Picture Tag and Hi-25

A lot of tags going around here...

First up: THE PICTURE TAG

 MY Blog mother Renu tagged me for a picture tag. 

RULES

Pick the 6th picture of your 6th photo folder.

Tell a story around it.

Pass it on to six other people you like.

Here goes:

Well this is a picture of me taken when I was a two year old. It was taken by photographers of an ad agency. It was basically to select a child for Apollo Hospital's advertisement. I was chosen and I featured in this ad of Apollo Hospital dated 22 December, 1988.

Not much story to revolve around this picture. As a pre-teen, I wanted to be fair skinned and beautiful like the fair and lovely ad girls. I dont remember where the notion was fed into me that fair is beautiful. My dadi used to say I was born fair but the over-exposure to sun completely ruined my appearance. I was hurt by it and for the longest of time I thought I was an ugly duckling. I wanted to be a beautiful swan. One day my aunt told me that I had appeared in an ad for Apollo Hospitals... My joy knew no bounds. Even if I had been 2 years old, the fact that I was in an ad just made me feel beautiful for that moment. I was happy. Years have passed and now beauty has a very different definition in my books -- far more greater than outward appearances. :)

NEXT UP: HI-25

This tag is everywhere. Facebook, blogs...you name it. Read too many this week and it feels like I've been reading the autobiographies of my fellow bloggers. Rakesh calls it the truth serum. Well I've been injected, the executors being Shalom, Nancy and My Space...here goes:

RULES

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more 

1. I Cry when I'm extremely hungry. I wouldnt need to say a word....for some reason I have never been able to indicate verbally that I'm hungry. And its always via the boo-hoo-hoo network. Best time to see this event : Weddings in the family. Since we are all supposed to be making arrangements and nobody is supposed to feel hungry, the tears are a good indication. I get irritable and hungry and then there's a comment : "Dolly ko bhook lagi hai...koi khaana leke aao re..." :|

2. I counted. I have 39 dozen bangles in 3 different boxes in my room. That is 39*12=468. How many times a year do I wear them?? Rarely...and when I do, its more than a dozen on both hands every time.... I'm a walking bangle shop at times, but I dont care...I like it :P

3.  I dance when I'm cooking. I'm not a great dancer like Diva, or my family members, but I dont like to stand at one place and cook. I roam around the entire ground floor, through the dining area into the sitting room and back to the kitchen, in different yet clumsy movements, with

 amused faces of my sister and mom fixed upon me through all the "latke-jhatkes"

4. Sometimes when I am really in a mood to shower my love on my parents, I start referring to them as "Pitashri" and "Matashri" and try to talk in "Shudh-Hindi"...often citing dialogues from "Chupke Chupke".

5. I love cheese. I eat maggie coz I love grated cheese on it. My sis says I've been bloating coz of all the cheese...but I dont care...I love cheese :P

6. I Should have a restraining order every month after a few visits to a book store. Odyssey at Vikrampuri better start giving me good discount. I have no control over my book buying. I enter

 into a book store and I HAVE TO BUY a book. It feels like a crime to enter and not pick up something to read. I purchased 11 books in the last 25 days...and I have no clue when I am going to read them...refer my book blog for the books on my shelf. 

7. I cannot tolerate spice. I eat the slightest of  spicy food and the bathroom is my vacation home for the night....and there are frequent food disasters and stomach troubles that I have a song for it too : "Mummy Mummy, I Got trouble in my Tummy"!! :P 

8. My all time favourite movie is LAMHE. Not many people know this, coz I always talk about "Chupke Chupke" or "Philadelphia"... But I absolutely love LAMHE.

