Whatsapping

... with college pals these days. It's been almost 14 years since we graduated and went our separate ways. We were a bunch of 20, and we spent quite a few afternoons not attending classes. :P

A dear friend shared this gem:

I was unbelievably thin back then, but I never felt that way. I blame my ex-boyfriend for always making me feel fat and "less than". So glad it didn't work out between us. I'd be a do-bachchon-ki-maa, sitting at home, wondering when her husband would deign to spend a few minutes with her.

The funny thing is, back then, my friends knew I could do better, but never said so to me. Another dear friend mentioned that to me sometime last year. Their reason for not bothering to point out this fact to me all those years ago was: you were blindly in love... you wouldn't have listened to us anyway. They had a point. Also, this friend who confided in me, was one that I thought was the laziest and a conformist. He turned out to be a totally different person, and I appreciate him so much more today. I'm looking at you, R!

Anyhoo. I was so thrilled to get this picture yesterday (can't thank you enough, M)! I had *totally* forgotten about this. M said that it was one of our trips where I brought my dad's bike along. Man, I used to be so cool! This is a good incentive to make me want to look like that again. I don't much care for who I was, back then. It has been established that I was a fool and I thought I was very smart and I clearly wasn't. :P

So here's what I want: to be the shape I used to be at 20, to have the drive and optimism that I had at 25, and to be as pragmatic and grounded as I am today. And possibly much more wiser as I grow older, and maybe a little bit more fun.

Apologies

It's been so long since I posted anything here that it feels a bit weird typing text into this UI. However, the apologies are not for that. Also, for a change, this is not a sarcastic post.

To the girl in the white burqa/hijab with the gray floral print who was driving a black scooter on F C Road yesterday,

I apologize to you yet again for my mistake. I intended to park next to Wadeshwar, and because the most efficient way to parallel-park a car is to do it in reverse, I halted close to other vehicles parked on the right. Being totally focused on getting to the spot before the traffic started flowing again from the signal at my rear, I made a mistake. I reversed the car before thoroughly checking the rear view mirrors. Thankfully, neither you nor I were fast enough, and I stopped the moment I realized that the rear left fender of my car had hit the front bumper of your scooter. It took me a few seconds to make sense of what happened and realize that I had to immediately move forward to help you regain control over your vehicle. I did so, got out of the car, and tried to repair the damage that I had done. It seemed to me like your scooter had not toppled over and that you were standing straight, which meant that you were apparently not seriously injured. I helped pick your bags off the road and placed them on your footboard, and I wanted to do more.

I hope that by now your shock and anger has subsided and you are ready to hear me out. I apologized then too, but you were in mood to pay any heed. Had I been in your situation, I would have felt the same things about you and said the same things to you... "Why do you drive if you can't reverse? You should simply stay off the road, etc" However, you said something to the effect of "An apology is of no use, it doesn't change anything." That got my goat. I totally disagree. I knew what my mistake was, and I had to decency to acknowledge it and apologize for it. In addition, I came over to find out the consequence of my action... Were you hurt? Could I help you get medical attention? Did I break something? Could I get it repaired for you?

Had you given me a chance, I would have done all in my power to undo the wrong that I did. However, you and I were both in a bit shock (you, understandably more than me) and tempers flew high. I have seen people who do not even bother to get out of their effing car and try to find out what their mistake has cost others. I surely didn't give off any such arrogant vibes. Not even remotely. However, when you yelled at me even after I profusely apologized and helped you gather your stuff and offered to do more, I got ticked off too. I did argue that I made a mistake and that it could have happened with you too, but it was more to get you calm down and try to establish a dialog rather than for the sake of arguing. It definitely didn't help, did it?

Then, because you didn't seem to need or want any help from me and because you were putting up a fight even against my apologies, I stormed off and got back into my car. Did you notice that I waited patiently until you moved away (still yelling at me) and I could continue with my task without harming anyone else? I'm sure you didn't.

