The Help

A distant acquaintance once remarked how women have nothing better to discuss other than the status of their respective maids. This was in response to a question asked about whether they have hired a new help after the previous once took off. At the time, the comment really pinched me. I thought it to be very sexist and condescending. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it is indeed a very important and frequent point of discussion amongst us womenfolk. My society whatsapp group is full of messages on the status of various maids. And someone or the other is always on the look-out for that perfect maid. After all why wouldn't they be? Our helps undertake a very important aspect from the very long list of responsibilities that we women have under our belts. Their absence even for a day creates havoc in our lives and homes.

I myself never gave much thought or appreciation to the work or dependency we have on our maids. Some years back I saw this movie called The Help. Ever since I read Gone with the wind, I have been obsessed with Southern American culture. Cotton picking, ice-teas, fried chicken, deviled eggs, pretty bonnets y’all. So I am always looking out for movies or books based in and around the Southern area. Over the years I have read a lot of The Color purple, Beloved etc. One of the days I stumbled upon this movie called The Help - it had me hooked on from the first scene. It had all the ingredients I desired. I loved the movie so much that I quickly bought the book it was based on. We all know no movie can ever do justice to the book and boy was I right. The book was a revelation for me.

Of Course I loved the story, the semi fictional account of the vast social difference between the blacks and whites, the bridge parties and Minnie’s world famous chocolate pie. It was all good but the book resonated something much more deep than all this. It basically showed the world from the perspective of the help. Now this help did not necessarily have to be a black woman in Mississippi for the effect or the message to get delivered. It could just as easily have been someone in India or for that matter any other part of the world.

Like I said before, I never gave much thought to helpers, their chores, unplanned leaves or different issues they come with. But the time I started reading the book coincided with the time when I was responsible for employing a help of my own. I was responsible for her salary, taking counts of her leaves, guiding her on what to be done and verifying whether it was done properly. Every time I read a passage from the book, I could relate it with my maid. How she would feel working for so many people, cleaning their homes from morning to dusk while her own home at times stayed neglected. Taking care of other children while her own awaited her arrival. Cooking stuff in quality and quantity that she can hardly afford to cook for her family. It is definitely not an easy feat. Both physically and emotionally. Our respective helps not only deserve our respect but also a lot of empathy. A bit of guidance sometimes and also a firm voice whenever the situation demands.

I get super panicky whenever my maid is late even by 5 mins from her scheduled time. I leave for office exactly one hour after her arrival, so her delay directly impacts my timings. I remember on one occasion (after a night of party) our home was particularly messy and I had to rush out early in the morning.The beds were messy, unwashed utensils occupied the basin, side tables were hither and thither, there was spilled water and hence muddy footprints all over the floor. I was just minutes away from leaving and my maids phone was unreachable. I was literally getting panic attacks from the state my home was in, moreover I knew even if I left, the images would keep me restless for the entire day. So you can very well imagine the joy when I saw her enter. I quickly left for work leaving the entire cleaning responsibility and home under her reign. While away I did question my hastily taken decision of keeping her alone in the house, but all my apprehensions were quickly dissolved when I came back to a spick and span home.Cleanliness is definitely a very underrated pleasure. A clean kitchen and a nicely made bed give me an ultimate high and peace at the same time.

This another time at the wild 30th birthday bash, apart from a lot of fun there was also a lot of mayhem. Glasses were broken, biryani was dropped, thumbs up was spilled like champagne. Nonetheless the party poppers went to sleep after a half-heartily attempt at cleaning. Only to be woken up at 6 in the morning by a call from the maid informing on how she wouldn't be able to make it today. Jeepers Creepers. I almost had a nervous breakdown thinking about the unwashed plates I had neatly stacked up to be washed, the not-so-efficient way the biryani was cleaned up with little specs and stains still on the floor or the haste with which the broken glass was just swooshed in a corner near the dustbin. I could hardly go back to sleep after this major major debacle. So I woke up and started cleaning the utensils one by one. Luckily I managed to get neighbors' helper to help me clean up rest of the mess and restore my sanity. I totally feel for all those amazing women/men who live out of the country where it may not always be possible to get help. I have unrelenting respect for all these people.


