Tagging Along!

I was going to grace you people with a big, long post about my birthday (which was GREAT!), but I didn't get around to doing it. Now, it won't make sense to talk about it anymore. I am now 21, so I get over these things faster. :P

Anyhoo, I'm taking up this tag on someone's blog I was reading and methought I'll give it a shot. It's my first time taking up a tag, so please humour me. Also, I shall feel really bad if someone I tag doesn't take it up and ignores me.

Ten things you wish you could say to people right now (without taking their names):

1. How come you're never around when I need a hug?
   
2. I really think you are the most fake, sly, pretentious person to ever grace the planet. Kindly do NOT try being cute with me.
3. I think you can do better than mope about your loss. Did she even deserve you?
   
4. You are the reason good things happen to me. I just don't ever know, how to say it.
   
5. I wish you'd given me a chance. But perhaps it's a great thing you didn't. That way, I realised what an extremely self-centered and superficial person you are.
6. For the umpteenth time, parents isn't pronounced 'pAArAnts'! The same rule applies to 'message'.
   
7. Never mind. I love you too much to keep reminding you about it.
   
8. I may not be a very good writer, but you don't have to keep making it obvious.
   
9. I really am a big girl now. Maybe not as big as I think I am, but not as young as you think I am, either. Leave me be.
10. Can I just punch you? And then cuddle you like there's no tomorrow?

Nine things about yourself:

1. I am scared of most things. That can include lizards, traffic, escalators, the dark, screaming, horror flicks, and most other stuff.
2. I am addicted to the internet. I can spend days on the web without coming up with anything productive.
3. I socialize on the internet, with adequate discretion.
4. I love hanging out with boys. Girls (with the exception of a handful) bore me to no end.
5. I am an un-cleanliness freak.
   
6. I hate showering (which does not mean I don't shower regularly).
7. I bite my nails and extract blood from the cuticles. This is more of a habit, and certainly not an under-confidence issue.
8. I haven't watched TV in the past 1 month.
   
9. I dislike going to people's houses for any reason whatsoever.

Eight ways to win your heart:

1. Be able to cook amazingly well, especially butter chicken.
2. Get me presents that aren't toys or pink.
   
3. Have a killer sense of humour and have traces of a brain.
4. Don't lambaste Harry Potter (or anything for that matter), without even reading the fucking book.
   
5. Eat as messily as I do. People handling knives and forks like they're flowers or something, deserve to die.
6. Give me my own space. I don't like explaining myself to anybody.
7. Have a bike. Or a Skoda Octavia. Or an Audi.
   
8. Be able to swear well.
   

Seven things that cross your mind a lot:

1. Where the fuck are my slippers?
2. Why am I even giving these stupid exams?
   
3. I need to clean my room someday.
4. Will anybody hire me even as the resident sweeper?
   
5. I must buy it soon.
6. Perhaps I should blog about this.
7. Will I ever be a better writer?

Six things you wish you never did:

1. Puked on Darshan, in playgroup.
2. Made friends with a long list of people.
3. Remained silent on certain occasions when I should've ideally made a big noise.
4. Hurt my parents.
5. Delayed joining the gym.
6. Read 'One Night @ the Call Centre'.

Five Turn offs:

1. Bad breath
2. Body odour
3. Braggarts
   
4. Lack of spunk or intelligence.
5. Too much hair.

Four turn ons:

1. The sunset
2. Bike rides
3. Seeing my name in print
4. A warm shower on a long, cold, rainy day.

Three things you want to do before you die:

1. Buy a Skoda Octavia with my own money.
2. Learn how to play tennis or squash.
3. Adopt a child.

Two smileys that describe you:

1. :D
   
2. :|
   

One confession:

Oh, loads of stuff. But this really ain't the place to do it. :)

I tag:
Anyone who has the time. But specifically, I tag The Wiseass, The White Phoenix, The Silent Entity and The Guru Cool.

Goodbye, Second Decade!

On the last day of my life's second decade, I'm slightly melancholic. Now I'm all set to enter a milestone year (21, for those having trouble with the math) and I'm feeling slightly weird. I don't know what course the future will take, whether I'll be allowed stupid errors in judgment just because "I'm still a kid". Now it'll be the me in the widely and universally discussed, big bad world. Right. On this note, I take the liberty to reminiscence about a few things. Some fond memories, others, not so fond.

In the past year I have...

Been a friend to as many people as I could, trying to go out of my way to make someone's life a little easier. As of today, I don't think I've purposely turned a deaf ear to someone who wanted me by their side. Forgive me, if I have.

Loved a few people with the depth of my being. In fact, I still love them enough to do anything for them.

Worked for an entire year at a job I barely liked. But worked, nonetheless.

Read quite a few good books, but not as many as I'd liked to have read.

Written very less for a person who wants to take up writing as a career. And written loads of rubbish too.

