A lot of changes have taken place in my life since I made my last entry.

I got married to the man I love. Formalities aside, in our hearts, we’ve been man and wife forever.

I semi- shifted to the city I detest. The only reason I am able to tolerate this change is because of the constant love and support of my significant other as well as really affectionate relatives and cousins.

I don’t live with my mom anymore. I miss her like crazy and cry about it daily in private (and otherwise). Although right now I am very happy because I am back with her for a short while. :D

So if you ask me, how do you feel? I’ll give you one of my famous smiles and say, ‘Like a cloud. Cozy, playful and content.’
:-)

'Hey Little Pooh bear! Top of the morning to you, Champ', he waved with a smile sunnier than the newborn daisy in her backyard.

A spring of roses showed up on her cheeks even as clouds gathered to catch her in their fluffy arms.

It felt 'surreal but nice.'

Even after all these years, I haven’t lost an ounce of my naiveté when it comes to taking people at face value.

It’s impossible for me to fathom why people play the games that they do. What pleasure do they get? Never understood the dynamics or science behind it. Don’t have the time or inclination either.

Sometimes, I end up getting hurt, even betrayed during unkind occasions. Eventually, however, I snap out of it and regain my raw outlook towards life and its oddball subscribers.

It doesn’t hurt to be nice. And it certainly pays to be yourself.

Bottom-line, I am ready. To hurt. To heal. To love. To grow. To make a difference. To you. And me.

Sometimes motivation is just a physiotherapy session away.

Everyone loves me so much. And, at times, I am anything but deserving of their affections. I need to put a leash on that nasty temper of mine. I don't wanna end up with a song of regret, a la Rajesh Khanna, at the end of my day. I don't know when and how I became so virulent. I used to be the sweetest human being of my acquaintance. I hope I can be golden again.

It's an indescribable feeling when kids:
...name their favorite doll after you.
...want you to be their best friend's badminton date.
...sing songs with gooey lyrics like 'Am falling in love' to you.
...draw a portrait of you while making it a point to underline your name in bold (just in case you mistook it for a rope).
...won't go to sleep till their mommy tells them the story of your childhood as if it was no less than a fairy tale.
...say they love you one hundred million thousand while stamping squirrel kisses on your pleasantly surprised cheeks.

Some people can never be a part of my life. No matter how eager they are. Or how inevitable it seems.

A couple of weeks ago, I made an overnight trip to Khandala accompanied by my cousin and sis-in-law. It was just about okay, simply because the scorching weather did us no good. Overbearing sun aside, here are some glimpses from the getaway.

Watching the sun go down, rather reluctantly, at Sunset Point:


For a moment it takes shelter behind the complacent clouds:


But make no mistake, this baby has drowned:


I didn't have much of an appetite left to enjoy the meal at Duke's Retreat but the view was rather fetching:


Now this is just the kind of sleek road car-enthusiasts dream of:


We huffed and puffed and somehow made it to the seemingly unreachable Karla Caves. The temperature recorded more than 40 degree celsius.


The adventure sure had its share of gratifying moments.Such as this:


Dating back to the 3rd century, the carvings inside are surprisingly in decent shape:


I watched a seedy horror film in the night, which obviously means that I didn't get any sleep. Early in the morning, I stepped out of our cottage to grab some camera-friendly moments. And look what Goldilocks discovered:


Also, no flower goes unnoticed:


Entwined in eternal togetherness...sisters or lovers,God knows..but inspiring nevertheless.


Exorbitant camel rides for gullible tourists. Any takers? Boy, they must be glad.


From a distance I spot two of my favourite things: bougainvillea flowers and a ice gola stall.


The idea is to watch them sail. But I like them at rest too.

* DVDs continue to stay my best friends. Always dependable. Never (well almost) predictable.

* I want to see more of Deadpool.

* I am five minutes away from having a post-midnight Choco bar.

* And, there's no place like home.

I've been in so much pain, last couple of days. Damn spondylitis it at it again. A lottttttt of physiotherapy on the cards. Even that leaves me in a lot of agony (initially it will).

But I'll fight it off. I know I will. I am tough. I just don't know it.

