An Ode to all the Homemakers....

Have you ever felt that you are carrying the whole weight of the world on your shoulder? Why is it that only you have to do everything to keep thethings moving? Why should only you struggle to make your house a home?

Well these questions were pondering in my mind on a Friday evening. It was raining heavily and I was completely drenched on the way to my home from office. The first thing I wanted was a nice hot cup of Ginger Tea, Coz no matter what, there is no combination better than heavy rain and hot tea. I rushed to the kitchen only to find that the Fridge didn’t have any milk in it. I braved the rain, went to the nearest departmental store and purchased a carton of milk. I went back to the kitchen, all excited with the thought of having a hot tea. But things were not going my way. I found out that the Gas cylinder was empty. No matter how much I try and extract the last bit of LPG from the cylinder, the burner wouldn’t budge. I was pissed, but there was nothing I could do for a cup of tea. I mumbled a bit but thenrealised the best thing to do is accept the fact. So I decided to watchTV..

The hunt was on for the remote amongst the stack of magazines, CDs, andnewspapers and finally the remote. Switched on the TV, tuned in to themovie category only to be welcomed by a blank screen. There was a message from Tata Sky – “ Dear subscriber, Your services have been temporarily withdrawn for non-payment of the monthly subscription charges. Please makethe payment immediately to resume your services..” OH craap !! I forgot topay the charges.. Bloody hell !! No TV, and that too its a weekend !! Nooo !!

It was a good Friday evening. Our plans for a party had to be cancelled cozof the heavy rains. So I thought of spending some quality time at home allby myself as my roomie had also left for his hometown. But little did iknow what was in store for me!

All pissed off and irritated, I finally decided to catch up with my friends online and I barged into the bedroom to grab my laptop. By the time the laptop was booting up, I had somehow managed to calm myself down. I clicked on the Mozilla browser, and by default hit the Facebook URL. You won’t believe, I was again welcomed by an alert message. – “Dear Airtel Customer,Please pay the current month outstanding amount to enjoy uninterrupted services”.. I was spell bound. Have never felt so frustrated in life. I was like wondering, why is it that only I have to do everything. Why aren’t my roommates concerned at all? But what is the point.With nothing working in favour of me and left with no choices, I decided toread a novel. Still feeling irritated, Pissed and helpless somehow byaround 12.30, I slept off.

But unfortunately, it was not over yet. I had to wake up the very next day,early in the morning as the maid had already come. Still groggy, somehowmanaged to get up, opened the door and went back to sleep, only to be wokenup by the maid, as there was no detergent powder and she couldn’t wash the clothes. I just could not believe it was happening to me. There are so many things to be taken care of in the house. I somehow told the maid to washthe clothes the next day, and finally just managed to doze off again.The door bell goes off again. It was the cook. Yes ! We have a cook. Abachelor’s boon. But not necessarily mine. She enters the kitchen andshouts out a list of things not available ranging from vegetables to atta and so on.. Man I had to finally pay her extra 50 bucks to go buy it andthen prepare brunch for me !! Add to it the additional effort of making her understand how to prepapre the normal roti – sabji without adding herown favourite masalas.. My God !! No one can ever dare to taste itagain... he he...

This was the time when i truly missed my Mom.. It is only now that Irealise how difficult it would have been for her to manage me, my sis, Dad, the maid, the cable wala, the newspaper wala, the household shopping etc etc etc.. the list goes on and on and on.... She never ever made any of us uncomfortable. Whatever we wanted was always available. She used to solely manage the entire household with such great perfection that I had almost taken it for granted. It is now when I have to personally manage these things that I realise the difficulty.

I want to take this opportunity to salute all wonderful homemakers who havebeen making houses as homes for so many years and meeting the needs of the entire family....

I salute u Ma...This one is dedicated to you.. :)

Cheers..Kash !

** This post was written way back on 25th of September 2009. But Re-publishing the same to mark the celebration of the International Women's Day...**

[Well , atleast this is a better way to cover up my laziness of not coming up with a new post.. :)]

Say it once.. But mean it !

My thoughts... put across in words by someone else... !!

"You may not be her first, or her only. She loved before, She may love again. But if she loves you now, What else should matter?

