New York Diaries: 1

I seem to have fallen for John Cusack!

I was watching the New DVD Release ad for “Must Love Dogs” on TV and realized it just now. Now don’t go judging my taste in a hurry, until recently I really had absolutely no feelings for him. And by feelings I mean movie stars I adore or hate kinda feelings ok.

It must be because of all that Serendipity watching and discussing. And I didn’t even like that movie!!

Well it all started a few weeks back when I got a call from a friend that he will be dropping by for the weekend, and in his usual style asks me to plan something fun while he was here.

The problem was I really didn’t have a plan. I was also annoyed with his taken for granted behavior. The best I had till Friday night was staying home and making him cook for us and take us shopping etc. I was even trying to see if something around the house needed fixing, so that I could get that much actual use out HRH. Having decided upon that, I started clearing out some junk from a few boxes that had been lying around for ages.

Come Saturday morn HRH, the planner turned up as planned, by him i.e. bright and early. We lounged in front of the idiot box, over tea and munchies as HRH gave me the disapproving eye. I was not yet done with the tidying up, so we were chatting as I cleaned up and he changed channels aimlessly.

Suddenly HRH goes “you know this is my favorite movie?” I looked up and what’s playing on the TV, but Serendipity!! Déjà vu!
My hand stilled in mid air and I was just staring at him for a few moments. He had this curiously weird look on his face which translated into “why the heck is she staring?” I guess, while I was thinking what’s wrong with guys these days?! But oh well! If they have to be sappy maybe they deserve the calories too.

“Then isn’t it great that this is the plan for tonight HRH”, said I as I fished out a printout and handed it to him. “Oh! This place really exists!!” HRH was thrilled to bits. If you have seen the movie you know what I am talking about – the Serendipity Café!
Now that our natural born PM had a goal, the ball was rolling for the evening. All the usual suspects were rounded up and off we went trapeizing across town to ‘the’ café!

Now a teeny-weeny detail we missed was, it was popular as heck and calling in advance might have been the bright thing to do. But anyways, we didn’t and when we reached, found a 2 hour wait. But the guy saw our sad doggie faces and asked us to check back in 30-40 mins while noting down the name.

So that left us in the cold doing some more walking and window shopping on the East Side. Pretty soon unavoidable questions of why this place and what’s so special? From the uninitiated, in the love for serendipity i.e., came up. I gladly gave up the mike to HRH since he was the self confessed fan.
As he described the salient parts of the movie and the connection to the café, he fished out the print out I had handed him earlier that day and passed it around. One of the other guys was going over it when he suddenly noticed, “hey! Isn’t it weird the date on this printout looks 2 years old?”

Yep! I was caught; I would have to explain from how long this little café had been on my agenda. It was in fact a little more than 2 years back when another friend of mine was visiting New York and I was in another apt in another town.

Over dinner and ‘discussion’ about what was priority on the sightseeing vs. doing what I think is fun, suddenly my friend said, “You know this is my favorite movie?” That is when I realized Serendipity was playing on the television.

Having known him more than a few years now, I had him classified as this studious, serious type who never watched movies and least of all the romantic sappy kind.

Anyway I was very surprised to hear him say that and told him that the café in the movie actually existed in the city. He was very excited about it, so I looked up the café info and put it on the agenda. But ultimately between hundred other things it didn’t work out that weekend and I put away the papers.

And incidentally, last night as I was sorting through a box of papers, I found the very same print out. I had put it aside just as a backup plan if nothing else worked out, and today HRH had announced that it was his favorite movie too!

So I guess this was really was “serendipity” and there was no fighting it this time around. As everyone digested the story we were back in front of the café. The guy called out to us and we got a table.

Thus came about an addition of a few hundred calories in the space of a few hours. Totally worth it!! :-D Here is a picture of how decadent the stuff is. Do visit it if you are in the area :-)

And btw coming back to Cusak - he aint that bad, except for an obsession with the name "Sarah"!!

PS: Happened more than an year ago. Was in draft mode for the longest time :-) hopefully i will get back to posting regularly now.

Video of the Week: Hostel Holi

Came across this really cool video. Very nicely done.

Charity Focus is a completely volunteer run internet based organization. You can find more information on their activities at their website. More recently they are starting On March 31st, the long-awaited gift-economy cafe will launch in Berkeley.

It is amazing what one man's intention/vision can lead to :-)

Sooni.....

kya kahe ab hum
jab waqt dhal chala
na hai ab aane ki khabar
na koi jaane ka gila

armaan-e-dil ke toote kiwad
kaanpte hai aah-o ke toofan mei
nahi rehta koi yahaa
soona hai yeh makaa

mann ke mandir se
moorat uthh gayi hai jab
na hoga ab koi jashn yahaa
bas ek janaaza niklega

PS: Creative. Wrote several days back after I read some particularly sad story.

