plus, yes, I am vain! Murder me?) here; I mean clean nails, feet, well-groomed hair, that sorta thing. In fact, when I first met S, that was the first thing I noticed. He has absolutely beautiful pink feet and he is very well-groomed ALWAYS!

I personally feel, it speaks volumes about a person ( Please note I speak only for myself and it happens to be MY blog, heard of freedom of speech?!). Just like how a few quirks about someone is endearing, the little things around the house seem to complete YOUR home! I have even named a few of my knick-knacks as if they were real and we often refer to them with their names! Come on, they have been with us for years, you are bound to care about them!

When I think about something, I visualize it in graphic detail. So I visualize my home with all the trimmings; even that slight rip somewhere in the corner of the sofa! Yup, Go Figure! So I can't wait for my stuff to COMPLETE my home! :-) Do any of you have any such attachments to a particular thing?

A moment of epiphany!

Continuing this , I have often come across people who make a generalized statement like 'Oh, Women always gossip' or for that matter ' Men are such chauvinists'. It gets my goat when you judge someone based on their gender or which part of the country they are from! I strongly believe that an individual is an individual. PERIOD. Irrespective of whether you are a male or a female, your personality, beliefs and attributes are strongly influenced by your upbringing and the surroundings you have grown up...

You don't have to be a woman to gossip or a man to be chauvinistic! A few years back, it would have been really easy to provoke me with such gender-specific statements. I would get into a huge argument with the said person. Over time, I have realized that there is no point. Is there anyone who likes to be proved wrong, including me? No! So I have become mature enough to understand there is no point trying to convince someone otherwise and choose to keep quiet. Saves a lot of trouble for both of us, right? However, if I know the other person well enough, I will try to have a healthy discussion, at least get to know why s/he feels that way.

Having said that, I have also understood that it is important to listen, not hear someone when they speak. Often, I am so excited about what I want to say that I never LISTEN. I have to change this trait of mine!

For a long time, I also thought that its so boring to be quiet and found quiet people boring! I am a woman of words; in fact too many words. I have realized it would take a lot of effort to restrain yourself from expressing yourself in a fight or heated discussion with someone. Often, When S and I argue, I have learnt to control myself and keep quiet. Its extremely difficult for me, but I do coz I might say something in a fit of anger and regret it for the rest of my life. So I remain silent. It helps A LOT!

When you are calm and take some time to think; it puts a lot of things into perspective. I know my basic nature will not change. But when you stay quiet, you feel calm and serene inside after some time. Another lesson learnt; its not easy to be quiet AND sometimes its good to remain silent :-)

I have a confession to make! I am not too conscious about what others think of me; I mean I don't bog myself down about what people will say or think! That does not mean I don't care at all...I do care about people I love; rather people who mean a lot to me. The buck stops there. I don't want to spend the rest of my life trying to please EVERYONE. It is just not possible. In fact, I have had some people tell me the most vicious things with a ' I say this with no malice' and I can't help but laugh! :D So there is just no point. Such people just don't matter. PERIOD.

I ALWAYS dream, when I am sleeping. Even if I sleep on the way somewhere for like 15 minutes, I dream! Its so wierd...sometimes the most obscure person features in my dream! Nowadays, if I have a bad dream, I try to think about pleasant things. I realize that I want to control my dreams as well...but it does not work...after some time, it goes back to the bad dream!! I have tried praying too but it does not help. Any suggestions here?

Picture this!

On my kitchen window....

...I have some fresh coriander, want some??!! :-)

Standing tall !!

Today, I went to the bank to open an account for myself, along with S. On my way back, I saw these amazing purple-fuschia ( Its a double color) colored shoes...they looked so awesome, my resolve not to shop is all gone! :P ( Its ok, I can go hungry for a few days!!)

I don't really need heels coz I am pretty tall, I am close to 5-8' , a fact that I am really proud of!! However, as you can see, I have large (ugly broad) feet, I have problems finding good shoes that look feminine more than anything else! So, if I find any shop that has my size, its a moment of bliss! REALLY!!

Amma often tells me its good you wear flats and heels damage your spine and posture and all that blah! All said and done, heels add elegance to your personality and I have always longed to wear them. S is much taller than I am...so I can afford to wear them. I guess, once in a while, its ok!! Thank GOD for that! :) Coz, these add quite a few inches! My brother often makes fun of girls that they walk on stools!! :P

Now, I want to be impartial and fair! So I bought another pair of shoes...not now, long back...coz it was a good deal, they had my size and they are flats!! I am sooooo thrilled, ya, anything new makes me go bonkers!! :P Sharing my newest acquisitions!!

Other than the time difference..

