And So 2009 Comes To An End …

… It’s 5:20 p.m here in Mumbai and 2009 is almost at an end  .. I’m supposed to at least attempt to start getting ready and sorting my things out for a party tonight … Seems just like yesterday that I was writing about half a year going by !

Since yesterday I’ve come across some really thought provoking posts; a lot of reflections on the whole year – not to mention the new year resolutions … and I thought to myself … what are my thoughts about the year ?

 

2009 has definitely been a learning experience in many ways for me …

1. I was never meant to work for anybody but myself.  I’ve resigned from my job of 2 years and have started up on my own again.  The hours are long; there is no guarantee of how much money I will make – but I love what I do and that’s all that matters.  I’ve managed to incorporate my favourite social activity (going out, organizing parties) into my career .. and after over 7 years of doing this – I still want to keep at it.  Now I just need to own my own night club and I’ll be sorted !
2. Old friends aren’t always the right friends for you.  This summer, I saw a friendship of 13 years break apart through a series of texts and emails.  Apparently it didn’t even justify a phone call.  I never attempted to make that call – neither did she.  I saw PK again a few weeks ago and its like nothing happened.  But something did.  I think she still needs to come to terms with that.  After talking to Vixen earlier today, also realized that I had spent over a decade in being friends with TM – for it to just fizzle out after our old business partnership died.  Haven’t spoken to her in 2.5 years now.
3. Some friendships are just meant to be.  I started 31st December talking to my mates from London and Montreal – including 2 ex-boyfriends.  These people mean the world to me.  It doesn’t matter that we haven’t seen each other in years (7 yrs in the case of my ex) or haven’t spoken in months or even exchanged emails.  They are always going to be there.  A big shout out to my boys once again; to NC, Vixen, E-Goh, Dayo, My Boo (yes I can still call you that), and Nomiswamii !
4. Family is Important – even if they do get on my nerves.  I lost my grandmother earlier this year; and it was my first time seeing a dead body.  I can’t get over that.  I’m lucky to have been able to spend time with her because until 2 years ago – I would only see her when I came to India.  I told my grandma all the things I wanted to whilst waiting in the hospital.  In some ways after all the years of living away from home – I’m getting closer to my brother and trying to develop some relationship with my sister – which we do manage most of the time.  My mum is great and the relationship with my dad is getting better I suppose.  I am now doing business with my cousin NC – she’s a great person to work with..  I wouldn’t have known this if we hadn’t spent any time together. – and now I spend all my time (work and free) with her !  I also got to spend a lot of time with my other cousins and their respective other halves as well as all my nieces and nephews.  I really do love them to bits !
5. I am content with who I am as an individual.  Sure I’m a crazy party animal; and to my family it looks like my ad hoc ways will never let me settle down.  I tried that route – it’s not for me – when my time comes to get married – I will but for now – I’m very happy being single :)  I am who I am and I honestly feel that those who know me – love me exactly the way I am and wouldn’t want me to change.  I’m not perfect by any means – but I am confident about myself, my abilities and my capabilities. I know I will continue to be successful in whatever I choose to do and it is with that belief that I do the things that I do.  I like to live in my very own secret life =)

As I get ready to bid adios to 2009 with a face pack on, and oil on my hair (I need pampering before I go out tonight – been sick a few days!) – I’m quite happy to note that I got this post in on 31st Dec ‘09 as opposed to sometime into 2010 like I did with my Adios 2008 …

I’d like to wish all of you a very very Happy New Year and hope you all have a great time whatever you choose to do tonight.  From the bottom of my heart, I  hope 2010 brings you whatever you wish for … actually wait .. I hope you all get to enjoy some great Sex with lots of orgasms; hold your alcohol like you were 18 all over again; and that you win a lottery that you don’t remember entering … why .. because 2010 is a new beginning for us all !

Happy New Year Everyone !

Another Dazed Award !

I realized today that I’ve not had a chance to keep up my own thoughts and reflections due to the fact that I’ve been completely overwhelmed with work !

The Fabulous Bitch over at The Joys of My Splintered Life In Small Town has bestowed upon me yet another Award ! And this time – it’s not just ‘any’ award but her very own ‘Bitch Fab Award’

Now that’s what I’m talking about ! I knew from the moment I came across her blog that the two of us would get along like a house on fire .. at the end of the day – the fabulous ones stick together !  Haaa now I’m tooting my own horn – but hey – if I don’t do it – who else will right ?

Considering I just gave out a set of awards – I’m wondering now who is eligible for these awards … There really isn’t any criteria so I’m gonna dish it out to – you over there, and you too on the right, and yeah you with the coffee – you get one too ;)

The Guilty Hyena writes an amazing fashion blog where I’m a regular lurker .. I am so overwhelmed with the new trends that all I can do is lurk in fear of coming across as totally clueless to the rise of these trends ! Drop by and check her out and catch the hyena tweets whilst you’re at it too.

