coming around

What do you do when you have had the fight of your life with one of your buddies?

What do you do when you realize how lonely you have become?

What do you do when you realize that you are in the US of A?

What do you do when you are sulking in the remains of a nasty fight?

What do you do when you have not slept properly for the past 3 weeks?

What do you do when sense finally starts prevailing and ego starts shedding?

What do you do when you realize 'Relationships are horcruxes. One should not break away 

from things so easily.' (Someone really sane had told me this once).

What do you do when you realize that you have been secretly brooding over things yourself, and counting on the chances of the other person coming around?

What do you do when the 'other person' actually calls up after all the shit?

What do you do when you start realizing how selfish and small you have been?

What do you do when the better of you, the goodness tells you to forget?

What do you do when the ego tells you that its ok to forget but not so easy to forgive?

What do you do when the void forming inside is too much to bear?

What do you do when you are really down in the dumps and need a shoulder to cry on?

What do you do when the real meaning of friendship starts sinking in?

What do you do when 'it's time to be good and nice again'?

I think, you just dial the number in your phone directory and don't ask so many stupid questions to yourself.

Life is too short to be bad and nasty to people. Friendships are too bigger than ego, to give up on.

Emotions are too complex sometimes, to actually give so much thoughts and energy to.

Life is really easy if you set it straight!!

nightflier !

General..

Fall break is over. So is Diwali (almost!).

Life has seen some highs and lows. Highs of scoring good in mid-terms. Even such stuff feels like a high when you have had some of the most bitter experiences in relationships. It was like gulping a dose of that yuckiest syrup (i hate syrupy medicines !!!) which your doctor prescribes in spite of you telling him that you would prefer being sick than having to force 'that' through your esophagus!! But some things need to be learnt the hard way and you have to move on!! Move on as in slap yourself a 100 times for being such a fool, then kicking your ass another 100 times and trudge forward !!!

One new lesson learnt and life is the same again. But this time I have A. R. Rehman's refreshingly superb music by my side. 

Yuvraaj's music is out. I have a gut feeling that the movie is going to suck big time, but hold on, the music is amazing!! Listen to Mastam Mastam, and you will know what I am saying. 

Gulzaar is weird, mann!! The song goes like this..

bheje mein bhauchaal hain,

pairo mein pataal hai,

dil ka ahwaal le ke aaye !!!!

only he can write such stuff! Specially after that na na song from Guru, it can only be him!! But this is not about how weird Meghna Gulzaar's dad is. This is about what a super musician, mr. Rehman is! This song has a carnival feeling to it. So many emotions are strewn in this song. So many moods. I bet after the initial, what the hell was that reaction, you would rewind it again and again and again. Alka Yagnik is mint fresh. And Sonu Nigam proves that he is talent and loads of talent. The mouth organs, violins and the chorus at the end just add to the awesumness of the song!

The other song which made quite a rounds on my media player is Manmohini. Good fusion of classical and modern notes. I liked all the classical notes.

Zindagi is the softest song from the album. Has some really good high notes and refined singing.

Shano Shano is the ultimate club song. There's everything international about it.

Tu muskura is again nice. Wonderful lyrics (I understood them for a change. Gulzaar can be kind sometimes!). I would have preferred Kavita Krishnamoorty or Sadhna Sargam better still. hmmm.. I don't doubt the god though :)

Tu hi meri dost hai is one of the high points of the album actually. The music is simply amazing. Singers scores a 10 on 10, with Rehman's complex music.

Most of the music comes as a crescendo. Initially soft stuff and then some really high and complex notes. After all Ghai claims that Yuvraaj is a musical!! The music has that MUSICAL quality. 

(I know I have conveniently not written about some songs because I simply have not listened to them. I mean I don't listen to stuff like 'main hoon yuvraaj'!!!!! which is not even a song) And so now you also get that I am not reviewing the music here :) 

Also listen to Desi girl from Dostana. If you did not shake your leg on that beat, I would suggest you meet a doctor. Shankar Mahadevan has this uncanny ability of bringing life to the most ordinary song (sadly most ordinary music). 

