26 Things, For the 26 years of my life

1. Current mood: Black
2. Current food craving(s): Warm gooey chocolate; Pasta with pesto, asparagus and pine nuts; Aloo chaat
3. I am searching for: a direction in my professional life
4. I wish I didn’t feel: so restless
5. An observation about me: My mother telling me yesterday that I am too much of a free spirit to do a job
6. Right now: I would rather be sitting in a coffee shop - reading or writing
7. A dream: To be a published author; Have a job which entails adventure, challenge, travelling and happiness
8. In my previous life: I am sure I was a boho living by the Mediterranean sea in an artists’ quarter
9. I can be happy: sitting under a tree on a summer day and observing butterflies chase each other
10. An oxymoronic thing I want: A slow and meaningful life in a fast paced city
11. I end up usually: contradicting myself
12. I am fascinated by: people – everyone is a mystery to be unraveled
13. A hidden ability: making cartoon sketches of myself and people around me
14. I want to learn: contemporary dance, tai chi and a foreign language
15. My favourite radio stations: Hit 95 FM (in India), Classic FM (in UK)
16. My favourite part of the day: Late night
17. My favourite colours: Purple, Shades of aquamarine, Black, Grey and Brown
18. A thing I could change about myself: My constant chronic-worrier-thinker syndrome
19. My favourite artists: Vincent Van Gogh, Banksy
20. My favourite poison(s): Red wine (Merlot), Morgan’s spiced with coke and a sliver of lime, G&T
21. I listen to: all kinds of music except metal, heavy metal and electronica
22. I read: everything except science fiction
23. I watch: almost everything except horror films
24. A gadget I want: A digital SLR camera
25. A gadget I want to replace: My big laptop with a smaller, lighter one
26. Current desire: To own a Hervé Léger bandage dress and a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps

Anyone wants to take up the tag? TD, Sindhu, Vrij, Pras... c'mon guys!

Shattered

When the pieces fall down

And break your heart

Tears well up

But refuse to trickle down

When you want to cry in anguish

Instead you smile

Your agitation hidden inside

A storm brewing up

You hope the path that has been laid down

Is the one which will bring you happiness

Kashmakash and my blog's birthday

For the first time in my life, I have been in a state of dilemma since the last couple of months. I used to be one of those people who knew what they wanted and worked towards getting it. And now I am one of those people who don't know what they want. This is totally killing me. Aaarghh!!!

Anyway, amidst all the kashmakash, my blog turned four in October. This year I haven't written many posts and haven't blog-hopped as much as I used to. I miss the old O3 gang. I have no idea where most of them are. I hope are all okay and sometimes think of the good old days :) I hope to be more regular, here at my blog and around in the blogosphere.

Till the next post, Adios!

General Update

I am back in India. The first few days were the worst when I missed everything about being in the UK (sounds so clichéd but it really is not). I had a fantastic year and now I only have memories and photographs and little souvenirs to remind me of that year.

Life seems in a state of transition. However going back to the grind of the work, a book deal in the works, a PhD offer from my University, everything seems so confusing and distressing. Anway, just to let you all know - I am alive and managing to survive moving continents (again!), uprooting myself, starting over again and if a couple of things work out then moving again sometime next year.

Till then adios!

P.S: I got an email from IndiBlogger informing me that my blog is ranked 48th out of 100. Thanks guys! I seriously thought no one really reads this blog.

Current Status

Changes and decisions

Taking chances

Praying that the gamble works

And things fall into place

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On another note, read this absolutely brilliantly written essay by Rana Dasgupta for Granta. It's a very interesting piece on Delhi.

Capital Gains

It all comes together on the roads.

Delhi is a segregated city; an impenetrable, wary city – a city with a fondness for barbed wire, armed guards and guest lists. Though its population now knocks up against 20 million, India’s capital remains curiously faithful to the spirit of the British administrative enclave with which it began: Delhiites admire social rank, name-dropping and exclusive clubs, and they snub strangers who turn up without a proper introduction.

Read more at : http://www.granta.com/Magazine/107/Capital-Gains

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Oh by the way - I am done with my Masters!!!!!!!!!!! I handed in my 15,000 word independent research. And it was a bit of an anti-climax because when you spend an year working on it (and the last two moths exculsively) you go and hand it in and that's it. You just go and give it. And they take it. Finito. Maybe, in my head, I was expecting cheers and people clapping and arti and tikka and fireworks and a medal. Damn! Nothing. Nada.Zilch. Zero. The only consolation was that I partied 14 hours straight. You read that right. One. Four. FOURTEEN. So exhausted and tired. And unfortunatley I have no time to breathe and move onto the next thing. Lovely blogger people - wish me luck because I am taking a chance with my career and throwing caution to the wind (the whole thing which comes with being young and able to chances and being single with no responsibilites and all that stuff).

So Excited

There was a documentary film I was a part of (acted in it) and it's been selected for a film festival and will be screened in New Delhi. Pity I will most likely miss it as I am in the UK. And don't know how much of me got edited on the chopping board but still I am so super excited!!!

My meals yesterday

consisted of:

Chocolate Donut

Chocolate Brownie

Gingerbread Man

Frech Fries

Chocolate Gateau

Samosas

Doritos with salsa dip and wasabi

Pepsi

I died and went to junk food heaven :D

On another note: My beloved laptop has crashed JUST before the dissertation is due and I died a bit and had a mini meltdown. And, with all this drama, I am moving houses in the middle of the week and moing counties early next month! Will update this blog if I survive all that.......

I am

in complete panic mode that the dissertation is not coming along like it should. I am SO super idiot for whiling away time.

P.S: Mumbai bloggers and others who can help check this out (via Annie Zaidi's blog)

Black Love

Wish I was in the deep dark place

And stayed there forever

Black roses entwined

In a garden where death grows

Because I am crashing like never before