New Adventures!

I've been so bad with blogging and writing lately, that you'll wonder why I'm saying what I'm saying next :P But there are some super exciting life updates.

-I'm quitting my job!

-I'm taking a 4 month break (ah, the idea of not waking up to do the same damn thing and seeing the same people everyday)

-I'm going to NYC (whooooooooooo hooooooooooooo)

-I'm...wait for it....WRITING A BOOK (yeah, the top item on my Before-I-Die list is happening right now!)

Now you must wonder how the hell I'm going to write a whole book when I can't keep up with even the blogging. Although there is no excuse, let me just give you a few facts about what's going on (more updates!):

1. LOL (Love Of Life) is taking a sabbatical with me! And so we've been busy making plans for the next four months. This is the first time we've made a 'Couple Decision'... I know we live together and some people treat us like we're already married, but we still have 'Firsts' as a couple (how awesome is that after three years of being together!). What I mean is... Although we've made some fairly big decisions together before (moving in together, what kind of furniture to buy etc), they haven't been this big and this detrimental to either of our futures, in terms of the impact it would have. We actually sat down and calculated our finances together (this is HUGE for me- I haven't ever talked money with any other person like this) and budgeted for the plans we have for the next four months and in his case, almost a year and a half...which brings me to the most exciting part... Our Plans.

LOL is planning to do an MBA (yeah, so cliche, I know; but I'm compelled to love him anyway!). So his plan is to take time off and study for the GMAT. Once done with the exam and writing at least a part of his applications, he plans to spend the next three weeks with me in New York! YAY! This is his first time to the US (oh, and his VISA came through thanks to the realllly nice VISA interviewer he luckily had), so imagine spending maximum part of that time in NYC! Wooooo! I'm very, very excited about this. 

He then comes back and goes on a one month mountaineering course that certifies him to be a professional mountaineer ('My boyfriend? He's a professional mountaineer'- how cool does that sound!). He's back home after that and I'll be back around the same time too... for....? That brings me to the next part of my 'why-I've-been-busy' story.

2. Remember my best friend, soul sister, and ex-roomie Moo? Well, she's getting MARRIED! I was dying to blog about this in my earlier Happy Times post, but it was totally hush and I couldn't talk about it until she was sure she's going to get engaged.

Hers is a unique and beautiful whirlwind romance. It all started a little before our MegaEurotrip in June. She started half-heartedly emailing him saying she's a little tired of being set up by her parents and she's not sure if she'll ever find her The One. I, on the other hand, was convinced from his very first email that they would be on FIRE! He's a super happy person and she's a big load of sunshine and they have similar ideas about life and all that- what's not to love about each other? 

They fell in love before they even met (he's American and lives on the west coast) and they fell in love so damn quickly, they didn't even know what hit them. And of course, when they did meet, in Bangkok (yeah, one night in Bangkok!), the sparks flew, the earth stopped moving, their hearts skipped beats and all that, and by the end of the week, he proposed and she was calling me screaming, 'I'm engaaaaaaggggged'.

So on that front, the wedding is here in November and it's going to be the biggest party ever and I will scream and dance, and cry- out of happiness that my best friend in the whole world will finally be with her prince and out of sadness, because our 5 year inseparable stint would have come to an end. She's moving with him to the States and I will miss her madly.

3. My other best friend, D's romance is also going very, very well and I'm pretty sure she'll be announcing her engagement early next year too (fingers crossed). I love the way this guy makes her feel and I'm hoping it all works out :) (I've realised I have great instinct for this kind of thing- fell free to get in touch if you want Love Advice :P )

So, as you can see from all the updates above, there are two things that starkly stand out- 

a. I'm a BIG sucker for romance

b. I'm a BIG sucker for best friends

Does that tell you anything yet? Hell yeah! My book is about both of the above :)

Much more very soon!

PS: I will write about the awesome MegaEurotip- I started writing a draft, but it got a wee bit carried away and it's become a short story now! So in due time, (read as when I have a one minute breather from my crazy life to shorten it), I will blog about the Marvelous Adventures of A Moo and Geebani (more on those names later!). 

