“Were you arrested” was the first question dad asked when I came home – I nodded gleefully with a sheepish grin on my face. Somehow – at that time it seemed like the ‘in’ thing. Dad laughed – now you know where I get my genes from – to much chagrin of mom, who was grimacing visibly. She must’ve been thinking – ‘My god, my daughter, daughter of a lecturer – arrested ‘– but really nothing mattered at that moment. I was home atlast and more importantly free.
The year was 1991, my first year in college life – the heady combination of not wearing uniform, bunking classes, creating ruckus without being noticed, having canteen food was exhilarating. The college catered to both PU and Degree as well… and the degree folks were ummmm hmmmmmmm what should I say – ‘people with power’. Their bidding was our ultimate command. That was the year when it was decided that the recommendations of the Mandal Commission were to be implemented actually. And that was the news that sent shock waves amongst the public in general and students in specific.
The emotions ran high – everyday the headlines was just one thing - number of protest, students burning themselves, the violence and finally the futility of it all. Our college was definitely definitely not the one to be left behind. So the degree students – yep – the idols for us, took up the cause with great passion. And there we were the first years, the innocent ones, just waiting to fall prey. They stormed the classrooms one fine day – declared a mass shutdown and announced – to our great happiness – that they would join the protest. But everyone, I repeat, each and everyone were clear that it will be non-violent in nature. So there we were, pushed towards the gate, shouting slogans, and generally creating mayhem. Surprisingly, none of the teachers tried to stop us. It is surprising now, that I think about it, but back then ‘who cared’!!! So there she was – my pretty little friend, a petite girl, standing on the compound, cheering the crowd, trying in vain to make her voice felt. I can bet anything, that she had no clue what she was supposed to be shouting. You see all of us, knew what was going on, but at that time, only few and a select few actually realized the humungous impact the implementation of the commission would have on our lives.
So all in all it was just ‘Down Down’ and being happy that there was no college that day – and walking in hordes towards a very busy junction. The plan was the block the junction – this particular junction known as ‘South End’ Circle has 6 big roads intersecting. Connecting junction for a lot of places – so you can imagine what a complete shutdown of that junction would cause!!!
Within few hours – yes, it took quite a few hours – thinking back, I think even they supported us to a very large extent- the police were there in full force. Their agenda was simple, see that the protest continues to be a peaceful march and no violence what-so-ever. When enough chaos was created, the police quietly came and told the ‘leaders’ that we would be arrested. Ah ha – now was when, we opened our eyes to reality. ‘Arrested? My god, how shameful’ should’ve been the thought – but nah, we courted arrest – means, we surrendered to be arrested. Somehow, it sounded glamorous to us, especially when the seniors asked us to do it.
So all of us – about 500 of us, rest of them ran for their lives, were herded inside police vans and taken to different police stations. The police mama where I went was an extra benevolent old chap – me says, I bet he had a kid too, who was feeling very strongly against the happenings. So he got all of us some delicious lemon rice and curd rice. And in the evening, let us off with friendly warning – ‘Don’t do this again, else you know what happens’
What happened was - no classes and a feel good factor that we had done our bit for the protests – all in all a day outing with a gala lunch thrown in!!! How cool is that!!!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Truely Priceless
Finally the decision was made – with lot of arguments, counter arguments – we were not going to sell our ancestral home at the prime area of Jayanagar, instead, sis and myself had decided (along with all other stakeholders) that we would demolish and rebuild – according to our tastes. After hunting for good architects – we narrowed down to one – who gave us an awesome plan. Ground floor – small house for parents, with ample space for parking (5 cars + 6 2 wheelers), first floor – 2 houses for sister, 2nd floor –a single big house for myself. Days passed by pretty quickly – demolish, freeze design, the ceremonial gudli pooje and the start of the construction.
Horrendous task to say the least – hubby and myself had definitely not expected what we were up against. Sis happily sitting in dubai & parents clearly saying they don’t want to have any say in the matter (argument: we have gifted it to you – for you to take it forward!!!) – meant that all the decisions for all the 4 houses had to be taken by us. Given our schedules and tempers – it was easy said than done. Architect had clearly put his foot down on any design changes during construction – that was really a blessing in disguise. But we still had to monitor, take decisions etc etc – on a weekly basis.
The first signs of trouble started 6 months into the construction – the shell of all the floors had been built, the material for the next phase – granites, tiles, bathroom fixtures etc were already at the site. That’s when we started getting complaints from the security – saying that some ‘goondas’ are coming and taking the material forcibly – cement, sand etc. Alarm bells tinkled – but we surely did not want to get into a faceoff with them. Quick workaround – contractor and the mason went & met them – and gotta know that the ‘goonda’ had finished constructing a small room (with material from various sites) – and his needs no longer existed. Sigh of relief – and we went about continuing with the construction. But the thought that maybe I should have sold the plot and bought an apartment did cross my mind quite a few times – but resisted the urge of voicing it only because it was ancestral property and I wanted to retain and relish.
A panic call from the mason and security on a weekend – put us all into a tizzy. A group of 15 goondas had occupied our house – refusing to let the workers to their job. Gosh – we were at our wits end. How were we (educated, polished, sophisticated) supposed to deal with fisty, foul language, giants??? It was not just occupying, they had started drinking, playing cards and generally creating a nuisance of themselves – forcing the neighbors to make innumerable calls to us. We heard – through the security guy – that they were demanding 50K. Now, why the hell should we pay some guys – for building our house on our plot – it just did not make sense at all.
But but but, they definitely had not anticipated our network though. Being from Bangalore – even we had wee bit of connections and pulled the strings at the right places. Oh no, but then, it had not occurred to us about the nexus between the ‘goondas’ and the police – and slowly realized, it was we who were in for a rude shock and not them. The all famous and popular ‘swalpa adjust maadi’ attitude was seen full blown at the police station. But then again – when the police guys realized that we were kannadigas and the successful strategy that I used – you see I went alone to the police station to complain – as legally the whole building belonged to me (sis had given PoA – with much reluctance ofcourse) made them see the problem from our angle too. They asked me not to give a written complaint – cos, then they will be forced to arrest and put those guys in jail – they assured me, that the evil guys will forever have a grudge against me and my dream home. Instead what they did was to keep a constant vigil on our house and give a stern warning to the rascals – after all they knew each other pretty well. The police were forced to help us out at an opportunity loss for them. Usually – a part of the cut – ya, you are right – goes to the police as well!!!
But we also knew that we could not get away without paying a cent – it is land mafia after all, and to top it – prime area. So, to put a final end to the whole menace – it got down to talking to the dirty fellows on the road. The setting (on the road) and the audience (ladies like me, mom around) – mellowed them down quite a bit. But you wont believe the atrocious stuff they asked – asked us to sponsor an evening for ‘Rajyotsava’ (orchestra and the works) celebrations. Hubby’s face contorted with amusement. Incase any of you are not aware this will cost approximately 50K. With as much of a straight face as possible, he quietly offered to sing solo in the evening cos we just did not have the money to sponsor. They absolutely did not know how to react. And with much persuasion, accepted a donation of 5K – gave us the receipt too – thats the hilarious part. I am still wondering if I have to frame it and preserve that receipt!!!
Cost of the construction material ‘stolen' - Rs 8,000
Cost of the bribe to the police - Rs. 4,000
Cost of the donation for Rajyotsava celebrations - Rs. 5,000
Cost of the stress, tension and pressure that we went through - Truly priceless!!
