Jobs the world

Finding and sustaining job in a new country is a totally different game. More so, if you are not in the technical or objective lines of occupation like IT and finance. Even more, if you do not have a job in hand already, when you land on the newer shores. Here is a collection of experiences of my friends in HR, design, writing, marketing and allied occupations, who gave up their amazing jobs back home to accompany our partners to conquer uncharted territories.

Gone are those days when Royalty used to commission explorers to discover lands. In today's days and times, it is the global conglomerates that mandate such missions. And the sailors, happily assisted by their families, board flights to a whole new life. 

For those back home, in most cases, its 'All is Well'. But for those on the battlefield, life is totally different and the reality sinks in after the honeymoon is over. 

It all starts with the proverbial job search, posting profiles, re-tweeting and sharing "interesting" articles and connecting with all those, whom you lost touch. After the initial few months, reality and depression both sink in and the only way out seems to take up any job or connect with similar-situation people or hang in there.

"I went there for an interview," said my food blogger friend over coffee. "It was so dubious. The job was okay. But very weird." She had interviewed for a marketing position in remote corner of London city. But all through her interview, she could not shake off the nagging feeling of something being amiss. Especially when information about the company was not being given out easily. Good sense prevailed and she rejected the job. But not all of us can take that wise decision all the time and in all the situations. So just make sure you avoid these Shady Sams before saying I do.

All pain, no gain situations—These are typically, the unpaid jobs and intern positions. Those in Marketing, HR and other industries will argue that foreign experience (unless it is from US or UK) rarely counts and starting lower from your last job position is the best way to start. Agreed, but just make sure that you take up an intern position in a relatively stable company and one that gives you a stipend and legit contract. Work from home assignments have limited or no value.

Long distance affairs—Most of the times we accept a job despite the travel time. In the end, we realize that we have spent more than we have earned. End of the day, its exhaustion and that's all we get.

Enigmatic Start ups—"We are challenging the industry Leader! We have a small set up, but some amazing people and great work coming up," said Mr hotshot to my writer friend. Poor thing, she fell for it. Desperate to start working, she did not think on all the aspects. Not only did she NOT get a contract, but the company closed down in a few months leaving her high and dry, without salary and recommendations. "They were so cheap," she told me.

Such experiences and my friends' stories have only helped me to stay away from questionable employers and I hope all those in fields like mine smart up and get a job.

Images taken from Google search. 

Let them eat cake

In times when farmers in Maharashtra suffer from the aftermath of a severe drought, ostentatious displays of wealth by politicians in the state remind me of a certain Madame Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. She was of course beheaded, but what about her vain Indian counterparts?

Many political representatives, especially from Maharashtra are demonstrating unabashed displays of wealth, inherited or otherwise, while the state’s farmers battle against all the odds, natural and man-made to merely survive. This has also shown s time and again, the widening gap between the haves of the state and the have nots, and if we believe the texts on economics, we will be silent witnesses to increased crime, a direct consequence of this gap…what’s more, if the situation gets out of hand, we might even witness a revolution akin to those taken place in other parts of the world.

Crores spent on vanity and luxury; on being in the news, on and by those who don’t need to; when on the other hand there are projects and people in dire need of these funds for living a better life…better, but still modest. What is more had those funds really made a difference; this political populace would have secured a loyal vote bank. What a shame! Strategy lost for vanity!

Going back in times of the French Revolution, which took place when the French monarchy was abound in excesses, surrounded by a land in despair, when Marie Antoinette’s extravagance, gambling and excessive spending on fashion and make up became an eye sore to the point of being dubbed as ‘Madame Deficit’; when amongst other charges, she was put on trial for treason and theft, and beheaded at the guillotine; and she had not even said her infamous line on eating cakes. It took place because the people wanted monarchy to be abolished, because the farmers were displeased with the way the government and the king worked. The king at that time controlled the farmers, had charged unfair taxes and it is also said, forced them to fight in low ranks of the army. They were also forced to pay or give money or food and other valuables to often more than one Lord, who owned the land they worked on or lived on, or even just lived near.

The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance, said Samuel Butler. I will add here, those ignorant, and intoxicated with power, shall one day fall and how, if they do not reign in their narcissism.

Coming back to Maharashtra and our political representatives, their jarring demonstrations of richness, their need for attention to get covered in media and otherwise (which can be seen from really distasteful photographs on birthday posters) and their hunger for legal and illegal power make me wonder if these people think that they are above the law of the land and the needs and conditions that the general public live in. If so it is time for them, especially those in key states plagued with serious social issues to open their school history text and read it well to avoid similar follies as in past.

