Examine what is said, not her who speaks

.....is the question plaguing my life at the moment. I've got some job offers but choosing is difficult. Should I stay back out here or just head out? *thinking*

I am back in Ahmadbad since yesterday. I left Delhi with the heavens opening up to pour down and am back to sweaty, humid climate. Ugh! The Tee that I wear at the moment keeps on sticking to my back. I don't want to use the Cooler simply because I don't. (Electricity costs)

Coming back to Ahmadabad was a non eventful journey except for one thing. The guy sitting next to me on the plane had decided to keep his mobile turned on for the entire journey despite hearing the instructions carefuly which said "please turn off your mobiles for the journey. You can switch them on when we land."

Not that he got a chance to do it with me sitting next to him. He tried to put it on silent mode. As soon as the plane started, I looked at him and asked if he understood Hindi and English. He looked a bit taken aback but replied back in positive. I then demanded to know why in the blazes was his mobile on silent mode and not switched off if he had heard the instructions correctly.... well. bascially I gave him a piece of my mind and reminded him that he was risking my life too along with his own.
He had the grace to look sheepish and turned off the mobile then. Bugger!

Apart from this one incident, it was absolutely uneventful.

Coming back was easy. Spending the day without my man was hard. Although it did have one compensation- I reunited with my nephew.

He's grown and he remembered me!! I was so happy to note that he hadn't forgotten me. The moment he saw me, he stretched out his arms and gurgled happily. They say kids forget you easily if you're gone long, especially when they're so very young. He didn't. So I guess.. I'm memorable after all.

More to come later...... gotta catch up on some work. Have a lovely day you guys!

I'm still in Gurgaon, working. It's been more than a month since I left home to hunt for more work.. thankfully, I seem to have succeeded and made some good contacts too. Thus, I'd say it's not a wasted trip.
Not to mention of course that I got to spend time with my man.

It's been terribly hot the last few days, almost a week. The temperature went up to 44 degrees and felt like 47 degrees. I felt roasted despite the fact that I never went out in the sun. It's the heat that makes you house a furnace, never mind the AC.

However, today seems to be a much better day. Clouds have come in since yesterday night, halting temperature rise and getting the weather to cool down a bit. They're predicting a dust storm with rains today evening. It will most definitely be a relief!

God is being merciful I think, since He knows it's my birthday today. I've been having a lovely time since midnight last night. I cut the cake that he'd brought and am going to wear my birthday gift today evening.

I just hope this happiness I feel today stays all the year round.. Amen.

I wish you all a happy weekend then and leave ya'll to lovely weather in your countries.

Hugs!

and I think it will carry me on towards my 32nd birthday on the 27th of this month.

No rest for the wicked as they say and that's how it's been for me. Doesn't mean I'm reaping money yet but I hope that happens soon with all this hard work I've been putting in since the last three weeks. This week has been full of meetings until now and it seems that the trend will continue all this week.

In the meanwhile, I'm supposed to decide and let know what do I want for my birthday as a gift. I'm out of ideas. Any suggestions?

To continue with the work saga... next week Monday, I'm going up the mountains again, to a place called DEHRADUN where I must visit a center and train their agents on telephone etiquettes.

It seems I must work hard to towards teaching how to speak politely to the customers. Customer care agents these days seem to have become rude and abusive the proof of which can be seen anytime one calls one of the telecom services like Vodafone or Airtel or Tata Indicom. Even bank customer service executives seem to have become rude and brash. It is as if customers don't matter anymore!! Darn if I'll take that laying down!! Thus my decision- every agent who works for my clients will learn telephone etiquettes. If they can't be polite, they're not the agents I want.

Apart from that, I plan to go for a bit of flea market window shopping this weekend. I know I know, you're suprised. Flea market and windown shopping? Well, you'd be surprised to know that in the flea market here, the prices are on at par level as any good boutique or shop in a mall!!!! The last time I visited one of these markets, there was not a single product which was for less than Rs. 1000 (around 12-14 EUR). And this was just the beginning. *siggh* I remember the time at saturday flea market in Bremen where I bought my bicycle for that amount, lovely home dresses for 2 EUR, CDs for 1 EUR....... wish I was back there.

However at the moment, it seems I'd have to postpone my plans to come to the EU since I do not want to come back without a good job on hand. I've had some offers in the last few weeks but none have been good enough. There have been job offers here in India as well. Am in a fix at the moment. You see, if I accept a job here, I won't get an easy job. It would definitely be a top management level job that will requirea commitment for at least a year from me.

And I most definitely DO NOT want that. Simple reason being- my family, that will keep on urging me to get married. I'm sure you would have heard of this before- "Dearest, you're 32 now. When do you plan to get married?"
I don't blame them. After all, they are my family. They want to see me happy and content in my life. I keep on trying to make fun of this issue; take it lightly by telling them that they want to see me blissfully happy, married to a man who could take care of me and my whims. *sniggers*.. and all I want is some time to think before I reach that stage where I am ready to make him miserable.

Not but seriously, I don't think it is the right time and so the escape route must be prepared.

