Simply Me
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Quoting quotes...
...So after long anticipation, Harry and Michelle came to visit our office on Wednesday. We had meetings, sessions, awards... the usual stuff that happens when clients come over. So as yesterday was to be their last day in our office, some cards had been brought for the entire team there, for us to sign and for Michelle to take back with her.
The plan being that everyone sign on the left page and write the recipients name on the right hand page, I raised a request that we write some sort of quote as well. I volunteered for looking for the quotes. Nakul, the one with really good handwriting, was to write down the quotes.
As soon as we started, Manju and Siddhi claimed the cards that they wanted to be sent to Carmelo and Barbara respectively. Theirs would be the first signatures on those cards. Once all cards were signed, Nakul and I took the cards back to my desk to look for something to write. The only quotes we found though beautiful were quite impersonal. We started off with those for Carmelo, Barbara and Michelle.
But as soon as Niks saw them, he was like, this is so impersonal. We said, look for somethign interesting then. True to his word, he found some beautiful personal sounding thank you quotes/sayings/verses. (Needless to say, the first one he found we wrote to his 'long-distance' girlfriend. BTW, I wonder how his wife Varsha would react to that.) And for the last 3 or 4 I managed to write something myself or spin-off on some existing quotes.
Unfortunately that left Barbara, Michelle and Carmelo; the three people we wanted to really thank and they had the most or rather only impersonal messages. For Barbara and Michelle, we did manage to add something interesting, but for Carmelo, this was difficult. Manju was obviously disappointed. After all the one person she wanted to write to had such a vague message.
So she decided to find a quote and the one she found was obviously vetoed: While saying 'I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom' sounded bad enough, changing this to say the words from the entire team sounded even weirder. 'We would thank you from the bottom of our hearts, but for you our hearts have no bottom.' That sounded totally like poori ki poori team ek bande pe line maar rahi hai... Absolutely, totally, completely out of question. I started writing something to say Thanks.
'Nahi, Its not like he has specifically helped me. But he looks so good in the photo. Dekh Nakul... You either write the quote I found or atleast say, Come to India,' says Manju. Now that I had a clear idea of what she wanted, I modified the earlier verse(Note to self: Tell Pallavi, verse is better suited for the topic of our conversation than stanza)
To the point and clear... 'It is true,' said Manju. 'But we can't write this.'
OK, how about this...
'Kitne bure ho tum log,' said Manju as Siddhi, Nakul and I laughed.
Alright, how about this...
As we 'ROFLOL'ing, we finally went with the first option after Manju had the temerity to say, 'Aisa karte hain, tune jo likha hai, thoda change karte hain... aur likhenge...'
Nakul was like, 'Photo kaise din mein alag time pe alag dikhega?' 'Lights off course,' we said and laughed again.
So finally with the last one done, Siddhi stuck all the ribbons on the envelopes and all cards were signed, sealed and ready to be delivered.
P.S. I am now officially signed in as the Content writer for my friends' wedding Invitation :) Gotta prepare a nice little verse for them :)
P.P.S. Will write the rest of the stuff I wrote, some other time
The plan being that everyone sign on the left page and write the recipients name on the right hand page, I raised a request that we write some sort of quote as well. I volunteered for looking for the quotes. Nakul, the one with really good handwriting, was to write down the quotes.
As soon as we started, Manju and Siddhi claimed the cards that they wanted to be sent to Carmelo and Barbara respectively. Theirs would be the first signatures on those cards. Once all cards were signed, Nakul and I took the cards back to my desk to look for something to write. The only quotes we found though beautiful were quite impersonal. We started off with those for Carmelo, Barbara and Michelle.
But as soon as Niks saw them, he was like, this is so impersonal. We said, look for somethign interesting then. True to his word, he found some beautiful personal sounding thank you quotes/sayings/verses. (Needless to say, the first one he found we wrote to his 'long-distance' girlfriend. BTW, I wonder how his wife Varsha would react to that.) And for the last 3 or 4 I managed to write something myself or spin-off on some existing quotes.
Unfortunately that left Barbara, Michelle and Carmelo; the three people we wanted to really thank and they had the most or rather only impersonal messages. For Barbara and Michelle, we did manage to add something interesting, but for Carmelo, this was difficult. Manju was obviously disappointed. After all the one person she wanted to write to had such a vague message.
So she decided to find a quote and the one she found was obviously vetoed: While saying 'I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom' sounded bad enough, changing this to say the words from the entire team sounded even weirder. 'We would thank you from the bottom of our hearts, but for you our hearts have no bottom.' That sounded totally like poori ki poori team ek bande pe line maar rahi hai... Absolutely, totally, completely out of question. I started writing something to say Thanks.
