Times Unlimited

Happy Valentine's Day !

2012-02-14T15:39:00.000+05:30

SN's pick of flowers for me this 'V Day' - White roses, white lilies & white tiger orchids. Perfect ! :)

Because cupid 'shot' really well for us, when he aimed so perfectly at you and me....

Because we loved each other, before actually "knowing" each other ....

Because we define the "firsts" & will define the "lasts" of many things in life .....

Because we use Valentine's day as just an excuse.......

Because we know that when love is true it will last .....

Happy Valentine's Day !

From G's Cucina specially for SN this 'V Day' - Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

E.x.h.a.l.e

2012-01-31T23:22:00.003+05:30

Don't wait to exhale.

Since you aren't exactly super human,

Your inhaling frequency must be proportionately matched.

Enjoy the present.

Don't hold off making interesting plans in life,

To accommodate events that may or may not occur.

Choose your battles wisely.

You cannot "have your way" always in life.

You might think this is an unfair thumb rule, but its true.

Don't obsess about what people say about you.

They will say what they feel like,

Irrespective of whether you are worthy of it.

Be passionate.

About someone or something.

Without passion, life is both boring and meaningless.

It's okay to err once in a while.

When you do, acknowledge it, learn from your mistakes and move on.

Making the same mistake over & over again

Is defined as stupidity & is quite unpardonable.

Don't be disrespectful to people who offer advice.

It could be more valuable than you imagined.

Don't resist change.

It could be the first step to taking you where you actually want to be.

Wanting certainty is natural.....

But from time to time life will make you acknowledge,

That nothing is certain .........But the unforeseen.

The only way to move forward,

Is to base your decisions on calculated reasoning

And hope that time proves your estimation to be correct :)

Travelogue - Capri

2012-01-26T14:20:00.001+05:30

In search of a quick, quiet and easy get away for SN and me, we zeroed in on the Island of Capri to travel to, in the last week of December 2011. The Island situated on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy, turned out to be the perfect quiet, romantic, small town place we had imagined it to be. With not much to do there, we spent our days walking around the quaint town, loving the old houses and narrow cobbled streets, enjoying the panoramic view of the sea and sipping coffee and wine at the small cafes and bars in the main piazza (square). A memorable trip, because it was one where we brought in our 1st anniversary :). An absolutely recommended destination for those planning a trip to Italy in the near future.

The ferry from Port of Naples to Marina Grande in Capri

View of Capri from Marina Grande the port (by night)

View of Capri taken from Ferry

Marina Grande

The quaint town all lit up for Christmas

The view from Mount Solaro

The chairlift which takes you up to Mount Solaro

On being called a Romantic ....

2012-01-26T14:08:00.002+05:30

"Tu sei molto romantica" / "You are very romantic" - is a comment I have heard way too many times recently, actually making me wonder whether I really am exactly that, or whether people are just being nasty and sarcastic time and again to my face.

Of course, if you ask SN, his very prompt comment would be that this "filminess" is a result of me being a product of the KJo generation Bollywood movies and that an overdose of ridiculous romantic movies has had a mind numbing impact on me. Though I have to tell you I really don't think he is complaining and am almost certain that there is nothing for him to complain about ;)

But once again I can't help reflect ....what the hell does it mean to be romantic today? And is it not, even in today's fast paced, impersonal times, universally considered a virtue?

For starters there is a Wiki How to be romantic link that I confess I did skim through. And as I did, I wondered more than before as to why it is up in the first place and without undermining the resourcefulness of Wikipedia in any way, I am still questioning whether it merely attempts to tell us what we already almost clearly knew? or whether there really are people for whom this is rocket science. :)

What were one whole generation of parents doing raising their kids without two important values compassion and passion, so much so that they actually need an online tutorial on "how to be just that" ?

Because personally I feel that being romantic is all about being both compassionate to someone & passionate about something. And for those amongst my family and friends who are that, its way beyond red roses on Valentine's day, gifts for Xmas and surprise holidays at some exotic spa.

Instead its very likely to be about a simple home cooked meal for two, flowers adorning your home without any occasion, shopping for yourself and others simply because your paycheck was encashed that very day, connecting long distance because you miss someone, nostalgically looking back at coffee dates with colleagues, movie marathons with your sister and Friday night movie dates with caramel popcorn, taking your nieces and nephews for a joy ride in your new car and leaving post it notes for someone on the bathroom mirror .....in short constantly and consistently saying "I Care for You" ...without any occasion, just because you felt like it.

In this regard, I guess most of us have a long long way to go, but perhaps consciousness is the very first step in this journey. And at the end of this journey , if you've successfully been a die hard romantic, this is what your epitaph (scripted by the people who knew you) would say -

"She has attained the permanence

She dreamed of,

where old stones lie sunning.

Untended stalks blow over her,

Even and swift,

like young men running.

Always in the heart she loved

Others had lived,—she heard their laughter.

She lies where none has lain before,

Where certainly none will follow after."

(Epitaph for a romantic woman by - Louise Bogan)

S.O.U.L.M.A.T.E.S

2012-01-13T23:38:00.001+05:30

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive....." - Anais Nin

Life seems to have changed quite a bit since I posted this , almost 4 years ago, when I had just started this blog of mine. Since then I have graduated twice, traveled to many places, changed jobs and positions, met some interesting people, found the best boy friends in KD and DV, got married, moved base across countries and continents, taken up many challenges, succeeded in some and failed miserably in others, lived through a million varied moods and temperaments and survived and learnt from a zillion varied experiences - good, bad and ugly. One of the things 'constant' in all this chaos and mind boggling change has been my 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S".

I watched the Hollywood movie "Sex and the City" once again this evening. Smiled when I heard (for the nth time) Samantha say - "We made a deal ages ago. Men (read as significant others), babies, doesn't matter. We are soul mates."

I agreed with Samantha then, as I agree now :)

I guess its simply that like you favorite old movie / book , often the sameness in a friend is what you like the most about her.

Thank God some wonderful things always remain CONSTANT ! :)

AB, PM, DM, HD, KD, KD, DV - Cheers to you guys !

Io imparando poco Italiano finalmente (I am finally learning some Italian)

2012-01-11T23:57:00.002+05:30

It has been nearly nine months since I moved base to Italy & I am ashamed to say that as of a few days back I spoke little or no Italian. Given that I don't work here and my social circle specifically consists of carefully handpicked English speaking Italians, I have happily survived despite my ignorance. Ofcourse when need be, for my own survival, I have gone to the extent of batting my eyelashes and playing a dumb foreigner whom most native Italians are happy to assist.

Thankfully good sense has prevailed sooner than later for me & I have committed myself to learning basic Italian by signing up for a two week language course at "Est Ovest Insitituto di Lingua". And oh what a joyous journey it has been so far .....I have a 51 year old American - Jerry & a 23 year old Croatian - Maryana for company ...which is making my juggling of my part time job, a husband, household chores et all along with the course a challenge well worth it !

I had posted this months ago & with my growing vocabulary, I can add the following to my list of awesome Italian expressions / phrases -

1) Piacere ! - Pleased to meet you

2) Hai Capito / Conosche tu ? - Do you understand ?

3) Che peccato ! - What a pity !

4) Beata Te - Lucky you

5) Aspetta - Wait

6) Tantissimo / Moltisimmo - Very much

7) Come Si Dice ? - How do you say .....?

8) Vorrei ma non posso - I wish, but I can't

9) Certamente - Certainly

10) Difficile - Difficult

And while this is only an earnest beginning, I confess, "Io amo La lingua Italiana gia" (I love the Italian language already :))

Bye Bye 2011

2012-01-11T02:02:00.004+05:30

Bidding adieu to 2011,

On a cold star lit night,

From my home away from home........

Listening to the crackers in the distance,

Finding them instantly light up a warmth inside.

A smile on my face,

Dear ones for company,

A glass of bubbly in my hand,

I bask for a moment in the warm memories of the days & months gone by.

I feel a definite & deep sense of gratitude,

Infinite and in-explainable happiness,

Even a bit of certainty about where I am and where I am going,

And more importantly loads of hope for a lovelier tomorrow.

I see growing responsibility,

More things for me to organise, plan, and worry about,

And a renewed enthusiasm and determination to control the controllable.

They say 'old habits die hard' ; that's so true !

I greet 2012 warmly,

Waiting to see what it brings on for me personally & professionally.

Knowing deep down within,

That the best has yet to come .......

Wishing you all a splendid New Year !

Some Inspiration

2011-11-21T22:01:00.006+05:30

PS: Email forwards from my parents often get tagged spam. Today, I took the time and effort to open and read one of them. And am I glad that I did ? This is just what I needed to hear today :)

Travelogue - Venice

2011-11-17T23:03:00.010+05:30

"La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Undoubtedly one of the most magnificent,unique and romantic cities I have visited till date. This post though terribly out dated took shape today, because I realized that without it my travelogue would always stay incomplete. So better late than never !

PIC 1 - St. Marks Square - where all roads of Venice lead

PIC 2 - When the city floats the police need to pump it up ;)

PIC 3 - Doge's Palace

PIC 4 - Realto Bridge

PIC 5 - The gondoliers singing while the sun sets in the backdrop

PIC 6 - The colorful fishing town of Borano

PIC 7 - The "Glass making" island town of Morano

Travelogue - Dubai

2011-11-17T21:44:00.014+05:30

The land of gold that leaves you dazzled, a sunset that takes your breath away, sand dunes that are simply majestic, delectable Arabic food which excites your pallet, markets with rich dry fruits and intoxicating spices, and a modern city where planning is truly beyond one's imagination. This and more was what Dubai offered SN & me as we made our first trip to the Middle East. And from what this first experience offered us, we are sure to go back for more, some day in the future !

Sharing with you Dubai as captured through our lens ;)

PIC 1 - The very sensuous Belly dance show

PIC 2 - A tourist camp in the midst of the desert

PIC 3 - The sun setting behind the sand dunes

PIC 4 - 'Dune bashing' - A 'must do' in Dubai.

PIC 5 - Dhow cruise and the view of Dubai by night

PIC 6 - The spice market

PIC 7 - The Dubai skyline

PIC 8 - The Burj-al-Arab Hotel

PIC 9 - The Jumeirah mosque

PIC 10 - The Sharjah Gold Souk

Amusing Q&A's

2011-10-12T17:24:00.010+05:30

PS: While posting this I remembered my friend PM's remark post getting married - "G I live with a boy now" ;) lol !! 10 months post living with a boy I know exactly what she meant :)

SN's Q1 - (Ever night post dinner) Why does left over food have to be transferred into smaller bowls/boxes ? Can't you just leave the damn utensil in the refrigerator ?

A: Please note our refrigerator is not the size of an igloo to house all our utensils and more importantly its purely about proportions ; you are an engineer you should understand what that means.

SN's Q 2) Why do you wear high healed shoes when in exactly 15 minutes of walking you are going to complain that your feet hurt?

A: You own 2 pairs of sport shoes and 2 almost identical pair of black formal shoes....so I just don't expect you to get this one.

SN's Q3) Why do bed sheets / bed covers / cushion covers have to be put on? If you put them on why do you have to keep changing them ever so often i.e. every week ?

A: Because living in a hygienic germ proof environment is my human right.

SN's Q 4) Why do you have 3 T-shirts that look alike ?

A: The 3 T-shirts are a classic black, blue, white and therefore do not resemble each other even remotely :) But Oh I almost forgot that you are color blind since you have 12 grey T-shirts which you feel are oh! so different.

SN's Q 5) Why do you cry without reason ?

A: I am not insane, so I always cry for a reason and when I don't tell you the reason its because either I think you are emotionally incapable of understanding the same or more probably because the reason is "you" ;)

SN's Q 6) Why do you eat so little ?

A: Because I am not a giant and therefore I have a fairly small stomach ;) lol !!

SN's Q 7) Why do you have to go for a walk? Walking is no exercise !

A: Well firstly I know you are the laziest person on this planet and secondly something is better than nothing, so switch off your damn laptop and get your ass off the couch.

SN's Q 8) Why do you get so irritated with me when I am watching my game (cricket / football) ?

A: Because its 2 a.m. in the morning and though you have your ear phones on, you don't have a pacifier in your mouth and your incessant animated game commentary defeats your purpose of wearing ear phones ;)

SN's Q 9) Was I snoring ?

A: My consistent reply - No ! Roaring ;)

Sometimes its the loud snoring followed by a random " I am not asleep yet" comment lamely in the midst of it- lmao !!

SN's Q 10) Are you mad ?

A: You already know you have pissed me off...so honestly tell me is this question meant to test my thresh hold of patience ? ;)

Unconditional Love

2011-09-30T02:42:00.004+05:30

In my dad's email to me today .....

"Always remember, your biggest 'Insurance' is me :)"

Thousands of miles away, I could feel the warm comfort of his arms.....I tried but I couldn't stop the stream running down my cheek.

Perhaps that's what they call "Unconditional Love".

Groceries Decoded

2011-09-12T20:22:00.006+05:30

What you didn't know your groceries tell people about you. -

Single or with a family

Family of 2/4/6/ more

Kids and/or pets

Calorie conscious or couldn't give a damn !

Cooking a serious passion or living because of "heat and eat" options

Vegetarian, Vegan or otherwise .....

And perhaps even more, which I still have to decode in my subsequent visits to the grocery store and while I survive the ordeal of waiting at the billing counters ;)

Ganapati Bappa Morya !!

2011-09-01T19:30:00.005+05:30

Always have been a believer,

Always will be ......

Once again bowing down to pray for strength, confidence, patience, perseverance, love & compassion.

Chanting "Ganapati Bapa Morya" !!

PS: Celebrating this "Ganesh Chaturti" in my own home & while SN being his typical non conformist self has conveniently skipped attending the puja, this is what he will get to feast on tonight :)

There is a time for everything .....

