2 interesting reads

I haven't been posting as much as i would have liked to...

The new blog has been taking a lot of my time. I fired my maid so i had a lot of housework to do. I also decided that the time to clean the house is now and so i was at it, morning to night - clothes, crockery, kitchen, books - everything had to be sorted and cleaned. Please accept my apologies...

And now, for the interesting reads. One's hilarious, but true. And the other, it's an interesting checklist that went viral and was a huge hit - 30 things a woman should know, before she turns 30.

{The extremely funny one that all women will agree with. Wendi Aarons }
{The checklist, that i am seeing a few years too late.}

{image from foxtongue's flickr stream}

Spring cleaning

I have spent the entire day today trying to better organize my house. My hands, feet, back are hurting. Heck, even my fingers and toes hurt... And there is still more cleaning to do! 

I will be back tomorrow with more... 

{Pic via Things organized neatly}

Resume services, or not

Recently, my cousin sought professional help for her resume from a recruitment site, from one of the premier job search sites in India. This is like her first resume and i was the one who advised her to get help.

The resume per se was not bad, but it's amazing how easily they made the truth appear so unbelievable with half-sentences and incomplete information! I called to ask her why she had embellished her resume with half-truths and she was like this is all true! Believable, because i have never known her to lie. And she gave me details about everything mentioned.

Am i just hard-to-convince or are resume-writing services really just sub-standard?

What's this, now?

• Holds the distinction of undergoing Radio Ad & a Print Ad.
• Bagged an award for Dramatics.
• Stellar role in enrolling in a Personality Development Course.
• Pro-actively participated in social service. (Kindly confirm)

Have you ever used a resume-writing service? Do you have any recommendations?

{Love this resume i found on Pinterest. I have come across many colorful, fancy resumes but most if them have been terrible. This one is so beautiful. It's just perfect. What do you think?}

Something stupid

Loving this right now...



How is your week going on? Mine's kinda alright this far!

Birds on a cushion @Zansaar

Zansaar is another online store. But what sets them apart is their inventory. There are some pretty and unique soft furnishings and home decor products available, the likes of which i have not seen anywhere else.

{Buy the bird frame digital printed cushion for Rs 499. Here. I also love this throw; it's gorgeous}

Zaraa dekha, zaraa socha

My friend Vibhaas writes the most gorgeous poetry. He was on this blog before, but wanted to remain anon then. Now, he has come out of the closet (not in that way!) and we have started a blog together.

He writes the poetry. I click the pictures. You get to read it.

Do visit and let us know what you thought... it's something new and i am very excited about it, but i also really do need your support on this one!

{zaraa dekha, zaraa sochaa}

News to share...

I have something to tell you. About something new. It all started with a picture and some words and a shared love for poetry.

A friend and i are collaborating on creating something together. I am trying to get not too excited about it but it's not working...  i mean i can't curb the excitement... it's working alright...

Will keep you posted and share details soon. Wish me luck, please. And pray it works out.

I am also going to be a little less regular on this blog, for just a teeny bit. I hope you don't mind.

{Photo by me. The sun in hiding, Anjuna, Goa}

Jab hum jawaa'n ho'nge

Listening to this song right now after singing it a zillion times in Goa and driving everyone up the wall!



PS: Have u seen Betaab? I would have but i really don't remember, just have fleeting memories of it...

Bombay, not so blue

Grey skies. Peeling paint. Dilapidated buildings. A little forlorn. A little forbidding even. More concrete. Less green.

And yet, Mumbai is a city i can't get enough of.

I reached on Monday afternoon (you remember the goof up?), and went on a really long drive across the city to New Bombay.  To meet a really old friend. Befitting. Considering i was meeting him after 14 long years, what was 30-odd kilometres? We traveled back at the end of his work day to pick up another old friend from her workplace.

WTF! The day is going alright after all :D
After chai at her home and a lot of discussion we headed to WTF in Khar... mid way for a lot of people who were going to be meeting each other for the first time. I was anxious without cause... because everyone got along just along fine. Nothing like a cozy place and a little alcohol to make everything alright. Bollywood and politics and advertising, lots of spicy food, some gossip and music that was not too loud made for a fantastic evening. Of coure,WTF is very casual, with fairy lights and nothing too glossy so that made it perfect for me! And you can also wear your favorite denim short skirt in Bombay, even if you have to use public transport to travel.

