Zig a zig ah

SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT (scroll down for the rest of the post)

There are many things I love about being friends with someone for almost my entire life. I like that we know all of each others back stories, I like that we have a sort of conversational shorthand, I like most of all that we are fully supportive of each other's choices. It's also awesome when your bestie has devoted her occupation to something that is close to your heart. MY best friend Nayantara (formerly Leela on this blog, now outed) is a shoe designer. A very talented shoe designer. She recently debuted with Ritu Kumar at the Fashion Week in Delhi and will be launching Taramay, her own line, sometime in April. (The perfect red shoes above are her creation and a pair that I deeply covet.) I love talking about work with her, because it involves me trying on shoes. Like, wow.

Anyway, she asked if I'd put the word out, and I was happy to do it, not JUST because I love her, but also because I really, really love her shoes. They're stylish, comfortable and fit my giant feet, making them look feminine and delicate. Anyhoo, just thought I'd put a shout-out here, she will be in a few stores with her spring/summer line (one of which is the one shown here) come April, and you must go look. And buy lots. And then maybe I'll be able to convince her to make a new line called "The eM." I'll put more details on where she will be retailing once I know. Just call me the Shoe Ambassador.

* I decided to get more freelance work, you know, a girl's gotta eat and all that and seriously my bank balance is so abyssmal right now, I feel shy even going out knowing that I can't afford anything. A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G. But then I was an enterprising little Girl Guide and made some calls, did some begging of the universe and work came my way. Only its editing work, which should be easy peasy, but it's LOTS of it and in spreadsheets and I've been staring at it for so long, my eyes are now ready to come out of their sockets. Still, not that I'm complaining. I'm happy to get work. I'm pottering around the house doing my Tevye impression.



* A computer was decided on and purchased and I want to thank all of you for being such a huge help. I went with the majority vote and got myself a Dell, and I picked what kind of Dell with the advice of the forever helpful Mr Crowley. I'm getting the Inspiron 1525, jacked up a little, so 4 GB RAM and 320 hard drive so it'll be as fast as it can be. Now I just wait for it to be delivered. The waiting is the hardest part!



* I had the most random night yesterday. I was invited to this fashion show at the Four Seasons and you know, since I'm so broke, I decided to go for the free drinks. STRIKE ONE: There was only beer! Duuuuuudes. STRIKE TWO: After getting crankier and crankier drinking my (alcohol free) orange juice/Coke the show started two and a half hours late. STRIKE THREE: Dear god, it was the WORST thing I had ever seen. Where do I begin? The model who dd a great white stork impersonation as she lifted each leg up at the hip and placed it down five yards later? The MC who was--seriously--someone I would have happily shot, and then shot again about five times just to make sure she was dead.



(Conversation between MC and random Australian designer:

MC: *giggle, giggle* Sooooo tall me, are you going to have any of your clothes, like, inspired by India?



Random Australian Designer (RAD): Uh, I dunno, it's, um, top secret now (okay, so he didn't say that but he IMPLIED it, so there)



MC: Ooh, but like the Taj Mahal and like beggars and things?



I'm not kidding. There was a collective gasp (or okay, it might've just been me) and a friend of mine across the ramp who I spotted had her jaw down to her collarbone as well. The Taj Mahal and beggars. Quite the same thing, apparently.)

Besides this asinine conversation, she bugged me because a) she had one of those really annoying accents: America meets Ludhiana or something and b) because I kept sitting there, no money to my name except for taxi fare going, "Duuuuuude. Why does she get to be an MC and I don't?" I'd totally do it. And according to the random guy who gave me a missed call and then denied it when I called him back and THEN sent me a shady message later going: "Hi, dun know u but u have gud voice quality." (Yeah, the world is full of creeps. I take satisfaction in knowing that he would have sent that message even if I was a 50 year old mother of three) I have a good voice quality said Random Creepy Guy. See? I even come with recommendations!

* Although I'm all about The Secret type visualisations lately. I spend my mornings pottering about and asking for various things. I WILL get work! I WILL get an invitation to a fun party! JC WILL come back within the next month! And, it's magic the way it's working. You guys should try it, it's all about positive thinking. I actually have been getting more work since I started and JC is coming home soon. (touches wood quickly)

* Also went to the GQ bar night at Olive yesterday. That's the Olive at the racecourse, which meant the posh surroundings and people smelling of Isseymiyaki and Chanel and whatnot were sort of shadowed by the unmistakable pong of horse dung. I personally like the smell of horses, so I wasn't too bothered, but it can't be too appetising when you're trying to eat. Note to self: only eat at the Bandra Olive. I rubbed shoulders with many of these posh (and very tall! who ARE all these tall people?) folks in my 100 rupee Sarojini Nagar dress, which had a minor accident early in the evening and lost a strap. I had to tie the remainder of the strap to my bra (luckily the same colour) and wear my hair down the whole evening--and it was really hot. Still, I felt a distinct pleasure at being able to do that and get away with it and no one being the wiser. Plus it was open bar till about 11.30 so I was a happy camper, finally freed of my alcohol free beverages. (Oh I can just see my "Stop drinking now" adsense showing up at the side of this post!)

* Today, for the first time ever, in between peering at Excel sheets, I washed my car. My car cleaning boy was a twit, no really, didn't show up the entire time I was away, showed up and asked for the day off and some cash, showed up one week later and said he had to go for his sister's wedding and then never came back. So my car, as a result was really dirty and after days of cringing each time I passed it, I decided to clean it myself. And I'm really glad I did. I get the whole "cleaning is therapeutic" thing, my more house-proud friends have been trying to tell me for a while. It was nice just making something dirty a little less dirty. (Okay, I'm not Superwoman, it's not one hundred per cent clean yet, give me some time)

* And one last thing I promised myself I'd blog about. Best pick up line EVER, as told by Chrisann: She's in a mall, at the bookshop, boys have been following her. One approaches, says, "Excuse me, my name is ____, you must be, wait, don't tell me, stunning." Tee hee. It made me giggle for ages after she told me.