flat hunting

It may be one of my many quirks, which I think many would relate too, but personalizing for me lands somewhere between an obsession and a fetish. So short of any fender benders, which would be honest mistakes, everything around me gradually ends up with either a red-yellow S sign or a red devil crest. It may come out as an OCD at times, a mildly severe one that too, but there isn't any room for judging out here; I really think there is a tiny personalizer in all of us.

When it comes down to your own space, I think its the most one can do. Yes, cars and other vehicles do give one quite the freedom to go wild with personalizing it, space still takes the gold. For me, I was naturally gifted with an elder brother, who was more of a tyrant and an unconditional bully about everything that happened in the space we shared at home. I was obviously ecstatic when he decided to shift to Mumbai around 3 years back. It was independence after a tyranny which lasted for the better part of my childhood. I had promised myself then that whatever happens I will never ever end up in a situation where I've to share space with him; but of course, irony and destiny can't let go off their pranks. I had also promised myself that I will never end up in Mumbai but agrhh... thats an all together different blog story anyways.

Contrary to what many would think, flat hunting was pretty exciting. In spite of it involving roaming around on a scooty with my brother (I wish I could upload a picture of both of us on that vehicle... I'm dead sure it'll be hilarious), it was a thrill I always got to see with people around, but never experienced myself. Though I joined my brother in our flat hunt a week later, after visiting the first of a few prospective flats my brother had been surprisingly pro active enough to short list, I instantly started imagining how I would personalize my room and/or whatever space the tyrant will allow me to have.

To make things even better, we ended up going to super market after our hunt and I got to feel another part of life here. It was a thrill in its own, may be not close to the one of having my own space, but a thrill indeed.

So whether we end up selecting a 1 BHK with a hall and one bedroom or a 1 BHK with 2 separate rooms, I'm still pretty pumped about the move in. Yes, it may be tiring, mildly pocket draining and would imply more adjustment time; it may also be that the thrill is very short lived and loses steam as soon as we enter the new place, but I'm still eager; sorta impatient as well... and excited for the tyrant to just decide on a place soon. Till then, I won't want to cease fascinating about how my space would end up looking. Even if I end up pulling out 30% of my elaborate plans of fancy alcohol bottles and expensive movie posters in my room, I'm pretty sure it'll still be a pretty damn super bachelor's pad :D.

P.S. - Houseparty updates to follow soon ;)

mumbai

So its been awhile since I last scribbled here. Procrastination scaled new heights this time; such high ones that would put even the organizing committee of the Delhi Commonwealth to shame. Speaking about CWG 2010, quite a lot of drama going on in Delhi. Its funny how a few corrupt politicians down here can make the queen express her disgust... yeay! to 63 years of Independence!!!

So I'm here in Mumbai now, been here for 46 odd days. The last 3 months have gone in a frenzy and though its nowhere near an excuse for not keeping arbit arti updated, it was slightly (very slightly) responsible for the hiatus.

A 2 month internship bought me to the place I loathed. But as it was only 2 months and an important break into a career I dreamt about all the time... not to mention the efforts I had put in to get it. So after a few adjustments, some shopping and a wee bit of packing I arrived in Mumbai for what was supposed to be a short internship. After being settled at one place for a month, faith intervened and I had to move out to stay with my brother... and his 4 room mates. Sharing a 2 bedroom with 5 people is not at all an easy task, but it helps when the company around is so varied and entertaining; and besides it was only supposed to be for another month. But a phone call changed it all; one from my boss, telling me that my internship can be converted into a job if I want; and of course I wanted it.

