Monday Blues, made laziness brew..

Monday 18.55pm Location : After hours at the Office

A month is full of happy days, productive days, exciting days, busy days, dull days and mondays !  Have you ever wondered why a Monday is frowned upon in such universal fashion all across the globe ? I do have a few days during the week when work is down & moods swings are high, but if these coincide with a monday then its almost like its justified.  

[seems like even my blogs suffers from monday blues today... its just not workin, man]

Last weekend, I had plenty of time off. I would just take off somewhere. Born and brought up in Mumbai, I have shamelessly left so many places unexplored. My laziness takes the better of me. This doesnt happen that often though. Like i was saying,  I was free this weekend, didnt go anywhere... I sat home like a chump. 

I want to visit Kanheri Caves. Have you been there before?  I want to take a two day trip somewhere like Jog falls or tadkarle. I want to purchase a camera lens. Probably get a cheaper deal from VT. I want to visit Dharavi slums and dhobi ghat.. only coz so many of my clients talk about it. I want to purchase a shredder, as my cabin resembles a scrap dealers shop with piles of important documents to discard. And i cannot get myself to bin them. I have to shred them.. I want to take my 2 year old nephew for a swim or play with him on the beach, it worries me that he is growing up too fast and i am missing out on his beautiful kiddie days.. Got limited time before Play station bug bites him. 

I think blogging abt this is totally working. I feel guilty about not doing anything last weekend. 

I should be heading out now.. Got work to do.. Adios Amigos

Nocturnal Insects Repellants

How can a pub / a restaurant or a food joint on the street cause nuisance or even be the sole reason for illegal practices ? What sort of illegal activities that can go on in parked cars  or amongst diners surrounded by lil south indian waiters trying to sell you more food at these places that shall be prevented by putting a ban to late night hotspots ? 


Clearly when GOD was distributing brains, these law makers and so - called "activists" were standing in the TATKAL line for excess hypocrisy ! 


I repeat this thought in many of my posts, "you know whats the more annoying than annoying ? " READING the newspaper. Let me tell you why. The PRESS has got nothing to do with it. Its the news featured on it, and the mahaan "PUBLIC " make news. People who make headlines are low life losers. words fail me to describe the extent of stupidity , I encounter while my way to work.. 


All of last week, I read that one of the nightspots is under scrutiny. Now by nightspots, i do not mean shady dance bars, brothels or rave parties venues. NO.. By nightspots , i mean, places to hangout for the SANE. Young professionals who prefer to go for a drive around the city, not necessarily sloshed as generally perceived, grab some quick bites and drive back home.. 
For instance, AMAR JUICE CENTER.  Once started as a tiny little food joint,  has now become one of the most sought after food joints in Juhu. It has been popular for years and never once have we heard any sort of issues.. God knows how much have the fed the uniformed creatures to run successfully for years ! A place where you get served the most yummy street food right in your cars, how can it be regarded as a places of illegal activities ? All it does is sells food..


Mumbai is bursting at the seams not since a month or so. There are 18 cars and 45 two wheelers fighting for one parking space at any given point ! SO why crib saying Amar juice center is the sole reason for traffic problems in the entire Juhu Vile Parle area...  Places like Ghetto/ Hawain Shack and other pubs in Bandra too are facing the music. WHY ? because agitated residents are fed up chaos caused by these places.. But Bandra is famous for these places, and quiet honestly they have been there for years.. There reason why these residents must have shifted to these "cool" places is to live with the hype and status. Now , that very thing is a big problem.. My question to these angry residents "weren't you all ever young ? "  Bloddy hell, you must have done the same in your youth , then why is it a big problem now ?...   And now in the midst of nowhere there is 'right to sleep' issue needs national importance ?  Club deadlines have been squeezed, pubs are on the verge of being banned, dance bars- thanks to A douche got banned and risen the frustration levels amongst the masses, everything that relaxes a human mind has been BANDH, BANDH, BANDH !!! Feels like social life is a CRIME..
 These "Angry residents" must be parents of junkies who sit behind the dheeraj / bandra and smoke up joints after joints of pure afghani weed !  What should be banned, is not banned... There are restrictions to places and things that make no sense. Amar juice center does not sell your kids weed, the pan shop beside it does.. So wake up and smell the coffee people..  SANE individuals wish to socialize, eat , drink as responsible citizens and putting a stop to pubs is just ridiculous..  I am furious..  Someone, get me a gun.. 

