empire labs erotic toys erotica writing competition foreign post office mumbai Mumbai Moments Captured mumbai post office valentine erotica submission valentines luck

I can’t help but crack up laughing whilst writing this post … It’s just too funny ! Maybe not to you right now – but once I’m done and you actually read the reference posts – you’d appreciate it :)

Background to Fill You In

A week or so prior to Valentines, I got totally inspired to write a few posts all thanks to Nandoism’s Valentines Erotica Submission post .. If I say so myself, damn I was on a roll and how ! I then went on to work up the nerve to take part in the content held by Empire Labs; only to realize I belonged to the wrong country.  Around this time I started focusing on the calling of my blogger voice; and eventually got to submitting a small piece of erotica to the competition.

Then on 15th February I came to know that I had WON the Nandoism and Empire Labs competition !!!  and that I’d be receiving a big box of goodies from the lovely peeps over at Empire Labs … but since they’re going to be shipping to India … and technically ‘toys’ aren’t really allowed … I would be receiving a box of sample molding kits hahahha

So anyway … I’ve been in touch with the lovely Becky from Empire Labs and she’s been checking in on whether or not I’ve received my parcel as yet.  Between the jinxes I’ve received from my Twitter friends Berges M and Rajiv Dingra; I’ve been quite doubtful whether or not I’d EVER receive my parcel ! .. Then it finally happened … I got a post card from the post office informing me that my parcel was with the CUSTOMS division of the Foreign Post Office and that I should make my way over and collect it.

Off I went earlier today and believe you me when I tell you that this is NOT an easy place to find ! After eventually finding the damn office, I was directed to 3 different people only to have the last person (who was a conservative old man – and I mean grandpa old) – keep hinting that I might potentially be receiving ‘illegal’ items since I didn’t 'quite know the content of the parcel (of course I did  but I’m not about to break it down to a grandpa that I’m receiving a box of sex toys!)

(this pic is the closest I can get to describe the old man at the post office .. minus the turban .. he was even wagging his finger at me when telling me off)

I now have to go back tomorrow and go and ‘open’ this parcel in front of him as it turns out he’s the ‘examiner’ … hmmm … now what ?? I went over to the head of the building and gave him a sob story telling him how I didn’t like grandpa telling me off about my parcel and how it was really inconvenient for me to keep coming to the post office .. I mean after all .. I have a job !! !can’t just leave in the middle of the day to sit at the post office :P  

My sister and I were cracking up over this because it’s going to be highly embarrassing if I DO have to open this box up !!! I don’t quite know WHAT the customs office is going to say to me !  My sis reckons I should take a letter / email from Empire Labs and show it to the customs for proof; and then attempt to video the entire episode on my camera whilst I’m there for you to get the REAL FEEL of my experience.

Hmmm .. might just have to try that out !  Guess you’ll just have to wait and see what happens with the parcel !  Wish me luck people !

Mumbai Mumbai Moments Captured people's experiences people's perceptions perceptions random rambling random thoughts restless thoughts

I’ve been quite restless the past week or two.  I’m drowning myself in a sea of knowledge in an attempt to ‘learn more’ .. and every day the learning curve goes up a notch.  Being a perfectionist is proving to be my downfall right now.  I can’t keep up with all the learning !

I’ve been wanting to go out .. party – dance – socialize .. but at the same time I don’t want to do that.  I reckon its because I’m missing being in Dubai … or maybe it’s the empty vacuum of not being around my boys *sigh*

I didn’t go out the entire weekend.  I’ve been reading, researching, learning, creating … I’m trying to let it all sink in.  Went out on Sunday to a boat party – which was fun.  But it was so hot.  Its about 34 degrees out here.  And trust me – you don’t want to be outdoors in this heat.

I’m working on a series of posts on Social Media Marketing that I’d like to put up .. but I’m not sure whether they would be better in the form of a SlideShare presentation or just as text ? I’m quite comfortable with my Blogger Voice – I suppose I just want to let more be heard now.  I’m still figuring it all out – but at least I’ve got my thoughts out in the open now .. right ?

There’s so much going on in my life .. more than I even realized .. and to try to find the time to do it all is proving almost impossible.  For every hour that I spend on one project – it’s an hour less that I’m able to give to something else .. and that’s eating at me.

I read a really great post the other day by Joanna Penn over at The Creative Penn titled What Do You Want To Write In Your Lifetime ? Reflections on Morality. .. and it got my mind into a hasty overdrive mode ! I’m working on that right now.

