Shruti !

Talented, fearless, ambitious, tom-boy, awesome, wacky, crazy, innovative, a thinker, moody, dreamy, gibberish, self-obsessed *giggles*, phenomenal, accommodative, simple, friendly, thoughtful, magnanimous, mature, helpful, brave, reckless and sensational, (i just took a breath after this list, it was spontaneous and completely true) she is a flawless mix of it all; to top it, her energy is marvelous, it can blow you off. BEWARE!

Now you might be wondering who this one is, without much ado let me introduce this little one as the most ideal little sister one can have. In all sense, she is a brilliant critique, a great friend, a fabulous cook, a person who can make the most boring thing, good fun, a fabulous companion, a gossip partner, an incredible masseuse; perhaps these qualify her as the best little sister!! =)

(Now you know, what kind of an elder sister I am!!)

Shru,

On your 15th birthday, here is a message...

Be yourself always, because I love the way you are. I have always thought of you as the most pacifying person around at home, thanks to your tact and patience for dealing with people, you are awesome at making peace all around. Also the striking maturity with which you handle things is also so classic, that trust me, I have got to learn a lot from you. You can ask mom, how I keep talking about your qualities endlessly, I must admit here, that I admire you for what you are! You know what to talk to whom, when, and why to make sure they are happy and you get across your point as well.

Well, besides, you have always gotten across to me as a complete 'ambitious dreamer'. Something about this is so absolutely super sometimes, I simply wonder, how much/ well you can fish for opportunities in whatever comes your way. I love your persistence and that tinge of craziness that shows up all through.

All I have to say to you on this special day, chase your dreams, like your enemy's dog would chase you, and you can see yourself as the best in every thing you do. Be the way you are always, I love every bit of it. Keep up the dreamy ambitions, they are the best part about you! Love you always Shruti Manu... =)

TOIT new week!

Unbelievable is the word. I honestly have no idea how I managed to sail through all days of the week, without cribbing, by that I mean, NO CRIBBING AT ALL!! =) Nothing short of an achievement for a person like me.

Cooked, ate, relished, felt good! I am talking out of experience, you have got to try your own delicacies once in a while when you are bored, because you will come to know yourself better and love every bit of your creation. You will pick up subtle lessons in life, trust me. So subtle that, you might not even notice.

The cook's hat is one you have got to sport once in a while! ;)

From accidentally making upuma (planned chesse peas pulau, bad planning) on day one to aaloo paratha on day two and ghee masala dosa and chutney and some fresh club sandwiches, I managed to get through the other-wise boring week in an interesting manner and loved every bit of it. It was 'ah-so-yumm' !

This week, TOIT will be called THAT ONE INNOVATIVE THING.

Note that 'Interesting' has now become 'Innovative'. Yes, just to break the so predictable and mundane 'interesting' thing to do, every week, the 'I' will be a different thing. Like Innovative one week, Important the other, etc. This will also be decided on the day before the week begins.

The 'That One Innovative Thing' is a surprise, and will be broken after my task is complete.

Its a crazy and bizarre innovative idea, but I shall talk about it, on Sunday next!

OMG! Cant wait to kick start this one, and also cant wait to complete it and tell you how it went by... =)

Vivek

Vivek...

One of my childhood friends, this one today is flying off to Dubai for good! {'m Jealous! ;)}

Last evening he came home, mom and I were there, he said "aunty I have news for you". When he said just that, I precisely knew this guy had gotten a big fat break; quite literally (he hates Chennai). Today he is flying off and is going to drive down everyday to one of the 'biggies'; a logistics company in Dubai. From tiring train journeys to college to a luxuries one in Dubai, he mapped it out quite admirably and his patience, gosh! I wish I had fraction of it!

This guy has a fabulous sensibility that you cannot help but notice so evidently when you meet him for once. A well read guy, his headset is enviable. (He told me he'll leave behind all his books that weigh 18kgs!!, cos he has an upper limit for baggage at the airport!!!!)

Insightful, savvy, down-to-earth, quick-witted, friendly, observant, thoughtful he is such a fantastic blend of it all; I must say, he has everything that makes a great friend.

I have had such marvelous conversations with him and trust me, I mean it when I say this, he is a great critique of my ideas and a encourages immensely when absolutely relevant.

