How wonderful life is, now you're in this world.

"You’re not going to see name plates decorated with gorgeous calligraphy on any of the dinner tables that I’m in charge of. And I’m not sure everyone had matching silverware. That’s not my area of expertise. What I CAN do is provide a place and an atmosphere where people, both friends and strangers, can gather and forget about all that other stuff for a few hours."

From this post on Dooce.

After a long time of being unhappy in my old flat, I had the chance to move into a home I'd been eyeing since my friends had it back in 2011. Because it's such a gorgeous place, my friends were loath to give it up, but I made sure that I was first in line if they ever did.

The nice thing about moving into a home that you used to love as a friend's home is that it's still filled with their good vibes. I can sort of sense the love that was in the flat, it welcomes me home when I turn the key, I can see their echoes in the bedroom, pottering across the kitchen, sitting in the large airy living room, it's been inhabited by people I care about, and so the house has sort of taken on their aura. There may not be such things as ghosts, but surely people leave behind a little of themselves in every place they are in a for a while?

From the balcony, looking in

The problem with moving into a NICE house, a comfortable house, is that you feel at home almost instantly, which means there was very little reason for me to unpack my boxes for oh, like TWO WEEKS.

I've become something of a serial mover, and all within the same neighbourhood. I can't even sing the praises of Nizamuddin West over other South Delhi neighbourhoods, but for some reason, this is essentially home. There are many crappy things about Nizamuddin West, not as posh as East across the road, parking, with the basti becoming prosperous and having no place to park, the little residential colony is overflowing, which leads to bad tempers, and shady elements. I almost got followed home at 8 pm the other night when I walked to my local market. And someone tried to accost me and make conversation with me in the middle of the day a few feet from my home. There are too many young men in Nizamuddin with nothing to do.

So, that's the bad part. The good part is that there's lots of random beauty. We have a tree, a massive neem, which reaches into the balcony and is full of birds and squirrels. It's attached to a Shiv temple downstairs which also has a cowshed. Yes, a real cowshed.

Cows next door

Another feature is how close everything I like is. The Good Thing thinks a good neighbourhood is one with a market IN the 'hood, but I disagree. I like markets to be at least 10 minutes away, easy to get to, but not so close that all the traffic is clogged up and there are people everywhere. I know, I used to live in Bandra and one of the lovely things about Bandra is that you basically had cupcake shops and cigarette guys living next door, but in Delhi, I'm beginning to enjoy a certain remove. The Good Thing is beginning to have a strong dislike of Khan Market so I've introduced him to other places next door--the superior Cafe Turtle in Niz East, Pig Po and Steak House in Jor Bagh, Bhogal Market for day to day. I still like Khan Market however, and so I'm glad I'm only ten minutes away.

Morning sunlight

It is the Good Thing's birthday today, and to celebrate, we had a little housewarming-meets-birthday party last night. This house has such a good vibe--I'm not joking--it truly does, that it felt like the kind of house you want to have your friends round a lot. They've been coming over the week and last night we called a lot in a collective bunch. It was a Thursday, and yet, the last people left at 3 am. We had forgotten to buy paper plates and plastic cups and yet all my china and wine glasses are intact (the only casualty was a beer bottle). All the smokers automatically stepped out on to the balcony, where I've placed a little round table and two cane chairs. This morning, the only mess was the empty glasses and plates and once those were cleaned up, I'm back to sitting in my living room as if nothing ever happened last night--except for a wine headache, but hey, you can't win them all, the house is nice but not MAGIC.

I looked around me at people being happy and drinking and eating and celebrating a random Thursday, and I was filled with a sense of well being. My parties may not be the best organised parties (everything is pretty much last minute, but it seemed to be working, the aura of the house and the people combined.

My last house made me unhappy coming home. The stairs were depressing, it was too small--actually, it wasn't that small, but it felt like it was closing in on me. I had a few parties there, but I never looked around with a sense of well being. After a while, I didn't even feel like entertaining, and I entertain a LOT.

I'm so happy also that the Good Thing was there from the beginning of this moving process. It sort of felt like co-ownership, "our" house, even though we have two different leases in two different cities. It's been a good year for us, and now we're settling in.

Cropped to protect identity

I got him this cake specially made from Ipshita's Cakes Mamma Bakes.

A friend had brought over one of her cakes for my thirtieth, and it had been really good, and I had something special in mind for my Good Thing. His all time favourite children's book is Where The Wild Things Are, and I liked the idea of him as Max sailing across the world to meet the wild things. I thought it was a good birthday wish: "many wild rumpuses!" and something to keep in mind for 32, when you're meant to be buckling down and steering straight and all that.

{The inside is red velvet. It's all finished, and that makes me sad. But, excellent cake, and she does a super job with decorating it and what not, so you should give her a shout the next time you have a special occasion. Or just want cake.}
 

My Good Thing. My new home. I'm almost afraid to breathe in case this will end as soon as I exhale.

You guys, I'm happy.

Notes on Hauz Khas Village & Fete de la Musique That Happened Last Night

Went to the Fete de la Musique in Hauz Khas Village yesterday. Traffic jam from the beginning of the road, all the way up to the parking lot. As we ditched our car in the earliest open spot and walked in the sweat dodging cars and hipsters, it gave me some time to ruminate on this--what once had scope to be Delhi's most urbane spot, a place where khaadi wearers and handbag swingers alike could mingle, a place where chi-chi bars opened up into street side stalls, where you could get your last drink at 2.30 in the morning after having just spent an evening listening to live music on a rooftop. Honestly, how did we manage to fuck that up, eh?

eM's list of awesome drugs & home remedies

I get sick a lot. Not sick-sick, but random infections tend to stay in my body for longer than they normally should.  It's not terrible, I'm not dying, but it is annoying.

