There is something headily enticing about independence.

Now this blog title has been doing the rounds on my FB status, Twitter and Gtalk and finally arriving here. But of late this has been in my head. I do have the freedom to do things I want, but I always think twice (or more) before I do it. And there are constraints in the form of money, parents, job timings and all that. While its fun to be one kind of independent with a job, the money that comes with and the said freedom; I want a complete and total independence-the sort where you live alone and fend for yourself completely. Though it sounds a tad early, I'd like it all the same. I've got cousins and friends telling me that it's tough to live alone, the things you have to do for yourself, which gets irritating after a point. You start feeling homesick and miss home-cooked food terribly. You miss the familiar surroundings and sights. You miss everything and everyone. And the fact that you have to clean up after yourself. Yes, there are shortcomings, I agree. But look what independence has to offer, in a slightly different angle.

You travel to new places. A LOT. Meet new people, have new adventures, take lots of pictures, eat different varieties of food (okay not so much if you're a vegetarian, but hey it was worth a shot!) and do other fun things! Yes, you also have to pay the rent, buy groceries, cook for yourself, clean up and be responsible all over - but isn't that fun in a way too? To do everything by yourself and gain insights into the world at large. (sounds like a sermon now) But seriously its time I went independent. 

My dinner guest list

Okay as I retweeted Kals Nats post on list of authors she'd love to have dinner with, she asked me to do one too. I'm kindly obliging her :) 

In no order:

Enid Blyton: I know it sounds childish, but most of my childhood was consumed by reading this wonderful author. And as clichéd as it sounds, I did imagine all of those midnight feasts (minus the meat of course!) complete with tins of pineapple slices. I'd read them all again.

William Dalrymple: I've read two of his books - The Last Mughal (partly) and Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India (read review here) and I've been impressed. His flair for the language, style and narrative style have me hooked. I'm self-confessed fan, Mr Dalrymple :) And the fact that he is both a historian and a travel writer only adds to the list of attributes!

J K Rowling: No it's not the norm to add her name to the list. Rowling is indeed one of my favourites. Writing about magic is quite a tough job and it obviously requires much imagination. To make us imagine the sequences requires even more imagination. (Okay so you get the drift). Here's tipping my (imaginary) wand to you!

John Grisham: I think I've read almost all his books and they're pretty interesting (hey they keep me occupied!). He made me like law-based books, I owe him that much. My favourites are The Rain Maker and The Partner.

Ruskin Bond: My list can never be complete without Bond. I can visualize school memories of running to the library and borrowing his books, reading them, returning them and borrowing them for a second time. I've always wanted to meet and talk to him. I'm secretly happy that he lives in India!

Agatha Christie: I’m running the risk of my list sounding more and more un-elitist. Christie is one of those authors I’d read anytime, anywhere. This also evokes school memories where I’d ask my friends to borrow some so that I can read more than one at a time. I still ask my sister to borrow some books from school to keep the tradition going. Murder on the Orient Express is my all-time favourite book.

At this point you may argue saying that Arthur Conan Doyle writes better detective stories and that Sherlock Holmes is a better detective than Hercule Poirot, but I beg to differ. Poirot is an utter delight with his bald head, oiled moustache and prim and proper shoes! Especially his ‘tap those grey cells Hastings’ dialogue! Holmes’ fans can turn their noses up at me, Poirot wins hands down!

Ramachandra Guha: I like everything about this guy! The fact that he doesn’t restrict himself to one genre and explores various others is a blessing. His articles/columns are equally interesting to read. I’d say it’s a must to read his work! Him being cute is an added bonus! Again, I’d love to converse with him.

The list doesn’t end here though, there are various others I’d like to add but that’d just make it bulky.

God put a smile upon your face

I've heard of people saying that they have their days. And their rough patches. 

My rough patches seem to last a long time. I feel invisible all the time. I listen, yes. I just want to be listened to. For a change I wanna talk too, you know! 

Also why don't people stick to a routine in certain things. I mean why do they have to confuse and confound. What joy do they derive? It throws off my mood, my balance. 

Only Coldplay is keeping me company during my time of invisibility. Maybe Chris Martin knows something about me. Hmmm.

Title inspiration: God put a smile upon your face (Coldplay)

Towenty-ten and beyond - I

First things first. 2010 was not what I expected it to be. Not one bit. There's still 4 more days I left though and anything can happen.

At the beginning of the year I was in college, doing my undergrad and blissfully charged through it, unaware of what the year had in store for me. And believe me I never thought I'd be where I am today. Not that I'm complaining.

College was one hell of a ride. With so many twists and turns (yes, I might sound a bit melodramatic, but its all true) I wanted to get over with it. Looking back, it did have it moments and so did I. College taught so much about life and people, their behaviour, character and the changes. I've always been a change-embracing person (so much so that I look forward to them), adjusting and adapting to it. So college was just another lesson in life (sniff). There might be a whole lot of people I'm not going to see or keep in touch with, but I'll always remember them!