Horrendous task to say the least – hubby and myself had definitely not expected what we were up against. Sis happily sitting in dubai & parents clearly saying they don’t want to have any say in the matter (argument: we have gifted it to you – for you to take it forward!!!) – meant that all the decisions for all the 4 houses had to be taken by us. Given our schedules and tempers – it was easy said than done. Architect had clearly put his foot down on any design changes during construction – that was really a blessing in disguise. But we still had to monitor, take decisions etc etc – on a weekly basis.
The first signs of trouble started 6 months into the construction – the shell of all the floors had been built, the material for the next phase – granites, tiles, bathroom fixtures etc were already at the site. That’s when we started getting complaints from the security – saying that some ‘goondas’ are coming and taking the material forcibly – cement, sand etc. Alarm bells tinkled – but we surely did not want to get into a faceoff with them. Quick workaround – contractor and the mason went & met them – and gotta know that the ‘goonda’ had finished constructing a small room (with material from various sites) – and his needs no longer existed. Sigh of relief – and we went about continuing with the construction. But the thought that maybe I should have sold the plot and bought an apartment did cross my mind quite a few times – but resisted the urge of voicing it only because it was ancestral property and I wanted to retain and relish.
A panic call from the mason and security on a weekend – put us all into a tizzy. A group of 15 goondas had occupied our house – refusing to let the workers to their job. Gosh – we were at our wits end. How were we (educated, polished, sophisticated) supposed to deal with fisty, foul language, giants??? It was not just occupying, they had started drinking, playing cards and generally creating a nuisance of themselves – forcing the neighbors to make innumerable calls to us. We heard – through the security guy – that they were demanding 50K. Now, why the hell should we pay some guys – for building our house on our plot – it just did not make sense at all.
But but but, they definitely had not anticipated our network though. Being from Bangalore – even we had wee bit of connections and pulled the strings at the right places. Oh no, but then, it had not occurred to us about the nexus between the ‘goondas’ and the police – and slowly realized, it was we who were in for a rude shock and not them. The all famous and popular ‘swalpa adjust maadi’ attitude was seen full blown at the police station. But then again – when the police guys realized that we were kannadigas and the successful strategy that I used – you see I went alone to the police station to complain – as legally the whole building belonged to me (sis had given PoA – with much reluctance ofcourse) made them see the problem from our angle too. They asked me not to give a written complaint – cos, then they will be forced to arrest and put those guys in jail – they assured me, that the evil guys will forever have a grudge against me and my dream home. Instead what they did was to keep a constant vigil on our house and give a stern warning to the rascals – after all they knew each other pretty well. The police were forced to help us out at an opportunity loss for them. Usually – a part of the cut – ya, you are right – goes to the police as well!!!
But we also knew that we could not get away without paying a cent – it is land mafia after all, and to top it – prime area. So, to put a final end to the whole menace – it got down to talking to the dirty fellows on the road. The setting (on the road) and the audience (ladies like me, mom around) – mellowed them down quite a bit. But you wont believe the atrocious stuff they asked – asked us to sponsor an evening for ‘Rajyotsava’ (orchestra and the works) celebrations. Hubby’s face contorted with amusement. Incase any of you are not aware this will cost approximately 50K. With as much of a straight face as possible, he quietly offered to sing solo in the evening cos we just did not have the money to sponsor. They absolutely did not know how to react. And with much persuasion, accepted a donation of 5K – gave us the receipt too – thats the hilarious part. I am still wondering if I have to frame it and preserve that receipt!!!
Cost of the construction material ‘stolen' - Rs 8,000
Cost of the bribe to the police - Rs. 4,000
Cost of the donation for Rajyotsava celebrations - Rs. 5,000
Cost of the stress, tension and pressure that we went through - Truly priceless!!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Living a Nightmare
Prologue: Day 8 of our tour. Had completed Katra, Jalandar and couple of other places. Everything was going as per the itinerary – no delays whatsoever. People generally happy and looking forward to another 12 days of vacation.
Date - July 31st, 2000
Time – 7.30 pm
Place – Vaishno Devi base
We had just finished the Vaishno Devi darshan. All of us were tired from the trek and were just sitting and chatting and generally relaxing. We were about 35 in our bus. Retired to our rooms – eagerly waiting for the next day – we were quite excited about our next and main destination – Amarnath cave. Most of us had finished our mandatory call to our homes – telling them very clearly not to expect our calls for another 5 – 6 days.
Date – August 1st, 2000
Time – 5.30 am
Place – Enroute to MAM stadium, Jammu
We had left the hotel later than planned, thanks to some of the co-passengers who took their own sweet time to pack up and get going. Precious moments lost – and all of us were sitting on the edge of our seats keeping our fingers crossed that we would not miss the army convoy. You see every morning during the Amarnath yatra time, all the pilgrim vehicles are escorted by the army from the MAM stadium to the base camp at pahalgam. We, at any cost HAD to make it to the stadium before 6. None of us were in any mood for delay – the reason was simple. If we miss the convoy, we would’ve been forced to stay at Jammu for an extra day to catch the next morning convoy. This inevitably would’ve resulted in skipping the rest of the places!!
Time - 6.30 am
Place – MAM stadium, Jammu
Darn it – we missed. We saw the convoy leaving right in front of our eyes. Oh no, we could not join the endless stretch of vehicles just like that. A mandatory security check of people, bags and vehicle had to be done – which would take atleast half hour. Gone, missed, and we rued it terribly. But no blame games though. You see 90% of our co-passengers were senior citizens. And the rest were not so senior, but fell into the category of ‘elderly’. Me and hubby were the youngest in the group – just one year into our marriage. This was what we had planned for almost 6 months – getting 20 days off for both of us – was indeed a herculean task.
So stuck in Jammu with nothing to do. As the day progressed, other vehicles and tourists joined us. The stadium was huge yes, but it was chillingly cold – august in jammu is surely not like august in Bangalore.
Time – 5.30 pm
The first signs of trouble. Firing right outside the stadium. We were a group of 6 returning back from a temple, went inside and heard the shots. First time I was seeing all these at close range. Rattled me thoroughly. 2 police men dead and 1 terrorist dead – within matter of 5 minutes. It was not just the weather which made a chill go through my spine to the very core of my being. We were left wondering – what next?
Time – 7.30 pm
All tourists at the center – all set to retire for the night. A police jeep with a loudspeaker comes along – with announcement – we had to hear it multiple times just to understand what they were talking about. Landslides and bad weather. So no convoy the next day. Very natural and keeps happening in the valley – nothing surprising. Super!! – Another day delay is the last thing we wanted.
The next thing we know – all people huddled in front of the single TV setup – start gaping at the screen aghast – all trying to talk the same time.
Scene on TV: NDTV news channel – showing pictures of massacred bodies strewn all over
The news: 30 Amarnath yatris massacred in cold blood in Pahalgam
All hell broke loose. So the crap about the weather etc was just that – CRAP. The real reason – terrorists attack on pilgrims – unheard of till then.
No, we had not called home since morning – you see we had told them no calls for another 5 days anyway. As the reality began to dawn on us – we suddenly realized the catastrophe this news must’ve created back home. According to the plan, we were supposed to be at pahalgam. All of us just rushed to the 3 phones available. No network. All lines were jammed. Long queues. Everyone anxious to tell everyone else that we were alive. We were lucky – very lucky to have missed the convoy that day. Finally got through after 3 hours, mom in tears – cos dad was with us and she was alone at home. Her relief knew no bounds when she heard my voice.
A stunned silence enveloped the whole stadium.