What's the purpose of writing all this here? Well, I hope that you shared your story with someone and somehow someone you know gets to read this and lets you know about it. I pride myself on my driving skills and feel ashamed at the mistakes I make. I do try to learn from them and not repeat them. However, like everyone else, I am not and will never be perfect. So, I do the best that I can. Apologize for my mistakes and try to undo the wrong that I might have done.

I wish we had met in a better situation. We might even be friends. Inspite of the fact that it was all directed against me, I liked that your were spirited and didn't take things lying down. Also, unlike me, you were feisty without being abusive (at least I don't remember any cuss words being used). You remind me of my dear friend Noor, and not just because your attire indicated that you are a Muslim. I could totally picture her giving a piece of her mind to someone who had wronged her! Anyway. For what it's worth, I hereby record my apology and wish that the incident doesn't linger on in your mind. Also hoping that you weren't hurt, and if you were, you do recover soon.

Regards,
Simply Pallu

Easter puppies

This one was written when our first set of grandpuppies was born in April this year. I just couldn't gather the enthusiasm to put this up so far. Anyhoo...

Easter Sunday brought the best gifts I have ever received. I had called Phoebe into our bed in the early hours of the morning. She was panting heavily and I thought being with us would soothe her. I knew she would deliver soon, and was lazing in bed thinking of taking her for a round of pee so that she would be free to give birth. We woke to a wet spot on the bed, realizing that the first pup was on its way. By the time we could gather our wits, the boy was out and Phoebe had freed him of the cord. I barked instructions at the hubs to gather the supplies I should have kept ready in the first place. The mat and a bedsheet were placed on our bed just in time for the second one's arrival. It was a girl followed by another one. I called my animal-loving-soul-sister Apu to let her know that the most awaited event of this month was happening in my bed :P

Before the next one came, we moved Phoebe and the first-borns to her whelping area.
The fourth pup was a boy after which there was a gap in which Phoebe could rest a bit. Then came two girls in quick succession. Sadly, the sixth one was a stillborn. Phoebe licked it a lot trying to revive it, but it was clear that the pup probably never matured enough to be born alive. It was ghostly pale, as opposed to the others who were a very healthy shade of pink. We left the girl on a piece of paper on a table nearby. It took a while for the seventh one, a girl, to arrive, and Phoebe gladly had some water in the meantime. I had a hunch that the litter wasn't complete yet, so we stayed put in the whelping area. Soon enough, the last one arrived, another girl.

While the litter was making its way into this world, I kept helping Phoebe every chance I could... tearing off a couple of pups' protective sacs and helping them breathe. It just felt so... right. My girl did her job beautifully--tore off the sacs, cut the cord at just the right length, licked the pups clean and kept an eye out for intruders. Her instincts continue to amaze us. Mojo was pretty confused and kept popping in to quench his curiosity, but always remained at a cautious distance. The darling never troubled Phoebe in any manner. Maybe he dared not ;-)

When sufficient time had elapsed, I took Phoebe out for a walk, which was more like a mad dash to the road and back. She kept barking loudly at me, as if to tell me that we have to hurry. Maybe that's how they protect their young ones... by creating enough ruckus to ward off predators. She peed and pooped right in the middle of the street--quite unlike her--and ran back up the stairs at lightening speed.

I could have sat there all the time, but Apu called to say she was coming right over from Mumbai before she could even get home. Thanks to her, I gathered my wits, cleaned up a bit (thanks a bunch to the hubs for being so quick when it mattered, muuuuahh!) and even managed to have a bath in time. Apu and her husband could adore the pups only after Phoebe stopped barking in their face and settled down realizing that they meant no harm. Mojo had his fill of jumping around and running batshit crazy when they entered the door. This was the only time he got any attention that day. Except for the occasional appreciative nod and touch when hubs and I cooed over how non-nuisancy he was today.

I took Phoebe for a couple more poop-n-pee sprints, and then she had a few morsels of food at night, right beside the pups. Not being in that room was unbearable for her. Because the work week would begin the next day, I did not let hubs sleep in Phoebe's room. And rightly so. The little critters kept me up all night with their squealing. Although I did enjoy that too.

