Books!!!!

There’s nothing much for me to do now that I’m home. My perpetual complain is that I’m bored. Mum gets really irritated every time I say that, so she decided the best way to keep me occupied was ‘chores”. Now household chores are one of the things about home that I do not miss. Not that I’m lazy, I just don't like it ;-) my task this morning was to clean out the bookshelf.

Now some of you may think it’s weird but I found this far more appealing than chopping veggies. Finally I get a job I don't mind doing. Why? Simple, I love books.

My love affair with books started when I was about 4 I think. Reading is more than a hobby to me; it’s something I’m totally involved in. Music and photography are still battling it out for a second place. Give me a good book and I’m totally oblivious to everything around me. Hey don't blame me, blame my parents. They’re both voracious readers and have amassed an amazing collection of books over the years. Yet both of them claim I’m the limit ;-) you could hurl all sorts of abuses at me and I wouldn’t hear a thing.

Coming back to the bookshelf, it took quite a while rearranging it according to authors and genres. The collection ranges from fiction to thrillers to self help books. You name it we’ve got it. I’ve often told mum that she might as well open up a library but let’s just say that my parents are pretty possessive about the books, after all it’s taken them years to collect and they’re proud of it. Nothing pisses them off more than someone not returning or losing one of their books.

What upsets me now is that most people I know have never experienced the joy of reading. Reading a book requires tedious effort which they feel is a waste of time. And I feel sorry for them. Because they’ll never know what it’s like to lose yourself in another world. Because their imagination is limited. And it’s not just about what you read. Books are a trip down memory lane at times. The fairy tales you read as kids, then moving on to Enid Blyton, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew until you reach Sidney Sheldon, Archer, Deaver etc. Each set reminds me of different phases of my life. I’m sure there was a time when each of us wanted to be a character we read about. I still remember mine was to be a detective, thanks to good ol’ Sherlock Holmes. It’s a pity that soo many people are missing out on this.

A lot of us still read, but the numbers seem to be dwindling. Unfortunately, even those of us who like reading barely get the time for it. I know, because it’s the same with me. For a person who used to average at least one medium sized novel per week, I now manage only about one or two per month. I’m pretty sure I’ve read somewhere around 400 books so far if you include the ones I read as a kid;-) And till date no two books I’ve read have ever been alike, that’s the beauty of it.

I still haven’t read through my parents’ collection, though of late I’m the one who’s been adding to it. That’s just temporary mind you, I intend to build my own collection but since I’m still moving all over the place, I’ve loaned them out to my parents ;-) As for reading though my parents entire collection, that’s not going to happen. Not because it’s too vast but because our tastes differ but that can’t be helped ;-)

I could go on and on about books but that might just bore you so I won’t ;-)

So, when was the last time you read a book?

