10 Day YOU Challenge | 9 Loves

Day two of the YOU challenge brings me to my nine loves. There used to be a time when I used to be able to do things I love, but social commitments leave less room to be able to enjoy everything you love. So here goes...List of 9 things I have and will always continue to love :

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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 Memories are just a click away.

4. 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.

5. 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. 

6. 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

7. 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. :)

8. 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.

9. 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. *Sigh* those were the days.

So here are my nine loves. So long...See you again tomorrow, with my Eight Fears.

Adios, Ciao.

10 Day Challenge - 10 Secrets

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 Shirin's Blog 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 10 things tag, so it will be difficult to find new things but I guess that's why its a challenge.So here goes...

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

1. 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 50 First Dates, 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. 

2. 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.

3. 

   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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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. 

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.


Hope to see you tomorrow, Adios, Ciao,
Take care.

Mumbai Meri jaan

'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.

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.

Mumbai Monsoon:  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.

Vada Pav: 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....!!!!

Local Transport: 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.

South Mumbai: 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:

• Share Markets (Bombay Stock Exchange,Reserve Bank of India,main offices of Bank of India, State Bank of India, etc), 
• Jewellery Markets (Jhaveri Bazaar), 
• Government office in Mantralaya, 
• Cooperage Sports Ground, Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium,
• Starting points of the Railway lines of Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Churchgate), 
• Defence colony of military and navy personnels - Navy Nagar,
• Prince of Wales Museum, now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalay.
• Nariman point & Marine Drive making the beautiful queen's necklace during the night time on the coastline of South Mumbai
• Dhobi Ghat, the famous open air Laundromat located at Mahalaxmi.
• The Mulji Jetha market in Mumbai is the largest textile market in Asia.

These places make south mumbai crucial for the financial, political, and commercial activities.

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.

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..

Till then, adios...ciao.

Trip down memory Lane - Be the Change

Be the change you want to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi

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.

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^th 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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^th 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.

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.

We, students of North Bombay Welfare Society high School, Ghatkopar, Mumbai are doing out bit…Are you?

A Reason to believe....

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...


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 "There is a special someone for everyone" 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.

You know how they say "Distance makes heart fonder" 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. :)

I spend my time thinking,
Wishing you were here.
I stop and look around,
Hoping you were near.

Just because You are not with Me,
Doesn't mean a thing.
It's knowing that You know,
That I'm Your everything.

So whenever You feel lonely,
Just look inside Your Heart.
And know without a doubt,
That in our " s p i r i t " We will never be apart...

"Everything happens for a reason". 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.

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?

These are three lines that I have been able to experience that hold true to their meaning. What are the phrases of your life?


Think about it.

Until next time..Adios, Ciao.

Chai Garam...Chai Garam...

"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)

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.

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.

 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.

 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.

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.

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.

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?

New Life, New Beginning, New Change

Was trying to find something to base life upon,

Something in the world around that went on & on,

Years went by & time faded away,

Good days were then filled with dismay.
A New day came, and then again, it went,
My ambition to become something more, grew more and got spent,
Around the corner, yet miles away,
The life I wanted then, got closer each day.
 

All I ever wanted was something to live for,
I didn't want to be this little person anymore.
I had been basing my life upon what others thought,
I wished I could go back and redo everything, give back every bad thought I bought.
I had fought to become who I was and what I wanted to be,
I had to remind myself that one day, I will be free.
Free from the rules I followed as a child,
When everything was a game and life was so mild.
 

Soon times had changed and I realized life was fair,
And somehow felt I found someone to care,
Someone to pay attention and know what is best for me,
and understood what I felt about how things should be.
I understand now, that I’m no more on my own,
And I know a lot of what I CAN do.... is yet to be known.

To the person who makes me a better person. :)

2 years of blogging.

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

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

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

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

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

Hope to post more often.

:) Adios, See you soon.

....and so it began.

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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Hello...!!

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

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

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

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

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

For Part one....Click here ---> contd

....CRASSHHHH!!!
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.

"Damn..not another stormy night", she said. But something about this night made her feel like Anything's possible. While A starts gathering the shattered pieces off the ground, Ding goes the msn messenger that A had forgotten to log off before she got to her reading.

V says: Hey Happy Friendship's Day to you too.
Happy Friendship's day says: (Damn, shud've changed that friendship day status a week back)Hi...Thank you, May I know who this is?
V says: Yes, I THINK you added me a week back from datingtoday.com's dating profile. I might have emailed in response to your profile.
Happy Friendship's Day says: (Oh..its one of them) 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.
V says: 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.
Happy Friendship's Days says: (hmm....someone's quick) hmm..well I dont trust people off net so soon. Lets see. Talk to you later. Brb.
V says: sure.

A gets back to clearing the mess and mopping the floor up. After about 6 mins, she get back to the comp.


Happy Friendship's Days says: (yikes...is he gone?) hey...u there?
V says: 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...
Happy Friendship's Day says: (oo...someone with a sense of humour...thats refreshing) Haha, yeah, sorry. I have some people here who always show online but never talk. I thought you might be like them.
V says: Ohk...Nice save. :P

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.
V says: Its been really nice talking to you. But i got to get back to work. Have some music compositions to complete before tomorrow morning.
Happy Friendship's Day says: (ooo...music composer, interesting) Oh, no issues. Will keep in touch. Hope to see you on msn soon.
V says: 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...
Happy Friendship's Day says: (there we go again with the number...lol) Ok good night.

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??

