Gave my Hubby a surprise birthday party yesterday. He's going to be 30 on the 3rd, so thought to make a little special !!! Yeah, I've been teasing about him becoming old endlessly, but only for another few days or so Can't help myself !! All his office buddies came to grace the occasion with their families and helped by co coordinating among themselves at 2 days notice as I slogged on putting together the food and the photos and music for the actual day.

He thought only a friend who was leaving for India Friday night was coming for a casual dinner before his trip when in fact I had invited everyone. Needless to say, he was shocked to see them all at the door , with the balloons and cake. Managed to surprise him yet again and am happy to report, he enjoyed - a lot . Touchwood !!!

Which brings me to a few of random thoughts -

Birthdays a big deal in my book , yes !! For those are the days that you can truly celebrate the existence of the person who came to earth that day. Sure we could do this almost any day, but we don't usually remember to, do we ?? So I try to let my close some ones know every now and again in every possible way that they are special !!

When I was down last week, feeling lonely, I never would have thought that a week later, my home would be filled by wonderful people, laughing, sharing our special day with us and saying extremely kind things about myself, my hubby and my home. That also by an idea that I had for my loved one, impromptu when most people need a week's notice at least. Just goes to show how unpredictable time is, and the generosity of human nature.

How things that are unplanned are usually the ones that give us most joy and become wondrous!!


As I see balloons flying about in my home, I feel joy in their lightness and color.

When people ask me, how in the world can you do so much, plan, cook for so many people, decorate, always coming up with new ways to surprise him, I wonder why they ask. When you do something for the smile of another, specially someone you love, no effort seems too much. Sure, every body part might ache like hell eventually, but that look of surprise and awe he has, when I see the pictures and the smiles of the people, specially him, it all seems more than worth it. Those looks tell mehe knows - I love him.

Above all, how lucky I am to have been blessed by a man, to love and cherish who feels for me equally, if not more !!!

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It's the day after, I'm standing in the balcony looking at the clouds floating by and feel the wind in my hair. I lounge around and then come in to gaze at my sleepy husband temped to shake him awake coz it's the afternoon and I want to go for a drive. It's going to rain, I can feel it and I want to be there when it happens.

Still out of the goodness of my heart, I let him sleep on. It was very hot in the afternoon when he came.

Buzzzzzzz !! I jerk around. I hear a noise, going on and on, off and on. On again and then off again. I know an insect has come in. I creep towards the sound, pull up the blinds and lo and behold! There it is. Buzzing off to glory. I run to get a towel, trying to shove it out the balcony door but by some wrong misunderstanding in my landing instructions, it goes deeper into the house.

I follow the slight vibrations into the kitchen. I turn on the kitchen light to make sure That's what it was and sure enough, there it was below the fridge and then it takes off towards the bulb.

Me, being the damsel, who gets Very distressed by roaches or insects ( no ! I'm not partial ), I go to my Prince Charming and wake him up so that he does his " Guyly " duties and gets rid of that nasty creature, Pronto !! He gets up, orders weapons of his choice - a cardboard and two plastic plates and rides off to rein in the rogue critter.


He observes the movements of this mystic vermin. Then he announces to the my utter horror that it's actually a Wasp and is tempted by my interior decoration to become our new room mate.

THIS is when I start freaking out, and screaming as it flies from one wooden surface to another, looking for a place to build it's nest. Yes, I scream and jump around like a girly girl ( I swear, these times are the only times I act like a lunatic from fear of being stung or worse ).



Meanwhile, my handsome hunk of a husband to my utter relief, smartly capturs the offending brute who was scaring his dainty wife. Gingerly, he allows the Wasp to fly off into oblivion and I a sigh in relief !!

Though I'm tempted to kiss him for his rescue mission, I'm Much More tempted to hit him hard for his ceaseless jokes at my morbidly embarrassing freak out session. :p

Jumping around, on top of, below, falling all over each other. Drinking so much that either you pass out and have to be carried home or you are so pumped, you have no idea what you're doing. Grinding against each other in twos and threes. Dancing to Britney Spears music, acting too much like a pretzel, naughty girl, for a guy. Dressing in handkerchiefs that are almost see through, hoping to catch someone's eye and then pulling the dress up or down in a useless effort to cover what needs to be covered. Guys ogling, equally shamelessly in a vain desire that they will " connect " with someone enough to get a number. Gals making lewd gestures to guys & other gals making it a part of their dance to grant deniability. Couples as good as making out in the middle of a room full of people, breaking their shoes, tearing at each others clothes in the process.

