A LETTER TO MY BABY ON BEING A 'POTTERHEAD'

Dear Baby

You have not been born yet, but I am writing this to you so that when you can read stuff, this is the first thing you read. Ok! Mommy loves you, don't freak out if she starts getting a little crazy in this letter ok da? 

Sweety you have seen me watching movies with a boy in glasses right? I'm sure you have heard me arguing with your daddy about this boy. I'm also sure that you have seen me wearing those glasses and sometimes point a long stick at you and saying words like "ACCIO BABY or LEVICORPUS DADDY". 

Harry Potter is my best friend. No wait...he is my one true love. No that is not true. Your dad is. God that is not true either. OK! Harry Potter is the book which taught me that you can live in a whole different world. You will start reading the books very soon baby & then we will see the movies (hopefully in a row) together! It is going to be so much fun.

I'm sure you will love not just the adventures in the book but the people, the food, the quidditch & most important..HOGWARTS. Oh baby it is the most beautiful and most awesome school in the whole world. I always wanted to go there when I was a kid...broke my heart when my owl didn't come....let's not go there. (Let's hope you get yours)

Baby it's very important to mommy that you like Harry Potter even though I am absolutely positive you will. It changed my life, it taught me that it is ok to be weird & different. That the most powerful thing in the world is your imagination. And baby, I have seen you draw the wonder woman robot..your imagination kick ass compared to other kids!!! :) (mommy is so proud)

You have seen my posters with Harry & his friends right? Oh baby you will be the luckiest person in the whole world if you find friends like Ron & Hermione. You always need people in your life that can tell you when you're screwing up...or join you when you're screwing up! 

As you read on, you will realize that people are not always as they seem & it is not okay to judge them till you have known the truth. Mommy made that mistake....ope you don't. Remember when you got scared by Kelly aunty's cat? You said it was a 'BAD CAT' but that kitty was only trying to play. The same way....you will learn what is really bad what is good. 

I can't wait till when you're old enough... & we can start TALKING about it. Discussing the spells, playing quizzes (let's see if you can beat your mommy!) dressing up as our favorite characters & most importantly...just enjoying our love fore something magical & beautiful.

I have already bought you the all the 7 books.No,...not the stupid while pad dad uses! A real book...with pages...and a bookmark(in the shape of a quidditch broom)which smells like your favorite memory. I am very..VERY relieved that you love reading baby (waiting when you will start your A, B, C's ) 

I know you think I have gone crazy when I say the dialogues out loud when I am watching the Harry Potter movies....it absolutely normal! Potterheads...that's what we call people who love Harry Potter...all over the world do it. Believe me baby, I know mommy's who have dressed babies up in HP costumes. I will never do that without you actually WANTING to...please start wanting soon baby.

I can't wait for the day we argue on which Hogwarts house is better, which professor is better, which book in the series is the best and most importantly.....which quidditch player is the best! Soooo....start reading the books soon baby & watch the movies. 

Mommy will never say no if you want your own wand or a cape or anything. Mommy will even be cool if you wanna be in Slytherin or if you like Voldemort.....no wait...Baby...don't like Voldemort..please don't.....please....

Love,

Your Potterhead Mom :)

.

"I can't I can't I can't I can't...I JUST can't!!!!"

I turned 23 a few days ago…and God I am absolutely terrified……good god no! not because I am “old”….its the whole load of crap that comes along when you reach this spot in your life. Obviously dear readers, anyone would be. But that is not what is on my mind.

Marriage!!!!!!!!!!!! There .  I said it. You know I don’t care for subtlety. But then again in all honesty, this issue has been haunting my brains since the beginning of this year. It all started with a friend getting married….well, that was sorta expected since she was in love with him for almost 10 years. But then came the news of my junior getting hitched right along. Along her came the news of another friend getting proposed…I mean, it was a freakin epidemic!!

Of course my parents are dolls, they don’t give two hoots about “when” I get married as long it’s to a sweetheart. But then again, when you live in India and from a malayali background where staying ringless for a long time is sort of…frowned upon…it does get you thinking.

I have never dated. Ever. The idea of “belonging” to someone for some ungodly reason has always scared the wits out of me, and the irony is that my parents had a bollywood love story of their own, man! One expects things getting passed down the gene line….still…sigh! Anyway, I don’t think I can ever be anyone’s “wife”! Wow I just got the chills….but I just can’t. Have you seen my room? Nightmare! My idea of a perfect dinner is watching a game with a plate of nachos! I don’t care how long the jeans go unwashed and I HATE, absolutely ABHOR any form of housework. Ask my best friend…it looks like she comes everyday from noida not to meet me but to clean my room….poor thing…God I love her!

