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December 31, 2016

Resolutions 2017

Last year I had successfully converted two plus one (which I did not put on the blog for some reasons- DIYs, it appeared in my tiny brain in April)  out of four resolutions into 'some' results. I can say drawing timelines and plans to my goals pour some wonder potion of discipline in the hectic schedule I have. Blogging about them keeps my Buri Niyat of forgetting them in check.

So,here is to every one who still believes in planning the day, months and the year. Who believes in resolutions but with a practical mind set. Who believes in putting all of them on a piece of paper or in the excel sheet and track them with enough flexibility to adjust to the vulnerabilities in life. (Ooof.. How convenient I sound)


Patience/Anger Management
When I say I am not the one who has a lot of patience, it is an understatement. I may have patience while working on any kind of an issue on the office-front but in my personal life I'm far from it. In 2016 there were some instances where I just ignored on going things on which I wanted to react and not respond- it worked that time but later on the anger erupted and it went all worst from bad-in my mind. That is not being patient- and it drills down to my poor anger management. I was not really impatient like this when I was growing up. I have picked this not-do-good trait some where in 2010-2011. Needless to say, it creates a lot of disturbance unnecessarily.

The strategy is to really keep my mind (And mouth) in hibernation mode when I want to react. To think about the situation when I would have gone mad on the situation or the person and ended up with a disastrous outcome, rather than harping on my sentiments on temporary basis. 'Volcano eruptions' should not occur at all. This would be the tough nut to crack.

Fitness
I'd lost some weight and inches last to last year but the 2016 was not a very progressive year for my fitness. I managed to start running and yoga but frequency of  my migraine and allergic bouts increased and also, my calendar got really tight. I do not believe in finding excuses because if I want to do something -'I manage to get it any way' as my parents say,so this year I have to be really disciplined.

I do not want to make random resolutions but I've not figured out in Mumbai if gym is the best option or running would do just fine with the ever increasing level of pollution in the morning. I shall add a measurable goal in this post once I find that right work out for me.

Apart from work out, I need to stop eating junk. Last four months I have been eating a lot of fast food or snacks which I never used to touch. Partly it is because lack of time to plan out healthy snack options which are home cooked too-specially during office time. Partly it is my own mind which needs a temporary high through the binge. I would eventually eat healthy home-cooked food if I can control my mind. 

Involvement: 
In this era of distraction,multi tasking is no more a boon. The monkey mind ends up focusing on nothing than those 117 tasks pending with 25 tabs open in your laptop browser. Not to forget the chat going on in a few Whastapp group. Ah..Mess. This is an involvement issue and it has also crept in our personal lives as well. 

When you are with your friends for coffee, it is okay to not to look at the mobile phones. When you are reading a blog, it is okay if you close your gmail or even work mail. When you are working on an excel sheet, just shut that damn chrome. When you are taking dinner with your family, how many of us can actually be there 100%? Aren't we always into something X while doing Y? 

I believe our personal relationships affect a lot because of this. In the era of FaceBook and Whastapp, we forget that long mails or letters have much more warm attached to them than those tiny tid bids.Spending time with your family (which includes both sets of parents, relatives you like and friend you pick!) can really strengthen the bond and makes life less stressful if not warm. 

So the 2017 should come with better involvement in whatever I do. As small as folding sheets to ironing clothes to spending time with loved ones to training subordinates. Involvement with single mind. No multitasking unless I'm finishing daily chores. (My mom does it the best!) 

What do you guys think about resolutions? I do believe that measurable ones are better to track but behavioral goals are something which I need to work on at this point of time. Presuming it would make my 'to do' side of the life easier too.

December 28, 2016

The year it was, 2016!

Time for the annual performance review, like I always do.

January: I attended my very close friend aka the Singapore flat mate's wedding in Banglore! The most enjoyable wedding I've ever attended. It was a also a mini reunion of us, pseudo Singaporeans! I also became a bit bored with wedding shopping going on around me thanks to cousins getting married in Jan-Feb. I almost hated dressing up for Indian wedding and hence I enjoyed the easy peasy gown-flaunting-activity in the Banglore wedding I talked about. Any how, I had to attend the three days long wedding in Ahmedabad with a lot of heart burn. (Shh..) I secretly wished for a speed breaker in life.

February: The Abdullah was quite upset with Shadis Begaanas were doing suddenly. Though this month I suddenly started developing interest in Sarees! Also on one fine day refreshed myself by attending (super) early morning Parveen Sulatana concert near Taj!

March: Became a sciatica patient with a lot of body stiffness.  But one fine day, I got a call from dad that my mom is ill and has been hospitalized for the treatment of Kidney Infection. I had to fly in his absence and mom's diabetic almost killed me with critical state her heath went through. Thanks to so so many people's blessings and prayers mom recovered and smiles were back on our faces!Ah,by the way my sciatica disappeared through this shock therapy.

April: April came with a royal entry on the blog with the customary A to Z posts! The birthday month this time was spent alone without Mr.ISB and not to forget 'Birthday Blues' I experienced. Anyway, I managed to sail through the birthday with the help of some hand written mails as gifts.

May: Some retrospection happened! Decided to balm my heart burnt created by the fire of long distant relationship, through Art. This decision,I never knew would be the best gift to myself this year going forward. Started with my old set of watercolor set- to make this card for one of my mentors/dushman. Paid remembrance to my late Fai.

June: This month brought the best possible memories of 2016! I flew to Denmark where the Husband was already on a business deputation. The blog post on my Scandanavian trip never happened but we enjoyed our Wedding Anniversary  way 'two much'  while my mind also weaved (And blogged) some guidelines for ones who are interested in visiting Europe.

July: I revisited Singapore memories. Monsoon kicked off in Mumbai! Decoding self happened too.

August: Visited Ahmedabad finally and enjoyed a lot too- festive season , August comes with after all. Became Masi this year. Met my frock buddy N (finally) after her wedding. Did a bit of husband worshiping  HERE. Also this month, I could start the Buzzfeed type of a post series called Chai time Chichat!

September: One of the most difficult month for me as a non fanatic secular person. This month started the fasting of family members and relatives which also meant a lot of real and mental stress for me apart from a lot of work on personal and professional front. I also discovered the cold brew coffee this month along with Mr.ISB at a SoBo cafe house. This month was spent alone as Mr.ISB was busy in Denmark managing marine engines (With a home-break of ten days  in between his stay)- Needless to say,not a month to remember. Well well, not really. I channelized my energy to paint two Ganpatis to gift them to both mothers! I also went through a reality check for myself.

October: Finally wrote something about my grandmother which I had planned ages ago. Met my best friend's daughter and hand fun playing with her. Started a big DIY project - got cushion covers stitched from scrap silk, refurbished a Chor Bazar table lamp and re-organized decor in the room. Diwali preparation this year sans Mr.ISB was not that bad.

November: Finally my DIY decor and Rangolis were flaunted in the month of November. Even less visitors visited home this year- something very weird about festivals in Mumbai. This month also became a plant mom and reunited with West Side - which is one of my favorite brand chain in India.

December: A vacation at home happened. Sunshine smiled when our Uncle Aunty from USA visited us. This month after June,became a highlight that way. Real Chai time chit chat happened for a week I would say. Once they left- the vacuum added the ongoing frustration of not being able to balance inner peace and outer atmosphere. In a way, I realized that my struggle to adjust in a new family- however easy it may seem it is still to happen. Even after two years. No heart burns for others, it drills a hole in my heart though. Anyway time passed and then Mr.ISB's birthday arrived- we could spend some time together. Looks like I am back in the good mood again!

How was your 2016?????? Bumpy and enjoyable like me?

