My Musings

This post is “OnDemand” for one of my very dearest and long-term-been-always-there-for-me-friend – Sowmya. Happy Anniversary to you dear – Sorry for goofing up on the date every single year! This is to make up for that! We – the Mr. and I got our new “Chell” Phones on Thursday last – Moto Razr the talk of the town(I hope it is still the “TOT” – with electronics items you never know how soon one thing gets outdated). My fascination of owning a flip phone goes back very long. When we got our chance to come to the US of A, I had told the Mr. that one day I would get the 0$ (or money return) deal on a good Flip phone. Till date there was absolutely no need for a Cell phone for me, so my dream just lay there in a corner of my heart – till I started driving. Driving in the USA without a cell phone is sorta dangerous. So, one day we decided and ordered ours-after much debating my the Mr. on whether he wanted a Sony Erricson/Blackberry and so on… I was the loyal one – stuck to my black Moto si...

I have been depressed about this “issue” for quite some time now, intermittently sometime, and sometimes for a longer period. The “issue” is my job. Ever since I joined my present organization which is about 5 years ago, I have not been satisfied. I know that 5 years is just too much time to put with up with a lot of heartburn, but at every stage I had some personal issue which prevented me from changing my job. Sometimes I begin to wonder if I have become so dormant that I no longer have the urge to even change my “sick condition”. Slowly, very slowly I can feel my self-confidence slip off, my enthusiasm towards anything new wane. I wallow in self pity almost all the time, which saps all positive energy out of me. I don’t look forward to any of the things that I love to do anymore – books don’t interest me, songs seem toneless, everything seems so bland. I am so sick of my situation. At times I really wonder if I have a mental problem, and that I should get myself treated. I wish I co...

I am not by nature a very superstitious person. But sometimes when things are going really bad, to get a hold onto something – I can start believing in some stupid things – anything to tide over the bad phase in life I feel. The Mr. does not believe in anything that cannot be scientifically explained. He believes in God and has faith in the fact that if you do well, you will always be taken care of. But what happened on Sunday, make him really smile and think for a second if there was something called superstition which was true. It was one of those days when I was having a miserable Migraine attack and nothing I did seem to assuage the pain. So, in the evening we decided to go out for a drive for a whiff of fresh air. Just as we were about to leave the apartment complex, a gorgeously black cat ran across the road. I was a bit scared and told that we would better go back. The Mr. consoled me and said a Cat is just another animal – we don’t get scared if a squirrel/beaver/groundhog cros...

There is a saying in Hindi – Bhagwaan jab kuch deta hai Chappad phaad ke deta hai – When god gives something, he gives in enormous quantities! Remember my “Socialization” – a month prior to that I was complaining almost every alternate day to the Mr. that we don’t have any friends here at all, we are a lonesome twosome and that he did not care and blah and blah …. And now, we are not free a single day! Gone are those glorious days when we basked in the soft blue light of the TV for ages in the evenings, sipping tea and drinking in all the dialogues from the zillion movies that we saw. Aaj yeh halat hai ki we hardly see the movies that we get from the library – and the funniest part is all those movies that I placed “Holds” for about 4 months ago are all getting “Available for pick up” now! No – I am not at all complaining. I am loving this action packed life we are having. After all, getting to see other humans is always something nice – is it not why we all live in societies? And “tou...

... they never seem to end. Just when I sit back and let out a big "Phew", even before my back reaches for the back-rest of my chair - another problem pops his head out of the ugly hole in the road of life. Problems definitely make you stronger and each time you solve a problem and look back the previous one, you feel "Poof! that was so much simpler to handle". When I talk of this to somebody about 10 years elder to me, she says similingly - "You just wait baby - you ain't seen nuthing!" ... Oh! is there more ??? Well, all that thing about problems making your character strong, preparing you to fight the worst, blah blah is all fine - but for the sweet lord's sake - can I get a small popcorn break atleast??

These are baby times. Either about babies that I have never met, or babies that are to be born! Of course I am talking of babies of my friends. Recently one of my very close friend, Vindhya, sent me the snap of her nearly 2 year old – Tharun , and in the same week another close friend of mine, Meens – as I call her – sent the latest updates on her daughter Praks. Looking at them, I felt as if I was missing something big in life. These two girls were very much a part of my adult life- sharing daily happenings, consoling me in the darkest times of my pre-marriage life, laughing aloud with me over a funny incident, sharing my indignation about some politics at work, reveling in my happiness when I was getting married – and today each one of us is at a different physical location, busy with our own lives. This is Tharun. Oh! How much I would have loved to see the rotund belly of the reed-thin Vindhya when she was carrying Tharun – how much I would have loved to be with her and force her to...