Listen to mastam mastam. It is playing for the 1000th time in my house, much to my roomie's dismay. (conspiring whisper, she hates that song !! :D)

mast mast dar mastam, dar bhind bhind dar mastam, ast hast gar mastam, dar mastam.. (I loudly sing this to annoy her some more :D hope she will not read this!!)

Listen to it :) :)

Happy Diwali !!

Wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous Diwali !!

This is my second Diwali away from home, in a string of 'away-from-home' Diwali's, a routine which looks kind of set now. 

On the first away Diwali, I was in Mysore. Trying hard to catch a glimpse of those festive lights in the markets and houses. Dying to wear new clothes on each of those 5 days. Craving for Diwali faraal. And jumping at the distant sound of bursting of a cracker sitting in my hostel room, 25 km's away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Well, it was a different experience. I had watched a movie, first day first show, more of a premier of DON, the SRK one. This was a prohibited thing to do back home. Watching a movie in a theatre, that too on Laxmipujan day was considered a sin!!!! Actually, it never occurred to me as a kid that you could also celebrate Diwali, in such modern fashion !! :D

The saving grace that time had been a visit to a temple and some couriered faraal (puran poli,chakli and chiwda) from home. Mom's are incorrigible. The thought of enjoying all these pleasures without their kids around is torturous to them. Meriwali (as SRK says in kal ho na ho) is sending some stuff this time too :)

Some things to reminisce about.

I used to have a set of allotted tasks every year. Making torans (garlnads) for the house. Every year me and my bro would come up with some new ishtyle and decorate the front door and gallaries. 

Then was the herculean task of drawing Rangoli. Herculean because, I would draw a single big rangoli for our entire neighborhood (my place and the neighbor aaji's place). That was the most fun activity. Everyone would try to help me out in their own ways. Aajoba used to get his big ruler and help me out aligning the dots. I was never a free hand person so would always draw the rangoli with dots and straight lines with as little curves as possible :) Then my brother and dad, would help me out choose the color scheme. It was a matter of neighborhood pride, you see, which house has the most colorful and spectacular rangoli. Mom would be the last person to take a peek along with aaji, too busy in the kitchen with a grand menu of Puran Polis, bhajji, saar (aamti) and rice. They would give critical remarks or try to suggest something  different, which I would just shrug off saying, they should be happy with the 3 hours of collective efforts!!

The last task used to be arranging the living room, lighting lanterns, illuminating every nook and corner of the house, inviting goddess Laxmi to enlighten our lives (that's the childhood story I have been told and come to believe). 

Well, the list ends here. Shows how much my mom trusts me!! 

No heavy duty work my way :D 

There were some routines which I secretly detested as a kid. The get togethers for faraal, where entire neighborhood families will come over. The joshi's today and the Sharma's tomorrow. For the sole reason that, I would never finish off the stuff in my plate, only to get sneers and booos from other kids. Thankfully mom-dad were too sweet to say anything in front of everyone!! I still wonder how some kids can eat just anything in their plates. I have no disrespect for food, but I can eat only little at a time :( A trait which is in my system. I admire those kids and their parents, who never had to teach their kids eating manners, unlike mine :(

I also did not approve of it very much it, when my brother would just drag me to the terrace and burst those noisy crackers. The peace loving me would just disappear in a corner with ears covered with both hands. Why guys his age loved to show off their firecraking skills, was a mystery to me then. Initially like a good caring sibling, thinking that I have a perpetual fear of crackers, he would encourage me to try bursting them. Thankfully he gave up :) But can you imagine, he's celebrating a non polluting Diwali this year, as a mark of respect to my absence!! Poor thing sure does not know that, I enjoy the navy pier fireworks almost every alternate weekend :D

I miss all this.

