And Google works...

After working for 2 years at a stock image bank and volunteering part time with NGOs, I decided to make certain decisions. So, I quit the job without another job in hand and started to prepare for my higher studies. My folks very annoyed with my decision and felt I was being reckless with my life. ("Meet my friends", i wanted to tell them :P)

So 3 months later, finished a first-aid course, a home nursing course and started a DBA in Environmental Studies. No money left and there was so much to do. The teach India program for the year ended.

Then I got a job with a gambling company, awesome job, great pay, scored great in the interview

and topped every day during the exams in our training. Requested the manager to put me in the night shift, and he gladly agreed. Little did I know that it would be the peak hour, chatting to 75 people simultaneously, 2 monitors to watch, moderate chat games for them and credit their

accounts.

But few days in the job, it was fun. The only reason I wanted a night shift job was so that I could either volunteer with a NGO during the day or visit educational consultancies to plan for my higher studies. I realised being nocturnal doesn't mean you can take up a night shift job. I had a tough time trying to sleep in the morning. Everytime I managed to sleep, someone would be ringing the calling bell or there would be other disturbances.

But the job was awesome. Soon a classmate of mine, joined. Like me, he too did great in his interview, scored great during the training and had fans. It was a nice feeling to get emails from customers telling they liked us. Of course people even complained...lol

So 5 months in the job, I decided I needed a break. So, I quit. I remember it was a Sunday morning, I freshened up in office and took the MMTS to Church. I sat eating sprouts and sipping Irani chai under the peepal tree in the church compound. People would start coming in one hour, so I had time. A friendly dog, who is called scooby came and sat next to me as if she were joining me in my thinking.

I had nothing planned for my future. But I did have a list of things to do or let me put it this way,things I wish I could do.

My cousin had moved to Bangalore and she wanted me

to help her arrange stuff in her bungalow and take care of the kids for a fortnight. This was 20 Sep 2009. Took the evening train to Bangalore. This was the time when swine flu was spreading. The people in the coach had worn masks, I had cough, I wore one too. Everytime I coughed pe

ople looked at me with uncertainty.

Cousin's house was huge. She had 2 rooms full of books. So when she wasn't around and I had no chores to do, I sat looking at the books. Her lil daughter was a bundle of joy. I remember, one morning she woke me up with a kiss. When i was up, she sit on my lap and hugged me. One day maybe!!

My cousin is a feminist and shes someone who

goes around on a bike. Her son somehow didn't seem to take me seriously. He challenged me for

a badminton game, I did better than him. Then he wanted to play videogames. That wasn't something i really liked or know. He gave me a list and I chose mario cos I had seen the lil man jumping on around on a screen years ago.

To my own disbelief, I played well here as well.

And this guy was really upset. Next day we went

to a swimming pool and thats where I stood in the same place where I entered. He was happy and I didn't seem to mind.

2 weeks in Bangalore and was back in Hyderabad for a week. The whole week was spent of google...searching for job, looking up at universities... Thats when I stumbled upon....... WAVE, though I didn't seem to fit the criteria I applied..... I prayed asking God to give me one chance in this project. The devil on the left side, swaying his tail laughed at me, "Of all people, you?". The angel wearing a sparkling halo, would fight back "Nothing is impossible to him/her who believes".... Yeah, I had the faith.

Then went to chennai to stay with my cousin when my aunt and uncle went to my native. My aunt was so scared and so prayed standing in every room, holding the keys and what not. She gave me a big list of things not to do.

My cousin would go to work in the morning. The TV had only boring tamil serials. My time was spent reading the newspaper over and over again sitting at the balcony. I decided never to buy an apartment.

One day I visited a friend who was pregnant. My cousin brother picked me up and said he would

drop me home. But off he took me in his swanky car to Mahabalipuram. Till date none in the family know that I was on a drive with him. I didn't realise he was driving fast cos the windows were rolled up, it was raining and plus i kept talking non-stop. When he showed me the speedometer, i freaked out.

But it was night and could couldn't see the beach. So it was just a long drive and back.

In the evening we would go shopping. I would have loved to go to the beach in the night but had

a bad experience once so we went to the beach in the afternoon... Ha ha a beach in chennai in the noon.

One day I got a call from an unknown number.... Before answering the call, i jumped in excitement and then answered. It was Sapna, one of our co-ordinators. She seemed assertive and to the point. I could imagine her saying "No nonsense young woman".

