The shopping madness!!

                 There is a reason I love Thanksgiving!! The total shopping madness..According to me my shopping capabilities are too good to be questioned!! :):) but this time I must accept that my abilities were challenged..We started shopping at 9PM CST!! Went to the first mall, but we had the wrong information (a bit of my fault) Stonebriar mall was suppose to open at 6AM and not 10PM..So the plans needed modifications..Run time changes you know!! Then we went to allen..It the pandharpur for shoppers!!Truly!! All the brands, all the shops!! You cant ask for more..GAP, ck, NIKE, VanHeusen the list goes on..
                So I started shopping, aai, baba, kaka, kaku, bhau , bahini....well we have so many people in our lives!!I must say one needs to be focused for such kind of shopping..Limited time, unlimited offers, credit card limits(hahahhaha) etc!! Now Its almost morning and we are heading  to Stonebriar..Finally!! Even now all the shops aren't open..I managed to buy some stuff from here and there (I am saying as if I had to shop :):):)) I am not a person who will spend enormous amount on buying things(according to me!!)..I will take time to get the best possible deal and the thing I am looking for..I am specific about things I buy..Lets keep that apart..So shopping madness..After Stonebriar, we had nice breakfast at IHOP..Seriously I was very very hungry..After that heavy breakfast, came home and slept!!! Later in the morning visited target and wallmart to finish up the remaining stuff..And finishes shopping at around 5PM..9to5 kind of shopping!!Thats not interesting, the interesting part is I loved this concept of Black friday!! Its a real treat for shoppers..well I didnt find things very cheap but it was fun shopping..The madness has already taken toll on me..I am done shopping!!

               

Viva Mexico, Sheshe and Chak de!!!

               I am going to miss these days..One of my friends from office is going back to mexico this week, so we all went out for dinner this friday..Yiye really chose a very very nice chinese restaurant for the special occasion..I can not believe that I know these people for just two months now..It feels like knowing them since forever..We used to have such a great time in the office..The lunch breaks used to be very exciting for all four of us..Every day there has to happen something to laugh about..Sometimes, Its about me and fortune cookies, sometimes Yiye and his jacket, the southern Mexican people(I am supporting you aurora), or turtles and Carlitos.
                All of us are from different countries, different  parts of world..But still there is something that connects us..I do not know what that is, but there is definitely some thing behind this strong bond of friendship..Carlitos and Aurora can speak some marathi now, And mind you Aurora can fight using marathi words :):)..We know what exactly to order at Chinese restaurants, how to ask for less spicy dish and we can thank the waitress too..They are still not good at eating with hands!! :):):)
                There are many interesting stories to share..Many many discussions/quotes to write..I really had very great time with all these people..I am going to miss all that..The discussions were very diverse..Geeta, Chinese food, Mexican food, potatoes, wars, fashion, US, home, families, cartoons(Derek in particular), armies, jackets, Philosophy, songs( I wonder how this tunak tunak song is famous!!)..

tagline!!

                On our very own Funasia Radio, RJ Vaibhav hosts a show in the evening.I like his show because he seems to be a very positive and energetic person..Last week he asked a simple question for which people had complicated answers!! The question was "If you want to describe your life, Can you describe it in one sentence? Can you give a tagline for your life??"
                  I am sure some people will say, Life is supposed to be enjoyed, not summarized..Are you people trying to market your life???blah blah blah..I feel its really an interesting thing to think about..Lets leave that discussion apart..

                 Then calls started flooding in!! "The princess", "The lady who is successful in all the spheres of life",  "Winners do not do different things, they do things differently" (Isn't it the Shiv Khera quote??)..Almost all those were similar taglines! घिसेपिटे , typical sentences..Nothing new..:( Then I started thinking about my own life!! 'Life', my favorite topic to think about!! You wont believe I really tried hard to come up with something..It is not that simple..Covering everything is almost impossible..

                   After thinking about it for quiet a long time, the thought crossed my mind, Is describing my life that difficult?? Again the same old sentence came to my mind..Its only complicated if you make it!! Fantastic, I said to myself and just wrote the tagline!! 

                    So everyone, do come with a tagline for your life..Its fun!! and I would like to know if you want to share it.:)  :)

This too shall pass...

On a nice evening looking at the sun..

Even sun says the same thing..

Not the day nor the night is long

This too shall pass..

Sitting on a bench..all alone..
watching the different shades of the sky...

the colors are changing soon..and saying..
This too shall pass..

Tough deadlines..Hectic schedules..

With so much to do and insufficient time..

Then I close my eyes and say

This too shall pass...

Enjoying the weather..not sunny nor cold..
perfect time just to spend a day out..
sun starts peaking out of the clouds saying
This too shall pass..

Staying alone away from family..
Thinking about them all the time..
I wish I was there..calender says
This too shall pass..

This period of uncertainty..Unclear future..
Where I would be next year..How will be things?
Then I remind myself...Have faith dear..
This too shall pass..

Diwali..

