One Life

The Wedding Season... all about intercaste marriages

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:37:00 +0000

This period of time starting October all the way to December is an absolute marriage season. And now that cousins are getting married, your's truly has also been branded "marriageable" and is keenly observing all the marriages. When I announced my cousin's marriage to a firang friend, he asked "did the stars match?" and I replied "i dont know. he's marrying someone he liked". For once I shook my head and realized what I said. Truly my cousin married for love!

Ok, now the trivia. A few days after the wedding was announced all aunties and uncles were busy, not working for the marriage but gossiping about the "girl from a different caste". Just as I saw passed by any relative intermittently, the curiosity I had, turned slowly from interest to disgust. Oh! how much they gossiped! And then they poured out their hearts to the groom's parents to induce more misery to the already love-marriage-shocked parents. After a few months, all this had passed and it was time to drop invites. The grand uncles and grand aunties relative circle had already run out of gossip for this subject and the groom and family made a grand entrance to personally invite us all. Again a new topic started in the grand circle. "The family has no friction now" gossip. But then there are people interested in that as well.

The marriage itself. I wont even go into any details of it. Except there were loads of people, looking different and inducing gossip topics among my grand circle. But I am sure, the gossip was equally reciprocated by the bride's grand circle as well. Whoooaa! How do they have so much energy after retirement?

Anyway, here's me wishing cousin and his bride a great life ahead!

Dummies guide to doing your own thing

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:40:00 +0000

If you work for someone/ are being employed by a corporation and yet crave to not be a slave, you might want to read this. Else, you could happily skip or provide your valuable guidance to dummies.

Maybe you are a person you doesn't like taking orders. Or maybe you just believe "great men don't listen to anyone", but now are being forced to be "little" by taking orders. Live frugal and save for that thing you want to do. The author of this blog thinks a coffee shop in the next road or a junk jewelery store in Hampi are perfectly good ideas for doing your own thing. But then, frugal living and saving wont fund a business. You need to take some bigger risks. Like a loan. Is that the biggest fear?
Lets say you are working for a big corporation and take your job seriously like anyone else. Is the seriousness reciprocated? I wonder!

My friend started investing a substantial portion of the salary in running a paying guest accommodation in Bangalore and made some good money.

I heard a happening chain of coffee shops in India, running business from atleast a decade, recently broke even.

Cousin moved from USA to random asian cities for few months each for the happening asian party scene.

Inspiring me yet confusing me!!!!

Krabi's the next thing

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Yeah, I am talking about my travel blog. The part 2 of Thailand trip : Krabi..

tra-well

Thai Delight

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:58:00 +0000

I am back from 8 days in Thailand, tanned, deprived of sleep and completely loving it. Everything about Thailand is amazing!! The hospitality of ever smiling Thais, shopping paradises in Bangkok, turquoise waters down south, crystal clear beaches with white sand, the larger than life full moon party in Koh Phangan and most of all the PRICES!

Really affordable and completely enjoyable!

Travelogue on Tra-well

wohooa

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:23:00 +0000

I haven't written for a while and my blog feels rejected. Soooo, the update is I am going on another big trip. I planned and planned and planned what to write and finally decided to write about this completely unplanned yet big trip. I am hitting some known touristy places and then heading off to the lesser known islands.

Btw, how many of you have been addicted to Farmville on facebook. This game has added purpose to my life! hmm, maybe that s an exaggeration. but yeah, good fun..

I am waiting for the "complete of business" today to just put my "out of office" and sink

Catch ya after the trip :-)

Stupidity of discounts

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Today I went with a friend to buy mobile phone. Almost every shop in Jayanagar 4 block advertises some crap sale and we went into "the mobile store" which had a sale counter outside, 2 speakers playing loud music like some nut fair and a guy announcing the discounts UPTO 70%. We went in and asked for some basic models. There was no discount on those. Then we asked for the models with 70% discount. There was NO STOCK of those. What the hell?!!! If there is no item having 70% sale, who in his sane mind can advertise a 70% in his banner? Finally we just found that the maximum discounted product in store was 40% discount. What fools would fall for such cheap tricks!Despite the gimmicks that store had really few visitors, mostly dropping out from the outside counter only :P

I am glad to see the smart consumer!

