Mumbai nagariya......

For all you lovely people who have patiently borne my crazy ramblings, especially the extremely prolonged weddings post series thats been goin on for the last few months.... here today, finally I bring you the final post. *phew!*

A quick recap for those who may/may not have had a chance to read the previous posts -
> Where our love story began....
"He's a kid - better leave him alone"...
"Look after 'My' Nupur".....
"We are too different, it will never work"....
> The desi wedding.....and Punjab darshan.
"Bhabhi, tussi ghar chheti chheti aao naa"...
"Mae inna makkhan aaj tak kade vi nahi khaaya"...
"Urgh!! That was so disgusting"....
> No place like 'home'....
"Arrival of a Bollywood star"....
"Even Mom was jealous"....
"we skipped the whole crying episode"....

Last post - "Little did I know that the change of water 3 times in 24 hrs (Kanpur + Delhi + Mumbai) was going to make me really really sick......."

Then -
Flying over Mumbai is an experience in itself!! The crowded metropolis and the crazy life that its inhabitants lead is a realisation that hits hard even at hunderds of metres up in the air. The hustling bustling streets and the honking horns tell you that no one has a single moment to waste...as there is so much to be achieved and time is running out....!

As soon as I stepped out of the plane, I was greeted by a strong gust of hot and humid air. Ah, Mumbai indeed!! Having never stepped foot in the Bollywood city ever in my life, this humidity in Feb was totally new to me. I nervously moved to the baggage lounge huddled by hubby dear as people hurriedly brushed past us.

As two of the four baggage carousels didnt seem to be running, there were crowds around the others. I waited with our hand luggage a bit away as M waited for our stuff to come through.

While waiting I see a very pretty girl with a baby sleeping in her arms walking towards me, but looking down at my hands/my hand bag. I kept looking at her and she kept looking at my hands. Don't know if she was looking at my Mehandi clad hands, or my Choora or my Chanel hand bag *:P* but we just kept looking as she came closer. Then she must have realised that I was looking at her as she was too, and she looked up - eyes met - and it was Karishma Kapoor with her baby daughter!! :) She lowered her eyes and walked past, to the end of the carousel and then later went past with her stuff again while I was still waiting - smiling slightly this time. *There, you go! my 5 seconds claim to fame!*

Met with M's Uncle out of the airport and we packed our stuff in his car and drove off to his place 2 hours out of the city! It was a long, hot and humid journey as the A/C of the car seemed to do no good against the agonising heat.

After 3.5 hrs of battling with peak hour traffic at various townships, we finally reached M's Bua's place. She waited for us with the very Mumbaiya, 'Wada Pao' for us to have!!! :D M absolutely loves wada pao...and was in cloud 9 when he saw it. I am sure, it must have tasted nice.... only trouble was a major cold had caught my throat and I couldn't smell/taste anything!!

Next day, I got a call from RA, one of my girl friend's in Banglore who was flying into Mumbai to catchup with me. It was fantastic to see her at last after 5 long years. And she hadn't changed a bit. The same skinny bubbly self.... talking about so many things, asking so many questions all at the same time!!
That night M was to be exiled out of our bedroom but she insisted he stayed and we chatted away into the night, giggling and laughing and hubby dear tried to catchup with what exactly we were talking about!

Next day, 26th Feb was a sunday, and NT, the other best friend of mine came to Mumbai from Pune. She silently stared at me all morning, looking at me up and down - making short observations like - "You've become fat!" "Your nails are very long!" "They look dirty!" "You seem tired." "M seems nice." and many more....

All of us went on a huge Mumbai Darshan tour.... going to the India gate, Hanging Garden, the Munna bhai stony beach *sorry cant remember its name*, the zoo among other places.... it was steaming hot and my nose wouldn't stop running. I almost fainted twice at the zoo, till finally everyone agreed that roaming around in the heat with me so sick was a bad idea.

So we drove back hame, and as I showered at 5 in the evening, I remembered - "It was M's b'day today!" And in all the excitement of my friend's coming over, I had totally forgotten to even wish him!!! He was very sweet about it, said, "Shukar hai tumhe yaad raha! Koi nahi ab to shaadi ho gayi hai naa...." :P

I felt so bad and so guilty as the past 5 years I had always done something special for him, and religiously wished him at midnight with a cake and all!!! This year, I almost forget his b'day and I didn't have a cake....not even a pastry! :( I felt so horrible!!
Later I simply blamed it all on the fact that I was in a strange city totally out of the loop - how could I have possibly arranged anything!

Anyways.... once the bday blunder was done and dusted, we prepared for 2 days of major shopping! I was about to start on a new job here in Melbourne and hence needed a major revamp to my wardrobe. 2 days we hunted and hunted every mall we drove past looking for ladies business suits - but nothing! I had thought with all the MNC's in India, the corporate wardrobe of ladies in India must have grown as well, but - nada!

Finally when all hope was lost, we drove past this relatively new mall called "Pheonix" or something similar - where one of the departmental stores had only 1 brand that had only 4 styles/colors of ladies business suits on display! Mumbai had finally redeemed itself!! I had two colours of the four that were available, so I tried the other two and bought them immediately.

Packing my whole wedding trousseau was a major task as we were definately going over weight with the luggage and were running out of things that I was prepared to leave behind! I had already left our 19kg wedding album back in Kanpur and was not prepared to part with anything else. After much haggling and getting all the packing ideas from M's Uncle in to action, we were done.

We were lucky that the lady who checked our stuff in at the airport was nice as well. When she saw on the weight-reader that we had already gone almost 12kgs over weight, she was worried for a sec, and asked, "Do you have more?" and I gave her my sweetest smile possible and said, "Only my wedding dress!" (which was in a seperate little case by itself) - not counting our hand luggage which was *ahem* lets just say - a 'little' over the allowed weight limit and thankfully she didnt ask for it to be weighed. She smiled, winked and nodded at us to take the wedding dress with the hand luggage!

The flight back was long..... but exciting as I was coming to Australia after officially becoming Mrs. M!

And since the return, have caught up with all my friends here and shared the stories and some of the snaps that we luckily had with us. Work has been crazy to say the least. And its well, I wont say that I'm busy as I have merely started, but its a lot of pressure being new and all. There's heaps of training and just trying hard to prove your worth to a bunch of new people!

But I am enjoying it nonetheless!

Finally, I ask you today for a 'official' blog-break as compared to the unofficial that I have been on these past weeks. Thank you all for you continued love and your sweet wishes and lovely comments and your emails!!! You guys are absolute champs!!! I hope to return soon, once I have found some stability at work and the new life. It may be weeks or may be months...or may just be days.

But obviously I'll be dropping by your blogs every so often, and meeting up on orkut or YM. So......till then..... take care! Good Bless!

Ciao!!! =)

Khusbhoo....

