Random Doodles of a Wandering Soul

The Long Journey Home

2011-07-08T13:10:00.002-04:00

I sit in Mumbai airport waiting for the flight home - 24 hours without sleep and several transfers have brought out the worst of my criticism and sarcasm, hence the highly appraising blog about my travels.

The first and longest flight was bearable since I was fresh, but at the end of 8 hours, my thighs had been severely kicked into shape by the 4-year old in the next seat, a skill mastered by masseurs through age and experience. The next transfer was in the wee hours of the morning and this time, any hopes of sleeping were shattered by the meaty lady beside me, who elbowed me in the face twice, before I realized that I would have to leave my eyes open if I didn't want to be disfigured for life. The lady seeing me awake, started a monologue about how she was hurrying to her mother's funeral, (which didn't deter her from stuffing copious amounts of sausage during the flight, which contradicted the non-veg ban followed by close relations of the deceased). My escape from the flight was delayed by a half hour, and then I ran to the baggage carousel to make my next flight. Of course, since it was such a perfect day, my bag was the last one offloaded from the flight, so I could get it only after an hour of waiting. Next came the queue to wait for the coach that would take me to the departure terminal, when I remembered I had to call my parents and let them know I wasn’t dead. I asked the man in line behind me regarding the whereabouts of a pay phone. However, there were none to be found, and he graciously offered me his phone to make a call. My acceptance of his offer clearly seemed to him an invitation to stick to me like a leech and carry on a one-sided conversation about his travels around the world. Slipping into the seat beside me on the coach like my oldest friend, he started asking me about my education and history, while all I wanted was to doze off. Upon reaching the domestic airport, I try to find my own way with my luggage, but my ‘friend’ hollers from the opposite end to follow him. I eventually manage to evade him and check in my bags, and wait the next 4 hours for my flight, while I check out my surroundings.

I watch loud mouthed aunties draping their several layers of shawls and ornaments around them, as they wobble to one corner of the airport and turn around to scream to their daughters or husbands, and signal their presence. Men gawk from their seats unabashedly. A huge wedding party gathers around me now, jewels glittering, the ladies start fussing around, bringing out food packets and forcing everybody to eat, convincing them that they needed the energy, although a few of them looked like they had enough mass-energy to power a generator. The food attracts the flies and the aunties continue talking with their mouths full. So I decide to get up and leave for the washroom to get away, and wash specks of food off my face. For the whole time I was in there, waiting for a free wash basin, I watched a girl in her twenties, with jeans that looked like they were painted on, and a face caked with cream and make up. She couldn't keep her eyes off herself in the mirror! She patted and fluffed her hair, turned around in her six-inch stilettos and checked out her tight ass, then did a whole turn again and started with the hair. 15 minutes later, presumably when she couldn’t hold it in any longer satisfied, she let me have the basin, as she went to the toilet. But when she came out, apparently, she thought that the process had completely disfigured her, since she started the whole checking-out procedure again, supplemented with rubbing her eyebrows into shape.

The last flight seemed to take forever, and ended when the pilot cheerfully announced that that the outside temperature was a steaming 30 degrees. Following a 2 hour car ride home from the airport, I reach home to find the whole family down with the flu and a pounding headache, which I hoped was the jetlag and not the flu coming on. Home Sweet Home!

Just some hero stuff...

2009-10-17T12:39:00.001-04:00

It’s been a really looooong time since I sat down to blog. I blame it entirely on my college which has become really hectic this semester, what with a million projects, group tasks, assignments, seminars and reviews. But I don’t want to write about that, least of all, think about it when I don’t have to. Instead I would like to talk about my latest addiction to ‘Heroes’!!

I’m sure everybody, at some point in their life, has wished for a super power. Whether it’s a comic-book crazed fan, or a kid with his super-hero models, the fact remains that people like to be different. Plus, it would be so much easier if you can lie on the couch all day long and just make stuff come to you with a lazy flick of a finger… And it’s definitely a lot more fun to sneak around invisible or walk through walls!

