Reeta's Ruminations

Summer 2010

2010-03-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

So yeah Skeety is back... And yo! it is summer...Maybe she was in hibernation or whatever...
It has been a nice break and Skeety might jsut be back to posting more often...What makes her pick up the pen..oops keryboard today is the fact that with the arrival of summer her theory 'There are two kinds of people on earth' those who stink and those who are capable of combatting body odour... This post is for the benefit of the former and those (like Skeety) who suffer alongwith:
Never wear the same clothes daily
Smell you armpits atleast once a day and before doing eeeeeeeeeyu think about those who die daily thanks to you
Ask office/home/temples for donation if you cannot afford a nice deo or a thanda thanda cool cool talc
Seek help from dadi ke nuskhey or home remedy tips like dipping feet in light tea water...wear cotton socks only yada yada...
And if you cannot do any of the above keep your goddamn arms down and feet on earth rather than raising them for the world to smell and die...
Save us from the ordeal God
Amen
phbtttt!

Empty spaces...

2009-08-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

...are meant for scribbling :D
Hence, we meet again.
Skeety has found a new shack where she has her evening tea these days. The tea is reasonably good, and is customised for Skeety (green cardamom instead of the ususal ginger, less sugar and so on). But what really attracts Skeets to this shack is a gulmohar tree that so generously parts with its red flower petals and lets them grace the earth below. These petals are what makes the tea time even memorable.
Armed with one of her most cherished gadgets, the camera phone, Skeety walks towards the shack (or the tree?), slides down the cover that safeguards the carl zeiss lens, switches to the close-up mode and clicks the red beauties, while the tea vendor makes the tea.
And yeah Skeety suspects that the tea wala thinks she is mad sitting down in the middle of the road, looking at one petal from different angles before clicking. Perhaps that is why he speaks very nicely to her and makes her tea super fast (ofcourse kidding)... Skeety being the nice, benevolent girl has forgiven the tea wala as he knows not the love for those bewitching beauties..
Here are few of the shots from two different walks to the same place:

Adios till we meet again :-)

Caught Candid with the Camera

2009-06-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

and not by the Camera :P
Skeets holds a sort of a record for being the most silent person...in the house..among friends...in office and everywhere else (except on gtalk).
An insane number of thoughts do swim in the mind but are shared with a selected few.
It is her own quietness that often misleads Skeety to think she is wearing an invisible cloak while she is clicking around town and won't ever be seen.
Time and again she has been proved wrong. Here's how:
*Discovered lying flat on the floor in the corridor of the house experimenting with light, olives, thermocol...
*Spotted squatting near India gate while clicking these pretty things (pic below). The strangers who spotted Skeety giggled. Perhaps they thought she was either insane or plucking flowers or digging bugs from the mud, but their expressions went even funnier when they saw the Camera in Skeety's hands. *Who cares* The love for the Camera transcends all else...

Golgappas can make for Skeeter's breakfast, lunch, evening snack and even dinner. Nothing wrong about that. Till the day she was caught standing on a cane stool (so as to get the black granite shelf in the backdrop) tripod stationed ahead of her...clicking them before digging in.
Ma enters the kitchen and wide-mouthedly stares, laughs and goes off to tell others what she saw. Grrrrr. And Skeets thought the folks were watching TV and she's be done clicking before anyone comes in. *Invi cloak... where art thou?*
Then comes the compulsive obssession to click while the car moves or when it is stuck in jams. While Skeety was clicking the autorickshaw's number plate reading "DL" (the sign that makes Skeety feel happy on roads, the sign which makes her thankful to be living in her beloved city) she notices a man on a two-wheeler who gave Skeety a 'get-a-life dudette' look...
Skeety grinned at the man on the two-wheeler so that he gets to read her mind... THIS IS MY LIFE DUDE :D My Cam... :-) Kat le ab

The Punjabiness in Dilli

2009-05-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

*The title of this post may or may not be directly or indirectly related to the text that follows
**Read at your own peril, don't crib if it doesn't make no sense to you
***A note of thanks and a pocketful of Macadamias to the Nuttiest Nut for triggering the thoughts that led to this post...May your hair shine and glow and become black again :P

We were celebrating the birthday of a gangster (no no don't take that otherwise, Skeety means to say one of the friendly gang members) and another gangster reads the menu and says very cutely 'Ye dimsum kya hota hai'.
THUD
Skeets wanted to hide under the table. No Skeets is not making fun here, rather, just thinking of the various Punjabis she knows and how they react to 'alien' food. This gangsta is known to make peculiar faces at the sight of alien - meaning Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese or Mexican menus. He needs Punjabi food for surival. Dal, Paneer and the likes work best.
Moving on to the Nuttiest Nut.
Staying in London for about three years now, while talking to Skeety on the phone the Nuttiest Nut refers to Mozzarella in Carrozza as 'wo jo cheese ki tikki si thi na'. Skeety fell off the stairs on hearing that. Grr...
Also remembering a handful of other people who brand sauces or dips as 'chutneys'.
*Where's the wall
*Here
*Bangs head!
*OUCH that hurts :(
Okay all the above were Dilliwalas and walis and Punjabis in particular.
The Punjabi league is like that.
They love their gobhi alu, rajma chawal, dal makhani and so on.
*Breaks the rhythm
Skeety is yet again wondering WHY is she writing about food HERE.
*Stares into the abyss
*Starts scribbling again
Skeets was putting a lot of thought into food per se and here's the outcome:
Vada pao and burgers are similar...
Rajma is eaten in many forms, they become baked beans on toast as they transcend boundaries...
Rice becomes Risotto in Italy and Biryani in Pakistan (ok for that matter India too)
Pasta, Maggi and Noodles are shadows of each other...They dance around and change forms...Add/Substract various spices and lo! You have a different dish each time.
Back to POP (point of post): It is amazing to note how baked beans on toast will leave a punjabi unsatisfied (almost as if he/she has not had a meal) while rajma chawal will act like ambrosia.
Same ingredients, same earth, different tastes and reactions.

Delhi Diaries- A hazy morning, a very warm afternoon and a wonderful evening...

2009-05-06T02:51:00.000-07:00

Delhi, Skeeter's city (ok ok yours too) can churn up the most surprising moods. Skeeter was going through the archives and found these pictures. Reflected back on when and why these were shot. The answer are here.
One morning, Skeeter woke up to a hazy sky. It'd rain soon. This happens many a times...The weather goes bad and you are cribbing and cribbing and some more when one morning you wake up to this:

A dhaba near the old office in central Delhi served AWESOME alu paranthas. With mixed achar (pickle they call it), makhan (Skeeter won't call it butter here) and a big dollop of dahi (yoghurt you know it as :P )An evening when you can have elaichi chai with the self would find you somewhere near a nice bamboo swing when the rays of the sun bid adieu to you by kissing the cuppa with their warm glow.

They say Delhi is rough. They say the people are ruthless. They say Delhi is this. They say Delhi is that.To Skeeter Delhi is warm, caring and a lot more. It is her beloved city.

P.S.: Work's getting crazier but Skeeter is fighting for the time to write here...She wins!

T-ea and words bind the world...

2009-04-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

Activity has seen a slump following the footsteps of recession...
Brush, bathe drink, eat, work, surf, eat, drink sleep and again...
This mantra is being chanted in the strictest meaning of the word 'rhythm' everyday...
The cycle was broken this morning as Skeets sat down to read blogs with sips from a cup of Elaichi T-ea held between her palms...
There had been a slump in blogsville as well or so Skeets thinks...
Today it was noticed that most blogs on the blogroll are brimming with activity again...
There are friends who like to share about daily happenings in their lives and those around, about life as they see it, about cribs, about happiness, about their travails...
The one thing that is common in all blogs is words...
It took Skeeter those words from ALL of YOUR blogs to write here...
Skeeter is happiest when she scribbles...
She is also a very happy girl when she sips T-ea...
If beverages could be called enticing, T-ea would top the list...
Delhi is burning, what with the mercury crossing the dreaded 40-degrees mark...
It also means even less of the solo sojourns on foot to the places in Delhi where Skeeter finds her peace...
Those walks around the Kuchas and Gallis of Chandni Chowk are missed...
Those conversations with random Delhiites selling street food on how they make the stuff they sell are being fondly remembered...
Skeeter will not let the heat tie her down...
She MUST start visiting her beloved places again..SOON!
Also, Skeeter would like to introduce you to 30on30.net, an initiative by a friend who is trying to make a difference to a few lives around us...Skeeter had been meaning to put this link up here since long...But then it is never too late...
cheers!

Kasauli-Chail diary dusted, unwrapped...

2009-03-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Underneath piles of pending work, sat calmly, a pretty little diary, waiting patiently to be unwrapped...

In it, were etched in ink, the memoirs of Skeeter's travails to Kasauli and Chail from the tenth month of the year two thousand and eight.

This was a three-day family trip with the base of stay being Kasauli, which is a cantonment town located in Solan, Himachal Pradesh.

The journey was completed in approximately 6-7 hours from Delhi via car enroute Chandigarh-Kalka-Shimla.

Having passed through these busy towns, reaching Kasauli was a welcome relief. From the moment, the road-sign 'Kasauli' was read, there was a dramatic fall in the number of homo sapiens seen around. It does good to the soul at times :-)

Day 1 was dedicated to saying friendly hullos to the cold air, a climb to the manki point and a stroll down the tibetan market. A hearty and filling evening spread followed.

Legend goes that Kasauli came into being when Hanumanji, on his way to getting the life-saving Sanjivani booti for Lakshman, stepped here for jumping on to the Sanjeevani hill. And the place where Lord Hanuman is rested his feet came to be known as Manki point (also called monkey point). The point is situated on a hillock, and is quite a climb for those who are not in good form :P
Skeets or for that matter nobody was allowed to take their cameras or cellphones to the Manki point as there is an airforce station just below the manki point. Initially Skeets was sad. But when Skeets reached atop the hillock she was glad. For now she could concentrate on enjoying the super cool breeze :-) It cleansed the mind of any and every trace of stress.
Day 2 was marked for a luncheon at Chail Palace which is downtown. Thank to Pa's pro hill-driving skills, the car and the family returned without any scratches, for the roads that led to Chail were so narrow that Skeets is amazed till date, how all that tricky driving was managed.

