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200th Post!
Wanted to shout "Yay! this is my 200th post"... I googled on various blogs on 200th post and found that there were people who managed to finish 200 posts in 2 or 3 months, while it took almost 4 years for me to touch the magic number. Then my mindset came down to clenching my fists and shouting "Yes!" and to my dismay found almost all the blogs I went through, had a social message or boasted of great talents like photography, music, art. Another dampener, I am writing this post with, "let me not take another year to complete my 300th post."
Enough thanking of friends, family for their motivation, encouragement and a word of mention of their names in my milestones posts as everyone now knows about my family and friends.
It's the most exhilirating moment, when I finish a post and go back and read it after I publish it. It's like giving birth to a child.
Few random thoughts, anecdotes and experiences that puzzled me, made me laugh, made me cry and at times silent.
Yeah! that's me and this was shot taken by my office for our office calendar last year and the hands you see there are of my best friends Manoj and Namita... The theme was team spirit and "holding hands" we did.
Last year when I was asked to pose for our Company's calendar, I was astounded. My only fear was I am not photogenic and comes out as an ugly duckling. I was shocked, when two of my photographs were published in the calendar. February and October. The pre-photographic session was funny. The make up man who made my face, had to use one whole pancake on the sides of my face. He told me that he had to cut down my face as it's huge. He went on and on about my totally uncared and unkempt skin and hair. He pointed out to my lips with peeled skin (as usual I forgot to apply lip balm). The whole episode made me realize, that I need to spend at least one hour a week to pamper my skin. This was in my mind for few months and made me head to a beauty salon to straighten few of my front strands of my hair, after I got it done, they told me I should pay 4000 rupees, I almost had a heart attack. When I came home Sure exclaimed, "what have you done to your hair, why did you cut it this short? It was good as it is... how much did you spend for this?". I swallowed fast and started 4..., "What? 400? are you crazy?". I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I never told him after that it was 4000 rupees. Though I feel guilty about hiding the fact. What can I do to men, who jump to conclusions? I am not responsible.
Enough thanking of friends, family for their motivation, encouragement and a word of mention of their names in my milestones posts as everyone now knows about my family and friends.
It's the most exhilirating moment, when I finish a post and go back and read it after I publish it. It's like giving birth to a child.
Few random thoughts, anecdotes and experiences that puzzled me, made me laugh, made me cry and at times silent.
Yeah! that's me and this was shot taken by my office for our office calendar last year and the hands you see there are of my best friends Manoj and Namita... The theme was team spirit and "holding hands" we did.
Last year when I was asked to pose for our Company's calendar, I was astounded. My only fear was I am not photogenic and comes out as an ugly duckling. I was shocked, when two of my photographs were published in the calendar. February and October. The pre-photographic session was funny. The make up man who made my face, had to use one whole pancake on the sides of my face. He told me that he had to cut down my face as it's huge. He went on and on about my totally uncared and unkempt skin and hair. He pointed out to my lips with peeled skin (as usual I forgot to apply lip balm). The whole episode made me realize, that I need to spend at least one hour a week to pamper my skin. This was in my mind for few months and made me head to a beauty salon to straighten few of my front strands of my hair, after I got it done, they told me I should pay 4000 rupees, I almost had a heart attack. When I came home Sure exclaimed, "what have you done to your hair, why did you cut it this short? It was good as it is... how much did you spend for this?". I swallowed fast and started 4..., "What? 400? are you crazy?". I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I never told him after that it was 4000 rupees. Though I feel guilty about hiding the fact. What can I do to men, who jump to conclusions? I am not responsible.
There were weekends, when I had to spend all alone at home, my brother used to go out with his friends, dad for work or to visit his brother. Mom always spend time roaming around, grocery, market, her sis's place and stop for tea in one of our friend's place. It was then I started going to library and settle down with a book and called the books as my best friend. I still do. If you ask me now, I would have given anything to throw the book away and go out with a friend but I didn't have one.
There was a friend who was very dear to me and he was almost like an adopted son of mine. A cherished friend. Somehow we stopped communicating to each other and we never even had a fight. The thing that puzzle me is I never bought him a gift. The first and last gift I bought for him was a silver pen. He left for the US and that was the last I heard from him. I was forced to believe the superstition that one should never gift Pens. When I wrote this poem, he was in my mind.
