Let's give them a round of applause, shall we?

In school, I used to win prizes for almost every CCA competetion I participated in- recitation, elocution, story-telling. I used to be known around school for it, for being the girl who recited poetry well, who spoke good english and hindi, who compered nearly every other program that was conducted.

I haven't won anything in a long long time... I just stopped going for competetions once I entered college, and frankly, the oppurtunities weren't many too. I miss that... I miss walking up to stage and accepting the prize from the Chief Guest on Annual Day, holding one corner of the certificate and smiling for the camera, bowing once at the chief guest and once more at the audience, trying to look out for mom and dad sitting in the audience, proud at their daughter.

Damn I miss that...

Which is why, I get super-excited at winning a blog-award. I've only won two so far, but they both hold very special places in my heart. It's not just a badge, it's an acknowledgement of the fact that, finally, I'm good at something.

Serendipity gave me my first one.

Not many people who know me well enough would call me adorable, so yes, this one definitely is special. :) Thanks Ayu (If I may call you that).

Then came the second one, from Priyanka and her Chocolate Factory. :p

Thank you, my dear. I feel humbled. More so because you put me on top of the list. :)

Ok, so now for the drill.
Link back- Done.

7 random things (You're asking for trouble.:/)

1) I love kids, but not the ones who talk too much. The 'Chota mooh, badi baat'-afflicted ones piss the hell out of me. And the parents who don't check them and encourage them thinking it's cute- they deserve a whack on their backsides.

2) The word 'Spontaenity' does not really figure in my dictionary. I cannot do things on the spur of the moment. I need to plan it.I need to be informed beforehand that this is what's going to happen, even if it's a movie. More often than not, I become a killjoy because of this. Maybe it's the Virgo in me, I don't know. We have a method in even spontaenity. At the same time, I hate it if someone else makes plans for me. The irony is that I don't have a plan in life. Wonder how that happened...

3) My craze for huge handbags has led to permanently aching shoulders and neck. The bigger the handbag, the more I stuff things in it.I finally decided to buy a small one so that I wouldn't be tempted to choke it up with utterly useless things. But I miss my big bags...

4) I absolutely LOVE supermarkets. I can spend hours inside them without getting bored. And I won't even have anything in particular to buy. Sometimes I go in, roam around, and leave after two hours with nothing but a packet of oatmeal cookies purchased. The flipside to this is,I end buying stuff that I don't need at all, overshooting my budget too much. The regular supermarket that I go to, near my house, initially the security and attendants used to eye me suspiciously, probably thinking I'm a shoplifter (why else would a girl randomly skulk among the aisles?). but now they greet me with a hello and a smile. They know I mean no harm. :)

5)I detest people who feel the need to use abuses to get their point across. I have absolutely no regard for them. Only those who don't have a valid argument will use abuses to cover it up. I'm not saying that I don't swear- I do. But getting abusive is the lowest form of retaliation. It has happened to me once, and I know how it feels to be at the receiving end of the cheapest and dirtiest of abuses.

6) I love watching reruns of my favourite sitcoms and then saying along the dialogues that I know by rote. Pisses off others, but I don't really care. :p

7) If given a choice as to how I want to die, I would choose falling from the top of a mountain or a high-rise building. Or even while paragliding. At least the view while I'm going down will be fabulous. :p

Ok, that's done. Next.

My Favorite song: Questions like these stump me. How on earth can you choose just ONE song??? Still, if it has to be answered, I would go with 'Iktara' from Wake Up Sid and 'Coming back to life' by Pink Floyd.

My Favorite Dessert: Gulab Jamun(home-made. I don't like the readymade ones), Chocolate mousse, any chocolate pastry. I don't have much of a sweet tooth.But I do get cravings once in a while for motichoor laddoos and mishti doi.

