Action!

I am rarely in a position to say that I had a good week or a month, and this is one of those rare moments. After a series of supremely frustrating weeks, I had a week through which I felt good at all times. Work and social life, both, have suddenly picked up. The weekend was good too. 

Milan's farewell on Friday night was fun. Spending time with the girls is actually always enjoyable, but when Vidha tends to get tipsy, things take a more entertaining turn. As for Milan, I will miss her (yes, admitted).

Ruhi was also in town this weekend. It had been over a year since I last saw her. My friend in vegetarianism - read with her I can go for a meal where I am not sidelined with my single vegetarian dish. We ate, drank  and talked for 3.5 hours before I headed for my dance class. 

Yes, I have finally joined dance classes. As of now it is about hard work, being uncomfortable, being challenged, feeling exposed and awkward, but it is fun. Nobody except the instructors are professionals. And it is a very patient and pleasant bunch of people teaching. So I am happy. At least as of now. And my instructor says I have good rhythm. :D

Yesterday's class was rather hard. I spun so much that I could almost feel the margarita and this indulgent dessert spinning too. Wasn't a good feeling. But lesson learnt. From now on it will be early lunch on dance class days. 

Talking about dance, Varun emotionally blackmailed into doing a choreographed dance at his wedding. I didn't do one at my own brother's wedding, but I seem to have no choice here. So this afternoon was spent at his place trying to get a party on my mind but do a lot more than just groove. And while salsa is a lot of technique, this bollywood drama requires some serious movement of the upper body. Phew!

I also realised that I didn't take up the opportunity to call the shots when I had it.

Moving on, the evening at Avan's was rather nice. We didn't speak for three weeks and her world seems to have suddenly changed for the better. Things look promising. Positive updates awaited.

Back home, Suvvir slapped me hard and it was funny. Never saw this day coming. 

In other news, I think I am falling in love with this gentleman here. From the world that he belongs to, it has only been John Stamos and Patrick Dempsey in the past. *sigh*

And now, please make way for Monday blues. See you on the other side.

Weekend with colleagues

One fine day the folks in my team decided that we should go away for a weekend. The talks had always been there, but this time we had a more certain plan. Smita and Smera did all the planning and coordination. I didn't play any role at all. It most definitely felt uncomfortable to depend on others to plan my travel. But the group was too large and too excited for me to get involved and manage expectations & demands. So I just paid my share and let things flow. Worked out fairly well. 

We went to Mandawa in Rajasthan. I had never heard of the place before. Turns out it is quite popular – movies and ad films are shot there, it has featured in Outlook Traveller’s most recent issue, and apparently the place sees thousands of tourists during peak season. 

The drive was long, but smooth for most part. I was paranoid about the pollen in the air, but the rain took care of that. 

Vasu played some of my old favourite songs in the car, we laughed, ate, had wine, and six hours just flew by! I also stuck my head out of the window to gaze at the stars in the night sky. I have realised that doing this normalises the heart and lightens the smile. It is as if the wind takes the toxins away. 

Bio breaks on long road trips always call for entertainment. This one was no exception. 

The last patch after Jhunjhunu had terrible roads and was extremely spooky. But laughter usually takes care of all these issues. 

The Hotel Heritage Mandawa was nicely decorated and had a cosy feeling about it. I did wish though that it was cleaner and better maintained.   

They had cow bells for key chains

I was not very keen on drinking. But it was one of those times when you would rather go with the flow than be the odd one out. So I drank too. I was having fun until I suddenly felt like my senses were heightened and I could not relate to any of the multiple conversations going on in that room. So I went outside and sat for a while. The chill in the air after all the rain was slightly discomforting. The discomfort that you tend to like? That. 

The next day we went out to visit some of the havelis around. Typical Rajasthan-style filth all around! But if you manage to ignore that, the laid back culture, quiet lanes, the frescoes, the deeeep dried up wells, and history can ensure that you have a good time. I did. 

Joshiii! :D

I visited Ruhi’s ancestors’ haveli too! :D

It rained more in the afternoon. Quite the spoiler!

While we hoped and waited for rain to stop

I decided to come back on Saturday evening with Peter and Chandrika. The others were going to stay another day. I thought I could use the Sunday for some sleep. And I really CANNOT spend too much time with too many people even if I have enough happy feelings for them. 

