I don’t like these butterflies!...!!

Not that there isn’t much to write about. Maybe I’m just feeling plain lazy or maybe I have other things on my mind. Actually yes, other things it is!

Firstly, dance classes end this Friday. On Saturday we have our final presentation. The thought of which gives me butterflies in my tummy!! On stage with 2k odd people in the audience is not a comforting thought! Don’t get me wrong I love to dance but remember I mentioned stage fright?! :-(

On Monday, R was there to watch me dance and see the more or less final rehearsal! He says I was fine (hmmm!) but the first time he said I had a “help I wanna die” look on my face:P and the second time I was grinning way too much! I have one small bit where I dance solo and that is the part that scares me more that anything else…Can’t wait for Saturday to just come and go….! So I can get past this….

After class we went and shopped for stuff that I needed to wear on stage. The idea was to choose something that everyone would have in their wardrobe but funnily, it was exactly what I didn’t have! Anyway I was lucky coz I’d decided to check out “Globus” (the store) but since the first store after getting off the elevator I saw was “Westside” I just walked in and found the perfect clothes…perfect fit! Don’t you just love when that happens? :-) And then of course, we got a puzzle for Vedant and a lil toy truck :-) and R was in a very indulging mood, so we (Vedant and I) got sun glasses…jlt…for fun! While mine’s a simple one for daily use, Vedant’s is cute and funky in blue and silver! Though he wanted something in red but the color was out of stock!

Oh I forgot to mention that we also learnt the basics of “salsa” in the last class. It was fun and so very different from what we had been dancing the past few weeks. I like it lots! ;-)

The next session starts on Sept 25th though I’m not sure if I will be signing up for it…still thinking about it. I know I will get Vedant to continue though.

The other things on my mind? Will share that later when I know for certain where I am in the scheme of things. Nah, not trying to sound mysterious and stuff! I’m really quite superstitious you know coz I feel if I were to talk of things I want so much to work out, then they just never happen :-(! Sooo, I’ll just wait and watch and if I get lucky, I’ll surely be blogging about it :-)

Time really flies…! Next week I will be completing a year here in blogspot. 9th Sept is the date. Sometimes I feel like I just started…

Ps: the music playing is “Let the music play” by Shamur. My dance (on stage) is to a remix version of this song which of course is slightly faster than the track here! (ummm…u gotta press the play button…it won’t play automatically like the videos I put up here!). And no I don’t know the meaning of the lyrics either:P…!

Just another day??? ;-)

I have 15 minutes to put this post up!!! So of course this could be a record post coz I'm going to keep it short...or so I hope :-) ....!!!!:P

OKKK...why the hurry? It's birthday time! :-) YES!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAJIV!!!

And that pretty much covers it!

lolz...nah there's more!! Thanks R for a whole lot of stuff and u know all that because if I were to begin listing it all, this could end up being my longesttt post ever:) but all that I will tell you in person in precisely 12 minutes by my PC watch :-)

Well, I'd gone to wish him:-) and he's asleep again:P ... tomorrow is when he'll see this (nopes haven't told him a about it at all!)...Sooooo this is for you R...

G'nite all...ENJOY the weekend...have a blast!

Ps: plz don't ask me to share any cake...I got Suchi staying the weekend and between the four of us (R, Vedant, Suchi and I) NO CAKE SHALL BE SPARED!! *grin*

The music playing is "A perfect love" by Trisha Yearwood :-) .... I won't set any record coz the post is ending up longggg as usual...!

"Sunday mornin' when the paper comes
Let's read it front to back and see what's going on
Drink our coffee by the flower bed and talk about the stuff
That's running through our heads
When you look at me the way you do
I can't help but look right back at you

Yeah, this is a perfect love
We're doin' nothin' but what a perfect love does
We're not tryin' to make history
It's just you and me
In a perfect love

Hey, let's drive to the edge of town
See what there is to see and turn back around
Stop by and see your mom and dad
And hear 'em talk about the busy week they had
Then let's take a walk beside the lake
See what kinda fun we can make

Yeah, this is a perfect love
We're doin' nothin' but what a perfect love does
We're not tryin' to make history
It's just you and me
In a perfect love

Oh, ain't it a perfect love
I know you love me just because

Yeah, this is a perfect love
We're doin' nothin' but what a perfect love does
We're not tryin' to make history
It's just you and me
In a perfect love

This is a perfect love
In a perfect love
Yeah, we got a perfect love"

Just....

Sitting here contemplating if I should go ahead and get a haircut or not...The gemini in me is in two minds like always! Well, the idea was to grow my hair. Ever since I can remember I never had the patience to wait for my hair to grow to the desired length. But I went temporarily (!) insane right after Vedant was born coz I got my hair cut soooo shortttt! It just didn't suit me and left me feeling miserable for a long time...atleast till the time it grew a little! Well, not that I am ever going to make the same mistake again (once bitten twice shy!) but yes, one thing I know is a good haircut has me feeling a whole lot better:-)! So, I'll let u know of course if all goes well!