2011-08-20T17:32:00.005+05:30

PS: All my life I have heard my mother say "There is a time for everything, and everything happens when the time is right". Rather profound lines which have from time to time evoked varying emotions from hope, happiness and peace to frustration, restlessness and anger. But independent of how I may have reacted to these words, in the end they have enabled me to simply "hang in there" waiting for the tide to turn.

I came across these lines / poem while surfing online today, and I loved it, as it was pretty much in tune with what my mum has always maintained. So to all of us waiting for the tide to change - hang in there, cause sooner than later, it surely will.

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

To everything there is a season, and
a time to every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, and
a time to die;
a time to plant, and
a time to pluck up
that which is planted;

A time to kill, and
a time to heal;
a time to break down, and
a time to build up;

A time to weep, and
a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and
a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and
a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and
a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and
a time to lose;
a time to keep, and
a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and
a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and
a time to speak;

A time to love, and
a time to hate;
a time of war; and
a time of peace.

India Independence Day !

2011-08-15T17:49:00.002+05:30

Because we continue to see 'Diversity' in all its colors,

Sheer 'Numbers' as an absolute advantage,

'Non Violence' as a cherished value & sought after goal,

'Talent' 'Strength' & 'Dignity' in abundance,

'Rise' as an unfolding reality.

Happy Independence Day !!

I am a woman - Helen Reddy

2011-08-11T20:53:00.001+05:30

PS: PM, AB, DM - This one's for you :)

I am woman - Helen Reddy

I am woman, hear me roar

In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an' pretend'

cause I've heard it all before

And I've been down there on the floor

No one's ever gonna keep me down again

refrain:Oh yes I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

You can bend but never break me'

cause it only serves to make me

More determined to achieve my final goal

And I come back even stronger

Not a novice any longer'

cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

I am woman watch me grow

See me standing toe to toe

As I spread my lovin' arms across the land

But I'm still an embryo

With a long long way to go

Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to I can face anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

Oh, I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman

People's angst with my "free time"

2011-08-08T12:52:00.011+05:30

"So how do you spend your time these days?" has undoubtedly been one of the most frequently thrown questions at me lately, especially during my visit to India.

And I have been wondering if this is in any way related to peoples perception of the apparently crazy change that marriage brings into your life, or whether it is related to moving countries and adopting a seemingly foreign (and therefore implied different) lifestyle or then again whether people cannot seem to imagine you existing without being typically employed 9am - 6pm.

It has now been around four odd months since I moved with SN and yes while the new country, new language, and new people bit, has at times been a bit unnerving, also severely impacting my independent social existence, all in all I spend my time actually doing more in comparison to what I usually did when I was single, or in India.

I work with my company in India, albeit flexible hours and from home, I go for my daily walks, catch up with my parents, sister, friends etc (albeit on skype / gtalk / fb etc), blog regularly, do my usual shopping and mall visiting and in addition to that do the cooking, cleaning, laundry, house maintenance, grocery shopping, gardening and learning of a foreign language, which I didn't do even a bit of earlier. So all in all, I now need to do more than I ever did, have many more responsibilities to take on and more social obligations to fulfill than I had earlier and I find myself in a phase where perhaps planning and time management needs to be at its best.

And while I cannot deny that my present lifestyle shift does promise me a few more awake hours to myself everyday (basically due to not having to spend 2-3 hours commuting to any place), I know that this is likely to be only the beginning to more power packed (read hectic) days to come by.

So for those of you who see an irritated me when you ask me "So how do you spend your time these days?" - please note that as much I wish I am not on a holiday to Hawaii :)

The perfect homecoming :)

2011-08-06T21:48:00.004+05:30

A warm reception,

Celebrating end of visa woes,

Nothing more perfect than a week of in house movies, good wine, home cooked pasta or mum's frozen food and SN for company.

All in all a super homecoming!

Yeah, life sure is about these small pleasure :)

PS: I can now say that SN's willingness to cook a meal and ability to do a good job goes beyond him trying to merely make his new housemate stay ;)

You Gotto Take Care !

2011-08-03T19:38:00.008+05:30

I had commenced my wonderful plans of "Going Green" with this post of mine three months back. What I didn't factor in then, was how much of commitment, time, energy and resources this endeavor of mine was likely to require. So three months later when I take stock of how well my plants have grown, how many flowers are in bloom in the height of spring, I am ashamed to say that its a rather dismal show. As a result of sheer negligence when I returned home post my month and a half in India, I was shocked to see that my plants had withered. In hindsight I don't quite know what else would happen, given that I didn't really put into place any "care plan" for them. So now its firefighting or rather life saving time, as I surf the internet trying to find effective ways to revive my almost dead Kalenchoe plants.

And while I breathe a sigh of relief having found some useful suggestions which are yielding satisfactory results, this exercise taught me a lesson or two.

Drawing a parallel to our lives it made me realise that - when it is life / health at stake neglect can perhaps be nearly fatal. And even when its not fatal the damage can have severely impairing consequences. Hence it would be in our best interest to make a conscious effort to put a nurturing / care plan in place. In the end the mind & body are both machines and if neglected will rust or break down sooner than the validity period stamped upon them.

In short - "You Gotto Take Care"

From one woman to another ....

2011-07-24T00:03:00.006+05:30

My sincere message to -

Women deliberately 'playing dumb'.

Women routinely 'playing victim'.

Women 'talking brands' just to make a point.

Women referring to keeping in touch with their families as 'social obligations'.

Women being overtly brash while mistakenly thinking that they would appear brave or cool or both.

Watch it ladies ! We are in the 21st century, so its really kind of passé !!

Live it up TODAY !

2011-07-23T18:38:00.005+05:30

Friday morning brought some tragic news for me and my colleagues. We lost a young, vivacious and wonderful friend of ours, untimely and without any warning what so ever. And while we finished one visit to the hospital to pay our condolences to her family we received more bad news of another colleague’s husband being admitted to the ICU in a very critical condition.

When it thinks that you may be taking things way too much for granted, life reminds you of the fragility of your very existence and the true meaning of life as it should be. Swiftly putting into perspective the things that really should matter i.e. loved ones, work, health, etc and others that you shouldn’t bother about at all.

Post this experience of a rather blue Friday, I spent a relaxing afternoon with PM watching the bollywood movie ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dubaara’ which enthralled me with its simplistic yet poignant message about what really matters in life and how one should aspire to live life to the fullest. It perfectly summed up the positive perspective on enjoying your present and the gift of life as it offers itself to you, that many of us would need reiterated.

And at the end of these last two days the following lines by Javed Akhtar (from the movie) sum up what’s on my mind at the moment -

"Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyaan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Nazar mein khwaabon ki bijliyaan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Hawaa ke jhonkon ke jaise azad rehna seekho
Tum ek dariya ke jaise lehron mein behna seekho
Har ek lamhe se tum milo khole apni baahein
Har ek pal ik naya samaa dekhein yeh nigaahein
Jo apni aankhon mein hairaaniyaan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyaan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum"

Food for my soul !

2011-07-20T16:18:00.006+05:30

In every relationship you are only 50 percent. 50 percent is someone else.

Don't feel responsible for something you cannot control.

You cannot force any individual to do anything they don't believe in, no matter how strong a rationale you may find for the same.

Every human being is a product of their socialization and immediate environment.

Forgive ! even when its difficult to forget ;)

Italian Schengen Long Stay Visa

2011-07-19T12:10:00.014+05:30

My life since I got married to SN has been crazily hectic and utterly chaotic due the hassles I've encountered with the visa procedures. So just for the benefit of others like me who would be pining to reunite with their loved ones at the earliest I decided to put down some of the Do's and Dont's here.

Do's for applying for a "Family Reunification" - Long stay visa (as a spouse of an Indian citizen working and residing in Italy), with the Italian Consulate in India -
1) Register your marriage with the concerned authorities in India & secure a registered marriage certificate.

2) Get the marriage certificate stamped (attested) by a Notary followed by legalised (again stamped) by the Home Ministry and Ministry of external Affairs, New Delhi.

3) Get the attested & legalised marriage certificate translated to Italian with the help of the Indo Italian Chamber of Commerce

4) The copy of the marriage certificate translated to Italian is then validated and signed by the concerned authorities at the Italian Consulate.

5) This original and translated Italian copy of the Marriage certificate has to be sent to the host in Italy.

6) The process for securing a Nulla Osta then has to be initiated by the host in Italy. As a first step an online application for Family Reunification has to be filed. Within a 90 day period you will be given a date for submission of all documents supporting your application. This includes your hosts passport copies, contract with the employer, work permit, bank statements, "Certificato di idoneita" - the Certificate of Conformity, issued by the local Municipality, the marriage certificate etc. Once all the required documents are submitted to the concerned Questurra the Nulla Osta is issued within 15 days.

7) Once the "Nulla Osta" is received by the host and sent to the spouse in India, it needs to be attached with the Visa application being made to the Italian Consulate in India. The list of other documents required while filing a "Long Stay Visa" application for Family reunification can be found on this website. Please note that all supporting documents need to be notarised and legalised by the ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

Please note the clinchers -

1) Uniformity of name on your passport, Nulla Osta application in Italy and Birth certificate needs to be maintained. Incase of any discrepancy a "One and the same person affidavit" will need to be prepared, attested and legalised as mentioned above.

2) The process to get any document legalised through the Home and External Affairs Ministry takes only a day (albeit with standing in the que for hours). An operating travel agent is more likely to take 15 days or more for this same job.

3) You can get all your normal attestation done by notaries who sit outside the Metropolitan Magistrates Court at a nominal cost.

4) The attestation by the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi involves a regular blue rubber stamp as well as an 'Apostille Stamp'

PS: I know from my own personal experience that the process is long, ardous and emotionally draining. Being prepared with certain documents in advance, might save you a few days. I guess what you need to keep at the back of your mind is that in the end it will be worth all the effort. Good luck !! :)

Disclaimer - I am no authority on visa issues ;) so while I have attempted to share my experience here, I hope you are able to seek validated information from the authorities or their websites online. :)

5 points for an upbeat you !

2011-07-18T16:54:00.012+05:30

An email from a visually challenged friend of mine very simplistically spelt out 5 points she thinks I should repeat to myself to stay upbeat. She was goddamn right ! This is precisely what I needed someone to tell me today.

1) If you make mistakes, remember this quote by George Bernard Shaw: “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”

2) Realize that you can find opportunities in negative situations. Albert Einstein said: “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”

3) Talk to a positive friend who can encourage you.

4) Look at the negative situations as your training sessions for real life. The higher you climb in life, the worse the negative situations would be, so you’d better be prepared for them.

5) Realize that you can’t please everyone. In fact, nobody can. Sometimes you need to just let some people go. Realizing this will relieve you from a lot of unnecessary burden so that you can focus on the people that you can positively interact with.

PS: DM, PM, AB - Read this !! will ya ?

Sunset - Adoni Marcano

2011-07-10T21:35:00.006+05:30

I wonder why when you say goodbye

beautiful colours paint the sky.

Shades of orange, yellow and pink too

all come out because of you.

And although I hate to see you go,

I really do enjoy the show.

I've seen you leave so many times

and still it's a favourite sight of mine.

There'll be no sadness, be no sorrow

because my sun, you'll come out tomorrow.

I won't feel hurt, I'll feel no pain

because on your way down, your colours will reign.

In the pic - View of the setting sun, at Worli Sea Face, Mumbai.

PS: I came across the above poem while aimlessly surfing the net. It stayed with me because it was simple yet very poignant. And I decided to put it down here as a reflection on the myriad thoughts and feelings, that are stirred in me every single time that I witness a mesmerizing sunset.

5 Reasons Why Kayani & Co, Dhobi Talao Rocks !!

2011-07-10T21:08:00.010+05:30

Old is gold, especially with its simple yet splendid, vintage Irani Cafe ambiance
No matter when you drop by, you can't go wrong with ordering Parsi Akuri, Kheema Pav, Bun Maska & Chai and Chicken Cutlet.
Your bill for two, even today is likely to be an unbelievably low Rs. 150 for a sumptuous meal (and no you are not likely to die of food poisoning)
You can unpretentiously walk in, in a pair of shorts and worn out T-shirt and you are assured their characteristic quick and polite service. Further, you can remove your slippers and sit on the chair cross legged and no one will give you a second glance. The feeling of "being at home" couldn't get more real.
It continues to not only bring back pleasant memories of times spent here with friends, but these memories seem to just continue to flourish. A sign of good times spent and good times you can count on, in days to come by.

Can't stop humming this one !

2011-07-02T18:37:00.007+05:30

Kahin to.. kahin to
Hogi wo,
Duniya jahan tu mere saath hai..

Jahan mein, jahan tu,
Aur jahan, bass tere mere jazbaat hai,
Hogi jahan subah teri,
Palko ki, kirano mein,
Lori jahan chand ki,
Sune teri baahoin mein..

Saasein kho gayi hai kiski aahon mein,
Mein kho gayi hu jaane kiski baahon mein,
Manzilon se raahein doodhti chali,
Kho gayi hai manzil kahin rahon mein..

Kahin to, kahin to,
Hai nasha..
Teri meri har mulaqaat mein,
Hoton se, hoton ko,
Chumti, o rehte hai hum har baat pe,
Kehti hai fiza jahan,
Teri zamin aasmaan..

Jahan hai tu, meri hassi,
Meri khushi, meri jaan…

(Jaane naa kahan wo duniya hai,
Jaane naa wo hai bhi ya nahi,
Jahan meri zindagi mujhse,
Itni khafa nahi..)

