Thursday, May 22, 2008

Fly in the food

'Yes, sir,' said Jeeves in a low, cold voice, as if he had been bitten in the leg by a personal friend. - Carry on Jeeves

Today we all went out to dinner at an eatery in Bandra and one of my colleagues actually found a fly in his pasta dish and that too when he had almost finished eating... so then we ordered for some fresh food... what about the food he had already had???? If a person is non - veg is it ok if he finds a fly or any other insect for that matter in his food ... is it "blasphemy" if it is found in a veg platter? What about jain?

It was a strange conversation - i am sure each and every one of us irrespective of our culinary leanings would object to finding a fly in the food!!!! One of my friends from college (we used to be in a hostel), found a lizard in the custard.. which he was just about to eat... the story goes that the lizard (which was alive) put his head out and that chap was just about to swallow it!!! Ugggggghhhh... In our mess, there used to be a quarterly cleaning exercise.. and during that time we used to find rats, roaches etc all over the place.. we are not really picky... as long as they didnt turn up in food we were ok. Yuck!!! Age reduces tolerance levels i think..

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Time flies

My vacation starts in 2 days... till now there was so much excitement.. just the thought of going somewhere and that too for 2 weeks!!! Just sometime back.. i was saying that there is a month to go for this trip .. something to look forward to ... time flies and it is now already time for to go ... i am already feeling that my vacation will be over so quick that i wont even know.. next wednesday i will start thinking about the time left for me to enjoy before getting back to work... wednesday after that probably i will already start thinking about work!!!!

Look at me.. i still have 2 days to go before i leave .... and i am already talking about the end of it!!! Actaully it sets me thinking.. is 2 weeks enough? How much is enough actually ... 1 month or more?? I think at the end of the day it is never enough.....

I hear people at work saying that i am going on a " long vacation" and it annoys me a little.. i mean why grudge somebody chutti... i think i deserve it.. i have never taken this long leave... Why Why Why..... And of course i will come back from my vacation wanting more!!!!!!!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Shopping to shop more

As a rule, I do not shop too much.... If I get stuff that i want, quickly, then I am happy... which is usually never the case... because of which i get bored shopping!

This weekend we are traveling to London for a 2 week long vacation!!! Since London is quite expensive, we decided to shop for whatever we need here itself (what exactly was the funda i really dont know!!!) instead of spending money there!! So we went mad shopping.. over 2 weekends!! But in my heart i know that we will end up buying some stuff from there.. momentos for family and friends and all... so basically we spend (as good as spent) a whole lot of money.. in buying stuff from here and then picking up stuff from there as well.

Whenever you know you are going to spend money, you spend much more than planned... the basic ideology being..." its ok! how many times will you do this.. its a once in a lifetime thing" ...(Its a killer dialogue...I get so very easily convinced by it!!! :-)) .. it just makes you binge so much more!!!

Friday, May 16, 2008

An out of body experience

"A crashing sound like that made by a herd of hippopotami going through the reeds on a river bank attracted my notice and I beheld Spode approaching at a rate of knots with the obvious intention of resuming at as early a date as possible his investigations into the colour of Gussie's insides." - Bertram Wooster



What better way than to start a dialogue using humour! Before getting into the "out of body experience" bit, I need back track and explain a little! I often think about how language originated.. as in how did each alphabet get invented? Who thought of it? Who thought of calling a table, a table, a chair, a chair and so on and so forth... who decided there should be these 26 alphabets which will address our needs... who created these common languages.. how did we all .. the world at large.. learn these languages?? Words that i am typing right now.. .. what did it mean eons ago? What if n were actually g and m were q... what about colours.. who decided the colour of sea should sound like blue.....
Anyway, at times what i do (it happens unconsciously), when i am in a meeting and if i am getting bored.. i start getting a glazed look.. my mind wanders and i start thinking what is this person talking.. what if i were that person and that person me.. as in our souls were interchanged so to speak.. will i still be like myself (like freaky friday - where only roles got exchanged) or will i be like the other person.. will i sound like me.. when i am other person what would i say .. something different or the same thing.. some times.. i can kind even see the conversation happening between me and other person as it progresses , I mean as a third party.. which is what i call an out of body experience!!!!! :-)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

blogging from work

I didnt know we could blog from work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A revelation since most of the sites are blocked and even personal mail can only be accessed during a small time window !!! But somehow, this site has escaped scrutiny... or maybe its been kept open for MR purposes!! Whatever the reason maybe.. i just figured it out bout half an hour back...

Unfortunately, i cannot blog from work because of 2 reasons - I am always (most of the time anyway) in a meeting. Reason no 2 - my work station is placed extremely strategically so strategic that it would be difficult to blog!!!!

Ok.. now to get back to work!!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Some more PGW & Madras Cafe on Sundays

"My eyebrows rose till they nearly disarranged the front hair" - Bertie Wooster (Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves)

You will find a lot of dialogues in every post from this book.. coz i am reading it currently :-) the best part about PGW is the language!!!! Which makes it difficult to narrate a story to anyone (as i realised yesterday.. i completely took the fun element out of it... you have to read it for yourself) Ah.. perhaps thats why not everyone may not enjoy it!!

