Gulabi, Bemba and a head : Book Review (The Spy Who Lost Her Head by Jane De Suza)

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book, review, the spy who lost her head

When a friend has written a book and you pick it up, it’s always a tough situation. What if you don’t like the book? What if it doesn’t match up to the expectations you have from your friend. Will your friend’s funny bone reflect in the book or will it fall flat on your face. These were some of the thoughts with which I started reading “The Spy Who Lost Her Head by Jane De Suza”. Jane is a fellow blogger (blog link) and has become a friend too. Her blog Jane Kidding is a hilarious read I kid you not and that is what reflects in the book too.

The book is about Gulabi, a village belle who comes to town to search for her man, her BEMBA (read the book to know what it means, I am not gonna tell you) and turns into a James Bond style super spy. The city takes Gulabi with surprise and the effect of Gulabi and her Queen English is similar on the city and its people. In the process of finding her Bemba, Gulabi, who somewhere becomes Pink Rose in the book, lands with an additional head which she inturns loses and creates a mystery.

The book is a roller coaster ride of humor, I kid you not when I say that there is no moment in the book when you will not be laughing out aloud. The characters are very well defined and clearly seem to have a mind of their own. Whether its Gulabi herself or the landlord which she keeps forcing to believe is her Bemba, Tanya the other roommate and a journalist who tries hard to turn the village belle in a city girl.

The only little small crib I had from the book was that the climax somehow seemed a little rushed to me. Else it kept me laughing and engrossed through and through.

In the end like I said on Gulabi’s FB page “me spending two nights with you. Laafffing too much and then crying with laffter. My head is hurting with laffter but I am still spending night with you. Gulabi you are too good. My Bemba might get angry with me but I am still spending night with you laffing ”

Go pick up the book now and I promise you won’t regret.

Rating 4/5

Book The Spy Who Lost Her Head by

Authors  Jane De Suza

Price Rs 250/-

Flipkart Link – BUY HERE

 

LRP – 8 (To my dear Jurnos)

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letter to random people, LRP

Dear Journo,

We understand you work in tight deadlines, but when you want a interview consider giving a notice more than 10 mins?

We really don’t want to be telling you something we shouldn’t

Yours Truly
Someone who works too

G is for Guns

Tags

AtoZChallenge, guns, kids, parenting, toys

Guns is what we are talking about today, when most of buddies seem to be taking about Gratitude (I’ll admit I haven’t read any of your posts, this is just a feeling I got doing a quick glance on the FB group) I am talking about Guns…

This evening I just have a question for you in the form of a post? Whats your stand when it comes to kids and gun toys? Do u think its ok for kids to think its just toys and play or not?

Will write in more detail after I hear from you… so go on share ur thoughts

 

F is for Flashback

Tags

fun, just me, tag

So I suddenly started jumping with joy this morning when I saw a long standing tag from hitchy called “Flashback” wohoo it takes of F, happy day it is

Its simple answers these questions and tag ahead

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

I have made a recipe video this year, something that I never imagined I will do till a while ago, I am a very video camera shy person primarily because I hate my own voice… But I did it, I did make a video for LiveMint. Here is the video for those who want to see 

2. Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next?

Sigh some yes some no… most years I end of not following them fully but I still keep making them, I think it gives me a structure that my life is otherwise missing

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

Gaah really? I didn’t think my memory is so bad… Don’t remember the date but it was  a day I spent with some of my favorite GF’s … went to spa, had good lunch and did some shopping. One reason I was meeting one of them after a very long time and another reason is a more personal one. Overcome something I had been struggling with

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Sin-A-Mon

5. What was your biggest failure?

Temper Temper Temper ..

