So after my cribbing on my previous post about my weighty issues, Roo has got a few of us together and we have a new blog at Fitness Fervor. We'r going to be motivating each other so that finally gives someone the right to officially kick my butt when it comes to these issues :P

On an aside, I just realized I am officially like all growed up (nope that's not a typo) now. I have been married for almost two years now, my maid does not try to tell me how to do stuff anymore, I can cook and can call people over for dinner with about a day's notice, I talk all growed-up stuff with my school friends when we meet like job security, work satisfaction, husbands, investments, family functions, maid problems (nope we DO NOT and WILL NOT discuss saas-bahu serials), upcoming marriages of friends, kids of friends who have had them, we check our diaries when we can meet up and schedule lunches/ coffees/ drinks/ dinners, we ask "Are you busy/ Is this a good time?" when we call each other, we are used to our lunches/ coffees/ drinks/ dinners getting canceled at the last minutes cuz "Work has come up", we plan our weekends at least 10 days advance, we got parlours and get facials/ pedicures/ manicures while reading the latest Cosmo, we have chairs with wheels (For me as a kid, they were the ultimate sign of office), we seriously discuss buying our own house.

Yup I'm all growed up now. It's still sinking in. Sometimes I still feel like I am 6 years old especially when I go home, and I find that my favourite desert has been made and I lick the kadhai in which it was made with my fingers like I used to.

Something I have been ignoring for a while now - my weight. I am some 5 kgs overweight. I plan to lose them asap. But I don't want to go on a crash diet. I want to lose it through proper diet and exercise. I have been researching online for what would be doable by me and have zeroed in on these

• Brisk walk on the treadmill
• Skipping (I need to buy a skipping rope this evening)
• Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day (well I already drink upto 2 litres everyday)
• Stomach crunches
• Cut down on the coke, chocolates ice cream and sweets (I can't completely cut them out - I'm a Bong after all)
• Eat healthy
• Cut down on the junk food
• Snack healthy
• Stair-climbing

I am a healthy eater (in terms of portions) and I really don't intend to start living on a lettuce leaf. Another problem is that lack of exercise coupled with increase in intake fatty/junk food/ chocolates has resulted in these extra kilos. Till college, I was always a very active person - swimming, cycling, walking, running, climbing trees (for the jamuns and the keris and our meetings in the tree house), running up and down stairs (I used to hate waiting for the lift), basketball(in school) etc. were a part of my daily routine.

My resolution (for the new financial year) is that keeping in tune with recession, I shall lose the extra kilos and get back to a healthy, non-flabby body. I guess I had become complacent. Without being vain, I was always proud of my figure and stamina (take it in terms of walking 2.5 kms uphill in less than 15 minutes and no other way you dirty minds). People have always complimented me for it so I never ever thought that I could become flabby. I want to lose all this unsightly fat. I have never ever been conscious of what I wore - now I have to think this is figure hugging, so my tummy is going to show. Though I am slim, I have a broad bone structure, so the extra kilos don't show up so much YET. I am a married woman, but does not mean that I sit back and pile on the kilos. My mother and my mother-in-law have both maintained themselves very well. Even in their fifties, they look so good in jeans. That's what I want.

If any of you have any weight-loss tips, pliss to give folks.

Waaaaaah...I had written this whole post about losers who like to dose out sarcastic comments to others, but when its their turn to take it they turn around and say "Hey, no need to get personal". There was some glitch when I hit the 'Publish' button and my post seems to have disappeared.

Anyway 7:45 on a Saturday evening and yours truly is still slaving in office and making a poor intern slave away too (well they got to earn their 5k don't they by sacrificing at least one Saturday evening). Hey I'm not a slave driver but deadlines are deadlines. I am not too happy about the fact that I have sacrificed my Saturday as well as my Sunday. Arjun's in Calcutta (he had the hugest prawns ever last night made for him by his sasuma, aka my mom). My mom's delighted. I was in Cal last weekend and this weekend Arjun is in Cal. Oh well....I'l go get some TLC from the in-laws :)

We have cures for TB, for cancer, we clone sheep. We'r in the 21st fucking century.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE A BLOODY CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD.

What's wrong with the bloody scientists? They'r working on molecules and atoms and protons and electrons.