You know what I hate about Delhi? It's this current weather where it looks like it could rain but it doesn't. The air is still...clouds above but no breeze. Not a leave moves. Its stifling and makes me want to go out and shake the tree (yes! the same tree I dedicated this post to!)!! Well, sometime back I sat here frustrated with the lack of rains here and wrote a poem voicing my feelings. No sooner had I got done with the poem and toyed with the idea of putting it up in my other blog for my poems, it rained?!! This of course meant that the poem suddenly seemed to make less sense! *sigh* ... that's the time when I put up this peom instead @ "Party" ... coz I figured hell lets just party the few days that the rain God's have mercy on us Delhiites!

Another similar incident happened when I was in Agartala visiting my parents. One day dark clouds gathered and it looked like a storm was going to hit us but after a lot of rumbling, the clouds seemed to move away towards the Bangladesh border. R kept teasing me saying "Where are the incessant rains that u say are so common here??!"....I looked at the passing clouds and muttered angrily under my breath, "koi aukad nahi hai tum mei"....(" you don have the guts" @ clouds!) . And what do u know?! No sooner had I said that, we had a cloud burst! It rained like nobody's business....!! Flooding the drainage system all around town within 30 minutes! Our next door neighbor's garden transformed into a lake! It was crazy...but ...*sigh*... it was beautiful!!

Here in Delhi, I could curse all I want but the clouds I guess are kinda immune to dilliwala's gaalis (curses)!!! So they gather upon us, mock us and move on!!! :-(

Yes...I'm hoping like the last time, it will rain the minute I put this up! lolz...I don't mind looking like a fool so long as its for a better cause @ rainss!!!:-)

Lastly, the song playing now is "Superstar" By Jamelia. The other day I put that as my ring tone in my cell too :-) coz I hadn't heard it in quite a while and I have nice memories associated with the song (was the song playin in the pub I visited with R and frenz on Valentines two years ago...that was a nice evening!). It was a nice coincidence that just after changing my ring tone to this song, we had the same song playing in my dance class :-) ... don't u just love such coincidences?:-)

Edit: Would u believe it?! It's 3:10pm and guess what? :-) It's raining!! Just about 2 hours after I wrote the post!!!! and nope haven't got the haircut as yet:P

111 ... the hundred and eleventh post

... I got tagged by Southpaw (Rajbir!) …

**I admit that right now I’m not exactly in the best state of mind but yep honest as always...while reading the tag don't forget that I am a true gemini with mixed emotions...and there's no specific reason for the pic being here in this post...just one of the pics that got chucked aside when Suchi and I were picking out a new profile pic....**

I AM THINKING ABOUT: my mind is pretty much blank…was thinking way too much for the past couple of hours…!

....On a more serious note, thinking about a better tomorrow...for me. for you and for everyone!

I SAID: Goodnight to Vedant with a lingering huggg and got a kiss in return :-)

I WANT TO: kick someone’s a-- (who? They know who!)

....On a more serious note (the above statement is serious too btw), I want to learn to let go of the past. I want to learn from it and take up the next challenge life hands me with no regrets and no afterthoughts.

I WISH: I were in a philosophical mood so that this post/tag would seem oh so serious and well thought out…

....as if that weren't serious enough! But yes I also wish "terror" could be erased *wishful thinking* I knoww! I wish for strength in everyone to cope with this sad and bitter reality.

I WONDER: Are u gonna read the whole thing?

....I wonder what would a grown up Vedant be like? Wanna live long enough to see that...*touchwood* I will!

I REGRET: have a sinking feeling I will regret the way I’ve handled this tag once it’s ready and published!!! *grin*

....Seriously, I regret nothing. I know my life is a result of choices I've made...right or wrong, I will live through and learn from them.

I HEAR: the fan whirring…my fingers typing on my keyboard…voices in my head…

....I hear music when I want to wish the voices away * luv music *

I AM: in one of those moods….*sigh*

....Never out of love ;-) !

I DANCE: when I need to feel better…now would be the ideal time…

I SING: only when I know for sure that you’ve got ear plugs on!

....I sing to Vedant when he's ready to go to bed...his fav bedtime song..."tum dil ki dhadkan mei rehte ho~~~" :-) and second on his playlist "tere bina zindagi se~~~koi shikwaa toh nahi.." (and yes he's only 5 now!!)

I CRY: way too much….proportionate to the amount of thinking!!! Good na that I’m blank right now?!

....I cry when I am hurt/angry/upset and I cry at the movies too...!

I AM NOT: into thinking too much…okk…enough with this thinking thing!!!

.....I am not always at such a complete loss of words…Hah! But u knew that from the super long posts in the past (this will be an exception!)

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: expressions / gestures…I can’t talk without using my hands….get what I mean right?