I'm still getting used to the city. I won't be cocky and suggest or even assume that I've got even a fair idea about Mumbai. It takes time and it'll take a lot of time from where I'm standing to do that. But I've seen a bit in a month and a lot of it still seems pretty alien. For one, I really don't understand the ever-existing desire for people to party. I'm not really criticizing this trait, but I fail to understand, even after numerous attempts, the thirst for alcohol many exhibit here. Not that I don't have my own quirks, I do. Between my very seldom bouts of tee-totaling and random de-tox sprees, I end up giving in to certain intoxicants. Now whether it is because I want to have fun or because I do actually consider them as working placebos, I still haven't figured. I do know I like to have fun, sometimes even extended joy, but the need for being around intoxicants to do so, goes through me.

It may not be a move from Smallville to Metropolis; I still like to think of it being somewhere similar to moving from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. I'm the guy from the small town of Ahmedabad, where distances are minimum, alcohol is banned and where traffic jams end before you start complaining about them. Here, after 10 hour working days, 3 hour travelling sprees and in between bouts of homesickness when with damp eyes, I miss Smokey and I miss home, I can't help but question my decision to take-up the job offer. But the feeling generally passes after spending a few moments with my room mates, after seeing Smokey's pictures and videos that dad keeps sending across, after talking to the few special ones and after considering the promise future holds. I'd like to think that faith didn't fiddle here and it were rather my super awesome efforts during the first month that landed the job offer in my hands.

My mother was always very vocal about how she had a gut that I'll end up in Mumbai and that I will live with my brother. Though it is quite freaky how they're always right, ironically, I never refrained from hiding my dislike for either.

blood is thicker than your ego

When I first heard about the Cullens, the attraction to them was almost instantaneous. Besides being a family of blood thirsty creatures who had taken to living amongst humans, leaving behind their natural abode and other inherent tendencies, there was much to them that would make many like the wannabe myth fanatic inside me eager to know more about them. So a lazy night with nothing to do, a random visit to the nearby DVD library and a short 10 line description behind the DVD box, made me pick up this movie called Twilight.

Thereafter, I spent the next 2 hours looking at a love tale being weaved between the guy who played Cedric Diggory and a girl, who I had never heard of before. I would be lying if I said that I enjoyed the movie; I actually thoroughly enjoyed it and was glad not to have spent those 2 hours like every other nite, on the phone wasting all my witty flirts on a girl who'd eventually end up telling me about her latest boy friend… sigh! Anyways, I did find it very entertaining and thus according to the post-movie ritual, next came the movie's IMDB and wiki page. Besides the hundred other irrelevant insights I got from those pages, the realization also dawned that Twilight was a movie adaptation of a series of best seller books, and was just part 1 of the upcoming 3 more.

I felt naively ignorant at first; it was soon replaced by inquisitiveness and like a dog who'll try to sniff out even a new sound that reaches his ears, I sniffed my way to the nearest bookstore to swipe a wee part of my month's pay check for Book 1 of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight saga.

It's been pretty long since this happened. I've been through the first 2 books as well as the movies since then. The series' sudden and massive fan wave that engulfed the country in the past few months, has and with no surprises been pre-dominantly inhabited by the opposite sex and I had the fortune of being a part of it.

When I and a few others of my kin look at Twilight and its other instalments, we consider it as just another means to an end that'll satisfy our fanboy'ism lust. Many others unfortunately have wavelengths which are different than ours. Quite a few guys, actually a lot of them in fact think of it as a story about a girl who has been given a character with an empty shell; one which almost any girl can fit into and about a guy who is immortal and can run and jump may be as fast as superman and is devoid obviously of the external underpants, and shines like a diamond. Why wouldn't any girl and/or woman fall in love with such a guy; aren't diamonds supposed to be a woman's best friend? Anyways, while I don't blame my male counterparts for considering the series nonsensical and dismiss it as being 'chick flicks', I do have some other thoughts, to suggest the other wise.