Ellie is one adulterous young lady who’s blog and tweets are most definitely bitch fab ! Her writing makes you ‘want’ to experience each of her adventures and leaves you coming back for more … and some more ;) 

There are a lot more Bitch Fab blogs out there – but I’ve passed on other awards to them .. so I thought it would be better to introduce some other bloggers as well. 

I hope the rest of you enjoy these two Bitch Fab Bloggers as much as I do =)

 

Video Blogs or Vlogs Anyone ?

It seems all I have been hearing about lately has been video blogs … the first time was a few months ago and I was quite curious about it as well.  I never actually got around to setting myself up with a Vlog .. which I perhaps should … I do have some really funny videos captured over the years. 

Some of my friends have used Vimeo – which is a fantastic platform for anyone wanting to share their creativity and more personal videos (family, friends, fun moments etc) to a larger audience.  I checked out Vimeo and turns out that a free account allows for 500 MB of storage every week ! That’s a great start for any new business looking at testing the cyber waves of video blogging especially since you can share and even post videos on other sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, or Digg !

The last couple of weeks I have been meeting with some of my clients and looking at creating long term marketing and branding strategies for them and I had suggested that they ought to look at online video for business or video hosting services to really create an impact with their brand.

Just like Vimeo – another service I came across was Viddler which offers more features for direct B2B services.  It’s hard for me to explain exactly what the features are as I’m not the most technical person – however this screenshot should make things more clearer.  

I really like the custom logo & permalink feature as it’s essential when creating brand value and increasing brand awareness.  It’s also important for a business to be able to track their user and view statistics – and here’s where the Viddler Analytics come in very handy providing in depth statistics on bandwidth, views, embeds, map views of users as well as something called ‘attention span’ which tracks the engagement of viewers.

Video Hosting is all about adding a personal touch to your blog and also serve as a better visual representation of what the brand or business (and the personal blogger of course) is trying to portray.  Written content is always great, but a nice video twist to your business site will surely give your readers reason to stick around a little longer.

Personally, I have always enjoyed just sitting back and watching a good video post on a topic I’m interested in.  I try to incorporate videos into my blogs – but they are related to a specific post and are more music / advertorial based. 

What about you – what are you thoughts on Video Blogs – especially for business related blogs ? Have you come across any really good online videos for business that you care to share ?

Tis The Season TO Be Jolly

 

….. Here’s wishing all of out there in Blogosphere a Very Merry Christmas !

Enjoy the yummy Xmas desserts and wine !

And if you’ve been on Santa’s Nice List – then the pressies are in order … and if you are on the Naughty list … you know what kind of presents are due =P

Getting into the Xmas Spirit

Wednesday night saw the first of a few Xmas parties and it was really quite nice to be out with friends and taking in the very pretty Christmas tree that my mate AA had arranged at her gorgeous city view apartment.

The party was in full spirit with a gingerbread house cake, along with giveaway Xmas cookies shaped like trees and stars and not to mention enough alcohol and snacks to cater to an army !

 

There was a Christmas tree as well – and it was one of the first ones I had seen this week considering all I’ve done the past week or so is just work – work and more work !

It just felt nice to be at a chilled out party … got to see some of my friends and actually have a conversation with them as opposed to raising my voice to be heard over the speakers at a club ! Also managed to meet a few new people which was great … although I’m sure one of the guys would have preferred to have left the party much earlier considering just how much a few of us were teasing him.

 

12 Reasons Why My Blog Does NOT Suck !

… and no I don’t think it sucks =P

It;s 5:01 a.m as I start this post and I’ve had a REALLY long few days .. been working from 10 a.m to 10 p.m as of yesterday on the documentary shoot and some client meetings; rushed home to get ready and head over for an Xmas party at a friends’ apartment by 11 p.m; got back around 4 a.m and I’m still awake !

So now that I’ve filled you in and you can appreciate my state of mind … I was blog hopping around the neighbourhood when I came across a tweet to 10 Reasons Why Your Blog Sucks by Edward Khoo.  The reasons come about pretty obvious when you read them but the perception described comes about in a really harsh manner.  If someone had to feel so angry or disgruntled after reading my blog – I would come away feeling pretty shyte ! I won’t put it all here but will give you a summary instead.

