tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62391586767579255622024-02-07T09:14:27.914+05:3010V*** A Reflection of the world around me for you to see ***10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-19492882059508782692015-12-16T19:13:00.001+05:302016-05-06T18:19:17.275+05:30Things every new mother hears...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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“Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in, it is what God gave you time for.” —Rachel JanKovic."<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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Quite an old fashioned quote according to me.. But motherhood definitely requires lot of time and patience. It's irrelevant whether you are a working woman or a home maker.. there are some things every new mother hears from people of all age groups around her. Having experienced it personally since few months, these lines are stuck in memory firmly. So what better place to jot down than my blog..</div>
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So here goes.</div>
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1. "Enjoying motherhood?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzMTcnG7Xr1TPSrmir3MnfWWJNkm2s9qtengD2qNfyrNOxKdRfpO8TGf447s7-xIv8NZOwGXkR7cbJJHx_UWgSkSo1HrPh8NYgkvGU_jI6uUrSeD-yU7goQG9M7tDMX-tFhOlJyXpCVg/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzMTcnG7Xr1TPSrmir3MnfWWJNkm2s9qtengD2qNfyrNOxKdRfpO8TGf447s7-xIv8NZOwGXkR7cbJJHx_UWgSkSo1HrPh8NYgkvGU_jI6uUrSeD-yU7goQG9M7tDMX-tFhOlJyXpCVg/s400/images.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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If I had a ruppee for everytime I was asked this in last 6 months. Initially this question makes u feel like you have conquered mount Everest. More than the question.. it's the way it's asked. Almost sounds like "welcome to hell" I had literally after a point started answering in sarcasm to this question."yeah.. cleaning potty and changing diapers...I was sooo looking forward to it...my life's aim is achieved" Haha.</div>
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2. So..does he let u sleep? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuKXGt_SkP9vnb4xTSpODCSLF8JsMV0Gqzvk8DiURcVO4gWP3G1YBeO7mNJime4gSZeW-0vGe5v1HQ2JRnElDcFkv-aR6rlz6zQoesFrd4kf-hEYLaCyXZx-YbAPp8Z019_Atf7KRb6A/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuKXGt_SkP9vnb4xTSpODCSLF8JsMV0Gqzvk8DiURcVO4gWP3G1YBeO7mNJime4gSZeW-0vGe5v1HQ2JRnElDcFkv-aR6rlz6zQoesFrd4kf-hEYLaCyXZx-YbAPp8Z019_Atf7KRb6A/s400/images+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I don't know if it's generally the case that the baby doesn't let the mother sleep a lot.. and I m sure it differs from baby to baby but I m sure there is adjustment time for both baby and mother so sleep just doesn't remain a priority for the mother. But it's really unfair to ask this question..because it's almost as if motherhood involves NOT getting sleep forever, which is not the case always. Once the sleeping pattern is developed everything falls in place...Ofcourse i.e if you haven't already passed out by then.</div>
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3. Has he started<br />talking/crawling/eating yet? </div>
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Whether the kid is 3 months or 6 months or even newborn...somehow.. everyone is very curious to know the status of their growth. From crawling stages to walking to talking.. they know exactly which stage should the baby be on. Sometimes the question is asked so many times that u start doubting the baby if it hasn't started crawling or talking at a certain age...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4hUGhwKQY_GGaUb6i6euxdiwzAAVqdSR3EAXTvXXostTKCM92-akPB8lFfAM2eGLmxxWMJVK8CGXJ4D-FMPpbPsdeAZmxn76AFnQpg-3aPkCRgjqdh6QMUWJExp0YZR-5dN73KAw4ls/s1600/frustrated-mother-entrepreneur2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4hUGhwKQY_GGaUb6i6euxdiwzAAVqdSR3EAXTvXXostTKCM92-akPB8lFfAM2eGLmxxWMJVK8CGXJ4D-FMPpbPsdeAZmxn76AFnQpg-3aPkCRgjqdh6QMUWJExp0YZR-5dN73KAw4ls/s400/frustrated-mother-entrepreneur2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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4. How many teeth has he got?</div>
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The first stage of development for any child would be getting teeth...however I don't understand the curiosity of other people to know how many teeth has my kid got... Ofcourse.. I have no other work but to keep taking headcount of my kid's teeth.</div>
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5. Where is mommy? </div>
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Why is every child supposed to take this test and pass with flying colors. The moment he recognises you as a mother..that proves you have won half the battle...(or so it seems).</div>
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6. When are you resuming work? </div>
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The most common question asked to working women who become a mother. Maternity leaves obviously doesn't allow a long leave for women in India.. but every time this question was asked to me.. it really made me miss working.</div>
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7. Hey..join us!!!! Mom groups on social media. </div>
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The moment you become a mother and officially announce it on social media..somehow the cool trending advertisements that used to be visible on your timeline change.. What once used to be sexy lingerie and party wear dresses..now starts suggesting best diaper brand for babies and breastfeeding pumps.</div>
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8. Advice and loads of it!!</div>
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I don't even wanna get started on how much advice we get during our initial months. How to breastfeed...how to hold the baby.. put the baby to sleep.. what to talk to the baby.. what kind of nappies to use..what to feed them, which massage oil to use.. etc etc. I am sure as wellwishers they want to suggest their expertise on parenting..but too much of anything is not good and can get really overwhelming.</div>
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9. How does it feel?</div>
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Can anyone describe a feeling. There are days I don't sleep a second.. days I forget to eat.. time is a delusional concept for me.. but overall.. I m feeling awesome.</div>
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10. "Is it a boy or girl?" </div>
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Generally within first few months of being the toddler, it's not easy to recognise the gender of the child. So this is a very common question. Ofcourse there are some geniuses who tend to guess the gender.. or just use generic terms like.. "aww.. such a cute baby" and even conveniently avoid he/she in their sentences. "Looks just like you" or "Eyes are just like yours". It's recommended that you help them clarify their doubts by telling them in hints whether it's a he or a she.</div>
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11. Why adoption? </div>
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This question is only applicable to certain mothers like myself who chose to adopt..but nevertheless it's the first question on the list for parents who adopt. Unfortunately..we still are in a culture where adoption is not accepted easily..and people instantly start feeling sorry for adopting parents. All I can say is there is no bigger joy than seeing a smile on your baby's face. End of the day..that's what will form a relation bigger than blood ties.</div>
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Hope you enjoyed the blog.. it's been a while since I wrote.. So been a little rusty... but do share with me if there are any things I forgot that you have heard and maybe I can add those up here..</div>
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Until next time. </div>
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Ciao</div>
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10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-73862192349968838922015-12-16T16:03:00.000+05:302015-12-16T16:04:16.124+05:30Types of neighbours<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0Bu58SnQGyycqkURaTtW4r-ROZKCkKGKlFQm_vXRADiPKG_qghOdYUMBvouCdKxST0-l4XAE3_nD8KKSG_Qzt1byhyphenhyphen2YH4HRHYTtTYIswifXN3wT5a54cfzzpbzn3rXrQ5DpJVehkdU/s1600/writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0Bu58SnQGyycqkURaTtW4r-ROZKCkKGKlFQm_vXRADiPKG_qghOdYUMBvouCdKxST0-l4XAE3_nD8KKSG_Qzt1byhyphenhyphen2YH4HRHYTtTYIswifXN3wT5a54cfzzpbzn3rXrQ5DpJVehkdU/s200/writing.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></i></div>
<i><span style="color: purple;">Heylo my readers. Thank you so much for being patient with my blogs and i
sincerely apologize for all the delay. Its not like i have had requests
pouring for a new blog, but with current circumstances, i have the
chance to get back to my very old love of writing.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;">I have been spending whatever little time i m getting from
my schedule these days visiting YouTube and coming across various
channels and videos for the pleasure of viewers. Some of my favorites
being, AIB, Beingindian, iisuperwomanii, East India Comedy, etc. I have
come across a lot of videos describing the variety and categorizing of
various species of people we come across in our daily life, types of
cousins, every bombayite in the world, types of colleagues, types of
friends, teachers, and many more. Seeing them inspired me to write one
on my own too so here goes. Here's another set of acquaintance we all
encounter in our day to day life.. neighbors.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvX-GdGqPDVVFwPiKVqsEJiCDR_TVH2khDn8rg3pJgmpykJAm8TyrbesaIUaa15jFrgPoZe1YHw2W-pMiozwN88hURF1HqGe1zqWMN2T3X9y4pftkVaie8ARUlh7TOV7FQOP-O4KksUs/s1600/friendly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvX-GdGqPDVVFwPiKVqsEJiCDR_TVH2khDn8rg3pJgmpykJAm8TyrbesaIUaa15jFrgPoZe1YHw2W-pMiozwN88hURF1HqGe1zqWMN2T3X9y4pftkVaie8ARUlh7TOV7FQOP-O4KksUs/s200/friendly.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;">1. <u><b>Friendly neighbours</b></u>: Now this is easily the most liked
type of neighbour and at the same time the most rare type...You know
what i mean. The one who smiles to you every time they meet, offers to
hold your shopping bags when you need help, someone who knows your family
members and inquires about them everytime. Basically, all qualities of
an ideal son or daughter they would have. Decent, well mannered, and
co-operative. Unfortunately this type is not easily found and if found
is often misunderstood as fake because no one can be THAT nice.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DzF4235f6Y3H6IwYDZTtMF7kRTTPc4xe-o6kzp4kRBLTJVjQCpQZwFb5Nz9-bg35RZiUS4H1pKz781N1NM2W4NKufNH7k8dd2lfAaFY3cu2w0iA9SjG2l2N2UzfZbl0-Y5Xyg6UL114/s1600/nosey.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DzF4235f6Y3H6IwYDZTtMF7kRTTPc4xe-o6kzp4kRBLTJVjQCpQZwFb5Nz9-bg35RZiUS4H1pKz781N1NM2W4NKufNH7k8dd2lfAaFY3cu2w0iA9SjG2l2N2UzfZbl0-Y5Xyg6UL114/s200/nosey.png" width="200" /></a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;">2. <u><b>Nosey neighbours:</b></u> Ever felt like someone is continuously
watching your every move? if yes? You probably live next door to this
type. They might seem very normal to the naked eye, but they will know
exactly when you will run out of sugar and have an answer ready if u
ever need to borrow. Nosey neighbours can be easily confused with the
friendly sorts, but don't be fooled by their innocent looks. They can
sort out your entire family history by just few questions and
assumptions.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICepddikqoYtRANM3Y-Np33DNmpn8I2vvaHW9ygHdc8Lf7zNwPrJcmq5vcTOs2Jv7jFO2YmX8kiXkOOJB3r-izyvdfmDyEL8_OPybJcVSAl9rXyb5P9LAHunR6XF4e17YUDRdb5s787s/s1600/khadoos.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICepddikqoYtRANM3Y-Np33DNmpn8I2vvaHW9ygHdc8Lf7zNwPrJcmq5vcTOs2Jv7jFO2YmX8kiXkOOJB3r-izyvdfmDyEL8_OPybJcVSAl9rXyb5P9LAHunR6XF4e17YUDRdb5s787s/s200/khadoos.gif" width="200" /></a></span></i></div>
<i><span style="color: purple;">3. <u><b>Khadoos neighbours</b></u>: This kind is the most easily found
species. The most annoying kind, this species will make your day start
bad just by meeting you in the elevator or lobby. These are the kind who
will make you feel like the dirt of the building and they are the king
or queen. They are the ones who will never participate in society
meetings, never shell out money for leprosy drive contribution, and last
but not the least the ones who never bear a smile on their face. Stay
away from these kinds if u want to avoid negativity. </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksWdKksoCTvIoXep7OtfDMZ73oqIfSGFxrdRU3vkYL9yPx7GG-nkZygjOrbCf0AwR3Wb5JMEYcu5F8FXqkxdbs-uHts6puyHc39ih25wHLLujrTaEEprJGhkLw1Ua-LDSCJ_HrVTHnKM/s1600/knowitall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksWdKksoCTvIoXep7OtfDMZ73oqIfSGFxrdRU3vkYL9yPx7GG-nkZygjOrbCf0AwR3Wb5JMEYcu5F8FXqkxdbs-uHts6puyHc39ih25wHLLujrTaEEprJGhkLw1Ua-LDSCJ_HrVTHnKM/s320/knowitall.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;">4. <u><b>Know-it-all neighbours</b></u>: Have an encyclopedia at home...u
can be sure this type knows more than your entire collection put
together. From How to manage finances, to how to handle society staff
better, how to organize functions, which aarti to sing during
festivals, etc. this kind will always know how to do things better.
