Ra.None

Atrocious
Disastrous
Nonsense

I would love to elaborate, unfortunately no time. Rather no inclination.......

Live Light ;)

Dhanteras is here commencing the official 5-day Diwali Dhamaal...for a city that really doesnt need any real reason to party, this is another one!

Must say that this Diwali has been rather thandaa, with not that much of shor-sharaaba and dhoom-dhaam. Usually the city is flooded with fairy lights - from stores to homes to even the small shanties all lit up with strings of flashing lights. Even the humblest of humble of homes, has a solitary diya at the doorstep; burning the night away signifying that no matter how bleak the situation, there is always hope.

So why do I find this Diwali so lack luster? Why am I so out of it? Well, the usual palpable Diwali spirit is definitely not in the air. The infectious feeling of bonhomie and good cheer is lacking. Now, people tend to use the long break to break free and leave the city scapes. It used to be people coming together to celebrate, now it is people getting away and finding solitary comfort and solace. So by default, the city has fewer people in it (which actually, is never a bad thing in Mumbai!) and festivities have decreased.
Given the volatility of all the markets, economic activity isn't exactly the same as it usually is, either. Traditionally, Dhanteras is when the Gold and Silver rates sky rocket, as demand jumps to crazy heights. But this year, gold and silver rates have anyway reached unprecedented heights since the past few months, leaving most who have invested, kadkaa...with not that much surplus to buy this festive season.
Speaking of soaring rates, even the phatakaas are ridiculously expensive! Not that I mind, since I am not the bigegst fan of the noisy fire crackers; ladis in particular. I can not understand what "joy" people receive lighting bombs and the like - as if we dont live in a noisy, messed-up, war-torn world. Aren't there enough of the real bombs exploding else where that ought to put us off this stuff?!

My mum was definitely not pleased by my lack of enthusiasm and effort this Diwali and remarked to me the other day that I hadn't even paused from my "busy" life to take part in the usual festivities at home.She made sure all the lights were put out,  the colourful paper kandils were flying in the gentle Arabian Sea breeze, the toran had been put up, the deities had been dressed in fresh flowers and every one in the family had a new outfit to mark this important day.

Out of utter guilt, I determinedly took on the job of buying the Diwali faraal items yesterday. The only task that had remained pending and a task that she loves to do as it takes her to her favourite part of the city - Girgaum. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Girgaum, is a tiny little store, Satish Ladoo, where we buy all the maharashtrian/gujju items from - jars filled with boondi ladoos, besan ladoos, karenjis, sahakar pali, tikhat sev and the like, ensure that all our regular dietary patterns are done away with!
When I went there last evening, I first went with the mere attention of completing a duty - pick and go! But when I reached, I was instantly softened by the mood and atmosphere there. It was exactly how it usually was - busy, bright and festive. It was nice to see families dressed up in their best, talking excitedly, collecting last minute things, laughing and essentially enjoying the holidays...it was a moment that I got a bit of a reality check and a moment of "putting all in perspective". It was the simple life, the happy life.

So now that I am feeling appropriately festive, I am gearing up for my first Diwali party of this season. A party started by a few class friends and that is soon acquiring an "annual" status. It ought to be veryy fun!

Next on my festive lineup is the F1 in Delhi - vrrrooom vroooom vroooom..! I am no F1 fanatic that is for sure, but I have been very keen on going to the first ever Indian F1. I am sure we will put up a super event. I believe I have very good seats near the flag off, and after the pit stop....but what has gotten me most excited is that Lewis Hamilton will be there sans the pussycat doll!
;)

I hope for a truly prosperous and bright Diwali for all of us. Make sure to turn on all the lights!