Setting off the sabbatical

I wrote this post in April when I quit my job, but I haven't had the inclination to upload it yet. So here goes...

The perfect beginning that didn't last

I doubt that many will understand this, but I was thrilled to wake up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning! It was just way I wanted my sabbatical to begin. I was so excited to be up at the time that the temptation to snuggle in did not even form completely in my mind. I thought of getting dressed and going for a walk, but my feet were hurting like they do on most mornings since several months now. So, I sauntered into the other bedroom and did some stretches in my night dress with the ceiling fan on full blast. I don't like getting sweaty right after I'm out of bed, but that's the big downside of exercise. Just one of my excuses for not getting into a healthy morning routine.

I was tempted to doze off again after the stretching and so I lay down on the floor, relaxing. Instantaneously, my dogs woke up and came barging from the bedroom sniffing and jumping over me. I took the cue, changed, and took them for a walk. We left the neighborhood and walk alongside the main rood today, and they were unexpectedly well-behaved. They didn't pull constantly, and I could control them with my voice and a few tugs at their leashes. We even saw a pack of puppies on the way, and one of them walked up to us ready to play but then chickened out suddenly. It was nice to see 'em all and their mum looking over her shoulder protectively. After we got home, though, we went to wake up dada, but snuggled in instead, like we always do, falling prey to his powers of sedation.

At this point, I succumbed to weariness and stopped writing. Didn't catch on for more than a week after. Through the first week at home, several things kept me busy, including lazing around and watching TV.

Come Sunday, the enthusiasm of waking up early and attempting to start and continue an exercise regime went right outta the window. I spent the morning gathering our apartment-related documents so that I could hand them over to the next office bearer. We had an annual general meeting planned for the evening. It went surprisingly well, and lasted only a little over two hours. I was the Secretary of the apartment association, but happily gave up the position in the hope that other members would take up the responsibility. The guy who was President gave up his position too, which surprised people. At least they said so.

Throughout the working week, hubs ran off to work as early as he could and came back as late as he could. Bugger's been taking advantage of me being at home to work longer hours. Not that I mind. I think he can use this opportunity to do some good work and get noticed. He's had to put in a fixed number of hours over the past two years so that I could work flexi-time and longer hours, and make multiple trips to the office if required. It worked for us, because my commute was almost half of his and I had to maneuver through only half the traffic. Also, the car was always at my disposal and I have been taking undue advantage of it. Sigh!

On Tuesday, I took Phoebe to the vet for an ultrasound, and we came to know that she had at least 6 pups in there. I've been waiting for their arrival all through the week. The same evening, hubs and I went to see a new pooch in the neighborhood. A girl who used to have a Dalmatian but gave him away because she couldn't manage to take care of him, has now brought home a month-old Rottweiler. Apparently her husband got cured of his dog aversion and wanted one that belonged to a big strong breed. It was a fun half an hour, where we let Bullet (yep, that's his name, but just "Bull" would suffice if you ask me... he's strong!) scamper around between our feet and over our heads, lick our faces, and chew our fingers and ears.

During the rest of the week, I did some cleaning up around the house, organized some documents, went grocery shopping, cleared the spare bedroom and created a whelping area for Phoebe. Took the dogs out on several short sprints, off the leash. I was too lazy to walk them around the usual track, and besides, they enjoy the freedom.

Good Friday morning was spent at me mum-n-dad's, where I clubbed a few things in one trip: I had to carry some warm clothes and tiffins for mom to carry during her upcoming old-ladies-gang trip to Kashmir. She had prepared my favorite food item. My dear friend Meg was in town for the weekend and we wanted to catch up. I had to drop mom off to granny's on our way back. Pawan was ok to be dragged around town and dumped at mama's place while I met Meg ;-)

Saturday was spent at home, zombie-watching TV. Except when I went to the bank and tried to check email. My internet connection played hooky through the week. Phoebe had began panting in the afternoon and continued through the night.

