The sunshine smile

Ok, technically I should be working now…But I missed my blog so I came here to say hi…Its been a very hectic week and I am on a new project at work which has LOADS of fieldwork :)…and am tremendously excited.

But you know, I realized that this blog is dangerously close to becoming a journal, which is not what it was meant to be – I have to change it anyway..I need a new template and a new profile pic, and of course, a new URL. I cant show my face anywhere with this one :)

Oh and I met a fellow-blogger on Saturday in Pune, I would love to give a blow-by-blow account of our coffee, but hes sure to read this, so I refrain :) Needless to say, he was really sweet and easy to talk to..and we didn’t notice the time fly, which in my opinion is a good indication of whether you had a nice time. I was at Pune for a conference, but the best part was the special dinner night where they had a DJ and a dance floor…its been sooooo long…I was dressed to the hilt…and me & my colleagues danced our heels off to Bollywood numbers (which I would be otherwise ashamed to listen to), albeit with men twice our age…I think that’s a rule of the land anyway…I got drunk too, just the right amount…not too much to make a fool of myself…but not too little to care about others…oh, it was so awesome I tell you :) I really needed the break…

Now I am back in my Chennai office just for the day for a meeting…it feels so strange to be here after almost a year. Nothing has changed at all…but I guess I am nostalgic to a fault. And sometimes I do things just out of sheer bloody- mindedness. That’s not a good combination now is it?? This might sound a tad silly but today I am very happy because a friend gave me flowers…ok, not flowers, a flower nonetheless… But how does it matter when you are so happy? :)

Oh and I almost forgot to tell you the moral victory I won yesterday…a friend of mine and I went for dinner to Residency Towers yesterday and we chose a terrace seating on the 20th floor with a view of the entire city…I cant tell you how breathtakingly beautiful it was, live band and all…and of course, we had just got off the train from Bangalore and were therefore looking a little worse for wear…ok, actually like something the cat brought in…and the maitre d' evidently thought we didnt belong there and she was like the minimum billing in this place is 500 rupees, is that ok with you?? My friend was aghast and thought of leaving, but then there was NO way I was leaving, it was too perfect to give up, music, breeze and all…so I did the next best thing… I completely lost it and gave her a piece of my mind and totally wiped the floor with her and her stuck-up manager…I cant tell you how happy that made me feel…huh, I sound so juvenile, even to myself…but I don’t care :)

Anyhow, that dispensed with, the weeks ahead promise lots of traveling – to MP and Gujarat…I cant wait to go back to Gujarat :) I may even go to Thanjavur again :) And in celebration of going back to the fields, Ive decided to get my nose pierced…with a subtle sliver ring…It’ll go down really well in the village and it looks really good with colored Kajal…whats life without colors?? I really love this phase when you get happy for no reason…Isnt it great??.I recommend it thoroughly :)

Ive also a lot of opinions too lately…that’s new for me, because usually I maintain that I am not qualified enough to comment on anything and dont really venture an opinion (except on this blog :P)…its too tedious to write all Ive been thinking lately but one of the uppermost thoughts that has been on my mind after seeing all these villages is that home-makers..or housewives or whatever…should be paid a salary for their work..cos they are the only people who slog for a lifetime and get paid absolutely nothing…and all their work earns them no financial independence…just cos we don’t put a value on their work…If you had to pay someone to do all they do, and that too, unconditionally…without raises or timings or cribbing or any of those hassles…??? Wow, how much would the GDP of our country be?? Or any country??? Just calculate and see it’s a lot… Seriously, housework is the only work that doesn’t get paid …and then the tag of doing nothing….what a raw deal… Yes, if you come back saying I am trying to “put a price on love” and stuff like that, it wont be well-received…umm, on second thoughts, say what you must, I don’t really care :)

Because me so happyyyyy :) So that’s it for now…am getting back to work..nice talking to you :)