Change

Thats what I feel I am undergoing.. I wasnt such a loner. Being so happy about staying alone.. I dreaded it. Used to cling to friends - even if I did not like them.
Now, am ok if people dont accept me around. I am ok roaming around alone. If people do come along they are welcome.. If they are happy staying away,I am happy with that too. To some extent.. I mean I do sometimes feel am I doing something wrong to see people refuse to be with me but I think thats hormonal :) (What a nice excuse)

So I have dined alone.. Went on a trip alone. And today when I was roaming in the mall, I actually thought of   going to watch a movie alone !! No thats not so good..I am not such a movie buff although allI watch on the TV entire day is CSI, Law and order like series or Movies.

And what I do while the TV is on is amazing.. I cook ! My mother would faint.. People who have suffered through my cooking disasters would be really ask - Do we know this person?
Not only regular Chapati Bhaji , but also parathas, pasta and today - height of all - A chocolate cake ! and fortunately these experiments are turning out good too. So far so good.
I hope this post doesnt jinx any of the fun I am having.. I am ok if it jinxes the loneliness that comes over sometimes..
Thank God for some really great friends who are always around Online or a phone call away help in those bouts..

(Ok I know my writing skills needs some polish, its got rusty and the posts are really not so good..But I will get to it.. soon..)

What a day!!

Waking up not so early .. getting ready and get out to the Ferry wharf not too far.. go on a Ferry trip to the Sydney City in a beautiful weather..Clear skies, cool breeze and a camera :)

Now at the end of day it seems like did I really do it? I am such a lazy person..waking up before 9 on Saturday Sunday without any predefined plan is definitely not me.. But I did it today..

The Ferry wharf isnt too far just a 4-5 mins walk.. Got the tickets and got on to the Wharf of Baramada (in Aboriginal Language) The weather helped out.. although its sunny its not hot.. Its breezy and not too windy..

not many thoughts on mind, Just clicking away whatever you feel nice is also a good experience..

 

Some shots have been good.. some havent.. Nevertheless, it has given me a confidence I can roam around alone :)

After reaching the Circular Quay and watching the Opera house from outside, since it was already 12:30 ( and I was supposed to meet a few people at 4) I planned to have lunch and then come back.. 

Found a little open air cafe and enjoyed lunch in nice cool breeze at the roadside. Alone obviously..but now I am pretty comfy with dining alone :)

Started back on Train as I had to get tea for the party coming in and probably a cap or a hat. The trains had trackwork on..just like the Mega blocks back home (yes they happen here too on weekends :))  So had to get down halfway and get on to a bus. Then reaching Parramatta and I got a bit confused which direction to go !! After a few steps in the wrong direction, found the right one..Not only that found  a nice hat too.. 

although dint get the cost ..so left it back in search of the original thing.. After another round of roaming around, getting things till the time I was back, the 4 o'clock meeting was canceled and probably the Christmas trip plan too. When I saw the hat back and on sale at a good price, I bought it.

When I reached home, I was tired and just wanted to lie down.. and thats what I was doing when I thought of writing down... 

So with aching legs, I write - because if I dont.. I never will do that and while you watch Harry Potter film  the last one, you always can :)

Its been a nice day although you cannot be really happy if the people you love are not so..But then every good thing needs to have a 'nazar na lage'  I hope the evening is as nice as I want it ...

Dining Alone

I dint think it takes so much courage to just walk into a restaurant alone and sit and eat.

Its a little overwhelming feeling, But I did it twice in last week. Cos I had no option.
First time, I picked out a little one - Italian- hardly seats 20 . But the food was good. You can see the amazement on the people's faces when you say you are dining in alone :)
Second time, a bit bigger  - Malaysian. Here it was pretty much evident they were surprised. They asked me Takeaway ? I said no, will be sitting down here.

It better than a take away. With that I would have to eat in the room - alone. In the restaurant there were others around :) so not alone..
But it ends up simply having food and then stand up and go . Its difficult to taste food. And people all around keep wondering..is she waiting for someone ..

Nevertheless a different experience..Try it sometime. 

Sangeet Natak.. Musical Play

Sangeet Natak.. Something I am seeing for first time..a play where everyone simply enters and starts singing :)
And yes, the story moves ahead with the songs..all of them classical songs..and sung beautifully..

