Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 4 Comments

When I was in college I watched a lot of movies. It didn’t matter how B-grade they were, if it was on torrentz I would watch it. One of the movies I saw during this time was The Invention of Lying. The movie was an epic fail but today while I was thinking in the shower (the other place I do my thinking is on the bed) I recollected this movie. The movie was bad but imagine if none of us told lies. We would just tell people what we thought about them and lying isn’t even an option. Would relationships survive in a situation like this? No matter how much we love some one, how much of the truth can we handle?

Most of us may say small white lies, not for defending ourselves but in the belief that we’re protecting the other person from the harsh truth.  Its not easy being entirely truthful either. To be entirely truthful the person you’re answering to must be able to take in whatever you reveal to them or you must live a perfect life with no space for error. But we’re human and our life is a train wreck.

Maybe honesty is over rated. Maybe white lies are needed to keep the world running. Women need to be told their rear doesn’t look fat in that dress and we have to say “It was nice meeting you” when in truth it was awful. I guess that is just how the world functions and if it weren’t for this, the world as we know it would end.

Or maybe we should lead such perfect lives that the need for telling  a white lie or telling a truth that doesn’t hurt someone is unnecessary.

So what is better? Telling the small white lies in the belief that we’re protecting others, being truthful or leading the perfect life?

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen

Happy Friday!

“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.”

– Gustave Flaubert

Happy Book Lover’s Day, bibliophiles!

Note : If you need something to make your heart flip read Madame Bovary. No one can write about love and women the way he does.

Not to self : Re-read Madame Bovary.

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 15 Comments

Crocaholics Anonymous.

I have big feet. At least by Indian standards I do, and it’s always been hard for me to find my size in shoes I liked. Comfortable shoes were even harder to find, thanks to my gorgeous flat feet. I would tear apart every shoe store in Madras from top to bottom in search of the perfect shoes in the perfect size. Shoe salesmen would give me dirty looks. One guy even told me my size wasn’t the “normal” size. The nerve of him! Safe to say, I stomped out of the store.

During college I went through a lot of shoes – sandals, ballet shoes, cheap sandals from Fountain Plaza, pretty ones from Lifestyle, polka dotted ballet shoes from Shoppers Stop, tough boy sandals from Nike, you name it. But none of them lasted long enough. I would see the wear and tear in a few months, and the fourth toe of my left foot would inevitable scrape against the base of the shoe.So the left pair of all my shoes would have a distinct mark. I know, I’m special.

Wedding shoes shopping was another tiring journey but at then end of it I managed to find a gorgeous pair that hurt as good as they looked.

Over the weekend while doing some much needed, therapeutic shopping I saw a Crocs store beckoning me in all its neon glory. I told Jay I’ve never tried on Crocs and I thought that the comfort factor of those shoes was just a myth. I had to find out for myself if it was true. So we entered the store, and I was in shoe heaven. I know all you “fashionistas” out there are like, “Omg, Crocs are soooo fugly”. But honey, you haven’t lived until you’ve lived in my shoes.

Crocs are generally expensive but I got my hands on the most beautiful pair for half the price! Yay for sales and retail and stuff! I think my new shoes perfectly encapsulate the weather right now. They are summery, yellow and so cheerful! I think I’m going to live in Crocs for the rest of my life ’cause these shoes are so comfy! It’s like walking on a baby’s bottom (sorry, baby)! They are made out of some rubbery material so no awful, skin peeling shoe bites and I must say, they look really, really good. So Crocs taught me one lesson : never brush of anything based on what others say, find it out for yourself.

Let’s all raise our glasses to Life, and the lessons she teaches us in the most unpredictable ways.

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Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 1 Comment

Hello Interwebz,

Can you search in the vast expanse of your universe and let me know if there is an endless tunnel behind the washer where socks go to disappear?

Thank you,

Z

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 1 Comment

I’ve had enough sunshine.

The past few months I’ve been whining about the cold. But now, summer is here and it’s beautiful. Hot and suffocating at times, but still beautiful. I’ve been living in the Bay Area for nine months now and I think I can write a book about the weather. There are days when it feels like I’m living in an oven and the nights are so hot that I wake up with my shirt stuck to my back.

Like right now I’m sitting with all the windows open and it feels like time has reached a standstill. The leaves aren’t moving, the air is hot and the tap water is lukewarm. Only the birds are chirping outside. How are the singing when it’s so hot? All I want to do is put the air conditioner on high and float away in to a sublime siesta. I would do that if it didn’t make a sound that would bring the house down. Damn, all I ever do is complain about the weather! I annoy myself sometimes.

