This and That : When swine flew!

The alarm clock started singing mauja hi mauja. I hit it hard on its head and went back to sleep. And down went my walking plans for the nth time! So there! This is what happens if I let a little break creep into my nicely laid out routine life…and then the break becomes my routine. You get the drift. Yeah I am a routine freak. Newton would have loved to have me as a sample – a creature who loves to be in the state of whatever-state-she-is-in! But one fine day it dawned upon me that I have this tiny whiny cyberspace. So, now I just need to break this state of laziness; of setting-alarm-and-shutting-it-up-and-sleeping-back, carting-myself-to-work-to-get-bored, back-home-and-ofcos-sleep-again with nothing in between. And what could be better than scribbling on my blog.

Well, where do I begin? OK, I want to confess that I am one of those who got into panic due to recent flu in the town. But, it was certainly not on the day I read about the poor young little girl Reida, who was the first (recorded) victim of this swinest swine flu. Pune still seemed quite far off from Mumbai. But, the day I got to know that a class 12th student in the very school my kids go to, has contacted this virus and has been rushed to Kasturba hospital, thats the day I got my first panic attack. Somehow, it felt too close now. I admit, that I was one of those who paid an exorbitant 25 rs for masks which actually are worth only 5-10. But ofcourse, now I am recovering from the panic attack. I am seeing to it that hands are washed often with soap and water, lots of fluid intake is happening and overall hygiene s maintained in the household. Besides that certain herbs like turmeric and tulsi are being used more! I guess, awareness is the key. And here goes my prayer to the Almighty to cause no more deaths due to this viral attack.

That brings me to another point. I wanted to see Kaminey so very badly! But it will release in Mumbai only on monday. Sigh! Let me see if I can catch hold of tickets for monday then.

BTW, to all those who kept banging the doors of this sleeping blog to check if I am fine, you people are a sweetheart and hopefully I will be more regular now. To all those who tagged me, you people are also sweethearts for still having hopes on me :-), I will do them soon!

Oh yeah, and I bought a treadmill. Hopefully walking will happen more often now. and hope the same for blogging ;)

Heres wishing all a very happy independance day. Lets hope we learn to become more responsible citizens and India shines in the real sense of the word.

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Seeking 25 random secrets!

“Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.” as quoted by Benjamin Franklin.

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Since I have been tagged by Spike and Ava for 25 random things about me and then by Udtahaathi for 25 secrets, let me just scratch the surface and give you some not-so-dark-and yet-random secrets of my life.
1. I was a NAGIN in my previous birth. I do believe in reincarnation.
2. I have 184320 hair on my head out of which 164312 are grey.

3. I am size 0 beneath all these layers of fat.
4. I am a drunkard. I consume 1.153 litres of water every day.
5. I once finished 4th in a running race and there were only 4 runners.
6. I have never been to a pub or a discotheque ever.
7. While in confines of the loo, my mind is at its sharpest! I remember all the bill due-dates, the pending phone calls and the unanswered mails. The moment I step out, I forget.
8. I have not visited Kashmir even once even though I was in Delhi all through the 70s and 80s
9. I still bite my nails at times. Sometimes I end up eating the skin around too :(
10. I cant sleep in a completely quiet surrounding. I need a fan whirring or a snore or even some light music.
11. I am scared of sleeping alone in an empty house. I switch my living room lights on in such cases.

12. The 15-year old tomboy is still alive inside me and surfaces every now and then to my utter horror.
13. Some days I crave for sweets so much, I eat spoonful of sugar… and hold on I am not pregnant!
14. I cry easily when I sense a situation getting out of control. Once I cried after an altercation with boss while my poor colleague didn’t know where to hide!
15. I once got caught by a bus conductor when I was travelling without ticket in a bus. I escaped using the famous girl-smiles-heart-melts technique
16. I can whistle with or without my fingers. Ha!

17. Deep down I am basically a KANJOOS, a hoarder who spends and then feels guilty.
18. I managed to burn fast-to-cook-good-to-eat-Maggie once! Last Sunday I successfully burnt the outside of my cake while the insides were still raw.
19. I used to love biting my hair when young. Even now, I fiddle with my hair when in deep thoughts.
20. During my teen years, while taking the national pledge “India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters”, I used to skip the brothers part.
21. I am superstitious about auspicious-days and number 13
22. I can be quick witted at rare times and “duh” most of the times making me wonder if I am a case of multiple-personality-disorder.
23. I once was an avid collector of match-box covers!
24. The only subject I ever failed in my school times was Drawing and Arts thanks to a too-perfect teacher
25. I am not on Facebook or Hi-5 or Tagged or any such. I only exist in Orkut in a completely unknown avtar which is also sleeping since a long time.
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As per answers.com open secret means
An *open secret* is a concept or idea that is "officially" secret or restricted in knowledge, but is actually widely known; or refers to something which is widely known to be true, but which none of the people most intimately concerned is willing to categorically acknowledge in public.

