I Want to Explore...

Yes I am!Traveling is my excuse to stay away from my often dark life, even if only in my dreams! Owing to the fact that I am not ultra-rich and cannot afford to take a vacation every month (what I consider as the ideal scenario) nor am I ever getting those many holidays in my present job..most of the time I am exploring this world only through my dreams -sleeping or awake :)

One of the ways I do this is by reading books and blogs. SO MANY BOOKS AND SO MANY BLOGS dedicated only to traveling! It is a goldmine of information out there and wonderful pictures..of places, people, architecture, art, food, children, life in motion, spiritual and religious icons and what not!

I have traveled all over the world through these twin portals-print and digital media :) And I keep going back to Europe-specifically, Italy, Scotland and Ireland.

Italy-everything about it invites me in. I have a fantasy of enrolling in an Italian University and do a thesis on ancient Roman Empire while I roam around sampling Italian food and soak in the Italian fervour for life!

And as for Scotland and Ireland, well, I feel a very strange connection with them. A couple of years ago I had a weird dream where I was standing in a field -beautiful one with tall grass and nothing else around except for a church..and a man in the distance. I think I know that man, but I have never seen his face. But I know I am waiting for him. And somehow I will find him there, in those fields, near or maybe inside that church.

I have actually never seen any picture of that church or that field from my dreams. But something inside me tells me it is in Scotland or Ireland that I will find this place.It was not a dream alone, that much I am sure of :) Someday I will be there, and I will find him :)

Stupidity, Ignorance, Bigotry..

Words..Its only words..but words can kill,right?

Stupidity, Idiocy, Ignorance, Bigotry, Prejudice, Regressive, Closed-Minded, Stubborn, Fanatical..all are just words, until you happen to meet someone adhering to the meaning of these words..

Yesterday night, on twitter, an acquaintance of mine wrote 'Mahabharata is better than Ramayana'. Reason-she is getting confused watching the latest serial Mahabharat on Star Plus everyday with so many characters flitting in and out everyday..and obviously it is going to get worse as the show progresses.

Took me right back to when I was 12 and we had this epic as a separate 100 marks paper (I think it was moral class) and how scared I was (and we had a concise version,not the original!) But slowly, as I started reading the story-without bothering to memorize the characters' names first, I found it all interesting and today I can remember about 60% of story and characters!

So all I did was-give my twitter friend a simple tip-stop focussing on characters, there are HUNDREDS of them and you will keep getting confused as to their relationships. Simply focus on situations and slowly as you understand the story, you will remember the characters :)

Pretty straightforward?

Apparently not!

This third lady butts in our conversation saying things like-I don't agree with you, what you are telling this girl is wrong, if people can remember movies can't they remember something we worship..

I should have stopped then. Understood on my own that some people (idiots, stupids, ignorant, closed-minded bigots) cannot be reasoned with. But no, I have to finish every argument! Stupid Me. I tried to make her see reason! By telling her that she should read my tweets, nowhere did I mention anything against the epic rather I am talking about the STRATEGY to remember it easily.

BIG Mistake.

This lady gets infuriated and starts accusing me of being 'ultra modern','show off',messing up my twitter timeline with uncivilized language while saying, 'plz i am not interested in arguing with you'

!!!!!!!

10 minutes later, I finally realize my folly. Arguing with a pesky pest turned me into a pest too!

Immediately, I blocked her and proceeded to have a fitful sleep all though the night.

Why couldn't I let things be? Why can't I calm down? Why can't I stay away from an argument? Why does it infuriate me so when somebody misunderstands me? Why can't I be peaceful? Why do I have this maddening urge to make sure I finish everything no matter how painful? Why can't I walk away? Why couldn't I understand I was talking to a dinosaur who had already made up her mind I was one of those Page 3 'firangi' models who was interested only in fashion, boys and mini-skirts? Why did it disturb me so to think she was thinking like this about me? Why did I care so much about what a stranger says or thinks about me? It is just Twitter for God's sake! Why do I feel like finding this person in real life and give her one big tight slap! Why do I feel so violent especially whenever I feel like an injustice has been committed against me? Why do I often feel so lonely and misjudged ? Why did I toss and turn all night long with weird dreams punctuating my sleep, something that happens whenever I try and sleep after an argument with anyone. It feels like a dark cloud hovering over my head.

