Dance baby dance

I admit! I am a sucker for dance based reality shows. Yeah, laugh now. I don’t care!!

Every time I see these non dancers shake that leg it makes me all dreamy. How I see myself doing just that. And why I say this today is coz’ yet another season of Jhalak Dikh La Ja premiered yesterday. 

My association with dance is pretty old, just like that of any other kid. I have very vivid memories of dancing as a child and I remember being told how good I was at it. This trend continued till my teenage years with number of house parties, for in a town like Ranchi discs were unheard of. But that was then. Gradually the dancer in me retired and now what is left is a girl who can barely shake a leg in the crowded disc and do some vague bhangara steps, thanks to the never ending weddings. But that’s no dance, that’s just moving to the beats.

What I want to learn is proper dance. Salsa, Rumba, Hip-Hop, Fusion, Bollywood. I really do. And this urge becomes strong each time I watch these dance shows. I see myself dancing like the stars.

In fact about 6 months back I even joined a dance school and went for exactly 4 classes. Then work played spoil sport and dance was forgotten along with the fee. But one thing that came out clearly in those 4 classes was how Pathetic I was. I don’t know how and when I will ever manage to get back to learning, but this is surely one thing I want to try, maybe I will suck at it or might be good too. 

Till then let me day dream and see myself participating in one of these shows. What about you, do you dance?

Shoes, dont we love thee!

Since I have been talking about shopping and shopping I thought it would be a good idea to give you, my esteemed readers, a sneak peek into my shoe rack. Featured below are only the shoes, of the high heel types, acquired very recently. A little context here will help: I have a self declared shoe obsession. And I buy, whenever I get a chance. Whilst I was moving to Singapore, there was only as much I could bring along. So I gave some to my sister and packed some home. There were still too many left. So I donated, all of 30 plus pairs. Yeah, I didn’t have too much choice, with Aman threatening me and Dad coaxing me, I gave in.

This only means the need to refurbish the depleted collection. Posting some pictures below, because you wanted to see it!!

To go with the new brown dress!

The Comfy ones

The essential ones

These are a shade of Grey, dunno why they look Cream.

Love these,

These look awesome with skirts.

Peep toes!

This happens only in Singapore..

This happened 2 days back, it was pretty late by the time we got out of office. Late enough to throw out of the window, the idea of going home and cooking. So we decided to finish mundane responsibilities like feeding ourselves till we burst and then heading home to crash on the super comfortable new mattress we just bought. Ah the mattress, I tell you, is like a sucker of all aches and stress. I actually wake up fresh as a daisy. The old one that the land lady gave us was like that inflated bouncer children play on. Can’t say what we went through with that!!! But I digress.

Coming back to what happened two days back. We decided to have dinner and choose this cute little bistro right below my office. The weather was good, quite unlike Singapore, so we decided to sit out. We placed our order, food came, the server left us alone and we ate and ate and ate. And then we got up, got into a cab and left. Pretty normal, if you ask me? Ha, only one slight deviation. We forgot to pay the bill in fact we even forgot to call for the bill. This we realized only after we had reached home and had settled on the said comfortable mattress.

Now like any other  responsible people, we should have gone back and paid them first thing next day, which we wanted to do, but we didn’t, because we were super busy, after all the Singapore economy will crumble down if we get late to work.  And then we forgot about it. Till today when we sat in a café right next to the said bistro sipping the high on calorie cappuccino. And then this server came to us. I had visions of her calling the cops and handcuffing us. But, ladies and gentleman, before we could start apologizing, she started saying sorry, first for interrupting our coffee and then for asking us for her truly deserved money. I almost fell of my chair. She relentlessly kept saying she was sorry and I kept saying the same. In the end no one knew who the guilty was.  Matter ended peacefully!! I am so going back to this place; this time will pay up at the start of the meal though!

