Busy...Busy....Busy Me....!

This btw is a pic taken while writing out this post :p ...if I look a lil sleepy blame it on the lazy winter afternoon...see the sun shining in thru the window...mmmmm:-) perfect for an afternoon seista:)!!

For the past couple of weeks we’ve had a continuous stream of guests at home. When we were at Goa, my aunt and cousin had moved in for a week coz they were relocating to another city and packing was going on at their place. We got back in the meantime and all of us spent a couple of days together. Then a childhood friend of R’s got a job here in Delhi and he moved in with us and has been with us since. Meanwhile, my aunt and cousin left the city as planned.

A week after, mamma (mom in law) moved in to stay with us and two of her sisters came visiting for a week. Our friend’s wife and child came to stay also. They’ve been busy locating a place to rent and trying for school admissions for their daughter. R’s aunts left last week and now the friend has found a place (will move in later next month) and got his daughter into a near by school...

All in all, I’ve been busy playing host ever since I got back from Goa. I haven’t had the house to myself since...*sigh*...nah not complaining :-)! I like people visiting! I’ve spent a lot of long hours alone at home and this entire hustle bustle is actually proving quite an interesting experience...some a lot of fun, some a bit tedious...

Vedant is having a blast! Our friend’s daughter is just 2 yrs younger than him :-) and they’ve become pretty close in the past few weeks...sharing cute lil conversations, games and TV time! She’s lived in Kolkatta making her more conversant in Bengali and it’s amusing to hear her cute bong hindi but even more amusing is Vedant’s attempts to talk to her in Bengali!!!

Vedant and Bonnie (Friend's lil daugher!)

You know in many ways, I am thankful that I haven’t been alone esp. when I got the sad news about an old friend (see last post) coz being with everyone’s kept me distracted too.

Now in less than a month’s time I will be going with mamma (R’s mom) and Vedant to Mumbai and spending my first x-mas and new year season there with R’s side of the family but minus R :-( .... cept’ for the fact that I’d have wanted him there with the rest of the family, I do feel that it’ll be a good holiday...

There are plans of meeting up with some friend’s in Mumbai...some from here ...blogoshpere that is :-) and from orkut (actually most are common to orkut and blogs!) and of course I am excited though so far there are no definite plans...I guess u can sense my excitement right?!

And now I'm getting set for the Annual X-mas party that we have every year! Yes finally after a whole lot of no no...we finally switched to a yes yes...lets party!! Hopefully we can plan it soon...before I leave!

All in all, a busy time indeed for me!!

Ps: The music playing is “I want you” by Savage Garden for ... ummm ... he knows who ;-)! Lines from the song...

"Ooh I want you, I don't know if I need you but I'd die to find out..." hmmmm!!!

Life's lessons...

I put up that last post to feel good. I wanted a reason to feel good. Nah don't worry...life's going along just fine. Something upset me a real lot. But life's like that...I can't do much to change that something. What's happened has happened is what I keep telling myself. And no one can question fate right? Death when it comes....comes with so much finality...

Though I can't go back in time and change things. I've learnt yet another lesson...one that I hope I will not forget.

When I lost my grandma many years ago, I realized how important it is to say sorry before it's too late when we're wrong or when we hurt someone...coz I lost her before I could say that.

And now...when I heard of a close friend I lost touch with and the tragic circumstances of her life in the past months, I realized how I could've been there to help her deal with it all...simply by keeping in touch. But I didn't....I just moved on and so did she I guess...

Well meaning friends around me tell me that's how life is and although I know they're right, I keep telling myself..."Must I get so involved in my life that I lose track of everyone else?"...

One single line in her sms two nights ago...."I want you back in my life..." shook me up...tears (like I told a good friend earlier in the day) come so easily to me....but this line just numbed my senses...

I never question God...The Almighty...I believe He/She has a plan for all of us and tell myself everything good or bad happens for the better BUT at times like these...I find myself questioning WHY? WHY? WHY??? ... I know there are no answers to this... there never will be one that will give me peace of mind...

