Yippeee for a great weekend!

Not to sound like a whine pot, but I've been unwell for almost an entire week - I came down with a massive flu and bad throat last Saturday - I've been bed bound for 4 days after. And as suddenly as it came, so suddenly it left. And left me weak and exhausted and drained of all my energy.

I've spent this weekend recuperating as well and I must admit - I feel much better. Largely contributed by my friends and ever so loving family.

The good wishes have poured in from everywhere and I've felt happily spoilt.

Such a lovely Sunday I've had with relatives coming over and spending the entire day with us - it was warm and cozy and we had some great meals, shared many a laugh and swapped so many stories - I did doze off in the noon but I had a great Sunday nonetheless :-))

Hope you had a rocking weekend and find yourself in a "Not so Blue monday" - I know I wont

Sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff

Sounds like a doggy right? That's exactly what I did when my Dee came back from a recent Singapore trip with a bunch of perfumes for me. It was one of my greatest joys - at 1.30 AM opening up new perfume bottles and devouring the lovely fragrances. I'm a self-confessed perfume addict. Been one for years now. I'm always on the look out for nice smelling things - soaps, perfumes, lotions, name 'em! I've always wanted to do a review and what better place than to do it on my blog! 

I've off late gotten into the breezy, oceany kind of fragrances. I've always liked the sweet, strong scents - Read: D&G No. 3 - a gift from my best friend's brother and a brilliant perfume - perfect for a date ;-), there's also Escada - Desire Me - again, the name suggests it but I also find it a great wear for work. In Bombay climate conditions, you need something thats strong while you travel, and which eventually settles to a milder scent when indoors. You don't want the person sitting next to you to choke because you smell like a walking Bath and Body works store!

I save my D&G # 3 for a sunny day if you know what I mean :-) Another scent I like to save for a sunny day is my trusted, faithful Burberry Brit. I love it! Its strong, though subtle after an hour or so.

Back to my breezy scents - I've always been faithful to Davidoff Cool water for women. And then Davidoff launched the Summer Dive!! Oooo-la-laaaa! Its divine. Its like being on a beach. 3 of my latest acquisitions (Courtesy sister and Singapore) are the breezy, light, beachy ones - summer fragrances that will make you swoon. They're perfect for work as well - light and always with that wiff of awesomeness surrounding you. So there's Issey Miyake's summer scent and I also got D&G Light blue. Light Blue took its time to grow on me, but now I love it. 

Its a simple looking bottle, but its a dream. I think water lily when I wear it. Of the other possessions I have, Tommy girl is a little off the mark (strange coz I loved it at one point in time). Burberry beat is good if you're out in the sun a lot. Hugo Boss Intense Red is great for a night of dancing. So is the Marks and Spencers True Red. They belong to a very similar family. Ralph Lauren's Romance and Marks and Spencers Infusion make for good work out scents or they're great for a brunch. Rather feminine and sweet though! 

I'd also highly recommend the mists from Body shop - my all time favorites being Musk and Oceanus. Bath and Body works have good fragrances as well - I recommend them for a day of trekking. They're a little too stuffy for my liking in a closed environment. I smell like a garden. Though you could get some super cool deals on them in sales in the US.

So there you have it - my run down on perfumes/scents. If you're in India, I suggest buying your scents from shoppers stop. At least you're guaranteed of buying something original. Its very heavy on the pocket though sadly. If you have friends or family in Singapore, NOTHING LIKE IT!!! The scents there are almost 40-50% cheaper! I'm NOT kidding! If you want to take a chance at buying the duty free imported goods, Alfa is the place to head to or even the Jolly emporium in Ghatkopar!! I bought Cool water, Lacoste and Burberry Brit from them and they were awesome. Oh Lacoste's Touch of Pink! Its lovely too - a little girly as the name suggests, so its more of a brunch or afternoon shopping kind of scent. 

