G for Goa

Now do not expect a long shiny travelogue ,because I have got NONE. Reason: I have not been to Goa Goa. Aaa..ah... I meant I have been to Goa three times if I recollect but as a kid with my family. It also means I have seen all the Temples, Churches and commercial beaches of Goa (I conveniently do not remember any of them properly) but the real GOA which people youngsters see is yet to be explored.

I have heard about Goan food, fruits, flea markets, hikes and drives. I have seen millions of photos of people having  gala time chilling on the beach, eating fancy stuff,wearing fancier clothes, enjoying colorful festivals. Photos which intimidate me more, are of people lying down and  reading books on beautiful beaches with drinks in their hands. Surreal. Every other person under the sun seems to have been to this Goa. And me? No :/

Now, do not get me wrong if I say I am not a beach person.I am not! People consider me a looser if I say I've not been to Goa and a super looser when I tell them- I want to go but I am not a beach person. (I do not blame them!) The reason of wanting to go Goa for me is not beaches.

The reason of wanting to go Goa is rains. I prefer Goa in rains. I want to go for long drives in that green Goa, drenching like nobody's business. I want to observe local people there. I want to drink hot chocolate in those small local homely stalls. I want to do that monsoon trek which is long due.I want to flaunt those floral tops which are happily sitting in my cupboard. I want to bike on narrow roads in outskirts of Goa and discover nature. I want to gobble locally made cheese cakes and pasta. I've read so much about the organic fun people have in Goa that I so very much want to plan my next holidays there. But...

That Goan Holidays never come.Either I do not get leaves. Or we plan to go some where else.Or I just jinx it every single time.

But I do not stop dreaming about my days in Goa.

Goa, you beauty. You better be awesome when I arrive.

Till then :)

Cheers!

F for Fruits

Yes,life can not be tastier without them.I am a big- nope a BIG lover of fruits. Spread them on the table and there would not be any if you leave us alone! I bet.

My love for fruits started early. My mom tells me that my first ever food-love was nothing cooked but fruits - raw fruits after Butter Milk, which made my mom a bit happy as her pre-mature baby otherwise used to throw every other food molecules out showing her tongue hundred times a day. I give credits to dad for that. Not for puking out stuff but for giving me this love for fruits genetically. Even fruit rules- I am coming to that. (The other thing he gave me genetically is my skin which I do not really like-otherwise I am almost a CC of my mom!)

I (We-me and dad) have laid out some rules in my food-life when it comes to fruits. No matter what, I never break them.

-Fruits can not be cut and served unless it is absolutely necessary.For example we can not bite a water melon. We can but should not. Cutting apples and serving is a crime.
-One can not say NO to fruits ever,if offered. It is an insult to me and fruits.
-Cut fruits in a lunch box is as good as eating pizza. You get nothing out of them.
-One CAN'T add salt or any spice on fruits and offer to me. I might not even touch them.
-One can not have them in flavored cakes. It does not even count. Fruit cakes kill them. Sin.
-Fruits can not be disliked. Any fruit for that matter. The only fruit I refuse to eat is a jack fruit.More because I have been taught by my parents that I am allergic to it with a good amount of severity.
-If you go to Europe and do not bring me dried fruits (without Sugar and Salt) I might not talk to you.
-One can not spoil the fun of having watermelon or oranges by taking each seed out while eating. Eat them. They are super healthy.


Last,

If you see fruits or  a fruit lying any where at home,one should not just look at it. Gobble and Eat.

Yum.

E for e-mails, ah Emails

Confused about the capital 'E' while spelling the e-mail but the geeky me is really fine with 'e-mail'.

They are connections to different pieces of my heart - big and small,scattered globally. I am not exaggerating. People addicted to writing letters to special ones would know the feeling. Because,I write mails often.To some or the other person I care about. (If you are one of them, lucky you!)

Writing to people brings joy and comfort to me. I feel closer and the distance vanishes. My inhibitions about discussing certain things directly some how disappear and I talk straight from my heart, albeit through the keyboard and the medium of e-mails. I really do not expect people to reply because I would imagine them talking to me when I click on that 'send' button. If they reply, which generally happens I do feel like that kid who just won a big fluffy teddy bear! Every single time.