A very very uncomfortable night, very cold, sleeping on the street just outside the inner premises. The inner premises of the stadium itself was not open to us.
Date: August 2nd, 2000
Another day in paradise – No way. More tourists started pouring into the stadium. The way it is usually planned by all tours is that – get to the stadium and catch the next day convoy. But since there was not outflow, the inmates of the stadium kept increasing. Food was scarce. All of us were asked to ration. The time was spent with some tense conversations, glued to the TV sets – for some information. No, at that time, there was no 24 hours news channel. Identified a kannada speaking police guy – who fed us the latest information. 105 people killed in the valley. But it was the first time the pilgrims were attacked and shot at. Shock and condemnation of the act – what more can we expect. But no news about the people like us waiting for our turn – God knows for what!! Some of the pilgrims abandoned their plans and left. The government was good enough to open up the stadium itself to us. That just meant, we could sleep on the steps instead of the street. But the open sky, stars gazing, horribly cold weather continued.
Date: August 3rd, 2000
Same status continued. The makeshift bathrooms and toilets were stinking to high heavens. Conditions became pathetic as the day went by. Inflow reduced drastically and the exodus increased. People gave up and left. The yatra was still on hold. News: The army was combing the area and searching for the infiltrators. Hubby and myself were asked to decide whether to stay put or turn back. We decided to stay put. Wait for another day – hoping that the yatra will be resumed. But withstanding the pressure from back home to come back was humungous. Amarnath was the first time for me – and I was determined to do the trek. Terrorists or no terrorists. Another night with the sky as shelter and mosquitoes as company.
Date: August 4th, 2000
God – Tussi great ho!! We were told very very early in the morning that the yatra would resume. Wow – our joy knew no bounds – but there was always this nagging fear at the back of our minds. What happens if… what next.. what if our worst fears come true? We were the first batch after the massacre – the army personnel checking asked me ‘Aapo darr nahin lagta m’aam?’ DARR? I thought that was what they were for – to alienate our darr… but no, by asking such questions, they just compounded my fears. But anyway, we went ahead – 1 army truck, 1 army jeep, followed by 3 vehicles, another army jeep and thus it continued. A huge line of vehicles. No stopping anywhere for anything. No emergency stops. Army folks standing throughout the dreaded Ananthnag route – one person every 5 steps. Happily waving at us – this is a day-in day-out routine for them. Reaching Pahalgam – the first thing that hit us was the normalcy there. Nothing was seen out of place – everything was ‘business as usual’.
Epilogue: The trek proceeded as planned. No negative forces. No looking back. No regrets. We successfully completed the amazing trek in 5 days. We had to cut out the other places which we had planned for though. Reached back home in one piece. The Half hour – which saved our lives will be cherished through my life.
Date - July 31st, 2000
Time – 7.30 pm
Place – Vaishno Devi base
We had just finished the Vaishno Devi darshan. All of us were tired from the trek and were just sitting and chatting and generally relaxing. We were about 35 in our bus. Retired to our rooms – eagerly waiting for the next day – we were quite excited about our next and main destination – Amarnath cave. Most of us had finished our mandatory call to our homes – telling them very clearly not to expect our calls for another 5 – 6 days.
Date – August 1st, 2000
Time – 5.30 am
Place – Enroute to MAM stadium, Jammu
We had left the hotel later than planned, thanks to some of the co-passengers who took their own sweet time to pack up and get going. Precious moments lost – and all of us were sitting on the edge of our seats keeping our fingers crossed that we would not miss the army convoy. You see every morning during the Amarnath yatra time, all the pilgrim vehicles are escorted by the army from the MAM stadium to the base camp at pahalgam. We, at any cost HAD to make it to the stadium before 6. None of us were in any mood for delay – the reason was simple. If we miss the convoy, we would’ve been forced to stay at Jammu for an extra day to catch the next morning convoy. This inevitably would’ve resulted in skipping the rest of the places!!
Time - 6.30 am
Place – MAM stadium, Jammu
Darn it – we missed. We saw the convoy leaving right in front of our eyes. Oh no, we could not join the endless stretch of vehicles just like that. A mandatory security check of people, bags and vehicle had to be done – which would take atleast half hour. Gone, missed, and we rued it terribly. But no blame games though. You see 90% of our co-passengers were senior citizens. And the rest were not so senior, but fell into the category of ‘elderly’. Me and hubby were the youngest in the group – just one year into our marriage. This was what we had planned for almost 6 months – getting 20 days off for both of us – was indeed a herculean task.
So stuck in Jammu with nothing to do. As the day progressed, other vehicles and tourists joined us. The stadium was huge yes, but it was chillingly cold – august in jammu is surely not like august in Bangalore.
Time – 5.30 pm
The first signs of trouble. Firing right outside the stadium. We were a group of 6 returning back from a temple, went inside and heard the shots. First time I was seeing all these at close range. Rattled me thoroughly. 2 police men dead and 1 terrorist dead – within matter of 5 minutes. It was not just the weather which made a chill go through my spine to the very core of my being. We were left wondering – what next?
Time – 7.30 pm
All tourists at the center – all set to retire for the night. A police jeep with a loudspeaker comes along – with announcement – we had to hear it multiple times just to understand what they were talking about. Landslides and bad weather. So no convoy the next day. Very natural and keeps happening in the valley – nothing surprising. Super!! – Another day delay is the last thing we wanted.
The next thing we know – all people huddled in front of the single TV setup – start gaping at the screen aghast – all trying to talk the same time.
Scene on TV: NDTV news channel – showing pictures of massacred bodies strewn all over
The news: 30 Amarnath yatris massacred in cold blood in Pahalgam
All hell broke loose. So the crap about the weather etc was just that – CRAP. The real reason – terrorists attack on pilgrims – unheard of till then.
No, we had not called home since morning – you see we had told them no calls for another 5 days anyway. As the reality began to dawn on us – we suddenly realized the catastrophe this news must’ve created back home. According to the plan, we were supposed to be at pahalgam. All of us just rushed to the 3 phones available. No network. All lines were jammed. Long queues. Everyone anxious to tell everyone else that we were alive. We were lucky – very lucky to have missed the convoy that day. Finally got through after 3 hours, mom in tears – cos dad was with us and she was alone at home. Her relief knew no bounds when she heard my voice.
A stunned silence enveloped the whole stadium.
A very very uncomfortable night, very cold, sleeping on the street just outside the inner premises. The inner premises of the stadium itself was not open to us.
Date: August 2nd, 2000
Another day in paradise – No way. More tourists started pouring into the stadium. The way it is usually planned by all tours is that – get to the stadium and catch the next day convoy. But since there was not outflow, the inmates of the stadium kept increasing. Food was scarce. All of us were asked to ration. The time was spent with some tense conversations, glued to the TV sets – for some information. No, at that time, there was no 24 hours news channel. Identified a kannada speaking police guy – who fed us the latest information. 105 people killed in the valley. But it was the first time the pilgrims were attacked and shot at. Shock and condemnation of the act – what more can we expect. But no news about the people like us waiting for our turn – God knows for what!! Some of the pilgrims abandoned their plans and left. The government was good enough to open up the stadium itself to us. That just meant, we could sleep on the steps instead of the street. But the open sky, stars gazing, horribly cold weather continued.