For those who dont know, sangeet Natak are the way plays in Marathi started..and I guess thats where the songs in Bollywood started too..

So I watched two plays, one on Saturday and another on Sunday.. Dint know the story of "Jai jai Gourishankar" and had an idea of story for "Sangeet Saubhadra"

"Jai Jai Gourishankar" is a play that tells the story of Mangeshi-Shantadurga temple.. How Narad tries to start a quarrel between Shiv and Parvati using a game of dice.. He succeeds in starting it because the Omniscient Shiv allows it to.. and then Shiv Parvati separate to meet in Gomantak vana.. ( It was here I realised it was story of some temple in Goa, till then I was wondering whats it about) The story then unfolded to how Parvati tried to entice the ascetic Shiv in the garb of a Bhill (Adivasi). In a Sangeet natak, the story is punctuated woth Songs..after probably every 10 dialogues.. and every actor ..and I mean every actor sings.. even the Nandi and the Gana named Shundi too.. It was surely a fun..Mukund Marathe played Shiv.. rest I dont remember now..

Next day, "Sangeet Saubhadra"  was more fun.. This one had star actor-singers. Story of the marriage of Arjun and Subhadra- Sister of Krishna & Balram. Now where there is Krishna, there sure is some mischief..and thats what the story is about :) Wellknown songs sung by wellknown singer-actors and listening them live is an altogether different experience.. Anand Bhate (Lead singer in Baal Gandharva and singer of my favorite song "Chinmaya Sakal Hridaya") was Krishna, Rahul Deshpande (ex-Judge in Z Marathi Sa re ga ma) was Narad and Ajay Purkar (seen in lot of Marathi serials) was Arjun. I dont remember names of the actresses although they have also been awesome with their performance and Songs..

About the songs from these Plays.. some other time.. Just in case you get time, watch both these plays.. 

I hate bad English

Actually not only english, but any language spoken / written wrongly gets me in the corrective mode..

Bad English is something that occurs more frequently than others..
"I got an update from P that she needs assignments at ABC location because she is having a medical issue. In her earlier project she was worked from XYZ that time she felled in a faint 2-3 times in a bus during travel due to traffic congestion & suffocation. She informed about this to her earlier PM. She joined here just because it was just 2-3 weeks assignment as communicated earlier to her"

and this this written by a person with 8 years of experience and a team lead!

A conference call is going on, a remotely talking person says "Guys are you able to hear me, have you put me on hold?" A person at my end of phone immediately presses the "hold" button and when questioned he says "Usne bola na hold par daalo" ...I felled in a faint !!!! :D

These are very few examples that I have clear memory of.. There are many more and will put it soon.

Just Like that

Alright! I am not writing.. been a long time..

I think I have written this soo many times and not posted!

Today, my dear rains have come pouring.. and people have stayed home with their kids to enjoy their time..The Trains are empty, stations are empty ( Kalva!!!) .. so are the roads..(not really there is water on it)..

My kid (i.e. my niece) also did not let me go at first.. Now I am feeling bad that I left her and came to office. 

Hope I can leave early and return to play :)

(This is an attempt to restart the dormant blogging..Readers, if there are any faithful ones, please comment and encourage :) )

तुझी आठवण

पावसाच्या थेंबांनी मन भरून टाकलंय तुझ्या ओंजळीत रितं करण्यासाठी
पण तू कुठे आहेस माझी ओंजळ भरण्यासाठी ?
गार वाऱ्याने फुलवून टाकलंय मला,
तुझ्या आठवणीसारखा तूच पाठवलं आहेस का त्याला तुझ्या निरोपासाठी?

तुझी आठवण पावसासारखी येते
चिंब भिजवून मोहवून टाकते
आणि मग मी पुन्हा वाट पाहते
अजुन एक सरी साठी........

(These are created a long time back when the first rains had brought the beautiful smell of the earth.. posted only now..)

चिनू आणि अनु

चिनू .. आमची चिनू एवढसं बाळ आहे .. अजुन १.५ महीने पण नाही झाले तिला.. पण सगळयांना नाचविते :)

आमच्या समोर एक छोटीशी ताई आहे तिची .. तिचा नाव अनु .. ती आहे १.२५ वर्षाची .. एवढसं बाळ हे तिनेच दिलेलं नाव ! तसं अनु चिनू ला "छोत छोत बाळ" सुद्धा  म्हणते ! 