Apart from the time difference of about 4.5 hrs between Paris and India ( back home for me!)...I found many other interesting differences....

People are nattily dressed even to the market

Many people have these toy-like dogs that they bring along everywhere. These dogs do not bark or do anything....you can see them even in shopping malls, little balls of fur...really cute!

You can NEVER see anyone carry their babies or toddlers in their arms. They are ALWAYS in a pram and oh, how can i forget? with a nipple stuffed into their mouth.

You can NEVER see bi-lingual boards on the road or shops or for ingredients. Everybody speaks only FRENCH. Oui?

Most fathers spend a lot of time with their kids and seem to genuinely enjoy their time with their children. Its endearing.

Mostly, it looks like people thrive on cheese and chocolates. Even digestive biscuits have a chocolate coating!

The Internet/TV/Phone takes a minimum of just 2 weeks to be installed!! You have to pay a fortune if you want a technician to come home for installing it! Yeah, you heard me right!

Every street corner has a 'coiffeur' ( Hair styling salon) or two and there is a mandatory cafe at every two blocks filled with people enjoying some wine and maybe cigarettes. No, this is not on a weekend, this is on every single day!!

You can see people jogging on the road at any time of the day. Even if its bizarrely cold, you can see people in shorts. I often wonder how they manage to bear the cold? I have even seen people jogging on the road when we were coming back home from dinner, say about 10.30?

Everybody is thin and fit. ( I guess the jogging is the secret!) EVERYBODY!
Incidentally, I have recently discovered the joy of good music and going on long walks. I feel AWESOME! :) I don't have to fear running into someone, coz I don't know anybody! :P

Edited to add more:

There is 'Pomme' ( Pomme refers to apple) in everything...Pomme de pain, Pomme yaourt, Pomme verte savon..like lime is a flavor used extensively in India, Pomme or Green apple is a flavor used in everything from bath foams to yogurt!

S's naturally curly hair has become straight and my straight hair is now poker straight! :D

Ms.Congeniality!

I am moving on! Yup, I am…instead of brooding about missing my friends and the tiny social circle I had back home in India, I decided to extend my hand…and viola! I have two friends now! S’s colleague’s wife Teresa, a Spanish lady, a lovely person and a mother of three…she came home and we got talking…she introduced me to another girl who is apparently on the same street as mine… she was shopping in the ‘Wednesday’ and ‘Sunday’ Market that happens right below my apartment and she popped in too…and we all hit it off instantly…J I felt so happy that there were other people I could talk to…

Tomorrow, Cristina and I will meet up in the nearby station and we are off to Teresa’s! Not bad, eh? I feel great!

P.S – Teresa got me some lovely flowers and it looked gorgeous and that's the picture! These are posts I had drafted long back when I had no internet!

My appy Birthday was awesome!

I am 29! Yes, I am loving it! This birthday was one my best ever...S came home with a bunch of flowers hiding behind his back, which he cleverly hid ( yeah, right!!)...made dinner for me even before my birthday began!

I was a little upset that I would be alone at home on my birthday and wanted to scream its my birthday!! :) ( Yeah, I am like that, I love my birthday and feel like a princess!). So I expected S to go to work and I thought we would celebrate in the evening, coz its a weekday. Surprise of surprises, S took the whole day off...served breakfast for me. (We had to get a medical test for the social security. So we got that done) ...and just roamed all around Paris...did some shopping...came home, S made lunch for us!! ....Went out again and did some more shopping....went to the Eiffel Tower and had the awesomest view of Paris!! S got me this awesome red coat for my birthday gift that I have been drooling over, as we pass by the store everyday!! :D ( among many other things, which we can discuss later!)

S wanted us to have dinner at the Eiffel, there is a cool place right on the tower. But he found out that they don't serve any vegetarian food. Anyway, it was a good thing...coz we just took the Metro and went to the Notre Dame area and found an amazing restaurant and we had dinner with candlelights and good conversation!

We then found this really interesting lane and washed off dinner with warm crepes filled with Nutella and walnuts! :D It was such a pleasant feeling...really cold weather...the warm crepes....I had a warm fuzzy feeling as we ended the fabulous day!

My parents / inlaws /family sent me an e-mail and e-card, I was pleasantly shocked!!! I did call them and speak to them anyway. I got a lot of wishes from all my friends, thanks to orkut and facebook! :) Thank you all for making me feel so special on my birthday! S, as always, you made me feel out-of-the world!

I celebrated my Birthday in Paris!!!... and the entire day was romantic!! Like my dear friend N says, what more do I want? Dear God, I thank you for this fabulous life and for all the love I recieve...look out for your child. I know you will and you do :)

Edited to add: I just noticed that this is my 201st Post!!! :) Double Century is not bad at all, eh?

