Hiya...

I am alive and still here. I just didn't feel like blogging.
The last few days have been spent on a new project.

I am closing down this blog. ... why? 'Coz I am Gemini and am bored. Need a change.

You can head to my new blog at

http://boogerworm.co.in/

Major shallow post coming

I don't know if I'm having a mid life crisis... am turning 30 in June. Since the last week or so I have been back on the fitness/weight loss bandwagon with a vengeance. I have decided to eat healthy without being restrictive... meaning, I can eat white rice instead of switching to brown rice. I haven't lost any significant weight but my tee which was tight and I had saved it to wear under some spaghetti dress fits me comfortably now. Or maybe it is a case of tee stretching itself to become loose.
A new instructor who has taken interest in torturing me has enhanced the gym experience. I love coming home aching, hungry and falling into deep sleep.
The other day this instructor asked me to do 100 squats. I thought he was kidding. I can comfortably do 2 sets of 20 each but 100??? Impossible. Well, I did it. I couldn't walk for 4 days but it was worth it.

Now, coming to the really shallow part. I have been reading style blogs... not the fashion week kinds...  but the blogs from which styles can be imitated. Sharing a few styles I have tried out:

From http://www.theaili.com/

Look 1: I have similar cotton denim lounge pants which I bought from Promod during the sale. I pulled on a white tee and grey shrug over it... went with blue shoes instead of sandals. Will wear a more formal version to work tomorrow.

Look 2: I have similar slouching pants... the pink pastel one is from Zara which KC gifted and another light green pastel one is from Splash (love some of their styles). I wore it with a black and white top bought from Lifestyle. I wore it on our wedding anniversary last month. It looked awesome (even if I may say so)

Look 3: From http://whatiwore.tumblr.com/. 

 Polka dots on polka dots. A difficult trend to pull. I wore a light blue shirt with white polka dots paired with black pants with light brown polka dots. KC remarked that it looks like I am wearing a night dress. 

Look 4: Denim shirt with a skirt. I love this. I pair my tie up cotton denim shirt whenever in doubt. I wore an orange skirt bought from Sarojini with a skin tight white top from Zara and a tie up cotton denim shirt from Forever 21.

Look 5: I wore this for work last week. Straight formal pants from Wills Lifestyle with a formal light green shirt and waistcoat from Sarojini. I skipped the blazer, of course. The only mistake was pairing a loose shirt with straight fit pants. One of them should have been tight fit. I was trying to wear the shirt in a different way. I hate the shirt... its been with me for 1 or 2 years, don't remember. Wearing it like this gives it a twist. 

Many more to go...

What I like about the 2nd blog is that the lady does not wear new clothes everytime. The same skirt or shirt or jacket is worn many times in different ways... over a period of years. I hate blogs where the female is rich enough to wear new clothes everytime. I have also realized that money cannot buy style. There are very few women who actually experiment... buy a different style of trousers or tops. 

The idea is not to look good everytime... it is about trying something new... experimenting... whether it looks good or not. It motivates me to wake up every morning and go to work. 

Mumbai is such an uninspiring city when it comes to style. Day after day I see women dressed shabbily. Few weeks back I saw a woman on the train wearing a mini skirt. "Finally", I thought. A few hours later she was in my office to meet someone. I think only women from my workplace who travel on trains wear skirts. All the other women are dressed in salwar suits or trousers (rarely). This was the case even when I would commute from Andheri. Where is the cosmopolitan city? I was running some errands before going to the gym today and wore my gym shorts. I got the weirdest looks from men and women alike. And Mumbai is supposed to be safe? Really? Try wearing a mini (not even micro mini) skirt to the station/train and then we'll talk about how Mumbai is safe and you can travel anywhere and wear anything. 

I still wear what I want... where I want... when I want... I will not let narrow minded people define what I want to do. 

Tales from Sales

Hi, I have started another blog (Yes, I'm crazy... you should know that by now). This is to document my experience in sales. It is an experience I treasure and am very proud of. I decided to write it so that the memories are always fresh.

Here is the 1st post. You can read more here:

The Job

I don't want to get into "how" I got the job. For that I will have to write about my B school and everything. I can write a separate blog about it.
Here are a few highlights:

- Everyone joins a B school for the placement. My college was snobbish enough to think otherwise... and made our life miserable during placements by scheduling exams at the same time. They have realized their folly now

- I got placed by 9 am on placement day... there was no day 0, day 1 etc. Everything in 1 day. 99% of the batch was placed by 12 noon

- There is an IT company which comes with a truck and loads all the leftover students in it. Don't worry if you don't get a job, you can jump onto the truck

- Getting a job on campus is so damn easy (even though it didn't seem that way then) compared to the job hunts later on

- There are 3 kinds of students during placements

1. Those who know where they want to join and get in... like me
2. Those who don't care where they join as long as they get a job... they generally have 20 companies on their wish list. They spend their time running from interview to interview and scattering their energy and focus
3. Those who come with one objective and end up doing something else. One guy I know wanted to join banking... thats all he talked about in the 2 years... but ended up joining IT. It was not 'coz he could not get into banking... he didn't even go for the interview

- What you study in B School has no relevance in your work life. Those case studies are useless too. I did not use even one word of my textbooks in the first 5 years of my career. Of course, the long words help in clearing interviews. This relevant for all courses- sales, marketing, consumer research, finance, HR, supply chain, distribution etc etc etc. 

- What will help will be skills... writing research papers, making presentations, learning excel, team work. Being a team player... working in a team... leading a team are the most important skills that you can learn. Of course, what you do in the 2 years is upto you. 

I got into my preferred organization for sales. I wanted to ultimately get into marketing but for now I was keen on starting with sales. Some of my batch mates advised me (unnecessarily) that companies don't hire females for sales and I should look at other career options. That is pure bullshit. Companies are falling over each other to hire females for sales since it makes their sex ratio look good. It makes them look like a women friendly organization. 

Some GOOD FMCG organizations have openings only for females. 

Reality- If you are a female and shortlisted after an interview and there is a male also shortlisted... you will got the job considering that both of you are equally good. 

I am alive

Hiya... I have been gone long... mainly 'coz my laptop was giving me problems. I was too uninspired to blog.
What has been happening? The usual- work, movies, food, books.

There is so much I wanted to talk about... but don't know where to begin.

- Books: I have read many, many books... most of them on the kindle. It is awesome to be able to carry books where ever I go

•    The growing pains of Adrian Mole: 2nd book in the series... very similar to Diary of a wimpy kid. A fast read... 

• I've Got Your Number: A book by Sophie Kinsella (my fav author). I thought this is just a chick lit novel and avoided it for the longest time. I bought it when I read a positive review on one of the blogs. I loved it... its the kind of chick lit I like. Good fun.

• The Perks of being a wallflower: This book is about a teenage guy.. he is different from normal kids... a little shy... very giving... a wallflower... he makes 2 close friends... in the end he realizes he has a psychological problem. A very good book. I even watched the movie

• The silver linings playbook: An excellent book about a man who is mentally disturbed. His wife leaves him and he becomes disturbed. He is sent to the mental institution but his mom brings him home after a few years. How he copes up with his loss and turns normal again with the help of people around him. It is not a mushy mushy book... it did not make me cry... but it touched my heart. A must read. I am going to watch the movie too

• We need to talk about Kevin: My fav book of the lot. This book is a series of letters written by a mother to her husband. He is not around... it is not apparent where he is... it seems like he has left her... and 'coz their teenage son killed a few kids at school. It is the story of a mother whose son murders. She is innocent and yet her life has become hell. I loved the book... watched the movie too but its not that great. A must read. 