I'm a paid user again. Yay, now all those fabulous user pics will be put to good use. :)

Thanks A! :)

It's been more than a decade, and yet the freshness of their romance is as new as today.

DDLJ makes me smile. Always, always.

Innumerable fond memories.

Magical connections are made of this.

And so the betrayed maiden said to the form-changing beast, 'Of all the mistakes I've made in my life, of all the terrible people I've come across, you are my ultimate horror. Maybe you'll get all of me in this miserable future but never once will you make it to my disaffected heart. You don't exist for it in any lifetime. Or beyond. Never. Ever.'

Capturing flowers on my Canon makes me one happy person.

Lately, I am enjoying manual focus more than ever.

I am also learning how my thought process really works behind picture-taking far better now. It helps me understand myself on a lot of levels. I think I am more of a let-me-be type of photographer. I like to err. I like to fall. I like to learn from my mistakes. I like to play. I like to dream through my pictures. I like to live this secondary life through them. Besides giving me tremendous joy, it's also treating my concentration issues.

Hmmm...

I should invest in a tripod though.

Leading a life that is mine alone.
Leading a life I don't know anything about.
Leading a life shrouded in plays of mystery.
Leading a life worth leaving behind.
Contradictions, constant, appealing.

I had so much on my plate, I lost my appetite.

Favorite brand of bath products: The Body Shop range of shower gels, Olive, Cassis Rose are my favorites and Neutrogena’s face wash, I have a sensitive skin, so it works like magic. Lush and Dove shampoos are pretty effective as well. Johnson's & Johnson talcum powder – I guess because it’s the only smell I associate with my childhood and want to hold on to. Bizarrely true. Vaseline lotion, Boroline cream, Parachute coconut oil and Close Up Calcium, too, are like, indispensable.

Cold drink: Pepsi (Coz it’s not too soapy or strong), Dukes Mangola (Fresh and juicy, sorry Frooti), Fruitshoot (I had one for the first time in Isle of Wight, and I was hooked. Later I discovered you get these back at home too. Black Currant & Apple rocks!), Pineapple-flavored Energee (It’s a local flavoured milk drink but lately I don’t see it anywhere. Boo hoo!)

Clothes: I keep picking things from here and there but for casuals --United Colours of Benetton (Right from college days, this store remains a regular haunt, in fact there was time when I was addressed as UCB instead of my real name.) and Fab India (It’s impossible I go there and not get anything. I even picked a sari, beat that!)

Restaurants: I don’t really like going to the same restaurant again and again. But Out of The Blue, Mezzo Mezzo, Moshes and Aunty’s Vada Pav never disappoint.

Gadgets: I used to swear by Sony once upon a time. But my luck with electronics is pretty lousy. Perhaps it’s got something to do with me living in a coastal city. I don’t have any favorites anymore. Having said that when it comes to cameras, Canon is tried, tested and kick ass.

Cosmetics: I am not very smart when it comes to this subject. I buy all kinds of shit and use nothing. Chanel is good. YSL is funky. L'Oréal is great. Bourjois is cool. I am gonna try and be more make-up friendly now. :D

Bags: I have this really adorable Kipling bag. Raspberry shade with the trademark monkey and all -- unabashed cuteness. And for hard luggage, Samsonite rules!

Shoes: I don’t have shoe fetish, the girly kind. I mean they are certainly gorgeous to look at. And I do have my share of those (they lie in the drawers redundantly). But give me my sneakers any day. I love my Nike and Reebok, they’re rock stars! As for my old, faithful Adidas, may its worn out soul rest in peace.

Watches: Okay, now we are talking! I have more than two dozen and I love them all for different reasons. Tissot, Fossil and DKNY are especially lovely.

Snacks: Maggi noodles, Kissan ketchup, Bourbon biscuits, Haldiram’s bhujiya sev, Ruffles Lays always succeed in making me a very happy girl.