Next problem is privacy. I cant stand people entering my room …something similar to what Sheldon Cooper suffers from. How am I supposed to live WITH a guy? People I'm telling you the list just never ends….eating with him, sleeping with him(faints), sharing the same things….how am I going to do all this???

I still put glitter all over my room, abuse profusely and unabashedly when India loses a match, have absolutely no qualms about wearing the same clothes 5 days a week(clean of course), I watch cartoons with a burning passion and finally….am a freaking child!!!! And trust me…this is how I was when I was 13 and this is how I am going to be. Maturity is never going to be part of the deal. So you see my problem now? In the next 2-3 years when the flames start licking my ass you see the dangnammit dilemma I'm in???? 

Love is not part of the equation anymore…I think its too late for that, I have a doctorate in being a control freak by now. So if this girl is ever to get hitched…arranged it is! But I dont think I can be ready...ever....is this freak of a paranoia only in my case or are there more like me??? coz I really need someone who feels the same or I think I'm in dire need of therapy!!!

peace

The real gentleman's game

Okay, so now it has been ages since something really exciting has happened in my life and that is saying something because it is quite unusual that it happens so.

But the French open came into the fray with a storm and like it does all the time it took my breath away! For the past few weeks all I have been talking about is tennis......much to the agony of my non-sporty friends. (yes, offence!)

After the disastrous, flashy and tacky IPL got over mercifully, there was this  quite in the household, as if there is nothing forward to look to on T.V, but then the French Open hit all of us with such a force that they were surprised that they were so much interested in it. But then again most of my sports mania has been passed onto me from my parents themselves, so it did not come as much of a surprise.

I confess that I am a major cricket enthusiast, nothing thrills me more than the pure adrenaline rush of watching a dive catch or stumps uprooting from the pitch or watching a close run out, it was probably this passion which got me so disappointed in IPL, besides the fact that the whole thing was scripted, the sheer cheapness and the unwanted hype which turned it from a sport to an mere source of entertainment really hurt me.

Coming back to the real point, the reason this time the French open was such a hit for me was because of its freshness. There is something about this sport that manages to surprise me every time,  for example the fact that the William sisters did not even make it to the quarters came in as such a shock, to top that they were top seeds. Djokovic reached quarters in a game where he lost the first two straight sets and struggled his way through. For the first time, unheard names reached the top in the women’s section…who will not be blown away?

And when a forehand is smashed from the baseline, it is a kick in itself. Unlike in cricket where a while team comes together to pull through, here it is all in the head of the player. He had to stay strong even when he is losing, not give in to the voices in his head. That is why every shot, every rally is so important. You have absolutely no idea what is coming next! I remember watching this match between Nadal and Nicolas Almagro, both from Spain. It was obvious that Nadal would be the winner not just because of his supreme champion status but also because he is king of clay, but there were moments in the match where Almagro was making Nadal sweat for the ball, literally making him run between both ends of the court, and though I was rooting for Nadal, I could not help but admire the guy's skill. And what a fantastic final! Even the rain which pushed the game to the next day could not dull the thrill. The ever perfect Djokovic made 53 whopping unforced errors and Nadal pushed himself like never before and won the final point sinking to his knees in pure joy. It sure was a historic moment as he was the first guy to have seven french open championships, but the best part was watching him jump into the crowds and dive straight into the arms of his coach, uncle Toni!

I know it is too extreme for me to say that I am switching my loyalties from cricket to tennis, which would be too extreme…but this sport has been gaining my absolute respect for quite some time…and in my mind, tennis is the new gentleman’s game.

Peace 

GOD! THE MOMENT WHICH I HAVE BEEN DREADING......

I think this is one of those freakishly rare moments where I’m having to think excessively before I speak! Does not feel good for a spontaneous mind like mine.....but what I have to say...is probably the most important thing in my life right now...so I have to say it right!!

                                             

My life is coming to an end....I mean it,.....my old-I don’t give a damn-chalta hai-whoooooo life is coming to an end. I’m never gonna be a student again (dats for sure! never wanna touch a book again). The point is..."I am so jobless", was a phrase that was very commonly used in my life when everything was normal..like when I was back in college few weeks ago...now, that I AM jobless having graduated, I have begun to wonder how I kept trying to avoid thinking about this day..... don't get it? God people I AM OFFICIALLY AN ADULT NOW!!!! AND I DON'T WANT TO BE!!!!!!! AARRGGHHH!!