Going to town
The next day my friend had me picked up. We then headed to 'town'.  Spotting star's homes on the way we went on the Worli Sea Link which is the one of most beautiful parts of Mumbai for me. Sadly, i couldn't stop to take pictures, because you really can't do stuff like that in Bombay...

Driving around 
We drove around, stopping to take pictures - old pretty buildings, shady avenues, green trees, people driving like normal people do, even a little bit of blue sky, and not so much traffic.

Must do's that i did 
A walk on Marine Drive, lunch and beers at Cafe Mondegar's, street shopping on Colaba, tea at the Gateway of India, more tea at the Taj Palace was part of the lovely but pretty tiring day.
(Don't my coral pants look lovely?)

Dinner and drinks
Another friend to meet. Another WTF to visit. This one at Versova. Rather nice but pretty crowded, maybe because it was Friday evening. Dinner at Mia Cucina next door followed where i feasted on Mango Pana Cotta. The food was apparently good too but i was too tired to eat. And we spotted a starlet here - Shruti Seth! So another Bombay essential - check!

Versova
After an entire night of yapping (i still can't believe we met after 14 years and still had so much to talk about, just not filling in the blank spaces about what we have been up to, but we could talk about life and work and books and songs) we headed to the rather dirty Versova beach. Except it was beautiful in parts. Like boats on the sea, and of course the waves. And the blue blue sky.

More food and more shopping
A short nap later and lots of laziness on my part, my friend and i headed out again. This time for lunch to Urban Tadka. A very kitsch and colorful place, the food was spicy but good. The jalebi rabdi dessert was my favorite part of the meal.

We headed to Tresorie at Infiniti Mall for a gift for the other A, I couldn't find anything, but honestly, i was sleep walking by this time! We had little time but a trip to Lokhandwala yielded a pair of loafers (turned out to be the wrong size, i was that zoned out!). I did some window shopping - beautiful footwear but i had already picked up 5 pairs for myself in Colaba so i resisted.

We went back to Versova, packed and left soon to catch that bus to Goa. But that's another story, for another day.

Hello, i am back

How are you?

I am back from my week long vacation and have tons to share... but right now, i need to recover from my Bombay and Goa holiday soon. I will be back with my stories by the day end... so see you then!

:D

And i goofed up again

Oops! I did it again...

I am travelling to Bombay tomorrow because i booked my tickets for Monday but i thought it was for Sunday. All this i realize on the way to the airport. Gosh, i still can't get over being so stupid!

Have you made booking blunders too? Pray tell... i don't want to be the only one.

Shanghai

This one looks very promising...

Inorbit, Shilparamam Night Bazaar and meeting a fortune teller

Last evening i met Yamini for a spot of shopping.

First stop was Mark's and Spencers for innerwear.  Ever since i have discovered it, i have been in love with their range. Whether you want lacy or plain jane, they have the best range and the staff is pretty helpful. And if you are there, go check out their swimwear. A little expensive but so sexy! And with details like tummy control, just what a girl needs. And the linen pants too... perfect summer casuals.

We then headed to the terrace of Chilly's for some refreshments. We girls do like to drink in the afternoon / early evening. We discovered they have Happy Hours, where you get one plus one free, it turned out to be a good call. *Hic*

We then spotted a fortune teller and got our future revealed. The most memorable part of the evening was when he asked my age, he did a double take. Literally. He actually thought i was kidding him. Right now i am still so happy! Oh and he did reveal a lot about my personality and Y's too - both true. And a little about what the future holds.

After spending half an hour in the most insane traffic jam we headed to Shilparamam. Which was terribly disappointing. A ghost of its former shelf, it's no wonder the place was almost empty. And the Shilparamam Night Bazaar, it's a joke. I actually wanted to go ask for a refund for my Rs 10 entry ticket. It's really that sad. A few shops here and there, most are still doing their interiors and on top of that there is a huge Neeru's store. In the night bazaar at Shilparamam! I just got so mad... how is this helping any artisan? And why is the government hell bent on ruining every good thing that Hyderabad has?

So that was my shopping spree yesterday that ended rather badly... what with the insane traffic and the endless driving!

I am headed for some more shopping today and hope that the day does not disappoint me...

Oh, i am off to Mumbai tomorrow. I am looking forward to that :D

What's your plan for the weekend?

Make candle holders

I love the glow of lamps placed strategically around the house. I think it makes everything look so pretty and golden. The other A hates it. I especially love candle light. At least i can enjoy that when the power goes off... which happens pretty often.

