I have noticed that, increasingly, the language that I use in my day to day talk is getting spattered and influenced by work related jargon. How else can I describe the fact that when my neighbor asked me when I was going to Kerala next, I replied "sometime in the middle of Q3?". (Third quarter of they year - July, August and September).
Another example is "OOO" which stands for 'Out of Office' typically used when someone is not in office for the day. So much so that one day I told my friend that "my maid is OOO this week". Also, when I want to tell some one that I would do it sometime before evening, it typically comes out as - It will be done by EOD (End of Day).
I was not even aware of these acronymns or jargons around 2.5 years back and now it has become so common that I have been unconciously using them even when I am not at work.
On a different note, while chatting with Dad, he asks me - "What does a ping mean"?. My status message that day was "Busy - slow response to pings". Its funny as to how I use the word around 30 times a day but this word did not even exist in the same meaning some years back.
There would be only few things as dynamic as language isn't it?
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
The week that was!
Finally - I managed a ticker for the blog. I know it looks like a baby's age ticker but I did not have the patience to hunt for more and this one was pretty easy to use, even for a some what technically challenged person like me. I know it sort of does not match too much with the template, but I am planning to change the blogger template to something brighter so that it matches the ticker. This almost sounds like I have brought a handbag and now I need clothes to match with it.
This week was pretty relaxed at work which made me happy and also made me realize that I have been a complete workaholic at times. I also know that work is just work and after all it is not life - but it is taking up a huge chunk of my life. Yet, my work continues to be a strange passion for me. I also realize that I love my work and I also like to whine about how busy I have been at work!!
At home, I have discovered the art of making yummy 'poories' - some think which was jinxed until now even though it sounded pretty simple when mom was explaining over the phone. Hubby is a 'poori' fan (he says it has nothing to do with the similarity to my name though I liketo think it that way) and I am happy that I can make those now. I have also been addicted to a program called 'Highway On My Plate' on NDTV Good Times.
Weekend plans include some grocery shopping and 'updating' the kitchen as Prestige is running a nice exchange offer. Let us see how it goes.
This week was pretty relaxed at work which made me happy and also made me realize that I have been a complete workaholic at times. I also know that work is just work and after all it is not life - but it is taking up a huge chunk of my life. Yet, my work continues to be a strange passion for me. I also realize that I love my work and I also like to whine about how busy I have been at work!!
At home, I have discovered the art of making yummy 'poories' - some think which was jinxed until now even though it sounded pretty simple when mom was explaining over the phone. Hubby is a 'poori' fan (he says it has nothing to do with the similarity to my name though I liketo think it that way) and I am happy that I can make those now. I have also been addicted to a program called 'Highway On My Plate' on NDTV Good Times.
Weekend plans include some grocery shopping and 'updating' the kitchen as Prestige is running a nice exchange offer. Let us see how it goes.
Friday, June 12, 2009
The 'Aunty' Phenomenon
It was one days when I was returning after the work. This was way back in 2007 and around the time when I was newly married. I got out of the cab and was heading towards the B-block of the apartment complex where we stay on the 5th floor. A couple of lil kids were playing in the play area and yours truly, being really fond of kids waved at them and went to ask them what all games they play generally. After the friendly chit chat for two minutes, I say bye and see you. What I heard next in a loud chorus 'Bye Aunty'... The first reaction was -- hmm, oh they must be saying bye to someone else, but when I turned back they were indeed waving at me.
Well - it was a tad bit of shock for me to realize that the switch from 'didi' to 'aunty' has happened. I was just amazed that how what you are addressed by/introduced to kids in a gathering like a party with friends or among neighbours correlates with your marital status. Very soon, I also noticed that a lot of my neighbors telling their kids - 'Beta, aunty to hello bolo' (Say Hello to aunty).
Thinking of it, I do not have any grudge against the word, cause too I address a lot of people as 'aunty'. However, the word has now a connotation associated with it as it immediately conjures some one who is lil on the healthier side or has a strand or 2 of grey hair, typically wears a saree or a salwar kameez. May be it was the Godrej hairdye ad which echos 'aunty , aunty, aunty...'. What I fail to understand is how quickly the switch happens based on the marital status.
