Lazy friday weekends! =D

Sunshine. Trees. A light breeze.
Ghazals. Bit of jazz. A cup of tea.
Pyjamas. Plaits. A sense of peace.
Lazy friday weekends. Such a rarity!

Latesshht!

You know how it is- When so much seems to be happening around you, you think of a million things to write about and you make mental notes. And then you keep setting aside time to post about them, but you faff around instead because you’re too lazy or too willing to give into any distraction (Like Zee cinema showing another hilarious ancient gem). And then, when you finally say- enough is enough and cajole yourself to sit down with your cup of tea, with just the right music playing (coz well ambience counts for a lot), to write out those thoughts, the dreaded blogger’s block threatens to strike. How ironic!

But hah, am a fighter too! So fighting the blows of the ‘block’ and very valiantly kicking it in the balls, I bring to you the very taaza, the latesssht! (a.k.a snippets from my head that are inane, whacked out and absolutely of no consequence to anyone)

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The Indian 1 Billion Strategy

As a result of a conversation with a French colleague (who btw is convinced that all Chinese n Indians are spies) I am starting to see our race in a new light. And I daresay, I underestimated us all. Coz you see, while everyone thought that we were more tuned to being ruled than being rulers, I say it turned out quite to the contrary. We are conquerors of the world, just that our methods have been a little..er.. unconventional. What the world thought to be the result of a slightly higher-than-normal libido, the kama sutra and the lack of anything else to do, may just be a well thought out strategy. (I’ve even thought up a nice little catchy name for it- copulation for population.)

Look around you! No matter what part of the world you are in you will find yourself surrounded by a tiny little India- Indian people, Indian food, Indian movies and music, even Indian bosses. It’s time to face it- The whole world is going through an Indianization of sorts. So yes, we’ll ‘pass’ on the machine guns and the bomber jets. We’ve got other tricks up our sleeve you see!

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Jai Ho! For globalization

You’ve got to love globalization. Well I know I do. You know what else I love? Haldiram’s nut cracker (it’s the spicy coated peanuts savoury). And thanks to globalization it seems to be available everywhere. Battling my way through the lanes of Mustafa in Singapore (yes, battling), what do I find? Nut cracker. Walking through the busy and colorful Jonker walk in Malacca (Malaysia), what do I spy a hawker selling? Nut Cracker. And now, here in Kuwait as I push my trolley through the aisles of the local supermarket, what do I come upon? Take a wild guess! It truly is Nutcracker (Haldiram) domination all around and I have globalization to thank for it.

Infact my overactive imaginations sees a situation like this-

Slightly over enthusiastic explorer: (bursting upon a never-found tribal clan in the jungles of the amazon) I bring you food, clean water, fire : I bring you civilization

Tribal guy: (covered in white ash, painted in fancy colors, digging into a bright packet of Nut crackers) No thank you, we’ve got our packet of Nutcrakers. Yes we are quite happy! Nice knowing you. good bye!

So yeah well I exaggerate. And yes I am a crazy fan of the said savory. But it’s possible. Noe?

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Inshallah

I love the word! And I haven’t found anything quite like it in English or Hindi. So succinct, so convenient. And it works with everything. It’s perfect to acquit yourself of all responsibility. And it's perfect for a serial procrastinator like me. Will I finish this by tomorrow? Inshallah! Will I be coming home on time? Inshallah! Will I be hauling my ass out of bed and trudging my way to work tomorrow? Inshallah. It’s brilliant.

Coz tomorrow when I don’t finish the work, and I don’t come home on time and I don’t get my ass to work, I simply have him to blame. Coz he didn’t will it so! See what I mean?

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That's it for now dahlings! But I'll be back to post something soon. Inshallah!

Currently Listening: I will possess your heart- Death cab for cutie, Say it- Blue October

Currently Reading: Eat, Love, Pray- Elizabeth Gilbert

25 Random Facts About Yours Truly!

Yup I am joining the bandwagon. And doing the 25 list thingie! And that too, by my own volition. (I can see some of you shaking your head with a look that says 'I always knew this girl was mad') . Why subject myself to this, you ask? Well simply coz this is sort of like a Meme and being a meme-virgin (Batting eyelids, blushing face) I am a little excited about it. Maybe it's also coz I am a slighly-narcissistic blogger and I do love talking about myself. More than anything, it's because I have a feeling that I am going to surprise myself. So bear with me and read on please. Pretty please?