You've got to be careful with usage - some clothes cannot handle the perfume on it directly - you spray and it leaves a mark. I've done it before and it breaks your heart to ruin a top you really love. So be careful. A tip I read somewhere  recently is to spray scents directly on your pulse points. Your blood is warm and that part of your skin has the veins exposed directly. They tend to give off the wiff better. If you're spraying them on your underarms, do so over some talcum powder to prevent pigmenting your skin.

Perfumes are a matter of choice - what smells great on your best friend, may smell out right weird on you! So how do you choose? Simple - walk in to a store - spray yourself liberally with a tester and walk out!!! See how you like it after 4 hours - voila! You have your answer ;-) Some people are natural at choosing their scents, I took a while to get it right (per my standards i.e :-)) ). Perfumes are worth the investment. They're my happy kick :-))

Ze munsooooon iz ere

Whats with the title of this post? Ah, just like that :P Caught your attention didn't it :-))

What seemed like a pre-monsoon shower a few days back gave way to the full fledged arrival of the rain showers. And shower it has! Its poured and poured and poured. While indoors, its a visual treat, while outdoors and if traveling by public transport, its horrendous.

I was driving in this storm on Saturday and I actually though I may need to pull over - I could hardly see a thing! It was beautiful though, I must admit however. I went through this phase while driving where I almost felt like I was not driving. I had very low visibility and I could not see beyond the car in front of me. It was all so surreal and dreamy that I almost felt like there was someone else driving for me. Its the weirdest, scariest and most incredible feeling I've had while driving! I missed my turn to get home the right way, I couldn't see where I was going.

Along the way, the thunder storm cleared. It left behind flooded roads; I saw a street that was flooded with knee high water! I've had to maneuver through roads dug up for construction (the life long story in Mumbai city!), roads with massive pot holes (correction - there was no road almost - the road was in the craters) and I'm talking about a busy road here! I took the twice the time to come home - it was worth every minute of it! I came back with a treat for the family - piping hot croissants and a dark chocolate pastry. And to top it all, pakodas and a masala tea! Oh yeah and an enviable view from my room ;-))

So I can crib and complain about the mess my city can be in with the monsoon having just started, the potential of a leaky room (The water proofing sucks!), earthworms in my bathroom (I see atleast 2 everyday) and spoiling my precious gorgeous new sandals (yeah, yeah, I was foolish enough to wear em). BUT I still think the rains are magical and heavenly and lovely...Ze munsssooooooooooon izz 'ere and zis girl izzz lurving it!

Lovely view from my home

Mad about the movies Part II

After a long, hard, struggling week at work, I had a fantastico weekend. I did not let the rain deter my plans of having fun on my weekend. So I decided to disconnect from work and live it up! Much deserved.

So Sunday took me to doing what I love doing - losing myself in a movie (or two). I'd already watched Kungfu Panda 2 with a dear friend last week. However, I'd loved it so much I had to watch it again and that too in IMAX 3D.

SO I excitedly drove through the pouring rain and got to the theater just in time! My friend had already got our tickets and I excitedly got into the movie hall. Now watching a movie in the IMAX dome theater is a different experience all together. The last film I watched there was Charlie and the Chocolate factory (Yummylicious Johnny Depp :D ). The seating arrangements are such that if you're one who has vertigo, it could actually be scary. We were given these huge 3D glasses (I have to digress here and say that I'm very averse to using these glasses that are worn by thousands before me - they're usually smudged and give me a headache!). Well these were good, thank goodness! 

The theater was quite packed for rainy Sunday noon, but we were lucky to get good seats. Big Cinemas has a beautiful rendition of the national anthem. See here. I cry every time I watch it, its so beautiful. 

The movie in itself is a wonder to watch! A brilliantly made film, with mind blowing animation, a great story line and an adorable sqishy squashy cuddly Panda with a happy-tappy ending! What more can one ask for! The visuals are breathtaking and that massive IMAX screen makes the experience unique. I loved every minute of it. My friend was so amused when I told her to pay attention to how each time the Panda - Po did something that involved movement of his tummy, there was this funny "Boiiiiiinggggg" sound. We came out of the movie enthralled by the animation and wondered why we didn't do something fancy like that for a living! We're both I.T professionals and we do the same boring hum-drum things everyday! I think I may just dream of working with Diney-Pixar someday!! Hee-haa!

