Week 8: For the Year that was...

This week, I'm thankful for...

1. Heat pads that are a life safer when you have cramps! I can't imagine any other way I would have been able to survive those two hours (even after taking a cyclopam) if it wasn't for that heat pad! The pain was so unbearable that I just wanted to die. But five minutes after I strapped the thing on, I was able to comfortably sit through the pain. I officially love that thing.

2. Being able to bond with my cousins. I spent Wednesday night talking with my brother up till 4 AM and then had a nice chat with my sister over the phone. Life's good. :)

3. The extremely long and wonderful walk I took around the neighbourhood today (that took me about an hour and twenty minutes.) I went all the way upto the end of Sea Woods just trying to figure out the place I've been living in for the past six and a half years or so. Thought I'd see what kind of stores were there. It was a good experience, mostly because I just needed to get out of the house. Also, the alone time was good. :)

4. Happy coincidences. A few weeks ago, I was trying to watch 'Ghosts of a Girlfriends' Past.' "Tyring" because at one point the movie got stuck and the DVD wouldn't play. The movie was on HBO tonight at 9. But at the same time, there was Koffee with Karan on Star World. I had to watch KWK because if I miss the first telecast, it has been a trend that I have NEVER been able to catch the repeat... not fully at least. So I was watching KWK and switching to HBO in between commercials. And when KWK got over, it was 10. I immediately switched back to HBO and it the movie had reached the exact point where our DVD had got stuck. It was like a belated Christmas Miracle. :D :D

5. Being able to save around 600-700 Rupees. See, I ranted about how wonderful my hair becomes during winter because it stays straight and doesn't frizz. So I thought it was the perfect time to get fringes. But then it also seemed unnecessary to spend 700 on a haircut because I had just cut my hair really short in April and frankly, I miss my long hair. My sister volunteered to cut my fringes. She said her stylist had told her how to do it. I trusted her and let it do it and Voila!! I have awesome fringes falling over my forehead right now!! :) :)

6. The year that was. I just realised that this is the last post for the year 2010 on this blog. This blog and this exercise has encouraged me to look at the positive things in life and be thankful for what I have rather than worrying and complaining about things that I don't have. Even with the downs, it's been a wonderful year - and I would like to give some credit to this blog (among other things.)

So since I'll be seeing you all next year directly,

Wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!!! :)

Week 7: For having Reasons to Celebrate

This week I'm not posting from my phone, 'coz my computer's working just fine. But I'm still not doing the picture thing like I used to till Week 5. Just like that, no reason. So anyway, let's get on with the good and happy stuff.

This week, I'm thankful for...

1. My first soft toy ever!!! I got it as a gift for our 13 month anniversary. Not like we were celebrating, but because we realised that we had been together for 13 months and it was the 13th, we decided to make an evening out of it since we had already met. So he bought this cute little puppy dog for me and we named it 'Matt' (since 'M' is the 13th alphabet) and I absolutely love him. :) :)

[Will put his picture up soon on my other blog.]

2. Traffic jams. Even though traffic jams in Mumbai (especially when you're in an auto rickshaw) mean that you're going to be breathing polluted air and that your eyes are going to burn and water, it was actually pretty amazing that it took about an hour to cover a distance that could've been covered in about 15-20 minutes without traffic. It just gave us so much time to sit and chat. Because once we get to the restaurant and food's on the table, the concentration is almost entirely only on the food. :P

3. Something wonderful Madhu said to me. We've known each other for over three years (the beginning parts of which consisted mainly of silly arguments with each other), been friends for almost two years and have been reaally good friends since the last six months or so. Just knowing that he cares about me a lot made me really happy. (Oh. That's what he said! :P)

4. Lazy weekdays that I've spent at home and the movies and pop corn that have kept company throughout the week.

5. Chance meetings. Met Ashish yesterday after a really really really long time. It was wonderful to see him after so long. 

So what are you Thankful for this Week?

Oh, and as I promised last week, here's a picture of what I wore to the wedding last Sunday. :)

Week 6: For shopping and Movies

My computer just refused to start two days ago. So today I'm posting from my phone. I thought I'd give that a try and see how it looks. I apologise in advance if it looks ridiculous on screen.

This week, I'm thankful for...

1. Getting up early every freaking day of the week!! Can you believe that I was up at least by 9? Neither can I!

2. The shopping I did. I have a wedding to go to today and I bought a beautiful dress. (Will put up pictures next week!)

3. Getting pampered at the salon. A facial feels so good. :)

4. Watching two movies in a day at home on Friday. I saw 'The Experiment' and 'Salt' and liked both the movies. Oh, and did I also mention that I made pop corn. There had to be. A movie isn't complete without it!

