Papa.com

Phone Call – India

Papa : So, we moved all the furniture, just need to move ourselves.

Me : Haha, sahi hai, so you guys all set! So when do the new people move in our home *wistfully since it’s no longer our home*

Papa: They should move in a few days, They are also Brahmins, and their son is a Chartered Accountant working in Hiranandani at XYZ

Me : Hmm, oh cool

Papa : Good family, but very conservative and no wearing jeans, tshirt, need to wear salwaar kameez or saris.

Me : Huh! HUH!

Papa: Yeah, also they won’t allow working, will need to join family business

Me: Ohhhh!

Papa: Yeah, son is CA I told you na, makes good money, very conservative, ( repeats some of the above)

Me : *thinking – Hah! I know you so well Papa, taking my case, when you yourself wouldn’t marry me to that family*

Me: *aloud*, Wow sounds perfect, I am ready! I think I will marry this guy only, please tell them I said yes!

Papa: Haan, oh okay, nahi yeh nahi to koi aur bhi dhoondh lenge, *adding very weakly*,samay to aa gaya hai na!

Me: Nahiiin, mein isse hi shaadi karoongi!

Seriousy, my father cracks me up!  He is way too cool, and incredibly good at acting mock serious!  You all are invited to my conservative wedding !!!!!

Which in case you did not get the tone of the above conversation, is oh so definately not happening!

Project – ‘ Be sober’ !

At the risk of sounding an alcoholic, here’s some trivia – it’s been 6 months since I have consumed any form of alcohol. I was recently asked the question, why am I counting time, is it because I was suffering from some self induced addiction to alcohol or the like that I needed to keep track when I stopped. The truth could not be further. As I sit on Sunday night typing this post, with ‘Ek do teen’ playing in the background, during the screening of Tezaab, I ponder, what have I learnt in these six months of no alcohol.  

I am not as funny as I thought! Seriously, the last few times, the same kind of parties, the same people, the same jokes, but Menagerie was not funny, there were no drunken phone calls, no going at 2.00 am in the night to get more alcohol and no drunk singing! The secret was out; Menagerie is a boring person when not drunk! Sheesh! I hope none of my potential hook-ups are reading this, if you are, I am just being modest, I rock! Serious! 

Also  I had this thing of calling my family or a friend’s mom when I am drunk to challenge myself, as to how soberly can I talk without letting on to them my halat! I must say I have been quite successful, until the last time, when I think Anu’s mom kind of got a whiff of the madness that is me, I wonder if that’s the reason, she would check on Anu during my visit to Mumbai, to make sure I am not corrupting her kid.

There is no real rational to stopping drinking, more of a test of self control, ( man, I do sound like I belong to AA). Although the rate at which my friends are looking at me, and going, ‘huh, that was a joke’ and wondering where the madness of Menagerie has disappeared, I might be compelled to break my prann.  

So, encourage the ‘Be sober’ project, tell me I am funny! Pretty please…..

Tuk tuk

“Monsoons in India. 3750km. Auto-rickshaw. Through the Himalayas. Yes, we have completely lost it. No, not the auto-rickshaw.” 

I wish I was quoting the above – yet, its exciting enough to follow the adventures of Akshay Mahajan, Neha Dara, Shaizia Jifri and Saira Bano (the rickshaw that speaks), as they participate in the monsoon edition of the Rickshaw Run.  

Read their adventures of the aptly named team, teesra pahiya at their blog http://teesra.org/. The path is an adventurer’s delight, from Calcutta going north through Nepal, to the final destination at Manali. Their pictures are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lecercle/619932315/

 I envy them to the core right now, yet every post reaffirms my belief, this is something I need to hop on to very soon!