Its a beautiful life!

I was travelling home from work yesterday - was tired after a long day’s work. Work has been busy since the past few weeks. I got a nice window seat in the bus and was just thankful I was going home. At the next stop two old ladies, maybe in their mid-seventies or so, got on the bus. They came and sat next to me. I couldn’t help but notice them. Both of them were dressed very well, wearing their pearls – both of them had perfectly manicured fingers and looked really sweet. They started talking and I couldn’t help but overhear. They were both friends, one was visiting the other from a different city and the host was showing her the sights in Chicago Downtown. The old lady lived in the suburbs and they had taken the train to the downtown. They had apparently been to the Sears tower and roamed around the city and now were headed to the Art Institute to check out the new wing that started this year. They were making plans for the next day to go watch the theater and were deciding on the restaurants they wanted to visit the next day. The lady who was visiting wanted to eat steak and so they decided to go to the steak place.

It was fascinating to see the two little ladies getting about the city, unescorted on their own. They started talking about how everything has changed. You need credit cards for everything and everything could be done on the internet. One of them said – “It’s like another world!” The other one said “Do you know they don’t accept cash anymore on flights if you want to buy a drink or something! How things have changed!” It was really fascinating to hear the both of them talk and make plans to make the most of their day out in the city. It just made me feel really good, brought a smile on my face and somehow felt refreshed after listening to them talk.

If and when I reach their age, if I manage to have half the will, energy, grace and enthusiasm that those two ladies had – I would be incredible happy and consider myself lucky!

- Moi

Mood of the day: Curious
Song of the day: Maan mausam ka kaha, chayi ghata, jaam utha!

Summer of 69!

I thought I would not blog about the Adam's concert - 'cos I thought I would not be able to put into words that experience (that happens with me - like the sky-diving experience, I never blogged about it - 'cos I cant put it into words), but decided to give it a try nevertheless.

Well, it was going to be a solo acoustic performance by Bryan Adams, no band - just him for 3 hours. I did not know what to expect as there was no band. I thought it would be more of him playing the guitar and a few songs here and there. I was definitely not prepared for what was to come. The show started at around 8:15pm - he came on to the stage. We had great seats - we were in the fifth row from the stage. I could even see the freckles and the stubble on his face - that's how close we were. He has a typical dry Canadian humor and he is a great performer.

All week I was wondering and asking the Mister what song would he open the concert with. Well, he started with 'Run to you' - it gave me goose bumps as he sang it. Even at 50, he looks great - he sings better! He was alone with the guitar and he sang continuously for 2 and a half hours. He plays brilliantly and he sings so well. He sang ALL the songs that I wanted him to sing. The only song that he missed was '18 till I die' but it was much much more and better than I expected.

Suddenly maybe after around 7-8 songs, he started 'Lets make a night to remember' - there was pin drop silence in the theater. He sang it so beautifully, I almost had tears in my eyes - no I am not exaggerating. That is like my fav Bryan Adams song and the way he sings it - so sincerely and with so much passion, just wants to make me cry. I was again a teenager, when I was totally in love with Bryan Adams.

In the middle of the concert - he sang his favorite and his most popular 'Summer of 69' - the whole theater was on their feet clapping and singing along with him. It was electrifying - he really is as good. I couldn't believe I was listening to this song live. He sang all the good ones -
'Run to you', Please forgive me, Everything I Do, Cuts like a Knife, All for love, Cloud number 9, Have you ever really loved a woman, Heaven, Can't stop this thing we started and many more. He even sang 'The only thing that looks good on me is you'. I really felt like I died and went to heaven.

Wow - writing about that evening makes me feel excited all over again. My hands were sore from clapping and the throat was hurting from all the yelling. For 3 whole days, I had the Bryan Adams hangover and dreamt about him. He still looks hot and he is a hell of a guy!! I am again totally enamoured by him. It was definitely a night I will remember forever!

- Moi

Mood of the day: Undecisive
Song of the day: Have you ever really loved a woman (go listen to it - NOW!)

Songs - of the other kind!

There are some songs that you like – some that you love. And then there are other songs – which always bring back memories of moments or of people.

Songs that you always associate with certain people, certain incidents, certain times, certain memories. Songs that create moments - create memories. Here is a list of a few of such songs and what they mean to me. Every time I listen to any of these songs, everything comes back to me in a rush, bringing back all my thoughts and experiences associated with them.

