Shop till you drop..lady! :)

This has been a week of revelations for me. *giggle*

I’ve discovered some truths and am more than willing to share them with you. This generosity is not without a pinch of selfishness though! ;)

What follows is a mishmash of sense ‘n nonsense. Here we go….

The fair sex being charged with allegations of spending an abominable amount of time and money on shopping is as old as the charge against Eve for getting tempted by the forbidden fruit….well, almost as old.



Thanx to Dan Brown. I now know that nobody has any reason to be annoyed with Eve. ’The Da Vinci Code’ has been an eye opener. If you haven’t read it yet, you are missing something far too interesting to be missed by any body who can read.

Hmm, but is there anything wrong if one is a dame with the gene for shopping tightly twisted to every cell on herself ? ..I mean, it’s just that we’ve been doing this job of ‘gathering’ the necessities tastefully and sensibly for generations and that’s just why we still have a tendency to do it now.

Anyways, what I think matters not. Research has revealed the sweet..hmm bitter..huh whatever TRUTH. Women actually find shopping a chore and they HATE to shop.



Note the color of the line trailing the path taken by the woman to shop (in the pic) ;) It’s red. Shows that the poor lady is doing it in spite of her tiredness and dislike for the act. Also shows how dedicated she is. She checks out every other shop on her way to GAP and compares prices (shes tired… mind you! ‘n doesn’t want to do this at all) before she makes a purchase. In the process, she finds many other things that are required and picks them up as well (not just for herself….not necessarily heehee! :D).

So guys, when the women in your life shop, they are doing you a favor! High time you stop cribbing ‘n start recognising (in which ever way u think best) their effort to make life easier for you! ;)

Laughter is an orgasm triggered by the intercourse of sense and nonsense.
~Author Unknown

Muted….but still thinking!

Some thoughts are like ghosts.

Short ‘n sweet. No…am not talking about some poem…am talking about a gal I knew. We went to the same school for a year. We came across each other frequently, me and that gal, at school. She had spectacles on and looked very confident. She was as old as I was and her class room was adjacent to mine. I had got habituated to rubbing the board, standing at the tail end of any line we formed and occupying one of the last few benches, owing to my height. Her experience must have been quite the opposite ‘cos she was the shortest in her class. I used to notice the constant presence of a smile on her face. She was always busy talking. We’d just smiled at each other once or twice and spoken to each other a few times. She was just another gal in my school.



I was an introvert by choice. I never did any talking until and unless I had to. I sometimes would simply say that I don’t know something, even if I did know it, if explaining it to the person concerned would mean a lot of talking. I used to be happy on my own. No big dreams…no ambitions…no worries….no friends…nobody at home to talk to. It was just me, my stuff and my thoughts in my little room…defocused and insecure.

End of that year, we took our own paths and I never saw her for the next few years. Years rolled by and school days were over in a jiffy. I was in college. Life had taught me some tough lessons by then. I had traded fears for visions. I had big plans. I’ve had my share of sorrows, the sorrows that left me with a new surge of energy. There were many changes- physical, emotional, psychological…. I was full of spirit and confidence. I had many friends. So, there I was with a naughty mind on my shoulders, a silent devil, still with my thoughts in my little room…fully focused and fearless.

Meeting people you already know is one of the commonest occurrences in any college. There were hell a lot of known faces. This gal was there too. Her class was on the 3rd floor, mine on the 2nd. I don’t remember when and how we started yapping and for what reason under the sun, but from the day we started, there was NO looking back. I found myself waiting for the lunch break every day. The minute the lecturers in our respective classes left, Vroommmm…2 wizards would disappear from the class rooms. The rest of the lunch break was thorough fun. We talked about every damn thing- You know what….I think I’ll do this in the next 5 years….Dad yelled at me this morning..it was’nt my fault….I hate that gal in my class…. This teacher is a perfect pain in the ass….What about the weekend?....Do you believe in ghosts?....Did you see that guy in red..smart!...Life is tough, u know!-*giggles*…*sobs*…*angry outbursts*.....*laffs*….*mental wheels at work in full throttle*……..



