Ishu turns 2

Today Ishaan, my nephew turns 2.... He was born in the morning 2 years ago and has gone from being a mouse to a full blown 2 year old who is more than happy to beat up people, get married to Gehna in his playschool and some bhaiya from upstairs, is very clear that Anna Massi (me) always comes in a plane and no one else can do that, is also very clear when I am around that Nannu (mom) is his (and obviously not mine!), sings rock on songs with a plastic tennis racket as the guitar, calls piano panno and uses the same word for asking you to put on his shoes for him.. pannno naa... has a crazy sense of humour (well if you have met his parents you would know where that comes from!) will speak to his grandparents in marathi and to my mom in hindi :).. shakes one shoulder and dances in a cirlce going dhin chak dhin chak, obsesses about everything going in its proper place (proper place defined by him!), will say 'ok bye' if he does not want to talk to you or if you are disturbing him in his routine (whatever the routine is) when he gets a firing from manna or sallo, he will sit quitely for sometime and then say sorry mamma... ok and smile reaallyyy cutely.

Wishing him all the fun that he wants to have and oh, his grandparents have gifted him a cycle, so he is off to a new phase of his life... the one where he has a lot more mobility and the one where my sister will loose a lot more weight!!! wish my grandparents would have gifted me a cycle when i turned 2.... atleast then i would know how to ride one and not have to begin this journey when im nearing 30!!

New Chapter

Tommorrow I begin work with the Centre for Equity Studies, also known as Aman Biradari. This is an organisation that was started by Harsh Mander sometime after the Gujarat riots. This new work means a complete shift for me from my comfort area (read women's rights) to the broader issue of communalism. I am quite excited about this shift and also am a little nervous since I havent really kept myself updated on this issue.
I am also happy and sad since I came back to Delhi after spending nearly 4 weeks at home :) so right now I am also missing being at home like crazy. After a very long time I had spent so much time at home and had sort of got into the routine of things there. Mom leaving in a crazed hurry in morning, coming back at 6 tired awaiting her cup of tea. My sister and my crazy talkitive nephew, who can steal your heart by his sorry and ok. I was called 'anna maasi' by him, totally miss him...
On my way back I had a chance to visit Sanchi stupas and Khajuraho temples, since I was going for a friend's brother's wedding in khajuraho. That was well... quite refreshing, different and for sure SHOCKING :)
Anyway, will write soon about my new work, till then my dear blog, wish me luck :)

All I want is...

...a room somewhere, far away from the cold night air......hmmmm im at home, in mumbai.. Its funny whenever i say this i find the need to specify home in mumbai, coz i can pretend to hate it as much as i do, delhi is home too.. its the place i started living on my own and continue to do so, it is the place i lost and found love and i continue to do so too, and i must start admitting it (more to myself than anyone else) that i do miss it quite a bit.
Having said that, I am so pleased to be home right now and i am so thank full for the break that I have got :) The weather is beautiful here, it has been drizzling the whole day and so its quite cool. My nephew has gotten over his beating up phase and so thank fully he does not smack me at every given opportunity like he used to before. He lovingly calls me 'anna maassi' and 'annu mausi', he keeps running around the house asking everyone and everything 'kaa hua kaa hua' and then when you tell him he says 'accha accha' like he has understood and approved everything...
I hav done my quota of watching television, people who know me well enuf would know the non existence of a tv in my life, which i make up for whenever i come home. Its only the second day and I have 2 full weeks to go :). I plan to go to college, the beach, marine drive, gateway, bandstand, basically everywhere i can catch glimpses of the sea
That my dear friends is all I want, and guess what?? that is precisely what I have :)

Moving On

I am sort of in transition right now, the future is worth looking forward to which makes my present happy, but my present is my present which makes me impatient. I want my tommorrow to become my today really fast, but as it is it will take time. I was in this phase around 1 and a half years ago when i had joined the corporate world. Did'nt know where I was going or what is expected of me and what am I suppose to do.
When I look back i know that the past year has shown me some difficult times and I also know that I have managed to deal with them with a smile on my face. I am glad i survived, coz i guess thats who I am.
And now I am just rambling away!!

Beware

Nobody today, come in my way, coz today i will bark and bite

Long Weekend: Kya Kiya?