May be I was shocked because no one ever had called me aunty before. My 7 month old niece cant speak as yet and even when she grows up she would call me 'mema' which is the mallu equivalent of 'maasi/bua'. May be I was surprised because, like some their middle twenties inching towards late twenties, I too want to down play my age! May be, because I could not associate myself with the gang of moms who sit near the play area watching the kids play. However, over the period of a year and a half, I have now come to terms with it - and I am no longer shocked/surprised.
After all this, it came as a pleasant surprise to me when the 12 year old daughter of my new neighbor knocked on the door one day as she was scared to be alone at home and called me 'didi'. I realized soon that she called me didi because she asked me who I live with and where my parents are. As I don't wear any visible symbols of marriage, she assumed that I am not married and 'didi' would do. When I told her I am married and I live with my hubby, she was confused as to what to call me.
Until later, Aunty it is!
Well - it was a tad bit of shock for me to realize that the switch from 'didi' to 'aunty' has happened. I was just amazed that how what you are addressed by/introduced to kids in a gathering like a party with friends or among neighbours correlates with your marital status. Very soon, I also noticed that a lot of my neighbors telling their kids - 'Beta, aunty to hello bolo' (Say Hello to aunty).
Thinking of it, I do not have any grudge against the word, cause too I address a lot of people as 'aunty'. However, the word has now a connotation associated with it as it immediately conjures some one who is lil on the healthier side or has a strand or 2 of grey hair, typically wears a saree or a salwar kameez. May be it was the Godrej hairdye ad which echos 'aunty , aunty, aunty...'. What I fail to understand is how quickly the switch happens based on the marital status.
May be I was shocked because no one ever had called me aunty before. My 7 month old niece cant speak as yet and even when she grows up she would call me 'mema' which is the mallu equivalent of 'maasi/bua'. May be I was surprised because, like some their middle twenties inching towards late twenties, I too want to down play my age! May be, because I could not associate myself with the gang of moms who sit near the play area watching the kids play. However, over the period of a year and a half, I have now come to terms with it - and I am no longer shocked/surprised.
After all this, it came as a pleasant surprise to me when the 12 year old daughter of my new neighbor knocked on the door one day as she was scared to be alone at home and called me 'didi'. I realized soon that she called me didi because she asked me who I live with and where my parents are. As I don't wear any visible symbols of marriage, she assumed that I am not married and 'didi' would do. When I told her I am married and I live with my hubby, she was confused as to what to call me.
Until later, Aunty it is!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Retail Therapy - I am Lovin it!
One of the few things that I miss after getting married are the shopping outings with my friends - where I could just indulge in shopping, take as much time as I wanted to and even come out of a shop after spending almost 2 hours there without buying a single thing. Or, a situation where I have already brought 5 tops, and I have my eyes laid out on a 6th one - of course, my friends would give me gyaan on the merits of 'investing' in one more top. Well, of course - you can never get such lessons on investment from a hubby right!
Things change as shopping outings with hubby have many more clauses attached to it -
1. The mall has to have a good parking space where his precious baby (read our Hyundai i10 ) can be parked safely and securely. (So, no more stops at any shops by the road which have less parking space).
2. Even if there is a parking lot - the actual parking space has to be good (huh??) - from where the car could be taken out with ease and the possiblity of another car ramming into it is less!. After every hour, there is a slight panic alarm with him saying - Would the car be fine? Shall I check and come? Oh Did I tell you hubby has a mild form of OCD?
3. The numerous priceless looks that I get when I go on to check the price tag of each of the things that I want to buy! When asked for a second opinion - pat comes the reply - 'venamengil vangikko' which translates to "if you want you buy?". Of course, I want to buy it - all I want to hear is - Yes, go ahead!