She is not perfect, but you aren't either, but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice and admit to being human and making mistakes, Hold on to her and give her the most you can.

She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she would give you a part of her she knows you can break- Her Heart !

So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than what she can give.. So..

Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, Miss her when she is not around and most of all Love her like you never loved her before !!! "

--- Words by Bob Marley !!!

Respect !

Cheers.. Kash !

Anything for a Click...

At a party one of my friend spills a drink her lovely dress and is all upset that the red wine that may leave a stain on her priced possession. Suddenly she breaks into a beautiful smile when she spots one of our friends clicking the party photographs.In a fraction of a second, she completely forgot her moment of agony and is all set for a best pose for the snap..

Ever wondered how our brains are ususally wired to smile, pose, act the moment you see a camera around.. Well...this is what a camera can do to you... :)

This lil black cube with a lens on one side and a wanna be fotographer on the other (Not always) can at least for an instant make people forget about what is happening and Pose for a snap for an everlasting memory... It is very difficult to capture natural, innocent snaps of the subjects unless it is taken without their knowledge. The xception being Babies and Animals whose brains are not yet tainted by the latest show on Mtv, Fashion Tv and hell of a lot of add ons that come along... Or so I feel.....

Recently, in Goa, We were playing beach volley with a couple of my friends. Suddenly we just stopped the game, Pulled our tummies in and gave the best plastic smile we could manage in the hot sun. All this coz one of our friends wanted to take a casual snap of us playing.. he he.. His attempts to get the natural look failed coz all of us were aware of the lil black cube waiting to capture us, so we wanted to be in the best possible self.

But this was how it used to be some time back. Now with the easy availability if cameras, Social networking sites and digital media, I feel that the current generation prefers to throw caution out of the window. Everyone is vying for their quick shot to fame. The youngsters today are ready to fall to any level if they are sure that fame is bound to follow.

The success of all the silly shows on TV like Splitsvilla, Emotional Atyachar, Roadies, Truth, Love Cash and a truck load of others just go on to prove that Sleaze, Abuse, Sex, Dirty talk, anything, just about anything is fine with the guys as long as they are on TV.In this crazy rush for fame, many often forget the sensitivities associated with it.

Not many have had a pleasant experience always. There have been incidents where the subject often becomes a victim of voyeurism. I believe all this can be attributed to the easy and cheap availability of technology and a media which doesn't think beyond TRP.

I myself being a person who loves photography, would love to see the camera being in the right hands and doing the right job.


Image Source: - Google Images

Thank you...

His career graph had reached the spot earlier than he himself had expected. He was so much obsessed with what he wanted to achieve, that he had almost let go of his personal self. He had channelized all his energy and focus towards achieving what he dreamt of !..

His own sense of accomplishment had driven him to a totally different world where he felt that he had to prove himself even more. In his mad quest for success, he had not even realized that he had climbed up the corporate ladder so swiftly that he had left behind many of his friends, many of his colleagues and even his close family members. Sometimes he himself was perplexed at the thought .. “ Against whom am I racing? Why am I in such a big hurry ? Who else do I have to prove? How much more do I need to achieve? When should I stop? “

He was at the Dubai International Airport, he was bound for London for another one of his regular Business visits. He decided to while away the transit time at the airport by enjoying the Dubai Shopping Festival. Suddenly an announcement was made that his flight to Heathrow airport was delayed by an hour. He was done wandering around in the airport. He gifted himself in some expensive watches, perfumes and Liquor, that’s when he decided to immerse himself into his laptop so he could be well prepared for the presentation. In the midst of the crowded lobby filled with people enjoying the festive and shopping mood he was the only person with a serious look on his face, with his eyes perched on the laptop.

Suddenly he catches a very beautiful pair of eyes staring at him. He casually notices and digs himself back on to the laptop screen. Suddenly his heart skipped a beat ! Oh my God ! Was it her ?? He lifted his head up rather hesitantly this time and there she was. It was indeed her. How could he ever forget those beautiful eyes. All of a sudden he felt very weak on his knees. He could feel all of the blood from his body gushing towards his head. He was feeling very uneasy. Unable to hold himself back, he decided to get up and walk away.

