The Other Side of Life

In crass Hindi, this moment would have been aptly defined as "Laut ke buddhu, ghar ko aaye".  Exact translation would mount to "Fools return home" and that's what this post is. So, after taking a break from work, doing a second Masters, getting a job in Singapore and moving countries, I am back on the blog.  Who would have thunk? An year back, I had no idea this is what I would be doing in an year. But then again, do we know what we will be doing an year from now?  Lesson learnt. No planning, no guessing.  Just keep exploring, keep doing new things, keep learning, keep meeting new people. Things will happen. Trust. Like a fool (who returned home!) So, while I discover this part of my life, Singapore, I thought I need the blog more than the blog needs me. Because moving countries is not in the least as glamorous as it sounds.  There's the whole deal with selling all belongings which you have hoarded lovingly over the years. A...

Of the many many things wrong with our world, the one that stands out is our emphasis on perfection, even though, we know none of us are perfect. If perfection didn't matter, make-up wouldn't exist. Filters on Instagram would be quite useless.   If perfection didn't matter, we would not fall over ourselves trying to tell the world how much we love each other. There would be no such thing as a perfect love story. There would be no ideal couple. There would be no "made for each other". If perfection didn't matter, we would not judge anyone, for anything. We would make peace with our faults and other's faults. And live in the joy that we are not A+. If perfection didn't matter, we would not make small talk with anyone. Just enjoy the awkward silence of two introverts meeting each other and not knowing what to say. To the world though, perfection matters. So, in a weirdly, twisted, complicated way, we try to put ourselves out there, w...

In my humble opinion, of the many tests of married life, one of the hardest and most important is shopping together. My analysis of this test is as follows: I think the hardest role is that of a light shopper accompanying a serious shopper partner. There is too much of tricky balancing to do. For instance, the right mix of looking interested and looking bored, so the partner does not feel hurt, but at the same time, feels guilty enough to either hurry or compensate in some other way, such as say, a Baskin treat. Or a trip to Goa. Or maybe a lifelong spa contract. Not just that. The whole situation, especially if you are a shy light shopper, is reminiscent of scenes from the evergreen Amol Palekar starrer Chotti Si Baat.  The pressure to find the right spot outside the trial room is so high. You want to lean back and stand comfortably. But you want to be able to see your partner when he comes out. You want to be able to convey your opinion with subtle expressions...

Sherlock and I complete an year of married life on the 7th of December. I thought today about what comes to mind when I think of the last one year and surprisingly, out of nowhere, you know what came to mind? Google Maps. For several reasons. Till before I got married, I thought I was a good navigator. I also think I am a good singer and writer and cook. Till I do any of this in front of someone who is not me and the mirror.  So when we got married and moved to Bangalore, I was appointed the Chief Navigator in our discovery of the city. Sitting in the car on the front seat beside Sherlock, I would open my Google Maps and start.  "Keep going straight, till I say otherwise. Oh sorry. I think you had to take that left there. It was so small, I missed it." "Just go straight. Over the flyover. Oh. I think we had to go below it. Can you jump off it now?" "Third right on the circle. Oh wait. We missed it. Complete the circle and come back her...