Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

I haven't been able to update my blog because I was still on a happy high from my birthday. Not that I got drunk. I didn't even drink. But waking up till 6 in the morning, just being with my friends took a toll on my I-sleep-at-10 body. However, it was so much fun, I am not even complaining.

First, I just want to thank all my blogger buddies for their birthday wishes. Thanks much! :) I feel speshul! :D

Next, I am still deciding on Raj's fate (from the That Night series). I have thought about something really gruesome, but I'm still fitting the pieces together. Maybe tomorrow. I will try. Such stories need a lot of inspiration, and 2-3 days in office will definitely give me the inspiration I need!

Nextest, I got some really awesome gifts on my birthday! Mom and dad gave me a gorguss diamond ring (which I chose myself!), a DVD player, and a Christian Lacroix perfume. My sister gave me the bestest gift...she drew a portrait of me! It is so life-like! I will definitely post it on my blog soon. Niks, Ms. G and Rash gave me a super cute purse, and I am going to flaunt it soon! Ms. D gave me a purple stole (my fav colour!!) and a necklace and ear rings. My colleagues gave me a super cute white bag (which I am using right now!) and ear rings. What a haul I say! I am blessed! :)

Ok, I have a long, long, long day ahead at work (that's where I am posting this from!) I best be leaving now, must catch some zzzs...I mean work my butt off!

Thank you all, once again!

So long...

Today is my last day on this blog.

As a 22-year old, that is!

Tomorrow, I will turn the big 23. Most people expect me to be depressed about the fact that I am, in fact, 'growing up', but honestly, I don't feel anything!

The last time I was truly upset was on my 19th birthday. It was my last year as a teenager. I was crying, I didn't even want to cut the cake. I was lost, disillusioned, angry and upset. But what can be done, I can't stop time, no one can. So I just accepted the fact that I will grow up. I will even be a 60 year old after exactly 37 years, so no use bitching.

But one thing remains, I will always be a 19 year old at heart. As my sister says 'age is only a number', and I agree wholeheartedly! Even today, people look at me and say "What college do you go to?". My gym instructor had once asked me "What are your school timings?" and I just stared at him and said "Uhh...I have a job". He stared at me, his mouth hanging open. Whatever..guess being fat has its advantages! ;)

So anyway, I turn 23. And I am going to turn 23 with some of my closest friends, dancing the night away. If you're nice to me, I may even post some pictures here!

Oh also, on a side note, I wont be doing a 'That Night' update tonight, well, for obvious reasons. So wait till tomorrow to read Raj's fate!

Cheers! (Literally!)

Drumroll please!

Hi everyone! Today is the last post in the 'Celebration' series, and it's going out with a BANG!

And here it is, the final post. Consider this a continuation of something I have done in the past.

YES! It's 'Quotes' by THE J Mudoh.

Having trouble remembering? Read this first.

Here it is, the second installment of 'Quotes you will remember forever!'

Random conversation on the phone:

Me: Ok, so give me a quote.

J-Man: I wanted to give you this for the last post, but I guess you can use it now: "When I'm asleep, I love not to wake. When I'm awake, I love not to sleep.

Me: I thought you were gonna give you your 'did you know*....' waala quote.

J-Man: Ohh...which one..? Do you know i have...tubelight wala? (insert me laughing here). The funny thing is, I am the only one who is going to find this funny.

Me: Next!

J-Man: hmm..hmm...hmm..hmmm? Ok here it is - People who read subtitles are blind.

Me: Wtf?

J-Man: This has a deep meaning, you see! A movie is watched for a movie, not for it's subtitles! So, in effect contradictory, if you read subs, you are blind. (Long pause, and a sigh) See, I have made it easy for you slow people!

Me: ooooohhh!

J-Man: Are you typing everything I'm saying?

Me: Almost!

J-Man: (Pause) I'm not saying anything right now. (Hears typing) You wrote that too?