             Being away from home on diwali is one of the worst things that can happen to you..It happened to many of us!! I miss being home in diwali..We have a typical way of enjoying this festive season..It all starts from shopping..Clothes for everyone!! My mother shops for all of us!! Then we go to Nalegaon..Its the time when my whole family is together! Full on Hum saath saath hai types!! We all love fire crackers(not me really) but as a team of 10 we do!!(we are team10(6 sisters and 4 brothers!!) with the addition of 2 now! but they are GENEXT) Then in the night we make this long list of fire-crackers we want to buy..Then its shopping time again!! My sweet little kid brothers go for checking the prices and find out the best prices!! Aniket and Tanmay work hard on this.. Then its time for the big bro to get into the picture and buy all those from the respective shops!! Finally we manage to get the firecrackers and now these kids insist to sleep in the same room where we keep them safely:)!! We start preparing the beds..Tanmay announces, we need to be the first in the morning.."पहिला फटाका आपला!!" That means we get up at 3!! Isn't it extremely early?? मग आई आम्हा सगळ्यांना अंघोळी घालते..तेल,  पण इथे पण एक नियम आहे, जोपर्यंत दास काकांची अंघोळ होत नाही, तोपर्यंत फटके नाहीत...मग सगळ्या गाड्या काढायच्या..So now it is 4.30AM!! Then its Firecrackers!!! We start at 4.30AM..We go on till around 6..Last one is suppose to be the special one, we insist that everyone in the home sees that..Mostly das kaka lights it..We all sit down and enjoy that one!!Now we are done..Now the next game..सगळे फटाके, कागद, आणि त्यामुळे झालेला कचरा एकत्र करायचा आणि मग एकत्रच जाळायचा!! Please don,t do it..It is dangerous!! We  do it anyways..Now it is 6.30-7AM and we have nothing to do..So every year we go to our farms..We go there and play, race etc till 9..This is the thing, when you have all the school-going kids in your house..(Well even I love to play all those games :):))..So now we are tired..Time to go back home..Where delicious brunch awaits us!!

              After this heavy brunch, It is Movie time!! Movie marathon will be more accurate word..All these usual family dramas, we have been watching for years..We watch those movies again and again..You wont believe but those CDs we bought the first time have already given up long ago!!

              Then in the evening, its again time for some action!! Rangoli near the front door.."पणत्या" all over the roof and stairs..The house looks wonderful..

                Ohh the most important thing FOOOD!! Apart from all the traditional delicacies, we have special brunch every morning!! That might be batata wada, parathas, misal..And special snacks in the evenings!! Not to miss puranpoli(My favoritest food on the earth) and everything to be made with that!!

                Lakshmipujan..It is a story in itself..The guruji will be late every time..We will be sitting all dressed up for puja waiting for him..Then he will show up from nowhere..He truly is tufaan mail..No one understands what he says..Sometimes he will skip some portions of the arati..Half of the time he will be talking on the phone..It is fun..Sadly we do not get anything new on bhaubij because we get those gifts on the first day of diwali!! :( :(

              These things, these days..I miss everything very very badly..Being alone in Diwali is really very very bad..I miss you guys..Phone/skype nothing will help..Its just being there at home..with all of you..Love you all..I am missing all that for the second time..Missing you all..

A good news is on its way!!

                 This is what my fortune cookie says!! Fortune cookies!! I love fortune cookies..I do not know whether it reveals the fortune and all, I just know that it makes me feel good!! :) :)
               I went for lunch with my friends the other day to some Chinese Restaurant and found my fortune!! I thought this is some chinese tradition but wikipedia says that  "Fortune cookies are often served as a dessert in Chinese restaurants in the United States and some other countries, but are absent in China."
         The origin of fortune cookies is said to be in Japan.As far back as the 19th century, a cookie very similar in appearance to the modern Fortune cookie was made in Kyoto, Japan, and there is a Japanese temple tradition of random fortunes, called omikuji.
           I like fortune cookies as they have this feel good factor attached to them!! If you are having a bad day, and you get a fortune cookie that says "It will change soon" or as in my case "a good news on its way!!" you just feel good..So I am waiting for that good news now!! :):):)
          This is an example that how sometimes a simple gesture can change ones mood and sometimes outlook? I know the logical people here will say that this is just a random piece of paper and all..But I don't think so..I like the fortune cookies, the cookies and fortune both!! For some people these might act like omen..But for me, they make me smile!! and make me feel good!!

कधीतरी..

असंच रोज संध्याकाळी बसून सुंदर सूर्यास्त बघावा..

तो मावळणारा सूर्य..आकाशाचा केशरी रंग..

हळूहळू बदलत जाणाऱ्या निळ्या रंगाच्या छटा..

आणि त्याबरोबर बदलणारे माझे विचार..

मग हळू हळू येणारी रात्र..तिच्यासोबत येणारा चंद्र..

चंद्रप्रकाशात न्हाऊन जावं..पाण्यात पाय टाकून चहा प्यावा..

मनातलं लिहावं..काहीतरी वाचावं..

काहीतरी सांगावं आणि काहीतरी ऐकावं..

उधाणणाऱ्या या वाऱ्यावर द्यावे स्वतःला झोकून..

शांतपणे फक्त वाऱ्याचच गाणं ऐकावं थांबून..

ऐकावं त्याचंही म्हणण कधीतरी..

सांगावं त्यालाही गुपित कधीतरी..

सकाळी थांबून आरामात सूर्योदय पहावा..

नवीन उमेद आणणाऱ्या त्या ताऱ्याची थोडी उर्जा घ्यावी..

त्याच्याकडून उमेद घ्यावी..

आणि त्याला संध्याकाळी भेटण्याची हमी द्यावी!!