Hello!!! Is it me you are looking for???

It was way back in the 80’s when my parents decided to own a telephone…yep before that very few had the privilege. It was a mindset, I’m sure. When my dad said “ There is no need, for one, we have managed pretty well so far” …The kids and the women’s faces fell…chin nearly dropping to the ground. Such was the effect then. But of course we did manage to get one eventually and of course, the need was very much there.
Right from calling up the inlaws at sharp 8 in the morning to find out if they had finished their coffee (hmmppfff, for old timers 8 is breakfast time…coffee has been digested eons ago…), to finding out if his school friend had managed to get admission for his son to informing the borther-in-law that their documents were not in order…yes, My dad did indeed not have the need !!! We always knew the phone was not for us to look at even during that morning phase…
It’s a long way from then….

The endless wearing down of the carpet, to make sure the phone was kept properly in its position, ‘cos it hadn’t rung in nearly and hour…the countless cleaning of the instrument with soap solution..( I’ve also used dettol sometimes to clean it up) The crisp laced cover to keep it dustfree and whatnot free !!!, the small wooly support mat underneath…yes it had it all….
We used to have some fun moments too…wrong numbers, funny voices and of course lots of prank calls…

The funny gurgling sound it made while the numbers were being rotated …which at times would be irritating( whenever we needed to make those discreet calls and mom was around) it had its great days.
But amidst all this I remember, most calls would be answered with the caller asking for the person he/she wanted to talk to…sometimes even confirming the number.

But as days went on….I answered calls that went like this
Caller :“ Do you have poster paper in flouroscent yellow?” ( no hello, whatever!!)
Me : Yes, I have 10 will it be enough ( we were in the midst of submission so it was normal for friends to call and ask around for sheets and stationery)
Caller : How much is it going to cost? ( huh!!! )
Me : silence ( I was stunned)
Will you be open till 8 today?
Me : some more silence
Me : hmmm….open? which number did you want?
Caller : …… stationery, isn’t it? ( The popular stationery mart for architects then and my namesake too)
Hmppfffff…..and it was one of my juniors in agony ‘cos next day was submission….

Years have gone by, but stress, rushed time and errors haven’t changed one bit.

The telephone still exists with lots of high tech options- caller id, etc, etc…
So when I received this clal this morning, I saw the number and realized it was the intercom and it came from the floor my inlaws apartment is located. So concerned( ‘cos they aren’t in station, I picked up the call….hoping there was no emergency.
Caller : hello, I’m calling from ….i’m on the 16th floor
Me : Yes
Caller : I’m having someone come over now
Me: yes
Caller: could you please send them up?
Me : huh!!! ( doing, doing….whack, grrrrr) I think you need to call the gate security, you have gotten a residence. You can dial XYZ for that.
Caller : beep, beep, silence….

I agree I live on the ground floor, I agree I can see who comes into my block, I also agree I’m a very talkative person…but I ‘DO NOT DOUBLE UP AS SECURITY’
Will someone please understand????
There are days when I feel that the script for my life has been written by Salvador Dali or someone who has spent some time being suffocated by his clothes. (Once Dali almost died because his head was in a goldfish bowl and his breathing apparatus malfunctioned.) This was one of those days.


ps: I wholeheartedly accept that the title is inspired from Lionel Richie song ...but so what??!!!

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Did I ever??

I dont need a day to express what I feel for my dad,

I hardly try...I just do.

He's a special person and will always remain so

Here's a few lines i'd like to say to him

Did I ever thank you enough?
For all the times
When I was in my pigtails
Running down the rails

Did I ever thank you enough?
For the times
You held my gaze and smiled on
Not holding me back
But watching me grow

Did I ever thank you enough?
For those silent words
You sent across
Taught us to respect
And face the world

Did I ever thank you enough?
For all those wonderful moments
When my friends were made to feel
loved and respected
which for me was a very big deal!!

Did I ever thank you enough?
For guiding me too
For lending me those
little words of wisdom
that still sees me through

Did I ever thank you enough?
For showing me that
There’s more to life than what we see
That there’s laughter and happiness
And it is for us to feel.

Did I ever thank you enough?
For those beautiful cards
The ones you wrote so neatly
Letters flowed and I knew
There was much love in it.

Did I ever thank you enough
For making me what I am
For making me stronger
And making me see
That there’s more to discipline
And it is not just a need

Did I ever thank you enough
For the wonderful life
I have tried building
With all the snippets I watched
Unseen and unheard
But nevertheless handed down to me!

Thank you dad!
For just being you

You will always be dear to me

and I shall ever love you!!