I WRITE: from the heart and spontaneously…I WRITE my BEST when I’m extremely moved by something / someone…

I CONFUSE: myself when my heart rules my mind…and that happens too often :-(

I NEED: a nice long vacation…no time to think…a lot of solitude… (And we know that’s a rare combination!!) But seriously RIGHT NOW I NEED a reason to smile!

I TAG: Suchi, Kathy, Yashita …if they haven’t done this already and hoping they make this a lot more interesting…

Ps: The song playing is “Can’t get you out of my head” by Kylie Minogue dedicated to the person who deserves the kick (stated in the tag under I WANT TO…)…but the dedication includes just that one line from the song “can’t get you out of my head…”!! All other reference to love etc is in NO WAY a part of the dedication…….

And oh Yes I WILL: Reply to all the commentz in the previous post now that I'm done with this tag!!! :P

Lets Dance Baby!!

As the post title suggests, I am in the mood to dance :-)…but then when am I not! If there’s one thing I enjoy anytime, that would be dancing. I may not know all the moves and know any specific dance style but I know I can dance! Lolz…I think that’s true for most of us! I admire people who are quick to learn and pick up moves and steps. Now that I’ve been learning formally for the past month and a half, I know it’s not that easy to coordinate and learn to dance to a song on stage. It’s been fun so far and I think there’s not a single person in my class who hasn’t had a good time learning and dancing to their hearts content. I think in this respect, much of the credit would go to our instructors and the enthusiasm they generate amongst us.

I must admit that although I do love to dance, I joined classes hoping that I would get a chance to be out of the house learning something new and this could also help me lose weight and get some much needed exercise! Well, all that’s been true so far but another thing dance class is going to do is give me (and others in class) a chance to perform in front of an audience. I think I did mention I have stage fright? I mean not in extremes but yes, I am definitely not comfortable in front of an audience. So this will be a good way to overcome some of that fear…I am trying to take this in a very positive way :-)

So, I spend a lot of time practicing my dance moves much to amusement of Rajiv who I think could do the dance too now that he’s seen me doing it a zillion times!!! Vedant has his “presentation” (on stage) the same day as I do but he’s of course got no fear of being on stage…he’s bindaas! Lolz…and yes he knows my dance better than his own now. When I’m dancing, Vedant helps me by counting out aloud….5, 6, 7, and 8…lolzz

I’m the only mommy in my class and coz of me, Vedant hangs around in the dance hall while my class is on…which is why he knows my dance better than papa dear!

Last Friday, we had the “bring a friend” class and Rajiv had come along as my friend. We had a blast! The style we were taught was “Disco” and the song we danced to was “Where’s the party tonight!” (From the soundtrack of KANK)… Rajiv was all aches and pains later but now whenever he hears the song, he’ll be all grinning and showing off his moves…he he…

When I was in my teens, I had learnt an Indian dance form for a year. I learnt “Odissi” which is a classical Indian dance form which originated in the state of Orissa. I couldn’t continue after a year as dad was transferred to a new place. I started “guitar” classes but abandoned that too and then was learning “Hindustani classical” music for a while. As a teenager, I was very restless and would lose interest in all this before I actually learnt anything concrete! Now I hate to say I regret it but I know that it was a phase I went through back then and I am also optimistic enough to know that if I want to I could learn again…

About the stage fright thing, I must mention that despite this fear I have performed on stage several times…lolz…don’t ask me how though! I once worked in a play with my friends and have danced twice and sung twice on STAGE! Phew…I have a recording of one of my performances which I hate to watch though I’m quite ok in it but I feel very awkward watching myself!! Ditto for the times I’ve been on TV for news based programs. The first time was 30 mins live show on prime time (I was on the panel in a discussion)….God, I died a thousand deaths…!!! But dad said I was just fine and whatever I said actually made sense …hmmmm!

Well, coming back to dancing. At every party we go to, R and I are usually the first ones to start dancing esp. at his office annual dinners. R has no stage fright whatsoever and I am much too fond of dancing to refuse ;-)! At home, music plays all day and since I am alone in the mornings, I can dance as much as I please. So I could be washing clothes in the washing machine, dusting and cleaning and dancing all at the same time…keeping my cook quite amused at times!! Lol…when people ask me how I manage to keep fit (??!), I say “oh but I dance!”…but of course carrying Vedant and walking is still the best way to do that!!

Okk…the tracks just changed and I have to dance to this song :-)….bye guys…have fun!

Ps: Two things...Firstly I changed the profile pic (but naturally coz some ppl said it was high time I did *sigh*). Secondly, at the risk of breaking my own self imposed censorship on this blog (no more “breaking” this in future I promise!!!)…the song playing is especially for ‘Me’ (hah! I mean for Me aka John!) coz he wanted to know what song I’d play for unmarried guys…my question was would that mean a song unmarried guys would sing? Or a song I would sing for unmarried guys ;-)???! Well, I chose to put up the former for all u single men there…"It wasn’t me" by Shaggy! Ya ya…I know all u wonderful ppl are gonna curse me for this but hey… :-)…JK na :-)!!!!