The picturesque drive lasted 1.5 hours.

Deodars, pines and rhododendron trees make the drive majestic.

The palace was eerily calm. One keeper of the gate, no visitors in vicinity and sprawling but silent lawns greeted us.

The entrance to the palace donned a grand chandelier and the reception was unmanned.

The Palace now owned by the HPTDC, was once the residence of Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, who had made Chail his summer capital.

It was a relief to see the dining hall filled with few guests.A Himachali lunch was called for. Himachali kadi, chole, some greens with himachali wadiyan, prefectly boiled rice and a few more dishes that Skeeter is forgetting.

A very satiating meal it was. Dessert followed.

What we missed: visiting the Chail cricket ground which is touted to be the highest in the world and doubles up as a polo ground as well.

Then the drive back to Kasauli began. The trees had the most vividly coloured climbers which almost made the entire valley look as if it was an illustration straight out of a fairy tale book. Barely five minutes after the drive started we were greeted by a gang of Langoors. Sigh* couldn't click them.

On way back Skeets noticed the following population density signs of towns that fell on the way from Chail to Shimla. Just imagine if you live in such low-density place. I'd call it heaven :-)
Mahog - 74

Sakori - 136

Dinit - 29

Shilru - 408

Machine- 234 (Yes that is the name of a place)

Sainj -146

Kotla -84

Enroute we noticed the Kasauli Brewery touted to be the world's highest again. Also saw the mushroom farming area. These two along with a ride on the Kalka-Shimla toy-train (world heritage) remain on the top of the agenda for the next visit whenever it happens.

Day 3: To Chandigarh briefly and back.

Enjoyed the evening in the Kasauli tibetan market eating corn on cob, noodles and what not :-)

Those things they do!

2009-03-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

Aloha!!!

Awfully long breaks Skeeter takes at times. Eh?

This time she's back with a comtemporary story.
There lives a girl who madly badly wanted to watch the Oscar winning movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

She waits for a much awaited holiday from work and goes all by herself to see the movie and purchases a ticket.

Upon purchasing the ticket, a few moments are spent in getting frisked at the movie theatre.

That done, the wait for the theatre to open its gates begins.

Nachos and cardamom tea are purchased. The girl turns around from the snacks counter to see the theatre doors open for entry and ushers in.

She seats herself on the assigned seat (passage one as she had requested), and the movie begins.

40 minutes into the movie, and her cellphone rings.

An unusual call from a usual number.

The serene mood changes into that of ghastly disbelief.

She rushes out of the theatre to talk to the person who had called.

On talking she realises that she had wrongly presumed a working day to be a holiday and would have to rush to office that very moment.

That girl, dear readers, is none other than:
Reeta Skeeter

Still

2009-02-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

Click on the image for a larger, better view
Just felt like posting this here :)

CAUGHT laughing (red-handed)!!!

2009-01-31T05:30:00.000-08:00

Ojas tagged Skeets, and Skeets TWISTED the tag :D
According to the original tag Skeets was to write 10 random things about the self. Skeety is writing only one.
Now, this is something not so random about the self, but has been crossing the mind for a post here: Skeets LAUGHS like there's no tomorrow when she is in front of the computer.
If we were to study in school at this age we'd perhaps be asked to write an essay on My Computer. Haha. Okay okay Skeets knows she is a two hundred and fifty eight year old, and is not supposed to attend school. But then, studies can never be complete. One learns all through life. Muggles may differ (laughs out loud wickedly).
Comes back to the POP=Point of the Post.
Well, Skeets has been caught laughing in front of the computer like N number of times by mommy dearest as well as other members of the family.
Skeets has also been declared insane. The reason being some equally insane friends who pop-up on the Instant Messenger windows with some of the whackiest lines possible.
Or perhaps, a fellow-blogger's post would make Skeets go khi khi khi:)
Ditto with the mobile phone. One funny MASS SMS as well call it from the funny bunch of friends or a message meant just for Skeets and you can find her laughing out loud in a public place for something like 300 seconds (5 minutes). And what follows ofcourse are some uncalled-for stares. Does Skeets care? Nah! Democratic is the country she lives in :) Laughter de-stresses like anything. :)
In the first open-ended post here...Skeets wants to ask all the readers a question:

Do you LAUGH when someone says something funny on Instant Messengers or SMS-es
---Or do you just chuckle
---Or do you say LOL but do not really laugh?
Shout out! And yeah keep laughing :D

The mystery of Thums Up TASTE THE THUNDER!

2009-01-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Crazy nights!
Eh!
Forcing Skeets to post about food at Reeta's Ruminations instead of DFZ.
No probbies.
Both are cuties.
Skeets returned home from work.
HUNGRY.
THE dinner box which couldn't be had at work was opened @ home.
Gobhi (cauliflower) paranthas (Indian bread)...
No, actually Skeets had half of the two allotted to her :P
These, hogged, standing at midnight on the kitchen shelf.
Ok Skeets was not standing.
The plate was sitting on shelf.
Skeets was standing on the floor.
Accompanying the HALF gobhi parantha were the carrot pickle and 1 Bikaneri papad or poppadum. Bikaner is a town in Rajasthan. Famous for its papads.
Thums Up was the only drink available at the ghostly hour (or so she thought).
No probbies.
Hunger ruled supreme.
We shall overcome.
When Skeets finsihed half of the half gobhi parantha she poured Thums Up in the mug (glass wasn't available either).
FROTH floated at the top of the Thums Up drink.
Wonder if they have a tie-up with Surf, Ariel washing powders?
No? Nirma perhaps?!
Scratches head.
Stops such thought from disturbing the tastebuds.
Finishes meal.
Not hungry now but sees PEPPY (round tomato flavoured chips/discs) and grabs the pack. The producers try to call peppy poppadums.
Skeets refuses to acknowledge that name.
Half a glass REAL mixed fruit juice diluted with water (Skeets loves her teeth...the less the sugar the better) follows.
This post was being written in between sips of juice and bites of Peppy.
Hunger made Skeets forget spellings.
Google rocks!
Search revealed something EXTRA!
The weird taste of Thums up (Skeets thought it was Thum"b"s Up hence googled) that must've been recollected by your taste buds when reading the name of the drink in this post (and Skeets is sure you must've said eeeeewwwwwww) does remind one a little about betel nut (supari). That describes the weird taste.!
Mystery solved.
Betel Nut + washing powder flavour= Thums Up!
Hence, the tagline= Taste the thunderrrr!!!!
Skeets doesn't mind Thums Up once in a while. Smalloo's liking for Thums Up has made Skeets' taste buds accustomed to the unusual taste. Here's the little something that wiki has to say about Thums Up:
Thums Up is a carbonated soft drink (cola) popular in India, where its bold, red thumbs up logo is common. It is similar in flavor to other colas but has a unique taste reminiscent of betel nut. Introduced in 1977 to offset the expulsion of The Coca-Cola Company and other foreign companies from India, Thums Up, Limca, and Campa Cola gained nationwide acceptance. The brand was bought out by Coca-Cola who later re-launched it to fight against Pepsi after
unsuccessful attempts at brand killing.

Ciao!
:D
Keep Smiling.
Skeets loves her blogs and shall try to be regular now on.
Tada!

Ghajini: All that does not make sense

2009-01-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

A movie depicting violence released at a time when the world needs peace messages from any and every means of communication.

A movie in which the leading man wants to take revenge even when he is suffering short term amnesia (such is the extent of vengeance).

A movie that one wouldn't like to watch when the sole intention is to unwind with close ones.

A movie which Skeeter reckons would be liked only by students of courses related to Media/Film/Art/Direction et al as they would get some fodder for criticism.

A movie where a medical student is depicted in such poor light that the role portrayed by her can help redifne mindlessness and stupidity.

A movie which showcases that the Indian film industry is still capable of churning out the same old stories polished with better movie-making techniques where the hero can pack a punch at the gang of goons and they go flying away (one punch each is enough). It also shows that Indian directors are still ardent fans of Hollywood stories (Ghajini thanks Momento).

This is what Ghajini is all about.

Go watch for a laugh if you feel rich enough to waste money.
Skeets had a dreadful time watching the movie and is still recuperating. Wish her good. AND Skeets must add here that this had NOTHING to do with the fact that she suffers from amnesia herself and has to rely on her cellphone reminders to go about her daily chores. It is another thing that Skeets forgets to act on the reminders :P

But yeah it did give Skeets some goosebumps. Thank God she hasn't reached the kind of stage Aamir Khan's mind was in ( in the movie).

As for all of you here's Skeets wishing a happy and peaceful 2009.
Cheers!

A Magical comeback

2008-12-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

When just about everything was going wrong, YOU KNOW WHO rescued Skeety?
No prizes for guessing JKR did it.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the latest offering from the author who penned the 7 series Harry Potter stories. Skeety picked it up on Day 1, as per the ritual followed by all Potter fans (Skeety can never decide if she is a Potter fan or a Rowling fan) worldwide.
Rowling is back with this book containing five oh-so-lovely fairytales along with footnotes from none other than Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Skeety has finished reading Chapter 1 so far. A confession- Skeety reads all Rowling books as slowly as she can, lest they are done with in a jiffy, and Skeety is left craving for more magic.
It is indeed a little cute and silly that Skeety keeps looking at, and touching the book whenever she happens to pass by it. The reason being the cover is as much a STUNNER in itself as are the contents.
Skeety found herself smiling for a good number of hours when she got this book :)
Here's a picture for you to oggle at :P
This book has played a crucial role in assisting Harry, Ron and Hermione, to wipe away Lord Voldemort.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard has been translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger. In 2007, JK Rowling came out with seven copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Each was handwritten and illustrated on vellum, bound in brown morocco leather and mounted with different semi-precious stones (How Skeety wishes Rowling gave her one such book). Six of the books were given by the author to those most closely connected to the Harry Potter books over past 17 years; the seventh was given to Children's High Level Group and auctioned by the charity at Sotheby’s in London.
Life is getting better.

