As I start writing this, I suddenly remember those movies I watched as a kid, which were set in a very "futuristic" 2010. When film-makers made us believe that in the year 2010 or so we would be going to office flying in our own saucer-shaped cars, or that there would only be aliens ruling our planet and we humans living on trees, or that we would be woken up by our personal robots every morning and given morning tea before being dropped to office, which would be somewhere on Mars.
Now its officially 2010. Fortunately, none of this seems to have happened (though I won't mind the personal robot bit). And here we are ushering in the New Year!!!!
And here I go wishing you a very, very Happy New Year.
Have a good year!
Cheers
Friday, January 1, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
No, I won't do a recap of 2009
It's New Year's Eve and so I force myself to write something. Anything. As long as I write.
It's a few minutes to 2010. What do you think we are doing? Partying in a hip lounge at a place near the office? Partying with friends/family at home with a lavish spread of eats and lots of fairy lights? Sitting with P romantically bringing in the New Year? Cruising through the roads of "ye Delhi hai meri jaan"? Come on, take your pick. No?
Well, as much as we would like to bring in the new year in the ways mentioned above, none of them are happening right now. The "whys" of it deserve another post. For now, we are sitting in the hostel room. One roommate has retired for the night (or is she pretending to sleep? Very dubious. But why will she pretend to sleep? We hope she won't spring out of her bed at dot 12AM and scare us with a shriekyyy Happy New Year! On second thoughts, we might like that!), the other roommate is out. Where is she? Let us guess. Before leaving, she said she is finally going to say goodbye to ex-boyfriend who is still hanging onto her. What a day to do so, wethinks! But considering the fact that its nearing midnight and she is still not back (she has been gone a few hours now), we have our suspicions that she is gaily bringing in the new year with the dejected lover in one nightclub or the other. So what happens to the current flame? Maybe he decided to join the party.
Enough of the roomies now. Now we will only talk about ourselves. So what are we doing on New Year's eve? We are sitting alone with our sweetest, loyalest (is that a word? Heck! who cares?) friends--the laptop and the television, and P on the line--who is going to a friend's place. And we are feeling LONELY :(
But we will not mope. Nopes. Because we want to be happily bringing in the new year--with a crowd or alone. And of course everything is not all sad either. For starters, we are off tomorrow. Yay! Yay! Yay! Which makes us think of this scenario: You hate your boss. From-the-bottom-of-your-heart. The rich, high-class, snobbish, arrogant, irritable, freaky, rude, yelling-at-you-for-the-smallest-things, making-you-feel-like-a-village-idiot, (We can go on and on and on, but dear reader, for your sake, just for your sake, we will stop) kinda boss. So when the above-mentioned kinda boss gives you an off WITHOUT your asking them, how are we supposed to feel?
Sorry boss. We can't stop hating her. But yes, we are a little assured that she maybe (just a tinny, wee bit chance) a human after all!
Ok, ok enough of ranting now. We have ranted enough for the night. Now, we want to know what you guys are doing or did on New Year's eve. And don't worry, we will try our LEVEL-BEST not to get too jealous. HONEST!
Oh and by the way....Have a Good Year Everyone :)
It's a few minutes to 2010. What do you think we are doing? Partying in a hip lounge at a place near the office? Partying with friends/family at home with a lavish spread of eats and lots of fairy lights? Sitting with P romantically bringing in the New Year? Cruising through the roads of "ye Delhi hai meri jaan"? Come on, take your pick. No?
Well, as much as we would like to bring in the new year in the ways mentioned above, none of them are happening right now. The "whys" of it deserve another post. For now, we are sitting in the hostel room. One roommate has retired for the night (or is she pretending to sleep? Very dubious. But why will she pretend to sleep? We hope she won't spring out of her bed at dot 12AM and scare us with a shriekyyy Happy New Year! On second thoughts, we might like that!), the other roommate is out. Where is she? Let us guess. Before leaving, she said she is finally going to say goodbye to ex-boyfriend who is still hanging onto her. What a day to do so, wethinks! But considering the fact that its nearing midnight and she is still not back (she has been gone a few hours now), we have our suspicions that she is gaily bringing in the new year with the dejected lover in one nightclub or the other. So what happens to the current flame? Maybe he decided to join the party.
Enough of the roomies now. Now we will only talk about ourselves. So what are we doing on New Year's eve? We are sitting alone with our sweetest, loyalest (is that a word? Heck! who cares?) friends--the laptop and the television, and P on the line--who is going to a friend's place. And we are feeling LONELY :(
But we will not mope. Nopes. Because we want to be happily bringing in the new year--with a crowd or alone. And of course everything is not all sad either. For starters, we are off tomorrow. Yay! Yay! Yay! Which makes us think of this scenario: You hate your boss. From-the-bottom-of-your-heart. The rich, high-class, snobbish, arrogant, irritable, freaky, rude, yelling-at-you-for-the-smallest-things, making-you-feel-like-a-village-idiot, (We can go on and on and on, but dear reader, for your sake, just for your sake, we will stop) kinda boss. So when the above-mentioned kinda boss gives you an off WITHOUT your asking them, how are we supposed to feel?
