dinner..dinner....

My last weekend over here, and i have been invited to dinner two nights in a row. Well, to be honest, i did ask M-da to give us a treat for his wedding anniversary while i was here - and he indulged me. Shameless me! i would be going there in a while.

Yesterday night's dinner was at S's. And of course, i planned the menu and cooked everything except for one dish. i relegated him to cutting the vegetables and cleaning up after i cooked! We started cooking at around 2 in the afernoon and in 5 hours, we were done - kelichana as entree, elish with kochu (the only dish i let S cook), mutton with posto and cashew, dal, pumpkin and mango mishti doi. i came back, showered, call up home and went back again as the guest! The food was good and it was good to see everyone stuffing themselves. We were till 2 in the night blah blahing.

Woke up around 11 today and went to walmart. My room is piling up. i need to start paking or at least stuffing the things in the suitcases (S, as alwyas, will do the final packing for me. i am so blessed - either my sister or he will pack for me when i am home- i have never really packed for myself ever. And over here, i have S.).

Oh, the casio exilim camera for baba arrived at long last. And i am floored by it. It is even better than my existing one - which i adore - and S and i ordered two more for ourselves. The pictures are amazing. i know baba is going to love it. i got a 2GB memory card for it. Memory cards are so cheap now. i remember i bought one the last time - 512 MB for around 50$. ouch...

And a funny thing happened. One of the juniors who joined recently called me up yesterday - and he called me by my name. We have this work culture of da-ing and di-ing everyone. So i was amused to hear this kid address me by my name. My sister and S said it is not his fault. i am to blame for looking so much younger than my age. This is one thing that bugs me. i know it must be every woman's dream to appear younger. But i have had people tell me i look like i was in class eight when i was in my final year in college. Would it help if i let my hair grey?

countdown...

the countdown begins for the trip back...just a week left. Called up the airlines to confirm the ticket. i would have to start packing. As always, i would have to leave behind some things - all my candles..sigh - my stuff over here is piling up. Would have to leave another of my now notorious jumbo suitcases with S. Maybe i am growing old, but i am getting tired of this constant relocating - maybe i am no more a gypsy, how disapppointing - my soul wants to settle down in a place i could call home. But i am still undecided about where home is. i am one hell of a confused bitch. One part of me wants to wander to the ends of the planet - cross the sahara, conquer mountains, brave storms - and the other part, well, it is still confused about what it wants.

Still so much things left to buy - hell, i wish i could outsource my shopping to somebody.

M is going to come with her brother to receive me since the flight is going to land at some unearthly hour in the night and i don't think travelling alone in a taxi with all the stuff at night is a good idea. My sister offered to come but i would have been more worried about her coming alone.

Am i excited? i don't know. Of course, i am looking forward to meeting everyone again, to taking up newer responsibilties at work...And i would be with him again. But somehow, i am going to miss this solitude, the pleasure of only being with my thoughts. i think i am growing too fond of myself, too much in love with myself. Narcissist. i think i want to spend a year alone - all alone. Maybe i should be marooned on an uninhabited island - with a good supply of food and books. And a wireless connection. And yes the elusive sexy mac notebook. That is all i ask for...!!

my sweet sis...

Today is my li'l sister's birthday. And i am feeling morose because i am not there with her.

We are so different from each other - even though she is years younger to me, she is more mature than me; she is good at managing money, she wears heels (i refuse to wear anything with heels), she loves jewellery (i am emotionally allergic to any kind of ornament) - but we love each other. Of course, i always bully her because i am stronger than her - i am a born tyrant but hell, i love her like crazy. And i am so glad she is my sister and so proud of her.

She is a beautiful person - both inside and outside. She is as good as i am wicked - sometimes it is hard to believe we are sisters.

We have been through so many things together. We have been staying with each other for the last 5 years. i miss her terribly right now. i miss the weekends together when we laze in front of the TV, bitching about this and that. i miss the silly computer games when we have crazy bets like who will clean up after dinner, who will make the tea.... oh hell, i miss her...i miss my family. i wonder whether this is worth it all, staying away from your family. In the end, who cares how much my bank balance is or how far up the corporate ladder i am? But then, this has been my choice, my call. And so i have to grin and bear it till i can free myself of these materalistic shackles. Amen.

phire elum - i am back....

Life has been hectic, to say the least. The weekend was fun though. We went for a picnic on Saturday to the beach – a barbeque party. i grilled pork chops and baby pork ribs and everyone love them. And we had grilled pineapples – they taste sinfully delightful, try them someday. The weather was great and we had a great time wading in the water, playing baseball and just lazing around. By the time i got back, i found i had sunburns – i will never learn to love sunscreen lotion – and i had a headache. The price we pay for the joys of life!

On Sunday, we went to the flea market – i buy my larger-than-me jumbo suitcases from there. It was so bloody hot but we braved the heat. i like the variety of things you get at the flea market - almost everything starting from toys to lingerie to fresh veggies.

On Monday, we went mall hiking. There is a mall i religiously visit before going home to complete my shopping agenda. Sale, sale, sale everywhere – gap, guess, van huesen, banana republic wagera wagera. We had a whale of a time picking out good bargains – for a short amount of time i actually overcame my allergy to shopping! Seven hours and several hundred dollars poorer, we ended the spree. The car was packed with all the goodies – gifts for everyone (my, i am such a nice person!!). I think I have done my share of shopping for the entire year. i know i am going to exceed the weight limit yet again for the nth time. Maybe i should take an extra luggage, that way i would be able to take home all my books with me. My collection over here has more than hundred books now.

On the net, i have been buying things left, right and bottom! i bought an apple ipod for him. i am thinking of buying the canon s3 is digital camera for him. It is a tad bit expensive but what the heck, i can afford it , if only for him. Such love, honey!

Work has been really frenetic. i have been working late into the night – no time for books and candles and yes, blogging. Life is fun – if you know where to look for it!

shopping spree.....

i am on a roll - shopping on the net! Beats going to the mall and trudging from one store to another. i bought 5 (yes, you heard me right) mp3 players - dainty, sleek - one casio exilim for baba (7.2 mp, 3x zoom - my current camera is a red casio exilim, his gift to me, 2mp but it is one hell of a great camera) and a nokia 7620 (or is it 7260?) phone (for my sister) off the net.

The weekend is going to be hectic - picnic on saturday, shopping on sunday and monday. We have a long weekend - thank god.

Work is killing. i have an emergency code turnover next friday. Wowie.

Do you know many pair of chromosomes a human cell has? i asked my colleagues and i got these answers - 22, 36, 64 and 2!!!! And if you are curious, of course, i got it right! Genetics was/is my favourite chapter in biology.

OK, i am going back to my coding. And hell, i am feeling so sleepy!!