Realised that Pikachu is the ideal girlfriend ever. Life without her would be a lot less messy, but a lot less amazing fun too. Here's to the only girl I adore to bits *raises 25 vodka shots (she knows why such an extravagant number :P ) *

Taken undue advantage of Doordarshan (I'm renaming him in this post, so stay tuned) and never managed to tell him how much I love him. He's somehow always been a part of all the good things happening in my life, and at most times, responsible for them. I'd be so totally lost without his giant presence. *wink wink*

Met a lot of genuinely nice people in weird places such as the internet (!). They've made me realise that people on the net need not always be dickheads. They can be fatheads too. :p Heehee... Deserving special mention at this precise spot are The Guru Cool, The White Phoenix and The Nicest Geek. Hate to admit this and bloat your already helium-ed egos, but you have made a difference to my life in ways I'd rather not mention. ;)

Joined the gym. And in three months, lost almost 5 kgs. Oh yes, I'm not quitting anytime soon, either.

Learnt how to drive responsibly and safely.

Imbibed a variety of swearwords that refuse to unstick themselves from my brain. :(

Actually had a cellphone review printed in the newspaper. And received compliments for it.

Known what it is like to lose a coveted dream job through no fault of your own.

Studied really less.

Enjoyed college life.

Learnt German enough to identify German words. :(

Shopped a little too much.

Failed to eat a cheesecake. :'(

Realised that this list is never-ending and my faithful readers are going zzzz....

Anyhoo, time to pick up phone calls and open presents. Promise to write if my birthday is eventful. Wish me a happy birthday!! :D

P.S. I think I will rename Doordarshan in my next post. :P

Birthday blues (and reds and blacks and greys and whites!)

So, your Moo is getting exceptionally whiny and jumpy even by normal Mooey standards. This week, we are turning exactly 21 years of age, and we have to celebrate our birthday studying Amitav Ghosh and Robinson Crusoe. Not a good life, this. Quite enough to get even the happiest cow in the world, down!

Add to it, I haven't been able to go shopping (serves me right for excessive shopping throughout the year) and I have nothing to look forward to. Pikachu and Gugu have given me a treat already, with the most wonderful presents in the world. So that's done. My sister hasn't gone shopping for me yet, for "lack of time". *guffaws LOUDLY* And I already know what my mum's giving me (hint: it's NOT a tractor). Ah well, that leaves me intrigued enough only for Doordarshan's present (who needs urgent lessons in subtlety, though). He randomly called me up the other day, and THIS is how the conversation went. And as Dave Barry says, we are not making this up! ;-)

* Cell phone rings *

Me: Hello? What's up, Doordarshan?
Doordarshan (without any ado): Do you like black, white, red or grey?
Me: Good afternoon to you too. Nice weather, no?
Doordarshan: Shut up and answer the question. (Repeats question one).
Me (rather grumpily): Depends on what you're buying. All are good depending on the object it will colour.
Doordarshan: Hmm. Do you like Nike, Reebok or Adidas?
Me (almost jumping happily in manner of Tarzan): Are you buying me shoes? Or gym wear?
Doordarshan (getting irritated with lack of suitable answers): Do you like Nike, Reebok or Adidas?
Me: Nike and Adidas. ARE THEY SHOES?
Doordarshan: Right. Nike and Adidas. Seeya! Bye!

* hangs up*

Hmph. Darned Doordarshan. I'm going crazy wondering what Nike or Adidas thing he's bought me, that is red / black / grey or white. And that's the only present I can expect. Sheeesh. I'm one greedy cow.

:(

Ok this was truly a random post. Like the (highly overrated) compulsive confessor says, I'll give you a more structured post next time. Toodle-oo!

P.S. My birthday's on the 22nd of this month. Wish meeee!

Cleanliness and Godliness? In the same sentence? REALLY?

This was a completely not-very-funny-in-the-joke-sense-but-so-completely-true SMS that I received ages ago:

Democratic differences between USA and India: In USA you can kiss in public but can’t shit; in India you can shit in public but can’t kiss.

SO fuckin’ true, na? I mean, really! How many times have we seen people on railway tracks at seven in the morning, producing crap patterns in a manner that would befit only a chocolate softee producing machine? RAILWAY TRACKS? Ugh…And I thought puking on a classmate in playgroup was the most disgusting thing ever (erm…I know I shouldn’t be telling you this, but that dirty deed could be credited to me).

I really can’t get over how really DIRTY some people can be. Not only have they not heard of basic cleanliness, but their dearest activity on earth would be in proving to people that they’re ‘Saying NO to Personal Hygiene!’ vehemently. And some others are just plain crude. So to simplify it for you, O Dear Reader, there are the following types of disgusting individuals that are roaming freely about this planet (and without a straitjacket):

The ferociously smellies: Gosh. There is a limit how much some people can take the trouble to smell. While some pong like they are life members of the Bandra creek, some are innovative enough to smell like pee. I don’t even know how it is possible to smell of urine unless you hire someone to pee on you, but believe me there are people out there who’ve achieved this task. I remember this one electrician who’d come over to repair some stuff, and my technologically challenged mum called me out to test whatever he’d tinkered with. The minute I stepped into my beautiful hall, a smell that could have only been attributed to a league of unwashed rats sent by Lucifer himself, hit me square in the nose and knocked me backwards. We almost had to disinfectant the hall. Concerned electrician was a victim of unwashed clothes. I’ve heard that the Al-Qaeda is having serious talks with him for their next terror attack. Their latest press release said that they’ve FINALLY got their lethal weapon to shake an entire railway station by its foundation by its mere presence.

