This is why you should not have complicated names

A couple, both (un)blessed with really complicated names, had a baby girl. Now just to keep their identity confidential I will choose two fictitious names. So the Dad is called Ghayoor and the mother is named Zuebeda and trust me these are simpler compared to their actual names.

Now this couple has tried teaching the little girl how to pronounce her parents name for quite some time but in vain. Can’t blame the poor kid, can we?

Finally the day for her play school interview arrives. Now all parents here are aware of the typical line of questioning these play schools have. After the regular what’s your name, where do you live, what did you have for breakfast, came the mother of all questions – What’s your parents name?

The little girl in all her innocence replied “My papa’s name is Ravi and my mummy’s name is Usha”
On hearing this response Ghayoor fell of his chair and Zuebeda fainted. The principal on the other had checked and rechecked the form.

Ravi is the Driver of the family and Usha is the live-in maid. What can I say, but such is life!!!

Tag of 50

Tag time it is. Was tagged by Mo to take this up. So here it goes. This tag is the best way to know a blogger.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Nope, have you heard anyone with my kinda name?
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
On Sunday, while watching Ballika Vadhu. Yup, I cry even when I watch emotional movies.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I like it but my mom says it is illegible… huh…
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I try and keep lunch veg, but if it has to be non veg then its chicken all the way
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No I don’t have any yet. But I have a husband who is no less naughty than a kid
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Absolutely, I would be in love with me
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Nah, I am quite direct most of the time. Some people take me for a Snob
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yup, and why this question, I don’t get it!!
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I don’t think so, but again I am quite instinctive so I can’t say.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL
Wheat
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Never, I don’t do any work unless necessary
12. IF YOU WERE TO PICK YOU OWN FIRST NAME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I love my name, so I would pick the same name
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Death by Chocolate – Corner house. Fellow Bangaloreans will know what I mean
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Mostly its clothes, now do I sound too superficial?? Ok then I’ll go with the more modest “smile”
15. RED OR PINK?
Red – all the way
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF
I wish I had it in me to shed off all these extra kilos that I have put on in the last couple of years. I wish I was disciplined.
17. WHOM DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My sister who is in Bombay and my parents who are in Ranchi
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Why wouldn’t they, none of the questions till now have made me uncomfortable
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
White Capris, Orange Osho Slippers
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Genda Phool, What else??
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Red
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Hugo by Hugo Boss on Aman (mind it, Aman is important)
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My very good friend Nidhi
25. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU
Blog Blog zindabad, it is really sweet of her to send this tag, she knew I was down and out and thought this would cheer me up.. Yo girl, you rock!!!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Cricket
27. HAIR COLOR?
Right now it’s Mahogany Brown, but then again it keeps changing
28. EYE COLOR?
Hazel Brown
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No.
30. FAVORITE FOODS?
That’s a very unfair question to a foodie like me. The list will be huge Rajma Chawal, Chicken Biryani, Ice Creams, Sizzlers ergh I can go on and on for ever..
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings all the way
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Dev D and loved it
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Orange Kurti
34. SUMMER OR WINTER
Spring :) can’t handle extreme weather, call it the Bangalore effect, we are the pampered lot.
35. HUGS OR KISSES
Both and more ;)
36. DESCRIBE YOUR PENCIL CUP
That’s a fancy term, in office I have this old abandoned Mug. At home nothing. We keep our pens and pencils in the pockets of the fridge cover
38. FAVORITE ARTIST(s)?
Right now it’s Rehman.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Maximum City, Suketu Mehta
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don’t use a mouse. I am comfortable with my laptops touch pad
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
News
42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
Raindrops
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Whatever, as long as it is melodious
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Sydney
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Me is a complete special package
46. WHERE WERE U BORN?
Kanpur, my mom’s home town
47. FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWELRY?
I love wearing earrings. Big, small, chunky, trendy, contemporary, all kinds..
48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
He was my senior in Symbi where I went for my MBA.
49. FAVORITE SONG?
Right now its Genda Phool.
50.Favorite Musical?
I don’t know, not too much into musicals and all.

The rule says I need to tag fellow bloggers, so here are few people I would love to know more about

Mumbai Diva – she was missing from the scene for a while and has just reappeared. Please take this up, remember the tag of 18 and how there were so man similarities. I am eager to know if there are more

Nids – my childhood friend and a very new blogger. Nids take this up, it will be fun to know how well I know you

Anu – my very good friend and a very silent blogger. Anu, take this up. I know most of the answers but still

And this time I remember

Today is the day when 2 years back I wrote my first blog post. It was on the insistence of this very dear friend that I started blogging.