Embarassing Reflexes

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Today I went to have chaat along with some friends. It was a small sweets shop with people having to use the counter as tables too. V got a plate of sweets for all of us, V and H ate theirs and since I was still on with the chaat, he left mine in the plate on the counter. A few minutes passed as I happily nibbled onto my chaat. The cleaner boy came, picked up the empty plates on the counter and also picked up with my burfi. Immediately, I snatched the plate from him and took a bite of my burfi. After the bite went down my throat, I realized what I had just done. Yuck! My desperation for sweets had made me snatch a plate from a cleaner's hand and eat its contents. I left the rest of the burfi back. Yuck! Not that it mattered if I ate 1 bite or the whole burfi. Yuck! Damn, I still cant get over it...

Congrats on the new car

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:52:00 +0000

My parents spent their hard earned money and bought a cute A star. I am congratulating myself on the arrival of the new car today. I was at a friend's wedding shower (read Mehandi) and parents picked me in the new car. We reached home and your's truly needed a drive too. So daddy dear left the engine running with hazards on . Just as we were paying off the guy who drove our old car, I shut the door. After 20 seconds the car locked from inside. And we were all shut out with the duplicate key on the dashboard and car in ignition. The initial plan was to take a nice drive around neighbourhood and go for the Raghu Dixit concert. But now everything toppled my plans. My bag with phone, wallet, keys and makeup (for the next day's wedding) was all locked inside along with the new car covers. Long long wait. Then I decided to borrow cash from mom and went for the last part of the concert and Mr. Dixit still didnt disappoint me. He sang ninna poojege last. Eventually the helpline sent a smart guy who didnt need to break lock or glass. So that's a day!

Hampi.. yet again

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:51:00 +0000

I am back from Hampi. Yesss, another long weekend in the land of ruins. And I never for a second felt I have had enough of it. This Independence day was all about freedom for me! Lots of walking around ruins, free rock climbing, shouting from hill tops, cycling and loads of good food. The travelogue will get its entry eventually but just a feel good factor for being back after complete relaxation and full of energy...

Haunting dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:21:00 +0000

I remember running like crazy to catch my first flight. I was chasing the airport bus, changing taxis and getting anxious dragging luggage along. I almost had a panic attack that day. Damn! This little incident, which seems like just another day now, left a scar in my sub conscious mind. It comes back to haunt me every now and then. Well, anytime I plan to go somewhere or travel or make any plan, the previous night invariably this incident plays back in the dream/ nightmare. And then I brood over it for the next whatever hours as to how after all the planning I could let fate decide what I was going to do? Is that why the word is called fate? How do I stop those haunts?

Low profile

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:45:00 +0000

Its so weird to keep a decently low profile. Feels a little too unlike me. But the low profile can decently be attributed to the loads of work which leaves lesser and lesser time on my hands. Also, your's truly started taking Yoga classes last week. That just about turned my life cycle by 270 degrees. You know why? i would sleep really late, wake up late, work late and sleep late again. And after Yoga started, I woke up early, swam through the day with headache and coffee, couldn't sleep early either, woke up early again.
Now this problem is difficult to be fixed. There is no way I can wind up work early, even if I start early, because I support North American business. :-(

Maybe my tagline should be "served Brits for centuries, yet serving Amigos"

Recent shows on TV

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:27:00 +0000

I started watching TV a few days back and this is what I found. In prime time when most people return from office and look for entertainment there are shows on famous channels catering to to a god-knows-what audience. I cant believe channels like Star Plus which were broadcasting shows like Small Wonder and Bold and the Beautiful, once upon a time, are now broadcasting mindless old fashioned village stories. Not one or two soaps but a whole lot of them. Are these channels only targeting housewives all over the country who would watch TV at all times?
And then there are reality shows like "sach ka samna", "splitsvilla" and the like. I couldn't bear the non-sense of the former or the bitchiness of the latter. How does it matter to me who cheated on their spouse or pretended to fall in love or got pregnant in college? What the hell is wrong with people to watch crap like this for entertainment? And then there is peer pressure, people in office always talk about these shows. Damn, I would rather watch Hangover and Iceage-3 a few times over than see these soaps.

Btw, talking about the shows that cater to housewives who watch TV all day, even I have mindless melodrama running continuously on full volume at my place to entertain my old grany. Wonder how people can be addicted to nonsense at 80. God bless my soul and keep my peace!

Quick ride to Brigade road..

