CASUAL TALKINGS

Last One here.. but its not over yet!

2009-12-31T12:14:00.002+05:30

Hey my lovelies....

So after a whole lot of laziness.. tardinesss..and another bunch of nessses... I have finally-hy moved my blog to Wordpress.. Yes Yes I did it Myself! ;)

After seeing a few other blogs on Wordpress, I really feel it has better options, layout etc etc.

My Blog now comes with a whole new name, identity and what-nots. I am superbly excited about it and I hope that this will pave the way for my consistent writing (which I really need to/want to do).

Adieus my friends on Blogger.. Please save my new Blog address in your precious e-diaries..coz that is where the action will be!! I promise!!

Ramblings of a Feisty Spirit (Yea thats me!)

See you on the other side of the blogworld! Till then, loveeeee and luckk! :D

Random Thought

2009-11-22T08:20:00.004+05:30

What is God's plan when He gets you to meet people, who are absolutely the most amazing..but ensures that the 'togetherness' doesn't last long?

What is God's plan when He gets you so close to certain individuals only to part them in a short period of time?

Confessions of a Dreamy-head!

2009-11-18T15:31:00.003+05:30

A girl is a girl is always a girl! So I say. When have you found a girl who has not had a list of 'Wants & Needs'. I have my list ready. A few loves, desires, wants... some impossible..some definitely possible. I am not talking about your atypical I-want-that-Prada-bag-with-those-Gucci-shoes kinda gal.. I am talking more about...aah.. well... read on and you may want to define the 'kind'! :)

Backpack across Europe: and by Backpacking, I mean in the true sense..cheap hotels, getting lifts on trucks, supper at a local's house..
Live in the Caribbean Islands: somehow I feel they are happiest people in the world. Why wouldn't living by the Beach not make anyone happy? :P
Getting proposed in true-blue romantic style: I know. I know. I am married. But I have not been proposed to yet. :) And I am not talking about Sky-writing, putting ring in the pudding/champagne... I want something that is absolutely dreamy..
Own an Island: Haha.. why not?
Own a Horse: Just the horse..not the stable.. just the horse!
Attend a Premiere in LA: I think this is E!-hangover. But its definitely on my mind.
Go Skydiving: i am sooper scared of heights.. but this is something I definitely wanna do.
Learn to speak a 3rd Language: Sooo wanna do that! I suck at learning a new language..but I definitely wanna learn French/Spanish
Adopt a Pup: This is definitely possible in a few years' time! :)
New Year's at Times Square: :) Who doesn't want this?

What's your list? :)

Travel & Living Charms Its way to my Heart

2009-09-16T12:56:00.003+05:30

Every time I watch Discovery Travel&Living Channel, I drift into its world. The world where you get meaningful ink tattoos, the world where you can whip up and eat that delicious meal, the world where Nigella Lawson creates magic in her kitchen with the simplest of ingredients (that I hope to create one day in my kitchen), a world where you take the Spice trail with Anthony Bordain and land in a country with its own unique qualities and food, a world where I get to visit those beautiful countries and towns that in my real life, may not get the opportunity to visit.

I keep a diary. I write those exotic recipes so that I can create them one day. I design those gorgeous meaningful tattoos coz I wish to get a Meaningful Tattoo one day on my back. I try to find within myself, what is 'meaningful' to me. I make a list of 'Things to do before you die' and '10 romantic destinations in the world' while watching the shows on the channel so that I have reference.

When I watch 'Lonely Planet', 'No Reservations', 'Traveller' or any such show, sitting on my sofa, I get transported to the land. Be it the villages of Sweden and Norway, the by lanes of Turkey, the hustle-bustle of London, the Cafe-lined streets of Paris, the small towns of Eastern Europe, the grandeur of Spain, the romance of Italy or the beauty of Switzerland -- I feel I am right there, in the moment, travelling it. Travel&Living is my way of living my life. Somehow I am more mesmerized by the beauty of Europe (of course after India). After India (which I have travelled quite a Bit), I wish to explore Europe.

I am a (wannabe) traveller. "One who has not travelled has only read the first page of the book". I wish to see the world and Travel&Living is my way to do that.

I will tell you a little secret: Sometimes I just sit on my computer and browse 'Lonely Planet' website. It gives me peace and calm! Is that crazy? Maybe so. But I like it! :)

A Tribute..To A Perfect Person

2009-08-23T18:44:00.002+05:30

I wanna make you smile

Whenever you're sad

Carry you around when your arthritis is bad

All i wanna do, is grow old with you

I'll get you medicine when your tummy aches

Build you a fire if the furnace breaks

So, it could be so nice growing old with you,....

I'll miss you

Kiss you

Give you my coat when you are cold

Need you

Feed you

Even let you hold the remote control.

So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink

Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink

Oh I could be the man that grows old with you

I wanna grow old with you.

It has been 6 years since I have been with Soubhagya (my Pati) and I have to say that it has been more than worthwhile. It is not the first time that he is away, but somehow, more than the missing (which I do terrribly), it is the Gratitude and the Importance of him in my life, I feel. That is what has compelled me into writing this post. Listening to 'The Reason' I sit right here to pay a tribute to my perfect man.

I am not very good with 'saying' it but I need to say this, You are The Reason for my sanity, my existance, my belief, my life! So here are a few things that I want you to know.

I truly thank God for bringing you into my life.
I find a Reason for success, a Reason for living, a Reason to smile, a Reason to talk when I am with you.
I know there are times when I give you a very very hard time.. but thats just coz I want to demand attention.
I think you are the most amazing, top-class, perfect, adorable husband ever.
I have never met a man who can be a Child and a Grown-up at the same time.
I love the way you dance and sing in the mornings. My mornings are never the same without your loud Bollywood singing and your impromptu dancing around the dining table.
I love the way you make me breakfast. The only reason I look forward to mornings is to get that cold coffee and that breakfast.
I adore your strength and your will to succeed. I admire your courage and your focussed attitude towards life.
I admire your finicky attitude towards things, I love the fact that you are so careful about everything and you know the importance of things we have acquired/bought/got.
I love they way you are with my family. Its like you are their long-lost son! They are very proud to have you.
I am very proud of you. I remember the times you were unsure about your life, your career and what you wanted/needed to do. But look at today - you are a successful smart man and I am so proud of you and your achievements and I know that you have paid your dues, now it is your time and you will succeed. I know it.
I miss your chitter chatter when I am in the other room, the way you keep calling out my name. I get irritated then, but I miss it now.
I love your sense of humour. It is, I believe, the best sense of humour I have come across in a man. You keep me in splits and that is one thing I adore about you.
Anyone who meets you/knows you, loves you and gets pulled towards you. You have this amazing magnetic attitude that draws people towards you. Noone can hate you.
I like the fact that you can make anyone feel comfortable around you. From the maid, to the milkman, to the landlord, to the watchman, to the local provision store guy, to your colleagues, to my friends, to our families - you have them all floored!
You are very sensible and very down to earth and that is the quality that draws me towards you.

There are probably a 1000 more things I wanna say to you, guess it is difficult to remember each and every thing at one go. But I do wanna say one thing --

I Do Wanna Grow Old With You. Coz I dont see myself with anyone else 50 years from now....

These are a Few of My Favourite Things...