Back To Pavilion

IPL season isn’t it? I’m not much of a cricket fan but T20 I do follow. I’m just hoping the royals buck up soon or I’ll have to hide my head in the sand when I meet a few people after the seasons done;-) but that’s not what this post is all about. Right now I’m back to pavilion.......back home that is;-)
What’s it like coming home after a year???? I’m having a nice time I’d say. Like the last three years, this year was no exception, my flight was delayed by an hour, which is why mum and dad didn’t bother setting out early from home to pick me up. Off from the airport I thought I’d take a much needed nap on the 2 hour drive home to Sohar........
Now I’m sure most of you have never heard of this place. Trust me it’s practically Timbuktu, Google it, I’m not going to bother explaining where it’s located. Suffice to say it’s somewhere between Muscat and Dubai (there’s no way you don't know where’s Dubai). Where was I? Oh yes that nap.....it never happened. Why? Because I’m not used to a car that glides over a very smooth road at 120km/h..... I seem to have grown rather attached to the potholed, winding roads of Mangalore. Sleep on such a smooth road is a farfetched dream.......
So we finally reach home!!!!! Cramped legs, jammed back and all..... And I’m lost...... no kidding, long absence from home + a mum with a lot of free time on her hands = one lost kid whose home on vacation. I headed for my room to change only to open the cupboard and find it wiped clean. No trace of my clothes anywhere!!!!!! Seems mum bundled off all my old clothes to charity. “Well what do I wear? Pat came the reply,” Go hunt in dads cupboard!” so I’m now forced to swim and float around in oversized tees n shorts, all the while thanking my lucky stars that you guys aren’t around to see it ;-)
That wasn’t the end of it......while I was trying to locate the stuff I needed mum casually mentioned that we had to attend two parties that evening. “Which one are you guys going for?” I asked. “Both”, said mum. Parties here don't start till about 9 or 10 in the night so they’d worked out a schedule. 9-11 at one party and the rest of the night at another. My protests of being too tired (which I was!!) went in vain. I was dragged along anyway, bleary eyed, splitting head ache and all.
The a/c’s here are a truly welcome respite from the soaring temperatures back in India, but it takes some getting used-to to the ridiculously low temperatures that people here set it at. How low???Low enough to freeze the bottle of hair oil in my room. My fogged up mind kept imagining myself in the tundras. The Irish cream and wine wasn’t helping coz the blaring cacophony they called singing was, I’m sure, way above the permissible decibel for humans....
Thanks to jet lag and no sleep for over 24 hours, I was bushed when we got home at 5.30 in the morning, IST (jet lag remember??) slept 8 hours straight.
Right now I’m busy making the house habitable according to me and messing up according to mum. The remote’s missing from its usual place, sofa cushions are thrown about, novels all over the place, chocolate wrappers everywhere..... “It’s a mess!!”, shrieks mum. “face it, the kids are home!!”, I retort ;-) the house no longer looks like a museum or ones you see on those picture perfect descriptions on the magazines.....
Now if I could only find a way to speed up the ridiculously low net speed here.....ever tried working on a speed of 40kbps?? Its hell....... I better get those dishes done before mum enters the kitchen.......
Yup I’m well and truly back to pavilion......

One Moment in Time

The fast paced life we live these days doesn't seem to leave us much time to ourselves. Which is perhaps the reason why we tend to lose ourselves in the constant mess all around us. Just another face in the crowd, existing, not living. And yet harbouring the hope to break free from the monotony of life.
Which is perhaps why sitting by the river last evening, I experienced something that’s a little difficult to explain, but still worth a try.
Being a nature lover I try my best to get out of the city whenever I can. Not that Mangalore’s a big place, it's a pretty small town, but even so, it's not the kind of place where you can lose yourself to your own thoughts when you want to. I'm usually too busy with college work and projects there.
I had a small family function to attend yesterday, and the house happened to be quite close to the river. As usual I had to go through the whole ritual of meeting a zillion aunts and uncles. Anyone living in this part of the world will know what I’m talking about. Not that I mind it, it’s nice to see all of them once in a while, it just gets a little irksome at times, because they all ask the same questions over and over. After meeting the whole jingbang I realized I was jobless because this was the time the 'adults' talked and the 'children' minded their own business. Yeah I know, no matter how old I get, they'll always regard me as a kid, it’s something I’ve learnt not to argue about. Since I had nothing better to do I decided to go down to the river, thought I’d take some time off to myself.
The place was just the same, even after all these years, I remember coming here as a kid. It had been quite a while, and yet while everything around me keeps changing, somehow, this place still manages to evoke the same feelings in me. It's like taking a moment out of my life and just feeling it.
There's a total gamut of emotions that I experience all at once. For starters, there’s this quiet tranquillity that comes from being in such a peaceful place, a welcome change from the humdrum of daily life. But it seems to recede just as soon as it comes to be replaced by a sense of confusion, regret even. It’s only when we get these quiet moments to ourselves that we begin to get introspective. Start musing over everything we've done. There's this certain apprehension about the future too, wondering if we've made the right choices.
Looking at the river flowing, I can't help but notice the resemblance it shares with our lives, nothings constant. And yet the river at least has an aim, I’m still trying to find mine. Sure I’ve got my life all planned at least for the next five years, but then I know there's no guarantee that things are going to turn out just as I expect it to. Its then that I realize the need to live life one moment at a time. To enjoy it to its fullest. It’s something most of us tend to forget. We spend so much time worrying about what is going to happen that we forget to live. We just go on existing until someone or something decides it high time to give us a rude awakening and make us realize what we've missed. As much as we hate it when we realize the truth, a part of us is actually relieved as well. We are a strange bunch, aren't we?
For those of you who are wondering if I’ve gone all potty and am just rambling on, maybe I have or maybe not. I'm pretty used to people thinking I’m a little off my rocker but hey, I know where I stand. You are the ones who need to slow down and start living for a while. In case you've forgotten, life's beautiful........................