Date: August 3rd, 2000
Same status continued. The makeshift bathrooms and toilets were stinking to high heavens. Conditions became pathetic as the day went by. Inflow reduced drastically and the exodus increased. People gave up and left. The yatra was still on hold. News: The army was combing the area and searching for the infiltrators. Hubby and myself were asked to decide whether to stay put or turn back. We decided to stay put. Wait for another day – hoping that the yatra will be resumed. But withstanding the pressure from back home to come back was humungous. Amarnath was the first time for me – and I was determined to do the trek. Terrorists or no terrorists. Another night with the sky as shelter and mosquitoes as company.
Date: August 4th, 2000
God – Tussi great ho!! We were told very very early in the morning that the yatra would resume. Wow – our joy knew no bounds – but there was always this nagging fear at the back of our minds. What happens if… what next.. what if our worst fears come true? We were the first batch after the massacre – the army personnel checking asked me ‘Aapo darr nahin lagta m’aam?’ DARR? I thought that was what they were for – to alienate our darr… but no, by asking such questions, they just compounded my fears. But anyway, we went ahead – 1 army truck, 1 army jeep, followed by 3 vehicles, another army jeep and thus it continued. A huge line of vehicles. No stopping anywhere for anything. No emergency stops. Army folks standing throughout the dreaded Ananthnag route – one person every 5 steps. Happily waving at us – this is a day-in day-out routine for them. Reaching Pahalgam – the first thing that hit us was the normalcy there. Nothing was seen out of place – everything was ‘business as usual’.
Epilogue: The trek proceeded as planned. No negative forces. No looking back. No regrets. We successfully completed the amazing trek in 5 days. We had to cut out the other places which we had planned for though. Reached back home in one piece. The Half hour – which saved our lives will be cherished through my life.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Verdict
There it was again – the shooting pain in my left heel, which I was adamantly trying to ignore. But no, ignorance in this case was definitely not bliss. It was steadily increasing from the past couple of weeks. And my doubts about the cause of the pain was getting confirmed (by self only) as time went by. Long time ago, long long ago, I had a fracture on my left ankle – courtesy: lead & choreographer for the dance team – mishap at the practice session, but even longer ago, I already had the first fracture at the same place – courtesy: hit and run – no, not me. Someone hit me when I was driving a 2-wheeler. So the obvious conclusion (note: conclusion by self only) that it had acting up after all these years. By Thursday I had literally started limping – pretty embarrassing. So Friday ‘without much ado’ took an appointment with the Ortho at a hospital near home.
Got down from the bus and straight to the hospital – a quick enquiry ensured that I could go in right-away. What a relief – cos I hate waiting. A nice smile to the doc. Followed by a long explanation about the pain and the reason too. Obviously the doc gave me a look of ‘what am I here for’!!! One touch at the right spot of the heel and I wanted to scream – I could see stars all around me. And then immediately followed by the verdict – ‘you are getting aged’ – oh my god. My world just crumbled around me. Didn’t I get the youth elixir when I was born? What about the innumerable things which mom said – you’ll remain young as long as you are young at heart etc etc.. and here was this doctor standing in front of me – and saying the unthinkable, unimaginable and unacceptable. No, no, no…. this cant be happening to me. My innocent question about why only left heel was met with an even stoic answer of – its just a question of time, you’ll get it on the other heel too – i was almost in tears.
Slowly I came to grips with myself. Doc said it is ‘Plan-something-fas-something’ – I thought what the heck, I cant even pronounce it. Remembered Rajesh Khanna in Anand. I could not even comprehend what it was. And thought anyway he is going to write it on the prescription pad – so I did not showcase my ignorance – I was too incoherent by then anyway. But whatever it was, it was an expensive affair. Shelled down quite a bit for medicines and went home. You are absolutely right, the first thing I did was to google it – google should have a punch line ‘Google – the survival kit’. Discovered that I have something known as ‘Plantar Fasciitis’. When I read the whole thing, what the doc said made a lot of sense. Hot soaks, medicines, strict warning to change my footwear – any other circumstance, I would’ve jumped with joy – this meant, I could buy new series of footwear. But no, not in this case. I have to buy those medicated ones – how boring and unstylish. I hate them.
But doc has assured that there is no need to despair. Few precautions and medicines and my heel will be as good as new. So, maybe one of these days, I’ll surely get the magic portion to remain young forever – no hassles in having hopes right – what say?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Diary – My best friend
I maintained diaries very religiously from my high school till my graduation (or was it post graduation – I am too embarrassed to admit!!). They were safely locked up in my room in a draw. Life went on and I got married, I very conveniently ‘lost’ the key to the draw. Mom was curious about them. She wanted to know what went on in my life – those years, where I was a wicked teenager – erratic, eccentric, funny, weird all at the same time. But then mercifully she did not have the spare key. After couple of years, dad announced that they were shifting – that was the biggest shock of my life… moving somewhere close by to my house and hence giving the house – where I was born brought up and held some many memories – for rent. Moving on is so tough but inevitable. But then he also added very nicely that he was planning to retain the first floor (where my sis and my rooms were). So a sigh of relief – the diaries continued in their hiding place. Another 3-4 years and another big announcement from dad – that he wanted to demolish the old house. Now I was in trouble. I had to take a decision about those diaries – had to face them and take on call on what to do. It was tough. I surely wanted to preserve them – but then those were my teenage days (and post teenage also!!). I vaguely remembered that all the details of the day went into the diaries – with a lot of passion (and exaggerations, spices added). It was as if I had documented my life – the good, the bad and the ugly. Alarm bells started ringing big time.
So finally set aside half a day to look at them. Salvaged them by breaking open the draw and started reading one by one – not all pages – just in random - pick a date and have a peek. Oh man, I had half day of pure fun and bliss. It was a total stress buster. Things like ‘Stand up on the bench’ (8th std, first day, first session, chemistry class) for giggling, ‘Get out of the class’ (11th std, biology class) for the same reason – were written about like triumphs. Close friend getting typhoid resulting in unending depression. Boy friend break up blues – the weep stories went on for days. Invariably wrote ‘have done excellent / very well’ during exam days and again wrote ‘horrible marks / how could I get this’ during results –unwavering pattern for all tests and exams – all years. Not that I was very bad at studies, but I was always a last bencher – and scored just below the top 5 of the class. Sibling rivalries (with my sis) are something that Ekta Kapoor can definitely look into – she can get some new and hilarious ideas. Things like her room was bigger, she had more dresses, I had to mostly wear hand-me-downs bothered me so much – like question of life and death. Defeating my sis in the school level debate competition – was written in BOLD and highlighted with color sketch pens – hah!! Getting a pimple was nothing short of a catastrophe and invited words like ‘why me’? Life was so damn simple – yet I made it sound so damn complicated. My cribbings knew no bounds – from parents being partial to sis, to getting into trouble with teachers at school to ragging the guys in the class to bunking classes and seeing movies to more mature(??) subjects like – wondering why there were only 4 girls in a class of 45 in MBA? Aamir khan found a special place and mention (QSQT had just released) and also, Michael Jackson, George Michael, Andre Agassi – the list goes on. Oh yes it included Madonna, Steffi graf and Martina as well – but not that much in detail – you got the drift right? Family vacations to north India, Himalayas, east India and all other places – is worth a read anyday.
Now, I truly wish I had continued the habit – would’ve given so much insight into me and my thoughts – and how they changed over the years. Its great to relive those lovely years and look back with some pride and satisfaction.