For all the dads out here, i'd love to Wish you too...for the wonderful job you'll are doing at keeping the kids moist eyed and so precious for years to come. We love you, just the way you are!!!

Happy Father's Day!!!!

This songs for you

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Blogg'ui- a state of being

Preethi from here, had to do it. Get me out of the doldrums and keep me going…Like she mentioned, its been ages ( 2 months is pretty long don’t you think for a blogger) since I wrote anything. No reasons whatsoever. It was plain blogui ( laziness to put into words in the blog what I thought and felt) . There were many times, I’d sit down and start and then catch myself in another domain altogether : either chatting away, or surfing or just plain working.

Well coming back to the task at hand…PS tagged me ( I’m sure there are somemore in the hidden corners of others blogs…I’ll take time now and go through all my unread blogs and get back ). She did a great job there, so maybe you should just read mine with less excitement, ‘cos its just plain and regular.

She’s asked me to list out 5 things about myself…That’s a tough task for me..and that too , to get out of this vacant phase…but still its a good one…at least I’ll introspect and get those cobwebs out of that mind of mine.

So here it goes.....

I love people. And this ability of mine makes me a better person at accepting them for the way they are, with all their faults and goodness. I never judge anyone hurriedly, nor will I stand back and wait for the other to be friends. I do my best to be a friend. Everyway possible...listen, talk, help, be there for them, smile with them, cry with them, get foolish with them........

I am a very 100% person. If I can’t give my 100% in a task, I try not to take it up. I’m selfish that way…’cos I tend to get very stressed when I do take up something, and then not find time to complete it, so I work hard at keeping up to my commitments. It has worked against me many times, where I juggle with millions of tasks at a time, all because of what I believe in , but I have this immense satisfaction when I complete all of them .

I don’t get bored very easily. If I’m in a situation where I’m forced to wait endlessly, I’ll find myself something to do in the meanwhile. If I’m not carrying a book, I can watch people and just observe. I can just BE. So if anyone were to come and apologize for making me wait, I’ll just tell them, that they need not stress, cos I was enjoying myself. Try it, its fun. Don’t just sit there and whine about being held up…but watch people round you, watch the traffic and form your opinions…watch the ants on the sidewalk…but watch, observe ,enjoy and smile.,…

I love eating. I’m game to trying out any kind of food. I’m a foodie, and it shows on my face. Good food, and you’ll see me enjoying it and appreciating it thoroughly. This makes me very non-fussy..You can invite me over and give me whatever…I wont complain. I know this is a good trait, ‘cos I also know how it feels when a guest gets fussy and makes noises when invited for some meal.

Oooof!!! I am not good at talking about myself…so these few were very exhausting on my brains…I’ll leave the last pointer to you’ll…let me know what you think about me..i’ll gather those thoughts and smile through..

And with all the excitement I forgot to tag others... :P

So maybe these lovely people will take it up and let me know about themselves..

Madhumita ( She's such a warm person...and it would be nice to know her some more )

Shruthi ( She's on the marathon and also very pissed and maybe I can help her a bit )

xh : He's no more a lonewolf now, and maybe the partner needs to know him more now...)

preethi from Incessant Musings ( Let's give her a break from Cheeky shall we?? )

rayshma : (Its been ages and I want to know some more)

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Lucid expressions!

“The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them” said Stephen King...
If the windows to the soul ,mirrors your thoughts, will the eye ever be able to hide???

Eyes speak the language..and convey more than you want them to.
Did it matter ?? Read here to know.

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Dilli Chali....

It never fails to overwhelm me!!! Yes, thats the Taj!!! I was seeing it not for the first time, I knew what was to come, but I had waited for this moment ; one when my sons stepped over the huge gateway and into the small domed alcove, that would take one's breath away..and yes it did just that !! It is for me one of the most poetic structures one can ever witness!!

My older one just went : Wow!! ma! and the younger 'silenced' brat, ' awesome!' Yes that is how I started off my holiday. A trip to Agra, Delhi and Amritsar. Before I left, I was a wee bit worried, that ,my kids would go "so boring! , so?!! ". I was so thrilled when they were more eager than I ( I have seen it and of course knew all about the place). The small details, the lovely inlay work had them cooing and wow'ing all over. They made us take them on the tonga( the horse carraiges) rides, to the monument...not the bus for them. They walked all over, plain white paper in hand, made some lovely pencil rubbings of the textures on them. It really made me wonder, if we actually underestimate our kids and their quest for something new.

