Do you know what it feels like..

When nature plays a game with you.. when the earth lays parched because of the summer's
onslaught, after weeks of heat.. you see the big grey saviors in the sky..those grey clouds that make
you both scared and happy..

Scared because somewhere inside of you, a kid is still scared of thunder and lightning..
Happy because you can't wait to smell the earth the way it smells when the first
drops of rain hit the ground.. you look on as nature creates the perfect build up..

Before you know it, there are clouds everywhere.. circling in with great speed.. you can see
the sky go through unbelievable tones of the grayscale.. as you watch..you can feel yourself hold
your breath when the wind starts blowing.. when you can hear the howling.. the speed, the intensity..

Do you know what it feels like when after all this, the clouds pass over and there is not a single drop of rain?


Yes.

Feels like someone ruined a perfect relationship.

To be loved..

A famous thought says that there is nothing better in this world than to be loved. My perception differs just a tad bit because I think

There is no greater pleasure in this world than to love and be loved

 Am sure you got the meaning. I mean, there must be so many people out there who lose their hearts to somebody and they do not know where the relationship is heading, if there is any relationship or not, if there is a scope for any.. is it possible?


To be sure that the person you love thinks you of the same way must be one of the most difficult things in the world and the reason why I think so is because of my friends' accounts of their failed proposals to boys/girls and how they always thought that the other person loved them just the same. In such situations, I really don't know what to say because one thing is for sure.. there just cannot be anything comforting to say at this time rather than the cliched -

"Hey, atleast you know!"

What do you say to a friend who is in this situation? I would really like to know..
For I just cannot figure it out!

 PS: Akansha, if you're reading this - am sorry if this blogpost seems similar to the one on your blog
but one of my friends really needs help :)

When the visit to you favorite bookstore turns BAD!

Ok so the story goes like this.. it was a darn hot day with an average of 40 degree celcius. Come 5 pm and after glasses of cold coffee made at home, the temptation of going to my favorite bookstore (Crosswords) .. catching up with the most awesome books.. sitting there in that airconditioned place, relaxing and reading - the two things I love to do most..

With that thought, I drove to my favorite bookstore and then my mother called me up and asked
me to get a book called "Games People Play" by Eric Berne. I agreed and went over to the information counter, telling him the name of the book which he then entered into the library management software on the computer.. this guy was a trainee..

1) Task 1 :  Type in the name correctly
Thankfully, he did not mess up with the name and told me that the book was indeed available and strutted confidently over to a certain section of the bookstore. I was a happy girl.

2) Task 2 : Searching for the book
Clearly, this book was not about Travel and Cooking and that is why- after waiting for 5 minutes as this trainee guy searched in the wrong (apparently) column, I took a walk around and caught up with the glossies.. a good 15 minutes later, mr.trainee was searching in the philosophy section and I was almost pulling my hair out..

Finally, I lost my patience and asked him - "Excuse me, do you not know the genre the book belongs to?" and I was totally stunned to hear the answer which came almost instantly -
"Maam, there is no separate section for psychology books"

GOSH!
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this situation... however, I asked another trainee to speed up the search process..

3) Task 3 : Remembering the name
The other guy came to help mr.trainee out.. I sighed audibly and turned around as the other guy asked him the name of the book he was searching for.. and to my utter amazement, mr.trainee could not remember the name!

He said -
"Games played by someone... people are playing.. people's games.. something  like that"

I stood there *jaw drop* .. in a BAD way!
And if that was not all, as I walked over to the regional section, I saw the hindi version of 'Chicken Soup for the soul' and .. wait for it.. it was named.. wait for it..




Aatma ke liye Amrut - pehla pyaala!

PS: They did not find the book.

Questions and Answers =)

Questions, questions .. so many questions ..
So many of them that life throws our way ..
Is your answer another question?
Is your question another answer?
You may not always have it your way ..

Questions, questions .. so many imperfections ..
What do you do when a question encounter you may ..
Dont run away from those questions ..
You dont always need to run after perfection ..
Because at the end of the road ..
Life is a question ..
And only you have the answer..

Getting bored is a luxury!