....mere ghar ki - mere shehar ki......

Isn't it true to no matter where you go, and however long you go for - the smell of 'home' is always special and unique. No other place in the world can be like it - no one place feels like it - no other place can ever be 'home'!! =)

We took the express train from Ludhiana to Kanpur. Hoping to catch some sleep on the way, as it had been a hectic time - the wedding and then so many places that we visited after that! But that was not meant to be. While my brother-in-laws were busy putting away our luggage on the top berth, I had to wake up the two girls who were sleeping on the bottom berth - so that M and I could sit. And as we settled in our seats facing the two girls it dawned on me that they were both my school mates - one my senior and one my junior. What a small world..!! And once we got chatting, M and I continued till we got off at the Kanpur station!

It was a fantastic scene. 4 cars full of people to recieve the two of us!! =) Bouquets and garlands. Someone would have mistaken it for the arrival of a Bollywood star. ;)

The sweetest bit was that NA - one of the group of 5 best friends that we were at school, had come to the station to recieve me at 1am!!! I was soo happy to see her and ofcourse all my cousins - specially those who hadnt been able to make it to Punjab and hence were meeting M for the very first time.

I can say one thing - right from that moment till we left Kanpur - I think the only time I got time with my husband was when we'd finally retire to our room at some crazy hour of the night after my family/cousins would be sick of seeing us yawn - as we'd usually start at around 8-9pm (being past midnight down under!!) ----- And that was solely because I was in "my" hometown and I was "totally out of control" as hubby dear would say. ;)
And why not - I would retort! I mean.... this is my city - my house - my room!!! LOL!

*I must admit though - that I did kinda ignore M those three fabulous days. But I didnt think he minded a bit, as he was surrounded by his 'sis-in-laws' all the time. If it wasn't my cousins, it was my friends - NA and VD. And I took as much time as I could to spend with my Naani and all other cousins and the huge bunch of Mamas and Masis that I have!!*
*Even Mom was jealous!:P*

One tip for all overseas Desis - when visiting home after a long stint - Try and have a big function/celebration at your place or *better for the pocket* get home during someone's wedding (even your own! like me!! ;) ) or holidays when the majority of your "Khaandaan" is there in one spot.
==> This saves a LOT of time! You get through all your relies in one big blow and then you have time for the special ones and best mates etc.

The "Kirtan & Dinner" that Mom organised was great. I was kinda doubtful about how M would get through it as it was his first live Kirtan (with Krishna ji and all the old crowd going wild and dancing etc. - I know I know....I freak out about silliest of things!) - but he loved it!! =) So that was a + !

The three days were gone in no time as we entered the final leg of our trip.

Brother was returning to Melbourne early because of his uni, so Mom n Dad and the three of us left for Delhi. Then the same day M and I flew from Delhi to Mumbai - the final destination on Circuit India!
We were so silly that after checking out baggage in at Delhi airport - we forgot to go back to the Visitor's lounge to say Bye to Mummy and Papa. Poor Mum and Papa waited and waited.... and we just flew to Mumbai.... *It was a blessing in disguise I guess - Mummy and I skipped the whole crying episode!*

Being my first trip to Mumbai - I was bubbling with excitement!! "The Bollywood city" And the final two girl friends of mine RA and NT (yes her name is the same as me!) were coming from Banglore and Pune respectively to catchup with me! :)

Little did I know that the change of water 3 times in 24 hrs (Kanpur + Delhi + Mumbai) was going to make me really really sick.......

Yeh jo des hai mera.....

....swades hai mera....

With fluttering hearts and rhythm in our steps, we reached the Melbourne International Airport. Out of the six bags that we were carrying, five were M's!! *yes I know its hard to believe that my luggage was so less but* It was his first trip back home after he came to Australia in Nov 99. And since then tickets would be booked every year, gifts shopped for and then when the time came closer, something or the other would come up and his trip would be cancelled. But *obviously* not this time. =)

There were plenty of flowers and tears at the airport. My parents were surprised that the slim son-in-law that they had expected had arrived with bulging biceps and triceps. And my In-laws were expecting the chubby cheek girl they had seen in the photographs and found a slightly slender girl instead. *no chance of pulling my cheeks now...hehehe!*

The week after in Delhi came and went..... I just remember shop after shop and salesman after salesman.... I was like a little girl in a candyshop when I entered the gorgeous ladies designer stores. I loved every sari they showed me. And later choosing the lehanga took forever....!! Mummy got so sick and tired of the salesmen who were singing praises of pieces that didn't look that good at all that at one point she told him to shut up and let us make our own minds - just in not exactly that many words!

The good thing that I felt in this trip this time was that I didnt get pushed or shoved or rubbed against in Karol bagh like I remember from my previous trips years ago. There was a tape playing on loudspeakers all day about Delhi Police and how girls should not tolerate eve-teasing and inform the authorities if they felt that a guy was misbehaving. Thankfully I didnt have to bear a single sleazy brush from any guy that whole week. It may sound like a silly thing to mention here in this post - but it does make a huge difference to one's whole experience.

Anyways, returning back to the wedding preps. We reached Ludhiana on the 7th - 5 days before the wedding day. Thankfully one of Papa's close friend's lives there and we stayed at his place and his lovely wife helped us with all the remaining shopping. What a relief to have a local show you around and guide you and to do all the haggling for bargains! *what a girl wont do for a bargain!!*

My three brother-in-laws are so cute. It was so funny to see them, how they looked at me from top to bottom - everytime we met. A strange expression of awe in their eyes. They are all in their late teens and thought it was amazing that someone from so far off could have so much in common with them. I laughed at every joke, endorsed every prank, cheered every antic.... it was amazing and I had a great time...never a dull moment with those boys. They religiously came to see me everyday at Uncle's place and would pull me aside to say, "Bhabhi, tussi ghar chheti chheti aao naa. Hor jaldi nahi aa sakde tussi?" (Bhabhi, please hurry up and come home. Cant you hurry things a bit more?) :)

As tradition would have it - the bride and the groom aren't allowed to see each other before the wedding....for about a week atleast. But we had to cut it short to two days as a week was just out of question. So when we finally locked eyes as I walked to the stage on the evening of our ring ceremony - sparks flew! :) It was so strange.... as if I was seeing him for the first time. He just stared, with a small smile dancing on his lips. And when I went up and sat next to him, he just whispered, "Stunning!"

The only thing I remember of those two and a half days that constituted my wedding was -- the Beauty Parlour!! I spent probably more than half of the two days in there... getting all sorts of treatments and makeup done to my hair and myself. But the pictures came good - so I'm not complaining. =)

Then the next day was gone smiling shyly at all his relative's that had come to see the new "Nu"! I was trying my utmost to remember every name and every relation... because after the initial intros at the wedding reception - they were actually asking me, "Haanji, saanu pehchaana?" :] (Do you recongise me?) "Sada naa ki aa?" (What is my name?) -- how silly of me, how could I forget to keep a taperecorder or something to record their names. So disorganised!