Walking into the 30's

2011-06-25T21:43:00.005+05:30

The fear of reaching the chronological milestone of 30 is so grave that I think most of us would volunteer to jump from 29 directly to 31. ;)

I had posted THIS a year back on the eve of my 29th birthday. I have always been someone who uses my heart more than my head and as a direct result of the same, believes in celebrating every single occasion, event, milestone that is worth celebrating. So brushing aside any and all inhibitions that come along with turning 30 and hence indicate becoming old, I will be celebrating this milestone too.

I've already spent a lovely evening with SN's parents over dinner, will be bringing in my birthday with SN albeit 6000 miles apart on skype on our 2nd cyber date ;) and will spend my day tomorrow with my grand dad, parents and sister. An immediate inner circle whom I know always wish me the best, and will do whatever they need to, to see me happy. I am what I am because of them, and they will always play a significant role in what I become tomorrow.

And while I haven't been able to meet my closest friends this time around, I know that I will be in their thoughts and prayers just as they would be in mine. PM/ KD/ DM/ HD/ KS/ AB/ Maits/ Dan - you guys simply rock !!

As I log off I pray that God continues to give me the strength, patience, perseverance, passion, compassion, sensitivity and sensibility that he has very generously showered on me till now.

With all this and more I walk into my 30's with a sense of confidence, calm and optimism, feeling that no matter what, with the above 3 factors being constant, life's going to be beautiful and the best has yet to come. :):):)

Time & again he leaves me speechless !

2011-06-22T21:06:00.008+05:30

SN to me today - "Don't fret so much ! It is beyond our control and there is nothing we can do. Just always know that nothing can pull us apart. Even through our time away from each other our love will only grow. I love you so very much, I can't even say. I promise, you have me for ever."

While I know that is quite literally true, I think what he really wanted to say was - "Stop crying will you? You are freaking me out!"

Still, like on a million other occasions that I can recollect, his words had their impact. They left me simply speechless, relatively calm & smiling !!!

When HOPE is all you've got !

2011-06-22T20:42:00.007+05:30

"Although it may seem like HOPE is all you have to cling to, never let go of HOPE.

Cause one day you will see that it has all finally come together.

What you have always wished for has finally come to be.

And you will look back and laugh at what has passed and ask yourself...."How did I get through all of that?" "

Thank God for keeping somethings "Constant"

2011-06-20T22:29:00.004+05:30

‎"Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not still friends.”

MR, PM, DC/DM, Dan, KD, HD, RJ, KS, MD, AB - So glad this holds true for all of us :)

Home is where the Heart is :)

2011-06-14T19:59:00.007+05:30

I grin as I can hear my homeland calling.

I know its not like I have been away that long,

But in this short span itself I have missed my country and my people so much.

I guess thats why you call it “home”.

Yet I know that this homecoming would have been more joyous indeed,

If I didn’t have to leave a significant part of me behind.

And so as I pack my bags, all I seem to ponder about is my return.

Perhaps this is why some say - 'home really is where the heart is'.

I Do! vs Do I?

2011-06-09T22:08:00.005+05:30

Times pass,

Doors close and you may discover the key to unlock others,

Chapters end, while others begin.

The mix on the palette seems obscure before producing vibrant hues.

Change is the only thing constant.

Often leaving you in disarray,

At other times making you see yourself wiser.

Frenzied pandemonium or organic evolution?

Is it your doing? Or perhaps the way it is meant to be?

The unanswered may always remain ............

Your role is to only ensure that you never let the "I Do!" change to a "Do I?"

Keep the faith because the rest is in good hands.

Going Green !

2011-05-13T22:54:00.002+05:30

I have always wanted to do this and what could be a possibly better time than spring this year :) So armed with full ignorance about plants I headed to the nearest nursery yesterday, allowed myself to be guided by the friendly owner and in less than 10 minutes made up my mind on what I wanted pointing to "that one".

I later got to know that my plants have some interesting characteristics - they love the sun but are harmed by direct and strong rays, are sensitive to snow, and though they are low maintainance needing minimum care, they are easily breakable because of their tenderness.

I continue chuckling, thinking that there could have been a deeper connect that actually brought us together ;)

Travelogue - Pisa & Florence

2011-04-28T18:26:00.008+05:30

A much needed break from routine, SN and my first holiday together, a taste of the Italian countryside that too through the awe inspiring beautiful landscapes of Tuscany, it was an awesome 3 days spent over the Easter break. This will definitely go down as one of my most memorable trips ever !! :)

Pic 1 - Leaning Tower of Pisa

Pic 2 - View of the Cathedral & Tower from the Baptistry, Pisa

Pic 3 - Ancient city walls, Pisa

Pic 4 - Statue of David at Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence

Pic 5 - Ponte Vechio, Florence

Pic 6 - View of Florence from the Cupola of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

Pic 7 - River Arno by night, Florence

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

2011-04-26T13:20:00.002+05:30

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

My 10 take aways from this video -

1) What you stumble onto by mere curiosity and intuition is likely to be priceless later on.

2) Life is about connecting the dots. You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards.

3) You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future. That will give you the courage to follow your heart even when it leads you away from the well worne path. And that will make all the difference.

4) Sometimes life will hit you on the head with a brick.....Don't lose faith.

5) You have to find what you love ...this is as true for work as it is for your lover.

6) If you haven't found "it" yet....keep looking and don't settle...cause when you find "it" you will just know.

7)If you live each day as if it were your last ....Some day you will most certainly be right.

8) Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life.

9) Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They some how already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

10) Stay hungry .....Stay foolish.

3 Years Old :)

2011-04-25T22:34:00.007+05:30

3 years ago, it was merely,

My tryst with writing,

Attempting to give words to thoughts and feelings,

Starting a dialogue with myself and like minded others.

Today, 3 years later....It has grown....

It has become more of a "way of live" :)

Happy 3rd Birthday to www.timesunlimited.blogspot.com

Many thanks to all of you - readers, followers, well wishers for being a part of this wonderful journey :)

I Love Airports...

2011-04-21T19:17:00.009+05:30

As said in a popular Hindi TV commercial - "Darr Sabko Lagta Hai.....Lekin Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hoti Hai". For those of you who may not know, I have "Acrophobia" or the fear of heights. I do not recollect having ever sat on a roller coaster or giant wheel and I freak out days before I actually have to board a flight to some place. Now given that the world today is a "global village" and that I enjoy travelling to unseen places, avoiding getting on that damn plane seems virtually impossible.

So I continue to courageously bear with the rapid pounding of my heart, churning of my stomach and spinning of my head on the numerous flights that I take. However as much as I detest flights, I have this deep inner affinity for airports, which I haven't quite been able to put a finger on. No matter how big or small, hi-tech or straightforward, domestic or international they may be - I love airports. Undeniably one of the foremost reasons for this remains the pure joy of literally stepping foot on ground, after being tortured in the air. But other than that its a heady feeling of independence and opportunity that I experience every time I tread along an aero bridge towards the airport lobby waiting to open the doors to encounter the world outside. Simple....yeah I know...but for me simply very exciting.

And as I expectedly wait for my luggage to be delivered by the conveyer belt, I enjoy looking around observing fellow travelers, musing over their nationalities or purpose of visit, and finally adoring the meeting and greetings between long lost family members, siblings, friends, colleagues etc. scenes which each have a beautiful and different story to tell.

Yeah so I guess I have it finally figured out - I love airports....simply because they unassumingly and routinely bridge the distance between loved ones. :) Spare a thought about what you feel the next time you drive down there. And if you do, let me know what it was that made you pause and smile :)

Travelogue - Munich & Salzburg

2011-04-21T18:47:00.004+05:30

I vaguely recall some fortune teller, not so long ago, telling my mother that the "travel line" on my right palm was long enough to take me far and wide, a prophecy which only made me squeal with joy. With every passing day I gleefully admit that there might be some truth in what he said after all......and I am not complaining ;)

I've just returned home, after travelling across 2 cities - Munich, Germany (which the Italians call 'Monaco di Bavaria') and Salzburg, Austria. A trip I planned quite spontaneously after realising that SN was going to be away for work, for a period too long for my comfort and other wise inherent adaptibility.

I spent 4 days in Munich, 1 day at Dachau & 1 day at Salzburg. Sharing with you some of the impressions left on my mind, way after I had left the people and places behind. It worked out to be an absolutely wonderful trip.

PIC 1 - The 'Rathause' (new town hall) and 'MarinePlatz' (the main square), Munich Germany

PIC 2 - The beautiful blue fountain at Marineplatz

PIC 3 - 'Apfelstrudel' - Delicious warm Apple strudle served with custard sauce

PIC 4 - 'Wurst' (sausage) with sweet mustard and grated 'Daikon' (radish)

PIC 5 - 'Haufbrauhaus' - the worlds most famous and oldest beer house in Munich

PIC 6 - The stunning frescoes on the ceiling of the beer house

PIC 7 - 'Dachau' - the significance of this name will never be erased from German history. It stands for all 'concentration camps' the Nazis established in their territory.

PIC 8 - 'Dachau' - today even the deathly silence has a story to tell

PIC 9 - The 'Dachau memorial' - In honor of those who died and to warn those living.

PIC 10 - Mozart's residence, Salzburg

PIC 11- The breath taking interiors of the Salzburg cathedral.

PIC 12 - The marvelous fortess at Salzburg

Men are from Mars; Women from Venus

2011-04-06T16:22:00.006+05:30

SN's side of the table

My side of the table

This is perhaps why they say "Men are from Mars, Women from Venus" ;)

My Pow Wow With Strangers

2011-03-31T21:39:00.005+05:30

We have a land line at home and since the house is registered in the name of the company that SN works with currently, there are quite a few calls from people inquiring if we would like to enter our home information in the classifieds / directory. For the first few days, I refused to answer the damn phone out of complete fear of being unable to express myself in an alien language. 10 days later, I have to admit I have made some progress. I now have the shortest possible, largely one sided and extremely monotonous conversations with random people on the phone, which go some what like this -

Stranger - Pronto !!

Me - Pronto (Hello)

Stranger - Blah Blah Blah Blah

Me - Non Parlo Italiano (I don't speak Italian)

Me - Si Parla Inglese (Do you speak English)

Me - No? (No?)

Me - Ahhh...hmmmm...ohhhh

Me - Va Bene (Okie)

Me - No problema (No problem)

Me - Grazie Mille (Thank you very much)

Me - Ciao (Bye)

The receiver is put down very politely ....and I get on with my day ....well, at least till the next time my phone decides to go "tring tring" ;)

I Feel My Quest Has Begun ......

2011-03-30T21:55:00.006+05:30

For the proverbial middle path sought by most women .......
Striking the seemingly farcical balance between .......
A Home Maker vs a Career Woman

A Food Enthusiast vs A Health Buff
A Wife vs a Friend
A perfect daughter vs a perfect daughter in law
Being dutifully obedient vs tenaciously standing one’s own ground
Being fatalistic vs being a believer
Being stoic and strong vs being emotional and vulnerable

I feel my search has only just begun,
Knowing that perhaps accomplishing this utopian middle path could well take me my lifetime.
Or perhaps working towards it alone, will allow the balance to evolve magically and very organically.
Time will tell ......

Travelogue - Sicily (Snapshots)

2011-03-29T16:36:00.008+05:30

Pic 1 - The 'Baglio'

Pic 2 - The Lemon Plantations

Pic 3 - The Yard with Olive Shrubs

Pic 4 - The Chapel

Pic 5 - The 'Lounge' with the fire place and pool table

Pic 6 - Our Room at the Baglio

Travelogue - Sicily

2011-03-28T20:17:00.005+05:30

I couldn't agree more with PM when she said she didn't see the point in planning beyond a week. And for some one who has on paper a plan A, plan B and plan C for the next 30 years of her life, lesson number one of being married has been "To Stop Planning" ;) cause you can be assured that nothing is going to quite work out the way you had planned it to be ;). For example : If you cook dinner, you will probably dine out that very evening ; If you plan a weekend of sight seeing in the city, you will probably land up travelling to a totally different country dutifully accompanying your better half while he tours for work. No I am not complaining.....Yet !! ;) I am just talking about change that I am now trying to get accustomed to.

So this Sunday without much warning (or planning) I had to travel with SN to the land of olives, oranges, wine and the mafia - Sicily. We took an Easy Jet flight to Palermo and then drove down for an hour to reach Menfi on the Western Coast of Sicily.

Sometimes the best stuff happens when you haven't planned for it. And this trip to Sicily sure seems to be a brilliant example. So it's going to be 3 nights / 4 days in the Lanzara Casa Vinicola (Lanzara Winery) and we stay at the Baglio (farm) at the property spanning across approximately 50 hectares.

The property dominates the San Vincenzo creek situated at a height of 270 mts. and its beauty really lies in its varied landscape with the vineyards, olive yards and citrus plantations alternating through the area. A dense starry night and a friendly care taker welcomed us here last night. We had a quick dinner of delicious Parmigiana di Melanzane seated in a comfortable lounge warmed by a wooden fire place, overlooking the breathtakingly beautiful baglio.

And while SN and his colleagues take forward work on their solar tracker today, I sit comfortably sipping on a glass of Syrah, taking in the beauty of my surroundings and putting down some random plans for SN and me .....can't help old habits die hard ;)

Arrivederci !!

Benvenuti a Roma : Welcome to Roma

2011-03-21T17:19:00.011+05:30

I remember bidding adieu to this site a few months ago, promising to return with a new post, in the new year, from a new country. Unfortunately things did not unfold in the manner that I had predicted, and its only 3 months later that I can now ensure that two of the three things I had promised come true - a new post from a new country ;)

I moved to Rome to join SN last Saturday. Something we had not only long anticipated but certainly wished for more than you can even remotely imagine. So here I am, in my new home, in a new country, knowing no one else other than SN whom I live with. I had promised my self that I wouldn’t let the prospects of an alien land and people, numb me in any manner. And as SN left for work this morning, I realised that this is where my tryst begins ;)

Will keep you posted about this tryst of mine in days to come by, but as of now I continue enjoying lying on my bed well past noon, reminiscing in the memories of an awesome weekend spent and a beautiful journey to look forward to.