The great Singapore Sale

The great Singapore Sale, where art thou? Come soon and rescue me, for there is a compulsive need to shop and some discounts would do no harm! Yeah, so it’s not like I have landed in Singapore from some god forsaken village which didn’t have the variety or the choice to offer. Bangalore is pretty decent and throw in a couple of trips to Australia, Delhi and Bangkok (remember?? GRIN!!!!!! in between and you can get all you want!!

Which means that there has to be a divine power at play here? Did I sleep too close to the Sophie Kinsella’s confession of a shopaholic? I guess not. So why my lord why, am I behaving like this? I am buying like I am on a vacation to Singapore and will never ever get a chance again in this life time. And it doesn’t help to have ones office at a stone’s throw from the main shopping area. But the madness needs to end, so, today, on this blog I make a promise, 2 more pairs of shoes and no more shopping till Christmas!! Heehaw!!!!!!!!!

And in another news, I loved Guzarish. Period!! Stop complaining people and stop being overly critical. It’s a good movie and Hrithik is awesome. We have become a race of complainers. We need to complain no matter what. Its not perfection that we are looking for, its just the sad pleasure we get in putting things down! Ah, anyways, that’s a lot of gyan from Prof Malhotra!So, did ya watch Guzarish yet?

From Where We Left

The baby has been ignored way too much. I have been a very bad girl. And no excuses this time. There is so much happening in life that I can write a book, let alone a blog post. But then, when there is way too much happening in life, something’s do take a beating. And in my case it was my once cherished blog. So no more saying I will be regular, it’s rather I be regular and say later.

Settling-in in Singapore has been far easier than I ever imagined. Things have fallen into place pretty smoothly. The home, office and the works!! So good so far.

Have been doing a lot of “exploring the city” kinda stuff over the weekends. Shopping is at an all time high and I really need to put a stop on that. This retail therapy will soon put me into forced financial therapy. The holes in the pockets are getting bigger by the day but the temptation seems to outdo any sane thinking. But there is one thing that I am sorely missing and that’s my book shopping. Not that there are no book stores here, there are and in plenty. What I miss is reading Indian Authors, which in the last few years meant reading beyond Salman Rushdie and Vikram Seth. Those gems are unfortunately not available. So my respite is Amazon but you see the feel is missing.

These few initial months in Singapore have also led to some realizations. A very close friend always said that cooking for her acts like a stress buster, so even after a very hectic day at work, she would get back and cook and feel fresh. I never understood that while I was in India. But strangely, here in Singapore, I have started to enjoy cooking. Although we still eat out a lot even on weekdays, yet I have started to look forward to doing my bit in the kitchen. Like I say, we are always learning more about ourselves and this is the latest self discovery! Aman is busy basking in this new found interest of mine; let me see how many weeks will this last.

So how has life been with you all? Let me be really good and open my Google Reader now!!

I miss my black beauty...

…really, really do.

With all the silver linings that Singapore as our new home is offering us, there is still this big big gap to fill. The absence of a car in our lives. How much I am missing my car which we dutifully sold off before coming here. And whoever you are, who has bought it, better take care of it!

So now I use public transport to commute to work each day. A train to be precise. My complaining won’t be justified as the MRT system here is super comfortable. We have taken a house next to the MRT station and in Singapore that’s the biggest achievement one can boast off. And then there are busses. And for weekends there are cabs, in abundance!

But still, I miss my car. I miss driving. I miss the comfort. I miss the sense of ownership.

My colleagues who have been here for a while, tell me that this is just a phase and sooner than later I will be more than happy about not having the hassle to drive, park etc. Owning a car here is not as easy as having one in India or any other country for that matter. First the government is not too excited by the idea of people using private transport, so taxes are really huge. So is parking and then the cost of car. About 65% people use the public transport on a daily basis. So yeah now I am part of the majority.

But having said all that the crux of the matter is that I terribly miss the black beauty which we sold off before coming here. It was our first car, bought in the first year of our marriage. Ah so many memories, so many trips. The least I can hope is that the new owner cherishes it as much as I did.