Sometimes you know that a particular weekend is going to be good on Friday itself. The one that swept past yesterday was one such for me. Friday was pretty cheerful because it had only 3 working hours :D. We had our department picnic that afternoon – and to our utter happiness, the boss sent a mail in the morn stating that folks can go home after the picnic and need not come back to ensure the 8-hour working time. After an ice-breaking game of finding a person in the group who “Owned a rabbit” or one who “wore toe rings” or one who “did polka” and so on; we had a lunch of Pizza and Salad. One of committees in our department is called “Morale” – the responsibility of this team being – survey the morale of the department, take inputs from all the employees and come up with suggestions on how to improve the morale of the team. It was the responsibility of this team to conduct some games/team building activity on that day. They did come up with some good activities and we all went back hom...

My Second class of Swimming yesterday was much better than the first one. We arrived a bit early, so that I could mentally prepare myself. I was able to get inside the water and go in completely without fear and able to float holding the wall/ the instructor's hands/the Mr.'s hands :)... There is one elderly lady who is one of the instructors. She is such a dear (I need to ask her name next time around). She gives me so much encouragement and if I just do a small thing fine - she praises me, gives a good smile and urges me on to try more. Oh! Thanks to god for sending such wonderful people on earth. Many of you blogger friends and other friends have sent me so many encouraging mails/comments on my post. Thanks to all of you for the support - it makes a world of difference to me to receive those words of support from you. I would like to write a note of apology - maybe I was a bit harsh on commenting about Ms J in my last post - but then I was miffed by the way she commented on ...

After much thought and debating and convincing from the Mr., I finally decided to get over my inhibition of the swim-wear and decided to join swimming lessons. So, with great enthu I went to shop for a swim wear on Monday (classes were to begin on Tue) and was so disappointed to find just a couple of itsy-bitsy bikins. With much great effort(and patience from the Mr.) and spending close to an hour at two shops, I managed to find something that decently covers me up – why in the world can’t they have swim shorts for women also ???? Beats me! Of all the days, it was only on Tuesday that the Mr. had to come late. After a hurried bite of the Pori that I made, we rushed off to the class at 8:30 PM. Driving in pitch black darkness and in pelting rain, we managed to find the Community center. While the Mr. filled out the forms, I stumbled around trying to find the changing room and was flustered not knowing where to put my stuff and landed near the pool –a towel wrapped around my waist, my wi...

I hate living in the United States for this one particular reason - dependency on somebody for transportation! You cannot go to any place without your own car. We have been managing so far with one car, inspite of people warning that you will sooner or later need one each. Guess it is for these kinds of situations that you definitely need one of your own - when your own work is done, and you have browsed all the possible internet sites and are desperate to go home to cook for the evening or do some house work; and are stuck in the office waiting for the MR. It is all the more tough for me, one who does not have any friends in the area where we live - despite the fact that all of them work in the same firm as mine (just my bad nature that nobody wants to be pals with me - I guess!) - and you have to ping each one and ask if he/she can give you a ride! I hate these situations and I detest them when they keep coming again and again in my life! Why ME!!! I am going to get the car to work f...

Two of my favourite film stars, in Tamil industry, got married to each other yesterday – Surya and Jyothika. Ever Since I came to know of the “Kissu-Kissu” between them, I was kinda hoping this would be the end. The Mr. says I cannot understand why you are excited about their wedding/ love affair. Well, neither can I explain, but that is that! And, I was so happy to receive umpteen numbers of forwards with their wedding snaps. Somehow they felt RIGHT together. Jo, was looking much beautiful at her wedding, than she ever looked in any of her movies (Oh! I forgot … she was absolutely stunning in Kaakha Kaakha). I remember having got a forward, or read about it somewhere on the Net – I am not sure, a photo of Ajay Devgan and Kajol. They are also such a nice couple I feel. Another couple I rooted for was Junior B and Rani. Somewhere in the between there was some gossip about their link up and then it all fizzled out. I was so disappointed when those rumours about Junior B and Aish came up...

