I always thought there are just two things that I am scared of cockroaches and being alone in the dark. There are very few who have actually witnessed my flight err…plight when I see a cockroach. I get this from Ammudi(mom) along with a lot of other things. If there ever is a hunt to look for the “highest jump an individual can do on seeing a cockroach” yes please direct them to me. There have been embarrassing situations with friends and family and unfortunately they don’t let me forget them. The newest addition to the list is my Mom –in- law and she still can’t stop laughing about it!
Well coming back to the two things I’m scared of. I realized that there is one more to the list. I was enlightened by this new fear yesterday evening. Here’s what happened. At 7.30pm I swiped out of office and headed to the parking area to take my bike and head home. It was dark. It had just stopped raining. I was in great hurry to reach home before it began to rain again. I turned the bike around and was about to start the engine when I saw it!!! This HUGE eight legged SPIDER sitting comfortably on the handle. Gosh! I can still feel it crawling somewhere close. Surprisingly I didn’t jump. I dint yell. I just kept looking at it with utter shock…for 3 seconds. Then I yelled. Of course I was still at office so I tried to keep my composure as much as possible. I called the security guy and asked him to remove the spider from my bike. Well he did that and unfortunately I didn’t see the spider on the ground anywhere. So I kept insisting to look carefully coz I was sure it was still there somewhere. But no luck. The poor guy gave up after sometime with assurances about the spider not being on the bike. So I gathered whatever courage I had left in me and started the engine switched on the headlight and let the bike run for sometime while I stood beside and watched. Still no luck. Finally I had a talk with God and asked him to ensure that the spider isn’t there. I began the 10 minute journey, which felt like 10 hours, back home.
Since I was so engrossed on seeing if the spider is still there I kept looking down and not on the road. So I missed all the road humps and had a very jumpy ride. I know I should have faith in God and trust that everything will be fine (since I had a talk with him) but God has a weird sense of humor and what if this is his “practical jokes on human beings hour” and me His joke for the day. Also in situations like these my brain will think of all the scary horror movies centered on huge ugly spiders eating human beings and torturing them. Why can’t I think of the king who was motivated by a spider to fight and win the war? I’ll never know.
I reached home safe with no sightings of the spider. I don’t know where he went and I hope I don’t see him anywhere again. Did I scare him more than he scared me?
Mar 13, 2009
Feb 27, 2009
Bu(r)ddy scare
I am back at home after an awesome vacation and there is just one thing I dread. I head straight to the balcony and take a deep breath. They were HERE!!! They stayed all night, even during the day at times and now that they are gone there is just shit all over the place…literally. At the cost of sounding heartless I would like to declare “I HATE THE PIGEONS IN MY BALCONY!!!” These do not include the ones captured and displayed for public affection in a zoo or circus. Or the ones that are set free as part of some “peace” meeting or even the ones that just fly around anywhere else.
Come to think of it this is all really my fault. When I first saw them sitting on the balcony I was as excited as a 3yr old would be to see them so close. Ok it’s not like I have never seen birds and this is my first encounter. But in a way it felt nice that a small little part of my home makes them feel at home. I did not want to disturb that (mistake number 1). Where would the poor souls go if I shooed them away every five minutes (mistake number 2). I kept a few grains on the window sill and a little water dish as encouragement for them to come and stay at my house (mistake no 3). At times I would just watch them from my room and try and guess what they are thinking. There are about 4-5 in total and I think I can actually tell one from another!!! The friendship grew by leaps and bounds, so to say. They stopped flying away even when I entered the balcony. We started having friendly conversations which lasted for 30 seconds with both of us staring at each other. I turned a blind eye to all the things I did not like about them. Fact is I liked having them around.
Anyways this friendship continued for sometime until the day I realized the mess they were making in MY HOUSE. Irritation, anger, frustration, annoyance and slowly resentment started creeping in. I hated to see them anywhere near my house and started to think of ways to ensure that they are not a part of my life. And then one day I shooed them all away. At every chance I got I shooed them away. No matter how many times they tried to come back. I shooed them all away.
I miss them now but I don’t know where to begin. How do I say lets start afresh? You don’t mess and I won’t yell. But my guilt doesn’t permit me to go beyond wishful thinking. My pride doesn’t let me put out that small plate of food and water which says you are still welcome. So at the end of it all I simply give up. I let go.
