She's here!

Where, she = Sun! :)

Sun is back in Bombay for a month. There is going to be much frolicking about for the next month using this as an excuse to do everything that we've always wanted to do! :D

She arrived on the 28th of November and obviously, Moon and I were there to receive her at the airport with flowers and welcome cards. Then, we spent the night at hers and the next morning, it was like the last two years didn't exist at all. Daddy, as usual, was screaming at us for random reasons and we were all 18 again, huddled up on a bed chatting with each other.

I do look forward to spending more times like this. Going shopping, watching the twilight movie to ogle at shirtless Jacob, going to Matheran for the New Year and celebrating around a bonfire, baking cakes, going clubbing - just some of the things to be done together. :)

Happy Birthday, Sun!!!!!

Here's to the person who reminds us of our balls of steel, to our spine, to the vegetarian birthday lunches, to the bra-shopping, to the Pearl-bitching, to the mother shocking, to the innumerable memories and to soul sisters! Happy Birthday, my darling! May God give you the best of everything - just like you deserve!

I love you!

*Image courtesy google images.

About that (Un)employed status

Subtitled: Mixed Emotions

Big news, guys! I'm no longer unemployed! :D Now, I subtitle Hindi films and serials in English for a living. And so far, it's a very cool job. :)

Mixed emotions, because, well, this office is a long, long commute away from my home. So, 6 days a week, I travel for 5 hours (yes, 2.5 hours one way) and work for 8.5 hours. Which means, that I officially don't have a life anymore. Besides the commute tires me very much. And the pay is not that great a motivation either. So, I wonder if it's really worth it. I won't even get time for writing/ reading. On the other hand, it's a fun job. And irrespective of that, hey, it's a job! For so long, I was looking for something and I was hitting dead-ends everywhere. Besides, I only want a job for a few months, before I go back for my PhD. (hopefully, I mean) And since I'm enjoying it, it doesn't seem that bad after all. ::very very confused::

Btw, for the last two days, I've been subtitling a television serial called Mahi Way, which is a total Bridget Jones-rip off. And I like this coincidence that out of all the weepy, stupid, bhartiya nari-types that I could have got, I got this one. :D Since I have been quite out of touch with Hindi television, I didn't even know this one existed. In fact, in one of the chapters in my thesis, I'm planning to focus on how relevant is the genre of chick lit in India coz we have seen Bridget Jones, Sex and the city, Shopaholics, all translated into television and films. But, even when we have books like Swati Kaushal's A Piece of Cake or Advaita Kala's Almost Single, (both, brilliant books, btw) television and films are still mostly dominated by regressive, traditional, Sooraj Barjatya-types. This one will be very good input for me! :D

In other news, Moon got placed at an awesome company for next year! :D This is very exciting! We went out to celebrate last night and did the whole awesome cocktails thing that makes me feel very sexy. :D But, on the downside, it seems that Sun won't be able to come down to India after all because the flight tickets are way too expensive. And I cried very much when she sent me that email. She says that if she doesn't come this January, she won't be able to do so until next year, around the same time. And none of us knows where life will take us by that time. :( I was so looking forward to seeing her and being 18 again with the two of them. Does any of you know anything that I can do to get cheaper tickets from Auckland to Mumbai and back? Please help this poor, pining-for-her-friend me!

But, in the good news, I'll be leaving for Leeds in 48 hours! Now, if only the weather Gods don't make the flights stop and all, I'll be back with S and Atom in 3 days! :D

So, yes, mixed emotions. Happy for the job? Sad for not having any time because of that? Happy for Moon? Sad for Sun? Happy for meeting Atom again? I don't know!

Happiness in Star-land! :D

Happiness is in the air, fellas. Lots and lots and lots of happiness!

