All Set To Hit The Hills!

Excitement was palpable in the air at work on the day of the trip when most of the crowd took off early to pack or catch up on rest before the long journey. I had plenty of last minute packing to get done and so spent the evening rushing around. In the bargain, my memory took a toss...

In the cab on the way to the railway station, about 10 mins after leaving home, I remembered that the jacket I'd borrowed from a friend for the trip was left behind at home!! I called mom and she gave me a proper scolding for being so absentminded. I couldn't go back home because I was already stuck in traffic and going back would have probably got me to miss not just the jacket, but also the train!

I think I'll always remember Mom's parting words about the forgotten jacket before she hung up--"It is going to be very cold up there. But now you will have to manage somehow without it. All the best." May be it were her blessings, but I did manage, and rather well indeed, with just one sweater while people who came armed with windcheaters, fleece-lined jackets and sweaters faced shivering, chattering teeth, and one girl even went ice cold and and her hands and feet went numb post trek. I was fortunate to have escaped without any calamity falling on me or troubling the others.

However, the jacket wasn't the only thing I left behind. I forgot the very things I'd purchased just for the trip--the protein bars!! These were to provide energy on the day of the trek (day 2), but since they were melting, I put them in the fridge and promptly forgot to pick them up before leaving home. Sheesh!! This I realised an hour after the train left the station!!! I got ragged endlessly about this from the rest of my trip-mates :P

The train journey was a blast with nearly 5 compartments to ourselves. We literally hijacked the bogey with our loud laughter, singing and jokes. The rest of the passengers must have either smiled indulgently at us or frowned in despair at all the antics by a bunch of overgrown adults! There were snacks nonstop till bedtime--chocolates, sweets, khakhras, parathas, fruits, biscuits, chewing gum etc. There were a round of introductions to be done since we were finally off to spend a few days together with people we barely knew or had not even seen at the office. There were people across different teams and some of us had not laid eyes on some others ever before! A couple of ex-employees, but still good friends of existing ones, had also joined in for the trip, for old times and good times sake.

Lights were eventually turned off around midnight, only to be switched on an hour or so later 'coz a blood curdling scream rang out in the dead of night. One of the girls thought she had seen a rat! Although I wasn't really asleep, (was tired and too excited to fall into a restful sleep), that was a rude awakening for sure! The train stops at stations and people shouting out their wares contributed to my state of sleeplessness.

The train reached Coimbatore a half hour early at 4.30 am. We woke up grumbling and got shunted out of the train in our sleep. The waiting van had the name of our company on a label stuck on its front view window, and it was spelt wrong! That was probably the first laugh of the day and the whole lot of 20 odd people cheerfully piled into the van. We were short of a few seats vis-a-vis the number of people, and a couple of people took turns to stand up or sit on someone's lap for the 3+ hour journey to Ooty, and further on, to Coonoor, where we were to stay for the whole weekend.

It was a brrrrrrish chilly morning and I wrapped a scarf tightly over my head, only to resemble Li'l Bo Beep. Oh well, it was either that or freeze my ears off. As it is, the nip in the air must have made the blood rush to my cheeks and I had a near frozen nose. Still couldn't resist keeping the window open on atleast a little, when otherwise opening it out fully to click pics once we began climbing the hairpin bends up the Nilgiri mountains. After transferring the pics to my comp, I found a 12mb video that I never realised got taken by yours truly! The camera setting was on 'film' and its a really funny angled video where the camera is all ulta-pulta but still steadfastly facing out the window of the bus! I was asked what on earth I was doing then, when Dad walked in on me watching the video today, and I have no idea! I remember trying to click, which didn't seem to work, and now I know why! :))

Tried uploading it on youtube to link here, but twice over youtube let me down :'( It just says "failed", no explanations even. Hmmph. Youtube walas ki aisi ki taisi!!

I will be posting a day-by-day and blow-by-blow account of the trip in future posts. Must recollect the good times for posterity :-) Read at your own risk :P

Hillstationed!

Had a fantabulous trip :)

Totally exhausted and still recovering from the highs. Already hit with work and so written posts will take a li'l more time...until then...pictures tell a 1000 words, and how! :-)

This was the first glimpse of the Nilgiri hills at daybreak, taken from a moving bus. Missed a lot of good shots since the bus was going up the hairpin bends too quickly for me to point and shoot. The consolation is that the view is etched in my memory and pictures, however awesome, can never capture the true essence of nature's awesome beauty.

The view from the balcony of the luxurious guesthouse we stayed at. Its atop one of the highest hills in Coonoor with tea gardens and plantations laid out like a lush green carpet right out front! One of the first pics I took in the crisp and chilly morning air on arrival.

The entrance to my room overlooked the manicured lawns of a beautiful cottage, belonging to the owner of the guesthouse. Beyond are more tea plantations and the mountains.

Surrounded by greenery all around! Behind the guesthouse.