I love movies that deal with super powers and the corresponding action that ensues. I’m even a fan of the ‘x-men evolution animated series’ that used to air regularly on Cartoon Network. The latest craze around here, fast making its rounds through my hostel, is Heroes. For those who don’t know anything about this series, let me give you a short summary.

‘Heroes’ is about a bunch of people with ‘abilities’ and they’re trying to make sense of it, and develop it to help people and save the world. The bunch includes people who can fly, read minds, talk to computers, walk through walls, etc. Plus, there’s a teenage cheerleader who can heal from any kind of wound, thus making her invincible. However, my all-time favorite character’s the cute Japanese guy who’s crazy about Star Trek, and incidentally, can bend space and time.

With the good, come a lot of bad – in the form of a sinister organization, simply referred to as ‘The Company’, which tries to control these people, and abduct them. The Company feels it their moral obligation to lock up people they deem unsafe. However, the super-villain of the millennium is a ruthless serial killer who targets extra-ordinary people and takes their brains out, so he can obtain their abilities.

I recommend ‘Heroes’ for any X-Men fan out there – it’s full of action, suspense, and so completely addictive!!

Apple Pie

2009-07-12T03:16:00.009-04:00

Ingredients:
Crust:
1.5 cup plain flour
2/3 cup cornflour
180g butter
salt
water

Filling:
3-4 large apples
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cardamom

Method:
Crust:

Combine flour, cornflour, and butter in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and knead with required water till a dough is formed.
Press the dough in a greased baking dish, along the bottom and sides of the dish. Leave some dough for the pie cover.
Bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes on HIGH.

Filling:

Cut the apples and add sugar and cardamom.
Heat on the stove and stir till it forms a orange-brown paste.

Place the apple filling on top of the baked pie crust.
Roll the remaining crust dough into thick strings and decorate over the top of the filling as shown in the picture.
Bake in the oven for another 10-20 min.
Serve hot with vanilla ice-cream.

Flavours... of Chennai : The Great Kabab Factory

2009-06-30T04:56:00.000-04:00

Feeling a bit rich today? I recommend you check out The Great Kabab Factory (TGKF) at The Radisson, on GRT Road, located near St. Thomas Mound, Chennai. I continue from my previous blog to give you exclusive dining details, at the best (and worst) places to eat out.
The night we dined at TGKF was undoubtedly, one of the most elegant and fulfilling endeavours I've ever undertaken. We were seated by a smiling lady wearing a sari, who offered us fresh, moist towels to refresh ourselves. The maitre d' proceeded to explain about how the cooking area was separated from the dining area, by a glass partition that enabled the diners to see how their food was cooked. The whole restaurant was designed to look like a factory, hence it's name. The maitre d's wore handsome suits and were in charge of assigning tables and general care of the diners, while the servers wore factory overalls. The diners could choose from a menu consisting of vegetarian, non-vegetarian, or the seafood platter. Each choice consisted of six different kababs of the day, with an accompanying variety of bread and sauce. This would be followed by a biriyani, and finished up with 5 different types of dessert. The amount of any item, whether kabab, or dessert, would be unlimited. Any other item desired by the diner, whether it be drinks, or beverages, could be chosen from the main menu.
My friend and I both ordered the non-vegetarian menu. A glass of delicious badam milk was served, compliments of the hotel. This was followed by salad in strawberry sauce. While we waited for our food, we chatted about how the restaurant had a very pleasant ambience: the dim lights, the deep red curtains, the light clinking of cutlery, all helped whet our appetite, while simultaneously, creating a touch of elegance. The temperature was cool and inviting.
Our first kabab was made of thick minced mutton, served in a soft, thin type of bread, and to be eaten with mint sauce, as the server explained. As soon as we gobbled it down, the server came with a chicken lollipop shaped kabab. This was followed by another chicken tikka fried in pomegranate sauce, and a huge prawn kabab. We were served with a delicious icy pumpkin 'mouth-freshener' in the middle of the stream of kababs. The final kababs were one made of fish, and an equally delicious mutton sheekh kabab.
I was bursting by the end of the six kababs, whereas, my friend took multiple servings of the kababs, till he declared he was satiated too. Nevertheless, we both sampled the rich and spicy mutton biriyani that followed.
When the desserts finally arrived, I was massaging my expanded tummy, and wishing that somebody would be considerate enough to carry me all the way to my bed a few kilometres away. However, being a dessert fan, I was not going to leave without taking a bite out of all the dessert varieties. There were a milk rasagulla-type sweet, kala jamun, apple pudding, a soy sweet, and a pot of kulfi.
At the end of the meal, I had to sit for atleast 10 minutes, before I could get up and waddle out the door.
Kabab lovers all over - TGKF is definitely a place that you should have on your list of places to dine at before you die. It is undoubtedly, one of the best eat-outs and more so, if you are capable of gobbling down huge amounts of meat at a time. But beware, you better load your wallets before you enter. All in all, the experience is worth the money.