10 Reasons Why Some Blogs Suck =(

1. You use syndicated content. You cut & paste articles from sites across the net onto your blog.  You can, but you shouldn’t. Without unique content your blog is nothing.
2. Your blog is boring.  Write about topics that your reader, not topics that interest you.
3. Your blog revolves around your person. Stop talking about yourself already. Readers don’t know you personally, and couldn’t care less about your ramblings. Tell them Facts or stories, not boring personal stuff
4. Oh no, not your favorite music on auto-play!  Don’t add music to your site. Half the people won’t like it and the other half will find it’s a distraction.
5. You use clip art
6. No search boxes or archives.
7. Bad Grammar, typos, misspelled words, and poor punctuation.
8. Spinning Articles.  You write the same things others do that belong to your niche.
9. Irregular posting.
10. Your blog looks like 12023532989 other blogs.

Why My Blog Does NOT Suck

1. I don’t use syndicated content. I swear ! Last time I checked, I hadn’t copy-pasted anything other than my scribbles from my word docs to Live Writer once I got it downloaded.
2. My blog is NOT boring ! At least no one has said so or sent me ‘yawn’ comments.  I like to think I’ve got a variety of topics on hand ranging from Music; some Blogging Tips; Poetry new blog discoveries; and some deep & meaningful reflections as well.
3. My blog revolves around my person.  Why ? Because I am more likely to relate to things that interest me – impact me – and hence better able to convey those thoughts to my readers.
4. I don’t have any music on auto-play.  I have blogged about some of my favourite music and the Magic Of Melodies by using links and video streams but none are on auto play. 
5. I use any and all sorts of videos and images that I feel will enhance my sporadic thoughts and help you relate to whatever it is that I am writing about. And that includes clip art.  I don’t own a personal database of over a billion images representing all walks of the universe.  That’s what the Gods of Google are there for.  However I’ve been lucky enough to capture some real Mumbai Moments as well as some great shots on my camping trip with my own camera so that should count for something !
6. I have a search box on the top right corner of my blog !  I also have a really cool tool-bar (that took me forever to find) at the bottom of this page.  And even if the feature was not available – there’s always the CTRL F feature right there on your keyboard !
7. Did yuo konw taht as long as teh frist and lsat letetrs of a wrod are palced coerrclty tehn you can from the snectnece wihtuot any turolbe.  I got an A in English through my schooling years.  I am quite a stickler for good grammar so not only do I use spell-checks when writing posts – I have also added certain words such as ‘woohoo’ to the dictionary just so that I have less errors during the spell-checks =P  Being a blogger is about being able to express yourself at leisure, or even whilst on the move – and hence small errors every now and then is still acceptable. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt!
8. I don’t spin articles – at least not intentionally.  I write about anything and everything (although I probably will never be able to write about ‘everything’) and considering there are over thousands of similar articles and posts across the blogosphere – there are bound to be similarity to my posts as compared to those who write with no fixed agenda.
9. My blog has been around for about 1.5 year and 152 sporadic thoughts old.  There were 28 posts between July ‘08 – Dec ‘08; and as of today excluding this post – 124 posts between Jan ‘09 and Dec ‘09 which is about 10 posts per month and 2-3 posts per week.  I’d like to think that makes a pretty regular blogger.  Ofcourse I could always try to write more .. but I can’t because I really can’t find the time to always be able to make a note of ‘everything’ that could perhaps be the most interesting content one would ever read.  I blog when I can – about whatever it is that I can – because I just ‘can’.
10. Some people actually like my blog and that’s good enough for me. I don’t blog because I’m trying to become an expert in my niche - I don’t even have a niche !  I’ve managed to receive awards from fellow bloggers – and  it was a total dazed blur of awards for me when I got 3 in September.  A few people out there thought my blog worthy of an award in the form of a JPG image which is pretty cool =) In fact one went on to call me an Awesome Girl too :)  My newbie blogger ego got the better of me at the start of the year and I nominated myself for the Bloggers Choice Awards (just for fun) and I’m proud to announce I got 18 votes – out of how many thousands I don’t know – for Best Blog About Stuff !
11. Various Blog Communities have given me some sort of decent ranking – even though I never asked to be ranked.  Don’t most of us belong to various blog communities or have been reading blogs for a while and hence got encouraged to write ?? because that’s how I got into blogging.  Besides the ranking status or Cyber Highway Traffic (as I like to call it) sort of gives one an idea of how other bloggers perceive their blogs.  I am not an expert – I’m not trying to be one – but I’d definitely like to know how I stand in the overall realm of things in blogosphere.
12. Lastly I’m not writing this post because I think my blog is ‘the bomb’ – that’s Bombchells department =) It’s not because I think that my blog is a Bitch Fab blog – that title totally goes to the Fab Bitch herself :) But the main reason that my blog doesn’t suck is because it’s MY blog and it’s all about My Sporadic Reflections =)

The Cheerleader Effect

I heard this phrase for the first time the other night whilst watching ‘How I Met Your Mother’ … and it made such an impact that I actually replayed the scene to jot down the definition onto my phone.