No, its not that I am a avid shopaholic, its just that I love to look around and see every possible thing available in the shop - even though I would have decided to buy what I wanted to in the very first few minutes in the shop. Hubby doesn't get this at all - which ends up in him giving me a look which says - "Okay, why do you want to look around and confuse yourself when you already got what you wanted ". Little does he realize that he behaved the same when we went to buy a laptop for him!!! The car, the time in selection, the price tag - dint seem to matter much then.
So, after all this, it came as a pleasant break for me when G3 - who is my team mate and cube mate - and I decided to venture out on a shopping spree with the objective of getting some gifts for our expat colleagues from the city of pearls.
I must tell you that G3 is our in-house fashion and make-up consultant! Our plan were to get some gifts , additionally, buy a pair of black leggings for myself, get a black kurta for her, get a gift wrapping paper and come off. In the end - this is what I ended up with -
1. Two pearl sets for my mom + a bracelet! - There was a buy 1 get 1 offer - do you think I could resist that?
2. Two skirts, 1 pair of leggings and a lavendar and basil soap(what was I thinking)? from Fab India. I almost brought a good salwar kameez but I did not get a matching dupatta with it - so left it at that.
3. 10 plain DVDs + a set of poster colors + 4 painting brushes + a magazine and the gift wrapping paper. Our set of colors at home have gone dry and I needed to replenish them. By the way, I can't draw or paint to save my life - I paint the pics in nursery kids drawing books for fun. Hubby draws and paints well - so we really needed the colors. All this happened because we 'had to' step into Odyssey to get the wrapping paper! So folks, the gift wrappers are here and no gifts yet.
4. A nice lunch at Chutney's which consisted of Babai Idly, Masala dosa and filter coffee. My mum would murder me if she gets to know how much we shelved out for one dosa !!
5. Finally, the gifts - which we brought in the end and had to rush through it because it was getting late.
I am not writing what G3 brought for the fear of being buried alive - she is still my cubie!. Whatever it is, I still felt very happy at the end of day and was beaming when hubby came to pick me up from the last shopping destination and his stare at the shopping bags has not yet deterred down the spirit. I know I get a high on shopping. Retail therapy works!!!
Things change as shopping outings with hubby have many more clauses attached to it -
1. The mall has to have a good parking space where his precious baby (read our Hyundai i10 ) can be parked safely and securely. (So, no more stops at any shops by the road which have less parking space).
2. Even if there is a parking lot - the actual parking space has to be good (huh??) - from where the car could be taken out with ease and the possiblity of another car ramming into it is less!. After every hour, there is a slight panic alarm with him saying - Would the car be fine? Shall I check and come? Oh Did I tell you hubby has a mild form of OCD?
3. The numerous priceless looks that I get when I go on to check the price tag of each of the things that I want to buy! When asked for a second opinion - pat comes the reply - 'venamengil vangikko' which translates to "if you want you buy?". Of course, I want to buy it - all I want to hear is - Yes, go ahead!
No, its not that I am a avid shopaholic, its just that I love to look around and see every possible thing available in the shop - even though I would have decided to buy what I wanted to in the very first few minutes in the shop. Hubby doesn't get this at all - which ends up in him giving me a look which says - "Okay, why do you want to look around and confuse yourself when you already got what you wanted ". Little does he realize that he behaved the same when we went to buy a laptop for him!!! The car, the time in selection, the price tag - dint seem to matter much then.
So, after all this, it came as a pleasant break for me when G3 - who is my team mate and cube mate - and I decided to venture out on a shopping spree with the objective of getting some gifts for our expat colleagues from the city of pearls.
I must tell you that G3 is our in-house fashion and make-up consultant! Our plan were to get some gifts , additionally, buy a pair of black leggings for myself, get a black kurta for her, get a gift wrapping paper and come off. In the end - this is what I ended up with -
1. Two pearl sets for my mom + a bracelet! - There was a buy 1 get 1 offer - do you think I could resist that?
2. Two skirts, 1 pair of leggings and a lavendar and basil soap(what was I thinking)? from Fab India. I almost brought a good salwar kameez but I did not get a matching dupatta with it - so left it at that.