1. I am the quintessential jack of all trades. I can play 7 instruments- Guitar, Harmonica, Tabla, Harmonium, Tanpura, Drums and Bongo. But none with any spectacular degree of proficiency. I can speak 6 languages- Hindi, English, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati & Italian. But only two of those with a high degree of proficiency. I have dabbled in Kathak, Salsa and Jive, but am an expert in none of those. You get the Picture, don't you?
2. Something that I get from my mom is a penchant for making lists and plans. Things to do lists, timetables and longterm timelines: I specialise in Weight-loss plans and personal finances management plans. What I dont specialise in, sadly, is following any of the stuff that I plan. Half a talent is such a waste!
3. I love the sight of painted pretty nails. Days when I get my nails done, I can't stop waving them around like a prima donna. I am told it can get pretty irritating for everyone else.
4. I have had milk straight out of a cow, with the whole awkward-position-head-bent-and-squirt-aimed-at-my-mouth. The milk tasted good, the experience was wierd and the fact is something I am secretly proud of. Well, not so so secretly anymore, but still proud.
5. I am a feminist of sorts. Not your bra-burning-morcha-holding types. But the type who can tell when things are unfair and will do something about it. I refuse to settle for a half-life simply because I am of the female species. And I get frustrated with people who expect me to.
6. I love it when the wind blows through my hair and flicks strands of my hair on my face. It's the single thing that can make me feel pretty, no matter any amount of zits, blackheads or any other other gunk that might be vacationing on my face.
7. I get very amazed and sometimes frustrated with people who refuse to live their life king size and in the moment. It's one life people. Just one. All the more reason to live it up!!
8. There's nothing more comforting than an over-used and over-washed t-shirt. I have saved plenty from annihilation at the hands of my mom and will continue to do so till my very last breath. Much to her frustration.
9. I dream of living a life where the money is enough and the lifestyle lets me be spontaneous and impulsive. I am told that's a freelancer's life. Methinks a rich heiress' life works much better.
10. I am a praise-junkie. I thrive on the simple concept of work and reward. Consequently, I expect to be praised even for doing my job satisfactorily. It's a bad habit, I know.
11. While growing up, there is nothing I wanted more than a Dog. And now that am all grown up, there's nothing I value and want more than my freedom and independence. Between the two, my parents had a much easier time dealing with my wish for a dog!
12. When I was 5, I announced to the family that I was leaving home (following a fight) and promptly walked out. It lasted all of 10 mins, before dad caught up with me and carried me back. I waited 12 years before I tried that stunt again. And this time the family came to drop me all the way!
13. I think the single most important thing about life is all the people you meet and especially the ones that you love. And it me amazes how rich my life has been in that regard so far.
14. Nothing petrifies me more than labor pain!
15. I was a vegetarian for 12 years of my life. I decided on it when I was 8 (after a very revealing trip to the butcher's) and stuck to it all the way till I came to Singapore. Now, I eat 'Everything'.
16. There are some songs that always make me smile, no matter what my mood. 'Kiss me' by six pence none the richer is one of them. 'Free falling' by Tom petty is another.
17. There are days when I worry that my time will run out before I can do all that I want to do. That I might be wasting my time on mundane things like holding a job, buying a house etc. There are other days when my worries don't run so deep. On those days I mostly obssess about my weight, my hair, my face. Oh and world peace. Definitely world peace!
18. I love weddings. I love dancing on the streets at weddings. I love the dolling up that happens at weddings. The songs, the colors, the ceremonies, the people, the food. I simply love being a part of weddings, as long as (and here's the catch) it's not mine.
19. The single experience that I most want to have with all of my heart is to live by myself in a place of my own in Bombay. I also know that it is the one thing I will never have.
20. During moments of plain evil mixed with pure genius, I have thought of naming my future children- Katori Devi and Hukumchand, if they don't behave themselves (Read as: If they cry too much and wake me up in the middle of the night). Thankfully these moments almost always pass.
21. I am a complete romantic and mush-pot at heart. I drool at the idea of surprises, offbeat-bent-knee-proposals, thoughtful gifts out of the blue, beachside weddings. And yet I think flowers and chocolates are over-rated. And cliched too!
22. I love food and I have very eclectic and specific cravings. Usually these revolve around (And am sure you haven't heard of some of these)- Funflips, Bonny mix, Nutties, Fatafat, Haldiram's Nutcrackers, Panipuri, Tibbs Frankie, Raju Chinese, Pav Bhaji, China-Valley-Sweet-Corn-Chicken-Soup, Bombay Sandwich. The list goes on. And on.
23. I can lose myself entirely in a book or a movie. And when I say entirely, I mean that it would take a hurricane (or even a bowl-ful of water thrown at me, as has worked in the past) to get me to come back to the now. Nothing milder would work. It's like my brain switches tracks and puts on blinkers.
24. I was in love with Michael Jackson when I was 11. I had a poster of him on my wall, that I would wish good night to, before going to bed. I consider this the single most embarassing thing I have ever done! Thankfully, now that place has been usurped by the very-yum-and-edible Kunal kapoor. And even more thankfully, without the ritualistic 'good-nights'!
25. Bombay, Delhi, Bangkok are my favourite cities in the world. I think New york has the potential to be added to that list, even though I haven't been there yet. I really really hope to some day soon.

