DreamGalz Nest

GOA again

2011-09-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

So off we went to goa again to relive the happy days from last year..
But Sadly for us this time guess all the families/bachelors in india thought of getting happy in Goa and ended up right next to our resort by the calangute beach..
Sigh!!..
But we are clever now arent we...
We took an off on tuesday and had started only on saturday (For once i was thankful that hubby dear has to work now on saturdays too ;))

Kidddo loved the sleeper volvo and from the time we have climbed on two of those huge things, wheels on the bus rhyme has reinforced its grasp on little V.
He was heard singing this particular song even in his sleep last week.
Not only that he has also mastered more than one tune for his favourite nursery rhyme.
So relaxing vacations really do take the stress out of your mind..
Though the tantrums and unreasonable demands from my 2.5 yr old do hype me up sometimes, but on the whole i feel at peace now :)

Now that Goa magic has been consumed to its fullest ,need to seek a better vacation spot may be??
How about maldives guys?? what say?

Random Thoughts

2011-07-01T02:11:00.001-07:00

I just came here to pen down some thoughts -

1. People of my wavelength are mostly un glamorously and dont have a very good reputataion in the society ;)

2. I try hard to believe the story that we will be one happy family if we relocate elsewhere, abroad may be.

3. US of course has the happiest memories after marriage even though we did face the most traumatising moments also there.

4.Bipolar disorder is not curable. And i like hallucinating..

5.However highly people recomment me to IBM, i still have glimpses of the gate crashing scene for interview embeded as the emblem of IBM and im not coming back tehre unless u pay me like in 8 digits may be??

6.June /July is a nice time to romance and go around.. unless of course u do not have the entire bandwagon to carry with you.

7.GOA is another place with happy memories and i need to go back there for a longer duration.

8.Its a pity most of my guy friends end up having a crush on me.. I hate losing out on good friends and it becomes awkware later on.

9.I had a day dream that one of my close friends who died few years back gave me a call from someplace.. And he keeps calling me.. Spooky isnt it..

10. Im happy i am writing this post without thinking about what to write and which relative of mine may read this.. I dont give a F&&&.

OOh La La Kerala..

2011-06-06T03:46:00.001-07:00

Greeeen is the picture i get when i think of kerala..
And MOnsoons,its just a perfect blend of green and aqua... we need to ignore the brown mesh it creates though ;)
Rains are loved by many and the character it brings out in each city is also soo different.

In Mumbai you have the city rain and in kerala its like the jungle kind of rain.. WIth the thunderstorm and tall trees swaying in the background, its so very different..
Or may be i feel it is so special because i grew up enjoying it..
The entire sky turns pitch black and then the sound of the thunder is like the starting whistle to the voluminous down pour.. And the pelting raindrops are just so fat and delicious... I cannot just describe what it feels like.. And the smell of the sand with the first rains.. I'm sure we all just love that..

Looking forward to spend some time in kerala with the monsoons, after a long long time.. Hope to savour each moment at its virgin best..And not to miss a mention my train journey through the konkan during the monsoons :)

Arranged Marriage

2011-05-25T01:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to facebook and my 500 friends on it, i now get to see some cool videos and links.

There was a marvellous video i saw on a christian wedding where the bride seemed to be having a real fairytale like wedding... I love christian weddings and as in all fairy tales i too have dreams of walking the aisle in a silky flowy gown just the way they do in the movies.. Well dont get me wrong here. I dont intend to ditch my current hubby and hunt down someone else just to satisfy some wild fantasy of mine. But well may be someday may be we would renew our vows in say vegas or something??

Cant show you that vidoe which got me hooked to this idea as its a private one, but
I'll leave you with this video on arranged marriage before i hop off to my fairy/dreamy land to pursue my fancies

lifes not fair.. But its Good..And i Strive to keep it that way..

2011-05-20T00:27:00.001-07:00

Publishing one of my posts (written last august) from the draft folder -
A new home, a good job, a chance to be working at home with your cuddly baby!
Well everything sure looks great..
But as the caption goes life is not fair, but its good..
Each day is a fight, an adventure towards fulfilling your goal, your dream to lead a good life..
There are people who for no reason cause trouble for you.
Who for reaons like pure jealousy or ego what to do bad to you.
You have no choice but to ignore them. And to strive forward in your pursuit for happiness.
The faith in god and the optimism keeps one going..
Its hard not to think of the past, hardest for me to stop wondering what and where it all went wrong.. but let go i have to of all the bad things that are past..
Life catches up with eevryone as they grow..
I treasure my friends from the past as they fill me with happy memories..
It was great catching up with 2 of my school friends..
With old friends you dont have to pretend, you dont have to watch before you talk.
You can be your own sweet self and become the school kids that you once were..
This festive season when there are colours and sounds of merriment all around, the innocent squeals of my little one bring a curve around my mouth..

Holi Bash

2011-03-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

It is a tad too late to write a post on Holi i know. But this time was the best ever holi i have ever played with atleast 20 buckets of coloured water poured onto me and oodles and oodles of gulaal smeared on all of us. The only concern was my toddler shivering beside me with so much water splash and V had to take him back home .. The ladies were all soo fad in frenzy that the gents had to take the back stage managing the kids ;) With music playing from the car deck and one of my good freinds enjoying herself like mad it was a real mood booster.. I was all the more ecstatic when my sister dropped in with her friends with another load of brighter and cooler colours,just when our supplies had perished.Truely it was a day to remember..And the holi bash ended in a nice party with a couple of friends on the quite breezy balcony.. Quite a night to remember.. I am so thankful that we have so many festivities in India.. It is the best way to connect to people and invite over guests.. Otherwise the much planned getaways and kitties always end up only as plans that never materialise. So three cheers to the festival of colours!!

LoudLess

2011-03-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

Is it really a thousand decibels or is it just my imagination souring.. Like a charged electron shooting up into the highest levels of activity , zigzag random threads called thoughts are always scrambling through my mind.. They say these threads too are charged with a + or a - there by being classified as positive or negative thoughts. From the Bhagavad Gita to the Robin Sharma, all preach of methods to control your negative thoughts.. Isn't that what "the secret" says too??
Its all about positivity, spreading the cheer, blah blah.. Sigh.. wish it were all as easy as it sounds..
But from all this i do agree to one thing.. Nothing is going to work out if u cry, or sulk or feel depressed. It is very logical that by doing all this you are simply wasting your own precious time. In short wasting the days of your life.
So well i guess once you know that one way is just dumb better to go the other way.. So even though its like easier said than done , that's the path which leads you to your goal, the bright one and the one you know you have to be on..
So spread positivity my dear friends..
Even though these words are not loud or shouting back at you to act, in the soft whisper of a thought , bring it on - P.O.S.I.T.I.V.I.T.Y.

i have realised the hard way - It is indeed a gift you deserve to give yourself, the much awaited holiday you yearn to take, the true path towards success.. tread on sweet positive thoughts and let the simle on your face linger on..

waiting for spring..

2011-02-20T21:30:00.000-08:00

I remember the 9 months of courtship when my status message read "waiting for spring" It was indeed winter when i first put up this status message.. but the spring which arrived in august could not help me change my tag line.. For my fiance vasant (spring) was the one i was waiting for and he arrived only in november..

Those 9 months passed by in a jiffy.. I had friends and fun and frolic to keep me counting..But this time when i say waiting for spring.. the whole month just seems to be spreading onto eternity.. With a whole house , a toddler and a mother in law to keep me going.. i sure can rightfully say the going does get tough..

So this time when spring comes back and thankfully he is landing tomorrow, i'm making him swear not to go again to our long lost US for many many months to come atleast ;) And as a mother of a two year old cute cuddly boy, the best way to get things my way is to just let my cutie pie repeat the lines for me ;) Now isnt that a smart way :)

While talking about waiting and all that i feel like putting up one of my favourite songs by green day "Wake me up when september ends"

Enjoy!!

Wordless Wednesday - Bicycles enjoying the view

2011-02-16T04:08:00.000-08:00

V day post.

2011-02-15T02:23:00.000-08:00

The news was all around. There was indeed a pink envelope in the the head masters hand..

And her wildest dreams had true..

It did hold her name and there were boys and girls all giggling at her as she walked by.She held her head down in shame for no sin committed in her name. but still the trauma had begun. Someone had sent her a valentines day card and instead of blushing in glee she was embarrassed in shame. Her friends patted her, and pacified her. Its okay they said. We will find out who sent it.. As if it was a supari in her name. As she reached the head master - He just flung the card at her face and in his baritone voice he said " don't repeat this." and walked away.

She took the card in her hands.. There were lines in Greek or Latin. She couldn't make head or tail.She was the laughing stalk of her whole class now..Love had become a bane.She quietly went back to her class.. and crushed the note that she wanted to give to him at last..

Now the laughing stock of the class that she was, she couldn't find the courage to ask him out.

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

It was 4 am in the morning... And she lay awake waiting for his message.. He was very slow at typing.. But each word he said was worth a thousand smiles for her.. And thus she waited in vain.. It was blissful listening to the pouring rain.. Sleeping off in between dreaming of your man, waking up to find his message. They were mature now.. Both working and in their early twenties.. It was a call they had to take.. whether to proceed or to shy away.. And like the sms that she awaits, she waited for years for him to say, till it was of course too late..

Not only that she had a family at stake.. So did he whose thoughts were on her lines and so they did just sacrifice..

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

It was a smile to kill for and she toiled hard to find one good reason to get away.. Finally the smile did its trick and she was slain..bent her head as he garlanded her in front of the sacred fire and they became man and wife like all desired.

Though there was no platinum ring, or a train that closed you in(or out) to tell her that she loved the man she had wed, she knew they were made for each other. The silent kisses and the assured smiles told her she was in the safest of hands.. She blissfully slept with her head on his chest and clutched him like a teddy bear.

This is the page the story now holds, waiting to see what next unfolds..

Do check out blogadda.com and Preethi Shenoy's new book "Life is what you make it "

Once again

2011-02-14T03:05:00.000-08:00

Its really inspiring to know that people you know are writing for newspapers and other publishing media.. Two years back i had thoughts on those lines too which well never really materialised. I was in the hurry to get back my lost career in the corporate world and then started juggling between work and a new born baby.. Now i think that life's a little more sturdy and I'm out again looking out for some fun.

The new society complex that we are part of is really a nice one and there are quite a few ladies with whom I've really hit off well with.. Though the concept of making new friends after collage/ your first job still seems a herculean task for me until your really lucky or okay that good, it doesn't really sadden me now.I think finally im mature enugh (Yes i see an important age threshold fast approaching me ) But I still do miss my old friends and gang a lot..

And taking my son in the evenings to the garden is really something i look up to towards of the end of the day.

Though this valentines day again my valentine is not around (as on most important days) i don't feel like cribbing or sulking.. There are positive vibes around.. and i so wnat to make them stay.

I have completed my collage - the pic from where i did it is attached and looking forward to framing it.

Also looking forward to writing at least once in a while on this less trodden path called " dreamgalz nest" :) I hope i get enough motivation.. Till then.. CIAO

Hello World - we meet again

2010-08-18T05:01:00.000-07:00

December 11 2008 is the day i publish my last post..

There is no reason why i stopped.. And no reason why today my fingers have started typing on this page again..

The last 2 years have taught me many lessons.. and i got my youngest teacher - my baby , my son - vedant.He is 1and a half years old now.

There is no scale to measure the change brought about in a human being.. But changed i surely have . For today when i happend to read my previous posts and the comments i received for them, i was kind of surprised myself.

Well that exactly was the intent of me stating to blog; with the hopes that when i read them after many years it would flood my heart with sweet old memories..

I do not know if my old readers would be here somwhere in this virtual world of friendship that we created.. But i would be very much delighted if you happen to read this and post in a quick hello to me :)

And this is "hello world" all over again for me..

Reality Bites

2008-12-11T05:21:00.000-08:00

After a gap of about 5 months i thought of resuming my blog.. With the big miracle of creation going on inside me and the hormones running haywire, thinking straight has been a luxury..But what the hell.. i write not for entertainment, not for acknowledgment but for myself..
So to all the people who seem to conveniently ignore my DISCLAIMER, i suggest you read it all over again before giving me a piece of your thick head.. :)

So in my post on reality bites, the first and foremost bit was when we left US for good and came back to India.. Man how can a country change so much in less than 2 years.. Its been 3 months and i still keep pondering..

With the mumbai terror attacks and all and with us living in Pune, the next closest city to Mumbai, i feel literally scared to bring a baby into this world.. What safety do i assure this teeny weeny being?? I wanted a baby so i could cuddle it and play with it and what not.. (ya ya silly i know!!) But now protecting it from what not seems to be the going to be the only list on my agenda..

Anyways happy thoughts is all is supposed to be in my mind now so i thought i would lure myself into shopping.. My neighbour who just delivered her second kid seemed to be my perfect shopping guru. She was more than enthusiastic to help me and as her list poured in my head started spinning again.. So blissfully i decided to stick on tothe age old tradition of buying stuff only after the baby is born and buy only whats the most essential now.. :) So much help for my husband ha ha..

The prenatal classes i attended every Saturday for the past 2 months and where my husband dutifully took me seem to have embedded the labour and delivery scene well into my brain.. In the end i always end up looking enviously at my hubby who seems to be getting the best out of the deal. And I totally understand moms who wish to have a baby boy.. At least spare your child all that pain..

But on second thoughts having a baby girl would be so much more fun. And i think i have made so many plans that my hubby dreads he would have to spend the rest of his life in a pink house surrounded by teddy bears and chocolates and is praying hard he gets a baby boy :D

When we turned down the option to know the sex of the baby 3 times during the ultrasound in US, i never thought waiting in anticipation would be soooo difficult. So much for the sake of heeding to my husbands wishes of keeping it a big surprise.. After all it is me who keeps pondering a hundred times a day how life will be a month form now on.. But guess im happy theres just 1 more month to go.. :)

well i think if i pen down more on the reality bites i may end up giving myself one big fat bite.. So in the end retreating back into dreamgalz dream world works best for me :)

The daemon

2008-07-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

It was way past midnight..At a girls hostel of our kind night is when life beings.. But the mid night pajama parties and musical nights were all now banned. Thanks to the change in management and replacement of our old, high pitched warden with a daemon. The daemon watched with her red sadist eyes and the moment she saw a smile or "look of love" on a 16 year old she made sure that it vanished in minutes.. She said she knew the look of love and it had done no one any good. Rumours about her broken affair and jokes about her blind, haunch backed lover were much narrated stories in our dorms. Entering into the girls hostel was now an unconquered quest for the boys. All the lovie-dovies and coochie-cooers suffered in silent tears..

Now all hopes where pinned on the sizzling six for a rescue from the current curfew..The sixer gang had all the sophisticated gadgets and amenities available at the time. In the times when even incoming calls were charged in India, all six of them had mobiles. They had the first camera phone in the whole town may be gifted by one of their super rich uncles or cousins. If anyone could afford to threaten the daemon it was them. with all the good luck and wishes from the other helpless girls, they started their strategy planning.

Day 1 was the attack of the pussy cats-there were dirty cats all over the place turning off trash bins, pooping in the mess and causing turmoil..

Day 2 was the attack of the bees when the wardens room was mysteriously filled with honeybees making her shriek and come out running in the middle of the night in her faded orange petticoat. ;)

Day 3 before dawn the sixer pack were busted and the first thing called off to the principals office. After formal warnings and threats about suspension/dismissal the sizzling six fuming all the more with anger started some serious plotting against the daemon.

Threats or warnings weren't new to them but the disappointment over their week long strategy being busted after day 2 was a serious blow. They needed a one time fool proof plan.

The whole of ga-ga land now talked about the tales of the daemon instead of the notorious sizzling six. Their reputation was now at stake. The other girls had started looking down upon them and the halo around their heads seemed to have vanished..

The girls now planned a bollywood style melodrama. Scandals were easy to spread in ga ga land. And for a change when it wouldn't be about teenagers they hoped the story would get more spiced up..

will they nail the daemon?? what are their stakes of winning without any scars? Stay tuned to bewitched...

the witch from ga-ga land

2008-07-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello anybody home?? This seems to be a deserted island.. Whatever happened to the lunatic blogger who owned this place?? Has she fled the country?? Ha ha guess she has had enough of USA!! Well I am the black witch from ga-ga land who will now take over this place.. I like anything painted red - RED the hot hot color of hell, the sweet soothing color of blood.. And in this redness we will bask - in the glory of being sinners and suck out from each other the confessions of the wicked mind..

