Winnie the poohi
Every person is essentially a hypocrite, even the greatest of humans.

Winnie the poohi
Offlate I have realized that I no longer respond in a way I think I will. I mean, in an particular situation I would think I will respond in 'x' way and yet when such an situation comes I would react in a 'y' way.

I have been thinking a lot lately that.. may be I dont really know what the 'real' me is... or rather its like an empty vessel. Thoughts flit through may be.. without really marking me in any serious way...


Winnie the poohi
When I read pratsie's blog post about a gift from a friend I kinda wanted to blog about this incident. I just couldn't stop it. I dunno how real the words are, the words I am going to preserve here but the feeling it gives me everytime I read it is priceless.

Someone doing a gesture for me when I didnt expect it, infact in the leanest phase of my life.. well what can I say... I was touched beyond measure.

It happened in my 7th sem of Engineering, exactly 4 years back and it was my birthday. We were tensed at home. Dad was not feeling well and ofcourse none remembered my birthday. Not even me.

When they came home, Smital and Shraddha, my best friends, I was busy cutting vegetables to cook food and was in my oldest rag. I was surprised to see them and they had come with a cake.

*sigh* even dad joined in singing the birthday jingle and suddenly, it was special. I didnt expect it or thought it was possible and there it was. I hadn't had so much fun in a long time and we sure deserved this respite... I am finding it hard to express what I felt. I guess I would leave it to your imagination :)

And the gift they gave me is something I will preserve long after they have faded in my memories. I shall share it with my grand children someday and we all will laugh about it!

Shraddha is an artist. She makes wonderful candles for fun and she knowing how much I love the sea had made me a candle in blue with small shells in it. My very own personal sea, a lot more dear to me now that I am so far away from them and from the sea.. I have forgotten to click a picture of that but I soon will. And she had also made a wax cake which my sweety happily munched through one fine day and is lost to me now. However, they jointly worked on a card.. its like a long letter actually that brings tears to my eyes everytime I read it.

If it had been perfect I might not had liked it so much. It is askew and it has lot of grammatical errors and for that reason alone its dear to me. Weird logic I know.. I cant explain it! See it for yourself!

This one really was upside down :D :D


This says... " The story began before 21 years ago.. ( do excuse the grammar :) )
We are sure that there had been a great blast, explosion, earth quake or something more horrible because- "


"... great people always bring something like this.. ( Rememeber shri krishna janma? ).. hey don't be so proud to be called great! We are too generous to call our friends as great.. Greatest !! Well Welcome to 22.. "


"
... We all wish a wonderful, joyous and dinchac ( dashing in mumbaiyya hindi) birthday forever.. our loving charming friend.. We all wish that you will get everything you ask from god; all the dreams .."


"... All desires , even the smallest wish you make . God is always with you { this includes irritating people or friends and making them feel guilty too}.. Birthday is a millions of movements (was supposed to be moments he he he) each holds joy, fun and success you planned...
"


".. Happy birthday from Teddy bear ( He was a senior I had a huge crush on!) .. 'We know that this teddy is not as cute n handsome than he is- Plz adjust'...."

".. Hi Maina bai This is from kaku bai and shanta bai,... ( This is chiman Rao.. that birdlike thing.. chiman==sparrow) Tall dark and handsome Yeh dil maange more( this heart wants more).."

Ah Maina bai was my pet name :D :D We gave each other such ethnic pet name.. Smital was kaku bai coz the guy I used to tease her with was called kakaji and Shraddha was Shanta bai.. coz she is so quiet by nature :)




".. Keep singing and washing clothes in your unique style .. Hey! Forgot to wish Morey? ( Morey was a guy in their class who had same Bday as me and they teased me by his name :D) What.... ? He is engaged? So what? Its 14th Jan factor You have to wish him! Its okay now.. I will wish on your behalf.. { What?? Why am I insisting so much? You know ! No? Then ask Kakaji.. ** The very same guy whom I used to tease smital with** }



Have a colorful birthday! Fill your life with colors of rainbows...


We thought very hard for your gift .. finally we decided to give you a beautiful -ROSE that would be a great gift for our Rosy friend.

"..But we have to cancel that idea.. coz.. coz.. We find you more charming than any rose . So, we are sorry .. Then we feel that yummy yummy chocolates would be a good gift for you.. A chocolate for someone we love.. "


"..but we have to cancel that idea too-because we find that chocolates are not enough to tell you what we feel about you - So we are sorry! We finally settled down to a bottle at a bottle of 'scent' but we were afraid that it may lose its fragrance We cancelled that too We are very sorry!!!

Now we have nothing special to give you than.... "



".. OUR FRIENDSHIP.. But we promise you that it will never lose its fragrance and will always remain fresh and yummy.. no matter where we are and how far we are..- Yours.. "

Smital has put her thumb print and shraddha signed :D :D

*sigh*

How can I not love these guys?



Winnie the poohi
Recently on gtalk had this conversation with a friend..

M: hows ya?

