Thursday, October 29, 2009

Life's shockers...

Life's shockers still leave her breathless.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Excitement Varieties

So I was out of action for the past couple of days thanks to a bitch of a virus that has infected my body. I bow to the gods for at least I am able to look at a computer screen for more than five minutes today. I still curse the virus which shoots the temperature to insane levels even after all these days, but whatever! At least I am not singing, 'I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes' (of course, pain, not love! :-|) anymore. So, Calpol rocks!

The pain had made me lose my mind to the extent that I was uttering stuff about cigarettes to my mom when she was talking to me about tea. At 4:00 a.m. This, when I do not smoke. And you thought I was exaggerating when I said I was sick!

I also shivered unto (almost) death in office today in spite of my sweater and shawl. No, the air-conditioning was just about fine. Only I was too sick and had to head home early. :-|

As of now I am using my Gmail for official work. There is obviously a new label in place. And how does it look? *raises right eyebrow with the tongue peeking from the right side* (and you thought I have standard expressions) It's a white background with red font. Wondering what's exciting about it? Those are our corporate colours, duh! You would know I am excited about this stuff if you're on my Gtalk. The Group logo has replaced my 'hot' display picture. Or you would also know I am excited about this stuff if you've known me for a bit. These things are always exciting, man!

I am not sure if I have mentioned this already, but I am coordinating the Delhi Half Marathon participation of my company. It's after really long that I am at the organising end of something. And for the first time for something as important as this (after all there is employee engagement and branding at stake :D). That too alone, because bosses are busy with other stuff. I am extremely excited about it. Hoping it goes smoothly.


So, there's work-related excitement, and there's recovery-related excitement. Happens.



I still remain a hypochondriac of sorts. Everybody still laughs about it for some reason. The doctors point to my lifestyle for all the diseases I have in my head. But I still remain a hypochondriac of sorts.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

On This First Day

Day 1 at work today. I was unexpectedly anxious about it. So much so that I lost my digestion last night.

The day was slow but fair. The office smells really nice. Am I happy about it or what!

A drive just across the Badarpur border during so-called non-traffic hours took one hour both times. I am dreading leaving work around 7:00 p.m.

Few things feel as good as a crisp, white shirt.

We may talk of corporate communications, marketing communications, and brand communications as separate things in class; they may remain separate things too; but apparently at the end of the day we're all just communication specialists. I went expecting something because of what I was told. But what I got to know there was not what I was looking for. It might just play too big a role in my planned career graph. And therefore, this is why I have minimised on planning in life.
But technically I need not complain. And I really shouldn't. With this internship I get one of the biggest brands in the world on my resume. It doesn't happen everyday to everyone.

___

Mansi is in town and I finally met her today! I still describe things like 'distorted graphic print' as 'bricks but not symmetric' to her. Some things never change. Some relationships never change. There are very very few that let the foundation be and just keep getting modified with time. She's one person with whom things are like that. Love her so so much!!

___

A couple of minutes ago I heard that there is somebody called Naam Chakraborty in the Delhi region! Is it coincidence that today I also heard Rachel mention, 'kids will bully her in the school backyard then!'? Somebody please tell me that 'naam' means something else in Bengali or in another language because we have already scripted a gig on this 'topic'.

___

Addictions are never nice! I think I will attain nirvana the day I manage to control my mind.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Blink!

I am not sure if there are many people like me out there, but I do not just have unbelievably short attention spans, I also have very short interest spans. Even the most interesting things (for me) cannot keep me interested for long.
It is an extremely worrisome thing. I don't know how far I will manage to go like this.

Diwali Lights

Friday, October 16, 2009

Diwali at Home

It has been a while since I wrote about how I spent a particular day. For me it is also worth writing about because ever since I have landed in Delhi (been three days), I have done nothing.

I stepped out to get my mehendi routine taken care of. Lajpat Nagar like every year! I always used to pay 50 bucks for both hands. This time I had to bargain to bring them down to Rs 70 for the same.
My yellow bag saw light of day after weeks today! We were both happy. :-)

At home, the mithai has found a taker. I am enjoying laddoos, and pethas, and barfis, etc in turns. :D

I also googled for a new rangoli design for tomorrow. I think I have found something, but it might need pre-testing.

In the evening, when Bhai got back home, we fixed the lights. I love the little yellow bulbs.
Then, he and I stepped out to buy the diyas. It's this road in Sarojini Nagar where sellers are lined up with the prettiest Diwali stuff made of mud. There was great variety in the style that diyas were made. But we are traditional in thought and taste. We bought the conventional-looking ones. (A handful of white diyas only to satisfy the keeda. :P) We bought more stuff than was needed for home. Such behaviour is one of the few common things (the second mentioned here) between the two of us.