The obvious consequence of the uh-oh moment

... was confirmed today.

It's been 35 days and it seemed like the perfect time to take Phoebe for an ultrasound. We were hoping that there'd be fewer cuddly balls of spotted fun to grandparent this time, but that isn't to be. We saw 6 of 'em floating around in my girl's tummy. Hoping there are no more.

The hubs all but panicked, while I was secretly thrilled that I would be able to hold a few more of those delightful young'uns so soon. This time, though, I'll manage things better. Cherish my moments with 'em instead of turning into a shrieking banshee like I did a few months ago.

When I broke the news to the good lady who runs the pet products shop that we frequent, she couldn't wrap her head around the idea! It tickled her funny and we were both giggling at the prospect like tweens :)

In related news, a family solicited Mojo's puppy-making skills for their 2.5-year-old Dal named Lucky. She was a pampered brat, but I didn't mind Mojo passing on some of his baby-paste (Thank you, writers of 18 to Life!) to her because she was so fine-looking. She had perfectly spotted ears! Their progeny would be quite sought after. And, we get to keep one of our choice!

So all 1.7 of you people who happen to pass by this space every few days, pull up your sleeves, get the megaphones out and get prepared to yell at every passerby and demand that they take away my puppies by the end of January 2012. Go on, be good now.

For 'em pearlies

Warning: Explicit oral content. Read at your own risk.

A few weeks ago, I decided to try this mouthwash thing. I have very bad brushing habits, and thought of this as an easier way to keep 'em pearlies intact for a few more decades. I completely forgot about them while all our stuff was collected in a room and wrapped in sheets until the house painting job was over. Found them while arranging stuff back into the cupboards, and tried one of the three flavors (which was actually non-flavored, the others being CoolMint and FreshBurst).

A few days later, after habitually taunting the husband about his bad brushing habits, I suggested that he try the mouthwash I bought. Here's how it went...

Me: Didn't you just say you were going to brush your teeth?
Him: Done!
Me: Already?! But you were barely gone 30 seconds!
Him: How long does it take anyway?!
Me: Hmpf, no wonder you have all that plaque lining your teeth on the inner sides of your gums.
Him: Dude, that's the color of my teeth.
Me: What, brown?
Him: Huh?!
Me: You brush your teeth like you'd brush a baby's bottom. With soft bristles to boot! I think you should try out Listerine. I got it a few weeks back.
Him: What's that?
Me: 30 seconds of Hell in your mouth.
Him: :-| (a la Sheldon Cooper)

I decided not to elaborate. The ensuing scene that played out in my mind...
Me: You've got to rinse your mouth with it for 30 seconds. You can't swallow it. It stings. You can't drink water for a while after it's stung you.
Him: :-| (meaning "Now why would I ever do that my mouth?")
Me: At the rate we're going, largely thanks to our brushing routine or the lack thereof, we're gonna run out of teeth by the time we hit the 4-Ohs.
Him: I could live with that.
Me: Dude, missing teeth and hair! How are we ever going to rock our 40s?
Him (to himself): Drama queen!
Me: But dude, does it sting!
Him: :-| (translates to "And you're even bothering to recommend it to me. Are you out of your mind?!")
Me (to self): Why did I even bother?

Pune supports India against corruption

http://indiaagainstcorruption.org/index.php
Apparently, the website is down at the moment... I guess it is the number of hits it must be receiving.

Folks worldwide can sign the online petition:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_anna_hazare/?cl=1007806945&v=8808

Punekars can participate in a couple of related events:

• Support for the nationwide event on Friday, April 8, 2011 (TODAY) – A march from Baalgandharva Theatre (J. M. Road) to Shaniwaar Waada; gather at 6:00 pm, bring your own candles.
• Pune-specific event on Saturday, April 9, 2011 (TOMORROW) – A march from PMC Office to Shaniwaar Waada; gather at 6:00 pm, bring your own candles.
  