5. 'That 70s Show.' I know it started so many years ago, but I just started watching a few weeks ago and I'm in love with it! Natasha and I watch it everyday and we have to watch it together! It's kind of 'our thing' now. ;)

So what are you thankful for this week?

Week 5: For Music

This week, I'm thankful for...

1. The call that I got during the day on a weekday while he was at work, saying he had 5 minutes to talk that actually lasted 7 minutes and 9 seconds. Yes, these little things do make me happy!! Very happy!

2. The fact that after being together for over a year, I still rush to answer the phone (literally running from one room to another) when I know it's his call. :)

3. Being able to watch another movie in 3D. I saw 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' with my uncle, aunt and cousins; and I loved it. Now before this year ends, if I've seen 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' in 3D too, it'd probably have achieved my movie targets for 2010!! :D :D :D

4. Being able to enjoy music the way it is supposed to be enjoyed! Loud and without interruptions or distractions!! :)

5. Good food and good company during the weekend. Not that I go back to a stressful twelve hour job back on Monday, but I kinda didn't want the weekend to end. 

So what are you thankful for this week? 

Week 4: For all the Love

This week, I'm thankful for...

1. The way this last week began. I spent the weekend with my friends and had a blast. The entire day last Sunday was brilliant!! 

2. The sudden turn of events. There were quite a few things that weren't the way I'd hoped they'd be. But then I realised that all it takes is just one heart-to-heart conversation and everything can go back to the way it has always been. :) :)

3. The writing I've been able to do. I'm way behind on my NaNoWriMo project, but the very fact that I'm not giving up even though I know I won't finish on time, is something that's motivating me to continue writing.

4. Being able to wake up in the mornings instead of afternoon. It always makes me happy but I don't know why I can't do it on a regular basis. There is so much that you can get done if your day starts early.

5. The fact that even though this week has been hard on me, I can still think of things to be thankful for. :) :)

For all those who are celebrating this weekend, Happy Thanksgiving! Although here, it is Thanksgiving throughout the year. So what are you Thankful for this Week?? :)

Week 3: For Surprises

This week, I am thankful for...

1. The one year anniversary celebrations that continued throughout the week. :)

2. Being able to watch a movie after so long!! I saw 'The Social Network' and was blown away. It's an amazing story.

3. A wonderful Chinese/Japanese meal that we had at 'The Bowl House.' I hadn't tasted such wonderfully delicious Chinese food in such a long time. And I tried a few Japanese dishes too. :)

4. The awesome time I spent with my best friend's two month old baby nephew. It's priceless....

5. The surprise that Amit, Sandeep and Vishal gave me yesterday. It was totally unexpected.. But I guess that's what surprises are, right?

What are you thankful for this week?

P.S. I am not doing the Linky List thing from this week on. Those of you that wish to participate can comment or leave the link to their posts in the comment. Thanks! :)

Week 2: For Goals

So this is the second week of the blog-hop. Although there was only one other person who joined in last week. (Thank you, Brandy for sharing your happiness) I'm still hoping that in time people will start participating. So I've added the linky list this week as well. As you know, it'll stay open till Friday Midnight. So you've all got loads of time to play along. :)

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This week, I'm thankful for...

1. The one person that played along last week. Thank you once again Brandy. :)

2. NaNoWriMo!! I've always wanted to write a book and was about to start when I was introduced to NaNoWriMo by fellow bloggers. So hopefully by the end of this month, I'll have a rough draft ready. It feels amazing to have goals like this. :)

3. The wonderful time I've been having riding my bike around the area by myself. Also, the weather that is slowly turning cooler and therefore becoming bearable. It's sooooo good to finally (almost) get rid of the heat. It feels awesome to drive around when the weather is so great.

4. A cup of steaming hot coffee that inspires me to write. I really don't have to drink it. I just have to think that I'm sitting with a cup of coffee and even that does the trick. :)

5. For the last one year. It has been an amazing journey with my special someone so far and I hope we have a great time in the years to come.

So what are you thankful for this week?

Week 1: For Spreading the Love

Time for the Blog-Hop to begin... I can't wait to see how many of you join in!!! :)  There are no rules for this blog-hop. But I would love it, if you grabbed the button posted on the sidebar and put it on your own blog! Thanks... 

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So let's begin...

This week, I'm thankful for...

1. Having the opportunity to host this blog-hop that I know will bring happiness to anyone and everyone that plays along. Trust me; you won't know unless you give it a shot!