1. O humdum suniyo re…

I love this movie, I love the songs of this movie – he left it on the voice message of my phone once – it was one of my ‘awww…’ moments

2. Gumshuda… koi hua

Voice chat over yahoo… he used to play this song on his end, when I went to India without him

3. Chandan sa badan…

He sang the whole song for me in a train ride going home – I don’t think he remembers it but I do

4. Janu meri jaan (replaces janu with my nick name)

Sings it every time I am angry with him

5. Chalte Chalte (from the movie Chalte Chalte)

I remember one of my friends when I listen to this song – ‘cos he got very sentimental one day listening to this

6. Pyar ke liye char pal kam nahi the

I remember one of my gal friends during my master’s who was going through a bad phase with her then-boy friend. This song was playing and she just started crying

7. Who the f*** is Alice?

Reminds me of my dear friend from engineering – ah those were the days!

8. Pal Pal dil ke paas

Always reminds me of my sister – when we were kids we always listened to the radio in the night before we fell asleep – and this song used to play a lot on the radio and she used to just love this song

9. Everything I do – I do it for you!

Somebody anonymously dedicated this song to me in the college fest – always makes me wonder who it was when I listen to this song

10. That’s the way it is – Celine Dion

Reminds me of a time in my own life when I really believed in this song and loved it … played it over and over just to reinforce the faith

11. Aye ganpat…

Reminds me of the road trip to the Smokies – the drive is a whole 10 hours and I think this song was playing on loop for at least 5 out of the 10 hours J

12. Ek akela is shehar mein

Reminds me of my first year in the US and a dear friend who was engaged. Her fiancé had gifted her with a cd of his favorite hindi movie songs. She was never a fan of Hindi movie music. Eventually, I ended up listening to that cd more than she ever did. This song was the first song in that cd – and I will always remember her when I listen to this song.

13. Bavra man dekhne chala ek sapna (Swanand Kirkire’s version)

This is a beautiful song- one of my favs. I listened to the songs from this movie quite late as I watched this movie quite late. I remember I watched this movie alone, and was very depressed after watching it, and when this song played I almost cried.

14. I just called to say I love you…

I remember this song – my first year in the US - my roomies (equally crazy as me) and me were trying to learn this song one night– playing it line after line, pausing it, repeating after it – and we finally learn the whole song by heart by 3.00 am in the morning. The three of us were singing so loudly and excitedly, the neighbor had to knock at our door at 3:00am and had to ask us stop :D.

15. That don’t impress me much

Again reminds me of my sis and me when we were in India – we really liked this song – and Shania Twain was hot.

16. Actually any Bryan Adams or Pink Floyd songs reminds me of my college days. I really really miss the happy-go-lucky, don't have a care in the world days.


- Moi

P.S: In the first 4 songs – the “he” refers to the Mister

Gandhi!

One of my friends asked me that in the light of the current events – i.e the 26/11 Mumbai attack – would Gandhigiri work now?
I don't know – I don't know if Gandhigiri is the way to go in the age of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

When Mumbai was under attack I was enraged - it was impotent rage I think - I wanted action, I wanted to see some results - I was arguing with the Mister that it is not the age of Gandhi anymore and we have to fight back and kick ass.

What exactly is the Gandhian philosophy? I think it is the opposite of dadagiri in the sense that this philosophy also uses force - but the force that it uses is a moral one to assert its point of view. Also, I personally think that Gandhiji stood for action in the face of oppression and definitely not passive contemplation.

If someone slapped one cheek, would you turn in the other one? – Is that what Gandhiji really expected of India? Is this really what he preached? If hundreds of people get killed, should we just sit back and contemplate and wait for when and where would the next attack be? I am not saying we need to go to war – but surely there must be some pre-emptive action that could be taken?

Gandhiji must surely be turning in his grave today. There are a lot of people who are dead against this man – who got us our independence. Everytime the country faces a crisis, Gandhi's name is brought up – Is this how Gandhi envisioned independent India to be? And we don't even think twice before we start blaming our fore fathers to have left us with words like non-violence, satyagraha et al as a legacy. We Indians are very very adept at passing the buck. Who better qualified to blame than the father of the nation. A lot of people are of the opinion that we are shackled by the pre-independence philosophies and that is in some way hampering our growth.