No,in fact it is like chit-chatting over a cup of Adarakhwali chai sitting in a balcony while it drizzles outside. Even the joy of blogging does not come closer.

Well,I do not mail any other person every now and then. I pick special ones from my life and never let them go out of touch. That one tool which helps me immensely in maintaining these relationships, in fact the only tool is an e-mail. Phone calls and Whatsapp are great but in today's fast paced life they are not sustainable. If I want that quality time with people I want to be in touch with, I would prefer e-mails over phone calls or any video or messaging services. Unless they are  your parents or spouse - video calls,phone calls and messages eventually becomes a hassle. (Special Occasions deserve Skype,phone calls or the best - facet to face meetings!)

I can not thank enough to  Sayesha Didi and Xena for coming back with lovely e-mails, Singapore room mates for those witty one liners, Frock buddy N for that Hi Hello, my aunt from USA for listening to me without getting tired through e-mails. Ah, I forgot Mr.ISB - the man behind the habit. Yes, he unknowingly made me pick this habit because 'Love' had to happen by e-mails?

You guys make my e-mails alive :) And So I kick in! :)

D for Distance

Physical Distance.Not the emotional one. Distance was always a part of my life after I left my home town to join my first company. Straight out of collage, raw talent and soft heart but the brave mind which can at the end of the day manage ill effects of that physical distance.

-Distance shows the real value of the relationship.
-Distance tests the relationship. Long distant friendships are some times stronger many a times.
-Distance gives that space which is required to introspect yourself. Understand yourself.
-Distance makes you independent. So that particular relationship is a lot more than the obligation or the dependence.
-Distance teaches you to be sane.
-Distance brightens up your life and expands your horizon.Because you have experiences from the other land too!
-Distance teaches you to be patient.


Today, when Mr.ISB is leaving for Denmark for Sixty days (and not Ninety, yeye!) I need to re-read all those observations I have made in life so far about the Distance.

Distance is good. Only if it is for Sixty days. Okay?

C for Cold

Oh,The Perennial Cold. Since 2013.

I am allergic to something. AC, Food, Pollen, Pollution- we do not know. The stuffy nose or the leaking nose is the main trait once I catch the allergen in my body. It gets complimentary sneezing attacks once in a while which subside only after taking Anti Histamine. I rarely get burning sensation in my throat but headaches are by products for sure. Lately my nostrils have decided to give me difficulties in breathing which means I have to use my mouth to breath which impacts my chit chat and hence mood!

So,Ladies and Gentlemen C can not be for anything else than 'COLD' because it is C for 'Constant' in my life!

Medicines, noting down habits, steam, turmeric milk, scarf while going out,avoiding dust while cleaning home- nothing seems to be working to stop these bouts. Medicines and steam give me some moments to relax(and to inhale using nostrils) but than in a few hours, if lucky-in a few days cold would strike back.

Pune,Singapore. Ahmedabad, Mumbai - I changed places. Cold is  the constant companion every where. 

What am I planning to sustain and survive through  this phenomenon which seems to be a life time partner?

- Take Himalaya Septaline to finish the dose. My ENT aunt who used to ask me to take these tablets every day for three months has stopped telling me this. Which means it is high time to stick to the treatment and not leave it in between which I have done almost five times in last three years.

- Take steam every night so that my nostrils try to behave while I get some good night sleep.

- Ignore comments on my super small sharp noise by friends,  Mr.ISB and the Sister-In-Law. :D (I have super small nose and even smaller nostrils and so cold creates serious breathing difficulties - A theory by my Pune friend!)

- Eat Ice creams. Not eating them is not helping as well. 

- Avoid Sugar which I am not doing AT ALL. *Yah Allah Takat De* *Drooling on thoughts of that Cheesecake I had last weekend*

-Sing songs. Honestly, my voice wears some very interesting 1950s-Brand-Nasal-Texture and so 'Bhawara Bada Nadaaan haaaay...'..

-Brownie points on  catching cold: Have more Adarakh wali chai... (Oh, did I tell you my colleague who is a fan of super mild tea calls my 'cold speal tea',Panipuri Ka Pani!) 

