- We surprised my parents at the airport by going there to receive them in the new car.
- We celebrated my dad's birthday by eating out at a fantastic Italian restaurant after shopping during the day.
- We went on a really long drive with my parents. All the way to Jaipur and back.
- I sang a popular English number at last night's Karaoke show. I also sang a not so popular song: An Abba number that I used in one of my earlier blogs.
- One of my closest friends delivered a baby boy about an hour ago. I'm thrilled and I can't wait to go meet both of them.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
January Blessings
Suddenly, there seems to be a lot happening.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
When luxury becomes necessity…
I’ve always wanted a car of my own. But each time I weighed the pros and cons of owning a car, I always ended up deciding against it. The public transport systems in most cities that I have lived in have been more than decent. Gurgaon is, probably, the only exception.
This is the only place I have lived in where the only means of public transport is the cycle rickshaw. A lot has changed here. I lived in this place in the late 90s. Life was tough in many ways back then. I had to travel to Delhi for any kind of shopping or entertainment. Now people from Delhi travel to Gurgaon to spend weekends at what has come to be known as the “Mall Mile”. But in more ways than one, this town or village (call it what you will) has remained unchanged. Some parts of Gurgaon feel like Singapore. No kidding! But some parts retain their rustic touch just so you don’t forget that you’re in Haryana. Its like a town that’s got one foot in modern India, but whose other foot just refuses to budge. I have digressed.
What are my options in a town like this? I can travel by cycle rickshaw. I can walk. I can sit with random public in a share auto. (I’m not snobbish… I have traveled by buses in rural areas and by the local trains in Mumbai). But I find it difficult to sit with 24 other people in an auto meant for 7. Moreover, I’d be forced to travel in the direction that the majority in the auto is traveling… not really in the direction that I want to go.
And having weighed all our options for a very long time in this town that we now call home, my husband and I decided that what we considered a luxury earlier is now a necessity. After having come to that decision, we took our time deciding what car to buy. Just about everyone who knew we were researching cars gave us their unsolicited advice. And when we finally zeroed in on a car, we saw another one… a little bigger, a bit more expensive… and we fell for it. But we needed a car. What we were looking at was going to more than just serve the purpose. We walked the fine line between luxury and necessity for a couple of days. Good sense prevailed and we bought the car that we needed, not the one that we wanted.
And we drove home in it last night. I’m on a high!
This is the only place I have lived in where the only means of public transport is the cycle rickshaw. A lot has changed here. I lived in this place in the late 90s. Life was tough in many ways back then. I had to travel to Delhi for any kind of shopping or entertainment. Now people from Delhi travel to Gurgaon to spend weekends at what has come to be known as the “Mall Mile”. But in more ways than one, this town or village (call it what you will) has remained unchanged. Some parts of Gurgaon feel like Singapore. No kidding! But some parts retain their rustic touch just so you don’t forget that you’re in Haryana. Its like a town that’s got one foot in modern India, but whose other foot just refuses to budge. I have digressed.
What are my options in a town like this? I can travel by cycle rickshaw. I can walk. I can sit with random public in a share auto. (I’m not snobbish… I have traveled by buses in rural areas and by the local trains in Mumbai). But I find it difficult to sit with 24 other people in an auto meant for 7. Moreover, I’d be forced to travel in the direction that the majority in the auto is traveling… not really in the direction that I want to go.
And having weighed all our options for a very long time in this town that we now call home, my husband and I decided that what we considered a luxury earlier is now a necessity. After having come to that decision, we took our time deciding what car to buy. Just about everyone who knew we were researching cars gave us their unsolicited advice. And when we finally zeroed in on a car, we saw another one… a little bigger, a bit more expensive… and we fell for it. But we needed a car. What we were looking at was going to more than just serve the purpose. We walked the fine line between luxury and necessity for a couple of days. Good sense prevailed and we bought the car that we needed, not the one that we wanted.
And we drove home in it last night. I’m on a high!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
The New Year
2006 is behind us now. I haven't been here to write anything for a long long time. There have been lots of changes in my life. I moved cities to join my husband. I've found my dream job: one that actually combines my academic background and my work interests. Life has finally settled into a nice routine.
There are so many things I want to write about. Some personal topics, some general thoughts. Thoughts that cross my mind everyday... as I come to work, as I go back. Thoughts about low cost carriers and the passengers they carry. Thoughts about people and their behaviour. Thoughts about aggression in people, about the necessity to get ahead at all costs. Thoughts of my dear and beloved professor who has been so instrumental in making me what I am... but the people around him couldn't stand his radical thoughts, his passion for education, his popularity and most of all, his success.
I'd like to write about my experiences as a single woman in India as well as those as a newly married woman. I want to write about some generalizations that people make, especially the ones that drive me hopping mad.
The list is endless and I do hope that I will find the time to write about all this and more. Happy new year!
There are so many things I want to write about. Some personal topics, some general thoughts. Thoughts that cross my mind everyday... as I come to work, as I go back. Thoughts about low cost carriers and the passengers they carry. Thoughts about people and their behaviour. Thoughts about aggression in people, about the necessity to get ahead at all costs. Thoughts of my dear and beloved professor who has been so instrumental in making me what I am... but the people around him couldn't stand his radical thoughts, his passion for education, his popularity and most of all, his success.
I'd like to write about my experiences as a single woman in India as well as those as a newly married woman. I want to write about some generalizations that people make, especially the ones that drive me hopping mad.
The list is endless and I do hope that I will find the time to write about all this and more. Happy new year!
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