My dear friend, Shantala Nayak of Shanaya Tales, recently shared a post, which was about anything but books. It spoke a lot about Shantala, the person, instead of Shantala, the Book reviewer. It was, indeed, a wonderful way of learning more about her, her likes, her idiosyncrasies and about things that we generally don't care to share with the world. And, the lady tagged me at the end of the post, so, it goes without saying that I, too, have to publish a similar "about me" post and, inadvertently, pull out a few skeletons out of my closet!
So, Shantala, here goes...
Name a cartoon(s) that you love.
It has to be Tom and Jerry, the loveable scoundrels! I would watch it as a child and laugh like crazy and I watch it now and find it equally amusing. Then, there was also this one cartoon about robots...can't remember the name.. oh yes, The Flying Robot! And, yes, Fireball, too. Back then, I would sing along when the title Song would be played even though I hardly followed the lyrics, but watching English (foreign) cartoons (even in black and white) and singing English songs was akin to being considered a "snob" for us kids. And, we were just 11 or 12, if I remember well.
For most of you, I might seem like someone from the stone age, considering the names of the cartoons I mentioned surely seem archaic. Moreover, when I was little, it was still the black and white era on television.
Now, don't start guessing my age...I am not that old!
What is your favourite song right now?
Umm..right now, my Favourite song is...I really can't pick out any one in particular because I keep listening to music throughout the day as I go about my daily chores or work in the kitchen. However, there is this one that comes to my mind right now which is "Tum pukarlo...tumhara intezar hai," (roughly translated as "Call out to me...I miss you!) from the movie Khamoshi. It's a movie from the golden era of Bollywood starring Waheeda Rehman, Dharmendra and Rajesh Khanna.
I keep humming this song when I don't hear from hubby during the day, or from a dear friend in a really long time in the hope that the person I think about might give me a call!
Yeah, go ahead, laugh all you want, but this writer is a die hard romantic and a writer, to top it all, with an imagination as fertile as the most fertile soil in India!
Eeks, that's really not a great analogy, but you do get the point, don't you? Tee-hee!
What could you do for hours (that isn't reading)?
I could day dream all day long! My dad has always called me the Dream-y girl, right since I was little. It helps a lot, in that I am never in need of company; I can be by myself and never get bored! Apart from that, I can watch reruns of Friends. Endlessly. And, being a lot like the control freak Monica Gellar Bing from the TV show, I can spend my time polishing/scrubbing/cleaning anything and everything, you name it! Provided I am in the right kinda mood!
What's something that your followers would be surprised by?
Well, this might spoil the impression my friends might have about me, but I can be quite selfish/miserly when it comes to chocolates and cheese. I love to have it all for myself. I CANNOT share either of these, ever. Often, Chikoo would ask for a piece of cheese I would be eating and I would find it immensely difficult to part with even a bit! Yes, I was his mum, but I just didn't have it in me to share my favourite cheese with my baby!
So, do not expect a bite of chocolate/cheese from me if you happen to see me eating it. I can come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid sharing! 😜
What is your favourite unnecessarily specific thing to learn (this can do with books, I guess).
Umm, I like to learn about stuff that I may not necessarily remember the next day. The geography of some place I might never visit, ever, or how homicide detectives look for clues at the scene of a murder! Things I will never need, information I will never retain. In fact, I could learn about the countless unnecessarily specific things I learn about! However, it really helps learning such stuff when one has to pass time when stuck in a traffic jam, or when the wifi/TV/phone have conked out.
What is something unusual you know how to do?
Frankly, I don't consider myself very knowledgeable. The few things I can do very well, are the things almost every second person is capable of doing. But, to name one thing, well, I can administer medicines (syrups as well as tiny tablets) to a dog, right into his mouth, at the base of his throat. Having had a pet dog for almost 13 years, this is one thing I am adept at. And, considering not every second person owns a pet (I have also had pet parents ask me how I shoved my hand into Chikoo's mouth) I think this qualifies for being an unusual skill, isn't it?
Name something you have made in the last year (and show us, if you can).
Sketching and baking are the two creative activities I indulge in apart from writing and I keep sharing my creations with the world as and when I can, so that's that. Nothing else to brag about here!
What's your most recent personal project?
It has to be about my blog. I moved my fiction posts to another blog which I christened, Fictionista ( I love the name!). Other than that, well, time will tell! 😉
Tell us something you think about often (maybe while staring out of the windows).
Oh, I do that often - staring out of the windows, I mean. However, my mind is an eternal wanderer, so there's really nothing specific it keeps thinking about. I reminisce about my life with Chikoo; about how far I have come from where I began (in life and blogging) ; about friends who have gone away; about what the future might bring along with it; about my wardrobe and jewellery (typical girlie stuff!) and, about what I would like to eat right now!
Give us something that's your favourite, but make it something that's oddly specific, not like your favourite food, but like your favourite food when you have been studying for hours and forgot to eat. Or, you know, something like that.
I love to gorge on pani puri after I have spent a lot of time baking. Not that I don't love cakes, but the mere sight of too many cup cakes/cookies makes me desperate to devour those hot and spicy pani puris, the spicier they are, the better!
Also, each time I eat something sweet, I need to eat something savoury, instantly, and vice versa. And, I have to have my all time favourite banana chips after I have had coffee (which has to be chilled and not hot!)