P.S. My friend Vee has come up with our very own, common man's MovieManiax Awards 2008. With the heavy politics taking away the very meaning of awards, we sure need to voice our opinion and give credit where its due. Please do visit and vote.

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Tag Time!

Being a lazy bone to the core, I know I have missed to do many tags in the past. I am really and sincerely sorry to all those sweet friends of mine who tagged me and got disappointed by the procrastination. I promise to be more sincere henceforth. Spike, its yours next OK! :)
Just like forwarded mails, I feel that tags are ways of reminding people that we are thinking of them. Thanks Abha and Monika, for not losing out on me and this tag they passed on to me is pretty simple since its Q&A only! So here I go.
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Nopes. But I made it a point not to live upto it!
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
When I was peeling onions today morning!
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I dont like small insects crawling… there I answered it!
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Ram ram ram! :P
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yeah but I am wondering why this question should be a part of this questionnaire. I need to find the person who started this!
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
“Main apni sabse favourite hoon” courtesy Kareena in Jab We met ;) For the uninitiated that statement means “I am my most favourite person”. So obviously I would love to MY friend!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
As long as people can laugh it off !
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
I never had one. Am I considered normal now?
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Oh YES YES YES!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL
Kellogs!
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Dint you know LAZINESS is my middle name?
12. IF YOU WERE TO PICK YOU OWN FIRST NAME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
This question comes a little late in my life nevertheless I had a fascination for Hema once. Talk about influence of cine world on common man!
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Butterscotch /Mango.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
The dress, the smile!
15. RED OR PINK?
Red is HOT!
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF
I am short of temper! How do I buy it?
17. WHOM DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Somehow I adapt pretty fast and so at this moment am not missing anyone!
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
What list? Duh me!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
pastel green chudidaar and metro chappals (I added metro to make it sound hip :P)
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
My neighbours blabbering about some website development.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Blue?
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Mehndi, coffee, wet earth, Johnsons baby powder!
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
A friend- casual daily stuffs!
25. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU
I met Abha through a site where we used to write earlier and am I glad I bumped into her. And I came to know Monika after I started blogging. I really really hope we meet someday soon :)
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Cricket
27. HAIR COLOR?
Mixture of grey/black/brown!
28. EYE COLOR?
Brown.
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No. and no glasses either
30. FAVORITE FOODS?
mmmmmm Italian – Pasta, Pizza
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings no doubt! Enough of things to be scared of in real life J
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Slumdog and liked it for sure
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
pastel green kurta
34.SUMMER OR WINTER
Winter anytime!
35. HUGS OR KISSES
Hugs, hugs! Kisses are a little too personal for me to share with all J
36. DESCRIBE YOUR PENCIL CUP
whats that? L
38. FAVORITE ARTIST(s)?
I presume this goes for all fine arts and so it is some Bharatanatyam dancers – Vyjayanti Mala, Hema Malini, Alamelu Valli, Chitra Visweswaran, Rama Vaidyanathan to name a few
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Marrying Anita by Anita Jain
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
nothing cos I don’t have one. Someone please buy me one!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Some stupid Tamil serial… I think it was Kolangal which is the fav of my inlaws..grrrr
42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
A fan whirring in a quiet room. That’s soporific!!!!
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles but I am more of Indian Music lover
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
US of A!
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can touch my nose with my tongue! OK That was a lie but my hubby can do that.
46. WHERE WERE U BORN?
Tamilnadu.
47. FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWELRY?
Junk dangling earrings.
48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
Well, I was just about to do the seven pheras with someone when he came galloping on a white horse and swept me off my feet and we got married! Please believe me :P
49. FAVORITE SONG?
Lots actually. Among the new bolly songs I am loving Mar jaawaan from Fashion!
50.Favorite Musical?
A Tamil movie called Sankarabharanam. This movie gets my personal oscar every year :)

Tags are good way to know new friends. So, passing it to some friends here I would love to know more about.
Verbivore, Kanagu, Girl-next-door, Workhard, and all of you who wish to take it up.

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I for Inkpot

Its been sometime now since my younger daughter has taken to writing with pen in school. And yesterday while I was buying refills for her gel-pens for the 138th time this year, I suddenly got nostalgic!!!

