I had a few complaints from folks not being able to leave comments. Apparently, the version of spam karma2 I’m using is not compatible with this template and so the comments were not being accepted.

It’s been fixed now, so please do leave me a comment or two so I know it’s working fine :) In case, you’re still having problems, drop in a mail at anitabora5 at rediffmail dot com.

It’s always a pleasure to go to Lalbagh during the flower shows, which are held in Jan and August every year in the city. This time around, despite noble intentions to go on the first day, I didn’t quite make it. So, on the last day (better late, than never!), I decided to make a quick dash along with Cyberscorpion. It also happened to be Republic Day.

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A trek through the beautiful hills to Mullayangiri - Karnataka’s highest point and Babubudangiri

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After receiving quite a few comments and suggestions, have finally managed to give the blog template a fresh new look - thanks a bunch to the Cyberscorpion! It’s been much overdue.

A few odds and ends might need to be tied up over the next few days. In case you notice anything amiss, do drop in a comment.

“Smart,qualified, witty, employed young women, extrovert, party animals - in short “eligible” in every sense but unmarried. Reason: they haven’t come across the “right” man yet. Are their expectations very high? Do they want the looks of a Brad Pitt and the qualities of a Darcy and the wealth of Bill Gates preferably with the voice of Amitabh Bachchan and the poetry of Neruda? Not really. They just want a man

So I asked one of them if they mean to say that they haven’t found any like that among all the men they meet. She said that she hasn’t actually had the opportunity to find out because none of the meetings has proceeded beyond meeting at parties and she doesn’t want to make the first move and sound desperate unless she is sure that the other person has some interest in her! And I have a suspicion that the men are not making the first move precisely for the same reason. So you meet them everywhere - young, smart, qualified… eligible in every sense but unmarried!”

Usha wrote this interesting piece on her blog recently, a result of several conversations we’ve had on the topic. And instead of a comment, this I thought deserves a whole new post. Or my perspective: the view from where I’m standing!
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“My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first one being — hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint.” ~ Erma Bombeck

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I empathise with this statement. Really.

There are very few things that I abhor in life. But if I had to pin point one, it has to be the ironing.

I’ve had a doomed relationship with this electrical device since my school days.

Early mornings in Shillong used to be cold. I would just about manage to wake up, iron my uniform, knot the tie in the right manner and rush out of the house, just in time to hear the school bell in the distance. Thankfully, school was just about 5 minutes down the road from our house.

So one fine day, in a winter’s daze, blissfully unaware of my previous actions, I set off for school. My mom and dad had already left for the day for their respective workplaces.

When I came back, all I saw was an enraged mother (and as you all know, that is not a pretty sight).

“Do you know what you’ve done?” she demanded? I assumed she didn’t really want my response to the question and I meekly followed her inside. In the back of my mind, I guess I already knew that it couldn’t be something good.

Look, she pointed at the scarred remains of a part of the ironing table. There was a black pit just below where the iron was placed. Thankfully, the table hadn’t burst into flames. Earlier, the irons weren’t really advanced so once you switched them on they didn’t go off automatically.

I was talking with my mom on the phone the other day and reminded her of this incident. “I still have that table,” she says!

That was around when my hate affair with the iron began. And it hasn’t waned over the years. It has only gathered steam, I must admit. I’ve tried getting myself those devices where you can control almost everything but inevitably I land up burning myself on some part of my body or another. And getting none of my clothes ironed.

Nowadays, I try and keep my interaction with the device at a minimum. The friendly neighbourhood istriwalla has solved much of my problems and taken away the stress of this totally digusting chore. I can do anything else – wash clothes, wash dishes, wash the house etc.

But ironing! Shudder.

I know! We’re well into the New Year and my blog’s looking really ignored. Someone emailed me today and asked me what the matter was. It’s true. And I’ve been ignoring the blog for a while but I have a good excuse. Life and all its exigencies :)

After a lovely but tiring trek on the 31st, welcomed the New Year in the jungles of Masinagudi. Spent most of it around the bonfire, playing games like Pictionary, DC and then Truth or Dare. A rather quiet but nice way to herald 2007…

It’s been a hectic time thereafter, both on the work front and personally. I’ve lost count of the number of January birthdays already. And I’m wondering why there are so many people I know born this month!

Some more travel into the New year including a trek in the beautiful ranges of Mullayangiri and Babubudangiri – really gorgeous scenery and lovely weather all through. Camped out on top of a hill by Galikere lake (aka Lake of Winds) with a 360 degree view of the mountains, valleys and forests and several water bodies around and got to wake up to a beautiful sunrise in the morning. The trip report and pics are coming. In the meanwhile, a glimpse of the beautiful Nilgiris.

The sun setting behind the blue mountains