Fungus Footed Peeps: Not only do aforementioned folks have horrible smelling feet, but they are fiercely proud of the edge they have over everyone else. Such individuals seem to leave their noses in the butt pocket of their jeans, and conveniently leave them there as long as their feet are smelling. One more habit above mentioned folks seem to inherently possess, is to kick off their shoes they minute they sit down, and spread the joy. Consequentially, they’re surrounded by corpses in the manner of cockroaches dying of a huge hit of ‘HIT’.

The Burp-a-lots: Members of this type of unsocial behaviour generally seem to have either eaten a horse for breakfast, or swallowed a frog with their tea. People with special inclination towards horses give out REALLY loud, continuous burps, with absolutely zero qualms. In fact, they seem to react to their own contributions in a very matter-of-fact, relaxed way, and not letting it upset their newspaper reading sessions in the train or their conversations. Meanwhile, the froggy burps are a law unto themselves. They’re generally a series of small, continuous croaks, and at any minute, you’d expect the person to unfold a really looong tongue and eat up a fly passing through the air.

‘Private’ Scratchers: You’re quietly walking, minding your own business when you suddenly spot this uncle tugging, pulling and rummaging around his crotch like there’s no tomorrow. He’s making enough movement to cuddle an elephant. And it’s no mean feat to violently scratch your crotch AND feel completely unashamed about it.

Unwaxed vixen: Now I’m not endorsing waxing as an activity because it’s fashionable. Nor am I saying you need to do it because hair is something to be ashamed of. But, statistics and surveys (and other things people do to prove a point) have shown that your hair and your feet are the first places where bacteria likes to permanently set up home. Hence, get rid of excess body hair. But quite apart from the usual stuff, don’t you think it’s really gross? All you ‘chic’ women out there wearing capris, skirts, sleeveless tops, boat necks, cowl necks and other assorted blah, GET RID OF THE HAIR FIRST. I really don’t think that looking like Anil Kapoor is on your to-do list, is it?

Nosey diggers: WHAT do people look for, when they’re digging their noses? Missing cutlery? A friend’s address? New lands? But I really don’t think Christopher Columbus found America by digging his nose (being a man, he refused to ask for directions and landed on what is known as USA).

Now I need to go throw up. So I’m going to go and leave you free to add more categories. Happy barfing! :p

These Chinese are Crazy! *Tap tap tap*

THESE were the washing instructions that China sent me with a *blush* bra *blush*I purchased. I'm rather tempted to use it without removing the tag. If ANYONE can make sense out of them, email me. Soon. Thank you.

Well, now that we've got the formal introductions out of the way, I present to you, China's version of HOW TO WASH A BRA, in Chinese English (if you get my drift). Oh yeah, and this is verbatim, except a few irresistible comments made in brackets.

QUALIFIED CERTIFICATE

Product name: Text chest, pants. (Pants?????)

Grade: Excellent grade. (In English, you get an F, my dear)

WASHING SIGNS

• Please Use The Natural Detergent To Wash Away Dirt (Natural detergent, now what tree does that grow on?)
  
• Please Not Usage Washer Clean and Dehydrate (I still don't know what this means.)
  
• Rinse Please Use Soft Scrub Clean Then (For first graders: Arrange the sentence in correct grammatical order).
  
• Wash Empress Please Instant Orthopedics And Place Cool Place Dry (Hmm...The 'Orthopedics' seem to suggest, that the bra can perhaps double up as knee caps to prevent Osteoporosis. does 'Empress' refer to the Empress of Blandings?)
  
• Deep Colour Product Please Avoid White OR Shallow Colour Product The Admixture Wash (Yes. Thank you. The weather's pleasant here, too.)
  
• Prevent Change Colour (Damn! Then why did I buy a colour-changing bra? :( )
  

And this is my favourite:

• Please Not To Use Salty Sex Bleach (Sheesh. How dumb do you have to be that the company had to specifically TELL you not to use salty sex bleach? You KNOW the sugar-free one's what you're looking for.)

Wow. I *big red heart* the Chinese. :)

I dabble with poetry...And fail parlously.

There was once a girl by the name of Kim
Who was lazy as a mule,
“Why should one have to walk?” she asked,
“I’d rather burn some fuel!”

So that is how she roamed about,
She grew fatter by the day,
She drove to places close to home,
A stone’s throw away.

Driving my dears, is all very well,
But makes you like a lump,
And your favourite picnic spot in the world
Becomes your petrol pump.

