A Questionnaire on ME, again.

One more TAG for me !!!!! And thanks Swaram, for asking me to do it.



1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Looking at the few grey hairs, I wondered whether to put henna for my hair today or not.


2. How much cash do you have in your wallet right now?
A 500/- note and a lot of coins (Trying to be the CHANGE I want in others)


3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
SOAR - As my is heart is doing right now, doing the tag. I spent a whole 1 hr on what to blog, today morning. Just at that moment I read Swaram's comment, to take up the tag. Thanks, yaar.


4. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
Airtel Customer Care - I never answer this call, as it'll be a recorded message on some new promo or scheme.


5. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
A R Rehman's Nokia tune.


6. What are you wearing right now?
One silly pyjama, which is absolutely out of size but so comfy and my fav Tee.


7. Do you label yourself?
Perfect Passionate Yoga loving Feminine Chef


8. Name the brand of the shoes you currently own?
Reebok, Nike


9. Bright or Dark Room?
I prefer the bright ones, unless I've the splitting headache.


10. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
Funny, Smiling with a great love for life.


11. What does your watch look like?
I still hold the Titan watch my S gifted me close to my heart, for my first bday after marriage. Its diamond shaped with a gold dial.


12. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Dreaming that I was being felicitated in some grand function. But couldn't remember, when / where /why.


13. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
It was an order for the Tupperware business I am doing from home. My friend had smsed to order lunch boxes, fridge bottles among others.


14. What’s a word you say a lot?
Muruga Muruga or Rama Rama, but I think it'll be Thank you God.


15. Who told you he/she loved you last?
My S before leaving to office, 2day morning. He better say it everyday !!!!


16. Last furry thing you touched?
My daughter's teddy bear which she sleeps with, when I cleared her bed.


17. Favourite age you have been so far?
24 - I got engaged, painted the town red for 3 months with my S, got married and had a super duper honeymoon. Wish those days will come again.


18. What was the last thing you said to someone?
Hey Munni (my Beautician who comes home), When are you coming to put henna for my hair ?


19. The last song you listened to?
Mandram vandha thendralukku, manjam vara nenjam illayo ? kanne en kanne ..... A beautiful tamil song by S P B (Am a gr8 fan of him) in the movie Mouna Raagam.


20. Where did you live in 1987?
Hot and humid Chennai.


21. Are you jealous of anyone?
Yes, all those people who flaunt their flat tummy, while I am furiously working out on it.


22. Is anyone jealous of you?
Not that I know of.


23. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
A To DO List in my mobile which stays in my pocket all the time, My favourite Titan watch, A smile and a hug for my daughters.



24. What’s your favourite town/city?
Hyderabad / Secunderabad Twin cities.


25. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
To LIC for change of address - not too sure. Its been a very long time....


26. Can you change the oil on a car?
Total dependency on the car mechanic.


27. Your first love/big crush: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
Big crush was Ravi Shastri, when I was in college. It died a silent death, when I got to meet so many real men in life.


28. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
Yeah, my right heel. Should consult a doctor.


29.What is your current desktop picture?
My hubby with a scenic backdrop - I took this picture, when we had been to Srisailam last week.


30. Have you been burnt by love?
Hurt by love, Burnt by passion.

What, is that all ? Only 30 questions ?????
Anyway, it was fun doing it.

I hate these questions .....

Yesterday, I had been to the bank, to update my passbook. The man in the counter smiled at me and started making small talk with me. I didn't mind the questions which were out of my personal sphere. Then came the - Is your husband working with ..... ? What is he, in that company ? Here I am, trying to answer those questions with all the patience in the world, while he was waiting for the printer to print my account details. I was praying for the printing to be done fast, as I know the next question that was to be thrown at my direction.

Madam, Do you work ? --- Now, what kind of question is that ? I hate this question pointed at me. I get up at morning 5.15am, start packing my girls' lunch boxes as they leave at 6.45am. Then comes an array of chores like breakfast for me and S, lunch box for S, laundry, buying things for the house, banking, baking (some days), handle the maid, evening snack for the hungry girls, dinner and the list is sometimes endless. I try and catch up with my favourite Nigella's shows in between, if possible. While I slog around the house so much, I don't take it kindly to answer that question - Do you Work ? Should I answer a NO, I don't work - to this stupid question.

Just because he happened to be the person who helps me during long queues in the bank, I nodded my head both ways - up and down and side to side, totally confusing him. While he looked at me eagerly waiting for the answer, I took the passbook and escaped a verbal answer to him.

Are you employed somewhere ? sounds much better.

Another question that makes me really really irritable is - Are you a housewife ? I am totally angered by the way this society forms words in English - housewife???? grrrrrrr. To which I normally answer, I am a homemaker.

If you take up any application form in this country, there will be Name, Address. And under the heading Occupation, there will be options which has to be ticked. Options available are Employed, Housewife, Student, Others. When there is an option for employed, let the other option be Unemployed - Why degrade the 24*7 working women with a word like housewife ???? I generally choose the Others category and write Homemaker in the space provided.

If a man stays at home taking care of the house and kids, will he be branded as house husband ????? Maybe, yes, in India.