Movies:

• Nautanki Saala: The story is no big deal... the heroine is ugly... watch the flick for Kunal Kapoor and Ayushman. They are brilliant...  enjoyed it. Worth one watch

• Ek thi daayan: I read good reviews and went to watch it. KC was not too keen since he was moving into a new house the next day. Pathetic movie. Indian horror movies are so regressive. Such a waste of good actors like Emraan, Kalki, Huma and Konkona

• Chashme Badoor (Old): Nope... I did not watch the new one. I had downloaded it 2 weeks back and tried watching it on the laptop... for 5 mins. The old movie is a classic... it is so genuine... and authentic. Rakesh Bedi has holes in his tee shirt ... the tee is repeated many times in the movie. In today's movies, heroines sleep with their make up on. Please do watch the old one if you have not seen it. I am so glad we can now watch such classics in the theatre. 

• The perks of being a wallflower: The movie stars Emma Watson. That was reason enough for me to watch it. A good flick. Worth a watch once... makes more sense to watch it after reading the book. It might seem like a drag otherwise

Serials:

• Vampire Diaries... The Big Bang Theory... Game of Thrones... 

• Girls: I have started (and finished) watching this series. I read good reviews somewhere and downloaded the 1st episode. Until then I thought it was a frivolous serial about girls in NYC. But, this is different... the characters are weird but genuine... the women are not completely airheads. They are all 24 year olds trying to find themselves... figuring out their goals... career, love, sex... The amount of nudity is shocking but then SATC (sex and the city) also has a lot of nudity. Unfortunately, when it is screened in India (even at 11 pm), most of it is chopped off. I have watched the unedited version and it is pretty racy. The best part is... the main character is not good looking and over weight. It is a serial anyone can relate to. After all, we all have felt like a loser at some point of time in our lives. 

More... tomorrow... 

Plays

I like plays... even though I have not watched too many of them. I remember watching a Gujarati play with my dad. I had an exam 2 days later and he was not willing to take me along. I pleaded and promised that I had finished preparing (I had... I was a geek). He relented but made me promise that mom would not be told. The play was ok kinds but I did enjoy it.

I have started watching plays. It does take a lot of effort since most of the theaters/auditoriums are in Juhu, Nariman Point etc. They require time and effort to reach.

I wish they were reviews of plays... I could not find any. This is weird considering that some plays have been running for many, many years successfully. They are also priced higher than a regular movie at a multiplex.

In the last 2 weeks, I have watched 2 plays:

- Class of '84:
  In my B-School I was part of the 'Arts and Aesthetics Forum'. Our biggest event was 'Dionysia'... an inter section play competition. Students looked forward to it all year. Anyway, our juniors performed this play. They had taken/bought the rights to perform the play. It is a good play.
Last week I noticed that it in the paper and booked tickets. KC and I watched it last weekend. The play is about a group of friends... they have reunited at the funeral of their friends. Over the period of one night, secrets come pouring out... they fight... they make up. I liked it. Please do watch it.

- Dance like a man:
  I wanted to watch this play or the movie for a long time now. Currently, the leads in the play are Suchitra Pillai and Lillette Dubey. It is about dancers... the older couple have struggled and faced parental opposition to pursue their passion. Their daughter is about to make her debut as a dancer. The various emotions.. the past... everything comes spilling out.
Awesome.

Need to watch more plays... even a bad play is better than a decent Hindi movie. 

Day 5

Skipped day 4 'coz laptop has gone for repairs... don't know whats wrong and why.
I hope it is not a hard disk issue... don't want to buy a new one.

Fingers crossed. 

Day 3

Game of Thrones season 3... yippie... I could remember every event and word written in the book while watching it.

Using my phone as a kindle... I read on the train... in the loo... sometimes at work... in the cafeteria. So awesome. Very few free books... but I don't mind paying for them. 

Day 2 of April

So, I was talking to someone very junior to me... in career, salary, age... kidding. He is junior in age... (don't know about salary).
Anyway, he is very happy in Mumbai. It is a great place to party, hang out all night and generally do "young" things. I agree. As much as I hate this city, I agree it is a good city to be young... mostly because of the safety issues. You can stay out late without fear.
I used to do that... KC and I on numerous bike rides anytime of the night.

I guess now I prefer to come home on time and sleep early.. (11 pm). Mumbai is not the right city for that. 

Day 1 of April

Hiya... so, starting on the resolution... I will blog everyday.
I work in sales... it is a job full of pressure. Life begins and ends with sales numbers.
It can get to be too much. Thankfully, I know how to switch off... not to take it too seriously... ups and downs are part of the job. In terms of sales targets, I have had more ups than downs... not 'coz I am talented or skillful or smart or anything... it is luck. I have always handled growing territories... with high potential. And I have always worked with the best teams.
But... I see a lot of people who can't handle the pressure... who only think and talk sales numbers. Not meeting a sales target gives them nightmares... they measure their successes/failures with sales numbers. This is generally the case with people who have suddenly switched to this profile/job. Such people worry even on the weekends... answering calls at all times of the day and night like their life depends on it. Burn out is not far away.
Sometimes I think what it would be like to be a writer full time. But then the realization hits that if I HAVE to write... I will start hating it... Instead of my passion it will become a compulsion... it will be measured in monetary terms. I'd rather write as a hobby than even contemplate it as a career.
It is as important to switch off from work as it is to switch on at work. Find the perfect balance and you will always have job satisfaction.

The last 5 days have been awesome. KC was here... we had home cooked meals (atleast once a day)... my bro stayed over for a day... we went to Water Kingdom (due to lack of entertainment options)... watched a play (Class of '84).

Most times I forget he is a Gemini... He is quite reliable... and then he goes and does something so stupid, I don't know how to react... he missed his flight yesterday... he forgot it was last night... 'coz he did not bother to check. And this is the 3rd time... So Geminian. Nope, I did not fight or get pissed. He was feeling bad enough without me adding to it.
I am a typical Gemini too... except that I have a Taurus ascendant which makes me extremely stable and reliable (as stable and reliable Geminis can be).

Good night. 

New Phone

I bought a new phone last month. It is my first smartphone. Yep, I did take my time to jump onto the bandwagon. I could never understand how anyone can spend 20k on a phone. After all, it is used to make calls, send text and check emails. What else is a phone needed for?
Apparently... a lot.
When KC and I first visited Reliance Digital to check out phones I was confused. What is an andriod.... windows phone? Whats the difference? Which is better?
The week after that we went to Croma... the sales guy explained the differences between the phones. By then, I had shortlisted Nokia Lumia and a Samsung phone. I did not want to try HTC or Blackberry.
I picked a Nokia Lumia 820 for 3 reasons:
- It is a Windows phone. Apparently, the apps on windows are security tested while those of Android can be uploaded any one.
- It is a Nokia. I am a Nokia loyalist... have always had one. They are the only sturdy phones in the market and can survive my clumsy fingers
- It has color options. I bought a red phone. Why don't more phone companies have color options? I would gladly pay more money to buy a phone in color.

