MEDITERRANEAN by Elizabeth Arden

On 14th December, I bought my third bottle of Elizabeth Arden (EA) perfumes – MEDITERRANEAN – I guess EA has some of the finest and most thoughtfully developed fragrances for women in the world. I absolutely love EA fragrances. I am not much of fragrance person but last year during our triple celebration when I wanted to buy a perfume for myself, I bought GREEN TEA and my journey with fragrances started off with it. Then for my birthday this year I bought AFTER FIVE.

But out of these three fragrances, GREEN TEA is my most favorite because it just uplifts and energizes my spirit with its intoxicating scent – its fresh and invigorating!

MEDITERRANEAN has a woody floral scent – I guess a heady combination of sensual florals and creamy woods with top notes of peach nectar sorbet, Sicilian mandarin, and it reflects whispering water. It was launched in 2007. So I have managed to buy something haute this time.

A bit of research on this rich texture of Mediterranean says that the Damask Plum in it brings a gentle yet captivating twist; Unforgettable bloom of Radiant Wisteria, Star Magnolia, Madagascar Orchid and lasting impression of Sandalwood, Musk, Amber; though I am not too fond of the last three things.

With this, I am almost through with my shopping for Christmas, 12th Wedding Anniversary and New Year – now I just need a small and sexy handbag for Anniversary and I will be done! Beyond all doubts, my this year’s birthday was the most memorable one so far and I am also sure that by the grace of Jesus Christ, this year’s triple celebration will also be the most memorable one!

I am always excited on my birthday and anniversary and like to make these two days oh-so-special every year!!!

Russian Literature

I am sure I am prejudiced towards Russian Literature and enjoy reading Russian stories a lot.

I have read some extremely delightful stories by Russian writers like Maxim Gorky, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and the latest to find my favor is Leonid N. Andreyev (1871-1919), a novelist, dramatist and photographer from Russia. He was one of the most successful Russian writers from 1902-1914.

Andreyev’s style combines elements of realist, naturalist and symbolist schools in literature and I loved reading JUDAS ISCARIOT & OTHERS – I became a big fan of his the moment I started reading this story.

Currently, I am reading LAZARUS, a short story by him and enjoying it immensely.

8th December, 1999

Today, 8th December, has a lot of significance in my life! Twelve years back, on this day in 1999, we both had our first and only major so called “fight” with each other – so much so that he was ready to walk off from my life! I won’t bother you with the reasons for this fight but it was quite a drastic and should I say dramatic one? – It was kind of make or break day of our relationship and by the grace of Mother Mary, it ‘made’ our relationship and strengthened it further! This ‘fight’ took place at Mahim Church while we had gone for our novena that day and that’s why I say Mother Mary ‘made’ the relationship strong. While battling with the bitter situation in the church, we hadn’t realized that within the next twenty days we would be lawfully wedded husband and wife! So 8th December, 1999, was the founding stone of our relationship and by the grace of Mother Mary and her son Jesus Christ, we are still going strong. There have been trials and tribulations in these twelve years which could have been detrimental for this relationship but again by their blessing and guidance, we have been able to face everything. Praise be to Lord Jesus Christ!

So, after this ‘fight’ we had a very unhappy day and decided to meet each other again in the evening and sorted out everything between the two of us. We both went home happy knowing very little that destiny had something nice in store for us in the next twenty days!

I went to Borivali (his home) for Immaculate Conception Feast on 12th December, 1999. I just don’t know what went into his mind and in the evening, we went to the church to ask for the marriage procedure. He said that he wants to get married on 30th December. The priest there, Fr. Hugh Fonseca (who’s no more) wasn’t too happy about it and said that he doesn’t encourage “rushed marriages” as it isn’t long-lasting and moreover, I wasn’t a Catholic. But then he cooled down a bit and advised a Marriage Counseling for us at Bandra. As luck would have it or should I say it was divine intervention, two more couples were undergoing Marriage Counseling on 16th December. So the priest suggested that we join these two couples. We were more than happy. So on 16th December we attended a whole-day Marriage Counseling course at Bandra. Till that time our wedding date was fixed for 30th December. Let me add here that everything was like a dream.

Then we had to face financial crisis as well as family pressure. There was no money with me and none in my family was happy with this marriage; so nobody was trying to do anything about it – my father simply refused to sign my affidavit wherein I declared that I was getting married on my own free will. I feel his change of heart was again a divine intervention which came at the very last moment (which is a different story altogether and so some other time). In short, the affidavit was signed by my father, produced in the court and duly submitted at the church. Then we did a bit of shopping, hired my wedding gown and booked a van to take us to the church, etc etc etc……………

But since his sister was getting married on 28th December, his father asked us to pre-pone our marriage. So our wedding was pre-poned for 28th December.

So to cut a long and unhappy love story short, we finally got married on 28th December, 1999, at IC Church, Borivali East, at 5:30 in the evening!

Back to the present – today is my most favorite actor Dharmendra’s birthday. So here’s wishing him a very happy birthday. Sadly, another of my favorite actor, Dev Anand, is no more who’s birthday was on 26th September.

Today happens to be the wedding anniversary of someone very dear to me; so a very happy anniversary to the lovely couple. God bless them both!!!

PS: Congrats to Aamir Khan for the baby boy…!

Jaipur!!!

Surprise! Surprise! I am going to Jaipur!!!

There’s a colorstone Mines 2 Market conference in Jaipur on 2nd and 3rd November, and I am attending that.

I was checking out the hotel – Hotel Royal Orchard – its very nice and only 2km away from the airport. It claims to be one of the best luxury business hotels in Jaipur and situated in a place called Durgapura. But the conference is at JW Marriott. We’ll have pick-up from the airport so there’s nothing to worry about. I don’t travel much so every time an outstation trip comes up, I become a bit apprehensive. I guess the last time I travelled out of Mumbai was in 2008. I had gone to Hyderabad and it was only a day trip. I was back in the night – the problem with such one-day trips is that one has to start so early and reach home so late in the night that the person is all drained off and there’s no stamina left for work. On 2nd morning I will have to leave home so early; don’t know how energetic I will be to churn out reports.

But I will have to really resist myself from shopping in Jaipur – I hope and pray for that! I also hope that I won’t have much time to spare after the conference so that I won’t be tempted to go out with the group in case they plan an outing. I guess I will have to elude the media group and I hope I get a good room partner.

Happy Feast….

…to me! Yesterday I was exceptionally happy for various reasons but today I am extremely unhappy because of just one reason. In the morning I expressed my desire to go on ‘shopping’ and the moment I uttered these words, there was an outburst from him and there started a tirade of words. A long lecture ensued on how I should start thinking about ‘savings’ now. He felt I am just living for today and forgetting about tomorrow to which I lost my temper and said some things which, I am sure, I shouldn’t have but most of the things which I said, I am very sure, aren’t wrong at all.

I don’t know whether he remembers it or not, but all the so-called ‘savings’ which we have today, is only because of me. All the insurance policies, all the recurring accounts, the PPF accounts, are only because of me. I remember very well how he had burst out at me when I had opened our very first recurring account way back in 2003. He had said so many unpleasant things to me about it and when later on, he wanted a lump some amount to pursue his MBA, it was this recurring account of mine which had come to our rescue. Likewise, whenever there is any need of any lump some amount, it is our recurring accounts that have always come handy. I also remember getting a long lecture when I had opened our respective PPF accounts, when had I suggested about all the insurance policies and till date I have been chasing him for a retirement policy. So if someone sends me a plethora of sms’ saying that the primary objective of my life is shopping, then it hurts. It hurts real hard and tears roll down one’s eyes the way it is for me right now.

I am not a typical housewife who sits at home whole day and demands things from her husband. I work equally hard and some times harder than him but am not ready to give up my job because I know we need it and I also know it isn’t possible for him to run the show alone. So I try to be a help. I know my part-time salary isn’t much but it’s quite decent and it does matter every month. In the bargain if I buy few things for myself; in what way does it hurt anyone? Why should be my shopping be such a constant irritant for him? Neither am I blowing away a lot of hard cash nor am I spending on credit cards. I know my limitations and try to be well within it.

I wasn’t always like this. But of late for various reasons I like to keep myself happy through shopping. It keeps me psychologically high and my mind away from a lot of temptations. His trust on me is so much that I really dread doing anything behind his back and like to keep our relationship transparent. I like to keep him informed of whatever I do. I will not be able to hide anything from him. He also said that if I get a person who is willing to spend Rs. 10,000 on me every month on shopping, I will be too glad to go away with him. What a joke! Of late I had to wade through a lot of temptations but by a lot of ‘golmaal’ I was able to get away from it. If I had wanted, I could have gone ahead and brought forth a lot of harm on me as well as the family but I know I am not that kind of person. I don’t want to do anything which will take away the peace of the family and so, I don’t want to be anything other than what I am today. I have given up lot of things in my life for which I had shown a lot of desperateness. I have controlled a lot of my feelings and I am sure I will be able to curb the desire of shopping as well.

But what I like about today is that its Mother Mary’s birthday and I am sure she will help me to overcome everything. She knows why I am doing what I am doing and if she feels I am too much into shopping, I am sure she will see to it that I don’t shop beyond my means.

Today it’s also the birthday of one of my childhood friends from Bhilai whom I was able to locate through FB. So in the morning I called her up to wish and both of us were so very happy to hear each other’s voice after so many years. We were together in sixth standard. She couldn’t believe I had called up to wish her.

It is also my most favorite singer Asha Bhosle’s birthday so I am going to forget all my aches and pains for the day by listening to her songs through out the day today.

PS: I am feeling so very sad that I am trying to take refuge in coffee (after a long time)! My head as well as heart aches!!!

Happy Feast! May Mother Mary bless me on her birthday!

My gem and jewel!

For various reasons, I am exceedingly happy today but the first and the most important reason is that, I complete five years in the jewellery industry. It was on 7th September, 2006, that I had joined JCK India, a b2b jewellery magazine by Reed Infomedia, after undergoing a lot of hassles in my previous company while leaving. Initially, I was planning to join from the first of the month but the company felt that I wasn’t giving them adequate notice and so they were trying to be uncooperative with me and I had to request Reed to allow me to join from 7th. So on the last day everything was sorted out amicably and I was able to join JCK peacefully without any sabbatical as such.