2009-07-27T13:42:00.004+05:30

I Adore Talking. Blue. Good Food. Horses. Excitement. Mom. Tree shade. Raindrops. Lip Gloss. Love. Dad. Laugh. Friends. People. Pasta. Shiti. Writing. Empire-waist dresses. Good Books. Cooking. Soubhagya. Cobbled Streets. Workout. More People. Mom ke haath ka khana. Sand. Dance on my own. Late Night Gossips. Revelry. Junk Indian Food. TV. Smell of Pine Trees. Black. Dogs. A good Laugh. Walking hand in hand...everywhere. Earrings. Facebook. PJs. Looking for Animals n Objects in the Shape of Clouds. Paris. My collection of VNC Shoes. Coffee Shops. Rajma Chawal. Sound of Rain. Grass. Mom on Twitter. Reality Shows. Dance. Loving. Mountains. Choreographing. Curtains. A Good Joke. Sea. Sunset. Cuddling. Smell of Baking Cake. Experimenting with Food. Esprit Watch. Twitter. Cheesecake. Family. Traveling. Accessories. Blogging. Waves and the Sound of It. Mascara. More People. Golden Retriever. Flat Chappals. Hyper. Diet Coke. Goa. Train Journeys. Extended Family. Meeting New People. My collection of Dresses. Dance More. Silver Jewellery. Sunshine through the curtains. Protein Bar. Pillows..lots of them. Break Time Gossips. Bhel puri. Music. Purple. Dancing. Flowers. Didu. Coffee. Pani Puri. Cold Coffee. Eyes. Walking on endless streets. My Collection of Handbags. Talking more. Curling my toes in the sand. Candlelight dinner. My iPod. Long Drives. McLaudgunj. Personalized Gifts. Letters. Dance Some More. Low Fat Food. My Books. Low Fat Diet. Pink Floyd. Pilates. Radhika. Party. Friends. Talking some more. Salads. Denims. All-time Gossip. Roses. Google Search. Bing Image Search. My Mom getting net-savvy. Care for all Close to Me. Madness At work. My Work. My Freedom. My Passion. My Trust.

The Person I Am Today. I Am. I Love. I Live. My Life.

Life Like That.. Gimme Ideas!

2009-07-26T11:33:00.002+05:30

So I know.. Rakesh has already pointed that I have not written for a 'Million years now'! I am sooo sorrry guys.. been too busy with life..and more than anything else, I have been having a 'writers' block' kinda syndrome.. Dont know how to tackle it..So what i have decided is to make a list of things that I wanna write about..maybe that should help..

But evertime I sat down in front of the 'New Post'... nothing! Zilch! zap! Sigh... I think a bit of the credit of 'the block' goes to my life..which is kinda changing colours every minute.. too many changes.. too many things to handle..and honestly i am this simple tiny person..who doesnt really like too many changes... but then, kya karein...have to deal with them (I have already mentioned this in my previous post)

PS: I did mention the block..i am sure you know one of the side-effects of it is -- Repeating oneself! hmph!

So... I promise.. Every week.. I will try and come up with 1 topic to write about..for sure.. even if it is just 2 lines.. wat say?

Maybe -- aaaah..wait wait.. *ting tong..dimaag ki ghanti bajee* ...You Guys can tell me what I should write about.. Anything? Something? Whateverthing? You give me a topic..and I shall elaborate! ;) Whatsay? Balle Balle..this sounds like fun! *now crossing fingers and hoping I get responses*

Ok! The Ball is in your court now... Give me Ideas.. Come On Come On! You can do it! :)

Random Thoughts that crossed my mind...

2009-07-26T10:58:00.002+05:30

Change is Constant.. haven't we all lived with this notion forever? Yet..when change does happen..we think about it..sometimes fret about it..accept it..use the term 'accept' ...and yes..live with it.. :) It was a random thought that crossed my mind today and I just wanted to pen it down..

My sister is growing up.. yes..she is my kid lil sister who I have, literally, brought up! So yeah, it is very very difficult for me to 'Accept' that she is grown up. There are many times that I probably frown upon her activities...but then end of the day, I feel, I am just being over-protective and when I was her age, I did do some of the things that she is doing now! So yeah.. I need to 'Accept'. I know I know.. But kya karein, its like a second nature for me to tell my lil sis, what is wrong and what is right.. even though I know she is doing nothing wrong!

Another change that happened - Marriage! You know, I always thought... I knew my Pati for 4 years before getting hitched and marriage wont really change anything, we are still gonna be the same 2 persons, just living together now! But I was wrong.. It changes a whole lot of things, it changes you - maybe just makes you more mature, teaches you to compromise, teaches you to respect feelings, teaches you to be polite and control your anger. Dont get me wrong - I DO recommend it to all! Its the most Amazing thing in the world! :) But be prepared to make a hell lotta changes in your life. You get responsibilities, you CANNOT be frivilous and you definitely cannot take your life for granted - coz now you are sharing it with another person. hmmm... I have changed and I have 'accepted' it! :) Yeah..its a wonderful life!

I remember the time when I wrote a letter (in colourful pens and little paper cut-outs) and mailed it to MTV Select so that my heart-throb, then, Nikhil Chinappa, could read it! Sigh.... And look at NOW - I am Following Nikhil Chinappa on Twitter and I go to Fuga everytime he comes to play there.. How Things Change..

So, on another note, I am on Twitter now.. Officially I say..and I must say, its highly addictive..the good part is I have actually acquainted myself with tonnes of people through this addictive lil thing- My friend circle is ever-increasing, I say! ;)

Another thing I love about Twitter is how people we call 'Stars'..Bollywood and Hollywood are 'Regular Twitter Users' and its honestly quite fun to see their personal photos on Twitpic, to see them talk about their regular life with such honesty and ease.. Me Likey..

I read today about how there was a huge debate in Rajya Sabha regarding the show - Sach Ka Saamna. The politicans consider the show "Offensive to good taste and decency".. REALLY?? So they should probably issue notice to all reality shows across channels for the same offence.. I think, that the politicans are scared that one of them might just go on the show and all his 'Kali Kartoot' will be aired on TV.. Ha Ha! Honestly Mr. Politican, grow up! We are all adults, if we dont wanna watch it, we will change channels. Stop concentrating on what we should be watching, and work on catching rapists, murderers and erasing other evils of the society! hmph!

Some of the thoughts that rumbled through my head...just meant to pen it down.. Thanks to my sister, who insisted that I am being an emotional wreck and If I pen these feelings down, I will feel better! Thanks Sis, I DO feel much better now! :)

Galleria - Good Times

2009-06-10T17:04:00.007+05:30

Pati (showing off) his new Haircut and His new RED Shoes! ;)

Me and Us at the All-day Hawaiian Buddays Bash!

With Friends.. Clickin' Away!

The 'Deadly' Effects of the Bucket Punch!! uhho! ;) Just imagine the ingredients in that!

Dancing the night away... The 'afternoon brunch' party converted into an all-day party! :)

And So I am back... With Updates et al

2009-06-06T11:52:00.003+05:30

So I finally return to the Blog World after a month long disappearance.. [tanu spreads her arms out for the blog world and hugs] :) It has been a crazy crazy month... In a few pointers... my take on what all has been up on my side since I wrote last:

My fitness Regime - Has been going well. We have found some great videos..courtesy Youtube.. and even though there is no sign of weight-loss (damn).. I see a consistency and a healthy attitude and mind I never felt before. There are two additions to the information bank on Weight Management Blog that I wrote before. I hope the links I gave you earlier were helpful in some way or the other. So adding to that 3 other things:

2 links that can give you 20 mins of full-on cardio workout at home, without equipments! It gives you that Kick-start of the day that you so badly need and since no equipments required.. you will thank me for saving your money! :)

10 mins Jump Start Cardio Workout

10 mins Cardio Kickboxing Workout (my favourite..kicks some ass)

A book that I swear by, a must-read for everyone.. It is, I consider, a Bible for Fitness.. Sort of breaks all myths revolving Weight-loss..diet etc! I actually found out that most of things I was doing was Wrong! Don't Lose your mind, Lose your Weight by Rujuta Diwekar.. She is God to me at present! A Must-Read for everyone wanting to lose weight, maintain weight or almost falling into diet-traps!