All I can say to him on his special day is, Vivek, I am sure you'll do a great job out there; be the way you are always. Say hi to uncle, aunty and Anu. Good luck, keep in touch!

And REMEMBER when I holiday in Dubai, my coffee will be on you, at ""Burj Al Arab""!! =)

The 'Chest'

Now I am sure you are wondering what this is...

On my way to work today, an idea struck me. I decided to write special notes to people on their special days to make them feel special. Yes, you got that right! It feels good to have people go like "aww, I dint know I was this good. =)". I believe every person out there is one awesome person in his or her own way. Besides all these concepts, I am sure a special note is something we all love to read, re-read and cherish all through.

Well initially I thought this could be a 'category' where I sent out messages to people on their birthdays. But then again, for people who follow this blog regularly, it becomes too predictable. Also I'm too impatient to wait for birthdays.

I am calling this the 'chest' because, it is a special treasure trunk for me, where I store memories, wishes and good luck for all my loved ones.

So watch out, your special day is when I think it is!

TOIT (That One Interesting Thing)

Every morning, we all do our bit of sobbing, I'm sure. Oh, besides, if it is a Monday morning, dont even ask! For instance, today, I just returned from Bangalore (was a fabulous trip!), and all I needed in my mind, to screw up the whole day and the week, was to think about how boring and drabby it could be, or it would turn out. That too, after an amazing weekend, weekdays seem so jail-ly and not very interesting to sail through. Today, I was hoping to skip all the lifeless days of the week and land in the weekend once again, to have a blast! But as I was thinking this, I was in my routine, doing everything I would on a lifeless and stale weekday.

Is there anything I could do to get rid of the monotony of life? Of course, all I have got to do is to 'get-a-life'! That is when a wave rose in my brain.

TOIT

Every Sunday evening, I will zero down on 'that one interesting thing' (TOIT) that I will do all through the week to kill/ butcher/ murder boredom! On my way to office, I was storming for some ideas and came up with a few things that can be my weekly TOITs; and from this week, it is going to be a routine affair by itself. But, I promise to make this one an interesting and fantastic routine, that will engage all through the week and entertain as well. I cant be more excited to kick start this one, my debut attempt.

For this week, that one interesting thing will be treating my family to some scrumptious and yummy (hope so) delicacies from my kitchen, every night. This will not just give me a chance to write about some awesome experiences of being an amateur cook myself, but also give me an equal chance to enjoy every day and sail through, quite calmly and vividly into the much awaited weekend. And, I must add, it will give my mom a chance to celebrate as well. So, here I go!

Dinner tomorrow will be cheese peas pulav (courtesy Saranya's mom) with corn and spinach salad to go with it.

Cant wait no more...

(B)logged in!

I hope this is no boring blog post on blogs, but I have got to get it across...

Over the last few days, I have been doing absolutely nothing but reading some fabulous blog posts from veteran bloggers world over. Today, I sit back and only mull over how better my next post can be. Despite being an (amateur) writer for about a couple of years, I got interested and began to share on the WWW only a week back. When people asked me if I have a blog, I would rather stupidly say, 'I don't believe in the whole act of blogging.' Well, perhaps that is what I thought, back then!! In fact, sometimes, I thought bloggers would just make up stuff to sensationalize their private space (not so private = public).

Today when I see an active blogging community I wonder why I was in deep slumber all this while. People flaunting success in their blogs, writing stories about how their life was saved, about the day they first smoked, got high, got a life!! I read about how people quite 'genuinely' felt about college life, their first re-union after they turned 50. I must admit, I got nothing short of an undying inspiration to keep my blog active and vibrant all through. I sadly, JUST realised blogging is so much fun and honestly, the most brilliant stress buster!

A personal note to my dear cousin, Sneha who says she got inspired by Shruti and me to begin her blog. All I can say to you is,

Sneha Akka, I love your blog (and you) and love the fact that mine got across to you! Keep writing, I will enjoy reading!! BTW, loved your salsa videos. In fact was curious to know who your salsa partner is! (cheap thrills, you see!!)

Now to one of my friends, whose blog turned one today.

Vini, Happie bloggie-day! I caught up with a few posts and loved reading them. Keep writing; I'll keep reading. =)

Mum! Bhai!

