I finally did it

We all have something about us that we like the most. I love my hair. I have typical mallu hair and what that means is a head full of wavy hair. I wrote this post about how I would never cut my hair.

Earlier this year I decided that I was going to donate my hair. I read about couple of organizations and I decided on an organization called Beautiful Lengths. This organization makes wigs and gives them to women who have lost their hair during cancer treatment.

So finally this weekend, I went ahead and cut 10 inches of my hair and now I have short hair. I'm not liking my short hair yet, it takes a little getting used too.

Here is a picture of my chopped off hair.

Card for every occasion

Greeting Cards has been a huge part of my life. As a kid we got a lot of Christmas cards and I was in charge of collecting them after each year and saving them.

Then on rainy days when Veena and I were not allowed to play outside we played this game where we had to guess who sent us this card. I used to always win and I was the person who managed these cards.

As we got older, I used to save money that my parents gave to buy cards for friends and families birthdays. During my teenage years I was all about cards. I would send "Just Hello", "Thinking of you" cards.

Recently the whole card thing has worn out. I really do not care for cards. For me its more like just waste of money. Now when I get a card from someone I save it but have stopped sending cards.

I have started sending hand written letters to all my friends on their Birthdays.....

I have finally grown up

So do you all save the cards you get?

Clearing Misconception

I just added a label to my last year's B'day post and hence it showed on few subscriber's feeds.

And so I got a few advance Happy B'day wishes. My B'day is towards the end of April.

Thank you all for the wishes...

What I see in the morning

The is the View from our house.


Spring:
And yes, the little black and white spots are cows grazing.

Foggy:

Rainy:

So, Where are you at?

Following takes place at my work:

5.30 PM
I call Shekar: "So what time will you be getting out of work"
Shekar: another 10 minutes.

6.00 PM
Shekar has not come to pick me up yet. (We have started car pooling recently so conserve energy). So I work away getting all mad at Shekar as he still hasn't called to mention he will be late.

6.15 PM
I'm really mad, he still hasn't called or come by.

Following takes place at my home:

6.10 PM
Shekar pulls into the parking, and looks around. This is something we both do. When we park our car, we look if the other person is home. So Shekar sees my car, which means I'm home. He goes home, no lights are turned on, and the bedroom door is closed.

He assumes I'm in the bedroom and he goes turns the TV on, hangs around the living room for a while and still not hearing anything from he, he comes into the bedroom and I'm not there.

There have been instances, where I'll be on my cell phone and since the reception at my home sucks I just stay in the car and talk, so he walks over to my car and I'm not there either.

6.30PM At home
He is really mad because I came home and went somewhere and did not tell him.

6.30PM At work
I'm really mad that Shekar is late and hasn't called to tell me that he is running late My Cell phone rings I see its Shekar and picks up the phone with a furious "hello" Shekar on the other end, replies with more furious "Hello, where are you?"
Me: What do you mean where am I, I'm work, where else can I be?
Shekar: HAHAHAHA... did I drop you off at work today?
Me: You went home with out picking me up?
Shekar: I'll be right there.

Finally got home around 7.00PM.... all this for my need to save energy

I'm Back I'm Back...

After my longest vacation ever I am back to my sunny California (which is actually real windy these days).

I had a wonderful time:

• spent time with family
• travelled a lot.
• met old classmates.
• saw lots and lots of movies.
• ate a lot.
• met Shekar's friends.
• heard childhood stories of Shekar.
• shopped a lot.
• attended weddings.
• sang Christmas carols
• attended early morning Christmas service
• took loads of pictures...
  

Happy New year to all.

India, Baby

(has to be read with the same energy Joey says London Baby in Friends)

Yes folks, my much awaited India trip is almost here.

The past few weeks I have been very busy shopping and deciding on what to take, as I hate doing things last minute. I still have loads and loads to do so will not be blogging regularly (like if 2 post a month is regular..), and will not be reading blogs too.

On the bright side when I come back I will have loads and loads of things to post about.

So wishing Everyone, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry C'mas and a very very Happy New Year..

