Momentary lapse

So another year has ended and a new one has begun. This transition, in my opinion, should last longer. I often wish there were some way to probably create a stopover, or an interval or some kind of a time lag before things start moving again. I would like to take a moment to think, to analyze how to make the next year better and not to make same mistakes again.

Each year, when people are kissing the air and wishing each other good luck for new year, I am left wishing what if the clock stops ticking right when it strikes midnight.
I wish to take a breath, I wish to sit down on a bench in a quiet park, I wish to soak in the moment before moving on. This is never going to happen.
 I always feel I am being rushed into something, and that feeling just spoils the fun for me. Almost always.

The big 23

Just the other day I was reading a post by a fellow blogger on turning 30 and how she cried almost every day thinking about it. Suddenly it dawned on me, I was turning 23 in a few days,  precisely in less than two days.

23 is no way a milestone, but it in fact is a constant reminder that you are inching towards one, hiding in 25. You are now moving closer to having all the symptoms of what they call- a quarter life crisis?  Plus I prefer even number to odd ones..I am sure I will enjoy my 24th, 26, 28th but not the 23rd, 25th and 29th etc etc.

When you are 23 the least expected out of you is to have found a boy to spend the rest of your life with. But in my case, that certainly doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. The next is to have a stable career, which I do now..to have friends to get drunk with, which I do...to have a car, umm ok lets not get there.. The point is, by this time people expect you to have figured it all out. But guess what, I still haven't. And it is ok, because life is more than just crossing milestones, it is about the journey itself.

And the only song I can think of to sum up this feeling is 'Moving on' by Soulmate.

(More will follow on how the day went)

My sincere wish for you, rot in hell! You backstabbing little bimbette!

I know you keep a track of my life and my activities through my blog, especially now that I have completely thrown you out.

This ones for you:

Read the title of the post again.

I don't even need to justify why I would wish something like that for you, after what you did to me and my best friend under the pretext of being one of us. You and your rotten little chihuahua-faced homo-boyfriend with a small dick can both go die. [small dick because he could never say things up front and ranted about it elsewhere and secondly because you seem pretty frustrated, get a hint ;)]

See how life turns out for us eh? Last I heard about you was you were begging around for a job/or sleeping around for one, whichever suits you.

I may be a pseudo intellectual but I am definitely not a bitch like you. I have many better accomplishments to boast of, the only thing you seem to be good at is making life miserable for others.
And maybe this pseudo-intellectualness got me where I am..certainly at a better place than you, asswipe! (see am not good at this, don't have a natural talent for insulting people like you do. I, on the other hand had to google some cuss words just so I can use them in this post)

And talking about not having real friends..I have enough who warned me about you and am glad I listened to them.

Really feel sorry for you, your existence is just a waste of space.

Good luck with your shitty life..

Steps to an "easy comfort food" sandwich

Things you need: Sandwich spread, bread, jalapenos, cheese slice, sausages, olives and any leftover thats good to go.

1. Take two slices of bread and toast them till brown
2. Fry sausages again till brown
3. Spread some sandwich spread on the bread (thats sounds nice when read quickly btw)
4. lay out cheese slices
5. Throw in the jalapenos and olives

EAT

(Tip: I used two different kinda spreads, just to spice things up)

Conversations

Do you think I am crazy?

No

I think you are eccentric

You are what I would call walking into an abyss

I never know where my conversations are headed when I am with you and am not even complaining, I quite enjoy that about you.

Oh, you are just saying that because you want me to feel ok

No, why would I do that. I have nothing to lose. I know you quite like me already

How can you be so confident?

I see that when you look at me, I see that when you touch yourself nervously, I see that when you keep looking away after catching my attention, I see that when you blush, I see that when words come out of your mouth all mixed up.

I guess you must know women really well

I would like to say I know them well enough to spot the one I would fall for

Are you saying that you are falling for me

Well what if I am

Then I would say you are crazy
*kiss*

We are 5

5. Seems insignificant when read like that no? but when you add years next to the number its almost like a lifetime, a dogs lifetime I mean. Thats how long its been with this blog.

