Hottie!!

After really really reeaaallly long am I having such an urge to write. And on one of the oldest themes on my blog - eye candy!! :D

John Stamos this time!! Full House's last re-run got over waaaay back, and anyway, I first watched the series when I was in school. Drooled over him like mad. And of course, I wasn't alone. All of us friends used to love him insanely. Small secret: one of them had a break-up because of him. :P
So, he's back in a new series on Star World - Jake in Progress. I did enjoy his small stints here and there in between too (the potential sperm donor in FRIENDS? yeah baby!! :P). But now he's playing Jake and this means thirty minutes of full-on entertainment! :D
Somehow I never followed E.R. and therefore missed him there.

But now I am super happy. Yayiii!!! :) :)

Bullet Again

One more time...

# I am braver when it comes to killing insects that pose a threat.

# My hair are quite long now.

# I can process my B&W pictures much better now.

# I taught someone how to make a parantha. My family laughed.

# I hate cats a little less.

# I want more piercings but this time I am scared.

# I can change my nosepins myself without a problem now.

# I could not reduce my phone usage after several efforts.

# There is a new category of people that I don't like - the forever excited kinds. Or those whose writings suggest so.

# I am reading a lot now! Of course, this is relative to my previous standards.

# I have started labeling and archiving emails.

# Also making better use of filters in Gmail.

# I don't think I will ever stop getting easily flattered. Or irritated.

# Got closure on some important issues recently.

# I took MUCH longer to write 200 posts on this blog. The last blog saw it in a flash. This is no. 203.

# I am still fond of blabbering.

# My calendar is the most artsy and the most craftsy piece of work I have ever done.

# I still HATE HSBC. The account shall be shut down soon.

# My nasal spray is going to expire soon (sorry, didn't have anything better to write :P).

# It's official. Pearson Education is unprofessional.

# I fear the thought of soon having to give up all the addictions I have right now.

Bas!

Celebrity of the previous week

Lost in Analyses

The definition of independent. It can be quite subjective, isn't it? To a nation in '47, it was about not being ruled by foreigners. To a teenager, the almost virtual benefits that turning 18 bring. To someone who loves to drive, maybe a long, smooth drive alone. To a girl oppressed in an orthodox family, maybe an opportunity to study.
As far as I am concerned, my parents have done all that they can to make me qualify for the most common definition of an independent woman today. Barring a few restrictions on my outings, though! So that independence I take for granted. A natural phenomenon - simply because it was given to me on a platter.

A second concept - social constraints/ peer pressure. "I need to do this because without it I won't be respected/ accepted/ liked, etc." Innumerable debates are conducted on it everyday, so I will not go into any of that stuff. But again coming back to myself, I was brought up in such a way that I could handle the common issues of peer pressure. Never felt the need to smoke, to do well in class because others were doing it (personal pressure was enough), look good because other girls did, and so on.

But today, directly or indirectly, I face both these issues - whether or not to make an effort to be independent in a way that I perceive it. And that, because social constraints are one variable in the decisive equation. The society wants to mould me in a way that is probably not natural for me. And the issue is not fighting for my identity or anything on those lines. It is just a choice that I can make. The consequences - a) isolation, which will completely kill the reason for the original decision, or b) being someone I am not.
The first way will be a vicious cycle, whereas the second one will be a series of politically correct things. A scheme of things where I will have a minute degree of happiness because I will fit very well in the modern world. As an independent woman! But will my decisions remain independent if I fall for all this social drama?

I am getting sucked into this labyrinth of thoughts and words, and I am realising that each word that I am typing is shooting off a new series of thoughts. Also, I don't know why I am writing in such a complicated language.

Ok, let's try to simplify it.

# I be myself, make an independent decision, and not be accepted.

# I act taking in account the social constraints, so in a way my decision is not completely independent, but I end up being the independent woman. And also alone.


Oh, so either way I will be alone. Interesting!

If I take the first route, I know the end result for sure, so I can be carefree and really do what I like.
If I take the second route, I expect and expect and expect, hope for the best, and then realise that all of it really started off on wrong assumptions (:D missing some economics, I guess).