So finally set aside half a day to look at them. Salvaged them by breaking open the draw and started reading one by one – not all pages – just in random - pick a date and have a peek. Oh man, I had half day of pure fun and bliss. It was a total stress buster. Things like ‘Stand up on the bench’ (8th std, first day, first session, chemistry class) for giggling, ‘Get out of the class’ (11th std, biology class) for the same reason – were written about like triumphs. Close friend getting typhoid resulting in unending depression. Boy friend break up blues – the weep stories went on for days. Invariably wrote ‘have done excellent / very well’ during exam days and again wrote ‘horrible marks / how could I get this’ during results –unwavering pattern for all tests and exams – all years. Not that I was very bad at studies, but I was always a last bencher – and scored just below the top 5 of the class. Sibling rivalries (with my sis) are something that Ekta Kapoor can definitely look into – she can get some new and hilarious ideas. Things like her room was bigger, she had more dresses, I had to mostly wear hand-me-downs bothered me so much – like question of life and death. Defeating my sis in the school level debate competition – was written in BOLD and highlighted with color sketch pens – hah!! Getting a pimple was nothing short of a catastrophe and invited words like ‘why me’? Life was so damn simple – yet I made it sound so damn complicated. My cribbings knew no bounds – from parents being partial to sis, to getting into trouble with teachers at school to ragging the guys in the class to bunking classes and seeing movies to more mature(??) subjects like – wondering why there were only 4 girls in a class of 45 in MBA? Aamir khan found a special place and mention (QSQT had just released) and also, Michael Jackson, George Michael, Andre Agassi – the list goes on. Oh yes it included Madonna, Steffi graf and Martina as well – but not that much in detail – you got the drift right? Family vacations to north India, Himalayas, east India and all other places – is worth a read anyday.
Now, I truly wish I had continued the habit – would’ve given so much insight into me and my thoughts – and how they changed over the years. Its great to relive those lovely years and look back with some pride and satisfaction.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Chair
“Neglect & Regret are more than just rhyming words … you neglect only to regret …” – Padmaja**.
Happened to me just this week. Neglected and neglected and regretting it at leisure. There I was sending a mail to my boss asking for half day off for the next day – and hoping against hope that it will not be approved – but then no reply means deemed accepted. Next day, geared myself for the inevitable and walked at a slow pace just to delay it some more. Went to the ATM, its an expensive affair you see – but more to kill time than anything else. Well, finally I found myself in front of the building. Willed myself to go inside – but actually heart of hearts I wanted to run away somewhere. Dot on the time – heard my name and went in. Very cordially invited inside as if I am going for a party and courteously asked to take the chair. The first thing that crossed my mind as I sat there still looking for an escape route was the shape of the chair itself. Why is it designed like a swimming pool / beach lounge chair? Do they want us to think that we are actually in a very different place? Sitting on the chair with myriad thoughts about all the beaches, the light was suddenly switched on my face – bringing me back to reality on the actual chair that I was sitting on - the Dentist’s Chair.
The first question was about breakfast, make me wonder if and when I would have my next good meal. Then the mandatory x-ray – a rocket launcher type was thrust on my cheek with some film inside the mouth – oh how horrible, some whirring sound and a welcome announcement that its done – Oh just the x-ray nothing else. Then the procedure began full fledge. First the anesthesia – my mouth felt as if I just had a stroke – gosh – it felt twisted and bloated. I have a big mouth is a given but to keep it open for one and half hours is no joke – believe me. There were 2 of them – the docs I mean - talking to each other on everything under the sun including things about Yeddy and Reddy (Yediyurappa and YSR – CMs of Ktaka and Hyd respectively). The way they were talking made me wonder how Yeddy and Reddy could’ve been their childhood friends. They veered to other not-so-pleasant topics as well – the mishaps of the docs on the OT – oh my god, I just closed my eyes. Not only because of the bright harsh light but also because I wanted to imagine myself in a far off nice place. I did not contribute to any of the conversation as there was no place for the classic foot in the mouth – no place in the mouth you see – it was filled with couple of instruments and hands. Funny noises, even funnier weapons – who says weapons of mass destruction can be found in Iraq – me says, they can be found in every dentist’s clinic. Had heard that RCT (root canal treatment) takes some time – but such a long time – me was sitting there and thinking what the doc was doing. Scrapping the canal or digging it right through to the brain?
After quite a while – one hour and thirty minutes to be precise – the doc declared that mine was a very complicated case with 3 canals in the same tooth. What the ….? Till now, I was blissfully happy that I am a very normal person – this notion was shattered to pieces by the doc’s declaration. Atleast dentally I don’t seem to be normal – otherwise – really dunno!!! At the end of it, the doc thanked me – can you believe – he thanked me. And me had a BIG question – was it because he got a unique first time experience through my case or was it because I shut up inspite of my mouth being wide open?
** Padmaja is one of my colleagues
Happened to me just this week. Neglected and neglected and regretting it at leisure. There I was sending a mail to my boss asking for half day off for the next day – and hoping against hope that it will not be approved – but then no reply means deemed accepted. Next day, geared myself for the inevitable and walked at a slow pace just to delay it some more. Went to the ATM, its an expensive affair you see – but more to kill time than anything else. Well, finally I found myself in front of the building. Willed myself to go inside – but actually heart of hearts I wanted to run away somewhere. Dot on the time – heard my name and went in. Very cordially invited inside as if I am going for a party and courteously asked to take the chair. The first thing that crossed my mind as I sat there still looking for an escape route was the shape of the chair itself. Why is it designed like a swimming pool / beach lounge chair? Do they want us to think that we are actually in a very different place? Sitting on the chair with myriad thoughts about all the beaches, the light was suddenly switched on my face – bringing me back to reality on the actual chair that I was sitting on - the Dentist’s Chair.
The first question was about breakfast, make me wonder if and when I would have my next good meal. Then the mandatory x-ray – a rocket launcher type was thrust on my cheek with some film inside the mouth – oh how horrible, some whirring sound and a welcome announcement that its done – Oh just the x-ray nothing else. Then the procedure began full fledge. First the anesthesia – my mouth felt as if I just had a stroke – gosh – it felt twisted and bloated. I have a big mouth is a given but to keep it open for one and half hours is no joke – believe me. There were 2 of them – the docs I mean - talking to each other on everything under the sun including things about Yeddy and Reddy (Yediyurappa and YSR – CMs of Ktaka and Hyd respectively). The way they were talking made me wonder how Yeddy and Reddy could’ve been their childhood friends. They veered to other not-so-pleasant topics as well – the mishaps of the docs on the OT – oh my god, I just closed my eyes. Not only because of the bright harsh light but also because I wanted to imagine myself in a far off nice place. I did not contribute to any of the conversation as there was no place for the classic foot in the mouth – no place in the mouth you see – it was filled with couple of instruments and hands. Funny noises, even funnier weapons – who says weapons of mass destruction can be found in Iraq – me says, they can be found in every dentist’s clinic. Had heard that RCT (root canal treatment) takes some time – but such a long time – me was sitting there and thinking what the doc was doing. Scrapping the canal or digging it right through to the brain?
After quite a while – one hour and thirty minutes to be precise – the doc declared that mine was a very complicated case with 3 canals in the same tooth. What the ….? Till now, I was blissfully happy that I am a very normal person – this notion was shattered to pieces by the doc’s declaration. Atleast dentally I don’t seem to be normal – otherwise – really dunno!!! At the end of it, the doc thanked me – can you believe – he thanked me. And me had a BIG question – was it because he got a unique first time experience through my case or was it because I shut up inspite of my mouth being wide open?