3. 10 plain DVDs + a set of poster colors + 4 painting brushes + a magazine and the gift wrapping paper. Our set of colors at home have gone dry and I needed to replenish them. By the way, I can't draw or paint to save my life - I paint the pics in nursery kids drawing books for fun. Hubby draws and paints well - so we really needed the colors. All this happened because we 'had to' step into Odyssey to get the wrapping paper! So folks, the gift wrappers are here and no gifts yet.
4. A nice lunch at Chutney's which consisted of Babai Idly, Masala dosa and filter coffee. My mum would murder me if she gets to know how much we shelved out for one dosa !!
5. Finally, the gifts - which we brought in the end and had to rush through it because it was getting late.
I am not writing what G3 brought for the fear of being buried alive - she is still my cubie!. Whatever it is, I still felt very happy at the end of day and was beaming when hubby came to pick me up from the last shopping destination and his stare at the shopping bags has not yet deterred down the spirit. I know I get a high on shopping. Retail therapy works!!!
How is married life?
I have been married for over a year and a half now and if I were to look back at one questions that I have been asked over and over again - it would be "How is married life?".
If I had charged 10 Rupees for each time everyone asked this questions, all the credit card & phone bills would have been taken care of. I am pretty sure that I would have to endure this question as long as I don't provide the next anticipated 'Good news'!
I hope its clear enough that I am really not too excited to answer this question - I am not sure what loaded meaning it is attached it it. I particularly do not mind if the the only question is limited to that - what gets on to my nerves is the fact that this question being followed up by a series of questions based on my reaction.
If you say it is great - then the question is like - Oh so you are staying away from your in-laws?. The idea is that your married life cant be good if you are with your in laws????? Well, for sure I know some colleagues from work who stay with their in-laws and have such a strong support system at home.
If you say it is going on okay - then the question would be - oh What happened? . Being okay means that I am fine - and that there is nothing wrong - which means everything is
right.
If you say that - well I am adjusting, then the next question would be - Oh, it must be sea of change for you! How are you balancing marriage and work?
Well, then what would you ask the many super women whom I know at work - who have two kids, a husband and a home to take care of, yet come to work and give their 100% there also.
Well - may be it is just a courtesy question or an ice breaker. Whatever it is, I have still not come up with an answer that can actually satisfy the curiosity of the listener without prompting them to ask another question or leave them stumped enough not to ask another question! Looking back, it seems like the most obvious question that you would like someone who is newly married ( read - married some time back -say for around 2-3 years and does not have a lil one as yet)
May be I am a over reacting a tad bit but I am not sure why it always leaves me irritable.
If I had charged 10 Rupees for each time everyone asked this questions, all the credit card & phone bills would have been taken care of. I am pretty sure that I would have to endure this question as long as I don't provide the next anticipated 'Good news'!
I hope its clear enough that I am really not too excited to answer this question - I am not sure what loaded meaning it is attached it it. I particularly do not mind if the the only question is limited to that - what gets on to my nerves is the fact that this question being followed up by a series of questions based on my reaction.
If you say it is great - then the question is like - Oh so you are staying away from your in-laws?. The idea is that your married life cant be good if you are with your in laws????? Well, for sure I know some colleagues from work who stay with their in-laws and have such a strong support system at home.
If you say it is going on okay - then the question would be - oh What happened? . Being okay means that I am fine - and that there is nothing wrong - which means everything is
right.
If you say that - well I am adjusting, then the next question would be - Oh, it must be sea of change for you! How are you balancing marriage and work?
Well, then what would you ask the many super women whom I know at work - who have two kids, a husband and a home to take care of, yet come to work and give their 100% there also.
Well - may be it is just a courtesy question or an ice breaker. Whatever it is, I have still not come up with an answer that can actually satisfy the curiosity of the listener without prompting them to ask another question or leave them stumped enough not to ask another question! Looking back, it seems like the most obvious question that you would like someone who is newly married ( read - married some time back -say for around 2-3 years and does not have a lil one as yet)
May be I am a over reacting a tad bit but I am not sure why it always leaves me irritable.
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