Four long years had passed after she had walked away from his life for no possible reason. Every single day he prayed to God that one day, he needs to confront her and ask her Why? But when it actually happened, he found out that he was unable to get a hold of himself. The aura that surrounded him, that of a young and extremely successful executive had shattered to that of a regular guy trying hard to get a hold of his personal self !

Just as he was about to leave, she walked up to him. The moment he looked into her eyes, everything around him had come to a standstill. The life that he had left behind, his past was very vivid and vibrant before him. After a momentary silence and an awkward minute later, she broke the silence with a very feeble “Hi”. Though his mind was screaming with in himself to vent out his emotions, he finally came out with a very courteous greeting. After the exchange of pleasantries, she mustered up the courage to say “I am sorry for what had happened. I truly am.”

He looked into her eyes for a couple of seconds longer, and finally managed to say that , everybody has a right to make a choice and that she had made hers and that she doesn’t need to apologize.

Saying this he just walked away from her still trying to get a hold of himself. He desperately wanted to look back at her, but didn’t. He fumbled with his laptop bag as he found that his hands and legs were no longer listening to him.

The flight to London had announced its boarding and he proceeded towards it. He never got an answer to his question , Why she had done it coz he never managed to ask. But after meeting her he realized the reason for things currently happening around him. This was the reason why he set on a Race, a race with himself. His endless effort to prove himself at every opportunity that came his way. He realized that he should be thanking her for what has happened, as this has only lead to betterment of his life. The flight was taking off to a new destination and so was his life. He let off a smooth smile with her thoughts in his mind and was looking forward to life with a renewed sense of excitement.

PS: A slightly longer post than the usual. Just felt like sharing this short story with all you people..

What a comeback...

Those of you who take the risk to read my posts, this one is again dedicated to an unknown friend of mine.. the traffic cop who guards the junction on my way to office....

Read post .. [A regular Guy.. may be not...]

Yes. The guy is back in form and I would say, terrific comeback brother. Our man was back in his best presentable form, the sternness was back on his face. The sense of ownership of the road was a silent yet loud message to everybody, His golden aviator shades were shining bright in the sunlight.

It was just a phenomenal revival of the old cop, as mine was the first vehicle he caught for jumping the signal while it was Amber. There was no amount of sympathy or mercy shown to me. At one point even I wanted to shout out to him saying, Dude.. I have dedicated a post on my blog about you, and this is how you return the favor? But alas I could not say anything. Just that he let me off with a stern warning and an advice not to jump signals even when its amber as it can lead to blah blah blah blah…..

After this episode, though I was disturbed, I was also happy at the fact that our man was back. That’s when I thought that everybody goes through a difficult phase in their lives. The sun doesn’t shine on you always. There will be rainy days as well. It all depends on how long you give yourself to make a comeback. I am happy at the fact that our cop was back in action and he was loving it..

How much time did I take to make a comeback? A question I can answer only when people around me tell me that I am the same old chap with a renewed perspective towards life.. Till then I will be unable to give an answer to myself…

Was that Me.. ???

Well.. Saturday evening.. A time when everyone feels like partying, hanging out with some friends, basically freak out. And here I was at my home lazing out to an extent where my house maid quizzes me why am I sitting at home and not going anywhere..

In fact I was just spending time with myself, and activity which I follow once in a while. Suddenly I get this urge to head out of home, aimless, without any purpose. Just took out my vehicle and headed for a place called ‘Broken Bridge’. This is one of the most secluded places close to Elliots beach, a place rarely visited by many just because of its isolation. It’s a perfect locale for those interested in photography, the reason being its scenic beauty. This was exactly why even I decided to go there.

Yes, Photography is always something which has always excited me and to an extent I believe I should devote certain amount of time for things that keeps my mood upbeat. I believe if I put a little additional effort towards it, I can actually do a better job of it.. But never devoted that additional time...