** Padmaja is one of my colleagues
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
There is always a first time…
.. even to visit a village. My first time was when I got married and had to accompany my new extended family to get the blessings of the family deity. The only pre-condition was that I had to adhere to the dress code very strictly at all times – that did not sound bad though. So after a 5 hour journey most of which we breezed through on the high way, and some of it on the kaccha roads, reached the destination in one piece. The entire family in the village had turned up to welcome the new one into its folds.
The house itself which is located very close to the village pond (huge one) has scenic surroundings. When I saw the house and went inside, my reaction turned from ‘awesome’ to non-chalant acceptance to pleasant surprise to shocked disbelief. The outside of the house has an open verandah, where one can sit and relax, leads into a big hall with openings to many rooms leads to a big kitchen with an even bigger attic (overlooking the kitchen – its beautiful) leads to back yard where the rest rooms were located at the very far end and hence the shocked disbelief – little did I realize at that time that it was just the first of the series….After lunch and chit-chat, went for a long walk along the tank-bund during the sunset. It was a great stress buster. You see I was under tremendous pressure – this being my first visit.
With electricity only for 5-6 hours in a day, the evening and night was spent is just talking. The very interesting story of how some treasure is supposed to lie underneath this very house and hence so many snakes (what???!!!) keep visiting the interiors of this house was narrated with flourish and also ensured that sleep totally eluded me that night – almost dreaming that I would wake up to see some snake nearby!! Finally the bright sunlight came as a welcome scene. Seeing only the local language newspaper, I gave up after 5 minutes of struggle, shifted to the only section I could understand – Suduko and promptly finished it. Morning was the visit the village temple and then to the fields – acres and acres of mangoes and coconut trees. Had about 5 tender coconuts at one-go – no exaggerations - felt as if my bladder would burst!! And then went off to explore far end where the water had flooded from the tank. Being adventurous, I went deep into the water and wanted to go on the other side of the road (the water had breached the thin wall, flooded the road and then entered the field). Almost thigh deep into that water, I got the next big shock of the trip. I small water snake, green colour (it is eco-friendly I suppose), reared its head, saw me and went under water immediately. I still wonder which one of us got more scared!! I was just rooted to the spot with wide eyes and no sound emanating, literally speechless. Gathering all my wits, I gingerly made my way back to the fields. Believe me every small plant, stick, anything at all – felt like a snake!! Couple of hours after that experience – was just a blur. Evening was the main thing –the deity worship. The deity came into the head priest after a lot of cajoling from the elders. Since this topic is very controversial, I will restrain from getting into the details. Let’s just say that the deity blessed me and I felt, hmmmmmm, “blessed”.
Thoroughly enjoyed my stay there – with multiple trips to the attic, playing in the water (this was before the snake episode), savoring the organically grown mangoes, plucking flowers in the huge garden, snuggling the cats (3 kittens and their mom) and generally getting the feel of the village life. Now this has become a ritual – atleast 2 trips in a year – for me, it’s a much better and healthier option to expensive resorts and clubs.
The house itself which is located very close to the village pond (huge one) has scenic surroundings. When I saw the house and went inside, my reaction turned from ‘awesome’ to non-chalant acceptance to pleasant surprise to shocked disbelief. The outside of the house has an open verandah, where one can sit and relax, leads into a big hall with openings to many rooms leads to a big kitchen with an even bigger attic (overlooking the kitchen – its beautiful) leads to back yard where the rest rooms were located at the very far end and hence the shocked disbelief – little did I realize at that time that it was just the first of the series….After lunch and chit-chat, went for a long walk along the tank-bund during the sunset. It was a great stress buster. You see I was under tremendous pressure – this being my first visit.
With electricity only for 5-6 hours in a day, the evening and night was spent is just talking. The very interesting story of how some treasure is supposed to lie underneath this very house and hence so many snakes (what???!!!) keep visiting the interiors of this house was narrated with flourish and also ensured that sleep totally eluded me that night – almost dreaming that I would wake up to see some snake nearby!! Finally the bright sunlight came as a welcome scene. Seeing only the local language newspaper, I gave up after 5 minutes of struggle, shifted to the only section I could understand – Suduko and promptly finished it. Morning was the visit the village temple and then to the fields – acres and acres of mangoes and coconut trees. Had about 5 tender coconuts at one-go – no exaggerations - felt as if my bladder would burst!! And then went off to explore far end where the water had flooded from the tank. Being adventurous, I went deep into the water and wanted to go on the other side of the road (the water had breached the thin wall, flooded the road and then entered the field). Almost thigh deep into that water, I got the next big shock of the trip. I small water snake, green colour (it is eco-friendly I suppose), reared its head, saw me and went under water immediately. I still wonder which one of us got more scared!! I was just rooted to the spot with wide eyes and no sound emanating, literally speechless. Gathering all my wits, I gingerly made my way back to the fields. Believe me every small plant, stick, anything at all – felt like a snake!! Couple of hours after that experience – was just a blur. Evening was the main thing –the deity worship. The deity came into the head priest after a lot of cajoling from the elders. Since this topic is very controversial, I will restrain from getting into the details. Let’s just say that the deity blessed me and I felt, hmmmmmm, “blessed”.
Thoroughly enjoyed my stay there – with multiple trips to the attic, playing in the water (this was before the snake episode), savoring the organically grown mangoes, plucking flowers in the huge garden, snuggling the cats (3 kittens and their mom) and generally getting the feel of the village life. Now this has become a ritual – atleast 2 trips in a year – for me, it’s a much better and healthier option to expensive resorts and clubs.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Communication Gap - Tweet Tweet!!
Last couple of weeks has been really exciting. A small bird – now don’t ask which one, am not the bird watcher (??!!) types – built a very small nest in our sit-out garden of our 2nd floor house. It was so small that I had not noticed at all – till the gardener pointed out the fragile looking home... after few days, saw 3 very very cute little birdies. As I observed from inside my house, saw the mom coming time and again to feed the little ones. Could hardly make out the beaks and bodies – it was just one small mass. Then everything changed last Thursday, when the rain god decided to open his heart out on bangalore. As you may all remember – it just poured cats and dogs – sorry for the cliché but there are no other words to describe the onslaught of the rain. Instantly thoughts went to the nest and the babies and got scared that something untoward would happen to them. You see there is no shelter in the sit-out. The moment I reached home – it was still pouring – managed to keep an umbrella on top of the nest – as if that would help. But noticed that the mom was sitting snugly taking the brunt of the rain and protecting the young ones completely. Mothers – they are of a different kind aren’t they?
On Friday evening and Saturday morning, the mother bird could not be seen at all. That’s when I panicked. And whenever I went a wee bit close to the nest – only the array of beaks could be seen. Had heard that some of the birds will not survive if humans touch them – so taking care and not touching them at all, fed them small drops of milk and bread crumbs. Being a vegetarian, the very thought of looking for worms and feeding made me squirm. And when I was at the task – lo and behold another beak popped out – so there were 4 little birdies actually!!
And then it happened. There is a grill door leading to the sit-out. The mom bird came from nowhere and sat on the grill and reprimanded me so much. Understood very clearly that she was mad at me for going near her babies – she squeaked and gawked to no end. But then how do I tell her that I meant good – was just trying to help. Big time communication gap. and not being linguistically savvy, I know only couple of languages – Tweet Tweet – unfortunately is not included in my vocab. The matter ended with me lamely keeping the bread piece and bowl of milk and coming inside. The next day the same thing happened – me was sitting quietly reading the newspaper with the morning cuppa on the lawn (just adjacent to the row of pots) and again – there was a gang of 2 birds – purposely using the word gang because they created so much of ruckus that made me scoot inside. How do I tell them that it’s my sit out and they have self-rented out the place?