If Only

2008-11-20T22:40:00.000-08:00

Rolls of laughter...

Leg pulling throughout the day...

Lots of love and warmth, you did spray...

You may have left us, your memories will never keep us away...

I'd even let you have your say, and call me a 'kid' in your very own special way...

If only God would let me have my way....
(In loving memory of a dear friend)

R.I.P. dear Kitty

There shall be light and...

2008-10-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

a post SOON...

Updates, updates and more updates!!!
Skeets has been well...
Skeets been to Kasauli and is back to Delhi...
Skeets has a lot to share...
Skeets ain't suffering from no writer's block or whatever they call it...
Skeets is much busier than usual but does not see that as a reason not to update...
Skeets doesn't have access to the internet from home...
Skeets shall be fixing that VERY soon...
Skeets shall have this place all happy and chirpy...
Skeets misses writing here a lot...Till then...

Here's Skeety wishing a Happy Diwali, Happy Halloween and a joyous festive season to all her blog buddies :)

London through my Lens: ALL in a day

2008-09-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

Dated June 24, 2008

She doesn't let me free,
Lest I flee
Or worse I go and drink a pan full of hot T... (T-pan..wink wink for those who know)

Ok ok this was not-so-funny.
But what was funny was that one fine day when Skeety was in London, she wanted to go about alone. And The Little One wouldn't let her go for the fear that Skeets might get lost or run into trouble.
Logic worked fine here. Skeets does run into funny situations but doesn't mean she can't take care. Infact, when she is alone, she is MORE wary of whatever is happening around her, than she is when accompanied by family or friends.
Anyway after all the catfight and more Skeets turned to be the winner and was free to go out and explore London on her own.
Bus Number 427 to Ealing and there onwards a tube to Central London (Little One are you listening? Skeety still remembers this route and all others :p )
Wasn't really a good day for Skeets mood-wise, but Skeets turned it into one of the best days she could give herself...
What Skeets likes best when she's on her own is:
*She can explore as much of the place she is in, as she wants...
*She doesn't feel bad about the other person (in this case The Little One) being tired but still having to bear with her...
*She is not answerable to anyone about any of her acts which might be deemed to be funny by others...
*Being on your own gives you a chance to explore your head like anything...pending thoughts that need pondering...pending talks with the self and so on...
*Best of all, Skeets loves her own company more than anyone else's...

Back to June 24...
Skeets' head full o' thoughts...went out in search of peace for the mind...
A three-four hour long walk through the greens and others colours of Hyde Park... a softy down... lots of questions answered by the self to the self... lots of pictures clicked of the self and all that surrounded...lovely leaves...huge trees...people enjoying a lazy afternoon...others working out...practising outdoor sports to achieve perfection...when one sees all this happening around...life sure does look beautiful...

Skeeter's next stop was St.Paul's Cathedral.
Situated in the heart of London is St.Paul's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of London city. It is said to be situated on the same site where a church by the same name stood before it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

This dome was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome:

Below is The Great West Door which is also the main entry to point of the Cathedral.

And last but not the least, as Skeets was returning home she was awarded a free summer show which took place just outside St.Paul's.

Phewww long post. Was long pending.
Adios till we meet again!

Murky trails...

2008-08-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

While travelling to work the other day, Skeety saw this Ogre of a car swoosh past the water-clogged roads, as also an old man and other pedestrians walking down the footpath. This old man that Skeety writes of, was wearing a white Kurta Pyjama(an Indian dress). And as the owner of the Ogre car whizzed by, the colour of the white spotless Kurta Pyjama of the old man turned brown.

BASTARD!!! Skeets muttered.

The old man gazed at the car with little anger, and then carried on trudging in the same manner as he was previous to this incident. His gait reflected his unperturbed state of mind. As if this was a daily occurence. As if he had forgiven...

No preaching this, but requesting all car owners to mind their wheel. Owning a car doesn't buy you a license to be rude to others.

Ho shuru har din aise....

2008-07-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

While away from Dilli Darling Skeets missed:
* People
* Gallis and kuchas of Old Dilli (no prizes for guessing this one, or any of these :P )

And then after THUDDING Dilli, Skeets hasn't had a chance to grace those lanes yet...
But, Skeets' love for the place is omnipresent...
While washing hands this morning, Skeets came across a bottle labelled:

Gulabsingh Johrimal,

1587, Dariba Kalan,

Delhi-110006

It was enough to bring a smile and some wonderful memories back to Skeets...
Ho shuru har din aise :)
For memories are made of these...
Have a Good Day!

The Tower Bridge Drama

2008-07-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Skeety's been out and about for a while now, and the time has come to share some or maybe all that was seen. So, Skeety chooses to share today the pictures of one of her favorite Victorian Gothic Style buildings, the Tower Bridge of London, which is also an engineering marvel. Skeety was lucky enough to capture the drama through her lens' eye while the bascules were closing after having allowed the river (Thames) traffic to pass by. Presenting the same:
More Information can be read HERE

Sankalp- The Vow

2008-06-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

A resolve to fill lives with light,

A pledge to make futures bright,

A vow to set a few lives right...

In the city of brass - Moradabad of western Uttar Pradesh, await to be unleashed some untold tales of injustice, of childhood fading away, of hands that work with tough metals instead of holding soft toys, of diseased bodies and minds that need cleansing and soothing, of forgotten human values...

On one side of the river, are people who mercilessly involve children in the hazardous activity of brass manufacturing to make more and more money from cheap labour, and on other side of the same river are people who work for the betterment of these children.

These people are from Sankalp (Ask India's oath for child rights).Skeety's friend Prashant is doing some good work for which he needs a pat on his back and maybe some foodie points :p

To know more about Sankalp click HERE

To help Prashant in his noble gesture click HERE

Back after a hiatus...

2008-06-07T00:28:00.000-07:00

Hola!
So Skeeter's been lying low. Eh?
Thanks Eastmancolor for your comments...They prompted me to update...
Skeety admits being partial to Delhi Foodies' Zone, hence it did get updated.
Skeets sooooo missed visiting the blogs of all her blogger friends...Tanu Blotter, Backpakker, Asha, Anita, Woody, Vanilla, and EVERYBODY!
She's been visiting a few though...
All this while, this was what was happening with Skeets:
Skeets went out and about to Kinaari Bazaar and the super squeezed lanes of Chandni Chowk to get some clicks. Skeets basically loves to get lost there. It is like a journey back in time. Simply surreal feeling. Balmy. Does a mental detox on Skeets. So much so, that when she come back to new Delhi, she feels as if she is a character from the Mughal era (some princess or the likes) who has stepped out of a history book. Try imagining that for real...hehehehe. (Drozzy, PUHLEASEEEE don't be cheeky.)

All this while, Skeety's been just running around trying to get life sorted (hehe yeah that was to avoid details :P ).
Skeety's laptop's display conked off. She's been terribly sad.
Skeets also chanced to visit the Mani Tungyur temple, which gave her a lot of peace and space from people.

Below is the Mani is carved with the Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum.It is the Mantra of Compassion, chanted by Buddhists. Om Mani Padme Hum is believed to be the mantra of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, of whom the Dalai Lama is believed to be an incarnation. Believers circumvent the Mani, chanting the mantra to themselves...

That's the story so far.

Happiness.

The Delhi Diary

2008-04-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

So fellas, enough of boring the self as well as friends who visit Skeets here with SAD stuff...
Life is about happiness, energy, sharing, and caring.
Caring, the word reminds me of the frequent abuses I get to hear about my Darling Dilli. Have been meaning to write a post on the same ever since, and finally found some motivation:

This signboard, Skeets read whilst on way to work and was happy to see 'My Delhi' written there. Skeeter almost jumped out of the car on seeing it. Then, she took out the camera and clicked instead. ;)
To all those who hurl abuses at Dilli... Dilli being this and Dilli being that, and the others who call us Delhiites names (ruthless, rude, insensitive and what not) I would like to say: crime is everywhere and bad people are omnipresent. Rather, if all the world were to be sane, what would be the fun living THAT sorta life?
Skeets is keen on sharing one of the many good moments in Delhi with some of the kindest people she's met. On two occasions, Skeets remembers visiting the famed Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi wala in Bazaar Sitaram, old Delhi (post on Delhi Foodies' Zone is pending). When Skeets visited the place for the first time, she asked a lady to give her the directions. The lady was kind enough to not only give Skeets the directions, but make sure (by keeping a stern eye) that Skeeter reached the place she desired to go. The second time also the same got repeated. Skeets knows the narration of this incident is not enough to calm your hot heads, if you've had bad experiences. Infact, dRoZzY, a Delhi-lover and a dear friend keeps forbidding Skeets (dramatising the consequences) from venturing to Old Delhi unaccompanied. And Skeets has had a hard time explaining to him that things are not bad there in that part of Dilli. And that reminds Skeeter of a pending tag.
dRoZzY and Ankur have tagged Skeets on a rather long questionnaire. And Skeets is in no mood to do a tag for now, so she thought of writing about these two fellas (which happens to be one of the questions in the tag). Skeets shall therefore be saved from the accusation of dishonouring a tag. Here goes it:
dRoZzY...One of the bestest friends (no no I am serious). Has the distinction of making Skeets lose her calm ONLY on one occasion (we are generally in harmony). Amazing sense of humour. Can easily pose as one's dad or dadaji for that matter, if you begin listening to his advise rather seriously (*bhaago*). Lazy bum, would get out of the house on a Sat/Sun only if he has to get his car repaired, take mom-dad somewhere (he charges for the same), or has to meet a gorgeous girl :P .
Is Skeety's crib sponge (soaks it all in and never says STOP CRIBBING or probably just pretends to listen :P) and gives some wonderful and intelligent advise. Always ready to help at the beep of the phone. Thinks he is Arnie's clone. Has a little diary in which the secrets of all Delhiites can be found. By the way, he knows more than half of the Delhiites. Can strike a bond with anyone (and when I say anyone I mean it) at an ease which is unique to him (quite commendable). Is one of the few people capable of making Skeets laugh when she is down. And these are the things we have in common: We love ourselves like crazy, love food, love Delhi (he only pretends he doesn't), are born detectives, are wicked. And yeah he writes well too, only when in the mood.
A gem of a person.
dRoZzY dear,
you can use the above bit to impress girls.
*giggles uncontrollably*
Skeets know your reply.

