Long time

So it's been forever and three days since I blogged. inspiring.

I don't know what it is with commitments - professional and personal. When I have my boss breathing down my neck asking for regular status updates, I kinda start doing the work after I'm tired of making up activities that I could use as an excuse for all the time that had passed until then (facebooking and gtalking - no doubt). But when it comes to my own blog, I don't catch myself being pressurised into writing anything. In fact it works the other way - I'm lazy to the point where I wish thought recognition (akin to speech recognition) would just read up and publish straight from my head, so I wouldn't have to be involved at a deeper level :P

What's been happening all this while? A lot - got married, moved to Bangalore, changed companies. Still do the same work, have the same friends, talk a lot in the cubicle and don't blog for a living.

I probably lift more than just a finger now at home thanks to the newly married status. (all of 1 year). I don't know how becoming that is for an indian daughter-in-law, to only be able to make an endless supply of coffee every day and the occasional roti that's occasionally round. But then I'm not sure that's my "true calling" so I could just give that a pass. Also noticed that all my kiddo friends have joined the bandwagon and decided to get married. Some of them blog about what they cook everyday - I find this helpful but alas, it only ends in my imagination where I fry that last fritter, drizzle olive oil over some grilled aubergine or watch everyone lick their lips in appreciation of my stupendofantabulous gajar ka halwa. Not happened yet - and not happening by the looks of it.

Then there was the time I tried being regular at music classes again. That went well for a year - I joined the group, we practised and performed for a couple of shows and I got accolades for all the potential talent I possessed. I also realised that there was considerable effort required if I wanted to get serious at this. Something I wasn't sure I could give time to. Sometimes you don't want to be so serious at a hobby. Sometimes it's a hobby that you actually resort to when all else has bored you beyond comprehension and you turn to the hobby to provide some respite. The last thing you expect is for the hobby to turn around and tell you take it seriously. I'm still in the middle of making that vital decision - Do I want to be this super duper IT professional who also aces at carnatic music and gives tens of concerts every year? Do i want to just relax and let music help me transition to a higher level of bliss - something that can still be achieved without taking it that seriously?

I think it all boils down to just one fact. None of us appreciate anything or anyone controlling our lives. We all want to be the free balloons that float high up in the sky - no strings attached - literally :) We want to do what we want to do, at our own pace, for ourselves and a few people around us. We dont like being dictated to, we don't want anyone to decide life's course for us. Fair enough. Some amount of karma does catch up however to get that balloon stuck in a tree. And the more you try to get away, the higher the chances of you bursting. The best thing would be to disentangle urself carefully from each branch everytime, making sure not to hurt urself and then moving on.

This is probably a good time for me to start putting my life in an MPP - the dreaded project plan. Maybe I need to organize the clutter, prioritise, label and mark, save and discard, breathe down my own neck for status updates and see if the timelines are met. Cos I just realised, that apart from your parents no one really cares about charting your life. And once you're out of their clutches and into the real world, you're in the driver's seat. Zoom!!

Smiles!

Recovering from non existent blogger syndrome.(bloggers block would grossly underestimate my condition).

A lot has happened since the last time I blogged. Which is true pretty much everytime I blog so let's not get carried away. Thought I'd drop by with a hi, before, as Affy graciously wondered aloud, blogspot takes matters into its own hands and deletes this space that they've been saving in vain in the hope that I might actually surface some day.

And as this momentous occasion also coincides with the birthdays of two of my friends, one being my beshtesht buddy since forever - Sam (duh!)and the other a great friend and co-billi, afore mentioned Affy I thought I should wish them in as many ways as possible. Hence the blog. Who only they visit, so it isn't much of a public forum :P.

But here are a few lines for you two..(You better be reading):

Of cats and babies and gentle lil grannies,
Of playthings, of advise, of a lot of happy times,
ragging weirdos, and giggling at our own private jokes,
mouthing dialogues from all our favourite shows,
echoing each others thoughts, strong emotional support,
braving the dipping balance on our phones,
Sun, Moon and Breeze, the elements lie within,
together we have had the jolliest times, and I look forward to more
cos with us, the laughter never dies:)

To an awesome fwiendship *clink*

Ciao for now,
lets see when I post next (Dont wait with bated breath, cos u might burst from holding in ur breath for that long)

Tagged and I actually did it this time!

Tagged, by Sam(No one else harbours any hope of me blogging, let alone doing a tag)

50 questions..this is gonna be more of self discovery, so if it entertains or bores u in the process, so be it:)


1. Were you named after anyone?
Yup, Jaya(Victorious) after my maternal Grandma, as is the tradition, and Purnima(full - all round) cos I was a chubby lil baby?? or a victorious all rounder.. guess they had great expectations:D


2. Do you wish on stars?
No.


3. When did you last cry?
Sometime this week.


4. Do you like your handwriting?
I should say I like all the types of handwriting that I can pull off, considering it changes every page..but Yes!


