Have You Eaten Enough Today?

I had an awesomely fun weekend! Never mind that I ate at a really cheesy restaurant or watched a bad movie. It was just the kind of weekend I want most of my weekends to be - out & about doing stuff rather than languishing at home.

The weekend started with lunch at this relatively new restaurant called ‘Machan’. It’s a theme restaurant with ‘jungle’ as their theme. It was a place we hadn’t tried before so we decided to go. The inside of the restaurant was completely dark except for white lights on top of every table!

Now does it require an Einstein to know that white light at restaurants is a total put-off? It’s one thing to try & do something different but there is a very thin line between being able to pull off something different & going completely wrong! And to miss something as basic as this…well, if you’re getting into a business - any business - you better get the basics right!

What put us off even further were the plastic tigers, elephants & giraffes that were part of the décor. I mean, couldn’t they have had animals made out of stone or something?

The food wasn’t bad but it wasn’t spectacular either. We ordered a Karachi-style mutton kebab for starters. I’ve had melt-in-your-mouth varieties of this kebab elsewhere, and though the kebab we had yesterday wasn’t bad, it wasn’t a patch on the stuff I’ve had at other restaurants. For the main course we ordered a mutton dish (named Rifle Mutton in line with the jungle theme), which was reasonably decent, along with rice. And we wrapped up our meal with gulab jamuns & rosogullas doused in rabri!!

Needless to say, we couldn’t walk around after the meal. So we decided to do the next best thing (next only to sleeping) in such a scenario – we decided to watch a movie & ‘New York’ was it! I’ve already put a separate post on the movie but let me just reiterate that the mind is known not to make very smart & sound decisions when it’s in a state of half slumber. The movie was so pathetic I had to watch another movie – 'Death of a Funeral' – that night to detoxify my mind. It is a hilarious movie. Please do watch it when you have the time.

On Sunday I met a friend for lunch. After gorging an entire plateful of pasta, we wanted to go to a coffee & dessert place. The place we chose, a deli, offered a hell lot more than coffee & dessert…such as pancakes, waffles & crepes!

We happily ordered an apple pie with ice cream along with coffee. While we were contemplating leaving the place, it started raining! Now, what would you have chosen if you were in our position - getting wet in the rain or staying within the dry, warm confines of a coffee shop?

We, like any sensible two people on this planet, chose the latter and ended up ordering a waffle with whipped cream & apples in cinnamon sauce. But as destiny would have it (yes, yes it was destiny at play...otherwise why would two sane people who are stuffed up to their neck with food order more food?) we ended up ordering a plateful of pancakes. With maple syrup & whipped cream of course. Trust me, the smell of pancakes being freshly made in butter is hard to resist!

The weekend was about food & movies. And while I hope I don't make it a habit to stuff myself like that every weekend, it IS good to forget about all your worries and drown yourself in the comforts of food every once in a while. And of course, a better choice of movies might help :)

Egg Yolk

That's what the movie should have been called!

‘New York’ is a pathetic movie. The acting – horrible. The script – stupid. I think Aditya Chopra is in a state of decadence since 'Mohabbatein'. 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' was equally stupid but it did have its funny moments. This movie has none.

It’s a known fact that John Abraham is a wooden actor & Katrina Kaif can’t act to save her life. The revelation (for me at least as I haven't seen any of his earlier movies) was that Neil Nitin Mukesh can’t act either. He cannot emote, has no voice modulation & is too pink to be on screen! Someone please ask him to get off the screen & get behind a microphone, if he’s halfway good at it that is!

The script is extremely retarded. They assume the FBI is made up of a bunch of morons who have evidence against a suspected terrorist who is planning a major terror attack on their land but won't arrest him. Instead they would wait for a cab-owner-turned-accomplice (who happens to be a long-lost friend of the suspected terrorist) to get back into the life of the terrorist in order to find out the details of the planned terror attack. I mean...HELL-OW...they're the FBI for Chrissakes! If they have evidence against a terrorist & information that he’s planning a terrorist attack, THEY WOULD ARREST HIM!!!

People in the FBI, according to Yash Raj, apparently also do not notice when some random person is scaling their glass windows planting a bomb.

The script goes from bad to worse. Sample this – the terrorist’s wife has uncovered her husband’s secret (that he is a terrorist) but would not stop him, knowing fully well that his actions could get him arrested & cost him his life if convicted. Did she expect him to get away with 1 month’s imprisonment or $1000 fine? Maybe, for all you know, given the size of her brain, which was illustrated by her bizarre logic for not having discouraged her husband. It will blow away any sane person’s mind, I tell you.