Months ago, I read a poem that I had put up here...but there u see, you only learn when you live through it...putting it up here again to remind us all...

"Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell
And he rang mine if, we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name
"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim"
"Just to show that I'm thinking of him"
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows
Around the corner! Yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir, Jim died today"
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend
Remember to always say what you mean.
If you love or like someone, tell them.
Don't be afraid to express yourself
Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you.
Because when you decide that it
Is the right time it might be too late.
Seize the day.
Never have regrets.
And most importantly,
Stay close to your friends and family,
For they have helped make you
The person that you are today..."

The music playing is "If tomorrow never comes..." by Ronan Keating.

Winter...

Got a lil while to myself today! We’ve had a house full of guests this past week which left me with no time at all to blog or blog hop. A lot has been happening here at home...in the family...close and extended. Anyway I like being like this...busy, excited and yet at the same time I also like that restless feeling I get in the midst of everyone...that feeling of wanting to get away from it all? :-)

Getting away...I am, u know, in some ways getting away next month but not from it all!! I’m making a two week trip to Mumbai with my maa-in-law and Vedant during Christmas and New Years. I will be back next year ... the first weekend of January 2007. Others from R’s side of the family will be there too...and hopefully R will get a chance to fly down for a weekend...doubtful but who knows? :-)

The weather’s changing again! Autumn’s drifted by and winter’s setting in fast...Mornings are chilly and windy. In a month’s time, Delhi’s infamous smog will leave us braving cold dark mornings driving the kids to school....I do hope the current problem we’re facing with school transport gets resolved before then! (The Delhi Govt. and UP Govt have stopped buses from either side from entering into their states due to some financial issues). We’ve set up a carpool meanwhile involving 5 families which takes care of the 5 school days in a week.

I got here to do my Winter list btw... if u remember I did a Summer list and an Autumn list?

1. Late and lazyyy weekend mornings! Staying in bed and catching up with morning news and steaming cups of Tea and Coffee! :-)

2. Sitting out in the sun, reading a book and listening to music...

3. or better still sitting out in the sun drying my hair and chatting with next door neighbors

4. Getting out the carpets and lying on them while watchin TV or reading or playing with Vedant.

5. I luv roaming barefoot in the house during summer but I luvv wearing colorful socks during winter and pullovers, jackets....feeling warm and snug

6. I love ice creams in winter...I remember a trip to Shimla (hill station up North) in the month of January where after dinner out... R, a cousin and I had ice creams had ice creams while walking back to our hotel!

7. More on food! My appetite seems to increase this season :p...I luvv hot soups (maa makes the yummiest spinach soup ever!), vegetable bakes....mmmmm :-)

8. I enjoy walks during winter evenings...and I do need that exercise coz winter eating kind of makes me put on weight fast....

9. Christmas and New Year celebrations with family and friends!!

10. Christmas Gifts :-)

That’s the Top 10 list but there are tons of other things that makes winter my fav time of the year ;-) ... not all need to be mentioned here....hmmmmmm :-)

Share your list with me?

Ps: The song playing is an old number from a movie called “Electric Dreams” I watched mannyyy years ago with friends... the song is “Love is Love” by Boy George.

"You don’t have to touch it to know
Love is everywhere you go
You don’t have to touch it to feel
Love is every second we steal

Love is love is nothing without you
Love is love is everything you do
Open up your eyes
And you will see
Love is love is everything to me

You don’t have to touch it to be
Wrapped up in emotion like me
Everyone must feel how I do, yeah
Love is just to be close to you

And you know that love is love
It’s written in black and blue
And everything you say
Must bring her closer, closer to you

Love is love is nothing without you
Love is love is everything you do"

On My Mind...

Got here with the specific purpose of surfing blogs! Read a few...yet to comment though. The pic here on the left is one of my favorite Goa pics (took it while on the boat ride on Mandowi River)...it's nice isn't it? :-)

Rajiv and a friend who’s staying with us for a few days are watching the movie “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” on cable. I like the movie too but I can’t sit through repeats...I can watch some scenes or songs that I like but not the entire movie. Sometimes when I’m working here on the pc, I put on a movie and watch a few scenes...but mostly I have music playing and the kind of music I play reflects the way I am feeling right then....