I still remember my first day in Class 6 which was filled with apprehension, fear, anxiety that catches hold of you when you are suddenly going to be officially declared as senior! But then, it was this excitement of starting to write with pen which masked all the other feelings. Somehow, the 3 letter P, E and N was the passport to adulthood, to maturity, to seniority. It marked the end of kiddish era of PENCILs. PENs meant that finally we have arrived (though WHERE noone would know). We were not allowed to write with ball-point pens and so fountain pen it was. I can proudly say that my first ever PEN gifted to me by my father stood by me for 7 years till the end of my school education.
It used to be quite a ritual no less than the famed tea ceremony, this art of filling ink in the fountain pen. There were many ways of doing the needful. You had cylindrical storage type pen where you just needed to fill the ink and the ink would trickle to the nib enabling you to write. Then there was this pump type where you had to dip the nib of the pen just enough into the Camlin’s ink-pot (I wonder if the kids of today know the meaning of this word) holding a valve tight and on release of the valve, the ink would be sucked into the pen.
I would dutifully keep a duster by my side during this ritual of ink-filling since it would invariably lead to ink-baths everywhere. A piece of chalk would also be kept handy, since chalk absorbs ink fast. After filling the pen, the tips of my fingers would attain a dark blue hue and somehow it gave me a feeling of what a hard-working student I was!
The ink-pens were also source of mucho joy in school though looking back I find the acts pretty wrong. But when you are young, there is nothing called wrong when it comes to times you are having a good laugh. All the bothersome and unpopular teachers would find ink stains on their sarees or shirts or trousers. And ink being ink, would not be scrubbed off easily! I had many lasting ink stains on my uniform too, not that it ever bothered me. As an aside, I have been told that blue ink has anti-inflammatory property and soothes a burn. Never tried it but have heard my grandparents vouch for it.

Coming back to pen, the nibs of the pen were the most delicate parts. One hard push and phooosh! They were gone. Oh and let me at this stage, confess that inspired by Ved Vyas of Mahabharatha and all those classic mythological serials and movies, I did try to quill-write using the feathers of pigeon ( I could not find one of the peacock) but dipping in the inkpot for every second word was something which was testing my already low patience and hence the idea was discarded.
Exam times saw me packing 5-6 extra pens and ofcourse the ink pot.
Gone are the days! Today is the world of Gel-pens and Reynolds. My daughter tells me that for her boards its mandatory to use ball pen and not ink or gel-pen! Times surely have changed. So, with the advancement in technology, there is a price tag attached and lets accept it with grace. Though we have less time on our hands to fill ink in the pens, we have electronic medias like these where we can get outright nostalgic. Years later, when my kid’s kids will grow, maybe gel-pens will be out and some silicon-pen will be in and then my kids will update their blogs something on these lines :)
So, now when I need to rush to that book store for buying assortment of refills for the gel-pens of my kids, I try to think of the plus. Atleast they don’t get their hands stained like we did and atleast their teachers sarees and dresses are safe!!!

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10 reasons why I walk early in the morning

Oh guess WHAT! I started walking once again and I am trying to keep myself motivated to go on and on and on and on.. OK Stop! The usual trend is for me to start something and leave it halfway through. I think I must have attempted walking 563 times till now and successfully left it on some or the other pretext. But this time I will make sure to make it a lifelong habit. And so I present to myself 10 reasons why I should walk early in the morning (just around dawn):
1. I get to see the sunrise and save 20,000 rs. How? Well, I have seen people spend that much on a trip to Goa and then come back with pictures of sunrise. Ah, dont mind me. I am just being plain jealous you see!

2. I get a chance to be philosophical and come up with phrases like “The light sweeping the dark night away” / “The nature tosses its orange ball yet again”!

3. If I end up with a group walk, then I catch up on the latest buzz of the town before the broadcast by my maid servant!

4. I have a reason to buy new clothes and new shoes.

5. My bonding with sleep increases; I mean I start valuing and loving and appreciating the art of sleeping more and more. So, I make up for the lost sleep on sunday afternoons and its bliss!

6. I can escape the task of making dinner with the excuse that I got up early, you see. Please have this rice with sambhar, I am sooooooo tired! Same reason if I am caught napping in office.

7. I can catch the worm I can pick flowers for the daily pooja.

8. People listen to music while they walk but I practice my vocal skills without fear of people shushing me! So, its me, my tanhai, my Ragams and with the accompaniments of birds, and ofcourse occasional dog barks!!!

9. One of my favouritest pastime is to observe the lights in the various flats of my colony; and wonder what the person would be cooking, whether that kid would be up and getting ready for school, whether that couple is getting late and rushing to catch 7:09 local! Oh, I have an alternate profession in hand, just in case!

10. I can give a competition to Kareena… OK OK if not Kareena, her mom?? OK OK Her grandmom? See how goalpost keeps shifting!

Ah and the main reason is that I have been advised jogging or fast walks in the morning to control my borderline eye pressure which cannot be prevented but can be kept from causing further damage to the eyes. Glaucoma, they call it. Got to go for checkup again this monthend. Wish me luck, friends :)

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