Post April, after exams, came the hard part: What to do next? Study, work or take a break? (The third option would've never happened, but its nice to list the choices no?) So after much persuasion from parents and also the lure of travelling, I signed up for universities in UK. Got through one of them and was looking forward. Went on a whirlwind shopping spree and got all ready. But the news about how UK isn't stable and all that came through, from friends, family and well-wishers. So half-heartedly I had to postpone the trip and chose my last option: a job.

When this confusion happened, I also applied for jobs simultaneously. So N and I (both of us applied) got a call from Kingfisher's lifestyle magazine and they asked us to take a test before the interview process. After writing a really easy test, they asked us to fly to Bangalore for a selection-interview-process. (This coincidentally became my first visit to Bangalore! and more visits ensued of course). We did end up going by train of course.

Once we reached there and got settled and all (at cousin's beautiful place in Bannerghatta Road, which has become our all-time option whenever we visit Bangalore) we went straight to the interview. Results were announced immediately. We were given an option to take the job within a week (and find a place to stay as well, madness only). We said yes at first and happily shopped around Bangalore for the two days we were there. Then we started missing Chennai and wanted to get back as soon as we could. Which we did. And after much call-dodging and all that we refused what-could-have-been-our-first-job.


To be continued....

Hmm

Check list for 2011:

New glasses. Check.

Haircut. Hmm thinking,

Sibling thinks the new glasses gives me a nerdy look (she said intellectual, but I knew what she meant. hmpf)

Oh well. I guess there's no turning back.

One more day for new year. And still no plans. Hmm

Why the vacuum cleaner sucks

You've caught me. The title has nothing to do with my post, I just wanted to indulge in some err wordplay, perhaps. You can't blame me you know, its 8.46 pm and I'm at work, persistently (if I may add) for the past 5 days. Including Christmas eve, Christmas and Boxing Day! I'm no Christian, but when the whole world takes off and lazes around, its only fair that I long for one! (Especially when you have a sibling who sleeps tight till 10 am while I trudge off to work). Oh and its a Sunday today. No one I know works on a Sunday! And add to it the sleeplessness of 4 nights in a row - there you have it! One grumpy child. Waiting to get away.

In other news: N is having fun with person-I'm-not-naming-here. Let's call him anon. N and anon are having the best time, I hope it really works out for them :) They make sucha cute couple!

D, my colleague, is pregnant and might take leave only in May end. What a huge sigh of relief! She's one of the most efficient worker and awesome gossip-person and partner-in-spitting-crime. I shall miss her when she is gone. I might leave by May also. Sets me thinking.

T's quiz is not loading. Damn, now how do I kill time at work? Also I've seen it a million times. Just trying to check if I know all the answers every time I view it.

Craving some extra dark chocolate. (Why do all my posts of late contain a reference to chocolate?)

I wanna hold your hand

Remember that little voice in your head? Well, mine instructed me to play the Beatles. Just like that. And this is the first song I reached out to instinctively. No clue why.

Indulgence is when you lick Nutella off the spoon. Over-indulgence is when you sit with the Nutella jar and lick it straight from that, ignoring the spoon. And that is what I did today (also spread some over toast) while watching cartoons. Felt like a kid again. Much fun, sososo much fun! 

Read the Mahabharata for some peace of mind (as I always do). I cannot wait for Bheema and Arjuna to kick some ass! 

No mood to write articles, absolutely none. I feel *so guilty* and sleepy. 

Title inspiration: I wanna hold your hand (The Beatles)

Harry Potter, a post was in order

Okay so the title isn't exactly captivating, I assure the post will be. Tons more. 

When the trailer came out I was all gung-ho about watching it first day, first show. But you and I know better that it did not happen. Worse, my sister and her gang had watched it before me. And other non-Harry Potter fans. That's when it infuriated me. I had grown up with the series (along with other books, of course) and vividly imagined Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and the like in my mind while reading. But I still stand by books > movies. Always! (Ok except for Chocolat where you can see the chocolate and drool) 

So while I was deciding whom to go with and when to go with, (after starting to work, I'm either busy or lazy to do other stuff) a perfect opportunity in the form of cousin from US of A (yes, he already has been mentioned twice in the earlier post) presented itself. We therefore decided (friend, cousin and myself) on an impromptu night show, notwithstanding the amount of work we had the next day. Carefully laid plans were given a toss. So on 15 of December we set out to HP and the Deathly Hallows - I with much excitement. As stuffed as we were we still bought a large packet of popcorn topped with seasoning, waiting for the movie to start.

