Goodbye 2011

2011 is almost over and as I am introspecting over the bygone year I have reached some conclusions. Before I put my another day another reason to ramble theory into action let me highlight the years high's and low's.

HIGH's

• Finally decided to rebutt parental pressure and for once decide what I want to do in life. 
• An awesome birthday and a wedding of a dear friend.
• Moving to a different role, and back to my home town after a 1 year stint in Bangalore.
• Finally gathered some courage to come out of the shell and be more ME.
• Got engaged to this awesome guy, who rock my world.

       

LOW's

• Leaving my independent life back at Bangalore. 
• Hmmm, can't seem to think of anything right now.

This year turned out to be a hit!!!. Hope 2012 would be as good as 2011.

Totally random: Xmas effect!!!!

Image:Google

Wishing all my readers (If ANY!!!) a happy Xmas. Remember my wish list from here?Well, it's coming true and now I have to upgrade the list with a version 2. With xmas this month and my bday coming up next month I hope the list will be a pointer of sorts to people who plan to buy me gift*evil grin*. And please don't try to act all goody two shoes and start a speech on how materialistic I am, everyone is and may be the lights, carols, cake and wine is doing the trick. I am still sitting in the office, typing this last post for the weekend while watching my mates leave one by one with envy. I am waiting for my brother to give me a ride back home so that, I don't have to travel for another 1 hour in public transport to reach home.

On a side note, I feel lost for obvious reasons and obnoxious than before. I have to have to find a cure cause this is something I have to live with for the rest of my life. Did I tell you that I am engaged?No? Ok!!!so I got hitched last Sunday with this guy called kuttan who has been my invisible better half for the past 4 years. Things just got little more visible than before and now he is my declared-to-the-world-to-be-husband. Things have not changed, we still quarrel, we still make up at much faster pace, we still pull each others legs, we still have broken conversations.....the only difference is my frequent high decibel "CHETTA"(typical mallu way of addressing one's husband) calls. People around me are surprised and the first few days I couldn't force myself to utter the word. It was so not me!!! but, I love the way Kuttan smiles when he hears me call him Chetta also, it marks a higher respect for him in my heart. I have until now had atleast 5-10 people asking me to repeat the chetta call, I do and with the shy smile of a newly engaged girl. Okay enough for now, so all you people out there have a merry time with your family and friends and keep the spirit of xmas alive.

Confessions of a shopping sidekick

I am one of the people who loves shopping, I am infact like rest of the people . The only thin line that separates me from you is: I run berserk like a wild elephant when left alone in a shop. I buy anything and everything that I think will look good on me, will look good on me in my head, and will look good on others. I try to sleep and laze around at the end of month weekends and the reason for which is a no-brainer!!!!. I do have my partners in crime and we hit every other little shop in the alleys of Cochin. My partner, who is a wise shopper, has whole lot of self control than Moi. She holds my hand and pulls it back whenever I pounce excitedly on the stuff on the rack. Now this action, purely out of concern for my dwindling bank account is not a moral booster of sorts, makes me depressed. To touch and feel the fabric and not to own em is a pain of its on. While my partner inhales the smell of  the fresh stock she is mentally high and satisfied and ready to hit the next store, aaahhh not me!!!. It happened quite a few times and every time we went shopping together for HER, I ended up buying more stuff than her. While she swing her hands in full might I struggle to balance all my shopping bags. Soon enough, I found a cheat code to my problem....days when I go shopping with her I would mark my victims with the precision of a sharp shooter and next week on similar expedition with my mom, I make em mine. No complains, no frustrating talks and it's a win-win situation for me and my buddy.

Back at Bangalore, me and my set of girls would go mall hopping every fortnight. While I broke my transfer news all the while expecting some thanks giving speech, it was met with cheer and loud applause by some of my friends. For them it was a reason to celebrate, starting mark of earning a respectable saving. They were of the opinion that they were never able to resist the temptation of buying things cause I always told them "THE THING" looked good and that nudged them to buy even if they had no intention of a shopping spree during that very trip. And if you think 8 months after, they have successfully managed to have a huge bank balance  you are wrong : ONCE A SHOPAHOLIC ALWAYS A SHOPAHOLIC!!!


In Cochin, there is no brand culture and no one keeps a tab on latest in's and out's, but I still make my shopping expeditions. Last day one of my colleague's commented on how I have brought about a change in every one's bank balance. Sharing my knowledge about things I love cannot be branded as a crime. To choose or not is purely personal decision. The story spread and many female colleagues of mine are seen to spend quite considerable amount of their work time staring at their colorful computer screens. I am deeply wounded by frequent comments on how I have turned good girls into materialistic girls. No one was forcefully converted, no one was threatened to make a choice and people fail to understand. 


