finding the perfect handbag....

... is like finding the perfect man. not easy. why, you ask ?

       

this is why -

• its going to stay with you for a long time, be of considerable importance in your life, and go with you to most places you go.
• there is no standard, one-size-fits-all solution. 
• you need a lot of patience and invest a lot of time before settling on one.
• your choice is a reflection on your taste.
• has to be functional and do its job well, yet look good enough to flaunt around in public.
• must be strong enough to handle pressure and abuse well.
• must have easy access when you need your money quickly.
• must be easy to maintain.
• must hold your secrets well.
• should be flexible enough to adapt, because your needs and preferences will change with time.
• the right one should make other girls envious, but it shouldn't be easy for them to find a similar one :)

how much social media is too much social media ?

" Man is a social animal ", Aristotle is supposed to have said. if he said that on seeing the men of ancient athens, i wonder what he would have said now, when mankind has become more social than ever.

the entire world today has an obsessive compulsive need to be social, and that, at the speed of light (or at the speed of our various Gs or LTEs, to be precise...) -  which is why, we end up seeing news like this ,where restaurants end up offering carrots to their customers. 

in today's world of social networking powered by smart devices, a simple activity like going out to dinner with friends is not so simple anymore. read on, and am sure you'll agree how much it has changed.

Dining out, Before Social Media & Smart phones :

1. call friends and fix up a date and time.
2. decide on a place based on past experience or suggestions from others.
3. go,have dinner, and have a good time talking and chatting with each other.
4. come back home and sleep.

thats all there was to do. pretty much.

now, 

Dining out, After Social Media & Smart phones :

1. call, mail or text friends to fix up a date and time to meet. update google calendar.
2. google for places to eat, read reviews on yelp, look for coupons from deal sites and finalise a place.
3. a couple of hours before the dinner, tweet that you are so excited and cannot wait to have dinner with your friends.
4. on reaching the restaurant, check-in on the location at facebook.
5. also check-in on foursquare.
6. order food.
7. 15-20 mins after ordering, tweet how long its been since you placed the order and you are still waiting for it.
8. once the food arrives, take pictures of it and post it to your instagram feed.
9. take unflattering pictures of your friends when they are eating or drinking, post them to facebook, and tag them without fail.
10. someone gets a doubt about how many calories their main course has, so you try and find an app that lists the calories of popular restaurant menu items.
11. a sizeable portion of your dinner conversation involves smart phones,tablets and their operating systems.
12. when the bill arrives and you have to work out the tip, use the calculator on your phone to calculate 15% of 150. (no, its not 15.)
13. come back home and post a review of the restaurant on yelp.
14. rate the calorie finder app which you used during the meal.
15. ask an intelligent question in quora, like "do restaurants follow best practices to ensure the consistency of the nutritional value across every meal ?"  (remember, its quora. you have to sound intelligent.)
16. set the alarm on your phone and go to bed after a highly satisfying and socially productive day.

p.s : you could also do a whole other bunch of stuff like blogging about it, posting your food pictures to flickr or picasa or G+, pinning your favourite food or restaurants to pinterest, and so on. how much social is too much social, is entirely upto each one to decide ! and btw, in the middle of doing all this, i hope people remember to eat their food too !
                        

 

a well-meaning word of advice to my male friends...

they say there is no free lunch - if that is the case for a single lunch, little needs to be said about the travails one has to undergo to sustain a relationship these days....

vagaries of an economy in recession, a volatile job market, inflation and such things don't make sustaining a relationship any easier... those of you men whose month ends see bank balances on the wane and credit card debts piling up like pounds on the midriff, have to console yourselves that guccis, pradas and manolos were not meant to adorn the woman in your life.

not all is lost though - the empathetic girlfriend knows that you deserve a fair chance, and expects that what you lack in terms of economy, you'll compensate with eloquence. some sweet nothings, a few flattering adjectives, and some mushy lines murmured in her ears ought to help heal that battered wallet. it is here, though, that men need to know that they are treading on dangerous ground - prada and gucci seldom go wrong, but a few foot-in-mouth phrases can make your love life go awry.