Then I realize I am borderline maniac-depressive. My moods fluctuate like anything and since I am not on any medication for the same, it takes a lot of willpower on my own to control myself,my thoughts (often suicidal) and impulses (to cry for hours without any reason, inflict self-harm).

*sigh* Life is Long!

So,what exactly is Justice?

Am I the only one who is confused with the concepts of Justice, Freedom, Truth ?

Starting from the beginning..I like Legal Shows very much. I was hooked onto Boston Legal throughout my college days and now I am fanatically into 'The Practice'.

But the more I watch this awesome show (and yes, I know I am watching it way after the whole world has probably seen it..but whatever :P) the more I get confused. And then I read the newspapers..

There are so many cases depicted on this show where the lawyers know that their clients are murderers and rapists of the lowest degree but they still 'do their job' and get them acquitted.

Even when these filth, these scum on the face of this planet, confess to their crimes in front of their lawyers, it comes under 'work product' and 'privileged communication'.

Child Rapists, Wife Beaters, Drug Dealers, Rapists, Torturers, Cold-blooded Executors, Sadists, Criminals who don't even deserve to be called human are often found 'Not Guilty' based on some technicalities and their lawyers are satisfied with a 'job well done'.

I know this is just a fictional serial, but doesn't it have an iota of truth in it?

Reading the newspapers, anyone can see it has MUCH MORE  than an iota of truth.

Take the heinous December 2012 Gang Rape case of Delhi -the infamous 'Nirbhaya' case. Apparently, one of the 5 criminals, one of the 5 animals, is a 'juvenile'! And that is why, while others get death sentence, he will be free after 3 years in Juvenile detention center! And apparently, this 'juvenile' was the one who committed the most unmentionable atrocities and pushed 'Nirbhaya' towards her untimely, shocking demise.

So, if a 'Juvenile' commits an adult act, doesn't he deserve to be punished like an adult?

What is the point?

And then to see and hear all the ridiculous statements made by the defense lawyers to get their clients acquitted which includes the disgusting tactic of blaming the victim or proving the victim as insane or pervert ..I mean, I get that the whole point of Judicial system is to punish the guilty and protect the innocents and I really admire the whole 'Innocent until proven guilty' motto but seriously, when we know that there is a monster in our midst, isn't it our Duty to keep that monster away from civil society? I wonder if our lawyers' first duty should be towards their client. It should be towards Justice,right? When Humanity is ashamed of someone's acts, when someone strays so far away that it is not possible for any sane person to co-habit with them, isn't it our duty to banish them from human society altogether? Then why do we allow the defense lawyers to go on with their charades..

I get very very confused sometimes...sigh...

Where I Try To Explain Why #BLOGGINGISMYCALLING

'You are fat'. 

'You are black'. 

'You will never get married'.

'You need to learn how to cook'. 

'Your life is doomed'. 

'You don’t have a brother?' 

'You have to keep this fast, every Indian girl keeps this.'

'You must behave like a cultured girl'. 

'You have to start wearing Sarees now.' 

'You must find a guy to settle down now.' 

'You have Skin Cancer? You must be so scared.'

You have to..You must..You should…

Over and Over and Over..

A 1000 different faces, the same message again and again. The pontification, the cruel twisted words in the name of ‘caring attitude’, the smirk. Yes, I am a girl, Yes, I am chubby, Yes, I am dusky, and Yes, I am not in any relationship right now and haven’t been for a long time.

And last year, I was diagnosed with Skin Cancer and Yes, I was scared.

I am a person. I am not merely flesh and bones. There is a soul inside me. I have feelings and emotions too. 

I am a divine creature like all living beings. 

I have hobbies. 

I love books and music. I dance on my own like nobody is watching-well, most of the time nobody is! 

I travel. 

I do not take out ‘muhurats’ to do anything. I do whatever I want to do whenever I want! 

I wear whatever I am comfortable in. 

I cry while watching ‘Titanic’, even for the 300^th time. 

I don’t cry over split milk and idiotic ex-boyfriends. 

I daydream-a lot! 

I ask questions-sometimes, too many and too uncomfortable. 

I don’t understand many of the rules and regulations of our social system. 

I am mildly autistic and borderline manic-depressive. 

I hate crackers. I love Diwali. 

I follow my own trends. 

I love to eat. 

I love the idea of getting high on toxic paint fumes (never done in reality though!). 