So now beware people.. do not come here expecting to hear simple, sweet polite stories of a 20 something silly girl.. Things from now will be very very different.. The banished kingdom has been revived. Exciting new events now await you here.. Fasten your seat belts as you get ready to experience a roller coaster ride in this saga of misfortune, spite and vengeance..

Even if u encounter the 20 something girl in between, do not let the illusion mislead you. Be known you mortals -Deep down its now me - the witch from ga-ga land.. ha ha ha ha ha!!!

100

2008-04-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Can't believe my 100th post is coming so late.. But better late than never right? So here i go..

Been a busy month march.. with visa processing and loads of paper work.. But now i am off from work.. ha ha don't i deserve a break after just 1.5 months of hectic work?? ;)
well yes had the pay been stupendous, i would gladly call this my dream job!! But anyways 1.5 months of vacation after 1.5 months of work is amazing isn't it..
So India here i come!! After 1.5 years.. lots of 1.5 's here uh?? whats it about the half??
As heard the other night on sex & the city, according to carrie (one of the main characters) a girl sometimes need halfves.. (ya like her better half he he..) Now don't judge me by the type of sitcoms i watch, the tv here is very boring u see..
I can't express how excited i am about my vacation.. So here i am off on my big tour.. will mostly be absent form blogsville again for 1.5 months ;) unless I get the cravings to blog.. ha ha
So till then play safe u all.. And make merry!!

Love,
Diya

office office..

2008-03-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

Writing this post sitting in office.. he he. its not that finally the immigration gods have shown some mercy on me..no. But they sure have sent me an angel who was looking for an HR kinda person for his staffing company and with my goals of attaining a marketing MBA i have grasped on to the opportunity :) Not to mention i have been excited to follow an office going routine..My office is a half hours drive from home and i simply enjoy the drive twice a day.

The work load is less and i am so satisfied i found this job. But i still have to learn to master the juggle between office work and house work. And also starting next week i intend to pursue a favorite hobby of mine.. But my lips are zipped for until i finalize things!!Any guesses as to what it could be?? I hope someone gets the answer right so i am assured that i'm still remembered at blogsville ;)

over with..

2008-02-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Well my exams are over with.. Now i have my essay work to be doe.. Anyone interested in giving me any tips are most welcome to do so.. the topics are of course all the usual types. Why do you want an MBA?? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years n so on...
I feel like laughing out when i think of that particular question.. Wouldn't it be great if we could chart out the path of our life.. But then may be it wouldn't be so thrilling.. Its interesting when each time you knock on a door and wait to see who or what lies beyond(beneath??)

Anyways its the nitty natty's which keeps life spicy.. So let me tell you about the things i enjoy most namely songs, movies and books.. nah all 3 aren't being thrust upon you. But just one.. the latest bollywood hottie "jodhaa akbar". it is simple and exquisite. May be some people wouldn't want to put up with so much history for 3.5 hours.. But i thoroughly enjoyed every minute.. loved the song man mohanna
Aish looks so ravishing.. Hers a small clip from the

And also the fact that aish at age 30 is working on her autobiography intrigued me.. But after all she is Aishwarya rai bachan.. Ain't she.. i sometimes wonder how people write their autobiographies. I'm afraid there are so many things happening that i will forget it. And also most of the time even ur most pressurizing moment seems such an easy one after many days.. So guess writing autobiographies is not an easy task at all. May be before commenting i should read at least one autobiography ;)

Now i'm back into blogs ville.. Missed visiting you all a lot.. So hope you will have hot tea and snacks for me when i visit ;)

FreeBird!!!

2008-02-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

Another week and lo my exam again.. But just can't help thinking of the lazy days ahead after that..
I miss all the movies and books and shopping and what not.. Its so hard to stay focused he he..
But i guess i really need to realize that i'm not a kid anymore.. However hard i pretend to be so, it may not do any good anymore.. So i think i better save it for some special times, to nurture fond memories later on than spend it unappreciated.. ;)
All those tough reading comprehension passages have equipped me to write equally incomprehensible long futile sentences i believe.. But it sure will directly contradict my next task of essay writing which i better write logically and with some clarity..
I know the above lines are too horrible to read and i am sad that my blog is slowly becoming a deserted one.. But spring will be here soon.. I will be back to sow new seeds of green n bloom :)
Hope all of you are doing well..

Cheers!!

The flu.. The cold.. and the Toefl..

2008-02-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, as the title suggests thats what life has been all about the last one week... time loss and health loss is all i needed at this time now.. But as i believe everything happens for a reason and everything happens for the good.. Yeah i did want a break and i'm thankful taht it was this way so i wouldn't have to be guilty of taking one ;)
The song practice is at full swing and i plan on starting an audio blog some time soon if that goes well ;) But i need to build a little more on my stage fright exclusive to solo songs and same for the GMAT exam.. My hubby has developed this sudden penchant for football now and superbowl is the name of the day!!! So all you crazy football fans have a great day!!

I wonder..

2008-01-28T16:59:00.000-08:00

I wonder how most of the working people squeeze in time for GMAT preparation and give their exam on a weekend along with all the other normal routine work.. Here i am ..For whom GMAT seems to have turned the whole world upside down..
Kitchen is closed partially, my morning hobby of chatting to mom, sis and friends back in India has been drastically reduced.. Now its hardly once or twice a week that to only to mom.
It is if Gmat combined with the winter has put me in duress..

Its true i need to focus but its not as if life will stand still till i finish my exam.. So i have decided to take up another performance.. Its the tenth annual meet of the mallu association and as always they have the Karaoke night.. And this time I've been asked to sing with one of their prestigious singers.. Hope i sing well at least for the sake of that person and my trembling legs and trembling vocal cords don't end up in a cacophony..

I would love to get back to my old coy routine of being a couch potato all through the afternoon reading all the lovely blogs and with a thousand chat windows popping all over my computer screen.. But sigh.. life isn't always a bed of roses and when it does seem like it could be, the grass gets greener on the other side.. I'm living in irony ain't I???

Tricky English

2008-01-27T13:23:00.000-08:00

"hey how are you??"
"I'm good.."

Good???What is meant by good?? Now from when did we stop saying the all famous "I'm fine, thank you"??
My bad, I'm good.. all these short cuts and "cool"English has had the better of me..
I'm glad i turned to preparing for GMAT.. It has re coursed my direction towards sms spellings and slangs to a far dignified respected form of language..
You may no more find my shortcut spellings of wat for what or cud for could ;) I'm sure not many will miss those spellings anyway..
Coming back to GMAT English, do let me know what you think of the statement below in quotes
Accused of eating up his brother 's share of cookies, a boy pleads,"Mom, i didn't do it.."

PS : sigh.. weekend is over!!

Essays

2008-01-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

For a good writer, there is only one measure of success,
and that is found in his honoring the complexity and richness
of his subject while telling his story in a lucid way.
Joseph Epstein

Lots and lots of essays to write and i have a long long way to go.. In my GMAT too there is an analytical writing section which ncludes writing 2 essays.. And i just read that the best way to improve your writing skills is to write daily.. Ain't i a fool.. Right when the time came to improve writing skills, i had stopped writing blogs.. What better place to write than the dream galz nest..Hence here i come.. No assurance what you readers may have to put up with due to this crazy idea of mine.. BUt whatever.. ;)

Also, I miss blogging and giving vent to all those jumbled up notions within me.. i miss reading all the funny incidents and happenings that i get to read form all the many blogs i visit.. But resuming that at present will be a luxury.. Hence, i put that off for a little while more and than i'm sure it will be a treat to visit all my favourite pages again..

A little update on whats been happening here.. The immigration Gods that dreamgal was praying to have closed the doors on her.. Now im here waiting for a window to open.. Guess the key to that window could be GMAT, which by the way i took in mid jan.. Though not a major fiasco, i am not quite impressed with my score.. Hence giving it another shot this coming feb..

Poor hubby dear is having a tough time cooking and cleaning ;) And i love all the attention i'm getting.. But only hope that i prove worthy of it.. The last week was a hangover of the not so great score i produced.. Also the fact that my much awaited India trip had to be postponed to account for the second test i plan to give in 3 weeks..
See buzzling with activity my world here.. Not to mention the chilly winter, making me drowsy and slothful all the time..
Anyways hope to update my blog daily for the coming few weeks.. PLease do bear with me :)

FLY HARD!!!

2008-01-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

Two months of toil, Two months of pain,
I won't let all that go down the drain..
Times are tough and luck is bad
But not anymore is diyadear sad.

The GMAT bombed and the score "on the border"
But i have one more chance right at the next corner..
With everyone aiming higher and higher
700 also is my desire.

Birdie try a little harder, till your little wings are stronger..
So I'll try a little harder, till my GMAT scores are higher :)

The fighter in me is awake.. And now i have to just reach for it.. Won't be around for another month.. See ya all then.. take care..

Under Construction

2007-12-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

As the dream gal gets shaken up form her lovely dream, she realises its time she did some serious amendments.. A management degree seems a must to pursue her career dreams in the US.. So with her rusted brain needing vigorous exercise, and the time ticking without mercy, she abolishes all her hobbies and amusements and is set off to Bell the Cat. Hope she will be back by mid Jan in flying colours!!!
Until then adios amigos!!!!

Namesake

2007-11-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

After hearing a lot about Jhumpa lahiri from a very inspiring person (read my post on him here) who even remembered her characters from her Pulitzer winner "Interpreter of maladies", i decided to grab my hands on her next book "The Namesake". I know the book may have been much discussed about already, But unlike the other much discussed books which i pick up and which end up disappointing me, this one was a real entertainer. On thinking about the plot and story line, it is a very simple story of a Bengali family who have migrated to the US and the story is very much normal and can be one of you or me or any other person.. A very common kind of story. I think that is the secret behind its success. The way she makes you bound to the book with no complexities, nothing unusual or mystic but still with an aura of freshness and intrigue.. I am totally a fan of Jhumpa now. The style of her writing, her way of describing things, its all very mesmerising.. I just couldn't keep the book down and yet i didint want to finish reading it as i didnt want to be exhaust my favourite book so soon yet. But as all good things come to an end(HAHAHA) so did the book.
Its damn good and Jhumpa is a marvellous story teller.. Im awaiting the dvd release of the movie on nov 27th now..

On a frustrating note, my work permit seems to have gone for a toss.. at the final stages it has cropped up with a mysterious problem which being that my petition has long been closed.. Thanks to my very dutiful employer he didn't even know of it until 3 months have passed and with my screwed up luck it awaits to be seen how the re-appeal n stuff will go.. Anyways its sad that my career for no reason has come to a standstill and there is nothing i can do about it other than pray to the US Immigration gods!!!
but again, i don't want to spoil this happy place called dreamgalz nest by cribbing.. So let me tell you about my week long vacation.. The places have been correctly guessed by Mr.maddy,radha, b-k and aswin. It is indeed the white house and the times-square. However the 3rd one is not in any of those cities but in Baltimore, Maryland.. It was a nice n hectic trip, where i could also visit one of my aunts whom i was meeting for the firt time :)
Loved the times-square best of all. the energy, color and splendor reminded of India(he he) i know the comparison seems strange but i swear it was the same feeling.. it was the first time that after coming to US i saw so many people on the roads and walking in such a a fast pace hiring cabs n buses heading for office early in the morning and it felt so much at home... sigh Texas is so grey and looks so deserted.. he he
but nah.. our place Plano has been voted as the best place in US to live in. So saying i pacify Ms diyadear.. ;)

The Vacation's Over :(

2007-11-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

As all good things come to an ed, so did our sweet little vacation..
Now i need to fine new ways back home to amuse myself.. And one of them of course is blogging.. So here i go. -
You have to guess the places i visited from the pictures below.. No brand prizes/goodie bags to be given away.. But lets just have some fun..
So there are 3 pics taken at 3 different places.. N here they go -

Easy isn't it?? will brag about my trip in the next post.. But i did have a lot of fun :D

2007-10-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hiya all..

i know i havent been around much... But thats cos it has been a real hectic month.. It has marked many many historic events in my life he he n to name a few i turned 25 last wednesday :) Finally hope that puts an end to my quarter life crisis.. ;)

N the exciting part is i am off on a vacation... hurrah!! will be back with many many pics and will catch up with all of u then.. Till then have a great week ahead all...

Movies, Books and me..

2007-10-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

Life was going on.. steady and at ease when lo i went off to meet a dear sweet aunt of mine and her hubby whom i was meeting for the first time.. Some people, i believe are met just to attain a cause. N this time I'm sure that was one of the purposes of my visit to their home.. Abundance of knowledge, encyclopedia of books, movies and again knowledge... what do i say.. but i was simply mesmerised by the depth of knowledge he possessed(my uncle). Geography, History, of India, Us or the entire world..Even the dates were known by heart to him.. And he is a doc by profession..So count in biology too..Also equally knowledgeable is my aunt..About books, economics what now.. in their midst i felt glad to admit that i am a kid and was pleased to be treated like one.. And from there i now have a whole new list to to be read books and to be watched movies..

N a few impressive ones i already saw from their collection are -

A Passage to India - A beautiful movie by David Lean adapted from E M Foster's famous book A passage to India.. It gives us a view of British India. How the British lived in India and later a clash between the Britishers and the mob.But unlike a movie on freedom struggle, this movie has a good story line and its mysterious till the very last reel.Truly awesome was the performance of Alec Guiness as professor Godbole.Also impressive were the dialogues which were apt and crisp.A good movie involving and Indian doctor, a young British lady tourist, her old adorable companion called Mrs Moore and how their nice little picnic turns into a nightmare..

Mississippi Masala - A lighthearted movie about an Indian family residing in Mississippi.. Its a story abt forbidden love between the Indian girl played by Sarita Choudhuri and an African American played by denzel Washington.. Must say i have become a fan of the director mira nair, especially since her other movie Monsoon wedding too had been exemplary. The best thing about the movie was that it didn't have any special or great story line or anything much different form other romance movies, but still it was cute in its own simple way and i liked the girl a lot.

She played the character remarkably well.. :)

After movies it time to mention a book, the author of which I'm reading for the first time And I'm just speechless by his total grasp on his entire plot and layout.. He seems to have a mental picture of each day of his characters and with tremendous ease he flip flops between the past and present making drowsy readers jerk and flip back pages.. not that readers can doze reading his book..The person I'm talking about is Mr. Amitav Ghosh and the book is The Shadow Lines which won the Sahitya Akademi Award, India's most prestigious literary award.. Rest of his books are in my to-be-read list and his non-fiction books like In an Antique Land are also much appreciated..

A new Life

2007-10-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

A threshold has been crossed..
The journey has reached a major cross road..
Complexities were ample, uncertainties galore...
There were moments i forgot to breath..

But now the suspense is coming to an end..
My soul is at peace..
The torrent has passed, the storm ceased..
Bliss is the state of my mind...

Now a new phase of life begins..
Once more the dreams will be painted with gleam..
A major in life's exam is passed..
N the next mature level is revealed..

The Gift of Maggi

2007-09-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

************- continued-from-here-****************

As he gulped down another whiskey down his parched throat, he felt his trembling fingers forming a fist.. A feeble new determination had conceived within him. He felt an inner voice whispering.. "The time has come".. Placing a few dollar bills on the counter he dashed out onto the street.. The city life was not familiar to him... nor was it found appealing.. But now in this city was something very precious.. like a diamond misplaced in a coal mine.. Something he would die for..

His cellphone beeped.. One glance at it n the color drained from his face.. "DAD" why was that word so terrorising to him?? why was his dad like a Hitler?? To his wife, he was a marvellous husband.. socially active, well known in the city, and a rich business owner.But he had raised a son just like he raised the many cows on his farm. Fed them n sheltered them but he never learnt the language to communicate with them..
arrrggggggggggg... He felt all the pent up feelings in him rushing out.. Ignoring the call he set out.. this was the mission of his life.. Never had he the guts to stand up for something which he genuinely desired in life.. Whether it was when his dad forcibly sent him to residential school or when he had to be the model for his dad's milk chocolates..He felt humiliated whenever he saw his face stamped on a poster or billboard.. and loathed his father...But he was never a rebel.N now he wondered why he had always succumbed so meekly.. But now he could stand no more..Come what may, he would find her..
Thriving on the boost of the many drinks, he walked on towards her house..He could see her now.. Sitting by the window.A picture of innocence, marked with distinct sorrow in her big brown eyes.. he felt hazy..was he dreaming? Suddenly he stumbled on a stone and fell to the ground..