Holding On....

lingering since the day of it's birth
the soul wanders all over the earth
walking through life's dreary days,trudging through the years
finding no rest where'er it goes

in listless aimlessness it wanders around
seeking a goal, an aim, a purpose
but finding none, only running into walls
bruised and battered until it falls

yet still so insolent, so spunky and innocent
still unyielding still headstrong
still so proud, it wants to go on
heedless of setbacks, ignoring the pain
locking it all deep within itself

life's journey still miles long
hope yet remains to find its fate
its destiny lies in a place unknown
till then will it go without a backward glance
never showing the scars of wounds long gone......

Size Zero?????

This year started out pretty great for me. For the first time ever I didn’t have to bother about fitting into a dress. I’ve always been a wee bit on the heavier side since childhood so I’d normally shun those oh-so-cute-n-sexy dresses that are so blatantly displayed in all stores come the new year. But like I said, I didn’t have to bother this year, all thanks to an extremely successful exercise regime I’ve been religiously following the last 7 months. Since it’s worked so well for me, I think it’s only right that I share it with those friends of mine who could some help in that department. Mostly because it’s a highly successful but little known programme.
Now I must warn you that the trainers in this regime are very hard taskmasters. And the first few days leave you aching all over. I normally start it off at 7.30 in the morning. Depending on how late I am, warm up varies from a brisk walk to an all out run and ends with a jump on to a one square foot board. Now starts the tricky part and this took me a long time to master. You’re standing on a board suspended about 4 to 5 feet off the ground and the boards moving in all possible directions. To make matters worse, you’re not the only one going through this torturous routine, there have to be at least 50 odd people crammed in all around you at the same time. So you’ve got to learn to maintain your balance and not fall on the others. This part tends to put everyone in a bad mood. So if you’re not used to hurling abuses at people, you better carry a pair of ear plugs.
Like I mentioned earlier, this is an all out workout routine that exercises all parts at once. Upper body work outs include holding on to railings attached to the ceiling. Thanks to all the swaying around of the floor, you’ve got to use your hands to stay in one place, though I admit there have been several times when I felt like my arm was being ripped out of its socket. Oh, I forgot to mention. This routine also involves a very unpleasant massage. It mostly involves being poked in the back, elbows jabbed into your ribs and stomach, and not to forget, people stepping all over your toes. It’s going to leave you black n blue all over. I come home every day with really colourful bruises but I’m pretty much used to it now.The last 2 minutes involve kicking, pushing and pulling people around so that you can make it to the door on time. Good way to learn how to get out of crowds.
I admit it sounds really painful but trust me it’s worth it. I’ve tried all sorts of diets before and none of them worked. But this is the only regime that allows me to eat everything I want and still lose weight. And the best part, it only lasts for 20 minutes!!!! No more slogging at the gym for hours just to lose a couple of kgs.
For those of you who’re interested in trying this out, these centres are pretty easy to locate.
Just walk down the road and jump into a public transport bus during peak hours. You’ll get the best work out money can buy. I'm still working towards achieving the perfect figure;-)

One Dark Night.....

New Years supposed to start with a bang right???? Well the party on new year's eve was fun but i think 2009 decided to enter my life shaken not stirred.......I need to stay away from those martinis....
NOTE:The following is based on a true incident that occured a few days ago. I have however taken the liberty of changing the names of the people involved since I have no intention of getting whipped in public. One more thing, i've been told the narraive gets boring in the middle. I've tried making amends but if its stll a bore let me know.