-Hankies. I CAN NOT FORGET TO CARRY ONE. 

-Work out. I might sound insanely illogical but when I used to jog regularly I had comfortably elongated the period between two cold attacks. The logic says this can not be true as my cold is due to my body being allergic to something! But if it is true,I should work out regularly.

Any suggestion in making cold some fun for me?

B for Birthdays!

Aren't they beautiful? For me, they were/are always fun! There was a time when I used to like my birthdays to be stuffed with little big surprises, friends and fun. Honestly, I still love them. Unlike people who love cozy and warm birthdays with family, I prefer birthdays full of people. Family,friends,colleagues and cakes.

As a kid,I used to feel bad about my birthdays which would either fall on the last day of the exam week or the first day of the summer vacation. As I was not into celebrating birthdays with friends and cutting cakes at home- I used to pray that some day it would fall on school days when the whole class or say the whole school would wish me.I would be the hero of the day without any heroic deed :D
That mom made cake and friends had fun with dinner kind of birthdays were never my thing!

Grown up me did not changed the kiddo  me during collage days or even after I started working. I liked my birthdays on week days but would always miss my family, though my parents always made it special one or the other way. I kept on enjoying 12'o clock celebrations for two three years with a child's heart as at home we never celebrated midnight for some reasons. (Though,I despise the midnight celebration now as my liking for working days-birthdays combination does not really support celebrating at 12'o clock. Who the hell wants to celebrate only for a couple of hours and sleep before the exciting birthday starts in the office!)

Birthdays became more special once I started spending them with Mr.ISB. Surprises, dinners, friend's get together, surprise parties planned with my gang. He has so far done everything possible on my last few birthdays. It was/is a special feeling to see him gelling with gang for me and my gang chilling with him for me!

This birthday (OMG Only thirteen days left!),though things would be different. I wont have any of my usual birthday people- Mumbai Gang - not in Mumbai any more, Pune Gang,Singapore gang -not in Singapore but not in Mumbai,Mom still recovering from her illness and the biggest shocker- Mr.ISB. He would be in Denmark helping some vikings with ships, sitting in the building in Copenhagen. (Lame joke,I know!)

So,this birthday,I need to plan things on my own. I think,I am liking the idea of planning my own birthday celebration than expecting others to do it.

How do you celebrate your birthdays? How did you spend your last birthady?!

A for April

The first month of the new Financial year in India. My birth month (Which I need to plan to celebrate alone thanks to my zulmi Piya going to the country of Vikings for work for three months!!). The month of mangoes.The month of scorching sun. The Month of chilled Nimbu Pani. The month of blasting Air Conditioners to their optimum capacity while getting tucked under a warm piece of blanket. (Weird me) The month of work anniversary in my new awesome job.

Reminds me of my last office. Always surrounded by friends/colleagues. Working on boring stuff after my favorite boss's resignation. I was happy for him yet under the trauma of not having any good mentors around any more. April was the month which created professional stagnancy and mayhem for a year afterwards.

Back to today. I am surrounded by four awesome people. Working on a messy table just after an hour of organizing it by yours truly. Dreaming about dreams. Carving strategies, failing numbers of times.carving some more and getting results. Right from invoice creation and inventory counting to cracking clients. Developing products from the vendor while being not really knowledgeable in the area. Acting the very moment a situation comes up.

This morning,when I entered office after having my tea to combat effects of anti-histamine taken to fight my perpetual cold, my director with his usual boring expressions informed me that delivery boy from vendor's place returned without dispatching the material as we all were down stairs for tea. Now this particular guy at our vendor's place is one Namuna with the skill of pissing me off every single time I ask him to do something. I got pissed off. My super transparent face showed my anger in micro seconds (The colour of my face was RED, as per my team) . I was furious that he did not call me before asking his delivery guy to return without dispatching. This consignment was super urgent for us. We were keen on testing the product he had manufactured.I wanted to punch that Namuna from the mobile phone itself and so I picked the mobile from my desk....

And my director commented..

"I hope he is not playing an April Fool prank, specially on your first work anniversary day with us" and gave me a big cunning smile.

And I  realized...

It is April.The month of playing fools.

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