Month: April 2012

Nostalgia..

 

Walking & Talking, Walking & Talking till we reached the end of road…

Interesting conversations sometimes, sometimes you just croaked like a toad..

The greens smiled with us, The blues just envied..

I would play pranks while you got livid..

The rain showers drenched us but your love drenched me more..

Seeing you with some one else was just an eye sore..

Every moment spent with you was Utopia..

Now I am left with just nostalgia!

 

New Girl in the Old City!!!

 

Talking about London, Paris & New York, reminded me of one of my most favourite city in India. The city which made me fell in love with it. A city which always will be a Happy Place for me. 🙂

In January 2009, I was shipped to Bangalore for 3 Weeks! My first thought was how I would survive for 3 looooooooong weeks without my beloved Mumbai, & without my Aai 🙂
 
The only comforting thought was that I would get to meet my dearest cousin, my best friend from childhood  & spend quality time with my bua, cousin, sister in law & my cute niece!!!
 
There was also a dream (of course due to the Mills & Boons impressions) that i will meet my special someone in a strange city 😉 Well, it’s still a dream but made my travel light & easy <3
 
I travelled through train & was hoping to see interesting sights on the long journey..However, all the people in my compartment were hell bent on sleeping for the entire duration of journey & I couldn’t see anything beyond Kolhapur..
 
By the way, was very excited to see Kolhapur..Had heard so much about it..Kolhapuri Chappal, Kolhapuri Mirchi & the black sand, etc..I also wanted to have something of Kolhapur, so had a vada pav (Proud Fan) at Kolhapur station..But it was bland beyond imagination..My one thought was no one can beat Mumbai as far as Vada Pav goes 😉
 
Well, then stuffed myself with Bourbon biscuits..Mom had packed some sandwiches but they got stale due to the heat..
 
Off to sleep & M & B dreamland..:-) Till landed at Bangalore City Station.
 
Tired as Hell But Eager to meet team..In the end Rest @ Guesthouse won! I loved my room, It was airy & spacious & had a huge window. And thus began my paid vacation 😉
 
Still remember the south indian breakfast at Sandhya, the awesome sandwiches, Sapota (Chikoo) Milkshakes, continental breakfasts at CCD, hunting for good places to eat..:-), all you can eat buffet at Masala Chowk (Eva Mall) – Had a first look at real Chocolate Fountain! Was mesmerised <3, MTR Ki Coffee, its amazing how they serve ghee in a tiny bowl & the tiny 1 Rs coin sized dalwada are just so yummy!!!
 
Also did some sight seeing on my own..Garuda & Forum Mall, Brigade Road, Lalbaugh Botanical Garden (Was fortunate to visit during the Flower Show)
 
The Flower Show was something.. I just got delirious looking at all the different types of flowers!
 
Weekends were usually spent at my cousin’s place & what a surprise that my NRI, newly wedded cousin, was there too with his wife. Had a great time recreating our childhood by playing silly games & loads of laughing!  

 
Visiting the Banerghatta National Park with them was the best part of my visit!
 
Of Course, I worked too during the week days, in case anyone was wondering 😉
 
I had grown too fond of my team & most of all Bangalore..As my day to return to Mumbai was approaching, I was feeling sad to leave & what do you know? Got an extension of a week to stay!!! Was Loving it 🙂
 
But all good things come to an end! Also, was badly missing mom ke haath ka khana..Thought If I saw Idli for one more time, I would just puke 🙂
 
My Last Day was on Saturday, 7th February, when we were also celebrating Rose Day in the office!!! I was returning back by Flight, my first time ever..
 
I had got a whiff that my team was planning something for me so I had to go to office plus had to do packing & collect the famous Mysore Pak for everyone back home & also get roses as we were celebrating Red Day + Rose Day. My bua had given me shukan money & I got a lovely red top from Revolution to celebrate the Red Day 🙂

When I reached office, a huge white teddy bear was waiting for me on my work station & one by one the gifts started pouring in..I got a Will Miss You card, a handwritten poem, a painting, a pen stand with a barometer & a lovely saree. Also got 6 red roses from one of my team member, a fibre red heart on a stick from another & a yellow rose each from everyone else.

