Are we there yet??

3 months & 3 days spent in India, preparing for project wedding..

5 days left for project wedding to ceremoniously begin..

I'm not counting days. I'm not a freaked out!

My friends told me, preceeding their wedding days, they couldn't believe they're tying the knot, their misconception was unveiled during their wedding. Plain stupid, that's what I thought. What did you think whilst planning for your own wedding?? Answer: Plan as though it's an important wedding, needn't be yours! I'll let you in, that's my answer, out of experience. Coz plain stupidly, I too get surprised when I realise I'm saying kabool pretty soon..

Planning is the easiest! Involves no brawn power. It's the execution that kills you for your pleasures. (Literally & figuratively). Ghaghra-choli's, loads of dainty shoes, accessories & more.. I'm a spoilt brat! And, I can only hope my husband entertains me in the future.. :) Phase 2 proceeded into gift wrapping. Felt like Henry Ford would be impressed by this portable solo human assembly machine producing 30 wrapped, ribboned gifts per hour.. Ok, you caught me, Im exaggerating... just a wee bit. Phase 3 was scribbling the invitee's names on the wedding card & thinking you've the best hand writing in the world. Final phase. Doming the home. This is where my town, Banswara (previous post), my wedding settee comes in the picture. I've uninhabited my house here for a long long time. Setting up the place & stretching our patience as the (breadth) x (width) x (height) of the house was, in plain words, taxing.. My parents, though, worked through most of this latter part, whilst I held up as the obedient kid-on-the-block.

The wedding, as per plan, can last for days. But marriage, as per consistent & sheer love, labour & laughter, when blessed & worked out right, can last a life time. Life is about unpredictability, & despite our insatiable curiosities, it's the most beautiful to be surprised that way. I'm walking slowly into this mist, waiting for (God willingly) the pleasantries ahead. And I won't be counting days. Just kidding, I am on it already.. :)

Can Anything Good Come from the Flu?

Whilst my fever has finally eased out, and I can walk around like a normal 20-something. I allow myself half a day more of recuperation & look forward to being a free bird tomorrow, and flyable/walkable in society.

These plush velvet curtains & this comfy bed won't imprison me no more! Okay, my normal flu-blue's weren't so bad after all.. I pondered over a few things I've learned whilst being home-bound for 2 days (It was a big deal, get over it!).. Here are things in no particular order..

1) That chicken soup comes in different flavours, but the best is when mum makes it herself. Until when mom gets in the mood to give me haldi-doodh (read: tumeric powder mixed in milk).. Ewww..

2) That sleeping is my all-time-favourite indulgence, but during the flu, it's something I don't want to do.. Cruel!

3) That my nose morphs into an alien-being that eats tissue when its hungry & embarrases me with its noises in public.. Thank God for letting me Grinch in my room!

4) That like Phoebe Buffet (Friends!!), my voice sounds sexier when I've a cold. Ok. Not sexier, but atleast I don't sound like a 10 year old! Hmph.

5) That makes think: Does Santa ever catch a cold? He lives in the Polar's, the coldest place. Imagine him sneezing whilst sneaking in gifts through the chimney. He'll blow out the fire!! Hohoho Hahaha Buhahaha..

Seemingly learnt nothing too valuable..

Happy holidays everybody.. :)

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..

Don't be that daunted! I don't intend to sound too mushy. But I can't help thinking about things that intrigue me, that leave me captured & some have no means of explanation to them.

I get irked on seeing kids that vroom around like Tazmania (read: bugs bunny character), and leave a trail of destruction behind them. You can't stop them, their screams gnaw your patience out to the crisp. You can't use boorish methods to hault them, so what if they've superhuman energies, they're kids! But when you see them sleep? Ahhhhh. The thought that preceeds is a tie-breaker: do you love the sight cause they're finally pacified or is it because they're in their most cherubic state ever.

Ever noticed the effect of an open, sun-weaving, window? Words surpass me. There's a trail of light that slantingly crawls through the window & leaves the background of the room shady & surreal. They're those pretty, normally ikky-ikky, dust particles that dance around in Brownian-movement like little diamonds in front of it's rays. And the effect it's pooled sun-rays does on the floor, tempts me to roast my feet in it during winters.