Amen !!

PS: My welcome to Rome, included amidst other things a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, chicken Pattie & coffee on Sunday morning and Penne in a tomato sauce flavored with ham and red wine for dinner on Sunday evening, not only cooked to perfection by SN, but served with loads of love.

Semplicimente Perfetto !!

Happy Women's Day !

2011-03-08T15:03:00.004+05:30

Woman’s Day - by Carolyn HowardJohnson

To touch the caterpillar-curve of a baby’s thigh,

breathe in guileless oxygen,

breathe out giddy, unshackled glee

to see a sunrise of pink-spun sugar,

silken sunsets the color of cantaloupes,

to mouth a mango’s flesh,

taste a plum’s orgasmic juice,

to bask in an approving smile,

but mostly, my dear,my ingénue,

to suck in sharp, quick spikes of choice,

ether’s own freedom.

Ode to Times Unlimited

2011-03-08T10:13:00.003+05:30

I exist in the moment , my longings are of now

I wander in the moment, my discoveries are of now

I write in the moment , my stories are of now

I dive in the moment, my sojourns are of now

I guitar in the moment, my melodies are of now

I die in the moment, my fears are of now

I will be reborn in the moment, my memoirs are of now.

(Written by KS a year ago)

It remains 'unsaid'

2011-03-06T14:43:00.005+05:30

If looks could speak more than words, and if the words could be comprehended correctly, I think this is what might have been said today ........

"Yaad rakhna ki duniya ke kisi kone mein koi khush hai,

Kyun ki tum khush ho"

:):):)

Life - Events - Reactions

2011-03-04T19:16:00.003+05:30

When having patience, pays,
When genuine prayers, are answered,
When rock solid faith, is only further reinforced,
When sweet promises, are effortlessly kept,
When love, sensitivity and sensibilities only grow,
When distance, decides to stop being a hindering factor,

When the wait ends, with a happy ending.......

You can’t help but say “whatever the hell happens, possibly happens for the best”

PS: Read this on a website this morning and simply loved it - "Life is 10% about what happens to you and 90% how you react to it"

People & Trademarks

2011-03-02T21:49:00.008+05:30

Trademark greetings and sign offs which make me smile ear to ear, even when I only read them as text, because they are an instant reminder of the people in my life 'who really care' and 'who really matter' :)

"Geeeeeee!!!"
"Kasa Kai?"
"Kasa Aahe Tai?"
"Lousieeeee !!"

"What's up gorgeous?"

"You look lovely, as always"
"What colour is it today?"
"Write me an application......."
"I am around, always....."

"Over and out"
"Love you, baby!"

Reason to Believe

2011-02-26T18:23:00.002+05:30

"I'm free to be whatever I, whatever i choose, & I'll sing the blues if i want,
I'm free to say whatever I, whatever I like, if it's wrong or right it's alright,
Always seems to me, you only see what people want you to see
How long's it gonna be, before we get on the bus, and cause no fuss, get a grip on yourself, it dont cost much.

Free to be whatever you, whatever you say, if it comes my way it's alright!"

Parlo Italiano

2011-02-25T15:32:00.005+05:30

The Holy Roman Emperor – Charles V once said that he would speak Spanish with God, French with men, German with his horses, but Italian with women, since this beautiful language alone can express many subtleties of feeling and thought.

Italian even today, is still considered one of most musical languages in the world. And as I get acquainted to the Italian language, in my free time with great help from SN, I couldn't agree more with this statement. So while I am still a very very early learner, these are my current top 10 favorite Italian words / phrases.

1. Tu Sei Pazzo - You are Crazy
2. Grazie Mille - Thank you very much
3. Dimmi tu - Tell me
4. Per favore - Please
5. Andiamo - Lets go
6. Me Dispiace - I'm sorry
7. A Presto - See you soon
8. Sto Sorridendo - I am smiling
9. Non C'male - Not bad
10. Non so- I don't know

And everytime I use any of these phrases, the woman in me simply goes - Yeyy !! So I have reasons to believe that Charles V was pretty correct in his stand after all ;)

Cheering the Blue Brigade

2011-02-18T14:32:00.005+05:30

Yeyy !! Cricket World Cup Fever’s in the air again!!!

With less than 24 hours to go, the world awaits with labored breath for the kick starting of this mega event, which undoubtedly is one of the most exhilarating ones in the history of the sport.

So while the classic gender stereotype would blindly label me as an obvious non cricket enthusiast, I wish to publicly reiterate for whatever it is worth, that I consider myself very much a part of the million odd cricket fanatics from India, who will be vociferously and passionately cheering for Team India at the upcoming tournament.

A website I was surfing through succinctly and very prescriptively lays down the following rules for us to follow before we can adorn the title of being a “true” Cricket fanatic.The list includes-

1. You spruce up your wardrobe with new T-shirts & jerseys keeping abreast with the latest fashion trends in time for the upcoming cricket season.
2. You adjust your social calendar according to the much publicized match schedule, ensuring you absolutely do not miss any of the important matches.
3. FM in your car / on your mobile phone is permanently tuned onto the radio frequency which airs live match updates.
4. You keep an excel sheet to chart the tally points of each of the 14 participating teams, continuously keeping an eye on how your team is faring amidst serious competition.
5. You regale your friends with cricket trivia, post spending hours going through James Alters, “the History of World Cup Cricket”
6. You not only know the names and fact sheet of each player on your finger tips, you also track the umpires appointed for the tournament along with their track records.

Honestly, though I confess that I would seriously fail the above acid test on every single count, I still swear to being a true cricket fan for my own reasons stated below -

1. Despite all my other commitments (which by the way are quite a handful ;)) I will follow most of the matches of the tournament, mapping Team India’s place in the group from time to time.
2. All possible self attested rules of feng shui will be practiced during any match I watch live, including favorable seating arrangement for my co viewers, fixed lucky volume settings for the TV, planned and rationed loo breaks etc. with special caution when Sachin Tendulkar is batting.
3. I truly believe irrespective of the massive score we may be chasing in any match, that we are still very much in the game till Sachin Tendulkar is at the crease.
4. I believe that there is no plausible high and bigger adrenaline rush you can experience, as you do while witnessing the Men in Blue perform on the field, to breeze through a tough opposition, in some critical match.
5. Though I may be rather weak in understanding and appreciating the finer technical details of the game, I love it for merely the values of determination, courage, persuasiveness, strategy, team spirit & physical endurance that the game represents in its finer form.

So irrespective of whether you qualify as a "thoroughbred cricket fan" or not, if you simply share a passion for the sport the way I do, I hope you will be joining many others like me to cheer the men in blue starting tomorrow noon.

GO TEAM INDIA !!

PS: For the amateur’s, here’s some cricket trivia it wouldn’t harm you to keep abreast with:
1. The 2011 Cricket World Cup is the 10th Cricket World cup
2. It is being co hosted by 3 S. Asian counties – India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh
3. Will witness 14 national teams compete
4. First match is on the 19th between India & Bangladesh
5. India is a part of Group B – competing with Bangladesh, England, S. Africa, West Indies, Ireland & Holland for a slot in the Quarter finals.
6. Group A on the other hand includes Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Canada & Kenya.
7. The world cup finals will be in Mumbai on the 2nd April 2011.

Barista delivers, when my 'Moka' can't !

2011-02-17T19:34:00.008+05:30

A shot to instant happiness & vigor?

An acceptable performance enhancer?

A threatening caffeine addiction?

Still Deciding .........

Until then, choosing to enjoy the pure bliss delivered through my daily cup of well brewed coffee.

This Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T19:44:00.004+05:30

'LOVE' SPELLS FOR ME ….

The ability to effortlessly laugh together,
Weep without embarrassment,
Share one's greatest fears and insecurities & feel the others pain,
Celebrate each other’s company while lazing around on the couch doing “nothing” at all.

The ability to heal with a touch.
Speak volumes without words,
To make small moments last a lifetime.

The ability to selflessly give, despite no fore casted returns,
To challenge and eventually win over perceived barriers of space or time,
To dream the impossible and constantly believe that every single one will come true some day in the near future,
To be each other’s greatest strength and biggest weakness, both at the same time.

To discover myriad new meanings in life .....while undertaking a journey together.

Your mood for 2011

2011-01-20T21:56:00.007+05:30

One word to capture the mood for 2011 - the year unfolding.

My pick -

"SANGUINITY" - cheerfully confident, optimistic

Whats yours ?

Bringing on 2011

2011-01-19T10:12:00.012+05:30

5....4....3.....2.....1 HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

With SN kissing me in direct and full frontal view of his significantly large immediate family, the hundreds of people screaming and shouting in the back ground on the dance floor bursting at its seams, and the beautiful myriads of fireworks lighting up the night sky, all seemed to fade away into oblivion....

That's how I brought in 2011.

A surprisingly fun evening, albeit very different from my typical "bringing in of new years- 31st night celebrations" A very special date because like many others it marked a milestone for the two of us. The end of 2010, a phenomenal year where we took the gargantuan step of committing ourselves and our lives to each other, and the beginning of 2011, our first year together exploring what life has to offer us.

It seems like a decade has passed since my last post and life has been certainly full enough to not give me a chance to pointlessly deliberate about the transitory phase I am in.

I can't help agree with KS that "change" irrespective of the direction it takes you in, is almost always significantly better that being stuck up in a "static" state of being.

And oh what change the last fortnight has entailed.

- I now wear a ring on my wedding finger and a mangalsutra around my neck - a proverbial stamp of my marital status for the world to see and comprehend.

- I have been promoted to operate as "wife", "daughter in law", "sister in law", "aunt" et all, some roles that I have come to romance quite dearly from the word go, and others that will take some time for me to really get into the character ;).

- I have moved 4 cities in 20 days, lived out of 3 suitcases, still don't know where exactly "home" is ? and despite being a genetically ordained manic planner, this state of flux and the related uncertainty hasn't quite perturbed me yet.

- I have spent 3 weeks being physically away from my family and friends (with whom I have of course been in touch) yet not experienced any serious separation pangs. Perhaps a wonderfully relieving sign that some relationships are just rock solid constant in your life, and yet again reiterating the beauty of certain new ties which challenge the cliched notion of all being a function of time.

- I have very painfully (and quite unexpectedly) had to come to terms with living apart from SN for what we pray is not more than a couple of months, post some major hitches in me getting a Schengen visa, to Italy. Forced living away from someone you have just begun to share your life with is oh such a dampner, but cheers to Internet and technology which shows promise to help us keep the spark alive & sanity intact.

- I cheerfully resigned from my job a few weeks back, only to more cheerfully provisionally join back today, to find myself sit at my very own work station, with my assorted colored stationery, cup of mocha in hand, chatting with colleagues, in a rather familiar work environment ; things which continue to individually and collectively make me very happy.

- I have lost 3 kgs in 20 days, without even a thought leave aside attempt (planned or otherwise) to do so.

- I have actually been reading daily before bed. I have "Eat, Pray, Love, Committed" by Elizabert Gizbert (which PM gifted me) on my book shelf, and it continues to enthrall me with its subtle yet very poignant message.

With this and many other minor personal changes, including my choice of tooth paste, mode of transport, design of handbag, style of shoes, colour of nails, type of eye make up, the one thing constant between this year coming up, and the last is that I am entering it with an excited, giddy headed feeling that it is going to be better than any other in the past.

So here's bringing on 2011 on www.timesunlimited.blogspot.com

It's Almost Time....

2010-11-29T02:03:00.008+05:30

It's almost time ....
For some phenomenal, seemingly almost paranormal change,
For what SN sweetly calls a much needed and well deserved break from work,
For bidding adieu to my much loved home city of 29 years,
For physically leaving behind my family and friends, both my rock solid support systems.

It's almost time ....
For a new beginning,
For celebrations to begin for a life of togetherness with SN,
For a new place to call home,
For a new role as a wife, daughter in law & sister in law,
For a move to a new country and a new culture.

It's almost time ...
For a temporary albeit necessary break from this space,
For making a promise to be back,
In the new year, signing in from a new country and starting a new chapter here on http://www.timesunlimited.blogspot.com/

So yeah, here's hoping for a fabulous new beginning :)

Buon Compleanno !!

2010-11-21T00:17:00.007+05:30

5 ways I will be celebrating SN's birthday today ...while being miles apart .....and regretting it to a point where my heart is wrenching (if that is a possible heart condition;)).

1) Bake a cake (which with me as the chef was very predictably going to be chocolate, until I received a message saying "No chocolate cake, please ......." :))

2) Go for a walk / run tomorrow morning by Marine Drive. (yes you read it right...not Worli Sea Face this time ..... for some fresh morning air and other recollections)

3) Attempt to watch 1 complete 5 minute Utube video post off his Facebook wall, featuring his favourite American Football team - Steelers. (To try and even vaguely comprehend the context, when he very passionately says " you are a Steeler by marriage" ;))

4) Visit my favorite temple (But wait before you go all "awwwww" this is to actually pray that I may have an abundance of sense and sensibility I might actually require to be the lawfully wedded wife of this Megalodon ;))

And finally -

5) Raise a toast with a glass of Sangria (in the absence of Absinthe) that 2010 may successfully bring along what he hails the most important chapter of his life.

Happy Birthday SN !!

Love

Sunshine Boys

2010-11-15T16:19:00.008+05:30

A recommended watch this week - APB's adaptation of Neil Simon’s original "Sunshine Boys". Hoping to make it a perfect Saturday night with a bunch of colleagues & friends.

Inked with love

2010-11-03T15:38:00.004+05:30

Dear SN,

These are 25 things I think you should know about me ....incase my almost angelic disposition has successfully camouflaged the inherent madness that personifies me.

