Sunday, September 13, 2009
Drama queen.
This is to update you people with what I'm doing. I have got admission for B.Tech Computers in NMIMS University, Mumbai. I will become an Engineer with a blink of your eye (if your blink lasts for 4 years).
Reason why I haven't been around: My college is 2 hours away from my house. By the time I reach home, I'm completely drained. Forget coming online, I don't even have the energy to keep my eyes open.
Solution to this: I am shifting to a place close to my college. Me and my brother will be living there because both of us have our business close to that area. Dad is leaving the city. So is mom, with my dad.
We will have to leave the current house. This house, where I have grown. From being a dumb 10 year old kid, to being a smart 18 year old girl-- the journey, the pangs, the raves and the rants have been witnessed by this very house. It can never be erased from my memory. Not even when I become a 90 year old woman.
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Okay, all this was just scribbling about the ongoings. There has to be SOME motive in my blogpost. Here it is...
Have you ever been to a relative's house who doesn't stay in your city?
If you have, I'm sure you can relate to this.
Me and my mom had gone to Lucknow for a week after I was done with all my 12th standard exams. I have 2 relatives staying there. One belongs to my mom's side, and the other to my dad's.
We stayed with the mom's side relatives and went to visit the others on the last day of our visit.
Now mind you, this family which we visited, is a joint family. There are some 3-4 bua's, 2 dadi's, 4-5 chacha's, 4-5 chachi's and 10 cousins. All in one house. So in a way it was good that we could wrap up the visiting formality of meeting EVERYone in just one day.
While leaving, there is this tradition in my family. My mom being the bahu and me being the beti of the house, they all give us either money or some gift.
Each and every bua, chachi, dadi come and try to push a 100 rupee note into your pocket. And you say "Arey nahi, aise thodi na. Iski kya zaroorat hai.", and all that. We know that we have to do this drama for 2 minutes(each) maximum and then accept the gift, ultimately.
I thought this drama was pointless. So, I simply accepted the money at first. Whereas, my mother was busy with her drama of not willing to accept.
My mother saw that I wasn't doing it. So she comes and does it on my behalf as well.
"Arey ek ko de diya na, kaafi hai.", and slightly pushes the gift away. Whereas I sit with my hands in the position of catching a ball from the sky. I ultimately do get the gift. So, my mom uses all her energy in vain.
This entire giving-ranting-pushing-pulling-screaming-kissing-scratching-winking-smiling-taking episode goes on for 10 whole minutes. It is fun. But pointless. Seriously.
It was funny too. I mean, both the sides know that this ALWAYS happens. But STILL both of them do it with all their might.
Interesting, isn't it.
I will try to stick around now. :)
P.S. Blunt edges, I shall try to take up that tag. Thanks for tagging :)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Hero.
Encounter with a rickshaw driver in Mumbai
Last Sunday, my wife, kid and I had to travel to Andheri from Bandra. When I waved at a passing auto rickshaw, little did I expect that this ride would be different.
As we set off, my eyes fell on a few magazines (kept in an aircraft style pouch) behind the driver's back rest. I looked in front and there was a small TV. The driver had put on the Doordarshan channel. My wife and I looked at each other with disbelief and amusement. In front of me was a small first-aid box with cotton, dettol and some medicines. This was enough for me to realise that I was in a special vehicle. Then I looked around again, and discovered more - there was a radio, fire extinguisher, wall clock, calendar, and pictures and symbols of all faiths - from Islam and Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. There were also pictures of the heroes of 26/11- Kamte, Salaskar, Karkare and Unnikrishnan. I realised that not only my vehicle, but also my driver was special.
I started chatting with him and the initial sense of ridicule and disbelief gradually diminished. I gathered that he had been driving an auto rickshaw for the past 8-9 years; he had lost his job when his employer's plastic company was shut down. He had two school-going children, and he drove from 8 in the morning till 10 at night. No break unless he was unwell. "Sahab, ghar mein baith ke TV dekh kar kya faida? Do paisa income karega toh future mein kaam aayega." (Sir, what's the use of simply sitting at home and watching TV? If I earn some income, then it will be useful in the future.)