I continued living my life as if nothing happened even when I got Cancer and today, I am Officially Cancer Free!

I work 2 jobs, partly by choice and partly due to family financial circumstances, but I love both my jobs much more than Bappi Lahiri loves his Jewels. 

I love waking up at 5 AM everyday and watch Life wake up around me. 

I watch Grey’s Anatomy and Supernatural everyday, sometimes the same episode 5 days in a row. 

I like discipline and structure. 

I was a Gold Medalist in College and will go back for further studies soon.

I am All This and Much more. My identity is not holed up in my skin color or accumulation of adipose tissues on my petite 5’3” frame. 

I Live and I Breathe. And you know what, I Will Never Give Up. And I don’t want any pontification directed towards me or my lifestyle.

This is why I Blog (or at least, have recently started to!). Because this is Me. This is My Space. And Nobody can take this away.

-Yours Joyfully :)

Richa Shailendra

(This Blog Post is written as an entry for Miss Malini's Mega Haul Contest No. 1 -#BLOGGINGISMYCALLING )

I Like It Better in 2030...

I know this is all just my imagination but seriously..I think I am falling in love with 2030..and wish I could just reach there right now!

Right now, if anyone does a google search on 'Future of Shopping' one will immediately get ideas ranging from having a 'Shop' Button on the computer keyboard to having a 'Shopping Cart' at top of every webpage! But I think these are too small dreams! This is time to go completely crazy,right?

To be surrounded by flying cars, houses on water, anytime shopping, instant delivery, on-the-road shopping and what not, it will be a delight to live in 2030!

Okay,let me start from the beginning..



The world is quite a different place as we have recently been freed from the horrors of yet another world war and seems like all the democratic,liberal forces have won and formed an alliance to keep the tyrants at bay.

Science and Technology has developed in leaps and bounds and thanks to the generous grants from liberal governments and corporations, it is easy to get new technology in the market every single day! Market forces do not rule anymore. Even if one person wants to buy something it is available to that person alone! How,you ask?

Simple-whenever a baby is born, a simple chip (Life Chip) is inserted in his/her wrist. This chip works as a personal Identity Card Plus synchronizes the brain waves of the person with exterior world! So the baby gets the vaccines automatically on time and is protected from environmental extremes.

 (source-www.wired.com)

This chip is just the starting point. From the time a baby is born, his/her mood is synchronized with everything around him/ her! A person's cellphone, Television, Laptop, Tablets are all connected together with the chip! So if the person feels cold, automatically he gets an update on the cellphone to visit the nearest store to buy woolen clothes! If he is hungry, he gets updates on the latest deals at the nearest restaurant immediately thanks to his brain waves that communicate his hunger to the Life Chip!

When he watches a movie, all he needs to point his chip to the screen whenever he likes a particular costume or bike or accessory and he will get all the information on how/ where to buy that! Not only that, depending on his personal history of shopping (stored on his Chip), upbringing, school records, college records, social status, he gets relevant recommendations as the movie progresses-about the travel deals to places the movie has been shot at, the celebrity styles, makeup tips and so on! All the information is recorded and saved in his chip for easy access later :)

When he is travelling, he will be automatically updated on where to stop for food, rest, upcoming weather conditions so that every second he is updated on how his travel plans are holding up!

And whenever he needs to buy anything, he simply uses his Life Credits that are automatically updated on his chip through Scholarships, Jobs, Gifts, Prizes won in contests, even good deeds and Charity gets everyone Credits (thus there are no Winners or Losers in 2030!). These Credits are then used for shopping anytime, anywhere.

Finally, 3 D Projection & Printing has made such progress that anything can be bought and it appears before us in a matter of minutes! Food, Perfumes, Clothes, we can get anything within minutes-Think of it like this, we use Phone and Television where our voice and images travel through distances within seconds,right? Similarly, in 2030 scientists have made it easy for all the products's molecules to be broken down in such a way that they disassemble when we buy anything and then reassemble on reaching the destination!

For the deaf, the blind, mute and other disabled or differently-abled people, the Chip has inbuilt sensors that understands their brain waves and automatically places orders for what they are thinking about. This is a technology that has been perfected very recently and will be made better in days to come :)

 (Source- Jaimekristene.com)

Robotics has also made wonderful progress to replace the old-time excuse Queen maids; be companions for disabled and old people and they automatically place orders for household stuff and for those they are caring for. Not only that, they can also put requisition orders for regularly used products on autopilot and it will be refilled on time, month after month, no worries for anybody!