Sorry boss. We can't stop hating her. But yes, we are a little assured that she maybe (just a tinny, wee bit chance) a human after all!
Ok, ok enough of ranting now. We have ranted enough for the night. Now, we want to know what you guys are doing or did on New Year's eve. And don't worry, we will try our LEVEL-BEST not to get too jealous. HONEST!
Oh and by the way....Have a Good Year Everyone :)
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
100 Truths
1. Last beverage: Lukewarm milk with Bournvita (Lukewarm because I can’t for-the-life-of-me consume hot liquids and milk because my poor fractured foot needs all the calcium it can get, so milk {sob! sob!})
2. Last phone call: Confusion. Last phone call I made or received? Made—I didn’t make any phone call the entire day! Received—P telling me he has left office (finally!) for the day
3. Last text message: Replied to P's message telling me he has stopped to eat on the way back from office
4. Last song you listened to: Main zindagi ka saath nibhaata chaala gaya..lalalala…
5. Last time you cried: Oh just about a month back when my seemingly organized life was thrown out of gear when the doctors told me I had fractured my foot and put me on complete bed rest
HAVE YOU EVER
6. Dated someone twice? Twice bole tow? Broken off and dated again? Nai boss
7. Been cheated on? Hmm..Yes
8. Kissed someone & regretted it? Meaning smooch (errrr..sorry for using the word)? If yes, ok big confession. I am not into kissing (GULP!). There I said it! Give me hugs, cuddles any day..By the way, I am completely fine with cheek kissing (can it be called that?)
9. Lost someone special? Loved and lost…Yes
10. Been depressed? Every week. But it’s not those serious bouts of depression. Just minor everyday worries and troubles (why can’t life be simpler kinda. You get the drift? Yes?)
11. Been drunk and thrown up? Drunk? No boss, thank you…Thrown up? Mentally, yes plenty of times
12. Kissed a stranger? Well, even if I wasn’t so averse to kissing, I would NEVER kiss a stranger
13. Lost glasses/contacts? Lost? Don’t remember. But broken glasses? Yes, innumerably. The consequence for which was that Mom made me and big sis wear those specs with chains around them as kids. Bah! Total attitude ki waat lag gai thi
14. Had sex on first date? Woohoooo! Wait…Utna scene nai hai
15. Broken someone’s heart? Hmm…Maybe yes
16. Had your own heart broken? Countless times..Which strikes me, maybe my heart also needs calcium (sigh!)
17. Been arrested? No
18. Turned someone down? As in a proposal right? Yes
19. Cried when someone died? Yes
20. Liked a friend that is a girl? No boss no..
IN THE PAST YEAR HAVE YOU
21. Made new friends? Yeah..you can say so
22. Fallen out of love? I keep falling in and out of love
23. Laughed until you cried? Yes
24. Met someone who changed you? Errrr… No! (Is that answer acceptable?)
25. Found out who your true friends were? Actually I always knew…This year only made it clearer
26. Found out someone was talking about you? Yeah. Gossip about me and P full on happening in office. Initially annoying, now extremely annoying (Grrrrrr…)
WHAT’S YOUR
27. Name: What’s in a name? (Ok, I am gagging)
28. Nicknames: Plenty (BIG GRIN)
29. Relationship status: Want to get married and have my own house (sigh!) soon
30. Zodiac sign: Pisces
31. Male or female or transgendered: Female baba! Thank you very much (Humph!)
32. Elementary: U.P.
33. School: U.P.
34. Colleges: U.P. and Orissa
35. Hair color: Brown
36. Long or short: On way to long (Please God please…make it grow faster)
37. Height: Tall (PROUD SMILE)
FIRSTS
38. First surgery: 2008: Wisdom tooth extraction in right jaw. 2009, The Sequel (in pre-production): Wisdom tooth extraction in left jaw (Why God why, do you give me wisdom only to take it away? Unfair…SULK!)
39. First piercing: Ears
40. First best friend: My childhood chuddie buddie S
41. First sport you loved: Gali cricket. Please note “gali”, not “gully” (which I anyways don’t know the meaning of), where gali means street cricket.
42. First pet: None
43. First vacation: Goa. With family (WOW! Those days..)
44. First concert: Ok. This was also my FIRST reporting assignment. Some very famous classical singer guy. Can’t remember the name (Useless me!)