Observe the lyrics (and mind u I got two versions of the same??! I googled them out ok...didn't make them up myself!!)…only a guy would hand out that kind of advice to a friend (another guy of course)…and since the rest of the lyrics are too explicit, I will refrain from putting that up!

“Let’s review the situation that you’re caught up in
Now to be a true player you got to know how to play
If she even says its night convince her to say its day
Never admit to a word when she says
And if she claims, you tell her baby no way…”

And the other version?

“To be a true player you have to know how to play
If she says you're not, convince her, say you're gay
Never admit to a word when she says
Makes a claim and you tell her baby no way…”

Huh??!

Rain, Independence Day, Terror and Sexy Sam!

This week feels like an extended…never ending weekend! 5 day weekend with the exception of Monday (today) but there’s no school for Vedant. It was kind of fun to write out the "love story" of my life in my last post…nice to see the comments on it too :-)…

Today morning is quite unlike Delhi’s normal sunny and hot morning, its dark outside…the sky overcast with think dark rumbling clouds. The rains come and go…what I long for is incessant rains. I have this strong desire to walk in the rains…just feel the raindrops on my face…running down my skin. Feel the breeze gently blowing against my hair…I want to feel that soothing feeling.

I remember rains in Assam. I remember cycling home from school in blinding rain…it’s the most amazing feeling ever! I got soaked…I took off my socks and shoes and stuffed it along with my school bag in a plastic bag and secured it in my cycle carrier…and then cycled bare foot…! Reached home completely drenched but happyyy!

Mom was mad at me coz she had sent the car to pick me up but I didn’t wait for the car to get to school! But the whole experience was worth all her scolding!

I love sitting with a hot cup of tea or coffee and watching the rain. The sight of birds in little water ponds, ruffling their feathers and chirping away brings a smile on my face :-)… and listening to songs on the pc while I write this post…ironical na? In this dark cloudy monsoon day…my mind’s as bright & happy as sunshine in springtime! I wanted a reason to smile today, I found it mid morning when the rains began...*sigh*

It’s Independence Day tomorrow. Just another much needed holiday for many I know. It’s not often that we stop to really think about the importance of such days and I’m not here btw to write a post on all that and talk about how we don’t value our freedom and the struggle to gain this freedom. That’s not true because we do…we’re not ignorant of our history and we’re not all cynical of the state of our country or for that matter the world at large. I think days like Independence Day and Republic Day here in India and similar days like these in other countries are special because in the midst of all our “living” and “existing” through our daily routine and mundane lives, we take time out to remember and appreciate and feel that sense of patriotism which in our otherwise regular lives, we just don’t really think about, do we? I feel a great sense of pride whenever I see the tricolor being hoisted and hear the national anthem. And I remember being in Chicago on 4th of July watching the fireworks display on Lake Michigan and I got to sense the same pride amongst the Americans. It’s there in all of us…

This brings me to another disturbing reality…another feeling we’re all going to learn to live with! It’s getting more real by the day. Yes you know I am talking of “terror”. Soon after the Mumbai blasts I’d said the same thing. We can’t wish away fear and just as real our lives are, so is the fact that we have people with their twisted minds and ideologies around us…irrespective of faith, culture or community. Twisted minds are their in every single country…every single community. There’s no sense of comfort or security anywhere…

I know I sound very pessimistic but then am I not being realistic?

If only life were like the movies…Good always scores over Evil…*sigh*

Speaking of movies, I saw “KANK” (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna) yesterday. I would much rather have seen superman! I’ve loved Karan Johar’s movies in the past…”kuch kuch hota hai” … “Kal ho na ho”. But “KANK”…hmmmm, what do I say? Ekta Kapoor’s handled the extra marital affair theme in a million of her soaps! Amitabh as “sexy sam”…I mean yes some older men are sexy…it’s more to do with their intelligence and maturity…but I for the life of me, didn’t find amitabh “sexy”!! Cute yes…! :-) Shahrukh and Rani are gr8 actors individually…but on screen chemistry??? Nah…

And in any case, why would any married couple (this includes yours truly and hubby) want to go watch a movie that shows us glimpses of a reality we want to get away from when we go to a movie theatre to have a simple enjoyable evening. The fights…the ego hassles…the misunderstandings….lolz…I mean it was serious stuff there in the movie but I see it happening at home too! Soo…what’s the solution? Where’s my shahrukh…huh? JK ;-)…!! He was a lot more complicated than abhishek in the movie…I’d be nuts around a guy with so many insecurities! Now abhishek :-) okk… gimme a guy like that professing his love to me every single day of our married life?!!

