Things that have happened...

There is absolutely no end. Every moment brings in its wake something new or atleast the opportunity to do something new. Some moments stand out. Things that have happened in the past few days...

The tsunami disaster. Death. Disruption. Noise hand in hand with disturbing silence. Heroes. Villains.

MBTI training. A natural preference sorter that tells you what type you are amongst the 16 alternatives. I am an ESFJ. Extraverted Sensing Feeling Judging. Conveying the news to my sis I wrote "I was told I am a very planned, organized, emotional person with no creativity. Can you think of a profession for me?!". She replied, "Top Management". Couldn't help laughing out REAL loud. Led to colleagues sitting around me ask what the big joke was. Had to share it with them. Being the non-hierarchical organisation that The Firm is, quite a few of them qualified as management. They were quite amused and I am still employed.

Today, 31 December, is a historical day in my working life. There is NO WORK. It happens only once a year.

***

Today is New Year's Eve. I want to go to some place with loud music, let my hair down and dance! I will be spending the evening at home watching television with my parents. But this is also a new moment, one that brings with it an opportunity to do something new and to be happy.
Plans: I hope to buy a few gifts for my folks. Probably pick up a VCD to watch. Decorations for home. Snacks to gorge on. Subject to my being able to make a trip to the malls near office.

***

To all of you, Happy New Year. Hope you are able to exploit every moment, every opportunity that 2005 brings with it. Keep Smiling.

Bharatpur

Mom has gone out of town leaving my dad and me to fend for ourselves. Since the idea of four days of looking after the home on my own sounded like a Herculean task; I along with dad planned this lil escapade. The destination chosen was Bharatpur. Yes Handa. The decision to go there was entirely because you were there. However, it wasn’t a trip to meet you. We were looking for a getaway; and Bharatpur seemed like the right place –the quiet and solitude of nature along with the opportunity to meet someone who has been, whether I may like it or not, a big influence (sometimes too much, right Srini?) and an integral part of my life in the past few months.

The first thought when I saw Handa was that he doesn’t look as “awaara” (for want of a better word) as I had imagined. His behaviour in the time we spent together just substantiated the first impression. He sure can be well-behaved if he wants to!

Bharatpur has the beautiful Keoladeo National Park – a bird sanctuary. Visited the Park twice- once on Thursday afternoon at 2:46 p.m. and the second time on Friday morning at 10:15 a.m. (found the ticket..it was in my jacket pocket!). The time in the sanctuary was spent walking and looking at birds, without binoculars unfortunately.

While the walk and the quiet of the park was just amazing for the city person fed up with noise that I am, Handa who inhabits the wild environs of Kharagpur was bored to death! He seems to prefer bird watching of the other variety ;-) Not to mention the fact that I spoiled his plans of total relaxation in holidays by making him walk for 8 kms each day. And I scolded him all the time, he later told me grudgingly. I, of course, was blissfully unaware of the fact that I was scolding him. Telling him he is lazy, wasting his time, can do much more in life, should have had the sense to bring chocolates, NOT to litter or smoke: that’s hardly scolding…ummm..or mebbe it is. Sorry dude! No wonder you didn’t have the words to describe meeting “ “someone whom you like a lot” or thought that you did until you actually met her”.

Overall, I had a great time. Can’t say the same for Handa who was made to walk till his legs ached; starved and scolded. Or did he? Back to you Handa

Laal Batti

In pre-school I was taught that the different lights in the traffic signal had the following meaning:

• Red: Stop
• Yellow: Get Ready to Go
• Green: Go

As far as I can understand the yellow (Amber) light stands for slowing down as the signal is soon going to turn red. The questions that bother me: Why was I taught the wrong significance as a kid? Or was it that I learnt my lesson wrong? Has the meaning of the lights changed in the past few years? Do I actually understand the lights correctly?

***
Traffic signal is the place where:

• One stops dancing to the music playing in the car because others can see inside your car
• One watches cute guys in big cars
• One buys the white flower gajra/beni to decorate even the not so beautiful hair simbly because they smell so good and feel so cool (not kewl, cool.)
• One is reminded of the extreme poverty present amongst us
• One waves and smiles at cute kids

What do you do when stopped at a red light? Any interesting experiences?

Pajama Party: Follow Up

Three months after the first pajama party, it was time to finish what was left in the tequila bottle. And the overworked MNC employees decided to have another get-together. This time, however, there was no gender discrimination and the guys not only joined in for dinner but also stayed for drinks.

Dinner was a birthday treat from three gals. The guys realized it was a treat only when they were told to stop fishing in their pockets for money.

Ice creams and waffle sandwiches somehow found space in our already full tummies. Was close to midnight before we landed at the house that is shared by 3 of my colleagues and is always the venue for all our get-togethers. And then started a non-stop talk-athon for 6 hours!

The jokes were unending. Pity a lot of them were aimed at me :-( . An issue of Cosmopolitan led to quite some embarrassment for the guys. The “man-manual” in the magazine provided clues on figuring out a guy’s behavior in bed based on the way he eats his ice cream. What would women do without such crucial knowledge!

The way my friends have tequila is hardly visually appealing. They have it in steel glasses..small quantities but steel glasses?!!..bah And the sad part of the whole exercise is that no one ever gets drunk. Of course, they act drunk and accuse each other of having lost it. One of the guys was requested to sing and dance for general amusement. He chose to sing “zarra sa jhoom loon mein…” and unfortunately, he sang it for me :-|

Slept in the morning and got up to catch the afternoon show of Hulchul. Had a great time. Another get-together this weekend. Can hardly wait! (Nah…no guys this time)