Then one fine day I hear them again at my balcony. At first I don’t want to show how happy I am so I stay inside. Then I slowly step outside. And there, in a small little gap between two walls, I see the nest. Their home in my home. They all finally came back. And as for mess that they will definitely bring in, I just have to assume that its not by choice.I wish I could do the same with some of my other friends.
Come to think of it this is all really my fault. When I first saw them sitting on the balcony I was as excited as a 3yr old would be to see them so close. Ok it’s not like I have never seen birds and this is my first encounter. But in a way it felt nice that a small little part of my home makes them feel at home. I did not want to disturb that (mistake number 1). Where would the poor souls go if I shooed them away every five minutes (mistake number 2). I kept a few grains on the window sill and a little water dish as encouragement for them to come and stay at my house (mistake no 3). At times I would just watch them from my room and try and guess what they are thinking. There are about 4-5 in total and I think I can actually tell one from another!!! The friendship grew by leaps and bounds, so to say. They stopped flying away even when I entered the balcony. We started having friendly conversations which lasted for 30 seconds with both of us staring at each other. I turned a blind eye to all the things I did not like about them. Fact is I liked having them around.
Anyways this friendship continued for sometime until the day I realized the mess they were making in MY HOUSE. Irritation, anger, frustration, annoyance and slowly resentment started creeping in. I hated to see them anywhere near my house and started to think of ways to ensure that they are not a part of my life. And then one day I shooed them all away. At every chance I got I shooed them away. No matter how many times they tried to come back. I shooed them all away.
I miss them now but I don’t know where to begin. How do I say lets start afresh? You don’t mess and I won’t yell. But my guilt doesn’t permit me to go beyond wishful thinking. My pride doesn’t let me put out that small plate of food and water which says you are still welcome. So at the end of it all I simply give up. I let go.
Then one fine day I hear them again at my balcony. At first I don’t want to show how happy I am so I stay inside. Then I slowly step outside. And there, in a small little gap between two walls, I see the nest. Their home in my home. They all finally came back. And as for mess that they will definitely bring in, I just have to assume that its not by choice.I wish I could do the same with some of my other friends.
Feb 3, 2009
Growing Up
I was heading back home from office and on the way I realized that I had some grocery shopping to do. I finished buying everything on the list and also a lot more that wasn't really needed and headed back home. As I entered the lift with my hands full I was relieved to get help from a little angel. A kid in his early teens. Once in the lift we got talking about which school he goes to and what his hobbies are. And then we fell silent coz I was out of questions. Then he said,'Aunty, which office to you go to'? Whhhaaaaaattt?? my first reaction was 'who aunty? me?' and then when I realized that I was the only "Aunty" in the lift I answered and gave him the world's most FAKE smile ever.
After he had stepped out on his floor and I continued to the upper floor I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Have I really turned into an Aunty? I haven't even got my wisdom teeth yet. Is it because he thought only aunties carry groceries or only aunties go to offices...Why? What made him say that. Anyways this got me thinking, leave aside the appearance, have I really really become an Aunty! As in become a matured adult! Here's a list of things that I do which proves that I might just be turning into one.
Look at price tags before I buy anything.
Know all the pulses and can identify them...well almost
Recently bought some home furnishing stuff when I actually had gone to buy SHOES
Not interested in Orkut or Facebook...hell I don't understand Facebook
Share "my" cooking tips with friends and colleagues
Expressions like, "OMG u have grown so big. The last time we met u were just a little kid" come naturally to me. And after I have said it I know what the "kid" is thinking...So u want me to shrink every passing day... the same thing I did couple of years back
Have tags like Atya, Maushi, Wahini after marriage...though nobody calls me that
Get an headache after a night out when listening Rock
People seek advice from me..ok the number is very small but yes they do
I am a matured adult who takes sensible decisions and handles the consequences. She does not blame her goof ups on anybody or anything else. Whooaa! Wait a minute cannot transfer blame......panic attack......not ready YET.
After he had stepped out on his floor and I continued to the upper floor I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Have I really turned into an Aunty? I haven't even got my wisdom teeth yet. Is it because he thought only aunties carry groceries or only aunties go to offices...Why? What made him say that. Anyways this got me thinking, leave aside the appearance, have I really really become an Aunty! As in become a matured adult! Here's a list of things that I do which proves that I might just be turning into one.
Look at price tags before I buy anything.