Last year I forgot but this year I made it a point to remember, thanks to the outlook calendar.
So guys, today I complete 2 years of blogging, the first year was in oblivion only writing for myself. It’s only in the last 6 months that I started interacting with other bloggers and now have some very good friends. A full blown post will follow when I complete say 5 years of blogging.
As for now, happy birthday dear Blog. I love you more than you know.

Piya se nazarein milaoon kaise???

I can’t look into your eyes,
And you won’t come close to me

Now before you think I have committed a grave crime and that I am ashamed even to look into Aman’s eyes, such is not the case. I am still a good girl and I haven’t done anything wrong.

So the reason for my misery is – Aman has conjunctivitis. Sob sob. It is exceedingly painful to see the little boy in distress. Watery red eye, oh how I despise it.

Note for other Bangloreans : The epidemic is spreading fast in Bangalore, take care of yourself and family.

Where is the Recession??

The malls are still puking people, I still struggle to find parking on a weekend. All good restaurants are still over booked on Saturday and Sundays, multiplexes are still running house full, I still have to stand in long queues to pay my bills in Life Style and Shoppers Stop. There are still too many people in Spencer’s and More. So where is the recession?
How much more time will it take to start affecting the Junta?

Ps: I might be sounding cynical, but what the heck.

Updated on 19th Feb- Aman's Comment is really apt, I am adding it to the main post.

Aman - "Find reccession in the falling realty prices,, see it in every day reduction in interest rates,, observe it in sales numbers of all car makers,, feel it in the stimulus packages been doled out your government,, sense it in the announced lay offs...

Look at the ACs being switched off earlier than ever, hand tissues being preserved like gold, holes in the wadas becoming larger, coconut chutney becoming thinner... and at a lot more places!!!"

Genda Phool

I don’t have a count of the number of times I have heard this song since morning.
First in the car on my way to office for almost 1 and half hours, and since I reached office this song is playing on my laptop. In a recursive loop, again and again. I am addicted.
Completely.

What a song, if you haven’t heard it till now go grab the music cd of Dilli 6 right away.

Updated to add – I have only darling husband to thank for introducing me to this number, if not for him I would still be living in oblivion. Aman that’s why I love you!!!

Too Much Mush

10 years back, when I was still in school, pre valentine day evenings were spent “hanging out” in Archie’s Gallery. This was along with a gang of girls who were all single. We went through each and every card and longed for the time when someone would serenade us with these. The soft toys, the cute miniature dancing couples, the heart shaped cushions, those musical key chains, the lockets that are broken in 2 pieces all made our heart skip a beat.

That was then, when I was still a teen, was in a girls convent, was an outright snob and read mills and boons.

Now yesterday, I went to this mall which has an Archie’s Gallery. I stood outside the store and stared hard. The whole place was done up in red and pink. All I could see were teddy bears and heart shaped pillows. The thought of going in and picking up a card struck me, after all it has been a while since I gave a card to Aman (for his first b’day after we got together I did some crazy stuff, well well that’s another post).

I took 2 steps towards the entrance and saw this huge crowd inside. All teens, apparently “hanging out” like we use to. Everything was either red or pink in color, everything either had a heart or a kiss printed on it. Everything just screamed of Valentines Day. Somehow the love was lost; rather what I saw was a very commercial, fabricated setup.
The mush was just too much for me to handle. I am anyways not very accommodating in nature and that whole atmosphere put me off completely. This on my face display of “love” left me with some kind of a queasy feel.

I am a highly romantic person, and I love all forms of expressions.
Now something I so enjoyed a few years back should have brought along sweet nostalgic feel. Rather I felt old and found all this display a tad bit silly.

Now before you take me for a refined version of Ram Sena, let me clarify that I have nothing against Val Day. I absolutely love celebrating all forms of Love. And why just this day in particular, I am lovey dovey most of the time.

The point I am making is about the extreme mush mush. Have I grown old? Why did I find the set up pretentious and blatant? I love going to the market during festive seasons solely because the place is done up and there is a happy feel around.

I think I am becoming old and things that were cute are now being categorized as silly. Is this also a part of growing up? I don’t like it then.

I have been missing

Part deliberately, part not so deliberately.

Deliberately - because I was at home, for a family function. And I still feel guilty if I spent time blogging when I could spend all that time with folks. So this time consciously I kept myself from visiting the blogosphere. Tell me, do you also feel conscious if you spend time on internet when family is around? Is it normal for me to feel this way?

Not so deliberately – was because as soon as I landed in good old Bangalore I fell sick. It started with the usual, cough and then cold and then fever. But it went to become very bad. It turned out to be an acute case of bacterial infection in the throat. I am much better now, thank you.

Wedding was a grand affair. All my clothes were appreciated to the hilt and I managed to look good on all days (I am just being modest; I was looking gorgeous on most days).

This post is to announce that more of me is back, what with all the awesome food and sweets, a couple of kgs have been shamelessly added.