Well, I don't think so. Actually now that I think about it – I think Gandhian philosophy would work – actually maybe that's the only recourse for India.
Because the corner stones of the Gandhian philosophy are life, truth and morality.

We Indians take only the principle of non-violence as being Gandhi's principle and we attribute our regressive philosophies to that man. Everybody of us forget that he preached life, truth and above all morality in addition to ahimsa. We forget that if every Indian would lead a truthful and moral life - we would have been better equipped to handle the Mumbai attack. Yes, every problem in India is inter-related. It all comes back to wide-spread corruption - which is in itself rampant because of a struggle for existence - well, I think it comes a full circle.

Though their interpretations will or rather should change with age and time, I think that Gandhian principles will always be relevant and applicable in any age. It all depends on how ones uses them. Perspective is important.

- Moi

Couldn't think of a title for this!

After the harrowing last week – the brain has attempted to achieve normalcy. A lot has happened and been happening in the last week.

It always seems to me that just when life is plodding along comfortably, something seems to go wrong – I am suddenly faced with an aberration, which is least expected. Well one can just sigh, take it in – and move on. Such is life they say!

I watched the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” last weekend. I really loved the movie. It was surprisingly brilliant and the music was really groovy (A Rehman composition of course!). Watched “Dostana” the week before – the less said about it, the better. All I can say about it is Bobby Deol is the only character in the movie who actually looks and acts gay. And last night watched the new movie “Sorry Bhai!” and I am really sorry that I wasted my time watching that movie. Its one of those wannabe art movies - tries too hard. But in the end I felt the movie was just plain ridiculous.

My mind is just rambling – and I am not even sure what I want to say in this post. The holiday season is upon us, the Christmas lights are up everywhere – but it somehow doesn’t feel as festive as every year. People are wary about the economy and altogether its not a very happy atmosphere.

Well on a positive note, I am looking forward to our Hawaii trip – actually I cannot even believe I am going – I think it has not sunk in yet. I am sure much fun will be had and will be a good break from the winter.

- Moi

P.S: One of my colleagues asked me if I believed in ghosts – I told her “No, but I am sure the ghosts believe in me”, needless to say she was nonplussed :D

Mood of the day: Lost
Song of the day: Devil in disguise

Why ??

Shell shocked I was - when I first read the news on Wednesday morning at work. Since the past 3 days we have been watching the live news over the internet. It was like watching a movie or something - it was too mind numbing to see the terrorist kill the top Indian officials, hijack their cars. shoot at random and take the hotels under siege. It felt horrible to watch it live - it was spine chilling to see twenty something youth firing away at innocent people unflinchingly. I am just numb and speechless and hardly know what to say or feel.

My emotions range from sadness to depression to anger to hatred to pride. There is a nagging sense of loss. I think that we as a country are doing something really wrong. I don't know what - but this should not have happened. It was heart wrenching to see the saga go on and on for more than 60 hours now. I feel really sorry for the people who were a part of the gory attack that happened and all we can say is it will end soon!! Will it - really? Yes, Mumbai will be brought under control soon - but has this really ended? Again, India will adopt a holier than thou attitude and I don't know if that's what it should be doing. We cannot sit waiting for some divine intervention to happen and end this madness. I think it is high time that India takes matters in its own hands.

May all the terrorists who were behind this be killed and I wish they rot in hell. I don't think that I have ever felt so strongly about anything or anyone. But I really pray their end. Watching the Indian security forces fight relentlessly, tirelessly for such a long time fills me up with a sense of pride and also gratefulness. Hats off to all the police force, the army, NSGs, the fire fighters and all the security forces of India who put their lives in the line of fire and did such a great job in cleaning up the whole mess and finishing off the terrorists - also a tribute and salute to all the people who lost their lives in this gory mess. May their souls rest in peace! My condolences to the victims and their families who have been traumatized by this attack.

I don't want to get into what mistakes were made by India in the handling of this terror situation. And sitting here far away from the ground realities, its incredibly unfair to pass judgements. Even as I type these words rescue operations are still on at the Taj where the NSG and the Army is battling it out in Mumbai.

