Tagadadada September 4, 2007

What’s a better to make a comeback to one’s blog after a lazy phase than through a tag? And this one has been pending for some time now. I was tagged by Sirisha

Here are the rules:
* Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
* When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
* At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged.

Ok, so I don’t have a middle name. In fact, my first name kinda makes up for that since its already long enough. So that leaves with the option oif cooking up one for myself. Here is the first name that came to my mind. (Regina) Phalange. If you are a F*R*I*E*N*D*S fan, you would know that this is a fake alias used by Phoebe (played by Lisa Kudrow) in a couple of episodes.

Anyway, here goes!

P – Punctuality : I think the only thing I hate more than waiting for someone is making someone wait for me. I totally judge people who don’t follow time and think its okay to take your time with things and make others stick around, no matter how close or free they are. I am one of those people who used to get to college 30-45 mins before it started. Anywhere later than that used to make me shudder and panic.

H – Home : A part of me will always be there no matter what or where I am.

A – Appearance : One thing I constantly try to work on in me. Ok ok, before you get me wrong, let me elaborate. I don’t give my appearance as much time or importance as I should. I walk out in my pajamas to buy stuff, I don’t care if my shirt is not ironed stiff before I wear it, I don’t mind wearing my rubber slippers to the mall (Its comfy!!).

L – Love : Never thought I would know what it is. Never imagined I would be so totally in love one day. All of us deserve some of this at some point in life. Makes things exciting.

A – A mood to cook : Cooking is a passion but only happens when I am in a particular mood. It drives me nuts sometimes when I really need to participate in events in the food blog community but don’t feel it.

N – Nothing lasts forever : I know it sounds sad, but think of it this way. Even tough times can’t last forever

G – Goodbyes : Hate hate hate them!

E – Eggs : I don’t know why I thought of eggs for E but anyway, I love eggs and this they are the most versative of ingredients. Think how those pastries and souffles would taste without it. Not to mention the absence of omelettes and scrambled eggs in our lives

I would like to tag: (Normally don’t choose people, but thought I should, this time

P – Priyanka
H – Hmm.. Vidya
A – Arundati
L – Lemonade
A – Akanksha
N – nanana.. Oops Mommy
G – God Years, Rosh
E – Err.. Rajeev?

Mistakes I normally make while typing and what makes me a fan of proof-reading August 30, 2007

What I type: In case you are interested in donating some boobs to the local school..
What I want to say: In case you are interested in donating some books to the local school..

What I type: Wow! That close-up shit looks awesome!
What I want to say: Wow! That close-up shot looks awesome! (imagine me putting up the typo as a comment in a food blog about someone’s proud food pic! I could redefine disaster that way!)

What I type: The jerks that come along with the job seem pretty interesting
What I want to say: The perks that ….

And I could have potentially made these mistakes in one single day.. proof-read!! That’s the way to go

Here it is! August 29, 2007

You know what? It really doesn’t work if you think “hmmm, I haven’t updated my personal blog in some time, let me put something in there before people think I have another one of those blogs which are never really updated (shudder!)”. Actually, its okay to think this but what doesn’t work is opening up the draft box and trying to say something nice and humorous in here. Go on, try it. You may stare, you may go to some of your regular blogs and look for inspiration, but you will just find yourself typing, backspacing, typing, deleting that… and this could go on forever.

Unless of course you are smart like me and talk about the problem itself. Okay, I think I just might have confused most you beyond reason by now.

Anyway, nothing exciting happening in my life right now. No love letters, no trips abroad, not even local trips for work and definitely no vacations any time now. Sigh. That’s right. I am in this city where it doesn’t even feel safe to go out during weekends.

But I do feel great about two things.

1. Suhel’s email that read “I have become so addicted to your blog that I get irritated when I open it and don’t find a new post.”

2. Sobila passing on this award to me.

I am still worried that I have lost something on the way.. I mean, I read back to some of my older posts and I wonder if I can ever write like that again! Its scary..

The vicious circle August 22, 2007

Checkstor pastry
Hot and sour potato chips
Coffee with extra sugar
Kurkure
Twix
Popcorn

Now my tongue is confused between what’s sweet and what’s hot.

The honest self-potrayal tag August 22, 2007

Picked up a tag from CM-Chap’s blog.

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it?

On the top right corner of my lips. My bro and sis were bullying me when I was around 4, they threatened to put me in the pond in our garden, I was wearing a long skirt, I ran from them, they chased me, I fell.. rest is history! (I still take them on a guilt trip with this thing. Hehe)

2. What does your phone look like?

Nokia 6230. A gift from bro just before I joined Google. Many more models have come and left the market but I haven’t felt an urge that’s strong enough to get another one. I still think its very very elegant and pretty too. I am sometimes disloyal though, cuz I dream of flip phones

3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?