2. The festivities that are all around me. Diwali was two days ago, and everywhere that I turn I can see colourful lights and diyas. It's a beautiful sight to look at.

3. The way Diwali morning began... I went to the temple early in the morning (Siddhi Vinayak) and offering prayers early in the morning on Diwali day felt wonderful.

4. The fifteen hours' long sleep I've had... The day before yesterday was a tiring day that started around five thirty in the morning and went on till about eleven thirty in the night. Since I'd slept for only three hours the night before, I think my body deserved fifteen hours of rest.. :P

5. The wonderful people in my life, that make each day worth living and the future worth looking forward to.

Those are the things that made me happy this week... What are you thankful for??? Write a post on your own blog, and link up here!!! It doesn't have to be just five things... It could be less or more... Just write about things that made you happy this week. Focus on the positives and forget about everything else!!!

The Linky List will be open till Saturday night - the 13th (not just India Time... Saturday night in the US as well.) But in case the Linky List closes by the time you get here, you can always leave a comment.

Happy Sunday! :)

Blog-Hop Details

A few days ago, I talked about how I'd decided to do things a little differently around here by starting a Blog-Hop. I had also put up a poll and said that I would be posting the details of the blog-hop on Saturday, the 6th. So here we are, on that said Saturday... and here I am keeping my promise and giving out the details.

Although there have barely been any votes on the poll :( the number of votes do suggest that they're in favour of the blog-hop; which is a good thing. So starting tomorrow, we'll have a "5 Things I'm Thankful for this Week" post every Sunday.

But before that, check the sidebar out. There's a new button for this page. 

To participate, following me is not a compulsion. It's not even a requirement. But it would make me happy if you put the button your sidebar and let everyone know that you'll be participating in here every week... Spread the joy!! :)

So, the Linky List will start at 10.00 AM IST (that is GMT +5.30 hrs) every Sunday and shall remain open for posting the entire day of Sunday as well as Monday. And in case anyone misses it, you can always leave the link to your post in the comments. :)

I hope a lot of you participate. In my experience, it has been a great exercise, listing down 5 things that have made you happy. It focuses on the good things; things that you have instead of worrying/complaining about things that you don't have... Looking forward to seeing you'll tomorrow... and sharing the happiness!!!

Something New

I have  not been posting at here for quite sometime now because of my belief in jinxes. SO even though this blog was sitting idle, I didn't feel like letting it be that way or deleting it! 

There is no way I can EVER do that, because it has managed to keep me happy on my not-so-happy days. Also because a lot of totally unknown people have really loved the idea and the positivity and hope in the entire process. So, what I though I could do, is invite others to contribute - unless you're worried that your happiness might get jinxed too. That way, the blog stays alive and the happiness can spread. I can live knowing others are happy! I seriously can! :D See.. Happy! :D

How does this sound?? We make it a blog hop, and post once a week... So at the end of every week, we could come up with 5 things we have been thankful for during the entire week (I think I can post once a week) and we'll do this every Sunday. I'll keep the Linky List open for two days. This way we can all have fun!!! I've put up a poll for this. So vote and let me know how many of you would join in every week and spread some joy!! And it's a good time to start too.. The Holidays are just around the corner... Starting with Diwali next week!! I'm soooooo excited!! :)

P.S. You can vote only till Friday (November 5) and I'll post the details of the blog hop on Saturday (November 6) and we can start next Sunday (November 7)

Day 222: For getting Rid of Clutter

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       A lazy and late start to the day!! :P

2.       Being able to take some time out to get rid of the clutter that had been accumulating in my closet and my table. Phew! I feel so much lighter just knowing that I have gotten rid of the useless and unnecessary stuff!!

3.       Being able to watch ‘Bride Wars’ and totally enjoying it!!! I’m on a movie spree… or so it seems!

4.       Being finally able to post something on my other blog after sooooo long!!!

5.       A heart-to-heart conversation after a looooong time with two of my closest friends…. Amit and Jay!! :)

Day 221: For ‘Pop & Lock’ and ‘Up’

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       Getting done with lectures earlier than I thought I would be.

2.       The fact that it did not rain in the evening. It has been almost like a rule that on the days that I have dance classes, the sky is bright and sunny just till I’m about to leave the house, and then it pours like it hasn’t rained for centuries for just two minutes (which is enough for my pants to get totally drenched as I’m on my scooter! My wind cheater only protects my shirt…) and feel the chills in the air conditioned dance studio. Of late, I’ve been carrying an extra pair of pants just in case the ones I wear while leaving the house get wet. But, today, it didn’t rain until I was on my way back; which is fine because I’m on my way home and it doesn’t matter then; and I’m thankful for that.