The highlight of the day was watching movies back to back - another dear friend joined us for the next movie and we had time to kill before it started. We got tickets for X-men - First Class and plonked ourselves in these cute moon chairs while we caught up over cups of tea and fried food ;-)) Ah, nothing beats girly chats and gup-shup!!

X-men was another fantastic movie! Me and my friend Nefi are true X-men fans and it was thrilling to watch the story unfold. We initiated Urmi into becoming an X-men fan as well.

I headed home; my head spinning with 2 fantastic movies, wondering why Bollywood isn't even 0.1% there yet. What a perfect Sunday - catching up with my friends, driving through the rain, watching 2 brilliant films. I sure have every reason to say I had a very happy weekend!

Wishing you happy Discoveries

Its June and the wish calendar wishes you happy Discoveries! Its the onset of the monsoon season. New season, new tidings - do something that you've not done before - push yourself into trying something new - believe in yourself and soar! Shop, sing, get drenched in the rain, take a holiday, relax and take it easy...And most of all - be happy in all you do!

May you find happiness in the most unlikely places

May you find satisfaction in whatever you do

May you find friends where others can find none

And may every moment be filled with something new.

Splishy Splashy Sploshy

June 2, day before yesterday - It was a beautiful evening. I've had the rare good luck to be at out of office the last few weeks and hence enjoy many a sunset. I've always been a sunset kind of person and I was at my window (lucky to have a fabulous view too!) checking out the clouds gather. Dad happened to come by and we were chatting by the window and contemplating if it'll drizzle.

I casually told him that we could expect the pre-monsoon thunder and lightning which I love. 10 mins later, it started drizzling. We were so excited that we ran up to the terrace and in a matter of minutes the skies opened!!! Big pellets of water hit us - there was a wonderful cool breeze and there was lightning and thunder all around us - it was like being in a storm! We spent half an hour up on the terrace - Dad and I, laughing like kids and getting soaked in the first rain of the season. It was so much fun!!! My happy splishy splashy moment with Pa :))

A miraculous Lost and Found story

I joined my sister, her husband and brother-in-law for a mid week movie. I was looking forward to watching Hangover-II. I've had a crazy last few weeks and it made for a much needed break. Taking my sister's advice, I took an auto instead of the car. Made sense - parking is a pain around the Diamond Garden area these days. I was running on close time lines, so when I got closer to the theater, I hopped out at the signal. 

I made it on time for the movie - 30 mins into the film, my phone rings. I saw an unknown number. I usually miss calls while watching movies - I prefer stashing away my phone in my bag and not get disturbed while I lose myself in a film. I'd jammed my phone in my jeans pocket and even though I'd ignore an unknown number usually, on a whim I answered it. Someone very softly asked if I knew Tejal madam. So obviously, stranger had my name right. He talked slowly and I kind of got a little clippy and short with my tone, which is when he asked if I knew Tejal madam and that he wanted to return her purse!!!

Boom!!! I was carrying my beloved, much used and should be thrown away ASAP sling bag that well, does not have a zip or button to close the top! I know...bad move to carry bags like that when you travel by public transport. I started digging around in the bag while the guy on the phone asked me where I am and I did realize then that my wallet was missing! I asked the person where he is and that I'd come get it, but he insisted on my telling him where I was so he could return it to me. I was stunned - this guy was being very nice. I ran out of the theater, my sister running after me. 

In the next 45 minutes (I missed half the movie, but it don't matter), I waited calmly and patiently for this gentleman to return my wallet. My sister in the meanwhile helped call the banks and cancel my cards. Thank God for mobile internet - I changed my net banking passwords. I knew my cards were not used - Thank God for mobile alerts! And when Mr. Satpal returned my wallet to me, I thought Thank God for nice people like him (and my sis - she was really sweet)! 