Flavours.... of Chennai - Cedars

2009-06-28T01:51:00.000-04:00

Have you ever read an extremely uplifting review about a restaurant, only to go there and find that the place isnt all its supposed to be? Recently, I realized the importance of food critics and restaurant reviews. And nothing more valuable than a detailed, personal description. Up till a few weeks ago, I had always assumed that food critics spoiled the joy of eating out at a new place. Once you'd read a bad review, you might tend to be a little wary of the place at the back of your mind. So if you do ever go there to eat, it's always with the feeling that the food or service is not going to be good, and there's nothing like a pre-conceived notion to spoil a good meal(in case the critic had a different sense of taste than yours). On the contrary, if the review said the food was exemplary, and you strut into the restaurant during rush hour, expecting the very best, but you find your meat too well-done or the air a little too warm, then you begrudge the place and tell your friends that they shouldn't expect everything to go as planned if they ever have the misfortune of eating there.

However, that's just what I'm about to do - give you a review of restaurants I've dined at, complete with necessary details. Because I found out - the hard way - that you really should know what you're getting when you go some place, especially if that place is one that tends to empty out your pockets with a smile.
During my brief stay in Chennai, I was eager to dine at Cedars, a Lebanese restaurant which my friend had suggested. He had also warned me about how expensive a meal might turn out. So armed with cash, me and another buddy set out to discover the taste of Lebanon. Since my buddy insisted he had once seen the restaurant on Gandhi Mandapam Road, Adayar, while zooming past in an autorickshaw(i dont think autos zoom, its more of a vibrating hi-speed chugging - but that's neither here nor there). So we walked all along the road looking for this restaurant, which just was not there! We even opened up Google Maps on the mobile browser, which tried to convince us we were standing right in front of Cedars. Finally, after an hour of walking, and asking people, we hailed an auto to head home. Conveniently, my friend had a sudden lightbulb flash and asked some posh-looking people standing outside an equally fancy shop. Not so conveniently, we found out that the restaurant had closed down and moved to a newer location in Nungambakkam, near the Taj Coromandel. So we had the autodriver turn right around and head for the new address. Neither of us were ready to give up Lebanese food over a matter of a few kilometres, although it was night.
When we finally found Cedars, it had a small, unassuming exterior and a weak-looking dog in a kennel to the side of the entrance(maybe that was because we entered through some back alley) but the interiors were amazing. The ambience was quite peaceful, and comfortable. Nevertheless, the air-conditioning was turned a little too high ( Agreed that summer is sweltering hot in Chennai, but do they have to keep the interiors Arctic?)
There was also a TV set in the room, showing everything from cricket to music videos, which was muted, and to me, a complete waste of money and electricity. Coming to the food, the prices were exorbitant, although the food did sound exotic enough to warrant the price. The menu cards provided a description of the dish under its name, which is one feature I have great regard for. People have a right to know what they are ordering, and they cannot be expected to keep asking the waiters about each and every single dish, and what it contains.
We decided on a 'Jaleb' (a cool drink made of dates and rose extract), an appetizer of 'Minced lamb patties in Hot Sauce' and a main dish of 'Cedar Special Steak'. Now I'm the kind of person who loves to dine out, but I dont eat very much, just like to taste a little bit here and there. So my friend and I decided on just one main course. The waiter raised an eyebrow, he probably thought we were cheap customers. But I understood what he meant when the food came.
There was a plate of some hard chips and orange coloured sauce, compliments of the hotel (And no wonder, it sucked!) The lamb patties that cost around Rs. 200 consisted of a plate of 4-6 small pop-in-your-mouth-sized, patties. The 'hot sauce' was nothing but the same orange-coloured complimentary sauce with a little chilies ground into it. The steak was done a light medium, tending to rare (which for me, is another word for uncooked), with mushroom sauce poured over it, and barely enough for one modertaely hungry person. Moreover, the steak didnt even taste like chicken. I joked that it was probably the dog we saw outside, which made my friend very anxious (but not enough to stop eating the steak).
So we ordered a plate of 'shawarma', which is scraped chicken meat, and vegetables, and sauce all rolled into a thick bread. The Cedars shawarma was perfect. Light, yet generous with the sauce and meat, it was a delight to munch on them, savouring the effect of the garlic sauce on chicken. Even the 'Jaleb' was wonderfully sweet and cool.
When we both left Cedars, we were poorer by a considerable amount, nevertheless, satisfied. I personally have no desire to visit the place again, lest I feel an unquenchable desire for shawarma, and rich company willing to treat me. As we stepped out into the cool night air, my friend turned around to look back at the restaurant, and take a mental snap of our Lebanese experience. The last thing he noticed was that the dog in the kennel, was missing.