Xronia Polla Eliza

Since past three years, May 16th is an important day. Ask my why ? [ since i hear a faint 'why' ] I shall tell you why.. Because its my dearest dearest's  Happy Birthday today. I met her in 2009, on the first day i started my university in UK. We met in the hallway. Two girls from two different worlds went for a walk in a quiet dark city and eventually found out how similar they are !!

Eliza & Me

You are amazing !!!! and  I love you..

Happy Birthday..

WAR IS ON..

All I  did is typed " fight for your land" on google, expecting lots of freedom struggle stuff to pop up. I was wrong.. freedom struggle days are all over, those stories gather dust in  our history textbooks. You would be surprised to find stories of encroachment , acquiring others land through fraudulent activities, murder & extortion cases. The strange thing is in that one glimpse I read names of countries like Indonesia, Africa, Russia, Peru & India. This land grabbing  is rampant in all societies across the globe.


'MONEY' the once thing that drives us to work hard can equally destroy us too. I have never been a part of any story involving all of the things I said above, until last week. Now I am involved actively in taking part in hour long discussions with lawyers, landlords, police etc  learning about how to teach a few a**holes a lesson for forging our signatures, manipulating our land records, producing a NOC - No Objection certificate and thereafter signing a sales deed for a huge sum of money under our name !


Guys this is Khosla ka Ghosla in real life.  What has the world come to ? Cheating, murder, fraud, robbery. Reading the  newspaper seems like reading a glossary of all sorts of crimes in the world. Very rarely you find people who wish well for you. The increase in crimes make me sick.  Each day , on my way to work, i bury myself in the newspapers, only to chuck it away moments later. So damn depressing. Fathers killing daughters, brothers fighting for inheritance, rape, murder, aggression..  The Almighty has given up on us ! 


Watching Zeitgeist on federal reserve & 9/11 was a sheer example of how a few powerful bastards rule the world ! Rupert Murdoch's media, George Bush's government , freaks like Kony & bunch loads of blinded religious extremists are more than sufficient to  put a gruesome end to this world.  


I find myself fighting against people trying to cheat me, dupe me , harm me & my family. My war is on a lower scale. we all fight wars for safety, for solace, for freedom. We are little figures of a bigger picture. 


I'd rather walk on the streets with my boxing gloves on.. coz believe it or not the WAR IS ON.. 

Bijjness

This one word seems fancy... "he has a very big business empire" ..  &  "she is a powerful business woman" these are sentences that we often hear from people around us and with immediate effect we picture there person arriving in flashy cars, living in lavish pent houses, eating gold and poohing platinum.


But not once we think about their struggle, strained family lives, spoilt children and more importantly the efforts these high profile bizzness people take to maintain a steady income.


Employees are on salary, there isn't any risk and in many cases there isn't any gain either. Business is not ever ones cup of tea.  Its damn difficult to survive. Especially in these competitive markets and ever increasing expenses. This could only be termed as a nightmare of nightmares !
Every day i stumble upon a hurdles after hurdles in the office and my mind races to Tata, Birla, Ambani, Warren Buffet, Roman Ambramovich,  How have they come so far ?   
I am in the infant stage of my business growth and i have one too many jumps i need to make. It is only in these past few months i have taken up many challenges. And frankly, i suck at it all at the moment. One things is certain , that i am making my way through. Now there is no looking back.. The only way ahead is way forward.. 

Change is good..

Isn't it ?  I remember writing this phrase on my fridge with alphabet magnets when life was changing.  That flat , no more belongs me as on today. Now few months later i often hear myself reiterating this. Then i think to myself, wasn't i adapting to something that was new just a while ago... And now here we go again..

life awaits..

I guess one thing that never changes is CHANGE.  I have been naive. I have been guarded. I have been recluse. Today i am strong. Today i am impulsive. Today i am positive. Right now, i am pursuing what i had detested all a few years back. And ironically, i am loving every bit of it. Sometimes , we feel. we know ourselves. I knew myself, well so i claimed. But in the past one year i have pleasantly surprised myself. This soul searching journey has been rewarding.  TOday, i am in a happy place. For the first time, i feel i am taking charge of my own life.. not by rebelling but with my head high..  