RIGHT NOW
45. Eating: Nothing. Wisdom teeth hurting. Ouch!
46. Drinking: Nothing
47. I’m about to: Hopefully sleep
48. Listening to: The clock tick away in the silence of the night
49. Waiting for: Finishing this. 51 more to go!!
YOUR FUTURE
50. Want kids? YES, YES, YES
51. Want to get married? YES, YES, YES, YES
52. Careers in mind? Film director, writer, actor. Creative? Will do
WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
53. Lips or eyes: Eyes baby eyes!
54. Hugs or kisses: Hugs, of course (reason stated above)
55. Shorter or taller: Taller
56. Older or younger: Older
57. Romantic or spontaneous: A bit of both. Possible? Yes?
58. Nice stomach or nice arms: Whoa! Both
59. Sensitive or loud: Neither too sensitive nor too loud
60. Hook-up or relationship: Relationship
61. Trouble maker or hesitant: In moderation, can it be both (Please?)
DO YOU BELIEVE IN
62. Yourself: I try to
63. Miracles: Yes, big-time
64. Love at first sight: Ummm….No
65. Heaven: Yes…The next adventure after death
66. Santa Claus: Yes and No
67. Kiss on the first date: Errrr…depends
68. Angels: Totally!
LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS
69. Pink
70. Blue
71. White
72. Errrr…Can I say dark blue (can’t think of any other color really)
73. Have you kissed anyone on your friends list? Which friends’ list? Orkut/Facebook?
74. How many people on your friends list do you know in real life? Almost all
75. How many kids do you want to have? One (Girl please!)
76. Do you have any pets? No
77. Do you want to change your name? No, never
78. What did you do for your last birthday? I took off from work (YAY!) and saw Delhi 6 in an almost empty hall
79. What time did you wake up today? 10 am (very grumpy)
80. What were you doing at midnight last night? Reading a blog
81. Name something you CANNOT wait for. To leave office everyday (sigh! I need to get a life)
82. Last time you saw your father? Well, only yesterday I looked at his pic. Technically, I saw him last time when I was a toddler, so don’t remember anything. But I know he is watching me everyday from up there. Love you Pa!
83. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? Not life but me. My impatience and bad temper.
84. Most visited webpage: Google
85. Do you have a crush on someone? Naah
86. Ever been in love? Yes
87. Piercings? Err....Repeat question?
88. Tattoos? None. Wish for a delicate little rose though (Did you say where? I am not telling guys)
89. Righty or lefty: I am always right(y)!
90. On Internet since: Technically, 2003. But actually, 2006.
91. Video game: Don’t play any
92. When left alone: I think and think and think and get depressed
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY
93. Is there one person you want to be with right now? Yes. Pa
94. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? No boss…
95. Wanted to kill some one ever? Always. You can always find a hit-list in my cerebrum
96. Among your blog mates, who would you like to kiss? Eeeeks…None. Thank you very much (And seriously, will these “kissing” questions ever stop?)
97. Committed a blunder and regretted later? All the frigging time
98. Wanted to steal you friend’s boyfriend/girlfriend? Haha Never. They were way too sad anyways
99. Wanted to run away from your loved ones in anger, because they didn’t listen? All the frigging time
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? Ab itni mehnat ki hai, tow bhai why not? Sure…
2. Last phone call: Confusion. Last phone call I made or received? Made—I didn’t make any phone call the entire day! Received—P telling me he has left office (finally!) for the day
3. Last text message: Replied to P's message telling me he has stopped to eat on the way back from office
4. Last song you listened to: Main zindagi ka saath nibhaata chaala gaya..lalalala…
5. Last time you cried: Oh just about a month back when my seemingly organized life was thrown out of gear when the doctors told me I had fractured my foot and put me on complete bed rest
HAVE YOU EVER
6. Dated someone twice? Twice bole tow? Broken off and dated again? Nai boss
7. Been cheated on? Hmm..Yes
8. Kissed someone & regretted it? Meaning smooch (errrr..sorry for using the word)? If yes, ok big confession. I am not into kissing (GULP!). There I said it! Give me hugs, cuddles any day..By the way, I am completely fine with cheek kissing (can it be called that?)
9. Lost someone special? Loved and lost…Yes
10. Been depressed? Every week. But it’s not those serious bouts of depression. Just minor everyday worries and troubles (why can’t life be simpler kinda. You get the drift? Yes?)
