Feeling good!

I am alone at home tonight after ages! And believe me, it feels sooo good. When K he was going to be out of town tonight, I did not make any plans to go stay with my folks. In fact, his friend & wife felt I shouldn't be staying alone and that I should spend the night with them but I declined. Not that I didn't want to go. But I wanted to just come back home, read a book, take a long shower, wash and condition my hair, soak my feet in warm water, pamper myself with the latest Bath & Body Works lotion, listen to music, flip the channels to MY liking, browse and watch comedy videos on You Tube, chat with my bestie, blog about this incredible feeling and so much more!!
As you can see I'm on a roll! K and I spoke a while ago and when I told him how I felt, all he could say was "You do this every single day"! Err. Not true at all. For starters, I did not step into that god forsaken kitchen!! Yes. The idea of not cooking is so so liberating for me!
Excuse me now while I go back and enjoy my blissful state :)

I.Me.Myself

Strange title I know. But I kinda feel like I am reaching a situation where I just want some "me" time. In fact, craving for it. The past few weeks/months have been uneventful yet awfully busy. The fact that I had not blogged until March should have told you the kind of life I was leading. I have been hearing complaints from everyone. To start with, my dear hubby. Well, he feels like I haven't spent enough time at home, I haven't cooked him a proper meal, I haven't done anything "fun" with him in a long time like a movie or a long drive. He has been incredibly busy with a project at work and has been getting home late over the weekdays. Which meant, weekends he just wanted to lounge around and do nothing(Read: Meet nobody!!). Aah well. You see, that can never happen with a family like mine. Post the office party on the 15th, my folks had organized this big puja at home which involved like a 100 people(no I am not exaggerating). He simply did not want to attend. My folks made a big deal out of it and went to the extent of texting him and asking him to show up.. Needless to say, all hell broke loose. K went mad and it was hungama at home! Well then, the next one week we just kept bickering at each other. Sigh. Next up, was the parents. They simply refuse understand the kind of person K is. They cannot believe that he can be so fussy(at least that is how they look at it), I tried explaining his personality to them but in vain. So they were annoyed and irritated and I had to bear the brunt of it. Next up was the in laws(read: Mother in Law). She was annoyed that K & I had pretty much stopped visiting them over the weekends and she called me one Sunday and screamed on the phone. She was super duper pissed and wouldn't even let me speak a word. I was stunned. I did not know how to react or what to say. This weekend started with my granny calling me and inviting me home for a dinner where some ladies were coming(Oh No, not again!). I politely declined and told her I had already made plans with another friend(Of course, she went to the extent of inviting my friend also for the dinner, yes my family is crazy ;-)) - She was really annoyed that I declined and asked me to reconsider my decision. I was firm. I told her no because in my mind I had decided to spend the entire weekend with K. She gave me a big lecture as to how I do not visit her anymore, how I do not call her like I used to and how she needed my help. Iyyyoooo.
The one person I have been absolutely dying to meet is my Thatha. He is all by himself now and not a day passes where I don't think about him. I wished I could meet him and spend half a day talking, finding out how he is coping with life without Thathi and how he is pulling along. In fact, my cousin from Pune speaks more often to him that I do #hangsfaceinshame
I also haven't visited Maxi Chitti and Shankar Chitappa in their new house.. something which I've been promising them I would.. That's just the family.. My college friends have pretty much given up on me and my school friends are probably the only ones who come close to understanding what I am going through right now.. So even they have been demanding...Work is busy busy. I come home late(another of K's problem), my colleagues in fact call me "Cinderalla" because I just run out of the doors once the clock strikes 7 pm. Haha! Crazyyy! But I kinda feel like I'm disappointing people by leaving early. I wished I could stay back and meet more people but I cannot afford that luxury now.
Right now, all I want is to be left alone. I don't want to make plans with anyone. I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want to meet anyone. Just want to be left alone. Just want to pamper my tired feet with a soothing pedicure. Just want to listen to music without any interruptions. Just want to have a nice hot oil hair massage and pamper myself with the latest conditioning treatment. Just want to close my kitchen and not cook or clean for 2 days. Just want to enjoy a cup of coffee standing in my pretty balcony amidst all that beautiful plants. So calming. Just want to curl up with the AC on and watch back to back movies and fall asleep in my bean bag. Just want to spend an entire day with Tobster boy. Aah. #wishfulthinking

Masterchef! NOT!

