Barr House, Matheran

This last weekend a bunch of friends & I decided to take one of those 52 weekend getaway breaks to Matheran & I would highly recommend it to North-Indian folks in town....To imagine that I've stayed here for 8 months and not taken a weekend break to this picture pretty hill-station which is all of 1:30 hrs away...

Its the perfect country living meets the thick woods for the sloths & the no-cars, no mall road meets the treks for the enthusiasts...

We started off & the car 'allegedly' starting giving trouble in Thane... just for a fraction of a second I thought, "There goes the weekend holiday..." but its impossible to go wrong with your A team...

What I find awesome about this bunch of folks is how stress-free they make your holiday... so finally there is no agenda/crisis quota for the day... Its ok to pack your trekking equipment & not go for a trek... Its ok if you need to change your room half-way through the holiday... Its ok to go to Echo point if you planned to go to Sunset point coz. your legs are hurting ... Its even ok if you realize that you forgot to pick up the keys when you reach the car-park some 4.5 kms away from the resort...

And you know its not one-sided when you're already debating if the Hill Fort, Kesroli would be a better option than Glasshouse, Rishikesh...

PS: Its not ok to take work calls near the lake & its all on camera

Better than valium...

Long hiatus... and we're back...
Can't really say work's kept me busy but I've been guilty of not finding any time...
Having been through school in India, pre-medical entrance coaching, honours in Economics, an MSc. & an MBA - sleep has never meant more than 6 hours at a stretch... But now thats really not enough...
I've been struggling to sit awake & upright... if it were not for the arctic air conditioning, I wouldn't have survived even through review meetings...
And so I planned my holiday...
Its the first holiday after New Year's & I'm really looking forward to it...
Raghini tells me that there's not too much of a trek that I would manage as there's a 4.5 km walk from Dasturi to the resort... but I'm really keen on an active break...
And if its worth it - I'm picking up one of those weekend getaway books...
Now I should pack & tuck in early... Night night
Cupcake

Flick the switch

Stagnant friend circle

Undeserved airs

Rusted social skills

"I'm really not fussed "- "I don't give a shit" attitude

What am I becoming? And where did this start?

It was a rude alarm this morning - but as I went through my phone book I realised that I have let so many people just drift out of my life... There's friends I called who received my calls after 3 months and genuinely thought that I might be in a bit of a spot.

That's true.

I've never been that one person who you come to for bear hugs and pour out your darkest secrets, there have been times & people who have thought that I'm stuck up only to realise that I'm plain shy - but I have been fortunate to meet people who've stuck by long enough to know me... unfortunately as you grow up - people don't have the luxury of time and soon you find yourself in the 'spot'.

Now this is not a very nice 'spot'. When you're in this spot - you need to look up the year book to remember your batch mates names, you have a mate's defunct number but he's moved 2 jobs and switched 3 service providers, you read about your friends weddings from the Alumni digests, people don't recognize you coz. you straightened your hair and worst of all the 'On the rebound hottie' can't find your number coz. you never sent out those welcome spam mails...

I know its not all that complicated - I need to flick the switch but its going to take some effort. I'm sure today is going to be a disaster, but I'll be plugging away...

Wrong racks and yellow bed spreads...

10 Things I thought I'd never do on a weekend & would love to do the next...

1. Hit the Mango sale on its first day and kit out next season's clubwear only to slip into a long skirt for the evening
2. Trek across to Chembur, be Sunaina and wax eloquent on walnut wood... M - If you receive a chest of drawers next payday - its Santa's lil angel cleansing her conscience
3. Go to a home store when I live in a guesthouse and the only hope of furnishing a new one isn't even a Horizon 7 initiative
4. Go to a new age garage God-apolis
5. Step out for a movie with Lindtt and a cube of cheese to stop enroute at Bachelors for strawberries with extra cream- patience and hey... that's a 2-D horizon 1 initiative
6. Read an op. manual for a home theatre system and taught functionalities of a universal remote...
7. Put the lights off, switch the lamp on - put on Casablanca and drift.... Thanks Natasha...
8. Sip a mugga hot chocolate without SD... wow, I'm missing him... kya kare control nahin hota hai
9. Getting the 'O' and the 'B', 'L','E','R','N' in my favourite chocolate...
10. Wish for tomorrow to be the weekend again so that I buy those 2 cables and watch a mindless action movie while the wood vibrates and the noise grows on you...

