Bas Yu Hi...

Hello folks...
Happy holi to all of u! I personally dnt like playin wid colors; a lazy person like me cant bother to scrub n rub n still end up lukin like a monkey (yeah yeah, i can c u grinnin n sayin "LIKE")... But for whoever can muster d enthusiasm, live it up pals!
I saw "Race" yday, pretty gud entertainment, I mus say. Great direction. Gud acting. Tons of style. Too many subplots dat create confusion, but intelligent nevertheless. My fav song "Pehli nazar" was only half picturised... all in all, u can watch it once if u can bear Katrina (who's as lively as a coffee table) and stop starin at Saif (Chhote Nawab rocks) to actually grasp d story...
So wats hapg at my end? Nuthin much, in the sense I hav a lot of free time on my hands; our dept at d uni is famous for cancellin lecs at at work, my scene is a little laidback - jus finished a course at d centre (wid a cute Swiss guy, ahem...) n nuthin else hapg at d moment. So its fun time wid frens n workin on my presentations n submissions at coll... My Bhabi's "roundin up" n it gives me extreme pleasure to imagine life on a new track in a few mths time!
People say m a lot mature these days, n maybe part of dat comes from livin for the moment, and tryin to be honest to urself n as gud as possible... Once u stand up to these criteria, life's a smooth ride... I dont quite like so much of free time, but its ok... i dnt hav it whn i want it, or rather whn i dont hav it dats whn i want it...
Ugh, pardon my ramblin... I get mighty excitd on d laptop n jus type away widout thinkin... So the agenda these days is playin cards wid mum (lost almost 300 bux to her last week) n hangin out wid my bundle of joy... rest is best. a few worries, a lot of laughter n life as usual...
B bac soon wid mo substance ;-) was jus rememberin u, so thot I'd drop in a line...
Muaaaaaaaahhh!
Anuja

Common Misconceptions

Jus sumthin I'd like to share wid u...
Here’s a list of some misconceptions that I’v often encountered – some dat I’v felt myself, and others I have heard from frens n relatives… Mo often dan not, as u gro older n (hopefully) mo mature one realizes dat these r jus silly notions dat lend a temporary feel-gud factor … Anyways, here goes…

1. One’s frens n colleagues r mo popular / treated betr dan one
2. Evryone says / shows what they really feel / think
3. It’s jus they who don’t win at games of luck and chance
4. Their mum luvs their sibling mo (I’v felt this one and I can c u noddin ur head, too!!!)
5. They look / perform the worst when they want to do their best
6. What they think / feel / perceive / believe is true
7. They’re not as beautiful / talented / successful / intelligent as others
8. (At a movie) Their neighbour has a better view
9. (On the road, in a queue) The other lane’s moving faster than theirs
10. It’s alwes they who bow down in a fight
11. Noone undstds them… OR They’re misundstd by everyone
12. Most ppl r out to get them – they’v got sumthin against them
13. (While shopping) They got the best / worst deal
14. “Good” ppl never bitch / crib / cheat / manipulate / hold grudges
15. (Foods and ppl) What looks good, tastes / is good
16. Money alone can bring happiness
17. There’s an external excuse for evrythin
18. They dnt get what they deserve
19. The best position is Number 1
20. Their bills r incorrect
21. They jus dnt hav d time to do thins they really want
22. A crocin is d answer to all dis-eases
23. Their experiences r d most unusual
24. They can’t help it if someone makes them angry / sad …

I’d luv to hear frm u if u want to add to d list, and I’d also like to kno if you have any experiences wid any of the ones I’v mentioned… I LOOOOOVE feedback ;-)

Asta La Vista Baby!
Anuja

Sister Prisca’s Fasssstt Lazzi

Hi ppl,

I’ve been travlin wid my mates, eatin meals at subsidized rates,
The South is a place interestin, and my Counselling course there enticing,
Educational and religious, fun and fatigue,
My trip was amazing, it brought me n my frens kareeb….

