The Ghosts In Your Closet .....

If you are plump, you are haunted by the calories you eat

If you are employed, you are haunted by the pink slips

If you are pregnant , you are haunted by the weight you would gain

If you are a student, you are haunted by the weight of expectations and assessments

If you are in the movie biz, you are haunted by the Friday box-office

If you are sportsperson, you are haunted by a game loss.

If you are a mother, of well you are haunted all the time with worries.

And when you are a blogger, you are haunted by the " writer's block! "

We all have our ghosts, so what haunts you?

P.S : Well this post is in lieu of the Halloween spirits & not because the wordsmith in me is on a temporary ( hopefully ) furlough like some of you suspect :P :P :P

Oh wait! I just got one more - If you are an Indian, you probably are haunted by what our government bans next! :P :P

Happy Halloween fellas :vD

Personified !

A little bird had just told me a juicy piece of gossip and like all women I felt the urge to share it instantly. And since there was no one else left in the circle who hadn't heard the news, the unsuspecting husband had to bear the brunt. So after a lot of nudging and prodding, I was finally able to garner his attention  and blow his mind away with the ammo I was loaded with :P

Me - You know my friend X...

He - Who?

Me- The one we met at A's wedding...

He- ? ? ?

Me - ( slightly agitated )  How can you not remember him!!!! the bespectacled tall guy...

He ( still has a blank look )

Me - .. with a french stubble.. 

He - ( still no hint of recognition )

Me- ... he has pierced ear and a tattoo too...

He- ( now looking totally lost )

As I scratch my head to come-up with more distinguishing features of the protagonist, he suddenly turns to me with a triumphant look..

He: OH! Wait a min...Is he the one with the Ninja or the Harley?

Me - @$@$@@!!!!!!

Yup unless you own a super-cool toy or gadget, you are not making into his radar.... oh wait even an impeccable sense of humor would do ( a certain friend seemed to have successfully hacked his funny way in.)

PS: Are all husbands this way or I just seem to own an exclusive collector's piece :P

PPS: I do know how to keep a secret.. it's just that.. it takes a lot of resilience to keep something from him :f Anyway since he has a memory of a goldfish, your secret is totally safe! :P :P

A Silent Apology

Like many , "Monday morning-blues" stings me hard. It's a day no-matter what I do , I always seems to be running behind schedule. Getting back into the work-mode always seem to be a mammoth task! :f

On such a fateful Monday , as I am speeding to work on my Scooty with myriad thoughts drifting in my head and trying hard to stifle a yawn ; another biker whizzes past me from my blind side almost toppling me off my bike.
 I manage to screech to a halt with a palpitating heart. And being the true Indian that I am, as I look-up to curse the guy assuming he must have sped off; I was definitely in for a shock! :o

I see the biker halted just a few meters ahead. His visor of the helmet still being pulled down, I cannot see his face. Before I could even utter a word, he raises his hand and makes the OK gesture inquiring if all was good at my end. Bewildered I nod slowly. He immediately puts his palm to his heart and bows to apologize before gunning the bike to take off again.

It all happened so fast that it took  me a few seconds to recover from this escapade but I found myself smiling as I saw him vanish over the horizon. And as I kick-start my bike to heed for work, I even find myself murmuring a prayer to help the unknown biker reach his destination safe and on time. He really seemed to be in a hurry but his little action actually uplifted my Monday morning spirits which would have sunken to a new low had he not stopped to apologize.

In our hurried world, we forget to be mindful, to be courteous, to be humble , to be thankful. But we forget actions speak louder than words, even your small gesture can change someone's life for better or for worse or may just cure someone's Monday morning blues! ;)

The Periodic Tales!