My-in laws were in town for 3 weeks..so as usual I was busy doing 'seva' and earning Brownie Points! It was a full-house.. there were people in the house every single minute and our lives n the small apartment suddenly seemed large and huge! It was fun I say!
May was also the month of S and My Birthdays... So it was celebration Full-On! So we had 3 birthday celebrations in all -- 6th may (S's bday).. we went for a nice quiet dinner, 17th May (moi's bday) was a family affair.. shopping, lunch, midnight surprise... aaah! the works!:) and Then .. 30th May (the party--hyy).. we threw a lavish Hawaiian Brunch Party for our friends at The Beach on Sunday.. which culminated into a great all-day party affair! Oooohh How I love Celebrations and How I love Buddays! :)
My point of view of the Australian Racist Attacks -- Oh Wat a blow-out! Why would the Indian Media (already famous for blowing things out of proportion and making mountains out of a mole hill) spend so much of air-time and print space on this? Its not like its the first time? Just coz this time someone complained, the media decided to track even the smallest of crimes and convert it into a hate-crime! I read somewhere - Where does the Indian Media go when Foreign students in India are being attacked, raped and murdered? Why is that not 'blown-out-of-proportion'? So I feel, Guys.. I agree what is happening in Australia is extremely UNFAIR and I would urge that 'set of people' who are doing this to kindly STOP! but pleasee.. is it right to term the entire nation as Racist? Are indians not racist when it comes to Dark-skin and Fair-skinned? come onn....
I am working on a hugggeee assignment at work. It could be called my 'biggest assignment' till date.. Since I am part of the Marketing Communications team.. my sole job is to make our 'ugly fugly' Conference Room into a state-of-the-art executive Conference Room.. So currently I am an Interior Designer cum Communications specialist. Not only do I decide what kind of furniture, plants, decorations will go into the room but also decide on what kind of branding to be done! wohooo! I love my job NOW! :D
S got the 'Innovator of the Year' award at his company and my joys knew no bounds! [tanu does a lil hop-skip-n-jump] All his hard work and dedication and my yelling that he has no time for me.. has paid off! haha.. I loved it! :)
So Congress is the new Government. Me Is Happy! I hated BJP! honestly.. their biased and racist.. and Hindutva views drove me nuts! I just hope that Mr.PM and his team gets down to business immediately and do what they promised us they will do!
I dont like the fact that BJP is still in Power in Karnataka.. They are useless.. regressive.. old.. and support Muthalik and his C**P brigade! (wont say more.. on that)
I am on-edge most of the time.. scared about my job..hoping daily that my ID Card works when I go to work! :(.. I wish the economic crisis gets sorted out quick!
S and I have not taken a vacation in the past 6 months... sigh! It is sort of driving us up the wall.. Not even a weekend Guys.... grrr.. So we are planning to take 5 days off and go to Goa (I have already told you how much I love that place) Plus I wanted to experience Goa in Monsoons.. I have heard its Gorgeous.. :)
Went to a new restaurant last night called Suburbia - A Goan Resto-bar Par Excellence.. Its on the Outer Ring Road (for those familiar with Blore)... Amazing Chicken Xacuti and Vindaloo... Great Cocktails (I had Black Russian..yumm)... And very very relaxed!
Loving .. absolutely LOVING the weather in Bangalore Right Now.. Its windy.. Its rainy..Its cold.. Its Beautiful! Sigh..one reason why I don't wanna leave Bangalore! :)
It was my Parents' 30th Wedding Anniversary On 1st June.. and on the occasion my Papa (the forever romantic) took my Mamma to Leh and Ladakh for a Holiday (or as my mother called it.. their '2nd honeymoon') LOL.. I love the fact that My parents are still so much 'in love' with each other and don't histate displaying it.. and I truely wish that S and I could match up to that 30 years down our married life! ooh I love my parents..they are so cute! And I wish them 30 More years of love and Happiness! :)

phew.. So that was the update from my side.. Some pics will be up in the next post.. And I have tonnes of catching up to do.. So the 'regulars' I will be checking your blogs very soon! :)

Ciao till then!

If I met a Genie...

2009-04-23T21:22:00.002+05:30

If I met a Genie today..and considering the 'condition' the world is in today, I dont think 3 wishes would suffice.. I am gonna get greedy and say...

If I met a Genie today, and she were to grant me 10 wishes, I would ask for --

I wanna Holiday far far away, right now, where there is no mobile network and no cable network (IPL is on...)
I want a back Massage..sigh.. I have s****ed up my Back again... so quite in pain!.. actually a Day at the Spa will do too! :P
I would love to go to Delhi, to my parents for a week.. and do nothing but eat yummyummm "mamma ke haath ka khana".. sniff sniff..
I wanna Shop! Like Really.. not 'recession' shopping..but ShopShop.. coz i have a list, hon! ;)
A Holiday...i know i know.. again.. now u know how 'desperate' i am for it. But this time, I wanna go to Brisbane.. Coz its beautiful.. its happening.. and my Sister is there.. hehe.. So i wanna Party Party Party..and Shop Shop Shop.. :D
I wanna eat carb-loaded food -- and not put on an ounce of weight! Thats Right.. we wanna eat yumm too!
I wanna be Appreciated at Work.. Ya i know i am being 'wanting/greedy/immodest'.. but wat the hell!.. i am working my a** off here... and unlike the 'project guys' who get appreciated for coding some code and doing extra hours.. us marketing ppl get nothing.. Coz we are 'supposed to work' and thats just normal!! &%^&&$&*$^*$*.....uffff
I want to run away somewhere with my S, and not be found for a weekend.. i swear... I soooo wanna do that!!
I want a Good Young Leader to be chosen for our country.. not to sound all-blahblah.. but honestly, i cant have another 80+ neta enforcing his stupid outdated rules and blah at us.. not again!
I want to crib less in my life...about my life.. Coz what i am not realizing is that.. I am wasting and ruining my present..coz I 'want this and want that'! So, I promise to S.. babe, I officially quit Cribbing from Today! :D.. pomishhh!!

A Fitness Regime Has Begun...

2009-04-10T22:51:00.003+05:30

I am crazily paranoid about my weight! Yes yes.. i am one of those women, who counts the calories while eating and i think.. i really think... i put on a kg or 2 if i 'SEE' delicious carbohydrates!! Yikes! Its the story of my life. I have never been a 'Thin' person.. In fact, all my life, I have battled the 'weight-loss-weight-gain' cycle. How I have wished to be, for once, that Size-oh-so-kareenaish-zero... but nooo.. I have not! At my best (that is now) I am a size 8, and I have sort of settled myself there. Come on, its wayyy too difficult to work out for 3 hours a day to go below that - what with work and stress and blah blahs of life! So, my goal now is to:

Eat healthy
Stay Fit
Maintain my current weight (wouldn't hurt if I manage to miraculously loose another 1-2 kgs)
Find out that darn time to Exercise Daily (errr...at least 5 times a week!)

Recently, I say about a month back, SMM introduced me to this group called 'Fitness Fervor'. Their tagline is -- 0% fab; 100% flab. So apt, i say...and also, Hail to that! :D.

Let me give you all a backgrounder -- It is a blog effort initiated by Roop (another fitness freak) and has a whole lot of fitness freak contributors who discuss weight loss, exercise plans, schedules, diets, fitness regimes and share notes of their failures, day-to-day stress and we all chip in to help/motivate! When I read a couple of early introductions, I saw a whole lot of me in a whole lot of them. They were all looking to find fitness, looking to successfully complete a diet, looking to juggle Work, Workout and Home at the same time! I jumped in..

So, before I go further, let me tell you a bit about me... rather spell it out -- I Need External Motivation. Period. The reason for my constant battle with the fitness is coz I am highly lazy when it comes to my fitness. I need someone to be there next to me urging me to workout, I need that external force to make me wanna workout, I need someone next to me saying, "dont have that samosa/pizza/burger"..else i eat it. :( Another truth is -- I Love Food. Period. I cant live without it. It is one thing in my life, that makes me smile/go wheeeeeeee/feel good..etc..etc...

