These days...: A Reverie!

I have a screaming nose! Really big! He pulls on it every morning and wakes me up. Yeah HE wakes me up! I would open my eyes into the most beautiful and exquisite smile on the planet .

He laughs and dashes out into the living room. I jump out from my bed, and run after him. I can see him hiding behind the curtains and peeking out...So I sneak up slowly and lift him from behind .....and his laughter fills my morning! And my home!

I carry him into the bathroom and pull out his foot-stand for him so that he can see himself in the mirror, while he brushes with me.

These days, I dont have to help him with brushing. But he still wants me to take a look at his squeaky clean teeth and wants my approving nod, before he can climb onto my back for his morning salsa.

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things”

I go about in the kitchen making breakfast, with this l'il giggling piggy on my back, singing with him.

“Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things”

And if I get the lines wrong , he would just sink his teeth onto my shoulder. Im extra cautious now.

These days I rehearse his class rhymes and songs before I can say 'Amen' at night . And I would get the 'stares' from his daddy.

No one believes me at work when I say ,the reddish-purple bruise at the back of my neck is a punishment for goofing up some rhymes.

These days I spent more time on sites like, howstuffworks, answer.com and wikipedia rather than youtube and my favourite blogs. How else will I find answers for questions like “ Why will I not get red , if I mix blue and green”?, “ Why is it that 'girl-cows' dont have horns?” “How is that daddys got a different smell”? “ What does daddy mean when he says 'that was orgasmic' at dinner?

These days, I look more stumped and astonished than ever. Gone are the days when he would point his finger and say 'Ga Ga' or ' Thaa Thaa' and I had to only reply with monosyllables  like, 'fan' ' ball' and 'doll'.

And this morning I rush both son and father to the door as usual to wish “Good day”. His dad picked him up so that he can reach my cheek to kiss me goodbye. He slips his hand around my neck , presses his tiny lips on my cheek and then looks at me , eyebrows creased and says “You look tired darling, may be you should take an off and just sleep the whole day”

My eyes popped , out of sheer shock.

And I told myself as I watched them walk down to the porch “ They grow up really fast these days, dont they”?

P.S : I wanted to write my version of 'Dream Children' from the day I read Charles Lamb.( except that I dont like waking up from the dream)

But HE doesnt have a name yet. Any suggestions??

The moth and the flame

When your feet drags, where it used to sprint

When your eyes smile, where it used to squint

When your hand trembles, where it wanted to grab

And you forget to breathe, but rather gasp

You look away, and your eyes wander

Not 'cos you want your mind to ponder

For, you just dont want your eyes to tell

What your heart is afraid to say

Then comes the day you learn from a moth

That “the flame has always been you”

 Then you know, those awkward silences that passed both

When you run out of things to talk; been 'cause neither could say 'I love You'

A secret desire to hear it from him and wish

He might have whispered  under his breath

“Funny, how lil we remembered of each other back then”

And what would it take now to forget.

And so is this how it really feels?
To fall that hard, with nowhere to land

That quiet shudder, when you watch him stand

'Unable to stay …....and unwilling to leave.....'

The one on Serendipity, a bulky Uterus and the constant Pregger!

“Serendipity is a fortuitous discovery, especially while looking for something entirely different”, says the dictionary. Happy accidents , basically!

But I wonder if there is a word for eerily awkward and embarrassing accidents! All you Logophiles,...... HELP me out please .'Cause, I would really like to know what this thing is , that has been happening to me over and over again.

And Dear Holy-Whoever out there, I pray and beg you, to not make the world any smaller. This is too weird for me to handle!

But may be not as weird as holding your own Mother's bulky uterus I guess.

Now how often do you actually get to see the womb you were born in?. So I couldnt get more excited when I had to play the dutiful child, helping with Amma's Hysterectomy.

No..... I chickened out when the doctor called for us to hand over the neatly chopped out uterus . Though people who saw it told me it looked as big as me when I was born :P

But the whole experience was sweet! Taking care of Amma was like taking care of an over-grown baby. Helping her walk, bathe , pee...... dress her up, feed her, put her to sleep every night with lullabies.....

