Four Blind Mice – after abandoning yet another book halfway, i am reading this one now. By James Patterson, it is fast paced and my type of thriller – tales of murders sprinkled with a li’l bit of romance never fail to entice me! i think i will manage to get to the end of this one. i don’t know where this habit sprang up from – i have never been the type to discard a book without seeing to it that i read the last word. Am i growing old? – obviously i am.
My specs broke into half, literally! i went back from office yesterday, took out my lens and then i found my specs under my pillow lying there broken! i was heart-broken – of course i am being melodramatic. Since i cannot see that well without my glasses i had to put on my lens again. Ki kando. Now i have to go find someone to fix it. The troubles that dog us mortals!
S – the one onsite – says he wants to come back home. He is missing home, the poor soul. So i teased him about it – don’t expect me to dish out sympathy. i know he would find it tough to chuck his successful career over there. As i keep telling him, well you cannot have your cake and eat it too. So suck up and bear it or just come home. Life is all about the choices we make and how we deal with what our choices bring in their wake.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
the weekend that was....
i am a ‘mashi’ once again - S gave birth to a baby boy this morning! Her husband called me up some time back to pass on the good news. i talked to S but she sounded groggy so i told her to get some rest and i will get back to her later. She told me the baby has my colouring. i am so happy for her! Like i said before, she will make a very good mother. She asked me to come over to Bangalore and have a look at the kid. S is like a sister to me. She is so different from me – very feminine, god-fearing, can never say ‘no’ to anyone and ‘bhodro’ down to her toes! She is the one who helped me master Bengali and appreciate Rabindra sangeet. My sister says i have very few friends but the ones i have are the kind who are willing to die for me – we are that close! S is one of them. And i love her.
The long weekend – i didn’t even have a chance to take an afternoon nap which is one thing i look forward to on a holiday. Friday was hectic – we did some cleaning around the house, went shopping for diyas, sweets and flowers. i made the first alpana of my life – we made it together. Then we lit the diyas (we ran out of ghee so we used mustard oil!!) and candles on the balcony – rushed down to take pictures! Then we went to the neighbour’s place with sweets – his idea, rather his mother’s idea. We went up on the terrace and watched the fireworks. i was planning on making jalebis for him but i didn’t . We made do with the stuff we bought and the sweets i got from my office. i don’t have much of a sweet tooth – i cannot or rather would not have more than one sweet at a time. But he loves sweets esp. soan papdi.
We went to visit the new place under construction – it would be complete by March next. It is about 20 minutes away from my office but would be about an hour or so from my place. We have booked two 2-bedroom flats and now we are wondering whether we should just merge the two and have a big 3-bedroom place with a bigger kitchen and bathrooms. The brickwork is not done yet so we have the option of making the modifications we want.
We went car-seeing on Saturday. Since our earlier plan was to fly the coop, he had dispatched his santro to Imphal. Now we are searching for a suitable car. He wants a Honda CRV but it is so expensive. Since we are not too sure about our plans i thought it would be better to buy a cheaper car so we would not have any qualms if we had to leave it here in case our plans take us overseas. i didn’t like the i10 – it does not do anything for me. But the new version of Getz looked OK to me so i was telling him maybe we should go for that. We also explored the option of buying a certified pre-owned (a better term for second hand!) car though i am not too keen about it. i mean, unless we are careful, we might end up with a car that would cost us quite a fortune in maintenance Maybe we will end up buying a Maruti 800! That would be fun. Or a rickshaw or maybe a tractor. Or a bicycle. Or maybe just stick to the ol’ faithful legs!
Yesterday, we were invited to bachou’s place for ‘ningol chakouba’. Emaibem is one of the best cooks i have known and we were looking forward to a great feast. And we were not disappointed. We were quite late – he took time getting ready, changing umpteenth shirts, asking me if he should wear this or that –the peacock! We had ilish (esp. for me!), baul mach (sareng), cauliflower, dal and singju. i, being a glutton, stuffed myself till i could hardly move. We decided to skip dinner and had tea and leftover kelichana. And i felt so hungry today that i called up the canteen at 12 and asked them when they were planning to serve lunch – much to S’ amusement! He said i must have overstuffed myself at lunch yesterday just so to save the money for dinner!