I have been productive, I told you so!

A simple yet easy transformation!

My bedroom in Paris! and yes, people who know me personally? I agree, I am incorrigible!! :D

A Grand Entry into Paris!

We arrived in Paris; the trip was uneventful…well, mostly. There was a slight problem about the baggage which was solved by an extra bag that we had to buy at the airport! We made a slight miscalculation in the distribution of the stuff!

It was my first time in a business class and I have to say there is nothing to write home about, except for a lot of leg space and the bed-like seat. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about! REALLY. Since it was an early morning flight, most of us slept for the majority of the time. So I didn’t really feel like it took a long time to come here! :) Incorrigible that I am, the minute I woke up, I watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S again! For that matter, so did S!

I felt like royalty as we arrived at the Paris Airport to take a cab to go to our new home. Listen to this, it was a Mercedes!!! :D I was thrilled to say the least, and S could not stop grinning ear to ear, the little boy in him smiling for a long time :) I felt really happy for both of us. :)

We both prayed silently to God for the smooth flight and everything going well without any hiccups. I couldn’t believe I was in Paris!!!! It was bloody cold and I think I need some time to get used to the weather; I tend to have headaches which I hope I can get rid of, over time! (The only downside, I hope!)

Strawberries and flowers!

We are all packed and the house is almost empty except for the bed and a few clothes! :-) We have had some tense moments, running errands and trying to get things done. Despite the empty home, I have a good feeling that its OUR home! We will come back to it in sometime, anyway, right? right!

I am excited about Paris and have mentally made plans of what am gonna do there! To start with, there is a nursery right below our apartment there which has some really beautiful flowers. So you know where some of the plants will land up? Our balcony, of course! Where else? All my chimes will tinkle and make pleasant sounds when the wind blows...I remember I did a post on strawberries in my garden when we set up home in Pune...it brings back beautiful memories...that sense of a new life, new people, new beginnings...gives me a sense of deja vu...Life comes a full circle, doesn't it?

Will put up pictures of the garden as and when it appears in Paris! :-)

Happy Birthday, my darling S!

My Dear S,

Wish you a very happy Birthday !!!.

I wholeheartedly pray and hope God blesses you with everything you want, give you only happiness and love in your entire life, excellent health, success in anything and everything you do! May all your dreams come true :) I hope you live your life the way you want, happily....live life KING SIZE!

We moved into our home, exactly the same time, last year and celebrated your birthday here with both the parents, do you remember?

Its exactly one year since then, and mostly God has blessed us with lots of good things and happiness throughout...We both thank you God! :) As you embark on a new journey in a new country and a new role that excites you, I know you are excited and you are looking forward to this wonderful new challenge in your career. I wish and pray you get all the success you deserve and you are an achiever! I am very proud of everything you are...

Did I tell you that you are the best thing that ever happened to me? Let me say that again, you are the bestest thing that ever happened to me...

Wishing you many many happy returns of the day, Munchkin! Continue to be the suave gentleman that you are!

Love and Hugs,
J

P.S - He needs all your good wishes. Say a silent prayer for my S, pretty please?

When I go to Paris...

• I can wear boots and not look silly!
  
• I am going to learn French, well i don't really have a choice!
  
• I can get a French Manicure, the real thing!
• I can allot more time towards acheiving my fitness goals as I won't need to rush to work, atleast in the intial couple of months!
• I will keep wondering what is the time difference, and can I call up India now?
• I can( will be) be the maid, the cook, the cleaner and the hostess too! :D
• I will celebrate my Birthday in Paris!
• I will enjoy being sort of anonymous ( not that am a celebrity or anything...but I don't know how to explain better...)

Will add some more or modify this, depending on how we progress...

I swear...by the sun and the moon and the stars!!

A chime that hangs on the window near my bedroom window! Its really cute, I love it! Will accompany me to Paris, among other things!!:-)

How cool is that?

My new home in Paris is going to have a view of....



















Awesome, eh?

25 random things about me!

My friend Sudha, has tagged me on Facebook to do this tag. The rules of the tag are:

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I am never lost for words and make friends very easily.I tend to give the impression that I am close to everyone but in reality I have very few close friends.
2. I am a narcissist who loves to look at herself!
   
3. I love tall, suave and intelligent men.
4. I believe that S is the best thing that ever happened to me. He perfectly complements the 'hyper' me.
   
5. I am a classically trained singer and can sing reasonably well.
6. A highly emotional person, am very expressive about my feelings for everyone.
   
