Spook Me Out contest for Face at the Window

"If you drive across that stretch of road in the night, you will sometimes see a spirit. They are white and translucent shapes floating away. They don't harm anyone. You need to just stop the car and let it pass. What do you think ITW? Do you agree with me? If we leave them alone, they will pass without harming us right?"

I was at a great loss when I was asked this question for according to me, every question warrants an answer but I could however neither agree nor disagree with his statement so was wondering what my appropriate response should be. So I just decided to show my ignorance- "I would not know because I have never encountered a ghost before."  Privately I often thought that this ghostly white translucent shapes are totally stereotypes. Do ghosts not love colour?

Having said that, I wouldn't know of an encounter from the sinister, spiritual realm considering I  never take risks, being the kind of person who always prefers to stay in the safe zone.

And that means, I will hold on carefully to any support when I enter the toilet in a rapidly moving train, will not venture out in the dark and will not enter spooky looking places like dark alleys and caves- entrances of which could easily be closed by ghosts. I would say the best student that Mad eyed Moody could have would be me because I take very seriously his mantra of "Constant Vigilance" and am rarely caught in an unguarded moment. And in the rare cases when the husband manages to startle me with a sudden "bhow" sound, my survival instinct kicks in and I scream the hell out.

Therefore I am sure that even ghosts and poltergeists are wary of making an appearance before me for fear of being spooked out by my ear splitting screams.

Perhaps the scariest horror shows that I have seen on TV was Kile kaa rahasya. On hind sight it was more of a comedy than a scary thing because of the weird nature of the ghosts that would get revealed in the end. One would feel more sorry for the so called ghosts than be scared of them. Even then, just the memory of the intended spooky scenes would ensure that at the end of the show, my sister and I raced each other to run out of the TV room to the bedroom because the last one out of the TV room will have to switch the TV off, put out the lights and take that walk through the dark hallway to the bedroom. Very scary and spooky indeed. 

But this contest demands I talk about my spooky experiences and hence what may appear to other daredevils as the mildest of spooky experiences needs to be narrated here because well, spooky is spooky- one cannot measure it by any scale of reference.


One winter afternoon, I stepped out of my college hostel into a park for studying and as it often happens to people walking or sitting under large trees, I found myself being suddenly blessed by a well meaning crow. There was a small shed in the corner of the park and I got inside it to wash off the smelly crow poop at the tap. I was engrossed in cleaning up the poop in the darkened shed and suddenly the door shut behind me. Not thinking much I tried pushing the door back and to my shock the door had been bolted. As far as I recall I had taken just a few seconds to try opening the door and looking out of the tiny window of the shed. However I could see no one around except for a solo woman in the distance clearing the grass in the park. I screamed out to her hoping fervently that she was not hard of hearing. But apparently she was and she could not hear me. In those few moments I wondered what would happen to me because no one would have imagined that I could be inside the shed even if they eventually notice that I was missing. I began to feel claustrophobic and terribly scared. May be about five-six screams later, a man came and unbolted the door of the tiny shed and I stepped out in relief. However the man did not fall in my target group hence I decided not to fall on him in relief and just settled with thanking him profusely for letting me out.
To this date, I cannot fathom who locked me inside. Whether it was the same man who did it to play a prank or whether it was someone else, I have no idea but even today, a vague flash of memory of those few minutes spook me out.

This post in my entry for #TheFaceAtTheWindow Miami Blues Contest. 

Great Ways to have a Beautiful Home

When we first bought our house, we were very particular that we would use bright colours in our home. Not the entire home of course but every room was given a breaking wall.
We experimented with bright yellow on our favourite walls, especially the ones which were meant to have paintings with focus lights.

A few years later, hubby decided to try his hand at painting the house himself. He bought the entire store of Asian paints I guess, experimenting with bright shades like code red which was an extremely raunchy red for the bedroom. And lots of metallic shades in gold and chromium. I must say I loved that phase. I loved the gold and he even used stencils to make wall art with gold.

Since we are restricted by space in a two bedroom house, our only available canvas are the walls

The red wall  raunchy? Romantic? What do you say? It's the bedroom after all!

The lady in gold stencilled with multiple coats of the same gold. It is still my favourite piece of art on my wall an remains there In spite of painting another color on the rest of the wall.

Check the below.the lady remains and the bed sheet matches the curtain scheme

The entrance is the first look of the home. I have adorned the shoe rack with money plants in old wine bottles and they make it look lively and welcoming. And we have done what many don't do. Invested in a lovely lamp shade and installed and nerdy saving bulb there. Even if I don't light it on a daily basis, the lamp shade looks grand.