As I walk down the aisle of the supermarket gathering supplies for the month, I pick up my monthly stash of sanitary napkins and casually toss them into my shopping cart. The lady next to me cringes and glares at me as she hurriedly hides her stash amidst other stuff in her cart. :|

I am at a cousin's place watching a movie on TV with her family of two sons, a sanitary napkin commercial comes up , the room turns uncomfortable as my sister fidgets with the remote to flip the channel. :|

A friend empties her shopping bag on the bed as her brother walks in , she drops her cardigan on the pack of sanitary napkins that have rolled out of her bag. :|

My aunt doesn't allow me to dispose off the used sanitary napkin (wrapped in a paper) in the dustbin of the house as there are men in the house, "You need to use the one across the street on such days.", she says. :|

I am sure each of us have such a period tale to share some so weird that you actually have no idea how to react!
Don't even get me started on the age old beliefs and superstitions that get thrown at you from time to time by people around you.

Even our commercials focus on only the ' accidental stains ' - that seem to be the only trouble we face when we are on our period.  What about cramps, bloating, depression, insomnia, the mood swings and the struggle to be at work when every cell in your body urges you to curl up and sleep.
And what's with the 'blue' ink ???

Those stains wouldn't have been such a distress had we not made such a big deal, whispered about it among our girlfriends, hushed-up about our agony and referred to our period as "that time of the month" or "un dino" and so on.... :f

Relax ladies, we are WOMEN, we BLEED!!!! BE PROUD. And if our society can't handle it let's educate them better!!

Travel Bug!

My FB timeline always remains splashed with pictures of people travelling to all parts of the world. (though the chain of hashtags preceding them can be aggravating at times. :P)
And most of the free-time at work is spent drooling over every travelogue that comes up on my search engine. Some of them so inspiring that I feel the immense urge to just pack up and set sail this very second! :D
But alas, I am more of the conventional types who is stuck at a never-ending job , with infinite number of bills to pay , traumatized at the thought of travelling solo and above all never seem to save-up enough to take a vacation no matter what I do (the pockets are always empty.) So I just sit here read , have a digital vacation and envy the ones  actually living "the dream". :(
I know for a true traveller my reasons  would sound all very lame but then again I am always awed by the ones who actually quit their jobs, stuff their lives into a backpack and live life on the road.. Like WOW!!! How do you do it?? :b

And here my travel bucket just seems to overflow, every time I stumble upon a new haven... When will I experience the solitudes of the inaccessible monasteries of the world,  drive through the most scenic roads in the world, be mesmerised by the ancient civilizations that ruled our world, get spiritual in the most sacred places on earth, wake up on the most serene beaches in the world, hike through the dream trails of the world ...  I know I am just another wanderer at heart! ;)

The world has so much to offer and I'm running out of time!!!! ( It sometimes terrifies me as I am yet to start :o )

 P.S : If you are the unconventional types, go on buy that ticket, spread your wings and fly.... while I get back to my digital sorjourn! :f

Pic courtesy: Internet

Lost and Found?

Everyone of us has a lost and found story as a kid. You don't? :o And I thought mine was the most boring childhood ever! :P

Anyway flashback to the time when I was a 3-year-old and Dad decided to take me to the 'Sunday market'. Sunday markets were the busiest of all days. It was so crowded that people had to wade through, squish-squashing each other.And what a ruckus it was, that even if you yelled at the top of your voice nobody would pay head! :/
So taking an hyper-active toddler to this brouhaha was definitely a mistake! :f

Well, so on that fateful day I had no idea how I let go my Dad's hand and wandered off on mine own. It took me a while to figure out that I had been lost. I looked around at all the passing legs and none belonged to Dad. I did try searching for the right pair of legs for a while, but finally gave up and retraced my steps back to Dad's scooter.
I have no idea how I found my way back as even being armed with a GPS these days, I'm never able find the same street again and even more thanks to Dad for choosing an 'outrageous blue' color, I could spot the scooter even from outer space! :P
So there I was waiting patiently for Dad to discover me and  after what seemed like ages, Dad turned up panting and the relief that flooded his face on seeing me perched on the scooter was immeasurable. I though had the look that it was the most obvious place you would find me! :P
However that put an end to Dad ever taking me to any place alone. He always made sure Mum was in tow to keep a watchful eye on me. ;)

But then again that misadventure did help me brag about my smartness to one and all over the years and also conjure up this post. :)

As kids whenever we we got lost, we somehow always seemed to find our way back with or without the help of some good Samaritan.