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**Please Note

Images are taken from the public domain. Some images are edited to prevent shutting down of my blog, even  though we believe in freedom of speech and thought.

*** References 

Some material referenced from this page: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090427122217AAye4kx

बडबड गीत

This one is for my nieces!!

इटुकल्या-बिटुकल्या

माझ्या पाठी पडला चटुकल्या

चटुकल्याने फेकला पाव-पाव 

आणि माला म्हणतो धाव-धाव

धाऊन- धाऊन दामले रे

न झाडापाठी जाउन लपले रे

झाडात शिरली मधमाशी

ऐक रे  ती शिंकते कशी 

आक्षी! आक्षी! आक्षी!


अबोली गबोली
गुलाब आणी चंपा कळी
फुले वेचीते शुंदडी
बागेत आला कबू
आणि म्हणाला गुटरगू
शुंदडीने फुले उचलली 
आणि घरी धुम ठोकली


ट्रिंग ट्रिंग ट्रिंग ट्रिंग वाजला फोन
सांगा पाहू बोलताय कोण?
बाबा बोलते तुमची बबू
आजी नाही देत मला खाऊ
ताई पण खोडी काढते
जाता-येता बुक्का मारते
बाबा लवकर घरी या
आजीला थोडा दम द्या
ताईला जरा "वा" करा
आणि माझ्याशी खेळा जरा
प्लान आपला आहे परफेक्ट
सांगू नका कुठे आपलं सीक्रेट 

"Hi Dad."

"Hi Dear."

I feel so nice whenever my Daddy gives me a call.

"What are you upto these days Beta? Have you been too busy?Is everything okay? No phone call?"

"I'm okay Dad!Had been very tied up with the farming...also, decorating the new apartment that I just bought and guess what, I tried and tried...and now am the MAYOR or my city!!!!Can you believe it??
M-A-Y-O-R!!!"

"Yeah thats me!"

"WHAT!???!!!" Thats all my Dad said......or was surprised..or shocked.

He was not aware of the Facebook games that I played...It took some time to explain him, how it all came to be. And then he asked me as to why I am doing all the stuff virtually? And that I would be better off if I did even the ten percent of the work in reality.

Oh Phooey!!! 

I mean, why go out in the fresh air after all, when you can do all those activities in the recycled air of the air conditioner, at the click of the mouse!!!

But I am afraid I can't stay in the house for long....have to see the physio....suddenly I have got this nagging back, wrist and elbow/fore-arm pain!

Jokes apart, doctors have been stressing the increase in the number of cases with Repetitive Strain Injury [RSI], given that we work less and play more using mouse clicks. They say, it gets resolved with rest. Or may be, by actually going out and doing things.

But will that ever happen???

Hidden here and hidden there

The other day, I was playing a Hidden Objects PC game-Samantha Swift Trilogy. I am a big fan of all the  hidden object games and can spend hours playing them without getting bored.

But then, that got me thinking....isn't our life a big, real time hidden object game?

Like the computer game...in life, we too get a set of hints...we call intution; like the game...we have different modes-- our childhood, the casual/novice mode; our youth like the adventure mode and our relatively older selves playing the expert mode.

And it just doesn't get dull for even a second. Helping us succeed in each level are various tools that we unearth.....there might be a pick axe or pliers or crowbars in virtual games. But in this life's game, we have education, we have hobbies, we have friends, family and enemies too! Our energy meters get charged with love and dis-charged with hate or frustration.

And like all the games, there are the between-level puzzles. So while virtually, you might have to join sets of three similar colours or crack codes to open locks, in life, you may just have to clear exams or interviews or pass that driving test...the more difficult the puzzle, the really simple solution will it have.

And then, the most important aspect of these games--time!

Puzzles are timed!Levels may be timed....this means that all that you do, is relevant in a particular time period. so very true! And our actions give us brownie points or deflate our scores too. for instance, if we manage to solve the puzzles or help characters, it adds to our hints or scores or energies...meaning, we get benefitted all through the game in a manner that might not be so apparent. So it is in life! Good deeds and bad deed, or as they fashionable say, our Karma impacts our game.

Step-by-step, at paces we are comfortable with, we go on playing these games, go on moving ahead in our lives...till we get a proper conclusion or a prize or till we solve the mystery of the same.

