Stumbleupon got me to this amazing photograph. Some journalists will spare no one :D I like it!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Paint me red
I'd always seen women wearing red on their nails and toes and lips etc and I used to keep wondering how they pulled it off. I was convinced I couldn't ever do it. Till a friend got me inspired and I bought myself a fire engine red nailpaint and painted my toes and fingernails a BIG BOLD RED!
Teamed with an LV tote in a similar colour, I felt invincible! If only I had bought those red peep toes my ma wanted me to buy, I'd have been walking on sunshine!
Maybe it's the imagination or maybe it's the culture...but red definitely adds a power. And it gets instant attention. My season's favourite colour just got picked.
Teamed with an LV tote in a similar colour, I felt invincible! If only I had bought those red peep toes my ma wanted me to buy, I'd have been walking on sunshine!
Maybe it's the imagination or maybe it's the culture...but red definitely adds a power. And it gets instant attention. My season's favourite colour just got picked.
Street finds-billboards
On my last trip to Mumbai I found a very interesting billboard..one that appealed to me as a consumer and as a wannabe marketer. Sharing it here :)
Saturday, September 03, 2011
This is my town
Montgomery Gentry sang a very true blue song about his town. The place he knew he grew up in and the place he chose to settle. I can say I will never sing it for any of the places I have lived in because I have never belonged there. Big city girl trouble, eh?
One place that I will remember for bitter sweet reasons and that will define my career too is Jamshedpur. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd have the best time of my life thus far there. Or meet the best people or truly understand and appreciate what life is.
This is not to harp about me and my affair with the town, but the about the pretty side of it. The side I fall back on when I am alone. The side you see from the roof of my hostel on an August evening. The hills are part of the Dalma Range.
One place that I will remember for bitter sweet reasons and that will define my career too is Jamshedpur. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd have the best time of my life thus far there. Or meet the best people or truly understand and appreciate what life is.
This is not to harp about me and my affair with the town, but the about the pretty side of it. The side I fall back on when I am alone. The side you see from the roof of my hostel on an August evening. The hills are part of the Dalma Range.
Friday, July 22, 2011
So, why'd I do it?
My recent classroom sessions on consumer behaviour have been, mildly put, disturbing to me. Why is that? Because for a tweenager who decided she wanted a tattoo, she's no more a normal tweenager.
It's depressing how a tattoo is still synonymous with trying too hard, being a wannabe and with someone who seeks acceptance. Not that I didn't fight these when I first thought of getting a tattoo, convincing my family and all, but somehow now it seems quite heavy a burden to carry.
So why did I do this to myself?
Was I looking for social acceptance of some sort? Absolutely not! I knew then what I am experiencing now...being a social piranha because I have a tattoo.
Was I looking for attention? Again, no. I don't go around flaunting my tattoo and hardly mention it to anyone. I anyway wear jeans and salwars most of the day, so no, no attention.
Was I looking for a special status? A wannabe? That's hard for me to answer. I would be defensive if I said any of that. That's how people judge me and something I cannot control.
Was I being rebellious? Maybe. Some part of me was fascinated, some part of me wanted to try for the novelty. And one part of me wanted it just like I want a nice dress for an occassion-vanity!
So all in all I know I haven't changed. The matrix I build for me, wherein I have my self concept, my ideal self concept, my public self and ideal public self truthfully did not change one bit from the moment I sat down at the tattoo parlour to when I got up with a tattoo on me. But somehow the eyes that followed me did.
What hurt me most is that I had remained immune to all of criticism this long but maybe I am not strong enough to face it alone afterall. I miss being home.
It's depressing how a tattoo is still synonymous with trying too hard, being a wannabe and with someone who seeks acceptance. Not that I didn't fight these when I first thought of getting a tattoo, convincing my family and all, but somehow now it seems quite heavy a burden to carry.
So why did I do this to myself?
Was I looking for social acceptance of some sort? Absolutely not! I knew then what I am experiencing now...being a social piranha because I have a tattoo.
Was I looking for attention? Again, no. I don't go around flaunting my tattoo and hardly mention it to anyone. I anyway wear jeans and salwars most of the day, so no, no attention.
Was I looking for a special status? A wannabe? That's hard for me to answer. I would be defensive if I said any of that. That's how people judge me and something I cannot control.
Was I being rebellious? Maybe. Some part of me was fascinated, some part of me wanted to try for the novelty. And one part of me wanted it just like I want a nice dress for an occassion-vanity!
