Brief Hiatus due to work overload

I have to submit a million assignments and forms by this weekend. After that I shall be going on a well-deserved week-long vacation. So, there may be no updates for about 10 days. S'long!

I say yes, you say no

My 4 year old nephew is quickly learning the ways of this wicked, wicked world. In his writing exams, he made his neighbour write his paper. When my parents call him up, he precedes his conversation with, "Please send me a parcel." He recently chopped off his best friend's hair and literally scalped her. He regularly plays on heart-strings and tries and mostly gets away with 4 year old cuteness. I can't wait to meet him again and screw up all his existing notions.

Egg Sandwich with gherkins

Yesterday, after my classes, I went to the gym/ spa and worked out for an hour. Then I had a spa treatment and a hair cut done. After returning home, I had no wish to cook and my fridge was inadequately stocked since my vacation starts soon. So, I made myself an egg sandwich with all the leftovers.

I cooked an egg on my skillet. I suppose folks who like it runny can cook it that way, but I just hate runny eggs. Anyhow, the way you cook your eggs depends on how you like them. I took two slices of bread and spread some mayonnaise based garlic sauce on them. Then, I put two lettuce leaves, a layer of gherkins and the cooked egg on it. I sprinkled some pepper on it, put a slice of tomato, a slice of onion and covered it up with the second slice of bread and grilled it. It came out golden brown and delicious. It took me ten minutes to prepare my sandwich and was delicious and healthy.

Gourmet Vs Glutton

I have recently joined/ formed a Gourmet group. By observing the way things went in the first meeting, we could call it the Gluttons' Group. The highlights of the evening were:
(1) Aparna Sen walking in on our meeting, realising that something looked wrong, putting on her spectacles, exclaiming, "Oh! I'm sorry!" and walking out again.
(2) The food - apart from the appams, everything was good.
(3) The general battiness of the above 40s. Heh! I quite enjoy older people, despite the fact that they try and lecture me about things that went wrong in their life and the mistakes they made.
(4) Not gaining any extra weight despite the meeting.

Miss Varsha and Proper Respect.

You all bitches can just call me Dr. (Miss) Varsha from now on.

I have SAD, and you?

I think I have discovered my neurosis. I think I am suffering from a mild case of SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. They say that, "SAD is a mood disorder associated with depression episodes and related to seasonal variations of light." Its been raining for the past one week without a break and my depression is increasing. So much so that I can't make myself make phonecalls to talk with my family, or even go out for coffee. I have always hated rainy, gray weather. I hate the monsoons so much that I am willing to do anything to get away from them. I have often noticed that I am gloomier when it rains incessantly. Now they even have a name for it. Sigh!

Brief Hiatus

The shoe-of-the-day pics (the bad ones) will be posted from tomorrow onwards. There was a brief hiatus due to craploads of work.

Open letter

Dear Tonsils,

I hope you are happy now? You screwed up my trip to Geneva. You screwed up a large part of my summers. You gave me a horrid, hacking cough. You make my throat feel scratchy, itchy and achy. You block my ears. You make me sneeze. You make my eyes runny. You sometimes give me a fever and tire me out. You make me eat horrible antibiotics and even then you attack my throat year after year, sometimes thrice a year. One day I shall have my revenge. I shall rip you out of my throat and throw you away. So, if you dare show up on my vacation, you just wait and see what I do!

Cough! Hack! Cough! Sneeze!

Discrimination or spared by a whisker

This story is so horrifying that I daren't repeat it, just that I have been saved by a whisker. Phew! By the way, did everyone know that only in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India people appearing for GRE or GMAT require passports. In all other countries a driving license is enough. Weird, huh?

Shoe of the day: 13th September

Firstly, sorry for the image quality people. I am simultaneously shooting pictures on my non-digital camera and will post them all after the reel gets over. I shall replace these fuzzy images with the better pics. But, I've promised that I'd start this project, so here goes....

Today I wore a cream and pink salwar kameez. So, I had to wear my cream strappy stilettoes.

This is pic 1, and no I am not one-legged.



This is pic 2, and proves that I do have two feet.



This is a fuzzy close-up of the pattern of the straps, I said Fuzzy people!



Thats it! Heh!

Sangria flavoured entertaining

I had called few acquaintances for eats and Sangria yesterday. The menu (in my opinion simple) was: Sausage rolls, corn and brocooli sauteed with loads and loads of garlic, mushrooms tossed in garlic, oregano and chilli flakes, Anchovy tapas recipe copied from HERE (they were yummy), momos (chicken and pork) served with salsa and loads and loads of Sangria. It went well, everyone was well-fed and well-watered and the day went well. AND, I have about half a litre of left over sangria in the refridgerator. Heh! Hic!