6. Did you suffer illness?

Yes but frankly its been a better year than last so I am not complaining

7. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The moral policing folks specially that lady scientist who said the Delhi gang rape girl should have given in

8. Where did most of your money go?

Wish I knew

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

A consulting project I am doing currently, details to be up sometime soon

10. What song will always remind you of 2012?

This girl is on Fire N tells me that is how I am behaved last year

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

Happier…

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

Workouts… every year fitness is on top of my list and every year I fail and also travel but that I guess how much ever I do it will be less for me

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

If you ask my husband he will tell you FB for sure *giggle*

14. Did you fall in love in 2012?

yes fall in love with myself all over again

15. What/Who was your greatest musical discovery?

Sigh its been an year where I have not made any discovery, unfortunately there hasn’t been much time for music… Pity I say

16. What did you want and get?

Its been a good touchwood, got many things I desired for that year

17. What did you want and not get?

I missed the South Africa trip with friends, such a bummer and I was so looking forward to it

18. What was your favorite film of this year?

Why am I blanking out here? what were the movies that came last year…

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

On my birthday, I baked a tart for myself and Julia Child, went with O to Lal bagh and had a yummy lunch date with him and then went out for a dinner with friends… Yes N doesn’t figure here because well he was traveling and how old well did no one tell you not to ask a woman her age but I will still tell 36 is the number

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

If I had finished that book… the book that I want to write

21. What kept you sane?

Baking and O

22. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.

That everything is hard work and that being your own boss is tougher much tougher than one thinks

23. Which new places did you visit in 2012?

Ahemdabad, Bharuch and these two only in transit… apart from that Karwar, Waynad and Sikkim , I wish this list was longer though

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

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!

Preacher man, don’t tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you don’t know
What life is really worth.
It’s not all that glitters is gold;
‘Alf the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. come on!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!

25. Tag some bloggers you would love to read these answers from.

anyone who is reading this is tagged

E is for East (Baiguney, Sikkim Part 2)

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AtoZChallenge, highway travels, sikkim, travel, travel tales

Case in point here North East, I realized I have my travelogue of Sikkim half done so I thought I might as well take up with this opportunity to complete it

I gave you an overall brief of things or shall we call it preview of things in the last post, the next day (technically Day 2 but practically Day 1 since we reached Sikkim only in the evening) started with all the presentations from the bloggers who attended the event. I was amazed at the vast variety of experience covered, while Arun’s and Vishal’s pictures kept us spell bounded, Mridula’s determination for making it to Everest Base camp inspired us and Priya she had me stunned with the idea of who she collected funds for her Antarctica travel. Listening to Rakhi talking about her solo backpacking in India was when the idea of solo backpacking which I am gonna do soon was seeded in my head. So after spending half a day in the conference room and actually feeling good about it we decided to go visit the famous shiva mandir in Baiguney, when we went it was fully covered in fog but still was a sight

the shiva statue

The proudly standing Nandi

Ganja and Jamua, guess which one is who?

Next day morning we went for a short walk/trek to Chakun, which was absolutely breath taking..

Breath taking views

Early morning dew drops on plants, a sight we don’t get to see often

Gorgeous Orchids

the person who took us for a walk told us the root of this fern is a local medicine for diabetes. BTW we eat the greens too stir fried with local cheese it was yummm

The dew drops hanging, something magical about them… the whole tree was full with droplets in the end which felt like pearls hanging down – This is one of my fav pictures from the trip

We also saw lots of wild mushrooms on the way

And while taking a walk we saw this quite, small monastery, such calm and peace… there is something about them that attracts me…

Prayer wheel at the monastery

and Part 3 coming up soon , may be in S may be something else

D is for Dreams

Tags

AtoZChallenge, dreams, just me

I have always been fascinated by dreams and when I am talking of dreams, I am not talking about the ones we conjure with open eyes. I am talking about the dreams that come to us involuntarily, the ones that our sub conscious mind has probably been weaving and shows them to us when we are deep in our sleep, yes I am talking about the Good night sweet dreams kind of dreams.

According to Wiki

Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.^[1] The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, as well as a subject of philosophical and religious interest, throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology. Scientists believe that, in addition to humans, birds and other mammals also dream.^[2]

How nice is to wake up with vague memory of a dream that you had in the night in which may you went on a vacation, may be you had achieved something that you had been always wanting. Adds some zest to your step isn’t it?