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

Wat if she didn't have a family? wat if she was alone in the world?? Y was she scared and insecure, running from place to place hiding her past, afraid of making friends?.. She tried to figure out.. May be it was her adolescence.. She seemed all confused, scared and paranoid.. But now when she analysed things weren't so bad.. But who was that guy.. She had seen him following her twice or thrice and it made her feel weird..she wanted to face the reality in her life but she was afraid, of trusting, of loving anyone again..For, anyone whom she had loved had simply ignored her.. As if her love wasn't worth having.. She had never met genuine people with genuine feelings.. For everyone seemed to change when addressing the daughter of Susie Carlbrown.. N then suddenly it all ended.. From the top if the world she fell deep into a gorge.. A black dark pit where again nobody seemed to want to recognise her.. Or were mocking at her and laughing at her miserable life..Life had taught her many a lessons at a young age..

N promising to herself never to get hurt again, she choose anonymity..She had changed her name and taken up a complete new life.. A life alone, with no gossips, praises, ridicule or rumors and no fake feelings..N now as a simple common girl, she was learning to laugh,to cook,to shop to enjoy the small things in the world.. But always deep inside was a fear, a fear of the past, of being hurt again, of being unwanted, of being an orphan.
Outside, the night was adorned with a beautiful star lit black sky and the earth covered with a carpet of white snow.. It was a serene picture and Marja sat gazing out.But suddenly her eyes caught sum thing moving behind the bushes. Her pupils widened as she saw who it was..

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

He tried to get up but couldn't.. Now he again saw her.. She was out by his side, helping him on his feet.. "who are you??why have you been following me?" She asked.. He wanted to reply.. Because this was the moment he was waiting for.. But he found himself tongue tied, as if someone had kept a rock on his tongue. But he knew he couldn't afford to fail now.. This was his one chance..

"Marina.." he managed to talk.. she was dumbstruck.. A thousand emotions danced on her gentle face.. ""how?? ..who??.." she seemed to have a lot of questions..
He pulled out his wallet.. N from that he produced a tiny little sheet of paper and handed over to her.. She watched in disbelief a picture of a family.. A little gal with a teddy,holding her daddy's hand and her mom carrying a baby.. All insecurities from her past seemed to melt away..She cried out loud in happiness and hugged him tight..

His cell phone beeped again."Step-mom.." He threw it into the bushes without a second thought and hugged her tighter..

*********************** thank-you-*************************

NB : - I would love it if all of you gave your sincere opinions about the plot, style and flow of this story.. Plz don't refrain from being critics, as i take this as a learning exercise and inputs from your side will be my most valuable learning tools :)

Christmas!!

2007-09-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

****-continued-from-here-*****

She walked slowly on the snow covered pavement, alone and feeling cold.. she loosened her curly thick hair to let them fall on her ears. It made her feel warm.. She could see smiling people all across the street..Buying gifts, decorating Christmas trees, kids chattering about Santa, there seemed to be the smell of joy in the air.. She felt good to be out.. She sighed and tried to set aside her worries. She had become quite accustomed to a loner's life now..

After all she had been running about from place to place like a gypsy. She never made many friends and had now seemed to get a knack to get along well with strangers. Any discotheque,club or dance floor was enough to make her feel at home. But sadly, on special events like Thanksgiving and Christmas, she missed her family.

She recalled the hilltop home she once lived in as a toddler. her mom was never the homely kind. She wanted to be on Broadway and always dreamt big. It was that deadly autumn night when her mom had her final clash with her dad and was all set to leave them.Marja was four then and sat up wailing in her bed. Her younger sibling was fast asleep in the crib beside her. She didn't know wat agreement her mom had reached with her dad,But she barged into their room, packed up some of little Marja's things and pulled her along.. Marja didn't even have time to pick up her favourite teddy.. In all the chaos she just wailed on and later she remembered her dad hadn't kissed her goodbye..Nor did mom kiss goodbye to her sibling.Why did mom choose her? May be coz it was better than taking a baby out into the street. She never knew, nor did her mom ever tell her.

She also often wondered if her dad had ever loved her. In all these 20 yrs, even when her mom had died 4 years back, she didn't hear a word from him.Till a few years back she used to wish some day her dad would come and find her..But now she didn't wish so anymore.. May be in his hatred for their mom, he had started hating her too..But why should she blame her dad alone. Her mom too was never that close to her. She was always busy.. First with her theatre and rehearsals and then with films and directors..And the so many fans she had and her lovers..Ah! how she hated her mom.. The famous, most desired actress in town.. Susie Carl brown..

But she also pitied her mom.. Ultimately wat did she get.. Narcotics, Alcohol and in the end a bullet in the head.. After her career bombed she succumbed to wat not. Marja always thought suicide was the worst way to put an end to ones life..And she hated to think of the past..
She wanted to put her entire life behind her and move on.

She opened her front door to be greeted by Miss Kiki. She put down the gift she had got for her pet, by the fireplace..Sadly there was no Christmas tree nor any gift for Marja.. She rocked in her easy chair and put on some music and began to relax.She was enjoying the silence and peace in her little apartment.

Outside, the night was adorned with a beautiful star lit black sky and the earth covered with a carpet of white snow.. It was a serene picture and Marja sat gazing out.But suddenly her eyes caught sum thing moving behind the bushes. Her pupils widened as she saw who it was..

************-to-be-continued-***********

"Him"

2007-09-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

********-continued-from-here-***********

He wore a full length coat and had his cap pulled way down his forehead. He parked his Mustang a little off the main door and trying to look as casual as anyone else walked into the store with both hands in his pocket. He was received at the door by a short middle aged woman. "Welcome to Walmart" , she said to him. But he did not look up lest he be recognised.He marched ahead and went straight into the garments section n hid himself between the lines of clothes.His heart was pounding.Adjusting his thin, fake mustache, he looked right and left. He was goin to see her..Should he go and talk to her? Will she recognise him? Many random thoughts kept swarming into his head. Then he spotted Jerry. He had befriended Jerry at the local bar next door, a few days back and was counting on him to help. Jerry seemed a good lad, cheerful and kind. He waved to him n started walking towards him.

"ssup man?" asked Jerry with gum in his mouth.

"well..i was just browsing around..",he tried not to look nervous.

"sure, lemme know if you gonna need some help man.. N wat u doing hiding between gals clothes?? wanna buy something for ur girlfriend uh??"smirked Jerry..

"well kinda.."In his mind was running the most important question.. should he trust Jerry with it?Is he a big mouthed moron who may spill the beans?? He was confused..But he did look okay..

He smiled feebly at Jerry.

"Y u looking so frail today chum?? wats the matter.." Jerry seemed inquisitive now.

he didnt know what to say.. He was sure time was running out n he needed to do something tonight itself.. His dad would kill him if he found out.. In that split second he decided.. he needed help. he couldn't do it alone. He wasn't that smart.. He was a geek alright but when it came to people management he was a big zero.Mustering courage he said,

"Jerry i need your help.. I'm looking for a girl by the name of Marina...She works here in this store."

"No buddy, i know all the girls here. there ain't no one by that name."

UH? how could that be? He had travelled 700 miles to just see her.. N already he had wasted 2 days.. wat would he do now.. He didn't even have a photograph of hers to show him.. he reluctantly added, "Ummm.. She looks a little like Susie Carlbrown"

"whaat.. u mean the actress Susie!! U must be kidding man.. I'm sure there's no one that pretty out here.. Else i wudn't miss that little gal.."

He thought it wouldn't be safe to give out any more information. But by then Jerry was all the more inquisitive. "waitaa minute man, u know where she lives or was her last name?"

"No" and in a jiffy he turned to go.. He had to sneak out of there as soon as possible. But Jerry put an arm on his shoulder n asked again "tell me man, i'll help you find her.."

Being timid and helpless, he heard himself blurting out to Jerry, "Its Marina.. Marina.. Ca.. Carlbrown.."

**********-to-be-continued-***********

Marja

2007-09-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

Something had come over Marja. she felt sick, about to throw up..

"Good God am i pregnant??"Or was it the vodka's she had had at the previous night's party which was causing her all the trouble?? She had no idea.. In her quest to forget herself and just enjoy life, she had been partying n clubbing almost every night.. She had lost her job 2 weeks back following a heated argument with her boss. when she tried to go back to her previous job at walmart, she had been turned down saying they weren't hiring.. But she knew what the real reason was. he seemed to be following her like a shadow.. She felt now everyone looked at her with spite.. He had turned the whole world against her.. God her head was throbbing..

She reached out for the bottle of aspirin by her bed when it tumbled over and spill open onto the floor.It made poor Miss. kiki wake up with a start and she meowed on softly..

"Thank God for Miss Kiki, else i would be all alone in this world.." thought Marja. She fondled Miss Kiki and for a minute forgot all her pains.

She looked at the time. 8:15 AM. The winter had hit with its full might and she didnt feel like salting the snow.. Gosh , why wake up,when there is no work to go to? so thinking she went back to sleep.. she dreamt of a beautiful English party where she was dressed in a lilac silk gown.. The ball room was full of exquisite people and she danced on and on with a handsome young man.. The waltz and Strauss made her sway and the young gentleman held her firm. She felt possessed and so much in love.. and the next instant he turned and in her dream she saw his face.. he was very handsome but yet so familiar.. She strained to think. It was as if her dream had paused.. She was in a state somewhere in between her dream and reality when u know you are dreaming and so badly want to interpret it.. And to see what happens next. But it was like a badly stuck cassette. It couldn't move on.. N she open her eyes.. Oh what a dream. N now she knew who he was.. It was Him.. oh now he had conquered her dreams too!!!

***** -to-be-continued-***

10 days..

2007-09-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Have been away for a whole 10 days.. hope you remember i mentioned about a visit to an aunt's place.. well that alone cannot mark the reason for my absence.. Suddenly life seems very busy.. I am surprised i dont have time to take my afternoon nap :D ha ha well i've taken up a new online course. well at least something to feel worthwhile.. N not only am i attending this twice a week, 5 hrs a day, we have group study on other days.. feels like im back to school...but again everything is virtual.. wat i mean is on the web.. even my classroom is in my laptop now, hooking me all the more to it..
After my RJ fiasco (i never heard any gud news from them) another new venture ive taken up is vocal music..There is a troupe which performs on stage for some occasions and me and my husband happened to be present on one of their practice sessions.. Stage fright is my next of kin and i could feel my knees wobbling when i was asked to sing.. My whole life i've been afraid of singing on stage.. For all other matters like debates, extempores and speeches, i've never had trouble. But though otherwise i sing well and have taken up official training in Carnatic music, when i step on the stage my voice gets all cracked up and u can feel the churns in my stomach being dispelled out in my voice and wat not.. But now as im growing up(he he) i feel before i reach the zenith and start my journey downhill this is one of the things i would like to successfully achieve. So singing practises are goin on and will let you know whether it all went on well or i ran out thru the back door ;)

Death Speaks

2007-09-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Archer has been my favourite writer from the time i turned 15. Thats when i first read his short stories, thanks to a very dear aunt who has always been a role model to me. She always had the habit of buying us books and i truly loved her for that.. i believe books are the best gift and i too practise gifting them now :) Also im really happy that we are visiting her in a few days time. :)

She gifted me his ""Collected short stories" which contained all 36 short stories of his till that date.. The book had to be a favourite firstly because she had gifted it to me.. secondly it was remarkable, the twist and turns he brought in his short stories.. i was so spellbound. From there began the saga of reading Jeffery Archer and i still like reading him over and over again..
Here is one of his shortest stories for you i came across from my current read "To cut along story short" titled "Death Speaks"

"There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra. "

Happy boys and Happy girls!!

2007-08-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time a little girl with 2 little ponies on both sides built a castle by the sea shore.. she decorated her castle using sea shells and stones.. her younger sibling watched with awe how her sister was building up a pretty castle.. it was a perfect evening, the sun painting the sky crimson red with its rays.. The sea gulls flying across the horizon.

The kids waited to watch the sun drown into the sea..That usually marked their evening off at the beach.After tat they walked away holding the hands of their mom and dad. A happy sight, a happy family..

But wonder y.. the happiness never stays.. it always gets washed away like the castle on the beach..or may be its like the occasional rainbow which comes all of a sudden with the rains n then disappears without a trace.. however hard we try we cannot create a rainbow thru the sky we cannot..may be u can paint ur imagination with the 7 elegant colors of the rainbow.. I feel the same is with happiness.. u can only make urself believe ur happy, unless there really is a moment, a special blessed moment which renders you to be happy.. like the rainbow which adorns the sky, the instance when happiness adorns ur life.. But then its just for an instance..After a few hours or days it just vanishes..

I often wonder y should there be sadness at all.. wat bad is it if everyone in the world remains happy?? oh yes i know wat some of ur answers are goin to be.. without night there is no day.. u wont appreciate happiness if u dont know wat sadness is etc etc..But can one be truly happy?? or wat is a happy state?? It is of course relative and with each new achievement we have still innumerable things yet to be achieved.. may be greed or jealousy or some other emotion eats up a little bit of our happiness unknowingly.. But we r all not saints now are we??yet amidst all our stresses and strains we find means to be happy.. listening to a favourite song, grabbing an ice cream, talkin to a friend.. all this makes one happy.. but isn't it some way we just discovered to run away from our true state of sadness??Can't it be the other way round??Or is it only my thought??

let me hear it from you.. wat do u think is a happy state?? when will u fell that gosh.. now im truly happy.. without having to search for a means to pacify urself of being happy..

NB: - "Happy boys and Happy girls by aqua is one of my makes me feel happy songs!! hence the title for this post..:)"

the parade

2007-08-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

The independence day celebrations in Dallas was too gud.. The event took place at lone star park,grand prairie(in pic) and the first few minutes of being there was pure ecstasy.. So many fellow Indians, clad in colourful costumes and speaking the familiar languages..

All the many stalls selling kurtis, chaat, and masala dosas.. woohoo.. for i moment it felt i was in India.. Never expected so many Indians there.. Sure, Dallas has the most number of Indians in US.. But witnessing it was truly a pleasure... but after a while i cud hear the Hindi music coming from the stage, which was not up to the mark.. The singers weren't very lively and so the crowd wasn't with them..

But soon the parade started and we marched off in that direction.. i have made a few friends here so we all were there as one big gang.. we kept hogging and the food kept all of us so busy the entire evening :) I had chikku kulfi after such a long time.. it brought back memories of the days when me n cousins used to pluck out chikku's directly from the tree at my granny's place.. sigh good old childhood..

Anyways, after that the fireworks started and we spread out sheets n mats on the ground and had a spectacular show in the sky lying down cosily thru the night.. It truly felt special celebrating independence day cos never had it seemed so important..Always it was the skits that we presented in school on the day or the patriotic songs we sang or the laddu which we got that used to hold the central attention in my mind.. But this one time, may be being away from my country made it all the more important for me and hence we made a concious effort to celebrate it..

On a different note i finished reading the Kite runner by Khaled Houssaini..The story is very much gripping and i did enjoy reading every page of it.. I had never wondered how life in Afghanistan would be and it was amazing to find it so vastly different that ours.. surely deserves the appreciation the author received, especially this one being his debut book.But at some point i did feel that the book has been a little over-hyped about..Or may be his second book is really too gud.. well i shud read that one too soon.. but surely "the kite runner" is a worth read for every human being..

Bluff Master

2007-08-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

The weekend was rocking with a late night DJ party, a bhajan mandali and an excellent card game of bluff. Those of you who do not know how to play it may find it a bit difficult to relate to my experience. but its easy to follow if u read thru the link..

We started this game with about 9-10 players.. All young, enthusiastic, bubbly and on the look out to catch each others bluff.. It was a hard time for the person whose turn it was to play, for he would be coaxed by all others to "call" the bluff of the previous player.. Now let me briefly tell u how it works.. In this game each player has equal number of cards and the person who gets to play can bluff about his cards.. (the cards are kept inverted) N if caught by the next person all the cards come to him n if the bluff call was false the person who called, has to take all the cards. N the winner is the person who finishes off all his/her cards.

