Weekend roundup

Saturday:
Highly uneventful. Woke up late, had a lazy late lunch and then worked out of K2. This lappie is making me a workaholic. Shopped at Landmark to encash the GV :-) Am not revealing what I bought for obvious reasons but two observations that have been nagging me ever since..

* There is a brand called HiDesign which sells men's wallets for Rs. 1795 (and that was the cheapest range on display) Now who on earth would ever buy that ?

* Giftwrapping papers at Landmark cost Rs 50 - now isn't it free at Shoppers Stop ?

Sunday:
Avani Avittam.. How I looove this function...Now don't ask me too much about the religious significance of this event - all I know is that this is the day every year all Brahmins pay homage to their ancestors and rishis and recite the Vedas..More on it here...When we (Appa n me) were in Trichy, I still remember how we used to wake up early, take a bath, wear the veshti and angavastram and leave for Akhilandeswari school where Mani vadyaar would organize the ceremony in hugeee batches..Twas a sight seeing chotu chotu kids with vibhudi all over their faces and body trying sincerely to narrate the mantras..And then memories (not so fond though) of the Ganga snanum (in our case Cauvery snanum) in the break...Finally the cries of "Dakshina Dakshina" (those were the times when I even considered a career as a Pundit looking at the collection) All this would take a good 3 hours and what awaited us at the end would be a very very sumptuous meal..At SP we had vadyaar cum student So-So who used to religiously download the mantras from the net and then get us Tam Brahms lined up for the ceremony. This year things were a little low key since everything happened at home but Mom's food was as usual awesome.. The vada and urlakezhangu kari were superrrrrrrrro super... mmmmwaah Mom :-) And I can't wait for Gokulashtami..Can I please be the Krishnar and walk across our house.. Pleaseeeeeeeeeee...

Later in the evening one of my good friends Sumit had invited me home since they had arranged for a Puja at their place. Now ever since my folks moved in, I’ve become so domesticated that Sumit's been cribbing like crazy that I’ve forgotten my old friends. Not wanting to give him another chance to complain, I heartily accepted the invitation. It was a proper Rajasthani function with the pundit from Ajmer regaling us with stories of his travails in Rameshwaram. There was a lengthy story recitation where I learnt about the mahatv of the tulsi leaf :-) Finally cut fruits and Puttu were distributed as prasad. Now have to add something here on Surabhi Bhabhi. For starters, she's an amazing cook and makes the best paav bhaji I have ever eaten. But more importantly, she's an amazing mix of a person with modern outlook and traditional values. She gets along fabulously with Sumit's friends like Andy and me and even accompanies us for movies..At the same time, she is also deeply rooted in tradition. If women of my generation are like her, then we can all be rest assured that the future is in safe hands. wotever.....satyanarayan ki jaiiiiiiiiiii :-)

Surfed the net and checked mails late yesterday evening. AR is coming to town next weekend. That's definitely bad news.. She is such an incorrigible shopaholic that I better watch out. The last time she came over here I ended up trying out and buying some rags that only SRK and Sallu wear in the movies.. stuff that usually makes me go “Yikessssssss..kya pehenthe hain log"

Chal this post has become too long now :-)