Know all the pulses and can identify them...well almost
Recently bought some home furnishing stuff when I actually had gone to buy SHOES
Not interested in Orkut or Facebook...hell I don't understand Facebook
Share "my" cooking tips with friends and colleagues
Expressions like, "OMG u have grown so big. The last time we met u were just a little kid" come naturally to me. And after I have said it I know what the "kid" is thinking...So u want me to shrink every passing day... the same thing I did couple of years back
Have tags like Atya, Maushi, Wahini after marriage...though nobody calls me that
Get an headache after a night out when listening Rock
People seek advice from me..ok the number is very small but yes they do
I am a matured adult who takes sensible decisions and handles the consequences. She does not blame her goof ups on anybody or anything else. Whooaa! Wait a minute cannot transfer blame......panic attack......not ready YET.
Dec 16, 2008
What irritates me the most?
Honking when not required. What is with people who honk for no reason at all? Especially at a traffic junction when the light turns from red to green there is series of honking from people a little further behind. Isn’t everybody waiting to get off the road cross the signal reach home or wherever they are going to ‘as soon as possible’? Can’t we just wait for 2 seconds for the person ahead to start the vehicle and drive? Urgh!!!
Contributing to an unclean India. Throwing out garbage anywhere other than INSIDE the garbage bin is a huge turn off. How can we expect to have a clean India if we continue to throw out dirt all across the street? Here’s my simple wish for all those who throw dirt out on the road ‘let all the gums stick to your little feet’.
More to come later.
Contributing to an unclean India. Throwing out garbage anywhere other than INSIDE the garbage bin is a huge turn off. How can we expect to have a clean India if we continue to throw out dirt all across the street? Here’s my simple wish for all those who throw dirt out on the road ‘let all the gums stick to your little feet’.
More to come later.
Aug 7, 2008
Bangalore
It’s been almost five years now and slowly but surely Bangalore has become HOME for me. Though my connection with this city started during my school days, when I spent my summer vacations here with my grandparents, its only now that I feel at home in Bangalore.
My early memories start with my mom, sis and me getting out of the train at the Bangalore railway station. Barely awake, with half opened eyes, yet excited to see Ajoba (grand dad) waiting at the platform. That’s the sweetest thing he would always be there no matter what time the train arrived. Ajji (grand mom)of course would be at home preparing breakfast for the princesses…yeah I am a descendant of the Royal family or at least I pretend to be!!! The holidays were the best part my school life NO STUDYING…ah what life…running around the house all day, playing with the neighbors dog from over the fence as I was too scared to touch it, planning the famous ‘fun fair’ with Tanu and I only for mom n grandparents. The entry ticket itself was a big amount that’s where Tanu and I got all our investment back, which ironically came from Aai’s purse. The venue was of course free ‘coz it was our own terrace upstairs!
Now it’s a different Bangalore for me. With minuscule(!?!) problems of bad roads…leading to terrible traffic situations, the unmotivated(read useless) autowallas…who will only ride to the place that they want to go to and that too at almost double the actual cost, long distances from home to office…which seem even longer with the teeny problems mentioned earlier. But I still love it. The weather is awesome, the people that I have met are great, I have the liberty to do what I want… what more would I want?
My early memories start with my mom, sis and me getting out of the train at the Bangalore railway station. Barely awake, with half opened eyes, yet excited to see Ajoba (grand dad) waiting at the platform. That’s the sweetest thing he would always be there no matter what time the train arrived. Ajji (grand mom)of course would be at home preparing breakfast for the princesses…yeah I am a descendant of the Royal family or at least I pretend to be!!! The holidays were the best part my school life NO STUDYING…ah what life…running around the house all day, playing with the neighbors dog from over the fence as I was too scared to touch it, planning the famous ‘fun fair’ with Tanu and I only for mom n grandparents. The entry ticket itself was a big amount that’s where Tanu and I got all our investment back, which ironically came from Aai’s purse. The venue was of course free ‘coz it was our own terrace upstairs!
Now it’s a different Bangalore for me. With minuscule(!?!) problems of bad roads…leading to terrible traffic situations, the unmotivated(read useless) autowallas…who will only ride to the place that they want to go to and that too at almost double the actual cost, long distances from home to office…which seem even longer with the teeny problems mentioned earlier. But I still love it. The weather is awesome, the people that I have met are great, I have the liberty to do what I want… what more would I want?
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