Life's Just Great...

I utilized my time effectively over the last few weeks. The workshop was great, the group I was in was great; I loved the entire experience including my interview session with Abodh Aras, the CEO of a foundation called Welfare of Stray Dogs. He works with stray dogs in Mumbai, sterilizes them, does vaccinations, has educational campaigns for people to understand how and why not to get scared of stray dogs, fundraising activities etc.

A most interesting experience; one I would recommend to all budding writers or those who just want to re-learn.

Ok, I remember my promise to Reflections...here goes!

25 Facts About Me

1. I am a die-hard foodie, but I didnt need to write that...you know it already even if you've read just one post on my blog.

2. I love to build up stories, plots in my head and imagine them through to a very emotional finale...just cant write them down, yet.

3. It takes a lot of persuasion to get me to do something important or something that I know will take a lot of my time and effort.

4. I dont think I would want my child to make the same mistakes I did although I still think those mistakes were learning experiences.

5. I have a fondness for books about food, or has food in some way interlinked with the plot, more than books of any other category.

6. I think my world would be empty without good libraries, bookstores.

7. I dont really miss drinking until I see a bottle of Bacardi Reserva.

8. According to me, nothing compares to Bacardi Reserva, not spiced rum, not Old Monk (which I've heard, NRIs love to stock their cupboards with), not anything else in the world. I love singing "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" with ol' rum-loving Jack Sparrow.

9. I didnt watch the Academy Awards thinking Kate Winslet might not win if I did watch; because I thought that my not watching the Golden Globes gave her two (I'm sure this must be the height of conceit, but it worked!!).

10. I still dont know if I'm a coffee person or a tea person.

11. At the workshop, I was the only one who didnt have a strong enough opinion piece. I think that comes from sitting on the fence a lot.

12. I keep procrastinating (like this workshop thing I had wanted to do for quite a few months before I finally did it) and then when I do it I wonder what was all the procrastinating about. After which, regret sets in and haunts me.

13. I cannot stand ghost movies anymore, more for the sound effects than anything else. Also, if I see scary things appearing from windows or mirrors, I avoid looking at both in my room at night when trying hard to sleep.

14. I watched Bhoot (ghost in Hindi) movie and slept with the lights on for weeks.

15. I dont mind Chinese supersitions as much as I hate Indian ones...although most of the time, I think one can relate to the other; they have common ground at times.

16. I can worship Aamir Khan as the god of acting. He's made some of the most memorable Indian movies; one to do about an 8 year old struggling with learning disability (which he also made into a mission to educate go-getter parents with the ground realities of learning disabilities), one where he is investigating his girlfriend's murder while dealing with a memory that gets wiped away completely every 15 minutes, beating the Britishers at a game of cricket to win a tax exemption at the time of colonial rule over India, one about how a group of youngsters start to understand the freedom their country has gained by stepping into the shoes of freedom fighters for a televised play.

17. I have understood love the hard way. I am blessed with it only after knowing its worth; I am glad for I know that now I will be able to guard it with my life.

18. Music can make me write of my emotions more fluidly than a complete pin-drop silence.

19. I identify with Miranda in Sex and the City although my childhood friends might identify me with Charlotte a lot more.

20. Music and books can take me to places I never imagined I'd visit.

21. I love fiercely and passionately even though on the surface, I seem more like still water: no ripples, no waves.

22. I love reading about others' lives and daily stories more than I love writing about my own.

23. To people I admire or learn from, I seem more submissive than I am.

24. I especially miss my home when I hear tea being passed around.

25. Nostalgia hits me more now than it used to before. Makes me realize I'm getting older.

Well, what do you know...this was easier than it looked. Music helped, too. :-)

My Workshop!

I finally started attending the workshop and had been too busy with assignments to post anything about it. I loved everything about it, others who'd come for the workshop were friendly and buzzing with ideas, which made discussions lively and interesting. There was such diversity: a lady working at the Mumbai airport, a stay-at-home expecting mother, a French teacher in the making, a student freshly out of school starting his first year in college. Yet, each was communicative and had loads of interesting stuff to contribute and we didnt realise how fast time sped by and it was already 2:30 pm: time to go!

We got a free-flow exercise called I, Me, Myself with a twist where we had to write about our own selves. There was no word limit, we just had to be honest and express ourselves on paper. This was the first exercise, before we attempted any other form of writing.

Other assignments include an opinion piece, a story and an interview. All to be done before the 25th. I spent yesterday going through a lot of websites to research my opinion piece. Once I'm done I'll let you know how and what it was. Until then, I'm with my nose to the grindstone, trying to meet my deadlines.

Reflections: I know you'll be looking for me to post 25 facts about myself. I will do it really, really soon...like perhaps over the weekend. Watch this space for more :-)

Valentinis: Valentine's Day posts

Ok, so my previous post for Valentine's Day was a bit serious and thought-inducing. For today's post, I want to post anything you've got that's even remotely connected to Valentine's Day; a funny post about it, rantings, stories, anecdotes...anything. As long as it concerns the festival of hearts, I'd love to link your story to mine.

Two blogs I found containing V-Day posts:

V-Day from the wait staff's perspective

A collection of NY hearts from Parisbreakfasts



My V-Day story
My most memorable V-Day was spent with my best friend. We were both single at the time and thought of going out together on V-Day instead of staying home just because we didnt have a date to go out with. We booked a table on the terrace of this seafood restaurant and decided to meet there at 7 to kickstart V-Day for singles' night.