OK, after ALL this talk, this post is ending on a crappy note. As if this was all non-sense and as if there's nothing to life except one result. But believe me, I have some very sound logic behind these thoughts. Just can't go into it because I like to believe that I have graduated from a mad newbie blogger of summer '05 to this mad hopefully more mature one in the pseudo summer of '08.

Truly hoping later years are not as depressing as this post.


A confession: I enjoyed writing so much after a long time today. Helped me sort some things in my mind. And things clarified themselves during the process of writing. After really long did I just write without knowing what my next set of words are going to be. I love a clean white sheet of paper! Or in this case, clean white new space to type.

A Catty Affair

Even though I do not want to begin this post with this sentence, I'm still doing it 'coz I can't find anything better. Some things are meant to be. Yesterday when I woke up, I heard an animal/bird's cry from my window. When it didn't stop for some ten minutes, I stepped out to see what/who it really was. I followed the sound to an open manhole. Could not have been anything other than a cat. There was another cat standing beside it, and seemed to look at me with a lot of anticipation. I got a little worried, so came in, tried calling the dear old NDMC who were at fault this time, but could not get through. Then I tried calling one of the nearest animal shelters, Friendicoes, but no luck there either. Called my neighbours next, 'coz they're the ones always feeding all the cats around. They tried calling another NGO, but no luck again. Call it failure due to heavy rains, or just a general lack of emergency services around. After some more thinking and worrying came a suggestion from a friend- to catch hold of some DMRC labourers and get them to do the job. I ran to the construction site and found a man who was willing to help. But he wanted to wait for his friend so they took twenty minutes (which seemed like an eternity) to come. I kept checking for the cat's cries. At least they assured that it was still alive. The one outside was losing it by then. I could see it begging me for help, but I was helpless too. Then I saw a kitten next to the cat and figured it was a mother begging. It was another one of its kittens that had fallen in. By the time the Metro guys came, it stopped crying or even responding to its mother. And it wasn't visible either. They tried looking for it but couldn't find it. After some time, they gave up and left. Also closed the hole's cover because the other two family members were ready to jump in. That meant the end of the one inside.
After some time, it seemed other neighbours had also called NDMC, so they came this time and did a pseudo check to confirm that they can't find the kitten, and to say that it wasn't their mistake. Seemed like a final end to its life. I was sadder than I thought I could ever be over the death of a cat.
Its mother and sibling cried for the rest of the day, and night. I think I cried a little too. Maybe I should have woken up a little earlier. But it was meant to be.

It needs to be understood that I live around some very influential people. The house on the other side of the manhole is occupied by the family of a senior police official. They seemed to be having some trouble with their drain pipe, and they believed it was because of the same kitten. So today morning, while it was still pouring heavily, came two men who were ready to dismantle the entire pipe. After a few minutes, they figured that the kitten was stuck at the point where the pipe opened into the manhole. And it was still alive. I guess it had given up hope yesterday when it stopped crying. So after another few minutes, the absolutely tiny little chooza was taken out. Phew! What relief for its family, and all the spectators of the neighbourhood. I think now it should be slapped too because I am sure it must have been playing and acting stupid around the dangerous place. :) But I was unbelievably happy to see it come out. That poor little trembling thing. Survived an entire day in a hellhole. Guess it was after all meant to live longer.

It has been several hours, but they're all still crying. I guess it will take them some time to get over the happy ending! Or maybe they'll never want to get over it.

