Welcome 2012!

So...2012 is finally here. I wanted this post to be my last post of the year 2011, but what with scores of text and call wishes coming in, it took a little more time to complete, so here I am, writing my first blog post in the new year. :)

Now I am sure you'd be expecting me to write nice, mushy and full-of-hope stuff tonight. I wish. But my mind has suddenly gone blank. Can't think of anything nicer than to wish everyone a happy new year! I just hope it doesn't turn out to be the last year of this civilization. On second thought, I don't really mind even if it indeed does. I love life but I live in the present rather than in the future. Sometimes in the past too, but that is excusable, right? I just had what was perhaps the most beautiful and significant year of my life. Seeing it end makes me kinda sad. Mellow. But I am hoping to have another beautiful and eventful year ahead. :)

It's been a great year for me in all spheres of life. The start of the year saw me going through a tough phase. Mid of the year had taking some of the most decisive steps of my professional life. This year probably even shaped my whole career, so it sure has been decisive. And the end of the year has literally brought me all the happiness, peace of mind and closure I needed in life. What more could one ever want from life I wonder. It has been a year of change. And I am content with what I received, that is to say the least. And likewise, I hope this coming year brings a lot of success, prosperity, exuberance, everlasting happiness and contentment into everybody's life. Given the hype and anticipation surrounding 2012, it would be nothing if not an eventful year. But lets just hope for the best from it.

On this hopeful note, let me wish you all a very beautiful new year ahead. May it be the best year you've ever had. Stay blessed! :)

P.S. Don't forget to make some resolutions for the coming year, and work extra hard throughout the year to achieve them! You might as well break a few too, because that's what new year resolutions are made for nowadays, right? ;) Cheers!

Is the New Year really here?

Well, it's a genuine question. Straight from my heart. Is the New Year really here? I mean, didn't 2011 just begin? I guess not. And reality says 2012 is indeed just 2 days and a few hours away. But I was loving this year! I was enjoying probably the best days I've had over the whole of 2011. Does it have to end already? *whining* Oh, but wait. Just because the year is gonna end and we're entering a new year, doesn't mean the fun has to end too, right? I think I'm still gonna enjoy my life as much as ever. *relieved*

For now I'm just loving the extremely chilly weather and the fog that is enveloping Delhi these days. Feels like I'm back in Kashmir, with the familiar freezing of hands as I type this and the loads of layers of clothes that I'm wearing, not to miss the warm fuzzy cap on my head right now.
:P

I am not feeling very festive right now, given that I seldom step out of the house for anything more than a pack of chips, and have no plans for shopping or partying with friends or family over the next few (many) days. So I guess it's just gonna be another boring New Year's eve at home, being forced to watch those stupid old New Year bashes on TV with those brainless celebrities shaking their booties onstage for an insane amount of money that ups itself even more insanely every year. That's the part where I get sad. Why can't a poor girl`have her Christmas pie and eat her New Year cake too?

But I am not sure I'm done on that as yet. I'll be writing again before the year ends. So for now I'll just share with you what I did this Christmas. Well, for one, I spent my day at my relatives' place, catching up with cousins and baking cookies for the first time in my life. Okay, most of the work was done by my cousin brother who's into all this cooking stuff, but I helped too! The outcome wasn't exactly fabulous, but it was good enough for us to pat our backs and declare it a worthwhile effort. Coming to gifts, I got this lovely pair of gloves in my favorite colors from my bestie Rose.

They came wrapped in a cute Christmassy paper and can be worn in three different ways. Cool eh? Yeah, yeah, I know I am bordering on pretty childish behavior there, but what the heck, it's festive time! :D

Okay so what more? What is the one thing left without which a Christmas isn't really a Christmas? Well, a Christmas tree it has to be, duh. I didn't have a chance to behold any elaborately done trees this time round *sigh* but I sure saw a little one in the Domino's joint where we had our post-Xmas lunch, bestie and I.

A pretty offbeat and makeshift kind of Christmas that, don't you think? Can't help it, it's always like that in my little part of the world. Weird people, weird things. I love my life anyhow.

Let me know what you did on Christmas! And may you all have a great time celebrating and ushering in the New Year in your own different but cheerful ways. Let the cheer spread! :)

Merry Christmas!

To all my lovely readers,

A very merry Christmas!! :D

It's hard for me to believe how fast this year really went by. It seriously feels like 2011 just came and went as if it were only about a month long. That fast. But where did it go really?? I wonder. Anyway, it was a wonderful year on the whole. With an absolutely beautiful ending. I couldn't have wanted more from life. No regrets. :)

So here's something to make my blog all festive and Christmassy, in perfect synch with the spirit of the season.

I clicked this beautifully decorated Christmas tree on last year's visit to The Hilton, probably for post-Christmas or New Year's lunch. I found it befitting the description of the perfect X-mas tree.

I feel it in my fingers,
I feel it in my toes,
Christmas is all around me,
and so the feeling grows.

It's written in the wind,
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love Christmas,
C'mon and let it snow.

For me this song embodies the Christmas spirit perfectly. It's from the film Love Actually, one of my favorite feel-good movies. Check it out for sure!

But not taking up any more space or time (it's Christmas after all - lots of celebrations awaiting all of us!) I wish you all a very happy festive season ahead, and a fabulous Christmas! Tell me how it was!

Share the love and joy. :)

Indiblogger Meet in Delhi

Aah...civilization...finally!

This interjection was meant to signify that I've finally got an internet connection at the new house. Two more days I'd have had to bear this phone internet, and I'd have died of lack of exposure to the virtual sunlight and rain. Well, that might be an exaggeration really, but you get the drift I hope.

My exams are on and I'm having a gala time doing nothing all day but eat, sleep and roam around the new neighborhood. I now understand what a thrill explorers must have derived from their pursuits of totally new places. I am having a good time exploring my humble little neighborhood. :)

Okay so I know I am late in posting about this, but yeah, I attended the HPOriginals Indiblogger Delhi meet held last Sunday at The Park Hotel, Connaught Place. And all I can say is, there could have been no better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, especially when you have a major examination the very next day for which you're not in the least prepared.
The day was spent mingling with bloggers not only from all over the city and NCR, but from other cities as well. That is the kind of craze we bloggers have for our passion. There were some 150 odd people gathered for the meet, who blog about myriad topics encompassing everything under the sun, right from food, love and technology to video tutorials, photography and database of best dating websites (lol, that's true!) It was a truly inspiring and enjoyable event, with lots of discussions, fun, food and even a treasure hunt thrown in. HP, who were sponsoring the event, gave away huge number of USB flash drives and Printers, complete with a year's supply of cartridges too. How cool is that? I didn't get the printer, sadly, but won an awesome pen drive in the treasure hunt. :D I think every single person there did get at least one prize that afternoon. Now that's what we call an awesome event, isn't it?

