Wednesday, June 30, 2010

rearview mirror

i cant believe how time has rolled by. some days amble along slowly, but most others just zip past, and before i know it, another whole day has come and gone. in a few days it will be four months since we moved here and started our lives together.

when i came here in march, i told myself this.

today in retrospect, i think im doing quite alright on that check-list of things.
- get back to a fufilling routine -- done! thought the zip by, not a day goes by when i feel wasted or unfulfilled. i cherish my daily routine, my things to do, and it gives me a sense of purpose and joy in accomplishing little things.
- exercise everyday -- pilates and a good long run -- done! well almost. when it was hotter i was pretty regular with the walks and the running. then i started swimming everyday. since the rains have started coming down, the swim has been erratic, but i promise to find a substitute and get down to some form of exercise again. soon!
- cook and explore the domestic side of me -- SO done!
- NOT hoard unnecessary clutter, no matter how much sentimental value something might threaten to emotionally entangle me with! -- done! in fact i have even decided to further de-clutter and take back to bangalore some of the things i own/have, but have no immediate use for in goa.
- paint and rediscover water colors -- done! to a certain extent. i made a beginning, but didnt sustain it. i MUST get down to it.
- explore easy, cheap, DIY furniture options -- done! as much as we could have at this point..
- try my best live an easy, simple, uncomplicated and hassle free life -- done! but this is a continuous process. work in progress, if i can call it that!

Monday, June 28, 2010

monday morning no-blues

im unusually happy today. and i have no idea why. im not just happy, im also feeling energetic. which is again, strange for a monday morning.

in goa, i experience monday morning blues (MMBs) quite frequently, even though i dont have a workplace to drag myself to. most people associate MMBs with trudging back to work after a nice relaxing weekend. i however, experience them MMBs in the comfort of my home. and i associate them with having to reacquaint myself with the solitude i experience during the working week. when the husband is at work. after a weekend of togetherness and all things related, it takes me a couple of days to get back into the swing of being on my own and feeling motivated to go about my day as usual.

last week presented a domestic funk of sorts, that had me not wanting to cook. and when i did cook, it was booorrriing. this week however, im BACK! and i think the monday morning no-blues, just might have something to do with it..hmm..

Sunday, June 27, 2010

snoozed out sunday

the weather has been rainy. gloomy. grey. wet.

and i woke up feeling under the weather today. since then, its been a day of vegetating. watching tv, eating at odd hours. eating in between meals. sipping copious amounts of tea. and feeling altogether very lazy and out of it.

its the kind of day that only a nice quiet dinner amidst cozy ambience can fix. so we're off for dinner. just the two of us, at a beach facing restaurant. and a 50% discount coupon is just a cherry on the top.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

this is it

in october last year, i had a this-is-it-moment. a moment of truth. a moment that made me realize that i would never live to witness michael jackson live. this is it.

last night, as the world remembered michael jackson, exactly one year since his unexpected death, i relived the this-is-it moment. the realization that a legend really had passed on. and nothing else can probably come close.

michael jackson's this is it opens with random clips of dancers auditioning for the michael jackson this is it tour. as they reveal their feelings of anticipation, excitement, of dreams coming true, of happiness, of relief and of pure joy at doing what they have lived to do, i had goosebumps. right from the word go. just the way i did the first time i watched the film.

what i loved the most about the film, was the hard hitting truth. the way it has been shot and put together, peels off the many layers of michael jackson. shattering the facade of the very misunderstood and very messed up michael jackson that the world knows. revealing beneath it, an honest artist, who is just enjoying doing what he loves most -- making music and entertaining the world.

the film was just so real and unrehearsed, with so much candid behind the scenes footage, that one cant help but feel the honesty shine through. i loved how so many little memorable and lesser known moments of rehearsal time have been captured so realistically. the pauses, the repetitions, the sheer joy in hitting a note right, the punch in the beats kicking in, the collaboration between him his backing vocalists and accompanying musicians. the pure bliss on his face, his animated involvement, his moves! what groove the man had! every cell in his body bursting with energy and rhythm!

underneath it all michael jackson was pure, unadulterated talent combined with joy. and this came through in the ease with which he sang so many different songs. switching between them effortlessly. coaxing his troupe to give it their best shot, every time they uttered a word. the way he sings, moves, jumps, walks all at once and without the slightest quiver or shake in his voice was something else!

most of all the film made me realize what a genuine performer he was. a true entertainer. a larger than life kind of icon.

it made me realize: this is it. he is and always will be KING of pop.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

one of the reasons why i think kunal is a genius

Bombay Chaupati from Kunal Sen on Vimeo.


an impeccably subtle, joyous, touching and perfectly made video by kunal. and if this seems like a little sneaky publicity for a friend, it probably is.

i was always slightly in awe of kunals work, even when he was just a student in bangalore. from little fun mismatched flash video birthday gifts, to stop motion fun and more serious grad projects, i think iv seen pretty much a lot of his work. and while he has probably progressively grown and matured as an artist, the sense of awe and inspiration that i feel has always remained the same. this video gave me goosebumps the first time i saw it. funny thing is, it did the second time too. and the third and the fourth. you get the drift.

but the larger issue is that it brought a sudden burst of nostalgia. when i just saw this again, memories associated with the song came gushing back into the rivulets of my mind. memories of a different time. when music and singing was an everyday practice. when it was more than a hobby or a way to pass time. when it was about being young, enthusiastic and raring to go.

nothing will ever be the same again. and all that remains is a treasury of memories and good times. happy times. musical times.

