Happy V day

Hi. I have not been too great these last few days. Don't ask why. On Sunday, I dropped KC off to the airport after my Jazz class. He was going to Pune for a few days and then to Mumbai... then back to Pune and returning after 6 days. I was pissed... he was going to miss V day. Initially, he had planned to return for one evening so we could have dinner together. I felt like something had changed. I am very scared of things changing... of becoming a boring couple who are too lazy to do anything fun... I miss the energy we used to have. We have traveled all over the country to be with each other even for one night. Most of our relationship and 1 year of marriage was long distance. I remember this one time- I had to go for a conference to Lonvala. I worked most of the night with my colleagues on a ppt, we left early morning for Lonvala... worked all day... partied till late night... started ppts next day early morning... went for water sports in the evening... returned at night for dinner at the Boss's house... left at 1 am for guesthouse... took the early morning flight to Indore... spent the day and night with KC... flew back in the morning to Mumbai... worked all day... took the train at night to Gujarat. And he has done the same for me.

And then negative thoughts come in... what if... what if... what if. Sometimes I wonder if we are happy or I am just like Carrie, not used to not having drama. Which one is it?

Anyway, KC agreed to come back (seeing that he had no other option) but I messaged him and asked him not to strain himself. There were 2 reasons for this:

1. Travelling from Pune to Gurgaon to Pune to Mumbai to Gurgaon does sound hectic. It seemed like a genuine reason


2. I did not want to be with him on V day if he did not want to be with me. Plain and simple. I do have my pride and ego

My bad ass friends were surprised to know I would be alone on V Day. "Umm... hmm... where is KC, if not with you?" I did wonder and kept tracking him to Google Maps. (After reading this, he will take me off his list for sure).

On V day, he did not call me ... now I was pissed AND sad. To be the higher person, I sent flowers online. I would have done it earlier but I was not sure if he would be in Mumbai or Pune or back home. 30 mins later, my doorbell rang. KC had sent me roses... orange roses with a "Sorry" note. All I could think was; "The romance is still alive" And Amen to that.

It was like "Gift of Magi" (by O'Henry)... with both us sending each other roses and all. I know the story was about sacrifice but for 2 self sufficient individuals the opportunity to sacrifice rarely comes.

Happy V day. I hope its a better one next year.

Life revolves around food

Hiya. I am sitting in the bedroom after watching a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 5. KC is sleeping and there is silence. It is cold but bearable. Last night's howling breeze is silent right now. Winter is saying goodbye and I couldn't be happier.

This week has been hectic and I have not been getting enough sleep. No, its not work... its never work. On Thursday, my colleague gave me a free pass for the movie 'Chronicle' playing at Vasant Kunj Mall. I invited D, AB and KC. AB couldn't make 'coz he had to "sleep early". KC was quite busy at work and we had to leave quite late. The traffic on Mehrauli road did not help and we reached half an hour after the movie started. Disappointed, we headed for a quick drink and dinner at Taman Gang. I had not heard about it but D had come for dinner with his family. He did mention that it is expensive but I did not realize then that our definitions differ. Anyway, since we were in a hurry D ordered for us. We did not even look at the menu. There was some chicken starter which was quite good. The chicken red Thai curry was yummy. The chicken was so so so soft. And rice was good. We had 4 drinks in all. The bill came to 5k. I was a little zapped. We have not done the whole get together with friends in a while and was not sure how much it is supposed to cost. Even then, it seemed on the expensive side. On checking the bill, I realized main course and starter cost 650 bucks each. KC and I do not have a budget but generally, anything above 350 bucks is expensive for us. I read the reviews on zomato.com and check the prices before going to a place. The prices are so high only in a 5 star. The food was good but quite expensive.

We then headed for The Descendants. I will write a review in my next post.

KC was working late on Friday night and we came home at 10.30 pm. I was in no mood to go out and we ordered in (with great difficulty since everything closes at 11 pm in Gurgaon).

Last night was great. We headed to Select Citywalk since KC wanted to shop. Dinner was at The Big Chill Cafe, as always. We visit it every month and love the food there. My only grouse is the waiting time. The first time we went there on a Sunday afternoon, we got a table at 3 pm (after more than an hour of waiting). At Khan Market, D had booked a table on phone an hour earlier. We were made to wait for another 45 mins. Last night was the same. 60 mins of wait and we finally got a table at 10 pm. Thankfully, the service was quick. Their Vanilla Oreo shake is to die for.

Last weekend was the workshop. I was happy to have no class on a Sunday and just wanted to stay in and do nothing. At 12 noon- after finishing all the chores, we were about to start watching TBBT when a friend R called. R and me live within 5 mins of each other and were together in engg college. Our friendship has lagged over the years and neither has made an effort to revive it. All my invitations to movies or dinner have mostly been turned down by him- for one reason or the other in the last few months. And I have basically given up. Anyway, he asked me to bring him some food since he is very ill and has nothing at home. I guessed he was in dire need of help to have called me. I packed some food and took it to him. He had been running a fever for 3-4 days and was surviving of D Cold and Crocin. His sister was away at a weeding out of town and parents had gone back to their home 2 days back. Basically, he was alone and there was nobody to look after him. After feeding him soup, I took him to the hospital. He had to be given a drip to bring down the fever. I brought him home, fed him lunch and returned home to a Sunday that was almost over. Sigh!!! I do not understand the reluctance of people to see a doctor. My father is a doc so advice is always available and I am quite used to it. For me it is very natural to see a doc when I am unwell. Most people wait and wait and wait till they are pushed by someone to see a doc. KC is like that. So, is R. Any symptom which lasts more than a week should be diagnosed by a doc; 2 days if it is fever.