Journeys:2: Lost and Found

Everytime I step out of the house, it is nothing short of an adventure. Bad precedent set early on in life did that I think.
The first time ever my parents left me alone for 5 mins was when I was about 3 years old. Do they regret it or what?! I have been known to have taken an affinity to the outdoors ever since. Well.... at least until after my undergrad college.

Let me start at the beginning. I was 3 and we lived in a small town in Western India. It was the day of the annual function at my sister's school. We were all very excited since she was to recieve 1st prize for Runnins Race at the function. Dad was gonna come to school straight from work. So mum and us daughters got ready and were about to lock up the house when I insisted I get to do the deed. So mum handed the lock to me and waited at the gate.

So here I was busy dealing with the lock, when I heard mum and sis walk out to the street. Now the street was a short path down from the door. And if I remember right their were some hedges lining the compound too. For about half a minute I was hearing voices in the street but couldn't see anyone. And since I had gotten myself into the situation by choice, I had to figure out how to lock up also na! So by the time I got done figuring out the lock and doing the needful there was absolute silence outside.

Out sautered lil me to find the whole family had ditched me and gone ahead. At least that's the conclusion my beautiful mind came to!!

I was to find out later that the neighbour's kid had gotten back from the hospital after some illness and mum n sis dropped in to see how she was doing.
But then genius me concluded they had just started walking ahead and I was supposed to catch-up. I ran up to the street corner, still no mum n sis. So I went a little furthur, still no one. By this time I had reached the local panwala/cycle repair kinda shop [my memory eludes me] and looking every bit the lost child about to spill her treasure of pearly tears.

Nice man at shop came up to me and asked me who I was and where was home and such. Now bright lil kiddo that I was, I gave him the whole story, didn't leave out anything. Which went something like this;
"My sister studies in the local KV. It is their annual function today. She is supposed to get a prize. My family left me and went ahead. I dont know how to get there. booo hooo hooo!!!!!"

Nice man at shop also had a bicycle with him. Asked me if i knew how to get there or where the school was. Now I had been to the school only a coupla times with my parents. But the photographic memory of roads which does not extend to people or incidents was put into use the first time ever! I told him a coupla landmarks for the school. It was next to a big water tank. Surprisely Nice Man knew where that was, dumps me on the bicycle bar and cycles all the way to school.

By the time we get there it had started to get dark and I was getting increasingly upset about not finding my family. Once we got there bright man took me upto the stage, held me up and announced my name hoping someone would come get me!

Meanwhile mom and sis came outta neighbour's house to find me gone. Suffice to say mum went beserk with worry. Called dad at work and he came home too. After considerable searching and registering a complaint and such Dad decided to go check at the school anyway.

Imagine his surprise when he reached the school and one of the teachers [Chandan Madam] came upto him with self in tow!!

Apparently we had been to this particular teacher's house just the night before to verify some function related question and she had seen me. So when the guy held me up on the stage she recognized me and kept me with her till dad got there.

Anonymous nice man had gone home after doing his good deed for the day.

PS: we did go back to the function with sis later, just in time for "jana gana mana...." :D

Journeys:1:Silp and Slide

I always have a hard time enumerating favourites. For e.g fav food, music, actor, movie, hobby yada yada yada. My answer usually begins with a "umm........" and launches into an explanation of some categories the possible fav(s) can fall into.

But if someone asks me what I enjoy most, then surely I can say without hesitation "Traveling and exploring new places". Now that is something I am up for every time a suggestion comes up and it is always eventful and interesting.

Thinking back it is something, which comes from habit and not by choice, I suppose. I have been travelling from almost when i was born, never staying in one place for longer than 5 years.

My first trip was from Bangalore to Bombay, when I was just about 3 months old. Of course I don't remember anything about it, but my folks have told me the story enough times to know it by heart.
[Possibly the first journey was earlier when my mum came over from b’bay to b’lore, but let’s just deal with absolutes only for now :P ]

So there I was a little bundle of joy to my mum and grandparents. After the initial resistance, I was even starting to be my sister’s favourite plaything. After 3 months my mum decided to get back to Bombay and dad. So plans were made, tickets were bought etc., for the almost day long train ride to b’bay. Now in those days that was a very long journey from my grandparents point of view. Also post-natal care was the top most concern on their mind. So, all things considered, dear daughter’s luggage was nearing a truckload by the time we were ready to board the train.

Thanks to helpful co-passengers and general concern for lone mother with 2 kids, we were all safely set up in the compartment and sent off. Grandpa promptly sent a telegram to son-in-law as soon as train left;
“Family boarded Kurla Express. Stop. Reaching 8 am. Stop. More luggage than usual. Stop.”

