fifteen minute fight

If you've had a "fifteen minute fight" with your best friend, you will agree with me when i say its awesome. Had one of these with my friend. All the below happened in exactly fifteen minutes. 

1. Crossed the line in teasing each other. To such a point when things said sound rude but don't really make sense. 

2. Got so angry with each other, walked away in different directions. 

3. Grabbed my laptop and went to a different floor to work from.

4. Two other friends called in for a quick meeting in pantry to solve the issue.

5. Meeting begins. Both scream at each other with words not understood by anyone.

6. Eyes are filled with tears ready to roll down the cheeks. But one stupid funny comment is heard and everyone laughs. 

7. Tease the friends who tried to patch things beyond limits. Make them regret their decision to help.

8. Walk back in the same direction. Making movie plans with less than hundred bucks. Together. 

9. Went back to the floor friend work from. Sat together and watch YouTube videos. 

Now when i'm writing about it, brings a smile on my face. We could have continued our meaningless fight and spent few hours with long face and irritation. But thanks to the stupid comment that saved our time. I don't say it saved our friendship 'cos even if not for the stupid comment, we would still be good friends. Fifteen minutes or thirty day fights cannot break us. We would have spoken to each other after few hours like nothing happened.Thanks to my friends (Beena and Shipo) who arranged the meeting. I know they won't ever do it. Also know they badly wanted me to mention their names here. 

Thanks to Amrita for being my friend and experiencing fifteen minute fight with me.. :-) 

Just another post

I'm wondering if being responsible, honest and living with certain rules are considered as a negative quality nowadays? I have been observing while having long conversations with friends and colleagues, when i say things like I've never bought a movie ticket in black or have never sneaked out of house to go out, people actually look at me like I've not been living.

I'm pretty responsible in few things. Have never lost phone, cards, money and stuff. I've never dozed off in a bus, missed my stop and walked back. I never sneaked out of house 'cos i never had to. I could let my family know where I'm going and what time they can expect me back, and it was fine. I've not lost things like phone, wallets, finger rings and stuff. I have never even lost a lip balm and I'm a girl. So you can imagine.

I see people around me who leave their belongings on their desk and go away. They are not really bothered even if i ask them to keep it safe. I can never be that way. Can never be carefree knowing my things could be stolen. I am responsible. I'm not proud of it 'cos that's how I've been and will be. But i don't understand when people take this quality as something that i need to feel bad about. I understand losing things would make us realize its value. I also believe in falling, getting hurt and learning my lesson. But I'm this way about few things.

I have lost my Tupperware bottle though, 'cos of a stupid thief at work who has a thing for water bottles.

I'm not too sure what I'm trying to say in this post. Now I'm missing my water bottle. Can't type anymore.

Prayer time

Few days back, mum asked my niece to say her prayer before going to sleep. She said her prayers and asked me to do the same. Told her i don't pray. I knew she would start her questions right away. I could not answer most of them 'cos i had none. Have never really thought about why i don't pray.

I came with few stupid reasons after sometime but she didn't care about my unconvincing reasons to not pray. She made me say her prayer. Asked me to close my eyes and say "Dear God, You have given me all that i need, thank you. I have made mistakes, please forgive me for that."

After i said those two lines, she asked me if its that hard for me to say those lines everyday. She's right i guess. I can manage to say those lines.

Chairs Chairs Chairs

Today is one of those days when i sit and think if I'm the only one crazy in this world.

I am not able to work. Not 'cos I'm sleepy or bored. Reason is chair. Yes, the one you sit on to work at office. I am so particular about this, its making me crazy. I walk around testing and checking chairs all over the floor till i find the right one which usually takes more than an hour. To me the chair should be perfectly aligned to the desk. Unfortunately most of them don't in my office and its the first thing every morning that spoils my day. I know very well this is sounding crazy and most of you are thinking i need psychological help. Guess you are right. But once i find the perfect chair, I'm back to normal.

My workmates get so irritated with me while I'm searching for the right chair, they all ask me to check their chairs if its the perfect one. How sweet of them right? But they do this just to make me stop run around the floor. Obviously they don't want to start their day listening to my "Where are you" screams.