So, for the past few months, S and I have not been working out.. at all! We were regulars at the gym and then one fine day we just stopped! Oh and before I forget to mention my one big achievement in life, I lost about 13 kgs last year before my shadi and in the quest to maintain that, I was regular at the gym, post wedding! So I have not been the typical newly married who gets bloated coz "she is married now..and who cares". Well I Care! Damn I do! I wanna be 'Hot for Hubby'! He should be proud of taking me out! And oh I love clothes! hehe...

But damn the work and damn the stress, we stopped! For the last 4 months or so, I have been controlling my weight-gain (I dont think I want to become that fat-me again..how will I fit in my sexy clothes??..teeheee) by controlling my food. I know.. I know, its the worst thing to do. So I would eat out today, and control my food for the next 2 days.

I decided to end this with Fitness Fervor. I had found my External Motivation Force. I had to do something about myself. S and I had come to the conclusion that Gym was out of question. We did not have a set time to go and work out and come back (what with work and morning meeting calls and maids...). When I signed up for FF, I knew I could not just 'do nothing'. I had to follow some sort of workout regime (otherwise I wouldn't have any updates..hehe). So I started...rather, S and I started (yes yes.. i managed to get him going too) :)

And today, 2 weeks of following a regime, S and I are placed such, in our Fitness Regime:

1 1/2 hours of every morning workout
Home-cooked food for 5 days a week (I cook in Olive Oil and follow a very healthy diet)
No Eating Out, if eating out, then Healthy eating only.
No alcoholic beverage.. except Red Wine for Moi and Whiskey for S. (maybe once a week)
We have bought dumbells, exercise mat and Resistence Band.
We have started 2 fitness routines -- XBX (for women) and 5BX (for men).
We have enrolled on an online website -- SparkPeople, which helps you plan your fitness and diet goals and has Videos of workout routines. You must check it out! Helps me plan my meals and has great videos for Abs and Muscles. Its Free too! ;)
S and I have started the 200 sit-ups Challenge too. It is a great way of just doing your abs. :).. This is not so much to see if you can do it, I am sure you all can.. But it is just a good way of doing it in Reps (repeats)!

May I proudly say -- S and I have been following the above for 2 Successfully Fit Weeks and we feel absolutely great in the mornings. Infact I have started waking up at 7AM (I am a lazy person as I said earlier.. hmph!)... and putting on my shoes to start the workout in our spare room. And, needless to say, it is absolute fun to Workout with your Partner (recommended). We joke, We pull each other's leg, but more than that, we motivate each other to strive for more... :)

And I am simply hooked on to getting back in shape again (whatever little wobbly i got there..)!!!

PS: I will keep you all updated with new links to workouts, new diet plans, new ways of getting fit and fitting in your favourite Saaxxxy clothes! :)

Cheers to Fitness!

Giving back to the Society..in my own little way :)

2009-03-23T19:55:00.005+05:30

Since i have been 12 years old..old enuf to realize the world outside my cocoon, i have always felt for the street children... the ones who come at your car windows and tap gently. If you look beyond their grimy faces and ragged clothes, you will probably see honesty in their eyes and a teeny-tiny hope.. my throat would always choke up looking at their faces. Since then, i had this 20 year plan -- Once i have enuf money... i will build a 'home' for these kids... (always had something to do with the kids that melted my heart)... and educate these kids, teach them art and craft (have u ever noticed what amazing things they make and try to sell to you?) and sell their stuff to earn money for them. But i never knew where to begin till i earn 'that much money'!

Last week i got my opportunity. So, you may have heard of the Teach India Foundation. I applied for that months ago. They replied in January, asking me to report to an organization called "Youth For Seva". They run schools all across Bangalore where they teach underprivileged children. Its an organization started by an IT fellow 2 yrs ago and now has grown crazy big. I couldn't go for the orientation (my parents were here)... and then work took a monster turn and i found myself with no time to breathe.

Then, they came up with a "Sponsor A Child" program. I decided that the least i could do was this. So i sent them a mail that i would love to Sponsor a Child and in case they want me to be a 'Coordinator' for any building (they needed those too), i could find time for that too. Last week, i got a call from a volunteer, telling me about the process of Sponsoring a Child. After he was done, he asked me where i worked. When i told him Oracle, he said "me too"... which building (we have over 10 buildings in Bangalore)... and before i knew it.. he had made me the 'Coordinator for Youth For Seva Of Oracle *My Building*'! I was thrilled.. This was it.. this was my chance to do my bit for the kids!!

And so, now i am making my plan to promote the cause in my office, telling people about Youth For Seva (and how its not a fraud)... how extraordinary and different the Sponsor Program is..and how they can see where their money is going. Its 500/- a month, you can make a 5-year plan for your sponsored child, you can 'choose' the child you want to sponsor, you need only 2-3 hours a week to spend with the child, meet his/her family and be completely involved!!! I love this! :)

I am glad, that finally, i am involved in something that i am passionate about. Infact, in my first job in a PR agency, one of my clients was 'Christel House', an international NGO/World-class school for underprivileged children in Bangalore. May i confess, i worked hardest on this client, i didn't miss an opportunity to visit the school and meet the children, the children who used to greet me every time they saw me -- "good morning Didi".. filled up my eyes...

A small incident that i remember which shudders me up till today. I was at Christel House one morning and visiting the 'Sick Room'! In the room, i found a little 10-yr old boy and a 9-yr old girl, talking to the 'Lady Doctor' there... They were talking in Kannada and the girl was crying.. i sat there, like a stone, coz i knew something was wrong and i wanted to know wat it was. When the kids left, i asked the lady, wat the problem was. She said, "The boy and the girl are in the same class. The girl always gets tiffin for the boy. But given any opportunity, the boy hits the girl, mostly for no reason. The girl cries, but then goes back to the boy and gets him tiffin the next day again. The girl doesn't break the friendship and the boy continues to hit her." I was shocked to hear that and wanted to go hit the boy myself. The lady said, "Tanu, do you know the reason behind this? The boy has seen his father, hit his mother, for no reason. The girl has seen her mother being hit by her father for no reason, and the mother still feeds the father after all the atrocities. This is what we are dealing with, Tanu." I had nothing to say, i sat there dumbstruck, till it hit me -- these people are not only giving knowledge to the kids, they are also teaching them valuable social and life lessons! 2 months later i returned to the school, spotted the girl and the boy, they were walking to the playground hand-in-hand. I went and asked the 'Lady Doctor' as to how the situation was, she said that the boy had written a 'sorry' card to the girl and now they were best friends. No one hit Anyone! :)

What i did for Christel House was coz it was my job.. Wat i am trying to begin with Youth For Seva, is a passion. A friend asked me "do you have time for this?".. i say - Hell yeah!... I will make time to promote this cause...and i will ensure that maximum people from my office sponsor a child..

Guys, come on, its a small little opportunity that make a huge difference in the life of a child! And all it takes is 500/- a month!!

Will Write Once A Week - Repeat After Me.....

2009-03-18T20:01:00.006+05:30

So i hate doing this.. i need to follow my resolution - Write 'At Least' once a week on my blog..and look at this.. over 2 weeks.. shame on you.. Tanu.. shame on you!! And.. i have like tonnes of topics that i wanna talk about/over/on... and i am unable to do so.. coz all i end up doing is talk about 'what happened in the past 2 weeks..blahblah"... grr... okkk.. so this is the last 'Update Post'.. the next one will be this weekend..and will be about something i strongly feel about -- Travel! :)

Now that i am done with self-bashing... this post is going to be a mix of 'pictures' and 'tales' of the 'over 2 weeks gone by'! i say i have had a very 'painful' 2 weeks... Work... performance... more guests..and a very very very bad Muscle Spasm in the spine.. ... But.. first thing is first.. my 'now famous' White pants.. pic... dahlings... (like they say on page 3s...)...