According to her, as long as her husband didn’t tell her about him being a terrorist, there was a chance that he was into terrorism only temporarily and will stop his terrorist activities in due course of time. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?????????

I felt like yelling “God please shred my brains apart. Women have reached new depths of stupidity in Hindi movies & I can’t bear to see it!” while watching the movie. This is worse than Anushka Sharma not recognizing her husband in a different look in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Which brings me to the point - the script has been written by some Sanjay Shrivastava but I bet my money that it’s been ghost-written by Aditya Chopra. After all, it’s not easy breaking into the Yash Raj camp without any strings attached, right? And what does Aditya Chopra know about the intricacies of terrorism & counter-terrorism, residing alternately in his Juhu bunglow & the Swiss Alps. The Swiss are known to be neutral & not ones who would be experts in the politics of terrorism.

And then you have the climax where Neil Nitin Mukesh, instead of telling Johnny why he shouldn’t be blowing up the building he is about to blow up (trust me he’s got a very solid reason), spends precious last minutes telling Johnny to hand him the trigger.

I think the casting of Irfan Khan was just a safety measure for Yash Raj. After all his equity is such that his presence in the movie lifts the movie out of the candy-floss genre by default. BTW, I have a question - can a non-American be a part of the FBI? And if Irfan is an Indian-American (born in America) & therefore an American citizen, why doesn’t he have an American accent??

RIP MJ

For all his short-comings, he WAS a legend. He WAS a phenomenon. He WAS the King of Pop. And the King of Break Dance!

All of us growing up in India in the late 80s-90s grew up on his music. He has inspired countless people to become singers & an even larger number to learn break-dancing! He has impersonators probably next only to Elvis Presley.

He told us ‘It don’t matter if you’re black or white’. He told us ‘We don’t care about them’. He told us we need to ‘Heal the world and make it a better place’.....

Unfortunately for him and for all of us who grew up loving his music (when we were teenagers at least), he got mired in controversies relating to child sexual abuse, his penchant for plastic surgery that was permanently harming his body & his deteriorating financial health. It was all very sad but not sadder than the news of his death, reportedly due to an overdosing on prescription drugs.

This is the second time in this month that I have been reminded of the transience of life - only the first time 'round was more personal. Life can take you completely by surprise. It can end without a second’s notice….just like that.

His death also makes me think that public memory is short-lived & public sentiments should never be taken seriously. For the same person that is loved one day can be loathed the next and loved yet again. MJ was condemned for child sex abuse but there wouldn’t be a soul who was a fan of his music & who wouldn’t be feeling a sense of loss today.

The Clothes Story

We usually talk about how the people we come across in our lives change the way we are as human beings, influence our opinions, thought-processes, behavior & all those exalted things. But has someone you’ve come across ever changed the way you dress?

Well, it’s happened to me for sure – for good or bad.

I used to be pretty much an eye-liner & hoops girl till I moved to Bombay & started living with this crazy chick from PR (said with utmost fondness believe you me). She brought along earrings (bought mostly from Colaba Causeway), a variety of flat sandals/chappals & multi-colored Oshos (again from Colaba Causeway), the ubiquitous Cotton World (that till date dominates my wardrobe, much like Gap & Old Navy did during my college days) and just the right amount of “bling” in one’s overall appearance to give one that edge without being over-the-top!!

And then came A. Before you raise that eyebrow, I do not dress like a boy now! ;)

A makes me think about the clothes I buy. He is anti wearing stuff pulled off the shelves at Shoppers’ Stop, Pantaloons, Westside & the like, for the simple reason that almost every other person would own the same outfits. (Thank God Cotton World isn’t everyone’s favorite haunt or what would I do!!)

He picks colors that aren’t very common. He’s conscious of every inch of fat on his body (the one teaspoonful that he probably has!). He’s very aware of what looks good on him & what doesn’t. He’s insists one must be very careful not to pick outfits that highlight those parts of one's body where fat has applied for & gained permanent residency!

And with time, you start to think like him too…Much to your aggravation because for people like me, who have been lovingly blessed with many many tablespoonfuls (heck, make that truckfuls) of fat on their body, it can be a pain to find an outfit that you like AND which isn’t very common AND which doesn’t highlight your fat reserves.

Sigh....the cruel ways in which nature, society and God (if there is one) choose to show their love for us!!

