Tag #11

Sigh, yes this is what we have come to. Its 3:20 am and I find it hard to go back to sleep. I check out my blog at this ungodly hour and realise posting has been irregular and sparse. No, its not the usual- "I've been busy" routine. Well it is, but the actual reasons are that I've not been able to a. find good topics to write about b. not been very enthused to write. Ha! I know, neither of them are good and unusual reasons. So we have come to that stage where taking up tags, any tag, seems like a good reason to write a post.

And Archana offered this on a silver plate to me, for exactly the same reason as mine...what could be a better deal?

Sidenote : Did I mention I met up with her and SK on my Bay area trip over Halloween? Dont they say, good conversations go well with good food? Where there's one, there's bound to be the other, no kidding. Food at Saravana Bhavan- what can I say? I indulged in some terrific dosa and ended it with Badam halwa. With this kind of ambience, there was no doubt that the company was pleasant and enjoyable.

A Sunday morning well spent - Check.

Now, on to the tag.

Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
If I didnt say- it was thanks to mom- she'd probably kill me :-). But honestly, yes-it was my mom who introduced me to this wonderful world called books and reading. My earliest memories are of her reading to me, taking me to British Library near Koshy's in Bangalore(Bus Route 34 and 37, right across our house), feeling the colorful books in the shelves, that high of the prospects of many lazy afternoons enveloped in the warm bubble of words......yes it was very early on, and it was thanks to mom.

What are some books you read as a child?
Enid Blytons- the Amelia Jane series etc, Noddy, Ramona the pest series by Beverly Cleary, Rumer Godden, Amar Chitra Katha, Grimms Fairy tales, Aesop's fables.. then I graduated to the Famous Five, Five Find Outers etc. The usual Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew...hm I know I am missing quite a few...and Oh, that Magic Geranium book- that which I wrote about some time ago.


What is your favourite genre?
I'll have to say Fiction- but more specifically- I enjoy humour, any author that has a wonderful style of writing, fluid, those that create magic out of words. I am generally less inclined towards science fiction, horror, mush(M&B kind- ok confession time- I never read a single M&B) and wordy-heavy fantasy stories(another confession- I have only read the first 2 of the Harry Potter books and none of the Lord of the Rings :O).

Do you have a favourite novel?
Its hard for me to pick "a" favorite novel. Let me list 5 of my all-time favorites..

Frenchman's Creek - Daphne Du Maurier
Blanding's Castle- PGW
The Lost Continent- Bill Bryson
The Sherlock Holmes series
Mrs Harris goes to Paris- Paul Gallico

There are so many others which can make it to the all-time faves and faves list, but then since I said I'd list 5 ...as in these I'd go back and read a million times and still enjoy them just as much as I did on my first read.

Where do you usually read?
It doesnt matter...I can read on flights, at the airport, at home...anywhere just so long as the book keeps me hooked.

Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
Hm, no. This isnt my style. I only read a book at a time.

Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
I do, unless the non-fiction book is mind boggling and spell binding- I have less patience for this genre. Hence I get distracted very easily. I generally dont carry non-fiction for travel.

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?
I very rarely borrow. But the rest depends. Sometimes, the wait in my library for a book I want to read is too long. Then, I buy - either online or at the store. Usually I buy in-store if I have to travel some time in the near future and I dont have the time to wait for the online shipment to arrive.

Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?
I ONLY keep the books that I have absolutely fallen in love with and would want them to go in my lifetime collection. If I've bought a book that I am not particularly inclined to keep- I give them away at the library, or sell it at a used book store or I sometimes use paperbackswap.com to swap for something else.

If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?
N/A

What are you reading now?
Nothing :). My reading cart is empty and I've lost my reading habit(in addition to the writing habit, as you will note)

Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?
Not really. If I hear of a good book, I would have already put it on hold at the library or ordered it or bought it. Its all very instantaneous.

What books would you like to reread?I guess the answer to this would be what I said earlier...my all-time favorite collection is of books I want to and I do re-read many many times over.

Who are your favourite authors?
Actually, a few of those that Archana listed are mine as well....PGW, Bill Bryson, Agatha Christie, Dave Barry... and like she says, my profile page lists most of them...but let me go ahead and list them anyway. Its also hard to list authors as opposed to specific books by these authors. Most times I dont like ALL of a particular favorite author's works. Daphne DuMaurier, the Botswana series(by Alexander McCall-Smith), some of CBD's books(Chitra Banerjee Diwakaruni), Khalid Hosseini, Gerald Durrell...

