And a colorful post

I feel--

Happy- That I am liking coming to office each day where I got a bunch of people who make the day a bit more pleasant and I have work lined up which I like.

Peaceful - That K finally is into a thing that his heart desired.

Enthusiastic - For a couple of family functions coming up which will give me a chance to use some dresses and jewellery which are otherwise just lying in cupboards/lockers.

Impatient - Cos there still a month to go before I get to meet my parents again.

Breathless - When I literally have to run from 0630 in the morning to 1030 to send off K to office with his lunch packed, get to the gym and finish the workout, rush back home and then scram to office.

Silly - When I doze off a bit on my way to office over a novel :(

Worried - Seeing my credit card bills and not being able to reign it in.

Satisfied- To see the stuffs that I have added to the house ever since I came.

Nagged - By the pain in my back and shoulder :S

Excited - That I got so much to read.

Frustrated - That I am slow in reading.

Good - That I fitted into a shirt after a long time! There are 2 more trousers which I got to conquer :)

So how do u feel?


PS. Just penned it down for the lack of anything substantial to write, but for the urge to write something none the less. As I was writing I thought, let me know what others feel too. So please take it up as a tag :) Will not name people since I would like to know each of my readers answer. But as I said please do write it :)

Gyaan as we turn one

Tomorrow we turn one - K and I.
20.1.2008- was when you guys lost your independence :) thats what mil told us in the morning! I said - No. No loosing independence, it was the day we starved while everyone was having good food around!

Seems a little while ago but its been one whole year since we have been married. And this little while has been quite a while! :) Initially we were apart for a couple of months, when we used to crib and fight over the most trivial of things. So much so, we started using a Year Planner from India Today to keep a record for the fights we were having. As I look back the initial months till June are red months(the cake being taken by this silly billy fight) while there were some real dry patches for instance Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov!! :) 4 months and not a single fight worth recording.

Since my sister in law was with us for a good part of last year, for her delivery, it was a merry family of 4. We had loads of fun with elaborate north Indian and south Indian dishes being cooked, for the whole time that she was around. Her presence and later the baby's cushioned in a lot of the days. Many days when we used to be sad/depressed/exasperated or plain bored, the cherubic face of Nitu would lift our spirits. And since we were 4, there was always company. If sil had to go to the doc, K could accompany her while I could be with mil to help with house chores. If K and mil had to run some errands, sil and I used to go for her daily walk in the evening.

The latter half of the year was full of small trips here and there - to attend a wedding here, to meet a friend there, a pleasure trip for the heck of it - but the jewel in the crown was the trip 3 of us made to my parents place. It was a good span of 10 days spent luxuriously with my family, when we visited Puri and Chilika, met the whole bunch of relatives and ate a lot of good food. So much so, once we returned, even K was quite dazed for a while and took some time to get his bearings back!

And now that we complete our paper anniversary, I am very happy that I was with K all the while for the past year. I used to feel for some time, that I gave up a gleaming career which was taking shape to move to be with K. And the many bitter moments in the initial phase of understanding each other was very patchy - which used to strengthen that belief of mine. Knowing each other is very different from living with each other. And I am glad, that we were able to do it sooner. Many times, simple things add to the joy of life, like planning how to re model the drawing room so that the LCD tv that we plan to buy in a million years can be fitted at a vantage point. Or planning from Wednesday itself how to spend the weekend, but ending up being at home like lazy sloth bears, with the whole food pipe choking up with aloo paranthas and raita! Or pulling each others leg as to who finished off all the chikki from the jar which had mil in splits.

Today as I look back, I feel, if I would nt have been back with K, I would nt have known what I would have missed. I see so many long distance marriages now a days, thanks to IT. A friend of mine is gonna complete a good year in 7 more days, of being apart from her husband. And I see another friend going on the same path because they have no plans in the offing which would make them be at the same place. This fact hit me hard as I was reading "Message in a Bottle". At one point Jeb Blake says," Things are different now, in our days, a man used to love a woman and bring her home to be his wife. Now a days, each one has a career and a life to look to, one of you has to move" - This was in context of his son being a country lad, loving a lady from the cities. I somehow see this rampant pattern now. The partners dont make immediate decisions, and keep postponing the move in anticipation of something or the other - the next appraisal, the next project, the next hike, the next promotion, and the whole 9 yards. Each next brings along another next and there is no end to it. After some time, the forced bachelorhood becomes habit and in due course more enjoyable. And one fine day, to take things in their hands, either one has to shift - which ends up being a jarring change rather than a smooth transition. I feel, the sooner one start living a married life, the better it is - for life is short, why take chances?

Bloody politicians

I hate these bunch of people called politicians.
I know its a common feeling among Indians, and Murali Deora said that he was ashamed to call himself a politician (in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks). But I feel, the day God just lost all virtues from his tank, but still had to meet some deadline of creating species, he went ahead and made the ignominious one of politicians.