Love G

- I don't have ONE favorite colour, dress, car, book, movie, meal in my almost three decades of existence....yeah but that's the maximum extent of indecisiveness you will ever see in me.
- I have had the same hair style for seven years, so I am very likely to have the same one for the next three decades ;)
- I put a morning alarm on snooze for over two hours, only to effectively wake up my room mate.
- I clean regularly to de-stress.
- I love melodramatic Bollywood movies.
- I may go through days without picking up a newspaper.
- I take a daily dosage of chocolate to avoid depression ;).
- I think shopping can be orgasmic too.
- I often note my good deed for the day.
- I think cooking is cool.
- I don't like being told to do things.
- I cry when I am happy, sad, nostalgic, angry, upset...or sometimes for no reason at all.
- I have a terrible sweet tooth.
- I go on a diet every Monday.
- My assets include a cupboard full of clothes, a dozen pairs of shoes and twenty three hand bags.

- If I had a shitload of money I'd spend it travelling the world
- I think adoption is a great idea.
- I actually work for reasons other than money.
- I am sure I will have a career span of thirty years but am not entirely sure in which sector that would be.
- I have been waiting for years to get a tattoo ...basically waiting for pricking needles to not hurt ;)
- I always thought it would be super cool to marry your best friend
- I think any relationship should be 50% separate spaces and 50% shared spaces.
- I believe that no one is perfect and every human being has imperfections.
- I think that all you need for a relationship to work is uninhibited communication, unfaltering trust and a generous dash of sensitivity to the significant other in question.
- I think I have the best family ever....and yeah am damn happy to have you as an integral part of it now.

Mal de ojo

2010-10-24T19:34:00.003+05:30

I am superstitious as hell ..... so since I couldn't find the perfect black sign to ward off any negative energy, I decided to go the Turkish way and put this "Evil Eye" on my blog ;)

Cloud No. 9

2010-10-24T18:51:00.006+05:30

A time comes when ...........

A name means more than just a string of alphabets,

Dates become milestones to a journey of togetherness,

You wish you could seal time together in some time capsule,

And you work around everything possible to beat distance.

A time comes when....

A person means more than all you have.

A time when a script begins to unfold,

Of a happy fairy tale, witnessed earlier by your subconscious mind.

And when you pinch yourself to awaken you from what you think is a dream,

You wince in pain, only to realise that it is in fact beautiful reality.

PS: I've been away from my blog for a while lost in time & space. I met SN 6 weeks back and that marks the beginning of our journey together. We got engaged at a small traditional ceremony at home and will be tying the knot this December. So you know if you don't find me here ...am just enjoying myself being on Cloud No. 9 :)

Oh yeah I must add - SN on this platform may also go by the name "Megalodon" something he picked for himself cause he thought it was kick ass cool...and which I must tell you is the name of one of the greatest predators to have terrorised earth.... ;)

A Case to Reckon

2010-10-05T21:51:00.005+05:30

A desperate appeal from a helpless father sits on my office desk, seeking medical assistance for his 6 year old boy. The supporting documents tell me that the young boy has lost his right arm to gangrene and the only way he will be able to lead a 'normal life', get an education and earn a livelihood 15 years hence, is if he can get a prosthetic arm now. The financial background of the family with the father earning only INR 3000 a month isn't strong enough to bear the INR 4 lac burden of this artificial aid.

I know from experience that given the hundreds of appeals that are filed with my Foundation the probability of this one receiving support is pretty low.

The innocent picture of the boy and the pained expression of the father continues to hound me through the day. I cannot deny that my own personal experiences are making me far more sensitive and emotionally involved in the issue at hand.

I have always believed that "charity" and "giving" is a personal thing. Despite being a development worker I do not interfere with decisions regarding "giving" even for my own family, until and unless my opinion on the matter is sought.

But this time around I am wondering -

- I may have 15 people in my immediate circle for whom a donation of a few thousand INR would mean nothing and who would in all probability very graciously offer to help.

- Should I be just doing my personal bit and leave it to the boys father to arrange the rest from other quarters in which case would he actually be able to network to raise these funds ?

- Or would it be useful of me to attempt to build the kitty from my family and friends.

- Would an appeal from my side be undermining my family and friends intent and efforts possibly already underway to make a difference and would it emotionally coerce them to "give" only because they cant send me a regret.

- Would I ponder so much and hesitate to mobilise support if God forbid the beneficiary in question was somebody I knew personally?

I stand by my point of view that "giving is personal" and perhaps "asking" is what complicates and changes the dynamics of it all.

I continue to ponder, pressurised knowing that my decision could well impact a life.

Heaven on Earth

2010-09-30T14:30:00.004+05:30

Where gardens give out such sweet fragrances they actually caress you when you pass them by.
Where melodies seem so rich you can actually see them dancing through the air.
Where colors are so exquisite they tickle all of your senses.
Where it seems that flying comes naturally to all.

Where some have moons that hum lullabies each night.

May this be the beginning of such a space and time.
Where with every heart beat, there's a legend in the making.

(Inspired by - Notes from the Universe)

Down With Fun

2010-09-28T16:37:00.002+05:30

Just a few months after the HR department of the large Indian conglomerate I work with decided to roll out a rather organized "fun at work initiative" called 'Dil Se', I came across this post aptly titled "Down with Fun" :). The central point of debate remains whether management would ever be successful in cosmetologically albeit strategically, injecting fun and enthusiasm in the work place, with the ulterior motive of increasing employee engagement & productivity. Personally being someone who detests being coerced to do absolutely anything, a routine fun hour, I dread is going to be a mere drudgery, more so also for many others like me. In which case though the attempt may be "Dile Se" it's certainly isnt going to be "Dil Tak".

The Woman in Your Life

2010-09-28T15:02:00.003+05:30

MY DAD FORWARDED THIS TO ME TODAY AND I THOGHT IT WAS WORTH SHARING HERE.

"To all the ladies who read this, please read fully. If married pass it on to your Hubby casually with my compliments. If yet to be married share it with the one who will come in your life.

To the Guys who plan to marry and are married read it and forward it to as many of your friends. The woman in your life needs support. Read this message to the woman in your life also."

The woman in your life.............

Tomorrow you may get married to a working woman, but you should marry her with these facts as well.

Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;

Who is earning almost as much as you do;

One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as human as you are;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements

One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family ,name

One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen

One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; To be a server, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to;

And is learning just like you are as to what you want from her;

And is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;

One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise

One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;

One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important, relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some and trust her;

One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.

Please appreciate
"HER"
I hope you will do....

That Thing About You

2010-09-23T15:12:00.004+05:30

G's list of 10 qualities which make a man seriously adorable :) (in order btw;))

Height
Honesty
Humility
Humour

Hard working ability

Hygiene
Self confidence
A bit of vulnerability
Hobbies & Interests

Culinary Abilities ;)

PS: I must acknowledge AB & PM - the girls who have been co participants of this study & research ever since we were 13;) and who at 30 may actually be deliberating partnering with me to set up a laboratory where such prototypes may be manufactured ;)

Couch to 5K - 2 month Update

2010-09-21T22:18:00.004+05:30

Its been two months since I started out on the Couch to 5K Plan and this is my self attested report card.

Grade Achieved - Started Week 5 but didn't complete it and irregularity in running led to a steep dip in stamina and timing.

Training routine - 4 kms alternating running and walking + 2 kms walk

Maximum Distance covered in 1 day - 6 kms

Maximum time on the run - 4.5-5 minutes

Best Timing - 4 kms in 28 minutes

Average timing - 4 kms in 30 minutes

Average run / walk attempts - 15 -18 days a month i.e. 3-4 days a week

Favorite run /walk day - Saturday / Sunday

Weight Loss - 3 kgs

By the side - Feeling good, beating work and life stress, lesser mood swings & PMS strain :)

Target for next two months - Increase running distance & stamina, cross the 5 K running barrier, get down to doing some 'Core Excercises' and finally 3 more kgs weight loss.

My running buddies - Thanks to PM for being the original inspiration and KD for being the continuous motivator :) Love you guys !!

Lost in Space

2010-09-21T21:41:00.002+05:30

Been away from this space,

Taking time out,

Trying ........

To see things afresh,

To not be too judgemental,

To stop drawing uncesary parallels,

Or make foolish comparisons,

To have realistic expectations,

To ensure being fair,

To not be impatient,

To be honest,

To stay upbeat and positive,

To fight mindless fearfulness,

To be prepared to face the unexpected.......

And to believe that it will all be only for the best :)

An Ode To A Brother

2010-08-24T16:33:00.005+05:30

Its not the Day - as this day shall come and go,

Or the thread you tie – as it too shall wither away.

Its about an indissoluble bond - which shall endure the test of space & time,

And no matter where life takes you, shall be there to stay.

Somethings Money Cant Buy .......

2010-08-16T19:43:00.011+05:30

Waking up at 7:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning - Some serious effort

4 cups of coffee – 50 bucks

A sumptuous assortment of Dosa, Idli, Wada & Sambar a t a popular Udipi restaurant - 400 bucks

A hard bound bestseller from a roadside store - 250 bucks

A morning with 3 amazing friends from 3 cities ......Unstoppable conversations ......Recurring peels of laughter .....Much solicited fun and frolic

&

Being left with a signed memento to relive this sweet memory over & over again,

Simply P.R.I.C.E.L.E.S.S

PS : I cant help but add “ There are some things money cant buy….for everything else you may try MasterCard" ;)

Writer's Block

2010-08-12T19:23:00.002+05:30

They say when you face a 'Writer's Block', try some other medium of expression .....I tried really hard ........& this is all I came up with :)

That World Outside

2010-08-06T13:07:00.008+05:30

Every morning I watch from the dark shades of my car,
As I reach the same milestone on my way to work,
Routinely munching on my cold packed sandwiches,
Sipping my coffee picked up from the cafe en route,
That world outside.

The world by the sidewalk,
Almost spilling onto the busy streets,
Scruffy, dirty and over crowded,
Hutments and dwellers everywhere.

The world oblivious to -
The intrigued and shameful glances of passersby,
The brouhaha caused by sheer numbers within,
The occasional threat from the police van driving past,
Or the promises (albeit false) of politicians paying them a seasonal visit.

The world where I observe -
Men comfortably sitting and reading the morning newspaper,
Women leisurely cooking and drinking their cup of hot morning tea,
Children gleefully playing with pebbles, plastic, or what ever they can find,
Many others still peacefully asleep on their wooden cots in the middle of nowhere.

The world where seemingly-
Time is not a luxury,
Routine is not monotonous,
Shared spaces are a reality,
Chores are not gender biased,
Hot food (even if its only a few morsels of rice) is not a weekend ritual,
And peace, survival, happiness and standard of living are redefined.

I hear the cars honk behind me,
Reminding me of the meeting I am already late for,
My mind racing in the direction of noting the million things I need to get done,
I leave my half eaten sandwich and discard the now cold coffee,
I wonder "Who defines Quality of life ??....huh !!!"
And with no time to spare ....I simply speed along.....

My mindspeaks to the Arabian Sea outside

2010-07-29T17:07:00.019+05:30

I sit in a dimly lit room watching the rain drops splattering against the window pane. The view of the Arabian Sea, each wave breaking on variedly shaped rocks is mesmerising, momentarily taking me away to a completely different world.

The environment is familiar but in a not so nice way. The corridors still have that palpable tension, the clock ticks only to break the prevailing deathly silence, a distinctive medicinal odour fills the air you breathe and the faces of those outside are rather grim.

Over the last 6 years I have been here 5 times, for the sake of very significant others including myself twice. And all 6 times have signified pain, suffering and even loss. Every single time reinstating in my mind the fragility of life, while making me unconsciously count my blessings, reminding me of all those significant people and relationships which are the essence of my life.

And as I continue sitting all by myself, listening to the sound of breaking waves, watching the sun go down and the sky turn pitch black, only one thought crosses my mind.....'We really got to learn to live today to the fullest......cause sooner than later we are all going to find ourselves dead.'

The Art of Choosing

2010-07-27T11:30:00.003+05:30

Interesting, Engaging & Enthralling. An absolute must watch :)

PS - Sheena Iyengar studies how we make choices -- and how we feel about the choices we make. At TEDGlobal, she talks about both trivial choices (Coke v. Pepsi) and profound ones, and shares her groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes about our decisions.

The Couch to 5K Plan

2010-07-22T17:12:00.003+05:30

PM and me have been partners in doing some of the craziest things together be it shopping, walking, dieting & detox, parlour trips, exploring eateries, blogging et all. Common friends believe that we are “twinnish” and both of us gleefully agree. So I miss the million things we’ve consistently done together over the last 13 years of knowing each other and I have to admit her moving to Delhi 4 years back and to Kuwait almost a year back has undoubtedly brought about changes in the way I live my life. I miss those very small yet significant things we did together - an evening stroll at WSF, weekend coffee at Barista Café, shopping at Lifestyle Phoenix, morning calls to gossip about the world on the way to work and so on and so forth. So it felt almost marvelously déjà vu-ish when I got an email from here yesterday which said “G Lets do this” and through a series of online chats through the day and a quick call in the evening we decided we were on board our new plan.

Countries Apart ……Everything else remaining constant ;)

The plan is called “The Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan”

No it isn’t all of a sudden. We thought it was a brilliant idea because -
- PM & me have perennially been on either a diet or exercise routine together as long as we can remember. So we thought why the hell should distance deter things now ;)
- Its wonderful what having company can do to such plans. On more than a handful of occasions you need someone to kick you in the butt and say “Move it”
- The good, bad & ugly stories to share actually reduce the drudgery that most routines entail.
- You keep up the psychological quotient involved by motivating yourself more seriously knowing that you have to keep your activity partner motivated.