To wake up alarmed in the middle of the night every time she coughed in her sleep, or when she tried turning over to the other side.....

Im really glad I could be there to just do all that for her. I miss smelling her cheek whenever she grinned at me!

I miss the smell of my home ... the smell of ploughing in the nearby field...that balanced blend of cow-dung and earth …thats one damn sweet smell that brought tears of happy memories and got me all nostalgic! I had completely let myself out in that delicious aroma, when she 'purr'ed and brushed her ear against my ankle.

'Chingaari' --my neighbour's cat. She is a constant Pregger! I cant recall the days when I saw her not carrying. She's loaded , all the time. Now , Im not very cat-friendly, but this sweetheart here has managed well to win me over.

The only sad thing about her getting pregnant is that, she fails to protect her new-borns, mostly. The kittens are killed and eaten up by a wild cat every time. I never get to see her babies. They are murdered, even before they can open their eyes. Poor Chingaari runs around the house crying and mourning; worse, lactating. And my heart goes out to that helpless mother every time!

But this time I helped her keep a watch on her babies! And touch-wood, all her three kittens are still alive. And they all look just like her, beautiful black and white fur balls!

Have you heard of this age old belief that if a cat litters in your house, it will bring you good news!?!

Last time Chingaari littered and her kittens survived, my sister got engaged!

And guess whats the good news this time?

No prizes for guessing, Im gonna be an Aunt! :D

First Blog award!

This is way too early. I have a blog, but I also know that having a blog doesnt make me a writer... I ramble.... I cant write …. at least not yet!

But it was very sweet of Spaceman spiff to think I have the potential

So Im just going to quietly follow the drill and be done with... and perhaps pass on the award to some bloggers who I think really CAN write. :)

Now for the usual tradition

# Link back the person who gave you the award.---- check!! 

( P.S : Thankyou... Its a Really Nice Birthday Gift!)

# 7 Random things about you (This wasnt very easy, I swear)

1. I sit still in my bed and smile .... every morning, at least for an hour. I cant start my day without that bit. 
2. Strings---- I have a huge crush on plucked instruments-- Acoustic Guitars- Flamenco, Baroque, Harp, Banjo- Oud, Kora, Sitar, Shamisen, Biwa, Ukelele, Balalaika...... the list never ends. Play me something really romantic on any of these, and Im yours........they have such an effect on me.
3. Im anti-diamonds! I probably would say NO to any guy who might get down on his knee offering me a diamond ring .
4. I love talking to myself and to my imaginary friends when Im in the loo. ( yeah, thats where I play out most of the conversations ---- the ones which I wish I were part of, the ones which I screwed up, the ones I wish would happen in real life........... I know what you're thinking now, but please keep it yourself :P)
5. I shamelessly ogle at babies. One reason why I love Anne Geddes. She makes me wanna get all those babies in a box and keep 'em for myself.( Reminds me of how Spaceman Spiff and I would go to the 0- 3 year old section at every store, and end up smelling, kissing and “awww”ing at cute tiny lil striped baby socks, night pants and dresses, till the people around gave us “ the looks”)
6. I love stationery- newly sharpened pencils, gel pens, rulers, erasers, sharpeners, notepads, calendar books, diaries, pen-holders, paper weights, scrap books................ you know what Im talking about.
7. I collect Nat-Geo photographs. I used to have a white board in my hostel room.... with all these pictures pinned up. Now since I have no access to the magazines , I collect them online.

My favourite song: Very very very unfair question! But I dont wanna break rules here... so here's one song Im quite popular for.

My favourite dessert : Death by chocolate , Chocolate souffle, Molten chocolate cake, …. basically anything just chocolate would do! But the caramal pudding I had with AJ at Casa Piccola was orgasmic!

What pisses me off : I just cannot think of any!.....I'll let you all know when I have one!.

Biggest fear: A cage........... being a prisoner of my own mind................NO I take that back.......my biggest fear would be not being able to Love.

Best Feature: A friend who was once opening the car's door for me, looks down and holds sight of my ugly ass feet, makes a really sad expression..... and looks up to say it on my face. But ends up saying..