11. Been drunk and thrown up? Drunk? No boss, thank you…Thrown up? Mentally, yes plenty of times
12. Kissed a stranger? Well, even if I wasn’t so averse to kissing, I would NEVER kiss a stranger
13. Lost glasses/contacts? Lost? Don’t remember. But broken glasses? Yes, innumerably. The consequence for which was that Mom made me and big sis wear those specs with chains around them as kids. Bah! Total attitude ki waat lag gai thi
14. Had sex on first date? Woohoooo! Wait…Utna scene nai hai
15. Broken someone’s heart? Hmm…Maybe yes
16. Had your own heart broken? Countless times..Which strikes me, maybe my heart also needs calcium (sigh!)
17. Been arrested? No
18. Turned someone down? As in a proposal right? Yes
19. Cried when someone died? Yes
20. Liked a friend that is a girl? No boss no..
IN THE PAST YEAR HAVE YOU
21. Made new friends? Yeah..you can say so
22. Fallen out of love? I keep falling in and out of love
23. Laughed until you cried? Yes
24. Met someone who changed you? Errrr… No! (Is that answer acceptable?)
25. Found out who your true friends were? Actually I always knew…This year only made it clearer
26. Found out someone was talking about you? Yeah. Gossip about me and P full on happening in office. Initially annoying, now extremely annoying (Grrrrrr…)
WHAT’S YOUR
27. Name: What’s in a name? (Ok, I am gagging)
28. Nicknames: Plenty (BIG GRIN)
29. Relationship status: Want to get married and have my own house (sigh!) soon
30. Zodiac sign: Pisces
31. Male or female or transgendered: Female baba! Thank you very much (Humph!)
32. Elementary: U.P.
33. School: U.P.
34. Colleges: U.P. and Orissa
35. Hair color: Brown
36. Long or short: On way to long (Please God please…make it grow faster)
37. Height: Tall (PROUD SMILE)
FIRSTS
38. First surgery: 2008: Wisdom tooth extraction in right jaw. 2009, The Sequel (in pre-production): Wisdom tooth extraction in left jaw (Why God why, do you give me wisdom only to take it away? Unfair…SULK!)
39. First piercing: Ears
40. First best friend: My childhood chuddie buddie S
41. First sport you loved: Gali cricket. Please note “gali”, not “gully” (which I anyways don’t know the meaning of), where gali means street cricket.
42. First pet: None
43. First vacation: Goa. With family (WOW! Those days..)
44. First concert: Ok. This was also my FIRST reporting assignment. Some very famous classical singer guy. Can’t remember the name (Useless me!)
RIGHT NOW
45. Eating: Nothing. Wisdom teeth hurting. Ouch!
46. Drinking: Nothing
47. I’m about to: Hopefully sleep
48. Listening to: The clock tick away in the silence of the night
49. Waiting for: Finishing this. 51 more to go!!
YOUR FUTURE
50. Want kids? YES, YES, YES
51. Want to get married? YES, YES, YES, YES
52. Careers in mind? Film director, writer, actor. Creative? Will do
WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
53. Lips or eyes: Eyes baby eyes!
54. Hugs or kisses: Hugs, of course (reason stated above)
55. Shorter or taller: Taller
56. Older or younger: Older
57. Romantic or spontaneous: A bit of both. Possible? Yes?
58. Nice stomach or nice arms: Whoa! Both
59. Sensitive or loud: Neither too sensitive nor too loud
60. Hook-up or relationship: Relationship
61. Trouble maker or hesitant: In moderation, can it be both (Please?)
DO YOU BELIEVE IN
62. Yourself: I try to
63. Miracles: Yes, big-time
64. Love at first sight: Ummm….No
65. Heaven: Yes…The next adventure after death
66. Santa Claus: Yes and No
67. Kiss on the first date: Errrr…depends
68. Angels: Totally!
LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS
69. Pink
70. Blue
71. White
72. Errrr…Can I say dark blue (can’t think of any other color really)
73. Have you kissed anyone on your friends list? Which friends’ list? Orkut/Facebook?
74. How many people on your friends list do you know in real life? Almost all
75. How many kids do you want to have? One (Girl please!)
76. Do you have any pets? No
77. Do you want to change your name? No, never
78. What did you do for your last birthday? I took off from work (YAY!) and saw Delhi 6 in an almost empty hall
79. What time did you wake up today? 10 am (very grumpy)
80. What were you doing at midnight last night? Reading a blog
81. Name something you CANNOT wait for. To leave office everyday (sigh! I need to get a life)
82. Last time you saw your father? Well, only yesterday I looked at his pic. Technically, I saw him last time when I was a toddler, so don’t remember anything. But I know he is watching me everyday from up there. Love you Pa!
83. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? Not life but me. My impatience and bad temper.