Milestones to reach -
- Jointly to just get fitter and healthier.
- For me to run the Dream Run at the Mumbai Marathon (and not waddle the way I have the previous 4 times). This is my 5th time and I thought it simply should be different ;)

So what are the challenges
- Hectic and erratic work schedules
- Family and social obligations
- And even when we don’t have the above our innate tendency to be down right lazy.

Plan variation
- PM will be hitting the gym for strength training as well as the run.
- Given the many gym memberships I have not effectively utilized I am going to just hit the road at WSF.

So here’s to our attempt to get off the couch and onto the roads.

Wish us LUCK !!

2 Weeks, 15 Days & 360 Hours of being Queen of the House

2010-07-18T15:08:00.017+05:30

My parents were away for a little over 2 weeks visiting my sister in UK and travelling around a bit. More significantly they left me in charge of my house and a 23 year old friend, 42 year old aunt and 84 year old grandad. And while I obviously lived to write this post, these were the 10 invaluable lessons I learnt (which I feel almost obligated to share with the rest of you)

Lesson 1 - Seeking consensus between a 23 year old, a 42 year old and a 84 year old human being (even believing that you are actually a super natural being with no real preferences) is not just challenging but virtually impossible. So if you do stupid things like asking them what they would like to have for dinner be prepared to dish out Chinese, Italian and Indian cuisine all at once. Invaluable lesson learnt- Choices are not great when you are the sole implementer of the solutions ;)

Lesson 2 - Having a dedicated army of helps to do the cooking, cleaning, washing is a boon for sure. However please put aside 30 minutes of your anyway shrinking lunch hour at work to run them by the instructions. They will not read and least they read will not comprehend the very lovingly compiled notes you leave behind on your refrigerator. Invaluable lesson learnt - Delegation is an art and practice could well make you perfect .....some day only in the far future ;)

Lesson 3 - Gadgets which have been working perfectly fine for over two decades will conk off. So make sure you keep the electrician, carpenter, cable operators telephone numbers handy because though you might be fooled into believing that you are functioning in super human form, there is no way in hell you can even attempt to fix these gadgets with your little or no technical prowess.

Lesson 4 - All those remote relatives and otherwise non existing family friends will decide to individually and collectively pay a visit to your grand dad during this 15 day period ;) Be prepared to play hostess (which includes keeping 2 ltrs of milk spare in the refrigerator least you need to make 15 extra cups of tea) and brush up your social skills which might equip you to exchange pleasantries about the very mundane yet safe subjects of weather, recent TV serials, traffic in Mumbai which might help you dodge their favorite subject titled "don't you want to get married now";)

Lesson 5 - If you are the kind of person who doesn't hear your own alarm ring every morning (despite keeping your phone near your pillow), please assign a friend the responsibility of waking you up. Else be prepared to sign in late and face your boss's scorn for the entire period.

Lesson 6 - You may consider joining the weather bureau as a consultant during this period as every time you put the clothes out to dry it rains very heavily and every time you move the clothes indoor the sun comes up. Imagine what they could do with your ability to predict the weather so accurately ;)

Lesson 7 - Your house is likely to be under threat of invasion by the bees, wasps, flies and if nothing else mosquitoes. And if you manage to not kill yourself trying to not be in the way of these rather temperamental flying creatures, you can expect a blind pigeon to somehow make its way into the house through some god forsaken window. In the eventuality of which I don't think I need to tell you what to do ....coz this is when the human reflex of "Flight" is most handy ;)

Lesson 8 - You will perennially remain grateful to your ancestors for having invented / discovered the following - Eggs, Bread, Butter, Cheese, Chocolate and Maggie noodles :)

Lesson 9 - When you cook, you don't want to eat the food you've cooked. And given that you are likely to be so tired of feeding others, you will more often than not choose to eat a fruit, drink a glass of milk and hit the bed, making it quite a promising technique of temporarily losing weight.

Lesson 10 - And last but definitely not the least having your friends around to catch up over coffee / drinks or drop by for dinner could be the sole solution to save you from insanity - a likely impact of seasonal and involuntary domestication and the unprecedented happenings that are subsequently likely to unfold ;)

To conclude - My parents are finally back, and I very proudly state that I successfully held fort in their absence, dished out some yummy food which even I didn't know I could make, bonded with my maids, co-existed with a 23, 42 and 84 year old, entertained at home and went to work every single day (er minus one ;)). I confess that though exhausted beyond explanation I loved the experience and of course am ever so grateful for the invaluable lessons learnt ;). I not only happily but eagerly hand over charge to my mother saluting not only her awesome management abilities but of every other woman on this planet who runs her house with the same prowess that Indra Nooyi runs PepsiCo Ltd. :) Cheers to you ladies !!! :)

Tryst with Technology - Contd

2010-07-18T13:21:00.008+05:30

A little less than a year back, I had posted THIS, commenting about my rather indifferent approach towards gadgets.

And just when I thought I was actually settling into a comfort zone with some of these, in a span of only 15 days my Sony DSC-TX1 Cybershot camera got stolen, brand new black Dell Inspiron 1401 laptop conked off and my Nokia phone blew its visual display unit.

To beat that totally crazy spell, I have got to tell you, in less than 4 days I have been gifted a DSC-TX5 sexy red Sony Cybershot camera by my uncle, a Blackberry phone by my dad and Dell promised to replace my Dell Inspiron (with a red one) as it was within the warranty period (incase you must know this was after I threatened to contact a very imaginary Dell COO friend of mine;)).

All in all it definately felt like the universe is inviting me to remain synced in with technology and with these very svelte sexy gadgets that I am going to own .....I am so not complaining ;)

Infact I am actually wondering whether this 4 day lucky spell will get prolonged to a 15 day one ;)....I.M.A.G.I.N.E then what my next post would say !!!! :)

S.P.A.C.E.S.

2010-07-12T14:24:00.004+05:30

Craving spaces,
Seeking spaces,
Chasing spaces,
Choosing spaces,
Creating spaces,
Trading spaces,
Altering spaces,
Alternating spaces,
Open spaces,

Confined spaces,

Fancy spaces,

Chaotic spaces,

Naughty spaces,

Untainted spaces,

Winning spaces,

Losing spaces,

Failing spaces,

Blaming spaces,
Trailing spaces,
Celebrating spaces,

Losing oneself in these seemingly boundless spaces,
Yet perennially wondering..... do I really feature within these spaces?

Turning 29

2010-06-27T14:06:00.013+05:30

29 significant people / places / & things in my first 29 years

1) Being born and raised in a loving secure and cohesive family unit. (Though technically this unit consists of 5 members - including me- the circle encompasses 35 others (and 1035 others according to my parents ;)) including not only my relatives, but friends who are extended family. A group who will move oceans and continents to be around me if I ever ask.

2) My sister whose name begins with the alphabets “MAD” and a characteristic which I think since christening she decided to take a bit too seriously ;) Born a year and a half after me, she’s the exact opposite of me, crazy as hell and without whom I have got to admit my life would be quite boring.

3) Mrs. Branch my kindergarten teacher who called my mother to school one day to lovingly extend some parental advice saying “your daughter is just so full of energy ..let her run freely in which ever direction the wind takes her”. 25 years later maybe I should send my mum to her for a refresher course ;)

4) Ms. Vicky Dsouza my Grade 1 teacher to whom my mother complained about my finicky (and what she considered problematic) eating habits and with whom I had to share my packed lunch for 1 whole week. She must have scared the shit out of me cause today I am genuinely open to trying all sorts of food from karela to Sushi.

5) Having 2 hours since I was little, as playtime to explore whatever I wanted to for my self, be it Barbie dolls, music or cricket. At 29 this is what I refer to as “Time to Be” (Albeit today more often than not I might spend this time at a coffee shop or a mall shopping ;))

6) Being gifted my first porcelain very high end looking kitchen set at age 5 by my grand parents. My culinary passion may perhaps stem more from my love for high end crockery and cutlery ;)

7) Living with my father touring the country and the world ever so often. Missing his absence yet excitedly awaiting his return only because I knew with surety that he would bring me a gift. My first Walkie Talkie doll from Harrods London, the ethnic chaniya cholis from Gujarat, music Cd’s from Thailand, silk sarees from Nalli’s Chennai to the Sonpapdi Mithai from K C Das Calcutta. Each and every one etched in my memory as if it were yesterday and the joys of receiving gifts in turn teaching me the art of gifting - Its definitely more about getting the moment right rather than what you gift.

8) Being reprimanded time and again by my mother on issues of personal hygiene, bad handwriting, spelling mistakes, and untidy cupboards. Some things don’t necessarily change with time ;)

9) Meeting my first best friend AB (aka Alien aka SM aka mots ;) ) in grade 4 and developing my first and probably most serious, fruitful and long lasting bond (outside my family). In hindsight I think auntie’s home cooked tomato rice and curd was just too much to resist.

10) Turning 13 and qualifying for both the Under 13 and Above 13 Throw ball team for my house in Grade 7 - my first experience of a competitive sport, sportsmanship and camaraderie. (We won both the championships and while I know that it isn’t quite equivalent to the FIFA World Cup, trust me we took it more seriously than Beckham does)

11) Messing up my speech in front of 500 students and 50 teachers in the school hall one day , leaving me with severe stage fright till date.

12) Successfully being elected the Vice captain and captain of my house in Grade 9 & 10 through a cut-throat campaign against 6 other contenders & 2 very good friends (almost similar to the script of the movie Rajneeti) to emerge a winner at the nail biting finish line. I learnt that winning is great, power corrupts and as Baz Lurman has said “sometimes you are ahead, sometimes you are behind, the race is long…and in the end its only for yourself”.

13) Attending Sinhals Classes in Grade 10 with my brother AR & my family friend MS and coming from an all girls convent school experiencing for the first time the “high’s” of co-ed education.

14) Reconnecting with MS after my 10th birthday party, rekindling a deep connect and fondness for each other, amidst maths tutorials and physics practicals. Living life always ensuring that it nourished this association which would without question go down in my biography as an important chapter – My first crush and my first serious relationship 11 years later.

15) St. Xaviers college, Malhar, the foyer, being thrust into the seemingly big bad world, struggling to find ground and fit in, changing groups and friends with every passing year before meeting with PM my twin -, born from another set of parents ;) She has and continues to be my twinnish girlfriend to an extent that God may as well consider making us sisters in our next birth. And I know she will screech on hearing this but yeah "Inshah Allah"

16) Project care and Social Service League at college, with DM (the Chairperson of SSL) taking a rather formal interview behind closed doors in the 7 ft by 7 ft room ;) my first brush with the development sector and the madness which is DM. (In hindsight I must thank you DM coz after your nerve racking questioning, every interview in my life seems a cake walk ;))

17) My 21st birthday where my sister gifted me 21 things wrapped 21 times. I always knew she had way too much free time on hand ;)

18) My family holidays (with extended family & family friends) to a million destinations in India and later abroad definitely sowed in me an unsatiated desire to travel near and far.

19) Endless day and night monopoly marathon sessions with MR and my cousins AR & AnR interrupted only with absolutely necessary 'loo breaks'. Memories of uncomplicated existence and carefree times when all we needed was this board game and Maggie noodles.

20) Life at TISS - a reality check to the world outside my comfortable cocoon, life changing experiences, orientation to earlier unheard of philosophies and the beginning of an attempt to decipher my own ideology. (I am still very much at the “beginning” stage least you label me the enlightened one;)).

21) Meeting HD & KS at TISS. One a fashion enthusiast to the core and the other a philosopher to the core. Individually 2 absolutely wonderful people who just simple make me happy by being around.

22) Worli Sea Face promenade - which successfully continues to score as my favorite place in Mumbai (over time) and the pretty and very unaffordable houses there that I keep dreaming about all day and night continue to inspire me to either work very hard or marry rich to ensure that the dreams turn into reality. In hind sight acknowledging that both these alternatives may not deliver, I am contemplating starting a WSF-Home-4-G Fund to which all of you can contribute and feel the peace and satisfaction that comes with "doing good karma" ;)

23) Taking 4 days to complete this post, only because I faced a proverbial writers block when i reached here ;) But jokes apart there come a few moments or people in life which simply leave you speechless. So in the case of my friend KD, its because firstly he talks nineteen to a dozen so there isnt much scope for me ;) and two because I didn't think I would find such a special friend in him (my first memory of him was him relentlessly singing the Pussycat dolls number 'don't you wish your gf was hot like me'..and my what an impression that made ;)). But yeah half a decade later I am happy that I have this special friend to count on for life.

24) Having the privilege of dialoging with Mr. God through life. I pray in chaste English and my prayers are virtual conversations from time to time. Which I think have successfully led to the development of a rather mutually loving relationship between the two of us ;) So when phone and Internet connectivity make it impossible to reach AB, DM, PM, HD, KD or tune my family on my frequency ;) I know I still have someone to count on :)

25) Finding my professional niche - I have never aspired to be the CEO of a large multi national company, earn a fat salary, a swanky car and have 200 people report to me. Not much has changed over time in terms of aspirations as I still don't want any of the above, but 6 years of working as a development worker I am slowly and steadily growing as a professional. Its a part of me which is assuming more significance every passing day than I had ever imagined, also becoming a part that I don't think I will ever want to let go off.

26) Celebrating my parents 25th and 30th anniversaries and realising that that’s the kind of companionship I would want for myself for life.

27) My Mum – the pillar of strength on which my family stands, selfless giver, multi tasker, undepleting energy levels, someone who has lived her life to ensure that her daughters get the best and grow up to be the best.

28) My Dad – my bank for life ;) the perennial provider from whom I have never heard a 'No', my single most significant male role model in life and looking at whom I wish some day I will grow up to be at least half as successful in whatever it is that I do.

