USA: Day 1

USA Time: 8.58 pm

Technically day 1 was yesterday when I arrived in New York. The flight was long and boring... travelling alone is not fun. All I wanted to do was sleep but as soon as I took flights of fantasy in my sleep, Dubai arrived and we had to switch flights. I was all geared up for sightseeing but everyone insisted I rest. Bored and irritated I slept for 11 hrs straight.

We went sight seeing today on one of those 'Hop On Hop Off' buses. NY is like any other city in the world... be it Singapore or Sydney... I don't like USA and I wasn't even keen on coming for this trip... so please don't expect any "good" reviews. I'd rather criticize the place.
Sis stays in Manhattan close to Times Square... the skyscrapers are almost touching the sky... but they look dull and boring and the sky is barely visible. Gurgaon buildings are 100% better (DLF has done a bloody fantastic job). The apartments do not have balconies and rents are huge. We went to Madison Square... Central Park... Wall Street... Greenwich Village... etc
I cannot upload the pics 'coz I didn't bring my phone connector (I knew I was forgetting something) and this laptop does not have bluetooth. We visited the Apple store... their Apple Mac costs $ 1099 and they are giving away an IPod free with it... Bloody cheap!!!

At dinner Sis and I had a debate on the difference in lifestyles in India and NY
Sis: Life is a struggle here
Me: It is so in India too now
Jiju: Yeah... travelling in local trains in Mumbai is no joke and it is avoidable. Atleast here we go to office in cabs
Sis: But you can get maids and all.. that makes life convenient
Me: True... but my maid comes in at 6.30 am... she demands 1000 bucks for sweeping, swabbing, washing utensils and clothes for 2 people and refuses to do any extra work... and she expects a hike... and maids cook pathetic food... I prefer cooking for myself. Right now Indians are pretty ambitious... they are part of the boom... and will do anything and re-locate anywhere to get to the top. Companies who pay 10-20 lakhs almost own the employees. 5-10 yrs down the line they will realize it is not worth and demand a life...

I remember the conversation with a colleague who told us that a senior employee at PepsiCo quit work... he didn't "switch jobs"... he "quit work" at the peak of his career... "Why" 'coz he was no getting enough time with his family. "What guts!!!" we exclaimed. Right now the reason for attrition is better opportunities... 5 yrs down the line the reason will be "a better life"... hopefully!!!

Mom, Jiju and I walked back home (45 mins walk) while sis and bro chose a cab. I like to walk... can't do that in Gurgaon.

Nice things about Guddu

Yeah... thats my pet name... Guddu. Only my parents call me that (and now K.S; to tease me).
Anyway... I received the sweetest and most honest mail today:

"Der are very few nice things about guddu but now since i have spare time at hand i tht mite as well giv it a try and come up wid few !!

Guddu is cute ... infact she is very cute (she does peep peep (personal joke) and finds it funny)
Guddu is buddhu but she is funny ( for instance she makes funny noises , dances , even makes square chapatis so dat u can laugh even while eating ) Infact she has gone a step ahead and opted for a funny hair cut also .... she is really very funny
Guddu is very caring (SHE cares about herself)
Guddu is very sensitive ( she gets angry if u say nethin :P)
gUDDu always has gossip stuff
Guddu is always ready to eat out and watch movies...
Guddu is smart, intelligent and speaks excellent english....(reference :sindhi matrimony..)
Guddu is gr8 at bargaining ....
Guddu is very pretty ( hahahahhaha ......)"

I am worst at only 2 things (meaning: I can recall only 2 things right now)---

1) Ironing clothes:
I struggle and struggle and struggle but those wrinkles never completely un-wrinkle themselves out. To make matters worse Mom just has to sweep the iron gently over the clothes and viola they are as straight as well- you-know-what.
And no matter how well ironed my clothes are when they enter the bag... they always, always come out wrinkled. I have basically given up on this activity.

2) Packing:
For someone who travels as much as I do... ideally I should be an expert at packing... The only teeny weeny problem is... I over-pack.
It is like Rebecca says in Shopholics (by Sophie Kinsella) "What if I wake up in the morning and feel like wearing my Calvin Klien T shirt? The whole point of a tee is that it reflects your mood" Ultimately she gets all her clothes couriered to the vacation hotel since she couldn't carry all of it along. I am very tempted to do the same.
Today Mom called and asked me to carry only 7 sets of clothes for 15 days. I am carrying atleast 20 sets (too afraid to count). But thats not even the worst part... the packing is messy... very messy.