84. Most visited webpage: Google
85. Do you have a crush on someone? Naah
86. Ever been in love? Yes
87. Piercings? Err....Repeat question?
88. Tattoos? None. Wish for a delicate little rose though (Did you say where? I am not telling guys)
89. Righty or lefty: I am always right(y)!
90. On Internet since: Technically, 2003. But actually, 2006.
91. Video game: Don’t play any
92. When left alone: I think and think and think and get depressed
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY
93. Is there one person you want to be with right now? Yes. Pa
94. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? No boss…
95. Wanted to kill some one ever? Always. You can always find a hit-list in my cerebrum
96. Among your blog mates, who would you like to kiss? Eeeeks…None. Thank you very much (And seriously, will these “kissing” questions ever stop?)
97. Committed a blunder and regretted later? All the frigging time
98. Wanted to steal you friend’s boyfriend/girlfriend? Haha Never. They were way too sad anyways
99. Wanted to run away from your loved ones in anger, because they didn’t listen? All the frigging time
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? Ab itni mehnat ki hai, tow bhai why not? Sure…
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Pati, Patni aur Woh
There are only a few reality shows on Indian television that I watch currently. One that had me hooked from Day 1 was Pati, Patni aur Woh. Now that the show has drawn to a close, here's my take on the five participating couples:
Juhi and Sachin: By far, Juhi was my favourite in the show. She did no work around the house, slept all day, cribbed and nagged her husband, who listened dutifully and never answered back. Whether it was the toddler or the senior citizen that came to their house, it was Sachin’s show all the way. Even when Juhi had to go out and work at a departmental store, she did a pathetic job. The best part of the show was when she bulldozed her husband into walking out of the show because they had been given twins and she wanted Sachin at her service all day—which the channel was not allowing. Poor Sachin! What a woman he has married. He was calm, patient, balanced and mature and kept a cool head against Juhi’s incessant nagging.
Thumbs Up: One thing that works in Sachin’s favour is that he genuinely loves his wife. He sure is the “ideal” husband.
Mouni and Gaurav: The fake and cold couple. Mouni and Gaurav from Day 1 seemed to be in the show only for money—and it showed. No initiative, no interest was shown by either of them to bond with any of the kids. They just wanted the show to finish and walk away with their pay packets. Mouni only showed a little interest in the toddler Shaurya—and the credit for that too goes to the baby. He was so charming that no one could resist falling in love with him. The rest of the kids just came and went, and Mouni kept doing her own stuff. As far as Gaurav is concerned, he only seems to have a gift of the gab, nothing else. There was hardly any interaction between the couple and the kids. Pathetic! Me thinks maybe, if Gaurav had participated with his ex-flame Narayani Shastri, they would have fared much better and made a fiery couple. Gaurav and Mouni won't last long.
Thumbs Up: All said and sone, they do make a very good-looking couple.
Shilpa and Apoorva: The ideal couple. Sure, they provided no masala, no spice to the show, but they sure came across as one level-headed, in sync and mature jodi. Their understanding and dedication shone through. They were the only jodi which never fought or abused each other. A complete made-for each-other pair. Where Apoorva seemed a tad underconfident, Shilpa went all out to encourage. Needless to say, the star in this jodi was Shipa, who handled husband, kids, home single-handedly and excelled. Apoorva also proved to be one hell of a partner. Not to forget, the two never raised their hands in defeat during the time they had to handle twin babies—unlike Juhi.
Thumbs Up: Way to go! Now this is what I call A Perfect Couple.
Gurmeet and Debina: The “Ram and Sita of Indian television” was how they were introduced in the show. Admittedly, I had never seen them before. Both make a street-smart couple. Where Gurmeet was shown haggling with every shopkeeper (he even bargained with a gajra-walla), Debina refused to buy the teenager any clothes (the poor girl lost all her luggage in transit). So, while the poor kid kept shedding tears, Debina insisted she dress up in Guru's oversized T-shirts. And when the same kid complained about their dirty house, they handed her the vacuum cleaner! Preposterous. Overall though, methinks they did an OK job with the kids.
Thumbs Up: Gurmeet proposed Debina on the show and they are all set to get married.
Rakhi and Elesh: The surprise package. Rakhi and Elesh from Day 1 surprised everyone with their dedication and love for the kids. The so-called “item girl” proved to be an awesome home-maker and mother. The way she took care of the cranky toddler, Jai, was phenomenal. She looked after the kids extremely well, managed her home splendidly and even went out to work! And giving her full support was Elesh, who never left her side even when she got cranky, and proved to be great partner. They pulled off the pyjama party for the kids with great élan. The only other couple who would have managed the feat were Shilpa and Apoorva. Juhi, for sure, would have again walked out of the show. Unfortutanely, Rakhi seems to expect a lot from a life partner and understandably so, Elesh couldn’t measure up. Methinks, Elesh would make a great partner and Rakhi would be foolish to let him go.
