Bells Will Ring

Somebody very important to me is getting married. She and I are thrilled to bits with all the festivities and grand plans that a wedding brings along with it. Choosing the right dress, the decorations, making the guest list, picking the right food and wine, finalizing the venue... There is so much excitement in the air. I went ring shopping with the boy last year and they make the sweetest couple ever.

Yesterday she sent me a short email with a little secret and lots of sentiments. It is undoubtedly the loveliest thing that has come my way in years.

This November I'm going to see the world's most beautiful bride walk down the aisle to marry her perfect man.

Candy Floss, you truly deserve all the happiness the universe has to offer. 

Half of the time we're gone but we don't know where,
And we don't know where.

A line from one of my favourite songs. I love how it hints at sadness, aspiration, friendship, loneliness, joy and philosophy... akin to the year that's been.

And the year that is on its way.

Some days...

...just go by. The same mundane routine, the same road you walk on, the same pair of jeans... And on such a day when you least expect it, you get smashed by an A-ha moment. Right there... hitting your head, heart and soul. You rise from the dead. And you begin to feel.

This is significant because it makes me feel content. Let go off the bumpy past. Let the future be. Just that one moment was the closest to your idea of perfection. And now you roll in it, look at it from every angle, play with it and then allow it to calm you down. Its beauty lies in its unpredictable nature. And how it makes you believe once again.

Gonna enjoy this for all that it is worth. Every bit of it.... While this plays in the background.

Some days must be lived all over again :)

Ear Candy

Corn popping in the microwave. Paul Simon's voice. Excited yelps and whines. Pitter-patter of the rain on my roof. Children laughing. Masala sizzling in the kadhai while Ma cooks. Rustling of the wrapping paper as you open a gift. Heart and Soul on the piano. "New Message Received" beep. Clicking cameras. Spinning wheels of my bicycle. Lip smacking. The oven going "bing". Wind chimes in the balcony. Whistling trains. The Brit accent.

It takes one little holiday...

... for you to rediscover...

Your rubberband notebook filled with scraps and bits of all your earlier journeys.. and how you savoured each of those times.

Your love for comforting, home cooked non vegetarian food... and how it makes your world go round.

Your space... and how nothing can disturb that sense of peace.

Your eagerness to explore... and how you would lose yourself in the experience again and again.

Your understanding of relationships... and how you will fight to keep some of them alive.

Silence... and how it has an uncanny ability to penetrate.

Solitude... and how it creeps in languidly even when you are surrounded by a pool of people.

Purpose... and how it stares at you all the time even when you try to brush it aside.

The present... and how it is all that you really have.

Fight.

The inner conflict. The need to show affection. Authority. Shallowness. Badly executed ideas. Craving for junk food. Auto rickshaw drivers. Ghosts from the past.

You know, this necklace makes me think of this totally random memory of my mother. I was a little kid, and I was crying for one reason or another. And she was cradling me, rocking me back and forth, and I can just remember the silver balls rolling around. And there was like snot running down my nose. And she offered me her sleeve and told me to blow my nose into it. And I can remember, even as a little kid, thinking to myself, this is love... this is love.

-Garden State

Thank you...

...Because you...

...make me laugh and find humour in everything I tell you, totally get music by The Moldy Peaches, call me and play Vincent and Come Away with Me when I least expect it, have a calming effect on the insanity I bring with me, have conversations with me about almost everything under the sun... right from mixing art with education to the importance of natural light and why I should name my guitar "Button", allow me to let off steam every now and then, don't make a big deal when I don't talk to you, give me very thoughtful all-occasions-rolled-in-one gifts, understand that there are very few things that actually count in my world and that is completely okay...

In my "smoked" voice I'd like to say -

The journey from God to Tom has been wonderful.

I like that blog I follow. It brightens up my mood no matter what. It makes me realize that there are things that I take for granted and yet it makes me smile because I know what the writer is talking about. Almost like a whack on the side of the head. A nice kind of a whack. Most importantly, I feel something stir inside for a brief moment everyday and if you were me you would understand why that takes centre stage in my life as of now. I hold onto that moment. I need it for my well being. Today's post talks about "Saying Thanks". Gratitude. The most beautiful thing about being thankful is that everyone is in a win-win situation... and the world just feels that much happier. And for all you cynics and pessimists out there, *tthhbbp*. I teach 4 year olds for a living. The first lesson we learn is to be happy within. It is only then that you can create without.

Starting here, I'm going to spread some cheer, love and thankfulness every single day. The mind is already buzzing with ideas.

Right now, a big shout out to two people who have become an indispensable part of my inner circle. First, my very understanding, smart, fun, mommy-like, unbelievably efficient mentor. You inspire me to reach out for the stars and make sure that I have a fab time while doing so. Thank you for the love, support, patience and pieces of banana pound cake :)

And Ms. DTQ, you're undoubtedly the most "sorted out" 21 year old I know. We both know that this relationship goes beyond the four walls of school. Be it our times at Peco's, our common love for music and art, post beer adventures or just the conversations on life and other things... I am grateful that you landed up one fine August morning.

