Diet 2009

From today, I plan to eat small quantities of healthy food at certain times of the day, before I start to feel real hunger.

7am - water therapy (for overall elimination)

8:15am - Diet Delite breakfast (high-fiber)

11pm - one carrot stick + cuccumber, diced (vit A)

1pm - chicken/tofu tropical salad in fresh mayo (protein + biotin)

4pm - 2 pieces garlic bread (carbs)

7:30pm - dinner of veg soup OR chappathi and sabji (without ghee or masala)

Will this work? Gotta wait and see!

Small helpings

For the first time in several years, I ate moderately.

I use the word moderate because I am sure it is not low-fat or low-carb or low-anything. But I had small quantities.

In the morning I had MTR's Diet Delite - 1 packet. It's a porridgy mixture mainly made of wheat. For lunch around 1pm, I had tropical chicken salad (chicken slivers + pine apple + mayo) and 2 pieces of garlic bread. The remaining two pieces of garlic bread I ate around 5pm, when the hunger pangs hit the hardest.


It was a shock to know that I could feel this full after eating small packets of salad and bread.

In the evening, around 7pm, I had a small bowl of sweet corn with lime and pepper. Now, I am ready to sleep.

For those who are not my friends, I am suffering from a weight gain problem. Partly because of heredity and partly because of gluttony. I generally eat huge quantities of rice and fried food morning, noon and night (hence the double chin and jelly belly). If I go without samosas or rice for over 12 hours, my body will revolt. Headaches and tummy aches will crop up, accompanied by a murderous rage.

But today... nothing. I felt warm and full. So that's the secret... to eat BEFORE the stomach starts to complain its hunger. Because once your body realises that it's hunger and panics, nothing can stop you from demolishing all your diet plans.

WHM visa: 6 basic documents needed

It often amazes me when I come across certain queries on the net, posted by aspiring Working Holidaymakers. They sent out questions asking for minimum bank balance and application procedure and interview techniques. One person even wanted a copy of holiday plan that he can duplicate!

I am completely flummoxed... How can anybody just post questions on a forum and EXPECT magic solutions to be offered to them, if they are not even willing to do basic research? A visa is a serious matter. It's not a lottery or a charity. You are entering alien domain, another country and naturally, you need to be prepared. Wouldn't you prepare before taking an exam? And instead of relying on somebody's views, it is always best to do the research by yourself.

But then, not all people might have unlimited access to internet (may be you are based in a town where internet speed is not reliable) - nor can many have the leisure of time to sit for weeks or months and do research before actually applying (which is what I did). So, for those people who genuinely do not know where to start, please find below the 6 basic documents you need to apply for WHM.

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If you want to browse a comprehensive site on Working Holidaymaker visas of the world, go to http://www.whmvisa.blogspot.com

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1. A bank balance of a min. 5000 pounds - original bank statement shd be given.
The UK site says it is min. 2600 pounds, but I know lots who got rejected after showing that amount… so it is always better to show more. Even if you have a sponsor, the amount shd be in YOUR account... recently, my friend got rejected because her sponsor's (her father’s) money, over 10k pounds, was not in HER account.

2. Detailed holiday plan
I mean, DETAILED... bcos if the holiday plan is very brief or general, the visa officers will immediately conclude that the applicant is not very serious abt holidaying in UK… they will decide that you want to go to work.

3. Future job offer
from existing/new employer OR letter from your parent/husband/wife/fiancée saying that you will return OR similar (up to your personal situation)

4. A one-way flight ticket (mandatory) or a return flight ticket (excellent)
Yes, you have to do this, it’s a great way of proving that you are returning back. You definitely need to put aside the amount and take this step if you badly want to get the WHM visa. Many have got the visa without keeping this, but I am talking about current times where things are complicated, and esp. in India, they expect return flight ticket printouts.

5. Personal covering letter with a promise to return back.
This is important. I heard it from a lot of consultants that most applicants just keep the required documents. Trust me, it pays to to write polite introduction letter about yourself. It might make the officer know more about you and then make a decision.

