The Tall and Short of It

The Europeans are tall people. Well, not all of them. But the majority of them are. And those who know me know that I am a little bit vertically challenged (This was the title given to me in my IIMA Section A POTY Awards! I was indignant but that is a story for another time.)
Coming back to the topic on hand, I had dreams to meet some good French students (ooh laa laa!) and make them my BFFs. So, when the institute told us that they have some kind of Tandem program for us in order to facilitate our meeting the firangs, I was all ecstatic and immediately signed up for it.
I was assigned a French girl and immediately I had visions of roaming around the streets of Paris, soaking in the French culture and being all Parisian (don't get wrong ideas). Keeping this mind, I sent a mail introducing myself and asking her to do the same. She told me she had only recently come to Paris. My Parisian dreams were shattered, but then she said she was from Bourdeaux. I envisioned myself lazing in the vineyards of Bourdeaux, being ohh so graceful and elegant, and my plans were back on track.
Then she told me that she was a first year student, which according to my calculations made her about 19 or 20 years old. I am in the wrong side of 20 and had just overcome my quarter life crisis. But what the heck, what has age to do with friendship?
Keeping all this aside, I decided to meet her. I mailed her and asked her how would I recognise her in the school courtyard. She replied back " I am blonde, fair, Tall, actually the tallest measuring over 180 cm and I wear heels, so you can't miss me. What about you?" ON reading this, my heart skipped a beat. I would like like, actually I would not be visible next to her. But still, I replied "I am short, actually very short, dark and don't wear heels. I will find you".
I was already two strikes down. I wasn't entirely sure if I could find a way out of the third one. I went out and saw her. She came up to my shoulder as she was sitting. A sweet girl. But I am not entirely sure if she is up to be my BFF. Call me a racist, but she was too tall for it:)

Eurotrip chronicles

My other blog failed to take off. Partly because I am too lazy. And also because this gentleman laughed at my idea. And since I thought that he did have much more sense in the blogging department, I did not write. It is fun to shift the blame on others!! No offense.
I am done with my euro trip. Actually I was almost done with it the first week of November itself. I have realised I don't like to travel (future consultant, really?) on a shoestring budget (there is hope!). I have been to 11 countries, and towards the end everything appeared the same to me. Being a vegetarian (non-ova) doesn't help in this a lot as well.
The education system here reminds me of my class X CBSE days. I am cramming stuff like definitions and 15 points of social marketing. Who would have thought that MBA requires cramming? I just envisioned it to be exams full of writing globe. But, it happens!
Friends made, not many. Lessons learnt, too many. Will elaborate many of those in subsequent posts.
But I am proud of myself for living in a foreign country, with people speaking a foreign language and navigating through simple day to day activities like shopping in French supermarkets, booking train tickets and opening a bank account. I am a big girl now:)

I don't know what to say

Each time I take a long break, I promise myself that I will write more often and then I am back to my old ways. I don't even have any excuses anymore apart from the fact that I am plain lazy.
IInd year in IIMA is exactly the opposite of the I year. I have nothing to do (which is technically wrong; I do nothing). I have been watching movies and series ( Gossip Girl is awesome!) and generally chilling out. What plans I had- I will reach the stars and change the world. I will read books and learn French. I joined yoga and left it (in my defence the teacher was not very encouraging). Billions of Bilious Blue BlisteringBarnacles! Nothing I did. But not all is lost. I have been busy getting my French Visa. As you all I am going to Paris (yay!). It has always been my dream to go abroad. My dad had told me that he was taking me to California when I was in the 6th standard. I was so excited, I read about American culture, their accent, saw their movies and listened to their songs. But alas, the plan did not materialize. Since then I have been waiting for the day when I go abroad.
Now that I am actually going, it has dawned on me that getting a visa is a very difficult process. Also it is pretty expensive. I needed to search everywhere to get the required information.
So the good samaritan that I am, I came up with the idea of posting it all on a blog. It will give students all the info which they require. Apart from that it will also allow me to document my first international journey. I hope that I am able to work on this project (keeping my fingers crossed).
Let the journey begin:)