Everything said and done, like all relationships there has to be a lot of trust, honesty and mutual respect. A good maid is hard to get. But once you manage to get one and train her, your life will be a little bit sorted. Well, until she goes on leave :P
 

Lots of Love:
Sepo

DISC Analysis

I have been meaning to write this post since ages now but it always gave way to something more interesting. Of late I have been on some sort of a writer’s block, so I decided to take it out from the archives of my brain. This dates back to the time of 2014, the time me and many of my co-workers would be on a constant lookout for relevant trainings for our domain - preferably in locations far away from our office This would give us kind of a holiday from work, a chance to explore another branch of our officer, the new canteen food, ahem the new crowd and of course since the trainings would get over way early than usual office timings a chance to explore the nearby joints and markets.

One fine day I managed to get nominated to training in Powai, which is like the very hep part of Mumbai and the duration of the training was WAIT-FOR-IT 1 week! And Mumbai monsoons had just made their presence felt – the time where everything is just so dreamy, romantic and beautiful. When you love prancing about in newly bought rainy footwear and eating plates full of kanja bhajiya with adrakh wali chai. So the timing of this 1 week long training just couldn’t have been better.

I woke up bright and early for my 40 minute bus ride. I learnt the importance of exact-estimate timings in Mumbai. When you reach office at 9:04, you say Nine O Four and not Nine O clock. If the duration is 40 minutes, it means 40 you cannot say it takes about an hour. Nope. Not acceptable. Next train at 6:46 means exactly that. Don’t wait at the platform from 6:30. Enjoy a wada-pav and then be ready to board before the train stops. In my part of the world life is lead at a leisurely pace and our timings are calculated in a similar way - depending on our mood. For example, in the event of an electricity cut that happened 5 minutes ago – everyone will swear “Ek ghante se gye hue hai ji”. And once it’s restored since 1 hour – “Bas abhi aye koi 5 minute pehle”. It was very hard to unlearn this lovely way of communicating by exaggeration.

Now coming back to the bus commute. For the 5 working days I traveled in this bus, I managed to lose a watch, a pair of earphones and funnily a packet of biscuits I had kept in my bag back. These minor mishaps coupled with the struggle of getting auto after the bus ride did dampen the spirits a bit, but the show must go on. And the show (read: training) was spectacular. Very interactive with a bunch of people from different backgrounds of technical work. Each day was filled with numerous activities and interactions that literally kept us on toes. We were divided into groups for all activities and the groups kept changing to facilitate maximum interaction. We are supposed to share our aspirations, fears, disappointments with each other. And while it may seem strange to open up to a complete stranger surprisingly it was rather easy and oddly calming.

But the biggest take away from the 5 days was what has inspired the post and its title – the DISC analysis. Now as a manager or a senior member in the team – your responsibilities go beyond just getting the task done. A good mentor not only understands the requirement but also has to judge the aptitude and skill of the person doing it. More than getting the work done, understanding who best to do it is what makes a difference. And in order to make that judgement who should know the judgement criteria. Which category of personality do you fall in? What type of person is best-fit to do the work and what decisions to make in case of conflicts and hassles? That’s here the DISC comes into picture. The one week training mostly focused on prepping us up as young managers.

So basically DISC is a personality evaluation technique. On basis of a few questions (which you have to answer honestly) it fits you in one of the 4 personality types – Dominant, Influencer, Complaint and Steady. Now there are many other names for this test and numerous interpretations but the abstract remains the same. It is closely associates with the Type A, Type B, Type C and Type D personality test. For me rather than understand people around me, this analysis helped me to understand myself. It also gave me a chance to work on my weaknesses and improve things that are not so great. It is accurately true provided you answer the questions truthfully. 

Having strong Type B straits makes me very resistant to change. But since I have found that about me, I have tried to overcome this. Like when I had to make a move in my career from a very comfortable zone to something unknown I actually took inspiration from my little niece. She had just moved from a very familiar pre-school to a bigger school with no old friends and was doing so good. On the other hand I used to brawl for months when I changed school in 5th standard. Another trait that I wish/work on changing is avoiding confrontation. This is not just related to office but in day to day life. When I think back, I remember all minute details of instances when I kept quiet when a middle aged man touched me inappropriately in a bus or flashed himself in broad daylight. It can be as simple as not ordering what you want in a restaurant to not disagreeing to an approach a Type A (Dominant) person is putting across. 