The sunglasses we buy, the clothes we buy are automatically synchronized with our chip data and our personal Robots' feed. So whenever my clothes get dirty, my Robot gets an automatic instruction to wash it that night! My Sunglasses have a little viewing box which I can activate and use as scanning device if I find anything interesting while walking on the road!

 (Source-www.theverge.com)

Since our medical histories, our studies' records, our marriage records etc. are also constantly updated on our Life Chip, we don't need to worry about getting vaccinated against latest diseases or about getting new books before preparing for an exam. Our Chip automatically reminds us that we need new book or new supply of monthly medicine for any ailment and as soon as we approve Life Credits Debit from my account, we get everything we need in the mode most comfortable for our lifestyle (physical or digital, permanent or temporary!)

This is not to say that there are no more malls! People still like to visit malls, even with their robots in tow :) But there are no more queues, people just need to scan their Life Chips whenever they pick any product off the shelf and it is deducted from their Life Credit! If a person does not have enough Credits to pay,then the product repels,yes it actually repels the hand and goes back to the shelf! For those who plan on cheating and stealing, the products come with a little technology to give electric shock to thieves! Most of the shelves have just a prototype of product on the shelf with scan codes given alongside which can be scanned via mobile or tablet or even a Life Chip and the product simply appears at home within designated time period :) Even while simply passing through the mall, while doing window shopping,one can easily look at probable looks & possibilities after buying any commodity as there are passer-by trial rooms and scanners activated whenever somebody desires to buy anything!

 (Source-Forbes.com)

There are no more plastic bags to be used,no more pollution on that account, since products are teleported!

Payment is done not only by Life Credits but also by activities! Every good activity gets one extra credits which can be immediately redeemed. Being a good citizen by using public transport (flying metros!) is better than using private cars that run on hydrogen fuel! That means,by the time I leave my house and reach the store I get extra credits and I can redeem them for a movie voucher!

If I want something at leisure,I can ask for a home delivery, old-time style :D Nostalgia Overdrive,right? And I can give extra credits to the delivery man or the delivery robot as tip! It also increases my own credits (for being a good samaritan!)

Barter System has also come back in full force because people have turned into aware citizens. Since everybody wants a clean,green planet (we have woken up to horrors of Global Warming,finally!) everybody has been in favor of bringing it back and thus governments around the world have agreed to use it as a form of new currency. Since the world is now a really small place and everybody is connected all the time, we can always exchange our products to get what we need in exchange for giving somebody else what they need! It doesn't matter if we are separated by 2 countries or 3 continents or 5 rivers! This can be done between 2 people directly or via a 3rd party too! I have a bunch of vintage Batman comics and I can exchange them to shop for a brand new pair of sneakers from Ebay while somebody else can buy them from Ebay in exchange for a brand new Hair straightener and finally the Hair Straightener can make its way to a genius Web Developer in charge of maintaining the ultra smooth and extra busy Ebay website :)

 (Source-Quora.com)

Due to this, the scale of economies has also become very efficient and there is no compulsion for mass production! If I need a unique product, I can simply procure all the raw materials through Online or Offline shopping and get the genius mastermind who has impressed me to build a unique product for me using them! I need only pay him for his precious time and energy! Value for money and One of a Kind Shopping System Indeed!

Since all the forums and communities of the world are connected like never before, it is extremely easy to keep track of all the developments and events happening around the world. Tickets for various entertainment options can be procured very easily through multiple modes too. With every cellphone having 3 D Projection (even to IMAX standards) we can easily create our own theatre and beam latest movies wherever we want, as long as we pay the Intellectual Licensing and Event Organizing Fees :) Since the liberal regimes have taken over the planet, the Fees Schedules have also become very simple and democratized for everyone to remember and follow. And best part, we can pay via money, barter system or by undertaking activities for the good of the society!!

Everything I ever buy or wish for is neatly categorized in my Chip, all my cellphones and laptops and synchronized with my family members' history too, so that no matter where I am,whatever gadget I am using,I am 24/7 connected with the world and that too in a shopping mode! It feels like heaven,doesn't it, even thinking about all this? :)

Is it any wonder I want to live in 2030 as soon as possible ? :D

-Dreaming on,
Richa :)

This post is written for The Future of Shopping contest on Indiblogger sponsored by Ebay India !

