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Saturday, January 30

At last, a post.

Five. SixSeven. Eight. 


That, my friends, is how many tries it took to get this line written. Not kidding. And, trust me, you don't want to know the kind of things that kept me from trying to post. But did I get the hint?  Obviously. Will I do anything about it? Of course not.  I write and you read.  That's the deal.  Go jump in a well if you don't like it. Or better? Watch Phir Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

So where did we leave off? *Goes to check* * Shudders* *Returns*  Well, after that, I returned to J.  It's at this point, before I venture further, that I will tell you about my trip from HYD to MAA.  I booked myself on this obscenely expensive Paramount flight which as y'all know is fully business-class. So, I'm thinking that I'm going to be seated alongside dashing-Forbes 500-young-entrepreneurs-of-the century-who-just-came-out-of-a-Raymond's-ad type men. What I got, I'll come to, in a moment.

Meanwhile, I'm checking-in and the lady at the counter says that I may not be allowed my brand-new-digicam in my hand-baggage because it's the Airport Security Awareness Week and so, I, being the really really retarded cow that I am, shove it into the nearest bag. The guy there falls all over my bag trying to load it and then finally puts a snap on it to lock it. 

I board the flight. Get seated next to Mr. Anchappaswammy who had just entered the 13th month of his pregnancy; wore bright orange and also ate half of the measly little sandwich that I was served instead of the four course meal that anyone said I'd get. The gorgeous guy that I imagined?  Sat next to a housewife whose ermm, god given girth and bosom blocked my view and thereby prevented me from stealing a single glance across the aisle. What with their size and all, we are the cattle class? I don't think so.  On second thought or look, in my case, these might qualify as poultry. 

Baah! The raison d'être of this 'animal story', is to tell you that the guy who fell all over my bag? The bloody f*** face flicked it! I can see it in my head now, very slow motion action-replayy and all. Yes, my brand new camera. And, my old memory stick and all the photos in it. In the Airport Awareness Security, no less. His Kārma is so going to screw him over, he has NO idea.

And so, I live. In angst and agony. Licking my wounds in private. Trying to let it go. 

Which is why, in the need to take my mind off it, I've been getting myself into so many kinds of things that I think I could as well have bought myself a new camera with all that money I spent. But hey, in my defence, some people drink when they are depressed. Others shop. I, spend.  

Last week, for instance, was so completely worth it!  Sunday or Monday or just call it what you want, watched Sherlock Holmes, I did. Now I would liked the movie if it was called anything else.  But this one, no. No. No! Didn't do a single thing for me.  The next day, a whole bunch of us went to Eden, this swanky all-vegetarian italian/indian place for dinner and guess what? I spot Krishnamachary Srikanth.  The chairman of the selection committee guy? Yes, that one.  I didn't even talk to the guy but I already know one thing about him - Henceforth, I'm not eating anywhere he eats. Eden sucked. So big. Another bait-and-switch. Seasoned non-resident Chennai people that we are, we didn't even bat an eye-lash.  

And day before? Kiwi Boy and I set off to the beach for some peace and quiet and the beach is lit up with a gazillion lights and had about two gazillion people on it.  A shooting scene in some Tamil flick, I understand. Don't ask me which one. I can't tell between one squiggle and the next wiggle in the language. What to do, tamil terriyada.  Whatever it was made the beach, for a change, seem quite pretty. 

Pretty takes me to yesterday when I finally made it to Dakshin Chitra - the awesome arts & crafts village on the ECR road. Trust me when I say, it's beautiful! Non-psuedo in a very non-aurovillian way and damn picturesque at that. I learnt pottery,  Kolams, basket weaving etc. etc. I'm out of steam. So all I'll say is that I clicked thousands of pictures for the tabloid (some of which I'll soon put up here, so I don't have to write a 1000 words)

I think after yesterday, I'm now fully qualified to be the perfect domestic help or for that matter, the yogya south-indian bahu. Hmmm. Nice choice, don't you think? Soon enough, the placements will start and since no one will ever pay me to write, I might as well decide between these and keep. The former, I'm thinking.  At least, I'll still get paid. 

Oh, oh, oh.  Tell me you guys saw the 22⁰ halo around the moon, last night? Really, kill yourself if you didn't. Okay, so I'm not too sure if it was even visible wherever you were, but out here, oh, it was so awesome. Before we knew what it was, that is. Once we found that it's not once-in-a-life time, we stopped with the UFO/poltergeist/werewolf/moonbow theories; yawned and went to bed. 

And today, boy, did we have some kick-ass visitors or what?  There were people from Sangam House come to deliver a lecture and it was such awesome fun! First, the speakers were cute. Very very cute.  Especially the goras - two Germans, a Korean, an American, a Brazilian and one Danish. The danish guy was a rake, wearing a blue shirt that he kept wanting to take off, he read us stuff that had us applauding for hours. And trust me, in J, that never happens. 

The week is not even over yet. Tomorrow, a bunch of us are going to watch Rann, lunch, an appointment at the salon, landmark and then, the turtle walk from midnight! Followed by an equally taxing Sunday when I'm going reviewing to at least a dozen restaurants.  Moral of the story being that I have to be tucking in now, if I have to be able to do any of those tomorrow.  

Off you go then. Toodles.

Sunday, January 17

Especially pointless point. Reader discretion advised.