The sad part is.. they are only talkers. You can be sure that when time
will come to taking up responsibilities, this kind will back off immediately...on pretext of bank work...or homework..</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_V41blrIG8KY-VusR4le5kefDBh7FgFDMALQGGecIB4x4wej4bSP9lv43lXh2QDsW3m5Bn7CuSqiSVTH6CSRrXyzBXtRTv3fNetvMhLdvhIOSbLJiIyBwdlbefX3TOYsd7c2O12XPFsU/s1600/hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_V41blrIG8KY-VusR4le5kefDBh7FgFDMALQGGecIB4x4wej4bSP9lv43lXh2QDsW3m5Bn7CuSqiSVTH6CSRrXyzBXtRTv3fNetvMhLdvhIOSbLJiIyBwdlbefX3TOYsd7c2O12XPFsU/s320/hot.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></div>
<i><span style="color: purple;">5. <u><b>Hot property neighbours:</b></u> Now these are the kinds who
every person has as neighbour, but they will never admit to have... At least once in our lifetime, we all have that one hot male or female
neighbour, most hard to ignore, and easily tempting. The convenient
part is.. we tend to always pretend to not notice them, for the sake of
our lives that could be at stake if our spouse or parents find us giving
attention to them, so we behave as if their presence has no effect on
us.. Unfortunately, this kind is aware of which category he/she is, so
knows what effect their one smile or acknowledgement has on people
around them. Its quite possible, that awareness might convert this kind
into a khadoos neighbor. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8Z-JJAN3SV5eKkdA8dxvwbG0rLDP4Ov9BsmHd3-b0tPgzkftmQNOuBz4jgTw4VeXw9NSIsjDLM8CtIIkXCHQFlVlsrmkZ_9RNutRQj0o1XeZQ_nh5x19XPcR66IyRJWzssbCa6K8I0Y/s1600/opportunist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8Z-JJAN3SV5eKkdA8dxvwbG0rLDP4Ov9BsmHd3-b0tPgzkftmQNOuBz4jgTw4VeXw9NSIsjDLM8CtIIkXCHQFlVlsrmkZ_9RNutRQj0o1XeZQ_nh5x19XPcR66IyRJWzssbCa6K8I0Y/s320/opportunist.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></div>
<i><span style="color: purple;">6. <u><b>Opportunists </b><b>neighbour</b></u>: This type is not the harmful kind,
unless u are at its receiving end. 'Thodi cheeni milegi?' "yaar pappu ko
thodi der sambhalogi?" Mera ipod kharaab ho gaya hai..tera le jaoon?"
He/she reminds you of your annoying roommate in college who used to
borrow even your toothbrush without the courtesy of asking. Good thing
is... this kind has a clean conscience and will never mind if someday
you decide to outright refuse them of the privilege of borrowing. On
the contrary, they ask so sweetly, that you are barely able to refuse.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;">I am sure i have probably missed out many kinds, and would
love to know if you have any other types of neighbours you stay next
to.. Maybe together we can have a 'Types of neighbours part 2 blog'
too.. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;">Looking forward to your views and comments. I also need to
know if my comeback on blogging has impacted my writing skills..would
love to work on them.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: purple;">Until next time... </span></i></div>
<i><span style="color: purple;">See you soon</span></i></div>
10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-22277240052076737972014-04-24T12:06:00.002+05:302014-04-24T12:06:29.527+05:30Types of Old Friends<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hey readers, long time no see.. umm,, read. Well, have been
away for a while and I have been following IISuperwomanII these days which inspired me for today's post.</div>
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For those who don't know who she is.. Check out her videos on youtube on channel, click on the link <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/IISuperwomanII/" target="_blank">IIsuperwomanII</a>.</div>
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In today's world of facebook, Twitter, gtalk,
hangout, skype etc, its easy to be in touch with old friends, but does
being in touch virtually really count? Recently I have had a lot of old
friends catch up with me and that brings me to writing this blog. You
know there are friends one has from school, college, old childhod
buildings, etc that you lose touch with in the years and all you are in
touch with them is on fb or twitter or on some random messenger where u
see each other online but rarely message since you wouldn't know what to say to
each other. Its like the latest version of face to face awkward meets.
"<i>Hi, hello, wassup, what have u been upto.. sorry I m kinda busy, can I
msg u later?</i>" And that almost never happens. Today I would like to
mention few types of friends who catch up after a long time..and
categorise them...</div>
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<a href="http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/missing-bag.jpg?itok=aDH7BwaO" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/missing-bag.jpg?itok=aDH7BwaO" border="0" class="decoded" height="187" src="http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/missing-bag.jpg?itok=aDH7BwaO" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u><b>Long lost friends:</b></u> These are the best kind of old friends
who you love to catch up with.. they know how u were when u were a kid
and they know lot of things about u that u forgot. You both share the
stories that only u can understand and laugh at.. However, the sad part is...when u meet
them, it makes u feel guilty about not keeping in touch with them all
these years. Talking to such friends makes reunion plans possible
because these are mostly kind of friends who are constantly in touch
with everyone. They have their contact numbers..email address, latest
updates, their career graph, and their personal lives. They know
everything about every other common friend that you might have. Time
flies speaking to such old friends and one loves to keep in touch with
them once the bond is made again. Their most common line..<i>" yeah I met
him just few days back.. yeah we spoke recently and she is doing great..</i>"
Generally this is the type of friends who encourages u to be in touch
with everyone else, adds u to all the whatsapp groups of school, gives u
links to other school buddies on fb, etc.</div>
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<a href="http://www.thescrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Bad-Job-Interviewer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.thescrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Bad-Job-Interviewer.jpg" border="0" class="decoded" src="http://www.thescrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Bad-Job-Interviewer.jpg" /></a><u><b>Interviewers</b></u>: These are old friends who when u get in touch
with make u feel like u r giving an interview..<i>"so what have u been
upto?...married yet? Have any kids..where are u working..who all in
family?"</i> And suddenly u feel all u need to do is give them ur passport
details next..so they can steal your identity and make a scam.. these are
generally those kids in school who always used to be the curious cases,
asking all the teachers all kinds of questions.. They remind of Paresh
rawals character from '<i>Judaai</i>'. Chances are that u might never message
these friends to avoid the torture of their questions.</div>
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<a href="http://www.comofazer.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/My-Officemates-Are-Gossipers-How-To-Deal-With-Them_600x451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.comofazer.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/My-Officemates-Are-Gossipers-How-To-Deal-With-Them_600x451.jpg" border="0" class="decoded" height="240" src="http://www.comofazer.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/My-Officemates-Are-Gossipers-How-To-Deal-With-Them_600x451.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u><b>Gossip mongers</b></u>: Usually the fun type of friends only till
the time u r not the target to their habit. These kinds seem most interested in knowing about u and try to catch up with u in the most
casual way possible, but it happens that u only can diagnose this
category of friends after a long time into the conversations, when they
start their sentences with.<i>"did u know about that girl in our class..?</i> And
then u r given all the latest updates on that girl...and her best
friend..her husband, her apparent affair with another guy in school that
no one knew".& suddenly u feel like "<i>where was I when all this was
happening.. how come I didn't notice</i>?" These ppl spend most of their time
checking and rechecking their friends profiles on fb or chatting with
friends on msngers. Be careful of such old friends, coz whatever
information u reveal can be twisted and turned into a gossip by such
category. Try not to become gossip material for him/her.</div>
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<a href="http://theupsidedownworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/royalty.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://theupsidedownworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/royalty.gif" border="0" class="decoded" height="200" src="http://theupsidedownworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/royalty.gif" width="196" /></a><br />
<u><b>Royal friends</b></u>: This category would probably be the most difficult to get
in touch with if u ever try to track them down. This is the type who
wud have been famous in school, cutest looking girl/guy, hottest looking
chick, or the most popular kid of class, or toppers of the class. These
are mostly ones in prestigious positions in their career and barely
have time to be in touch with u, so when u might bump into them on a
social networking site or on whatsapp in some random school group,they
will first pretend to not remember u, and u will probably end up using every memory of urs from school to remind them.