But now as grownups ,we tend to get lost on a whole new level and there seems to be no one who can direct us back , we just have to do it all by ourselves ... adjust our sails and paddle our way to the right destination.
But sadly we seem to have no clue about the right destination :(

As A Kid I Believed.........

• Stuffed toys came to life at night when we are all asleep, so I never owned one but now I have a cart-load of them. xD
• My grandparents lived in a 'black and white' world. And they prayed to God to make it colorful. ;)
• Only Mum knows everything, something I still believe in. Yes even Google just comes a close second! :P
• The nose would grow longer if I lied. So I have always been honest to the core!
• If I got 'good' grades ; I was a 'good' kid. Now you know why I was such a nerd! :f
• Ghosts and monsters could never penetrate my blanket. This still holds true! :)
• If we dig a hole deep enough in India we would get out in America
• Grownups were the 'happiest' people in the world since they did not have to take tests or exams.
• Everything had 'human emotions' even the furniture. So if I bumped into one, I would pat them and say 'Sorry' :$
• MAGIC exists!
• Kissing made babies. :r  Yes too much Bollywood movies I tell you.
• Crying my heart out when I realize my favorite clothes have shrunk. :c  A phenomenon that doesn't seem to cease even when I'm all grown up.
• Growing up would be the happiest thing that could ever happen. What the hell was I thinking! :|
• People I saw on TV, lived inside the TV.
• ATMs gave you money for free and only the card required to get the money was really expensive. So I was elated when my Dad finally got one! xD
• Dogs were all 'male' and cats where all 'female'. No idea why!
• If you accidentally ate seeds of a fruit, you would die. I was terrified to eat pomegranates.
• Strongly believed - 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' and was totally annoyed when Mom dragged me to the doctor when I hurt my leg. :@
• Money grew on 'money-plants'. xD
• All the cartoon characters were real and they lived in Disneyland.
• You could never have more than one 'best friend'.
• All the grownups were intelligent. Well they did give pretty convincing performances. :P
• If you married the person you love, only then its 'true love' :$
• People died only when they got old. And I had a long way to go.... :f
• God would punish me if I did not finish everything on my plate. :o
• If I spoke to a stranger, they would kidnap me! :o
• The world was a tiny place. Only the people I knew or saw existed. Imagine my disappointment when I realized I did not know 'everyone' in the world! xD
• Before I learned to read and write, when I heard people spell out words I thought they were exchanging spy codes :r
• Nothing bad happens to good people!

Sadly these beliefs did not stick for long, ah growing up really sucks! :(

How awesome it is when........