My room was on the first floor of the guesthouse and the views were simply breathtaking. My eyes simply couldn't get enough of the green! Truly a sight for sore eyes. Meri aankhon aur kaleja ko bhi thandak pahunch gayee! :) The pic above is of the staircase leading down to the gate and driveway to the house. That's a new friend I made on the trip talking on the cellphone!

These were the first few pics I took as soon as we arrived. More to come shortly!

Like a Virgin

I’m about to embark on something I’ve never done before. It feels strange and exciting and scary all at the same time.

Yes, yes, I’m going camping and mountain climbing. Its gonna be my first time so I’m a trekking virgin :P

It’s years since I’ve been to a proper hill station and the cool (more like brrr…cold at this time of the year) climes are something I’m greatly looking forward to. Not to mention cramming the poor camera with tons of some beautiful and some timepass pics :D

I feel like a bride all set for an adventure of a lifetime. In a way, it’s a lot like getting hitched. Its all new, fun, and weird. There are going to be wild beasts (hopefully they will come outta hiding)—the real ones that is. In a marriage, those would be the outlaws and other sundry relatives, and hopefully not the husband. There is going to be scenic breathtaking beauty, so that replicates honeymooning in exotic locales. There is going to be a campfire and lots of singing and dancing, so that’s like the wedding ceremony.

The old English tradition at the time of a wedding in the Western world follows this quaint, but super-cute custom of gifting the bride with a few mandatory things. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase before in books or movies or seen it for yourself. It goes like this:

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue

Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy. So in keeping with the custom, I’ve got something to cover all those points….the shoes are old, the protein bars are new, the backpack and the jacket are borrowed, and the jeans are blue!!! So hopefully my trekking trip will be a fun and happy one too. Ahahahaha. I have officially lost it. The fellow group members are gonna have to suffer my lunacy. I hope poonam ki raat happens on the trip :P

Alright, enough with the crazy imagery and the exaggeration :P

The group I’m going with are people I hardly know at all, complete strangers most of them. Don’t even know half the names though I see them everyday at work. So that is yet another adventure. I think its rather brave of me to take off without knowing the people I’m traveling with, the itinerary, the arrangements or anything. TGFI, don’t you think this point qualifies in your ‘proud tag’ :P Just following Nike’s phamous tagline “Just Do It” and going with the flow.

For the usually cautious me, this itself is a big deal. And its funny for someone who has traveled a few countries and cities a few times all on her ownsome. But that feels like eons ago now. Its been a while since I’ve settled into a life of complacency and a dulled sense of security. So this trip is gonna shake me outta my self-induced stupor in more ways than one. Excited!!!! :D

Since its monsoon, the group decided to stock up on cheaply available raincoats from the roadside, the wear and discard types. Mine is a bright pink flowery one. The other colors are blue, orange, green and god knows what else! The pristine beauty of the mountain ranges and tea estates are gonna be witness to an eyesore of a fashion disaster! With all the backpacks, shoes and socks, water bottles and raincoats, we feel like a bunch of school kids out on a picnic, yabbering away nonstop! For sure, there will be the mandatory singing/antakshari in the bus to top it all!! I just hope we don’t start waving at people on the roads while sitting in the bus. Everyone’s getting carried away with the thrill of getting away from stifling work schedules!

Looking forward to being an observer of nature in all her glory. Being in the lap of Mother Nature is a high all by itself.

Will be back next week with pics, stories and other sundry jaw dropping info. Stay tuned and have a great weekend y’all! :-)

Tag-liatelle

There's been a tag fever on blogs lately, and people are kheenchofying on tags like nobody's business. My lists are getting as long as those durum noodles anyway.

This blogger is on a roll and the keeda in me is giving in! Actually, she called me decent and that was an insult! So I had no choice but to get my soul in order and go to confession too. The rebel that I am it wasn't in church, or with a pastor in the secret confines of a confession box, and not on Sunday either. The exhibitionist streak won out and here are the nitty gritties of my colorful life! :P

1. I have 2 gmail accounts (as of now), 3 yahoo accounts, 1 hotmail id, 1 rediffmail id, 1 indiatimes id, I maildotcom id, and 1287, 69, 32, 870, 7518, 313, 13, 0, and 152 unread mails respectively. ARGH!!
2. I'm a gaming addict. I can play online/offline PC games all night.
3. I continue to have a crush on the members of this band I grew up listening to, although my admiration has gone beyond their music or looks now. Have learnt a lot from them over time. Have even met them a few times while stalking them at airports and backstage. Even went to a party for them hosted at the High Commission post the show! Got star treatment for being an international fan :P
4. In school, I once lied to a group of Anglo-Indian girls I used to love hanging out with, just to get accepted into the gang. Told them my great grandma was an Anglo-Indian and they bought it. And promptly included me in the gang! Jeez. Its funny now, but also disturbing.
5. I'm such a pack rat. I own too many things, be it clothes, books, jewellery, stationery, furniture, CDs, shoes, credit cards, hell even keychains! Sheesh.
6. I poured a cup of coffee on someone's seat at work once. The guy is an annoying jerk. I had issues with his...errmm...strange tendencies—a habitual gold digger (if you know what I mean), scratching unmentionable body parts in public, and surfing porn at work (before he got warned)!! I couldn't bear him. Before I screamed blue murder (I couldn't muster up the courage to kill him with my bare hands 'cos that would mean touching him…ewwwww…gross!) so needed to vent my frustations somehow. Anticlimax to the wet seat though--next day he coolly put a newspaper on the seat and carried on business as usual. ARRGGHH x-(
7. I was never religious, but always more spiritually inclined. As I get older, I find I'm actually losing my spiritual values and getting more materialistic. How weird is that. Life is all upside down, I say.
8. I'm dying to dance with abandon at a friend's wedding to the funkiest dhinchaak Bollywood numbers, complete with jhatkas and matkas, kamar latkaake!

