I was browsing through a few random Orkut profiles (I think I do this too much for my own good) and now feel like I want to be 18 again, want to go to college, want to have some whacky friends, want to feel hopelessly bored and sleepy in class, want to sit up and do assignments… arghh! You get the drift.

To make up for it, I am thinking of taking up a photoshop class in Hyderabad. Maybe a weekend one. I could really use it to enhance the pics I take. Also considering upgrading my camera. But that has to wait till my bonus is here, can’t afford it now.

I have started a new event in my cooking blog so if you are even slightly inclined, please do take part. Its fun!!

I am tired and want to go home and watch friends reruns and other stuff on TV. Just that and nothing else. Arghhh!!

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?

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

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..

Saturday evening was quite disturbing. I know that India is a place where riots are common and we hear it about, read about it and see it happen now and then. But to have it happen in the city that you live in, that’s a different feeling altogether. We were just watching general Saturday night TV when the news flashed before us. It was devastating to see a place that’s so familiar, being shown on TV in such a tragic setting. I have walked through Lumbini park, sat on those steps, had pav bhaji there and taken the train tour. Its one of the first places I think about when anyone visits from outside the city. Its sad to realise that it was chosen as ‘the spot’ for almost similar reasons.

Then the book stalls in Koti. I have heard so much about them but never got around to visiting the place cuz of the distance from home. Now I guess it will never be the same to go there, even though life may resume as normal in a couple of weeks. Can a mother feel totally safe sending her kids to Lumbini park for a relaxing evening? Would she feel at peace knowing that they are shopping for books in Koti?

There is a underlying feeling of gloom and nervousness. The fear of the unknown.

The saddest part is, there is no answer to the question ‘why?’ And I hate such questions.

All my friends and colleagues are safe. Thanks to all those who messaged and called, to find out about me.

I sit here and keep thinking about Onam back home. Anyway, this post is dedicated to my uncle who made the festival really special for me with a small gesture. He sent me the Onam edition copies of Vanitha magazine through courier. I am especially happy cuz it has tons and tons of onam sadya recipes. Donno if I will have time to make them all this weekend though.

Anyway, here is a pic of the Vanitha magazines – Onam Edition. Thank you Radhmams You made my day.

And while am here, let me also write about the horrible experience I had with taking a personal loan with Citibank. I am not really blaming them cuz they provided me the finances when I needed it. I applied for the loan and their representative came to office, helped me fill out all necessary docs and I got the money on the third day after applying. The interest rates were also good since we have our salary accounts in Citibank and I fell under a particular scheme. Beginning of this month, I decided to preclose the loan when I had enough. And that was the ordeal. I had to stand in line in front of their collection centre in Hyderabad and the office was way too small to cater to the tens of people sweating and waiting outside. The entire process of handing over my cheque took over an hour, in a non-air conditioned, tiny, ventilation-less room with just one person to look into all our needs.

Isn’t it funny that they were all enthusiastic about giving you the money and not too enthu about taking it back? I understand its all about the interest money and them losing out on my business. But giving back the money you borrowed is a noble (ahem!) thing right? So shouldn’t they atleast have some chairs around there for us to sit on?

The point of all my rambling? DO NOT take a personal loan if you have atleast a teeny weeny plan B.

I came across a very unique event called show me your cookbook and I took part in that. We have to take a pic of ourselves with our favourite cook book. Want to see my entry? Here it is The pic is quite funny (weird? strange?) cuz I took it myself

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.

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.

Read in someone’s ‘about me’ section in Orkut : ‘I never complain about something that I have a choice of not subjecting myself to”.

Found it quite.. hmm.. nice. And appropriate to some of the things I am subjecting myself to right now and not doing anything about, except complain.

Work has been busy last couple of days, so I am blogging in my head right now. I type atleast 5-6 posts every day in my head but when it comes to actually typing it in here, I find excuses. Actually, I really don’t have enough time lately. Yesterday, I logged in from home but was soooo sleepy by 10:30 that I had to log off and hit the bed.

Really want to see transformers. Has anyone seen it? How is it? I hear its a total theatre movie and you just cannot enjoy it on small screen. So all those people who have the VCD or theatre print DVDs, think twice before watching it

Gotta go now. (Maybe I should just publish one of those posts which have been lying dormant in here)