So today it’s been five years in this beautiful jewellery industry. I have always loved jewellery of every kind and so much is my craze for gold jewellery that when our second daughter was born, I was adamant that I will name her Jewel. Then for her pet name I suggested Goldie. After joining the industry, I came to know that there’s a jewellery company named ‘Jewel Goldie’. Jemimah’s shortened name is Jem as in ‘gem’ and so both my daughters are the gem and jewel of my life (though I keep shouting at them all the time)! Well, that’s a different story altogether and so let’s keep it for some other day and time.

When I joined JCK on this day, I also came to know that it was my boss’s birthday. So every year I send him birthday wishes and today also I did the same. Later on, I got very friendly with a girl in the HR department and came to know that it was her birthday as well on this day. So every year I wish her also on her birthday. Then on 16th August, 2007, when I fractured my left foot while boarding a train, I was bed-ridden for 21 days and my plaster was removed on this day. While waiting for my turn, I came to know that it was the doctor’s birthday as well. So here’s wishing my ‘fracture doctor’ a very happy birthday!

I have special feelings for 7th September and generally I try to be happy on this day. So far I am and to keep up the momentum of happiness around me, I am humming the song “You sang to me” by Marc Anthony which I heard in the morning while traveling.

I want to put in writing more about my being in the jewellery industry since the last five years. Though I left JCK on 30th June, 2008, and joined a PR agency for a month (July) and was jobless in August and was a Mumbai correspondent for a Bangalore-based magazine for two months (September and October), I went back to my true love (diamonds and jewels) in November and till date I haven’t shifted my most loved industry. In fact, I don’t want to. I just want to be in this industry and like I rightly pointed out, it’s my true love. I keep reading about the industry to keep myself abreast and just love everything about diamonds, gold, silver, platinum, rubies, emeralds, turquoise, etc, etc, etc. Just the mention of all the color stones and metals bring such a peaceful feeling in me. I believe I was born to be here!

Though jewellery buying has become a little unaffordable right now because of the raised gold as well as diamond prices, the beauty of this charming industry remains the same and always will be.

Some magical words like carat, cut, color, clarity only bring dazzle in my life. To learn more about the industry, I try to attend as many seminars and events as possible. Tanishq is the trusted brand for me and in the last few years I have got all my old gold exchanged with them. I only have good quality gold and diamond jewellery from Tanishq now.

There’s a big first-ever color stone event happening in Jaipur on 2-3 November this year. Let’s see whether or not I am sent to cover that event by the apex body. Just keeping my fingers crossed.

My third Levi’s

I guess the first few stumbling blocks to my shopping for Christmas, 12th Wedding Anniversary and New Year are finally taken care of and I have at last started shopping for all these back-to-back events in December. Firstly, let me tell you about the cost of that sexy navy blue top which I saw at Wills Lifestyle that day. Ahem! Well, this particular top turned out be a designer wear priced at Rs. 4499/-. When I saw the designer label and the price tag, I quietly came out of the store pretending not to like it. Needless to say, I was highly disappointed and strolled towards my favorite Levi’s store at Colaba like a dog with its tail down and in-between the legs. But the moment I entered the Levi’s store, I soon got over my disappointment and quickly forgot all my displeasure. Within no seconds, I had selected one dark blue Levi’s jeans (my third pair) and a grey T-shirt to wear with that. I believe that I look good and feel great in grey, white and black t-shirts but unfortunately, black isn’t a very lucky color for me professionally and so from last two years I have stopped buying black colored clothes. Once in a while I wear the existing black ones so that they can become old faster. Earlier, I used to love black colored clothes a lot and my entire wardrobe was filled with black clothes. But from the time I have realized that it only brings me bad luck, I have totally stopped buying and wearing black. Now I have a fetish for white and grey tops for all my jeans. So, the gist of the story is that, instead of that one expensive and sexy designer wear, I bought one jeans and one tee in much lesser the amount. Yesterday, while we were going to shop for Goldie’s seventh birthday on 30th September, somehow the topic of dogs started in the car between me, Googaa and Goldie. Seeing our passion for dogs, Golu said that if we three love dogs so very much, he doesn’t mind getting a good breed puppy for us but no more a street dog. He said that he’s ready to buy a Labrador puppy for us provided the puppy doesn’t trouble him too much. We three have been on cloud nine since then but weighing all the pros and cons, I know the entire responsibility of the dog will fall on my head as the puppy will have to be taken care of like a baby. One needs to be with it all the time which is definitely not possible. We are unable to give that much time even to our daughters; forget about dogs. To shake off my inhibitions for anything new, I tried visiting Globus yesterday. What a big disappointment! Firstly, the clothes there are not at all ‘my type’ and secondly, they are exorbitantly priced. I guess I should happily continue to shop at Westside. They are decently priced and I like some of their stuff (if not all). Let’s see how Fabindia treats me. And just one more thing – I want to buy two books: OLIVER TWIST and BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S. PS: I need to buy only clothes for the triple celebration in December. I have used only once whatever else that I bought for my birthday. They are still as good as new and I don’t need to buy them.

My third Levi’s

I guess the first few stumbling blocks to my shopping for Christmas, 12th Wedding Anniversary and New Year are finally taken care of and I have at last started shopping for all these back-to-back events in December. Firstly, let me tell you about the cost of that sexy navy blue top which I saw at Wills Lifestyle that day. Ahem! Well, this particular top turned out be a designer wear priced at Rs. 4499/-. When I saw the designer label and the price tag, I quietly came out of the store pretending not to like it. Needless to say, I was highly disappointed and strolled towards my favorite Levi’s store at Colaba like a dog with its tail down and in-between the legs. But the moment I entered the Levi’s store, I soon got over my disappointment and quickly forgot all my displeasure. Within no seconds, I had selected one dark blue Levi’s jeans (my third pair) and a grey T-shirt to wear with that.

I believe that I look good and feel great in grey, white and black t-shirts but unfortunately, black isn’t a very lucky color for me professionally and so from last two years I have stopped buying black colored clothes. Once in a while I wear the existing black ones so that they can become old faster. Earlier, I used to love black colored clothes a lot and my entire wardrobe was filled with black clothes. But from the time I have realized that it only brings me bad luck, I have totally stopped buying and wearing black. Now I have a fetish for white and grey tops for all my jeans. So, the gist of the story is that, instead of that one expensive and sexy designer wear, I bought one jeans and one tee in much lesser the amount.

Yesterday, while we were going to shop for Goldie’s seventh birthday on 30th September, somehow the topic of dogs started in the car between me, Googaa and Goldie. Seeing our passion for dogs, Golu said that if we three love dogs so very much, he doesn’t mind getting a good breed puppy for us but no more a street dog. He said that he’s ready to buy a Labrador puppy for us provided the puppy doesn’t trouble him too much. We three have been on cloud nine since then but weighing all the pros and cons, I know the entire responsibility of the dog will fall on my head as the puppy will have to be taken care of like a baby. One needs to be with it all the time which is definitely not possible. We are unable to give that much time even to our daughters; forget about dogs.

To shake off my inhibitions for anything new, I tried visiting Globus yesterday. What a big disappointment! Firstly, the clothes there are not at all ‘my type’ and secondly, they are exorbitantly priced. I guess I should happily continue to shop at Westside. They are decently priced and I like some of their stuff (if not all). Let’s see how Fabindia treats me.

And just one more thing – I want to buy two books: OLIVER TWIST and BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S.

PS: I need to buy only clothes for the triple celebration in December. I have used only once whatever else that I bought for my birthday. They are still as good as new and I don’t need to buy them.

Change is inevitable!

Motu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am brimming with excitement. I feel I have so much to download to you.

My excitement started from yesterday afternoon while I was going back home. Honestly, I was just sick and tired of listening to 104.8 FM and really needed a change. The songs were getting repetitive and predictable and most of the RJs boring. Since change is the only constant, for a change, I tried listening to 92.7 Big FM and believe you me; I was bowled over by the songs they played. There’s this RJ Anirudh, who I must say, is one hell of a guy. I was astonished to hear his collection of songs. I heard songs which I had long forgotten and also forgotten that they ever existed. “Tumhi hamari ho manzil my love” from the movie YAARA DILDARA (1991) is one song so close to my heart since school days and I heard this song yesterday after years and years and years. This guy on 92.7 Big FM played all ‘my kind’ of songs and went on playing it. I just loved listening to his show and I am looking forward to it today also. I hope he doesn’t disappoint me. I must add that he has the right attitude, doesn’t try to imitate any Bollywood actor and talks no-nonsense and, most importantly, doesn’t use ‘tapori’ language. That’s the biggest saving grace.

Secondly, on my way to office this morning, I saw an amazing combo of navy blue top with navy blue jeans on a mannequin at Wills Lifestyle. Sadly, I am not carrying my ‘black’ money with me but in the afternoon I will do something which I don’t like to do at all – I will swipe my debit card and buy these clothes while going home. You see I am so desperate. I know it isn’t good but just can’t help it. I absolutely loved these clothes at first sight! I will get that much money deposited in my account because I have kept that money in the account for some other reason and don’t want the ECS to get disturbed. I hope my excitement doesn’t die when I actually see the top because it has happened with me in the past that the things which usually looked beautiful from far mostly didn’t turn out to be that beautiful from up close and personal. I hope it will turn out to be as beautiful as I felt it to be otherwise you know I will be so very disappointed.

I guess I needed this change and I am so glad it has finally happened. I don’t know what brought this inevitable change in me but if I am not mistaken, it all happened when I dared to read THE BLACK TULIP by Alexander Dumas earlier this week. This book is a new entrant in my library and I simply don’t know what made me try out reading this ‘new’ book. I guess it helped me in breaking my shackles and coming out of my comfort zone which I had been dreading from so long. This has given me the much-needed courage and I am ready to try out everything new. I will shop in new places like ‘Globus’ and ‘Fabindia’ which I always saw on my way to office but never thought of visiting as I have been skeptical to try out anything new. Right now I am prepared to face these changes in my life and will definitely try out the clothes over there. You never know what exciting thing I might come across over there. I am ready for all changes now. I am no more petrified.