My Experiments With Cooking

2009-06-27T01:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a special day. I cooked a whole meal by myself (with the help of my mom who prevented early death in the kitchen :) ), which is definitely an experience worth describing, especially since the recipes were my own. I find no interest in cooking a dish by the book, following the recipe step-by-step and the final product never looks like the illustration in the cookbook.
However, the result of my cooking turned out well. Listed below are my recipes. Though not perfect, they are pretty good.

1. Chicken Corn Roast
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken
2 tbsp. coriander powder
2 tbsp. chilly powder
2 tbsp. turmeric powder
4 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp. cornflour
1 tbsp honey
Bread
milk
corn
salt
vinegar
lemon juice

Method:

Add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, and cornflour to the chicken. Add some vinegar, lemon juice, honey and salt. Marinade the chicken and refrigerate overnight.
Break the bread slices into pieces and grind them in a mixer to get fine powder. Roll the chicken in the bread powder. Spread a little butter on the base of the baking tray to avoid sticking. Place the chicken peices on the tray. Sprinkle corn over the chicken. Apply a few drops of milk over the chicken pieces.
Keep in the oven for an hour, till fully roasted.
Serve with honey garlic sauce.

Recipe for honey garlic sauce can be found at
http://www.grouprecipes.com/16888/honey-garlic-sauce.html

2. Mutton Curry

Ingredients: mutton pieces, chopped
2 tbsp. meat masala
1 tbsp zeera
4 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
green chilies
onions
cabbage
capsicum
tomato
salt
butter
lemon juice
tomato juice
egg

Method:
Marinade the mutton pieces with meat masala, salt, zeera, and chopped green chillies. Also add ginger-garlic paste, tomato juice and lemon juice. Refrigerate overnight.
Boil the mutton for half an hour till cooked. After it cools, drain the water leaving little behind for the gravy.
Take 4-5 tbsps of butter in a pan and fry onions till they brown. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes, green chilies and capsicum. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the egg. Then add the mutton along with its water. Cook for a few minutes. Serve hot with rice.