Plug-In Post

People! I have started two other blogs! Not because I have more time on my hands than I can kill. Far from it. I started them because I wanted to write about some other things & I wanted them to have their own place on the World.Wide.Web.

The first is more of a micro-blog. You see, 'Twitter' is only about what you might be doing at a point in time but there are numerous times when I get a thought that I'd like to share with people but can't really write an entire blog post about (due to lack of time/content). Therefore, I started this blog. Please keep reading & commenting :D

The second blog is a theme blog. And guess what the theme is? Fitness! Haha! Don't we all want to be fit as a fiddle? (What IS a 'fiddle' BTW?) But the process of getting fit is a b***h. So I have found a way to motivate (or just to entertain) myself & anyone else who might be interested, through this blog.

So go read, y'all! And comment! They'll be fun too, I promise. The kinks...sorry links...are on the right hand side of my blog page ;)

A Country for Idiots

Our country seems to be very conducive to the existence of stupid people. It provides them the perfect ambience in which they can thrive.

When was the last time you got served 'hot' coffee at Cafe Coffee Day or Barista - when you ordered a 'hot' coffee? Do you remember the last time a shop floor assistant at a retail store such as Pantaloons, Shopper's Stop or Big Bazaar (if you are a Big Bazaar shopper) was able to answer your query or help you locate an item you were looking for? Stupidity seems to be the sole hiring criteria for these stores. The higher your SQ (Stupidity Quotient), the brighter your chances are to get employment at one of these places!

Take the past weekend for example. I went to Cafe Coffee Day & ordered for hot coffee. Knowing they have a tendency to serve luke-warm coffee, I asked them specifically to make sure it's hot. When I got the coffee, it was tepid. Then I went to Big Bazaar to buy microwavable dishes. It's clearly one of my least favorite stores to shop at but I had little choice. I asked them to direct me to where I could find such dishes & they escorted me to the section where they sell microwaves!!

Not to be outdone by these people, the boys at my office canteen have decided to give them stiff competition it seems. I asked for a slice of toasted bread with some butter on it. Five minutes later, another guy from the canteen came to ask me what I wanted. I repeated my order. Ten minutes later, I got a slice of untoasted bread without butter. I asked them to take it back, toast it & put some butter on it. The second time the guy came back, he had a slice of untoasted bread again but he had somehow managed to put butter on it. I sent it back again & when he finally came back with the correct order, I had finished my lunch.

As a friend argued, intelligent people would not work at such places at the meager salaries they get paid. Granted. But one does not have to be "intelligent" to understand what 'hot' coffee means, what a customer means when he/she wants 'a slice of toasted bread with butter on it' or the difference between 'microwavable dishes' & a 'microwave'!!!

You get the point. Stupid people are everywhere. Now only if it was legal to kill them!

Conversation with Psycho Girl at Gym

Psycho Girl : Do you know when Kambaqth Ishq is releasing?

Me: No.

PG: You don’t know when it’s releasing??!! (Looking at me like I’m some blonde that doesn’t know that India & Indonesia are two different countries)

Me: No. Sometime this month probably.

PG: (All hassled) But it can’t be releasing this month! 'New York' is releasing on 26th!!

Me: (Giving her the “You’re Psycho” look) So?

PG: Kambaqth Ishq can’t release on the same weekend.

Me: OK. (To myself: Whatever!)

PG: Maybe it’s releasing next weekend.

Me: Maybe. Who cares?

PG: Aren’t you excited it’s releasing? (Giving ME the “You’re Psycho!” look now)

Me: Hmmm…Let me think…No I’m not.

PG: (Almost yelling at this point) But why not?

Me: Look, I don’t care when fucking Kambaqth Ishq is releasing, OK? I have bigger things to be worried about in life.

PG: Like?

Me: Like my weight is fucking stuck at ** kg!!!

I stopped the treadmill, got down & went to the Cross Trainer instead. God, as if gym isn't enough to kill you, some people will irritate you till they positively have!!

Looks Like Mikey Couldn't Make A Lot of Money

Recently read an interview of Mike Atherton, ex-captain of the English cricket team, where he said this : “It is time for Indian cricket supporters to grow up and accept defeat as an essential part of the game. Sport is not about winning; it is about losing. Trust me, we in English cricket know more about that than anyone. Indian supporters, the most immature in cricket, cannot seem to grasp this simple fact”

Case of sour grapes? I think so.

For one, when did sport become all about losing? It is as much about winning as it is about losing. Everyone, including the Indian cricket fans, acknowledges that for one team to win, the other has to lose. But no one wants to end up on the losing side. And what’s wrong with that?