Sigh... I am excited about leaving and sad too.

Gurgaon has a very different culture... completely alien to me.
There is always an 'aayah' tagging along with the mother and kids. I do understand the new phenomenon of hiring governesses. Yes... women work... Yes... they are busy... Yes... they need help raising their kids. What I don't understand is do they need an 'aayah' even while taking kids for an outing? How difficult can it be to spend few hrs per week with your kids without the hired help?
Even now Mom is reluctant to hire a stay at home maid. We feel like she will intrude into our privacy.

I do not have very high views about the women here... if they are unmarrried they do not have a personal life... overheard someone saying today "I wake up at 6.45 am.. leave for work at 7.30 am... and back at night. My parents only "see" me everyday".
The married women less than 35 yrs don't have kids. They have dogs instead... and the favorite past time is discussing (bitching about) maids and mother-in-law.

Yes... not all Gurgaon women are like that... there are some who wish companies were more supportive of mothers. Life ain't easy and balancing work and family is no joke... no matter how supportive the hubby. Trust me.

Off to USA

I am off to USA (New York... to be specific) on Saturday... will be back on 17th July at home... back to hated Gurgaon on 20th July. After changing my mind a million times (am not kidding... KS and my parents will testify) I finally said "Fuck it!!! I am going".

It is a pleasure trip... have planned to explore every part... every nook and corner of NY... with my bro (I still have to communicate the plan to him... don't want to freak out his lazy ass).

But there is a more important agenda... the most important conversation with my parents. Lets see how it goes.

The blog will be regularly updated... with photos and posts.

Aamir

I remember Rajeev Khandelwal as the heart-throb of the fans of 'K' series. I was surprised to see him in a movie... good work. Good acting. The movie is 1 hr 45 mins long.... and keeps you guessing until the end... loosely based on a real life incident... it is a better watch than the other crap playing in the theaters currently

Car Trip

Mornings have suddenly become fun. I look forward to the trip from home to office. The reason for this happiness : N's sprained leg.
N is my colleague who joined the company with me. We live in the same apartments but different buildings with different people. She gives me a lift to and from office in her spanking new Santro.
Life was boringly usual... till she sprained her leg.
Tuesday morning I arrived at her house as always at 9 am.
N: Hi... I have sprained my leg... so you will have to drive

(I should have said "I haven't touched a car in 12 months... Let's not take a risk)

Me: Umm... sure. No problem
N: You have a license, don't you?
Me: Yeah...
N: Thik hai... I am sure you will manage then
Me (thinking): Wish I could be so confident about myself

Traffic in India is bad... very bad... but it is 100 times worse in Delhi and NCR region. I was scared but her confidence made me less nervous.
I settled into the driver's seat and remembered the Teacher's words "Turn the key... step on clutch... change to reverse... let go clutch slowly... step on accelerator"
Slowly (very slowly at 40 km/hr) I drove through the traffic. We were smart enough to leave by 9 am... before the traffic reaches its peak. With sudden breaks... honking from cars behind me... more honking from cars at the petrol pump... we inched towards the office. Then came the most difficult part in a Delhi resident's life... parking. PR is everything here and the parking attendants are Demi-Gods. They can make or break your day. You could either get a good parking space or you could be stranded with none.
I parked the car, turned off the ignition and walked towards the office.

I have the vague feeling I am going to be the owner of a car in 2008.

Organized retail is currently 5% of the total trade and expected to touch 15-20% by 2015. For companies like Cadbury's it is still 2-3% while for HUL 15%.
(Figures are indicative and not completely accurate)

As a professional whose work revolves around these figures the future looks promising...
but as a consumer I am dissappointed. I see malls, supermarkets, hypers etc everywhere... in every neighbourhood. But their service leaves me cold.

