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