My confessions number far more than just 8, but the tag ends here :P

Ouch, I got tagged!

This was fun! I feel like I'm back in business (of blogging I mean). Sayesha tagged me and I obliged like the good li'l girl that I am :-)

Here are the rules:
1. Players start with 5 random facts about themselves.
2. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 5 random facts.
3. Players should tag 5 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

So here goes....some random facts about me, myself and moi:

1. I could be listening to Shubha Mudgal one minute and the next song could be Linkin Park and the next one Louis Armstrong, and the next Madonna, and so the eclectic tastes in music go on...

2. During the days of Napster I went into a downloading and CD recording frenzy and made a pile load of CDs of music I wanted to own and treasure. The initial euphoria lasted a couple of months and then the CDs were forgotten. After all these years, I have decided to randomly pick CDs off the shelves before they get asphyxiated by dust and listen to them atleast thrice a week. With the collection I've amassed, if I don't start now, they won't be used till I die (that is, presuming I'm gonna live till the ripe old age of 90).

3. I used to be a total daydreamer, living with my head high up in the clouds. Now I'm so grounded I've almost gone underground. I sometimes feel like an earthworm burrowing deeper and deeper downward.

4. Sanjeev Kumar is one of my favorite yesteryear actors.

5. After a long hiatus, I'm now suffering from blogging diarrhoea. Despite promising to do this tag last, I ended up doing it first 'cos I got bitten by blogger's itch!

6. I'm rediscovering some really interesting-sounding bloggers (from their blogs of course) online, and am struggling to keep pace reading them all, but can't without resorting to being online 24/7.

7. I'm a fabulous driver and I say so myself :P From dying to learn driving since age 15, and nearly dying from torture of not putting hand to wheel for five long years, I finally learnt at age 20 and acquired a license to kill.

8. Beautiful art, craft, photography, music, a book, and even just a warm hug can make my day and make me feel high on life and love.

9. Puppies have so much personality. They can make you laugh, cry and wanna play with and cuddle them up. Whoa-oh-oh-yeah, I love dogs more than I can say! :-)

10. I'm totally unpredictable and mad. I thoroughly enjoy surprising people when they’re least expecting me to do/say something. Then I turn around and do/say just the opposite! I hate abiding by rules when expected to and my knee jerk impulse is to rebel. Now you know why I have 10 facts instead of 5 as per the rules of the tag! :P

And finally, lo and behold, I tag the first 5 people who read this post. And don't try and cheat your way outta this, someone up there is watching and it's not just my statcounter! Ha! :-)

A Revelation

LOL! I was recently advised not to wait for divine intervention and follow the adage -
"a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

Now it is becoming apparent to me that I have, indeed, been waiting for divine intervention.

Being struck by a flash of lightning, that is!! Ha ha ha!!

(Aside: Is it a bolt of lightning/a bolt of thunder? We've heard of both--a lightening bolt and a thunderbolt! :P)

(Aside 2: When the brain doesn't work at work, its time to crack PJs galore!)

Life S-U-C-K-S!!!!

My reason for living has further crumbled. My fave eye candy (FEC) is moving to greener pastures. I’m thrilled for the one in question but my heart bleeds, and soon so will my eyes, at the prospect of not seeing FEC around anymore.

Can life get any more unfair? HMMMMPH x-(

DUH!!!

I am so sick of writing and thinking about how I abuse myself. By that I mean the procrastination, the lazyness, the inaction, the justification, the depression, the low energy, the lack of motivation etc. Despite all that, I’m still wallowing in the same hole I dug myself into.

What is wrong with me?

I don’t listen to my well wishers. Hell, I don’t even listen to myself. I heard and listened to the gurus, and was awakened and shaken to the core, and yet, had the most inactive weekend ever, fresh after all the inputs on the importance of being active in mind, body, and spirit! The silver lining, however, is that I am atleast aware and fully conscious of what I’m doing to my own self. So all hope ain’t lost just yet. Or so I tell myself and continue to wallow.