Okk enough of all this negative stuff, the songs were nice … and “where’s the party tonight” had Vedant and me tapping our feet and singing aloud! I did like Preity's character in the movie. And yes the movie wasn’t all that bad either. I was disappointed that’s all.

I also saw some movies at home…cds…which included old movies like “The party” and “Summer Holiday”. Had fun watching these :-)

Two days more of holidaying at home…R has an off on Wednesday too coz of “Janamashtami” (celebrating the birth of lord Krishna). So no posts for the next couple of days!

I’ve written this out now on Monday morning but probably will put it up tomorrow…my net connection's gone! Delhi’s back to the usual power cut scene…it’s quite pathetic here!

Have a gr8 week everyone!

Ps: The song playing is “To the moon and back” by Savage Garden…dedicated to ummm…all those married women (?!) who wanna get away from it all sometimes ;-)!!!

“…But somewhere in a private place
She packs her bags for outer space
And now she's waiting for the right kind of pilot to come
And she'll say to him…she’s saying…
I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we belong
So would you be my baby?
She can't remember a time when she felt needed
If love was red then she was colorblind
All her friends they've been tried for treason
And crimes that were never defined
She's saying "Love is like a barren place
And reaching out for human faith is like a journey
I just don't have a map for"
So baby's gonna take a dive and
Push the shift to overdrive
Send a signal that she's hanging
All her hopes on the stars
What a pleasant dream
Just saying…
I would fly to the moon and back
If you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we belong…
So won’t you be my baby?”

Same Old Story...

Below is a story I have told time and again to many friends. I figured it was high time I wrote it out so that I don’t have to keep repeating myself :-) … what it’s about is something you need to read and figure out!

20th September, 1995 - I got an invitation to an ex's birthday party. I wasn't too keen on going because we'd only just split and I was told I was one of two girls invited. The other was a common friend who was also his next door neighbor. The rest of the invitees were all guys (mostly from our apartment complex). Anyway, we (the other girl and I) went hoping to come away after wishing him and having some of the birthday cake etc.

At the party, I was introduced to the guys (most of whom I knew already!). One guy was specially introduced as the birthday guy's new found best friend (at the time...) and for some reason, we seem to be very antagonistic towards each other. I'd seen him earlier playing cricket in the lawns my balcony faced and he would wear a "St.Stephens" college sweatshirt and of course that caught my eye for obvious reasons (it is after all the most sought after college in Delhi). So I asked him rather cynically if he had borrowed it from a friend! To which I got a haughty reply that he belonged to the said college and was pursuing his Masters degree! For the rest of the evening we didn't talk much but I was told later that he described me as a snob and told his friend (my ex!) that (to put it mildly) "she's not worth crying over!"...okkk!! I remember telling one of my friend’s that “this guy has too much attitude”…hmmm!!

Well, over the next couple of weeks we found ourselves part of the same friend's circle and progressed to being civil to each other. One day, ex's mom was looking frantically for her son and since I happened to be nearby (having just returned from our local Durga Puja celebrations in a sari and all decked up!), she told me to go get 'ex' from Mr. Haughty's place. I tried to avoid it but she was locked out of the house and needed the house keys from her son to get into her flat...hmmm! So I went looking for him and landed at H's (haughty!) place who btw kept staring at me like I was some kind of alien before I had to remind him that he ought to open the door so I could get in and take the keys!!! At which point, he suddenly realized he was being very impolite and invited me in for some coffee which I accepted (coffee/tea always welcome!). So while 'ex' went off to help his mom, H and I got better acquainted and had our first real conversation over steaming cups of coffee (and he did make really good coffee!)...

Since that day, we spent a lot more time getting to know each other...long walks around our apartment complex, hanging out with friends...hours in conversation. Friends around us were at first very surprised to see us get along so well. Gradually, H became my best buddy and I would be confiding in him all the time. Ditto for him...I was his best buddy. People around us speculated and predicted "romance" but fact remained there was nothing to all that...

Then one fine day...actually it was evening, H and I were making coffee together while friend's sat in the living room chatting. H was upset about something and I could sense that. I tried asking him but he didn't seem willing to talk so I let it be. Then all of a sudden, he turned around...walked up to me....I was sitting on the kitchen table…he came really close...I was startled...too taken aback to react...and he put his head on my shoulder...I simply froze!

And then I over reacted big time...pushed him back! He looked totally taken aback now! And I almost yelled "what the hell are you doing?" He said "nothing...I...ummm...errr" And I just went on and on..."you're taking advantage of my friendship! You think you can take this somewhere but blah blah blah"...I was livid. He just stared at me like I was ... well, he just stared!

In the meantime, our friends walked in and seeing the scene decided to leave us alone to sort it out...hmmm! Anyway I was quite upset and declared I was going home. H had recovered by then and he followed me to the door and just as I was walking away, I heard his voice saying softly and steadily, "Ishita...don't go. I think I love you..."