Why not use the feet you’ve got,
Why contaminate the air?
You’re spewing dirt all around you,
Do you think that’s fair?

So, you don’t care about the air,
But I presume you care about you?
Walking is healthy, walking is fun
I assure you, it’s rejuvenating too.

So let’s all chuck those cars away
And walk to the grocery store,
Whoever told you fat means “prosperous”
Arrest them for spreading folklore!

A Heartfelt Epistle to Everyone on Foot

Dear Pedestrian,

How are you? In good health? Excellent. Because every driver wishes that a fat, juicy, , undisciplined pedestrian should be royally squelched under anyone’s car, but his own. (Why would you think I want anybody to die under my car and ruin the beautifully shining wheel plates? Geez…!)

Anyhoo, I’m taking the trouble to write you this letter, so that you may perhaps see sense and try not to ruin someone’s drive, although goodness knows you don’t deserve it. So dear undisciplined Peddy (can I call you that?), here’s how you need to behave when you’re walking in public.

1. You could try and not think of a main road as the personal space your father gifted you on your 18th birthday. You’re supposed to use a road (ANY road) as a thoroughfare to get to places, so don’t you think you need to EFFIN’ WALK FASTER THAN -0.345 kph/hr?]

2. Us taxpayers are paying taxes out of which the government finances footpaths. Foot path, get it? No? It’s a path you’re supposed to use when you’re making use of your feet to move. Does that ring any bells? Ah, I see the light of recognition in your eyes. So yes, when there’s a footpath, use it unless getting run over isn’t in your to-do list for the day.

3. When you walk, keep all parts of your body to yourself. If your arms and legs are walking in a straight line, why would you keep your butt dangling out? Don’t step out of the house unless all your body parts are properly aligned.

4. Peddy, my dah-ling…Do you hear a buzzing somewhere? No? Perhaps if you’d put that blasted cell phone away, you’d hear me honking my car’s boot out for you to GET OUT OF MY WAY!

5. Ah yes! When you’re walking in a straight line and you suddenly decide to cross the road to meet your neighbour’s pet dog at the other side of the street, you’re supposed to look carefully at cars that are whizzing at you. Since we drivers aren’t known to be mind-readers, kindly don’t expect us to sense what your next move is going to be, unless it involves being mashed up in my car.

6. For those of you happily married, and with kids, I’m sure you want to see them grown up (at least old enough to be able to shave by themselves). Umm yeah, so when you’re out for those beautiful long evening walks with the kids, don’t make them walk towards the side of the road. Of course if you want me to take your kid for a drive screaming and stuck to the bonnet.

And if you still don’t want to heed my kind words, I most sincerely hope that you get a leg or two broken, with treatment at the smelliest government hospital you can find. But do NOT ruin the drive of a good, talented and safe driver. Amen.

Loads of love (or not!),
Moo.

Die-yet

So ever since the cruel gym has lured me into it’s snare trap, I’ve been given a diet. Now to be fair on the dietician (who’s quite sweet, although hairy and fat. I mean, you wouldn’t expect a dietician to be fat, right? So much for motivation! And I should probably end the narrative in the bracket now, because so far, it’s longer than the actual post. Here goes.) the diet’s pretty alright. Normal breakfast, lunch and dinner routines, minus too many carbohydrates and lots and lots of fruits.

Now when I first got the diet, I was very happy, since it allowed me to eat chicken and fish (in proportionate quantities, hmph), and was pretty much the veggies, etc I normally eat at home. What could be better? So I had to give up on mutton, lamb and pork. Pah! Who needs those anyway? I’m all set to be a fitter, healthier person. I’m above all the worldly temptations like meat and food.

And chocolates.

And cakes.

And Tang.

And butter chicken. *gulp*

And mutton kheema from Koolar. *wipes eyes*

And masala papads.

And veg hakka noodles with chicken cooked in red meat. *help!*

And chewing gum.

And Parle G biscuits.

And beef (cooked by Chris’ mum).

And butter nan, lachha paratha, butter rotis.

And milk with sugar.

And coconut chutney.

And a gazillion other things that I took for granted in my entire lifetime. So if you have any sense, stay fat, let those love handles poke out of your t-shirt, your butt crack ooze out of your jeans and eat all you want. At most you’ll die 30 years earlier, but who wants to live those extra years moping about the food you could have eaten? Plus, there are a lot of stores that sell clothes ranging from size XXXL to XXXXXL and other Roman numbers.

And yeah, kindly don’t let my mum read this post. I bet she won’t see the wisdom nor the humour behind it.

*checks watch and rushes because she’s late for gym*

An SMStolary story....

“jst came bck 4m wrk out. wil showr n buzz u. tc.”

“ok. cal soon. hav to tel u smthng.”

“bck. feelng gr8 now. Wats up?”

“dhruv n shamila getng marrid!!! finaly nt w8ing 4 parnts prmissn. Wild na?”

“wat!!!!!!!! shit! Dhruv mad kya? Shamila’s parnts will murdr both. d marrge wil wrk only if dey move out of d cntry. lol.”