My kitchen woes continue. A few laughs to start off your Monday morning :)
December, 2012 
My husband loves his South Indian breakfast. I once took a huge risk and sent Idly for lunch. I ensured I never ever made that mistake again :(

Me : Hi sweety, how was lunch? Was it ok?
K: Please send this to the protesters at Delhi. Will be useful. (In case you didn't get it.. he meant my idlies were hard as rocks!)

June 2013 
I was stepping out with friends and decided to make Corn Pulao for my husband's dinner which is one of his favorite dishes. He sent me a text message around 9:30 pm. This is what it really said :
"Horribly insipid dinner. Had to add chaat masala. Give me this food when I'm on my death bed. Will die faster from the lack of  any taste. Nice dining this Sunday. "

Last night
K: Aishu, I know we are finishing left overs for dinner tonight. But please don't expect me to eat that Kathrikai subzi. I hate that thing. Like how the Jews hate the Nazis!

Me:  Speechless

Time for some damage contLol! Not much has changed in this household. Sigh. #damagecontrol #Epicfail

A feel good factor

I recently started dance classes at a nearby gym. More from a workout perspective rather than actually learning to jive. The first couple of classes were quite normal.. as in I would go, do the warm up exercises, learn the moves and get back home. The crowd was ok, I really didn't feel like making conversation with any of those people. During my 3rd or 4th class, I was casually chatting with my instructor who is one of those "super shy guy types". The dance masters that I have met  are usually strict and speak only in English, hence whenever I speak to this guy, I would converse in English. During this particular conversation, I happened to say something in Tamil and he looked at me in real shock. So when I quizzed him on his horrified look, he said he thought "I was a North Indian, from Madhya Pradesh". Dude. Wtf. Clearly, this was a shocker for me too. Coz anyone that's seen me would never agree to this. I look every bit South Indian as far as I'm concerned. So I just smile and say "Ille Sir, I'm very much from Chennai only". And then we continue talking.  And then as most dance instructors do, he also tends to extend class beyond the one hour time frame and I start getting restless because I have to get back home and feed the poor hubby. So one such class, I put my foot down and told him "I'm sorry I need to get going 'coz I have a starving husband at home whom I need to feed".

What's the point of this entire nonsensical post -- Read on...

When I walk into my next class, he calls me and says " You know you don't look married at all!! The entire class agreed! I thought you were a 3rd year engineering student. You look so young". 

Whoop! Whoop! Point made. Off u go now. Sorry to have wasted your time.. But I'm singin' "I feel good".. 

Contemplating...

One thing I've noticed about myself off late( and my best friend confirmed it this morning) is that I'm losing my temper too easily. U see I'm a very patient person. It takes a lot..like a LOT.. for me to lose my cool. And when I do, God save the other person. I usually save it for once in a year kind of situation.. yes I'm weird that way. Now, post marriage, I'm ready to snap and swear at just about any time. Hmmm. Wonder if there is a connection there?

You see my husband is a perfectionist(or at least he would like to think so) and I'm anything but that. Our friction arises here. Initially, it used to make me wonder if I was the one with the problem. Later I would accuse him of being silly and abnormal(not proud of it at all). But now, as we complete one year of marriage, I realize that it is more of a personality issue. He is not wrong. But then neither am I. We just need to understand and work it out between us. So the last few months I have tried to do things that would make him happy(ier). It could be small things --at least in his eyes, but for me it took a lot of effort. And when he would still crib about things not happening or not being in place, that is where my stress levels would rise. And I would snap back! 