When I started to write this post, I intended it to be a long one - because I felt I had so much to say about the past three days - but somehow the words are eluding me - something of such big magnitude cannot be contained in a mere post. I just hope that justice will be brought!!

-Moi

P.S: Where is Mr. Raj Thakarey - does he realize that the commandos brought in from different parts of the country - they were North Indians and South Indians who are fighting it out for Mumbai - who are ready to lay down their lives so that people in Mumbai can feel safe. I am just tired - I am tired because I have been so angry and my mood has been so volatile for the past 3 days.

Face of Hope...!!

At last it has happened – at last it is over. The arduously long 2 year campaign for the Presidential elections ended last night. And what an end! Barack Obama has become the face of hope for this country and the whole world. All the action happened very close to home and it was really awe-inspiring and humbling. And to a moment so historic, it couldn’t quite sink in that the images being beamed across the world came from so close to home. We were at real close quarters to where history happened last night.

Barack Obama has re-defined HOPE.

I watched his victory speech last night and actually had goosebumps listening to him talk...watching the wild cheering crowds, tears glistening in their eyes, nodding and believing what the man was saying. I really felt for a moment that I should have been there at Grant Park just to feel the spirit of the people.

And I could'nt help but wonder, can this ever happen in our country? Will there ever be a leader who can capture the imagination of the people, inspire people and actually make them believe that good things will come. Will there ever be a day when I’d actually want to attend a political rally to hear my leader speak in India. And will I really want to vote for a person for his own merits, not trying to figure out who is the lesser of the bunch of evils? Were Gandhi and Nehru like that, I wonder. Did they manage to galvanize a crowd into action? Will there be a day when a truly truly deserving candidate lead my country? Will the Change sweep over us, ever?

- Moi


Mood of the day: Happy and Hopeful

Song of the day: That's the way it is! - Celine Dion

What can you say..??

The Mister glowing over the ipod touch I gave him for his birthday – he is all smiles and checking out the gizmo with alacrity.


Moi: (Trying to get some attention from him) I am happy you liked the gift so much

The Mister (All misty eyed and sincere) : It’s my favorite toy after you!!

Well, what can you say to that ??

Happy Birthday to you Mister!!



Mood of the day: Happy – (its going to be 73 deg today)

Song of the day: Kabhi Kabhi aditi

- Moi

Food for thought!

When a saint and a wordly man met,

each looked at the other,

silent and mocking.

Both laughed at each other.

Each said the same thing:

What have you done to yourself?

- Bharat Thakur

Thinking on these lines - assuming that this is an either/or situation for each of us - I don't know which side of the fence I would be standing on in a few decades.

- Moi

Mood of the day: Busy

Song of the day: Chandni raatein ....

Food Coma....!

Have you ever felt that you have eaten so much that your brain has stopped reacting?

Well, it happens all the time with me and I call it Food Coma!! I am in Food Coma right now – just gorged on Chinese food for lunch and am back at my desk pretending to work – and its not working – the pretension I mean!!

-Moi

Song of the day: Alvida - Life in Metro

Mood of the day: Brain freeze

Summer of '08!!

I have had a bad case of blogstipation – writer’s block – lack of inspiration, ideas and time are some of the reasons or rather the excuses for it.

Change is inevitable – I tell to myself. I am not a person averse to change, rather I am a person who does embrace change and looks forward to it. But there are a few apprehensions and doubts that I am sure everybody has to deal with. Especially the kind of career path I have chosen, where I change my workplace faster than the season changes in Chicago, I have to always be ready to jump into new environments and start liking it. Still there is always an uncertainty when I start a new project, will I like the new place as much as the old one? Will I be able to meet more interesting people as I always did before? More often than not I do.

Well, I am in an introspective state of mind, and am trying to condition myself for the change that will happen soon. Anyways, a lot has been happening this summer. This summer was by far my busiest summer in Chicago – what with mom and dad visiting the US of A, and my mil visiting too. So I am glad to say that this summer was spent with my favorite people on this planet – and yes, ‘am loving it!