Am I such a gone case?? Do I need professional help? Will a huge kick in the butt make me move it? Obviously, I need a thorough shaking up of some kind. And I can’t take any more pain or painful stuff. I’m so done with that. So no thanks, God, if you’re listening. Ok ok, I welcome the ‘tests’ – atleast that should be the attitude that is supposed to make one stronger, right? Whatever.

So, what am I waiting for? A lifestyle disease to hit me in the face and force me to toe the line of discipline and care for my physical health? There are reasons all around me to care for my emotional and mental health. And yet I let myself rot away.

Arrrrrgh!! Somebody slap me outta my stupor!!

The Deafening Sounds of Silence

This morning I was wondering what it would be like if one could just up and leave to a place/city/country where I don’t know anybody and no one knows me. Start life afresh.

Shave my head – this would take care of the bad hair days as well. And also maybe grow a head of better and finer hair than the royal pain it is right now. Wear braces to correct the teeth – something I can’t do now without dying of embarrassment. Then again, the condition the teeth are in right now are an embarrassment in itself.

The power of anonymity—go somewhere where there aren’t nosy relatives and so-called friends. Ah, bliss. I crave for new experiences. Fearing the unknown has only resulted in a state of stagnation worse than the unknown itself. This should have been the unknown to be fearful of!! Sheesh!!

I wish there was a good enough reason to want to go away. Its not because I’m famous (I wish) and want to run far from the madding crowd. Its not because I’m running away from something or someone to go into hiding. Guess its just that I’m tired. Of the life I’m currently leading. Which seems to be stuck in a rut.

And what one longs for is a refreshing change. In all respects. New scenery, new things to learn, new stuff to do. What would it be like I wonder. If one could take off without a care in the world and live only for yourself. I don’t remember what that feels like. I feel bound and tied down. This isn’t a good feeling at all and most of it is my own doing. Having laid my own bed, I am now lying in it. And it ain’t comfy.

There’s so much I wanna do, yet no action is taken in the right direction. So many self-imposed shackles. Wanna break free and fly high. Soar like a bird in the sky. And before I come out with worse lines, I must get some sleep. Ah, that’s it! Lack of sleep is the cause of all these wandering thoughts.

I don’t want to turn back the clock anymore. An exercise in futility anyway. Even nostalgia is not what it used to be :P Might as well look ahead at the new and the exciting. Until of course that gets old too at some point. Circle of life I guess.

When will I stop saying ‘And I still haven’t found what I’m looking for?’

Moral of the story: Too many random thoughts lead to a random post.

Theme for a Dream

Dreaming of moving to another place/space – atleast virtually.

Wordpress has enchanting blog themes. Keeping summer in mind, there are a lot of 'citrusy' colored pics, themes, lines etc, in their blog template designs, and the obvious spring/summer/rain pics for a fresh natural feel.

This one below reminds of a scene from Shaan's video 'Gumsum Ho Tum'. All cloudy, dreamy, and romantic. One of my fave songs and videos ever. Apart from the pale blue/grey and white look of the video, Shaan's smile and voice makes me weak in my crochety old, but still idealistically romantic knees :)

Love the banana smoothie idea of a theme, but didn't look so hot on paper...err...browser :P

Then there is the 'seasonal' theme, snowcapped fern trees and walkways with snow flakes drizzling down on a cold winter's night during X'mas.

The city slicker like theme for the city girl in me. Long winding concrete pavements with tons of shops and cafes lining a busy NY/San Francisco street.

The cool moss green color and the even cooler flower motif. An ethnic fusion look. Ethnic fusion art, crafts, clothes and décor is most always aesthetic and almost always gets me.

Another fave....the gorgeous expanse of Mother Nature in all her wondrous glory. This is 'OceanMist'.

And saving the best for the last....azure blue waters and golden sand at where else, but the beach! :-)

And finally, the wanderer/traveler/seeker in me cannot decide which of these suit me the best...actually each of them do, at various ages, stages and moods of my life.

The one feature that I found striking about Wordpress is its 'tag surfer' option. You get a bunch of blogs previewed on your space that might be similar to one of your own posts. Or not necessarily covering the same topic. But its still a peek into varied subjects and blogger profiles you might otherwise never come across. This also leads to getting 'lost while reading other's blogs' and forgetting or running outta time to update your own.

Sigh…the blissful dreamer in me carries on dreamin'...

Which of these pics do you like?

My Inner Hero(hic!) Qualities

My quiz results: Hello, Paladin.

Character Stats:
-----------------
Rogue (10)
Warrior (12)
Wizard (7)
Paladin (16)

Your Profile:
--------------
You're compassionate, forward-thinking, and devoted to doing the right thing. If you're still in school, your teachers probably adore you, even if your grades aren't very strong. If you work, you're more concerned with doing your job well than climbing the corporate ladder. When it comes to leisure, you'd rather pursue the arts, spend time in nature, or enjoy quiet time with a close friend than spend all night at a raucous party. You seek out peace, beauty, and harmony wherever you can find it.

