Bambi no more

It's been a bad sad day; Bambi died this morning. Anand helped me bury her. In the background i could hear the prayers in the mosque nearby. With her went the collar, the biscuits, her doctor's file and the bedsheet i had taken out for her

I lost my heart to a 4 legged with itchy ears and worms in her stomach who would come running to see me when i called out. So many memories i have, in such a short while... so many hopes i had. I lost a losing battle.

A great day and a tiring but awesome evening

Phew! Just came back home really really late - it's 3:00 am. 

Woke up with a headache again, either the brain is working overtime or the eyes are. Gulped 2 disprins, went to work and chilled out. My super-fantastic team worked hard to ensure i could take it easy.

Aru came down for chai and we decided to go to Lifestyle @ Inorbit. Played hookey for the first time at work in two years. Shopped. 1 kurta, 1 tee, a pack of tealights, 1 pair square hoop earring, 1 pair bright yellow 2-patti chappals (i have loads of 2 pattis, but just cant resist them), 1 wallet, 3 pairs of earrings for a gift, 1 small mirrored matka that i will plant a plant in sometime and tie-hanger. And 1 red poppy from a kenzo display stand that i forced the store assistant to let me take. Awesome fun.

Decided to go out for dinner. F9, Chatees, Chutneys, Thai. Naah. Finally, lightning struck. Aru and i headed to Hard Rock Cafe. SMSed Bagsi to join us but she couldn't make it eventually. Chilled out over 1 mojito each, lots of eats and gupshup.

Dropped by at Bagsi's place to see her and the wall of her room that she was getting painted and was apparently patchy. Definitely patchy. Talked a bit and while saying bye, summoned up the courage to give in my inputs on a few changes we could make in her living room. One change led to another and then another, we were unstoppable. Change cushions, curtains, and this, now that, then this.

Blue, white and dashes of green... the house looks brighter, bigger and warmer... i want my house to look as pretty. That was fun. Thanks Bagsi for entertaining me and my whims; hope Jay likes it when he returns.

Pics of the home coming soon :) Yeah, very soon!

Check this! Handcrafted leather

Feralgirl on etsy sells these handcrafted leather wallets. I love. Will someone gift me one?

Cant drink no more

Not like i could ever drink a lot, but i did enjoy my drink - whiskey, vodka, or beer. But these days just a pint of beer, yes one pint only, gives me a hangover. Forget about drinking any of the other stronger stuff. Any suggestions?

Another blog

I stopped blogging for a long time. No time, you see...

And then suddenly i went back to it. And i found time somehow. Same job, same timings. Now i write direct dil se and post pics on another - http://myworldmypictures.blogspot.com/. Have a look around. 

Looking forward to your feedback. 

A

Annoyed and a little upset

We live in a 'brand' and image conscious society that still craves everything 'phoren' even if it is a non-brand in that country. From shampoo to toothpaste to shaving cream to deodorant we will gobble up anything that is expensive / branded / costs a lot of money. So even if the dog is cute and friendly, no one wants it - after all it is a mongrel / raaste ka kutta / junglee / mixed breed. So what if it is hardy, strong, immune to most disease and can thrive well in our climate. After all, it does not have a price tag attached it...

Driving around

more than 75 kms in one day. fighting traffic, breathing pollution, getting painted with dust and grime, while navigating through some known streets and a few unknown ones.  

Secunderabad - Begumpet - Hitec City - Breakfast - Kondapur - Jubilee Hills - Begumpet - Tea and Directions - Balanagar - Sanathnagar - Begumpet - Lunch @ 4 - Pot Market - Begumpet - Secunderabad - Hasmathpet - A little dinner - Secunderabad - Some more dinner - Home finally. Phew!

For the first time, yesterday, i drove so much within the city. And alone. Since my weekly offs don't match with any of my friends, i am generally left to myself and mostly i laze around at home the entire day catching up on my reading and spending time net surfing, rarely venturing out.

What i purchased? (I can't obviously roam around so much and not buy anything)

4 gold nose pins for about Rs 1200 (2 for me and 2 for Aru)

1 pair of silver earrings to use as nose ring for Rs 45 (Aru and i will share one each)

1 pair of gold earrings for Rs 1200

Another pair of gold earrings for a gift

1 wooden muddler for home and another for Aru for Ra 70 each

1 cake tin

1 set bright blue bucket and mug  for Rs 60

1 set green

1 dark blue plastic stool for Rs 115

1 laundry basket for Rs 80 ( I have a blue theme going in the bathroom room and need blue towels and a blue doormat)

1 red and 1 yellow melamine platter for Rs 180

2 square red yellow platters for Rs 120

2 white ceramic bowls for dunking idlis in sambar for Rs 240

2 black diamond shaped glass platters for Rs 60 each

A big steel dabba for my catering biz (that's what Aru calls it)

12 juice glasses and 6 wine ones for Aru's office

2 bright yellow utensil trays for Rs 200 each, i think

A murukku gun for Rs 240

And one brass plate for kneading dough for Rs 156

I had a good time. Got a little tired, a little overwhelmed but finished a lot of pending work. And also forgot to fill fuel.