:D

sometimes, happiness is in a warm mocha muffin, eaten at the coffee day with a balcony overlooking a pretty square, watching the rain pour down.

im happy.

in which i relieve myself of rat trauma that has gripped me for a few days now

after 4 days of endless worrying and staying out of the kitchen, i think my rat trauma is finally showing signs of subsiding. after 2 packets of rat poison, lots of chewed up newspaper bags and probably lots of roaming around in my kitchen, my very own stuart little seems to have left my home.

there is no logical explanation other than that, because in a smallish house, with close to no furniture, there arent too many places stuart could have gone into hiding. the few places he could have, we searched thoroughly and no amount of disturbance or shaking things up got him out of those places. so i concluded that he wasnt there.

the finale came in the form of "trouble gum" -- a nifty contraption manufactured by pest control india, that is a sheet of cardboard smeared with super sticky adhesive on one side. one has to simply place it where the rat roams, drop a piece of bait and let the rat come get it. once it does, it gets stuck. literally.

we laid the sticky trap out last night, with a nice tempting piece of fresh bread. this morning, i crept out to have a peek and there sat the piece of bread. just the way we had left it last night. no sign of the rat. which only further confirmed my feeling that stuart has either: 1) taken a dive out of my kitchen window 2) died in the insides of my washing machine 3) has decided our home isnt good enough for him and gone on looking for greener pastures.

finally, normal life can resume again. i havent cooked a single meal since saturday night, when stuart made his grand entry. because i couldnt bear the thought of being in a kitchen where a hairy rat has roamed all over. leaving invisible rat paw prints on my kitchen things. stepping in only to make my morning cup of chai, i have subjected the husband and myself to copious amounts of eating out. and i cannot take it anymore.

frankly, im quite relieved to go back to normal. out of the grip of rat trauma. thanks stuart, for leaving me alone :P

current mood: elated!
current weather: rainy and oh-so-loverrrly
current obsession: hey soul sister, by train. listen to it!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

little. small. tiny. insignificant?

i never imagined something so little could give me a sleepless night.
i never knew i could be traumatized by something so small, and seemingly insignificant.
i didnt think i would ever have to handle something so small, all on my own, and be frightened to bits doing it.
i never knew it was possible for something so little to control my every waking thought.
i didnt imagine i would be a victim to something so small. little. insignificant.
its controlling my thoughts. my actions. my life. everything has come to a stand still. and im cornered. in a chair.

today, i pent all day worrying about a rat that came into our home last evening.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

a saturday well spent.

a chinese food lunch, just the right way to satisfy my craving.
a nice walk in pleasant weather.
a steaming hot cappuccino.
and a new friend in the city.

a saturday well spent.

Friday, June 18, 2010

just how obsessed am i?

i know im obsessed with my current tv show.
i just didnt know to what extent.

last night i had a very vivid dream. my dream panned out like an episode of the show. all the characters, all the typical scenarios, all the typical reactions, the climax..everything was just how it is in the show.

except, in my dream, i was ON the show. i was a character. i was playing a role. i was playing a part in the scheme of things.

i woke up feeling very stupid. and realized just HOW OBSESSED i really am.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

its raining down on me

the rains have kept me and the husband pretty much home/office-bound now. but when we do step out, im amazed by how goa seems to take on a completely different avatar in this season! im seeing and experiencing a side of goa i have never seen before.

puddles all around. school children in their oversized raincoats carefully covering their overweight backpacks. adults with colorful umbrellas. children splish-splashing in every puddle they pass. adults carefully manouvering their way around. vegetable vendors, still walking around on foot. pav-wallahs still cycling around, an extra layer of plastic covering their baskets filled with steaming hot pavs. everybody who has a balcony or a large window facing the direction of the sea now has an ugly plastic sheet hung over it. presumably to keep the rain out.

i on the other hand, just leave my balcony doors open, letting the rain come in occasionally. or sitting close enough to feel the gentle spray from the drizzle. the balcony doors are the only ventilation we have these days. we've gone from having a home where windows were open all the time, to one where we're forced to shut ourselves in. as a result im facing the troubles of a typical coastal-town-housewife! my laundry refuses to dry soon enough. my curd doesnt set soon enough. and everything is musty and damp!