These are just small examples, but the usage of this analysis is vast! This theory can be applied in partnerships too. And what better partnership than marriages! DISC can help you identify the best match, so much better than asking useless questions like "favorite movie", "Do you drink" etc. It would be best to avoid two dominants, moreover two compliant or steady's would again have nothing to teach or motivate their better half's about. Just like fashion, it would be best to mix and match and get that perfect look!

Now just go take the test already!

Let me know your thoughts in comments.

Lots of Love:

Sepo

Some Keen Observational Theories

1. The closer you are to a person the harder it is to tell them the truth – an honest opinion you have about them. On the other hand the closer a person is to you, higher is the chance of you venting out all your accumulated anger on them.

2. Some people get up in the morning, open their cupboards and wear the first thing(s) they spot. Irrespective of whether they are event appropriate or matching with each other. Now we are not expecting you to be dressed up to nine, looking like diva’s or studs. But green colored pants with purple Tee, red colored polka dotted pants to office and a tight fitted top struggling to stay on a plump frame is not a sight for the sore eyes.

3. While we are on the subject of clothes another important point. Leggings are not pants. Yes, even if you are a proud owner of a 26inch waist. They were made for kurta’s and look horrible with tops and shirts.

4. There are some people who go grocery shopping and forget one very important article every month. We are talking about the DEO here. Small word big benefits. Coz, sitting in cramped spaces with air conditioner blowing the same stale air, trying to breathe through your elbow or hair in public transport ain’t no fun.

5. When you finally get that motivation to join gym and one week down the line you start feeling somewhat fabulous about yourself – people will start commenting on how fat you look. Well, that drives you right towards those creamy macaroons and Dutch truffles.

6. An observation based on the above point. People criticize you when you are thin, they will criticize you when you are fat, and they will probably find something wrong with you when you are actually pretty alright. Listen to the people who matter, ignore the rest and do what YOU like. Just do your thang.

7. After a particular age you just loose interest in making new friends. You become content with the close set of fools you have managed to keep over the years. Friendships often sprout during those carefree phrases of live. Once responsibility kicks in, you’d rather make acquaintances rather than friends. That said, some rare exceptions are always there.

8. You start developing a “taste” for things. Now this can be anything ranging from clothes to furniture to alcohol. While in your teens and early twenties you are ready to experiment, as you mature you’d probably invest and explore something that you are familiar with!

9. However hard you try, innumerable promises you make – People still drift apart. In spite of all the wtsapp, skype and vibers long distance things rarely workout. And for those it does work, well congratulations!

10. Even though you may not realize it and in fact hate using SMS and texting lingo it still reflects in your writing. I just had a hard time understanding why MS word refuses to acknowledge “yourself’ which in my writing flow I had spelled as “urself”. OMG. I gave myself the biggest palm-slap after realizing my mistake.

11. The more you stay alone, the more impulsive and short tempered you get. Adjusting, patience and compromise become pariahical qualities.

12. A heart felt compliment makes everyone happy, no matter how old. So go on and don’t hesitate to make someone happy.

13. When women go on criticizing and complaining about themselves, all they are looking forward for to is some reassurance. "You look great" or "You are awesome" are some acceptable answers. Go not agree with her on this one. Its as simple as that. And men say women are hard to understand.

14. There should be at-least one that thing in life for everyone doing which makes you happy.

15. Lastly, everyone should watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S atleast once. If you aren't, you are definetly missing something really special in life.

LOVE:
Sepo!

Random Musings

Tell me about yourself? That’s one question that drives me crazy. Not that this post is going to help me answer this question. But yea, the different traits of my personality never fail to amaze me. It takes more than just hobbies and career to define us. Little things we love, the way emotions like anger and jealously affects us. These and numerous other things define the person we are. Though one cannot go on explaining these traits, it is still good to know them about you. I just happened to do the same and have listed some random traits and fact about me.

1. I am the revenge taking type. If someone just playfully hits or nudges me, I get back with a kung-fu action. This has caused a lot of wrath from people nearby.

2. I also maintain a highly efficient and fast processing database inside my brain. It comes in handy during a fight or argument when I do a fast query and come back with the data of how 4 years back the person had done something that can now be used against them

3. I sulk. A lot. Sometimes for no apparent reason.

4. I am obsessed with things old and antique. Retro lamps, grandfathers’ clock, Victorian furniture, smell of old books, radio, gramophone, chunky telephones, vintage cars… The list is endless.