I've booked tickets to go to England for 2 weeks for graduation. Which means, I'll see Atom again! :D And I'll also do the whole formal graduating with a robe and all! I leave in 12 days and I'm already crossing off dates in my calendar! :D My father is not pleased with my behaviour. :P ::giggle giggle:: (See what I mean? :P)

Also, I just got an email from Sun. She might be coming back for a visit in January. Which means a Celestial Goddesses reunion!! After more than a year and a half! Man, somebody needs to warn the weather guy that Mumbai is going to be flooded soon. :P

And, Moon took me out for lunch today. She also gifted me 2 books very much to my taste - Eat Pray Love and Right fit, Wrong shoe (a chick lit!!! :D) I'm not quite sure what the occassion was for such lavish treatment but I had the most gorgeous time ever with her! She also proposed me marriage, which makes the count to 3 women and ZERO men who have proposed me marriage so far. Should I be worried?!! Do I have a strange vibe that only attracts women to me?!! Ah well, at least I've only ever attracted extremely sexy women. ;) :D It can be a good back-up plan, no? ;) :P :P :P Anyway, we also had the most sinful sizzling brownie, whereupon, I thought I had died and gone to heaven!! But, I had to soon get back to the reality of Mumbai locals that immediately reminded me that I'm still on planet Earth. Sigh.

But nothing can dampen the bubbling joy I have been feeling since morning! :D Like I said, happiness in Star-land! :D

Now that she is a year older and wiser....

Ok, I know, my Dissertation told you all that I won't be posting any more for a bit. But, it is my friend's birthday today and even my Dissertation understands that while my relationship with it is very important to me (in spite of it's misgivings,) I have to spend some time today writing about my best friend's birthday.

Anyhoo, today, is one of The Celestial Goddesses's birthday!! And so, this post is dedicated to Moon, one of that particular species of human beings, for whom it is a wonder every year they make it to their birthdays without any major accidents/ plastered limbs/ broken hearts/ marriages and marriage proposals/ slit wrists and basically, generally in one piece. So, kudos to Moon having survived another year and thus, making it to being 22 with mostly all major body parts in one piece and in their right places!! :P HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!! :D

I know this last year has been particularly difficult for you, with Sun and me being so far away and then having to say other good-byes and also dealing with a lot of other issues. But, hey, you now know what kind of stuff you are made of. I suppose now you can take on anything that life throws at you, right? :) This year has made you a little stronger, a little wiser (of course, there is a lot to be desired but meh! :P) and a little more prudent and judicious in everything that you do. At the same time, this was a year of great achievements for you. Writing a book is no small feat and you proved that you have the sort of discipline it takes to take on such a project. And as usual, there were the regular academic achievements, which I suppose is not so uncommon for you. Besides, working in R-fucking-B.I. is HUGE!! :D I'm so proud of you and of being your friend. I know someday, people will all be like, O.M.G. You know MOON?!! And I'll be like, meh! She's just human, as far as I know! But, inside, I'll be glowing and my heart'll be bursting with glee! :D You were born for great things, darling. And, so far, you've been proving it relentlessly. You go, girl! We all love you so much! :D May God bless you, fulfil all your dreams and well, and keep you alive and in one piece! ;) :P

And, of course, I owe you a Star-special birthday cake. :P It goes without saying! :D Until then, here is a small gift. A little something that we all love but I know you haven't really heard in sometime. And omg, look at 3:50 and 6:25!! Sigh! :P

See why we love each other?!! :P Have a great day! And now, stop crying already, you silly emotional woman! :P Lots and lots of love!

*Picture courtesey: Google

The Celestial Goddesses memories

This one's another post dedicated to us, The Celestial Goddesses: Sun, Moon and me, Star! (:P - it's my blog and I decide the names) Besides, they fit!! Sun brings, you know, sunshine and light to my and Moon's life; Moon is cool, calm, composed most of the time when Sun and I are, you know, spouting fire (:P); and well, I'm just a Star, only in the sense, you know, that I'm tiny and keep twinkling. *ahem ahem* Really.
Look look, you two!! Isn't this awesome for us?!! :D I got this picture from a tattoo parlour brochure and I swear, if I ever get a tattoo, this is the one I'll get! ::eyes shining, sings lalalala and draws hearts and music notes::