Friday: Choti Diwali, actually let me start with Thursday evening. I was dropped off in Khan Market by an office colleague. I had put in some effort to dress up (read: wear salwar kameez with some bling). I had dinner in Side Wok in Khan market (I love their chicken suimai and phad thai noodles yum!!) Went to meet Ashish in his office in South ex. He decided to take me home since his wifey dear was fuming a bit. They had a get to gether in their colony (Yes there are colonies also in the Delhi... surprise surprise!) After that at 11.30 pm we went to Saket were all the potters (not the famous family, but the profession :)) have their shops, since diwali was literally round the corner there was a lot of crowd there. I simply love that stuff!!! was gifted lovely chimes made of clay :))) Then stayed over at Ashish's after helping them put up the lights etc etc etc. Got up early friday morning, went home, got ready (read wore a saree!) and reached office. Was in no mood of working in office and in any case there was a rangoli competition in office so just did stuff for that (read moral support and some support in spoiling the good work).
Was dropped off to Chacha's place by another office colleague. Had good home cooked food. Read 2 states, went off to sleep.
Saturday: Diwali day. Cleaned chachi's fridge, went crazy about the amount of vegetables in that house (I think its a ploy to keep the woman in the kitchen!!). Helped out in cleaning the house and cooking. did general faffing around in the house. Got ready in the evening for diwali (read wore new clothes, some more bling!) participated in the pooja headed by my grandfather (will write separately about this too. There is no mention of the woman in the artis except for when referring to a childless woman who should be blessed with a son... uff) Oh also watched Dasvidanya in the day ...lovely movie! Then my cousins went off to burst crackers while i watched from the balcony... that was fun though. Finished 2 states adn went off to sleep.
Sunday: Got up lasily, had breakfast... chachi had woken up earlllllyyy and made loads of kadi for the entire colony (too much!!) Cousins and moi went off for a movie (BLUE.... disgusting !!) Bought a gift for my cousin brother and for my granpa. Went off for a get to gether of my law fac friends. That was fun.. a lot of catching up... too many chutka children running helter skelter...w ent to the deer park for dinner, laughed my guts out... had fun. reached home at 1 am
Monday: Bhai Duj: RB came in the morning, got him in sync with my next plans for life.. thank god that happened. Slept off for a bit, did gocery shopping. WEnt off to my mausi's house for bhaiya duj. This was fun. I was at some crazy level and broke into a song at any given opportunity (read as all the bloody time). Caught up with a friend on the phone for almost 2 hours. Went off home slept late got up early cooked cleaned, got ready reached office... damn this week.

Full Moon

It was a full moon last night. I have been out quite late for the past few nights. Infact one morning i was up till 4 am and was on my terrace. Even it was'nt purnima the moon was looking heavenly (considering that it is a heavenly bosy, that shudnt be suprising:)). The moon was on the left and right above me where numerous stars twinkling away to glory. Then last night was the full moon and we were at a friend's place on the terrace. Now her terrace was veerrryy different from ours, it was the 2nd floor technically and was surrounded with trees. It was a lovely breezy night and we had food and drinks in the moonlight and some candle light.
Today I am writing this sitting on my terrace, it is quite cold today since it rained a bit this morning and again im falling in love..... with the moon :))

VIP movement

It is soo very troublesome when VIPs decide to be on the move, that too without any prior notice. Why do they need so much protection from us? we elected them didnt we? if we wanted to hurt them we would bribe their body guards, wouldnt we? Obviously the need to notify residents in advance is never felt, they dont even bother to put up signs saying that the road ahead has been diverted. We will just have a traffic guy standing there and stopping vehicles... only slow moving vehicles mind you, which means its only rickshaw walas who have to bear the brunt, 2 wheelers and 4 wheelers are more than welcome to do what they like.
Its the modern techno age people. If the security of the VIP is such a big concern, just get them to log on to the function without having to be present physically, a lot cheaper and atleast people who actually have work to do can go about doing their usual stuff

Age has got the better of me!!

Last night I was working late in office. There are guys who come in around 8.30 pm since they work as per US timings. As they walked and said their hellos, one of them started praising the movie Kaminney. Now I have not seen this movie, and of course you will say that you have just returned from a vacation, what on earth did you do there?? The answer my friend is swine flu.... no i dint have it, but i was surely affected by it as the cinema theatres where all shut in Mumbai.. anyways
Now my cab is set to come at 9.30 pm and I would reach home in 20 minutes so I quickly check the internet to see where all is this movie running and it is showing in 3 Cs which is next to my house for a 10 pm show. I am all excited that I will go and see the movie tonight yayayay
But I call atleast 8 people (since my original phone is not working, i dont have all my numbers therefore 8 wonly!) and none of them agreed to see amovie at the spur of the moment... i was shocked!! I dont have anyone in my life currently who is wiling to do things at the spur of the moment... I have surely become old, but so have the people around me

I finally concluded that I should stop depending on people and get my own vehicle instead!