Things I do with my phone:
- Make calls
- Send text
- Check fb, twitter, mails
- Click awesome pics
- Use as a kindle
- Use as an alarm
- Play Fruit Ninja
- Read my horoscope
- Check in at foursquare
- Use the internet
- Use as a GPS
- Check linkedin
- Make notes
- Search for recipes
- Stay online on fb, gtalk, whatsapp
- Look for restaurants on zomato
- Listen to music

All in all... I am very happy with the phone. A smartphone is worth all the hype. I am never bored or lonely with it around me.
The battery is fairly decent. I have also purchased a portable charger from Nokia (costs 1400 bucks). It needs to be charged for a few hours and can charge any phone once on the go. I charge it every night and use it while travelling.

I will write a post on the best and most useful apps on windows phone next week.

My resolutions for April'13

1) Blog everyday... I plan to type atleast a few lines (if not an entire post) everyday ... starting 1st April'13

2) Shopping ban beginning 1st April'13 till 18th April'13 (I am in Delhi for the weekend and need to shop... :)). The previous shopping ban really helped... I saved money... I realized I don't "need" to buy stuff. Of course, I did blow up money after 2 weeks... but thats ok.

3) Start jogging every morning... I started this and then stopped... need to start again

4) Start gymming again... the battle with the bulge continues... whatever happened to my will power? Did I leave it at Gurgaon?

5) No more fried foods, desserts, chaats,.... etc

Filum time

I have watched many, many movies recently but not blogged about them... here goes:

- Supermen of Malegaon:
   I watched the ad on TV when it released but forgot to download it. KC and I picked up the CD to kill time during this long holiday. I loved it. It is a documentary of people in Malegaon who make movies. The movies are generally a spoof of the existing one- Sholay... Deewar... etc. The guy (producer/director) decides to attempt the spoof of Superman. He finds innovative ways to film the hero flying in the sky.
The purpose of the documentary is not that someone in Malegaon is making movies... it is about people with limited means following their dreams. If they can do it, why can't we?

- Paranorma:
  This is an animated flick about a kid who can see and talk to ghosts. Everyone thinks he is mad and a freak until he saves the town from the witch's curse. An ok movie... can be avoided in the theater.

- Mere dad ki Maruti:
   This was a surprise entertainer. We read the good reviews and headed to the theater 2 weeks back. I had only heard the "Punjabiyon ki battery charge rehendi hain" and hated it... I assumed it was some stupid low budget flick. It is a fabulous and funny movie. The actor - Saqib Saleem is Huma Querishi's brother... the actress - Rhea Chakraborty is the winner of TVS Scooty Teen Diva 2009. Why is this fact relevant? I had watched every episode of the TVS Scooty Teen Diva and remember Rhea quite well. It felt awesome to watch her in the movie. The flick is funny... with liberal doses of Punjabi making it very enjoyable. Do watch this movie. It is very, very funny with a strong cast (people who can act and do not ham).

- Jolly LLB:
  Another good flick. The story is no great shakes but it is a great example of how a mediocre story can become a good film with a good cast. Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani and Saurabh Shukhla make this movie very watchable. Not to be missed in the theater.

- Django Unchained:
  I was supposed to watch this movie with my bro last weekend but he ditched. I went ahead anyway (I have no issues with eating/watching movies alone). The only Tarantino movie which left me disappointed. The first part was awesome but 2nd half of the movie is like any Bollywood love story. Boy loves girl.. they get married... they are separated... friend decides to help unite them... friend gets killed... boy takes revenge... rescues girl and they both live happily ever after. To this drama... add some slavery issues. Hollywood meets Bollywood.

- Paranormal Activity 4:
  I have watched all the previous parts and watched the 4th one when both KC and my bro were home... the more the merrier. A major disappointment... the worst of all parts (not that 2nd and 3rd parts were too great).... not scary at all... the scares were expected and seen earlier. The beauty of part 1 was that it was something that could happen to anyone. Sure, there was a back story mentioned. But, imagine this... you and your bf/hubby move to a new house or even in the same house... weird things start happening. They are very subtle and would not be noticeable without the video cameras.. there is no way out... and one ends up killing the other. The end. Scary. In the sequels, you realize that there is a strong back story and the fear that it could happen to you is gone.

- Salaam Bombay:
  I had seen this long back... decided to catch it in the theater (lack of other options and I like art movies). Love this flick. KC was not too impressed since the movie only shows the reality. It does not answer any questions and there is no happy ending. I like that movies are getting re-released and we get to watch it in multiplexes. I would watch the good, old movies over the newer ones any day. Looking forward to Chashme Badoor.

- Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster returns:
  A movie which stars Jimmy Shergil, Irrfan Khan, Mahie Gill, Soha Ali Khan... with such a strong cast it is difficult not to enjoy the movie. The script is also ok... it is actually better than part 1. I liked it. Hilarious too. Worth a watch. Why don't we see Jimmy in more movies?

- Midnight's Children:
  The review said "this is a book which should not have been made into a movie". And I wondered if there is any book which cannot be made into a movie. The review was right. I can confirm this because I am reading the book currently. The charm of the book is not in the story ... it is in the way it is written... it is about the words... sentences... I don't think the story is very good or different or the attraction of the book. Avoid... at all costs.

The posts have slowed down...

I don't know why I have not posted in 12 days. Have I been so busy??? Even on weekends? I don't know.
I promise to blog more often. It isn't that I don't have enough to say... its just that I am not using/planning my time well.
These days I feel like I am running all the time to catch up with up with time. Its the Mumbai effect. People run so fast on weekdays that weekends drain them completely.
I was in Hyderabad and Bangalore this week for work. Bangalore is my 2nd favorite city (after Delhi). It is green... clean... with good weather... nice houses... quaint street names (Richmond road, Whitefield)... excellent food options (I love South Indian non veg)... big, big malls and showrooms (10 times the size of those in Mumbai)... a very young and cosmopolitan crowd. There was a time when I was seriously considering moving to this city.
Hyderabad is not bad either. My last visit to this city was extremely traumatic. My brother had packed his bags and left his engg college. He told his friends my parents have called him home. But he was headed somewhere else... and nobody knew where. My parents were frantic with worry. They flew to Mumbai while I travelled to Hyderabad. At that point I was in Rajkot. I still remember that night... my friend had come to my hotel for dinner. I received a call and realized my bro was missing. I decided to fly to Hyderabad in the morning. But, there are no flights from Rajkot. I booked a cab... my friend accompanied me. We left Rajkot at midnight for A'bad. We reached at 4 am... this friend left immediately for Rajkot where he went straight to office at 8/9 am... while I caught a 6 am flight and reached my bro's college. After blasting the authorities for having no rules or regulations to prevent students from leaving just like that, I headed to the local police station to file a complaint. The police was very helpful and sent a constable with us. I questioned his friends (who knew nothing)... requested another friend to help me trace his phone no... and then tracked down the travel agent from where he booked his ticket to Mumbai. The friend who works in a telecom company pulled some strings and informed me that the last signal was found at Sion in Mumbai. The driver of the bus remembered my bro (very, very fair guy with glasses) and confirmed that he got off at Sion.
By then my parents realized that I had better leads and flew down to Hyderabad. We then boarded a bus to Mumbai. Thankfully, in the morning my bro contacted my cousin in Mumbai and returned home.