Withdrawal syndrome

I guess I am suffering from withdrawal syndrome (WS) of late. According to Wikipedia, a ‘withdrawal syndrome’, is also called a ‘discontinuation syndrome’ and withdrawal may be a series of physical, emotional and behavior changes experienced when a ‘drug’ is cut down.

According to a research by ‘The Telegraph’, our Facebook generation suffers information withdrawal syndrome by turning off mobile phones, avoiding the internet and tuning out of the television and radio. The research says that all these things can leave people suffering from symptoms similar to those seen in drug addicts trying to go cold turkey.

Presently, I have begun to develop symptoms typically seen in smokers attempting to give up. For me it has been a very long and painful process. While all this is occurring to me, I read that all these can also cause a variety of problems known as Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS).

OMG, my nervous system is in a hyperactive state and I just don’t know how to minimize this discomfort and help my body and soul heal.

When you love a woman......

To really love a woman
To understand her - you gotta know her deep inside
Hear every thought - see every dream
N' give her wings - if she wants to fly
Then when you find yourself lyin' helpless in her arms
You know you really love a woman

When you love a woman then tell her
that she's really wanted
When you love a woman then tell her that she's the one
'cause she needs somebody to tell her
that it's gonna last forever
So tell me have you ever really
- really really ever loved a woman?

To really love a woman
Let her hold you -
till you know how she needs to be touched
You've gotta breathe her - really taste her
Till you can feel her in your blood
N' when you can see your unborn children in her eyes
You know you really love a woman

When you love a woman
then tell her that she's really wanted
When you love a woman then tell her that she's the one
'cause she needs somebody to tell her
that you'll always be together
So tell me have you ever really -
really really ever loved a woman?

You got to give her some faith - hold her tight
A little tenderness - you gotta treat her right
She will be there for you, takin' good care of you
Ya really gotta love your woman...

Then when you find yourself lyin' helpless in her arms
You know you really love a woman
When you love a woman you tell her
that she's really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she's the one
she needs somebody to tell her
that it's gonna last forever
So tell me have you ever really
- really really ever loved a woman?

Just tell me have you ever really,
really, really, ever loved a woman? You got to tell me
Just tell me have you ever really,
really, really, ever loved a woman?

Great Expectations

Last night, I started reading GREAT EXPECTATIONS (GE) by Charles Dickens. Its one of the most ‘deliciously readable books’ by my favorite author and one of my favorite Classics as well.


GE has two endings – one original and the other which Dickens wrote at the very last moment. It seems he wasn’t too happy with the original ending of GE that Victorians read and so he tampered with the original ending. Whatever it is, I enjoy reading both the endings and this is for the second time that I am reading this book.


What I like about most of the characters in Dickens’ stories is that they are all very humble and have humble beginnings. They all prosper at a later stage in their life – so much like me! Another thing I like in his stories is that though some stories like HARD TIMES have a slow and boring beginning, they pick up momentum at a certain stage. So, one can really not put down any of Dickens’ book at any given point of time. They are all readable.


GE was first published in a serial form.


From Monday, that is, 22nd August, I have started reading THE SCARLETT LETTER in the train. It is an 1850 Classic romantic work by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This book is considered to be his magnum opus and I am really enjoying reading it for the second time. It’s a big change from the usual English Classics read by me as it’s an American
novel.


I just don’t understand this new psychological high which I get nowadays to re-read all my older collection of Classics. I am not buying anything new of late and not willing to read anything new at this present moment. I just don’t know why I am doing this.

Out of hell…

Darling Motu, am back!


I am so, so, so, sorry…but honestly, I really didn’t miss you at all. The fact is, my work kept me busy round the clock, churning out daily show reports. My erratic working hours, meeting uncooperative people and no green tea in the last nine days were like hell. I am so glad to be out of it. Now I have no words left within me to write to you. Give me sometime to get back to my normal self.


In the last nine days, I again got addicted to coffee and would have 3-4 cups in a day to drive away drowsiness and boredom. I have brought my green tea sachet with me to the office today and looking forward to having it after my lunch.


What gladdened my heart soon after reaching office was that the Cat at least had the curtsey to welcome me back in the office and not go away wishing me a dry good morning as usual!!!

Bored…

I am feeling extremely bored right now and don’t know what to do. I thought of writing to you because over the next nine days I won't have the time to write to you. Since Golu is working tomorrow, I will be doing all the running about and I will have to keep a lot of food ready for the next few days. Like I have told you before, I won't be able to write much but you never know I might keep all my work aside and first write to you. I really don’t trust myself.


I also have to start shopping for my elder daughter's birthday which is on 18th August (she will be turning 10). So, we are planning an 'All-girls party' for her. Tomorrow I will try to buy as much as I can and rest of the shopping I will do after 8th August when I will be comparatively free. Last year, I was working on her birthday but thankfully this time, my exhibitions are getting over before her birthday.


Do you know something? Last year, my increments were given in the form of quarterly variables. So every quarter I get a cheque of certain amount which brings a smile on all our faces. Though it’s a miniscule amount, it really helps. This time I have decided to contribute a little portion of that amount to the Church on Jemimah's birthday and the rest of the amount I will be spending equally on both my daughter's birthdays. Goldie will be turning 7 on 30th September. This year during my appraisals I told to consider my increment in the net take home and not put in as variable. So from June onwards, my salary has been raised plus this variable.


And do you know something more? Jason (my Golu's name) has a special meaning.....J = July = my birthday, A = August = Jemimah's birthday, S = September = Jewel's birthday, O = October = His birthday and N = November = His mom's birthday. Earlier, we didn't know this. But when we realized, we felt too good. Very very good...

Oliver Twist

From today, I am reading the e version of OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens. I must say that my heart goes out for this poor little fellow who is badly treated by everyone around him. How can anyone behave so badly with orphans? Does anyone really hit a hungry child who asks for more? Amazing characters in this amazing story!


I have this book titled – A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E M Forster – to read in the train. There’s nothing great in the story but somehow I am enduring it. I just don’t understand why I am so skeptical nowadays to read the new books I have bought of late. I just don’t understand why I should be reading my old books again and again. I am just sick and tired of this present state of my mind as far as books are concerned.

IIJW & IIJS

I am going to be really busy from 31st July till 8th August. There are two back to back events – India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) and India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) – both needs to be reported live and I will have to be continuously on my toes all the time. I will be keeping odd hours, especially the first four days, and my entire systematic personal life will go berserk. To top it all, my daughters’ exams will be starting from 4th August, the day IIJS starts. So I will really have a tight schedule.


IIJW is quite a glamorous event with a lot of potential for reporting and networking. A lot of celebrity crowd gathers during this show and I had enjoyed immensely last year. It was real fun though I used to be dead tired. This time there will be a lot of expectations from the second edition of the show. Though IIJW was conceptualized only last year, it was a big hit and this year it will be maddening.


Motu I am sure I will not be able to keep you posted about me. Last year, I used to upload a lot of IIJW pics on FB. I might do the same this year also though personally it will be a disordered life.

Mesmerized…

I just want to say that yesterday I was mesmerized by Madhuri Dixit’s electrifying beauty and dazzling smile and I just kept staring at her all the while. It was around 16:55 IST on my mobile when I realized that I was sitting four rows away from Madhuri. When it was her chance to speak, I embarrassed myself by going right ahead to click her photographs and kept clicking till the time she spoke. I wormed myself through the barrage of electronic media guys and the camera men to get a good view of her. But my ‘khatara’ mobile couldn’t do justice to her beauty as it was unable to capture her really well. Any which ways, I was lucky enough to be able to get a ‘close’ look at someone whom I have been admiring since my childhood. Now the next “Mission (Im)Possible” is to meet Aamir Khan. He being the brand ambassador of Titan watches, the day shouldn’t be that far away. Let me just keep my fingers crossed.

I am going ‘Mad’

The air is thick with excitement and I am eagerly awaiting my ‘meeting’ with Madhuri Dixit. I am on cloud nine and have created much hype at home, in the office and of course on FB. I just can’t hold on to my excitement. I can’t concentrate in my work, unable to read my e-book and just can’t sit still. I am hanging around in the office (more so because the cat is away) and calling up friends to tell them about this press conference. I am going ‘Mad’ for Madhuri.

But let me write down few more things. I guess I am immensely enjoying having green tea after lunch every afternoon though I add few granules of sugar in it. I couldn’t drink it without sugar the first day and with sugar it just tastes heavenly.

Monday night I finished reading THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER and have taken up HARD TIMES by Charles Dickens. I guess it is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens which was first published in 1854. “Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life”…..is how the story starts. So far I have completed four chapters and I think I will manage to sail through the rest of the chapters without any darkening clouds on the horizon. It happens to be one of the shortest of Dickens’s novels and yes, I have read it once before also.

I have some wonderful collection of Charles Dickens like GREAT EXPECTATIONS, HARD TIMES, CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE TALE OF TWO CITIES, DAVID COPPERFIELD, DOMBEY AND SON, OLIVER TWIST (abridged) and a collection of short GHOST STORIES. I want to buy/read the unabridged edition of OLIVER TWIST.

Life’s new kick

Before I forget, let me fast tell you about the latest kick in my life.....I am getting to meet MADHURI DIXIT tomorrow at a press conference.....................I am so excited..........

It was never a dream to meet Madhuri Dixit as such, but as a journalist, I am getting this easy way to access her through this press conference. I have been a fan of hers since TEZAAB and RAM LAKHAN but wasn’t ‘dying’ to meet her though I have always found her beauty electrifying and smile dazzling.

But it has always been a dream of mine to meet Aamir Khan and I am ready to embarrass myself to any extent to get just a glimpse of him anywhere in the world. Both Madhuri Dixit and Aamir Khan have always been my favourite Bollywood stars and for that reason DIL is my most favourite movie because this is the only movie in which they both have appeared together.

Green tea

Since I am on homeopathic medicine, I have decided to give up coffee, my (former) daily elixir, for good.

I guess I was also getting addicted to it and since the time I have read that coffee isn’t considered physically and spiritually healthy in Christianity, I have been feeling very apprehensive while having it. Nowadays I just don’t get the urge to have coffee either at home or in the office. Moreover, as it was discovered by some Muslim Sufi long ago, I have decided to completely obliterate coffee from my life.