My husband was playing it for the first time n he had a tough time deciding whther to call bluff or not when his turn came. n fortunately or not i was the one sitting before him. So he was subject to all the teasing saying he was being partial to me ;) all of course for fun alone.. It was a terrific evening with loads of laughter and a sumptous dinner after tat. But what made me post it in here is the lesson we learnt over this game of bluff..

It was plainly visible that all the other players tried to lure you into playing by wat they say. at times it was to call bluff at other times it was not to call bluff.. but they were all united. sumhow..

N that depended on just pulling each others leg or to confuse the person whohad to play. N in the end watever the result was whether the way you played turned in your favour or not, everybody laughed and you were the sole person affected by the whole thing.. That evening i learnt one small lesson.. the world is like that.. it always tries to lure you towards it.. trying to confuse you and to bestow its wishes upon you. for watever step you take, the world is not affected by it but its your life which changes by it.. It showed us the importance of deciding for one self.. How important it is not to be the football of others opinion..

Also here is wishing all my indian/pakistani readers a happy independence day!!

60 glorious years of indian independence!!

This video made my heart swell with pride for being an indian.. N i am really sad that im not in India :(

Anyways enjoy this video and Hail India!!! :)

I believe

2007-08-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all ur comments on my previous post.. As they say time is the best healer.. the biggest of wounds are forgotten with time.. had read somewhere that if a woman cud remember how painful it was to have a child she wouldn't venture for it the next time.. :)
So yes as u all said.. that's life.. recently before i wrote my prev post i had written a post on life being the best gift. take a look at it here.
So, guess i let go of all the fears, anxiety n move on taking one day, one hr, one moment at a time.. And i am sure u all agree that at times the going gets tough.. and u need to give vent to ur feelings.. but now I'm composed.. thanks to all u wonderful people out there..
My RJ thingy has sprung up again.. they called me n asked if i cud do an Ad..i was all yes yes yes n so off i went driving 20 miles ;) N its the first time i was driving alone on freeways.. so it was exciting... N now my voice is getting broadcast over Dallas for 2 ads. one for an Indian grocery store and another for a furniture shop. cool na.. It will be really gr8 if i get tat job.. i will enjoy doing it rather than sit n talk to computers... ;) well ya so small things bringing joy and making life normal again..
well guess that's how it is and always will be we need to keep singing and dancing. as the show must go on... enjoy!!

puppet show

2007-08-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i removed all the pictures i had put into orkut a socialising site from my profile and was subject to questions from many. one of my friend's asked me if i was scared about all the talks on photos being misused from the net. i said no, i wasn't scared of anyone or anything but God. I am really scared wat god has in store for us.. It is like a huge puppet show..
we can be hurt, sad, happy or wat not,but the show must go on.. the world just moves on..suddenly the puppet whom u were dancing beside is no more there.. The one who was holding ur hands has rage in his eyes for u.. You are such a dumb head.. don't even know wats going on.. but still u dance, sing and move on..
I keep thinking of the day when the curtain will fall and i will meet the big director.. wouldn't i have many questions to ask him.. oh yes i will.. but i only hope i wont be muted once i step out of the big dias..
extremist ideas are a pain to my brain.. one moment i feel god is a sadist but the other i feel the devil is putting such ideas into my head n in real god must be working real hard to take care of all his children.. the devil is the one who brings destruction and god is working overtime to mend and tend us..
aren't my ideas extremists?? well yes an overload of free time and stress.. i know i may sound crazy, but a lot of things are happening out here.. i dont think i can share it all on this blog but plz do pray for us.. i wish i cud go just go home , back to India.. sigh..
enjoy the puppet show readers!!!

A BIG HI

2007-07-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

hey all,
i have not been blogging as frequently as i used to these days.. But believe me, for a change im working he he ;)
Don't know if u noticed but i have put up a link for a travel site www.sgctravel.com. its my hubby dear's dream project and we have been working to make it work :) Do drop in and say wat u think about it.. Suggestions/frank opinions are most welcome.. Would love to hear wat u have to say..
Another thing has been on my career front.. there are a few developments happening here and there.. So fossils have started to stir at last ;) More importantly, I took up a dare and i attended an interview for a Radio Jockey at the Dallas desi(indian) FM 104.9 ;) The interview was a piece of cake n i hope the results too are sweet and tasty!! I would love it if i get this job.. its been my dream to have an artistic/creative kinda career. But it never materialised or rather i never took up the dare ;)
but now i have.. As i reach a quarter mark in life, i feel the many inhibitions i have kept so dear to me are nothing but cobwebs hindering my view.. So i have decided to emerge strong and try being brave ;) N I'm glad i attended the interview, even if i don't make it to the next level.. but i keep my fingers crossed n wish i do:)
it feels nice to be sharing all this stuff with u guys again.. Another innovative(?) thing i did is i created a local community here on my favourite pass time orkut.com and the response did turn out well.. the first meet happened last weekend and we all went for bowling.. The alley was beautiful and the back drop colorful and very graphic.. Would love to have posted pics but i forgot to take my camera n the only pics i got were from a friend and are of them(n me too ;))..So no alley to show u :( However,bowling struck us hard n so me n V went again this weekend for bowling at a different place.. but this place wasn't as good as the first one. but there were many other games n we enjoyed a lot. :) so that's all about my update.. n now will visit each of u soon :) tc..

The witch of portobello

2007-07-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

lotus reads so many books n her book reviews are splendid.. She inspired me greatly to read new books.. I always used to pick up the books from libraries and have hardly chosen a random book from the store to read.. It was fine till now.. But recently when the parameters of time n resources are being abundantly favoured on me, i thought it was time to move a step further...

i have started frequenting Barnes and nobles bookstore near our place n have found the ambiance there really refreshing.. Few teenagers r lying down on the floor reading while some others are sitting squat legged taking down notes.. The kids have their own space n so do adults..The plush sofas are cosy and welcoming n i found there were people spending their whole day there.. It was 4 weeks back, here, that i had started reading "THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO" However that time i cudn't finish it and luckily i got it from the library on request..

Being a Paulo Coelho fan, i had badly wanted to read that book.. The Alchemist has completely swept me over n somehow i started to believe in the lessons for soul and in spirituality.. What he says seems to make sense to me..

The same holds true about The witch of portobello too..(However The alchemist still tops as my favourite :) ) Based on the current day lives in London/Dubai n Romania, the story binds the contemporary and spiritual lives of a young woman..She is Sherine Khalil who loves to call herself as Athena, a normal young girl who has great determination to live a useful worthy life.. The beauty of the book is that it is a first person narration of the many people who closely knew the protagonist, who now is dead.. The author speaks about the female form of god and this time around love plays a central role in his plot..So does the part of a guru/teacher.

I feel he is an author of great calibre and has the power to take u to a next level..It is like picturing the story from an invisible fourth dimension plane.It sure is deep and thought provoking and not all of u may like it much.. Philosophy is illustrated with simple facts but at times the goin may get a little too tough.. However a good read for anyone who likes a little spirituality/philosophy.

2007-07-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

it sure is a crisis..
the temperaturs r soaring.. The coke cans are just going..
the rain clouds have vanished.. N so have the flowers that i cherished.
the pool is full of noisy kids and the library is at a stand still..

ok guys no time for poetry now.. i know my blogging is at a low.. i've been busy job hunting..
But sigh guess i need to wait till october before anything can happen..last year too i was listening to this same song.. i was on the so called "bench"(out of project) n was waiting for october when i cud go home :)

wake me up when september ends.. by Green Day!!
N as the song is good im not getting bugged :)))enjoy!!!

Corny Lines..

2007-07-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?

you must be tired 'cause you've been running through my mind all day!

Corny lines have always had me awestruck.. Some of them are so plain outrageous that u can't fool a three year old..

But ain't it mushy mushy, sweet and romantic like some of these i can fall for any day -

"I wanna swim in ur eyes so deep.
N hold you even when ur asleep ;)
And steal ur heart forever to keep
N like a broom off ur feet will i sweep
If u were a sheep, i'd be ur bopeep
My heart for u ever surely does weep.
Its done since jumping off lovers leap.
I've to end this asking give me a peep.
Wear just a smile ,sow seeds we can reap?"

corny way to propose right??
So wat do u say? wats the corniest lines u have come across???

How Much????

2007-07-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

value the people around you more than some superfluous thing...
smile when you can for tomorrow is unseen :)

Your Life Is Worth...

$1,084,000

How Much Is Your Life Worth?

the belated tags!!!

2007-07-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when you seem to have a lot of something, even if that something was something you always longed badly for, it seems soo boring... n the something i seem to have a lot these days is ofcourse time..i always felt there is so much in this world to know.. so much more to learn, so much on the internet, n wat all i cud do when i sit idle.. sigh!!!
Sadly nothing seems to be interesting me now.. as i have already told you, i am awestruck by the libraries here.. but sadly my reading is at an all time low :( n i feel so pathetic about it..
Earlier when i was a student or was working, i always read some book before goin to bed. it was part of my routine.. now the moment i take a book im fast asleep.. maybe cos the times i choose to read are afternoons.. but 2 days back one book caught my attention.. we went to Barnes &Nobles n i picked up paulo coelho's "the witch of portobello" n read the first 50 pages.. N it sure was intriguing!!! looking forward to reading it soon..
I am in a crappy mood right now.. but i thought i wud finish the 3 long waiting tags from nanditha, radha and ranjith. And akanksha too(the last 2 have tagged me on the same one!!)

The above lines were written a week back.. However i didnt complete the post nor publish it then.. But must tell u today i am happy that i put in some efforts to change the situation described in the above lines.. i completed reading a book in 1 week.. i had forgotten when was the last time i finished one at that pace.. Oof course there have been times i did it in 2 days.. but as i told u i hadnt' been ale to do so for some time.. n now im glad i cud.. :)
Also i have requested for some of the books i had always wanted to read from the library an somhow tat frees me form the "i'm a moron" feeling now.. N im back to the stage were i think i can post in with a positive feeling.. i know its best to write (type) down ur sorrows.. But somehow i hardly do it here.. May be cos i want to read only the happy instances when i read my blog as a granny he he..

So coming to the belated tags.. phew i got 3 of them to do..
The first one i believe is not so late as its a book tag and i took up my new book just yesterday..lol ;)
N the book is 'Bedford Square' by Anne Perry.. Now this is the first time i'm reading her n i randomly chose a mystery novel ;) Hope she is good..
So the lovely Nandhita tagged me to jot down the 5th paragraph of page 123 of my current read
i hope its a small para ;)
so here goes -
(ha ha im lucky.. just 2 lines ;))

she smiled back at him, as if she had understood far more than he had said "How very wise of you.I shall do exactly the same."And she walked close to his side,keeping her arm through his.

And the chapter ends there!!(im all smiles)

so one down.. Here goes the next one..

Better Late than "The late" Tag

A tag all the way from Dubai by the beautiful Radha to tell you about my oldest childhood memories..Now as u must be knowing i love talking abt the old times (Ha do i sound ike a granny)..
So my oldest childhood memory wud be.. wel u have to listen to many cos im not sure which is the oldest..
They all have to be from the Bangalore times.. means my first 4 yrs in Bangalore.
I remember my first 'boy'friend called vicky. He was an yr older than me n also our next door neighbour. And once when there were some guests at our place n my parents were seeing them off at the gate, i ran over to vicky's house(both our homes were in the same compound n it was night) my mom n dad kept searching for me n at last found me he he i dont remember if i was smacked for running away like that ;) But im sure i wudn't have been as i was a cute talkative little gal at age 3 n wud have talked them out of it.. smart aint i ;)

N another small bad habit or lets say addiction i had at the time was my feeding bottle.. (shud i be a little embarrassed to say this :D) yes i was hooked to it n wudn't abandon it for anything.. then my dad had to create a scene of smashing the bottle in front of me n dumping it in the dustbin so that i wud wane away from my habit.. sigh poor me.. :(
ok i think i will stop on my ever flowing memories here for now else it sounds like a lullaby..

So marching on towards 'The Late'st Tag..
My buddy Ranjit n the pretty gal Akanksha have tagged me to write 8 random things about me..
but i guess i have already done a similar one not so while ago.. So Do have a look here
N as they make only 5 here i go bragging 3 more things about myself..

*I don't know swimming. N this summer i badly wish i did.. N also i'm a bit reluctant to learn from some swimming school now.. cos i am ahem ahem shy.. :(

*I have always wanted an elder brother..Though i had few rakshabandhan bro's at school, it was for plain fun n sharing sweets alone..well mostly.. it never worked out the way i always wanted.. Nor can i expect it to right.. so sigh..

* ok n as for the next random thing about me.. u tell me.. i will publish the one thats most appealing to me :)

A very Long Engagement

2007-06-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

After watching amelie, i became enchanted by audrey tautou. And i was happy to get "a very long engagement" on mail, in which she plays an even more powerful character..
i have been wanting to write the review of this movie for the past 2 weeks.. However somehow the time/mood compatibility seems to have favoured only now.. I fear i lost the vehement desire n freshness of the noble thought now :( but still i'll try..

Crippled with polio n living in war timesmatilda,the heroine of this simple love story has much more in depth to express than i first expected.. The movie really takes one on a treasure hunt and the feeling of adventure and mystery are sure to accompany you till the end..with not one boring scene/reel i felt a sense of achievement after watching this movie.. each character is carefully interwoven and its fabulous how the plot unfolds.. some of the war scenes might be disturbing though..A very true to life and touching movie, which has truly captured the pain, the fear and hopes of soldiers and their loved ones.There is a subtle tinge of humour and excellent cinematography and direction are a sure plus..truly enjoyable was also the background score, costumes and effects.

Though it was a bit difficult to keep reading the subtitles mind you, as i am yet to be accustomed to watching foreign films i enjoyed the movie a lot, ..must say i am completely knocked down by audrey.. first it was audrey hepburn.. now audrey tautou.. may be if i have a daughter, u can guess wat i may name her ;) provided i am not that impressed by sumone else by then.. lol

Another movie which got hooked into me was "The hours".The entire movie revolves on a book "Mrs dalloway".. how the book takes over the life of 3 women, living in 3 different cities at 3 different periods.. there was a lot hidden and unsure about the 3 women.. though a little clarity is presented towards the end, it is enigmatic..it is about their whole lifes in 1 day, the day their fates become clear.. As is said in the movie "A woman's whole life in a single day. Just one day. And in that day her whole life. "

The dialogues are excellent.. It ranges over a wide spectrum and the story tells us abt so many things in so many ways..it feels you are reading a book.. There is so much scope for imagination. n yet in the end, it remains a simple story abt a woman who wrote a book in 1923in England, a women who read it in 1951 in LA and yet another modern day woman who seemed to be living it in 2001 in NY city.

somehow it seems inexplicable to me.. but it sure was a pleasure to analyse the movie.. nicole kidman won the oscar for playing the English writer n must say she has successfully portrayed a battered kind of a schizophrenic woman, concealing her glamour and her strikingly different nose. julianne moore is pretty in the 50's costume and meryl streep who im sure u all will agree as a versatile actress, has done a fair job in this movie as well.
i had fun imagining the possible links between the 3 stories till the end.. wuldn't want to spoil the surprise for any of you.. based on Michael Cunningham's 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning Novel"The Hours." ,this movie can be enjoyed by drama lovers :)

Birthday bash..

2007-06-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

It sure is fun to arrange a surprise party!!! Especially since i have found mobility real recently ;)So on thursday was my dear V's b'day. N bein the first after our marriage i thought it really needs to be spl..
n here im posting the birthday cake for u all..It was marathon cooking..N the party rocked leavin me all tired n speechless.
so will find words to express some other time.. till then enjoy the weekend all..

BEING IN TWENTIES - SOMETHING

2007-06-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it.
We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to your twenty-something friends... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...
We call it the "Quarter-life Crisis."