Mr Satpal's brother found my wallet in the auto. He, being an alcoholic, took away all the cash and left everything else as is. He went home and handed over the wallet to Mr Satpal who then browsed through the wallet for a number. I luckily had a card with a number on it and thats how he located me!! He then said something really surprising!!! He asked me for my account number so that he could transfer the money his brother took from my wallet back in my account the next morning! My jaw dropped! He requested me to check my wallet and see if everything else is intact. I told him that I'm OK with the money being taken and that I'm glad he got my wallet back. What a kind man! I told him I'd have liked to give him something as a token of my appreciation, but he just shook his head and said that its he who owes me money. He smiled and left.

And this is Bombay for you - through all the madness and the cheats and chors, there are also the conscientious, kind hearted, people-caring junta in this city. Its quite rare to get back something that you lose in this city - be it your heart or material things :-) This is my little miracle story of finding my material thing back. Thank you Mr. Satpal - you did a good deed sir - A very good deed. 

Wishing you Amazing Journeys

Its May and the summer holidays are here! So while you'll are away on your little vacations, may the journey of your souls be filled with awakening and joy!

May God shield you on every step

May He aid you on every path

And may He hold you safe on every slope

On every hill and on every plain

On earth and on sea until you are home again

Witness to insane Road Rage

Today started like any other day. While I was maneuvering through traffic at IIT-Powai, Mumbai, I got stuck behind a long line of cars. I snaked my way around the cars stuck in the fast lane and then witnessed the most unbelievable sight - a biker with his lady companion jumped off their bike. The biker made his way to the car and then started hitting the windshield and the drivers side window with that helmet!!

I could not see any noticeable or visible damage to either the bike or the car and I could not for the life of me understand what was going on. The driver of the car, a relatively new Hyundai i10 snaked his way into my lane and then cut further left to avoid the insane assault on his vehicle. Then got royally stuck in the usual IIT Mumbai traffic. The next thing I see is the biker hop onto his bike, swerve in front of the car, get off and start his insane banging on the windshield. The driver then made his biggest mistake I think. He rolled down his window completely and the next thing he knew, he was being punched repeatedly in the face. It was a horrible sight to witness. The driver looked like a decent guy who was frightened out of his wits! The biker tried to smash his helmet into the driver's face and the driver had the sense to shield his face from the hammering. So the biker continued to punch the poor guy in his face. The look on his face was pure murder. He looked like he was out of his mind. 

I found myself helpless at being a witness. I needed to move off as the signal had turned green and I was holding up traffic. I could not believe the extent of rage the biker had in him. What have we come to in this city? Is there so much latent anger in us now that vents out like this? Was this anger just road rage or was it fueled by the frustrations this man has in his life? What do you do when you are witness to insanity like this? I understand verbal altercations are inevitable, but what warrants such an act of violence? And where is the law in all of this? Mumbai is a frustrating place to drive in, but is it also a frustrating place to live in? I do not want to delve into what are the possibilities for the thoughts behind the bikers action, for I saw no thought. 

I only saw a man who was no longer human - I saw a wild raw animal pulverizing his prey. I felt helpless.

The power of friendship

I spent a weekend away catching up with my gang from the USofA. It was a reunion in Pune, my dearest roommate flew in from Kolkatta and me and another friend headed to Pune from Mumbai. Pune is where our couple friends stay now. 1 was missing - presumably enjoying another onsite stint. We were meeting as a group after almost 3 and a half years. 

I've spent 2 absolutely amazing days reliving the memories of the past, reveling in the warmth and affection of my dear friends, laughing till my stomach hurt, plotted and planned and conspired while playing UNO, took countless auto rides, pigged on fabulous food, prayed at a lovely jain temple, made some (pretty awesome) chai, lay down chatting into the night and sleeping only when we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore, was treated like a princess by our fabulous hosts and felt bad when I had to step into that bus and head back to Mumbai. 