•  Someone thinks you look way younger than your actual age. :$
•  Crossing off the last item on a list. :tup
•  A new friend calls you by your nickname for the first time. :$
•  Staying out with the gang all night till the place shuts down. :e 
•  There is a good turnout on your birthday even when you are as old as Methuselah :party
•  You accidentally stumble upon your insane kindergarten photos :O
•  Finally recognize someone , after staring at them forever. :f
•  Stretching your legs after a very long car ride. ( Phew!)
•  Fixing gadgets by smacking them. ;)
•  Finally figuring out how the fancy hotel faucet works. (Eureka!)
•  Thread a needle without blinking an eye
•  Your boss leaves early from work on a Friday. (Yay!!!)
•  Spinning in your office chair for no reason. :O
•  Collapsing into bed when you are massively exhausted and worn out. :f
•  Making a wish before blowing a candle. :$
•  Perfecting your signature on the last page of the notebook. :$
•  Finding change in your old denims, like finding lost treasures. ;)
•  Meeting the one who loves the same weird food combinations like you. xD
•  Making pinky swears that you actually keep. :$
•  Just staring up at the sky. 
•  Getting the chocolate with the flavor you like from an assorted box. :)
•  There are texts and messages to read when you randomly check your phone. :)
•  You realize 'its a Friday' when you thought it was a Thursday.
•  The smell of a very old book. :L
•  Making it to the movies just before the trailers begin. 8)
•  Finally getting out that piece of popcorn that was stuck between your teeth all day. :b
•  That cold glass of water on a really hot day.
•  Hitting a bunch of green lights in a row when you are really late for work.
•  The elevator going up stops directly at your floor. :)
•  After a long day at work, you come home to the smell of someone cooking your favorite dinner. (Yummmm...)
•  Cook-up something for the first time and it turns out really well.
•  Getting in line before it gets really long. 8)
•  Sipping hot coffee on a cold rainy day
•  Make it home late in the night on an empty fuel tank. 8)
•  Your ears pop back to normal after a shower.
•  Watching something download really, really fast ( This is a really rare treat! )
•  Something you badly want is on Sale. :e
•  When the clock states you have more sleep time :)
•  Getting a full fuel tank just before the prices go up. 8)
•  That right feeling after having thrown-up
•  Taking off the bare heels after a crazy day and walking bare foot. :)
•  Finally the braces come off. :f
•  Moon-walking in your socks
•  A stranger says 'Bless you' , when you sneeze :)
•  Reading through the nutritional value on products and eating it anyway! xD
•  The smell of first rain :L
•  Clicking the perfect picture ( Tummy tucked-in just in time! xD )
•  Someone randomly calls to check on you :)
•  Typing something correctly at the speed of light. 8)
•  Learning a new keyboard shortcut ( Its like turning Einstein :P )
•  Getting blog time during office hours ;) ;)

It's not that we don't have our share of crap in life, but making a big deal of those small moments make life worthwhile! :)

And if you craving for a 1000 more reasons , here's where you go 1000 Awesome Things

Totally 'be-car' !!

Finally after a two-year hiatus, hubby gets his new set of wheels!
Though its not the first time he owns a car, but this time the excitement and enthusiasm seems to be on a different level. :f
The last car he owned  had to go, because he married a super smart woman (yup that's me ;) ) who successfully managed to drill into his brain - "You need to invest in a home , not a PlayStation or a caaar!". :P
So as home EMIs took the toll on our minuscule budget, he had to part ways with his favourite toy!

Finally after a lot of deliberation, altercation - he shooting down most of my brilliant options and a dramatic search for the 'right' car that suits our needs ( or rather his ) , we zeroed in on a pre-owned car. :f
Though I hate the colour, he managed to win me over not with its aesthetics, its Torque, its Bhp or its safety features  but with the crucial promise of being there and driving me around 'whenever' and 'wherever' I needed  [  Well what more do I need !!! :) ]
But I had no idea what I was signing up for - random night drills to check if the car is 'OK'; if you are stepping out of the house for any reason - the car has to be inspected; no matter how late you come from work - the car has to be inspected ; over-driven googling on how to make the car even more "awesome", frequent discussions ( always one-sided ) on what the manufacturers should have done to make it more 'awesome', random instructions like " watch the door " , " don't leave your stuff in here " , " your nails could leave a scratch "  and the most damaging - refer to the car as 'she' not 'it'. :/ :/
 [ You think I am going to oblige that! :@ ]

Further more the constant obsession  to wash-dry-polish-vacuum the car to make it sparkle when getting him to take a bath on a lazy Sunday afternoon can be a tussle! :/

Yeah... you got it ! My new found nemesis who is stealing all the 'ATTENTION'! :@ :@

P.S:- I do pray the novelty wears off soon, as for now he is totally "be-car"! :/

Being "Mallu" in a "Non-Mallu" land!

I am one of those humongous number of  insanely crazy yet adorable  "Mallu" born and trying to survive  in a "non-Mallu" land (anywhere other than Kerala).