My sis's friend once told her- some people are like an spring... the harder you suppress them... the harder they bounce back.

I had planned to write something else but well... tomorrow, I guess.

Btw- The shopping ban lasted 17 days... including 2 weekends... not bad... next time I will target a month. What interrupted the ban? A nasty boss and a pair of footwear. 

So much going on...

I had an interesting evening yesterday. I have subscribed to Vellvette box. It is basically a beauty box like the ones available in USA, UK. You pay a minimum amount of Rs 399 in the 1st week of the month... the box with sample sizes (sometimes even full sizes) of prominent brands (Dior, Clarins, Dior, Benefit, Victoria's Secret, Clinique etc) are sent in the 4th week of the month.
You can read more about it on my beauty blog here:

http://confessionsofagirlnextdoor.wordpress.com/tag/vellvette-box/

So, on Friday evening I received an invitation from Vellvette to attend a one houe skin care session by Clarins at Palladium Mall. I had to pay a refundable amount of Rs 500 and would be given free goodies from Clarins, Vellvette and food. Well, what did I have to lose? I went there. To cut the long story short, the session was awesome.
You can read more about it here:

http://confessionsofagirlnextdoor.wordpress.com/tag/vellvette/

As women (and some men), we take great care of our skin. We follow a daily routine and a weekly routine... and I realized that we may not be doing it correctly. I learned many new things and got a lot of clarity on what routine should be followed.

Few of my learnings:
- I cleanse, tone and moisturize my skin twice a day (morning and night) and yet my skin is dehydrated. Know why? 'Coz I don't use a scrub weekly. I did not know that. The Skin Advisor took one look at my skin and said it is dehydrated... due to which the acne marks take long to heal... the other marks take time to go away... my skin is so oily. All of this 'coz I don't scrub weekly. A scrub removes the dead skin and brings newer cells to the surface. This helps skin heal faster
- Always use a scrub after cleanser. I used to skip cleanser and go straight for scrub. The cleanser removes dirt and pollution and scrub removes dead cells
- Use a mask preferably after scrubbing. It is the best time for skin to absorb the goodness of the mask
- I learned the right way to remove eye make up- without tugging and pulling
- I learned the correct way to apply eye cream
- All products should be rubbed in the hands and brought to room temperature before using them- shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, toner, serum, eye cream etc.

I will be attending all future workshops organized by Vellvette.

I have started jogging. It is the best and most refreshing exercise. I generally jog/run for 30 mins the morning... the empty road (as empty as it can be at 6.30 am in Mumbai)... with music in my ears and my body running. I find cardio in the gym very, very boring... 20 mins on treadmill, 10 mins on cycle and 20 mins on cross trainer... Jogging is a much better replacement. In the evening I go to the gym for 30-45 mins for upper or lower body workout.

I miss Jazz. Should I join again? I don't know... maybe I will look for other Jazz classes.

Living in Mumbai this time around is not as bad as the last time. The city sucks... it is the worst city in India and I would never want to settle here. But this time around I am staying in the same area as before so there are no surprises... and KC and me were prepared for the separation... last time it came as a shock. In new news... KC has shifted jobs in Gurgaon... he will not be moving to Mumbai. I am planning to move back next year. It is just a year of separation. We have not yet worked out details of how I will move back... but thats the plan.

Also, I have re-typed the food recipes (why are pics of posts prior to 2011 missing???) on my new blog

http://culinaryexperimentsinkitchen.wordpress.com/

Yes... another blog. I have been writing new recipes... specially health related foods. I wanted to document it somewhere and decided to put it on a new blog.

Accidental Apprentice

I like Vikas Swarup books. The stories are different. The Accidental Apprentice is about a girl who is chosen by a stranger to lead his company... after she passes 7 tests. The tests change her life...
And there is a suspense in the end.
Must read.

Shopping Ban!!!

I just settled by cupboard and de-cluttered and well, I have too much of everything. There are clothes I have not worn even once and others I am wearing for 3 years and more but do not have the heart to discard. They will continue till they are not in tatters. There are shoes I have not worn once and others that are threadbare and will create major embarrassment at work if someone notices too closely.

So, to rationalize- starting tomorrow I am on a shopping ban. I am not defining a time line. Lets see how long it lasts.
The ban includes below:
- Clothes
-Footwear
- Cosmetics
- Personal care (unless I run out of something)
- Chocolates (Just like that)

Things I can buy:
- Groceries
- Food
- Liquor
- Anything needed at home
- Anything I run out of or need desperately (like underwear)

I need to find new things to do over the weekend. Maybe cooking???

Zara India sucks!!!

This post has been long due. Apologies to anyone who will wish I had written it earlier.
I have raved about Zara on my blog many times... It is one shop I would always visit at Select City walk mall. Recent events have completely put me off... completely.
Here is why:
- Last year in Jan I bought a tee shirt from Zara in the sale. On wearing it I found a tiny hole in it. I was horrified. I paid more than 500 bucks for the tee.
- KC bought linen trousers at regular price (not in sale). After wearing it 2-3 times, it tore... not just a tiny hole but tore all the way
- I gifted my bro a pair of trousers in Dec'12 (not in sale), he wore it once and there was a big hole
- I bought a dress in sale and found a hole on coming home. I bought the dress from Pune and could not go back to get it exchanged

On checking online, I came across articles about low quality of Zara clothes.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90778/90860/7357071.html

This is how it happens- a regular apparel company makes designs and sends them to different factories in different countries where they are created into beautiful clothes. The lead is very high. Zara has capitalized on the concept of new collection every month (in some countries twice a week). All clothes are created in Spain and shipped to different countries. This costs more leading to higher prices. So, while other companies take 3-4 months to get clothes made after a fashion week, Zara stores receive them within a month of seeing them on the runway.
The model is based on the speed. They get their clothes in stores 2 months before other companies. The result is lower quality. Somewhere quality checks are not happening (my perception).

I posted my complaint on the quality on the fb page and many people responded (for as well as against). There are many consumers who faced similar quality problems. The company did not apologize on fb. They sent me a mail separately asking for details on the product. I mailed them pics of the torn dress. They offered an exchange. By then I had already paid the tailor 20 bucks to get repair it. A lady called me and asked me to visit a store for my bro's trousers' exchange. I asked her to inform the store since we had not saved the bill. We headed to the Infinity Mall, Malad store. The store manager refused to help. He said he can get it stitched (Yes!!! I am not kidding). I called the lady and asked her to speak to the store. Then the store manager offered us an exchange. But, my bro wanted the same trousers and they did not have it in stock. I requested them for a refund but was refused. We left the store with the torn trousers and got them repaired at a tailor.

I was pissed and hell hath no fury like a Bul(l) scorned. I have ample time on weekends. I went to the Kurla store to investigate. Guess what I found?
- A white top with stains: According to the manager, a customer's lipstick stained the top. Why was it still hanging on the rack?
- A tee shirt with a hole. Manager had no answers for this
- I went to try on a gorgeous looking red skirt and found the inner lining was faulty

I am totally disgusted. Does Zara think that they can enter developing countries and sell trash at ridiculous prices?
I have stopped shopping after this incident. The store has lost its charm. And the reason the customer service is so bad is 'coz they KNOW they are selling defective clothes. They have not apologized even once.
Compare this to other companies where there is a complaint book. On writing a complaint, I have even received a call offering me a free product as a replacement (e.g Forest Essentials).