I could fill another 20 more points on this list easily. But then it is supposed to be only 25 points, no?

Beemaari...

I think I am suffering from 'blogger's block'.

There I said it aloud. They say admitting to a problem is the first step to curing it and I sure do hope they say right. Coz I can't get myself to write anything- good or bad and I am getting tired of it. It is definitely not for the lack of trying. And if the number of half-written post drafts are anything to go by, then it isn't for the lack of things to write about either.

Now if only someone could tell me what's wrong. Mr. Blog-Doctor anywhere?

We're listening to the winds of change

I've been thinking a lot about 'change' lately. About the things I want to change. About me, in my life, around me. And mostly it's a feeling of disorientation. A mixture of being fascinated, excited awed and petrified. Yeah, that's right. Change confuses me and how. I spend too much time evaluating scenarios. Contemplating change. Thinking about the different places I could land up in. And no matter how good an idea it seems, there's always that nagging worry that change might just make things worse. Fuck a good (or even an ok) thing up.

But it wasn't always like this. I can remember a time not too long back when change was something exciting and something I didn't think too much about. Moving to another city? Sure, new friends, new places. Changing schools? Yeah new quirky teachers. Moving out of home? Bring it on! Think of all the trouble I can get into.

It's one of those things that has come with growing older. Right up there with worrying about money, the opposite sex and PMS. I simply notice change more than I used to. And I feel wary of it. Not because I find the unknown any less exciting, but simply because I am painfully aware that the known is valuable too. I'm sure it also has a lot to do with me taking myself more seriously now than I did as a kid (And stupidly so). With thinking, that for some reason the choices I make right now are somehow more life-changing than the choices I made as a kid (Play now or Homework now?)

Change is hard. And I wish it wasn't so. Coz there is so much that I want to, I need to change. For starters, I wish I could go back to India. It's where my heart is. It's the place that comes closest to feeling like home. And I'm running out of reasons for staying away from it. I know, after a soft-cushioned Singapore life, India will be a different ball game- The traffic, the lack of safety, the lack of convenience. But everyone else manages? And I am made of the stuff everyone there is made of, right? Then of course there is the family factor. I miss having my parents close and I have been a long time away.

But What I would be giving up? Loads! Much as I crib about it, Singapore has been home for the last 5 years. This is the place where I found myself, grew into the person I am today. And I feel comfortable here- In the life I have for myself, the people, the places. More the people than anything else. But this is the city I feel I know the best and at times, it feels like the city knows me too. But besides that, this is the place where I feel truly free. I am answerable to no one. No one cares about where and when I am going or coming and who I am meeting or what I am doing. And somehow that is liberating. This is the city where I have my space. My privacy. Where I am the master of my own life and I make all my own decisions. Going back to India, could (would) mean giving up on all of this, simply because it would mean a move back home, to living with parents. And then it's never the same. Questions always get asked (Where? When? What? Who?), Restrictions always get placed (Don't come home late, Don't go there) and decisions eventually get made (for you). Gradually there will be a loss of control, till I won't be able to call my life my own. Living in Singapore, I have become a fiercely independent person who likes spending time with herself and making her own decisions. And I cannot imagine a life where I wouldn't be able to do all that.