Anyhooo, this post is supposed to be about our memories!! As everyone on this planet knows, (well, people who know us are what constitute our planet, right?) the time we spent together has been the best time of my life ever! The most cherished of our times together though would be our sleep-overs at each other's. We would mostly watch some or the other films or Sex and the City episodes (we are EXACTLY like the SATC foursome except that we are a threesome. Hmmm, that sounds *SO* wrong. Imagine how many hits it'd get on google search! I'm going to leave it like that! Ha! :P) And, we would talk about boys. Of course. That was our favourite thing to do. Watch films only so that we can drool over sexy boys in the film. Rewind and replay parts where they look extra-hot. And then, crib about how unfair life is and how some women just have it all while others, like us, have to make do with ordinary boys. Hmph. Well anyway, we enjoyed the Sex and the City episodes a lot!
I remember this one time when we were watching the episode where Carrie was dating the politician guy. There was a lot of "action" going on on the screen and both Sun and Moon decided to oblige me by explaining what's going on (you know, because I'm tiny and all, they thought I didn't know what's a bj) Meuh! Turns out they were wrong and I DID know (ahem, ahem!! :P) but I didn't bother to correct them because I thought it was hilarious! :P The scary part is that just when all the "explaining" was happening, my mum decided to poke her head in my room and see what we are up to! She never mentioned it but I think that was the day my mum suffered from a minor stroke! But I'm glad that she did that because it was after that day that she kept expecting to find alcohol bottles and cigarette packets in my possession. Obviously she didn't find any (because I don't smoke and don't drink at home.) But, I came off as looking as the "good daughter" instead of being the "bad daughter" she always accused me of being because I didn't get distinction in my results. Sigh, expectations! How drastically can they change your perspectives! ;)

And then, there was the time when we all went to Sun's country house, which, by the way, is also THE MOST beautiful place in the world!! No, really!! By popular votes! ALL three of us think so! Well anyway, we used to take long walks in the mountains and sit on the cliffs watching the tiny lights slowly come on below us in the valley as the sun starts setting. And we celebrated [an alcohol-less :(] New Year's over a lovely campfire singing songs! No loud music, no clubs, no fireworks but definitely the BEST New Year's ever! :D And there are other, smaller but equally sweet memories, like, meeting each other for a coffee, a hug and a10-15 minute chat before the first lecture of the day, making chocolates for the first time in our lives (yes yes, they were edible!! :P), arguing over our birthday lunch venues (hehe, of course I won!! :P There was no meat eating that day!! :P), deciding who slept where after *VERY* careful evaluation of the situation (:P), wrapping each other's gifts because it makes us happy, bra-shopping and the resulting frustration (:P), having goti-soda (yes, in Mumbai!!! ::sniff:: I miss Mumbai!), going shopping at Flora Fountain and Colaba Causeway, dressing up together and pinning up each others' dresses, borrowing each others' clothes and jewellery, bitching about Pearl......there are just *SO* many! Oh, and watching films and talking about boys! Did I mention that already? Oh well, it's not enough!! :P

One of the other great nights we've had is on Moon's birthday, which, incidentally was also the last time we spent a night together (I just did it again!!! :P) before we moved out to different time zones. There was much dancing and nautanki that day. Well, there always is. But, it was like we knew we wouldn't be able to do this for a VERY long time again. So, we poured out ALL that we had in that moment! During the party, Sun and Moon did a spoof of Hindi film fight sequences for all us lesser beings with everything from Matrix to "Yanna Rascala" to Bhangra dance steps thrown in!! They even did two takes for the camera! And then, we had a full night just to ourselves! We watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S. for a change because even though we are SATC, our emotions at the moment were very F.R.I.E.N.D.S. And, of course, we talked about hot men and how life is so unfair! See that??!! He's all three of our's collective fantasy boy! :P Ohmygod!! Some men are just made for pure TORTURE!!! ::battles the knot in her stomach, the dryness in her mouth and her light-headedness::

And then, there was some crying. Come on, there would be no "us" any more!! I mean, there is, but it'd never be the same with the three of us in 3 different continents, isn't it? It's like the end of an era! We have actually come much closer now. Especially, because we know that there will never be anything like us any where else, ever again! But it doesn't take away anything from that moment of bitter-sweet joy, where we were mind-numbingly happy but at the same time, infinitely sad knowing that it's going to end soon.