This movie was touted to be the darkest of them all. Even Scrimgeour looked scruffy. Anyway moving on, the movie was interesting and mostly silent. For most parts the theatre was dead quiet. I kinda enjoyed the silence  though, it showed how intense the movie was. One of my favourite parts was the one where Ron comes back with the sword and exclaims he's back and Hermione's all angry. It's just so damn cute! Another favourite part was when Dobby dies. My cousin had to kill the moment by shouting (when the theatre was silent) "Are you crying?" (It was just a few tears ok) Ditto with my friend. I sunk into my seat. In my defence, it was Dobby, and if you'd read the books (and lived it) crying would've been the right thing to do. 

I liked how it ended, with Voldy facing us (I swear he's one of my fav villains) and leaving me wanting for more.  

Cannot wait for the second installment! And it's in 3D (sigh I'm predicting a headache).

That little voice inside my head

The above video just about describes my chocolate craving on a normal day. On special days it doubles. 

The recent rains in Chennai have done nothing to stop me from craving chocolate, also (note) visiting cousin from US of A who's brought bags of those sinful delights. Argh! How the HELL am I supposed to stop then? So I don't! I just go on :) Someday I hope to own a big larder, mind you a BIG one at that, filled with copious amounts of chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. And pasta. And more such scrumptious items. Oh yes my dreams are big and delicious. 

I also dream of cooking all day, with fancy pots, pans, ladles and ooh knives. Stirring here, marinating there, chopping and sautéing (I kinda like the way its pronounced). Gosh that makes me sound like a house-wife, but I'd like to disagree. Cooking all day does sound strenuous, but fun all the same. I cannot wait! 

In other news: The above-mentioned cousin from US of A has also brought me an ipod Touch. Ha!

--- Linkin Park on the loop ---

:O

Yes yes, the title will suggest the expression on your face when you read this. But I have to say it.

I have finally set my hands on this and reading it for the first time.
Kals Nats is now shocked. Or I hope so. :P

The how-to-be-a-journalist handbook

Lesson 1: Learn to like coffee and tea. This was said by my friend Nandita Raman in one of her posts. I would like to rephrase it quite differently. You must learn to like the liquid that they pass of as coffee/tea. While tea becomes 10x sweeter, coffee on the other hand metamorphosizes into a muddy, dirty concoction that can turn poisonous if you don't drink it immediately.  

Lesson 2: Always, always, ALWAYS carry a notebook (notepad, paper etc) and a writing instrument. Make sure it writes though. You obviously don't want to be borrowing it from the person you are meeting and thus embarrassing yourself in the process (these things happen, yes)

Lesson 3: Do your research. Even if it involves Facebooking the person or searching through his Linkedin profile to unearth depths of unwanted information. In other words, stalk. Yes, I mean it in a good way.

(P.S. Questions on 'What do I do if his/her FB profile is blocked' will not be entertained here. Wait for a separate FAQ page on that one).

Lesson 4: (a) Have quite a good appetite. By good of course I mean BIG. 'Cause as a journo you're entitled to attend events at 5 star hotels and eat the free food they pass out. The average is about 2 events/week, if not more. 

(b) Also brag about how you get to attend these cool events (mention the food of course!) till the people listening  drool their saliva away and beg you to please take them. Promise that you will. Later if you don't (which will most probably happen) always use the I-don't-think-my-editor-will-approve reason, or the It-won't-look-professional one. Or the quintessential Oh-I-totally-forgot. Works every time!

Lesson 5: (a) Keep Google open. Whether you use it or not, is secondary. Always pays to have it open, you can check for sources if not for anything else. If all fails please open any one of those networking sites and network! 

(b) Side-la keep your newspaper/magazine's site also open. When editor/colleague passes by swiftly but deftly open the news site. This doesn't require much practice. 

Lesson 6: Post important links on important happenings in the world, whether you find it important or not. Comment something on it. Preferably something intellectual. 

This post reflects the author's personal views and does not mean to harm or hurt any single person. If you find it offensive, just quit reading it, seriously.  

If you have any comments or suggestions or any more points to add feel free to write in to me at pseudojourno@im-not-a-journalist.com

Prancing and pondering!

This post comes at a time when my emotions are in full swing. Happy to say at the least. Actually it goes through phases. Really happy-happy-sad-sadly sad-hyper happy and so forth. Till I'm confused. I actually don't know what I feel. Then it hits me and I start analyzing. And I over analyze till things can upset me and so I stop.

Why do some things happen? Why do you see certain people in your life but not meet them? Or why do you meet them and not talk (but you want to talk to them). Or you talk to them and nothing happens. Is it all a carefully planned out route-map that has a pot of gold at the end of it. Or a life plan. Or whatever.

There are some people who come and go in your life. People who you think make a difference, a significant one at that, but actually don't. Then there are people who teach you a little something about life and its operations. 