Of This and That

I feel the need to do another Blog Marathon. Only then will I be regular here. Truthfully I miss this place. But life is just running past me, while I huff and pant and try to catch up. It’s fun, it’s stressful, it’s confusing, but it’s worth every bit.

Yeah so coming to the Marathon bit, anyone ready to join??

Moved to Singapore and settling in. Found a flat and shifted in last week as well. It still looks alien, the kitchen, the bedroom, the living area. It’s all mine and yet nothing belongs to me. But what’s fun is the settling in part. It’s just like the good old days when Aman and I were just married and were building our lives together. The place is pretty comfortable, furnished with all the essentials. So we are basically saved from the hassle of buying a lot of stuff. Now the hunt for a maid has started. Hopefully I shall be blessed soon.

It wasn’t easy to give up a well settled comfortable life back in Bangalore and come to this not so far land. It had its own set of uncertainties, its own sets of odds. But we took the plunge. And so far it’s been good.

We attended a barbecue party a couple of days after we had landed here. It was predominated by Indians and most of the women present there were non-working mums. And never before have I been in the company of so many non working mums. Therefore the generalization I am trying to draw here might be completely off track and for that don’t bite me please. Yeah, so coming to this group, there was just 1 bachelor amongst them and all these women were trying to convince him to get married. And the entire spiel was around how he could get good food and ironed clothes. How he didn’t need to bother about maid and cleaning once he got a wife. I mean, it was appalling!! How could they speak like that?? And being women at that!!! My better sense prevailed and before I could break a few skulls and I quietly slipped out and joined the men where they were discussing cricket and beer. Ha, so yeah, Singapore is no different from India!!

All our bags are packed..

..and we are ready to move.

The big change is just around the corner. An era in Bangalore comes to an end. And another in Singapore is just about to begin.

It wasn’t an easy decision. But exciting none the less. Bangalore has been our home ever since we got married. And goes without saying what a special place it has in our hearts. We will miss the people we leave behind. We will miss the city.

Last few days have been super hectic. Work, travel, a trip home, meeting friends and saying goodbyes.

And in between all this the mammoth task of deciding what to give away and what to keep.

Packing is in shambles as always. I am leaving behind a lot of stuff, taking just the essentials. And it’s no mean feat to let go of things. Difficult, but kind of elevating, this letting go. And it surely doesn’t come easily to someone who clings on to old battered jeans.

We don’t know for how long we’ll be gone. A few years or maybe some more. We’ll take it as it comes.

Right now the excitement levels are too high. There is this whole new charm to life itself.

Its our last couple of days in Bangalore and time just seems to be running away too soon. There is a lot more to finish. So next update will be from the La Land.

When did that happen??

Surely while I was sleeping. Coz last I remember I was buying Caramel Popcorns for 20 bucks. And this was in a multiplex, in Pune. Yeah, so it was 5 yrs back, but then, so what?

In these 5 yrs, how can the damn thing costs Rs 85. And I don’t remember a single price point in between.

Which means only one thing – thee should buy thy popcorn on its own. Making a sorry face and then blackmailing husband to get popcorn all the time will result in a state of shock sooner of later.

I almost made a fool of myself at the counter. Took one caramel popcorn and handed over the 100 rupee note. The guy gave me 15 rs back and I dutifully waited to get more change. Some strange expressions and his attempt to serve the guy behind me made me realize that the damn thing was indeed Rs 85. But I still stuck my ground and reiterated that I had only bought 1 popcorn and nothing else. Irritated attendant again told me its 85.

Yeah so I am thinking of filing a complaint somewhere? Who will listen to me?

On a related note – I think Inception is mind blasting! I was dazed. Maybe I am writing this in my dream? Go watch it. I have always liked Leo and now the world appreciates him. Revenge Commeth!!

And we reach the finale – Post 28

I did it. Yes, as successfully as I could. Skipped 2 days, first because it was this mad mad day and 2^nd because I was a bit mad that day.

Wrote every single day. Wrote about things I wouldn’t have written otherwise. My readers know more about me post the NaBloPoMo now.

