the pre-birthday wish list

Since I can remember I have accepted it to accept birthday gifts graciously. Whatever they may be. But as Upasna mentioned, its time to be vain. Specially since stuff-one-can-afford limit has gone up and hence feel that my friends would oblige to gift anything from the below list. I am not including family, as I get them to gift me what I want every damn time :D 
(like for rakhi shamelessly asked brother to pay for this -> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=267729449907816&set=a.260763833937711.84759.147971171883645&type=1 )

image - google

1. NestRest. Warm, cozy, the best place to get all my reading/writing/thinking done :) 
From here.


2. A box of crayons and colored pencils. The last one got over. So need new stock to doodle with. Also colored hand made papers to doodle on :D


3. A ruled moleskine. HERE! (Normally I prefer doing my own stationary shopping, but this one is an online buy (only outlet I could find is in Mumbai!!))


4. Hog on the streets of Paris. (I am watching Amelie right now!!!! Did you know Amelie Poulain is an INFJ too ? Also, guess who else is ;))


5. A trip to Morocco (Marrakech). Like a stay for a week. Not a group trip or something. Just exploring the cuisine and culture.


6. Drive on the lake shore drive in Chicago. I somehow could not do this the 2 years I lived there as I did not have a driving license :( 
After the drive a really long walk across the Lake Michigan trail would work just fine :D


7. Bunch of white lilies or gladiolus. 


8. A really elaborate home cooked meal consisting of wine, chicken biryani, pita bread, hummus and greek salad. Weird combination I know. But I am really hungry right now and in a mood to eat these all, in no particular order!!

image - google

9. Star gazing with a telescope!! (First I have to persuade any of my friends to buy a telescope!!)
<- Until then, this would work too!


10. A silk scarf. Peacock blue to be specific.


11. How could I forget! Hand made greeting cards :)


Wow this was so much fun!! Plus a feel good :) Specially after a sleep deprived regular night. 
Please do share your list too! Would love to read and make additions to my already getting-longer-in-my-head list ;)


~nightflier


P.S. In other news finished Rabindranath Tagore's short stories collection last week. Totally mesmerized by his writing all over again.
And the Woody Allen film festival successfully kicked off last week. Since I still have not got hold of a decent copy of Midnight in Paris, watched Annie Hall last sunday. Totally LURVE!! KT if you are reading this, then this is in tow of the guru dutt festival we did 3 years back. Feeling nostalgic already :)

childlike theories

Picked the tag from Neha's blog. 
(This is more for posterity btw :D)


# Guys give birth to boys and girls give birth to girls. I know, right ? :-| 
But then it would have been a little easier for the woman kind no ? Also do not ask why. It was an original (:P) theory based on looks and traits.


# As a kid I used to think that my aaji (grandmom) has met all the people in her stories. And I used to be in awe of her. Well eventually I did understand that most of the stories are just 'stories'. But it was fantastic. 


# I used to think that mirrors had real people inside them, who would look and dress like us. It was a very strong belief. So much that I had to actually see the back of a mirror to change it. Reflection, refraction started making sense much later.


# After watching Hum Aapke Hain Kaun in standard 5, I used to think that that's how weddings happen. Good food, great clothes, songs, dances, crying etc. Before that weddings meant meeting all cousins my age and racing with them or playing out-out. Reality did open my eyes btw.


# As a kid I have eaten lots of oranges and hence orange seeds. Well, its common to swallow one of those while eating an orange. No ? Hence would go to sleep dreading a plant growing out of the navel. And be relieved in the morning that nothing of that sort has happened.


# Anyone who knows a lot about medicines was a doctor. 


# Those who ate lots of mangoes were blessed with long, shiny hair (scalp). Every summer I would eat loads of mangoes praying for them. A cousin supported me in my theory and admitted she had eaten loads of mangoes too, the reason behind her long hair!