:)

Deja Vu (though am not very fond of the word)

It freaks me out when certain films seem like my life playing out on screen. Does that happen to you?
And it's weird because I have seen 'Suburban Girl' before and never thought about it that way, until it ended the way a certain episode in my life did. 
So Brett (an associate editor at a NY publishing house) falls madly in love with much older, much successful Archie (Baldwin being his usual charming self) and figures out how wrong the whole affair turned for her. 
Also the film features one of my favourite songs, 
"Here's the day you hoped would never come
Don’t feed me violence, just run with me
Through rows of speeding cars
The paper cuts, the cheating lovers
The coffee’s never strong enough
I know you think it’s more than just bad luck

There, there, baby
It’s just text book stuff
It’s in the ABC of growing up
Now, now, darlin’
Oh don’t lose your head
'Cause none of us were angels
And you know I love you, yeah"

I remember saying this to my friends once, " I know, it's nuts, but when I'm with him I feel like a better version of myself... You know? Funnier, smarter, sexier."
Of course the film did not end all that happy but most importantly like Brett says, "Because you like to run away. It's part of who you are". 

MUST DO #107

                               Because music will never abandon you, deceive you or leave you.

Off load

A really big and important part of me decided to part ways with me. It wasn't sudden. I saw it coming since the day it became a part of me.


I've been such a fool.

The new room :)

Will add more pictures as I make newer additions.. 

Newer things and nostalgia

Life certainly has changed since the last post. I now write for people living on a distant continent, very different from mine. People I have known about through sitcoms and endless rom-coms. I live not only different time zones but also different identities, not to forget my poor body clock which is completely messed up right now.

It’s like a little bit of me belongs there as well. So if a neighbourhood bagel shop shuts I know how it feels. Not because I visited it as a little girl, but because people who read my stories have done that once in their life and it matters to them (btw the much featured and loved Bagel shop in upper west side is shutting down. This quintessential Bagel place appeared on TV series such as Friends and Seinfeld.)

I have also moved a few hundred kilometres away from loved ones and friends. I live in a different city now. Of course I am settling down to its groove but Bombay is and will always remain my first love, followed closely by Paris of course ;)

Bangalore is the fourth city I am living in the last two years. I hope to write more about the new place, new experiences and all the lovely people I meet.

Also I am dying to watch Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen, only if I find a decent copy somewhere..

My very own art project

How to:  Take an used and abused bottle of scotch, the bigger the better. Remove the label and wash it inside out. Now wipe out the water and put it to dry. Insert the lights and switch on :)

P.S. remember to use LED lights and not the cheap ones you get during Diwali or Christmas.

RIP: Sony Walkman (1978-2010)

 As the iconic Walkman lies in the death throes today, I mourn and weep profusely by remembering what it meant to own a Walkman in those days.


For anyone who grew up in India in the 80s, the walkman is synonymous with collecting numerable audio cassettes of Kenny G or the U2. Almost every teenager could be spotted walking around with the bulky player strapped onto their waists until much slimmer versions were launched by Sony. Just like your first pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers or the Reebok shoes, Sony Walkman was a must have in the post liberalized India.

Legend has it that the walkman was conceived by an audio engineer, Nobutoshi Kihara for Sony Chairman Akio Morito, who wanted to listen to his favourite operas on long international flight journeys. Would you ever buy it if it were to be called ‘Stowaway’ or ‘Soundabout’? Thanks to the popularity of Superman in those days, Walkman came to be named. Though the makers hated the name Walkman, they had to stick to it as expensive promotional campaign had already begun. But soon it became the most loved gadget across the globe. With almost 220 million cassette players sold so far, the Sony Walkman is unarguably the most loved gadget of our times.

A steep drop in sales has forced Sony to stop the production from their Japanese manufacturing unit after the last batch is off shelves. Though officials at Sony say they will continue production from their unit in China, till they see a demand mostly coming from Europe and some Asian countries. So don’t bury your walkman dreams as yet. As customers are increasingly switching to the portable, sleek and compact designs, it was only evident that Sony took the decision of putting an end to production of this much adored gadget across generations. Are they still available even if the production has stopped? Curiosity got me onto the metro and hop off at Karol Bagh to walk down to Gaffar Market. I was still looking for the lost ruins of the immortal Walkman. After hours at the maze-like neighborhood I ended up in shop no. 40 and was greeted by a Chinese Walkman look-alike called ‘Super’, half the price but not even half as charming as the original.