The King Of Pop : Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T12:01:00.000-04:00

When I was just a tiny tot, I would eagerly await every Saturday. Because that was the day when my dad would come home with a copy of the Young Times magazine. I lived to read it, the cartoons with their colorful illustrations, the cooking articles with photos that made my mouth water, the stories that would let my imagination run away with it, and also the center poster that would display huge images of celebrities. I never recognized any of the celebrities since I never watched TV except for a few cartoons. However, one day, there was a picture of a woman, in menswear, and performing on-stage. Nevertheless, the name on the poster declared the celebrity to be Michael Jackson, which was definitely a male name. Sensing my confusion, my mother explained it was a man who had undergone surgery and grown his hair long. I still could not believe it. Mom even made me listen to some tapes of his music. That was how I was first introduced to the King of Pop.
The image portrayed in the photo is how I like to think of this legend. A youthful face with a bright, energetic grin. 'Thriller', 'Beat It', 'Billie Jean', 'Smooth Criminal', 'Ghost', 'Bad',...... Aaah! Do I need say more? These songs continue to enthrall and entertain me. I recall the nights when I would play his songs in the background as I worked on my PC, singing along to the song. The excellent beats, unique shrieks and grunts, the dancing... all of it! Yet, MJ was still able to bring together millions of people across the world with his tracks 'Heal The World', and 'Black or White'.
A fantastic performer, he has brought his trademark dance moves into vogue, all the hip-thrusting, crotch-grabbing, moon-walking. Even as he got older, he could still produce music like no other. The track 'You Rock My World' from his album 'Invincible' was a testament to that.
MJ's death is a tragic loss to Pop music lovers all over the globe. I still believe he had much left in him. In no way had he extinguished his talent to produce amazing music. Admittedly, I was in shock when I heard the news first thing today morning, I felt it was unreal, and that any minute the news reporters would correct their mistake. Nevertheless, I have settled down to a state of pure nostalgia. I am sure millions of fans out there are recollecting, as I do now, their memories and experiences with his music, in the past. I too, shall settle down to enjoy his music and pay a tribute to his memory. Adieu, MJ...

Granny and Lunch

2009-06-24T07:15:00.000-04:00

Today being my grandmother's birthday, I decided to pay her a visit long overdue. Although she lives only half an hour away, I hadn't been to see her since my college closed almost two months ago. So today morning, when the alarm woke me up to find a light shower pouring outside, the only thought in my mind was to fall back in my bed and snuggle deep under the covers, the sweet scent of fresh, moist earth lulling me back to sleep. However, I forced myself awake with the promise of sleeping the next day, and shuffled off for a bath.
Dressed in one of my oldest salwars, and hair secured in a ponytail (it was going to get all messy again in the bus, anyway!) I reached granny's apartment to find that she wanted to take me out to lunch, which was a pleasant surprise. I love eating out, and more so, if someone's treating me :P
I spent an hour following my g'mom around the flat as she showed me her recently acquired possessions. You see, Granny's fond of decorating the house (understatement of the year!) and keeps adding new items around her flat every day. Before my grandfather's demise, the interior decor was in control, but of late, there has been an exponential increase. The flat was now crammed with furniture, potted plants, stuffed animals, vases, cushions, and mats. The walls overflowed with framed photographs and tapestry. But the whole purpose of her existence lay in the recently wood-panelled wall cupboard, with mirrored insides and small golden overhead spotlights. Inside were all sorts of wine-glasses, beer glasses, melamine plates and silverware, including an empty jewelry box and a tiara-like thing. During the last two months, she had managed to acquire several electric devotional lamps, and squeezed them into the over-stuffed puja room. Moreover, there were floral paintings on the walls, and plastic flowers on every possible inch of the room, including a huge plastic lotus in the center of the room. As I lifted one of the leaves of the lotus, I spied a coffee table hiding underneath. It all fascinated me immensely. Whenever I think of the flat, an image of flowers, lamps, and cushions come to my mind, my granny immersed in them like quicksand.
Lunch was a grand affair at one of the fancier restaurants. We arrived at sharp noon, as a result of which, we were the only diners present. Now, I am the sort of person who likes to have my own time with the menu, weighing all my options carefully, and without any disturbance. However, Granny had already called the waiter over to ask if there was raw rice available. The waiter hung on with his pen poised over the notepad, looking at me, while I determinedly tried to contemplate the fancy options before me. Meanwhile, G'mom wanted soup, and asked me which one I would prefer. I politely told her I never had soup before eating heavily, as my tummy filled up rather quickly. Upon hearing this, she too declined the soup. But I would not allow her to give up something that she had been so enthusiastic about, just or my sake. So in the end, I told her I was willing to have a bowl of any soup she chose. She immediately responded that she wanted sweet corn chicken soup, and so we both had a bowl of that.
Main course for me consisted of mixed fried rice and curried squid.(I love to sample exotic food)
while granny opted for a veg meal which consists of rice, and all the varied curries, vegetable and payasam. When her meal came:

Granny: (slightly deaf, so all her words were slightly above the decibel range considered polite)
THERE'S ROTI HERE! WHERE'S THE RICE IN THIS MEAL?
Me: The rice comes later, that's how they usually serve it.