L: m good
:)
njaaing shingilldum for nw :P
howz ya
all outta luv?
:P

M: yeah all outta love
am doing gr8
i have realized
love is not for me
:D

L: yeah rite ;P i believe u

M: :D
i get bored so easily
i think i shud have a harem of men
:D

L: so?
its the other's responsibility to keep u entertained
ahem

M: yeah yeah

L: I dont think muthalik will like that :P

M: he he he don't worry we will gift him thousands of pink chaddi
and
that wud be it
:D

L: I bet he mite even be tryin some of those on at home
dum dum

M: ha ha ha


Winnie the poohi
Some finally say.. We do! Oh yeah we do. We all know that for a democracy to work.. We need to vote. The cynical of us lot would complain how hard it is to get an election card and all.. now thanks to Jaagore things have become a tad easier than before. Atleast we have information required. Better than before isn't it ?

And now, we have come across an amazing fact that we have a choice of saying none of these... So we cannot complain anymore that.. koi bhi accha nahi hai.. kise vote kare? The point is kisi ko bhi nahi.. We need not choose between 2 evils, We can choose to not choose them at all.

And if still we complain.. if we are still laidback and ask.. how do we know who is good and who isn't? Well guys, one of the most beautiful venture that I have seen.. Its a campaign to say no to criminals in politics. To choose better people. To force politicians to be accountable in some way.. It is called..

Say no to criminals in politics.




And how do we determine that ? This website has a database of any cases that are filed as on 2004. I know this is quite outdated. I am sure it will be updated soon enough. But we can atleast have some information here. It is a great venture surely.

And for the people who complain that the line for voting is too much. We all know that we can vote online too.

Hence, after all the resources available to us, if we fail to vote and then question our leadership.. or complain about the 'country in shambles' really the country doesn't deserve such citizens and they better migrate!

P.S: Two interesting sites other than Jago re that gives us information about voting.

http://www.votedeindia.org/
http://voteindia.in/


Winnie the poohi
That the most honest answer in the world is 'I don't know'. However, the older we grow the harder it is to accept it.

Winnie the poohi
I want to share with you guys a special blog. I have yet read only one post and I am already in love with it. And the template is just wow! And the person who blogs claims to be 61, but the youthful ways of his belies it completely. Every time I respond to his comment I leave with a smile. His is a humorous blog. More than that it is a blog thats more humane than any other blog I have read as of yet.

Without much ado, I present Daylight Again

Oh and if you have more time (which I did incidentally) Kindly go through all the other blogs. They are full of pictures that make you go Awwwwww!!!

Winnie the poohi
In prison I found true freedom
When I came across this statement initially ( in reference to the movie Provoked) I was not convinced. However after seeing the movie I realized it was apt. And yet, I haven't realized how apt until now.

For true freedom is freedom of spirit. If we are free, we do not value our freedom nor understand what it really means. And hence we slave under many undue influences, both good and bad. And since we are influenced we are not free.

And yet, if we are forced into bondage we tend to disassociate from the particular situation and hence find true freedom.

Paradoxical isnt it? We need bondage to actually feel free :) Like one needs danger to lose fear of death. And hope of peace to go for war....

On a side note: In that movie, more than the husband of the victim, I hated the mother in law! For she seemed to have erred in many ways. but then, like the victim, she knew no other way of life...

Winnie the poohi
Is your writing life healthy these days? How do you keep your writing life alive? What are some of the remedies you use to revive it?



Writing is a natural extension of my garrulous self. Somehow I have this relationship with words that I cannot define in any other way. I have a need to communicate. This need goes beyond trying to communicate my feelings. I mean.. I have infinite conversations with myself which are in effect just monologues and some dialogues. They can range from anything emotions to opinions on issues.. current or otherwise. They help me resolve issues in my mind to crystallize my opinions which I have found are generally a bit removed from most. And mostly whimsical too. I have found that I have 2 different opinions on the same subject.. which differs with moods. Whimsical indeed. And writing them down provides me a constant source of entertainment.

I have also found that I can express way better with writing than in conversation.. where more often than not I end up arguing.. or fumbling for words.... Though I do converse a lot.. and yet.. to put forth my point of view I find writing the best possible medium. And yet, I balked from putting my thoughts to words.. simply coz, I hated writing on paper ( I still do) Blogging was a godsend..

For long, it was hard to express myself.. the words that were trapped for so long were hard to come by.. but they did and they haven't stopped as of yet. I may stop writing poems. I may stop writing stories.. but I can never stop writing. I know that for sure!

Also, even if I feel uninspired, I still do write.. of random stuff.. of silly stuff.. but there is always something to write about. If not, prompts always give me some thing to think about..

Or else.. my indefatigable memory is gift..I have so many stories to share from past.. so many opinions to share.. No. I never feel dearth of inspiration to write.. Probably coz I am afraid that if I stop I might not write again.. I am afraid to stop...

So my answer is...

Is your writing life healthy these days?

Oh yes!!

How do you keep your writing life alive?