Here I am...one week after my third year woof engineering has ended, in the lap of luxury, surrounded by all the worldly pleasures..a new iPad, a new mobile phone, a gaming system, driving around in a car, learning Vedic maths..and suddenly, there is this moment in the day when I just have to exclaim that I am getting bored.


The moment the thought or the words reach my mouth, I shake it off..throwing out that very sensation out of my system as it reminds me of the time I have wasted because of this one word..the word called bore/boring. The word reminds me of all the things I could have done in the years gone by if I would have just gotten rid of the laziness and do all the things which were possible then and aren't possible now.

For instance,
If I had not been so 'bored' when I was young, maybe the time spent with friends would be much more than the time spent on computer games with no outcome. I would have learnt a new language, learnt a new art, honed my cricket skills, learnt how to play a guitar..

Luckily or unluckily, I have realized now that even being bored is a luxury I can no longer afford and the day I will consider myself worthy of wasting time on the pretext of being bored will be the day when I have acheived something substantial in my life.

For the time being, I am learning Vedic mathematics, making new friends, investing in relationships, learning German and being an obedient disciple to my grandmother in her out of the world cooking sessions, whilst she teaches me how to cook all the things I love..

Miles to go before I sleep,
Miles to go before I sleep

Things I love - part II

Just HAD to continue this one : 

I love // in particular order 

1) Pets

2) Chick-flicks

3) Rainbows

4) That 'perfect' cuppa coffee

5) Home made food

6) Pedicures

7) Swimming pools

8) Water parks

9) The smell of rain

10) Smart men in tuxedos

11) Ball room dancing

12) Eternal romantics

13) Dimples

14) A baby's smile 

15) Raymonds Ads

16) James Bond

17) Bollywood

18) The Apple gadgets - ALL of them

19) Sachin Tendulkar

20) Puran Poli // A Maharashtrian dish

<3

My friends..

The title may be explanatory but I intend to present my friends and my feelings about them in a really different manner. Through the course of the last few months, I have been, by sheer good luck, been able to create totally non overlapping groups of friends, who, luckily - like it that way. And what's even better is that I have been able to remain friends with them without evils like bitching and backbiting and classic mis-communication coming our way. There are some interesting observations that I have been able to make about the friends in my life.. and interestingly, ALL of them fall into one category or the other -

1) The 'old' friends
There are some friends who used to be my world while I was in school. These people continue to have an important place in my life but sadly, our bond has not been able to grow into something else over time. These were my lifeline in school, my very first secret-keepers and my first girls. I still love them and all the fond memories that they have left in my heart, to be cherished forever.

2) The 'classic' friends
There are some friends who just 'click' , who you can tune with almost instantly. These are people who become your friends before you know it.. and as is the case with me, these friends remain the best - bringing out the best in me with their spontaneity.. and by just being who they are - no frills atached.

3) The 'phone-buddies'
There are some friends who I can talk to for hours and hourssss and enjoy conversations over the largest possible range of topics important in life. It is not that our interactions in real life are any less, but however, our telephonic conversations dominate

4) The virtual friends
People who I have seldom or never met in real life but people who I know inside out. Some of them are new to me and my life and I am still getting to know them. Virtual friends are the wittiest and the most 'fun' people ever.. because there dont have to be any restrictions in the interaction. Yay!

5) The 'coffee' friends
Friends to go out and have that perfect cuppa coffee with. Friends with no hang ups.. chilled out, relaxed and with time to spare. Absolutely great people to bare you heart out to and just enjoy and soak in the moments of togetherness and friendship

6) The 'friends' of friends
Friends of friends, aaaaaah .. the common discussion topic always happens to be the common friend. But mind you, friends of friends have the potential to grow into the most trusted confidantes as well!