Dat abt sums it up really… My Dept at the Univ took us 19 ppl for an educational tour to Vellore… 9 days of Vellore, Chennai, Tirupati, Bangalore (o Bangalooroo as my frens insist)… I duno whr to start n I duno whr to end… I’ll need a long time to explain all I did and learnt and experienced (formally/informally), but in a few words – I visitd Mahabalipuram @ Chennai, Balaji temple @ Tirupati, Golden Temple (not Amritsar, but Padma Lakshmi) @ Vellore. I attended a Counselling course called “self-growth programme” at the Christian Counselling Centre, Vellore, Tamil Nadu – an esteemed and famous institute for HR and psychotherapy, and I shopped at Vellore and B’lore. It was tiring, but a great break. I loved it and hav very fond memories of learning, sharing and caring. Especially my first (and probably the only) experience of stayin in a hostel… getting up in time for brkfast @ 7.30am and dinr @ 7.30pm!

Wat was amazing was my expenditure (including meals, travel, shoppin, lodging, etc) was less than 3k!!! Can u beat dat?!!! The Golden temple at Vellore is mindblowing – its made of 900 tons of gold (undeclared of curz)!! Wat suckd was d fact dat I did a weird stunt in the train (was travlin sleeper class first time in my life!!) n I got ppl worried…

Will tell u mo abt d trip later, one thin tho – I find myself a lot more mature and rational in the last few mths, looks like my study of psychology and professional training is payin off… I’m satisfied wid life, and don’t complain quite as much as I used to… which is a good sign considerin d person I was! I also find myself betr equipd to advise and guide others, and they compliment me on d positive chngs that they have seen in me. Feels great…

Hey, I also hav another piece of news – my frens n family r kickd abt d fact dat I rcvd an offer frm Tata Motors durin a campus placement (a package of 25k+ in hand evry mth) - the brand’s good, the salary’s huge… I’m the only one frm my dept who got thru… jus 2 women selectd outa 50+ folks… evryone’s celebr8in, sumhow m nt too elated… lets see… I alwes seem to b thinking things noone’s thinking abt…

More details later… m bac to work n college and assignments and deadlines…
Hope u’v been good! Buzz u whn I can! Chow…
-Anuja

Insan(e)

People never cease to amaze me… First of all, thrs this unflagd race goin on all the time at evry signal on evry street… Whats d hurry buddies? But I’v spoken enuf abt dat in “Road Rage” so wudn’t want to lapse into dat again… wat m sayin here is ppl come in all shapes n sizes, n v often make mistkn jugdmnts abt them… There are those who I don’t think are worth a 2nd glance, yet they bcum an integral part of my life thnx2their luvly nature and adorable behavior... And then thre r those I wish to meet a million times before it gradually dawns upon me that they’re nuthin but a bucketload of s***. I‘m sure u’ve experiencd d same.

V’r so immature na? V let go of our rationality and get blown away by emotions and intuitions. When we hit Mother Earth (sumtimes wid a huge THUD), v realiz how silly v wer to b taken for a ride. V vow not to be so gullible n foolish d next time, but r v realy successful? I doubt it… Really admire those self-actualizd folks who can live happily and carelessly, not botherd by how others behave and nt affectd by wats goin wat way…

I had a 2B batch dat ended recently, n it started wid a bang. 3 handsome hunks n 1 simple cheerful woman. I’d expectd fireworks, n thr wer quite a few as they attemptd to gel wid eachodr, at times to no avail ;-) but it was fun al d same, unfortunately an anti-climax, as it dint end as wel as I’d hoped it to… rem I told u once abt my last 2A? it was gr8 al thru… even after it got over, had expectd d same here, but … Anyways, my current 2A is a huge surprise. Notwidstanding d fact dat I need to get up early weekend mornings to take d class, my batch now boasts of a robust 5 – 4 gals n a swiss guy. Its goin well… n I get my laughs frm here to kickstart d day…

Other than dat, there r 2 ppl who surprised me… one is a sweet, little (literally) person who I dint think much abt whn I met him 1st, but now it feels as if I’v known him all along. He makes me very very happy n I luv spending time wid him. Attitude lik was I’v alwes adored, gives me praise n priority which leaves me little to ask for, and well, how shal I say? Jus abt evrythin I’d dreamd about… God pland for us to meet n v did, but I wish v’d met sooner… v’re gr8 buddies, n wil alwes b… he undstds me betr dan I can say, n I can read his mind. We laugh 2gdr, v share joys n sorrows (ample of both), but life is much happier n content thanx to him…

The other one is one I had gr8 expcttns from… Smart, decent, ambitious, sincere, simple, consider8, unassuming... thot he’d be an amazing person to stand by for life, but ego raisd its dirty head n made life ugly… m glad I had d guts to call it quits n move on… I realizd life has much betr thins in store for me… God luvs me!