Ab na ja: Euphoria

Ankhen Band Kar Lu Jo Mein
dekhu Bas Tumhe
khwabon Mein Keh Sakta Huin Aapna Tumhe
rehne De Mera Ye Wehem pe Hi Yakin
na Jaa abhi
pyar Ki Yeh Raat Hai Ab Na Ja
chotisi Ik Baat Hai Ab Na Ja

tumhi Se Hai Meri Neendein Na Bhi Ho To Kya
tumhi Se Hai Meri Baatein Na Bhi Ho To Kya
kehne De Taaron Ko Kahaani Ankahi
na Jaa abhi
pyar Ki Yeh Raat Hai Ab Na Ja
chotisi Ik Baat Hai Ab Na Ja
pal Do Pal Ka Saath Hai Ab Na Ja
jadusi Ye Raat Hai Ab Na Ja
ab Na Ja
aankhen De Pyaar Ki Boondein
bikhre Se Kai Sawaal
ankhon Mein Kitne Mausam Pal Mein Beetein Kitne Saal
behne De Jahan Bhi Le Jayen Zindagi Na Jaa abhi
pyar Ki Yeh Raat Hai Ab Na Ja
choti Si Ik Baat Hai Ab Na Ja
pal Do Pal Ka Saath Hai
ab Na Ja
jadusi Ye Raat Hai Ab Na Ja

serendipity

I am suppose to be packing like crazy and ironing clothes etc etc, but what do i chose to do?? any takers??? Well yes, i choose to watch a movie and since I have an early morning flight i watch a movie at home, otherwise i was planning to go watch Love aajkal in the theatre.
This friend of mine at work has been going on about this movie serendipithy for ever. She shared the song 'Moonlight Kiss' by Bap kennedy which i fell in love with :)
Today I finally got to see the movie ...!!! just one word for it HOPE.... sumthing that has been my middle name, but recently i was feeling that i was losing it, and there we have it again :)

Songs I want to sing part 2

What? did you think that was it??? arrey you obviously do not know me then!! here we are with list 2:

• Right now I am soo in the mood for 'You oughta Know' Alanis Morrisette..... need i say more?
• Talli ho gayi: Ugly aur pagli: hard Kaur... totally love this one and do want to try this out on stage:)
• Oh meri jaaaaaannnnn ooohoooo.... Life in a Metro nice one
• Strangely cant think of anymore songs! so then there will surely be a third list somewhere

Just Stuff

Even though I have let you pass,
Your memories still trespass
Even though I had burnt bridges
There seems to be a connection that has surpassed
I wonder now, why did i erase material things
when the details remain etched in my heart.

I have been Tagged :)

Got this from Suchi dear, who in the middle of her marriage has the time to blog.... wow!! Either she is super stressed (which is tyhe most correct answer!) or she is super prepared hee hee hee we know about that now don't we?? So here goes:

Three names I go by:
1. Anubha (coz thats what they named me :))
2. Anu (most obvious short form for my name)
3. Anshu (Maa calls me this)
4. And I am going to cheat and put in some more

• Chech and Big fat chief (Ananth and Avinash), btw there is a history to the second name will discuss later
• Moti/ Amma/ Bhai (obviously!! mostly my law fac guys)
• Rastogi (Avinash and Manna sumtimes)

Three Jobs I have had in my life: (If I start from the begining)
1. Help at a Cake shop: Cakes and Flakes
2. Programme Monitor Times FM
3. PR The Bowling Company

And then:

4. Legal editor: part time Lexis Nexis

5. Associate: The Chambers of Law

6. Assistant Director: HRLN

7. Deputy Manager: Global IT Company

Three Places I have lived:
1. Mumbai, India
2. Delhi, India

Three Favorite drinks:
1. Water
2. Nimbu Paani
3. Bloody Mary

TV Shows that I watch:
1. Sex and the City
2. Friends
3. How I met your mom

Three places I have been: (Lots of them, will put down the recent ones)
1. Udaipur
2. Mumbai
3. Baroda

People that text me regularly:
1. Nidhu
2. Akki
3. Rupesh

Three of my favorite foods:
1. Mumbai food
2. Thai
3. Chinese

Three Things I am looking forward to
1. Going home in August
2. Studying abroad
3. Whatever else life throws at me :)

Need to make a list

Over the days I keep getting ideas of things that I want to blog about, but when i actually sit to write sumthing i phorget!!! Therefore, I should make a list...well really like that is going to happen!
But on the other hand, I have been in the habit of making laundary lists for almost everything, so I should not be too sceptical about making a list of things to blog about.
Anyways, right now I am very excited about august:), obviously coz I am going to kolkatta and then yes please, I am going home.....tadatadatada
The other thing that has been bothering me soo damn much is me behaving so strangely around a particular person of the opposite sex that I am attracted to. Shit man I have changed so damn much!!! I was never the kind to think soooooo much before going and speaking to a guy and tell him that I like him and that we should go out for a bit, but right now, I am just shitting in my pants when this man is around!! Oh god, i am losing my bindassness, not good i say not good, this corporate wolrd is choking the life out of me, damn it!!!
Need to make a list of things that i think have changed about me in the past 1 year and see whether this is good or bad.... and a long list this will be!