7) The soul sisters
These are not just friends, they are much more.. 
These are my girls, who always know what to say and do; girls who will always hear me out and tell me what to do next. Girls who can always comfort me with their resounding laughter and the big wide warm smile. Girls who possess a part of my heart <3

And to all ALL these friends,
I just want to let you know - I am so happy and SO thankful to God for sending you all into
my life and making it such a wonderful journey. Thank you guys and gals for making this world a better place just by being in it

=D

My favorite advertisements - Part 1

Ever since I was introduced to the wonder called color television, the things I would look forward to the most were the advertisements - not that I knew the concept behind them at that time, but just the idea of an entire story being compressed into those 30 seconds was so appealing to me.. and add to that - when I was a kid, and even now when I am 20, there are some absolutely brilliant adverts on air.. and here's an ode to all the truly memorable advertisements, some to make any Indian truly nostalgic -

1) The 'Amul' ad..
Amul - the white revolution, Dr.Kurien.. Amul was undoubtedly one of the biggest brands of milk and milk products in India. This is undoubtedly one of the most sincere advertisements I have ever watched. Have been looking for the original song ever since. Amul <3



2) Cadbury
This is from the time when Shankar Mahadevan used to compose and sing for ad jingles.. and he ended up creating one of the sweetest melodies ever.. captures the joy and the happiness a Cadbury Dairy Milk can bring.. so so well!



3) Dhara cooking oil

Just one word for this - Jalebeeeeee <3





4) Bajaj automobiles
This one just goes to show how pure the advertising was in the 90s.. no frills, no sham.. but played on the emotional aspect of brand-building so so well.. Hamara kal, hamara aaj, hamara Bajaj <3





Just these for the time being people,
Will be back for more

=]

Are you FONT-crazy?

Think about that question, because I certainly am..
I am REALLY upset that Blogger/blogspot supports such limited fonts =[

So, dearies - I have some uber cool font sites to fulfill all your font cravings <3
1) www.dafont.com

2) www.fonts2u.com

3) www.fontspace.com

Try them out,
and do let me know how you liked them

=]

Mwah.. lots of love..

If I were..

IF..

Picked this post from Blunt Edge's blog, and could not resist posting =]

If I were a month, I'd be December
If I were a day of the week, I'd be Monday (love the beginning of a brand new week)
If I were a time of day, I'd be be 8:00 (great time to wake up)
If I were a season, I'd be spring (blossom time!)
If I were a planet, I'd be Venus (beauty and much more)
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a dolphin <3
If I were a direction, I'd either NNW or SSW (hehe)
If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be the large floppy sofa set with recliner seats
If I were a liquid, I'd be Coca Cola :D
If I were a tree, I'd be an Oak tree (royal)
If I were a tool, I'd be a Swiss Knife
If I were an element, I'd be Hydrogen
If I were a gemstone, I'd be Ruby
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be the flute/sitar
If I were a color, it would be black
If I were a emotion, I'd be euphoria
If I were a fruit, I'd be an Alphonso mango
If I were a sound, I'd be the pitter patter of rain
If I were a car, I'd be the Volkswagen Beetle
If I were a food, I'd be Fettucine Alfredo
If I were a tasty, I'd be zingy
If I were a scent, I'd be the smell of petrol
If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be Nike =P

PS :
I tag Sugar Cube, Chengdi and Niraj to continue this

:D

Things my dog taught me..

For the uninitiated - this is Joy - my third pet after Simba (who looked exactly like him) and Snoopy (who was a Doberman)..

 When I was a little kid, my father had two dogs, one was a mongrel called Sonu and the other was a Pomeranian. Ofcourse, I was too young at that time, and as I grew up, and as the dogs grew old and died, I tried to understand why my father loved those dogs so much. When I grew up, my mother told me she had a dog who lived for 14 years and I could see the love she had, still, for her Mapso =]

Come 1997,
Me, 8 years old, and I come back from school one day to find my parents looking at me and my younger brother with that excited smile on their faces. We went upstairs and our parents stood in front of the couch on the side, we could not understand why. Only when my father moved his legs a little, was I introduced to the biggest wonder that a boy/girl can ever have - no, it's no video game, it's not a bicycle - it was the most adorable pup on the planet and we decided to name him Simba.