At least Mike Atherton got one thing right – that the English cricket team would know more about losing than anyone else. Ha! When was the last time we saw them win a major cricket tournament? I haven’t seen it happen for as long as I can remember.

What Mike Atherton calls “immaturity” of the Indian cricket fans is in fact their unbridled passion for the game. We worship our cricketers to demi-God status when they bring laurels to our country. Surely they have to be prepared for the brick-bats to be unfurled with equal passion when they fail to perform? It's a zero-sum game, Mikey.

One of the biggest reasons why little boys from the sub-continent aspire to become cricketers when they grow up is the money that comes with it through sponsorships & endorsements. Play for the national side for a couple of years and you’re set for life!

Had the average Indian cricket fan been less passionate, or “mature” as Mike Atherton would have it, there would be no glory for cricketers. No money showers. No rags-to-riches stories either. Stadiums would be half-full during matches, cash registers would go cold, people would not be hooked to their television sets on match days, no mind-boggling advertising revenues, no sponsorships for the team, no mega endorsements for the cricketers….the list goes on.

So what would the Indian cricketers, most of whom come from middle-lower middle class backgrounds, rather have - glory & brick-bats that come with shit loads of $$$$$, or indifference & apathy?

It’s a choice they make and only they reap the fruits / pay the price for it. Fair enough?

A Gentle Reminder : Never Say Never

The man has admitted to rape in court.

Seems unbelievable, doesn't it? For as much as Shiney Ahuja claimed to be in love with his wife - who he’d apparently been seeing for a gazillion years before they got married & who stuck by him through his years of struggle etc. - he did rape his domestic help (by his own admission). How desperate does a man have to be to rape his maid? I thought it only happened in B-grade movies of the 1980s!

It’s also sad that a guy who is so talented - case in point Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi, Gangster, Life In A Metro etc. - would do something so heinous. I do think he is extremely talented & has now positively ruined his career!

Before he admitted to raping the woman, he claimed he had consensual sex with her. Rape or not, the incident reaffirms my belief that no woman can be entirely sure that her husband/boyfriend - irrespective of how committed he might seem - will never cheat on her physically and/or emotionally. We can at best hope he doesn't.

I personally have known way too many men who were married/in a committed relationship, yet cheating on their partner. For some, it was a case of “My sleeping with another woman doesn’t mean I don’t love my wife/girlfriend”. For some others it was about the girlfriend/wife being the “stability factor” in their life while they had some harmless fun on the side. As long as the wife/girlfriend doesn't know, no one's getting hurt!

I generally refrain from passing moralistic judgment on people & tagging them, so I wouldn’t go as far as calling it moral debauchery. The reality is that we’re living in an age where love, relationships & marriage are assuming a completely new & different meaning, and aren’t as sacrosanct as they used to be. It’s not important whether you & I accept this or not. Sooner or later we will be forced to. The ones that don’t will continue to live in their “My husband/boyfriend will never cheat on me” bubble while the man in question makes hay.

Many of you who read this blog are married or in a relationship. This post is not meant as an offence to anyone. I’m not implying that all husbands/boyfriends are cheats. All I’m saying is that it is a real possibility & it’s true for women as well, though to a lesser extent. What holds women back slightly, according to me, is that they are biologically programmed to be monogamous (where as men are not) & socially conditioned to center their entire attention & emotions on the one man in their lives.

I guess the wisest thing to do would be to be mentally prepared to deal with such a crisis in one's life if it ever arises, while secretly hoping it doesn't. And hope floats...or does it?

Honey, I've Been Shrinking the Weekends!!

Why does the weekend get over so fast? My Sundays seem to have fallen into a pattern. I wake up around 11. By the time I get done with coffee & brunch, it's 1-1.30. And guess what I've been doing after that? Sleeping again!

The heat is killing & the humidity oppressive. Stay out of home for as long as 10 minutes & you get sapped of all your energy! It's cruel!

By the time I wake up from my siesta, it's almost 5 in the evening. And that is when depression hits you right in the face! The thought of the weekend coming to a close & a full work week lying ahead of you is crushing. Anyone else here who roots for a 3 day weekend??