6. Proof of accommodation.
If you don't know anybody, a confirmed booking at a hotel or a hostel - for a minimum of 2-4 weeks - is more than enough. If you do have relatives' place to stay, get them to give appropiate sponsorship letters, including council tax documents. Looking back, I see that most of my friends had problems only when they showed letters from their relatives offering them free lodging and boarding in UK!

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The above 6 things are COMPULSORY, no matter what other tells you, you HAVE to have these in your documents folder (along with your completed application form, passport, and photos)

You are, of course, free to keep more documents that might help your case. Many say that a NOC letter from current employer is a big plus (however, you can get it only if you have a good rapport with your superior!). Other documents that might help are graduation certificates, PF account proof, savings scheme certificates, property documents or FD passbooks (in your name preferably) - all in ORIGINAL.

If you want to browse a comprehensive site on Working Holidaymaker visas of the world, go to http://www.whmvisa.blogspot.com

Happy Diwali!

I stood in my rooftop terrace and watched in glee as colourful fireworks exploded on th sky above. They were like mini-rocket bombs! I usually find it difficult to laugh while coughing in all that cracker smoke, but no one can resist smiling at the colours above... specks of green, red and gold dotting the sky. My legs refused to move, even though I realised that it was actually dangerous to stand like this, barefoot and clothed in a cotton dress. It was like being in a battlefield, with all the sounds and smoke - a happy battlefield, if there is one!

After half an hour, I finally came downstairs and sat before the comp. I tried to concentrate and finish my work, I had a few deadlines at work... had to finish a couple of stories for the magazine I was working for, yet, it was difficult to. The sounds of firecrackers were defeaning... and I, who can't work if a mosquito burped loudly, didn't mind it at all!

Perhaps that's Diwali. It catches upon you, and you just can't avoid it. I am not big of festivals, but this one is very tough to ignore.

Generally I make a point never to go out during Diwali season... you never know when you are going to step on a landmine, oops sorry, firecracker. But Diwali comes to you... the way you start when an especially loud cracker goes off, when your pet hides under the bed for 3 continious days, when you feast on sweets and dosas non stop, when you get a weekday off from work, when kids ... Diwali is there in your life.

Article in 4INDIANWOMAN

WHY A RETREAT?
By Radhika Meganathan

More than 2 years ago, when I came back from US to India after completing a magazine internship, I had utterly lost the urge to write. Reverse culture shock (the transition from NYC to Chennai was very disheartening), myriad family issues and some disturbing health concerns had zapped my creative muscles. For someone who was earning close to Rs. 1 lakh a month, it was dismal to be faced with the sad CTCs offered to editors.

Thankfully, I had a portfolio of published books so I had enough assignments to keep myself afloat (and not money from Papa). For nearly five months since returning from USA, I was busy freelancing and kicking myself for coming back, when a MNC approached me for the post of a copy editor. It dangled a very attractive pay package, and fate was all but sealed – who will possibly have energy to write while battling umpteen deadlines in a corporate environment?

Let me tell you how a life in a nightshift KPO is. I was surrounded by MBAs and PGs, intelligent enough to be a good company and young enough to laugh a lot. Friendships were quickly formed, since you might not have much to do on a lean week. Meals are free, the company cab picks up and drops you at your place, and every month, a fat pay cheque is deposited into the account. Life becomes positively a bed of roses.

Oh, I forgot the thorns! Everyday, you battle deadlines... nerves are frayed, tempers run hot, and till the deadline is safely met, no dares to even move away from the desk. And if a deadline is missed... there are more enquiries and paperwork and phone calls to be faced with, IN ADDITION to the everyday tasks. So people generally are very careful not to miss a deadline... which means ... yes, non-stop work and worrying.

I won't say that I disliked my job. Copyediting was fine and fed my stomach but my Muse was starved. I left home when my Mom started preparing dinner and I back when the milkmaid deposited two milk cartons outside my house gate.