5. I am a quintessential90s girl. 90s music on my phone – Check. 90s shows on my laptop – Check. 90s style staples in my closet – Check. Scrunchies in my hair – Check. Stack of unused junk jewellery eating a huge chunk of space in my cupboard – Check. Slam book – Check. Huge crush on Milind Soman – Check. You get the drift? That’s just how 90s I am.

6. I am sarcastic. Sometimes. Most of the times. Whenever the situation demands.

7. I am an intriguing mixture of creative and lazy.

8. I love the silence and magic of late nights – a perfect creative canvas for me. But dare to wake me early and I will bite your head off.

9. I love DIY projects. Revamping old shoes, painting, earing holders, decoration from old sarees. Bring it on! Earing holder from twigs is in my current lust list!

10. I mentally stab and kill the person who criticises my cooking

11. I am obsessed with even numbered lists. 3s 7s 11s 13s give me restlessness.

12. I get super-duper jealous when someone praises a girl for her good dressing sense, time management, looks, cooking or anything else in front of me.

13. I organize my entire week’s clothes in my mind and also keep next day’s clothes ironed and ready for that extra 5 minutes of sleep in the morning.

14. Closing with the embarrassing one. I am obsessed with watching re-runs of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu thi, Kasauti Zindagi Ki, Rendezvous with Simi Grewal, Hip Hip Hurray, Kahin na Kahin toh hoga. Guilty pleasure – reminds me of old school days.

When I started I had just about 2 or 3 things to write about. But then as I started, I couldn’t stop - so many things started to crop up in my mind. Must say try it sometime!

Love:
Sepo

Note to self - 10 things I simply cannot do

Dear Future-Me,
Please take note of the following points.

1. Wear white – Although I love the colour and the grace that flows out of it, I have my issues with it. There is just no way I can wear it without spilling food, dripping it in beverages or brushing again dirty walls and stuff. Even if I don’t dirty it, after 2,3 washes I don’t know why but it just starts to look like a rag cloth. So thou shall never again buy white unless it’s expensive enough to mandate dry cleaning.

Photo Courtesy - elle.com

2. That perfect hairstyle – My hair has a life of its own. It just starts to come out of random places however neatly I try to wear it. I leave home looking like Miss India pageant and enter office looking like a gypsy who hasn’t combed for days. I go green with envy every time I spot these ladies with perfect glossy hair, not a strand out of place. Carrie Bradshaw rightly said, some women exist in this world merely to make us feel bad about ourselves. I have to make peace with the fact that I cannot be that perfectly hair styled lady, because any how after a few hours of fiercely pinned up hair, my head starts to ache like anything.

Photo Courtesy - dreamstime.com

3. Let Go – If ever I suspect/find out someone bad mouthing about me or passing a comment of me, my clothes basically anything remotely related to me. I just go crazy, simulating the entire thing in my mind. Why the thing was said, what could have been the possible reasons for saying the same, how could such a thing be said? Till the time this war is waging in my head I am unable to talk properly to that person. I do forget it after sometime on face but in mind I have a list and a motto of forgive but never forget.

Photo Courtesy - polyvore.com

4. Not wear Kajal for more than a Week – I have been applying kajal since my college days almost regularly except for a few off days. My face has become so accustomed to kajal, that without it I look weird. Not weird but sick, dull and sheen-less. The number of health related questions I encounter from people on non-kohl days is frustrating. I have tried to break away from the shackles of mystic surma but not more than a week. Who would have thought that I simple kajal can make so much effect on your look. Some definition to the eyes and a jab of lip-gloss has been my standard makeup strategy since ages.

Photo Courtesy - magicvalley.com

5. Diet – I have tried various types of diets ~ the salad diet, the smoothie diet, no-carb diet, lean protein diet and the just-drink-lime juice diet. The one that lasted the longest was about spanning around 1 week and I was at my crankiest best. What helped was the fact that I was in morning shift with comparatively lesser human contact and sleeping early helped in skipping dinner. As soon as I shifted back to general shift, the food habits kicked right back in. The only think these diets have given me is a very nasty temper. The only way I can work these diets is with a strict helper/ training who will prepare small portion foods like sprouts, brown bead sandwiches, nuts, cut fruits and salads for me. Because let’s face it, diet food is way elaborate and tiresome than our normal daal chawal, khichdi and instant noodles. And me being a lazy bum, well, there is no way I am going to do so much of work!