Alright, thats it :). So, anyone that wants to take up this tag, please go ahead.

I see the pink hues of dawn are just around the corner. A brand new day and 24 hrs to do the best you can with it. Have a great day everyone.

Yet another tag

This time, this one is from Usha, so here goes.

My oldest memory:
...is of sleeping in my great-grandmother's bed for an afternoon nap after school. Nothing as cosy or warm as being patted fondly by your great-grandmom and drifting off to snoozeland. I want to say I must have been 4-5-6 yrs old. Not sure. She was my playmate, my caretaker, my guardian angel- my great-grandmom.

Ten years ago:
I was getting ready to come to the US. I was full of dreams and couldnt wait to board the flight. Little did I know how far I'd be going and how irreversible a step that was. But then at that time and at that age, I had the world to conquer.

My first thought this morning:
Where's the laptop?

If you built a time capsule, what would it contain:
My ipod(with my lifetime collection of mp3's and photos), a letter to the future about who I am(was?) and my Asterix collection(those are timeless, arent they?).

This year:
is not one of my favorites. I'd prefer for it to be over, and soon.

14 years from now:
I hope I
- can be a better person than I am today
- am able to make a difference in the lives of at least a handful of people
- am less prone to despair and hurt - equanimity?
- can love one and all, cos we all know that love conquers all
Everything else is secondary.

I am terrible at tagging. For now I pass this onto Seren ;). Anyone else that wants to take up this tag, please be my guest.

Show me your handwriting(tag)

(Much like 'Show me your jalwa'- yes yes I watched Aaja Nachle this weekend, more on that later)

So Rads tagged me(JUST last night, mind you) to show her my scroll. On a related note, I am glad this October NaBloWriMo is coming to an end soon- not only is Rads huffing and puffing to dish out a post a day, she's also putting the rest of us to work. Ya, it needs to end soon.

But then, this tag was really right up my alley. Cos its been a letter writing kind of year for me. Remember this post? So the second half of that story was I had begun to send handwritten letters to some people, had stopped catching them online/on email so I could have dough to write to them about- I know! I went through the whole shebang. Even birthday cards had small handwritten notes in them. I've been thorough!

This morning I was dressed to head to work, but had to wait at home for a contractor who had committed to stop by between 9 and 11. Conveniently I spotted my writing pad, pen, camera and everything that Rads tells me this tag would need and of course more than the 20 mins she says it will take to do the tag. So I managed to snack on the Diwali munchies, caught a second cuppa and generally lounged with the morning news(something that I probably have never done in all these years).

Here's Rad's task list to do the tag...

"All it requires is:

5 sentences from your own post, or better yet write the next post out instead of typing.
Link that post, if digging it up like I did.
A pen, a pencil/paper
Scanner/camera
20 minutes of your time. "

I wrote out this post . And here's my scroll :



Alright, all done.

Happy Monday everyone!

PS : Oh and whoever feels like taking this tag up, please go ahead and be my guest.

Favorite literary characters

Over time, I have developed a natural dis-affinity for tags- but that was for tags that wanted me to list my quirks, and idiosyncracies, my likes and dislikes, my peeves and all and sundry- thus leaving me high and dry, pretty much. It seemed like a kind of soul searching that I didnt feel like launching into.

But these days, some of the tags have been really interesting, most of them literature related- a topic close to my heart. That would explain why I have been volunteering to take them up. Makes sense?

So when I saw this tag at Shruti's tag post on her list of favorite literary characters, there was no way I could resist such a delicious topic and tag. Also, her list includes nearly 50% of my favorites as well, that makes it a bigger challenge for me to come up with a decent list of 10 of my favorite literary characters. Before I begin, I would like to mention, my all-time favorites that she has included in her tag(in no particular order) would be Rhett Butler(of Gone with the wind fame), Mr. Darcy(Pride and Prejudice, of course), Mma Ramotswe, Atticus Finch and Miss Marple.

Alright, here I go with my list of 10 :

Lord Emsworth : In the PGWodehouse series. I love this absent-minded, scatterbrain of a character, never fails to have me in splits.

