The wedding preparations

They’re exhausting. Organising an Indian marriage is a lot of work. I walked out to the living room to see my frazzled parents pouring over sheets of paper on which they had scribbled the names of the guests. They seemed to be having an argument over the number of people they were yet to include. I tched tched and decided to take the matter in my own hands. So I made an organised guest list on excel which had columns like Family, number of people expected from that family, number of cards to be distributed, etc. It was all easier to total and view and made life simpler. There are a million things to do and we have to work out ways that are quick, efficient and organised. In my opinion, an Indian wedding is the ideal test for your management skills.

I want to look into all the small details and its taking up all my time. So in the last few days, I’ve been all over the place, shopping, booking hotels, selecting cards, choosing the items on the menu, finalising the venue, looking for a good photographer who doesn’t insist on tacky bride and groom poses, looking for a good DJ, etc.

I started this post on the 12th and I am finishing it on the 24th. The days in between have been such a blur. It involved a trip to Chennai where I chose my wedding sari (given by the in laws), my wedding ring, the works. I had made a resolve to post every month and write about every small detail. Clearly, its been a dismal failure.

I am not giving up though. I hope to be back soon, with lots more to say.

Just because I decided to post everyday for this month

..I am here again. It feels weird to be back so soon. But I’m glad I am doing it. The list of things I want to accomplish in the next 2 years is still under construction. I should put it up soon.

 

I realised I have not mentioned the big news on the blog even once. I am getting married! In less than 3 months now. As usual, I see a lot of mixed reactions. From aunts and relatives who seem to think it is the ‘ideal’ age, to my friends who think I am crazy to even think of marriage at 23.

Most people have asked me the question; ‘Why get married now?’. Ofcourse, I’ve bugged Mint enough with the same question, and annoyed him till he answers me. He gave me an interesting set of reasons (which he may not even remember now). But anyway, here are some of my reasons of why I should marry him, and why I should marry him now:

1. We finally get to live together.

And not really bother about the different time zones, my sucky net connection, my good for nothing cell phone (which demands another post). The idea of coming home to to each other everyday seems wonderful. And its good to have someone to cuddle with on cold wintery nights.

2. We save money.

We move into the same apartment. (No really, one person house holds are the biggest consumers of energy cos of things like TV, washing machine, etc). We also drastically cut down the phone bills.

 

3. We have some budding talents, including the ability to bicker and argue with each other endlessly; a healthy indication of a ‘normal marriage’.

 

4. Changing my ‘status’ on facebook, seems like a fun thing to do.

 

5. He agrees to take me shoe shopping. And he knows how to cook. Two awesome reasons.

 

6. Like he said, having a joint bank account is a good idea. Yes, he is brave. Good reason to get married? 😛

 

7. He is extremely tolerant of me.

 

8. I love talking to him. Not only cos we can engage in deep romantic conversation but also because his sarcasm and wit makes me chuckle and laugh all the time.

 

9. I can now dream of him indulging my unquenched travel obsessions and cooking me exotic meals.

10. I love him. That should say it all.

Its a new year..

I’ve been away for a while, again! The words just don’t flow effortlessly anymore. Constructing even a single sentence is cumbursome. As a result, I’ve been put off by the idea of typing out an entire post. At the same time I knew I had to get back and kept urging myself to write. But I only ended up doing what I do best; procrastinate.

However, I figured I had to overcome the lethargy at some point. Its the beginning of the year and a good time for a new start. Today, I shall take stock and evaluate my success based on the criteria I had set for myself two years ago. The next part of this post is copy pasted from my previous blog. I’ve added my comments below each point.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

I am in my final year and will (hopefully :D) be a graduate soon. This is an important mile stone in my life. Time seems to be speeding by and I need to pause and think for a moment to know where I am heading. So here I make a list of the things I want to accomplish in the next 2 years. Sure I want to bungee jump and experience other such exhilarating stuff, but this one is going to be a more solemn and a more rational list. Here goes:

* Emerge into a decent cook.
This is surprising, considering the fact that I was never the one for cooking. But over time I have matured and understood that knowing how to cook is an integral part of being independent. Now I do take the initiative and enter the kitchen, and hey, its not that bad! Actually, I quite like it..
OK. I am not sure I can call myself a ‘decent’ cook, but there have been tremendous improvements in my cooking abilities. I am now capable of cooking an edible meal all by myself. Its not great stuff but you can certainly digest it without the aid provided by pills.

* Gain some kilos.
And start believing in miracles. My weight has been static since years and shows no sign of improvement. I hope in another 2 years, I do manage to gain some weight, enjoy good health and manage to put an end to the “you’re so thin” comments that continue to haunt me.
Sigh! This one has been a dismal failure. I know my erratic eating habits, my diet (or the lack of it) has been responsible for the failure. All the same, I’ve been more responsible and sane since the last few months and hope to continue working on this sincerely.

* Do my Masters.
Ideally, my aim is to complete my masters in the next 2-3 years. But if that does not work out, I should at least start my Post Graduate course in the next 2 years.
Doneeeee!! 🙂 🙂

* Still be blogging.
Maybe elsewhere, if not on the same blog. Blogging has indeed helped me keep track of a lot of things I would have lost track of otherwise. It has given me so many wonderful friends. It has given me a reason to introspect. One habit, I don’t want to let go of.
Yes, I am still blogging. But the frequency of my posts has drastically dropped. I still enjoy reading about the moments that I recorded on my old blog during my BMM days. That has motivated me enough to be regular on this blog and make sure I document my life on a daily basis. I aim to write a post a day, atleast for the month of Jan.

*Have run a marathon. Why don’t I ever get around to doing it?
Why don’t I? Maybe cos I don’t train myself for it. I did start going for morning runs for a few weeks, but as usual, gave up mid way. Its too late to register for the upcoming Marathon now. Next time I hope?

* Leave Mumbai.
And live elsewhere for a while. Somewhere. Anywhere. I don’t know how I plan to go about this, but I need a new beginning in my life. I hope something works out. Fingers crossed!
Done! Living alone, especially in another country made me realise a lot of things. The most important thing I learnt is that I hate being away from my family. I yearn for mom’s lap, dad’s coffee, sister’s reactions to my doings, care-free and fun filled conversations with all of them, the comfort of home cooked food, and everything else. Depriving myself and them of all this just does not seem worth it.

* Own a huge collection of books.
I already do own one. But when it comes to reading, I want so much more..
Unfortunately I didn’t do too much of reading in the past year. 2008 however was a year in which a lot of books were added to my collection.

* Travel.
I want to see more places. More of India. And a lot more. Is it possible?
Yes, from Jan 2008, I definitely did travel more and see different places. Both in India and in firang land.

* Figure out what I truly want in life.
As simple as that.
Pretty much figured by now 🙂

* Stay in touch with all my friends who are dear to me. Wherever they are. Wherever I am.
This one’s not been too hard so far.

Coming up, list of things I aim to achieve by 2012.