Here are some of the snaps from the event.

(Photos courtesy: Indiblogger and their official photographer, I fail to know who)

And that's the print on the t-shirts that all the participants got as a complementary present:

As of today I'm left with only two exams to go. So the feelings of freedom and ecstasy are gradually creeping in from all corners. I am in great anticipation of the two weeks of holidays our crappy university administration has very generously decided to grant us this year round. A big round of applause for them (sic). Am really excited as to what all I'll be doing to make full use of this rare commodity called holidays. More on that once these exams get over. For now, I am really glad to announce that my guest post on FTLOFAOT, like I earlier mentioned here, is underway and will get posted within a day or two. Cheers! :)

What's new?

Let not the title mislead you. This news-update-kind-of-post does not mean I have run out of ideas to write about. In fact, quite contrarily, my mind's been overactive these past few days, owing a lot probably to the lack of physical exercise in my life. Yes, it is the week before my semester ending examinations, and I have nothing else to do all day but sit and think of what to study (and then study - but I seldom reach that stage) or to eat and sleep. No TV, no internet connection as of now, and no college or friends to spend some fun time with. It is mind-numbingly boring and monotonous. Days literally seem to drag on for months.

I've been meaning to write but a phone isn't exactly the kind of device I prefer to update my blog from. Feels primitive, insufficient. But it had been too long that I'd been away...had to write. So, just thought lemme start off with a few updates on what's new in this lovely month of December.


1. On the personal front - I've shifted my residence, like I mentioned earlier I was going to. It was a pretty smooth transition. The new house is quite airy, full of windows, with a backyard and a lawn, though unkempt for now. Most of my idle time is spent sitting beside the front window looking at the weather changing through the day. Being in the vicinity of one of Delhi's most happening markets, I've only visited it once in all this time. Haven't really got any friends out here, plus it is exam time, so all indoor rest and no play is making me a dull girl. Literally.

2. Delhi's 100 years of glory - So! My beloved city is turning 100 this December. And am I not proud. The 12th of December 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the day the city of Delhi was officially made the national capital. Its new imperial look, as seen around the Secretariat area better known as Lutyen's Delhi, was designed by a team of British architects headed by Lutyen and Baker after its gaining this title. There is debate nowadays about whether this date should make us feel proud, or remind us of India's 200 years of British rule. I personally feel it is a happy occasion - we should celebrate the good in it. And this day symbolises our city gaining such a prestigious status as the one it holds till date. It calls for celebration, doesn't it? :)

3. Delhi 100 Food Festival - To mark the conclusion of Delhi's 100th year as the National capital, Hindustan Times is organising this festival that started on the 24th of November all over the city, supposed to go on till the 31st of December. It has 50 top-notch restaurants/food chains participating, with each of them offering one of their signature food items for 100 bucks all through the duration of the festival. What more, the participating restaurants include the likes of those at Hyatt Regency, Hilton, Shangri la, Moti Mahal, Khan Chacha and Karims, offering delectable cuisines that further strengthen Delhi's status as the Food Capital of India. I plan to catch up on some of the items off the list. But that'll make for another post altogether. Do make it a point not to miss it - Delhi doesn't turn 100 ever again!

For the list of participating restaurants and further ideas on how to join in on the celebration of this great once-in-a-lifetime event, you may refer here.

Found an excuse!

Today was yet another of those days that I spent mentally cursing myself for not having adequate control over my own life. And such days are actually becoming more of a routine now. I mean, laziness isn't even a valid enough excuse any more for not being able to fulfill my commitments. Commitments to myself, to my friends, my readers and maybe any other commitments that I don't even seem to recall now. You see how complacent a person can be? And this is not even my upper limit.

But coming back to the title of the post - yeah I found the perfect theory to justify my being MIA again for long. I stumbled upon this blog while rummaging through random pages while on my way to those wretched weekend classes early this morning. A few lines down the page and I come across this theory that suddenly makes a lot of sense.
Check it out, in the writer's very own words:

"I have a theory. When you are about to do something, and you tell everyone about it, there are 80% chances that you would end up not doing it. Like you are going to visit the gym from tomorrow. But today you practically let the whole world know that you are going to visit gym from tomorrow. So, if the purpose of you visiting the gym was actually flaunting it to others and not physical fitness, half the job is done. It's not my theory, my dad told me this."

What I deciphered this as, is that if you go about telling people about what you're gonna do, you'll either end up not doing it at all, or if you have a will power as great(sic) as mine, you might as well end up doing it, very late though. And this was not all. He backed up this theory shortly enough with what I think of as quite a sound example(sic again):

"The theories are working. I stated that telling everyone that you are going to start something, you would end up not doing it at all. Proof:- My hidden blog is still empty."

LOL. This just set me thinking. Maybe it is because of this theory that I am being lazy these days. I should probably stop signing off from my blog every time with a promise to come back again soon. Like it happened with my Diwali post. (See! I have an example up my sleeve too!) I planned to write it the very next day after Diwali. And I ended up somehow managing to write it a week later. Not that I didn't have my exams that week. In fact, look at the irony of the situation. I couldn't write a post during the whole pre-exam preparatory leave, what with Diwali and other such stuff coming in between. But I did eventually, and that too during the exams. So basically, exams can never be the reason for a normal person to really not write. They can be a valid excuse though, coming very much in handy to explain off one's time-killing tactics, doing nothing of much consequence.

Okay. I've pretty much forgotten exactly where I started off from and what I meant to write by now. All I remember thinking is, no more anticipatory sign-offs from now on. A simple bye bye take care will have to do I guess. Please make do with that for some time my dear readers. So long as the fad lasts, or the theory lasts. It is in the interest of my blog's well being and my blogging frequency that I am making this move. Hope to see some improvement soon. Ohhh crap. There I go hoping again. Nooo! I don't hope for anything! Undo undo undo!

Hah. That feels better. :D

So folks. Have a good night. And a perfectly lazy and laidback Sunday tomorrow. I'm sure most of you (don't) deserve it. All the more reason to enjoy it! ;)

Angel in Paradise !

Four days of total relaxation in the Valley - the sureshot key to profound bliss.

I am in a state of full contentment right now. It's been five days since my return from Kashmir, and yet the feeling of inner peace just seems to persist. Throw in a set of amazing friends, a completely mad and awesome birthday celebration, and some temporary respite from college, and there, you have it. The perfect life.