I am switching over to green tea from today and I really hope that I like it. I had bought some green tea bags (impulsively) around six months back but they were, till this morning, untouched. This morning I decided to bring one sachet from the unopened box to try out in the office because green tea is anytime natural and as such has no side effects.

Who knows it might improve my present health condition as it has several health benefits though I am definitely not interested in weight loss.

Homoeopathy

I am feeling enormously restless right now and so thought of writing something. Though I don’t have anything particular to talk about, I want to write something – anything – just to calm down my uneasiness. Writing down my thoughts always has a soothing effect on me. I can already feel my jumpy nerves quietening a bit.

Let me think. Okay, here we go….nowadays I am on homoeopathy medicine as I am sick and tired of allopathic medical aid. They are so bitter. Strictly for this reason I have given up coffee as well…no regrets so far!

What else? Hmm…well, I am reading the e-version of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde. I have not formed any opinion of this book so far. I am just reading it and honestly shocked to know the author’s opinion about women in some of the chapters. I am given to understand, through some of the characters in the story, that Wilde didn’t have a very good opinion about women. I find some of the things very derogatory and harsh on women. I don’t think all women fall in the category of what Wilde has written.

None the less, yesterday I was so disgusted with the snail-paced story telling by William Makepeace Thackeray in VANITY FAIR that I left it mid-way. The book has some 800+ pages and the print size is so fine that it becomes exceedingly annoying to read further than what I have done so far. VANITY FAIR, in my opinion, is the mother-of-all slow-paced Classics compared to which SILAS MARNER has been fairing in a decent pace. I don’t think I must have finished reading VANITY FAIR in my first innings and I cannot endure it any longer presently. Now I am reading ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER by Mark Twain and thoroughly enjoying it. Yesterday itself I devoured around seventeen chapters of this light-hearted Classic piece of literature.

I am feeling good and so I will write no more………

Rejuvenated…

Though these last four days absolutely rejuvenated me, a mishap this morning has brought me down to the real world from cloud nine. I injured my right knee in the morning and have been limping since then. Otherwise, life has been perfectly blissful since my birthday. This birthday happened to be one of the most memorable birthdays so far……for various reasons!

On the morning of my birthday, I received two surprises – firstly, my Golu gifted me a shiny thousand rupee note and, secondly, a fresh and colorful bouquet on the doorstep. He never pulls out any surprises so when I saw these two things I turned sentimental. Later on we went to the church and sat in the chapel for a little while. I felt so peaceful from within.

And how can I forget the lovely messages that kept pouring in on Facebook? I didn’t have to be online; I was intimated of all the messages and texts on the wall through sms. I have lost count of the number of people who wished me on my birthday this time – mostly all school friends – whom I had searched on FB. Birthday wishes from these long-lost friends were indeed special…I felt so nice!

Then we had a vegetarian lunch (for a change) because it was going to be a heavy non-vegetarian dinner for sure. While having lunch, I requested a song to be played on 104.8 FM. Within no time, my favorite RJ, Komal, who has also become a very good friend of mine, called up to wish me and also to take my song request – to be played on air. I said “sama hai suhana suhana” and she too felt that it was the apt song to be played as I was enjoying myself immensely with my family. After lunch, we went for a long drive (listening to 104.8 FM) and on the way, a heavy rain started falling. We were hooting and the hooting became louder when my song was being played. While coming back home, we went to ‘meet’ Chestnut. Nobody allowed me to get down and pat him. I was feeling sad for him and I could make out that he too was sad as I wasn’t getting down from the car to pat him. He walked away sadly. I came away with a heavy heart.

In the night, we went for dinner but it turned out to be a ‘dry day’ (some ekadashi). Golu told the restaurant manager that since it was his wife’s birthday, he wanted to celebrate with alcohol. So the manager let us a room for a little while, provided we vacated it before 12o’clock! He didn’t want to turn us away! So we enjoyed my birthday dinner in a small cozy room (free of cost). We ended my birthday celebrations with ‘misthi paan’ and next day, i.e., yesterday, both of us watched DELHI BELLY.

Had it not been for my injured knee, it would have been a perfect rejuvenation. But then all things come with a price tag………!

PS: Just wondering. Do people really like me so much? There are still some belated wishes that are continuing to come in…………! I am flattered…………!!!

11th July – my birthday

Finally, at long last, it’s time to celebrate my birthday on 11th July.

Finally, it’s time to do justice to all my shopping escapades.

Finally, it’s time to wear my turquoise earring and pendant set! Finally, it’s time to flaunt my Hidesign handbag and wear my orange corduroy trousers and not-too-short wrap-around skirt. Finally, it’s time to smell good in my Elizabeth Arden perfume and look good in my mauve shade of Chambor lipstick. Finally, it’s time to give away the gifts to my daughters which I have been buying and hiding from them from so many days. Finally, it’s time to give my Golu the shirt I purchased for him secretly. What else? Well, there are so many other things in the cupboard but I really cannot recall all that now. Never the less, it’s time to take them all out……

Good that Golu doesn’t read any of my blog posts……………………………I will be shot dead on my birthday! He has already been asking me to make a ‘grand total’ of all the purchases I have made so far, but I have just been dallying with this ULTIMATE thing.

PS: After my birthday, I will start shopping for Christmas and our 12th wedding anniversary in December. Is it too early? Well, I don’t think so…

PS (2): I will be ‘holidaying’ till 12th, so my dear Motu, you will not hear from me before that…! Take good care of yourself my dear…!

Chambor & Hidesign

Yesterday i.e. 4th July, 2011, I became the proud owner of a Chambor lipstick and a Hidesign handbag. With these two brands in my kitty, I have now moved into the bracket of luxury brands. On 3rd July I (at last) got my turquoise pendant and earrings. They were finally given to me after much delay. Furthermore, my leave for 11th (birthday) and 12th July (rest day) has been approved and now I can bring in my birthday celebrations from Friday afternoon itself. The excitement is in the air and, surely, this birthday will be the most memorable one for me for various reasons.

To begin with, this time I have done unending birthday shopping and on top of that, Golu really surprised me yesterday. While I was on my way to Oberoi Mall, he called up saying that I shouldn’t get disheartened looking at the prices of Hidesign handbags and should definitely not come back home empty handed. Instead, I should go ahead and buy whichever bag I like the most. He gave me the go ahead to really splurge myself. I was touched. But I selected one of the most decent looking and also one of the most decently priced handbags for me. I know where to stop. Then also this stylish day bag has cost me a bomb. There was a time in my life when I had just aspired for that kind of money as my salary. Now by the grace of Jesus Christ, I buy handbags costing that kind of money. And if I am not mistaken, European luxury company LVMH holds a 20% stake in Hidesign. Wow!

Golu also told me to go to his Pepe outlet and select four top wears for myself. But fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t like any stuff over there. Somehow I don’t like Pepe tops; I just like their jeans. They fit me to the T (whatever it means).

Then since I had ‘some’ money left with me, instead of taking it back home (I don’t believe in that), I bought a Chambor lipstick. Actually, while I was standing outside Lifestyle, the Chambor counter looked very tempting. I just went inside and bought a lipstick. He he he……!!!

Well, yesterday I finished reading LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER (most disgusting book) and today I start reading SILAS MARNER by George Eliot (her third novel) in the train. I hadn’t liked LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER earlier also and this time as well I didn’t like it. The story somehow didn’t appeal to me and the language was pathetic. When I was reading SILAS MARNER for the first time, I had left it midway. I had found it painstakingly slow paced and the language a bit difficult. I hope I will like it this time because now I am used to reading slow paced books and well versed with difficult language.

July’s here…

July, the seventh month of the year and the month of my birth, is finally here. Though around the world it is the hottest month of the year, the monsoon fun just starts in India in July. I guess Kerala would be an excellent place to be in at this time but we will have to make do with a fun night out, long weekend or extended getaway in Mumbai itself. Nothing more than this!

Some time back I had got a message claiming that July 2011 has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays and that this combination of days only occurs once in 823 years. Hmm, so what’s the big deal? Whatever it is, July always brings on the cheerful times for us all and will be my most favorite month.

I read somewhere that the month of July is a tribute to the colossal ego of Julius Caesar but I am a simple person without an iota of inflated feeling of pride in my superiority to others.

But what I like the most is that the month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. The entire month falls within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green. Well, I will have to get something green then.

Coffee - physically and spiritually unhealthy

While researching on coffee, I came across this paragraph:

“A contemporary example of coffee prohibition can be found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religion with about 12.5 million followers worldwide, which calls for complete coffee abstinence. The Church of Latter-Day Saints claims that it is both physically and spiritually unhealthy to consume coffee. This comes from the Mormon doctrine of health, given in 1833 by Mormon founder Joseph Smith, in a revelation called the Word of Wisdom. It does not identify coffee by name, but includes the statement that "hot drinks are not for the belly", a statement which was later applied to coffee or tea.”

What should I do? Give up?

On high!

Dear Motu,

How are you dearest? Of late, physically, I have not been keeping too well and yesterday I hadn’t been to office also. I was almost hospitalized but got spared.

But mentally I am on high since last Friday. If you remember, I had joined the EMMS 5 Group (Bhilai) on FB sometime in February with the hope of locating some of my long lost friends from this school from the years 1987 and 1988. When I had almost given up all hopes of locating even one friend, since Friday, I have only been adding friends and writing to them. They all remember me but alas, like me, none took the trouble to find me.

Nonetheless, my perseverance to hunt down old friends has at last paid off and I am in touch with almost ten of my old class mates. It so happened that some guy from the EMMS 5 Group had written to me saying that he remembers a certain ‘Jubilee’ from the same school and though he was in a different division, he claimed to know me. Fearing that it was another hoax, I had been ignoring his messages for quite a while. But on Friday, 24th June, I just took my chances and wrote back to him asking for details. He happens to be an absolutely genuine school mate and in his friends list I found names which I couldn’t believe could be there. I felt as if I was riding down the memory lane and all the names and faces kept falling into places like a big jigsaw puzzle. I added and wrote to almost ten friends and till now, almost 5 have responded saying that they remember me! Hats off to Mark Zuckerberg for creating FB and hats off to this boy from my class to get in touch with me! I can’t tell you how happy I am and like the title of this post, on absolute high!