I sit here wondering how things can be different. Coz I would really do anything to make him a happy person. Like anything. Yoga is something I'm seriously contemplating. I know. Again, I'm more of a gym/aerobics/dance class kinda person. But then I've heard Yoga helps you relax and I think that is what I need to do at this moment. Will be back later, hopefully in a better frame of mind. Peace.
I'm leaving you with a couple of songs that makes me feel very ummm..mushy? Dunno. Or maybe peaceful. Oh in general gives me a nice high. Enjoy listening.. Later!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2PQtEnLv-U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiItLWWxgOI

Random updates

Off late, I've received wedding invitations via Facebook. Ok. Pause. 

Hmm. Not completely against it, but still not too much to my liking. Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying I expect a physical invite or anything like that.. a simple e-mail with the scanned copy of an invite can't be thaaatt hard to send, correct? Somehow it gives it a personal touch. When I got married, I ensured I sent it to each person separately, especially since a lot of my friends with either away from Chennai or abroad. I would have hated to create an "event" on FB and invite my friends! But ok two weeks ago, I received a wedding invitation via SMS!! Ok. DRAMATIC PAUSE now. What is the world getting to these days? Was I expected to show up at the wedding? Or maybe it was just a mere formality? And the venue just gave the name of the hotel, I had no clue where it was located. Yes it was in Chennai only. Oh well, not like I was close to the person. I mean not super close... coz if it were that category, then I wouldn't even expect an invitation, right? ;-) 

In other news, a Minister in Karnataka was caught watching porn while the Assembly session was on!! Rotfl!!  These politicians are our biggest entertainers, I tell u! 

I am keeping my fingers crossed for something, I will not reveal anything here until I get a confirmation!! 

My bestie, M is coming back to town... for good... let the fun begin! :-) 

Looking at the brighter side of things

It's really strange that someone whom you think knows you so well, actually doesn't necessarily know everything about you. Confused? I am too! Well, to put it in a simpler way, if I am close to somebody, I would assume they'd know if I am pissed off about something or if something is really bothering me. The least they would do is come ask you what the matter was or if everything was ok. Right? YEA RIGHT! I am so wrong - there are people existing in this world, so full of their own bloody selves, their own work, their own schedule, their own routine and not bothered if you've had a rough day - work wise or even otherwise. And I'm talking about people whom you're close to -- supposedly. Phew. Don't want to waste time writing or ranting about such characters here. I'm just learning to let go and learning to not be too needy or clingy, I never thought I was, but seems like I'm hard to handle so maybe I'm mistaken. I dunno. Frankly I'm getting used to being this way.
Moving on to brighter things in my life --
a) Festival season I told you was here! And boy. It was an extremely busy Navrathri season - lots of Golu hopping, Lots of socializing. Good times! And with Diwali around the corner, things are only heating up even further. I've already gotten my new outfits, blew quite a bit, but full thanks to parents and in laws :-) Pretty excited about wearing it all - got myself a new hair cut and smoothening session, loving all the self pampering ;-)
b) My good buddy flew down all the way from China and landed home - was a super duper surprise!!! Loved having him home with me - only wished I had somehow known - would have cooked him a nice meal  - On second thoughts, its probably a good thing I didn't know - errr, I'll face it, he didn't miss much! :-(
c) Spoke to my chweety Chachu for a long time last week - Bliss! He's still the same sweetheart that I love and miss so much!
d) My bestie M - moved to a new city, with a new job! Wondering why I'm excited? Of course! This is her big opportunity and I told her to grab it!!! I'm hoping she does well and enjoys every minute of her time alone!Good luck, Mousie!!
e) Was a great week in terms of catching up with old buddies - especially the ones I studied with in the US! Sindhu, Esther, Zam, Rads....... good times!!! :)
f) Made Semiya Paysam for the first time and it came out tasting nice! Or so my in laws claimed. Oh well! =)

Gtg now, will post later, feelin much better already, I knew I would! But before I sign off wanna wish my baby boy, Rayyan, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! =)
Gosh you're such a big boy already!!! 

Yummy Mummy!