9. I am obsessed with the color Lavendor. My room, my bedsheets, the curtains in my room....all Lavendor. I added more drapes to my room a few days ago, a lil shade of pinkish purples and lavendor. My sister now looks at the room and goes : It looks like a "Kotha"!! :|

10. I have too many perfumes which I hardly use. I love Deos....No I dont stink..yet :P My favourite is JOVAN WHITE MUSK. A few months ago it was priced at Rs 168. It was hard to find it at super markets and Health n Glow outlets. When I did manage to locate one, I said I'll

 stock it up coz I might not find it again. The Price had gone up to Rs.265. I came back home with just one :(

11.  I constantly want to keep re-arranging the furniture ....and also purge the old ones for new ones. Mom says I can do anything with the house when I start earning...yet she keeps asking me again and again for changes. So decision for the home decor is my area.

12. I have always had things easy. I always get what I want. I feel guilty that I shouldn't be this way but I always end up doing the thing I dont want to do. I always think of cutting up my credit cards and throwing them away but then Papa says not to do so...and I always go on a spending spree....I need some control.

13. I like White wine. If mom reads this , which she does at office sometimes, she'll know that I've tasted liquor most of the days of my stay at Singapore. And I made a crazy call to a certain someone. Vowed not to take drinks for the rest of my stay there... Took it once in front of my mom ...with her permission. Next time I wanted to take drinks at a party, she gave me a look and said: "Koi Nahi". :P

14. I rode a bi-cycle for the first time when I was in class 10. Before that I always used to ride a tricycle I had... :P I know...sounds funny. Then I graduated to the scooty directly after trying the cycle for like 3 times.

15. I have never travelled in an RTC bus in any place in India. I've only gone for school trips in school buses and a trip to Goa from school in a tour-guide-operated bus. Planning to get onto a Hyderabad local bus before my 23rd Birthday.

16. I absolutely hate recieving show-peices as gifts. I love cards....and books....and Ferrero Rocher. I'd rather have it "NO GIFTS" rather than such things. 

17. I am terrified of Deep Waters....Rivers, Seas, Oceans or even wells. I used to think that I might have drowned to my death in a previous life and that's why I have this phobia. That is one reason why I havent learnt swimming. But since the summer is already here and I might be leaving Hyderabad in  a few months, I think I must finally learn.

 

18. I love Ginger Garlic paste. I Like to use it in most dishes I cook....salty ones of course. 

19. I used to be in love with Ajay Devgan when I saw Phool aur Kaante. I used to go around singing "Maine Pyaar tumhi se kiya hai" and used to think Madhu is gorgeous and wanted to be like her. I saw the song today while flipping channels and wanted to kill the  makers and music composers of the movie.

20. I used to crack stupid jokes in order to get people to like me... and it usually worked. Sigh, I think I've lost all that now :P

21. I miss my Dadi more than anyone else in the world. Mom was cleaning out her closet a few days ago and found the wedding "Chunari" that Dadi put on her while she was getting married. I knicked it from her and let it be known that I want it over my head when I get married. And I had a lump in my throat. I know I am a bit too sentimental.

22. I get seriously annoyed by people who think that only their opinion matters and that they know everything in the world. I used to flow into such rage as a kid, I used to tell mom that I will seriously insult someone some day. And I did...and it didnt feel great. I've learnt to control my temper ever since. These days I get annoyed by communal talk. And I hate it when people say "so and so celebrity belongs to our caste/community/region". 

23. I think I am super-addicted to blogging and I am fiercely protective of my blogger buddies. I eat my mom's head talking about posts written by Kochu, Jiggy, Rakesh, Nancy, my space, Hemz, Vinay (who is bookmarked for mom's reading). One day on our way back home papa said something about blog-world being "stupid bakwaas" and I almost had an arguement with him.  I controlled it at that moment but I came back home and cried coz I couldnt defend my blog-buds.

24. I spend a lot of time talking to mom and sis. I do not talk so much with Papa. I'm not scared of him, though I used to be as a kid. But I love my dad toooooooo much. I sometimes dont like things he says and frequently get annoyed with him for smallest of reasons. But I love him the most. I Love you Papa....I've never told you this. Today I am saying it for the first time. I hope we learn to be a little more informal.