And today I plan to do nothing. Just sit home and lounge around. I need to.

The Week that was...

Hiya. This week has been nice. I love mid week holidays. They are non chore days. I cannot wake up on Thursday with a list in my head. The lists are for the weekend. We had nothing to do on Republic day since we could not get passes for the parade. I was told tickets are for losers. Anyway, 26th Jan'12 bright, early and sunny. The day was beautiful. My friend AB told me he was going for a picnic to Lodi Gardens. I decided to head there as well. We had planned to go to the garden last month but it didn't work out. To avoid checking, we took the metro to Jor Bagh. The garden was crowded... all the Delhi families had come there to soak in the sun. And they had come with preparation- home made food, cards, cricket gear, badminton rackets, liqour, floor mats etc. I got to know later that Lodi gardens and India Gate are a draw during the winters. It is the ideal place to hang out. It was quite nice. We walked around the garden and visited the monuments. I was shocked to see people drinking liqour. Lodi Gardens is the most posh place in Delhi. Dignitaries live around there. If decent families can drink liqour in the open on Republic day, anything can happen. I mean, what are we teaching our kids? Sigh!!!

After an hour, we met up with D who lives near Khan Market. After a Vanilla Oreo shake (please try it) and pasta at Big Chill we tried to get tickets for a movie, any movie but were unsuccessful. It was a day well spent.

Yesterday was the Winter Workshop at Sirifort Auditorium. My day was filled with "to-do" items- buy shoes from Sohna Road Bata showroom (the only store in Gurgaon which stocks shoes worth 250 bucks), go to the bank, buy groceries, go to the parlour, have lunch, leave for workshop. The workshop was fine. Our performance lasted for barely 1.5 mins. We went on stage, did our stuff and came out. It was unbelievable- 2 months practice for only 1.5 mins. During classes, I don't interact much with anyone. I dance and leave- like everyone else. Anyway, 90% of the class has school going teenagers. During the workshop, I had the misfortune of interacting with them. We had to wear checked skirts given by the company. They were knee length skirts. ALL the girls found them TOO long. And then, they proceeded to fold them to less than half their length. For some reason, most of them have accents. I do not understand this. They don't look like NRIs. Where do they get accents from?

Lesson learned- Have kids but do not educate them in Delhi.

Cold...

Hiya. Its been a busy week. Any week where I have to go to Faridabad and Noida/Ghaziabad is hectic. I have not had a moment to breathe. Also, the Sunday dance classes just add to the stress. I do enjoy them but it does get tiring and I like my Sundays free.

Anyway, the performance is next Saturday. Hope it goes off well. If it does not, its ok. I am not planning to become a professional. Today I had to go shopping for the outfit- checked skirt, puffed sleeves top and skin colored stocking. Stepping into Promod is really hard on my pocket. I cannot leave with only 1 outfit. Sigh!!!

There are things I have been meaning to talk about:

• Arranged marriage: 2 of my friends have started looking out for partners through arranged marriage route since their own search has been unsuccessful. In a way, arranged marriage is a convenient thing in India. It is not looked down upon. What about people in the USA? They have to find their own partners. What they cannot find anyone and want to get married? Anyway, these friends are educated, broad minded people but when it comes to arranged marriage- the rules remain the same. A grounded, good looking girl who is well educated and has a career but is not ambitious to pursue it strongly. Also, someone who can cook and will "blend" with the family. Everything is skewed towards the males. Can a female have "cooking" as a desirable trait in her partner? Naah... people will laugh at her. She is only supposed to compromise. Totally unfair. KC and me were discussing. I think the whole concept of a female moving in with the guy and taking his surname is very old fashioned. Can she ask her guy to move in with her parents? No, right? And why not? Are her parents not important? The whole concept worked when women were not working and males had to support wife, kids and parents. That does not apply anymore. Of course, KC did not want to argue or agree with me. Men!!!
• Last month when I met my cousin, she told me she had quit her job. I was shocked. Even though we are in 2012 (when the world is supposed to end), my family does not consider financial independence of the female to be important. Strange since there have been many incidences where arranged marriage has led to fatal consequences. This cousin- lets call her L, was one of the few females in the family who was working. She had completed her engineering in a reputed college of Mumbai and joined a reputed company. Her parents are looking out for a groom and decided that she should stay home and lose weight instead. I was sickened by the whole thing. Of course, my arguments were shot down by my mom who thought anything is better than giving girls so much independence that they marry against parents' wishes. Argument over. Case closed. If things have not progressed for my family, what about the majority of the population? Will females ever get their due?
• Met a friend last month. We had discussions on variety of topics. I had forgotten how much fun that can be. One of the topics discussed was fidelity or infidelity. We decided that a person does not cheat because he/she is dissatisfied by the other partner. It is always because of lack of something in the person and not the relationship. There are people who cheat and there are others who do not. It is a matter of character and will power. Anything else is an excuse. No, I am not moralizing. This is an opinion of someone who has been there. I am quite familiar with my dark sides. I think it is quite important to make mistakes so that you realize their consequences. Life is all about experimenting. There is a time to play with fire and a time to play safe. I have played with fire and have moved to the safe side.
• I want to feel warm- if only for 5 minutes. Last weekend, there was sunshine and it was barely cold. I was so happy. I thought winter is over. Monday began with fog and rain. What is worse than cold? It is cold+rain. I just want to be warm... and nothing makes me warm enough. And I want to feel the sun. I miss the sun.

I will be back with movie reviews tomorrow. The cooking is on hold right due to lack of time and energy.

Happy New Year

Hiya... sorry, I have been gone too long. Life has been busy and the winter is making me lazy. Moving means letting go of the conserved heat and I try to do less of that.