Simba was a bundle of joy, partial to my mother, VERY attentive to my father's commands who he treated as his master (incidentally - there is only one person in each family who the dog obeys unconditionally - who in the truest sense, is the dog's master) and always wagging his tail with joy. When he was tired and let his tongue out loose, you'd say he was smiling because that is what his face looked like.. there was never a dull moment with Simba around - who used to sneak under the dinner table for scraps, snuggle up on stranger's feet and go sleep on them, let small kids pull his ears and sit on him, run around like crazy when it was too hit, try and catch birds in the garden.. he was all this and more..

Simba gave me a lot of happiness and a lot of good memories but the biggest gift Simba gave me was to teach me how to be truly selfess and really love without expecation, love without reason and love with all your self. No matter what the time, Simba would come to me at one call. When I returned home from school, Simba would already be there, waiting at the fates, always - there was not a single day when Simba did not meet me at the gate/door when I came back from school; not a single day when he would let me get away without him licking my face crazy; not a single day when he would not tell me how much he loved me.

He was my first dog, he was my first pet - he was my baby. He was the first person in whose upbringing I was completely involved. He was the first person I talked to on my birthday, early in the mornings, just to watch him tilt his head and quirk his eyebrows. He was my best friend, the best listener, the true faithful.

When Simba died,
I was heartbroken, and I did not know what to do as I saw a set of strangers bury my beloved dog in the ground in front of my house. I bawled like a baby and the hurt has not gone yet. But that is the beauty of having pets, that is the irony -

You know, you always know that they are not going to outlive you,
And yet, yet they value you more than anyone else..

There are so many things my pets have taught me..
And the biggest one of them was to love

Thank you Simba, may you always rest in peace.
Thank you Snoopy, for being the angel who always listened.
Thank you Joy, for continuing to make my days with your twinkling eyes

Thank you 

<3

Do you really 'talk' on the phone?

I was forced to ask this question to myself and everyone around me after a 

particularly harrowing experience on the phone with a 'friend', an ex-gym trainer and 

a very distant relative - who all, believe it or not, decided they had to call on a single day. Here are my experiences and 

trust me, none of these do I want to have again - 

1) Talking with a 'friend'

The friends that I am referring to here, are not bosom buddies or people you cannot live without- they are

simply people who you have to live with if you want to have some amount of fun in your

non-happening college or workplace or whatever- someone  you are not particularly fond of, but someone

you can kill time with- do you know such a person? Haha.. imagine being on the phone with such a person

for no rhyme or reason just wondering why you are having the conversation in the first place. The other person calls you and asks you his/her queries, you answer his/her questions with some smalltalk and yes- that is supposed to be the end of the conversation. But implying this to some people seems to be the most difficult job on earth! HOW do you get off the phone with a friend who refuses to hang up? 

2) Talking with my ex-gym trainer 

The call begins with a - "Hello Maim, you haven't been coming to gym lately" and hey! I cannot believe 

what this person is talking about because I haven't been to the gym for over an year now..I explain that to him and the trainer shoots back with another dimwitted question - "So, you don't exercise anymore" I am about to tell him to mind his own business and flatly say "No" 

And YET, he comes back with a "Not even a morning walk, Ma'am?" and I am all set to pull out all my hair..just how, how, HOW are you supposed to be really rude on the telephone - if it is an art, I am really unable to get the hang of it..because somehow I just cannot bring myself to shout or be rude with someone on the telephone!

3) Talking with the very distant relative 

Trust me guys and girls, this is the absolute worst of the lost. A person you hardly know or remember calls up, and expects you to recognize him/her over the telephone. The feelings that run through your mind are indescribable - you feel a sudden urge to slam down the receiver and then later, if the person calls back, tell him that there was a disconnection OR you deal and dodge the question to the best of your ability. The 'formalities' that follow always leave me squirming because I never know HOW to talk with a relative who I know so little about, who is elder to me, because of this inane fear that I will be at a risk of being asked a question about some other relative! Some other relative, about whom, too, I will have no clue at all.

Well well well, 

all this may paint me as an insensitive person but really, I am not.

The problem is - I can visualize the person on the other side and I perceive the voice as another human, another being, another entity, someone who you MAY bump into any time without warning and at that time, you would not want to be sorry about the manner in which you spoke to them over the phone!

My question is : Do you?

Somethings just 'click' =]