What Pisses Me Off: People borrowing my stuff without asking me. I'm all for sharing, but please, just ask, or inform me once before taking it.
Also, borrowing stuff(especially books) from me but not taking care of it- and worse, not returning them at all.
People saying to me "I have to tell you something. But I can't tell now. I'll tell you later." or "I have a suprise for you, but I can't tell you now." Dude!! If you can't tell me now, don't tell me at all!!! I will have absolutely no peace of mind till I get to know what the thing is. So spare me the trauma and yourself the torture of me perstering you "Tell no tell no tell no tell no tell no tell no. Please please please please please!! WTF! Are you telling me or not??!! You better tell right away or I'll punch you!" Really, are you up for so much drama?

Biggest Fear: I've said it before- dying alone.

Best Feature: I guess my laugh. Once I start off, it's hard to stop. And pretty soon, others join in too. :)

Everyday Attitude: As long as you don't interfere in my life, I don't interfere in yours. And don't give me advice that I didn't ask for.

What Is Perfection: I don't believe in perfection. Perfection irritates me. There's no scope for improvement. I like my own little imperfections and of those around me. That's what makes them lovable.

Guilty Pleasure: Food:I can even sell my kidney if I want to satisfy a craving. Miraculously, I still have both my kidneys ;).
Kajal: I have about six varieties in my little vanity pouch as of now. I'm in an eternal search for the perfect Kajal. And the perfect bra. And the perfect pair of jeans.
Sleeping till late in the morning. Even on working days, I rarely wake up before 8. I can sit up till as late in the night as needed. But waking up in the morning is torture.
Shower gels and moisturisers- I have nightmares about dry skin.
Like I said, supermarkets. Man, they are my weakness!

Now I have to give the award away to 10 bloggers (15, actually. But I'm giving away ten. No reason. I just thought I would give it to my most favourite writers).

1) Mr. AJ, the satellite- because you are a great writer. If only you paid more attention to your blog.

2) Priyanka, the chocolate-obsessed- Not because she gave me the award and I'm obliged to return it, but because she really is versatility personified. Fiction, humour, emotional, rambling- she nails them all neatly. And also because she totally floored me with one single post of hers. :)

3) Nirvana- Not just because she's a Nambiar (although, that did earn her brownie points :p), but also because I feel her blog is highly underrated. Her writing is very very sublte, but heart-warming. And funny too. I love her short stories.

4) Red Handed- Because she makes so much of sense, at the same time, managing to be hilarious. Also because we have similar sounding names. ;)

5) fucklove- Firstly, for the name of the blog. That's the first thing that attracted me to it. Then the writer R-A-J and his antics kept me hooked. Still do. :) He has no pretensions whatsoever, and that comes across clearly in his writing.

6) Soumya- For being so very honest about herself and her life in her blog.

7) The Meditating Lion- She recently started blogging, but since I've know her for more than four years now, I know there's a passionate writer in there waiting to be unleashed. She also earns brownie points for being one of the best singers I've ever heard,no kidding.

8) Destiny's Child- She's a lazy bum of a writer, but whenever she does write,it's awesome. Or maybe she just believes in "It's not the quantity that matters, it's the quality." :)

9) The Blue Lotus- Because I can almost always relate to her writing. And I love her acrid sarcastic tone.

10) Serendipity- I recently stumbled upon this little thing. And I was freaked out by how similar we both are. Somehow,I feel she's a very genuine person, even though I don't know her all that much. There's a lot of honesty that comes across in her writing. Also, 'Serendipity' is one of my favourite words. I love the way it feels on my tongue when I say it.

So there you go... Go ahead, take time out, and read these blogs. And then come back and thank me. :)

When the Blue Mountains beckoned…

The only thing worse than getting back to work after a weekend is getting back to work after a long, fabulous weekend.

So you know the state of mind I am in right now, don’t you?

Alright, moving on.

Although the beginning and ending of my weekend wasn’t great, the days in between more than made up for it. I set of for B’lore on Friday evening (12th). My flight was supposed to take off at 8:10, but finally took off at 9:15. It looked like the whole of Hyderabad was flying that day, the airport looked like your KSRTC bus stand- it was so crowded! So anyways, having reached the airport two-and-a-half hours earlier, I did the mandatory checking in and stuff, and to kill time, went and sat in one of the hideously overpriced cafes and had a hideously overpriced brownie( which I think was the cheapest thing on the menu). My flight finally came, and landed in B’lore at around 10:15. After picking up my luggage, I waited around for my sis who had gone to Mumbai on work and was flying in the same day. Her flight came at around 11:10, and by the time we finally got home, it was almost 1 (her house is f-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-r from the airport. Like, light years).