New year's was good. We didn't do anything on 31st, for obvious reasons. But I have never done much on 31st- ever... no partying or boozing for me, well, except for this one time.

As a kid, I spent 31st at home... all of us (sis, bro and me) would be up till late at night watching TV. We would make some Maggi when hungry.... those were the days when we looked forward to TV programmes on 31st night. Once our parents dragged us to a party... not a dance and liquor party (How I wish!!!) but a get together of doctors and their families in a restaurant on the highway. Ghazals were playing live, there was chaat and stuff for dinner, cake was cut and we were all so bored. We cribbed like hell 'coz it was the night when Titanic was playing on Star Movies for the very first time. The next night we refused to go to any party and watched the movie at home. Bliss.

When I was in my B-School, we spent 31st night on KMC (Kasturba Medical College) greens with friends. In the 2nd year, we took a trip to Turtle Bay- a beach resort near Manipal. It was good fun. On the way back, I joined a friend for a party. The plan was to stay there for sometime and return before midnight to KMC greens. Unfortunately, the friend was there to DJ and I didn't know anyone too well. I ended up getting seriously drunk and puked my guts out. 1st Jan was a complete hangover for me... and I missed meeting friends at greens.

KC's and my first new year was at Mulund. I had to go to Bhiwandi warehouse on 31st. I got stuck in traffic on my way back and by the time we reached Mulund it was crowded and 10 pm. There were no empty restaurants for dinner. We ended up at Dominoes at midnight. Not the best new year.

We did the same this year- had dinner at Dominoes and stayed in. Not bad.

The best surprise in the morning was the delivery of the gas cylinder. I had been following up like crazy for a week.

Coming to the present,

• I had the best Jazz class last week. The senior instructor P is amazing... she has to enter the class and I feel good. I look forward to seeing her... she dances like a dream... and she inspires. WOW!!! And its not just talent... but also loads of hard work.
• So many sales are going on right now. Please check out Promod. I have never entered the store 'coz it is pricey. On Saturday, I just checked out the sale and it was a genuine one. Upto 70% meant actual clothes at 70% off. I bought a skirt priced at 3650 bucks for only 1090 bucks. How cool is that? I shopped like crazy... went back the next day too. And again the 3rd day (did not find anything I had not bought on the 3rd day).
• Mango sale sucks.... they just bring trash from somewhere. Clothes look like seconds. Please avoid
• My company just gifted us a Sony Home Theater. I have wanted one for quite sometime but we didn't want to splurge. Watching movies is a whole new experience. I do not fall asleep watching movies anymore
• Sunday was quite hectic. We stayed up till 1 am on Saturday night watching movie on Blu Ray DVD (Scarface) and then a marathon session of Big Bang Theory. Waking up at 11 next morning was torture. I will never go against my body clock again. Sleep by midnight, at max. After a late and lazy b'fast at Choko La (details in next post) I rushed for my dance class... after which we rushed to buy groceries, shop and have dinner. Too much rushing around
• Gym has been ignored completely 'coz of dance. We have the winter workshop performance on 28th Jan'12 at SiriFort. From 3 hours a week, I have to attend classes for 5 hours per week (1.5 hours on 2 weekdays and 2 hours on Sundays). It gets hectic but is a lot of fun.
• I am tired of feeling cold all the time, waiting for 2-3 days for the clothes to dry, not seeing the sun for days, waking up to foggy mornings... I want the sun and the warmth. Will this cold end already?
• What is worse than a Delhite telling you it is not cold enough? A mumbaite telling you it is not cold enough.

New year resolutions....

Naah. I am doing away with resolutions this year. I was going through last year's resolutions (Thats why a blog is so useful... you can chronicle your life and go back to it anytime)... grow hair and lose weight. I have done none of them. Instead, I went and chopped my hair real short... the shortest they have been in a few years and I like it.

Of the year gone by I only want to remember the good parts 'coz thats what matters...

There were 2 big changes... the most important ones... life changing ones...

• KC and I moved in together. He was in Karnataka earlier and I was in Mumbai. We met every weekend. 2011 is the year that we started living like a married couple... and it has been amazing... Ups and downs... but I love it... so much so that being away for even 2 days is a drag. I start getting bored... if I come home even by 7 pm, there is nothing to do. I do
  like living alone... but I also like living with someone. Since we moved in together, we always made some long term decisions like buying a house. Our finances are screwed up but we are living one month at a time.
• I went home during Diwali after more than 2 years. I used to dream about my room, my bed and it was so nice to see it. Home is still the same, unfortunately it is no more the place I can go for solace at a whim.

There were other good things and I want to remember them:

• Jazz classes... how my life has changed 'coz of them. Right now, we are preparing for the workshop on 28th Jan'12. It is so damn difficult.. remembering all the steps for one whole
• song... and also trying to perform. Today, finally, after 6 months... my instructor actually praised me. All this time I thought she probably hates me. Yippie.
• Cooking... 2011 is the year when I got more into cooking... and have tried so many things. I am still not doing half as much as I want to but then I am not superwoman and something has to be on the back burner.
• Leh/Ladakh trip... Goa trip... Sariska National Park... all the trips... new experiences...
• Downloads... more downloads... and so many more... True Blood... Gossip Girl... 90210... Vampire Diaries... The Big Bang Theory...
• Bryan Adams concert... so what if we missed half of it 'coz of traffic
• The new couch and having a room only to lounge around...
• Roasting in the Delhi heat... and now snuggling in the cold weather... love the cold
• So much good food... Little Italy, Pind Balluchi, Kake ka dhaba, macaroons at L'Opera, Big Chill
• Make up... discovering it...
• Back to Nokia .... Blackberry sucks
• Incentives... contests won.... 2 of them...
• New haircuts... good ones (for a change)
• August Osage County... 2nd celebrity play (1st was Vagina Monologues)
• Online shopping at fashionandyou.com... my addiction
• So many movies and books... what would I do without them

I hope 2012 can have all the above ingredients ... and maybe more.