It's all over now, baby blue.

I'm 28 today. How time flies!

Paella, sangria and chorizos

Thats what I ate for dinner yesterday. The food was good, but I was bored to tears. Sometimes, I wish I could jump out from my skin and just be someone else. I'm glad my vacation is near. I need to be away from everything.

Tearing me hair out

I am fearing a huge depression phase coming on, partly because of my birthday, partly due to PMS.

Since I have so much bile in me today, a rant or two should do me good?

Rant1: I hate women who are light-skinner or "fair". In India, even if a woman looks like a total dog and is fair, she is considered beautiful. What the fuck is wrong with people? I know many women who are butt-ass ugly, with small mean eyes, a mean mouth and totally mean-looking faces who are raved over just because they are fair. A case in point: Karisma Kapoor. Everytime I look at her ugly mug, I am astounded. How can anyone find her beautiful? How?

Rant 2: I have something against young men from Calcutta. I find them way annoying. If one could hear them speak, you would understand what I mean. Kafka, Brecht, Shakespeare are favourite topics of discussion, which is all very well. Good conversation is always wonderful, BUT what is the point of good conversation if it is all wool being pulled over one's eyes. The point I am trying to make, is that these young men don't actually mean what they pretend to value and that is the hugest annoyance I have. On one hand, you have these so-called sons of the soils affecting socialist poses and smoking gold flake cigarettes and on the other hand, on digging further you realise that they in reality work for corporations and multi-nationals. Why pretend to be something you are not? Why do you have double standards? Not only are these fellows affecting false ideologies, but standing in the bar of an elitist club (that has only started accepting female members since last year, but thats meandering from the main rant), wearing a "I love Dusit Thani" tee, and affecting such a stance makes it even more ridiculous. I hate humbugs. I hate affected, pompous humbugs. I hate impractical, affected, pompous humbugs. I hate pseudo-communist, impractical, affected, pompous humbugs. Bah!

Rant 3: My third rant is about desi students in the USA. What is it about USA that makes one such a pompous, loud-mouthed ass? I have friends in the USA (Hi! Varsha) and friends in Europe (Hi! Sayan) who have on appearances gone abroad on the pretext of higher studies. My friends in Europe remain delightful and mostly pretty much the same people they used to be in India. My friends in USA have changed. I wish I could say for the better but, sadly I can't. ALL my friends in the USA have become boring loudmouths and smug bastards who think they know what is best for India now that they are in the USA. India remains poor, corrupt, time-warped and dirty for them. Now, mind you, large parts of India do remain that way, but there are pockets of India which are not as dismal as that. I know urban and rural areas both that are sanctuaries of peace and calm. I find attitudes changing in India, very slowly, but they are changing. I find the attitude of Indians who do that most annoying. I find it racist that they look down on everything Indian, and are genuinely surprised if they find no gaps in knowledge in an Indian. Why do they do that? Why does America do that to people? Why?

Ah! I feel better already.

No thanks to Varsha

Thank you everyone for your continued support and encouragement. Sniff! Varsha darling, eat your heart out. I have once again proved that atleast 3 people apart from you, do indeed read this blog.

Soon to come - shoes, shoes and more shoes.

Shoe-of-the-day Project - Vote

I desperately want to do some photo-blogging. I was wondering what to blog about. Is anyone here interested in a shoe-of-the-day project for an entire month? Everyday I shall post photos of the shoe I am wearing. Everyday a new shoe.

If I get 3 assents, I will take the project up. If I don't, no viewing of my nether regions for anyone. 3 isnt a high number, is it? What to do, I keep my sights very low. If I do get the requisite amount of assents, the shoe-of-the-month project will start from the 14th of September. So go ahead and post your assents, people!

Update - 1 more assent required. Please, please, someone paste another assent. :)

Neither here nor there and Boring birthday resolutions

I am turning 28 next Monday. Another 2 years and I shall be 30. I have nothing to show for it save for 38 pairs of shoes, scant German and 3 paintings. Looking back at life, I see the foolish mistakes I made, and the time I wasted. Right now, when I try and reason out my crazy schedules, I know that I am making up for lost time. If I was a loser, I'd be whining about how life dealt me a raw deal, but I like to think I am not, or maybe I'm just fooling myself? Still, I have had some lucky breaks and I suppose I should be glad for them?