Crowed streets, traffic jams, markets on either sides, the local train, vada pav, pav bhaji and nimbu pani, push cart food stalls, cutting chai on one hand; the most plush malls, shopping arcades, luxuries spas, boutique hotels, lounges on the other. When you can sense such a vast assortment and can still feel home; then know for a fact that you are in Amchi Mumbai. A city of dreams, Mumbai is undoubtedly a dream come true if you are one hell of a shop-a-holic! Observe keenly, you will eventually figure out that to call this city a Paradise for shoppers is almost an understatement. Walk in and out of fancy malls and through some famous flee markets in Mumbai, you are sure to get your hand on everything that you wanted, you want or you may want; and if you ask me, I would suggest simply pick them all up. So what if you are carrying a heavy bag back home; be happy and go on a shopping extravaganza!

When I was in Mumbai all I did was... scream MUM!!! lets go shopping!! BHAI (my cousin Anand) lets go out, lets check Mumbai out! Thats how I know all this, a fraction of what exists in true sense

But of course, apart from flamboyant mall hopping, the fun of shopping and picking up squabbles with vendors and bargaining, is a thrill in itself and Mumbai is known for such an unbeatable experience, so here are the top 3 flee markets that you could find yourself in to go all gaga.

Colaba Causeway

Colorful, fancy, in-vogue and reasonable; this market is one of the best and the most renowned ones in Mumbai. Situated in the south of Mumbai, it attracts not just tourists and visitors, but also the ones from suburban areas to shop. You can find almost anything that you want under the sun in this market. From immaculate antique articles, vibrant and mutli-hued bangles, bags, smart and cool tees with sayings, gorgeous accessories, a variety of sunglasses, and some rare books. Besides, you can pick up some good furnishings and stuff for your new homes right across, on the other side of this huge market. Ah! Also you can take diversion and dig into some local Mumbai delicacies and also try out some of the oldest and most typical cafes that brand Mumbai (Leopold, Mondegar) and some truly divine desserts, round the corner at Theobroma.

Verdict – Colaba Causeway is one of the fanciest markets in Mumbai. Pick up all your favorite accessories and books, you might perhaps not find it anywhere else in Mumbai. Don’t forget to bargain! Also plunge into some food stuff; I’m sure you don’t need a reason for that!

Bandra Linking Road

Quite similar to the Causeway, the Linking Road in Bandra has a lot that attracts. You will find college goers throng this market, picking up their college clothes, bags and accessories. It is different from Causeway; it flaunts specifically clothes and accessories. Trust me, you set out with the most specific idea of a dress, you cannot be dissatisfied; because this place has all kinds of patterns, all kinds of colors and also all sizes. A bigger market, it is spread across a few streets and a stopover at each one is worth it. Now; all I can say is be prepared to spend some time here, you will be more than happy about it. Don’t worry for prices, they are absolutely negotiable, besides pretty reasonable as well.

Verdict – At Linking Road, stop by every stall, you never know what amazing stuff he has somewhere deep down in his stock. So go there with some time in your hand and see what all you can get as additions in your wardrobe. You’ll be stunned.

Lamington Road market

Electronic, electronics and more electronics; that is what Lamington Road is known for. If you are one of those kinds of people, who have a fetish for gadgets and electronic stuff; then you will be nothing short of thrilled to check out this market. Named after the Governor of Mumbai, it is located near Grand Road in South Mumbai this street has anything that you want from TV sets, to cables, to plugs, to camera spare parts, and what not. Set out on this one with some time in hand too; you have got to, of course look out for quality and also check on the prices as well.

Verdict – If you drool over gadgets and love electronics, this is the place for you to be. Bargain, to enjoy that ‘value for money’ quotient.

Now you might probably wonder what is it that is ‘famous’ in Mumbai. Well, welcome to this city. Everything is famous here, because it has its style quite attached to them all. I have just mentioned top 3 flee markets, but let me keep tell you, you can make your own list of best markets in Mumbai; there are so many more flee markets in the city, that you can almost lose count. Some other famous ones, you could visit include, the Crawford Market, the Chor Bazaar (Not kidding! It’s really famous), Dadar Market, etc. So what are you still thinking about, plan your next family holiday to this paradise; save up on all petty shopping for some huge and reasonable deals out there.

BBQ anyone?!

Ah finally, one down on my wishlist...

Dinner at BBQ Nation. A plan that has been proving incapable of planning for almost a year now, but I feel successful now. Let me give you a quickie on pre-dinner, dinner and post-dinner at this fabulous restaurant.