==========================================

Gurdwara Saahib (Golden Temple at Amritsar) was amazing! It was everything it is showed to be in the paintings and the pictures and so much more. I hadn't seen Rang de Basanti before visiting the Golden Temple or I'm sure I would have been singing the Ik Omkar in my head that day......

Traditionally the newly weds have to bathe in the lake and then visit the Gurudwara together. And so I was escorted to the ladies bathing area to take the dip. To be honest, walking around bikini clad ladies on the beaches of Melbourne is not the same as the scene of the ladies bathing quarters in these temples and gurudwara kind of places. This is way waaaay more agonizing and awkward than anything else imaginable. And then the huge gold fish like creatures in the water...... I think I'll stop right here... you get the picture.

The next day after our return from Amritsar, we went to his 'pind' (village). It is about 2 hours drive from Ludhiana on the banks of Satluj and is the most beautiful place I saw in the trip. I had specially asked for the swaying fields of Sarso (mustard) - the gorgeously blooming yellow flowers dancing side to side in the cool wind. I had to get my DDLJ pictures.... and this was my chance!! =) I ran around like the Bollywood actors and pulled out fresh white radish from the fields, playing with the village kids. One girl in particular grew such a liking for me in that one afternoon - that she wouldn't let me go when we were leaving....
The lunch in his 'pind' was extremely tasty with all the fresh ingredients - cool lassi (buttermilk) and oodles of makkhan (butter) in everything! The bowl of daal that they gave me was half full of daal and half makkhan - and no matter how tempting it looked I had to say - "No thanks! Mae inna makkhan aaj tak kade vi nahi khaaya" (I have never eaten so much butter in my life) and I pushed it towards M and he ate it with extreme delight.

The next evening we visited the much acclaimed 'Haveli' restuarant in the outskirts of Jalandhar. The restuarant is setup in the midst of a mock-village. Full with a potter, a puppeteer, balloon men, tailor, jeweller and all sorts of arts and crafts and things one would expect to see in a typical Punjabi village. The camel ride around the village that I took with M was the best and funniest bit. My shrieks are recorded in the handycam as proof!

The last two days in Ludhiana were our 'Maintenance Days'. We went to the Dentist, the Optometrist and the Ear Doctor. He eyesight had impaired a bit spending all those hours in front of the monitor while I still enjoy a perfect vision! *touchwood!!*
The solution that the dentist used to scrub my teeth with was the most sickening, horrible tasting thing ever! And being my very first trip to the Dentist of my life, probably made it worse. When he was finished with it and allowed me to gargle I couldn't resist and exclaimed, "Urgh! That was so disgusting!!" And his sharp assistant retorted, "You dont brush you teeth properly naa thats why we had to do it for you!" *grrrrr!*

Finally.... the morning came when we were leaving for Kanpur. My hometown. My first visit since Jan 01 and M's first visit ever..........

Hum to hain pardes mein......

.........mere des mein nikla hoga chaand.

As I finally find my feet in this new life...... with a new life partner and a completely new take on life - I struggle to find the words. The thoughts are clamouring to be poured out... but everytime I find a few minutes to come here and attempt to type something up, I am faced with a strange *blank*.

I don't know where to begin.... how to begin..... to document this strange transition =>

- from bare hands to those scrawled with henna

- from empty wrists to those brimming with bangles red and white - the bridal 'churaa'

- from a barren forehead to one marked with the deep red of the sindoor and the glistening bindi

- from vacant toes to those circled with toerings

- from a younger daughter to the eldest daughter-in-law

- from 'Didi' and 'Beta' to 'Bhabhi' and 'Nu'(Bahu)

- from being my parents 'little Princess' to *his* 'Queen'

- from ......
.......being so much to being so much more!!!

If I started today from where it all started, from where 'we' started, then we all are going to be sitting here for a long long time. As my dear mates and girlfriends know already how I love to tell each and every story without omitting the smallest of details....... so lets just do a quick recap.....

This story starts when I had just celebrated my 18th birthday in Nov and was the *bholi-bhaali* kudi like Juhi in QSQT. =)

Nov/early Dec 00 => Me visits A's *friend* home as A is helping Me and my sister to shop for gifts for the first trip back to India. A mentions a family friend "M" who is a 'young 16 year old who works almost every night and goes to uni in the day'.

Dec 00 => Me meets M at A's party. M is shy, just plays romantic Boyzone songs on the music system all evening. Me thinks, "He's a kid - probably just intimidated by me - better leave him alone".

mid Dec 00 => Me meets M at A's again. Chats. Compliments M for being such a hardworking 16 year old. M is shocked!! He claims to be 18, becoming 19 in 2 months. OK. Continue chat. M interrupts, he insists that he'll show his passport next time as proof. OK. Continue chat. M interrupts again, still cant believe that Me had thought he was 16. OK. Continue chat. M interrupts yet again, he will definitely get his passport next time to show Me. OK - FINE. Me thinks, "What the....." *rolls her eyes*.

end Dec 00 => M helps A, sister and Me during shopping. He carries bags as the girls shop frantically during the Christmas/New Year Sale. All this time - he only gets a Nike cap with the "N" and Me foolishly exclaims, "Thats like 'N' in Nupur" and M smiles and nods knowingly! Me blushes and walks away.

early Jan 01 => Sister and Me fly to India. Sister gave A and M a contact no. for India just incase.

mid Jan 01 => My friends come home to see her and giggle and catchup with all the goss that everyone has missed in the past months. M calls. Sister gives phone to Me and Me in her naïveté give the phone to one of her girl friends - who just giggles on the phone. M says to them, "Look after *my* Nupur". They giggle some more. Me has no idea why they are laughing!!

12 Feb 01 => Sister and Me return to Aus. Me smses M from Sydney that she's coming. M comes with G *friend* to pick Sister and Me at the Melbourne Airport. On the drive home M confesses to Me in a whisper that he missed her terribly. Me smiles and looks away.

13 Feb 01 evening => Sister and Me unpacking. Me in her room, with handsfree - talking to M. Talking about anything and everything. Clock strikes midnight. M pops the question. Me replies, "I don't know". M says that he wont hang up or let Me go to sleep till he gets an answer. They talk some more. The question again, and topic change and the circle continues. Around 5.30am (free talk time ends at 6am) M cant take it anymore. M wants an answer - NOW. Sleepy Me whispers "Yes". M happily hangs up and lets her sleep - plans of the day ahead already swimming in his mind.

19 Feb 01 => Me is worried. She admits to M that they are culturally very different and they are very young and are just being naive and silly and it'll never work blah blah. M is heart broken and so is Me. They stop calling each other - day and night like they had been. Only Hi's and Hello's.