90% chances are... after all ur attempts to remind them of who u r, they
will only remember u when u reach the most embarassing incident of ur
school life that u were trying to forget all ur life...something
like..<i>"remember when I spilt ink on my dress and u had helped me in the
washroom?</i>.....and THEN they will be like,.."<i>OHHH!, yeah hi.. now I
remember u..</i>" and that moment u start regretting the moment u thought of
starting to converse with them. This types is a blow on ur confidence,
self esteem and respect u have for yourself. To make matters worse, u realize very late that these are the kids ur parents used to keep
standards as. "<i>Why cant u be more like him/her</i>?"</div>
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<a href="http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/ncE/kk8/ncEkk8jcA.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/ncE/kk8/ncEkk8jcA.png" border="0" class="decoded" height="200" src="http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/ncE/kk8/ncEkk8jcA.png" width="200" /></a><u><b>Troublemakers</b></u>: Now I don't mean that this type creates a stir
in your life when they are back in touch with u..but this type is the
kind u were very close with in school. In fact, not just u 2.. but even
your families knew each other as meeting-for-evening-tea kind of close.
More than these friends, their parents are a torture to u, because when u
meet them, they start describing to u everything that made u a loser or
got u in trouble in school or college...IN FRONT OF UR SPOUSE/BF....
and God forbid if u ever meet this type or their parents with ur bf or
spouse, chances are u might have to do a lot of explaining to ur better
half later. "<i>Nooo.. I wasn't punished for writing on bathroom walls.. she
is just kidding"</i> *frowns* </div>
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<a href="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/movie-star-2620183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/movie-star-2620183.jpg" border="0" class="decoded" height="143" src="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/movie-star-2620183.jpg" width="200" /></a><u><b>Celebrity friends:</b></u> These are friends who are so full of
themselves, that they just can't stop talking about themselves. They
will give u all the updates of their life to u, their friends who are
big shots, their 7 figure salary,their foreign location vacations, their
over achiever children and their ultra modern super hot wife/husband.
They will use every opportunity to make sure u end up either depressed,
suicidal or worried about your current life. But don't worry about such
types. These types are generally the most insecure ones in their lives
and they do so only as an excuse to remind them that their life isn't as
bad.</div>
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All said and done, old friends are the only people who have been with you during your pimple days, your immature days, enjoyed your crushes with you, bunked school or college with you, made fun of teachers with you or been there for you when you were going through a crisis. So make sure you get back in touch with them and relive those times.</div>
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As far the blog is concerned, these are the types I can think of right now but if you
have more types of old friends that u r in touch with or wanna add any
more conversations u have had with your latest school friends, Do share
and we can all have a laugh. </div>
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Until next time..</div>
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Ciao</div>
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10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-38218867600271147552014-01-22T09:32:00.003+05:302014-01-22T13:19:22.296+05:30Baatein Bhool Jaati hai, Yaadein Yaad aati hai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>Now that i have started blogging again, i started thinking
that its actually been a while since I recalled my old days, my old
pals, and my old life. I don't want to start with a
BooHoo-My-life-has-changed blog. This time, I just want to make sure
that some things / places /people are remembered for the simple reason
that I don't want to end up forgetting them, and whenever I get a
chance, I would like to go back and visit them as often as I can.</i></span></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><i>
</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>Mumbai...!!! </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>Since the day I can remember, I have always
been a proud Mumbaikar. No, I wouldn't say I know everything and every
place in this city. But I do know one thing and that is the fact that no
matter where we go, There is no place like home. :)</i></span></div>
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</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>Few places that have been very special to me and no matter
where I am, I will always associate these places with the people closest
to me or certain chapters in my life which were the turning point for
me. <br />
</i></span></div>
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<i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hu0GaMBsNTk/Ut9Angb2oDI/AAAAAAAABr0/47uAeLDQZsg/s1600/powai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hu0GaMBsNTk/Ut9Angb2oDI/AAAAAAAABr0/47uAeLDQZsg/s1600/powai.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<i>• <span style="color: purple;"><b>Powai Lake</b>: This place has been very close to my heart for the simple
reason being that as a central suburban resident, that's the closest we
could be to a water body, and I love shores, be it a sea shore or a lake
shore. It used to give me the serenity I used to look for..away from
the chaos of life. Thankfully for me, my travelling route still gives me
the pleasure of waving by to it, but its been a while since I had a
proper rendezvous with it.</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i><br />
• <b>Bandra Bandstand</b>: Many people associate certain places with certain
people and this place just reminds me of the wonderful memories I made
with my special someone who later become my better half for life. As I
said earlier, I and shores have a special bond, also because I am a
water sign,Scorpion (don't be scared, I don't bite) lol. Bandstand is
known for its couple antics and "scenarios", but for me its just a place
I got to know the most wonderful person in my life. Hence the special
mention in this blog.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>
</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>I also remember the various hobbies that I wish I could
continue. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Dancing</b>, is and has been my life. I remember the days I used
to attend salsa classes and the joy I used to get out of it... in spite
of travelling 2 hrs just to reach the venue. It used to be all worth it.
My first live performance for my classes, and the first time I wore a
dress, made me feel alive.<br /> </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Writing,</b> is something I used to do for venting out and emptying the many
irrelevant thoughts I used to get which had nothing to do with my
regular life. If you don't know what I am talking about, read my previous
blogs. They will show you that they are not necessarily conversational
topics. They are just topics one thinks in their minds and moves on. I
had almost given up on writing, but thanks to my husband, I have got
back to writing again and hence the second blog in a week's time. I just
hope to continue the <span style="background-color: white;">same.<br />
</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGy2ICCfkHs/Ut9CkBBKs6I/AAAAAAAABsU/W4wJDvPqDVA/s1600/url.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGy2ICCfkHs/Ut9CkBBKs6I/AAAAAAAABsU/W4wJDvPqDVA/s1600/url.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b>Singing.</b> Well I used to be a decent singer but whenever I think about
singing, it reminds me of my mother who inspired me to learn singing and
pursue it as a hobby. My teacher used to say, singing cleanses the soul
of a person, and helps the person open up to many things in life. Maybe
not intentionally, but somewhere while singing I used to find myself
taking the most difficult decisions of my life. I do miss it.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>
</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>I miss my dad and my sister the most. My friends who I used to meet every
evening to talk about the most absurd topics and still make sense. I
miss my friend's ability to narrate stories every evening for hours
together. I miss walking through malls with my friend just window
shopping and deciding what we would probably buy someday if the occasion
demanded it.(we never really bought anything). I miss my friend who
could make me laugh no matter what the mood, and who could make me go
hysterical with just 5 words "somebody's gonna get hurt today". I miss
people who when I spoke to had codewords only we understood. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>
</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>In spite of the long article, I am glad I have been able to
jot down each and every one of the things, people and places that matter
to me. Though a long blog...I guess for me..it was all worth it.</i></span></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><i>
</i></span>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>Have you ever thought about people who you miss, things you
miss doing or places you miss visiting? Please do share them in the
comments. I would love to know if there are more people like me out
there.</i></span></div>
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10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-63414945793957803892014-01-21T09:42:00.000+05:302014-01-21T13:34:10.073+05:30Dream to run...Mumbai Ishtyle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Standard chartered mumbai marathon.. I have associated myself with this name since last 3 years and each year this phenomenon ceases to amaze me and liven up my spirit of being a mumbaikar. Three years back I wasn't even aware of this event and thanks to my husband, I took part in it. Category of dream run being the lowest in terms of kms, I had decided to participate in it. I always assumed that we need to actually run in a marathon (obviously due to the research of videos i did after participating the first year). But my doubts were cleared in my attempt and I decided to give it a shot. Mumbai for me has always been equivalent to the sea, marine drive, etc and since the route included both, I was excited to actually try out the route. </i></div>
<i></i><br />
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<i>Each year I used to think of writing a blog on my experience, but finally with much pushing by my hubby, have managed to make it possible today.</i></div>
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<i>The dream run is a 6 km category and mostly for corporates and promoters of various fields. What grabs my attention the most is the amount of preparation done by these groups to actually stand out in the marathon. From a group of as small as 10 to as big as 50, one needs to really stand out with the costume to be noticed, specially if you are alone. </i></div>
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<i></i><i> </i></div>
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<i>The celebrity stand being the most looked forward to my most participants, mainly because it probably gives us one glimpse of our hottie celebrity ( in my case, Juhi chawla, and in case of others, John Abraham) each year.</i></div>
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<i>Few groups that have been regular every year have been tata, bharti axa, icici, etc, but the one that stood out the most for me this year would have to be undoubtedly Indian navy and tata consultancy services-TCS, who had put in a lot of effort for the banners, people management and theme of the group. </i></div>
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<i>What also makes me truly proud is the way this whole event is organised. From the entrance to the water stalls, from the crowd management to the traffic control, it makes me very overwhelmed to see our mumbaigoodie bags after marathon completion, it is fabulous team effort that one can see. </i> police and traffic control working at every step to make such there is no chaos. Thousands of volunteers working from the day they start distributing the BIB numbers, to the event day for distribution of </div>
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<i>Few moments that are memorable for me this year are:<br />
1. the girls wearing a marathi costume 'navvari' shying away from cameraman in typical "issshhh, nakoo" style. It was almost as if they were newly weds. </i></div>
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<i><br />
2.The Indian navy stage which had the navy officers being the orchestra as well as the singers of the group singing oldies and making heads turn, couples dance and youngsters sing to their tune. Its amazing how much talent exists in one of the most challenging unit of our country. </i></div>
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3. Unfortunately, the third memory is not a very happy one. While I noticed so many positive things promoted, I noticed a lot of street kids also becoming a part of this event. There were many kids with empty plastic bags collecting empty water bottles, of course without any help asked for by the marathon committee. I saw groups chanting against female foeticide and child labour and NGOs promoting literacy in slum areas. I was surprised that they didn't notice these children on the streets or even give them a second glance. It made me think...are these promotions only for the sake of it?? Whats the point if you dont stand by what you preach? Stop using these topics to stand out in the marathon because it only makes you a hypocrite at the end of it all. What happens to your promotions once the event is over? </i></div>