PS: Never felt better about being compared to a yellow object in its wrong place with a Rs 1399 price tag. And C: If it was in the right rack - there would be a stock-out and you'd have to settle for less than perfect :-)

Absolut Goa

3/4 Oz of 24 hours of futile frenetic driving to get to NH17 via Goa
1 Oz of diamonte's dazzling the dance floor
2 Oz cows high on grass
1 shot of tortuous torchlights - talk about unnecessary inventions
1 tsp of peanut butter toasts in the German Bakery
Pinch of being happily unmarried
2-3 tbsp of Tito's unrivalled banoffee
A dash of the winning shot at pool
With a squeeze of amusement for the gardener & his family

Think of all the stories you can now tell your grandchildren while simultaneously shaking vigorously for about 1.5 hrs till you collapse.

Served best with red thai curry - heard Lemon Grass does a nice one...

Whats your cocktail?

14B and other special things on a Sunday

I slept for 10 hours straight after a really long time... and I needed to so badly...

Three nights in a row... I couldn't have had it better...

And sunday night was truly special. It was nothing like I could've planned for... but then again plans might be useless but planning is indispensable.

Come to think of it, Sunday was special all the way. I don't usually talk to co-passengers on the flight, but a particular one deserves a special mention.

After he finished scanning the FT & I 'Hello's write-up on every detail of the Cruise-Homes marriage he asked a terribly hungover me (N's bachelorette on Friday), "So how did it go?", and thats when the chatty marathon started. So I learnt about Amy, Sabrina & Sarah. And I liked Sarah best - coz. she believes in the curve. He was like C in so many ways - the energy, the dancing, fascination with New Dalhi and the sense of humour, as we landed I believed in the curve and knew it wasn't just a figment of my rationalization.

And that is why Sunday night was so much fun with C, I'm calm & happy. I don't know if this will fly & crash, fly & soar higher, fly & land & take off again. But am doing my bit... and its making me smile.

Just stuff

The dots that get me in to trouble...

I've had a miserable day and can't figure out why...

All he said was 'remove the dots... I've told you 7 times till now' and I wanted to bawl... which I did in the staircase. To think I'll be 25 tomorrow!

As I went about making some phone calls to invite people tomorrow, I realised what a treasure some people are and how far away they really are...

Again the dots... I have to stop!

Amongst all my friends - some I love, some I love being with and some I hope to learn from. The last category is the furthest from me.

I would put two people in that category - A & M

A and I are connected over the last three generations - Her grandad and mine were friends from the time they were cadets. Then my Ma and hers' were friends through college and then Amrita Masi got married and moved away - Aman and I met on her various 1 day halts from Bahrain, Kuala Lampur and London and over time what grew was one of my most precious relationships. When I was in England, I went and visited her in Rhoose - a beautiful English village and over Pimms and scones... I knew she is the elder sister whom I've missed all my life. Her ability to balance - remarkable. The way she can wax eloquent about Mathematical theories and Jimmy Choo's latest... party with panache and come home to cross-stitch... I could go on. I just hope she can come for New Year's and we could spend some time together... And the angel that she is - she got me a massive pack of mince pies the last I met her.

And then there's M - he is a gifted mind-reader. A lot of people are, but the most awesome thing is that he will respect your space and never cross the line. He gets married in Feb... just so happy for him. In my profession, we often "step back and put things in perspective..". He really does. Met him in my semi-malarial state earlier. Haven't had the chance since. Guess we catch up in Solstice.

C's close friend lost his mum last night, so I don't know if we meet tonight. Guess I'll go to the church and then wait at the guesthouse till some reasonable hour...

Winding road to home

Really wanted to go to the steps and light a candle today... some issue with a staff member and there's some very angry people downstairs so I think I had better sit indoors and eat chikki and start 'passion india' - love reading about princesses...

Think I will really miss this road once I move on...

Got here in July...

Watched my first Mumbai monsoon from these windows standing by the window with the three fake silk plants...

Finished books 6AM and seen the sun rise on bandstand from the living room ...

Walking down to the steps and stubbornly asked for miracles...