:-)


December 25, 2016

The Sunday #5

Now when I'm back with the Sunday post, lets assume this month would be really rich in experiences just like how this year was.

Friday night which was suppose to end with a big fight between two worriers (yours truly and the husband) of the family, ended up on a good note as Saturday was Mr.ISB's birthday and I launched my surprise before fifteen minutes to suppress the 'Maun Vrat' coming in. Not being cheesy,but this potter head's happiness on seeing 'Hogwarts Acceptance Letter' (DIYed by yours truly) made the irritation in me vanished in no time.




(My husband becomes a twelve years old kid on seeing anything linked to Harry Potter even now. I had picked his 'Wish' of getting a personalized Hogwarts Acceptance Letter a month back!)

I had taken an off on Saturday hence after ages we could relax. We both agreed to rest for the whole day with my mobile phone constantly ringing as Mr.ISB had conveniently changed his number one more time and people could not connect to him!

A movie, a dinner and some shopping made the day really sweet.

Sunday was a cleaning day in a way. We de-fragmented our room. We dry cleaned every fabric in use. I did the re-decor and started with my budding window garden. Some after noon siesta, tea,a plum cake, Veg spaghetti and some smiles! :)





That is how my Sunday was. Scattered thoughts in the post but may be this can revive this blog.




December 21, 2016

Chai Time Chitchat #6

So many things have happened and are happening that, weaving them in one single story line would be a sin. We need to talk about it. 

  • Chai time is not same as last week. I miss adarakh wali chai and chatting. The loneliness even when I am always surrounded by people is weird. Something I have been suffering from since last four five days. Hopefully, they would improve.
  • Work front is very very Hectic. We do got a breather yesterday which made us realize how tired we are. Suddenly the neck spasm and back spasm became intolerable. Migraine of course don't like them hogging lime light. I am not blaming myself- every one in the team is feeling fatigue. Work continues. May be it is the best way to stay sane.
  • I am dying for my friends to come to Mumbai. May be I've passed the age where I can make best friends and hence I seriously want Frock buddy N at least to magically land here as soon as possible. 
  • I need a solo trip- a bag pack one that too. Or may be with friends. 
  • I'm seriously thinking of deleting my blog for some reasons. Unknown ones. I like being alone now and ranting online wont do any good. 
  • I do miss going to 
May be life would be better spent over wines, Yoga, DIYs and beautiful clothes. Looks like I'm into nothing! 

:D 

December 13, 2016

Happy Hours

Happy high in fact. The most talked about (by me to myself!) trip of Mr.ISB's (Read: All mine!) Kaka and Kaki happened last week. Their arrival at home, made me reach this feeling of 'Happy High' after so so many months,. That too when everything else on the work front was/is not going good.

Our go to drink was tea. To be precise,the super spiced up tea I have ever enjoyed at home. So for a change, me and Dad-in-Law had a company and hence 'Jahan Char yar mile waha party ho jaye' and 'Chai time Chitchat' happened so many times. Our 'No Tea' drinker Mr.ISB and 'Mild tea' drinker SIL - MIL were left alone to enjoy their taste without any debate while brewing tea for the first time!

Then were the long walks. Early morning ones and evening ones. I've mentioned many times on the blog that walks give the best platform to bond with some one,for me. The Bond made up of discussions about Trump, architecture, travelling, ever increasing religious fanaticism, Old Mumbai Charm and what not. Walks in Matunga any way need to have 'Filter coffee' as an integral part of the plan and we did not miss 'Coffee with Khandan' too! Our impromptu visits to south Indian cafes while shopping-talking were much more fun than I could imagine. The family dinners in South Mumbai and at home, became cherries (?) on the cake.

Talk about wisdom I gained last week. I could freely talk about my inhibitions and fears. I could easily open up about constraints I am not comfortable with, to some extend. In return, I got insights, which I would like to pen down some where for the times I would be struggling with myself. So much of composure and so much of warmth and so much brilliance- can be found rarely in any one.

I never had my own Kaka and Kaki (My father does not have a brother or even a cousin for that matter,amidst the 'Fauj' of 'Buas'!) but not even in my mind I would have such a brilliant and warm pair of Kaka Kaki, which I now I have!!


December 9, 2016

Sunshine and all that

I got up really early, after more than a month!
I had piping hot tea just after getting up and had the real 'Chai time chit chat' with my folks.
I felt really really alive with positive vibrations.
Went for a very satisfying morning walk and a south Indian breakfast.
Talked talked and talked making my Uncle and Aunt from US of A.

A lot of Sunshine I was showered with
Almost like a dream after dream!

*****

It just felt little cold last night
Eating oranges but not wearing sweaters
Dry rough lips but no one to force to apply Ghee
Linens on the bed but no heavy blankets to go under
I think I miss my Ahmedabad in the winter a bit more than ever

*****

Sarcasm, I have started liking you
Don't dirty your hands but still kill
Laugh from all your heart
and yet say things aloud



November 29, 2016

Chaitime Chitchat #5

Be ready with your cup of tea. Pull that chair. Lets talk! 

  • I'm an official West Side fan. More than clothes (which I feel does justice to the price in terms of quality and style) I like the feel of the store. Ahmedabad and now, Bombay. Cotton and linen Kurtas are just too classy. I am a chudidar fan and now you get with an elastic waist! Come on, things can not be more comfortable. I love their limited collection of sheesham furniture. Oof, If I had money to buy atleast one of them! I love their furnishing stuff. Crockery, Cushions, bedsheets, baskets and what not. Forgot to mention amazing grocery section where you, for awhile enter in a foreign country. West side, you have earn some brownie points. Make Tatas proud. (Ignore current affairs for a while please!)
  • I'm looking forward to December for a couple of reasons. 
  • Office work has become so so hectic last month that I took an off just for the sake of it. We hardly have a minute to pause and take a deep breath. The best part is this work pumps endorphin sort of a feel in us. It is all good then! 
  • People management is the most important aspect in any one's professional life and one who wants to grow has to learn it. I've realized how complex it is to manage people-mentor juniors or subordinates now when I head operations. Suddenly your friend-like-juniors need to be taken care of with a pinch of salt. You need to push them without making them feel bad about it. You need to motivate them. And you need to protect them from seniors! Haha! Seriously.
  • I watched three movies this weekend. Black Book, Wartime in Winter and A Beautiful Mind. Fourth movie I do not want to count as I consider it to be nothing more than a ridiculously directed movie- One Day. What a waste of talent.
  • I've got two plants of pinkish flowers as gifts and after showering us with flower-love for a week suddenly they have turned pale. I have been consulting my friend-cum-botanist-turned-Gardner every morning with daily updates. I pray they survive the shock. We suspect they got hurt during the bumpy ride to the party venue. 
  • Thanks to the renovation going on in our bedroom, I have been keeping distance from my DIY drive. I also need to spend all of my quality time in office to finish this year's goal and the most important project we are working on. Hence no heart burns- DIYs shall come back in my life soon!
Whats up with you?? Check out how beautiful my new Chai Mug looks! 



November 17, 2016

U turn

It happens with me many times. I float with current ongoing events in life and succumb to the change they bring. Don't get me wrong, I am all in for accustoming in life but I tend to loose myself in that wave and when it gets on to my head- I've to apply the break and take a U turn to my normal self.

It happened with me due to current affairs again. In reality. I am not into US of A, but all going gaga over Hillary and all abusing Trump made me little curious- of course then the storm of articles on Whatsapp and other social media compelled me to at least get into the subject. (I swear, I still don't know about states and coasts in US of A even today!)

