Dushera 2009

This time made it to the Bengali Durga Pujo pandal in Sudbury middle school to pay respects to the Goddess. We got there at Arthi time and it was very good. It was a rather small crowd at least when we went and than what I had expected and the Goddess was beautiful. Some of the ladies were blowing the conch and others chanting and it gave a great effect to the whole setting. First time I was so up close to the Durga idol, flanked by Lakshmi and Saraswathi on the side and Ganesh and Kartikeya. Lord Kartikeya (I guessed by the peacock vahanam) was very different to what I have seen. I mean I have only seen the South Indian Tamil version of him actually. Probably Ganesh is the only god who consistently looks the same all across India?

Weekend movies:
- ‘Dil bole hadippa’ – it was ok but will not own or watch this DVD. Over doze of Punjabi culture for me and Rani in Sardar’s role was better than SRK in Rab ne but also kind of annoying at the same time.
- ‘Wanted’ – remake of Pokiri – was ok, but then I just saw quarter of this movie, not used to Salman in action roles…
- ‘Vinayakudu’ – a Telugu low budget movie was total time pass.
- ‘Who Lamhe’ – bored with Kangana’s demented-suicidal roles
- ‘Rahna hai tere dil main’ – I am not fond of Madhavan as an actor as such for some reason, Saif’s presence in the movie was a surprise for me.

OMG! I watched almost 5 movies this weekend! Something’s wrong?

Haven’t cooked properly for the last week, it’s not going to be easy to get back to my everyday cooking schedule again. When there is a gap or break in the everyday ‘cooking schedule’, it’s hard for me to get back to it, its basically trying to get over laziness.

A new title

I am officially an aunt - ‘pedamma’ like they say on my husband’s side. I wish I was there personally to greet my nephew. Just admiring the pictures as of now, hopefully I can be in India soon to hold him in my arms.

Stuff!

As we are getting nearer to the Go-live date at work its betting busier and busier, which is great! UPK is something I am not familiar with so need to understand it, and see how long it might take to get done with training documents. I feel it will be very time consuming at this stage and might take longer than I had anticipated. Attended on how the successful the company has been so far in implementing lean principles. Wasn't as informative as I thought it would be. Lean techniques and principles are almost kind of boring now to hear or read about it.

Had lunch at Pongal in Billerica with the IS boys at work, didnt particularly like the food.

Fall has set in, not sure why I am taken by surprise as it usually does set in after Labor day. But summer was so short I guess hence it feels sudden.

Weekend just flew, with P's friend visiting us with his parents, although evening/dinner time was the only time we spent with them.

Had that 'team dinner' at Macaroni & Grill in Burlington. It went well I thought of the 25 people invited, 17 turned up.

I don't know why I always feel I can get easily misunderstood. Just cos I am different in certain aspects per society norms. I don't know if I should keep trying and explaining myself? Or silence is the best. Again that will turn into indifference perhaps? Grrr! whatever!

Not in a mood to blog some how.

tittle-tattle

Weekend just flew by. Tried to catch up with my sleep quota which I had lost the previous weekend while in DE. At work the Friday summer timings of 12:30 pm are over. Its back to winter/ROY timing and Fridays typically end at 3pm. I got home and slept for 3 hours, P came home had dinner and slept again. Saturday lazed at home and took a nap in the afternoon and headed to a friend’s place for get together, they had bought a new home in Sharon, MA and it was a very nice home near to the Massapoag lake, my friend was also expecting a baby boy so it was a good celebration. Apparently they wanted a girl and were disappointed especially the husband. Its been happening in all our gatherings now. All of our other friends have boys and we keep talking how there will be a shortage of girls and the mothers/fathers yearn for a girl. But amongst the MA friends it’s the other way round, mostly girls and they will be first to have a boy in their circle. So God is always balancing it some how some where we just don’t know about it J But baby girls are more popular than baby boys that’s my general observation J


Sunday afternoon decided to take a stroll in Natick mall and blew over 100 bucks just like that. I don’t know how I do it. It’s very rarely I find something in Banana Republic within my price range and I found it this time. Shopped at 3 of my top brand stores, Zara, Banana Republic and A&F. I have decided to stop my weekend strolls now (like that is going to happen but I have to try). Been working for a while and I barely have any savings. Its scary at times I wonder if we are living way to much in the ‘present’?


Monday was an extremely busy day at work. Just the way it should be. Its going to be a long week………

Alice in wonderland

I see myself out in the open, feeling the drops of rain on my skin and smelling the parched earth. The clouds turn dark grey and I hear the rumble and see the lightening. I stand there soaking-wet, I close my eyes and turn towards the sky, my hands spread out as if embracing the rain. I want the rain to cleanse me and everything around me. I see that the boundaries and the apprehension inside me and outside & around me are being washed away. I then see the rain slowly stopping, the grey disappearing and the rays of the sun penetrating through. I sit down dripping on the wet grass and look at the rainbow, carefree and happy like never before.

Mundane....

Mushrooms: I tried eating it today (again) for lunch, but simply couldn’t; I don’t like the shape, the color, or the texture. But if it’s mushroom ravioli which does not reveal what’s inside I have no problem eating it. That’s the only form in which I eat it. But the moment I see its real form, it’s simply yuck and unappetizing for me. Then why can’t my brain flash a picture of a mushroom when I am eating ravioli? – don’t know!

Sambhar: Extremely bored of Sambhar, not going to make it for the next 1 month at least. P has no issues eating it and loves it but I am bored. This past weekend in DE with a group of Reddy friends I started loving their Telengana version of pappu chaaru. It was so busy I forgot to ask their recipe. I looked up online and the only thing different seems to be adding onions, methi powder, dhaniya powder and green chilli-garlic paste. I’ve got to try it.