“i knw ya. tried teling dem. neway, d big day’s this weeknd. Cm to court, k? smal party aftr d rgistratn. I gtg nw. seeya satrdy. *hugs*

------- xoxox -------

“dhru & sham fckin eloping! pia msgd. Satrdy weding. u cn close dat mouth nw! :D”

“i cnt blve dis. u takng my case kya?”

“na na. honest. Strday aa jana. maja ayenga. seeya”

------- xoxox -------

“D mst bizar thng has happ. sid (d guy in my bldg) sez ur cuzin getng marrid to sum guy in secrt. lol..ur fmily’s rockin!”

“wat d fck? R u sure? Wil kil u if dis is a joke…”

“arey ma kasam. go chck na. dnt kil me. :)”

------- xoxox -------

“Man, u rock. Thnks so mch. D bitch was planng to run away ystrdy. Tld my folks n dey tld hers.

They’ve lockd her up. Frnticaly lookng 4 grooms now. Thnks agn. U savd evrythng. wil cal u latr.”

------- xoxox -------

When my best friend became a victim...

This post is dedicated to someone very special. And also to a bad phase she is going through.

There are days, and there are days. And there are some days, that change your life forever. And there’s nothing you can do to stop your life from taking a turn you know, is going to result in pain and misery.

Something along those lines happened to the person I know. Stupid cliché, but the years I’ve known her, I’ve hardly seen her grumpy or unhappy. Such a beautiful, sunny personality she was. And why shouldn’t she be? Lovely friends, an angelic family and an overall perfect life – she had everything she needed. It’s really scary how the nicest things in life are too good to be true.

And then this very special friend of mine (who turned out to be incredibly stupid), went and joined the gym.

*insert loudly weeping smiley here*

For those of you who have previous experience(s) with that hell called the ‘gymnasium’, I need to ask you a few questions. Allow me.

1. Why is that place such a hellhole?

2. Why do hot guy with the pert-est behinds always have to work out next to you?

3. Why do said guys have to do the same exercise you’re doing, at the same time, and better?

4. Why do said said guys have to be discovered only when you’re at your shapeless best?

5. Who the fuck invented push-ups and crunches?

6. Is the whole thing a conspiracy to finish newbies off within a week, and pocket their money?

7. How many bonus points does the gym instructor get, if he manages to do away with me before the week’s up?

8. How can making my stomach muscles hurt even when I laugh, make me smashin’ looking?

9. And is it me, or does it even hurt to think?

10. Is this how someone feels when the will to live is lost?

11. When can every conceivable muscle in my body (and also some that don’t exist) stop yelling for help?

Good night. I need to sleep. You must sympathize with me, considering this thing’s making me go to bed at 10 in the night. And if you see a fat girl trying her best to push, pull, shove, headbutt, grunt at, etc. with fancy looking weights, kindly stop and say hi.

*Sob*

Abuzz with Activity!

Yeah well. My work inbox is finally getting some useful, work-related emails. I hope I’ve left behind the days when my inbox said ‘No mails? You can always read Google News!’, because I don’t think there’s anything more humiliating than your inbox telling you what to read.

In other news, I’m happy. Like REALLY happy and stuff. I’m busy doing something constructive, I’m shopping a lot, and this whole Diwali season leaves me feeling really excited and in a looking-forward-to-life mode. Alright, the gifts and the clothes do contribute largely to my happiness, but that’s not all. The winking lights in windows, the lamps, the diyas, people’s last-minute shopping frenzy, the aromas of Diwali sweets wafting through the air and tickling the insides of your nose, everything is so pleasing to the senses that you just don’t want the season to end. And why would you, with all those sales and discounts signs poking you in the eye from all shop windows?

One thing Diwali could do without are those crackers, though. I mean, really, I insist on doing without a dilating heart, thank you so very much. So many time, you’re trying to savour the fluffy, delicious, karanji you’re mum gave you, and the minute you try sinking your teeth into it BOOM BOOOM CRACK! go the fireworks. So all you’re left with it is lots of smoke creeping into your window, an untouched karanji and a badly bitten tongue. And what do you achieve with all that noise and smoke, anyway? C’mon, it can’t make you happy!

In other news, my friend Doordarshan just came back from a small trip to Delhi. Although there’s no news peg to that, you’ll have to wait till I give you the gory details. Here’s a small digression, though. Doordarshan’s sister is like a really hotshot CA, and she goes to a new place in the world once a month or so (for work she says, HAH!). So far she’s been to bizarre places like France, Belarus (who the fuck gets to go there?), Italy, Germany, Switzerland, US (she goes here as often as we go to the loo, sometimes, even more!), Hong Kong, China, Pattaya, and a thousand other places it hurts me to name. I’ve tried to get her to get me in as her chambermaid or chaperone or anything else starting with ‘cha’, but things don’t look good. Anyway, the detour to the story ends here.