Everyone!

As always, I am glad I went. :)

I am told I should get this expression trademarked 

Photos courtesy: Everyone

PS - NH8 sucks!

I went to Goa

I had a vague plan for this trip, and I didn't go by it at all.

Some things, some thoughts...

I rode pillion on a bike.

I let the wind make a mess of my hair.

I didn't mind the rain.

The green reminded of days when I used to obsess about the colour.

Pina coladas are not for me.

I listened to live music and one of the guys had a voice to die for!

Tequila always gets me swinging.

There is nothing fun about looking at endless options for meat and nothing vegetarian.

I met the sea. How do I describe my love for it? How!

Biking is a lot of fun!

JD still rocks. But I discovered Jim Beam (white) and it was bloody awesome too!

I noticed a lot of the popular Goa stuff I had seen/heard about in the past.

I barely clicked any photos.

I had a view of the sea from my balcony.

Over the years, Jamshedpur has managed to take a place in my life even though I have never lived there.

I had some god awesome long island iced tea!

The lights at River Front were fascinating.

While shaving my head has been on my mind for long, I decided I will certainly do it if I ever live in a coastal city.

I could not have had a better host than Ranjan. His pad is much better than most guys', he cooks well, and well, he went out of his way to make me comfortable. Got more than I could have asked for.  

I think I will go back. I would love to.

It's Your Birthday!

As you may have figured, it has been yet another weekend at home. In between all the work have been all these blog posts. And this weekend being the birthday weekend, I have one line of thought which is keeping me fairly occupied. So, here's some juice on the recent past. Tell me you relate to it. 

20 - Ooooh, I am done with college. I am the cool, young(est) employee at this fancy corporation! 

21 - Eh! Maybe I should get done with studies before I can not concentrate at all.

22 - Mixed feelings. Am I on the right track? I should have a plan. I should have a boyfriend. Hmm. 

23 - Ok, why is everybody getting married? Did I miss something? Gosh, where is my career headed. I need to start making money. Soon!

24 - I am going to turn 25 soon. Bloody hell!

25 - Single and independent! Eating, travelling and partying to my heart's content. I think the career is also on track now. Life's good. A nice guy around would be a bonus though, y'know!

26 - Eh. What is the big deal. I think I will do myself a favour by not going to work today. Who cares anyway.

:D

Climate Change

The past few weeks have been rather busy at work. Busy; and disillusioning too. And the situation had become such that I was beginning to stare into a complete burnout. The neck could not bear the strain. All my issues against the system came to the fore. The works. 

I declined an opportunity to get out of Delhi this weekend. Just because on Wednesday itself I had decided that I will be only sleeping these two days. I got that sleep, and pampered myself more too. First thing on Saturday was an appointment for a haircut at b:blunt. I had been looking for a stylist who could do short hair for several months. Somebody recommended these guys, I made a few phone calls, and a few more follow-up phone calls until I got this appointment. It was going to be my most expensive haircut ever. And I think they have done a decent job. Could have been better given the skill set, but I think I am satisfied. I wanted a new look, and we have a success at that. Happy.     

Without making much of an effort I got to meet Lynn in the evening. Ever since I stopped using the Metro's women's coach in the morning, we don't get to meet as often as we would like. So this was a nice catch-up session. 

I had committed for an early morning trip to Chandni Chowk for Sunday. And I kept my word. I had thought I would click a few photographs, but ultimately didn't. Nor did I eat anything. But I saw the sun rise. As always, nothing else mattered. It was perfect. 

Got back to get some more sleep, followed by a quick coffee (make that lemonade) with Robin, and then a visit to a spa. I had been thinking about it for a few days, but wasn't getting any worthwhile recommendations. I was at Green Park when 'Pure - Salon and Spa' flashed itself right in front of me. So I decided to give it a try. I signed up for a safe back massage given that I had no idea how the place is. They chose to give me a full experience at the same cost. I was only happy. It was nice and really relaxing. After the head massage, I suddenly felt I could hear many more sounds that I otherwise was oblivious too. Not the ones in my head. I liked it! And later figured that it is a chain of spas called Aura Thai Spa. 

During the busy week, I also managed to meet Ranjan, Udit, Prashant, Ruhi and Vrinda. And shop for formal shoes with a bow. Another first. 