Jogging down across the church to bandstand and beyond till I felt that I wouldn't embarass myself in the Mumbai marathon...

Walked in the fair with no space to breathe or place my feet with a hopeless friend and purchased nothing, just enjoying the free drift all the way to CCD!

Crossing the road and getting into C's far with those half melted chocolates which I obediently bring back (Just listen too much, a box of chocolates has never lasted me so long!)

Rides to Lilavati for those horrid injections...

Morning rides with global cribs to Ford amongst good morning duties to all...

Guess I really needed the break from home for a bit... 25 next week! Cannot believe I have never rented an apartment... seriously contemplating renting one soon... I know the Delhi consultant in Mumbai economics laugh at me when I say that... but honestly I know I need to put up those curtains... and buy some mugs and a coffee maker.

Zonals...

I don't think I've had such a weekend in months...

Sum of parts analysis would have me believe that a lazy english breakfast with early grey.... mango shopping at a steal... weekend starting at friday 6:00 PM... chance meeting with old friend... hard rock cafe after 2 years... a clarification sought... a clarification received should add up to a pretty good 2 days...

But it didnt...

Really... I should listen to him and stop running... and yet all I do is run... woke up early and decided to come to work coz the thought of being by myself at home was scary...

So I ponder harder and all I come up with is... I should go and spend some time with S&B at the farm on the weekend... again just running...

The pattern is scary and I am getting out of it...

PS:

Will be getting a new dog this winter... looking forward to having two in the house again...

The house is beautiful... waiting for the winter to peak so I can use the fireplace...

Golden evenings and golden shoes

Friday night was one of the finest I've had in town...

Where it all started

Some green apple test tube shots that were positively foul...

Some optimization around how to go out clubbing and not miss your flight gave us a solution

So it was decided that we would buy some clothes and shoes and get out of our uniforms and hit town...

My most favorite part-ofcourse its shopping

I being the focused shopper was done with golden ballerina shoes and a top in twenty... the men laboured on to find a party shirt... just some excerpts from the conversaion that ensued to give you a better picture

Salesman " Aap andar karte hai ya bahar"

Reply " Andar bahar karna dono zaroori hai"

And so we leave Inox in our clubbing clothes and our cool beads

The meal

Ive been waiting for this... skipped lunch to enjoy this to the fullest

so after reshmi kabab... kheema... dal makhani... I can't move...

here I find it necessary to point out that Ford did not help at all as he's on a low carb diet and insisted on ordering a brown bread...

After some kalkatta pan and some more flirting with the paanwallah (I have no idea what's happening to my friends, everyone's re-discovering their sexuality) since none of us have a clue about Bombay, we start walking in what we consider the 'general direction' of churchgate... coming to a dead end the executive decision of taking a cab is taken...

Finally Jazz

Endless arguments later... we find ourselves 'yet again' at Jazz... its always 'yet again' except we have never been there before and these folks keep confusing themselves with some other place.. some minutes later we occupy bar stools with views and glasses of grey goose...

Just some of the conversation topics

From talking about how to deal with people who think there is too much noise in the universe... to the tall,short and confused of them... to Passy getting hitched... cheap bags at Colaba... boon and bane from/of wonderbras... wimbeldon sisters and brothers and the incest... and back to Passy getting hitched... In fact Passy getting hitched deserves a separate section

Passy gets hitched

PSS sent out an appropriately titled mail... "Most eligible bachelor off the market"

I couldnt agree more... and the best part is that most men would agree too...

Doctor Major Himanshu Pasbola aka Major aka Passy is the stuff legends are made of...

Just a powerhouse of fun, raw energy and spirit... never let the betas get the better of you...

Been lazing in bed all afternoon... can't seem to get up... back next to next weekend for my brothers wedding... Im going to be a sister in law!!!!!!!! Feels so weird...

Songs in my head

The needles, traffic, distance and the financial model were not enough...

But there were still two good parts of the week...

1. I finally managed to hear the acknowledgement of a problem and not a difference... I don't know if I or we can solve for this one but time can and its worth the wait to get it right...

2. There's a song in my head... it's there when I wake up, it's with me through the hospital smells and even the airport queues...