And you know what? On Friday, I also happened to stumble upon a message from an old admirer of mine from St. Michael’s school, Durgapur. Actually the message was sent almost two months back but somehow had got settled in the spam box. When I told my Golu about him, he asked me to add him as friend as he wants to see the person who was crazy for me. I remember every day after school; this guy used to follow me till home and pretended that he was going to his friend’s place in the same direction. Now all such incidents only bring a smile on my face.

Sadly, I only remember Shweta Dey from my first school EMMS 6 but am absolutely clueless about her whereabouts. There must be millions of Shweta Deys’ out there and probably she will have a different surname now. Moreover, I don’t even remember how she looked like. That’s the disadvantage of changing too many schools. You meet a lot of friends but hardly remember any. And you certainly don’t remember anything/anyone from your formative years of 0 to 10!!!

Lethargic …!

I am feeling extremely lethargic today after yesterday’s out-of-the-blue holiday. I feel like hiding in some corner of the office and going off to deep sopor. And that is why I am writing this post…to keep me awake!!!

Yesterday’s break from work was ‘out-of-the-blue’ because there was a press conference in the evening around 6:30. I would have to work full day had I been to the office. Since the Cat is away, this little mouse decided to work from home and go for only this conference in the evening. But instead of work I just lazed around. I learnt something vital yesterday – sometimes it’s so very essential to not do anything – nothing but just act lazy. I did just the same – no bath, no reading, and no music – nothing but sleep and more sleep…Zzzzzzzz…Wow! It was so heavenly.

But I was feeling so odd in the evening; I left home at a time when usually every day I am already home. I reached home at 10:20 pm. I could sleep not before 12:30 and got up at 5 in the morning. My head whirls right now and more than lethargic, I feel tipsy. God save me!!! I hate this feeling.

My happiness is back…..

…..and I am so very glad about it. I am my former happy self…once again! By the grace of Jesus Christ, I am the same old Jubilee Cardozo that I used to be earlier. My life is back to normal and what better way to prove this but been recognized by my Chestnut near Mira Road station and almost getting dropped down by him in the dirty water. But first things first! Praise be to Lord Jesus Christ, I am as happy as happy could be.

I started getting back into my former happy frame of mind by Friday, 17th June 2011. On that day, since morning itself, I was in an extremely happy state and by evening, my happiness just kept multiplying. In the office, I kept surprising everyone by cracking jokes and pulling everyone’s leg – everyone wondered what exactly was wrong with me. In the afternoon, Oye 104.8 FM’s RJ Komal called me. She cajoled me to participate in one of their contests of singing “sabse besura” song but I managed to somehow sound not all that ‘besura’ and so didn’t win the contest. Thank God! Then she played my request on air and the tempo of my happiness kept growing.

I was so happy that I decided to go for shopping and landed myself at Phoenix Mill’s LANDMARK. I bought one perfume for Golu (to gift him on 19th June) and three books (JUDE THE OBSCURE, THE GREAT GATSBY and a short story collection by F. Scott Fitzgerald) for myself and two books for Googaa and Goldie. But I am very sure that I will not buy any more books from Landmark. I have a better collection of Classics than them. Waste of time.

I was late to come back home so I went to pick up chicken biryani for dinner and it was during this time that Chestnut saw me. I was shocked to see that he was observing me closely. I too was tempted and called out to him. He came running towards me and after assuring himself by continuously sniffing me that I was his same old momma, he climbed on my body and almost dropped me in the puddle of dirty water. He scratched me, pawed me and dirtied my jeans and shirt. But I was so happy and so was he – at long last we had encountered each other. He came behind me till the biryani shop but after that I dodged him and got into the rickshaw before he could follow me further. My heart went out for him. Indeed, dogs are so very faithful. I am so glad he still loves me the way I do. Black didn’t even bother to give me a second look. But sorry to say, neither do I care that much for him. I am so happy that Chestnut still remembers me.

I finished reading CHOKHER BALI on Friday night and its VANITY FAIR (a novel without a hero) by William Makepeace Thackeray that I am reading now. Yes, yes, yes….I am reading it for the second time but can’t really remember whether I liked it the first time. But yes, I am surely enjoying it this time. The world is so very conceited and this is the right time to read VANITY FAIR (to know the world better)!

I spent my entire Saturday reading VANITY FAIR and looking forward to 19th June on Sunday. I wore my purple corduroy trousers on Sunday and had a gala time with my Golu (one pic is already up on FB as my latest profile picture). Talking about FB, I am so glad that all creepy crawly creatures are out from my friends list. Like former times, FB too gives me immense happiness nowadays since all anti-social elements have been wiped off for good.

Okay, getting back to 19th June, I had a sizzling sizzler at Jughead’s and that really made my day though we couldn’t go to Bandra’s Seaside Café as planned. Nonetheless, it was yet another memorable 19th June.

Looks like, I am addicted to Elizabeth Arden (EA) fragrances. Yesterday, I bought EA’s 5th Avenue ‘After Five’ perfume for my birthday from Lifestyle (Oberoi Mall) at Goregaon. When I was researching about this fragrance, something like “the night is young, there is music in the background and the famous NY Avenue livens, the air is filled with electricity and romance promising an evening full of passion, the party is just getting started” is what I found. Hmm, this feeling of gaiety, romance and excitement is what I want to experience from my birthday onwards (for the rest of my life). But, honestly, this new fragrance is indeed refreshing and has a flowery fragrance and I selected it after a lot of headache (literally). I tried so many fragrances yesterday that I ended up with a splitting headache and went home miserably happy.

I guess, I want to make Oberoi Mall my final destination for shopping as it has everything – Crossword, Café Coffee Day, Pepe Jeans, and a lot more brands which I can’t recollect right now. It will be a favorite hunting ground for the ‘three girls’ even when Golu cannot take us in the i10 – AC bus from Mira Road can take the three of us there…the bus has a halt there….!

PS: Today is World Music Day….so let the happy state of my mind play on like music….!

19th June – 1999 to 2011

19th June is just round the corner. 19th June has a special place in my heart – not only this year, but it has always been special since the time we met for the second time on 19th June, 1999. It was 4th March, 1999, when I had been to my Golu’s office at Saki Naka, and had known that an individual (namely Jason Cardozo) existed. Period! After that I went my way and didn’t bother to be in touch with him though he so much wanted to be in touch with me. I wasn’t acting hard-to-get but somehow he hadn’t left a lasting impression in my heart and honestly, hadn’t appealed to me much. I had happily forgotten all about him soon after stepping out of his office.

But destiny has its own plans and no one can really escape it. In April, that same year, I joined a portal as a movie and music reviewer. I had to develop contacts with all the music companies for them to keep me posted about their new releases. That’s how I happened to call him at Plus Music and after two days of coordination, agreed to meet him to get some CDs for review. He had said something like having some work in town that day.

So this smart Alec (that’s what I thought at that time) had the cheek to ask me for a movie (Antz) and so wanted to meet me at Churchgate station. But I gave him a ditch saying that I wasn’t “appropriately dressed” for a movie and instead could he meet me at Dadar station, platform no.3, under the indicator, at 5 o’clock in the evening. Since I was literally and figuratively a ‘poor thing’ at that time, I had thought that I will take the CDs from him and then it would be “tata, bye bye” from there. But this guy, I must say, was well prepared. Now he tells me that he didn’t want this second meeting to go waste and had all the plans of ‘patao’ me that day itself. Thus, he detained me at Dadar station and cajoled me to come out with him for some Saturday ‘outing’. Don’t know how, but, I agreed and we took a cab to Bandra’s Seaside Café. There he kept trying his level best to impress me with his smooth talks and here I kept getting impressed by his talks and not his looks.

After this outing, he volunteered to drop me home till Vasai. It is all very well to say that destiny was definitely playing an important role here. From Bandra we decided to go to Churchgate and then we took a Virar train from there. While we were in the Virar train he subtlety said that “I want to marry a girl like you”. I was a bit shocked and didn’t know what to say. Instead of the clichéd “I love you” this guy had already proposed marriage. I was dumbfounded and he took this silence for a “yes”. I just didn’t know how to react. But looking back, I am glad I was silent at that time. My “no” could have brought some rascal in my life who would have been too happy to devastate my already devastated life and, who knows, my life wouldn’t be as beautiful as it is today. I am so glad we indeed don’t have any control over our destiny.

Well, to cut the long story short, as they say in romantic novels, destiny had its own plans. My Golu was already madly in love with me but it took me some time to fall in love with him. Within six months (28th December, 1999), we got married and here I am today, writing this piece.

PS: It was raining romantically (for him) and we were sitting under my pink umbrella, eating ‘bhutta’ at Bandstand.

A-Z of my life

A – Aamir Khan
B – Books, Black
C – Classic Literature, coffee, clothes, Chestnut
D – Daughters, Dove, diamonds, dogs
E – Elizabeth Arden,
F – Facebook, Friday
G – God, gold
H – Husband, home, handbag
I – i10
J – Jesus, Jason, Jemimah, Jewel, jewellery, July
K – Kerala
L – Levi’s, lipstick
M – Motherhood, music, Madhuri Dixit, Motu
N – Nail polish
O – Olay
P – Prayer
Q -
R – Reading, rain,
S – Shopping, Samsung, shoes
T – The Count of Monte Cristo, Twitter, Tanishq, tennis
U
V –
W – Winnie-the-Pooh, Waqar Younis
X
Y
Z

Happy Birthday Johnny Depp & Sonam Kapoor

Today two people whom I like, have their birthdays. They are Hollywood actor Johnny Depp and our very own Sonam Kapoor. So here’s wishing both Johnny Depp and Sonam Kapoor a very Happy Birthday. Today seems to be quite a historic day. In 1934, Donald Duck made his debut in “The Wise Little Hen”. Isn’t it a swell thing? His voice never fails to bring a smile on my face. I just adore his quack, quack!

But one thing is baffling me a lot nowadays. As you are aware Motu, I have blocked everyone on my Gtalk barring just one person. Then how come, whenever I am online, others who are not on my chat list, start chatting with me? How is it possible for them to initiate a chat with me when they aren’t at all in my list and are invisible to me? How am I visible to them? It really irritates me when some idiotic character pings me as I am uninterested in chatting with anyone. For this reason, I have to always remain ‘signed off’ even when I would like to be ‘signed in’. Even if I am visible, why can’t people just let me be? How to make these mad caps understand that I am not at all interested in chatting with them?