Above all, you love helping others and bringing a little light to the world wherever you can. You have strong artistic talent, even if you haven't discovered it yet. You aren't a social butterfly, but the friendships you have tend to be long-lasting and devoted. You feel a deep sense of contentment when you have the opportunity to show someone how much you care.

Your Mission:
---------------
You were put on this earth to help others. They will trust you, because they are attracted to your sincerity, your kindness, and your willingness to do what's right. You are the one who has to stand up for the little guy, because everyone else is too busy looking after number one.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to Fix Something. Something small, or something big. Put a new chain on your brother's bike. Reconcile a family feud. Take a stray cat to the vet to be spayed. Donate blood. Fix a friend's car for free. Fix SOMETHING.

The Famous Adventurer of Silmaria trusts you to complete your mission. Don't feel guilty about procrastination - start now!

A Warning:
-------------
Try to remember: sometimes you need to fight for what you believe in. When someone steps on your rights, or the rights of others, you have to forget being "the nice guy/girl" and set things the way they should be. If necessary, befriend a Warrior and enlist him or her in your cause. Then just turn your Warrior loose and watch the fireworks.

Sometimes you're just going to have to face reality. Because you yourself are trustworthy, you tend to be too trusting. But not everyone is as kind and honest as you are. You may need a Rogue on your side to let you know when you're being hoodwinked, swindled, or made a fool of.

Thanks to this quiz I am now humming "We Don't Need Another Hero" by Tina Turner in my head...lovely song of yore...Mad Max soundtrack methinks... Much of this is true, except perhaps the stuff about school and wanting to fix something (too lazy!:P), although its true that I try to set things right constantly.

Interesting indeed. I wonder if there is a quiz for your Inner Devil? *devilish grin*

Points to Ponder

What is the purpose of life?

How do we tell what that purpose is on our own? Will it come to us suddenly one fine day or in the middle of a dream at night and we shout 'Eureka' and jump up with recognition?

Do we wait for a sign from the heavens or go about our life's business anyway and discover it on our own? If we sit around waiting for things to happen to us, only one thing happens: we continue to sit around on our butts and guess what? NOTHING HAPPENS!! So obviously, sitting around ain't the solution. That's like a status quo solution for a status quo situation, one that results in a status quo decision!!

They say one must 'make things happen, will them to happen' etc. We need to also ACT on them so that atleast SOMETHING happens. Atleast then, choices arise and decisions can be made.

Let's say we think X is the purpose of my life, or for more confounded souls, X, Y, and Z are also purposes, how do we decide which is the ideal one we should be pursuing?

Can one's purpose in life keep changing as life goes on? Or is it something that remains constant and keeps empowering you? Mind you, I am not referring to one's goals in life. Those (atleast the ones that are realistic) can be achieved. And once that milestone has been crossed, then what? Yes, the next goal. So we are not discussing goals here...those can be set, aimed at, and realised.

Yes, I'm seeking answers. All I seem to get are never ending questions in my head.

So how does one go about living one's life? Is it about living each day to the fullest? If so, then do you :

1) Live each day as if it were your last day on earth?

OR

2) Live each day as if it is your first day on earth?

This is me -- Then and Now!

Growing old is inevitable...Growing up is optional!

Gagged by Tagged and Boggled by Google!

I have been at the receiving end (in more ways than one) of emails from friends old and new via a website called Tagged. Yet another 'frandsip making' site like hi5, chirkut blah blah I thought, and ignored all the mails and even deleted them. Then I got another deluge of emails from the site and decided to check out what the ruckus was all about.

So I signed up like a good li'l girl and filled out the basics of my profile. Thought this was yet another way to keep in touch with my pals scattered across the globe and even some jobless ones who live in the same city. Before I submitted the profile, I got a welcome email from a really old friend who had sent me the email, when actually it was the site that had sent me an automated email. I thought she was online since it showed me up as online and I presumed she was too. I put up a pic of myself and was just trying to figure out what was different about this website.

Next thing I knew my mailbox was flooded with emails proclaiming 'You have received an email from Tagged!' I open them one by one and find scores of random people leaving even more random messages for me. Sheesh! Had thought it was just friend-to-friend contact. I prefer to pick and choose my friends, you stupid site! I'm also very picky about whom I pick! I refuse to have some dumb automated robot do it for me!

The pics of the people who had sent me messages were from really weird looking pics of men. There was also Brad Pitt in an unbuttoned shirt emerging from the sea. Somehow I doubt that was the original Brad. Then there were cartoons, fruits, scenery pics, and helicopter pics.

The profile names ranged from people's boring first and last names to 'naughtyguy'. There was even someone named Pushpaaa. All those A's for numerology I guess or was it just coz Pushpaaa was plain happy to see me? 'Coz her/his message was "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, wanna be ur fren, shall we chat?"