Granny: I CANT HAVE THIS. I NEED MY RICE! WHERE'S THAT YOUNG FELLOW?
Me: I'l tell the waiter. (To the waitress) Excuse me, could you bring the rice?

Waitress comes with a bowl of rice.
Granny: IS THIS RICE HOT?
Waitress: Yes, Ma'm. Its warm. (startes serving) Granny takes a mouthful.

Granny: THIS RICE IS COOOOLD! YOU SAID IT WAS HOT. YOU CALL THIS HOT? GO BRING ME HOT STEAMING RICE!
Waitress scurries off with a squeak. Almost immediately, a waiter appears with another bowl of hot rice, and begins to serve. Granny takes a mouthful.

Granny: WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS DOING? THIS IS BOILED RICE. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR RAW WHITE RICE.
Waiter apologizes in a murmur, I look out the window in embarrassment (scenes make me go red), I act as if I'm in another restaurant altogether.

Granny: I CANT IMAGINE WHAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE OF TODAY ARE COMING TO! THEY CANT EVEN GET AN ORDER OF RICE CORRECT. AND WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THEM IF THEY CANT SAY HOT FROM COLD? (grumble grumble)

Finally, the waitress re-appears with steaming raw white rice, and she serves nervously. Granny takes a mouthfull, then stops.
Me: Isnt the rice hot?
Granny: I'M WAITING FOR THE HEAT TO SUBSIDE.

After a while, Granny takes a mouthful....
Granny: THIS RICE IS UNDERCOOKED! YOU! YOUNG MAN! COME HERE IMMEDIATELY!
Young waiter scurries forward, and smiles nervously.

Granny: WHY IS THE RICE NOT COOKED?
Waiter mumbles something incoherently, while another chap runs forward with a bowl of rice and says: why dont you try this madam? This is Basmati rice, you'l surely like it. (serves a spoon)
Granny eats one mouth and stops.

Me: Is everything alright?
Granny: WELL, I CAN MAKE BETTER RICE AT HOME, BUT NOW IM TOO FULL OF RICE.

Me: Would you like to try my fried rice? Its cooked pretty well.
Granny: OH NO! I DONT EAT NON-VEG SINCE YOUR GRANDFATHER DIED, AND I PLAN TO STAY THAT WAY FOR ONE MORE YEAR.

Me thinks to myself about her choice of soup earlier: Uh-huh?
Well really, what more can I say?

Man's Best Friend???