It was not just fun. It was much more. This friendship taught me that it’s important to take life as it comes, take everything in my strides and move ahead. Life had not been easy for her. In fact, my loss didn’t seem to be as mammoth as hers. She had not lost just one but many things in life…things that every person ought to have and enjoy. In spite of it all, she was always smiling and ever ready to listen. Bravery at its best- that’s what I think. I was obsessed about my academic performance and she was always there …ever ready to get me on track when ever I tripped….ever ready to pat me on my back with every step I took. Her reassuring words induced immense confidence in me, and she was very generous with them. There was no restrain when it came to encouraging me. She was happy when I excelled, even when she didn’t. Not many can do that to some one who is a competitor….friend or otherwise.



I was out of college and we moved apart again. We had both opted to study further and were now in 2 different colleges. It made no difference though, many thanx to BSNL. We yapped endlessly. Dads, at both the ends, yelling about the telephone bills burning huge holes in their pockets, were put on IGNORE mode permanently. We were always up-to-date with what was happening in the other’s life. Both of us even had a fairly good idea about each of the other’s classmates. The course that I was perusing was a trifle bit tougher and that made her encouraging words much more important to me.



It was towards the fag end of this phase at college that she fell ill. She had some weird symptoms and was diagnosed with a fatal illness, the illness that had attributed to one of her sorrows in the past as well. I hate to cry ‘n I never do, but those few weeks, I cried whenever I was alone and thought about her. It somehow made me feel better for a while.

I had to move to b’lore and this made it impossible to visit her. She was soon too ill to be able to talk over the phone. We more or less lost touch, but I never failed to think about her or pray for her. I wasn’t asking for much. I only wanted justice. Those were the days when I really hated destiny from the bottom of my heart. She did not deserve to suffer or die. NO. SHE DID NOT, but she eventually did….. I was muted.



She had doubtlessly made life sweeter for the people around her in every way she could.Short and sweet…..her life had been! I still think a grave injustice has happened and for once, destiny has made a gross miscalculation. I can never forget the days we spent together, the talks we’ve had, her smile, her words, our little secrets, triumphs, trials…. All these will remain as misty images in my mind. One clear thought- the thought of a friend, found and lost will stay on....

As I said, some thoughts are like ghosts…they haunt you forever!

PS: This blog is dedicated to my late friend S. It’s been a year without her. With every passing day, I value her friendship more ‘n more ‘n more….

Sweet siesta

A FLOCK of sheep that leisurely pass by,
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky;

I have thought of all by turns, and yet do lie
Sleepless! and soon the small birds' melodies
Must hear, first uttered from my orchard trees;
And the first cuckoo's melancholy cry.
Even thus last night, and two nights more, I lay,
And could not win thee, Sleep! by any stealth:

So do not let me wear to-night away:
Without Thee what is all the morning's wealth?
Come, blessed barrier between day and day,
Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!

~William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"



The complexity of the human mind increases with time and very soon the fragrance (sleep) that relieves the soul off its stenches of pain is lost. I crave to be able to tame this wild black horse (my mind) and be engulfed in siesta, in its sweetness ‘n silence…forever!

~Xena’s blabber on sweet siesta ;)



Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day's life,
sore labour's bathBalm of hurt minds,
great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast.

~William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Dame’s- Dreary- Day Dream

Having such a remote/He-mote definitely is every damsel’s dream! lol



It definitely would make life a lot easier, I agree, but it would also make life very predictable and dreary. What say u?

Partners in crime

The Crime:
With all this hype about Valentine’s day (which is nothing more than a marketing gig and nothing less than a 'teen love sick syndrom') , what does it take to bring and hold 2 people together for life?



The Investigation:
Me thinks, bringing two people together is the handiwork of destiny but holding themselves together sure is the handiwork of the twosome concerned.

Happened to come across this recipe. Do try it out when the time comes ;)

1 cup consideration
1 cup courtesy
2 cupfuls flattery carefully concealed
1 gallon faith and trust in each other
2 cupfuls praise
1 small pinch of in-laws
1 reasonable budget, a generous dash of cooperation
3 teaspoon pure extract of "I'm sorry"
1 cup contentment
1 cup each confidence and encouragement
1 large or several small hobbies
1 cup blindness to the other's faults

Stir well and remove any specks of jealousy, temper or criticism. Sweeten well with generous portions of love and keep warm with a steady flame of devotion. Flavor with frequent portions of recreation and a dash of happy memories. Never serve with cold shoulder.