But Diwali away from home, also gives me a chance to celebrate it in my own way. To try something different. I kind of have an apartment of my own (haaan..rented hai lekin mera hai :D) So I am making elaborate lunch plans. No match to mom's culinary skills, I admit. But my desi and non-desi friends will not mind, as long as they are getting good food!! Planning to attend Diwali mass. And light some lanterns too. Catch up on studies and watching some animated movies is something else I want to do.

We have also cleaned the house, almost. And now I know what a pain it must be for the motherkind to do this huge task all by themselves with a little help from us and maid aajibai.

All the good things and bad things apart, what matters is the festive spirit. Celebrating life and making yourself and in turn others happy :) Indulging in small activities to make life more fun. We need such breaks to enjoy the feeling of togetherness. Many people don't need a reason to celebrate, but for those many who have forgotten the little incentives life has to offer, this is like an opportunity offered every year, without any 'conditions apply' tag at the end. 

I wish that no conditions apply to your happiness and good spirits this festive season. Wish you all an illuminating Diwali and a-throw-your-fears-away Halloween (just remembered..it's the halloween on 31st OCT!!).

nightflier :)

Unaccustomed Earth

Its a collection of short stories by noted author Jhumpa Lahiri.

Each story opens up the human nature in a different way. A brief synopsis.

1. Unaccustomed earth : The title story tells the tale of a father and daughter, separated by the invisible walls of loneliness, after the death of their only common thread, his wife, her mother. The distances which grow between them. Each's idea of bridging it. The father never wanting to be near his daughter for more than a fortnight. The daughter wanting him to take care of her family in an Indian fatherly way. The unaccustomed earth of her kitchen garden, where she has recently moved, becomes their bonding place as the father develops a special love for his grandson.

This is the best story of the lot. A deep uneasiness in the characters. The uncomfortably comfortable relations they share. The way even a father and daughter separated by a huge emotional gap, would bond at an unaccustomed place.

Thumbs up to this story!!

2. Hell-Heaven : This story explores the psyche of a woman. Her instincts and her emotional capabilities. As a woman, the author knows eaxctly which shades to highlight. Her observations of the human mind leave a lasting impression.

3. A choice of accomodations : The story of an emmigrant boy and his american wife. A very simple story, about how marriages work, fall apart and again work. Again her observations of those tiny emotions, captured in words, is simply amazing.

4. Only goodness : I personally liked this one too. The story of two siblings, who brought up in a foreign culture, loose the bonding while growing up. The efforts of one as the responsible and competitive sister always losing against the carefree and lost brother. A secret of drinking beer at nights after their parents fall asleep, turns into an addiction for the brother. Something which is unacceptable to the Indian mindsets of the parents. This devastates the perfect family the sister's trying to nurture.

Again her meticulous observations and the ability to weave story in a flashback stand out.

5. No Body's Business : A complicated love traingle. That's the only thing that comes to my mind when I think about it.

6. Hema and Kaushik : Fiction at its best. The story of two individuals with separate lifestyles joined by a single thread, a dead woman. This story travels from American coasts to Europe to Asia to leave a lasting impression. Kaushik's need to keep on moving, not to settle at a single place, not to feel the sense of belonging. And Hema's struggle to make herself feel belonged, by trying to settle in a foreign country. Their love and its defeat. The sad end to the story. Every part is touching.

Lahiri's emotional wisdom is just amazing. She delves into such realms of the mind, so effortlessly, that you relate with the lives and struggles of the characters. The stories do seem bounded by the whole emigrant experience.

A good and soft read if you are really into short stories.

Ironically I have not read her earlier works. I have to dig more now. She is impressive!!

Minnesota diaries - day 2

Actually I have no mood to write this part. Feeling too lazy.

But as I had already mentioned about it in the earlier post, I can't run away from the responsibility of giving my readers the updates about my 'oh-not-so-boring' life !! (yawn ....)