Yes, still keenly waiting for people to commit for the Ladakh trip. Phew!

Source: Wikipedia

Now preparing for the morning class of yoga. Being patient with that too. *breathe*

____

On another note, I do not know if objectivity and having clarity is always a good thing or not. Fuzziness is so much more convenient at times. You do not need to convince your mind to process things that are grey. What is happening?

Romancing Delhi

I love it when friends travel to Delhi for work. Robin was again in town, and this time he wanted to visit North Campus. This is why I love him. So Swetha and I took him to our beautiful world on Saturday. 

I visited after a very long time, and every turn brought back a lot of memories. From the moment the train reached the station, I had flashes of the past take over my mind. It was lovely. 

We said hello to every college, had the customary bhel puri and bunta, followed by noodles at Noodles. That was the crappiest meal in a very long time. Disappointments, yes. 

With this we should have guessed how the food would be

The weekend also had the second edition of Comic Con happening in my neighbourhood. But the crowds that were pouring in were a very discouraging factor. So I decided to meet Lynn at good ol' Khan, and moved from there to the gallery of modern art at India Gate. I was there earlier in the week too, because some online information misguided me about the timings of an exhibition I was keen on going for. Dawn Upon Delhi - Rise of a Capital. The exhibition is in keeping with the romance that I associate with my love for this city.  Photographs of late 19th and mid-20th century at display were an absolute treat! Original architectural plans of Lutyens and Baker, the parliament building under construction, photographs of elephants and camels at Tughlaqabad Fort & Red Fort, first Air India flight over the Qutub, old Yashica cameras, Delhi Darbar, an image of the statue of King George V at India Gate, and so on.... one hour so well spent! 

I did not bother looking at other art work because, well, it's just beyond me. Unfortunately, I don't get it. 

And most of this Monday, the 'extended weekend', is being spent working. :-/

Merry Christmas!

I have not taken any medicines in the last two weeks or so. It gives a feeling that is hard to describe because I do not remember the last time I went so long without at least one pill a day. I would have been happier if my body really did not need any medicines during this period, but right now I am okay playing this little game of denial too. It feels SO good! 

It has been a perfect weekend so far. Friday night was with our man from Goa, Ranjan R. Atreya. I cannot believe that I have known him for over three years and did not know of his middle name until now. It's shameful! But TGIF gave us some very cheesy food and fairly potent mojitos. And Priyam added to the laughter dose of the evening. The weather was cold enough. I had no complaints. 

Yesterday I happened to meet Chetak after four years. Time changes, times change. 

Check out some spectacular Christmas images from across the world at http://t.co/eWk8Wa2j. They're beautiful!!

Sound of Laughter

It's good to be single. It's good to have a few, close friends. It's good to have space. The 'good times' are important too, if they are an option. So I took up the option and decided to put that restlessness of all the previous posts and weeks to rest. It meant spending money which I did not need to. It meant going to a city that I wasn't particularly fond of. It certainly did not translate into a vacation because my definition of that word was bound by the place that I visit. But then I did do all of it because I wanted time with some of my most favourite people. 

God bless Gmail for all the emails that it lets me write to these lovely people. I crib, I laugh, I babble, and I am myself. Why go all the way to Mumbai then, you might ask. Because emails cannot substitute tight hugs and the sound of laughter. 

There was Ridhima, there was Swetha, there was Ruhi, and Robin and Avan. Baij too! Well, Swetha is in Delhi too, but this was about all of us being together. Ruhi is in Chennai these days, and she came as well. 

Swetha and I were to travel together. I had heard bad things about GoAir, but my 8:15 pm flight was above ground at 8:15 pm. We landed on time too. The flight was great. We talked non-stop, a first for me because I compulsively sleep on flights. Ridhima and Bhavya came to pick us. Baij was on the same flight as us, so Avan had come to pick him. She welcomed me too. With the sweetest welcome note! 

We grabbed a quick bite, and went to a place called Escobar. It greeted us with good music, and we spotted Madhur Bhandarkar, Rohit Roy and Randeep Hooda. Well, that was just for the record. :P

We talked, the music got better, the place grew on me, and I had a wonderful time! Swetha did the dance too. 

