Finally 8th August

Finally 8th August..
After ECNR hang-ups
Misplaced tickets, dodgy FIR stories (which I did not have to go through)
Thai-quacking AVIS folks... we are off on our holiday!
Pick up Toyota Tiger 2 pax (checked the internet - some seriously shady min-truck type creature) drive to Rayong. Ferry to Ko Samed - diamond beach for a day and night. Friday night in Pattaya and Saturday night in Bangkok... loads of massages, shopping, banana boating, snorkelling and water scooters... I can't wait
Now its just the Mumbai traffic to the airport...

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We live in uncertain times. Go for the dessert first.

I know this is often heard - but it's been hitting me particularly hard over the last year... and going through this list its so apparent that most of the craziest/happiest/most fun times I've ever had have been with my school friends or family.... Even as I went on to college - it was my school pals that I was closest to & amazingly enough I managed to stay in touch and connect even twice a week...

Moving out from Delhi after business school was phenomenal in many respects, but I have'nt been able to create a similar microcosm of good friends. I do meet people and many more than I met in Delhi thanks to C - but they get lost somewhere between my market research visits, Mumbai traffic, out of town in-laws arriving, alternate weekend flybacks & the monsoon OR are they lost because I really don't care...

Done in bold
Bought everyone in the bar a drink
Swam with wild dolphins
Climbed a mountain (You mean those school trekking peaks right?)
Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
Been inside the Great Pyramid Held a tarantula
Taken a candlelit bath with someone
Said 'I love you' and meant it (A bit too often actually)
Hugged a tree
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris (Though I need to go again)
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise (Get to business school & you’ll know what I mean)
Seen the Northern Lights
Gone to a huge sports game. (Straight after Class 12 – the India-Pak game at Mohali)
Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
Grown and eaten your own vegetables
Touched an iceberg
Slept under the stars (Many times in Bikaner when my Dad was posted there)
Changed a baby's diaper (For Mehtaab when his Mom was hospitalized for a month)
Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
Watched a meteor shower (With my grandfather)
Gotten drunk on champagne (Oh yea… plenty at my graduation ceremony at LSE with my aunt & granny)
Given more than you can afford to charity
Looked up at the night sky through a telescope (One of those school sky watch thingies which were really the most affordable date options around then)
Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (In RDG’s cabin in last year at VVS when Pranay began cycling)
Had a food fight (Just last Saturday)
Bet on a winning horse
Asked out a stranger
Had a snowball fight (In Mukteshwar…)
Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
Held a lamb
Seen a total eclipse
Ridden a roller coaster
Hit a home run (Softball counts?)
Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
Adopted an accent for an entire day
Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
Had two hard drives for your computer
Taken care of someone who was drunk (Enough chances)
Had amazing friends
Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
Watched wild whales
Stolen a sign
Backpacked in Europe
Taken a road-trip
Gone rock climbing
Midnight walk on the beach (Really and rumoured-ly)
Gone sky diving
Visited Ireland
Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love (That’s just me)
In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
Visited Japan
Milked a cow
Alphabetized your cds
Pretended to be a superhero
Sung karaoke
Lounged around in bed all day (Every other Sunday)
Posed nude in front of strangers
Gone scuba diving
Kissed in the rain (Goa, was it the rain or the waves… there was lotsa water in my mouth)
Played in the mud
Played in the rain
Gone to a drive-in theater
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
Toured ancient sites
Taken a martial arts class
Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
Gotten married
Been in a movie
Crashed a party
Gotten divorced
Gone without food for 5 days (3 days)
Made cookies from scratch (From ladybird’s My First Cookbook with Dad)
Won first prize in a costume contest
Ridden a gondola in Venice.
Gotten a tattoo
Rafted the Snake River
Been on television news programs as an "expert"
Got flowers for no reason (8 carnations at Hard Rock – just like that)
Performed on stage
Been to Las Vegas
Recorded music (For some annual day crap )
Eaten shark
Gone to Thailand
Bought a house
Been in a combat zone
Buried one of your parents
Been on a cruise ship
Spoken more than one language fluently
Performed in Rocky Horror

Mind the 3 mm gap

Sitting in watching Doogie-Howser and stuffing myself with gelato - I was pretty sure that all the doc. would say is watch your posture, do some exercises. Posture change and exercise done - all would be good. Dancing on saturday, rafting on 16th and driving classes daily.
Then the reports came - dessication of discs? loss of lordosis? left neural foramen? thecal sac?. Hours of googling later, terrified and hopeful the visits began.
It turns out posture change and exercise done - dancing by next month, rafting after the monsoons and driving classes after 2 weeks are all workable.
There are only three times in my life I have been so terrified.
Once when I was at Rockland and saw my grand-dad after his diagnosis
A few months later when I was at Max and met dad after his stroke
Now when I was at the clinic and had the MRIs against the lit screen
Can't help but feel that I am so underprepared for 'real' life... flap at the mention...
Comforted that there's a guardian angel watching...