One day when i found the right one, wrote my name and drew stars around it so that i could identify the next day. Next morning i could not find it. I'm guessing someone who hates me took it to a different floor just so i wouldn't find it. I did think about going to every floor to check every chair for the one with stars around my name. But i don't want to look spooky, you know? Don't want people complaining. I still love my job.

Obviously i can't buy a chair, get it to work and take it back home end of the day.

Is there a solution to this?

Kids and their games..!!!

Those of you who have noticed the kind of toys kids are playing with nowadays would agree with me when i say they are complicated. What happened to kids just playing with spoons and forks and not bothering their parents for hours?

My niece has so many things at home most of which i don't ever remember coming across back when i was a kid. I see her playing Mastermind, Monopoly, Origami and some jewellery making kit. I thought she was wasting paper until she explained what exactly Origami was. Not that i had heard about Mastermind where one creates a code with colors and the other breaks the code. I knew Monopoly, although it was in college i played for the first time. I don't even have to talk about jewellery making kit. It involves so much work that i wonder why its considered a fun activity.

I'm trying to understand how things changed. As far as i remember, my toys were empty Nivea box, few weirdly shaped forks, kitchen or doctor set made of cheap plastic. And back then, it was considered very lucky to get kitchen set and sketch pens. Now kids have sketch pens of colors i can't even pronounce. And do you see kids playing Snake and Ladder or Ludo anymore? Nope.

They don't even want to play the Snake game in Nokia phones. I'm still trying to make a good enough score in that game to move on to Bounce. 

Muddy shoes

I can manage to understand standard deviations and Pythagoras theorems but not why my shoes get muddy.

Bought a pair last week. Pretty pink ballerinas with white bow on it. Today it looks like i wore it to climb a mountain. I've worn them for exactly three days. Have not walked around much. Traveled in cab all three days. Have not even had a fall in a muddy road these three days. So what exactly is going on? Should i just go back to wearing black school shoes? Not that my school shoes were any better back then. I feel so tempted to buy those really pretty ballerinas every time i go shopping. But exactly after a week mum would be tempted to throw it away.

I really don't know why this is happening to me. Other girls at work wear really pretty and clean shoes everyday which looks like its bought just few minutes back and i would walk in with my dirty muddy shoes spoiling the carpet. Nobody has made a comment on this yet. But they are just being nice to me i guess. I'll just work towards earning enough to buy thirty pairs of shoes a month to wear new one everyday.

Who am i kidding? That's never gonna happen. Even if i do earn enough, would rather spend it all on books than shoes. And can never ever understand Pythagoras theorems. Don't even want to.

Regret

We say and do so many things that we are sure to regret in few days or months or years. Yet we do it. Yet we hurt people with our words and actions. Even if at that moment our mind knows we are totally gonna feel bad about it and blame ourselves,We go ahead and do it.

Knowing this about you and understanding is what keeps your relationship, friendship alive with the ones who get this about you. I feel so lucky to have friends and family to know this about me and feel bad when i do and say hurtful things. But this does not mean i can continue to be cranky and hurt them. Their patience with me has taught enough to understand that just 'cos i regret and apologize later, it makes me no better. I'll only feel better when my mind says "don't say or do this. You'll have to apologize later for this" and i listen to myself and take the advice.

Time to read

I finally got home the book "Shantaram". Written by Gregory David Roberts. My best friend who has more books than clothes had mentioned this book to me almost a year back which i had instantly forgotten. Used to look at it in bookstores and walk away. Reason is really stupid. I thought this book was about Shakuntala Devi. The Indian calculating prodigy. See how my brain registered both  "Shantaram" and "Shakuntala" as one name.:-)

Few days back, my friend spoke about this book again saying its really good. Now it was a strange feeling to me 'cos she knows exactly what kinda books i read and never once have i bought anything related to numbers, calculations and stuff. But then she started talking about the book that caught my attention. The book is about an Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escapes prison and reaches India to live in Bombay.

Will start reading this weekend. Yay..!!!!

