Thank you guys!

I just wanted to thank the few regular readers I, oops, my blog has managed to create. Thank you Chetna, Rikta, Rahul (Londonwala), Deya, and would it be too immodest to assume a few anonymous readers. You see, apart from telling a few close friends, I never advertised my blog too much. You see my blog tends to shy away from expectations just like us mortals. Or does it tend to challenge you to bring out the best in you? Well, my next few blogs should make it evident what effect it tends to portray. But well, for now, I am glad that I have a little fanfare and may this attention bring prosperity to my blog. I will definitely try to write more as long as something touches my heart or mind or probably just for the heck of writing, but cetainly can't make promises. Jignesh tells me I can be a good politician. Aquarians are supposed to make good politicians, so says Linda Goodman in her book of sunsigns. For now, I am far from being a politician as I am on my way to becoming a second-time mommy. Alrite, now I make it official. Yes I am pregnant once again. Infact, this is a good time to make promises coz pregnancy starts giving you sleepless nights even before the arrival of your baby. And I tend to 'mentally' write my blogs as I lay wide awake in my bed in the middle of the night. But modest that I am, , I'll stick with the so-called 'diplomacy.'

 

Though I do have Jignesh as my best critic, would it be too much for my blog to 'expect' a few written comments on this webspace itself? Though I am not denying the pleasure the verbal and 'orkut-scrap' comments give me.

Shiny brighty Vegas!

Well, I am going to spare you of reading another 'marketing' article on Vegas coz there is no doubt that Vegas rocks!!! The little-less-than-3-mile Vegas strip has a lot more to offer than probably a big famous city like SFO. The glitz, glamour and the exhibitionist nature of the city has been well described and shown by media, both print and film. I am going to write on a the few things that were very striking to me on my recent visit that perhaps have not been very often discussed.

 

1. Tipping. They write "Vegas works on tips." What is with this tipping business? It starts from the very minute you take a cab drive to your hotel from the airport. You have to tip the cab driver. Then the luggage handler at the hotel. The shuttle bus driver for which you have paid your share of the ticket price. The pilot of the airplane that took us to Grand Canyon (infact he had a little brochure that clearly mentioned "Gratuities appreciated. $15 to $20 per couple is appropriate)." So now they are going to even tell us what is a good amount and what is not. Infact these tip boxes are so strategically placed right at the door that if you don't put in any bills, the box makes a face at you. Anyways, I have always failed to understand this tipping concept even at the restaurants. I am sorry but reasons like low base salary of the waiters and encouraging them to give you their best smiles and service fail to convince me. Well, I think, if you are in a service industry, it is your duty to smile and serve, and if you can't do that, you aren't performing your job well enough to sustain yourself. I do end up tipping just so that I don't come out looking bad and I do know that when I don't tip, I represent my country. .

 

2. Quickie weddings. Every hotel in Vegas boasts of a more beautiful than the other wedding chapel. With excellent locations, like with a waterfall backdrop, or situated in a nice like cottage just by the flamingo habitat, it invites more and more couples to lose their sanity for a bit and get married. I did see that there were a lot of planned wedding parties. Now how does one plan to get married in Vegas? The girl tells the guy, lets get married in Vegas. The guy is more than happy to have his bachelorette party in one of the Vegas strip clubs, while the girl get to wear her teeniest dresses and 'paint the town red' - literally. The bride roams around in her best outfits with either a veil announcing that she is the bride in the party, or parading a sash that says "I am the bride." Does this get you discounts in hotels or restaurants? I doubt that. But if thats true, I can perfectly understand the need for the parade. And what about the quickie weddings. The couple is on a vacation. They are holding each other's hands as they watch the dancing waters at the Bellagio's, right in front of the lighted Eiffel tower that epitomizes love and romance, or probably just too drunk to propose to each other in this sinful city. The guy tells the girl, "Lets get married." The girl is equally drunk or love-struck and immediately says Yes. Off they scoot away to one of many chapels and in a matter of minutes, they are married. The proposal, marriage and the honeymoon is at its quickest, - less than an hour. How abt this? I am pretty sure that the quicker they unite, the quicker they must be dissolving it.

 

3. I have to say that Vegas is a pool of the world's best talents. Gymnasts, acrobats, dancers, singers, magicians, musicians, you name it and Vegas has it. And not only does it have it, but it has the best of it. The Cirque de Soleil shows leave you with your mouth wide open and you can't help but give a standing ovation to the performers. If I look down from the airplane that is just landing or taking off, Vegas doesn't look too big. Then how does it house this multitude of talent under one roof? This definitely surprises me. And since celebrities always make it a point to show their faces once in a while here, you might get lucky enough to get one of their show tickets.

 

Well, my next blog is going to be on my first opera that I saw here. Thats a whole different piece I have to write about.   

 

He went to Jared!!

This was a must-write and I just kept putting it off. This is about Jignesh, who technically happens to be a complete unromantic 'cheeni kum' person, who tried his hands at learning the language of flowers, cards and gifts.

 

Last month I had my birthday. Let me not even start what a sad and a happy event a birthday can be, considering the fact that you are actually celebrating the always-increasing age. Well, the previous night we had been up watching a movie which happened to be such a drag, but Jignesh kept insisting to finish it. At midnight, we went up to bed. Coincidentally, Anushka was awake too. I am trying to talk her into getting ready for bed, while as I turn my head toward the bedroom door, lo behold!!!! what do i see!!!! Its my husband, let me reiterate, MY husband, grining like a 6-year-old with flowers and cards in his hand. Both of us just bursted out laughing coz we are so not used to these romantically conventional methods. This is the first time in 6 years I get flowers. They were beautiful, i have to say he picked a good bouquet. Though I never really got the flowers coz Anushka immediately proclaimed her ownership of the flowers while I got to keep the cards. I GOT A CARD TOO. Again, I was in fits and rolling while I was reading the card, obviously Jignesh accompanying me in this jolly experience. Next, he brings out a gift bag. and I got jewelery this time. "HE WENT TO JARED" - I have to say this aloud. It was a very pretty delicate necklace with longish but again delicate earrings. I am speechless. Anushka kept saying "wow" "wow" all the time.

 

Everyone likes to be pleasantly surprised at times, and so do I. And this was such a pleasant and an unexpected surprise from him that I am still basking in it's glory. And coming from a person who is so not used to this, is very very sweet. Well, my 'cheeni kum' husband afterall did decide to ignore the consequences of sinful indulgences (by which I mean sugar), albeit for a short time. I don't have a problem with that considering the fact that I have a hard time metabolising it too, hehehe.

 

May our lives be enriched with little pleasures that linger in your mind for a long long time. Amen!