Old Monk Cutting

I dont quite remember when did i actually start drinking... no im not an alcoholic like that, occassional drinker thats all. But the fact remains that somewhere in graduation in Ruia is what i remember. We were preparing for the annual college fest and this time our princi dear was really giving us a tough time, behaving like the college is his own fiefdom and we are his slaves, so we were quite pissed off as it is.
I was in my final year i think, and I was also the cultural secretary of the college and for the college fest Utsav, i was the coordinator for performing arts so that was anyways quite a bit of craziness anyways.
I dont really remember how i got this name, maybe if the guys who gave this name to me read this post then they will be able to through light on this. There were a couple of guys who had joined the first year, but they were almost our age as they had dropped out of engeneering or sumthg so we anyways gelled quite well. Also in Mumbai there is a culture of cutting chai at the chai ka tapri. So somehow i got the reputation of being the one who instead of asking for cutting chai asks for old monk cutting.
This could also be as most guys find old monk too strong and call it the drink for the horses. One guy even told me that if i leave a piece of chicken in a glass of old monk, then by next morning that meat would have dissolved as the alcohol is so corrosive, which works fine for me frankly, i do need some fat to dissolve:)
So that ny friends is the story of how i came to be known as old monk cutting or OMC. I was chatting with one of these guys the other day and he actually referred to me as OMC.
BTW i got this name some 10 years ago!!!! WOW

Songs I want to sing

Let me make a list of songs that I would love to sing on stage: hee hee hee

• Dekha jo tujhey yaar, dil main baji guitar, jhalka aankhon se pyar, dil main baji guitar, cha raha kaisa yeh nasha rey, aa raha jeeney ka mazza rey, arrey rey rey main toh gaya reh dil bhi gaya reh.... Apna Sapna Money Money. even though this song has 2 versions both sung by men (Mikaa and Amit Kumar) I totally love this song... it is soo bloody mumbaiya. So therefore, this song to be sung on stage with music and a crazy crowd:)
• Na lihaf na gilaf thandi hawa ke khilaf sasuri..... yes my dear peoples, this is beedi from Omkara. If there is any thing that I will truely be remembered for in this office especially in my team, it is for my laughter and the umpteen number of times that I have sung this song with all the right expressions (teehee). But i am awaiting an opportunity to sing this on stage and yes the entire song all by myself
• Sajna ji wari wari jaon ji main... I am not too confident of this song as i have never really sung it, but what the hell it is totally my type. You do know Honeymoon travels pvt ltd
• Now the list is actually a wish list sorts as i have not really tried these songs much and they are quite complicated like that:
• Kaisa jadoo dala rey.... from Khakhee, i am in love with the music of this song and the variations that sunidhi chuhan has done in this song too cool
• Hai ishq toh ishq toh galey se lagaley..... Dus.... ohhh i am unable to express in words what the music of this song does to me!!! just great

That is all for the day folks see you again:))))

Monday morning

At some stage in my life I am going to get Mondays banned... yes sir I will be at that stage at some stage in my life, but till then me and all others will have to suffer the Monday morning, afternoon, evening and night BLUES. In the words of Suchi... Uffffffff.... with the longest sigh ever.
And then we had this tracker meeting today so I also have a huge list of things to do, but where I ask is the inspiration to do the same?'
The only thing I am totally looking forward to is that I am going home in August tumtadeedee !! But then there is an entire July in between which will have atleast 4 mondays....... Lord!!!

Catching up

Hello there, havent written in sooo long :) there are atleast 3 new posts that i started and then jsut saved them. Loads of developments have happened. Let me just make a list:

