Navaratri Nights – Only Gujarati istyle!!!

Ask any non gujju Mumbaite and they all will give the same response when asked how much they like gujjus??…”I hate gujjus” – I just want to shout “ME TOO” … but none(including me) of these “I hate gujju” types will deny the fact that they love gujju food and want to enjoy the 9 days Navaratri festival in gujju istyle ONLY. So let me put it this way - “We dont love them, but it does not imply we hate them.“

Now that I have shifted to Bangalore (from Mumbai) I really really miss these gujjus errrrr… the Navaratri dandiya nights… So when one of my Gujarati friends invited us to play dandiya @ one of their community programs… I was skeptical and kept asking myself “Are you really missing dandiya so much?” and to my surprise, my soul shouted ‘NO!! Don’t miss it for anything!!’

OK so 4 of us decided to go and we all met at a friends home… cooked and relished the dinner. After which I wanted to wait no longer but to reach this dandiya place… hmm the 150 Rs entry fees did make us feel the pinch, but that was before we entered the place and saw so many guys and gals dancing away to glory. We were in the middle for almost 2 hours enjoying, dancing and having fun – not aware of the outside world.

P.S: Wondering what took this blog to come after 3 weeks of Navaratri festival? The Photos!!! Hey NO – we used digital camera but ((Yeah we can afford that ;))- you see - I was too busy to download the same ;o)

......... Thats we all after enjoying for 2 hours ........

Lesson learned a beautiful way…..

Just like any other day – I shrugged off the voice in my skull and slowly (but steadily) departed the pleasure of home sweet home to go and spend 8 boring hours in office writing blogs, checking emails, forwarding jokes, chatting, meeting friends and making plans for weekends and get-togethers… and sometime (this happens once in a blue moon Literally – touch wood) work – Yaaawn!!!

Walking (read sleeping) in my own thoughts - I woke up just for a moment to find an empty auto - err an auto with a driver (Yeah! I don’t drive an auto) to drop me till office. The vehicle just started to take my sleepy body from one place to another when just out of no-where an shabby old lady came and enquired in eloquent English “I heard you are going to this place can I please join you?”. Well!! Giving a 2nd thought (just because she spoke such a good engrezi - broken slippers, worn out sari, torn handbag – hope this defines shabby and I am not exaggerating) - “Sure mam please hop in.”

OK! so now we are 3 of us in the auto and one of them doing the talking - no gifts for guessing who – Yaaaawn!!! She started with her kids - who are not studying well and the cost of their studies. The bike which her daughter has demanded a few days back. The computer course which will cost a bomb but she is allowing her son to go ahead with. The cost of living and Bangalore in general. I was half sleeping (Yaaaawn!!) half listening (Nodding!!). All the above conversation was in English – I believe she was trying to give me complex – but Nope I am the best... you wont succeed in your tricks.

Soon or not so soon (Yaaawn!!)– we reached my office and she took out 3 crisp 10 Rupee notes and told “This is my share” of course I work in IT and I earn a peanuts – I denied – her last prompt English words were “Please keep it beta – I work as accounts assistant in the GPO and earn 40 thousand a month!!” all of the sudden I completely got up from my sleep (as if someone just poured a bucket of water on my head) my entire attitude towards her changed and I felt quite ashamed of myself. I gave her a second look and before I could say anything she disappeared in the crowd.

Looking back I feel that pang of guilt and see a wrinkled smiley face.

Sharing my first (Actual) experience……. biking ;)

Until yesterday I could drive for about 10 meters – “only on empty roads”… and listening to all the incidents which happened in those various 10 meter rides, my friends (huh!! should I say enemies) set an unsaid rule – do NOT ever give your bike keys to her….

Everything changed yesterday when I actually got hands on one of my friend's bike (I had to bribe her with her favorite chocolate :D for this golden opportunity) - And belime, I was on the main road with the moving traffic on both sides of my bike … Hey hey before you conclude, my bike too was moving, ok!!

So before we started I had to wear this big gadget on my head – the helmet. Damn it!! I have never worn this thing in my earlier 10 meter rides. But after wearing it my head became heavier by half a kg which gave me a feeling “I have more data inside my head” - which also made me believe "I am smarter now and gave me confidence."

Ok – what next??? How do I unlock this bike handle??? Finally after playing Twist and turn with the keys for a while, I could get the handle unlocked. Next I galloped and pushed the start button and Lo!! The bike actually started. I was so much excited and exhilarated at the moment...

I was dying to just roar away with the bike… But this friend of mine won’t sit behind until she sees the demo!! I felt like shouting at her SIT DOWN – but I curbed my feelings and gave her a small 10 meter demo (which I have always been expert in :D).

Finally the excursion started, I could feel my heart pulsating. I accelerated a little and in no time the bike touched the main road and before I could race it further, I had to apply the breaks to avoid it touching the Honda city :o( but its ok!! That didn’t make me give up. I accelerated once again and “yeah hey” I was moving with the traffic. The remaining journey of about 5 km was almost as smooth as butter, only with one or two close shaves with the other vehicles who were not giving me enough space to move ;-)…

At the end of it all - when I had parked the bike carefully from where we started. My friend said it was good ride you can learn it quickly. And I jumped “Hooray!!” It seemed like someone has actually awarded me with a bravery medal!!

Look who's Watching Me!!!

Today Hubby is Watching me all the time by peeping out of my computer monitor!!!

Well begun is half job done - BullShit!!

Yeah!! We went bowling @ Amoeba last Saturday!!! And since then I have stopped believing in above saying….

With 36 points in the first 7 shots – I ended up making 87 by the end of 20 strikes and stood last but one in the game :o(

Even the opposite doesn’t stand true….