I leave you with a perfect picture of what 2011 has meant...

Death

Hiya... I have taken 3 days off since leaves are pending- Saturday to Tuesday. On Saturday, I woke up at 11 am... after a really long time. It is difficult to sleep when the doorbell rings constantly. I already have a list of things to do in my head- go to the gym, get refill of gas cylinder, buy groceries, wash clothes, give clothes for ironing, maybe watch a movie. Last weekend, we returned from Mumbai at midnight. Sure, it was a day off but we did not get a chance to relax and I was looking forward to that. One phone call changed that... KC's dad had passed away. He had a severe heart attack... the 2nd one in a week. We rushed to Mumbai asap. Of course, the flight got delayed and we reached at 8 pm. I was shocked... the last funeral I attended was when I was in school. My parents have never really taken us for the recent funerals- my maternal granny, paternal grandparents, dad's brother etc.

When I met KC's dad in the ICU last weekend, it brought back memories of seeing my grandfather like that. He had a liver problem due to excessive drinking. I was in 1st or 2nd standard when he was admitted in a Mumbai hospital. I did not meet him but remember the hospital... all the people just waiting there. We had gone to my masi's home and the phone rang as we entered the house... Grandad had passed away. He used to pamper me silly and I miss him. I remember him always laughing and being jolly.

Recently, my granny passed away. I had not spoken to her in the last 2.5 years despite my mom urging me to call her. She was not keeping well. Before my marriage to KC, I was a frequent visitor to her house since I was based in Rajkot and she stayed in Veraval (5 hours away). I was pissed with her 'coz she didn't call me after my wedding (just a brief- I married KC without my parents approval and have been cut off by the family). I just thought that if she wanted to speak to me, she should call... anyway, I did speak to her a month before her death. I did not attend the funeral and when Mom asked me to go to her house after her death, I refused. I don't think I will ever go to that house again... it will only bring back memories. Thankfully, rest of my family will move out of there and the doors to that life will be closed.

There are regrets when someone passes away... I know I will have many... but is there any point? No matter how perfect a relationship, it will not seem perfect after death. I'd rather hold on to the good memories than indulge in regret and guilt. Some things are destined and others chosen by us. I read in a Richard Bach book that we choose our paths. For example, instead of path A if we choose path B our life will have a different destiny. I do not believe in the notion that whats supposed to happen will happen. For example, if I had not chosen to do MBA and join a particular organization I would never have met KC. Ditto for him. We would never have met if I would have pursued medicine (tried really hard for it) or he would have gone abroad for masters. We would have ended up with different people.

And thats life...

Back with a bang

Hiya... I had gone for a sales conference to Pune. I dislike conferences, corporate parties etc etc... I used to hate them. The hatred has lessened. I do not understand the fun and joy in drinking, dancing and interacting for 4 hours and more. 1 hour is my limit... after that I am ready to shoot myself. Anyway, 3 days were spent in Pune attending presentations at the end of which I won an award for best sales performance in my channel. It felt good.

On Sunday I met my brother and Mom. I treated them to lunch at 'Out of the Blue', an amazing restaurant in Bandra. The first time I went there was with an acquaintance from B-School. We ate 3 courses... pasta, pizza and fondue. KC and I have been there many, many times. Do visit it if you are on Carter road.

I also met another acquaintance from B-School in Pune- H. We used to be good friends but it didn't last. I don't remember our last conversation in college. But, thats the thing about friendship... you can pick it up any time anywhere. 2.5 hours passed away in a jiffy.

And now it is back to the cold.... mornings are foggy, I can barely spot the next building. We come up and tuck ourselves in the blanket with soup... KC likes to sleep by 10.30 pm which is a shocker since his normal sleeping hour was 1 am.

More ... later... adios...

One chapter closes

Hiya. I just finished with my appraisal. It was a sham... ratings have been sent 10 days back and yet there butterflies in my stomach. I think a good appraisal is one where you know what feedback to expect. You should know what is going to be said. So, I guess it was good. Another challenge beckons tomorrow... I need to accomplish it else consequences will be devastating.

Sometimes I think life was so much easier for women like my mom... they had to deal with home issues and not so many other people like I do- clients, bosses, sub ordinates, colleagues, distributors etc etc etc. So many complications... and having to always come up with right solutions... give your best... be on top of your game... whew, it is exhausting.

Some days are so relaxing... and I can't wait for others to end. This and last week has been like the latter.

KC and I have been waiting for the winter to arrive. I was disappointed to know that winter lasts for only 1.5 months. Now I realize that 1.5 months will seem like 3. It is so so so cold... I sit/sleep in one position till I become warm... KC and me are constantly cuddling next to each other to share the warmth. Right now, we are gathering courage to open the balcony door, step out and dry wet clothes. Clothes take 3-4 days to dry completely and by then there are 2 more lots ready to be washed. Also, checking to determine whether clothes are wet or just cold is a challenge.

I am leaving day after for Pune for the sales conference. Saturday night and Sunday will be spent in Mumbai. Looking forward to meeting my mom and brother. I am planning to treat them at Out of the Blue in Bandra. Do visit this restaurant on Carter Road for the most amazing food. I had gone there for dinner and drinks with an acquaintance. We had eaten so much... pasta, pizza, fondue. Amazing food.

Tata... see you guys next week.