Yes yes.. this is the loo of Fuga in Bangalore.. The blasted bouncer kept placing his hand on my camera lens... so i had to take pics in the loo! lol...

Ofcourse my office realized that too much fun i was having entertaining guests... i might as well

start entertaining my office colleagues.. therefore came the -- Pain Killer... this is our annual Cultural Fest. Well, Oracle has about 20 buildings in Bangalore, so the building that i am in -- have their own CulFest.. and what better way to beat the stress than to dance.. as i mentioned before... i love to dance! so there i was

gettin' jiggy with Desi Girls and Latin Salsa! :D... 2 weeks of crazy practice in the office cafeteria... meeting new people..it was all worth it... and the performance.. wah wah! worth it all. it felt actually like 'home'.. when i got on stage.. sigh.. that feeling.. the exuberance..the euphoria of it all.. just to take it all in and perform.. wohoo!!!

of course post this came the Withdrawal Symptoms and the Muscle Spasm... Apparently due to sudden movements and too much stress (just coz there is a cul fest on..doesn't mean that they will give us less work...!)... left me 'loving' the hot water bottle more than the hubby! not good...i say.. not good.. the doc said its stress and too much of sitting on the seat (like a duck)!! resulted in...big catch somewhere in the spine..tra lalalaaa... and i was in bed rest for 3 days.. damn!

Well...phew.. now i am out of bed.. happy...perfectly sane..normal..and with a healthy spine.. ready to work my ass off again! sigh! how i wish a holiday was planned by someone for me..and i could take off without thinking of anything.... sigh sigh....

Well.. that's it! i am done with describing my life post Feb 24th... next post.. will not be so far apart..... promises! :D

Some Wonder-ments....

2009-02-24T19:53:00.003+05:30

Caution: A bit of 'male-bashing' coming right up... so in case you are one of those men, who think too highly of yourself or you are one of those, 'MCPs'... (pardon the language)... i suggest, you dont read further... and come back when i write a new post! :) (u know i dont wanna loose readers.. and i am not always this bashing-types).... [innocent smile]....

So.... I was just wondering:

Why are men so full of themselves?
Why do men, despite not knowing the directions to a location, would rather go round and round and loose way, than ask a woman (who probably does know the way.... but is left unheard)
Why do men 'make a joke' and 'pull your leg' and get so oh-so-angry-and-pouty when a woman pulls their leg and says something funny about them? I mean, they can get sarcastic and 'apparently funny', but if the woman does the same thing - its a 'oh-you-are-so-bad-with-jokes'?
Why do men get so defensive if you criticize them? They always have a 'joke' ready in their pockets... in case you try and criticize them - just an effort guys, to make you more 'human'!
Men have this bad habit of behaving weirdly in front of their wives/girl friends/partners when they are in the esteemed company of their male back-slapping friends (brothers).... why is it so difficult to give respect to women in front of your friends guys? Why cant you just behave normally like you do when you are alone with us? A Man get possessive about the woman when they are around 'her' friends' but suddenly in front of his 'male' friends, all the decorum goes flying out of the window!
Whenever the woman and her girlfriend talk privately, why is it that the man thinks that we are definitely 'bitching' about them? i mean come onnnn guys..we could be discussing very very private and intimate details!!!!
Why are men so aggressive about everything they do.. and they have this weird 'reverse psychology' going on with the women... that does get on to me!
Why do men think, its a thing of 'pride' if they do not know how to give women surprises? I mean - how difficult is it? Don't forget important dates, give lots of flowers, give lots of surprises (small ones will also do) and always give compliments when the woman makes an effort to dress up!

hmmm... just wondering...

PS: ohh i do love men.. and i think they are adorable and nice.. but sometimes their attitude and their testosterone gets on to me!!!! grrr...

The House is Full of Guests.....

2009-02-24T19:43:00.003+05:30

Phew... i finally got some time after the long and amazing weekend.. to write... you see.. I am busy playing the 'perfect host' at home! Seems like the year started with a lot of 'travelling' (which i love) and a lot of 'guests-coming' (which i love too, as in, i love to take care of people)...so after parents.. came my Best Friend of over 12 years... Rads.. I cannot begin to tell you how excited i was that she was coming.. plans were made, itineraries were drawn... parties were planned.. leave was taken...and names were put on various guest lists! It was 'Partyy-hyy time'!!!!! :D

So we did a Masquerade Ball at Opus, a Submerge evening at Fuga, a Spa session and a short trip to Bheemeshwari (for a day picnic complete with Poha and Cold Salami sandwiches) and of course the alcohol! :).... It was a great fun weekend...and we had a blast... there was a whole lot of 'male bashing' that my hubby endured... but then.. he knows.. when Rads n I meet, the men go insignificantly to the background! :)

So she left today, and tomorrow, another very close friends (couple) Ash and Sid are landing and staying the full weekend..and i cant wait to spend time with my Favourite couple... they are not only fun but fun-er and awesome company...and i guess its been 'forever' that i saw my favourite 'biatch'... Ash i mean! :P.. so there is a College Reunion, Pancake session, Home-made food session and a party planned!

A full weekend, coming right up!

PS: Don't worry Anand and Rakesh (my Blog buddies) - i will still manage to write about something that i want to write about.. gimme time till tomorrow! ;) till then, kindly endure the 'update' post! hehe....

Knock Knock! Who's There? Tag. Tag who? Tag-on to know me more... :P

2009-02-17T14:30:00.005+05:30

So i DO work..and i DO have a lot of work pending..but what the hell... i have been meaning to do this for a while now.. I am a Facebook Addict.. I know I know.. So i have been seeing these 'tags' have been doing the rounds lately.. therefore i decided to spend a beautiful Tuesday afternoon, talking about '25 Random Things You May Want To Know About Me' (no pressure... ) This is me - Tanu - under the microscope... for you! :)

