Phew!

What a week it has been! It was hectic (to put it mildly), and interesting. I’d gone back home to attend a friend’s wedding. The whole trip lasted for about 36 hours, and I saw more of the train than my parents/friends/home! It was good fun though. And also parallely, there was quite a controversial love marriage in the family, the same day. Then I heard of another relative getting divorced (after maybe 10 years, or more, of marriage); and also about another relative, a girl who had married a Punjabi munda, who recently gave birth to a child and is living happily. As it is, I happen to be in or hear discussions on ‘getting married’ so often, what with a trio of us (my sis, cousin sis, and me – all of the same age) at the threshold of what is supposed to be the ‘marriageable age’ (or did we cross it already?)… This spate of family affairs lead to a whole lot more of discussions! All of it eventually ended in the same conclusion (as always) – “Vidhichathu nadakkum” (What is destined will happen). Relationships are becoming more difficult to manage me thinks...

There was the usual bit of photography sessions at our friend’s wedding. And when I checked out a few photos after they were clicked, I had this nagging feeling – “Did I…?”... I dismissed that thought. But my apprehensions were confirmed when I transferred the snaps to my PC, and my mom gave words to my thoughts – “You look so fat in these pics, especially your face.” !!!! I appeared to have gained so much weight, that a friend of mine actually called me because he saw these pics (when I uploaded them on Facebook) and was quite shocked! A couple of other friends too said the same. Not good…not good at all. For a change, my sister had a great time laughing at this role reversal! Hmmmpppphhh… :-S :-|

I hadn’t really ever tried controlling my food, as in a ‘diet’, or anything to manage my weight issues. That was until Hyderabad. There, I was somehow “inspired” after a diet consultation (during my Infy training) and decided to give it a go. For the one and half months or so that I tried it (combined with a lil’ bit of aerobics) I did shed a few kgs. My relatives back home did notice and acknowledge that I was looking ‘a little thinner’. And now this…! I guess I threw caution into the air and went back to being my older self. Sigh.

Anyway, yesterday we went to the Suratkal Beach and Lighthouse with my cousin sis' (who’s studying at NITK). It was such a relief and a good change. I don’t remember the last time I had been to a beach... maybe three years back. We first climbed our way to the Lighthouse, then went to a Siva temple nearby and then walked along the shore… It’s so nice to spend time at a beach – walking along with sand on your feet, feeling the wind and the waves, standing near the shore close to the waves so that you feel the sand slipping away from beneath your feet, looking about at others who’re also enjoying themselves, seeing small crabs run about in their typical fashion, seeing all sorts of things that get washed ashore - mostly empty ‘bottles’, plastic bottles, sandals/shoes (one of a pair), etc., people trying to fish, kids making sand castles (or rather heaps of sand!), writing your name on the sand, leaving footprints behind, collecting all kinds of beautiful shells, looking at the sun setting in the horizon, ships sailing… Ahhh… good times. Now I’m really jealous of my cousin sister – she can go so often to the beach! I was so excited I took about 110 snaps on my cellphone! I wish I could’ve uploaded them here, in this blog (of course not ALL of it!). But my situation doesn’t permit me to.

So I will when I go home this weekend (Orkut and FB, here I come!). Till then… keep waiting. ;-)