Was that clear enough?

What this phase demands from me is to pick up my socks, strap my belt, clean my nose and gear up to jump into the slushy, murky, black swamp.....also called the "real world" by some great people. I have been a happy go lucky bugger all my life...there was never any place for seriousness, I was famous for finding the funny in the formal!!!! I cant believe I use to crib about going to classes, but now as I am sending my resumes and going for job interviews, pondering over the salary and the job profile.....one question keeps orbiting in my brain....."Do I like have to do this? Now"

Trust me, I feel like slapping myself when this happens, I mean, for god sakes, college is over and there is a whole new life filled with possibilities and untapped niches of success and opportunities for me to discover.........and here I am, on my bed......falling asleep googling sparkly gif wallpapers! Pathetic or what???

You can call it escapism....if you want to, coz....that is what I am doing! I am running away! Running away from the fact that the time for fun n games is over, the time to crib and cry over silly things is over, the time to loaf around with your friends is friggin over!!! And that I have to get a great job, find a great house, get great....okay at least decent money, pay my own bills, wash my own clothes, cook my own food.......PAY TAXES!!!! Reality has never really been my best friend.....I hate the acidity it gives me.......explains why I love Harry Potter so much!

But I wonder is it just me? Coz honestly most of pals seem damn excited and some are literally bouncing of the walls in sheer delight contemplating their futures! Also is it that bad that I am not feeling the heat? that I am relaxing and leaving everything to fate?? Wow! I do sound like some lazy bum!!

 A really good friend has been trying to talk me through this......trying to put some of her well tended fire into me, that I should quit hiding under my sheets in my safe and cozy room and step out in the scorching sun and sweat a little.....embrace the truth or at least shake hands with it! I know that it's not gonna be easy out there, and maybe that's the scariest part, but then again I have to slay my own dragons right? So lets see how this works out.... dreadful as it sounds....I'm gonna jump into this swamp with my arms wide open and a giant smile plastered on my face............hope the landing doesn't hurt too much!!!

peace!! :)

IN LOVE WITH ROMANCE NOVELS...ALWAYS!!

Sometimes, all we can do is imagine...when we know that certain things we..would like to happen...will never happen, we take refuge in our imagination! And here is where the purpose of a romance novels kicks in! It is the elixir for us die hard romantics.

I have been reading one since I was 15...I remember my first mills and boon novel. It was something about a guy and a girl who meet on their trip to turkey. Oh my god! I remember the "feelings" coursing through me when I was reading...plus I was abroad at the time..so I could kind of relate to it. And thus began my tryst with love novels. Although right now I prefer a nice rich historical romance to a mills and boon...m&b is so.....dry compared to  historical ones!

In the beginning I would feel slightly odd...it was like reading something explicit... something that was forbidden, but I got over my conscience somehow and started to enjoy what I read. I think it is total bullshit that reading romantic books makes your perspective towards love kinda...dumb! You start looking at love through rosy glasses. Please...I'm 21 and I'm yet to fall in love! It has not made me all mushy mushy in the least, rather I would say I have had some really good reads.

The best part about reading a romance novel is the fact that at one point you become a part of it. You become familiar with the characters...their emotions, and also that it is such a simple read you enjoy it more.When the heroine is all helpless and fighting the demons of  her past, the hero comes to her rescue and teaches her how to live again. Or when the hero is trying to slay his dragons the heroine does it for him and wins his heart. But the best story for me is usually when both the leads are at logger heads with each other and that friction finally leads to sparks....ah! Ambrosia!!!!

It is the best company for one when they are traveling or have nothing to do one afternoon or simply want to unwind. So march up to a bookstore and get yourself one of these delights. They are perfect to either warm up or set the cockles of your heart on fire!! :)

some of my fav's!! I'm sure you'll love em :)

JULIA QUINN: EVERYTHING AND THE MOON

It was indisputably love at first sight. But Victoria Lyndon was merely the teenaged daughter of a vicar. . .while Robert Kemble was the dashing young earl of Macclesfield. Surely what their meddlesome fathers insisted must have been true-that he was a reckless seducer determined to destroy her innocence. . . and she was a shameless fortune hunter. So it most certainly was for the best when their plans to elope went hopelessly awry. Even after a seven-year separation, Victoria-now a governess-still leaves Robert breathless. But how could he ever again trust the raven-haired deceiver who had shattered his soul? And Victoria could never give her heart a second time to the cad who so callously trampled on it the first. But a passion fated will not be denied, and vows of love yearn to be kept. . . even when one promises the moon.

