sachurday

Yesterday, in between a plumber replacing a broken geyser and MTR's upma, I used the entire afternoon to watch Entourage Season 1. We've seen it before, of course, but a while back, last year sometime maybe. Perked me up. A few more chapters of the book I was reading (and have since finished), a 15 minute nap and then a night of diwali cards. It was the worst taash session. Almost. It was at my boss's place, and the stakes there are higher (much higher) than what we play with (which is a comfortable 10cents/20cents!). Out of the 9 people playing, I was the only one who did not win a SINGLE hand all night. Steady stream of chips going away. Then, like a nice plotline getting tied up at the end, I won a bit in the last hand of the night. I was still down overall, but the fact that I had won at least the one hand, felt better.

I had a Laphroaig to celebrate.

happy returns

I can't quite remember the last time I was alone on my birthday.

It was probably about 7-8 years ago, maybe. Can't really say. I remember once many many years ago, I was home alone. The next day was a Hindi exam- mid-terms I presume. I couldn't be taken out for dinner, naturally, as the paper beckoned. That's what we usually did- went out for dinner as a family. Rarely did we have parties (big or otherwise); the four of us just went out for Indian or Chinese or, in the earlier days, Nirula's. So this one birthday I had an exam, my parents had a rare dinner to go for and my brother was either out or had moved out (to b-school?) by then.
So it was just me, the occasional call, some boring Hindi studying, some minor self pity.

Today (the clocks tell me I mean yesterday but I have always told people its their birthday not just till 12, but till the are asleep) has been different. I went to work, where only one person knew it was my birthday, and that was fine by me. I got sms wishes and facebook wishes (not quite the crazy deluge because my FB profile does not show my birth date) and a few phone calls. I got one or two tentative queries whether there was a plan the evening. I hadn't made one, so there wasn't. Office largely emptied, I continued to do more work than I needed impendingly to do, replies to emails and facebook bits. I left, got myself a subway and came home to watch the cricket match(es). [Let's not go there, long story, thrilling but tragic end]. I stayed home, had a drink, ate, had many happy birthday conversations.

Does it sound a bit lonely and a bit sad? But I don't mean it to, because I wasn't and it wasn't. All through, D-who is away on work- sent me joy and smiles and song. She was, and is, freakishly busy, but managed to make me smile not just a few times but through the day, and on the inside.

What about wild, drunken celebrations, you say? We'll have a chance for that soon enough!

a mere few thousands

This on a site for some thing :
"As we are searching live availability, prices can occasionally fluctuate. Please note that the price for this offer has increased by SGD 8962.22."

In any context, ....wtf???

Nothing really...

1) I work like a bitch. Get exhausted beyond belief. Miss my husband like mad. And yet I continue to do what I do. I must really love my job. The thing is I don't think I do. But it has these moments. Few & far between. But it does. When everything is worth it.

2) I defnitely listen to less music than A but sometimes I tend to get immersed in certain pieces of music. Am not talking about what one listens to on CD or on the Ipod. Am talking about the music one uses as a soundtrack. There will always be this one track that will give me goose bumps. The kind of track that you want to play over and over again with the lights off.

3) I slept about 5 hours last night and yet I was bright and chirpy today.

4) I hate how sitting on the laptop all day can make you feel throwy up.

5) I hope I can stretch out this weekend before a crazy 3 month work schedule starts.

6) I love looking at photos.

7) This wasn't supposed to be a list. But I am not surprised at all that it has turned into one. Lists make me happy.

8) I am in KL again. No cable TV here so I watch movies. I carried "Gone with the wind" with me and I have watched it in bits and pieces. I love it. Feel like reading the book again.

ok that's it really. It was supposed to be nothing after all.

Dirty Dancing...

I was in school when I saw "Dirty Dancing". I remember having the biggest crush on Patrick Swayze. I remember thinking - I should be "Baby". The one who is lifted up in the air by Johnny!

I wanted to dance like them. I wanted to feel what they felt. I wanted to be in the movie. Period.