Who wants a puppy?

does anyone want love in their lives?

This cutie is up for adoption. He is a roadasian (meaning Indian dog found on our Indian roads). He is also very loving and fond of Parle G biscuits. I am going to take him for a bath and shots to the vet tomorrow, hopefully. If you are interested in adopting an Indian pet best suited for the Indian weather, who is resilient and who can make your day, everyday with love and licks, please leave on note on my blog or email me.

All the Best!

Heeheeeeheeheeheehaahaahahaahaaaheehaahee :) :) ouch... (yeah, my stomach hurts)

Tough day at work followed by dinner at a cousins followed by a really really late night show of All the Best with Santosh and Chopi. Methinks it's a great way to round up your day. 

All the best is really loud, a little silly sometimes, very corny some of the times, filled with pj's throughout the time (me likey). It's too-bright and too-colourful in every frame and the flowers, you have to see it to believe it. But it's also a whole lot of fuuun. Plus, I think it was almost - squeaky clean so parents can take their kids along to watch it.

(I think hubby dear is convinced he wants to see it and hence, this evening i might go for a second see.)

He made breakfast

He hates to cook. 

2 days back, i was asked to get ready quickly as he was getting late for work and since  i was getting a ride up to a quarter of the way, i said ok. But i needed to pack something for work, as the food that we get nearby is dismal.

I requested, please put butter on bread 4 slices. He sliced cucumber and tomatoes, grated carrots and cheese, put some salt and pepper and lots of butter and made me super awesome sandwiches. Thank you da for making my day. Looking forward to more such lunches...

Check this! Praveen Kadiyinti

Good God. Flowers, coins and rock idols.

A friend of a friend just dropped in. I was adding a post to my blog when he mentioned his friend's blog. And i had to see it. When i saw it, i had to post it. Praveen's father makes patterns using flowers and coins everyday in the puja altar. You have to see it to believe it. From simple to complex, two colours to more, they are very interesting. Have you ever seen simple everyday items transformed so beautifully? Check out more on this photoblog.

Thanks Santosh. You dropped in at a fortuitous time.

Check this! Young House Love

Aru shared this with me yesterday. I only got to visit this beautiful place today. Thanks for making my day without even talking to me. :)

I came back from work about an hour ago - sleepy and tired. Now i feel fresh and bursting with ideas. Just like John and Sherry's Before and After where they makeover homes sitting in their own home. Really!

This is just the refreshment that i needed. To see more Before - After, visit Young House Love and get inspired!

(I thought the name was corny and would never have visited if anyone else had sent me the link; it's only coz Aru whose opinion i trust and value suggested it. Thanks Aru for sharing this. Mwaah!)

Friends at home

Last night, finally, Aru and Rajulu and Bagsi came home. 

We had planned and like all previous plans, this one looked all set to go awry.
Anand was going to work late, R and Ar had to a crisis to manage and it was bhai duj too. 
Not sure if it would happen, i net surfed until  4:30, slept for 2 hours.
Woke with the headache doubled, had a bath and started cooking.
I dint know what was there in the fridge... ouch!
Decided the menu, changed my mind, asked my mom, then aunt, decided, changed it again, finally made multi grain phulkas, aloo mutter in tomato gravy, whole moong dal, cucumber raita, veggie pulav, paneer and baby corn bhajiya and moong dal mustard wala. (the recipes will be in my crooking blog... some day... )
The grocery delivery boy had to make 4 trips to my house or was it 5? Sloppy me.
Many delays later, they came in at around 9ish. 
Everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed my newly redecorated green wall. Thank you. 
Aru made nice vodka cocktails. (I will buy an ice crusher soon Aru.)
We drank, talked, munched, shared design ideas, laughed.
My brothers came in pairs, got their foreheads applied with long red tikas, touched my feet, gave me money and scooted.
Then Anand came and made kahlua cocktails. The girls liked.
Aru got me pretty candles and some clothes hooks.
Anand and Rajulu talked shop again. 
Bagsi hyperventilated about going to work early next day.
We ended at 1:45 and despite two disprins, the headache still lingers today. :(
I still woke up feeling happy. :)
Did they?