Or even sometimes knowing that you did have a happy dream but having no clue about what the dream was, then I spend hours working my sub conscious mind in trying to remember that dream, oh yeah I am dreamer that way

And sometimes dreams are so weird that they surprise you… Once I had a dream in which I had people from ten different phases of my life and I think we were trying to vacation somewhere and do team building, I just thought may be it was my way of bringing my life to convergence

And then there is a weird and scary dreams, there is one dream that comes to every birthday eve in which I am running and there are two people running behind trying to catch me and hurt me, I keep running panting and then I jump in a well and swim to save myself, the funny thing is that I used to dream this even before I learnt how to swim… One day I would love to go to a proper dream analyzer and ask him what he thinks about this dream of mine but till then its almost become an assurance of my life, my birthday

Do you have some recurring dreams? Is there a dream that you remember very clearly?

C is for Child Sexual Abuse

Tags

AtoZChallenge, child sexual abuse, CSA, csa awareness month, CSAAM

This year I have been wondering what to write on CSA, I have already written about how its important to protect your sons too, I have already written my own survivor story and while giving it a thought and doing some work for CSA FB page, I came across this poster

Pic Courtesy – http://www.parentsprotect.co.uk/

Truly shocking and scary isn’t it? Unfortunately now that I have worked with CSA so much I know its true and that scares me even more, 75% of the kids don’t tell you I wonder why, in think the answers lies right around in us, in the way we behave, in the way we try to shoo this topic under wraps and want to turn a blind eye to it, like it never happened, it never happens and it most certainly can’t happen to us

So if a child doesn’t tell you how does a parent/care giver figure out… according to the internet and various manuals I have read, some warnings to watch out would be

• Acting out in an inappropriate sexual way with toys or objects
• Nightmares, sleeping problems
• Becoming withdrawn or very clingy
• Becoming unusually secretive
• Sudden unexplained personality changes, mood swings and seeming insecure
• Regressing to younger behaviours, e.g. bedwetting
• Unaccountable fear of particular places or people
• Outburst of anger
• Changes in eating habits
• New adult words for body parts and no obvious source
• Talk of a new, older friend and unexplained money or gifts
• Self-mutilation (cutting or burning) in adolescents
• Physical signs, such as, unexplained soreness or bruises around genitals or mouth, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy
• Running away
• Not wanting to be alone with a particular child or young person

In this I would pay particular attention to the last one, if u child says he doesnt like XYZ and doesn’t want to play with him/her . please please please listen to him. Kids are more intutive then adults are and sometimes just going with their intuitions could help a lot

Apart from watching out for warning signs, another very important thing to do in my opinion is encourage your child, build trust in them so that they come back and talk to u – Open lines of communication with them in all possible ways.

Another important thing to do will be to keep all members of the family educated, it really doesn’t help if you tell your child to be aware and alert and the granny/father comes and tells no u have to trust everyone. Kids can get confused often so make sure the message passed to them is consistent

Keep your child safe, don’t shove CSA under the carpet. Talk about it, act on it NOW c

B is for Being Bossless

Tags

AtoZChallenge, dream venture, just me, me, personal, sin-a-mon

Yes being bossless aka being an entrepreneur. Most of you know I turned one about 1.5 years ago when I started Sin-A-Mon : Blissful Bakes, Today morning when I was thinking about what to write about and what came to my mind was bossless, I probably no its not even a word but what the heck and then I realised I haven’t ever written about being an entrepreneur for some strange reason. I haven’t ever written about what it is running a company (I know its not a big one but still its a dream which is coming true), I have never really written about what is it being in food industry.

I have been sitting on this post for the whole day and wondering what to write, the problem is not what I should write, the problem I am facing is what not to write, I have so much to share that it is becoming totally confusing, for once I am at wits end on what to write and what not, I should have listened to me my inner voice and wrote here more enough. So what I have decided is to list down the top few memories that I have of being an entrepreneur good as well as bad.