INDIA, BABY!!!!

What Else is on TV

"Men definitely hit the remote more than women...men don't care what's on TV, men only care what else is on TV. Women want to see what the show is before they change the channel, because men hunt and women nest." - Jerry Seinfeld

The first time I saw Jerry saying these lines all he got was a small chuckle out of me. Little did I know back then that it was the whole truth.

Every evening when Shekar and I get home there is a dash towards the remote. So when we are sitting and watching and a commercial break comes, he switches the channel. I on the other hand don't mind the commercial break, for me it is a break to do little chores like go wash the cups that we had coffee, or start prepping (just prepping not cooking) for dinner.

And when Shekar switches he sees something else and then he stops at that channel. By this time I'm back after doing whatever I was and then seeing this new program I also loose interest in the old one we were watching.

So recently I have given up on TV and have started reading a book. Now, I'm so glad that I get to read so much more. In the last month I finished 4-5 novels.

But there are some shows that bring us together to watch TV, before watching I make Shekar promise that he will watch this whole show.

Indeed men only care what else is on TV.

Random

Have been tagged by Jaguu and Quils

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.
I’ll ask you to be on your best behavior. He smiled and looked at the guest.
-The Firm by John Grisham

2.Stretch your left arm out as far as you can.
I touched Shekar's nose now he is staring at me like I'm a retard.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Law and Order, CI

4.Without looking, guess what time it is?
7.30pm

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
7.12pm

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Music,Thumbi Kinnaram from Malayalam movie Naran

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
An hour ago, went to drop off books at the library.

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
Gmail account. I’m addicted to my gmail account.

9. What are you wearing?
White T-shirts and pink pajamas (till like right now I didn’t realize it was pink, I have a strange dislike towards pink)

10. Did you dream last night?
I always dream… I don’t remember it though.

11. When did you last laugh?
While talking to mom 10 minutes ago.

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Just a Calendar.

13 Seen anything weird lately?
Nothing weird..

14. What do you think of this quiz?
Interesting

15. What is the last film you saw?
MI- III

16. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?
An island

17. Tell me something about you that I dunno.
I’m very accident prone.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Get rid of corrupt people.

19. Do you like to dance?
Who doesn’t?

20. George Bush.
No comments

21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Hannah

22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Andrew

23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Been here for a while, so I guess yes it is

24.What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
You are here already, GO back its not your time yet.

25. 5 people who must also do this meme in their journal.
Everyone I know have done this before.

Seek and Ye Shall Find

Don't we all end up finding something when we are looking for something else?

Other day Shekar was looking for something and he found my clip that I thought I has lost long time ago. I was planning to go out and get me another new one, but never got around to actually getting a new one. I was so overjoyed when Shekar showed me the clip. It is not one of those expensive one, but the regular Walgreens one.

That is when I realized this is what happens to most of us. When we don't see our dear ones around we assume we have lost them as friends. All we have to do is look harder and they will be right there. But, we do not want to look; we would rather go out and make new friends because it is easier to get something new than to seek something that is lost.

But seldom do we realize that what we seek is right in plain sight and find it is so much better than getting something brand new.

Songs are Memories

Few days ago, few of our friends we coming back from a road trip and the person in the passenger seat changed the CD to a collection of old songs. The whole car went quite, and the songs came to life.

That is when I realized that each song has a memory attached to it. When we listen to a song that we used to listen, when we were kids, we become that age. Each of us had different memories associated to these songs, but we all had memories.

The whole while that CD was playing all six of us were in our own world and the SUV was so quiet.

10-15 years from now if we hear Silsila hai Chahat ka from Devdas are we going to have the same feeling that we felt that day? I think NO, maybe the songs are not as great as they used to make them years ago, OR we may have grown up and we do not associate songs to feelings anymore.

I think the latter is true.

Thou shall not steal

I usually try not to take things that do not belong to me. May it be a small eraser or something huge. If I see money on the street I pick it up and make sure I put it as offering in the church the coming Sunday. If a cashier gives me extra change, I return it to them. If a cashier forgets to charge me for something, I remind them about that too. That is just the way I'm.

