Tuesday, April 28, 2009

29...

Happy birthday to me.

No. of Gifts: 3

Gifted by: Myself

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Gift no. 1: A (free) haircut
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It is a well-known fact that hairdressers in London are desperate for hair models. Gumtree.com is full of emails from the salons, looking for people to offer their (head) hair as a canvas for trainee hairdressers. The service is entirely free and perhaps my only chance on earth to use the services of top-end salons.

So I decided to volunteer my tresses and get a new look for my birthday. It took me nearly 20 minutes to find CITY CUTS. After alighting from St. James' Park, I stuttered and stumbled my way to the salon, which in reality is only a 5-min journey from the tube.

I admit, I was quaking when I sat on the salon chair. I have had so many horrifying haircuts in my life that I have almost lost any hope of getting a good one. Am I going to spoil my birthday now?

But it proved to be a great experience. Though the training happened in a cramped basement, the senior stylist was this cheerful guy who called everybody "darling" and immediately put me into ease. He listened patiently when I told him what I want for my fine, flyaway, super-thin and super-problematic hair, and he instructed an Italian intern to give me a graduated bob.

Yep, I had one.

And yep, it was sensational.

I am NEVER going back to long, stringy, limp hair. Ever.


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Gift no. 2: Buffet Lunch
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There is a road that's adjacent to Artillery Row (SW1), which is some kind of a flea market. I had a buffet lunch there, for 5 pounds. Not great, but not bad either - good enough for a fiver. I did miss not having dessert.


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Gift no. 3: The cheapest and most fabulous clothes shop in London
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Best part of the day - I discovered this great little shop FRENCH KISS, which had the most amazing clothes, all costing.... 5 pounds.

I am SO hitting it again as soon as I get my salary next week...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

One of my fav web comics (quick read)

The Right Number is a projected three-part online graphic novella about math, sex, obsession and phone numbers presented in an unusual zooming format.

http://www.scottmccloud.com/1-webcomics/trn-intro/index.html

Monday, April 20, 2009

How do you really know if you are on the right road?



I am frustrated.

Because I do not know where I am going.

How do you know? Who shows you the path? Who tells you the way? What sign is revealed to you?

And how positive can you be that your eyes and ears will be open when some one shows you, tells you, signs you?

The more I progress, the more I get restless. The progress seemes increasinly meaningless to me.

So I can write. So I can write well. So I am published. So I am good looking, healthy, affluent... SO WHAT?

What is the purpose of it all?

I pray everyday for some sign, that I am here, in earth, for some kind of purpose. I hope I get it soon. There is no wait as torturous as waiting for your destiny.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Compliments and complaints

It happened again today. I was called downstairs around 9pm and shown some juice stains on the floor. "I know it's late and that this is a bit anal, but I pay a cleaner and I don't want to come home to a dirty kitchen," said my employer. "You have GOT to make sure that the place is spic and span after the kids' tea time."

I admit, I was caught off-guard. I thought of the countless number of times I have cleaned up in the past 3 months, both on weekdays..... and many weekend mornings too, when I am not paid to do it, just because I wanted to make their weekends a little easy. I thought how the kids would always ask me to make their tea and breakfast even during weekends, when I'm not working and how I gladly obliged them.

I thought of the way I spend a pound every week to get sweeties for them because they always ask me what I have got for them when I come home from a sunday outing. I thought of the times I went without dinner because her husband would come in from work just when I was about to eat and express interest in the food and I would have no choice but to offer my share.

Lastly, I thought of how my legs would ache after I run around every day, making dinner for three hungry kids and tidying up the kitchen as much as I could possibly do while helping them do their homework.

And I have to confess that I almost lost my temper.

But if my employer was anal about cleanliness, I'm anal about confrontations. I just gritted my teeth, smiled and told her, "Sure, I will clean it up tomorrow."

I realise now that what I should have said is, "I always tidy up everyday after tea time EVERY SINGLE DAY, but if the kids make a mess in the kitchen AFTER I retire to my room, there isn't much I can do."

Well, I will save it for another day. I really don't understand... How can a juice stain on the floor on the DINING ROOM mean a dirty kitchen? How can any one hope for a spic and span kitchen all the time when there are 3 children in the house?

And - this is a same-side goal, I know - WHY is it that one doesn't find any pleasure in routine compliments but gets upset on an occasional criticism? Yes, my employers have told me frequently that I'm doing a great job with the kids, and till now, all their (polite) complaints have been on the housekeeping part of mine.

But this is the best I can do! Seriously! I have never cleaned up so religiously in my entire life!

Oh well.

Friday, April 10, 2009

London Book Fair - nearly 30% off for online registration


The London Book Fair is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. Ticket price is £40, but if you register online, you get £15 off!

Event schedule
http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/page.cfm/Action=Seminars/t=m

I will be there on all four days, except for April 18.
Special guests:
James Patterson, bestselling author
Vikas Gupta
Anita Nair
William Darlymple
and many others

Registration at -

http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/page.cfm/Action=Team/t=m