Postcards From J

For those who didn't know, work took me to Dhaka, Bangladesh just in time to kick off the 2011 Cricket World Cup! Here are some (backdated) notes from that 4-day whirlwind trip... (16-20 Feb 2011)   Koffee with me! My first day in Dhaka was spent mostly on absorbing the chaos of this city and then meeting the team I had put together. We met at Coffee World, and once there it felt just like a coffee shop back home. In the midst of introductions, pleasantries and finally work-related briefing, I ordered for a cappuccino. Not bad. But I told the guy to make it a strong one as I intended to get back to my hotel and work for some time. As it turns out, here I am... replying to a barrage of emails and having multiple conversations on IM. To make matters worse, I had managed only 2.5 hours of sleep before leaving home. And now, I'm wide awake because of that #$%&;*@! coffee. Good luck to me! Back at the hotel, the staff kindly brought me some dinner even though it was we...

For those who didn't know, work took me to Dhaka, Bangladesh just in time to kick off the 2011 Cricket World Cup! Here are some (backdated) notes from that 4-day whirlwind trip... Flight or Fight My flight was on time and I arrived in Dhaka safe and sound. Except for the guy seated next to me who decided to blare a Bollywood duet on his mobile before take-off (had to tell him to shut it) and being welcomed by big fat mosquitoes at the conveyor belt, everything was well. But then, I had to remind myself that I was a foreigner in this country even if I didn't look like one ;) and needed to keep my fearless "Bombay girl" instincts aside. Dhaka is all decked up for the 2011 Cricket World Cup (CWC). Everywhere you'll see signs bearing the CWC logo, and brands welcoming one and all to the big event. When I told one of the airport officials (who stopped me before I exited the airport) that I was here for the World Cup, he just let me go without a word. My counterpart ...

The 2011 Cricket World Cup looms over my head... and the last couple of months have been exhausting and frustrating. Work is understandably hectic. I don't mind slogging away even if it means putting in 12-15 hours at the office with another 2-3 hours for the daily commute (Bombay traffic has become insane!). Home has become a hotel room. I walk in at night, only to find the lights out, everyone asleep, and then stare at a cold dinner to be microwaved. Finally try to sleep for barely five hours (six or seven, if I'm lucky). Back to the grind. Rinse. Repeat. What makes it worse, there's no one to talk to about my day. Except maybe for this one friend over GTalk or the occasional SMS or via Twitter. Which friend? Ah, someone who brought (brings?) sunshine to my life, and ensures I stay spirited. Until now. I know expectations can kill relationships. And maybe I'm just over-reacting. But I need the attention now more than ever because I feel like I'm just drownin...

Just posting a quick note... I visited this year's Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) last Saturday (first day) for a few hours. It was crowded as usual. But quiet. Very quiet. All thanks to a resident's campaign against loudspeakers to protect the area which is a silence zone. Will post links later to the news. No need to hate the guy who fought the cause. I believe he did the right thing. And what really stood out is that the crowd that came by was a much better one, more civil, and sensible. The riff-raff stayed away as there was nothing "inviting" their attention. Sure, you need more street spaces livened up. But rules are rules. And they need to be adhered to. The only thing I don't like is that there are many who flout noise rules and civility in the name of religion (examples: Ganpati Visarjan revelry; Diwali firecrackers at 4am and forever; Bandra Fair during the feast of Mount Mary). Anyway, I got a few snapshots from KGAF last week. Head over to the ...

This is the tweet and the ensuing responses that made me write that previous post: http://twitter.com/vodkaholic/status/30205186785939457 The responses: @rohanbabu: remember, your career is in YOUR hands. you decide what YOU want to do with it. take some time off and think :) @RachitaVaid: u need ice cream! Breathe gal! This shall pass too... @cyber_junkie: should expand areas of expertise and explore And my favourites of them all, @shawnlewis: come paint with me :) @the_realale: it's not work pressure! Maybe the universe is conspiring to make you a travel writer. Thanks, guys. You really cheered me up a little on a miserable day. And finally, a big thank you to @girishmallya who has been my guardian angel, punching bag, sounding board and friend all rolled into one. Twitter rocks because of people like you.

I'm not whining or being philosophical... But trust me, the last few days have only confirmed the fact that corporate life is shit. At the end of the day, what are you going to do with it?  We spend most of our lives in cubicles, behind a desk, in front of a screen. Or attending meetings or getting on a conference call. Throw buzz words around as if they mattered... 'paradigm shift', 'leverage', anyone? Try multitasking sometimes with success and sometimes failing miserably. Juggle Excel and PowerPoint files. Write emails. Receive emails. Copy a zillion people on those emails. Conduct wars virtually. Sometimes, we procrastinate. Either out of boredom or choice. Or lured by other addictions like Facebook and Twitter (ah!). Or check airfares and daydream about that next holiday you were meaning to take. Whatever it is, I've been wondering why the hell am I doing this day in and day out? There are people out there who have managed to change all this for themselv...

On a muggy Sunday morning, I attended The Farmers' Market - an initiative by Kavita Mukhi that helps you connect with organic farmers across Maharashtra. At the Market, you can "buy fresh, organically certified fruits and vegetables directly from farmers every Sunday." Lovely, no? So here are a few quick picture postcards from the much appreciated event before I can resurface to actually write a proper post: Love the colour of the beetroot: From The Farmers' Market Fresh! From The Farmers' Market How about some salad with these? From The Farmers' Market Buy-buy! From The Farmers' Market