Definition of a Chick Flick:

1. Movies generally based on a girl or a group of girls, subtly to be termed as desperate, out to get something and/or someone
2. Scripts written specifically to attract the fairer sex to the silver screens, many of whom will pull their male partners for it
3. Movies with adult content ranging from parental guidance to adversely 18+ at times
4. And finally those which do not probe your IQ level and make sure you leave the theatre either with a smile or at least a good nap amidst comfortable sleeping conditions

Mel Gibson's doctor in What Women Want told him that if men are from Mars and women are from Venus and if he could speak Venucian, then he holds the key to solving the ultimate question, what is it that women want? Now considering the probability of one of us guys falling in our bathrooms and getting an electric shock at the exact voltage that gives us the super-human power of listening to what women think, I don't really like how the odds are stacked against us.

So instead of waiting for a miracle to happen, I'd rather take the easier way out, go for one of these so termed chick flicks and at least try and get closer to the 'her' in my life; if any. And anyways, if that doesn't happen, there is always the adult content to look forward to. These movies thus, do have a lot to offer to the male population and I can't help but wonder why and who coined them as 'chick flicks'.

On asking 10 of the very few female friends that I have; 9 of them turned out to be ardent followers of the Twilight saga, 6 of who have already read all the 4 books. So the options are to either be a chauvinist and give myself a not-so required ego massage and ridicule the series… or give the series a try, watch the movies, may be even read the books, and have 9 times more chances to go with one of those 9 friends for any forth coming similar movies and have more topics to talk about with those Twilight fans of the fairer sex. With the risk of sounding like a guy desperate to talk to women, who I'm not… at least not completely, I don't really see why any guy would find it difficult to choose the later option.

If one of us still continues to despise the Twilight series and others alike, good for you. I sincerely hope your secret fascination and curiosity for the vampire clan is not revealed and this false hatred and ridicule goes a long successful way in finding you a female companion for yourself.

The Twilight series is based on the legendary mythical battle raging between vampires and werewolves. The movies thus have a lot of action, many of which are performed by a bunch stunning women. Other than the slight drawback of now having to face and compete with every girl's expectations of her guy coming into her room in one leap through the window or just by shining like a 24 carat stone, I can't really see why a guy would have to pretend to like the series.

With the 3^rd instalment of the Twilight saga, Eclipse hitting the theatres in less than a month, I can safely predict a lot of girls coaxing and cajoling their male partners into taking them for the first day, first show. For those who do manage to do this, I'm glad that you're found yourself a good guy; for others who don't, just remind him of the time he took you for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

superman delight

I've an awesome boss who loves her Corel Draw.

Thank you Ma'am :D
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6 years

Cheers to over 6500 shots, to those 2 scary incidents, to the last 6 years (hopefully to the next 60 too) and to every second spent discovering the Superman within... It still feels like a blessing in disguise.

Thank you Mom and Dad for never trying this.
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birthday therapy

Is there anything like a perfect timed disaster? I'd have answered no 3 weeks ago... now I shall say, yes, there is.

Amongst the very many activities or tasks that us humans deem as therapeutic, I think birthdays have to top the list. Of course music helps, so does reading and/or writing... various other sorts of bodily indulgences along with a few gaseous or liquid intoxicants can always turn a frown upside down; and of course nothing like a month's pay check written off at a mall while shopping to color away those blues. But then all of this on one side while birthdays on the other, the later shall still tip the scale by a transparent margin. They're like a day long guilt free pass given by Bhrama himself, giving one automatic redemption in form off forgiven sins and ignored mistakes.

I might have exaggerated a wee bit when I mentioned 'disaster' earlier. It wasn't really a disaster, but more like a plan; one which was almost certain and bound to happen... but rotten luck hit, shit happened and a dream nurtured over 6 months has to be flushed down the tubes. If I had to scribble about this a week back, the post would've been reflected a sad, suicidal and a mighty frustrating tone... but a few individuals had something else in store for me.

My 21st party was exactly how it should've been... wet, retro, pink and of course Superman'd. Last year I wondered, whats the big fuss about birthdays and got a pretty watery answer (read here), so this year I didn't dare ask or wonder about anything; I just witnessed, observed and realized, how a handful of people can make a planetful of difference.