always remember that adjectives are your arch nemesis - they have the power to make or break - choose them carefully if you don't want the romantic evening you planned to end with a faint memory of you being clobbered by your beloved's high heels...

it is natural to look for some literary assistance, but choose your poet carefully. i would sincerely advice to stick with those conventional, old-school types - those guys who have, for time immemorial, stuck to comparing gals to warm sunshine, fresh breeze, full-moon or good old flowers like those trusted roses, had it safe. trust me, no black eyes or lumps on the forehead for them.

think twice (or as much as you want) before choosing one of these newfangled types who write songs with fancy words and unpronounceable phrases - you don't want to spend your next weekend watching some game show conducted by out of work actresses, do you ?... which is why you should really know it is not a good idea to compare your girl to a volcanic peak - it maybe the highest, tallest, or most sought after one by mountaineers, but the last thing a woman wants to hear from her man's mouth is that she is like a mountain. if you've done that blunder and uttered that drivel out of ill-advised inspiration, your only hope is to try and save face by turning those very same highest, tallest and most sought after as the positive aspects which you wanted to highlight - and pray that she is in a forgiving mood.

most women will forgive one or two blunders, considering that men are prone to making them - but rest assured that you'll not need your next can of shave foam(if you are the kind who believes that break-ups deserve a beard) if you have gone so far as to compare the love of your life to the ruins of an ancient civilisation - however glorious the ancient city might have been in its heyday. you might have displayed a stellar knowledge of history, but sorry, the only thing that seems imminent in your life is thunderclouds and being banished into that oblivion of single life.

and if you've been wondering all along what prompted my good heart to dole out such essential advice to my friends, it is the effect of hearing the lyrics of this latest offering from the altar of tamilnadu's most revered deity - (and i end with the warning that gods can get away with anything, but mortals cant - so don't try this at home, for god's sake.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlPL6M5Km1Y&feature=related

airline costs and advices to them...

i came across this piece of news recently - having imposed a fee on checked in baggage, airlines are obviously exploring avenues to combat their rising fuel costs, and atleast one of them seems to have stepped up to bell the cat by slapping a fee on carry-ons/cabin baggage as well...

since they have a million issues to think about everyday, i thought i might pitch in and do my bit for them, by thinking of areas where they can impose more fees & charges, and do their best to increase their sources of revenue...

well, as my dear fraulein maria would say, lets start at the very beginning, a very good place to start... when you sing you begin with do, re, mi... when you charge you begin with....

1. a signage fee - we always believe in making travel easier for our passengers, so we put up signs showing which gate your flight is boarding at - in return for this valuable service, we ofcourse charge a small fee to make our ends meet.

2. access charges - a nominal charge will be added to the fare for every passenger, depending on whether they wish to use the aerobridge or the stairs.

3. image damage cess - we believe that our image as a carrier depends on the baggage we carry - hence, passengers will be subject to a charge depending on the brand of luggage they carry....the more valuable the brand, the lesser the fee. we are pleased to announce that as of now our patrons carrying Louis Vuitton and Prada luggages are currently exempted from this cess. for more updates on which designer brands are added to our list of exempted brands, keep checking our website.

p.s : for those carrying 'unassessable' brands like 'burma bazaar' purchases, a flat fee of $150 will be applicable.

4. dress code damages - for the same image reason cited above, we strongly emphasise a black-tie and dinner jacket dress code for our patrons. those not conforming to our dress code shall be subject to a damage fee assessed at the time of boarding by our etiquette experts who shall be present at all gates.

5. courtesy charges - our cabin crew shall smile and/or greet only those passengers who have paid a courtesty charge beforehand. please retain your counterfoils/stubs of the same for verification by the cabin crew.

6. viewing fees - all windows will have the shutters lowered and fastened, and shall be opened only to those passengers who opt to pay a viewing fee.

7.restroom charges - for every visit you make, and an extra charge when a visit extends beyond 5 minutes.

