Comfort Food Festival :)

As I gobbled a slop of Maggi down my throat, I realized, I have been sinning. Past few weeks have been so stressful at work that I have stopped being Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes and just grabbed any edible molecules in my sight.

I feel exceptionally guilty because I have always been so conscious about the food I eat on a regular basis. Before my friends fall off their chair, I confess, Yes, I do go on binges. Yes, I have eaten chana-batura for weeks in a row. Yes, I do eat like a man sometimes. But mostly, I make a sincere effort to detox, before I can re-tox .

Jokes apart, I have usually been proud of my daily staple. Until lately. I remember a recent night where after an evening snack of cheese sandwich, I have eaten a dinner of potato wedges and then pounced at a chocolate bar at one in the night. Then it felt too sweet on the palette so I topped it all with salsa sauce with crackers. I can't be blamed! It was one in the night. Staying up late always makes me hungry. Doesn't it happen to everyone?

To be honest I can't blame my work entirely for lack of muscle movement cause I always believed when there's a will, there's a way. Thus, yesterday although being pooped out post work, I was undeterred from my decision to do a workout routine at home. After an hour of searching on Google, bored yet unfazed I found something interesting. :) Belly Dancing Basic lessons.

I was overcome with so much excitement that I didn't realize until forty minutes later that I have only been doing the warm ups and it was almost 11 in the night. I was a midnight-belly-shaking-night-suit-clad-freak. Next day I had a cramp on hips. I can't even explain that cramp to anyone! Not happening.

I contemplated the whole of today about rejoining my aerobics classes but I realized I will go cuckoo if I have to do that jump-touch-toe-jump-touch-toe routine even one more time. I decided, I will do power yoga. That's it. If Kareena can do it, so can I. I looked up videos on net. I did my stretches and warm ups. Finally, by the time I got down to business I was exhausted, whiny and yawny. Next thing I knew, I was stretching in bed. Nightie Night.

ITS MINE! AND I L-O-V-E IT.

I attended Family Day celebrations hosted by my sis's office. Apart from being really well organized, the awesomely coordinated dance numbers were the icing on the cake; owing to my love for leg shaking. But of course, we had some quick bites ( and a lot of them at that ;) ). I was impressed and comfortably satisfied in the belly.

There were miniature giant wheels ( I know that's an oxymoron but that's exactly what it was!), merry-go-rounds, caricatures, shooting/bouncing/tossing games, pottery making, mehendi, tattoos, clothes, junk jewellery and lots more. I have always been fond of these carnival-sort-of-gatherings. They just transport me back to my childhood were me and sis would be these starry eyed kids glued to the food stalls. Man. Those were the days.

All in all, had a great time as you can see all my thirty-two out there!

(Sis, Me, Deepali Di)

I was walking towards my car at the parking when I saw a fairly elder man carry a tiny little dishevelled thing in his hand with utmost care. He was almost a level before tip-toeing. Curiousity took the better of me and I gave a second peep. Ah, it was his creation at the pottery stall. I think it was an attempt to make something like a pot. It definitely looked more of a flower to me. Nevertheless, what seemed to matter to him is, he CREATED IT!

In those brief few seconds that I noticed this scene, I realized something.
The Sense of Mine. A critical element in all of us. Something that "I" created will be precious to me. No matter how sad or ugly it looks to the outer world. We will have an invisible umbilical cord attached to it.

I remember the time Dad bought our first Sandwich Grill at home, I was in eight grade. I don't remember much around that incidence except for the fact that I had made these grilled sandwiches with just plain cheese filled in them. I remember feeling the Top Chef that day. Or, perhaps Mom Dad just played along (you can always count on them to do that! :) )

I remember my good friend making this painted ceramic bowl. How much she loved it. What I loved is, watching her adore her lil' scribbled color mesh.

Don't we all do that? At least when it is our first time. Just recall...when did you look at your little messy first-time-project and pat your own back in admiration.

THAT WASN'T ME!

I entered the ladies toilet (okay, let me be polished, lavatory) and let out a scream in disgust. Not only stared back a floater on my face, it looked like its owner had taken a cleopatra bath in there. (A BIG EWW!)

I was almost certain that the lady had taken a shower in there. No exaggeration. But why! Maybe to get the smell off herself. Possible. In utter repulsion I cleaned up the mess and wiped the seat clean with my pinky. Trust me, the least human contact is advisable in such conditions.