• Sharmaji shifted in place of Suchi, after that room being empty for nearly 3-4 months
• I have gotten really busy at work, no they are still not doing much on harassment at the workplace, but i have just found ways on keeping myself busy so I am learning new things and especially the corporate style of working, but surely my work here is not done!
• I got an admission offer from SOAS for LLM, I wanted to go there and no where else, but no scholarship...boohooo
• Personal life changed drastically..... i guess thats all i'll say abt this, but that I am doing a good job at moving on.... pat on my back:)
• Have found a new friend and am thankful for having found her, wish that would have happened earlier
• Saw a hilarious play the other day.... The Complete Works of Shakespeare ... in 90 minutes flat, so u can imagine what they did.... too good
• Sang on stage after 9 years.... lived up to my reputation and sang genda phool, no cudnt sing beedi, wud want to do that on stage sumtime
• Went to chandani chowk yesterday to look at some shaadi type stuff. (no, im not gettg married,, sharma will soon and therefore). But atleast now i know, that's not meant for me, chandani chowk for sarees that is
• Had parantha in paranthey wali galli, not bad at all
• Bought 2 new sarees, now my new agenda in life is to also wear them to work and in everyday life basically
• all set to go to kolkatta and then home in August, suchi is getting married totally looking forward to that
• Got my second book published 'Claiming Dignity' it is a compilation of all cases affecting reproductive rights of women either positively or negatively in India

Ok, I also solemnly swear upon GOD that i will write more regularly.. lets see where that goes :)

Where am I?

I think I am in Delhi, Noida, but I feel like I am in Azkaban surrounded by Dementors

Tuesday Morning

It is a Tuesday morning which is out of character and behaving very badly!!! It thinks it is a Monday morning and has shown up like one:(

Moonlight Kiss: Serendipity

I can feel my heart
And it's fit to burst
I try to clean it up
But I just get worse

Wish I could fall
On a night like this
Into your lovin' arms
For a moonlight kiss

I thought I saw your face
In the evenin' sky
On a lonesome cloud
That was driftin' by
I wish I could fall
On a night like this
Into your lovin' arms
For a moonlight kiss

You got someone else
Maybe it's for the best
Since I took the cure
For happiness

And I'd trade it all
On a night like this
For your lovin' arms
And a moonlight kiss

For your lovin' arms
And a moonlight kiss
Lovin' arms
And a moonlight kiss
Ooh, yeah

Songs

It is soo strange, some songs have the habit of just creeping up on you when you least expect it and bring back all kinds of weird, inane memories. My life revolves around songs. I remember places, events, things in connection with the song that I was listening to at that point in time. This is not too bad, but when a song suddenly brings back some funny memory that you didnt know existed in your head, then you are taken by surprise and sometimes, you are left at the mercy of the memory that song brings back.
Dont know if I made annnyyyy sense :)

Evening at Mocha

Hello, spent some part of last evening at Cafe Mocha, missed Suchi quite a bit.

After a long time

Hello there, I am writing after a very long time! Well for beginners at least i have been able to upload a photograph of myself again, so i am not just a faceless shadow anymore:)
Life has been quite ok for the last month, too many ups and downs in my worklife, but things seem to be brightening up, so thats a welcome change.
I haven't heard from any universities yet, so i dont think i am going to study further this year, well lets see, we shall apply again next year.
In any case, even though i was getting a bit fed up of my current job and was on the verge of leaving at various stages of the past year... I just was'nt convinced that I should leave. I think i was viewing leaving as an escape, without having made the difference that I could and can in this workplace. There seems to be a sort of silver lining in this dark cloud!
Speaking of dark clouds, it has been raining like crazy in Delhi since the past 2 days and last night was just amazing! J and I were missing Suchi in the middle of all this... remembering the crazy times last year when our terrace would become the sea and we stuck on our ships in a storm.. those were great times. Suchi, really wish you come down to Delhi atleast once before August.
Baaki life seems ok, i am getting used to being in transition so i am able to deal with it more powerfully, instead of getting bogged down by it. Will be writing soon again... promise:)

No Photo

Last night i decided to change my profile picture in the blog.... so i removed the old one and teice spend half an hour each to upl0ad a new one, which obviously didnt happen... so now my profile is photoless, much like i wish my face was!

A toast contd...

I was very excited about the pinkchaddi campaign and thought let me share this with some women in my new (read corporate...forward!) office and I was expecting reactions like 'way to go' and ' cool we should join up' etc. But what did I get??
Me: Cool ain't it, now all you have to do is send a pink chaddi at this address and on 14th Feb with other friends go to a pub and raise a toast in the name of the SRS
She: My god are you mad, I don't want to get killed... but i like the pink chaddi thing, if they have a website where i could pay online I would like to do that
Me: Ya whatever, so let finish work and then we will chat ok...!!!!
I sometimes think I should my enthu adn excitment and flush it down the ladies wash room on our floor!!!