Basta! Enough of that. Time I went to sleep. Et voila, wishing everyone in the blog land a very good evening/morning depending on the region and country. Stay happy and stay smiling!

Hallo hallo to everyone on blogland! Hope all is merry in your life.

I've been away as usual.. traveling again. This time, it has been a tour of the North of India, to a place called Mohali. It is situated in the State of Punjab(yes, that's where you can get the best of Chicken dishes as well as Paneer) and is full of people who are polite, well mannered and shy. At least in this part of the State, I find them to be so. I've been here three days now and I wish I had more time to visit all those places mentioned here on the link.

Am here on business so can't sit long.. but I am hoping that when I reach Delhi tomorrow, I'd be sitting at my bf's place and writing a detailed account. After all, there won't be a single soul to disturb me.

So long and hear from ya soon!

I planned to write a post on my travel to the Chennai two weeks ago and then some weird and sad things that I heard happening out here in my city but I just can't seem to find the time!

Tonight, I've got to finish 20 pages of content writing for an insurance website. *sighs* Nothing is easy in my life anymore I find but at least I've found a way out of difficulties. So there is still some hope for me yet.

Good news is, I think I'm soon going to be heading back to Germany and not alone either. *does a little jig* I'll be back where I can eat cheesecakes, rhubarb tarts, bratwurst (though with N1H1 around, maybe not that) and meet all my friends!! Just thinking about it puts me in the happy mood.

We're already dreaming of a cosy little house where we'll come back from work and I'll be pampered (I'll return the favour at times too) He dreams of me cooking up a storm for him though he needs to watch his weight. He dreams typically like any man would but I'll permit him that simply cos he's such a darling and loves me to death. And heaven help him if he ever writes a poem like the one Adamantixx just jotted on his post. I'd inflame his jeans like never before!

Anyway, back to reality. I must get back to that blasted content writing work. There's a lot that I must tell, a lot that I want you guys to know; some customs here that are hideous and should have ended a long time ago, some tragic ends, my near meet with death last Wednesday, etc. Hope I get time soon.

Have a lovely evening/morning!

A friend showed it to me today. Is this what we are becoming?

You know, there's no end to the kind of things that come up when you really really want to write something and be a lady of leisure. This week seems to be delighted in treating me shabbily, keeping me uptight.

First of, there was this case of pending finance. There's this client who always thinks they're doing me a big favor if they pay me on time, for the hard work I put in. @(*#$)!$&@*$ I have no words to convey my frustration I have suffered this whole week. I am sure my pressure levels would have gone raging high had I not been doing yoga every morning.
Then there's a small matter of my health. For some reason, this week has seen me in poor health. Sunstroke, migraine attack and in general, stress has me sleepless and restless.

Then there's my brother who's final exams begun today. I'd been dreading this time. You see, he goes all quiet during this time. Not only that, he becomes terribly moody too. I wondered how I'd be able to cope with it since I've never been here alone with him during his exams before.
But God does come to help me out at the most unexpected of times. Yesterday night, mum and dad suddenly showed up at my doorstep. Words cannot express the joy I felt. I'd not have to get up early in the morning, I'd not have to cook, I'd not have to bear my brother's temper tantrums. Phew! Love you God.

So today, since I find myself free time on my hands, I'll continue with the month of December.

December

After spending a lovely weekend with my boyfriend, it was time to go. I was to catch a train from New Delhi station at 6.20 am in the morning. Now, considering the fact that it would take me an hour to reach the station, I ordered a taxi that would pick me up from Gurgaon at 5 in the morning. And for that, of course I had to be up at 4 to be ready by 5.

These are phone cabs and they provide you with very good service. There's one called "Radio cab" and another called "Easy cab". Well, these are the two that I normally use while I'm in Gurgaon or Delhi.
So- as usual, I had ordered a cab with Radio Cab. These cabbies- they normally arrive at the destination point by midnight and sleep in the available general parking lot.

Now, I've nothing against them sleeping but, my particular cabby forgot all about his appointment. After several frantic phone calls to the company, he finally got the message and arrived at 5:30. The cabby assured me he'd reach the station in 30 minutes. I felt he was being over ambitious. *The distance between Delhi and Gurgaon is around 20 miles and though it has an 8-lane expressway, it is always crowded,not to mention the streets once you enter Urban Delhi.*

I'm sure you can guess the rest. I missed by train by 2 minutes. By the time, I had paid him and started running on to Platform 16, the train was gone.
I went to the ticket counter to book another one for the same day. I was told there were no more trains going to Haridwar that day and the ones which did would leave at mid-night. I was upset.

I called up my boyfriend from the station who had a hunch that since I'd started late from home,I'd be missing my train and had been calling every 10 minutes to know if I'd reached. He asked me to find out if the fare could be refunded.

I went to the ticket counter where there was a small queue for fare refund. I filled up the form and waited for my turn. Next thing I know, someone is touching my backside! Outraged, I turned around and glared at the leering, grinning man.