Perfumes: Givenchy (everything by them is just so wow and heavenly...and wow), Chanel (your olfactory system has to be really challenged to NOT like their range), Calvin Klein (fresh yet radical, smooth yet sexy – most of their collection is stuff dream guys are made of). There’s one more. Actually this one’s a childhood favourite when mom thought I was too lowly to touch any of her perfumes...so she got me a bottle of Tata’s Eau de cologne to fiddle with. Only I love it to bits till this date.

Chocolates: Cadburys (coz Tiffins, Nutties and Doubles D eckers are just so yum and addictive) and Lindt (You haven’t lived if you aren’t a lifelong subscriber to Lindors yet).

There's a world where I can go and tell my secrets to
In my room, in my room
In this world I lock out all my worries and my fears
In my room, in my room

Do my dreaming and my scheming
Lie awake and pray
Do my crying and my sighing
Laugh at yesterday

Now it's dark and I'm alone
But I wont be afraid
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRrHw5Kn3ZE

Many pages gone.
A few missing.
My life.
One book or many.

Inside delItalia, a rather roomy Italian restaurant in Juhu, next to Mocha cafe. Getting to what really matters. Delicious menu. Check. Green & friendly. Check.  Bottomline: Me likes. Check, check, check.

Another view of the same. I am very fond of this place. I had a good time when I came in for lunch. I enjoyed the dinner too. They also have live music nights, along with Al fresco dining, on its roof top space, namely Il Terrazzo.
Three tapenade platter, the A to Z of scrumptious.
Cocktails, anyone?
When Watermelon and vodka collide. Something gorgeous and yummy is born.

Official website of delITalia

They drove about and around in a swish Honda City (with alloy wheels, no less) on filled roads and empty. They gorged and gulped yummy food (Marinated veggies, Tomato Bocconcini ciabatta, Cottage cheese steak with ratatouille and pine nut oil) and cool cocktails (Green Apple Martini, Watermelon Caipiroska, Cosmopolitan) at Salt Water Cafe. They ignored the cocky attendant and smiled at his snooty will.

They laughed. They joked. They talked. And choked. A party of carefree smiles, unedited stories and precious silliness...Much fun was had, more fun will be.

I walked back home with these gifts – a bouquet of pristine whites and the blessing of unconditional friendship.

 

You know what makes me special? Nobody knows me.

My definition of a 'Happy Meal':



Yours?

Lately, I am experiencing too many emotions at once. As a result I am either completely cranky or totally spaced out. The climate is certainly not helping nor is my tendency to blow the lid off at the slightest provocation. I’d like to get back to my pleasant self soon. I need to sleep but this cough is bothering me a great deal. I feel like crying actually. I wish I’d not think so much. If anyone ever decides to shoot me, target the head. It’s my worst enemy. After all the shopping I did online on Amazon and Disney yesterday, I have no business talking like this. You know what would do me good? Yes. Good night.

For the first time in my life, I carried my camera somewhere and didn't click a single picture. I just didn't find the time. I was in Delhi for around a week. The stay was supposed to last for three days but then I was hit by a bad flu and had too high a fever to travel. Cancelled flight/rescheduled/blah blah. Totally lame. Before that happened, I did enjoy the golgappas as well indulged in quality girlie time shopping with all the women in the family.

Now am back home and still shopping. This time it was just me happily picking a mouse for the laptop, mini duster to clean its keyboard and a port mini hub for all the numerous devices I keep digging inside the poor system.

Two of my photos were picked by the editor of Schmap to feature in the 2009 editions of their London and Glasgow travel guides respectively. Considering the kind of response Schmap has got from Time and Washington Post, being a tiny part of it makes me feel really good.

Also, I cooked after ages today. Nothing special. Just Maggi noodles spiced up with veggies and all.

Now I am off to splurge the Amazon gift certificate I received on my birthday some months ago...better use it up before it expires. :D

Why can’t I have Newton’s luck?

I had the best afternoon of my life today. I don’t know if there’ll be such a time again. To think there was not one thing obviously special about it.

I was at my old home, all alone. Being there always envelops me with a sense of belonging. All I had to do was put on my favourite songs from 70s and 80s, stuff that brought back memories of my prized possession – a red Philips transistor. Needless to say, nostalgia was the keyword. But instead of getting misty-eyed, I did what I used to do as a kid – lip sync.