Ankur urf Anky Panky...Thinks of himself to be the Azeem o shaan Shehenshah of Delhi. If you come across a guy pointing to Hrithik Roshan's poster of Jodhaa Akbar and saying 'this is Ankur', don't think he is insane, you should immediately know it is Anky Panky. Deep thinker. Can solve all problems through logical reasoning. Loves to travel, can click some great pictures (only wish he clicks more), loves his food, loves Delhi. Very helpful. His mood swings make Skeets angry at times. Is Skeety's Partner (no we are not giving out our business plans here). Movie lover. Buzzes me everytime there is a great flick on TV (even though I end up watching only a few).
Besties Partner!

The Slumber

2008-04-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Skeety's personal space read: Misty boulevard strips, Crazy drives, Rain-kissed Delhi...
Long Crazy Drives.
Silence.
The sound of air.
The sound of the rain tapping on the metallic body of the car.
The music that is born when the rain drops fall on the windscreen...
These seem to lift up Skeety's spirits like none can.

So was the case with Him. His tale is different though. Thus it went:
She is madly in love with Him.
That day, She boarded the bus that would take her to Scotland.
That is where He lives.
Eager to see Him, She very restlessly spent those unending 'few' hours in the bus.
Before boarding the bus, She had received an SMS from him: Waiting for you Darling.
The journey finally ended, and she knew another one was about to begin: A short and sweet one.
The two days she would spend with him, would give her the strength to be away from him for the next two weeks.
She was proved wrong.
For He had gone.
Forever.
He had crashed Her world.
He had died of overspeeding, after SMSing Her.
Drive Safe.
Life is Precious.
These are not just words.
They can save the world of those, to whom you mean everything.
And Skeety doesn't care if she got repetitive here.
(P.S.: This is a true story)

Dilli Dilwalon Ki

2008-04-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, Skeety's been acting weird of late.
Never has she written stuff in hindi.
And now, look at her...
Blame the Ghalib overdose for eeet ;D

Scroll down and see Dilli Darling (aka Skeety's royal skid)...
Rain-kissed, misty, full of life...
In love with Dilli forver...
Reety Skeety

Mausum khushnuma ye dekh ke, dil Dilli ke aur kareeb ho gaya hai...
Yahin raha hai, yahin kho gaya hai...
Har boond baarish ki, mitti mein kuch aisi milti hai...
Goonj ke dil se Dilli Dilli aah nikalti hai.

The Doomed Dorms

2008-03-16T03:11:00.000-07:00

Speaking with Deepa is like digging up a treasure cove. Enticing stories, vivid perceptions and killer ideas come twittering out of the conversation like a swarm of butterflies throwing a riot of colours around.
The colours that came out and about this time, were, however, DARK as Deeps shared with me an account of her first visit (for work) to a women's jail.
Here's what she scribbled:

A deathly silence greets at the heavy concrete high walled prison in Meerut. Inside, the wind ruffles the quiet tree, the cold walls stare with bleak eyes, the peeled plaster bares grim realities, even as a lone squirrel strives to climb up the tender branches of a new plant. A stony, eerie claustrophobia grips in the dark, icy room. The chirping of the birds in the afternoon sun is a dull monotony that rises to a crescendo in a deafening, bone chilling rhythm. And yet, pink flowers blossom on a peach tree. Hope springs amidst gloom and fear...

And then, a small question (to someone else) from the restless question princess that resides in Reety Skeety led to the reaffirmation in her belief against taking up Law as a profession after spending three years studying the subject: Wrongly denying justice to someone brings in doom to that party and those around them. And to you, it brings upon the burden of having done a wrong which is even grave and unpardonable, if not in human eyes, then in the eyes of the greater force that rules the cosmos.
Anyway, these were the questions asked by Skeety and the answers that followed -
Q: A day (wrapped up) in jail is like:
A: A normal day where people get up ...use the dirty smelly washrooms cum kitchens, read newspapers ...play cards..excercise...make small talk...think...cook....have lunch n dinner ...joke around etc.. and finally sleep off.
Q: Is it the same as shown in flicks?
A: Flicks have it dramatised. Its more real. But yes...societies do exist there.

May justice deliver the innocent.

Engaging walks...

2008-03-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Went for a walk to Connaught Place.
I am now at least half-a-kilo lighter after the long walk ;)
Clicked like there's no tomorrow.
Went on to Sitaram Bazaar in Old Delhi.
Glided past some beautiful old houses.
In them, lies the real heritage of Delhi.

They can give the so-called posh houses of South Delhi, a beauty complex.
Saw a netaji ki rally. Pooh Pooh at that!
Ate some real good street food. Kuremal's Kulfi and Baburam's golgappe for the records.
Long Lovely Day.
Ended it with a warm water foot-soak, followed by a generous splash of refreshing peppermint spray on the tootsies.
So, this is how I celebrated Pea-NUT's birthday.
Notes to the self: Pliss walk more often. Pliss wear sneakers daily. Pliss Pliss Pliss.

Mela calling!

2008-02-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hola!
Skeety's just arrived from the Surajkund Mela (Haryana). 'twas her maiden visit there. Have little to share in words, except that:

* It was FUN.

* Had buddhi ke baal aka candy floss after eons!

* Spent one day exclusively with mommy.

* Apart from the Mela, saw the Surajkund as well.

Notes: The Surajkund, as the name suggests is a water tank (now there's no water there), believed to have been constructed by Raja Suraj Pal of the Tomar dynasty. It dates back to the 10th Cnetury A.D. when sun worship was popular in India. The shape of the kund resembles that of the rising sun curving eastwards. This is due to the semicircular stepped stone. The bed of the kund is 130 metres in diameter.

* The Punjabis rock and will always do. Loved the folk songs.
It is on till tomorrow only. So, if any of you can manage. Runnnnnnn!
P.S.: This mela is held from February 1-15 every year :)

The little one...

2008-02-07T23:26:00.000-08:00

She came, she saw, she conquered: me, us.
And then, she moved on, to conquer the world.

Starry eyes
dreaming skies.
Little hands
holding on tight
Oh, the way they fight (me).
Unruly hair
I used to tie them in a pony (fountain-style)
my little noneee :D
She sits somewhere there,
gazing out of her window, forlorn,
wishing we all were there (together).
Her chuckles,
they still reverberate through the walls of the house...
The naughty tricks,
How, together, we watched them, flicks.
I sit here (thinking her),
Only wishing she was near.

Happy Birthday to Nearly Headless Nick!
Love You!

Why...

2008-02-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

...does this blog get more hits and comments than my other (and favourite) blog Delhi Foodies' Zone ?

Dilli Ki Sardi: An Ode

2008-01-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

Hit the sack

With a hot water bag

Like a lazy hag :D

No fireplace to keep me warm on the no-sunshine day

My five-finger socks help keep the cold away.

Behold the legend!

2008-01-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

The most enticing stories that I have heard, read and seen as a child come from The Mahabharata (one of the two great Indian epics).

One such story is about the Pandavas (read about them here) and their escape from the Lakshagrah (Lac Palace). And it only got better when I got to visit a place that bears testimony to the story of Lakshagrah.

A small town called Sardhana (near Meerut) is home to Mahadev temple, where the Pandavas are believed to have stayed and prayed enroute Lakshagrah.

The story goes like this (This version I tell you, from what I can recollect having read, written and seen):
Mahabharata ensued (sort of), when among the two heirs to the throne of Hastinapur, Dhritrashtra and Pandu, Pandu was installed to the throne; Dhritrashtra being blind. Later, after the death of Pandu, Dhritrashtra succeeded the throne.

Mahabharata was the war fought between the two sets of Chandravanshi (decendants of the Lunar Dynasty) brothers: The Pandavas (Five sons of Pandu) and Kauravas (100 sons of Dhritrashtra). The war, to install Yudhishthir (the eldest Pandav) on the throne of Hastinapur.

The story of Lakshagrah is of an abortive bid by the Kauravas to kill their Pandava brothers. And it goes thus:
Duryodhana (the eldest Kaurava prince) invited the Pandavas to Varnavrata (now called Barnawa) to join some festivities. Duryodhana alongwith his scheming maternal uncle Shakuni got built, a Lac Palace or Lakshagrah, for the Pandavas. This Palace was built of Shellac (highly combustible) and other combustible materials like wax, jute, fat etc.

Great meals were laid and other arrangements par-excellence were made to make the stay of the Pandavas luxurious and memorable.

The ghastly plan was to set the Lac Palace afire while the Pandavas were asleep.Kunti (mother of the first three sons of Pandu) was accompanying the Pandavas to the Lac Palace. They stopped at Sardhana enroute Varnavrata for a night's stay. There, Kunti had a dream that Duryondhana plotted to kill them at the palace they were headed to and that they should be weary of fire. In the dream, Kunti was told to establish a Shivlinga at Sardhana and pray there, so that the tragedy-to-be is averted.