“ Wow... you have ( stammers.... and finally blurts out)…...you have really beautiful eyes”!!

So EYES it is! ( 'cause I still, clearly remember the look on his face)

Everyday attitude: To find awesomeness and happiness in every single thing around me

What is perfection: Perfect is never doing anything wrong - which means never doing anything at all. Perfect is boring!

Guilty pleasure: Cheese balls : I think Im addicted to it. I find it really hard to stop munching on them. I love everything about it--- The bland taste of the cheese, the crunchiness of the corn grits and even the stale smell of it :P 

#Give the award away to 15 other bloggers--- Check

In random order

# Zeba- She's one blogger whose words have made way it into my small notebook .

# Just Kalpana- If I were a book publisher, I would sign a deal with her.. for a comic book series called “Stumped”

#Thomas theCat- I spent one whole night reading every single post in his blog. He's got a piquant sense of humour..........Im sure you'll like him.

#VnP- I think he's a really good writer, If only he blogged more often ( perhaps full-time writers need other pass-time activities)

#Toddler scribbles- That's no toddler-scribbling . Read her , and you'll know why

# Lilyferus- Im really really glad that I got to know her! She's a nut case and I just love her for all the brilliant madness that she is!

# Keep Smiling- He is just like the name of his blog.. .. all smiles!.. And an infectious one that too . He's got this amazing talent of spreading those smiles as well.

# Blue Lotus,Cloud Nine and Nirvana: Im new to their blogs....and now I regret I couldnt get to them earlier!.

# Hey you, Spaceman Spiff, Full-Adda Diddi.- uhhh...... errr...........hmm... There are no words that can describe you guys!.... Instead I'll give you all a bear hug!!

# Chocoholic, and Red handed :You've become like family now....:) I get worried if I dont get to read a new post of yours every week.

EAR MILK

Background Note: Introducing a dear friend, VnP ( Visions and Perceptions), who took sweet pains to turn an otherwise boring birthday of mine into rather a memorable one.

I hadnt moved an inch from my bed that day and I was almost positive that Im in a relationship with my mattress and pillows , when he calls up and says, “ Im not happy with what Im writing. So how about I just give you a list of songs I like, and may be catch up over dinner tonite?”

So I quickly take a cold shower, which I thought might slap me awake from my 'comfortably numb' state.

We ended up in TGIF and over the first half we spent there, he kept telling me that I was lost!

And I kept telling myself,.......Gosh, Im getting old!

We decided we wont order for the dessert. We are so stuffed already!

That thought had hardly passed when the service lads of TGIF comes to our table with a delicious looking chocolate cake and a CHAIR!.

And what happened next must have been a very good laugh for everyone else in the restaurant . 'Cause I was dancing on that chair to a Birthday song I've never ever heard in my life with all the waiters singing and clapping around me. ( Apparently thats the TGIF tradition!)

Thank you VnP! Perhaps another day, I 'll get back to you for that!

You can find much of his sensible, hilarious and very very creative writings , ramblings and character sketches here , here and here.

So heres his choice of songs for now. I like all of it already. Hope you all like 'em too.!!

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Foals - Blue Blood

Beautiful vocals. Peaceful guitar. And it all picks up gently to a nice crescendo. And lets you fall from there slowly. You will probably go back to this song for its opening.

Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks

Another Indie band, but these guys have made it pretty big. The song is smooth with a very catchy chorus and the whistling bit in between just nails the song.

(Yes, they've been Vevo-ed. That means they are going up the commercial charts.)

Charlotte Gainsborough - Trick Pony

The Myntra ad had this amazing amazing track. Just when we were thinking it was an original, comes Charlotte Gainsborough with Trick Pony. Her album IRM is a brilliant mesh of electronic sounds, heavy percussion that also includes some unconventional Indian bits. But for now, Trick Pony.

Gotye - Somebody that I Used to Know (Feat. Kimbra)

Last year I discovered Heart's a Mess, and Gotye does it again with this song. Eclectic sounds, beautiful arrangement and that quintessential Gotye vocals. Give it a listen on good speakers or headphones. The chorus is again really really lilting. And wait for Kimbra to arrive with her bit.