5. What is your favourite meat?
Do sweetmeats count?? Hell no..am a veggie..


6. What is your most embarrassing CD on your shelf?
This is kind of embarrassing... I actually have extremely decent cds on my shelf..:( Nothing to crow abt..


7. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you?
Yea Absolutely, who wouldnt?!(I'm utterly spoilt by my friends who've instilled this kind of confidence in me)


8. Are you a daredevil?
I kinda imagine that I could be.. but in reality...naaa


9. How do you release anger?
Apparently I dont know how to get angry.. so I need to yell or be sarcastic(even better) for abt 2 mins, at the max, and If the person with me doesnt interrupt, I'm right as rain immediately..


10. Where is your second home?
School was truly a second home, but of course things change..hmm Music class maybe.


11. Do you trust others easily?
Not really, I dont judge upfront, so I dont trust people, nor am I the suspicious kind..usually take my own time to size them up.


12. What was your favourite toy(s) as a child?
This huge teddy bear who was almost my height (when I was real small), I used to drag him along everywhere pretending he was my best friend!
A car that was remote controlled, Lego blocks, and the most fun plaything(cant call it a toy) - Plasticine.


13. What class in school/college do you think is totally useless?
School: Useless classes were even more useful cos u cud chitchat, so dint mind any in particular ..
College: Human Values: We're almost grown ups, who arent going to really change their value system in college..so that was a bit of a strange class, with questionnaires having a million options to questions like: What is love, What is Friendship and so on, that we were actually expected to fill and then discuss about for one hour every week.


14. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Not at all (I was being sarcastic.. Absolutely yes.. I also heard that its the worst form of communication, but that hasnt affected me either)


15. Have you ever been in a mosh pit?
No!


16. What do you look for in a guy?
Refer to a previous tag - had something to the effect(shudnt be too hard, considering its My blog)


17. Would you bungee jump?
Yup, but maybe with a partner, like Jesse and Rebecca did in Full House!


18. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Oh so That's why, I was hopping around strangely all afternoon...


19. What's your favourite ice cream?
Butterscotch, and Vanilla(with chilli sauce that I had once..awesome!ok..am a lil weird)


20. What are your favourite colours?
Green, Blue, Yellow, Purple, Pink ... (u Did say colorS)


21. What are your least favourite things?
Lying, misunderstandings, inefficiency.


22. How many people do you have a crush on right now?
None. Never did either:)


23. Who do you miss most right now?
All the people I care about are in touch..Thank God for that!


24. What are you listening to right now?
Old Classics by Kishore Kumar - Hum thhe woh thhe aur sama rangeen samajh gaye na


25. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Yellow

26. What is the weather like right now?
Hot!

27. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Yasmeen


28. The "first" thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Eyes, Hair, Smile, Voice


29. Do you like the person who sent you this?
Loadsssssssss, as she say says.. my Tru Blu Beshhht friend!


30. How are you today?
Relieved, doin Good!


31. Favourite non alcoholic drink?
Water!! Ok, that apart Apple Juice.


32. Favourite alcoholic drink?
I dont drink, except from the fountain of Life, gives me a high(How very dramatic, doncha think?)


33. Natural hair colour?
Black


34. Eye colour?
Brownish black.


35. Wear contacts?
Yes.


36. Siblings?
An elder sister, who's also my close friend, philo and guide, who I love!


37. Favourite month?
December and May


38. Favourite food?
Kerala dish called 'Avial'
Dosa of course
Anything that has something to do with potatoes.


39. Favourite day of the year?
My birthday..clocks the most no. of Phone calls, so thats two fav things in one day:)


40. Have you ever been too shy to ask someone out?
Well, I never did, and am not too sure that being shy has something to do with it.


41. Scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings


42. Summer or winter? Spring or Summer!
Spring.. and even Summer..actually love the sun!


43. Holi or Diwali?
Toughie (as in, arent there other options??) ok..Diwali, for the goodies, and for some of the visual treat minus the noise.


44. Do you like your name?
Have come to like it, of late..Always thought I dint look like my name(whatever that means)


45. What book/magazine are you reading?
Erich Segal - Class my favourite.. / Inside Outside


46. What's on your mouse pad?
Some jazz about different kinds of PCs..noticed now that u asked:d


47. What did you watch on TV last night?
SaReGaMaPa...I'm afraid its goin to the dawgs..


48. Favourite Smell?
Fresh, wet, earth ... Nail polish remover .. Mangoes!


49. Have you ever regretted breaking up with someone?
No!


50. Most tiresome thing you’ve ever experienced/done?
Wakin up at an unearthly hour to revise for the 3rd time in class 10 (unearthly then, way of life now), and the fact that I found it normal then, is tiresome now:D

phheww.. Congrats to all those that got through..and since whoever's reading has either tagged me or done the tag, I tag anyone else who's reading this, and wants to take it up.