3.       The new phase in Hip-Hop that we’re learning – Pop and Lock! It’s sooooo cool. The steps are a lot easier than what we learnt in New School Hip Hop or Crumping, but Pop & Lock needs style!!!!

4.       Two great movies that we saw on Star Movies – ‘Up’ – which is the most adorable animated movie I have seen since Ice Age; and ‘Enemy of the State’ – another wonderful film where the story moved so fast that we were all sitting on the edge of our seats!

5.       Knowing that even though I don’t wake up early ever, tomorrow, I don’t have to since it’s Sunday! :D

Day 220: For Water that went Up my Nose!!

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       Plans that got made at the last minute that resulted in a wonderful evening.

2.       Not having to wait for long for the bus and being able to travel comfortably.

3.       Chance meetings with people you haven’t seen in a long time.

4.       The reaction that I got when I said something. I could’ve died [ :P ] but the full blown laughter that it induced was totally worth it. We were at dinner and Sandeep gulps down two whole glasses of water in a matter of seconds without even pausing to breathe. I looked at him and called him a Tanki (similar to a tank in English) and he instantaneously reacts (while I was trying to drink the minuscule remnants in one of the glasses) by saying “Tu monkey” and the water almost went up my nose as I tried hard to not laugh until it was down my throat completely! I could’ve died had it gone in my wind pipe but thankfully it didn’t.:P

5.       The laughter!! After we both laughed over it for quite sometime, I realised that I hadn’t laughed this hard in a really long time!! :)

Day 219: For Fasting

Today, I am thankful for…

Fasting for Janmashtami (that was good in soooo many ways…)

(a)    Celebrating Lord Krishna’s birth!

(b)   Not eating at all for almost 24 hours surely helps. Not that I overeat or something, but I think I should fast more often; just to stay the way I am.

(c)    The simple food that tasted delicious because I hadn’t eaten anything in so long!!!!

Day 218: For Movies and Food :P

Today, I am thankful for… (not much but just…)

1.       Being able to spend a good afternoon with my sister.

2.       Watching a great movie (I love you, Man) and having a wonderful time watching it with Natasha. Paul Rudd is so sweet! :)

3.       Yummy snacks!! 

Day 217: For my Support System…

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       The heavy rains that led to the cancellation of my dance class. I totally enjoy my dance class, but on this particular day, I was feeling unreasonably lazy! I would’ve preferred if the lecture in the afternoon had got cancelled! Even that is class afterall! :P

2.       Maggi Noodles I’ve been having everyday!!! I just can’t seem to get through the evening without a pack of those noodles. And when I add a special touch to it with ginger, garlic and pepper, they taste even more yummy!! I’m almost hungry enough to have them again now!! ;)

(I’m going to cheat a little here and make one point into three and get my 5 points for the day! And I’m allowed to do that!!!! It’s my blog afterall!)

3.       The amazing support system I have in Sandeep and Jyothi.

4.       Whenever I’m having an off day, I can be certain that he would sense it in my voice and I can be doubly certain to get a reassuring text message from him (if we’re not able to directly communicate over the phone) saying he’d always be there to support me and wants to see me smile always. :D :D :D

5.       Whenever my internet connection fails me (as it did today because of the heavy rains) I can almost always rely on Jyothi to play Café World on my behalf and ensure that my dishes are served before they spoil and something else cooked for the next day – even thought she’s across seven seas!!!! What would I do without her??? My kitchen (on such occasions) would be a mess!!! :P

Day 216: For being Strict!

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       Being at home in the evening. It had been raining the entire day and I would have rather not been out at all. Even so, I was glad to be back before seven thirty! :)

2.       Being able to get some control over a noisy classroom. I am very patient in class and have never raised my voice ever!!!!! No matter how hard I’m pushed and how badly my limits are tested. But today, I was compelled to take action. I have been authorised by Ma’am to ask a student to leave the classroom if they’re being troublesome and today I did exactly that; and very politely. Why, you ask?? Even though he had been chattering incessantly since the lecture began, I lost my head when he started clapping hard in the middle of the lecture for no apparent reason!?!?!?!? Good riddance I say!

That’s all for today!!! Nothing great to add to my happiness… I’m elated because now when I tell the students that they’d be standing on the other side of the door if they distract the others or misbehave, at least they’ll know I mean business! ;)

Day 215: For the Long Journey

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       Having the patience to travel four hours in all just to be able to go to a special place and come back home.