 Just when I thought now when elections are over and discussions would stay there for only a couple of more days and then we, the people might forget about everything - Indian Government took the bold step of demonetization. I have opinions about this step which is largely positive looking at the difference it has made in J&K  (Benefits of having Kashmiri friends) if nothing else - but more than that I wasted my days in reading about all possible articles and kept myself updated.

Then last morning, suddenly I realized what happened to my old self, who was very much into DIY, reading books and work outs? Of course, I've disturbed my schedule for important reasons and I can not get up before 7.30 am thanks to fatigue. Renovation in our bedroom has kept me busy as well. But then those are excuses. I realized how much I miss doing DIY stuff when a friend called me for a gardening workshop this weekend. Another friend called me for a hand loom event this Saturday. I realized what all things were missing among those articles and opinions I keep on reading online.

Hence, time for a U turn.

I need to paint. I need to create something. I need to organize things in the new classy side table we have bought. I need to again read about different weaves of sarees India has developed so far. I need to go to the hand loom event and get inspired by new Indian style of classic formals (I can go on and on about this,even when I do not really have such clothes. Formals for Indian weather,You cant go wrong!) I need to buy that yoga mat and re-start. I need to drink more water. I need to run again. I need to get up a bit early.

I need to take that U turn again. Yes.


November 4, 2016

Words' worth

Declaimer: I know I'm in the process of doing that horrible crime of giving THIS title to the post which highlights lyrical pleasure of life but hey, words are words. Worth blogging.

We saw 'Aye Dil Hai Mushkil' last Saturday,on Diwali. Only if I could have ignored the weak story line and Anushka's lips, I would have given four stars to the movie. KJo really needs to reinvent himself now. Of course the Johar style of showing extravagant life style and locations always wins him some accolades but this time he could have done much much better with the story line. Anushka's cancer was a totally unnecessary twist which hammered hell out of me. Being a Ranbir fan, I could tolerate the movie some how. The way he shows Ayan's baby Avtar when he meets Alizeh and the matured self when he meets Shayara (?) was brilliant. Even, Aishwarya acted well. Costumes were classy. Only if Shahrukh could have been avoided for those ten minutes of torutre. Gone are the Chak De days, I guess.

Oh, the above paragraph was as useless as the movie it self in totality and hence, coming back to the topic. The best part of the movie was not even Ranbir. It was songs. It is songs. More than songs, lyrics. Below are some of my favorite lines from three major hit songs of this film.

***

"Tujhko main kitni
Shiddat se chaahun
Chaahe toh rehna tu be-khabar
Mohtaaj manzil ka toh nahi hai
Ye ek tarfa mera safar,
safar, khoobsurat hai manzil se bhi
Meri har kami ko hai tu laazmi"

***
Tere rukh se apna raasta
Mod ke chalaa
Chandan hoon main
Apni khushboo chhod ke chala

Mann ki maaya rakh ke
Tere takiye tale
Bairagi, bairagi ka sooti (handloom) chaula
Odh ke chalaa

***

Jis din se aashna (friends) se do ajnabi huve hain
Tanhaiyon ke lamhe sab multavi huve hain
Kyun aaj main mohabbat
Phir ek baar karna chahun

Ye dil toh dhoondhta hai inkaar ke bahane
Lekin ye jism koi pabandiyan na maane
Milke tujhe, bagaawat khud se hi yaar karna chahun

Mujhme agan hai baaki aazma le
Le kar rahi hoon khud ko main tere hawale.. Ve Ranjhana....

***






November 1, 2016

Diwali 2016

I was not sure this morning, if I would like to type all those tiny happy sad bits of Diwali but anyway, before thoughts subside and become memory- I had to blog about all of them.

Diwali was the only thing I was looking forward to, with such intensity that when I saw it passing by this sudden pang of pain was felt and I am still recovering from it. Diwali without Mr.ISB meant, a lot of home decor stuff and self pampering stuff for the festival, so that I wont be seen with sympathy by relatives (And labelled as the one whose husband is not there with her in auspicious days! I so wanted to prove all of them wrong subconsciously, never denied it.)

I of course, started with cushion covers from silk scarp of my MIL and the chor bazar visit. It continued with makeovers of a couple of empty wine bottles from which one was converted into a small table lamp post and another three are waiting for plants to grow inside them. We also purchased a babylon floor shelf - the thinnest possible in depth, on Urban Ladder and oh boy, how beautiful and rustic it looks. My week just flew decorating the same.










The Diwali kicked off with a Dhanteras Puja at the office which was 'happily' celebrated thanks to different threats given to some of the team members who finally gave in and flaunted ethnic clothes. I made Kalakand (which was okayish in texture this time) and monsters ate all of it in just one hour! Talk about being the only self proclaimed cook in the office team. This time I also grabbed the opportunity to wear a classy cotton silk Amdavadi saree which was appreciated with comments like 'Abey tu ladaki lag rahi hai' on my face! Hihihi.

Apart from other decor stuff, came the most exciting part of my Diwali times. Rangolis!! This time, I decided to try an abstract Rangoli which turned out to be very very okayish but the main Rangoli satisfied my expectations. This time my SIL also helped me out in filling up a few colors here and there. My grandmother would be smiling from wherever she is, looking at me creating her favourite Ganpati.


My last couple of days of Diwali were/are no more fun, thanks to migraine attacks with intensity I can not tolerate. Drowsy eyes, vomiting sensations and hectic office work- are making things more difficult. Crackers ,even when this time buy out has reduced a lot- are creating thunderstorms in my mind. Hopefully, I would get over it soon and start planning next exciting times I am waiting for.

October 24, 2016

Chaitime Chitchat #4

I confess, there was a lot to say and a lot to write but I could not collect all of them together and hence this updated post.

Life has been running smooth without the husband in the town. No lies. I do not believe in crying over not getting something for a very long period of time. Adjusting once intended, is my prime skill set. I have been focusing my energy on two prime things namely office and craft. I'm not a pro in either but I am on that way. Intense satisfaction in not wasting my time, keeps me sane. Hence, the missing my husband and my family at Ahmedabad is not really happening.

I went to Chorbazar last to last weekend and oh boy, the world looked so vintage. I bought a skeleton of a carved wooden frame and a normal photo frame which I re-touched this weekend. I got a very classy looking old wooden lamp post with brass detailing in it - it reminds me of my grandfather's huge home. I am yet to create/buy a lamp shade ,but already engineered it to its working state with a lamp and some wires.

With the great help of my MIL, I perked up the drawing room with fuchsia and maroon cushion covers on the cream-muted brown patterned sofas we have. These cushion covers are made up of scrap silk we had at home and each costs us exactly 50 INR- Talk about DIY power! My FIL being the cutest person here happily gave away three wine bottles from his cupboard which were almost empty. Now, this self proclaimed creative lady is pinteresting about ideas to use all of them.

I'm in the process of revamping our bedroom by re-doing the focus wall which is painted light orange, against rest of the cream colored walls.Color selection for frames and art pieces is tricky due to the not-so-normal color of the wall but who worries about it much. I have already started giving it a chaotic look by adorning it with those chorbazar repainted frames and souvenirs we were gifted from Iran, Bali, South Africa, Copenhagen and Spiti. A cute little quirky clock on the book shelf from the Bombay Store gives a red pop to the wall. I am not a pro when it comes to decor but it gives me immense joy and that is what matters, right?

I am also going all Handloom these days, which is a luxury in itself. The fact that the simple touch of hand woven cotton is very comforting,stuck me when I got a bedsheet painted with vegetable die from Ahmedabad. I am so planning a pair of mal-mal curtains and a linen saree (hopefully a gift!) soon.