How pretty are these candle holders that i think are repurposed from old jars and glasses? All you need is some jute rope, some laces and some glue... don't you like them too?

{from Pinterest}

Time to Goa...

Last year, i travelled with team Sunny Side Up to Goa for the Goafest. It was 3 days of non-stop craziness, the kind that you want to do again, but it takes you at least 3 more days to recover from.

This year too we are travelling to Goa (but there are a few hiccups in the form of work).

I got so excited that i improved my holiday to include a short trip to Mumbai. So i travel this Sunday to Mumbai, spend a couple of days with friends and then drive down to Goa on Wednesday with another friend.

I just can't wait! Despite the heat and the tsunami warnings and the hiccups. Please wish me luck and hope this works out :)

Blog find: Potli Baba

I had to make up for the shite pic in the previous post. And i HAD to tell you about my friend Nabila's awesome new blog - Potli Baba, Tales of the earth, skies and everything in between. This is her best blog ever and i am feasting on it.

Her words paint pretty pictures and her pictures tell many stories. She's covered Kodagu, Kodaikanal, Aurangabad and Goa. And i can't wait for the next post.

{Go, read.}

The almost-a-disaster dinner

Last night dinner was only half-ready when the power went off. The wheat rolls had to be baked. The 2nd batch of chocolate cupcakes were sitting in the oven in their semi-cooked state. The garlic bread had to be baked.  The pasta was boiled, the sauce and veggies ready, the cheese grated and kept aside but they had to be mixed. The only thing that was totally ready was the Stir-fried veggies... And to top it all, i couldn't find a matchbox to light the 30-odd candles lying around.

In that sorry state of affairs, my guests arrived. Thankfully there was some music playing on my almost-dead laptop and the guests were my cousin and his wife who wouldn't judge me too badly even if i dint feed them anything. But of course, it would be a big family joke to be talked about at every gathering, party, celebration, lunch, movie, phone call for the next 15 years!

About 45 minutes of conversation in the dark, the power finally arrived. And in my frazzled / hassled state i quickly put everything together.

But as they say, all's well that ends well... i managed to pull it off... everything turned out good enough to make you want to over-eat... my tried and tested recipes as well as the ones i tried for the first time!

And i learnt a very important lesson in the process. I am going to make sure the food is pre-baked in the afternoon or not include it in the menu. I am still ok with trying new recipes, though!

Do you stick to tried and tested recipes when you invite people home for dinner? And have you had power troubles when guests were to come over?

PS: Chocolate cup cakes can make the world seem alright again. Especially when the recipe is just perfect. And they are garnished with colored sugar.

PPS: The picture is shite. Sorry about that. Crazy evening and all. 

Speedy looks cool

Doesn't he look so stylish with that scarf around his neck?  Not surprising, since he is my designer friend Kedar's dog!

Actually, though, the credit all goes to Shiv Kumar who styled Speedy and took these pictures... maybe, i should take Happy Singh over for a portrait session!

How are you keeping cool this summer? Me, i am trying to keep indoors to stay cool but i know everyone doesn't have that option... so do tell me how are you coping...

{more Speedy here. And yes, Shiv shoots humans too, so leave him a message if you want to look glam in your pics}

PS: While i am writing this the weather just changed to cool! 

Dumbo aur Dodo ki yaari

In the last few months i have connected with lots of old friends. These are the people with who i spent the wonder years with and even though we promised to stay in touch, life got in the way quite predictably.

For my friend V who i fought with 16 years ago when he wrote DUMBO on my eraser.

Dumbo aur Dodo ki yaari
Lagti hai sabko pyaari
Bateein karte khoob saari
Kuch meethi kuch khaari
Baa'nte kisse kahaani nyaari
Kabhi mudde bade bhaari
Dumbo aur Dodo ki yaari
Lagti hai sabko pyaari

{image credit}

Shoes... By Jove!

Jove has some pretty pretty shoes. I like these peep toe flats for day time casual wear but i'd probably end up wear it all the time. The beige-white with the little bit of green means i could wear it with anything!

I don't really need more shoes, a new shoe cupboard maybe. Because i just got 6 new pairs. Sigh! All the stress of the past fortnight made me go insane...

While i try to fight the urge to not buy new shoes, you check out these other Jove styles i like.

