hmm...

1. People shaking their legs constantly.

2. Too many questions asked about the same thing

3. The whole North Indian- South Indian divide, and the idea that North India = India in terms of clothes, culture, food, etc

4. Maths

5. Logic

6. Lack of emotion

7. That some people do not like pets, specifically dogs

8. Cats

9. Indifference

10. Being finicky about appearance

11. The cold weather with no one next to you to hug

12. The need to be 'poised and dignified' for the sake of 'others.'

13. People telling me I'm fat

14. Lack of a sense of humour

15. Tofu

16. Mushrooms

17. Desis in the US harping about Indian culture

18. Hypocrisy

19. People clamming up

20. Being alone/lonely

21. Light. ( I looooooooove darkness)

22. Elaborate ceremonies

21. The argument that Rajnikant is as big a superstar in Tamil Cinema as Ravi Kishen in Bhojpuri Cinema ( Now, really, do you read newspapers?)

22. Circuitous way of explaining things

23. Sexual jokes/innuendoes

24. People who do not put on weight even when they eat lots

25. My eyebrows

26. Tradition which forces you to do some things you do not necessarily believe in.

27. That I cannot live without the Internet or the phone

28. People who get away with credit without doing any work

29. Superior attitude because of the position or role you are in.

30. Calling someone else incompetent 'simply.'

31. The 'Subodh' character in Dil Chahta Hai

32. People misunderstanding alcoholics or drug addicts ( I learned not to, late, but did)

33. People telling me I'm messy or that I cannot cook, when its a case of not wanting to do it, and not a capability issue

34. Taunts

35. Fantasies...

So, this time when I flew over the Delhi airport for an hour, and learned that our flight was luckily in the first 70 that were in the race to land on the airstrip far far away (so much so that it took us 25 minutes of just taxiing!), and peeked out of the window, I got a shock of my life.

It seemed like a war-like situation. There were flights all around our flight. I remembered all the war movies I'd seen over the years, and watched as lights from various flights flickered in a short distance from my window mid-air above and below my plane. It kind of freaked me out, I must admit.

I was thinking about something, and it struck me just now. Why not have 2 airports in cities like Delhi, and let the flyer/guest(!) choose the airport of his destination, much like the railway stations? Wouldn't that reduce ATC in one airport?

I am sure the people concerned have thought about this, and its not easy to just build another airport, but well, since ATC is soon becoming a huge, huge problem and causing loads of revenue loss, and more importantly, a huge waste of time, why not spend on another airport, and options like choice of airport, or maybe, that some airlines fly only to particular airports, or something?

I belong to the 'We hate Gurgaon' group on Facebook, but again, I look and search for, sometimes, even fight for opportunities to go there. You wonder why?

...the last minute ticket booking, the excitement of seeing people I love, the packing, the airport, the flight, the grin on my face from the moment I land, the boys picking me up :) I love the routine we seem to have set for ourselves. I land, message and come and stand at a spot. They are invariably 5 mins late, in the meantime, I always call my cousin (always preoccupied) and they come just in time when I'm making plans with him, and honk and honk :), the music in the car (ear-shattering actually, but well, I've sort of gotten used to it), their dialogue at a particular point on the road everytime : Nandu, welcome to Gurgaon, this time around, heard every 4 minutes: Tera Pitaji kaun hai :D, the 'home,' 'the' room, meeting Sumodh, the showing off :), hugs, the music all over again, the bottles, the food at 3 AM, Athadu, the train scene in Pokiri, N insisted on showing me and explaining to me at 2 in the morning, the snoring, the stories, the lazy mornings, MJ's chai, the newspaper reading, the making of plans, the swear words used :P, ArK asking me every 6 hours for a plan in a particular plan: Sooo, Nandu, what is the plan?, my answer everytime, hmm..nothing, just meet Nishu, Chikki, blah :), the driving around in GGN, the Chinese Thai Cafe, the mojitos, Nishu's stories at the CTC, his hugs, him, the Man U vs Liverpool debate or should I say, fight?, Chikki, his ' not you again' look when he sees me in GGN, Isa making rotis, Chikki staring at the boiling water contemplating if eggs need to be 'put' in right now, or later, Chikki mashing the aloo, the lunch, the praise for my Egg Curry (LOL), the fridge in his house, his bed, the mess, Chikki doing his laundry, Chikki's PJs, his face when his neighbors pulled him out to dance for Lohri celebrations, he and his roomie exulting in the fact that their 40 year old next door neighbor cannot cook beyond Maggi, while they've progressed to cooking rice (!), talking, conversation, love, laughter (thanks, N!), the constant pulling of leg, the Coriander leaf, the watch :), the call to buy a watch!, Bhaalu stories :P, the car, the fights, the driving, the dropping and the picking up, the directions to the cab, the airport, the flight, the tears, the hopelessness, the want to run back all over again feeling....and so much much much more that I cannot put in words.