8. nap levy - those passengers who choose to nap or sleep during the flight, are free to do so by paying a nap levy. this is intended as a courtesy to our cabin crew who, in order to effectively discharge their duties, have to resist the temptation to nap on seeing such passengers.

9.carousel charges - please note that our existing baggage charges cover only the cost of flying the bags, and if you want the luggage to be sent down to the conveyor belt/carousel, an extra carousel charge will apply. customers not opting for the said charge are free to stand below the aircraft and catch their luggage as it is being thrown on to the tarmac.

10. accuracy fee - those passengers who are privileged to receive their baggage at their destinations on time and without getting lost will be required to pay an accuracy fee before they can clear their baggages off the carousel/conveyor belt.

11. emergency charges - last but not the least, in case of an emergency, the charges for oxygen masks and life jackets supplied will be billed to the passenger's credit card or recovered by the airline from the deceased's estate - whichever is applicable, depending upon the gravity of the situation.

well, i have dashed off whatever came to my mind immediately, so feel free to add any that might occur to you in order that we may be of assistance to airlines the world over, who make our lives so much better each passing day.

In sync with time !

I remembered a couple of days back that we had already stepped into March, and in a few days, it would be time to adjust our clocks for daylight saving.
As I checked the internet to confirm the date, I was amused by the thought that I don’t have a wall-clock hanging anywhere in my house, and most of the devices I use to tell time are not actually meant to be clocks !

Mankind has come a long way, from the days of the sundial to the fancy Tag Heuers, Omegas and Cartiers…
My life now, however, doesn’t seem to need any of these… I don’t even remember where the humble Titan I used to possess is now lying.
There are only four spots in my house between which the majority of my time is now divided – My bed, in front of the computer, in the kitchen, and in front of the TV.
My bedside clock/alarm/other-features-that-I-don’t-use comes in handy only when I get into or out of the bed – I take a look at it and groan that either I’ve been up for so long, or that its already time to get up, depending on what time it is…
The rest of the day, I use three things to tell time –

when I am in the kitchen, it is the microwave – I use the clock feature of the microwave more than I use the microwave itself… and since its right above the stove top, it is of great assistance to my not so punctual self to finish cooking lunch before it becomes too late call it lunch time...

when I’m in front of the pc, of course, it is the clock at the right hand corner of the monitor that reminds me that I have spent too much time reading through the Indian news sites, uselessly getting myself worked up about lawless lawyers and politicians playing petty politics…

in the evenings I usually leave the TV on…and more often than not, I go about doing my work around the house to the accompaniment of its sound – the time that I actually spend sitting in front of the TV is very less !
As I go about putting away the laundry, preparing for dinner or doing the ironing, I keep track of the time as the shows change! I know what time it is depending on what show it is !

Considering the fact that until a few years back I used to feel irritated and incomplete on the days I forgot my watch at home, hmmm… time changes, and the times change... !

Veggie shopping in the US for dummies !

The first few weeks after i landed in the USA, i had to give myself a refresher course in veggie shopping.... forget the fact that everything here, including fruits and veggies, has enough number of variants to confuse you and make you want to tug your hair... the names themselves can make you frustrated, the first few days.

To begin with, having entered your local grocery store, if you are searching for a section marked 'fruits' or 'vegetables', chances are that you would'nt find it, though the store might be carrying quite a huge selection of the same....simply because, fruits and vegetables are fashionably called 'produce' !
having located the 'produce' aisle, what are you looking for next ? some veggies for your everyday cooking ? before venturing any further, take a good look here, if you were brought up in India, like i was....

Well, lets start with the veggie that in India goes by the rather dainty name of "ladies finger" (you would expect something with such a name to be handled with care, but nay, it gets broken all the time, by many a lady's finger !! ) - here, in the US, its called "Okra" - sounds rather like the name of some greek godess, doesn't it ...

and of course, brinjals are eggplants... though i personally prefer the european "aubergine" - has that french twist, which makes it sound exotic !
maybe the americans find capsicum quite a mouthful - they are called bell peppers(classified into green, red or yellow -according to colour) !
And if you are looking for some coriander leaves to season those dishes you cooked up, please look for "Cilantro" - oh yeah, i got it right, that's the word !