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:22:00 +0000

I had a quick and short ride to Brigade road today. In public transport for Rs.8/-. If thats good enough, read on. Bangalore usually has good city bus connectivity to legacy-popular bus stations but not to shopping hubs like MG road and the area around. The recent BIG10 bus service seems to shuttle to almost every happening sub-urb from city centre, which is Brigade road junction. I hadn't tried it till today and just happened to hop on seeing the Brigade road destination. I was there in 20 minutes, in the exact shortcut I follow if I hired an auto.

What more? All these BIG10 buses end at Brigade road and since that is the way back, these buses are usually empty. Not a a/c bus btw. Anyway, I recommend these green buses to anyone wanting a ride till Eva Mall minus the Bengalooru auto jhanjat

More here

Mood to backpack

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:19:00 +0000

I miss the backpacking days. I just feel like grabbing that borrowed backpack, filling in a few old clothes, boarding in a random flight to to Greece or Turkey and ... woooosh, gone for many many days. Staying in youth hostels and dormitaries, eating supermarket sandwiches, counting coins for that boat ride, changing 6 trains a day... I wanna go back

Hmmm, and I give myself a reality check. Yeah, no more moving out of town, no more vacation grants and no more "any good grants" :-(

The Kannada Wedding... the funny details

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:51:00 +0000

Ok, I realized Indian weddings are a big business. For everybody involved. You start shopping months and month before the wedding. Even normal middle class families would throw away atleast a lac rupees on gold. And atleast 10 sarees for a bride, who in most cases would have worn sarees on her school and college farewells. Invariably all this stuff is confiscated before and after the ceremony by parents in the name of safety. So the bride would have no clue as to what she actually owns and what belongs to her mom.

Talk of sarees, there is a lot of give and take. Every aunt is gifted one and has to gift one. The bride's mom buys about 50-100 sarees before the wedding and ends up with just about that many after the wedding.

Then come the choultry guys. They charge a few lacs rupees for flower arrangements and rentals. And then the grand menu and mass cooking. Greasy yummy food 3-4 times a day for 2 days...

Trival relatives of the groom who expect extreme respect. Every groom's acquaintance who wants to be introduced to her, whether she would remember or not. General relatives who drop into the bride's room to dress up themselves and not even bother about the bride. The beauticians who work on the bride for hours and at the end get shouted at for ruining her best day, maybe because she never saw herself look that different.

In the end, it is a few (or many) lacs of rupees, 2-3 days of ceremonies, loads of strangers and a confused couple forcing day long smiles. It is just once in a life time. So you might try and as well enjoy all of it.

I feel like I was born

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:17:00 +0000

Yeah, thats right. I feel like I am a new born who has to get all new stuff. now you see where this is heading. OK, I shopped...

Last weekend was crazy. I bought 10 tops from some malls here. Bangalore is in no ways cheap. So I blew 7. And then, I bought hair care products for one and half grand. People who have known me for a long time, would have already brushed off this post as a lie. But yeah, the stingy-pingy that I am, I decided to live my life before I die. Hence the wardrobe change!

If you are looking for a new life, start with that wardrobe.
Pick 10 pieces of clothing, not underwear ofcourse, put them in a box and shove the box away in some attic.
Shop! Hit those brands. They will definitely make you feel better. And then some rasta shopping too, if bargaining gives you a high :-)
Do the same with atleast 2-3 pairs of footwear.
If you haven't done that in a long time, or ever, you will start feeling like a new born when you return home with your shopping bags :-) :-)

Travel? Where did that go?

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:03:00 +0000

The last chunk of Europe is not yet complete, I know. Paris! Sure, it is coming...
But before that, your's truly decided to move all the travel tales out to a different blog. Reason?

C'mon, a-few-strange-things is my life and those few strange things i like to blog about. When I see the travel readers coming by, i am just compelled to write more travel to cater. But then, I started this blog for myself. And then those ads,,, damn! greedy me!

The new blog is
http://tra-well.blogspot.com
Btw, it has my travel entries in the reverse order. Anyone, missed out the North indian adventures? Go right there and check them out...

cya

The Kannada Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:59:00 +0000

My first cousin is getting married tomorrow and this is going to be the first wedding in close circle of relatives. Now, I have been to many weddings and found the ceremony as such, boring. In South India, we have long ceremonies and for people who can enjoy music and dance, these weddings are a drag, except for senior citizens who can talk for days about other people. Despite being not such a great fan of weddings with customs and stuff, yours' truly decided to take part actively in the wedding and be the bride's maid.