2.       Not oversleeping and therefore being on time (a little early in fact) wherever I wanted to be.

3.       Being able to meet friends I haven’t met in a long time.

4.       Being able to spend quality time with the people I love.

5.       Being able to sleep peacefully after a tiring day!!

Day 214: For Helpful Souls

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       Being able to have a fairly good day in spite of the tini tiny hassles that happened.

2.       Being able to have a fairly decent lecture with an entire class of bratty kids! :P

3.       The appointment with a friend that got cancelled. I was supposed to meet a friend after my lecture and he cancelled just five minutes before. I generally wait in the office and read between my lecture and dance class. Since I was already outside the building to meet him and I was too lazy to go back up, I decided to drive around for a while and read when I reach the dance class since I would have have reached earlier than planned. When I tried to start my bike, it wouldn’t go!!!! Apparently, there was something wrong with the wire that enabled quick start and took about forty five minutes to repair. Had I decided to go back upstairs and read, and leave just twenty minutes before dance class, I would’ve been late. See… sometimes bad things happen for a good reason. :)

4.       The helpful parking guy who called the mechanic and ensured that got the damage repaired as soon as possible.

5.       The wonderful drive that I took all by myself and explored roads I hadn’t explored so far!! :)

Day 213: For something New to Read…

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       The wonderfully yummy lunch and awesome noodle snacks.

2.       Being able to multi-task.. Read (and finish) ‘Sons of Fortune’ while playing Café World! I’m amazing!! :P

3.       Being able to start reading a new book – ‘The Host’ by Stephanie Meyer. So far, it’s okay. I’d be in a position to say something more after I’ve read a couple of chapters and that’ll be soon I’m hoping.

4.       The amazing ear-phone experience! My ears are loving it!!

5.       Being able to post before I slept off. I’ve been posting once in two days these days so its great that I got to post today’s Happy 5 today itself! 

Day 212: For Getting Back to being Lazy

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       The lazy start! I woke up waaaaay after noon! Can you blame me after all the running about I did yesterday?? Great! :P

2.       Having Dance class to look forward to after my lecture today! Sometimes I just feel like getting away from the classroom and today was one of those days. It helped a lot since I had the dance class to look forward to; and my book and my new earphones to get me through the hour and a half long break between my lecture and the dance class.

3.       Finally being able to continue the book that I was reading. It seems like I have been reading ‘Sons of Fortune’ forever. After a long time, I continued from where I had stopped and was thankfully able to make sense out of it! :)

4.       The new song we started dancing to today - ‘Morning After Dark’ by Timbaland. I just love the songs my instructors select! Plus, I get introduced to great songs I haven’t heard until then and wouldn't have, if it wasn't for them! :)

5.       Finishing all four seasons of Prison Break!! Phew! Done! Even if I had to be up until six in the morning watching it! ;)

Day 211: For a Tour of Mumbai

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       Having things to be thankful for. After having my hands full and running about the entire day, I’m happy to see the silver lining.

2.       Being able to meet Sandeep twice during the day; in the morning and again in the evening for dinner… :D :D :D aaaaannnddd.. the new ear phones he bought for me :D

3.       Having a mini Mumbai Darshan as I travelled from home to Kala Chowki to Churchgare to Cuffe Parade to Vashi to Home to Vashi again for class and then back home and then to meet Sandeep for dinner all the way in Mulund and then back home!! Phew… Tiring, but the way the day began and ended made it all totally worth it!!

4.       Not having dinner at Pizza Hut again! It seems as if every time we go out for dinner, we end up at Pizza Hut. For the last few times we’ve been steering clear of that place. Not that it’s not great, because we both love it; but every time???? So we ended up at Pop Tate’s instead; and the Nachos with Beans and the Mexicano sizzler that we had, was brilliant!! Loved it.. and would recommend it to all those foodies… unless of course you’ve already gorged on that!

5.       Knowing that after the looong day, I’m going to sleep reaaaally well!

Day 210: For Dancing Again

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       An early start to the day that let me accomplish a lot of things.

2.       Finally being able to watch a movie today after a long time, ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbai.’