Contact: Dr. Gitesh Devhane (gitesh.devhane@gmail.com) (+91 9028 485 261)

More info: http://indiaagainstcorruption.org/aboutus.php
Further contacts: http://indiaagainstcorruption.org/citycontacts.php

For a change, let's do our bit without making excuses.

The first few pictures

... are here!

There's this coconut tree on the rear side of my apartment, and this colorful branch caught my eye when I was ambling in the balcony making sure that my pets drank water.

So I zoomed in and immediately made a desktop wallpaper out of it :D

A spring blossom I picked up on the way while walking my dogs. I placed it on my red leather wallet for a contrast-ish effect.

My Phoebe! How could I not capture the apple of my eye? The queen of our home? My only love at first sight, ever? (Take that, hubby! The only thing I felt when I laid my eyes on you for the first time was... wow... that's so much light entering the room! You were practically reflecting light with every square inch of your visible skin!)

That's Mojo in his playful pose, who mistook the camera for a toy and was ready to jump at me and wrestle it away.

The second memory capturer

... is here!

From Nikon's Life series of digital cameras, it's L120! It has 21x optical zoom. Megapixels be damned!

Isn't that red irresistible?

• Specs as per Nikon


• Review by Steve's Digicams


• Offer from Flipkart
  

I can't stop giggling. Or at least grinning. It's either that or my evil laugh.

And I must add. Flipkart rocks! An impressive interview by Unmana made be give them a try. Am totally sold.

Also a vote of thanks to TG (bows! and bow-wows!) for the advice. And MG (you should begin write again!) for appreciating the pics I took earlier.

To the house elf

... who's been visiting us the past few days. While I'm not paying attention, he snoops around, does the dishes and stuff. Today he even swept the house! Thank you, magical elf!

I hope you have a great time at your first office party that doesn't involve me. I'll miss watching the cuteness that is you. Although, I can imagine you being hooked on to your cellphone while people discuss boring stuff around you. Or taking pictures if you feel like it.

Go on, elf. Hope you find some good friends among the folk you work with, someone as smart or smarter, who you enjoy collaborating with. I know you'd love that.

Yo-yo continued

It is surprising how two consecutive days can be so different.

I woke up yesterday feeling like shit. I cried and got my eyes swollen, my throat phlegm-filled, and my head throbbing. The husband sulked and went about his chores through most of the morning. (It's also surprising how chores only get done when we're pissed with the spouse--maybe that's how we burn up the angry energy. :P) I made breakfast without a word while he did the dishes from the previous day. There was a chance that he would not eat, but then he couldn't continue with a straight face for long. His favorite blanket that I got out the previous night and spread on him while he was asleep had something to do with it, I guess. We sort of made up over breakfast and then he did some more chores before bathing and leaving for work. I was still feeling like shit (although less shittier than when I awoke), so I decided to stay back and relax a bit before I left for work. Nothing improved my mood through the day, except when I got back home and there was Hairspray playing on HBO. I was not in the mood to eat, so I asked hubby to arrange for himself. He got home with a packet of bread and I was instantly tempted, because it only meant one thing--he was planning to eat anda bhurji. From then on, it felt much better. We cooked together--he warmed the bread, I whipped up the bhurji. We ate while watching a silly talk show, and then I happily walked the dogs again while he continued with Chop Shop.

I woke this morning and didn't even realize that the headache was gone. I simply changed, walked the dogs, and got breakfast ready while the hubby had his bath. He wanted to leave early today and had planned to skip breakfast, but I knew better. I tempted him with a dish he mentioned last night, and because it was almost ready when he was, he couldn't resist. We were both glad because he reached the office for his meeting in record time--14 kilometers (dining table to workstation) in 30 minutes flat--you'd understand if you knew this city's traffic hours. I did some more chores and then got to work. It's been pleasant so far. Yesterday's urge to quit has quietened. Some of it, thanks to people asking me questions and me giving them suggestions / directions. I guess I get some kick out of it. Maybe I should start working as a consultant / troubleshooter. Although, I really doubt my expertise at anything. I'm willing to research--maybe that's enough.

