ARE YOU THIS WEIRD MALL PERSON?

I was at this mall yesterday night.  It was weekend and the mall was crowded like crazy and I was too tired to walk around so I settled on this bench and just waited. And noticed what I haven’t done in a long time….. People! And I was so happy to find that I wasn't the only “weird” person around. So, what are the other odd people I ran into…?

ETERNAL FASHIONISTA: Yes, the complete fashion victim. All done in the latest designer wear, designer bags, a sizzling watch to go with, chic hair, tons of make-up, lots of accessories hanging around from every corner, stuttering away in really uncomfortable six inch heels and not to forget the huge sunglasses – yes, inside the mall at 9 p.m.!

THE SHOPPING BAG: People with loads of shopping bags, dashing into every shop with DISCOUNT written on it, coming out with something they don’t need and probably will never use for the rest of their lives.

THE GIGGLY GROUP: Mostly teenagers, hanging out in groups, giggling at every instant, trying to be “cool”, wearing mixed colors, mismatched “funky” accessories, boys with shiny hats, girls with shiny tops, sometimes noisy, sometimes loud but having pure “fun” trying to be “cool”!

THE ANGRY MOTHER – DAUGHTER DUO : Every one of you must have been through this; an angry mother walking off because daughter wanted a top which will always be “too low cut, too revealing, too inappropriate” and daughter will always be “too young for it”. And the daughter, she is all grumpy and crossed hands and expresses her anger by walking and banging her foot on her floor.

THE WALKING TECHNOLOGY: This is very common now, the biggest mobile in hand, ear phones attached, IPod in the pocket, checking out the gadgets, talking tech lingo and discussing everything digital!

THE LONELY DAD WITH CHILD : This category had been my “company” on the bench. A dad with a child in the stroller and the mother is nowhere to be seen; probably too busy shopping. But oddly, this is pretty common.

ROAD BLOCKER PEOPLE : That’s what I named them… they travel in groups, walk in horizontal lines and have poor or no consideration for the people walking behind them. They cause a “mini – jam” for everyone and talk so loudly that they miss the “excuse me” coming from people behind them.

So, what kind of a mall person are you? Tell me! Or add a new category!

SO IT WAS VALENTINE'S DAY...

Yes it was Valentine's Day yesterday. The day of love, of cupid, of red roses, of mushy wishes, of heart shaped cakes and muffins and of everything remotely red. I have never liked Valentine’s Day…maybe the jealousy of being single is talking but I still have to make my peace with the day.No matter how much we talk about “Valentine isn't about being with your lover, it is the day of love and it could be your family, friends, anyone”….I say BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Valentine’s Day is Cupid’s conspiracy to make us, single people, feel miserable, “singled – out” and so “unloved”. And I had this valentine to strengthen my paranoia about the day.

Photo from Dryicons

February 14 was my first day on a new job this year. So I thought…I’ll be busy, the day will just pass and like always, I was so mistaken. Walking to the bus stop, I saw a lady holding a bouquet of red roses and a gift box and beaming…no points for guessing why and she was staring right at me (no I am not imagining things!) … CUPID’S STRIKE NO.1


People at my new “office” weren’t ready for me because they were busy discussing their heart T-shirts they wore to work, so I had to wait for all the “mushy” talk to get over with… CUPID’S STRIKE NO. 2


Walking back home, the ice cream parlor near my house was offering discount rates to “couples”….yes and by couples they meant lovers, not any of “I love my sister very much, now please pass me the chocolate ice cream at the discount price please” nonsense…. CUPID’S STRIKE NO. 3


Do I need more reasons? Sorry Cupid, I am giving up but I ain’t still falling for your trap. I might take time to like you but you have to give us singles a chance.


So how did singles spend valentines? Did cupid make you feel just as miserable? Tell me! And the “non-singles”, you must have been single at some point in time… or just rub some salt into my wounds, how did Feb 14 go?

SAY YES TO THIS AND YOU ARE IN DEEP *BEEP*!