Find a bloody cure for the common cold. For sinus. For earache. For wisdom teeth hurting. Whoever comes up with a cure will get my undying gratitude and blessings. Not to mention the Nobel prize and tonnes of money for the next twenty generations.

For the past week, I have been suffering from a cold, and a sore throat and earache.Everyone's a bloody doctor when it comes to a cold - take steam, gargle with saline water, have some hot soup, have haldi doodh. Oh you only have a cold - nothing serious. Your tinny voice (thanks to the sore throat) is just so damn funny. You sound like someone who'd say "Earthling take me to your leader".

Ya right. My blocked ears, blocked nose, sore throat and of course, the rock band playing inside my head are all great fun to me. It's simply great to get up feeling like I'm bloody hungover when I haven't touched a drop for the past ten days. It's so much fun to try walk to the loo and then grab a chair somewhere in between to sit down cuz your head suddenly decides to take a spin. It's so much fun when your wisdom teeth decide to join the party so you can't even open your mouth properly to slurp the bloody chicken soup - the fucking panacea for all the ailments in the world.

FIND A BLOODY CURE FOR SINUS PEOPLE. GIVE ME SOME SYMPATHY. IT'S NOT FUNNY TO LOOK AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN AND FIND IT SWIMMING IN FRONT OF MY EYES OR TALKING WITH A SCARY VOICE WHICH I CAN BARELY RECOGNIZE MYSELF.

Woohooo people...I'v completed a century (and a little more than a year as well) :P

Anyway lot o tell. We had a super-amazing Holi party. We got all dirtied up and had loads of fun. You can see the photos here. We played only with herbal colours and lots of water. Surprisingly it took only 20 minutes under the shower to clean up - no rashes, no breakouts nothing. I did end up with fever and a sore throat though on Wednesday evening, which resulted in my being on an enforced maun vrat on Thursday in office. I played dumb charades all day and sent a lot of mails to my colleagues since I couldn't shout across the cubicles and ask them as we usually do. They thought it was awfully funny.

Anyway left early Friday morning for Calcutta. Saw Vivek Oberoi at the aiport dressed in a chappri (sidey/ roadside - don't know how to translate it) pink tee and maaroing loads of attitude. sadly for him, nooone daaloed him any ghaas and as an old gentleman behind me commented "Who is that bugger? Does he have ants up his pants?". Mr. Oberoi was accompanied by a bunch of wannabes who thought they had something over the rest of us plebeians since Vivek Oberoi condescended to chat with them. However, thanks to my cold, I ended up with terrible earache on the flight and my right ear being blocked for the rest of the day, which resulted in my hearing only from the left ear (Nope not funny people - its weird to yawn and hear some sound like paper crinkling in your ear which is apparently the tissues moving around).

Anyway took mom shopping, bought her a pair of jeans and a couple of tops. Picked up a couple of tops for myself as well. It's really funny when you have the heppest mall 5 minutes away from home, hence we end up going there on evening walks dressed in old tees and shorts and seeing the rest of the crowd all dressed up to their nines. Onetime, a bunch of friends all sweaty after a basketball match landed up for a coffee only to meet a friend's future boss and him turning the opposite direction and running off.

We went to New Market the next day where I picked up some black and whites for myself and hunted for some decent shoes. I'm wondering why these shoe brands like Inc 5, Metro, woodland etc. don't make some decent office sandals which don't have stupid bows and ribbons, impossible heels and hard soles. I fail to understand why can't we have smart and comfy office wear? I generally end up buying Catwalk for office wear though I was a big Inc 5 fan earlier. And yes I'm bored of peep-toes now. Let' have some new designs please. Met a couple of old school friends for lunch which was really fun. There was a time we'd discuss what subjects to take and which fest to go for and how much to roll up the skirt above the knee which our Ghoomti Aatma (Vice principle so named cuz she'd invariable show up with her head popping in through this huge window which had been all covered up with bags  whenever we were up to no good) would not notice. Now we were discussing married life 2nd anniversary celebrations, work, office politics, scholarships, old friends and who got married, kids and when to have them etc etc etc.

Sunday I met another close friend for coffee and then surprised an aunt by dropping by at her place for half an hour and made my poor cousin come out of the loo without taking a bath since I was in a hurry. That evening I also conned my dad into buying me this sexy outfit which I had seen and coveted :P

Monday morning (i.e. today) saw me headed back and landing with pain in left ear and little hearing in my left ear for the day. 