U may have read this before.. i paste it here now cos i and my husband think that now,i am going through this phase.he he :-)

parts of me

2007-06-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

i come to u in n Bits n bytes
with parts painted in blacks n whites..
at one time i add a flab here n there
n sumtimes i tend to loose shedding a tear.

when i met a guy in school
some grey part bloomed up in me..
when i crushed the little crush
my heart just broke.. but with a hush..

nowone ever saw the tiny parts moving..
but it sure did for the change is now showing..
i tell u they move, they play games with me..
n if u care to notice i can show it to thee..

for him i did this for her i did that..
n suddenly i see that time didnt halt.
but now i take rest to turn back n see
colours too peek from behind the grey tree.

when i travelled from one city to another..
the smoke n dust climbed into me sumhow or the other..
but also did the many good things..
like the music, the food n a passion for kings..
loved history i did.. but physics flew above my head..
chemistry was always a mystery.
but maths i cud do lying on my bed..

this thing n that kept adding up
n at times the clouds of sorrow kept looming up..
but after a certain threshold i lost the childhood dream..
strong, determined n matured was all that remained it seems..

but even today i feel a child playing in me..
the old games of hide-n-seek may be she plays with me..
many a friends i made on my way..
treasure them i will more than gems anyday..
but some few ones i have lost..right in front of my eyes the friendship gets killed..
n my heart aches to know where i went wrong..But the doors r now forever sealed..

there were people whom i care for just not so well..
but if they were friends i miss them like hell..
when the grey is too thick it drives me crazy..
just tell me the reason for this to go frizzy...

one part is straight another is not.
some ve cooled down while anothers still hot..
some r still weeping but others r bare,
N reading all together is a riddle so rare..
but one thing i tell u, its all i have got..
N each one together are like forget me nots..

But now i know that spring is here..
n i will not let be held back in fear..
another new chapter will begin this year
n spring it will be forever my dear..

weekend @ the gardens

2007-06-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

After having bored you all with more n more of "glimpses of me" finally i am able to tell u more about the city we have moved to.. Last weekend we did some exploring other the grocery shops that is ;). we went to the Dallas arboretum and botanical gardens.. As we thought it would be only a matter of 2-3 hours we started out in the afternoon.. However the gardens spanning over a stretch of 66 acres were vast and welcoming.. The sun was in full glory and we had a tough time staying away from the lula mae cool drink cafe.. The arboretum is colourful year round and there are ground breaking research activities happening there..

The whole area has been sub divided into smaller sections called A Woman's Garden, DeGolyer Gardens,Jonsson Color Garden, Lay Ornamental Garden,Boswell Family Garden ,McCasland Sunken Garden, Paseo de Flores,The Palmer Fern Dell etc..

The Paseo de Flores was one of the best and loomed out in all its glorious beauty.. Though the summer was kind of discouraging, i was happy we went to the gardens..It was really soothing n the colorful flowers were pleasant and serene.. There were many visitors as it was a weekend and also were there weddings!! not one but atleast 3-4.In different spots we saw the Dias being set n the brides, grooms n all the people looked so elegant n charming.. It was the first time i was witnessing an American wedding.N must say it looked just like in the movies.. I ve always loved the long flowing brides gown n it was a joy to watch.. n i cud hear one of the little gals(who puts flowers on the brides path) saying "Its so difficult to keep smiling all the time!!!" ha ha..

Also was there an ancient home, a master piece in Mexican architecture, in the middle of the arboretum, now converted into a cafe.. There r tours to the house every hour but sadly we missed the last one for the day..but V is so much enchanted with that house that we sure will go back one more time, me for the garden n he for the house :)

Thats the picture of the house from the exterior..

Also there were trams available which took you from one end of the garden to the other.Of course it is a must in such huge place..

well maintained and beautiful, this is surely one place worth visiting in Dallas :)

A gr8 day!!!

2007-06-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

OMG.. OMG OMG
people can u believe it.. i got my drivers license today!!! not that it was impossible.. but the unbelievable part is that i got a 100/100... straight good(thats the highest they give here mind u..:P) in all the areas.. My instructor said i was excellent n i deserved a pat on the back he hehe..
n to think i had been swearing all the DPS offices n the roads n the rules here he he.. now i can go shopping to the malls n where not. he he..
okay don't u worry.. i will be safe wont drive at 90mph.. N will strictly stick to the rules.. :D
hmmm so thats one down!!! life's becoming smoother.. n i guess i ve found out ways to control my frustrations n give vent to suppressed feelings..
We marked our half anniversary recently n it rained heavily hahaha lol!!!
i have thought of doing some volunteering job this summer in the library n hope it turns out to be fun...
i love my new Nike walking shoes n they r simply gr8!!!
n ppl all this excitement is making me crazy so i better stop spilling all beans here..
have a gr8 weekend(yes for me it starts on Thursday!! :D)

BOOOM!!

2007-06-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

hey people................. A BIG BIG HI..

10 DAYS!!! Withot u.. life was barren!!!

I was choked to Boredom n i kept thinking of other things to do on my to-do list.believe me all boring ;-) Though important.. :-( So i just did it for namesake.. After all, wat gud is doing all the imporant things if u dont feel like urself or feel dull n pathetic rt???

The long weekend (may 26-28) was fun.. we drove over to houston n had a fine time meeting friends n relatives.. N had loads of gud food..ha ha yes im fed up of eating my own food. :P

i drove at 90 mph he he n it was thrilling.. but it was a bit scary when the rain gods put me to test n we were driving with the emergency lights on cos visibility was near zero..(ha ha is this a plane or wat??? lol) watever.. ;)

Gosh how i love blogging... though it is like penning my innermost thoughts n some of which r top secrets ok..but y bother abt the virtual problems when i have the real friends in my readers.. It was really very sweet of harshal to keep tempting me to come back..Also all the others who said my site was gud n they wanted me to come back made me feel gud.. atleast it erased all doubts of whether all this writing was worthwhile.. Not that i intended to stop blogging.. but now atleast it states that it was not only me enjoying my blog :)

Job hunt has officially begun n in less than 3 months i may be working full time.. i am happy abt it cos its been almost 6 months that im idle at home now.. but this is fun too.. It shows on the weighing maching ;-)

posting a pic of my straight hair which gave me oodles of joy thought again thanks to the rains lasted hardly 3 days.. i have loads of catching up with u all to do.. if i missed out on anything really really imp/ exciting pl do let me know.. i must confess hibernation sucks.. there was not a wink of sleep leave alone sweet dreams.. so i better stick to my day dreaming!!!

Cheers,

diyadear

hibernation

2007-05-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

hey people...
I'm kinda bored.. have to do some soul searching.. i'm gonna be in hibernation for some time.. but promise i'll be back.. please dont forget me ok...
i dont know how long its gonna take..oh ya i really forgot to share with u a happy news. last week i got my h1 receipt. awaiitng the approval now.. thatmeans i have hopes of getting a job now :)
on that gud note, cya..
take care.. enjoy!! will miss u all..

Music And Lyrics!!

2007-05-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

saw this movie recently.. Don't worry.. im not here to give a review.. ;)
just loved this song a lot n it has completely had me...
a classic melody.. check out for urself.. Oh ya.. n there s another version in which the starting piece of music is played using a veena.. i just loved it a lot... Sorry i cudn't find that clip for u.. but here is the original full version.. Enjoy!!

Amelie

2007-05-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Its not often that i watch a foreign film.. The idea of comprehending the movie through subtitles n video alone doesn't always fascinate me much.. However with regard to powerful movies recommended by friends/family, its always exception..

The seven samurai (1954) is a Japanese movie often aired in management classes and as part of team building sessions for its powerful presentation of victory achieved as a team.. That was the first foreign film i watched..

Amelie was recommended by a dear friend who will have a major role in my hair straightening, as she is the one who has gifted me with the straightening iron ;-)

This french movie is about an impish gamine Amelie who lives alone and works in a cafe. She is timid, yet cheerful with a child's heart..When she finds a box of toys hidden for 40 years behind a baseboard in her apartment, she's inspired to repatriate the items, an impulse of generosity that sparks more benevolent acts, one after the other.

The first half of the movie is thoroughly enjoyable. Amelie's vivid imagination is hilarious and her little ways of life are amusing..However the second half may seem too childish and a bit silly..

It is a light hearted movie jarringly adult in some other ways, which in my opinion needn't have been.. Anyways, enjoyable by adults, it is daringly distinct. A celebration of life, Amelie reminds us of the small wonders that abound around us … if only we paused to look. Thanks to my friend who recommended it to me :)

5 things!!!

2007-05-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Mr j has tagged me to write 5 things that you don't know about me..
It is kind of a sequel to his post as the fifth thing he said reminds me of this ;)
1. I have an elephant's memory.. so people say..
But yes i do remember most of the things which generally most others don't. it thrills me to go into intricacies n recollect past stories with the utmost details, to the amusement of listeners(or so i hope ;-))
2. i have had 5 surgeries till now n the by the time i underwent the 5th one i think the nurses looked more nervous than me :-)
3.i enjoy the company of guys more than gals n since childhood i ve had more number of guy friends than gal.. hence i treasure the few gal friends i have.. n of course also the bestest boy buddies..
4. From my above statement u may tend to think that i am or was a tomboy kind but no.. i have real long hair..i tend to sit on it if i leave it open he he.. n though US has been luring me to cut it short i love it real long n straight.. hence planning on straightening it..(my next post has more to say on this) N last yr i did color it Forster brown after seeing the Garnier ad starring kareena much to my dad's horror!!
5.A surprise element i found about myself recently is thati love cooking!!! nobody in this world wud believe this(ppl who know me previously ie) for i always had this instinct to eat out rather than cook at home n eat.. but i must say now i do enjoy it..

N ha ha ha as i have told u that, lemme also add to the latest miraculous recipe discovered in my kitchen..(pl don't get pissed cos my blog is kind of becoming a recipe blog these days..)

Those of u who hate green leaves like me(i used to hate spinach as a kid.. dont enjoy it much even know) can try this out..

This time it was V who instructed me how to do it. So the credit goes to him..(Mr j, plz note this point ;-)) He is on a no-carb diet and hence we r into soups n salads..

So this is how i made the spinach soup this morning..Thanks to the pressure cooker, my job was real easy.. i cut one full bunch of spinach and one full onion into the pressure cooker. Added water so that the water remains above the other contents. Put a little salt and one big green chilly cut into 2 halves n pressure cooked it till 3-4 whistles.

Thats it.. after all the steam is gone, u can open it and serve along with 2 drops of soya sauce per serving..

I liked it lots and so did V. i think for people like me who find eating green leaves a pain, this soup is an effective alternative..N i didn't forget to click the picture for u guys this time.. he he
N it sure tasts like spinach clear soup ;-)

oops i forgot the tag part!!

here r 5 people i tag - bharath, tapak, rahul, sweta and cris

photos

2007-05-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

Last 4 days i was home alone.. vasanth had gone to NY and the first day i was happy to be lazying around.. second day got up on my heels n finished the unpacking i had to do.. 3 rd day i really got so bugged..I was getting so angry and had nobody to shout at.. the reason for anger was my anxiety.. i am waiting eagerly to know the results of my H1. yeah it has become more like an exam now cos they put lots to decide whose application needs to be chosen to process!!! My goodness..Isn't that weird??Staking hard on the teeny weeny, itsy bitsy luck that i may occasionally be surprised with and keeping my fingers crossed i am awaiting the deciding factor of my future still.. but no news.Anyways, the fourth day i e Thursday however passed quickly as i was on a day long preparation to receive him :)
Cooking was on full spree and so was cleaning.. ;) i baked my first cake.. made of almond..N no i did not use any cake mix ;-) (in picture) N the blunder i did was, of course i had to commit atleast one.. i put a pinch of custard into the mix thinking it is baking powder..However, the cake did come out well.. (obviously, thats wat i wud say) no jokes apart it did taste gud. he he

N though i was alone at home, i have found a companion to go for evening walks with. Mrs S is a gud company n with the 1 hr walking that we do in the evenings hope to stay fit n fine like my cousin PS :)

And here r the pics of my fireplace n the french windows i had promised u.

Gourmet kitchen!!!

2007-05-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Considering the huge public demand(ahem ahem) for my recipes, let me share wat happened few days back... It was only 2 days since we had arrived here at our new apartment.. n the kitchen stock was lean. My gourmet husband rang me up from office to tell that he was very hungry n wanted some snack with the tea when he came from office.. (That's not part of dinner mind you ;-))
i just didn't know wat to do.. some googling lead to mashed potatoes, n deep fried crunchy snacks (as i had restricted them to my limited supplies..) i personally don't like much oily food n try to be health conscience at least while cooking ;-) So i just dumped Google n jumped into my kitchen, all equipped with experimental ideas n grinning at the thought of my poor guinea pig..
So, heres wat i did -
Dip some slices of bread in water (i just don't know y i did it, but i did..)
after that just pinch them into small pieces.. (they wont be pieces but almost a paste)
I boiled the potatoes in the microwave for abt 4-5 mins, peeled them n then mashed them into the bread.. aah.. it was a real sticky paste.. he he
add some chopped cilantro(coriander leaves), chilly powder, salt n tomato salsa(it was my experiment ;-)) After all this the paste was so sticky that i cudn't make it into any shape.. so i thought n thought n stumbled upon some bread crumbs (canned) in the kitchen.They sure came to my rescue that day..
I shaped up my cutlets (thats how they looked in the end ;)) dipping them in the bread crumbs.. N cleverly i foresaw that the slightest thought of frying them wud be like merely inviting oil to be vacuumed in.. So i took out a girdle n just roasted them..
i just prayed it shouldn't be a disaster n my prayers were answered..
I dunno if this is some famous recipe with a distinguished name.. But till now i think i invented it tat day.. If there is some other hidden truth any of u are aware of i will be glad to hear..
N as for my husband he engorged it happily (also to my happiness he he)

Nest shift

2007-05-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

As i had mentioned in my post cyfair-college library that i wud tell u all my reasons for not being able to do a course there.. Well the reason is this!! We have moved over to Dallas.

Shifting was a real pain.. All the packing, loading, unloading... phew...I missed the blogging world though i did try n visit ur sites in between..

I must say i love my new apartment.. It has a fireplace and french windows..Also, with spring in its full bloom, i can c the beautiful garden down below from our portico..

will upload pics of my new home soon..

Although all this settling in has infused me with a bad cold, i think this change is good.. But i will surely miss Houston a lot. Our cousins there.. Little sadhana n her family, friends.. n oh ya her new born sister shrawanti.. i hadn't overcome missing India when again we had to move n now its overridden by feelings of missing Houston..

Anyways, i look forward to a new city and new people.. That's sumthing i can adapt with ease as i have been shifting every 2-3 yrs all through my life..

Vasanth's mom has gone back to India n i'm now in full charge of the kitchen.. i can't resist telling u all that the first 2 days of breakfast, lunch n dinner was a success...
Hope the heart-stomach saying keeps working on n on ;)

A Terrific AD

2007-04-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

A great ad - Ironically from a non Indian company!!
And nonetheless this ad won the EPICA awards for best ad..

A tribute to Gandhiji- truely inspiring.. (To view click here)

Adopt a plant

2007-04-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Little Sadhana (my 6 yr old friend*)is very happy.. she is getting a baby sister this Thursday.. She is thrilled at the concept of baby-sitting her sister and so very excited about it..

I have learnt a lot from her.. She has introduced me to her world of Disney, pbskids, nick and more.. I must say these sites r really amusing and the games are quite entertaining... i do have a lot of fun on these sites..

She is a very sweet child and ever willing to help her mom/me with the household chores of cooking and cleaning..Charming n smart, she is my favourite accomplice.One of the recent incidents she handled smartly is, when after dinner she was served dessert n she asked for a second helping. Her mom hinted that she shouldn't waste it.. however half way through little Sadhana got fed up n noticed that her mom was yet to take the dessert.. She quickly commented.. "mom, u needn't trouble urself to fetch the dessert.. i can share mine with u.." how sweet rt?? But the naughty look on her face did give her away.. n we all had a hearty laugh..

i wished i had heard of his line when i was a kid..It wud have saved me so much energy, resisting n pleading to be let without eating the spinach n beets..i wud gladly share them.. :-)

As she is not permitted to keep pets by her dad, Sadhana has very smartly deviated the channel towards having a pet plant.. she has a small pot with white n yellow chrysanthemums and tends n nurtures it lovingly..

