Monday, November 26, 2012

Yumminess

A lovely jar of cookies arrived from Nais Italian Kitchen. Distributed all the cookies all around the office and enjoyed it very much. Felt a bit like Santa in a blue dress. 

Phoolwati

I woke up very happy today and wore a blue dress which I bought in Bombay. Also I decided to be a bit foolish and put a flower in my hair. It's plastic but very cheerful and reflects my mood perfectly. So go ahead and have a good laugh at this ridiculously funny picture!

Anshuman said I look like a chubby little kid, little miss Muffet. I'm smiling as I write that.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Sunday rant

It started out very well with loud music and singing in the car. Then it got a bit annoying and now it has gotten very annoying and I want to throw something at someone but no one is available to take my onslaught. Yes it might be pms. All I want to do is hug my dog and offer up my face to her to lick for as long as she would like to. The thing that gives me hope is my big ass car and the music system with eleven speakers in it. So thank you God for the big ass car and the eleven speakers in it. I will play my music loud and over and over again. I know I'm ranting but it's just that kind of day. It's good because you get a lot done in it and it's annoying because that's what it is , it's just annoying. In case you didn't figure it out yet, I'm annoyed. I hope when I get home a cup of tea, a hot shower and the excellent company of my dog will soothe my jangled nerves. So here I will say Goodbye to this day and try to welcome a peaceful evening.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

What the water gave me

And I stumbled upon something so very different from Sinead's lament.The song is called 'What the water gave me' by Florence and the machine. It's a lovely video and i love the way she lets go in the end, dancing, jumping, clapping her hands and getting lost in the music. This song makes me feel like dancing! Here it is, get your jumping shoes on!




What the water gave me - Florence and the machine


Time it took us
To where the water was
That’s what the water gave me
And time goes quicker
Between the two of us
Oh, my love, don’t forsake me
Take what the water gave me

Lay me down
Let the only sound
Be the overflow
Pockets full of stones

Lay me down
Let the only sound
Be the overflow

And oh, poor Atlas
The world’s a beast of a burden
You’ve been holding on a long time
And all this longing
And the ships are left to rust
That’s what the water gave us

So lay me down
Let the only sound
Be the overflow
Pockets full of stones
Lay me down
Let the only sound
Be the overflow

‘Cause they took your loved ones
But returned them in exchange for you
But would you have it any other way?
Would you have it any other way?
You couldn't have it any other way

‘Cause she’s a cruel mistress
And a bargain must be made
But oh, my love, don’t forget me
I let the water take me

Lay me down
Let the only sound
Be the over flow
Pockets full of stones

Lay me down
Let the only sound
Be the overflow

Troy

So I found this 'typically' Sinead O' Connor song on youtube. I think I have it on CD too. Her tortured soul shines through in this song which sings about the age old theme of love, jealousy, doubt and heartache. I love the line ,"I'd kill a dragon for you". Here it is Sinead O' Connor at her best












Troy - Sinead O' Connor


l remember it
And Dublin in a rainstorm
And sitting in the long grass in  the summer
Keeping warm
I remember it
Every restless night
We were so young then
We thought that everything
We could possibly do was right
Then we moved
Stolen from our very eyes
And I wondered where you went to
Tell me when did the light die
You will rise
You'll return
The phoenix from the flame
You will learn
You will rise
You'll return
Being what you are
There is no other Troy
For you to burn

And I never meant to hurt you
I swear I didn't mean
Those things I said
I never meant to do that to you
Next time I'll keep my hands to myself instead
Oh, does she love you?
What do you want to do?
Does she need you like I do?
Do you love her?
Is she good for you?
Does she hold you like I do?