I've been boggled long by this one: One look at a material makes you perceive the richness of it's quality. You needn't touch a cloth to make sure it's velvet. It speaks soft furry tales to your eyes. You needn't touch satin to feel its viewable sheen & slippery-ness. Or feel pure cotton to see how easily it gets wrinkly & how freely it flows against your body. It's like they have a language of communication of their own.

This one's my all time favourite. They're some people in the world that I can sit next to in my groggiest of moods & feel my dark clouds drifting away. They needn't speak, just their companies or their smiles can lighten me up instantly. No thought process involved!

Many such things, or a few more. I'll settle cozily with the last one, the company that makes me the happiest, like wanting to spell out that Harry Potter charm, Expecto Patronum! No, I don't want my patronus to be a cat! Sheesh, that's so cliche!! ;)

You Give Love a Bad Name..

Edward Cullen, Edward Cullen..

Real life men are so sullen..

CAUTION: This blog is meant for female viewership/readership only!

Twilight readers know what this little pun means. Else allow me to show you who Edward Cullen is. A handsome vampire bloke stuck eternally at age 17, with know-it-all humble intelligence, and woo-them-all charm, he's fallen for the most klutzy & disaster-prone dame, who has no fashion sense or direction in life otherwise..

Men in real life have personalities that are at a 180 degree sun-dial apart than those potrayed in romantic novels or Rom-com movies. Having been blessed in a relationship & observations made from friends in the same boat, I present to you the generic eccentricities of men:

- No, they aren't all that articulate & expressive. Their compliments extend from 1-3 words. After a while, you understand the superlative meaning hidden within them. For instance, nice means fabulous & real nice means unbelievably gorgeous! ;)

- They can't all read your minds. You have to go your way to explain your convoluted Venusian minds to their Martian heads & unabashedly straighten things out. Communication is sharp-jagged key else the lock snaps shut tight..

- You need to dress up, once in a while, they need to get impressed. Unlike movies & novels, some women need the gym, need a fashion designer by-their-side by-the-season, need a cat's brush to straighten their messy hair, & need a filip to dress up-'n'-outta their comfy-casual-jeans routine. It's not because we doubt their attention span, it's a stupid hard-earned way to keep things as effervescent as the beginning..

- How often have you watched a romantic movie & expected the couple to have a major fight, for a very stupid, inexcusable, communication or emotional gap, & inevitably make up for it towards the end? The directors know too well that in reel life, you can't feature more than one major fight, like real life love stories. Most of the times, they aren't that simple, still based on your summed patience, things can be worked through..

- They aren't your girl friends. Sure, if you're lucky their lend you a ear or two. But you can't blabber nonchalantly away to them or explain your trivial little botherations away like needless chatter it all-off-the-chest..

ANOTHER WORD OF CAUTION: Romantic movie buffs have a difficult time accepting reality & can spoil their personal lives, study conducted Heriot Watt Univesity, Edinburgh. John Lennon says 'Love is the flower you've got to let grow'. It needs care & constant attention. Relationships touch you in ways that have no means of potrayal on the big-screen, still there's a constant effort that goes in its blooming. As much as I enjoy a good romantic movie/book, I've learnt to keep my head & my heart in its place before enduring it's side-effects.. :)

Shot through the heart, and you're to blame, Darlin' you give love a bad name!!

Season's Greetings.. :)

The cold, raining & harsh winters;

The spring sweet scented & fresh;

The hot, bright & sunny summers;

And an autumn ground with winged leaves amesh;

I've stood by & let these pass, soon these will be colored different with you..

Desi Beats, Dholak Treats

I'm finally in Banswara, my native town, my wedding settee, a home away from home. With two fortnights left for my wedding, I oscillate between wondering how little longer I have and how MUCH longer I have. No, its not the wedding anticipation, its plain exhaustion..

My fight to stay, rather than flight (literally!), was dominated by my father's suggestions, both coming useful. Hard-earned work & labour involved right now & later. And the nauseous head plunge into people's psyche over here.

It's better not to elucidate the work bit reason here, words don't escape me, I'd rather escape the thought.. People's personality's are more varied than in the city dwellers like Pune. Perhaps I didn't have time or patience to study them, perhaps it's an important aspect of their mundane, routinic lives, to color their thoughts & behaviours, where social gatherings are the only source of entertainment.