Anyway – now we understand each other’s territory very well. My boundary strictly ends at the house. Sit out and all the amenities there is totally hers till she decides otherwise.
Including some pics – sorry they are so hazy – don’t ask me the make of camera please – I don’t want to give negative publicity to any brand!!
Tweet Tweet!!
On Friday evening and Saturday morning, the mother bird could not be seen at all. That’s when I panicked. And whenever I went a wee bit close to the nest – only the array of beaks could be seen. Had heard that some of the birds will not survive if humans touch them – so taking care and not touching them at all, fed them small drops of milk and bread crumbs. Being a vegetarian, the very thought of looking for worms and feeding made me squirm. And when I was at the task – lo and behold another beak popped out – so there were 4 little birdies actually!!
And then it happened. There is a grill door leading to the sit-out. The mom bird came from nowhere and sat on the grill and reprimanded me so much. Understood very clearly that she was mad at me for going near her babies – she squeaked and gawked to no end. But then how do I tell her that I meant good – was just trying to help. Big time communication gap. and not being linguistically savvy, I know only couple of languages – Tweet Tweet – unfortunately is not included in my vocab. The matter ended with me lamely keeping the bread piece and bowl of milk and coming inside. The next day the same thing happened – me was sitting quietly reading the newspaper with the morning cuppa on the lawn (just adjacent to the row of pots) and again – there was a gang of 2 birds – purposely using the word gang because they created so much of ruckus that made me scoot inside. How do I tell them that it’s my sit out and they have self-rented out the place?
Anyway – now we understand each other’s territory very well. My boundary strictly ends at the house. Sit out and all the amenities there is totally hers till she decides otherwise.
Including some pics – sorry they are so hazy – don’t ask me the make of camera please – I don’t want to give negative publicity to any brand!!
Tweet Tweet!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Action and Reactions!!
After a long long time, I had to attend a traditional function last week. A good part of the morning was spent in trying to figure out the ‘appropriate’ attire just to ensure that I don’t get into the bad books of the elders – yet again! So, confident that I can impress all and sundry (imagine my optimism) I entered the hall which was filled and overflowing with all hues and colors of all ages. The day which was bang in the middle of the holiday season for school was extremely convenient for parents – who just left their kids to have fun and run round – one day break for the moms.
Then the journey started – with reintroductions, plastic smiles, shaking hands, bowing head and any other small gestures which I as ‘daughter-in-law’ was expected to do. The granny with a stick and reed thin smile – looked at me – did I see a hint of approval in her eyes or was it my imagination working overtime? ‘oh its you – its like seeing the full moon – you hardly come to functions’ – there goes. Oh no, I definitely dont look like full moon (I hope so) – but the second part is true. I had successfully hidden myself from the glare of the relatives for quite sometime in the guise of work, meetings, travel. Then the huge aunt came waddling towards me, and I was introduced (proudly, needless to say) that I was working with ‘WIPRO’. ‘Are you working with Wipro? My neice neighbour’s aunt’s son ‘XXX’ is also in Wipro – do you know him?’ Yes, I will definitely know him, u c it is my business to keep track of all the 90,000 odd employees, how & where they are connected and which one of those short circuit connection will I meet in the next function. A sweet little girl looked at me and my accessories with awe and declared ‘aunty you are looking so pretty’ – WOW!! Kids are so innocent and wonderful, she really made my day. Oh not again – did I see the nosey aunt come by – ‘So any good news atleast now?’ – my god! In this age and time, I cant understand why people don’t accept the concept of ‘childless by choice’. I grin and smile sheepishly as if I have no clue what she is talking about. My favorite cousin – some respite – I go on blah blah non-stop, till I am dragged away mid –sentence, for another ‘not-so-nice’ conversation by someone – who to put it very mildly – has a dress sense which is worse than the African tribes. ‘You should’ve worn a zari saree to this function instead of this’. Its 38 degrees for heaven sake, I am wearing a saree and surviving in that itself is a big miracle. An uncle – to my great surprise – gave me an ear-to-ear grin. Couple of minutes into the hi, how r u conversation, out he spilled the beans. ‘you know puttu is finishing his degree this year – why don’t you get him something at Wipro?’ Breaking news by the minute – I own 90% of the stake in wipro, so I can practically push anyone’s CV for a good job – aint it great!!!! Oh by the way, in all this melee, my dear hubby was nowhere to be seen. I am sure he was happily chatting away with his cousins in some corner, cracking some jokes, and discussing intently about politics and cricket – oh how I wish!!! One more granny – somewhere inbetween a granny and old aunt – very nicely commented on how I have gone down – ajjis are great – they are the sweetest – actually noticing my weight reduction was the highlight of the day. With great difficulty I resisted the urge to give a big lecture about my diet experience – granny there would just get worried. I continued the business of circulating and networking in other words - meeting more people and answering more questions – with renewed energy. After endless such irritating question and answer sessions – some of which were quite inane like – ‘have you applied leave?’. Oh no, though its in the middle of the week, my organization is kind enough to declare it a holiday for my sake!!.
Lunch time – and to my dismay I got stuck between 2 people – with whom even simple conversation seemed impossible. So after couple of attempts at weather, kids, etc I gave up and solely focused on enjoying the meal and took pleasure in just staring at others (how rude!!). Time to go – atlast. Time for the return gift, the mandatory namaskar and ashirwada – absolutely no change in what they wish – “Next time we meet, I am sure you’ll give us all good news!!” Keep Wishing!!
Btw, I celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary last weekend – that’s a long story by itself – maybe my next blog!!!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
….. for we may diet tomorrow!!
The popular Garfield poster in my room read ‘Eat all you want today…. For tomorrow we may diet’. Seeing that day-in and day-out – I followed only the first part of it. Life went on fine, lucky that I was not to put on weight irrespective of what junk my stomach craved. The more I settled in life, the more my body also settled. Good weight became healthy weight, a healthier one and now, its finally spiraled out of control. So obviously I started seeing the fitness blogs, google searched for some nice fad diet. Came across this interesting GM diet – which by the way, very sophisticatedly known as ‘De-tox program’. Decided on a weekend to start it off. That’s when I realized there are 3 dimensions to our body – Brain, Heart and the most important Stomach – it rules the day!!! The day started off with quick trip to the market to stock the fridge for a week’s worth of vegetables and fruits
Day 1 – Only Fruits. Ok, so I want variety – the only option today was fruit bowl, whole fruits, fruit bowl, whole fruits. Hmmmmm – not to bad actually
Day 2 – Only Vegetables. My culinary skills tested to the maximum. What can one make out of just vegetables?? Raw salad, cooked salad, combo, a little salt there, little pepper here. And ofcourse the wonder soup – but one cant fill your stomach – which actually kept feeling like bottomless pit – with just soup right?
Day 3 – Fruits and Vegetables – now we are talking sense here. My mind and stomach for once started working in tandem. But then I discovered another part of my body – my teeth. They were screaming from all the chewing and extra load on them. All I could think off was – poor cows – no wonder they make ‘long’ faces when they eat!!