See what I mean? Change is hard!

9 Resolutions for 09

I am a sucker for resolutions. And pretty much any event works. So I've done New year resolutions, I've made Birthday resolutions, I've even done April Fool's day resolutions (Don't ask!). Of course being able to make resolutions does not automatically translate into being actually able to keep them. That bit, that keeing-resolutions-bit, is the one I am notoriously bad at. But does that stop me from whipping out my pen and paper and making a list of resolutions for 2009? No Sire! Nor does it stop me from trying to keep the resolutions. So for your benefit here's the list-

1. Do one new thing every week (And I intend to report this every week, so keep 'em ideas coming on things I can do)
2. Lose 10 kgs and keep it that way (this one's featured on every NY- Resolutions list since 1997)
3. Write more and better and get published (any help, peeps out there?)
4. Buy a DSLR and improve my photography and Photoshop skills
5. Learn a language (the currrent favourites are French, Arabic or Mandarin- Any votes?)
6. Get a Singapore driving license
7. Travel to 5 new destinations in the year
8. Do atleast 20 things from my '100 things to do before I die' list
9. Manage my finances better and invest wisely (anyone who knows me, knows how bad I am with money)

Damn, this list will need all the luck and determination I can muster up. Jeez!

If that's all you will be, you'll be a waste of time...

... And so i'm back! With the usual optimism, the usual cheer and the usual gusto for everything that is life. And what better way to make a comeback, than with my '100 things to do before I die' list. Of course, it being December and the resolution-time of the year, makes it all the more apt.

(The list is a little incomplete, so keep 'em suggestions coming!!)

1. Run a marathon
2. Take horseback riding lessons
3. Learn to ski
4. Learn how to ice skate
5. Learn to water ski
6. Learn to sail
7. Become fluent in French
8. Learn conversational Spanish
9. Learn to say "hello" in 50 languages
10. Learn sign language
11. Learn Mandarin / Arabic
12. Learn to play the guitar with some degree of proficiency
13. Enroll in a belly dancing class
14. Compose a song
15. Ride in a hot air balloon
16. Go paragliding
17. Go sky diving
18. Go on a helicopter ride
19. Go scuba diving
20. Ride a mechanical bull
21. Climb Mt. Everest
22. Experience weightlessness
23. Go bungee jumping
24. Go white water rafting
25. Learn to fly a plane
26. Learn to play poker (or bridge)
27. Develop a talent for photography
28. Learn to make pottery
29. Learn to sculpt
30. Do woodworking
31. Learn to brew beer or make wine
32. Take up gourmet cooking
33. Paint - watercolors, oil, acrylics
34. Learn to repair a car
35. Make a difference in at least one person's life
36. Join a Big Brother, Big Sister Program
37. Join the Peace Corps
38. Get my article published in a magazine
39. Write the book I know I have inside me
40. Play a role in a movie or sitcom or a commercial or be an extra
41. Spend a week at a 5-star spa
42. Become a wine Connoisseur
43. Become financially literate and learn how to invest intelligently
44. Create enough passive income so that I don't have to work another day in my life
45. Watch the 100 movies on my "100 movies I want to see list"
46. Get married
47. Buy a home I love and spend time making it into the home I always wanted: with an inviting, joyous, comfortable, loving atmosphere
48. Start my Own Business
49. Adopt a pet from the animal shelter/ Keep a dog
50. Live in New York, atleast for a while
51. Live in a house by the lake or a beach house
52. Have a house with a terrace, a view, a library filled with books and a huge TV room
53. Be a spectator at TED Talks: an annual conference in California which brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes)
54. Meet the Dalai Lama
55. Visit Tibet
56. Spend a week at a Silent Retreat
57. Ask for forgiveness from all of the people I've hurt
58. Send my parents on their dream vacation.
59. Trace my ancestry
60. Visit the 100 places on my ‘100 places to visit’ list
61. Read all 100 books on my reading list
62. Learn to fly a plane
63. Have a star named after me
64. Make sure I tell my friends and family how much I love them so that when I DO die... they won't wonder and I'll be at peace
65. Be content with myself
66. Throw a dart onto a map and travel to where it lands
67. Spend six months getting my body into optimum shape
68. Get six-pack-abs
69. Get passionate about a cause and spend time helping it, instead of just thinking about it
70. See a favorite band/artist in concert
71. Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring
72. Eat everything on BBC's '50 things to eat before you die'
73. Learn to bartend
74. Find a job I love
75. Get a tattoo or a piercing
76. Give up television and the internet for one month
77. Read the major religious texts for various religions
78. Throw a huge party and invite every one of my friends
79. Have my portrait painted
80. Spend a whole day eating junk food without feeling guilty
81. Give my mother a dozen red roses and tell my parents I love them
82. Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home (just once)
83. Shower in a waterfall
84. Teach someone illiterate to read
85. Ask someone I've only just met to go on a date
86. Donate money and put my name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park
87. Give a theatre performance publicly
88. Broadcast a show on the Radio
89. Kiss in the rain
90. Make a snow angel
91. Open my own restaurant/café
92. Attend an India-Pakistan cricket matc
93. Spend 3 months travelling around and getting to know India
    