So many new places visited, some old places re-visited and I thoroughly enjoyed all of it. Experienced a few new things and did a few things that I always loved doing. The Mister took me skydiving for my birthday as a surprise gift. I wanted to do this since a long time – and it’s an experience that cannot be shared or told – you have to do it to feel it. Jumping off a plane from 13,000ft is a mind numbing, exhilarating, adrenaline pumping experience of a lifetime. It leaves you so happy that I told about it to every person that I spoke to for a whole week after I did it. Thinking about it 2 months after I did it – still gets my heart to beat faster.

We took a road trip around the Lake Michigan and drove around 4 states – that was by far the best road trip I have ever taken. It was an amazing weekend. Also went to Seattle to see my sis and bil and stayed with my whole family (except the Mister) and it was one of my memorable trips – Seattle is a great place to visit – really liked it – more about Seattle in a later post.

Re-visited Chicago with family - took them around the place and acted tourist here and fell in love with Chicago all over again. I just can’t get enough of the fireworks this summer – it has been great.

This long weekend we are taking mil to Niagara Falls and DC. So more new places and new experiences. I am really looking forward to the trip – and I just don’t want the summer to end. I am hoping that I will return from the trip with renewed zing and more positive energy. As you can say from the rambling in this post, my mind is in a state of mish-mash – with so much happening all around me. Well, I am looking forward to more and new. Here’s to the summer of ’08!!

Mood of the Day: Thoughtful

Song of the Day: Tujhse naraaz nahi zindagi - Masoom

Calvin and Hobbes for the day:

Fall and all... !!

Temperatures have crossed below the 50 deg F line. The last Indian summer day went by last weekend, it seems, as usual, without bidding adieu. Winter was going to sneak in without giving fall a chance, but looks like fall is standing firm on its ground - it’s fall officially.

It’s time to take out and don the melancholic winter coats and woolen wear. Skirts and shorts have to be replaced by sweaters and scarves. Flip flops and sandals will step behind, giving way to snowboots. Fall and winter fashion has already hit the store windows.

Trees are showing colors – there is yellow, orange, red, brown all around. Soon the trees are going to be bare, ready to be lined with virgin white snow.
Days have become shorter and the skies are dark and wintry. Summer, this time made a grand exit.

Windows at home, have started staying closed. Before long, the heater will be switched on at full blast. No more barbeques in the patio, no more walks to the lake to watch the sunset, no more kitchen gardens in the balconies of apartments, no more pretty colorful summer flowers adorning the streets on Michigan Avenue. Cold coffee and iced teas have given way to hot chocolate. Halloween pumpkins are out at every doorstep in vicinity. No longer are girls seen showing off their colorful clothes, instead they are wearing long black and gray jackets and scarves.

Chicago has changed from the bright perky colors, to black and white – it seems fall is here.

-Moi

Mood of the day: Colorful

Song of the day: Mausam ke sargam ko sun - Khamoshi

Perfect Sunday!!

- Eventually get up by 10:00am in the morning.

- Fight over the music genre and medium (TV/CD player/Laptop) and then listen to some music

- Do some cleaning

- Cook together

- Eat together a late brunch of sandwiches and kheer

- Sit with friends and watch the F1 race

- Play cards with friends over snacks and ice cream

- Go the lake shore and watch the Chicago skyline and the sunset

- Go and play some pool

- Go to dinner with friends and eat biryani and then finish dinner with “paan”

- Come back home

- Snuggle against the Mister and go to sleep

Next day:
Face a severe attack of Monday Morning Blues.

-Moi

Mood of the day: Happy (I got back my phone)

Song of the day: Phoolon ke rang se

Marriage Diaries!

I lost my cell phone two days ago :( . It was a new phone, just bought it in march or april…. Well I am still hopeful that I will find it somehow … some kindly soul might come and return it back to me… but nobody has come forward in these past days.

So I guess will go and get a new one today from the store…

My conversation with the Mister last nite

Moi: Shall we go tomorrow after work to the store to get the cell phone or shall we go on the weekend?

Him: We can go on the weekend!!

5 minutes passed, both of us reading our books….

Moi: When should we go to get the phone – tomorrow or on sat’day?

Him: Saturday sounds fine to me.

Another 5 mins go by discussing some other topic (the topic being whether Saif and Kareena make a good pair, and that Hrithik looks great in the promos of Jodha-Akbar)

Again I ask-

Moi: When should we go and get the phone – tomorrow after work or do you think Saturday is better?