1. Shocking pink heel sandals: sexy!
2. Sweet pale pink flats 
3. The peep toes featuring here
4. Grey wedges with ankle tie and the black ones that are even better.
5. Beige peep toes stiletto. I'd never wear heels that high, but these are perfect if you wear heels everyday.

Never-ending Internet woes

Here's the much-awaited rant! 

I had been having trouble with the speed on Tata Photon Plus and after several complaints and a year of waiting i gave up and decided to switch to another ISP. Even a month after disconnecting i am still having trouble with them...

Either i am going d-uh or my ex-ISP is! I have asked over 5 emails why they take 5 days to disconnect my service and why i should pay a rental for their delay... the last response was this 

"We apologize for the delay response.

We regret to inform you that we are unable to process your request towards the adjustments for the period of cancellation.

However, you will provided with cancellation discounts towards your bill."

I can't make any sense of this... Can you? Please to help (inspired by the grammar in their email!)

I have recently switched over to Airtel 3G. At least, i know that i wont have to deal with the Customer Service department as long as my friend Bhargavi is working there. It's been a hassle-free month so far and i hope this continues...

My haircutting adventures. This time at Fery's

Today, i am going to rant in one post and rave in one. I thought i should start with the rave. No fair me sharing my troubles first thing in the morning with you all!

I got my haircut last Saturday. At Fery's. It's fabulous and i highly recommend it :D

Read the inordinately long story of how it came to be and also see the photo after the jump or skip it altogether... you know everything you have to know already, except visual proof of my claims!

Angry birds on a bottle

How adorable are these water bottles? Somak, of the pinkie monsters, gifted one of these Angry Bird foldable, rollable water bottles to me. He sent another for my niece but guess who's a happier person right now!

{You can buy them here.}

Dress shopping at Promod

Presenting the trendiest dresses of the season. Geometric, shimmer, coral - it's all here! I have been hankering for a nice dress since some time now and

My favorite is the mustard print of these 4. But... i tried them all and surprisingly, the Lace Coral in the top row looks the best on me.

It's lace, something i would never wear or look at but i took a chance and it did look gorgeous. Very feminine and pretty and comfortable. And all those doubts about coral... it's put to rest... the color looked fab on my complexion.

The second is the coral with shimmery sequins... the color looked a little washed out but it's very very pretty too.

The green worked but the fit was kinda off.

The mustard looked the least interesting... it did look good but i had 3 other better dresses to choose from! So tell me, what's your favorite?

{All photos from Promod - Coral Lace, Sequinned Coral, Green, and Mustard}

Poppy pants from Promod and the weekend that whooshed by

How was your weekend? I thought mine would be blah but it actually turned out pretty good!

On Saturday
* I went for a swim, so got my monthly quota of exercise.
* I got my hair cut and it's really good. Picture and details coming soon.
*Rohit 4 Eyes Chopra, the other A and i went to the newly opened Ten Sports for a late-night drink. It's one of the few places in the city that's open till way past midnight, but it was full when we went and had a hard time finding place to sit. Try the crackling noodles when you go, it's very good.

On Sunday
*The 3 of us went for breakfast to the coffee shop at Belson's Taj Mahal Hotel. The button idli-vada was our first order, like always. But it was unusually and excessively salty. Looks like they are losing their touch.
*I vegetated most of the day coz i was feeling unwell.
* We went shoe shopping for the other A late in the evening. Unfortunately, owing to the curfew and unrest in the city, shops started downing their shutter. After a stop at Puma, where he dint like anything we went to Shoppers' Stop at GVK One. Same story here too.
* The pants: We headed to Promod and the other A got these pants for me. They fit like a dream, feel like a dream and cost enough to make you wish the dream never ended. They look rather pink in the picture but they are more coral, in real. Aren't they pretty? (I spent more on these pants than i have on anything else ever. There is cheaper variant for about 2K but that's not so great.)
*Our last stop was the Hard Rock for drinks n dinner. They have some new items on the menu so do try. Yamu and i split the Hummus platter that was yummy but the Strawberry Cheesecake was a big disappointment.

That was my weekend. Packed and bursting at the seams. How was yours?

And what do you think of my new pants? Would you wear a loud color like this ever?

Handy hint to solve the pomegranate peeling problem

Pomegranates are in season and even though i am not particularly fond of them, i picked up a few. Simply because it is one of the few fruits that the other A will eat without a fuss. Of course, cutting the fruit and deseeding is a rather messy affair. Till Yamini suggested that i try deseeding it underwater based on a video she saw in YouTube. I shrugged it off, but this morning i remembered the tip and tried it. It worked like a charm.