Rolled up in a rotating chair, head thrown backwards, I gazed at the open, golden sky against the network of leafy, lush trees allowing the sun permeate through me every now and then. And I smiled with a song on my lips. No one got to see. No one needs to.

This is my idea of alone time. It’s also my definition of paradise.

Sometimes I am so caught up in making new memories that I forget the old ones. And so I thought I’d go through some old photographs to revive the same.

I loved Oxford, its palpable rush, like The White Rabbit who is always on the run. Indeed the latter was born in the imagination of writer Lewis Carroll in these very bustling lanes and burrows. At the same time, I captured a sense of stillness in its hidden bends and crooks. Every corner had a story to tell. Alas, I was pressed for time.
Have you ever been a part of real-time enchantment? If not, you must make a trip to The World Of Beatrix Potter, a tribute to Lake District’s most celebrated resident and one of the most awe-inspiring highlights of this region. Speaking of Lake District, it’s just too gorgeous for words. Its beauty is so effortless and obvious that you can’t help but feel optimistic all through the sojourn. No wonder its loveliness has inspired timeless poetry from the likes of Wordsworth and Coleridge.
One memory never fails to overwhelm me time and again. While I was scouting for the statue of Peter Pan at the Kensington Gardens, I walked to a spot near the bridge, wherein a man was playing the most beautiful tunes on his flute. As it is, the scene was enveloped in freshness and colours. The melody only added to the overall impact. I loved every bit of this un-orchestrated simplicity.
Much beauty surrounds the ins and outs of William Shakespeare’s birth place in Stratford Upon Avon. Even the fence reiterates my observation.
Outside a quiet looking mansion in Sligo, I spotted this hanging basket bearing a family of yummy-looking strawberries. To think I don’t even care for the fruit. Interestingly, I had a pretty warm experience with a lady selling strawberries outside Stonehenge. She was so pleased with my camera’s instant performance (after I showed the picture I’d taken of her) and wished me a great career in this stream. Nice woman!
I didn’t get to see much of the British Museum. By the time we got there, it was on the verge of closing down. Out of what I saw, I really liked these Bolivian masks on display.

1. Good stuff happens when you least expect it. It’s like happiness is this whimsical pup who warms up to you in its own time, so no point chasing it.

2. I don’t work hard with any aim or ideals. I just do. It’s who I am. To not be able to do that daunts me.

3. Often I am hard on myself, but sometimes I think I am alright. I’d like to believe I never give up on the possibility of good over the inevitability of bad.

4. Change makes me uncomfortable. I know it’s not exclusive. But then, I am talking about me. I am not willing, yet, to take the risk, to discover if I can deal with it or not. As of now, it’s a no-budge from me.

5. I can survive a tumour as long as I am told it’s not a big deal. I need to be mollycoddled through historical treaties and ilk.

This is exciting. ^_^

Turns out all those barbs I took on myself yesterday wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Good ol’ Anya Kong has been suitably rewarded with cuteness unlimited. My sis-in-law handed me a huge box. And this is what it contained. :D

It's P-O-O-H time, folks!.

The whole thing is so much more adorable and bigger than what it looks on the website.

I am a huge fan of A A Milne’s books as well as the Disney cartoons and simply adore Eeyore to death. Although, now I think I have enough of this character’s merchandise on me for this lifetime.

Anyone who knows me will know I have a thing for snow globes. From my first white Santa snow globe from a colleague to this, it’s been a flurry of fun-filled surprises.

Sometimes it’s very important to spell out your shortcomings. Even if you cannot immediately correct them, an acknowledgment is a baby step in the direction.

I am kinda bummed with myself lately. So here goes, the not-so-nice things about moi:

I am way too egoistic.
I am unreasonable, almost a bully.
I am laidback. Lazy.
I want things in a jiffy. I want to live an entire lifetime in 13 hours.
I am not very sympathetic and make light of everything.
I harbour regrets.
I tickle people even when they resist.
I am hyper critical.
I am unmanageably moody.
I am an emotional volcano, bursting every now and then.
I am incapable of contentment.
I have a morbid sense of humour.
I am short-tempered.
I am hyper sensitive.
I am not very healthy.
I don’t forget.
I think too much multiplied by infinity.
I snap easily.
I am a pain.