Him: Ok Ok – we will go tomorrow after work!!

All the talking a wife has to do to get her way…. Its hard work you know :)!!

-Moi

Mood of the day: Great

Song of the day: I’ve had the time of my life – Dirty Dancing

Calvin Hobbes:

Similarly different.... or differently similar!!

He likes DVD players which play VCDs, MP3s AND DVDs. for me, a DVD player which plays a DVD is a miracle if i learn to operate it.

He thinks his cell phone is a wonderful device, and should have all the bells and whistles –mp3 player, camera…. He loves the iPhone. I don’t, for me the cell fone is just a talking device.

He takes HOURS to shop for something we neither need nor want. i can go through my shopping within 30 mins. and buy everything we both would need for a month!

He loves sports and gets excited to try any new sport. I have never played anything better than chess.

When something drops to the floor, he doesn't seem to see it. i pick it up & put it back where it came from.

He showers at least twice a day. Taking a shower even once is an ordeal for me.

He takes at least 45 mins in the morning to get ready for work (cos he needs to do everything leisurely and does not rush). I can get ready for work in 10 mins.

He is a hard core vegetarian. I am not.

He is not a planner. I am a meticulous planner, I even need to roughly plan out the meals for the week.

He thinks of the TV as a media for information - he watches Discovery, PBS, news, political debates. For me, its an idiot box - I watch FRIENDS, Sex and the City and Food Network channel

we still love each other…. deeply….!!

-Moi

Mood of the day: Good!

Song for the day: Dil mein mere hai dard-e-disco!

Aaah.... the life of a wife! (sigh!!)

Chyawanprash - often called the 'elixir of life' (courtesy Wikipedia) : Somehow since morning, I have flashing thoughts about the bottle of chyawanprash lying around my kitchen counter. No I don't eat this health tonic, but the Mister does, well at least he pretends he does.

I am not for Chywanprash or any health tonic for that matter (c'mon we are two healthy ppl in our twenties) but one fine day the Mister just picked it up from Patel Brother's shelf. Well, that's one thing the Mister does - whenever we are in an Indian store (or for that matter any store), he has the habit of checking out every aisle (even if we don't need anything, and the only reason we came to the store was to buy tylenol) and looking at articles that he might want to buy. He comes up with the most absurd of items at times.... well more about that in another post. Newho, this one time he picked up chyawanprash and bought it home.

Needless to say I wasn't with him when he made the purchase. So when I saw the bottle at home, I asked him why the purchase and he said that he was going to start eating it everyday and start some health regime and eat healthy in general.
I just gave a non-committal shrug and told him that all I care about is that the bottle should not go waste and that he should finish it!
Just to prove that he would, he opened up the bottle right there and ate a big spoonful of it and flexed his imaginary biceps and said that he felt strong and healthy already. I just rolled my eyes and put away the bottle.

A week later after we get back home from work in the evening ....

Moi: Its been a week since you bought chyawanprash and you just ate a spoonful of it. You promised me you would not let it go waste!

Him: Oh I forgot. Will eat it now....

He ate a spoonful and put the bottle away in one of the cabinets.

after a couple of similar incidents as the one above, the bottle was soon forgotten.

A couple of months later - when I was cleaning the cabinets I fished out the long forgotten bottle of Chywanprash and just threw it away, as it was old and did not know what the shelf life of chyawanprash was. When I told the Mister that I threw it away, he gave me the most "I can't believe you did that" look, and I told him that he would never have finished it anyway.

Next week, again a trip to Patel Brothers and again a purchase of Chyawanprash.
Me comes home, confronts him about it and he promises not to disappoint this time and that he really wants to eat the thing. So, this time I take it upon myself to remind him to eat it.

So this is the general course of conversation... In the evening

Moi: Honey, eat your chywanprash ... now !

Him : No, will not eat it now ... will eat it after we are back from the gym

After we come back from the gym

Moi: Chywanprash!!!

Him: Not now, am really hungry and want to eat the delicious stuff you are making, eating it now will spoil my appetite. (of course the 'delicious' is used to cushion the 'no'...)

So after dinner ....

Moi : Chywanprash .....

Him: I am soooo sleepy, I already brushed for the night.... please I cannot eat it now .... will eat it from tomorrow regularly... will not forget - you don't even need to remind me.

