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”.