So all in all I know I haven't changed. The matrix I build for me, wherein I have my self concept, my ideal self concept, my public self and ideal public self truthfully did not change one bit from the moment I sat down at the tattoo parlour to when I got up with a tattoo on me. But somehow the eyes that followed me did.
What hurt me most is that I had remained immune to all of criticism this long but maybe I am not strong enough to face it alone afterall. I miss being home.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Water Burial
Three days before her 1st month completion as my pet, Layla breathed her last. Yesterday at 8:3opm, Layla was found dead in the glass bowl that she shared with Rafa.
It took me less than a minute and two knocks on her side of the glass bowl to realise I had lost my very sweet angel fish. My first reaction was to call my friend who'd helped me set up my aquarium and then inform my ex-roomie and now neighbour. Only when she too declared that Layla was dead did the first tears roll down. I had failed as a pet owner. I did not care enough maybe. I didn't see her fall sick. How long had she been dead before I stooped down to play with them? How did she die? Should I keep Raphael now that I had failed with Layla?
Then there was a practical side of me. How do I get Layla out without disturbing Rafa? How will I say my goodbye to Layla? I scampered to get a net n all but even after failed attempts to get it back, my friends sympathies, a forced dinner, informing ma and a few friends, I still wasnt strong enough to scoop out Layla myself. I made my friend do it. I just could stand it...I was tryin too hard not to break down and cry. Everyone was of the opinion that Layla needed a burial but I resisted. One reason was I didn't know where I could bury my fish without ever passing that place again and not missing her. And two, I didn't want her out of the water for some reason. Hence I insisted on a water burial.
Most thought it was cruel to flush down my fishie, but I considered it the best for her. She's anyway in fish heaven and she deserves to leave this avatar of hers in the same medium that was her world-in water.
Layla, I'll miss you. RIP.
It took me less than a minute and two knocks on her side of the glass bowl to realise I had lost my very sweet angel fish. My first reaction was to call my friend who'd helped me set up my aquarium and then inform my ex-roomie and now neighbour. Only when she too declared that Layla was dead did the first tears roll down. I had failed as a pet owner. I did not care enough maybe. I didn't see her fall sick. How long had she been dead before I stooped down to play with them? How did she die? Should I keep Raphael now that I had failed with Layla?
Then there was a practical side of me. How do I get Layla out without disturbing Rafa? How will I say my goodbye to Layla? I scampered to get a net n all but even after failed attempts to get it back, my friends sympathies, a forced dinner, informing ma and a few friends, I still wasnt strong enough to scoop out Layla myself. I made my friend do it. I just could stand it...I was tryin too hard not to break down and cry. Everyone was of the opinion that Layla needed a burial but I resisted. One reason was I didn't know where I could bury my fish without ever passing that place again and not missing her. And two, I didn't want her out of the water for some reason. Hence I insisted on a water burial.
Most thought it was cruel to flush down my fishie, but I considered it the best for her. She's anyway in fish heaven and she deserves to leave this avatar of hers in the same medium that was her world-in water.
Layla, I'll miss you. RIP.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Me myself and my door
After much deliberation on how to proclaim my room as my room...i have done this.
Do u like it?
Saturday, June 25, 2011
How to: Not kill anyone when cleaning a fish bowl
Sunday morning mission: Clean my newly acquired fish bowl
Reason to do so: It's part of the ownership program :-|
My previous lessons: Theoritical. From the fish store owner to friends who've been previous fish owners, everyone gave a step wise ritual on how to do it
My self aquired lessons: Youtube. I just had to see someone else clean a fish bowl. So after watching some not so informative but very supportive videos, I decided to go ahead with it
Things I used: Scotch-brite(to clean), soft hand wash(to clean), two mugs(to transfer n keep Layla and Raphael), Medicine(for the water)
Things I did and thankfully no one saw:
I have finally understood what someone who came up with the expression "wide eyed look" meant. I got one from my fish!
I knew I would never be able to transfer my fish using a net from the bowl to a temporary bowl without feeling sick and scared. So I decided to use a mug to scoop them out and keep em. Only my fish turned out to be great actors and refused to be caught! A very scared me played hide and seek with them while they kept scooting around the bowl and I kept praying that I dont kill them. Finally a very frustrated Shivani took a deep breath, sent a prayer to the Heaven up above and dug in to catch Layla and Rafa. This is when I got my "looks". At the mouth of the mug, Rafa(the naughtier one), turned horizontal like it had died and looked at me like I was the person who did it to him. My heart broke. But I had to do this. For them and me.
