Fog(gy) Memories…

Early morning scene today -
Location: Out of my window.
I get up and look outside the window and see that my neighbourhood is covered in a white blanket of sorts. I have to walk out the door into the balcony and check instinctively. I smell the air – there is a certain crisp to it. It is not smoke – not the pollution you are now so accustomed to… OOO it is fog! Fog that diffuses the early sun rays and the one which will dissipate as the rays become intense.
The fog, the cool weather all of this has become so rare in these recent years – something attributed to global warming - that it seems distant now..
I instantly apparated (from Harry Potter) into my school days. This brings back the anticipation we used to have as kids – of the soon to come Diwali festivities with fond memories of the school vacation associated with it. Then it brings back the memories of the approaching winter, of snuggling blankets and not wanting to get up early, of going to school early morning any way and enjoying the ride on dad’s scooter, of wearing the red school cardigan…
All this hidden somewhere in you and lost in the daily grind only to be brought back unexpectedly one fine day…
Oh all the nostalgia!

Welcome?

Who wants this doormat?

2 days – 3 continents (virtually)

This weekend was all fun and dance. Enjoying summer to the fullest!
Its summer and there is so much happening in the city that you have to choose!! This weekend we did festival hopping attending 3 events in 2 days.
There was this South Asian Festival with all the pomp and colour of our side of the continent! They had a whole program of music (tabla concert) and lots of dances – Kathak, bharatnatyam, Garba and of course Bollywood!

Next hop was the beaches Jazz festival. This was in a park near the beaches area. It was out in the open on the lawns and had attracted lot of crowds. We spent some time there listening to some young talent and then some singers from the French quarters in Canada and later Argentina.

Sunday was our Salsa day and we headed to the Salsa fest. It was interesting. There were a lot of hot spots which was like this – they had blaring music on; being either played live or played records and there were people dancing. Then there was a stage and people playing live music there. After a while 2 instructors were teaching some basic salsa steps there and people were watching and learning. I too joined in of course. You know when it comes to dance, I cant stop myself!

Loved the cultural diversity all had to offer – right from the crowds to the music and dance to the array of foods!

Beach BBQ Vs Earthquake

What sounds more interesting – a beach barbeque party or an earthquake?
Ok, I know beach barbeque party of course! Right? Well if you’d ask me, I’d say an earthquake. I know what you are thinking now – she is crazy! Well judge for yourself …
It so happened that we had a beach barbeque party organized at the office – just a summer celebration lunch. There were some relay games and Hawaiian shirt contest and the likes. Lunch was hotdog, pasta salad and potato salad followed with ice cream! Interesting it was indeed as there was the whole of the office – all of 12 floors worth people gathered to enjoy the meal.
Then we headed back to our dungeon. This needs a bit of explanation. We are located on the 14th floor but some restructuring work is going on there and so we are temporarily located in the basement which we lovingly call the dungeon.
So, back to the story. We came back and were at work for about ½ hour. I felt something shaking. I thought I’m moving my chair too much so sat still and the shaking continued. Saw the water bottle shaking and looked around to see if anybody else had noticed. That time, the colleague who sits across me also looked up and said he too felt it. Then there was some noise around and we all started wondering if we should head outside. I hesitated for a moment thinking I should take my passport with me if nothing else! But that thought just flashed past and we headed out. Some more people were descending the stairs.
We are in a building 22 stories and if we felt the tremors in the basement, I’m sure people on the higher floors experienced them much more than us. After about 10 mins, we started to go back and the building security would not let us in. We told him we just wanted to grab our passports but he wouldn’t agree. So we had no option but to go the parking lot away from the building. Once there, some of us started checking on their blackberries about news of the earthquake. Here we came to know that the earthquake was 5.5 on the Richter scale. They had started evacuating the building and all the staff was out. We were told that there would be investigation to verify that the building suffered no structural damages before we would be let in. that would mean about 3 hours of no activity and just waiting. 3 of us sneaked inside through an alternate route and gathered our stuff.
Then somebody had a bright idea of going for beer! So our team headed out to this place and we had a great time there with drinks and snacks and chattering around. Making the most of ... earthquakes… on a Wednesday afternoon…
Not totally crazy, am I now?