And the kissing scenes. Ohmygod! I would get all chokey and blushy! I hadn't even held hands with a boy let alone kissed anyone at the time!

To me it isn't the old, wrinkly, sick Patrick Swayze that just died. It's Johnny.
How sad.

This and that...

I have never been too facinated by cosmetics / beauty products.
It's an effort to wash my face before I sleep.
Most mornings I forget to put any moisturiser.
A facial is something I go through once a year. If I remember.
The only thing I go through for the sake of beauty (read "necessity") is waxing and threading. I couldn't be bothered with much else.

I know I should give a shit. I am 33 and not getting any younger. I don't have clear skin and it needs looking after. But it's too much effort. Way too much effort.

And then yesterday the other D (someone I am working with and who is my partner in crime here in KL) introduced me to something called a "pore pack". And I am hooked! My nose felt like a new person after I was done trying the thing and I have decided to take a little more care about myself and be a little more "girly" in my approach to this shit. I mean this stuff.

I really look forward to the Sunday here. It's the only day off we have. Saturday night was spent "partying" till 4am!!!! I realised I am not 25 anymore as I woke up the next morning with every part of my body hurting. But it was worth it.

A few beers at home. "Land of the Lost" on DVD and a sashimi set dinner made the sunday almost perfect.

symphony 92.4

For the last two weeks, when I get in to bed, I have been listening to classical music on the radio as I read, and then drop off to sleep.

experiments for tooth

Here is some stuff I have made over the last few days. Its a bit odd, because I have been generally lazy, lethargic and disinclined to cook much. But these three instances, out of the blue, I ended up making something different. Oh well, that's a good thing. I wish D was here because the pleasure I get from cooking with (for) her is... jolly good.

Raging Red Paneer, I called this. There were onions & jeera, but the red came from tomatoes, red bell peppers & home made red chilli sauce/paste.

Rava dosa (the shape isn't great but its better than I thought it would be) with malgapudi and green chutney I made.

I couldn't help but call this Hot As Hell Burgers. I love burgers (which, for me are vegetarian), and I know a lot of people find the idea of a 'veg' burger odd. Well, boo to you. Anyway the potato patties for these had lots of chilli flakes, a spoon of that killer chilli paste from Australia, black pepper and, weirdly, some honey-mustard dressing. It turned bout to be...well, hot as hell. But not bad at all.

shells & whisky

I’m early. They’re running late. The peanut shells have already formed a small pile in front of me, as if by themselves. I have not yet thrown any down. Its unlike me. Here, I usually begin dropping the shells on the floor almost immediately. Its like a sign that yes, I am here; or I have settled in. I must be careful, they get eaten at amazing speeds. Even faster than the drinks on happy hours. Mine has just arrived.

The guy tells me they have been to Bangkok, the entire staff of these bars on Emerald Hill. They were taken on a trip, partied hard, drank lots. It shows, he looks exhausted. But that’s great, isn’t it? That they were taken out, and the bars were all shit for a couple of days. I did not know that all these places were owned by the same person.

The whisky is tatsty. And generous, as always. Later, maybe, a classic margherita pizza awaits- with that thin, thin crust and flavourful tomatoes. I have a feeling this pile will look embarrassingly big soon. Maybe I will slow down, or maybe I will scatter them all over the floor.

My life (right now) in a list...

1) I am in KL on work. This time I am away for about a month. I underestimate how hard it is being away from A. Every single time.
2) I am living in a swanky new service apartment and I keep wishing for someone to visit me.
3) I don't know anyone in this city and that makes it a bit bard. It's all about work and I wish it weren't so.
4) There is no cable at the apartment so am waiting for a friend of a friend to get some DVDs that we can watch at night.
5) I really want to eat healthy and go back to Sing with a flat tummy. But I am nowhere close to that.
6) KL weather is a bit better than Sing. Less muggy. More breezy.
7) My back is a bit dodgy right now and I am amazed yet again at my refusal to give it the attention it needs.
8) I am already day dreaming about our next holiday. Feels as though the 3 weeks in Europe never really happened.
9) Not much else to share really!