2009-06-23T09:49:00.000-04:00

All those of you out there who are looking to lose a few pounds... I advise you to get a dog. Today morning, I checked my weight on the scales to find that I had gained 2 kilos. 2 KILOS!! In 2 days! Well, what else can I expect? I've been doing nothing except lying on my bed watching movies on my laptop, till I fall asleep. The only exercise I ever get is the walk from the bedroom to the kitchen to appease the growling tummy.
Today afternoon, I lay down on my bed, cradling my laptop on the side of the bed, trying to decide which movie I should watch. There was a light drizzle outside, the cool breeze blowing in through the window, myself feeling full after an enormous lunch... the perfect afternoon to cuddle down under the sheets and curl up with a nice book or movie. However, the calm of the atmosphere was disturbed by a sharp, pungent odor that spread through my room.
The first thought that entered my mind was that that one of the neighborhood cats had crawled into the backyard and died. But that worry was soon laid to rest. Looking in through my window was my 3 year old Labrador Retriever, Ruby, who was the laziest dog alive, bar none. Her life revolved around eating, sleeping, and sleeping more. I always wonder what thoughts run through her mind. The funniest thing is that there's a huge sign on our gate that says, 'Beware of Dog'. Nevertheless, she's always sleeping right on the front doorstep. Anybody could open the gate (which creaks), walk right up to the door, step over her and walk in, yet, our angelic watchdog would still be snoring away dreaming of her next meal. Result: a huge dog with her fat tummy bouncing around her as she runs(rare occurrence). Plus, she really hates taking a bath cuz she has to stand the whole time. Therefore, mystery of stink solved.
Hence, I decided to give her a bath. Now this is not as common as you would expect. Since I'm rarely home, except for the weekends during college, my mom and brother are solely responsible for giving the dog a bath. I usually keep on nagging both of them about how the dog looks like she's never had a bath. I decided to show them how to get things done. But the moment she spotted me coming out the door with the pink gloves and shampoo, she bolted around the house with startling energy that made my head spin. A quarter of an hour later, I managed to secure her leash to the outside staircase railing(with the help of my brother, of course!) and i applied loads of shampoo on her while she squirmed and shook herself dry every 30 seconds. If anybody were to look into the compound, they would have seen two figures covered in soap suds, a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing around our heads. Finally, half an hour later, I hosed her down untied the leash. With the same head-spinning energy she took off straight for the flower-beds and muddy puddles. But I was prepared. With a strong grip on the leash, I led her into her kennel.
Covered in mosquito bites and dog fur, I walked towards the house, scratching my arms and back, too tired to care what the neighbours would think at such an un-ladylike attitude. Ah! Success! I'd given the dog a bath! And lost a few pounds [:)]

Me, Myself and I

2009-06-22T12:50:00.000-04:00

Hi y'all,

This is my first attempt at blogging, mostly cuz d idea of having my thoughts out on the internet for everybody and anybody to read, was not my idea of living life. Secondly, I'm on vacation before my 7th semester at college begins, and I'm kinda really bored... So i thought what the heck? It could be that somebody stumbling across my blog in some country far, far away, might actually have a good laugh over the daily antics of the bumbling girl, that is, moi...

Now this is more like an introductory blog, so that you can get to know me better. Whenever I read about a character in a book, or hear about someone in real life, from somebody else, I always form a mental image about him/her, and that often seems to be very incorrect, when I actually come across the person in real life. For instance, take the Harry Potter characters, Ron and his siblings. Apparently, the books desribe them as having a mop of flaming red hair. However, the actors in the movies are all more on the blonde side, with a hint of red.. No flames there!

I'm supposed to be talking about me, instead I've already started ranting about Potter. I was crazy about the books upto a few years ago, eagerly devouring one book after another. However, now as I turn 20, I prefer movies, shopping, and sampling exotic cuisine. I'm sure I know what's running through your mind at the mention of shopping... Typical GIRL! And any guy out there who has ever been out shopping with a girl would tell you (in the absence of afore-mentioned girl) that he will never understand why the female species gets all wide-eyed and excited about running around dozens of shops and ooh-ing and aah-ing over all the delicate baby-doll size purses that can barely hold a few coins. In any case, shopping is best experienced with girls. Ahh... The mad rush in and out of shops, gathering a handful of clothes, from the cute pair of jeans to the wild party wear... trying on each and every item, taking your own sweet time to admire every angle and curve in the mirror, taking snaps of each other in the wild attire, and then, walking out without buying anything, leaving a disgruntled salesman shaking his fist.

Apart from the madness, there are some days when I enjoy sitting down with paper and pencil, and sketching, anything from models sporting fancy designer wear to humorous cartoons of people around me, usually in situations that portray me as the hero of the day... hehe...

Most of the other time is spent just surfing the net, taking random quizzes on facebook, and watching movies. Since I got a brand new notebook a month ago, its only fair that I make the best use of it. [:P]

I think this is enough blogging for a first time. Hopefully, I won't be so lazy so as not to type another blog before class starts, because once that happens, it's bye-bye to internet for an unpredictably large amount of time!