Cheers,
Jaya.

The good old days are still here!

I was chatting with Gokul the other day, and we happened to mention how 'those' days were indeed, the good old days. Now mind you, we aint that old right now, and could give quite a few kids a run for their money with our 'mature' activities, but anyway, i remembered a 'pome' that I'd written when I'd just gotten out of school, as a result of lectures from the family and elders on how we'd NOW grown up, and should start looking at life differently(I don't see why, I like it just the way it is :) ). I found it after cleaning my room (YES, that's out of my to-do list), and though it isnt a masterpiece, even remotely, by any standards, it was nice to read what I wrote back then.. so here goes, now u bear the brunt :p

There was once a time,
when we had no fear nor care,
we learnt the little things in life,
and had all the time to spare

Strangers came into our lives,
and stayed on as friends,
some were mere acquaintances,
others were true godsends

Slowly there appeared a twinkle in the eye,
a gleam of mischief, one could say,
we began to do things more clever,
the old innocence faded away

Today we stand as men and women,
and have our own burdens to bear,
we wish we could return to that life again,
and have all the time to spare!

Hmm, I guess looking back is a wonderful thing, and the past sparkles immensely when we look through the crystal glass of memory, but in all probability, ten years from now, I'll look back on today, and say "The good old days"..human habits die hard dont they?

I've been tagged..and shaken outta my slumber:)

Sameera Just tagged me (Actually, it was a while back, but this makes me seem less lazy..oops! I just blew my cover dint i?)

Anyway here goes with the whole 7 things issue... Affy 's already provided a lot of information on the choice of the number, I'll just dive in without further ado:

Seven things that I want to do in my life:

1.Make a mark in music(for the pure joy it gives)

2.Go learn how to play the violin(and be regular to class..)

3.Clean my room(It's a constant wish)

4.Get involved in something creative that pays

5.Learn how to cook

6.Eat the stuff I cook

7.Stay healthy even after I eat it (Evidently dont have enuff things to tell u:p..or maybe I dont wanna jinx any dreams;)

Seven things I can do:

1.Sing reasonably well

2.Write everywhere but on this blog

3.Talk for hours about nothing, and sometimes about something

4.Hoard stuff even if I know, that throwing it out would make NO difference in my life

5.Remember telephone numbers/birthdays, even if i dont know the ppls names

6.Cover reams of paper with my inane designs( Some may call them doodles..But I dont wanna demean it)

7.Put up with infuriating people temporarily, and tolerably

Seven things I can't do:

1.Blog regularly

2.Lose my temper effectively ( I get angry..trouble is, no one notices)

3.Talk slowly

4.Listen to people without interrupting at least twice

5.Ever remember when i turned off the alarm

6.Stand misunderstandings

7.One thing at a time

Seven things I say the most:

1.Pooh

2.Puhlease

3.Shy aari

4.Naa

5.Shup

6.Timepass/Aisich

7.Kathe/Kya karte ke kya ki/Kaiku (Hyderabad Zindabaad)

Seven things that attract me to the opposite sex:

1.Intelligence(Not the kind that gives me a complex, just enough to make me wanna respect him)

2.Sense of humour(A lil goofy..a lil wise..will knw when i see it)

3.Smile that reaches the eyes(warm and mischievous)

4.Genuinity

5.Magnetic persona (wit reg to me..not like Mr.Univ - who aint magnetic anyway)

6.The right voice(assuming he knows how to use it)

7.If he has all of the above he looks good to me

Seven celebrity crushes:(This is since forever.. a lil outdated.some of em, i.e..)

1.Zaheer Khan

2.Abhishek Bacchan

3.Arjun Rampal

4.Rahul Bose

5.Madhavan

6.Hugh Grant

7.Matt le Blanc

Seven people I tag:

Are you kidding me? Sam and Affy, the only taggable people I knw on blogspot, tagged me time and again..Which means

Affy (Returning the favour)

Sriram (As long as he's still pending, and doesnt know Sam's already tagged him)

Since I may update this list of info at any point in time, I go on to add

Me

Me

Me

Me

Me

Cheers,
Me again!What a surprise..

To err is humour.