Quotes I love (Quote of the week :) maybe, month!)

"Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born."

Quotes I love: Thinking of getting this as a tattoo. What do you think?

"You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here."

Happpy times!

I can't believe I haven't posted here in so long- wait, I can believe it...there's just been wayyy too much happening. Although, I wanna go into detail on all and make this is a lonnnng post, I have a feeling I'll lose all of you at this sentence :P So, WAAAAIT- it won't be a long post- just some updates, promise.

THE BIGGEST UPDATE-

I leave for what I think, will be the TRIP OF MY LIFE, tomorrow morning. My best friend Moo and I entered this fabulous Win a Free Trip to Europe Contest run by this really cool company called The BackPacker Co (you HAVE to check out their trips!). And YESSSSSS, we WON! We're now going on a * wait for it * FIFTEEN DAY trip to Eastern Europe, covering SEVEN countries! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I can't believe that a) people actually win things in real life (especially in light of recent events) and b) I'm one of them!

So, after battling the witch from hell, aka the VISA officer at the German consulate, and getting our VISA (phew!), we're heading to Germany (Munich), Czech (Prague), Poland (Krakow), Slovakia (Bratislava), Hungary (Budapest), Slovenia (Ljubjlana), and Austria (Vienna and Salzburg)!! I haven't had a proper holiday in one and half years and a holiday of this sort, well, never- so OMGGGGG, Moo and I are DYING with excitement! (And think of all the stories I can write in this blog after!)

Send me any tips you have for our travel- We're both Eurotrip virgins and we'd really appreciate it!

PS: Don't give us tips about packing light. I know we ought to- but we're two GIRLS, going to Europe for the first time, just the shoes make up one bag :P

All Other updates:

1. Incidentally LOL (Love of my Life) also went for the trip of HIS life. He just came back from a 15 day trek in the Himalayas. For those of you who know it, it's the Annapurna trek that takes you upto 18,000+ feet! In his own words, he 'went a boy and came back a man'. And I tend to agree :P Btw, he also had this crazy incident at the airport on his way back which I must tell you about... He met a Nigerian kid, a footballer, who had to take a flight to go to Delhi and missed it. LOL met him and instantly lent him money for a ticket :O When he told me this, I laughed until I peed a little. I mean, Nigerian- has he not heard of enough scams?! He'd never see a paisa of his money again.

The all-knowing, stereotyping, cynical me ended up being super embarrassed- because the kid actually called LOL a couple of days after and wanted to pay back the money! WTF and FTW! Serves me right for being so narrow minded. But I'm glad I was wrong- It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy knowing that there are good people in the world.

2. We have three adorrrrable dogs at my office and one of them gave birth of six adorable little puppies. They're a mix of Lab and German Shepherd, so they're even more adorable looking. Unfortunately we lost two of them- the runts of the lot- but the rest are happy and squeaky and FAT as hell. They eat ALL the time and wanna chew everything in sight. It's nothing short of adorable.

3. Work has been super depressing and stressful this last month (getting better now maybe?). But I won't get into that right now because I'm super happy and this is a happeeeeeee post :)

4. My best friend D, who recently had the crap experience of having her heart shredded by this one arse****, just met someone!This is the girl who just a week before said that there is no way in the world she will ever believe in true love again! Why this is making me so happy? Apart from the fact that my best friend is falling in real happy love, I LOVE seeing people in love (I have a theory about this, but more on that later). I love people believing in love. I'm in love with LOL and I think everyone should know how crazy, whooping, calming, screamy, content and exhilarating this gorgeous way of living is!

More more and more after my Europe travels.

Much much happpppy EXCITU,

Me

Why God...Why?

There are essentially two things that I feel very strongly about- women's equality issues and religion. Don't get me wrong- I don't go proactively campaigning out there about burning bras, but I will participate heatedly in an argument and/or beat you up if you're a male chauvinistic asshole.