Love thyself

Hiya... I have been gone long... really long. No, I was not busy... atleast not last week. No, I was not out of town or stressed... atleast not last week. I don't know why I didn't post. I did have things to say but could not bring myself to type. I cannot even call it writer's block.

Anyway, I am back...

• Monday evening/night was great. I had the greatest time dancing. I have had a love hate relationship with dance. I was loved to dance as a kid... I would perform in school, at weddings, participate in competitions. The affair came to an end when a friend in school remarked that I don't look good when I dance. Don't ask me why. I was taken aback. I stopped dancing. Now when I think back it was not the remark but the fact that I was entering my teens and felt awkward in my body. I could only let go on the dance floor after a few drinks at B-school parties (never touched liqour before that). When I joined the Jazz class 3 years back I didn't enjoy it one bit but went anyway since it was some timepass on the weekend. I felt uncomfortable and didn't even stick around for 3 months. This time I had no intention of learning to dance. It was something extra to do... a hobby, also an activity to help me keep fit or even lose weight. Nothing more... For 3 months, I felt awkward. Our instructors always tell the new students that for 3 months we will look like chimpanzees and its ok. It is only in the 4th month that things change. So true. We were made to do exercises like- looking at our self in the mirror and saying "I love you". No kidding. It was so silly at first. Now I understand the importance. We were made to Jazz walk (something like Cat walk) in class. Now I can walk with confidence and look at myself in the mirror. I have come a long way. On Monday, the seniormost instructor- P had taken class... she is damn good. Our regular instructor- S was out of town. Before leaving, she told me that I performed really, really well. I am actually moving my body and should stand in front instead of middle. Everyone clapped for me. It is a long, long, long way for someone who did not want to learn dance and could not imagine enjoying it. I love the dance classes... I can let go... the music does amazing things to my body. I don't know why but my regular instructor- S has never appreciated me even once. Its kinda disappointing.
• Watched Dirty Picture... It was pathetic. There was no heart, the dialogues were just dialogues... Vidya has not acted.. she has just spoken dialogues... I didn't understand it... I don't understand the character... one moment, she was ok with her sexuality and flaunting and next moment she was craving society's acceptance. Only Nasseruddin Shah was tolerable... the others were horrible.
• Watched Puss in Boots... loved it. The 3D was superb. This is what it should be like. I hate it when the movie is 2D with 3D thrown in... I have to keep removing the glasses and putting them on. So bugging. KC didn't enjoy it too much but I liked it. Worth a watch.
• It is appraisals week and it makes me tense. I know whats done is done... but yet. I finished off my team's appraisals yesterday and I hope it has been fair. Now, I am waiting for mine. My career decisions for next year will depend on this appraisal. I am a little de-motivated right now. Last 2 days have been exhausting. Thank god, the week is almost over.
• KC has been unwell. It is weird living with an ill person.... it is quite frustrating when someone insists on going to work and refuses to go to the doctor when ill. Finally, he took the day off yesterday and we visited a doctor.
• Money problems are looming over our head this month... LIC is screwing with us... the long waits at the phone calls... stupid processes... so many demand notes... oof!!! Frustrating!! Dealing with all of this on the week days is tiring.
• I cooked schezwan fried rice and noodles on Sunday. Its quite simple... same cooking method has to be used for both. For schezwan I added the ready made sauce available in the market. It was quite good.

Catch you over the weekend!!!

Whats this Sunday about...

Well, I got a lot done and am not even feeling exhausted...

• Woke up 7.30 am and wanted to go to the gym but had to supervise the cleaning and cooking in case the maids turned up early... Relaxed with a book, newspaper, Nescafe Vanilla Latte, True Blood, face pack, hair pack
• Cleaning and cooking started at 9.30 am. The plan was to cook dal bhaati. My native pl
  ace is 3 hours from Rajasthan and I have grown up eating this dish at home... there are numerous dhabas also which serve it in Gujarat (close to Rajasthan). The bhaati is cooked on coals... in bhattis... at home we cooked in a special tandoor. I cooked it in a microwave today. For recipe scroll down
• Once KC woke up, we had b'fast and I headed to the gym. I do not understand the guy... how can someone complain of insomnia at night and sleep so much during the day.
  *Shaking head*
• The AC was not working in the gym... there were only 3 of us working out which was a change 'coz peak hours are packed with people on all instruments... there was 1 instructor
• only... I was sneaking out after an hour of cardio and he stopped me... I had the shame to do my leg work outs for another 15 mins
• After grocery shopping, lunch, a bath which ended with cold water (geyser does not work during power back up... my electricity woes are going to start)... I am now relaxing in the lounge type room. It is not cold but it is cool... I cannot sit on the bare cold floor without a mat... just finished reading latest part of Diary of a wimpy kid and will pick up part 2 of True Blood now.

I will begin with recipes for jam filled muffins which I have taken from Anita's blog

(http://sliceofmylyfe.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/muffin-monday-jam-filled-muffins/). Ok... not posting it here... you can hop onto the link for the recipe. Having some issues with the font color.

I baked around 4 muffins- 4 with jam and 3 without jam. The ones without jam taste less sweet... I guess you need to increase the sugar measurement if not using jam. Just stick to the jam.