Yeah, I had the pleasure of spending a few hours at a club yesterday. The pictures I have in my mind of all the above are gifts that will keep on giving. I ain't no prude. I've been to enough dances, discos, pubs and clubs but it's always amusing what people do think that no one's watching, though inside they are just dying to get everyone's attention. I mean, surely a guy acting like " Britney " is a cry for attention ??!!!


Whatever happened to " moderation " & " respectability - yours and others " ? They say, hey !! I need to let lose, get away from my tensions, need a break. Heard it all! Everyone has problems but do you really need to be out of your mind , to feel liberated ? I really wondered if any of those people actually enjoy themselves in the real sense, for what about later when they remember / realize what all happened the night before ?? I would think a few honest to goodness moves and laughs would work just as well at being called " FUN" , maybe even better. Then again, I'm very well aware of those out there who Cannot be convinced to pace themselves. They just have to get that elusive " Kick " such that it keeps on KICKING !!! :p




I for one, had an unadulterated, fantastical time. A " few " drinks. chuckles shared with friends, awesome music, rocking the dance floor with my sweetheart, fully clothed gave the same feelings of elation as all the above.



When did Partying become acting like an idiot to feel better about the sulkiness of life ?? The dictionary says, it's social gathering especially for pleasure or amusement , not an excuse for indecent behavior. Definitely not a pre requisite. But then, the rate at which the society seems to be deteriorating, this is Just the tip of the ice berg. It's a fad now, to go clubbing and seem hip so on the show goes ...

For me, the greatest highs come from any of my guilty pleasures - Dancing, Music, Rain, Long Drives, New cuisine, Books, Friends, Laughter, Movies, Long winded talks, A new experience, Romance etc etc. If a day includes one or more of the above, is a gleeful day for me. Those days my husband has often commented about how I act light headed even though I didn't have anything :)) And then I tell him, " See ?? You don't need to get High to get HIGH !!!! " :)




What is your path for achieving euphoria ??

I came to the US immediately after marriage and after the first 6 months of getting to know my hubby and chatting with all my old friends and family, I started feeling the need for people whom I could talk to face to face, heart to heart or just share a joke. I'm unabashed in saying I gave my husband a lot of grief over missing my friends back home and he used to console me saying it'll take time. Sure, he had friends but then they were His, not Mine. And that is just different. I've always been of the school of thought, that in a marriage the husband and wife should each have their own worlds that they bring into the relation, thus enriching each other.

Being too used to having my own clique, I so missed the liberties of just calling up a friend, dropping by, talking for hours, partying, dancing or going out. After I got my license things got better as I would go grocery shopping and to the library and spend some time there. Soon, though I made some acquaintances. I consider myself social, and can chat up with anyone, but then there needs to be a click in order for a relation to grow, right?? And luckily I met a few with whom I could relate individually. Even the husbands got along and that was a big bonus.

All was right with the world again and I was back in my element. We gurls chatted, spent whole days at together, talked about Everything under the sun, ate out, ate in, tried out new things and laughed a LOT.

Then I went to Kuwait, to spend time with my family, and friends and by the time I came back we had shifted to Richmond, thanks to my hubby's job change. Now, I'm not one to begrudge change, but it'd taken me two years to get settled in N.J. And now suddenly, to be uprooted to a place where we didn't know anyone was a set back.

I'm back to square one, so to speak. Oh! The place is nice enough and we just Love our new apartment. His colleagues are pretty nice and we've had a few enjoyable outings with them. And then we have our weekly dance Meet Ups where we are learning ball dancing. But then all that's impersonal. I don't really have anyone I can be free with.

One would ask why I don't look for a job, but then getting a work visa in US, is hard enough without the market being horrid thanks to Recession. Trust me ! I know . On the good side, I have been able to give ample time to honing my writing skills, which has always been a passion. Now if only, I could make something of it. :))

The other day, while reading a book, it occurred to me, that it's so important for a person - the desire to belong. And that feeling of belonging comes when you have people around who accept you as you are, with whom you share a certain compatibility. People you can really count on and call friends.

I don't really mind being alone. I have so many hobbies ( as you all know) that I'm pretty much occupied all day long, but then when you're on your own for so long you tend to lose all your social skills. You stop desiring to talk to people on the phone, or chat with them even. And I'm one of the few people who keeps in touch with Everyone. Yet, some days there's an urge to just get up and go meet Other people, laugh a bit, have some fun , or just to be able to connect !!

This is the first post, where I don't really have a point but then there are days I get scared of becoming a recluse. After all, too much of something can turn into a way of life even. Which is what's happening with the world today. People are loosing touch with each other. N.J is full of " Desis " as they say and it took me almost 2 years to find my niche. Richmond is totally different culturally. Wonder how long it'll be before I find a friendly face around here ???