I got a round of mehandi yesterday and a bunch of new sarees. Just as I thought I was overdoing it, I heard of some aunties who were sitting in the beauty parlor all day long and for many days. Offf!
A few cousins planned to put up some dance sequences. So with all the thoughts of dancing and running around for the next two days, I already feel so stressed out and exhausted and yet, I am not performing the marriage or getting married. Wonder how people keep their energy levels...

So my schedule for tomorrow is make up woman in the morning, safe room guard through the day, make up woman during ceremony intervals and show case doll in the evening. Well, the last one because my mom plans to bribe the photographer to take some photos of me which are showable to prospective grooms. Hope to have a great time...

Fun Food :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:57:00 +0000

Since I started writing review for food joints, I thought of including this old time favorite. Kedia's Fun Food is in Jayanagar 4 block opposite to Sweet Chariot Cafe. Years ago, when I was in college and could not afford the posh Sweet Chariot Cafe but still needed a bit of spicy food, I hit this chaat shop. Since then I have been a big fan of Fun Food's chaats and parathas. They had a few stools to sit and eat but no tables. So if you have a plate of food and a glass of lassi together. Invariably on weekends when you dont get a table in a pricey restaurant, you just go to this little shop, get a couple of parathas and a fresh sweet. So that makes your good lunch of Rs.50/-

Esplanade, Bangalore

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:08:00 +0000

Despite being a fan of experimental food, I had never really experimented Bengali cuisines. Except the sweets ofcourse. And that, because my best friend is Bengali. And now that my boss is Bengali, I had to try the rest of the Bong buffet. No regrets, I totally enjoyed the buffet at Esplanade in Koramangala.

The buffet has lesser variety for vegetarians. Well, I wasn't really expecting veg-bengali food. But yeah, they could have easily included the more common Rasgulla and Mishti Dohi and Dohi Boda.

There were 2 starters, 1 vegeterian.. like alu bajji. The other was fried fish. Maybe that wasn't a starter! They served a few starters to our table. Not sure if we ordered them. 2-3 veg dishes, a few chicken and fish dishes, luchi (that is a poori made of maida), rice and dal. One dish was a banana plant mashed to make kofta. It was sweetish tasting. and then there was banana flower mashed and fried to make a starter. This was also sweetish.

The dessert was Malpua and Sandesh. We also ordered Mishti Dohi. Good stuff.

They just served baked or fried brinjal pieces, the whole length of it. I dont know if that is Bengali or the beginning of civilization or the Chef's special.

Overall, worth the try! Rs.200/- for the lunch buffet. You can order extra sweets if you have a sweet tooth, at a reasonable cost.

Use it!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:06:00 +0000

Do you buy or possess an item and plan to preserve it till its shelf life is over and throw it away unused? If thats what you do, you may happily skip this post.

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, no money left, cigar in one hand, favourite drink in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOW-What a ride!

I read this on a blog and it set me thinking if I am using, or like my company puts it "leveraging" all the resources I have, including me. Reminds me, I need to make that list of 50 things to do before I die. What do you want to do before you die? C'mon lets know your ideas too...

Pisa and Firenze

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:21:00 +0000

We took the morning train to Firenze (Florence). It was sunny and very Italian sun. Since this was going to be our day trip, we checked out of the hostel and carried our bag to Firenze. Deposited the backpacks at the station for 4 euros for 5 hours. Well, you don’t really have options while doing day trips unless you want to carry 20 kgs on your back for the whole day to save 5 euros.

Trains run to Pisa twice in a hour. We reached pisa around lunch time. Got into a local bus and went to see the only tourist attraction of the small town. Visited a side walk restaurant for some great Italian meal of Penne Arabiata (obviously), Pizzas (obviously) and something really nice that I tried and don’t remember. Obviously over priced for sitting next to the Leaning tower of Pisa. The tower is the only attraction of the town of Pisa. And there are loads of people posing next to it with the clichéd pose of pushing the leaning tower. Damn, now that I think of it, its so clichéd. But then, you cant even chuck Pisa out of the tour.

Back in Firenze, we walked from the station to see the masterpiece, David with his tiniest David. It is a 15 minute walk along the streets and alleys of Firenze. There was a huge queue outside the Academia and the cost was ~12 euros. There were a lot of medieval paintings by artists I hadn’t even heard of but then the main attraction of the place is David.