Lucy Van Pelt : Of the Peanuts fame. Bossy, opinionated, fussy, grouch- love her or hate her- you just cant ignore her!

Dona St Columb : from The Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier. She, by far, is my favoritest character- her innate tendency to break away from convention, her wild spirit, her characteristic chutzpah in an age when conformity was the only option availabe.

Mrs de Winter : from Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier(hm, this makes it look like I am a big DDM fan, doesnt it?).

Atticus Finch : from 'To kill a Mocking Bird' by Harper Lee. Sorry Shruthi, no list of mine could be complete without a mention, so on this one, I'll HAVE to "copy". What a delightful dad he makes!

David Copperfield : from the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. Touted to be his most autobiographical novel, David Copperfield's constant struggle to make wise decisions based on his experiences is endearing and powerful.

Sherlock Holmes : Who doesnt know of this detective from 221B, Baker Street by Arthur Conan Doyle? Brilliant, quirky, Bohemian- enough said!

Harrington Brande : from The Spanish Gardener by A J Cronin. British diplomat, a dark character, very possessive of his son, the subtle strings he pulls- the strength of this character lies in the subtility. A heart-wrenching narration, brings tears to my eyes every time I read this classic.

Scarlett OHara : from Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell. How can one not love this character? The lifelong rebel, the unconventionalist, a southern belle, selfish, brash, vain....the one reason I was always enamoured by the state of Georgia in the US.

Tess : from Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. A complex character with liberal doses of good heart and sensitivity.

Special mention is due for Asterix of the series by the same name, William of the series of the same name by Richmal Crompton and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. All these are my all-time faves.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing this tag and the one person who I would be interested to hear from on this topic would be Munimma. Interested?
Edited to add : I think this is a good way to poke some sloths into action. Hence I also tag Pillpopper (aka Amma).

All in one

I'd had no intentions of checking out SATC the week it was released, but for a chance call from a friend who rounded up a bunch of others and before I knew it I was in the theater with popcorn and a drink.

I've watched the TV serial off and on, its hard for me to pick favorites, I like shades of all characters. Which is probably why the quiz tells me I am a mish-mash of all of them. Thats inconclusive, if you ask me, cos everyone has shades of varying qualities. Anyway, about the movie. Age-wise the characters grew from between the 40s and 50s. But the characters themselves haven't wizened with their age. I don't know, maybe that was the intention. But me thinks the transformation of a woman in that age group is quite dramatic and that was sorely lacking, perhaps to not disappoint the fans?

Now, on to the quiz. I volunteered to do the SATC quiz tag from rads. As you can see, it tells me I am a mix of all the characters. So thats that!

Sex and the City: The Four Women, the Four Elements

Your results are based on the four Elements of Astrology: Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Each Element has its own set of characteristics, and each of us displays some combination thereof, usually with a focus on one or two. Samantha, Miranda, Carrie and Charlotte each personify one of the Elements and its basic traits. Which Elements most strongly influence you?

Note: Scores are rounded to one decimal place and therefore may not total 100%

You scored 40% Miranda
You chose many of the same answers that Earth Sign-like Miranda, the cynical but pragmatic lawyer, might have chosen. Just like Miranda's had a tough time deciding whether to give in to the affections of Steve the Bartender, you don't give your heart up to just anyone. Miranda shies away from a relationship with Steve because he's 'just' a bartender, not something more conventionally ambitious or stable. Those with powerful Earth Sign qualities -- characteristics associated with Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn -- are cautious in love and seek stability and status over nearly anything else. Earth Signs provide a steady, realistic attitude and they can bring order out of chaos. A little-known Earth Sign fact: Incredibly sensual, you seethe beneath that smart, expensive business suit of yours, yearning for intimacy but hesitant to give up your material needs, your career ambitions or your responsibilities for a passionate moment that might not turn out the way you'd hope.