And as if that was not enough, they gathered & sang a Song for me, Chalte chalte mere ye geet yaad rakhna…considering where most of them don’t even speak Hindi, it was too overwhelming…

Then I had to rush to guest house & fit in all the gifts in my bags..:-) It didn’t help that I had a bagful of books, which I bought from Landmark!!! My house mates managed somehow with my luggage & then I left for airport. They had planned earlier to give me Bangalore Darshan but since there was a huge traffic on that day & we were already short of time, just went straight to the airport. My colleague was there till I entered the gate. After that it was a cake walk as my sister & sister in law both had told me what to do next..

I got my boarding pass & a window seat, collected tags, went for security check & then roamed around the waiting lounge..I didn’t feel anything extra ordinary..it was just like walking in a mall..:-)

My seat was in the middle row & there was a wing right beside me so I could not see much..But as I had settled in my seat, I did not ask to change my seat..just turned my head in the window behind me & took in the view..

The view was amazing, specially when we were flying above the clouds & also when we were about to land in Bombay. The view of the sea from the plane was absolutely amazing..

And thus ended my paid vacation, which has left sweet memories to savour!!!

 

London Paris New York

 

Three Fascinating cities. Three Fascinating Nights. Two people. One Love Story.

Before Sunrise. Before Sunset. Hum Tum. London Paris New York.

Different Movies. Same Premise. Makes us believe if you are meant to be, you will be 🙂

Before Sunrise & Before Sunset were sweet & innocent movies. And to know if they would finally be together, we would need another sequel.

LPNY was more nearer to these movies then Hum Tum.

Since its release, I had been longing to watch it. For Paris & for Ali Zafar.

MBKD had made a mockery of Ali Zafar, I wanted to see more of him on big screen & Paris is my dream city.. I would never miss to watch it.

Today, thanks to my dear Tata Sky, got to watch it!

And it was amazing – a true rom com, which puts a smile on your face when it ends…

The script was “Different”, edgier than what you see in the run of the mill rom coms, I specially loved the Paris part.

Acting wise, Ali Zafar didn’t disappoint & Aditi Rao Hydari was a real gem. Sad that the media promotes the talentless Katrina Kaifs & Nargis Fakhris & ignores real talent like Aditi. The ones who have seen her in Delhi 6, Rockstar & Ye Saali Zindagi would surely agree with this, I think.

 And what bollywood love stories would be complete without songs? But the songs in this movie are not for the sake of it, they are woven in the script at the right place & take the story forward.

All in all a superb movie, which engages you right from scene one & you don’t want to live tweet it but enjoy every moment without distraction 🙂

 

 

Material Girl???

Chandelier Earrings dangled,
Where once sweet  nothings tingled..
Kohl filled eyes hid the sadness of the byes..
Lip Gloss shined leaving the memories of wet kisses behind..
Who missed the warm hug?
She had this jacket cosy & snug..
True there was no walking hand in hand,
She had fancy boots where once there was sand..
In the eyes of the world,
She was a Material Girl..
But she knew in her heart,
She was really a Lonely Girl!

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My Own Top Ten Twitter Celeb List!

Much furore was raised on Twitter when Oulook magazine released its version of Twitter Gods.

As my Twitter God says, why make an issue, just look it as the list of Outlook’s favourite Tweeples!

And that made me thinking of my favourite Tweeples, Celebs in their own right!

They are witty, smart, intelligent, humorous & make my Twitter World perfect! A Follow back from them gave me a mini heart attack 🙂

Wanna Meet them??

1. @bizzarebhide: He – My Twitter God. Me – His Stalker 😉 A comment on my freshly created handle, “A Culinary Innovative Delight” made me check out his tweets. I was amazed at his witty tweets & sense of humour. He was the first person I followed on Twitter. His tweets & blogs have made me his fan. 🙂

2. @SirExtraCheese: The first thing I loved about this handle was the word Extra Cheese. I always love extra cheese with my pizza :-). But what I loved most was when I had asked something about baked lays & he replied, “Lets say hi first”. His tweets are nice, sweet, crazy & always make me smile. He writes lovely poems & is a mindblowing photographer. Multi Talented yet so Down to Earth!

3. @mochaccino: She is my dear dear mo & I am her chilly balls 😉 Not just another coffee handle – She is the cutest person I have EVER met. You will surely fall in love with her tweets & get addicted to just like caffeine. My timeline is very boring without her!

4. @HandleNotFound: I met her as @iWritingGirl. Her writing is just WOW! Not many girls/women have guts to write on supposedly “bold” topics. But she does & with such aplomb! She makes my Timeline HAWT!!!