It stopped me right there and then. Got the upstairs’ neighbor also stuck to the balcony enjoying the scene! I was angry. And I never expected this ever!! I simply did not want this! So I replied angrily, "If u think then you don't...you don't think in love damn it...You just love"...

After that everything is quite a funny scene actually coz mom called me and said I should buy some veggies for dinner. As I walked away, H followed dutifully while I kept saying I was ok...I didn't need his help. He kept asking why I wouldn't reciprocate his feelings and I kept saying that one can't just wake up one day and say o.k. I love you! And we kept arguing in mild and non aggressive tones...suddenly, H got really worked up and there in the middle of the veggie bazaar...amongst all the old auntyji's and bhaiyaji's, he said aloud, "But why won't you love me???"...

All around us...silence! I was speechless! Realizing he'd put me in a very awkward situation, he added quickly "and that was the line in the play!!!".....lolzz....

Later that night I wrote out a very heartfelt letter rejecting the idea of any romance between us and spelling out all the reasons why we shouldn’t jeopardize our existing friendship. The next day he read the letter, looked straight at me and tore it up. He said he would give me more time to think and was sure he wouldn’t have to take No for an answer.

Well, to cut a long story short. This thing between us continued over the next couple of months...somewhere along the way, I found myself falling in love with him. And he was one of the most devoted friends, committed boyfriend ever...we dated for almost 5 years. My longest relationship...this isn’t the first time I've mentioned him in my blog.

H to all of you is better known as R...we've been married for 7 years now :-)! The whole story of us getting together proves three essential points. The first being that first impressions can be so deceptive! Secondly, to never forget that persistence pays! And the third one is what most of us experience at some point of time…that classic fear of losing a friend in the process. Both of us didn't want to lose our friendship. But once he did disclose his feelings to me, he wouldn't back off till I was completely sure of my feelings...till he was completely sure that I was!!

A thing he often jokingly says is "maine bahot paapad bele hai to get her...!" lolz...I can't translate this coz the humor would be lost. And our dear old common friend at whose party we first met, was left the most perplexed and confused amongst all our friends :)...

Suchi has been witness to our relationship from the beginning to date, guess she would also agree that R and I still make the most amazing friends...though...lolz...we kind of struggle in the hubby-wife equation...lots of crazy fights and teething problems initially and ummm, still some ego hassles now and then :)!! Guess that makes it all the more interesting right :)?!! Nah, I'm not asking...just stating a fact! :)

That’s it for now…Enjoy your weekend people…have a blast!

Ps: I also wrote the above post coz maybe some day when Vedant is all grown up, he might like to read how mamma met papa :-)! And yes R has his own version of the whole “How we met” story…it forms the crux of our longest argument ever!!! And as he read the post before I published it, he was toying with the idea of writing out his own version of the events that led to us getting together. I however maintain that I have been true to facts and honest like my usual self :-) …

The music playing is “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden…! :-)…lines from the song

"want to stand with you on a mountain,
I want to bathe with you in the sea.
I want to lay like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me

Oh can't you see it baby?
You don't have to close your eyes
'Cos it's standing right before you
All that you need will surely come...”

Rambling...

Not too sure why I got here. Not like I had anything to blog about. Maybe I got here coz I didn't have anything else to do!...nah I'm not bored or anything like that...just in a pensive kind of mood. "pensive" acc. to the dictionary is associated with "melancholy" and "sadness"...hmmmm! Am I sad? How would u know? :-)....ummm...you could just go ahead skip reading this and read the last post "Hungry kya? :-)" if u haven't already...it would make a more interesting read than this!

Anyway, I went through a whole lot of blogs and posts today...and I mean A WHOLE LOT! Blogs on a wide variety of topics...some fun, some interesting, some thought provoking, some that left me speechless and some happy, some sad...I experienced a whole range of emotions. I missed blog hopping in the past few days and thats why there was a lot of catching up to do.

What I've come to realize is how deeply a post can affect me at times. Which is why reading so many in a day is not something I intend to do often. I don't know if its a boon to be a sensitive person and get emotional about things or if it's a curse!?! (this sentence reminds me so much of the days when I had to write school essays on "Is Science a boon or a curse?") At times it gets difficult to leave a comment without getting too personal and with me its all about relating stuff I read to my life. If I can't identify with the emotions in the post, I can't simply comment for the sake of commenting...though somtimes I do just say a Hi! esp. if I haven't been visiting a blog often.

Its past 11:30pm...I'm normally in bed at this time. But Vedant doesn't have school tomorrow coz of Raakhi and R's got a holiday too. Both my brothers live away, so I won't be tying raakhis. I do have a cousin but he's got work tomorrow. We may meet up this weekend. Last Raakhi was a fun day. I wrote a post about it...not here but in my good old yahoo blog :-)...we'd all gone to a water park and had a great time.