Human brain is genius. Sometimes we don't understand our own potential. What we feel, its definitely more we can do. So , if you feel, you know yourself... and you have it all planned, then think again my friends.. life still awaits.. 



"  i feel part of the universe,
    open up to meet me... 
    my emotions so submerged..
    broken down to kneeling


   once listening .... voices they came... 
   had to somehow greet myself.. read myself...
   heard vibrations within my cells... within my cells.. 


  my love is safe for the universe... see me now I'm bursting
  on one planet, so many different turns... different worlds
  singing.. haaaaaaaaah


  fill my heart with discipline, put there for the teaching
  in my head.. see clouds of stairs,  help me as I'm reaching
  
  the future is paved for better days... :-)

  not running from something..
  I'm running towards the day wide awake..    


  A whisper, once quiet 
  now rising to a scream... right in me.. 


 my falling.. free falling..
 worlds calling me..  up off my knees..


 i am soaring, yeah darling..
 you'll be the one i can need and still be free..


 our future is paved with better days.. "
   


 (indeed)
   

Cok Guzel

“hey, is that the tallest tower in Istanbul ?” I asked sitting at the back of a car with three very special friends.  Got No response.

Galata Tower

I looked outside the window, as some Turkish pop created perfect atmosphere to the illuminated skyline. I could see the Bosphorus bridge, lights resembling floating candles, mosques lit up and dome buildings that could take your breath away.  My tummy resembled a dome too. My jacket button was hanging at its last strength. I couldn’t have eaten anymore. And where were we headed? A posh restaurant for a 7 course meal !  why don’t humans have four stomachs like cows ? I for sure would be making excellent use of it. 

The car comes to a screeching halt ! .. Damn, couldn’t the restaurant be two hours away.. its hard to breathe with tummy full of Istanbul street food I have gorged all day.

“Ahhh… the tower !!! why are we here.. ” I ask awestruck.

“Because you asked for it while in the car”…

“No, I didn’t… I just asked what is that beautifully illuminated tower called.. You guys are crazy  ”  I reach out to hug them

*beaming with surprise and happiness*

What happened when we climbed up the tower is an another story all together. *giggles*

But these are the kind of people I spent my two weeks with. They are darlings! There is so much love.. so much love that sometimes I feel I resemble a dome of love. That explains my excess 4 kilos on the weighing scale.

Have you ever loved a place even before visiting it ? Well, its not difficult. When you know the people, its easy to fall in love with the place they come from. I made great Turk friends while they visited India. Hence, even before stepping on their soil, i knew bits and pieces of their culture, nature and lifestyle. However, having spent 12 days in the country my expectations were exceeded by miles. 

Its 5.40 am. London is still asleep. (when i first typed this)

my search for tranquility ended here

I am wrapped up in my duvet marveling at the good times I have had. 12 hours ago, I was in another country. A country that takes pride in its numerous assets. For me, People are the Numero Uno.

Turkiye is special. I have had two memorable weeks in the land of blue mosque, grand bazaars, buzzing nightlife, Ottoman history and Ibiza’s equivalent Antalya. *hipshake*

Pumpkin family

I met a  Norwegian couple, who have lived in Australia, Germany before.. now settled in a beautiful hilltop house in the country side with a mesmerizing ocean view. They transform odd shaped water pumpkins into exquisite art work. This couple in their 60s decided to leave everything they had in Norway and settle in a remote hilltop just after visiting the place once. Now they spend their time creating splendid designs on pumpkins and painting/ scrubbing their bare walls of their new home.  This is how Turkey fascinates its guests.

What do I like the most ? FOOD. At breakfast, we think about lunch and at lunch we think about dinner.. at dinner we think about midnight snack. This is how much we  eat and think about what to eat. My friends in London will vouch for that. And my dome shaped tummy and jacket button to its last strength is a testimony of the delicious food I ate while I was there.

first course? you gotta be kiddin me

My meals would be two big portions of Mousaka. Yum YUM… My mouth waters as I type.  Also, their local street food, dunno its turkish name but its grilled fish in bread. The location is exotic. There are these Ottoman Boats with gold craving and flashy decor docked at the sea. And men in Ottoman costumes cook, grill rather , grill fresh fish and serve. Something so normal like street food is being transformed to extraoridinaire. 