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<i>This year's marathon also left me with the thought of a decision to change a part of what I saw and do whatever little I could do for at least one kid if not many. Lets hope I can bring the change I want to see around me. </i></div>
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<i>Till next year, this marathon at the start of the year always manages to give me a head start on my resolution to work on my daily walks (unfortunately the start ends too soon) but better little walking than nothing at all? Hehe...</i></div>
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<i>Sharing few pics of marathon..enjoy!!!</i></div>
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<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li><blockquote>Family: My family parents, siblings and in-laws have made me the person I am today. From all my happy moments to my most frightening times, they have been behind me all the time. I love them in spite of everything and most of all, I love the one person who has been a part of my life since last 3 years now. My Friend, My partner and my soul mate, My husband. I love you all a lot.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Dancing: Dance has always been something to take me to a different world and i know it sounds cliche, but dancing was something that used to make me a more confident person. I used to experience beauty when I used to dance. Music gives soul to my life. Foot tapping on the way to the gym, or on morning walks, I used to always have my hands swinging when I used to hear music on my ipod or radio.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Photography: This was a hobby I discovered when I created a new photoblog for myself. The travelling I used to do used to give me ample opportunities to explore and capture some of the unexplored sides of the city. Do check out some of the blogs on <a href="http://tanvi-photosofmylife.blogspot.com/">Memories are just a click away</a>.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Movies / Plays: I am a complete movie buff. any kind of movie, any time, any place, no matter how tired I am, I can catch a show and still enjoy it. There used to be a time when I have seen every movie released in the theatre in every language I know, English, Hindi, Marathi...In every genre I know, Action, Fiction, Romance, Animation, etc.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Painting: I love to paint and draw freehand stuff. When time permits, I like to sit back with some paints and explore the different styles of painting and if possible go back to the techniques I learnt during my textile designing days. </blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Long drives:... and I dont mean only in cars. Long drives could be any long destination drive in any mode of transport. Cars, Bikes, Rickshaws, and most used mode of transport lately...Bus. I like going around the city exploring the different sites of this fascinating place called Mumbai....Also giving me time to click some of the moments on the 3rd Love...Photography</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Television: As a child and even now, T.V has been my way to escape from the reality called Life. I can sit and watch the Idiot box for hours together. This was one thing my dad always used to dislike and still tends to keep pointing it out to me, but I dont tend to listen anymore. :)</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Samosa: I am not much of a junk food person, but Samosa is one thing I can trip upon any point of time. This love has come from the college canteen that used to serve this delicacy all day long and with lengthy hours of college with no option to bunk, samosas used to be the only break we used to get from the tedious routine.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Last but not the least... Singing. My mom used to say I had a good voice and she got me into the singing classes (which unfortunately don't fit in my schedule anymore). Singing for me, was always something I used to do for myself... No. I dont mean bathroom singing, but when I used to sit in my balcony listening to old songs on radio at night with noone but the company of moon and stars, I used to be able to forget any and every stress that I might be going through. *<b>Sigh</b>* those were the days.</blockquote></li>
</ol>So here are my nine loves. So long...See you again tomorrow, with my Eight Fears.<br />
<br />
Adios, Ciao.<br />
<br />
</div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-56508764267035211832011-10-11T14:36:00.002+05:302011-10-11T14:40:20.378+05:3010 Day Challenge - 10 Secrets<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Lately my blog might have looked like it was obsessed with mumbai city, but it just had run out of things to write posts on. So when I read <a href="http://aspoonfullofworld.blogspot.com/">Shirin's Blog </a>recently, I knew that this was the best way to get the blog back to its rhythm and change its state of mind. I do remember doing this kind of a post in the past <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2010/08/10-things-tag.html">10 things tag</a>, so it will be difficult to find new things but I guess that's why its a challenge.So here goes...<br />
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I wonder if this topic really brings out the top 10 secrets of a person's life, or does it just mentions the 10 things that normally people wouldn't know about any general human being? Well, no one shares secrets..specially to strangers...So here goes my 10 "secrets" (aka things) that not many know<br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;"><li><blockquote>I am an absent-minded person. Unless the work, or date or appointment is important for me, chances are that I will probably end up not sticking to it. My long term memory is pathetic. Its like the girl in movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343660/">50 First Dates, </a>my memory tends to get refreshed every night as I sleep. It tends to discard the unwanted stuff and only register important data in my life. </blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>I am a person who plans everything. Many people who know me hate this habit of mine. I always HAVE to know in advance my coming week's plans...But with a lot of spontaneous friends, I tend to drive them up the wall trying to ensure that they are available to meet if I m PLANNING something.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wIvqpPCTbk/TpQHfiFrnPI/AAAAAAAAAsk/CP8JVBcJOs0/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wIvqpPCTbk/TpQHfiFrnPI/AAAAAAAAAsk/CP8JVBcJOs0/s200/2.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I love playing snooker. There was a time when there used to be lot of gaming zones that used to encourage this game, but the sport seems to be disappearing with time and its been forever since I played a game with someone. Looking forward to another game...hopefully soon.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>I prefer being alone a lot, any time any place. I am not saying I am a loner, but if asked if I would prefer company or loneliness, I would definitely chose the later.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MLZzC49R_zI/TpQHvhzBkAI/AAAAAAAAAss/eE4ILXev1L4/s1600/florida_beaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MLZzC49R_zI/TpQHvhzBkAI/AAAAAAAAAss/eE4ILXev1L4/s200/florida_beaches.jpg" width="200" /></a>I love beaches. Don't give me that Oh-gawd-another-typical-girl-look. If I had to settle down somewhere I would always prefer some place near to a water body of any kind (..and i don't mean gutters of mumbai). Beaches, sea, ocean, lakes, anything that makes the soothing sound of the water.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>I am a day dreamer and by that I mean, I can doze off at any place, sitting, standing, or lying down. Any moving vehicle will instantly put me off to a deep slumber. I have many times ended up missing my bus stops and train stations due to this habit of mine, but with practice the disease is now in control.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>I want to try backpacking someday. Just pick up my bag with bare necessities for survival, minimum amount of money, and start traveling on whatever mode of transport available...now that's a dream I want to be able to fulfill.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>I know I have said this before, but it can never be said less... I love my sister. I know she knows it too, but at times I make her life miserable. There is also something that I wish I could tell her, but I see so much of my mother in her. She has a lot of qualities that my mom used to have and seeing her, I miss mom a lot. My sister has always looked out for me and I am lucky to have her.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Except samosas (they are my weakness), I prefer home food to any other place to eat. I would trade a plate of junk food to a plate of Dal, chawal, chapati and sabji any day.</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>Lastly, I am scared of heights. I don't mean paranoid, but there are times when I m climbing down and I tend to just stop for seconds with the fear that I might trip and fall down the flight of stairs. </blockquote></li>
</ol>So these are my 10 things that not many people would know. hopefully I can continue my 10 day challenge without any delays or speed bumps.<br />
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Hope to see you tomorrow, Adios, Ciao,<br />
Take care.<br />
<br />
</div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-4405775016597732162011-07-20T13:56:00.000+05:302011-07-20T13:56:29.606+05:30Mumbai Meri jaan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">'Taxi Nau do Gyaarah'...That was the title of the news article I read recently in the newspaper, wherein they were talking about how the taxis across Mumbai city have reduced and how they used to be the look of Mumbai at one point of time. Being a suburban girl myself, I have hardly ever traveled in taxis except when we used to go towards the extreme end of south Mumbai during college days and could afford a lavish spending on the transport.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This city means different things to different people and being a Mumbaikar all my life, it means lot of things to me too. As i sit looking out my balcony towards a view that once used to be the horizon of vashi Creek, now is blocked by the upcoming complex (apparently an 'address' to peace...???), I ponder over the things that the city is just not complete without. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MHU80pSU_jY/TiaEmFJkGqI/AAAAAAAAArw/VwXl6eeV0vs/s1600/mumbai+monsoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MHU80pSU_jY/TiaEmFJkGqI/AAAAAAAAArw/VwXl6eeV0vs/s320/mumbai+monsoon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><u><b>Mumbai Monsoon: </b></u>I absolutely love the rains of Mumbai. No matter where I am, I completely relate monsoon to mumbai. I know people complain about the dirt, the traffic and the muddy roads during this season, but rains have always been special for me and I have always imagined myself walking on beaches, or empty roads getting drenched in the rain, and probably having Tea from the local vendor or the ones who sell them on their bicycles. Mumbai is completely a different scenario during this season and I would be anytime willing to ignore all the other setbacks these 3 months bring for the city.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-faW1bhm604s/TiaFAe_7qbI/AAAAAAAAAr0/mMX1I36Josw/s1600/vada-pav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-faW1bhm604s/TiaFAe_7qbI/AAAAAAAAAr0/mMX1I36Josw/s200/vada-pav.jpg" width="200" /></a><u><b>Vada Pav:</b></u> I know even the mention of this delicious mumbai treat is supposed to be bad for me (me being on a diet and all...Lol) but vada pav is something that is easily available on almost any busy part of mumbai. An easy snack for any person who isn't weight conscious, or who prefers a nice meal at a mere Rs 10-15. This dish was initially started as the most cheapest form of a meal for low income group, but due to its taste, this dish became so popular that many sophisticated hotels also have started dishing out this wonderful dish, at extra cost of course. However, this dish has still retained its charm as an evergreen dish, and many people have it at breakfast, lunch or even dinner as well. Vada pav can be easily included as a part of my walk in the rain section mentioned above. Tastes heavenly with a cup of tea.. :) Yummy....!!!!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e42grVUp708/TiaPafB7cYI/AAAAAAAAAr4/NA034H6uGCA/s1600/collage+mumbai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e42grVUp708/TiaPafB7cYI/AAAAAAAAAr4/NA034H6uGCA/s200/collage+mumbai.jpg" width="193" /></a><u><b>Local Transport:</b></u> Trains, Buses, Taxis, Rickshaws and a new addition to these old modes of transport are the cool cabs and private call-a-cabs....all add up to the look of mumbai, and the traffic that has become the identity of mumbai. The life-lines of mumbai is the right word for these vehicles, since even one day of strike or petrol-diesel-CNG problem can bring the fast moving pace of mumbai to a halt.<br />
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<u><b>South Mumbai:</b></u> This is a part of mumbai that every tourist, or a person coming to mumbai from a small town would want to visit, for the simple reason that south mumbai is the hub for the financial buzz in mumbai. For me, it has been the most memorable place to visit, when I saw south mumbai from the eyes of someone else. But that's another story... :P Some Places that make this part of mumbai the most prime location for activities would be:<br />
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<ul><li>Share Markets (Bombay Stock Exchange,Reserve Bank of India,main offices of Bank of India, State Bank of India, etc), </li>
<li>Jewellery Markets (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaveri_Bazaar">Jhaveri Bazaar</a>), </li>