V-Day Advice

We are close to that day of the year when gifts are expected, exchanged, compared, soft toys are bought which has a huge heart with words "I love you" written on it in cheap looking golden glitter. The day when beautiful tulips feel jealous of  red roses. Yes people. I'm talking about Valentine's Day.

My advice to guys :

1. Do not buy soft toys which are displayed in commercial street or any other street. Girls have walked around these streets and can easily identify the ones bought from there.

2. Move on from the typical gifts like red flowers, red jewellery box, red candles etc etc.. There is no rule written that the gift needs to be red in color.

3. Being artistic is great. Not when you take a sheet of paper, draw a heart and color it red.

4. If you plan to sing a song to her, consult your friend on good romantic songs, choose one and practice. If your friend is someone to whom "Hookah Bar" is a great song, Let God be with your girl while listening to your song. Also do not choose a duet number and expect her to sing. Its your gift. Don't make her feel uncomfortable.

5. Do not make her friend buy the gift. She might buy what your girl hates and what she likes with a motive of grabbing it during or after the fight. I mean the fight you would have with your girl over the gift.

6. Do not ask your girl what she wants on Valentine's Day. If she's a sweet girl, would probably just say your love and care is all she needs in her life.

7. Do not meet her on the day without a gift and say "You have my love and care" She might smile and a great war is just around the corner for you.

8. When you open your gift, just say "This is exactly what i wanted" even if its a calender.  

Advice to girls :

1. When your guy gives you a teddy holding a red glittery heart. Please try to smile, though your blood starts to boil at the very sight of it. Don't break his glitter less heart.

2. Do not buy a red t-shirt for him. If  he does not already own a red t-shirt. What's he been wearing then? Just black and white???

3. Do not ask his friends what he likes. Answer might be Rado. But won't that be out of your budget?

4. No matter what the gift is, just say "Choo Chweet" or "Sooo cute". This will make him feel his gift is the best.

Now some of you may wonder why I'm writing this post in the month of January. Well, i just felt like writing.. :-)

David - Hindi Film

One movie I'm really looking forward to watch is David. The trailer looks so great. I'm more interested as i love all the actors in the movie. Vikram, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Lara Dutta, Tabu and Isha Sharvani. Vinay Virmani is a new actor who looks promising.

David is written and directed by Bejoy Nambiar about whom i just read and found that he was assistant director for the film Raavanan and Raavan. I just loved everything about that movie. I think the Tamil one was better than the Hindi one. And I'm sure many would agree with me when i say Vikram is one of those actors who's acting stay in your mind even after days of watching his movies.

I have lot of expectations on David. Lets see how it goes.

Here is the trailer

Why no guest post????

For past three months, I've been asking (begging) few of my blogger friends and others to write a guest post in my blog. Not 'cos I've nothing to write anymore. That's not the reason. But don't ask me what the reason is also. I just want a guest post. Okay?

But not one has written yet. The ones who agreed have not been in touch with me. The one in touch go away the minute i start talking about blog. Why are you doing this? Answer me within next 24 hours. (Assuming you are reading this)

If your reason is my blog being awesome and you are worried post might look "Not up to Yellow Umbrella's standards", Please don't think this way. I will create ten fake accounts (with names of girls if you are a guy blogger) and place good comments on your post. Are you happy with that?

But if you think my blog is not worthy of your post, stop reading this right now. Go away.

I hope this clears the concerns my friends are having and hope i get calls from them asking (begging) me to have them as guest bloggers.


P.S : To those i just asked to go away, please come back. You don't have to write for me. Just read my blog and increase the page view count. That's enough for me as of now.

I'm so jealous

I see so many bloggers not writing for a week or two and coming back with a post about how they are going through writers block or bloggers block.I'm so jealous of them. Why am i not having writer's block? Is it 'cos my posts are more like Facebook statuses or tweets that can't really be called a post and hence can't call myself a writer/blogger and so can't have a writers/bloggers block? Oh my god. I feel so left out.

Last night i decided to just not post anything for a week. Come back and write a post on how bad my bloggers block is and how terrible I'm feeling.I loved my idea about fake bloggers block. Jealousy and left out feeling disappeared and was feeling better.