Ok you want to write something, write this! - (singing) la la la la la laaa..la la la la la laa....la la la la laaaaa

You wrote that too? Ha..ha..ha..ha..haa..haaa..giggle giggle giggle.

Me: Ok, so that's giggle, giggle, giggle.

J-Man: Fyi, I don't giggle anymore. I'm not a metrosexual anymore.

Me: Were you ever?

J-Man: No (laughter)

Do you know what I had for dinner?**

Me: Lunch.

J-Man: Oh. hahahahahahaha.

Yeah, so I had 2 glasses of lime juice, 2 glasses of lassi, rice, 2 more glasses of lassi, chocolate, bourbon biscuits, that's s, plural...ssssssssssssssssssss..now I'm going to have tea. Fully loaded with alcohol, I mean sugar, I mean...good stuff. Yeah.

Random quote by J-Man: I feel offensive.



* tube-light waala: J-Man has an electric starter tube-light in his room. So, in his words, when he switches on the light, it switches on immediately 'TING!'. He has also mentioned this fact to be about 5 billion times, and he says it each time like he is saying it for the first time.

** what I had for dinner: J-Man doesn't know time. He always says "Have a good dinner", when it's lunch time and vice versa. Also, he doesn't do it on purpose. :|


Ok I'm done! I hope you enjoyed reading this, as much fun as I had being in the coversation! It's always fun talking to the J-Man! If you liked this, let me know..maybe I will make this a more recurring feature!

Also, thank you all again for supporting me! Thank you to all the contributors, you increased my humble blog's 'shaan'. :)

Now, I go on to being my own regular, random self!

<3

Boo!

Love, Love, Love, Love

I'm not giving any introduction to this for fear for my life.

Just, it's not written by me.

Enjoy!

FOR YOU...

Settling of dust
As the last speck rests
New visions unfold
Like a pot of Gold.
In those bleary eyes
I envisage
My dreams yet again
I sew them with love and pain.
You sprinkle
Those cool droplets on my soul
Feeding my existence
Fading away my penance.
On new shores
My ship wants to move
To withdraw the anchor
And immobility too.
Voices around
Don’t cause a sound
A flutter from you
Causes feelings renewed.
Oh! How I go
From the couldrons of my mind
For you there
Is all that binds.

Sigh.

Have I saved the best for last? Tune in to find out!

The Incredible Bulk

My sister, the great PJ, has sent me this hilarious post about anger management. I am still laughing hard! Enjoy! :)

THE INCREDIBLE BULK

Today I, Priyanka Joshi, will be reveling my one and only true identity. Yes, at home or at college you might call me “The girl with the short hair” or “The girl with the average height” or “The girl with the chipped tooth” but that all changes when it comes to me on the road.

The moment I’m stuck in traffic or am being pushed around by discount craving, mall hopping, Sunday shopping women, who just can’t apologize, my true identity is reveled, “The Incredible Bulk”.

The fury starts from my toes and in a flash reaches my cranium and the blood bath begins and the arena is in my head.

A choke slam to the auto wala who just overtook my ride.

A kick to the mid section to the man who is crossing the road in a blur, though any minute now a vehicle will kill him in a second, and yet gloat while going to the other side (I have seen more intelligent chicken).

A punch in the jaw to the sorry excuse of a woman who just can’t stop screaming out to her kids to grab the last bag of discount rajma so that she can fart on their faces the next time they cause trouble.

A knife through the intestine of the auto walas who communicate in 3 ways when you tell them your destination:

1. If the answer is yes then they just stare at you expecting you to understand that the stare means a yes.

2. If the answer is no then nod their head and go away.

3. And the worst of them all, the ones whose answer is no and don't even bother to tell you if they will go. The simply dash away without saying anything, like they are the reincarnation of speed racer himself.

However, since these things can send me to court, leading to imprisonment, 70 years in jail through trial and finally a death sentence I perform these acts in my head. It is a sorry excuse of a life I know. Yet, if you ever find me glaring at you, flaring my nostrils, shaking my head and clenching my jaw you know that you are currently being mutilated.