Do you want me?
Should I leave?
I know you're always telling me
That you love me
but just sometimes I wonder
If I should believe
Oh, I love you
God, I love you
I'd kill a dragon for you
I'll die
But I will rise
And I will return
The Phoenix from the flame
I have learned
I will rise
And you'll see me return
Being what I am
There is no other Troy
For me to burn

And you should've left the light on
You should've left the light on
Then I wouldn't have tried
And you'd never have known
And I wouldn't have pulled you tighter
No I wouldn't have pulled you close
I wouldn't have screamed
No I can't let you go
And the door wasn't closed
No I wouldn't have pulled you to me
No I wouldn't have kissed your face
You wouldn't have begged me to hold you
If we hadn't been there in the first place
Ah but I know you wanted me to be there oh oh
Every look that you threw told me so
But you should've left the light on
You should've left the light on
And the flames burned away
But you're still spitting fire
Make no difference what you say
You're still a liar
You're still a liar
You're still a liar

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Mumbai the holiday

So I got back from a holiday from Bombay last night. I'm relaxed but tired having slept late last night. It was a good holiday in so many ways. First of all my data package stopped working so I couldn't be online. Well I could be online from the desktop with a wired connection but it was a pain to sit on a chair so most of the time I just read and read and read. In all I read five books in five days and it was wonderful. It was just the break I needed from everything to clear my head.

For a change I didn't take a single picture. All I can say is that I needed this quiet time and it has done me tons of good.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Chasing cabs

Even though my car doesn't like me I miss him. Yes I think he's a boy spoilt rotten who likes to damage expensive girls like Mercedes and Lexus. OK that sounds all wrong but it's accurate nevertheless. So I'm left without a car for the whole of next seven days. I have been chasing taxis during rush hour and that is anything but a pleasant experience. Thankfully I'm going to Bombay on Wednesday evening so the torture is only for another two days. I'm looking forward to some time at home. I intend to just chill out and do nothing for those five days that I will be there. Today is better than yesterday and I thank God for that. Thank you God.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Reporting

Nothing much to report from City Dubai. The weather refuses to change. The dog refuses to eat. The day refuses to end. I refuse to change. I refuse to do many things. The music is kinda funny, kinda sad... Without further explanation or tears here's the song this day... in a man's voice for a change..





Mad World by Gary Jules


All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles its a very, very
Mad world, mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen

Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me, what's my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles its a very, very
Mad world, mad world, enlarging your world
Mad world

Friday, November 09, 2012

Musical morning

So this morning has been all about music and what better way to spend the first day of the weekend! I played a song on Anshuman's computer in the morning and since then he has been playing his music. I have to admit that his music is a heck of a lot 'happier' than mine. So he was dancing in the living room and I decided to join him. Then the dog decided to join the dance and started hopping on her hindlegs trying to get our attention then the activity got too much for her  so she threw up and then started dancing again. I love swirling and twirling in the living room. It's sooo much fun :) heck that deserved a smiley!





He likes smoking a cigar once in a while. Here he is posing with one. He's so funny. Right now he's listening to a song which goes something like this, "Give it to me baby A ha! A ha!" I think he got tired of listening to his usual rock anthems. Oh yes I'd like to leave you with my favourite Led Zepplin song called Shangri La but I don't have the patience to look for it on youtube so look for it yourself. C'mon it's Friday morning and I am feeling sooooo lazy! Time for my second cup of tea! Cheerio!

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Plain Gold Ring

So I found this woman on one of the most unlikeliest of places - twitter. usually there's nothing but half chewed pieces of irrelevant information on twitter (May be I'm not following the right people). There was a list of 10 best covers and I heard this song called 'Plain gold ring' by a singer called Kimbra. The song was originally sung by Nina Simone. I haven't heard the original version but I instantly fell in love with the younger woman's rendition. I loved the passion with which she sings the song in the video. Her voice makes the words come alive and you can feel the sentiment of the song. She is so truly beautiful in every way. Love this song, here's the link

Plain Gold Ring - Kimbra


Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
It was where everyone could see
He belonged to someone, not me
On his hand was a plain gold band

Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
It was where everyone could see
And in my heart it will never be spring
Long as he wears that plain gold ring

When night time comes calling on me
I know why I'll never be free
I can't stop these teardrops of mine
Gonna love him till the end of time

Plain gold ring on his finger he wore

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Seriously?

This day has started on a serious note. I hope it will get better with time and until then you and I can laugh at this dumb brunette picture of me. What was I thinking when I took this picture? Probably absolutely nothing!