Basically the cheerleader effect occurs when you see a group of girls (or guys) and they look ‘hot’ … BUT when you see each person ‘individually’ they are NOT ! So really they only appear hot as a collective group and NOT as individuals.  The phrase ideally is used for women however can apply to groups of men too.

I found it quite funny the way it was described in the show and turns out that the Urban Dictionary does have a definition for the phrase as well ! The Cheerleader Effect is also known as the  Sorority Girls Syndrome or the Bridesmaid Parado; for a brief window in the mid 90s the Spice Girls Conspiracy...SCARY Spice, indeed :P Oh and according to TheHappyGoat the PussyCat Dolls are another group of hotties who actually cause us to fall victim of the Cheerleader Effect

Jillian Wertheim recently wrote about the The Cheerleader Effect and has gone on to suggest that it is closely related to the Distance Dispute a.k.a where an individual looks appealing from afar but becomes less so as you approach.  I’ve known of this particular theory but never quite knew its name. 

So for you to really catch my drift – check out the video from the TV Show

Have any of you experienced the Cheerleader Effect ?  I’ve always wondered why is it that some of friends (guys and girls alike) – have pointed out groups of men who are sitting at private booths at clubs looking like total stud muffins (I love this word) and groups of women at the bar / dance floor who ooze sex appeal – and whenever I’ve managed to have a look at them – have never felt the same way.  My mates put it down to me being very critical.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m ALL for appreciating a good looking man or woman but lately it just seems that there are none around these days. 

I suppose that just means I’m not privy to the cheerleader effect and the power on my lenses are correct – I’m not mistaking fake hotties for real hotties =P  So if you have ever fallen victim to the cheerleader effect – don’t let it get you down – and definitely don’t let let it prevent you from ever approaching a group of ‘supposed’ hotties ever again. 

Just follow Jillians’ advise and instead, keep in mind how easily our senses can be deceived, and your chances of becoming a victim of the Cheerleader Effect will go way down

Footie Fever

I was just watching an episode of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ which focused on the Super Bowl … and it got me reminiscing about how my friends and I would gather around at my flat in London and we’d watch the football matches.

My mates were huge Liverpool supporters, and I was almost torn between choosing a favourite amongst Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool ! Yeah I know they are the top 4 teams but still .. the games were always fun to watch and had us on the edges of our seats !

The guys in our group used to tease my flat-mate and I about how we didn’t know much about the players or what exactly was going on in the game .. and being the type of person I am – I went over to my uncle who introduced me to a wicked website called the World Sports Network which not only gave you the livescore of the English teams but for football teams across globe with instant updates as well !

There came a point – where the lads would get surprised at just ‘how much’ us two girls knew about the matches (not that they ever caught on to our secret) and would often call up randomly to ask us what the livescore would be or check on the bookmakers odds (as if chicks – sorry to be stereotypical which I’m really not – but really – know football betting odds!)

After moving to Bombay – it seems like I rarely get a chance to catch up on football – let alone with friends … as I’ve mentioned before, most of my friends stay quite a drive away from me .. and the ones who are close by – aren’t that into watching footie.  Over the last week, whilst there have been some amazing football matches going on – I’ve been in Goa organizing a wedding for a client of mine.  The only way for me to keep up with the pace of the games and catch the highlights and match reports have been to log onto WSN.com and get my dose of livescores !

Watching this episode today just reminded me of how much fun it used to be to spend an afternoon at the pub or at home watching a footie game.  It really was footie fever – you can imagine what the English are like when it comes down to the game.  I can’t wait to get back into that mode again =)  Until then, I know where I have to go for my footie updates =)

If you are into football and haven’t been to the above site as yet – then you must check it out !

 

 

It’s Time To Save !

Wow ! Did I just clock on to that concept ?? I’ve managed to get into the habit of saving over the last two years … I’m 27 years old – turning 28 and I have only just realized the value of savings and how they come in handy. 

Tuesday will be the last day of my 2 year tenure as an employed individual – prior to that I used to run my own business and the itch has come back – so am leaving my job to start afresh on my own – again.  It’s the 5th day of the month; my November payslip hasn’t come in as yet and probably won’t for another 2 weeks (as I need to submit my exit form interview) and I’m already feeling slightly strapped for cash !  Talk about a blow to the wallet with Christmas around the corner !

I’ve always been a fan of online shopping considering I hate waiting in long queues and actually having to try on things.  So I’ve spent the last few days thinking about how to go about getting my Xmas pressies out to friends in the US and came across some super deals on Savings.com which showcases offers and discounts for over … hold your breath … 4984 Stores !!!