Office is hectic than it was ever. We have been stretching ourselves a bit too much thanks to the festive season wrap up coming closer. Physical and mental exertion would have taken a toll on my health but a small dose of artsy creation (I believe so) keeps me alive. The Mascara I used once last week and the stress almost killed my eyes with pain (not burning) and made me take a break on Saturday. God, how I deserved it. Even when I used the whole weekend to clean up home for Diwali- I enjoyed it to the tee.

Hopefully my Diwali days wont be too dull and if you are expecting photos of the new DIYs and the decor, well pray that my ancient Camera works this weekend!

October 15, 2016

Maa,for me

We called her Maa, because Mom-Dad called her Maa. My Dadima. Our talented grand mother, born in a rich brainy Diwan family but also married into a household of talents. Needless to say, she possessed a beautiful mind.

Maa was an avid reader. A voracious one I would say. Unlike others' grandmothers she did not read many religious magazines, only a couple of books here and there to my knowledge. Of course, her love for mythology is passed on to me but we never considered it to be religious. Her major interest always remained in Geography- beyond this planet even at the age of Eighty. Maa read about every thing from different countries/cultures in the world to the so called doubt of 'Life on Mars' or 'Potential colonies on Mars'! I remember, her mapping cities my dad used to fly to, on the globe. She would then,with a child like curiosity ,open the Atlas and read about the weather in that country. (I think, she would have been a globe trotter if she had a chance!) She also had interest in War-History (again, passed on to me with great intensity ), Cultural History, Current Affairs and what not. Her Gujarati was brilliant. Books I have at home, speak about her wide range of reading interest in the language. Thanks to Maa and her Book-collection she made with great help from my grandfather- I was already done with majority of old Gujarati literature by the time I entered my tenth board. (These were the books written in the era when such creations were pure in language and well crafted unlike today's novels which I found to be very shallow) I would climb that portable ladder and pick a book from the attic which served as a small library, read out the title and she would tell  me about it. No, it was not a collection of ten twenty books - it was/is a collection of may be over 200 books. This heritage is precious to me, more than that yellow metal.

Maa was an artist. Sewing machine was her friend and she pestered me to the core to learn how to run it- I did learn basic sewing and stitching from her without any interest but never realized that I would die to do the same after years when she wont be there to guide me. She could do machine embroidery, hand embroidery, crochet,cross stitch, pearl embroidery and what not. She was a DIY expert. Stitching tote bags from extra blouse pieces , Potli bags from silk scrap, making table clothes. She with my mom as a partner - sewed fancy frocks for me and my dolls! Her little two suitcases carried her collections of small art pieces she would preserve to create new ideas.

In those two suitcases there used to be a small A4 size thick folder, which was the most exciting thing for me. It had hundreds of cut outs of designs and patterns apart from some booklets on how to create various patterns of Rangoli. We bonded the best when it came to creating Rangolis during Diwali days. She would cut different designs from newspapers,magazines, even borders of sarees for the year and then we would do some research before Diwali to decide on which day which Rangoli we would create - combining different patterns. Of course I was her 'Active hands', as she could never sit on the floor for hours or even bend -hence a chair would be placed for her exactly beside that huge 'Gheru' patch on which she would reside to guide me. Her inability to bend or sit on the floor did not stop her. Maa taught me how to apply Gheru, draw using chalk sticks, how to draw a circle with the use of a string, how to make multicolored background or a unique shade of a color from the previous Rangoli. She would be so protective of my creations that she would not let kids of my society play around it. Even today, a Rangoli creation by me never gets finished without mentioning her.

Maa was a very specialized cook too. In a way, a foodie who never binged. She would take out recipes developed by her self, from the rusty looking handwritten note books on special days/seasons and teach my mom to cook all of them. Her great observing skills would detect the perfect red shade of the Atta on the tava and give my mom a signal to pour in the hot sugar syrup. For every sweet dish recipe she had her own skill set to rectify,if anything goes wrong. My mom still dishes out the meanest Mohanthal thanks to her recipe.

Apart from her such multi-talented personality, she had some other super human (as I call them) traits as well. She never generalized based on religions or faiths- I do not remember even one incident of her commenting or debating about such trivial subjects negatively. She never had time to do gossip or back biting, at least in my presence. To me, she was the most open minded person of our family - not even me, my brother or my parents can achieve that limit.We all have our own small biases.She was also the emotionally strongest person of our family, never found her tear eyed or found her cribbing about any personal issues- including health. (I think she still holds this title!) She did not believe in keeping a temple at home, which itself was and is a revolutionary idea. No, she was not an atheist, she worshiped Tulsi, Ghee laden brass lamps and occasionally followed Lakshmi Pujas and Satyanarayan Pujas at home. She had very deep faith in God but surprisingly never tried to rub off on any of us - including my mom. Those hundreds of fasts never happened at our place because we were given liberty to choose wisely as per our own faith. My mother was never asked to do any fasting or follow any food restrictions ever in the name of the tradition, by my grandparents. Such open mindless and the willingness to give liberties to all the family members of next generation (specially to my mom) to develop a home of their own, is found rarely even in today.

I believe, Maa was born in a wrong generation with such a unique set of a Heart (or Art?) and a Brain. Or may be she was born for us. For us kids, to get inspired to live in the world create a better world/ a home around us and to never stop learning as well as innovating.

October 9, 2016

Ahmedabad trip and all that jazz

Jazz? Actually Garba in the air. How can I not visit Ahmedabad during Navaratri! Last time I had a super dull one in Mumbai but this time - well my enthusiasm was too high to be true - hence it was okayish. This is what happens. When I'm all prepared for something, some variable plays a game. This time my lack of sleep and exertion made me play only two hours of Garba. Sad, for a six hours player.

Though spending time with parents, meeting relatives and of course,shopping held more importance. Above all, this time I was blessed with gifts for one or the other reason (or should I say no reason at all?)which includes an ethnic wear, mom's hands me down Tangai saree, one old saree to make curtains with, a Persian hand painted wall mount dish. Now let me tell you, my dad's Iran trip has made me crazy about this nation. First, because our ancestry which is widely debatable is said to be half Persian - times of Alexander. Second, seeing photos I am highly impressed by their still preserved Persian art and music. In fact, my dad's friend (actually a client) presented some extremely elegant art pieces which includes a huge wall clock- cut to the precision with hand painted patterns on it. I of course pestered him a lot to 'donate' it to me-but my dad who is equally crazy in terms of decor promised me to get one more for me when that Irani Uncle comes to India. Of course, in that huge gift bag we got super fat Pistachios and traditional Irani sweets.

Now let me get away with this Persian bug- I met so so so many of my relatives this time. My maternal family, paternal family and family friends as well. I generally shy away(or pretend to be one) from social gatherings but this 'living in the other city' phenomenon had changed me. I crave for my old life including people, our home, language etc hence my mother was supremely pleased with my willingness to meet all of them. Life, I must say. Even when I was continuously feeling feverish the moment I boarded the train to go to Ahmedabad, I could conquer the visit.

Meeting my niece (my best friend's daughter) was the cherry on the cake. It took a minute for her to welcome this crazy Masi she has. And the best part? She liked me so much that she showered me with her baby kisses! Never felt so so loved by a baby before. I must say, she is not as picky as her mom! But loves me just like her mom!

The trip ended with of course the old Ahmedabad's best Rabadi thanks to dad- who convinced my mom to let him have a cup of the same Rabadi in the name of her daughter's farewell. Dads, I tell you.

The train  journey ended up with Sister-in-law's birthday and hence coming back was welcomed with our giggles-gifts for her and well giggles again.

Life is good. Touch-wood.