# Not touching any tree/plant after twilight (divelaagni as they say in marathi) because plants sleep in the night like us, I was told. And if I did then used to ask them for forgiveness :D


# God is a person.


# My barbie dolls were real people for me. I would make make them drink water and pepsi. Talk to them. Play with them. Style them and what not. Had also made a small bed for them to sleep in beside my own.


# I actually used to believe that money plant's leaves had economic value. Once when I broke a vase at home, I plucked some leaves and went to aai and guiltily told her she could buy a new one with those. Not only did she not scold me, but she laughed. :D


# I had a pair of elephant slippers (there were elephants on its belt) and I would not wear them thinking I would turn into an elephant.


# Believing any and every thing told by teachers. Like a teacher once said tea is bad for health (which is quite debatable) and I did not drink it for an year despite loving it! (this was in standard 8 I think and I hate drinking plain milk) I can be stupid that way.


# The thinking that closing my eyes hard enough will make any bad stuff pass. 


# There are actual, real people inside a TV. And hence never wanting to make it on TV. Who would like to be crammed inside a box ? It was shattered (drama) when a mechanic opened it in front of us at home. (remember those old black and white box type TVs ?)


Cannot think of more as of now. 
But will update if aai tells me anything.


~nightflier

#SmallJoys

Came across this (above) tag on my twitter timeline and thought it would be great to make a post out of it!


# eating panipuris.
# Finding exact 10 rs or a dollar bill in pocket to buy five star/milkyway/ mars bar.
# Reading old letters.
# People watching.
# Parallel Universes.
# Tender coconut ice-cream.
# Calvin and hobbes.
# Buying (for myself)/gifting/watching flowers.
# Thinking of calling/pinging a friend and getting called/pinged by the same friend at the same moment.
# Madhuri dixit. (I caught a few scenes from beta yesterday)
# Learning any new language/words.
# cheap thrills (as mentioned by neha in her post. I had forgotten how joyful they are!)
# Getting up to see 15 unmoderated comments in blogger inbox.
# seeing updated blogs in my reading list and hurriedly devouring them all! (There was a time when KP was not as frequent in her blog updation as she is now :D)
# Clearing any angry birds level with a 3 star. without it also actually.
# Writing notes with gifts/greeting cards.
# Making greeting cards.
# Beating baba (dad) to the remote at 9 pm. [He wants to watch some bajirao serial and I want to watch Master Chef]
# Imagining filmy reactions to situations to spice them up.
# Sachin Tendulkar.
# Watching SRK romances.
# Wearing ironed clothes.
# Planting pranks on friends/aai.
# Watching chors like Kalmadi getting punished.
# Winning a game of solitaire/mine sweeper without any strategy
# Books.
# Writing blogposts.
# Aai trying to include my kitchen methods/short cuts/styles in her routine :D
# Beating myself to catch the bus. [Chicago days]
# Taking long walks on my own.
# Exploring neighbourhoods.
# Gossiping about random hostel-mates with kt, rinku, lee, prady, kp, rupali.
# Not letting go of  old clothes. [OK I do let go if they no longer fit me]
# Not saying 'I told you so'. Instead being SMUG about it. :D
# Running away from boring/nosy relatives/people.
# Shooing off a lizard after much deliberation and finding courage to do so.
# Forgetting the umbrella at home and getting wet later.
# Accidentally finding the iTouch to be fully charged in a long journey/boring lecture/session.
# Getting to know interesting people.
# Selective forgetfulness.


Oh My God! I can just go on adding stuff to this list and it will become never ending.
So must add this one 
# Trying to make such a list and finding out there are so many small things to be joyful about! :)


~nightflier

Cross checking

Was reading this and found it extremely fun!
So shamelessly tagged myself. My brain is waise bhi hibernating. Why not something fun to wake it up ;)