Most of my friends(school/college/grad school) are married and have kids. And one constant complaint I keep hearing(from the hubbies, that is!) is that their darling ladies put on too much weight especially post pregnancy! I try telling them that is next to impossible to be skinny - I mean you are getting a living being out of your womb, for Christ's sake.  But I solemnly swear in this post that I will be a "YUMMY MUMMY" :P Heard of this term before? Well, Urban Dictionary defines it as "A mother who is interested in looking after herself as well as her family while taking pride in her appearance. She doesn't have to be gorgeous just a little interested in being mildly fabulous!" Haha. Sounds super cute, right? I'm just very kicked by the term! Yummy Mummy! Gosh, I could just keep saying it. =)

Ain't I adorable?

Ok. Just ignore my tanned look.. Chennai's heat is definitely ON!
Courtsey: Shan's iphone!

The month that was!

Technically, this post should be posted next week when the month is over, but I figured I'd go ahead and do this while I've got nothing to do!

Awesomest thing that happened this month : Got to watch Surya on big screen!! Woot! Woot! He was eye candy! But the less I talk about the movie, the better! :P

Other small but nice things that made me feel good this month:
--Fall Colors! Its freakin BEAUTIFUL!! I open my windows to see different colored trees! Bliss!
-- Got to smell the new fragrance thats out at Bath n Body Works - "Twilight Woods"! OMG! Its awesome!! Cant wait to get paid and go raid the store!
--Made Mutter Paneer and came out tasting "quite nice"..
--talking to my grandparents.. always makes me feel good!!
--Had a weekend off after a longg, longg time..which meant..
-- I Went to Springfield and spent a weekend catching up with old buddies! Good times!!
--We can dress up for Halloween at work!! Ya-hoo! :)
--Reading Calvin n Hobbes at the library! =)
--Having "G" and "K" over at KC at the beginning of the month.. it always feels good to see family!
--Oh did I mention watching Surya on big screen? ;)

What really sucked though was.....
--The end of summer!! I swear I'm not looking forward to an extreme KC winter!
--Missing Thata's 80th! :(
--Being all alone on Diwali! I swear I'm not trying to gain self-pity or anything, but it is the worst time to be alone!! When the rest of the world is celebrating! Even the Obamas made it festive! :P --And of course there were several Diwali functions happening and I couldn't go for a single event! Boo-Hoo!!
--Having a $10 off coupon to shop at DSW Shoes and not being able to buy boots(that I've be dying to buy!) coz of uncertain future after Dec! I mean, I definitely don't need to be walking in boots in Chennai right? :(

To be updated by the end of the month......

Two months and still going strong!

My paparazzi update for the month: "M" is getting married!!! You know we've been besties since high school. The last person who I thought would have an "arranged marriage" would be her. I was surprised(pleasant, I promise). She is moving to Singapore for good. Hey at least that's still closer home! But I am really really thrilled for her. After all the crap she went throught(ya I know half of those were brought onto herself!) but she does deserve someone nice. He is supposed to be eye candy as well! ;) Ummm.. I better not say anything until I actually see pics.. =)
Anyway, I cannot believe it has been more than two months since I moved here! I've just been swamped with work especially since I work a lot of evenings and weekends!! I get a day off during the week(I might as well not get it!). This week though after a loonggg time I am off two days in a row and of course I am making a trip to S-town. I just HAVE to! I figured it would do me some good to see familiar faces instead of being stuck by myself. But I do loveee my job! I am soo glad that I chose HR. Imagine, I get to make or break a person's career. I love it when people call me and follow up a thousand times on their application and resume. I love it when people are so respectful and try to be on their best behavior when I call them on the phone to come in for an interview. I love it when they show up all nervous for an interview and look at me like I'm Frankenstein! I just love all the hype they give me. I feel powerful! :P
Hmmm..what else? Oh ya, I became a member of the KC library and I'm super glad I did! They have a great collection of fiction, mags, DVD's and the likes. I just got a nice haul this week... I dont know why but each time I read the Kite Runner, I cry myself hoarse!! I mean its such a beautiful book, so beautifully written!! Oh and I was skimming through the kids section(looking for HP you know!) and they were out of them(but of course!). So anyway, I had a sudden urge to read an Enid Blyton or Roald Dahl and couldn't find either of them. When I asked a lady that worked there, she blanked out completely. 1. She had no idea who either of them were. 2. She was irritating me by having me spell their names(for some reason she was convinced I was asking for "Anna Burton"!) After 20 min I gave up! I felt she was insulting them!! I mean, really woman? Jeez, my 3 year old cousin knows how to spell Enid Blyton. God save this country!! :P

The Big "24"!