Birthday resolutions:

1. Will be more sociable
2. Will raise count of shoes to 50 this year
3. Will start to save for own home
4. Will exercise regularly
5. Will never overeat
6. Will drink a glass of milk/ soymilk everyday
7. Will try and sustain relationships of all kinds
8. Will avoid fighting with parents/ siblings/ relatives despite their high annoyance factor
9. Will not worry about trivial matters

Hmmm... That is pretty saintly by my standards. Heh!

Trip the light fantastic

I have been working out very regularly for the past 2 weeks. I run/walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes everyday, work out on the elliptical trainer for 10 minutes, do floor exercises for 10 minutes and swim for 30 to 40 minutes everyday. I can now swim 2 laps without feeling out of breath and bushed. Every day I would mount the scales and find no change. I was disappointed, but I knew that the fat I have accumulated over the years will take months to either burn or turn into muscle.

Yesterday, I was in for a shock. It seems as if I have lost 3 pounds (approx 1.35 kgs!). I can't see where, since it is certainly not from the area around my waist (and yes, I do have areas around my waist, much to my shame and horror), or my thighs, the bane of any "traditionally built" Indian woman. I am feeling much better than I have in ages. I feel light, relaxed and calm despite shitloads of work. My thighs, calf muscles and shoulders are giving me hell today, but I still can't wait for the day to get over and to work out in the gym.

Maybe, the svelte and sexy will not just be an inside joke anymore? Maybe, all my 4 inch stilettoes will carry a much lighter me? Maybe, I can fit into my old 28" waist jeans? Maybe, my enthusiasm will peter out and I will feel there is no point to it anyway and abandon the working out?

I am NOT

Desperate, I am focussed and empowered to get what I want.

Now, let me bust my gut laughing at THIS. To hell with myn!

In favour of the chapatti

One would have thought that with more than 1 billion Indians, non-Indians would be acquainted with Indian names by now. Sadly, it isnt so. You still read of implausible Indian names like "Nandira" and other Indian sounding names in literature and fiction. I have a good mind of compiling all faux Indian names I find in literature.

Another thing I find really annoying about an Indian cultural stereotype is thinking "Naan" is the staple food all over India. It is not. In fact bread is not even the staple all over India. The north-eastern, eastern and southern regions mostly consist of rice eaters. Also show me one home in India that actually bakes Naans at home and I will gladly take my words back. The staple bread all over the wheat eating regions is chapatti. It is a flat, thin unleavened bread and in my opinion far tastier than naan or any leavened bread that restaurants tout as the Indian staple. The reason why chapattis are going out of fashion is that they are comparitively hard to make. First you need to knead the dough, then with a small portion of the dough, roll out a perfect and even round that will ensure the chapatti will puff up when you cook it on a griddle. Not only are chapattis tastier, they are also far more healthier, simple because they are made from whole wheat and not processed white flour. Every north-Indian home lives on chapattis and not Naans. Chapattis are also called rotis and phulkes (which literally translated means puffed up ones) in different parts of India. I also think that it is mostly women who are more skillful at making chapattis and since most cooks in Indian restaurants happen to be men, it effectively means that chapattis have been pushed behind. Its a pity, I tell you. After days of eating heavy, greasy food, I long for nice, hot, fluffy chapattis that I can dip in crisp bhajis or dal or chicken curry or raitas. Plain, simple home cooked food, mmmmm...

The secret behind Shiny Happy People

Today has been very, very good - so far. I worked out, swam, loved doing that. Loved the jacuzzi and the steam chambers. I got to work on time. Then, I've had a good work day too, everything has gone on schedule, no unpleasant thoughts. Then, I get a huge hamper of goodies from work filled with scrumptious baked goods - multigrain rolls, banana walnut bread, apricot danishes, 4 kinds of cookies, blueberry muffins and walnut muffins. Then, my books arrive.

Shiny Happy People

Yippeee! My books are here! I was fearing bad paper, bad printing and shoddy front cover, since they are paperbacks afterall, but they are beautiful, new and crisp. I love today.

All fall down

I inaugurated my health club membership today by working out for an hour, swimming for 20 minutes and lolling about in the jacuzzi for half an hour. The elliptical trainer worked out some of my muscles that I didnt know existed. My body's sore, but I'm feeling lovely.

The staff had its first taste of my absent-mindedness, I sent everyone in a tizzy by declaring that I had lost my locker key when I was clutching on to it all the time. I could see them breathe a sigh of relief when I left. Heh!

This blog will be taking an about turn in terms of optimism, I can already feel the endorphin rush about in my veins making me happier.