Thank Someone Its Friday

Someone, cause, you know, I am nice like that. I like to use key words, please thank you and love you, stuff of that nature.

Its butt-freezing cold in Mumbai now, as everyone the world over has figured out. Its really insane. I am getting confused. I step out of the office and the cold blast of air hits me and I am transported back to Cambridge, or Amherst, or even Rochester. I am left wondering if all of the past six-odd years were an illusion, and am really back in those awful(ly) cold climes. I am wearing socks. I am contemplating my super-warm coat. I have given up on the colourful kurtas and salwar kameezes and gone monochrome with blue shirts. I am resisting the temptation to use cuff links (copied from the husband, I generally have French-cuffed formal shirts) cause they would clash with the sneakers I am wearing (with socks). My nose has been blocked since Jan 23rd. My ears since Jan 27th. I might have lice in my hair.

That apart the week has been somewhat fun, though too busy to sit and dream about what I will say when (its never 'if') I run into Hrithik Roshan. Or Tim Duncan. Or Jayesh the civil contractor we have hired, for that matter. I had one good class and one funny one. I attended one short meeting in all. I went to a fancy dress competition where three kids cried, two spoke in English, one was a fiery nationalist, one was a tortoise in brown, about seven were doctors, and my very own progeny was a pink fairy. And the baker walked away with it all. I got international roaming on my mobile phone. Now to concentrate on not losing the hand-set again. I received a check back from Citibank thanks to saying 2009 instead of 2008. So much for being in denial about this new year, I seem to have given it a double promotion! I still feel sort of like I am on a pendulum. Flashes of desperation and frustration, interspersed with lightning bolts of inner knowledge and Shakti-the-goddess type strength. Could be because I watched 'Beta' on Sunday. What an awesome movie!

Plans afoot for the upcoming days-
1. Shopping. By myself without my two lackeys for company. I picture it like this. They are both asleep in the afternoon. I have had a satisfying lunch and drunk a gallon of coffee. I board an auto. I go mall-ward. I have a list. Shirts. Pants. Brown and Black. Ties (heh heh no). Colourful shirts. A belt. I hang in there. No laziness. I buy them. Enough of wearing the same crap for ten years. I feel triumphant, and return home for a cup of hot ginger tea.
2. Partying. My friend is coming in the evening. I have shopped and returned by then. She is in a listening mood. I am in a bitching mood. We go out. She eats (she likes to). I drink. I talk. I try not to listen to her. We come home late.
3. Cleaning. The house is a mess. The maid's mother got burnt. She is threatening to not come back till I pay up Rs.5000 cause you know, its all my fault anyway. The cook wants to buy earrings. She will not wear anything but gold. She might threaten to go on leave unless I give her enough money. Anyway I am holding my own so far, but it means cleaning my own s*&* myself. So thats Sunday.
4. Pizza. Last Sunday's pizza was ruined by the superciliousness of Barkha Dutt. This sunday I plan to accompany it with some tried and tested thing, such as Ruskin Bond.

That should beat the blues into submission. Of course if 1-4 are all tossed out then I can pin my frustration on something real. You know, the inability to get some me time in this life time.