From Escobar we went to Bandstand. I had heard a lot about it and one really can't expect anything ordinary from the sea. It was a no moon night, the tide was high, and the breeze was perfect. My mind split into two for those few moments of sitting there. Well, the sea deserved the attention. :)

The night as well as the following morning at Ridhima's was like going back in time. It was comfortable and pleasant. 

Then Swetha left for her next destination, and Robin took a little break only to meet Ridhima and me for lunch a while later. And guess who else was there for lunch - Ruuhii, my love!!! We went to Chez Moi in Bandra. I liked it. The food was okay-ish, and I paid little attention to it. Ridhima had to leave a little early, but Robin, Ruhi and their pitcher of sangria were enough to make the afternoon perfect. I wanted time to freeze.

Ruhi & Robin with their sangria

Ridhima in her new look

Quintessential expressions

Robin became the butt of this joke

Uff! There was a photographer at work!

Angry Birds at Candies. We had something better for dessert.

Then it was Avan time! Evening was at her place. Robin was nice enough to drop me there. And before we knew it, it was time for dinner, and Robin and Ruhi were back at Avan's. We had not reached a conclusion for our dinner/drinks destination, and we were not even ready. But we managed to figure it all while Avan's friends joined us. 

Dinner: we went to Copper Chimney which was only a short walk away from her house in Khar. I laughed a lot. I was conscious about the fact that it is a very rare thing now, and I wanted time to freeze a second time that day. I did not want to move. I did not want anyone to leave. Not even the people I was not talking to. It was my picture perfect moment. Only it was so much more than that.
It was already midnight by the time we wrapped dinner. Par raat abhi jawan thi. We went to Shiros from there. The place was bloody crowded. Just the kind I easily detest. But we went straight to the bar, ordered our drinks, had one after the other, and literally danced into the night. I was fine. Make that happy after a point. I demanded that the DJ announced and wished me a happy birthday just like all the other birthdays were being announced. Ruhi got him to. I demanded that one of the bartenders came and danced with me. Baij got his manager to agree. The guy was shy and cute. Haha... I embarrassed him! 

With my lovelies!

I think we left from there around 3:30 am. Avan was keen on going to Marine Drive, so she, Baij and I went. But I don't think we stayed there because the cops were already sending people off. Apparently I talked endlessly. I was enjoying it. Feeling free with the one person whom I can trust with my eyes closed. Literally.
I also managed to avoid doing anything stupid with my phone.

Next morning was very late. Well, technically, not for me because I woke up 8:30 am and barely got any sleep after that. Yet, the breakfast date with Ruhi and Robin was cancelled. Because clearly I was not the only one who had a late night. I only managed to go to Carter Road for lunch with Avan and Baij. The place smelled bad, but it was beautiful. Reinstated my pending need for a beach vacation. The food was ordinary, but our conversation was not.
They then took me aboard a local train (my first!) to Bombay Central to ensure that I don't miss my Rajdhani to Delhi. Trains are always fun!! The local was good too because it was a Sunday afternoon and not crazy rush hour.

Bombay local

Bombay is as rough as Delhi can be. Bombay is as warm as Delhi can be. It's your people who make a difference. Nothing else does. Except that Bombay had me sweating while Delhi welcomed me back with a cold breeze.

I feel refreshed. My heart rate is back to normal. Oh, how I love them all! I am almost in a mind to give Bombay a piece of my heart. At least an html one.


Avan, it was certainly not hell. You know why. 

2011: Hello, Woollen Socks!

There has been activity galore in the last ten days. While the Goa plan could not materialise yet another time, I did check two other trips that were pending. 

Mother had been wanting to go to Chintpurni, HP since last summer. We finally managed to go there during the 19-20 November weekend. The highlight was the fact that Dad agreed to come along. I don't remember the last time the entire family took a trip together. So, Mom, Dad, Bhai, the bhabhi, and me started by taking a long walk towards the Amritsar Shatabdi on 19th morning. As always, I was excited to get on to a train. But after having travelled by the Bhopal Shatabdi earlier this year, I was disappointed to see the uncomfortable seats and  the badly maintained coaches. Maybe it was just an old coach of an old train, but I liked the Bhopal Shatabdi more. Nevertheless, the view of foggy mustard fields into Punjab made up for it all. 