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Song to the siren

It's a very unlikely song by Sinead O' Connor. Even the'love songs' she chooses to sing nearly always see someone dying. This is an unlikely song because it has such a soft texture. I do love it but still I sometimes wish she would scream at the end of it like she usually does. Or may be not. I'm undecided. Tell me what you think...



Song to the siren - Sinead O' Connor


On the floating shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang
Sail to me, sail to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you here when I was full sail?
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken love lost on your rocks,
For you sing
Touch me not, touch me not,
Come back tomorrow
O my heart, O my heart shies from the sorrow
I am as puzzled as the newborn child
I am as riddled as the tide:
Should I stand amid the breakers
or should I lie with Death my bride?
Hear me sing,
Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you.


Glitter

Been waiting to proof the magazine and in the meantime Santa arrived early with a little present from Lush. Like everyone else I love presents and opening them with a sense of excitement is the best part. Lush always send their newspaper filled with their amazing products and their gifts a;ways smell so divine. I love little bells attached to the ribbon around the festive packaging.


When I opened the box it seemed to be filled with colourful foam but that wasn't the gift thankfully. It reminded me of that scene in "love actually' where Rowan Atkinson is packing up the gold necklace and takes ages while the husband is scared the wife will come back any second and catch him buying a present for the sort of mistress. It was hilarious.



And here are the lovely gifts. Snow fairy shower gel and soap. And a sort of soap which puts loads of glitter on your skin till you look like a disco ball. So I gave away all of it and felt a little bit like Santa myself minus the beard :) Oh look I made a smiley :) Oh look I made another one :) Oh look I can't stop! Hahahaha!

Monday, November 05, 2012

Lunch at Jones

So Anshuman took me out for lunch to Jones the grocer, a welcome break from the day. It's a good day and we ended up having identical meals. Seafood linguini and cremebrulee for dessert. I also had an impossibly thick and strong mocha. Love love love! I loved this picture of him which I instantly instagrammed. He has gorgeous eyes! Twelve years and he still makes my heart melt. People in his office see him as someone very serious and stern and business like but with me he is so the opposite. Not a day goes by that he doesn't make me laugh. He has such an incredible sense of humour and such amazing love for life. Sometimes I wonder how he always stays so positive and so peaceful even when things aren't going so great around him. I was singing today,"I'll never be your Maggie May." So he asked me about the song and I gave him the whole story about how it was a song by Rod Stewart and Maggie May was this older woman that he fell in love with but then he left her because he wanted to go back to school or make a living playing pool. How he looked at the sun shining on her face which was showing her age and he woke her up and told her that the sun was shining in her face and it was showing her age. How Suzanne wondered how Maggie felt? Did she feel sad or happy or did she go out with other younger men? So I'll never be your Maggie May is a song in response to the song by Rod Stewart. SO my husband smiled and said to me,"I'm going to write a song called,'I'll never be your Rod Stewart." I burst out laughing! While coming back to my office he kept singing," I'm gonna be your Maggie May' and when I corrected him he replied,"Thank you very much, I like it my way." That's Anshuman Kishore for you. He likes it his way.

Glasses

So I'm not supposed to wear lenses for two weeks. So here's a picture of the nerdy kaddu. It's strange that when you're wearing glasses you don't feel the need to put on make up hence your face takes on a weird reddish hue right in the center making you look as though you have a perpetual cold when in fact you don't. That's it.
Recently I've discovered instagram so this image has been thoroughly instagrammed. It's easier when you're as bad at photoshop as I am. My friends and teachers at the venerable design school I went to will vouch for that.
All in all it's a good day with a morning coffee catch up meeting with Sam. The theme of the next issue needs to be decided. It's funny how after 25 issues every theme seems to be something similar to something we've already done. 