Hmm.. was thinking of what to blog about, and voila.. a Lecture at college(ya sometimes it pays to listen), made me wonder at the nonsense we put up with, in the name of classes, cos here's a lady who thinks her sole responsibility is to re-invent the English language while teaching Artificial Intelligence, like hitting two birds with one stone. So well, she's teaching us some "concepts", and we aint listening of course, when suddenly she starts telling us about pets that we keep in our house, citing poodles as an example.Now the problem demanded that the poodle be fluffy. Alriight we say, but she comes up with her magical touch:

Ma'm: What's fluffy? girls, can u tell me(clever way of saying...my ignorance gives me the power to question)

Class: (bleary eyed, wondering what important event caused her to wake them):fuzz? hairy? (wateva..get done with it already)

Ma'm: (A look of satisfaction hiding her actual relief at this discovery): YEsss, hairy, VERY hairy (One pauses to think of other double meanings that cross one's mind)..Have u seen new-born babies?they're SO fluffy..(oh GOSH, I'm awake now..what the heck did she give birth to?)

Anyway, if that werent enough, we move on, to the all important piece of information she gives, on an example for transformation: "When we were born, we were babies, but now we're not."(You don't tell me..dammmn, I'm numbed by all this knowledge hurtling towards me in one day)

She also likes to repeat herself in ways unintelligible to human kind.. for instance, the time when she wanted to say, (well I dont know what she wanted to say eventually), but she ended up saying,
"The commonality of the common person in the common surroundings of the person and his commonality ......................." (blink...blink....passed out).
Sometimes she emphasises her point with a whole lot of synonyms, figuring she might as well use all the words she knows.Ex: 'Illustrate, graphically with the help of a diagram, by drawing..........'

Other minor statements like "He'll be also useful it" are just a part and parcel of her class, so much so that we're actually lauded for answers like :

Ma'm: U dearr, tell me what i mean by knowledge representation?

Me: eh..um..(humming Aao twist karen..) representation of knowledge?

Ma'm: Yes, Very good ... it is the representation of knowledge, the way knowledge is represented.(I thought I was good at word permutation, but this puts me to shame)


Oh well, if not for her, work would seem more like, you know.. WORK! So hats off to her, for providing the much needed comic relief, even if it's done unknowingly, I need to stop now, and go explain that Cleopatra is NOT pronounced as Cellopatter.. so until next time, its ta from me.

To blog or not to blog, that's the question..

Hey all (okay, I guess it's just 3 ppl now...that too only when I drag them by the scruff of their necks to read this..but anyway.."all" sounds important).

Where have I been?(Someone has to ask..and tats ME) Well, the auspicious inaugration of my blog didn't turn out to be quite that good a moment after all, since my connectivity went for a toss the very next minute, and dint return forever and 3 days. Now this is the 7th occurence (absence, rather) this week, which makes one ask the obvious question..Why do I still pay these guys for their rotten service? Hmm..that makes the two of us.. cos I wonder too, but am content with cribbing interspersed with a dozen calls to the "concerned authority" giving him a piece of my rather small mind..which hasnt scared them so far, and lets face reality, it never WILL either. Anyway the culprits seem to be some boys in the building who think it's funny to rip off people's cables, so we can suffer while they continue with their "sport". Boys will be boys I spose, and ineffiecient cableguys will just be doubly ineffiecient cable guys.

Anyway, the recent lull made me sit down and introspect, and as I reflected(yea rite!) on my life and its purpose, I discovered I have no purpose whatsoever and that the days simply flew past me as Ii whiled away time on the net. In case I was unable to connect, I never even considered the possibility of making use of this time productively, like perhaps, looking at the world outside, the sun, the moon, the stars, my building..aah speaking of my building, I found it more fun to hunt for it on Google's" version of the Earth.

I was quite unsuccessful in my attempt, and while I may cite the concrete jungle as one of the reasons, the real problem must be the fact that I probably have no clue what it looks like in reality, cos my entire life's consumed by the power of the web.Well yes, coming back to the constructive use of time( I tend to drift off topic, if u havent noticed already), I think I've spent more time wondering how I cud while away time when the net returned. These are the most unexplainable habits..for instance, when the TV cable goes off, I could spend hours switching it on and off knowing fully well that it hadnt been restored yet, but when it returns, I'd just curse all the producers and directors for creating that monstrous concoction, namely-daily soaps, and go study instead.Sheez, that actually sounds even sillier (was pretty silly to begin with) when I see it in writing-Gosh!

Ah well, there's more to life than that, and thank God, u might think it revolved around non existent cables if I babbled some more on it, but I'll stop, otherwise my blog might have to be renamed from "shimmer of sunshine" to "a fading glimmer of hope". Of course the return of the all-important cable has a lot to do with it, (I said I'd stop, but i lied), so before it goes on a long walk to the land of no return, I'll post this, and cross my fingers so I can be a tad coherent in the next one.

Cheerio!