Currently Reading: Bombay Meri jaan- Jerry Pinto, Naresh Fernandes
Currently Listening: Two points for honesty- Guster, Nothing ever hurt like you- James Morrison

Are the details in the fabric?

A depressive state is coming over me. Yes, me of the cheery smiles and the 'life is beautiful' outlook, I am feeling sad. And unsettled. And trapped. And panicky. And a million other things. I don't quite know what I am feeling. I don't think I can give it a name. It's a stranger to me. But a familiar one. It passes me often as I go on my day, my life. Occasionally I look into its eyes and realise truths I would rather not, only to quickly look away. Other times, I feel its presence and pretend to busy myself in mundane inconsequences-that black dress, that movie ticket, that cute guy. Yes I know this stranger. And I know why it lurks, even what it wants to tell me, remind me.

But how do I tell it, that I know! I know everything it wants to remind me. That this life I lead, is not what I signed up for, not what I thought was coming- This life of ducked heads in cubicles, blank stares at bright screens, this life of regimented comings and goings, this life that I still continue to fight for even though it makes me sad and disappointed.

This is the life where I dream of who I might have been, what I might have done and where I might have gone, And then, wake up to get ready for another cubicle day. This is the life where I chase behind things that I am told to care about: the paycheck, the security, the climb up the ladder, while I leave all that I really care about, in a corner neglected, second rated. This is the life where I lose respect for myself with each passing day for not having the courage to stand up to this life, to the world, to parents, to myself and get that life I yearn. This is the life where I don't even know what that ideal life looks life. I just know it's not this.

And knowing all that, this is the life I still continue to live- where I bury a little more of me, where I feel a little more dead with each passing day. I can hear Jason Mraz singing into my ear, telling me to "hold my own, know my name and go on my way". He says 'everything will be fine in no time at all'.

But I don't think so. I really don't.

Currently Listening: Details in the fabric- Jason Mraz, Prettiest friend- Jason Mraz
Currently Reading: Bombay, Meri Jaan- Jerry Pinto, Naresh Fernandes

There are a few perks to sitting on the 41st floor...

...Like looking out of the window in the middle of work on an ordinary thunderous afternoon, seeing only a hazy whiteness and realising that at this very moment I am inside a passing cloud! *Smile*

PS- Now I feel like skipping my way out of office and into the rain to dance. What makes it painful is that I clearly can't- Not if I want the next paycheck to come. So I slog on...

Currently reading: The Big Book of Crafts
Currently listening: Worry about you- Ivy, Rain- Bishop Allen

Pssst....