The entrance adorned with the Sun 



I was thinking over and over on how to make a good and unique nameplate, I thought about punning on the word Name- Plate and paint on a plate. But then I thought it would be difficult to punch a hole and mount it on a wall.

Therefore I needed something with a ready made provision for hanging.

I unearthed an old scratched up LP record and this is what I did with it
I first painted the LP with the left over gold paint. 2 coats were needed. I waited for it to dry completely and stuck pictures of all four of us and painted our names with black acrylic paint.
Cool isn't it? (and cheap also!)


The Orissa art goes with the wall decor completely. Whatever art I buy, I try to make it match the concept.

I copied images from warli book and the husband painted them with a fine tipped brush and acrylic 

paint. These are various dancing positions and acrobatics- emphasis on movement more than stills. (It has created a stir in the complex with people asking us -how exactly did you do that?)

I am particular that the sofas be huge not just because there could be more people but because they serve as good recliners. However, my all time fav is wood which I intend to invest in once the children grow up. For now, they serve as diving board, trampoline, etc, everything but what it is meant for. But after all, a home is where even kids feel comfortable, not a showcase or a museum. Much as I would like to keep my home adorned at all times, I have been told that the warmth my home exudes compensates for the lack of decor.


Minimalistic decor in the entertainment section. Check the guitar as a decor!! Expensive!

I  picked up the dancer pieces from the Jharkhand stall in Metro plus show. These black metal performing women with the gold embellishment goes well with the gold wall

Sticking to the living room theme, we adorned the walls with warli and madhubani art in series





And another of the nature series in orange/ yellow tones to suit the gold wall done by the husband. Inexpensive art truly!



In fact, we did not leave the doors even. They are pre designed ply wood that can be stuck on. I loved the design...very Ganesha like. And the peacock painting is done by the husband. Art for free!!

A painted corner...free flowing art! movement and stability!

The other trick to enliven the home is to bring in plants. The good part is that if you make mini planters like these or just put in a plant in a container with water, even if they do not grow, you can always replace them from your main plant in the garden. These tea cups are the four remaining ones from a set of six which broke during, guess what, redecorating and  deep cleaning our home!! Impromptu decor!!

These look good on the dining table!! That's the place they were meant to be any way!!

In fact I put money plants in both bathrooms and I pick up longer stems with some roots so that they create an illusion of growth!!


flowers gathered during my morning walk, impromptu bouquet that immediately brightens the day

Purple periwinkles and globe amaranth in a small glass container form a flower rangoli to brighten up a corner.

These flowers come at absolutely zero cost, that is the best part.

My another favourite way of pepping things up is to put a good bedsheet.
I ensure I pick up unique bed covers wherever I go and especially the thick cotton ones or quilted ones that give a rich look. My next purchase would be a mirror work Rajasthani bed spread!

Or brighten up a corner with a light source. This one is a kalamkari lampshade in leather punctuated with holes to allow a shadow play of dark and light. 

nothing like a real fire to light up a corner

And most importantly, de clutter as much as possible at the same time, create space. I specially follow this with my books. Spaces for specific favourite genres of books are predesignated. I have a different rack for unread books and a different one for to be given away books.

The kids room is a riot of colours, more than what is considered decent!! But since it happened in bits and pieces, it gave an informal wild look. So there are lions and tigers on one side and cartoon characters on the other. 

I am also a great believer in the 5 S principle. A place for everything and an everything in its place- makes life easier. I believe that one must intimately know where each stuff is placed or likely to be placed so that a chore like cooking becomes faster. I hate spending time searching so I ensure all boxes are closed with their lids after proper drying of course else it would stink.

Especially with the homes with lack of space, one's creativity can expand into the outdoor. I have moved from the mentality of plants for ever to being prepared to replace the plants if need be because plants die and one must not spend time moping of lost plants. Buying them is inexpensive and spending a small amount of money gives one the satisfaction that any shopping activity brings.....therapeutic.

A stroke of genius....nostalgic red floor in the garden...I love this especially when  kids sit and play without damaging my plants...

The terracotta pots really last long and look good. Low maintenance. I had bought a couple 10 years ago and they look still new.
This year I picked a few more from the Dastakar and adorned them in the garden.