Murphy's favourite

Never on a sunday (in May)
8:00 AM - Wake up and get ready for a wedding
9:00 AM - Late for breakfast, skip it.
9:15 AM - Re-do hair as Mom doesn't like it
9:30 AM - Re-do hair as Grandmom doesn't like it
10:15 AM - Noida, Sector 37 gurudwara gate waiting for baraat. Temperature nears 42 degrees.
10:50 AM - Baraat stops dancing, band stops playing. Hot, sweaty people hug each other welcome.
11:10 AM - Eveyone assembles in Gurudwara, enjoys the cool air conditioned draft.
11:11 AM - Power cut
12 NOON - Congratulations! Beta, ab tumhara number next
1:00 PM - Successfully move all baraati's to lunch venue
1:01 PM - Queue up for the margharita
2:00 PM - Endless margharita's and bloody mary's distributed to all aunts. Finally my own one
2:15 PM - Still unable to taste the tequila
2:16 PM - Grab a table
2:25 PM - Head for lunch
2:30 PM - Give up and decide that lunch at 3 PM is a better idea
2:31 PM - Table is gone
3:30 PM - Start goodbyes
3:45 PM - Start goodbyes - Part 2
4:15 PM - Walk out
5:00 PM - Reach home
5:15 PM - When will we get to see your wedding?
5:20 PM - You remember the Uncle and Aunty who came for your 3rd birthday party when we were in... their sister lives in Manchester and her husband's nephew works in London.
5:30 PM - Your shelf life is reducing, you have 2 white hair now.
5:45 PM - Ek coffee mein tumhara kya jayega
6:00 PM - Leave for airport for a 7:40 PM Jet
6:25 PM - 2 mins from airport
6:26 PM - Decide to try for 7:15 PM King F
6:28 PM - Amex emergency confirms availability, cannot book
6:35 PM - Walk to King F counter, cancel Jet to get refund (Refund only if 1 hour before)
6:37 PM - King F systems closed 2 mins. back
6:38 PM - Jet puts you on hold
6:40 PM - Jet systems closed
6:41 PM - Near tears
6:45 PM - Start walking to other Terminal
7:00 PM - Purchase 8:30 Jet
7:10 PM - Jet Lounge
7:20 PM - Pick up food tray
7:22 PM - That is not the complimentary counter Ma'am
7:30 PM - Munch on cold pasta
8:00 PM - Go for security check
9:15 PM - Board flight
9:45 PM - Flight takes off
11:45 PM - Flight lands
12:00 AM - Meet C
12:15 AM - Amoretto hot chocolate and blueberry muffin
12:20 AM - Maybe I'm not Murphy's favourite
12:35 AM - Giggles and gossips continue
12:45 AM - Staff want us out
1:00 AM - Back to the guesthouse
1:15 AM - Today's Monday already!

That time of year...

It's that time of the year...my first ever actually, where you manage the complex optimization exercise between location, content, people & pain to come up with where you get staffed. I've already had enough. I have two more weeks to go on my marathon first study - content is pretty much wrapped up, just 2 weeks of blitzkreig flights in Gujarat.

Its so friggin hot in that state - thank god for Swati Snax...

Been expecting it for a while but now that we’re in April – May seems a reality… Now that might sound like the most obvious statement ever but I hope you feel the unfortunate shame in its arrival’s close linkage with my departure from Bombay, especially when:

1. I finally know Shivaji Park from Prabhadevi
2. I can change cars by pulling over on real flyovers which are not necessarily highways, but could be highways
3. I have seen every second movie even in Apsara on Grant Road
4. Stylist at my favourite salon accommodates me without appointments even on a Sunday afternoon
5. I finally moved to the room from where C could spit into SRK’s backyard, that is not its only qualification… the breeze is to die for…
6. I know all the places in the city (which do not resemble palika) where you get 8-in-1 dvd’s for 110 bucks
7. I have discovered Swati Snax in bombay
8. I can walk to a church where all your wishes come true

Leaving on a jet plane

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go
I’m upright in the team room, just eying the door
I hate to have to work (read write verticals) before I leave

But the day is working, its early morn
Far away, even C is pissin’, he’s late to pack
Already am so on a holiday, I need weights to hold me back

So kiss me and smile for me
Call me and tell me dinner’s near
And promise that you won’t be late

‘Cause am leaving on a jet plane
I know there’s full 12 hours to go
Oh boy, I hate to wait

Since Jan, there’s so many times I’ve thought this is great
And so many times it gets even better
I’ll tell you know the best is still to come…

Every place I go, you’re pretty much there ;-)
Every song you sing, you sing for me
When I come back, I’d better see the change in the orkut thing

So kiss me and smile for me
Call me and tell me dinner’s even more near
And promise that you won’t be late

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...