This year no plans but Vedant's cousins are coming to spend the day, so he'll have some fun. Suchi will be here in the morning coz R's her raakhi bro (that wld also make her like my sis in law...hmmm! And oh yes, she has been updating her blog too!) and rest of the day, I'll be with three kids (all boys!) around me!

Hmmm...

I was keen on going on a vacation or a short trip but don't see that happening. Also the thought of spending Puja (Durga Puja is big Bengali festival) hols here in Delhi isn't making me feel better. I'm hoping for a change in plans but...

okk...I better stop rambling! I think I can hear Vedant and he seems to be troubling papa :-) ... must go before either one them yells for me!! G'nite ppl...maybe a post with something more interesting than this atleast on friday...if all's well till then.

Ps: the music is "Everybody Hurts" by REM and this is related to the so called "pensive" mood I unwillingly find myself in!!

"When the day is long and the night,

the night is yours alone,

When you're sure you've had enough of this life,

well hang on

Don't let yourself go,

'cause everybody cries

and everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong.

Now it's time to sing along

When your day is night alone,

(hold on, hold on)

If you feel like letting go,

(hold on)

When you think you've had too much...

of this life,

well hang on

'Cause everybody hurts.

Take comfort in your friends

Everybody hurts.

Don't throw your hand.

Oh, no. Don't throw your hand

If you feel like you're alone,

no, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life,

the days and nights are long,

When you think

you've had too much of this life to hang on

Well, everybody hurts sometimes,

Everybody cries.

And everybody hurts sometimes

And everybody hurts sometimes.

So, hold on, hold onHold on, hold on,

hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

Everybody hurts.

You are not alone..."

Hungry Kya? :-)

Alright! Nice long break I’ve had :-)! Like I said in my last post, my aunt was visiting and now daddy’s here. And this weekend we had problems with our pc. All that’s fixed now…Thank God! I have a lot of work still pending at home which I will tackle once I put up this post. My weekend was pleasant. Spent much of Saturday cleaning up the house and spent time with R and Vedant at home. Nothing special…just some family time. Dad’s flight time was 7:50 am on Sunday but was 12 hours late!!! So we picked him up late evening and went straight to my in-laws place for dinner coz we were celebrating mamma’s (mom in law’s) b’day. Got her a DVD player and some movies to watch. She’d been keen on a DVD player for a long time now.

I had written a post last week, which I meant to put up on Friday. I wrote it just after my having my breakfast and naturally food was on my mind! :-) …It’s a simple post that had me reminiscing about my food habits…JLT

I wish that (pic above!) was the breakfast I had!! Lolz…

“Just had breakfast! This is one meal I just can’t skip…I may not eat a lot but I have to eat something for breakfast. I try not to skip breakfast ever. I remember even when I would be getting late for college, I’d drink a glass of milk before rushing out to catch the bus. Many a time I’d be chomping on some buttered toast standing at the bus stop! Dinner I don’t mind missing esp. if lunch was heavy or I’d been out in the evening and eaten something…

When I was a kid, I was very thin and always looked like I hardly ate…which was kind of true back then! I would nibble at my food…fuss a lot and make mom’s life hell when it came to meal times. My paternal grandma lived with us and I still remember her chiding me “Eat rice...nobody will marry an unhealthy looking girl” hmmm! I wonder what she would have said if she had seen the kind of models we have walking the ramp nowadays! God bless Thamma (my granma)…if only she could see me now. She would have no complains regarding my health or my eating habits! Watching me struggle to shed of those few extra kilos would amuse her no end! *Grin*

I never ate green veggies…now I prefer veggies to non-veg at times! My food habits changed slightly after I got married…at least my food portions increased as saying NO to my mom was a lot easier than saying NO to my mom in law!!

And once I got pregnant, I had no say in my diet. I just ate everything I was told to! All people had to say was “this is good for the baby”…. and I’d just eat it…no questions asked! And needless to say I just went from thin to fat! Lol…literally! Of course pregnancy does that to women but when my doc put me on a diet in the third trimester, I got the hint that I was going into extremes!

Well, now I’m just fine. I eat well and sometimes a bit too well ;-)…and I enjoy food. I don’t cook…not much that is. I cook only when there’s no other alternative left! Rajiv’s the one who’s totally at home in the kitchen. Though he insists that I do a better job than him but I guess I just lack the passion and joy that many find in cooking! Where he excels in making Indian meals, I prefer making pasta, macaroni bake, roasts, grills, etc. But yes I love baking cakes. My mom btw is a fabulous cook. She can cook any kind of meal and all you have to say is, “I’m hungry” and she’ll have something yummy to eat ready in no time at all!