29) Enjoying 29 years of health, love & happiness and a million other blessings to count on, leaving me with just one final thought - Ohh my God next year I am going to be 30 :( ;)

You gotto BE

2010-06-19T12:37:00.004+05:30

When I woke up today I knew it was a day for a cup of tea which keeps replenishing itself, a good book (in my case - Chicken Soup for the Indian Romantic Soul) and a song I decided to make "my anthem" for just today ....

PS : AB, PM & DM this one's for you girls :)

You Gotto BE .... by Des'ree -

Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
Stand up and be counted
Don't be ashamed to cry
You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
Herald what your mother said
Readin' the books your father read
Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time
Some may have more cash than you
Others take a different view
My oh my heh, hey
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
Don't ask no questions, it goes on without you
Leaving you behind if you can't stand the pace
The world keeps on spinning
You can't stop it, if you try to
This time it's danger staring you in the face
Oh oh oh Remember
Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
My oh my heh, hey, hey
You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day

Mumbai Monsoon & Magic

2010-06-18T17:08:00.009+05:30

Colourful umbrellas,

Ugly gum boots,
Corn on cob,

Tasty hot bhajjiyas,

More than a cup or two of tea,
Lush green trees,

Waterfalls in the country side,
Traffic jams in the city,

Excited radio jockeys for company,
Football in the muck,

A walk in the rain,
Little droplets of water on your window pane,
The sweet smell of wet mud,

The tingling sensation of the cold breeze,
Cosy mornings,

Breathtaking sunsets,
Amidst overcast skies,
Raging Seas ,

Spilling over the promenade,
Deafening thunder,

Startling you every once in a while,
Striking Lightening,

Brightening up the night sky,
An unannounced holiday or two coming by............

For absolutely these reasons and more

I love the Mumbai Monsoons

And the cheerful transformation it brings.

RISE Manifesto

2010-05-21T18:18:00.002+05:30

PS:
Just as thought I was slipping into a rather pathetic blue mood today, despite DM & AB doing everything they could to make me believe that things would be fine, I received a cute placard from corporate HR with the RISE MANIFESTO (an outcome of a workshop I wrote about in THIS post). And as I read the words to myself in my mind, it worked like a portion of magic. I couldn’t help but smile and think to myself …….'Yes, TODAY is a perfect day TO RISE’.

So here goes the RISE MANIFESTO -

Today is another perfect day, to defy the world's naysayers.

Today, we will think bigger than our size.
Today, we will refuse to accept limitations.
Today, we will not be held back by the past.

Today, we will focus on the future - and never, ever blink.

Today, we will break down another barrier....
Scoff at another convention...
And use alternate thinking..
To solve another previously unsolvable problem.

Today, we will accomplish something astounding...
And in the process, change someone's life for the better.

Today, M&M will set an example for the world.

With Boldness.
With Confidence.
With relentless optimism.

Good morning.

Today is a perfect day....

To RISE.

R.I.P Wilfy

2010-05-21T11:24:00.003+05:30

A friend of honesty.
A gentle man.
A gentleman.
Loving.
Humorous.
Helpful.
Walking along with his chin up, embracing life to the fullest.

Sadly, a journey cut short quite hastily.
Speaking at this juncture, in his red football jersey, his words to us would be-
"Cheers guys!!! The best is yet to come ....."

R.I.P
Wilfred Lawrence Barretto, St. Xavier’s College Mumbai - Batch of 2002

Feng Shui Fetish

2010-05-11T13:16:00.006+05:30

Last weekend while strolling on a rather busy street of suburban Mumbai, post an amazingly lazy coffee session, I spotted rows of neatly arranged "Lucky Bamboo" plants in a gift shop. I cant recollect having one earlier and I know for sure that I have no love lost for plants in general (perhaps the concrete jungle of Mumbai leaves you with literally no room for such fantasies). But this time around it was as though I had some sort of 'plant calling' ;). I was absolutely sure I wanted one and since it is considered more auspicious to be gifted one, KD and me happily purchased and gifted one to each other and it now sits pretty on both our work stations.

So here are some lesser known facts about this hugely famous "Good luck Bamboo" :

- The 'Lucky Bamboo' plant as it is popularly referred to in any gift shop actually goes by the name of "Dracaena Sanderiana" (ironically sounding more dracula-ish and less lucky-ish ;))

- The Bamboo plant is a significant part of Feng Shui (Feng = wind & Shui = water, refers to the ancient Chinese system of aesthetics which help one improve life by receiving positive chi (energy). It is considered a powerful antidote to bad 'Chi' (negative energy or bad luck).

-In Chinese the plant is called 'Fu Gui Zhu' where Fu means rich, gui -noble, and zhu -bamboo.

- The plant represents all five elements of Feng Shui i.e. earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. The bamboo stalk itself represents the wood, and the water it is grown in symbolizes the water. To represent earth, many consider placement of rocks / pebbles in the container holding the plant. The glass holder / vase represents metal and finally the red ribbon which binds the shoots together represents the fire element.

- So is this plant any more lucky than others ? In general Bamboo is characterised by rapid growth, strength and fortitude and hence worldwide it is considered to be a symbol of luck and success. The plant also symbolizes longevity since it is evergreen with the ability to flourish all year round.

- The number of stalks in a plant have meaning too.

2 stalks = love

3 or 6 stalks = happiness

5 or 7 stalks = health

8 stalks = wealth

9 stalks = general good fortune

21 stalks = blessings

(Mine have more than 23...so am hoping that means 'Blessings & more' ;))

- Placement matters ....so the plant on the left side of the room / desk signifies the 'dragon' and on the right side it signifies 'support'. (I have no idea what the 'dragon' means, I just decided to play safe by placing it on the right side of my desk.;))

- And finally the Lucky Bamboo brings greater luck when it is received as a gift.

PS: So the next time around that you need to pick up a gift for a friend / significant other, give the "Lucky bamboo plant" a serious thought, I thought it makes a wonderful gift. :)

People's Free Will & Me

2010-05-07T10:52:00.007+05:30

“You cannot be expected to take responsibility for something you cannot control
And if you yourself choose to take responsibility, then you must be god damn crazy……”

Insightful words uttered quite matter of factly while drinking beer,
In a predictably crowded Leopold cafe, on a random weekday evening, years ago,
By someone, from whom I would never ever take life’s advice :)
Time went by……
Along come distance between cities and then countries,
Losing touch with each other, while allowing life to take over.
Yet the words remained with me, almost like a precious take away, you hold on to quite fondly.

Years later, on an unusually hot night in Mumbai,
Tossing and turning in bed, I once again reminded myself of these words,
Like I have on a million other occasions.

Telling myself …………
Despite amazing intuition and objectivity,
You can only attempt to explain a point of view to others,
In no way force a change in perspective (irrespective of how “right” it may seem),
And while people go about life, exercising their free will,
You need to let go of both concern and any perceived responsibility,
And learn to effectively let live & live.

Brilliant thought for sure ……
But in all honesty, it still left me struggling to figure out HOW ?
When I saw my phone flash with an international number,

I answered .....and post responding to the familiar voice at the other end,

I told myself-

I'd love to figure out "HOW"
Maybe over beer …

In a predictably crowded Leopold cafe…..

On a random weekday evening …..Sometime really soon :)

Look to THIS day

2010-05-01T19:33:00.007+05:30

Post a rather eventful Saturday outdoors in the heat, I relaxed in the comforts of my newly painted room and wondered how it seemed like yesterday, that I posted this one on my experience of going back to college after 6 years. No doubt it wasn't easy, post hectic and long weekdays at work, to get my act together for some classroom learning, on the two days that I would have otherwise quite certainly spent sleeping and relaxing. It also meant giving up significant bits of my social life and leisure time activities and juggling time like I had never done till date in my life. Yet, as I sent in my last two assignments minutes ago, successfully completing this course I had to admit that enrolling for this one and going back to college was one of my best decisions for myself in recent times. It was undoubtedly time well spent, efforts meaningfully channelised, and baby steps taken on a road albeit not knowing where exactly it will lead me. All in all it was about RISING to an opportunity which lay before me .

The President HR of the company I work with, articulately recited the following lines at an HR workshop I attended the other day, and besides his deep voice and poignant style which made its impact the words itself I thought were remarkably powerful. I am just not that much into poetry, but the take away from the workshop (i.e. the message "Rising to the limitless possibilities which lie ahead of us") effectively left me energised enough to want to source and share these lines with you here.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and I hope they inspire you to RISE to live every approaching day as it comes by.

Look to this day;

For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence.
The bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendour of achievement
Are but experiences of time.

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
And today well-lived, makes
Yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day;
Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!

By Kalidasa

Celebrating Turning 2

2010-04-25T12:51:00.021+05:30

146 posts,
12 followers,
601 comments,
3684 visitors,
8437 total page views,

post turning 1,

it's hard to believe that the 2nd year has gone by so quickly,
& leaving the numbers aside, what a simply awesome ride it has been !!!!!

Why "Timesunlimited" ? was what Dawn had asked me last year and I had promised to come back to explain this some time later. Though the title bar explains quite effectively that it is my attempt to capture some of the limitless & unforgettable moments, experiences & times which pass by me in my journey called -life", in all honesty it was only once I started writing here, did I realise the extent to which people, places, things, experiences have and continue to build me as a person and in hindsight what a waste it would be if I hadn't taken note of the same. Having an internal locus of control is surely desirable, but the fact is the impact of the environment is almost inalienable. And while this would seem like stating the obvious the amazing part is that this blog has almost time and again magically steered me to handpick the positives and sliver linings of all times lived and experiences shared good, bad and ugly over the past 2 years, i think making me a more positive, stronger & more empowered individual.

So though I honestly acknowledge that this space has created no great revolution in history ;), I must admit it has not only witnessed but also at some level aided my evolution personally, professionally and as a blogger over time.

So here's to 2 wonderful years spent at http://timesunlimited.blogspot.com/ and cheers to a 3rd year coming up. And for all those of you who have partnered my efforts here, I hope you raise your glasses of water, wine, spirits, chai et all to celebrate. Absolutely looking forward to you being around in times to come.

Thank you for being a part of http://www.timesunlimited.blogspot.com/

Walking the Talk for Today

2010-04-21T21:09:00.011+05:30

Today was truly my accomplishment of the season, with after months of planning and sleeping over them, I successfully woke up at 5:30 a.m. for my first morning walk for 2010. If you are rolling your eyes in exasperation, you better stop because I am pretty much not looking. But in all honesty with Bobby Mcferrin on my Ipod crooning "Don't Worry be Happy", the sea breeze in my face, the sound of chirping birds in the background, and the calm and happy faces of fellow walkers (more than a handful choosing to greet me with a warm smile and a quick good morning), it was more than a perfect beginning to today. And 18 hours later, I must confess I am more energised and awake than I am on any other day.

While randomly surfing the net I stumbled upon some interesting facts on http://www.healthwealth.in/ on the benefits of Walking :

- Walking four times a week, 45 minutes each time, the average person can lose 18 pounds in a year with no change in diet. So yeah in reality walking can help trim fat as well as tone muscles.

- Walking, at any level or speed, two or three times a weak for at least 20 minutes increases cardiovascular strength. By increasing the strength of the heart and lungs, you increase your ability not only to exercise longer and harder but also perform everyday task without tiring.

- As with any endurance activity, walking significantly increase your flexibility.

- All walkers develop a moderate amount of endurance, which enables them to exercise longer before becoming exhausted. Leaving aside the physiological benefits walking helps build your mental ability to do something longer without fatigue.

So given that walking not only strengthens the heart, delays or prevents major diseases or illness, reduces blood pressure and the risk of stroke, reduces cholesterol, strengthens joints and bones, helps control weight, improves mood and self-esteem, contributes to “brain fitness”, relieves stress and worry, improves balance and circulation & boosts immune system,walking is perhaps the best medicine.

The proverbial question remains ....Who is going to wake me up tomorrow morning ? :)

PS -

PM - Awww....Missing my walk partner :(

KD - "Motivation is a starter. Habit the engine!!" ...What would I do without you ?? :)

MR - Great company keeping you motivated to move ....I hope :)

Date Check

2010-04-19T13:51:00.007+05:30

Sunday, April 18, 2010

The date of a seemingly ordinary day in my life,

Yet finding unexplainable dual reasons to save this date for the future,

When it may have more meaning than what it reveals today !!

If it does ........I promise I will let you in with details on http://www.timesunlimited.blogspot.com/

....Maybe .......some day in the future....We'll see !!

Tring Tring Terror

2010-04-08T17:22:00.002+05:30

Giving blank calls and crank calls was a rather popular pastime amongst adolescents during my days. The thrill of calling someone you know (usually someone you either think you love like mad or hate like crazy) remaining silent when the call was answered and continue doing so repeatedly and rather pointlessly, only to witness heightened irritation at the other end with every successive call dialled, had its own unknown and incomprehensible pleasure.

Juvenile tendencies for sure ….but those were wonder years !! When times were uncomplicated enough to engage in such monkey business with absolutely no malice and simple enough to smile quite contently sizing up one’s popularity, when at the receiving end of such tricks.

But I guess the wonder years do have an expiry date….

I’ve been at the receiving end of blank calls for the last four weeks from someone not registered on my phone book. Being generally lazy, I do not call back unidentified numbers which I inadvertently miss, so I don’t quite correctly know how many days / times this has happened. But when my phone rang on several occasions in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning (like it happened today) I found myself sitting up in cold sweat immediately taking notice. To add to my concerns and heighten my state of panic, on calling back the number this morning, I realised that the male voice at the other end was one I didn’t recognize, he greeted me by name (obviously implying that he knows who I am) identified himself by a name that I don’t recollect having known, conversed largely in Hindi and hastily hung up saying he will call later.