My hubby began with 4 gutter shots but ended up winning the game by 123 points :o)

I wonder those who make these sayings do they ever face such correcting ;o)

P.S: Begin well but don’t stop to check where your friends have reached!! Author – Happyz

You can come to me for more great teachings, but until then - bubbye!!

Romantic or unromantic?

I always want to know how much my hubby misses me when we are not together. (I hope this is normal – and every wife wants to know this!!)

So here’s one of our morning conversations:

Me - Hey by any chance you talk about me in office?

He Hmm, yes for sure dear – just yesterday when I distributed the sweet (I gave him to be disposed in the stomach of his team mates ;o)) everyone was asking the reason. Of course there were no reasons so I didn’t give any.
Hmmm - So one of them just concluded “Oh you got married hence distributing the sweets” – I replied “If I get married MY WIFE will be distributing the sweets”

(I always wonder why do I ask him such things)

Work from home is a miracle – Utilize it to the fullest ;-)

Work from Home a new funda in IT – now that my hubby has this work from home thingy for 2 days in a week. I want to utilize this to full extent ;) ….. (Wait a minute before you pervert minded people jump to some conclusions….) to help me in with house work.

Mind you – My hubby is too good - otherwise also he helps me by :
- eating what I cook
- listening to what I talk and
- letting me win every (almost every) argument –
As the saying goes “I don’t like to win every argument – I let other loose some ;)”

Before these work from home days, as soon as he used to offer me help in cooking - I used to tell him “NO – Please be out of kitchen…. (I have my own reasons for the same – will write another blog for that) “. But now looking at him sitting and watching TV/Movies I got bugged the other day and gathered courage to invite him to kitchen….

Me – Hey enough of the movies, do you by any chance know how to cut vegetables.

He – Oh ya I used to cut in “Hungary” (yeah he has traveled places) – but I need that cutting board and all that... …….blah blah

Me – (throwing the knife) Here’s the knife - start cutting... I don’t want any reasons...

Why should I suffer being in the kitchen (I hate cooking and being in the kitchen) – while he enjoys the movie/games!!! Seeing my mood he also started doing something with the knife and vegetables…

Half bending over the kitchen platform he was trying to do what was told…. After about half an hour …

He - OK I AM DONE…

Throwing the knife the way I had thrown sometime back - He started to move out of the kitchen!! I had seen the neat work he has done with vegetables and was motivated to give him some more things to try…

Me – Hey wait a min – where are you off too… banayega kaun??

He was fully charged to help me today… or to show off that he too can cook. He took out the biggest vessel to cook the veg (for two people)…

Ok fine I can guide him little… guided him to size of kadai required to cook for 2 people..

He knew the 1st thing to be put in the kadai was “oil” -- This motivated me further… Great!!

The next thing he did was – licked his index finger and smashed the saliva into the oil.

Me - YUCK- what’s this.

He – How else will you check the oil is heated?

Genuine question by the 1st timer in the kitchen

I wanted to kick him out of the kitchen – but no, he won’t buzz… so I guided him further to put things one by one for preparing the veg.

As if I know what’s to be put next … he he… I have a simple funda of cooking

My funda of cooking “Cooking - huh - it’s easy - just open the masala dabba and put what all u feel like -- on that day.”

So finally we were done with cooking and finally it was time to eat the cooked stuff… of course it was my turn to eat what he has cooked…

But you know what – I gave him 3 out of 10 for the dinner - Which is far better than what my in-laws gave me for the chapattis I had prepared 1st time in Sasural… HAHAHa – but isn’t that a old story???????

Point noted: If given further training I can get rid of this cooking business.

Conclusion - Work from home is a miracle – Utilize it to the fullest ;-)

Modelling by my Neice!!

Here are a few videos shot of my neice, Modeling - dancing and having fun @ home.

Am I wrong in saying "A Model in Making"?

Please let know....

Romantic or unromantic - II?

Finally after been fighting for the last few days (you know – those normal husband wife getting on each other nerves and need a break types) we have patched up yesterday… this was one of the first conversations after our patch up…

Me – hey dear, we have fought enough and given lot of galis to each other….. Now tell some 5 things you like about me.

He – (acting as if thinking) hmm, 5 things I like about you… leme see leme see… (Took a brief pause) Well, someone told me it’s not good for my health to tell lies after sunset.

(I was deciding whether to be angry once again or not)

He was Lolz!!

The (Non April Fool) Bakra!!

The stage was set and the actors were ready…. heres the script…

One of our group mate is going on maternity leave and there was this new (hi-fi) girl joining in her position … so to welcome her to our group we thought of this small prank…

We told her our company is representing World ‘Outsourcing Summit’ to be held on this Saturday in USA. I and other guy represented senior officers from our US offices who are flying back tonight to attend the summit. Showing up a presentation (which we developed for this bakra occasion) we asked her to give us some 5-6 quick thoughts for better presentation and attracting more client base at the summit.

Even while typing I remember how she seriously explained fumbling whatever 1st came to her mind about that subject. And how we went on listening - keeping our face straight (as if she is talking some junk). When she stopped blabbering after a minute or so (giving just dejected looks) we moved on to the next slide where we had her pictures with the bakra cap and a message “welcome to the vRock group”!!.
She was so angry that we all ran for safety… here’s the photo of the entire group.

P.S: Next day we even cut the bakra (bakre Ko hallal Kara)!! Forced her to take us out for lunch at our favorite restaurant!!


In my April blog I bragged about how I was crowned bakra of the day on fool’s day… yeah!! I too had the great opportunity of becoming the bakra … read here… becoming a bakra is as much fun as making is bakra …