I went to Madras Cafe at Kings circle for breakfast today.... that is the only place where when you order for a "dosha" (with the sha pronouned properly), nobody looks at you quizzically... maybe thats why i like it.. i try to correct everyone (not correct actually, as the pronounciation varies in all the 4 states) i meet, to say "dosha" (though sha) instead of "dosa" (pronounced as dough sa) but to no avail!!! Maybe thats why i like Madras Cafe..

Actually, its a nice friendly place with very quick service... they know how to sell.. when we went there the first time, the owner got us to try their specials (without charging us)... completely unheard of!!! And now they greet us everytime we visit.. everyone right from the owner to the waiters... and i see them doing this for everyone!!!! Which is why there is always a queue outside.. and the place bang opposite, "mysore cafe" is always empty... today when leaving the place, the kindly owner patted my husband on the back.. a small gesture to say thanks for coming, come again soon.. or maybe just have a nice day.. makes a hell lot of a difference!!

The food is great of course!!! :-) its the service that is the differentiator!!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

PG Wodehouse

"As always when we converse on the phone, it nearly fractured my ear drum. This aunt at one time was a prominent figure in the hunting circles, and when in the saddle so i am told, could make herself heard not only in the field or meadow where she happened to be, but in several adjoining counties. Retired now from active fox chivvying, she still tends to address a nephew in the tone of voice previouly reserved for rebuking hounds for taking time off to chase rabbits" - Bertie Wooster ( Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves)

I am a big fan of PG Wodehouse!!! I really dont remember how i got started on it - actually fairly recently - about 3-4 yrs back!! I read quite a fair bit - have been reading as far as I can remember!! But never ever picked up a PGWodehouse until recently- dont know why!! What prompted me to pick one now - I do not know!! But ever since then, I have managed to read almost the entire collection ..... twice!!! It is just so hilarious !!!!! I used to read it when traveling by metro in Delhi, and i used to keep on laughing - and people would stare at me in the train thinking "what is wrong with this chick"

It is so very delicious to read - I look forward to the time I get, post dinner - when i can curl up with a PGW and just de-stress!!! When i was expounding the virtues of this book at work, i realised that it is not everyone's cup of tea. In fact someone mentioned that it was a childish book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I was completely dumbstruck - how can anyone a) not like it and b) call it childish? It was terrible and in my mind, i was thinking (it was my boss, so couldnt say it aloud) this person does not belong to this world!! Then the realisation set in - maybe these guys do not get the jokes .. well, cant think of any other reason.

And of course the biggest joy in the world is to meet other PGW lovers and discuss the books, the favourite situations !! My favourite one - there are 2 actually - " Eulalie " one and the speech given by Gussie!! Actually there are so many more!!

One can just keep on reading, re-reading these books!! They just make you feel so light and gay.
It is such a simple world inhaibted by the likes of Bertie Wooster, Jeeves, Gussie, Freddie, Pongo Twistleton Roderick Spode, Mr Mulliner... I mean, they are pretty much everyday people - there's not much melodrama; Simple stories with extremely simple circumstances. You will not find a single "cunning" or "villanous" person in this book.

So if you want to shake off your depression, frustration, anger, stress.. and feel gloriously warm & sunny , read PG Wodehouse for sure!

Phew!! Thats quite a lot for today.. will get back to my PGW!!! :-)

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Blogging, IPL and more

I am already feeling the pressure of blogging.. have been sitting in front of the comp for the last 5 mins thinking of what to write.... its just the thought - since i have started this blog, at least i should post something...:-)

Cant imagine what people who get paid to blog do!!! I guess the minute it becomes a source of income, there is constant pressure you live with always... of the necessity to write! And in case one if not much of a writer - then god alone help you

But i quite like the idea of blogging .. the question is of sustenance!!! Which i guess will happen only in the remote possibility people reading my blog!!! rofl

IPL on, in the background - Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals.. My colleague has gone for the match.. to watch i.e.... I am so jealous!!! I have never seen a match at a stadium!! I would love to go but havent got around to doing so. Cricket has been part of my life for quite some time - when i was young (very young.. a kid, i am young even now :-)) , was very closely involved in the game.. then when i went to a hostel, it was in the periphery somewhere!! Now it is getting to me again!!! But i dont think the excitement levels, the interest levels can be as high as it used to be earlier!! The "craze" has waned down - at one time, we almost went to the Taj in Delhi to meet the cricketers!!!! We used to get extremely excited at the thought that someone's brother/ sister spoke or saw Rahul Dravid!!! That was good fun..

Which reminds me of college days.. when we used to go a Taj / Maurya Sheraton in Delhi - 12 of us !!! We used to stuff ourselves into a friend's maruti 800 or go walking!! But we never used to have money then.. so we used to buy 6 pastries and split it amongst us! And sit near the pool and eat!!!! Another time we were very hungry / thirsty.. (when i was in goa).. so went to a restaurant had water.. looked at hemenu.. decided it was too expensive and left!!!!!! Just imagine!

Now need fuel for the body!!! Need to eat...