Month: December 2003

Of resolutions and a brand new year

Published by Anita

Well, it’s the end of the year and resolutions have to happen. I don’t believe in them, but that doesn’t stop me from making them! Here they are, in no particular order: Eat less, drink more (water, folks, water – before you jump to conclusions and I get labelled as an alcoholic) Finish all those things I couldn’t in 2003 (and that is a really long list) Spend more time with my cat and less on the blog (I’m not sure whose loss and whose gain that will be though) Learn to spell ‘decapacitated’ (I never won Ms Spelling Bee) Talk less, meditate more (starting with yoga lessons tomorrow!) Learn to be more patient (especially with my mom 😉 Get serious and develop a goal in life (no, really) Win more awards (to make up for what I never won during my growing up years) Get organised and super-efficient (well, every gal’s gotta dream!) Stick to my resolutions (and that will probably be the toughest) Here’s wishing all of you a scintillating, rocking, exciting and …

Look Ma…

Published by Anita

…I’ve got myself two awards! (sob, I haven’t won too many in my ‘short’ life). Oh wait, wait… I did win a second prize at a debating competition in school. And first prize at a flower arrangement show (I always had a knack for flowers :-). And I won an award at journalism school (of course, I know it doesn’t show, but let’s not get mean here, okay?). But getting to the point… I’d like to thank my family (sob! sob!), my friends who have supported me every single step (so what if they don’t read my blog?!), my old school mates (and so what if they ingore my emails?), my newspaper vendor, my bai, all those who made fun of me in college (sob! sob! sob!), the love of my life, (and this may or may not be my husband 😉 my computer and… hang on, hang on… my cat, who inspires me to try harder every day… Thank you, thank you. (Big Sob!) (Congratulations to all the other winners. Jivha, Lazy Geek, Franklin, …

Music, momos and mom!

Published by Anita

A lovely weekend. Went for my first guitar lesson on Saturday morning. Had friends over for dinner on Saturday night. Nearly everyone got lost trying to find our new place. Someone commented that they thought they were travelling to Pune! Cooked too much food. Belatedly, I realised I could have fed another 13 people. And our friends aren’t as young and hungry as they used to be either! Have enough food to last for the whole week now. If you’re coming this side of town, please do drop in 🙂 We’re bound to get tired of eating the same thing all of this week! On the menu: delicious momos (supplied by my cousin who takes orders), chicken wings and drumsticks with mushroom and baby corn (cooked Chinese style), moong salad, bangda fish fry, pomfret curry, chilli paneer, egg and potato delight (cooked by hubby after much persuasion :-/), dal and pulao. And then topped off with ice cream and custard. Went out on Sunday to watch the really violent Tarantino flick, Kill Bill, Volume 1. …

Tring tring, may I help you?

Published by Anita

I have to write about this. Spent four hours today morning running around trying to get my phone connection back on track. Since I was away, the new phone installation work order was cancelled. As a result, I had to go to three different MTNL offices to find out what to do next. My first stop was at the office where I filed the application. “We can’t do anything here,” says the man at the gate. You have to go to the other exchange. Tomorrow. So today, bright and early, I get to the other exchange. There’s about a dozen people all looking as clueless as me. Since there are no signs (or a help desk, which of course would be like asking for the moon) I had to figure out where I was supposed to put in my complaint. Finally, I asked another man, who I assumed belonged to the office. “Mr Patel will help you,” he says. Of course, as luck would have it, Mr Patel had not yet come in. After waiting …

Highlights from Hyderabad

Published by Anita

December 13 I nearly miss my flight from Bangalore. I am early to arrive. But they change the flight number. Silly. I hear my voice on the intercom and then the speakers. “Calling passenger Anita…. Last call to board” I rush to the boarding gate. Hurry, says 2-3 officials. (Yah, right, what do you think I’m doing?!). Get some dirty ‘how-can-you-be-so-late’ stares from some passengers. Dang. Nice breakfast. Eggs. Sausages. Mmmm. Almost makes up for last-minute ‘plane missing’ experience. Hyderabad first impressions – Nice roads. Looks so neat. No girls 🙁 Hakimpet, Secunderabad is a 40-minute drive. My friend Rukshana who works for the Air Force is posted there. The rick keeps going. Seems like the middle of nowhere. I reach. Finally. In the evening, we make a trip to Banjara Hills where her in-laws stay. Get another look at the city. Impressive buildings. A major Mughal hangover. From the legislative assembly to the museum to the hospital, you can’t miss the predominance of the domes and spirals. We decide to watch Tehzeeb in the …

bang, bang, bangalore!

Published by Anita

On my last day in Bangalore (December 12th), I attended a fusion music show that was a part of the Bangalore Habba (a festival to celebrate the city), held at the very impressive Palace Grounds. I am especially fond of live fusion music and this one featured Taufiq Qureshi (a brilliant percussionist), Niladri Kumar (an absolutely amazing sitarist), Parthasarthy (mridangam), Karl Peters (bass guitar) and Louis Banks (keyboards). Against the backdrop of the tudor style building in the middle of the grounds, the stage was all lit-up for the occasion. The performance started with a few songs and then a recital by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. We were doubly thrilled when he ended with a Bengali song and a Bihu folk tune. There were about three power trips (Bangalore living up to its reputation!) during the show. Thankfully, it was fixed and though the performance started late, we were in for a real treat. I’ve watched Zakir Hussain, but this was my first time watching his brother Qureshi. And I must say he was amazing …