I never did anything about it, though… but I was always aware of that niggling voice inside my tired mind. “You need some rest” it would whisper, “Make some time for it. Or else….it will be too late…”

I was terrified about the "or else” factor… and anybody who has worked in a cubicle 10+ hours a day will understand the urge to relax in a place where the colours of earth soothe your mind. And that’s why, in August 2006, I chose Pondicherry. Apart from being a well-known (ahem) fun place, it also was located near the Auroville – that universal township existing in mystic tranquility.

And I decided to make it a writers’ retreat, because I wanted to find my lost muse. For some time, the writers’ groups I belonged to wanted to meet on a retreat and I thought, why don’t I do it?

Of course I didn’t know anything about planning a retreat. The only experience I have had before was planning family outings. Besides, with the help of Google and mobile phones, how horrible can your judgment be?

Read more

My Interview in The Hoot

A WOMEN WRITERS' RETREAT

What do a bunch of journalists do when they organize a retreat for themselves to discuss writing? They end up trying their hand at fiction. CHANDANA BANERJEE describes this unusual experiment.

Every day and every minute of our professional lives is spent obsessing over the written word. Does this article read well; will the story enthrall readers; could I have come up with a better idea; how do I add more chutzpah to the copy? – Questions that all writers ask themselves a zillion times in the length and breadth of their writing careers.

As journalists, writers and editors, we're constantly honing our craft and always trying to come up with a good story, crisp copy, and a flash of dazzling creativity. But somewhere between chasing deadlines and bagging bylines; between juggling home and office, work and family, the general business of living and earning begins to deplete the pool of creativity that each of us has. That's when we need to getaway from it all and lavish some time on our muse; spend some time nurturing our passion for the written word.

A group of six freelance journalists and writers did just that in the beginning of this month. Armed with notebooks and pens, they set out for a writer's retreat at Yercaud, a picturesque and serene hill station 40 kilometers from Salem, Tamil Nadu.

"Take time to retreat; only then you can leap ahead," states Radhika Meganathan, the brain behind this writer's retreat. Radhika, the Managing Editor of Chandamama.com and a freelance journalist and author from Chennai, says that its wanderlust and the talent for planning that made her coordinate this writer's retreat. Having organized a weekend retreat a year ago, Radhika wanted to plan a longer one that would focus on writing.

Read more.

A day of Detox

Here's how to spent a day in detox:

Items needed:
Seasonal fruits - 1/2 kilo each
Juicer or a sharp knife (to make fruit salad)
Good books or movies
Walking shoes
Self-discipline

Schedule
6am – 4 glasses of water; drink in 5-minute intervals
9am - a glass of mosambi/water melon/limejuice+honey
10am – a glass of hot water with jeera
11pm – again, a glass of mosambi/water melon/limejuice+honey
12:30pm - 1 big bowl of fruit salad
1:00am - Be prepared for a marathon headache or craving for fried items
1:30pm - 1 glass of mosambi juice
3:30pm - 1 glass of orange juice
4:30pm - Murderous rage; inclination to kill anybody who's eating a samosa
5:00pm - One bowl of water melon + banana + guava chunks
6:00pm - An urge to howl or sob. You want to bite into a chicken leg - fried or raw, it won't matter now. For the love of Jalebis, RESIST!
7:30pm - 1 bowl of orange + mango + Nungu chunks
8:30pm - An amazing feeling of freshness and rigour
9:00pm - 1 bowl of Noi Kanchi (rice porridge)
10:00pm - Go to bed with a great smile. You have done it!

TIPS:
So what to do between drinking juices and slowly going mad?
In the morning, read a book (I finished "The Accidental Tourist").
In the afternoon, see a movie (I saw "Absence of Malice"). Alternately, you can also spend some time in the spa or a salon, pampering yourself.
In the evening, go for a walk. You can also work on a hobby, explore the Internet, catch up on old email or update your blog.

LIKE A GODDESS

Back when I was doing my college, the worst thing you could be in India is… slim.

I was reed-thin and clothes hung on my frame delicately. People were always concerned about my health (“Are you sure you aren’t anemic?”). Relatives scolded my mother for not feeding me properly. I still remember a cousin’s mocking query. “Why is your body like a cylinder?”