Hahahah! This was so hilarious! Only two more posts left! :)

Hindi Hain Hum!

Here's a poem Rashmi has donated to me, and it just happens to be in Hindi! Check out her blog.

Naya Saal...
Aaya naya saal nayi tarange nayi umenge lekar
baaton hi baaton beeta peechla kayi sapne dubokar
par kehta hai ye dil mera
har raat ka hai ek naya savera

kuch aisi yaadein joo peeche chooth gayiin
kuch aise pal joo saath chood gaye
yaad aate hain woh din bitaye the joo saath humne
bhool payenge naa unhe chahe kisi haalat mein

ek uljhan mein hai dil humara
kaise swagat karen iss naye saal ka
bahein faela kar ya aankhein jhuka kar
mann kii toh uljhan sulajh naa payi kabhi
par khush rahenge hum bhi ye wada hai
kiya humne khudse yahin bas yahin abhi.....

Just two more days left for celebration..Then I go back to my regular, random, blabbering posts! :)

<3 you all!

Wish I was there!

Here's a write-up by my good friend Srividya on Dajipur. It's written so well, my wanderer soul has started stirring! Wishing I was there!

The best way to escape from the city’s overcrowded and polluted atmosphere is to get closer to nature. The rigid terrain of the Western Ghats with varieties of flora and fauna is one such inviting place- being the strength of the Western coast of India; it is also home to many places worth visiting that are not yet tourist destinations. It was November when we visited Dajipur, which lies on the border of Sindhudurg and Kolhapur districts, 20 kms from Radhanagari. Radhanagari is accessible by road, rail or air via Kolhapur, the nearest city. Radhanagari is around 60 km from Kolhapur, on the Kolhapur-Deogad state highway.

Radhanagari dam was completed in 1935 and was built with the support of Shahu Maharaj. After the independence of India, the nearby forest area was converted into “Dajipur Reserve forest” and some tourist facilities sprung up. Dajipur is a small village with about 20- 25 houses that rests approximately 3,000 feet above sea level. The months between September and December are ideal for a visit to this region. The landscape is predominantly rugged and mountainous. The journey up to Dajipur is an exciting one with views of waterfalls from the ghat section. Minds are automatically diverted by the sound of gushing waters, chirping of birds and the sight of trees in full bloom.

There is a resort on the outskirts of the wildlife sanctuary that protects wild bison - The Bison Jungle Resort. The other scenic resorts that are extremely popular among tourists are the backwaters of Radhanagari Dam. The Bison Resort is well known for bison (around 500), which are the tallest and the most splendid of living wild oxen. These animals of 6 ½ feet in height look majestic. Tourists can spot bulls and calves running with their mother or a large herd grazing in the forest, which is a treat to the eyes and one can recall with delight years later. Other animals, sheltered in the sanctuary are leopards (black panthers), sloth bears, wild boars, barking deer, mouse deer, sambar, giant squirrels and wild dogs. The resort has dormitories with beds and it is surrounded by hills on one side and a lake on the other side. After reaching the resort, we were escorted to the sanctuary that has strict security at the gates. In the forest area, we stopped by the Gagangiri Maharaj Tapovan where tribals are trained to make things out of naturally available materials (fruit juices, herbal powders and oils).

As we walked along the trail we came across the Gawakund (‘gawa’ is bison and ‘kund’ is waterhole). It was amazing to see the huge wild bison quenching their thirst at this waterhole. To avoid mishaps, there is a stone tower built from where we can see the animals in their natural surroundings without disturbing them. The sambar kund waterhole for the deer is surrounded by thick herbal foliage and is a source for herbs used in Ayurvedic medicines. There are scenic waterfalls on the steep slopes at regular intervals that add to the beauty of this place.

It was from the sanctuary that one can get a view of the Mohd. Wadi dam, which is one of the highest dams in Maharashtra. There are warnings telling visitors to avoid making fires and setting up camps in the forest due to reptiles and wildcats.