I duno how my relations wid these people will chng over d days, weeks, yrs… But I certainly wont forget thm ever… I can forgive, nt forget…not d guds, nor d bads… Dats life, aint it? Full of lessons and experiences… Wid each person I meet, I gro as a person, regardless of whether I like him/her or not, whether I keep in touch wid him/her or not… So far, I’v learnt not to lie… to be good to those who cant return d favor… to be happy… To not expect… N life is indeed feelin good… who says happiness lies outside you? It’s within, jus delve a lil deeper…

-Anuja

Rush Hour

Heylo...

No time to breathe is how I'd describe the last 3 weeks... bz wid college n work, practicals and asignments. It hasnt been too bad though, coz I luv keeping bz and besides, the content of most of d thins I'v been doin has been very excitin - rite from the intersting pschometric tests v dealin wid in pracs (as opposed to the mechanical, useless tests v had last sem), to the brilliant TA session (Transactional Analysis in Psychology, for the uninitiated) we had wid a (or rather THE ONLY) verbally-giftd prof at the dept.

Other dan dat its been lecs at coll and work, work, work - 6 days a week, of which 2 days are weekends, dat too early mornin class... which in short boils down to no time for frens, family or myself AND the worst by far is waking up early (anytime before 8.30am is early pour moi)...

What else shall I say? Maybe I can let u in on one thing I'v learned coz of my relationship and life experiences in general - ppl like u whn u gud, n whn u bad nobody cares a damn, unless the very few folks who really care for u, unconditionally... when ur times r gud, u dnt ask for much coz u like d rosy, happy pic around u, n whn u need sum1, dats whn ppl find betr thins to do dat dnt include u... In short, jus axpt ppl n thins as they r... b content wid urself n dnt ask for anythin from others. If they r gud to u, b gud n b happy... coz if they're nt u cant force them n besides, its nt worth the effort anyway... just let thm b, until d time they themselves come to u n b normal again... d prob cud b u, or it cud b sumthin in their personal lives. I tried complainin, did a lot of it... until i realisd i was gettin noplace, n only screwin my own happiness in d bargain. I stopd, n m so HAPPY i cant tell u... i feel satisfied wid myself n i can only appreciate those around me for what they'r doin n wat they r to me... m satisfied - n i havnt said dat in a long time...

So, now m thr for those who need me, tho they may nt even look at me whn they got others, and m thr for those who want me, inspite of they nt livin up to what i ask frm them... i get pisd of curz, but i dnt think they deserv my anger either... so i jus put thm on ignore mode or the worse "indifferent" mode, n thn widout doin a thin, evrythin goes jus as i want it to ;-)

Gave the same suggestion to 2 ppl around me, n they've seen d results for thmselves... try it. m sure u'l c how well it works...

Waitin to hear from u!!
All the best, and adios for now...

-Anuja

New Year Ranting...

Hey people,
Wish you all a very happy n prosperous new year!

Long time again… D festive season is over n it’s bac to work n studies. I had a crash on new year’s. had a wonderful party wid d gang n thn my bike skid. Gota bump on my head n lost consciousness for a minute. Cudnt rem anything whn I came bac to my senses. Got an MRI done n all normal, but m bruisd all over n my left side aches like hell. But d worst blow is definitely my poooooooooor lipppp... dat has causd mo mental agony dan anythin else... but its fine now, as gud as new! Cheers to dat :-) my crowinin glory ;-)

Anyways, m bac to work startin today, so thot I’d buzz in n say hi to you’ll too… I’d promisd u my trip in detail, so betr late dan never… here goes!