O Meri Chammak PillO

Miloni and me were in class together from grade 5. At the time, we were rather, um, different?
There was Miloni, all cocky and confident, messy ponytail, short uniform, low sash et all....and there was Aru, neat braid, sash on my waist, shy-ish and unsure. Milz was the cool girl who had a loud voice, used all the cuss words before many of us had even heard them and who could negotiate her way through any situation - thick or thin. She was the one with the speedy internet connection whose home became an ICQ den. It here that all the JB girls would hang out to talk to the opposite sex freely. Milz would be the official ICQ and "blank call" guru - she would dictate the "appropriate dialogue' we had to exchange when communicating with the boy. Over happy hours filled with Ramu's special coffee, khakra and chakli...we passed all those innocent days. Milz was also well known for her errrrr original (?) choice of clothes and accessories and we used her home as our dressing room as well. For many of the girls, it was the ideal "changing room", as they would slip out of what they had left home wearing and into something they had actually wanted to wear! Milz would cut in by providing her expert opinion and would enjoy putting the finishing touches for all of us. Milz also happened to be a braniac and genius, making her personality even more exciting. Plus, to add to everything, she was a loving daughter and was always there for her family when need be.

What I am trying to say is, Milz has always been a coolio. A Rebel for the Right Cause. An original.

Me and her got very close 8th grade on as we chose the same subjects, lived fairly close to one another and has therefore fixed up all our tuition groups together.It was during those long hours together, did we bond big time.
That together with a few life-altering trips we made during our early teen hood together, ensured that we were formally bonded for life!

So even when Milz left good ol' Mumbai for whatever Charlotesville in 2005, we never really parted. Sure, we did have a significant change in our communication. There were phases that we lost touch and were not in sync as usual, but that is life after all. Unfortunately, I never made it to her <questionably awesome> campus and life om UVA, but I did make it to her totally awesome life in the Big Apple - the city of her dreams.
One afternoon, as we drove around in one of our friends stolen cars at the tender age of 6, Miloni looks at us and said to us, with a determined glint in her eye, "So guys, I am going to be an i-banker and live in New York....what do you want to do in life?"
Steumped. Stuck. Stutter.

The rest of us just about knew what we wanted to do the next day, so "life" was a bit of a heavy question. We didn't even know what an i-banker meant! She pitifully explained to us and we all rolled our eyes. "Hard core Milz...using big words she has no idea about...." is what we thought. But she did that all and is living her dream. She showed us. And how!

Playing the perfect host, I shared a very special summer with her in 2009. She had a fabulous apartment located smack in the middle of things (but of course!), a great job, fun friends, a loving boy friend and a sparkling future plan...the girl was on a roll. She made sure, despite her manic work hours, she would meet me and take me out to all the coolest places in town. Never comoplaining, always cheerful and gracious...I had a wonderful stay at Casa Miloni.
Fast forward to summer 2011, we added an incredible chapter to our story, this time, a car trip in the South of France that went from Nice to Naughty (pun intended!). A few weeks later, I managed to catch her in London Town, where she is currently at. Ok, so this isn't the city of her dreams and unlike in NYC where Milz felt on top, she was a bit blah. None the less, we got up to our usual antics and made sure the trip was wonderful.

Now, finally, Milz is coming back to the Bay. It has been 7 years since she left it and sadly, the city hasn't advanced as Milz is...But what is important, Miloni is coming back to where it all started. This time, it is me who has to make sure her estimated cost-benefit analysis and the RoR is >1  !

Happiest Birthday Milzy - You are one of the most solid people I know. Never static, filled with ideals and ambitions and the best party mate ever!

From 1652 to Infinity: Hope we remain as connected and concerned with one another as we have always been. Cant wait to have you home!

Chutney Podi

I could her my name being announced over the PA system urging me to rush to board the flight. The gates were ready to close and I was the only passenger that was yet to board.

Oopsy.

What was I doing whilst I ought to have been scurrying toward the gate? I was busy trying to gobble up the last of  my Andhra delights - Mysore sada dosa with a colourful array of various chutneys and gunpowder as the accompaniments.

Oh well, I made the flight and despite the rush and panic, it was totally worth it!

In fact, my day and a half trip to Hyderabad was totally worth it. It was my second visit to the Andhra capital and although I was mostly confined to a hotel room; the excursions from Saturday night gave me a good idea of life in the Hills.
My brother in law is from Vizag and at the time my sister and him were getting married, I got my first jhalak into that region.