My dad although forewarned in this gentle manner by well meaning parents-in-law took only one friend with him to the station thinking, “how much luggage can there be?”

Journey itself was uneventful. Now the great and beautiful Victoria Terminus [as it was called then, I still refer to it as VT] is a lovely mess if there ever was one. It used to be a pretty dirty and extremely crowded station. One needs special skills to maneuver the crowd and the bustle.

Train reached Bombay at expected time, there was Dad with faithful friend to pick up the wife n kids. Dad comes into the compartment and starts looking around to pick up our luggage. Turns out all that he can lay eyes on are his to pick up. Being the fan of minimalism that he is, he was instantly annoyed at the excesses of his parents-in-law, and the quiet acceptance of it on my Mum’s behalf.

Now Dad is a person who never expresses anger in loud or harsh words, he just goes quiet with a knotted expression on his face. So that’s what he did. After a grunted “hmpf!” at the collective situation, hugs and such for the kids he turned around to start pulling stuff out of the compartment with his friend. After several trips of in and out a nice little pile was formed on the platform and all that was left in the compartment was mum and I [Sister of course had happily trotted off to help the guys with the ‘hard work’]

So making sure all our stuff was out, Mum made her way to the door. You know how high those steps are in Indian Railways? Suffice to know they are pretty high from the platform. So there was Mum, trying to negotiate, purse, baby bag, baby and steps all at the same time. Dad sensing the difficulty asked her to hand something to him. Mum hands me over so that she can use both hands to hold the railing to step down.

The gap between the platform and the train was considerable and as I was being passed from Mum to Dad, a piece of luggage blocking dad’s way caused him to trip a little and I slipped out of both hands and fell towards the edge of the platform and that gap.

For a moment there I am sure both their hearts stopped beating.

But fortune smileth on self, the aforementioned piece of luggage in dad’s way was a bedroll [also called a hold-all in my grandpa’s words, which was like a carry-on sleeping bag in those days]. So baby safely landed on the bed-roll, ensuring instant relief all around.

Of course some healthy crying due to shock and surprise followed, but all in all my first journey was safe though eventful.

Broken

i am not good at keeping my word
i have broken yet another promise

i had promised myself not to
miss your smile and mine

miss a certain turn of phrase
and change what i listen for

find anything unique in you
and go looking for it elsewhere

try to find someone else
interesting you know

miss being with you
and hate myself for doing so

think not me weak, for i have tried

everything in my power

every trick in the book

was proven useless with flair

i tried to stay away

i tried not to notice
yet there you were all the while
chipping away, burning the shroud
with your passion

but you left
just as i had made a place for you
and the ashes gathered at my heart’s feet

now all that's left is

a gaping hole for heart

i do not intend to rebuild

i simply see no reason why

PS: Creative : Too many girl friends in grief ;-)

Another winter day has come

And gone away
And even Paris and Rome
And I wanna go home
Let me go home

This year my tolerance for the winter chill has gone down severely. Since I had given up on the thought of going home, it was all the more unbearable. But winter hasn't quite taken off this year. Maybe the nature gods are on my side, I thought. Somehow the year seems to have been too long and yet time seems to have flown by.

And I’m surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel alone
Oh, let go home
Oh, I miss you, you know

I make new friends at an alarming rate. It is sometimes scary actually. Very disorienting in too, emotionally i.e. People come and go every few months. Groups form and scatter every year. As I begin to see a pattern it disintegrates and a new one takes its place [Builds resilience i hear ;) ]

Amidst all this chaos there is a beacon which keeps things in line. One thought which makes sense and keeps all confusion at bay. Took me a long time to realize but yea, there is always one place I can go to for constancy [even if it is constant lunacy ;)] Home!!

Let me go home
I’ve had my run
Baby, I’m done
I gotta go home

If you really want something there is always some way to find it. Despite dozens of nagging questions and if's and but's & maybe's and may-not be's I have made up my mind and booked the tickets! yeayyyyy!
I am going home! actually in the 4 yrs i have been here never have i been more thrilled abt going home as this year! i really can't put a finger on why?
[I deeply suspect it is all cos of the nostalgia filled blogs Scary writes :D now i can stop being jealous and go enjoy my own trip ;)]

As soon as the thought takes shape, my mind is flooded with images of people, the house which has been my permanent address for quite sometime now, the streets in my area where practically everyone knows everyone else. new people come and go but the old original set has weathered its way thru the years.
hmm..... so much do! i run out of breath as my mind makes its way down an invisible list.
The fav hang outs, discovering new ones, places to check upon, deals to bargain in the little unknown gali's and of course scores of ppl to meet!! uff! 3 weeks is never enough time is it? But we shall make it worth it!! :)

Let me go home
It will all right
I’ll be home tonight
I’m coming back home

- from Micheal Buble's Home