Photo Courtesy - bestfunnyjokes4u.com

6. Sneeze like a lady – They say my sneeze has the power to bring people back from death or even make them dead with the impact of it. My sneeze is like a mini thunder. I get baffled by ladies who sneeze ever so lightly and then mutter an excuse me. It’s actually with that “excuse me” that you actually come to know that they have sneezed. I can never be that lady. I can never get satisfied with a teeny tiny sneeze, for me it should be full of drama – sharp inhalation with head jerked back and then full speed come back with huge exhalation and sound effects. Aaaaaah the relief!!

Photo Courtesy - dbuster.com

7. Eat Cheeku – I have unsuccessfully tried to like eat this fruit several times. People have gushed about its sweetness and forcefully fed me. But however hard I try to like it, to be it just seems like eating sand. So granular and tch tch noise making.

Photo Courtesy - flickr.com

8. Speak out – I cannot just go on spilling details about me to anyone. That has never been me. My father taught me early in life, the more you speak the more trouble you are likely to get in. It’s always better to be a person of few words. I won’t say I am secretive, just the non-spilling type. Because the thought of people juicy gossiping over my heart-shared details with their other friends just makes me red with anger. And calling people telling them details of my mundane life is another activity out of my bounds. After a tiring day spent in doing exactly the same things I’d rather spend my day curled up in bed with a nice book.

Photo Courtesy - gizomodo.com

9. Live without Maggie – I am in love with this 2 min magic. So versatile. Make ‘em with veges, bits and shreds of chicken/mutton, chat masala or amchur, fry it up with onions, or just make it as is. There have been times when I have thought that I have had enough and can never eat a morsel of Maggie. But I have faithfully been back to it. It has saved me from dying via hunger. After all there is nothing much to be done – Just add garam pani :-)

Photo Courtesy - timescity.com

10. Drama-less – These just has to be some drama in my life. By means of clothes or a funky piece of jewellery, I just have to be different. Period

Photo Courtesy - instyle.com

Love:
Sepo

Ten types of Guys we all have met.

1. The Suspicious One 

Photo Courtesy - eithicsalarm.com

 He is the guy who always asks “kahan ho” (“where are you”) as soon as he calls, before even saying hello. While dating him it would be impossible to even talk to any male friends you have. He will always be aware of your whereabouts, your activity on social networking websites and your last seen of various apps. Any likes or comments from an opposite sex will lead to you giving detailed and unnecessary explanations. If he calls you and gets a busy tone, then god save you from all the confrontations. A pee break will also invite numerous assumptions and allegations. This type of guy usually has hell lot of friends spread across the town who keep tabs on you and call you “Bhabhi”. And together with suspicions this type of guy is also known to have strong possessiveness streak which lies on the margin of being extreme.

If you like to live on the edge you can definitely date this guy!

2. Love-y Dove-y 

Photo Courtesy - sodahead.com

 This guy is just full of love. So much love that it’s enough for both of you. The amount of endearments he uses is enough to give you a long term diabetes. Diabetes plus a cringing feeling in the pit of your stomach when you hear Baby, babu, Shona, darling and stuff. The huge love makes the guy interested in every little detail of your life – from the food you are having, to the clothes you are buying. And not just your life, he is as involved in the life of people directly or indirectly connected with you. Your family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, pets etc. He never misses any birthdays or anniversaries or gifts and never fails to send good morning and good night messages. If you get angry with him, he will send you flowers and chocolates. And will just keep on sending them because the distance and no-talking will drive him crazy.
In a company of such a guy you start being less of a girl and more of a baby. Date this guy if you like to be pampered and taken care of.

3. High Maintenance 

Photo Courtesy - capitalfm.com

 There is only one thing this guy desires ~ Perfection. You have to be literally on your toes when with this dude. He expects you to look like a million bucks at times. Perfect dress, with matching shoes and accessories. Your trips to beauty parlours will increase by manifolds because there can be no bad hair days, or zits or hair at random places. Perfect table manners will be mandatory which means you better start learning to eat tandoori chicken with fork and knife. Your knowledge bank should be updated because you don’t want to appear dumb in front of him. The testing time is when he invites you to meet his family or friends because that’s where he has gained all the impeccable taste he so proudly displays. You have to be on your best behaviour especially with the Mom.