What I fail to understand is how do they manage to create this magnificient scenario! It is only a touch of an expert. The other object that crosses all limits of aversion is The Used Tissue. Be it positioned anywhere; floor, half hanging on the bin lid, near the seat proximity; its unacceptable. Now ladies, why can't we drop it where it belongs? and FYI, its none of the above listed places.

Doesnt the poor tissue paper deserve a proper disposal after it has served you to death. Literally.

An ideal treatment for such people would be a Disappearing Tissue paper.
Muahaha. <> Obviously the magic should happen after they are done with their job.
Another wicked solution could be an Itchy Tissue paper. I know its mean but can you disagree, it will help in teaching some valuable lessons!

Nowadays the corporates are cutting down on the abudance of tissue papers in the bathrooms as a cost cutting measure. Jeez, can't even poop in peace. Although this withdrawal of luxury leaves you feeling a little vulnerable it does help in avoiding people mistaking tissue rolls for shower towel substitutes. But, incorrigible human species, we always come up with alternatives. If its not the tissues, then the air blower is victimized. Got the flow(blow)? ;)

DISCLAIMER: Post written with an educational intent.

OOPS! nooot AGAIN! nooot NOW!

Today was one of those Butter-Finger-Syndrome days.

1. I dropped my toothpaste on my night suit first. (Cursed the toothpaste, it was not my fault).

2. Then dropped the sugar out of the tea cup. (Cursed gravity).

3. Dropped the nuts out of my cereal bowl. ( Ok, maybe my fault).

4. Sprinkled the talc all over the floor. (This one I would actually categorize as a basic problem of watching yourself in the mirror while getting dressed!)

5. Dropped the food at lunch on my dress. (Noticed it little too late to have accused anyone in particular. It had dried and left stains :( ).

6. If that wasn't enough already and just in case, anyone missed the obvious stains on my dress, I dropped my lemonade on the dress again.

Mission accomplished.

I know a lot of you would say, Oh come on! What's the whole fuss about. Big Deal.
But, let me clarify, as a person, being more on the artistic and very cautious side by nature; I would say mostly these things don't happen to me on a regular basis.

On the other hand, I do have people e.g. my brother who has this syndrome exactly few minutes before his office cab's arrival. When things voluntarily fly out of his hands and land in the most inaccessible corner of the room. Unfortunate are the days when he's wearing a light colored shirt. And it gets worse when he knows that I am watching. Things just continue to fall magically and dramatically until he gives up and sends one of them flying out of the room in frustration. (LOL).
I sympathize.


Last few days have been observing hyperactive phenomenon in my grey cells and I had just so much to write. But, right now, I am so tired. Especially, with all that juggling going on between my fingers!

Catch you tomorrow. I promise an amusing trail of thoughts. ;)

SOMETHIN'S FISHY!!!

Feet, the most neglected parts of our body. (Yes, I know there are others, which I would not like to discuss on a public forum like this!)
I discovered that all the running around on heels, horsing around in workouts and sluggish bare-foot wading in the house had resulted in an incredibly painful corn on my foot. And the condition of my heels and sole too wasn't exactly spectacular. Thus, my good friend Suchi and I decided it was time to take matters into our hands, or should I say, our feet.

This particular spa, The Kenko Spa, Bangalore, Lavelle Road http://kenko.co.in had been doing its rounds in our heads for months now. Although, my sine wave of illness and work schedule didn't leave me much choice. But now that The Moment was here, we happened to choose one of the weekdays to finally do the honours! We traveled for precisely two hours in the horrid traffic for our ten minute "fish feed"; meanwhile really hoping that, THIS BETTER BE GOOD.

You're wondering what did I just say?
Fish Feeding? Hundreds of little brown Garra Rufa fishes nibbling on your feet, and nope, it doesn’t hurt at all. The fish don’t have teeth and exfoliate naturally by sucking off the dead skin.
I had read in the reviews before trying this out that it is a "bit ticklish and then you begin to relax gradually". Maybe I need to do this every day of my life to stop hyperventilating and start relaxing. Which, I would have done, if it didn't charge me 200 bucks for 10 mins. :\

Anyway, we were welcomed in a fancy way and our grubby little feet were washed before we visited the fish tanks. I could see the excitement in the eyes of all those tiny starved fishes. Oh, they could eat a horse alright. Yikes. As I lowered my legs into the water, uncontrollable shrieks filled the air. Yes, it was me, the wuss. In my defense, they were REALLY ticklish and for a first timer, the sight of hundred fishes hanging out your leg, not pretty. See that;


But, gradually some of them shifted from my feet to Suchi's although they definitely seemed to find more dead meat in mine. (Muahaha, I win!) Before I knew, the time was up. We wore our footwear admiring our feet, which we were convinced, looked great.