During my college days, me and my friend used to walk from my college to home. We used along the beach road everyday morning and evening. There was one woman in her 60s and who sat near a subway begging. We approached her one day and asked her why she had to beg. My question was when there were so many old age homes run by the government, why can't she stay there and rest. She told me, "Child, its not like what you think... if you think old age homes are haven, then you are clearly wrong. I was in such a place a year back. You are too young, I am not even sure if I can tell you this. People who are incharge of these shelters, take money and let drunk men in and the women staying there were forced to have sex. It was once such day and one after another there were seven men who forced themselves on me. The next morning I escaped from there. Yeah! escaped, once you are in you cannot leave these places easily." I was shocked, speechless, angry and didn't know what else to say. I had 10 rupees saved after that month's expenses. I gave the 10 rupees to that old woman and asked her to leave to her native or to any of her relative, who can have her. She smiled sadly. That was the last day I saw her. I became little wiser and came to know about this little ugly world waiting for me and it was from then, I started to suspect every man I saw.
There were days when everyone used to carry the Rubik's cube. From the old gentlemen who sit in the beach relaxing during the evenings, housewives trying to solve when they cook, kids staring at the green, red, yellow, white, blue, orange stickers and wondering what it is all about. None of my cousins or brother or friends could solve it. We tried solving one side. There was no you tube or google to check for instructions. A friend would say that one of her cousin solved the puzzle, once I remember I even payed her one rupee to learn the trick and tell me. Which she never did. But I made sure that she paid the one rupee back in easy installments. Then there was this program in Doordarshan on solving this puzzle. The participants were given 5 minutes to solve the puzzle. There was a guy who solved it in the given time. Till today, I tried various methods of solving like peeling the stickers and paste them colour wise, little clumsy as there were air bubbles caught inside or the stickers peeled at the corners and even to my amateur eyes, I could detect the cheat. Then I tried removing the cube and try to put it back and I was never able to and one after other my brother's cube disappeared.
I loved going out with my Aunt, my mom's elder sister. She had lots of friends and every 10 steps we took we will be stopped by one of her acquaintances and I used to get juicy and spicy tit bits about others. She was a gutsy woman and never shy away from fights, whether its for getting water from metro water tank or bargaining with a vegetable vendor or directly going to school and talk to principal and request for admission for someone who just managed to scrap through the board exam. No thanks to her I got admission in the first group too. She fought for whatever was rightfully hers and a mother hen to all of us. Even if was one small milk peda, she cut the peda in to equal halves and give that to everyone in the family. If she had a chance to stand during election in Triplicane area, she would have easily won. "Seetha Mami", everyone used to call her and her last days were terribly sad. She suffered from stroke and one by one all her organs failed. First her speech gone, facial palsy they said, then she couldn't walk, she used to write and tell us what she wants, slowly the action in hand also died and just her eyeballs moved, then slowly it went too. I hated god for the first time. She never missed going to temple everyday and none of the guest who came home can leave with out having food. 10 days before she passed away, I went to temple and prayed to god and begged him to take her away and when my prayer came true, I became quiet for days,
Everyday when I come home from office, I have to cross the market place. A month back, I took an auto from where our office bus stops and was on my way to home. There was one Bolero Van with red lights flashing and inside was a police officer, with a mike on his hand shouting at people and the vendors not to block the way. He stopped near a flower vendor, the vendor gave him a small garland of jasmine, the officer threw it on the statue of the god on the glove compartment. We were waiting patiently for him to pay, but to my dismay he didn't pay and went to the vegetable vendor, who had the vegetables ready in polythene bags, his next stop was a fruit vendor and then a sweet shop. There were cows and calves standing innocently and munching the half rotten vegetables and the vendors who were already angry with the police officer, used their staff to hit the cattle, calling it names. But one of the bold cow felt safe as he was standing close to the officer and stood next to his vehicle half blocking the vehicle. When the officer honked hard, the cow lifted its tail and gave the car and the officer's face a nice wash... I almost rolled out on the floor laughing. Fitting punishment. How dare, he try to involve god too in his bribing act.