You scored 30% Charlotte
A romantic at heart, you chose the answers that demure Charlotte may have chosen. Strongly influenced by the intuitive, profound and sometimes naïve Water Signs -- Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces -- you're like a mother, a mystery and a poet all in one. Though on the surface you may seem innocent and all about seeking the good in people, beneath the surface, you hide secret yearnings for intimacy, for attachment and ideal love. You're seeking a knight in shining armor, a soul mate, someone who will complete you and tether you to the earth when you get carried away with your fantasies. You're super-sensitive, soaking up the moods of others; you emote freely, crying at commercials and sappy movies. You also provide a shoulder to cry on and open arms for hugs. Be careful that you're not so wide-eyed and trusting that you get taken in by some cunning wolf in sheep's clothing.


You scored 20% Samantha
You identify with Samantha's bold and liberated Fire Sign qualities, characteristics associated with the Signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. You're strong, audacious and larger than life -- and you take what you want! Sometimes you can even be thoughtless and selfish, as you get so caught up in craving immediate gratification and excitement that you overlook someone's feelings. Your personal style likely reflects your desires: sleek, low-cut, revealing just a bit more than might be considered acceptable. Watch that you're not coming on too strong, though. You could scare potential suitors off with all your drama. If you seek so much attention, the more basic qualities of the Fire Signs could be burned right out of the picture. Show less skin or cleavage and more of your creativity, your vibrant leadership skills and courageous generosity!


You scored 10% Carrie
Your answers peg you as a Carrie-type, much influenced by the Air Sign qualities associated with Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Like confident Carrie, a sex columnist, you're curious and perceptive, always seeking answers and never satisfied with the superficial. An Air Sign influence can lead to indecision and an avoidance of tough issues, like with Carrie and her on-again, off-again attachment to Mr. Big. Forward-thinking, incredibly intelligent and witty, you just exude quirky charm. You'd be utterly bored by someone who's just a pretty face or hot body -- though you don't mind looking and flirting! You're more turned on by an equally smart and funny mate, someone who challenges your mind and makes you laugh. You love to talk, so you need a good listener who's open to playful and eccentric ideas about love and lovemaking.

Emerging out of a blog block

....with a tag. Thanks to Usha for this much needed nudge.

Whats the tag about?
"Pick up the nearest book." - ...hm that would be Amrita by Usha Rajagopalan(not the same Usha that tagged me, of course. Also I have just read 2 pages of the book)
"Open to page 123."- done
"Find the fifth sentence." - done
"Post the next three sentences." - Conveniently its the start of a new paragraph. Ha! Ok, here goes..

"In that house you don't do such things," she replied. "The ghosts of your ancestors would have been horrified. But this one doesnt have any past. You can start afresh, make your own practices, customs. I had always wanted to break some of them but didnt have the courage to do it, not in the house that had once belonged to your great grandfather, bestowed upon him by the Maharaja, no less."

You guessed right, I typed out the entire paragraph . Adds to the mystery, me thinks.

There, all done. Well, the last part goes of the rules go
"Tag five people, and acknowledge the person who tagged you."

Hm, dont know about five. Perhaps Seren and Pillpopper for now. Any other takers, please feel free to volunteer.

Next!

PS : I am tempted to start the alphabet series....just to get motivated to post.

A case of the classics

I volunteered to take up this tag from Usha(Ya, I know! For the fuss I create about doing tags, *rolling eyes*) - it interested me since I've always fared abysmally with so-called classics. This tag is right up my alley as it has all the categories that apply to me. One thing that struck me was its a list of 106 books, not a well-rounded number like 100 or 125, but 106! Anyway, without further ado, here goes......

"Following is a list of books that decorate most people's bookshelves but not always read. In this tag we are supposed to reveal how ill read we are by showing the ones read in bold, by underlining the ones read at school, and by italicising the ones started but never finished. "
I added one more category which is the ones I have read abridged versions and never bothered to read the “real deals”- these are identified in blue.

1. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
2. Anna Karenina
3. Crime and Punishment
4. Catch-22
5. One Hundred Years of Solitude
6. Wuthering Heights
7. The Silmarillion
8. Life of Pi : a novel
9. The Name of the Rose
10. Don Quixote
11. Moby Dick
12. Ulysses
13. Madame Bovary
14. The Odyssey
15. Pride and Prejudice
16. Jane Eyre
17. The Tale of Two Cities
18. The Brothers Karamazov
19. Guns, Germs, and Steel
20. War and Peace
21. Vanity Fair
22. The Time Traveler’s Wife
23. The Iliad
24. Emma
25. The Blind Assassin.
26. The Kite Runner
27. Mrs. Dalloway
28. Great Expectations
29. American Gods
30. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
31. Atlas Shrugged
32. Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
33. Memoirs of a Geisha
34. Middlesex
35. Quicksilver
36. Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
37. The Canterbury Tales
38. The Historian : a novel
39. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
40. Love in the Time of Cholera
41. Brave New World
42. The Fountainhead
43. Foucault’s Pendulum
44. Middlemarch
45. Frankenstein
46. The Count of Monte Cristo
47. Dracula
48. A Clockwork Orange
49. Anansi Boys
50. The Once and Future King
51. The Grapes of Wrath
52. The Poisonwood Bible
53. 1984
54. Angels and Demons
55. Inferno
56. The Satanic Verses
57. Sense and Sensibility
58. The Picture of Dorian Gray
59. Mansfield Park
60. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
61. To the Lighthouse
62. Tess of the D’Urbervilles
63. Oliver Twist
64. Gulliver’s Travels
65. Les Misérables
66. The Correction
67. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
68. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
69. Dune
70. The Prince
71. The Sound and the Fury
72. Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
73. The God of Small Things
74. A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
75. Cryptonomicon
76. Neverwhere
77. A Confederacy of Dunces
78. A Short History of Nearly Everything
79. Dubliners
80. The Unbearable Lightness of Being
81. Beloved
82. Slaughterhouse-five
83. The Scarlet Letter
84. Eats, Shoots and Leaves
85. The Mists of Avalon
86. Oryx and Crake
87. Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
88. Cloud Atlas
89. The Confusion
90. Lolita
91. Persuasion
92. Northanger Abbey
93. The Catcher in the Rye
94. On the Road
95. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
96. Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
97. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
98. The Aeneid
99. Watership Down
100. Gravity’s Rainbow
101. The Hobbit
102. In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
103. White Teeth
104. Treasure Island
105. David Copperfield
106. The Three Musketeers

There, these are my dismal stats : 25/106.

If anyone else is interested, please do take up the tag.

Linked with a tag

Dotmom has tagged me. This really was a simple one. After all, who does not like old wine in new bottles?

So the rules go thus :
Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5key words given : family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.

Ready?

Family : While I pepper a few posts with random mentions of my immediate family, this by far has to be the all-encompassing one. Almost like a genealogical expedition. (I plan to adopt Dotmom's excerpt style for the same reasons, to give a glimpse of what the post entails. Readers of course are urged to indulge further.)

"Very early on, life consisted of being spoilt by ggmom, grandparents, ggmom's siblings and their spouses. A palatial ancestral home. Servants. Half-day school. Force-fed lunches. Small game with ggmom. Afternoon nap, sharing her bed. Milk and then playtime! And how."

More here

Friend : My friends. That is my support system while I am away from my immediate family. I some times refer to them as my crutch(es). One post that does come to mind is this one...

"I believe I am a moderately materialistic person. While I dont splurge(too often!), if there is something that catches my fancy, I do try to indulge them. Agreed, I am still trying to cut corners and save for the macro lens(which I had posted about asking for contributions and as is evident, was fruitless) for my more-sacred-than-life camera. But I believe no one should pine for something that strongly for too long."

More here.

Yourself : At least as blog posts are concerned, I believe the tags are the primary ego boosters anyone would need. With tags ranging from asking about one's likes/dislikes to quirks to goals for the next decade, there's not one tag that does not make one sit up and think about oneself. Hence it sure has to be one of them. I pick this...

"I am scared of needles(even at THIS age). There are many stories of me running down the streets of a popular bazaar in my hometown with the compounder close on my heels with syringes."

More here.

Love : Even though she complains that I dont have too many good things to say about her, that I dont make as many posts about her as she thinks I should, I do believe there are quite a few posts that either directly or otherwise link to her. I am talking about one person, very close to my heart and that has got to be my kid sister. I've been meaning to do this for a while, and that is to pull up a list of posts related to her, to prove to her that she has been given due attention. I definitely wouldnt wish to use this tag for this purpose. But Seren, this line has a link to every post about you :-). For the tag, I offer this...

"She was Miss twinkle toes right from the day she was born, and it only aided her case by starting lessons early. By the time she was 5, she was her dance teacher's pet and had her first dance performance."

