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.