Today morning, being weekend and my maid took off ended up washing clothes in the washing machine. I filled the machine with dirty clothes, detergent filled in the space provided, set the machine for medium wash, went to take bath. The set time for medium wash is 15 minutes then drain and then water gets refilled for rinse. After 15 minutes, I could hear a faint alarm almost like a child's wail and it was then I realized, I did not let the draining tube free. In our house the great architect who designed our house plumbing system, forgot to provide an auto drain pipe that get emptied in the bathroom or toilet. I had to keep the hose pipe suspended at the back of the bathroom door, which I forgot to let free. Hence the commotion. I felt very guilty and had to rush from the bathroom to untie the the hose, so that my washing machine can empty its bladder. I went and stood near my washing machine and ran my hand on her gently and on the verge of saying sorry. It was only two days back, there was a traffic jam (election season) due to some political meeting and I had to suffer with a full bladder, so I can understand my Ms. Robert's (I have the habit of naming all my things, my washing machine's name is Ms. Roberts short for Julia Roberts) wail. My laptop is called Phoenix, my printer Garfield, my fridge Will Smith. It's funny as Phoenix has the habit of dying often and format and bring him back to life. Garfield growls and howls all the time, to even print one sheet of paper and kinda funny when I tell my son if he asks something to eat, "let me open Will and see if he has it ;)".
It was Nami and Ram's first wedding anniversary on 22nd March 2011. Ram was in Singapore and Nami in Chennai. Ram sent Nami lovely bouquet of sexy red roses and she was almost in tears. Nami ordered an iphone for Ram to be delivered in Singapore and Ram was emotional, stunned, happy and Nami in tears rushed to the restroom. I wish you guys that you should get every whim and wish of yours come true... love you dears!
There was a friend who was very dear to me and he was almost like an adopted son of mine. A cherished friend. Somehow we stopped communicating to each other and we never even had a fight. The thing that puzzle me is I never bought him a gift. The first and last gift I bought for him was a silver pen. He left for the US and that was the last I heard from him. I was forced to believe the superstition that one should never gift Pens. When I wrote this poem, he was in my mind.
During my college days, me and my friend used to walk from my college to home. We used along the beach road everyday morning and evening. There was one woman in her 60s and who sat near a subway begging. We approached her one day and asked her why she had to beg. My question was when there were so many old age homes run by the government, why can't she stay there and rest. She told me, "Child, its not like what you think... if you think old age homes are haven, then you are clearly wrong. I was in such a place a year back. You are too young, I am not even sure if I can tell you this. People who are incharge of these shelters, take money and let drunk men in and the women staying there were forced to have sex. It was once such day and one after another there were seven men who forced themselves on me. The next morning I escaped from there. Yeah! escaped, once you are in you cannot leave these places easily." I was shocked, speechless, angry and didn't know what else to say. I had 10 rupees saved after that month's expenses. I gave the 10 rupees to that old woman and asked her to leave to her native or to any of her relative, who can have her. She smiled sadly. That was the last day I saw her. I became little wiser and came to know about this little ugly world waiting for me and it was from then, I started to suspect every man I saw.
There were days when everyone used to carry the Rubik's cube. From the old gentlemen who sit in the beach relaxing during the evenings, housewives trying to solve when they cook, kids staring at the green, red, yellow, white, blue, orange stickers and wondering what it is all about. None of my cousins or brother or friends could solve it. We tried solving one side. There was no you tube or google to check for instructions. A friend would say that one of her cousin solved the puzzle, once I remember I even payed her one rupee to learn the trick and tell me. Which she never did. But I made sure that she paid the one rupee back in easy installments. Then there was this program in Doordarshan on solving this puzzle. The participants were given 5 minutes to solve the puzzle. There was a guy who solved it in the given time. Till today, I tried various methods of solving like peeling the stickers and paste them colour wise, little clumsy as there were air bubbles caught inside or the stickers peeled at the corners and even to my amateur eyes, I could detect the cheat. Then I tried removing the cube and try to put it back and I was never able to and one after other my brother's cube disappeared.