Junip - To the Grain

In all this Junip has to be the find of the month. Amazing vocals from Jose Gonzales. Beautiful sounds layered with synths, acoustic guitar and that voice that will just set your heart going. The live version of Junip's To The Grain shows how beautiful their music is inherently, unlike bands like Weatherwanes who sounded really terrible live.

-- Gopi

Im a girl .... and Im an emotional creature!

It was just a few years back I discovered that tears,....................... tears can liberate you!

It took me 19 years of my life to cry ….....My folks back home still tell people of my heroic childhood stories, of how I wouldnt even wince, if I got myself cut, or If Im hurt while playing. My knees or fingers would bleed, but I'd wipe it off with my skirt and get myself upto the next mischief.

For me, crying or being emotional in any way until a couple of years back was synonym to being weak!

And I always wanted to be brave.

Now as I look back, I see what a coward I was to hide and hoard all my true emotions . I ran way from them rather than expressing, confronting or owning them.

It took 19 years for the floodgates to open and unleash the wrath within.

I cried that day without a break for an hour and a half ( no exaggerations here) and that too in a public forum with tonnes of young people staring at me.

Reason?? I cant remember …..........I know, its all the denying of being emotional, refusing to 'feel' and the suppressing of 'feeling' that got me there.

The reason didn't matter anyways. What mattered was that the heavy and iniquitous ice berg of piled up emotions had started melting. What mattered was the process ---- the purgative effect . What mattered even more was that this breaking down, thereby had shaped me into a much braver person. And what mattered most was that I had discovered the 'girl' in me.

I love being the 'girl' now. And this is for all those who loves being in touch with the 'girl' in them.

***I AM AN EMOTIONAL CREATURE

I love being a girl.

I can feel what you're feeling

as you're feeling it inside

the feeling

before.

I am an emotional creature.

Things do not come to me

as intellectual theories or hard-shaped ideas.

They pulse through my organs and legs

and burn up my ears.

I know when your girlfriend's really pissed off

even though she appears to give you what

you want.

I know when a storm is coming.

I can feel the invisible stirrings in the air.

I can tell you he won't call back.

It's a vibe I share.

I am an emotional creature.
I love that I do not take things lightly.
Everything is intense to me.
The way I walk in the street.
The way my mother wakes me up.
The way I hear bad news.
The way it's unbearable when I lose.

I am an emotional creature.
I am connected to everything and everyone.
I was born like that.
Don't you dare say all negative that it's a
teenage thing
or it's only only because I'm a girl.
These feelings make me better.
They make me ready.
They make me present.
They make me strong.

I am an emotional creature.
There is a particular way of knowing.
It's like the older women somehow forgot.
I rejoice that it's still in my body.

I know when the coconut's about to fall.
I know that we've pushed the earth too far.
I know my father isn't coming back.
That no one's prepared for the fire.
I know that lipstick means
more than show.
I know that boys feel super-insecure
and so-called terrorists are made, not born.
I know that one kiss can take
away all my decision-making ability
and sometimes, you know, it should.

This is not extreme.
It's a girl thing.
What we would all be
if the big door inside us flew open.
Don't tell me not to cry.
To calm it down
Not to be so extreme
To be reasonable.
I am an emotional creature.
It's how the earth got made.
How the wind continues to pollinate.
You don't tell the Atlantic ocean
to behave.

I am an emotional creature.
Why would you want to shut me down
or turn me off?
I am your remaining memory.
I am connecting you to your source.
Nothing's been diluted.
Nothing's leaked out.
I can take you back.

I love that I can feel the inside
of the feelings in you,
even if it stops my life
even if it hurts too much
or takes me off track
even if it breaks my heart.
It makes me responsible.
I am an emotional
I am an emotional, devotional,
incandotional, creature.
And I love, hear me,
love love love
being a girl.