I came home this weekend... and was pleasantly surprised to find my lil baby cousin in bed... he's visiting for this week as his mum's away... it's been a saturday of beyblades, ice-cream competitions, JETIX and times tables... and man I suck at all...

Back to work on Monday and am looking forward to the week... and the next... and the next... and most of all the one after that...

To friday, the good times and great friends... Thanks...

After a two weeks of self doubt... I had my day. Things seem to be falling in place and making sense after all...

I guess a few of the biggest takeaways this fortnight have been...

You are as good as they say

You are better than you think

Some people will never be happy with you....

Some people will never be happy with you.... and it really doesn't matter

Your health is your only durable asset

A smile still wins hearts

A coffee can bridge gaps

When you need help ask for it... there are people who would love to walk besides you...

and

last and most important of all...

the power of good cheer is the greatest of them all...

my grandfather was diagnosed with 4th stage lung cancer three months ago... the doctors were very skeptical about him being able to withstand chemotherapy and doubted if it would have any benefit given his stage... nevertheless we started the treatment and after 8 cycles of therapy topped with all our family's love and my mother's unwaivering belief that we will fight this... his disease is not cured and perhaps never will be, but it is in regression and God's given us precious time with one of the most wonderful person's I have ever know....

Keep It Simple Stupid

Keep it simple... It's the quickest route to bliss. I had a day off with the rest of my non I-Banking mates so as I finished awesome and totally VFM (Value for Money) tandoori crabs and butter garlic chilly prawns polished off with the chefs attempt at a sizzling brownie in Juhu yesterday evening the thought of the week ahead and all my medicines made me nauseous...

And then just like that headed in the cab to the guesthouse with one of my closest friends it hit me... the amazing contrast between people who think they have it all and those who have a lot less and its absolute imperfect correlation with what people really have...

I haven't let go and laughed the way I did today in such a long time... was it the 'crazy car ride' or the ice hockey game or the classic waffles or the book browsing at landmark... I don't know... but I know keeping it simple helps...

Baking Cakes & Pies

After 1 week of antibiotics and being cured for malaria, typhoid, meningitis - all of which I did not have, I felt positively awful. Since no one got better looking at the ceiling I decided to fly back to work and it worked...

The weekend was brilliant as usual and too short like always! I whined about my work, the taxes, Lotus notes, exorbitant rates at Aguada even in the monsoon, and my non-Sydney status...

As I write this entry and watch the rain outside I can't help feel caged... when I look at my resume I know I ought to work and work hard.... and as much as I want to I could not trade it for a simpler life of 9 to 5, baking cakes and pies on the weekend, having scones with strawberry champagne jam in the evenings and never feeling exhausted to complete the things that drive me... in all the frenzy of being strong, independent successful career women, we forget to stop and see what drives us... or maybe its just the grey skies and the new week will be a different story... I certainly hope so...

Smells like home

After two weeks I finally decided to fly back home.... but when you stay in New Delhi, getting home involves circling over the airport for over an hour waiting for congestion to clear up, sitting in the middle seat of one man who either snores or calls for the air hostess and a lady who occupies more than what she paid for and extended waits at the tarmac for the coach to come again...

But curling up in bed with the familiar smell of home in the sheets and you know its worth it...

Have an agenda-less weekend... and barring meeting some of my cousins and perhaps a school friend over some ice-tea I really do plan to relax and tie up loose ends of work...

Come to think of it, life has never been so chaotic.... and if it wasn't for this chaos I don't know how I would manage...

Been waiting for this...

Am just back from a crazy night of chase around alcohol around mumbai on a dry day... very sleepy but have half a dozen things to do... which include some wonderful stuff like the Nine West and Mango Sale...

The weekends here and I am glad... but work this week was fantastic... and I am actually happy about getting started or should we say 'turbo-charged' on Monday... Folks at the Firm continue to fascinate me in terms the extent they go to make sure you are happy and successful... These might seem like the most mundane things that any employer can provide but perhaps if some of you get a chance to work here... you'll appreciate what I'm saying and make one of the best choices of your life...

Since I've been tagged... here goes...