We met at 7, dressed for a night on the town. Shown to our "table for two" the extra plates cleared away, we noticed candlelight on the other occupied tables, but our candle remained unlit. We joked about how they probably dont light candles for same-sex couples and went on to order a huge platter of fish. When it came to the table, the waiter immediately took away our unlit candle which made us burst with previously restrained laughter.

After a sumptuous dinner, we decided to have our favourite dessert - Mud Cake - at this really plush hotel next door. Unfortunately, we reached around 9:30, when the place had already filled for their V-Day buffet dinner. When they suggested we go to their bakery, we decided instead to go out somewhere else. Before we left the hotel, we went to the ladies room to find tiny vials of Maria Sharapova's signature perfume stocked beside the soaps next to the basin. My friend hastily picked a few, while I took only one, not wanting to be greedy.

I saved the perfume in its tiny vial for a few years, dabbing it on only for birthdays or going out somewhere special. It lasted a very long time, the scent remaining unchanged, until I lost the tiny bottle.

I dont think I've ever had a V-Day as full of surprises and fun as this little one.

Valentine's Day

On one hand, there are political parties that have threatened to go into cafes and restaurants on V-Day and force couples to get married on the spot or at the police station. On the other, these cafes and restaurants are all set to celebrate V-Day, add more pink and red hearts, tinsel and whip out their spanking new (and over-expensive) Valentine's day drinks.

To protest against this so-called moral policing is: The Pink Chaddi campaign.

"The Pink Chaddi Campaign kicked off on 5 February 2009 to oppose the Sri Ram Sena. The campaign is growing exponentially (4,500 at this point in the life of our Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women) and that is not surprising. Most women in this country have enough curbs on their lives without a whole new franchise cashing in with their bully-boy tactics. Of course, a lot of men have joined the group as well."

What happened: The Sri Ram Sena was shown (on prime time news TV) to have physically assaulted girls in pubs and discos causing them to flee while I dont know how many channels videotaped the whole thing as it happened. Such stunts often happen only with the help of these camerapersons who in their own way assist in such assaults. The moral of their story: girls "should not" drink in pubs and go to discos, which is against "Indian culture". These people probably dont mind if men throng these pubs and discos (didnt see men getting beaten up in the video).

What's with the Valentine? Why do political parties go on the moral rampage only on V-Day? They dont mind Archies stocking heaps of V-Day cards that crowd out all other cards: especially birthday cards. They dont raise an eyebrow at special Valentine's day drinks and food menu at popular student hangouts and restaurants. They dont seem to appear when couples visit the cafes, pubs etc. on usual days. Why V-Day? Just because V-Day is not in our "culture"? But beating innocent girls and women, threatening them against such activities promotes Indian culture? Or do certain people get to decide what's right and wrong, and use force to get their message across?

Too many questions...not enough answers.

Waiting to Begin...

My classes are next week. I need to call the organiser and confirm tomorrow but she did say the group would meet Monday, so hope that's just a formality. I am excited to begin it already and the meeting we had last Saturday was music to my ears; she said she wanted everyone to stop treating it as a university class and more like a forum for sharing ideas and for helping us to grow professionally with the subject we're here to learn. She even had me fill out a form so I could put my learning objectives down in blue and white. She conducts these classes from her home. It's an old building a few minutes from a rocky beach along a tiny street dotted with residential buildings rubbing shoulders with cafes and elite restaurants almost hidden under gigantic palm tree fronds. It's a sleepy part of town, one of my favourite places. A few miles ahead is the Bandstand where I "hung out" with old colleagues now drifted apart. Where I had my first heart-to-heart talk with my best friend.

After the meeting, I went to a nearby accessory shop for a quick browse and although they were quite a bit expensive, the purses and necklaces displayed were very tempting. Especially as a gift for my best friend who is absolutely the most difficult person to shop for. Soon after, I took a rickshaw to a busy tiny street lined with restaurants all around. There's even a gym and a bank close by. She was late by a few minutes although that gave me enough time to freshen up after a tiring journey.

The restaurant of choice was Da Vinci - Italian food. A quiet, shaded place with a lot of black and dark brown wood and muted yellow lighting. Excellent jalapeno poppers (not very Italian, is it?) and cheese garlic bread (little rounds of toast and cheese that sandwich a yummy herb mix in between). We then had a fish and chips (chips were more wedges, spiced generously with chilli flakes and oregano) along with a Pasta Alfredo with generous pieces of chicken mixed in the cheesy-white sauce gravy that also had some crushed basil in the sauce. Excellent, soft flavours. It went along fabulously with all the news and gossip we had to catch up on in those beautiful 2 hours.

I then visited mom and sis. My dad came home late in the evening and we had a small talk - general stuff - until my husband reached the cafe where we were to have dinner. I'd just bought two beautiful purses - one a clutch and one a satchely bag that will definitely hold everything it needs to. I'm sure I still need one more bag, a posh looking one...will find it one day when I least expect it.

Now, I've got two birthdays to look forward to along with starting my classes next week. I dont need a forecast to tell me the days ahead look pretty good. :)