In 1979, when it was first launched, journalists were given Walkmans and were asked to walk around listening to explanation on them. Though it gathered poor response initially, kids in Britain had already started to demand a walkman from their parents a year later. I remember my first brick sized Walkman that grandfather reluctantly purchased for me. It was the 90s by the time I got hold of them; also because that’s when I started listening to what I now call music that defined me. By now Walkmans had become cheaper, more celebrated possessions and less bulky. When it was a few years old and the play button had by now been worn out due to overuse, I stuck it together with sellotape and we were happy to rock and roll again. No product would ever come close to capturing what it meant being a teenager in the 80s.


During long train journeys I remember getting off stations to load up on lithium batteries to get my humble set going. I have come a long way since then, now I use the Sony Walkman W series that looks very futuristic and nothing like the original Walkman. I remember how I used to tire out all my A sides and would often not end up moving to the B side.


Soon the walkman was succeeded by the Compact Disc players. Cousins from America would be kind enough to bring me CDs of Pearl Jam and Nirvana to add to my collection. It soon became fashionable to boast of a CD collection. The Walkman came as big relief for most teenagers as it gave them some moments of solitude from prying eyes of the elders. This gadget liberated us like no other by making the listening experience easy and on the go.


A friend described the Walkman, ‘a seminal piece of technology’ remising fond memories of making mix tapes for his sweetheart and labeling them with love notes right through his teenage years. But today all our music is stored digitally on swanky iPods and other digital music players. The walkman was a huge influence on the popular culture. It was almost like the iPod of the 80s. It won’t be long before a walkman becomes a collectors’ item and is sold for not less than a few thousands at Chor Bazaar.

This or That?

I have been thinking of buying a really nice pair of Ray Bans. But I am confused as to what style should I go for, though I have my eyes on the Wayfarers for a while, especially their rare prints collection.

Also I checked out this cool application called Virtual Mirror that lets you try out different styles.

Check it out if you got a webcam and lots of free time! Its a nice app to keep you company during those tedious late night study plans. At least for me ! :)

                                              

Hail dementia!!!!!

Bitch Talk

If I ever see something I do not like to see, I swear I will tear it, break it or burn it.

Six hours in Shillong

Shillong happened just like that. On an evening when I was supposed to be in Delhi, on a whim I decided to first go to Guwahati and then to Shillong. I took the first flight out and with just two days in hand head out to a place I had only heard of or read about.


I planned to travel with a Maharashtrian family who were staying in the same hotel as I and we shared a cab together right upto Shillong. I had six hours, a bunch of strange people for company and whole lot to see. It wasn’t exactly an ideal situation but I wanted to make the most of all that I had. Though the initial plan was to travel to Tinsukhia, but my Daddy rubbished all demands within minutes of putting it forward and I settled for Shillong.

The drive from Guwahati to Shillong was laced with more than just potholes. What caught my fancy were tribal women selling neatly cut pineapple and jackfruit all along the highway. Not to forget the spicy bamboo pickle, I think it is the only pickle that I’d ever like to have considering I hate pickles. The weather was gloomy, the mountains green and people friendly. I read somewhere that the only places one can locate any culture is in its people and their behaviour.


It was a perfect milieu of bonhomie and a whole lotta love. Now there is something more to this story which may also be the reason for me smiling ear to ear throughout the drive. It was so overwhelming that I could even get through the pain of travelling with a bunch of people who knew nothing about the place or its people; they were just there to spend money and boast of a vacation to a far off land.


As I neared Shillong I saw why my friends gushed about Shillong so very often. There were tiny houses, pretty girls in their best and little boys with pink cheeks waving at every passing car. Group of teenage boys strumming Californication on their guitars and all of it happened in perfect rhythm. Music was everywhere, to the extent that I paused  my iPod and within seconds put it off. I wanted to hear the sounds of Shillong and sink into the sights of the city. As instructed by a friend I headed straight to City Hut for a nice meal and strolled around the Police Bazaar locating places I had only heard of before.

                                    
Next pit stop was the View Point. The winding roads up to the point had by now drenched in rains and very little was seen of the Military area around it. As I stepped out of my car, I sudden spell of cold gripped all of me. It was too much of a change from the warmness of the city to the chills of the mountains. I saw all of Shillong washed in bright sunshine from where I was.


Like this very piece my trip was half done too. I couldn’t see more than half of the places I wanted to. Couldn’t listen to all the beautiful music I wanted to, couldn’t meet all the people I wanted to yet. Yet I loved every bit of whatever little I saw. So a next one should be planned soon. Till then, a little tip for all travellers: Never travel with ignorant fools, trust me no matter how smart you are, they will make you feel like a fool as well. I wish I had known. 