25.  Finally, I want to become a good writer some day. I cannot use big words, I do not understand big words. But I think I am a fairly emotional person (understatement...VERY EMOTIONAL) and I think I write from my heart. I just want to write something beautiful for which I am remembered by millions and millions of people. :)

FINALLY DONE WITH THIS TAG...4 DAYS.....IN MY DEFENCE, I WAS A BIT BUSY AND WASNT BLOGGING :P :P

For both the tags, I tag anyone who hasnt taken up these yet and who'd want to try. Happy Blogging :)

Movie Shoovie Award Shaward

22nd February 2009

11.50 PM PCT (Personal Computer Time)

I have plans to wake up at 6, take bath and finish the morning chores to sit down and watch the Oscars without any disturbance. The day nominations were announced Papa went, "Arrey yeh kya harr jagah Dog-Dog hai...channel change karo!!". To my surprise, when me and papa were watching some random Hindi Movie on Star Gold, he said: "Oscars at 6.30 Monday morning right??". That means he might wake up and give me company, in all these years of my early morning fixation of watching the ceremony LIVE as it happens. This year I am going to watch it for two reasons:

1. To witness, hopefully, A.R. Rehman winning the Best Song and Best Musical Score...that would be just awesome. :)

2. Hopefully Kate Winslet will take away the Best actress award, coz I just saw THE READER and I was totally floored by her. Kate is easily the most talented and beautiful actress of our time.

The Rest, I dont really care. I probably would have skipped watching them this year if not for the Slumdog thingy. And Anil Kapoor is expected to make a clown out of himself I guess. He should exercise some restraint...I dunno....it is a big put off for me, all the hooting and shouting and clapping.

AND WHOA!! Just googled...Hugh Jackman gonna host the awards.....I didnt know that! Normally I do. This tells you that I have better things to think about than the Oscars...but...I dont know what they are... :P

Funny thing. I was surfing the channels yesterday and I dont know why I stopped at ZEE CINEMA. They were showing "Phool Aur Kante", Ajay Devgan's debut film with Roja Girl Madhu. The song "Maine Pyaar tumhi se Kiya hai.....(toorooorooroooroooo)" was mid-way through and I remembered how crazy me and my cousin Maneesha used to be about that song. I think it was DD-1 that used to play the song an awefully lot and the cable fellow put up the pirated print a few times. Me and Maneesha used to sit up late nights to watch Ajay Devgan woo Madhu and catch the bad guys. It must have been the third or fourth time that we were seeing it together when Maneesha exclaimed: "AJAY I LOVE YOU!!" I dont remember how old I was but it was a big thing for me those days. Something that girls our age shouldnt talk about...love shove!! :P 

I went ahead and told Mom about Maneesha talking "like that" and I remember being disappointed that she didnt say anything more than a "hmmmm". :p A few years later maybe, it was my turn to go crazy, when that song "Chura ke Dil mera" from that I-DONT-REMEMBER-WHICH Akshay Kumar-Shilpa Shetty movie hit the screens. Me and Maneesha were at it again, this time closing the doors of this room on the third floor, where we had put up a poster of Akkie Baby, and we used to Play that very song and dance like Heroines. Oh those were fun days :)

I met Maneesha a few days ago, we meet a lot lesser these days, more so after she got married. When she said it to my younger sister, "Dolly(Me) and Me used to be best friends once". I always thought as kids that we would always remain best friends. But things change, people change. At the end of it, we still give each other genuine hugs whenever we meet. There is an under-lying hostility for some reason, some difference that crept in but whenever I reminisce old times, It brings tears of laughter to my face. No matter how much I hate certain things about Maneesha, I do love her immensely...I only try not to remind myself about it for some reason. 

Ok this wasnt supposed to go the nostalgic way. The 25 random things tag is still a Work-in-Progess. I'm stuck at Sweet number 16. So watch out for this space. 

Also check out the latest TOP READ FOR THE WEEK. Its a wonderful blog, I'm sure you all would love it.