26 Feb 01 => M's birthday. He invites Sister and Me to his party. He greets Me with a heartbroken and gloomy face. They eye each other all evening. M takes Me to the beach behind his house and talks. He says it will all be okay - they will make things work - together.

end Feb 01 => Silent pact - M and Me will be *close* friends and will talk to their families once they are on their feet.

Jul 01 => Sister and Me move to a new place and Sister talks to M if he wants to be their housemate as he is looking for a place to stay as well. M is thrilled and agrees immediately. Sister and Me's parents in India, agree reluctantly only because they have spoken to M over a phone quite a few times and Sister claims that he is a great guy. M calls Me's Mom religiously once every fortnight, God knows what the two talk about!!!!

Aug 01 onwards => Happy times. Bad times. M and Me find each others queer and annoying habbits. Laughter. Fights.

Dec/Jan 03 => Me goes on a study exchange to Washington DC and then visits Canada and England on her way back to Australia. Meets some long lost family friends that her parents insist she meet to help/guide her around the *foreign* countries. An *Aunty* in Leeds, UK, with a 25yr old son, particularly likes Me. She introduces Me to all her relatives/friends etc.

Feb 03 => Call from Me's Mom in the middle of the night. The *Aunty* from Leeds is visiting India the following month and she had some very excited conversations with Me's parents. Me's Mom asks her if she likes Leeds!! Me tells M - he panics. He calls Me's Mom and tells her his intentions. She laughs - she knew!

April 03 => Sister and Me go to India for Sister's wedding. Me returns to Australia and moves in with a girlfriend from her uni and M with his mates. Phone bills skyrocket again. Hard times. Strange times. Laughter. Fights.

early Nov 04 => Me's Brother is about to come to Australia. Me and M are excited. They decide to move back together like before except this time its Brother instead of Sister.

Dec 04 => Brother comes to Australia. Happy times. Hard times.

Early 05 => M and Me's families in India finally meet. *Fingers Crossed*!! All goes well. Only confusion is - where will the wedding be? Kanpur? or Ludhiana?

May 05 => M's cousin comes to Australia. House is now packed to capacity. Happy times. Hard times.

Late 05 => Ludhiana is chosen as the venue for the wedding with a function later in Kanpur as well. Wedding preparations in full swing!

1 Feb 06 => M flies back to India for the first time after coming to Australia in Nov 99.........

(TO BE CONTD..)

Just for laughs....

Its so crazy down here that I cant even begin to explain.....

So while I sort things out - here's a joke I found at work in the engineering department wall stuck by the only Indian/SriLankan guy in the department for the rest of the white fellas to see. Some may have read it elsewhere.... but its here today - just for laughs!

Dear white fella,
Couple of things you oughta know
Firstly, when I'm born, I'm black!!
When I grow up, I'm black
When I get sick, I'm black
When I go out in the sun, I'm black
When I'm cold, I'm black
And when I get scared,
Gee, I'm black
And When I die, I'm still black

But you white fella...
When you born, you pink
When you grow up, you white
When you get sick, you green
When you go out in the sun, you red
When you get cold, you go blue
When you get scared, you yellow
And when you die, you purple
And YOU got the cheek to call ME coloured??!!

*waving madly!!* I'M HERE!!

The stupid lappy broke last week. :(
---> Hence havent been able to come online for a while and not had a chance to reply to comments or come around your blogs.

New boss at work.
---> Hence not much time at work to do anything else online - except work!

28 days to go till I fly home.
---> Hence shopping like a headless chook and packing like crazy lest I forget something! :P

................but I got a moment of peace this afternoon so writing here today and I am jumping on the blog-hop ride and visiting you every once in a while whenever I can - so you shall she me appear and dissappear in the coming days - But I'm here folks and will be updating as often as possible!!

Till then - Tell ME - What has the New Year brought for you till now?!

Popcorn and Coke!

*Sigh*
A nice relaxing weekend - that got me going to the cinemas two days in a row to see the two most popular flicks on this Festive season.

First I saw "King Kong". The LOTR Director, Peter Jackson, really did it this time. Having only heard of King Kong movies but never read or seen any of the previous movies, I was quite excited when I heard positive reviews for it. Some reviewers even went all the way - saying that King Kong will eventually out do Titanic!
*ahem - I don't know about that...!*

With the highly acclaimed success of LOTR Trilogy behind him, Peter Jackson had gigantic expectaions to live up to. And I believe that he has definately done much good to his name and his reputation with King Kong. The animation, the sets, the costumes, the scenaries - the whole works was just too good. Clearly seemed like the work of someone who had paid much time and effort and paid attention to the smallest of details.

The 'beauty and the beast' theme underpinning the love/understanding between Ann, beautifully played by Naomi Watts, and Kong - really tugged at my heart.

I know...I know... I admit at being a sucker for romantic movies and a big cry-baby when it comes to emotional scenes. I mean... I can find myself crying for any thing from the scene where children are taken away from parents due to various circumstances all the way to loneliness and helplessness of lovers apart etc etc.
And I did have a tear in my eye - when I saw this movie.

I laughed at the silly antics of Naomi, I squirmed at the abundance of creatures and insects on Skull Island, I awwwwed at the peaceful scenes between the Kong and Naomi, I cried when Kong was captured and treated barbarously, I was fuming when Kong was being shot at by humans when the creature had been forced by humans to come to the city in the first place!

I said to myself, "How cruel can man be!"

All in all.... the story got me involved in more ways than one and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience! :D

"Two Thumbs up!" for Peter Jackson

********************************

Then the next day I carried my bucket of popcorn and a large tumbler of coke and went and saw the Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe.

I must admit that like many.... I was absorbed in by the animation and the special effects and the mystery that "What/Who is Narnia?"

Seeing a huge crowd of parents and children aged around 6 to 14 - 'He' said, "Should we go and swap the tickets? This is a little kids movie, lets get out of here!" But then.... we were there and so were the popcorns and we continued munching, waiting for the doors to open.

Having never really read this children's classic - I was in for a surprise. Oh! Well may be not...

Disney definately spent loads of money on the movie and worked hard to make their latest creation stand tall amongst the Harry Potter and LOTR kind of special effects abundant movies. And I reckon they did a fairly good job.

The acting by the kids in the cast Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy was specially commendable. Lucy, the youngest girl had beautiful expressions throughout the movie. The other three did an equally good job - but then being elder n all... one would have exprected more from them.

The talking animals were kinda funny but well done too. Aslan, the Lion King did especially well. Every hair in the fur looked real and very convincing indeed.

But like all kids stories - no matter how desperate and sorry the circumstances may be - everything always gets fixed and happy endings always come around the corner. And so was the case with Narnia.

Seeing the trailers so many times also sort of gave the story away - because some characters and scenes whose clips were shown in the trailers - and while watching the movie I knew what was about to happen or not happen.