Simply by writing! There is no other way!

What are some of the remedies you use to revive it?

---> Prompts

---> Reviewing anything books, movies, music, people

---> Tags! They make you think

---> Other bloggers.. some poems.. some books

---> Looking within.. there is so much to share !


Winnie the poohi

If you remember nearly a month back I had said that I am picking up books challenge ? Well I am not. I got bored of picking the books as per the alphabets.. However I have not stopped reading books. But I have ofcourse not reviewed them. Lazy me. These are the list of the books I have read already. I have even included 2-3 lines of review. I might do a full fledged review when I am bored enough :D

1. The Smoke Jumper by Nicolas Evans : I liked it in parts. Its a love triangle with lot of side effects. War, jealousy, Friendship etc etc. Kind of masala. Frankly expected it to be better.
My Rating: 5/10

2. Ice bound by Dean Koontz : This was all it had promised. Intrigue. Thrill and suspense. Umm there is quite some action too. Few scientists trapped on a moving iceberg and a killer amidst them with a hidden motive. No where to run and no where to hide. And to confound it all being saved by a German sub marine at the height of WW II
My rating: 7/10

3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel : I remember reading its review long long time back in my student days when I used to yearn to buy books like this. But all I could hope was to pick something from the Raddi shop.. anyhow, this book was a let down. The writing style is good. But the story line.. too cliched. Too hard to accept.. It is a fiction not a fantasy! however, the writer seems to lean towards the latter. Picture this. A small kid of 10-12 left on a life boat with a very hungry tiger for more than 20 days. And yet alive to tell the tale. And able to survive with skills which are beyond comprehension.. Still an engaging read. Though the description of gore left me all pukey..
My rating : 4/10 Read at your own peril :D

4. Echoes by Maeve Binchy: I was enthralled by the character sketching that she did. The heroine, the hero and the other man. The story was conventional. It was based on a provincial town in Ireland. It could have been amazing. There was potential certainly. But it was a let down. The only saving grace is you don't feel let down until the end. The character of "Gerry Doyle" was so amazingly etched with all the details, only to be wasted. His story goes no where and to finish the story off he is killed ( Rather he commits suicide) Even this is not written with the panache she made us believe she had.
My rating : 5/10 It can be a one time read.

5. Confessions of a Falling woman by Debra Dean ( finished it today :) ): I was at Landmark on Sunday, not planning to buy anything ( ended buying 5 books. Glutton me!) And this book was at the display. And to pass time, I read the first short story. And I fell in love. Her writing style is so refreshingly funny. It is a collection of urban stories. Nothing spectacular about the stories but the writing style keeps you hooked. Like in the first story it talks about a guy called "Tim". he is extremely funny and sweet and jovial. In an apartment building where no one knows anyone.. he binds them together with friendship. Soon it feels home. Though he doesn't seem to have an iota of ambition, he gets a chance to be comedian and takes it . He makes fun of every tenant he connected to and ofcourse never comes back to them. He makes it big ofcourse. And the ppl who came together drift apart.. as I said nothing spectacular about the story. However, if you read it, you will feel connected. You will identify yourself with them.
My rating : 8/10

6. Family Blessings by Lavyrle Spencer : I had read her earlier novel 'With hope' and was impressed. She takes few characters from suburban America and spins a story of their life that takes you through whole gamut of emotions. You love them, you get angry and you worry for them.. and finally everything ends with happiness.. and not without tinging with loss of loved ones, strength of character etc etc. An average read yes. Nothing special about the story. But feel good! You cannot help but end it with a smile and feel that life is worth living :)
My rating : 6/10 A story for lazy winter nights :)

7. The Second Silence by Eileen Goudge: This is the kind of story I love! 3 strong characters of women. Three generations of it. Strong personality, Lots of love and misgivings. They struggle to make sense of their relationship and their life. They would rather sever it and yet, they are fused by umbilical cord that no one can ever see.. A beauty! *sigh*
My rating : 8/10

8. The Maze by Catherine Coulter : It is a suspense thriller with romantic undertone. There is a psychotic serial killer. A totally cynical daughter. A overtly strict father and a senile mother. To add to the fun, The daughter is a cop on the case. The other daughter was killed by the killer. Ah the maze of confusion, suspicion, trust and madness. total fun!
My rating : 7/10

9. Vienna Prelude by Bodie Theone: A love story based just before World war II. Story of German Jews in Austria. Nothing new in the story and yet it attracts you and makes you read the whole thing. Very Very Romantic *sigh* Again a feel good movie And this book has made me intrigued enough to read Faust. I might read that after I finish all my books here really. Some interestingly philosophical insights. It is not a light read but a fun read :)

My rating : 7/10


10. Taltos by Anne Rice : Oh I loved and I loved it! The stretch of imagination is so beautiful. Though The writing style is nothing spectacular.. its the story that holds you tight. I loved reading it and I even fell in love with this taltos! The childlike Giants! My only rue is the end. The end sucks. Yes it is a happy ending but quite rushed As if the story didn't fit within limits pf the words.. or may be she lost interest and just wanted to end it!