Beware if you shop at this store. It sucks!!!

And more movies...

Hey... sorry, I have been gone long. But it has been a hectic 3 weeks... I spent the last 3 weekends in Delhi for one reason or the other. KC is here this weekend. So, its been busy.. busy... with no time to blog.
I have not eaten right at all... despite trying. Everyday I think tomorrow I am going to start working out and stop eating unhealthy but it does not happen. I am hoping to start from tomorrow. Writing it here should help me do it. I should just buy a very expensive dress of a smaller size to motivate me to try and fit into it. What say?
I am going to quit Jazz... have not been to class for a month now. Its too crowded and I am not enjoying myself. Why pay so much money? I may try and find something else instead. How are Shiamak Dawar's classes? The difference between Danceworx and Shiamak Dawar's is that D has 20 mins Jazz and 60 mins of technique... while it is the other way round for SD. I do prefer the former but I might give the latter a try.
By next weekend I would have unpacked completely and settled in Mumbai. I finally bought the much needed book shelf and it will be delivered on Saturday. I am unpack 3 cartons of books and clear out the 2nd room.
I have watched quite a few movies in the last few weeks. Here are my views:
- Lincoln:
  An awesome movie about the US civil war and Lincoln's dilemma. It isn't a fun movie... it feels more like a documentary. Daniel Day Lewis is awesome. Loved his measured acting. There are scenes where he is just sitting and looking and even that is done so well. A must watch.

- Special 26:
   Another superb movie by Neeraj Pandey. A superb movie with superb acting. Manoj Bajpai looks so lean ... very different from Gangs of Wasseypur. He has really worked on his look. Akshay is awesome... nice to see him "act" instead of ham in a movie. Anupam Kher is a natural... Jimmy Shergill is another good actor who needs a good role to prove himself. A must watch.

- Zero Dark Thirty:
   A movie about Osama's death. When I read about the USA mission and Osama's death in the papers the next day I could not believe it. After all, where is the proof? How can we believe USA? Who knows who got killed. This movie killed all doubts. Sure... its an American movie so there is always the exaggeration of certain things... like the heroine's obsession with the mission and Osama. But thats a minor flaw. Another must watch.

- Kai Po Che:
  There are 2 sets of people- those who has read Chetan Bhagat's books and those who haven't. The former will love this movie... 'coz it is 100 times better than the book (the book is pretty much crap)... the latter will be disappointed. What is the movie about??? Friendship, Gujarat riots, Cricket? It touches everything without delving too much and thats only 'coz the book is like that. Abhhishek Kapoor has made a fabulous film (considering the crappy book it is based on). I loved the authentic setting and liberal use of Gujarati. Gujju is very easy to understand and using it is not a problem. The new actors are very good. My favorite is Raj Kumar Yadav. He starred in Love, Sex aur Dokha. It is nice to see new actors getting a good break... am so tired of star kids who have to make the effort to lose oodles of weight and get a makeover done to join movies (Alia Bhatt, Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Sonakshi Sinha). Also, loved Amrita Puri. She is another brilliant actress.

I also watched Vagina Monologues with my brother again. Great. I just wish the ticket prices were not so high so that more people could watch it. It should also be screened for college kids. 

2013 Sale

The sales are  almost over... this weekend is the last one. I want to give some gyaan and my view of this year's sale.
Rules of shopping in the sale:

• Always visit the store in the first weekend, preferably the 1st day. It will be chaos but you will be able to pick the best pieces
• Visit the same store in the 2nd or 3rd week again. Stores like Zara and Promod slash prices further on the leftover stock. I always find good pieces in the 3rd week at amazing prices. Last year I bought a skirt for 500 bucks in Promod (regular prices are Rs 2400 and above)
• Always go on a weekday. If that is not possible visit the store in the morning on a weekend. It is less crowded. 
• Visit from than 1 store. Every store has different sizes and different range. 

And here is a store wise review:

• Promod: I love this brand... the clothes are good quality and classy. Unlike other sales I do not come across crap stuff here. The merchandising even during sale is good. It is easy to shop around. The discounts are great. I do find loads of good stuff in the 3rd week at amazing prices. This year though the quantity was less. I did not find much in the 3rd week- neither in Delhi nor Mumbai. They have good shoes and purses as well. I visited 4 stores (Saket, Promenade, Pune, Kurla) this year and found my size of amazing shoes in one of them. So, always visit more than 1 store
• Zara: I have stopped shopping here due to recent incidents of damaged clothes. I will write a separate post on this. I came across many damaged clothes in the store during the sale. I even confronted the store manager on this and he had no answer. Sarojini Nagar has better quality clothes. I bought only 1 dress in the sale and even that had a tear. Not shopping here again... not until they improve their quality. 
• Mango: I hate this store during the sale... it is filled with crap... the quality is bad. Most clothes are not retailed in their stores regularly. Sure, you might find some good stuff... but its like searching for a needle in a hay stack. I never shop from here during the sale
• Wills Lifestyle: I love this brand... I wish they had more variety, lower prices, more trendy clothes. Their quality is great. Every piece from this store has lasted me 2-3 years. I don't generally buy at regular prices but during a sale I don't think twice. 
• Shoppers Stop: I hate this store. I visited the Mulund store and it looked like a Big Bazaar. I wanted to buy a patiala and they had discount on the black color and not on the white color. What kind of a sale is this? The footwear were strewn in bins. Who is going to buy shoes from a bin? 
• Lifestyle: I managed to pick up a few good pieces from this store. I think Lifestyle has some good stuff. 
• UCB: Hate this store... it is pricey, clothes are not trendy. Sale sucks. 
• Vero Moda: Hated the merchandising. I can't shop when the clothes are not well merchandised specially in a premium store. I understand if its a Big Bazaar but am I expected to spend 1k and more on something on which the store has not even put the effort to hang it properly on a hanger? No ways. 

Thats it. I did not visit any more stores. Swear!!!

Asura

I like reading mythology. I don't believe in it like other mortals. Mahabharata is my favorite since its so different with many twists and turns... also, it is very unorthodox. A woman with 5 husbands? Wow. 5 kids out of wedlock. Wow!!!
My least favorite is Ramayana. It is so MCP. Dumping your wife 'coz you think she is not pure??? Seriously!!!
Mythology is very different from regular books... the same rules don't apply... and anything can happen. A man can have 10 heads... another guy can give up a kingdom and live in forests for 14 years... so different from regular, normal life.

I picked up Asura - Tale of the Vanquished more than a month back. The frequent travelling to Delhi gives me hours to read and I finished the book on my last trip. The author is Anand Neelakantan. The story is about Ravana... he is the hero of the book and Rama is the villain. In the end Ravana dies. I don't know if it follows the original story (since I have only watched it on TV) but its a different take on it.
I don't know if this is true (most likely it is) but Ravana was an Asura. In Asura culture, women were free... they could sleep with who ever they wanted... marry how many ever times. There were no restrictions. While in Deva culture (Rama's land), women had to follow traditions and rules. And in the book Sita is Ravana's daughter... thats why he kidnapped her. Think about it, why did Ravana kidnap Sita? My impression (until now) was that Ravana wanted to sleep with her. But he didn't do that, right? If he was a bad man, why didn't he? There has to be some other purpose behind the kidnapping.
Worth a read. 