We realised that we had come across a man who represents Mumbai - the spirit of work, the spirit of travel and the spirit of excelling in life. I asked him whether he does anything else as I figured that he did not have too much spare time. He said that he goes to an old age home for women in Andheri once a week or whenever he has some extra income, where he donates tooth brushes, toothpastes, soap, hair oil, and other items of daily use. He pointed out to a painted message below the meter that read: "25 per cent discount on metered fare for the handicapped. Free rides for blind passengers up to Rs 50."
My wife and I were struck with awe. The man was a HERO! A hero who deserves all our respect. I know that my son, once he grows up, will realise that we have met a genuine hero. I will try to keep this incident alive in his memory.
Our journey came to an end; 45 minutes of a lesson in humility, selflessness and of a hero-worshipping Mumbai - my temporary home. We disembarked, and all I could do was to pay him a tip that would hardly cover a free ride for a blind man.
Some Pictures:
He has got a TV on the top with cable and below that is the tissue box. On the left is a small mandir and dont miss the "Only Gandhigiri" written there. Below that is a calender and a notepad and pen along with a blue fan (which is blowing towards the customer).
25% discount for handicapped!! Who on this earth can expect somethin like this from an rickshaw-wala!
Its amazing there are people still alive like him in this world!
I hope, one day, you too have a chance to meet Mr. Sandeep Bachhe in his auto rickshaw - MH-02-Z-8508 .
Friday, July 31, 2009
Kids are the best.
It wasn't even like -- Only a particular locality knew it. EVERYBODY knew it. On growing up, when we talk to people who come from different cities/towns/states/whatever, we are overwhelmed when they sing the same kid-song with the exact same words and also the same tune!
I am just writing a few of those jingles/phrases/whatever here. They were all so cool!
1. Aa Meena. Super Seena. Lazy Boys. Good Girls. (This was slower. And then...)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tag of Four.
Tag four people who will respond
1. Jyoti - My gud blog friend
2. Cute Cadre - funny chennaite :)
3. Gayathri - An Awesome blogger !
4. Sowmi - has a gift for writing..
Thank you Hary. This is the first tag I've ever got. :) Though I know that this is quite an old tag. But meh. Now I feel that the blogosphere has considered me as its eternal part. :D Which feels great, by the way.
So let me just come to the point(s).
1. Haridwar: Just for a couple of months. Though I was born in Delhi, my parents lived in Haridwar. We shifted to delhi after a few months of my birth. So obviously, I have no memories whatsoever.
2. Delhi: Spent my early childhood there. Had some close friends. Now I just remember them by their name and the kid-faces which must have changed by now. We still have that Delhi house though.
3. Mumbai - Andheri: Came here in Grade 2. Lived here till Grade 5. Had some friends who lived around. We used to be at each other's house all day long. I've played a lot with them. Random games like Ghar ghar, kitchen kitchen, teacher teacher. Seriously. We danced on Random songs. We fought like cats. Some of those friends are still in touch. I was Katti with some while I was shifting. So haven't been in touch with them. Kids also had Ego ha.
4. Mumbai- Thane: Came here in grade 6 and I'm still here. This is the best place to be. The most important part of school life was spent here. I got some sense and didn't fight with many people. There were SOME though. But that was in the early years. Been through the pangs of teenage life here. Had first crushes here. Been in love here. Been heart-broken here. Have had amazing friends who have always been by my side here. I'd be really sad if I'm asked to leave this place and go elsewhere.
Four TV shows you love to watch
1. Friends: Can watch this over and over again. This is the only show I still watch when it comes on TV. I'm not a TV freak otherwise.
