In the cradle of civilization

So, the upshot of the things are that I'm in Cairo and blogging with all my blogger tabs in Arabic. I can just about make out the "Publish" button.

I'm here with my parents on a family vacation after about 5 years. Last time we went on a vacation, we got caught in a terrorist attack, this time hopefully, it will be less eventful.

Love Cairo so far. Managed to see the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, the Pyramids of Giza and the sphinx! Climbing inside the great pyramid will easily count as one of my most memorable travel experiences! It was completely dark, unlit - felt like you were going into the nether region. We literally had to crawl forwards on all fours because of the low ceiling. You realize how much fun it must have been to be an archeologist discovering these pyramids.

I also loved the museum. The collection of egyptian antiquities is enormous. Scratch that. Ginormous. never seen anything quite like it. It was apparently setup in 1902 and was the first building in the world setup solely as a museum! walking up the marble stairs through the giant doors, one could imagine archeologists and egyptologists in the 1930s strutting around in excitement.

Our guide, was great and gave my family a full political download of Egypt as well as the history of egypt. Its hard to believe how exceedingly sophisticated and intelligent ancient egyptians were. Like ancient sites at Mohenjodaro and Harappa, Egypt displayed an extremely superior sense of architecture and civilization.

So my take away from the whole day was the while most people's ancestors where still swinging from the trees, these people where building pyramids. Incredible that!

Where Karma Fights Back

Due to certain events in the recent past, namely my laptop hemorrhaging on me and that my passport is still stuck in a certain embassy when I'm due to fly out on Saturday, I've come to believe in the powers of Karma's retribution.

Aditya Jalan, my trivia team mate in college and the awesome one-third of team tonic, once told me, that I had the "The Karma of a loud kettle in Buddhist Monastery." That statement was epic and it stuck with me because all of a sudden the events in my life made sense. He also said that HIS karma was that of a "curtain in a bhuddist monastery." and abhishek's (the final -third of team tonic) karma was that "of a well fed cat in a bhuddist monastery." The latter is definitely true. He is certainly well fed.

But coming back to my tryst with karma, I'll tell you why that statement makes sense.

1. For some reason, in this life I'm obsessed with Kettles. I like the way it looks and feels. When I'm at a Williams -Sonoma store, I stand infront of the kettle section and sigh. Those kettles are beautiful. Infact, there is a huge design competition in the culinary world on designing Kettles. When Kettles whistle, I find it utterly adorable. I never knew why till J made that statement. then it hit me. I MUST have been a kettle!

2. I identify with Kettles. They are quirky, chirpy, do-gooders, boiling water and saving the world one tea cup at a time. They don't have any grand illusions about their purpose in life, but yes, they do know how to boil water and take that purpose seriously, whistling merrily. Yes, if you happen to be in a monastery, one will find the whistling annoying but generally Kettles are peaceable blokes. One could do with a lot worse.

I am exactly like that - definitely quirky, not terribly ambitious, and enthusiastic about doing things most people would likely scoff at and find mundane. For example, I like washing dishes. I find that activity most therapeutic. Most people I know, hate that activity but not me, i'm internally whistling while washing dishes. Seeee the connection??

so given that I truly believe that I was indeed a kettle in a monastery and that undoubtedly must have caused the buddhist monks some discomfiture, I figure, I'll do well to simmer down a bit and lie low in this life.

So dear karma, I'm sorry. Give me a break and I promise the whistling will stop.

True Love

When I think about it,

I don't want dinners amidst candles

or

to walk down the aisle in a shower of confetti

or

even pictures of us as shiny happy people.

All I want is that when I look at you,

from across the room,

you get me.

Stuff that should be on my resume but is not..

1. Expert "Fire Fighter"

I'm sooo used to dousing out fires and explosive situations in real life that this is second nature to me. When shit hits the fan, they come to me. Sort of like the character "Wolf" in Pulp Fiction, but without the Lamborghini. (on an aside, I've had to really restrain myself from putting this on my actual resume, its an impressive skill no?)

2. Ability to spot obscure music bands before they eventually make it big

I knew Alicia keys before she was Alicia Keys..apart from her mother ofcourse. Being a music snob, I listen to artists that are out of the mainstream and abandon them after they become mainstream by which time they would have sold out to the whims of music labels anyway! If you don't believe me hit up Janelle Monae and Lisa Hannigan. I'm confident both of them are the next big thing. And ofcourse, willow smith, by virtue of being will smith's daughter. She is the next big little thing. (heh!)

3. Expert *insert any aerobic fitness activity* Dancer

Be it zumba, step or cardio dance fitness sessions, I have the uncanny knack for picking up the routines after watching it just once. yes you heard me right. just once. One will ordinarily not appreciate this talent but come to one of these fitness sessions and when you flail you arms and legs in an uncoordinated manner and look stupid, hit me up! It takes supreme hand-eye coordination, an innate ability to catch rhythm and comprehension of the language of aerobic fitness sessions. What language you ask? you have to know what "single, single, double", "belly dancer", "grapevine" "booty shake" mean to respond quickly and not look like a dork.

4. Charmer Extraordinaire

I say this because I'm a people person and generally can connect with anybody.Yes anybody. Even a hippie in a farmer's market and the dude at the Indian store. The indian-store dude near our house is so taken in by me that he gives me either cream biscuits or a can of Canada Dry (I have no idea why!) everytime I buy something from him.

5. Fashion Connoisseur

I love fashion and I read an obscene amount of fashion blogs to know exactly whats on trend and whats not. I've also become something of an online shopping expert, as in, I want a particular item, lets say sequined skirts, I know which online portal to turn to. I don't have the budget but I yearn for the day when I will. May be I should go after Nina Garcia's job! (smacks head!)

Other notable mentions:

1. Can run 3 miles after eating a heavy burrito

2. Geography whiz - Knows the name of that obscure lake in central asia that looks like a blob.

3. Expert knowledge of African politics including dictators with hard-to-pronounce names

4. Read books by obscure Literature Nobel Prize winners. (Like Naguib Mahfouz. Yes he won. honest!)

5. Online Scrabble Champion - It actually involves a ton of strategy. ok may not a TON but still...

Sadly,

Our love, my love

was strong and delicate.

Was.

Our love, my love

was loud and subtle.

Was.

Our love, my love

Was kind and harsh.

Was.

Now, it's like the fragrance

left behind, when the person is no longer there.

Still there but will fade eventually.