5-Day Happiness Challenge: DAY 5

Last day of the Happiness Challenge...

Here's what makes me happy/feel grateful for:

1. That I was able to complete the challenge - To remember to post everyday and also think of 3 nice things to pen down - it wasn't all that easy! So I pat myself on the back for that :D.

2. Medical advancement: I was just scheduling my daughter's routine health checkup and also simultaneously reading an article about how many under-developed countries still do not have primary care access for all - this is so sad. What we take as granted in our lives is a privilege for others.

3. Fire engines and cop cars: And I grateful for not just what services they provide but also because every fire engine and cop car that passes our home, my daughter squeals in delight and is engages for a good 5 minutes giving me time to do random things like check facebook and blog!!!

So there, I have successfully completed the challenge and as part of the rules, I need to tag three people to pass on the challenge to...And they are...

- Aditi at Diary of a Cusp

- Aditi Varma at The (MIS) Adventures of Sugar'n'Spice

- Steve at Steveroni's Blog

Onto you guys!

5-Day Happiness Challenge: DAY 4

Fourth day of the happiness challenge, and here we go...

Today I am happy and feel grateful for:

1. Easy and relaxed Monday mornings - I miss working sometimes but surely not on Monday mornings. It is not easy being with an early rising hyperactive toddler but considering I don't have to rush anywhere, we get by the mornings at our own pace - with cuddles and snuggles and chasing each other, while poor Vish jealously looks on as he gets ready for work!

2. Home cooked food: I love food but hate cooking, and after a weekend of excesses and outside food, it feels good to cook a simple meal at home. Imagine, I am saying this - I must be really bored of eating out!

3. Online gift portals: Just sent a rakhi to my brother for rakshabandhan (an Indian festival) - about 3-4 clicks spanning a time frame of 45-60 seconds, and I was done - so easy these days!

5-Day Happiness Challenge: DAY 3

DAY 3 of the 5-Day Happiness Challenge, and I am thankful for:

1. Public Libraries - That are huge, spacious, clean, beautiful, free, and house one of my greatest loves - books! Weekly trips to the library are something that all three of us look forward to!

2. Greenery -  Living in one of the greenest cities in NA has its clear advantages - all the greenery, the lush trees, the soft and vibrant grass, the tall and stately pines - anybody would become a nature lover.

3. Internet TVs - We bid goodbye to cable a while back and good riddance to that because now we can enjoy what we want, when we want, and how much we want it for! Yay for online streaming, Internet TVs and Chromecast  we got ourselves covered!

5-Day Happiness Challenge: DAY 2

So today is DAY 2 of the 5-Day Happiness Challenge. Here is what makes me happy or feel grateful today.

1. The online blogging community that is so enriching - Blogging is a great tool - not just the cathartic experience of writing but all the perspectives one gets when reading other accounts! And I just got nominated for an award too :)

2. Pizzas: Weekend pizzas means a break from the monotony of kitchen, cooking, and cleaning. Yay for pizzas!

3. Shopping: Need I elucidate how therapeutic shopping is!

5-Day Happiness Challenge: DAY 1

I was tagged by a friend on Facebook for a 5-Day Happiness Challenge. For 5 days, every day, I have to post three things that I am grateful for or happy for. Have decided to take this on my blog here rather than on FB...So here goes...

Today is Day 1 and I am happy and grateful for the following:

1. Internet phones and other such calling/video calling technology such as VoIP, Skype, Hangout etc. that help me keep in touch with loved ones back home as often as I want and whenever I want. Staying some trillion miles away from home and family, I sure can't imagine a time when these were not available!

2. Icecream in the freezer! One mood lifter icecream is - anytime of the day, any day of the year. My bowl usually boasts of a medley of cookie and pie dough, lots of nuts, crunchy biscuits and brownies and chocolates, fruits, - you name it, it's there!

3. A tiny little sweet smelling being who after a long day tries to cuddle as close as possible while trying to get some much needed sleep :).

Blogging Highlights

No special milestone, except that I was tagged by Prathama here. I thought it was an interesting tag to pickup. Having been blogging for more than 3 years now, the tag provides me with an excellent opportunity to look back - a recap of all the 186 posts I have done so far. It was interesting to go to the archives and reread my own writing and soak in the waves of memories of the years gone by. (Here's my centennial post that also coincided with My Musings' second anniversary.)