We took the train till Ludhiana, and then took a cab up to the hills. Highlights:

• Lunch at Baabe da Vaishno Dhaba by the state highway in Hoshiarpur was to die for! 
• I saw the process of making jaggery at a small setup in the fields near the dhaba, and the smell & taste of the freshly made sugar was absolutely delicious.
• Our driver, Amandeep was hard of hearing and did not use his rear view mirror for driving. I think the gods did know that we were making the trip only for them. 
• Evening is a good time to visit Chintpurni. At least you can breathe. Things were bad when I visited in the morning in 2006.
• The HP Tourism hotel at Jwala Ji is decent to live in, but wouldn't recommend eating there. Their kitchen sucks. 
• The evening aarti at Jwala Ji, on cold nights, is heart warming.
• Matar kulcha on the road outside Jwala Ji is also worth a try.

A goof-up on Sunday night led to a long, unwanted drive from Ludhiana to Delhi, but I did enjoy the little chill in the air and oh-so-amazing paranthas at Sukhdev's in Murthal!

Some mobile uploads:

Processing sugarcane juice

Drying jaggery

Sadda Punjab :P

Mother and Sis-in-Law

A flat tyre in the middle of nowhere

I had to rush to work as soon as we got home. And I worked, fell ill, and attended several meetings until Friday evening arrived and I rushed to pack again for the next trip.

Kya Kahein!

I have been bored and restless the past few days. And now when I am thinking about it, I realise that I have not seen a movie in a month, not shopped in close to two months, and not travelled in more than three months. Obviously I am bored and restless! 

I don't have the time to explore and develop a liking for new things. I don't remember the last time I instantly started liking a new thing. None of the things that used to excite me seem to be doing so anymore. Really, none of them! I am oh-so-bored and restless!

So, while I restart my efforts to get a few people together to head out to a new place again, let me simultaneously write about the little, much overdue trip to the Toilet Museum in Delhi. 

Last weekend, I was going through old posts here on Fuchsia when I remembered that the Museum is still on my to-do list. A switch to Facebook on the next tab had Arobindo Sinha updating his location back to Delhi. He is known for toilet humour, and I had been advised to take him along whenever I make this trip. A few comments later, we had a plan.

On Saturday afternoon, he and I met after about three odd years, and moved straight to the Museum. When I entered the place, the first thought was that the place is far smaller than I had imagined. It was funny to think that I contemplated on which shoes to wear. It should suffice to say that you can go there in stilettos too.

We started looking about, read some funny facts, shared a little laugh when one gentleman walked in and introduced himself to the only other two people in the Museum, an American couple. He was going to give them a guided tour. He asked us if we were interested in the tour. We agreed. We could not have imagined what the next 30 minutes had in store for us. I wish I could have recorded the tour. The 72-year-old Mr. Jha is seriously one of the most amusing people I have ever met! His gestures, his accent, the creepy flirtatiousness, and just the bloody way of being cracked us up. I mean, giving a tour of a toilet museum should be funny enough. Why do you have to do the action of 'doing business'! Anyway.

So he took us through the complete evolution - from the Indus Valley civilisation to the first WC to the old practices of western Europe to all the latest technological innovations - we covered everything. And the punctuating jokes made the tour perfect.

In appreciation of toilet humour and an embarrassing irony, I will tell you that I went to use the loo and realised a little too late that there was no water. The absence of toilet paper had anyway been noticed and ignored upon entering itself. So. It was a memorable trip in more ways than one.

Below are some pictures that I have borrowed from Google. The copyright is with their respective original owners.

The Museum!

THIS is Mr. Jha. That table is also a toilet from some godforsaken time in history.

Apparently, the differences between England and France led to the making of toilets of this kind. The French  made these book-shaped toilets and put names of popular English books on them. This one has Macbeth on it. 

 The image in blue highlights a little trick you can use when you cannot access a toilet. Maybe I should have used it too. It is about applying pressure on the hand in anticlockwise direction in the given shape to reduce the pressure and thus the urge to immediately relieve yourself.

I laughed uncontrollably! You HAVE to go through the text here. 

I think this one was from Austria. 

A solar powered toilet. You don't need water for this one.

A king used to address his audience while sitting on this toilet. Obviously he had a troubled stomach. I will buy this the day my kingdom is in place. 

And here is an invention for women to make use of in places with no toilets.