I think I have special powers. I can think multiple (and I mean like 100s and 1000s) thoughts all at the same time, in parallel. Yeah I know that's nothing fancy, nothing world-changing, nowhere in the league of the typical-colored-capes-underwear-over-tights-fighting-for-good-type people who have special powers. Infact its usually debilitating and distracting. Imagine my brain as divided into mutiple parts, each with a brain of its own, each thinking a number of thoughts of its own. Mostly it's a cacophony of thoughts. A fish market. Very distracting.

So what do you do when you are blessed/cursed with something like this? You say 'Thank God' for blogging and bulletpoints and take a mental dump. So here it comes. Brace yourself.

******

About a month back, on a bored tired evening on our way back from office, ML and I decided to go get our hair cut. Now that wouldn't have been anything to talk about except that we were in Bangkok, we did not know Thai, and we did not have any recommended place to go to. So strolling around in Central, we got into the first saloon we came across. A nice swanky, very chic looking plac where we first had our Hair washed and bundled up nicely in a towel. It was only when the hair dresser approached me did I miss having a English-to-thai dictionary. Still, ever the optimist, I placed my faith firmly in the power of sign language and gestured to her slowly - "Long hair good, short hair no good". I got a big smile and a nod in return and I sat back, happy that I had managed to get through to her.

So now my hair looks like Joe Dirt, only curlier. Am I traumatised? Hell yeah! Do I need therapy? Most certainly. Will I ever get a haircut again in a foreign land where I don't speak the language? *Grin* Probably. (I don't learn a lesson easily you see. I was never good at that.)

PS1: As for ML's haircut, she has had peculiar reactions. Everytime a camera is around she covers up her face. She says its because she wants absolutely no reminder whatsover of this cut hence no photos. I think it's much deeper than that.)

******

I had a Eureka moment a few weeks back. I figured out why india, the land of plenty and variety, has little to speak of when it comes to oil reserves. Its quite logical, really. Where does oil come from? Well million and millions of years ago organic lifeforms died and got buried in the layers of earth and decomposed. Through some mumbo-jumbo (involving pressure, time and the sediment around) this somehow resulted in the formation of pockets of oil and gas. We've all heard the Blah (8th grade? Science class?) But, (here's the clincher) Indians cremate their dead. They always have. Countries like Saudi Arabia on the other hand, have always buried their dead. And check out how much oil they have. Simple. Brilliant. Why hasnt anyone ever figured this out before?

PS2: I just realised, in cremating all that population, we not only missed out on all that oil, we also possibly have a big hand to play in the whole global warming thing. Shite!

PS3: Yes, I am usually more brilliant than this. Yes, I know this line of reasoning has huge gaping holes. No, I dont want to know about them.

******

Shoes. New Shoes. New heeled shoes. New heeled shoes that go clackity clack. They are quite addictive really. And they are having some positive psychological effects too. I almost feel like a power-woman when I am wearing them. My walk is springier, my day is brighter, my attitude is more up beat and the net result is that I get more work done, faster and better.

Hmmm. I suddenly feel like the baby who got to wear new squeak-squeak shoes only to end up doing more of what he didn't want to do in the first place (i.e.walk).

******

These days, I spend my days in the Petronas Towers in Kl (Doing things that are completely useless in the larger scheme of life, but that's another story). Now, they have a PA (Public announcement) system that they use every 3-4 days. Mostly they just test the system. So everytime the PA system comes alive, the lady always begins with 'Tuan Tuan dan Puan Puan' (I'd like to hear ur interpretations on that) and then goes on for 10 mins with equally gibberish words (malay apparantly). All this, while I am looking around feeling stupid and wondering if I should bolt to save my life or keep sitting on my chair staring dumbly at my screen. I sit on the 44th floor and in case I have to try and get all the way down, I sure would appreciate a head-start. I mean I have nothing against malayu or nationalistic sentiments but the last thing I want is to reach heaven thinking "If only I had understood malay..." People, English, pls!

******

So I have a 'hypothesis' on blogging. The more frequently a person blogs, the more detailed their posts are, that is not to say all the detail is useful, or interesting or consequential (Case in example: This post). Refer to graph below-

Yes. I am a nerd. And I revel in it. Usually.

******

So there, you've been dumped (on). How does it feel?

Currently Reading: Lonely Planet France
Currently Listening: Sick cycle carousel- Lifehouse, Ahista Ahista- Bachna Ae Haseeno