Though we are striving hard to be a better breed , here's an insight -

We do get offended at times when called 'Mallu' or 'Mellu' , we  would be preferred to be addressed as a 'Malayali'  as we speak Malyalam or a 'Keralite' as we hail from the state of Kerala.
But we are definitely  thankful to the ones who don't identify us as  'Madrasi' :P

Most of us don't have a last name, barring a few - the 'Menon' 'Nair' or 'Pillai' . But having succumbed to the necessity of a last name in the Non-Mallu land, some of us  are compelled to add  initials or add the location (place name) of their ancestral homes or the traditional occupational clans they originated from as their last names.
Beware these names turn to be pretty majestic!!! Dont believe! Try pronouncing 'Ezhuttachchan' [ Don't worry if you are not a Mallu, you are definitely gonna get it wrong!]
Unfortunately for me , I do not have a last name and I have always been at the mercy of  a world that doesn't seem to understand! :/

Mallus tend to name their kids in a rhyming manner, no matter whether the names make sense or not. Sample this: 'viji', 'liji' , 'siji' or 'lijo' , 'sijo', 'jijo'.
So either be the first-born to gain some leniency coz if you are the third born probably your name would sound retard! :P
Thankfully my parents planned to have a single piece like me - anything rhyming with 'Rino' would have been even more ridiculous!  Though I would have loved to have someone share my apathy. ;)

We have highly conservative parents. Dont believe? Try attending a Malayali congregation or a wedding in a short tight dress, you are bound to be treated like you just landed from Mars. :/
"You may now kiss the bride!" is a norm that is never happening in Kerala anytime soon! :P

Every Mallu parent owns a gold reserve that gets paraded at the weddings , but believe me we make sure the reserves exhaust soon after the wedding. ;)
Yes I'm broke too not matter what my wedding pictures suggest! :P

Our affinity for coconuts are not  just limited to the food, coz  they get added in famous dialogues like "I should have planted a coconut tree instead... "  used by every Mallu parent when we fail their expectations. :P

Onam is not our 'new-year' , but if you see some of us perched like monkeys on the "golden shower tree" (Cassia fistula) in the month of April trying to gather the yellow flowers, then its our new year. :)

We take immense pride in being the most 'bevda' (drunk) state in the country with the highest literacy rate ( More for the former than the latter!)

Yes we do have someone or the other in the middle-east or rather 'the Gelf' .  You see we make them function! :P And why should you complain we add to the GDP of the country! ;)

We contribute to most of the famous 'Mundu'  (lungi) jokes but no one  can  truly rock it like a Mallu can! ;) And the world is  in love with the Kerala 'Kasavu' sarees . Yes the white - golden saree every lady today vies for! :)

Believe me there are other food we eat other than 'idli' and 'dosha' ( that's how it should be pronounced). And they are far more delicious than you can imagine! :)

We are made to master the most complex language in the world , a language that's 'unspeakable' and 'incomprehensible' even  to our southern counterparts , but our relatives back in Kerala still feel we speak improper Malayalam! :/

We challenge  you to try your hand at learning our tongue with or without the "accent" but we can pick up any dialect, diction or accent with extreme ease! :)

We  have an opinion , a view about anything and everything under the sun! Though we know we should shut up at times but the Mallu "all-knowing" attitude in us  makes it rather difficult! :P

You are definetly  bound to have  atleast one Mallu colleague, classmate , neighbour , friend or  an acquintance no matter in which part of the globe you are . Yes we are that omnipresent! :P
We can adapt ,survive  and flourish anywhere and everywhere in the world. :)

But if you still haven't had a Mallu encounter - you have missed so much in life! :P
Because you don't meet a "Mallu", we happen to you! :)

Disclaimar:  I'm extremely proud of my Mallu origins , so please don't ban me from Kerala; how else will I ever eat beef again! :f

To be or not to be.. ?