That’s like giving me the keys to my very own chocolate shop – better yet – it’s like having my own Theobroma ! There are some fantastic brands on the site and I came across quite a few that I liked.  Some of the killer deals included “Old Navy Coupons” ranging Free Shipping as well as discounts up to 75% on women's’ wear =)  In India it’s impossible to get Old Navy items – so I was excited to find this .. now I just need to figure out if they delivery internationally !

I also came across some "Body Shop Coupons” which is currently hosting a Friends & Family 20% Discount for another few days !  I’m definitely making my way to my local Body Shop to check out some of the local deals.  My cousin and sis-in-law are both handbag fanatics (ok which woman isn’t ?) and it was great to discover a new site (well for me it is) called E-Bags which has a stunning range of handbags as well as duffel bags, laptop bags and much more.  The best part about the site is that you can see the bags in different colours and it clearly shows the discounted rates so that you don’t have to wait till check-out to find out how much you are spending. 

To avoid bargain blunders if you are first time online shoppers – you must scrounge the web and do a comparison before picking up the first good offer that you see.

Don’t thank me – thank the Gods of Google and my new best friend over at Savings.com for some of the season’s best buys =)

8 Ways To Kill An Idea

I was browsing along blogosphere minding my own business, casually Flirting with the Crowds especially with the very cute Sami Viitamäki; when I came across something by Scott Campbell …

Absolutely brilliant ! Quite a unique way to capture how ideas and creativity get killed along the chain of command … what do you think ?

A Bit of This, A Bit of That

I can’t believe it’s the start of December already ! This year has really flown by … Well maybe not all parts of it – but majority of the year has for sure.  It just feels like a few weeks ago I was talking about having a half a year go by …

Today is the start of my last week at work … I’ve gone ahead and resigned from the company I have worked with for the last two years as an events and wedding planner.  I wouldn’t have minded staying on but my immediate boss who I reported to for two years, HA, resigned about a month and a bit ago.  And just prior to that in September, another colleague whom I had worked with directly for 2 years, also resigned =(

I filled out all my exit forms and have started packing my things … damn it’s going to be a task ! It was in early May that I had shifted offices and had managed to pack my things into 4 large cartons and shift them to the other branch office down the road.  Now I have to pack all over again.  I hate packing !

As I lay on my bed writing this post, I’m wondering how to get rid of this dull throbbing headache and the ache in my left ankle … Looks like I might have to go back for physiotherapy … My foot hasn’t hurt like this in a while now and I’m guessing all the walking around (and some dancing too .. heck and some driving as well) is taking its toll again … but seriously how the hell is one supposed to go about day-to-day things without the use of their damn feet ??  I’m just grateful that I have feet and legs ! and the rest of my body parts intact too !

 

If I had a Super Power ….

… it would most definitely have to be the Power of 3 …. For those of you who never watched Charmed – then you’ve missed out !

It’s possibly one of the best shows I’ve seen and I was hooked on it .. to a point I would ditch my boyfriend and head back home to watch the show with my old flat-mate in London .. that was ‘our time’ to hang out and watch something together =) damn just thinking about those days make me smile and sends a shiver down my body … memories are great fun aren’t they ?

Getting back to the Power of 3 … the show is about 3 sisters (a fourth sister is discovered when one of them dies) who are considered to be the most powerful ‘good’ witches .. Each sister has a different power ranging from telekinesis and astral projection; ability to freeze objects (temporal statis) and blow things up at will (molecular combustion); the power of premonition (past and future) and the ability to combine telekinesis with orbing (objects and people) ….

If only I could have those sort of powers – it would make some things so much easier … especially orbing ! Considering the amount of traffic I sit through – at least the ability to orb would save me quite a few hours of my day.  It just seems that lately I seem to be wondering where do the hours go ??

An Early start …

6:30 a.m is kinda early for me these days …. ever since my annoying foot injury I haven’t been able to go to the gym and hence no longer getting up that early to be at the gym … I had to be ready at 7:30 this morning to leave for a meeting about 60-70 kms away from my house …

I’m in the middle of pitching for an Xmas Mall promotion that would last about 3 weeks – it’s business hence I’m here at 9:45 a.m… So here I am at the meeting spot and guess what … the meeting was shifted from 10 a.m to 10:30 a.m but NO ONE told ME ! I only found out about the change as my new reporting manager happened to mention it when I was by the office – so I even went in there and spent about 30 minutes figuring ways to pass my time …

At the entrance of the mall – the security guards refused to let me in unless I was going for the 10 a.m movie ! Guess what – the actual mall doesn’t even open till 11 a.m !

So here I am – after having managed to get myself into the mall and seated at the food court (which is also closed till 11 a.m !!!) surrounded by the smell of food and my tummy is rumbling reminding me that I haven’t had any breakfast as yet !

Not the best way to start the day =(  I’m hungry and kinda cranky as well right now =(

Would You Call Me An Awesome Girl ?