It was about 8.30 in the evening. In this part of the world it's pretty late. A bunch of students (me included) had just left a pretty well known college somewhere near Manipal after attending an inter-collegiate event. We were all worn out but then, when your having fun, you don't notice it. Now all of the girls' cell phones were ringing nonstop courtesy of our anxious parents since all of us had to get to manglore and thats a good 2 hours journey by bus. A few of the guys were chivalrous enough to leave the party early so that they could escort us home, they had no intention of letting the girls travel alone this late appearenty though I'm pretty sure that wasn't the only reason.
So there we were at the bus stop praying for a bus to come by soon. The bus came all right but I'm pretty sure the conductor got the shock of his life to see a bunch of 30 youngsters rushing in. That was one of the last buses for the evening and none of us wanted to be left behind. After settling in, we were out to ruin the sleep of the other passengers but screaming and shouting at the top of our voices, well what else can you expect? We were having fun.
The road from manipal to manglore is pretty scary, because the area is sparsely populated and street lights are found only at junctions. Everythings going all hunky dory until the engine starts sputtering. Now that starts giving Ria, Hina and Vinny the jitters coz the three of them had just missed being seriously injured in a bus accident the previous day. Some of the other pasengers weren't so lucky. The bus moves fine for a while but then starts making odd noises again. Ria starts panicking. Ash tries calming her down but Ria just gets more agitated.Pretty soon she's screaming and crying that she wants to get off the bus. The bus rolls to a stop and Ria jumps out that instant totally refusing to get back on the bus.The bus didnt look like it was going to start again so we all trooped out.
We had absolutely no idea where we were, no street lights or signs around anywhere. A few minutes later the conductor asked us to get in coz the engine was up and running. Ria didn't want to and we couldn't just leave her and go. So the guys requested the conductor to wait for a while until another bus came along.
Nope he didnt wait, the bus went off and we were stranded in the middle of no where. Needless to say, most of the girls started freaking out. The scene might as well have been out of some horror movie.A dark road in the middle of the jungle, no light for miles around, and boy was it chilly.
The guys finally decided to get serious. Since our group was the first to leave, Adi tried calling up the others to see if they'd left yet. Fortunately they hadn't but they were still an hour away. There wasn't much we could do. Neeta and I were actually having fun,couldn't help it. We both love the outdoors and are always game for adventure, adds some spice to an otherwise boring life. The situation would actually be pretty hilarious if it wasn't for the fact that Ria was getting hysterical.
"What now?" I asked Adi. "Well I spoke to the guys, they said they'd arrange a vehicle for you girls. Once we send you off safely we'll jump into another bus. Till then I think it'll be a good idea to walk back to the last junction. No one's gonna be able to able to see us here."
"We could stop a passing bus and get in," Ali chips in.
"yeah right, you any bus passing by is gonna be speeding. you expect them to stop?"
"Any harm in trying?"
Ali tries being the daredevil and starts a curious jig in the middle of the road once he spots a bus. Didn't work.
9.30 and still no sign of any vehicle. We'd been stranded for about 30 mins by then. Finally another bus comes by. It's crowded but the guys force us in. Ria'd calmed down by then but was still pretty upset. Anyhow, she agreed to get in and the rest of the jouney was quite uneventful. Reached manglore at round 10.30. Yes the others did get quite a lecture. Me, well, I'm enjoying the advantages of living alone. If my parents ever find out i'm pretty sure they're gonna ban me from outstation trips, but then who's gonna tell them?;-)
Still, I enjoyed the new year.

What's the hurry?????