The Pandavas accordingly prayed and established the Shivling at Sardhana before proceeding to Varnavrata. This Shivling can be seen at the Mahadeva temple. There exist great believers of the mystical powers of this Shivling. Efforts have been made in the past to lift this Shivling up, but everytime such an attempt was made, this Shivling slid beaneath the ground. Finally it was decided to let the Shivling be.

Below is the picture of the same Shivling. I chanced to visit the temple, thanks to my benevolent and charming hosts Deepa (who forced me to visit Meerut and then Sardhana), Shuchi Bhabi (who in turn forced Deepa to bring me there) and her family.I got to witness the place that bears testimony to the one of the most captivating stories from ancient India. Thank You soooo much!Story continued: When the Pandavas reached the Lakshagrah, they could see that the palace was made of combustible materials. While pretending to enjoy their stay at the Lakshagrah, the Pandavas secretly dug a tunnel which could lead them out of the Lakshagrah. They also figured out (with the help of Vidura, an uncle) that Purochana (a servant of the Kauravas) had been assigned the task of setting the palace afire.
One night, when the Pandavas were done digging the tunnel, they fled the Palace using it. Bhima, who was the last to come out of the tunnel, set the palace afire and Purochana was burnt alive while he was asleep. The Pandavas then travelled in disguise for some time, till they reached Hastinapur. But then, THAT is another story.
The remains of the Lac Palace can still be seen at Barnawa and I wish to visit the place sometime soon.
Deepa, are you listening?

Whoa, this is the longest post I've ever written, but, it could not be any shorter.

To the Fairy Land and back!

2008-01-07T09:31:00.001-08:00

Scribbly Skeets went to the Fairy Land on the weekend.
She wanted to get lost there.
She did.
And now she is back.
Fresh.
SOFT.
Sparkling.
Grinning from ear to ear just like the Cheshire Cat.
She sprinkles some Fairy Dust on all of you.
Keep smiling and be happy.

Hey You!

2008-01-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

Yes Yes YOU!

New Year greetings to all of YOU from Scribbly Skeeter :)

Skeety's feathery scribbler sweetheart

Skeety tags Mr. Missing Ankur, Miss Backpakker, Mr.Chaiwala Prashant, Mr. Lovely photocurry Deepak, Miss Sneaky Peeky Juhi, Mr.Khachaak Bobin James, Mr. Case gone S, Mr. Bohemia Subbu, Miss Host of the MAD MAD tea party Anita, Miss Cooking Mommy Asha, Miss Woodsmoke, Mr AC funny sheikh, Miss She is, and Mr. Gayab Talwar to put up on their respective blogs, a picture that they have clicked, which is -

Either: Very close to their heart.

Or: the best picture (according to the self) they have clicked till date.

Choice is yours guys and girls.
I am quite sure that you would enjoy the process of selecting that special picture for this special tag.
It is a happy tag by happy Skeeter :)
And yes I am putting up mine. Two actually.

Update: I am sending the following picture for Bee's Liquid event :) as recommended by Asha.

The Chaiwali's Cuppa (her style)

Keep Writing!
Keep smiling!

Movie Rules and Movies RULE!

2007-12-21T22:10:00.000-08:00

Skeety went for a movie and came back cribbing (in the head) like a 100-years' old granny. Oops! Okay agreed Skeety is 257.
Picture this: Skeets with a ballooned face, muttering and muddling hurriedly under her breath; walking fast.
Funny.
Anyway.
For self-satisfaction, or merely putting the cribbing mind into words, Skeety came up with a set of Movie Rules, which obviously none will follow :| ; but which, if followed, will make movie-watching a pleasant experience.

A Queue is a Q is a Queue.

It will move faster IF and only IF all are just a little more patient.
None will drop a single precious popcorn (slurrrp), none will spill their drink if the queue is followed.

Make it a point to reach early for the movie (atleast 10 minutes prior).

This way some good people who have reached before you will be saved from the displeasure of seeing your head in between their anxious eyes and the screen, while you are trying to locate your seat.

Keep your digicams, sweets (chewies), data cables, other such stuff at home/in your car when you know you are going for a movie.

People who have already taken pains to do that, face the displeasure of standing in long queues for their turned to be frisked. Utter displeasure that!

When using public loos (read the ones at the movie hall) or for that matter the ones at home, ALWAYS remember that time seems to stretch itself longer when you are on the other (out) side of the loo.

The ones standing for their turn will miss more of their movie than you will (all because of your 5 extra minutes in there).
So be quick. Ha!

Mind your feet!

If you have paid money to watch the movie and enjoy your 'seat' others have done that too! If you have long legs, make them stay put. Do not disturb those sitting in front of you by kicking their seats every now and then.

Keep your mobile phone on Silent/Off mode. The aliens are watching!

Dobby Tobby

2007-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Budday to buddha boy Dobby!
As you turn another year old, and your hair starts graying faster than ever before:
You must start using a hair dye,
You must quit liquorice candies,
You must not trouble A anymore,
You must not steal baby food,
You must not jump like Jack when you see pink perus (pink is for girls remember?),
You must give up chooran and supari,
You must gimme all your budday presents,
And you must never stop taking pangey wimme ;)
Miss ya!

A-M-B-A-S-S-A-D-O-R

2007-12-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

Dilli ki Sardi is making Skeety happy. To mark the beginning of the winter months, Skeety visited the Purana Qila. The Purana Qila is RED and splendid. It is vast too! It goes on and on and on. And on!
Skeety could only have a dekko in about the two plus hours she spent there. A longer visit is pending.
Here's a sneak peek :)

Another day, the Crazy Princess took Skeety on an AMBASSADOR ride! Delhi's very own vintage car. Skeety likes the fact that the Ambassador (first seen on roads in 1948) is still used by parliamentarians. The newest one is called Ambasaddor 'Grand' and has undergone many changes.But here's the battered one Skeety sat in (look at the AC closely), and believe me you, it was NEAT!

Romancing the Red

2007-11-21T05:13:00.000-08:00

The romance with the city rekindles as the thick fog embraces the Red.

Red, signifies to Skeety, the eternal beauty of Dilli. Dilli, Skeety's Darling.
A splash of Red here and a dash of Red there, bear testimony to the Red past (not violent, but beautiful).

The most captivating of them all, stand the walls of The Fort. Red again.

Red, is what Skeety thinks, would have been the pre-dominant colour in Delhi during the Moghul era.
Marrakesh might be the Red City to the world, but to me my Dilli is Red.

Nuttier than the Nuttiest Nut!

2007-11-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

Of all the things in the world, I was 'eating' and that too a very nice meal (I am NOT telling what), when doll FLASHED before my eyes.
Dhatttttttttttt!

Nuts is nuttier than the nuttiest nut,

She did a vanishing act, but,

Tut Tut Tut.

CUT

Humming...

ये न सोचा था इतनी याद आओगी तुम...

Some posts are meant to mean nothing, but, then :)

An outstation post

2007-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yo! This is Skeeter's first outstation post ever!
Skeets is posting from Haridwar on Diwali night. It is 11:25 pm. All are asleep. This is too much yaar! Can't be sitting/lying in a hotel room. Na na na...So decided to visit blog dear. Initial plan was to sneak out of the hotel. Went out for a little while. Maza ni aaya. Thandiiii si hava chal ri hai. Skeets has taken ill of late. Too sad. This sinus is killing her now. 30 days and no signs of reprieve. Fish!
Have been hearing some non-stop chatter from Brother Bear since two damn days. I pray for silence.
Have also been warned NOT to click picturs else some sadhu uncle would kick me in the Ganges! Now, this is three much! Bhaisaaaaaaaab main pagal ho jaungi!
The place is NEAT. The sound of the water is so inviting. Wanted to go there and sit for a long long while. Alas!
Missing Delhi already. Can't wait to go back.
More later :)
Happy Diwali to all!

Skeeter scribbles

2007-10-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Ah!
So!
Skeeter's skates skid...
And here's her first bid...

Dil Dilli mein hum chod ke chale jayenge
Khud ko is kadar door le jayenge
Dilli pukarti rahegi humein
Aur hum kahenge....
Hum ayenge
Hum ayenge
Hum laut ke kabhi na kabhi zaroor ayenge!!!

Oye Oye budday boy! Oye Hoye!!!

2007-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Blazing Boy!
Raising three glassis for you!
Ek glassi... do glassi... teen!

Last year, this day, I was still to give you a 'certificate' and now see :D You got it :) Life's like that.
Bereft of words, I am. Still, I want to thank you for being there, for the endless hours that you drive to lug me from Gurgaon to Delhi and back that make me feel so so so very special, for the lovely company at the lunches and dinners and the in-betweens (they form the backbone of Delhi Foodies' Zone and keep me beeming as well), and then I cannot thank you enough for being there for her, for she forms such an important part of our universe. And o' course for everything else.
*Hugs*
God Bless!!!

Mirza Ghalib, brought to you by Skeets

2007-10-14T01:20:00.000-07:00

Ye to kaha ki unke aur humare zayke kaafi mel khate hain, par ye na kaha ki hum unki haveli ki kuch jhalakon ko qaid kar le aaye.

On one of my 'off' days, officially and mentally, I walked down Gali Qasim Jaan at Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, to have a dekko at Ghalib's Haveli. Nah, I am no fan of his, just general curiosity and search of solitude took me there. I reached Chandni Chowk by car, got off, hired a rickshaw (just for the fun of it), and reached Gali Qasim Jaan. The rickshaw-puller kept pedalling his (read our) way forward, and I remained mum, awestruck (as always) by the old world charm. Mouth open, eyeballs out like that of a frog's, whiskers up, Skeets must've made quite a picture. Haha. Heee. Gawddd. I have noticed this before, that when I go to places of particular interest, I tend to forget that I have a tongue, and that I can speak. If there are people with me, they think I am unfriendly, or perhaps plainly uninterested.

