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?

Girlie Wisdom from the males!! Post 14

Disclaimer: This post was written in the state of immense sleepiness and tiredness last night. I had no intention of missing one more day and hence decided to scribble something. Please feign ignorance to blatant spelling and grammatical and mental errors.

Over dinner with friends the other day, the conversation conveniently steered towards woman and their clothing.

A particular guy complained that he was ragged big time by his 12 year old niece when she asked him to get her some spaghetti tops from France, and he asked what they were. I actually don’t blame him. Aman and I have been together for almost 7 years now and his knowledge of what I wear ends at “Sexy” or “Not so Sexy”.

So then the game started, in a group comprising of 7 girls and just 2 guys, it was an absolute laugh riot. The idea was to use logic!!

Now here are a few definitions these guys came up with.

Tube Top – it’s a top, so obviously worn on the upper part of the body. It’s like a tight mini skirt, too tight to be worn as a skirt, therefore it’s worn as a top.

Tank top – A top just like a tank, specialized in storing more content than it appears to be storing!!

Spaghetti top – A top, that hangs on spaghetti like straps

Halter top – a top “altered” in a manner that makes the guy’s heart beat halt!!

Corset – it’s like a closet, keeping things safe!!

There were more, but those hang on the edge decency, so will skip them.

My mom and her maid – Post 13

I fail to understand the fixation my mom has with her maid. Actually not just her maid, she has a fixation with my maid as well.

The first question on my daily call to her is inevitably “Maid came?” followed by “Cook came?” No mom, they didn’t and what will you sitting hundreds of miles away?

I know what she will do; she will curse her if she didn’t come. After all, the darling daughter will have to do the work.

So maid is a very integral part of my mom’s life. Each time I speak to her, the maid gets a mention. Either she was very good that day, or she was bad. Either she did some extra work without asking, or she didn’t finish her work!!

Sample Conversations:

Mom – Radha came late today

Me – Mom I am in Singapore

Mom – Good, I almost thought she won’t come.

Me – ok, I am running late for my meeting with the Chairman of my company

Mom – Oh, so I scolded Radha and she almost replied back

Me – Mom, I if I don’t make it on time he will fire me

Mom – Don’t worry, but Radha has become very rude!!

Me – Mom, I just got ran over by a bus

Mom – Oh, but how can Radha be so rude??

And the story goes on………

Random mumblings of a confused mind. Post 12

No matter how much I travel, each time I am about to leave for the airport, I still get that sunken feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like there will be something amiss happening. There is always this thought of calling the boss and telling him that I am almost dead and therefore can’t do this trip. But some things “have to be done” and travelling on work surely tops that list.

Sleep is another aspect that is totally screwed up while I am oversees. I sleep with the lights switched on and with TV playing as well. I have this major phobia of sleeping alone. So with TV on, I get the feeling that there is someone in the house. Also, I need to be fully aware of the surrounding and therefore the lights are kept on all night. With TV I have to be extra careful to ensure I tune it to some safe channel. Like some sport or some cartoon. Now what if they start showing some horror movie and I suddenly wake up to see some gory images!!! Night mare!!

Now why am I talking about all this today? That’s because I am sitting at the airport waiting to board my flight to Singapore. I will be gone for a couple of days. And didn’t want to skip writing a post.

So tomorrow’s update will be from Singapore la!!!

Nothing like sweet nothings!! Post 11

Pre Script: Yesterday was this mad mad day. and so I couldn’t write a post. Are we allowed a few life lines in the NaBloPoMo? I hope we are. I really want to continue this? So veterans, do let me know if missing a day or 2 is acceptable.

Now why was yesterday mad could be anybody’s guess. My dream of taking that 1 month break seems to be getting more and more real. And if life continues at the same pace I would be taking the break sooner than I thought.

Aman time and again shows me what a wise decision I made by marrying him. Not that I have any doubts, but the guy doesn’t fail to swoon me every now and then.

So Thursday morning while I was just about to leave for work, he caught me by surprise and clicked a picture of me from his blackberry. I didn’t even bother to see how the snap had come. And almost forgot about it as soon as it was clicked.

On Friday, I saw this message from Facebook, saying Aman had tagged a picture of mine. Curiosity obviously got the better of me like it always does and I logged on to check what the guy was upto?

What I saw, made my heart skip a beat!! He had uploaded the same picture he had clicked the previous morning with the caption “Yesterday’s morning was really beautiful”. Now what does one do with that? One simply says a little prayer, thank all the gods in the world and hopes that things never change!!

P.S: I am still a bit modest so won’t put up the picture here. Those of you who I am connected on FB can obviously see the picture.