I am gearing up to write a lot over the next few days. Actually I planned to write about my experiences while I was in Kashmir. But the sheer beauty and laidback feel of the place urged me to give up all worldly matters and just soak in the magic. So that is what I did. And now that I'm back, I have lots to say and show you. So kindly bear with me for the next few posts!


If you ask me I'll say, the entire beauty of Kashmir lies in the Chinar. Shaped somewhat like the maple leaf, the chinar can be seen all across the Valley in full color at this time.

That, in addition to the snow capped mountains of Gulmarg and the pleasant chilly weather, just beckons you to wear an extra piece of clothing and come out of doors to enjoy yourself. I guess Kashmir is the one place to be in the month of November. Whoever thought it's the off season and not the right time to visit, trust me, if you haven't seen Kashmir in the Fall, you haven't seen its real beauty at all!

This, mis amigos, is the temple in Gulmarg where the song Jai Jai Shiv Shankar from the Hindi film Aap Ki Kasam was shot. Just a random fact I got to know from regional people. :)

The Dal Lake is the most beautiful place one can visit in Srinagar. A shikara ride over the vast expanse of the lake at dusk is a truly mesmerizing experience. Watching the sun go down behind the distant mountains, searching for the unseen depths of the lake and getting lost in my own thoughts, it was a heavenly experience, truly befitting Paradise.

That would be all for today I think. I'll come back with another post very soon. A guest post for one of my favorite blogs, For the Love of Fashion and Other Things, is in the pipeline too. Keep reading! :)

(Photos courtesy my phone camera :D)

November spells Ecstacy

Happy November readers! :D

Come the month of November and my spirits instinctively soar. The fact that it is the month of my birth is surely not the only reason, though it is indeed a major reason behind all that extra excitement. I mean I don't know. Is it just me, or is November indeed the month of romance and joy? It seems as if love is in the air. Or again, maybe it's just me. Whatever it is, it feels lovely. And not even these ongoing mid-semester exams can mellow down my spirits.

I've long been in wait for this month to arrive. Because this year round, I have more reasons to rejoice than just the obvious one. Let me just give you a brief run down on what all I've been excited for.

1. More than obvious: My Twentieth
I was lucky enough to be born in the middle of November, right at the onset of the chilly Delhi winter, amid all the warm clothes and cosiness. I am not one to usually expect a lot from life, so all the love and beautiful surprises that I get from my friends and family on this particular day each year keep me smiling all year round. And that is why I love it all the more.

2. Kashmir!
It's Kashmir again mis amigos! I've so been longing to visit the place again, as I mentioned earlier in this post. And the wish has been granted! I'm in for a 4-day trip to the Valley in the second week of this month, right after my exams. Keep a tab on this space for more on the same. A travelogue to follow soon too!

3. New home
I'm shifting my residence, finally, for the first time in life. It isn't at all easy leaving your home of twenty years, the one where you've had all your memories in life, and suddenly shifting to a totally new place on the other side of the city. That too when the transition is from the congested but adorable West part of the city, to the open, posh and affable South of Delhi. It is nothing short of a potential culture shock. But somehow, I'm really excited. New and better environs, a quieter neighborhood and a change in lifestyle is all I needed to cheer me up in life. We shift by the end of this month.

4. Creative Writing Program
You all know how much I love writing and expressing myself in words. My closest friends are always admonishing me as to why I don't take my writing seriously. They keep encouraging me to write professionally, take this passion to the next level. And I don't know why, but I'm always reluctant. It is too much of a commitment, and I don't as yet find myself fully equipped for it. Then one day I found a seemingly good distance learning program on creative writing from a very reputed national university. And I knew as an instinct that I wanted to do this. Now the catch here is, I have to be at least twenty years of age to enroll myself for it. :P And SO! I've been waiting for this month with all the more excitement, as now I'll finally get to start with the program.

5. India International Trade Fair
I literally wait all year round for this 14-day international extravaganza held every year in Delhi to kick off. You will always find awesome food as well as great shopping stuff from all over India as well as many other countries there. And the spread of the area is so huge with so many options, that a single visit to the Trade Fair is never enough for me. Love being there, every single time. And the event begins every year with my birthday - isn't that a fun fact? :D

I just noticed how I've been going on and on about how excited I am because of the arrival of my favorite month of the year. But for the record, I must admit, of late I have really been happy with all spheres of my life. Things are beautiful on the personal front, and you can always, at any given time of the day, find a smile or a grin on my face. I haven't felt better in ages. Even exams and the pathetic state of my preparations cannot seem to bog me down. All the more reason for celebration, ain't it? I'm in love. With life and everything that comes with it. :)

If any of my writing-enthusiast readers wish to know more about the distance learning program on writing, feel free to contact me. I'll be more than happy to help. And tell me what you like about the month of November. Do you find it as lovely as I do? Any special events associated with it that you're waiting for? Tell me all. :)

Colors and festivity

I return a little too late after Diwali. What to do, these examinations never seem to leave us engineering students alone! They're always, as in ALWAYS, going on. I did not even enjoy the biggest festive season of our country like I would have at any other time. But not one to regret anything in life, I come back today in full spirit to fulfill my promise of giving you a glimpse at the Rangoli I made this year. As I hardly had time or the inclination this time round, I only managed to make a simple but colorful design in the front verandah of my house. Here's a look. :)

Nothing elaborate, but it made for a nice way to welcome the festive spirit. As for the celebrations, I did enjoy the night. I lit up the whole house with candles and diyas. A friend who I was long out of touch, came over. We, that is the whole of my joint family, had a little pooja followed by dinner. Then we lit up a few, as in really FEW, crackers to carry on with the Diwali tradition from our childhood. The night again saw me trying to study a little to compensate for all the fun (and so called waste of precious study time) I had throughout the day. To no avail though, so I ended up sleeping soundly after a Diwali well-spent I believe. :)

That is all for today, as I have an exam to study for. Another post coming up tomorrow, which I've been dying to write since forever! Do tell me about the Diwali celebrations you had. :)

Diwali Celebrations, and how?

It was the Saturday before Diwali, so there had to be a thousand parties being thrown across the city. For a change, we happened to have a personal invitation to one such card party at a friend's place. Little did I know it would turn into an all-night affair.

So this party's being held in a nice big house in Defence Colony. We park the car and enter the courtyard of the house to find caterers dishing out some awesome-looking food at break-neck speed. Intrigued, we enter the house, to be taken up the beautifully lit up stairs by the gracious host to the party floor. And by God what an ambience. The table bang in front of the entrance stands brimming with drinks of all hues and tastes. Food, as I mentioned above, keeps coming in, in what seems similar to truckloads. The whole house is dimly lit, and for a change, little kids are not to be seen running around toppling over stuff. Some nice party that. Not that I really have much to drink or eat at such parties though.