***By Eve Ensler, a playwright and activist, is the founder of V-Day and author of 'Vagina Monologues'. And this is an excerpt from   I Am an Emotional Creature : The Secret Lives of Girls Around the World

Its called Patience

Disclaimer: Hard-core Ranting.................. I wouldnt mind it if you moved on without reading

I am committed life long, to a philosophy of 'love-all'. Yeah, I never had to try .It just comes to me.

And its not in my nature to dislike people.

But lately I have realised that there some people Im beginning to not-so-like very much.

It has taken some real hard work on your part to earn that, people!!

So here are the fabulous four who has made it to the top:

# 'Im All-Important'

These kinds ARE important, they KNOW that they are important, and the part that I dislike about them is that they love to inject their importance on others.

The interesting thing is that they are intelligent enough not to come across as boastful or boisterous. They are the ones who have cleverly mastered the art of what I call 'subtle-extortion'.

They bully you and make you feel cheap and good-for-nothing in the most dignified manner.

You tend to have a strange sort of respect for  the shadow of authority they cast upon you, but you also want to curse them, for the Dementorial effect they have on you.

Yes, these people are capable of sucking the happiness out of even a Patronus Charm.

These power hungry ones are happy as long as you're feeding their ego. And don't you dare get tired of it, otherwise you're counting at some really bad days.

Dear 'Nota Bene', Its nice to be important. But I think its more important to be nice.

# 'Im in awe of you'

Im afraid to say this, but you guys are a nuisance. Im sorry if my charisma is that overpowering and overwhelming, theres nothing much I can do about that. It doesnt feel all that good when you try to drool me in your uber-nonsensical-flattery. And its not-so great, to keep hearing “ ohh, you're so cool” every 10 secs in a 5 minute conversation. And it shouldn't bother you, what diet I follow , or what I sleep in, and what color my nail-paints are!!!!

So if Im too polite to shoo you away , you'll take advantage of my niceness??

You're lonely, I get it. 

So, heres a piece of advice for you.............

Dear 'Awe-full', If you can't enjoy your own company, atleast don't inflict it on others.

# “I always want to help”

Im a girl, agreed, but I don't need you all the time. I would like to do some things on my own.

Yes, I know the world is bad, and there are scary vultures waiting to devour on me raw, but honestly, I feel much safer when Im alone.!

I appreciate all the efforts you have taken , all the ways you have went out of, to make things smoother and easier for me. But trust me when I say this, all of your 'creative intervention' ( read interference) has only messed up my life. It shouldn't offend you when I refuse your help next time around, because I have learnt to ask or receive only from 'the givers of a higher level'. Who would not make me feel like a debtor.

But if you're thinking this a good way to woo me , by hammering down such unwanted concern and unnecessary care , then Dear 'Helpful', you're much mistaken.

# I am always right

They studied the right thing, they are working at the right place, they are getting the right sum and got married at the right time to the right person.

These people are the only ones apparently, who are leading the most successful life. Rest of us are losers!

They have made the most intelligent decisions in life, and rest of us are about to doom because we studied literature and now wants to make documentary films.

“Archiving traditional art forms?? Whats the use ??Such a waste of time and money!” ( I should ask your mother if she thinks of you the same way, now that you've grown up )

“Not married?? You will grow up into a frustrated grumpy old woman” ( Getting married to someone like you would be suicide, I prefer being the grumpy grandmother, Thankyou!)

It doesnt matter to them, if you are the first woman from India to win a Green Oscar , because at the end of the day you are not them. They are themselves the benchmark of being 'successful'.And that means you are not a success in life unless you have an MNC job in a metropolitan city, and a non working spouse with a professional degree who came with a dowry almost as worth as one of those treasure chests uncovered at the Padmanabhapuram Temple, and finally two A+ scoring kids studying in the most expensive CBSE school in the town.

Dear 'Always Right', Please get back to me on how dirty my door carpet is, when you have cleaned up the mess in your own backyard!

Dear Reader,

If  you have sat through this post till here, please allow me to let you know that I am blissfully blind to flaws and imperfections in most cases. Please judge this only as a momentary venting out of some pent up feelings. Otherwise I am extremely tolerant with all of the above 'dear-ones' usually. After all, its my fervid conviction to try and put up with all those who wants to put me down. And I believe that is what you call patience.