And of course, men always like an hourglass figure, right?

Thus began my quest to put ““more meat on my bones”. I went on a gastronomic rampage. I started my mornings with roasted pancakes and huge dollops of cow’s butter. Afternoon saw me attacking chicken biriyani and meat patties. In the evening, I devoured deep-fried onion pakoras and I usually went to sleep after a heavy dinner of chapattis and cheese buttermasala.

My skin and body told me that it felt ill to consume such food everyday. I didn’t bother to listen. My sole aim was to turn into a lush Indian goddess and my body better be under my command.

My body eventually started to change. My face got round and the cheeks fleshed out. My stomach dropped and my clothes didn’t fit me anymore. I started to slouch and began to walk slower than ever. One fine day, I stopped by the mirror.

Oh no! This was no goddess staring back. True, I was not a cylinder any more. But I was not an hourglass either. I had become neither sensual nor sexy. I was in fact, looking like an inverted cone with sick, bloated features.

READ MORE

Hotel Grand China Pincess, Bangkok

My family and I stayed in this hotel for 4 nights in the 3rd week of December 2007.

When we checked in, they showed us a tiny suite for 4... my dad felt suffocated on entering the suite and when I called the reception, they immediately arranged for us to be shifted to a palatial suite... at no extra cost. It was so speedy and done with so much courtesy that I was really astounded and happy.

The service, throughout our stay, was like this... prompt and polite, and no one lingered for a tip. Rooms were cleaned and made up everyday, it was spotless. Sure the corridors smell of smoke, but what do you expect from a smoking floor?

The revolving restaurant in the top had some amazing views and will be ideal if you have someone with you to impress. Yes, the food is overpriced, but the ambience makes up for it. The complimentary morning buffet (served from 6:00 to 10:00) is delicious and had over 30 dishes, even Indian pulao!

There are, however, three minor problems I had. The pool was open only after 9am... it was difficult to have a dip when we had a busy touring schedule ahead of us. Like most other hotels in Bangkok, we had problems with English-speaking staff... we had to speak real slow to make them understand what we were asking... and the internet cost 200 baht an hour! Really steep!

Apart from those few minus points, GCP is a gem of a place to stay in Chinatown. The staffs in the reception were always smiling, and the concierge and the porters were very willing to help us, and guide us. I'd definitely return!

Thailand trip 2007

My article in LITTLE INDIA

THE RETURN
By Radhika Meganathan

The ancient gray and blue carpet covered the entire floor of the Indian air carrier we boarded in New York. Most of the passengers are harried couples with children, searching woodenly for their seats. One wailing baby crawls on the floor and wets himself. The stain spreads slowly on the carpet.

Impatient nudges prompt me to find and slump on my seat. The plane starts to vibrate, while I continue staring at the stain on the carpet. I could have flown Singapore Airlines, but picked this one because it was cheaper. After all, I will not be paid in dollars in India.

I still am not able to believe it. I have spent my whole life dreaming about living in America. And now, after I made the impossible leap, I am leaving. In fact, I have left... we are now in mid-air.

A sigh escapes me. I first came to the United States in 2004 on an international fellowship. It had hit me in the arrival lounge at Newark International Airport - introverted middle-class Indian women do not get all-expense paid trips and fellowships. But here I was, in the land of my dreams.

I was in the US only for a month at the time. But it changed me forever. No pressures. No guilt. No judgment. And so much beauty. Such delights motivated me to return the following year on an internship, working for the same magazine that had awarded me the fellowship.

Lost in thought, I am brought back to reality by a slight touch on my forearm. When I notice my next-seat companion, I groan silently. Trust the fates to seat me beside a leering Indian businessman. This one looks slightly older than my father.

"Hi, I own a motel in Kansas," he says, licking his lips. "Ever been in a motel?"

Read more

27... and miles to go...

I was born 27 years ago today.

My childhood pal's grandma, living in the house opposite to mine, died today :(.

Birth and death. Like two sides of a coin.

It's a li'l scary. Not the aging part. I mean the "What have you done so far worthwhile in your life" part.