Even gooey chocolate cake wouldn't make me feel this good inside :)

If memories could be canned, would they also have expiry dates? If so, I hope they last for centuries.

- Chungking Express

Lazy Confessions

* I am incapable of dealing with: Noise, educated adults who refuse to think, men who talk rubbish and blame it on alcohol, hair in food and lizards.

* I like the one-on-one time that I spend with certain people. It helps me build relationships. I hate it when those people try to mix my worlds.

* I like biking because it's something I can do by myself. I can be away from people and there is nothing like exploring a place on a bicycle.

* I'm in love with Robert Plant's voice and I wish that someday a guy (who spells properly) would sing/dedicate Thank You to me.

* "Letting go" is probably one of the simplest things I can do.

* If you have touched my life in any way, chances are that no matter what you do in the future, I will still remember the good times and smile.

* Summer is far more likable than any other season.

* The sibling and I have extremely different tastes and takes on life but we share one of the healthiest relationships I have ever known. It perhaps is the most special too.

* Thank heavens I have an ear for music. It is one of the few things that will stick with me.

* I'm often described as quirky, crazy, weird and I'm grateful that my parents just let me be.

* Teaching makes me wanna burst with happiness.

* I cannot bear to see paper cut crookedly.

* I'm pretty useless when it comes to small talk. But I can manage to be pleasant.

* I want to live for today, I want to roll in the hay.

It is meaningful because...

...it drives my bad mood away. Huffin' and puffin' up the slope only leads to an exhilarating ride down and nothing, I repeat, NOTHING can beat that feeling. It makes the alcoholic high seem blah and Runner's high takes a backseat. The beauty lies in the fact that you just have to keep going. It may almost kill you, make your legs numb and walk all wobbly but there's an unparalleled sense of achievement when you go that extra kilometer.

It...undoubtedly..is all about the bike!

I don't know if it is just me or there actually is too much love in the air for anyone to handle. Every where I turn, I only see pink hearts and mush. People are getting married, celebrating anniversaries, putting up photographs with their better halves yada yada.... Gets the machinery going in my head.

Single and unavailable. That's how I described myself for the last I-don't-know-how-many years. There was just something so powerful about the phrase. It felt good to just not belong to anyone. Yes, there were periods of drama but my indifference finally won (phew!) and life went on. Till I figured something wasn't okay.

Emotionally Dead. I couldn't get myself to care about another person. That is to say that I would be nice, courteous, helpful but that was it. I didn't treasure any memories or emotions when my day ended. Any signs of a guy acting strange or obsessive would set off the alarms and all I could tell myself is: Put your sneakers on and runnnn!. So much so, I held on firmly to my belief that people are annoying and the lesser I have to do with them, the better it was for me. And with that, I murdered my social life. But now the times they are a-changin'

I'm learning to be more open to new people. No, I'm not a snob. Just that I'm always at one end of the spectrum. I can't ever find a balance but hey, I'm trying! and the truth is..... it feels good. They say that this is the age that women sub-consciously start pairing themselves with men... something like picking the best of the lot. Maybe it's true, I don't know but at least I'm sure that I am finally going with the flow and making a sincere attempt to stop being judgmental. Some things stay... Some I can compromise on...

A song that I heard this evening put me in a really good mood. It's gonna be a fun year. I can feel it in my fingers, toes, bones, in the air

Maybe the "un" bit from my tag is finally falling off :)

Art of Living.

Every picture has a story behind it. This one had the kids in the lead. They continue to be some kind of wonderful :)

You're a part-time lover and a full time friend
The monkey on your back is the latest trend
I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else
But you...

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace."

-Milan Kundera

*pooches group hug time*

Each piece of tape had to be placed perfectly. Then came the glue and paper cut-outs. I had almost forgotten about the card. Thank heavens I had shopped for the rest well in advance. My neck ached, my hands shook and eyelids drooped but I kept working. Well, it was after a very long time that I was making gifts at home. Partly returning what I had received, mostly because I love the person.

DTQ, I hope you had a wonderful day. May the 21st year bring in lots of goodies... materialistic and otherwise :)

I like that I grew up with a bunch of brothers around. They kept things real for me :)

There's Something So:

Comforting about Simon and Garfunkel's music

Adorable about Muddy paw prints everywhere

Charming about well dressed men

Gorgeous about Audrey Hepburn

Calming about the moon

Soulful about Jason Mraz's voice

Irritating about horns and crackers

Sinful about Mississippi mud pies

Warm about my blanket

Happy about yellow, pumpkins, popcorn and bubble wrap

Cool about a very high best friend

Funky about a store in the city

Fun about the mater

Right about just plain platonic relationships

Exciting about stationery

Cute about dimples

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The truth will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll

And she's buying a...
stairway to heaven...