And here is the recipe for dal bhati:

Bhati- nos 7 small ones

• Add 1.5 cups flour (regular one), lots of oil (triple the quantity you would use when making regular chapattis), some salt and little haldi. Knead the dough with little water. It has to be very, very hard... as hard as you can make it. Make flat oval shapes (you can even make round ones)
• Boil water in a big vessel. Put the bhatis in them. They will be done once they come on top. It takes around 10-15 mins. Ensure that the water completely covers the bhatis
• You can either cook them in a tandoor (available everywhere) for 10-15 mins. Heat a tandoor, put the bhattis on the grill, cook covered. Once the top becomes firm and brown, turn and cook the other side till they also become brown
• For microwave, mine has an automatic setting and cooked in 15 mins. For others, I guess the convention mode will have to be used. Put bhattis on a tava, place tava on high grill and cook on high for 7-8 mins. Turn the bhattis and cook for another 7-8 mins

Dal (serves 3-4 people)

• Boil 1/4 cup tuvar dal, 1/4 cup urad dal and 1/2 cup moong chilke wali dal. The idea is to use 3 types of dal in this ratio
• Crush the dal once boiled. Add the water leftover from boiling bhattis (why throw away nutrients?)
• Add 1 chopped tomato, salt, green chillies, salt. Boil
• In another pan, heat oil. Add jeera, hing, 1 small chopped onion, red chilli powder, haldi.
• Add the mixture to the dal and let it boil
• After 5 mins add nimbu/tamarind paste

Serve the bhattis with ghee.

Years ago, some guests were invited to our house for dinner. They brought their relatives along who had just come from Australia to visit. We were not aware extra people were coming (Indian culture!!!). Mom had cooked dal bhatti. There were 2 NRI kids who did not know how to eat it. They were dipping the bhattis in dal and having it. It was quite funny. We taught them to crush the bhatti, pour ghee over it, dunk dal on top, mix it well and then eat.

Yum!!!

Disclaimer- There are many, many recipes for bhatti and dal. I don't know how genuine this one... this is how my mom makes it and its good enough for me.

Rewind...

Hiya... this week has been slow... less hectic... more laidback... I gave myself sometime.

But lemme talk I most comfy with... in bullet points:

• KC was gone for 2 nights... he was supposed to be back after 1 night but his stay got extended. I had a hard time falling asleep... thinking about Paranormal Activity part 1. When he left home at 4.30 am, I told myself "Now I am alone... if there is something, it will happen now". Nothing did. I should have been convinced but... I didn't find PR 2 as scary... PR 1 is what gives me nightmares
• I broke into my new Allen Solly red colored jeans. I bought it for 50% off on fashionandyou.com. Love the buy... so worth it. I have bought skinny jeans after a very long time. Thank god, it fit perfectly.
• My left foot had been aching for the last 2-3 days. Strangely, I didn't feel the pain in the gym or Jazz class. It was always in the morning. Yesterday, I could not even put my foot on the floor. I limped my way throughout the day. The thought of going to the doc crossed my mind but I remembered the last experience. I had a skin infection, the doc gave me 99% guarantee that it is incurable but she needs to do a biopsy. I was charged 2500 bucks after which she said that it is curable and I just need to apply ointment. Next time, I will go to a hospital in Gurgaon when I am on my death bed
• Lesson learned today- Do not wear heels when your left foot is aching. Fashion can kill
• We went for dinner to Ambience Mall. The soup and starters- dimsums were at restaurant 'Dimsum'... and main course and dinner was at Kobe Sizzlers. KC was about to pay without checking the bill but I always check the bill, just to know how much we have spent. I was shocked to be charged for 2 main courses. The waiter was called for and he rectified it. We would have overpaid by 300 bucks. Checking the bill specially at retail chains has become a habit. Twice I have been charged extra or charged for a 1+1 promo. Since my work involves dealing with chains, I know how screwed up they are. Once there was a 1+1 promo running at 50% off which means, on buying 1 unit of a product you get another free and are charged only 50% of the value.
• I baked muffins today- jam filled muffins. The recipe was taken from Anita's blog. I share the pics tomorrow. Finally... next I want to try cupcakes with cheese frosting. I had them at Choco La (priced at 95 bucks each) and sooooo yummy... Cheese frosting is not sweet or sour... it balances out the sweetness of cupcakes.

Thats about it... more updates on books read and movies watched.

Whatta Sunday Morning

Hiya. This week has been extremely boring and slow. Generally, time flies away but this week I was actually counting minutes until the weekend. I didn't go the gym... I would decide to go in the morning and then wouldn't wake up since it has become cooler and sleep has become more precious. I would be determined to make up for it in the evening... but something or the other would come up... and laziness would get the more of me.

I was not even feeling too well this week. Friday was the most boring. We were home with nothing to do... couldn't get the tickets to any movie... we ordered dinner from Yo China and they sent the wrong order... they replaced it but it was not what we wanted. Hungry and bugged, we went to sleep by 10.30 pm. Such a waste.

I baked muffins and filled them with strawberry sauce and topped with nutella. They were tasty but too sweet. I think they were a bit undercooked. I am looking for a good recipe for muffins/cupcakes. The recipe I used was for chocolate chip muffins.

So, thats the update. More on movies watched and books read.

Happy Diwali

Be grateful... I never reply to Diwali wishes and hardly ever wish. No, I am not being rebellious... it is pure laziness. I have always been home during Diwali or atleast with parents. A lot of times we would have only 2 days off in school and final exams would be near. My school term was from March to November- due to extreme winters in Mt Abu and Christmas. The nuns wanted to celebrate X'Mas without nuisance and so they changed the school term.

Anyway, my parents were always around for Diwali except once... when I had joined the boarding. Parents sent loads of fire crackers for sis and me. While bursting them, 1 cracker went hay wire and almost hurt a kid. The nuns confiscated our crackers and no amount of begging and pleading helped. I hate all nuns... my hatred for them deserves a separate post altogether.

In the last 3 years, 2 Diwalis have been spent in Goa and 1 in Mumbai. I would have loved to go to Goa this year too. I went home instead after 3 years. Diwali has never been a happy one.... I won't get into the details. I prefer Holi to Diwali. This time it was extremely low key 'coz of my maternal granny's death last month (maybe a separate post on that). Even on Diwali day I didn't know it was Diwali and I realized about New Year too late.