Completed the month without picking up a tag!! And that is something I am very happy about.

My friend thinks that next month will be a “Na – Blog – Post – Month”. Let’s see if she knows me well.

My reason for taking this up was to be regular with my blogging. I had been missing for a while and I am sure nothing better could get me back. Work was at its worst and that made the entire effort even more worth it.

It was taxing no doubt but it was as much fun too.

Its now time for my thank-you speech:

All my partners in this crime – Monika, Meira, Pixie, Swaram, Prats and some more, I owe this to the commenting you guys did. Had it not been for the “present here” comment I would have lost hope long back. {Ducks to avoid the eggs and tomatoes!!!

now please don’t stop commenting, phuleaseeee}

A big hug to Aman, for enduring my “its 11:30 pm, the clock is ticking and I haven’t posted yet” panic modes.

Anu – hugs to u, u tried to get me off this and I know your intentions were right

Thanks to my neighbors – generally!!

And aunty’s dog – even more generally!!!

And to the maid and the cook – now what if I didn’t have the support system at home. Time would have gone in cribbing and ordering food, right?? {What, you thought I would say – cooking and cleaning, huh???}

So tra lala la. And its time to treat myself!! Chicken Biryani any one??

And the Day was made – Post 27

Mornings are typical. Aman wakes me up in the warmest way possible. I scramble out of the bed, switch on the geyser, then the laptop and then collapse again to catch another precious 5 mins of sleep.

While the bath gets ready, I clear a few mails, plan my work day and then log into Facebook. Not that anything earth shattering would have happened through the night. It’s just like a habit.

So this morning when I logged on to FB I saw a notification saying my blog had been mentioned in a friend’s status message.

And when I read what it was, I was happy and touched beyond words.

My friend’s status message said “she wakes up to My blog and Monika’s blog each morning”

Now isn’t that extremely flattering??

Check it out for yourself.

I didn’t even know she was reading me, let alone reading me each day. So “E” big big thank-you to you. You really made my day!!

What do women want? Post 26

Many a philosophers have spent a lifetime trying to figure this one out. Many a sages went through time to get the answers. But does anyone really know?? Here is my attempt to answer the question as I see it. For the one woman really close to me is Me.

What women want is control over her destiny, a control over her life.

We want freedom of choice, of opinion, of living the way we want.

We want to be secured and yet be fancy free!

We want a man who loves us, respects us and cares for us. We want a man who keeps us on a pedestal up there and adore us. We want a man who really wants us.

We want children when we want them and not when the world thinks we should have them.

We want a home. A warm welcoming place to come back to.

We want friends who are as mad as us and yet understand us.

We want a career and we want the choice to quit when we wish.

We want money. We want the perfect wardrobe. We want a lot of shoes. We want holidays and vacations.

We want a healthy body. We want to love our curves, our color, our skin and our hair. And we do. Please let us be.

We want to walk at any hour without carrying the pepper-spray.

We want to be respected. We are proud of who we are, please do not force us to think otherwise.

We want to be individuals first and then be seen as “women”.

Is this asking for a lot??

Ps: this is also my entry for BlogAdda’s What Woman Want contest In association with pringoo.com

Gucci or Shakespeare - Post 25

What would you rather be – “rich and uneducated” or “poor and educated” ??

Is it preferable to have a Prada without even knowing how to pronounce it or would you be rather be reading a battered 3^rd version of a classic?

If education is just a means to prosperity then why is wealth without one considered vulgar??

Go on tell me, what would you rather be??

Ain’t I lucky? Post 24

Yesterday when I got home after work I found my MIL busy in the kitchen. She always is and one more person having a blast other than Aman and me is my cook. He comes, looks around, and finding nothing much to do, cuts some salads and fruits and leaves.

Coming back to yesterday – she was cooking Arbi (Also known as Taro, picture below for ref). This is a very popular north Indian vegetable. Both Aman and I are very fond of it. Aman likes the dry version and I like the gravy version better. Arbi is not easily available in Bangalore and so she brought a kilogram or so of it all the way from Punjab. Really sweet of her!! So first time she made the dry version and I casually commented that I like the gravy one more.