1. Graduated high school.
2. Smoked a cigarette. (I don't think hukka is counted)
3. Got so drunk you passed out. 
4. Rode every ride at an amusement park. (Whatever is possible in a single day! 6 flags of great America and our very own Essel World)
5. Collected something stupid. (Still do. Movie tickets!)
6. Gone to a rock concert. (Indian Ocean. They are more of a fusion band than rock though. So don't know if I should count this one.)
7. Helped someone.
8. Gone fishing.
9. Watched four movies in one night. (Night does become day though :-|)
10. Lied to someone. (How do you expect me to pull pranks on people then ?)
11. Snorted cocaine.
12. Smoked weed.
13. Failed a subject. (No :-()
14. Been in a car accident. (Of course with someone else driving)
15. Been in a tornado.
16. Watched someone die. (I saw a road accident once in which the victim did not wake up for quite a long time. I hope that he woke up later after hospital treatment.)
17. Been to a funeral.
18. Burned yourself. (Not in a dangerous way)
19. Run a marathon. (Yes! In Infy! But I walked a huge part of it to give a friend (who was going to give up) some company.)
20. Cried yourself to sleep.
21. Spent over 10,000 bucks in one day. (Airplane ticket. And how can I forget the camera!)
22. Flown on an aeroplane. 
23. Cheated on someone. (I am sorry Bruno.)
24. Been cheated on.
25. Written a 10 page letter.
26. Gone skiing.
27. Been sailing.
28. Cut yourself. (The usual kitchen encounters)
29. Had a best friend.
30. Lost someone you loved.
31. Got into trouble for something you didn't do.
32. Stolen a book from the library. (Stealing gives me creeps! I have a feeling I would have made a very bad thief.)
33. Gone to a different country.
34. Watched the Harry Potter movies.
35. Had an online diary.
36. Fired a gun.
37. Gambled in a casino.
38. Been in a school play.
39. Been fired from a job.
40. Taken a lie detector test.
41. Swam with dolphins. (I think swimming in swimming tanks is an achievement enough!)
42. Voted for someone on a reality TV show. (Amit Sana - Indian Idol 1)
43. Written poetry.
44. Read more than 20 books a year. (A proof that I finished my masters :P)
45. Gone to Europe. (on connecting flights! :D)
46. Loved someone you shouldn't have. (Shah Rukh Khan.)
47. Used a colouring book over age 12. (Is it lame to carry around water colours, coloured pencils, and crayons ? As I still do that)
48. Had a surgery. 
49. Had stitches.
50. Taken a Taxi.
51. Had more than 5 IM conversations going on at once. (still do when I go online. Once in a while.)
52. Been in a fist fight.
53. Suffered any form of abuse.
54. Had a pet.
55. Petted a wild animal. (myself :-/)
56. Had your own credit card & bought something with it. (GRE/TOEFL scores, graduate school applications)
57. Dyed your hair.
58. Got a tattoo. (removable :D)
59. Had something pierced. (ears when I was very young)
60. Got straight As. (school days mein :-/)
61. Known someone personally with HIV or AIDS.
62. Taken pictures with a webcam.
63. Lost something expensive. 
64. Gone to sleep with music on.


I tag all my dost-log (fellow blogger friends.) Feel free to add something of your own! Also reader friends who dont blog can ponder over the fun stuff which they can tick off :)


~nightflier

on stereotypes..

Picked up the tag from Neha's blog.
Stereotypes for me are more of a personal thing. Breaking comfort zone and expanding one's horizons. So more of a figurative thing than literal. 


1. Staying away from home for over 7 years now. From being a cry baby about staying away from family for even more than 5 hours at a stretch (Yes! I have given my mom a hard time in pre-nursery school days). So I broke my stereotype after standard 12 and have been carrying on the tradition since then!