Pre - Dad was back at last, and dinner with family in Chennai seemed quite a treat in itself. A slightly monotonous day at work, all I could think of, is the evening. After lunch at work, I decided to call BBQ Nation and book our table (boredom, u see!) Of course I knew, we could comfortably manage one, even if we walked in, the day being a weekday. But guess what, the damn restaurant was booked the day before itself. The excitement that hovered in our minds, got us to leave for dinner at 6:30 (Never ever before). The crowd was provocative and irk. We still shut up and waited for almost an hour to get a seat. The sweat, the traffic, the tiredness (of doing nothing), the irritation, the squabbles with Pranay and mom, the hunger pangs and what not. But was it wait this trouble??

Dinner - Finally, we managed to get a nice, quite, AIR CONDITIONED place to sit. I was quite excited. For those who dont exactly know, this place is fancy and has a facility where you can make your own BBQ! A concept that is crazy and so brilliantly executed that...gosh, its fab! Every table has its own little fireplace, where you can grill your own platter of exotic veg and non-veg BBQ. They have unlimited starters and a small flag that you turn down, when you done. Dont forget to turn it down, they're just waiting to shove grill sticks on you. You have got to give up, and then they'll stop. After starters, is the clichéd buffer dinner menu, but wait a minute, it tastes yummm...

Desserts, yet another fancy in this awesome restaurant. To top it all, the service is so comforting; impeccable is the word! A-wow-experience, all together.

Post - After filling ourselves up to the brim (like we would'nt eat for another week), we set out for home. All I did on my way back was to analyse the place, food, ambiance, service, value for money and I relaised it was certainly not one over-rated place.

Then I forced mom on a long like ride with me, to just end the day like it ideally ought to.

Report (out of 10)

Food - 8; 9 for the starters

Service - 10

Ambiance - 7 (crowd pissed me off)

Value for Money - 9

Tip: Try to fill yourself with starters and desserts, the others are not great. I got an overdose of paneer! =)

Getting better!

Its been 2 whole weeks and 'office' is getting better, I must say. Work is flowing in and am getting a bit busy catching up with the whole thing. My expectations about work have been so high, that perhaps if all are met, it will be a bit too much! It is however at least on the move; Thank God for that!

Let me tell you a bit about PR though. Its good, its crazy and its a bit annoying as well. It is such a healthy combination of it all that, sometimes, you can get confused, quite fundamentally. To start off, let me quote Sam "PR is to fart and make people happy about it!", he burst out with these words when I told him about work. Well, true to a large extent.

But read this, you'll quite get the picture.

"I'm thinking of leaving my husband," complained the wife of a well-known public relations expert. "All he ever does is stand at the end of our bed and tell me how good things are going to be."

Work-a-lohics!!

Quite unlike the people you would have met at school or college or some random unassuming friend's friend, I have to tell you, people at work, especially on day one, are not surely welcoming and certainly not comforting at all. Unless you are smart enough to already catch hold of some friend, well in advance before joining. Or, you have got to be plain lucky to bump into some long lost friend. =)

And guess what, for me, this luck funda worked absolutely fine. Walked into one really old friend (more than 6 or 7 years), whom I would not have recognized at all, (she straightened out her hair!!) and felt a good; blessed is the word!. But then again, that was just for a jiffy, people still did come across as strange, over-smart and highly judgmental 'losers'.

For me, I never got emotional about college, even when it was coming to an end; but trust me, now I say 'College is the best thing that happened to me!!!'. God, that 'apartment' is a divine place. I cross that little memorable street everyday, only realizing that I will have to go towards a really annoying irksome and highly contemptuous place called 'office'; that people out there adore; for God knows what reason!!

But one thing got me thinking for long; even back home and next morning as well... The guys in my office, I realized, evidently (understatement) were obsessed with their daily or weekly alcohol sessions. Oh! more interestingly, their goof-ups thereafter. 'Machan that beer da! hahahaha! this vodka da, quarter da, blah blah da! hahaha!'

OMG!

Over that one day at work and thought back home, I learnt for myself 'Work is the curse of the drinking (men) class!'

The WishList

Yes. That is what this will be called, my personal space on this massive World Wide Web. It has been one of the top most pointers on my wishlist for quite sometime now. Thanks to a bit of boredom and a lot to say, here I am, presenting to you 'WishList'.