7. WYSWIG ( What you see is what you get).
8. I am an open book; very transparent and easy to read, even to a stranger!
9. Lots of people assume that I am arrogant and over-confident looking at my personality. I would like to think I am confident, definitely not arrogant. So i tend to make an extra effort to appear friendly.
   
10. I envy people who are naturally slim, who don't really need to make an effort to look that way!
    
11. I am very enthusiastic and get really excited about even little things in life and believe that's what makes every day and moment interesting.
12. I strongly believe its important that you love and respect yourself before you expect others to show love/respect for you. So I do LOVE myself :P .
13. Music is a quintessential part of my life and I believe is highly theraupatic.
14. I am a very bad judge of character; I hope to get better over the years.
15. I have understood that I have a blessed life unlike so many other unfortunate people and am thankful for the life i have...Indeed, I am contented.
16. I love the smell of babies; their innocence.
17. I enjoy every phase in my life; be it school or college or now that I am working. I never feel that I want to go back to a phase in the past.
18. You can always find a permanent grin on my face and sometimes, my mouth hurts from all the talking!
    
19. I am a people's person. I love to meet new people and many of my friends come to me for advice. I am everyone's agony aunt! ( I am glad to help in anyway i can!)
20. I am very good with interiors and home decor. I hope to run my own business someday!
21. I don't really worry too much about what others may think if I do or say something. I just say it or do it as long as I am not hurting someone.
22. I love the beaches and can never have enough of it. I love travelling as long as it does not entail hairpin bends and winding roads to the Mountains. ( S, can you read that?)
23. I may forget but I do NOT forgive!
24. I am short-tempered and am very much aware of it. So when I am angry I just keep quiet lest I say something hurting I may regret later.
    
25. I cry very easily; even if I see someone crying...I end up crying without finding out why! I just can't see people sad. So I am good entertainment for people in movies!!
    

Thanks, Sudha! This was indeed interesting and got me thinking. Anyone interested in doing this tag, please take it up. Do let me know when you do it, I would love to read it! :-)

Its all in the mind...

Happiness is a state of mind. Really. Don't you think so? I think it is possible to be happy all the time. I can't believe it that I am saying this...coz i used to think its just that its the right thing to say...but I realize its true!

I am reading this book 'The Secret' as I have been recommended several times by different people and it says 'Our mind picks up frequencies and tunes into that thought, depending on the signal it gets'...and it makes sense too. Sometimes, my past haunts me and I am gripped by fear or uncertainity. It often happens that when you don't want to think about something, that is the first thought that comes up even while you are feeling happy about something. I strongly feel you must make a conscious effort to think positive and focus on the happy things in life, and certainly, you will attract the right things in your life.

For example, the move to Paris...I am definitely excited and happy about moving there, being exotic and romantic locale and all, but I was a lil upset about leaving my job AGAIN and to leave my friends AGAIN and of course, my folks, who I can't visit as often as I would want to...But Amma gave me a different perspective. Look at it this way, you are not tied down by the monotony of living in the same city for years...and you get to see new people, new places and new experiences...for a few years everytime! Who is so blessed like that? And on the flip side, I have made some amazing friends in every city or place I have lived in.

This year, with great difficulty, I must say, I have also detached myself from negative people in my life. I want to stay clear of such people, even at the risk of sounding rude or appearing arrogant. I am aware that optimism or focus on positivity does not happen overnight; but I have made a beginning...sometime back and I must say, it works wonders!

My first job ( Part II)

...continued from here...

Due to the high fever, I could not go for the interview as scheduled earlier. I could not call and inform either, as I didn't have their contact numbers, except for the address. After 2 days or so, the HR guy I met in the event, calls me up to ask why I didn't come for the interview!! When i told him that i was not keeping well, he set up another interview on a different date and made polite enquiries about my health. My Dad was even more suspicious about the job offer coz who calls up and asks why you couldn't come for the interview? He found it really wierd and over the top!

Anyway, somehow, I finally did go for the interview and met my future boss ( who is the best manager I have had, till date!) . As usual, I spoke nineteen to the dozen and fearlessly answered every question unabashedly ( He would often comment how outspoken and fearless i was!). He asks me 'what is the least salary I would join at?'. Without a moment to think, I answer some ridiculously low amount as I simply had no clue. What I quoted was so ridiculous, that he increased my salary himself and I was appointed with immediete effect.

After I joined the company, it was their appraisal time and everybody got hikes! I also got a hike coz my boss's boss felt that the little kid ( me!) would feel left out and they thought I was a promising employee!! Thus, started my career with a bang, loads of fun and frolic, lots of outings, made good friends and I felt like I was on a picnic...the most fun workplace i have ever been...

A piece of art from Rome, in our Home!

A painting of the Palatino Hill by a local artist, framed! You like?