Sunny Side Up this side

Anand might move his office. This is the first office Sunny Side Up ever had and i got a little nostalgic thinking that the SSU team would be moving out of this place (to a bigger, brighter location). Here's some pix of the office, the mess and the diwali puja..

More pics this side.

Wake Up Sid and doing the right thing

It all started with a bad day :(
Last night, Raam and i went to watch a movie together. My day had started badly. It got kick-started with a fight with A that left me in tears. Post which, the day kept sliding downhill with my girls at work completely pissing me off with their lies and attitude... Oh, I don't even want to get into it - there is enough masala for at least 3 posts...

Booking the tickets
Anyways, there was this birthday dinner that i was to go to and for the first time, i gave a team party a miss. Called Bhargavi and as usual she ditched saying she had an early meeting the next day despite the fact that when we last spoke we had almost booked the tickets. No big surprise there, i almost knew when i called that she would back out. I had already had had enough of people taking me for granted by then but was not feeling miserable any more.  So anyways, since Raam had already counted himself in, i logged onto bookmyshow.com to book the tickets. Now, the problem is, I dont have a credit card. Called Chopi, another friend, but his CC was maxed out too... Stuck again.

But then dad is always there to bail me out. Finally, something going right. Selected the theatre, the movie, the timings and then the rows and proceeded to buy when an error raised its ugly head... there was a problem with the connectivity that bookmyshow was having with the theatre. Ouch again. Called their helpline and they could not book either due to the same problem. AARGGHH.

The theatre
With no other choice left, we decided to go to the theatre and take a chance. Picked up Raam near home and  reached Prasadz. Got the tickets easily and got better seats than the online selection (it was my first time there when i did not have to stand in line). Wow!

And then since we had an hour to kill, dropped into Odyssey and then the Timex store (I have a horrible weakness for watches) and finally Mamu for dinner. (Total spend so far was Rs 2610)

Watching the movie
After waiting for another thirty minutes, we finally got to watch the movie - and what a movie. So sweet, so cute, so endearing so lovable, so handsome. Okay, maybe i fell in love with Ranbir Kapoor more than i fell in love with the movie. But then you can't blame me, he is cho chweet. Yeah i know i sound 16... but then, that's why i feel like after watching the movie. I feel young and happy and good and i want young and happy and good. The movie is full-on feel good. Cliched ending but who cares...
(And i did bug Raam throughout with my incessant chatter despite him having warned me in the beginning)

After the movie
We got copped. Just after Necklace Road, there was this battalion of mamu's (traffic cops) drinking coke who stopped us for Registration and License. Now, Raam was driving and he was not carrying the license. So without flinching and asking him to pardon us or let us get away with a small chai-paani income, we asked him to fine us. We happily paid up the fine. After all, we had broken the rules and if we don't stop bribing then  we will always be corrupt. So yeah, we paid Rs. 300 and got home.

And yes, I was still smiling. Finally.

Diwali Shopping and Some Painting

Diwali is just round the corner and the festive season seems a little less extravagant this year. I don't see the same enthusiasm at all. The too brightly lit stores seem to be still sleeping and the zing seems to be missing this year. Is it my thinking or is the rains?  It all seems a bit subdued...

Diwali always gives an excuse to buy and being the shopaholic that i am, i have already started making a round of the stores. First up was soft furnishings for the home. I have already gone to Fabindia and picked up bedsheets, curtains, cushions and a few cushion covers. There was also a really nice table, small, dark brown wood that tempted me... it would be perfect for my laptop, but i have given it a miss for now. There's still sometime to go for Diwali and who knows?

Besides buying stuff, i am planning to make some changes in the decor of our home. First up on the list is to paint one wall of our bedroom and it's going to be green - dark iriscident green. Right now the walls are a drab cream, the standard colour of all walls in most homes that are let out for rent. I have finally managed to convince A that we should paint; i have my fingers crossed and desperately hope he does not back out at the last moment.

The colours of the room are going to be green, shocking pink, orange and brown. Ok, i know it sounds terrible, but wait for a bit and you will see. I am hoping it is going to be great (and my fingers of the other hand are crossed as well.)

(The green that i am talking about is the colour that you see where the leaves overlap.
The shocking pink curtains i already have (it covers the wardrobe as it does not have wooden doors)
The bedspread is going to be orange... )

Check this! Sandra Juto

Take a look at Sandra Juto's designs and her photography. Some really nice everyday scenes captured simply but beautifully. Simple, elegant, minimalistic, so very clean. She picks up simple, everyday stuff and shoots them and makes them look so interesting. Some of the camera angles and the layouts are fabulous. I totally loved it.
(All pics taken by Sandra Juto)

Picture this! Pink

I shot this pretty pink rose that was abloom in the harsh desert of Bikaner.