People make the place, 'tis is true and this applies in Hyderabad as well. Every one here is fairly simple, relaxed, and helpful. Be it the driver, who enthusiastically points out the local attractions to us or the hotel staff who willingly replenish our non-stop demand for the (free) cookies and fruits in the room or the Bollywoord-struck bangle seller driving a hard bargain on his shiny ware, or the strangers I met out at night who treated me as a part of their group.

For instance, on my last visit, I was complaining aloud how I had had no time to pick up packets of the gunpowder for my family and I was devestated by this! The next morning, a heavy parcel is delivered to me from my friend's mum. In the parcel were packets of the stuff in a variety I didn't even know existed! This time, a new friend of mine collected me and took me out. On an earlier conversation, she had mentioned how the night life of Hyderabad is nothing less compared to Mumbai and I better make sure that on my next trip to save a night to experience it. So this trip, she collected me and we went to "N Grill and Lounge." It was rocking! Forget that the Telengana protestors were rampant or that there was a city-wide transport strike, forget that it was the eve of Gandhi Jayanti and definitely forget that the standard Hyderabad night dead line is midnight....the night shone on.
"N" stands for Nagarjuna - the actor - he owns the place and I was ever-so-lucky to catch him and his crew partying at N. He may not be Arjun Rampal, but the place was better than Rampal's Lap in Delhi. The space is distributed into 3 distinct areas - the back with its sandy floor, has a more romantic vibe, the music is less audible and it makes for a great dinner spot. The middle area has a fabulous Champak tree serving as a center piece, around which the bar is designed. Finally the outer courtyard area has a big Buddha head (but of course!!) and this is where all the action takes place!

I got there a bit late, after a wonderful dinner at a terrace restaurant called "So". The food was so-so but the ambiance lovely. One could see the neat and compact city twinkling down below. Really pretty!

As I said, the usual time a club closes is 12 am, but I seemed to have added luck since N stayed open till 1.30 am after which all the Bentleys, Cayennes and Audis headed to Begum Pet for an after party. Now this is where the real partying happen. In the privacy of their wonderful homes, the Hyderabadis crank it up and go wild. Known for their love to dance, the Hyderabadi guys shake it and sweat it out on the latest tracks. Finally when it hits 5 AM, the same cavalcade heads back into town to "finish the night" with dawn dining. And the food of choice is (obviously!) Hyderabadi biryani!

Deadly or what!?

Well I skipped the last part, to save it for my next visit. The next day I did however, visited a Hyderabad must-visit joint- Fusion 9 (or F 9 in local lingo). It is Hyd's version of Indigo. The Sunday spread was terrific....very original array of salads (Tendli salad anyone?) and I also sampled a bit of the world-renowned spicy hummus and khausey (a let down).

The best meal however was at the Taj Deccan - Spice Junxn. If you like Andhra khaana then this is where one should go...amazing food! 

With a take-away parcel of biryani firmly in hand, I left the city feeling well-fed and well taken care of...can't wait to go back!

Decadence

Delhilicious

I consider myself quite lucky as I hastily type this, totally overwhelmed in my present surroundings...sitting in one of the many sunny spots of the Imperial suite of the Imperial Hotel.
More than decor or even the various objets d'arts, I think it's the sublime light that bathes this massive space that makes it unlike any other suite I have ever visited before. The Imperial Hotel is a grand testament of the Art Deco style of design. Personally I love the geometric lines and unusual shapes of the art deco period, not to mention the outrageous fashion!
I first came to the Imperial Hotel years ago for the launch of Chanel in India. What a perfect setting this was to the brand! I was younger and less exposed, so what the I saw at the event left an indelible mark upon me.

I am so glad to be back here and shall be camping out in this suite for the nest 3 days on work. This is definitely one place I don't mind being held hostage in!!!

GG for Life

i thought she had gone...she had thrown her away her crochet top and long ghagra skirt. She had grown up, travelled and had decided that those days were childish and now part of a distant memory.

But alas, the GG lives and has perhaps changed a lot from those early years, she is more GG than ever before!