SIGH!! I cannot believe that its almost here... tomorrow at this time, I would have turned 24!! WOW! I came here when I was 21 and to think that this is the third year in a row that I have spent here.... As usual, I am expecting my entire family to call me...Here's some stuff that happens each year..
Appa/Amma will call me tonight.. Appa will also follow up with an email in the likes of.. "Aishu, Sorry we are not there with you but our thoughts/wishes/blessings are with you only.. ".. Awww.. that will touch my heart! Wait, thats not the worst... . Then my grand parents will call me and say things like "Aishu, not a single day passes by when we dont think of you/wish you were here with us... "... AWWWWW!!

Just shows that even when am not with my family, they have this knack of making me feel super duper special and pamper me in the most "awesomest" way! :-)

Wonder what this year has in store for me... Being 24 is nothing special.. like turning 13/21/25..
Here's hoping that the year ahead has a lot of good surprises in store for me.... here's my wish list for now... (to be updated frequently)..

1. Get a cool JOB - meaning, get a job that pays!! ha ha... I have a lot of plans once I get a job.. and I hope this month is nice to me...
2. Go home for Christmas break... I feel like I haven't been home in forever.. actually its gonna be two years soon!! :-( I hope to visit this year end and see Appa/Amma/Thata/Thati/Amma/Thata, all my Chitappas/Chittis/cousins/Anju/Chachu/Devi/ my lo-www-iingg friends and so many others who can mean sooo much to me...
3. Volunteering with some orgn locally.. ok..so I keep hearing my friend talk about her experience working with an orgn that houses adolescent boys and how their life is sooooo hellish sometimes.. I'd love to actually be a part of it and witness it myself and see how I handle situations like that.. hmmm.. lets see if it happens..
4. TRAVEL!! YES!! Apart from going home, I'd like to visit some place nice within the US.. I really really wanna visit LA.. heard a lot about it and would love to go there sometime this year...
5. SHOP till I drop! Yes.. these months have been sooo hard with me not being able to buy anything that I crave for... this is my first birthday where I haven't bought an outfit for myself.. pretty S-A-D!

Tonight, Keith and Becky are taking me out to dinner... Not sure where we are going but I am pretty kicked about it.. Planning to wear a knee length green/black skirt with a light green top, some pretty earrings and some light make up.. Dressing up basically!!

Soooo anyway, here's to turning 24... Dressing up, Cake, Candies, Flowers, Gifts, nonstop phone calls starting at 12 AM, food, drinks n Feelin SPECIAL!! :-)

Mantra fo '09!!

I got an email from a good friend of mine titled "Handbook 2009"

Normally, I just breeze through/ignore/sometimes when I'm in a real foul mood, just SHIFT+DEL these without even opening them!!! However, with yours truly having nothing much to do, I continued reading it.. The content of the email was really simple... no flowery language, no cheesy pictures around or not even a mention of "forward this to 20million ppl in an hour".. and all that blah..

There were five categories and each one had a list of do's/dont's to be happy :)
Here it is:

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes’ walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.


Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

I especially liked #11 and #12- maybe coz its relevant to what I was thinking prior to receiving this list... I had a marathon phone conversation with a good friend of mine, who is "happily settled"... I envied her for having a "to-die-for" job(Yes, complete with H1B sponsorship!), living in a beautiful city(Ok Ok.. I know Springfield is a city too!), a nice car(hmmmm.. I think I own the better one though ;), a steady boyfriend(No Comments on that one!!... the guy is too serious for my liking), and overall a great life that others can be envious of!! SIGH! Grow up Aishu.... :-(

I guess I just need to remind myself of
#17 - Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need (Really?!?!?!)

I've decided to tape this up in my room.. read it once every morning coz these days I seem to find the need to remind myself of my existence!!
Cheers to Viju Etta for sending this to me!