4th shopping expedition to Sarojini Nagar

I was in Delhi over the weekend. Since KC was working on Friday I decided to head to my favorite shopping place- Sarojini Nagar. I will not post pics of my purchase 'coz I bought some 13 pieces for less than 3k. Everytime I go to SR (once in 6 months) I need to remember a few rules. Below are the shopping rules...

• Timing is very important. Markets like SR are generally very crowded. Avoid them on weekends as much as possible. If weekday shopping is not an option, go in the morning... around 11 or 12. 
• Carry a large bag... specially if you are travelling by metro. The small stalls only give white polythene which can tear easily. Or you can buy a big, ugly bag for less than 100 bucks. I would suggest carrying a bag.
• SR does have parking but I think metro is extremely comfortable. It costs 20-30 bucks by auto from the station 
• SR is a confusing place... even marking landmarks don't help. This time I started shopping from the Denizen store and came across 2-3 stores of the same. The first time it will be confusing... the 4th time is much better. Just keep walking. 
• Avoid footwear and purses. Even footwear bought from the shops have not lasted very long and I paid 700 bucks for a pair. Not all of them are bad... but I am not happy. The purses' quality also isn't good. My last purchase broke the 1st time I used it. Stick to clothes. 
• SR is basically a market with factory seconds or rejects. Most companies like Zara, H&M, Atmosphere, Mango etc manufacture in India. The rejects (mostly with minor defects) are sold off (illegally). They end up in SR. Check before you purchase. I have not come across major defects and the quality is pretty good. Minor issues can be resolved at the local tailor. Some of my purchases have been better than mall stuff. 
• Size can be an issue. The first time I went to SR I bought shorts with size 32. On coming home I realized they are low waist and 34 would have been better. Thankfully, I lost inches and they fit very well now. But... always buy a size larger. You can get it altered easily. Don't believe the vendors... they are just trying to sell off their stuff and will not hesitate to tell you that it is the right size. Another thing vendors do is stretch the top or dress or pants (if they have elastic) and make you buy a smaller size. You don't want the elastic stretching itself and biting into your flesh. 
• Bargain... I am always a little shy initially. Always start at 50% of the price quoted by a vendor. Don't budge from your rate... the vendor will come around... 9 out of 10 times. Not kidding. I got everything at the rate I quoted
• In case a vendor does not come around, bargaining won't help. You cannot have an ego while shopping. I generally walk away and if he does not call me back I return after sometime to buy it at the vendor's price. 
• Carry enough cash. There are only 2 ATMs in SR and there is always a queue. I keep around 2k in my wallet 'coz I am generally tempted to use all the money. 
• Wash the clothes at home. They are generally hung outside and maybe have mud and dirt on them
• SR generally has trends... most stalls will have a similar trend. They don't all have same clothes (like Lokhandwala in Mumbai). Example, last time it was pallazzo pants... they were everywhere. This time it was animal, funky prints. 

Happy shopping!!!

What is worse than living alone?

People leaving after a short stay. I am perfectly fine on my own but its a problem when people stay for a few days and then leave. It just makes me aware of how lonely it can get.

KC was here during the week for 2 days... and then my bro stayed over on Friday night and was home for most of Saturday. I am so bugged that I have skipped my Jazz class. Has to be the lowest low. 

This week has crawled like a snail... Wed seemed like Friday but it was just the middle of the week. I didn't visit the gym at all... and now have skipped Jazz. And I ate a vadapav, burger and mac and cheese. Things cannot get worse. 

I have decided to just sit back today... and plan for the week. I am great at planning... making lists is my favorite past time. Oh, yes... I do follow through with them most of the time. 

I am flying to Delhi on Thursday evening for my last single friend's wedding. Its the end of an era and life as we know it. Now, all people expect us to do is have kids. Don't even get me started on it. I don't understand why everyone has to live their life in the same manner. It should be a choice and not a compulsion. But as Indians, we are very emotional, hate rocking the boat and detest people who are not "regular". 

On Monday I had gone to the gym and was majorly irritated 'coz the instructor has been making me do the same exercises which are not very challenging. I have not done crunches at all. Today I will sit with her and make her list down all the exercises that need to be done. On Monday while working out I needed help with the seat adjustment of the cycle, the instructor was around but pretended like it was not his problem. Then, the gym was playing songs like 'Desi Boyz' at the loudest volume. I had my Ipod on full and still could hear the music. I asked the instructor to turn it down but it was done... then I spoke to the guy operating the music and blasted him for treating the place like a pub. Apparently, some guys want the music LOUD. Seriously!!! 

Jazz classes are not as great as Gurgaon 'coz they have lack of space. The studio is 1/4th the size of Gurgaon with more number of students. It is very distracting 'coz all I worry about is hitting the students around me. I cannot give it my full. And if I have to stand at the back the instructor is not visible at all. Why can't they have a bigger studio in a less posh area? Why does it have to be in Bandra only? Or why not reduce the number of students? 

Movies...

I have watched quite a few movies in the last few months but didn't review them. Here goes:

- Life of PI:
   I came across a lot of thanda reviews which mentioned that the movie does not live upto the book. None of the movies do. I read the book eons back so there was no basis for comparison. I liked the movie... it is well shot... has amazing special effects... Suraj Sharma is damn good. I can't believe its his first movie. Irfan Khan's accent is weird... its neither Indian nor American. Awesome!!! I got the whole "finding God" thing... don't know why reviewers were confused.

- Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 2
   I watched it only 'coz I have read all the books... and watched the movies in the series. The problem with the whole series is that they start with a bang and then fizzle out. The climax is the saddest of all. There is fighting and everything only in their heads... nothing happens in reality. Thank god its over and I don't need to watch any other movies.

- Skyfall:
  I do not like Daniel Craig as Bond. What a let down after Pierce Brosnan. Did not like this flick... at all. It was boring.. I didn't understand why Bond has to save M all by himself... where were rest of the agents... dumb. So hollywoodish. Avoid!!!

- Dabaang 2:
  Why did I watch it? 'Coz I had seen part 1 and KC loves it. It was predictable... usual Salman fare. There is a song where Malaika and Sonakshi are dancing with Salman. Why would anyone put the beauty and the beast in the same frame? Beauty- Malaika... Beast- Sonakshi.

- JabTak Hai Jaan
  During Diwali there was not much to do. In terms of movies it was either this flick or Son of Sardaar. We decided to watch this movie out of boredom. Big mistake. Was Anushka jumping into Pangong lake in a bikini? Are these guys kidding us? You could die if don't have warm clothes around the lake... roaming in a bikini will mean instant death. Katrina's dance in the club is ridiculous... she can't act or dance. The kiss between SRK and her is so awkward... don't kiss if you are not comfy.. there was zero chemistry. We walked out in the interval... not watching SRK movies again. Avoid!!!

- Chakravyuh
  Watched it 'coz it is a Prakash Jha movie... big pain. Om Puri, Manoj Bajpai and Abhay Deol are wasted in this flick. Arjun Rampal is wooden like most of his movies... Esha Deol was wearing shorts in the middle of a jungle in the interiors... really? Anjali Pai is awesome.... excellent actress. Avoid!!!