I've spent 2 days not thinking of the future and where and when we'll have these moments again, though I know I've created some very special and beautiful memories for the future. Once again, I feel blessed to be surrounded by amazing people - who in their simplicity, genuineness, affection and warmth, have shown me the true power of friendship.

Crazy about the movies!! Part 1

I enjoy rom-coms, so much! They're my favorite genre of movies. I caught the last half of "He's Just Not That Into You". Strictly average, it actually started depressing me in parts. However, what did it for me was the last quote in the film. It is beautiful.

Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up. 

If a guy punches you he likes you. 

Never try to trim your own bangs...

And someday, you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. 

Every movie we see, Every story we're told implores us to wait for it, the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. 

How to tell from the ones who want us and the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. And maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe... it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. 

Maybe the happy ending is... just... moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope.

Wishing you lasting Friendships

April's bought a sultry sweltering summer. The wish calendar has everlasting Friendship's for you!

May the sun shine bright on your windowpane

May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain

May the hand of a friend always be near you

Music for the soul Part 1

Music has always been my friend, one of my best friends in fact. My sister is largely responsible for introducing me to excellent music growing up. Over the years, I've had friends who've introduced me to various genres of music and help build my collection to I must say "Ahem - quite an admirable collection of music". I'll forever be in gratitude of these people for having introduced me to some amazing melodies. From my heart and soul, Thank you...

A recent song that a friend made me listen to is called Constellations by Jack Johnson. Its a beautiful song. Love the lyrics as well.

The light was leaving

In the west it was blue

The children's laughter sang

And skipping just like the stones they threw

Their voices echoed across the way

Its getting late

It was just another night

With a sunset

And a moonrise not so far behind

To give us just enough light

To lay down underneath the stars

Listen to papas translations

Of the stories across the sky

We drew our own constellations

The west winds often last too long

The wind may calm down

Nothing ever feels the same

Sheltered under the Kamani tree

Waiting for the passing rain

Clouds keep moving to uncover the scene

Stars above us chasing the day away

To find the stories that we sometimes need

Listen close enough

All else fades

Fades away

It was just another night

With a sunset

And a moonrise not so far behind

To give us just enough light

To lay down underneath the stars

Listen to all the translations

Of the stories across the sky

We drew our own constellations


Listen here - Jack Johnson - Constellations

Cricket World Cup 2011 Mania!!

I didn't see this coming. I followed the Cricket WC 2011 very, very, veryyyyyy closely. Now this is worth mentioning because I'm someone who generally ignores cricket and anything to do with cricket. I never did enjoy the game and its nuances. Nor did I feel the need to stay posted on cricket to make conversation in social circles or at lunch tables. A lot of my dear friends are die-hard cricket fans - they breathe, eat and live cricket. To each his own I'd say and happily tune out of the conversation when cricket crept in.

And so when I found myself discussing matches with my friends at the lunch table, I too was surprised. A friend patiently explained to me what a powerplay is and who's who and what's what and what's important to do and not to do in the world of cricket. I can't call it world - its a universe of cricket. We are after all a largely populous country and cricket is almost a cult and we are well, 1/6th the population of the world so doing the math, it deserves to be called a universe :D

And then cricket mania took over me as well - I cheered India in every match. Yes, I did maintain a stand that its rigged. I still do feel that certain elements of the World Cup are tweaked/adjusted/rigged, but only after a wise friend told me (and convinced me) - "It may not be the entire match that are fixed, but just elements of it". So be it. But when I saw the India-Pakistan semi-final, all doubt flew out of the window. For all I believed in, I was cheering hoarsely for my country.

I stayed back in office to watch it with a very enthusiastic crowd in the office cafeteria. 2 snowy TV's and 1 clear TV aired the match live. Account managers, Project managers, leads, team mates, Cafe service guys, cleaners - all were one. It was euphoric winning that match - most of us believed that even if we didn't win the world cup, we'd already won it with that stunner of a semi-final. However, were we proved wrong or what! 