Enough blubbering for the day. I better get back to work (bring in the moolah) and chores (the thankless stuff). I wish everyone in the world a happy day.

Yo-yo

Last night was miserable. And it bled into Monday morning. I've had a throbbing in my head all day. (Hubby would like to say that there was something in there for a change.) Worked only half a day today.

Received news of the demise of a colleague / good friend's father. It happened on Friday, and as expected, I was informed from other sources. I did speak to the friend later, and am amazed at how calmly his Libran personality is taking him through. The guy was so torn and frustrated over the past few months! I hope things improve for him henceforth.

The pangs to quit the job are back. I've begun to detest my work on some days and push myself through it on the others. There's scope for much learning in the recent future, which I am looking forward to. But I don't know whether it's worth it. The best thing for me right now would be to stick around and switch to part time, but I don't know whether the management will be able to accept such a request. Also, companies these days do not enter into contracts with individuals, but employ them through contracting agencies, which sucks! I've seen a few examples, and it's a pain to manage money and any related issues with those agent-companies.

I do have a 3-week vacation planned. If only I could clear what's on my plate by then! The current release seems to be extending forever and they are making new additions to the product even as we're nearing RTM. It's just been such a good example of bad planning, worse communication, and the worst execution! I've never been so disgruntled with my work environment before. On one hand, my managers are willing to help me achieve work-life balance. On the other, a product manager tells me: if you want work-life balance, this product team in not the place to be.

During the upcoming vacation, I'm hoping to come to a conclusion about whether I want to continue or not. The original plan was to take a 3-month break, but the learning opportunity I mentioned is right at the beginning of those months, and so I had to settle for something else. And I'm not liking it.

Who is Unmana?

The author of this blog-book: The Voices in My Head
(Yes, the title's a rip-off of Salt. What to do, I haven't watched it, but can't miss the posters and trailers that I see everywhere?!)

I know that there are about three people or fewer who read this blog, and most of those are familiar with Unmana's words. If someone new stumbles upon this blog, I'd urge you to go read her. She's spinning some a stories over there. But I'll always remain a fan of her non-fiction work :)

Hyperactively excited

...is what I become when I unexpectedly come across a person I know and adore. I was out for a team lunch at Not Just Jazz by the Bay, when Gouri Dange walked past.

I could not just keep my ass stuck to the chair and wave a decent hello. I almost ran over to her and hugged her out of joy. Even though she lives in the neighborhood and I can visit her often, I don't/ get to. It was such a thrill to see her there! She mentioned that she had just watched (the world's worst film--in her words) Aisha and I was like, but why?! Why put yourself through that? She explained that she had accompanied a friend who was critiquing that movie. I told her I'd rather watch Predators.

Which I truly will. Booked tickets for the weekend already. Husband made the mistake of asking what the story of that one was. As if I care. I'm just going for all the guns and lasers and mini-nuclear weapons/beasts and spooky scenes. Although a lot of thought and work might have gone into making that one, for me it's a no-brainer. Which is what I need right now.

Also reading Confessions Of A Listmaniac by eM. Trying to not work longer than 8 hours a day.

Professional hazards - II continued

Remember I said I was in mourning? Scratch that. I was in denial. I thought it would be difficult for me to get over, but that G would be there even after V was gone, and that would be enough.

This morning, G pinged and asked whether I could speak for a few minutes. I gladly agreed, assuming that it was about some urgent tasks for the upcoming product release. I never suspected what I'd be hit with. And then she said the words. She's about to move on too.

Although, I'm very, very glad for her, because it's a wonderful opportunity--she's getting the exact job she wanted, without taking a pay cut. She can continue working from her home office twice a week, and the rest of the days have fixed work timings. It sounds like a really wonderful opportunity for her.