Today I had to attend a training at 10 in the morning. For that, given the awesome traffic condition that Chennai boasts ( I am not passing a general comment on Chennai, but yes - I would love to spit on the face of the CM who is so occupied in grooming Stalin ( Gosh what a funny name!! ) that he has scant regard for anything else) (Parentheses ended there :) - read on ) I started from my home which is some 14 odd kms from my office at 0815 hours. Yes a good 1 hour, 45 mins ahead of schedule.

All along the road, there were pictures of the old *&^^)$ (This is what I will refer to the CM as) smiling at the gentry. Some were re-ee-aa-lly hideous smiles. I was able to reach Guindy which is kind of a middle point for me around 0915. I had 45 more minutes with me, and I was optimistic that I would be able to meet the deadline and reach the nearbies of Ramapuram by 0955 ish at the least.

Buttttt.... At Butt Road (Yea thats the name of the road :D )- there was not a but but a full stop.

All on-going traffic was halted for the Prawasi Bharatiya Diwas celebrations at Chennai Trade Centre. We were halted at Butt Road around 0925 hours. First I had no clue whether it was a traffic jam or there was some other problem. So I started my fervent prayers to Ganpati Bappa who is my friend in need. When the clock ticked to 1005 and I came to know of that traffic had been blocked for VVIPs I gave up all hopes of reaching office remotely on time and I started messaging K complaining about the way things were functioning.

Being crammed in the share auto for over 40 minutes was already cramping our legs. Finally around 1010, I asked the other two girls in the share auto, if they would be game for walking the stretch (it was still some 6-7 kms from office) The girls readily agreed since there was no clue as to when the blockage might end. There were quite a bit of people who had started alighting from their respective means of public transport and walking. After walking for say 500m we were stopped by a policeman who said that "VVIPs were supposed to come, so no one would be allowed to proceed." This irritated some people who were walking ahead. An elderly uncle standing at a bus stand retorted "These fellows are going to work, at least let them pass. What problem might you have with people who actually work". A couple of gutsy men also got into an altercation with the policeman.

Then we saw a man strut right ahead tagging a bag along. In a pretty brusque way, he reprimanded the policeman and made a gesture from which I could understand he was surging to slap the policeman. Then he shouted "I am a DELEGATE out here and you are stopping me? And why not allow these people to go? #!$$^$%^# (some profanities in English) I was like Hallejuiah!!

There was a crowd of atleast 500 people stranded in the middle of the street opposite to Madras War Cemetary, for nearly 35 minutes under the hot sun watching one or the other vehicle with a red light and screeching sound zip past. Then another funkily, but "out of placely" decorated couple who screamed "WE ARE NRIs" through their clothes passed by. By standers went ballistic and had a roaring time passing comments on the white kurta of the man with dyed blonde hair and the heavy jacket ( yeaaaa in Chennai if someone flaunts fur she has to be a NRI) of the woman he had in tow. But some 15 minutes after they passed, strangely we were allowed to walk through.

As I passed through the Chennai Trade Center, I saw the first delegate fellow who had passed us, and I really felt like thanking him because I felt he must have mobilised some support for the people who were sweltering in the heat. Then on, we walked for some 2-3 kms till we were able to board an auto and get to office.

What irked me the most was the total dis regard for the convenience of the common folks. There was the MIOT hospital on the way - what if someone needed to get there urgently. The way the police force was behaving, I am sure, they would have no regard even for human life. And if there was something planned like this, where the hell did the minimum sense go of sending out a circular that traffic might be stopped/diverterd. Does it need the brains of a rocket scientist to figure this out - or was the civic administration and political class so busy licking the boots of the fellow above him, that this completely missed him? Seriously, the politicians here are gung ho about supporting the LTTE folks which completely the problem of another independent nation and would even go to the extent of de stabilising the government in Center, but would not bat an eyelid for the people of their nation.

I somehow believe, we always have a trickle down effect - the head of an organisation should be proper to ensure the organisation is functioning properly. Any where if the person heading an institution/initiative is proper, he/she can ensure that all subordinate to him follow his path, but all the people down the runks might not be able to pull it through, if the person who heads is corrupt. Sometimes they might be able to reach success, but there are greater chances, that the dubious credential of the man heading, might mar rather than make things.

That India would actually be in a position to show the light to the world one day needs nothing short of a miracle. We do need a miracle so that we are able to succeed INSPITE of the gruesome malice called politicians.

Whoopie weekend morose monday

The weekend that went by was awesome by all standards. Touchwood.

Saturday started on a happy note as mil went by to an ashram on the outskirts of Chennai. I dropped her at the bus terminus where she was picked up by her friend. Since she was all pepped up for the trip, it made me very glad first thing in the morning.

Once back from my gym, I got some veggies from the local store - Jeera rice and peas masala with salad - thats what K and I had decided upon. So I picked the veggies, came home, got our cuppa ginger tea ready and got on with the cooking after having put the tv in full bloom :) Simultaneously I also put the whole lot of the curtains of the bedrooms for wash and K went about killing the spiders in the cobwebs. Once done, we freshened up and got eating while watching the movie Lock stock and 2 smoking barrels.