The rest of the cleaning was uneventful and boring. It was more mechanical and hence easier. I will probably get faster at doing it the more I do it. All that while Layla and Rafa were quite sedate in their mugs and tryin to fool me by stopping to swim(Rafa) or coming to the edge of the mug like it's about to jump out(Layla). Finally the ordeal ended. I dumped Rafa in the antibiotic first, Layla second. Finally when I had filled the bowl with fresh water, I put more antibiotic in it and only then transfered Rafa and Layla to it. I must admit my method keeps a bit of the old dirty water in the bowl...but if that's the price for not having to hold them in a fish net out of water and possibly kill them, I'll pay.
This sunday I experienced what it is like to hold life in your hands. I also realised I was smart enough to admit 6years ago that I didn't have it in me to be a doctor. Some revelations I got today.
Reason to do so: It's part of the ownership program :-|
My previous lessons: Theoritical. From the fish store owner to friends who've been previous fish owners, everyone gave a step wise ritual on how to do it
My self aquired lessons: Youtube. I just had to see someone else clean a fish bowl. So after watching some not so informative but very supportive videos, I decided to go ahead with it
Things I used: Scotch-brite(to clean), soft hand wash(to clean), two mugs(to transfer n keep Layla and Raphael), Medicine(for the water)
Things I did and thankfully no one saw:
I have finally understood what someone who came up with the expression "wide eyed look" meant. I got one from my fish!
I knew I would never be able to transfer my fish using a net from the bowl to a temporary bowl without feeling sick and scared. So I decided to use a mug to scoop them out and keep em. Only my fish turned out to be great actors and refused to be caught! A very scared me played hide and seek with them while they kept scooting around the bowl and I kept praying that I dont kill them. Finally a very frustrated Shivani took a deep breath, sent a prayer to the Heaven up above and dug in to catch Layla and Rafa. This is when I got my "looks". At the mouth of the mug, Rafa(the naughtier one), turned horizontal like it had died and looked at me like I was the person who did it to him. My heart broke. But I had to do this. For them and me.
The rest of the cleaning was uneventful and boring. It was more mechanical and hence easier. I will probably get faster at doing it the more I do it. All that while Layla and Rafa were quite sedate in their mugs and tryin to fool me by stopping to swim(Rafa) or coming to the edge of the mug like it's about to jump out(Layla). Finally the ordeal ended. I dumped Rafa in the antibiotic first, Layla second. Finally when I had filled the bowl with fresh water, I put more antibiotic in it and only then transfered Rafa and Layla to it. I must admit my method keeps a bit of the old dirty water in the bowl...but if that's the price for not having to hold them in a fish net out of water and possibly kill them, I'll pay.
This sunday I experienced what it is like to hold life in your hands. I also realised I was smart enough to admit 6years ago that I didn't have it in me to be a doctor. Some revelations I got today.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Raphael and Layla
e
A personal achievement for me-I have taken a HUGE step of adopting pets! I have always toyed with the idea of adopting pets for myself and always wanted a dog or a bear or something, I saw an opportunity in getting myself an aquarium here in the hostel and I have taken a slightly impulsive, yet deeply considered decision.
Yesterday i became the owner of a glass bowl with two Angel fish, who I have named Raphael and Layla. The names came after much deliberation-I wanted names of Angel but I also wanted exotic names. After shortlisting names and consultation with people who's opinion matters in this regards I chose Raphael and Layla. Look at it this way, I can never name anyone's kids so exotic and anyway I get to dedicate my fish to my favourite sportsman!
I have to admit I am scared! I am not a very responsible person when it comes to me and now I have fish depending on me to clean, feed and keep them alive. Admittedly my friends are as skeptical. There are already bets in place as to how long i can pull this off :-|
I hope I can be a good pet keeper for Rafa and Layla!
Thursday, June 09, 2011
And it's over!
After 9 full weeks of having fun, learning practical real-life stuff, staying up late, getting up early, being decently productive, wearing only drab formalish clothes, meeting geniuses of their fields and technically being on an internship, I have completed the moment of life called-Internship.