I walked out of the theatre saying - I knew that was going to happen! :)

But it was good entertainment I guess. You can see it once.......

********************

The title Chronicles of Narnia reminded me of another movie that I saw quite a while ago - but I liked alot. That movie was the Chronicles of Riddick - the sequel of the sci-fi thriller Pitch Black with Vin Diesel.

If you are a sci-fi buff who understands and appreciates the vision of sci-fi movies/stories then if you get a chance then do watch Riddick if you havent already!


Thats all for this year folks!!!
:D

Have a fantastic NYE and see you all bright and fresh in 2006!!

Be Happy - Be Safe!

Sending my warmest wishes to all my blog-mates and readers this Festive Weekend.

May the good Lord keep you happy and safe in his kind care and may you enjoy every moment with your loved ones and family (if not in person then in your thoughts!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Dear Naanaji,

A devoted son,
A freedom fighter,
A supportive brother,
A wonderful husband,
A great father,
A strong businessman,
A sweet uncle,
An inspiring father-in-law,
A strict but (secretly soft-hearted and loving) grand father,
and much much more.




Dear Naanaji,

I have always known you to be 'the best'. As a kid I always looked up to you - literally and metaphorically becuase you always said and did what was right. Your hearty laugh and your boisterous snores always got me smiling! :)

Naani never liked when you disturbed her in 'her' kitchen - playing with pots and pans pretending to always know more than her when it came to cooking. The almost a foot and a half difference in height between you and her was made up for with all the love that you both had for each other...in the 60+ years of married life.

Mummy always loved her 'Babu' and I was for such a long time scared of you - till one day when playing you saw me roll myself into a tiny ball - so small that you could not believe! And you asked all the cousins if they could do the same. But when they could not - you smiled and declared that I was the most flexible little kid you had ever seen!
Years after that - on every summer vacation when I saw you I'd remember that evening and try to turn into the little ball again. :)

Oh Naanaji, I will miss you so much! Miss your presence, our funny conversations, the fun times during the summer vacations when all of us kids slept in your large room and we would giggle in the middle of the night when we'd hear your loud snores.

Naanji, I love you! I will look for you among the stars every night. We will look after Naani the very best way we know how. Please stay with her and us for ever.........

Your grand daughter,
Nupur



After struggling with cancer for many months, Naanji made his way to the heavens - days short of his eldest grandson's first death anniversary.

We always knew him to be a very strong-hearted man, but that blow was probably too strong for even someone as brave and strong a man like him!

God Bless.

Social...butter....fly!

Of all the things that we do in life.... 'socialising' is something that takes considerable effort for some while it comes naturally to others. Makes me think sometimes... is it in the chromosomes? Or ...?? Why is one person very out going and sociable while the next is not?

Like....
Do you remember that girl in class who would just never shut up? She was always invited to every kids birthday party and every social outing at school.
Do you remember that guy in college who was everywhere? In canteen, in the labs, in the local pub, in the discos.
Do you remember that work mate who is present at every social outing from work? He organises most of the events and still finishes the report on time!
Or how about that girl friend of yours who has a crazy career and a very demanding husband, but still she organises the tea-party at her place first saturday of every month?!

Wonder how they do it? Why they do it? Are you ever jealous and wish it was you?
***************************************

I am aiming to be 55kg by the time I step on board the plane that's bound to India. And looking at this at the moment.... well.... I'm just a measly 5 kgs off the mark!

Don't you smirk!

Even though same girls at work have already been commenting that I have trimmed down from the chubby cheek girl - to a bony faced chick. But I dont know...... every time I look at myself in the mirror I still see FAT! :(

Good bye Butter (and your fatty mates!)
***********************************

43 Days and counting!

I wish I had wings.... really....
because I just cant wait to fly home!

And I know what 'some' particular mates out there are thinking - :P

*sigh*
Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!

Who said time flies?! *grrrrrrr!!*

The odds are......

....what are the odds of watching 3 relatively new movies in a week and not enjoying a single one of them?

All you antagonists will say - "Looking at the kind if crap that churning out of the mill.... *sigh*"

But tell me really.... where does one go on a weekend -
--> One who does not drink
--> One who does not have $$ to go on long drives
--> One who does not have $$ to eat out as often.
--> One who does not have $$.....

Wait a sec.

That one - is me and do I mean to imply that I go to see movies because I dont have enough moolahs for anything else?
NO - Thats not what I mean......

I mean.. its unfair to be cornered this way - to want to go see a movie becuase you want to forget about your worldly troubles and just go off to another place - but instead you get....!@#$!#$!#@$!!!!!!

I guess its too late to say that I'm in a ranty mood this arvo!! *Grrrrrrrrr!*

Anyways - to save my fingers and your eyes -
Read -->

Please don't bother watching
Maine Gandhi to nahi mara
The Brothers Grimm
Kyunki.....

<-- Thank You!

....unless you are really really desperate and have nothing better to do!

*I wonder what I'm going to do with the DVDs of the two Hindi ones among these........ *sigh in double asterix!* !!*

Some one please give me names of a couple of "DECENTLY GOOD" movies that are forthcoming - becuase really... this state of affairs is causing me much grief! :(

Try to say good bye.....

"Sarah, I just completed my test! I think I'll get a High Distinction!!"
"Insha Allah!"

********

"I have an interview for my work experience year - lets see....."
"Insha Allah... you'll ace!"

********

"I got it! :)"
"Mubaarak ho!"

********

"I'm absolutely starving....."
"Come home, I'll make you some veg. biryani!"

*******

Thats my Sarah!
My best girl friend in Australia. I met almost 2 years after I came here. By that time, I had convinced myself that I was doomed to a company of boys becuase there were hardly any Desi girls doing IT. I was the only girl in the class..... and that was a boon and a curse at the same time.

Very troubled times those....
Then Sarah came from India and she's the sister of one of the guy's I knew at uni. We clicked instantly! And even though we weren't in the same uni or doing the same course... there was so much else that we did together!

*sigh* before this turns into one of those very very senti posts......
Sarah left for India yesterday. And I want to wish her well. I think her decision is very wise indeed.

There comes a point in life when you just want to "Stop" and take a breath. Because there is no point in going on and on just for the heck of it. And I see so many helpless unhappy people around me - who do just that. Every day that passes, they find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into the quicksands of life...... never able to escape..... never able to live the life that they want to live..... until its too late and there's just no looking back. The mortgage, the bills, the family, the job, the responsibilities just take over. They run your life and you cant do - no nuthing about it!

Even though she's studied in a field that's highly saught after. Then she even did her MBA. But it just wasn't what she expected. Thats why one day she made up her mind that life is just not the way she wants it to be and she's making her own way.

First I couldn't understand. Why would she leave a perfectly decent life.... an okay job and go out into the unknown! Why?!

