homely post

Lots of free time, normally should translate to lots of activity on blogosphere and lots of posts (refers to non-sense here).

alas..

I use that time to unravel the deeper mysteries eluding humankind, trying to decipher the meaning behind the metamorphosis this world is undergoing, in short making sense of it all ....

BULL-CRAP !!! (these days in India they give english subtitles on english movie channels. Imagine I said S***)

Instead I am sleeping, eating, televisioning, reading, studying, cooking. Listed in the order of priority. During my brief excursions on the internet these days, I realized, my blog was getting opened out of lack of options to open any interesting websites and not out of pure urge to write and check out what other people have written. Then I also realized I dont take myself so seriously!! Except while choosing an ice-cream flavor. May be.

So while indulging in these extremely mind-numbing activities, I have realized I just need to participate whole-heartedly.

The bed is always made up. I just have to go and sleep in it.
Food is always getting served by others (and always the stuff I prefer). I just have to sit and hog.
That sacred place on the couch is always kept free for me. And in case its not, a slight desire to watch the tv and voila !!
And sorts...
(Now you do get an idea, why people want to be a kid again.)

But you know what, folks at home always treat you like one. No need to specifically try to transform. A stay at home and you will realize, however grown up and mature you have become for the outer world, things never change at home.
There are other places also, where the kid in me is always alive. Amusement park, cooking alone in my apartment, (others can't be mentioned here) :P.
While being outside, we are constantly surrounded by people or situations, where we need to be the decision makers, the mature lot, the civilized ones. So this kinda treatment is rocking!

Also , I am back from a trip to Pune. Newsflash from the land where the swine flue paranoia is at its peak!

I saw love-aaj-kal. Read this for my overall views. The only high point was a deserted E-square on a friday night! All E square lovers will appreciate this fact. So no long queues for tickets, no hassles while eating your popcorns peacefully in the not so crowded waiting lounges, no waiting in the washing rooms and the best no random pushing or pulling to get entry into the screening hall.

I met all the friends I could manage to meet. Hostel gang and college class mates topped the list. It was good to see the married lot settled into their domestic lives. It was a bit weird to be a part of it (even if for a day). Though did not manage to do random crazy stuff, as earlier. Guess things change :) But meeting old friends is like sipping nariyal pani on a hot Indian summer day. It can't get any better :)

The most amazing thing about the trip was, it dint feel like a visit after an year. I still knew all my routes and short-cuts. I could still notice the small changes roads/places/shopping malls, in short favorite places, have undergone. I took in all that I could of one of my favorite cities. I think this is the best form of love I know :)

I was a bit anxious about getting back safely, though. I was traveling by the chariot for the poor (gareeb rath) and it was scary to see people roaming all around me in masks. To all my friends who are not in India and would like some first hand news, things are pretty ok back here. People are taking extra precautions and even places like railways stations have become cleaner. Schools are closed for the next week to avoid an epidemic. The media is again being accused of raising panic levels amongst citizens. So if you read some outrageous stuff, kindly trust the authorities.

baki to sab changa hai! A huge list of shopping awaits me. Guess I should become a bonafide member of shopoholics Inc. ;)

will be back with interesting stuff soon.

~nightflier!

Under Seige - II

There could not be a better timing for the political move made with the confessions of Kasab.
(Here I assume that you all are not naive enough to believe that the confessions are just a result of thorough investigations! Most of us already know that these were unexpected!)

With Hillary Clinton's visit, this is the best time to put pressure on Pakistan, and make them act like a democratic country for a change to hand over the remaining suspects to us. It is like check-mate! Oh, I am so loving this. (Again I naively believe that, this time real ACTION will be taken!)

On a different note, if you have read/heard Kasab's statement it sounds so staged. I mean sometimes I can't properly remember what I did the day before. This man here has second to second account of that gruesome day, like it was written in a script and he was just playing his bit. I mean come on, get real dude! (the cops I mean.)

But overall I am relieved to hear this news, as 'lets be at peace with our neighbors' crap is over.
Sometimes being at peace is just not the right answer!

~nightflier

P.S. I did not know I had so strong feelings for Mumbai :)

Someplace Else

That's my new address (and is also an eye-catcher!).

7 year olds are the only people I get along well with these days. The one I am talking about is a cousin, who was not very much acquainted with my ways. I am sure now she knows whom to look forward to when she fancies a tickle fight and a TV remote fight. Oh well!
This bright kid is also someone who only speaks Marathi (our mother tongue) but does not learn it in school. So what sometimes follows at home between us is really hilarious!

few examples:

me: please, give me the remote (with the undertone of 'else, I will switch off the main switch which is high above your tiny hands' reach! muhahahaha')
she: hargeez (hindi word) naahi (marathi word) (means No ways !!)
me: rofl

me: (trying to twist myself to the song twist)
she: these people don't let me do film dance! sigh..
me: whaaaaaaaaa..rofl

me: (hid her math book in a vain attempt)
she: sagle (marathi) hamesha (hindi word) asach kartaat (marathi). (everyone always does that!) (in a very understanding tone)
me: (going nuts over that tone!!)

Apart from our stupid sounding antics, we did have a good time; eating chocolates, watching harry potter and some Chinese cartoon called asira chan (where asira grows into a watermelon after eating melons 24/7!!), solving math problems in a record 35 minutes, getting complements for our similar diets!

And now I cannot stop wondering about how adorable kids are. Sigh, I already miss her.
I will take the videos of her pledge recitals (something she was distracted into doing, so that I could take control of the TV remote..muhahahaha)!