Rented house. 10 years old. So nothing from my side. There are some torn posters left behind by previous tenants and flakes of peeled off paint, though. Gives it a very ‘vintage’ look, if I may say so myself.

4. What is your current desktop picture?

Argh! I wish I had changed it before starting on this tag. Its just plain blue. But I have a justification for being boring. While training, I use a program that extends my desktop onto the projector screen and each time I do that, my desktop becomes blue again. The back and forth is too much to handle so I just leave it blue.

5. Do you believe in gay marriage?

Yes, I believe in any marriage between two people who think its a good idea and who are positive they can stand each other for the rest of their lives.

6. What do you want more than anything right now?

For Google to have an office in Bangalore so that I can relocate there

7. What time were you born?

This is a highly debatable question back home. Honestly, I don’t think my mom remembers. She says 13:10 but I don’t believe that. Who is she trying to kid!

8. Are your parents still together?

Yes and no

9. Last person who made you cry?

Hmmm.. I don’t think an honest answer would be appreciated by the instigator. Let’s just say I can cry for very silly reasons and feel sheepish later on

10. What is your favorite perfume/cologne?

I have four at the moment. All are gifts. Davidoff’s echo, Elizabeth Arden’s Fifth Avenue, and Ulric De Varens’ Chic Issime and one more whose name I can’t remember. I like all, I use all on a rotation basis. But there was pefume called Halloween by Jesus Del Pozo that I had in college. Almost every day, I have had people asking me what I am wearing. My bro refuses to get that for me anymore cuz he says its too old and there are so many newer fragrances that I should try. Hmpff. Brothers!!

11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?

Hmmm.. Black or dark brown. And of course the eternal favourite in all female fantasies – pepper gray hair

12. What are you listening to?

Have been hooked to Athiradee from Sivaji. Also checking out songs in Bheema. I am a tamil music freak. Rarely listen to anything else.

13. Do you get scared of the dark?

Used to be really scared but after coming to Hyderabad, I am more used to it. But yea, I try to avoid the dark as much as possible.

14. Do you like pain killers?

I don’t think anybody would like painkillers. I think its more a question of how bad the pain is, so that one can decide whether to use a ‘killer’ or not.

15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?

Nope. I haven’t really asked anyone out though. I live in a society that judges a girl on such things. So I’d rather stay safe. I have told people when I have crushes on them, though.

16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?

Chilly chicken with toasted cafe at Odyssey Cafe in Somajiguda. Have been craving that for a couple of weeks now.

17. Who was the last person you made mad?

Always Shanky

18. Is anyone in love with you?

Quite ironic, but sadly, the answer is, yes.

Hit the 25 mark – and don’t need a stick to walk, yet! August 13, 2007

25 is quite old to be! Isn’t it? I mean, 24 is such a nice cocoon, after 23 where you are still young, and you are allowed your mistakes and you career starts and all that. 24 is the amazing comfortable cocoon, where you can nestle in till the big 2 and 5 hits you. I just winced the day off, quite low-key and all that.

I had set aside stuff to do during each year, you know.. roughly. Like get a job by 23, start saving by 26, get married before 30.. loose things. Have nothing for this year. I think I gave myself a break when I was devising these plans. So this is my break year. And right about now, 2 days after the birthday, I think its officially time to start freaking out about 26! Oh boy! I don’t care what you are going to say this time, but 26 is OLD! That’s like over the hill and started the crazy drive down!

And I don’t even remember being on top of the hill or enjoying the view. Sigh.

Had a great day though. Toddle over to my cooking blog in case you want to know more about my special day and what exactly I did. I even have pics up there. And a huge thanks to all those awesome people who wished me and got stuff for me. My roomie baked a cake for me in the OTG that was her gift . Yeah, she’s o.k.a.y!

Here it is:

Before baking

After baking

Girl Talk August 9, 2007

You know something I realized as I was coming down the stairs with my mirchi bajji from deli 9 counter in office? Oh, by the way, I am not a mirchi bajji lover in particular but since I had to choose from that and the delightfully sinful chocolate cake available there, I had to go for the less-evil option (and the fact that all of this is available free, does not help matters!). Anyway, coming back to my original realisation. I realised that I no longer feel pretty. Now, feeling pretty is different from being pretty. And you may have read my previous cribbings about some related issues (read: the time I freaked out when my hair started curling back after straightening), but this is a more serious issue. I no longer feel pretty.