But there is one thing, you can always count of this guy to pick up the best gifts for you. Take you out on dates to the awesome-est places ever. Have links and contacts to all the major happenings in your town. And you will just love shopping with him, because he has just good taste. So on a whole it’s pretty adventurous and involves a lot of work. Avoid this guy if you are a home-bird kinda girl.


4. The Dude 

Photo Courtesy - scs-connect.com

 The irony is that there is nothing actually dude like about this guy. But there is nothing in the world that will make him think otherwise. He is the I-Know-It-All types and leaves no opportunity to display any kind of knowledge (right or wrong) on the topic of discussion. His favourite pastime is bragging about himself and narrating various stories on how cool he is. He has a huge inflated ego and is capable of throwing quite a tantrum if you hurt it in any way. There is a huge chance that dude works out, eats lots of chicken, drinks beers and just loves to watch (read:admire) himself while flexing his muscles. The dude basically is just in love with himself and has little of no space or emotions to love someone else. His life rotates around his own solar system. The guy however does attract a huge amount of female attention because he is a total eye-candy.

Date him if you can handle the pressure of being with someone who is so full of himself.


5. Daddy’s-Money-Flaunting-Guy

Photo Courtesy - huffingtonpost.com

 Yea, you got it flashy cars, beer cans in hand and different girl’s every time. He will woo all the girls he likes with expensive gifts and car rides just with the motive of sleeping with them. Mr Richie Rich firmly believes that money buys everything ~ including friends and women. He is one of the most popular guys you know and just about the entire town knows him. He has no regards for people, is rude, gets frequently involved in brawls and saved from the same by daddy’s money. There is every possibility that his dad is just as pissed off with him as other people. But his mommy thinks he is the nest thing ever. This guy will have lots of fun in life but in the end marry a rich girl of his parents’ choice.

6. Nerd 

Photo Courtesy - pinterest.com

 There is something incredibly sexy about a guy who knows it all. Knowledge, black rimmed glasses and those brawny looks, this guy will just mess up your head. He is a great conservationist and his general knowledge is flawless. He may not be too fun loving or unpredictable but he makes up for it by being so in control at all times. He will give you free career advice and solve all your gadget problems. But yes, after some time life with him will become pretty monotonous.

7. The Shy one 

Photo Courtesy - sheknows.com

 

 If you are a girl who likes to wear the pants in a relationship and this is the ideal match for you. It will take him an eternity just to get the courage to hold your hand. And he will blush if you hold his. So take things slow with this one. He is most likely not to look beyond you once he has made of his mind about you. Once that’s done he will finally open up his heart to you and you will be the world to him. This one is for the keeps.
(I know the picture doesn't really match but the little boy is so cute!!)

8. The Foodie 

Photo Courtesy - lostinidaho.com

There are two mysteries in the world that baffle me – Bermuda triangle and guys who eat like pigs and don’t get fat. The foodie here just loves to eat and feed others. Loves to try new places and cuisines. So most of your dates will be centred on exquisite food and drinks. So your diets and plans will all go out of the window for this one. Since most often than not a foodie loves to cook, he is sure to pamper his girl with breakfast in bed and home cooked elaborate meals. I dare you to try saying no to that! Well, you can pretty much forget to keep a check on yourself while eating with him. After a few months, while he just stays awesome and loving, you start to pile-up on kilos’. No sooner you will require a major wardrobe revamp.

That said, it is never a good idea to ditch a guy who can cook, so try and adjust with this fella by eating in small portions and not going overboard. And never ever order two desserts, share it.

9. Two Timing One 

Photo Courtesy - curlybookworm.com

 This one vouches for “Variety is Spice”. He likes to play with fire and date more than one girl simultaneously. The guy is literally a juggling and inspite of all the wrath we have for him should be appreciated for his impeccable skills. I have had the fortune or misfortune of knowing a guy who dated two sisters. I mean just think about it, living in the same roof, talking to the same guy the sisters were unaware that they share not just a room and clothes but also a boyfriend. This dare-devil of a guy has all the bad boy traits that we girls just love. So you will just love to hate this guy. The love will make your eye hazy and you will refuse to act on the tell-tale suspicious signs like multiple sims, phone lock, too many changes in plans, not letting you meet friends etc.

This guy is just looking for some fun and sticking up with means just doesn’t make any sense. But a friend of mine did once date a guy like this just to teach him a lesson. The lesson was not learned and things turned up pretty messy. This guy is like dasheri mango, you wanna have it so bad, even though you know you will get dirty. You just can’t fight the temptation so you give in.