I have always been this guy who procrastinates things to an extent where the excitement certainly does down.So here I was on a move to change my perception about myself. A task pretty difficult considering the fact that the person in question is me ! :)

Armed with my digital camera and my ever supporting companion, my IPOD, I reached my destination. It was around 5.40 in the evening, with the sun gradually beginning to resign for the day. The sight was just wonderful. A bridge jutted out towards the sea, which is broken half way, which is why the name, the sun setting down giving an orange shade to the entire sea, the waves making that never ending noise on the shore, as if inviting me towards the sea…

I was surprised to find out that I was enjoying the time with myself. With the IPOD playing one of my favorite tracks (Lift_ Poets of the fall), and the camera lens let lose to capture what ever I felt could make some sense. I didn’t even realize that I had spent close to and hour and a half all by myself at the beach clicking pictures and being with self. I just loved the time I spent away from family, friends, bothering thoughts and other excess baggage in my mind and do something which I actually enjoy. Somehow, this thought came into my mind that I was indeed enjoying a date with myself… J

After reaching back home and retiring to bed, as soon as I closed my eyes, I asked myself “ Was it indeed me?” I am not aware of the answer at present, but would definitely love to do it again..

This was one of the pictures I clicked after the sun had set and the waves were getting a bit rough...

Cheers.. Kash !

Not the usual Sunday…

Well the previous weekend wasn’t a regular kind of chill out weekend. It was more of an action packed Sunday, if put across in the most subtle manner.

The day kicked off with a long ride to the Madras Motor Race track to catch up with the MRF International Motor Challenge 2010. It was an adrenaline pumping session. The race began with the MRF 1600 CC race cars burning rubber (that was the max they could do with their puny little engines). It was fun to watch around 15 cars starting the race with an enormous roar bursting out every little bit of power from the engines. The Local ace Ashwin Sunder ended up winning the race. It was indeed a nail biting finish.

The next session was that of 600 CC superbikes, a race which I have been dying to watch it live. The engine roars of 8 superbikes together on the tarmac was just unbelievable. It was like rock music to my ears. Just to see all the riders decked up in complete riding gear, with souped up rides between their legs and race like there is no tomorrow was an experience of a life time.

Just being a spectator to these superfast cars and bikes had actually charged up my emotions as well. I somehow wanted to race on the track.. So what could the next best option be? Karting.. J Yes.. As soon as the race was over, me and my buddy left for a place called KART ATTACK.. One of the very famous Karting tracks in Chennai. We raced our hearts out during the sessions and it was even more fun as I was completely charged up with the race event in the morning. Some bumper to bumper racing on those karts were really exciting.

Post the racing session, we had plan to celebrate the weekend with a lovely dinner. We headed off to a one of the best Spanish joints in Chennai, Zaras. It was an amazing place to be… An awesome combination of Whiskey Cocktails, Beer, One of the best DJs in town and an amazing company. What more could I have asked for. It was a Funtaastic experience.. ;)

Wait.. The day doesn’t end here. Post the party someone goes – “Hey there is a Sale going on in Levis and the store is open till 12AM. “ Well that was it. All of us headed off to the showroom and for the first time did some shopping at 12 AM and that too when I was off my senses.

All in all it was an activity packed Sunday and I am definitely looking forward for much more Sundays like this one.

What makes me write??

Several times I have wondered what is it that makes me write... Well to be very honest I had started this blog just as a trip log when I used to go on frequent biking trips. It used to be just a periodical update on the different places visited, different experiences etc. Even my blog name was riderash.blogspot.com.. :o) Initially I used to enjoy it, but later on when the excitement died down, so did the frequency of my posts.

After a while I did change the content of my blog.. Started writing on two wheelers and automobiles and F1 sports etc, stuffs on which I can go on for hours together. Stuff which really interests me.. But then i realised i wasn't blogging in the true spirit. I was just sharing my interests and views on the latest happenings in the automotive world. I felt as though my blog had become an update centre of the auto industry without doing proper justice to it. Gradually the posts dwindled..

My blog had literally gone on a long slumber as I had completely left it for a while. Though there was always something in me that used to tell me, "Ashwin, Dude, revive your blog man, think of something, do something".. But still there was no action at all.

2008 December.. An incident in my life jolted me so wildly that I was just knocked out of my regular track. It was a really tough time and with no one around I decided to just pen down random thoughts. I realised that this was the place where I could just honestly express myself without caring about anyone else. Unknowingly I started to love the freedom associated with writing in my own space. I could express my opinions on anything..