Well, this sister of Doordarshan’s decided to take him to Delhi this last weekend (because she was assigned a place in India, for once). So off went Doordarshan, waddling with his backpack and hopping onto a flight to New Delhi. Ok, I’m not concerned about that either. What I don’t get is, why he gets to live at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi’s Diplomatic Enclave, with a fancy bathtub and bathrooms with transparent doors and springy beds and central air-conditioning. All sponsored by his sister’s workplace. Do you get the gravity of the situation? Do you NOT get the grave injustice that us commoners with non-fancy sisters are subject to? Now I have two sisters. But the only workplace privileges they’ve offered me is a pen and an Akbarally’s gift voucher (the pen didn’t work beyond 3 days and I never claimed the voucher). And here are people who have privileges to go live in the Taj (in rooms that cost Rs. 16,000 per day, let me add) and are loving enough to take their kid siblings along. ‘Nuff said. I will cease ranting about that and let the tears flow in silence. Sniff.

In totally other news, Snooty is out on a junket in Malaysia. (Seriously, what is with people and paid trips to fancy places?) and I can’t wait for him to come back. Why? Because he’s promised me an exhaustive road test of the new Hyundai Getz somewhere in Churchgate. And if this time I can’t go, I might as well slit my wrists. Believe you me, I WILL. And Snooty’d better come back soon now because my phone is used to the constant beeping and vibrating with the messages. The silence is killing me. Oh alright, I’m missing him loads. But just don’t tell him, ok?

Hmm….This is turning out to be like a really long post and it’s getting really late on this side of town. So I’m not going to be formal with you, O Dear Reader, and end this without a conclusion. Toodle-oo me hearties! Leave me them comments.

*Abrupt ending*.

Some things are better left unsaid...

I’m about to publicly display my moments of deviation from what’s considered normal here. Heck, everyone knows about that, so let me rephrase the last sentence. I’m about to publicly admit the level of my abnormality. So here goes.

1. Till yesterday, I wondered what a heritage walk exactly was. Was it a protest march in traditional clothes to preserve your heritage or something?

2. I didn’t know until last week, that ‘getting up from the wrong side of the bed’ was actually a phrase. Yeah, disown me.

3. I came to know last month my phone had software I could edit ringtones with. Yes, and I hope to be the editor of a technology magazine / newspaper someday. Would you try and stop judging me?

4. I also realized that there is this mean, lazy person hidden within me, who doesn’t wish people on their birthday even if it remembers (Not applicable to close friends, though).

5. I never seem to remember the names of both the guys who started Google Inc. This is shameful since I can remember the names of friends’ friends’ friends, who I may have met just once, seven years ago.

6. I am, according to Pikachu, an internet socialite. Nine out of ten people I’ve talked to in my entire life are very close internet buddies.

7. Yes, I am one of those people who keep refreshing their Orkut page after every 30 seconds.

8. I keep losing in Scrabble.

9. My saree came undone on the day of my farewell way back in the 10^th std. Thankfully, no one saw my bloomers.

10. I threw up on Darshan when I was in playgroup. That was solely because my teacher thought I wanted to waste time in the loo and didn’t let me go when I asked her very nicely. By the time she did let me go, it was too late, and I threw up on the patch of floor that was closest to me. Darshan was unfortunate enough to set up his dwelling in precisely that patch of tiling and was showered with whatever I had to offer. Since then, he’s never spoken to me (In fact, I’d have no respect for him if he did).

11. I keep asking fellow customers for bigger sizes in t-shirts, pants, etc. at malls. Now how is it my fault if they want to wear the exact pattern of shirts, as the salespeople? And why do I always keep needing bigger sizes and not smaller ones (strictly in clothes, haan)?

12. I am a big loser and I don’t think you need anymore evidence. But if you do, write to me secretly and I’ll furnish you with some more proof.

I’m really bored now. Think I’ll go catch up on some food and drink. You go away, too.

(This post is dedicated to Manoj for no apparent reason.)

When the going gets tough...

Ok, so I despise college. Like really loathe it and stuff. But there are some times when the chicas in class are so funny, that you’re actually glad you were around to take back home a happy memory. Here’s one such.

My friend KreePee likes pink stuff. Everything she owns is pink. Her shoes, her bag, her wallet, most of her clothes, her pencil(s), basically any accessory your wild mind can imagine, she has in pink. When opportunity permits, she throws in some Barbie and Ken photos on her pink possessions and proudly shows them off to everyone in class.

Nevertheless, she’s just so adorable at times, that you’d want to hug her till she dies of suffocation. Honest.

Anyway, I keep buying KreePee some random pink stuff when I see it. Like pencils and pens, you know, the works. And she gets so excited over little things, that she won’t even let me touch them; lest they get dirty. Hmph. Anyway, I gave her the mini car that she found in my bag (it came with a chocolate I was eating, I do NOT collect them), and she remembered that she’d got me something as well. Her gift turned out to be a very sweet purple eraser shaped like a bunch of grapes (that smelt like grapes too!), slightly bigger than the vintage toy car I gave her.