The grandma lived to a ripe old age and every one paid her their respects today. She was well-loved by all.

What have I done in my life - so far - to warrant such a respect, if I were to - god forbid - die today?

Let's see, in the past 27 years I managed to -

1. Get admitted in one of the best colleges in India, flunk repeatedly and finally manage to pass out of architecture college

2. Find out that I can write. I CAN WRITE! I AM NOT WORTHLESS!

3. Get infatuated in and out of then-divine and now-blah dudes (both on-screen and real life). Learn that all that's white is not fevicol (lol)

4. Win a writers' fellowship from a US magazine and visit the great country... come back to motherland, write a series of eight picture books and start tasting success as a writer

5. Become closer to parents in one year and persuade them to let go of me

6. Go back to US again as a trainee in the same magazine that gave me the fellowship

7. Manage to find one true love - New York. Fall utterly and madly in love with the place. Wish to be buried there.

8. Like all true love stories, break up with New York (visa expiration) and return to motherland. Get commissioned to write 40 picture books on Mahabharatha and complete it exactly a year later (avg. = one book in 10 days)

9. Become a freelance columnist for some cool glossies in South India and snag a job as a Copy Lead in Officetiger

10. Been a good friend and confidante to some great friends like Sudha who remember my birthday and send me gift certificate when I least expected it (talk about pleasant shocks!)

So. I guess I have not done bad. But still... there are so many things I want to do. I want to take workshops for writers. I want to start a career counselling center for students. I want to visit a country a year. I want to go to New York and listen to that Tibetan music at Times Square. I want to start my own magazine soon.

Miles to go. And the average goal rate ain't so good.

But I'll try. That's all we can do, right?

WELL, Back I am

Less than 10 months ago, I came to US, possibly looking to make a life here. I did have a great time. The experience and insight I had gathered, the lessons and new things I had learned, the friendship and memories I had made... It was wonderful, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Yet I am back in India.

The reasons are many. I couldn't bear the cold, I was tired of getting sick all the time, I was lonely, I wanted to have Indian food three times a day, I missed my cat, I missed writing, I din't want to exist as one among the million NRIs in the US...

Somehow, the wish to be a NRI got replaced by a wish to be SOMEONE.

So many reasons... and the main one - I realised that the children's publishing industry is saturated in the US, and I would have to start from scratch... whereas, in India I can be a pioneer in the field... and I got a huge opportunity to be that, to be a writing partner of a creative agency...

Not to mention that the week after I landed in India, I found out - painfully, of course - that I had kidney stones. I shudder to think of the expense and the agony I'd have faced and the nuisance I'd have caused if it had happened when I was in US...

God works in mysterious ways, don't you think?

N for NYC

The Big Apple is where I hang out these days.

Of course, I love my little pastoral town – with its rolling meadows and deep woods - but NY is something else – vibrant, maddening, pulsating. There’s simply no comparison at all, it’s like asking which do you like – chocolate mousse or chicken korma!

I made interesting discoveries while here –

-- You can see black (African-American), yellow (Chinee) and brown (Latin and Indian) faces here, more than white faces

-- The subway is not a dangerous place, unless you want to dance on the tracks. I always managed to get lost and always a kind stranger rescued me and put me on the right train

-- When you're in Times Square, you can always see a maami (a dowager aunt in India) in a sari, usually between the ages 40-80

-- Contrary to popular belief, the streets of America are not rife with smooching couples. I’m yet to see a couple kissing or hugging in public.

-- If you're lost, never, EVER ask directions to an African-American (esp. girls), a Mexican or a Indian. Because... the first one will deliberately show you the opposite direction, the second will spend 5 minutes telling you that he doesn't know and the third one will ask your entire biography before he helps you out with the right address.

That's it for now :)

My Top 20 in life...

... that’s guaranteed to bring a smile in your face!