My son, had just studied all about Mughal history for his finals a few days before, of course with nothing making sense( They can't understand why they need to study something that has long gone past and if we actually need to?!!) . But these sandstone, marble fairytales, perked his interest. He could understand what they meant, when they said ' Diwan-e-aam' ,the detailing of the various artisans...the Persians who contributed their architectural knowledge, etc..One must visit the Taj and of course the Fort at Agra, to know what I mean here ,reading about them, doesn't justify the poetry...it takes your breath away!.

This was one trip I was looking forward to, not only because my sister lived there but I had to satisfy my taste buds, and experience all the quaint lil joints that one sees on the television or hears about. I trudged along, fragrances, flavours mingling with our olfactory senses, the Chandni Chowk, drooling over Ghantewala sweets , the Haldirams, the lassi joints, the chaats and fished out the teeny weeny lane that served you 'sinful, yummy and out of the world' parathas. .at the Paranthewale Galli. When I saw the paranthas being made in a small 3' * 3' space...I wondered what they could manage. The shops ( I wouldnt call it a hotel or restaurant...is a small 10ft by 12 ft space,teeming with customers, who gulp down parathas as if they were famished. I smiled as I entered..I had heard of this place ( thanks to the TV channels and its endless journeys through the country's culinary delights!), but when I saw the desi ghee used to drown the parathas, I gulped...there went my hopes of maintaining my weight..sat down and downed not one but 5 of those very tasty, surprisingly non-greasy, and light parathas. I finished off the marathon with a kela parantha and a rabdi ( gulp!! ) parantha...and I came out never feeling better...No wonder these Delhiites love their Delhi...

We also made a trip to Amritsar, where I feasted my eyes on the Golden Temple. Such amazing serenity envelops you when you enter this place, that it brought a lump to my throat. Beautiful and standing majestic in the centre of an expanse of the sarovar, pristine clean surroundings, inspite of catering to thousands and people thronging the the sarovar ...one would expect slush, mess, watered walkways....none of it...the scores of volunteers, are at it, cleaning up and drying down ...it humbles you.

One evening we taxi'ed ourselves to the Wagah Border , to watch the famed retreat . Wagah located 30 kms from Amritsar, brought forth such lovely emotions. Patriotic spirit set aside, (thats what it is meant to bring forth)...the sight of the LOC, stretches , something that I had heard so often and and read in the media, was real!! The ceremony itself was interesting, with the 2 countries distanced by just a gate!! The BSF men marching to orders, and bringing down the flag with such accuracy, that no, one flag inches lower than the other. The thousands of visitors, screaming themselves hoarse....It was a bit dramatic but still so hair-rising. I'm so glad I managed to make this trip. It was worth my time.

A lovely holiday packed with lots of memories, ones that brought a smile to my eyes, some that left a twinkle in the eyes of the children., some a lump in the throat, and others a feeling of sheer magic. I'm so glad I did this...its brought me back with such precious moments, ones that I will hold dear.

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So much marble?!!!!

Exams are done with !! And now I feel lost :(

Stress levels were high...No! it had nothing to do with studies...but it had everything to do with food, kids and their silly antics.
Don't know what it is that exams make out of them....seems like there is a hollow pit in their non-existent tummy. Normal days, they are full even before the food is placed in front of them., but come exams and they are hungry! All the time.

They start studying, and they want a break !!! They want something to eat, and whatever is offered, is not what they want..hrrmppfff. I know i'm ranting...but knowing that i've cooked and cooked , makes me growl..but of course, it doesn't show on them. Kids...Such sweethearts, I accept.

Sanity levels were dipping. The lil one was trying hard to write out a revision paper given by the school. It was a photocopied version, so ,but naturally very low on quality ( what do you expect if, 100's of copies have to be made !!), so some of the lines were faded and some were not visible at all..My young one, was trying hard to write, hard because, he can't sit in one place for lengths...and I mean 10 minutes max..!! so while he was furiously finishing off some illegible words, I turned around and asked him, why his letters were looking so sad :(.

He turned back to the sheet, peered into the paper and said ' Letters, why are you sad?"
I'm still waiting in silence, the giggle suppressed.

After a few seconds, he turnes back and says " They are sad, because they have no lines!!

"I say , " Oh! oh...thats bad, we need to cheer them up, lets give them some straight dark lines.."

He very smartly said.." its ok, they don't mind, let them be!!"
And here I am wondering if exams turn them into jesters...but one things for sure, there's never a dull moment when kids are around!!
Holidays have started, and its a long long one...Am taking off to Delhi, visiting my sister, and trying to show the kids all the handiwork the historical characters, dished out , just so that the generations to follow, have a way of spending their much loved vacations...Taj!! here I come!!

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