My rating : 6/10 It is huge! Read it when you have a lot of time on you


11. Cane River by Lalita Tademy : Again a story based in southern USA.. rather before Civil War. And again story of 3 generation of women. Strong characters and all that jazz I said in second silence. The best part is though its a fiction, its a story of the authoress's Family. She has traced her roots and has written such a poignant tale of it. It made me want to trace my roots :D

My rating : 8.5/10 I simply loved it.


12. 34 Bubblegums and Candies by Preeti Shenoy : I was attracted initially by the cover ( I easily get attracted by the covers) And the book lived upto it! It was gifted to me by pratsie for my birthday yay! Its out and out collection of feel good stories. Of everyday life of the authoress. She is an avid blogger too and the book is worth reading really. It is a light read almost like a coffee table book.. and yet, it would leave you with some lingering thought or a smile on your face :)

My rating : 8.5/10


13. A Married Woman by Manju Kapur : This is a poignant tale of a housewife of a middle class ( upper middle class if you like) family in Delhi. Her dreams, her feelings, her search of identity. It is bold in a way. She ends being in a lesbian relationship and yet this doesn't seem out of ordinary. I don't remember who said it, but every woman is potentially bi- sexual. And frankly I can agree to it. I mean two women in a relationship can give a lot more warmth a lot more comfort than a man can give. Simply coz their needs are similar. The way they approach a relationship is similar. This book is worth reading for the way a woman is described. With all her vulnerability and all her dreams. A woman with sexual urge and urge to reassert her identity. A woman lost..... And yet , I find the end doesnt live upto the boldness we saw all through the story. The end shows the woman choose conventionality over her heart. But then, may be thats more close to reality ..

My rating : 7.5/10




Winnie the poohi
Tagged by kris yay!!

  1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
    Yes.. my great great grand mother.

  2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
    Erm.. few weeks back I guess.. I really dont remember.. I can easily cry.

  3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
    No not really I hate writing on paper

  4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH?
    In summer.. curd rice with mango pickle :) else anything made by me

  5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
    Not yet. But plan to have them

  6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
    Lucky to be :)

  7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
    Occasionally.

  8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
    I guess so.

  9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
    Would love to!

  10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
    Rice :P :P

  11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
    Feel lazy to!

  12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
    Chocolate chocolate all the way!

  13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
    Their smile. Somehow that gives me a inkling about how they would be :)

  14. RED OR PINK?
    Pink :D :D

  15. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
    Umm that I dont complete what I start

  16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
    Myself.. what I was may be :)

  17. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
    Its their choice :)

  18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
    Pants: Blue trousers. Shoes: Umm bronze heels ;)

  19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
    Better Man by Robbie williams

  20. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
    Orange :)

  21. FAVORITE SMELLS?
    Petrichor :D

  22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
    Navin. Its usual thing for us.

  23. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
    Totally :)

  24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
    Umm none :D

  25. HAIR COLOR?
    Black

  26. EYE COLOR?
    Black.

  27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
    I have them just dont use it :D

  28. FAVORITE FOOD?
    Home cooked simple fare.

  29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
    Scary movies with happy endings :D


Winnie the poohi
They are such a web of tangles. I am not sure anymore what I really feel and what I imagine I feel!

Winnie the poohi
No guys I am not gonna write about love. I am sure by now you all are tired of love.. Ah if you are not.. may be you would love to have a look at this :P :P

I have 2 love stories.. almost novellas waiting in pipeline to be completed. And as usual I am losing interest. I wonder if you would be kind enough to read thru the both and choose.. which one you like the best. I shall complete that first...

Caution: They are all mush :D

Love story - Untitled

A love story

Click at the chapter title to read the whole story. If you are lazy to read the whole story.. do look at the sneak preview ;)

And if you still would like more of mush here.. I can list down my mushy short stories too :D

Looking forward to your comments!


Winnie the poohi
There are some things you cannot share with your sister. And some you wouldn't want to share with your friends ever. And yet, you would like to share it with someone. It is too personal even by my standards to blog about. At those times whom do you share it with ?


Winnie the poohi
Some people are not meant to have kids. And they are not supposed to have 'male' kids at all! Bah! Our neighbors are having a huge problem with their sons. And everyday is a saga of big fights.. that ofcourse wakes us up from sleep every damn day! Albeit the kids are unruly.. they dont study well and keep playing etc etc... The mom tries really hard to make them study which ranges from cajoling till screaming.. telling others how 'bad' their kids are etc etc.. nothing works!

And today the mom was soo angry that she kept cursing them that you will die in a accident.. your family will burn in fire etc etc!

I mean this is heights.. what mother will curse like this.. for anyone.. forget her kids??

I know I know she was at her wits end.. but this isnt a solution!