But well, Sapna called to ask if I could translate for the girl selected to represent AP. Something is better than nothing, I though. At least I would be a part of WAVE.

So thats how it started. More later.

I wish i were a doctor

My first-aid course and the home nursing course is going great. The first day i missed. The second day I felt like an idiot sitting there. They are around 40 people doing this course and most of the them are either doctors, medical practioners, nurses, mid-wifes or pharmacists and another set of people from the fire and safety field who already knew it all. The class was in telegu, i could understand it and i kept taking notes. The lecturer asked me to stop taking notes....Grrr!! that helps me stay awake.. The guy kept taunting saying people doing this home nursing need not be stylish and gave me a taunting look... Grrrr!!

I was the only girl sitting there and I was feeling so awkward. If i looked at the lecturer all i could see were a group of eyes from the front rows staring. If i looked at my book, the lecturer would taunt. He asked me the scientific terminology and I told him i wasn't from a science backward. So that was a very bad day for me.

Yesterday was great. During the home nursing class, he asked some questions and i managed to answer most of them. I sat in the first row so that i would not notice the cheapos staring. There is this one scary guy, who positions himself facing me. He had come in for the second class yeasterday and he shooed away the guy who was next in that corner. Felt like punching him on the face. When i turn to look at him he smiles...... but he is real scary.

The first-aid class was great. The lecturer had us whether we knew to do a CPR and I told him i knew. So for the next 2 hours of the class he sat down and I explained how to do a CPR and read my english book and translated in telugu and hindi.

Pic: Loyola I mac in studio

Today also was a hit when we discussed about home remedies. Two guys from Sudan joined the course today. So i did the honour of explaining what they missed out. Seeing that the group of cheapos also assembled.. Grrr!!

Today our lecturer asked one guy to read out from his telugu book. Once the guy was done with it, the guys said they wanted it to be read out in English. This lecturer was nice and called a guy to read it out. Then the fellows said they couldn't hear it and asked me to read from the book and explain. I gave them an attitude look and turned away. So our sweet lecturer read out the whole chapter aloud.... He he he

Btw the pic above... that was taken at my native... We had this prayer by a pentacost lady and she just wouldn't stop.. So i fell asleep. My lil bro had taken that picture and showed it to everyone.

Another cam :-)

My very first cam was a JVC Handycam..... I still have it. Though I didn't use it much I had taken some shots which are very closed to my heart...

Though i had to spend thousands repairing it I still have it and wish to get it as long as I can.....An antique it will be someday.

Then 2 years back on a great december I got a cool prosumer camera Fuji finepix S9500. Its the best of its kind...I still regret for having sold it away to my bro-in-law, but i needed money for the next cam...

This camera was great for shooting landscapes and sky.....

The old cam's sale paid 25% of this cam a super cool Canon 400 D... I've shot some good shots which I've kept for myself... Got another lens for it too.

This cam plus, the 2 extra lenses, macro lenses etc etc was all together a big kit and I could not carry it along with me everyday.

There were so many things happening and I used to feel "how i wish i had my cam with me".... So that urge paved way for a smaller and lesser MP cam.

Haven't taken the pic of the cam so here is me with the cam box... A nikon 5 mp cam.

And of course apart from these digi cams I have 3 other cams which are safe in my almirah.

Met all my classmates today....had a great time....more about that in the next blog.

Who is gonna bail me out?

I guess very soon I will be arrested for misbehaviour. The way i see it, I won't call it misbehaviour but well I gotta have some control over my hands.

I punched an old man(60+) in the bus yesterday. That creep!!! I'm not going to go into details. I told him to keep off which he didn't and then I did what i usually do.

I seriously think I should be joining the Mahila Department only to beat up these drunken rogues.

What guts these oldies have? The other day one guy was smelling my hair, after scolding him he argues back but the moved away. These oldies, ah!!

Ok, i think i should do yoga or something. Maybe I should take up Women studies.

Apart from this frustration... I've got loads of other things..

1. I hate it when people don't stop near the zebra crossing for pedestrians to cross.. I hate it when people cross anywhere between the roads.

2. Something is wrong with the breathing system or whatever it is called. I'm not able to take in smoke especially from cigarettes. So i'm happy about the new rule. Come Oct 2, people won't be allowed to smoke on main roads, cafes, hotels, pubs etc etc..

Today, well I'm gonna do some shopping and maybe spend some time near tha lake. There is lot going on in my mind..

Btw the pic.... That my baby Octave.

I conquered both of them........ Yipee!!!