Until then …. thanks for swinging by =)

marine drive bombay Mumbai Mumbai Moments Captured nature sea view sunset views wordless wednesday

It’s my first Wordless Wednesday … decided to try it out whenever I can since I’m such an obsessive camera-holic !   This was the sunset view yesterday 16.3.10 from Dome at the Intercontinental Hotel on Marine Drive in Bombay.

 

classic moments captured funny signs just just for fun moments captured motorbiker series Mumbai Mumbai Moments Captured observations pet owners signs that don't make sense

As some of you know, I have been inspired by Al Pitcher (a comedian who uses day-to-day photographs as a part of his comedy act) to come up with the Mumbai Moments Captured series (the first post being The Motorbiker Series)  as I too have quite a few ad hoc images that I feel can only be seen in Mumbai (and around India) .. Now it’s time for the next instalment …

Drum Rolls …. Raising Curtains ….

It’s A Sign

I’ve come across quite a few funny signs and notices and thought it would be cool to share them with you all …

Earlier in January this year, I got a group together and headed off to Lonavala for my birthday.  We were 3 cars who drove out together and we had so much alcohol between the cars, that honestly if there had been a road check at any point – we would have been stopped and questioned for hours on end !

On reaching Lonavala, we realised that we’re gonna need ICE for the drinks – and started asking around where we could find some …. An old man on the road pointed us into an alley / side street and we saw this sign ….

All of us must have pissed ourselves laughing … we could see the sign board for ice but there was NO ICE to be found anywhere ! Eventually, we found some men who were sitting by the first telephone pole behind the red cart who told us that they could send the ice over to the bungalow where the party was …

After receiving the ice, we were a bit too  scared to actually use it for any sort of drinks as it arrived on this ratty truck on some tarp and had black bits all over it …. So ended up using it for chilling the drinks and spent more money & petrol sending my driver to the nearest hotel and taking coolers full of ice to use for the drinks.

The next few months were spent attending birthdays and weddings – so I didn’t focus too much on random photography however one sunny afternoon in May – I was hanging out in the Bandra area with my mate SG and we went for a walk on Bandstand.  I’ve been in Bombay for 2 years now – and never realized that ‘dog parks’ exist in the city … Considering there are ‘barely’ any parks in the city – this one was a total surprise for me … and as a dog lover my curiosity got peaked and I had to check it out …

Aww doesn’t that look nice … a park for the doggies to play in :) Typically anywhere in the world – it’s quite common for pet owners to have to clean up after their pets when in a public area.  I wasn’t quite sure how this would work in Mumbai considering that there is never a garbage bin when you need one !

Indians being the way they are – probably would never pick up after their pets because 1) the house-help is likely to be walking the dog 2) they are used to throwing garbage on the streets and with so many stray animals on the roads – what difference would it make if THEY cleaned up after their pets ?

So the dog parks came up with these nifty signs which I think should spread the word and make the message quite clear !

Then a couple of weeks ago, I ended up going for a drive to Khandala (which is on the way to Lonavala) with a mate of mine and came across these two very interesting signs on some passing trucks … I wonder who does the artwork and text copy for these sort of signs and why the hell they don’t bother with a spell or grammar check before sending their vehicles out …

This is of course of a milk truck … not the milk man van but a container or sorts …. I’m guessing the milk is getting sold to somebody since it’s being transported around – so why on earth does it say ‘MILK NOT FOR SELL’ …. Grammar check … ‘Milk Not For Sale’ …. I did have visions of how milk must be splashing around inside the container … and what if the inside had not been cleaned properly ??? I don’t even want to think about what happens to the milk in there …. Doesn’t milk have to be kept at a certain temperature ?  That particular truck doesn’t exactly look like it has internal temperature control or nice fridges inside to store the milk ! Ewwwwwwwww

Soon after passing the Milk truck – we got caught in a slight traffic jam … actually more like a truck jam … and I came across this at the back of a truck … when I first took the photo I couldn’t really tell what was written on the sign …. A little bit of zooming and hanging out the window of the car and I finally got what I wanted to see …

Can you believe what you are reading ??? ‘Too many partners will take you to sorrowful life’ … now that’s just way too funny considering that the Indian society is all about monogamy and the sign on the truck in one way implies that ‘from experience – too many partners make life difficult’ thereby crossing out the notion that the Indian society is about monogamy !

That’s all from me folks – I’m working on the next piece for Mumbai Moments Captured – probably on animals and will share that with you very soon !

Have a great Sunday !