I too had been thinking for a while about gardening and my roommate in India also loved the idea n we used to plan to get a plant.. however it never materialised for us..And last Friday, to my ecstasy, the guests who were invited over for dinner at our place landed with a pot of white chrysanthemums :-) I am trying my best to make them feel at home.. Hope the climate too obliges n my flowers keep blooming the way they are now.. (in pic)

* it was amusing to note that some of u thought sadhana is my daughter.. he he!! wud love to mother a kid like her.. :-) but guess its not the right time yet ;-)

Life After Death

2007-04-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

One day, after you die, n may be after all the people who knew you die, will there be be even a trace that such a person as you ever walked on this earth?? To think you lived.. may be many years.. without even leaving behind a mark.. The thought doesn't seem very bright right??

what do u think about it??

Stepping stone

2007-04-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Phew.. wat a hectic weekend it has been.. I won't be exaggerating if i said it has been the most hectic weekend in my life... But it was gr8 fun too.. I met my best friend from school who came from Alabama, along with her husband to meet us.. It was some gr8 catching up with old times n a gr8 sadya (traditional feast on plantain leaf) on account of the mallu new year Vishu. But pity she had to leave on the same day, n it all ended soo soon..

The piercing, ear-wrecking beep of the alarm never troubled me too much as i have imbibed in me the talent to swiftly snooze/off it n turn around n get another hour or 2 of sleep.. However today was a very important day in the history of my life..We had to rush n be in line if i were to take my driving test today... i did do some practise the previous week n my parallel parking was surely exemplary..Though i am used to driving coolly on the known roads when it comes to unknown ones some nervous daemon leaps out.. N even though the instructor took me half way through my known road, sum thing didn't impress her.. This is not as an excuse but she too didn't seem very sweet or nice to me, for she didn't even have the politeness to answer back to my good morning greeting..

N the comments after the test on my sheet said i stopped ahead of the stop sign, i needed practise n that i was slow.. well for the stop sign, yes after coming from a college were our motto was"rules r meant to be broken" it will be a little tough for me to stick to all rules here.. As for more practise yes, i am still confused abt which one is the main road n which is the entrance to some building/parking lot.. Guess i will also need time to shift bet the right n left hand driving methods.. My instincts take me to the right hand driving methods back in India..

Well i know its no use feeling frustrated cos i didn't do exceptionally well or anything.. But guess after waiting from 5-8.30 after my most hectic weekend, she cud ve been more considerate n polite at least.. well yes some ppl can make ur day bad for u..N i need to make this the stepping stone towards success..

So not wanting the stone hearted instructor to steal away the niche of this post, let me tell u abt my happy weekend.. the most exciting things of all was the international gem show here in Houston..It was a twinkling experience.. N mere sight made u feel happy..(i dunno if u find it weird..but thats me..) even though i hadn't planned to buy anything it came as a pleasant surprise when my mother in law gifted me a coral necklace.. (in pic)

There were ivory carvings, diamonds,stones, gems, semi-precious stones.. anything which wud delight a woman.. surely an exhibition worth visiting...

To locate the show nearest to ur place click here.

Thats all from me abt stones at the moment..Bbye..

Casablanca..

2007-04-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time now since i wanted to c this movie..N at last my desire was fulfilled yesterday when i watched it with my husband..
Though it was not all that magical, i loved the movie.. It is very realistic n the characters r all simply adorable...The surprise twist in the end really reminded me of another Hindi movie..The song "As time goes by" is splendid and Humphrey Bugart as a saloon owner is very charming..
To classic lovers, I wud say a must see.. It makes you think, think about war times, the black and white era, and much more..N more so for the lyrics of the song.. They kept me pondering...

[This day and age we're living in
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like fourth dimension.

Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's theory.
So we must get down to earth at times
Relax relieve the tension

And no matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such They cannot be removed.]

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.

And when two lovers woo
They still say, "I love you."
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by.

Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date.
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate.
Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny.

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

On yet another romantic note, read the article below..It left me bewildered...
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL0912761120070409?feedType=RSS

Summer Tag

2007-04-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

hey guys,
Forgot 2 put the customary ending lines to my previous post..That is abt the tagging part!!
I'd be glad if all of u who liked it n wud like to write abt their favourites in summer take up the tag.. do let me know n I'll be happy to read.. :) some ppl i wud really like to take up the tag are :-
Miss Muffet
Lotus reads
Teenager
Mr J
Keshi
Harshal
Have a gr8 weekend!! happy Easter...

The Summer Tag!!

2007-04-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

When temperatures roared to a scale of 86F, n just as we started mentioning the summer,lo! I get tagged by Priya..I am to write the 8 things i enjoy doing in summer..

Let me start with the summers when I was at school and like any kid, the Summer holidays were much rejoiced!!
In whichever part of the country we were, during summer, we wud be back to our home state kerala entitled "God's own country". It was fun to be at my grandparents place..I am the first born to my mom, she to her dad n he to his parents.. so in this case, i was the only one in my generation for quite a while there.. N that did the wonder.. I cud bask in the warmth of the love n care of my grandparents,my mom's 4 siblings, her uncles, aunts n cousins who were in school or college at the time. They called me "diya kutti"(diya baby :)) and thus pampered me a lot..I know i still hold that special place in their hearts.N later as the family extended, the fun was in the merriness n togetherness..
So my first best thing is goin to native place and being with all cousins and relatives..

My second best thing is also associated with my native place..my granny along with her favourite maid who was also to be addressed as granny by us, and her 2 daughters prepared a horde of sumptuous savouries, desserts n pickles.. Each day was a feast.. My favourites among them were the chips made of jack fruit, plantain, jack fruit halwa(A sweet dish), puzhukku (A south indian dish) ,the tapioca curry, the tender coconuts specially kept aside for me.. ah i cant stand to describe any more..
Also equally joyful was when we went hunting.. Not for any animal but for fruits.. It was real fun to struggle hard to pluck jamuns, peaches,sapota, mangoes etcfrom the tall trees..Whole day long we played in the yard n in the night began the "äntakshari" sessions including all the family members..It was especially fun when there was a power cut for there wudnt be the TV to distract anyone..We also enjoyed putting mehandi on each others palms plucking leaves from the mehandi tree and grinding it into a paste mixed with tea leaves n lemon juice..
And as our school vacation was a little out of sync with the state school where my granny was music teacher, i used to accompany her at times to her school.. Also some days accompany my grandpa to his grocery shop..n each place i was given a red carpet welcome ;-)

The third favourite thing is going for trips to hill stations like ooty, kodai, Gangtok, Kathmandu.. Once in 2-3 years we went for these trips and it was best enjoyed in summer when we cud eat lots of ice creams n drink copious amount of fruit juice..

But as all good things come to an end, soon we grew up n got engrossed in all the monotonous worldly affairs of attaining a degree /career and all the serious things..But even in college i did have my share of fun..
4. water theme parks.. every visit has made my day memorable n though I'm a little scared of water (no sarcasm pls :P) it has been real fun..
5. the holi festival which comes in the outset of summer.. A delightful festival full of colours and water, it is worth waiting for the summer...
6.Ice creams... I can spend an entire day in an ice cream parlour.. N chilling out summer with ice creams is my kinda treat :)
7. the beach.. actually it can be point no 1 too. for i simply love being at the beach...N summer or winter its always an affirmative for a beach trip from me.. However it becomes all the more exciting in summers as it is more active and lively..The best way to beat the heat..just be in the water lol..
8.Sleep during day n party at night.. when i was at Chennai where its almost always summer, every weekend thats how it used to be.. We wud laze in bed or in front of TV hogging till 4-5 pm after which our day wud begin ;-) Gosh i miss those days...
Hope to do many more thrilling activities this summer, my first one here in US.. will keep u posted..(hope my flashback stories didn't bore u..)

Mango

2007-03-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody.. Days have just been flying and i find myself staring at another weekend.. hurray!! Not that other days r not a weekend to me.. ;-)

N today was a terrific day cos i got to eat mango mousse as much as i wanted at a lunch buffet.. We went to this tight little place called "Indian wok" which indeed is a favourite place of ours. And wasn't i happy.. to c that the desert had my favourite item on it..

I am crazy abt mangoes.. I can have it for breakfast, dinner, lunch with tea, with bread, rice, noodles whatever!!

Pity this march i miss them soo much.. Its mango season now..Though we do get mangoes here, not the enormous variety from which u get to choose, back in sweet old India.. boo boo

N my naughty little sister is making me J describing how she had all my moms masterpiece mango delicacies.. Juicy ripe mangoes.. see wat power they got.. can even come between sisters ;-) Aint they dressed to kill.. slurp slurp!!

A severed life!!

2007-03-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

I hardly remember the day I came here...Its seems so many years back.. but it hardly has been an year even.. The day when i was taken away from my family.. I didn't even realize that i was to be severed from them forever..May be i miss them so much now because i don't get to meet anyone like me here.. i cant say i don't have friends though..
i love playing with the kids and the new family, (my family now) is very caring and good..i know they all love me a lot and i am being well taken care of.. But at times when everybody else around me gets busy i long for company.. Its pretty frustrating to be inside the house all the time.. N even the times when i go out to the patio or by the pool, i get jealous when i see birds in a flock merrily enjoying their freedom beyond all boundaries.. I love going out.. long drives are really refreshing.. But that happens once in a blue moon.. :(
I guess my autobiography is looking very morose.. So let me tell you about the happier things i do..i love the days when i get to eat rice with yogurt cos tats my favourite.. I love it when the boys pay their full attention to me and are not called away by their mom.. I love to play the ball with them..I love the days when there are pool side parties when i get to roam freely upstairs without getting scared of being alone...Some days even the kids r left with me.. That's when parties are best..N i get to eat chicken.. Ah wat juicy bones!! The very thought makes me smile:) And i must say, that these days do come frequently.. So i guess i lead a happy life.. :)
Before i sign off i have a small confession..Its about the mad crush i have these days.. I just cant help drooling when i think of him..N this is the picture of his i have by my bedside.. Oh.. How i'd love to be on TV like him :-) Ok time to take a nap now..
I'll leave you all with a autographed picture of mine. Click on my name to view it ;-)
Love you all,
Daisy lu (Oh how i love my name...)

PS: I love my friend called diya who introduced me to u all..

Cy-Fair College Library

2007-03-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

On the very first week in US, my hubby took me to the library nearby..The Cy-Fair college library.. It may not be the best one i have seen but believe me.. the place is huge.. N simply awesome!!! Its open to the public n bein a college library feels so young and alive and active!!!
Its open to the public of Harris county(The county where we live) and each person can take up to 50 items(books, Cd's, movies..)I don't know abt the readers here in US but i was really very very impressed..
Moreover, there are hundreds of flat screen computers n laptops all fully connected to the Internet and again open to the public!!! N the number of books is also remarkable.. You name it and they have it.. each arranged in shelves under various headings n sorted by the name of the author.
There are also many short courses for people of all age groups under the continuing education program.. From my first visit to the place i have dreamt of joining this college n bein a part of it.. but the possibility of that looks very bleak.. the reason for that will be revealed to u in the next few weeks..
However we come here on most afternoons to read, browse or simple sit and people watch.. :) it feels gud.. N now here i am sitting on one of those very computers and bringing this post to u :-)

Thinking about this library here i get this thought about realising its worth.. May be because i am new to this country all this looks really fascinating to me n means a gr8 deal.. But may be for the kids here, its like a basic thing..

I remember the times when we got poor grades at school or were whiling away our study time, my father used to say that we don't understand the value of the facilities being showered on us..How hard were the times when he n his siblings had to study under candle lights and kerosene lamps..The definition of basic necessities has changed soo much in one generation..Like for kids today, the computer and Internet are no big deal.. they may not understand the power or knowledge underlying it..I am a huge fan of the Internet especially Google, for the toughest queries find some clues on Google(n for ppl like me the entire right answers) Don't know if any of u ever ponder on these lines as me.. Do let me know.. And i keep my fingers crossed when i think of the basic necessities for next generation :-)

Spring!!!

2007-03-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i felt so happy and content after a long walk.. The winter is gone and spring is here..

There are flowers blooming everywhere n all the many colors and shades make ur lips curve in smile.. Posting in the pics of these lovely flowers that spread joy n warmth to the world around!!

Also, on a recent drive to some place, we came across a place called cypresswood.. Wat a stunning place.. The houses(i shud say mansions) were gorgeous but the trees were the best.. The shades of green and yellow reminded me of the oil paintings we made at school.. How our teacher used to teach us to mix green n yellow for the trees and how i used to admire his paintings!!!

It was truly picturesque!! i also love trees with red leaves..They r so magnificent and outstanding!! As if emanating a message to each one of us to stand out too :-)

The weather is creating wonders and me.. I am "Springing" with joy!!!

Butterfly!!

2007-03-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Recently i hapenned to visit a butterfly museum along with few friends n a bunch of kids.. As its spring break here, the museum was packed with kids..
After the initial struggle for parking , tickets n all we went in.. The National Historic Museum consisted of a museum for chemistry, the skeletons of dinosaurs,elephants etc., a moving section about the Roman Civilization, a gems n minerals display and the Butterfly Museum..

What attracted me most can be guessed from the name of this post namely, the butterflies..

First we were walked through the different stages of the life of a butterfly.. that is the egg, the caterpillar(or larva),the pupa and finally the adult butterfly.
The picture above shows the final 2 stages ie the pupa(green in color) and on the top layer an adult butterfly sprouting out..it was a mesmerising view to c the butterfly freeing itself from the pupa stage n taking the form of a butterfly.. We were really lucky that we cud c a butterfly metamorphosis live.. However we couldn't capture a video for u from the beginning being awestruck.. n i got this after we realised n started the video shoot.

video bein processed.. pl wait.

Next we entered the butterfly world. A dome shaped Eco-system full of plans and greens n butterflies..

This particular butterfly attracted us a lot.. In flashes we cud c the bright blue wings dashing by.. But whenever we tried to capture it, it was nowhere in sight.. After a while of observation we realised it was this same butterfly (pic on left) that looked brown n not so attractive from outside which looked so attractive n colorful on the inside(pic on right)

How very true of the lines "Looks are deceptive!!" Isn't it??

yarned over!!!

2007-03-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

In my previous post i have introduced to u one of my favourite hang outs places the Hobby-Lobby. On one of our strolls, my mother-in-law wanted to check out the "wool" section..

Other than the knitting i did (after much swearing), during my S.U.P.W periods in school, i never even used to think abt it..(Some Useful Periods Wasted is wat we called them..N i don't remember the correct expansion for the Acronym ;-))

However, this is wat elders say..life changes.. N here i was staring at different colors n shapes n prices of yarn!!!I must say the collection was humongous!!! N to add to it there was an after winter clearance sale.. N so many ladies were flocking around.. N among them was one lady who looked very kind and sweet n gave us a polite smile.. I was simply lingering around feeling the soft mass of fabric n admiring the color combinations n glancing at the design patterns in display.. After we had made our selection of colors n texture n all, we moved on to buy crotchet needles..they were also displayed in various size n colors n each labelled with codes n numbers..(All Greek n Latin to me!! now Spanish too ;-)) Now came the million dollar question.. which size to buy?? that's when we thought of approaching our gentle old lady who was still roaming around..
handmaiden.ca/images/intro_yarn.jpg

She was more than willing to help us.. Not only did she tell us the basics of crotchet, she also lead us to a shelf full of delicious looking (pl don't mind my adjectives.. sumthings happened to me today) yarns on sale for a mere 99 cents!! Now these looked really tempting and that's when a teeny weeny wish sprouted in my mind.. Y not learn to knit?? The cause for this noble thought to arise is that the kinda yarn on sale was just perfect for the kinda scarf that i had been wishing for ;-)

Not only that our sweet old lady showed us her cart full of knitting yarns n the half finished scarf she was working on.. n it looked really pretty...A girl as i am, the need for a pretty scarf just made me plunge out from all my laziness n now i have learnt single n double crotchet.. N next winter if i am still around, (or rather u r still visiting my page)u can hear abt the new white scarf that I've knitted :-)

Pretty Woman!!!

2007-03-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

I received this mail from a dear friend this morning... Beautiful Isn't it??Sharing it with all of you N a very happy women's day to all u beautiful ladies out there!! Enjoy!!