So, that's all about me. I know, it was a longish post, but I hope you aren't yawning from boredom!
Care to share something unusual about yourself with me? It would be fun to know you better!
Love,
SHILPA...
So, Shantala, here goes...
Name a cartoon(s) that you love.
It has to be Tom and Jerry, the loveable scoundrels! I would watch it as a child and laugh like crazy and I watch it now and find it equally amusing. Then, there was also this one cartoon about robots...can't remember the name.. oh yes, The Flying Robot! And, yes, Fireball, too. Back then, I would sing along when the title Song would be played even though I hardly followed the lyrics, but watching English (foreign) cartoons (even in black and white) and singing English songs was akin to being considered a "snob" for us kids. And, we were just 11 or 12, if I remember well.
For most of you, I might seem like someone from the stone age, considering the names of the cartoons I mentioned surely seem archaic. Moreover, when I was little, it was still the black and white era on television.
Now, don't start guessing my age...I am not that old!
What is your favourite song right now?
Umm..right now, my Favourite song is...I really can't pick out any one in particular because I keep listening to music throughout the day as I go about my daily chores or work in the kitchen. However, there is this one that comes to my mind right now which is "Tum pukarlo...tumhara intezar hai," (roughly translated as "Call out to me...I miss you!) from the movie Khamoshi. It's a movie from the golden era of Bollywood starring Waheeda Rehman, Dharmendra and Rajesh Khanna.
I keep humming this song when I don't hear from hubby during the day, or from a dear friend in a really long time in the hope that the person I think about might give me a call!
Yeah, go ahead, laugh all you want, but this writer is a die hard romantic and a writer, to top it all, with an imagination as fertile as the most fertile soil in India!
Eeks, that's really not a great analogy, but you do get the point, don't you? Tee-hee!
What could you do for hours (that isn't reading)?
I could day dream all day long! My dad has always called me the Dream-y girl, right since I was little. It helps a lot, in that I am never in need of company; I can be by myself and never get bored! Apart from that, I can watch reruns of Friends. Endlessly. And, being a lot like the control freak Monica Gellar Bing from the TV show, I can spend my time polishing/scrubbing/cleaning anything and everything, you name it! Provided I am in the right kinda mood!
What's something that your followers would be surprised by?
Well, this might spoil the impression my friends might have about me, but I can be quite selfish/miserly when it comes to chocolates and cheese. I love to have it all for myself. I CANNOT share either of these, ever. Often, Chikoo would ask for a piece of cheese I would be eating and I would find it immensely difficult to part with even a bit! Yes, I was his mum, but I just didn't have it in me to share my favourite cheese with my baby!
So, do not expect a bite of chocolate/cheese from me if you happen to see me eating it. I can come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid sharing! 😜
What is your favourite unnecessarily specific thing to learn (this can do with books, I guess).
Umm, I like to learn about stuff that I may not necessarily remember the next day. The geography of some place I might never visit, ever, or how homicide detectives look for clues at the scene of a murder! Things I will never need, information I will never retain. In fact, I could learn about the countless unnecessarily specific things I learn about! However, it really helps learning such stuff when one has to pass time when stuck in a traffic jam, or when the wifi/TV/phone have conked out.
What is something unusual you know how to do?
Frankly, I don't consider myself very knowledgeable. The few things I can do very well, are the things almost every second person is capable of doing. But, to name one thing, well, I can administer medicines (syrups as well as tiny tablets) to a dog, right into his mouth, at the base of his throat. Having had a pet dog for almost 13 years, this is one thing I am adept at. And, considering not every second person owns a pet (I have also had pet parents ask me how I shoved my hand into Chikoo's mouth) I think this qualifies for being an unusual skill, isn't it?
Name something you have made in the last year (and show us, if you can).
Sketching and baking are the two creative activities I indulge in apart from writing and I keep sharing my creations with the world as and when I can, so that's that. Nothing else to brag about here!
What's your most recent personal project?
It has to be about my blog. I moved my fiction posts to another blog which I christened, Fictionista ( I love the name!). Other than that, well, time will tell! 😉
Tell us something you think about often (maybe while staring out of the windows).
Oh, I do that often - staring out of the windows, I mean. However, my mind is an eternal wanderer, so there's really nothing specific it keeps thinking about. I reminisce about my life with Chikoo; about how far I have come from where I began (in life and blogging) ; about friends who have gone away; about what the future might bring along with it; about my wardrobe and jewellery (typical girlie stuff!) and, about what I would like to eat right now!
Give us something that's your favourite, but make it something that's oddly specific, not like your favourite food, but like your favourite food when you have been studying for hours and forgot to eat. Or, you know, something like that.
I love to gorge on pani puri after I have spent a lot of time baking. Not that I don't love cakes, but the mere sight of too many cup cakes/cookies makes me desperate to devour those hot and spicy pani puris, the spicier they are, the better!
Also, each time I eat something sweet, I need to eat something savoury, instantly, and vice versa. And, I have to have my all time favourite banana chips after I have had coffee (which has to be chilled and not hot!)
So, that's all about me. I know, it was a longish post, but I hope you aren't yawning from boredom!
Care to share something unusual about yourself with me? It would be fun to know you better!
Love,
SHILPA...