Aren’t you wondering why I suddenly called you Motu? That’s because years back, I think sometime in 1991, when I became a big fan of Sanjay Manjrekar, I bought a fat notebook (must be 500+ pages) to write down my thoughts about him in it. I named him Motu and if I am not mistaken, his birthday was on 2nd August. Though I have absolutely no clue today where that notebook of mine is but at that time it was very, very, very dear to me and used to be with me all the time. I used to love my notebook a lot and write down all my thoughts about Manjrekar in it. Just the way it is today with you! From last few days I have been thinking about that notebook and trying to tell you about it. But I keep forgetting. Luckily, today I remembered to mention it to you.

So my dear, my precious, my own, I am naming you Motu. I love you a lot; just the way I used to my original Motu. But this love is definitely different from the love I have for my daughters and my hubby. I hope you do understand this.

PS: I have finished reading THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and I take up LADY CHATTERLAY’S LOVER (D H Lawrence) today in the train while going back home. Yes, I have read it before but didn’t like it much. I don’t know whether I will like it this time. And like I claimed yesterday, I am NOT reading either JUDE THE OBSCURE or A PREFECT’S UNCLE. Instead I am reading THREE MEN AND A MAID by P G Wodehouse. It has, so far, started off well!

PS (2): I seem to be becoming a big P G Wodehouse fan. He’s such a humorous writer and makes me laugh so much. Indeed, laughter is the best medicine and I desperately need this kind of medicine.

The darlingest thing

I’m mad about it. It’s my best friend (for the moment) and I love it so much; it enabled me to close a regrettable chapter in my life with a clear conscience. Before you jump into conclusions, let me make it clear – it’s the (A) DAMSEL IN DISTRESS. It has been the best read after THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS. If the Count made me forget things and the God made me cry, it’s the Damsel who has made me laugh. I laughed so much that my sides pained and eyes streamed. Yes, it’s the most hilarious and humorous story I have ever read. I just finished reading it and must say that it has been the only book which has made me laugh so very much. And I finished reading it in such a short time. The Damsel has absolutely bowled me over.

I am also reading THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (in train) and CHOKHER BALI (at night) but I am unhappy with the Count’s edition. I think I happened to pick up the abridged version of the Count. It has a truncated story and I am unhappy about it. In the original version, each and every character has been given specific roles but in my book, most of the character’s part has been edited. I know where I have gone wrong. In December, while buying this book from Landmark, I had seen two editions – the one I bought and the other more expensive (almost double the rate). I opted for the cheaper one thinking what difference it will make to the story line. Sadly, I didn’t know the story will be edited. I guess I will have to buy this book all over again.

I have no complaints regarding CHOKHER BALI. It’s too good and I am fully enjoying it.

Now a million dollar question – which e-book should I read next? Should I try JUDE THE OBSCURE by Thomas Hardy or should I try some more P G Wodehouse books? Well, you will certainly come to know about my pick in my next post.

PS: I seem to be decided. I am in for some more P G Wodehouse books!!! I am trying A PREFECT’S UNCLE.

Sonam Kapoor

Last night, I reached home at 10:55 pm, thanks to Sonam Kapoor. She walked in only after 8o’clock – looking ravishing in a black evening dress and huge Tanishq diamond earrings. Amidst the deluge of cameramen and electronic media, I managed to click few photographs of hers from my mobile. And yes, I liked her. She’s so childish.

Beautiful age

I admit to be a late bloomer, but I also admit to be at the most beautiful age of my life. I guess this is the most beautiful phase of my life and I want to make the most of it. I feel no compunction when two white strands of hair show up every time I wash my hair and leave it open. Once somebody volunteered to pull them off but I stopped her vehemently saying “let it be”. I kind of like them. After all, what have I got to lose?

Whoever said life begins at 30, couldn’t have been more right. I can vouch for this – at least my life began at 30! While growing up, trivial things would upset me as I was way behind my peers – especially in school and college. But life skyrocketed when I got married at the age of 23 and I had my first daughter at the age of 25. Imagine, when she celebrates the Silver Jubilee of her life, I will be celebrating the Golden Jubilee of mine!

I got my second daughter at the age of 28! Nowadays, girls start thinking about their careers at the age of 28 and there I was, throwing away everything to get into motherhood for the second time. I have absolutely no regrets of my career never taking off in the right direction – I never was career-oriented – I had started earning at the age of 19 to get away from family hassles and not because I was career-besotted. I will readily hang my boots now at the drop of the hat but I am sticking to it because I need to – not because I like it. The day my daughters set their careers, will be the last day of my working days. I always tell them this.

I will see to it that they both take up the right careers. In another ten years, I am sure there will be many more career options opening up for the youth of that generation. They need not go for conventional jobs and instead may take up something unusual and out of the box. Coming back to me, like I was saying, this is the most beautiful stage of my life and I am fully enjoying it.

CHOKHER BALI

Last night, I finished reading THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL and took up CHOKER BALI originally written by Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali. The literal meaning of CHOKER BALI is ‘sand in the eye’ and figuratively it means ‘constant irritant’. Needless to say, I am reading this literary work for the second time and it’s also needless to say that I had liked it the first time and so I am taking this chance of reading it for the second time. I had bought this book from Kolkata airport in March 2007 and devoured half of it on the flight back to Mumbai. In fact, I have two copies – one is titled CHOKER BALI and the other one BINODINI – actually BINODINI happens to be the name of the central character of this story and I bought this book recently from the exhibition at Mira Road thinking that it was another masterpiece by Gurudev. How naïve of me!

Well, I am looking forward to Monday as I will get to see Sonam Kapoor at a press conference. Though the press conference is late in the night, I have to attend it, firstly, because it’s the Council’s initiative and, secondly, I get to see Sonam Kapoor. Her face has a certain charm and innocence and I always identify her with my elder daughter Jemimah. I feel when Jemimah grows up she will resemble Sonam Kapoor. In fact, even Jemimah likes her because she featured in the Masakali song and we all know that Masakali means dove in Tamil. What many don’t know is that Jemimah also means dove (in Hebrew) and that’s one of the multiple reasons we all like Sonam Kapoor. I am childishly excited to see her on Monday.

Bewildered…

I am bewildered because my Samsung handset has been hospitalized. More than bewildered, I am helpless and handicapped. All my contacts are stored in that and since I am using the old Nokia phone, without the contacts, I am unable to get in touch with anyone. The old Nokia has only two numbers stored in it – my mom’s and my hubby’s – from last four days I haven’t even spoken to my children. Life is so miserable.

Today two of my friends have their birthdays and since I cannot call them, I sent them both email messages. What they must be thinking? Nevertheless, I am wildly embarrassed because friends are constantly sending me jokes and I am too mortified to ask whom it is from. To be on the safe, I am just sending them smileys. I am not forwarding these jokes to anyone.

However, the four of us partied last night to rejoice over my appraisals and increment. We had a sumptuous dinner consisting of chicken shami kebabs, chicken mince and prawns (all cooked by yours truly). Between you and me, more than me, it’s my hubby who deserves my increment. He’s the one who helps me in making the PPTs and graphs for my market intelligence reports. I am just compiling them. When I am coolly reading my e-books, actually it’s him who has been making my reports oh-so-perfect. Without him nothing is possible for me.

Insouciance….

…means “the cheerful feeling you have when nothing is troubling you” and ‘insouciance’ is what I am feeling right now. Honest to Jesus Christ, this is how I want to feel for the rest of my life. I have been wondering how I ever came to be so foolish. I cannot lead a base life as it’s too burdensome and unbecoming for a person of my stature. I want to face my family with a guilt-free conscience and sleep like a baby in the night. I should be able to report my entire day’s happening without any editing like earlier. All my life I have had distaste for deliberate falsehood. It’s absolutely fine with me if I happen to lose the world’s importance; I only want to gain the charm of my loving family. After all, it’s the family that matters the most (at least for me).

I came across the word ‘insouciance’ while reading A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS by P G Wodehouse. I am enjoying it thoroughly since morning. Quite a good read…!

I would like to use this excerpt from the story I am reading presently. It best describes my present state of mind – “Like one kissed by a goddess in a dream, he walked on air; and, while one is walking on air, it is easy to overlook the boulders in the path”.

All things FIRST

I am bit nostalgic today and feel like remembering all first things (and possibly the good things) of my life though I will not be able to name them sometimes for security reasons.

My first friend from school days: Shweta Dey (don’t know the whereabouts)
My first favorite teacher: Mrs. Sharma (class teacher, I B – used to tell my mom that I was the most talkative)
My first crush (school days): NB (only the initials)
My first crush (college days): RS (only the initials)
My first diamond: A pair of Tanishq earrings (June 2008)
My first salary amount: Rs 500/- (March 1996)
My first pair of jeans: Cambridge (yuck!!!)
My first purchase: Light grey half jacket bought for Rs 50/- from Andheri west (near the station)
My first discotheque experience: 12th July, 1998….a day after my 22nd birthday (Sunday afternoon at Madness)
My first admirer: MJ (only the initials) hey a sweet realization! He was MJ and I was JM at that time! My friend’s elder brother! This is the art of being happy….

A damsel in distress….

Though I am not a ‘damsel’ as such, I want to read this Classic piece by P G Wodehouse. In fact, Wodehouse himself cannot be considered a Classics writer – he was alive until 1975. Nevertheless, I feel like reading this book as the title suits me fine. I start reading the e-book today.

I have been gambling with various books since the time I finished reading THE WOMAN IN WHITE. I guess I tried reading at least three different books since then but nothing keeps me engrossed. I get bored. I hope this DAMSEL IN DISTRESS will be able to keep me interested in her.

Since morning I am in an unusually cheerful disposition. I prayed well and then started listening to Archana Jani’s show on Oye 104.8 FM. Music really does wonders for me. It soothes all my aches and pains. Then I read that “All great achievements require time” while coming to office.