Michael angelo, the famous painter sculpted David. He is a historical character from the story “David and Goliath”. Just a nude 17 ft guy. But the white stone has some marvels. Till date I hadn’t seen veins and muscles on stone and David had it.

Some shots from Italy:

Places to Stay: I would suggest you do Pisa for a day trip becaus ethere is nothing other than the tower. So stay at Florence. Hostels!

Cost of Day trip to Pisa: If you have Eurail pass, you saved most of the money. So 15-20 euros for a half day

Life long competitions and the survival

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:21:00 +0000

This started many many years back, when I was in grade 1.

Imagine.. you were happily living your life and playing your games.. suddenly your mother comes and stops you and throws up a case of her friend's son/daughter coming first in class... pressurizing you to come first in class.. now you have no way out. just sit and study and wonder why that a**hole had to top his/her class

Many years later... you are happily living in your friends' circle like any other teenager... your mom has to compare you to that person's kid who got a prize in singing (or dancing or antakshari or mono acting or god knows what) ... now you are she's trying your her best to enroll you into all possible competitions to get a prize somehow. You don't get a prize atleast once a year, and your happiness just disappeared like that pimple on your nose... whatever...

Many more years later... you are happy that you got good grades and a good job... now you cant be compared to your peers (evil grin).... you mom jumps in to say you have put on weight... look at the slim girl cousins you have... they will get married earlier than you... what will uncles and aunties say about your figure...
Oh hell!!!

70's and Bobby's and Elvis's

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:10:00 +0000

Ok, so some of you have already seen my facebook snaps from the retro party at Le Meridian. Before I start describing each person's behaviour under the influence of spirits, I say "this is one hell of a party!" , that too for a office party!

Firstly, because for once after I joined this company, I didn't perform. So I had the luxury to enter like a guest where otherwise, I would have gone along with the performers hours before the party to have stage rehearsals and lost half my day's battery. The performances! I would probably proudly say, they missed that "teeny weeny" touch, I would have added to make the performance larger than life.

This being an anniversary party, there was a huge cake and champaign, which obviously was not touched by the "common man"

And then, the bar opened. Do you need me to say more? A bunch of people started waving to the "dum maro dum" tunes and the likes, on the floor and then followed "dirty dancing", which was still ok. The DJ probably need to get back to his zamana and so played 2008 Bollywood numbers and the likes of Ramstein. By now, yours truly was completely confused what to do, because the 70s ambience was lost to headbanging and her funny clothes looked out of place, and so did she!

So she just had another drink and then started feeling in place again.

V was swaying after the music stopped and R, the kind lady she is, helped V walk on 2 legs and gave him a plateful of food. We all witnessed the over stuffed plate but V claimed the next day that he starved.

Anyway, S on the other hand mixed main course and dessert on a single plate and was happily eating away whatever he could shovel out of in his little icecream spoon, while poor P next to him got splashes and sprays.

c'mon I had to mention those :-)

Happy Birthday to Me

noreply@blogger.com (Sneo) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:16:00 +0000

It was my birthday on 27 April. After a few years break, I finally cut a cake :-) 2 cakes :-) :-) One at midnight and one in office
Since it fell on Akshay Trithiya, my parents gifted gold chain for their soon-to-be-married only daugher.

I got a new pair of shoes (pre-planned from my wish list) and left it at my friend's place. And the most predictable person gave me little surprises. When I opened the shoe box to generally check the fit on the eve of my b'day, I found a little gift. Surprise!!!! It was a Elizabeth Arden lipstick. Its not a famous brand in India, but I guess it is elsewhere. Anyways, after the all lipstick excitement settled in, I again opened the same shoe box and this time inside the shoe I found a little gift, a Silver ring :-)

And another surprise at the stroke of midnight! My cake and chocolates :-) Cake at midnight is probably common but with me it was never.

In office, my team mates got me a cake and gave me a few more cream facials :-)

But the fun part of it all was the dinner. Me along with colleagues, went to Cable Car, a new restaurant near my place. I guess we took pictures and left since I took the camera along. Next we hopped into Baron's Inn, The Thames! Again more pics, but no food. Finally, we settled into La Casa, the old time fav for the good ol' food and called it a day!

My gifts collection : Gold chain, Puma walking shoes, Sony Cybershot DSC- W270 Camera, Elizabeth Arden lipstick, Silver ring, Puma tracks for my dream trip