"What you wanna be when you grow up?"
The question that gets thrown at you at every turn of your life.
It starts off as a casual question to a toddler which slowly takes on a serious twist as life progresses.
Not just to your family , but its supposed to be the favorite ice-breaker for even those nosy uncles and aunts about whom you really don't care, but who seem to take profound interest in your ambitions :@

Well for me its been a whirlwind journey which still doesn't seem to cease! ;)

Having been taught by some of the best teachers in the world and being the nerd of the class; being a  'TEACHER' was my ultimate aim! :)
Many a times ahead of an exam , I was bombarded with requests to brief complex topics to my fellow peers who had come under-prepared; and thanks to those nervous bunch of idiots who showered praises for my humble efforts I started to believe - 'YES I could teach!' :brow
I even had a blackboard  at home where I practiced teaching my imaginary students and corrected books (old magazines) with a  RED pen Yes I was that serious! :P
Then as wisdom dawned on me,I realized teaching a bunch of nerve-wracks just before an exam (who seemed extremely attentive at that moment as their life depended on it ) and teaching a class full of impatient rowdies was a totally different affair! :/
And being impaired with the fear of public-speaking , I knew this job was never going to be my cup of tea :f

As I graduated to high school the 'Kargil War' happened and the air of patriotism seemed to be everywhere. My country was in trouble and I felt the need to act!
Though we lost a lot of soldiers to the war, it ignited a new spirit in me. I wanted to join the armed forces - serve my nation. And being the grand-daughter of a freedom fighter and a daughter of one who always wanted to join the army, it seemed to run in my blood. But then realization struck again, the physical ability needed to attain the feat was too high. I was a DWARF! :(

As I reached 10th grade, one of my cousin relocated to our place to study 'MEDICINE'. Her books fascinated me and I was drawn to the world of human science. Yes I wanted to be a doctor, the noblest profession ever and the thought of having the power to mend, fix and heal people was overwhelming. I would get to play GOD!
 Having lost my granny to a disease that affected just one-in-a-billion powered by resolve to be the 'best surgeon' in the world. I would be doing a noble deed everyday - saving peoples life! :angel
But then my fear of numbers halted my dream, as I stumbled at the medical entrance tests; Physics being a mandatory subject was full of numbers. Ah! What crap!! Why you need Physics to be a surgeon is still a mystery to me but my dream was definitely off the table now :(

I did want to give it another shot but losing an academic year din seem to go down well with my parents and so ENGINEERING happened - the next big thing any ambitious parent could think for their child. Though being an "Arithmophobic", how I survived Engineering is a whole other story. ;)
So here I am now writing software codes for a living! Having sustained in this industry for 5 years and seemingly doing a fair job with nobody doubting my skills I seem to be doing well. But the closest I got to saving a patient's life is just writing  some random code for 'not-so- life-threatening' medical devices. Sigh!

But then  again when work gets mundane, my heart does seem to wander - and having started this blog along with editing a book, being a writer does seem to fascinate me now and then. The occasional accolades and praises do fuel me to pen down a 'BOOK'. Only thing I  have no idea what to write about ? :(
Then on days when I perfect a  new recipe, I feel I should start-up a restaurant chain!!
 Mind you not a "single restaurant" but a "chain of restaurants". Yes I could get super ambitious at times!! :vD
And when friends rely on me to pick out outfits for them the 'entrepreneur' in me awakens again;  I definitely need to own a fashion house. ;)
Or when I watch a super-hero movie, I feel I should be secretly fighting crimes! ;)

But on days like today when life is bleak and some random test scores suggest my skills have sky-dived to a new low, I just seek some reason to be HAPPY! :(

Those were the days....