I am totally borrowing this title from The Fabulous Bitch over at The Joys of My Splintered Life In Small Town … this sassy woman thinks that I (yes ME) am an ‘awesome girl’ ! AND she gave me an Award ! woooohoooo !

 

She wrote this about me :

Dazediva
Sporadic Reflections
Have you seen her avatar? Yeah. I like me a girl who can down a shot. I love Dazediva. I am imagining her as a good girl, but who has a naughty wild side. I am also imagining her as an exotic beauty. Yep, I sort of have a girl crush on her!
Dazediva is also such a sweet blogger who is always checking up on my blog. Just to see if it is still alive

I’ve been meaning to thank her for a while now – actually since 4th October but my life has literally been on a roller coaster ride so I hope she’ll accept my apologies and just remember that I can be pretty awesome when I’m not feeling totally mind-f**ked !

I really do love my shots (vodka, B52’s, flaming lambourghinis, Tequila & Tabasco – I’m happy with all sorts of shots  other than whiskey or beer) and am proud of the fact that I could probably drink most guys under the table ! 

I suppose in some ways I’m a ‘good girl’ .. actually I am … with a super naughty streak and wild side too =) damn Ms Fab you’ve really got me pegged down haven’t you ???

Like The Fabulous Bitch, most of the time – I don’t think of myself as a ‘girl’ and I’m most definitely not a ‘girly girl’ either … Since this is my blog and I am allowed to indulge in some self-praise – I like to think of myself as a pretty sexy tom-boy girl hehe Some of my guy mates have suggested that I ooze sex appeal without being super girly about it and I pride myself on that =) 

So I’m quite content with everyone thinking of me as an exotic beauty *hint*hint* after all my cheek bones are to die for ;) but on a more serious note – I was voted ‘Best Cheek Bones’ in high school amongst a few other things … As I’ve mentioned before – I’m a potpourri when it comes to my upbringing – and somehow I feel it might have rubbed off on me wherein my ‘looks’ are concerned … I hardly ever get told that I’m fully Indian – I tend to have people think of me as mixed race … I’ve gotten Arab, Turkish, Indian-Latin, half African and even Ethiopian (when I had string braids in my hair spiked with blue!).

Ok enough self-praise and babble on my end (although you were probably secretly enjoying it) … And now it’s time to give out this award to some awesome girls ! *drum rolls*

WhiteSockGirl … and it’s not because she’s given me an award but because this girl tells it like it is – there is no room for the fainthearted at her blog ;) so make sure you check out Splintered Life

Bombchell with a name like that and blog that is just as feisty – she is definitely the most awesome girl in Atlanta !  Her blog explores her wild side, her first video blog, and the latest fashion trends .. check out her boots ! daaamn !

Simone Grant of Sex Lies & Dating in the City … her blog was one of the first few blogs I started reading that got me hooked instantly; she’s a consistent blogger – and I find it fascinating how one person is able to put so many thoughts and actions into words that create a lasting image into the reader … Not only does she take the time to respond to all her comments and readers – but she was sweet enough to check-in on me when I disappeared for my rafting holiday … so no surprise that she is an awesome girl blogger !

Nipsy a.k.a. Nipplelicious … I’ve been lurking around her blog for a few weeks – maybe even 3 months now and am amazed at how she just ‘goes with the flow’ … you have to read her blog and it will leave you laughing so hard and you’ll always remember her when you think of a motel style hotel !

Lost Plum … Another amazing blogger who I haven’t given enough credit too .. Discovered her blog via Simone’s and have been kinda hooked here as well.  Her writing style is ‘direct’ ! And her post titles just crack me up ! She’s definitely an awesome girl :)

Miss Teerious Kaddu … aaah this a blogger who has saved me from being a technical html failure ! She’s a computer wiz and when it came down to me putting up my blog awards – I could think of no one else but her to get some coding work ! And she never let me down either – instant response ! Go check her out if you haven’t already.

Miss Malini .. she’s someone I’ve not mentioned here before and I should have … this young lady is a radio jockey; a writer for one of the Mumbai papers and has an endless supply of local Mumbai & Bollywood gossip for you.  I’m fortunate enough to know her as a person (prior to acquiring knowledge of her mini celeb status) .. also helps that she has one of the few English radio shows in Mumbai ! so yeah – she’s pretty awesome =) 

Girls – you are truly awesome in your own individual ways and I’m glad to have discovered you through the blogosphere !

That’s all from me folks – I think I’ve given you enough awesome girls to go and check out .. literally ! So go for it and drop me your thoughts on what you think about their blogs … and whilst you are at it – show them some comment lurve too =)

The Greatest Excuse …

Talk about a wicked excuse ! Ladies and Gentlemen – watch and learn =P

I came across this video on FaceBook that a mate of mine had put up and I just had to share it with you all !

