I love Calvin!

I feel like this. Too often ...And a drink of water and few deep breaths never help.

Romantic Movie + Rainy Afternoon = Bad Idea!

I am a complete mushpot right now and filled with whimsical thoughts and 'awwww' moments. I guess that's what comes out of watching 'My Best friend's wedding' on a perfectly breezy and rainy afternoon.

I remember first watching this movie (in the afternoon also) over at Nitya's place in 7th grade while her mom was out shopping for some vegetables or something equally mundane. We were probably too young to understand the movie the way it was meant to be. Or to be able to draw any parallels within our lives. I mean, complex three way relationships and gay best friends are as far as it gets from school exams and sanskrit textbooks. But even then, we couldn't help being infected by the 'awww' feel of the movie, though it was only probably the pretty dresses and the mushy kisses (giggle, giggle).

Over the years since then I re-saw the movie in bits and parts, while browsing channels on bored evenings or visting friends (who were seeing the movie themselves at their place). I went through the phase when it became fashionable to scringe my nose at any movie that had anything mushy, cute, pink or awww about it. And that list included 'My Best Friend's Wedding'. I grew out of that phase (Thank God), and came to admit that while I do prefer comedies or action movies, the occasional chic-flick ain't so bad either. Oh but I digress.

So come this afternoon, I saw 'My Best Friend's wedding' from start to finish all in one sitting, for only the second time. And this time I got the movie the way it was intended to be gotten. I understood what Julianne was doing and the reason behind it. I drew parallels with my own life and mulled over what it would be, to be in a situation like that. I sighed everytime Rupert Everett came on the screen and wondered why I did not have a friend like that (and where could I get a friend like that). I envied Julia Roberts for making a profession out of something I love to do (I mean, food critic, how cool is that?). I got all dreamy eyed when Dermot Mulroney and Julianne were sharing screen space. I sang out aloud 'Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart and I will love you' with the movie. And most of all I wished I had a long-time friend who wud make a 'get-married-to-each-other-at-28-if-we-haven't-found-anyone-else-yet' pact with me. (it's so avant garde!)

But now the movie is done and the ads are playing, I realise that it has actually left me feeling crappy about my life. And without good reason too. I have a perfectly nice life, lovely friends, people I love and who love me back, a nice enough job. I mean it's not picture perfect and I would tweak parts of it if I could, but its still a nice life. Right?

OK so now i'll just go tell myself that. "My life is fun! My life is great! I love my life!"

(Hmm. It's not working. Shit.)

Currently Reading: King of Ayodhya (Ramayana Series)- Ashok Banker
Currently Listening: Hum bekhudi- Mukesh, Don't look back in anger- Oasis

Leaving on a Jetplane? Yeah more like the jetplane leaving without me!

Last monday I missed a flight for the first time ever. (When I told this to friends, most just ignored the first part and jumped to the second. "Really? For the first time ever? YOU haven't managed to miss a flight before? YOU got through 22 years of flying without ever missing a flight?" Yes, thank you for the show of confidence!)

Anyways, missing a flight was a very confusing experience. Yes, confusing. Because I can't recall feeling consistently the same way throughout the whole thing. Feelings came in waves and phases, and oh, all so different and conflicting. For the benfit of anyone interested, I will chronicle this event in detail. (Warning: The following text may be disturbing to some and may cause a change in your opinion of me. Reader discretion is advised.)

Some background: My flight was at 7:40am on Monday. The previous night I had gone to sleep at 1 am in the night. I also have a new phone on which I set my morning alarm, on the fateful Sunday night.

Monday, 6:35 am: I woke up with a start and lazily reached out for my phone to check the time. I was pretty sure the alarm hadn't rung and hence the 'lazy' stretching. Upon seeing the actual time on the phone, I first went into denial. ("Ah this is bangkok time, so in singapore it's still actually 5:35am. Plenty of time. Oh wait, din I change my phone to Singapore time yesterday? Shit Shit Shit") In a record time of 5 mins, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, wore my clothes, called a cab, grabbed my bags and left home.
Primary Feelings- Disbelief, Tinge of panic

Monday, 6:45 am: I started pacing frantically near the bus stop below my home, dishevelled, sleepy and frantic, waiting for the cab to arrive. I get a call on my phone. It's the cab driver. "Where u ah? I wait long time for you here". When I informed him of my location, he dove into a tirade of complaints and whining. " U know, u give me wrong location ah. I oredi at Bus stop, u not here. Cannot this way lah!" Much against the fact that I had actually given the right location and that he was infact standing in the wrong location (well its my post, so I get to tell the story my way), I apologised and simply begged him to get to me quickly
Primary feelings- Frustration, Desperation

Monday, 7:05am-After 2 more equally-retarded phone conversations with the Taxi driver, (TD: I reach dead end, how to get to your block from here ah? Me: Huh?), checking my watch a million times, and swearing at everything repeatedly (stupid taxi driver, stupid phone, stupid flight times, stupid travelling, stupid me!), the taxi driver finally arrived. But before I could send a silent prayer to god and set off speeding towards the airport, the taxi driver launched into a tirade of complaints in a way that only singaporean taxi drivers can manage- (and I quote the conversation verbatim only coz it is so hilarious)

TD: U tell me wrong place. I got wait for you and you stand here. not right u know. Must tell right place lah!
Me: It's ok. Just take me to the airport
TD: No is not ok. Cannot do this way u know. Ur mistake!
Me: Ok fine, its my mistake, sorry. Can we now please just go to the airport really quick. I am really late for my flight!
TD: PIE very crowded you know. cannot quick. Right now when I come, was jammed. Ur flight, what time ah?
Me: 7:40
TD: U know must reach airport 1 hour before flight. Cannot do like this ah! flight close oredi mah!
Me (in my head) : Oh really? A whole one hour? I did not know that!!!