We sit for a while and chitchat, and then get up to take a tour of the house. We find cards being played with full gusto in two separate rooms. Why two different rooms, I wonder. And then the difference makes itself known. In one of the rooms, with a proper table laid out for the serious players, games are being played at high stakes. Stark silence envelops the players as they cast sidelong glances at each other and look at the cards in their hands with smug expressions. An insane amount of money lay piled carelessly in the center, in no hurry to be won over by any of the gamblers. It totally freaks me out. I quickly make an exit.

The next room I visit has a more casual setting. A bed surrounded by comfy chairs and sofas with mostly ladies occupying them and sounds of laughter and fun talk filling the room. Oh yes, not to forget, small-stake card games and food and drink to accompany. I have finally found my place in the house. I sit down and observe. Oh, did I forget to mention, I don't play? Well yeah, I don't. Not that I am averse to it - it sure is a fun game if played on occasion under control. Just that I was never much into it. So I sit and have fun observing the game dominated by lady players, gossiping, eating, helping the erstwhile non-players, all the while dealing cards and losing/gaining money. Light music completes the ambience of the room. And I forget to look at the time.

Only to realize after a while that it is way past one thirty a.m. Slowly and steadily people start streaming into the dinner room to feed themselves, in order to gear up for another round of cards. God, how excited can people get about their gambling! It really is a new concept to me. Anyway, I finish up eating as people are taking their second helpings, and visit the washroom to look into the mirror. Yes, I'm looking beautiful tonight. And that's all that matters for now. I don't play, don't drink, don't eat much either, so might as well satisfy myself with looking good if I'm at a party.

As the food goes down people's food pipes, they get chatty. And my mother kinda mentions to someone that I sing. That is all that is needed. I am asked, rather forced, to sing for the gathering. Now that is certainly embarrassing, to put it in really subtle words. There's only one word written all over the walls of my Hypothalamus and Cerebrum - F. But man do I suddenly turn into my super confident self. My music does that to me - it brings me confidence, enough to be able to sing in front of a gathering of twenty, or for that matter, a hundred. And so I sing. Only to be hounded by encore requests. I sing another number. Then someone else sings, only to be followed by me again. And yes, a decent amount of appreciation follows. I get tired, and I suppose so do the audience, thankfully. And so the mehfil disperses as people slowly start turning back to their card tables for some real action games now. Few people start to leave. So do we. It's already nearing three a.m. We say our bye-byes and tatas and leave with this cute box of awesome dark chocolates as a gift. As I return to my abode in the car, I surmise - not a very bad way to spend an evening (okay, night) during the festive season, is it? I did have lot of fun. And that's all that matters, right? Well, I become happy. And I decide to write about it. Not in such a boring way as I just did, but well...I did write!

So, mi amigos, I'll take your leave here, with heartfelt wishes for a prosperous Dhanteras (it's today!!) and a great and harmless Diwali. Stay safe, stay blessed! :)

Missing in Action..!

Aren't you guys really fed up of my frequent apologies for being MIA for long durations? For the record, I sure am. It's kinda frustrating when you want to write but cannot find the time or the inspiration to do so. Now you'd say that I could write about anything if I really wanted to. But you wouldn't surely want to read random stuff about daily happenings in the life of a person as boring as I feel I am becoming these days. Or maybe you just might. But then again, the time factor also has its role to play. Anyway, here I am now. And here's to my readers to whom I promised I'll try to write twice a week - I trust you'll bear with me during all such dry spells and the upcoming exam week as well. :)

It's the weekend before Diwali. And this time round, my mid-semester exams have chosen to coincide with the post-Diwali week. Trust me, it's nothing short of a complete disaster that I foresee. What with my backache issue springing up yet again, I've been missing college and classes more than ever now. I wouldn't say I don't love doing that *smug grin* but on a serious note, I am near about clueless as to how I'll manage to get past this wall of exams that awaits me on the other side of this festive week.
Guess I'm gonna have to work real hard this time. As in REAL HARD. Anyhow, that's one hell of a boring topic I've started my discourse upon. Let's cut it short to two words - I'm screwed.

Moving on to more interesting stuff, it's three days to Diwali. Not that I'm particularly excited, as it is just another of the many festivals that we Indians celebrate, and the festivity shall pass soon, with all that is left behind, being exams. Oops, I got carried away again! So, as is NOT the custom for me, but rather a passing fad, I'm gonna try my hand at making a rangoli again this Diwali. Let's have a look at what I managed to pull off three years ago during another of those passing fads.

Not all that bad, eh? I'll post a shot of the one I make this time for sure.

Okay now onto one of my recently-developed obsessions - eyes. I have this thing for observing people's eyes. I mentally chronicle all the different kinds of eye colors and sizes that I come across. No, I don't wish to sound like a monster with a certain liking for eyes as food. It's just an obsession. My own pair is a hazel brown, and even though it is considered to be a good eye color, I somehow feel every second person in the world has brown eyes. Jet black ones are still difficult to find. And then those exotic colors like blue, grey or green. They're, as I said, exotic. Then there are so many different sizes they come in. My own bestie Rose is a Bong, with those characteristic huge expressive eyes that always make me wonder. Plus there's this particular set of eyes (or should I say no-eyes) that have caught my fantasy these days. Mainly because they reduce to mere slits and you can't see them when this certain person laughs, or so much as even smiles. It's cute, it's hilarious, but then again, it's real cute. :D

It's funny how I don't have anything to write for so long, and then when I finally sit down to write random stuff, I suddenly have so much to say that I run out of time and space. So enough of my blabbering for today. I'll just bid adieu with a promise to return with an interesting post tomorrow.

Buen día mis amigos!

(P.S. That stems from my current tryst with learning a little bit of Spanish. Google Translate all the way!)

Call me Particular if you may!

I've been itching to write on this particular topic for a very long time. Which topic? And why particularly this topic? Well, the answer lies in the question itself. Particularity. I am very particular about some things in life. Very, as in VERY particular. Some of the things that might even make me come across as a freak to some. Just felt like writing all this down today. I don't force you to read anyway. Read if you have enough time to throw away.

1. The K Syndrome

People have this extremely annoying tendency to use "k" very frequently. Be it in text messages or on chat, the K syndrome is just plain frustrating. Add to it the SMS lingo that has been trending for the last few years. No words could possibly bring out my true hatred for it. People use it with such confidence and pride that it makes me wonder what's there to be so happy about in using such insanely shortened words? Isn't it really a mask to hide your poor spellings? And there is no consistency even in the kind of abbreviations people nowadays tend to employ. I mean, okay, abbreviations can still be justified if you don't like to type a lot. But how can you justify using mah for my? What kind of abbreviation technique is THAT?