Really some parents are not meant to be parents! :| :|

Winnie the poohi


I am not sure what I am trying to say here. Poetry is not made. It evolves. Whispers of it resonate in your very being. Until it reaches the crescendo and translate into words. These words then haunt the forbidden recesses of your mind and finally transcends into a verse that one writes. How can it be made?

And yet, something compels me to write about it.

I am very proud of the last two poems I have written. Generally I tend to keep both sides of me. The poetic side and the blabbing side.. separate. I mean I almost never post my poems or discuss them here. But for some reason I want to today.

They say, though all the pieces of art are dear to an artist, some of the pieces are more so than others.

And these two poems are for me. They are the hallmark of my poetic ability. I am trying to say something in them.. which for long I felt .. I wasn't in any of my poems.

Why making then?

Simply.. coz I could actually feel the process of writing them out. The theme lingered on for long.. waiting for words. Words.. provided in a prompt jostled to be fit into the idea.. and then a beautifully crafted verse was formed. If I sound tad too proud of myself, do excuse me. One is allowed to be.. once in blue moon. And if you don't find my poems as nice as it seems to me, kindly refrain from commenting about it ;)

Sometimes, silence is golden :P

Okie here goes nothing!

Alive

A heave of breath,
Slowly rising and falling,
A mind numbing, blood curdling,
Breast thumping cry....

This night will never end,

Like squirrel we scamper,
Trying to find cover. We fail. As always!

Our bodies,
A live canvas,
Red. Blue.
Enmeshed with
Streaks of brown and black.

Visually alive.
Spiritually dead.

Chronicles
of a my life
A facsimile of yours


Rabble Rousers

Oh rabble rousers,
Arouse my soul
From this unbidden sleep.
Long forgotten consciousness
Needs a rude awakening
It seems lost
Since eternity.

Oh rabble rousers,
Break the walls,
The unwanted fences,
Cemented with fear
Rearrange my torrid emotions!
It lies in disarray,
Since eternity.

Oh rabble rousers,
While you are at it,
Can you please,
Find my voice
Make it heard above the noise.
Validate my existence
It lies in wait
Since eternity.
Winnie the poohi
Synchronicity of life astounds me. Can you believe that if we walk for long, our legs automatically gets synchronized.. or our heart beats too if we stay close for a long time. This still seems okay. Female monthly cycle gets synchronized over a period of time if they stay together for long enough. ( know this from experience.)

Winnie the poohi
They say the dog imitates its owner so much so that you cannot make a difference between them.. it becomes an extension of the owner.. I didn't know how true it was until today..

Since both of us sister work, sweety is left mostly with dad.. and when they snore in tandem.. Its a symphony you would rather miss.. really.. my point was sweety snores.. as loudly as dad :D

And today, she was sleeping with sister and snored so loudly that she startled herself.. She woke up and started barking loudly without knowing what startled her :D :D

Winnie the poohi
Once upon a time, there lived a small community of frogs. As it happens in those days they spoke beautifully. In soft tender tenor they would sing songs of the pond. The lotus would go to sleep listening to their songs. The flies mesmerized by them would stop mid air alas would be caught dead. The birds would keep quiet in envy. Move away high up on the trees to sing.. to not to interrupt. Few of the brave souls would try to challenge them but most either slinked away or joined them in their symphony keeping time.

It was an ideal world. A paradise.

Into such a world came one poor frog. He didn't have a sweet voice. He croaked. And to balance this defect out, god had given him the skill of enterprising and the intelligence to use it. He marketed himself as unique artist. When he spoke people listened. Simply coz he was different. He was very much in demand.. and the whole of next generation imitated him blindly. Especially the Toad X.

Toad X was such an imitator that he surpassed his idol. He talked like him walked like him. And inculcated it onto others as the 'cool' thing!

Many generations passed as it happens and all the frogs forgot that they can sing. They all croaked now and thought, croaking is how they sound. Until one day Mr X jr was born. Interestingly, he was left alone by everyone coz he sung. And when he sung, the flies stopped mid air. All the members of the pond envied him and hated him.. coz he was so different. Which he wasn't.. he was more true to what they really were than any body else. And that my friend was his crime

He was suppressed, tortured until he gave up singing until he died. And when he died, he was celebrated as the one and only singing frog who was brave enough to survive in this cruel pond...


And that is the story of every being in this world....








Winnie the poohi
Sometimes, even the blues are full of color.. all you need is color filters..


Winnie the poohi
Sometimes living makes me cynical so much so that I don't believe in love and yet.. there are some days and some people who leave me wistful yes.. but make me even more hopeful.. for they make me believe in love.

Today I met one such couple. My friend Bunty and his bubbly.. who is not actually 'bubbly' but has a bubbly personality. They have been college sweetheart and now after 6-7 years later they got engaged in November. We met for the first time after they met.

Its so amazing to see their easy amiability and their love. They don't keep hugging each other or anything.. there is such an comfort zone between them that you don't feel as if you have come in between two of them.. like you often feel when there are two people in love.. in its first bloom..its like their happiness rubs on you.. they know each other's faults and have adjusted to it.