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Nothing's what it seems

So I've been listening to the same song over and over the whole morning. That's not unheard of in my world. I do that sometimes- listen to a song till it is permanently tattooed in my memory. It is a pleasurable thing. It's about going through the emotion that the song invokes to the extent that finally I have to stop listening to it and every last shred of that emotion has been wrenched out of the heart. I don't know if that makes sense. Well it does to me.
I was listening to this song last night before I fell asleep and I blame the song a bit for the nightmare that I woke up with. I saw that someone told me the English classes I was supposed to attend at school were not really important. So I was playing hooky and after missing three classes I finally walked in to the classroom and found that the guy who was supposed to be my study partner had been paired with someone else. That didn't really upset me that much because I didn't like the guy. I actually went to school with this guy and someone told me later in life that he had a massive crush on me about which I knew nothing. Coming back to the dream, my teacher who actually taught me English in school looked at me really annoyed. Suddenly I realised that I had missed those classes and would never learn them again and it meant I will probably fail. I broke down in tears and slumped to the floor. I couldn't believe that someone lied to me about the classes. My teacher picked me up by the shoulders and said,"I know how it feels. My sister died two months ago." I wanted to tell her,"But my sister is alive." but I kept crying instead and said nothing. Then I woke up and remembered this song- I'll never be your Maggie May. The link to the song is in the post below. Yes the song makes me sad but by the end of the day once I've heard it about two hundred times I will no longer be sad. Hopefully.

Maggie May

So there's a song that I ended up listening to yesterday after many years. For some reason I haven't really paid attention to Suzanne Vega for quite a while. She is one of my favourite musicians and there was a time, may be a whole year when I barely heard anything other than her songs. I love her. I love the grace in her voice. Her songs are vulnerable and yet her words so strong. (I'll never be) Your Maggie May is a beautiful song. I don't know if one would call it beautiful, I mean it's very matter of fact and that's another thing that I love about Suzanne Vega. Her songs say things that are loaded with emotion but she says them in the sweetest way possible. I would love to hear her say,"Fuck you" to a man. I mean it would probably sound like she was giving the man a compliment. Again I love the woman. So here's Maggie May a song inspired by another song sung by Rod Stewart apparently. I haven't heard the Rod Stewart song. She talks about it in the beginning of the video and she is a such a witty woman and you can see that the audience can't get enough of her. I wish I could play the guitar just so I could sing her songs but unfortunately I will never be a musician. I can sing a bit in the car and that will have to suffice in this life. In the next one I want to stand alone on a small stage and sing lovely lyrics accompanied by an old guitar. Finally here's Maggie May the one you loved and then forgot.

(I'll never be) Your Maggie May - Suzanne Vega


I'll never be your Maggie May
the one you loved and left behind
the face you see in light of day
and then you cast away
that isn't me in that bed you'll find

I'd rather take myself away
be like those ladies in Japan
I'd rather paint myself a face
conjure up some grace
or be the eyes behind a fan

And so you go
no girl could say no
to you

There's the way I may appear
but that will change from day to night
could you ever see within?
underneath the skin?
could I believe you had that sight?

And so you go
no girl could say no
to you

I'll never be your Maggie May
the one you loved and then forgot
I'll love you first and let you go
because it must be so
and you'll forgive or you will not

And so a woman leaves a man
and so the world turns on it's end
so I'll see your face in dreams
where nothing's what it seems
still you appear some kind of friend

And so you go
no girl could say no
to you

The mind?

I found this on facebook. It's interesting how sexually charged this message is even when it's talking about the mind. Hmmm.... interesting nevertheless.

Friday, November 02, 2012

And the winner is...

Anshuman just got back. He called me after the quiz and gave me the good news that he and his quizzing partner Maddy won! So naturally I asked him what was the prize to which he said,"A goody bag full of razors." Yup they gave him a whole bag full of razors so he doesn't need to buy any razors for the next two months. They were very considerate about it and added a pack of razors for women as well. But seriously I'm so proud of Anshuman and I love the cup and the medal. My brilliant quizzer husband. Soooo proud!

Friday afternoon

I felt like taking pictures of my little one today. Anshuman has gone for a business quiz. He's quite the brilliant quizzer. I hope he wins! I heard some of his music today and I actually quite liked it though aside from Led Zepplin I didn't recognise anyone else. He quizzed me about music and movies and I did very badly. Not that I care, I'm not the quizzer in the family. So here we are on a quiet and peaceful Friday afternoon in the company of the laziest little dog in the world. Sometimes I think she is willing to forego a meal because it's too much effort to chew her food. If she could have her way I would be literally feeding her from my palm every day. Lazy girl.