On being asked why the online site's names have been floated around one of my colleagues replied." I hate socio -economic imbalances. One female having a huge bank balance and the other broke. Now that the sites and online payments are being made at a rate which can put even rupee's value depreciation to shame everyone would eventually have same bank balance and the gap will be non -existent." Until next time, its the shopping sidekick bidding adieu.

Of meetings and creating impressions

Let's get the facts straight, I am not a morning temple person for that mater I am not even an evening temple person. I can't fathom the thought of waking up in wee hours on Saturdays and Sundays ( The weekends). Weekends for me is to wake up when the sun is over  my head, laze around in my pyjamas, sipping hot cuppa of tea. For this reason, I usually don't encourage my parent's frequent nagging of visiting temples on Weekends. Yesterday when I was asked to wake up at 4am... I objected, shed my fake tears and threw my lame excuses but, all of it fell into deaf ears as my parents were quite determined to mould me into ideal daughter -in-law. At 4 Dad was heard shouting, and unwilling I dragged myself out of bed, took a shower and got ready. I usually love dressing up, but the morning chill was getting on to my nerves. I tossed my kajal on my bedspread, dressed up in a simple kurta, put on smallest of earrings and a small bindi. Done!!!I took my bike ride to Willingdon Island when I reached the place at 5, the gates to the temple was closed seems the priest overslept!!! see even the priest loves his weekends. Had to wait good 20 minutes before we could enter the temple and complete the rituals. When my dad suggested that we visit Ernakulam Siva temple I was fuming, I mean common I barely had my 4 hours sleep and dad was asking me to extend temple hoping. I reluctantly agreed after all the last thing on my mind is to displease GODS!!. I went to the Siva temple and then to the Hanuman Kovil.... the moment I stepped in I saw a familiar face, and as an automatic reaction smiled showing my pearl like Colgate teeth. The person right before me need an intro in this blog, it was Kuttan's Grandma( Let's call my fiance Kuttan from now on as 'G' seems to be a tad bit boring) this gorgeous 60 something lady is the head of the house and ruled kuttans heart before I made an entry. There is only one word to describe her: GORGEOUS. She is a big believer of everything divine, spends half of her day in and around temples, treats God's as part of her family and believes in divine interventions. She was surprised and shocked as hell (I could read that from her face) so was I. She never expected me to be there at that time. She took my hand and enquired whether I come there everyday. As much as I want to spit out the truth it's essential that I create a homely image in front of her and like a taught parrot I repeated: Frequently. She was smiling happily that her would be granddaughter in law was a religious little girl.... her smile spread like a infectious sunshine and at that very moment I was wondering how shattered she would be when she learns the absolute truth.What happened next was probably the highlight of the day"X, Y,Z,A,B......W , please come here... let me introduce you to my to be-granddaughter-in -law" Kuttan's ammuma spoke to the unknown!!!. WTH !!!okay okay!!!!Now I was panicking. Somewhere deep down, minutes before I was grinning devilishly  to have striked gold by creating a good girl image in front of grandma but now here I was at my worst with not even a kajal trying to make an impression in front of a bunch of 60 something grandma's. Grandma visits temple with her usual entourage, gang of 60 something ladies who find happiness in divine salvation. Now I had a name to save ie, MY good repute.... there I was tired, boring , dressed to please no one. I knew that meeting me in my bare self would spark a gossip conversation and I would be the laughing stock at today's gossip session.... there I was in front of Kuttaan's gorgeous grandma and I felt like my whole world was coming apart. Quite obviously they would expect me too match the standards set by Kuttan's gorgeous ammuma and in front of her I looked drab and outshined. 

Kuttan's Ammuma

 Sob !!!Sob after all the intro me and dad decided to visit yet another temple this time Poornathreyesha temple...nothing out of the world happened and as I was making a quite exist I saw a familiar face, a face which stood out 8 years back but, now the beauty had diminished. She smiled as she recognised me and we chatted about the present. This girl, was an epitome of REAL beauty back at school and subject of secret affection of all my friends. We were good friends and even she shared few of her deepest secrets with me. Haven't had seen her for quite some time now and seeing her brought back some good memories. 


On a completely random note: I have successfully manage to ward of evils of consumerism this  month. Had promised myself that I wouldn't shop this month and it's being going good not without some fast reining of heart. December, is a month when I can shop without guilt cause it's my engagement month but, am saving all the arms for the month of Jan: my birthday month+ sales month (:P). It's hard to resist the fruits of online shopping when all one does is sit in front of the computer surfing through the net. Well, guys see you around probably with a better post.