Man I can't really express it properly.. but I felt so great to see them in love and totally in ync with each other.. the easy way they completed each others sentences.. or the way they shared food.. ordered for each other... teased .. it was a pleasure to watch :)

I hope one day I can boast of a similar relationship :)

Oh yes.. next month on the same day as today two of my college friends.. my project partners are tying the knot.. they were also college sweethearts.. its so nice to hear of love affairs that end in marriage... call me old fashioned.. but I totally dig happily ever afters..

I agree marriage is really not happily ever after.. but in a total hindi filmy style it is.. and I love hearing about it :D

Two of my best friends also are going to tie knot in Nov 2009.. this year is going to be totally lovey dovey!!!


Winnie the poohi
Tagged by Kris :)

When I read this blog and knew I was tagged I was so interested to write it.. however I realized most things about me are already written.. and to write something new that too 25 of them! Uff.. but i am going to try really hard :D :D

  1. I don't look into mirrors anywhere but in gym ( thats a recent addition)
  2. Before throwing anything out.. I like to break into small pieces. Be it cardboard or paper or anything else
  3. I don't like my hand empty for a long time. I fidget.
  4. I can cry that I am not able to find my socks at the same time I had hard time crying when my mom died. For a long time I didn't cry
  5. I was a cry baby when I was young so much so that even an angry look can make me cry
  6. I was a kind of kid who would talk to strangers.
  7. I love walking barefoot
  8. I have semi nudistic tendencies
  9. I was considered weird in school and never had a 'friend' until I was in 9th grade
  10. I have never won any prize in school or ever came first ever until in 10th grade I came second shocking all the school and 1st in FY BE
  11. I like making weird noises
  12. I also talk in various accent just for fun
  13. I kiss my sweety ( A lab) even forcefully hug her
  14. I love getting wet in rain.. walking in rain.. dancing in rain..
  15. I love basking in the sun like a cat
  16. This is weird.. I love when flies walk on my skin. The sensation is vaguely pleasurable
  17. I save wrappers of every gift I have ever received
  18. I was never formally pierced .. I mean I never had that ceremony.. my sister got her ears cut due to power failure and my sister's earings got stuck in my mom's saree hence my dad was wary of getting me pierced
  19. I day dream a lot. Milk over boiling.. food getting burnt.. keeping dog biscuits in dad's cup board.. not knowing where mobile is.. and keeping the mobile in silent and forgetting all about it is some of the examples of the very same affliction
  20. I am never on time anywhere and yet I have never missed any train or any bus.. somehow the very same bus/train gets delayed...
  21. I happen to have some mysterious experiences that relates to ghost and yet I dont believe in ghosts
  22. I get lost in the area I call my 'home ground'
  23. I take my own sweet time to fall in.. and then out of love.. I took 5 years for the first serious love and nearly 8 years for the second love ..
  24. I am deeply romantic and yet cynical enough to think true love doesn't exist
  25. Ah I started with mirrors.. let me end with mirror. As a kid I loved to watch myself crying.. I even used to make faces and cry ah and yes... I could cry at will :)
Ah finally done :D :D

Winnie the poohi
As it happens I had forgotten a huge milestone.. yes its been 2 years I have been blogging regularly :)

This blog started as Weird me then went to blabbers galore and finally settled to "Catawampus me"

On this occasion let me introduce a new URL for this blog.. its http://www.catawampusme.co.nr

The current url works ofcourse.. in addition to that this new one also works :D

Also, I wanna mark this special by awarding few of my choicest blog buddies :)

1. Neeru: Hon, I cannot tell how much you mean to me.. but then the beauty of knowing each other for so long is that we really need not say it.. we know! If it wasn't for your constant earlier support.. in writing stories in writing poems.. in commenting.. I dunno if I would have ever continued. You are someone I felt I had a right to be angry.. to be sarcastic.. to be me.. actually! Thank you so much for that.. I remember the story that got published.. you were the first one to know of the story.. even before I wrote it.. I had a rough idea.. You were my sounding board! Thank you so! If it wasn't for your encouragement I might not have ever wrote it!

2. Nancy: I know I have said many times that you are my guardian angel of comments.. but there is more. You are simply so sweet.. always there with encouragement with comments.. always there to nudge me when I am being slack.. like those comments asking where I am .. when I dont post for a week.. makes me feel touched that.. though we know next to nothing about each other... you still care.. and yeah thanks for that post card :)

3. Vinay and Sid: I am clubbing you both together coz you both are such great friends and also coz you both jointly commented on my poems and post so regularly.. I dont even remember how you visited my blog but you did and have been regular for so long.. Thank you so much for your kind and continuous support!

4. Anoop: Once upon a time you dropped in from the blue and you have been around for so long.. with comments with support and with much needed criticism. You have always been honest about if you liked my post or not. I appreciate that very much.. and even more than that I appreciate your friendship :)

5. Vishal.. I know you dont blog as much as I do or have time to read my blogs.. still for so long you have been a constant reader/commenter.. even if you didnt much prefer reading.. I even forced you to read by giving links.. and you did read them and gave such sweet comments all for making me happy.. love you for that bunny pirate!