Hah! :P

Sulking has its perks, especially when what follows is the making-up part! :P

Drive with me
Do the things you wont believe
Drive with me
Past the city and down to sea

Crushin' Dreams
Leave me be, I cannot sleep

Drown with me
Past the city, down to sea
Rush of dream
Leave in peace, let me be

Oh, it's the pain
It's ingrained in me
Oh, I soothe my pain
It's ingrained in me

Drive with me
Drive with me...

Is it the grey weather outside my window?

Is it the 2004 diary I just read?

Is it Dario Marianelli?

Is it my wet hair?

Is it my dry eyes?

Is it my heart-in-hiding?

I am so cold.

There is a place,
Where I can go,
When I feel low,
When I feel blue.
And it's my mind,
And there's no time when I'm alone.

I think of you,
And things you do,
Go 'round my head,
The things you said,
Like "I love only you."

In my mind there's no sorrow,
Don't you know that it's so.
There'll be no sad tomorrow,
Don't you know that it's so.

There is a place,
Where I can go,
When I feel low,
When I feel blue.
And it's my mind,
And there's no time when I'm alone.

There's a place...

Current read: My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead. It's a collection of short love stories from the likes of Anton Chekov and Milan Kundera.
Current shampoo: A really nice hand-made shampoo bar from Lush.
Current thoughts: My mind is occupied with work-related ideas and general thoughts about my future. No biggie.
Current hate: I don’t think I am really capable of that emotion. Short-term irritations, yeah but not hard-core hatred.

Current favourites in:-
Movies: I really enjoyed this independent, small-budget film, November starring Courtney Cox. It’s like The Sixth Sense without the scares or spooks. Then there’s Disturbia, which I absolutely loved. It was both thrilling and entertaining (and a neat tribute to Rear Window). Not to forget Shia LaBeouf’s cool confidence in this star-making appearance.
Food: Mom-made naan with mom-made chole.
Lipstick: Fantastic plum.
Music: I’ve rediscovered Rod Stewart and the joy of swinging to his lilting melodies.

Rapid five:
The only person I've been a loyal fan of: Tom Cruise. Through scientology or worse, I like the gummy grinner for good.
The one thing you'd do for money: Work hard. Work honest.
The thing you hate about life: That it has to end. That you have to watch others go.
Books or pencils? Give me pencils. Books will follow.
Last time you laughed loudest? I was watching Arizona Dream the other day. There's a particularly hilarious suicide sequence in it, involving Johnny Depp, Lili Taylor and Faye Dunaway. It had me in splits for the longest time.

I love sporty casuals.
I hate sports.
I love oiling my hair.
I hate shampooing an oily head.
I love trying out new shower gels.
I hate soaps.
I love pickle/gherkins.
I hate sushi. I hate mushrooms.
I love to hear people talk.
I hate being nagged.
I love cartoons.
I hate them dubbed.
I love collecting decorative items.
I hate not having my own room.
I love fairy tales.
I hate not being in one.
I love me.
I hate when others too.
:-P

Recently, my sister-in-law ordered this set of book ends from Disney’s website for herself.

Now, cute is an understatement and ‘wow’ is an inevitability.

With my camera in tow, I decided to take an up close and personal look at some of my favorite people at Disney:

 

 

 

 

 

I am alive. But I am not doing okay.

I don't even know what to say. I've felt the pain and agony of victims I am not related to. I've cried in their sorrow. I've prayed for their relief.

It's been more than 55 hours and it's still not over. I am finding hard to sleep. To eat. They've shattered a heritage, a dream...Taj.

For reasons I've never really understood, I've always been fascinated by Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel. It’s been like the ultimate destination.

I must have been about five years old when I first attended a wedding at the iconic hotel. I still have a blurred memory of glitzy chandeliers and polite attendants carrying trays of colorful drinks. And before I knew it, I lost my red crochet jacket and heart to Taj.