Thumbs Up: Here’s to Superwoman Rakhi and her accomplice Elesh.
Juhi and Sachin: By far, Juhi was my favourite in the show. She did no work around the house, slept all day, cribbed and nagged her husband, who listened dutifully and never answered back. Whether it was the toddler or the senior citizen that came to their house, it was Sachin’s show all the way. Even when Juhi had to go out and work at a departmental store, she did a pathetic job. The best part of the show was when she bulldozed her husband into walking out of the show because they had been given twins and she wanted Sachin at her service all day—which the channel was not allowing. Poor Sachin! What a woman he has married. He was calm, patient, balanced and mature and kept a cool head against Juhi’s incessant nagging.
Thumbs Up: One thing that works in Sachin’s favour is that he genuinely loves his wife. He sure is the “ideal” husband.
Mouni and Gaurav: The fake and cold couple. Mouni and Gaurav from Day 1 seemed to be in the show only for money—and it showed. No initiative, no interest was shown by either of them to bond with any of the kids. They just wanted the show to finish and walk away with their pay packets. Mouni only showed a little interest in the toddler Shaurya—and the credit for that too goes to the baby. He was so charming that no one could resist falling in love with him. The rest of the kids just came and went, and Mouni kept doing her own stuff. As far as Gaurav is concerned, he only seems to have a gift of the gab, nothing else. There was hardly any interaction between the couple and the kids. Pathetic! Me thinks maybe, if Gaurav had participated with his ex-flame Narayani Shastri, they would have fared much better and made a fiery couple. Gaurav and Mouni won't last long.
Thumbs Up: All said and sone, they do make a very good-looking couple.
Shilpa and Apoorva: The ideal couple. Sure, they provided no masala, no spice to the show, but they sure came across as one level-headed, in sync and mature jodi. Their understanding and dedication shone through. They were the only jodi which never fought or abused each other. A complete made-for each-other pair. Where Apoorva seemed a tad underconfident, Shilpa went all out to encourage. Needless to say, the star in this jodi was Shipa, who handled husband, kids, home single-handedly and excelled. Apoorva also proved to be one hell of a partner. Not to forget, the two never raised their hands in defeat during the time they had to handle twin babies—unlike Juhi.
Thumbs Up: Way to go! Now this is what I call A Perfect Couple.
Gurmeet and Debina: The “Ram and Sita of Indian television” was how they were introduced in the show. Admittedly, I had never seen them before. Both make a street-smart couple. Where Gurmeet was shown haggling with every shopkeeper (he even bargained with a gajra-walla), Debina refused to buy the teenager any clothes (the poor girl lost all her luggage in transit). So, while the poor kid kept shedding tears, Debina insisted she dress up in Guru's oversized T-shirts. And when the same kid complained about their dirty house, they handed her the vacuum cleaner! Preposterous. Overall though, methinks they did an OK job with the kids.
Thumbs Up: Gurmeet proposed Debina on the show and they are all set to get married.
Rakhi and Elesh: The surprise package. Rakhi and Elesh from Day 1 surprised everyone with their dedication and love for the kids. The so-called “item girl” proved to be an awesome home-maker and mother. The way she took care of the cranky toddler, Jai, was phenomenal. She looked after the kids extremely well, managed her home splendidly and even went out to work! And giving her full support was Elesh, who never left her side even when she got cranky, and proved to be great partner. They pulled off the pyjama party for the kids with great élan. The only other couple who would have managed the feat were Shilpa and Apoorva. Juhi, for sure, would have again walked out of the show. Unfortutanely, Rakhi seems to expect a lot from a life partner and understandably so, Elesh couldn’t measure up. Methinks, Elesh would make a great partner and Rakhi would be foolish to let him go.