I was thinking back to those days (not that long ago) when I used to feel that people are giving me appreciative looks, or am getting complements when I wear something new, or nice. These days, this never happens. I mean, I still wear new stuff on and off, I still do my eyes, wear lip gloss on a special feel-good day, but its been really long since I felt anything.

Am I growing old or is it just a phase?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand she is back :D (In office and therefore, internet access throughout the day!) August 6, 2007

Sometimes we dread something so bad and anticipate terrible things related to it. And then it happens. And we realise that what we had anticipated was exaggerated and unnecessary, to a large extent.

The pain, the antiseptic smell, the white coats, the IV bottles, the beeping machines, the high bed, the clean floors, the cold room, everything seems part of a long-forgotten, not-that-great, dream.

Now I have woken up. All is well, that ends well.

And now for my needless line that seems like an inevitable part of every post. The needless, most obvious fact. I am back

Tagged again by my sis :) August 3, 2007

Hmmmm.. 7 interesting facts about me.. arghh. Only 7? This blog is all about interesting lil ‘ol me. Hehe.. anyway, right to the tag.

7 Interesting Facts (Wonders, if you must) About Yours Truly

One: I am the one person I know who is so full of contradictions. To mention a few: I hated math and did a major in it for my BSc. I hated coding and did a three-year course in NIIT which I attended most sincerely. I never wanted to be more than an overnight journey away from home and I stay in Hyderabad (the bloody place is far from everywhere, I tell you!!). I never wanted to marry but never stopped putting together qualities that would make a perfect man for me. And the list goes on. I even contradict myself in conversations and arguments. Thank God I am a graceful loser.

Two: I never cheat in games. Like card games, board games, you name it. I feel that we play for fun, to pass the time, to enjoy the company of some people you like. Cheating takes the fun out and makes it all about winning and losing. I cannot bear that. I get extremely angry if I find someone cheating in a game and if they are playing with me, then God help them. Now, exams are a different story altogether. Grin!

Three: Each time I read a book and finish it (especially if its an Indian author and has characters I can relate to), I think and sometimes talk like the characters in it. This is something I have never shared with anyone before and I can’t believe I just wrote this here.

Four: Once the thinking-and-talking-like-the-character phase is over, I get a strong feeling that I can write a book. Somewhere between planning the plot and thinking of an opening line, I give up. Happens invariably. All the time. Every time.

Five: I am extremely good with secrets. I gossip, I share stories, I can even tell tales. But there are some things which I never talk about. Especially if I know that the person(s) involved rather that nobody know about that incident. I also always forget the source of information. Which makes me a frustrating gossip partner. But hey! I can tell the story without forgetting it. So there!

Six: I can be emotional and hard-hearted at the same time. Don’t ask me how or what that means. (Maybe this falls under the same as point one. The contradictory-me point.)

Seven: Dammit! The last one is always the toughest. If the meme was to write a hundred things about me, then I would have breezed through the first 99 and then got stuck at 100. So maybe I should say this here. I hate good-byes. I hate missing someone. It frustrates me, makes me all mushy and emotional and I hate that.

Now I need to find 7 people to tag. Hmm.. I think this is quite a common tag which a lot of people have done before. So let me just name a few – Rosh, Lemon, Karthik, Oooops Mommy, Mydh, and whoever else feels that they have 7 things they want some others to know. Take it away.

The First Vacation Post July 18, 2007

July 17, 5:50pm

I guess I am now officially part of the ‘I hate hospitals’ group. Its especially bad when the much-talked about and asked-about ‘patient’ is you. Anyway, surgery is day after and with that my vacation is over. From then it becomes dettol-scented and green-gown donned.

Today my sis, uncle I had to wait in the hospital for around 3-4 hours before we could complete all the formalities. The nurses were surprisingly and refreshingly pleasant, the doctor is an old family friend and a retired med college prof, and the tests and medicines were startlingly cheap. I got a blood test done for 60 rupees, and Hyderabad has never cost me less than 750 rupees! Even the a/c double rooms were just 375 bucks per day and though my mediclaim does not support more than an a/c single room, I booked one.

Anyway, the 4-hour wait gave me some time to observe others around. Since there was a gynec (I can’t spell the whole word) right next to my doc’s OP room, there were a lot of pregnant ladies at different stages of pregnancies around. Some of them were had more jewellery on them than I would wear to my own wedding. I wonder how they look when they actually go for a wedding. The same I suppose? What’s the fun in that? When do they feel dressed up then? Ahh every day!! Hmmm.. that makes me think whether its such a bad thing after all. But jewellery.. its just plain uncomfortable. I would rather stick to my eternally bangle-less arms and thinnest-of-them-all gold string around my neck. I think its even ‘in’ in some cities, so it all works for the best for me.

I am also in the middle of a very important phase personally, so good luck to me