Along came this 69 yr old dude who sent a 'frandsip' request. Most other messages were rather meek. The messengers seemed fairly tongue-tied and didn't go beyond 'Hi', or 'Hi, how r u', 'I'm looking for a sweet friend' or 'Wanna chat?'. All these sarcastic comebacks sprang to mind like 'I dont care who you are', 'So what?' and 'N-O'.

One guy proceeded to tell me he was the TL at a BPO and another said he was from IIT. I guess these were supposed to be 'ice breakers' and 'conversation starters' and I should have been impressed.

The messages took the cake, the bakery, and the bakery chain. From friendship rhymes (can hardly term them 'poetry'), pick up lines, begging and pleading (double and triple messages from the same profile id), people saying we should chat 'coz we were in the same city (some logic and this was all wrong info anyway), some asking for a date and finding that funny by giggling at the end of the message, some who wanted to 'make friendship' to one guy's gem -- Hi sister, how r u? I like making sisters, will you be my sister? Pls sister, say yes, if no, then also ok, but take care'.

In the span of an hour I received over 70 messages. I changed my age to 106 and got some smart aleck replies to that. Finally one guy said I didnt look 106 years old and then it finally dawned on me! It was 'coz of the pic that I was inundated with unfathomable mind boggling messages!! All this hulla gulla, sheesh! Took down the pic rightaway and changed the profile id as well. Shukar hai, only 3 messages have come in so far.

Tagged simply shows all the profiles to all its members, so any random dude can send any Tagged member a message! Jeez. I spent the better part of the hour deleting each message one by one and also the automated mails in my mail inbox.

If this keeps up and none of my actual friends send me any messages there elucidating what is so terrific about this website, the profile is going down by this weekend. I have too many things going on in my life to spend time deleting idiotic scraps/messages from idiots.

These sites dont just tag you, they just go all out and gag you!!!!
*still gagging at the experience*

As for being gagged by Google, its weeks since I've been able to login to my blogger a/c. Finally deleted some 100MB worth of temp files from my PC as well as emptied cache of all cookies. That seemed to work for Orkut and I can actually log in there now. Another matter that I won't :D Blogger still doesn't work, damn login page refreshes automatically. Now fixed the problem by downloading Firefox.

Die IE!
Die Google!! (ok, not just yet)
Die Blogger!!!!! That would be the day!!

Fat-A-Fit

My poor husband, Garfield! People are on his case for no reason.

I think his li'l pot belly is kinda cute, don't you? :-)





And finally, my darling patidev has the last word --

Stoopid Cupid? Or Modern Day's Speedy Cupid?

Out with the old (fashioned way of love), and in with the new!

Notions of love and romance in the so-called traditional manner of red roses, dining in candlelight or holding hands in the moonlight, perfumed love letters written in ink, Shakespearean sonnets, and lingering poetry are truly a thing of the past.

Today, its all about ordering flowers online, along with a gigantic red cushioned heart, a teddybear, chocolates, expensive jewellery and what not. None of which makes an everlasting memory, especially since its pure commercialism that lacks soul.

Instant fulfillment is the buzzword now. Have money, will lavish. It certainly ain't the thought that counts, only the currency notes - the more the merrier.

Looking for fast love? A la George Michael?

Into this seemingly sacred world of pyar, ishq, aur mohabbat, comes dating and its variations that are currently in vogue. Whosoever invented the concept of speed dating and that too, into India, must certainly have a very wry sense of humor!

Speed dating - can it get faster than 3 mins to make or mar a potential suitor/love interest? They say it works on the concept of the first impression being the lasting impression. Never mind what side of the bed one might have awoken from that morning or if something unpleasant occurred on your way to the venue.

A journo landed at the city’s very first foray into this [mis(s?)]adventure all eager and enthusiastic about reporting a historical moment in this conservative city. But what is the point in watching from the sidelines? So, said journo dived right in and signed up as a player in the game.

One facial expression seemed to dominate the 50 odd guys and girls in the age groups of 18-30 gathered there – CLUELESS. The event was heavily advertised in the newspapers as a “speed meeting”. Like that makes the agenda very clear to all somehow.

Funnily enough, the organisers did not ensure the usual strict rules that speed dating follows in the western world. That of a cut off of 3 mins flat when a bell rings (tolls?) signalling that each participant has to move on to the next table where a new guy/girl awaits his/her luck in love. This resulted in abundant confusion, painfully long silences crossing 3 mins, inane conversation, nervous twitters, and twiddling of thumbs and toes by all.

Sample this convo:

Journo: *nervous smile* Hi…

Weird Looking Guy (WLG): *silence*

Both look askance for a while. All of a sudden, Journo hears a chomping sound and looks up to find WLG munching on peanuts rather noisily and at a furious pace. With an amused expression on her face she says:

“You like peanuts?”