Most people crave gossip, besides the fact that it also flies easily to them. But, it's the histrionics involved that makes the gossip more theatrical. While passing info, their faces elongate, their eyes widen, the mouths center on the word 'O'. All in all, they're more juicier than their words.

They're critical not to miss out quick visits (sometime excruciatingly long) or occasions. It's not just time that they may have on their hands, but the value of relationship & networking. Their alacrity & helpfulness is also so overwhelming, that a simple thank-you can not suffix their gestures.

They're quick to wake! Yeah, I caught a nerve, and its sensitive alright! It feels like they're all up by 6, max.7, in the morning! Sheesh, do they even know the value of slothing inside a blankie?? Guess not. Hard working bums/legs/hands.. you get the picture.

Im turning 24 in 60 days, but girls 12-15 years of age, have attitudes & confidences that surpass me. I dunno what they think. It's both complimentary & unappeasing. Whatever the trigger I sure need a wee bit in me. Coz I end up being the kind, timid tall creature among the sharp-eyed, acetic young ones.

Wedding functions of Ali's cousin begins tomorrow. I'm more nervous than the bride. I was hoping to distastefully savour the moment spent with his big fat family until my nuptial vows. Family compulsions oblige me to taste early. The mere size doesnt freak me out, it's the here-comes-the-gonna-be-bride ritual that will silently entail..

Among these multi-striped patterns my life is painting per hour, the hamster in my mind has set itself a cozy corner to watch & not think through its activities. So, helplessly dumb-founded, Im following through.

Manorama Family Drama: Daily Dose, Increased Spiceee..

I'm falling into the abysmal pit of a non-stop churn of an emotional melodrama experienced by the bride's immediate & extended family members alike. Do I like? Yes and no.

This is my second attendance to a family wedding. I don't mean to sound vicious, but Gosh! The plot keeps thickening by the day. They're incessant trials & complaints spread all over the place like mine stones. With my wedding bells drawing near, I get more afraid than perhaps the bride herself.

Why I like: It's an interesting take on how the elders, despite their keen observation & wisdom, are so sensitively invoked every step of the way; to see how the younger generation notes the former yet feigns ignorance as a stance to their happiness ( Still when a choice is needed to be made, they stick to their elders not to their peer's needs); a dip on the wacky psyche of my relatives, they're quickest to make downbeat comments, quickest to see the change of scene but remain tightlipped about acknowledging it, they're the quickest to get offended. It seems that every care needs to be taken to keep them happy, yet their happiness is not entirely in our hands..

Why I dislike: The most direct effect of this melodramatic examination, make me wanna pull my hair by the end of the day. Crazy observation is directly proportional to crazier absorption, work is in progress to negate that equation (if you know what I mean). The bride and her immediate family are not only target to indirect but the direct & strongly vocal fiery badgering of the 'disturbed' lot. I may sound matronly, but it requires so much humility, dignity, and stability to attend to & soothe their emotional quenches.

The Morning Bird Says Cuckoo

It's day 3 in India, and it feels fresh! The weather here today is fantastically breezy, cold & simply loveable.

I've been blessed these days to wake up early, see the transformation of a quiet & sleepy city to that of hustle bustle. To see the sun spread its strong pleasant orange rays around the dark gloomy corners of Pune.

I pay more emphasis to these little trivial things coz Im usually happily snoring away these moments..Ahhh, the sleepy bliss. Oh yes! I'm a sleeping beauty, baby!

I'm tempted to be philosophical 'n' say that the pleasures of making full use of a beautiful morning outbeat that of being tucked in comfy in the blanky.. You got to be kidding me?! Alrite, its a yes-no situation, got to see how it goes.. I've finally done with my Oracle certifications, now project wedding begins..

Focus on the Locust

I feel like a grasshopper on the happy hunt to explore all that's in view of the horizon. The greenery is filled with curious topics like yoga, fitness & calories, recipes & yummy desserts, hormones & women, celebrities & their style statements, also fashion updates, germs & their homely hosts.. Wow! That's endless!