6. Floey, Ishaan, shay, Mani meow, Gaurav, Ankur, pramod aka pensativo.. ah so many of you who used to read me before thank you so much for being there...

7. For Kris, Agnes,Pratsie, Rambler, Bhav Karthik and Usha ma'am.. and for you nave who has read all if not commented..you all have from time to time commented and made my life more enriched.. made me feel more touched.. more noticed.. As I said I need attention

And all of you have provided me that amply.. thank you so!

And here is my simple award.. a way of thanking really.. do accept!







Winnie the poohi
Sometimes living in the moment is not enough and at others there is no better way of living. The wisdom is in choosing when to do what. Balance is the key :)


Winnie the poohi
I learnt today that...

I am not as good as people think me to be.. and people don't think I am as good as I think they do..



P.S: Do tell me should I have a 'I learnt' series... I mean something like Rambler does at Random Randomness and Cess does with her Monday morning jokes and pratsie at the Smiley moments.... ???


Frankly I find it very interesting.. May be I should :)



Winnie the poohi
The problem with imaginative people is that you never know where the imagination ends and reality begins...


Winnie the poohi



She tiptoed quietly out of the room. The early morning sounds were quite familiar to her.. the chirping of birds, the ticking of the clock.. and fuzzy sounds of the intermittent traffic on the road, made loud coz of the utter silence that surrounded her. She made a hot cup of coffee as she liked it. Strong, with little milk and no sugar and not like her husband who liked it with lot of sugar and lot of milk, one of the few luxuries that she awarded herself... And now she is going to indulge in the second luxury of the day.. Blogging.... This she indulged sparingly.

He didnt seem to understand why she wanted to write and that too online.. wanting others to read about their life. She could very well do it in a diary.. She cannot explain or justify it so she stealthily blogged when she knew he would be sleeping for a long time and cannot see.

Today she wrote....

I don't understand why people claim that marriages have little or no romance. Or that to keep romance alive one has to have a lot money, time or inclination. For me, romance is about attitude. If one is romantically inclined even the mundane things can be made very very romantic. Figure this!

The other day I was teaching our kids the virtues of brushing teeth regularly. Also, I make it a point that I change their brushes every 2 months. And yet, when I found that Ritu was using her old toothbrush instead of new one, I gave her a special lecture about how important it is to change toothbrushes....

The next day I found a new toothbrush in our bathroom with a note stating..

Dearest,

You take care of every one of us but forget yourself. Why haven't you changed your toothbrush?

At first I was irritated that he had pinpointed my mistake! And yet when he came from behind and hugged me and whispered, .. this is what I am here for.. to take care of you when you forget yourself.... I couldn't help but be touched. Who knew something as trivial as toothbrush can be romantic? So people don't think that romance is lost.. just find new ways to enjoy love !

...........


Smilingly, she closed the laptop. It was time to start the day. And when she went to the bathroom, and saw the oft-used brush languishing on the stand. She smiled wryly and replaced it with a new one.


P.S: A silly romantic story after a long time...

P.P.S: The seed of this story started from one of your blog post Nancy.. hope you don't mind me dedicating this story to you :)

P.P.P.S: Dedicated to Nancy :P :P


P.P.P.P.S: Please look at the last line carefully.... ;)

Winnie the poohi
I have been awarded recently ** read since the last time** by pratsie, Usha Ma'am and Rukhiya...

My lazy bones refuse to add the images to my blog.. *ah the old ones are waiting too**

Kindly excuse me this one time.. on some lazy day this blog would be updated with the images... I phromizeee!!!!

And in the mean time.. Thank ye!

I have a lot to thank really...

And many to thank too.. though I have not been regular anywhere anymore.. I shall return.. and it a bang.. that ij a phromize too!!


Winnie the poohi
One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.

This was a prompt on Catchwords.. one has to utilize this quote in someway in their post.. may be write an essay on this quote... and yet.. it somehow reminds me of few of the past memories that I have..

Closet cleaning always has been fun.. long before I had a closet for myself.. I mean since childhood.. My mommy was a hoarder... so every time she cleaned her closet.. it was veritably a treasure hunt.. every scrap of sequin and ribbon.. left over cloth pieces.. bundles of wool that she bought hoping to make sweaters and never found time for.. ah and books and pages and pages of scraps.. forgotten lil note-chits. She would employ us to help her out.. however, we used to be so excited about learning new stuff that.. ah we created a greater mess... Oh and I shouldn't forget jewelery and sarees.. my sis would try every other jewellery.. and I would wrap more than 2-3 sarees at a time! Man was it fun!

I havent rememebered that in a long time... :)

And then as and when I grew up... mostly my closet was overfilled.. if anyone recalls the old videocon washing machine ad where when the kids open the closet the clothes fall.. well my closet was just like that.. If i have any thing thats ruthlessly organized.. its my books closet.. !!