3.       Finding things unexpectedly. I need to fill out a form and submit it, and I was going to take a print early tomorrow morning. While I was looking for a passport sized photograph that was required along with the form, I found a copy of the form neatly put in an envelope in my desk drawer!! Phew! Saved me about fifteen minutes worth of time in the morning! A few minutes later, I also found the photograph I was looking for. :D :D

4.       Dancing!! Man, I’m having fun! We’ve had four classes already and I’m thoroughly beginning to enjoy it. We did a routine that lasted about one and a half minute on ‘Imma Be’ by Black Eyed Peas. Now we’re working on another routine on ‘Take Your Shirt Off’ by ­T-Pain from Step Up 3 and I absolutely am in love with the song. It has happened to me before… we start dancing to a song and I fall in love with it. I have a lot of favourites that way!! :)

5.       Reaching level 60 at Café World.. Lame I know… But I’m just so excited about it that I thought it was worth mentioning!!! :D :D :D

Day 209: For Chocolate Milk Ice-cream

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       Not sleeping the day off and waking up while it was still morning. Yeah… it is a BIG deal for me :P

2.       The cup of chocolate milk that froze. I generally drink my milk cold and with lots of chocolate in it. Because it wouldn’t be cold enough by the time I would be ready for it, my mother put the cup in the freezer and mentioned it to me a little too late. And hence, I had chocolate ice-cream. Yum!

3.       All the spongy and soft chapattis that I made yesterday.

4.       Another great good night conversation; which involved singing ‘In pin safety pin…’ somehow.. I don’t know how exactly, but I’m very sure it was sung... more than once. :D

5.       And… For sleeping early… just a few minutes past midnight and yes, that’s early for me!

Day 208: Old Memories

Today, I am thankful for…

1.       Having all the time in the world. Not really, but Sundays are generally lazy days and it seems like you have so much time on your hands. I just looooved the feeling.

2.       The awesome noodles that I had for snacks.

3.       My habit of saving souvenirs. I attach a sentimental value to everything; be it a letter, a book, a flower or even restaurant bills. I am crazy enough to save e-mails, chat conversations and text messages (thankfully, my phone has the capacity to save thousands of messages in its memory!) I knew I had a back up of my old phone’s messages somewhere on the computer and I found and read it! I had messages as old as 2005 in my phone – both sent and received. And it was really fun reading them!

4.       Being able to watch cool movies.. I saw ‘Hush’ Saturday night and ‘Prison Break – the movie’ today on DVD and ‘He’s just not that into you’ today on HBO. :D Happy!!!!

5.       A great conversation that had me reminiscing about old school and college days!!!

Day 207: For Writing Again...

Phew.. I'm doing this after sooooo long. It seems like ages since I wrote here!!!!!! Doesn't matter; I'm here now - again. So let me just get on with it!

Today, I am thankful for...

1.      Beginning to write here again. As I have experienced this before, not writing here has had some weird implications on how I feel and my mood and attitude in general. I don't know why I didn't start posting here immediately when I realised. But I guess a month long blogging break was also a little necessary. It wasn't a conscious decision to not blog; I just couldn't bring myself to do it even if I wanted to. That's all behind me now and I have been itching to write again. So here I am, in full swing, declaring those 5 things that've made me happy today (including this one :D)

2.      Dancing again. After April, I've joined dance class again. The only thing is that it's not as relaxing simply because this batch is style based. Given that I hadn't been dancing for almost four months I should've chosen Contemporary for this batch but I chose to learn Hip-Hop instead and right now, it just plain hurts!!! It’s just been three classes and I'm sure that after another week passes by and my body becomes accustomed to rigorous exercise again, I'll enjoy the class even more. For now, I'm just happy to listen to great music while we groove to it; and for the prayers at the beginning and end of each class.

3.      The wonderful songs that were dedicated to me over the phone; starting with Stevie Wonder’s ‘I just called to say I love you,’ ‘Chura liya hai tumne to dil ko’ from the movie Yaadon Ki Baarat; and believe it or not…. ‘Waka Waka’ by Shakira. :P

4.      Being able to go through the day without watching ‘Prison Break.’ Yeah.. I’m totally addicted to that show! I’m almost at the end of season 4 with the last seven episodes to go! :D

5.      The good things that have happened the past few days; you could call it family bonding. I have a phobia about jinxes, so I’m just going to leave it at that! :P

And Again....

I'm going to start posting from today...

I've got too many happy things to talk about!! :D :D :D

Day 160: For Holiday on a Weekday!

Today, I am thankful for…

1. Having another stretch of a looong sleep. Thanks to the All India bandh today, we had the luxury of staying at home on a weekday. Woo hoo!! :)

2. (I forgot to mention this yesterday, but I am also thankful for…) the yummy custards that my mother has been making every weekend (a whole big pot of it) for the past three weeks. And FYI, even though I have been gorging on the custard almost after every meal, I am not putting on weight!!! :P

3. Finally watching ‘Rock On.’ I know I sound very lame when I say that, but I led a pretty sad life back then (when the movie had released,) shuttling between attending classes, going to office and barely making it home on time that I missed out on loads of stuff. So when all my friends had gone to watch the movie the week it released, I was busy in office (probably verifying expense vouchers or bank statements and their reconciliation). I had time today, I had the DVD, I was in the mood and I watched it! Finally! And I quite liked it.