The other thing that is now added to this list is Auto rickshaws drivers- I have SO much to say about these pigs- I can write a book. 

Since I just had a very frustrating experience this morning, let me first just say- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHH!!!! &%#%%$!!@!!!!

Ok, now that that's done...

I know that it's such a small, small thing compared to, I don't know, 3G scams, CWG, Bofors and that very long list. But apart from all that, I wish someone asked us regular citizens about our smaller everyday piss-offs. I pay my taxes on time and every time, and yet no one will help me get a damned auto to where I want to go to. 

Let me illustrate in a few examples what happens to most people who try to get autos in a city like mine (that includes all big cities other than the awesome Bombay). 

Scenario One:

It's raining. A lone girl is standing on a lone road with a lone umbrella. She wants to go home. She hails an auto.

Auto guy: Where?

Girl: ____ (names an area)

Auto guy: Ok, 300 rupees

Girl (baffled look): What? Why?

Auto guy: Can't you see its raining maydum?

Girl: Errr..yes.

Auto guy: Then? What you're asking?

Girl: Do you think they pay me extra at my work on the days it rains?

Auto guy: Who cares about you? (Cocks head, looks at Girl like she's retarted and speeds off like Schumacher)

Moral of the story: Come rain or shine, no matter how late or early it is, just pay what he asks you to pay. Or walk home.

Scenario Two:

Girl in an auto. She's reached her destination. She gives the auto guy a 100 rupees for the 40 he asked for (this is 20 rupees more than the auto fare, but what can she do?).

Auto guy (speaks gruffly): Give me change.

Girl: Sorry. I don't have. I have only 30. 

Auto guy: So? 

Girl: I had kept 30 change but you asked for 40 and I don't have change for a 100.

Auto guy: So? Huh? So?

Girl: Sorry. I don't know.

Auto guy: So? You don't know means what should I do? You must keep change no? Give me 100. I'll keep it.

Girl (too dumbfounded to speak). She walks into a close-by supermarket, buys a cabbage she'll never eat, just so she can get change.

Moral: Carry change. Always. Remember, if you don't have change, it will ALWAYS be your fault.

Lots of scenarios such as these- you can't take an auto to somewhere too close or too far off- extra charge. You can't take an auto from a guy at the auto stand- he's too lazy so it'll be extra charge, please. 


So I'm putting down the top five things to not do when taking an auto- it may be useful to some of you- remember, you travel by their auto, you follow their rules.

Top 5 DON'Ts when you're taking an auto:

1. Wear shades- they automatically expect you to be rich and have oodles of money flowing out of your ears. It's why you're wearing shades and it's why you're going to donate some of that overflowing cash to the auto guy. He deserves it more than you, dummy.

2. Speak in a language other than the regional language: Don't you know, you pay extra just because you don't speak in the regional language? I mean, commmmmon, learn the language already- how hard can it be- it's just a whole new language.

3. Wear western clothes: Are you Indian or are you not? Then what's to ask? Wear Indian clothes- dhoti, sari-blouse etc. Otherwise, the very wise Mr. Auto Guy will assume you're opulent and take all your money from you. Because if he's not rich, no one else is allowed to be, okay? (if only someone would tell him that the rich don't take autos- they have enough cars/private helicopters. Only us middle class people do- we just like to dress nicely/ how we like).

4. Ask him to stop anywhere other than a main road: He goes only where HE wants to go. You're not paying him, he's doing YOU a favour. So don't you go and ask him to take a right into the galli you live in. That's just too much to ask from him- he has to draw the line somewhere you know.

5. Ask him to put on this auto meter: How dare you ask! It's only there for show. Believe it.

Light and Love

I've recently gone through the very difficult/hurtful process of losing a friend and it's got me thinking about how fragile relationships really are. And how foolish we are sometimes in thinking...no, really believing, that they're indestructible. Because the truth is, nothing is indestructible and nothing is inevitable. 