Guess that’s how it is with most of us...

I seem to have given the impression that I’m leaving blogging...or at least got one foot out of blogosphere? Well, that’s not the way it is...I’m here now right? :-) ... don’t wish me Good Bye yet....

There’s some confusion here at home about sending Vedant to school tomorrow. There’s a call for yet another “bandh” against the sealing drive. One trader attempted suicide today fearing that his shop would be sealed and he would be left with no source of income. It’s a tough time for a large segment of Delhi’s population and part of me agrees that the law has to be followed....but there is a part of me really unable to comprehend why no one (= Government) is coming up with some kind of solution...alternate arrangements? I’ve heard endless debates on TV and even the least interested person must have seen the mess Delhi was in last week! If everyone knows the “ifs” and the “whys” then why can’t they come up with an answer to “what next?”...is what I just don’t understand!??!

Now the bandh call was announced on TV just a little while ago but Vedant’s school doesn’t fall in Delhi but a neighboring city (we live near the border) so his school is on...and I’d hate to have him miss anymore school! But last week when he got stuck in school and I couldn’t go get him because our area was where all the mess and chaos happened(people broke / burnt buses) ... I couldn’t get out of the house to get him! Rajiv drove all the way from Gurgaon to Noida to get Vedant but they couldn’t get home to me! I swear it was one of the most frustrating days of my life...I was constantly on the phone worrying about both of them! Just don't want to live through another nightmare like that...

*sigh* ... moving on... the other day I was chatting with a friend :-) and I mentioned to him that I had a very restless feeling....like something was going to happen....kuch toh hoga... or something should happen? And usually when I get such feelings, something or the other does happen! Do you get that feeling? Just asking coz I get many people telling me “ohh yaa....I know what you mean!”

I don’t know but sometimes that feeling freaks me out! Esp. when later something does happen....hmmmmm...like it did the other day....

I’m rambling away huh? Haven’t done so in quite a while soooo...chalega if I just go on right?:p

No I won’t go on and on....just one last thing...I made this solemn promise to myself that I would not blurt out stuff about myself...any issues or problems I might face...I mean not to anyone I don’t know really well...or rather anyone who doesn’t know me very well...

I’ve seen how in the past, in moments of weakness and confusion, I might’ve confided in friends...and some do understand but there are always those who ... hmmm... take advantage of even our worst moments... I know we get to know our true friends in times of trouble and all that jazz...but I’m not sure if I learnt much from that experience!

Some times I just find myself trusting some one ... I don’t set any parameters or conditions, I just trust. Later, I’m left wondering.... did I do the right thing? Worse than that is the feeling (that voice in my head that goes) “Oh good lord, how can u trust someone first Ishi...and then doubt them??”

Hmmmm.... with all this in my head, I’m off to bed! Poor me...it’s going to be a long night....

Oh yes...Thanks suchi for the book :-)....did u guess I’d be having restless nights? Coz u know nothing relaxes me as much as reading a book late night when everyone’s asleep and there’s silence all around...u’re the best ever!

One more Goa pic before I sign out....G'nite all...

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

Time Pass

Honestly, it's not like what it seems...I mean it's not like I have nothing to blog about but I so totally lack the motivation to write!!!...!!! Anyway nope not getting into my usual list of explainations. Instead I have a poem here. Trust me it's just something I scribbled out of sheer bordeom (I had absolutely NOTHING better to do right then!) U gotta just indulge me a bit and read through :p

And also the video playing is my one of my fav hindi movie songs "Tu hi mera shab hai" from the movie Gangster!...I LUV IT...so let it load ok and happy listening!!! :-)

And below is the poem....

Time pass!

(The poem below is written in my favorite language “hinglish”…keep your sense of humor intact please!!!)

Ek poem likhna tha
Was thinking of a suitable subject?
Par dimaag kaam nahi kar raha tha

Too many things to distract me
U see!

Ek toh finally rains…
Pleasant weather…
And wonders never cease
No problem with power!