G is so sweet and considerate, I could die of all the sweetness! She informed our manager about this on Friday, and could have dropped the rest of us an email, or spoken to us on the same day. She waited until Monday morning when I reached office to break the news, because she knew it would have ruined my weekend, had she done otherwise. I'm really thankful to her for that, because I had an unexpectedly nice weekend. Bless her soul!

And now, I'm at a loss for words and feelings. G was my last reason to have any emotional attachment to my project teammates. I'll forever feel the void when working with this team now. I thought I'd be crying my eyes out when this happened, but I'm not. I think I shielded my heart after L left, so even V's news didn't hurt enough. I'm not letting the pain reach within. Right now, we have to focus on the impending release, and make sure all the necessary tasks are done. There's no time for mourning too.

Also, even though our managers would appreciate us taking over V's and G's responsibilities in such a short time, it just wouldn't feel right to me. I think I jinxed the team through and through. Now I have a very silly hope that our managers would be able to contact the folks we lost or let go earlier, and convince them to come back. Like I said: silly hope. I'm in denial and I don't want to get out of it.

Professional hazards - II

This one isn't funny. Not one bit. Remember how I mentioned that I work with the best team in the world? Well, all my blabbering took its toll. I jinxed it.

When I joined my current company 3 years ago, I wasn't sure of what I was getting into. I'd moved on from a very fun work environment. Not that all was rosy, a lot of people complained, but their issues were alien to me. I didn't think about how my new team would be, I just switched jobs because I had to move cities and it was the easiest thing to do. When they hired me here, they had two positions open and weren't sure which team to put me on. It was my terrific luck that I landed where I am. I had a very professional and gentlemanly manager, and it was inspiring to see him at work.

He moved on within less that a year of my joining. Fortunately, I wasn't working with anyone else locally, my team stayed intact. Then came the horrible month of December 2008 when a LOT of employees were laid off globally. We lost the most senior and knowledgeable member of the team and also a contractor who part-timed with us. In 2009, our lead decided to move to another project. We couldn't complain, because she was on the same project for a decade and needed change! Later that year we also came to know that our manager was battling with a dreadful disease. Even though she wasn't around a lot, we heard from her via emails, and assumed that she'd be with us for a few more years. We lost her earlier this year.

Soon after, there was another round of lay-offs, and the next most senior member (am I seeing a pattern here?) was let go. It was a shock and I was sad and angry for quite a few days. What sort of business strategy aims for success by laying off people with over 20 years of experience and replacing them with freshers or folks with 3-5 years of experience in a country where they don't even have the relevant curriculum?! (It's another matter that we learn and adapt well.) Now, there were only2 of the 6 members that I started off with. I decided that I'd stick around as long as there was at least one of them. Today morning, we received an email that one of those two is leaving.

This awesome woman has resigned, and she'll be gone in 2 weeks! I hate change and I'm officially in mourning.

What's the hazard here? Well, in my profession, you need excellent communication skills. That is one thing, which if used correctly and with good intent, can make life easier for everyone around you. However, people can also use it to manipulate and twist things only for their personal advantage. It's a subtle power that can disrupt the harmony of a near-perfect community. The wonderful people that I have been with will always be my benchmark for future teams. And I'm not sure I'll be third-time lucky.

PS: G, with V gone, it'll be just you and me, that too in different continents. I hope you don't decide to leave too. I'll have no motivation to stay put. I'll hate coming to work. Baaawwwwwwllllll!

A certain Ms. Noor

...whose name truly befits her. Noor-Ul-Ayn, meaning aankhon ki roshni. She's such a loving soul, I'm sure she personifies that concept for her loved ones.

We met at Wadeshwar on F.C. Road this weekend, and because it was too crowded, we moved to Horn OK Please. I'm glad we did, because it had a decent (I meant in numbers) crowd and no music (if it was on, I don't remember), so we could chatter to our hearts' content. (Actually not, 'cuz we hung out for only a couple of hours.)