5. @Hitlerbai: She is one bold chick. And funny And cute. I just love her replies to Paulo Coelho’s spanish tweets & also her after sleep plans. I literally roll on floor with laughter!

6. @teraKaminaDost: Though the handle says Kamina, there is nothing kamina about this guy. Share a common grievance of not getting auto in the morning 😉 Roz raat barah baje Santa Banta inhein milne aate hain!

7. @Mindd_it: Our own Rajnikant of Twitter – Mind it! His most famous tweet: “O meri aan, o meri uun” is like a lullaby 😉

8. @pal36: Adi Guru of Twitter. Lord Dattatreya had 24 gurus, he probably has 240+ who tell him what they learnt 😉 His daily question, What Did You Learn Today (#WDYLT) has made me more aware of my learnings of the day & I quite look forward to share it with him 🙂

9. @14_yr_Old_Etard: Followed & Unfollowed him quite a few times due to some of his outrageous views but decided that the outrageous tweets are a tiny fraction as compared to the wisdom he doles out. His blogs are interesting as well. Not 14 year old. Not a retard definitely.

10. @SimpooSir: One handle on which I agree with Outlook completely. His innocent zokes & peezays will definitely make you smile if not laugh. He has answers to all questions including where do you find a soulmate – Mochi ke paas bhai!

Happy Following 🙂

 

Mirchi Laddoo – Yummylicious!!!

Yo Chilli Balls! A day never passes when I am not looking for this phrase on my time line…

Yes, thats what I prefer to be called nowadays..or Mirchi Laddoo or Laddoo or Mirchi 😉

I dont even remember / want to remember my real name ..This is my real world now. Far from the familial/community/colleagues presence..

There was a time when I was too addicted to facebook. Updating lotsa posts & poems when I was in love & after the heart break earned me the nickname of Mirchi..but someone opposed, said I was too sweet to be called Mirchi..so got another nickname of Laddoo..Of course, it matched my shape as well 😉

So was I to be Mirchi or Laddoo??? Reminded me of my old tagline on my Yahoo ID “Sugar is Sweet but Spice is nice”

Mirchi, provides the necessary spice in life. Mirchi is tasty,Mirchi is fun, hell, Mirchi is Sexy!!!

And Laddoo? Laddoo is sweet..Laddoo comes to rescue when you have too much of the Mirchi..Laddoo is Love!!!

Thats what I am – Sweet like a Laddoo & Spiciy like a Mirchi 😉

Welcome to the world of Mirchi Laddoo 🙂

Do You Remember Me?

My first poem, which I did not tear up 🙂
 
Do you Remember
The Rain without season?
 
Do you Remember
The Kiss without reason?
 
Do you Remember
The waiting for your call?
 
Do you Remember
The time when I had a fall?
 
Do you Remember
The moments we shared?
 
Do you Remember
How much you cared?
 
Do you Remember
Stolen moments to be with each other?
 
Do you Remember
Being Interrupted by my mother?
 
Do you Remember
The walk in the light of moon?
 
Do you Remember
The walk in the blazing noon?
 
Do you Remember
Loving Me?
 
Do you Remember
Hurting Me?
 
DO YOU REMEMBER ME???
 

Ties that bind us…

 

We had learnt in school “Man is a social animal”. At that point of time we did not give so much importance to the deeper meaning of the sentence.

But the more we grow, we realize how true the statement is..

This also is one of the reasons of the popularity of the “Social” Networking Sites :-) :-) :-)

A man is not satisfied with merely fulfilling his basic necessities..He needs something more than Food, Water & Shelter..He needs love, appreciation & validation. He also needs company..The company could be of family, friends, lover, children or even pets or books or any other hobbies..

A man needs a connection with someone..a relationship with an individual or a group to share their thoughts & feelings, to engage in activities together, to have fun together & ultimately to live their life together..

A man’s relationship starts when he is in the womb..that is his first relationship..with his mother..

As he opens his eyes in the real world, he gets some more relations..father, grandparents, brothers, sisters, & a whole bunch of extended family..

As he grows up, goes to school / college, he makes new relations..they are called friends..The ties with friends are much stronger because we choose whom we want to have a connection with.

And then one day he meets someone special..Someone who is made especially for him..This is the relationship he craves for..

Sometimes this relationship ends in marriage & begins with having kids..Life becomes a full circle for him then!

Buiilding a relationship is not an easy task though..There are various stages of a relationship..