But the minute i switched on my laptop, logged in to Bloggers and clicked on "Create new post" and started typing this post. Even my stupid plan to have a fake writer's block didn't work. Should've seen this coming 'cos none of my plans have ever worked. Even the good ones. So obviously the stupid ones don't even stand a chance.

And yes, jealousy is back.

Blogging

When i started writing this blog, thought i would write less than ten posts, see that the page view count is 300 even after a month, lose interest in blogging and delete it. I actually started this blog out of boredom at work. (never gonna ask my manager to read my blog) It doesn't look good on me right? Though i have a great manager who knows exactly when to be a friend and when to shower us with work (see how my mind works? even if manager reads, she'll feel good about this, won't she? )

What was i talking about? Oh yea, Blogging. When i told my mum about it, she was so proud and looked at me like i just told her my book won an award or something. That was a nice feeling though she had no idea what blogging was. Told few of my friends to read my blog and their instant reaction was "send me the Facebook link" Obviously they had no idea too. Took almost half an hour to explain about Blogger, Blogs, Posts, comments and stuff. End of which they were least interested. Didn't even ask what my blog title was. Was not discouraged at all 'cos thought this blog wouldn't survive for more than a month.

So what started as something to type and look busy at work became a habit. Something very close to me. Now I've something to say, something to write about almost everyday. No idea how long this would last.

For few months i didn't even look at the page view count. Today when the view count has crossed eleven thousand, it feels so great to know that people actually read my blog. Yay..!!!! Im doing my victory dance right now. (My victory dance step is the one Adnan Sami does in his song Lift karadey, i do only the lifting hand part) I'm so happy today, going to add sugar to my tea and not have upma for lunch.

Here is Adnan Sami's song I'm talking about.

Angry Post

You were born, did schooling and college in Delhi, have family and friends there. Came to Bangalore to work. I had no problem till i heard you say "Guys, please don't talk in Hindi.. lets just talk in English".

Now, if you had said that with the intention of getting everyone involved in the conversation as there are few like me who are more comfortable with English, i would've been happy. But when i saw that your expression and tone meant speaking Hindi was something to be embarrassed about, i couldn't take it. You are from Delhi not England.When i know for a fact that you speak Hindi with your family, why that expression and tone? Are you trying to impress a girl with your English from Bal Bharti School with a fake accent? Not going to work. Trust me.

Stop being embarrassed about your language. If you question us on why you don't hear us talk in Kannada, its not 'cos we are embarrassed like you. We just want everyone to understand what we are saying and don't want people like you to feel left out of the conversation. We know very well when to talk in Kannada. I don't even have a problem if you live in Karnataka for more than twenty years and not even try to learn the language. I will only give you one tight slap if i hear you talk bad about it.

I'm not from Karnataka Protection Forum or anything of that sort. I've never danced on Kannada Rajyotsav day also. I just want you to take that stupid embarrassed look off your face and learn to respect every language.

Perfect, Are you?

When one thinks he/she is perfect, is it their over confidence which might come off as arrogance or is it their amazing quality that won't let anything or anyone break them or put them down?

I've been thinking about this and also been talking to those who feel they are awesome and perfect. There were certain conversations with these "Perfect" friends of mine where i got really angry with them for thinking that way. To me they sounded rude and arrogant which made me argue for hours which usually had me ending the argument saying there will always be someone better than us in this world and hence cannot think of us as perfect. I say this 'cos clearly there will always be something to learn from others and something to improve ourselves on.

But on the other hand, this particular quality of theirs made them face so many situations without having to feel let down. I came to learn that these friends of mine did not cry over a break up, do not ever doubt themselves with "Am i capable of?" questions and have not given an opportunity to anyone to break their confidence. I noticed that even my hours of argument didn't bother or change their confidence one tiny bit. This was commendable.

Being a person who cry over break downs and worry about failure, the above quality of my friends tempted me to be the same. I even tried to repeat  the words "I am perfect". But it wasn't convincing enough to myself.

