Friday, February 27, 2009

Thankyou!

What a week it has been!! And im glad it still hasnt ended. Thankyou Carole for coming down from Paris to Delhi and staying with us rather than at a hotel. It has been the most fun iv had in the last few weeks.

And its been so much fun going down to Janpath and Sarojini for shopping where Carole was just lost, had no idea how much each of the handicrafts cost. And equally amazing is her fondness for Indian things - the food, the bangles, the bindi, the mehendi etc.

Took a break from the hum-drum of life and visited the monuments in Delhi, that have been standing for thousands of years and i always passed by them like an island. For two years i went to Old Delhi for MBA classes, but not once did i make the effort to go to Red FOrt or Jama Masjid. I visit my grandparents everymonth and passed by Akshardham Temple until yesterday when i had to take Carole to Akshardham. It makes me realise we sometimes take things for granted and dont appreciate whats around us.

And today im off to Jaipur and Chowkidhaani :)) Had wanted to go to Jaipur for so long and finally i get to go. Had Carole not come, Jaipur trip and dilli darshan would not have happened. So looking forward to the mastie and shopping and the drive down NH8 to Jaipur.

Pink City, here i come!!!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Dancing Queen

Its been quite some time, i have been watching a show called 'So you think you can dance' and buoy oh buoy what a show it is. The other indian dance shows are nothing compared to it with all due respect to the dancing divas of India. Its a different genre altogether. And these dance shows on TV have been knocking on certain doors of my life that were jammed and jarred for some reason or the other and beckoning me.

I sometimes roam around the house with music playing in the background on TV or the radio, moving and swinging weirdly inventing my own dance steps. I sometimes dance with my towel to the bathroom with a toothbrush as my prop. And sometimes, im dancing in the kitchen with the spatula while the milk boils or the dal gets cooked and i have to oversee it. And i sometimes do a seat-dance, when im at work or travelling in the car and listening to a peppy number, making hand movements, shaking my shoulders and executing the rest of the dance step in my mind.

Its been ages iv done the crazy dancing endlessly. And when in a party or a wedding im bursting like a cracker. I was titled 'Ms Duracell' in college for the non stop, non sense dance steps and the dancing. I dont know where the stamina comes from, but i go on and on.

Maybe the stamina comes from the rigourous training i undertook for years to learn bharatnatya. That dance is all about discipline, expressions and stamina. Then i grew up and the dance classes were put on the back-burner coz the the era of padhai-likhai-boards-entrances-college-placements-jobs-higher studies had arrived and lasted very long.

And now, when im settled and have time to pick up dancing again from where i left, there arent many ways. Birju Maharaj's Kathak Academy doesnt admit people older than 22. Ashley Lobo Jazz classes happen 40 kms from my house. Sonal Mansingh's dancing school charges a bomb for mere 2 classes a month. Arrghhh! Still looking for a dance school that suits my requirements. But no worries,till then the usual seat dance, towel-belan dancing shall continue.

In the words of ABBA - You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life!!!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Klueless

..And so I shout out
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I scream at the top of my lungs.
What's going on?

This was wats going on with me . Somebody please use some cipher to decrypt whatever the above meant and let me know too :P

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Last few weeks have been really topsy-turvy. Sick and tired of being sick and tired. Am finally getting better and will be able to go to office and step out of house after almost two weeks. Yay!!!

Not that i did not enjoy doing nothing at home. TV guide coming up in the next post. Keep watching this space for more!

P.S. I love the puzzles by the name of this post :)

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Lucky Me

Lucky me, i can finally breathe. With the last of the pink slips handed to all affected coworkers by late evening, and the question of my being laid off was no longer hanging in the air, im feeling at ease and lucky - I still have my job. At the same time,im feeling a lil sad for those who lost their jobs. I still have fears about losing my job, but i cant eliminate them. I can only challenge and release my fears.

A few close friends have been impacted too among others. One of them was with the company for nearly five years from the very beginning of the career, spent close to two years at onsite, got promotions too, was an excellent performer. My friend cried and broke down while talking on the phone and asked - Why me?

I couldnt say anything then. I was speechless. I couldnt answer the question. But dear friend, Read the lines below - They will answer your question. “If I were to say, ''God, why me?'' about the bad things, then I should have said, ''God, why me?'' about the good things that happened in my life.” - Arthur Ashe

Lets wish no more people lose their livelyhood. Amen!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Shrek in the House

I needed a break from work after working on both Saturday and Sunday, but not in this way. Monday morning greeted me with shivers and high fever and my face swollen like a boiled potato. I looked into the mirror and i looked like Shrek.

Oh Gawwd! And these brothers, they wont let you be at peace, when an opportunity to tease you is up for grabs. My brother was all out there with his digital camera to click my pictures as if an alien had landed. He had suddenly found time to do that forgetting he was getting late for work.