I visit Spencer's Hyper in Grand Mall at Gurgaon atleast once every week for my grocery shopping. There is a Subhiksha at Qutub Plaza which is much closer.. but I will come to that later. What I like about Spencers is that it is huge... which makes shopping a pleasure even at peak hours.... quite unlike Big Bazar. I do know that the prices for a lot of things stocked here are much higher (E.g a clothes drying rack in a local shop costs Rs 600 and at Spencers it is sold for Rs 1600... after discount) but the hope that I will conveniently find everything in one place makes me a regular customer. But my last few visits have been a let-down.

• At peak periods (Sunday evening) they were out of Lemon Iced Tea, Haldiram's Bhujia sev and Cadbury's 5 star!!!!
• Sula's white wine costs Rs 300.... at any local store you can buy it for Rs 280
• The sales guys were clueless about Ajino-moto. These guys are in dire need for training
• They stock a million varieties of breads... White, Brown, Milk, Wheat, Garlic. I was so confused I couldn't figure out which type I have been consuming since childhood
• There were ample stocks of packets of cooked rice... Yes, rice that has been cooked and packed. Who the hell buys those?

I don't even want to start on Subhiksha... they do not stock bread or milk or butter. Don't know why it even exists.

My last refuge (the local provision shop) is becoming my first stop for grocery shopping... they don't stock all the items either but they are not expected to... They deliver at home... know what Ajino-moto is... stock only 1-2 varieties of bread.... and prices are reasonable.

A woman's love

The other day I was watching 'Friends' (My bro was kind enough to download the 10 seasons all for me... and I may have to plan a trip to B'glore specially to share them with AB)... the episode in which Monica buys very, very expensive boots. When Chandler asks (requests) her to return them, she tells him "I can wear these with my pants, dresses, jeans... everything. I will wear them all the time". He stops nagging. True to her word Monica wears them everywhere... the catch is that the boots are most uncomfortable. To hide this fact from Chandler she leaves home wearing them... removes them in the hallway, hides them in a bag and puts on a more comfortable pair... the reverse is repeated in the evening. One evening Chandler asks her to join him for an office party and expects her to wear the boots. On their way back she tells him the truth and he has to piggy-back her home 'coz her feet are almost dead.

Something similar happened to me today:

KS: Are you sure you want to wear those sandals? They look uncomfortable

Me: They have high heels... I am not used to wearing heels now... have to get into the practice. There was a time when I used to dance in heels and my feet would pain all night but I didn't care... Besides, they match my dress... and they are soooo pretty. I can handle the pain

KS: As you wish

After 2 hrs... outside the mall

Me: Can we sit for 5 mins? My feet are killing me

KS: Lol... I know that.

We sit near the stairs

Me: Umm... I think I will remove the sandals for just 1 sec... will make the pain lesser

KS: What? Here? Crazy kya? Don't do that... I don't know you

Me: Couldn't care less at this moment... (taking off the sandals)... Wow.. this feels good

Moral of the story: Pretty footwear are a woman's weakness...

Just like that

Me: There was a time when men were chivalrous...
Shake: .... and then they joined sales
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Attrition has started... past few weeks the job market has been thanda and dead. Another colleague quit and I wondered "Why?". Not 'coz there are no reasons... but 'coz there are many... I was curious to know which one.

I knew an honest answer was impossible.

(One basic rule of corporate life... "Don't tell the truth... the one with maximum information is the 'Bond')
Everytime someone leaves I feel sad. I won't see the familiar face again. Of course, someone else will replace him.... life goes on.

"Love your work... don't fall in love with your company"... he advised.

Me: Is that even possible? Isn't the what you do a subset of where you do it?

Him: Not necessarily...

Anyways... Life goes on.

I took a walk in the rain today... it was beautiful.

Khuda Ke Liye

Gunj had recommended this one... I finally picked up the DVD. It is a good flick... with amazing performances.
It is about a Muslim family... father, mother and 2 sons. One son gets influenced by orthodox Muslim priests... he leaves his music (his passion), changes his lifestyle (beginning with the dress), kidnaps his cousin sister, marries and rapes her. She escapes and takes him to court. He realizes his folly at the end.
The 2nd son goes to USA to study music... there he falls in love and marries an American. After 9/11 he is imprisoned and beaten up. When he is set free... he has lost his mind.

Worth a watch!!!

Mixed Doubles

This movie stars Ranvir, Vinay, Konkana, Rajat Kapoor.. reason enough to watch it.... once.

It is a comedy about wife swapping... I like it.