Music in the fort

This Saturday J, me and Jameen, another colleague from pold office went off to the Old Fort to listen to Hariprasad Chaurasia and Shiv Kumar Sharma perform together live. We had though that we would be late, but luckily we were just in time. The last time we had gone for dance recitals in the old fort, the entry was free. So I assumed it is the same thing and we started off without any pass, ticket etc. At the entrance we were asked by the security guards to step aside and speak to these suited booted men who had satin sashes in their necks representing the 3 colours of the Indian flag.
I protested and said that the ad did not mention that we needed passes or anything... J was her charming self and said pleaaase let us go in. Finally the men could'nt resist her charm and relented and let us in.
As usual, I have never seen the old fort in the daylight, I have only seen it lit up at night. Ofcourse, I have passed the old fort on my way to court a thousand times and I frankly do like the old fort much more than the red (read new) fort, but i have not ventured in it. The old fort looks lovely at night and the lights have been placed in a way that brings the entire structure to life.
We found places to sit and just then Hari prasad Chaurasia started the recital. It was lovely... not that I undestand classical music that well, but just the experience was very relaxing and followed by santoor wadan and then 2 jugal bandis between the flute and the santoor were just too good. It was a bit too cold in the open, but i guess i was ok with that.
This is definately one of the things i like about delhi, the space and in recent times the way the space is being made use of... Music in the Park in another initiative by the Delhi Government which is always awaited. Then there are the SPICMACAY programmes that also take place in open areas which are also worth keeping track of.
All in all it was fun

Dev D

Hmm, saw the much awaited movie last night, finally. For me this movie was important also because my dear friend M @ B was invovled in it and had given me an insider's view on the movie and the songs, especially emoshanal attyachar.
A, J and I had gone for the movie, while J and I had pretty mcuh the same reactions, A was going gaga about the camera angles , this and that, basically stuff that I don't really notice in the first time!
The movie theatre was full of a lot of men and in this movie the starkingly different reactions of most men and women to the same scene could clearly be seen. For example there is a scene where Paro is picking up the bedding after being completely humiliated by Dev and going off, for some strange reason a lot of men in the theatre found this funny, while it actually is an emotional type scene... I guess a lot of men could not deal with woman being shown so clear, informed and demanding about her sexuality, clearly she is seen as some one who is loose, forward, has no morals and someone against whom even the domestic help can easily gossip and be believed.
Similarly, when Chanda is being pulled back into the house and she screams about not repeating her behaviour with every tom, dick and harry who walks in also got loud cheers as a reaction!!
I actually felt like screaming, do you even know what you are watching, this is not a porn movie yaar!
Anywhich ways, overall I think this is a big breakthrough in being upfront about one's sexuality and dealing with it.. good show!

In the name of Lehman, satyam and ors...

we will violate all employment and labour standards, we will squeeze out every ounce that we can from our employees, we will constantly threaten them of loosing their jobs, we will cut pays, refuse pay hikes and all of that!!!

A toast to the Sri Ram Sena!!

Found this link on facebook and on blogs i visit, a totally cool initiative adn one that I think will make a strong point http://thepinkchaddicampaign.blogspot.com/. Go on peoples, where ever you are lets make a toast to the Sri am Sena on 14th Feb and lets send them pink chaddis as a gift!!

White Flag: Dido

I know you think that I shouldn't still love you or tell you that.
But if I didn't say it well I'd still have felt it,where's the sense in that
I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder Or return to where we were but

I will go down with this ship and
I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door,
I'm in love and always will be

I know I left too much mess and destruction to come back again
And I caused but nothing but trouble, I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of "it's over" then I'm sure that that makes sense but

I will go down with this ship and
I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door,
I'm in love and always will be

And when we meet, which I'm sure we will
All that was there, will be there still
I'll let it pass, and hold my tongue
And you will think, that I've moved on....

I will go down with this ship and
I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door,
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship and
I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door,
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship and
I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door,
I'm in love and always will be

I am aware...

of every nerve and muscle in my body, because every single of those nerves and muscles are screaming for attention..... no this is not the result of love or any related activity.....! This is the result of my supe khadus gym instructor! He obviously thinks I am some kind of juvenile jumping around in the gym, I think I will have to remind him at some stage that I am 29, lawyer and refuse to get bullied into running up and down the staircase 20,000 times!!

Conversations to be noted

He: This friend who has been married for quite sometime called me and said that his marriage is not working out fine and maybe they are heading for divorce
Me: Ok
He: You know, i told him, whatever it is, is totally your fault
Me: Ok
He: But you know, even though they both are working, his wife does not do any housework... like he literally has to wash her clothes too
Me: SOOO?
He: I mean can you believe it, he has to wash the clothes, she does not wash them!
Me: (trying not to break this man's neck!) Well women have washed men's clothes for centuries, if one man is washing his wife's clothes, what on earth is the big deal??
He: Oh shit, I forgot who I was speaking with!!
Me: Anyways, why can't they buy a washing machine or get domestic help?
He: No no they have a washing machine, he has to wash the clothes in the washing machine
Me: @*%$#%% (and walk away without causing any physical damage)