I asked him to keep his hands to himself and not try to touch me again or he'd be facing charges. He grinned evilly. I started muttering about these low lying bastards who come to the station simply to leer at women, with no other intent. I muttered about how this station lacked security, despite what had happened a few days ago in another metro city.

What I had failed to see was that ahead of me in the queue, was a police constable. He turned around at the ruckus I was creating and asked me what the matter was. Once I told him, he blasted the other man for troubling me, wiping the smile off his face. The lecher went off. The constable turns around and says, "this is normal here Madam." I was shaken. First I miss my train and then I face harassment. And I'm told this is all normal?? :O

But more was to come. When it was my turn at the counter, I was told that my fare couldn't be refunded since I had booked the ticket via an agent. What I could do was go to the agent and ask him to file a fare refund. (huh, fat lot of good that would do me! It would be too late by then.)

Stunned and upset, I went and stood outside the station, feeling lost. And then-- got a call from my boyfriend saying I should come back home. You see, he felt guilty about me missing my train and blamed himself. Had he dropped me to the station, none of this would have happened. I didn't argue.

He told me, while I'd been waiting at the ticket counter, he had called up the cab company and bellowed at their inefficient staff. They apologized and offered a cab back to Gurgaon-for free. So I should simply come back home and rest for the day. He'd also already booked the ticket for the next day, knowing I was anxious to start with my revision studies.

And so I found the same cabby waiting for me at the parking lot. He apologized the rest of the way and asked me to be kind to him, tell his company that they shouldn't fire him. I doubted they'd do that but whatever.. to pacify him I told him, I'd talk.

I reached home and dumped my bags in one corner and dropped on the couch.

What happens next, comes later. Until then..

I was supposed to write about the events in my life in the month of December, as a continuation of my travel adventures yesterday. I was kept busy with non-consequential but "have to do it" things then. Today, despite my wish to continue, thoughts elude me and migraine makes my head throb.

Hope tomorrow is better. I am sure all had a good weekend. I wish you a wonderful evening ahead and see you tomorrow.

A special mention- Happy Birthday Nick. God bless and may your pirate ship sail the waters of our blog land for years to come. *hugs*

to all

As promised I start from the events that took place when I left my parents' home in November.

November:
I left my parents’ place to go to Delhi on the 28th November and then on to Haridwar-Rishikesh. I couldn’t have sat down at home and studied, not with my nephew roaring at the top of his lungs every few hours, to be fed or to be picked up. (Sly devil he is, that naughty nephew of mine - knew that while every one may ignore him, I won’t and he will be picked up and cosseted if he cries.)

So I left Gandhidham by a train called Ala Hazrat, which surprisingly departed on time (It is a matter of surprise if the train is on time). My schedule had already been penned down.
I was to meet the head of one of the call centers for a meeting once I got down at Gurgaon. After that, I’d be going to the University where I’d check the examination time table and make sure none of the papers were clashing with each other.

After an uneventful train journey when I studied half the time and was not disturbed at all (huge surprise; normally a woman traveling alone is asked a horde of questions), I reached Gurgaon at 13:30 the next day. Gurgaon is basically a small city, sprawled with commercial buildings, call centers, IT hubs and humongous size shopping malls.

The head of the centre, Mr. M met me at the station and we went for lunch where we discussed business ideas of working together after my exams were over. From there on, I went to the Uni and got my time table. It was a relief to know that none of my exam papers clashed with each other. I’d already decided, I won’t be giving four papers this time around (ghastly statistics papers) because I haven’t been able to prepare for them properly. Might as well give those exams in July and get good credits.

Mr M dropped me back to Gurgaon in the evening where I was re-united with my boyfriend. It was such a pleasure seeing him again after so many months. We'd met the last in September. You're not allowed to kiss in public out here so we just hugged each other and smiled. Hand in hand, we roamed about a bit in one of the malls, content with each others' company. We had our dinner and went home to start on a blissful weekend together.

The next day was his birthday. He wouldn't let me buy a cake to wish him a birthday at midnight-said it was kid stuff. I said, "stuff it" and bought a piece of cake anyway.

Come mid-night, we had a small celebration (no details divulged into although I will tell you that he did cut that piece of cake while I sang "Happy Birthday". He blushed with pleasure, to my delight.
We intended a quiet, peaceful day on his birthday and were pondering on whether we'd prefer to go out for dinner or I shall cook him something delicious.

He's such a dear I tell you, even though he annoys me a lot at times. After keeping me on tenterhooks the whole afternoon(so exasperating!),he took me to this great restaurant for a surprise dinner. I had professed a desire a few days ago that I yearned to eat Prawns and Sushi. Thus, he fulfilled my desire on his birthday and declared that it gave him great joy to see me happy. It was one of the most romantic dinners that I've ever had. He was aptly rewarded for that loving gesture.

That takes care of November; the events of which may sound uneventful to you at the moment but are to play a part later on. Now we move to December.

But that- would be for tomorrow. Have a lovely evening guys.

Hey there! I know I am supposed to write about my travel and I swear I will tonight.

But for now, for those of you who are going to go away for the weekend, here's something.