Christmas has got to be the busiest and most irritating time of the year, the first step of course is getting home in one piece, and anyone who's traveled by the Mangalore-Udupi express buses will know it's no mean feat. The bus rides are definitely not for the faint-hearted. Besides, it is advisable not to eat anything for at least 2 hours before getting into these buses. And unless you're a death race enthusiast, never sit right next to the driver even if it’s the last seat on the bus.
So after two torturous hours of muttering prayers for making it alive this Christmas, I land at my uncle's place only to have my darling cousin, Aaron, dump a two inch thick pile of invitations on me. "Wow, that's a pretty thin pile isn't it", I mutter to no one in particular. "Ah, don't worry Yuls", Aaron chirps, a little too sweetly, "Those are just the ones addressed personally to your dad, there's another pile of invites addressed to the whole family, and you've got to attend those as well"
After a lot of excuses of I-got-lots-of-assignments and need-to-get-to-Mangalore-ASAP, us four cousins decide to go for a 'distant' relative's roce so that we could meet a lot of 'close' relatives who thankfully end up at all possible functions. Saves us the headache of visiting each one in turn. Now a roce is a weird mangie wedding tradition quite similar to a Hindu haldi ceremony. It normally takes place a day or so before the wedding and involves dunking a whole lot of coconut milk on the bride or groom, depending on who's side of the family you're from.
Recent additions by the mean, wicked, scheming band of siblings and cousins would be tomato juice (stinks real bad), eggs (this part is fun!!) and beer (considered a waste by the uncles and encouraged by the aunties, "oh, its much better, at least it reduces the booze") Oh yes, it's a lot of fun alright, except for the poor souls at the receiving end- the bride, groom, best man and bridesmaid. Why am I sympathizing with them? Well, I was the bridesmaid at my cousins wedding a year ago so I should know.
Right so there I was all geared up to meet "The Shet Khandan" of which I am a part. Yes, I know my surname's D'Souza so what’s with the Shet part? Well, D'Souza has got to be the most common catholic surname in Mangalore and all the D'Souzas, yes all of them, unfortunately are very proud people who like to think they are unique. Hence the Shet (pronounced shay-t) factor. And yes there is some long story as to why we got that name which I don't quite know properly because I never listened to all those uncles droning on and on in their boring talks. And the khandan part, well trust me the family's huge, real huge. Heck even I don't know all of them but I can be excused, I’ve only been in the country fulltime for the last two years and most of it has been spent in hostels and PGs.
Once I got through the round of meeting all the uncles and aunts and of course seeking their blessings (you'll be cursed if you forget to do that, apparently) I thought I'd sit down for a while and sort out who’s who (yes, I’m still confused, give me a break guys, when it comes to names I’m an amnesiac and this is one huge family) That's when I bumped into Ally. Ally's the one who got married last year, I was her bridesmaid. We had a lot of catching up to do. Problem was, no one warned me that marriage changes a girl drastically, Ally, who was a really fun person up until last year has turned into a different creature who eerily reminds me of my mum. You know, the sit-straight-legs-down-behave-like-a-girl lectures that mothers love to give, suddenly that’s what she's become.
"Cut it out Al, you're beginning to sound a lot like Mum"
"Yea, well I might as well start practicing. Two years back, the only question I was asked was when are you getting married. Now that I'm married, they're ready with the next question, when are you giving us some good news?"
I didn't want to be mean but I couldn't help laughing, and boy did Ally look like she wanted to strangle me for that.
That's when Ally turns into the villain of my oh-so-happy life story, "So how old are you now?"
"Uh...19"
"Ah, good so you've got about 6 more years."
"Huh??!! No, I've got only 2 more years in college. How 6?"
"Oh, no, I meant 6 more years until you get married"
"WHAT???!!!"
OK, I have no idea where that came out from. For heavens sake, I'm still in college, getting married hasn't even crossed my mind, but apparently everyone else has been making plans. As Ally explained later, since I'm the eldest girl, all my dear relatives will start giving me lectures just as I reach 23.
Freaky, yes. Scary, definitely.
What’s the hurry people?
But there's no way I was going to give Ally the satisfaction of having scared me.
"Come on Ally, you know me, there's no way I'm getting married so darn soon." that was a last ditch attempt at bravado.
"And why not???", demands an aunt who decides this is the perfect time to make a grand entry(read 'butt her nose') into a conversation that doesn't concern her at all according to me. The Manglorean aunt is a very rare species who believes it is her birthright to eavesdrop on her nephews and nieces, and their kids as well. They go about forever dispelling advice and demand your complete attention no matter what. If your aunt decides she wants to talk to you, you're expected to drop everything you do and pay rapt attention to every 'priceless' word she utters. Disobedience could cost you dearly; you'll be getting lectures from your parents about respecting your aunts, in addition to the lecture from your aunt which she's determined to give at all costs.
Getting back to aunty dear's question, and trying to ignore that evil smirk on Ally's face,
"Why not?? As of right now aunty, I can give you two simple but effective reasons, I'll think up of more later. One, I'm just 19, I'm still in college, it's my time to enjoy myself not think about marriage. Two, I'll be 21 by the time I graduate, add another two years for post graduation and I’m gonna be 23 or 24 by the time I'm through with studying. There's absolutely no way I'm getting married so soon after that so please cut me some slack (FYI, the conversation with my aunt was carried out in Konkani and I'm trying my best to give a decent translation)
"Humph!!", retorts the aunt," The problem with you girls these days is that you're too involved in your careers. Back when I was your age, girls would get married right after they finished school. Sometimes I feel education is ruining your future"
"Of course Aunty, but times are different now right?"
"You kids are too stubborn for your own good"
Thankfully Aunty dearest was called away to help in something right then and I was spared the ordeal of fighting a losing battle with her.
Ally seemed to enjoy watching me suffer.
"So Ally. had fun watching me getting the third degree?"
"Oh stop cribbing, you might as well get used to it. Been there done that, there's no escaping it. I got through my share. It's your turn now.", and she flashes that devilish grin again.