BTW...I just love the way Sonam Kapoor turned out at the IIFA Awards nights in a Roman / Grecian Anamika Varma creation. Love the way she's dressed up her toga with exquisite Kundan jewellery & Gladiator sandals, and just LOVE LOVE the overall look! The only pictures I could find were at this site, and since they're patented I can't put them up here. But for all those who love fashion, please CHECK-THEM-OUT! :D

Talking of Gladiator sandals, I've been trying to find a pair for myself desperately! I've seen people wearing them & have scoured the stores, but haven't been able to find a pair. Yesterday I almost stopped a girl who was wearing them to ask where she got them from. For some reason I didn't, and now that I think back on it, I so should have asked her! At least I would've been able to get me a pair as well :(

Double depression....Baaah!!

Like Assorted Hersheys :)

This post is going to be about the most random things because, well, I think I'm coming down with a virus, and do not have the energy to put deep thought into what I write. Yet, I really want to write! So here we go.....

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Sunny Deol is making a movie called 'The Man'. How innovative! He'll probably come up with a sequel to it a couple of years down the line, called 'The Woman'....followed by 'The Children'. There you go - 3 movies & 'The Man' doesn't even have to worry about naming his films!

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Vicco Turmeric has come out with a face wash! Just when you start to believe that the brands you grew up watching advertized on Doordarshan - such as Vicco Turmeric, Emami, Nirma etc. - have faded into oblivion, they spring back to life. I thought Emami was a dead company but apparently, they're doing really well in small towns.

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IKEA, the Scandinavian furniture & home products store, has scrapped its plans to enter India citing unfriendly Indian investment rules.

Foreign companies can enter the retail space in India only through a Joint Venture with an Indian partner & cannot hold more than 51% stake in the holding. IKEA's showrooms are like malls in themselves, requiring huge investments. and they were unable to find an Indian partner with such deep pockets.

Trust me, their decision to stay out of India for the time being is purely the loss of the Indian consumer. They have all the furniture in the world under one roof & everything is 'assemble-it-yourself'. They'll ship your furniture to you & give you assembling instructions, so there's no need to keep running to the carpenter.

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There's a new cellular service provider in India - MTS. I find their brand positioning to ve very absurd & self-destructive. Their logo is an egg. I'm not kidding! How is an egg related to cellular services? Go figure!

To make things worse for themselves, they have chosen red & white as their colors. Now, the telecom industry in India is dominated by red & white (Vodafone & Airtel). Why would you choose colors identical to those of the industry giants? Shouldn't your strategy be to stand out rather than to become part of the clutter? Is this the kind of brand management b-schools are teaching these days?

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Recently there was a Tube strike in London. To help passengers commute smoothly, the London Transport Authority (or its equivalent) organized taxi sharing service at all Tube stations, along with free river (Thames) services & guided cycle tours. Contrast this with what happens in India when there is a train/bus strike....people panic, get into fistfights & trample over each other to get into cabs!!

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I read an interview of this wannabe actress Sherlyn Chopra in The Times. This woman claims to have had many breast implant surgeries & wants a butt enhancement now! Read this...it's hilarious read but brings forth a very sad issue affecting many women today - dissatisfaction with their natural bodies & desire for breast/butt augmentation.

What brings you to Hyderabad?

Well, I come here regularly. Not because it’s my home town, but because I have to make regular visits to my doctor. All my breast implant surgeries have been done in the city, so I make sure to visit my doctor frequently. But these days he’s telling me that I shouldn’t be making such recurring trips.

Why is that?

He thinks I’m getting addicted to the surgeries. Even my friends think so. They think I’ve lost it and don’t know where to stop! But I always wanted to have bigger assets and I don’t think it’s wrong to go under the knife. I mean how much can you achieve by working out in a gym? At the end of the day you have to visit your doctor for body sculpting. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.

How has your family and the industry reacted to your obsession for a perfect body?

Before I got to Hyderabad I called my mom. She didn’t seem too happy when she got to know I was coming down to see my doc. She tells me that I have lost my marbles. Even my so-called friends think so. I don’t really care if they don’t support me. As far as the industry is concerned, once I was made to feel like an outcast. I make no bones about accepting the fact that I’ve gone under the knife. But honesty is not a virtue in the film industry. The industry treated me as if I was nothing but a bimbo with tangible assets. However, that mindset is beginning to change with the movies that I’m doing and people that I’m associated with.

You’re doing a Yash Raj production with Rani Mukerji and Shahid Kapoor.

Yes. In Hadippa I play a supermodel. My character is in love with Shahid Kapoor, who plays a cricketer in the film. In the film I also have a bikini scene. The bikini is designed by Manish Malhotra, but it’s too modest. While shooting for the scene, Raniji sent her assistant over and asked me to adjust my bikini top so that my assets could be showcased well.