WLG: “Oh, I love peanuts! Like them a lot!” (extends arms to show how much he likes them)

Journo: “Really…you should pack some and take them home then…”

WLG: “Oh, I have LOTS of peanuts at home, a whole lot in fact…”

Journo: “Okay…” (rolls eyes in her head)

An awkward silence envelops them again…

Finally, journo gets to get away from monkey man and breathe easy!

The local TV music channel made its presence felt with banners and its dolled up babelicious VJs sticking their mikes in the unsuspecting faces of the guys and girls who showed up. Most of these people who had signed up to participate in the “speed meeting” event looked lost as though they had wandered in by accident. Some had no expression on their faces; they probably thought they would get dope for free, what with the misleading event title! On offer were snacks and drinks at a five star hotel for a 500-buck cover charge.

The whole thing was very amusing to say the least, especially since many of the girls actually brought their dads along!! Wonder what crossed the minds of these over protective dads who witnessed the strange goings on?!

And where does all this leave dear ol’ Cupid with his antique bow and arrow ensemble? With people whizzing in and out of relationships in the blink of an eye these days, does Cupid sign off with “Speedily yours”? :P

Wonder if Cupid is as bemused as me…if so, then we could be soulmates – Cupid and I.

Cupid honey, will you be my valentine? :-)

Being Single = Being an Alien?

If your friends are single, rejoice in their happiness! Leave them be! Why does this bother the doubles, i.e. the couples? They seem hell bent on setting up their single friends/relatives with 'so-called' eligible partners.

While their actions might be well meaning, their choices are appalling! They believe they know who/what might be best for their single friends, completely disregarding that people can think for themselves! They go into overdrive foisting their opinions and 'wise' counsel on others.

Probably a way of living vicariously through the lives of others.

If only they were in a similar situation of 'pick-and-choose'. Would their lives have been different today? For all their good intentions, they only seem to promote utter losers and defend them as well as their stance till kingdom come!

The arguments in favor vary from:

-- So what if he appears reserved, he makes a lot of money!
-- So what if he's conservative, he lives abroad!
-- So what if he appears less than sophisticated, you can change him!

...and so on and so forth! Whatever! Do-gooders, spare me your "concern" and concentrate on saving yourself from the curses and witch-craft spells I'm casting upon you! The pot with the magic potion is boiling, bubbling, and frothing over with bat wings and spider legs and creepy crawly roaches--all getting done nice and rare just for you.

Dinner will be served soon. Bon Apetite!!! Grrrr....!

Influences like Influenza

Corny! That's what I've become lately. Wonder whose influence and whose company?

Party gal! Dancing is all I can think and feel like doing lately.

Not hungry! Now this is a biggie...a bhukkad like me not even feeling hungry...another one bites the dust!

Kiddish! Again...kiska influence hai, baap??

Angry young woman! Kaam waam ne paagal kar diya apun ko :(

Nature's Bounty

Wayanad, Kerala, India.
Should ideally be a weekend getaway rather than a wallpaper! :(

But hopefully, what's a wallpaper today might just end up being a holiday tomorrow! :D

Modern Day Blues

Chatmates or flatmates?

RSS Feeds or RSS political party? (No prizes for this one, btw)

Bloghop or hopscotch?

Orkutting or letter writing?

Web designing or art class?

Digital or SLR?

Pixels or pixies (in Enid Blyton)?

Aside, a modern oxymoron-- secret blog.

O Lodd!

Everyone has one. Here's my dentist horror story....

Mine asked me to take an x-ray after which he announced that my wisdom teeth are still inside my gums. He said they haven't grown out yet and that I was only 75% wise! He then proceeded to cackle at his own bad joke.

This dentist is a Gujju, a tall, slim man, and goes by the name of Lodd Mahindra. When I was first referred to him by someone over the phone, I thought it was Lord Mahindra. That did it, I decided I had to meet this Indian Lord...my curiosity had peaked.

As typical of demonic dentists, his prognosis was that I was due for a root canal...probably one of the worst traumas a patient has to undergo in that horrid dentist's chair. Doc Lodd got his co-consultant to do a root canal on me while he sat and watched the entire event.

By then, I had turned into a screaming banshee, so I gather it was worth watching. But it turned out the root canal operation (literally) was a half done job. Apparently, my tooth had not been "capped". This was over 6 months ago.

In the last few months, the damn thing has been aching till kingdom come so I went to another dentist. I never saw his face 'cause from the moment I entered his room, he had a face mask on...am not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing...Anyway, this doc said the root canal needed further work and was incomplete. The same week I got a call from Dr. Lodd's clinic "inviting" me to come for the 2nd part of the root canal treatment, i.e., "capping the tooth".

I informed them that the *&#^% root canal was SIX months ago. The receptionist said they had gone through their "root canal patients record" and discovered that only the 1st stage had been done for me.

So I went back recently and Doc Lodd "sawed" my tooth in half so that the "cap" would fit. It was seriously brutal. My poor tooth is barely visible now. He then gave me the two available options for the "cap". A stainless steel cap or a white ceramic one. 1800 bucks for the former and 3500 bucks for the latter. On hearing this, my mouth fell open and I'm sure so did half of my teeth (of the few that are remaining). Doc Lodd laughed like an evil maniacal doc in a horror film.

