Procrastination

I am supposed to be doing my homework for the Counseling Skills course I signed up for. I'm supposed to write an essay on How I Came To Be The Person I Am. Not allowed to use a computer. Not allowed to show it to anyone. Just got to be brave and start it. A minimum of 5 pages required. No idea what she's going to make us do with it.

In the last class, the teacher said, "Don't do it at 4am, Tuesday morning, about 6 hours before class.". I found myself wondering exactly that a few minutes ago. What if I wake up super early to finish it like I used to for all my exams? I am not a night person. All I want to do right now is crawl into my blankets.

She also said, "Don't give in to the resistance that comes with this exercise. You'll try to avoid it as long as you can". Here I am writing about the homework instead of doing the homework itself.

Such a procrastinator. Not because I'm scared. I'm just lazy. I guess I better get to work.

One Month Down

January has flown. It's moved so quickly through everything that was going on that I'm astounded that we have only 4 days left. The highlights of the month have been reconnecting with some of my best friends.

Sruthi and Tulika were here as soon as I got back from my vacation at the beginning of the month. We were in and out of each others homes during that week and then we headed out to the Taj one night and stayed there until 3am catching up on boyfriends(and exes), work, school, frantic parents, rants, raves, and other stuff we've talked about a million times in the last eleven years.

Samai was here for a weekend to see her new nephew. The little kudi from dilli and I got to catch up over coffee and then dinner at the Mariott poolside where I almost fell asleep on the comfy couch. A sarcastic and cynical opinion on everything, I shared some good laughs with her. Her all too short trip came to an end within 24 hours of her arrival and she left with empty promises that she'll be back in two weeks for a friend's wedding (she never came). I guess I won't be seeing her until July/Aug since I despise Delhi winters and summers.

Muneera arrived with Inara on Jan 19th. I've been spending every hour I can steal over at their house. I tend to walk in on them the moment they sit down to a scrumptious meal (lucky me). Muneera's been treating my cold and cough the Ayurvedic way using strange yellow and brown concoctions in milk. She shook her head disappointedly when she saw me shoving in chocolate pudding at lunch. We're also having fantastic chats over homeschooling her baby, the dangers of using teflon-coated pans, and the benefits of pouring ghee in all your curries ;). Inara is the most adorable baby around at the moment. Between negotiating with her mother over every bite and smiling ecstatically every time her grandpa snaps his fingers, this little girl is stealing hearts by the second. She's learning to walk and her latest thing is to pace across the room, cell phone to ear, baby-talking with her daddy. I collapsed on the floor when Inara proudly whispered her newest word (it's probably the 5th full word she can speak) -- "Happy". What can I say, I guess Hippy parents make Happy babies.

Uma is also here for a friend's wedding. She showed up at my house at 11pm, walking like a duck in a bright yellow Sari. 30 minutes and 5 saftey pins later we left for the Sangeet. I asked my driver to wait for us promising him that we'll be back in an hour. 4 hours later we were still on the dance floor. Sindhis really know how to get down. 60-year old aunties were insisting on drinking shots with all the young 'uns without a care in the world. We finally left but the party went on long after us.

These ladies are special because we've all known each other for more than 10 years now. We were the coolest entourage in town and the connection and closeness has only gotten better through the years. Being the only resident Hyderabadi these days, I lucked out and got to hang with all of them (and then they all left me behind...grrr). I don't really remember much else about January, it's passed by in a blur. The icing on the cake will be my trip to Singapore and Thailand that begins in 3 days.

Hey, Ho, and a Merry-O

Hello, hello. Happy New Year. It's been a lovely two-week vacation from the blog and now it feels good to be back.

Frankly, I was getting sick of this blog. Sick of this mundane shit that I write. Who cares about reading it anyway? And if I'm writing for "myself" then why don't I just get a journal? But then sometimes you just have to blow the questions away and write anyway. Agree? Disagree? Never mind.

December was a time for reunions. Lots of old friends passing through town. Tulika, Uma, Sruthi, Deepti, Dinesh, and even some old schoolmates I haven't met in a long time. It's been great hanging out with them at leisurely lunches and loud bars. All good. The much awaited arrival of Muneera and my pink rabbit will end on Jan 19th.

My life continues to evolve rapidly. I am still teaching yoga and have at least 6 regular students, which I am grateful for. I've also picked up a consulting project with the new Novotel. It's a sweet deal where I am on-site 2 days a week and work from home the rest of the time.

Took a little vacation in the last week of 2007. Spent 3 gorgeous days in Coonoor and another 3 in Bangalore. We realised that the combination of cold weather and no central heating is not our thing. My body just refuses to function. But we shed the blankets and dragged ourselves out, walked around in the tea gardens soaking in the hill-station-sun. The "toy train" ride from Coonoor to Ooty was absolutely spectacular. But the best part about the whole trip was the company :).

Back in Blore, we rang in the new year with red wine shots (ugh), Entourage, and Harry Potter Uno. Very 37-year-oldish but just up my alley. 2008 should be interesting. All through 2007, I dated every cheque as 2008. It's probably a sign. I'll be either filthy rich or flat broke this year.