I don't mean to offend anybody, especially none of those who are reading this right now. But It's just a personal fixation. Even I have used this SMS lingo earlier, I admit, but never shortened words more than where necessary, and then gradually left it completely. Kindly excuse me if I sound bigoted.

2. Murder of Grammar

I am very particular about the correct usage of language, be it English or for that matter Hindi or any other languages I may know. It just doesn't escape my notice if a person in front of me makes even a single trivial mistake in spoken or written language. And no, I don't embarrass people by pointing it out or correcting them publicly. That is just not me. But I feel weird inside. Not irritated as such, if the mistakes are genuine or sometimes innocent. But if you don't care to actually know the language and still love to use it, well, I don't have the right words for you. Just that, it's nothing short of purposeful murder that you're committing. Murder of language, of grammar, of my patience, and of your impression on me.

3. Value of Commitment

I value commitment. And I value people who value their commitments. I respect such people a lot. The whole point of 'committing' to something or someone is to actually carry out what you promise. If you can't, or don't really plan to do something, then why pray commit? Just to appear nice or give out a 'cool' impression? It doesn't work, at least not with me. I don't promise anything to anyone unless and until I know I shall do it. And if I do commit, I fulfill my promises to my best ability. Just another personal fixation you can say.

4. Over-Familiar People

People sometimes try to be overtly familiar or friendly towards yours truly. And to put it very subtly, I DON'T LIKE IT. I say, why pretend to be my best friend if you're really not? You don't even know me as much as you think. And here's the catch - I wouldn't mind it so much if it were to be just about a few friends. But it happens a lot nowadays! It's insane. I am not an unfriendly person, and you would know that well. But come on, isn't a person entitled to some unbreached privacy?

5. Save the Environment

I am one hell of a freak when it comes to pro-nature activities. I switch off the lights and close the taps when they're not needed. I NEVER throw stuff on the roadsides or the wrong places. If you don't like littered environs then why litter them at all? But folks just don't realize this. Even as a kid I used to keep toffee wrappers and other such stuff in my bag to throw them as and when I spotted a dustbin. And I do that till date. I even refrain my friends from doing such acts when around me - I take their wrappers away too. Little acts that go a long way in saving the environment, and making me feel good, inside.

6. Gifting Etiquette

People should really think ten times before gifting anyone anything. Are recycled show pieces and deodorants worthy enough to be gifted to friends or relatives? Weren't gifts originally meant to show appreciation for some act, or love or liking for someone? I always thought they were. Heaven knows why people don't realize that it isn't necessary to complete the formality of giving presents on birthdays and special days! Unless you really put some thought or effort in procuring the right gift for someone, the practice of exchanging presents is futile. I personally like to hand-pick presents for my loved ones. And no matter how weird or nonsensical a gift might be, I don't recycle my gifts. I like to keep them close.

7. Spreading smiles

I love to smile. Actually, the tooth-baring smile is more my thing. And I make it a point to smile at people as much as I can. Although I'm not a saint - I do not usually smile at people who are openly hostile towards me. No, wait, I sometimes even do that. But I'm working on it. There shall certainly be a day when all you can ever find me doing is smile - when I'm happy, sad, angry, frustrated, anything! How I'd love to do that - it'll surely spread a lot of goodwill in my vicinity. And I believe people look their best when they're smiling. And they stay healthier if they're happy. So for a beautiful and healthy society, I suggest everyone to smile more, and shun anger and sadness. They never pay, but happiness does, in more ways than you can fathom!

See - a picture is worth a thousand words indeed. You stand out in a crowd of random people if a smile adorns your lips. Time to take the cue, and SMILE! :)

I miss those days..!

I miss those days when Classic Cartoon Network and Discovery Channel used to play all the time on our 14-inch TV sets. My holiday schedule comprised of watching Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, I R Weasel and Mystery Hunters, with some holiday homework and outdoor play thrown in here and there. Living in a joint family meant spending whole days playing Ghar-ghar indoors, Gallery on the terrace or Hide and seek in the street. I would go upstairs to my cousin's place to sit there chatting for hours or watching TV, until Dad called for the tenth time for me to come down and have lunch. That's when a frantic search for my slippers would begin in every nook and cranny of the house. Only to realise after 10 minutes of mad searching that I hadn't been wearing them when I came! My cousins still tease me over that. I miss those days.

Holidays homework meant reading novels prescribed by school teachers and writing their reviews, searching for stuff (not on the internet) to help write essays on disgusting topics, making simple science models with my own hands (never took anybody's help) and cutting up newspapers and charts to fill scrapbooks. I almost always failed to finish my homework by the last day of the vacations. And yet, I always managed to save myself from scoldings at school. I was a smart kid.

April Fools' Day would have us wondering how to and whom to fool. And we'd end up trying to make a fool of each other by shouting out things like "look, your brain's lying on the ground!" Once, though, we came up with this brilliant idea. We called 161 from the landline phone, which immediately resulted in a call back on the same phone. And we picked it up and called out to mom that it was for her. She came and took it from us, only to be faced by the dial tone. And we shouted, April Fool banaya! And then got scolded for disturbing her like that. Yeah, that was the kind of April fools we made.

Relaxing for me usually meant listening to the radio. Or if we go back a little more to the time when I was a little child, I would listen to my Dad's collection of pop music of his time - MJ's Thriller, Abba, Boney M, and the lot. Hindi music included the legendary Mohd. Rafi and Kishore Kumar's hits, that too on cassettes.

Weekends were family's days out. We would sometimes dine out at Dilli Haat or Udipi Restaurant with masi's family. Or have full fledged family get-togethers at India Gate, complete with awesome food, ice-cream and boating on the lake. Or visit friends and family.

That's me, my elder sister and Mom on a trip to some hill station. I was maybe 6 or 7.

Festivals were another whole lot of fun. Holi would ideally involve bombing people with water-filled balloons, but we usually were too timid to risk a stranger's wrath. So we would just hang out in the balcony, choosing targets and having fun but seldom ever firing. Diwali would involve bursting crackers with my same-age cousin brother. We didn't burst the bigger, louder kind of crackers, but our respective sisters still always cowered in a corner with fingers tightly plugged into their ears. This would be followed by a family dinner and sometimes a card party. Those were the best days of my life, indeed.

But now the times have changed. Completely.