Get used to it. I'm not going to be posting anything worthwhile for a while. Heh. I like the way that came out. Ahem. I mean't anything worthwhile until I leave home. Which is if my flight doesn't cancel, takes off, lands etc.  *Fingers tightly crossed* Okay, right. So, anyway, down with another gender assignment, I am. Thank you, thank you. I didn't think I was going to give it in either, until I did, that is.  This is it, dear God, I'll do anything (conditions apply, of course)  if you make me get a good grade and graduate J with a good good job.  Yeah, looking at how it's been so far, I'm going to be a believer this year, I think.


Time for a few updates then.  After a month, I kid you not, a month of intense dreaming, debating and deciding, I chose to paint my room white.  Okay, so no, I didn't even do that. They did. Evil folks. Hah! Like that's going to stop me. I will paint it myself when I come home next


Updates. Yes.  Health wise, I'm okay. Btw, even if I was not, I would still not be untouchable. How can people not know that malaria is not spread from person to person? Sheesh. Ignorant louts.  Oh but, I turned into a Rhino, I did. Wait. No. I think I'm still a Panda. Baah. Like it's a big improvement. What I mean is that I will feel a lot better after I drop a couple of tons though. Actually, make that three.


Resolution wise, I'm happy to report that I haven't stuck to a single one. Not even 12.  I will, I will. Soon. Sigh! So much stuff to do and so little time. Hey, but I seem to be doing okay on  22, aren't I? Too bad for you guys, I chose that, isn't it?


I will stop when my battery gives out. Don't worry, it happens much sooner than you'd think. 


Oh, wait. Here's something. A self-realisation. I have Ha's syndrome! Both of us should not communicate, especially with the males, after 11. Something happens to us. Our defences crumble. Our senses desert us. Like mine did just now. I will probably read this tomorrow and cringe. But right now? I can't be bothered to care. 


At the free advice desk: If he can do without you, you can do without him. In fact, you'll find yourself someone much better. Just make it a litany in your head. He's NOT worth it. Time heals all. Trust me on this, my friend. 


Never wish for Dish TV. Until I got those stupid ala carte non-sense I watched gadaar, maine pyaar kiya, vivaah, bobby and Hum saath saath hai! I cried, on my death-bed.. For days. 


And now....I'm gone!

Friday, January 15

Through the Looking Glass

For the first time ever, I leave for the station with all my stuff packed on time. And what happens? C'mon, you've read the previous posts, you know what's coming.  Yup, I missed the train. That's a first too. I'm not even going to get started on the how of it, because then I won't stop. So let me just stick to the what-happened-after bit. Then, after frantic just-dialling and calling, I find out that every bus heading out today got full on account of tomorrow being the eclipse, when it seems, everyone's just supposed to sit under their beds cowering and not do anything worthwhile. Which of course was invented by some stupid loser with special appeal to a mother's logic. Simply, that means that I'm still in town and will continue to be until the god-damned universe decides to let me make a move. 


I know I should be ecstatic about the whole thing. But I'm not. I'm life's-such-a-b**** sort miserable. It's not. It's fine. I am just sick of being beaten down by things that I can't help - first, missing the covering dep trip and now this. 


And this feeling of being left out that I've been having throughout my stay here. I hang out with all these people that meant something but now I'm always looking at them outside in. And, it's freaky that I can't turn it off, this looking-through-glass mode. It's like seeing a person anew and going through the whole do I like him/her or not routine.  It's not pleasant, this super power. What do I have to call to unsubscribe, dammit?  I want to go back to being normal! 

Saturday, January 9

Things to Do in 2010.

I have a ton of these. Truly, I do.  Most of them are really lame but hey a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do, no?  With self help and all that being on agenda this year. But if you wanna know, here's the core. For the rest, see the list like things.  
  1. Go see a new country - I thought I'd start with the most likely. Okay, so maybe it will NEVER happen. But hey, this is sort of a wish-list and well, why not!? I'm thinking Nepal. I know Nemo there. I don't need a visa and it's cheap, so who knows?
  2. Decide what to do with my life - See now, here's the sorta thing that will keep figuring in my list of things-to-do forever.  But maybe this is it. Maybe this is the year when it'll come to me - my calling. Failing which, I'm going to have to decide on what after J. ASAP
  3. Read 500 books - Again, a very realistic goal. But then again, I'm going to cheat every way I can - collections of short-stories, cook-books, graphic novels.. you get the idea.
  4. Stop trying to kill myself - No more fits of masochism. No more falling for sadistic/married men. No more taking up gender classes. No more moving to places like Chennai. No, no, no!
  5. Start living - "yes, we can" style - Visit new places (Goa!)  Meet new people (cute guys, someone?). Learn new things (French, skating, photography, flash, calligraphy, piano, painting, driving without killing somebody etc), move to a new city (Bangalore/Mumbai!), buy/do something crazy (a DSLR, yes,yes!).


Friday, January 8

A Beginning

I missed my covering deprivation trip. Yeah, the one for which I joined J in the first place. Why did I miss the trip? Why? Because of a mosquito, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, a mosquito that decided, a day before I was due to leave, that it just had to serve it's grand purpose on God's green Earth. So, what does it do? After careful examination of the subjects at hand, which could have been anyone from here to Zoozoo land, it bites me.  


I wake up that morning. Wait, actually I don't. My mum wakes up to see that I'm dying. Well, as good as. Malaria, it was confirmed. The next week and half, I alternate between absolute delirium and peachy pain. Add to this, a rash developed from an allergic reaction to a drug meant to cure a rash. The doc looks at my case file, points to the drug in question and off handedly sniggers "over enthusiastic treatment."


And so it starts, my "happy" new year.