September 27, 2016

In Reality

Like 99.9% people around me say, I'm an extrovert.Well, in reality I am NOT. I wear a mask of some giggles- smiles and talkativeness.Well, I talk a lot but people seldom realize that I choose my audience very carefully. (Once I make them my own they become the victim of chattering!) I knew about this mask before but reading this book called 'Quiet' by Susain Bolt- I know myself better.

1. I do not like to talk all the time. I do float in with some dialogues here and there but when I crave for that me-time for myself-nothing else helps. Not even if Harvey Specter comes begging to me for a cup of coffee. I sometimes like to get into my shell and want to be there forever. It only means that there is a storm being cooked up inside my mind and I need that time to calm myself down.

2. Like what she said in the book, pseudo extroverts can chat online a lot. They face great difficulty in talking face to face, in fact they have pen pals sort of friends more than face to face ones. They cook up a thunder storm connecting with people online but when it comes to face all of them in real life- they just shrug their shoulders and avid the occurrence. Totally me.

3. I like to be with my family. I love being in a joint family thanks to my brought up but when it comes to difference of opinions or whispers behind my back or a virtual cage of rules-I feel like getting under the blanket forever.Such situations have come up with my own parents too.

4. I am an aggressive introvert. I have firm opinions about things I know. I can strongly put them forward. If some one gets offended by it and I come to know about it - my relationship with him/her goes through a bumpy road. Very very calm people have problems with me and I do have problems with them but then some of my best friends have such traits too. (Mr.ISB looks calm but he is aggressive when it comes to his opinions)

5. I like creating my own abode. My corner, my wardrobe, my room, my office table, my stationary,my kitchen- everything. I like to do it as per my own ideas. It is very difficult to adjust in others' area for me. I have adjusted well with my in-laws/my own parents but then where do things float without an underwater dive? I remember my mom horrified of five years old me- who refused to open the door of the cupboard containing her dolls for her cousin. The reason was clear - my cousin was a very destructive child and I was supremely possessive for my toys. I am still the same.I still get irritated when some one takes a pen out of my pen-stand and never puts it back,but some thirteen location changes and sharing flats with different breeds since 2009, I have become a bit softer on this side. But, crushing the dream of putting that one vintage side table or  making the room a bit wider by choosing light colors - still hurts.

6. I want to do everything which is not a team activity. Just like a true introvert. I would watch Netflix, I would paint, get into crafting, read voraciously, love working in the kitchen alone, clicking photos, blogging - everything but nothing which we do in a team. One of the reasons I am not good in any sports. Though I like to spend time doing such things with people whom I comfortable with. Example: Watching movies with Mr.ISB and my SIL; Craft with only (may be) Frock buddy N; Reading alone but again would love to have Mr.ISB around. More than three people together- I would secretly wish for an emergency putting me away from the group.

I'm still wondering how many more actual traits I have managed to hide from myself. Have you read this book? Ever felt you are not what people see you as?

September 20, 2016

Chai time Chitchat #3

Time is flying. As of now.Thanks to husband's home trip for ten days. I have been sneaking away my time to be with him before he leaves for another one month pilgrimage and so all other things I was doing for past ten days are on 'Hold'.And for a change this schedule-lover-punctual-person is loving it. What if my Kindle is open but I am talking to him- not reading. The painting is yet to start after thinking about how-to start for now zillion times in my mind. My getting up at 6 am, does not make me go for a run- because I finish normal organizing stuff, dive into my tea and end up doing nothing - before Mr.ISB gets up. The only me-time I continue to grab is to be in the open cafeteria we have in the office building - sipping my Chai -reading something for some twenty minutes.

Reading. I have recently bookmarked  this article  which talks about how today's second generation of metro cities in India are lacking independence, decision power, doing-your-own-stuff-on-your-own etc as they live with their parents while doing their same city jobs. While I am guilty of doing the same, I feel this article strikes the chord when it talks about  people at 35, who never went to study out or spent a few years on their own - behave like brats. They hardly can pour water in the glass for themselves, never manage their own meals, yell on mothers for things they have misplaced, don't even now how to manage electricians-plumbers-finances, can not operate any electric equipment at home. They do not fold their blanket on their own, they do not mop the table if they spill food, they feel the house remains clean automatically - because maids. And mind you, this is not about gender. I have seen girls who struggle to switch on a washing machine if their maids or mothers are not there. They enter home and demand for snacks as if the mother was just taking rest for the whole day at home. While I feel living separately before (while doing the job) or after wedding keeps the relationship healthier, I do not approve of parents living alone in ailing condition. I would not like to see them struggling to reach for the box of medicines on daily basis. Though this article points out at parent's privacy which I had never thought about. After living for so many years on their own- suddenly juggling with the mindset of next generation is difficult.More than that - generally people in India after 60 struggle to get sometime for themselves. In India some sets of old couples even don't know that it is okay to go for a two months vacation alone once kids are thirty- they always struggle to decide what actually they want. Life seems to be always a trade off between living with parents- not living with parents theories but I do feel- at least living separately for a couple of years would make youngsters a bit independent and less spoilt.

I have been painting as well for a while. I would rather say- I was trying to paint and doodle. I received this high value Amazon Gift card from one of my bro-buddies on Rakhi through which I purchased all the colors and art tools I ever wanted in my life. I do wanted to do a separate post on this but it seems today is the day to show off this newbie's creativity!The Abstract Ganpati is my first ever acrylic paint and I gifted it to my MIL on her birthday :-)






What are you up to guys?

September 15, 2016

Louder in my head, never said that

- Dude, you can not be so late for the office. Now, don't cry if you have to stay till Nine in the office.

- You would never make a mess on table because my friend, you never have to work with papers.

-  I am not going to care about how the cleaner cleaned the office. Unless it bothers me personally.

- No, I do not want to hear how magically he got cured  after he started fasting.

- I would do my share of work- you do not have to offer the help just because you are free. 

- You can't use any cloth to clean the glass table.A spray and a glass cleaning mop, both are must.

- Can we just switch the AC off or should I show my running nose in public?

- Oh wait, now when the PM made you realized how Plastic kills cows you have suddenly stopped using plastic bags?! When we said it is harmful for environment you never bothered! 

-  Boiling already filtered water wont make it germ-free. But,a good practice. 

-  Putting cleaned dustbin five steps away from the statue of God is sin but putting the same on the platform - fifteen centimeters away from the food being cooked on the kitchen platform is okay.Wow.

- You can not cry on slaughter of dogs in China when you enjoy your chicken every day. 

- My husband has no problem with my maiden surname, you should not get bothered too. You are not even an extended family.

- Wait, would you fast for a month with only milk for me?

-With diabetes you would observe Navratra! Last time you had to break the fast in the hospital.

-What is to be proud of the fact that your religion is the most ancient one in the world? Do I look like a cave man?

-Can we get a break from all the spiritual-religious discussion. I wanna break-free.

-I'm bored of whispers. You can say things loudly when I'm not there.

-I told you once, I do not like this product. Go ahead if you want to, anyway.

September 6, 2016

Chai Time Chit Chat #2

Last few days have been exhausting. With family members (not the husband) performing religious rituals and fasting, I being the only (after the husband) non-religious person in a way- took the responsibility of helping in domestic chores as much as possible. Talk about being Karma Yogi.

House hold chores are therapeutic in a way but just like anything in extremes is bad- the office work and the household stuff clashing in 24 hours like the war of Kurukshetra exhausted me. Though the feeling of helping my own people (so that they can do what they want to) has a different 'happy feeling. I so wish some relatives can understand the concept of being KarmaYogi as well.