Thumbs Up: Here’s to Superwoman Rakhi and her accomplice Elesh.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
My 54 New Year Resolutions*
1. To lose weight (and to find ways to do so without joining a gym)
2. To join a driving school
3. To buy a car
4. To not let my work/office/colleagues take over my entire life
5. To find a new job with BETTER work timings
6. To buy new, trendy clothes
7. To take utmost, utmost, utmost care of my twice-fractured foot. To eat calcium
8. To start writing and reading more—write, write, write
9. To control my explosive temper
10. To not let stress of any kind (work, relationships, family, mundane) control me for any period of time
11. To not compare myself or my assets, or the lack of them, with past/present contemporaries
12. To make new friends
13. To not do things against my wishes just to please others
14. To spend wisely
15. To save judiciously
16. To call friends/relatives at least once a month
17. To spend more time with mom
18. To construct a life outside office
19. To get out of this self-imposed exile and mingle with people
20. To be sincere, not serious
21. To laugh more
22. To remain happy
23. To not be too harsh on myself
24. To try contact lenses
25. To buy more beauty products/cosmetics
26. To take breaks at work and spend some time with myself—even if 5 minutes
27. To learn to be a smart worker
28. To not let colleagues/others make me feel inferior
29. To not expect too much from people
30. To be my old self—giving, generous, patient, calm
31. To not let small things irk me into flying off the handle
32. To grow my hair longer
33. To buy sexy lingerie and nightwear…Yo :)
34. To be a better daughter and human being
35. To include saris in my wardrobe
36. To buy mom more saris and gold
37. To go to church at least once a month
38. To not feel superior of others because I earn more or speak better English
39. To maintain a healthy lifestyle irrespective of my work timings (reiterate resolution no. 5)
40. To not get into arguments with autorickshaw wallas (till resolution no. 3 takes shape)
41. To not take work/office/colleagues so seriously as to allow them to rule my life
42. To take people gossiping about me in my stride
43. To travel to new places
44. To have fun
45. To do something worthwhile with my camera
46. To take control of my finances and paperwork
47. To slowly but steadily get back to sketching
48. To restart my guitar lessons
49. To increase the contents of my jewellery box
50. To consume less junk food
51. To give more, take less
52. To not let the pressures of big-city living get the worse of me
53. To bring out that child in me once again
54. To remember these resolutions
These are my resolutions for the coming year. What are yours?
* This list is not exhaustive. There may be more coming.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Women....!
I was standing in the queue waiting for my turn at a Shoppers' Stop billing counter, clucking impatiently at the time ladies ahead of me in the queue were taking. I couldn't help saying to myself, "Women...! Why do they take so much time? They will open their handbags, take out their wallets, pay money, keep it in the handbag, zip the wallet, keep it inside the handbag, zip the handbag....and God forbid, if they forget something, the whole process starts all over again. Women....!!!"
Whenever a queue adjacent to where I was standing seemed to progress faster than mine (which always, always happens..!), I jumped to join that one (it just struck me, I can join Indian politics too).
Finally when after an eternity, my turn came this is what happened:
The guy at the counter (cute chinky guy): Yes ma'am?
Me (priding myself on the fact that how smooth his dealing will be with me unlike all those kinds of ladies I have described above): Ya. Could you please bill these for me?
Him: Sure ma'am. Do you have a membership card?
Me: Yeah (handing him my sister's Shoppers' Stop card, as I didn't have one, and the parking ticket for 'No parking fee')
Him: Thank you ma'am. Would you like to pay with cash or card?
Me: Card. By the way, if I also wish to have my own membership card, what's the procedure?
Him: You just have to give us your name and contact details and a charge of Rs200.
Me: Sure, I would like to get one made.
Him: Sure ma'am. Here is the form.
Me (trying to balance my wallet that I have taken out of my handbag, which is still unzipped): Sure, I will fill it.
Him (taking the filled form from me and handing me the reciept and the 'no parking fee' reciept): There you go ma'am.
Me (now struggling visibly trying to sign the reciept, putting in my handbag the parking reciept, but not the wallet): Thanks. You haven't returned me my debit card.
Him: Yes ma'am. Here it is and here is your complimentary gift (handing me my new membership card and two booklets on Shoppers Stop and a free music CD)
Me (clutching all the stuff in both my hands with no idea what goes where in my handbag): But you haven't returned me the first membership card that I gave you.
Him: Oh! Yes ma'am, sorry. Here it is...!
Me (putting the debit card, the new SS card in my wallet, closing the wallet, putting it in my handbag, putting the shopping reciept, the other SS card, the parking reciept, the CD and the 2 booklets in my handbag and zipping it): Thanks.
Him: Here's your buy.
Me (now balancing the phone and my extra-heavy handbag): Thanks.
I turned back to meet the hostile stares of the people behind me in the queue. I smile apologetically. The person behind me in the queue (with a disrespectful "finally"), moves to take my place. As I slowly start to worm my way out of the queue, the guy at the counter calls me again.
Him: Excuse me ma'am. Just a second.
Me (going back up to him rearranging the shopping bag, my handbag and my phone between my shoulders and hands): Yeah?
Him: Have I given you the parking reciept?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Random
My elder sister is getting married. I am happy. And with all this talk of marriage going around me, I am compelled to think about my marriage too. People around me are already going ballistic saying things like "Ab tera raasta tow saaf ho gaya" making me freak. However, I don't see myself getting married for the next 2 years at least. Why? I don't know. I still need some answers. What do I tell these people who are overeager to push me down the aisle? I buy myself more time with my favourite defence, "I am far too immature for marriage". It remains to be seen how much time I will be able to buy with this one.