Day 1 : Pune - Jodhpur – Bikaner : Wonderful train journey. I dint feel d need to open a book as I usually do d minute I get a seat. Was thinking of myself, frens, family, life… n time flew! Had a brawl wid a really rude group, amazing how youngsters who r expectd to be helpful and joly can b so rude and hostile. Had hired a Tavera which tuk us to Bikaner d same night; tiring journey, but glad coz cud sleep in a stable bed!

Day 2 : Thr r these funny flat autos in Rajasthan. Wonder how ppl get into thm, they’re squashd flat!! On d agenda today, Punrasar, Shamji Khatu, Salasar Balaji – All Hanumans on a Saturday, so God had no choice but to make our trip good. The roads of Rajasthan are rockin! You can travel hours on end n not feel it. I think apart from Pune and a few other places, roads all over the country are great – Delhi, Hyd, Aurangabad, the North, South… We traveled miles which was evident from d hours v took. Reachd late in d nite, so slept like a log… Hey, u know u cant carry home d utensils or even Prasad from the temples… dnt ask me y or how but if any1 tries to do dat, purposely or unintentionally, ur car’ll stall or u’ll get stuck sumhow widin d borders… n only whn u empty out whatever ur takin home, thn u’l b able to move out… amazing eh?!!!

Day 3 : Woke up late, visitd Karni Mata temple at Deshnokhe – the one I wrote abt in d previous post. N thn went on to Jaisalmer

Day 4 : nite at Jaisalmer, Khuri guest house, cultural program – singin n dancing n lotsa fun. D locals were really a funny lot (here’s wishin “Sonya”, Chhotu Khan, Tugge Singh urf Dasharath, “Sunil Dutt”, “Khartaal Mast”, “High Pitch” n d rest a heartload of thanx for d wonderful evening!) we laughd n made merry, all in all one of our best evenings in Rajastha

Day 5 : Sand dunes are funny, jus like humans… they’r here today, gone tomr! U’l c thm in one place jus now, n thn thr’s b flat land d next day! Its amazing… d vastness of d desert makes u feel so puny n powerless… I actually felt like d foreigners they show on television, who jus gape at the Indian splendour n feel awe and joy… We saw d sunrise in d desert, took a camel ride, toured Jaisalmer : all d buildings r built of yellow sandstone, including d Patwa Haweli which is a palatial structure, a museum, replete wid separate sections for different types of locks n keys, “sarota”, utensils, etc. We also went to some temple dat had a Khadisar lake near it, it resembled Varanasi sumhow, and we came across a team shootin there. V saw “Zafrani Pulao” from Cheeni Kum (I forget his name), and Amrita Rao n Harman Baweja. D public r so cute n simple thr, they jus sat quietly in their places n waited for d hero (who was hidin behind a tree n lunchin) n d heroine (who was bz yakkin on her phone) to step out n give them a look… which neither did… while Zafrani Pulao jus kept lukin at us as we passd by, imploring us to recogniz n acknowledge him! My masti-khor mum, as usual full of pranks, stepd up to d gate n said hurriedly “Side Side, Heroine aayi” n wonder of wonders! Ppl actually moved to make way for d “heroine” which was my Bhabhi shieldin her face from d sun. We generated mo attention n hullaballoo than d Bollywood team, and when I stepd outa d premises, ppl actually kept starin at me as if I was d actress (I was wearin jeans n a T n had tied my hair wid a bandana)… gosh, dat was funny!

Tirupati Balaji has a charm of its own, but Ramdeora is anodr place whr u can c devotees goin crazy… Baba Ramdeo (nt d yoga one) has a tremendous fan followin, n d place abounds wid tales galore. One of thm says dat at d fair which is held here, ppl leav behind their footwear… which is y u c thousands of shoes n slippers whn u enter d vicinity of Ramdeora. Anothr tale says dat Ramdeo promisd a demon dat each time 1 lac ppl arrivd at d fair, 1 of them wud die… as an offerin to d demon… n dis time whn 50 lac ppl came, 50 died… truth or fiction, take ur pick!