The final at Mumbai, Wankhede became the most watched telecast on TV that fine Saturday blistering noon. My dear friends living in Gurgaon actually wanted me to fly up there to watch the match with them since I "As it is, wasn't watching the match at Wankhede where I should be". I watched it with my building junta on a big screen. I groaned with everyone when SL made that almost impossible 275 runs to chase. I stopped watching in between when Sehwag and Tendulkar (a.k.a. GOD) lost their wickets. But I went back after a few overs and was I glad I did or what! 

As Dhoni downed that winning 6, I realized that I'd bitten half the skin around my nails, had a back ache with sitting at the edge of my seat most of the time, had sore hands with all the clapping, a sore throat with the cheering and I didn't care a damn. We won! The euphoria, the madness, the giddy high at watching the Bleeding Blue Indian team win the world cup after 28 years was worth it! I stood through out the ceremony post that coz after all, these guys deserved nothing less than a standing ovation!!! Congratulations TEAM INDIA - you guys did us proud - very proud.

Thinking out loud

Sometimes taking a forced break is a good thing. On my second day at home, that too confined, I've had enough time to pause and reflect and act on things.

Its not been an easy month - however its been easier to deal with things. Lighter. Smoother. And I appreciate myself for it! Things are moving for me at a deeper consciousness. This feeling is incredibly overwhelming.

Salutation to the Dawn, Kalidasa (poet)

I had this poem put up on my wall at work for the longest time; It is such an inspiration!

Look to this day!

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:

The bliss of growth

The glory of action

The splendor of beauty

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow only a vision

But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore to this day!

Such is the salutation to the dawn.

Patience

I am patient, 

And my time shall come,

When I will shine,

In all my glory.

Its just around the corner,

And I will work hard,

To get what I deserve.

I am patient,

And the best is yet to come

Misunderstood

I stand misunderstood, but really,

All I wanted - was things to be good.

Make efforts I can,

Though I still think, Oh damn!

An incorrect choice of words,

Off flew my intentions like troubled birds.

You know who you are dude,

We both stand misunderstood.

A lil High, A lil Low

Times are a-tough these days,

But they will pass.

Its a test of patience and perseverance,

And tide through them I shall.

'Coz grit is but an attribute,

That I do possess.

Life is now, 

A little High, A little Low,

And sail through it, I shall, I know.

Wishing you Fame and Fortune

May good luck be your friend

in whatever you do

And may trouble be always

A stranger to you.

Fire and Ice - Robert Frost

There was a phase when I was totally into poetry. I couldn't quite understand a lot of prose, though the simpler ones caught my attention. This was one I'd particularly liked. 

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire,

I hold with those who favor fire.
 But if it had to perish twice,
 I think I know enough of hate
 To say that for destruction ice
 Is also great
 And would suffice

Oh-Oh, I enjoy grocery shopping!

I'm in trouble. Deep trouble. I discovered today that my joys of solitary shopping (generally confined to perfumes, clothes, jewelery, accessories, shoes and cosmetics) extended to well - Grocery shopping!! Never a fan of picking veggies and fruits, I've usually avoided the dreaded task of picking em up. As luck has it, off late, I've been more regular in my rounds for grocery shopping, thanks to mommy dahlin'

To be honest, I'd prefer mum doing all of that. I've let her - willingly. So today, when I was very sweetly and lovingly asked to pick up the veggies, I didn't have the heart to say no to mum. So off I went and guess what, I actually found it therapeutic!!

As I diligently picked my way through the veggies, my mind cleared completely and all I did was concentrate on the task in hand, which was picking up good quality stuff that my family can eat :-)) Almost 45 mins later, and clutching on to kilos of groceries, I came out so relaxed I was amazed! Now, who would've thought that I'd find grocery shopping therapeutic!

The plus side, I can add one more thing to my list of solitary happy shopping. The con, if mum finds out, I'm so done ;-))

Wishing you the best of health

                                     May you soar on eagle's wings
                                       Leap and run like a gazelle
                                      Always eager like a newborn
                                        Always strong, like an ox
                             Always eager, like a lamb in the springtime