Many moons ago.......

It was many moons ago..... when I thought, I could sing.

Now I think I can only enjoy music, and that singing is gone and forgotten.

If anybody asked me these days, "Do you sing?" , I'd tell them......... "I used to."

There was a time when everyone would , not even ask but just state, that “I will need someone musically inclined ( read singer, musician)to live with”

Fortunately or unfortunately nobody bothers now ….. all what bothers them now, is that Im aging and not getting married.

I had always thought of music as my religion, my spiritual journey, where I could unfold myself , seek answers to my questions. The journey which would fulfill my passion and purpose of living.

And my faith in that journey lied in those very few moments, when my dad would smile blissfully everytime I sang to him, when my mom would play the recordings of my radio shows in the kitchen all day long, when my teacher's eyes welled up as I sang my favourite Ashtapadi to her.

And gradually crept in those moments too when I lost faith in that very journey.

The same path which estranged me instead of liberating.

Those moments of arrant incertitude and shock as I witnessed the very people I worshipped fall into the mad and filthy race of the 'so-called divine art called music. '

I was torn. And thats one wound which has left a very bad scar.

And it was not many years ago that I realised I have lost touch with singing.

I would cry when my voice cracked up, everytime a note came out wrong. Or when I couldnt recall what raaga a particular kriti was composed in.

I had become an alien at my own forte.

I couldnt breathe in my own world?.

I didnt know where I belonged to anymore.

There have been days when I'd decided to go back and search for my lost self , and one such morning I found that I have lost my book of kritis. My heart sank. And in that assailable moment it could only indicate that 'Music was dead and buried..... once and for all.... for good.'

I knew it was going to be that rotten noxious feeling which I would have to carry all my life.

I tried to live with that harsh truth that I wouldnt be able to sing like before ever again.

But now there is a reason why I am even able to write about this.

Because I sang yesterday.............

It still felt terrible. Dreadful.

I poured down mugs and mugs of water on my face to escape from tasting the bitter saltiness of my tears.

After an hour as I came out of the loo, I saw my land lady standing outside. She said, she had been standing there for quite sometime, and asked me If I were trained in music.

I looked at her rather sadly as I hung my towel on the cloth-line, gasped and said “for fourteen frickin' years!!!”

I came inside still wet and shivering, and sat down on my bed to watch my thoughts. And it suddenly struck me that I just sang past that huge block.

It took me a while to believe it was real.And I was pretty convinced then, that I would be able to do it again. I somehow felt like a floating swan, feeling light.

My thoughts flew to that dear friend who told me the other day “Birds cant fly; if you cant sing”.

And all I could do was …...........Smile! :)

P.S : Thankyou. And I cant wait to delete that one sad line in my bio.Its my fervid conviction.

Aappandi!!!!!!!

One and a half years...... and I was there and back again!

The place which changed me and grew me

The place that tortured  and loved me at the same time

The place that gave me wings and kept me rooted......

I held my breath in delectable exhilaration when the bus passed through the longest flyover in Shamshabad. I could see the whole city from up there. I even thought I caught a glimpse of the fort of Golconda.

Not much had changed.  No lush carpet of greenery or overbearing trees.

Its all the very old rock boulders and skyscrapers. 



Mushroom Rock at the University Campus

Except  most of the  glass edifices had safety nets on it, which pretty much reminded and explained everything about the agitation in the city. Days are close when one would have to say “ I studied at the University of Telangana”

Otherwise everything else was just the same.

The  loathsome chlorinated hard-water said 'welcome home'. And the bumpy share autos took me around that home.

Naam , Namak Aur Nishaan  written at the gates to Sainikpuri... ..never had noticed that before, perhaps new.





Calvin Nambiar on a sunday afternoon



My niece has grown taller. But shes still the giggling bundle of cuteness, who likes to try on my Kajal stick and Livon Hair potion.

Theres a new addition to the Nambiar family – Goofy Nambiar. Calvin and Winnie Nambiar  likes the new company Im sure. It was nice meeting you all.