All i did was cut the pomegranate into two halves, dunked them in water and separated the fruit and the skin underwater. Removed the bigger chunks of peel and membrane with my hand and used a strainer to get rid of the water.

In case, my how-to was not clear here's a detailed video to help get rid of your pomegranate peeling problems.

Fruit wedge jello shots

Since lime and lemon and oranges are easily available now, it's the perfect time to make these pretty fruit jello shots at your next party and wow your guests :D

Don't they look lovely? And they are very simple to make too... The best part is you can make them a day prior.

You can make them alcoholic or try the non-alcoholic version for the kids.

{find it here}

Fun phone photos

This is so fun! Quick, get your friends to pose. :D

{from}

Bad photo segment from Ellen's Show

You have to have to have to watch this. Like now. I promise it will make you laugh.

Trending: Chevron

I heart Chevron. It is one of the few season's styles that i even like.

And i love the way Blair of the F-blog Atlantic Pacific takes a fashion trend and makes it  her own. AP is one of my fav fashion blogs... i love the way Blair puts outfits and accessories together... disparate pieces that you would never think u could wear together... and she makes it look awesome.

{Go check AP's take on Chevron that is currently big in both, fashion and decor. Click here to see her pretty Chevron rings}

Neiya on Bamarang

Bamarang is one site whose sales i check everyday because they always have the most gorgeous stuff. Check out Neiya products on today's sale quickly... they are moving off the shelves fast...

{Loving this Birds on a wire top that is selling for RS. 649.}

PS: While you are there chek out Kalabhawan range of home accessories. They are gorgeous. The boat shaped planter set and the turtle watering can are my favs.

What's in your cupboard?

I found this on a Young House Love a few days ago and have been meaning to share it with you all ever since... but the last few days have been a little crazy... so here it is now.

Sherry, one-half of the blog YHL made this bulletin board and hung it in her wardrobe. So she can pin her fav looks, make up styles, fashion inspiration et al.

I like it for two reasons. First, it does not use up a wall or clutter it. Second, it's in the exact place where it should be... you look at it every time you get dressed and be inspired to try something new!

Simple, and brilliant, don't you think?

{If you have never made a soft board, here's the how to on Young House Love.}

Poetry - Chutti ki subah by V

I recently reconnected with another old friend and he has been sharing with me some of his writings. V is a prolific writer and pens at least a poem a day. He writes about the most mundane stuff but in such a beautiful way that it always makes my day. It's like receiving a precious and rare gift every time i receive an email.

Right now, i wish i could have written this intro about him and his poetry better (much like how Arundati would have written it)... but here it is anyway, one of the poems that V sent me - Chutti ki subah (A holiday morning)

सफ़ेद धुप की उन्स सी पट्टी 

पर्दों के बीच से

दरीचे को मात देके

मेरी आँखों पे बंध रही है

एक सिरा अब भी खुला

तकिये से होकर 

बिस्तर की छोर तक खिंचा है

बिलकुल सीधा, एकदम उजला.

सतरंगी रस्सियों का एक ताना 

मेरी बोझल पलकों को खींचता है

शायद रौशनी से बना है 

और दरीचे की कांच से बंधा है

रसोई में पडोसी के cooker की सीटी

कहीं दूर प्रार्थना में बजती घंटियाँ

'gully cricket' में चीखते बचपन का शोर

क्यूँ सब करते हैं इतनी साज़िश हर छुट्टी की सुबह.

His poetry reminds me a lot of Gulzar's writing - simple words and contemporary language that convey a depth of meaning.

If you don't know Hindi, you can find my attempt at translating it, after the jump 

Oh! Ma

My mother is full of surprises.

This evening i went to visit my grandfather who is staying at my mother's home currently. My father and grandfather were both asleep and my mother was awake, not watching TV, but surfing the Internet. Surprising because till three months ago she did not even know how to switch on a computer.

And today i find her sitting and surfing the Internet. Even more surprising because she is not very conversant with English, and has had minimal schooling in a Bengali medium school, before she got married at the age of 16.

She had more surprises in store for me. She wanted to know why i hadn't posted anything on my blog after April 1st. I am still awed by the person she is and how i am not even 1/3rd of the 'babe' that she is...