The second day was marked with a bad start. People were struggling with hangovers. Not that I minded a late start to the day with an already long previous night and very little sleep. 

So as planned we reluctantly started off towards 'River Wild State Park' to watch fall colors, with a rented car and the car stereo. This was the first time that I saw use of the GPS application for directions. I don't know if I liked it or not. I am more of let's explore and find our way types, when it comes to such expeditions. But in the lands of the organized and meticulous planners, this thing is a must. May be its good to have some sort of guide in the unfamiliar terrain. Not that the GPS thing was a great help!! Thankfully (for me) and disdainfully (for others) it could not recognize the start address. But like in India, we had a chalta firta guide on roads and freeways friend. We did make it without any hiccups. For our surprise (in that sleepless state nothing could really shock us!!) the fall colors were no where to be seen. Only barren trees and their leaves on the grounds, waiting for the winds to sweep them away. The team of 5 got separated in 2. 3 of us (who were proved not so smart enough, me not included, of course !!!) went in for canoeing in the st. croix river. I and another friend opted for exploring the woods.

It turned out that the canoeing team had a really tough time, as they had to row against the winds while going up and row against the river flow while going down. The 2 hours when these people were inside the waters, we took a long 5 mile walk in the jungles. We visited the small museum, 'the visitor center'. There was loads of useful info about wild flaura and fauna. The concept of 'an alien species' specially amused me. After reading the definition (I don't remember it word by word though) I actually started feeling comfortable. I constantly had this out of place or somehow I don't belong here feeling, from the moment I landed in this country. I would feel weird at the use of the word 'Alien' on every official document I filled up here. Were not Aliens just Sigourney Weaver movies or the enemies from Independence Day who threatened our planet? Anywho the denial of accepting the fact of being a foreigner finally ended in the small museum in the woods. 

After this enlightening self acceptance, I prompted to take a way which seemed closer. Not that we had a map of the woods or anything. You don't get 100 points for guessing that it was a Wrong Turn. Well, I also have this instinctive quality of confidently suggesting a wrong way. But in self defense I would say, it makes the journey meaningful, longer and more meaningful (with the way I get cursed for being such a dodo, it sure sounds meaningful !!)

Anyways, we found a kind enough American couple who gave us their used map, after we gave in the fact of being officially LOST. We were not in such a bad position after all. We found a shorter route along the river stream (just 3 miles you see) which would take us to the canoeing team. On my way, I collected some interesting foliage. I wish I had the craft books we used to have in schools, to paste the evidence of my trip, right away.

The river stream made us so cheerful that we totally forgot the fact that the canoeing outing was a disaster for the other team. The journey back was not so great for the friend who was driving, as we conveniently dozed off in the back seats. 

In the evening we went to St. Paul Cathedral (Minneapolis and St. Paul form the twin cities and the capital of Minnesota). We reached in time for mass. End to the day could not have been more peaceful. The cathedral had this calming and soothing quality about it. Its spectacular interiors did take my breath away for a while! After that we went to St. Paul Capitol Hill. Another beautiful monument, full of roman architecture. After posing for some tired snaps, the day finally ended. Oh I forgot the dinner at the Chinese joint. It was amazing as well. Specially, the way the cook made the chicken fried rice really spicy to make sure that the toilets will remain clogged for the next 2 days !!!! No kidding, it was so spicy that, we wasted it thinking good about the toilets.

Anyways, my trip ended there. A 2 day break from god knows what. But a trip makes you think about small things in life. Things which you normally leave unnoticed. The many facts about yourself and your daily lives. It lets you unwind. So do plan something the next time you get a chance. Its a nice way to indulge.

nightflier :)

Minnesota diaries - day 1

The plan of spending fall break at Minneapolis started as a joke and in the swarm of mid-terms I did not even realize that, the fall break had already arrived. Thanks to my thoughtful and serious with her vacations roomie, we already had the tickets in hand. 