This might be related (might) but I also hate going to the doctor. Nothing against doctors, most I have sick people. While my germs are elite germs, germs that stick to themselves, thankyouverymuch, it seems like every time someone coughs, their germs go scurrying across the room to me, anxious to make friends. Fuck off, germs. I don't need any more friends.

Tough love bag

met are cool and non-lecture-y, but I hate the smell, the waiting, the

So, as a result, I've built a list of things that help me with my most recurrent ailments. I'd love for this to be a directory of failsafe drugs/home remedies, so if you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments and I'll build them into this post.

Colds (just runny noses, not fever)

D Cold Total (banned in some countries, take it sparingly, but it is like MAGIC.)

Colds (allergies)

Allegra 130 mg.

Cough

(Chesty): Honitus. This is a bit mild for some people, so just go ask for an anti-allergy cough syrup at your chemist. Usually illustrated with pictures of lungs. KNOCKS. YOU. OUT, so maybe not right before you have to drive.


(Tickly): Lozenges. I like the Vicks lozenges still, but two of my friends swear by Sualin. (It tastes disgusting but does the trick.)

Home remedy: Milk + haldi. GROSS, but instant relief.

Throat Infection - Vikoryl works best! Alternately you can have 1 tsp of turmeric + salt with some hot water, really helps infection! (via Veena)

Sore Throat: 1st step: Gargle with listerine for about 5 times. The alcohol content in listerirne works amazing on sore throat. 2nd Step: Follow up with warm salt water. Do this about 4 times a day. (via letterstopapa)

 Flu (fever, cough, cold, the works)

Johar Joshanda (get in packets at most well stocked chemists.) It's a bunch of herbs you have to boil and drink. Makes you feel better for a couple of hours at a time, so get lots.

Crocin (obviously)

You could also have a hot rum toddy, which isn't very effective, but at least you get nice and toasted and can sleep easier.

Headache

Water. No kidding. Drink lots.
Force yourself to sneeze. More often than not, after 5-6 sneezes it lessens considerably! (via Veena)
Migraine: Paracetamol+ Tiger Balm+ Sleep= You're as good as new (via Maryann)




UTI

I get this a LOT. Apparently it's quite common for this to be a recurrent thing, especially if you're dehydrated.

Bangshil: Ayurvedic, pop two at a time, and work in about 30-45 minutes.

Cranberry juice: By glass three, you're back to normal.

You can also use an Android/IPhone app that lets you remind to water your body every now and then. I've used it when I was having UTI's during summer. Just google "Water your body" app. (via Yashpal Jadeja)

Upset stomach

Coca Cola (or something fizzy)


A friend recommends ajwain boiled in water and Pudin Hara as her two failsafes, but I've never tried either.

Acidity(the really awful burning up your chest kind): One pouch of Eno in water (not cold though, room temperature works best) (via Maryann)

Acidity/ weird stomach - A few pinches of ajwain and black salt, gulped down with just enough water. Super quick relief (via Nidhi Agarwal)

Nausea (especially when you're going up in the hills): Emeset+ sleep (because the pills make you groggy). (via Maryann)

Write.

I took a poll on my Facebook page. You can view it here, and maybe even vote if you want to. Which may explain why no one commented on my Thailand travel blog (part two!) because you guys just don't want to read stuff that isn't stuff that is happening inside my head. Fair enough. (I might also suggest you follow me on Twitter because that is a LOT of head stuff.)

But I'm trying to spread out this blog a little bit. I'd like to be less personal, less day-to-day and more a repository of good writing. And I don't just mean my writing--although, I would like to do more stuff, I mean you could write too. I'm going to be taking guest contributors, and you can view more details on the Submit page.

This doesn't mean what I say is going to change. It just means that more stuff might be able to happen. It's still a personal blog--but maybe a personal blog with a few different points of view. That's nice, isn't it? I think so.

Write like a red dress.

Thailand Diary Part Two: Oh, the shops! Also, we eat bugs

(Part one here)

Drawn by chanting, we leave the backpackers behind and go into a temple. It’s Buddha’s birthday after all, and we’re feeling a bit like we should note the occasion. Inside the temple, I pull my scarf around bare shoulders, signs warn us against PDA, we weren’t going to, but now the thought is in our minds. We buy incense and flowers—“In Hong Kong,” says the small Indian voice inside my head, “The incense was free.” But surely no one would rip you off on Buddha Day? – and then we walk down the rows to place the offerings in front of the sleepy eyed gold statue and I pray a little bit for a good year, love and prosperity, and I hope it works, oh Buddha, I know it’s a bit wrong asking for prosperity in front of a man who shunned it, but I’m doing the thing where you put it out in front of the universe and the universe delivers. And love. No one can deny love is.. lovely.  Not even the gods.

 When the evening falls, we walk through the rain towards chanting elsewhere,  but get diverted by a street side market, large and maze like. It’s not in the guide book, it’s so local, that no one goes there except the Thais, and we feel like we’ve stumbled across something underground and cool. In the maze are mobile phones—fake—and contact lenses to make your eyes look bigger, and t-shirts, I buy two, one with Nutella on it and the other a little one with cats. I’m turning into a cat lady, and Thailand enables me.