I am not going to write anything about the above headline in general. It is just about how this became the “Season Smartie”. This phrase is a patented coin by the Mr. If something has had absolutely no significance to your life for ages, and in an hour/day/week it achieves the utmost attention that there is nothing more than you can talk about – it is called “Season Smartie”- as was socialization in our lives. The weekend was splendiferous. For about a month, I have been cribbing to the Mr. with the obvious lack of socialization in our lives – who maintains that THAT is the last of his worries. And it was this particular activity that hung over us like a warm blanket for the last 2 and quarter days. It all started on Friday evening. Sometimes, for ages you try to meet up with a friend/colleague and it never works out and then suddenly out of the blue it happens in the most unexpected of times. For ages, we have been planning to meet up with Preethi and Ganesh, who just live about 10 ho...

Found this on the net today - The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. This is going to be my new excuse when Rajesh tells me that I am such a bore - cannot adopt to new ideas. Howzzzzat ?

For the past week, it has been only Flushing meadows that we see on TV. The Nadal- Youzhany match was disappointing. I was hoping that like the Wimbledon, this time around too, it would be a Federer- Nadal final. There was a beautiful article about the Federer-Nadal jodi in the Sept. 4th edition of Time magazine, comparing the game styles of these two champions. Federer reminds me of Pete Sampras. For years together, I was a die hard fan of this absolutely cool guy. Amma would say “Oh! Andha Naay maadhiri naaka velila viduvane avana!” (that girl who would let his tongue out like a dog always). I personally believe that it is this utmost coolness, and intense concentration on the game – that was the key to Pete’s success and now Federer’s too. For there have been great players with much stronger and quicker shots in competition to these two guys, and yet they emerge as winners only because of the consistency in their game. This was proved in yesterday’s game too – Federer vs Blake. An a...

Two days of the week I really love are Friday and Sunday. When you wake up on a Friday morning, it gives such a exhilarating feeling to know that just 8 or 9 hours later you will be free of this hell-hole called Office for the next 24 hours or more J. And when it is a long weekend (ie. Monday also a holiday) ; then Fridays are all the more beautiful. The Office is almost empty by afternoon, lines in the lunch room are non-existing, you can see the white lines separating the blocks in parking lot – which otherwise you would never even know exists, by 4 even the most workaholic in the office comes over for a chat remarking that the minutes hand in her watch is inching ever so slow, after much hemming and hawing you break the restraint – throwing the 8-1/2 hour rule out of the window and rush out into freedom! Almost every other routine that is set-up for the other 4 days is broken. No Gym also J. If there is work to be done also, I cannot sit for a second after 5 on Fridays – I would rat...

Sept 5th is celebrated all over India as Teacher’s day in remembrance of one of the greatest leaders of our country, who himself was a teacher – Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. Faint memories of this day come to my mind, as I read this post by Usha on teacher’s day . In our school, this day was celebrated as an official “Day-Off” for teachers. A Special Assembly would be conducted in the morning and for most part of the day, the teachers would be off, taken off for a special lunch. And to manage the junior students, senior students would be sent to take “classes”. While in Junior classes, I would eagerly wait to see if one of those smart, handsome senior boys or one of those lovely, beautiful girls that I liked a lot would come to “teach” us; and be awed by the sheer power they had as Seniors. We would eagerly talk of the ball of time we would have when we became “Seniors”. I don’t know if even today this is the way it is celebrated in my school. Teachers play a big role in our life as...

This is the latest fashion statement of anybody who is going to get/got recently married. Pray, tell me the meaning of this? Marriages can happen only in 2 ways – you fall in love with somebody, tell your parents – who are gung-ho about it, or who oppose it – convince them in the latter case; and get married. Or, leave that entire mess of finding somebody to your parents/paraphernalia family – browse thru a couple of photos – say yes to one – meet the girl/boy and say a yes/no. The first one called a “Love Marriage” and the second one called an “Arranged marriage”. Now what is this Love-cum-arranged marriage then? Ask an explanation to anybody who says his/her marriage is this type and pat comes the reply – Our parents arranged our meeting and we fell his love and got married. Hey! Does that mean that there are “NoLove-cum-Arranged” marriages also? I thought when you married somebody; you either loved him/her beforehand or got to love your spouse after marriage. Why this special tag, t...