Sex and the City

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I almost screamed (out of joy) when I read about this movie's release. I am a complete fan... these women are smart, gutsy, independent... and live life on their own terms... and they like to have sex.
I dragged KS along... wondering what his reaction would be. Men generally hate "Sex and the City"... 4 women who can have sex like men is indigestible for Indian men... to the point that some have labelled this as "soft porn". No argument can change their mind (Do I even want to argue with such narrow minded men?)
Anyways... I love the movie. I like it 'coz it takes the series forward... gives it a closure. But only a religious follower of the series will enjoy this flick... for the rest it will seem like another chick-flick.

Carrie.... Mr Big (the commitment phobic) doesn't turn up for their wedding... he gets cold feet
Like Carrie says "After everything I put up from him for 10 yrs... all he had to do was get out of the car... he just had to get out of the car"... Well... some men are like that... actually, most men are like that. Big and Carrie marry in the end.

Samantha... has a loving bf, lot of money, a Hollywood life... and yet she is not happy. Why? She misses sleeping around with other men... she misses herself... so she leaves.
Samatha to her friends "I can't leave Smith... he was with me through my chemo and all..."
Her friends.. "You just compared your relationship to chemo"

Miranda... married to Steve (I like Steve) with a kid... she juggles work and family... leaving her little time for herself and hubby... and of course, sex. So her hubby cheats on her... and confesses (Big mistake!!! Either you cheat or don't... if you do... don't ever confess... it doesn't help). She leaves him... changes her mind at the end of the movie.

Charlotte... the eternal romantic... the optimist... all she wanted to do was find a good-looking, decent husband and have kids with him. She marries an ugly Jewish man and realizes she cannot have kids. They adopt one... In the end she gets pregnant and is happy... very happy.

I wish I could watch it again with A1 & A2.

Sarkar Raj

KS was keen on watching this one... I didn't care so much. I like Sarkar... it reminded me of 'Godfather'. The flick is good... worth a watch once... was surprised by the end. It doesn't make sense... There is a possibility of a next sequel.

B'day Bums

It has been a long hiatus... sorry for that. But my time, attention and resources have been diverted towards someone else.

First... the B'day... My B'day. It came and went. People beamed at me, wished me and asked "So... what plans?" like it was the happiest day of my life. I tried to look half as excited and said "Well... work now.. dinner later. What else can you do in Gurgaon?" We expect so much from this one day. It has to begin with a midnight cake cutting ceremony... even if you are half asleep (like I was). Then... the wait for the phone calls.. c'mon... we all love them. I received only 3 calls.. from the most unexpected people (Thanks Gunj). At 12.30 am... to KS "Can I sleep now? Plz?"...

KS: I thought you will be flooded with calls?

Me: Lol... nahi yaar...

The calls began in the morning... Mom never forgets my B'day... Bro decided not to call at midnight but early morning instead (Smart Devil... I am not a morning person)... Dad called but didn't wish. I was sure he didn't remember.

Me (calling him back): Dad.. its my b'day today

Dad: Of course.. of course... I called to wish you but we talked other things instead

I can categorize the B'day wishes into following groups (I am such a loser)

• Friends who remembered my B'day and called me (Katty, A2, Sil, Khushi, Honey, Monu)
• Friends who forgot the B'day and didn't wish (APC... I reminded him last night... A1... still no call)
• Friends who wished in advance (Arun P, Tanuj)
• Friends who "tried" to wish frantically at 11.30 pm (Tangy)
• Friends who could have called but scrapped
• Friends who only scrapped
• Friends who mailed their wishes
• Friends who have not met me in last 4 months but called a day before B'day for a treat... yes... they got the treat (Shake)

The problem with B'day is our expectations... nothing is allowed to go wrong... the B'day girl/boy expects to have the best time of his life or atleast of the year. Impossible to achieve!!!

N: What plans for B'day?

Me: Usual

N: Yeah.. but atleast you are not alone this time

Thats when i realized... the last 2 B'days were celebrated alone (ill) and on a train. This year I was not alone... that was a blessing. Only someone who has been alone can treasure a companion.

But now I am at an age where I am going to be 24 for the next 10 yrs (accompanied by cosmetic changes)... It is rude to question me about my age... very, very rude. From an age (24) which denotes excitement, fun, independence... I am closer now to the glaring "30"... Sigh. I want to remain 24 for the rest of my life...