The Inference:
I believe that the success of a marriage depends heavily on how devoted/loyal the couple is to each other, and how much they trust each other. The rest is all about how to make life interesting….add a sparkle..some spice ‘n sugar!

Nothing comes without a cost. There could be a lot of hard work involved, but the result is a delightful life with some one who would always be with you, no matter what! Some one who’s support and love would remain a constant in this complex mathematical equation of life where everything around is a variable…all but 1!



PS: This blog is dedicated to sp! :) . If u wondering who sp is, take a look at the 2 li’ll apes, happily perched on a branch. sp is the li’ll monkey on the left and ...did I mention?….the li’ll monkey on the right, looking straight into your eyes, is none other than me! :D

Fallacy - slaughtered

Twilight had set in and stars had started waking up. Golden lights shone from the windows of the tiny huts in this little hamlet in Jaipur [Chowki dani]. There was a cool breeze blowing. I drew my jacket closer and thrust my hands into my pockets to keep them warm. In my right pocket, I could feel the shape of the metal fox, a talisman that I had bought a while back. I just held on to it ‘cos there was nothing else to hold on to and the cold breeze made me want to hold on to something…anything! I looked around. There were people everywhere.

At one corner people had mobbed together and were looking over each other’s heads, peering at what ever was happening there. I started walking towards the mob. Rustic music filled the air and I could see 2 poles with a dirty white cloth tied stiffly to the poles to form a screen. Standing on my toes helped me catch a glimpse of the puppeteer who was calling out to people and 2 of the puppets as well. They looked beautiful.

Very soon people had settled down on the golden sands of the pink city and the puppet show was on at full swing. The puppets that were merely objects of art were transformed into ‘reality’. The puppeteer had given them identities, voices, ideas, visions, emotions, life…….



Once the puppet show was over, the puppets lost their everything. They’ll have to wait for the next puppet show when the puppeteer would give them identities and bring them back to life once again. For that span of time when they are alive, they can voice the thoughts that the puppeteer has for them in the voices that he gives them. They can live their lives, do all that the puppeteer makes them do and lose their lives finally…..only to regain them again. This cycle would go on….for how long..nobody knows!

I looked up at the sky. The beautiful stars shone down at the world…countless number of them. There could be lots more of them that are not visible to my eyes..lots more of planets..gallexies..solar systems…..perhaps life and other life forms…

Don’t know whether it’s the serenity of the whole place- the star studded sky, the golden lights, the bright colors, laughter in the air,…dunno what gave me the thought, but I suddenly felt like a puppet- a puppet who thinks she is in full control of her life, looking at life with confidence, trusting that she would realize her dreams and most foolishly holding on to a piece of metal, believing that it will somehow take her closer to her dreams. I let go off my grip on the talisman. It had by then created an impression on my palm.

Reality shone from somewhere amidst those stars.

Hurrayyyyyyyyyy!

This week has bushed me regally! I bet nobody is as happy as I am about tomorrow being a Saturday!!!

Saturday ROCKSSS!!! :D



Have a gala weekend!!! Cyaa on Monday with loads of chewy stuff to chew on :)

Signing off!!! *wink ‘n vanish*

Lead me to my tomorrow

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep

-Robert Frost
An extract from the poem ‘Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening’



These lines pretty much reflect my mood today.

Alone in the lovely, dark woods…...

I’ll have to leave these woods behind. They are lovely, but dark and scary. I appeal to the unseen hands to hold me tight and lead me out of this darkness ‘cos I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep!

Tied to troubles…tring tring!

“Is this Mr.-------“

*you affirm it*

“Goo’ Morning Sir. Am calling from ------. We offer credit card facility with no membership fee for a life time. Would you be interested? There’s more to it..................”

*you say that you aren’t interested*

“Guess you are busy. May I call you later Sir? When can I call you?”

*your patience is running out. You’ve got to rush for a meeting. You tell him so and hang up abruptly*

Sounds very familiar. Doesn’t it?