I used to think the weather had a big effect on my moods but my present status brings that theory to a screeching halt. We have learned that sunshine outside does not equate to a sunshiney Zarine.

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 10 Comments

Just.. okayy.

There are days when you feel blue and down. All you want to do is bury yourself in a pile of chocolate and just lay there motionless. With  a bunch of cheese puffs thrown in for good measure.

Today is just one of those days.

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 6 Comments

Cake.

He was a tall, lanky man with a hint of a paunch. She was mousy haired and laughed at his jokes. They seemed ordinary at first glance but you could tell there was a story there. They had just finished visiting the Tech Museum. On a Monday evening. They entered the bakery with anticipation. Her eyes glowed at the sight of the decadent pastries arranged in a manner that would make the most diet conscious person lust after them.

“Do you want a pastry”, she asked.

“Only if you want one.”

She giggled.

I am such a lucky girl, she thought to herself. He looked at her crinkled nose and loved the way it turned up when she laughed. How did I manage to get a girl like this, he wondered. Fifteen years, and I still love her the way I did when we first met.

They each selected a pastry. She chose a pink strawberry flavored one. He ordered his favorite – vanilla sponge and they ate on the patio, basking in the warmth of the glorious summer sun.

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 5 Comments

Dear Madras,

I hope you remember me. I miss you. It’s going to be six months since we’ve been separated and not a day goes by where I don’t think of you. Every time I walk out it’s silent and beautiful but I can’t help comparing my surroundings to you. I miss the crows cawing. I miss the sound of autos and the blazing heat on my forehead.

Please know it was never my intention to leave you. You know how fiercely I love. And loving you was inevitable. I breathed your air for twenty two years. We might have had a love/hate relationship but love always triumphs. I can’t seem to recollect a time when you’ve wronged me.

You remember the first proper article I ever wrote in college was about you. You play such a big role in my life even though we are miles apart. Remember all those long summer days when I cursed you for being so hot? Well, I could use some warmth right now. Living in a new country with no friends during the dreary winter is the perfect formula for depression to resurface. I’m using all my energy to keep from falling in to the dark pit.

If anyone knows my love for my clothes, it’s you. But here I have to wear a giant coat under my nice clothes and all that black is making me color blind. I miss leaving the house with just a layer of clothing and flip flops.

I miss your sunshine. I miss how happy you made me feel. I miss how I spent the best times of my life with you. You made me feel so carefree. You put me down, you picked me up and gave me the pat on the back that I so needed. You’ve seen my absolute worst and were a part of my best days.

I miss the beach so much it hurts. I want to roll on the sand and jump in the water. Remember that day in Fisherman’s Cove when the water just perfect? That was one of the happiest days of my life. I can’t count the number of times we used to bunk college with my friends and end up going to the beach. The beach played such a big part in my life. I used to drive there with my friends as and when we pleased and we would just have the best time. I haven’t gone to a beach yet here. I can’t wait to see if it matches up to yours. Even if it does, yours is always my number one favorite.

I can’t wait to come back to you again. But I am scared that when I do come around in a few years you would have changed and you wouldn’t be the same Madras that I left back. I want to say, “Please, baby, don’t change.”. But that is selfish of me. But I can say, please don’t become unrecognizable. I don’t want to land there one day and not recognize anything. That is my biggest fear. Please know that no matter where I go in life I will always love you with all my heart. Reminiscing about you will always bring tears to my eyes.

I don’t care if India Today finally decided to rate you as the number one city in India. You will always and forever be my number one city. New York was an amazing weekend. San Francisco always surprises me. You always make me happy. And that is all I ever want from life.

I love you and miss you.

Your girl,

Z

Posted on by Zarine Mohideen · 4 Comments

Fantastic Five

Today is the five year birthday of my blog. I started off on the 16th of February  2008, writing my first post about Valentine’s Day and how I was against it. This year on Valentines Day I ate chocolates from a heart shaped box, dressed up and went out to dinner. In five years I didn’t accomplish too much on my blog or write fascinating posts. The only accomplishments and stories I had were personal. Over the past five years I’ve grown to be a much wiser person. The lessons I’ve learnt were imprinted in my soul. This blog has been my one portal that has seen me through everything. When I had nobody to talk to, I would write out seemingly ambiguous posts and would feel like I have a shoulder to lean on. I may not have been very faithful but I always did manage to find my way back. That’s a relationship that stands the test of time.So to commemorate this relationship I celebrated by eating cupcakes – salted caramel and pineapple upside down.

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Here’s to another year filled with cupcakes and happiness.

Happy birthday, you. You know I love you.