Now yesterday, when I entered the kitchen, I saw her making both types of Arbi. On one burner was the type Aman likes and on the other side was how I like it.

I asked her why she was doing it and she said because that’s how I like it. I was touched beyond words. Really, which MIL will go all the way and do something like this. Didn’t I say I am blessed?

TOUCHWOOD!!

From the eyes of a North Indian – Post 23

On the account of generalizing a bit I can say that for a typical north Indian, the four southern Indian states existed only in the geography books. Outside of books it was all “South India” or “Madras” to be more specific. And I was no exception.

This changed when I went to Pune for my MBA. That’s where I realized how different a Malayali is from a Kannadiga. How the food eaten by an Andhraite was very different from Tamilian.

And yes there was more to the rich cuisine than just Idli, Dosa and Sambhar.

I had 2 roommates. One was a Tam Bram (Iyer) and other a Kannadiga from Dharwad. My closest fried was a Reddy from Andhra Pradesh. The girl in the next room was a Manglorean. The guy I use to borrow notes from was a Tamilian. This really cool girl who sang like a dream was from Kerala. And then there were many more.

And living with them for 2 years in the residential environment of B School, I was made aware of how varied each of the culture was.

From sharing the spicy pickle from one to having the curd rice with another, to having fried fish with one to sharing the bissibele bath with another, I savored the variation and the variety of each of these regions.

And then as destiny had it, I got my first job in Bangalore. The small window that had opened up in Pune became like this big passage to discovery. Every since, I have been on a mode to learn and imbibe more and more. From “the on your face diversity” to “the finer nuances”, the journey has been extraordinary till now.

Happy hours Forever – Post 22

Finally the day has come, for the little girl to grow a wee bit older!!!

Here’s wishing Meira a very very happy birthday. May you get more of everything this year and in all the years to come by!!

More love, more kisses, more $#%.

Lot more parties and even more holidays.

More beer and more egg rolls.

More fun and more money

More happiness and more contentment!!!

And let the joy in the “happy hours” grow many many fold!!!

And on your (what 21^st it is??) birthday, here is a small gift from my side!!

A Channel bag and a Dolce and Gabbana Dress!!!

Image Curtesy - Channel and D&G

Hop over at Monika’s to have some cake and then at Pixie’s to raise a toast and then at Swaram’s for some goodies!!

Of this perfect day in Phuket – Post 21

I was in Phuket in February this year. It was an official trip (yeah, not kidding, it was). We had our 3 day Sales Conference there. The schedule was as packed as it can get. And being in-charge of the conference meant I had no breather at all.

The event got over on a Friday night with this gala dinner and celebrations. And my return to Bangalore was on Saturday evening.

I had 2 choices 1) to step out of Marriott where I was staying and explore the local Phuket or 2) to stay back and enjoy the beautiful resort.

I was tired beyond words and so I opted for the second option.

And in that I had one of the most perfect days I could without Aman by my side. For me the idea of having fun without him is very limited. I love my girlie time out. I love my random shopping trips. I love my coffee and my books. But if it’s something big I have to have to have him.

Yeah I missed him and it goes without saying, for those who know me well. But I didn’t have too much choice. Either I could sit and sulk or I could get out and enjoy the sun, sea and sand!!

And I choose the saner option!!

Woke up really early and went for this hour long swim followed by a session in the open Jacuzzi. The place has Asia’s largest meandering pool (that’s what I was told.)

This was followed by a real sumptuous breakfast of salami, croissant, eggs, waffles, pancakes, fresh fruits and of course lots of coffee.

The next few hours were spent on the beach reading and introspecting. Staring at the pristine waters, soaking in the sun, and trying to get some tan. After all who comes back from Thailand without one??