Kids watch Ben-10, Phineas and Ferb and Sesame Street. Holidays homework is commissioned to professionals in exchange for what I deem to be an obscene amount of money. Kids seldom even know what lies in their homework books. They have coaching classes for every single subject, right from class I.

Come April Fools' Day and the internet serves up a zillion different choices of ways for people to fool other people. No need to use your grey cells and come up with ingenious ideas yourself. What will Google do if we started applying our own brains? Same goes for everything else. You want anything, right from the lyrics of a song to the song itself or even whole movies in different qualities of print, and you will find it on the www. Life seems easy, right? Alas, it was easier back then. And simpler.

Weekends now mean lazing around at home, sleeping in, watching award shows and movies on huge LCDs, and ordering in food. Weekend family outings are becoming a rarity. We tend to hang out with our friends more. We see much less of our cousins living in the same house now. But I still crave for those outings with Mom and Dad. I still get all excited at the idea of an outdoor trip with my family like olden times. Festivals are celebrated at my place with much less fervour than before. Yet, we try to have as much fun with each other as we can on such days.

I sometimes wonder if it is just I who is so trapped inside her happy bubble that she isn't comfortable conforming to the changes happening around her. Or has the world become too different a place for a person like me to have a satisfactory existence? I do not have the answers. But I miss those days...a lot.

P.S. This post was posted after zero editing. It went up as it came. And all through the process, the one song that was playing in my mind was Bryan Adams' Summer of 69.

The End of a mini Era

I admit that was a little dramatic. But I couldn't think of a more suitable title!! In a way, these last ten days have been a mini era for my blog, and for my growth as a blogger. And at last it comes to an end today. And what could have been more apt to end it with but the ultimate glimpse at who I am? The real me? Nothing I could have thought of.

As opposed to all the previous posts where I've claimed to have had a hard time selecting what to include and what not to, it can be safely assumed that this one was the hardest. Come on, a picture of mine? On my blog? Ah yes, I should mention here (because many of my recent followers might not know it) that till some time ago, I used to blog anonymously, under the pseudonym of "Angel". Why this choice of pen name you wonder? Because some people who've always mattered the most in my life had taken to calling me by that name with love. Angel. Doesn't it bring a smile to everyone's face? It sure does to mine. :)


Now for the thing my readers have been waiting for till now. A glimpse of the person they've been reading for the last I donno how many days or weeks or even more. Here we go then!

Did I hear a laugh somewhere? Haha..well, yes, that's me. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss the hint of a hidden smirk/smile/grin/whatever that is showing behind the glass! ;)

Okay, with that accomplished, the 10 Day YOU Challenge officially and sadly enough, stands completed. I hereby declare with all solemnity and pride that I have managed to complete the challenge to the entire (I hope) satisfaction of myself and my readers. And that though I am sad it's over, I am also glad that I was able to pull it off, and super glad that it received such widespread support and appreciation. A heartfelt thanks to each and every person who has read me, ever, and to those who are gonna do so in the future - here's to you too! Cheers! :D

But with every end comes a new beginning. Of something better, or maybe something worse. In my case, I hope to start off with a good thing, now that this 10 Day YOU Challenge has come to an end. Going forward with that, I have taken a vow to blog regularly this day onward, that is, at least twice a week. It isn't very easy to manage what with college, classes, my laziness and stuff. But as the age-old saying goes, 'Where there is a will, there is a way!'

So here I am, on this 13th birthday of dear old (or young?) Google, signing off with a light heart and a wide smile on my face and a winking eye. Take care folks, and keep the feedback and love coming in! I live by it!

Musically Yours : The 2 Songs

How quickly time flies. It's already time for my 9th post in this series; and to think I just started it a few days ago! But like someone said to me yesterday, it's human tendency to get attached to something you happen to be associated with for some time, no matter how short. And it's difficult to let go.

But coming back to the focal point of this post, which is something I hold closest to my heart - music - I'll let you in on the two songs that come to haunt me (in a good way though) at all times when my mind is idle. Although I shortlisted at least 5-6 songs for this post, I still had to choose, and these were the two which bagged the honor:


1. When you say nothing at all - Ronan Keating
I had heard the Alison Krauss version of the same song, and liked it a lot. And then there came Notting Hill, bringing with it the Ronan Keating version, that floored me completely. It's a very soft, subtle, beautiful number with a charm that touches your heart (mine, at least).
Watch the video here (ignore the little diversions in between, they're annoying but donno how and why, they're a part of the official video). And if you haven't listened to it already (seriously??), download it from here.

2. The Unforgiven II - Metallica
This is one song that never fails to amaze me. Metallica as the heavy metal pioneers don't need an introduction, and unlike what is usually expected of a girl, I LOVE them. They have this raw appeal and charisma, and I anyhow like rock and metal music a lot. Watch the video here, it's kinda weird and spooky (and awesome :D). Or download it from here. Let me know if it appeals to you! Or not.

In related news, I'm super charged right now, in earnest anticipation of the Metallica concert in Gurgaon next month. Yes, they're coming to India, and to my city, that too! Now if God's listening (oops, I mean reading), I'd like him to know that I'm hoping for someone to come up to me one of these days while I'm walking down the street, and offer me free tickets to the concert. Make it happen please, I really wanna go! *AMEN*

Now for my choice of songs. Two completely different genres, ain't they? That's because there isn't any single genre of music that I like more. I listen to them all, depending upon what my mood be at a particular moment. I eat music, even sleep music. That reminds me, did I ever mention that I'm a trained Hindustani Classical singer? Or that I like to sing more in the western genre? I think not. Anyway you know now. :)

Share your thoughts, or should I say, spread the music!

The 3 *sigh* Movies I Love

Being an absolute movie addict and still having to choose only three movies that I love the most is what makes me sigh above. Come on, it's so hard to not love a hundred movies at the same time! Movies are my friend, confidante as well as my punching bag. No matter how hard I work all seven days of the week, given my college, assignments, frequent exams and weekend classes, my week still doesn't conclude unless and until I watch at least 3 to 4 (sometimes even more) movies. That is how much I love 'em.

Coming back to the point, here's a list of the three movies that first came to my mind when I thought about writing this post.


1. Pursuit of Happyness
The most classic movie ever! No words to describe it...it reduces me to tears, every single time. The father-son bonding shown by real-world father-son duo is to die for. Jaden Smith as a kid will take your heart away (and never return it :P). And Will Smith is, well, Will Smith. He needs no introduction.

2. Notting Hill
Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in a beautiful love story. Things never got better for the mush-lover in me. Oh yeah, completely forgot to mention, I am an extremely mushy person at heart. And that shows in my choice of favorite movies. Anyhow, this one's a lovely movie, worth a watch for everyone.