<li>Government office in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantralaya,_Mumbai">Mantralaya</a>, </li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperage_Ground">Cooperage Sports Ground</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankhede_Stadium">Wankhede Stadium</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabourne_Stadium">Brabourne Stadium</a>,</li>
<li>Starting points of the Railway lines of Mumbai (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhatrapati_Shivaji_Terminus">Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus</a> and <a href="http://www-ccs.cs.umass.edu/cris/bombay1998/bombay/bom-churchgate.jpeg">Churchgate</a>), </li>
<li>Defence colony of military and navy personnels - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_Nagar">Navy Nagar</a>, </li>
<li><a href="http://themuseummumbai.com/home.aspx">Prince of Wales Museum</a>, now known as <a href="http://themuseummumbai.com/home.aspx">Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalay</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nariman_Point">Nariman point</a> & <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Drive">Marine Drive</a> making the beautiful queen's necklace during the night time on the coastline of South Mumbai</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhobi_Ghat">Dhobi Ghat</a>, the famous open air Laundromat located at Mahalaxmi.</li>
<li>The <a href="http://indianbazaars.blogspot.com/2010/04/mulji-jetha-market-textile-bazaar-in.html">Mulji Jetha</a> market in Mumbai is the largest textile market in Asia.</li>
</ul>These places make south mumbai crucial for the financial, political, and commercial activities. <br />
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But lately Mumbai has been going through a lot of torment in the last decade with floods, bomb blasts, and terrorist activities on the rise. Even though for me the places and things that define the city are mentioned above, what makes the city what it is (in a good way or bad) are the people living in it...Mumbaikars, who are known for their never die spirit. However, with the recent events, I am forced to think whether its this Never say die spirit that is leading to the most deaths in the city. Is the reason behind repetitions of these activities the fact that we are not reacting and carrying on with our lives??? I sure hope not. Anyways, its a thought I can't seem to get out of my mind.<br />
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Anyhow.....I know I might have miss a lot of things, places and locations that might define mumbai for you, But I give you the chance to discover my city at your own leisure and then share with me your experience. Will wait for your comments..<br />
<br />
Till then, adios...ciao.</div></div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-90380234634978777562011-06-08T15:09:00.000+05:302011-06-08T15:09:07.427+05:30Trip down memory Lane - Be the Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote>Be the change you want to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi </blockquote></div><br />
I had read this line somewhere a long time ago. Honestly? I am not much of a memory person... Ok I admit, I am bad at remembering references, but this line has stayed with me since a long time and that is the reason I chose to share it with you today.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OpCyWg_inhs/Te8-b0SSsFI/AAAAAAAAArA/vSH1zz-oAsw/s1600/reunion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OpCyWg_inhs/Te8-b0SSsFI/AAAAAAAAArA/vSH1zz-oAsw/s200/reunion.JPG" width="200" /></a>They say school days are unforgettable for everyone and childhood never returns. But 3 years back that myth was proven wrong by my batch classmates who apparently got together via every medium possible, from long-lost hotmail, to most recent twitter and facebook. Somehow the idea of a reunion clicked in the minds of some of us and a series of emails were shot through to every known batch-mate who had access to internet. It was amazing to see how networks work, and one person can make a difference. 4<sup>th</sup> May 2007 was decided as the date for the reunion with an approximate head count of 28 people expected to ‘rock the party’ as we called it. What we didn’t realize was that this reunion would end up getting us together for a cause that none of us anticipated.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YQ6ZUz54cDE/Te8-jXX0JKI/AAAAAAAAArE/bJvtMAql-WE/s1600/reunion1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YQ6ZUz54cDE/Te8-jXX0JKI/AAAAAAAAArE/bJvtMAql-WE/s200/reunion1.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Most of the people who turned up eventually for the event were US visiting batch-mates who promised to stay in touch, few were the shy ones who only came because of all the insisting we did, some only came to see what the whole big deal was and the remaining were me and my few other friends who stayed back to discuss what we can do as a group.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Me, Mrudula, Jatin, Nihar, Ashwin, were very keen on doing something for the community especially for the school who got us where we were today. The conversation led to the old days and what we as students would have enjoyed having in the school and how much we miss being associated with it. So we decided to visit the school and meet up with the teachers and principal just to re-live those days. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vpcrz71gsGc/Te9CQxViwvI/AAAAAAAAArM/h1KTPJWjKOo/s1600/reunionpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vpcrz71gsGc/Te9CQxViwvI/AAAAAAAAArM/h1KTPJWjKOo/s320/reunionpic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We reached the school one late afternoon, (of course that only happened after several calls to convince the principal the reason why we wanted permission to be in the premises) Old school playground that lay deserted, the classrooms which still bore our names carved on the desks, the staff rooms as always bubbling with conversations, library that hadn’t lost the fragrance of books and polish of the cabinets, reminded us of the Golden days. Apparently the guys even visited the boy’s washroom and re-lived some of their old times and came out with a weird code language that I and mrudula just couldn’t decipher.(it still remains a mystery to me and mrudula, :P but I guess some things are better that way). Meeting old teachers went quite well when we realized that they knew a lot of mischief we used to do around class with the impression that the teacher isn’t looking. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MwTHutF2Leo/Te9CXG7_WaI/AAAAAAAAArQ/4uzfxh_-X9A/s1600/Reunion+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MwTHutF2Leo/Te9CXG7_WaI/AAAAAAAAArQ/4uzfxh_-X9A/s320/Reunion+photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span id="goog_848901913"></span><span id="goog_848901914"></span>After a tour around the school, we met up with the principal who much to our surprise was very curious to know why we wanted to visit the school. We explained to her our attachment with the school and how we would like to keep our association in every way we can. We were given an idea of how children who cannot afford their education are dropping out of school and even though the school does everything to reduce the pressures for such families, there is little they can do since it’s a school with a board of trustees to reply to.<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On our way out, we all had the same look and thought and we barely needed a second opinion on the same. We decided to utilize all the resources to reach out to all our reunion list of batch-mates and do something for the students who could not afford their education. The principal helped us out with the names of 10 unique cases where the child had the talent to learn, but parents were either single parent, or had genuine reasons for not being able to come up with the money. We came up with the money of approximately Rs. 30,000 that year. With the fees of 1500 for the year covered in the contribution, the remaining amount of 1500 was used to provide the remaining necessities to the child, notebooks, pencil box, crayons, pen sets, Tiffin boxes, school bag, etc.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We personally visited the school to give this contribution and the principal had made sure that we get the chance to meet every parent of the child we are contributing for. A mother suffering from cancer, a single mom taking care of 3 children whose father abandoned them, a sister taking care of her brother by doing part-time job while studying herself, and many more cases came to our attention.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was an amazing feeling to reach out to such kind, and we have continued to do it since last 3 years. This year, we are starting our drive again for this cause and hoping to raise the bar a little higher. Its our school’s 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary and we intend to make sure its special in a lot more ways than just monetary contribution. Sports kits for the school, money for the annual function this year, a prize for the competitions held during the annual celebration and a special something is planned for the teachers in the school from our batch. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We are all doing our bit for the institution that made us the people we are today and we genuinely believe that if every little help counts when it comes to promoting education.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We, students of North Bombay Welfare Society high School, Ghatkopar, Mumbai are doing out bit…Are you?</div></div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-76665308020339631802011-05-11T14:14:00.000+05:302011-05-11T14:14:44.792+05:30A Reason to believe....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As children, I know we hear a lot of things that we believe or don't believe. I know its difficult to believe everything we hear even when we grow up but the reason for me to write this post today is because I have believed today 3 lines/phrases that I have heard very often, but never really got anything to authenticate. Of course, this are only few of the lines for me to mention here, but I hope at the end of this post, you might find your three lines too...<br />
<br />
<br />
I have never been a 'mills and boons' girl, and I used to find the idea of a fantasy man bogus and very childish. I have been of a belief that a couple needs to work a lot on their relationship to make it work. So when I used to be told <u style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>"There is a special someone for everyone"</b></i></span></u> I used to laugh it off, just like Shahrukh in 'DTPH'. But I genuinely have seen and experienced that we might not find our perfect soul-mates, but whoever we find has a potential to be the man/woman of our dreams. God sure works in mysterious ways to give every person a chance that he/she needs. Its just upto us to not negate everything in him/her and give a chance for our love to unfold themselves. <br />
<br />
You know how they say <u style="color: red;"><i><b>"Distance makes heart fonder"</b></i></u><span style="color: red;"> </span>That has somehow been true for me in the past few weeks. I know how people say that they can't live without each other and cliches like that, but with everything I have felt, those lines don't feel like cliches anymore. In our lives, we take a lot of things and lot of people for granted. Of course we only realize their true worth once they have gone away from them. It could be someone as common as our maids, or someone as important as our parents, or even the most special person in our life. I don't mean to compare my parents or my love with maids, but I know every housewife will agree with me with regards to the importance of maids. Anyways, the point I am trying to make here is, whether its a newly married girl missing her parents, or a couple away from each other due to husband's relocation, everyone goes through a phase where they miss each other and realize how the other person used to make us feel. That distance only makes the heart grow more fond of him/her. It's a different issue that we don't let that distance come in between the relationship and work with each other. A small poem based on these feelings sent to me by someone special. :)<br />
<br />
<blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">I spend my time thinking,<br />
Wishing you were here.<br />
I stop and look around,<br />
Hoping you were near.<br />
<br />
Just because You are not with Me,<br />
Doesn't mean a thing.<br />
It's knowing that You know,<br />
That I'm Your everything.<br />
<br />
So whenever You feel lonely,<br />
Just look inside Your Heart.<br />
And know without a doubt,<br />
That in our " s p i r i t " We will never be apart...</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />
<u style="color: red;"><i><b>"Everything happens for a reason"</b></i></u>. If only I have a rupee for every time someone has told me that. I know people might say how can tsunamis and earthquakes be a good thing? Well, in my defense, I am not talking about things that we don't have control on. But the attitude with which we accept these circumstances. I remember the time when I was down with heavy fever for 3 days and couldn't go to work. On the third day, I came to know that all the people in my office had been asked to stay back in the office for 3 days due to heavy flooding in the city. Yup, that was 26th July, the worst floods Mumbai had experienced.<br />
<br />
There are lot of instances for me to share like these but the blog is just not enough. I guess what I am trying to say is that if we are patient and open-minded enough to wait for a while, every bad thing will unfold itself into a good thing and when THAT happens, will you be smart enough to accept it to yourself that I am glad that happened?<br />
<br />
These are three lines that I have been able to experience that hold true to their meaning. What are the phrases of your life?<br />
<br />
<br />
Think about it.<br />
<br />
Until next time..Adios, Ciao.<br />