And then I did something I have never done before. I treated myself to a proper Thai massage. It was heavenly to say the least. Those women have some strength. Don’t go by their petite frame. They are pretty good at this. So floored by them I also got a head message done. It was as close to ecstasy as one can get.

After letting the oil ooze in to each and every pore on my skin, I went swimming in the ocean. The warm salty water was a delight. And yeah the tan was coming in. Floating on my back, eyes closed, warm water on my skin, I was as close to Nirvana as possible. I have no idea how long I did that but it must be pretty long coz by the time I got out it was way past lunch time.

Which meant that time to leave for the airport was nearing.

Taking one last look at the sea, absorbing in as much as I could, content and happy, and of course with the promise to be back soon, this time obviously with Aman, I made my way back to the room.

And then you know the Earth has fallen!! Post 20

So the guy I am married to is very finicky about the food he eats. He is a big foodie and therefore he is extremely touchy about it. No, you can’t screw up. There are no bad food days. If the cook has messed up, the food remains untouched and promptly a phone call is made to order stuff from some or the other restaurant.

That’s one. The other very important aspect is that no dish can be repeated. Yeah, not even Rajma, not even Chicken curry. If he has eaten it ones, he won’t eat it again. No matter how nice it is, no matter how much is left, no matter how much I urge, cry and then threaten. In a household of 2 it’s rather difficult to cook the exact quantities, and that you will agree. But “LEFTOVERS” is a big no no.

Remember the doggy bags, the ones we use to get all that extra stuff packed from the restaurants?? Yeah, I miss them; I haven’t seen them since we got together.

One person is rather happy with this habit of my better half, and that’s the maid. She is the one who gets all the good stuff coz there are no takers for it in the Malhotra household.

I have tried in the past all tricks possible under the sun. From camouflaging the dish, to doing some major drama, to talking about the food wastage, to reminding him of all the poor children who sleep empty stomach and some more. Nothing has worked!!

The problem is he doesn’t fight. He just throws a tantrum, like a 4 yr old? Or he gets all cute in a way that tugs at my heart, or simply refuses to eat saying he isn’t hungry!! And the love sick girl I still am, I give in. That’s been the story of my life for the last 4.5 years and I have rather got used to it.

Now last week, there was Dal Makhani that was made for dinner by his Mom (I mentioned that in-laws are visiting). The next morning, mom suggested that she gave him the same Dal Makhani for breakfast as well. Me being me, said rather proudly, that Aman won’t even touch it. Right then our man walks into the kitchen and mom popped the question to him. And hold your breath ladies and gentlemen, HE AGREED. And then he ate it like it was the best thing he ever had!!! Praises and more praises.

Now, you my esteemed readers tell me, shouldn’t I be furious at this? Shouldn’t I bring the household down? For 4 years I have suffered. And now in front of my MIL this is what I get. I think its time to go on a strike!!

Coming back to where we started. - Post 19

So the last post was a total bouncer. Here is the background:

Was speaking to my bestest friend on Saturday night. It was close to 9:30 and I hadn’t written a post. It was frustrating. I wasn’t getting any ideas. I didn’t want to write a weekend update (I never do that), neither a book nor a movie review (again, I have never done that as well.) Time was ticking and in that I made my frustration way too vocal.

And the sweetheart that she is, keeping my best interest in mind, did this. Love you so much for it.

And then I slept over it all weekend. And the stubborn person that I am, decided to get back to it. Lets not stop this thing we started!!!

She might kill me after all. But maybe she loves me enough to understand. Or maybe she would contribute by writing a few more posts for me!!

Rules are a little different though. I would be skipping the weekend. And that’s because I will be out of Bangalore. So people, we are back to where we started!!

Can stop the thing we started..! Post 18

I remember Iya telling me that when she is sitting under a truckload of work, no time to breathe, and all damn milestones were to be met yesterday, she feels an urge to blog. This is not because she wants to run away from work, but because it is her biggest (well almost) stress buster. So in her busiest of days when she did not have time to come out for a cup of coffee, I could see an update in the mail that thewhiterain has updated her blog.

