Hum Tum..

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1) Sometimes we yell and sulk..



2) Sometimes we are just the drama queens/kings ...



3) But then we do make up :-)



4) And are happy just to be with each other..



Few days back I was plonked on the couch one evening after work, and saw these two very cute birds on the patio railing. I had put some haldiram on the railing for the birds, and these two stopped by for a snack. They were doing such funny antics, that I made a mad dash for my camera and clicked away madly. Unfortunately, I didn't have my zoom lens attached, and had to be satisfied with super cropped images.

Clink!

And, a year goes by!! One year, without us getting down at each others' throats, without me threatening to leave the house (yea, I am quite the drama queen at home), or without you threatening to throw me out of the house, we made it. :) . Though, technically we stayed together just a couple of months during this one year, it was all awesome-ness, I shall admit. And though I used to love my single life, and staying alone and all the erratic randomness of it all, I just cant imagine what I would do without you around me.
And because I am superstitious about putting too much of "us" out to the world, or maybe I don't have anything else to say, I shall just say one thing..
Cheers! to 'us'. May the 'us' element never die :)

writing up random things always makes for an easy post!!

Being a person who chooses the easy way, (as against a more difficult and the correct way) I shall just write some random things here, as against a more meaningful, thought provocating post.

One of the utilities guy at work, who is mexican and does not speak much english was chatting with me (with a lot of gestures and broken english) in the lounge the other day when i was getting coffee. The conversation ran like this:
E: I think you is very nice shape.
me: nice shape?
E: Yes, you is not round.
me: (lol in mind) I am a little round.
E: no no, very nice shape. You run?
me: I run towards chocolates, if that counts.
And so went the funny conversation for few more minutes.
But that conversation made me realise that I decided something, and stuck to it. Believe me, it rarely happens. Last year around the same time, I had decided I would increase my fitness level, which had hit rock bottom ever since my grad days. I never had any health issues or weight problems back in India. I guess I was inherently fit, with all the sports I used to play in school and all the cycling I used to do till junior college. If i remember correctly, I used to bike to Fergusson college for most part of my first year, and only got my spirit in the second year. But come grad school, the exposure to all the sinful chocolates, cookies and other junk I love, I had literally ballooned up during my RPI days, and the trend continued after I started work. It was only last year that I realised how low my immunity to fight minor things like cold had hit, that I decided to start improving my health again. What it meant was, I got myself a membership at my local gym, and went there 3-4 times a week. "They" say a balance of exercise and healthy eating habits ensures good health. But chocolates and sweets being my weekness, I knew I had to rely on the 'exercise' part to get back in shape. Well, I wouldnt say im 'in shape' even now, but I am definitely healthier than what i was 2-3 years back.

Ever since getting married and coming back from India, I am feeling very .. something along the lines of feeling down. Rather not-cheerful would be a better word. I am super happy to be married and all that, but really pissed off that I (or rather we) cannot enjoy the the togetherness more often. I never knew getting a transfer to the west coast could be such a pain in the a.s.s. And this whole coastal exchange programme (thats our east meets west monthly programme) is bogging me down. There are quite a few good things happening in my life right now, if I were to look at my life from an outside point of view, but the one thing "I" want it to happen, is not happening. grrr :|. Just fogetting about my job and shifting there without work does not appeal to me. The fact that I would be living off my husband's money, does appeal a little bit ;). But I seriously hope that all this is sorted out.. and quickly.

On a lighter note, as if I wasnt travelling enough already, S and I have planned a trip to Alaska! Actually I was a bit surprised at the fact that we did not argue at all on where to go for a vacation. Signs of growing up, eh ;) .One week in Alaska. yay!! There is still some time for the vacation, but I am pretty excited about it from now! I have been told that couples go on something called 'honeymoons' after marriage. Well, we didnt go on one, and so decided to go on an adventure trip and call that trip our honeymoon. I still dont know what is the difference between a 'honeymoon trip' and a normal touristy trip you take as a couple. Not exactly food for thought, but just a musing. Seeing the aurora borealis was one reason (among the many other) that we chose Alaska, but I only found out much later that they can be seen only around the equinoxes , that is around march/april and
august/september. But then the excitement about Alaska had already built up by that time to cancel it only for this reason, that we decided to go anyways. The fact that not many tourists go there, was the most attractive reason. Both of us love wilderness. And Alaska is still pretty much untouched by commercialism that follows the tourism. So all in all, hoping to get some peace and quiet coupled with fun during the trip :)

That was my attempt at blogging after a long break. If you made it till the end of the post, pat yourself on your back!

Feeling silly posting this, but still.. !!

So, thats one thing off "my list"

This trip to india is going to be memorable in many ways. It was eventful, to say the least!
I never knew I would enjoy my wedding so much! I belong to that species who hate socialising, attending functions and weddings, getting decked up etc. Now for such an anti-social creature like me, the wedding turned out to be one the the best times, and one of the fun filled times I have ever had.

To start with, I was meeting all my relatives (who had taken the trouble to come all the way to calcutta where the wedding was) after god knows how many years. And this set of relatives who had turned up for the wedding are among those funny, jovial and awesome set of relatives! So all of us literally had a ball. I have laughed till I had tears in my eyes in that one week i was in calcutta.

And secondly, bengali weddings are SO much fun. I have only attended maharashtrian weddings till now, and sorry to say, but I have always found myself getting supremely bored at them. Compared to MH weddings, I found bengali weddings so full of activites. I felt like i was in a movie scene... holding the betel leaves to cover my face, with my poor uncles having to lift me up on a 'paat' and take me round 'S' 7 times. One of my uncles claimed that he couldnt attend the remaining of the ceremonies because he broke his back :| .
And in the end, my relatives lifting me up and S's relatives lifting him up in the air and seeing who goes the highest. The final verdict, given out by the pundit said we did a draw. I guess he only said it to avoid the bashing from me and S's aunts ;). I totally loved the conch shell they blow on every 10 minutes and the "uluulu" noise they make. Though I hope someone should have warned me about the "ululu" noise before. I found it exceedingly funny and most of my pics have me with my teeth in their full display.

One person marginally escaped getting bashed up from me. And that was the makeup lady. In the 4 hours we spent with each other on the wedding day and reception in calcutta, I am sure I have not cursed anyone that much, and she must not have cursed anyone so much in her entire career. She made my life miserable in those 4 hours, and I made pretty sure that I made her life miserable too :| . I am the kind of person who hates to even use a moisturiser on my face. Vaseline is the only "cosmetic" I use. So with that known, it pissed me off royally when she used about 50 different things on my face. My warnings to use minimum makeup went un headed. It was like it was her wedding. urgh! But then she was quickly forgotten once the wedding fun began :)

The second reception we had at Pune was awesome too. S's parents and sis were visiting us in Pune for the first time and they loved it there! I got to meet all of my friends who had turned up in large quantities. It felt nice meeting my project guide, my friend's parents and my aunts who couldnt make it to the wedding in calcutta. And I felt more comfortable in my own skin, with no make up ladies bugging me :)

At the end of all the festivities, I heaved a sigh of relief... why? Because I was wearing saree for the first time in my life, and didnt fall down. Not even once . yay!!

To Mr "S" :)

I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

-- From the movie "Harold and Kumar"