20. An almost-empty bus (or one that arrives at the bus stop as soon as you do!)

19. Teasing the bride with the groom on the marriage hall

18. Finding a 100-rupee note - or a 20$ bill! - in your desk, just when you’re really, really broke

17. Watching a great movie with NO babies crying, NO fathead sitting before you and absolutely NO distractions whatsoever

16. Funny dreams that linger for a long time after you’ve woken up

15. A meal of crab soup, mutton biriyani and lichee ice cream with hot gulab jamun (yumm)

14. A nice, intelligent conversation with a guy who doesn't think he's God's gift to women

13. Walking uphill in Kodaikkanal roads in the early morning

12. Getting a surprise gift on your birthday (wow!)

11. Planning a surprise gift and giving it when it’s least expected (double wow!)

10. Laughing for a silly joke so hard your face hurts

9. Dressing up for a special occasion (or for a special person!)

8. Runner’s high, collapsing under the fan after a hard run

7. Brunch, movie, gossip and shopping with your best friend

6. Playing with a puppy and feeding it from your hand

5. Writing all night and reaching the wretched deadline just in time

4. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you

3. Reading a terrific book in bed, listening to the rain outside

2. Having a child snuggle close to you and tell a secret

1. Just being in the same room with someone you love :)

Finally found a place

Can you believe this?!

I come to a proper american village in USA, 3 hours from the nearest city, where I expected to be the only dark-skinned person in town... and I learn that there's going to another!

Yep, another Indian + unmarried + woman - same as me - has joined the company!

Now that I have a room mate, I can finally afford to look for an apartment. My roomie, AB, is a very chic and friendly person who, I am relieved to say, is not at all snobbish or haughty (sadly, most of the Indian women I meet in the US are). She readily agreed to house-hunt with me, and we have okay'ed on a upper floor apt of a Victorian house in Brown Street.

The apt has 2 bedrooms, a big kitchen, a small-ish living room, and a full attic space (equivalent to the apt floor)... the flat is around 15 min walk to the office, but AB has a car, so I won't have much problem... the rent is US$500 per month, that comes to US$300 per head, incl. utilities...not bad at all, I'd say.
Thanks again, Marileta, for letting me crash your place for MORE THAN 2 MONTHS!

Once again, I am just stunned. A well-paying internship in the most developed country in the world, wonderful co-workers who can't do enough for me, and a friendly Indian roomie with a car... Am I being watched over an angel or what?

The Astrological Case Study of Yours Truly

Shoot me, but I caved in and actually ordered a online paid report about my "astro" personality. It cost me a mere ten dollars, which is my sole justification... And I hate to tell this... most of the readings were surprisingly accurate – which just pisses me off.

Oh well. There’s a lot of unexplained things in the world, let this be one more in the line!

Here’s my birth chart dissected for both entertainment and scientific purposes –

Ascedant: Libra
Sun: Taurus
Moon: Libra
Mercury: Aries
Venus: Gemini
Mars: Leo
Jupiter: Virgo
Saturn: Virgo

*

Ascendant is the face you show to the world; how others see you
ASCENDANT IN LIBRA

- A great healer and counselor
tell me about it, sigh.

- Struggles to find balance in own life
don’t know about that. When I make up my mind, I usually stick to it.

- Aesthetically inclined; loves beauty
I guess, yeah.

*

Sun rules your outer personality
SUN IN TAURUS

- Stubborn
yep

- Sensual
er, I guess

- Slow to anger; extremely dangerous when angered
Hmm, could be. Just ask my parents, grin.

- Very oriented toward the material world
Really? I wouldn’t know, since I am always broke.

- Practical, stodgy and resists changes
WRONG! I love love LOVE changes, my favorite pastime is building castles in the air and I hate stodginess in any form.

*

Moon rules emotional part of your character
MOON IN LIBRA
- Born peacemaker; will do anything to maintain peace
- Will go to pieces during a dispute
- Wants to be loved by everyone

Yes. Yes. Dammit, YES!

*

Mercury is responsible for your style of Communication
MERCURY IN ARIES
- Impulsive and hot-headed.
- Over the top enthusiast
- Speaks without thinking

I totally agree to all the above, grrrr.

*

Venus is how you attract - the planet of Love
VENUS IN GEMINI

- Love of words; loves to travel
YES!