Yes, blogging is worth the time and effort; don't you think so too? So thank you so much for the tag and here I go...

1. Blogger must be nominated to take part.

Yep, nominated.

2. Blogger must publish one link from his/her blog for each of the following categories:

•  Your most beautiful post...

Have to do a lot of thinking here - so many aspects can define beauty...okay, so I feel that my most beautiful post was the one on sunset - "In My Sky At Twilight" - it has pictures that I had taken from my patio of the setting sun, interspersed with poetry from Pablo Neruda and Wordsworth. I go back to it a lot of times just to read my favorite lines and relive the splash of colors.

• Your most popular post...

I am going by Blogger statistics here. The post that has been most visited, that is the post with the maximum number of page views, is Tom and Jerry: Just a cat and mouse game? I have got a lot of mails on the post from so many people around the world (I swear I mean it literally :)).

• Your most controversial post...

Obviously, Anti Corruption and Anti Hazare. I had vehement supporters and aggressive opposers. I got so many anonymous hate mails too!

• Your most helpful post...

This is a tough one to decide. Helpful to whom? Aah, yes - it has to be De-tanning! I wrote about some easy home remedies to get rid of a bad sun tan and the post has been fairly popular with a lot of people writing back saying the tips really worked!

• A post, the success of which surprised you...

It has to be High Five! I never expected such a wonderful response from not only people who follow my blog but random visits by blog walkers too! Not only did the women show whole hearted appreciation but a lot of men folk "liked" it too :).

• A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved...

This one has to be one of my earliest posts. I had just started writing and didn't have too many readers. I think if I had written Veni, Vidi, Visa - I came, I saw, I shopped more recently, it would have been more popular :).

• The post that you are most proud of...

I like all my posts - I mean that's why I write them, right? :). On a serious note, I am quite proud of all the original poetry that I have published as part of this blog. Some of my personal favorites are: Living 'Life', Washed Away, Demystification, Consolatory?, Light?, and Arbit.

3. Blogger must nominate 5 or more bloggers to take part, who in turn publish links to their blog posts and nominate other bloggers.

A lot of bloggers I follow have already done this tag or something similar. So, here are the people who I think write awesome blogs and have not done this tag. Please take this up if you have the time and the inclination :)!

- Steve E at The Fourth Dimension

- Aparna at Adventures in Mommyland

- Akum at Live While You Are Alive

- Shimmer at Meaningless Scribble

- AJai at Aj's Take 

And, I am done :).

Versatile Blogger: Nomination and Tag

Nominated for the Versatile Blogger award by Aparna here. Thanks a lot! I wasn't sure the origins of it, so searched the Internet and found the Versatile Blogger Award site here. They have a blog roll of all the winners - which is periodically updated. Aparna, your nomination is well deserved and sound me out when you win it - All the best!

The nomination does not come easy. It has a set of rules and here I go...

1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers.

Here are the fellow bloggers I nominate... (excluding bloggers who have already been nominated, I got only 10)

• Chandrika Shubham at Chandrika Shubham : A reserved chit-chatter.
• BK Chowla at Change India.
• Creative Rumblings at Creative Rumblings.
• TBG at Desi Ghee and Coffee.
• Katherine Jenkins at Lessons from the Monk I Married.
• Sameera at Life in a jiffy.
• Mr "Niraj" Lemon at Masalla Lemonade.
• Susan Deborah at Meanderings and Reflections.
• Ram at Trails of a Traveler.
• Prathama at Towards Harmony.

2. Inform the bloggers of their nomination.

Consider this done - the minute I publish the post, will let the nominated bloggers know.

3. Add the Versatile Blogger award picture to your blog post. 

Here it is...

4. Share 7 random things about yourself.

Okay, let's see how random I can get...

• Though I can't sing for nuts, for as long as I can remember I have fancied being a top-notch singer - I used to sing along with the tapes, with a magazine rolled up as a mike and pretend I was giving an Oscar-winning performance. I still do it when nobody is at home (and now with YouTube instead) :D.