24... till I die... Wanna be 24 till I die

(Why would Bryan Adams want to be 18?? Didn't he have 12th Boards Exams at that age?)

A Hairy Tale

Me (whining): See... they look horrible. You know what happens to hair when you don't cut/trim them for 4 months??? SPLIT-ENDS. It is like when a fruit begins to rot. Any day now the split ends will begin and then begins the end of my hair
KS: Right. I can't see your hair through the phone
Me: Well... you are coming here. I need to go to the salon
KS: Uh... WHAT? I am not accompanying you to a salon
Me: Why not? You can sit and read the women's magazines. Salons have loads of them
KS: Ahem... ahem. You are the Cosmopolitan fan... not me
Me: Plz.. plz... this is important. I don't want to go alone. It will take only 15 mins
KS: Fine... I will come. I don't believe I am doing this
Me: Yippie!!!
Saturday dawned and I was excited. My first hair cut in 4 months. A haircut rejuvenates the soul... it is not a daily routine but a special treat... an event of a lifetime (or atleast until the next haircut).
We headed to Lakme Salon... my fav. KS was pleased to find a separate waiting area (minus the women's magazines) where he could snooze. I stepped in hoping to leave looking like Cindrella. Uh... oh... there were men everywhere. This is one phenomenon I don't understand. What are men doing in a women's salon? I mean... c'mon... who understands a woman's needs better than a woman? (No... I am not a lesbo). Even at VLCC men give the pedicure and manicure. Its quite weird. Squashing all doubts I settled into the chair. I told the guy exactly what I wanted..
"I want to grow my hair but they are totally out of shape. Just give them some shape and keep the same length"
30 mins later I was done... I almost died when I looked into the mirror. This was the worst hair cut of my life... yes... even worse than the one given by a barber in the boarding.
"Fuck... how will I go out looking like THIS???"
Yes... I screamed at the guy but the damage was done. The only option was to cut it short... which means there was no option but to look like this for atleast a month.
Me: Shit.. shit.. shit... look what he has done to my hair?
KS: What? They look fine
Me: No... they do not look fine... damn... Why me?
KS: Uh... oh... you are going to crib again
(According to KS I crib A LOT... I beg to differ)
And then started a slew of bad jokes on the hair cut which went on till I was out of the self-pity mode
Me: I wish my girl friends were around... they would have said some good things and made me feel better.
KS: Too bad.. you will have to make do with my bad jokes
As soon as I arrived in A'bad
Honey and Khushi: Hey... nice hair cut
Me: Really?
Have been receiving compliments all day today but I don't believe any of them... I still hate my hair cut.

Off

Off to Mumbai for 2 days and 1 night... and to A'bad for 1 day and 1 night. Plans are many... lets see which ones work out.
Btw... When do you miss someone more????
When they are 2 hrs away by flight (and 24 hrs away by train)
OR
When they are 1 hr away by road?

I attended Summer project presentations today... I am sitting on a fence right now... on one side is my college life which I remember quite clearly... the apprehensions and limitations during the summer project... the confusion... and on the other side is corporate life... the expectations from the project... questions fired at trainees... importance of the project... a lot of decisions could be based on it... the need for it to be perfect.

Woodstock Villa

Sigh... another disaster... 1.45 hrs of movie has around 6 songs for no reason at all. The actress is ugly and Sikander (Anupam Kher's son) is nothing great.

Ghatothkach

I wish you could hear me singing the title track... "Main hu ghatothkach... duniya mein sabse nirala... main hu ghatothkach... meri maiya ne mujhe hai paala... dharti hile ambar hile... uthe jab mera gadha"
N: Hey... all HR females are going for a movie and you are coming along
Me: Huh? Which movie?
N: Don't exactly know the name... it begins with "Gh"
Me: Ok... how bad can it be?
I go online and am horrified to see "Ghatothkach"... "No way"; I think
Me: I am not coming for the movie... don't buy my ticket
N: Umm.. sorry.. too late. I already booked them. Plz come... I need company
I give in... and yes it turns out to be a nightmare.
The only good part was singing the title track on the phone to K.S. Atleast we had a good laughs.
The kids will love the movie... adults please avoid.