Sadly the journey was overnight, so missed watching the amreekan countryside (if it exists!!). Don't be shocked, I love my sleep. Especially if your standing-last-in-the-queue skills win you (yeah..win you..) the last 2 seats (the position..duh) on the Mega-Bus. Anyways hope to watch it on my return journey.

I knew only one fact about Minneapolis beforehand, that it is very cold. And I was held totally wrong, when it turned out to be very very cold!!

The sightseeing routine started with the visit to University of Minnesota. The sprawling campus spread across the sides of the Mississippi river took my breath away. The word HUGE describes it the best. But checking out an university campus just at the start of fall break does not sound a very exciting thing to do!! So with very serious ideas of having fun, we headed off to the Guthrie theatre. The theatre hosts many plays and cultural shows and houses an amazing restaurant and a bar with a spectacular view of the stone arch bridge on one side and Minneapolis downtown on the other side. Nature again played wonders at lifting up my spirits and left me smiling.

{The damned internet connection is not letting me upload the pic. So imagine it}

The above picture is just a proof of what I just said.

The stone arch bridge is just too perfect for a solitary walk. It's the only bridge built entirely out of stone (obviously as the name suggests) on the Mississippi, giving it you an out of the times feel. You feel like walking in some Victorian era, except for the roller blading kids and fitness freak joggers! The river Mississippi looks messy and unclean from here. The kind of stuff rivers normally are in reality. Anyways some fact files. The bridge actually increased the transportation of goods and people across the river. It thus is a cultural symbol of growth of Minneapolis.

After this wonderful walk, as we were passing a park, I happened to witness my first American wedding. And lucky me reached there when the vows were being taken and the 'now the groom may kiss the bride' dialogue was being said. It was sooooo touching. I hope no one noticed the tears in my eyes :) Fuss about weddings on one side and the joy of watching such ceremonies on one side. I will vote for the later definitely. I hope I will be the object of attention of such a holy ceremony, one fine day !! :)

We ended the day there, as others wanted to hit the bars early in the night. Of course, I am going ;) It would be fun to see people get talli and chill out. Miss my girl pals and some special friends with whom I took the liberties of trying weird stuff. Company matters to me in such matters!! 

Post on day 2 will come soon.

adios,

nightflier..

the fringe benefits of failure

Statutory Warning: I don't know how much or on what scale I have failed in life till now. It is relative. My truth can never be your truth.

Since my early days of entry into the corridors of school, I have been doing exceptionally well in academics. So it was inevitable that "things" would be expected from me. At that time, like every other teenager, I had no clue what I expected from myself. I was a toddler then in the quest called LIFE. Nonetheless I had this dream of helping underprivileged people, because I always thought that life should be fair with everyone. Everyone should get the chances I got. Or at least made aware of the fact that 'You can choose what you want'. I still feel so.

I failed my teachers, my school, a whole generation of peers and batches of juniors , in the standard 10 board exams (hope you understand the enormity). Now why I failed remains an amusing story, at least for me. We had a very peculiar study pattern back then in schools for standard 10 kids. For us, the geeky lot I mean, they would finish the teaching part by the month of January. The OWLs (matriculation) would be held in March. For 2 months we would sit at home and study and give practice tests. Thus as any smart person can deduce, these 2 months were the most crucial part of the whole 'boards extravaganza'. So for these 2 months, it was 'loads of revisions and hordes-of-people-who-have-come-to-wish-you-the-best' routine. I had never felt so special in life with all the attention. I never realized that the pressure was enormous. One fine morning I had this revelation that it is foolish to even run this rat race. May be this was after one of my elder and wiser cousins told me that 'I am unique and I don't have to prove anything to anyone.' Without realizing the impact of this thought and plainly believing it without understanding, I just gave up studying. Just like that!! If my parents are reading this, then they would now know the actual reason and stop blaming the strict moderators!! I did not mean to hide this from them then or now. It's simply because that they never questioned me. Anyways, I had failed everyone when the results were out. The saving grace was we had all the expected people from my school in good positions. It at least shifted the focus from me. That day kind of changed me. A small part of me grew up like never before. I came to understand that

"I was responsible for my thoughts and actions in every gamut of life."