• My first career option ever as a kid was to join the army and fight at the borders. In the 80's, women were still not part of the Indian army; and when my parents told me that, I wanted to be an army doctor. (Until ofcourse I later realized I just don't have it in me to become any kind of a doc :()

• The first job I ever "interviewed" for was for the position of a Management Trainee at the Taj Group of Hotels. This was when I was still in college.

• I have carried dividers, compasses in my bags during the bus rides to and from college. I was in Delhi and it was almost a necessity to carry such equipment for self defense. I have used these and umbrellas, elbows, knees to hit so many men (ofcourse the guilty ones only), real bad, where it really hurts the most.

• Till I was in my early 20s, the worst abuse I had ever used was "bitch". And if I called so it was someone that, it was understood that they really deserved it and infact much more! I couldn't bring myself to use to the more illustrious vocabulary that I seem to fluently mouth out these days! 

• I have admired and been infatuated by various celebrities from different field over the years. However, I have always proudly proclaimed that I have never been so star-struck as to put up posters in my room EXCEPT for only once in all these years - I had Rahul Dravid's poster on my bedroom wall for exactly 10 days when I was in Grade 8.

• Though not at all a sportsperson, I have tried my hand (literally only that much) at most sports - lawn tennis, badminton, javelin throw, short put, karate, long jump, golf, volley ball, basket ball, throw ball, even cricket, and what not - only to come to the conclusion that all these are too "rough" for my taste :P. The one sport I have "seriously" pursued, for say 2 years continuously in school, was Table Tennis :).

Wow! I actually enjoyed doing this post! Thanks Aparna, once again.

Over to you guys, now! 

The ABC Song!

Seems like it’s the tag season. Picked up this one from Bikram’s post here.

All those who have time to spare, consider yourself TAGGED!

Here goes me…

A

- Available: No – occupied and busy, very busy…

- Age: At the wrong end of the 20s

- Animals: Horses

B

- Beer: Not for me, bring on the wine though!

- Birthday: Just round the corner

- Best friend: Hubby dearest

- Body Part on opposite sex: The grey matter in that cranium!

- Best feeling in the world: At the beach, where I can hear the waves crashing on the rocks and feel the balmy breeze on my cheeks

- Best weather: I mind the sun. Rain, thunder, storm, hail and snow – all make my day.

- Been in Love: Yeah yeah, been there, done that!

- Been on stage: Yes, loads of times – for debates, JAMs, dramatics, compering and even dancing!

- Believe in Magic: Umm would like to believe in magic but reality bites hard,

- Believe in Santa: Ofcourse – in Santa and Rudolf and all such stuff that magically gets you gifts!

- Brand: Identity crisis!

C

- Candy: Melody and Hajmola Imli ;)

- Color: White, Blue, Peach, Pink, Violet, Red, Black – actually all of them depending on what mood I am in.

- Chocolate/Vanilla: Chocolate brownies with hot chocolate fudge on a generous helping of light chocolate and vanilla ice-cream – and a double helping of that pls.

- Chinese/Indian/Italian: Italian

- Cake or pie: Cake

- Cheese: In any form and all kinds!

D

- Day or Night: Depends for what!

- Dancing in the rain: Makes living life worthwhile

E

- Eyes: Clear and transparent

- Ever failed a class?: Nahiiiiiii

- Enemies: I am sure I have many, I like to believe I have consciously made none

- Exercise: Much needed - Wish was more regular at that

F

- First thoughts waking up: How many more minutes can I laze around before it becomes too late to wake up

- Food: Another reason that convinces you the world is not such a bad place

G

- Greatest Fear: Darkness

- Goals: None, I just kick around

- Get along with your parents: Yes, pretty well and to add, they are managing quite well too ;)

H

- Hair Color: Black

- Happy: Happy!

- Holiday: Nothing as holier as the day that’s a holiday!

I

- Ice Cream: In all flavors with lots of nuts

J

- Jewelry: Minimalistic

- Job: That pays bills

K

- Kids: Love them! Hope to have my own someday ;)

- Kickboxing or karate: Karate – a senior green belter, mind you :D

- Keep a journal? In the stone age when Internet had not invaded our lives and then blogs happened.