4. Finishing A Summer Secret by Kathleen Fuller and starting a new book, Dork by Sidin Vadukut. I’m quite proud of my reading record so far. I hope by the end of the year, the list shows at least 26 books (of course, after excluding the half read books.)

5. A wonderful good night conversation. Simply loved it! :)

Day 159: For a Perfect Sunday

Today, I am thankful for…

1. Being able to wake up later in the morning (it was afternoon by the time I actually woke up! :P)

2. Being invited to a nice lunch at Amit’s place. It was very sweet of his mom to actually prepare separate food for me just because I am a vegetarian and everyone else was having chicken. :)

3. Listening to music over earphones. Mine got ruined about six months ago and I haven’t had enough spare cash to squander over luxuries and I wouldn’t settle for anything but original Nokia earphones. Also, I am too proud to ask my parents for money. So I’m waiting it out and I’ll buy it the day I have some money to spare. So since then, listening to music while traveling has been just a dream. But today, when I was traveling with Vishal, he had his headphones, which I connected to my phone and we listened to music. My ears were thrilled!

4. A great Sunday evening with Sandeep. A little bit of McDonalds with a little bit of window shopping, a little bit of paani puri and kaala khatta gola, a little bit of roaming around and loads of things to talk about, was what my perfect evening was all about.

5. Knowing that even though tomorrow is the first working day of the week, we have a holiday!! Yay!

Day 158: For meeting friends

Today, I am thankful for…

1. Being able to wake up earlier than usual because of which I had to avoid rushing.

2. Being able to spend a extra little time dressing up since I was up earlier than usual.

3. Being able to spend some nice after-office time with my colleagues.

4. Being able to meet Jyothi and the others (although I fell asleep early since I had been up since so long!!!)

5. The awesome sleep for twelve hours that I got after a loooong time… after a whole week actually. :)

Day 157: For Name Calling.. :P

Today, I am thankful for…

1. Finding out that there might be an all India bandh on Monday which means that there’ll be a holiday (2 days at a stretch) and also that I can get up late!!! Whoa!! Awesome!! :)

2. The exchange of e-mails that have replaced phone conversations. Interestingly, today’s e-mail conversation began with (and entirely turned out to be about) witnessing the story of a rat that tried to hide itself inside a carton of toned milk and crows that were waiting for it to come out so that they could attack him. There was also a dog somewhere in the story and the main point of concern was the survival tactic of the rat… or something like that. Not something I would talk about in the beginning of the day, but I must admit I did find it cute and laughed a lot when I read it. I don’t know anyone else who’d express such concern for a street rat!! The whole e-mail reeked of compassion and I re-read it more than once. :)

3. Being called names that sound soooo cute. “Aye ghadhi” literally translated as “Oh donkey” and “tera sarr” meaning “your head” have never ever sounded so cute. And it’s as if I want to be called by these names. They’re not intended to be offensive, obviously. But even if they were, the way he says it, makes me forget that I’m being called an idiot! :P

4. Unexpected phone calls that lead to looong conversations when you realize you haven’t spoken in a really long time. Ashish called me yesterday and we spoke after soooooo long. What made me feel nice was not just the fact that I was speaking to him after a gap of about three months, but also a few things that he told me, that sort of provided encouragement. He said things like, he was happy about the decision that I’d made to follow my heart. He told me how he enjoyed reading what I wrote and that he could visualize what I wanted to convey. It made me feel so nice. Also he said that there were a few common friends who actually took time out of their work schedule to read my blog!!!!!! I couldn’t believe my ears. :) Also we spoke a little bit about both our career plans and gave each other suggestions. Oh… and it’s his birthday today!! So Happy Birthday Ashish!!!! :)

5. The nice and long walk that I took. I am all about being healthy and fit these days but I won’t achieve that by starving myself and looking all worn out. I eat really well but I compensate for that by getting any form of exercise, whether it is jumping and dancing around the house while music is on in the background (which as so far been the most relaxing form) or plainly walking long distances when I’m in the mood. So today, I walked all the way from my office till the railway station (which took almost twenty minutes) and then from Vashi station to class and back – 15 minutes each way (I had to meet Ma’am about something). I was so tired by the time I reached Nerul that I ended up taking an auto. But then the long walk was really good!! :)

Day 156: For Catching a Break...