If you are looking for tomatoes, it should be easier, they are called just tomatoes - you just have to make a choice - between cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, campari tomatoes, roma tomatoes, sweet tomatoes...to mention just a few...not to mention a "tomatoes on the vine" option...
And if you thought that nothing could go wrong with something as simple as potatoes, think again. you only have to choose between white potatoes, red potatoes,(i even saw purple or blue !), idaho potatoes, russets,
eastern potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, baby potatoes, and baking potatoes....phew !

well, as of now, i am tired of quoting from memory all the variants i can remember...will update the list whenever i am reminded of more....

For want of a shoe !

My feet have been giving me trouble ….thankfully not the kind of trouble that requires the services of expensive podiatrists or prescription medication, but trouble of a different kind…
I’ve trouble getting them covered!! Now, my feet are very small for an adult, so I always have a good deal of trouble hunting for shoes (or sandals, slippers, or whatever the occasion demands…).
My doting friends have christened me from time to time with many a moniker, ranging from Vaman, to Stuart Little… one friend even used to insist that i take a picture of my feet….
Even back home, in India, I had difficulty finding shoes, but at least managed to find something that fit my feet…even if it was mostly non-branded stuff…
No major brands would have shoes my size…even good old Bata, had most of its good designs starting from size 4 onwards (mine is smaller than that!), so I rarely had the privilege of buy their footwear, which is more famous for the weird improper fractions they have as prices, than for their style…
Well, as a kid, I didn’t have much of a problem finding school or casual shoes… (at least, I don’t remember… may be I should ask my mom if she had trouble finding shoes that fit me)…but I guess the real problem was that as I grew up in age, my feet for some reason failed to catch up with the years, and remained kid- sized !
Even when I got sandals from non branded stores, I used to ask the store people to punch extra holes in the strap, as the straps would be loose even after buckling them in the last hole….

After marriage, there was another twist to the tale, as the other half turned out to be a firm believer in branded stuff… (I had to convince him that there was no such thing as a branded salwar, and that they varied with every store)
according to him, if I couldn’t have branded shoes, I should atleast have them bought from a major retailer…I on the other hand, could never bring myself to spend some extra hundreds just because it came from a fancy store in an upscale mall…finally, I gave in, and spent hours walking up and down malls looking for shoes….
I bet it would have been easier for Cinderella’s prince to find feet to fit the solitary glass shoe…..

The real problem started a few months back…. I travelled for the first time to the US of A, and since I was landing there in the middle of winter, armed myself with a pair of sneakers in addition to my strappy sandals. Of course, the sneaker has its own story…as usual, we hunted down the aisles of branded stores, and when we managed to find a model which both the OH and I liked, the only pair that the store had in my size was old and a little damaged, so they had to order another and it had to be picked up after a few days…finally, I was the proud owner of a nike sneaker, after setting the indulgent hubs back by almost a couple of thousand INR !
Well, after a few months here, my sandals gave away…and the hunt began…we started store hopping, and mall hopping... To start with, American shoe sizes are different from Indian sizes....and in between every size, they have a half-size too, so you have 6 ½, 7 ½, etc… and they are also much more expensive, compared to India…seeing the shoes, I guessed the feet of the average American woman should be larger than her Indian counter part, and they should be having a great sense of balance, to walk without falling with the pointy heels that most shoes have….so now, in addition to finding a size that fit, I also had to look out for shoes which were not stilettos, pencil heels or any other contraption that would require me to have the skill, balance and dexterity of a tight rope walker !
Phew, this time I even tried kid’s shoes….really…the sizes were more closer to mine…but I didn’t want to be seen around town in shoes that had pink butterflies, pretty bows or polka dots on them !
The OH mumbled something about trying to find a -2 size… out of sheer exhaustion and exasperation, he came up with a solution, though temporary….he bought a couple of tubes of super strength adhesive and stuck my sandal where it had come off….
Now, is my want of a shoe a lost battle ?
I’ll let you know if I find a shoe before the glue wears off…..watch this space….