23rd February 2009

12.19 AM PCT (Need to remind again???)

I'm off to sleep.... Good night :) 

P.S: After I finished watching the Song, the Ajay Devgan one...I wanted to kill the whole team behind that movie....see how people change?? :P

The Woes and Joy of getting a Driving Licence

18th November 2008

I gripped the steering wheel of a rickety-over-500-people-driven Indica that the driving school had provided me with   (Kimi had been begging me not to take up the classes ...he's scared you see.... He thinks  I might beat Danica Patrick to an F1 seat in a few years ..He He He...and he's worried Ferrari might sign me up...Hehehe!!)

18th February 2009

I gave my driving test and passed... I can now officially drive on the Indian roads at least...No Super licence yet...But Kimi...you better watch out!! :P :P

Ok the classes shouldn't take so long to complete but this was yet another typically laid-back Hyderabadi attitude, both on the behalf of the instructor and myself. I missed too many classes in between and he didnt turn up for a few coz "its too cold in December to wake up at 6"... Heck, was he teaching me drive on a hill station?? 

I'd been pretty confident of driving by mid-January and I kept asking him to book my slot with another student who was supposed to go around the same time. The instructor kept postponing my slot and two weeks ago he informed me that I'll have to give the test on a Maruti 800. My turn to freak out.

Its a drastic shift from Diesel to Petrol vehicle and I wasnt too confident of driving the Maruti 800, especially after bumping Mom's car into that of our neighbours. I refrained from trying out the Maruti and kept practicing on the Indica. So when he said I'd have to drive a Maruti, I asked him to give me a little more time. He was more than happy to do so. I tried mom's car, once ALMOST crashing into the main gate. Sunday we had a long session and I drove the car for a good distance to gain some confidence. Yesterday I drove the Indica on my way back home, and my driver said in his heavy North-eastern accent : 

"Ma'am, aap chalaa lega gaadi.... tenshun mat lo" (Ma'am you will drive well, dont stress).

 I asked : "Main fail to nahi ho jaungi na, aise gaadi chala kar?" (Would I fail if I drive this way?) 

And he said: "Nai Madam...Phel to nahi hote...aaraam se chalao" (No, You wont fail...just drive with ease)

I called up my instructor and told him I was ready to give my test today. He asked me to be at the Driving track at Nagole by 8 in the Morning. I reached by 7.30 and called up this person I was asked to contact. He came fashionably late at 8.40 and gave me my papers. I sat for a while, saw the track layout and tried to understand it. I was worried about the reverse track, which seemed very tricky. 

Kept getting more and more nervous. Tried to calm myself by deep breathing techniques learnt at the ART OF LIVING class. I said, the worst that'll happen is I'll fail. No problem. Come back in 7 days and give test again. Practice more. Meanwhile Alankar called me up and wished me luck. He helped me lighten up my mood and I felt at ease. 

At 10, I was asked to go and give my test. I had managed everything well. The S-Track, 8-roundabout track. Then came the H-Reverse track.  Managed the first 3 parts of the reverse and forward quite well, but messed up on the last part. Not completely messed up, but I didnt take the turn as it was supposed to be taken. Got out of that section, went on the Ghat-type-road segment to the last stretch of the track and out of it. Once I parked and went to the cabin, the officer smiled and said, "You goofed up a little on the reverse, but good presence of mind". He smiled back and stamped a "PASSED" on my forms and receipt. Then he said, "Why taking so much tension, relax now. I'm not scaring you by any chance, am I?". 

I had to let out something that I was refraining from telling him. I told him that 3 years ago, me and 2 other friends had come for the 2-wheeler licence and he was one of the officers taking the test that day. He had failed one of my friends for not taking one particular turn, and after I messed up the reverse, I thought he would fail me this time. He just laughed it off and said "Congratulations. Have a good day". It was a good experience this time around. People seemed much more co-operative all of a sudden. My last few experiences at RTAs have been real bad with in-charges shouting for no reason.

I called up Papa and told him that I had passed and the licence would come via courier in 2-3 days. Papa said now I have to drive more often and take the car into traffic as many times as possible. Hyderabad traffic....I have the licence....to add to your woes....grrr!! But..Yipeeee!! :)

Cheers! :)