His last photograph

That day, thankfully I was alone. And as I rode past the narrow lanes of Ballimaran, a gong rung somewhere in my head and it struck me that I would have to ask for the directions. Lost in the rustic charm of that part of Dilli, I had reached way ahead of my destination. People were friendly enough to guide me and my rickshaw-puller to the Haveli. The Haveli, as I gathered from my 1-hour stay there, was where Mirza Ghalib stayed during the last phase of his life. What is interesting is that he stayed there as a 'tenant'. Only a part of the Haveli remains now, as it has undergone quite a bit of alteration and demolition since Mirza Ghalib's death. Thanks to the efforts of the Delhi Government, some portions of the Haveli have been turned into a Memorial in remembrance of the great Poet.

Err Mmm Ufffff

2007-10-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

It is gross. I am embarrassed every time it happens. And I do not know what to do about it.
This woman, yes a 'woman', call her a girl if you please (as if I care), has been haunting me for the past 10 months now.
Maybe more.
She is some sort of a freak. So much so, that as soon as she appears anywhere near, I almost wish I knew apparition and disapparition. Till that time the loo, the stairs, the baag, the bagiche, the road, the terrace, they all do it for me. They provide me a place to escape her sight.
Now, she comes and stands near me and says... Aaahh! Your hair smell lovely! *Run to hide*
Then, she comes to me and says, WOW! You are wearing an amazing perfume. *Sigh*
When I eat, she comes and says, your mom makes lovely aloo paranthas. Tell her that I will come home and eat at your place. *Buzz Off!*
Another time she enters the place and says, You make me jealous, you got such a nice hair cut. (She says this at a time when I am cursing myself for having got my long hair chopped off. Hmph!)
Pretty shoes, will you take me to the shop you pick them up from? She asks.
Skeeter tells her the name of the shop, but she insists that she would go with Skeeter and only that. *What sins have I committed?*
Conclusion: I have to re-think if I have a right to smell good, dress well, eat well, speak well, write well and what not. I swear I will strangle her some day. She is killing my patience brutally.

Afresh she starts...

2007-09-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so even though I can't say much here (security concerns haha), but then I can surely say something.
First things first, Thank You Deepa for my renewed interest in 'You Know What'.
I am fresh, kicked, up and raring to go.
Have been listening to Panchi by Jal and this line goes like...Ye raat abhi dhal jayegi... ye baaaat abhi badal jaayegiii :)
Have been wondering since eons now that when would 'it' happen? And all it took to happen was a phone call from you.
Oh I am so so so nostalgic. As if I have arrived yet again. As if this was what was missing all these years.
This is where I belong. THIS IS ME.
Rediscovered!
Praying it continues. Praying it never stops. For I am not myself when I am not at it.
Yo!!! You rock, I rock, the world rocks! Aye!!!

Assets that people play with...

2007-09-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Monday night, I was standing in a small queue at a famous ice cream parlour. Something cushiony, hard hit my elbow. CUT. A week back I was on my routine visit to my favourite vegetable vendor. In the little space that I occupied beneath his stall, something huge and soft hit my elbow and was literally driving me into the blood-red tomatoes that I was picking up in my basket. CUT. A few months back, I used to take the Delhi Metro while coming back from work. There were these lean guys and girls whom I observed being constantly tortured by the same cushiony thing. And the thing I speak of, is not the 'one and only', but many of the enormously huge bellies that the overweight Unclejis and Auntyjis happen to use as an asset in times when they break the queues, pushing innocent little creatures like us, and having their go first.
Now, to the first Uncleji at the ice cream parlour, I gave a peace of my mind by declaring aloud my status in the queue. He got nasty stares from all around and I was happy with that. The second Uncleji at the vegetable stall was about to get a chance to know how strong my elbow is, but I refrained at the last moment, because I figured that there was very less space and he could not fit in there without intruding into my space. God is merciful. For, later on, when I saw the face of that man, he turned out to be a friend of dad's. Haha.
The Unclejis and Auntyjis travelling by the Delhi Metro are the grossest! They do it for fun. And it can cause severe injuries to their fellow travellers. To deal with them just nudge them a little (not much) hard in their food tanks and walk off. Rude as it may sound, this is the only way to teach them a lesson, and perhaps inspire them to lose weight. ;)

Ratatouille

2007-09-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Rating:
**** Starry Sparks
A delicious movie, tastefully directed, appropriately sweetened, mildly spiced and beautifully served.
Ratatouille, is the story of a rat named Remy, who wants to be a chef. He accidentally lands in Paris and teaches a young man Linguini (who has no culinary skills) 'how to cook' and 'cook well'. Remy discovers a secret about Linguini and helps him become the master of Gusteau's restaurant. The plot revolves around the journey of the twosome (which is incomplete without the other's presence in their lives) and how they churn out the finest Ratatouille (a dish having its origins in Nice. Originally, it was prepared in the summer with fresh summer vegetables) in France.
A MUST WATCH.

The many facets

2007-08-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

I was gifted an oil burner. Lighted it up and poured a few drops of sandalwood oil. Ten minutes later, the air was filled with its balmy scent, giving me a high of the sorts that can't be shaped into words for people to read. Neither can it be shared with readers by way of pictures. Nevertheless, I share some pictures of this lovely gift, which I shall cherish forever.

Thank YOU dear for this, and much more.

Chandni Chowk mein CHAPPAL...

2007-08-20T03:10:00.000-07:00

...toot gayi.

Legwork down the gallis of Old Delhi can be highly intoxicating. Like a kid has to be dragged out of a toy shop, I dragged myself out of Chandni Chowk. After having done the business I had there, no matter how hard I tried, I found myself not budging an inch. Awed, I was, to be in those constricted byways of Purani Dilli.

It was a first visit in ages. A lot has changed, and still, a lot remains unaltered. I admit, if I have to go there daily, I'd choke. Yesterday's visit was an impromptu one. And the pleasure derived from it, is inexplicable.
There she was, shopping for her wedding outfit. I knew she wanted me to be there. And with a single click I popped there. The mammoth task got over in I think a little over five hours (which according to me was super-quick). We were at this shop 'Anarkali', where this sales-boy was putting in all his might to sell us his stuff. Having tolerated him for quite some time now, when the decision (regarding the outfit) was finally made, I was most eager to leave the shop. And it was then that he caught hold of us again. He called to her in the tone of a whisper and with a chuckle he said Ik gal dasan hun twhanu...Ai na Jiju nu na dikhana! Una leyi enu surprise rehn dena (Lemme tell you one thing....Don't show the dress to your fiance, let it be a surprise for him). Quite nonsensical, but then that is their modus operandi, and that is how they 'think' they make loyal customers. Also shopped for some Indian sweets for Mr.P.
On the way back, I was left alone for the 5 minute walk to the metro station that I managed to stretch to about 30 minutes. Couldn't help gazing around me. The garmi did not seem to deter me from admiring the place. Neither did the overcrowded streets. Though on more than one occasion I did find myself swearing aloud at passers-by. And then, Chandni Chowk mein CHAPPAL toot gayi.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, but then one thing you really can get free in India is free advice. Girls tend to get a lot of it. In the Metro, if I prefer to stand some mudblood would say "madam baith jaaiye" and presently, when my footwear malfunctioned in the midst of the busy street of Chandni Chowk, this old chap says "pick it up in your hand" and some more blah that I didn't even care to hear. Huh! Guess he wanted me to walk barefoot on the muddy, animal waste laden streets. Anyway, this old chap, giving free advice got what he deserved by way of verbal action from me. I don't mean to be rude, but then I am fiercely rude when it comes to men trying to act superior in any way.
Anyway, the journey continued and I have promised myself a longer lasting trip to Chandni Chowk as soon as I get the next best opportunity. For, I was amazed to find a big McDonalds' outlet standing there, trying to lure customers from the paranthewalas.
The rest needs to be explored.

What's the fuss all about?

2007-08-11T01:21:00.000-07:00

Being a foodie is the bane of my existence. I love my food, I love eating out and I love my experiments with all kinds of cuisines. But with the bliss, comes the undesired baggage that I have never asked for, hence the bane. The baggage that I speak of, comes in the form of body fat.
I've been cribbing to myself over the weight for quite sometime now and haven't really been able to do what I've been wanting to do in order to check it. Sitting in front the workstation for 8 hours, only getting up to go for lunch or tea or a trip to the loo, has done a lot of damage already.

But, Thanks to A's wonderful company and my brilliant idea, that we found a way to fight the fat.
Fighting the fat is something that I simply cannot manage do on my own. I need company. I need motivation. The motivation came from V and A both. V always takes the stairs whilst I prefer the lift, and A is moody.
Yesterday, A and I decided that we would take a break from work anytime during the day and climb up and down the stairs several times (starting with 2 sets a day).

Two sets, and we were down and out. Nevertheless it was a beginning and we hope the exercise continues till we decide to move on to a harder regime like gymming et al.

With the self

2007-08-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

Sixty minutes extra in my kitty and I could have a power-packed day. Get out of the bed, laze around a while, make my own cardamom tea and alongwith, a 'healthy' breakfast, read a newspaper, sort the mess (if any) around, arrange a few things that have been pending since ages, read a few pages of a magazine or a book that I've been wanting to read since quite some time, and that gets me going for a good day ahead. Sounds dreamy? Eh!
This is the REAL picture of how it happens: Get out of the bed, no time to think, straight for a shower, a glass of milk shake for brekky, some mad running around the house to gather all that is needed, out of the house in 40 minutes flat or even less. Phew!

Skeeter gets Tagged

2007-08-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

If I rememer correctly (bad memory mine, you all should know about it by now), this is the first Tag I am executing. Thanks to J. I was tagged once before by none other than J, but simply kept delaying the post. Then J moved to another blog, and I was no longer obliged to do it.
Life is hell at the moment and I am forcing myself to do this tag to vent out anger, murder boredom and drown thoughts.
J wants me to write about the kind of people I judge.
Here they are:
1.Those who don't have the balls to do what they preach.
2.Liars, who think they are smart and also that the world is a fool.
3.Those who despise others about their ways but do the same things themselves.
Ok, this makes me even angrier. So, I end here.