</div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-37721223469702715352011-04-21T14:26:00.000+05:302011-04-21T14:26:59.518+05:30Chai Garam...Chai Garam...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9DnLZEuV-sg/Talrnaixq2I/AAAAAAAAAqY/IJk7WjvWwLA/s1600/taprichai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9DnLZEuV-sg/Talrnaixq2I/AAAAAAAAAqY/IJk7WjvWwLA/s200/taprichai.jpg" width="200" /></a>"Chai Garam, Chai Garam....!! I had heard these words several times during my recent travel in one of the long distance trains. If you are a tea person, that call would surely tempt you to respond with a "Oye bhaiya, Ek chai", but those words got me thinking about the national drink of our country (unofficially, of course)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aIre4AyohDg/TabjKOPM4FI/AAAAAAAAAqM/bQROdpGRffU/s1600/tapari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aIre4AyohDg/TabjKOPM4FI/AAAAAAAAAqM/bQROdpGRffU/s200/tapari.jpg" width="200" /></a>Tea as a drink has now become almost synonym to the small 'tapri' (roadside stalls) in Mumbai. A small stall with the least investment, It's a very common sight to see vendors, workers, middle-class men, and nowadays call center crowd flocking around these tea stalls during their free time.They seem to be around every corner. From outside multinational company complex to railway and bus stations, from new construction sites to industrial areas, these stalls are making their mark everywhere.<br />
<br />
Tapri chai is a fix most office-goers can't do without. This is a place where friends gather during the day in true convivial spirit to partake of this hearty brew and catch up on the local gossip. It’s usually served in small tea glasses, but you haven’t really enjoyed it until you pour it on an empty saucer and simply slurp.Tapri also gives solace to a lot of college going kids who find the tapri the most affordable place to pass time between classes (...or during class, hehe). The easiest way to recognize tapri is firstly by seeing a group of people around it, or by their kerosene operated stoves.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQvaNieMRqA/TalgLAvsRKI/AAAAAAAAAqU/jex3u-aoLtg/s1600/Relaxing+at+Tapri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQvaNieMRqA/TalgLAvsRKI/AAAAAAAAAqU/jex3u-aoLtg/s200/Relaxing+at+Tapri.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Mumbai tapri chai is also a relief to many of the mumbaikars who go on foot till Siddhivinayak (A famous temple in Mumbai) on Tuesday mornings. Tuesday mornings, this tea is the energy drink that drives these religious ones to their destination. Many generous stalls provide free cups of tea to these regular walkers at various stops on the way. <br />
<br />
Also, one of the oldest restaurants in Mumbai known for its tea is the 'Tea Centre' at Churchgate, Mumbai. Its not only known for its variety of tea, but more for its ambience. Even though its very different than the standard tapris in mumbai, the experience there, can transfer you from today to yester-years look, with small silver bells on the table to call out to the waiter, beautiful surroundings and old-style furniture. The Tea Centre was initially opened by the Tea Board of India to promote the drink.<br />
<br />
I, however have never been able to come to terms with the ability of certain people to spend more than 10/- for a cup of tea. So to find out what is the thrill all about, I decided to once find out how it felt and went to one of the coffee shops and ordered Masala Chai. Eventually I ended up spending Rs. 40/- for boiled water in a stylish cup, milk, sugar and tea bags given separately. But that of course is a different story. At the end of this little social experience, I had to go to the nearest tapri to enjoy the feeling of having a true masala chai. <br />
<br />
Mumbai is known as the city of dreams, but the tapri's of mumbai are the alarm clocks that help people wake up to achieve those dreams. <br />
<br />
Its just difficult to imagine a city without few of them around the neighbourhood. This article sure has given me a craving for a chai, Anyone care to join?<br />
<br />
</div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-79852672127742257562011-02-10T13:18:00.000+05:302011-02-10T13:18:16.421+05:30Making my suffering a "Safar"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Local transport makes up for a great amount of time in a mumbaikar's life when it comes to traveling from and to work. I am one such mumbaikar who spends 5 hours a day in a local bus. A blogger like me just couldn't resist the temptation to write about my experience in this mode of transport since just like our regular interaction gets us acquainted with weird people, this journey also lets us observe variety of human behaviors. I present to you... top 5 kind of people you will see in any mode of public transport: <br />
</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qTAj5m8kbcQ/TVOSm3VhJYI/AAAAAAAAAps/lC4WDMb6p-I/s1600/conductor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qTAj5m8kbcQ/TVOSm3VhJYI/AAAAAAAAAps/lC4WDMb6p-I/s200/conductor.jpg" width="135" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Conductor: Generally a calm personality, this species tend to show various mood swings during the overall journey. "<i>Chutta nikalke rakho</i>" <i>(kindly give change)</i> seems to be the copyrighted statement of theirs but somehow the change automatically seems to emerge out of the pocket if we stick to the "<i>chutta nahi hai</i>" <i>(sorry no change) </i>line. However irritating they might seem on the outside, I have come to be grateful to these public workers specially for the fact that they are practically on their feet 80 percent of their working hours. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.<span id="goog_1541200388"></span><span id="goog_1541200389"></span></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span><ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tqgAY3PxDMY/TVOTVtiOBpI/AAAAAAAAApw/lYOLNbvf5ls/s1600/best-bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tqgAY3PxDMY/TVOTVtiOBpI/AAAAAAAAApw/lYOLNbvf5ls/s200/best-bus.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> Ladies first: Public services have been really nice to us ladies in terms of seating. With 4-6 seats reserved for ladies, we get a lot of envious looks from the opposite gender. Working women who strive to balance personal and professional lives, tend to find their alone time in this very gracious travel, whether its knitting, reading, gossiping or just taking a quick nap this woman can do it all. Hats off to this species. </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_7tF4A0INY0/TVOWvnQ5SAI/AAAAAAAAAp0/6JO-CfHhcqQ/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_7tF4A0INY0/TVOWvnQ5SAI/AAAAAAAAAp0/6JO-CfHhcqQ/s200/hqdefault.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Business men type: This species are the most entertaining and educational for me in my journey. Most of these types belong to the gujarati and marwadi clan. Their identities generally include sophisticated mobile phones with either bluetooths or hands-free attached to the ear, loud voices, and lot of business talk "entertaining" everyone in range of their conversation. From how to handle vendors to the optimum resource to how to increase revenue, no detail is confidential for this kind. In fact the louder they talk, the better businessman you are supposed to be. The irony of this kind is that they are the same people adding to the growth as well as the corruption of the country. What contrast! </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiDWaXIpyLs/TVOXTAU4pFI/AAAAAAAAAp4/2HcJ1eaeUpM/s1600/bus-ride-from-foundry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiDWaXIpyLs/TVOXTAU4pFI/AAAAAAAAAp4/2HcJ1eaeUpM/s200/bus-ride-from-foundry.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Lovebirds: This kind is generally found in buses occupying the last seats to ensure least stares. What they tend to forget is that the cat does not become invisible just coz it shuts its eyes. This kind can be identified easily by their held hands, giggles, whispers and coy smiles. A/c buses help the new generation couples to snuggle up and get cozy, clear misunderstandings, make up their fights and spend a little alone time without the moral police bothering them. If not anyone else, the extra money paid as the ticket cost seems worth it to this kind. </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RHNggrvqLaE/TVOYKgM0DFI/AAAAAAAAAqA/qLa9HHjuM_c/s1600/192338524_db101d7738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RHNggrvqLaE/TVOYKgM0DFI/AAAAAAAAAqA/qLa9HHjuM_c/s200/192338524_db101d7738.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The men: Last but not the least lets not forget the male population that travels without getting any special privileges, incentives, or reasons to take this mode of transport. They make up for 70% of the crowd that travels in the bus standing for most of the time, sacrificing their hard earned seats to the women and senior citizens. Agreed that they hardly have a choice in the matter, but I have also met some gracious gentlemen who give up their place for uncomfortable lot in the crowd, offered to reduce the weight of our baggage when needed and never fighting over petty issues. </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />
So these were the top five people who stand out on my chart for my daily journey from and to work. These species have inspired me to start my blog today. I can't assure that it will continue, I surely hope to keep this blog alive. <br />
<br />
Adios. Take care. </span></div></div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-56831264939641748182011-01-25T16:05:00.000+05:302011-01-25T16:05:00.537+05:30New Life, New Beginning, New Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #660000; text-align: justify;">Was trying to find something to base life upon,</div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: justify;">Something in the world around that went on & on,</div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: justify;">Years went by & time faded away,</div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: justify;">Good days were then filled with dismay.<br />
A New day came, and then again, it went,<br />
My ambition to become something more, grew more and got spent,<br />
Around the corner, yet miles away,<br />
The life I wanted then, got closer each day.<br />
</div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: justify;">All I ever wanted was something to live for,<br />
I didn't want to be this little person anymore.<br />
I had been basing my life upon what others thought,<br />
I wished I could go back and redo everything, give back every bad thought I bought.<br />
I had fought to become who I was and what I wanted to be,<br />
I had to remind myself that one day, I will be free.<br />
Free from the rules I followed as a child,<br />
When everything was a game and life was so mild.<br />
</div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: justify;">Soon times had changed and I realized life was fair,<br />
And somehow felt I found someone to care,<br />
Someone to pay attention and know what is best for me,<br />
and understood what I felt about how things should be.<br />
I understand now, that I’m no more on my own,<br />
And I know a lot of what I CAN do.... is yet to be known.</div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: justify;">To the person who makes me a better person. :) </div></div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-3194869710458428772010-09-24T16:16:00.000+05:302010-09-24T16:16:33.213+05:302 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.<br />
<br />
My First blog was a review on the book <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2008/09/shopaholic-and-sister-review.html">"Shopaholic and Sister"</a> 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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Thank You one and all, for reading through my posts at some point or another.<br />
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Hope to post more often.<br />
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:) Adios, See you soon.10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-36581078246155759802010-08-17T12:17:00.001+05:302010-08-17T12:17:54.238+05:30The 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.<br />
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My Friend <a href="http://shafiss.blogspot.com/">Shafi</a> has tagged me for this post, where the <i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Rules of Tagging are:</span></b></i><br />
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<ul><li> Tell your readers <span style="color: blue;">10 things</span> about yourself that they may or may not know, but are true.</li>
<li> Tag <span style="color: #990000;">10 people</span> with the award, and be sure to let them know they’ve been tagged (a quick comment on their blog will do).</li>
<li> Link back to the blogger who tagged you.</li>
</ul>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?<br />
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<ol><li>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. </li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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. :)</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>I love photography. It's a hobby which I have recently realized that I am really good at. (Apne Muh Miya Mithhu... ;))</li>
<li>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, <u><b style="color: blue;"><i>"Life's a climb, but the view is great"</i></b></u>. Similarly, marriage might not be easy, but it's all worth it. :)</li>
<li>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><b style="color: blue;"><u>'I don't regret getting hurt in the past because that's the reason I am the person I am today'</u></b>. </i>My revenge is not going to make my life any better. So what's the point?</li>
<li> I love my sister, Mansi. I know I don't show it to her as often, but She means a lot to me. :)</li>
<li>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. </li>
