What Married Women Talk About- A confession

I have many girlfriends who are married and most of their conversations center around their mother in laws, who seem to be 'pain in d wrong places' kind of humans & I simply do not understand why do they exist. In my own superiority complex I have forever been convinced that if & when I do get married I will not be one of those women. Those women who constantly bitch about their in laws and crib about their husband.

But we all have assumptions about who we are or will be. And usually these are wrong. In my case, it is no different. I can foresee my future. But the small consolation is, all my girl friends are in the same boat and I will have people who will show me some sympathy.

So, here's me climbing down from my High horse, and apologizing to every one of you who have heard my silly, bland, off the cuff, hand me down, moral sermonizing & not slapped me for being naive. I now understand it takes a bitch to deal with a bitch and never again shall I tell you to keep calm and ignore [unless it is absolutely necessary to prevent you from committing manslaughter] & I will let you vent your frustrations as much as possible. And if possible join in with a few anecdotes of my own and may be we will both laugh out loud & feel less like taking the chain saw or rat poison to the in laws.

The 'C' word

When I was growing up for some reason I remember being terrified of the 'C' word. I thought for the longest time of avoiding it. I even planned & imagined scenarios where if forced how to avoid the 'C' word. When I outgrew the childish fantasies, I worried needlessly on when & where the 'C'word would grab me unaware. I looked everywhere always on my toes waiting to side step the 'C' word. I preached to all who would here that their lives would be better without this. I was disappointed to the point of being disgusted of people close to me falling prey to to the dreaded 'C' word. The best of my best people, the one's I idolized fell victim to this spreading disease.
And then at this ripe old age, it slowly dawned upon me that the one thing I have been avoiding has always been a part of my life just as it has been a part of everyone I know. There is no living without the 'C' word. The best accept it. Who am I to run around yelling myself hoarse convincing myself that I will never end up with the 'C' word?
So yes, finally I admit to myself that having run from it for the longest possible time I have come to accept that COMPRMISE is part of my life & I cannot ignore it.

Which is the one word you have wanted to avoid in life?

Not a morning person

I have forever wondered what it means when folks tell me that they are a moring person. Doesit mean they like morning? Does it man perhaps that they like the sunrise? Does it even mean anything at all?

Most people who tell me this seem to be chasing the Sun, waking up in the wee hours of dawn and persuing some ferverant activity. Either they study, jog, exercise, cook, clean or worse take a shower in cold water.

Now their example has made me realise that I am not a morning person. Unlike them my alarm only goes off at about 8and after a snooze or two I manage toget out of bed just before 9. I stumble around trying to figure out what is it that I'm suposed to do. In about half an hour I manage to get ready for work, stuff my face with food and rush out the door to my car. Mostly in a daze. I don't like being spoken to during this time because I'm in no mood to commnicate. I don't accept calls for the same reason.

As I type this I wonder what happened to me. As far back I can remember I have always had to go to a morning school, ge up early to study, yet over he last few years I seem to have given up on the ways of the world and given myself over to being utterly lazy. So come winter or summer I seem to clingto my bed till 8 when rest of the worldis wide awake and rushing about with purpose.

Here I am , on of those odd days, awake since 5 in the morning and havingtravelled across a state line waiting patiently at an airport lounge typing a blog post.

I begin to think, may be I don't have to be one or the other - morning or a non morning person. May be I do not need to define myself at all.

I love you, Goa!

I have been to Goa. Yes, I have been to the famed beach getaway and I'm in love. I cannot begin to justify my love. Where do I begin? I can talk to you about the diversity and natural richness. I could talk about the laid back lifestyle and how it reminds me of Ulysses and the lotus eaters. I could talk economics and qoute petrol price may be even go completely consumer focussed and do a price comparison of alcohol across states in india. But honeslty Goa would shrug and shuffle off at the mention of numbers and analysis.

Goa had greeted me with cloudy sky and a drizzle and mesmerasized me with the greenary and ever changing landscape. I found my senses overwhelmed by Chorla ghats where misty clouds drenched me. The forest looked both alluring and scary reminding me of the Lord of the Rings. The dark black asphalt road beckoned to come on a ride, find new places in the nooks and crevices of Goa and forget the world that existed outside Goa.

Goa is not jus one entity, it is perhaps a conglomeration of the nature, the ambience, the weather, the people. Yes, Goans make this place what it is. As a tourist you gape at every structure you pass in Panjim city and click goes your digicam. No one flinches or moves a muscle. You don't feel out of place for a moment. Perhaps it is my imagination they don't seem to notice us.

The architecture of Goa always suprises you. Everywhere there is something unique or special which catches your eye and makes you stop in your tracks and stare. The churches that are scattered across Goa lure you for one more untold story.

The beaches each of them different from the last. The sand feels different at Anjuna or Candolim or Calangute. You start noticing the sea comes towards you differently at each beach. At Anjuna you are graced with frothy white foam in each step. At Calangute the sea seems distant and more concentrated in its effort not really worrying about what you think. At Vagatore the water is clearer carresing you, sometimes playful but mostly serene.

As I got closer to my date of return I realised I was falling hopelessly in love with Goa. I had to come back. I had to let my spirits get drenched in the chilled water of the beautiful falls on Chorla ghat, I had to shut my eys and pray at the old church, I had to build a sand castle on candolim or anjuna beach, I had to spend the entire night under the starlit sky listening to the songs of the sea while digging into a chocolate pancake. How could I forget the gastronomic delight that Goa is? I think my long term relationship with Goa has begun.

The New Year Post

Every year it is customery for me to either end the year with a post or begin it. In 2013 I'm late for both. Call it laziness or procastination. This year's post is modelled on a the "points to remember" at the end of each chapter of our high school books. Things I learnt in 2012: 1. Nothing lasts forever, Human life is too transitory to come with any warantees and gurantees. 2. Revenge is a dish best served cold. But serving it means spoiling one's own appetite for a very long time. 3. Friends and foes are mutually interchangeable depending on how happy your life looks from the outside. 4. East India has no decent cities to travel to, apart from kolkata, what we have as cities are merely big suburbian towns stretched out for lack of options. 5. I've a ridiculous belief that I can be a regular member of a health club. 6. There is never anything to wear just when you thought you will not shop again for the next 6 months. 7. A good looking vampire or a serial killer does as well as a good looking Bf as in all the above cases you are staring at a idiot -box. 8. Online shopping is injurious to financial health and should come with a statutory financial warning. 9. Working sucks especially if you are doing somethig you dislike and are too proud to admit to hate, or too chicken to give up because then points 5. 6. & 8.may be jeaopardized. 10. Happiness is still pretty over-rated. Happy New Year , Everyone!