News Today

I have stopped reading the newspaper in print, mostly because the paper would not reach me every morning and that irritate the hell out of me, so i decided to opt out. I now read the newspaper online. Today the front page consists of the Nanavati commission, the UC Banerjee Commission, the Liberhan Commission, the banglore explosion.... and I havent even finished reading the front page.
Frankly I don't even remember anymore the chronology of blasts and terrorist attacks that have taken place. I don't know whether this is because there are too many of them or because I just wnt to shut my mind out from these happenings... I don't know what we are going to do about this situation and what worries me even more is that we refuse to deal with the root cause of all this terror.. we have judges saying that we should have strict terror laws this that, but really are people born terrorists? or they become terrorists? I mean are we going to deal with what exactly happens that drives a normal human being to be ready to shoot people and get burnt alive absolutely willingly?
I was in a seminar on Human Rights in Nanital once and after most poeple had spoken, the audience was also sharing their thoughts. One of the members came up and advocated for a stronger anti terror law and death penalty and no need for a trial etc for 'terrorists' to which i again spoke up about death penalty and why the concept itself is against human rights. In response to this I had a High Court judge turn around and say that if he ever had the chance he would without doubt sentence a 'terrorist' to death penalty without a second thought. When i replied back about how easily the State was washing its hands off by not dealing with the circumstances which make people so called terrorists, all the high Court judge could say was that all this study for the purposes of criminology can be done at a later stage, but right now stroang action is required....
Don't really know what we are heading for!

Looong Weekend!!

Last week I had a longish weekend (4 days actually...heehee!!) So Friday night movie happened.. I saw Luck By Chance, nice, I liked it quite a bit and I think I am falling in love with Farhan Akhtar. Only in the movie his character is a capricon as he reveals during the movie, but me thinks his character is very very sagitarian: you know witty, smart ass, charming to the core, opportunist and selfish, and really sagis u really cant do anything about it, some people are like this only. Anyways, Saturday was spent in previous office writing a proposal which I knew would be re written considering the reputation of my previous boss. I went shopping to Dilli Haat on Saturday, that was fun. I finally bought some silver earrings, very nice hep danglers. The overall atmosphere was fun and colourfull, had fun. Since I had gone with Aanchal, so a lot of Ruia and its people were discussed.
Late night was disturbed by a nocturnal bird, tried to shoo the bird away, but then saw some sense and let the bird stay....(don't know for how long I will see this 'sense' though!). Saw Slumdog millionaire till early morn, like this movie too, will write a separate post about the movie considering all the hallagulla around it.
Sunday morning Miss Sunshine read J was back home, early morning was spent giving and getting an update! Missed her quite a bit. Spent the Sunday indoors, finishing some arbit work here and there, saw a stupid movie 'harold and kumar' mopped around since sunday was getting obher and fell asleep.
Now come monday morn and I was'nt feeling too great, decided to stay at home and chill and finish some pending work. J also came back home quite early, I spent the evening in previous office and that was that.
Tuesday morning, I am all ready to leave for office and have even finished packing my lunch when I casually say to J that I don't feel like going to office today, J voices similar feelings and we both decide to take the day off and go shopping, which we did. I saw Luck by chance again yesterday, and really I liked it quite a bit. Went oveboard shopping, got totally obsessive about purchasing a chair, did'nt get around buying one though (that's on agenda for today!) and highlight of the day, went and joined the gym J goes to. She has lost quite a bit of weight so I too got inspired. Actually when you shopping for clothes this is one of the side efffects, so I decided to cash on this side effect and paid up for 3 months. After that I bought shoes for the gym and this morning I spent an hour working my butt off in the gym... thank you thank you!!!