Guess thats where Grantland Rice came up with the line:
For when the One Great Scorer comes
To write against your name,
He marks-not that you won or lost-
But how you played the game.
 
See you in the next level!!!! Till then, enjoy your play!!

This is a poetic version of a Varsha Usgaonkar-Ashok Saraf movie.

Any resemblances with living or dead is purely co-incidental.

  

गजर वाजला,

चटुक उठला,

चटकन दात घासायला गेला.

अंघोळ केली, दाढी झाली,

कामाची ही घटिका आली.

संध्या येता चटुक येई,

नाश्ता करून पाय पसरी.

रात्रौ होता पोटोबा बोले,

भरपूर जेवून मिटुया डोळे.

चटुक ची होती एक बायको,

म्हणायचे तिला आय्गो-बाय्गो.

गजर वाजे,

आय्गो उठे,

सकाळपासून धांदल उडे.

चहा, जेवण, नाश्ता करी,

पण संपे ना काही चटुकची यादी.

चटुक म्हणे, "काय असते घरी काम?

थोडासा स्वयंपाक, मग तर आराम."

दिसे ना त्याला घर टाप-टीप,

इस्त्रीचे कपडे पण घडी केलेले नीट.

आय्गो बाय्गो त्याला सांगे,

"जो गावभर फिरतो तो काय समजे?"

"कामाच्या नावाखालि काय बाई करतो,

ना घाम, ना त्रास तुझ्या चेहऱ्यावर दिसतो".

हैराण होऊन आय्गो म्हणाली,

कळूदे चटुकला घरातली कहाणी.

स्वप्नातल्या परीने काडी फिरवली,

चटुक झाला आय्गो, न बाय्गो चटुक झाली.

सकाळ झाली, गजरानेही हाक मारली,

अन चटुकच्या आधी आय्गो उठली.

स्वप्नं आठवून खुदकन हसली,

बाहेर जायची संधी मिळाली.

अंघोळ केली दाढी झाली,

कामाची ही घटिका आली.

काम नव्हते सोपे ते,

शेतावरती नंगारायचे.

दम लागे , त्रास होई,

दुपारला तर घामहि येई.

संध्या होता चटुक आली,

आल्या-आल्या झोपून गेली.

ही तर बाजू आय्गो-ची,

अशीच कशी गोष्ट चटुकची.

आय्गो म्हणून चटुक उठला,

चहा करताना चटका लागला.

जेवण न्याहरी,

आवरा आवरी,

बझार हाट अन धुणी भांडी.

सारं काही जमेना,

सारं काही उमजेना,

पण दिवस सरता दमला बाई.

न आय्गो येता झोपला बाई.

स्वप्नात दोघांच्या परी आली...

दोघांनी ही क्षमा मागितली.

परी ने फीरवली जादू ची काडी,

अन झटकन-पटकन सकाळ झाली.

गजर वाजला,

चाटुक उठला,

आय्गो ने ही डोळा उघडला.

एक मेकास मदत केली,

अन दिवस चटकन निघून गेला.

आता थोडे बदल्ले होते,

दुसर्यांचे कष्ट समजत होते.

अशी ही छोटीशी गोष्ट,

सांगा सर्वांना स्पष्ट.

Mommie come back

Hello,

I am back again. I have got an internet connection in place and that means I can blog more frequently now.

Since I had nothing much to do, I did what I like the best--watch Indian mythological movies on youtube. This time, it was the story of Satyawan-Savitri. And it got me thinking....How far can one go for the one he-she loves??

It can be for partners/spouses or even parents-children or siblings or even friends!

The following poem is inspired from this eternal love story of Satyawan-Savitri....here the protagonists are a toddler (baby girl) and her mother.

Please do leave comments (than email) if you like this one or if it touches your heart :)

A strange l’il girl with her strange parents,
Walking on a road that doesn’t seem to end.
Hand in hand they go on walking,
Talking to each other, happy and laughing.

And strangely then, the road does split,
One going left and other going right.
And soon enough the sweet kid knows,
Mom isn’t there, but Dad all alone.

"Mommiee! Mommiee!" cries our honeybun,
Tears in her eyes and ready to run.
Daddy stops baby with all his might,
But nothing can hold his cherub tight.

Run, she does, on and on,
"Mommiee-Mommiee!" singing the song.
And even though so much time has passed,
She hasn’t found Mommie in this world so vast.

And then she hears  a booming voice,
"Look in your heart my dear child!"
As she remembers the good times spent,
Mommie's presence fills like a mystic scent.