You have always helped us, be it evening or noon
Wish you could also visit, hope to see you soon
Wish you could also visit, hope to see you soon
'Nahi, Its not like he has specifically helped me. But he looks so good in the photo. Dekh Nakul... You either write the quote I found or atleast say, Come to India,' says Manju. Now that I had a clear idea of what she wanted, I modified the earlier verse(Note to self: Tell Pallavi, verse is better suited for the topic of our conversation than stanza)
Your photo is so good, it makes Manju swoon,
Wish you could also visit, hope to see you soon
Wish you could also visit, hope to see you soon
To the point and clear... 'It is true,' said Manju. 'But we can't write this.'
OK, how about this...
Your photo is so good,
That it has taken Manju's heart,
Now she cannot concentrate,
Because you're so far apart...
That it has taken Manju's heart,
Now she cannot concentrate,
Because you're so far apart...
'Kitne bure ho tum log,' said Manju as Siddhi, Nakul and I laughed.
Alright, how about this...
Your photo is picture perfect,
It has taken Manju's breath,
Just one chance to see you,
Would make her feel so great...
It has taken Manju's breath,
Just one chance to see you,
Would make her feel so great...
As we 'ROFLOL'ing, we finally went with the first option after Manju had the temerity to say, 'Aisa karte hain, tune jo likha hai, thoda change karte hain... aur likhenge...'
Your photo is so good, be it evening or noon,
Wish you could also visit, hope to see you soon
Wish you could also visit, hope to see you soon
Nakul was like, 'Photo kaise din mein alag time pe alag dikhega?' 'Lights off course,' we said and laughed again.
So finally with the last one done, Siddhi stuck all the ribbons on the envelopes and all cards were signed, sealed and ready to be delivered.
P.S. I am now officially signed in as the Content writer for my friends' wedding Invitation :) Gotta prepare a nice little verse for them :)
P.P.S. Will write the rest of the stuff I wrote, some other time
Labels: L.O.V.E., Something Stupid...
A secret confidante...
Whenever I have been to a Beauty Parlour, I have observed that people bare their hearts before the hair snippers... Be it about their nasty MIL or bitching SIL... In fact, even the hairdressers themselves talk about their own miserable home life... I had always wondered how people can do that... I mean seriously, yo are washing your dirty laundry in public and literally public you have never met... I always thought that if you talk to your Family-In-Law you would be more likely to get to the crux of the issue than with 10 strangers eavesdropping on your tale of woe...
Well working in the IT industry, I wonder if we aren't doing the same thing... I mean come on... if you want to know which company is good for you son to join be it with regards to the salary, management or pressure, the best person to ask is probably your car driver's brother who drives a cab ferrying IT employees to their offices...
I mean, seriously, we are like almost totally indiscreet about whiom we talk about in the cabs... family, room mates, managers, home towns, boyfriends, girlfriends... and the silent listener is the cab driver...
And they are definitely as much into gossip as the female hairdresser at your local beauty parlour... The cab drivers hear people talk about their jerk managers who are biased, about the management which won't talk about a pay raise, about colleagues who are the managers' pets, which manager is most likely to fight for his team member to get them a decent VPI... and they definitely pass on the gossip; Be it to another cab driver or employees sitting in the front seat...
I was wondering today when a friend was talking about her nosy room mate and we were bitching about a certain biased good-for-nothing someone, just how much the cab driver was taking in...
I wondered if he were not thinking that he had a much quieter life driving a cab with an entertaining saas-bahu like drama enfolding with the employees sitting on the passenger seat and back seat.
Well working in the IT industry, I wonder if we aren't doing the same thing... I mean come on... if you want to know which company is good for you son to join be it with regards to the salary, management or pressure, the best person to ask is probably your car driver's brother who drives a cab ferrying IT employees to their offices...
I mean, seriously, we are like almost totally indiscreet about whiom we talk about in the cabs... family, room mates, managers, home towns, boyfriends, girlfriends... and the silent listener is the cab driver...
And they are definitely as much into gossip as the female hairdresser at your local beauty parlour... The cab drivers hear people talk about their jerk managers who are biased, about the management which won't talk about a pay raise, about colleagues who are the managers' pets, which manager is most likely to fight for his team member to get them a decent VPI... and they definitely pass on the gossip; Be it to another cab driver or employees sitting in the front seat...
I was wondering today when a friend was talking about her nosy room mate and we were bitching about a certain biased good-for-nothing someone, just how much the cab driver was taking in...
I wondered if he were not thinking that he had a much quieter life driving a cab with an entertaining saas-bahu like drama enfolding with the employees sitting on the passenger seat and back seat.