Also visitd Icchapurna Balaji, dats a Hanuman temple, beautifully built, and apparently said to fulfil ur wishes. I dint ask for anything much, hav d best of everythin by god’s grace…N of curz d main reason for our goin to Rajasthan – Sanchiya mata at Osiya. Luvly temple, luvly food, luvly experience… for mebe d first time in a temple, I cried jus on seein d deity – felt an unexplainable connection wid d goddess…

Day 6 : visitd Ajmer, d Dargah thr is mind-bogglin! Any door u touch, d fragrance of d perfumes lingers on each finger for ages later… halted at Pushkar, d world’s only Bramha temple, did a Ghat parikrama wid mum. We were lucky enuf to c sum swans n feed d squirrels, birds n cows… We reachd Jodhpur in d evening, so cudnt see d city, but visitd Mandore garden whr Ravan’s wife Mandodari lived.

Day 7 : train at 5am from Jodhpur, d worst bit of d trip. Our train delayd 12 hours coz of Rajdhani derailin on d same route. our train had to take a detour (thank god it wasn’t canceld or v’d get stuck!) n v reachd d next day, haggard n irritable, in d evening… bac to routine!

Now for titbits dat dint go in anywhr widin d blog…

Hey, here’s some funny plural forms dat I’v heard ppl use lately…
Car-e, Pizz-e, CV-ya ;-)

Know y u alwes do a Tilak wid 2 fingers? D 4th finger is coz it’s a sign of good luck n all things pure n divine… n it has to be followd up wid d thumb (spread d tikka in a str8 line towards d head) to signify long life… dint kno dat… cool na? we never know y sumthins r done some way, but delve deeper… thr r amazing stories to unravel!

Congrats to all! My bhabhi’s in d family way and so’s my Sarikadi… they’re both due sumtime around July-Aug 2008, so m prayin they dnt overlap wid my bday… cant miss a party for any sake! Anodr thing I heard – if u see a snake durin pregnancy, ur not-born-yet-baby is bound to lick his lips jus like a snake whn he grows up… I’v seen a few such folks… wonder if its really true… don’t try this tho!!!

Saw a 40+ Woman bicycling today… not for exercise, but as a way of transport…felt nice, way to go! May mo join d gang! (dnt luk at me, m hurt n cant run, forget pedal…)

Gota sign off for now, taken too much time already… leme kno how u liked d post! Wil b bac soon (hopefully)…

Luv ya,
Anuja

Padharo mhara dessssss....

Heloooooooooo guys b gals...

Jus bac frm a trip to Rajasthan n it was amazzzzzin...went to lotsa places, had a variety of experiences... n bac here to share them wid ya! hope u misd me ;-) cmon, u can lie a bit... teeny weeny lies never hurt any1...jus to make me happy....hehe...

Wel, first thins first... my exam was wonderful, much betr dan i expectd... n certainly betr dan d effort i put in... dreamin of 4 o's (outstanding - d best grade in MA) but only time will tell... my exam ended on d 4th n i zoomed to Rajasthan on d 6th eve...reachd jodhpur d next eve n started our Tavera Tour. went almost 2500 kms in 5 days - all over raj excpt jaipur n udaipur, which basically includes bikaner (bhabhi's relatives), ramdeora & osiya (temples), jaisalmer (desert), etc...

U kno, whether u go east or west, fast or slow, in luxury or economy... all places r essentially d same... b it d ppl, b it d culture, d town n shops n streets, evrythin... i dnt mean they'r identical in evryway... but luk below d cover, n u realise d uniform pattern of living, thinkin, behavin... m i soundin crazy? well, blame it on my psychology education ;-)

Hey hav u heard of d temple whr mice crawl all over d place n eat frm ppl's hands? its cald d "karni mata" temple n is situatd in a village called Deshnokhe (d E's silent). i was initially terrified n contemplatin NOT visitin dat temple, but curiosity n adventurousness got d betr of me, n i slowly n carefully trudgd my way thru d massive gate... it was SCARY!!! thr wer millions of mice creepin n crawlin freely n actively... it was actually excitin to watch ur step as u walked coz it's said if u step on a "kaaba" (dat's wat they call a mouse) n u kill it (on purpose/by accident), thn u hav to gift a golden mouse to the temple! n also if u see a white mouse, ur lucky!!! i was... n i m... i kno dat!!!!

lots mo to come, lots mo to share... but work n routine callin...
will buzz u next asap... m itchin to tell u d fun thins i did!
chow n hav a gr8 day!

luv ya,
Anuja