And cries baby boo, tears lining her cheeks,
"Mommie come back to me for I can’t sleep.
And if you cannot come back to me,
Then please, just hear my plea."

"Don’t say no, but hold me to your bosom,
For I love you and with you I come.
Every moment without you is numbing pain,
Without you, its not sunshine but rain."

Mommie stands there as still as the silent night.
Though many daggers rip her with all their might.
A wide chasm of life and death makes sure,
Neither of them can cross over.

Both of them stand there in pain,
And suddenly things get clear again.
 Back on the road that had split,
They find themselves holding each other tight.

And the happy family is one again,
Looking at sunshine after all the rains.

Ads I like

This is the anti-discrimination campaign, Should you have to hide the real you to be accepted?, that was on in the Netherlands some time back. The Ad is simple to understand and makes its point, no need to even understand the language of the country.

Check out:

Beginning of a story

Writing a post after a long break. This one has been on my mind for some time.

This is something abstract that I have written. My friend, Katya Naidu and my cousin, Aniket Herwadkar helped me work on this one and also gave me the confidence to publish the story so far.

Hope you guys enjoy reading it. And here's hoping that I overcome my block, and continue the story ahead.
“Have you experienced Death, Kring?” asked Niam. Krinka aka Kring was her best friend.

“Do you know what it is to die? I mean, how it feels?” persisted Niam, in a strangely calm and detached way.

Niam and Krinka had been friends from the time they had first met each other. Over the 10 years of knowing each other, their friendship had survived most of the storms—Boys, crushes and boyfriends, jealousy, possessiveness, personal losses and careers. And today, what mattered to them, more, was the fact that they are still together, at peace, understanding each other and helping out in tough tides while giving each other space otherwise.

Today, the weather was fine and they had gone trekking to this hill top close to home, the grassy path and flowers only encouraging them to do these treks more often. After a tiring hour and a half climb to the top… everything seemed worth it. There, sitting on a ledge and after chatting for some time, Krinka was taken aback when Niam asked this out of the blue.

Squinting her mischievous eyes, as if to look inside Niam’s mind, Krinka replied, “No man. I am alive. At least that’s what I think”.

“I know what it feels like,” replied Niam. “Every night…”

“Every night I experience death, only to live through it.”

“Too many supernatural serials, Drama Queen! You know that’s one reason why I ask you to stay away from these shows, movies and books. You need to chill. You need to be around positive things”.

“Maybe. But I dream this dream, every single night. I dream that I am all alone, by myself, sitting in some ski-cable-car kind of contraption, which is wayyyy high up in the dark black sky. As high, as the birds fly or even planes fly. It is just me….in my journey, to reach my destination. Everything is so still. Not even the pleasant warm breeze. The warmth keeps my nerves calm. Not a single soul in sight, not even birds, no noise, no stars. It is just I, me, myself, all alone in the so very still raven black night. There is just this drone—whrrrrrrrrrr--of the ski-cable-car-lift. The drone of the machine pierces the silence, but also soothes my anxiety, as I forget that I am alone.”

“Whrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…… I am going over land, and then a huge body of water. I don’t know if it is a sea, or a lake or an ocean. And I don’t know, if I have to cross the chasm to reach the land on the other side…or if I should just go with the flow. I can only feel, though I cannot see, the ripples of the water, in my mind. Seems like rippling black silk with flecks of mauve…….covering so many secrets and hungry for more.”

“Scary!” Krinka butted in, to stop Niam from talking more and getting uneasy about the conversation.

“My Heart skipped all the beats Kring, it does so, even as I think about it now. Anxious about crossing the eternal chasm of cold nothingness.”

“It happens then, I suddenly get tossed off my seat. I skip a beat…I am descending at such great speed...I know I will melt into the vast nothing, and then I hit the water, if that is what it is, and reach the bottom. But as I am falling and till the time I reach the bottom, I can see my life flash in front of my eyes….in a span of few moments.”

“And then I wake up with a start Kring, unsure if it was just a dream or some distant reality…every time. And always shaken and stirred. It takes time to regain my composure, and to make sure, that I AM in my bed. Usually a glass of warm water helps. After that, I go back to sleep again……a peaceful, dreamless sleep.”

“Don’t worry Ni...it’s probably nothing”.....assured Kring, who herself was unsure of the situation.

“You don't think I need a shrink, right?”