We're all human. We're all very very different...and ironic as it is, we spend all our lives looking for people who are like us; people we can get along with- with the same values, beliefs, etc. Like Anne of Green Gables says, we're all looking for a 'kindred spirit'. 

And when the 'kindred spirit' comes along, we're excited, because in such a big world with its crazies, its funnies, its weirdos and all the strangeness, its amazing that when we can find someone that we can get along with like a house on fire. We're surprised and then grateful for being able to find such a great friend. With time the friendships blossoms in a way that keeps you looking forward to all the new things that it brings with it. It brings almost the same/similar feeling of anticipation that you get when you meet someone you want to have a romantic relationship with-- excitement wise I mean; the excitement, the comfort, the discovery of a whole new person is nothing short of exhilarating.

The thing with friendships (one assumes) is that in many ways it's less fragile and less prone to end in 'break ups' than a romantic relationship is. It's a no strings attached relationship in some ways- You can have other really close/best friends. You don't have to have sex to keep the relationship alive. You can talk about the same things for hours and still not be bored. Hell, you can be having a drink and sitting with each other and not say a word and you're still not bored.  You can have boyfriends/girlfriends- and many come and go, but you stay; your friendships pull you through bad relationships. Your friendships reinforce the hope that there are still good relationships out there. 

But what happens when that friendship ends? When it hurts, when it feels unbelievable and silly and stupid and you just feel betrayed, all at the same time? When sometimes it feels worse than breaks ups with your boyfriend/girlfriend?  The thing with friendships that we sometimes tend to forget is that in many ways it's as fragile as a romantic relationship. It is a relationship with a human being after all- there will be misunderstandings, there will be differences and yes, there is room for break ups/ fallouts.  

I think the best you can do is let go and take the time and memories you've had with your friend and smile at them. Smile at the many ways in which the person changed you and put some of his/her wonderful colour in you. Smile at the fact that you got the chance to see a whole new world- that person's world; even if it was a limited offering (although you might have not known it). Like Julia Roberts/ Elizabeth Gilbert says in Eat Pray Love, 'Miss them when you have to and then send some light and love their way' :)

Because when you invest in a person, you can only gain and add on unknown, beautiful layers to your life. Sure it hurts like hell when its over or lost, but really, isn't it worth it when you had the time of your life?

If not, I'd advice you to just give up and invest in a pet. If you love it and feed it unconditionally it won't leave your side :P

Freeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

LOL (Love Of my Life) got a call from an unknown number a couple of days ago. He hung up within two minutes and announced to me that we had won a lucky draw. I was like WHAAAAAAAAAAA.... I mean what are the chances that I (me??) won some random lucky dip type thing. I thought Lady Luck had made it very clear that we'd broken up, never to get back. How then?

'It was at one of those local malls. Did you register?' LOL asked, breaking me out of the conversation with myself.

Did I register? DID I?  'Of course. I've been registering for everything for the last year.'

'What? Why?'

'Have you seen us? 2010 has been the poorest year EVER! I entered every contest and lucky draw I came across. Come onnnn, anything that comes free is a miracle.'

LOL smiled, 'Don't exaggerate. We're not poor. Just going through a bit of a broke phase.'

I hid back a smile although I knew he's right- I mean, it's not like we were under the poverty line. 'Hmpfh. I am poor. Don't know about you.' I didn't want him to take my being broke lightly. 'So what did we win?'

'I dont know.. she wasn't very clear... A mixi, grinder, one thousand rupees cash prize, and a holiday at a hotel in Ooty for two days.'

'Wooooooooooooowwwww. I've never won anything. Annnnything.' I did a little dance right there standing on my bed.

'Listen, don't you think this is a bit fishy?'

'Ey! Shut up. We won!'  And I continued dancing atop our fragile bed.

-----

Two days later, we're having lunch with my family- grandparents, parents, aunt, uncle etc. And I'm excitedly telling all them about how I've won something so super exciting. A holiday to Ooty! (as if we never ever could afford a holiday on our own, and this is a supermely unique experience we've never seen or heard of). 