Then came the long weekend and I dare not say it was boring. It had everything a weekend should have in- I ran, spent time with the husband who is now in the flight to his tri-monthly pilgrimage to Scandinavia, went to an outlet - the only outlet in Mumbai which serves cold brewed coffee which I loved with all my heart, I painted ,I slept off, I broke the malfunctioning lock of parents-in-law's room when my Mother-in-law got locked  just when she wanted to leave for a community ritual in the temple. I think it was one of the most satisfactory weekends I have celebrated. Not to forget the fight I had with Mr.ISB-which in itself is a ritual now. *Rolling eyes*

Moreover, I have been on a books' spree, which means I hardly watch anything on Netflix/tv. I have also started painting again (if one okayish and one bad painting counts) which brings peace from within. I also applied Mehendi on four little hands this festive season. After having the cold brewed coffee at The Pantry (Kalaghoda) I tried making the same with normal CCD coffee bean crushed -Quite easy and impressive though I still need to try more of these cold brew versions. Happiness can't be too expensive.

What do you say?!


August 30, 2016

Wife or the Worshiper

My husband is a man of few words. (While my talkativeness has got the highest rank on conducting absolute measurements) His over enthusiastic responses include a hearty laugh and a nice response includes 'Hmmm',but it hardly demotivates me because at the end of the day my skill as a brilliant speaker gets an audience only in him. (My brother has retired from this service since ages now!) I am Anyway, this mute mode of his highness is generally tolerated by me, in fact being the religious one, I almost worship him as God. (In old ages Meera bai found her special someone in God, in the Kali yug we find God in our special someone while singing 'Tujhme rab dikhta hai!) I believe him to be The God Vishnu,I kid you not. Being an engineer,I had decided to be very specific in worshiping a definite God rather than the supreme power in him and so when I studied observations taken, I could derive the name of the God- hands down Vishnu.

He puts on a mysterious smile like Krishna once in a while - Specially when I shiver with the thought of getting buried under tones of sand inside a well in my dreams while he would be busy sprinkling talcum powder on my face at 2 am (Reason I dreamt of getting sucked by sand). He can segregate rights and wrongs like Ram,though communicating it without framing words (Socially shocking to relatives, in simple language -if he decides to open his mouth) He can get  as furious as Parshuram when angry. He has saved his world (me) from sinking in an ocean (Read: Swimming pool) like Matsya and Varah. He has a habit of going underground (Patal Lok) ditching all the communication devices like Vaman. He flaunts his 'Bong' tooth like a boss, very similar to that of Narsimha. (I made this up, okay?) He is as thick skinned as Kurma when it comes to tolerating intolerable substances of life on his back while calming me down and thus saving his world. Apart from showing signs of him being all the nine Avtars of Vishnu, this Husband of mine can sleep in the same position as God Vishnu for hours together and I doubt if we do not disturb,hours can turn into ages as well. Did I tell you I am trying to find indirectly if he likes horse riding like Kalki. Being Kalki's wife would not a bad thing, isn't it.

I am in search of an ancient book mentioning Kalki's wife. I am not sure about all the duties of the wife of Kalki, though I should be really responsible for the sword he would be using (as shown in pictures) as this husband of mine keeps on misplacing his things every where on this earth.

I don't want to be blamed for his inability to save this earth, just because my husband forgot his sword in the office and I did not remind him to get it back. Tch tch.... 

August 29, 2016

An Essay on Photos, without photos

I was one enthusiastic (budding) photographer learning to click brilliant photographs and I always thought (After buying a little bit expensive DSLR from my very little salary) I was very close to the goal, circa 2009.Then slowly some wisdom started getting churned out of the 'Manthan' in my complex little brain. This post is made up of the poison which was created as a byproduct of the very same 'Manthan'.

By the time this poison started leaking out of my mind, world had gone crazier with the very same disease called 'Photos for Facebook'. People had started uploading photographs from the very poor quality phone cameras on Facebook. This act was a bearable offence but after the great 2009 recession suddenly money started pouring in, in the accounts of young people. (I wonder how suddenly every one had got amazing salary when Congress was still trying to convince that their 500 INR to each of the voters in the state of Gujarat would make them win the state election, before they got washed out in 2014) Some girls also made albums called 'My New Hairstyle' containing photos of themselves taken from 360 degree angles, no less by their fan following. Slowly people started buying Digital Single Reflex Lens (DSLR) cameras thinking they are automatic photo vending machines where every one would look glamorous and fetch 100 likes on Facebook.

Then came this Candid photography era where people started getting married to put photos on Facebook after spending almost a bomb. Marriage market started booming with cameramen/camerawomen who had more flexible bodies than today's Deepa Karmakar because they had to perform risky stunts while photographing bride and groom before and after wedding. I witnessed a photographer sleeping on the Mandap because he thought the sky with heads of bride and groom looked more convincing than the oath they were 'trying' to take in the name of the ritual. Wedding Photos in bulk upload on FaceBook had almost made some humble human beings puke. In fact, one of my cousin could not click pre-wedding photos, hence decided to create a count down in Public with posts like '42 days to go for the wedding' and maintained the enthusiasm till he reached the Mandap with '0.01 days to go' status.This disease is said to be still prevalent in the society even now,just that I am out of the marriageable age. Without getting infected- Please note.

Subsequently, the age of Instagram started. It was the biggest catastrophe in the art world of 7 billion artists, almost. Though I would say dogs, cow dungs and shoes never felt so important after getting clicked by Instagram users, it was still a tragedy. Before eating, clicking a photo became a ritual than praying. The pouting girls had started developing muscle pains in the cheeks, not that it made them giggle a bit less. Some doctors also became ruthless and started showing pictures of their dental surgeries on social media which indirectly gave more business to pharmacies selling medicines for vomiting. (Doctors first time in the history helped other professions this way)

By the time selfie-stick became a hit, the count of words spoken by females globally reduced by 30% due to the amble of time taken to pout and show chiseled look while taking selfies. I am all in for world peace, believe me but the obsession of taking selfies have created a space constraint on most of the servers on the earth. In fact, Google has been expanding its real estate properties exponentially to cover the demand of space in servers.

I'm (who has locked the camera in the wardrobe now for the good cause) now waiting for the day when beggars of the street of 'The city which never sleeps', would click selfies while sitting in the huts build on servers built on highways, while their clothes getting dried up- hanging on the radiators of very same servers. In fact, you never know servers become the new ecological system for livings thanks to 'Photo' fever taking over human beings.

Must Evolve, the science says.


August 24, 2016

Run or Ramble #1

So I started running- or to be precise, kicked off interval training. I am far from running even a 5K with some decent timing but I am not giving up. The thought of endorphin kicking in and getting drenched in sweat, itself is a motivation for me. Hopefully, it would be always.

When I get up in the morning and start at around 6.40 am after the warm up - Mumbai is still opening eyes from its not very sound sleep. Roads are generally empty and I can spot fitness freaks or 'forced' fitness freaks doing some kind of a work out - walking, brisk walking or running. The monsoon has some how vanished but the atmosphere is generally pleasant at this time of the morning. So this humble beginner lets the music play on mobile and kick start the Nike App running to measure the hard work.

The most appealing highlight of running is introspection which comes with it. I keep on talking to myself about random stuff- some times  related to fitness and sometimes not. It is similar to loosing yourself in a tunnel where the only direction is to go ahead and suddenly you reach the end- you realize you have been running/fast walking for some time. I am yet to achieve great timing but I have a feeling that this 'Loosing myself in the tunnel world' will make me reach my goal than 'Runner's high'.