“No way. You need to just chill”. But Krinka was unsure, herself, saying those things. And as the Sun set, both of them started walking towards their homes.....

Krinka went home after a long dinner at their favourite bistro. They had got over their philosophical thoughts and ended up talking about clothes, fashion, and the state of affairs.

But something was still bothering Krinka. It was Niam's question. Not only did Niam seem a lot more worried than she would like to admit, but it also seemed like something was suffocating her.

Krinka knew what it was. It was fear. “But what does she need to be afraid of?” That was one question she could not answer.

Niam had been to a fortune teller a few days back and had blackmailed Krinka to join in too. The lady had told Niam a lot about her future, and surprisingly, she also let Krinka in on a reading.

“Is something bothering you Niam?” asked the fortune teller, who sat silently, thinking, after she heard about Niam’s strange dreams and morbid thoughts of death and despair. Krinka too was as shocked to know that Niam keeps on thinking about death, day-in and out.

“You need to help your friend,” The lady said to Krinka, “and you need to help her fast. More than just for her, because both of you are bound together by destiny. What ails her can kill you as well”, she said in a warning tone.

“The sword of death looms on Niam’s head and it is just a matter of time, when it will go loose, if she dies, so do you. I cannot say why. But save yourself and your friend.”

Something about the lady did not make Krinka feel that she was joking.

While leaving, the fortune-teller handed Krinka a note. “How can I help her?” was the only question on Krinka’s mind. “Follow her fear, and once you help her fight it, she will be safe.” Ever since Krinka never let Niam do anything remotely dangerous. Niam was surprised with her over protective attitude but never complained of the eccentricities of her best friend.

But now, sitting all alone in her drawing room Krinka had a sinking feeling. She kept re-reading the note. But just didn’t understand what to do.

He who is wise, He who is brave,

He, who can see beyond the dark grave,

For mistakes of past, can today haunt too,

And consume in its fire, close ones and you.

The cycle of life and death shall continue, never to stop,

Until you have redeemed for sufferings that you have caused,

Pain and distress shall be unto you,

What you have done to others, shall be due to you,

Pay by your blood and do what you must,

To see a new dawn and a new dusk.

To be continued

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Image taken via google image search from planetearthdailyphoto.blogspot.com

Favourite videos: Fu bai Fu

Fu bai Fu is a program on Zee mArathi, wherein various marathi actors present their comedy skits. Winner gets a prize. Sometimes, the skits are good, and sometimes they are really bad.

Following are my favourites:

Anand Ingle & Vishakha Subhedar



Anand Ingle Kshiti Jog



Anand Ingle & Kishori Godbole




Atul Todankar & Anshuman Vichare



Atul Todankar & Anshuman Vichare




Vaibhav Mangle & Kshiti Jog



Hope you have fun watching them

दमलेल्या नंदिनीची कहाणी

The background: Balancing work and home is not an easy task.

Hats off to all the women, who manage the tight-rope walk.

Many people think that things are a little manageable out of India, what with frozen/semi cooked foods, 40 hours week, lower frustration levels, so on.

Well, the answer is no...its certainly not easy. Especially, if any one has the amount of travel like the way I have (more than an hour one way). After getting thoroughly exhausted in the office, it becomes difficult (though not impossible, as many of my friends here are excellent home makers/managers too) to come home and dish out a fresh square meal.

The story: So one fine day, tired after pasta, daal-khichadis, idli-sambhars, my husband, Aniket, said to me, after a particularly exhausting (my) day at work, one thing, he should not have......

"कांटाळ आला इडली-पिडली खाउन. किती दिवसात पोळी-भाजी नाही खाल्ली. तुला काय त्रास होतो गं...बाकीच्या तुझ्या मैत्रिणी तर बनवतात कि proper जेवण!"

Well, that is the inspiration, behind this विडंबन of a part of the song.

The song: दमलेल्या बाबाची कहाणी is one of my favorite songs, and I hope its creators don't take an offense at my humble remix. Read the lyrics and sing along.

पहाटेच उठलेली एक महाराणी,

गॅसवर ठेवलेले चहासाठी पाणी ||2||

ला ला लाला ला ला ला ला ssss  

रोजचेच आहे सारे काही आज नाही,

लवकर-लवकर अवरायाला जमतच नाही,

घरातून निघताच असते  पळत,

ट्राम सुटली तर जावे लागते चालत,

सांगायची आहे अरे नवर्या मुला
दमलेल्या नंदिनीची कहाणी तुला
ला ला ला ला ला ला ला ला ssss

Amsterdamच्या नगरात थंडी होती भारी

कुडकुडलेली नंदी करी बसेसची वारी  ||2||

रोज सकाळीच नंदी निघतांना बोले,

जेवण करायचे काल राहुनिया गेले,

जमलीच नाही काल भाजी मला जरी,

आज तरी करणार खीर आणि पुरी.