Now, I know that's being too critical. It was fun, I admit. Also, I somehow felt my feet looked prettier than ever before (Ah, the weak-minded-me!) In fact, I am dying to be back there perhaps this time for longer.

Caressing my feet, I wondered at night, how it would be to have it done for the entire body. Or, does that ring any 'Who-Dares-Wins" bells? :|

OMG LOG!

I know I've been missing from action for a while. In my defense, I'd blame it on my body. It needed a lot of recuperation. ( I know my body blames it on me for exhausting it beyond humane limits).

So today I am here to give you a sneak peek of the most mesmerizing LIVE show I have ever attended in my life yet. It happened this Saturday at Palace Grounds, Bangalore. Were you there?
I was and let me tell you this. Having being designated as The Delicate Darling of all my social circles (not something I am proud of), I feared being definitely down with at least a sore throat and perhaps few hundred degrees fever, if not any other deadly diseases, post show.

LAMB OF GOD arrived here two days before the show. Madness prevailed. Period.
Must make it clear that first in line to receive them was Mr. Prasad who is a die hard fan of LOG from I suppose ever since he knew what music was all about. To make matters intolerable for sanity, Prasad's band, Extinct Reflections was opening for LOG. (For those, who're not into the metal scene, Psst...This is a BIG THING. Bigger than the Big Bang, Or, the End of Days. )
Lastly, to make matters beyond words, when Prasad met Randy Blythe (LOG Vocalist) at the airport, they became bum-chums!

So, the next few days had undiluted lunacy on the cards. I was game for it. :)

We landed at Palace Grounds at sharp ten thirty that morning. Beeline of fans from all across the country already kept the area abuzz. While Extinct Reflections (ER) folks got busy with the sound checks, I deposited myself in the safety of my car sufficiently away from all the dust and sun. I was astonished at how the crowd kept getting bigger and louder exponentially with every passing moment.

It would be hours before I would pull out my SLR and get down to business. After all, I was looking forward to my first celebrity shots!

Its incredible how Mob Mentality works. In the sun where usually we wouldn't bother stepping out even if it meant escaping a burning house; people went from loud to relentlessly psychotic for hours! The minute hand got spinning and we were already at the hour of the gig.

Prasad's band went on stage. The crowd went into a trance. The most unbelievable moment was when Randy Blythe came on stage to watch them play. He was actually head-banging to them! Or, Okay, you can say nodding-in-appreciation!
Here, you go , some shots from ER;




Then, came the final act, my camera went into a clicking frenzy. I'm sure if there was enough friction in there, it would have smoked.
But as they say, a picture is worth thousand words. So, here it goes;

Happy Fairy's Day. :)

We are all born to be Fairies some day, you know that?

Once upon a time a chubby little toddler would wriggle on the floor in her pink bloomers. The thrills of her life revolved around collecting all the utensils in a pillow cover and dragging them around the house the whole day. Unaware of the dangers around her, she waded through all obstacles merrily. One day, she fell on a glass, cut her eyebrow, bled and howled in pain. Her Fairy came to her rescue.

A few decades later, the same girl continues to fall into trouble, almost every now and then. Sometimes, its just stress, sometimes, just any silly non-reason getting her bed-ridden. But, every single time she thinks of her Fairy and her Fairy is next to her stroking her hair.
The girl wonders can she ever pay back all these zillion wishes that the Fairy has granted over the years. Rather, will she ever be close to being a Fairy herself when she can never imagine growing independent of the Fairy!

I look into the mirror and the scar hidden beneath my decently shaped eyebrows reminds me of the endless times I have given Shockers, Thrillers , OMG!s, Oh NO!s and Gasps to my Fairy, my Darling Mother. But, all she did is absorb them like a sponge and cushion my miseries.

I hope all living beings are blessed with this Fairy. I know some of us aren't always under her wings but, I hope they get shade from some or the other Angel. And one day, we are Fairies to other living beings. They need not be our children. They come in various forms. Our pet, our sibling, our friend, our lover, our neigbour, our colleague. And just like that, without knowing, we become their Fairies by just helping them in their hour of need, without them even asking for it. :)

Happy Mother's Day to every Mother.

RED NOSED REINDEER

I feel like Rudolf today. The red nosed reindeer! Yeah.