Matunga so far is green and so my run to the five gardens is quirky. I see different aged people doing their morning work out with brilliant zest. Aunties in Sarees/Salwars, Uncles in old fashioned half pants, Some enthusiastic in sports wear and some grand mothers (Parsis live long any way!) in frocks! We look at each other with curiosity , some times gain inspiration, some times cheer each other up by silent smiles and sometimes just pass by without registering. My return brisk walk is initially tossed up by the smell of coffee thanks to south Indian cafes serving 'Filter Coffee' near by but then it gets messed up by school bus traffic near home. May be I need to start a bit early.

Post running hours are challenging in a way - first I experience a boost of energy with super hungry stomach roaring. I have been experimenting a bit with post running snacks - Khakhras with peanut butter (Controlling my love for it and also avoiding bread!) and a mug full of Milo. Once I am done with my morning work at home/lunch box packing/cleaning mess - I have a little chunk of freshly cooked breakfast as well. Things appear 'Happy High' for a while but thanks to my not-so-active life style my body then starts feeling tired and a bit sleepy once I reach office. Some of my friends who are avid runners say these signs should subside in a month or I need to increase and properly curate my breakfast - ideally half of it should be carbs and the other half protein. Well,lets wait and watch! Also, I have been advised to do warm up exercise and post run stretches properly,which I am trying to learn as well.

Then there is something called Stamina which I am trying to improve a bit every day. It pisses me off if I do not graduate from the already achieved number. When people ask me 'Why am I trying to run for 4 kms at a stretch' I feel like googling  and show them numbers people achieve. (Marathoners, just pretend you did not read this!) Both sets of mothers have tried to convince me to do this only on Sundays but I'm trying to ignore them royally.

I am ready to shed my failures this time. I really really do not want to give up. I really want to tone up my body and feel the runner's high. In that order.

What do you think? :-D


August 18, 2016

A dose of calmness

This morning when I noticed little sluggishness induced thanks to lack of real food after the first run I made or the lack of coffee/tea in my blood,I decided to dive into 'creatively' roasted coffee. Bottom ups - in two minutes. Not bad? (Ignore the weak line work- Need to work on it!)


Afterwards I realized that the sluggishness was due to a change in my stateof mind. The morning run/walk/sprint (whatever you call it for the fatty me!) had lifted my spirit and calmed me down at the same time. It was a sense of de- fragmentation;If you know what I mean.

I realized that this was the kind of calmness I was searching for ,which had made me unstable for days together. I was irritated, I was angry.I had reasons which had worsened the situation. I was disheartened. I was vulnerable.

Something in me changed a couple of days back. Today, I achieved this calmness and I very much know - the heavy cardio act would gift me such a feeling every time I need it.

If I forget, how to achieve such a state of mind - I need to come back to this post.

August 16, 2016

Chaitime Chit Chat # 1

Because nothing can replace chitchat sessions over a couple of cups of my type of tea. Well, may be long walking sessions with my own people but they are very few. I thought of starting this series because I was bored of bullet points and every time I write such posts it makes me feel as if I am writing for online magazines like ScoopWhoop. Nope, not acceptable. Hence, this. Pick a cup of tea or coffee, pull that chair. Lets talk.

So We celebrated Rakhi with all my relatives back in Gujarat and it was Fun to the tee. I got a couple of ethnic Sarees (Handloom) and can not wait to flaunt them this month. How I wish I could be the part of #100Sareespact some day but the lack of opportunities where I can really wear sarees demotivates me. I am slowly learning how to drape the gorgeous piece of cloth in an elegant way. More I learn,more I love sarees and mind you, every piece of heritage looms comes with a story which makes hands-me-down sarees lovelier. So, you give me an option of taking any of your old Sarees,I would go for it rather than buying a new one for me.

I have become 'Masi' last month. My cousin (The only elder sister in the clan I have) has been blessed with a baby girl - The US of A never attracted me more.I so wish to plan for a trip next year to see the jumping kiddo. Her daily updates are being sent on WhatsApp and it is too cute to see my doctor sister taking care of her own child while throwing sarcastic comments like 'We like to play at 2 in the night' with the baby's photo.

My Frock Buddy N is in India and of course, we met, we talked and felt as if we still are neighbors. This feeling of 'Never went away' even after living in two different countries for months is magical.Not to forget Milo, which I love and was gifted to me by her. Every day and night, its going to be Milo now, Sorry, my morning Chai.

My office work is hectic but it does suck me in, in a passionate way. Hence, I do not feel irritated at all. My office timings fly. Touch wood. People at office have been more than helpful,of course they tease the hell out of me. They are brutal while giving feedback but now I am slowly changing. Sulking period after such incidents are now shaping up into something productive inside me. I am accepting feedback with an open heart and if something I do not agree to, well I just throw it out of my system.

Talking about flights, we got real lucky when we could board the plan after entering in the airport at 9.48 pm for our 10.10 pm flight because we had web checked in and also the flight was late. Go Air this time saved us with its virtue of being true Indian- always late.

Enough about things going around me. Things within me are much more painful. Hyper active nature does not let me live peacefully. Right from doing this and that every minute to not tolerating a bit of change in the plan. Flexibility and patience of mind which teaches you to respond to the situation becomes zero in such cases. I am one of the victims who is more like the guilty, making others victim quickly - faster than you imagine. This trait has disappointed me a lot lately and I have zero inclination on working on it, as there is a big vacuum filed within which has made my senses numb enough to register surroundings. Faff, I know. Leave it.

I have been planning to host a dinner, wear sarees a couple of times, paint a card, paints a pot, run a mile and soak myself in some sort of oneness. This August.

How about you?

August 9, 2016

The Delegating Couple

While we were travelling back from Goa to Mumbai, tired and bored due to our oh-so-much-time-but-nothing-exciting-to-do-day, on the airport we saw this newly married (?) couple sitting beside us-I had deliberately left five seats between to save myself from the embarrassment resulting from giggles I generally throw seeing mushy couples. Mr.ISB was buying snacks for us, fifteen steps away  while I chose to just relax relieving my shoulder from the heavy bag.

Once he came back with Kathi rolls and some chocolate bars, we started chitchatting which was interrupted coyly by the lady- the wife from the mushy couple. She softly asked (Read: Whisper) if we can see their bags while they go to buy something to eat. I took some fifteen seconds to recollect those soft words to assemble in a meaningful statement and said yes.

Once they went, within five minutes I could not control.

Bubblegum: Why do they have to go together to buy snacks? One can sit and keep an eye on bags and the other....
Mr.ISB: The girl has not yet learnt to delegate work it seems.
Bubbelgum: Oh yes, my ex-boss used to say that I would be a brilliant manager because I smartly delegate work to my colleagues.
Mr.ISB: My ex-boss used to say I am so smart that  even the manager does not realize who is the manager and who is the subordinate.

*Rolling eyes*

We are  actually made for each other!

:-D


August 5, 2016

Pouring in

The day started today with an early morning alarm, which I could not snooze. We had to go to a small Pooja organized by the mother-in-law. But,there was something special about the day, the other way. It was pouring cats and dogs. And,how is it possible that I do not enjoy tea (even if it was way too light for my taste) sitting near the huge window we have at home. The musical nodes followed by rains drops, taste buds sulking to get some Masala chai and nothing else.




After rushing back from the temple,drenched, I changed- fed myself and left for the office.By now water clogging had already started and I was speculating typical Mumbai style human jam on the platform but I was surprised to see not many (Mumbai parameters!) passengers. Trains were getting cancelled and delayed but some how I managed to reach office, again fully drenched.

I could not control myself and went straight to our cafe where the chef made exactly my type of tea- dark, gingery and not sweet. While having this treat, I enjoyed observing our beautiful cafe on sixth floor of one of the tallest building in Mumbai.