Notice the rocks that blend with the garden decor

Sometimes it is great fun to follow a color theme in the garden

And I love Urlis, indoor and out door, traditional ones and 

modern ones

Crazier the container, the more creative one looks

a mithai ka matka planted with the ultra slow grower succulent

Terracota cup with lucky bamboo stalks

Lucky Bamboo with glass stones and pebbles 

Being in the fragrance industry, I am a great believer of fragrancing the home in a subtle not too loud way.

Reed diffusors are a great way to fragrance corners of the home especially after a long day at work, when you come home a soft scent welcomes you. Not too overpowering though.

So also flowers especially  the scented blooms 

festivals are a great way to enliven the spirit and I make use of them to redo my home.

So every time we felt that things at home were getting dull, we used paints to liven the home up.
And our latest? We did the entire home in wooden floor. The feel of the wood on the feet and the garden outside fools me into believing I am living in a resort!! Or in a home away from home!

Whether paint on the wall or painting on the wall. 

I have had great satisfaction with Asian Paints both in terms of the range they offer and the quality of paints. I had people coming up to me and getting the exact shade code from me and replicating the same in their homes.
Especially the Sunflower shade and the gold that is so evident on most of the pictures in this post.

Submitted for Asian paints contest

Mango Memories

This post is in response to the I Heart Mangoes Blogathon / Mangothon hosted by Tulika  books.
Hop over and read it and participate. The more the merrier.

Food is transportive. Each food is linked to a memory or memories and those memories have the capability to transport you to far off places or to journey through time to the past.

This piece on mango memories talk of my best memories with my favourite fruit mango. So have a glass of chilled mango lassi to go with this and read on...

My earliest memories are those of hot summers in Patna. My grandfather had a mango orchard, now isn't that the loveliest thing to have. A mango lover's dream! So every summer different varieties of mangoes would arrive at the house...bambaiya aam, was the first to arrive and the last but not the least would be malda aam, a proud Bihari's staple mango also known as langda aam  in some parts.

Vacations in Patna meant the complete gathering of the gang of assorted aunts and cousins.
Our days began with Aam and ended with Aam.

Breakfast would be a hand mixed (maa ke haath ka and all that) preparation of boiled and lukewarm milk, sugar, rotis and juicy mangoes. They were mixed in a huge vessel and hand mashed to make a very even mix and served in large bowls to all of us who would slurp it up with much speed and gusto. Err not to forget a minor detail- there was also a race to clean the mango pulp that were still attached to the peels piled in a large plate.

Lunch would end with an individual mango sucked to thoroughness with all cousins competing on who would make the mango seed the cleanest and the whitest. Every trace of pulp and fibre and colour were thoroughly removed and in the end the results were compared and the winner declared.

Desserts that were served post dinner was either huge plates of cut mangoes or sweet mango pulp in fresh cream sugared generously.

Not to forget the aampanna that was consumed throughout the day to prevent heatstrokes.

The mom brigade would also make this sweet chutney - raw mangoes boiled with jaggery and seasoned appropriately to give a sweet and tangy chutney which was served as accompaniments to the meal. A serving would have slices of cooked mango in the sweet-sour juice. Slurp.


The best part about having a mango tree in your own garden is to be able to pick mangoes that fall on the ground during the night or after a windy evening. Any tree is like a shared resource. It is fair game for the neighboring house and also for all passers by. And each find is a like a treasure to be hunted out from among the grass and fallen leaves and the presented to the mom for making them into pickles or simply cutting them and eating with a touch of salt.

And this picture is my most recent memory. At less than a year of age, his eyes are shining more for the mangoes on mamma's plate rather than mamma, methinks.

To carry the tradition forward, of having a mango tree in the garden, the sons have planted a mango seed in the flower pot!!! And they water the same judiciously, ignoring the rest of the pots.

Will they, won't they grow for them? I wonder.

One Stop Shop

Quick...Just 3 days left for a chance to win a Dell Inspiron Laptop. And since I am desperate to get a laptop in colour...away from the boring blacks, greys and silvers, here I go with a post that tells you the all important fact about myself- how my gadgets represent me!
So just reiterating- here's the details of the contest

Blog and win a cool Dell Inspiron laptop!
Do your gadgets reflect your personality in any way? Tell us how and win an awesome, top-of-the-line Dell Inspiron Laptop with a customizable cover that represents who you are!

Now notice how I steer clear from writing about a laptop- because I no longer have a laptop at my disposal- basically, I make it clear how desperate I am in need of the laptop.

So I write about one gadget that completely controls my life. I run my life with the help of what is called a mobile phone.