But ofcourse my closet is way better now.. but those days.. looking for a dress meant.. throwing most of the clothes down ** didnt need much effort.. it fell anyways* find the one I wanted and dump the rest back.. again a crazy treasure hunt :D :D

My closet nowadays, is pretty organized and yet.. cleaning them still is a pleasure.. though I am not a 'hoarder' I sure am quite emotional.. every gift wrapping.. and every small note that my friends wrote to me.. a collection of shells from the sea.. and colored pebbles from the river banks.. saved.. umm and my lil purses n key chains.. a collection of them.. and few scraps of favorite quotes.. snatches of lyrics.. forgotten half made poems.. and rants written on papeer blotched with tears..

*sigh*

I have no way of ending this post somehow.. I am dstracted by memories and silly anecdotes :)

So I end it with a request.. do share your stories and opinion on this quote in the comment section :)


Winnie the poohi
Being too excited about my "bad" day.. I actually forgot to blog about the quite interesting time I spent on saturday.. We, as in me and pratsie, went to the Tri-continental film festival held at Alliance de Francaise in Vasant Nagar...

Skipping the usual travelling woes and delays that are part of my going out let me directly get into the whole deal.. i.e the movies.. though strictly they were documentaries it was worth watching

The first movie dealt with refugees from Africa who move to Europe... their troubles etc etc.. What impressed me the most was the cinematography in that movie.. The sun and the desert was used to its hilt to impress us.. it showed pain.. despair and hope...

Oh yes and the last words.. resonated for a long time deep within all of us... ( all who watched the movie...).. It said that Africa is so rich with natural resource and the world looks upto it as cradle of humanity.. why then is it filled with so much apathy.. ah cannot quote it verbatim.. but it affected me..

The second movie was about Japanese sex slaves.. rather Korean ones under Japanese imperialism.. which ever way.. the whole documentary was so gruesome.. both the soldiers and especially to the comfort woman.. what an inhuman word.. for it actually! as if women are nothing but dolls... *sigh*

Sometimes, it fills me with such despair.. these heinous crimes.. I wonder how such ppl are able to sleep at night!

Anyways.. the last movie that we saw.. had us in splits.. though it alluded to a serious issue.. ah but the people shown were soo funny.. It was about the 2005 meerut issue wherein girls were hit by police for they were with their bf's in a "park" where else are lovers supposed to go ?

One has to see it to know about it ... The rhetoric of hardliners.. ah and the coinage of loving "jehaad" where muslim guys want hindu girls to fall for them and have physical relations with them.. so that those females either marry them or are disgraced for life and thus spoiling the "honor" of the family.. erm *coughs*

And some of the funny quips.. which is so stupid! for example,

there was this story about a 18 year old who falls for her much married professor.. they are caught in an " hotel " doing their thing.. and the girl says/... what if he is married.. we fell in love.. love is a gift of god.. and marriage is man made.. love is beyond all this...

erm.. it doesnt seem funny in english.. but it did in hindi..

Anyhow, in light of the Mangalore incident... for those who are more out of touch with reality than me.. in mangalore a bunch of girls were manhandled.. almost molested by a group of drunk miscreants who called themselves as 'Ram sena'.. .. so.. in light of that incident.. this meerut incident seems like an incumbant.. a seed .. actually...

*sigh*

It raises 2 questions in my mind

1. Don't we girls/common people get the right to choose how to live our life? Where did the freedom of expression go.. and yet more importantly.. what does the government do to protect our rights? If a primary tenet of the constitution cannot be implemented properly.. n the defaulters not punished severely.. do we really need a government and oay tax.. when anarchy rules none the less

2. This is more of a philosophical question.. What makes some people think that they r superior and have the right to look down upon anyone ? What propels ppl to do such heinious acts?




Winnie the poohi
This is a repost from one of my other blog called as 'My secret diary' . This post was written some time back.. somehow it seems apt for this lazy wintry night...

Dearest,

How many times would I murmur, deep inside, that I miss you? I so want to forget; to let go.. I delude myself that I have finally.. and yet, all I need is one single word from you.. and I am right back to the very same place.. and I so dont want to be there.. Why is it that every gesture of yours.. warms my heart.. why is it that I want you in my life..

I know for sure.. that I will be able to keep you happy.. I have been studying for it.. studying you.. seems like forever.. and yet I know.. I can never expect the same.. that you wont be there for me.. but my stupid heart doesnt mind... all it wants is you! Always...

All those days I waited for you in the canteen.. while you were busy flirting with others.. forgetting all about me.. or all the hours I waited in that station while you missed the bus to meet some girl who traveled in the next..... doesnt matter... Nothing ever matters when it comes to you!.. I would even cross seven seas... for you..

if you really wanted me..

if only.. you took me up for that!

The saddest part is that you know everything .. but you wont bother..

Sigh! I hate you for it.. and yet I cannot help myself loving you!

All you need is to just be.. to exist.. and I would love you forever more!

Yours lovingly,