तर गम्मत अशी झाली .. की आमची चिनू १ महिन्याची झाल्यावर तिच्या आई बरोबर आजोळी  गेली.. घर सुनं  सुनं झालं.. आम्हाला करमेना..तिच्या रडण्याचा भास पण व्हायचा .. दूसरा दिवस उजाडला ..आम्ही आपापल्या कामात होतो.. अनु आली विचारत "बाळ ? बाळ ?" मी सांगितला तिला " बाळ भुर्र गेलं "  तिला पटेना.. 

"बाळ कुठे ? बाळ .. बाळ .. " करत ती गेली आतल्या खोलीत जिथे ती आधी बाळ बघायला जायची.. बाळ दिसलं नाही. जरा हिरमुसली .. मग तिने सगळीकड़े शोधला .. पलंगावर ..छोट्या टी-पॉय वर .. टेबल वर अणि कमी पडलं तर तिने बाथरूम मधे पण शोधून झाला .. मग तिच्या आईने तिचा समाधान केला..तू कशी आजी कड़े जाते तसं बाळ पण आजी कड़े गेला.. पण आम्हाला कही ते पटेना..

तीसरा दिवस, पुन्हा तेच "बाळ.. बाळ " करत शोधायचा अणि नाराज होउन जायचा.. ३-४ दिवसांनी तिने बहुतेक स्वतःची समजूत घालून घेतली.. आणि तिच्या समजुतीने आम्ही थक्क झालो..

ती अजुनही तशीच येते "बाळ.. बाळ .." करत एवढंच की जाताना म्हणते "बाळ ऑफिस ला गेलं " !!!!!

आता चिनू बाळ परत येऊ पर्यंत अनु ताई जाइल भुर्र उडून अमेरिकेला .. आणि परत येऊ पर्यंत विसरुन देखिल जाइल बाळ कोण ते .. पण आम्हा मोठ्यांना मात्र ही गम्मत नक्कीच लक्षात राहिल !!

Local talk

These days I travel to and fro office by train. So after a long break am enjoying the daily local talk..
Every morning as I take the same train, I find the regulars smiling at me as opposed to the initial frown :) Not exactly am engaging in conversations, it still is fun to listen, right now, two females are chatting up on multiple recipes..both seem to be software engineers, and juggling time between office and home..but I guess this time is giving them the well needed break... I know how much that is sooo required!!
Then there is another lady who gets down with me, doesnt really talk much but smiles at me when we meet in the morning waiting for the train..we talk a bit as we gear up to get down..
When you see the same faces daily, you start smiling and a bond is formed.. I havent really traveled in Mumbai Local that regularly as I do now.. But I love it anyways..  

6 years

Been 6 years since this blog started.. and there have been a lot of gaps in blogging. Another year has started and the blogging is still slow.
Hope I pick up a little.  :)

An year that was

I remember the year had started with no chutti to MBA classes and an impromptu trip with my mother's school teachers..first working day and I had bunked office :-D..
Over the year, I really dint have many vacations except the one that my parents took me to Anjarle..but surely finished up lot of leaves..so much so that my Boss has an allergy to my leave plans :)
The overall year so study and exams and assignments too. When the final paper was done on 18 Dec I felt such a heavy relief..Although it was a part time course the pressure has been quite something. And what have I gained? Additon to my EQ and some amount of Management jargon :) one thing I learnt this year is that nothing can compensate experience! No management theories tell us what is the right decision to take..it can only analyse after a decision has been taken. It gave me quite some good friends and a lot of intellectually stimulating discussions too which I will miss now :(

Our car was another event..being a newly launched model, Tata Venture was just fit for our farm needs.. It first was terrifying due to hugeness yet once it started running it has been a pleasure.. It took a 2 months leave from us and got a heart transplant..sorry engine transplant, still I got to have my dream drive on it ..and this year!!

The important and the best thing that happened in our family was my brother and sis-in-law declaring that we would have a bundle of joy by end of the year!!! The 9 months have been soo exciting and when the wait was over, the little one has been a real treasure.. Our little Princess - will call her Chinu - is so little so cute so lovely so nice.. So much so that she will fill all the years to come..

Happy New Year!!