The best part yet: 2 more days to go and it is weekend ..again!! yippeeeee

Weekend Couples

I met a very interesting peson on my bus ride to shimla. No, it wasn't a nice guy, my knight in shining armour, so please women stop jumping around in excitment!!! It was this nice looking girl who was standing alone next to the bus with a bag in he hand. I had reached the bus stoip at around 7.10 and was waiting for my luggage alongwith publications to turn up. People who have been part of HRLN or my life in HRLN would know what I mean when i say publications!! SO we both were standing next to each other and we got talking. She looked like she was just out of college or had just begun her career except for the tiny hint of mangalsutra that i could see peeping out of her jacket. So in the conversation I asked her her reason for travel as she asked me and she said that her husband was in Shimla... she had gotten married just the last month and after her chutti got over they both had to go back to their respective work places adn therefore she was in Delhi and he was in Shimla, posted in the Army. She travels like this every friday evening and reaches shimla Saturday morning, spends the weekend in shimla and takes a bus back to delhi on sunday night and reaches Monday morning. Luckily for her, her workplace is ok with her working in 12 to 9 shifts during the week till thursday and then on friday she works from 7 to 4 so that she can get eady for the bus journey.
I was just wondering, right now I get a little bit unhapppy with the fact that all the things Im doing right now are not going to be very long lasting and therefore I dont know if I want to invest all my energy in it, the solution that comes up in my mind is that once I settle in my personal life, which will most likely be a marriage (coz even if i dont like it, i am a bit traditional!!) then things will be fine. But looking at this weekend couple I was just wondering how it would be!! coz even though it was a arranged match, she sounded like she was quite fond of the guy and that so was he.... so it must be so frustating that you can't be with each other for the entire week and then to be with each other one has to travel to the other, so you dont have that feeling of being settled at home, where you have the weekend to put your life in order.... for example she said that even if she has to buy stuff for her home she does it in Shimla coz she does'nt have the time in Delhi!
I then realised that I do know a number of couples like this and although it gives me a sense of the changing mindsets quo women's professional careers, I dont really know if I would be ok being a weekend couple... what say you?

Weekend

Hello all, This weekend I was in Shimla for a judges training on the PCPNDT Act (the law in India that regulates the use of ultrasound technology and prohibites selection of sex of the foetus). Will write about this law and all related stuff at a later stage!!
My colleauge Ritu and i had qualified for the duet singing competition finals which took place on friday in a far away office of my company in Noida. So i was quite worried about reaching for my bus to Shimla in time. I was taking a Volvo from Himachal Bhavan. Anyways I reached well in time and was waiting for my luggage and stuff to appear. The bus journey was quite peaceful, I slept quite well and eached coooolllllllddddd Shimla at 6 in the morning. The training was to begin at 9 so I had some time to rest and get ready.
Anyways the training went as usual. This was the last in the series for Himachal and I had kind of gotten used to the reactions that the judges give to a law like this and how the easiest solution that they can give is to curb legal abortions or track pregnancies, basically run around and follow the pregnant woman even to the loo but don't even touch the doctor who does the stuff and is actually the offender. It is amazing the number of times the doctors give the argument of demand and supply, because there is a demand they justify the violation of the law!! Its like saying that because there is a demand for sex, rape is justified!
As usual we were able to wake up the sleeping participants from their deep slumber at least for a bit... hmmm
The weather was lovely, but frankly after having seen palampur, dharamshala and kullu manali I thought Shimla was just ok. The best I liked was palampur, totally untouched and the snow capped peaks are right in your face, it is sooo lovely there! We went out in the evening to the Mall road, there was nothing to buy as the road was full of branded shops, we had some nice himachali food and headed back to HIPA (Himachal Institute of Public Administration) where we were staying. The next day we left in the afternoon to catch our train from Kalka and obviously on the way i stopped and bought fruit wine. The last time I had got a variety of flavours. This time i bought on plum wine, ummmm it is so lovely!! Now i am waiting for opportunities to beak into the case of wine....yummmmm!!

All in all it was an alright trip, now major work will take place as a follow up to the training... lets see where this goes:-)

I'm back

Hello Hello, Happy New Year!! Well went home for chutti, played with crazy and completely cute nephew, ate some of the stuff that i wanted to, sang at a karaoke!! and all that. We have a talent competition going on in our office. Yesterday was the singing competition, so obviously i took part, although i have'nt sang on stage for donkeys years now, but what the heck!! It was a lot of fun, I sang (very vey contrary to my image!!) Bade Ache Lagtey hain from the movie Balika Badhu and with another colleague I sang Hum Toh Aise hain Bhaiya from the movie Laga Chunari main Daag and thoroughly enjoyed myself!. My colleague Ritu sang this lovely song in he absoulutely amazing voice, so much so that this morning it is still resonating in my mind!! Oh it was just lovely, I have googled the lyrics and put them down, enjoy!!!
Hindi Song: Roz Roz Aankhon Tale
Movie or Album: Jeeva
Singer(s): Asha Bhosle, Amit Kumar
Roz Roz Aankhon Tale Ek Hi Sapna Chale
Raat Bhar Kaajal Jale, Aankh Mein Jis Tarah
khwaab Ka Diya Jaale
Jabse Tumhari Naam Ki Misri Honth Lagayi Hai
meetha Sa Gham Hai Aur Meethi Si Tanhaai Hai
roz Roz Aankhon Tale ...
chhotisi Dil Ki Uljhan Hai Yeh Suljhaa Do Tum
jeena To Seekha Hai Marke, Marna Sikha Do Tum
roz Roz Aankhon Tale...