Radhettan, at the shopcom, who still dint even ask for the order, and with his infectious smile gave us our share of gopi bonda and chai.

An old pic outside Radhettan's shop 

It felt good to be back,character-gazing with my Sattwick friend. There were all sorts.

Met some old faces, and spotted the psuedos, the survivors, the intellectuals, the industrious, the love birds, the leaders........

Miss perfect melancholy has become prettier. Her room still smells of microbe-repellants  and Tao physics . That was the best Qubaani ka Meetha I had with her over a lot of catching up. 

I jumped with joy at the sight of my old ladybird cycle. She is still pink in health and is not missing me much.



The Birthday Circle

Was walking again through the Birthday circle with Mr Jobless and Frivolous Maturity

And we were back to being students again, and got drenched in the nostalgic mizzle.

Crept into the children's park and stole a ride on the swings.

Laughed at each other's jokes, caught up on each other's life.

And sighed with so much relief and gratitude that our good old friends have not changed much.

And worshiped and thanked life again for being so impeccably beautiful.

The morning I reached Bangalore, as I was getting to work, I told the auto-driver “ ikkada  left theeskondi”( Take a left here, please In Telugu).  Telugu??? I forgot  whatever Broken Kannada I knew in  just a weekend??

And that moment laughed at me and said out loud “ Aappandi!!!” ( STOoooooP) .

'Stop for a while and take this in !'

I got tagged !!

I didn't know what tagging in the blog-sphere was, until this cute dynamite tagged me.
So here it goes........

1. Without sharing your name, who are you?

Quite an ordinary girl with some extraordinary dreams.

Born in Dubai,Grew in Kerala,

Got hardened in Hyderabad, and softened back in Bangalore.

Learned from everywhere, and squandered it all over.

A quirky nut case ( atleast I would like to believe so) ,

A Patronus charm ( atleast some say so)

Hates being compelled or confined.

Loves being pampered and petted.

By training a dumb noetic, by practice a daring dreamer

and by experience a deadly doofus.

( du-uh!!..... so? I love alliterations)

2. Describe yourself in less than five words.

Refer to about me!

3. Do you have any special talents? What?

I think I have too many to chose from.

But lately I discovered I have a special talent to motivate people. (One friend thinks Im an incurable optimist .Not called a Patronus charm for nothing , you see? Another wants me to be his therapist, and yet another is seriously considering me for a full time job of a motivator, at the agency he works.)

4. Are there any talents you wish you had? What?

Yup, I wish I could do astral travel . Or even Transfiguration

5. What are your most important interests? What do you like about them?

Music - feeds my soul

Books - my best companion

Travel - everytime I travel , I read another page of the from the book called ' world' and its astonishing.

Food - lets quote a friend here and say “palatal orgasm”

Flowers – Beauty , that spreads fragrance and happiness to everyone around

Babies - frolicking cheerful babies make my day

All the above are equally capable of transforming me into a different being

6. What is your opinion of Lady Gaga?

A twisted genius.

7. If you could go anywhere right this second, where would you go?

Jammu, I miss my friend Shringeri ( Shingi, I wanna visit Vaishno devi, celebrate Lohri, learn Dogri and see all of Jammu with you)

8. What are your favorite foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Favourite is the question :

I would love some Warm waffles with maple syrup or Banana pancakes or sweet porridge with honey or toast and sausages for Breakfast ( Told ya I was a dreamer!!! I try and manage with some wheat flakes and warm milk  for now)

For lunch: I wouldnt mind some honey fried potatoes, methi malai matar and dal palak with roti/ rice .

( But I get decent mini meals at poornima restaurant … not too bad actually. )

For dinner: Tossed Salad with french dressing, schnitzel steak with mushroom sauce, and mashed potatoes. 

( Otherwise I cook every night with the limited facilities I have in my PG and try and admire the food Im eating)

9. Do you have siblings? Talk about them; if not, talk about being an only child.

I have an elder sister, whose physical, spiritual, mental and cultural attributes are exactly opposite to that of mine.

