I’m hoping I never find it necessary to ever cook in my life. I realize that such a wish would be frowned upon by the many individuals who read this blog but I really hate cooking. Sometimes fights with mom call for Maggie noodles and that I can deal with.

Once upon a time I used to be quite passionate about cooking but the event that changed it all was when I went to visit my dad in Dubai. He was at work and I was all excited about cooking up something special. So, instead of ordering from a restaurant I decided to play chef. A brief search of the kitchen revealed just the ingredients I needed to make some rice and chicken curry.
I opened up the packet of Chicken curry masala and followed the directions given on it. I suppose I used more than I was supposed to because I really wanted the flavor to stick out. I prepared the rice by calling mom who was back home in India. She didn’t have the patience so she ran through the entire thing in a hurry and hung up. I had a couple of distractions in between but I thought the food looked as it was supposed to.

My dad came back, I set the table and then we sat down to eat. He picked up his fork and took a bite. He was not one of those fathers who would tell their daughters it was nice when it wasn’t just to make them happy. I’ve never seen my father move at such speed the way he did that day, to the sink to spit out my hard work. Then he spent the longest time trying to rid his mouth of the taste of the food after which he told me, ‘You never have to cook as long as you stay with me.’ And from that day on cooking began to frighten me. The damage to my psyche is colossal and it would take a shrink a year or two to help me over it.

I received a call today from an old friend who works as an airhostess. She dutifully calls me every month just to make sure I’m not getting myself into trouble. And while she has been absent for many of my failures I thank her for having lots of faith in me and spending all that money on calls to make sure we stay great friends. I remember I cried on and off for the whole day when she left to Doha.

I don’t normally address political issues here because thinking about it gets me so angry and depressed but I just have to say that I don’t get Indian politics and it’s obsession to include everything religious. Corrupt politicians have managed to twist religion so thoroughly to their own ends that they’ve reduced God to a tool to help them get and maintain power. How can I vote for anyone when I don’t believe a word coming out of their mouths?

After I’m done posting this I intend to execute my scheme to take over the world. If you aren’t with me, you're against me.

Now, for something fun. The Doobie Brothers… weren’t they an awesome band?

The guitars are crisp and it’s one of the best tracks out of this band. Also, the instruments explode in this song. The arrangements and the layers sound great. The song accomplishes what it sets out to do and wraps up without any loose ends. ‘Long Train Running’ is a track definitely worth checking out and if you’re looking for something to put you in a good mood then this song comes highly recommended.

To Pratiksha.

I’ve been trying way too hard. Things feel weird. People feel weird. The world that I’m trying to repair has just progressed beyond weirdness and all that’s left is a big pile of mess that I can’t take charge of. It makes the trying and the caring and the not giving a fuck about all too hard.

…..And then I remind myself to take a gulp of air and sit still.

As I walk down the end of my street I say to myself, ‘Another day. God help me get through it.’ The car should arrive any minute snatching me away from my thoughts. I wait in the cold, my hands clutching my big white bag which is so warm. I inhale the chilly air and I look at my cell phone to see how long I’ve been waiting: 2 minutes. It should be here any moment. This is what Samuel Beckett referred to as Existentialism. Waiting… seemingly endless waiting. People are being weird and I’m being weird today. I pull my bag closer to me. I’m so cold. I hate being cold. I see my car…

I guess this is what they call the winter blues.

As promised, this weekend I did nothing. I just caught up on sleep and recuperated from a full-on week. ‘The Holiday’ was the kind of movie I haven’t watched in awhile. It was ultra mushy and sadistic. It had my tear glands all swollen up. It was 7 years of my life all squished into a one in a half hour movie and I think I’m over this genre. No wait! Maybe after I watch Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, then I’m over the genre.

In other non-significant news I’m planning a trip to Nagaland in the month of November. I plan to meet relatives and spend some quality time with my best friend Imcha. He’s busy with his designer line so we’ve hardly spoken to each other. After I called him last night and surprised him with my plans to visit his hometown he promised to be there and take me around the place.


That’s really it from me for now. Will leave you with a song I was crazy about awhile ago. ‘Lullaby’ by Atlanta- based artist Shawn Mullins takes me back to some awesome memories. He’s one of those singers that can get you to slow down and focus on the moment. I simply love this song and I think each and every single one of you should promptly hit the play button on the player below so you can love it too.

I’ve written about it many times and have had conversations with people in which I’ve complained about famous bands being ‘boring’ and that they take up a lot of airtime when it should be only right for better bands to be heard and showcased. And the moment I’m done with one of these outbursts I always feel obligated to listen to a well-known song by one of these recognized bands. Yeah…Guilty as charged.

While there are certain items that you should have if you want to be taken seriously as an adult. There are also items that you shouldn’t have. So it’s time for an episode of- products that make you not-quite-a-grownup-as yet:
- Snuggly quilts or bedspreads featuring Disney characters on it.
- Unframed posters stuck on the wall with double-sided tape or that sticky weird stuff.
- No bookcase for your many books.
- That old chair that every college kid gets when they’re excited about studying.
- Little stuff toys sitting out in plain sight.
Any others that I’m missing?