I prefer the stay-at-home Mom / Dad tag much much better than this stupid housewife thing which I am living with.

What are the questions which repel you from answering ? Do you get irritated like me ?????

Obsession

People have such strange obsessions in life.
Ask my S to know about mine, which I think have been kept quite a secret so far. Here I am trying to explain about only one of those. So, why this revelation now ?
Maybe, when people comment on my post, I'll get to know about the weird things, which they are obsessed with and the whole process might turn out to be very funny, indeed.
Isn't this a great job to do to spend all those lazy summer afternoons ?
OK, coming to the point of discussion, I've this strange quality of collecting carry bags. You name them and I'll have them.
Yes, you're absolutely right in guessing that carry bags are those plastic bags in which you're handed over the stuff you buy in shops, malls etc.
Just imagine that I've shopped for 3 salwar suits and 2 sarees. Even before the bill is paid, I am near the delivery counter trying to make eye contact with the packing boy. That is actually to make him pack the 5 things in 5 different bags instead of one bag, as is usually done. I do all these silly things, if and only if, the carry bag is really good and has captured my heart with the design. I've a great eye for catchy design, mind you.
You should see my expression when somebody tries to borrow one carry bag from me. Those prized possessions, which were absolutely a delight to collect, is certainly not available for borrowing. But, I do give consideration to the people who ask me for it. If they are somebody whom I am really fond of or if I know that they'll take very good care of the plastic bag just as I do, I might come down and give them one or two.
Of course, I do have a really good collection now. I love those wonderful smooth carry bags which I got in Dubai ( we had been there for a holiday ). The carry bags which you get at duty free shops are just awesome.
And when you give those bags collected with great difficulty to people, they sometimes use it as lunch bags, spill food inside and throw it away, I feel very sad about it.
I know, I know, this is absolutely weird and silly - this obsession with plastic carry bags. But what to do ? It is all this weird and silly things that make us as human beings.
So, are you obsessed with anything in life ?

PS - There are so many other things about which I am obsessed with, which I'll share with you in the coming posts.

Jantha hai mera COUSIN kaun hai ????

Morning News from Facebook : Uma, Barack Obama confirmed you as a cousin on We're Related.

I don't know whether I should be thrilled or happy about this new relation, which Facebook has found for me.

But one thing is for sure, I was rolling on the floor laughing my heart out.

Me and Barack Obama - COUSINS, eh ?????

Now, now, dear Facebook, you've made my hubby dear hesitate to come near me. He's scared that one wrong move from his side and I'll be on the next flight to G20 Summit to complain to Obama.

Oh my God ! Facebook made my day today !

Waking up with Alarms !

Trrrnnnng ! Trrrnnngg ! Ahhh ! What is that noise ? Who is disturbing my sleep ?
I hate these alarms. This was me when I was studying for board exams and this is still me when I try to get up and send my daughters to school. I love to switch off the alarm and go back to sleep and continue with my dream. Ah ! Such wonderful dreams come only in the early morning hours, which I've to cut short to get up.

When I was in school, every night before going to bed, my standard dialogue to my mom will be "Ma, please wake me up early. I've got to read". She'll give me a dirty look and walk off. I know this look, as I get it everyday. Early morning, when my mom starts waking me up, I'll just open my eyes a little and tell "5 mins, I'll be up". And then I'll cuddle nicely with a pillow and close my eyes to continue my dream. My mom will come again after 5 mins and this time she'll have a very stern voice. I'll actually sit up and again fall back on the bed. My mom walking from the kitchen to the bedroom and me changing poses will continue for another half an hour. To put an end to this situation, my mom will just get a glass of water and pour it on my face. Alas, dreams shattered, sleep gone and I am totally awake. As this situation was a regular everyday, both my mom and me got used to it, kind of. Now, you understood why she gave me a dirty look.

Actually, the problem arised because of my sister. This sister of mine will get up on her own in the ungodly hour of 3am to study. While I can study late into the night, I can never do this morning studies. I try and study during regular days so that I dont need to keep awake just to study. Why miss out on the wonderful dream-full sleep ?

And now, when I dont have anything to study, I've to get up early to the ringtones of the mobile alarm, so that my daughters get ready for school in time.

What a wonderful invention is the SNOOZE option in the alarms of mobile phones. It's just like what I did, when I was young. Those days, it was my mom who used to snooze and call me every 5 mins. Now it is the mobile, which has taken over from my mom. I set the time in my mobile 30 mins fast. When the alarm rings, it is actually 30 mins in advance to the actual time. It is a great delight now, to keep snoozing the mobile for the next 30 mins and enjoy some more sleep, the way I wanted.

The holidays are the time when the mobile alarm is totally off, but I've to live with the real life alarms - like my daughter, who gets up at 5.30am even during days when she has off.

Now a days, as political parties in India follow the footsteps of Obama, they are becoming more gadget oriented. I keep getting election messages in the middle of the night or in the early morning hours. I am totally against these smses in the night times.

Finally, as the exams are getting over, I am just about to get a break from the alarms and blissfully sleep till the sun rises. Here's to beautiful dreams and great sleeping time to myself !