It was at this point that I realised that all this while I was thinking of a topic to write about, an idea to keep my blog alive, when I actually don't need a particular topic that confines my thoughts. I want it to be boundryless. I no longer felt like - " Oh today I have to post something ". The feeling was more like - " Wow, I can write about this too.. " That explains the current blog name - mymindscribblings.blogspot.com.. A random scribbling pad for the never ending thoughts that flow everyday.

Psst... :o) All this high Funda gyaan on free flow of thoughts etc apart, I should honestly admit that the real reason that motivates me ultimately is the lovely comments that I receive from my wonderful readers who still put up with my crap and the increasing number that you see on the little blue widget below. [Yes.. I have managed to scale up from a poor 31 to a fairly decent 69 on the Indiblogger rankings.. :)]..

Am I letting my free flow of thoughts get tainted by a meagre number game or am I actually expressing my thoughts ... Umm.. I don't know the answer.. I leave it to you guys....

Cheers

Kash !

Image Source

http://www.wpromote.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/pen-and-paper.jpg

| Happy 2010 |

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself.... Gift yourself a new soul !!!

Wishing you a very happy and prosperous new year... I know its a bit too late, but as they say"Better late than never"..

Cheers

Kash !!!

A regular guy.. Or may be not !!!

I commute to office on my vehicle.. Hence a regular victim of all the traffic snarls, crowded junctions, maddening crowd, Blaring horns etc. Almost every day I take around 45 min to cover a distance of 10 KMs, which is not that bad considering the other Metro Standards..

Well the reason behind this post is definitely not the traffic jams I come across, but One dedicated individual who manages it. There happens to be a busy junction which needs to be crossed for entering to my office complex. There was this traffic cop who always used to GUARD that particular junction. This guy was never like the regular traffic cop that one usually sees on the roads. He was always well dressed, with neatly pressed white shirt and Khakhi trousers, Well polished brown shoes, and a very prominent gold framed Shades which used to be in stark contrast with his dark complexion. His stern face was graced by a thick moustache which kind of gave a strong message to the world as to who is in Command !

This guy was extremely strict, used to keep every road user on their toes. When he is in command, no vehicle is supposed to cross the yellow line before the signal, (which invariably is crossed by every single vehicle owner ), No Vehicle is supposed to honk, pedestrians are supposed to cross only using the zebra crossing, no one is allowed to just run across the road etc etc.. All those things which every Indian thinks is his / her birth right, were forbidden when he was around. Even though I have been using the route for almost a year, I happened to notice this chap only when he actually screwed my happiness in front of the entire public.

I was as usual waiting impatiently at the signal willing to zoom by as soon as the signal turns green. Suddenly I see this cop rushing towards me with all the vigor and he shouted at me. It was then I realized that I had crossed the yellow line next to the signal by a few feet. I did so without thinking as there were several other vehicles also ahead of the line. Though I was fuming at him at that time later I realized he was doing the right thing of making the crazy Indian roads a safer place to be. So, after this incidence, I always used to notice him at the signal. He was just the same to everybody who breaks the rules regardless of the fact if he is a pedestrian, a car, a two wheeler, a Bus or even if it’s a COP CAR. Yes I have seen him screaming his lungs out at a police car driver for jumping the signal.

I used to respect him for what he does. Neither the soaring temperatures of the Chennai summers used to burn his spirit nor the heavy rains could manage to dampen his motivation. He was always there at his best possible foot forward.

Off late something has been bothering me. For the past 1 week I haven’t seen him at his post. There was some other cop managing the junction, and the chaos was definitely not manageable by the new guy. At least I feel so. Initially I thought he wasn’t keeping well. Then I thought he might have been relocated to some other place. Gradually this thought just slipped my mind. And everyone including me was back to their usual self, I mean in terms of crossing the line, Jumping the signals etc..