- Multiple affairs of the heart; loves to love two at a time
What? WHAT?

- Flirty, flighty and promiscuous
What the FUCK, grrrrrr….

- More than one profession indicated
okay, phew. That’s true enough.

- Loves freedom and is independent to the core
er, true too.

*

Mars is how you go after things - the planet of Action
MARS IN LEO
- Daring and courageous; doesn’t accept defeat easily
Exactly. Heh heh.

- Will woo in grand style
oh yeah, baby….

- Can be bossy and arrogant
Mayyyyy be….

- Loves to show off
Huh? Who, me? No way!

- The sign Mars occupies in a woman’s natal chart implies the kind of men she will be attracted to. Your Mars is in Leo so, given a chance, you’ll be all over the Leo cats
This is so, SO creepily true I’m not even going to talk about it, grrrr.

(Apparently, the sign Venus in a man’s birth chart will imply the kind of women he falls for!)

*

Jupiter is the planet of career
JUPITER IN VIRGO

- Blessed with perfection for detail
huh? Dude, that is so NOT true!

- Works best in a group
yeah, but I also work well by myself.

- Destined for practical service in a worthwhile cause
Absolutely. One day I dream of working for the UN. (Yes, really.)

*

Saturn rules the principle of limitation.
SATURN IN VIRGO

- When Saturn is in a sun sign, it tampers with the exact qualities that sign are known for. Virgo is the sign renown for great attention and fanatic detailing. When Saturn is in Virgo, slackness and aimlessness is a result.
Oh. So that’s why I’m such a OB?

- Must learn discipline and avoid distractions.
Hmm. Whatever.

- The person has difficulty distinguishing what is important from what is not. Therefore the native must work extra hard to clarify ill defined circumstances and chaotic situations. At times this may seem overwhelming. As a result, there can be mental worry, hypochondria, and depression.
Noted. Will try to worry less from now on – by OBing more, heh heh.

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-
-

Finally, here are the five most important things that, according to this report, have defined my current personality –

Sun in Taurus, Moon in Libra
"The combination of your Sun sign and your Moon sign produces one of the most likable personalities in the Zodiac wheel. Others may have more wit, ambition, or intellect, but none equal the charm and appeal of this combination. This personality is marked with optimism, even if up to your ears in private woes. Anyone that doesn't like you is probably motivated by jealousy."

A nice home and a close family are your first loves; social contact and involvement, a close second. You may have a wide range of emotional responses from rapturous joy when you are happily with a special someone in a solid relationship, to almost going to pieces when you are confronted by hostility and forced to react to it. But your great sense of balance and harmony constantly protects you from ever go off the deep end.

Heh heh. Thanks for the compliments!

Sun in Taurus, Venus in Gemini
“In Gemini, Venus generates a need for a variety of experiences. You want to taste all that life has to offer. You have an excitable child-like attitude toward romance, approaching affairs of the heart with light-headed optimism and high-expectations. Change and excitement is the spice of your love life, and a partner that doesn't understand this won't be around long.

With Venus in Gemini, you are easily bored and if you marry too young or to someone who is possessive, you may have serious problems. Luckily, your sun is in the most emotionally stable sign of Taurus. This is mutually beneficial, since Taurus will temper the flightiness of the Gemini Venus and in turn, your Venus will lighten up the stodgy nature of your Taurus sun sign.”

Phew, sigh. For a minute I thought I was a goner.

Sun in Taurus, Mars in Leo
“The persevering stability of Taurus and the enthusiastic optimism of Leo join hands to create one of the most success-driven planetary positions in a birth chart. With the Sun in Taurus and Mars in Leo, you are one determined and volatile person who will never stop at obstacles but will just keep going and going till you reach your goal. This combination is usually found in the birth chart of leaders, pioneers and unfortunately, dictators. Make sure you don’t invite bossiness, bullheadedness and over-confidence in your nature.”

Oh, stop it! Enough with the praises, don't make me blush!


Influence of Venus and Mars
Since Venus is very strong in your chart, your Gemini traits will tend to dominate your decisions and all your life, you must battle between the flighty Venus side and the sensible Taurus side of your psyche.