कुकिंग बुक्सच्या जंगलामध्ये मारू मग फेरी,

रुचिराची*  पाने अन इंटरनेटची करी,

नाहीतर जमेल फक्त वरण-भात मला,

दमलेल्या नंदिनीची कहाणी तुला.

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[The prose part] ऑफिसात उशिरा मी असते बसून,

भंडावले डोके, गेले कामात बुडून.

बॉस तर घरी कधिच गेला रे पळून,

काम सोडून कशी मी येऊ रे निघून.

अश्या वेळी काय सांगू काय-काय होते,

अश्या वेळी काय सांगू काय-काय होते,

गरम चहा-पोह्याची आठवण येते.

वाटते कि काम टाकुन घरी परत यावे,

वाटते कि काम टाकुन घरी परत यावे,

आरामात TV समोर सोफ्यावर बसावे.
थंड पाणी देत तू  बोल जरा माझ्याशी, 
नंतर जेवण बनवायला लागेन पटदिशी.

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भन्नाट एक फ़र्माइश करशील काही,
बनवतांना भान मला उरणार नाही. ||2||
घड्याळाचे ठोके मग बोलतील काही,
म्हणता-म्हणता संध्या सुद्धा सरणार बाई.
तरी सुद्धा दोघे जण खाऊ खाऊ असा,
मिसळीचा कट किंवा नुसताच रस्सा.

सांगायची आहे अरे नवर्या मुला
दमलेल्या नंदिनीची कहाणी तुला

THE ORIGINAL SONG



*Ruchira is an age old cooking book with recipes of every Maharashtrian recipe, starting from How to boil rice, to making Chirotes.

Favorite Dance videos

Its been some time that I posted on the blog.
However, my back, shoulder and wrist are killing me. So typing long posts get tedious. And though I have been sleeping directly on the hard floor and doing arm-back exercises, I think I will take a week or more to recover.

So till then, I think, I will upload my favorite videos.

Today's videos are about Indian influence on dances over the world. Classical/traditional is merging with more modern styles, East is meeting the West, and following are the outcomes of creative brainstorming:


America's Best Dance Crew (This one is like Dance India dance or Boogie Woogie) had Bollywood/Indian as one of the theme for its participants. This one in particular had to work around Bharatnatyam--A traditional dance style from the South of India.





So you think you can dance:





Another one from So you think you can dance




And lastly, the most popular--US national dance champions performing to Indian songs




Heres hoping you have as much fun as I had viewing them.
:-D

Time for soul talk

Listen to Mr Devdutt Patnaik, Chief Belief Officer at Future Group



Harsha Bhogle ace TV commentator in a lecture at IIM (A) ,very nicely points out that passion to perform, commitment and practice are far more important than talent alone.



Nithya Shanthi: Important lesson of life

Gnapati Bappa Moraya!!

Ganapati Baappa!!!
Morayaa!!!

The city that never sleeps, goes in a trance of a kind during this time of the year...Everywhere you see, festivities and a general enthusiasm are in the air. And a day before the Ganesh Chaturthi, the city (and also the country) welcomes its beloved God, The Single-Tusked one, The Lord that removes all the obstacles from your path, The Lord of Knowledge, known as Ganpati Baappa to all its worshipers.

Ganpati Bappa/Ganesha/Vinayak/Vighnaharta, are all his names and his avataars. There are stories that talk about his birth andsing is praises, but other than that, little is known about this God. It is only the scholors and the those specialised in sanskrit and mythology, who might really know about him.

And today, just as we finished the puja and aarti, we came across a program on an Indian regional channel-Saam, wherein an eminent person was answering all those questions that I had about this Lord for so long....Isn't that really nice, than informing us about which celebrity celebrates this event and how!

For starters, does anyone know what the chant, "Ganapati Baappa!!! Moraaya!!!" means?
According to this person, a doctor, its regional accent of the marathi language....The villagers meant Mhoraa-Yaaa (come in front of me)....which over the years became Moraya!!