Let me tell you, at the outset, I hate people who are forever glued to their mobile. Forever peering into it looking for mails and updates and sms. It disturbs, it annoys and it insults. Anyone doing that looks like a silly wannabe to the boot.

Those who switch on their mobiles the moment the airplane touches down, or answer their mobiles during meetings or appraisals... I find them to be the most annoying breed of all.

It is you who control the gadget not the other way round.

So with that off my chest, I confess. I always went for the most basic and as cheap as possible mobile phone because to me mobiles were just to take and make calls and sms.
Until as recently as last year, I never gave much importance to the make, the colour and the features of a phone because they were really not important to me.

Until the time I got my E 63. In bright maroon-red colour as against the standard functional black or grey.

Unexpectedly it added a spot of brightness to my day...err hands or table or wherever I kept my phone.
It started feeling good- holding the heavy and wideset phone in my hands. It felt just right, after the harrowing experience I had with my previous phone...a Motorola that first lost its sheen, the black paint was gone in a couple of months. Then the screen cover came off and then the key pad came off. I had a tough time using the phone after changing the entire front and back of the phone I stopped sms-ing, I stopped wanting to make calls as I couldn't hear clearly. Until I got the Nokia.

I realised that the phone is not justa device but since so much of my everyday activities depend on teh phone, I need to have one which is easy to operate, multifunctional and technically without snags.

Buttons that move like a dream and a software that is quick.

Ina short while, as all you blog readers may know, I got the N8. A step beyond the red- in bright metallic orange. A colour that truly represented me. More than the red.
A touch phone- something I wouldn't have dreamed to use. I always found touch phones annoying. But in a few weeks- I got so used to the touchphone that i find myself tapping the screen of laptops and other non-touch mobile phones.

And this has a 12MP camera with oh-so-good clarity that I cannot believe that I have finally crossed over completely. I use this to record the little moments of my life. The camera hasn't come out of its huiding place since last 2 months.


So now my phone was used as a variety of gadgets
1. a phone of course- one that helps you keep track of the important people in your life.
2. a calendar- My phone is usually full of to-dos. I do not know what i will do without them.
3. a camera- with 12 mp you do not get such a bad deal
4. alarm clock of course- with multiple settings- a weekday alarm, a weekend alarm, different timings in a single day. It couldn't get better- or could it?
5. as a laptop- I access FB, the blog, mails... google on the phone. It is so quick,s o easy and you needn't boot the comp everytime. Err- doesn't mean I do not want that laptop. This just serves as a basic laptop. Just a few functions at a time. And you cannot of course do everything on the phone
6. An address book- what would I do without them
7. A map
8. A timepass- with the games loaded on the phone
9. A music system
10. Calculator of course

I could go on and on but I guess basically one gets the drift,

Akshaya Patra

No child in India shall be Deprived of Education Because of Hunger.
Indiblogger initiative to blog about Akshay Patra is as follows
Your blog can help feed 50 children now.
Read about The Akshaya Patra foundation here.
Blog about their cause and urge your readers to support it. Give them the link to make a donation online.
Submit your post on IndiVine.
For every valid blog post, Akshaya Patra will be able to feed 50 children.
The contest
2 winners chosen by Akshaya Patra will be flown to Jaipur on an all expense paid weekend trip, where you get to visit the kitchens where the food is made, and do other touristy stuff.
The winners will be announced on the 15th of Jan, 2011.
Each winner can bring along a friend/spouse/special someone/parent/sibling/dog.

'Around the same time as a quick tale 158'- Rivalry

Ammani had announced this contest. In response I have posted the below in the comment section

Two brothers are trying to solve a puzzle. The answer to which is 'flamenco'. But they don't know it yet and they have been staring at the page for a few minutes now. ‘M-O-C-N-E-L-A-F, Fanmeloc, Flamecon’ muttered the older brother under his breath, rapidly trying to unscramble the jumble. “Wish I could just write it down in capital letters in a circle so that it would be easier to solve. If only we had not challenged each other to do it mentally. Please God, let me get this one first. He seems to think I am too good at it. He doesn’t know I solve most of the Hindu Crossword & Indian Express Jumble using the crossword solver & the jumble solver on the internet.” By now, it has been close to 4 minutes that the brothers have been focussed on the clue with no sign of cracking it. I can hear Ramya coming. Let’s annoy her by solving it before her. Quick, the answer is on page 56, suggests the older brother, should we take a look? If you insist, says the younger brother. Shrugging his shoulder as if he didn't care.