Now the kiddies in us woke up with a jolt, and took over all sense of ‘propah’ and ‘non-propah behaviah’! This is what followed. And yeah, don’t judge us. We’re the TYBA English Literature class.

KreePee (placing grape-shaped eraser on toy car roof): You know what Moo? Let’s pretend that the car is transporting the grapes to some place.

Me (liking idea): Yeah yeah, let’s!

KreePee: And let’s not allow anybody to touch the car or the eraser. Kharab kar denge sab.

Me (grinning): Ok babes, whatever you say.

KreePee (straight faced): And if the car gets too tired with the load of the grapes, we can make both sleep side-by-side and continue their journey later.

Me (giggling hysterically): Uh huh, sure! It’s totally your call, Kree!

(Enter Pussycat, another classmate)

Pussycat (squealing with excitement, pointing at the ensemble): WOWWW! What is that?

KreePee (annoyed): Kuch nahi. A car that’s transporting grapes. Don’t disturb it.

Pussycat: Moo, dikha na kya hai. PLEASE! What is it?

Me (handing over the eraser): Le. Mar. Kharab mat karna.

Pussycat (caressing eraser): Oh shooo cute! Hai kya yeh?

Me (with naughty grin): ‘Rubber’ hai.

Pussycat (returning naughty grin): Aila! Why are you roaming around with ‘rubbers’?

(Enter In-DUH-vidual, a third classmate)

In-DUH-vidual (looking at rubber in Pussycat’s hand): Ae show na! Kya hai woh?

Pussycat: Rubber hai, Moo ka. What a nice gal with good habits she is, na?In fact, bahut acchi aadat hai.

Me: Yeah, isn’t it? And this one smells nice too!

In-DUH-vidual (with stupid grin of non-comprehension and smelling the ‘eraser’): Moo, don’t use this rubber. It’s very nice. Save it for a special occasion, na!

Pussycat (shocked): What is this, In-DUH-vidual? How can you just stop people from using rubbers! Dekha Moo? Bas isi mindset ke vajah se aaj India ka yeh haal hai!

I laughed so hard, that I was certain my intestine would come bursting out of me and splatter itself on the wall. Somewhere near my left ear, I heard KreePee spray everyone with a water fountain. Pussycat hi-fived me and burst into a fit of giggles. And as usual, In-DUH-vidual bestowed us with her default stupid grin (that signified she hadn’t understood anything that happened in the past 3 minutes), while we gathered our stuff and waited for the professor to bring us back to the mundaneness of our dreary lives.

Oh ok, so maybe you had to be there. Hmph.

When friends misunderstand...

I feel badly battered. Beaten up. Knocked out cold.

Aren't those the feelings you go through, when someone you call your friend misconstrues you totally and gives you hell for something you didn't even do? What's more, didn't even mean to do? Aren't friends the people who you'd want to understand you, no matter how obscure or unreasonable you are? If they don't want to be as nice and understanding as they'd like you to believe, why put up an image? And for who's benefit?

I think I lost a friend today. And I still don't know why. Was it me? Was it him? Was it both of us? Or was it the lack of confrontation? Was it something else? With both of us having egos the size of giant rogue elephants, will it ever be the same again? Do I want it to be the same again?

Not after what happened. Do I need people like that in my life?

Random

Enigma. Heroes. Computers. Literature. Friends. Fancy. Musing. Spectator. Understand. Relatives. Buildings. Collapses. Fiery. Magic. Love. Pristine. Cucumbers. Hatred. Print. Clothes. Fortune. Poetry. Funnies. Bovine. War. Rosary. Vocabulary. Blockhead. Gangrene. Feet. Distance. Cars. Vacuum cleaners. Fairies. Trips. Idiosyncrasy. Vertigo. German. Trinkets. Christmas. Death. Language. Digression. Formality. Travel. Vacations. Alignment. Customer. Cashews. Trees. Concrete. Bikes. Music. Bold. Opportunities. Wayward. Alliance. Dirt. Vomit. Pigs. Rains. Bicycles. Closure. Ambiguity. Corporate. Chocolates. Ice-creams. Fish. Food. Camera. Photographs. Suicide. Prevention. Trade. Chopsticks. Keychains. Marshmallows. Chimpanzees. Aquariums. Walks. Drives. Gravel. Filigree. Parents. Chow. Keyboards. Earthquakes. Flight. Obscure. Finish.

Someone once said, that writing off random words helps ridding oneself of Writer's Block.

Doesn't seem to have worked though, I'm not any wiser, and I have a thousand random words floating about in my head. Not a good sign.

* Waits for inspiration *

License to Kill!

So yours truly went gallivanting to the Andheri branch of the RTO, to get her permanent driving license. Right. So after spending what seemed like an eternity in the bus ride, I finally got off when the conductor announced Andheri RTO aala, utra Andheri RTO wale! Now people who know me really well (or not!) do know the amount of mental preparation I have to put in while crossing the road. So I need not mention that it took me 15 minutes to get to the other side. In my defense, it was the LINK ROAD! How can you not take your time crossing it?