After numerous repetitions of the above scene.... I took it upon myself to take a spoonful of chyawanprash and give it to him - at least he cannot deny to eat it then, cos that would mean throwing the spoonful away nd washing the spoon....

So now the only time he eats it is when I remember and give it to him ... sigh!! ... I never thought I would be a wife who would hand out health tonic to her husband!! Is this his second childhood, or did he never pass out of his first one?!! sigh!! Aaah... the life of a wife!!

Of Life, Questions and M&Ms... !

Sometimes, well actually most of the times I do not understand why things change unexpectedly or something totally unwanted happens, is there any significant meaning hidden behind these changes, or is it just God’s way of reminding us that he still holds the strings and can let go whenever he wants to. After turning somebody’s peaceful existence topsy turvy, does he grin, with a wicked twinkle in his eye – is this the time when the devil in him gets the better of him?

Do all of us have a specific role assigned to play in this Life? Are we really His puppets – if so, then where is the script of the play and who decides the ending?

Why does bad happen to anybody, why does somebody not achieve what he/she worked hard for? Who tells, what gives – who makes these cosmic decisions – is ‘karma’ a reality or crap ? Is it true, that there is an accountant out there (or up there rather) who keeps track of all good/bad that we have done ? And is it based on that equation that good/bad happens to each of us? And does that mean, that if we do good always – then nothing bad is going to happen to us - ever?

Too many questions – too much of mish-mash going on in this tiny brain of mine on a wed’day. Looks like I am hit by the mid-week crisis (if there is anything like that!)

Neways right now my life has put me under such circumstances where I cannot do nething but just wait for things to change for the good and happy tidings and so have been in a very pensive mood since the past couple of days … and the only thing that gives me solace is my daily dose of chocolate which, today is in the form of M and M’s – I am hooked to these, in India they are called “Gems”. Initially when I was new to this country, I could never understand the penchant for peanuts by the goras in anything and everything edible. The phirangs are obsessed with them looked like. Peanut butter, (yikes!! …then – but now have begun to like it). But peanuts in chocolates was something outrageous, I could not adulterate chocolate in any way (caramel, cashews, almonds were ok) but peanut M and M’s – I gave a scornful look when somebody had suggested that they taste good. Well, 5 years and I am hooked to them. Can wipe off a whole packet and dakaar bhi na doon.

Well, I am digressing… but that’s how my thoughts have been since the past couple of days.

-Moi

Song of the day: Strangers in the night – Frank Sinatra

Quote of the day:

Babumoshai, Zindagi ek rang manch hai aur hum sab is rang manch ki kathputliyan hain, hum sabki dorr upar wale ke hath mein hai, kab kiski dor khich jaye koi nahi janta...ha ha ha ha ha

Calvin and Hobbes: Reality continues to ruin my life!

Woh kaagaz ki kashti ......

I am feeling very nostalgic today and am missing home and my childhood a lot. Aaah, they were such wonderful times...

When gulli-danda and langdi were more popular than cricket...

When we always had friends to play aais-paais (I Spy)...

When we desperately waited for Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi on Doordarshan...

When Chitrahaar and Rangoli made our day...

When Bisleri was not sold in the train and we were worried if baba will get back into the train in time or not when he got out to fill the water bottle...

When Dussera and Diwali meant home made sweets and new clothes...

When we listened to Binaca geetmala, vividh bharathi while going to bed every night...

When summer vacation meant going to nanihaal (Pune) and play with cousins until the wee hours of the night...

When one movie on Sunday evening on television was more than asked for...

When left over pages from last years notebooks were used as rough work or sometimes even fair work...

When 'chelpark' and 'camel' were encouraged against reynolds...

When we studied by kerosene lamps and candles during the power cuts for the exams...

When the first hail meant trying to collect the hails in cloth and eat them....

When there were no phones to tell friends that we would be at their place by 6:00...

When crackers on Diwali and gulal on Holi were not seen as air and noise polluting or allergic agents...

When famous five and secret seven were our role models...

When the chudi walla came to the doorstep before every festival with an array of colorful bangles to choose from...

Aaah... this list can be endless....

Mood of the day: Nostalgic

Song of the day: Woh kaagaz ki kashti...woh baarish ka paani - Jagjit Singh

-Moi