We used to talk for hours over the phone or late into the night if either of us were bunking at the others place. So many times I'd give her advise about her problems and she'd give me for mine. And one thing I particularly remember saying to her often, "Sarah, you're right in the middle of it all. And its possible that you aren't seeing things the way I - as an outsider to your issue - see it! Sometimes you just have to move back.... as if walk up to a high hill and then look down at the whole situation from that high vantage point from where you can see it all and not miss anything."

Now, I understand that she's doing just that.

Because finding out exactly what you want is something that many of us never find. And its probably easier to cross things out of your list one at a time instead of just going on and on and on without knowing where you're headed......

*sigh*
I said it soooo many times in the last days together.....
"Sarah, jahaan rehna khush rehna......" (Sarah, be happy where ever you are....)
And she smiled.

I'll see her again.....soon.
And I wish that after her break... she may still decide to come back down under. *I know I'm selfish!*
That she may find her true love.... and he may keep her really happy.... and that they may find great career opportunities in Oz *yes, because I'm here naa...!*.
That she may see all, listen all and then tell herself that her life is actually in Australia... with her friends! *yes I'm saying it again and again and I'll keep saying it - so that if my one wish for the day is about to come true - let it be this one!!*

But if you find your life elsewhere..... I'll support you and send you my best wishes and hope for the very best for you always! I am and will always remain your friend and I will understand..........

Sarah - I love you and I'll miss you..... till we meet again!

Do you even know me?

Where has our time for nurturing friendships gone?

Welcome to the Spring(4 Southern Hemis.)/Winter(4 Northern Hemis.) 2005 edition of Getting to know your Blogmates.

What you are supposed to do is copy this entire post and paste it onto a new post that you'll publish on your blog. Change all the answers so they apply to you, and drop a comment on the post of the person who tagged you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your blogmates, if you did not know them already.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 0745
2. Diamonds or pearls? (If ur a guy - what can u afford for 'her'!) Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Flight Plan
4. What is your favourite TV show? The Amazing Race/Survivor
5. What did you have for breakfast? One slice of toasted rye bread with butter
6. What is your middle name? :( none!
7. What is your favourite cuisine? Italian - vegetarian thanks!
8. What foods do you dislike? Things with 'too' much of strong stuff... that just turns me off!
9. What is your favourite crisp? --?! Are we talking about potato chips? I like Smiths - Sour cream and Onions.
10. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Chilled in the Sun (love Chilled out music anytime!)
11. What kind of car do you drive? Holden Vectra
12. Favourite sandwich? Wholemeal with one slice of tomato and cheese toasted and other slice with fresh guacamole.
13. What characteristic do you despise? Arrogance for no apparent reason.
14. Favourite items of clothing? Colorful Indian kurtas - all sorts!
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you? How about around the world?! ;)
16. What colour is your bathroom? White & Beige
17. Favourite brand of clothing? *phhrrr* I dont think I really have one!
18. Where would you retire to? A nice cosy house on the hills or near the sea.
19. Favourite time of the day? Evenings...
20.What was you most memorable Birthday you ever had? 22nd and 23rd!
21. Where were you born? (I cant remember the name!) Hospital, Kanpur, India
22. Favourite sport to watch? Figure skating and Gymnastics OR Cricket if India is playing!
23. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? *hmmmmmm.....*
24. Person you expect to send it back first? No idea.... its anyone's game!
25. What fabric detergent do you use? Spree - Why pay more! :P
26. Coke or Pepsi? In the days when I did drink it day/night - Coke
27. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night
28. What is your shoe size? 8.5
29. Do you have any pets? No! :(
30. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with your family &
friends? I have just been offered a job in my dream company!! :D And I start next year when I return from my trip to India!!
31. What did you want to be when you were little? Doctor! *its a pity that I grew up to be one of those silly billies who hate the sight of blood!!*
32. What were you doing today? Fixing IT issues...
33. Name a movie you've seen recently that you're sure many have not and its worth watching. 21 gram and Crash (saw it last night!)

OK -- 33 easy peasy ones!
And I send it out to Aarathi, AmitL, Anubha, Anumita, Ashish, Ashtrix, ClickedElk, Colors, Cynic, DJ, Divya, Fundoo, Ganga, Gaurav, Hagrid, ITNL, Inci-vinci, Kaush, Khushee, LDude, Manu, Melody, Navjot, Neelima, Neetie, Pallavi, Prasad, Preeti, Puneet, Red, Ricky, Saba, Sanaja, Sherriff, Shub, Stone, Surinder, Tony, Vaibhav, Vicky!

*PHEW* is that all...? Ummm.. I think so... and any more who drop by the blog and dont find yourselves on the list above -- please feel free to take the tag and drop me a comment once your post is up! :)

(This post is from an email forward I got from a girl-friend at work and I thought "Oh! I love to get answers for these from my blog-mates! so just tweaked a few questions here and there ;)

CIAO!

Oh! I see it......

......a light at the end of the tunnel!!!
*or is it my mind, playing games with me again.*


Apologies people for the sudden fits of appearence and dissappearence.

The offline life - that has been over-shadowing everything for the past few weeks is finally looking towards an optimistic outcome.

I hope to return soon.... with some good news! :D

Till then - you keep talking coz I am all ears..........

For someone like me....

...who has never seen a real scorpio in her life *and No, the preserved ones in the biology lab don't count!* and who will probably will shriek at the top of her voice if she saw one....

- I reckon, I'm a pretty good "SCORPIO"! =)

Don't know if you guys believe in astrology and horoscopes etc....and I guess I am not sure if I believe entirely in the whole phenomenon - but Linda Goodman is one lady whose two books I've read, and I reckon - she has hit the nail, on the head.
If I may quote it from a review in amazon.com this particular guy said when he read his own description and I felt *exactly* the same way *word for word!*,

"..it reads like it was written by me, my mother, the CIA, the FBI and all my friends!.."
&
"..I first found that rather scary, but now I find it comforting. It means I'm simply being me, the person as I am supposed to be."

And well.... you may say that no one is has the right to tell you what you're 'supposed' to be, but I feel that though is a lot in our own personality that we can affect or change but then there is more that we just cant. And knowing "that" - what you cant change and what it is and how you can deal with it..... is an absolutely invaluable tool to have.

And since reading her book, "Sun signs", I have grown this strange habbit of descretely asking people their birthdays only to find out later that its so true what Linda said about it. I havent read that book in years...but still remember the bits fro it vividly.

I dont care about the scientific explanations.... becuase as William Shakespeare said,

"There are more things in heaven and earth......
than are dreamt of in your philosophy!"

Anyways... all I want to say is - I do believe that the day I was born had a lot to do with the person I am and am turning out to be.... and I basically, I'm just proud to be me! And proud to have come this far in life and achieved so much in such a short span of life, to have found some amazing friends in these years including the blog-world and its all just overwhelming .....