There were 2 major things that i never wanted to do in my life.
1. Walk bare feet on a normal day near the Sec-bad station road.
2. Walk bare feet on a rainy day near the signals ( a common place where some creepy men relieve themselves.

Believe it or not, both my fears have been conquered.

Fear 1: Thanks to Gyana. Both of us were walking near the station road one evening. We had to cross the road. As usual the lady was speaking on the phone, unmindful of the traffic. We got stuck after crossing half the road. I moved and she pulled me back. Then she moved and I pulled her back. And then this lady steps on my sandal and i start to run, only to realise that the strap came off....We were right between the road, so i just removed the other sandal and walk till the cobbler store...Over all the dry spit and paan and what not....

So well.....I did it!!! Doesn't feel all that yuck.

Fear 2: It was 8:20 PM when i signed out at the security. It was raining heavily, right outside my office was a big pool of water. I walk out of the gate and walk right in between..... I like that feeling of walking in rain water. Then i realised that i was wearing this jing bangee gaudy sandals(my sister's). I could feel it getting loose on my right foot... I kept walking...I managed to get till the bus stop. There was this bus almost empty (a very rare sight in this city) so i started running towards it and whilst running the sandal came off... I just removed it and boarded the bus...

Then at Paradise i had to walk barefeet.... The place stinks.... But i had too... I walked back home bare feet.
It doesn't feel that bad after all....

Btw....the pic was taken in Kanya Kumari.... Lesson leart: don't wear a skirt if you are going to a beach.

Bozo, my sister

Her name is Preethie, going to be 25 in 3 days..... She can be a real pain at times but thats what i love in her.


I couldn't resist posting what happened today.



I've been studying various flowers and insects lately and I wanted my sister to know that too. So whilst returning from church in the bus i was showing her the trees and telling her the names.

Me: Thats a flame in the forest.
Preethie: Yeah yeah "know it all girl".
Me: Its a natural colour used to make holi colors.

Preethie: Imagine I smear it on your face..
Me: Yeah right..


Me: Look there, thats plumeria also known as Frangipani and in India the locals call it "Temple flowers".
Preethie: I know, i know, you've told that to me many times.
Psst...she wasn't really listening.




Me: Have you heard of Lantana.
Preethie: Ammm, Santana?? Yeah, the guy with the guitar on VH1.
Me: Pest, LANTANA!!!
Preethie: Nopes, haven't heard of it. Yawn!!!
Me: Well, our childhood was associated with this flower a lot... Will show you when the shrub comes.
Preethie: Yawn!!!! wakay!! (Ok)
Me: Look, those colourful small flowers there, thats a lantana.
Preethie: Oh wow, a discovery!!! Good job Kiddo..... I taught you to suck this flower from behind.
Me: What??? (Totally perplexed).... Please do mention that i had the nectar,
Preethie: Pervert!!!
Me: Its in the mind of the thinker!!!
Preethie: I don't think rt, atleast u say that...So its you...PERVERT!!


Now I was looking for a way to get back on her.... Knowing that shes a lil funnily dumb, I show the Frangipani flower tree and ask..
Me: Bozo, what did i say the name of that flower was??
Preethie: FUNKY PANNI!!!!

(Panni in tamil is pig....Now wow, imagine that a Funky pig, yo man!!)


I burst into peals of laughter and she just gave me an attitude look...

Shes adorable, more like a pet... I always missed not having an elder bro...but now, not really.... All my cousin brothers are either married with 2 kids, or their wives are pregnant and the only single guy is busy with his girl...
I call my sis with various names and she totally loves it . Motu, bozo, pest, mongrel, pesko etc etc...
Shes the best.....My pet mongrel :-)

My African connection

Whenever I'm asked about the places I want to travel abroad... I tell em - Africa, Australia, UK, Andaman and Nicobar, Srilanka (my native) and France.

I was telling a friend of mine that I wanted to work in Africa and he asked me if i had watched "blood diamond".

Now, thats a question many of them asked me. The answer, "no".

Finally I got it watch it on TV day before night.
The movie was heart-shattering, i cried throughout.

Now makes me wonder where the diamonds that I have on my ring came from.

As i kid, watching discovery, NGC etc....I wanted to go to Africa for the animals.

Then i met three lovely people from tanzania, Pili, Asha and Said.... I then craved to go to Africa for the people.

My family is not supportive of me going there. There are a lot of committments I have to make for it.

"Blood diamond" is an amazing movie....