The secret ain't a secret no more

2007-07-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

Got to lay hands on the first copy of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' that arrived at Famous Book Store (Janpath) at 6:25 am this morning. Yipee! Have read the last few pages first, so that nobody spoils the fun for me. It isn't the way I wanted it to be, but then not everything happens your way. I am Happy. No cribbing. No. No. And yes, I am not giving out the "secret" here; even though the websites and news channels all over have aleady done so. To all Potter fans I say Happy Reading! Enjoy!!!A special THANKS to Grain Saint for asking me if I had pre-booked my copy of the book. That's what got me into action. Me was just being a bum, then realized don't wanna be late. :D
JKR reads from the book. Lucky children them, who got to hear it in person.
And here are my countdown pics:

YAYYYYYYY!!

Dilli ki Baarish

2007-07-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

As I sat in the office (two days back) filing stories on Mumbai's wicked rains, the Rain God seemed to be engrossed in a conference with his deputies: 'To send or not', the much awaited Dilli ki Baarish. And today(now yesterday 2nd July) was the day they zeroed in on. Though it didn't help but it happened and that was enough to save Dilliwallas from atrociously humid weather(which has just improved slightly).
Dilli ki Baarish is not as famous as its Sardi or Garmi, yet it has its own charm: 1.It makes you wait (for itself) like crazy 2.Then it comes and throws your life outta gear 3.And o' course you can enjoy yummy pakodas be it at home or from the local sweet shops that make those (ok no more food talk here).
Here are a few things I've loved doing on rainy days. But before that I tag Ankur, Anjali, Bobin, Chandrachud, Drozzy, Grain Saint, Manasi, Mr.Mazak, Pritika, J (I know I still haven't finished your tag), Pratish and Rohit to do the same.

And now for the things I have enjoyed doing on rainy days:

* Finished work early on a Sunday (yes I work on weekends), pulled a chair and sat with a copy of Brunch (a magazine by Hindustan Times which had rain on the cover page :) sipping Tetley Elaichi Tea and enjoying rain wash (not literally) Delhi from the 13th and topmost floor balcony of my office.

* Visited a Spa
* Clicked pictures while driving (read being driven) down my favourite stretch of road (by Red Fort).

*Sat by my friend's window in Pune watching the various shades of green outside, while we chatted endlessly.
*And now for the best: Sat on a rock in Lonavala, wearing a windcheater, and had bhutta (corn) while the rain washed away all the lemon and masala that was put on it by my host.

And here's yet another!

2007-06-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

I come back home and find yet another attempt(failed)!!! Will they never give up? Ufffffffff!!!

Lights and all that Jazz

2007-06-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

Home after a hectic day at work(as if other days are not so) I find yet another desperate attempt to lure me into putting the tubelight off at night. If I am comfy with it on, what is anyone's problem? Anyway I find these li'l thingies cute. God knows where they fetch 'em from! I will have a huge collection in some time. I'm quite sure of that. Maybe I can have an exhibition of lights then! Huh!

Laggey Raho!

2007-05-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

Finally caught the dudes in action yesterday!

Life in a.. Metro and Spidey sickness

2007-05-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

I happened to catch a movie on the first day in months on Friday, the 11th. Thanks to the enthusiasm shown by A. When I say 'catch' I mean it literally. We went at our best speed to catch the Delhi Metro to ultimately catch 'Life in a... Metro'. We even took a cycle-rickshaw for the shortest distance so that we could get the tickets on time and not miss out the trailers :D
And now the review, well, sort of.
Rating: 3.50 Starry Sparks
The first rating I gave was 3.25 starry sparks, but then I changed it to 3.50 starry sparks. The reason being that I was so put off by the pairing of Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali that my initial reaction was a screeching WHY and then followed the 3.25.
Anyway, first of all I applaud Anurag Basu, the Director saab. He has brilliantly woven the story of the nine protagonists of the movie; a landmark that not many Indian directors have been capable of achieving so far. Then, hats off to the Konkona Sen-Irrfan Khan starrer scenes. The duo compliment each other very well. Kay Kay Menon's performance is a fine one as you come out of the theatre hating him. That is precisely what his role should actually make you feel like. But I found the Shilpa-Kay Kay pairing a bit odd. Then o' course there are these 3 guys who keep humming a tune and seem to be omnipresent. As soon as they see a philmi situation happeneing, they pop out onto the screen and start off. Vele log! :D
Storyline - I ain't giving out all. Just an outline.
Rahul, (played by Sharman Joshi) is a call centre executive who loves his colleague Neha (played by Kangana Ranaut). Ranjeet (Kay Kay Menon) is their boss. Neha has climbed up the ladder of success way too soon as her boss loves her. But they have a non-commital relationship. Ranjeet is married to Shikha (Shilpa Shetty). They have a daughter and a married life that is on the rocks. Neha is Shruti's (Konkona) roommate. And Shruti is Shikha's (Shilpa) sister. In short the nine protagonists are linked to each other in some way or the other.
Okay..I could've written more here... but I do not want to confuse you guys. Rest you should find out for yourselves if you plan to watch the movie. But I would like to add here that the movie depicts the lives of ppl in a metro (Mumbai here) very well.
Acting:
Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen - Par excellence. Shilpa Shetty - Worth an applaud.
Shrman Joshi - Good.
Dharmendra - :
Nafisa Ali - Pleasant as always.
Kangana Ranaut - Poor.
Shiney Ahuja - OK
Kay Kay Menon - Perfect.
The downside:
1.The Dharmendra-Nafisa pairing.
2.Ranaut's strange acceptance of Sharman's love (it wasn't tastefully done)
3.The treatment of Shilpa's character towards the end of the story (She should've taken a step that was bolder, bigger and better)

Best Scene: From the Climax involving Konkona and Irrfan (who is superb!)

Spidey Sickness

Imagine him on this building :D

I am not well. I really need to see Spiderman-3 to be good again. Whenever I stand in the balcony of my office building, which happens to be on the 13th and the topmost floor, I get this feeling that the evil Spidey dressed up in his black dress will come climbing this wall. :D No I haven't lost it. It is just Spidey Sickness.

Some days are just purrfect!!!

2007-05-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

And I enjoyed one yesterday :)
A shopping spree it was...My cupboard boasts of some nice summer clothes now and the darling digicam is back to life. Yes! I finally got a new battery charger.
And while I had just begun cursing the weather, the Rain Gods showered mercy and plenty of it :D The icing on the cake was the fact that we were sitting on the first floor of a restaurant with wide glass windows. Our table was laid next to the window and watching the rain drops slip through the windowpane was like visitng Paradise.

We signed off with a cup of Blackforest Gelato (which happened to be the flavour of the week) each :D

And yes all this happened on a Sunday, a day when I rarely get my day off from work!

For all those who take Harry Potter to be a kids' thing

2007-04-27T00:56:00.000-07:00

Have been hearing people calling Harry Potter books as Children's fiction since eons now. Without meaning to start any kind of war here (I hate fights) I would like to say- If a book revolves around kids it does not automatically become a children's book. JKR never wrote the book (first and others) with a target audience in mind. Here's a quote from the author: I never thought about writing for children, children's books chose me.
In another interview of hers that I had read long time back, she said she wrote the book for herself. Simply meaning that if the book is good anyone can read it.
If somebody who knows I love HP says 'hehe' or 'haha' or press their lips to suppress the smile, I also suppress a smile and think 'GET A LIFE DUDE! DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR! BUY ONE HP FOR YOURSELF.' This is not just for them, but all visitors to ma blog: DO READ AN HP ONCE IN YOUR LIFE :)
If I am sounding like an obssessed HP/JKR fan then be it. NO regrets!
I am sad that the HP series is gonna end. But the six books (and the seventh one - Deathly Hallows, when it arrives) will be a treasure I would cherish all my life. Also, I am adding a countdown ticker for the last book on the blog. That, being an ode to the absoltutely fantabulous series of books and Jo, the rockstar!
So, here are the closing words from me:
I LOVE HARRY POTTER! J.K.ROWLING ROCKS! SHE'S GIVEN ME AND MANKIND THE 7 MOST AMAZING READS ON EARTH!

Insomniacs' Night Out

2007-04-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

The date between 19th April and 20th April (if any exists)

Time - 4:15 am

Pa: Wassup?
Skeets: I am NOT slping! So don't u try to put that light off!
Pa: Oh ok. What is with u and ur light?
Skeets: I can't breathe if you turn it off!
Pa: Care for a walk? (Skips the light part and comes to the point)
Skeets: Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Skeets: Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (Still thinking)
Skeets: Hv nothing better to do.. Ok i will come with you!
Pa: Chal taiyyar hoke aaja (Happily leaves ma room).