Some days back I was watching the movie Yes Man. For those of who you haven’t watched it, the movie is about a man who has to say “Yes” to everything….and everything means EVERYTHING!

Really not pragmatic…can I say yes to anything…just about anything. Not really. For starters, I am always confused and secondly, I just don’t like to hurt others and give the wrong impression (Yes, I am a good girl! – See I can say yes!)

So what can’t I say yes to? Many, many things…here’s my  can’t – really – say – yes questions!

·         Did your exams go well? (If you have been reading my work…you might understand why!)

·         Do you have any idea about what you are going to do with your life? (Remember your college days!)

Photo courtesy:
http://yesisthenewno.warnerbros.com/

·         Are you sure this is what you want to do? (Any crucial decision making time)

·         Do you like your job? (The first job you ever had, you might think YES, but tell me, was it?)

·         I love you. Do you love me? (Don’t ask!)

·         Do you like my new haircut? (Coming from a friend with an experimental new haircut)

·         I am your favorite, right? (Coming from either of my nephew or niece)

·         Have you thought about marriage? (Coming from parents)

·         Do you have enough money saved for the future?

·         Are you making quick progress at work?

·         Have I put on weight?

·         You are going to stick to this diet, right?

·         You know exactly where you are going to be in 10 years?

So that was my list of some things I have difficulty saying yes to. What’s yours? Are you a yes person? Or do you silently thank God for MAYBE!

TEN TIDBITS!

So I am into this 90 day bloggers support program (BIG YAY! To the TLC Bloggers!) and I will be blogging almost twice a week – fingers crossed. I seriously didn’t know what to begin with… and was too lazy (like always) to cook up something new!

So I came up with this. Two of my favorite bloggers Janine Ripper and Tristan Higbee “inspired” me to do this…(go check out their amazing blogs, but finish reading mine first!) and rumor has it that it gets a lot of comments, retweets and the likes. Random things about myself for you to get to know me better!

1.       I was born in India. I was raised in United Arab Emirates. I did my higher studies in India. I work in United Arab Emirates….kind of like alternating the place with every stage.

2.       I can embroider…probably NO ONE, besides my mom, knows this and she is so happy to have kept this “secret”!

3.       I hate cooking and I love eating. “I live to eat” is an understatement to my love for food! I can never come up with a favorite cuisine. I just love it all.

4.       As a kid, I never liked stuffed toys or dolls and I still don’t. Boxes from my childhood are filled with books, comics, newspaper cuttings….I was way too boring as kid.

5.       I have a fetish for shoes.  At one time I had more shoes than clothes. Everywhere I go I seem to fin d the “perfect” shoe…always!

My trip to Jehangiri Mahal
(Jehangir's Palace, Agra)
P.S. I am near the entrance,
yes...bad photographer...
but this is my favorite monument 

6.       I love architecture and history. Mughal architecture is my favorite and it never ceases to fascinate me.  I have been to most places with Mughal history and I can go there a million times again.

7.       I am a voracious reader. My favorite authors are William Dalrymple, Khaled Hosseini and  Oscar Wilde. I loved Sidney Sheldon books as a teenager. I recently finished reading Fatima Bhutto’s Songs of Blood and Sword and I loved it.

8.       Chocolate and cheese are my favorite flavors except, of course, chocolate pizza and cheese ice cream (if there is anything of that sort). My favorite indulgence is dark chocolate ice cream or a brownie or anything chocolate with hot chocolate sauce…

9.       I am crazy about movies. So crazy that just last week I watched over ten movies. I am a sissy though; I just can’t watch horror movies. My favorite movie is Forrest Gump which brings me to my favorite actor – Tom Hanks. I was so in awe of him after watching Forrest Gump that I ended up watching ALL of his movies.

10.   I would love to learn photography mainly because I think I am a pathetic photographer and the camera just hates me, so I am going to treat it as revenge!

So…that’s done…tell me something about YOU that I don’t know!

Do we share interests or am I the only boring one around?