  1. Acquaintance: Here, you come to know a person. If both of you like each other only then a relationship will proceed to next level.
  2. Buildup: You both already like each other. Now is the time to build care & trust for each other. Some common background & interests are required to sustain this stage.
  3. Continuation: Here a long term commitment is made be it for friendship, romantic relationship or marriage.
  4. Deterioration: Sometimes a relationship is not able to sustain..it starts deteriorating..you lose interest in the other person or vice-versa, or there is some distrust, fights, dis-harmony, etc. Whatever the reason..but from here the relationship can go to two stages..through resolving problems & issues back to stage 3 or else to stage 5
  5. Termination: The final stage marks the end of the relationship either by death or separation..

It is beautiful to have so many relationships around us. They make the journey of life much more beautiful..

A caring mom, a protective dad, a loving sister, a pampering brother, a friend who is all of these & more, a lover, husband, kids…also nosy neighbours (love to share a cup of sugar with some hot gossip) ;-)

Some relationships are beyond labels though..They are the best ones :-)

Blood Relations, Soul Relations, Need Relations, whatever the type maybe but Har ek relation Zaroori Hota hai!!!

Relationships are very special..

When they are new they are exciting..

When they are old they are comforting..

And when they are dead, they become Cherished Memories…

 

Suicide – Cowardice or Bravery???

Newspapers are filled with suicide stories..on a daily basis so many people commit suicide for varied reasons..failure in love, financial trouble, incurable diseases, chronic depression, etc..

Death is an inevitable part of life..what lives has to die and every life comes with an expiry date..

Suicide is a way of shouting I quit! I quit this miserable life where there is no hope for me..things are only going to worsen from here..

People say that only cowards commit suicide..but is it really so? Why are we so prompt to judge someone when we don’t know how their journey has been?

These people have reached a dead end..their minds & hearts are blank..they don’t know where to go from here..turning back is not an option..they can think of only one thing then..to end it all..no more misery, no more despair, no mure hurt, no more heart wrenching pain, no helplessness..

I feel we and society as a whole behave cowardly towards such people..

They are one of us..someone from our family, a friend or a neighbour..

We know what they are going through but what do we do for them?

Sometimes even a kind touch makes a person think life is not that bad at all..

Are we brave enough to be kind to such people? Do we extend our love, our support, our compassion to them? If not then we have no right to call them names.

Do not cry after the person is no more..laugh with them when they are alive..that would be a much better tribute!

 

Fuelling My Passion!

Writing is socially acceptable form of being naked in public – Paulo Coelho
When I read this quote, I was dumbfounded! I always shied away from sharing my writings as I was not comfortable baring my thoughts or feelings..I used to think if someone reads this, what would they think? If I write something about love / pain would they think I have experienced it myself? I was not ready to answer anyone’s questions if they did! I wrote still but not about anything personal. I wrote for my office mags / on Facebook / blogs. But everything was about non-personal stuff most of the time. If I posted anything that would look personal, my inbox would be flooded with oh, what happened, etc.

After I read this quote, I was like if such a great author can feel this way, it was ok for me to feel the same!

It is time now to write about what I really want to write without having any inhibitions..It may not be liked by all…but I would love the freedom of having all the thoughts outside my mind onto my blogs / books / whatever medium.

‘Coz I have also learnt that when you put out all your thoughts on paper it reduces the intensity of your feelings..you become more calm & are at peace with yourself.

I would be very happy to unleash my love / passion for writing & also sharing it with few people who are interested in my work.

So how did it all began?

It all started with my another passion, Reading! Ya right, If I do anything, it has to be passionately! I don’t know any other way to do it 🙂

Reading has always been like a passion for me since childhood. I have always been a voracious reader. It may be newspapers, comics, short stories, novellas or full fledge novels. I forget myself when i am reading.. I become one with the characters & feel their emotions empathetically. It takes me to places where I can not physically go..transporting me to a world of imagination. Reading has also fuelled my already active imagination! The next logical step for me was to then pour out all the imagination in the form of writing..

I used to write poetries, short essays & stories..but I immediately tore them up after writing..Apart from the reason above, I was also not sure whether I was a good writer or not..

Getting appreciated for whatever I have written till now has made me more comfortable with sharing my writings with public..

To cut a long story short, it is time to fuel my passion & drive it on the highway of imagination..If I get some friends along with me, cool!! If not, then Ekla Chalo Re!!!