Sunday 14th June, 2009

I felt like such a ball of mush!!

Little Women and Good Wives

Post contains spoilers

These books are by Louisa May Alcott and translated in मराठी by famous writer, poet शांता शेळकेas चौघीजणी. Set in late 1800 and early 1900 USA, the March family, was my moral barometer as a kid! When I read it for the first time, I was way too young to understand the reasons for that. But as I grew up this book taught me something new every time I read it though there's nothing groundbreaking about the story, though it is set in late 1800s, though the girls wear muslin gowns, floppy hats and go up the slopes to collect pine cones and play croquet!!

It maybe when I was in standard 5 or 6 when the translation was launched and आई bought it. I think she must have mentioned that she would let me read it once I am a little older! That did it!! I HAD to read the book right then!! I managed to read almost a quarter before I was caught and आई had to give up and let me read it!!

I instantly fell in love with all four sisters. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. And being quite a tom boy myself, Jo - the tomboy and non-conformist sister of four - was my personal favorite! And the boy next door - Theodore Lawrence aka Teddy was in my opinion the epitome of a great buddy!!

Since the day I have read Jo calling Teddy, well, Teddy, I have hoped that some day I shall call someone Teddy!! And shall have in him all that Teddy stands for!! Many friends (V and Sid especially) have come close to it but never quite made to high standards of Teddy!! Closest till date has to be S and well, though Jo didn't, I accepted my Teddy's proposal!!

I have longed to read Dickens because March sisters loved it and have wanted to have a weekly paper published! But I think my sister was never the types and I, too, never had enough creative juices for it!! But drama society, well, that was quite different!! I tried to fulfill this dream in school!

In my teens I had a big dream to backpack in Europe and the germs of the same can be traced right back to this book!! This book gave me the idea of a surprise gift bought with your own money for the first time and my family has had to endure a lot of those right to a pair of socks for dad!!

I have cried buckets reading about Jo's loneliness when Beth dies. I can still remember the typical summer afternoons when I would be cocooned in some corner of house and reading and crying and feeling all sad.. I remember all too clearly the tug at the heart and sting in the eyes. I have (as I grew up more so) understood Meg's struggle to keep the marriage on even keel and not lose sight of things more important while battling everyday demons.

It is so amazing that more than 100 years later and in a completely different part of the world I have related to this book all my life!! Simply because it is talking about some things so fundamental! If you have not been privileged to be acquainted with these sisters, I suggest you hit the classics section of your bookstore right away!! It will be worth it!

Late in the May! Well, early in the June!

It is that time of the year again!! My most favorite time to look up at the heavens is back!! My office is basking in the afternoon sunshine just like the last year!! But the lawn that was just stitched up last year has stabilised through he year and the transformation makes these days even lovelier!!

On a side note, we had a glowing, radiant Beer and yummy, blushing Cosmo this Saturday night at a joint we frequent!

All photos courtesy my (new!) Blackberry Curve 8900!! Not a great camera but an amazing phone!! I just love how it made that beer glow!!

Being Lazily Happy

on weekends means getting up at 8am and feeling like getting up! 

Having a great coffee, breakfast and conversation at Wad with S, X and R. 

Visiting the up and coming construction site that I am so invested into (pun intended).

Finishing veggies shopping in time. 

Lounging at ma's with nothing to do.

Having a chillaxed lunch.

Getting a long and happy nap! (Highlight!)

Going shopping in a cute little boutique with S and R and finding some lovely stuff!

Buying some good books.

Having some great 'sabudana khichadi' and Kingfisher Draught Beer!

Watching IPL final and Deccan Chargers claiming the cup!!

Perfect~!!

Image Courtsey: Google Images and this blog

The World of Extremes

This world is so full of extremes! We all know it and still it continues to surprise me almost every single time!! 

Case in point - recent political and therefore, impending economic developments in India. Two people expressed two opinions to me in a span of 24 hours. While one thought now within a 100days(thanks to Mr. Singh's plan) the face of India will change, India will decouple fully (please note that all the reforms he kept asking for were to do with liberalisation and increased global exposure!), the other distressed that Congress will be 'themselves' for another 5 years. (Ask him which party was his choice and why complain if by being 'themselves' UPA indirectly grew his salary ten-fold in last five years and you won't get no answer!) 

What do people want?? Everything?? Or they simply do not know what they want??! 

Another fine gentleman said to me, now the real estate will zoom past the earlier highs in no time. Why? Was UPA buying/hoarding real estate across the country?? Then why will this happen overnight - even proverbially overnight?? The equity market is allowed to swing wild and show a thumping sentiment but not a market like real estate will behave that way! And another nay-Sayer on the other hand insisted that real estate in on a doom's day path as government will 'actively' (note the choice of words) bring the prices down! Where are we? In a Communist run country or a disctatorship?? And which prices? Only of the end product or the raw material as well? Is it impossible for the new business models to emerge in such a scenario?? And in any case this chap is buying a house to stay!! Talk hypocrisy!! 

Honestly!!! The right of speech in democracy is so well abused!! 

Including by your truly!! :)

After a long hiatus!

The only thing that this post is - is Random!

I have realised I am the minority in this city. I voted.

Barring the fact that the lady at the booth got over excited with the painting stick it was a quick one.

I saw a man wearing a pink shirt riding a pink scooty!!

The reptile friend visited my window cill again!

A very very dear friend lit up three weeks in April! Hugs Snigi! Loved having you around and re-connecting and talking and laughing and bitching and partying!! She actually prompted me to take a half day off and travel to Mumbai to party! Very unlike me!! But we had a great time!! 

Pre-Monsoon Showers

It is raining like mad house right now!! After a very hot afternoon about 4-4:30pm in the evening it suddenly became very breezy and by 5:15 it started raining and it is more than an hour now and this is relentless!! The sound of the rain is so loud in this metal topped single storey structure that it is useless to talk on the phone and we are almost shouting talking to each other in the office!!

Rain is treated with a mixed emotion on any construction site. It is a very painful season to work during as water wreaks a havoc on speed. But it is always a welcome respite for a worker after the endless and tiring heat! We treated this rain with exact same emotions!!

I wish I had a better camera though. My Blackberry curve camera is the most unsuitable apparatus for catching the light and motion.. But still I took pictures because I wanted to remember this rain.. how it felt.. how it looked.. 'cos some things about these days I don't want to forget in the usual marathon that my life is!