More here.

Anything you like : For this, I'd like to dig up a post from 2006, the year I started blogging. When I did start blogging, I wanted to improve my writing skills, I really wanted to be writing fiction, a handful of photos here and there and maybe some movie/book reviews. Now 200+ posts and 2 years later I realise its actually turned into a personal journal of sorts, its a lot more interactive than I had ever imagined it to be...all in all its definitely a great place for me to hang out, opens up a world of reading possibilities that I never thought would be possible. So I offer this piece of fiction, for your reading pleasure.

"She comes across a clearing and right in the middle stands a small shed from whence she could hear the sounds of metal. Curious and eager, she tiptoes to the open door of the shed and peers. She sees a bare chested man working and welding inside. He was sweating profusely with his brows puckered and working feverishly on the piece of metal in his hands. She stands there watching him work with wonder in her eyes."

More here.

And thus I am done. Now for the real challenge. And that is to find 5 people to pass the tag on to.

Here goes :
Scarlett(cos its time she be poked into action),
Gauri(who is a new acquaintance, a very entertaining one at that!)
Archana(another new acquaintance, always has a new spin on everything)
SK(you couldnt escape :-)
And....Deepthi.

Now THIS had to have been the hardest part :-).

Chinna Chinna aasai....

Ok, here I am, I'm it...again...and thanks to HHGMom. Nope, cannot be refused.

So she asks me to reveal 10 things I want to do before the next decade.... sigh! (Aside, I refuse to divulge my age :D muahahahaha). She doesnt realise I dont even plan 10 things I wish to do in one day...so this is such a monumental task to ask of this...poor planning mint.

But give it a shot, I will.

- I wish(or hope) to add just one more degree to my academic scroll.

- I would get on with that EU tour idea that I've been wanting to do since I was a teenager.

- Learn to dance; I am tired of calling myself two-left-feet.

- Spend more time with my writing projects that have been languishing for a while...script writing, graphics etc

- Invest time and money in my camera, improve my photography skills

- Learn good money-management skills. I suck at finances and that isnt a good thing. Specially when one is required to balance one's checkbooks all alone.

- (I believe 6 of them above are serious, thought out ones, and from here-on, it took me ages to come up with more...hence I cannot vouch for its authenticity :P) I want to go on a cruise, a short 4-5 day one, just for the experience.

- Its a vague to-do to have, but I do wish to contribute to more charities and be able to lend more hands-on support.

- (...phew two more to go...) I would like to fly to the moon, some day :)(ok, ok not a valid one...I mean in the next decade, hardly likely). Hm, more reasonable would be that I'd like to maintain a clean driving record(erm no embarassing q's about how trashed it is, right now, puhleeease!).

- (...grunt, groan... I've never given this such intense thought about my future ever...so...and lastly....) To develop a positive outloook....I've begun to realise the power of positive thinking and influence!

Amen!

So, since its this close to a new year, these will automatically convert into new year resolutions, so taggers, if there is another tag asking for it, I've already done it.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed, no?

Footnote : As the year comes to an end, as Christmas peeks just around the corner, its time for lunches and dinners with friends that havent been in touch, with ex-coworkers to catch up on gossip, with that stray acquaintance that hasnt been seen around in days.....a relaxing period at work with everyone in a festive, casual mode.....yes relaxed is the operative word. And I am at peace with it, cos one needs the hibernation to be all charged come January.....2008

Kuch nostalgia ho jaye?

I'm it- again!

Gasp! And this time I've been tagged by HHG, and again, this time- how COULD I say no?

There are 3 rules.
Rule 1. The rules must be mentioned in the beginning of the tag.
Rule 2 You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
Rule 3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.

Ok, those of you that are eagerly waiting to hear my middle name- sorry, I aint gonna declare the ugly middle name my parents lovingly conferred upon me. For that matter I dont particularly like my first name, in the first place. A rant about that later, for now let me finish this tag before HHG chases me with a stick in her usual "teacherni" disposition :D(trust me, having a teacher at home, one picks up on such quirks, fast!).

So my Perimma(doddamma, mother's older sister) , in her usual sudden and unpredictable outbursts of affection, would call me Priya(short for Priyadarshini). Hence I will pick that as my middle name for this tag.