My first Bro/Wingman, thanks a lot for being so awesome and for all the decisions you've always made for me. I've cherished every drop of alcohol (and adventures we've had because of the same) with you. I hope that you're the DJ at all of my parties and wish that I get to backpack with you very soon.

Bro's girlfriend/Bestest friend, I repeat what I said last year, best things do come in small packages. Thanks for being around for the last four Women's Days and making each one more special than the last. I hope you get placed at a MNC very soon and then sponsor all of my parties. You're pretty awesome as well.

Lifetime girlfriend/neighbor, I don't think gifts can get ever get as creative as yours was. 21 years and am proud to add closest to the 'oldest friends' tag we share. You were really missed and I owe you a grand treat when you're here next. Please thank your crew on my behalf.

Dance partner, need I say how Super you are. If the last 4 years have been awesome, then the last 4 months have been awesome's great grandfather... I eagerly look forward to the upcoming ones. Thanks for always being around and letting me be there as well. I hope you are working on your jokes.

Sahil, I missed you a lot man. Lukka chuppi on webcam made the almost perfect birthday more than perfect.
Cousin twin brother, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. No words can ever do justice to how precious you are to me. Lakshman would turn red with envy if he were here to see your love and support as a brother, for even his brotherhood for Rama wouldn't have been this super.

Madam Baroness & Mandrake, my last 2 parties have been 'intoxicating' because of your help, thank you so much. For this year's gift, thanks will spoil the gladness I feel everytime I look at it. It makes a 10-star addition to my Superman collection.

Dad & Mom, thanks for being such superbly 'cool' parents for the last 21 years. Samir uncle, I hope you don't mind being addressed as Godfather; you've been the coolest 35 year old for a long long time and I hope you are always around.

Twin brother's girl friend, blondie, bag-man, pothead, bird lady, snow white, bimbo, hotstuff, spandy, first year junior... I hope you get your nick names and I apologize for not mentioning more about you... but please do know, it was perfect because you danced like it was nobody's business, because you followed the theme perfectly, because you made the party green, because you appreciated the servings, because you all came with gifts and because you were there. Everything made me much more happy than what I look in the picture below.

'ahww' time

Yea, he is not my dog... I'm his human
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from Demons of Chitrakut

For complete knowledge cannot be contained within the constraints of a mortal mind, just as divine love will not be contained within the tiny sphere of a mortal heart.
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model brother

He does birthday parties, marriages, anniversaries and private functions as well.

lust day

I'm not the most enthusiastic when it comes to celebrating these so called 'days'. If allowed to be an extremist, I'm totally against them. They are no more than a means to burn not one but multiple holes in your pocket! The sad part? Every year and you're supposed to be a nice guy and roll that right way.

The first thing that comes to mind whenever I think or even hear the work 'Valentine' are two naked, winged figures I feel like beating to death. Or if given access to a shotgun, shooting them just to see how far they fall. Don't get me wrong; I have not suffered the cupid's choke hold (read: love) earlier, suffered a heartbreak and now saying these things with a sour taste. I'm just too damn intelligent to fall for all of this, which I hope most of the men are too. Statistics show that women purchase 85% of all valentine gifts!

I presume that most men don't understand valentine or either don't want to understand it. I'm sure I'll be considered normal in the male universe when I say this. Lust I understand, love I don't. So I'd rather have a day to celebrate lust than love! Perhaps we can have a division. Valentine's day celebrated by women and 'Lust Day' by men.

Of course, both sexes need to be accommodating enough to participate in the 'revelry' planned by the other. I can imagine what would be on the cover of a card for Lust Day and what can be written inside, best left to imagination right now.

In the end, even though I might find a way to live with and bear Valentine's Day and all the crap, I still wouldn't stop to find new, innovative and horrible ways to kill those naked flying idiots!

Plagiarized from my brother's mind.