I HAVE to move on. But hey, wait, this is my world. I decide WHEN to move on :) So, I am here, now and forever, for now :)

P.S: The conversation between 2 IIM A Grads, about their newly acquired, or desperately trying to acquire cooking skills goes like this:

Isa: I am so kicked that I can make rice, while that uncle can make only Maggi. I feel empowered!

Chikki: Totally man! I feel like the king, looking down at the subserviant and saying: I can make rice, what can you make?

Isa: The rotis were good today no? They were hard though

Chikki: No, they were fine. We just need to increase the surface area. That way, it will take less time.

During the Roti making session:

Me: The roti is burning, flip it NOW

Chikki: Oh nooooo. Here.

Isa: Maybe, we can take it off

Chikki: Okay then. (Gets ready to take it off tawa, and wants to put it on a plate next to Isa who is standing next to him. Rubs his hands, focusses on the rotis and says..) Coming through. Isa, move NOW!

Me: Gurgaon is my home, and home is where my heart and body, mind and soul lies ( I hate that ad, but could not resist it :P)

Today, I'm posting about my rather eventful (Or, should I say, uneventful, Vaish?) New Year and the resolutions that I (sorry, we - Vaishali, Vichitra and me) thought out for me.

So, it all began with a fateful phone call on 31st night. Vaishali, my friend who does not know why a phone exists, and does not use hers much, actually called me and wished for New Years'. Needless to say, I was surprised, but there was yet another shocker. She actually planned for lunch the following day which'd be the 1st of January, 2008 (I mean, what a momentous day, a lunch planned by Vaishali!) So, without any qualms (actually, before she changed her mind!), I said yes, and was all excited for the lunch date. Of course, she called up the third one of the trio (Err..Vaishali, Vichitra and me) also for lunch. Only she forgot to confirm it with her after I said yes to it. Like, for instance, did not tell the time we were going to meet. The next day dawned at 12 noon for me, and I rushed to be on time for our lunch date since Vaishali had promised to come on time this time (Oh, her New Year resolution, unwritten for the last few years, but written this time around is to be punctual). She doesn't try, even, let alone be). I reach the place which was an untried before Chinese restaurant close to home (closer to Vaishali's place, though) and waited for a good one hour. Of course, on New Years' day, if none of you got replies to your New Year messages (Okay, I do NOT message or scrap all the 3 lakh people I know coz I said hi to you once, so I will politely reply if you message ONLY), its because of crappy Vodafone (a new, rantful (!) post about that, later). I was stuck without a phone waiting for two of my closest friends on New Years' day in the hot sun for 40 mins and the rest of the 20 mins inside the restaurant with people staring at me staring at their food and lest I forget their company! Finally, I lost it and went home and called up my friends only to find out from Vichitra that the lunch plans weren't confirmed and I tried Vaishali (Note, I say, 'tried,' coz calling Vaish is like calling a Call Center - either it is unavailable, or engaged or she does not pick up!) and she picked up! Wonder of wonders! And all she had to say was "arre Nandu, I've already 'set out' ya! How can you not come?" (Please note the use of 'setting out' at 2.30 PM) Finally, we 'set out' and ate not-so-great food at an outrageously expensive place surrounded by people who looked highly snobbish, and next to a woman who gave me a look over thanks to my almost torn jeans and Osho Chappals (WTF, I say!) As I continued to look like I save the world, and she does not, and quickly polished off the not-so-great food from my plate (Oh, did I tell you that I had not drunk even water when I ran out for the lunch date, while Vaish, who picks on her food ALWAYS had eaten Poori-Bhaji for breakfast?). So, Vichitra joined us for coffee finally, and we wrote out our resolutions. Here is how I let others change my life, and prepare for an 'exciting' time ahead :)