She's a Phd scholar( quite proud of her that way) and lives in Baroda, married to a really sweet scientist who is doing his post doctoral research in Japan. 

She is a lot more on the fuller side with a long nose and long hair. More rooted in her culture, and has less troubles with her conscience.

10. Do you like sports? What teams do you support?

Not really. I enjoy figure skating and rhythmic gymnastics more than any other sport. And if I had to choose I would have chosen tennis ( I loved Pete Sampras, now I adore Roger Federer)

But maybe just for this friend's sake, I would say I like Football and I root for Liverpool. :P

11. Do you have any tattoos? If not, would you ever get one?

No I dont .  I have more than enough black moles to make up for it :P

12. Have you ever donated blood? Why or why not?

No. Im not even sure what my blood group is. ( being born to a lab technician, thats quite a shame!!)

13. How do you like your coffee and/or tea?

Tea: Black, with clove, ginger, Tulsi leaves crushed and a drop of lemon in it and of course heaps of sugar.

Coffee: Strong decoction , with cream and sugar.

14. Are you left- or right-handed?

Right-handed , but I wanna be ambidextrous :)

15. If you’re in college, what are you studying? If not, what did/what are you planning to study?

Out of college Studied mass communication with Spaceman Spiff here who tagged me.

But I would like to study Natural History film making at Salford University/ Otago Univeristy some day soon. ( wasnt too bad at science communication and video production when I was at the university)

16. What are some of your short-term goals?

I have a list of 12 books, which I aim to finish reading by this year end.

Buy a camera . Cant afford to miss any more moments.

Hit 52 kg, which I think should be my ideal weight :P

17. What kind of music do you like?

Sufi gives me access to heavens .Ghazals make falling in love irresistible.

Country and folk fills me with joy

Classical transcends me into a different world, fascinating yet intimidating

I very much enjoy Bollywood, Pop, Lounge, Soft rock, and sometimes metal and psychedellic trance too.

18. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Any place where I can built my dream home. Preferably some place where I can get a view of the mountains from my bedroom balcony and watch the brook flowing from the kitchen. I can only think of Ireland now. More about which you can find here.

19. Have you ever been overseas? Where and when?

Was born overseas. Dubai, U A E. Lived in Karama till I was 10 yrs old.

20. Have you ever been to the circus? What did you think at the time?

Yes. I was quite tiny then. But I thought the animals were really stinky. And the clown was lame.

But I was terrified by the magician and the trapeze artists.

21. Are you wearing shoes right now? If so, describe them. If not, describe your socks/feet.

None of the above. I am wearing Grey leg warmers.

22. List some things you’d like to do before you die.

• Carry a Koala on my hip and feed it with my hands.
• Kiss a Dolphin
• Ride a Bullock Cart
• Drink Bamboo beer at Siliguri
• Visit the Tiger temple in Tibet
• Wish upon a comet
• Learn to play the Kora

This list never ends.........

23. What do you prefer to write with; pencil, pen, crayon, Sharpie, lipstick, chalk, etc?

Pencil anytime.!!

But lately I have also been wanting to write with an ink pen . I miss those Hero pens I had used in my junior classes to write copy. The whole idea of filling ink in the pen from the round bottle, makes me wanna grab a fresh parchment and scribble down …....” How do I love thee...............

24. Do you like movies? What are your favorites?

Im a movie buff.

From world cinema to animation , I like all kinds for different reasons.

For a very outdated and short list of movies, you can view my profile.

25. Do you like chocolate? What’s your favorite kind? If not, WHY.

I get high on the cakes which you get to dip in the chocolate fountain.

Apart from that. Twix ( reminds me of my Dad), Quality street ( good old DUBAI days)

Snickers ( breaks with Arun at Iridium, Hyderabad). Bounty ( me and my sis used to fight over it)

But if I would like to be a choclate , I would be Ferrerro Rocher. Soft and silky delicious in the inside and crisp and nutty on the outside. :)

I hope I did well on my first tag. 

And I tag Miss frivolous maturity, Mr Jobless, and I can imagine