Captain Tom's

2007-03-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

Last night's dinner at Captain Tom's Seafood n Oyster was a feel gud one.. with the look n feel of a snub nosed shrimp boat both from outside n inside, the place is packed n in demand!! Sadly we cudn't grab seats by the bow which faces the road..
There is a horseshoe shaped center area used for taking orders n is stacked with all the raw stuff n beer bottles..The service is very prompt n the food pretty cheap too. A dozen oysters run to about four dollars..
You can spice up ur oysters with cocktail sauce,horse radish or lemon juice..with a horde of sauces, each one turning ur face to bum red n numb, choosing the right combination needs talent or the easiest way is just follow wat ur neighbour is doing!!
After the most sought after oysters, there r the shrimps, both fried n stuffed and also catfish..But the dish i liked most is gumbo a typical Louisiana (Cajun) food..consisting of shrimp n okra (lady's finger) it was one of the most delicious soups i have ever had..
Also after finishing a meal u head straight to the cashier n pay for watever u think u had.. so much still, for faith from one human to another :)
I am sorry i didn't take a picture of this wonderful restaurant but my husband bein a gourmet has really liked the place a lot.. so have i.. so we do hope to go back there, when i will surely click a few pics for u :)

My Visual DNA!!

2007-03-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

i think this is cool...

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

sculpeeeeeeee

2007-03-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

This week we have been really busy with a little spiritual work n stuff.. But hopefully I'll be free again by Monday.. But last evening our busy schedule resulted in some quality time spent with a bunch of kids in their clay modelling class..

My husband's nephews aged 10 n 8 are so inspired by him that they blabbered out his talents to their art teacher and she invited him to take a class for the kids.. I ought to mention she was tremendously impressed by his masterpiece ganesha shown in picture..

So we set off with our little clay models,(Check them out!)N i trailed behind him. ;-) The kids were excited as they were being introduced to a new kind of clay the sculpey which cud be baked in the oven and not their unusual play doh.N our little nephews were the proudest of all showing off saying "wow!did my uncle make that!!" It was really sweet to see the kids marvel in wonder n their eyes grow wide as the clay giraffe and ganesha took shape..Interesting were the comments we heard from them too.. our little nephew was telling his friend " hey u need to mould putting more of the clay just like god made your big head.." N also were they very enthusiastic to ask their new teacher whether their model was done alright.. how his one nod of approval made their little faces bloom like flowers.. n in the end each one had his/her initials written on their clay model and sent out to the oven..

It was a cute evening spent with abt 8-9 kids and it was really a pleasure to c them trying on their own to make other creatures after their stint with the giraffe.. This post wud have been best narrated by my husband but just like Watson narrates all Sherlock Holmes stories, i take up the role to present it to you all :)

San Antonio - 2

2007-02-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

The second day in San Antonio began, after a sumptous breakfast of toast,fruits and egg, with visits to the historic missions.
A chain of five missions were built in the 18Th century in Texas mainly to acculturate and Christianize the native population and make them Spanish citizens. Built primarily to expand Spanish New World influence northward from Mexico, the missions also served to introduce native inhabitants into Spanish society.

The picture shows Mission Concepcion. This is the only mission church in San Antonio, Texas, that has never collapsed. However, the colorful geometric designs that originally covered the exterior surface of the mission cannot be seen today. This colourful building is said to have been the most attractive one at its time as there was no other obstruction in its vicinity, nwith the patterns and its elegance the mission was a real eye-catcher.

Next we visited the Mission San Jose. Here we were shown a movie on the lives of red Indians, their culture, their lives,their civilization. They once lived in Texas content and in peace.However they soon had to succumb to the Spanish n other European kings. These kings were just to the natives n did not make them slaves but gave them rights on their land and the crops they produced.

But they were unfortunate and declined due to inadequate military support, disease, and increased hostilities with Apaches and Comanches. However their memories are still etched on these lands n we got to hear a lot about their stories from our guide.

Next we went to the Alamo. It has great historic importance and the whole story of the Alamo war can be read h ere.

All these monuments have been maintained very well and the courtyard behind Alamo is a beautiful place. It is adorned with a garden and is situated right in the heart of the city and hence was pretty crowded with tourists and devotees.(mardi gras is a famous festival here too.)

The most famous of all attractions in San Antonio was next - The River walk. The San Antonio river has many channels and the city is proud to have even a boat taxi.There is a boat ride which is a must on ur visit to San Antonio. The cheerful boat captain gleefully welcomes us n says"The best seats are the red ones!!" I happily look around to find all sets are painted red. lol!

On the river walk is a river centre mall which is a very romantic place.. so many restaurants with seats on the river side..The very ambiance is enough to make an evening memorable!!!

The guide had many stories to tell us about the places and landmarks we saw, the movies which had been shot there(Miss Congeniality, Selena) and the history behind many of the buildings. I also got to know about the flood in 1929 which had affected the city majorly and also the time when the stock markets bombarded and a building worth 3 billion dollars was auctioned out for mere 27 k. :(

The picture on right is called Titanic building or something like that for its boat shaped view from the river walk. Hope you are able to make out the boat shape.

There was more San Antonio had to offer us but as we had leaked out of time, we had to pack up and start back. And i began my journey back home with a heart full of pleasant memories, capturing the river, the bridges, the lights, the people, the boatman and watever i cud gather in my mind till we would go again visiting the beautiful city of San Antonio..

San Antonio - 1

2007-02-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

I have been so engrossed in my driving and glass paintings that blogging had to take a secondary place this week.. But I'm back to tell u about the wonderful trip we had to San Antonio during mardi gras.

The trip towards San Antonio took us 3 hrs and 25 minutes by road and the first stop was at the Wild Life Ranch,Natural Bridge..Although it was not exactly like the wild, adventurous African safaris we see on discovery, it was a first time experience to drive thru a ranch n feed the animals from the window..
There were more than 50 animal species including ostriches,zebras, wallabies, giraffes, llamas, antelopes, jaguars and macaws.The horns of most of them gave me tremors. However after a while i felt comfortable feeding them..May be they knew that we weren't allowed to step out of our vehicles which is why they took pleasure in peeping inside..

Only some of the animals ventured to eat for most seemed either fed up of the food or too full to eat anymore..

It was a real beauty to see them enjoy in their natural habitat. So much better than watching them behind the bars of a cage in a zoo or circus.

N the horns they possessed!! wat shapes and sizes... surely a feast to ones eyes..
Feeding the giraffe and the petting area with lots of cute sheep attracted many tourists too..

Next we went to the market square - El Mercado.Market Square is the scene of many Hispanic festivals where food and beverage booths spring up alongside the Guadalajara lamps and the strains of mariachi music blend with the excitement of Mexican dances. It was fun to watch the girls in their long flowing skirts, dancing to the beats of foot tapping music..

Next we went to the latest attraction in town The Aztech theatre. It is a palace renovated into a theatre.. every 90 mins there is an introductory laser show in the lobby. It gives u an ancient times feel and is pretty thrilling for kids..
The picture above shows a 2000 pound chandelier. N the palace is beautiful with its statues and lighting..
The night life at san antonio is gorgeous with all the many restaurants by the river walk.. will tell u more abt river walk in my next post.. till then enjoy!!!

I need a Title..

2007-02-21T13:01:00.001-08:00

Friends, Bloggers, Readers,

I would very much appreciate ur help in choosing a title for my blog.. Do leave ur comments n help me choose..

Cheers,

Diya

Wisdom for wives

2007-02-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

When you marry him, Love him.

If he is honest, Honour him.

If he is generous, Appreciate him.

When he is sad, Cheer him.

When he is cross, Amuse him.

When he is talkative, Listen to him.

When he is quarrelsome, Ignore him.

If he is slothful, Spur him.

If he is noble,Praise him.

If he is jealous,Cure him.

If he cares not for pleasures,Coax him.

If he favours society, Accompany him.

If he does you a favour,Thank him.

When he deserves it, Kiss him.

Let him think how well you understand him.

But never let him know what you manage him.

This is a page from the diary of my father-in-law, dated December 1971.

He wrote it for my mother-in-law and I was given this, after my marriage.

I did not have the fortune to meet him as he passed away three years back. But this page, i feel is a gift from him which i will treasure for ever..

Lovers Day!!

2007-02-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

Come Feb 14th and people are running around buying flowers, chocolates, toys, gifts and wat not!!! So was i.. Last year.. Buying this n that for my fiance , and not knowing what he wud like n what he won't.. and running around for couriering it to the US.. Thanks to my dear friend vishak who helped me with all that hurdle...On receiving the parcel he told me it was like opening a akshya pathram (A vessel in Hindu Mythology in which food never gets over..)

N the picture above happens to be a glass painting i made for him last year.. feels gr8 when i look at it now hanging on the wall of our home.. :)

This Valentines day as i turn back to look at all the past years when i had been single, i realize how lovers are ever excited to impress their valentine!! The difference seems really striking..

I will borrow the dialogues from the famous mani ratnam tamil movie "Alaipayuthe" which goes like this:

"Before marriage, love is like a beautiful, tender flower.. Making the entire world around you seem amazing.. But when a strong wind blows the petals fall off..But in marriage love grows roots.. It gets cemented.."

Had i been on the other side of wed lock i wouldn't have liked this particular dialogue.. For i was one of them who said marriage is not necessary in life.. But now i am on this side.. lol!!

But one lesson surely it has taught me. I'm no more running around buying presents and definitely feel more secure :)

I wish each one of u also find bliss in ur love life n have a great valentines day!! Keep smiling and have a cheerful day!

NASA

2007-02-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was our day out at the NASA space center, Houston..
And i haven't been able to post about it cos i was busy playing home maker and hostess :) But the place had such a huge impact on me that i thought i must share it with you..
The place is hardly an hours drive from my home and the first attraction there was a tram trip of the entire NASA Johnson Space Center, which included visits to the Historic Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mock up Facility and Sonny Carter Training Facility..
The picture below shows the Historic Mission Control Center which was used during the 60's to control the famous escapades like the one by Neil Armstrong to the moon and the Mercury and Gemini series..It took us a fleet of 87 steep steps to reach the control room and on the floor below that is the current control room to which of course we had no access..

It felt great to be seated on the chairs which were once occupied by ex - Presidents of the United States or famous personalities like Marlyn Monroe when a space ship was launched..
Next our stop was at the Training Center.. The astronauts are Trained in the Sonny Carter Training Facility and Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. We got a fair picture of their though training and grooming schedules trough a 30 minute movie they played us on the IMax theater the screen of which is 5 stories high and the movie was called "To be an astronaut"

It was thrilling to watch the would be astronauts dress up n get geared up to take their practice sessions in the Mock up room.. As i stood there awestruck, my husband captured a video of the same which I've uploaded below

After the tram tour we were left to explore on our own the various marvels put forth by NASA.. For kids it was all the more fun n excitement for they had games and other amusements..The Blast Off Theatre was another interesting stop where we could interact with one of the Mission Briefing Officers who showed us live pictures of what was happening at the International Space Station(ISS) which has 3 astronauts living in there for the past 145 days.. And it was really a proud feeling when she mentioned that one of the 3 was Ms Sunitha Williams an Indian.
And for those of u who r interested to know more about her http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/williams-s.html

Another exhibit was a living in space module where the officer in charge told us about the various constraints on a space ship and how the astronauts coped up with it.. It was interesting to know that they had magnets attached to their food trays, spoons forks and had special shampoos, soaps which didn't require water.. How they trimmed their hair, how everything is kept sealed in a cupboard lest it all starts flying around etc..The picture below shows a mock up of their space inside a space ship.. Note that the door just behind the officer is the shower.. Imagine wat a pity!!

Next was the Star ship Gallery with many artifacts and hardware on display.. I will let pictures do the talking for if i start describing about each one its gonna take forever..

For all the other attractions i missed out because one day is seriously not enough for the huge place, do check out :- http://www.spacecenter.org/

Need for Speed..

2007-02-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Viper zoomed behind the Pontiac.The whole room shook in the heat and thrill of race.. As the kids shrieked in excitement their moms said to each other "These kids!! Don't they ever get fed up of this stupid car race??"

No kids never get tired of car or bike races.. I loved Porsche, road rash and the like.. Even though me n my sis didn't have a brother, these kinda games never ceased to be part of our childhood..

Need for speed.. It was a thrilling game for me which i always looked forward to play!! But when i came here, in Houston all the pictures i saw in the game loomed up as if alive in front of me.. The wide freeways, the beautiful roads leading as if into horizon gushed back memories of the game.. But this time it didn't feel thrilling enough.. The speed and fast paced cars somehow conceived a spark of fear in me. Some fear of the unknown.. As if i was loosing something, in this fast paced life..It seemed most unlikely for someone who grew up playing these kind of games.. N also, i do have a passion for cars being a Scorpio may be.. But suddenly I felt i was not ready for something.. Life was kind of barging in.. speeding in, breaking all limits..

The world sure is changing!! Technology is rampant in every sector!I can c and talk to my mother sitting thousands of miles away, at the cost of just connecting the Internet.. In the Field of medicine, aviation, communication, take any problem, technology has found a solution to a large extent..But has it added value to life? Are we really living an enriched life? In spite of all the facilities and comforts at times the speed seems hogging into you, creating a hollow.. As i slowed down in life with a little free time to think, i realize the impact of speed.. Nobody turns around to see whether ur following.. Opportunity never knocks twice..But my dear friend as u accelerate to attain goals, pulling on the reins of technology,don't miss out to enjoy the beauty of the blooming flowers around u, to smell the earth when the first drops of the showers touch u..N never ignore the innocent child smiling somewhere deep inside u!!

Tagged!!!

2007-02-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

Right when i had been wondering whether i had been writing a lot about myself, Harshal Tagged me.. So here i go... Blabbering more about myself ..

10 FAV0RITES

Fav0rite C0l0r : Blue,Black,Magenta
Fav0rite F00d : Chicken Biriyani.
Fav0rite M0nth : June
Fav0rite S0ng : Nothings gonna change my love..(And many more!!)
Fav0rite M0vie : City of Angels, Jerry McGuire
Fav0rite Sp0rt : Hide and seek(LOL)
Fav0rite Seas0n : Spring and monsoons.
Fav0rite Day 0f the week : Sunday.
Fav0rite Ice Cream Flav0r : Mango, Butter-scotch
Fav0rite Time 0f Day :Evenings

8 CURRENTS
Current M00d : Sulky
Current Taste : Sweet
Current Cl0thes : Black T-shirt, Grey tracks.
Current Deskt0p : Windows XP
Current T0enail C0l0r : Magenta
Current Time :2:40 Pm
Current Surr0undings :My Living Room
Current Th0ughts : This is the stupidest tag yet.

6 FIRSTS
First Best Friend : Some kid..forgot the name.
First Screen Name : screened where??? :O.
First Pet : Dad never allowed pets. :(
First Piercing : Ears.
First Album : Don't remember
First M0vie : Sholey(I went as a baby with mom n dad :))

6 LASTS
Last Cigarette : when I was in college.
Last Drink : Water
Last Car Ride : This morning.My driving classes.
Last M0vie Seen : Guru.
Last Ph0ne Call : Nowadays its mostly through Yahoo messenger..
Last B00k Read : The Good Earth by Pearl.S.Buck

5 Nexts
Next thing to do: publish this blog!
Next Holiday: Not yet decided but I quite fancy California.
Next Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany's'.
Next Book To Read : Time Travellers Wife
Next Blog : This one!!!!

2 CH0ICES
1. Black 0r White : Black
2. H0t 0r C0ld : Cool.

The Weird Blog

2007-02-02T09:04:00.001-08:00

I ALWAYS KNEW I WAS WEIRD...

n this is what i found.. Try out how weird you are and do let me know!!

You Are 40% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird...
But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

source : Blogthings.com

The Road Not taken

2007-01-31T13:51:00.000-08:00

Today on orkut i came across one of my school seniors n in her album i found the caption "An H4 and indefinite time made me an artist".This was a caption given to a picture she had made.. It got me thinking..How very true.. At one point i had to make a choice too between an H1 and H4.. Somehow the H1 thing never worked out n here i am on H4 with lots of time, resulting in the discovery of the blogger in me...
Decisions are taken everyday in our life.. from the small things like what to wear to bigger issues at work or something else.. We all take chances.. We reach a point where the road diverges.. Taking one path leaves the other unexplored.. However we never know.. Had we taken the other, some day whether it merges with its alternate choice, we dont know.. Choices galore but u can choose only one.. What a pity you have only one life!!
Sometimes u want to turn back, erase just one day of ur life.. u want to make it all just a dream..You wish that you had done or not done something.. guilt eats up ur conscience n you feel pathetic.. i had been through such phases in my life.. But then, i saw the movie "Time Machine".The hero invents the time machine sweating his blood, working day n nights so he could bring back his lost lady love by changing a freak accident which killed her in front of his eyes.. He was guilty he couldn't save her.. But when he goes back there on the time machine even though he took a different route, he lost her.. only, in a different way!!