<li>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.</li>
</ol><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I present myself the 'Honest Scrap Award'</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/TGkmZZlAZUI/AAAAAAAAAog/JWyuWY7NNMQ/s1600/honest-scrap-award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/TGkmZZlAZUI/AAAAAAAAAog/JWyuWY7NNMQ/s320/honest-scrap-award.jpg" /></a></div>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.<br />
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<ul><li> <a href="http://takeuplaces.blogspot.com/">Andy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://double-dolphin.blogspot.com/">Deep</a></li>
<li><a href="http://balasrini.wordpress.com/">Bala</a></li>
<li><a href="http://aparnadasgupta.blogspot.com/">Aparna</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wings2thoughts.blogspot.com/">Bhavika</a></li>
<li> <a href="http://aspoonfullofworld.blogspot.com/">Shirin</a></li>
<li><a href="http://globalmadarasi.blogspot.com/">Ramesh R.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.umennet.com/">Sudhindra</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/08272052660786185646">Lonesome Zombie </a></li>
<li><a href="http://soaptrash.blogspot.com/">Garfield D'souza</a></li>
<li><a href="http://prats.co.in/">Prateek Gupta </a></li>
</ul>Thanks for reading through.Feel free to take this tag if you liked it. It's fun!<br />
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Adios. Ciao. Take care.10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-29451088320619391032010-08-01T11:49:00.000+05:302010-08-01T11:49:51.783+05:30....and so it began.Recently, I received an invitation for a <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/bloggermeet.php?id=89&reg=y">Mumbai blogger's</a> 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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://takeuplaces.blogspot.com/">Andy</a> and my Sister <a href="http://shubbhi.blogspot.com/">Mansi</a> 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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2008/09/shopaholic-and-sister-review.html">blog</a> on 24th September 2008.<br />
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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. <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2008/09/shopaholic-and-sister-review.html">Book reviews</a>, my frustrations with the <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2008/09/news-channelinformation-outlets-or-trp.html">news channels</a>, <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2008/10/critics.html">Critics</a>, <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2008/12/woh-kagaz-ki-kashti.html">Emotional outbreaks</a>, <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2009/01/sapne-to-apne-hai.html">Childhood memories</a>, <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2009/01/soul-mate-or-solo-mate.html">personal conflicts</a>, etc etc etc.<br />
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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. <br />
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I didn't know that people's comments really mattered on blogs, until I spoke to my blog-guidance-counsellor '<a href="http://takeuplaces.blogspot.com/">Andy</a>' 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. <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2009/04/one-ark-can-save-you.html">ARK</a>, <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2009/04/to-read-this-blogpress-1.html">to read this blog press #1</a>, <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2009/04/womens-dictionary.html">Women's dictionary</a>, 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.<br />
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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?<br />
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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.<br />
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Until next time....Happy Friendship day, and Ciao..!!!!10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-52338450454995997122010-07-01T13:21:00.003+05:302010-07-01T13:26:58.715+05:30Trip down memory lanes...in the rains<div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Hi all,</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></i></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"></span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"></span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/TCxCEaGlG3I/AAAAAAAAAiU/p4JS-JQ4gnU/s1600/30062010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/TCxCEaGlG3I/AAAAAAAAAiU/p4JS-JQ4gnU/s320/30062010.jpg" /></a> 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.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/TCxCSpw4WEI/AAAAAAAAAic/JfWwMEz1gzY/s1600/30062010-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/TCxCSpw4WEI/AAAAAAAAAic/JfWwMEz1gzY/s320/30062010-2.jpg" /></a> </span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I hope this post helps you re-collect some of your old memories of rainy season. Feel free to share in the comments anytime.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Hopefully see you soon with a new post.</span></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p><u1:p></u1:p></span></i> </div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-69311960806946254162010-03-27T08:23:00.009+05:302010-03-27T08:57:08.218+05:30Thank You.<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >After a long gap from blogging, I feel like writing today, for those who matter a lot to me. You know who you are... </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >People say i have changed,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >Don't know if its for good or bad,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >Though i have realized that,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >I have more than I ever had.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >I have this feeling that the world around me,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >is what I anticipated to see,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >U ask me if I am happy?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >I would say i surely agree.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >I have friends to share,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >A person who cares,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >A family that is rare,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >And a life that's been fair.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >There were time when</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >i thought i was misunderstood,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >But i realized that I found someone</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >Who understood me more than i ever could.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >Today i thank everyone who is dear,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >who brought to my life lot of cheer,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >Hope you find my poetry sincere,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" >and wish you would always stay near.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING A PART OF MY JOURNEY - MY FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE. :)<br /></span></div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-762795789570709892010-01-07T09:37:00.004+05:302010-01-07T09:59:34.549+05:30Short Series: From A to Z and back...Part ThreeAfter 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?<br /><br />A dials the number ...Tring Tring...<br /><br />Hello...!!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: Hi.. May I speak to V?<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(This was a bad idea...!!..Hang up...right now..</span>)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V</span>: Speaking, who is this?<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A:</span> Hi..I am not sure if you remember me, we spoke around a week back just once. A here...??<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(please say yes...)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V:</span> 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.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: Oh, yeah. I just wasn't sure if it was appropriate..Anyways...Will give you my number by the end of this call. <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(its better to play safe..I mean lets see if I still enjoy talking to him)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V:</span> That sounds fair..I mean I don't know if will still like talking to me the second time..right?<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(shit he read my mind)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: Ha ha, So, hows life in the last one week?<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V</span>: Life's good...Have been busy doing stuff...Wassup with you?<br /><br />And the conversation goes on...A cant believe that it AGAIN went on for more than 30 mins.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V</span>: Hey by the way...Which part of Bombay are you from?<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: What makes you think I am from Bombay? <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(assumption is the mother of all dot dot dot)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V:</span> Well, I find it difficult to believe that someone would spend so much time and money on an STD call...Lol<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: Smart..I am from Vikroli.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V:</span> Hey that's like 15 mins away from where I am..What a small world.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A:</span> I guess the Internet is bringing people closer... <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(small world indeed)</span><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V</span>: 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.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A:</span> Are you asking me out? <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(that was quick)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V:</span> Haha, well...if that term makes you say Yes, then yeah... How about tomorrow?<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: Why don't I let you know by evening? <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(I don't wanna sound desperate now...do i?)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V</span>: Take your time, but I got to get back to work. In case we don't talk again...It was nice knowing you.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: Why do you think we wont talk again? <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(It cant be a brush off...specially since he has "asked me out")</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V</span>: Well, Just a thought.. :P<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: Don't worry, You are in for a surprise..<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V</span>: Talk to you soon?<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A:</span> yeah..by the way, my number is.... ********** <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(I hope i don't regret this)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">V</span>: Thanks :)<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">A</span>: Sure.. See ya.<br /><br />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....<span style="font-weight: bold;">DO NOT</span> get carried away...Or was it too late?10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-32325479914883844502010-01-06T12:50:00.001+05:302010-01-06T12:52:35.091+05:30I miss my Old Self...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/S0Q6AvWIEJI/AAAAAAAAAeM/dNvyNj9tw7Q/s1600-h/old+me.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 161px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/S0Q6AvWIEJI/AAAAAAAAAeM/dNvyNj9tw7Q/s200/old+me.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423523635644600466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 102);font-size:100%;" >I Look down deep,<br />deep inside of my mind;<br />an old part of me,<br />I know I will find.<br /><br />The part that is hiding<br />and doesn't want to be found;<br />it has hidden too long<br />and won't come around.<br /><br />I know it is there,<br />hiding way down inside<br />the place that I think<br />I have gone in to hide.<br /><br />I want to Let myself free;<br />let it run, let it ride.<br />Let it out, let it sing;<br />let it out from inside.<br /><br />It has hidden too long,<br />that old self that was me;<br />because I was hurt,<br />I want to let it out and leap.<br /><br />There is something there<br />that is wonderful indeed;<br />it was once nourished -<br />it came from a seed.<br /><br />That wonderful me<br />that I hide deep inside,<br />I want to let it out, let it run;<br />I dont want to let it hide.<br /><br />Those who really know me<br />miss the old me indeed;<br />and for that they are sad.<br />They only want what's best for me<br /><br />I wanna let myself out;<br />be happy, be glad.<br />Not let the past hold me;<br />the one that was bad.<br /><br />Oh, I see bits and pieces<br />every once in a while;<br />the old me shines through<br />and gives out a smile.<br /><br />I miss that part,<br />that old part of me<br />I miss all the fun<br />and the laughter indeed.<br /><br />I wanna come back.<br />I hope I find the way<br />back into the life<br />hoping i will stay that way;<br /><br />Because I do miss<br />that old part of me,<br />the one I was,<br />my old self indeed.<br /><br />That one that is hopeful,<br />joyous, and glad -<br />in a world full of love,<br />even though good and bad.<br /><br />The world won't change.<br />It's sad but it's true;<br />but I know that I can<br />come back out through.<br /><br />The one who is happy<br />and sees all that is great -<br />the one who's optimistic,<br />who doesn't care if they're late.