So yeah, tolerating 1st rate complaining and 3rd rate driving, I made my way to airport, thinking to myself- Shit, I'm not going to make it!
Primary feelings: Irritation, Anger, Impatience

Monday, 7:30 am- I reached the airport finally and walked upto the check-in counter, still hopeful that I could get onto the flight (how retarded can my optimism get). Of course, I ended up checking into the next available flight which was only at 12:20, a whole 4 hours away.
Primary feelings: (Blank)

Monday, 7:45am- The first thing I realised once I was no longer trying to catch a flight, was that my stomach was grumbling. So I sat at a cafe, drank orange juice and sorted the contents of my hand bag (simply coz I was bored and my hand bag was really heavy. It seemed logical at the time). And what a wide array of pointless things. 4 pens- all in working order, 3 pairs of earrings- all too big for me to wear to work, 2 samsonite keys- to god knows which lock, 1 measuring inch tape- Don't ask. What was more glaring were the things I was missing- No iPod, no passport photo, no return itinerary (last two for visa on arrival at bangkok). Anyways, over the next four hours I caught up on personal emails and calls that I had been putting off, I sorted out my personal post that I had been carrying around in a bundle (and most of it was junk), and actually got some productive work done. So by the time I made my way to the boarding gate, I was actually feeling pretty good about myself.
Primary feelings- relief, unexplicable laughter, satisfaction

PS- I realise this post seems a little incomplete. That is only coz recounting the events of monday has gotten me as tired as the events themselves did. And I think I prefer to go sleep or do something equally unproductive. Cherio!

Currently Reading: Sawasdee- Thai Airways inflight magazine
Currently Listening: Hold you in my arms- Ray lamontagne, Volcano- Damien Rice, kabhi kabhi aditi zindagi- Jaane tu ya jaane na

Of writer's block, biting dogs and dying genes...

I have been staring at this screen for the last one hour and using the delete button more than I ever have. It's simply never happened before. Words never fail me. I usually have a million things to say and the words always flow through.

Not today.

I have a million things swimming in my head right now but the words just refuse to form. Maybe it's because I dont have one or two things to say. As I said, I have a million things. I am rambling now. Another first.

So well, This post won't be the most brilliant thing ever. It's ok. I'll live. I'll settle for mediocrity, just this once.

The last few months have been quite something. If 2007 deserved a eulogy, the last 3 months deserve hymns and epics written about them. I quit my job (finally!), took a month and a half long break before joining a job that pays more than just my rent (well it still doesnt pay for a Gucci or a Louis Vuitton bag. But I never really wanted one of those, now did I?). During that one-month-and-a-half break, I went back to Mumbai (to meet mommy and daddy dearest), managed a trip to Goa (albeit with my family, yet again), flew down to Newcastle and galavanted the british lands before finally coming back to the roost. And what a return it was. 1 week into the new job and I was travelling fulltime. First to KL (I stayed in the Ritz-initialized-pillows-royal-bathrooms-amazing-beds-carlton) and then to Bangkok. Infact as I write this, I am sitting by a wondow in a hotel room, looking out at the night lights of Bangkok. Yup, I'm living a consultants life baby!

But it wasn't all as rosy as I make it sound (coloring things pink has always been my knack). My first day in Mumbai, I got attacked by a dog (No, I did not provoke him. I prefer the version that the dog was simply retarded). Obviously that meant I had to get injections (4 of them, yes sire!). The very next day, I jammed my pinkie in a cupboard door followed by slipping in a mucky muddy mumbai-sabzi-mandi the day after. And then somehow I managed to get Sun-burnt in Mumbai. Yes, you heard that right. Me, of the indian skin and stubborn resistance to the sun, got sunburnt. And that too in Mumbai. Oh but it doesn't stop there (I wish it did). Nursing a sunburn, I made my way to Goa, laughing it all off as a freaky co-incidence. So much for optimism. In goa, as I was clicking away to glory, some crazy random lady bumped into me and knocked my camera out of my hand. The result was a broken camera. (repairing it dented my pocket by a whole 200 dollars). I returned to Mumbai with a broken camera and a broken heart (my beloved camera!) and the very night developed a severe allergic cold, to the point that I was rendered unable to speak. (Don't ask me the mechanics of that). I guess after all of that, I don't find 'Just my Luck' (yes I did see that movie) so far-fetched now.

But the more worrisome thing was what happened afterwards. The moment I left India and reached Dubai and then eventually Newcastle, I was fine. No biting dogs, No disabling allergies, No random mishaps, Nothing. And that worries me. Coz the inevitable may finally be happening. My india-compatibility gene is dying from under-use. And that, is a scary thought! Coz it also means bye-bye roadside pani puri and chaat, bye-bye sweat tempered pav bhaji, bye-bye dust seasoned bombay sandwiches. In short, bye-bye India living.

Ok, Now I am panicking! Come back gene, I miss u, I need u!

Currently Reading: Bridge of Rama (Ramayana Series)- Ashok K banker
Currently Listening- Can I stay- Ray Lamontagne, 9 crimes- Damien Rice, This years love- David Grey, Love Hurts- Incubus