Also, what does the name Ganpati mean? Of course, the leader of the Gans who we might assume as worshippers? Well no, Ganpati means the one, who has conquered over the 5 forces of nature and their sub forces. There is a total of 360 natural forces (thats one reason why the circle is 360 degrees), and Ganpati is the conqueror of all. Hence the name. Well, I couldn't catch this entire interesting show and could only write about the teeny part that I could watch.

Today, after the visarjan (like a good bye), it feels that the house is missing the energy and positive vibrations that it was filled with for the past two days.

But like they say,

Ganpati Baappa !!!
Moraya!!
Pudhchya warshi (next year)!!!
Lavkar Ya (please visit us earlier)!!

 

Whose dress is it anyways!!

Have any one of you ever been to a store, only to find that they don’t have your healthy size?

“Sorry M'am, we do not keep this size anymore.”

“Sorry M’am, we are out of stock on that one.”

It happens to all of us, all the time. Its an altogether different feeling to realize that you may not find stuff on the racks that fit you…maybe, because, you might be the plus size.............. or even a minus one
And then you check the stuff that is there for your size….nope! not at all flattering, I must say.

This has happened to me quite a lot of  times even in my hometown (I still do not believe this…given that Indian women have always been a little healthier and curvier of the lot). The stuff, that was really available in my size….tsk tsk…was at times more gaudy. So I never felt like buying it.

And it drew me into a more viscious cycle, leading to depression, not leading to fat loss, and the size increases, harrowing shopping experiences.

And while wallowing in my sare-jahan-ka-shopping dard-mere-kaleje-mein state, I had this enlightenment!!!

One day...over a nice coffee and a gossip session, the topic moved to shopping. One of my dear freind said, " you know what! Shopping escapades have turned into shoc-a-pades for me. I am so thin, I can't find stuff in the regular racks, as I am thin, and not even in the petite sizes, coz I am fat for them...
oh!How I have come to hate shopping....
You know what! So I prefer to buy shoes and bags these days."

And trust me, she has a cupboard full of them....We knew about emotional eating...this is emotional shopping!

At work, shopping is one of our favorite topics. Which stores are offering discounts/deals, or which one is launching a new collection!!

And then, I relaized that there is the tall and the short to this story. Amongst the seven of us in the team, we make up the width and height sizes. Well, the tallest of my friends has a trouble finding clothes as they end up being short, and me....well, the necks are deeper and lengths wayyy to long....

Others have difficulty in finding clothes that hide their hips or make them look fuller.

huh!!!

“You know what!, I wanna reduce my flab,” wrote my already slim frend via email. There are these whole new collections of tube tops and strapless, n off shoulders that I want to wear” I was flabbergasted…I did not realize she had flab on her slim-to-thin frame.

N then I looked at myself…………………………

But its really incredible. Though I am not aware of the statistics, but I would love to believe that atleast a third of the world population might be suffering from I-can't-find-my-size syndrome. What is, however bothering, is the trend for skinnier clothes.

Do measure the waistlines of the trousers you buy, 8 out of the 10 times, will you notice, that while it mentions a particular waist size, that might not be entirely true; and the waist size may fall an inch short of it…… reducing the wearer to an unnecessary depressed state and a feeling of being flabby.

Another point, sizes for one brand may not be the same for other brands.

So the question, The dresses on the shops racks, "Whose dresses are these anyways?"

Models? Well they won't shop from stores that mass produce, would they?

Manequinns?  Are they really bothered about what they are wearing?

Are they for us? regular working women, who love our food and would like to enjoy it to the last crumbs on the plate? I don't know.


But, what the heck, I am happy….having my cake and eating it too….in as much quantity as I desire.

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Note: Image taken from google search

In search of love

Over a cup of coffee, over internet chats, me and my girly friends have been sharing with each other, our harrowing experiences in finding our Mr. Right Prince Charming. Katya Naidu, Correspondent with Business Standard, and a very close friend of mine, collaborated with me on compiling a major chunk of real-life experiences mentioned in this post. Happy reading......

Girls are born romantics. And what better way to fall out of the ‘I will fall in love with a handsome man dream’, than actually meeting a prospective husband.

Ever since houses changed into flats and windows of adjoining houses became archaic phenomenon, romance has become much tougher. Especially, in big cities. Many-an-office-romance, too has disappeared thanks to the long work hours and alcohol parties, which lead to 'something else' sooner than love. While many men and women seem to find their love's way before the normal age, things have changed for those women who seek love. Love or not love, age is catching up with most of them as they get busy achieving career dreams, and wedding websites and arranged coups--I mean match fixing, seems the only way for those who actually don’t get sloshed in drunken parties and sweet nothings.