I can't describe it. It's beyond words for me since I can never fathom what it is that makes Goa so special. It's a connection so deep and strong, and no, it's not that I'm high on the good stuff, it's more 'spiritual' than that.
I have been visiting Goa since I was literally born and I yet haven't actually discovered it. I think that's the best thing about Goa - I can never get enough of it! Every time I visit, I discover something new, and always something wonderful. So it leaves me with a valid reason to return. Yet again!
What's interesting is also that I have had various 'goa phases' . For each period of my life I have lived and loved a different Goa. Each trip is memorable and distinct for some specific reason. Each one is engrained into my mind with a vivid association of colours, foods, songs and of course people....
I remember faces and places very well. Actually it's often quite bizarre because it could be a person I might have bumped into amidst a colourful array of scarves at a stall in the flea market, only to bump into him or her at some other unrelated place at another point of time. For the most part, these completely random "meetings" have always been positive. These people have been good to me or shared with me or helped me or better still, have taught me something I have treasured ever since. So what might appear at first as "random", have been significant and valuable little postcards that make it such a sweet memory.

I won't pretend, but I also do associate goa with an air of mystery and the unexpected. I become another person the moment I land at Dabolim Airport (which has remained the exact same since time immemorial). This Aru is definitely lighter, looser and lives on the edge! Ok, it isn't as if I indulge in particularly dangerous activities all of a sudden, but I most certainly am less cautious than the original me. I live by the sun, the moon and the elements. It is as close as I can go to living au naturel...I love that I have windy, salty, matted hair and that I'm in my favourite (totally fatela) mulmul pyjamas. I don't need to tan, but I still sit in the Sun to get "colour". I love to leave Goa with the shape of my watch as the official souvenir from that visit.

My last visit was the previous weekend and was it fun! I went there on a girl's DND ( do not disclose) trip so this blog post can't reveal what went down there but I'll share all the safe parts.
For starters, we made a call to stick to the basics and stay at the Taj Village.

Now that is a place that I have intensely strong memories of (for all that transpired there!). God, from days spent eating Tom n Jerry chicken at the Kiddies Corner in between blissful hours spent at the pool, of nights spent dancing to the macarena, to the Tambola games I would happily lose at every evening at the Caravela, to Chef Rego's heavenly local fare, to volleyball games to MTV The Grind like mojito-filled sunsets to villa 7, 8 and 9 to the Bidappas, to post board exam mayhem and destruction (the general going on's of my batch that year led to a blanket rule laid by the village on having a parent accompany the group on future exam celebration groups!) to bike rides, to the storm of 1997 that brought ashore the big oil tanker that now is a permanent part of the shoreline......and I could go on and on!
Well after dedicating all my family summer holidays within the happy confines of the village, we all experimented and have since found other places that seem more fitting to the change of plans. The girls thought returning to the comfort zone made sense since it was technically off season and it would be nice to be in a known space.
I must admit, although the village will always hold these wonderful memories, it as now lost its magic. Not that it is run-down, rather, it has run-out. By which I mean, it hAs gotten dated and left behind amongst the many newer resorts in goa that have come up since. The location of the hotel is no longer ideal since it is away from the Baga strip and cab rides are ridiculously expensive. The rooms are okkkk, the khaana is as expected, the pool bar plays soft music and saddest of all, there is NO beach!
In any case, we weren't going to let off-season or an off-location deter our lot from the good times. We were determined to make it work, especially since the groom to be was living it up and how in Thailand!

After gathering necessary information from the all-learned Goa cab drivers, we were directed towards the only "on" scene - the infamous Tito's lane.

That's another thing that one will hear a lot whilst in Goa, "Dude what's on tonight?" and "Where's the party?"
As in most seasonal party towns around the world, in Goa depending on the time of the year / the night in the week and the occasion; certain locations are "on" or not. The "on" place is the spots that shall remain on till late at night or even the next day.
Another useful word to throw into your party lingo is "canned" which would mean that due to some reason, the "on" scene has been unceremoniously stopped early.

In Goa, usually the best way to find the party is to stay in touch with the savvy cabbies and to keep your ears alert to catch the thump of the bass.
What deliciously exciting times I have had following the traffic towards what is hopefully an "on" scene. Sighhh - good times indeed


I think the bride ended up trading her angel wings for devils horns by the end of it all.......

