Politically !ncorrect

It was out of utter boredom and sense of restlessness that I chose to switch the TV on. A fter  browsing through almost 50-55 channels, I stopped at Channel [V]   for some relief. There came the rushes of "Suvreen Guggal", a television series - where the lead character was protesting for some "ban on short clothes in her college campus" with slogans like "Soch badlo kapde nai". I could instantly relate it to much talked about SLUT Walks and "Don't tell us what to wear - tell them not to rape" posts.  I have been to places, traveled quiet a bit, observed people generally; women and girls specifically. To be honest, no where else have I seen such an urge to control women as in India. (ofcourse Talibanized countries not included!) When I say 'control', I mean freedom, independence. Right from life changing decisions such as what to study and whom to marry to petty things such as what to wear , are dictated either by parents ...

Hi Junta I know I have been blog-dying oh so often lately but if you’re a close friend, you’d know why. If you’re wondering what  I've  been up to lately (if you’re not, why are you still reading my post! :|) let me tell you  I've been  doing great – travelling , meeting people, getting perspectives, brainstorming, and challenging myself in ways difficult for me to handle! Yeah, I’m a bit strange that way ;) So, currently: Am back from US trip, which by the way, was amazing. That’s where “meeting people” and a bit of “getting perspectives” part come into picture. Anyways, now back to Hong Kong and life’s getting pretty interesting. I had Dadi and Pooja at my place! We all had super fun! I discovered that G + Pooja is a bad combo. They act super crazy, senseless and  juvenile   infantile when  together! They got me to my wits end in Macau. ~X( My friend’s blessed with a bundle of joy – a sweet lil baby girl! A first in any of my group...

Welcome to United States of America" - That’s exactly how our Flight Captain welcomed us to this country. And I was sooooo delighted ! More than USA, it was the idea of finally getting off the 18th century American Airlines plane with grumpy staff  :-&  that caused the delight! It’s been 3 days since then and my first blog from the land of dreams! Its 5:00 am here and my body’s on starvation mode. That’s something I can’t stand. I guess I've had some 10 hrs of sleep in past 72 hours and that's it! Imagine, you've a severe headache, your back hurts unbearably. Your eyes are droopy due to sleep deprivation and they just don’t stop watering. You’ve a RED runny nose. Your face looks pale. You haven’t showered in 24 hours now and are burying yourself under layers of sweat shirts and comforters. That’s how my jet-lag has affected me. G and Ankur have been guiltlessly taking me out for a ride – LITERALLY! All the way from New York to Connecticut to New Jersey t...

You remember how in good-ol'-Orkut-days, we used to take “Profile” segment a bit too seriously? I bet you do! Yussss…. You guessed it right! That’s my source of inspiration for today’s post.. and here it goes! Ten things I wish I could say to people right now: “Thank you for everything.” “I want you to be with me… forever. Please don’t go.” “You have been a jerk. You loser!” L-) “I couldn't care less!” “I am seriously in awwwwe of you.” “I am so glaaaaad I have somebody like you.” “I love you soooo much.” “You are the only person I would want to be, if I weren't ME.” “Can I get a hug?” >:D< “You add spice to my life. Our lives.” Nine things about myself: Respect is paramount! Love is close second. I absolutely adore my family and my friends and my family friends. :) I am not myself when I’m angry. I can handle BIG problems, it’s the SMALL things that hurt me most I do believe in miracles. Big time! I’m a cleanliness freak! I’d ...

I am still confined to my bed while half of the world is out to make sense of their existence. Dhikkar! I usually need my tea first thing in the morning BUT, there is a BIG BUT… today I have to go out and get some milk, to have  my pehla pyala of chaai!   These are some “side effects” of  not staying  with your parents. :)  “Mummyyyyyyyyy chah nathi banavi haji!!”  used to be my  morning shloka  if I am out of my bed and tea is not ready on my table. I guess dwelling in the past doesn't help you get milk! :p Today I somehow feel like dancing all day, all night; that too only and only in Mumbai. Don’t ask me why! I don’t know!  Poison, Hawaiian Shack best bet - Velvet Lounge will work too.  Kuch nahi to Aura bhi chalega yaar!  Whatever... wherever... I just want to have some good music, masti and  my   paltan  imported from Mumbai.  I’m ICU serious! ;) (Okie... I am aware! "ICU Serious" follow...

India is one heck of a country & I just love it for what it is!  It never ceases to amaze me. Not a day goes without news…. literally! I have been rather keenly following recent developments. It’s time I put my cent or two in what really matters to most of us. After multiple debacles such as supremely poor &  embarrassing  handling of Anna led Anti-corruption movement, Ramdev mid-night lathi charge fiasco , poverty line cutoff  from 28 INR to 32 INR per day dud , Gurgaon 8 p.m. timeline joke , Momota didi’s full-fledged black mail and subsequent  roll-back of Railway fare hike and the latest being the leaked letter from General V K Singh to PM Manmohan Singh - UPA II circus has successfully managed to do the worst kind of damage to the nation and bring the best out of Indian democracy. As a nation, we were never more active, alive and vibrant before! Were we?  “Other than sports, only war and catastrophe can creat...

I hate it when.... I can't find my glasses, hair-clip and hair band  first thing in the morning (no matter I keep them previous night). Someone laughs when I read Gujarati. People make 20 calls in 5 mins;   unwilling t o understand that if I am not picking up, I must be busy or simply I don't want to talk to them! Is it that difficult to get? I have hundreds of 10 cents chasing their juniors, 5 & 2 cents in my handbag, thereby making it unbearably noisy and half-a-kg heavy.  I get cramps.  I oversleep, overeat & under-gym. I have to wait ( for somebody, something or anything!) I have to step out of any closed premise, house or office, during or immediately after rains... No ways! People get really mean. I get into a situation where I don't know what to do. Our oh-so-civilized ministers pointlessly rant and challenge our intelligence on issues of Nati...

I simply love it when… Every time  I come to Baroda,  the chaai wala -  exactly next to the wheeler store at Vadodara station welcomes me with a warm smile and says “ madam, bahot dino baad aaye…" ("Seeing you after a long time madam") Dadi prepares vedhmi & fruit-salad exclusively for me. Mom hugs me.  Pooja calls me “ bena ”. I do my room, even more the whole house like a lady possessed (btw, I am the 'Cleaning Queen' of India and competing for 'Miss Crazy Cleaning' title abroad :P) Sit at the window with a cup of coffee while it’s raining. I get a gift from someone, without any occasion! ( PS: I accept gifts on occasions too) I shop & shop & shop, yet not drop. Dadi uses her classic English words to add value to her Gujarati sentence. Mama (as in mom’s brother) puts his hand on my head and shakily asks “ baddhu barabar che ne beta? Kai hoy to kehje ”? (“Is everything ok, let me know if it’s not”) I receive a compliment ...

It’s interesting how today; all of a sudden I had this desperate urge to write a blog! The way our brain works in co-ordination with our heart is amazing. (Now please save your much-misused-much maligned -typically Bollywood head vs. heart conflict story for some other time) Heart felt like writing down something... anything… whatever and brain immediately found a way out. I wish it responded as fast in numerous other occasions when I frantically want it to. Anyways, now that I have already started, thoughts are flowing in from all imaginable- unimaginable streams. I am completely overwhelmed with hundreds of stories and experiences competing in my mind, to be the first ones to be shared. Never experienced anything like this before. I need to de-clutter my mind-space. So I pause for some time, reboot & focus. I'll start with my work-tales today. I don’t know if its the best topic to write on, however, that’s what I feel like writing about right now so if you are finding your...