A few days pass by then suddenly I see our cop back at his post. I wished he recognized me, because I wanted to pass on a Hi to him and say how glad was I to see him back on Job. Unfortunately I noticed something different. He seemed to have lost the characteristic sternness on his face. His shirt was half out and was full of creases, He was unshaven, his thick moustache had lot of grey hair peeping out, He wasn’t wearing his shades and to top it all, I didn’t see the vigor in him in handling the flow. Pedestrians were running across the road, Vehicles were jumping signals, bikers were cutting in form the wrong side of the road and to all this our cop was just a silent spectator. Had it been an isolated situation like for a day or so, It wouldn’t have bothered me. But this has been happening for the past one week.

I seriously wish that he gets back to his form and vigor and takes control of what I feel belonged to him. He would have been just another shabby traffic cop for me had I not known how he was, had I not seen how he used to command and get respect from all the road users alike. This is exactly the reason that was bothering me.

I have no idea what he is going through, what is bothering him, but whatever it is I just hope he comes out of it. May be, there isn’t anything that is bothering him, but just that his current state reminds me a bit of myself when I had lost track of life… And believe me its not a pleasant phase to go through!

I hope everything gets back to normal soon…

Cheers

Kash!!!

Tag Along......

I would like to thank Shas for tagging me into this.. I have made an attempt to be as honest as possible...

RULES: Respond and rework – answer these questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own, and add one more question to the list.

1. What is your current obsession? Attempts at understanding What I want?
2. What are you wearing today? Cargo Shorts and a Sleeveless Tee
3. What’s for dinner? Whatever is available on the menu in the near by Dhaba.. J
4. What’s the last thing you bought? Let me make it last Things .. Two Bottles of Jack Daniel’s premium scotch Whiskey, A Watch for myself and Loads of Chocolates …
5. What are you listening to right now? Always the last to Know – Del Amitri
6. What do you think about the person who tagged you? A fantastic Blogger.. Someone whose blog is so vibrant and full of action that it doesn’t fail to generate an excitement every time I visit it. This is basically coz the posts are exactly a mirror image of her thoughts without any adulteration.. Her interests in Trekking and Photography reveal her love for nature and an eye to appreciate the same..Hey BTW, would love to see your work of art through your camera as well, coz I share a similar interest in capturing beautiful moments through the lens.. J
7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? A Bunglow at Munnar, Kerala
8. What are your must-have pieces for summer? My Ipod, My Shades, and of course, My Bike
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? To the top of Alps, Switzerland
10. Which language do you want to learn? There is something very classy about Spanish. So Spanish it is…
11. What’s your favourite quote? “Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.” – Read it on a T-shirt, but just loved it !! J
12. Who do you want to meet right now? Someone who was and still is very special to my heart !
13. What is your favorite color? Black
14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? A faded navy blue slim fit jeans.
15. What is your dream job? To travel around the world, meet all types of people..
16. What’s your favourite magazines? Overdrive, Autocar, Readers’ Digest, The Economist
17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on? Another one of those expensive Watches
18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas? Women in Platform heals.. Yikes !!!
19. Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon? Gauri Khan (wife of SRK) (I stick with your answer Shas.. J)
20. What kind of haircut do you prefer? Jus the regular trimming..
21. What are you going to do after this? Work.. Loads of office work to be completed.. Naa.. Doze off !!
22. Who is your favourite sport star? Lewis Hamilton, F1, Mclaren Mercedes.
23. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without? My Perfume, Hair gel, Moisturizer. Can’t believe I just said that….
24. What inspires you? My past..
25. Give us three styling tips that always work for you: Blue Denim and White shirt, A Cap and My attitude..
26. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)? I make a compromise and settle for something
27. Coffee or tea? Coffee it is..
28. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed? Music.. love it..
29. What is your nickname? Ash ,Ashu, Akki.. That’s it.. you cant trick me into revealing everything here....No way…
30. Which other blogs do you love visiting? The Midnight Sun, Whrahoolz Ramblings, I am Here to stay the list just goes on and on..
31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet? Chocolate Ice cream..
32. Favorite Season? Winter..
33. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me? I am a very bad Chef, but stil you get a very nice warm cup of Coffee and a fantastic Plate of Hot Maggi Noodles.. That’s what I was actually about to prepare.. Wink wink.
34. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you? Forget about their existence in this world !
35. What are you afraid of the most? Reliving the past.
36. If you could undo any one of your past actions or acts which would be that? Would have never said YES !
37. My Question: What does one have to do to live a Care free life forever?