Sometimes, two people are not meant to be together, even if one of them really wants to. It's for the best maybe.  You just slowly pick up the pieces and move on. Working your way out of the maze.

And eventually you'll find life has many things to offer, keeping you occupied on the way.

Wheeeeee :)

You Are Soap Bubbles

You are free spirited and a heck of a lot of fun. You refuse to act your age. You can always find a chance to play a little. You bring whimsy to an otherwise boring day. It drives you crazy to be cooped up inside for too long. You need to be outdoors to be able to breathe. It's likely that you crave a nontraditional life. You have to do things your own way!

What Kind of Bubbles Are You?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

For old times' sake

How does it feel to be a school-going kid again? Pretty much fun, yes :) To meet with friends and goof off. All the more fun.

But I think my best times were (and I say unabashedly) when I had innumerable crushes on boys. Sorry, but no names shall spilled out. They were truly my best moments, ones that made me get up early and go to school without any sort of hesitation. What did they feel like? Well, to say the least I felt immeasurably happy, everything felt cheery and positive and of course I enjoyed going to school. In short, I loved those days.

And why am I writing about this now?

I have my reasons. You just have to guess :)

L-i-f-e

Life. A 4 letter word that has me laughing sometimes, crying sometimes but leaves me confused and puzzled most of the times.

Mumbai Ho! (Pre departure)

I'm muchly excited! 'Cause I'm leaving to Mumbai tomorrow evening. Mumbai-my birthplace, my Vada-Pav-Mumbai!

I once ate Vada Pavs the whole day and never got tired of it. I can never get tired of it! Even on the phone today with my cousins I spoke about the joy of eating Vada Pav, till no end. Also my kutti cousin promised to bring back Vada Pavs from her school (cause they make the best ones according to her!)

Long walks along the Nerul highway is another thing I enjoy. Going to the local dairy wala to buy curd, or the pani puri seller to snack a few or to play football in the rainy, muddy and slushy streets in Nerul are things I miss the most!

But the real reason I'm going to Mumbai is to attend my cousin's Upanayanam! (thread ceremony) 

So before I go here's wishing Dear Madras a very Happy Birthday! (This shall have its own post soon)

P.S. The writer wishes to painfully note that she won't be attending the Madras Quiz on 22nd August. To other lucky idiots: Have fun and good luck! :)

As good as it gets

It's been almost 2 weeks since I started working, and I'm feeling dreary already. The routine has got to me. And to top it all, my computer refuses to work. And I have to shuttle from Nungambakkam to Guindy, 6 days a week. By the time I'm home, I'm bushed. 

But on the other hand it keeps me occupied. From 8 to 8, round the clock. I've learnt a good lot about commerce and economics (still no expert on the subject, though) Covering events are part of the routine. Which means: Good food at almost every event. Especially when the invite mentions Taj, Le Royal Meridien etc.

Almost quit watching television. For starters I have no time and even if I do, the TV is hogged by dad/sister/grandparents. Meh. And even if I do watch I'm honestly getting tired of watching news. Who wants to watch Arnab-in-your-face-shouting-with-papers-in-his-hand when you're home from a tiring schedule? Or Sagarika and her nonsensical questions and self-made replies. Really. I'd rather watch some cooking shows and ease off, or some football. 

Bottom line is: I'm glad I have something to do. Whether it's travelling round the city or sitting at office (and goofing around) life's going good :)

Quick update

Have got a job, working in a business-economist magazine. First week of work was fun and keeps me really busy. Also my computer at work sucks, big time. So I'm having a hard time existing without a proper computer, I use my friend/colleague's for the time being. 

Okay at this point, I dunno what more to say.

Think I'll update later.

Laziness is a virtue

I just cannot get myself to write nowadays no matter how much I enjoy writing. Laziness has taken over me, teaming up with another villain - joblessness. Btw my UK plan has been shelved thanks to various reasons and I'm presently searching for a job. Between all this, my cousin who's barely 22 has her marriage fixed. Just when I thought she'd be pursuing her higher studies I get a frantic text message from my mother while I was out: "When will you come? Your cousin's marriage has been fixed, next year scheduled." I replied with a shocked "Whaaaaaaaat? I'll be right there!" After an hour I came home to listen to what my mother had to say. My cousin was to get married before 23 as the astrologer directed. Or else she'd only get married after 5 long years. I knew it was no use to talk more than that. Not that I despise astrology or anything I just couldn't believe she'd agree to an early marriage, something I can never come to terms with yet. As I wound up the conversation I casually asked my mum when she'd want me to get married. She replied: We want to get you married once you're 25 or later, the horoscope says so. Not earlier than that. And she smiled. While I breathed a sigh of relief :)

Plunged in darkness

Power cut! o.O