Ive been surfing hours on the internet for a week now, not studying productively. I struggle with my calendar & time sheet everyday. Striking off dates, & increasing my chapter goals per day. What's the point really?

A few minutes ago, mom came in my room, upset that I contribute only to a fixed amount of chores in the house, like room-specific cleaning, laundrying, & cooking.. (Alot compared to the eons where I cleaned as per specific instructions!) According to her it's a woman's job to sparkle & clean every icky-wicky area of the house. According to me, Im doing the most I can, as of now.

Dad's upset I have a curled-up position to study, not meeting his ergonomic standards. Other options? Sitting on the dining table in the hall, which is way more suceptible to audio pollution than my room, & higher chances to walking in my space area! (I should still give it a shot, perhaps the whole formal seating may give me a stronger jerk to focus on studies).

A wanderlusted grasshopper like meself, is indeed seriously exploring various green-ween aspects of my life.. But focusing eagle-eyed on one topic a time, too is important for me.. Here's hoping the hopping style helps me learn more & the eagle spirit helps me master the purpose of my home-bound choice Ive made.

Life's Multiplication on Education

Age 17, I graduate in science from high school to land my dream college in medicine. Fortunately, I get diverted. I was insouciant to the matter eventually, I'd be a depressive geekily pedant if my life would have followed that course.. 5 years of bachelor's, then another master's, then another..Like reading those 3-4 degree accrediations of a doctor, somehow makes you dually amazed with those jibberish abbreviations & despite your lack to understand them, you feel relaxed you're in good, educated hands. I digress..

I learnt: education comes in two forms: the real-time hard learnt lessons of life & the conviniently grounded medium of books. Ive always been complacent about the former method of teaching. So what? Id think, someone will take care of it, I can always ask somebody, I'll learn later, when the time comes..

When the time comes, the curtains will open, I appear wise, beautiful & kind. No, Im not stopping, Im also an expert at multi-tasking, and amazing humorous.. Ta-Da! Like 5 minutes reeling off-the-screen, the sloppy girl-in-distress is transformed by a bunch of people: some holding scissors-brushes, makeup & acessories; some holding a rack of embleshed gorgeous-tailor made clothes; and one in particular teaching her how to walk (with a book on her head), dine (with multiple cutlary sets), and be seated with grace. Ahhhh.. Rewind please, who teaches her to deal with life?? Answer's simple, dealing with life herself.

I know, I know. Rome wasn't built in a day, I bet'ya Alexander sure hoped it would have! Like any creation, my life has multiple aspects to it. I need to grow them all, need to be on the edge (picture me swooshing by a mountain cliff on my motor-bike.. Ok, I think of being the hot-smart-woman-in-action, get over it!) I start now by taking responsibilities for my decisions, taking control over my life, being the independent me..

Self-Motivation Self-Preservation

So Ive being trying (attempting, nearly succeeding) to study. Yes, after a year's break, Im back to certifications & the whole jigbang about being a certified professional. The outcome after 6 days of snoozing my cell phone alarm from 7 to 12 in the afternoon, Im dissstracted!

My aspiron laptop is quite convinient actually, all the e-books I need, the programs installed, the method to research over the wi-fi internet. Hold it right there! That's the bug, Im glued to the internet and all things related and Facebook (a reliquished reform sprung back for pure entertainment. Im blushing, but its fun!). Ofcourse all this, combined with the fact I found myself a comfortable curled-feline place to sit, and duely-sacrificed my house-chore responsibilities in the name of education (Picture me burried under books, yeah right!)

Then I wake up after a tumultous 5 day self-struggle, to hear my sister tell me that the elders have conspired against you. Their final verdict: you either study AND bring your good-child manners out again, or you end up doing only the latter! You're reading right, I just have to clean, broom, fold, wash, tidy, and cook until I land myself a job(searching for one took a backseat coz: (a) I cant possibly study & work at the same time (b) a software developer like myself lands onto a job after weeks of persistent searching.. after some searching I ate out my persistence).

I wake up, with these thunder-gong statements, clean the house (process involving 3 hours. I didnt do much for days you know, there's mess facing my turning eyes) Now, Im curled back into my study place. Not studying really, but very aware that to preserve I need motivation; either self or externally induced, the lack of one desperately needs the emergence of the other.