apart form everything getting a clean and washed-out, the temperatures have dropped a bit, and the rains have brought a welcome wind along with it. days are pleasant and most often i can get by even without having my fans on.

something about the weather is making me crave sweet things. and coffee. added to my growing appetite, these cant be good habits to nurture. the weather has also forced me to stock my playlists with norah jones, coldplay, massive attack, john mayer..you get the drift. moody and melancholic music.

but all said and done, im loving it. the husband and i cant seem to tell each other enough, how this season is the best thing thats happened since we moved. this afternoon however, i cribbed about how the laundry hasnt dried in almost 2 days now. and the husband had just one thing to say -- to enjoy the rainbow, we're going to have to put up with the rain.

i cant argue with that :)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

love love love

i made a contribution to a new blog thats all about love.

spread the word. and the love.

driving in the rain



forgive the phone-cam pictures, but this is the best i can do to capture these sights.

there is a joy in taking the roads you never have. in discovering where they lead. seeing things you havent seen before. and what makes it even better, is to do it all in the pouring rain.

i know, im obsessing over the monsoons. but i cant help it, im really loving it. every morning i wake up to the freshly rained-on view, take in the sights and smells and feel so good to be here. goa really is as pretty in the rains as i was told it would be.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

it rained all night



i woke up to rain. torrential rain. just the way it was when i went to sleep. and just the way it has been all night.

one of the two umbrellas we own is broken. the husband needs the car to go to work today. which leaves me at home, without a way out. but its perfect, because im siting by my balcony, watching it come down with so much force and grace all at the same time. with a hot cup of tea in my hand, and ray charles singing to me.

Monday, June 14, 2010

change

its time for a change.
the old blog has been running forEVERRR. so i thought its time to bring some sunshine into my blog life.

here's to haathi .v2

Friday, June 11, 2010

spreading the love

food is an obsession with me.
food is a celebration.
food is love.
food is beauty.
food is comfort.

and ever since iv discovered food porn, iv been experiencing one long never ending virtual, visual orgasm. msotly because i havent stopped clicking "next". everynow and then i stop what i doing to go back and get some more. food. porn.

and THIS is driving me crazy today.

ps: http://foodporndaily.com is one of the most awesome sites i have discovered in recent times. thanks to my internet detective, G.

go on. click. drool. repeat.
this is just my way of spreading the love.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

sudden realization

last night, it suddenly dawned on me how much my life has changed, in so little time.

in bangalore, my life was consumed by 3 things. work. sleep. going out to eat/drink. these activities filled my day, not necessarily meaningfully.

today, my life is consumed by so much more. even though i dont work full time, my days are whizzing by. im busy, doing so many things, i never imagined myself doing. at the end of the day, i feel content, satisfied and happy.

what else could i ask for?

Monday, June 07, 2010

back to work

iv been offered a temporary assignment. one that requires me to sit in an office environment for a few horus a day, for the next week or so.

so today, for the first time since i quit my job in march, i have worn a pair of jeans. a kurta. will pack my laptop in its bag. and drive to "work". where i am told, i will be assigned a place to sit.

its a bit surreal. to be in goa. and to go to work. something i havent done in 3 months now. but go to work i will, and hope it will be fun anf fruitful.

wish me luck :)

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

its only teenage wasteland



current addiction: house md
favourite actor: hugh laurie
favourite characters: house, wilson, chase
favourite songs from the sound track: you cant always get what you want, baba o riley
favourite episodes: the one where house tells the story about his leg, the one where foreman is sick

if medical dramas give you a high, watch house md.
if you have a love for perfectly etched out characters, with strong personalities, interesting quirks and unforgettable traits, watch house md.
if you like suspense, drama and sarcastic comedy all rolled into one, watch house md.

this is what has kept me "busy" all of last week. its good iv slowed down a little, now that the initial high of discovering a new love has waned off. i am now paying attention to things around the house that desperately needed attention, and were being hugely ignored as a result of my new addiction.

give it a try, if you havent already!

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

in other news..

we've had skies overcast with deep grey clouds, cool heavy rainy winds, and everything looks so clean and green.

in case i havent told you already, its started raining in goa!

love (crap) aaj kal (crap)

i watched love aaj kal to distract myself today. i needed a distraction. so i chose a mindless hindi movie.

it was a mindless movie, but turned out it wasnt a very good distraction. because it was so mindless and stupid, it made me angry. stupid, pseudo-cool plot, that pans out so bad it leaves you second guessing all the time. cheesy bad acting, dialogues and not even good music to make up for it.

i think i can safely say, love aaj kal is by far one of the WORST hindi movies i have seen in recent time.

bleargh. why do people think deepika padukone can act? she cant even TALK without sounding utterly ghaati. and i think being around her did something to saif too. crap. crap. crap.

proof that bollywood is just pissing off. and i still need a decent distraction.