Bachou’s place is like a second home to me. i love spending time with them. Bachou is one of the most erudite persons i have known. He is the one who has inculcated in me the love of the written words, genetics, logical thinking and crosswords. i remember him teaching me chemistry and maths when he used to come to Imphal. Of course, we always argue – he thinks i am like a 5 year old because i watch cartoons with such glee! Emaibem is an elegantly soft-spoken person and she is like a mother figure to me. In a way, i am lucky. i am surrounded by such nice people. You would think some of their niceties would rub off on me but hard luck! i remain as refreshingly evil as ever!
The long weekend – i didn’t even have a chance to take an afternoon nap which is one thing i look forward to on a holiday. Friday was hectic – we did some cleaning around the house, went shopping for diyas, sweets and flowers. i made the first alpana of my life – we made it together. Then we lit the diyas (we ran out of ghee so we used mustard oil!!) and candles on the balcony – rushed down to take pictures! Then we went to the neighbour’s place with sweets – his idea, rather his mother’s idea. We went up on the terrace and watched the fireworks. i was planning on making jalebis for him but i didn’t . We made do with the stuff we bought and the sweets i got from my office. i don’t have much of a sweet tooth – i cannot or rather would not have more than one sweet at a time. But he loves sweets esp. soan papdi.
We went to visit the new place under construction – it would be complete by March next. It is about 20 minutes away from my office but would be about an hour or so from my place. We have booked two 2-bedroom flats and now we are wondering whether we should just merge the two and have a big 3-bedroom place with a bigger kitchen and bathrooms. The brickwork is not done yet so we have the option of making the modifications we want.
We went car-seeing on Saturday. Since our earlier plan was to fly the coop, he had dispatched his santro to Imphal. Now we are searching for a suitable car. He wants a Honda CRV but it is so expensive. Since we are not too sure about our plans i thought it would be better to buy a cheaper car so we would not have any qualms if we had to leave it here in case our plans take us overseas. i didn’t like the i10 – it does not do anything for me. But the new version of Getz looked OK to me so i was telling him maybe we should go for that. We also explored the option of buying a certified pre-owned (a better term for second hand!) car though i am not too keen about it. i mean, unless we are careful, we might end up with a car that would cost us quite a fortune in maintenance Maybe we will end up buying a Maruti 800! That would be fun. Or a rickshaw or maybe a tractor. Or a bicycle. Or maybe just stick to the ol’ faithful legs!
Yesterday, we were invited to bachou’s place for ‘ningol chakouba’. Emaibem is one of the best cooks i have known and we were looking forward to a great feast. And we were not disappointed. We were quite late – he took time getting ready, changing umpteenth shirts, asking me if he should wear this or that –the peacock! We had ilish (esp. for me!), baul mach (sareng), cauliflower, dal and singju. i, being a glutton, stuffed myself till i could hardly move. We decided to skip dinner and had tea and leftover kelichana. And i felt so hungry today that i called up the canteen at 12 and asked them when they were planning to serve lunch – much to S’ amusement! He said i must have overstuffed myself at lunch yesterday just so to save the money for dinner!
Bachou’s place is like a second home to me. i love spending time with them. Bachou is one of the most erudite persons i have known. He is the one who has inculcated in me the love of the written words, genetics, logical thinking and crosswords. i remember him teaching me chemistry and maths when he used to come to Imphal. Of course, we always argue – he thinks i am like a 5 year old because i watch cartoons with such glee! Emaibem is an elegantly soft-spoken person and she is like a mother figure to me. In a way, i am lucky. i am surrounded by such nice people. You would think some of their niceties would rub off on me but hard luck! i remain as refreshingly evil as ever!
Thursday, November 08, 2007
week-ending thoughts
Looking forward to the long weekend ahead. Will pamper myself with a facial and maybe get him to treat me to his special "henna massage" - he is so good at it! Since i am one of those staunch non-believers, it will be just another day for me. But since he has faith in a higher authority and all that, i would help him celebrate it – light candles, decorate the house but no crackers... Thinking of making something special for him - but his increasing girth makes me think otherwise! Maybe i need to get him on a diet or maybe i should just stop cooking altogether. And we could starve to death in each other’s arms! What a thought.