The reason I do this is because I firmly believe that things I do not earn, do not stay with me.

One of our family friends, he gets paid by the hour, and one day he got paid for few hours that he didn't work. He decided to keep mum about the whole thing and dashed home. He got home and opened his car garage and the chain broke and it cost him the almost the same amount as he got over paid. When we were kids, dad used to tell us this story all the time, when we brought something home that didn't belong to us. No matter how insignificant, he made us return it. He once made me apologize for bringing a paper clip from neighbor's home (I was 5 and was fascinated by it).

Last weekend, Shekar and I went out of town and we stayed at a hotel. When we checked out, it wasn't that cold, so I decided not to wear my jacket. So I grabbed a hanger from the hotel closet, put my jacket on it and took it to my car and hung it by the back seat of the car.

Yesterday I got home after work and I was putting away my clothes. I was putting away the turtle neck (opening to put the hanger is too small) I wore during the day, and as I try to put the sweater on the hanger, the hanger snapped.

That is when I realized that my dad's story still stands true and I vow not to take anymore things (no matter how small or insignificant) from anywhere.

Answer Now - Interpretation

If you haven't read the previous post Answer Now read that to have this post make sense.

Since all of you were kind enough to put up your answers, I'll post my answers too

Color - Black
-Strong
-Stands out
-I don't remember what the 3rd reason is

Animal - Tiger
-Looks very Majestic
-Strong animal in the family of felines
-Very muscular

Waterfall

Now the Interpretations

Reasons for one's favorite color:
Are the traits one is looking for in a significant other.

Reasons for favorite animal:
Are our very own traits

Water body signifies the relationship with this significant other
Lake - Very Faithful
Waterfall - Will look around, but still faithful
Ocean - Hard to be faithful

Have fun interpreting your answers.

Answer Now

Happy New Year Everyone

This being the first post of the year, I wanted to make it a little different than my other posts. This is more of an interactive post. Please post your answers as comments.

1. What is your favorite color and list three reasons for this.

2. What is your favorite animal and list three reasons for this.

3. Which of the three do you prefer?

• Lake
• Waterfall
• Ocean

I am not the author of this, and am not aware who is.

PS: The interpretation of these answers might get a little personal. And if you know what the interpretation is please do not spoil it for others. I will post the interpretation next week.

Will you love me, if I told you the truth?

Over the weekend Shekar and I were driving to one of our friend’s house. Songs from Aaiyutha Ezhuthu (Tamil version of Yuva) were playing over our sound system. Shekar doesn't understand Tamil, but he still listens to them. So most of the time I translate the songs for him. Not that he has ever asked, or cared or even remembers the meaning the next time we listen to the same song. I feel bad and that is why I translate the songs for him.

We were driving and having conversation that is when this song started playing

uNmai sonnaal naesippaaya
manjathin mael mannippaaya

Loosely translates to "If I tell you the truth, will you love me. Will you forgive me in bed?"

I just stop talking and uttered the above translation.

Shekar turns red; his eyes get big and they stare at me. All this while I'm shocked and surprised by his reaction. Then it hit me, he thought I was going to tell him some secret that I was hiding all this while. I told him with my most innocent smile "I was just translating the song".

He just burst out laughing when he heard that (he was relived...).

Falls are Funny

Yesterday I was at work, working my way. Whenever I sit comfortably I curl my leg on the chair and then sit on it. I do this all the time regardless of home and work. But yesterday when I got up, my leg fell asleep. When this happens I usually put my feet flat on the ground and I bend it at my ankle and I'm back to normal. Yesterday I was wearing 2 inch heels and when I bent my ankle I lost balance and THUD I feel on the floor.

All my colleagues came over to see if I was doing okay. I was just lying on the floor laughing. Finally I got up and they were all like what happened. Half of them giggling, the other half trying to suppress their giggles. I was laughing out loud. I told them my leg fell asleep. One guy from the corner asks "Huh what?, You fell asleep?"