Saying it was an experience will be undermining the impact it has had on me and what all I have accomplished in it. Calling it just another internship will undermine the effort of the people around me who put together so much, just so people like me could come and ravish it! I will thus call it the "Summer of '11". Cheesy. hmmm.
I miss it and that's the shocking part. I utterly miss being in that place with those people. Funny I am. Or maybe sad
Saying it was an experience will be undermining the impact it has had on me and what all I have accomplished in it. Calling it just another internship will undermine the effort of the people around me who put together so much, just so people like me could come and ravish it! I will thus call it the "Summer of '11". Cheesy. hmmm.
I miss it and that's the shocking part. I utterly miss being in that place with those people. Funny I am. Or maybe sad
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Why NOT to work from home
Top of the mind recall on a pretty friday morning-Top 5reasons I should not work from home!
Reason No1: The papers being referred to and being worked on are found crumpled the morning after(because I slept on them!).
Reason No2: The laptop will not connect to the internet and then I find innovative ways to mail things using Bluetooth and GPRS! (crazy techie people)
Reason No3: The idea factory is slow and drowsy
Reason No4: The above mentioned papers get left behind at home because everything else that is BIG and BLACK (read laptop and diary) get picked up and stuffed in the bag hurrily while the poor souls of scribbled notes get left behind.
Reason No5: The mind gets accustomed to working in such a lazy, comfy fashion with pillows all around and a sprawled out me! Office chairs seem too upright post that!
The last point is aptly described below thanks to Homer :)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
A pretty place called office
For most people an office is a nightmare. I somehow have enjoyed my first brush with it.
The graffiti on my white board. The scribbles in my omnipresent black diary. The deep thought before my first two line email. The whole first name business.
The latter is such a pain! For someone who was taught from day one to go all protocol respecting and age respecting, this whole thing is like a system shock! Ah ma, why'd you ingrain it so deep?
The graffiti on my white board. The scribbles in my omnipresent black diary. The deep thought before my first two line email. The whole first name business.
The latter is such a pain! For someone who was taught from day one to go all protocol respecting and age respecting, this whole thing is like a system shock! Ah ma, why'd you ingrain it so deep?
Monday, May 16, 2011
Frameworks
I think I've cracked the nut on why I am so frustratingly slow and stupid sometimes, especially when it comes to anything to do with my MBA. I think instinctively while the MBA gives you frameworks to think by. I work on gut feelings while MBA demands data and trends. I understand the concept and twist it to suit my abilities while MBA wants the stiff white collar to be a stiff white collar. Ah damn!
The trigger to most of my self discoveries has been my internship. The one person who loves to deal with the intangible and the almost creatives, sits with a computer and finds mathematical trends in the obscure realm of image parameters! And then when I have a math-numbed brain, I have some amazing sessions with my boss who makes me think. And you know the best part? I forget my 4Ps(again) when asked for a launch strategy and instead stare like an idiot when he finally tells me in which direction I was supposed to tread.
How will I make a success of this mba thing of I can't get myself to always be in that framework!?
Oh right, it is another framework!
The trigger to most of my self discoveries has been my internship. The one person who loves to deal with the intangible and the almost creatives, sits with a computer and finds mathematical trends in the obscure realm of image parameters! And then when I have a math-numbed brain, I have some amazing sessions with my boss who makes me think. And you know the best part? I forget my 4Ps(again) when asked for a launch strategy and instead stare like an idiot when he finally tells me in which direction I was supposed to tread.
How will I make a success of this mba thing of I can't get myself to always be in that framework!?
Oh right, it is another framework!
Monday, May 09, 2011
Delhi Daredevils and I
Date: May 3, 2011Time: 1pm
Venue: The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi
Occasion: Coca Cola Meet and Greet with Delhi Daredevils
Who all: I recognise Irfan Pathan(to my left) and Colin Ingram(3rd on my right); rest I am a little clueless about. I'd appreciate if you could tell me
What was I doing there: I went to meet them and have lunch. Ended up working somewhat.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Stories, tales and an exam
I had a realisation of my own right now...I so want to write a story/novel/book but besides creating a character set and amazingly sweet or conflict ridden situations and a awesome couple for it, I can never decide what to do with them! I dnt fregging have a story for them...i want an ending to the love stories I start in my head. Maybe why they dnt end or even come close to any form of closure is because I dnt know how love stories are completed! Inexperience you see...darn I wanna know what happens to my characters after they've met and broken the ice and are not fighting/drinking/eating/studying!! Yes, my characters study :P
So in short when I'm studying(yes) and studying stuff that doesnt engross me for whatever reason, I go hunting to find out what happened to my characters and where have they reached in their lives. I dnt see them often..just every exam time and everytime I think I found a face for my characters. So my faceless characters continue with their lives with and without me. Like I do mine.