I had been smart enough to remove my nose pin and forgetting to wear it for a few days. Today, I had to wrestle it back into the teeny dot of a hole on my nose. Thus.

I remember the last time I had felt this stinging pain through my nose was when a gun shot placed a gorgeous diamond on my nose. To make matters worse, this was a second time piercing on my nose since the previous one wasn't good enough to let the pin go through.
My biggest fear was resulting with two holes on my nose on the same side living as neighbors for the rest of my life. So, I was still as a rock.
While I smiled and shivered, fat bead of tears involuntarily ran down my cheeks. Although the only restriction was not to move my body, there was no movement from my vocal chords either, maybe they had died somewhere with the panic.
Why do I do this to myself? I don't know.

And well, this wasn't the first time, I have had worse experience with my ear piercings. The second pair you know.
I was so freaked out about catching any infections from the needle that I kept applying the antiseptic lotion for a day. Next day, the pierce looked fine but was only surrounded by blisters from the lotion. Eeeks.

Being the only one in my clan who has ever dared to have more then two regular ear piercings, I thought I was maybe the Hippie of the Family. Rather, so I was told. Until..I came across this lady while I flipped the pages of this month's Femina!

And she's 73 and going strong. Way to go! So basically her entire body is covered with tattoos and piercings so much so that she can be very well be naked and pass for a fully dressed person! Jeez...weird thought though imagining her that way at a public place.
Quite a saving w.r.t apparels right. But think again, she's already spent moolah worth 16 lakhs on her body. Talk about savings now.

Its great that someone actually went through such pain to decorate the body with what they loved. But, I think its a tad bit too much. Aye?
Nevertheless, personal choice.
I feel these piercings and tattoos can be really sensual if they are done just right and in the right places and because you love them. Not because you think they look great on someone else.
Also, sometimes I think its OK to draw a line. Because as rightly as my friend Veena said, there's difference between a kid laughing .. and a kid laughing ALL THE TIME.

Bijli !!

Like a diwali cracker it would have lit up and burst...leaving us in pitch darkness for nearly fifteen hours. Which, by the way, was neither diwali lights nor as fun either; thats the transformer in our area.

With the stormy rains, we are subjected to unlimited torture in the candle light dinners nowadays. Being a person recuperating from three week long illness, my options for leisure are anyway...well, very limited. Minimal physical exertion. So not me. :\

Nevertheless, my dearest mom is here to take care of my boredom. So, the thing that came to our rescue, was...

Tada! Playing cards..yes, by Nandi ;).

Its funny how these petty wins and loses in these card games start making so much of a difference when this is all you got. We started with these as goodwill games. But, they turned ugly with all the score-keeping, cheating and nasty mind games! Gradually, so much so, that the loser was made to wear a degrading crown, a symbol of failure! LOL. Check that out. My poor little sister was the loser almost every single time. Everyone learns.

What darkness always reminds me is the amount we're dependant on electricity. Everything stops without it. The only thing that remains which can be done comfortably in no-power situation is, whine. The whole situation is so depressing for me that I almost rejoice with a cheer dance at the advent of electricity. Hola Ho Ho!

Anyyyway, the lights came up just now and I decided to put this blog up. Happy light situations to all of you.

Viral war!!!

Hey everyone...
Decided to finally start off my laptopie and drop by a post on how my entire body was broken down by a mere virus.

Nah. Not as serious as I just made it sound. But, pretty bad to get me stuck to the sack for almost fourteen days now. The last sightings of outer world I remember was on my birthday and the very next day the virus gave me a birthday present. Yes. Hail and Hearty, you can never anticipate such things. But, in Bangalore, you can. Anytime.

Not only did I manage to drive my mother all the way down from Delhi in emergency but also, land up for a good few days in the hospital with the grace of the Almighty Virus. My cough was quite resonating with the surprisingly loud bass background. While I laid in the hospital bed and was asked to think about what bad did I do THIS time...I could think of NOTHING. Except, I know my family would refuse to agree to that. But, seriously folks, this time I claim innocence. I agree there was certain amount of exposure to an ocean of viruses i.e I had been to a mall. You should have seen the expression of the doctors when I told them that. We all go to the malls, don we.. :| Don't we.

Nevertheless, almost two weeks later, I begin my journey gradually again towards the pool of virals, in a few days. How? By landing in an office with air conditioner that cuts off any fresh air supply and ensures appropriate circulation of all sorts of germs.

Anyway, enough about me, how have you all been. :)