I'm sure you are going to smile and nod as you scroll down this list... and the grin is just gonna get wider.... :) ;)

1. Playing 'lingorcha' / 'pittu' (7 tiles) and gully cricket in the streets with the guys , and getting offended as you are termed the 'kachha-limbu' (novice player) of the team :@
2. Terming one of the deserted bungalows in the locality as "bhoot bangla" (haunted house) and trespassing to explore it. The haunted stories related to the bhoot-bangla never subsided and we just added to the tales after every heroic expedition. :/
3. .Breaking window-panes / stealing mangoes from that mean nosy neighbor who yelled at you and your friends for apparently no reason :v
4. Happily agreeing to run errands for mom , as she allowed you to keep the change (only the coins) that went straight into a piggy-bank or got traded for the 25 paise orange candies or the packets of tamarind that were sold by the roadside vendor. ;)
5. Jumping into the muddy puddles after every rain and racing paper boats with our friends :)
6. Chaat and pani-puri stalls outside the school, which both teachers and parents discouraged us to patronise. And yet...
7. Singing the 'Happy Birthday' song on top of our voice as the teacher made the birthday girl / boy stand before the entire class and then trying to strike a deal for an extra chocolate as he/she came around with a chocolate-box. ( Actually our class had a different version of the birthday song- "Happy Birthday to you... Tra..la..la...la..la" Anyone remember ?? ) :party
8. Watch in awe as mom haggled with the vegetable vendors/ shopkeepers -("Bhaiya chalo thoda kam kardo... chalo aapka na mera...") and try to learn the tricks of the trade. :brow
9. Praying for a power-cut so that you were not made to study. ;)
10. .Being made the class monitor and have a look of disaster on your face as the timid you could not make an impact on the unruly crowd. :f
11. Secretly carrying friendship bands to school as our school prohibited tying friendship bands as a rule, probably because it was so lame! ( But then we have just graduated to Facebook now! :P)
12. Gathering your last bit of memories on the last day of school by filling up slam books with innocent remarks like AIM in life - "Marry a beautiful wife" / "Be in-separable friends till the sun never rises again!" ;)
13. Check on your love-meter with your crush, by playing 'FLAMES' on the last page of the notebook :$
14. Chat with your best pal during a class by passing paper notes across the classroom.
15. Making important decisions by tossing a coin :b
16. "Bhaite bhaite kya kare, karna hai kuch kaam, shuru karo antakshari lekar prabhu ka naam" , and run out on songs from 'म' , 'न' and 'य' as you have sung them all :tone
17. Four homes and a single landline phone number - "Aunty aapka phone aaya hai!"
18. Gather at your neighbor’s place to gaze at the latest addition to his family - a new TV set / fridge / mixer grinder and munch on the sweets for the joyous occasion. ( Yes back then every new gadget was like a family member which stayed on in the family for the next 20-30 yrs! )
19. Summer vacations were always at Grandma's place getting pampered and getting FAT!
20. School beginnings with new bags, new water-bottles and brown paper covered notebooks with fancy labels. :)
21. Pestering Dad to buy the Camel Water Colors as everyone had one and the pride of owning the most exquisite looking butterfly-dish! ;)
22. Renting video cassettes with a dubious print to watch movies on a VCR. :)
23. Learning to make real chapattis using your playing kitchen-set! :/
24. The horrendous punishment of being made to stand near the dustbin when you have been notorious in class. :(
25. Using the blackboard white-chalk to whiten your PT shoes as they were going to be inspected by your teacher. ;)
26. Reading comics and novels hidden between textbooks 8|
27. Waiting eagerly for Christmas party at school as you did not have to wear school uniforms and you could flaunt the new dress that Mom got you for Diwali/ Christmas :e
28. Competing with the neighbouring locality kids while making 'killa' (forts) during Diwali and blowing up their forts with crackers on Diwali night :vD
29. Letting out the air from the cycle /scooter tyres of your pesky neighbour :v
30. Playing 'Chor-Police' , Name-Place-Animal-Thing and book-page cricket during class hours :)
31. 'Mario' and the 'brick-game' were the only video games you knew. :)
32. "Bhudiya ke baal" was something you ate. :)
33. Trying to recite the national Pledge in Hindi and Marathi during class assemblies. It was so tough! :f
34. Everyone had a tiny phone diary scribbled with landline numbers, though we had memorised all of the numbers for the fear of losing the diary. xD
35. Making a God promise with a neck-pinch and actually keeping it fearing you would invoke God's wrath. :O
36. During a foggy winter , blow fog out your mouth and pretend you are smoking. :)
37. Making faces when Mom asks you to drink milk before going out to play. :~
38. Watching ScoobyDoo, Popeye,Captain Planet,Dexter etc on Cartoon Network with a poor cable TV connection. :)
39. Learning to ride a cycle with the help of the older bhaiyas in the locality on a cycle you rented for an hour. ;)
40. Drinking Rasna with friends after a hard day's play :f
41. Neighbours and relatives coming to bless you for final exams as if you are about to fight a war. :P
42. The watchman and postman uncles asking for 'bakshis' (reward money) for their affluent services during Diwali or when they find out that you have aced a test. :brow
43. Hunting for  a pen as soon as you enter the classroom to ink a dot on your palm so that you did not have to forfeit a chocolate as you were playing Jolly with a bunch of your friends. :)
44. Kismi , Popins and Gems were the treats you loved and the ParleG biscuits were nothing compared to the junk we get now! ;)
45. Walking in a single file with hands crossed behind our backs - we were so well disciplined back then! ;)
46. Gobble-up half the lunch during the 10AM break so you get extra time to play during the lunch hour! ;)
47. Scribble pages and pages of letters to your friends during summer vacations and wonder how you are going to post such a heap with a one-rupee stamp :f
48. Skating on the school corridors :)
49. Scribbling your  English homework during the bumpy school-bus ride as you forgot English is the first period of the day! :f
50. Trying to blow-up the biggest bubble while chewing a gum and get it all our your face! ;)