So in short when I'm studying(yes) and studying stuff that doesnt engross me for whatever reason, I go hunting to find out what happened to my characters and where have they reached in their lives. I dnt see them often..just every exam time and everytime I think I found a face for my characters. So my faceless characters continue with their lives with and without me. Like I do mine.
Ooh la la!
This is an absolutely random blog post. When I was logging, i didn't know what I wanted to write on, just that i did. Then my dashboard showed me that I had managed a whooping 100 posts! Wow! I can jab! ;)
So technically this is my 101st random musing on my life and I truthfully doubt if anyone cares! Ah well...
So I just gave another exam of another term where a good number people, as always, were practically implementing team work and yours truly kept wondering how come no one noticed all this? Or maybe they did and they were just avoiding conflict. Or maybe once you become an invigilator you can't tell the difference between what's genuine and what's not. As you can tell, probably, I am thoroughly pissed at all this.
I am pissed at people's insensitivity, lack of ethics, morality, humility and general humanity!!
Oh and yes, I found myself a new symbol for myself(I think this sentence is structured wrong)...it's a driftwood. I somehow feel like one :-|
So technically this is my 101st random musing on my life and I truthfully doubt if anyone cares! Ah well...
So I just gave another exam of another term where a good number people, as always, were practically implementing team work and yours truly kept wondering how come no one noticed all this? Or maybe they did and they were just avoiding conflict. Or maybe once you become an invigilator you can't tell the difference between what's genuine and what's not. As you can tell, probably, I am thoroughly pissed at all this.
I am pissed at people's insensitivity, lack of ethics, morality, humility and general humanity!!
Oh and yes, I found myself a new symbol for myself(I think this sentence is structured wrong)...it's a driftwood. I somehow feel like one :-|
Sunday, March 27, 2011
A goodbye
I just have to write this down. A single hug has triggered this post that too half an hour before an end term examination! Of all the seniors that I got to know in the past one year here, I recently said goodbye to a good lot of them. All these farewells were happy. Of all the seniors that I got to know in the past one year here, only one came to look for me to say goodbye and give me a hug. I suddenly realised she'll be the only one I'll always remember no matter what. She lived on the same floor as I and we often watched TV together...bonded over random idiot box content but now that I look back, we genuinely bonded. She was so easy to talk to and just an integral part of the 1st floor...I will miss her!
I am so sappy sometimes. Darn.
I am so sappy sometimes. Darn.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Of Mirrors
Sometimes a change of mirror is all one needs to alter one's life. Like I have always believed, life has its own sweet way to teach us subtle lessons. Its upto us to take it as a learning or as just another event.
For me this post is triggered by an event. I was in the mess and I looked up into the mirror over the basin. I saw me. But I also saw a few scars from old pimples, a stray hair out of place and a few new pimples readying to take their place on my face. How come I didn't see these when I was brushing just this morning? Because the mirror changed! Or maybe just the lighting was different, but what I saw had altered.
So I learnt two things...one I needed a good facewash (:P) and two, I had to look at life from different frames. Think about it. Even physics accepts that reality changes with changing of frame of reference! How obvious it always was.
Let's look at life from differing points of view...one side is a personal me, who's just plain confused about life and the other is the professional me, who is supposed to be doing just fine. Hmm.
So what are your frames in life? How would you judge it?
For me this post is triggered by an event. I was in the mess and I looked up into the mirror over the basin. I saw me. But I also saw a few scars from old pimples, a stray hair out of place and a few new pimples readying to take their place on my face. How come I didn't see these when I was brushing just this morning? Because the mirror changed! Or maybe just the lighting was different, but what I saw had altered.
So I learnt two things...one I needed a good facewash (:P) and two, I had to look at life from different frames. Think about it. Even physics accepts that reality changes with changing of frame of reference! How obvious it always was.
Let's look at life from differing points of view...one side is a personal me, who's just plain confused about life and the other is the professional me, who is supposed to be doing just fine. Hmm.
So what are your frames in life? How would you judge it?
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