Cricket, Movies, and More

As most of you know, I am part of a large Punjabi family. Lots of bhaiya-didis, chacha-chachis, and so on. Last weekend we had a lunch at my place. Apart from all the fun talks, the day's IPL match was also being followed. I made a request - please let's all go watch a match at Feroze Shah Kotla. So the boys discussed, one of them made a jugaad, and they decided that they can get hold of some corporate box passes for the match scheduled for 17th May. I repeated, please take us - the girls - along too. "Ok ok, we'll see." And well, whadyaknow -- the pigs didn't want to take us along. 6 of them! Could not take three girls with them. And nobody had the nerve to say no in our face either. Because then we'd obviously have tried to get tickets on our own. Can't blame some of them actually, but certainly the ones arranging stuff!!
So I was cursing left, right and center since Friday morning. Come Saturday morning, and the girls were obviously bummed and bugged because of the whole thing. And oh, they were all going to gather at my place first, and then head off to the stadium. :-| So, we had to do some thing!! The most convenient - lunch and movie. I wonder why it's summer break all over and no good movies around. We finally managed to find a show at Satyam, Patel Nagar for Khuda Ke Liye. And I am glad I went! The movie is almost a must-watch. Except for a couple of people who did not know how to act, and maybe the pace of the movie, everything else was brilliant. The story, the research that must have gone into it, the cinematography, the direction.... everything!! [Aside: I was noticing the lighting too. :P And it was SUPERB!] The bad thing on the part of the theatre though - they had turned off the subtitles. The Urdu was obviously hard to comprehend. One of the actors was super-cute too. :) On a more serious note, I wish more people have the inclination to watch it and to understand the issues that the entire world is faced with because of some loony brains (Yes, can't find a more frivolous adjective to describe them). It's sad.

Coming back to the original story. At 2 in the afternoon, when it was hot like crazy, I made a wish - I hope it rains and pours and pours in the evening. :P And when we stepped out of the theatre at around 7:30 p.m. - muhahaaaa!!! Rain gods were listening. And what good were the six buggers if they couldn't even get the home team to win. Yes, I'm Punjabi, but Delhi's home. So I was supporting the Daredevils, and not Kings XI. Anyway, a highly useless loss. But I am just happy that the Knight Riders also lost their last match. :D

+++++

One more thing that I need to write about is the Metro again. I wrote to them after my last post about them. They took time, but they did respond. And again, very politely and sweetly. I was rather impressed. And the work's finally been done. Thank you very much.

+++++

AND again, my cartoon boyfriend is the best cartoon in the world. The teddy-est person ever!! :D :D :D

First Love

I went back to school today. Met some of my teachers, and spent a good amount of time feeling happy.

:)

Spent Prep playing here. And somehow I enjoyed being around those Ashoka trees more than on the swings n all. I was 5 years old then. Phew!!

This is a corridor in the Junior School. The first room here on the right was my 2nd standard classroom.


These are the entrance steps to the Middle School (5th to 7th std). I was a prefect then too, and used to be on duty here often.

I found an old room where the furniture that was used in initial years was lying. And incidentally this was also the room that used to be 8D when I was in VIIIth. One of the most memorable years of my entire school life.

That's Mr Frank Anthony, the school's founder. He was a member of the Parliament when it was first formed.

Courage is Destiny is the school motto.

Of course, the field. Never ran around it as much as I made kids who misbehaved do it. Chudail prefect in senior school! :P

This is the main assembly platform for the senior school. Took my House Captain oath here, and did some singing too. :P

This is an open auditorium/ basketball court that was built sometime when I was in 10th. Our formal farewell happened here. All the crying with "I believe I can fly" too.

That's our main hall on the left. The one where I debated a lot with shaky legs. And the open area is where the junior school had its morning assembly. I was here in a different line every morning for four years.

Spent 13 years in and around this building.

Forever in love!

Everything Delhi

I hit the dashboard here with the thought of writing about NDTV Metro Nation today. But even before starting, I got my title. And now there are so many other things Delhi that I want to write about. All the things that are very Delhi and are part of me. The things that I now notice more because I am soon going to leave Delhi. I have never lived elsewhere, so my love for the city is probably purely on the basis of the fact that it is home. Even before leaving, I feel that I would like to come back. For more than one reason. But a lot of things say that I might not want to after I've seen that part of the country. Well, speculations they are. This will only depend on time. As a lot of other things. They make me anxious enough to leave me breathless. I wish this line was written only for the sake of drama. When it first happened and when I first framed this sentence in my head, I wanted to save it for my absolute last post from this computer. Yes, the attention-seeking dramatic self. Same old.
Anyway, we will come back to this.