Sigh those were the days! Celestial Goddesses are now like poles. Half a year of Sun, half a year of Moon. ::sniff sniff:: But the Celestial Goddesses will resurface and then, there'll be more stories and more gossip! Until then, stay tuned for more rants and laments and nostalgia and drool factors! ;)

Friends for life!

"I went to the country for hiking!! It was so beautiful man, I can't even describe!! I absolutely fell in love with that town!!"

"Have you put up the pictures on Facebook?"

"Yea, you can check them out!! It was such an amazing day!!"

"Ok, hold on, will just check....ooh!! It looks great, wow! Hmm..hmm..cool...Awwww!!!!!!!"

"Hey, you were looking at so-and-so picture, weren't you?"

"Yeaa!! How did you know?!!"

This was a skype-conversation between my two best friends (Let's call them Sun and Moon, shall we? You know, I'm the Star and together, we are the Celestial Goddesses Trio! :D :P) and I, a few months ago, when I had been in England only for a month. These are the two people for whom I can give up my deepest desires and an e-mail from whom can cheer up the worst and the bluest of my days. We all know each other so well, we just have to hear the intonation of a sentence or see the flicker of an expression and we know exactly what the other is thinking! Here, I had both! There was no way I wouldn't know which picture she was looking at...

I talked to the two of them again today and we exchanged news from each of our time zones. Life takes you on such a roller coaster, you have to sometimes let go of people you love so much. And even though (like my parents would LOVE reminding me) communication is so easy today, the joy of being physically present to share somebody's life and of being able to hug them whenever you feel like is so different! So, we have to make do with virtual contact, whether we like it and want it or not....

After I finished talking to them, I was just thinking of how many such close friends I've had in my life. I realised I ALWAYS had someone or the other who used to be very close to me. But, in due course of time, we move apart and then, the friendship dwindles and is never the same again! I had a friend in school, who moved away and not just physically but also emotionally; then a couple others, who went to different colleges and chose different fields of study and even though we pretend to be close today, if I die tomorrow, they'll probably not realise for another couple of months at least! And the one that hurts a bit is the friend who moved to another country for a few years and came back completely changed! Even though she is still great friends with me and loves me, she is not the same any more. It is probably my own fault that I am not being able to accept her as she is. After all, people change over time. It is completely and totally justified and valid that you change your opinions with your experiences! But, there is still a but in this relationship for me! The one that hurts the most is somebody who claims that you are the best friend he will ever have but there is never any news from his side - no email, no call, not even a short 2-line message informing that he is alive and well (or not)! Well, it's not just his claim but truth - in the past! We used to be great buddies and extremely close friends! But, suddenly, one summer, he didn't want to be as close any more and I have still not figured out what went wrong - even after more than 2 years! I don't want to be egoistical and claim that it is all their fault that they didn't keep in touch with me...I probably must have done this to people who move lower down the ladder of priorities sometimes. And I didn't even realise it. Because if I realised I'm hurting someone, I'd try my level best to avoid doing it!! It's not a blame game....I am just trying to figure out what I wanted out of my friends, what I gave them back for it, did I do any justice to our relationship and other things like that...

Most likely, its all about growing up! All these years, we are growing up, still trying to figure out our own selves. And so, you change, the friends change, you probably don't have any more common grounds or one matures earlier than the other. And therefore, the friends you make when you are in college are probably much closer to you than the others before them. Because, by then, you are either growing up together and finding yourselves together or you are more or less the person you will be for quite a few years to come. Well, hopefully, at least!!! :P It does make a difference when you are exploring yourselves together. When your discovery of any aspect of your identity is linked with that of another person, you can't think of that aspect without your friend! You become one entity - together in this and probably a lot other things as well...

It is probably because of these reflections and previous friendships which have dwindled down to nothing that I want to hold on to these people in my life so tightly that they never slip away like the others did!! There are two people on this earth in front of whom I can lay my heart bare and who can guess what I'm feeling like and who will not judge me for doing that. I can absolutely not afford to lose them!! Their presence and importance in my life transcends words and there is so much between us that one blog or even a 100 will not be enough to encompass it all!

I probably said ZERO substantial thing in this post. But, I wanted to dedicate this return to blogging by dedicating my first post to my best friends in the world! I love you two, my Sun and Moon!