The original plan was that my sis, bro-in-law (who henceforth will be referred to as Chechi and Ettan) and I would drive to Nadapuram, a small little town in Vadagara, Kerala. That’s where my mom’s ancestral home is, and it had been ages since we’d visited the place. So we thought we’ll make a trip of it this weekend, since my mom was also there for a few days. It’s this really HUGE old house, some 120 years old, the typical ancestral home types. I love going there, but sadly, haven’t been able to for quite some time (Remember I've talked about being there?).

But Saturday, Ettan had to work, and since the drive would take at least 8 hours, it’s advisable to leave really early in the morning. So by afternoon, we decided to chuck the Nadapuram plan. Also, we were getting reports from everyone that it was pouring out there in Kerala and that the roads were horrible. We stayed back in B’lore on Saturday, generally whiling away time.

Early Sunday morning, by four, we set off for Masinagudi (I don’t remember the last time I woke up and saw 4 AM. It was quite a feat, since Chechi and I had polished off a bottle of wine also the previous night. Totally meant to be sisters, we are :P). Our assigned chauffer, Ettan, make sure he kicked us out of bed and bundled us into the car by 4. Snoozed for a while in the car, and by around 7, we could see the Nilgiris in the distance.

And my jaw didn’t close for the next two days.

We had to drive through the Bandipur sanctuary to get to Masinagudi. And what a route that is! Lush forests, narrow roads, minimal traffic, elephants and monkeys casually sauntering around- it was awesome. We soon reached our destination- a resort owned by Ettan’s family friends. It’s called Forest Hills, and it’s situated right at the foot of the Nilgiris. A lovely place- small little bamboo cottages, tree houses, spread over a large area, it’s an ideal getaway. From the porch of our cottage, we could see the mountains looming large. Breath-taking sight. It was such a relief to breathe in fresh, clean air, without smoke and dust. The huts are built around the main house, so it doesn’t have a ‘commercial’ feel to it. It’s like you’ve gone to visit the home of someone you know very well, and that’s exactly how you’re treated, irrespective of whether you’re a guest or family. There are stone benches strewn all over the place, a few swings out in the open (I’m a sucker for jhoolas. I was stuck on them for the major part of the stay)- and the place is SO GREEN!!! There’s a personal touch to everything. The food was mind blowing, and I think I’ve gained like 3-4 kilos in a just a day. The company was just as fab.

In the evening on Sunday, we went on a safari inside the Bandipur Sanctuary. Which was just ok, because honestly, I’m not much of an animal-lover. And there’s only so much you can ooh and aah at deer and bison and elephants. We weren’t lucky enough to spot even one tiger. So the two-hour safari was a slight disappointment. The silence inside the jungle was awe-inspiring though.

Dinner was another jolly affair, with spirits and stories flowing generously. :) After stuffing our faces with god only remembers what all, we crashed- literally.
The next morning, after yet another round of eating- this time, yummy masala dosas- we set off for Bangalore. Reached the city by around 5. I was dropped off at my Uncle’s place, where I spent the rest of the evening with the little brat Manavi (my one-and-a-half year old cousin. She’s one atom bomb. Getting even one still photo of hers is a task, because she doesn’t stay still long enough for me to take a picture!).

Boarded the bus at 10:30. And it was by far one of the worst bus journeys ever. I don’t know how it always happens to me, but 80% of the times, my bus seat will have some problem. Either it will not recline, or it will only recline, so I’ll be lying down the entire way. This time, it was the former. My seat wouldn’t recline, and I spent the entire night sitting upright. Plus, since I was late in booking tickets, I had got only a non-AC bus, and because of the heavy rains, all the windows were shut. I was suffocated, hot, uncomfortable, irritable- you get the picture. And instead of reaching at 7 in the morning, which is how it usually works, the bus reached at 9:15, so I had to come straight to the office. Thankfully I had all my stuff with me. So I could freshen up. I can hardly feel my neck and back. Punctured.

