2 years of blogging.

I was reminded by someone who reads my blogs with utmost dedication that I completed 2 years since the first time I wrote a blog on this site, and He feels that it needs to be acknowledged. Hence I write this post dedicated to a trip down my memory lane as a blogger.

My First blog was a review on the book "Shopaholic and Sister" and I used to read a lot those days, hence couldn't find a better topic to go with. That post made me realize that I wasn't a very good critic. It's not in my nature to criticize easily, and hence I haven't written an reviews after that.

I have mentioned before in my blogs that my ONLY reason to start blogging was expression of my views and observations of things happening around me, and I genuinely feel that my posts reflect the person I am.

Blogging certainly opened up a new side to me, and has helped me make a lot of friends for whom blogging has the same meaning, and I would like to thank each and every one of the comments that people have given me, good or bad. It's only helped me get better with my writing.

Thank You one and all, for reading through my posts at some point or another.

Hope to post more often.

:) Adios, See you soon.

The 10 things tag...

I generally don't go for tags, but after a lot of effort in bringing my blog back to life, I don't want it to go stale again, So here Goes.

My Friend Shafi has tagged me for this post, where the Rules of Tagging are:

• Tell your readers 10 things about yourself that they may or may not know, but are true.
• Tag 10 people with the award, and be sure to let them know they’ve been tagged (a quick comment on their blog will do).
• Link back to the blogger who tagged you.

So here goes: hmm....10 things seem very difficult, because after trying to tag of 165 things about myself (yeah...had answered that many questions about myself...phew...longest time i took to write a blog), I really should avoid attempting this again. but what the heck?

1. I love dancing. Not just dancing at home, but I actually end up tapping my feet or swaying my arms even when I am walking on the road (I always have a hands-free in my ears while traveling) on whatever beats I am listening to. 
2. I love traveling alone. Even if it means catching a BEST bus and going to town and coming back. I know there are people who find that weird about me and its been a while since I tried that, but I find that fun.
3. I have a lot of friends who are guys, and I always used to think I could never get along with girls, since all they do is gossip and go shopping (which is partially true), but these days 60% of the time, I am in touch with my 2 best female friends who made me realize that girly stuff can be fun too. :) thanks Anu, and Bhavika. :)
4. I HATE shopping. No offense to people who enjoy it, but the idea of going to 10 shops looking for something, and ending up buying the first thing you saw in the first shop you entered, really doesn't make sense to me.
5. I love photography. It's a hobby which I have recently realized that I am really good at. (Apne Muh Miya Mithhu... ;))
6. I believe in the idea of arranged marriage. I know people say ,making an arranged marriage is difficult and you have to compromise a lot, but with a lot of discussion on this topic with both the species (friends in love marriage and friends in arranged marriages) I have come to a conclusion, that marriage itself is something which isn't easy and needs working on from both ends. I remember a line from one of the movies that I love, "Life's a climb, but the view is great". Similarly, marriage might not be easy, but it's all worth it. :)
7. I am a scorpion by sun-sign, but unlike what people perceive us to be, I ain't revengeful. I know that's the first thing that comes to mind when people think about scorpion, 'The Sting', but I don't remember ever taking revenge on anyone. Not that I haven't been hurt, but I don't believe in getting back to people. Again, a line that I live by, 'I don't regret getting hurt in the past because that's the reason I am the person I am today'. My revenge is not going to make my life any better. So what's the point?
8. I love my sister, Mansi. I know I don't show it to her as often, but She means a lot to me. :)
9. I am not futuristic. Even though I am a planner, I don't plan my life at all. I go with the flow when it comes to my life. I hate to admit it, but its true. 
10. I am an artist. I love drawing. Unfortunately for me, It's all freehand stuff...stuff that doesn't make sense logically. but I love smooth lines. Somehow ruler (in every sense) makes me nervous. LOL.

I present myself the 'Honest Scrap Award'

Well, so that's 10 things about me. I haven't really given this tag a lot of thought, but I am randomly chosing 10 people who I would like to tag. I leave it upto them to take it or leave it. So here they are.

• Andy
• Deep
• Bala
• Aparna
• Bhavika
• Shirin
• Ramesh R.
• Sudhindra
• Lonesome Zombie
• Garfield D'souza
• Prateek Gupta

Thanks for reading through.Feel free to take this tag if you liked it. It's fun!

Adios. Ciao. Take care.

....and so it began.

Recently, I received an invitation for a Mumbai blogger's meet to be held on the 15th of august 2010. I really felt the urge to be one of them, and started going through the details mentioned there. Venue, Date, time, etc, and finally decided to scroll through the kind of attendees and their blogs, so as to get an idea of what kind of people would be expected there so I don't feel out of place.

Sitting for my cup of tea, I was anticipating what kind of conversations I would have...IN CASE I decided to go there. That thought sprung me back to 2 years back, when I used to have conversations with my friend Andy and my Sister Mansi about what blogging was all about, and what topics I could possibly write on. Those were the days when blogging was the In-Thing, and celebrities had recently started networking with us oh-so-humble fans on various networking sites, twitter, blogs, etc.

