Vacation diaries....

I am not even sure if 'Euphoria' would be the best word to describe this feeling...I am feeling so liberated!

Getting up in the morning with no thoughts or plans of what I will be doing for the rest of the day. Seems like ages since I last experienced this feeling. A vacation is just the thing that I needed to have a wider perspective on an otherwise fast paced life.

This break has put me in a parallel universe. The best moments of my day are sitting in the picture window of Tim Horton’s on a busy interchange watching people walking by. It’s even more interesting when I start to build stories around these people I don’t even know. The length of the strides, the speed at which they walk, the way they are dressed....gosh, I never actually realized that just picking up some physical ques on people could be so 'giving away'.

My typical day starts with my lovely bhabhi’s note on the dining table which begins with her 'Good morning' and a list of stuff in the kitchen for me to have as breakfast and lunch.
Once I have made the bed and taken my shower, etc... Its time to attend to the phone calls. First bhabhi (sis in law) and then bhaiya (bro) asking me what I plan to do and when I am clueless (trust me...its an amazing feeling to not know what to do) they give me suggestions and directions.

Then its my cousin sis - Neha calling to check my plans for the day...if she’s free we catch up if not I jus go mall walking by myself.

Now mall-walking might sound silly but it’s something that is addictive. Being an impulsive shopoholic by nature it is quite a refreshing change to be browsing in stores and looking for bargains...And why haven’t I don’t this before? Simply coz I never thought I could appreciate shopping at leisure by myself as much as I actually am! Anways, this I what I do most of the morning and noon. And to make things better the 'subway' and 'street car' in Toronto is extremely user-friendly.

Mid-noon is when my other cousin sis - Megha calls on check on how I am doing. This is the reminder I need to check the time. Interestingly I have stopped wearing a watch or frequently checking my mobile for the time - which is again a new experience which I am loving to bits... :)

Anyways, once I have checked the time, I walk down to the subway and catch a train back home. I then go home, have a nice TV lunch and laze around for a bit.
At 3.30pm I walk down to pick up my adorable darling nephew. Although there is a street car that takes me straight to his day school I choose to walk coz a) the weather is beautiful b) you rarely get such opportunities in Dubai c) its healthier d) it helps me enjoy the surroundings...

Picking Viren up at 4pm is such a treat. The kid is so full of energy 24/7. We head towards the bus-stop from where we catch a bus towards home and although it’s just a 2 min walk he has already told me of what he has eaten and done the whole day. This is then followed by the details of what each of his friends (yes he already has a group of his own and he is only 4) have been up to during the day. Once we get home its snack time and aunt-nephew party time till 5.30. That’s when my bro and bhabs get home.

Gosh, I never thought being on a vacation doing NOTHING would be so gratifying!
Oh! And another achievement - my cousin has finally managed to get me to appreciate martinis. Although she feels I still have them too mild (alcohol is equivalent to that in a breezer) I feel it’s quite an achievement :)

Spending time with the family, shopping and traveling are the high points of this vacation. Add to this the fact that I can’t access office mails...Yippy!!!

Now the problem is.....i am already getting nostalgic about going back to Dubai....

I’m sure this is not very commonly heard of - I don’t want to go home!!

The noise in my head...

It has been 3 months since I turned 25 and my parents already think this to be the end. And why? Just because I’m still single

How do I explain to them that I’m not against getting married…its just that I cant bring myself to getting married to just about anyone?!

I have given this a genuine attempt. And every time it doesn’t go well, my parents remind me again that ‘you have to compromise’

Yes…I know I have to. But how much? That’s the question that I still haven’t found an answer to.

I have considered guys who have been not so good looking and so unimpressive yet only coz they score well on the rest of the check-list. I have even met guys who have been slacking in terms of educational background. Then there have been some that have literally made me think is this a plot to establish silence in my life since I wouldn’t have much to talk to this guy if I married him.

And when you finally come across a guy who you think is smart, intelligent and educated with the rest in place…you realize he’s not the right height! Ouch!

It’s easy for the family to sit outside the maze and urge you on saying your not trying enough. But what when the maze starts to swallow you? The longer you take to get out the faster its closes on you…

I have gone through days in the past when I asked myself ‘Why me?’ That was when I was so self-obsessed with the concern for myself that I didn’t notice others around me.

But now when I have opened my eyes, I see every other friend of mine is going through the same phase.

So is it still a case of being ‘too demanding’ and ‘uncompromising’ or just that there really aren’t any great guys out there….