A friend and a very talented cartoonist has a blog called India Uploads

He nailed the win and our pride very well

Do visit Taposh’s blog for more gems of wisdom, done in cartoons

I first went to Mumbai when I was a kid – about seven years old.  My maternal aunt lived in Mumbai.  Mumbai those days (as far as I can remember) was very Naval in nature, and my Mausa Ji was Captain of INS Vikrant.  They had had a very bad time.  There was a war on with Pakistan and INS Vikrant was one of the major targets and the family had lost all contact with my uncle.  He came back along with the ship once things were settled.  The HQ had told them to lie low and protect the ship, so they had severed all contacts with family and friends for that time.

At that time, it did not matter to us kids.  All of us cousins were together, since Mausi was surrounded with her kith and kin.  It was one whale of a party.  Adults were too busy getting worried, so there was no rules for us apart from “Dont break things” and “Dont kill each other”.  For us land lubbers the sea was bliss, and the swimming pool was luxury.  I think we came home to eat and visit the  loo.  We were submerged for most of the time.  Any more … we would have grown gills and webbing on our fingers and toes.  3 weeks of sheer bliss.  Childhood is wonderfully selfish and unconcerned with the sorrows and tensions of adults.

The next time I visited Mumbai was kind of stressful.  My Naani was diagnosed with breast cancer and her operation was in Breech Candy.  She was brave, wonderful and beat the disease, and lived for twenty more years.  I was older, in charge of younger siblings.  We learnt how to board and travel on the local trains.  I got introduced to vada paav, sindhi kadhi, dhansaakh and prawns.  I went overboard on them.  My younger Mausi was also posted here and so was Mamaji.  Really bonded with the maternal wing of the clan.  The fun part was that a few cine stars lived in the same building as my younger Mausi and we hung around like total taporis to see them.  (I must add here that my Mumbai cousins acted very superior and sniggered at us Delhi Yokels for our star struck craze!)

I was married when I visited Mumbai again.  Ex’s Mamaji and cousin are both musicians and actively involved with the movie industry.  I met a whole lot of movie people.  I actually saw Mr. R. D. Burman and Mr. Bhappi Lahiri!

Oh Kay!  I know I am a star struck yokel – so what?????  Humph!

It is not out of place to mention here that I have met a lot of movie people on and off, but I still get star struck!  My cousins studied with a lot of star kids, and are quite blase about it.  Sigh ……

Now, I have cousins in Mumbai, DIL’s brother and Bhabi are living there.

It is a lovely place … with the sea and the glamour.  Now with super cheap flights, one does hop across often.  Wish I had more time to spend there.

Mumbai tailors for women’s blouses and suits can teach there Delhi counterparts a thing or two

Love the sea food!

Wish I lived with and hobnobbed with the stars …….

Actually Naah!

Wish I had webbed fingers and toes and of course gills …..

The ocean is a greater attraction

The country is having a poll dance and an interim budget

I’ll give em a pass for the award to display in a widget

I have been shortlisted as one of the best Mumbai Bloggers

I live in the NCR but forget that, It don’t matter

I write this verse today, some happy goodwill to float

Because ’tis more fun this way to beg for your keemti vote

I like to play and grin, I like to destress by having fun

The world’s grim these days, like the tip of a smoking gun

We lost trillions of bucks to some creative e-CON-omy

No one knows who robbed us of that huge sum of money

Did the netas take it, or has the stock exchange swallowed it?

No one can answer that one, the whole world’s been hit

I kept thinking if something’s lost, someone has to find it!

Now who’s got the moolah? Who’s the thief, the con behind it?

Then I realized that the truth has been completely glossed

This e-CON-omy slow down is a lie, we didn’t have the money we lost!!

Forget finance, its better to be the best Mumbai blogger

Its real and I can display it on my blog minus fuss and bother!

Yeah, the drop dead gorgeous blonde bombshell, the swank rolls royce, the money, and slowly walks in a fade out shot into the sunset on the beach.

I’ve been awarded – now am ringing up the Powers – in – charge for the rest of the stuff.

Just kidding!

Seriously people, I wrote my post from the heart

http://www.phoenixritu.com/2008/07/07/the-tyranny-of-being-a-mother-in-law/

I love the little woman who makes my son so happy.  No its not a perfect relationship – which relationship is?  Its a work-in-progress kind of relationship, but you know what – its a positive and loving one.  At the end of the day, that is all that matters – truly.

Wish others would also look at mother-in-law/daughter in law relationships this way.

Please vote for me …..  Mainu thwada vote chahida hai ……  Amake vote dao

Sorry I dont know more languages otherwise I would definitely have begged and pleaded in those too.  I have been nominated for the Avant Garde Bloggies Award for the best social issues post.  The judges have liked my post Irony of being a Mother In Law.  I started blogging in March, and was not aware that any such award system existed.  Imagine my surprise at being nominated!  I must add that two more posts of mine were also shortlisted but did not make it to the final cut.  Never mind …..

Now we come to the crux of this blog entry.  Do vote for me.  I have enjoyed blogging and to tell the truth, your comments are valued and they are reward in themselves.  Sigh!  Kya karen, yeh dil maange more!

If you think my post is good, do hop across and vote for me.  Hey, even if you think my post was not good – do vote for me.  I don’t mind and I won’t tell.

Thanks and love you all

There is a saying in Hindi which doesnt come through so well when translated “Bhagwan jab deta hai, chappar phar ke deta hai” or When God gives – the bounty breaks the thatched roof.  I guess in these times when the roofs are cemented, the bounty breaks the doors and cracks window panes and pours in.  Freya thinks that I am a Certified Honest Blogger.  Oh wow!  This is a first.  People have always waggled fingers and brows at me and told me that I am “Certified” ….. as in a mental case.  Thank you Freya.  You simply don’t know how much this means to me.  Apart from the office where I’ve fooled them into believing that I am good and responsible, no one in real life has.  The net is wonderful. 

I would like to pass this on to

Roop  : This is one crusader whose sincerity shines

The Mad Momma : She is a firebrand, seriously you got to read her to believe it

The Indian Homemaker : Lady I salute you

The Quirky Indian : He has a lovely informative blog and he complains that I make him think …. here is another one

      ******************************************************************************************************

What can I say, I am popular I guess.  The gracious and gentle Indian Homemaker has given me a gold card.  Now this is one card I can not bust or max out.  Thank you lovely lady.

I agree that we are going through intolerant times and bigotry, hate and violence seem to be invading our lives in various ways.  I hate bigotry and small mindedness.  People who visit my blog know this about me.  I pass this award to each and every reader of my blog (yes even the lurkers) who are with me and agree that caste, colour, religion, nationality, regionality are just geographical, and should remain just that.  We are humans and belong to this lovely planet.  More importantly, we are minds and souls that connect via this wonderful medium of the internet.  Let us please open our minds and hearts, forget the egos and other stuff that stops us from connecting with each other.

Yayy, I am considered brilliant even though I write corny posts about my little son applauding me in a restaurant for my impeccable toilet manners.

Thank you Itchy

Now being unused to the Oscar kinda thing, I do not have a long list of people who I can thank for making this award possible, but will honour this award by following the rules which are

1. When you recieve the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back
2. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.
3. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Brilliant Weblog’
4. Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).
5. I pass the candy forward to :

Krupa

Twisted DNA

Rajat

Sue

Aakriti

Nandu

Tikuli

Quirky Indian

I have seen pics of Itchy’s lovely twin boys but not hers. More importantly have sensed her mind – and it is very attractive. So guys please read her blog too