Before I start rambling about my initial days as a blogger, I wanted to share the first reason I started writing in the first place. My sister Mansi had started her blogging @ http://shubbhi.blogspot.com/ and as a curious bug, I had read it for a little insight on what blogging is all about. She explained to me the whats and hows of the whole idea, and I realized that this is where I could probably satisfy my urge to express. Of course..After a lot of Dos and Don'ts about what I should be careful about on these things, I decided to register myself and wrote my first blog on 24th September 2008.


I remember writing diaries during my college days and they used to be like everything I felt. With working parents, I had a lot of free time on my hands to keep thinking to myself and quite frankly....writing them down helped me get it out of my system. That's how I started blogging about various thoughts I used to get. Book reviews, my frustrations with the news channels, Critics, Emotional outbreaks, Childhood memories, personal conflicts, etc etc etc.

Did you ever have a feeling that your mind is a continuous machine which keep chattering all day, but you just don't pay enough attention to it?? I used to feel like that and I used to keep looking for the mute button of the damn thing...blogging helped me mute those thoughts and gave me an outlet.

I didn't know that people's comments really mattered on blogs, until I spoke to my blog-guidance-counsellor 'Andy' and he tried to drill to me the importance of other people 'appreciating' what we write. (I still don't get the whole idea of "getting appreciated") HAHA. There was a time in my blogging phase when I started writing on topics that people would be interested in reading. In fact, I did write some vague posts on the same, eg. ARK, to read this blog press #1, Women's dictionary, etc. But after few of these posts, I realized the mute button of the thoughts in my mind stopped working. I couldn't get rid of the thoughts that kept crowding my brain. I spoke to Andy about it, and realized that I need to get back to the reason I started blogging in the first place. and So I did.


Anyways, I could keep writing a lot on my reasons and ideas of blogging, and my continuous debate with my friends on whether we should write on topics that we want to, or topics that we feel will attract most comments??? I am sure, at some point of time or another, you must have gone through this phase of your blogging as well, and tried to find reasons why you write?

What do you think?? Don't worry...I am not trying to attract comments, but I think it's time we all gave it a thought. I leave you with that question on your chattering mind.

Until next time....Happy Friendship day, and Ciao..!!!!

Trip down memory lanes...in the rains

Hi all,

I know its been a long time since I posted something here, but life has been really busy lately and I have been literally feeling like on a roller coaster ride since last one year with so many things changing around and within me.

The sole reason for me to write this post today is the weather outside.I have always been a die-hard romantic, and monsoon just brings out the creative side of me. So I thought, what better time to write than the season of romance and beauty.

I know a lot of people crib about a traffic, mud, puddles, wet clothes, power cuts, and lots of other things that don't seem to work in this season, but no matter what happens, I can't seem to avoid enjoying this weather.

One thing that rainy season always reminds me of, is my childhood. We used to have a terrace flat with a wooden swing and pots of plants all around. Our terrace used to look out to a mountain with small huts on them (accessories in Mumbai that we call 'slums'). First few days of rains used to make that mountain filled with dwellings, look like a rain forest with drops of color smudged on them on purpose.

Its used to be a sight to see and If i was old enough to handle a camera, I would have definitely clicked pictures to capture every year's rain. It was some kind of family tradition to get drenched in the first rain all together and we all used to cherish those times together when it was raining heavily and wind was blowing and the family used to be all cuddled up under the roof that held the swing. The memories of those days still brings a smile on our faces and that location is closely associated with my memory of rainy season of initial years.

As I was growing up, the meaning of rain changed for me. During school days, heavy rains used to mean holidays for us, and the excitement of staying home, watching T.V. and playing with friends all day used to add to the fun element. We used to love in a neighborhood where children from all buildings used to be friends and we used to have a group that gathered on the society terrace for playing games like football and classic games like 'hide and seek' and 'catch me if you can'. I am sure that bruises in rains and catching cold during those days make a small part of every child's memory.

Unfortunately, as I got into college and career, job, friends, social life and obligations made me take rains for granted. the 5 years of BPO life somehow took me away from the day view of the rainy season. However, I still remember the day when heavy floods got us stuck in the office for 3 days. We had all slept in the office with 2 chair becoming our royal bed and the few foam beds giving comfort to our Oh-So-Special agents. Unlimited flow of tea, biscuits, and sandwiches was what we had to avoid dehydration of our agents with energy and thirst. It was a definite memorable rainy season of my adult life.

 

These days, rainy season has a new meaning for me, and that is something every girl who is newly in a relationship experiences. Even though the feeling is different from person to person, it's difficult to describe the effect that this season has on people in relationship. I now understand why rainy season is mostly associated with 'Romance' in Novels and Movies. I am still getting over the feeling of this season's monsoon, so maybe my photo-blog will have some clicks from the season this year. Do visit for sharing my view on the Monsoon in Mumbai.