2. Girls are normally supposed to love all the festivities related to weddings. But I am not really comfortable at weddings and such elaborate functions. Too much artificiality me thinks. From the clothes to make up to the whole extravaganza. I believe in the institution but not in the way things get implemented. I have a feeling that I will have to break this stereotype of mine in my own shaadi :P


3. I like programming. Now I dont know many girls or even guys for that matter who do. I have heard from people that programming/coding is like gadha majdoori, its slog work mostly. Whatever people may say, I think its fun to see things taking shape and working out, imagining and analysing situations! And this comes from a person who was computer illiterate 7 years ago :P


4. I haven't had cat fights with any of my girlfriends. Yes we fight. But on deeper issues like life choices and all. I am not sure if I want to get involved in one thou :-|


5. I am not comfortable wearing heels. I never feel an urge to tower over people with oozing confidence. I like flat sandal though. And you will find quite a range on my shoe rack ;) Same is the case with wearing heavy make up. I have tried it a few times, but I choose the otherwise.


6. I like to know about latest technology, inventions, gadgets (yeah without owning them). And I normally dont take a lot of time figuring out things with gadgets.


7. I love solving puzzles. I am still regular with solving Sudoku.


8. I am an Indian and I don't like cricket. I have watched quite a few matches, innings thanks to the craze at home!


9. I love cooking since the age of 13. May be. And thanks to mom who would let me interfere without being bossy. Eating out is a stereotype for me. Instead I like a nice warm home cooked meal. Ah the peace.


10. Not many people I know write long letters or ever wrote one. I still do it. May be I find a need to cling on to archaic stuff :P


11. I like learning new sports, languages, recipes. Learning for the fun of it and not mastering.


12. I prefer Raj kapoor, Dev anand over Tom cruise, SRK. Again the thing with archaic people :D


13. I am quite the independent types and have travelled alone (really long distances). Well most of the times company is preferred, but really enjoy travelling alone too.


14. I don't know how to play poker. Everyone around me seems to be obsessed with it. May be I need to learn it too, just to be with the crowds :D


And before I lose perspective anymore, I will wrap up my list. 
As Neha pointed out there are lots of other stereotypical things which I do too like loving mushy movies, being fussy about my hair (I love them!), crying in an emotional scene in a movie/book/serial, hating mr. Big for breaking Carrie's heart, being lazy, believing in cinderella stories etc.


So go ahead and pick up the tag. Would be glad to know your out of the way behaviour :)


~nightflier 

my tick off list

Picked up the tag from here.
And since I specialize in lists, thought owing to the thought currents right now, this looks the most suitable topic to write on! :D


To think of it, I had always thought I am pretty immune (passive more like) to get ticked off easily by anything.
And I have realized overestimating one's capacities is something I am really good at!
So 'these are the 10 things that tick me off'.


1. Insincerity.
2. Excessive obsession with one's looks and appearance. Still dont understand when people can spend hours and hours in front of the mirror admiring themselves!
3. Loud talkers on phone. Megaphones as I call them, sometimes. It is extremely annoying!
4. Compulsive dominating nature. I am a saggittarian, the free spirit and blah lover. So such people should back off.
5. Taking someone for granted, without any regard to their feelings or state of mind.
6. Wasting food.
7. People passing regional comments about others without any knowledge of the culture they are talking about. For that matter dividing India in 2 parts, South and North and passing judgements. And more irritating part is groupism based on divides such as languages, food (vegetarian, non-vegetarian), culture etc.
8. 'Kya fark/farak padta hai' (what difference does it make). What kareena kapoor wore to the premier of Kal aaj Kal, definitely falls in this category. But such comments against unfair injustice just put me off. I might even consider judging the person as being shallow.
9. So who is your favourite bollywood actor. My answer - Shah Rukh Khan. And then some really stupid stuff about him being arrogant and blah blah thrown at me. Really ? I have my reasons/excuses for the stuff/people I like/admire. Banter I understand, but the need to get all elementary school about likes and dislikes, I find it childish. Same applies when people roll their eyes about Harry Potter, without having the bleakest idea about what its all about. Its not at all uncool if you haven't read or watched it. (If you can justify it i.e. :P)
10. People who force food habits on others. Forcing (aagrah in a politer tone) someone to eat something is fine to some extent, but to the point of compulsion is kind of annoying. Isn't it ?


And thus I rest my case.


Cliche.


~nightflier