By now you all would have understood this is not Iya writing this post. I am Iya’s friend (I hope this stays after she reads this), and no other description is important. (Because if you don’t like what I am going to write here, I don’t want the curses to be directed to me :))

So people, this stress buster is fast converting into a stress in itself. What was a pleasure before and came straight from the heart, is on the todo list now. EOD for us in this industry meant before next morning and if required one stretches at night, but this milestone is stringent. Clock strikes twelve and you have missed an important deadline. And Iya wants to be home early on weekend nights, which are our biggest unwinding time of the week, to complete what she has started. Someone remember Julie and Julia?

So here I am writing this post (I have hacked her account, easily guessed her password, will pay a price soon) to make an announcement that Iya will be discontinuing NaBloPoMo. This does not mean much to anyone of us except her sadly. Because we love to read her “straight from the heart” posts and it does not matter to us if they come once a day or once a week. We do NOT want her to blog if it means stress and formality. So Iya, kudos for the heroic attempt :D but stop it now and get back to your usual self. And go back to freaking out on your weekends.. movies, dinners, and Naturals.. and sleep! Take care. Love you!

Be careful when you wish for who knows it might just come true - Post 17

There are times in life when we wish for things without even realizing what will happen if those wishes come true.

In one of those angry moments when I was very hurt I wished that this friend who was responsible for everything, suffered as well.

It happened way back. Back when nothing used to be trivial. Back when the biggest joys and biggest sorrows were something I would consider inconsequential now.

And after a few years, I had made peace with it. I had brought things to closure. We were friends again. Forgive, forget and shut it.

And then this friend suffered and suffered some more. On her own hands and on the hands of someone she loved.

It then struck me very hard. I was reminded of the vague wish I had made years ago. Was her suffering my doing? Had god finally listened to me? After years?

How much do we know the people we think we know? Post 16

This incident took place a couple of years back while I was working in my first organization. There was this guy in the office who sat like 5 cubicles away. By virtue of being on the same floor and part of the same group I knew him pretty well. He seemed like a very professional, confident and normal person.

Till, we saw news about him in the leading newspapers of being arrested on the grounds of domestic violence. Shocking it was. Not just to me, but to a lot of other folks in office. I didn’t pass any judgment but all logic said that he might have been actually beating his wife, till she had enough and sought help. The report said that neighbors had intervened when her cries had become unbearable. She was bruised and not just physically but mentally and emotionally too.

That’s when I realized that the types who hit their wives were regular people. No they didn’t have horns, neither a sign which said “stay away or I could harm you”. They are educated and as regular as you and me. The monster within is safely hidden. During the day they walk the planet like any other person, getting through the daily chores and responsibilities. It’s only behind the locked doors that they get creepy and slimy. They do the unthinkable and without remorse. And the very next moment they are normal again. There is no give away. There is no guilt.

Yes, we really don’t know that people we think we know. The monster remains hidden.

Has technology made us lame?? Post 15

Like I don’t remember more than 3 phone nos. And if someday the phone conks off, I really wouldn’t know what to do? Not that I haven’t lost phone before, but it has been a struggle to get all the contacts again. Back in the days of only landline phone, I could rattle nos like no ones business. Not just of the obvious ones but of vague ones as well like my mom’s friends driver’s home telephone number.

And now, barring like 3-4 numbers I don’t remember any other!!

Second example is of spellings. Now if not for the spell check feature on Ms Word, half my documents would be utter trash. I have become so complacent while typing that I just don’t bother if a “i” or a “e” is out of place, knowing for sure that my word editor will correct it.

(Very recently I realized that the Auto spell check of my name becomes “Ivy”, that is after a colleague kept sending mails addressed to some Ivy)

There are numerous other things as well, like I don’t even remember when was the last time sent someone a birthday greeting? We wish people on FB and the job is done.

I can think of more, but I need to publish this post right now as its already 12:45 pm and I can’t skip another day!!!

What do you think? Can you come up with more examples?