Does it mean all roads lead to the same destination??? i don't know..
On this note i leave u with Robert frost's poem which kept ringing in my mind.. Do tell me wat thought it brings to u..

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

Ice Cream Social..

2007-01-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

Even though i have known diya for 24 years on earth, she doesn't seem to grow up much.. for she always tends to make friends with kids if given a choice between kids n the ladies of her age who like talking abt make-up n other gossips..
So now when she has changed her status from Ms to Mrs., it becomes all the more difficult, for as u can guess, people expect her to behave u know with maturity(Not that she can't..) But she chose to keep an exception in some places like her next door neighbours from chennai.. She enjoys the company of the little gal sadhana who is 6, to her mom who is a homemaker like herself.. Instead of talking about recipes, n vegetable markets, diya likes to discuss poems n story books with sadhana.. As it has always been the little gal n diya become thick friends soon..
N it becomes kind of a routine for sadhana to drop in every evening to share her school stories for the day..
N for the last few days all sadhana has to tell me is about her ice cream social scheduled for friday, the 26Th January at her school.. She said it would be great fun, n sumhow lured us into attending it..
With a curiosity to visit an American school, n get to c a few more kids, i set out with her family to the Emerson elementary school.. The school was a cute place with lawns and play area.. Not to mention the jumping jacks the kids.. with all balloons n face art n all that..
Sadhana was very excited to show us around but alas all she could show us was the cafeteria where the ice cream stalls where put up, for her classrooms n the other sections of the buildings were locked up at that hour.. The kids were all making merry, licking ice creams n punching each other with balloons..
It was nice to see fair cute kids with blue hazy eyes.. i really thought of the song chubby cheeks, dimple chins.. for the kids actually had chubby rose cheeks.. N a complexion i really envy..
From sadhana i learnt a lot about schools here.. I was surprised at how much attention the teachers n parents give to crafts. Right from kinder garden, kids are taught glass painting, clay modelling, carpentry.. Believe me I'm not joking...
Also the parents don't need to run around from school to school, to decide which ones are good for their little ones, for here, as a thumb rule, they need to go to the school nearest to the home.. Not to mention the fact that there are no Uniforms..isn't that cool..
Also the strict driving rules when ur around a school bus..School buses are designed with special stop signs at the sides which will straighten up to render the driver at the back to stop.. Oh giving a break to school stuff, i got my instruction permit last week n driving classes will begin soon, the details of which will be posted in soon!!

Republic day special..

2007-01-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

A small tribute to my nation.. My Mother India..

Mr. Amitabh Bachan left me speechless.. Truely inspiring.. what do u say??

An Affair to REMEMBER

2007-01-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

She was the happiest girl on earth.. She was going to meet the man of her dreams in a short while..Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) was just minutes away from her destination when she falls prey to fate, meeting with a fatal accident..

Related to their most romantic rendezvous on top of the Empire state building is the dialogue in which Kerr says"It was no ones fault. I was looking up at heaven, because you were standing there! Oh, Nicky, if you can learn to paint, I can learn to walk again!" corny lines aren't they?? wat do u say?? Had it been last year diya wouldn't have agreed more..

She would have discarded it saying "Ah!! it can happen only in films.."

But as the Universal Story weaving machine works (see my previous post 2 weeks in US) may be the gr8 movie director of all times namely God decided to teach her a lesson..

A week before she was to meet her Nicky Ferrante, she too falls prey to a bike accident n lands up in hospital with a couple of broken bones n joints.. leaving the surgery n other misery parts, her life also was a bunch of corny lines after that.. confused?? read on...

Thanks to the director who scripted her story, she didn't have to wait for ages for Nicky to drop into her apartment one day.. Instead,on the very day of her engagement.. Under the direction of all her family, friends n well-wishers, Nicky Ferrante gave her the ring in the hospital room...That became the most astounding, awesome, unbelievable surprise of her life!!!

Truly An affair to remember!! Everyone said"Oh how romantic.. just like a film story!!"

But diya no more uses the line "Äh!! it can happen only in films.." :)

Orkut

2007-01-19T15:31:00.000-08:00

Orkut- the happening network!! A fabulous virtual joint where u can meet allll ur friends!!!

n i must say i am a die hard fan, an addict... Ever since i joined the network in june 05, i havent been able to resist loggin into it every single day once or twice or sumtimes logged in the whole day!! To give u a picture of my passion, even on the eve of my wedding i was orkutting away to glory n my friends have asked me if I'm planning to take it even to the altar!!!

What more should i say about it.. Those of you who don't know wat it is plz log on to http://www.orkut.com/. I take this opportunity to thank the very gr8 man Mr orkut who is said to have invented this whole network... i (n like me many peers) have found long lost friends , teachers, whomever we had lost all hopes to be able to contact again in our lifetime, through orkut! Its simple amazing n orkut has given me tons of joy!!

N may be because im sooo crazy about it, the innovative wedding card which is shown in picture{plz click to enlarge} also impressed me a lot... it came to me very recently from a friend(i don't think its for real..If it is then my hearty congratulations to the coouple Also,compliments to whoever thought of this innovative idea.) and at a time when i had just finished my horrendous search for a wedding card for myself..(just kidding.. i enjoyed every moment of it ;))

Also a came across an interesting blog about orkut.. do check out http://www.ibnlive.com/blogs/parastomar/68/30466/anyone-not-on-orkut.html

N let me take a little credit for myself.. please see wat PS has to say in her blog . Njoy n keep orkutting!!!

Ice storm!!

2007-01-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

My first encounter with snow was when i was 11 years old.. We had gone to Gangtok, Sikkim on a vacation and had witnessed the snow capped mountain peaks of the khanchanjzonga..
oh how the tip of the mountain glazed in the sunlight...
But another day it was all very gloomy n cloudy.. I wanted to go n touch snow.. go n stand by the base n look at the top with my neck stretched wide.. (i somehow like doing that.. did that recently to the tall buildings in downtown..) but i was forbidden from going there into the snow..it seems the lake was frozen with an ice crust on the top and was vulnerable to break any time..But there were ppl going..on horses, by walk.. none of us went for i am a person with many constraints.. in many situations adjustment has been my best buddy..
The simple pleasures in life always made me happy.. the rain, the beach n the snow... i am waiting eagerly to get to touch n play in snow.. though i know the cold will be severe.. may be from the Enid Blyton books i read as a girl where they always played with snowmen n snow balls.. n hey talking of snow ball, it reminds me that it was the name of my favourite ice-cream parlour in cochin too..N happens to be adjacent to the auditorium where i got married :)
coming back to snow, for the past 2 days the temperatures are freezing here...
n today has not been a gud day 4 us.. We received a bad news early in the morning..
n there is ice everywhere.. we need to break the ice...
I'm just scribbling down my random thoughts.. But oh my dear readers, we r in need of your prayers...there is some shortage of time n luck n that unknown force needs to click.. life has never been a bed of flowers for me, for hospital beds scare me.. i am sorry this is not a very positive blog.. but this is me.. a glimpse of me!!!

My new AMERICAN friend

2007-01-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

"Friends" the very popular TV show which attracted teenagers n adults alike has been my favourite too right from my high school days... Even before friends, in middle school i watched "Blossom" and "super human samurai" and "small wonder".
We had the knowledge of an American backdrop sitting on the couches of our drawing rooms n me n my sis used to drag it to our study by reading our text books with an American accent.. Those days were real fun...

Later in my office i did have the chance to have American acquaintances... n in the many chat rooms of my idle hours, i also made net friends from this side of the world.. But never did i have a real "live" American friend... Not till i met Daisy...

Daisy and i got along well from the very first meeting... We met at a party in a friend''s house and since then we have met many times.. let me tell you more abut her.. She's fair attractive n very friendly.. An awesome companion and ever bubbling with tons of energy and zeal... Somehow my chemistry with her sparkled off very well and i believe she likes me a lot too..
when i am with her time just seems to fly... i wish to have more fond memories with my sweet daisy.. my first real American friend... Do get introduced to my friend Daisy

Music Lessons!!

2007-01-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

"tonight i celebrate my love 4 u..."
Right now i am listening to this beautiful song by Peabo Bryson &Roberta Flack.. Somehow music always does wonders to me...The worst of my mood swings gets switched in a jiffy.. Over the years i have discovered that its the best tonic i can get in any situation... I regret the times i didn’t keep ipods or Cd players handy with me.. That was until the recent past..
As we have this small chit chat lemme tell u one thing which came as a huge surprise!!! After many months after our engagement last march I made a scintillating discovery about my fiance. That was when I heard him sing.. my joy knew no bounds cos believe me it was awesome!!! I was soo happy that all that he had told me that his songs cud be compared to a donkey's bray was a lie!! he he
He is toooo gud with vocal other than his skills with the violin. N violin,again I love like crazy…(Though I cudn't resume my violin lessons for long)
N this weekend he played me “piyu bole” from the famous hindi movie “parineeta” on the piano.. N i had my first piano lessons from him. Any one who has seen the movie can feel the magic it created.. the feeling of living the “parineeta” it was panorama tic.. I don’t know It looks inexplicable to me.. i cant find words to describe the feeling..
But dear friends suni n lisha, all the overwhelming moments we had during those parineeta days were re-lived by me... :)

New Lapuuuuuuuuu!!!

2007-01-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

I am on cloud 9!!! guess wat i no longer need to encroach into vasanth's laptop to orkut or chat or read blogs online.. We got a new laptop!! hurray...
To all my readers, if any of u dropped into my site n found that i hadn't posted anything new, plz don't be disheartened(he he i feel so gud to be writing this line like i was the gr8 Agatha Christie!!)
It was only cos my husband was on a trip to LA, along with our laptop of course..But now my new exclusive laptop is here.. plz share with me my tremendous ecstasy n have a look at our latest addition into the family :)

Kemah Boardwalk

2007-01-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

Last weekend as weather.com showed the forecast as sunny, we planned a trip to the near-by places in houston..As i was most enthusiastic to go to any place,my husband being our guide n chauffer had to choose the place. Somehow the pick fell on a place called kemah boardwalk.

It was an hours drive from our place n it was twilight by the time we reached there..

It was a gala place with loads of sea food restaurants, liquor, boating, fun n activity.. Also were the "steve irwin's" notorious stingrays..

It was a pleasant atmosphere n also fun games n amusement rides..

Y say more.. let pictures do the talking.. But sadly, the pictures i captured being very high tech have captured the dew drops better ;)

N on the way to Kemah, these are a few pics i clicked from the car, of houston downtown..

Tex-Mex food..

2007-01-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

I was standing amidst the long queue in front of the US consulate that early morning of december 1st.. My heart thumping, stomach jerking...I could feel goosebumps on my arms..But its not the winter..as im in chennai.. N chennai is hot n happenning!!!
My husband has left, imbibing in me all the courage n confidence he can, for me to face the interview.. But im scared.. This is goin to decide my future.. our future.. The year long wait did come to an end and we had been bonded in wedlock 4 days ago.. but the future was still a mystery..
I prayed on the names of all the hindu gods i cud remember.. i tried to look composed n calm.. am i not a software engineer afterall??? hadn't i faced ample number of interviews before?? But this one was different. After what seemed like ages i got to stand up in front of the lady who was to interview me.. i had been watching another pretty n sweet interviewer at the next counter and wished that i wud get to be interviewed by her.. but that hadn't been..N now here i was facing the ultimate..After the round of greetings she started..
"So y do u want to go to US??"
oh yeah this question was well prepared for "to accompany my husband who is working there.."
"N where in the US is he?"
"Texas"
"Oh so does he like the tex-mex food??"
"yeah"(by now i'm pretty cool n myself.. so i daringly add in wat i think wud be favourable to me"but he misses the home food.."
to which i hit the bulls-eye n the pretty pretty lady says "OOOOkkkay!! then go n cook 4 him.. i 've stamped ur visa..!!!"
phew... so i made it.. is this wat i had been painstaikingly waiting 4?? 2 minutes of interview??
however.. the tex-mex food n the idea it sparked in me was wonderful.. i kept appreciating myself 4 it..
N now here the nachos n tortilla's have truely become my favourites..
Check out the mexican tortillas(to be pronounced as totiya) n salsa with papaya..

the picture i promised ;)

The Mobile generation

2007-01-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

I remember, I remember the day when i got my phone...

I remember ,I remember the day when i bought my new phone!!

well well.. mobile phones are an essential part of each of our lives today.. we can hardly find any professional(even college kids) without one these days..

But what i wud like to share with all of u is the time when i got a mobile phone. i was in the final semester of college and after much pleading n coaxing my father had agreed that i cud have one.. then began a whole new era in my life.. It was the most priced possession for me.. with a hoard of offers for students from the network providers galore, it sure was party time.. free sms's.. free night calls, free calls to a chosen number..n wat not.. Thanks to airtel..wat more cud college gals ask for?? we at our hostel played enough pranks with it.. :-)

N after college i entered into the privileged life of a corporate employee and after a few months i bought the most expensive thing i had ever dreamt of buying..(yes I'm a very humble person u c.. ;)) - a new mobile phone.. After much market research and studies and also falling pray to the whims of a Sony biased friend of mine.. i went n purchased the Sony Ericsson's k500i :-)

As it was new n the keypads a little hard, my sms typing skills stooped down a little.. but with the continued practice i regained my crown as the sms queen :-)

it was like a living companion to me.. always being taken care of, looked if it was fully charged.. taken out from the purse every now n then.. n of course the exclusive means to connect with family n friends.. We used to feel handicapped without our mobile phones (this is the conclusion from our all gals talks back then.) And if u were waiting alone for a friend or at a bus stop, it became a habit to keep peering onto the screen of ur mobile phone.. even though u weren't actually doin anything.. Even my writing.. its like i was typing an sms..Thus we became inseparable, until recently when i decided to part ways with it..

Leaving my pet mobile under the care n guidance of my sweet mom, i bid adieu to it.. N now from the past 3 weeks im not in possession of a mobile phone.. but somehow it doesnt make me feel weird anymore.. Also instead of simply smsing on it or playing games on it, i ve actually started doing more useful things.. i dont say i didn't read those days.. but even when i did i used to pop my head out of the book n browse through my mobile every now n then,. in spite of knowing there was nothing in it.. I cud even hear the ring tone of my mobile ringing in my head even when it was not actually ringing..

so my dear friends, i wud say i am happy i had this break from mobiles.. mobiles are gud they are really useful n sometimes very essential to us.. but dont let them overtake u to such an extent that live human beings around u are being forgotten.. treasure the people around you, the mobile generation is here to stay so u can let it go..

Kids are Angels

2007-01-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

As i sit jobless here, my mom in law n her cousin who lives a few blocks away with her daughter and family, volunteered to give me cooking lessons.. (Oh not the most interesting of my activities.. but i agreed as i thought it wud be fun n some activity afterall)

So we fixed up a day n went to that aunt's place. she was all set to make plum cake n her grandson a cute little boy of 8 was all enthusiastic about breaking the eggs and blending the dough.. we had become buddies after 2-3 visits and he cheerfully greeted me. Although he speaks to us in english he addresses me n my husband as mai n mamu in our native language..

So as he strated off breaking eggs, i stood by him helping him.(The other ladies were busy with the more important arrangements 4 our much awaited cake.Also this was the easiest task to choose from.he he!!) But as he was an ametuer,the dough kept splatterring n that too mostly on me.. blow my light blue tee. :-( he appologised n asked me to come n stand by the other side.. i promptly did so n we resumed our process of lovingly blending the cake(those are his words ;-)) but alas.. again the cake splattered n again on me.. he looked at me n said "mai, i'm sorry but i think its ur bad day!!"then after a while he said"No mai, i think the cake loves u, thats y its always coming to u!!"

now isnt that an optimistic approach?? comin from a boy of 8, it really sounded gr8 to me..here i was moaning n whining about being bored and away from home n he was talkin about the half filled glass!!! u made my day little one.. this one is 4 u!!!