Like I mentioned recently, the P word takes priority. I had been strategically doing all my work since afternoon such that I wouldn't have to wash my hands (in order to allow the mehendi to get darker). Water is known to be a killer in the process. But as the night came, so did my enemy. :-/ So now I am just hoping that the morning does not disappoint me with the colour. Mehendi in bad colour is one of the worst-looking things on earth!

Tomorrow morning also has the annual Diwali havan scheduled. It demands that I sleep early tonight. Have extended family stuff planned for the rest of the day as well. :-)

Aside: This would have been anniversary time.

P.S. - I recently got mom to invest in a green silk saree for me. I can't wait for an occasion to wear it! :D

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Friendliness

It is interesting how some people (including good friends) feel 'scared' of me and my moods, and try avoiding finding me in a cross mood. On the other hand, there are some who cross that line and find all my raised eyebrows and straight-faced muted expressions funny. Or feel that they can make fun of it all because they find my moods harmless. Of course, you have to get past the ugly statements I pass when I am like that, but these people don't seem to bother.
It is comforting to have a few friends like these. They make life a lot easier.

At least you have Ronnie...

"At least you have Ronnie wondering why you are smiling..."

Saturday, October 10, 2009

End of Term III

The term has finally come to a close. Just another two days left. These four months were the biggest drag in this place. I didn't do anything. I didn't feel like doing anything. Emotional instability killed a lot of things. But I still have pictures to remember the few good 'moments'. Hope you enjoy them...



At Mocha on the day we first tried going to Srivardhan/Diveagar.

This festive procession that day didn't let us move out of the city.
The July-Oct months are anyway the most festive in this part of the country. Some or the other celebrations keep happening on the streets.

We had very few classes during the first week or so of this term. Swetha and I are known for absolute casual dressing. So the free time led to a makeover and a little shoot of hers in the room one night.


The wall that I did up during those free days.
Went to Srivardhan beach with these three girls.

Had the time of my life on my first ever beach trip!


Delhi High Court came out with the verdict on gay rights. We were a happy lot.

Went on a drive to Sinhagarh and Khadakvasla with Karan



Dhaniya came into my life

Ice Age mania! I went bonkers over Ice Age 3 for some reason.


Sid joined me!! :D


The new terminal 1D at the Indira Gandhi International Airport happened


I got my new lens. Incidentally, this was the first picture I clicked with it

A drive to Mulshi Lake with the boys!

Budday happened!

We drove to the waterfalls at Tamhini Ghat that day

Like I mentioned, known for casual dressing. Therefore, this was the birthday dress.


Absolutely endless chats with Sahil about the most inane things in the world. That window was open through the entire term.


Sid had a second photoshoot in September

Just the obsession with colours

My roommate was in the organising committee of a big event in college this term. Her preparations took over the room for the longest period.


Random moments in the canteen


The National Radio Meet happened. It is one of the few events here in which I manage to find things that interest me.

Statistics was a big headache everytime it surfaced.


Sahil's birthday happened too!


So much for putting cake on his face!

When we slept through one boring seminar after another


Status quo. Durga Puja days.

The Ambar-Dhara moment

In-class photoshoot. Robin had bought a new camera, and I didn't have a picture with Parvathi

Maggi, of course. I spilled it all over my clothes that day.




And now I shall proceed towards some organisational learning. Tada!

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Tagness

I am utterly bored even though I have two more exams tomorrow. Therefore, nothing better than taking up a tag!


1. What is your current obsession?
I have OCD. Let's not go into my obsessions.

2. What are you wearing today?
My standard room stuff - shorts and something white.

3. What's for dinner?
There was disappointing shreekhand among other things.

4. What was the last thing you bought?
Tomato soup!

5. What are you listening to right now?
My neighbour's wonderful voice in the corridor. I am secretly hoping that she is looking to get a job as a journalist in the print media, not broadcast.

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
He's one of the most patient and encouraging friends I have.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
I still don't know.

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Shorts and sunglasses.

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Just the next hour? Dancing somewhere?

10. Which language do you want to learn?
Urdu

11. What’s your favourite quote?
I don't quite subscribe to the favourite quote concept.

12. Who do you want to meet right now?
Tarun

13. What is your favorite colour?
Green

14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?
A denim skirt that I had bought last year

15. What is your dream job?
I don't have a dream job. I just have many expectations from the job I hope to get soon.

16. What’s your favourite magazine?
I don't read magazines.

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
$100 today means somewhere close to 4,600 INR. I could make a loooong trip to some place nice!