Now to sympathize with me, you have to know a bit of the geography surrounding the RTO. To reach the goddamned place, you have to walk in straight through a tiny entrance of a construction site. Yes people, it’s pretty much like Harry Potter’s ‘Room of Requirement’, only a zillion times more disgusting. So when you’re through the entrance, you immediately end up stepping in a pile of construction dirt and what inevitably escapes your tongue is the choicest swear word you know. After you compose yourself and muster your dignity, you look up to find construction workers leering at you. Perhaps they secretly hoped that I was the new recruit their contractor had mentioned. Anyway, from here onwards the tasks keep getting increasingly difficult. When you move on from there, you come to this REALLY steep staircase consisting of around five huge steps, and if miss a single footing, you’re down straight into the sinking sewer there. The kind of smelly-poisonous-fume-emanating sewer I wouldn’t wish my enemies to ever come across. After holding onto the pretend railing for dear life and crossing the steps, you come to this area you can cross only by help of the almighty and your ancestors’ blessings. Yes, my dear ladies and gentlemen, you’re at the place where you can place only one foot at a time, with no railing, and ONE false step will land you straight into the aforementioned sewer. Ugh. And as if that wasn’t enough, there are people coming at you from behind and the front, and the only way you can let them pass is by forcing yourself through before them. Oh by the way, I hope you haven’t forgotten that I’m on my way to the RTO Office. Nope, not on a trek, and certainly not for an interview to gain employment at a construction site.

Whew! Finally you find a place where you’re supposed to walk over piles of cement (but after all that I’d gone through, walking over piles of cement felt like gliding in the air), more construction workers with gross fantasies about you and trucks coming straight at you. What you came across after that was the world’s share of marsh that was secretly conspiring to make you fall and soil your best jeans and chappals. I have never seen an ugly two-inch thick layer of marsh in my life. And all on my clothes. And this is supposed to be the goddamned RTO office! HALP!

I finally met the other people from my driving school and was handed over my form. Like schoolkids, we were made to stand in a big line and warned not to get in each other’s way. I half expected Stand with a finger on your lips! to be shouted out to us. 15 minutes into the line, and we were taken to this place and made to re-form the line outside a small room. Most of us thought that we were supposed to get new pictures clicked or something (I was hoping so vehemently, since as usual, the photo on my Learner’s License arouses fierce emotions of hilarity from everyone). But that wasn’t to happen. We were jostled out from that queue (without visiting the room), and made to stand exactly where we were before. Eh? Whatever, really. Perhaps forming and re-forming queues was their idea of entertaining us. Pshaw!

After 15 minutes, we were made to re-form lines (AGAIN!) in a big ground, this time in front of a desk. Aha! Finally the test was going to happen. We submitted our forms again, and were made to make a brand new line, (What is it with these people and lines?) waiting for them to call us and start whizzing on wheels. At least there was something to look around here, while we waiting. Other driving schools had started with their tests and one of the students almost drove into us. I don’t blame him, because that’s what happens if you keep clutching at your steering and expect it to turn on it’s own and sense people ahead. I bet he didn’t get his license.

Finally, the line started moving and the butterflies in my tummy woke up with a jolt. I suddenly started wishing I hadn’t eaten those biscuits, nor drunk all that water. No no, I wasn’t afraid of the chance that my license would get rejected. What made me yellow with fear was that if it did, I’d have to brave all this AGAIN! I was rudely brought back to reality when I realized that the line was moving really fast, considering that people needed to finish their tests before the ones behind could start moving. Come to think of it, it was moving suspiciously fast. Surely they couldn’t have finished their tests! When I came to the desk, a bewildered me was asked to fish out 200 bucks. Why, I asked. For the SmartCard, Madam, I was told. Oh alright then. I handed over the cash and was told to come and collect my license on Saturday.

Umm…WHAT? Excuse me? Isn’t there supposed to be a test? Isn’t there going to be me sitting in the driver’s seat with an instructor breathing down my neck? Hey wait a minute…Was I just part of a BIG bribery racket? Somebody get me some water!

After what seemed like ages, I asked this menacing looking man from the driving school Uncle, test nahi dena hai? He gave me a dirty look and says, Nahi jao, sab hua hai.

*gulps*

Do you realize the gravity of the situation? Just yesterday, 50 odd people got their licenses without knowing how to start a car, right in the RTO office. No no, an officer was actually inspecting all the cash being taken and the instructor telling us to go. Extremely funny, considering police are confiscating licenses of drunk drivers. Ermm…In the current scenario, you don’t even have to be drunk to knock people over. Just take your car out on the road and your job is done. And this was just yesterday. Can you imagine the number of people getting licenses like this EVERYDAY?

*gulps some more*

Do I still love my India?

Ahem ahem....No applause please!

Yay! Take a look at this and know why I'm chuffed. :D And comments are more than welcome! :)