In Gujarat, the 4th day is celebrated as New Year... everyone wakes up early, wears new clothes, decorates the home, lays out delicacies like namkeen, sweets, dry fruits etc. People go to each other's houses and wish them. Generally, we would receive guests till afternoon and visit others in the evening. We would try and meet everyone... those we could not meet on the same day, we would visit sometime during the week. It was in Manipal I realized that New Year is a Gujju tradition. People outside do not follow it.

There was so much that I did at home:

• I felt like I had never gone... my absence was visible on the walls... No, I never cleaned them or anything... but the effect my leaving had on the house residents was visible in their neglect
• The first day I asked mom to cook besan ki sabji... which I could not make well last time I tried. I will give the recipe some other time... it is somewhat like ghatte... but better. Ghatte has only besan... while this veg has onions, anardana, chillies etc.
• I took all the recipes I wanted. We wanted to make cheesecake but there was no time
• I downloaded ZNMD and made my parents watch it... they were unimpressed
• I downloaded Khuda Ke Liye since my dad liked Bol
• Drove dad's Manza and realized how smooth it was... now, craving for a car like that. He took me through the empty road and wanted me to drive at 20 kmph in traffic
• Indulged in so many chocolates mom brought from New York...
• Made fafdas- a Gujju specialty, made during Diwali
• Ate Pav Bhaji at Honest Restaurant... and loved it
• Opened all the cupboards and brought whatever I could. As kids, we loved exploring mom's cupboard... it was always full of stuff and we could find something for ourselves
• Had daal bhaati... being close to Rajasthan, it is a popular dish in my hometown. I plan to make it next week

The days flew past... I have been wanting the month to end, there is too much pressure. But the only holiday of the year is over and it does not feel good. I guess, I need to plan something for December to cheer me up.

Today has been relaxing. I flew back last night and reached home at midnight. There was no dinner since restaurants close down by 11 pm.

I woke up early... unpacked, washed clothes. The maid and cook turned up on time, thankfully. After buying groceries, I relaxed for sometime and then hit the gym. Now I am waiting for KC to arrive.

All in all, a good vacation and a significant one.

Say it with pictures

The Diwali diyas... at home it was my duty to light the diyas and place them in every room... every balcony... I like doing it even now. Since we are not home for Diwali, I didn't think about doing it. But seeing lights in every house, have decided to do today and tomorrow. Also, there are no candles or match sticks but I had enough of the perfumed diyas. We also had a Diwali Mela in the society... we indulged in kachori, bhel, chicken seekh kabab and ice cream. Fun.

There were Diwali celebrations in office on Saturday. I skipped the Puja... prefer work to Puja, anyday.... participated in the Rangoli competition... above is our team Rangoli... pretty decent considering none of us had any idea how to go about it. My bro and I used to make Rangolis at home for Diwali but being creatively challenged, we used the design stencils.

My new footwear ordered from Fashionandyou.com.

Terrible, terrible day

It has been a terrible day... too many things going wrong. I hate such days. It all started in the morning... I had half a mind to take leave and stay home. But work beckoned. After that, everything went downhill.

Sure, things could have been worse... more things could have gone wrong.

Sigh!!!

I am looking forward to the Diwali holidays. I wish it was in the beginning of the month rather than the end... work will be on my mind... and that may ruin it all.

There are only 2 months in the year I truly look forward to... Diwali month because of the long holidays... and December since it is year end and thus, pressure is low. This year, both may be ruined.

I will be going home after 2.5 years... I hope I am not saying it too soon. Home was my comfort place... somewhere I went to escape reality, everything going on in life, where I could tune out... recharge and return to battle. I hope it feels the same way this time. I plan to switch off... away from the phone, internet, everything.... just relax, sleep, laze around, cook, get all the recipes I need. Fingers crossed.

If it does not work out (home trip has been cancelled at the last moment 2-3 times already), I just want to stay home... and do nothing. One day in the week is not enough at home... and 5 days would be a luxury.

Fingers crossed....

Layout changes

Hiya... it has been a busy week and will continue like this. I skipped gym 3 days in a row since I was exhausted but now the schedule is back on track.

We bought a new couch... finally. It was quite a search... we spent 2 weekends searching for a sasta, tikau leather couch and found one. I wish I could spend entire Diwali on it... but there are better plans (if they do not get cancelled again).

Thats about it... I can't think of anything else to blog about. Will be back soon... hopefully, tomorrow.

Jazz... Gym... Vampires

Hiya... after 3 months of Jazz, the instructor finally noticed and appreciated me today. I am on a high.

I still remember joining the classes 3 years back. I used to have Sat and Sundays off... without a car then, NCR was a boring boring place. I decided to join the Sunday batch to kill time. I cannot dance, 'coz of which I am not too fond of it either. The objective was never to learn dance... but maybe to lose some weight. I would go through the motions, try to match the steps and just get through the class. After 2 months I moved out of NCR.

This time I decided to join the classes to lose weight... and learn something in the process. The first month was not too great... I was shy... and conscious. By the end of it, I learned something... I could remember the steps and perform them. It made me very happy. In the 2nd month, I was quite confident that I would be better than the newcomers. Unfortunately, dance is about talent and hard work. When others are more talented, I need to work harder to get better than them. Since I was not competing, this did not make me feel good. The 3rd month was the best... I could now remember the steps, pick them up quite fast... and perform them. I renewed the membership.

After more than 3 months, the instructor praised me on my energy and performance today. It was great... I can feel I am better and someone else noticing it is the best feeling...

