Fair

I personally don't have a problem with people believing that fair people are better looking than darker people, or that thin people are better looking than fat people. I don't consider that racist. Everybody has a right to have their personal definition of beauty. Their life is their problem.
There was a time when I thought that this obsession was since the 'Goras' rule but further probe/thought leads me to believe that the obsession has sustained since ages. Ancient Hindu scriptures and modern poetry praise women endowed with skin "cast out of white marble". It is more cultural than anything else.
What makes sense to me is the explanation about the color discrimination that I read someplace which loosely translates to the following -
"Throughout Asia, dark skin is identified with the toil and sweat of hard labor in the fields, while fair skin is associated with an upscale lifestyle."
Problem begins when somebody pressures others into changing their lifestyle based on a personal sense of beauty.
The fetish has always been unfair on the Indian woman. Thankfully, intelligence and sense of humor don't have a color. And like your skin, you're born with them.

Happy Diwali

Had been home for diwali.
Mumma was describing how they (she and her siblings) used to wake up early in the morning (read middle of the night) at 3.30 AM and burst firecrackers along with the Thackerseys. She had painstakingly made a lot of yummy faraal for me, Sid and Siddhi.

Me too have fond memories of waking up early...going to the temple with papa and brothers..ruddhu holding my hand and ragu holding papa's. Perambulate the Ganpati temple once and come back home with the pedas :D
Because our home was the assembly point for all kids in the building...the firecrackers would be collected at our place, taken downstairs...Dad would begin with the first laxmi bomb and then all the kids would pick their favorite cracker and get crackling.

This Diwali was special because it was my first Diwali at OUR home in Kharghar.
Had a lavish diwali what with buying a laptop, a printer/scanner/copier, one cell phone each for me and my husband. Cooked for myself and my husband the first time.
The highlight of the entire evening was lighting up the diyas in my house - on the staircase, balconies, doorstep. My home looked lovely :-)
Also had my mangalsutra sulta ceremony which Sid did. Siddhi loved her new dress. I loved my new dress. Sid was surprised by the book I gave him for diwali. His was the best reaction for the gift - he glared at me then broke into a wide grin and then started reading his book (awww...sweet no? :-D).
I am leaving for Mumbai tonight for Rahul's wedding in Pune. Was planning to meet Apurwa but guess it will be difficult.
More about the visit once I am back :-)

Its work time again!!

Come some festival and my manager springs to life suddenly piling me with work...
so now the next few days are gonna be extremely hectic and serious un-blogging time for me.

Re-runs

Its strange that I can laugh again and again at the same jokes that I have seen so many times. I am referring to the re-runs of old series on Zee Cafe - Full House, Whos the boss, Friends, Small wonder, The wonder years etc. I must have seen some episodes multiple times so much so that I know whats gonna happen next and still they never fail to make me laugh :D

Thinking about the past, reminiscing about school with pals from school, laughing over the same incidents every time we meet is such fun!!

Miss my friends.

Green myths

Very interesting. While the world is going around planting trees here is a reverse side to it. Uff! Karein toh kya karein.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/5-green-myths.htm

MakeMyTrip :-)

Free time at last !!! :)
The last few weeks had been hectic at office (That explains why couldn't get myself to BLOG).
I wanted to be in Mumbai on 25th July 2008, tickets were booked and I was all set to leave office after the talk by Kiron Bedi.
The talk was fabulous. The lady commanded the stage absolutely. What ease and how powerful :)
During the session I got a message from my husband informing me about a blast in Bangalore and asking about my well-being. After the session, I saw the news and realized it was not A blast, it was a series of blasts. Everyone was panicking. It is a quiet city and this was a bit too much for it to handle.
I tried booking a cab to the airport as the international airport is 3 hours away from my office. But the booking offices were not ready to take any more passengers. Phew!!! I decided to go the usual way - take the office shuttle up to a destination and then board the international airport shuttles that run across the city.

I witnessed a laathi charge on the way and a lotttttttttt of traffic.
I thought I had missed my flight.
While I was waiting for the International Airport shuttle, Sid called up Bangalore Airport to know if the flight was on time and they told him that passengers should check in at least half an hour before the flight departure timings. This assured my fears. Damn!!
I reached barely 10 minutes before the flight took off. I ran all the way from the time I got off the bus through my security check with the boarding pass in hand, all the way into the flight, with the airport authorities looking amused much to my irritation. Now it all seems very funny.
Met up with Rahul, Bhavana and Akshay after a really long time. The highlight was the dessert :-) Sizzling brownie and as promised by Bhavana, it was yummyy.

Mumbai welcomes you like no other city. A suggestion to all those descending on this wonderful city - always take a flight that will reach destination Mumbai after it is dark. Its a lovely sight :-)
So I was back home, to the place I am most comfortable at.
Now my next trip on September 2nd, 2008.
We had decided to shift to our new home. So me, mummy and mumma left for Kharghar.
On Saturday, we went for a trek to Avchitgad. Goooooooooooood fun!!!!!
Had almost thought we wouldn't reach the pinnacle (we lost our way) but we did it :D
Me and Sid spent a leisurely weekend in our home (a peek at how it would be once I am back from Bangalore :-) )
On Sunday, we also went to see Dhannada and her baby :-)
So the trips were delightful and pleasant, but lasted very quickly.

I have also made a new dost - Iraqi/Billu beta/Pullll..Introduction next time