Had to correct him, Izat ka saval hain, so I explained it to him again that my LEG fell asleep.

Above all while I was lying on the floor I was thinking, "Aah aah, I can blog about this"

Survival Kit

Most of the girls walk around with a purse, and guys with a wallet and it serves the same purpose. But we have a lot more stuff in our purse than in a guy’s wallet. When a guy can survive with a wallet why do we need a purse and all the things in that purse?

Most of the guys will have a wallet that has some cash, few credit cards, few receipts. But, in their pockets they also have cell phones (some wear it on their belt -- uggh), keys, Chap Stick and some more receipts.

But a girls’ purse is more like a survival kit. Here are all the things in my purse and the reason why I carry it.
Wallet - Mainly has cash, credit cards.
Hair Brush - I have long hair and as I leave it open, needs to be brushed frequently.
Lip gloss/chap stick - Lips get really dry here regardless of the season.
Powder-Cover girl powder.
Pocket tissue - Small pack of pocket tissue, just in case I get a runny nose or cry for some reason.
Dental Floss - Hate food getting stuck in my teeth after eating out.
Gum - A pack of Extra sugar free gum.
Lotion - Small tube of Nivea lotion. Hands get dry a lot.
Pen - Have like 2-3 pens and don't know why but I have a pencil too
Check book - I carry this all the time just in case I'm at a place that only takes check. These kinds of places are getting extinct these days.
Cell phone - Don't we all have this
Keys - Another thing that we all have
Medicine - I have Ibuprofen and Benadryl with me always just in case a headache or allergy hits me.

So a purse for us girls is a survival kit. If we get stranded anywhere we will have things to last us for a day.

Like most girls even I get teased about carrying my purse with all these things everywhere. But when Shekar sneezes turns over to me and ask do you have a tissue? And I gladly open my purse give him a tissue and ask “Is it the allergies I have Benadryl?”

Kal bi Aaj bi - Yesterday and even Today

Yesterday after I got out of work, I went to grocery store to buy some garlic to make Fish curry. When I got out of my car I realized I left my purse at work. Work was hardly a mile away, so I went back and got my purse. Then I finished my shopping and went home.

This morning I came to work and after like 30 mins I needed something from my purse. I looked for it and it was not on my desk. I figured I must have left it in the car. I walked over to my car and still no purse. Hopefully it is still at home. Strangely I had my cell phone and keys (these items are usually in my purse).

So today I'm penny less and driving around with out a license.

Blogger’s world is a singles world

Recently I have become an avid blog reader. Especially after Google launched blogsearch. I have noticed that most of the blogger’s are single. Don’t get me wrong there are few married ones, but majority are single.

Is it because married people do not have anything blog worthy happening to them, or they just want to share things/feelings/questions/.. to the significant other and not to rest of the world. Or is it that a majority of married people blog as single people to increase the hits to their site due to the universally accepted truth that married people are boring.

This leads to the next question – why do single people blog?

Is it because they are lonely and want to share their feeling with rest of the world? Or is it just a way to keep in touch with friends far away, to keep them posted about what is going on. Or is it just a way to make new friends or even find a life partner.

Just wondering

College or Work...

I recently had a conversation with my cousin, who had just graduated college. She was so excited about starting the working world. That is when I thought is Work all that exciting?

I graduated college 3 years ago and have been working since then. But has work been all that fun? Or is work expected to be fun? This led me to make a list.

Things I miss about college...

Vacations - Number of days I did not have to go (choose not to go) to college

Friends – Closeness with friends and meeting them for lunch/breakfast/late night dinners. Staying up with them till wee hours of the morning talking, watching movies.

Schedule – The flexible schedule, like having your first class after noon, or having classes just few days of the week.

Structure – I know what I am doing, where I am going when I am in college.

Food Joints – Favorite little food place that served the best food and was always open when you had a craving for them.

Don’t get be wrong. I also love working. I have been working since I was 16, but real jobs after I graduated. I love what I do, BUT it is not college.