A Good Day

Yesterday was a pretty good day for me.
Reasons as follows:
1. My car was finally towed back to the rental agency.
2. Our business analyst lady gifted me an entire pack of my favourite tamarind candy :)
3. My JC Penney order was delivered! And the dresses fit. The jacket was not too good and neither was the material of the dresses. But overall, it was worth the idea.
4. My team lead invited all the team members for a potluck at his house this Sunday. I would be the guest of honour.

Greyhound

My return to India is just weeks away.
Now is a good time to jot down the uniquely American experiences one by one.

I visited New Jersey in winter of 2006. We were 4 roomies staying at Maple Shade. On the Christmas long weekend, we took a trip to New York. Our transport - a Greyhound bus. The service was pretty good as far as I can remember. The gentry was not too genteel. But it was a more or less comfortable (and affordable) journey to the Big Apple and that was all that mattered to us at that time.

In 'A Streetcar Named Desire' Stanley buys Blanche a one-way Greyhound ticket and Stella argues with him stating Blanche would not take the busride well.

In 'Money Can't Buy You Love', the heroine tells Patrick Dempsey of a common girlfriend - 'She has given more rides than the Greyhound' :)

I was planning on buying Greyhound tickets to the San Francisco airport from San Jose downtown before the trip to Vegas-Grand Canyon-Utah. Eventually, one of my colleagues dropped me off at the airport sparing me the bus ride.

Till date, these are my encounters with the Greyhound.

Gifts from my Hubby

These earrings are a gift from my hubby for our 3rd marriage anniversary. He bought them from a curio shop in Gangtok, Sikkim where he was vacationing on our anniversary. This made me decide to write a post on gifts that my husband has given me over the years.  

1. Complete Works of Kahlil Gibran

2. Saathiya audio cd - this was a small goof-up on his part - I wanted the movie cd

3. Saathiya video cd :) - he has repented it ever since - I have had countless 'Saathiya' attacks and have made him watch the movie over and over and over again :D

4. Diamond engagement ring from Gili

5. The fuschia lehenga I wore on my marriage reception from Prapti

6. A diamond wedding ring - am not sure if this was a gift from him or from my in-laws

7. A diamond pendant from Gili to match my engagement ring - on our 1st wedding anniversary

8. A tussar saree from Anand - on our 2nd Durga Puja after getting married

9. A Titan Raga Diva - red and white enamelled gorgeous watch - on my 27th birthday

10. A pair of gold earrings - just like that - he wants me to wear them all the time

11. A classic Kashmiri embroidered shawl - on my 27th birthday

12. Red pumps from Woodlands - when I departed for US

13. A silver chain on my 28th birthday

14. Fish shaped enamelled silver earrings(in picture above)

The roses that he used to bring me during our courtship days and the jasmine 'jui' or 'bel' 'gajras' (garlands) that he gifts me are no less dear to me than any one of the diamonds on any of my ornaments.

Some other not-so-usual gifts from him:

1. He used to let me keep his handkerchiefs during our courtship days. I slept soundly when I had his hanky beside my pillow :)

2. He set 'When You Say Nothing At All' as my ringtone on my MotoRazr. Waking up to his call every morning with this song playing was a magical experience in itself.

3. A few months back he sent me the Aerosmith song 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' - it was a poignant song and expressed his feelings for me much more eloquently than words.

Hey hubby - you can add other gifts you can remember which I might have missed out :)

An Old Blunder

Tomorrow is my 3rd marriage anniversary.
God has gifted me a relatively painless day as of now - which is the greatest gift for me at this point in time.
I was scouring the Internet for pictures of traditional Bengali brides.
And I started to realize where my wedding look went wrong.
I will try to jot down the pointers:

1. My best features are my eyes. The make-up artists did not do anything to accentuate them. They should have thickly lined them with black kohl thus making them stand out.
2. Absence of the tranditional big red bindi. This would have defined my big eyes.
3. Use of stick-on decorative bindis to highlight the eyebrows - traditional sandalwood paste decoration would have been way better. (I can blame only myself for this one :( )
4. A maangtika which goes both ways across the forehead from the middle parting would have done wonders to my broad forehead.
5. The typical big circular nose pin which is extended with a thin chain till the ear - this just adds the final touch to a Bengali bride.
6. I think there is something incredibly sexy about 'alta' if tastefully applied. This works way better than Mehendi on the feet. Chunky kundan payals go like a dream with 'alta' adorned feet.

I have been thinking of getting some photographs done of my hubby and me once I am back home. I want to have some decent photographs of us in traditional Bengali attire.

A Better Day

I had a relatively good day yesteday. It started off on a sour note with my manager telling me that he could not arrange for my hubby to come over because of company policy blah blah. However, post lunch, had a cathartic discussion with 3 middle aged HR ladies and all that girl talk and a tiny bit of chocolate really pepped me up. Dropped my prescription off at Walmarts with one colleague. Left office around 6pm. My team lead said it was remarkable that I was still in the office when most of my healthier colleagues had already departed for home. Back home I cooked up a scrambled egg casserole with potatoes and sausages and partook it while watching the undeniably sexy Brad Pitt as Achilles seducing Briseus in 'Troy'. Then, had a rare friendly chat with father with his favourite cat in company. Spoke amicably with mom as well. I was hoping to get a call from my manager but true to my company's lackadaisical standards, he did not call me eventually. It was good in a way. Helped me to carry on with my good mood uninterrupted. Took a hot bath after almost a week. Massaged some Volini. Took my sedative and slept one of the best sleep in recent times. The good mood has spilled onto today and I wish to keep it going for as long as I can!!

My fluffy friend

Meet my new friend - Buni.
I procured him from Target during Easter season.
He was lying in the wrong shelf just waiting to be picked up by me.

I cuddle him - I talk to him at times - not in a very coherent tongue - just the usual blabber which I earlier did to my cats. He is a huge help when I turn towards the very bright light beside the bed. I just prop him up sideways on the pillow on which I sleep - and voila! he makes a good sleepshade.

I believe it was destiny which has brought us together.
I expect him to accompany me on my return flight. I would then retain some amount of composure.