I loved going out with my Aunt, my mom's elder sister. She had lots of friends and every 10 steps we took we will be stopped by one of her acquaintances and I used to get juicy and spicy tit bits about others. She was a gutsy woman and never shy away from fights, whether its for getting water from metro water tank or bargaining with a vegetable vendor or directly going to school and talk to principal and request for admission for someone who just managed to scrap through the board exam. No thanks to her I got admission in the first group too. She fought for whatever was rightfully hers and a mother hen to all of us. Even if was one small milk peda, she cut the peda in to equal halves and give that to everyone in the family. If she had a chance to stand during election in Triplicane area, she would have easily won. "Seetha Mami", everyone used to call her and her last days were terribly sad. She suffered from stroke and one by one all her organs failed. First her speech gone, facial palsy they said, then she couldn't walk, she used to write and tell us what she wants, slowly the action in hand also died and just her eyeballs moved, then slowly it went too. I hated god for the first time. She never missed going to temple everyday and none of the guest who came home can leave with out having food. 10 days before she passed away, I went to temple and prayed to god and begged him to take her away and when my prayer came true, I became quiet for days,
Everyday when I come home from office, I have to cross the market place. A month back, I took an auto from where our office bus stops and was on my way to home. There was one Bolero Van with red lights flashing and inside was a police officer, with a mike on his hand shouting at people and the vendors not to block the way. He stopped near a flower vendor, the vendor gave him a small garland of jasmine, the officer threw it on the statue of the god on the glove compartment. We were waiting patiently for him to pay, but to my dismay he didn't pay and went to the vegetable vendor, who had the vegetables ready in polythene bags, his next stop was a fruit vendor and then a sweet shop. There were cows and calves standing innocently and munching the half rotten vegetables and the vendors who were already angry with the police officer, used their staff to hit the cattle, calling it names. But one of the bold cow felt safe as he was standing close to the officer and stood next to his vehicle half blocking the vehicle. When the officer honked hard, the cow lifted its tail and gave the car and the officer's face a nice wash... I almost rolled out on the floor laughing. Fitting punishment. How dare, he try to involve god too in his bribing act.
Today morning, being weekend and my maid took off ended up washing clothes in the washing machine. I filled the machine with dirty clothes, detergent filled in the space provided, set the machine for medium wash, went to take bath. The set time for medium wash is 15 minutes then drain and then water gets refilled for rinse. After 15 minutes, I could hear a faint alarm almost like a child's wail and it was then I realized, I did not let the draining tube free. In our house the great architect who designed our house plumbing system, forgot to provide an auto drain pipe that get emptied in the bathroom or toilet. I had to keep the hose pipe suspended at the back of the bathroom door, which I forgot to let free. Hence the commotion. I felt very guilty and had to rush from the bathroom to untie the the hose, so that my washing machine can empty its bladder. I went and stood near my washing machine and ran my hand on her gently and on the verge of saying sorry. It was only two days back, there was a traffic jam (election season) due to some political meeting and I had to suffer with a full bladder, so I can understand my Ms. Robert's (I have the habit of naming all my things, my washing machine's name is Ms. Roberts short for Julia Roberts) wail. My laptop is called Phoenix, my printer Garfield, my fridge Will Smith. It's funny as Phoenix has the habit of dying often and format and bring him back to life. Garfield growls and howls all the time, to even print one sheet of paper and kinda funny when I tell my son if he asks something to eat, "let me open Will and see if he has it ;)".
It was Nami and Ram's first wedding anniversary on 22nd March 2011. Ram was in Singapore and Nami in Chennai. Ram sent Nami lovely bouquet of sexy red roses and she was almost in tears. Nami ordered an iphone for Ram to be delivered in Singapore and Ram was emotional, stunned, happy and Nami in tears rushed to the restroom. I wish you guys that you should get every whim and wish of yours come true... love you dears!
4 Candles:
Good one for a 200th post, Viji :) I am sure you are gonna rock as ever in the upcoming posts as well. Good luck for the next milestones.And dont forget to treat us tomorrow for this 200th post ;)
Thanks Kiran! Yeah! sure!
Where's the treat (as asked by Kiran!)?
Nice post Viji... esp the face wash and Robert's bladder getting filled! Guess what? I too have this habit of naming some of my things! Hi-five! Tung (the sound effect ;))!
Thanks again Viji for the wishes through your post and...you dint have to mention about me getting emotional! But anyways, THANK YOU! (Big Hug)
Thanks Nami! Treat? yeah sure! No virtual hugs love :p I prefer personal ones....
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