What do you think ? Could you ever come up with such a wild story ?

Mmmm Smells Like …

French Vanilla !

The other night I was about to head out for a house party and sort of lingered over my perfume collection and was wondering ‘how I want to smell’ that night … yeah you read that right .. I didn’t think about which perfume I wanted to wear but more so how I wanted to smell …

Silly I suppose – but it all started years ago in high school when I started wearing ‘Fleur de Vanille – Vanilla Flower’ by L’Occitane.  It’s an Eau De Toilette and by far the one scent that has gotten head turning reactions even out on the crowded Oxford Street in London !   I had gotten this perfume from a class mate who had picked it up for me from Saudi Arabia – and the first day I wore it in school – almost every guy in my class and the class above me must have stopped to ‘sniff’ me !  My then boyfriend told me that all he could think about coming close to me was ‘desserts’ !  Another one of the guys labeled me ‘brown sugar’ after that since I was smelling so sweet ! 

I must have gone through a few bottles of this perfume and then suddenly the company stopped making it ! I was almost in depression and managed to save my last bottle and still have it to date with less than half an inch of perfume left in there !  The company did come out with another one which is quite close to the original and its called L’Occitane Eau De Toilette de Vanilliers – slightly different shaped bottle but just as sexy when put on :) 

However a couple of weeks ago – I ‘wanted’ another original bottle and quite literally went through every website possible including Scents.net which caters to a wide range of women’s fragrances across brands to try and hunt it down.  I couldn’t find what I was looking for but I did find quite a few of my other favourite perfumes on there so do go and check it out – there are some bargain buys too !

At the end of the day – I do like a variety of perfumes – but tend to stay with fairly light summer scents for casual everyday wear … something along the lines of an Estee Lauder – Pleasures; Escada – Into the Blue.  I don’t really Since I’m a total night person and party animal in the evenings – I prefer something that catches the attention of those around me such as Christian Dior – Hypnotic Poison or Dolce Vita; Chopard – Wish; Thiery Mugler – Angel. 

My evening scents are much stronger than what I would wear during the day – however they all have one thing in common – the fragrance that comes about from each of these perfumes once it touches my skin – always reminds me of a strong vanilla scent – and it’s more or less become my trade mark =)  The smell is just soothing to me – gives me a nice warm fuzzy feeling and at the same time a zap of energy – like a boost to my day.

What about you ? Are there any smells that move you to the core ? or any that just make you want to hold your nose and wonder ‘why??’  So .. what’s your smell like :P or shall I be politically correct and say ‘what’s your fragrance’ ? 

 

Useful Link

• stocking stuffer perfume

A Holy Experience

I’ve just come back from what could possibly be one of the most mind blowing holidays’ ever !

For the first time, I gave up complete control and let ‘someone else organize’ a holiday and I just went along with it … no questions asked (okay that’s a bit of a lie – I did question quite a few things but never really got a response and was told to ‘shut up’ and ‘enjoy the vacation’)

I’m not the most religious person that you’d meet – but that’s not to say that I don’t believe in God.  I do believe there is an entity that watches over us all and is the creator / coordinator of life !  Yeah coordinator is my way of describing it ! hehe

So where did I end up on this vacation (which by the way is the first proper vacation I’ve taken since July 2008) … I found myself ‘camping’ on a silver sand beach right on the river Ganges … yup that’s right – the Holy River !  

And when I say camping – I really mean ‘camping’ … which is something I’ve never done before … the closest I’ve been camping has been desert overnighters whilst growing up in Dubai and even then those were quite luxurious.

We were camping out in Rishikesh, which is a city in the state of Uttarkhand.  The city is also known as the ‘gateway to the Himalayas’ and is about 25 kms away from another holy city ‘Haridwar’.  It’s also recently come to be known as the adventure capital of India.

I went out white water rafting on the Ganges; kayaking; rappelling; body surfing; stayed in a really funky tent; was petrified of using the make-shift loo’s at night; sat by a campfire every night and snuggled up in a blanket every night after zipping my tent shut !

The pictures above are various views of the actual campsite – it was spread across the beach - maybe a kilometer or so and proved to be a lot of fun =)  The tin can with the mirror was basically our ‘freshening up’ zone !

This was a camp organized by a company called AquaTerra and I must say – they were excellent.  I spent 5 nights out there and just gave myself up to nature and literally forgot about civilization i.e. switched my phone off (I have NEVER done this); no laptop (this was hard!); no electricity; and best of all – I just stopped ‘thinking’

If you have ever contemplated a camping / rafting trip in India – then I highly recommend the above company and definitely make a trip down to Rishikesh.  The natural beauty that you can find out there is just breath taking !