That brings me to the end of this nostalgic post.

teşekkür Ambush and the crew...we did well!

Cannot wait for my next adventure - I hear the waves calling.

ENDourage

So long fellas....

I am quite sad as I typed my farewell to Vinny Chase and the boys. It has been an exciting 8 years with them.

I must admit, I have always been starry-eyed and have secretly longed for a taste of the life of the Hollywood Brat Pack and watching the 22 mins of Entourage was the closest I got to it.

I remember when the show started, I was instantly taken into the world, living vicariously through them - chilling in the pad, shopping with them, going to the parties with them, rolling through town in one of their awesome cars (I had a soft spot for the yellow Hummer though) and basically living it up with them!
I remember the first time I visited L.A was in the second season of the show and by then, I had my hit-list of entourage hot-spots to go to. Luckily, my friends there were super savvy and bigger fans than I was, so I got pretty darn lucky and spent those days blissfully at the Urth Cafe (Vinny's all time favourite cafe!!), hoping for a sighting of any one of them!

That didn't happen but the love affair continued...

It is difficult for me to pick my favourite character; although I love me an Ari Gold. Whattaguy!
Despite his garbage-filled mouth, his utter disdain for society at large and his serious anger management issues; Ari Gold is a gutsy workaholic, a family man and a live-wire of a person, who ends up showing rays of humanity when it really counts. His dialogues are epic and worthy of a compilation!
Of course, you gotta love Vinny Chase - the man with the entourage. The best thing about Adrian Grenier is his eyes. The boy hardly has to do more than look at you ( or rather, the camera); to get your heart to burst with love . I must say, as the show went on, the Vinny Effect did start to wear off. His character was written weakly and became less and less charismatic. Also, after a point he got fairly side lined and irrelevant. But not matter what, Vinny remained a "chick magnet", gathering into his coterie most of LaLa's finest....But always, making sure to share the wealth with the rest, along his conquests.
And who made sure to be around Vinny at all times, especially when the girls were around: Johnny Drama and Turtle, of course. The most endearing of the lot, these two play the Laurel and Hardy duo in the show. Drama, Vinny's older sibling, makes one ponder of the wonderments of genetics. How can a Vinny have a Drama as a blood brother is quite a thought. Johnny Drama is one of its kind - brimming with inner confidence and self belief as an Academy award winning actor who for some strange reason hasn't received the kind of acknowledgement he ought to have by the industry in general. A fierce protector of the brood, Drama is the official nourishment provider to the entourage, whipping together the most delicious looking breakfast spreads. Whilst Drama tries to spread his positive cheer, Turtle tries his best to "score". Literally speaking! In his signature cap and sneakers uniform(with Arnold his massive Rotweiller in tow), Turtle ends up as quite a "chick magnet" himself getting Jamie Lynn Sigler as one of his serious girlfriends. I think it was that relationship that serveed as a turning point in Turtle's personality since he had started out as Vinny's Man Friday, the official driver and provider of the herbal stuff  in the crew. He swiftly graduates to become an astute businessman and independent individual, trying to break away from Vinny's shadow.
hat leaves me to Eric Murphy. E, oh E! Principally, he serves as the Voice of Reason to thr group, often popping them out of their self delusions and self indulgences. E is the most stable and conventional of all the characters. Eric is the good guy, the hard working guy, Vinny's best friend and manager. He and Ari remain at loggerheads with another through most of the show, but end up joining forces in the end. Eric gets his dream girl (of course!!!) and alls well that ends well....

With a smattering of several other incredibly memorable characters (Llyod and Shauna particularly). Not to mention, the self-starring appearances, every episode was smart and with it. You really did feel like you were with them.

All in all, a disappointing and anti-dramatic final season to my favourite show, I will miss all of them dearly.Oh well, I guess I can always turn to Californication and Weeds, any time I need to connect with the West Coast sunshine. That's before either of them (Moody or Botwin) don't entirely crumble in their own mess.

Oh, Oh, Oh --- but this weekend, I know I can definitely turn to Paris Hilton to bring the LA Times to a TV screen near me, Welcome to the Bay Ms. Hilton.....That's Hottttt! ;)