1. Being featured as a Google featured business, now Sin-A-Mon has got a fair amount of press *touchwood* but there is something special about being picked by google to be a google featured business. For days when I got a call/mail from google on this I couldn’t sleep… I was flying high in the air, pinching myself and wondering if this really has happened

2. The moment when you get good feedback from a client, about how the cake or cupcakes you made mattered so much to the occasion, that how the stuff was polished. It almost makes me forget the looooooong hours I spend standing and baking

3. On the day when Sin-A-Mon turned one, I did a little cupcake decoration party for kids at Anand Vidalya, which is a trust for underprivileged kids and runs an evening school. Most kids were excited, happy and delighted to decorate their cupcakes, the creative things they did with spoons, sprinklers and cream was amazing and then there was this one boy with his toothy grin, he at the end of the workshop came and told me “thank you aunty, I fun.. I had a cupcake first time” I just can’t describe the explosion of emotions I went through at that time

4. When I met Rocky and Mayur from Highway on my plate, oh godness how I love those folks and when I met them I was flying in air. Food celebrities are the celebrities that excite me

5. In one of the kids workshop I was running, I was really tired and exhausted and there was this darling girl who sensed it and came fed me the cookie that we had made in the class.. I swear I melted away

6. Couple of weeks ago, I walked into O’s room and overheard a conversation he was having with his friend… goes like

F : oh I feel like eating a cake

O : lets ask my mumma, she makes the best cake and I am not saying just like that, I will show you facebook where lots of people tell her she makes best cake

So either I have been telling him too much about FB or about sinamon

7. One day when I had a bulk order and was baking till late in the night and N came up to me with a couple of tea and told me how proud he is of me, now you need to know N to know why this one is so special. He is a reserved, not so vocal person. Someone who thinks and feels that feelings and emotions need not be spoken about and when he said to me I think it became a memory for lifetime

8. But along with all the good things always come some sacrifices, some not so good memories… the worst is the one when one morning ojas came to me and asked “mumma before you used to pick me and drop me from school always, now a days since you have started sinamon you arent spending enough time with me” I swear on god, I could give up everything in one moment and go back to being a SAHM but then that wouldn’t be me I guess

and after jotting down these memories I have realised if I dont stop I will keep going on and on and on so I will leave u now and come back to more stories in some other soon enough… till then do read this fab piece by a friend – 10 things to know if your wife decides to be an entrepreneur, I swear to God each one is true

A is for April’s Fool Day

Tags

april fool, AtoZChallenge, fun, just like that

This morning I woke up totally forgetting about the date 1st April inspite of remembering its 1st of April.. Sounds funny eh? What I meant is that I remembered that today is 1st April but totally forgot about the April’s Fool Day , got up and went about the Monday morning bussiness as usual. Saw a friends post on her FB page saying

Get me maximum likes for Saffrontrail Facebook page from your friends and I will be your personal homechef for a week. Go ahead, share this-what are you waiting for?

And in my love for Tam bram food, I instantly shared it on my wall

And that is how I royally got fooled today, an april fool I say so how was ur april fool’s day… made a fool out of some or some made a fool out of you? Do share

PS: I am starting on a brave attempt of doing A to Z blogging challenge all of april… Wish me luck and hope u enjoy the ride with me

Gearing up for CSAAM 2013

Reblogged from CSA Awareness Month:

Dear Friends,
April 2013 is a month away, and we are gearing up for the 3rd year of CSAAM. As you are all aware, through the month of April we talk about the menace of CSA across social media, via Facebook, twitter and blogs. We count on your support and participation as always.
Partnering us in our efforts this year will be organisations working in this field like Arpan, Tulir, Human Rights Watch as well as online initiatives like Blogadda and Womens Web.

Read more… 375 more words

We are gearing up for third round of CSA Awareness month, join us in spreading the word, join us in raising awareness