This still remains the greatest (oh man, it sounds so larger than life!!) failure of my life, as I learned that failure was not a great,big deal. Obviously, I also learned that my scales and my expectations from myself mattered more than anything else. I always had to strive for not failing in my own eyes. Sounds straight out of some motivational book!!

Obviously the expectations never seized. I was expected to bounce back. Incidentally, in the worldly terms "I did". But because of that one not so well performance, I got a chance to become a part of the normal public. I was no longer looked up as someone from an elite group. I had my space and freedom. Earlier, I used to be apprehensive about the outcomes. Now I was a free bird. Doing things my own way and deriving my own learning out of it.

Sometimes I feel weird that how our academic performance becomes a certificate of our abilities. But in my case, it has taught me a lot of things. And I have stopped romanticizing 'this failure' now :)

P.S. Inspiration behind this post. Watch this.

Just fly.....

The best farewell gift I got, when I left India..

It is our dreams that shape our destiny,
To achieve them, many times we have to mutiny..
We have to go to unknown lands,
And may be sing along with unknown bands..

Its all a part of the game, they say;
After all to win, you have to play.
As you try to reach out for the sky,
You have to leave something behind and fly..

There are too many things, you want to say..
Too little time..
It's perfectly fine my friend,
Its not a crime!!!

Standing at the terminal, ready to fly..
Don't look back now, don't even cry..
Waiting for you is the sky,
So go ahead and JUST FLY !!!

Thank you, Addu!!
It gives me inspiration whenever I am bogged down or feeling low.
Words sure are the healers. :)
The jerk had written this at the end - 'I send you my words instead of me. Hope you carry them with you.' Of course, I have them by my side always. Literally carrying them everywhere I go :)

Read his other poems as well. If it was not for hefty paychecks from the great Indian software firm and the only sign of a progressive man "the bear belly of course", he would have been a great writer and poet today!! :D

Globally yours!

Wonder what are the benefits of living in a global environment (I mean actually surrounded by all kinds of foreigners..duh!!)?? For me it is the exposure to various cuisines. Specially if you know what you are eating, in short if you are a foodie!
One look at me and the thought of 'me being a foodie' won't even cross your mind. But then there are those fringe benefits of growing up in a household where, typical Indian cuisine is a way of life and you have a foodie, innovative, adventurous (with food of course!) brother as the partner in crime!

Anyways, my stay away from home (past 6 years, plus this new global phase) has given me an opportunity to get to know and learn many interesting Indian recipes, many household tricks to make yummier food out of simple stuff, and different tastes. I have shared food interests with the weirdest of people. Well, those people are bound to have a totally different opinion about my food habits like, ye bahot nakhre karti hai, bahot kam khati hai, etc. etc. But the fact remains I love trying out new stuff and spreading my meagre knowledge as well.

So, finally coming to the point (yeah, some bragging about my food culture was necessary as a starter!), as part of the global culture here, I am trying out Indian recipes on my Bangladeshi roomie. The recent one was Susheela.

A brief how to..
Ingredients:

puffed rice (murmura) - half out of a standard pack, soaked in water (make sure you soak it only for a minute)
onion - 1/2 finely cut
green chillies - finely cut, 1-2
jeera (cumin) seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
cilantro (coriander) - finely cut
haldi (turmeric) powder - a pinch
lal mirchi (red chilly) powder - 1/2 teaspoon
salt - to taste
sugar - a pinch
lemon (nimbu) juice - 1 teaspoon

How to:
Saute the onions,green chillies and jeera in a pan. After done, add haldi, chilli powder. Then add puffed rice. Mix all this well. Then add the sugar,salt,nimbu juice and garnish with cilantro. Voila...There you go. Its an amazing snack. Filling and yummy. The lemon and green chillies combo makes it just too irresistible!!