I Love the Rain... I love the Ocean... I love the Greenery... I love the Mountains.. I love the Scenery and the Breathtaking Views.... they take me to my Happy Place..
I am a Discovery Travel & Living Addict.. I love House-renovation, travelling, cooking shows and tattoo shows and bike shows on it! :) And
Dancing is my passion.. it is something i 'do' to de-stress, to enjoy, for mood upliftment etc. I Live to Dance and I Dance to Live... It has sort of become my persona - i even choreograph steps in my head when i listen to a certian number.. :) Psst - i know belly dancing too! wink wink!
I love to Bake and Cook - I love to hunt for receipes and creating 'culinary wonders' in my kitchen.. expecially when it comes to Baking - its a passion! :)
My Family matters the most to me - i, somehow, want to do lots for my parents and my sister - and i will forever be indebted to them for everything they have done for me! sniff sniff...
Continuing from that.... I am extremely bad in 'saying' out my feelings aloud... i truely SUCK at it... i just cant say 'i love you' to my mom.. and i cant get myself to say 'lovey-dovey' things to my husband... and i cant do PDA with anyone.. but i CAN write it all down and give it to them (my mother has a stack of letters from me and so does my sister and my hubby! :P)
I Love My Partner - if i start describing what i feel for him, i would probably go on to a new post.. but i do.. for eternity.. he is the best thing that has happened to me ever.. and i Thank God, every day for giving me Soubhagya.. he has been a pillar, a pillow, a punching bag, a shoulder, a friend, a support and everything else... he is my 'Everything' and i am fiercely crazy about him... :)
I Love to Talk and i Love to Write.. therefore the blog (duhh)... and people actually ask me if i am on Steroids..coz they cant seem to believe where i get my energy from.. Well you see - i am a happy person..and i love to blabber... i love to gossip..and i love people around me.. therefore.. i have the energy to endure a conversation for the longest time! :)
I Love Dogs - they make my day.. Gimme a Bad Day and then gimme a Pup - and i am happy as a monkey! :) I, infact, wanted to marry one.. not the monkey.. you food.. the Pup.. ! teeheee
I am extremely Emotional... but i also come under the package deal of - Emotional but Logical. You see.. i get logical in 'dire situations' and 'when solving problems'... but i get emotional when it comes to 'friends', 'families' and 'loved ones'...you could call me an 'Emotional Fool'!!!
I lost 12 kgs in 3 months last year and i feel extremely sexy now.. but there is not 1 second in my life that i dont 'fret' about piling on that weight and becoming a 'cow' again! yikeesss!
I Love to Eat - My favourite 'thing to do' is - try out new Cuisine.... but then, my favourite food is -- Italian, Lebanese, Indian, Mediterranean, Continental Fusion, Mexican and Thai (i know i know.. it sort of covers it all.. but wat to do? as i said...i Love Food)
I Have an 'inferiority complex' about myself. I feel that i am below-average in looks and therfore i try to compliment or cover it by 'fooling around' and making others laugh!
I love to 'give surprises'! I think i was born to do that.. Since i remember.. i have been giving Surprises to my mom, dad, sister, friends, now hubby, etc etc etc... i just love to see that 'smile'.. that 'happiness' and the 'shock' on the faces of my loved ones.. it sort of makes my day!
I hate getting 'Expensive' Gifts.. My day is made if you give me - a Rose, a hand-made card an ice-cream, a compliment or even a hug... :)
I am very Transparent at Heart -- You see what i am and you hear what i feel inside! there is no Pretence and there is no Hypocricy... I dont believe in keeping things within...and cant stay still till i say it out!...
I DETEST Hypocrites and Show-Offs!! aarrggh... if i see one in sight, i shall definitely want a licence to Punch the Species! :X
I am fiercely over-protective about my Little Sister.. i can get quite out-of-hand if there is anything/anybody bothering her.. infact i also get quite protective about my friends..you talk crap about them and i unleash my 'bad bad' side to you.oh trust me! i can get really bitchy when i need to! :)
I Love to Party... and Party Hard - you will catch me on most weekends dancing my A** off at the closest disc.... I love to catch up with frends over music and drinks and enjoy a nightout! :)... somehow i have become the 'Yellow Pages ' of parties amongst my friends.
I Love Archies Comics - i have a stack at home..and if ever given i chance.. i would buy that instead of a novel! ;) and psst - i love Betty!
I love to 'take care of people'! ahem..yaa.. i will 'feed you', get 'protective' about you.. get all 'mommy around you'... and i am extremely good at being an SOS listener.. dude! you bare ur heart out to me and i will have both my ears fully-open and my mouth ready to shoot off 'solutions'! :)
When i get very angry... i start crying - yes i do! sniff sniff.. I will not be able to 'give it back' to you immediately but after 24 hours of pondering over it, i will think of 'retorts' that i 'could have' said..." i will say it the next time..."
I can become 'friends' with you in precisely 5 minutes.. i swear i can! Give me 5 minutes and i have this innate ability to make you feel comfortable and right at home!
I Talk animatedly about anything and everything... Give me one 'story' or an 'incident' and i will make it a Conversation Delicacy for the next 1/2 hour.
I Love Music.. Anything.. any Kind.. Any Genre will do.. so next time - dont ask me what kind of music i listen to! coz my answer will be "anything that is good" - and i dont know the definition of 'good' for music.. its just anything! :)

SHOPPED SHOPPED SHOPPED!!!! :D

2009-02-13T17:58:00.002+05:30

ok.... so it wasnt like a shopping spree i went on.. nor did i spend hours and money on amazing dresses and jeans...but...

I BOUGHT WHITE PANTS!!!

ok ok....stop with the yelling.. 'Jeetendar Jeetendar'...and you... stop with the 'tohfa tohfa' jig... now! :P:P

But i love them.. for the first time in my life i have bought anything white... never did, owing to my problematic thighs! grr.... but now!!! coz they are slim fit and uber-hot! i think i look kinda sexy! hehe... (no harm in self-praise)! ;)

And i am wearing them to work too! i think i feel like Sarah Jessica Parkar strutting around in Sex & the City! hehe..

alrighties...tadaa... and Have a lovely weekend.. hope you all have sent your dirty pink chaddis to the Mutalik Man! :P

Look Look...i look like them!!! :D Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2009-02-08T01:34:00.002+05:30

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Blank family tree - Family photo sharing

teeheee...wat kicks we get out of these vague things online! :P... but yes..it is a great ego-booster to see that i am 67% Tata young and Beyonce!! wooohiii! ;)

PS: no idea who Ruslana is??? Men...you may know! ;)

and almost a month later... tired...wanting another holiday...

2009-02-08T00:39:00.004+05:30

So... i am back.. after almost a month of crazy crazy days...and weeks.. don't ask! it has been one roller coaster ride of activities..visits...work..blah blah blah..and absolutely no time to write.. so i should fill you up on what i have been up to.. even though i am quite tempted to skip this all and go directly to 'full throttle bitching' (which i intend to do somewhere down this post)....pissed and grrr-ed about a lot of things around me....

so... after my 'no shopping syndrome' (which i proudly and unfortunately say - still continues..woohooo and whaaan)... my parents and my lil sis were in town..and we had an absolute Blast!!! it was THE high point of the month gone by! i made my parents extremely proud [pull up my non-existent collar]..by cooking for them exotic dishes..my mother couldn't stop gushing "meri beti kitni susheel ho gayi hai" (my daughter has become so smart).... pancakes...kebabs..poha..omlettes...i fed them all! :) took my dad and family out to a club.. (it was my dad's first time in a club and he was thrilled)...took off to ooty for a weekend... which i must say is beautiful..not really the town but the surroundings and the hotel we stayed in -- Sherlock hotel! so all in all..10 days went by in a flash and before i knew it my work was piling up... aaah!

what else? oh! my best Friend is coming down in the last week of feb.. and that is what i am looking forward to.. cant wait to put my feet up and chill..which also means "i am not feeling well today cough cough" at work...and partying! yippe doodle yaya!!! :)

i saw Luck By Chance and Slumdog Millionaire...and the latter was fantabulous...and i will fight with whoever says that - the film only showed bad side of india.. coz really..guys open your eyes..that's what 60% of India is! and accept it and do something about it!!!..and honestly..the movie is not about India... the movie is about a 'Slum dweller' who becomes a millionaire! so why make a mountain out of a mole hole! or whatever... Luck by chance was Good -- but slow.. farhan was good..Konkana was natural and at her best..in fact the movie i felt was more about her! so yeah i liked.. :)

oooh and i fume at the thought of the Ram Sena or whatever crap they are...trying to occupy print and media space..by doing unimaginable and extremely derrogatory things to women? why the hell are they doing this in the name of Sri Ram?? could someone explain? who are they? my father does not say anything to my going to club..then who are they? maaan...i didnt wanna put the news channel..lest i hear them talk bulll! seriously...We need to see wayy beyond all this in our country.. if they think this is not our culture..then they should probably burn up Hampi and Khajuraho..and bury Kama Sutra copies...! that was indian culture rite? as far as i remember my history! grrr..to them..and their attitude..and i hope that our political and legal system wake up before its too late!

That's about it.. i guess.. 1 month of frenzy and 'need to bitch'! anyone open for that? and i plan to dedicate 2 posts to 'tags' ..i even though i have not been tagged on any of the subjects..i shall take them from Friends and give due credit.. dont worry guys..i am not anu malik! ;)

tadaaaa.... and see ya before the next month is over... :)

No Shopping Syndrome

2009-01-18T23:02:00.002+05:30

So did i tell you, i havent shopped in 2 months!!!! thats like committing a crime in women-dom! Can you believe it, i walked into Lifestyle today and didnt shop! :O... Well..hmph hmph.. i dont like not shopping..i mean come onnn... we are built to shop and this is the Sale season remember?? i have been trying to give my hubby dear, subtle hints of 'amazing sale' here and there..but all i hear is a 'grunt'! So i feel under-privilaged..and i feel blaah...coz i wanna go and do some good 'ol mind-numbing feeling happy shopping!! thats it! whaat? i am serious.. dont u get it? Shopping is a therapy..and a woman should always remain happy..and apart from other happiness sources such as - wine..parties...music..books.. I wanna SHOP!