JUDE DEVERAUX:  KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR

This timeless love story greets a new generation. Abandoned by her lover, thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery finds herself alone and brokenhearted in an old English church. She never dreamed that a love more powerful than time awaited her there...until Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, a sixteenth-century knight, appeared. Drawn to him by a bond so sudden and compelling that it defied reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a miracle: a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect just as she was. But she could not know how strong were the chains that tied them to the past -- or the grand adventure that lay before them.

JULIA QUINN: MINX

It takes a minx to tempt a rogue...Beautiful and feisty Henrietta Barrett has never followed the dictates of society. She manages her elderly guardian′s estate, prefers to wear breeches rather than dresses, and answers to the unlikely name of Henry. But when her guardian passes away, her beloved home falls into the hands of a distant cousin.
And it takes a rogue to tame her...William Dunford, London′s most elusive bachelor, is stunned to learn that he′s inherited property, a title...and a ward bent on making his first visit his last. Henry is determined to continue running the Cornwall estate without help from the handsome new lord, but Dunford is just as sure he can change things...starting with his wild young ward. But turning Henry into a lady makes her not only the darling of the town, but an irresistible attraction to the man who thought he could never be tempted.


JULIA QUINN: ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING

A funny thing happened...
Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except...
She wasn’t the one. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. But in the process, Lucy falls in love. With Gregory! Except...
Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar...


JUDITH MCNAUGHT: UNTIL YOU

A teacher in a school for wealthy young ladies, Sheridan, Bromleigh is hired to accompany one of her students, heiress Charise Lancaster, to England to meet her fiance. When her charge elopes with a stranger, Sheridan wonders how she will ever explain it to Charise’s intended, Lord Burleton.  Standing on the pier, Stephen Westmoreland, the Earl of Langford, assumes the young woman coming toward him is Charise Lancaster — and informs her of his inadvertent role in a fatal accident involving Lord Burleton the night before. And just as Sheridan is about to speak, she steps into the path of a cargo net loaded with crates!  Sheridan awakens in Westmoreland’s mansion with no memory of who she is; the only hint of her past is the puzzling fact that everyone calls her Miss Lancaster. All she truly knows is that she is falling in love with a handsome English earl, and that the life unfolding before her seems full of wondrous possibilities…”  A little suspense, a lot of drama, this one is perfect for a long camping trip.

peace!! :)

SO WHAT IF YOU ARE A GROWN UP?.......CARTOONS ARE FOREVER!!!!!

A couple of weeks ago, I was at my friends dinner party...the usual, boring fare with women in colors that give competition to a peacock! Gah! It was in one word, boooooooooooring! Anyway, with a plate of  paneer tikka in my hand I made my way to the kids room, amazingly enough there were hardly any children there but a couple of teens sipping coke, looking bored stiff and watching TV...It was not my day! I entered the room with a sigh; smiling at them...they exchanged that look which said, "Geez! Another college kid!” talk about respect. I realized they were not really 'watching' TV, so I picked the remote and switched the channel to cartoon network...the reaction that followed was epic!

"Um, excuse me, but what on earth are you watching?" one of the anorexic beauties asked me in a drawl voice.

"Err...cartoon network...why… don’t you like it?" I replied in my most polite tone.

"Really? Like how old are you? And you still watch this retarded junk? You SO need to get a life! And she promptly switched it back to 'gossip girl' with a firm nod.

 I was gob smacked by what she said! This teeny bopper is belittling something I bet she was addicted to no less than 2 years ago!!!! How old was she… 14? God! But it is not just her; almost everyone thinks that after the age of 12 or something, if you watch cartoons, you are a joke! Why?

I grew up watching cartoon network; it was my lifeline to fun! I loved it so much that till date I find myself humming “Flintstones meet the Flintstones….” Just can’t get over it! As soon I would get back from school and finish my chores and homework, I would be glued to the screen.  Flintstones, Jetsons, Dexter, power puff girls, Johnny quest, you name it…all were my favorites, I just could not get enough of it! And contrary to the bull that people keep spreading, it DID NOT rot my brain in any way…rather it got me more enthusiastic about reading, it helped me imagine more , it also spiked my rate of daydreaming!!!

