Is it just me?

I feel I might be losing a few inches off my waist and arms but somehow hubby still thinks of it as ineffective. His guilt, of course, at not doing anything to lose weight although both of us need to must be making him think so. But today, after my usual shower, I inspected my arms and feel they've toned from what they used to be. Of course, there's still a few miles to cover in this journey of weight loss (and one must keep on at it) but I wonder if there's not much happening and if I should change what I'm doing to something more "effective".

It's 7:30 and I dont feel like carrying on my pending assignment. It utterly confuses and bores me and there's a loooong way to go before I'm done with it. Plus, hubby's partying tonight which makes me feel like I'm not having any fun. Which is unfair but then, one gets a wee bit jealous. Especially if there's drinks involved.

I saw a lot of food sites today and that's making me really hungry for something sweet. Which is probably diet harakiri.

Until, I'm in a better frame of mind..I'll sign off now.

Pinky yellow twilight and waking dreams...

The minute hand’s completing its circle and will soon call out 7 pm. And yet, a light drizzle plays in the foreground of a muted yellow and pink twilight. The day’s not over yet, it wants to tell me. I’m still hanging around. It’s not the end of me yet.

Night is gentler, stealthier. She tip-toes over, twirling her gracefully long fingers, turning a blue sky to a crimson sunset to a royal purple twilight, to end in the final composition of an indigo sky with a smattering of stars. These days, in the monsoon, one doesn’t see a blue sky at all. It’s grey all the time, which softly gets deeper in shades to go to a duskier black but no one notices that. Today, though, the day wants to be king. Night’s waiting patiently, probably making it rain a bit more forcefully to give her guest hints that he’s overstayed his welcome.

I love the rains. Everything in this concrete island city’s greener, more vibrant and bursting with life rather than parched in the summer and dusty in the winter.

I’ve just finished the newest installment of 44 Scotland St. Yes, I know I’d been cribbing about not having it when I realized that there are bookstores other than Crossword who have a more updated stock of books. I grabbed the last copy of The World According to Bertie and as I finished the book felt as I felt during all the previous times when I’d put the book down finally, immense and utter contentment and a new perspective to my life that, just last night, seemed drab and uninteresting. Scotland St not only involves me in its inhabitants and all those associated with them, but it enriches my own. I get introspective and realize how wonderful it is to be alive. And what million little things happen around us everyday and how we must store as many of its memories we can hoard, to make another rich volume of the story of our lives.
Sighs!

Uhhh..one...uhhh...two

I start off trying to burn calories early in the morning. Just like I straightened out my cupboards yesterday, I need to straighten out my excess baggage round specific strategic locations of my body. I'm tired of comments like 'You look like you're enjoying marriage' 'You've put on so many...' etc. So I started off and actually managed an improvement on my push-ups (not saying how many, nope).

I miss Scotland Street. I really miss Domenica, Pat, Bruce and Matthew with his new-found money bank. And Big Lou. And Bertie. I'm reading The Right Attitude to Rain and while it's nice on its own, I prefer Scotland Street. That's more 'happening'. Tons more exciting than this one. Perhaps I should've picked Friends, Lovers and Chocolate in this series, but I desperately needed Scotland and picked the only one that was available.

Of course, Detective Ramotswe's a complete adventure waiting to unfold. That will definitely be next on my reading agenda, right after the Miniaturist.

So much to say...

I went to my ex-office this week and the experience made me miss work a bit more than I used to. But I got back safely in my little shell and realized that I'd made the right decision and must stand by it. It was great to talk my heart out (we almost had a two-hour lunch session) and still had loads to talk about. We would...we were meeting after a very long gap of six months. The last time we met, I had just gotten married. Over a varied lunch of chicken hakka noodles, barbequed chicken and dal khichdi, I spilled out the beans, my heart and soul included.

But it was after that when I realized and did a lot of introspection as to where I was headed. I had procrastinated for the last six months and had basically let each moment guide me rather than take charge and pull myself towards new things that I could do now when sitting home and freelancing for a few hours every day.

I had a dream that night about a few false friendships and the next day, I wrote it down. I think I'm finally heading somewhere...there seems a long, long road beyond which there's a dim light beckoning me to follow its path but I dont know exactly where and how I need to go. But, it's a start.

Plus, while returning home from work, I had a good, long listen to some of my favourite songs in a rickshaw with a really good sound system and the right radio station. None of those old, philumee cassettes with the 80s and similar music playing non-stop. I could unwind just listening to those songs. Had to stop by Crossword and pick up a few books. At times like these, I miss Landmark and Book Lovers for the simple fact that I knew my way around those stores and they had the books I wanted. Here, I had a long hunt before I found the Miniaturist and Alexander Mc Call Smith and needed to ask for directions to the Times Food Guide 2008 edition.

It's a great, big store though although I also wish it had an extension of a coffee shop. Costa Coffee, just bang opposite, is closed for goodness knows what reason. Would've been nice to go across and sit for a coffee, leafing slowly through the Miniaturist.

I miss going out more.

Slicky Muck

Now that rains are more or less here to stay, it starts to rain everytime we dress to go out and doesnt stop until we're half-soaked in a rickshaw, zooming out of this place. I wanted it to rain this way...and yet, I get a bit frustrated when it rains and the cotton fabric that my clothes are made of starts to get soaked first and then shrivel.

We visited Bond again on Saturday night, for a bot of wine and something to munch it with. The starter took so long to get to the table that we were half a bot down and a bit tipsy. Which isnt totally a new thing for me, but this time the wine really hit me. I clung to him as we came out to go to this cute little Thai eatery for dinner, feeling like I'd drop like a load of stones the moment I let go. Which was very entertaining for him but a bit scary for me coz my head was spinning until we sat at our Thai table (after fifteen minutes of waiting and watching a moron walk ahead of us to a table). A Coke later, I was feeling fine and digging into the sui mai.

Sunday was a lazy day, didnt do anything that I'd promised myself I would do, like working on my article and downloading this important document that I'm doing right now. We had a mixed vegetable curry with paneer that he did from start to finish and I made the usual accompaniments; dal fry and palak (spinach) raita.

Evening we went shopping for a super cool green paisley printed umbrella and a new pair of all-weather shoes. They're a light rose pink shade with cream innersole. Hopefully, they clean just as easy.

I just realized that there's not much of the slicky muck that's topping off the post today, but you have to forgive my wandering mind. It was raining almost all of last night and the view outside my window is breathtakingly beautiful.

Dear Rain God...

...I don't know if your staff responded to my request or you did, but whoever is responsible for making my wish come true, it came a whole two days late! Not complaining about the wish fulfilment part as much as the timing. I wanted to wake up on a dark, cloudy Saturday or Sunday morning, dripping wet as someone who's just had a nice warm shower. I ended up getting a wet morning today, and basically had to pry my eyes open and get out of my warm, comfortable bed as early as 8 am.

And...my life's companion had already walked out the door when Bombay got swamped in by brown pools of slush. We had no fun.

Next time you listen to my requests, please please get the day right. That's more important than getting a beautifully rainy day where all you need to do is stay right indoors and watch the pools filling up right outside.

And BMC: You guys better watch out! The average Bombayite is hopping mad right now.