Newbies- II

Ok, the first list did not quite work out the way I wanted, blame it on.. oh just forget it. One should always look forward to newer things

So here is part II

Next purchase: Almost French by Sarah Turnbill

New song stuck on my lips: Anyone else but you by Moldy Peaches

New favourite author: Pico Iyer

Next film to watch: This list is quite long actually. Eat, pray, love. The  Social Network. The King's speech. The tourist.

New thing on "to buy when I have a real job list" is a Vacation to Venice

Neon Nights

Disclaimer: Do not try this under any circumstance. It is seriously injurious to your health and modesty!


I hopped out of my auto. It was still few minutes to dark, the vendors were screaming louder to sell all that they had to so they could return home with cheap liquor and some peanuts. I peeped into the little scrap of paper I was clutching in my hand trying to locate the address I scribbled in hurry. Unable to find it, I sought for some local help. The man muttered something to another autowallah and in a few minutes and few blocks away he stopped.


I admit I was woozy after the long flight from Bombay and was quite disoriented and in that state did not bother to enquire where I was being taken, I was just happy to know I was going somewhere. I got down again and as a practice tried to look for some clues below the signboards. I read P-A-H-A-R-G-A-N-J. It sounded familiar at first and without too much thinking I paid the driver and started walking to find a place to stay for the night.


Cheap and affordable was written all over the place but what wasn’t is all that i figured in that one night. I quickly checked into a hotel called Chanchal. I know the name sounds funny but it was the only place which was affordable and I saw many foreigners getting in so I thought it would be clean as well. After the ritual I left to look for some place to eat. It was 9.30 and it looked as if the city had begun to snooze already. I hand cycled my way to Connaught Place and spotted Moti Mahal. I grinned like a glutton and quickly settled for a nice meal of Biryani, Saag and Raita.


By 11 p.m. I retreated but Delhi being Delhi I couldn’t find a ride to the hotel for a long time. Having nothing to do, I thought of walking down as it wouldn’t be more than a 20 minute walk. I reached Paharganj and it looked as an entirely different place. In two hours it turned into something I wouldn’t have chosen to stay in. There were men of all sizes and shapes looking at me lustily. I increased my pace and they hankered after me. I heard comment flying from all direction and hitting me like arrows of filth and disgust. I cursed the man who murmured into the ears of my autowallah, I cursed the relative whose address I couldn’t find and cursed the night.

I sensed the red neon signboards screaming at me as though I had entered a place I shouldn’t have. This was Paharganj for you. I swear those five minutes on the streets of Paharganj left me feeling not just raped but exhaustingly overpowering. The gaze, the stench of sick craving and above all the neon lights reduced me to a piece of meat.

I pranced my way quickly and reached my room huffing and thanking God for all that did not happen but could have. Many must have got lucky that night and I was just lucky to not.

You are what you read

A very funny thing happened today. I and my roommate were having a very casual conversation. She suddenly looks at my stack of books on the rack and says, "The other day X came to our room and couldn't believe you read all that. She didn't know you were smart enough to read James Joyce." I couldn't help but smile. Sometimes it makes me wonder how many people on this planet are judging me right now? I wear pink does that mean I am a bimbette? I love shopping, so that makes me a spoilt brat? I don't scream out of my lungs to  put forward a point in class, so does that make me dumb? I don't publicize myself so does that mean I am not good enough?

It is very surprising how we have categories for people and how we put them in these categories in spite of not knowing them enough. It amazes me how little we think of each other and so much about ourselves. What makes us gloat or be pompous to the extent of making exhibitions of ourselves. Why do we feel the need to prove a point all the time?

Co-incidentally I was having a conversation with another friend who happened to tell me how I don't feel the need to be out there. Well yes she is right.

All that is on

It was a fairly good weekend. On second thoughts it was one of the best weekends in a long time. A and I sneaked S inside our hostel which was not a big task. We partied all night long and slept off ranting intellectual shit!



Today was made because of the awesome Almond Tarts, they were heavenly. A walk around the quaint little lanes of Koregaon Park can be so inspiring was also discovered only today. Lush green, purple air and blue skies.


The rest remains the same with a little change maybe, I smile a lot now <3