My friends from Latur (a district in Marathwada, Maharashtra) introduced me to this snack. And they would be happy to know, that today I made it global. At least prepared it in foreign land!! Well, as for the new things I tried out, then I have gone a bit ahead in the non-veg section. I tried crab and turkey the other day. Chicken still remains my favorite though!!

And if you are thinking whether my roomie who tried out the snack is still alive or not, then she is working on that damned assignment (whose deadline is tonight..OMG!!) Her remark - 'You guys are so creative with simple food stuffs!!' You bet she wants to try out more typical Indian dishes now.

For you a thousand times over..

This line is from the movie 'The Kiterunner'.
A good watch. Not as good as the book though.
I don't have time for any review, plus the fact that, the movie was released in March here!!

Watch it because 'there's a way to be good again'..
Few good things about it, it takes you to the picturesque, rustic Afghanistan (They have shot those parts in China btw) and its vagaries. The kid who has done the part of Hassan, lives a mark on your conscious, with those big, innocent eyes. The graphically enhanced kite running sequences are a good watch. Homayoun Ershadi, who plays Amir's baba, has done a great job. He lives the righteous, a bit disappointed in his son, father.There is a restraining undertone to the movie, which sets the mood.

In all a good watch. Highly recommended, even if you have not read the book.

OCD

It is true. I have been diagnosed with OCD(obsessive compulsive disorder)! Yeah, the self proclaimed psychologist in me isn't wrong this time.
It's been happening for quite some time. I was under the scanner for days now, only to reveal the most bizarre set of results.

Every time I was let free into a mall without any agenda, I would direct myself towards the stationary section. No kidding! I would walk as if under a spell (well its not as bad as an Imperius curse but more like being possessed, I hope I am making it clear here!!). I would literally march away from everyone to every kid's dream land.

Loads of pencils, pens,colored pens, sketch pens, colored sheets, clip boards, markers, stick notes, diaries, files, folders, dividers, erasers, sharpeners, greeting cards just excited me. Its like every time I entered the store and someone would whisper in my ears, 'Comm'ere my baby..precioussssss'
Or was the AC in the malls set to too low a temperature? Then what could be the reason behind my brain listening to voices ??
WHOA...

AC or no AC, the woe still remains. Its becoming more of a habit now, that too a compulsive.
There were days when I would enter Venus traders on FC road, like a kidnapper and fill my shopping bag with handmade papers,crayons,colored pencils,etc. Here also I randomly handpicked some insertable dividers, the other day. Some other time, a few folders. Today a clipboard, some sheets, and colored pens. This in spite of the fact that, I have got stacks of stationary from home. I have things in abundance. I must have also told you about the fascination for free stationary ? And it doen't end here. I don't let others touch 'my stuff'. I still remember the kid's condition (my looks were enough to petrify him) when he had toyed with my drawing book and colored pens. I was in standard 8. Well he must have even given up any thought of studying further, after meeting a maniac like me, me thinks.

Don't freak out please. Because they tell me for deprived people this is more than common. But hello, I don't come from depressistaan (my name for such a place). I come from somewhere, where every dream of getting educated in a fancy fashion was nurtured. That dream was fueled in all possible ways. Yes, that includes decorating my books with fancy stickers, covering them up with nice colored sheets, colorful charts (alphabets to the periodic table..u bet!!). So is my behavioral pattern plausible ?

May be or may be not. I guess I will have to learn to live with this. Wish me luck folks.

Meanwhile, next time you go to a mall, don't forget to sneak into the stationary section ;) It's a wonderful world!!

P.S. this blog comes after watching FRIENDS episode(season 2, episode 23. bingo!!) about Monica's small,cute obsessions. :)