One eats to live. I live to eat. Plus, I was fortunate enough to be taken to some of the most exotic places to eat by my friends. *big kiss to all of them*  Dinner would at times me accompanied with live music. When the singer singers a tragic/ heard break/ happy song, us indians are dancing , clapping and whistling to its melody. 

One night dinner was at a Turkish version of Japanese Teppanyaki grill. I can still smell the aromas of fresh meat being grilled and the pan going "iiiiizzzzz"

sizzle em drizzle

The cook , also the owner, cooked as though he performed for his guests. In a span of 2 mins, he grilled, he smoked, he drank, he plated food and much more. It looked as though he danced while cooking. That shows how much love he put into his dishes and the food is finger licking good. If you visit Turkey, you must visit ‘Ojak Bashay’ (wrong spelling, right pronunciation). The man put an extra does of his killer chill mix for the brown skinned me and that tingled my every taste bud and watered my eyes a lil bit.i loved it. Until this trip, i was never a fan of red meat. But believe me, in these two weeks I have compensated for all those years in the past that I stayed away from red meat.  How can one say no … No chance!  

*sigh*

- If you ever think that you have experienced true pampering in some top notch spa  and want to exceed it , I suggest two words - Turkish Hammam.

Centuries ago, the rulers pampered themselves by the way of spa treatments in real royal style. Turkey still retains it in all its glory for you and me. yayy!  One of the few things I did after getting home is googled “Turkish Hammam in London”, if I get a chance to visit TH once a month, I will be the worlds happiest human. Think about it, sauna, steam, steam menthol, Jacuzzi, exfoliate bath, oil massage, face pack, sauna again, foam bath. Cups and cups of Apple tea before and after every session. By the end of it all, I wanted to pack the hammam lady in my suitcase and bring her home. I was ready to pay excess.  And btw, the soap doesn’t smell like hammam soap in India. Or does it ? I was too intoxicated/ zonked by the pampering to notice. They spoil you. I envy the locals to have this facility. 
Visit to the Hammam was like entering Laa Laa Land... There must be a Hamman in heaven.
Oh God, i want Hammam access too.. :'(

I have probably seen 20% of Turkey. And I can write pages and pages about it. Let some of my amateur clicks do the talking…

" i i follow.. i follow u.. deep sea baby.. i follow you.. "

A dear friend of mine, says "this sea is awful.. its not clean.. you must visit us in the summers"... My face turned pale, with raised eyebrows.. , thinking of beaches in India. Aye aye aye juhu beach.. *cringe*..  I rather not say anything.  Hey but nothing beats aroma of our PAV BHAJI.. ;-)

Another interesting similarity is that both countries make some ridiculous movies. while we have Rajnikant's stunts and some disturbing villains, i learnt that there is plenty to laugh about in their films too. An old man, who drugs women to take "advantage" in clubs saying "come to me darling.. i am your uncle.. i will protect you"  The girl drinks Coca cola. Next scene, the girl is under covers on her "uncle's" bed. I was shown his photo on google and he poses in most of his photos with a glass in hand. Cheeky Oldie.i am so bad with names. I tried googling his picture. But i get weird suggestions when i type " turkish actor to drugs women to rape".. Jeez , what was i thinking ! 


Instance 2:   Man enters. Woman seated on the chair. Man takes his jacket and throws it on the floor. Next scene- the woman is pregnant !  
Now you'll agree we have maybe not jacket throwing baby production but similar. In Indian cinema chin to chin kiss and ta- da  the girl is pregnant... ! Its Instant.. 
Now, India hasn't reached to this alarming rate of population explosion by chin kissing... have we ! 




Discovering Turkey was fascinating, an experience like no other. I have a long list of places i want to visit in Turkey. One can camp in the most exotic locations, watch the sunrise (for you) sunset (for me) and live in style. Capadoccia, Izmir, Pamukkale, Konya so much to see. I have seen nothing yet.. This seems like just the beginning.  Hopefully, i get a chance soon to fall in love again and again. I am sure, it wouldn't fail to mesmerize me. 

Until we meet again.. Xx