3. You've Got Mail
I've watched this flick like 5 times by now. The first time was when I was around 16, on HBO, and I instantly loved it. I guess that love sort of never ebbed. Meg Ryan is the ultimate mush-girl of her time, and Tom Hanks somehow looks very convincing in this one. Give it a dekko!

As the days go by and the numbers keep decreasing - 10 secrets, 9 loves, 8 fears, 7, 6, 5, 4 and now 3 movies - I start to despair. I was kind of attached to this series, which for a change was all about me and very intimate details about my own life and choices. and now that it's shortly going to come to an end, feels weird letting go of it. Have you ever felt this way about something? Let me know your thoughts. :)

My 4 Most Loved Books of All Time

Books - my first and last love! But seriously, am I expected to sum up my all-consuming love for books in just FOUR titles? This is sheer torture. Selecting any 4 of my favorite books would be blasphemy towards them. And yet, such is life, such are challenges. They're always meant to challenge you in every way possible. So here they are, the 4 titles that I declare to be my favorite books of all time (in no particular order).


1. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
If you knew the number of pages this book has got (which is 1350, by the way), you wouldn't believe that I've read it twice. I just adore this book. It's a modern classic, with every single aspect of everyday life, the situations and relationships woven into the narrative so seamlessly, you don't even notice when you become a part of the story. I recommend this one to every passionate reader out there who has some amount of patience, as it is a bit too long for the average reader to read through.

2. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Ah, what a beautiful book. It is one of the few books that have ever reduced me to tears. A lovely, poignant description of the life and people in Afghanistan and their struggles, and the plight yet dignity and loyalty of the central character of the plot - these all lend an unmatched greatness to this book. Everyone just has to read this book once in their lifetime!

3. The Glass Palace - Amitav Ghosh
This one's the latest addition to my list of favorites. It's a lovely book set part in Burma and part in India, chronicling the life and times of three generations. I'm in love with Amitav Ghosh's writing; have been ever since I read Sea of Poppies. Another two from his series are currently lined up in my to-read list.

4. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
No words are good enough to describe this classic piece by Austen. It's a classic in the true sense of the word, depicting the 19th century notions of manners, morality and marriage in a way that greatly appeals to modern readers and makes it one of the most loved books of all time. But I've met many a people who do not understand the fascination this novel holds for readers across the world. I say, if you cannot appreciate the greatness of Pride and Prejudice, you are not a literature enthusiast at all.

Now, for a book digger like me, it isn't an easy task selecting a few of my favorite books. Yet I've done it today, keeping in mind that I maintain a list of all the best books I've read, as a separate page on my blog. See my foresight? I always knew I'm smart. ;)

Reading is something I'm sure most of my dear readers surely indulge in. Do tell me your favorites, I might just get some new ideas to make additions to my to-read list! And till I write again, take care of yourself and keep reading! :)

Five Finger-lickin' Foods I Love

So it's about food today, huh? Now that's something real fun to talk about. And unlike what you might be expecting from me right now, I'd only say five is a perfect number for listing down my favorite foods. Why? Because I am a very moody person when it comes to eating. Most of the time, hardly anything even worth being called 'food' impresses me except for candy and chocopies. But they do not qualify as food (or do they?) Although I must here mention, I have been taught since childhood to eat (and finish) anything I am served, and not to throw any tantrums about it. So that's what I do, whether I like it or not. But there are barely around five things that I really love to eat anytime, anywhere, and I enlist them here.


1. Pizza. That's a re-mention, I know, because I've already expressed my love for pizzas earlier. They qualify as my love-to-have-anytime-anywhere-for-any-number-of-days food. And it's been so ever since the time I started frequenting the Domino's near my college very regularly, though I don't remember when this love affair started.

2. Selected fruits. I love mangoes and pineapple a lot, followed by litchi and apples. But then, barring a few, I like all fruits. They're nothing glamorous or list-worthy about them per se, but they make my list of foods that I can have anytime, in almost any mood, if I'm hungry.

3. Picnik. (LOL) That's a packaged finger food I've been in love with since I was a little kid. They're tomato-ey, tangy and very tasty (don't I sound a little cheeky-salesgirl-ish, saying that?) But they're a part of my childhood that I've carried on through my adolescence into my youth, and plan to continue the tradition for as long as they are in production.

4. South Indian Delicacies. Plain Dosa, Rawa Dosa and the plain ol' Idli Sambhar - I love these like anything. I know I don't have to be so specific with the details, but what the heck, they're yum.

5. Beverages. Yes, THAT is what rounds off my list of favorite foods. Not chinese, not intercontinental, not street food/golgappe or any of those usual bleh foods. As is common knowledge by now, I love coffee. And in addition to that, I like having ice teas, juices, fruit punches, milkshakes and eclectic combinations of any or all of these. :P

If there had been an option to specify what I don't like to eat, I'd have mentioned how spicy food is a complete no-no for me. I can handle bland, sweet or tasteless, but not spicy. You see how limited my gastronomic preferences are? So much, they make for a very boring blog post I say. One would even wonder how, on the one hand I say I am a foodie, and on the other I claim to not even like many kinds of foods. What do you say? And what do you like to eat? Share with me. :)

P.S. I am a vegetarian. By choice, that too.

6 Places I'd Love to Visit

Continuing with The 10 Day YOU Challenge series, I arrive today with a list of six places I absolutely love to visit. Now a place needn't necessarily mean a city or a country. And yeah, the title is kind of a misnomer, given that the places I'm thinking of are not necessarily the ones I would like to visit in the future, but also the ones that I love to visit often. You'll understand better once you read my six favorite places. Here goes:

1. Kashmir. It is better known as Paradise on Earth. But that's not the only reason why I love it - there's more.
For instance, Kashmir is the most perfect combination of water, plains and mountains. The peace and tranquility one experiences, sailing on a Shikara on the Dal lake - it's otherworldly. Visit the place and bask in the beauty. Get cornered by a Kashmiri cloth vendor on the street trying to sell you his wares. Look at lovely little Kashmiri girls clutching their books, going to school. Stay on a house boat on the Dal Lake, sit in solitude out on the verandah in the evening and look at the sun going down behind the Himalayas. Sheer bliss.

2. Ancient Monuments and Forts. As I mentioned earlier, history transfers me to another, totally novel world. A world distant from the city's rush, pollution, the callousness of people and their indifferent ways. Sitting amid ancient dilapidated structures with a profound history behind each wall, each arch - it is eternally transcendental. For me, the feeling is overpowering and cannot be paralleled by any other.