P : Pessimist. Yup, I am pessimism personified. Positive thinking is a trait I am trying to master, so P could stand for that as well.

R: Rational. For me everything is mostly in the mind. I try to reason and insist on keeping my feet firmly planted on solid ground. Absolutely no belief in fantasies, miracles and possibility of the existence of utopia for me.

I : Insatiable desires to travel around the world. If duties and responsibilities wouldnt come in my way, I'd be backpackign in EU right about NOW!
Also stands for Introvert.
This doesnt necessarily mean I am unfriendly or antisocial. But you wont find me being the center of attention in a huge gathering. I can definitely not be called gregarious, vivacious etc etc, no one could say that of me, even by chance.

Y : Yumm-O Food. Love to cook, eat good food and a foodie at heart as has already been mentioned.

A : Artistic. I am very interested in all kinds of art forms- painting, drawing, writing, literature and crafts-just about any and all versions of art.

There, all done!

I will not take on the onerous task of passing this tag on to unsuspecting regulars. But I would encourage those that do read my blog, if you havent done this already, be my guest and take it up.

Footnote : So coming back to this lousy name(s) that my parents allowed to be placed upon me, I realise there is no point going through the rigmarole of changing it at this time...for some reason I dont see myself telling everyone that calls/emails/talks to me to start calling me Sujatha. Too much effort, not worth it. End of topic. This is just so my parents KNOW what they did wrong! :D

I'm it!

This is a first for me- being tagged. I am honored for two reasons, one because I didnt believe I am very known in blogdom to be tagged and secondly its dear Scarlett that did tag me. Imagine, being tagged by Scarlett and refusing to oblige???? Sacrilege I tell ya. So here goes...this was quite a task cos I dont know much about my own self to narrate and list 8 things, so if someone finds themself dozing off mid-way pliss to close the browser and find a pillow.

1. I dislike chocolate and cricket with a vehemance. I even dont tolerate chocolate flavored milkshakes, icecreams or cakes either.

2. I am scared of needles(even at THIS age). There are many stories of me running down the streets of a popular bazaar in my hometown with the compounder close on my heels with syringes.

3. I can never do one thing at a time. I am the queen of multitasking and can give any robot a run for its money.

4. I suck at finances and can easily be lulled to stupor in any investment seminar.

5. I hate the word "compromise" in the dictionary and dont believe it to be a necessary ingredient for any of life's meals.

6. As has been mentioned many times in my blog, I foster a fetish for shoes...there can never be such a thing as too many shoes. I accessorize moderately and will tolerate only two kinds of fabrics- silk or cotton. Nothing in between. I get cranky in nylon or polyester. It can be deduced I am an earth sign and agree with Rembrandt where he says "Choose only one master-Nature".

7. I am a foodie at heart- love to eat and cook good food. I also love home improvement shows, short stints of travel, books, music- all in moderation. I have never been exposed to pets- I neither like or dislike them. But I can safely say I will never own any.

8. I am a potterer. No, I dont mean a Harry Potter fan. I love pottering around my abode setting things straight, fixing whats broken and little arts/crafts projects. I dont know if there is a term to describe this quirk, but potterer is what I've come up with. For the same reason that I have poor hands/feet coordination skills I can neither sew or dance, EVER.

===========================================

There, all done. Thank God, cos I heard quite a few snores as I wrote. Must be those blog goblins that got bored. My vote of thanks speech goes as follows
"I'd like to thank Scarlett, my parents, my readers and last but not least GOD for giving me this opportunity. This would not have been possible without their help, support, guidance and encouragement. I take no credit for turning out the way I have....its my parents' fault!"

The only people who I could possibly pass this tag onto are my sister Seren and Pillpopper. NN, SK and L- if you could take up the tag, that would be great ;).
Now comes the next dilemma. I dont know that many bloggers to tag , so all those anonymous/ghost readers, lurkers and the like- pliss to emerge and take up the tag.

Here below is the scroll with rules

——————————————————————-----------------------
1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged, write a blog post about their own 8 random things, and post these rules.
3. At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and include their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
4. If you fail to do this within eight hours, you will not reach Third Series or attain your most precious goals for at least two more lifetimes. (what does it mean?)
——————————————————————-----------------------

- A very exposed mint.