Moving on, I have been wanting to venture into feature reporting for some time now. But I also believe that everything will happen in its own time.
The swine flu panic is slowly getting to me now.
The most surprising bit of news today? I got to know that my roommate, who came just 7 days back, is a SENIOR FORENSIC SCIENTIST! Whoa. My respect for her today shot up.
And last but not the least, this is for my guardian angel. I am indebted to you. Forever.
P.S.: In case you are wondering about the deteriorating quality of my blogging skills, you can blame it on Twitter :)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
This blog has no headline
Is Twittering better than writing long blogs? No clue. Am using both and enjoy them equally. However, this blog isn't about which-is-better.
I have been feeling quite insecure these days. I don't know if I am needlessely going into the "overthinking" mode as P calls it (I sincerely hope he is right), but I am quite perplexed. Anyways, guess I have no other option but to take things as they come---one day at a time.
I don't believe this but I am watching a film right now called Love love love starring Aamir and Juhi. Wow!! They are dancing to a song called "Disco dandiya' and looking absolutely adorable. Ahh those old days. Fashion disasters these actors used to be really!! Aamir is wearing a green T-shirt underneath a white blazer with white trousers----with lots of talcum powder on his face and red lipstick. Juhi is donning a magenta ghagra choli, a blue dupatta, white hair band and again lots of talcum powder and lipstick--somehow making her look more hideous.
Am quite hooked to Sach ka saamna these days on Star Plus. The hurried editing of the Vinod Kambli's episode howled loudly in the audiences' face. Gone were the questions on Sachin and BCCI. Huh!!! Wonder why the show is called Sach ka saamna after all. Ironical! The next guest on the show is TV actress Urvashi Dholakia. Who I believe became an unwed mother at 18. Whoa! Can't wait to see what all spills out in this episode.
However, the show that tops my list of mindless entertainment is of course Rakhi ka swamyavar hands down! What a total entertainer that girl is. Just love her. Way to go girl. If you watched today's episode where she puts a guy called Manmohan Tiwari from Rishikesh (one of the 4 finalists) in his place, I think you will agree with me. Madame Sawant reminded me of Amitabh in Deewar when she told the hapless guy (he was only looking for publicity through Sawant, unsurprisingly), "Mere paas name hai, fame hai, money hai, beauty hai". Awesome. :)
Also sample this,"Pehle tow aapki mummy kehti thi mujhse masala kutwaayegi, pallu karna hoga, aur aaj kehti hai masala nai kutwaayegi. Aisa kyun? Itna change kyun aa gaya?"
Manmohan ki mummy, masala kutwaa lo Rakhi se please.
The best part was when Rakhi got up, shook hands with the guy (he was totally defeated by Rakhi's logic, had nothing to say, dont blame him!) and walked away blowing her hair. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Can't wait to see who Madame marries (will she, won't she?).
Hey, tomorrow is the total solar eclipse. Will our lives change for the next three years (that's the maximum time it is supposed to affect a zodiac sign, according to astrological predictions) because of it? Beats me.
Guess need to do what I started this blog with---take one day at a time.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Why does India take marriage so seriously?
I have a steady boyfriend (he doesn't like being called a boyfriend by the way, prefers soulmate, partner etc.) for more than two years. Though we practise different religions, it has so far never bothered us. Given a choice I would like to settle in matrimony with him.
However, the truth is that when the two families eventually meet I doubt they will get along. They are as radically different as chalk and cheese. Friction will surface. And I am scared that it may take a toll on my relationship. That's the reason I am pushing marriage away, buying more time.
P and I have been in love long enough to realise that we want to grow old together. However, what's also true is that it will be extremely difficult for us to adjust with each other's families. More so for me because let's face the truth: expectations are sky-high from women. It would be near-impossible for me to keep everyone happy.
I really don't know what P and I will do if the two families fail to see eye-to-eye with each other, which I somehow expect to happen (women intuition and all that).
All this makes me wonder why we in India take marriage so seriously? Why can't we be more open-minded? Why do two families have to treat the subject as if it's a life-and-death situation?
If two people are in love and want to spend their lives together, why does the whole world converge on them with their respective likes and dislikes? Isn't it true that ultimately it's these two people who have to stay together?
I totally agree with the Western world's take on marriage. Life is very short, spend it with the person you love and who makes you happy. There is absolutely no interference from any of the two families. Of course, I have my reservations about getting married every two years, which I don't agree with. But frankly speaking, if our society allowed us the same space who wouldn't do the same? After all, only a few handful in this world are lucky enough to find their soulmates the first time they fall in love.
I hope in the future we get a little more easy with the subject and stop treating it as a national emergency.
I would be glad to hear from those of you who are going through or have been through such a phase in your lives...SOS
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