So I've come to a conclusion that I'll feel proud of myself for falling, having enough courage to get up and walk ahead. I will try my best to not let anyone break me. Will even think of myself as perfect in handling few situations. But will never ever forget that i still have lots to learn from others 'cos what's life if not learning.

Two Songs

My best friend Nisha used to listen to one song for more than fifty times a day for a week or more. She played it in the car, at home, in her phone, which meant i had to listen too 'cos we were together almost everyday for five years. This used to make me mad 'cos i can't listen to a song more than once a day and I'm just not into music. So you can say i was tortured by her when it came to music. Indigo station was played 24 hours in her room. I didn't know most of the songs played.

But two songs i remember listening to is "How to save a life" by The Fray and "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. God.. I think we must've heard it so many times that i can sing these two even in my sleep.

There was a dance group at college and obviously we are not a part of it. The day of the performance, we came back home, got dressed just the way dancers were, played the same song the group danced to and we danced till we got tired. We even had peeked through the windows to watch the group practice so we knew the exact dance steps. I think we forced her family to watch our performance at her house. Sometimes wish had a video of those moments. But glad to have such memories.

Here are the songs I'm talking about.

Every detail is important

Over the weekend, was watching one of those award ceremonies for Hindi Cinema and was shocked to know more than hundred movies were made in the year 2012.

But funny thing was i could not name more than ten movies. I cross two or three movie house everyday and Bollywood catches my attention. Point here I'm trying to make is how many of us have actually heard of all the hundred movies? Take a minute or two and think about it. I'm sure you can't name more than twenty. Why is this? We all know of one fact that, first thing we look at in a movie trailer is the cast and if the music is attractive. So obviously we are not going to even watch the preview of the ones with the unknown cast and not so impressive music. Do we ever think of scriptwriting, editing, screening? Its a shame that i can't name more five Directors in Bollywood.

I love watching movies, not just the ones with a message but also those that make me laugh for three hours. But never ever thought about looking into the details of the movie. Loved the movie Raavan but not once thought about how the sound effects are recorded or who is the art director. Just lost myself in the beauty of what i could see. Watched Rock On and was so happy to have watched a movie like that without knowing who the music director was. Did not really like Devdas (new one) but loved the clothes, jewellery and dance. Did i care to learn about the costume designer and the choreographer? No.

One of my favorite actor, Boman Irani once spoke about how he was asked by his mother to watch a movie over and over again for a whole week. But with a different purpose everyday. One day was to concentrate on the story, one day to the direction, one day to acting, one to listen to the songs and understanding the lyrics and so on. No wonder he is so good at what he does.

And no wonder I have nothing to say more than "I loved it" when asked about movies.

Will find a way

There are so many phobias I have, sometimes wonder what in the world made me study psychology. Did i think studying about it would make the phobia go away? If back then i thought that way, its stupid of me 'cos none of my phobias have gone away. I'm still very very scared of lot of things in this world.  Water, Fire, Animals, Birds, Darkness, Heights, speed, needles or pointed objects, bees, clowns, dentists, shadows and many more i can't think of right now.

Most of all, I'm scared of lizards. I just hate them. HATE HATE HATE. Just the sight of them fill me with intense anger. I have given lot of trouble to mum about it. Every time i find a lizard at home i make sure mum kills it. She hates killing them but knows very well i don't eat or sleep till its killed. I can manage to kill the baby lizards though.

I don't pray much but every time a lizard is killed at home, i pray. Not for its soul to rest in peace. I pray to God that i don't see another one in my house. If you are a lizard lover and thinks I'm horrible. Please contact me. You are most welcome to come home and take your loved ones. I'll even pay you for that. Not more than fifty bucks a lizard.

And those of you who are just like me trying to come up with various methods to kill them, please let me know your tested and worked methods. My mum is losing her patience with me with these killings and never know when she might back off. I need a back up plan. Prefer methods which don't involve me touching them or even going near them. You know what I'm talking about right? If there is a spray or something that kills them or anything that prevents them from entering my house. Would be great.

Oh yea, forgot..Wish you all a Happy New Year.. :-)