<br /><br />I've hidden too long<br />deep down inside.<br />I've crawled into myself,<br />and I tried to hide.<br /><br />I'm still learning<br />to set myself free;<br />one day I will learn<br />how to be the old me.<br /></span>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-13562839597585333952009-07-20T13:36:00.005+05:302009-07-20T14:56:01.402+05:30Short Series: From A to Z and back...Part Two<span style="color:#666600;">For Part one....Click here ---> <a href="http://worldof10v.blogspot.com/2009/07/story-from-love-to-lovepart-one.html">contd</a></span><br /><span style="color:#666600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#666600;">....CRASSHHHH!!!<br /></span>A is startled by the sudden crash and looks towards the window. It was the beautiful crystal vase that her mom's friend had gifted them on her parent's 25th Anniversary a couple of months back.<br /><br />"<em>Damn..not another stormy night</em>", she said. But something about this night made her feel like <em>Anything's possible. </em>While A starts gathering the shattered pieces off the ground, <em><span style="color:#660000;">Ding</span> </em>goes the msn messenger that A had forgotten to log off before she got to her reading.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">V says</span>:</span> Hey Happy Friendship's Day to you too. </em><br /><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Happy Friendship's day</span> <span style="color:#3333ff;">says</span>: <span style="font-size:85%;">(Damn, shud've changed that friendship day status a week back)</span>Hi...Thank you, May I know who this is?<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">V says</span>: Yes, I THINK you added me a week back from datingtoday.com's dating profile. I might have emailed in response to your profile.<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Happy Friendship's Day says</span>: <span style="font-size:85%;">(Oh..its one of them)</span> Oh, Ok..Yes. I am sorry, but a week has impacted my memory. Do you mind if we start over again. But just need a few minutes before I get back to you.<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">V says</span>: That's fine. I might not be available since I got some stuff to complete. Maybe another mins here. Maybe we can talk on the phone if you want later.<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Happy Friendship's Days says</span>:<span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></em><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(hmm....someone's quick)</span></em><em> hmm..well I dont trust people off net so soon. Lets see. Talk to you later. Brb.<br />V says: sure.<br /></em><br />A gets back to clearing the mess and mopping the floor up. After about 6 mins, she get back to the comp.<br /><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Happy Friendship's Days says:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> (yikes...is he gone?)</span> hey...u there?<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">V says</span>: which version of msn msnger are you using? because last I checked, if the person shows online, he/she is still ONLINE. Haha. Just kidding...<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Happy Friendship's Day says</span>: <span style="font-size:85%;">(oo...someone with a sense of humour...thats refreshing)</span> Haha, yeah, sorry. I have some people here who always show online but never talk. I thought you might be like them.<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">V says</span>: Ohk...Nice save. :P<br /></em><br />The conversation goes on for about 30 mins, where they discuss music, likes, dislikes, politics, etc. A had never felt the same way before. She was talking to a stranger, and actually LIKING it.<br /><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">V says:</span> Its been really nice talking to you. But i got to get back to work. Have some music compositions to complete before tomorrow morning.<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Happy Friendship's Day says</span>: <span style="font-size:85%;">(ooo...music composer, interesting)</span> Oh, no issues. Will keep in touch. Hope to see you on msn soon.<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">V says</span>: Actually I hardly check my msn. Mind if we talk on the phone. 25707841 is my number. Do call if you wanna talk later. Bye...Adios...<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Happy Friendship's Day says</span>: <span style="font-size:85%;">(there we go again with the number...lol)</span> Ok good night.<br /></em><br />Should A call him ?? Is it safe to trust a stranger off the net ?? that too from a dating site ?? But she really thinks he is genuine....Maybe he should give him a chance. Afterall... what can one phone call lead to??<br /><br />Why don't you help her decide....any suggestions??10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-88042984373900382092009-07-08T17:06:00.007+05:302009-07-11T14:36:25.260+05:30Short Series: From A to Z and back...Part One.Rain was banging against the window of A's balcony, while she was reading the then-latest Sidney Sheldon's "<em>Doomsday conspiracy</em>".<br /><br /><br />Its been almost a week since A had joined her multimedia classes and was utilising 3 hrs in the day for some much needed extra-curricular activity. She still had no clue what to do with the rest of the time. Out of curiousity, she had ended up registering a dating profile on one of the then famous dating site. she definitely underestimated the power of World Wide Web, because she did not expect more than 4-5 responses on her profile. To her horror, her inbox was full with 350 emails from various parts of India.<br /><p>The crucial task of sorting the responses into <span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#33cc00;">Yes</span>, <span style="color:#ff0000;">No</span>, <span style="color:#ff6600;">Maybe</span>, <span style="color:#6600cc;">Are you kidding me</span>??,</span> and <span style="color:#993399;">Why do they even bother</span>? had taken her 3 days and 5-6 hrs per day, leaving her with Sidney Sheldon as her only hope to find something close to entertainment.<br /></p><p>When suddenly... CRASHHHH!!!!!!</p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">...to be continued.....</span></em></p>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-34440145249328083952009-07-04T17:39:00.004+05:302009-07-04T17:58:20.200+05:30Back from the dead...umm....I think...If you are reading this, thanks for remembering me. I know its been a while since I made an appearance and people have been asking me reasons for my disappearance. There were many times when I decided to write something, or times when I was on the way to some place and I thought,"Hey, that is something I could write about". But whenever I came back home and actually sat to type it down, I simply ran out of things I could write on that topic.<br /><br />I don't know what led to this, but I guess this is what they call a 'Writer's Block'. However in my case, its just a BLOCK.<br /><br />I write here today, to just keep this blog alive. Frankly, I have been very regular on my photo blog <a href="http://tanvi-photosofmylife.blogspot.com/">"<strong><em>Memories are just a click away</em></strong></a>". One of the reasons for that was that it didn't require any writing or any topics (most of the times).<br /><br />I am going through a lot of changes in my life right now, and for once I thought I would write about it, but changed my mind, thinking that <em>"hmmph ....no one wants to read about my life." </em>So I gave up.<br /><br />Right now, I am looking for an inspiration, a thought, a reason to write. I hope to find it soon. Till then, please be patient with me.<br /><br />Hope to see u soon.<br /><br />Adios. Ciao10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-38015275162972509942009-06-07T00:05:00.007+05:302009-06-07T00:41:43.202+05:30Yeh dosti hum nahi todenge...Its 10 mins past 9:00 and my phone rings on its usual ring tone...Jaane kyon...Dill chahta...Tu hai to...."<em><strong>hello</strong></em>...?" The familiar voice on the other end sounds somewhat like a charcoal operated train...on speed breakers..."<strong><em>Haha..hey babes...hahaha...Shut up yaar, I am calling her...Hi...wassup</em></strong>..??" and I know, this is one time, when none of my excuses are ever gonna help me. That's Bhavika and Anu, two of my best friends recently...Calling me down for the thrice-in-a-week session of Talk-listen-talk-comment-talk-listen...with all the talking mostly done by just one person. ;) <div><br /><div></div><div>I try every excuse (which sound genuine for that moment...to ME) in my book. Unfortunately, none of them work, and I end up changing into my gym workout clothes and shoes and reaching down. After a 15 minute wait, and several Phone calls, Anu turns up...looking all charged up to enjoy the these-days-rare "trio-session". Bhavika, is still out of sight and after 30 minutes and several phone calls and 'I am in the lift' excuses, we see her in a distance. </div><br /><div></div><div>The session starts with me and Anu cribbing about how she makes us wait EVERY TIME and how she needs to be more 'available' and then "<strong><em>Arrey...sorry yaar..Actually na..Blah blah blah</em></strong>." The blahs are not an indication of her excuses...but honestly, she narrates her whole trip of where she has been ...with who...what she did...what was funny....etc etc etc. And by the end of the story, we both (anu and me) end up forgetting the reason why we were angry...Or EVEN the fact that we WERE angry with her.</div><br /><div></div><div>The session goes on for more than 90 minutes and we are back to feeling the way we have always felt in each other's company. Our group of 3 has had the most absurd, serious, hilarious, and eye-opening conversations we ever cud have with anyone else. </div><br /><div></div><div>Bhavika: She is the talker in the group...There is no topic in the world that she CANNOT talk about. She can make a story, even at the mention of a small fly sitting on the road.."<strong><em>arrey that </em></strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/Siq94Z_9_uI/AAAAAAAAAOg/yEm5EfBbd48/s1600-h/450SEX30Q_movie.jpg"><strong><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344292684578029282" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 140px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/Siq94Z_9_uI/AAAAAAAAAOg/yEm5EfBbd48/s200/450SEX30Q_movie.jpg" border="0" /></em></strong></a><strong><em>reminds me, You know what happened</em></strong>?" and there she goes...with another exciting road trip of hers... Bhavika is one person, who has always been the positive breath of fresh air in the group. With her around, I find it most difficult to keep a straight face..or a negative thought in my mind. :) Do read her <a href="http://wings2thoughts.blogspot.com/">blog</a>, to read her first amazing attempt at story writing, and you will know what I am talking about. Please help me encourage her at blogging regularly, by commenting on her blog. </div><br /><div></div><div>Anu: She is the listener of our group. I wouldn't call her an introvert, but with Bhavika around, <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/Siq-ICqv3yI/AAAAAAAAAOo/IJwDaAjSdhY/s1600-h/FF.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344292953192914722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/Siq-ICqv3yI/AAAAAAAAAOo/IJwDaAjSdhY/s200/FF.bmp" border="0" /></a>even she rarely gets a chance to talk... An ambitious, free-spirited girl, with opinions about everything, and suggestions for every healthy food under the sun..She is my inspiration when I get bored of eating the same kind of diet every week. She probably doesn't know, but I sometimes call her during the time she is having her lunch/dinner, just to find out what new experiment she has done with her diet today. I am proud to say that out of all 3, she is the only one who was determined enough to stick to her schedule and achieve her targets. Keep up the good work darling..We both admire you for that.</div><br /><div></div><div>Our group is unique, because each of us complete each other...and compliment each other. Bhavika talks, Anu listens, and I write blogs on them. Hahaha, I love you both gals..</div><br /><div></div><div>I am sure we all have such buddies in our lives...Ever tried to share your friendship with the world?...or at least with me?? Go ahead...comment and tell me a bit about them.</div></div>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239158676757925562.post-84840436801166101442009-05-31T23:58:00.006+05:302009-06-01T00:04:26.500+05:30Introducing....<span style="color:#99ffff;">I have recently started clicking photos whenever I get a chance to...and thankfully...I discovered a way to get them to my comp for uploading without going through the hassle of data cord. Here's the much awaited (for me) photo blog.... Kindly visit it every day for new updates...<br /></span><span style="color:#333399;"></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://tanvi-photosofmylife.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">http://tanvi-photosofmylife.blogspot.com/</span></strong></a><span style="color:#333399;"> </span><span style="color:#99ffff;">This is a small trailor of my first post there...</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#333399;"><br /></span></div><span style="color:#333399;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342056855238971394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 407px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 499px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gCap9HKGjf4/SiLMaAp1kAI/AAAAAAAAANI/rkCaafIzNW0/s400/Image026.jpg" border="0" /><br /></span><span style="color:#ccffff;">This photograph is clicked on the Vashi flyover...The only flyover, where the network is lost AFTER I get off the bridge..Strange!!!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ffff99;">**Kindly bear the quality, I dont have a very advanced phone on me (yet)</span>10Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867158483463546578noreply@blogger.com2