And my! my! my! what happens in  the process is anybody's guess. Here are some truths we (me and my friends) have discovered in our search (via website, matrimonial aunties and enthusiastic match-fixing relatives) for Mr. Right:

Hail Photoshop!
Beware of photoshop. They post ten year older photographs on their profiles. It happened to my friend. She fell for the handsome looks of this lean dimpled cheeked guy…When she met him, he was 60 pounds heavier and the dimples were hidden away in wrinkles. Made us think!!! Guys too need botox. :)

Sex, drinks and the software industry:
Well they have been to US, and have interacted with US-based clients on a daily basis, they have picked up a little bit of colloquial lingo...but dating like Americans is still a dream. The only way they can save their face in marriage meetings is by acting cooler than they are. For instance, there was this Marathi girl who met this Marathi guy in London, who is actually from Pune. He asked this lady a simple question: Hey do you like shopping?
Girl: Yes I like shopping
Guy: How do you shop for clothes. I mean, how do you choose them?
Girl: I try them on first
Guys: Well don't you think you should choose your husband the same way?

Hmmmm. What followed later was a Shauryagatha (story of courage/bravery) of how he hangs out with his friends over drinks, how he actually had sex with many strangers after meeting them over 'drinks'. In spite of these sexcapades he had never found a nice Indian girl who is the one he is looking for.
These men are generally dismissed with either a slap (if the girl is Marathi) or a boot (in case of Punjabi)

The disguised daters (only):
Well guys, and girls, repeat after me “A matrimonial site is not a dating portal!” please repeat till you have not just memorized, but also imbibed this. Many a gal-guy think of matrimonial websites as timepass business, a way to catch dates. My friend from college had this experience. After having more than one telephonic conversations with this guy, he says…well he has not thought of wedding now. It’s a sad way of saying Tata ByeBye to someone! seriously. And secondly, people who visit this site mean business…don’t waste their time.

Curious Toms:
These people are eager to know everything. They are enthusiastic even about atoms and molecules of life. They are not necessarily scientists. So conversations go like, "Isn't it wonderful to have Sun's rays over your face when you wake up? I stayed in that kind of a place once," said a curious Tom. "It was a wonderful feeling when I realised that I had to wake up when Sun is up. Ahaaaaaaaaa," he added.
In my instance, I had to answer these many questions from a guy, who was wayyyyyyyyyyy too curious about my work…How do you write? The inspiration, the text…the designing….printing…OOOOOfffffffff…by the end of it…I was tired.

Its not that its bad…but asking those questions as a questionnaire is bad. Kick on the ass for these guys. By the time you imagine something divine intervenes to save you and pray hard, the bill for dinner comes, you pay and run out.

Logic locusts:
“Actually the reason I chose an arranged marriage is because I always thought love affairs are very commercial. Girl friends expect us to buy them gifts, take them out. So I weighed my options and decided that bharatmatrimony paid service works out much cheaper….”
Very very true and very well analysed. No woman who does not get paid would go out with you. I hope there is a big figure there on the salary section, otherwise no one will marry you either.
Nothing is for free brother..oopss ..sisters too come with rakhi expenses
Well, we are women, we are not easy you see!
The most annoying of the lot are the late latifs and Miss-Manners-family
In this case, I have had two harrowing experiences, supposed to meet them at an hour, and these guys turned up hours late…Hello? N no Sir. No sorry…No phone call that they will be late…no no no.
Worse, one of them was a chewing gum chewing bull. Oh!!! How I wanted to strangle them at first sight.

Missed-Manners-family
Well, we had been to this place to meet a guy and his family…Place, 4 hrs drive from my home. Time to reach 10 am. We were there…but the parents hadn’t bathed….The waorst kinds are Moms in nighties and Dads in Shorts….and this guy had been to some family friend for breakfast…heloooooooooooooooooooooo Knock knock!!!
Worse, we were offered a glass of warm water and random tea after a question,”Do you really want some tea?”
Well kick on their butts tooo!!!

But that’s life….Searching for love, rather Mr right guy is a hilarious and an eye-opening process. And it is rather safe to assume that most men fall under this categories.

Anyone else is either a psychopath whose behaviour cannot be classified, or even Mr Right.

So Keep Looking!
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Note: This post is not intended to offend anyone, especially guys, who might have had similar experiences with women.

Images taken via a google search.