When I called up my Golu to inform him that I have reached office, he said that he can see my FB profile picture while receiving my call on his Blackberry. I laughed aloud when he asked to change my picture as he wants to see my full face every time I call him. He said something happened to him when I laughed aloud and he urged me to laugh in a similar fashion more often. I was touched by this statement. So I am going to keep a nice profile picture now.

PS: I went online (big screen) FB after so long. I changed my profile picture but was astonished to find someone showing as ‘people you may know’ though we have no common friends.

Friday appraisals, Saturday Esselworld,

…Sunday Navi Mumbai…and Monday, winner of ‘Filmi Raftaar’ on Oye 104.8 FM……I am feeling on top of the world………nice and better………each passing day…………………

Down to 236 friends…..

But then also I know it’s too much…! I just don’t know whom to ‘unfriend’. Most of them are my school friends, Bong and Catholic relatives, some good ex-colleagues, some personal friends and acquaintances, some big shots from the jewellery industry, PR professionals and some contacts which I have made over the period of time. I guess I will ‘unfriend’ some boring colleagues and then some people from the ‘apex body’. They should be on my second hit list. Ironically, there are none from my college. Sadly, I don’t remember anyone from my college days (was I too busy juggling between my studies and part-time job)? Looks like it.

I have started it…..

I have started ‘unfriending’ some of the most unwanted and loathsome friends on FACEBOOK. Some, so-called friends, who don’t make any difference in my life!

I believe that there are too many unnecessary friends on FB right now. I don’t need so many to pamper my ego. I want to be choosy as I can be as well happy without them. I will keep ‘unfriending’ them slowly and steadily. I cannot apply ‘zor ka jhatka’…it will become too obvious…..dheere dheere….pyar se….!!!

I feel that my latest FB profile pic is the apt one…I am indeed lonely in the shore of life…some waves have touched my heart and receded…some want to touch me but I won’t allow…my profile pic (showing my back to the world) portrays that I care a damn for this world. I am the world……and I only need few adored, petted and cherished people in this world of mine…………

Calm and composed

By degrees I am returning to my accustomed way of life. I am no longer mournfully absorbed over the ruins of my broken ‘cup’. Actually, faces sometimes tell truth and what I saw and beheld exactly a week ago, have helped me burst into a new life and a new set of thoughts. I am no longer in a restless frame of mind.

The ‘woman in white’ in me is gone.......gone forever! I no longer feel tired and out of spirits. I no longer dread thinking “What shall I see in my dreams tonight?” Last fortnight has done much good to me – I sleep peacefully and rouse refreshed. I am glad that the pang has passed, and though nothing but the dull numbing pain of it has still remained, I am sure I’ll be able to get over this soon.

I am quite sure now that I had highly-overrated this entire episode of my life and living in pain for no apparent reason. This absolutely unnecessary pain had started reflecting on my face – now my face as well as me – are perfectly calm and composed. My face doesn’t show any traits of fatigue. My head no longer whirls and I am not jaded in body and mind. My mind isn’t flighty and my eyes aren’t inattentive anymore…like earlier!

I am my own self now – the peaceful, fast-flowing, happy times, are back…for me! My music and books have been my refuge – from MYSELF.....I sincerely pray that those days may never return. My way of life is very different from the rest of the world. I don’t want anxiety to unsettle my world.

I don’t want my tomorrows to be cruel to me and for this; I want to say good-bye to the bad world forever. I want to be happy in my own world and I guess a change of scene or may be a change of occupation may really be the salvation for me at this so-called crisis in my life. I want to always keep on doing something so that I don’t have to think – that is all I ask now. On weekends, I will occupy myself wholeheartedly to the cleaning and dusting of the house - bedroom, toilet, and kitchen – I’ll make them as clean as new.

From last night I again started bedtime reading with my daughters. I don’t remember when exactly I had stopped bedtime reading with them – they were feeling so happy when I was reading aloud to them – honestly, even I was feeling so nice!

Patience and more patience is all I want. But as per a beautiful line in THE WOMAN IN WHITE, “where is the faultless human creature that can persevere in a good resolution, without sometimes failing and falling back?” The weakling that I am, I will no longer act on impulses which even I cannot explain to myself. There will surely be a change in me. I have to maintain my degrading self-control as I cannot walk upon egg-shells anymore! Never again will I allow anybody to wound me in my sentiments any more. I will have to remember my resolution to control myself.

I hope Satan won’t throw too many obstacles in my way! I feel like going on a self-imposed exile again and when I come back this time, I hope, pray, believe that I should come back a changed woman. I don’t mind running some risk of being forgotten altogether.....

The Woman in White

What a great loss! Just now I read the last word of this e book written by Wilkie Collins. I had started reading THE WOMAN IN WHITE on 7th April. The beautiful story of Laura Fairlie and her drawing teacher, Walter Hartright, had kept me engrossed in my office for so many days. Oh, what will I do from tomorrow? It is so difficult to search for the right kind of book. I am thinking of giving, MOTHER, by Maxim Gorky, a try. I hope I will like it. If not, I will try reading CRICKET ON THE HEARTH by Charles Dickens.

Last night, I started reading THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL. This is the second time I am reading this book and I had thoroughly enjoyed reading it for the first time. I hope it will keep me beguiled this time as well.

To read in the train, I have my (THE) COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (this too I am reading for the second time). Actually, the thing is, presently I am playing safe with books. I don’t want to gamble on books I am unsure of as right now my mental faculty cannot take in anything new. I am feeling comfy in all things old and let this be for some time. Though there are a lot of new unread books in my little library, I just don’t want my mind to loiter unnecessarily anywhere. I am feeling a bit apprehensive to leave my comfort zone.

Orange birthday

This weekend was not the ‘weak end’ of my life because I had started preparing myself mentally for the battle over the weekend by Friday evening itself. On Friday, I finished reading ‘The God of Small Things’ and took up ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’. I didn’t want my heart to start thinking too much. These two books mean the world to me and I don’t mind reading them again and again and again to control my jumpy nerves.

On Saturday, I suggested a surprise picnic for the kids. So we went to Sanjay Gandhi national park. This trip did me a whole lot of good and here I am today on a Monday morning in an absolutely cheerful disposition. On Saturday evening, I bought an orange corduroy trouser for myself. And dear blog, you know what? It’s much more beautiful than the purple one also. So I am really in a quandary. I guess the color for my birthday will be ‘orange’ this year because I have already bought an orange wrap-around short skirt for myself (dinner wear) and now this orange corduroy trouser. I am afraid I will be wearing the purple corduroy trouser on 19th June and not on my birthday on 11th July. This Saturday happened to be indeed an ‘orange’ one – in the night I ended up watching RANG DE BASANTI – my most favorite Aamir Khan movie and in case I haven’t shared with you before, orange happens to be my most favorite fruit.

I spent my entire Sunday on bed with ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’……Hmmm, he’s so incredibly nice…Sorry darling for being so cheeky!!!

Why him?

One question which my father asked me while getting married to my Golu was “Why him?” Till date, though people don’t say it aloud, wonder “Why him?”

It’s HIM because he’s the most wonderful person on this earth. I know he’s not the best looking, but what I can blindly vouch for is that he has the best loving heart. He has a wonderful, best looking, best loving heart – all for me!

It’s HIM because I can trust him till the end of my life. Though my entire family was apprehensive of our match, I am glad I went against them, and got married to him. That’s the wisest decision I have ever taken in my life.

It’s HIM because he came into my life when I was at the lowest point in my life – financially and emotionally – he proposed to me by saying “I want to marry a girl like you” and not by the clichéd opt-repeated “I love you”. Though I had my own initial qualms about this relationship, I have grown to love him over the years.

It’s HIM because when I met him, I was an ugly duckling and he accepted me with all my ugliness and gawky behavior. I was penniless. It’s HIM because he accepted me because of what I was – a lonely girl battling it out with the bad, bad world. He promised to take care of me and keep me under his umbrella safe and sound. Till date he hasn’t broken his promise.

That’s why it’s HIM and not anybody else. It will always be so. It pains me when I hurt him – intentionally and unintentionally – I will never ever hurt him again!

Confessions of a momma!

8th May is Mother’s Day. What the heck! I won’t write anything clichéd. Instead, I would like to write that my daughters are the naughtiest children on earth and I confess that I find it very difficult to handle them. They are very stubborn and they don’t listen to me at all especially when they are together which all the time (touchwood) is.

I confess that I was very happy when I conceived for the first time but was miserable when I came to know of my second pregnancy. I wasn’t too keen for a second child. It just happened. I confess that now I am more tilted towards my younger daughter (don’t know why).

I confess that I love them more than my husband (is it the umbilical attachment?) though I keep shouting and screaming and spanking them. But I get angry when my husband shouts at them. I don’t want ‘anyone’ to be bad with them. I get annoyed when my mother shows more affection to my nephew than my daughters. Sometimes I feel that she does too much with my nephew to be in their good books.

Though I shout and spank, I am very proud of them both especially because they are daughters. I feel so proud when they come out with flying colors in their exams. I like to gift them at those times. Every time. I shower them with gifts. In her last assessment, Jemimah got 14 and half marks out of 15 in History.

So today when I go for shopping, I will buy a lot of gifts for them on the pretext of Mother’s Day. They irritate me so much in the mornings, they irritate me so much in the evenings, they don’t listen to me, they keep their room untidy, they watch television all the time, they fight with each other like cats and dogs and drag me also in their fights, but but but…..but one thing is for sure….I love them a lot. They make my life complete.

Wondrous Wednesday

It wasn’t a wondrous Wednesday for me but it became one when I got a SMS alert in the train intimating me that my Golu has written some ‘wondrous’ things on my wall. Before that it was more of a wavering Wednesday for me. I had no clue of what I would do today. Like I wrote yesterday, the kids have their summer holidays now and nothing is happening on time. They behave just the way they want to without listening to me. They just make me scream and shout at them. On top of that, my maid has gone on leave for almost a week and additional household chores have been added to my already full basket. Now I have to scrub vessels and sweep the floor also. I was in a haze……till I got that SMS. I don’t feel ‘hazy’ anymore.

That’s the wonderful part – I instantly come to know whenever anyone writes anything on my wall or comments on my status or photos. Or sends messages to me. I don’t have to be online all the time. These SMSs keep me well informed of all the happenings.