Vedant here *touchwood* takes after his nana (my dad) when it comes to eating habits…he loves dahi (curd), fruits (bananas, apple, pear, pineapple, papaya, mango, grapes, cheeku, guava…u name it and he luvs it!), raw tomatoes, cucumber (salads)…rice, daal. He fusses over vegetables (like I did!) and doesn’t care much for chicken/mutton/fish (hmm!) but loves eggs. I’ve seen many parents struggling to get their child to eat. Some kids just don’t eat! Or they keep the food in their mouth for ages and sometimes poor mommies have to sit (or chase them) for hours to get through one meal! I have never faced such problems with Vedant…Thank God! If he doesn’t eat, I just let him be. If he doesn’t like something I don’t force him. It works because he’ll just come up to me and say, “Kya aaj kuch milega nahi? Bhook lagi hai maa!” :-) (*Is there nothing to eat today. I’m hungry maa!! *)….

Okk…all this talk of food just made me hungry all over again. I’m off to get some thing to munch on. While I leave you with some “food” for thought…funny isn’t it, how a satisfying breakfast prompted a whole new post :-) … what are your food habits like I wonder?..."

Some Food Trivia and Food Facts
(Courtesy: http://www.foodfunandfacts.com/foodtrivia.htm)

The 4 Classes of Vegetarians:
1. True Vegetarians- Will eat nothing from an animal, cooked or processed.
2. Lacto-Vegetarians- Will eat dairy products.
3. Ovo-Vegetarians- The only animal product allowed to eat is eggs.
4. Pesco-Vegetarians-Will not eat red meat, but will eat fish, chicken, eggs and dairy products.

Tomatoes Each American eats approximately 22 pounds of tomatoes yearly. Over 1/2 of the tomato consumption is in the form of catsup and tomato sauce.

Did you know that in the United States, Farmers use 1.5 billion pounds of pesticides and that these pesticides end up in about 1/2 the food we eat? Why? Only about 1 percent of food shipments in the US are tested for pesticides. Kind of scary, isn't it? Some Apple Growers use 24 different types of pesticides on apples!

Rice
Did you know there are over 15,000 varieties of rice?

Brazil Nuts
Did you know that Brazil Nuts are only grown in Rain Forests?
Butter Did you know that butter is one of our oldest foods?

Did you know that cabbage is 91 percent water?

Did you know that in Japan, the most popular topping for pizza at Domino's Pizza is Squid?

Coffee It takes nearly 2,000 coffee cherries to provide enough beans for a pound of roasted coffee!
The world's rarest coffee cost @ $300 a pound. It is called Kopi Luwak and comes from Indonesia!

Milk Did you know that about 88% of all milk is water and only about 12% is solidsubstance that has food value?

Cheese There are over 400 varieties of natural cheeses!

Seafood There are over 240 varieties of fish and shellfish sold in the fish markets and grocery stores!

Did you know it takes 50 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple sugar?

In Japan, Gerber's top selling baby food is a sardine dish!

Phew...that's it..BYE!

Ps: the music playing is “When love and hate collide” by Def Leppard and it has nothing to do with the post or food! ;-)! Lines from the song “Without you one night alone is like a year without you baby…do you have a heart of stone? Without you can’t stop the hurt inside…when love and hate collide…” hmmmmm!

Now that I’m done with this post, I can sit back and visit all the blogs I missed in the past week :-)…gotta reply to some of your comments on mine too…hmmm! :-) …Have a great week ahead!

Time Out....

Okkk!! I meant to put up a post on monday (like I normally do!) but I hardly seem to get the time :-(...

Its coz my aunt and cousin are visiting for a few days. They got here on Sunday evening and will leave on Thursday evening...back to Mongolia...! So I've been busy with them at home and out shopping. And my cousin spends time at home downloading songs which is why I don't get to use the pc much. Watching him download songs, makes me realize how out of touch I am with music that is popular amongst kids nowadays! The only band I'd heard of amongst all the stuff he was downloading was "Linkin Park"!....hmmm! My cousin's 17 now btw...

This weekend my dad is also coming to stay with me for 5 days. So I guess I will be busy right through the next week! But with dad around I will be able to blog I guess.

I knowww I got some of you worried about where I was....Trust me, all I would get time for is check my mails! I haven't been replying mails or visiting blogs either. I don't get time to practice my dancing either...which is quite a scary thing for me coz we've progressed quite a lot and everyone's dancing so well. ..*sigh*

Vedant is thrilled to have people at home :-)...he loves all the shopping excursions and trips to malls. And my aunt has been pampering him a lot! The funny thing is Vedant is a lot like what my cousin was a kid. Verryyyy naughty but cute! My cousin hates being reminded of that all the time...he has no patience with kids and here he is with one who's an exact replica of what he was like a kid!! lolz...

Right now while I sit here typing this out, I have my aunt struggling to repack 3 suitcases...she bought the third one yesterday coz there was no place left in the two she already has! We're planning to visit the Akshardham Temple some time today evening if the weather's ok. My cousin's waiting for his turn to use the pc :-)....so I'll stop now...I guess friday I will be back with a post (it's ready!).

Ps: The music playing is "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" by U2.