And even though they say - "Never ask a woman's age and a man's wage" - I'll tell you, its my 23rd birthday today!! :D Hopefully, it'll be a bit more exciting than last year!

Shall see you all on the other side of my Birthday!! :)
Adios Amigos!

feels like.......

..... I have a long long way to go.......and I'm just sooooooo tired!



*come on Nupur..... one more.... you can do it...... come on...............*

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz

*Zzzzzzzzz!!!*
waaa.... oh! ur here.

Well.... I had a 'fun'tastic time this morning till 3am attending the Bloggeratti VBM. BRAVO Anubha for the huge success. :D
..........zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Oh.... sorry for dozing off like that - just cant keep my eyes open any longer, but before I drop unconcious into deep slumber, my {BIG HUG} and hearty congratulations to all Bloggeratti Winners! Well done... and truly well deserved. And all those.....*poor souls* nomineees *like me!* my {BIGGER HUG} to you as we were all just as much a winner as the winners themselves! :P
*OH! Ouch... that hurt! No more sandals n shoes plz!*

And last but not the least - my BESTEST of the BESTEST wishes to Anubha *yes the one responsible for my miserable state this morning!* - on her adventures outside Blogsville! May she miss us sooooo much that she may have to return back! :P

But seriously gurl - LOVE UR WORK! :D
BE HAPPY... where ever you are.....!!!!

Cheers to all......
*THUMP! crashed on the floor!*

Blog....blah blah blah....!!!

OK.... officially this is it.

One colossal year for this blog,
One dwarf year for the whole of Blogsville!!!

Many milestones have been achieved and left behind, as the journey still continues.

The blog that was opened, originally due to desperation - to comment on a friend's blog. And then...... curiousity took over me and "When even I don't know..." got its first post - "I have no idea..."

Time teaches you the survival skill - "Bloghopping"!
And in your journeys you come across some excellent blogs, some nifty published apps, some cool templates and so much more......And then these tips and tricks are shared between strangers - but they are strangers, only till you write the first comment/tag and then as soon as they reply - Viola!~ You have found a new mate!!

And you join forces to conquer yet unseen, undetected, undiscovered, unobserved, unpercieved territory (yes I plundered dictionary.com for those words! *hehehhe* ) of the "Land of Blogdom"!!

And my partners in crime.....
my mates in this battalion are -

AmitL - The first mate, I found in the middle-east.
Enjoying, these days everyday, the Ramadan Feast.
His categorised posts - so sizzling yet simplistic,
The endjokes - hilarious, and thoughts of the day - realistic!

Anubha - The lady called A-N-Zee.
Some even know her as Honey 'Busy' Bee! :P
She's into organisation..... events n all......
Her creation 'Bloggeratti' - much loved by all.

Anumita - Ma'lady, she's here and she's not.
Some times I doubt that ma' blog she's forgot.
But then you come to know of her secret escapades.....
The naughty dealings with her hubby and goss' with her maid! ;)

Ashish - Mate, what shall I say.....
Many a times, I've seen him away.
His Blog-reviews making waves to lands a far,
But dude, where've you gone? I'm looking for my car! :P

Ashtrix - This mate, I eavesdropped from a long while,
I saw his awards that crossed Filmfare, by a mile.
I lost him and I found him all b'coz of his 'Easy Prey'.
"Pray, dear friend, where did you dissappear away?!"

Colors - My girlfriend, my 'bichdi hui behen' in Blogsville,
This gal, my friend, is not ur ordinary run of the mill.
She hails from the land, high up in the Himalayas,
And is so caring and thoughful - beyond all her years.

Cynic - This lady's template was the first of its kind,
At the time when I saw it - it was imprinted on my mind.
She's funny and she's silly and she's crazy in her ways!
And her recent matrimonial dealings will crack u up anyday.

Deepak - DJ, the intellectual, the academic, the rational one,
He's works of fiction are one of the best under the sun!
His reviews, his interpretations written with such poise,
And to top it all off - DJ enjoy's debates and Lata didi's voice!

Divya - She's a darling who loves quizes online,
This girlfriend from southern lands - is truly divine.
If life's a dance - this lady knows how to at'tune',
For the good sport that you are gurl, hats off to u!

Fundoo - OK - I don't even know where to begin.
This hilairous, comical, boffo guy - is my 'blog-kin'.
He works in lands where they give "bhejitediyaan phood" :D
We've had some pretty funny times on blogger and on orkut!

Ganga - One of the most genuine guys I know,
He's absolutely down to earth, that his posts clearly show.
Amazing - the research into each post that he writes,
Tallest female, human fruit and many more such delights.

Gaurav - How many times he has made me J in these months,
and its due to his travelogues of lands where he's had fun!
Some very intuitive posts he's written in the past,
And his insightful research of social topics - sure is a blast!

Hagrid - The Hoogie-woogie bear that we know,
He's recently gone past the Atlantic where soon it will snow.
His funny and thoughtful comments, very genuinely real,
Lets pray his Mrs. get to him soon, to cook him a hearty meal!

ITNL - I met this mate, at a VBM oneday,
His funny posts and his pun will get him in trouble someday! ;)
The thoughts that he expresses are a pleasure to read,
He smiles and he smiles and he smiles - in times of need!

Invincible - The 'dude' who was up all night,
And all because he found the Indi VBM a delight.
Some really funny and intuitive posts he's written.
To tell us about himself and the life he's living.

Kapil - The mate that got me into blogging ages ago,
My real friend in life whose many secrets I know! ;)
He's genuine, he's sweet, he's great fun to be around...
And I wish him much luck and happiness to be found.

Kaush - The lady who'll one day fix my teeth,
She's jovial and bubbly and very thoughtful underneath.
One of the creators of the idea - V.B.M.
Don't talk to her in English - if you are an Indian! ;)

Khushee - My girl friend from 'the land down under'.
She used to post everyday with tits bits of daily banter.
These days she's been busy with new job and new car.
One day u'll visit all those places in the postcards of lands afar.

Lean Dude - This Mr. is as moody as they come....
He knows how to enjoy life and have loads of fun.
'Absolut'ly crazy and hilarious when he's in the mood,
I dunno about lean n mean but I enjoy this dude's attitude!

Manuscrypt - The man of many many words,
For months his stories have haunted all souls of blog-world.
Every time I read his work, I think to myself - 'Wow!
How did he think of that!' - wish I could somehow.

Meen - She's been away from her homeblog a bit,
As she's busy with hot Spices plus Miso and Sushi.
I used to enjoy the little pictures on her space,
and now with the new recipes - they'll make u race!

Neelima - So colorful this girl friend writes away,
and the pictures and the songs - such a beautiful display.
She's the teacher that kids love to have at school.
A funny little lady with many stories in her pool.