Guilty or Innocent ?

I owe a major one to Amrit… I am really sorry for the long delay in completing the tag buddy.. But its better late than never ryt??

So here is it goes and the tag name is Innocent..or Guilty? Please read the rules carefully!

RULE 1- You can only say Guilty or Innocent.

RULE 2- You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages you and asks!

RULE 3- Copy and paste this into your notes, delete my answers, type in your answers and tag to your friends..

• Asked someone to marry you? Guilty
• Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Innocent..
• Danced on a table in a bar? Innocent
• Ever told a lie? Guilty …No survival without this.. J
• Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? Guilty
• Kissed a picture? Guilty
• Slept in until 5 PM? Innocent.. 2PM is the limit… J
• Fallen asleep at work/school? Guilty
• Held a snake? Guilty
• Been suspended from school? Innocent
• Worked at a fast food restaurant? Innocent
• Stolen from a store? Innocent
• Been fired from a job? Innocent.. uuh… Not yet I believe.. ;)
• Done something you regret? Guilty L
• Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Innocent.. Yuck…
• Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Innocent.. Never got a chance till date in 25 years.. Can you beat that???
• Kissed in the rain? Guilty… It was awesome :) …
• Sat on a roof top? Guilty
• Kissed someone you shouldn’t? Guilty.. Still cant believe it happened..
• Sang in the shower? Guilty.. Always..
• Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Innocent.. Was in my Shorts.. ;)
• Shaved your head? Guilty
• Had a boxing membership? Innocent.. (Hey Amrit, Did u Add this question???)
• Made a girlfriend cry? Guilty
• Been in a band? Innocent
• Shot a gun? Guilty
• Donated Blood? Guilty..
• Eaten alligator meat? Innocent
• Eaten cheesecake? Guilty
• Still love someone you shouldn’t? Guilty
• Have/had a tattoo? Innocent
• Liked someone, but will never tell who? Guilty
• Been too honest? Guilty
• Ruined a surprise? Guilty
• Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterward? Guilty
• Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty
• Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? Guilty…
• Joined a pageant? Innocent
• Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? Guilty
• Had communication with your ex? Guilty….
• Got totally drunk on the night before exam? Guilty
• Got totally angry that you cried so hard? Guilty

Wow.. I have scored 26…. Now that’s a pretty decent score I believe.. J

An Ode to Homemakers....

Have you ever felt that you are carrying the whole weight of the world onyour shoulder? Why is it that only you have to do everything to keep thethings moving? Why should only you struggle to make your house a home?

Well these questions were pondering in my mind on a Friday evening. It wasraining heavily and I was completely drenched on the way to my home fromoffice. The first thing I wanted was a nice hot cup of Ginger Tea, Coz no matter what, there is no combination better than heavy rain and hot tea. Irushed to the kitchen only to find that the Fridge didn’t have any milk in it. I braved the rain, went to the nearest departmental store and purchaseda packet of milk. I went back to the kitchen, all excited with the thoughtof having a hot tea. But things were not going my way. I found out that theGas cylinder was empty. No matter how much I try and extract the last bitof LPG from the cylinder, the burner wouldn’t budge. I was pissed, butthere was nothing I could do for a cup of tea. I mumbled a bit but thenrealised the best thing to do is accept the fact. So I decided to watchTV..

The hunt was on for the remote amongst the stack of magazines, CDs, andnewspapers and finally the remote. Switched on the TV, tuned in to themovie category only to be welcomed by a blank screen. There was a messagefrom Tata Sky – “ Dear subscriber, Your services have been temporarilywithdrawn for non-payment of the monthly subscription charges. Please makethe payment immediately to resume your services..” OH craap !! I forgot topay the charges.. Bloody hell !! No TV, and that too its a weekend !! Nooo !!

It was a good Friday evening. Our plans for a party had to be cancelled cozof the heavy rains. So I thought of spending some quality time at home allby myself as my roomie had also left for his hometown. But little did iknow what was in store for me!