Rush Hour... no rush minute...

What time would you get up if you had a bus to catch for another city at 6.00 in the morning? ok let me give some more details. The bus starts at 6.00 am, reaches the point you board in about 10 mins. You stay at about 10 min walk from the boarding point.
So again - what time would you get up? 5.00 am? considering you would snooze and everything...
well not me!
I get up at 5.45 am (that too accidentally, more on this in a minute), rush through everything; barely managing to get a very very quick shower, and make a dash to the boarding point. And how! start walking, am not even halfway there when the bus goes past me and then I am left with no choice but run. Technically there is a choice - of missing the bus, but not without trying right? Not when you took the trouble of reserving a ticket in advance! So I reach the bus just as the conductor is about to close the door. I ask him if this is the 6.00 am Borivali bus while puffing and panting heavily; he nods and I set my foot on the stairs. Finally I am in it and it starts immediately! Leaves me thinking that good I didnt waste any time wondering if I would make it to the bus or not and trying!
Now for a little background.
I was to travel to Mumbai on an official visit. I had booked in advance for 6.00 ticket. I set an alarm. Mom too was going to set one and I didnt let her do it: very confidently stating I'm all set and I've set 2 alarms - in case I switch one off instead of snoozing it. And so I had. Albeit for 5:55 am and 6:00 am instead of 4:55 am and 5:00 am.
Can you beat me at that?

Junk comments...

Peeps,
I have been getting some junk comments - for reasons I cant comprehend - and the comments too I cant comprehend.
So as a precaution, have set the comment moderation on.
-P

101st post and no title...

We study together from the age of 3 as kindergartners;
We laugh and cry together;
We gulp down food and manage to play in the short recess;
We run around the school campus sometimes forgetting who we are running behind;
We have our share of fights; Mischief intended : malice none;
We get back together the next day as if nothing happened;
We tease each other, call names: sometimes weird, awkward and remember the history behind all of them;

Some of our pranks backfire and one amongst us is punished;
We stand by him: daring to face the punishment together;

We recognize people by their first and last names and the house colour;
We belong together; we grew up together;

Then you leave high school and lose touch with most;
Welcome to the real world;

One fine day, thanks to the efforts of a few trying to trace everybody, you get a call from a school mate.
A reunion … after 19 years!!
Excitement, anticipation, anxiety;
Will you recognize them? Will people recognize you?

And then the day arrives.
My vocabulary fails me here, I have no words to express.

Nostalgia.

Solar eclipse

as seen today...

Resolutions is a heavy word

was the title of my post last year and it weighs me down still.
Last year I had the audacity to make resolutions and to top it, make them public on this blog. So I take it upon myself to declare here how many I accomplished and where I failed.

•Make something creative every week so by the end of the year I should have 52 things I created - Although I didnt have 52 things I created, I did have a fair bit so I consider this as accomplished (now wont you say thats a creative excuse?)
•Write blog posts at least once every week - failed ! If only I had 7 more, the total would be 52 for averaging out the 52 weeks...
•Take one photo every week - then again! Although not 1 photo every week, I have a total of approx 2500 photos clicked in Oct-Dec - thanks to the Canada trip. Can I please please say this as more than accomplished?
•Exercise (this is one which is most likely to fail) - as predicted - failed miserably. Howmuchever, I want to put forward an argument here, I know a month of swimming, once a week badminton sessions and a couple of days in the gym does not count as exercise!
•Take up some creative course – photography maybe! - again - failed this too.
•Learn to swim - yay! done this.
•Ride a bicycle (this one is after a long time) - Did not :(
•Call up old friends (as some of u would agree I am verrry bad at this) - fared ok there
•Volunteer at an NGO/orphanage/old age home - yes

I had restricted my list to these 9 items (for the year 2009) and I am not too happy to report that I failed to keep up 4 of them.
Need I say I wont be keeping any this year much less make them public?
Do you keep score of your resolutions?

Welcome 2010

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2010 ahead!!