Have enthusiastic telemarketing guys from different banks like HSBC, Standard Charted, HDFC and the like, irked you endlessly by calling up on your mobile time and again, asking you to avail of the various services provided by their bank?

To your utter amazement; have they always known you by name?

Have they called up at the most reprehensible points in time…when you are in the middle of a meeting with your team or when you having a late lunch at 3pm?

If the answer to these questions is S..then you have ample company.



The good news is, this may not go on for long. After hearing a public interest litigation filed by one Mr.Harsh Pathak, wanting a law prohibiting cellular service providers sharing their users’ personal info' with other companies and prohibiting such telemarketing, the Supreme Court has questioned the need for such pesky calls on cell phones and has issued a notice to various cellular operators and Multinational banks.

Hey….there’s a bleep on my mobile and the message reads “ SMS 6754 to 7--- ……“. Well, I don’t have to read the rest of it. You, me and every other mobile phone user will bet that this message is all about ring tones. Think Harsh Pathak has missed out mentioning SMSs offering ring tones. Will some one let the SC know that these are irksome too!?

I only hope all this telemarketing which is uncalled for will stop soon. We are too used to cell phones to let go off the convenience they provide. We are tied to these devices. If the SC fails to put a stop to this menace, we would remain tied to the troubles they bring with them too.

Hi-Fi Spy...

Don’t be too surprised if you happen to be sleepily browsing the net one Saturday afternoon and you just bump into a picture of yourself, half clad or worse still completely nude in some site. This could happen if one or more of the following is true.

1) It is your very strong belief that people earn to shop and you are in the habit of bringing about a substantial decrease in your bank balance (or your Spouse’s or Dad’s- based on who your generous benefactor is) owing to this noble cause (shopping, of course). You are more or less sure about the infrastructure (where the mirror is, the switches are, which side of the mirror is actually the door-when you have to get out…etc) of the changing rooms of most of the shops in town.

2) You disagree completely with people who believe that we are civilized enough to settle down at one place. You say that humans aren’t humans if they let go off one basic trait- nomadism. You’ve stayed at innumerable hotels and seen loads of places. This way, you believe that you’ve imparted in yourself a certain level of worldly wisdom which will take you places (more places….)

3) Partying/sun bathing/doing just about anything on the beaches is what you do a lot. ‘Best beach bums’ is what you wanna be.

4) You’ve either been very bad to some body OR you just too good as you are, at whatever you are/do and many people are J big-time. Ultimately, you are surrounded by clever and crooked enemies.

5) You are Ms. Photogenic or Mr. Photogenic and you’ve posted your photographs on the net so many times that you’ve lost count.

6) You don’t like posting your photograph on the net ‘cos you think you look better in person. You’ve just posted it ones or twice and have forgotten all about it.

7) Luck has decided to pose an ugly frown at you – plain and simple!




Moving on to the crux of the matter, I want you to take a look at this article by Abhay Vaidya

Here are some extracts that provide the nitty-gritty of the article.

With spycams being discovered in a hostel room occupied by three Pune college girls and previously in a women’s changing room in a public swimming pool in Pune, the threat from cyberpowered or cyber-enabled voyeurs has become a huge reality for Indians.

and…

Raman who among other credentials worked for the United Nations for securing information flow between UN HQ and Mission Control HQ in Africa, told TOI that there are a number of steps that the citizens can take to protect themselves from such invaders.
Raman’s pointers were as follows:

• Understand that when you enter any room, such devices are normally placed at shoulder height
• They normally require a power source and are therefore ‘‘co-located with a power source such as near an air conditioner socket, table lamp, etc.
• Typically, in eight out of 10 cases, spycameras are located inside clocks.
• The location of spy cameras is in the direction opposite to where you are likely to be most vulnerable: such as opposite to the bed or the bathroom door.
• A most simple, practical and commonsensical step is to switch off the lights and ensures darkness in private moments. ‘‘These devices need a light source to capture images,’’ Raman said.

Do ensure that the mirrors you see around you are actually mirrors and not glass shields that hide sypcams on the other side. Beware of the Hi-Fi spys with their filthy, Lo-Fi motives!