Rushing to the doctors and an hour later i was tucked into the bed, being diagnosed it with parotitis or Mumps. A lil disappointed initially, that il have to carry the shrek face for a few days, be on liquid diet and be mum. I cant speak or eat or open my mouth. Monosyllables is all i can manage and I definitely look like a monster. Bad, Rite? Not so much.

But on days like these you really get to know how many people really care for you. The wishes in sms's, calls that i cant pick, enquiries about not being in office make me feel nice, that there are people concerned. And its turning out to be a good joke, which i cant even laugh to, coz that hurts too. I have a new nickname and numerous requests for the pics of my shrek look, but no ones getting them :P And im lucky to have well wishers around me, for they love the lil monster in me and Shrek is their favorite cartoon currently. No choice there, but to love the Shrek in the House :))

Friday, February 6, 2009

Being Happy

The quest for Happiness, its like running after a butterfly thats difficult to get hold of. It sits on your shoulder for an instance and then takes off to perch somewhere else. Happy is the person who is satisfied, with the fact that the little winged creature graced your shoulders for some time or else it eludes you forever. But unfortunately, Happiness is not a destination, those who believe its a destination are on an expedition to finding Neverland.

If you see the glass as half empty, its never going to be full in one life or even in the nine lives of a cat. Happiness comes from contentment, that the glass is atleast half full. Being happy is easy if we are grateful. Unfortunately, seeing what we don’t have is often easier than seeing what we have. To me being happy is a choice and one is happy to the amount one wants to be. You cant make a person happy who is unwilling to be happy.

Choose to be Happy no matter what your circumstances are. Happiness is something internal and can only be found within. We need to adopt the restaurant culture of Happy Hours into our lives. If each one of us starts to maintain a Happy Hour each day, appreciating what we already have around us, we all would be truly happy.

Make your choice today - BE HAPPY!! coz in anycase life can only give you and me enough for our need but not for our greed!!!

Ciao!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Plants & Us

Do you remember the middle school science project where a plant was placed in a closed and covered wooden box, with a hole only on one side from where sunlight enters. The conclusion of the experiment to prove phototropism and negative geotropism is not just to be forgotten with the unit tests.

Today i remembered this simple science activity after 15 yrs while helping out my maid's daughter with her homework. In the experiment, despite the darkness in the box, the plant grows. It bends and grows in the direction of the sun-light which enters through the small hole in the box. Defying the gravity that pulls everything down, the plant still grows upward towards light. Despite what the plant takes in, it only gives out fresh and pure air.

We should be like plants, growing only upwards, towards light, against the forces that pulls us down, and only spread the good aura around.

Get, Set and Go Green!!

Monday, February 2, 2009

The Best Laid Plans

They say in their native Scottish tongue : ``Best laid plans o' mice an' men gang aft agley'', meaning the best laid plans often go awry for mice and men.

So very true. I plan a lot, sometimes secretly - some big plans - the places i want to go to, how to celebrate birthdays falling on weekends and some small plans - sending a congratulations card on someone's promotion or what to wear on a particular day. And whatever i planned, i planned thinking only of the good times. I guess i should have made a Plan B, knowing life doesnt always go as we planned. The unexpected will strike and life will happen when you're busy making other plans.

I only focussed on the good, ignored the bad and surged ahead. I failed to prepare for the worst. And when youre caught unaware, when things strike suddenly, it can be pretty hard to get a grip over things. As if someone just takes away the ground on which you had both your little feet firmly placed. Believe, there are people in the world who could do that to you.

Lesson Learnt the hard way - Hope for the best, but do prepare for the worst.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Roger Federer and Me

This one is for you Roger. I was glued to the television, cheering and wishing for you to win the game and defeat the spanish armada. My heart went out for you, seeing you crumble infront of Nadal. I may know nothing about tennis, but i can totally imagine what you were going through while playing.

The men's singles final at the Australian Open seemed like Roger playing the role in story of my life, You want something. You are willing to fight it out. You know you are capable of enduring anything that takes to achieve it. You have all the energies to fight it out. You have faith in yourself and your abilities. But on the other side of the fence, lives a cruel and tyrant giant who will crush you. That beast emotionally drains you out, makes you feel helpless and torments you.

I have so much respect for you Roger Federer, coz everytime you were on your knees you got up and faced the opponent. You did not run away from the battle field nor did you give up. I admire your grit and perseverance. Time and again you have been willing to fight it out in the court. With fears and doubts in your mind, you still rose, faced the crowds and fought it out. You have class. You are my hero.

And when you cried during the award ceremony, i cried too for myself and for you too. Being driven to the point where one cries after all the effort and patience, means a lot. We both were bared to the bones, flesh and blood. And i also know, both you and me will rise again like the Phoenix. We may be down but not defeated. That ain't enough to break me. Coz I'll rise above it. And I'll pick myself up. And I'll dust the pain off my heart. The pain will fade and the wounds will mend. I'll get back on my feet. It's not the end of me. My heart is still open. I'm bruised but not broken. Im Down but not defeated.

No matter what, Roger Federer you will always be in my Hall of Fame. And Pete Sampras you too.