Labels: Something Stupid...
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I wonder....
If someone is my best friend and if I am 'apparently' their best friend as well, why won't that person listen to me when I tell them to do something... and that too for their own safety??? :(
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Finally... Whew :)
It has been more than an year since Siddhi and I had been planning to go to Durga coffee house. And since then Siddhi has shifted to Sinhgad road and now Paud Road and we finally had a chance to go to Durga Coffee House.
So 6:30 saw Nirjhari, Siddhi and me at Durga. As I stood outside, I started wondering...
1- After all that I had extolled the place, would the coffee live up to Siddhi's expectation?
2- Having been there only once before in my entire life, was the coffee really that good?
My questions were indeed answered as I took the first sip. The cold coffee is still the most amazing cold coffee I have ever had. It is frothy and yummy and so brilliant, I wonder when I'll go again.
So 6:30 saw Nirjhari, Siddhi and me at Durga. As I stood outside, I started wondering...
1- After all that I had extolled the place, would the coffee live up to Siddhi's expectation?
2- Having been there only once before in my entire life, was the coffee really that good?
My questions were indeed answered as I took the first sip. The cold coffee is still the most amazing cold coffee I have ever had. It is frothy and yummy and so brilliant, I wonder when I'll go again.
Labels: Something Stupid...
Friday, January 1, 2010
2009 - The year that was...
...So at 2:00 A.M. last night as I got into bed, I realized my mind was racing... I really wouldn't fall asleep until I got everything out of my system... I was too tired to write down everything and just decided to record whatever I was thinking... But whatever I recorded last night, I really can't bother posting... I don't like the sound of my own recorded voice pausing, breathing, thinking... So I thought I'd just write down stuff
...Last year, in January, the first Sunday of the year, 3 girls met... at Hakka for lunch... The most memorable thing here was the notes we wrote for each other, Purni, Shrads and I... Purni had written a toast to our friendship and singlehood (The last one may not last long though, right... she had written)... Shrads wrote that each day we live we leave footsteps behind and it is important how each day is spent because the imprints lie like footfalls in snow... How very true... Purni's words seem prophetic now... Shraddha is now married for almost 4 months and in Germany, Purnima has found her soul mate as well and will be married this year...
...For me year 2009 was mainly an year of joys... an year of revelling in the happiest days of some of my friends' lives... weddings, babies, committments... Priyasha, my neighbour got married... Two Gauris from school got married, coincidentally, on the same day... The Gauri who was my good friend in school, I met after 9 years on her wedding day... Suchitra and Supriya got married.. Sujata has now a daughter, Nitya... Ananthanna is engaged... At office, Imran got married though is not working at KPIT anymore.. Nikhil, my fellow, auth team member and buddy got married in Feb to his sweetheart... Pranjal is engaged... My little bro, Vijendra, brought a new member to our family, Padmini/Vandana... his lovely wife. So many of these are love marriages... and I have to mention that there are two more of my friends who are committed but about whom I heard from other friends, so I shan't mention details here... Such and Shrads are now abroad... But so is Anjali... her husband's project got transferred to Singapore and after leaving her job here, Anj is working in S'pore as well... One of my dear friends is expecting a baby... again not gonna give away details just yet. We went for Anirruddha's moonji in Udupi...
...I made new friends and by this I mean some acquaintances of 2008 are now good friends... There's Rachana, Garvit, Pulkit, Saumya, Nikhil S., Nirjhari, Siddz... Two friends got added to the my list of best friends.. Amma of course and Sujay from work. After 9 years, Friendship day, brought with it a friendship that was never ever forgotten.. Wasima and Basma I met for the first time after school... and Sharvari and Priyanka and Balmeet...
...I read a lot of books... most significant of which is the Harry Potter series; I am reading the 7th book now and will read the first one last... I feel that one is jinxed, I have never been able to complete it. We painted our house... I bought a new Teddy Bear home... Watched some fun movies with Shraddha, Purnima, Pallavi and amma.
...The saddest event of the year for me which hit me personally was losing the second love of my life, my ajju. But, this was not completely sad in that, he had lived life to the fullest... genuinely king-size... and passed away so very peacefully. He never had to depend on anyone... He lived and died on his own terms, surrounded by part of his family and still so much in love with Bapama... And maybe that's what gave HER strength... the strength to pick up the pieces that we were shattering into.
...At work, I got promoted to Senior Engineer... I am now working with the Admin team... so its a new team and a new manager and also a new Senior manager. Some of my batch mates switched jobs. Some are serving their notice periods. I received some wonderful comments from friends when we had our post-it week when we wrote comments and stuff for each other. A group of my office friends and I watched so many movies together and I have rated all of them so badly that Nikhil S. said that for Tejaswini to really love a movie, it really needs to be exceptional. Our team went to Essel World last month and had fun bonding and acting like kids... We had a joyous Christmas and loads of gifts and wonderful comments for our managers.