I am hoping that it stops raining in Mumbai so that I can get out of my guesthouse and have malted chocolate something at Olives…
I said that I am ‘wonderful…more than wonderful, don’t you think so?’ to my biggest crush in the second half of business school… first half you can all guess… and Club 21 is not allowed to help in guessing the second scandal
I want to go for a holiday to Singapore coz. Sahara is offering a return for Rs 8,500 and the great Singapore sale is on …I wish that I get my dog, Buster back for 5 minutes so that I can kiss him goodbye…
I miss waffles with maple syrup in the mornings at the Taj President’s buffer, what I don’t miss is the 1.5 hrs ride back from work everyday when I was there…
I hear the waves outside my window… Have never lived by the sea before… and I always knew that it’s a terrific view… now I know it sounds good too
I wonder if I will ever have a house big enough for a saint bernard if I decide to live in Bombay...
I regret not having gone backpacking even once when I was in Europe... one day...
I am obsessive about my bed and find it hard to share it with anyone... well... pretty much
I dance like you’d never imagine to hip-hop just 2 drinks down…
I sing not even in the bathroom and I know that makes a lot of people glad…
I cry a bit too often, everytime there’s a sad movie, sad song, goodbye or just a realization…
I write because I find it the easiest way to express myself, wish other’s wouldn’t find it so abstruse…
I confuse the hierarchy of designations (GM,DGM,ZM,AGM…CM…RM..) in my first project at my client site
I need to go and buy one of those automatic massage chairs, took a 15 min session on one in the airport last week and it was phenomenal and I need to finish my work!
I should try to stop using so many hair products as am losing too much of it and they cost a bomb…
And I tag...
Ragini http://reflections-of-life.blogspot.com
Shruti http://rock-a-by-babe.blogspot.com/

To Mumbai...

This city has always treated me well... the traffic, rains, distances and rudeness indices apart(can't believe the survey, truly absurd if its higher on rudeness than new delhi)...

With all the chaos at home, teething issues at work and an amazingly complicated personal life - I still like to spend alternate weekends here, flyback early on sundays and make sure I enjoy every waking moment...

Work's going to get very exciting if the new phase starts... guess there will be more clarity on that before the weekend... one of our office directors spoke about the 'Mythical' animal ---'The Firm' on Values Day... I think I saw the first of the animal today show me a glimpse of the values it stands for and I am so proud to belong here...

Old favorites and new beginnings...

The wonder of friendships surviving in the strangest of circumstances, most awkward situations and the misery of long distance makes me smile even as the countdown to Monday morning begins...

Surrounded by gujjus and staying at a hotel whose breakfast buffet doesn't include waffles you are just about to resign to a sad Tuesday with the client and then the phone rings... you haven't spoken in two weeks... but he asks you to have an awesome day and meet him when you're in town next... no questions about your lack of calling, your plans for the week or demands on your time on the weekend... and you think it doesnt get better than this...

Its been a long day and Orix (McKinsey Car folks) forget to send your cab... so you book another one and its going to be another 45 mins... you miss all the football action and those bookings at Out of the Blue... so you sit thinking about the missing Martinis and the Fondue... and you get a call... so your closest friend from Business School who you thought you'd meet only at Solstice is coming to town... and then Orix calls and says the car's ready... weekend inaugurated...

And equally wonderful are the friendships that evolve and grow as I blog...

All matches for the day over... last orders in most restaurants taken... so you think about the new book you bought... and you could make the most of whatever's left of Friday night by curling up in bed with your book and some hip hop hustle on VH1... your new mates think that we could still get a table and place the last order... and you make good of the restaurant booking, the Fondue you've been waiting for and the three of you dig into the chocolate avalanche... its more than just the weekend beginning...

falling apart

Today's one of those days you want to stop rewind and delete...
Low on sleep...
Credit Card not fetching up for another 2-3 weeks...
Still at the Taj President and doing 1.5 hours one way travel...
Gujarat on the weekend...
That call at 7:40pm... and my world just fell apart...
Miserable things happen to wonderful people...
It's been raining since last night... hope my flights are on time...
Trying to concentrate on the mundane, but then what is mundane?
I don't have a good feeling about this, I don't think it will be okay in the end... and all I know is that it isn't fair... he never even smoked a cigarette... and he needs to spend the rest of life holidaying with us not under the knife or in chemo...
I hope the flights take off on time... will be in the only Home I know on Friday... Can't wait to meet him and tell him that I've loved him for 24 years...