I hope this post helps you re-collect some of your old memories of rainy season. Feel free to share in the comments anytime.

Hopefully see you soon with a new post.

Thank You.

After a long gap from blogging, I feel like writing today, for those who matter a lot to me. You know who you are...


People say i have changed,
Don't know if its for good or bad,
Though i have realized that,
I have more than I ever had.

I have this feeling that the world around me,
is what I anticipated to see,
U ask me if I am happy?
I would say i surely agree.

I have friends to share,
A person who cares,
A family that is rare,
And a life that's been fair.

There were time when
i thought i was misunderstood,
But i realized that I found someone
Who understood me more than i ever could.

Today i thank everyone who is dear,
who brought to my life lot of cheer,
Hope you find my poetry sincere,
and wish you would always stay near.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING A PART OF MY JOURNEY - MY FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE. :)

Short Series: From A to Z and back...Part Three

After a lot of pondering, A decides to give him a call..After all, What harm would it do. I mean, if its meant to be, it will be...right?

A dials the number ...Tring Tring...

Hello...!!

A: Hi.. May I speak to V?
(This was a bad idea...!!..Hang up...right now..)
V: Speaking, who is this?
A: Hi..I am not sure if you remember me, we spoke around a week back just once. A here...??
(please say yes...)
V: Oh yeah...hi...wassup..I was wondering why you didn't call back, I mean i would have, but you never gave me your number.
A: Oh, yeah. I just wasn't sure if it was appropriate..Anyways...Will give you my number by the end of this call. (its better to play safe..I mean lets see if I still enjoy talking to him)
V: That sounds fair..I mean I don't know if will still like talking to me the second time..right?
(shit he read my mind)
A: Ha ha, So, hows life in the last one week?
V: Life's good...Have been busy doing stuff...Wassup with you?

And the conversation goes on...A cant believe that it AGAIN went on for more than 30 mins.

V: Hey by the way...Which part of Bombay are you from?
A: What makes you think I am from Bombay? (assumption is the mother of all dot dot dot)
V: Well, I find it difficult to believe that someone would spend so much time and money on an STD call...Lol
A: Smart..I am from Vikroli.
V: Hey that's like 15 mins away from where I am..What a small world.
A: I guess the Internet is bringing people closer... (small world indeed)
V: yeah, so you think we can exchange numbers and maybe catch up sometime? I mean i m working on some new stuff lately..Maybe you wanna hear some of it.
A: Are you asking me out? (that was quick)
V: Haha, well...if that term makes you say Yes, then yeah... How about tomorrow?
A: Why don't I let you know by evening? (I don't wanna sound desperate now...do i?)
V: Take your time, but I got to get back to work. In case we don't talk again...It was nice knowing you.
A: Why do you think we wont talk again? (It cant be a brush off...specially since he has "asked me out")
V: Well, Just a thought.. :P
A: Don't worry, You are in for a surprise..
V: Talk to you soon?
A: yeah..by the way, my number is.... ********** (I hope i don't regret this)
V: Thanks :)
A: Sure.. See ya.

A hangs up...and goes into the balcony wondering what just happened and reminding herself...He is a stranger...Don't get carried away....Don't get carried away....DO NOT get carried away...Or was it too late?

I miss my Old Self...

I Look down deep,
deep inside of my mind;
an old part of me,
I know I will find.

The part that is hiding
and doesn't want to be found;
it has hidden too long
and won't come around.

I know it is there,
hiding way down inside
the place that I think
I have gone in to hide.

I want to Let myself free;
let it run, let it ride.
Let it out, let it sing;
let it out from inside.

It has hidden too long,
that old self that was me;
because I was hurt,
I want to let it out and leap.

There is something there
that is wonderful indeed;
it was once nourished -
it came from a seed.

That wonderful me
that I hide deep inside,
I want to let it out, let it run;
I dont want to let it hide.

Those who really know me
miss the old me indeed;
and for that they are sad.
They only want what's best for me

I wanna let myself out;
be happy, be glad.
Not let the past hold me;
the one that was bad.

Oh, I see bits and pieces
every once in a while;
the old me shines through
and gives out a smile.

I miss that part,
that old part of me
I miss all the fun
and the laughter indeed.

I wanna come back.
I hope I find the way
back into the life
hoping i will stay that way;

Because I do miss
that old part of me,
the one I was,
my old self indeed.

That one that is hopeful,
joyous, and glad -
in a world full of love,
even though good and bad.

The world won't change.
It's sad but it's true;
but I know that I can
come back out through.

The one who is happy
and sees all that is great -
the one who's optimistic,
who doesn't care if they're late.

I've hidden too long
deep down inside.
I've crawled into myself,
and I tried to hide.

I'm still learning
to set myself free;
one day I will learn
how to be the old me.