Breaking News

I distinctly remember my class X english teacher emphasizing the importance of a caption. She repeatedly drilled it into our heads that a caption should be short and eye-catching. I must say she would be proud if she saw the title of my post today-short and eye catching obviously (why else would the news channels use it??), even though it is not connected to this post, but then, who cares?
But I have news. I am now, the proud owner of...wait for it...( I need to get over these barneyisms), a brand new, ladies BICYCLE. Yes, I know my previous post was all about the tough times I spend on the cycle. And my gracious employers have given me a Ms. India bicycle, which is a shocking pink in colour. Now I am not a pink person, but then give me a ladies cycles any day over those big, crossbar-ed atlas thingys. I have made peace with the colour, but some of my colleagues have not. They vehemently opposed the colour, ridiculed it and came up with innovative jokes. But then, they are the ones now borrowing these cycles, cause who would walk when you could pedal your way with a basket in front.:)
Gujarat celebrated Uttarayan or sankranti (for the less informed) with a great deal of zeal. Kites were flown all over the city and cries of "Kai poche"-the kite has been cut, (again for the less informed), resounded the streets. The Gujarat government took steps to ban the sale of chinese manja (the thread for flying kites), which is very dangerous. This manja, is apparently much sharper than the indian one and is also cheaper. One victim of this manja was my internet cable connection and I was rudely pulled away from my blogs and facebook, but now I am back. (Yipee)
For the interested, I am also upto a number of new things. I have just started reading the adventures of Asterix and Obelix and I am already a die hard fan. Best comics ever. And I am finally watching Boston Legal. Who doesn't like Alan Shore?? I just wonder how do the women manage to look so impeccable even with such packed schedules. And the most important thing, I have started cooking. :) Yes, you all can applaud. Made paneer paranthas, aloo gobhi, aloo matar and pongal among many other things.
So as all the catching up from my side has been done, what's new on your side??
Tchao for now.:)

I am old

Times have changed. At one time, my father used to tell his colleagues about how well I had performed in the exams. Nowadays I get to know how well my colleagues children have performed in theirs.
I met my senior colleague today when I was out grocery shopping(yes...times have changed). I met his wife and child. The child was not in a mood to say hello. My boss said to him, " Beta, Aunty ko hi bolo". I looked around to see as to who he was referring to and then it dawned on to me that I was the aunty.
I felt my whole life flashing before my eyes. Just yesterday, I was in school and today I am an aunty. Life, is indeed, too short.
P.S. I find it difficult to come up with titles for each and every post. I have never been good at it.

Bicycle Diaries

Lets start at the very beginning. I never liked riding a cycle because of an incident which involved a fence, front brakes of the bike and the bicycle on top of me. My mom coaxed me, cajoled me, threatened to throw me out of the house, all to make me learn to ride it but to no avail. Then one day, my big bro came along and told me that it is compulsory to ride a cycle in IIT. Naive and gullible that I was, I fell for it, as IIT was where I wanted to be. Soon I got a brand new bicycle and had got the hang of it. The wind blowing through my hair, I felt reckless and independent.
Anyhoo,I know I have not yet written anything suggested by the blog title, but I am coming to it. So back to my story. My bicycle learnings were not much useful in IIT as I preferred walking to cycling. But as Steve Jobs says, nothing you learn ever goes to waste. So is the same with the bicycle.
My bicycle expertise is now proving to be very useful. My job involves field inspections and I have to travel a lot in 1100 acres of land. Motor vehicles are not allowed, because there should not be any kind of spark in a petrochemical plant. So a bicycle is the only mode of transportation. Fair enough.
Alas, there is always a glitch. The cycles which are available are Hero Men's cycles, complete with a bar and everything. And for a short person it appears to be even bigger. Trying to mount the cycle requires a lot of ingenuity. This is how I do it-
1. Take the cycle to a secluded spot.
2. Tilt the cycle to 60 degrees to the vertical.
3. Now swing the leg across the bar.
4. Make sure noone sees you doing this.
5. Start riding the cycle and pray that nothing comes in front of your cycle suddenly.
6. While dismounting, follow the steps 1 to 3 again.
I have dropped the cycle a few times, but no damage done. I am making use of atleast some of my learnings.
And now I can proudly say, " Give me any bicycle and I will show you how to ride it" :)

I am back!!!

Just like promised...agreed it took a bit longer than expected. It all started with my intern...no internet connection, so my loyalty to the blogosphere diminished. Then on my return, I suffered from what is known as the "Writer's Block"( I like to give myself airs). But I have been faithfully following my favourite blogs...be it sun or rain, nothing can deter me from doing so.
So today when I was reading one of the aforementioned blogs, I came across a post telling about the different songs the writer was listening to. So I thought even I should put up my playlist(not that anyone is interested) but still.
1. Way Back Into Love(Title track-Music and Lyrics)- Hugh Grant simply seduces you with his charming voice and the cherry on the cake is that he is way too cute. And if Triple H is reading this, Hugh Grant rocks!
2. Carnival of Rust- Poets of the Fall- I have never heard such a sensuous baritone. The song doesn't make sense, but still it sounds good.
3. Colourblind-Darius- Ya I know it is an old song, but the lyrics are really nice. The way he compares each colour to an emotion is innovative.
4.I wish I was a punk rocker(Sandy Thomas)- If you haven't heard this, do listen to it.It is different.
5. Falguni Pathak- In my defense, the TS were going on. And Maine Payal Hai Chankaayi is a good song. I liked the guy Vivan Bhatena, long before he became a star.
So tell me about your playlists as well.
P.S.- I am back on popular demand, so if this post sucks, then it is not my fault. I had nothing to write about.
P.P.S.- Disclaimer- All P.Ss and P.P.Ss are written on my own accord, without inspiration from any person living or dead.