Gave a training to the newbies. i remember being a bit uneasy when i gave my first training. i speak really fast so sometimes the kids have a tough time catching up. But i guess i have improved with time. Now, i relish giving training – provided i am not swamped with work. And it does help me increase my patience.
And Steel Junction apparently is not Tata Steel’s venture. i don’t know why i was so sure about it. But i liked the place – we bought a BIG dabba and two fancy kitchen stand. i was enamored with the kitchens on display. We are thinking of having a fancy kitchen in the new place we are buying – with built-in-oven and all those fancy kitchen stuff i am so crazy about. Then maybe i will quit my job and start a catering business. Nice thought, ni?
Gave a training to the newbies. i remember being a bit uneasy when i gave my first training. i speak really fast so sometimes the kids have a tough time catching up. But i guess i have improved with time. Now, i relish giving training – provided i am not swamped with work. And it does help me increase my patience.
And Steel Junction apparently is not Tata Steel’s venture. i don’t know why i was so sure about it. But i liked the place – we bought a BIG dabba and two fancy kitchen stand. i was enamored with the kitchens on display. We are thinking of having a fancy kitchen in the new place we are buying – with built-in-oven and all those fancy kitchen stuff i am so crazy about. Then maybe i will quit my job and start a catering business. Nice thought, ni?
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
not made of steel
i still miss my man – but my aim is getting better. This is the book i am reading now. It was the title that caught my fancy. It is by Sarah something. Halfway through. Not something that is compelling enough to make me finish it in one go but entertaining nonetheless.
Today is dhanteras – not that i care much about festivals. But his mother wants us to buy something “shiny”. So we have decided to buy a steel dabba(container) - of all things! There is this place called Steel Junction (Tata Steel’s). i had my eye on it for quite some time now but never got a chance to go there. We have decided to go there, pick up something shiny and eat out! A relief because i am getting tired of going home and cooking everyday. Which proves i am not one of those indefatigable working women who can manage both office and hearth with élan. By the time i go home, all i want to do is slump in front of the TV with a steaming cup of tea. i am not made of steel - thank god! Cannot imagine myself all shiny and strong!!
Today is dhanteras – not that i care much about festivals. But his mother wants us to buy something “shiny”. So we have decided to buy a steel dabba(container) - of all things! There is this place called Steel Junction (Tata Steel’s). i had my eye on it for quite some time now but never got a chance to go there. We have decided to go there, pick up something shiny and eat out! A relief because i am getting tired of going home and cooking everyday. Which proves i am not one of those indefatigable working women who can manage both office and hearth with élan. By the time i go home, all i want to do is slump in front of the TV with a steaming cup of tea. i am not made of steel - thank god! Cannot imagine myself all shiny and strong!!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
dance with me, baby....
Now S and i have decided to do an ‘item number’ for the company annual day party – don’t know when it would be but it is usually held in December. We decided we would practice at home – he with his wife and i with my man. He does not know how to dance. i was teaching him a few steps of salsa yesterday. He was like “You are really moving your hips”! He stepped on my toes a couple of times – good thing we were dancing barefoot!
Of course, S’ and my item number might never materialize. i think everyone in the company will be shell-shocked to see us dancing. Plus we don’t know dancing that well to give a performance. But still we have been telling all the kids to join us and be the extras dancing in the background!
S and i have been really backbiting – i am getting frustrated with the quality of work the youngsters are delivering. Now that i am in charge, i don’t want anyone delivering anything less than prefect. So the reviews have become stringent. i know i am going to end up being unpopular but that is the least of my worries. i really like this project – i like the challenges it provides so it gets my goat to see people treating work so lightly. Am i transforming into a perfectionist?! Not likely in this lifetime.
Of course, S’ and my item number might never materialize. i think everyone in the company will be shell-shocked to see us dancing. Plus we don’t know dancing that well to give a performance. But still we have been telling all the kids to join us and be the extras dancing in the background!
S and i have been really backbiting – i am getting frustrated with the quality of work the youngsters are delivering. Now that i am in charge, i don’t want anyone delivering anything less than prefect. So the reviews have become stringent. i know i am going to end up being unpopular but that is the least of my worries. i really like this project – i like the challenges it provides so it gets my goat to see people treating work so lightly. Am i transforming into a perfectionist?! Not likely in this lifetime.
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