Oh, oh, the resolutions are in BOLD, while they are 'quantified' (thank you, Vaish) in regular font with specifics. And mebbe, some comments in parenthesis :P

1. Lose weight by 20 kgs (This has been an always there on the list, and always on the top! One more time its on the top, I will have to make my second resolution as " Visit Cardiologist for a checkup atleast once a week)

2. Save money - Atleast $20 a day (Note the use of dollars :P)

3. Do not panic - Count 10 before saying OR doing anything

4. Think positive - Say/think one positive thing about people/things happening in your life and document it on blog once a week

5. Take more care of self - Get eyebrows shaped regularly (I was looking like Krur Singh on New Years' Day and still do, for that matter!)
- Apply lotion everyday (Remember that ad where the mean evil 7 year old boy runs a truck on the 6 year old girl's hands? I’m soon going to turn 25.)
- Use conditioner every time after shampooing hair (This is pure laziness, methinks!)
- Oil hair every time before washing hair (Again, washing hair for me is impulsive decision)

(Note how everything is all dependent on appearance. My attitude has changed ;) thanks to Vaishali and Vichitra)

6. Be more organized and less messy - Clean cupboard once a week (I did not have clean, ironed clothes for Christmas)
- Dust/Sweep/Mop home everyday (Another way to lose weight. But really, can you see me with a broom?)

7. Read at least one book a week (Now, since I've lost this habit, and getting married to one who does not read much, I should brush up on reading, I thought)

8. Volunteer once a week (Of course, I have to identify the cause and put in time and energy, but right now, once a week to quell my guilt of not doing anything for 24 years now).

9. Do not miss an appointment with the psychiatrist, and the next time, try not to blow a raspberry at him (Vaishali and Vichitra's suggestion for a resolution, and ya, the 'him' was their idea too)

10. Fall and trip over my own foot less (Okay, this does not mean I can trip over others or others' foot!)

11. Do at least one daring thing (!) once a month - Buy a dress that I never thought I'd wear and wear it. (Of course, I cannot state examples that Vaishali and Vichitra thought of)
- Go hiking
- Send flowers to my husband (Sigh)

12. Do not freak out when AB sends gifts (another of Vaishali and Vichitra's suggestions)

13. Do not think of everything in terms of victories and defeats in the next phase of life (Hmm...)

14. Be more patient when shopping with others (: read AB. Again, another of Vichitra and Vaishali's brilliant ideas to make me and my life better)

15. Learn a new language (This, when I'm sitting jobless waiting for a work permit in the USA)

16. Be less clumsy (Suggested in a chorus by Vaishali and Vichitra when I spilled my Ice tea all over the table)

17. Stay in touch with people I really love, and also with a lot of others I'm going to be away from (I promise, I will do this, all ya guys!)

I'm determined to keep these. Err, well, maybe not 9,10, 12, 14 and 16 and I'm still thinking of 13
(Oh whatte number for what a resolution :P) BTW, we all signed on each other's papers containing the resolutions, making me all the more determined to keep these!