2. Different Strokes: I've been watching this since I was a kid. It still comes on TV :D
3. Small Wonder: I don't think this comes on TV anymore. There was a hindi show which tried to copy this one, but that simply sucked.
4. Full House: This was one of my favorites. Even this doesn't come on TV anymore.
Four places you have been on vacation
1. Dubai: I ran away from school after attending the first two lectures, I remember, to be on time to catch the flight. Thinking that I will deal with the consequences once I return from the amazing trip. I've always been practical. No point sitting and wondering what will happen. Whatever has to happen shall be dealt with later. Okay so talking about Dubai, it was a lovely place. Desert Safari. Camels. Cars. Big Birds. Belly Dancers. It was fun.
2. Toronto, Canada: I've been here 3-4 times. Got my cousins there. It is a beautiful place. So peaceful. Coming from a city like Mumbai -- where people are like ants, this place with minimal population was so alluring. Would love to live in this counrty.(Oh, would this increase the population of this place?) Niagara Falls -- Stunning.
3. Munsiyari: This is in Himachal Pradesh. We were 3 families. We had gone for a 3 day trek on the Himalayas. We would fix our tents every night on an even land and sit by the bonfire late till night. It was mighty cold. Watching the sun rise and set behind the mountains was a bliss. We managed to reach the snow-capped peaks too! It was an encouragement to climb Mt. Everst. :P
4. Bangkok, Thailand: The environment there is so lively. Love the place.
Four of your favorite foods
1. Butter Chicken: I could live on this for my entire life.
2. Kebabs: *Slurp*
3. Rajma Chawal: I love the ones my mom makes :)
4. Let me put all the junk into one single point. Lays, Kurkure, Pizza, Pastery, Hot dog, Pani Puri, Sprite, Ferrero Rocher, Ice gola, Chaat, Lasagne, Pasta, Maggie, Orange Candy, Candy floss.
Four movies you can see over and over again
1. Andaz Apna Apna: AILA! UIMA!
2. Taarein Zameen Par: The most adorable movie.
3. 50 First Dates: Adam Sandlar. No other description required.
4. Pursuit Of Happiness: Do I really need to say why?
Four things you hope to do before you die
1. Play basketball at International level.
2. Being swallowed by a huge-ass snake. (I would die after that.)
3. Act for a lead role in a movie where the top hero and heroines are supporting actors.
4. Get married to Hrithik Roshan.
Tag four people who will respond
1. Zlaek: Because I LOWE you.
2. Shweta: Because you could make it an interesting read.
3. Pulkit: You need a break from all the intense stuff.
4. Blunt Edges: Just felt like putting your name in :)
5. Shanu: I hope you haven't taken this tag already.
(OOPS I tagged 5! Intentionally. :P)
The tag Rules:
1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Copy the image above, the rules and the questionnaire in this post.
3. Post this in one or all of your blogs.
4. Answer the four questions following these Rules.
5. Recruit at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll by sharing this with them.
6. Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com/ and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List.
7. Have Fun! Questions & Your Answers:
1. The person who tagged you: Hary
2. His site's title: http://ribtickle.blogspot.com/
3. Date when you were tagged: 27th July 2009
4. People you tagged: Zlaek, Shweta, Pulkit, Blunt edges, Shanu.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Stalker.
It is one of the very few times when we, girls, wish that we weren't girls. We HATE the presence of each and every darned Male-human-species on this planet, even if they were monks from the Himalayas.
SG: How was Physics?
Me: Siddharth? *Because he's a friend who keeps giving me strange prank calls*
Aman: The hall ticket! I could see it so clearly from my desk. :D
Thud. I kept the phone down. (Though you can't really do that with a cell phone)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
My Brother doesn't tell me.
He's a Commercial Pilot by profession.