While going to the office from this place was as difficult as leaving my first job- important but heart wrenching. In the lift,some one mentioned being fed up of such rains. I felt blah over it, taking out my raincoat and observing water droplets falling on the floor from my umbrella.

Never ever I would hate rains.

Rains <3

July 27, 2016

Decoding Self

While I was strolling on one of the online catalogs,I came across this.I almost fell down from the chair, as I felt it was written for me. About me.

I have always been in doubts about my personality type since the day I have been thinking about it. I am talkative, I am outspoken but I am selective. I do act like a complete extrovert but then most of the times it is a mask I wear. I share secretly,many traits of introvert personality type as well.This article was a happy discovery in this day and age for me- 18 struggles of an outspoken personality who is also an introvert!

1. Not anti-social, selectively social.
Perfect. Lately I have been extremely picky about people. I have stopped entertaining relationships if they are draining energy out of me. I have achieved the detoxification with some pinches of junk food here and there but yes, 'Selectively Social' is the word for me now. My old friends gets a sense of shock when I say I have hardly have any friends in Mumbai. Because, I was famous for having minimum three (precisely) friends in all the cities I had to visit officially. I was ALWAYS surrounded by friends,now- I struggle. I have stopped building relationships consciously, rather invest in harnessing existing ones. May be. May be not harnessing part as well. In short, I'm not open any more to make new friends consciously.

2. Not a group person but a 'Best friends' person
I was never a part of any group of friends in my school or college days. I always had best friends from multiple groups.  Independent of any groups. Though I must confess I have two 'Groups' and I do love being into both.(If three or four can make a group!)

3. Not a 'Prom or a Disc' person
Absolutely.I dislike parties where people dance and drink in dim lights. I dislike where I have to be conscious of things around me, rather people around me. Not that I do not like dancing, in fact I absolutely love it but not in the atmosphere discs and parties provide. I like home parties- some pizza slices or delicious pasta. Some dance on Bollywood music if required. Gupshup over chai. My idea of a party :-)

4.Yet the life of the Party
I do become one when I am in the'my kind' of a party. Where I am with 'my' people and a comfortable surrounding.

5. A break to recover the 'Social' life selected by yours truly
Yes, I need lonely moments every now and then. I get super suffocated and clearly make a mess out of nothing. It is getting more and more important with age to get those moments of solitude.

6. Going out of the way to avoid people
Classic example is not wishing any one on Face Book (even after getting notifications daily) unless they are close to me- in that case I call or message those lucky fellows.I try to hide beneath an invisible (from my eyes) blanket to avoid talking to people in real life. These people of course do not include 'My People'. (Every now and then I escape from a few from this segment as well for some days.)

7. Dating is awkward
Because, I do not/did not consider the shy,sly, typically romantic, weird dinner sessions as dates. My idea of a date has evolved from considering it as a hype to a friendly comfortable time spent with special someone . A long walk, few cups of filter coffee, random chit chat and if possible no one to interfere.Replace 'The walk' with 'Books', we are happily dating too!

8. Flirty with everybody- Accusation 
I used to get such accusations in College days but they were completely baseless as I would be just laughing on situational jokes while being friendly with anyone from my class of 89 boys out of 90 people, some used to take it as 'Positive signs given by the girl'. (Only in finale year because, for three years yours truly was called 'That tomboyish girl') Now a days I hardly suffer from such accusations as I have become too picky about people to talk to and I am married so people do not really build such perceptions about me.

9.An air of mysteriousness
Because I'm too complex to understand even when I'm transparent enough about my personal life. I do not feel like posting about life every day, I do not answer forwards on group chats. In fact I have become like my husband who quietly checks messages on Whats App but seldom reacts!

10.Too much of Social media or nothing at all
I had have my Twitter days when I would be tweeting about everything about me. Such days,well never went beyond the count of ten. I have also deleted my social media accounts many time just to avoid social presence.

11. Social Jacket for others but still not comfortable
I was a social face for my brother before, now I am quite a lot for my husband. Well, inside some where I myself need a jacket- the one which would permanently hide me from people.

12. 'In between' Personality Type
I took almost twenty eight years of my life to realize that I'm neither an extrovert type nor an introvert type of a person. I am a little bit of both.

13. In the Wringer 
You get pushed into it. This has happened in all my jobs where people feel I'm a pro at presenting ideas, carrying out meetings and even influencing workers. It is only me who knows who gets nervous but never shows a thing after being pushed into the wringer.

14. Want to be in the lime light but not too much
Because as much I love performing on a stage even after getting nervous- I hate to see my self on the screen. The reason I have never watched my Sangeet and Wedding video yet!

15. In the Conundrum
Because I (secretly) dislike to take life changing decisions. Or not so life changing decisions as well. I never order while dining out, because I hate to select a few food dishes from a menu containing 25 dishes. I actually have spent six months, just to select a mobile for myself. At the same time, some decisions in life have been taken with super sonic speed. Like marrying Mr.ISB! :D

16. Cafeterias - Second love
You have civilization around you. Yet, you are alone.Oh, you have a mug of coffee to enjoy life. What else do you need. I die for such moments and cafes.

17. Travel
I like travelling a lot. I love meeting new people, going places and exploring local food. I love being with ONLY my own people as co-travelers though. I do get pissed off with any unwanted person accompanying me for more than an hour's journey. I am not really extrovert for that person after that! It does not mean I do not life to talk to strangers,once in a while I do develop friendship with completely strange travelers while aboard.

18. Actually Shy
Yes, I am a bit shy person and I never accepted it before. Even when my childhood days are recorded as days of the most introvert and shy kid. I some how had a mask over it when I entered junior college to sustain in this world. That was my idea. Not any more. I accept myself as I am- A Bit Shy.








July 20, 2016

What's going on?

Believe me, every single day the 'Compose' section on this blog is kept open. I scribble things here and then but nothing worth posting. So many things are happening around within me but unfortunately I fail to put them into words. I'm not sure if this post would ever get live on the blog, but then it might. I would take that chance.

Monsoon has been light and exactly the kind I love. I do miss the strong tea with ginger first thing in the morning as I just do not get the chance to make tea only for me and my Dad-In-Law as other two tea drinkers do not enjoy the stronger spicier taste as much. Also, it does not make sense to make tea separately for us. Nonetheless, I drink the ready tea made by my Mother-In-Law which itself is a bliss. The open window, my Kindle and the mug of tea - All of them have become my morning companions. Do not think that I miss on my type of the tea. In office, I do this sinful act of having the tea (Made by our cafe chef, exactly as per my demand) twice.

Lately, I have been on emotional roller coasters. Though, I'm happy that I have left those sensitive feelings behind and moved on thanks to the phone call of that friend who knew what is going on inside me, much before I explained. I have also been utterly disturbed about the religious discussion in and around my circle, which broke my heart many times but at the same time made me stronger to be what I want to be - religiously , spiritually.

Office is going hectic. We are loaded with work and the mismanagement of time irks me out. Things are flowing and I have been trying to catch on with every one else in the boat. It has become difficult to ask for a holiday after getting two long periods of leaves but the kind of efforts we have been putting in, has made the need of smaller breaks compulsory to retain our sanity. Some day.

I have been hooked on to the Kindle thanks to my phone who is now dead. I'm back to basics - which means carrying my Nokia 'Brick' phone which I use only to dial and receive calls. It has also made me realized that I have heck of time to do what I want to do- hence reading. I'm happy with the life but of course my work is getting affected due to lack of contacts and other data. I am not saying that I am not happy without a smart phone! :D

How have you been?

What's going on?

:-)