It is kind of sad that kids these days are not so much into cartoons and more about their psp’s and counter strike  and other junk, and I can see how it has affected the god of cartons, cartoon network! All you can see right now is the Anime rule…from Ben 10 to Bay Blade and whatever crap they show now! The children are missing out on the real stuff…Adam’s family, Looney tunes, yogi bear, Johnny Bravo and so many other fantastic cartoons! Thank god at least some of them know Tom and Jerry…although I am not quite sure they know who is tom and who is Jerry!! :D

We have to get rid of this idea that grown-ups and cartoons don’t go together, so what if the kids are out of it…their loss…We are the glorious generation of the famous Scooby Dooby dooooooooo, and the Yaba Daba doooooo….and nothing can beat that!!!

peace!!

a final addition......i swear...final...i had to add them!!!! very essential!!

A GUY WHO READS!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but a guy with a book in his hand is an instant magnet for me.
Somehow I relate to it more than anything because I am a voracious reader myself. I see them
mostly in coffee shops, roadsides, marine drive……they are just sitting their…with their book in their
hand.

Intelligence is one of the most attractive traits that one can find in a guy, it is so rare to find
someone with whom you can have a perfect witty and smart conversation. Now don’t go to the
extremes! The nerd type of conversations are not my thing where the guy keeps on ranting about
some ‘concept’ he believes and uses all his horsepower trying to convince you. Bleagh!!

I was sitting in landmark that day reading something in my usual spot, and then I heard this guy
suddenly asking me? “Come on! You like THAT?” instantly I was like “excuse me? Do I know you?”
making that back-off-dude face, but by some miracle we ended up talking our choices in books
and stuff. It was amazing, considering the fact that I don’t even talk much to the guys I know and
here I was chatting merrily away to some random guy in a book shop! Ha! Who would know right?
Moreover he was damn cute with his glasses and check shirt and all. Sigh! Good times.

So ladies, start reading for good…………not a magazine…sheesh!! You never know whom you may
bump into around the corner….havn’t you seen in movies? Heads bump, books tumble of arms,
glasses fall askew…and then……eyes meet!!!!

not a big fan of zacky here but....but that book somehow makes him look better!!!!


WHO CAN COOK!!

It is a dream! To find a guy who can cook...and look good at the same time. I mean...I can imagine when you are all low and unhappy, and your guy walks up to you with this hot plate of something hot and yummy...you have to be a martian not to think he is great!!

I think it is sexy more than anything watching a guy move around the kitchen like he owns it. Using the vegetables and the spices and the chopping! Oh that samurai style chopping!! The ultimate act! I remember back in college I had this baking certificate course, I took it coz I could not do hell in kitchen without setting the place on fire or burning myself in some way! Anyway, the professor was a treat to watch as he touched ingredient to ingredient and moved from oven to the grill, it was fantastic, plus he was good looking, so who wants more?

Once I remember, I could not the kneading right, it was damn pissing off as I was getting the dough all over my hands and my face. It was not becoming soft but kept getting sticky by the minute, then he came over to me watching my misery and offered to show me, he slid his arms slowly about my arms and started kneading the dough with my fingers. Oh-my-god! All I can remember is that I had lost my senses...I could not feel anything, but his breathing...his warm breath on my neck.....anyway, I am deviating.

I know we, women like to eat, it's true. Even the anorexic ones do at least at some point in their lifetime, and if a guy can whip up something deep fried and smothered in chocolate..nothing in the world can beat that!!!

So guys listen up please.....go and join that cooking class pronto....after all its not in the man's case that the fastest way to the heart is the stomach.....please! u cant have all the fun!!!!

WHO WEARS A MEAN TUX!

Okay, I don't think I need to talk much about this...three lines are pretty much enough..I mean this category is a hands on chick magnet. any guy...I mean literally any guy in this world can look sharp in a tux!! Its not fair....anyway guys are lucky in that sense! What can I say? guys in formals are my all time weakness...I'm still having a hard time getting over my old crush who parades around in a suit in front of me the whole day!!! Pathetic or what?? Tell me about it!!

So there you go!!!! Finally my list is complete!! Whew!! I hope some of you can relate to it!! After all.....this fantasy list is every girl's fantasy right????

peace!!