Despite being educated, an empowered development worker knowing exactly what I need to do to keep unwanted elements at bay, I found myself awake all night brooding over the calls and the intentions of the caller and all morning stressing and making KS & DM stress as well. Having the courage and presence of mind that most others lack, they not only successfully calmed me down but also managed to play detective and figure out that the number was registered with IDEA service provider within the geographical area of Pune / Nagpur. To lighten my mood, they tried telling me that I should look at the positive side of being popular enough to have my very only phone stalker. But jokes apart I don’t think I am in the quest for any position on the popularity charts and in all honesty all I ask for is good nghts sleep and freedom from being subject to some probably pointless harassment.

I got through my day at work today, when KS & DM promised me that I needn’t stress as there was an effective action plan in place if my phone ever rang again from this unknown troublesome caller.

At my end …I am praying and hoping that this NEVER HAPPENS …..EVER AGAIN !!

Coffee and Tête-à-tête with the NK Boston Chapter

2010-03-31T23:06:00.008+05:30

An average routine day at work for me includes entertaining a dozen calls from people expressing interest in donating, giving back in cash or kind, volunteering, interning et all and five times the number of emails with others inquiring about the same. While we entertain all queries however mundane they might be with a sense of urgency and sincerity which is driven by our belief that the donor / customer needs to be attended to no matter what, I've learnt over time that less than 1% of those calling and expressing great interest and passion actually get going on the mission they set out with when they reach out to us.

Somewhere back in 2008, a well thought of and very articulate email from a guy calling himself Gaurav, was responded to by me as part of routine. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought, that it would lead us to a group of five, 20 something, young Indian professionals, living in USA, collectively characterised by an intoxicating passion, undiminishing enthusiasm, unquestionable sincerity, impeccable professionalism and a burning desire to impact development back home in India. A couple of months of email exchange on explorable ideas and a meeting in person during their annual holiday back home cemented a wonderful relationship with them not only professionally but for both my boss and me, also at a very personal level.

So here are excerpts from my coffee & Tete-a-Tete with the NK Boston Chapter - Gaurav Mehta, Kavita Shah, Kaushal Sanghai, Gaurav Tanna & Ronak Mehta. An absolutely committed group of guys who have spread the word about a cause close to their heart, giving NK an identity on social media groups, being the face for the cause at several local events in Boston, building a volunteer group of like minded individuals, organising series of fund raisers ranging from "Happy Hours", Charity dinner at home, Kiosks at other public events, and ensuring literally and figuratively that they do everything they possibly can to make "NK" the new buzz word for charity, in USA starting with Boston.

In all honesty I intended to do this post way back in March 2009, but i found it nearly impossible to capture their persona's effectively on this blog which suddenly seemed like a rather dead medium. So honestly guys I still feel this may possibly be my most unsuccessful attempt till date. Yet braving all odds, here's to coffee & Tete-a-Tete with the awesome fivesome.

In the picture from L-R Kaushal, Gaurav M, Kavita, Ronak, Gaurav T

ABOUT THEM -

They almost echoed each other here.

Born & brought up in Mumbai, studied together at the undergraduate level and moved to the USA to pursue a Masters level education. Whether it was destiny or the strength of human ties they are delighted to all collectively be in Boston. They are not just pals but family for each other.

CAREERS -

All geeks ;) - 2 electrical engineers, 2 soft ware engineers & 1 chemical engineer all graduates from leading US universities and doing well for themselves in their chosen fields.

DEFINING PASSION -

Family and friends, Sports, Technology, Photography, Travel, Music...... talented & multi faceted, to each his own, with one passion common to all - Spreading the word about educating the girl child in India - NK

GREATEST LESSONS -
Kaushal - To be sincere but never too serious in life
Ronak- Life is too short. Live for the moment
Gaurav T- Experience is the greatest teacher
Gaurav M - From Bryan Adams song - Don't worry about the future, forget about the past, gonna have have a ball ya we're gonna have a blast, gonna make it last
Kavita - Aspire, Plan, Execute

AT THEIR CANDID BEST -
Kaushal-

Any regrets ? - Not being in Bombay & not eating enough sweets & kulfi before moving to Boston
What no one knows - The colour of my underwear ;)
5 years from now - I wish to be sitting on a million dollars while implementing some of my crazy business ideas

Ronak -

Any regrets ? - No regrets !! :)
What defines you - Jack of All trades....king of none :(

Gaurav T -

What no one knows - ...is the future :)
Where is the future heading - ....don't know but I hope its as good as the past

Gaurav M -

What no one knows - I was robbed of Rs.10 at knife point while returning from a friends house
What are you up to now - Releasing monthly elctro mixes on my website http://www.trippysoundscapes.com/

Kavita-

You are passionate about? - Science & technology (my Iphone of course:))
What no one knows? - I saved a friend from being robbed at the Moscow airport
Where is the future heading - I'd be God if I could predict that :)

And their final word
LIFE IS .....
Kaushal -

...about Balance...its about balancing 4 aspects of life - professional, social, health & spiritual"

Ronak-

....too short to have regrets

Gaurav T-

.....Happy & adventurous

Gaurav M-

...........Electric

Kavita -

....All about balance.Its about achieving dreams and creating many more

CONTACT NK BOSTON at nkboston@gmail.com

Art from the Heart

2010-03-23T11:04:00.004+05:30

An absolutely brilliant portrayal of "Education lighting up the life and future of an underprivileged girl in India" by 13 year old Thea from Norway.

Its amazing how living in one of the most developed countries (ranked No. 1 on the UNDP Human Development Index), this 13 year old girl was able to imagine, empathise & creatively replicate the complexities faced by another girl, from a distinctly different socio economic background from India (which ranks 134 on the same index).

A sign that the world is a global village ?

Not so sure.

But I can say with conviction that its surely a sign that children are essentially compassionate by nature and sense and feel what adults don't find time to, very often. And if this basic compassion is harnessed and channelised, children themselves will grow up to be the most potent change agents, contributing to making the world a better place to live in.

So watch out for Thea a decade or two from now - An artist, an Activist, a Communication expert, a Photographer, A Journalist, a million possibilities ...either way 'A WOMAN WHO WILL BE SHIFTING THE WORLD TOMORROW'.

24 hours........

2010-03-14T21:39:00.004+05:30

24 hours of ................

- Humming the song 'Haven't met you yet' by Michael Buble. I heard this song on the "American Idol - 9" episode and its stuck in my head ever since.

- Stopping myself from shopping. Though its reality that there is nothing and I mean absolutely nothing that I need, spending time at a mall and not buying something is quite not me.

- Waiting for an email / phone call. Man is this wait a killer?

- Forgiving a friend time and again. Yeah am kind of getting really tired.

- Debating as to whether I should make a trip to Delhi this weekend.

- Swearing to not work on my remaining 5 assignments at the last moment.

- Craving for chocolate and (hold your breath) eating fruit instead.

- Arguing relentlessly with my mom. Even worse over nothing consequential.

- Telling myself that I must wake up for a walk tomorrow morning and well if and when I manage that successfully once, I should make it routine.

-Being on the web, surfing mindlessly through rather pointless sites.

-Acknowledging that there is nothing better than dialoging in this space and sitting with my laptop experiencing a perfect 'writers block' and not finding any words for the same.

- Feeling incredibly low, tired and sleepy and doing nothing at all to cheer up, relax and sleep.

Finally deciding to stop doing all the above, switch off my laptop and head to bed instead.

Bowled Over

2010-03-10T14:40:00.005+05:30

In an email explaining why we couldn't organise an event for one of our foreign donors, this is what our CEO had written - "Allen, you would know by now that life in India stalls for 3 things RELIGION, FILMS and CRICKET". It surely must have been a convincing reply because all we received from Allen was a one liner saying "Understand completely, my life in the other corner of the world stalls at times, because of the latter two :)"

Talking about Cricket - I spent this morning with kids from my Foundation, interacting with players from the IPL Mumbai Indian team, and since then I haven't quite stopped talking about what an exhilarating experience it was. Its amazing how both the brain and heart work when you see in person someone you have idolised for years on screen. So since my team is largely a women dominated one, reactions ranged from he's shorter, taller, fatter, younger, hotter, cuter, etc. etc.

The interesting part or rather the highlight was the interaction which followed and ironically this time it was the cricketers who were clean bowled by the enthusiastic and real questions put forth by the kids, some of which included -
- @ Sachin - "Why do you write with your left hand but bat with your right hand?"
- @ Sachin - "Where do you play cricket because Mumbai doesn't have any parks?"
- @ Sachin - " Do you decide before every match how many runs you are going to score?"
- @ Zaheer Khan - "Are you married?"
- @ Zaheer Khan - "What would I have to do if I want to run as fast as you?"

- @ All - "Why is Dhoni not here?"

- @ Harbhajan Singh - "My favorite player is Sachin who is yours"

I know for a fact that the kids were thrilled and this date with the cricketers will go down as a rather memorable one for them. But I am also doubly certain that the cricketers too shall remember this one for days to come.

PS: My copy of autographs from my favorite players - Sachin, Zaheer & Harbhajan Singh :)

Blooper -2

2010-03-04T17:11:00.004+05:30

At office lunch this afternoon, the birthday cake ordered for my boss had this message – “Happy Birthday Sheetal Mehta Capital Words”

While all of us rolled over with laughter, my colleague who ordered it wanted to sue the high end patisserie for this gaffe.

I just thought it was a perfect example of how at times, being too precise at giving instructions can be detrimental too ;)

Celebrating Sisterhood

2010-03-02T16:08:00.006+05:30

2nd March 2010

Hey,

Yesterday was the 1st March 2010 and a public holiday for the festival of Holi.
As I sat in my room, going through a stack of CD’s and deciding which one to watch, I glanced upon this totally obvious chic flic titled “The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants” which my sister had gifted me on my birthday, and I instantaneously decided that I wanted to watch it.

The CD cover read – “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ is basically a story of four young girls who acquire a pair of magical jeans that fit all four of them perfectly, even though they're all different shapes and sizes. The series begins with the four girls' in high school and follows them through summer during which the girls grow up in various ways, their own experiences taking them in different directions, but whilst life deals them different cards they remain conscious of their intent to continue growing as individuals whilst maintaining their friendship that makes them whole”

Like many other films which remind me of my girls, I found myself thinking about YOU. And I once again couldn’t help ponder over how we were so inherently different individually, yet together it was as if we formed one single, amazingly complete person.

And totally randomly I felt that this “Sisterhood” of sorts needed to be celebrated. I know we are miles apart and work and life in general, is constantly making us dance to its tune. But I thought that there had to be some way for us to keep connected. And then completely infringing on any creative copyrights that this movie may have had, I decided to steal some ideas away ;)

So this is the plan & needless to say there are rules ;) –

First - Exclusive membership to this “Sisterhood” is given to my 4 best friends & my sister.
Wild, unstoppable AB
Sensitive, sensible PM
Ruling rebel & gracious giver DM
Head Strong, confident & sexiest of all HD
Witty, humorous and the only one linked by birth ;) – MR
And me.

Second – Since I have no magical pants to share (and oh totally comprehending that there was no hope in hell that we would ever fit into one size) I’ve chosen sets of scarf & earrings picked straight from Colaba Causeway. Your set is in the parcel which I have dispatched today :)

Third – Over the next six months these sets travel among us, and (& I know you might call me crazy;)) I believe that they will not only bring luck but link us in heart and spirit.

Fourth –Each one of us gets to keep this set for a month. Wearing it as often as one wants. And at the beginning of the next month it’s your turn to pass them on to the next person.

Fifth - While sending it across you must write a letter detailing the most exciting thing that happened while wearing them. Which made the pessimistic side of me wonder … what if nothing exciting happens when you are wearing them ?….but then again the effervescent positive side surfaced which made me believe that something exciting has to happen :) and even if it doesn't, never mind write a letter anyway. Copies of the letter should be emailed to the remaining 5 members of the group.

Sixth - Any removal of the scarf & earrings must be done by the wearer herself. hahahahaha
WHY? I have no idea, the script in the movie said the same thing about the pants ;) so I guess there must be some point to it ;)

“So here’s to this Sisterhood ……this summer......and the rest of our lives…..Together and apart.”

Loads of Love
G

Change of Headgear anyone?

2010-02-14T19:16:00.005+05:30

It has traditionally been KS who has time and again stirred up a storm in my mind every time he has met me. Not cook up a storm please note. The difference being, the art of throwing into a hot pan the right quantity of ingredients and then with a ladle, skillfully moving them around in a desired direction, to achieve culinary success. Like a skillful chef at work, KS has managed time and again to shake me out of a comfortable status-quo state that I am likely to retire to every now and then. Surprisingly, today it wasn't KS, but KD donning the chefs hat. In an amazing 25 minute discussion on perspectives in general (called "worldview" for lack of any other word) he left me pretty dumb folded and with the following food for thought.

- Learn to question things and not just accept things as given.

- Keep your mind open to different points of view even if they are from people whom you inherently dislike.

- Question your own perspectives from time to time figuring out how and why you've built them.

- Perhaps "feeling" a particular way, as a stand alone isn't good enough, its equally important "thinking" things through as well.

- Life is nothing but a journey of exploration.

It might seem like all points summarized above are like stating the obvious. But if you read carefully and think deeper you will realise that though rather simple and straightforward, our socialisation, education, lifestyle and culture doesn't exactly encourage, far from promote, a truly "thinking mind".

Am sure it would be difficult, strenuous, and at times even useless leading you down an apparent dark hole. But the truth is even then the journey of exploration would be worthwhile.

So ready for a change of headgear anyone?? .....its a good time to put on the "Thinking cap" :)

PS: Sorry KD, I know this post would be doing some serious damage to your image ;) But given that you are someone who has encouraged me to write my mind here, I thought this deserved to go down here. And if I ever write a book on my 'worldviews' you will get a signed copy by the author herself ;) ....IMAGINE !!!! lol