Socha lets try writing on love
Or maybe on heartbreak?
But I’m not feeling any of the above

Oh don’t go getting ideas dear
Love’s a part of me
Have no fear…

Weekends at home
Isn’t my cup of tea
I like doing things
Going out……visiting people…
Ghar pe baithna is no fun
Samajh gaye na…
it’s plain and simple!

Fact remains though
Poem likhne ka bhi mood chahiye
Yu hi baithe baithe
There’s no inspiration
Ufff…this is getting boring
Don’t tell me u’re actually reading this,
Without a question

Kya soch rahe ho?
Ye ladki gayi kaam se?
Lolz…socho socho…
My purpose is served…
So long as I know and I luvv to see
Others reading this shit and
getting as irritated as me!! ;-)

GOA again :-) & finally the pics!!!

Back from Goa! And if u thought that was where all the excitement was...you should have been here in Delhi yesterday!! Nah I’m not going into details about my day yesterday i.e. the 1st of Nov in Delhi....Yes it had to do with the protests against the sealing drive here and the utter chaos around the place. But more about that later...that deserves a separate post altogether but I’m sure what would make a more interesting read is GOA! :-)

But since I have still not totally recovered from the wonderful holiday and then the really maddening day yesterday was (!) what I will try and do is get some pics to do the talking okk :-) . I am trying (rather unsuccessfully) to make a slide show of some of the pics (there are a whole lot of pics!!) but I guess most of you know just how pathetic my internet connection is right? AND It's the worst EVER today *sobbbbb* :-(((

Goa was hot but evenings and mornings were pleasant. We stayed at Cidade de Goa at Vainguinim Beach, Dona Paula which is 7 kms from Panjim town. We didn’t go out much instead we spent much of our time at the resort itself...by the pool, at their beach and eating to our hearts content! We went out on a mandatory trip of popular tourist spots and for the evening boat cruise on Mandowi River which was inclusive in the package we had opted for. Plus a trip to the market to buy wine to carry home for ourselves and for family and friends!:-)

Vedant had a fabulous time ’cept for the last day when just soon after we checked out of the hotel, he had fall on the stairs and hurt himself :-( ... he did get a huge bowl of ice cream to cheer him up though! The hotel staff was very attentive and helpful on that particular day...

This trip was special because this was the first time Rajiv and I had taken Vedant along for a vacation...by ourselves without friends or family. And it was just the kind of holiday I wanted!

I won’t write a conventional travelogue or do a hotel review which by the way was a good enough place considering the fact that it carries the 5 star deluxe tag...I have a few negatives about it though but since overall the trip was pleasant and happy, I’d prefer to overlook the negative...for now! Would I go back to Cidade for a family vacation...maybe...not a definite yes though!

The best part of our trip was watching Vedant attempt to play water polo with lil friends he made there and the beach barbeque party where Rajiv and I danced to our hearts content! And oh yes got a special mention and applause for our dancing *grin*!!

The worst part of our trip was the airlines we chose...Spicejet...the flight was almost 2 hours late when we left delhi and on our return we were at dabolim airport @ Goa waiting for 4 hours! We got home at 1 am! Now Spice joins Air Deccan in my list of airlines I must avoid at all costs!!!!!

And now about the pics :-(... so far all I could add was the one at the beginning of the post...the slide is taking ages! But I will add that once my connection behaves better! I tried every site I know of but nuthin works....rather my *!%#$&!*....connection's makin sure nuthin works :-(

Ps: remember my cribbing about getting a late interview date for my US visa? Well, I did get it eventually :-) ... 10 year multiple entry! YAY! :-)))

The music playing is by "sand in my shoes" by Dido (this is a huge fav...and makin a second appearance in my blog coz it was the first music video playing in my blog!)

And you can read all about our last trip to Goa in 2005 in this post ... it has more details about Goa and places we visited....

EDIT: Here's the slideshow! This has few pics of the trip...mostly taken at the resort itself. I'll be adding other pics in my pics blog - http://ishipics.blogspot.com ....laterrrr....