4.30 am
We reach a park near our place. That we would take 2 rounds is already decided. The air is pleasant. Slightly on the colder side. It exudes freshness. I love that. The silence is lovely too! My thoughts wander to Dobby and our glassi gang (as i call it). He would probably freak out at the prospect of seeing(or even thinking for that matter) me up at 4:15am and that too for a walk! I am no more the lazy Reety Skeety he had once known [not that much atleast ;)]. The glassi gang had to make umpteen calls to me to ensure that I wake up on time to join them for the weekend lunches, or movies... Miss u ppl!
Back to the present, as we walk we notice there r a few more insomniacs doing the rounds in the park. As day starts breaking a few more ppl enter the park. But it is time for us to leave.
Just as a proof that I HAVE seen wot 4:15AM looks like.. I clicked the pics that follow. Twas dark and dat was the best I could get considering the fact that Pa was giving me weird looks and perhaps could not understand the point behind my night time photograpy. I had to click really fast.
Ah yes! We promised each other to come bk again at the same time. But till now no such thing has happened :D ;)

Dilli ki Garmi

2007-04-16T00:44:00.000-07:00

Dilli ki garmi (Yes, it is just as famous as the Sardi, but for all the wrong reasons) announces its arrival. The Mercury is hovering around 40 degrees celsius already. And i've been trying to find places to chill out. Here are the few I think I will b found this summer season: 1.Saltz @ GK-I M block - the place that inspired me to write this post and one more. 2.PVR Plaza - This is one place I absolutely love. The Metro to here, is the best. It drops me a minute's walk away from PVR Plaza. And for that reason as well as others, Plaza is my darling movie hall in Delhi. 3.Market Cafe @ Khan Mkt - I've grown to love this place since I visited it the first time. In toto three visits makes this place my most loved cafe in town. The only gud/bad point being the sooo many stairs that I hv to climb to reach there. Gud, coz I will do some exercise while climbing them; bad coz i am lazy enough to do so :D

Market Cafe

I resolute NOT to go out window-shopping anymore. Atleast not during summers. I lose my head if the heat touches me. And I want to be sane this summer unlike the MAD MAD Delhi traffic. I hv observed for myself that as the mercury rises the insanity of Delhi drivers grows manifold. No kidding there! The traffic starts getting heavier and noisier, the honking increases, the accidents too go up! Uffff!!!
Oh yeah! I start loving office more :D Coz of the full power back up! Ha ha! I frequent movie halls for the same reason. Grinnnnnn! I prefer not to shop for the same reason! :D

B's Being

2007-04-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

With due respect to her as well as old age, I write this post on Bibiji whom we fondly know as B. I've been hearing about her since a few months now. I've also met her a couple o' times. Her weird ways get us laughing to wit's end, even though she may come across as any other frail old woman. In short she is weirdness personified.
It was only when I spoke to her and offered her help in ironing clothes, I came to know the real B: strong headed, aggressive and one who loves it if all the household members keep coming to her every two minutes. And she DOES have millions of ways of ensuring the same.
When you come home after a long tiring day and see two real long fat leafy radishes lying on your bed, you have just about 3 options: Laugh, cry or shout at what is going around. These radishes are obviously kept on your bed by none other than miss B. Next you feel like having a banana shake and notice that all the bananas you bought a day ago are missing. What do you do? Ask B. And B answers: they are kept in a polybag under a chair. Eatables like those we thought are supposed to be kept on the dining table or the kitchen shelf. But now we do have our doubts.
You wake up in the morning to see four plastic buckets filled with clothes kept in your BEDROOM. Not any particular morning but EVERY SINGLE morning. And these have taken the same place that should ideally belong to a flowerpot, a water fountain or some other show piece of the like. And now the idea behind keeping those four buckets:

Bucket 1: Contains clothes that are to be washed
Bucket 2: Contains clothes that are to be dried
Bucket 3: Contains clothes that have been washed and need not b ironed
Bucket 4: Contains clothes that have been washed and need ironing

All this is done in your room. Meaning you have no privacy at all!
Among the countless weird habits of B's, one is collecting polybags; the ones in which the vegetable vendors put in the vegetables for you. She has a fetish for them. So much so that you can find those ugly little packets in every nook of the house you can possibly imagine. And yet comes the one habit which leaves you wondering if anything can save you from what’s more in store for you from B's bag of weirdness. You enter the loo and see leaves of mustard greens (sarson ka saag) on the floor! A bit of investigation reveals that the delicious sarson ka saag you had for lunch was actually washed in your damn loo and not in the kitchen sink! Yikes! And that is not all. You further find out that the saag was washed using none other than the BUM WASHER!!! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeww!!!!!!! And again the mastermind behind this brilliant idea was darling B.
The person who actually lives with B and bears all the abovesaid torture says that saag shall not see the house's 'chulha' anymore. Wise decision.
And all said and done, the way this person takes everything in a positive way and keeps shut, is something that deserves a prize. This person puts up with B's eccentricities and lets her age gracefully... eh?

the RASH the NEGLIGENT and the RECKLESS

2007-03-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

DRIVER he is...
C thinks he has the PERFECT control over the steering. And that he can steer clear of every obstacle that he encounters while driving. And when I tell him he drives like mad he simply stops the car on the roadside and snaps at me to drive myself. ufffff
When will he grow up? :(

Madness in the air

2007-03-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

How much more mad can things get?

You carry a towel for a bath and it turns out to be a doormat
To have a bath of 12-15mins you have to undergo preparations of 30mins
And then you have to out of the bathroom AGAIN coz still something is STILL missing
You KNOW you have to go to office and then there is P knocking on your head with tongs every 10 minutes to remind you that you have to go to office
And because of the these constant reminders nagging you time and again you tend to forget many important things without which your day would'nt be any better
You are unable to find any of the things that belong to you
Worse still is the fact that those things that you do manage to know where they are kept you cannot touch them
Even worse is the fact that when you ask for help to get to those things you are denied help of any sort with a rude reply
All this gets to your head and you leave for office without having breakfast
The so called breakfast contained only of a glass of milk which was smelling bad
You did not consume it because it was smelling bad but M thinks you didnt drink it on purpose or to show your anger
Without knowing the real reason M is not talking to you just becuase you did not have breakfast
Then there is ofcourse the mad hatter C who wants to say something to you and you want to hear it but he would not say it to you because he says he has written it to you and that you know how to read

The Garden of Five Senses

2007-01-23T05:43:00.000-08:00

...was where I headed on a holiday. It was not as good as I had heard and read (a two-page story in one of the leading magazines) ....but 'twas worth that one visit for these:

When the fog takes over...

2007-01-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

I soooo love the Dilli ki Sardi...
The fog enveloped the city on the first day of 2007 to usher us into the New Year...
Skeeter's greetings to all...
Have a lovely year ahead...

Regular Sunny Days

Footwear Fetish

2006-12-28T05:40:00.000-08:00

Best Pink Chappals in the whole world!

Thank You Popeye!

Softest juttis that I could beat up a guy with!

I want either the elves or the shoemaker in my backyard!

Reading newspapers

2006-12-10T00:32:00.000-08:00

Read the newspapers after a long long long time today... Realised that I should read often... They don't have stale news...they assemble some really nice and useful info at times... Here is a list of the Times Magazine's list of the coolest websites one must visit:

http://www.theonion.com/
http://www.apple.com/trailers/
http://www.blogger.com/
http://www.drudgereport.com/
http://www.factcheck.org/
http://www.flickr.com/
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
http://www.lifehacker.com/
http://www.moma.org/
http://www.netfix.com/
http://www.npr.org/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
http://www.shopzilla.com/
http://www.technorati.com/
http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/
http://www.internetmoviedatabase.com/
http://www.wikipedia.com/
http://www.zappos.com/

Also found was this ad which has been shouting in my head ever since i read it: Reeta PUHLEASEEEEE go to Dilli Haat once again!!!

Crap and all that

2006-12-02T00:09:00.000-08:00

Like a fox, she conspires...
I wish, I could be a wolf!!!!!

Dilli ki sardi

2006-11-26T00:05:00.000-08:00

There is something about it which I like...
Dilli ki sardi makes one feel crazily lazy...
U just don't feel like getting out of that cozy blanket of urs...
U feel like sleeping all day long...
U avoid the water as much as possible...
U love it if someone fills up that hot water bottle for u...
U enjoy hot soups, only if someone makes them for u...
U love to live on endless mugs of steaming coffee...
U love to eat fried stuff, pakoras etc etc...
U love to bask in the sun on ur terrace...
U love to make excuses to skip office...
U love the fog which makes you skip office or atleast turn in late...
U enjoy life in the corner of your room which is nearest to the blower...
U love to hog on barbecued items...
The sweet potato done on the charcoals is a personal favourite... :D

Two giggling lasses

2006-11-23T01:03:00.000-08:00

At times when you are low, try digging the good from the bad. I did.

Chose to spend my mid-week off day with ma best buddy... Came bak home feeling soooooooo good. Good food and good company...what else would I need on a day like that... Far from the hustle bustle of Dilli, I found solace in Gurgaon...No deadlines, no updations, no office politics... it was bliss! What Fleur and me love about each other is that we can be at our silliest best when together. We don't find each others' weird wanna dos crazy at all. Instead we help each other live the moment. For instance the visit to 'The Body Shop': we entered with no intention to shop... we sniffed through all the goody goody smelling products, apllied some of them below our palms, smeared some on the top of our hands... "hey this is nice!" "u smell this one!" "no! first u smell this one..." Vanilla, rose, oceanus, brazilian nut, papaya, shea butter... we love the exotic scents... They lifted our spirits like anything...

The Hot chocolate at our favourite cafe Barista soothed my sinuses, as we relived old days when we used to spend hours at a Barista in West Delhi...And then came the suggestion from Fleur... Y did u not buy sumthing for urself? We entered The Body Shop once more and I picked up a Passion fruit lip butter...

Fleur, on the other hand took me along to shops where she always wanted to go, but the to be hubby does not agree to take her to... not that I have anything against him... We came out of the MGF mall to see the roads all clean as it had rained heavily for 15 minutes, and the weather had taken a turn for the better.. Then came Fleur's demand: I want shakarkandi (sweet potato)! I obliged... She ate it in the same fashion in which a 2 yr old would be seen relishing her candyfloss...
As we sat in the car, we wanted to do nothing but click. With our cameras out, we barely spoke on the way... Here is what I did:

Galleria, we love this place!

Speeding past

Gurgaon lanes

They want to cry, some more...

Sad

2006-11-19T10:07:00.001-08:00

Sad, just sad that I had had anything to do with u... bas!!!

Amused about blogger MUSINGS

2006-11-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

I like to read random blogs... Browsing through loadza them, I could'nt help notice that many of them have the word "musings" either in the title or the web address. I wonder Y?

The Crap

2006-11-16T01:56:00.000-08:00

Had been thinking of creating this blog since long...Today I finally did it.To me, it is my crap blog... I will write anything ova here... Wot amuses me, what bugs me etc etc etc... This way... the DFZ won't be harmed. DFZ would stay what it is meant for:FOOD!