And it’s ‘fall’ already. There is that chill in the air since we got back from the long weekend. I am wearing a sweater at home and outside and cant take the air conditioning any more. Temperatures are varying in 60’s but mornings its barely even 50.

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People around you make a lot of difference, if you choose to. At least I feel re-charged and energetic when I am with a group of people I gel with. On the contrary if you interact with that one wrong person, just one person who you cannot gel with, it can drain and suck out the good and bring out the worst. Everything (supposedly) happens for a reason. No reason to feel bad if some relationships are not working out as they ought to (whatever maybe the reason or whoever maybe at fault). Just have to learn to move on, understand and respect the differences, maybe it was not meant-to-be.

For me one of the things I used to miss mainly about India was the presence of some such lovely people. It’s not just about having a large group of friends/acquaintances. All of us tend to have them in India, but it’s about hanging out every other day with the people you love: Parents- everyday, Extended family - at least 2-3 times a month, and friends - every other day. But fact is I don’t think Hyd is what it used to be. At least I should not visit or go back if I plan to return that is, with that expectation. Friends have dispersed, people’s attitudes and lifestyles have changed, I have changed and there will be a lot of new relationships to make which might be very different from what I have ever experienced and existing ones we have to re-kindle etc. etc. This past weekend with friends was so much fun and very refreshing hence made me think of the importance of having the right people around you! At the same time not having them always around also makes it all the more important.

Labor day weekend

Had a hectic, crazy and fun long weekend. We went to DE Friday night for a surprise baby shower for a friend. It was a big group and we did the usual merry making. Returned Monday night as opposed to Sunday night as planned. Like anyone was going to let us leave a day early on a long weekend. Moreover it ended up being 2 showers as there was another last minute shower we had to plan. Today totally sleep deprived and every minute at work was an extra effort to stay focused.

this & that

Yay! Our LED finally arrived yesterday. But we don’t have cable yet and DH is working on getting the new connection, ended up checking a few CDs in the new TV. I don’t know why or how (I may have forgotten choosing it) but I got the movie ‘Tango Charlie’ through Netflix. We watched that blah movie in FFWD mode and the colors are so vibrant in this TV. It’s simply wow! And it’s slim as ever! I did not imagine I will enjoy it so much.

My parents experienced a mini flooding in the living room again sigh! It wasn’t as bad and they were better prepared this time round.

I had a huge melt down on Tuesday. I think I almost scared DH. But he was very understanding and we both knew what triggered it and somehow it was and yet it wasn’t in my control. Kannadiga Aunty had come to say a final ‘Bye’ that night and thanks to her my mood really improved and I was back to my own self. She made me watch ‘tere mere beach mein’ a talk show that Farha Khan’s hosting with Salman Khan as the first guest. It was time pass.

Now for the labor day - long weekend- to go or not to go to DE?

AP

R.I.P YSR – I don’t know much about the current political situation and people in AP/HYD, but it’s sad that the CM passed away in a helicopter crash. I saw some messages with people mocking in FB on his disappearance yesterday and that’s how I found out about it initially. And in all fairness he is a state leader (however horrible a leader he maybe to the very ‘successful intelligent literate class’ – (sarcasm intended!)) obviously there will be more effort to find him and keep him safe as he has (supposed to have) a big responsibility.


Then this morning read an email from my mom and took a peek in TV9 and Deccan and there it was, it was all about YSR’s death. And the fact that Rosiah will most likely be the acting PM. Good God! Isn’t he like one of those really corrupt guys, with the word CORRUPTION written in caps all over his face clearly visible? It’s just an uncomfortable feeling over all.


Our Vinayaka must have felt left out by media during Nimarjan, but maybe it helped and it went smoothly to some extent due to lack of media coverage?

Are we?

Are we Indians one of the most sensitive people? Especially towards fellow Indians? Or am I referring to only the Indians settled outside India here?

Impromptu Relationships

When DH’s parents were visiting 2 years back I happened to meet this Kannadiga lady from Bhadravati, Karnataka in the elevator taking a walk with her granddaughter. We exchanged a quick hello and she asked my apartment number. Surprise, she dropped by at our place subsequently, very India style and made friends with us and specially with me (since I am Kannadiga too and she is fluent in that language). She is a very talkative, lively woman and very friendly who was visiting her daughter and their family (husband and mother of a young girl about 4 years old). Since then this is her third visit to US in 3 years and all 3 times she has made it a point to stop by and talk to me. Sometimes I used to be not in a mood to talk to her, sometimes I would be, but it wouldn’t matter. It isnt so much of a dialogue, it’s a monologue, this Aunty is talkative and can go on and on for a long time. Once I was sick and sleeping and she came looking for me, my husband apologetically said I was sleeping as I was a bit under the weather and she started conversing with my husband in Kannada about cricket etc. and my husband does not understand or speak the language– that is her spirit J I was in Toronto last year and she came home and my husband called me and she made it a point to talk to me before she left. I was touched. Tomorrow this family is moving to Lebanon, NH. I wasn’t very close to them as such yet I will miss them somewhat. There was this unspoken comfort that they are always there in the building. It so happens 2 more Indian families (at last 2 that we know of) who recently moved were also introduced to us by this Aunty. And Thanks to her I know someone in the apartments. Otherwise I would have led the same indifferent life as most of the people in our building other than a casual “Hello” when we happen to make eye contact with some one.

Its been so long since I have been engaged in such ‘impromptu relationships’. Used to happen so much back home…