All pissed and irritated, I finally decided to catch up with my friendsonline and I barged into the bedroom to grab my laptop. By the time thelappy was booting up, I had somehow managed to calm myself down. I clickedon the Mozilla browser, and by default hit the Facebook URL. You won’tbelieve, I was again welcomed by an alert message. – “Dear Airtel Customer,Please pay the current month outstanding amount to enjoy uninterruptedservices”.. I was spell bound. Have never felt so frustrated in life. I waslike wondering, why is it that only I have to do everything. Why aren’t myroommates concerned at all? But what is the point.With nothing working in favour of me and left with no choices, I decided toread a novel. Still feeling irritated, Pissed and helpless somehow byaround 12.30, I slept off.

But unfortunately, it was not over yet. I had to wake up the very next day,early in the morning as the maid had already come. Still groggy, somehowmanaged to get up, opened the door and went back to sleep, only to be wokenup by the maid, as there was no detergent powder and she couldn’t wash the clothes. I just could not believe it was happening to me. There are so many things to be taken care of in the house. I somehow told the maid to washthe clothes the next day, and finally just managed to doze off again.The door bell goes off again. It was the cook. Yes ! We have a cook. Abachelor’s boon. But not necessarily mine. She enters the kitchen andshouts out a list of things not available ranging from vegetables to atta and so on.. Man I had to finally pay her extra 50 bucks to go buy it andthen prepare brunch for me !! Add to it the additional effort of makingher understand how to prepapre the normal roti – sabji without adding herown favourite masalas.. My God !! No one can ever dare to taste itagain... he he...

This was the time when i truly missed my Mom.. It is only now that Irealise how difficult it would have been for her to manage me, my sis, Dadthe maid, the cable wala, the newspaper wala, the household shopping etcetc etc.. the list goes on and on and on.... She never ever made any of usuncomfortable. Whatever we wanted was always available. She used to solely manage the entire household with such great perfection that I had almosttaken it for granted. It is now when I have to personally manage thesethings that I realise the difficulty.

I want to take this opportunity to salute all wonderful homemakers who havebeen making houses as homes for so many years and meeting the needs of theentire family....

I salute u Ma...

Cheers..Kash !

A Reason to Celebrate...

It was a regular day in Office.. The same old Client presentations, the same old pretending to be busy etc etc.. Somehow spent 11 hours in office and reached home.. As expected out of a typical Bachelor, the first thing I did was to turn on the Television.

I love the company of some good music especially when I am alone at home. So the obvious choice was VH1. Made myself a cup of tea all the while enjoying the latest number from Lady Gaga. Finally I freshened up and decided to watch a beautiful series on Discovery Channel – TIME WARP.. ( A Genuine statement to people who have not watched it.. you are missing something).. And so I was watching Time Warp and enjoying every bit of it till the inevitable ad break..

I was just staring at the screen when suddenly one ad caught my attention… My Hero, My Daughter… Celebrate Daughters’ day on 27th September, with Archies Cards.. I was like.. Duh.. WTF… Daughters’ Day. Hey... I am not against the Fairer sex or anything like that. I am just amused by the way these Greeting card companies make regular calendar days something really important.. I mean, no one ever celebrated these kinda stuff had these Greeting Card companies not made cards on Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, Teachers’ Day even Valentine’s Day. I mean there is nothing wrong in it, but somewhere I feel the emotional value is getting lost... (I am bound to find plety of differences in opinion in this context)

But now , somehow I feel there has to be a limit somewhere. There is nothing wrong in Celebrating a day specially for someone, but there has to be a history behind it. There is a specific reason why Valentine’s day is celebrated, why Teachers; Day is celebrated and so on. But Daughters’ Day – on what context.. May be I am ignorant or unaware, but I don’t think the significance of an Intense relationship between a Father, Mother and their children should intensify on a particular day! It is something to be celebrated throughout ones’ life…

May Be I am thinking too much.. May be it would be better if I set my mind at rest and enjoy the next episode of Time Warp…

Disclaimer -- I have nothing against the celebration of any day, Just that I personally feel that the significance of certain relationships are lost into thin air behind the marketing gimmicks by a few companies..

Cheers.. I sign off...