10. Touchy feely

Photo Courtesy - mid-day.com

 This guy will leave no stone unturned to grab an opportunity to touch. Suggestively. But in a seemingly innocent way. To lead you through a door, he will hold you by the waist. While passing some stuff he will graze your hands and when sitting together his biceps will touch the most inappropriate places. If not for the touching while talking with you his eyes will rarely be meeting yours. And don’t be surprized if mid conversation he suddenly drops his jaws to ogle at a hottie passing by. He will always take you out to shady places like movie theatres, less frequented restaurants, parks, lakes all the places where, you know he can do stuff. He will lie, beg, borrow, steal, profess his love for you…basically anything just anything to get what is wants.

Under all situations and circumstances just try and stay away from this kinda guy. He will bring you nothing but trouble.

Just to clear some things up, the above post has just been written just for some fun. My intent was to laugh and make others laugh. It should not be taken too seriously but enjoyed. And please don’t think I am biased towards men, I have already started formulating a list for girls as well. So stay tuned.

Love:
Sepo

Of Cannes Film Festival and Brain Drain

Come May and all everyone can talk about is the Cannes film festival. Cannes is an international film festival held in Cannes, France which showcases movies of all genres from all over the world. The invitation only affair became popularized in India, in the early 2000s when the princess of India, Aishwarya Rai scored an invitation to the event. The first few years were spent in criticizing her sartorial choices and bad mouthing her designers. However with time and the necessary exposure to the international fashion scene Ash nailed it. Over the years many other actresses like Mallika Sherawat, Sonam Kapoor and the likes have had their share of paparazzi moments at the Cannes. But Aishwarya continues to hold a special place. Even though I am not a fan but this year I was blown over by the pictures of her first appearance at the Cannes. She looked like an exquisite doll, 10 years younger and extremely flawless. 

Picture Courtesy - www.apunkachoice.com

 Moving on, have you given a thought to this scenario where at least a distant or near relative of yours is based out of India. It may be the IIT nerd or the sister who got married off or the bad- at-studies-but-relatives-abroad kinda guy. When I was a kid, living abroad was like a distant dream. Once my father’s best friend and his family visited us from America. We were hugely excited about this impending visit. Apart from being excited about the quintessential chocolates we were nervous about how we would cope up to talk with their American born-and-brought-up kids.  

Needless to say my sister - the perfect hostess did teach me few pleasantries in English and made it a rule to talk only in English a week prior to their visit. Once we actually met them, we were quite put-off with their NRI type nakhras. However the gifts like chocolates, perfumes and phoren soaps were very well received. In the 90s the term imported was pretty huge. Shopkeepers sold scores of items by the mention of just one line “Madam, yeh imported hai”. Imported word linked the items to foreign locales and people and that was a sure shot winner. 90s was the time when Indian Movies majorly ditched Kashmir and Ooty in favour of Switzerland and States. On and on the foreign fever was never as huge as in the 90s. For the middle class however it was still an out of scope thing and they had to rely on their NRI uncle aunties for the dark Belgian chocolates, the Calvin Klein undergarments, cosmetics and the super-soft sweaters.

With the advent of globalization in the last decade, no place is far enough. Study loans and stuff means the overseas thing is pretty mainstream now. The Belgian chocolates, cosmetics and everything else is readily available, if not in shops then online. The world is literally on our fingertips. And most of our friends and family in the foreign companies or universities. From my batch I know atleast 25 friends, friends of friends and random acquaintance who have opted for masters in the USA. Most of the marriage alliances received these days are from these super-smart guys - MS from Chicago, working in California and no plans for settling in India. Masters in US means job in US which in short means they ain’t coming back.It is estimated that India loses $2 billion a year because of the emigration of computer experts to the U.S.Indian students going abroad for their higher studies costs India a foreign exchange outflow of $10 billion annually. Phew, some number that is!

There is definitely nothing wrong in being ambitious and I totally agree that India doesn't give as many options as desired. However if given a choice, I wouldn't be able to stay after from India and my people for so long. I love to travel, see new places but the mere thought of not being able to meet up for years together gives me shivers. In India staying up in different state you do have an option to visit as many times, as frequently or as quickly as you can. But sadly same option is not available for foreign travels. It takes months and months of handwork and hobnobbing with government officials to score a visit. And to top it most of our parents can't even afford to visit (unless sponsored). It would take a major chunk of their savings and a toll on their mental health for a trip to far-away lands. 