I need to go see a doc :(

Rang Barse Bheege Chunar Wali, Rang Barse
Are Kaine Maari Pichkaari Tori Bheegi Angiya
O Rangrasia Rangrasia, Ho
Rang Barse Bheege Chunar Wali, Rang Barse ...

Sone Ki Thaali Main Jona Parosa
Are, Sone Ki Thaali Main Jona Parosa
Haan, Sone Ki Thaali Main Jona Parosa
Are, Khaye Gauri Ka Yaar Balam Tarse Rang Barse
Holi Hai!!!
O, Rang Barse Bheege Chunar Wali, Rang Barse ...

Launga Ilaichi Ka, Are Launga Ilaichi Ka
Launga Ilaichi Ka? Haan
Are Launga Ilaichi Ka Beeda Lagaya
Haan, Launga Ilaichi Ka Beeda Lagaya
Chabe Gauri Ka Yaar, Balam Tarse
Holi Hai!!!
O, Rang Barse Bheege Chunar Wali, Rang Barse ...

Are, Bela Chameli Ka Sez Bhichhaya
Bela Chameli Ka, Sez Bhichhaya
Are, Bela Chameli Ka Sez Bhichhaya
Haan, Bela Chameli Ka Sez Bhichhaya
Soye Gauri Ka Yaar, Balam Tarse
Holi Hai!!!
O, Rang Barse Bheege Chunar Wali, Rang Barse

The one day when were officially allowed to get dirty as kids. Forget us, even the parents used to get all dirty. We used to compete over who took more time to have a bath and whose skin was rubbed the most raw. Forget family bonding over dinner, family bonding while trying to colour one another and throwing water balloons at each other is even more fun. We used to fill up buckets with water balloons the week preceding Holi. When bogged down by exams, we used to throw buckets of water from the balcony.

Tomorrow, we'v invited a bunch of friends over for Holi. Arjun and me are now hunting for pichkaris (which don't cost 500 bucks per piece and a dholak). We'v got the music, gujiyas and bhang in place.

On an aside, I felt a 7 month baby (still inside his/her mommy's tummy) play football. Its awesome to feel the baby move and kick. I thought it would be weird but its just soooooooo awesome. And to watch the baby's mature elder sister (all of three and a half years old) say "My chota baby. Move your hand. Only my chota baby".....awwww.

Anyway happy holi folks. I don't know if I'l be able to post till Monday cuz I'm headed to the Land of Mishti - CALCUTTA - on Friday morning :D. I'v been terrorising the office folks that I'm going to be giving them hourly updates of what I have eaten and they'v treatened to lynch me if I don't get back some mishti for them :P

Big meeting in the evening. Yours truly is however, extremely sleepy. Yours truly is risking her life and limb and job and the pay cheque she loves if she falla asleep. Yours truly desperately fighting to stay awake. Yours truly is immune to the feeka office coffee. Yours truly has walked around the office and taken a catnap and chatted and read up the day's headlines - yet she is still sleepy. Yours truly has a 243 page judgment to read on Hindu succession. Is it any wonder Yours truly is sleepy?

Our neighbouring country seems to have more surprises hidden up is sleeve. After India's 26/11, now the attack on the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. What next? When will we say 'enough is enough'. When will all this stop? Pakistan has gone crazy. Wat is Mr. Zardari doing? There has to be some tacit support from the government which is why everyday something or the other is happening. Why was no proper security provided to the Sri Lankan team? What more proof does Pakistan want? If they cannot control their country-men, then maybe the UN should step in and take some action. Why is the UN just sitting quiet on this? It's happened to India, now Sri lanka. Only when US will be attacked will some action be taken. Remember WW II. USA sat tight and made money out of the war until Pearl Harbour was attached. Yesterday it was India, today Sri Lanka, who next?

What will it take for all the world to come together and take some action against Pakistan? What is to say that they won't drop a nuclear bomb on India next? Why are we sending them letters to prove that Pakistan is responsible for 26/11. Let Pakistan show that it is not responsible. Let Mr. Zardari step down and say his country is no longer in his hands. It is acting like an overgrown teenager gone out of hand as John has so rightly put it. Our politicians are only worried about the upcoming elections right now. What if we have no country only left? What is my government doing besides campaigning?