What about you ? Have you ever experienced something similar ?? Do share.

I'm excited today. Actually since yesterday evening. I'm jabbering away, smiling gleefully at nothing and everything. I've become the sole source amusement of my hubby who looks at me now, as anyone humoring silliness does.
I don't know what it was yesterday but today it's a little about the coming months ahead. Isn't it funny how some days we revel in nothing but possibilities. Daydreaming turns into an exciting adventure. We budget, harmonize and frame our plans on the foundation of our dreams and today. We don't know what the future holds. We don't know if the effort we put in will finally bear fruit. We don't even know if we'll be alive long enough to see the seeds we've planted today will grow into the magical bean stalk of tomorrow.

Yet, we paint extravagant canvases of our futures on a look, a thought, a desire, a need. Just the anticipation has us smiling without reason, holding our breath and constructing castles in the air. Cliche' I know. But isn't it true ? That's what we do. We formulate schemes upon schemes shaping all our dominoes in an elaborate style, imagining the first domino falling in the right way giving our lives the shape we desire.


They say the time for everything is now. Then why is it that we plan for things tomorrow ? Why not just live in the moment and to hell with tomorrow ?? Because not everything can be done today. Certain things just can't be achieved immediately. For the rest, the time just doesn't feel right. So we wait, and patiently organize and compartmentalize our lives making educated guesses. And then as we labor, we hope and pray that nothing jinxes it all. We fantasize time and again of how that moment will be, when it finally arrives.

Sure, things may not be perfect when the time finally does comes, but the cherished memories, reasons, lessons will be the best we are designed for at That time. And IF that time is exactly how we imagined, it's truly a piece of heaven !!

Till then know that life is just about the thrill of making the most of each moment, all the while indulging our selves in these visions about what our destinies hold. Me, today, I'm thinking of a wedding in the offing, with blessings and cheer, sprinkled with love of all those near.



What have you been fantasizing about these days that brings the grin above your chin ??? Don't say nothing. A holiday, a job, that perfect home, that special someone, romance, love, wedding, parties, or even if there's that book , movie or dress you're dying to get hold of ... :D There's always something ....

Some days I wish I was more like someone else. That girl on the street who looks chic in a dress, that lady who looks like a million bucks with two kids in tow, that actress on television whose haircut I just love. Some days I wish I was more fashion conscious and knew exactly which shoe goes with which belt and which lipstick goes with which eye shadow. Some days I wish I'd finally achieve my ideal weight and prance around in short skirts with high heels, the source of admiration of someone else, earning compliments that make my day.

I look at the girls with their immaculate dressing styles, matching handbags, shoes and earrings with every hair in place and wonder yet again, how they do it every day ?

But on that note, I realize it's not like I haven't tried. I've bought assorted shoes and handbags and make ups and jewelry that will go with different occasions. I blow dry my hair each time I go out and try to look my most presentable. Yet, when I'm done, just before walking out the door, I'll always pick up my most easy to carry handbag and wear my most comfortable shoes. Even in jewelry, I'll ignore all my junk and valued trinkets in favor of my diamond earrings with my every day bangle in my hand with my engagement ring in my left finger. All colorful make up gets sidelined for Kajal and my basic lipstick or not even that, these days Vaseline will do.

Last week getting out of the car at a theme park's entrance, I saw another well dressed lady walking by me, and it occurred to me, that personally I find it silly to get over dressed for a picnic, or casual evening with friends. That's just not who I am. No matter how much I try, I just don't have it in me to be color coordinated every day. Even while I'm admiring someone, in my head, the next question is who has the time to take so much unnecessary effort. What a chore it is matching, coordinating every part of your self, taking more than an hour to get dressed for going out to get milk even. Having been in a hostel where the girls unanimously decided on what to wear to what occasion, I guess it's become embedded in me that it's important for the day to be actually special for ME to those pains to look glamorous.

In conclusion, though I wish I could, I've had the epiphany that it's just not In everyone to look phenomenal every day. Like everyone else on the planet, my style is unique to my personality, comfortable, yet presentable. I might not be hot but you'd never look at me and think " Untidy ". Well, maybe some days when I'm having a bad hair day :D Most people say I " carry myself well " and last month, in a group of people ranging from 26-34, I was the Only one whose ID was required to be presented at the bar. Hey !! That's saying something, isn't it ?! ;) And end of the day, I can always count on the cherished compliments of the ones I love when I Do take the extra effort. And that's good enough for me. :) Most days .... :))

What's YOUR Style Mantra ???