L

- Love: Makes the world go round

- Laughed so hard you cried: Yes yes, so many times!

M

- Milk flavor: Chocolate – latest is cold milk with Hersheys chocolate syrup.

- Movies: All lovey dovey romances, candy floss love stories and chick flicks.

- Motion sickness: A bad case of that I am :(

- McD’s or BK: Mc Donald’s in India – anywhere else, it doesn’t matter cos both have nothing to offer vegetarians!

N

- Number: Infinity

O

- One wish: That I could get some more wishes!

P

- Perfect Pizza: Domino’s thin crust – Mexican green wave with an extra helping of olives – spruced up with oregano and lots of chilly flakes

- Pepsi/Coke: None

- Perfume/Cologne: Perfume – Dolce Gabbana Gold

Q

- Quail: Reptiles

R

- Reason to cry: movies, books, unfortunate incidents, memories, nostalgia , too much off love and happiness, self-sympathy trips…

- Reality T.V : A haven for desperados

- Radio Station: It’s been ages since I tuned into one

S

- Song: So many…all time favs would be

English: Stairway to heaven

Hindi: Yeh honsla kaise ruke

- Shoe size: Among the smaller ones

- Salad Dressing: Thousand Island

- Skinny dip: Leave it t the skinny people to have!

- Strawberries/Blueberries : Strawberries…!

- Sport: What is that?

T

- Tattoos: Too painful for me!

- Thunderstorms: Make for shady pseudo romantic moments in Indian cinema

U

- Unpredictable: Me Me Me

V

- Vacation spot(s): Would love to see all the famous tourist spots in the world – Greece and Venice are up on my list!

W

- Weakness: Emotions rule the head.

- Who makes you laugh the most: rather what - Life and its vicissitudes

- Worst Weather?: Depression

X

- X-Rays: A pain at the airports

Y

-Year it is now: 2011

-Yellow: Sunflowers – bright and cheery

Z

- Zoo animal: Love the Giraffe!

[Image source: Google Images]

Tagged: Why I Read!

Tagged by Aparna here to do a post on why I read.

My first reaction was this would be a breeze cos I do read a lot, but getting down to it, I am at a loss of reasons really.

I don’t even remember when I started reading or if ever it was a conscious decision.

For as long as I can remember I have derived the distinct pleasure that only books can give. Maybe it comes from my mom – she introduced us to the joy of reading way way back.

A voracious reader from childhood, I had graduated from Noddys and Enid Blytons to first abridged and then very soon unabridged classical and semi classical literature much before an average child my age – As soon I was done with Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys in Class 5 and 6 , I was onto Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, and the likes.

An English literature degree was the ultimate treat as I was exposed to so many authors from different periods and geographies. The education in literary criticism and appreciation brought a whole new dimension to the act of ‘reading’.

Though thanks to the IT madness I have gotten myself into, I do not get to spend as much time and energy as I would like for reading, books remain my greatest passion.

Reading opens up new horizons, new perspectives – it broadens your thinking – making you a more holistic and inclusive individual – the awareness of the world in the sense of its diversity is a revelation in itself.

And so I continue to read to...

…fuel my fantasies and imaginative flights

…forget my worldly worries

…learn about the varied cultures, countries and peoples

…be able to understand contexts better

...appreciate the beautiful weaving of words that create linguistic magic

I read an assortment of genres – none to specify as my favorite – but as a rule I like what people usually call “heavy reading”. I like detailed, long, drawn out accounts with an overplay of drama and emotions :)!

In keeping with the tradition of “The Tag”, tagging a few co-bloggers who I feel would have something interesting to talk about…

- Keerthana

- Susan

- Sameera

- Bikramjit

- Aastha

So, waiting to hear from you guys – do this if you have the time! And if somebody else wants to pick this tag too – most welcome – point me to your post when you are done!

[Image source: Google Images]

Q&A Time

Tagged again by TBG here. Delayed a little – but well, I am on a vacation and I forgive myself ;).

Yes, and I do realize this month has been more of tags than blog posts :)!