Few things I have done to improve: (No.. I did not practice at home.. not once... too lazy)

• I downloaded the songs that are played in class and listen them over and over and over again. I started to like them and just listening to them again in class made me get into rhythm. This really helped. 2 of those songs are now my ringtone.
• I realized that listening to the song over and over again can make me like it. For example, we have song for the month on which dance steps are choreographed. I did not like this month's song when I first heard it... but now I really like it.
• I reach class early and revise the steps. I cannot remember the steps once I come home. I doubt I will be able to perform them once class is over. So, I reach early and revise with the other students. This helps perform better in class.
• Clothes: NCR beats Mumbai's ass when it comes to fashion. The girls in my class dress so well... those who have the figure, do flaunt it in their tiny shorts and spaghetti tops. It is important to be able to see how your body is moving. After weeks of wearing either loose tops/bottoms to hide my body, today I went with hips hugging tracks (I bought them 3 years back specifically for the class) and a tight top. I was surprised to see myself perform the steps correctly... something, I didn't realize earlier. But, good clothes can bring a lot of confidence
• Confidence: The class has mirrors placed in front. We are all encouraged to look at ourselves while dancing. Now, that is damn difficult 'coz all newcomers do not like how awkward they look in the beginning. Also, dance means being absolutely comfy and proud of your body... 'coz you have to flaunt it... I am not. We were made to do exercises where we looked at the mirror and proclaimed our love. No kidding. Funny... but it worked. I try and position myself so that I can see myself in the mirror.

I have joined the gym as well... for 2 reasons:

• I have gotten into the habit of waking up at 6 am... and now I can hit the gym in the mornings... to lose weight and tone up. I tried jogging/walking... which is fine... but it does not tone up the body
• I have bought a lot of workout clothes recently... and 2 days in a week is not enough to wear them. Ok, this one is a big motivation for me. Call me fickle... but whatever works for me.

On a totally unrelated note... below are soaps I am completely addicted to these days:

• Gossip Girl: The series is about 4 friends from Manhattan... rich, popular and screwed up... Serena, Nate, Chuck and Blair. There is Ted somewhere in the equation. They are rich, spoilt brats but stick together against outsiders. I hate that I can only watch 1 episode per week now.
• How I met your mother: This needs no introduction. Of course, it has started dragging now... the whole Barney, Ted and Robin triangle is sooo old season and boring. Also, high time we got to meet the mother.
• 90210: Another series about rich, spoilt teenagers... this time in California.
• Vampire Diaries: Love it... every episode has twists which are unpredictable...
• True Blood: I just started watching it... its about vampires but is gross and scary... and slow. But I have read great reviews. Right now, I am hooked.

Today was a perfect day... love mid week holidays... looking forward to the long break of Diwali:

• 7.45- 8.45 am : Gym
• 10: 30 am: B'fast
• 12. 30 pm: Lunch
• 1-3 pm: Nap
• 3 pm: Bath
• 4-6 pm: Search for the perfect couch in budget
• 7- 8.15 pm: Jazz

Good night...

Hair raising tales

I got a haircut on Saturday. ... let me rephrase that... I got a significant haircut on Saturday.

The last few hair cut experiences have not been satisfying... at all. I generally go to a salon with a vague idea of what I want. I feel it is a stylist wet dream when a customer walks up and says; " I am not sure what I want.... do what you feel good". Unfortunately, in India, this is a dreaded statement. Every stylist ends up giving me the same hair cut... layers ... since my hair are wavy. Once or twice I have told to let them grow and return after a few months. Weird. I had gone to the stylist last weekend and she said the same thing. I decided to be patient.

Except... a stylist from Italy was practicing on Indian hair in office. I decided to give it a try... how bad could it be? After many mediocre and one horrible hair cut I have become immune to them. On inquiring from the senior stylist when the Italian was not around, I got to know they were opening a new salon at Oberoi, Gurgaon. I was not too impressed.

Anyway, the Italian was teaching the senior stylist and asked him what would suit my face. He mouthed some random stuff like any Indian stylist. The Italian let him start the cut. I was petrified... I did want this guy to experiment. Thankfully, after a mistakes the Italian took over. He chopped... and chopped and chopped some more. Once styled, I was transformed. This one of my best hair cuts... another one being at Lakme, Kolkatta. The best part is he understood what I meant when I said; "I do not have time to style my hair... I want something which will stay that way".

I had attended a training for stylists where they complained to the instructor that customers expect hair cuts to look the same way once styled... which is not possible. The instructor sympathized with them.

Now I understand the difference between a firang and an Indian stylist... also, difference between a 5 star salon and a normal one... no wonder, they charge a bomb. I would willingly pay that bomb.

The whole experience... the way this guy spoke about hair and how it should be cut... was like Masterchef for hair.

I do not know if it looks good... due to lack of female company and the only male who can give an opinion cannot be relied on. If he says its good I may wonder if he is lying... and if he does not like it I will question the judgement of someone who has had one style for 28 years.

Atleast, its different... thats all that matters.

Sunday Morning

It is just 10 am and so much is already done... house is clean, b'fast and lunch has been cooked, my shoes have been washed and are drying outside, the shoe case has been settled, the newspaper has been read.

There are more chores to be done:

• Fill thermocol balls in the bean bag
• Change bedsheets and wash them
• Send courier, get eyebrows done, buy veggies

But most of the above has to be done by KC.

Sat and Sunday mornings are a pain. I cannot sleep for even half an hour extra on Saturdays... same is the situation on Sunday. The door bell rings non stop- maid, cook, garbage man, laundry guy, car cleaner, newspaper bill... etc etc etc etc. I have rested my ass at 10 am only.

But today will have to be a relaxing day... I am determined to relax today. I need it. The last week is always hectic.