In my days of ultimate boredom, I even watch NDTV Metro Nation. There aren't really any shows on it that are the addictive kind - no dramatic reality shows, no sitcoms, no soaps. But there are a lot of things that I like about this channel. Specially the innovative ideas they have come up with. Apart from the usual, standard things that are shown on TV about cities, etc, they cover a lot of things that are either offbeat or they create shows in such a way that it's interesting. They have debates on issues other than the common ones. Their debates have elements that are not run-of-the-mill. A lot of anchors are really smart. The breed that an NDTV lover would immediately identify and appreciate. Yes, some are quite unbearable too, but mostly nice. Intelligent and sophisticated. The Group's original traits. Love them! And as they say in their ads, "Watch It!". :)
So there is this really cute guy who hosts a show called U Special. Goes around Delhi colleges hosting debates. I think I like this show more for the Delhi college life's charm that it manages to bring across. There's one who covers schools too. [He's also cute. :)] He once did a special on mobile schools. There are non-profit organisations that have buses that go around the city teaching street kids. And the show was not full of interviews of fancy people wearing handloom. It had interviews of street kids, on the streets. Very informative, very interesting, and quite overwhelming. And oh, there are shows for foodies round the clock. Breakfast shows, lunch shows, fancy restaurant specials, all kinds of drinks' specials. There's one where two guys cover dhabas across the national highways too.
And then all that information on the cultural stuff happening around. And this is the part of the city that I unfortunately never associated myself with. Never tapped on the opportunities created by the fact that India Habitat Centre is ten minutes away from my home. Anyway. So yeah, all that you want to know about the city is actually there on the channel. Something that true Delhiites would love to see, and something someone new can appreciate. Oh, but they call us Delhizens. Uncool!

I can't get enough of the thought that I will miss this place. And I have still not started thinking how much I will miss mom. That's a crazy line of thought I want to stay away from. I wish she was not going to drop me there. I guess that will make things harder. Shoo shoo... later!!

If I was making this move one year ago, I think I would have been happier. (I know the greener grass story. And just while writing this I myself found a reason to contradict it. So never mind.) The only reason I say this is because then I wanted to run away from everything that was happening here. I would have had a reason to keep myself happy being away. But today I am more or less emotionally stable. Doesn't happen to me too often. And you know me, the change-dreader. I am quick to think of the worst things inflicting my life there. Pff.

Circling one more time - I will miss these streets, this chaos. I know I hate the assholes on the roads (the ones driving, not the ones walking), but the thought of being on an isolated hill-top makes me think I will miss this. All the PVRs, crazy cousins, autos, DTCs, MTNL, golgappe, winters, a lot of other things, and the luxury of living a spoilt life. I've been a good kid, but I have extremely spoilt habits. And now people ask me if I am my parents' only kid. Tch.

Anyway. Sorry for such a gol-mol post with no flow. Too many thoughts. And still not complete. Will come back.

Thoughts...

Right now I am editing a book on financial management (yea, I finally found work). And it's strange how a couple of almost Greek words can evoke such a lot of thoughts.

I can't believe that in just four years I had forgotten what basic accounting abbreviations like B/R stand for. And I thought I was good at accounts as a subject in school!

While in college, I missed accounts quite a bit. I know, a lot of my 'peers' would sneer at this statement, 'coz subjects like that are too lowly for intellectual economics brains. Well, what to do, my economics brain was always kinda pseudo. Anyway. So yeah, one of my reasons behind 'why MBA?' was a want to study commerce and accounts kind subjects again.

In the book, there is a whole lot of stuff about EBIT values and P/E ratios. I don't know shit about these things, but I know I once spent a very crazy day in office researching, working, and running about all over because of these things. It was during my first month there, and a competition on Mergers & Acquisitions was on. I felt proud of myself for having skipped lunch because I was working so much. It was part of my whole awe of the fancy things happening around me. And also of my secret fascination with a super-busy life. Heee. :D

Of course, the book is making me interact with the lady who supervised my work when I was interning at Pearson. So it's kinda like re-living some fun time.

And, most importantly, it reminds me that everything said and done, the course that I have taken up will keep me happy - in the next 2 years, and thereafter. I can never make a career out of such work. I will die of boredom. This is why I could never take up the very flattering offer made by Pearson even before I completed my grad. And neither could I stick on with Watson. I hope I do not turn out to be one of those people who say all kind of work is crappy. Really.

Okie, gotta go now. Tada, people!! :)