I know this list could be never ending... Feel free to add to this list :) :) :)

Yet Another Beginning !!!

A new year, a new beginning , a new chapter - it's that time of the year when emotions run high and mind races at an extra pace trying to churn out new-year resolutions, declarations and promises.
I too am no different though my resolve gets tossed out the window the very same day! :f
But this year I vow to be different ( just like the last so many years :P :P )
And to abstain from yielding to my weak diligence , I decided to post my new year resolutions here so that someone would nudge or whack me when I go astray! ;)
So my avid readers [which have reduced to maybe two or three :( ] and my dutiful friends who never miss an opportunity to jab me (what better gift could I  have offered you ) and my dearest family who have no other choice , I entrust you all with this mammoth task of keeping me on track. And let me warn you its not gonna be easy! ;)

Brace up to read my humble list:

Eat healthy and Stay fit -
Though I'm pretty within the admissable weight limits, I tend to add flabs to all the wrong areas and seem to run out of steam very easily. Skipping breakfast would be a strict no-no this year.

 Shop Less, Save More -
I have high-budget plans lined up for this year and I need to save every penny and dime to make them happen, so the beautiful dresses and trendy shoes please do not tempt.

God alone knows how I'm gonna survive this! :f Pray my employer decides to give me a hike or I just hit a jackpot! 

 Dress up, Show up and Meet Up - 
Over the past two years I have missed a zillion ocassions of meeting up friends and family. Hopefully this year would be different and I get to keep my date!

Plan A Vacation & Make It Happen- 
I have an endless list of destinations in my travel bucket  and hopefully this year I get to cross atleast one of the list.

Cookup some New Recipes - 
My culinary skills are extremely limited and I'm sure my guests are bored of the usual palate. Time to adorn the apron and dish out a new fare. :e

 Get Creative, Learn A New Skill - 
 I have no idea what I want to pursue, but I definitely want to hone a new skill. Any suggestions ???

 Read More And Blog Even More - 
I have an impending list of books that I need to finish and the zeal with which I started this blog doesnt seem to fuel my drive to toss out new posts. This year, I pledge to change this.

And most important, adhere to my resolutions earnestly.
Now that I have recorded my list they look even more unattainable. God help me. Sigh!

Anyway I'm all set for 2015. Are you? :mj

Oh and before I buzz off, here's wishing all of you a very Happy New Year :party :party :party
Let's all strive hard to make it better than last year and shape our world into a more happy and safe place to live in.
Amen! :angel