Pretty melancholic today - It's probably an equal mix of the gloomy weather, the fact that I got up early on a Saturday morning for band practice, the fact that I was supposed to do so much today but ended up watching a movie and reading a book, the fact that my Saturday isn’t working out the way I wanted it to and wishing I was at a café or a pub instead of a residential park east of B’lore. Oh well.

Still, I wanted to post something, so I've decided on introducing you to a Scottish indie alternative rock band called The Fratellis. The album ‘Flathead’ hit US shelves on Jan 07 and these dudes were the opening band for The Police Reunion Tour.

The track below is called ‘Flathead’. It’s different enough to grab your attention and hold it. This track should be turned up and listened to -LOUD. It will cheer you up. It’s perfect for the times when you want to be cheered up. Enjoy.

The week has ended pretty well. Had a one-on-one with the boss. We discussed process related issues and then for 15 minutes after that we spoke about my blog. I love my job.
This weekend I intend to stay at home during which I expect to do nothing but eat my way into obesity which would cause me to assume the shape of a globe at which point I would have to withdraw completely from any human relations.

The question that’s been on my mind today is: Why on earth am I looking so tired lately?
1) I require sleep.
2) Maybe the tired look is an external expression of the deterioration in my morals;
3) or maybe I’m just getting older?

If the answer is 1), I’ve been sleeping 7 blissful hours daily. I don’t see the point of getting more cos that’ll just make me outrightly lazy. And I don’t see the use of sleeping when I can perhaps use that time to do something more creative. Hmm…Party!

If the answer is 2), I can ask my uncle the artist to paint my portrait. I shall keep it safe someplace where no one will find it; this portrait, like that of Dorian Gray, will show all outward manifestations of my moral deterioration, while I remain forever youthful and attractive.

And if the answer is 3)) then I should just get married and disappear.
I'm sort of wishing it’s answer number 2 but I don’t really know how I’m supposed to get that idea to work.

Sometimes all your day needs is one good song for a much-needed uplift.
No point in waiting for Amy Winehouse to get her cocaine effected lungs to work again. In the meantime, this slice of vocal heaven from THE Suzanne Vega doesn’t make me care so much for Miss Winehouse. I have to admit that listening to these tunes of Vega’s left me wishing for more. I’ve uploaded two of her tracks because one just wouldn’t be enough. These tracks have a certain epic like quality that begs to be heard. Apparently, ‘Tim’s Diner’ (DNA Remix) made it to UK #2 in 1990 (that’s what I’m playing for you folks). ‘Caramel’ has also a special place in my heart because Runa had sung it and she actually sounded as good as Suzanne Vega. Wish she would just get over being so conscious and let me upload her track. But since I haven’t got her consent y’all are just going to have to take my word for it. Happy Friday folks. I’ll try and post something this weekend if I can. As always. Stay tuned.

Me and My Starlight

This post is about the who’s who in my life. First up are Ruan and Runa. Runa is short for Aruna. Runa and I go way back. We knew each other from school but started hanging out in college. Ruan, joined us in Post Grad. and we’ve been together ever since. These two have been my partners in crime and the closest to me. They’re both gorgeous and smart with a love for music, singing, reading and some naughty things I shall not name. The three of us even work in the same company. While it gets a little stifling at times it just reminds us that we have each other to fall back on.

Next we have Dex and Imcha. They’re probably my closest male friends. We’re food and music buddies. We swap ideas, critiques and generally misbehave. Dex was my first love and then we became friends. Imcha, was the crazy boy I spent every minute of my day with. I’ve known both of them for about about 8 years now. My friendship with Dex revolves around flirting and food and with Imcha, its music and fashion.

Then we have Ck and Shreyas. Ck is my ex supervisor and shreyas is my current supervisor. Ruan, Runa, Ck, Shreyas and me always hang out together and are always upto mischief. Both of these guys are lovely people to know, good-hearted and a lot of fun too. Shreyas loves to give us a show and snap us out of boredom. Ck is funny with a fondness for music, films and crosswords.

Another person who gets mentioned quite a lot on this blog is the Crooner. A recent ex who seems to be on my love-hate list.

Then there’s Abigail. She’s my little niece. A 1 ½ year old, known by names such as Abby, Lemlem, Aolem and Lemska. She’s far too scary for me to look after by myself though she’s showing early signs of being quite a hottie and having a thing for fashion.

Another person who’s mentioned on this blog is Tony Das. An amazing guitarist who just went to Mumbai to hang out with Virgil Donati and Brett Garsed. Tony is Runa’s boyfriend and they adore each other. Tomorrow they celebrate five years of being together.

They’re a lot of others who make very occasional appearances but these above, are the main ones that get written about.

To my amazing friends- here’s One Republic’s rendition of Jeff Buckley’s ‘Last Goodbye’. (I love the lyrics. Hence the scroller)

Lyrics | Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye lyrics