Outside the Puri

So here’s how it all started a few weeks ago … all on Facebook !  I kept seeing the words ‘pani puri’ and it got me craving to eat some Bombay style chaats !

Translation of ‘paani puri paane ke liey kuch khona padtha hai ..’ 

To get a ‘pani puri’ then you must give up something (precious / meaningful)  to you

 

I told you that I’d known Sabu for a long time and I’ve always associated Pani Puri with good memories and crazy cravings !

And that’s the secret folks ! My very good friend and new  client – Rish Oberoi – has just launched his own line of very funky out-of-the-box style urban t-shirts called ‘Paani Puri Clothing’ !

You can also catch up dates about Paani Puri on their Twitter page as well as their Face Book Fan Page and the Official Paani Puri Group Page …. oh and if that’s not incentive enough – I will be a Featured Guest Writer (drum rolls for me please !!) on the Paani Puri BLOG as well !

Pani Puri Cravings

For those of you that don’t know what Paani Puri is – then here’s a bit of a filler for you … and I just realised I don’t quite know to describe it to you … hence I’m gonna cheat and give you a Wikipedia description

Pani Puri or Golgappa is a popular street snack in the Indian subcontinent.  It comprises a round, hollow "puri", fried crisp and filled with a watery mixture of tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas.  Its size is small enough to fit in the mouth.

The term golgappa refers to the fact that crisp sphere ("gol") is placed in the mouth and eaten ("gappa") at one time, without biting. Pani comes from the Hindi word for water and puri (or poori), an Indian bread made by frying dough in oil.

At this point you must be wondering why am I providing you all with a description about Pani Puris ?  Whenever I think about Pani Puri’s I have tended to associate them with some really fond memories whilst I was growing up.

I’m somewhere around 10-4 years old, standing in front of one of the most popular Pani Puri restaurant snack counter – practically gulping down ‘teekhah mitha’ pani puris … In fact a very old school friend, SH (known her since ‘93) sent me a message on FaceBook the other day and we were recapping our Pani Puri experiences !

I’ve got some serious Pani Puri cravings at this point and can’t wait to get my hands on some from Kailash Parbath near my house !

But there’s more to the story – so keep reading my upcoming posts to discover my secret :P

Diwali Greetings !

Today happens to be Diwali – which is the Indian new year.  We had a Diwali puja (prayer) at our office yesterday which was quite sweet. and probably the only ‘group’ thing we do as an office.

Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word Deepavali which means garland of lights.  Quite literally Diwali is known to many as the ‘festival of lights’.

My mum has been on a frantic cleaning spree the last 2-3 days because Diwali is an occasion for cleaning; sprucing up the home; painting walls and decorating the floor with attractive rangoli designs.   Rangoli is another Sanskrit word which signifying a creative expression of art by means of colours.

It’s been said that Rangoli is done outside the front door of the house so as to attract the Goddess Laxmi who brings wealth.

We’ve got our Diwali puja that’s going to start in a few minutes and I’ve just finished getting ready … Diwali is also quite an auspicious day to start any new ventures – so here’s some good wishes towards the start of my new consultancy as well – DMN Consultants =)

Before I leave you all and head for the puja, I’d like you to check out a previously written a post – Festival of Lights or Endangering the Environment which takes a look at the other side of the festivities that the majority of Indians partake in.  As much as Diwali is a great celebration to start of a new year – we should consider the effects of our actions on the globe as a whole.

Wishing you all a Very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year with lots of health, wealth and happiness coming your way !

Schiller - Nachtflug

This has got to be one of my newest all time favourite tracks.   It’s a perfect blend of soulful beats.  The acoustics – guitar, drums, and percussion – seem like they were made to complement each other to create the background score to the story of my life !  That’s how strongly I connect to the music.  It is a deep, dynamic and utterly magical as far as I’m concerned !

The first time I heard this track was a couple of weeks ago and it was over the surround sound system in my living room and all I heard was this amazingly clear, crisp and warm vocal chord which sent shivers down my spine. 

The acoustics more or less take over your senses and it feels like the beats are running through my veins.  I can get lost in this tune … maybe I should try meditating to it … should help actually !

‘Nachtflug’ is a single released by Schiller - the main project of Christopher von Deylen – a German electronic music composer who produces music which can be considered trance and ambient.

This single was released in Germany in 2005 and is a part of the the album ‘Tag Und Nacht’ – which means Day & Night.

I realised that two other tracks that I’ve really enjoyed after a long time have been Schillers’; the most recent being ‘You’ which was a collaboration with singer Colbie Caillat and another with Wolfsheim titled Dream Of You – both are MUST HEAR tracks :)

Happy Listening and don’t forget to let me know what you thought of the track !

 

Mumbai Moments Captured : It’s a Sign

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 !