Posted on by Zarine Mohideen

Let’s connect.

In the 21st century a marriage is often between three entities – the husband, wife and the cell phone. The cell phone is at the dinner table, he watches the television and also comes to bed with you. Granted the cell phone is useful to keep in touch with family and friends who live far away but more often than not it is also an uninvited permanent guest in your house.

At home I try to keep away from the cell phone myself. But only a few minutes pass by and my hand searches for the cool, slim feel of my phone. I keep checking it even when it isn’t required. I always need to check my Facebook , not out of necessity but more out of habit. I need to remind myself that nothing much changes in the span of ten minutes. Instagram, although fun, is one of my biggest vices. I feel the need to check my phone the first thing in the morning to see what’s new. I need to see how many people ‘like’ my picture. It doesn’t matter that it’s morning and breakfast needs to be made, no, let’s first see what’s up on Instagram.

Maintaining a healthy distance from my cell phone is something I’m trying to do this year and I’ve also enlisted Jay to accompany me in this difficult journey. I know that going cold turkey will not work. I need to slowly wean myself away from the phone. I’d like to think that Jay is a worse than me when it comes to this. He works on the computer the whole day, comes home and we watch TV for a while with a handful of interruptions thanks to the cell phone. It’s either my whatsapp messages beeping or him checking mails, Facebook, etc.

Why do we need to always be so in tune with what’s new? Didn’t we survive just as well without these constant updates? Technology has made us so dependable that we need real time updates on who commented on our Facebook status and omg the world will end if you didn’t get that and reply in time  Before these ‘apps’ and mobile social networking we would log in to Facebook, and check e-mails maybe  once or twice a day and that was okay.

So this year I’m making a conscious decision to cut down my cell phone time by at least a half. It doesn’t help that there is a WordPress app too. But hey, you should try, right?

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen

Tag! You’re it.

RM tagged everyone doing the blog marathon to do the year end tag. I’ve read the other blogger’s tag so here goes mine.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’ve never done before?

Umm.. I got married.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolution, and will you make more for next?

I didn’t have any resolutions for last year but I did manage to lose some weight that I had been carrying. So I was happy for that. I have made a few resolutions for this year. But gotta wait till the end of the year to see if I keep them. I hope I do though.

3. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

September 2nd, the day I got married and the weekend I went to New York.

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Achievements? I don’t think I had any.

5. What was your biggest failure?

My biggest failure was when I didn’t push more for what I wanted to do after college. I regret for not fighting harder.

6. Did you suffer illness?

Apart from the nasty cold and cough nothing much and Alhamdulillah (thanks to God) for that.

7. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

My behavior, mostly and my parents at times.

8. Where did most of your money go?

Wedding clothes shopping.

9. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

a) Visiting New York and going to  The Met finally.

b) Universal Studios, LA

c) My birthday.  I get excited about this every year.

10) What song will always remind you of 2012?

Gangam Style for sure. I listened to it about a hundred times.

11) Compared to this time last year year are you happier or sadder?

Happier. Much happier.

12) What do you wish you’d done more of?

Spending time with family and friends, reading and writing.

13) What do you wish you’d done less of?

I wish I was less stuck up.

14) Did you fall in love in 2012?

Oh yes.

15) What/Who was your greatest musical discovery?

Umm.. Muse, I think.

16) What did you want and get?

I wanted a change and I’m glad I got it.

17) What did you want and not get?

Always want a Chanel bag. Will get myself one in the future and that’s a promise I make to myself.

18) What was your favorite film of this year?

I really liked Looper.. and Django. Oh and English Vinglish.

19) What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

I wore a new dress and ate pizza. I was 23.

20)What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

This year was a big cake. If I had to have the cherry on top I would say.. ah I cant’ think of anything! This year was the cherry on top! (Thank God a million times.)

21) What kept you sane?

Having the hope that things will get better.

22) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012?

Everything happens for a reason.

23) Which new places did you visit in 2012?

So many! New York, Boston, LA and San Francisco. Had an amazing time in every place.

24) Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Tonight, we are young.

So let’s set the world on fire.

We can burn brighter

Than the sun.

25) Tag some bloggers whose answers you would love to read.

I tag YOU.

And Dodeja.

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen

Happy Cupcake!

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Salted Caramel Cupcake, Fairycakes, Willow Glenn

This is probably the best cupcake I’ve ever had in my lifetime. The frosting is like no other and the fleur de sel is to die for. It’s worth the money and the calories.

This is love.

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 2 Comments

Waiter, one coffee please.

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Meals, Saravana Bhavan, Fremont.

We finally went to Saravana Bhavan a few weekends back. The food did taste a little different than the one in Madras but I was satisfied. It felt like a little piece of home that I could visit any time I wanted. Granted there were no familiar waiters, the smell of coffee in the air and the general chit chat that only Madras offered. But dipping my fingers in their famous sambar after three and a half months of a dearth, this was more than I could ask for.

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 4 Comments

Hold My Hand

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It was our four month anniversary yesterday. I remembered this only today afternoon. I can’t believe its only been four months since we got hitched. For some reason it seems like it’s been a lifetime. I have settled in very comfortably, I must say. Playing the role of ‘wife’ was a little hard on me at first but I managed to gently nudge myself in. Some days it is hard. I do feel like throwing my hands in the air and giving up. But on most days it is a pretty good life, one that I am so thankful for. Sometimes I even think if this is what I wanted, if this is what I deserved. But all these questions disappear when I see the answer walk in through that door at six in the evening. And that makes me happy. Happier than I’ve ever been in a long, long time
Posted on by Zarine Mohideen

2013

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I had a pretty awesome new years eve this year. It took us an hour to drive  San Francisco and we stood in the cold for another hour. I stood with a huge group of people and watched the fireworks light up the sky. I’ve never seen live fireworks before so this was amazing. I enjoyed shouting, “wooo-ing” and clapping. The crowd intimidated me a bit, initially. But later I felt totally at home. It was the best new year’s eve I’ve ever had.

I can’t wait to do it again every new year. Here’s to a fabulous year, new opportunities and excitement every step of the way.

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 2 Comments

Black.

I can feel the monster coming. I can feel him nudge his way back in to my life. I see his darkness on the horizon and I know he is coming to get me again. I feel him eating up my soul, I feel him shrouding my thoughts with darkness. He covers my heart with blackness and makes me doubt my very existence. His grey tendrils form a noose around my neck and slowly attempt to drag me back in to the pit where doubt reigns sovereign.
But this time I try not to be led in. I try to fight away. I fight back from the darkness. My sun makes way for the light. I intend to make the gloom disappear. I want to turn the black to white. My white should be blinding, my white should be bright, my white should be my strength, my life. I strive to make the smoke disappear. And with one breath, with one acceptance and one affirmation of who I am he disappears in a puff of smoke.