We do have our share of kid-like behaviour when we're in the mood(most of the times, that is). It gets my Mom want to poke her finger through her eye into the brain and twirl it around [This line -- Borrowed from an episode of FRIENDS]. She does enjoy our controlled interaction, but that mildness often turns into insanity. My mom gives up and says, "Kaun kahega ki yeh ladka ek Pilot hai." ("Who will say that this guy is a Pilot.") I point at him and laugh hysterically whenever she says that.
But he often treats me like his kid. There are so many things which I have to hide from him. Generally, siblings are the support system for each other. They call saying, "Hey, I'm at the bar right now. Tell mom and dad that I'm at Carol's and will be back home in time." The guy at home does his job of covering it up. Even if he doesn't want to, he will. Because he might want the same job to be done for him when he's out at the bar. But I can't do this with my brother. If I am at the bar, I'll go to some quiet place, call him up saying, "Hey, I'm at Carol's. I'll come back home in time. Just tell mom and dad about it." And then I have to be extra careful about all the possibilities of getting caught. [This situation was used just for an example. I've never been at the bar without letting my folks know. I'm a good girl :D AND, I don't know anyone called Carol. :P]
Because of this, I'm sure even he might be going to such places, fooling mom, dad and me. If he tells me, it's not like I'll go and tell mom about it. But he just wouldn't tell me.
In the exact same way, he doesn't tell me about the girl in his life. I'm sure there is someone. I just know it. Don't ask me how. I want to hear it from him, SOMEHOW. I've given him certain signals which might tell him that I know there is someone. [Like looking at him suspiciously from the corner of the eye, stretching out my right hand and pointing towards his face and wagging my finger saying, "I know Everything!"] It did get the crap out of him, for sure. But he STILL wouldn't tell me anything about it! DARN HIM!
Perhaps he's hiding it because he feels:
- That I'm a kid! *Sulks within*
- If I find out that he's dating people, I might feel that I am free to do it too. And he doesn't want me to do it.
- If I find out, I'll tell mom and dad about it and then they'll push him to marry her right away! [OH COME ON!]
- If I find out, I'll tease his ass off.
- If I find out, I'll stalk him wherever he goes -- like an elder sister. (Though I am younger)
- If I find out, I'll be all judgemental about her.
Whatever it is, I don't think I'm going to be all judgemental and crap. I will just be a nice and supportive younger sister. SO YOU SHOULD TELL ME ABOUT IT. I'm not that small! I've already had my share of teenage adventure. I know what it's all about. I know how to go about it(sort of). SO TELL ME!
I'm your little sister. You can trust me! :(
P.S. If you have any suggestions/guidelines/tricks/torture methods which might help me to get it out of him, PLEASE do tell me. Thanks.
P.P.S. I really REALLY hope he doesn't read this.
Monday, June 22, 2009
My take on Chalks.
BUT. To me, the first thing that strikes my mind is -- 'yummy!'. No kidding. Have you ever eaten a chalk in your childhood days? I have. And I loved the way it tasted. I still remember that taste, and it surely was addictive. Those who have tasted it, I'm sure they'll agree to what i just said. It gives you pleasure when you keep a piece in your mouth. Your mouth starts watering. The taste is Divine.
See, it's chalk. There can be two perspectives: (All this might not make sense to those of you who know TOO much. But I'm sure there will be people like me reading this.)
- We know our chemistry. Chalk is nothing but Calcium Carbonate. We've also learnt that calcium is good for our body. So eating a chalk means increasing the calcium content of our body. Which means chalk is good for our health.
- As chalk is Calcium Carbonate, we also know that Calcium Carbonate is also known as limestone. So chalk is lime-stone. Chalk is STONE! So this gives the fear of developing kidney-stones at a later stage. Which means chalk is NOT good for our health. (I wasn't a Biology student, mind you.)
These points are contradictory. So even if chalk increases the calcium content of our body, the fear of develping kidney stones is more than the contentment of having plenty of calcium, somehow.
So everytime I look at chalk now, I TRY to think about a teacher, a classroom and a bunch of students.