Today, I am thankful for…

1. The fact that Natasha was at home. It seems like I haven’t seen her in ages even though we live in the same house. Our schedule for the past week has been such that I leave early in the morning while she is still sleeping. She leaves in the afternoon or early evening for her play rehearsals and by the time she is back (which is usually a little late for me) I am off to bed because I have to be up early. Sigh! What a week it has been!!

2. A musical evening. We celebrated the fact that we were both at home, together after a loooooong time by listening to music – very typical of us, really! :)

3. Being back home from office by seven in the evening. For the last two days, since I discovered that there is a bus from office that drops me right outside my house, I have been tempted to travel by it because it means not walking till the station to catch a train and then again not walking from Nerul station to home. But the bus takes more than one and a half hours. I sit in the bus around 6.10 and its past 7.45 by the time I reach home. And with the whole churning-in-my-stomach-as-soon-as-I-sit-in-a-bus that I’ve been experiencing these days, it’s just not worth it! I’d rather walk both ways, thereby getting some exercise and reach be home by 7, than sitting (un)comfortably in one place and reaching home late.

4. Knowing that once the busy season in office is over for someone, we’re going to have a great time!!!! :)

That’s all. Can’t think of for now! :)

Day 155: For Conversations.

Today, I am thankful for…

1. Making it to office on time in spite of waking up 20 minutes late.

2. Having a good day at office.

3. A nice long conversation with Jyothi after a realllly long time. I did most of the talking as usual, but it was still a conversation!

4. Finishing And Thereby Hangs a Tale by Jeffrey Archer and starting A Summer Secret by Kathleen Fuller.

5. Being able to say Good Night to each other (over the phone) just before falling asleep.

Day 154: For New Beginnings

Today, I am thankful for…

1. Beginning a new phase of my life by starting off a new career. :)

2. Getting back to the normal schedule of sleeping and waking up like humans as a result of starting work.

3. Early morning conversations that seem to have slipped back into my schedule almost as suddenly as early mornings themselves.

4. Having cool co-workers.. Most of them girls, around my age!! :)

5. Having the best weekend ever… had authentic Arabic food a Bistro Grill Saturday night and an awesome rest of the weekend! 

Day 146: For a Beautiful Start to the Day…

Today, I am thankful for…

1. The beautiful morning that I woke up to. I hope every morning starts the way today’s did. :D :D

2. The wonderful breakfast of Orange juice and Black Forest ice-cream (slurp!) that I had. Very unconventional, I know! That’s what made it all the more fun.

3. Finally starting work on the project I’ve been talking about. Will upload loads of pictures when it’s done by the end of next month. :)

4. Being able to experience the feeling of missing someone so much that it is painful to be away and knowing that the other person feels it too.

5. Annie! It is a beautiful movie. I’m glad that I got to see it!

Day 145: For a Great time with Family

Today, I am thankful for…

1. The family time that we had which translates to a perfect Sunday. My brother, his new bride and his mom were here since Saturday evening, which meant yummy dinner, yummy dessert and awesome conversations. This actually covers almost everything that I did today and doesn’t leave another four things to be thankful for, but I have one more.

2. The wonderful rest of the day that I had. The most beautiful and cozy evening (a little rain would have added to the wonderful setting that the evening was!), a nice and private home cooked dinner and a wonderful sleep. I wish everyday was like this!!!

Day 144: For a beautiful home

Not that I’m bragging but I’m going to do a picture post today because I am totally in awe with how my home looks and I thought I might give you guys a glimpse.

I have a cousin who got married last month. So as a tradition, we invited the newly weds for dinner at our place. And so we got a chance to light all the fancy lights and get the fancy sheets out. So before my brother arrived with his wife and the rest of their family, I clicked a few pictures only because I couldn’t resist! So here goes.

This is the bedroom that my sister and I share. It has Olive green on the pillars, mustard yellow on the beams and off white on the walls, except for the wall behind the dressing table that has textured paint... And that's Natasha's stuffed dog (that she calls Poochi...) on her bed.

This is our bedroom with my bed in the forefront. My mom's office computer is on my bed just for the picture. We have a very old (seven years old to be precise) desktop computer at home (that has a monitor like a very old 17" TV) and I am quite content with it. :)

This is our living room as seen from outside my bedroom door. That's our temple with the glass bricks on the left hand side and our dining table right in front. 

This is a picture of our living room as seen standing next to the temple. To the left, is the door to my bedroom.

This is our kitchen and that's my mom! And today, I'm thankful for both! :) :)

Here's a picture of the temple taken in October last year on Diwali day. Thought I'd give you a glimpse of that too. :)

I love my home!!!!