That's an amateurish shot of the Bada Darwaza (main entrance) of the Purana Quila (Old Fort) in Delhi on a particularly bright sunny afternoon. I am a photography enthusiast too, remember?

3. A Hair Salon. I am the kind of person who doesn't get hair cuts very often. But when I do get one, I get it done from good salons, by thorough professionals who know their business well. Just because the feeling you get there is awesome. With professionals washing your hair with the utmost gentleness and poring over what look to give to your hair, all the while you sitting in a massage chair, the feeling is great. You have to feel it to believe it. And the outcome of the hair styling is always, as in ALWAYS, awesome.

4. A Stationery/Book Store. Stationery and books are the ultimate feel-good factors for me. The vast collection of books and stationery in a store gives me a different kind of high. The smell of new notebooks, the feel of new pens and erasers in my hand give rise to my inner excitement to write something on paper, as opposed to my usual keypad writing. And a new book is always a great buy, no matter how broke it may leave me behind.

5. Coffee Shops. I belong to the generation of hookah lovers and pub-frequenters. Yet, the charm of a simple coffee shop never fails to mesmerize me. Sitting in a laidback posture, sipping my coffee, enjoying the the smell of coffee all around - it's heavenly. And a Cafe Coffee Day can be located every few kilometers in my city, thank God for that.

That's a shot of the interior of my favorite coffee lounge in Delhi.

6. Italy. This one's my travel aspiration for the future - my first and foremost aspiration in world travel. Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan - some of the world's most quaint, picturesquely beautiful and ancient places I would just love to visit and spend some time in. Venice in particular is a truly enigmatic place. Water, water everywhere - just perfect for me.

I must admit I had a certain amount of difficulty putting together this short list. I am a restless girl. I cannot stay home for even a few days at a stretch. I love to travel, not just out of the city or country but within the city and its by-lanes too. So deciding upon my favorite six places in the world is like a mother being partial to six of her innumerable children. (Do they still produce so many kids? Last I checked, the slogan said "hum do, humara ek".) Whatever. Hence this is just a starter to the real story of my travel aspirations, which I might cover in some later post.

As always, let me know what you think. Take care, keep smiling and keep traveling! :)

My 7 Wants

Everyone has some needs and wants in life. In my case, I just have a little more of them than others. And it's human nature to want more and more - we homo sapiens come programmed that way. No matter how well provided one may be, one's wishes never cease to exist. After all, it isn't like the Ambani scions wouldn't ever want anything from life. So if they can, why can't I?

With that I embark upon my next installment in the 10 Day YOU Challenge series, that chronicles my seven wants. Isn't that figure a little too less? I mean this is the easiest of them all. Wishes! And if you've been a regular follower of my humble blog, you would know that I have a lot of wishes in life. I usually tend to wish for something and then entirely forget about it.
And I don't mean to sound boastful, but somehow the Almighty listens to my wishes, and in one way or the other, grants them. I feel like I've got a caring hand over my head in life. But not to start with a sermon now, which I'm afraid I might, let's just record my 7 topmost wants in life.

1. Everlasting Happiness. Yes I know, that's similar to wishing for Santa Claus or an honest politician. But the header says '7 wants', not '7 realizable wants'. Why then can't I wish for the most elusive thing in the world, that is happiness forever in life? Indirectly, I wish for a stable life, peace of mind and a forgiving nature, which when together, automatically guarantee perpetual happiness in life.

2. Perfect Health. It takes a lot of courage to say this publicly to people who've hardly ever seen me, but now that I'm on a confession spree, let me just go ahead with it. I am a little overweight. A little, as in about 5-6 kgs over what I should be. That's allowable, isn't it? Ah, what a relief that was. In addition, I have this chronic ankle injury issue. It'd be enough to say that my left foot is never, ever completely healed. Every time it starts to heal, I just have another fall and end up spraining it again. So here the wish part goes - I wanna get into the pink of health, i.e. lose all that extra weight, get that glow back, and see my foot healed entirely, once and for all. That accomplished, I'll be very, very, VERY happy in life. Trust me, that foot issue is one of my life's biggest problems.

(Now for the materialistic things :D)

3. An Awesome Wardrobe. I have a certain way with clothes, and a real passion for dressing well. So it doesn't come as a surprise that I would want an awesome, loaded wardrobe with all sorts of clothes, accessories, footwear et al at my disposal. It's be like a dream come true for any girl!

4. A Great Metabolism. For the uninitiated, a great body metabolism ensures that you digest well, whatever or how-much-ever you eat, and so you don't gain weight because of eating. If only I had that, I would be able to eat a lot more than I can right now, and still look good, given that I am a complete food junkie and a person with varied tastes. I have a different kind of food associated with every single mood of mine, and the number of moods I can have is, well, innumerable. So you see where that wish stems from.

5. A Debit card with unlimited balance. I love shopping. I totally identify with the girl in Confessions of a Shopaholic. It's sheer pleasure, rummaging through shops, selecting clothes and shoes and candies and bags. But my finances being as they are, I don't get to shop much without the aid of mommy or daddy dearest. So I wish for a genie to appear and grant me a debit card with boundless money, to let me shop to my heart's content. That'll help me fulfill #3 as well. See, I am a pro at shooting two birdies with a single arrow!

6. The Perfect Partner. Now this one's a biggie, as I don't share much about my personal life or desires with anyone, especially on the World Wide Web. But continuing with the ongoing confession spree, I'll reveal my vision for the perfect partner here. It isn't very hard to guess. He must be smart, intellectual, a thorough professional in everything he does, well-dressed and soft-spoken. Has to have a SOUND English, enough to sometimes overshadow mine (believe it or not, that's a very big issue for me). Plus the personality traits of being understanding, caring, mature (more than me, to be able to understand me) and romantic are the obvious pre-requisites. Is that a little too much to ask for in a guy?

7. Love. Love of family, love of friends and the goodwill of every person I meet or get acquainted with. I believe in sharing and spreading love in any form I am capable of. It saddens and sometimes frustrates me to see people spreading ill will and hatred around them, intentionally. Unintentionally, I admit, all of us somehow or the other end up hurting other people. That's what I wish for to disappear in me - ways in which I hurt or repel people. I wish to be a more loving person, who is loved all the more in return. Not too much to ask for, I reckon.

There goes, a post that was entirely By Me, For Me and With Me (in focus). Selfish that may sound, but that's all you get today! No wishes for family, friends, world peace, blah blah. I had decided, this post is gonna be me-centered, for a change. My life, my wishes...hell yeah! \m/

I look forward to knowing your wishes in life. After all, a life is all we've got - it has got to be lived King/Queen size!