Caught by the Shopping Bug..Even in 2030!

Yes, just like Men will always be Men *rolling eyes*, Women will always be Women-Intelligent, Awesome, Beautiful and Shop-a-holic Women :D We are all that and we always will be, accept it and get over it people!

Now, thinking about shopping in 2030, a plethora of ideas make their way into my tiny brain. Since I am no Hermione (a Witch) who can look in the future, nor a seer, not I have been able to get a reliable crystal ball (I have tried!) I don't know if any of these will come true..but then, imagination is not a crime, right? :)

First, I am 100% sure that Internet is going to boom like never before. By 2030, EVERYONE will be using internet for everything and in everything. Phones, TV, Refrigerators, ACs, Laptops, tablets, Watches, everything will be connected. So basically, everyone's life will be synchronized. Every moment whatever we are wearing, eating, drinking, watching, traveling, it will be easy to keep track of everything and order whatver we want once we run out of it!

Second, we will have our personal robots to take care of everything for us. So we won't even need to do anything, just press a button and our orders will be placed automatically!

There will be explosion of 3D Printing which would make it easy for us to get whatever want immediately.FINALLY, FOOD will be available at the click of a button!

The more I think..the more I am on the verge of convincing myself that we will have HANDS coming out of computer screens in 2030 for satisfying the shopping bug inside us :)

I have some more ideas..wait,I am getting a complete picture..hmm..maybe I am a Seer or a Witch after all :D

-Bewitchingly yours,
Richa :)

This post is written for The Future of Shopping contest on Indiblogger sponsored by Ebay India !

So..2030 is not far away now....

I remember how it was just yesterday when I was 11 years old,watching Titanic and wishing Rose would also die with Jack..yes, I have a mean streak when it comes to handsome guys dying for selfish,rich girls :P

But I digress!

The point is-it was the year 1997. I was in 5th standard. Those were the days when we used to live in this city called Patna in Bihar, one of the (then) most impoverished states. However, the condition of Bihar is not the main crux of this story...

In those days, whenever we wanted to see a movie, and being a completely in-love-with-films family, we wanted to see loads of movies-we had to go through a series of steps.

Step 1-Alarm for 7 AM Sunday morning,co-ordinated in mine + my sister's room along with that in parents' room;

Step 2-Miss the alarm, wake up when the milkman came at 8 AM;

Step 3-Frantically wake up Dad who is a complete Kumbhakaran!

Step 4- Dad wakes up, gets ready in a jiffy and leaves by 8.15 AM for the theatre.

Step 5-He reaches theatre by 8.30, stands in line for tickets as advance booking opened at 9 AM.

Step 6-Depending on the popularity of film, the length of the line, my Dad's willingness to yell at everyone else and at the guy manning the ticket counter, he would either get the tickets or not while we sat biting our nails at home.

Step 7-Dad comes home beaming with happiness,tickets procured,we leave for movie, have dinner,come back Happy Happy :)

OR

Step 7- Dad came home fuming with anger at all the badtameej people around him jostling him for a movie and we all sulked that Sunday watching a rerun of Baazigar or Saajan or Anjaam or Darr or some such other movie we had already seen 1000 times :D

But now-This is 2013 and Today if I want to see any movie, all I got to do is log on to the net, choose my preferred theatre + time + day + seats, pay online securely and within minutes I have got confirmed tickets on my phone + email! Waltz in like a King at the theatre, show my confirmation SMS/ email and get paper tickets, enter, buy popcorn, watch and enjoy!

NO WONDER ONLINE SHOPPING IS HERE TO STAY!

The same can be said about everything else..Groceries, Clothes, Cosmetics, Shoes, Bags, Watches, Perfumes, Cakes, Gifts, Gadgets, Flowers..everything is available online and our life is becoming easier day by day.

Of course there are still issues-

• Low Internet Penetration
• Online Security issues
• Online Payment issues
• Indian masses still not very comfortable with idea of using Credit Card/ Online Banking
• Hacking, Danger of Hijacking Financial Information
• Indians are still very used to physical products-touching and feeling products before buying
• Women love bargaining!
• Concerns about Return Policy
• Shipping and Delivery concerns

But I see all these issues being taken care of within next 5 years. After all, the Online Shopping boom has hit Indian markets majorly in past 5 years only and we need to give everything some time before it gains some solid grounding and makes unbelievable leaps.

