Foot Massages & Painted Nails...

...are best when done by the boyfriend. :)

In the bazaars of ...?

Conversation moved from Cosmo Surveys to Palika Bazaar to Sarojini Naidu. Yes, Sarojini Naidu, not Sarojini Market - which is where it was originally intended to go. And we couldn't seem to remember which bazaar she'd written about. So, we Googled it, and here you go:

IN THE BAZAARS OF HYDERABAD

What do you sell O ye merchants ?

Richly your wares are displayed.

Turbans of crimson and silver,

Tunics of purple brocade,

Mirror with panels of amber,

Daggers with handle of jade.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?

Saffron and lentil and rice.

What do you grind, O ye maidens?

Sandalwood, henna, and spice.

What do you call , O ye pedlars?

Chessman and ivory dice.

What do you make,O ye goldsmiths?

Wristlets and ankles and ring,

Bells for the feet of blue pigeons

Frail as a dragon- fly's wing,

Girdles of gold for dancers,

Scabbards of gold for the king.

What do you cry,O ye fruitmen?

Citron, pomegranate, and plum.

What do you play ,O magicians?

Spells for aeons to come.

What do you weave, O ye flower-girls

With tassels of azure and red?

Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,

Chaplets to garland his bed,

Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered

To perfume the sleep of the dead.

--Sarojini Naidu

When in school, I've 'mugged' this poem up for the exams. But, reading it again after so long - I must admit that I quite enjoyed it!

Crazy Mom.

How to make a dinner for two in under Rs. 70, and in less than 15 mins*

Buy the following on the way back home from work:

1 pack of tomato puree - Rs. 15

1 bag of macaroni - Rs. 20

1 onion - Rs. 5

2 cheese cubes/slices - Rs. 20

Pull out the following from your kitchen shelf/fridge:

Old dominoes sachets of chilli flakes and oregano

Oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Salt
Half-full bottle of white wine

Do this:

1. Boil the mac for 5 mins

2. In a kadai, sautee the onions & add half a pack of puree, for 2 mins

3. Add salt, pepper and the garlic salt and mix for 1 min

5. Add the boiled mac and mix for another 1 min

6. Add the cheese cubes/slices and mix... for 1 min

7. Breathe in the lovely smell

8. Add oregano and chilli flakes and let it simmer for another 2 mins

9. Pour out the wine

10. Serve!

*I go by intuition. So don't expect measurements. Go with your gut instinct. Literally!

Selfish.

When your worries are not your own, it's easier to believe that they don't exist. But that doesn't make those worries any less significant.

When you stop being sensitive to this fact, you become selfish. And evil.

Couldn't be happier!

I realized I was letting my own paranoia come in the way of rational thinking. So, I got over it.

Now, I'm just so happy!

OMG.

My best friend is getting married.

And I couldn't be any happier! :)

M.

The M word freaks me out. I just can't figure out why.

Should I be happier?

One of my best friends just told me that she found someone online and she's considering marrying him. She's known him about a month and she sounds insanely happy.

But, something in me is not allowing me to be thrilled for her.

I don't get it. I don't get how you can make yourself fall in love with someone. And then vow to stick by their side through thick and thin.

I don't get how you can leave your life's important decisions to someone else.