The woman truly is non-stop, but I think I did cut her off a few times! Been a long time since a conversation with someone was so fluid. Even though she has twins approaching the terrible twos, she didn't seem stressed at all! Sure she must be tired with working through the week and staying up nights for the li'l ones, but she hid it very well. If it was me, I'd be all harried and not even bother to go halfway across town to meet a bloggie pal. Noor, you have awesome stamina and patience.

I had parked my car about half a kilometer away because I thought walking would take me from KNP to Wadeshwar faster. Even though she spent more time chattering with me than planned, she dropped me off on Bhandarkar Road and then headed home. And, here's some news: she doesn't drive as slowly as she says she does (I tried to look up that post, but got lost in a heap of those on her blog). I imagined her to follow her own words to the tee, but she's good! :D (You can beat me up for this, N!)

I wanted to post some flowers for you, N, but can't transfer them online right now. Stay tuned. Also, we'll try and meet up with G. She must be back soon. Hopping on to her space to check.

So here are your flowers, N. It's you, RS, and SS :)

Birds of a feather...

Here's another excerpt from an email exchange with a team mate.

Her: I wonder whether we should use [full product name] instead of [abbreviated product name]? I dislike the “ARS” abbreviation because it sounds like “arse.” Am I the only person who would notice that?

Me: Heh, it actually never occurred to me! (And my mind is usually in the gutter, when compared to other prissy girls around me.)

Her: Well, I’m glad I have good company in the gutter! ; )

I'm thrilled when I meet a 50-year-old woman who looks gorgeous, does her work smartly and with painstaking attention to detail, and thinks like me sometimes. I thank thee oh heavens above, for this serendipitous association with my lovely team.

I'll miss you, Robin

My manager had been battling ALS since the past few months. She fought bravely and refused to quit working and supporting her team. It was inspiring to see her. One of my regrets in life will be not getting to speak to her before she passed away.


I'll miss you, Robin, your leadership, your courage, your quick decision-making ability, your insights, your appreciation, all that made you such a wonderful manager. I guess it stems from being such a good person inside. I'm glad to have been associated with you. May your soul be in peace.

I remember feeling down in the dumps on a morning this weekend. It was soon after the unfortunate event. I'd like to believe it's the cosmic connection. Adios, brave woman.

Has it been so long

...that I need a cellphone reminder to tell me that it's our anniversary today? Well, I could blame it on the weekend full of chores and no time for ourselves that made us drop dead in the bed last night--no energy for even thinking about today.

I woke up this morning, let Fibi out, and snuggled in with you only to have Mojo jump around and sniff and settle on us, breathing heavily into our ears. So then I let Fibi join in and jump over us too. As I pulled myself out of the warm, comforting husband-and-dog-pile-on-the-mattress and headed for a bath, I noticed the phone blinking and wondered irritably what other task I was supposed to do today--only to be surprised by the anniversary reminder. After which I ran to you excitedly, passing on the reminder. Some hugs and kisses and rather childish lovey-dovey wishes later, we got back to chores. Which involved you feeding the dogs and me getting ready and playing with them until it was time to drag my sorry ass to work. All the while thinking about having one whole day at home, with you on the sofa, me lying in the bean bag, snuggling with the dogs, watching a silly sci-fi movie, and NOT DOING OR THINKING ABOUT DOING ANYTHING ELSE. Sigh!

We've spent all these years doing something or the other (work, watching movies, pigging out on food, long drives, household chores) and always postponing important things like attempting to have a healthier lifestyle and having more time off for 'ourselves'. Maybe it's time we start focussing on those things now. Otherwise we'll always be tired and whiny even after weekends. We'll have a happy anniv, hon, some day.

Till then, here's the pic of the year:
We're doing a good job of hiding those hideous tummies, but we still look a li'l horizontally stretched, don't we?

Chill, sweetheart, it's just a reminder of where we are and where we want to go back to, which is this...
I've merged the images, but the rest is all reality--only 3 years and a dozen kilos earlier. Just like our current reality is close to the Michelin Man.

Ok, stop throwing things at me. Focus, focus!!