On other notes, I have a new found liking for TV, now that I survived 3 days and 3 nights without Internet. My other address is the couch in the living room in front of TV. Its an amazing life style change. For once I am happy that simple things like doing nothing without using one's brain power are possible!
And strangely I also saw a whoopish triumphant grin on my dad's face, when the DSL cable near my house was finally repaired. Darn it! I am coming for you my beloved! (the TV remote, duh!)

Listening to the songs of Love Aaj Kal for quite a few days now. Twist and Chor Bazaari steal the show. Twist has that quirky Indian touch with the pubbish feel. And it is really good to twist to, too! Chor Bazaari is amazingly refreshing. Even the video shot in Delhi haats looks superb. Rest songs are pretty ok. Loads of strings everywhere. One also gets the typical Punjabi and Preetam feeling. Definitely Imtiaz Ali's earlier offerings were musically superior. Remember Socha na tha (the goa and title track) and Jab we met (Rahat Fateh ali khan's soulful Aaoge jab tum and Mohit Chauhan's mesmerizing Tum se hi). But a good album after a loooong time. Makes me look forward to the movie for a change.

I also read Matthew Reilly's Seven Ancient Wonders to get rid of jet lag. Thumbs up if you like the Dan Brown kind thrillers, filled with trivia but a typical plot and predictable situations with little emotions thrown in, genre interesting. I found it extremely fast paced and a store house of knowledge. I had never wikied so much while reading a book. An informative read, indeed.

Rest is great. I am doing the meet people, be a good girl, tell them how life in America is exciting/boring/difficult routine. As long as interesting and good food accompanies I am not complaining. Fringe benefits of every situation, that's optimism for you!

Well, now its dinner time in Someplace Else. (What!!)

~nightflier

The Shrink Effect

a. Facebook quizzes

b. Books

c. Horoscopes

d. Myself ?? (I always thought I was solve your own problems kinda girl ;))

Btw on a funny note, something I must share about shrinks :)

Carrie- First you go once a week, then three times a week...and the next thing you know...you start sentences with, "My shrink says"

Miranda- "My shrink says", that's a common fear...

lol ...

~nightflier

P.S. I really think this is funny!

ORD to Charles de Gaulle

A travelogue of my flight from Chicago to Paris.
(the real post sits tight in my lappy's crashed hard-drive, never to get retrieved :()

From last minute travel plans to the last minute rush to reach the railway/train station or airport in time, I can be awarded a PhD. (Since this blog is all about myself, I know you guys don't mind this self obsession). Anyways, as me and a friend (he was kind enough to accompany me to the airport mainly to help me carry those humongous bags foren returned people carry) made way through the check in counter, I knew I had done it again. I was checking in at 4, for a flight supposed to take off at 5.15. phew...

The best part in all this was, I had a window seat. I have a fascination for windows which can be explored at a later point. So after some customary calls, I was all set for my longest journey in an year.

And oh yeah line from the book/movie the Namesake,
'The greatest journeys are the ones that bring you home' also did ring in my ear :P

On board waiting for moi was a surprise!! An 8th grader, Kayi who was flying for the first time to visit family in Paris, was going to be my neighbor. She was also the only non-french-speaking member of her family. So quite obvious, with crores spent on hospitality management to kill the competition, we were the hot favorites of the entire crew. I wonder even the flight captain knew about Kayi!! So quite promptly, the responsibility of Kayi's well being was thrusted on me. I was to be the primary source of solutions for her every woe from motion sickness to emergency exit. (And don't be surprised) but I was damn thrilled. Only to realize later that, being an American kid, Kayi preferred 'He's just not that into you' over talking to a stranger (I did take care that I don't sound creepy by asking questions like 'So how many boyfriends you have?', etc etc) :|

So I was left with my window and staring into thin air act. It was pretty good. I saw an entire world made up of clouds from up there. Cities, castles, palaces, roads, cars, animals!! My idea of another world also has pretty much the same stuff! Sheesh ...

I watched the remaining part of Babel, Bride wars (gave it a shot for the new found respect for Ann Hathaway). Simply hogged on the food. Plus dad had given my preferences for food as Indian, so I was getting my food before everyone, with different contents and it tasted delicious too!

Since I did not have much time to plan this trip, I made a list of things I was looking forward and not looking forward to during my stay.

So stuff which would make the stay pleasant:

1. loads and loads and loads of home-made food.
2. catching up with mom-dad.
3. meeting friends
4. spending my brother's earnings on some fruitful shopping!!
5. sleep, sleep and sleep and not go out much, just relax, eat, watch TV, and not follow a routine.
6. visiting my granny

This is all I could think of.

And the non-pleasant stuff includes:

1. ending up in a quarantine.
2. falling sick and proven a weakling!!
3. being treated as a foren returned. I simply hate special treatment!!
4. laptop crashes (this has already happened and I am over it now :()
5. Indian summer (OK call me a typical amreeka returned, but I was finding 30 degree Celsius quite unbearable in the US :-/)

So we reached Paris in 8.5 hours, without any delays. I was damn excited about locating the Eiffel from up there and to my amusement I could locate 6 Eiffels :D
Seriously, I wanted to see the Eiffel from the flight. Some of my fantasies fail me :-/

As I stepped on the land known for the louvre, cycling, and a phonetically strange language, the entire crew of Air France once again thanked me! Kayi (if you have already forgotten, shame on you!!) was into safer custody to be united with her family and I was left to explore CDG :)

From CDG to Chatrapati Shivaji terminal, coming up next!

~nightflier