The next morning welcomed us with the sight of the rising sun’s first rays hitting the waters of the lake that created an incredible silver outline for lake. It was a spectacular sight. After spending some time admiring this, we proceeded to Amboli - a hill station about 100 kms south of Dajipur and at 3000 feet above sea level. It is well known for the seven Maratha forts and also for honey. Located at the southern range of the western ghat, the beautiful hill station of Amboli is the last mountain resort after which the plains lead to the beaches. The scenic beauty of the place is simply astounding. There is a place called the Seaview Point and people gather here to watch the beautiful Konkan beach. You can simply while away you time here without a worry in the world.

Amboli is also home to two of the biggest waterfalls in Maharashtra - one which is 9 kms south of Amboli and the other which is 4 kms in the north. Amboli one of the world's "Eco Hot-Spots" and it abounds in a variety of fairly unique flora and fauna. The main attraction for tourists is the numerous waterfalls and mist during the monsoons. There are around 5 decent (and relatively cheap) hotels at Amboli although none of them offer any guided tours into the forests, the main attraction of this hill station.

There are quite a few places of interest here. At Hiranya Keshi you can sit on hours angling for fish or you may even if you please go for a picnic at the Nagatta Falls. We had a wonderful time at the source of Hiranyakesi River, a holy river for the Maharashtrians that flows into the river Krishna. The Shiva temple inside a cave with impressions on the walls is worthy of appreciation too.

Overall, it was a delightful and memorable trip to these beautiful places that are off the beaten path. Happy on reaching and being closer than ever to nature, and sad on having to leave this place of tranquility and abundant beauty only to return to the polluted and noisy city environment again made our hearts sink.

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did! :)

Moo!

My bestest friend ever RadRid has donated something very out of the blue for out of focus. And well, here she is :)

Aww! Aint she cute? The rationale behind RadRid in giving me this bowine is "I wanted to give you something random, cause your blog is random too" Much appreciated girle!

Now for the naming ceremony. I think I'm gonna call her Basanti! Moo Basanti..Mooo!!!!

P.S. I know the cow's name is Dhanno and not Basanti. Moo.

101st post!

Now for the surprises!

First, I would like you to visit my food blog, started a few days back!! (http://supcancook.blogspot.com/) It's an attempt at sharing what I know about food with everyone else! Do visit, comment, and follow!

Second, my beautiful friends have donated a post for my blog! Let's start with my beautiful wife (ahem!), Nikki, from Ire

She has sent over a hilarious poem she wrote a while back. It is an ode of sorts of an aging perv. She claims this is the first poem she has written that rhymes! She is truly one of the best poets I have ever known in person. Definitely go check out her blog. For now, here's Ode to a Perv!

This is a story of an old perv
He enjoyed admiring 20 year olds' curves.

He thought he was young
Girls thought he smelled like dung.

He loved holding their hands to kiss
While they preferred to miss!

He thought he was artistic and fancy
He could well qualify for a pansy.

He thought he was cool and made women drool
While they contemplated to push into the pool.

He said he owned wine, pearls and art
They thought he was an ugly old fart!

They said, "He was a waste"
While he thought he had taste.

Sigh, oh sigh and more sigh...
His dirty thoughts gave him a high
But left the girl feeling awry!

Such is the story of the cumbersome perv,
Who thought himself to be a man of the world,
But afterall he was just an old old perv!!!

Hilarious I tell ya!

Coming up next, a very special drawing by RadRid! :)

100 Posts!!!

Hello everyone!

Today is a great day! Today, my baby, Out of Focus, completes 100 posts!

I began this blog as a small portal where I can share my feelings, thoughts, and musings. I had no idea it would become popular amongst a small population of you guys. It delights me to know that you guys like what I write, what I feel.

A big thank you to you all for making this blog happen! You are all great people!

As a sort of "celebration", some big surprises are coming up! So do wait for it!!

Love to all!