Day 4 – Bananas and Milk – yeah ok till lunch. After that everyone looked like walking bananas. Why do girls have to wear yellow dresses – give me a break – I need another banana…
Day 5 – 6 tomatoes and 1 cup of rice – Are you serious? Which part of my stomach are you talking about – and they have the atrocity to call this ‘feast’ day. Excuse me. But no giving up – I was determined that finally ‘tomorrow had come’ . Come what may – I wanted to finish this
Day 6 – Vegetables + rice – Just 2 days to go. Yes, I can do this. A bit of consolation to the teeth and my stomach – which was screaming beyond words on the abuse that I was putting it through. By now, I was actually ready to go and advice all and sundry in the canteen not to eat those mouth-watering pastries, cheese sandwiches, aloo tikkis etc
Day 7 – Fruit juice + vegetables + rice – wow, end of the diet. “I can do it” was the only thought in the morning. Oh yes, I am feeling little light. Brain, Heart and Stomach – really coming to grips with this finally.
At the end of it, I wanted a t-shirt which read ‘Did the GM diet and survived!!!’. What an out-of-the-stomach experience. No cabbage for another 2 months please.
… for tomorrow we may diet – Na, I don’t think so. First part is good enuf for me.
P.S – this is my personal experience here. Nothing against the GM diet – which btw, is very popular and successful.
Day 1 – Only Fruits. Ok, so I want variety – the only option today was fruit bowl, whole fruits, fruit bowl, whole fruits. Hmmmmm – not to bad actually
Day 2 – Only Vegetables. My culinary skills tested to the maximum. What can one make out of just vegetables?? Raw salad, cooked salad, combo, a little salt there, little pepper here. And ofcourse the wonder soup – but one cant fill your stomach – which actually kept feeling like bottomless pit – with just soup right?
Day 3 – Fruits and Vegetables – now we are talking sense here. My mind and stomach for once started working in tandem. But then I discovered another part of my body – my teeth. They were screaming from all the chewing and extra load on them. All I could think off was – poor cows – no wonder they make ‘long’ faces when they eat!!
Day 4 – Bananas and Milk – yeah ok till lunch. After that everyone looked like walking bananas. Why do girls have to wear yellow dresses – give me a break – I need another banana…
Day 5 – 6 tomatoes and 1 cup of rice – Are you serious? Which part of my stomach are you talking about – and they have the atrocity to call this ‘feast’ day. Excuse me. But no giving up – I was determined that finally ‘tomorrow had come’ . Come what may – I wanted to finish this
Day 6 – Vegetables + rice – Just 2 days to go. Yes, I can do this. A bit of consolation to the teeth and my stomach – which was screaming beyond words on the abuse that I was putting it through. By now, I was actually ready to go and advice all and sundry in the canteen not to eat those mouth-watering pastries, cheese sandwiches, aloo tikkis etc
Day 7 – Fruit juice + vegetables + rice – wow, end of the diet. “I can do it” was the only thought in the morning. Oh yes, I am feeling little light. Brain, Heart and Stomach – really coming to grips with this finally.
At the end of it, I wanted a t-shirt which read ‘Did the GM diet and survived!!!’. What an out-of-the-stomach experience. No cabbage for another 2 months please.
… for tomorrow we may diet – Na, I don’t think so. First part is good enuf for me.
P.S – this is my personal experience here. Nothing against the GM diet – which btw, is very popular and successful.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Move On!!
When I saw the ‘Fast Track’ ad for the first time – I was floored. What an apt ad for the changing times. Most of the younger lot will surely relate to it. Why am I writing about it is because of relocation. After working for 7 years at the MGRoad office (read: heaven zone), a big bombshell was dropped on us on a fine sunny morning. All of us had to move to ecity campus. My first reaction was disbelief – it meant a complete lifestyle change. Being open to change, I strongly believe in moving on…slowly but surely I reconciled to the inevitable.
Yes, it truly meant a lifestyle change. Leaving home at 8.15 changed to running to the bus stop at 7.15. A 10 minute drive in the luxury of a car transformed to a quick nap of 40 minutes in the ever jostling bus. Window shopping on mgrd has now become grocery /pharma buying at T17. A nice hot cuppa at CCD is now a hurried gulping down a juice at JJ. Office location was a gastronome’s delight all the time. Teasing the taste buds at various places on church street – emgees, bhimas, three quarter Chinese, oye amritsar, mast kalandar, bamboo shoots, kaati zone, koshy’s, ebony, angeeti, arya bhavan, KayCees, KCDas etc is now armoring the tongue for the food at Taika, wok, kamat, iss, idly C+++ etc. Me says no comparison at all. Different leagues altogether.
Move on – is exactly what has happened. Walk to the bus stop means – a lot of smiles on the way – from aunties haggling with vegetable vendors, uncles walking their dogs, cute little kiddos holding their parents hand at the school stop, youngsters walking or jogging and a lot of chaos on the street – what with cows, dogs, milk man, newspaper boy – fighting for space. A lot more friends – bus stop friends, bus friends, tower friends, floor friends, wing friends, blog friends, canteen friends – all this apart from the usual work group friends. A lot more happenings and a lot more happiness working at the beautiful green campus. Leaving office at 7 – 8 and the impossible task of trying to get an auto – has now blissfully changed to leaving office at 6 and be home by 7.15!!
Though I terribly miss MGRoad (as in the locality, not the office per se – those of you who have seen / worked in that office will know), I just cant think of myself working out of that office now. Guys will definitely be missing the smartly dressed girls of Times of India – but I am sure, they will find better alternatives in the EC campus
Finally the icing on the cake was complete last evening. When I got down from the bus, there was utter silence for a minute and then the heavens opened up. It just poured cats and dogs, forcing everyone to run for shelter. And I walked home, in that rain. It was awesome.
Yes, it truly meant a lifestyle change. Leaving home at 8.15 changed to running to the bus stop at 7.15. A 10 minute drive in the luxury of a car transformed to a quick nap of 40 minutes in the ever jostling bus. Window shopping on mgrd has now become grocery /pharma buying at T17. A nice hot cuppa at CCD is now a hurried gulping down a juice at JJ. Office location was a gastronome’s delight all the time. Teasing the taste buds at various places on church street – emgees, bhimas, three quarter Chinese, oye amritsar, mast kalandar, bamboo shoots, kaati zone, koshy’s, ebony, angeeti, arya bhavan, KayCees, KCDas etc is now armoring the tongue for the food at Taika, wok, kamat, iss, idly C+++ etc. Me says no comparison at all. Different leagues altogether.
Move on – is exactly what has happened. Walk to the bus stop means – a lot of smiles on the way – from aunties haggling with vegetable vendors, uncles walking their dogs, cute little kiddos holding their parents hand at the school stop, youngsters walking or jogging and a lot of chaos on the street – what with cows, dogs, milk man, newspaper boy – fighting for space. A lot more friends – bus stop friends, bus friends, tower friends, floor friends, wing friends, blog friends, canteen friends – all this apart from the usual work group friends. A lot more happenings and a lot more happiness working at the beautiful green campus. Leaving office at 7 – 8 and the impossible task of trying to get an auto – has now blissfully changed to leaving office at 6 and be home by 7.15!!
Though I terribly miss MGRoad (as in the locality, not the office per se – those of you who have seen / worked in that office will know), I just cant think of myself working out of that office now. Guys will definitely be missing the smartly dressed girls of Times of India – but I am sure, they will find better alternatives in the EC campus
Finally the icing on the cake was complete last evening. When I got down from the bus, there was utter silence for a minute and then the heavens opened up. It just poured cats and dogs, forcing everyone to run for shelter. And I walked home, in that rain. It was awesome.
My first day
Hi,
This is my first day first post. Hope to keep you all engaged with my thoughts and happenings in my life.
cheers
This is my first day first post. Hope to keep you all engaged with my thoughts and happenings in my life.
cheers
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