I made enquiries about both options in detail. According to him, both were equally good as far as protecting the (half shorn) tooth was concerned. However, for "cosmetic" purposes, people prefer the white ceramic ones these days.

Since the tooth in question is the last molar in the upper corner of my jaw, I wondered if it would even be seen. Especially now that there was only a semblance of my old tooth left post his drilling and sawing. To which he replied that if I was at a party and people take pics of me smiling or laughing, the flash would actually reflect off the shiny stainless steel tooth and everyone would know I have a stainless steel tooth!! That statement apparently was supposed to be the clincher and punchline that would end the dilemma of stainless steel vs ceramic in a jiffy.

He won and I lost. Next thing I knew before i could open my eyes again, he had made a model of my teeth by sticking some godawful icky stuff inside my mouth, called a mould. It had chewing gum all over it. Or so it seemed.

I will soon be poorer in pocket by 3500 bucks, all in pursuit of a capped tooth that looks exactly like my tooth. Its like you apply make up that looks so natural that it appears as though you haven't applied any make up at all.

What a crazy world we live in. Fascinating no doubt. Particularly for dentists who have fun at the expense of their patients!

Let's Talk

Phew!
Breathing space at last…it really does feel good without you, I have to admit, every once in a while. You have become a habit, and not necessarily one that's good for me. I know you feel neglected, and it does bother me that I do not give you enough attention.

It was a rushed morning, and I did feel bad about leaving you behind, as I walked away, although it wasn't a conscious decision at the time. There was soon a feeling of emptiness, followed by remorse and longing. You were missed, but the ache is no longer there now.

The novelty of our relationship has been overcome and we've settled into a fairly comfy place. The buzz of electricity that I feel at your touch doesn't excite me as much as it did when we first met. It's still there, of course, and I do steal admiring glances at you even after all this time. During the initial days of our courtship when you wooed me with your dashing looks and charm, I grew lightheaded and lighthearted. I'm aware of the instances when I didn't treat you as well as you ought to be treated. Soon, the cracks began to show. People warned that I would drop you like a hot brick once I got bored…and it struck me how people passed judgments so easily and harshly on what I perceived to be minor foibles or quirks in my personality.

Today, however, despite the distance between us, thoughts of you have crossed my mind, but they are few and far between. What's done is done. I know from past experience that it is futile to mull over it (us?) beyond a point. To quote a famous postcard writing: "You are there, and I am here, and there is nothing one can do about it."

In a fit of impulsive thinking, I wanted to rush back and take you in my arms again. But it was a momentary and fleeting moment and I walked on ahead. Although I had promised to come and see you this evening, I need some time to think. This time apart should bring in the desired clarity, without you by my side to distract me.

I have so much to say to you, as I am certain you will have as much, by the end of the day. We seem to spend more time talking away AT each other. The long silences in between don't help either.

For now, though, I think I've said enough.

Will see you later tonight, dear cellphone.

Blank Canvas

I want to write. I’m dying to write.

To be funny, witty, profound, insightful. To grow, think, smile, and laugh.

And yet, all I am greeted with is a blank and empty imagination.

What am I lacking? Fodder for the imagination or fodder for the soul? Both?

Is it because a status quo life doesn’t warrant anything to write about? It’s pointless writing about the bygone past or the unforeseeable future. And what can one say or write about a non-existent present?

Writing about current events or issues that I feel strongly about, even that seems pointless once pen is put to paper, or in keeping with the times, cursor to url.

B-L-A-N-K has become my middle name. :-(

Tired of this! Need creative juices to flow again! Or was it just a short-lived spurt? Just like my life and my attitude? Everything in fits, starts, and short bursts that are too good to last?

Instead, why can’t I get tired of whining and moaning about this hole I’ve dug myself into? All I have to do is stand up and shove the sand aside. Instead sitting pretty seems to have gotten real comfy. Life has become a beanbag…unable to get outta this comfort zone.

Push. Kick. Shove. Just words right now, not actions. Hmmm…state of inertia. That’s the dominating phase at the moment.

Halp!! Of course...I just wrote...I could rinse and repeat! :P

Much Ado About Nothing

Fifty and done: A fresh start. A fresh look. And hopefully a fresh perspective. A new space and yet old. Are there any lessons to be learnt? Hopefully, to fret less and chill more :-)

Year of the tetanus: Visited the same ER room of a hospital 3 times this year. Some deep cuts, some minor wounds and abrasions. Someone predicted a few health problems this year, but who had bargained for freak accidents? The prediction might well have been: "expect the unexpected". Atleast then, expectations would have been lower!

Friendship Bonds: Some loosened, some new ones made. The tight ones remain in status quo mode. Thank God for small mercies. Have to keep reminding self of these key phrases: To forgive and forget, and To love and let go!