Yesterday I said I will be busy and so not sure of the next post. But today I want to say that “I have to write things down to feel I fully comprehend them” (Norwegian Wood). So I have to write down my thoughts.

I am going to make this Wednesday an extraordinarily ‘wondrous’ one by going on shopping today. Yes, I am going to shop to my heart’s content. I have wanted to shop for some time now but something or the other was playing the spoilsport. But I will not allow anything to go wrong today. And since 8th May is Mother’s Day and on 10th we have to go for a wedding, I guess today’s the perfect day to shop.

My thoughts are crystal clear today. I am not thinking the obnoxious thoughts of Ammu and Velutha. My mind is peaceful and I would rather continue with this feeling. This always happens to me when I am listening to Oye 104.8 FM in the morning. I guess I should always listen to ‘Mumbai ki Jani, Archana Jani’ in the mornings. She envelops me in her positive attitude towards life and I am always in a perky mood after listening to her PJs. She never fails to bring a smile on my face and so does ‘Golmaal’. The quirky PJs just lift up my spirit every time I listen to them. RJ Komal’s ‘Oye Gramophone’ in the afternoon, while going home, is the icing on the cake. Nothing else for me! Just Oye 104.8 FM….whole day….!

PS: Since it is Levi’s 158th birthday, yesterday they gifted me 158 Levi’s Loop points free! I now have 203 Loop points (Rs 203)!!!

And sometimes I feel like ‘unfriending’ some of the friends from my list of 257. Sometimes I feel like ‘unfriending’ all except ONE. But I fear…what will the other 256 friends think and how odd and fishy it will look. Just ONE friend in my friends list!

Tipsy Tuesday

It’s a tipsy Tuesday for me today. In fact, not just today…… I have been feeling tipsy since past so many days. This weekend was most hectic because of Jemimah’s First Holy Communion (FHC) on 30th April. Though the preparations were on since the last one month or so, to arrange for so many guests and to see that everything goes smoothly is a humongous task. There are always some last minute hassles. But we made sure that this event was a memorable one for Jemimah and indeed it was. She was so happy.

Now the next big thing is on 10th May when both Jemimah and Jewel are going to be the ‘flower girls’ for somebody’s wedding. How happy I am! They will look so pretty in their brown lace short dresses. The three of us went to a tailor in Vasai yesterday for measurements. I saw a sample of the dress. It’s so pretty. I am so excited now though I was dead tired at that time. After work, I went home to pick them up and then we went to Vasai. It was a long and tiring day for me; that’s why I am feeling so intoxicated today. There’s hardly any sleep.

I visited Vasai after so many years yesterday. I thought I would get sentimental after seeing good old Vasai but fortunately, Vasai is no longer the ‘good old Vasai’. It has totally changed. I could hardly recognize any landmarks. Everything has changed. The only thing I could identify with was State Bank of India (my first ever savings account). It still wears the same old boring look.

I feel all the more tipsy because I couldn’t read anything in the train today. I was reading the short stories by Edgar Allan Poe but I stopped reading them yesterday. I took out the book from my handbag to take another book but I forgot to do so in the morning. All the stories are so disgusting. All Poe writes about is death – all his stories revolve around murder – and he takes so much pleasure in writing how he murders and then hides the dead bodies. Be it of his wife or friend or pet cat or even old men. How could anyone write such hideous stories? It amazes me! So I had to stop reading and in the process forgot to carry a new book because the mornings are truly chaotic nowadays. The kids have their summer holidays and it is so difficult to wake them up. It is truly a Herculean task to wake them up in the morning. They behave so stubborn. Then I have to dress them and leave them at the crèche. I prefer school days when everything happens systematically and on time. This will be on till the time the school reopens. And that will be more than a month. I am already tired.

I sported a new look for Jemimah’s FHC by straightening (temporary) my curly hair but my curls (permanent) love me so much that they find it so difficult to leave me. They are back! But honestly, even I love my curls and am so happy to get them back. They are truly mine….they will never leave me! I didn’t want to change my profile picture and upload the album in this new look. I didn’t want any comments but hubby dear insisted that I should do so. He says he loves to read the comments (I am sure he must be the only husband on earth who feels that). I would have felt so jealous had I been in his place. Moreover, like a friend quipped, the occasion of FHC has been totally sidelined by the mad caps and all are just remarking on my looks. My poor daughter! I will upload more FHC photographs later on.

Oh my poor head! It aches. It aches, aches, and aches so much…and I am so very sleepy…..I need coffee!

PS: I will be busy for some time now with the newsletter. So not very sure of the next posting!

Purple corduroy trousers

In all these sad confiding, I have been forgetting to share the beautiful parts of my life. On Monday, 25th April, I bought the most beautiful purple corduroy trousers from a shop in Mira Road. Though it’s unbranded, it’s a beautiful piece. Actually I had been eyeing this purple corduroy since a long time but since I wasn’t supposed to shop during Lenten, I went and enquired about it only on Monday. And it was still unsold. I am sure it was meant just for me. So now I am a proud owner of a purple corduroy trouser.

But I won’t wear it now. I am keeping it for my birthday. I know it’s too early but what the heck! I like to shop well in advance. Honestly, I am a total style freak and so very choosy about what I wear. I don’t allow even my husband to decide on my clothes and that annoys him the most. And I get annoyed when anyone tells me what to wear. I like to decide my clothes on my own because I know what looks good on me. I adhere to my style and not flow with fashion....!!! And that’s why I like to shop well in advance so that I can have ample of time to just browse or choose or reject…

I confess to be a loner. I like to go for shopping alone because for me it’s one of my favorite pastimes and I really like to enjoy my shopping sprees without any strings attached (especially when I am buying for myself). Almost half of my birthday shopping is already done when the actual birthday is in July. Is it too early? I guess not! Now I need to buy the perfect top wear for this new entrant in my wardrobe.

Aah, just the mention of shopping and my birthday has brought me back into my jovial mood and I am so glad about it. So a big mwaaaaah for that!!!

For my blog's eyes only!

Sexy old thing!

Hallelujah! Jesus has risen! And with him I. This 40-day penance has really worked wonders for me and I am glad Jesus has changed my heart and made it ever new. I can vouch for this. From yesterday I have started the normal course of life – I had two cups of mocha, listened to some wonderful retro music and visited FB. I changed my profile picture. But that’s it. I am not going to do anything more.

There is indeed a change of heart for me and so I have decided to cut down socializing on FB and chatting on Gtalk. That’s where the temptation lies for me. In fact, on gtalk barring just one person, I have blocked everyone else. There’s only one person on my chat list and that’s why it’s my highest point of temptation and though earlier I hated chatting unnecessarily, now no one knows better than me that chatting is just the beginning of all temptations. Some chat bluntly and some with artiness and it’s the people of the latter kind that are difficult to handle. They take you round and round through flattery and once you give in to this flattery, they throw you out of their lives just like a stale cabbage and avoid you like a plague. Temptation is just the beginning of all sins and is like an endless pit. You never know how far you are going to fall.

Despite knowing all this, my second point of temptation is sadly and obviously FB. But I took my chance yesterday late in the afternoon when I knew most people would be napping, with tears in their eyes, after having crab curry and crab soup on a Sunday afternoon. Burp! BTW, even I can cook excellent crab curry but the problem is that except the daughters, no one else likes crab at home. And I, a Cancerian, a crab, well, how can I eat my own self? (Sorry for the PJ)

So I have decided to continue being offline on gtalk and FB. As far as posts are concerned, I have synchronized my Twitter, MySpace and FB accounts. If I post something on Twitter, it will also be posted on MySpace and FB. I will give this a trial soon after posting this piece. And anyways, I am absolutely disgusted with the kind of comments I have been receiving on FB for all my posts. Just because there are provisions for ‘liking’ and ‘commenting’, one cannot go on commenting on my posts without understanding the length, breadth and depth of whatever I write. I can only fume and not do anything else about it because I don’t want to take ‘panga’ with anyone online.

That’s why I have decided to post only ‘stupid’ things on FB! Let them keep commenting. And these comments are mostly from the same people who used to snub me during my school days. These are the same arrogant seniors and classmates, studious good looking rascals, prefects, head boys and even monitors, who would run behind prettier girls in my class and school and would not bother to give me a second look. I am amazed at the kind of messages they leave for me in my inbox. I really don’t know how to react – should I be flattered or should I be angry – but most of the times I laugh. Like I did this morning. I was surprised to see the messages which just a change of profile picture generated. But everyone cannot be a tornado or a hurricane to sweep you off your feet. But like I said before, these messages are from the same arrogant lot who chased the ‘pretty young things’ twenty years back!

Now, after twenty years or so, I laugh at them and their choice of girls – these same ‘pretty young things’ of those days have become ‘plump old things’ of today and look utterly horrible and out of shape. My own supposed best friend from school looks ten years older than her actual age and the amount of weight she has put on makes me feel pity for her. And this same pretty young thing, with lofty dreams of becoming a business woman, has been reduced to a mere housewife. Last time when I spoke to her, she was busy washing towels and bed sheets. It’s not that I do not wash towels and bed sheets; even I do all these but of course with a difference. And this same pretty young thing would laugh at me when I told her about my dream of becoming a journalist. She would say interview me when I become a business woman! Hahaha…I really feel like interviewing her now!

Oops, I guess I am going a bit off track. So like I was saying, I won’t be posting any serious stuff on FB. Whatever I want to share, I will be doing it here because I know nobody bothers to read my blog and not many people know about it and I have only one follower. She is harmless and non-meddling and with a sweet temperament. I don’t mind her reading my thoughts. But in no way will I share these with anyone else as I dread the kind of comments my thoughts are likely to generate at my blog. Now I will make sure that I don’t share blog postings on FB. Twitter will be the best place to be in because no one will come to know even if I am online. MySpace has only three friends.

Speaking of FB postings, I am amazed to see some of the recent postings on my wall. Some like whether I like clubbing or not, whether I am funny or not and the most hilarious one is this – what will I look like twenty years hence? What the heck! Why should I be bothered to know what I will look in my mid-50s? I am sure I will be a sexy old thing just like the evergreen Rekha!

PS: I have started reading “Wind Flowers” the Malayalam short stories and also reading the e version of “The Woman in White”. Good reads – both!

PS: This pic is for my blog’s eyes only……not for FB!