Ok i think i am done with venting anger... coz i cant believe i cant shop ( i am trying to save money... hmph hmph!) So please dont tell me what you bought..coz frankly my dear.. i dont care! ;)

Its a Different World - The World of Goa - Day 3

2009-01-18T20:11:00.011+05:30

2^nd January 2009 started early at 9 am. We dragged our groggy heads out of the bed and got ready to go to the beach!.. We had planned to go to Vagator and Small Vagator beaches, Chapora Fort and stop by at Candolim Beach on our way back.. We had hired a car for that day @ 1000/- per day. So we bundled up in our Alto and were off to Vagator. The routes in Goa are easy and we were there at Vagator within ½ hour. We were hungry and the grumblings in our tummy were stronger than the urge to settle on the beach… so we looked for a place.. We found nothing much at Vagator except for the beautiful view..

So we went to Small Vagator Beach also known as Ozrant Beach and found a lot of small shacks off the beach, up on the cliff. The route to the beach is a flight of steps down a cliff…shaded by palms. We first settled at this empty restaurant and ate to our heart’s content – pancakes, omlettes, English breakfast et al. We also found cute little shops and bought some shorts etc. Walked down the flight of stony-steps and landed at the beach. This Beach is extremely rocky, the sand is not as soft and clean as the one in Colva Beach… but nevertheless it was beautiful.

The Little Vagator area is further divided into three parts: Italian beach, Tel Aviv beach and the main strip. The first two are named after the nationalities that pretty much occupy the sands there. The beach is pretty sparsely crowded and is quite a ‘hidden’ beach so as to say! It has about 10 shacks on the coast and is filled with mostly Westeners. We went to the far end of the Italian Beach and found 4 lovely sun beds to settle on. As I told earlier, when we reach a beach, we settle! :)… The men went into the waters and we ordered beer and breezers… After a while, S and I decided to walk down the length of the beach to the farthest end. This, my friend, was almost a nude beach… very very sexy ladies (can give anyone a run for their money) …very very sexy men… and we also found some famous faces amongst them… At the farthest end was the rock carving of Lord Shiva and the carvings of the Cobra created around 4 years ago. An unknown foreigner from the Hippie Era carved these. They were beautiful carvings.

Having done that and stared at the innumerable eye-candies, we moved towards Chapora Fort. It was about 4PM and we had decided to watch the sunset from the fort. The climb up Chapora is not so wow… it was difficult especially if ur wearing ‘chappals’! hmph.. Nevertheless we reached the top and made our way to the ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ point. There were a number of Saifs and Amirs and Akshayes that we saw posing.. We waited for them to get off and went ahead with our posings. That is when we discovered a small opening, which leads to outside the fort area and towards a section of the mountain that a few men were going to. We decided to trek it. The walk was beautiful.. the view on both sides was breathtaking – one side was the Large Vagator Beach and the other side was a section of Goa which looked like a fishermen’s colony. We went to the farthest end of the mountain, from where it was just the sea and the skies! Sigh.. Settled on a rock, we watched the sun go down.. another great sunset added to our memories!

We came back..tired… exhausted and satisfied with the day.. somewhat sad that it was going to be the last day!!!… We drove in silence to Candolim Beach… which we realized is SO not a night beach.. It looked dull… lonely and very very boring. So after having a drink or two at a shack.. we came back to the main roads. We were hungry… and decided to park the car and walk into any of the many restaurants. The way we saw it – the restaurant with the maximum number of people will be our choice. So we chose one and entered. Unfortunately it was all wrong – starting with the drinks which were delayed.. he gave us a wrong version of chicken Cafrael… and oh the food was pathetic..( I will not give you the name..coz frankly I don’t remember)! We came back home.. telling ourselves that its ok!!!

We were up the next morning quite early…coz we had a train to catch at 3pm. We decided that we will not waste the morning in our room and checked out at 10AM. We hired a car and went to Baga Beach. Some of us had to shop a bit for family back home and I wanted to take something that would remind me of Goa. We shopped a bit.. and saw this restaurant called – Electric Cats. They claim to have “The best cocktails in town” and even validate it with “Lonely Planet” says so! We decided; leaving Goa without cocktails would make the trip incomplete. So we settled. The owner-cum-bartender Mr. Ramesh was absolutely adorable. He helped us

choose cocktails, made us comfortable and even let us enter: behind the bar (pun unintended)! We intended tohave only 1 cocktail each but ended up having 2 each and a lot of yummy Goan food.. The Chicken Xacuti and the Pork Vindaloo were heavenly.. the afternoon sun and the cocktails made our last meal in Goa even more special. 2 hours later and wishing we had cancelled the train tickets, a little tispy us walked out of the restaurant and were on our way to the station – ofcourse wishing through the way – wishing the train leaves and we jump onto the nearest beach shack…! Sigh… but no.. the train had to wait.. coz we have to go back the paradise and finish what we had not completed in this trip. Us marketing guys called it the –

Recall Value

It’s a Different World – The World Of Goa… Day II

2009-01-08T21:51:00.005+05:30

Someone at work had told me about the picturesque and serene beaches of South Goa… Palolem, Varca, Benaulim and Colva to name a few.. We took the car with the driver (we wanted self-drive..unfortunately we didn’t get one..So we had to settle for a driver)…and drove to Dona Paula Beach..

Now I had read on the net that Dona Paula is the place for ‘water sports’!! What crap! It had nothing…! I swear..it had families walhing the promenade..there was no beach….what a dissapointment!.. We lost a bit of heart…had some lemonade..(hehehe) and started our journey to Palolem (a huge recommendation by a whole lot of people)… That’s when the driver broke the news to us – Palolem is 80 kms from Dona Paula!

That was when we fell for the lure of the ocean and stopped at Colva…and may I say, that was the best decision we made. Soubhagya, when he had come to Goa earlier, had eaten at a place called ‘Kentuckee’ at Colva Beach..We were famished with all the travelling and no breakfast. So we decided to be wise and stopped at ‘Kentuckee’. It was a hot afternoon.. we were snappy and famished. We ordered Breezers, Feni and starters…ofcourse! We ate in silence till our bellies were full enough to start jabbering! J We enjoyed the afternoon sun, yearned for the beach and couldn’t wait to dig into the delicious foood…which when I call ‘delicious’ is actually ‘very very good’!! The chicken was succelent, the fish was very well cooked and the feni was Awesome! We finished our lunch by 3PM and hopped onto the Colva Beach.. it was quiet crowded..Mostly with the families and the kids and the so called ‘TT Golds/DMRs’ (our Pet Names for the pounchy leching uncles in dirty skin colour chaddis…yuck yuck!) We walked upto a Beach Shack on Colva which had 2 empty sunbeds and just when we were about to settle down, a very small man came running to us asking “yes… what do you want… 300/- per bed”. We said, “ok.. but can we have 2 chairs also please?” He refused point blank and said “No No…only 1 bed for 300/- and only 1 person per bed”.. Well WTF? I got a bit agitated... it was as if he was looking down upon us… and told him “can you please talk a bit politely and that there were some foreigners sitting nearby – 2 on one sunbed!!” His answer made us all fume – “Those are 15 days old…those are regulars…” We left but not before giving the man a good piece of our minds.

Without wanting to get insulted further, we walked towards the north… and spotted a few nice beach shacks with relatively fewer crowds a little up the beach. That is a little less famous – Betalbatim Beach. I must thank the ‘little rude man’ for leading us to that beach ....