As a star struck kid, I'd often ask Ma why we can’t spend a couple of days at the hotel instead of spending an entire summer holiday at our extended family in Delhi.

There are so many memories...I've pretty much been inside most of the hotel --banquet halls, conference rooms, book shop, shopping arcade, restaurants, coffee shops either for press conferences, celebrity events, wedding functions, chat sessions, quiet dinners or lunch treats. Souk, Shamiana, Sea Lounge, I've had some of the best times in these fine restaurants. I remember blowing my first salary at Oberoi's Frangi Pani. Another iconic haven for tourists now severely scarred by these violent attacks.

People visit these luxury hotels to feel good about their lives. Not to lose it.

Just a few days ago, I was at Gateway and all of South Mumbai showing Mumbai to a friend who was down from America. I am relieved he's left before this but more than disturbed at the thought of 'what ifs...'

As I type this, I can hear intermittent firing inside Taj on the television set.

You can't explain or understand the ideology that goes behind these sadistic killings. Because there is none.

All I can do is helplessly watch, fervently pray and mentally kill these terrorists in a manner so brutal as they rightly deserve.

A picture I took of Taj about a week before the tragic events took place.

I just can’t seem to get out of this state called lethargy. I simply cannot. I have tons to work on. And all I want to do is daydream. I want to curl up on the cozy couch and watch these exciting DVDs laid out in front of me. I want to board another exciting flight to nowhere and some place. I want to upload all these fantastic memories I captured in the past few weeks. Instead, I turn into this dreary duck the moment I open my assignment files. Quack quack? Not quite. Zzzz is more like it. I need to focus. Hocus pocus! :P

Inspiration, hit me. Hit me hard!

Okay, maybe this will work.

Wonder of wonders --Taj Mahal, Sikandra fort, Qutub Minar, Dilli Haat, Khan Market, GK, romancing Saket, Great India Place, Lodhi Gardens, Chaat at Bengali market, ho-humming at Quantum of Solace, Shady joints, classy pubs, Punjab 'n' paneer unlimited, tandoori roti, smog town, traffic lights, street-side paparazzi, Gateway of India, desi burgers, Queen's necklace, midnight Diwali dhamaka, bonding with bhai log, sailing the Arabian waters, mall rats, Fabindia with love, learning Afrikaans and how to abuse in German and Chinese, cackling with joy, punctured tires, Obama on the highway, rolling with Matt, rocking with Tub, birthday redux, pajama parties at 804, bauble madness at Connaught Place, Chanel no 5 and lots more.

These past few weeks were truly priceless.

And now, welcome back to the grind. *Groan*

From a meme forwarded by anupma

>1. What time did you get up this morning? Some time around 8am. And I slept around 2.30...
> 2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds.
> 3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Hello.
> 4. What is your favorite TV show? Nigella Bites.
> 5 What do you usually have for breakfast? A glass of milk.
> 6. What is your middle name? I am not telling.
> 7. What food do you dislike? Sushi.
> 8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? The Porridge Men, I picked it up at a local shop in Edinburgh.
> 9. What kind of car do you drive? I don’t drive, but we have a Santro and Palio.
> 10. What is your favorite sandwich? Anything with an overdose of mustard, coleslaw and pickle.
( Read more... )

I am a self-confessed birthday person. I love the wishes, the blessings, the cake, the celebration and the gifts. And most importantly all the thought and consideration that goes in making an individual special. :-)

Plus for me, it’s more of a cozy family thingie than anything else. This year, I wasn’t sure if I would have as much fun as I do every time. Coz X couldn’t get leave. Y was in Cape Town. And Z was flying on the same evening to Singapore.

But they all planned my day in such a way that I didn’t really feel they weren’t around.

There were lots and lots of gifts. From iPod Nano (4th generation) and jewelry to perfumes and lipstick to night suit and key chains to cute knick knacks and figurines, I pretty much received everything conceivable. But I am really touched by my eldest Mausi’s gesture. She gifted me a goodie bag containing a gorgeous champagne-colored shimmering woolen hat (knit by her), along with a body lotion and an embroidered velvet pouch. :)
( Read more... )