- Argo:
  Awesome movie... so original. Some Americans are stuck in Canadian Embassy in Tehran. A CIA agent- Ben Affleck is sent to rescue them. They pretend to be part of a movie crew and he manages to rescue them. The best part is it based on a real life incident. Awesome!!!

- Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola
  The mixed reviews made me watch it a week late. I loved it... how original. Pankaj Kapur stole the show. Imran Khan was more the sidey than the main lead. Pankaj's accent was bang on... while Imran's effort was good. Anushka is good... she is good looking and can act. Perfect combination. 

Been through hell and heaven and back

I have been wondering what to blog about. As if answering my prayers, God has given me a strong reason/urge to write.
Some incidents just blow us apart... they make us think... they shake us out of our material world... they make us aware of the higher powers...
I came home from Jazz, lunch and some chores by auto around 2.30 pm. The auto guy drove inside the complex despite my request not to. As a habit I get off near the gate and walk to the building. No specific reason. Why make the guard open the gate for an auto? This time (for the first time) he drove inside. I paid him, took the change and came home. I killed an hour since there was a movie at 4.15 pm at the multiplex nearby. I left home at 4.05 pm. I removed my sunglasses from the purse and put them on. After walking 10-15 steps something made me check the purse for my wallet (I never do this... the wallet is always inside). The wallet was not there and it had the movie ticket (I purchased the ticket last night - I never do this). If the ticket would have been in my purse I would not have bothered with the wallet... didn't really need the money. I rushed home since I was late for the movie. No sign of the wallet anywhere. And its a big wallet- very hard to miss.
There were only 3 options:
- The wallet is at home and I just need to search thoroughly
- Between the time that I paid the auto and came home it fell somewhere- maybe in the lift
- Between the time that I left home and walked those 10-15 steps it fell somewhere

I searched everywhere but no sign. I didn't think it was stolen 'coz there was no opportunity for anything like that. Also, the thief would have started using my cards and I would have received a sms. Thats when I remembered there is one debit card which is for a joint account with my dad and so there is no sms sent when it is used. I blocked that card first. I didn't want to block the credit cards since I was not convinced they are stolen. Finally, after searching the house for an hour, praying to God, shedding a few tears, informing my dad (smartest thing I did), checking online on how to get a duplicate Pan card and driving license... I blocked the balance cards.
Now, I did not have even 1 rupee. I don't like keeping too much cash on me and never keep money at home. I could either call my bro who stays in Andheri and travel all the way and back (but no money for auto) or request him to come and give it to me.... or I could request my dad to request my masi to lend me money (she stays in Mulund)... or I could call KC's mom/bro and request them to lend me money somehow... or I could call my colleague who stays in Mulund and request her. Whew!!! It was so much easier in Gurgaon when I could just "borrow" some money from KC's smiley bank (he collects coins in it... probably has thousands of rupees by now) if he was not around.
Do you know how low I went? There is no junk at home (avoid temptation) and I badly needed a chocolate (but - no money). I was looking for the wallet in my leather couch and found 3 Ritz minis below it. They had disappeared more than a month back when KC and me were eating them. I had accused KC of eating all of them (even the flavours he did not like) and he swore he didn't. The mystery of the missing Ritz chocolate was solved. I managed to eat 1- the other 2 were too stale, even for my depressed state.
Then dad called... and said; "Your wallet has been found". Huh??? He is in Gujarat... I lost my wallet in Mumbai... Some guy had called him. I called the "guy". His wife/mother works in the complex, found the wallet near the gate and took it home. They had been trying to find out my contact no (my official visiting card was in the wallet!!!) and then called the contact no on the driving license (dad's no). I rushed to pick it up... thanked them profusely... paid them some money... and came home.

Things I learned today:
- Always keep emergency cash at home
- Do not carry purses without a zip
- I have changed my contact no every year.... my dad has the same contact no since he bought a mobile number... and thats why he could be contacted
- There is a higher power above... I will not start visiting temples and all but there are times when I cannot ignore this power... I don't like to call it "God"... there are too many cliches attached with it...
- Being able to block the cards immediately is a smart thing. I don't understand why the maid took the wallet home. If she would have even mentioned it to the guard he would have called me. I had informed them as soon as I found out about the wallet. Was it 'coz she and the guy could not use the cards and decided to return the wallet since it was of no use? And its better if they return the cash also incase I go to the cops.
- Never carry too much cash. I barely have 1000 bucks... the loss wouldn't have been huge. Of course, I will have to survive the next 1-2 days in that much money.

Last month, I faced another problem with my debit card. I had withdrawn excess cash by mistake since I had to pay the broker and everyone while shifting. I did not use the ATM for atleast 15 days. I had gone to Powai to pick up my clothes from the laundry after work. I had only 60 bucks in the wallet and visited the ATM. I could not remember the pin. My mind went blank... completely blank. After 3 tries, the card got blocked. I called the bank but they could not help... had dinner and waited for a bus to take me home. I reached home at 10.30 pm. On the bus, I remembered the pin clearly... there was no doubt. How can such incidents be explained? The mysteries of the mind. How can I forget the PIN and remember it clearly in a few hours? Thankfully, I did not block the card and could use it the next day.

The last time that my wallet was stolen was in Chennai. I was an intern at Taj Coromandel and was staying in a shady hotel for 300 bucks at Nugambakkam for a week. I paid the auto and dropped my wallet. Some stole the money from it and threw it away. I found it lying near the road. It was my last day in Chennai and all the money was gone. I didn't know anyone there... my dad got my debit card blocked when I informed him earlier. I was just glad to get the documents like pan card back. Thankfully, my friend through the internet- Tanuj was in town and he lent me money.

Its been hell of a few hours but I guess... "Alls well that ends well".

Pat on my back

Day 1 of diet and workout followed successfully. 

What a bore!!!

Hiya... returned from a corporate party few hours back. I don't understand the purpose of these. In Delhi, we hardly had any... a good lunch or an early dinner once in a while was good enough. After spending 9 hours in office it is so damn difficult to network, be funny, charming, to drink for another 4-5 hours. It is exhausting. I liked that I could leave early in Delhi but in Mumbai excuses like "I want to go home... I need to take a train... I am tired... Its late" don't fly.
There is so much pressure to be a certain kind of person- charming, slightly flirtatious, funny, drinker, smoker. There is no scope to be anything else. You cannot be a quiet person or an introvert. Its like everyone has to be like a robot with the same, standard qualities. There is no appreciation for a diverse group.
I sneaked out at 9.15 pm. I'd rather be home doing my thing than getting bored in another part of the city. And Hard Rock Cafe in Mumbai sucks. They didn't play 1 rock song till 9.15 pm.
I am from Gujarat where the only drinking was at home and we looked down on our uncles who drank... 'coz they were drunkards and could not hold their liquor  My parents disapprove of drinking and smoking. I first tasted liquor in engg college and hated it. In B school it was more of a fad. Now I hardly drink... I don't like the taste... I am afraid of hangovers... I don't like feeling high... and instead of making me horny, liquor just makes me sleepy. 30 ml of anything can get me high... Also, I have been driving for 4 years and drinking and driving is against my ethics. 
I don't smoke and don't like inhaling second hand smoke. Sometimes I wish I could smoke. Its quite an advantage in the corporate world where smoke breaks are also used for networking. But the idea of putting my lungs through that torture is not appealing.
So, I don't smoke or drink (much) or network ... I am so doomed.