Anyways, so I'm supposed to answer these questions, then make up my own ten questions for you and pass on the tag.

I learn quickly, and like TBG will let you answer the same questions. Please feel free to tag yourself – Let me know if you do – I’ll catch you on your blog!

1. What one material thing are you hoping/ scoping to inherit?

I would love to inherit a huge palatial house on a sea side – Pacific sounds great or even a castle somewhere in the Norwegian wilderness!

2. You're driving. It's great weather. Attractive member of opposite sex in expensive car looks at you and half-smiles. You're in a relationship. Do you return the look and half-smile back?

One, if I am driving I’d be too nervous to notice either the expensive car or the good looking hunk. Two, even if I did notice, in all probability the half-smile would be because either I am too slow or in the wrong lane! So no, I would not return the look or the smile, irrespective of my relationship status.

3. Can't smell or can't taste? For six months, and if you had to chose, would you rather lose your sense of smell or not be able to taste anything?

I would rather lose my sense of smell – It doesn’t matter. My food needs to taste good!

4. Pick a situation

a. You're 42. Would you rather go without sex for three years and win a lottery after that, enabling you to never have to work again? Or

b. Get twice the lottery money now (at 42) but have your partner sleep with your boss?

So option b is lame! Option A, if these were the only two choices with None of the above not being an alternative.

5. What's a quicker turn off, bad pronunciation or maroon lipstick?

I assume this question is to be answered by the guys.

If not, a guy with bad pronunciation would be a definite turn off, and a guy wearing maroon lipstick would be a revolt to my senses!

6. Would you rather your kid turn out to be a nymphomaniac or gay?(For my amusement, please answer in the format: I would rather my kid be ---)

I would rather my kid be confident, poised, sure of himself/herself and my support and backing irrespective of sexual preferences.

7. For which one thing have you not forgiven your mother?

For not going for regular cholesterol and other checkups.

8. Would you rather go bald or lose your front tooth?

Hmmppphhhh – Artificial dentures would be irritating – so I’d rather go bald and get a pretty wig!

9. Your sibling is sleeping with your married close friend. Who do you go to first, sibling or married close friend?

Though I would like to believe I have no right to interfere and that I would stick to that stance if this ever happened, but in a practical scenario, I think I would have a word with my sibling.

10. When was the last time you cried that wasn't while watching a movie?

It doesn’t take much to make me cry – I cry out of joy and sadness. I am quite your typical emotional fool :D

Phew! Am done. Your turn now!

Tagged (by TBG)

My first ever tag - tagged by TBG here.

Okay, so I'm supposed to mention 9 things that I've worn the most. These could be anything!

And, here I go:

1. My wedding ring - More than 3 years now, and it is on me almost always!

2. My pink flip flops - I am wearing them right now and wear them pretty much all the time I spend at home - Have owned them now for more than a year – and love them!

3. My plain black hair pins – Very rarely will I be seen without my hair pinned back ;). And if I tell you for how long I have been using hair pins, you will pretty much guess my age :D.

4. My favorite denim skirt – My parents bought this from a Numero Uno sale in CP when I was in Class X for my birthday! With each passing year I fall in love with it even more! (and yes, I still fit into it :p)

5. My blue jeans – basic Levi’s 584. Very comfortable for just about anywhere and everywhere. I have owned this one for more than 5 years now!

6. My favorite pair of earrings – and obviously the most worn pair ever! One of the just-after-wedding gifts from my hubby!

7. White capris/shorts – My first ever buy in the U.S of A at the American Eagle Outfitters store on the Third Street, Santa Monica, a couple of years back. And that’s not the only reason I like it so much. It’s convenient for most activities – walk, trek, trip to the theme parks, etc etc.

8. My only khaki skirt – Have owned this one now for almost three years now and whenever I have got the opportunity to wear skirts (which I don’t do much in Chennai) this one’s always on the top!

9. Last but not the least - My formal black trousers – I have this pair from Van Heusen that has been with me since my first ever job interview. It’s classy and neat at the same time. Team it up with any formal shirt and am ready to take it on :).

All those who read this, please consider yourself tagged and I am sure it will be fun reminiscing on all the treasured possessions over the years!