Nikhil - another one, thats gone with the wind.
This guy loves jamming and making new friends.
It was fun knowing him and reading his comments.
I wish him luck and happiness - till we meet again.

Pallavi - Ma'lady, whose templates are awesome,
she changes them like seasons and fresh new blossoms.
Recently she became the author by the brook,
Multi-skilled, multi-talented, the 'bike' road she took!

Prasad - The quiet-achiever, I say.
So many heart-felt posts he's written to this day.
He hails from Kerela, how I wish I'd see.
Hidden behind 'Dennis' - a cool guy definately.

Puneet - Another blog mate, met during my rounds,
some really cool and fun stuff this guy has found.
Now he's added to the list of bloggers - overseas,
And here's wishing him luck and may life be a breeze.

Red - We love to call her lovingly, 'Red ji',
A light-hearted and cheerful gal - nice to know thee.
She can find much logic even in the simplest of ads.
C'mon gurl lets play - no rewind or fast forward - so relax.

Ricky - The Blog Prince - the Birthday Post King!
And much much more...... all day I could sing.
'The' most thoughtful person I found in the Blog-world.
Stay the same dear friend - unshaken, unwavering and unfurled!

Saba - She loves to share her two cents.
Cooking meating point that she shares with her friends.
The second master mind behind the Bloggerati awards,
Hope to hear from her soon, her personal posts n all.

Sanaja - My dear friend in the U S of Ayyy,
I havent heard from her in a while - but hope she's okay.
Loves dancing and camping - no spare time she'll waste.
And hilarious stories she tells of - cut, copy n paste!

Sherriff - The funny guy who writes with a flair,
At times thought-provoking, at others with witty air.
His anecdote with the misses are hilarious n cute,
Mate, did I say, your opinions I don't refute?!

Shub - The smiling writer, I've read for so long,
Her blogger tips and tricks got many bloggers to throng.
Now in Singapore, she misses all things home,
My best wishes for you gurl - enjoy life as it comes.

Sir Rocks - Come n gone, gone n come this guy,
When he's in the mood, he's witty and he's sly! ;)
His descriptions, his ideas, his thoughts are so jolly,
I hope he'd write more about life and its follies.

Stone - Not the stone he likes to be called,
his wit clearly shines thru his comments n all.
These days he's missing - gone somewhere walking?
I'd hardly call him - the bad man talking.

Surinder - Mr. Garfield or Mr.Marriage guy?
He posts multiple posts a day - all in a fly.
Many of them funny and many words of wisdom,
I enjoy the witty humor, in his own, when he writes some.

Vicky - What's up Doc?! I'd like to say,
We share things 43 things n places to go away.
So bright and interesting his comments always,
In the blog world I know I found another mate!

*PHEW!!!*
:D

I know this is not all.... as my list of blogmates grows everyday.

So please excuse me if your name is not written above.... as the above list was plucked from my Blogroll - which hasn't updated in a month or two.

--------------------------------------

And before I finish -

"The Seasons BEST wishes for you and your families.
May this coming year bring with it
much prosperity and happiness........"

As a kid who was scared of fire-crackers *to an extent*... Diwali was always a time of the year when the house was beautifully lit with diyas and candles. It is a tradition, *if I remember correctly* to light diyas in each and every darkest dingiest corner where you would'nt usually think of lighting them. I used to follow Mummy as she's go around the garden and in the back yard.... spreading the light.

I have always loved the glimmer of the little lights, that brighten up such places. And that is how I still celebrate diwali... with little tealight candles around my tiny apartment! :)

So.... hoping that this year we may all find light - in the darkest corners of our life!

God Bless!

Please Take Care!

I know that my Blog-niversary post is due - but while I scrabble for time to actually finish it.....

All you people in India - PLEASE take care.
I hope that none of you or you friends/family were harmed in the Delhi bombings this weekend. Its imperative that you guys take caution anywhere you go in crowded/public places.

My prayers for those that died.....
Its so sad.... their family's Diwali has ended even before it began.

Understatement!

"I have my hands full" - will be an understatement.

This week has been so crazy, and I am just glad that its finally over. At any other point in time... it wouldn't have mattered. I would have not posted anything for a few days and no one would have even noticed - But I had to proclaim my great Blog-niversary and vow a "one post a day week" and then get myself caught up and........................ *Blah blah blah blah*!!

Lets just FORGET IT!
-----------------------------------


Okay, festive season is well and truly upon us and you may like it or not but that means - Loads and Loads of Sugary sweets and Fatty feasts! And nothing wrong with enjoying the festive season to the fullest - but - what that will do to the waist...... we all know!

I had been thinking about this for weeks and well, I have books and quite a few of them if I may say so, about healthy lifestyles and good diets and Detox plans etc. etc..... but I never really applied any of it to 'myself'. :) I used to just give my expert advise to all my girlfriend's here and they would go, "Wow! You're right... I should do that!" "Excellent idea. I'll try that." etc.

And it was not until my back injury, that I really realised what I was doing to myself. I was in a job where I sat on my bum the whole day and then I'd go home and stuff my face with anything and everything. And excercise?! - No way!!

When my Physio asked me at our first meeting, "What sort of exercise do you do?"
I was silent for a few seconds and then I blurted - "None"
She just smiled and said, "Hmmm.. well... We're going to have to fix that - won't we?" :)
And I was like, "Hmmm..wokay!"

That was 6 weeks ago.

And today I am proud to tell you that I had my final visit to the physio this morning and she says, "You're cured!" and I feel it too!!

The credit of it all goes to:
* the swimming lessons - that my physio pushed me to join (and was something that I had wanted to do for so long)
* the cool swim gear - that my girl friends help me find.
* the evening jogs - with 'him' or my bro.
* the new wrist-weights - that I simply wrap around my wrists and tone my arms while I jog!
* the new hi power juicer - that 'he' got for me! (it motivates me to drink lots of fresh fruit and vegetable juice everyday) :)

*sigh* I feel a whole lot better.......

It has really been amazing - this transformation, and I want to continue this spell.


So I have decided to document this 'lifestyle journey' in a new blog called, "Peace-Calm-Harmony" . Here on this blog, I shall keep track of my weekly progress with my diet and exercise routine. I'll keep a record of my 'healthy' recipes from time to time and *hopefully* nice pics of my 'healthy' self as I go along!

A glimpse of that new space is here for you -->


All you ladies, who would like to join me in this journey are most welcome to drop by from time to time. :)


Tomorrow *Thank God! finally!* is the D-DAY. The day that I have so shamelessly been raving about for sooo long! I am not going to make any more promises about my post or my surprises etc etc.........

Like someone said -

"The course of life is unpredictable,

no one wrote their autobiography in advance."

And neither can I.

So.... Sayonara!
See you....when I see you. :)