Hey Senor Santa Claus!!!!

Dear Santa
It's been almost ten years since I last wrote to you. A long time, I know. So how have you been keeping. Yes, I know it's your busy time of the year and as usual you'll reply only after Christmas but don't worry, I'll wait for your reply. Now you must be wondering why I suddenly decided to write to you after such a long time, but the reason's quite obvious isn't it? I want some presents this year. Now don't you dare say I'm being selfish, I haven't asked you for a thing the last ten years. And hey, you didn't answer my question last time around. How come your handwriting's almost like dad's? Now don't say it's not. Dad's handwriting is really distinct. Very few people can manage to decipher that scrawl.
Right so what do I want this year? I can think up of a lot of things, but I'm not going to bother you with that. A little hard work on my part and I can get the stuff I want. What I want is not something I can buy off the street. I could use a little divine intervention here. That's where you come in St. Nick(why don't people just call you St. Nick?It sounds way cuter than Santa).
I could do with two little things, and they both involve time.
First, could you like, add a few extra hours in a day? I could really use them. 20 hours don't seem enough(hey i need a minimum of 4 hours of shut eye don't I?). I'm not kidding. Not like I don't know how to manage time. I can do that pretty well(I think). But I could use a couple of extra hours of sleep.
Second,(and this is more important) is there any way to stop time for a while and go on rewind? Especially when i feel time's running too fast? Maybe you could get me a Time-turner. Because I'd really like to do a rewind and replay some of the best scenes of my life, but as a viewer, mind you. I don't want to grow younger, I just want to see a few things again. Like those times....
-when bedtime meant a story from Dad. Yes, I know most of the stories never made sense but they were fun anyway.
-the times my brother and I would irritate Mum to the core. I still remember that one huge bowl of cornflakes that she'd force into us every morning. And that's one bowl for the two of us, how else could she manage to feed two hyperactive kids? She seriously deserves an award for all the running around she did to prevent potential disasters from occurring all over the house.
-the time I won all those prizes in school, back then, getting a prize was something special.
- climbing on to Dad's shoulders and feeling like I was on top of the world.
- those long drives on the mountains that Dad would take us on in the rains and the breathtaking views out of the windows.
- swimming on the beach and building sand castles just to watch them being washed away by the tide.
-learning to swim on the beach and trying to avoid all the "goan sausages" as my cousin would call them.
-camping out with friends and going trekking.
-Mum's futile attempts to teach me crochet work and embroidery during school vacations(that does not mean that I can't manage a needle and thread).
-racing on my cycle and feeling the breeze through my hair (I never found out who stole it, and it was my favorite cycle)
-seeing my baby brother for the first time.
-all those lectures from mum and dad about how they never had things as easy as we did. I actually miss those lectures now, who would have thought;-)
-playing bluff with the whole band of cousins. Last time around it was 16 of us and we needed three packs of cards.

Well I wouldn't want to bore you with all of this. I know you are a busy guy. But you know what, I'm beginning to have second thoughts. Somehow I seem to be having more fun remembering all of this. I don't think I need a time turner. And I could do without all those dirty footprints that you tend to leave all over the place. But hey, it was nice writing to you again. And hope to hear from you soon.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!