'In Ooty. Can you imagineeee?' I coo; my eyes all big and dreamy.

'You've been there before no?' my favourite aunt says. Hmmm. Maybe I should re-consider that 'favourite' title.

'Ya, so? We won a random competition. It never happens to our family. NEVER. Cant you people be enthusiastic?'

My relatives oblige. They give me exxagerated smiles and say 'oooohhhh' and 'cooooooool'. 

'What, you want us to announce it to a news channel?' my uncle asks, smiling.

I roll my eyes dramatically and spend the rest of lunch telling them they're such dull people for not appreciating the fact that there's now a lucky draw grand prize winner in the family.

'It's a scam my dear daughter' my father says, looking all sage-like. 

'How do they know our names then? Because I entered the contest and won.' I say firmly. 

Honestly, I can't remember exactly what contest I entered or IF I ever entered a contest in that mall. But I most likely did- after all, they knew our names and numbers didn't they?.

'Ha.Let's see who's laughing when I show you the pictures from my free holiday.' I tell my father, nose high up in the air.

-----

Right after lunch we head to the mall's corporate office to claim our gifts. I am getting the sense that LOL doesn't really want to go. He's doing this to humour me. 

That's fine. He's going to eat his smirk once we're on our way to Ooty. Why is a little bit of positivity too much to ask for these days?

We see the board for Casa Retreats as we climb the two stairs up. See? It's not a scam- they're a real company.

There is a receptionist who nods at us. Another woman welcomes and congratulates us. She tells us we'll get our prizes in 15 minutes-- right after 'the small tea party'. 

A tiny alarm goes off in my head. LOL shakes his head. He wants to head home. I can't give him the satisfaction.

'Dont be rude' I whisper to him. 'Lets just go see no?'. LOL, being LOL, adorable and always humouring me, trails in behind me.

We are made to sit with a guy who takes random/ vague details from us. LOL is getting impatient and snaps at the man, 'Get to the point', he says. I give him a look that says 'I'll handle it'.

I spend the next 10 minutes answering the stupidest questions about where we honeymooned (we havent! They're assuming me we're married), what kind of holidays we take, what kind of house we have and what kind of friggin' toothpaste we use. And every two minutes, there is a lady anoouncing 'Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr and Mrs. XYZ to the Casa family! Clap clap clap.

I'm getting annoyed now and I'm almost not listening. The 'representative' can say see this and finally brings us to the climax.

We have to buy a membership to their company- they sell holidays. They provide hotel accommodation all over India and 3000+ destinations abroad. Breakfast is free. Travel and other meals are subsidised. All for only 500 rupees a year.

For a fraction of a second, the travel junkie (combined with the broke person) in me wakes up. Then.... enlightenment- an entire Hustle type long con scene plays in my head- hiring fake reps, making a fake company website, people fixing the fake company board on the building...

By this time LOL has Facebooked about the entire event and is nudging me to show me something on his phone.

I inwardly cringe when see the website- www.consumercomplaints.in. I look at the rep and tell him firmly that we're not interested. He says 'Okay madam but we'll still give you your gifts.'

That makes me feel a bit better. At least the gifts were real. We pick up the gifts and hurry out of there.

Turns out the coupons for Ooty are either fake or to some ghastly hotel with peeling paint on walls (review online). There is no mixi or grinder or any 1000 rupees cash prize. There are two more coupons- one for a picnic day locally and another for a two day hotel voucher for Bangkok- I don't even want to imagine what those could be.

On the way back home I'm avoiding eager calls from my friends and relatives who are calling to ask about when we're leaving to Ooty.

LOL christens me Guillable Geetu and points at every sale/lucky draw contest on the road and laughs uncontrollably. 

' So, now do we agree that we got conned?' he asks.

'No. We didn't pay them any money and we spent only 15 minutes there. And in return we got six kind-of pretty glass bowls.' 

It's true. We did.