...I have missed dance classes this year... and I have missed writing poems; though I did write two... one for Shraddha, at 1:50 or something in the morning after she told me she was getting married and another for Sujay as a testimonial and birthday gift. Ashwini introduced me to some beautiful blogs... sensitive ones and nasty, bitchy ones. My hair is now quite short thanks to the quick snips of my hair dresser, though I don't have too many complaints.. I love it this way; its just nasty business tying it up so that it doesn't get wet in the shower.
...That was my year 2009 crammed into one post.
2010 is now here... I am gonna go and continue reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows now..
Good night and a Happy New Year
...Last year, in January, the first Sunday of the year, 3 girls met... at Hakka for lunch... The most memorable thing here was the notes we wrote for each other, Purni, Shrads and I... Purni had written a toast to our friendship and singlehood (The last one may not last long though, right... she had written)... Shrads wrote that each day we live we leave footsteps behind and it is important how each day is spent because the imprints lie like footfalls in snow... How very true... Purni's words seem prophetic now... Shraddha is now married for almost 4 months and in Germany, Purnima has found her soul mate as well and will be married this year...
...For me year 2009 was mainly an year of joys... an year of revelling in the happiest days of some of my friends' lives... weddings, babies, committments... Priyasha, my neighbour got married... Two Gauris from school got married, coincidentally, on the same day... The Gauri who was my good friend in school, I met after 9 years on her wedding day... Suchitra and Supriya got married.. Sujata has now a daughter, Nitya... Ananthanna is engaged... At office, Imran got married though is not working at KPIT anymore.. Nikhil, my fellow, auth team member and buddy got married in Feb to his sweetheart... Pranjal is engaged... My little bro, Vijendra, brought a new member to our family, Padmini/Vandana... his lovely wife. So many of these are love marriages... and I have to mention that there are two more of my friends who are committed but about whom I heard from other friends, so I shan't mention details here... Such and Shrads are now abroad... But so is Anjali... her husband's project got transferred to Singapore and after leaving her job here, Anj is working in S'pore as well... One of my dear friends is expecting a baby... again not gonna give away details just yet. We went for Anirruddha's moonji in Udupi...
...I made new friends and by this I mean some acquaintances of 2008 are now good friends... There's Rachana, Garvit, Pulkit, Saumya, Nikhil S., Nirjhari, Siddz... Two friends got added to the my list of best friends.. Amma of course and Sujay from work. After 9 years, Friendship day, brought with it a friendship that was never ever forgotten.. Wasima and Basma I met for the first time after school... and Sharvari and Priyanka and Balmeet...
...I read a lot of books... most significant of which is the Harry Potter series; I am reading the 7th book now and will read the first one last... I feel that one is jinxed, I have never been able to complete it. We painted our house... I bought a new Teddy Bear home... Watched some fun movies with Shraddha, Purnima, Pallavi and amma.
...The saddest event of the year for me which hit me personally was losing the second love of my life, my ajju. But, this was not completely sad in that, he had lived life to the fullest... genuinely king-size... and passed away so very peacefully. He never had to depend on anyone... He lived and died on his own terms, surrounded by part of his family and still so much in love with Bapama... And maybe that's what gave HER strength... the strength to pick up the pieces that we were shattering into.
...At work, I got promoted to Senior Engineer... I am now working with the Admin team... so its a new team and a new manager and also a new Senior manager. Some of my batch mates switched jobs. Some are serving their notice periods. I received some wonderful comments from friends when we had our post-it week when we wrote comments and stuff for each other. A group of my office friends and I watched so many movies together and I have rated all of them so badly that Nikhil S. said that for Tejaswini to really love a movie, it really needs to be exceptional. Our team went to Essel World last month and had fun bonding and acting like kids... We had a joyous Christmas and loads of gifts and wonderful comments for our managers.
...I have missed dance classes this year... and I have missed writing poems; though I did write two... one for Shraddha, at 1:50 or something in the morning after she told me she was getting married and another for Sujay as a testimonial and birthday gift. Ashwini introduced me to some beautiful blogs... sensitive ones and nasty, bitchy ones. My hair is now quite short thanks to the quick snips of my hair dresser, though I don't have too many complaints.. I love it this way; its just nasty business tying it up so that it doesn't get wet in the shower.
...That was my year 2009 crammed into one post.
2010 is now here... I am gonna go and continue reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows now..
Good night and a Happy New Year
Labels: Yaadein reh jaati hain...