A beach shack called “Silver Spoons”! May I take the liberty to give it the Prestigeous Award of “The Best Beach Shack”. I approached 3 vacant sunbeds very cautiously… To my surprise, one of the shack boys came, smiled and asked me “how many of you ma’am? Please sit” (shell-shocked) I settled asked him to adjust 2 umbrellas towards us… and he asked me if I needed anything. I knew then, this is where I am going to be for the day! Done!

The boys went into the sea for the ‘holy dip’ and I settled on the sun bed, with the sunrays trickling and gently warming my feet.. shut my eyes and drifted into a very beautiful slumber.. Listening to the waves and feeling the warm sun! Now this is what I call a LIFE and this is what I call LIVING!! Sigh…

We decided to watch the sunset from Betalbatim and Silver Spoons… The beach was ‘silver sands’ and the water was calm.. the horizon was beautiful. I ordered a Mojitos and settled on my sun bed to watch the sunset… and may I say..it was the most beautiful sunset ever… It was the best Mojitos I have ever had… It was the best Evening I have ever had! Sigh..Again!

Now the sunset was done with and we saw the shack boys putting easy chairs and tables with candles at the edge of the waters… we got tempted…grabbed a set of 5 chairs and table and settled to have Dinner by the Beach. Maaan…who hasn’t dreamt of that? I did.. and it couldn’t have been better! There were waves crashing 20ft from our feet…there was a soft sea breeze blowing..the moon was shining down at us..Caribbean music was floating out of the shack.. now didn’t I say – It’s a Different World!??! The day got over with a beatiful Goan Dinner of Fresh Fish grilled to perfection… Chicken Xacutti and Rotis.. Perfect..i say! The best beginning to a very promising and positive New Years!!

Contd.. Next Post...

It’s a Different World – The World Of Goa…

2009-01-08T21:35:00.005+05:30

We live in a world of cutthroat competition, maintaining real relationships, rising oil-prices, economic volatalities and routines. Every once in a while we like to take that much needed break… that much needed vacation…that much needed put-your-feet-up-and-do-nothing treats. And we do manage, we do manage to squeeze in a weekend getaway… a day-trip to the nearest tourist spot… a day of lounging at home and doing nothing. But there is nothing.. I feel that compares to a 3-day vacation in Goa! And before I start describing the most fulfilling, the most amazing vacation I have taken in recent times… I would recommend it to all!

Ah Goa… there are many ways to describe it – Sun, Sand, Surf, Parties, Beaches, Adventure Sports, the best sea-food, sunsets, sunrises etc etc etc. How I describe Goa – A Different World.

I am what you call – an avid traveller… bitten by the travelling bug (I watch Travel&Living and take notes for God’s Sake)… and Goa to be ranks right up there with McLaudgunj, Sangla Valley and French Riviera (My top 3 destinations that I have visited and LOVED!)

So we made this plan for Goa almost overnight.. We wanted to do something worthwhile for New Years and being in Bangalore and looking at its so-called ‘nightlife’ we knew it wouldn’t be possible. So we thought of Goa. We booked bus tickets and return train tickets, we booked a very basic hotel (essentially to just sleep and get ready), I did the research (which I just love doing before travellling), took printouts of ‘must-visits’ and ‘must-eats’! We were very clear that we did not want a ‘tourist’ trip of seeing churches and spots... we knew we needed a Relaxed Vacation of Doing Nothings!

We were 5 of us (I was the only girl in the gang) – Arjun, Mukesh, Santhosh, Soubhagya and Moi. A, S and I left from Bangalore on Dec 30^th night by Poulo Travels – Semi sleeper for Goa. We were so excited that A was already in his so-called “Goa Baby, Gear”!!! It’s a different story that we froze to death in the bus; coz the man apparently ran out of blankets (grrr as well as brrr)… Nevertheless, we reached Goa on time at 10 AM, got off at Panaji, haggled with an auto guy and paid him 100/- to reach our hotel in Porvorim (8 kms from Calangute).

We entered our room and it had 4 beds and we came to know we would only get 1 room for 5 persons coz there were no more rooms in the hotel! Panic struck and we started making calls to other hotels. Unfortunately they were all booked (what else do you expect, it was Dec 31^st). So we decided to give in and adjust. The other 2 guys – M and S arrived from Mumbai in the next 2 hours and by then we had already changed into our beach wears, ready to hit the very very famous Baga Beach.

We bargained with the hotel guy – cum – Cab provider. We wanted to hire a car for the entire day and night, since we didn’t want to drive on New Year’s night, lest, some of us are too high (responsible citizens you see...we were!). We got the car and we were on our way to Baga Beach, Baby! We landed on the beach and couldn’t contain our excitements… One thing that we observed was the fact that there were – so few people!! I mean we actually got 2 sun-umbrellas and 5 chairs at a shack… wow! J It didn’t take us more than a minute to order our first rounds of Beer and the Golden-fried Prawns and the chicken somethings… All we did for the next 15 mins was “Sigh…we are finally here... sigh… smile…sigh…we are finally here…sigh sigh…smile widely... smile at the neighbour next door…sighhh!”

We spotted the ‘temporary tattoo wala'. I called him, got a Sun designed on my shoulder… We spotted jet-skis... and all of us decided to go and try that out. I did! It was the best adreline rush you get, when you sit there, hold the handle and zoom your way into the sea… with splashing waves…and salty water… wohooo i say!! J We were there for over 4 hours… the men had their ‘holy’ dip into the sea and came back satisfied! I was happy just listening to the waves crashing... the sun…the laughing happy people around… the beer and the food...It was almost magical and I said earlier –

It’s a Different World

We came back to our room by 7 PM, quickly got dressed. By then we knew we were going to a club called – Aquatica at Morjim Beach. We had a choice between that and Tito’s. But we were shocked to hear that Tito’s was charging 3000/- per couple – Only entry and 4000/- per stag – Only entry! :O… What pissed us off about the place was when we called them from Bangalore, they told us that it was 1000/- per couple… We decided not to step into that place… B%$**y cheaters!!!

Well... it was Goa... the beaches...Therefore we even dressed for that... men in their three-fourths and light shirts and me in skirt and a top! Aquatica was quite far and in the interiors and we reached our destination by 10 PM. The entry was 1000/- couple and 1500/- stag…and let me tell you – it was The Party Of The Year! You will know why….

The party had 5 International DJs…the crowd consisted of Russians, P3s from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore and the whos-who of the TV and modeling world and hold-on... they were dressed in their finest silks and dresses and heels! :O… And here we were in our three-fourths and skirts…. But then….its Goa... and you can be whatyou want to be! J

The party started around 11PM…and people kept trickling in till late. Very soon there were over 500 persons in the place..it was jam-packed and I havent heard better Trance in my life.. We took our drinks..some snacks (all self-service) and settled… It was the best Party we have ever attended and it was one of the most memorable New Years of my life!! We came back to our room by 4AM and were snoring by 4:10AM. We were up at 8:30 AM and got ready to leave for South Goa Beaches....

Contd...next post...

Go-Goa it is...Finally! :D

2008-12-29T14:22:00.002+05:30

So the time has come for me to finally say "I AM GOING TO GOA BABY"!!!! After prolonged delays and forever crumbling of my Goa plans...its time..finally for me to get to the Land of Beaches...Moonlit Walks..Seafood...Tanning...More Beaches..Bike Rides..Churches..and Parties..! :D...

I am off to Goa for New years with hubby and frends tomorrow and i promise you that there is gonna be a longggg longggg post of my experiences at the Land of Freedom!!! :)

And here is wishing everyone a very very 'Happy n Safe New Years' and as i see a lot of Facebook status updates wanting "a better 2009 than 2008", i wish you all the same as well. Let hope that 2009 brings in cheer, happiness, peace and joy in all our lives!!

Cheers!