Here she is happily sleeping on the sofa. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much she can sleep. Sometimes she even makes sweet noises while asleep and I'm sure she is dreaming about fields of tender chicken. That's making me hungry. So I continued reading the Norse myths and I have to say most of them are very gory. The vikings were a violent people. They are interesting nevertheless and I like how Goddesses cry tears of gold. I worked a little bit on the embroidery but it's going too slow. I think everything moves slowly on a Friday afternoon. Not that I'm complaining. I like slow and easy.

I put Ninna on a chair and she promptly fell asleep yet again. The only time she seems to come alive is when Anshuman comes anywhere within a foot of me. SHe jumps into action and tries to 'protect' me from the big bad monster Papa. She's so funny. It's been a lovely afternoon and I'm enjoying the sunlight filtering in through the curtains and the shadow of the neem tree slowly undulating in the gentle breeze. All is well with my world.

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Norse

The day was moving sluggishly till I got a package in the mail. I had ordered a book from Barnes & Noble and it finally arrived two months later. It's called "The Norse Myths retold by Kevin Crossley - Holland" I've always been keenly interested in mythology. Somehow I feel there are many insights about life in these old stories. They set values to live by in one myth and then break some values in another. They seem like flights of fancy and yet they are so close to who we are. Most of all I love the fact that they hold within them ancient wisdom, colourful characters and amazing magic. Our own Indian mythology is so amazingly rich and I haven't even touched the surface. I did buy the Mahabharat but never finished reading it. Ofcourse having read it in school I do remember the major characters and events but it is a vast story and one day I will read the whole of it I promised myself when I bought it. When my father in law came to stay with us he took it with him. May be I will buy it again.

Anyway coming back to these Norse myths. I got interested in them after seeing the movie Thor. I know! I know! it's not a great film but it's a window into a world filled with magic and romance. I've been told by two people on separate occasions that I live in "Lala land" and at the time I was deeply offended because I consider myself to be quite realistic about life. On the other hand when I think of the worlds that interest me infinitely more than the real one I can think of Odysseus journey and Frodo Baggins' journey and the journey of my dreams every night. These are journeys that came from the minds of  people who loved their Lalaland. People who understood and revered the power of the imagination. Imagination that knows no boundries and where everything is possible. It's what makes the wolves howl at the moon. May be I'm getting carried away. The thing is I love my Lalaland. I make a journey everyday in my dreams which is a journey that I've come to love. It is a journey that gives me clues about how to deal with life when I wake up and I realise that so many things in life still don't make any sense.

The thing is it is beyond us mere mortals to understand the designs of life. All we can do is give our imagination the space to grow and thrive. How does all this relate to Norse myths? I don't know. Imagination I guess. My Lalaland. I love the description of the nine worlds, the world of giants, the Gods, the humans, the dwarfs. The old stories, of Loki's treacheries and of the revered Odin and the strong but rather simple Thor. I love them. This might be the book that's going to get me back to reading! 

Post #7A

I couldn't think of a title for today's post. I had to go to a doctor day before due to the eyes watering like a river. The GP gave me two eye drops and referred me to an ophthalmologist  I met the ophthalmologist yesterday morning who checked my eyes inside out including upturning my lid which made me very uncomfortable. I was seeing double for a while which scared me a bit but she put some drops and it got alright. So I have conjunctivitis and was sent home yesterday. I spent most of the day sleeping so as to avoid staring at any kind of screens. It can get pretty boring when you can't stare at any screens and yet it's refreshing for the eyes. Winter has been threatening to arrive for a while now and it's the beginning of November yet no sign of that nip in the air. Nothing. The sky gets clouded sometimes, five drops of rain fell last Wednesday and it was a full moon night. The moon was poetic that night and made me want to write something beautiful but I wrote nothing. Nothing at all.

The weekend begins today evening. I feel like eating cheesecake so soft and moist which melts in your mouth or a chocolate mousse cake or something wonderfully sweet. A cup of coffee will have to suffice. What a poor substitute. Claudia's sister is in labour and Harini has a headache. The two are unrelated ofcourse. The point is that neither of them is in office today so it's unusually quiet but for the music. Enya is hmming away. I like her.