All in all, I had a great weekend. Thanks to my sis and bro-in-law, and the wonderful hosts at Forest Hills.

P.S 1: I was specifically told by Mr. Chotu of Forest Hills that I had to write good things about the place. So here it is. :) But believe me, I haven’t embellished even a bit. All the things I’ve written are straight from the heart.

P.S 2: I don’t have a cam, and my phone cam sucks big-time. So couldn’t take many pics. :( Let me see what I can salvage from my phone-pics, and I’ll upload those. (Now would be a good time to offer to buy me a cam. Just saying…)

So how was your weekend? What did you do?

The pros and cons of falling ill.

Pros:-
You get some much needed rest.

You get to catch up on movies and sitcoms (rather, reruns).

You get pampered by everyone and your wish is everyone’s command basically.

You say you want apples, you get apples. You say you want khichdi, garama-garam khichdi ready. You say you want Biryani, you get yelled at, because the doctor told you to go on a vegetarian diet. :(

You get to be cranky and rude, and actually get away with it. Yay!

You can sleep as much as you want to without anyone calling you lazy.

The cons:-
You start missing Mummy,Daddy and chechi. :(

In spite of having all the time in the world for sleeping, you toss and turn in your bed all night because sleep simply refuses to grace you.

You feel like throwing up at the mere mention of food.

You get emotional about every damn thing. About not getting enough sleep, about being alone at home, about not having mummy around to make kanji-pappadam for you, about Carrie and Aidan breaking up, Monica and Chandler not being able to conceive, Jim and Michelle finally hooking up at the end of American Pie 2 etc. As you might have gathered, I did a lot of movie and sitcom-watching.

You have to have all those yuck tablets.

You get so cranky, you become unbearable even to yourself.

And finally, after five days of staying at home, you become too lazy to go to office at the end of it.

Which is exactly what has happened to me.

Blah.

The 10-day 'You' Challenge- Eight fears

1) That I’ll lose my memory.
I cannot imagine a life where I won’t remember my people, places and life. I’ve mentioned it previously here. And what scares me is that I’ve started becoming quite forgetful now, which some people are mistaking for indifference. Well, it’s not, let me assure you, since it runs in my family. :/

2) Dying alone.
Freaks me out when I think about it. When I board the flight to heaven (yes, that’s where I’m going. Laugh all you want), I want everyone around me, seeing me off. When I read about how Parveen Babi’s body was found in her apartment a few days after she died, I was shattered. What if I die when no one’s with me, and nobody comes to know till a few days later?

3) That I won’t be there for my family when they need me.
I never miss a call from home or my sister. I always pick up calls, unless I’m in the bathroom or sleeping, because there’s always a fear in me that something must’ve happened to them. If Amma calls me at an odd hour in the day, say in the evening, instead of her usual call at night, my heart will skip a beat that something is wrong with someone. Try as I might, I always assume the worst.

4) Losing my hair and going bald.
Let me give you the premise.
I used to have lovely straight silky hair (and I’m not the only one who says so :( )- not very long, just a little above my waist. I used to be very proud of it and would spend a lot of time preening in front of the mirror admiring and grooming it. All and sundry used to compliment my hair, and if someone didn’t notice it, I used to make sure they did. It was a happy time.
Until I came to Hyderabad. The chlorinated water, pollution and stupid step-cut have made my hair an embarrassment. Now, I’m afraid to even touch my hair casually, let alone comb it, because there’s more hair lying around in my house and in my hand than there is on my head. I hardly leave my hair out, because a hint of a breeze, and there it stands around my head like a halo (now you know why I said I’m going to heaven? The halo connection). I used to always say, on my wedding day, I won’t keep false hair, it’ll be my own hair reaching proudly till my bums.
The rate at which my hair is falling, I’ll be lucky if I have any hair at all left by then. Maybe I should get married right away, whilst there‘s still something up there.
Sigh..