Mid way through the movie, we thought, it would be better to get some grocery stuff else mil would be all harried over the weekdays. On the way we also had to give a picture of Ashtalakshmi for framing. The shop where we gave it, had an array of full length mirrors as well. And one of them had exactly the same wood color as our bed. We both thought, it was too good to be missed and went ahead to purchase it. It was serendipity, finding that beautiful piece and that too when we least expected it.

Once back, we finished the movie, went for some more chores in the evening, then I went on with making dinner for the 3 of us while Raghu and Rajiv made the wannabe roadies pass through hell right here in India before they could go down under :D. Mil came in 2000ish closely followed by the carpenter who would fix the portrait as well as the mirror. Both looked stunning on the wall they adorned (Lately I feel, I have developed a fetish for furniture :S Have bought 2 beautifull double beds, one mirror, and have my eyes on an equally dazzling shoe rack! :S )

Dinner done, we were casually flicking channels, and 3 of us ended up watching Zodiaz till 2330.

Sunday was equally fulfilling with elaborate cooking, eating,, resting and a trip to the beach. K managed to catch up with an old friend, which made his day. We were able to wrap up soon as I was expecting a really nice start to the week ahead.

But but but morning I woke all dazed :( Did not feel awake at all for a longggggg time. And every single thing I took up, did not work out. And the most brutal being the fact that yet again yet another shoe went kaput :(

I hate mondays - as much as garfield does.

I chose to make it a Happy New year

This time I am getting the same response from nearly everyone - the new year never made an impact. I am not sure if each and every person has taken a beating because of the economic meltdown :S but somehow everyone seemed to be giving me the same response.

Every year, I generally have some travel plans, to or from home, which makes the new year day or the days close to it(depending on the which part of the calendar I am traveling)pass by happily - if I would be going home, I would be at my chirpiest best, if I would be leaving home, I would be surrounded by relatives and hugs and kisses and with the wishes of seeing each other soon, that would make me brim with hope. But this year, it was for the first time that I was static.There was no trip in the offing. Thus it resulted in the new year not being accompanied with the fizz that it usually has.

Since our client offices were virtually vacant, work was nearly non existent. This prompted a lot of people to go forth on vacations or french leaves :) The empty chairs and just 60 minutes of work per day kind of made me feel, ok something is different, new year is coming up etc etc.

I had planned a dinner outing for K, mil and me for the 31st of December. But then mil suddenly did not seem to be in the spirits to go for it. K also being recently inducted into a high pressure assignment was not so game for any action :( And doing nothing special would have made me feel that there was nothing special. I know I know, as K remarked, it was just a change of calendar, but then, if we ignore the relevance of some days and carry on as usual, we might as well end up obliterating birthdays, holis, diwalis, christmases, anniversaries from our calendars. Cos, technically speaking, each one is just another day. It is because we chose to celebrate the occasion that the charm comes in. So I chose to make the new year, a happy one.

Since there was nothing much to be done, I scooted out at 1600 hrs on 31st evening. Seeing the bright twilight itself pepped me up. Was able to reach my area within an hour. The Ganesha temple which I adore a lot, was resplendent with flower decorations and I went inside and wished Chubby God to keep his benovelent eye on each one I love. On the way home from the temple, I picked some veggies - I had gajar ka halwa, puri and aloo subji in mind.

By the time I reached home, mil had convinced K to take me out for dinner. She wanted us to not spoil the program because she was not feeling up to it. But then I was all set to make dinner. I deferred making a call on the dinner plan till K returned home. Meanwhile mil and I savored ginger tea and watched Shrek 3 :)

K was stuck in deep traffic, which negated his chances of getting home before 2100 hrs. So I got on to making the dinner, and thankkkkkkkkk God! It came good. I was in the celebration mood already. After savoring a good dinner, I went on to watch RNBDJ yet again, to savor SRK :) Deliberately stayed up till 0000 hours, when I could do the functionary pranaam to God and zzzzed peacefully.

Come 1st, I started feeling a bit bored and nostalgic. All the while I kept remembering how vivacious things would be at my parents place, with mom cooking elaborate dishes, incessant chatter, telephones buzzing around, my sister prancing around. The day here at Chennai seemed very drab with K on with some office chores and mil generally mulling over family issues. Then I suggested lunch outside. Mil had had her fill at a havan she had attended and was more into having a simpler affair rather than lunching out. So she prompted us to eat out, while she rested her sleep deprived self( she had woken at 0400 to attend the Ganesha havan! )

Food was not out of the world, but the fresh air and winter sun and the sight of the decorated shops satiated me. Once back, I chose to drool over John Abraham and Bobby Deol in Dostana. Evening was spent talking , attending to some guests, having the remaining halwa and later having some serious discussion with K (Some times some remarks about news, views, current affairs, celebrities result in us having good quality discussions even at home. Yesterday it was something SRK had said in an interview :) ) Once that done, we watched Ghazini for an hour within which I dozed off and K wrapped up the laptop and cables.

The 1st passed off, without making a mark, but I will remember it, cos I had good food and caught up on some time pass movies - I felt all New Yearish - as a saying goes, you feel what you want to feel :)