Why don't you help her decide....any suggestions??

Short 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 "Doomsday conspiracy".


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.

The crucial task of sorting the responses into Yes, No, Maybe, Are you kidding me??, and Why do they even bother? 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.

When suddenly... CRASHHHH!!!!!!

...to be continued.....

Back 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.

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.

I write here today, to just keep this blog alive. Frankly, I have been very regular on my photo blog "Memories are just a click away". One of the reasons for that was that it didn't require any writing or any topics (most of the times).

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 "hmmph ....no one wants to read about my life." So I gave up.

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.

Hope to see u soon.

Adios. Ciao

Tagged down memory lane via numbers.

This is my first experience at being tagged by a fellow blogger "Bala" and I am currently going through a writer's block. So this tag came along at the right time. I have never been much of a number person, except that I remember phone numbers much more easily than Birth dates...

So here we go...My play with numbers starts here:

One: I have 1 sister, who I love dearly..People ask me "would I have been happier if I had a brother"...and I reply ..Hah..My sister is no less in any way..if you know what I mean. *wink*

Two: I have worked for 2 MNCs till date. Industele and Wipro BPO. Few best years of my life.

Three: I had come 3rd in 3 different sports event when I was 12 years old in one of the community Annual sports event.. "Bhatia Annual Sports Day"...Long Jump (yeah...i could jump the farthest)....Shot put...(no prize for guessing why it went the farthest)...and 400 metre running race..(longest I have run at a stretch till date..)

Four: Till date there are just 4 girls I consider as my best friends...Bhavika, Anu, Sarita and Vaishali. Its quite rare for me to easily befriend girls, but I would never trade any of my guy friends with these 4.

Five: I have had a work experience of 5 yrs in Wipro BPO...met many friends...enemies...traitors...mentors..guides...and best friends. :)

Six: I have a strong 6th Sense when it comes to people..not in judging them, but to read their minds.

Seven: There are 7 wonders in the world...which are all on my list of "Things to see before I die"

Eight: I have 8 fingers without a Ring....I am largely a jewellery person, but can't stand gold. **The 2 rings on my finger are an exception to that fact.

Nine: I like to play 9-ball game in pool...Quick finish..and in an hour's play, we can play more games.

Ten: I was 10 years old when I had got mumps...the only major disease I had since childhood. I remember my mom applying a weird paste on my throat which smelt bad, and apparently tasted bad too, since I could almost taste it every time I gulped...Yuck..!! even the thought of it still makes me pukish..!!

This has been an interesting ride with numbers...and I would love to tag few more friends..some who HATE being tagged, and some who have experience in being tagged...so guys...have fun...!!!

I would like to tag Prateek, Anand, Impie, Alok, DD and Sakshi.

Why do people blog?

I recently had a friend of mine ask me "why do I blog?" and that leads me to my new post. Quite an interesting question and it really got my thinking. Why do I blog? or rather Why do people blog? Before I started this post, I researched on google.com the same question...and found many interesting blogs based on the same. So my post is no different than many of the other bloggers on the world of net.

But interestingly, I feel like writing my reasons for blogging. There are many people who express themselves in different ways, some people talk...some people sing, some people share jokes, and some people write. Blogging in a way is no different than expressing ourselves. The only difference is people who chose to write, think they are better at communicating through words than any other mode of communication.

I started writing diaries during my late teens as a mean of letting out emotions that I couldn't express vocally, or probably that I didn't want anyone else to know. I gave it up when my mom got her hands on my diaries. Of course it only helped my bonding with her in that stage of life, but I gave it up since my friendship with my mother didn't require me to write anymore. I recently started blogging to write about things that I would normally wouldn't discuss or speak about or rather on topics that aren't really supposed to be 'discussed' with anyone because they are either really not that important or they aren't that a big deal.

I realised that I enjoyed blogging. I liked the fact that I could have my own world where I could express my thoughts, emotions, and feelings, without trying to impress anyone.

But lately, I realised that I have become more commercial and ended up writing stuff that I wanted people to read and comment on. I have a friend who started blogging around the same time that I did and he used to end up getting 150-180 comments on his blog. I started envying him, because I started questioning my ability of writing. Am I not writing good enough for people to read my posts?? Why don't I get as many comments as him??

I ended up writing blogs that I wasn't really anxious on posting, but which i thought would attract a lot of comments. My blogs like 'Women's Dictionary', 'Why should boys have all the fun' and the 'automated system blog' definitely attracted a lot of people, but I started losing my soul in the writing.

I started writing posts and topics that got people reading my posts. It was a nice feeling, but the question that my friend asked me, made me realise that I had forgotten the real purpose of why I had started writing, and hence I write this post today....to get back to the root of my blog..My 'about me' used to say that I write to share what I feel, with other people who feel the same way. But it ended up happening the other way round. I started writing what other people WANTED to read, instead of writing what I felt. I compared my old posts like no-time-to-stand-and-stare and 'Dreams' where I used to know that I mean all those things..

I always want to meet like-minded people who have the same interests as mine and hence I promise myself, that from now on, I would only write and publish posts that reflect me as a person and if that gets people to my blog..fair enough...but if not, I would assume that there aren't many people who are like me, which would eventually make me UNIQUE. Feels nice...doesn't it?

So next time you are posting something on your blog, think..WHY ARE YOU WRITING THAT POST? Maybe it will give you a new perspective.

Hopefully you will visit my blog again...(haha, no harm publicising...it will take time for me to get over my commercialising approach)

Adios...Ciao