5) That I’ll be a disappointment to the people I love.
I say ‘I don’t care’ a lot. But the truth is, I care too much sometimes. What others think of me, whether they like me or not, are they happy with me- it’s a constant niggling at the back of my head. If one of my friends talks a little differently to me, I will worry that I may have done or said something to piss them off. I always want to please, especially my dad. But of course, the problem with this is, if pushed beyond a point, I stop caring altogether.

6) Rats and snakes.
They send a shiver down my spine. Sometime in ’94 or ’95, when the plague had broken out, every single night, before going to bed, I used to shut all the doors and windows and curtains, for the fear that a rat might sneak in. And snakes.. I can’t stand watching them even on T.V. *shudder* What an irony that I love the Snake game on cellphones. :/

7) Lightning.
Petrified of it. Whenever lightning strikes, I imagine that I'll be its next victim.

8) That I’ll run out of things to write about.
That suddenly one day, my Muse will just pack up and leave me, without so much as a warning, never to return. Ayyo!!!

Now what did I forget? Hmmm…


The challenge so far- Ten secrets and Nine loves.

The 10-day 'You' Challenge- Nine Loves

I’m not going to include family and friends and people in this list because, well, I’ve said a lot about all of them and it might start boring you if I talk about it again. These are things apart from it.

1) My blog and writing.
Because it is a major part of my life now. I think about it constantly. I’m always on the lookout for things to write about. I love that I have met so many fabulous people because of it. And most importantly, it has given me an identity.

2) Bike rides
Just love love love them. Even though my hair gets all messy and eyes start watering, I still love them.

3) Aero planes.
Every single time an airplane passes overhead, I tilt my head up and gaze open-mouthed. Many people have asked me about it. I don’t know why, I really don’t. Maybe it’s the sound, the fact that it’s so high up there. Or maybe because it’s the closest I can ever get to flying. I love going by flights. There is something inexplicably exhilarating about the feeling that you get in your stomach when the flight is just taking off.

4) Heights.
Heights fascinate me. I love going to the topmost floor of a really tall building and gazing out at the world. Even a dirty city will look beautiful from up there. My dream is to go on the topmost floor of the tallest building in the world and shout from up there “I’m the queen of the world!! Look at all you tiny people! Suckers! Ha!” Err.. ok. Maybe not that last bit, else I might just get pushed off. :/

5) Bill Watterson (I know I said I won't include people, but this one's an exception)
For Calvin and Hobbes. Enough said.

6) Bookstores.
Yes, I love books too, but I love bookstores more. It’s like Veegaland for me (I would’ve said Disneyland, but I’ve never been there. So Veegaland it is. And it’s no less ok!! Hmmpph to all of you who’re smirking), only instead of rides and games, there are book shelves, and instead of water, there are books. I can spend hours in a bookstore without getting bored. I usually don’t go into one with a particular book in mind. I like to go browse and pick up something. Sometimes I don’t even buy, just sit there and read something. The smell of books is intoxicating, old or new. I recently ordered two books from an online store, and I felt as though I was cheating on bookstores. *Sorry bookstore* :(

7) The moon
It’s beautiful, mystical, mysterious, and magical. In all forms.

8) Music
Of course, this is like an obvious choice, right? Nevertheless, has to be mentioned. I love learning the lyrics of a song and singing along to it hopelessly out-of-tune. It’s soothing, exciting, inspiring. I’ve always loved it, and now it’s a major part of my life in more ways than one.

9) Cold weather.
I hate summer. Would’ve hated it more if not for mangoes. I dream of settling down in a hill station somewhere, far from the madding crowd and pollution and noise. Not that I want it to be biting cold either. I just don’t want it to be hot. Even pleasantly cool will do. And I will sit on my porch on fine wintry mornings and write. Or sleep. The latter seems like a more plausible scenario.

And now I will sit back like a typical Virgo and worry about what I may have left out from the list. :/

In case you were wondering what this is all about- http://divyathemostuseful.blogspot.com/2011/07/10-day-you-challenge-ten-secrets.html.