Anyway... I have linked the weight loss and beauty blog here. I will revive them tomorrow (technically- today).
I started dieting (healthy eating) last week but then my groceries got over and the whole thing fell of the bandwagon. I joined the super expensive Gold's Gym 'coz I don't have the motivation to work out at home. KC is my mojo and he is not here. I thought being away from KC would give me more time for stuff but I am just not motivated enough.
So, the plan is this:

• Workout in the gym everyday- preferably in the morning since evenings are not always possible. The good part is- the gym is open till 11 pm. But waking up early will take time. I need to change my sleeping habits
• Stock up on . Everything goes for a toss if there are no eggs at home. Will buy enough for 2 weeks
• Make b'fast... I manage to have eggs for b'fast every morning
• Give up rice... Will switch to brown rice from tomorrow
• Give up dinner... have stopped having dinner... I eat my last meal before 7 pm and then have soup at home
• Manage during parties... this is the most difficult part. What are the healthy options in a corporate party??? The starters? The liquor? The "Real" juices? The cold drink? I don't have a solution to this

2013

Below are the things that are going to happen in 2013... Call them resolutions... call them predictions...

1. Lose 8 kgs... I lost 4 kgs in 2012 (and maintained them). I plan to and will lose 8 kgs more. That is less than 1 kg per month... easy peasy..
2. Clear all debts: Done. No more debts this year.
3. Invest more: Done. Already started
4. Need a career overhaul: No more getting bored. I will not be bored this year
5. Move in with KC: Has to be done. Non negotiable
6. Plan a surprise for KC's B'day: His b'day was low key last year. Have already started on this one
7. Blog more: I have a weight loss blog and another anonymous beauty blog. I think I am going to link them to my current blog. 
8. Get promoted in Jazz: Need to move to the next level... Beginners is not challenging enough

Books... Books... Bookerworm

From my blog it seems like I have given up reading... but ... I have been reading a lot.
Here are the books I have read till now:

• Black Friday- The True story of Bombay Bomb Blasts by S. Hussain Zaidi

I have watched the movie but wanted to read the book. Hussain Zaidi is a crime reporter and has written a lot of books related to crime. A good read.

• Dongri to Dubai - Six decades of Mumbai Mafia by S. Hussain Zaidi

An excellent book on Mumbai mafia... how and where it started... and where it is now. Worth a read.

• Sethji by Shobha De

It is a usual De novel- written in simple English, lots of dirty sex (not in a good way), politics, greedy people etc etc. She paints a very depressing world in every novel and they usually leave me a bad taste in my mouth. I have grown up now and seen enough dirt myself... so I was prepared. You can give it a miss... its just time

pass.

• Diary of a wimpy kid - The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinnney

I love the series. This is the 6th book and I love it. Waiting for the 7th one. Hilarious read. It is a picture book. It is about a teenager called Jeff. Excellent!!! Worth a read.

• Headley and I by S. Hussain Zaidi

This about is about Rahul Bhatt and his relationship with Headley. Headley was the person who did a recce of Mumbai as part 26/11 attack. He became friends with Rahul Bhatt and manipulated him. RB was the one who approached the cops when he got to know who Headley was. Its a good book... very revealing. Worth a read!!! 

A very Happy New Year!!!

Hi.. people. Right now is the only time I have time to relax... chill... and do nothing. Ok, I am washing clothes simultaneously but like KC says; "Putting clothes in the machine and drying them does not count as washing them".
How was New Year's? How was 2012? How will 2013 be?

New Year's was good. I was in Gurgaon and it was cold... freezing cold. On 29th evening, we headed to Select City Walk Mall 'coz I wanted to shop at Sephora. Sephora is one of the biggest retail chains for beauty care/personal care/cosmetics. I have read so much about it on blogs and have been following its opening for more than 2 months... My views about Sephora?

• It has brands like Oscar Bandi, NYX, Benefit, Soap and Glory, Burt's Bees, Sephora etc. It does not have NARS, Makeup Forever and many more available abroad. So, thats a bummer. I had been looking forward to Makeup Forever since their only store in Mumbai closed down last year. 
• The products are priced are above 1000 bucks for everything. There were every few products for less than 1k which is very, very high for make up/personal care. Benefit products are priced above 2k. The rates are lower abroad so this is another bummer. All these brands are available in some local stores like Kunchals in Delhi's GK market. The prices are similar.
• All the best sellers and products I wanted to buy were out of stock- Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo, NYX matte lipsticks, Stila bronzer... anything I picked up was out of stock. And that too within one week
• The store was very, very crowded when I visited. Most women were not aware about the brands but had to buy something since it is the new store in town. That was kind of hilarious. 
• Overall, its a good store and will do well in Delhi. I don't know about its potential in other cities (Will open in Mumbai this year or next). If it reduces the prices, it can give competition to local brands. 
• I will visit this month and will hopefully pick up my most wanted.
• I did buy a hand salve from Burt's Bees (around 500 bucks... lip balms were 800 bucks!!!), Benefit Porfessional for around 2k (covers pores and acts as make up base), Sephora red gloss cum lipstick for 800 bucks, Sephora nail stickers for 600 bucks (very limited range but the stickers are excellent), BB cream for 1300 bucks (don't remember the brand but coverage is excellent)

We didn't do much on New Year's. Generally, our NY's are low key. Everything so pricey and crowded... its just not worth it. It was good to see soooo many cops- male as well as female around all the pubs. But the other areas did not have any security. We saw youngsters buying dope in Galleria market (the biggest and poshest market in Gurgaon), drinking beer on the benches and drinking in the car. I do not understand Delhites' obsession with drinking in the car. What's wrong with drinking at home??? Or maybe, most people stay in joint families and their cars are the only place which provides a cheap drinking place. Someone please enlighten me. 

How was 2012??? A mixed bag... like any year. Below are highlights:

• Professionally, most part of the year was boring. I was pretty bored in my work. I had not learned anything new in 2 years and it was getting to me. In the beginning of the month I knew whether the targets would be met or not and by how much. Thats a great situation for the organization but not for me. The last 2 months have been relaxed. Work has started coming my way now and I like it. 
• I lost weight - 4 kgs through diet and workout... I did it without spending any money- no dietitians or expensive gym memberships. I also learned more about my body... how far I can push it and when I should stop. This has been a big learning.
• I started working out... jogging, skipping, crunches, yoga, strength training etc... all at home. Jogging was the biggest motivation. I miss jogging these days (too cold and dark in the mornings). I was amazed by how far my body can push itself... 
• I got promoted in Jazz... after 8 months. Best part. 
• KC and I had to separate.. again. We have not lived together from Jan-Dec in any year. Weird!!! 
• Had the worst experience in the Andheri house... and I am still following up with the owner and broker on my money. Just 2500 bucks left with them. 
• Hate Mumbai... the worst city ever. 
• Realized Delhi/Gurgaon is where I want to settle down. This is a very important realization since I did not know it until now
• My dressing sense has improved drastically and I like to call it the 'Delhi influence'. 
• Baking/Cooking- Lot of experiments - some successful and others not so... but all of them fun

And 2013??? Next post.