I am sure by 2030, Internet would be available free of cost to everyone, there will be solid fool-proof methods to detect and punish hackers/ phishers, all our financial security will be safe, there will be instant delivery of whatever we want, and we would all be spoilt for choices ! Today, telecommunications and technology has brought the whole world together in such a way that was unthinkable just a decade ago. In next 17 years, just imagine how much development will be done in the fields of technology, Internet and telecommunications! Skype, Robotics, 3D Printing, WI-FI are just some of the technological advancements we are still marvelling over, I can only wonder at how much all this would have grown by 2030..

Whoa! My head is spinning just thinking about the possibilities! I need to take a minute to figure out a better way to put my point across :)

-Thinking and Pondering,

Richa :)

This post is written for The Future of Shopping contest on Indiblogger sponsored by Ebay India !

My Mom Should Have Been Named Rosey...

She loves Roses soooooo much! Ever since I was a kid, I remember watching her tuck a red rose in her hair on any important occasion-birthdays, anniversaries, Diwali, Karwa-Chauth..I am pretty sure she put one in her hair the day I completed my potty training!

But I digress..

Anyway, so as I was saying, not only does my mom love actual flowers she even gets salwaar - kurtas with roses or any other flowers printed on them, often looking like a butterfly flitting through a garden :D And if nothing else, she will get a plain salwar kurta of blood red colour...

And boy oh boy, when we visit any place with a park in the vicinity with flowers, she has to stand and pose there -with flowers, grinning like a lunatic..I think she was a gardener in her last life who was murdered while she was watching her favorite roses grow..or something along those lines!

Whenever I see Rose, or any flower for that matter, I automatically think of mom :) Her love for roses is evident with the fact that in over 30 years of marriage, my dad hasn't once forgotten to get her a bunch of dozen roses! He values his life (smart guy!)

You have no idea how I felt when it was Rose Day in college :D

Okay, ignore the last sentence, bad PJ :P But the rest of it,true story ;)

And ofcourse I get to smell roses every single day at home, because that is what my mom does every morning after taking shower-put on Gulab Ittar which freshens up the whole house :) One whiff and I know-This Is Home :) LOVE YOU MOM!
 

See I have proof! Red, flowers, salwar-kurta, grinning like a lunatic, see!

Mom :D

Actually, every smell transports me to some or other memory related to my mom..

When I smell Agarbatti, I remember her praying consistently to all the devtaas to get me good grades in Boards (my studies were not half as consistent as her prayers!) :D

When I smell Cutting Chai, I remember dad saying, 'Ashaaaaaaa, chai' every single morning for past 30 years while opening newspaper's sports page, dot at 7 AM!

When I smell fresh Chapattis, I remember being a 4 year old child pestering her to let me cook a chapati too and her giving me little lois for my little tea set and me getting so happy (funny where this 'eagerness to cook' vanished as I grew older!) :D

When I smell Hot Onion Pakodas, I remember all those rainy evening spent gossiping with mom and dad about all my college hook-ups and break-ups (coolest-parents-ever!) and mom going crazy laughing like Bakasur :D

When I smell fresh pages of a new book, I immediately remember mom being a teacher in my school and leaving her career afterwards to spend all her time and attention on myself and my sister...and never once complaining or regretting her decision..

So whenever I smell Anything, I am reminded of something about my mom..truly,she is the fulcrum of my existence, she is the core of our family...

Mom, how will I repay your debt?!

Love always,

Richa :)

This Blog post has been written for 'Smelly to Smiley' Contest by AmbiPurIndia & IndiBlogger :)

Chinese Food & Cupcakes Transport Me To...

My First Internship! Yes, I was a student once upon a time (and a very good one too, mind it! :P) and that too of the stream of Management! (Every other stream had rejected to give me admission :D) So obviously, after my 1st year of study,I needed to get 3 months of mandatory Internship Experience while the rest of my friends were busy enjoying their summer vacations...

Since most of my classmates already belonged to or had contacts in various Business Houses they had no difficulty in finding a job suitable enough for them -meaning easy enough for them to do nothing and difficult enough to get a certificate to show to our College Course Co-ordinator at the end of the vacations to get those important credits!