Sigh. That's true enough, I guess.

Your frivolous and flighty exterior hides an ambitious nature. You would probably end up with a man who is an aggressive but fickle charmer and moves in influential circles. You would then become his muse and in time the devoted mother of his children.

Huh?


Influence of Sun and Moon
You have your sun in Taurus, moon in Libra and ascendant in Libra. Venus is the Planet of Love that rules both Taurus and Libra. As a Venus native, you just can’t help being in love. Your sun, moon and ascendant are all under the control of Venus, which means that your whole world revolves around the word LOVE.

Drat.

Without something or somebody to love, your life will feel incomplete. You wouldn't know how to live alone, because you cannot live without somebody to love in your life. With the triple influence of Venus in your birth chart, you understand what a man's wants, and know exactly how to give it to him!

Alright, that’s it, now SHUT UP!

I'm a WHAT?

People always wonder why I chose to do an internship when I am already a published author. Back in India I’ve given writing workshops, sat on editorial meetings with publishers and single-handedly edited book length manuscripts, BUT… I have never known where the bottom rung of the ladder was.

You see, I’ve never been an intern, an editorial assistant, a junior editor… which is how I should have progressed. I got directly appointed as the in-staff manuscript writer and editor, just because I happened to be at the right place, at the right time with the right credentials. It’s probably my good karma, but still, it had always made me uneasy. Very uneasy.

I probably sound stupid, but I feel the best way to the top is by climbing from the bottom … any other way you don’t know when its all gonna vanish. Poof!

That’s why I applied for the trainee position at this magazine, 'cos –

- one, they are teaching me the basics, which I had always missed knowing about;

- two, I’m going to live in the US (yay!)

- and three, frankly, I’d have even accepted a job in Mars to get away from my match-making mother!

....And yeah, there's a very important fourth reason which shall remain in deadly secrecy for all eternity (till I publish it online someday when its safe to do so :)

All considered, I think it’s a pretty good bargain!

You're a WHAT?

That's what people say when I tell them that I'm an architect.

Yeah, yeah. I AM a qualified architect. Honest to God, I am. But I’m now write children’s books. Go figure.

As the saying goes, the whole thing was an accident. Only in my case, it was a horrifying, mind-numbing, and soul-bending accident.

Okay I am only half-kidding. It wasn’t that terrible… but, yeah, it was a nightmare.

I wanted to be a journalist and join Discovery Channel. Ok, may be that sounds really childish, but when you’re 17 and love animals, you could see that it had a certain appeal. But ah, reality.

My parents were appalled at my “ambition”. Like any other sensible folks, they wanted me to be a computer engineer.

So I chose to study architecture - an utterly-immature, twisted choice that said “If you’re not approving my dream, I’m not going to approve yours either”.

Boy, did that prove to be the ugliest decision in my life…

As far as I can remember, college was a series of frustrated idleness, sudden bursts of rewarding creativity and long, mind-numbing periods of OBing. With no talent as an artist and minimal social skills, I was fated to be a failure. I bunked, flunked, slept through the lectures, the exams and the whole damn years – in short, I totally, totally wasted an expensive, good education, grrrr….

May be I could have survived if I didn’t have to compete with some of the best brains in the state… but that was not to be the case. I think some of the lecturers in my college are still heaving in relief that I finally left the college…

Welll… I guess I couldn’t say that it was not all a total waste… during my training period, I made the discovery that I liked to write, which paved the way to my current profession… and I had formed some surprise friendships that have lasted till this moment…

Probably the only regret I have about the whole thing - the waste of a perfectly good and rare college seat in one of the top universities in India. If some really deserving person had got admission instead of me, s/he would have been much, much happier…

As such, it’s always fun to watch people’s eyes pop out when I say that I don't practise architecture, even though I did graduate. I always get lectured during family get-togethers and functions that why, oh why, do I have to waste an architecture degree for - huh, gasp, eek! – writing stories… and why can I practice design during the day and write during the night?

Yeah, right, and I’m a friggin’ Super Woman, grrrr.