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
I'm the plain jane when it comes to dressing. All things bling seem strange to me.

19. Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon?
Who is a style icon?

20. What kind of haircut do you prefer?
I like them short and straight with a fringe. :D

21. What are you going to do after this?
Study services marketing

22. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
Up or Down perfume by Nike
Kohl for the eyes
Does moisturiser count?

23. What inspires you?
Appreciation

24. Give us three styling tips that always work for you
Good perfume
Nicely done up hair
And a happy smile

25. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
Frown and just find something to wear

26. Coffee or tea?
Tea, please

27. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Find a person to talk to. Or a place to write in.

28. What is the meaning of your name?
A verse in the vedas

29. Which other blogs do you love visiting?
Oh, there are quite a few!

30. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Heeee! Today's shreekhand was bad, but all things sweet are one better than the other.

31. Favorite Season ?
Winters

32. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me?
You kidding me? Best I can do is get you stuff that you would like to cook for you and me.

33. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?
If I don't care about them, I don't have to make the effort to avoid. If not, well, it's a tough deal...

34. What are you afraid of the most?
Old age

35.Is it possible to be in love with two persons simultaneously?
Totally

Brand management, integrated marketing communication & services marketing tomorrow. One day closer to home tomorrow. :-)

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Potty Takes Priority

I'll make this quick, have two most scary papers tomorrow.

Very important part of life.
Especially when you are on antibiotics.
Especially when the stomach automatically finds out that you are tensed.
Especially when the general state of being of the stomach is anyway effed up.
Also when you eat wrong stuff because the last thing you want to do is be hungry while studying.
And when the campus mess feeds you wrong stuff too. :-/

I forgot: when you have an effed up lower back, potty anyway is a daily problem.

Blah! This is why I am potty-obsessed. My visit to the museum is still due.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Randomness Before Random Exams

He sat by the table, waiting for his order to arrive. In the distance, he could see her walking to her class. Her words were still ringing in his ears. He never thought that somebody he considered his best friend could also talk like that. She looked in his direction unaware of his presence there, and he almost ducked his head into his just-arrived plate of noodles, to avoid contact. But she did not seem to have noticed him sitting there. Just like he expected!

Later, when with friends, she still seemed to be awkward. But she had said that nothing had changed between them. He knew better. Everything had changed. She had completely withdrawn herself. In a snap.

But they still managed. Somehow. Another chance. And then there was another chance before they finally started respecting each other. Or so they thought.

Monday, October 05, 2009

Who's the Judge?

I go through phases of liking, disliking, and back to liking the same people. Some people think that the disliking comes because I'm judgmental. So now I am wondering if being judgmental is also a subjective thing because I like to believe that I don't indulge in that. This thing that I am mentioning about people finding me to be judgmental are things that I don't like/cannot appreciate in another person. Trivial things. Or work-related things. I don't judge them for 'moral relativism'. I am nobody to even comment on something related to the 'morals' domain.

The disliking could come out of something as simple as spending way too much time with that person in question.

I have an example. If you are somebody I know purely out of your existence in the same physical environment as me, and not because of any friendship or even mere acquaintance, and you happen to have an annoying way of talking... I will find it annoying and maybe steer clear of you if you anyway seem to be talking of things that do not interest me.
But then if you are the lady who came to teach us HR this term, I would not deny that you had the world's most painful voice. However, at the same time, she was brilliant on content! She used to take day-long sessions with us and there was genuine value-add in those classes. But there were fuckers who wouldn't go beyond her voice, and managed to get her off the faculty list for the subject. Now, them, I judge! And why not! Why won't you judge stupidity?

So how do you define the word judgmental?


Oh, and some friends say that my first impression is that of a woman who is totally judging you for everything that you are saying or doing. I am not sure if it is meant to be a positive or a negative thing.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Blip

I am unwell still. Very cranky. Loaded with work. And seeking sympathy from those who are not around.
The weather too is wet and cold. Does not help in any way.

In ten days from today, I will be on a train to Delhi. That train is like a Pune-Delhi Rajdhani. Non-stop! And it will take only 20 hours for the journey that other trains take 27 hours for. New train! :D For the first time we even got confirmed tickets. Teeheee!


"Tell me what makes you connect with someone"
When 'a good conversation' is an unacceptable answer, I hope 'a smile' does.