This post is surely going to make the overseas readers to hate me and most of my reader are based out of India.

Sorry Guys, just a random thought. Has been on my mind for sometime now. So....

Love:
Sepo

Lazier - Without Resolution!

People generally start their New Year by making resolution and (not necessarily) sticking to them. New year brings out new ideas and tasks for people. First fifteen days of 2012 have passed and I am yet to come to come face to face with my plans/ideas/plannings. I am totally clueless these days about everything. If you were to ask me what day it is, it will take me approximately 5  minutes to ponder over the question and answer it. And yea, no guarantee of it to be correct.

   My office is really sucking the hell out of my life. To give you an idea of the extend of torture I will just say that from the past two weeks I am working on Saturdays (not to forget the 9AM -9PM weekdays)! After this I just crave some loneliness, good food and sleep (lots and lots of it). I have been avoiding a lot many phone calls a nd friends. In every corner of the world somebody or the other would be cursing me for the way I am behaving with my dear ones. I know they mean well and care for me, but I just don't seem to get it. I end up getting hugely irritated or shouting on people for no mistake of there's. So to avoid all this I prefer to keep missing calls and avoiding people. Really ashamed to admit it but its really easing out that building knot inside my heart whose weight was becoming difficult for me to bear.

 I have been really ignoring my blog since the last few days, though I have been occasionally dropping in a few comments on all your blogs. I was pleasantly surprised by Purvi's comment on my blog the other day where she mentioned that she has left me an award! Yeah awards make me very happy.

So, this award gave me the necessary push to start blogging. What could have been better than starting the first post of 2012 with an award. Thanks a lot for this award Purvi.

 One observation: I am becoming lazier year on year, without making any resolution for the same :|

IS BLOGGING LOSING ITS CHARM?

The whole internet has taken the world by storm over the years. Remember when the e-mail was the big thing? Everyone wanted to be registered on yahoo and hotmail. The good old letters were forgotten. Why the waiting, longing and anxiety when the same message can be delivered and read in seconds. Then came the instant messaging and it was said the emails are now obsolete. The emails however do exist. Then came Orkut and everyone was Orkut-ting! The world we knew changed when what we call Facebook came into existence. It changed the way we interact and share our wisdom and information. Talking to walls, poking random people, liking and updating everything from what-am-I eating to what-am-I-doing is suddenly all people do and swear by!

 

You can find anyone on Facebook. ANYONE. From the long lost friend to any ex boyfriend/girlfriend you ever had. Teachers and bosses. Relatives and hell, even parents!! Close in competition is twitter. Yes the site that cost Shashi Tharoor his kursi! The site that was the cause of a raging war between Sonam Kapoor and Shobha De. The site where our CM Mr Abdullah chooses to give answers to the separatist leaders. In short the site that is always in news. I find twitter fun, following people you admire/like, knowing about there lives, in general happenings or the current affairs. Twitter is a lot of information. Inconsequential or otherwise but information nevertheless!

 

But what if you need to share something? Something you feel strongly about, something that is a lot of characters! Something you want to have a discussion about. Where would you choose to do it?

-          Would you sent a email to every contact to know? NO.

-          Would you post is on FB? NO. Seriously who will even read it? People will be shocked to see the length of the “thing” you have written.

-          Would you post in on twitter? You can’t. Well think about it, after all how much can you express in 140 characters!

Moreover the most important reason is that the contacts on Facebook and twitter are generally people that we know and are in contact with. So limited no? We don’t always want to be associated with the same people all our lives! Everyone has to keep expanding horizons, right!

 

Here is when blogging comes handy! Blogging is entirely different. We get to know so many new people, read such good stuff. It all about patience. Working hard on a write-up, waiting for comments! It’s a beautiful thing.

 

My sudden love for blogging was brought about by an article “THE BLOG’S LONG GOODBYE?” According to statistics only half as many online adolescents blogged in 2010 compared to 2006. People say that Facebook and twitter are eating up there time and views.

 

I beg to differ I find blogging so peaceful, fuss-free and simple and also refreshing! I am up for keeping blogging alive and kicking. WHO IS WITH ME?!