I didn't know how to feel after reading this interview. There are so many teenagers that look upto Bollywood actresses for inspiration & get influenced by their lifestyle. The only solace is that this woman is a wannabe actress & is most probably doing all this to get noticed. I hope teenagers who read this interview also know as much.

What's In A Name, You Say?

Me (on phone with a guy at Subway): I'd like to place an order for delivery please.

Subway Guy: Mam, what's your "good" name?

I gave my name (Let's assume it's X)

Subway Guy: Is that really your name, mam?

(Silence)

Subway Guy: XY? (First & Last names of a popular actress whose first name I happen to share) followed by a giggle.

Me: It's not funny. Please take the order.

Subway Guy: It was a joke, mam.

Me: I haven't called to listen to your jokes. Please take the order.

Subway Guy: Yes mam, what would you like to order?

I wish people got a life. And a sense of humor. They're not as funny as they think they are. If a woman shares her name with a popular actress, chances are she's had people making jokes about it all her life, and doesn't find it funny or appreciate it anymore.

Angeli et Demoni

Much better than 'The Da Vinci Code' though by the same director, Ron Howard.

The movie takes you on a mad chase across Rome, at break-neck speed. It stays fairly true to the book and chances are that people who haven't read the book will not be able to grasp the movie completely. An example was a friend of mine who went..."It was OK. I didn't like it too much. The story isn't very interesting...something about religion & science." She obviously hasn't read the book!

I loved the arial shots of Rome. Just LOVED them! The shots of St. Peters Square, the Duomo, the Colosseum, the scenes inside the chapels. Makes my desire to visit Italy (and Europe) even stronger. Such history the city has!

Anyway, coming back to the movie...this one was much better directed & edited than 'The Da Vinci Code'. It was crisp & thrilling, ensuring that the audience doesn't lose attention for even a minute.

As far as the acting was concerned, all the main characters stepped on the gas pretty hard. One doesn't need to mention Tom Hanks. Ewan McGregor played the Camerlengo very well. Even the Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer did a good job of being the "exotic element" in the movie. This movie...or the book...was never about Vittoria Vettra anyway.

The hero of the movie was of course, the book. Dan Brown is probably the only author apart from JK Rowling whose imagination I think is truly out of this world. It's not something they could have acquired, it's something they are totally blessed with. It would've taken an insane amount of research on Catholicism, The Illuminati, The Knights Templar etc. to put the story together, no doubt, but a mindblowing imagination to even have thought of something like this

If you haven't watched the movie yet, I highly recommend doing so. But it would be better if you've read the book first. I think I'm going to go back and read the two books all over again. You go race across Rome!!

The Weekend That Was

They say 'it ain’t over till it’s over'.

How come this applies only to the bad phases in life? Why do the good things, such as weekends, get over so fast??

Mom went back on Saturday after having spent 2 weeks here. She went back really paranoid and concerned about my well-being, having witnessed the cyclone.

I on my part am very proud of myself for having shown great courage in the face of the cyclone (my sister & I jumped over fallen trees, wires etc. to get essentials for the house such as milk, bread, eggs, batteries for the torch, candles etc. before the stores shut down due to the cyclone) and even greater restraint in terms of food even though mom was around. I barely let her cook fancy stuff except for the occasional chicken curry, which along with roti is my favorite home food. I’m not letting those 3.5 kgs find their way back to my waistline!!

Saturday whizzed past....took mom to buy last-minute things for my parent’s house. And Sunday was catch-up-on-my-sleep day. I was severely sleep-deprived while mom was around. Mom, like people of her generation, is an early-riser. Which meant the house got hustling & bustling at unearthly hours (well, for me at least) like 6.30am! After much cribbing from my end, she did extend her "dormant hours" to 7am but that was the most she could give, and the best I could manage to get out of her.

On Sunday life was back to normal. I woke up at 10.30am, followed by coffee & brunch with A. We came back to my place around 1pm and fell asleep again, not to wake up till 4pm! Getting to sleep on a weekend afternoon is an absolute pleasure for me, the next best thing to lunching outside followed by a movie!

After tea and a cool shower, A went to play cricket (them boys!) with his friends while I went over to my sister’s place where I had delicious rolls stuffed with kosha mangsho style mutton (a Bong favorite for the uninitiated).

Had a nice satisfying Sunday after a slightly sad Saturday (owing to mom’s departure etc.)….but why did it have to end so early??