But Alas, since I belong to a typical middle class family with accountants and marketing managers and small-time lawyers as my only contact, that too in far flung areas (Thank you Dad and your transferable job!) I had to literally earn my first internship through buckets of sweat! No Kidding! I had to take out 50 copies of my resume and walk for miles before getting an interview and then another interview and then another..and no final offer in hand! I mean, here I was, offering my talent for free and zamaane ko koi kadar hi nahi thi meri!

Finally I got a little sales representative job for an upcoming health food organic products company and they agreed to give me a certificate plus a princely sum of Rs. 300 for my valuable contribution to increasing their brand awareness!

In any case, I was so overjoyed I could have done cartwheels right there in that dingy Vile Parle East lane -yes,even with my 150 pounds on 5'3" frame :D

Obviously, the first thing I did was to call home and tell my parents that they had nothing to fear, I had landed a job and they could plan their retirement now..okay,not exactly those words, but similar sentiments :P

And guess what I found on coming home? A FEAST PREPARED FOR ME! My favorite Chinese Noodles, Paneer Chilly, Cupcakes and Pastries waiting for me..my awesome parents were so overjoyed at having learnt I could convince some noob to actually pay me to do something that they did not mind spending 1000 bucks expressing their joy (yes, 1000 bucks for me landing a 3-month internship paying 300 bucks) :D

 

All I know is ever since that day, even the smell of Maggi fills me with an amazing wave of memories..my first internship..those days of walking around in sweltering heat hoping somebody to see me as a human not an alien..and finally, victory!

(All the pictures have been lovingly clicked by my sister-Prachi and very cunningly copyrighted by her. I suggest you don't copy them without permission. I have been told she has contacts at high places.)

This post has been written for the 'Smelly to Smiley' contest by AmbiPur and IndiBlogger :)

Kofta..and Funnnn With Friends!!!

4 years ago, after listening to mom cry and plead for more than 2 decades, I finally decided to start cooking food on my own! Yahoo! Now obviously, this monumental decision needed a monumental dish! Right? You don't think I would start by making 'Bhindi ki Bhujiya', did you? :P So I decided to start my culinary adventures with Kofta-one of my most favorite chatakdaar matakdaar dishes.I especially love having Koftas with lots of onions, chaat masala, dahi -it is a full fledged meal in itself isn't it :) Wow, my mouth cannot stop salivating even now...

So one fine day I woke up early and made (yes, I made all of it on my own!) a kadai full of yum yum Kofta and since it smelled (and looked) so yummy,I decided to take some for my college friends...

And off I went to college like Red Riding Hood with my bag full of surprise with my friends who knew the very idea of even boiling water on my own was enough to give me a coronary :D

When I reached college, guess what happened? Our lecs got cancelled because both our teachers for the day were caught in some meeting!!! Seriously, 2 lecs for the day and both got cancelled! You know what this means for a Final Year Graduation Student? PARTAYYYYYYYYYYYYY......

So basically, all of us had a feast on my Koftas-and nobody died of food poisoning! And for the rest of the day, all of us-meaning myself and my bestest friends roamed around the college campus like crazy bats roaming freely for the first time in the life! More than that actually, it was the feeling of being a part of something so beautiful that was about to end. Our wonderful time in College was about to give way to responsibility and adulthood..and we got this unexpected opportunity to simply forget everything and go crazzzyyyyyy :)

Since then, the smell of Koftas has always signified to me this great nostalgic wave of that whiff of liberation, freedom, craziness and college-dom :)

Nostalgically Yours,

Richa :)

This Blog post has been written for 'Smelly to Smiley' Contest by AmbiPurIndia & IndiBlogger :)

Olfactory Senses Evoking Nostalgia!

Nostalgia-hmmm..the very word smells of memories :) The memories of childhood, those cuddles of dad, those hair oiling session with mom, those story nights with grandmom, those yummy festival treats made by mom with everyone chipping in to help (mostly by finishing off stuff as soon as it was cooked!)..every single memory comes associated with a distinct smell, isn't it? Well, atleast for me it does!

I have so many memories of my childhood..all drenched in feelings..hey I have an idea, to participate in this contest by www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia why don't I rummage around my cupboard and come up with some specific pics so that  I can better illustrate what exactly I am referring to..good idea, right? Let me do that while you stay tuned to what nostalgic memories I am going to dig up :)

-Love,
Richa :)