Most females suffer from PMS! Fortunately, I have been spared of the monthly torture 98% of the womenfolk go through (it helps to be in the minority in some cases).
However, when God opens one pathway for you, he also clogs another one just to achieve a compensating effect (this is applicable to all scenarios).
Hence, he gave me a deadlier battle to face- BMS!! I can almost see all your brows raising in thought . Well- BMS also known as Buy More Shoes!!
It’s a syndrome which we can safely conclude as having reached epidemic proportions. However, very few girls/women will even acknowledge it and will continue to live forever burying their faces in fresh shoe bags in denial.
However, I shall accept that I am a BMS victim. In hindsight, I cannot place my finger on any one point when my obsession originated. However, there has been a consistent growth trajectory.
Phase A- For the longest time in my growing years- I was a tomboy who thought sneakers were the coolest thing to happen to mankind. You wouldn’t have caught me dead or crawling in sandals or heels. And when your tall and learning Bharatnatyam – heels are definitely on the banned item list-Schedule 1.
Phase B- The wonder teen years- When your not making your own money- you just wear what your folks get you (I already sense a generation gap on this). This phase was marked by awkward Bata footwear and cheap maal from Bandra Linking Road apart from what the parents provided. I did discover sandals as I did nail polish in this phase. (toerings also- a trend I wish I had not followed). The love affair with sneakers continued though.
Phase C- The 20-25 years stage- the coming of age stage. Well once it was established I was not going to get any taller (I stand at 5 feet 9 inches), buying shoes became the safest investment really. It was better than clothes as your shoe size doesn’t stand to vary unlike your weight.
Buying shoes is like buying art. You may like many pieces but you will not spend until you get that right fit and heel. Considering I fall under the tall giant category, most shoes are not made keeping my height in mind. To avoid looking right out of Gullivers Travels, I need to make a conscientious effort in choosing the right amount of heel. I dare not venture higher than 2 inches.
I sigh at the sight of pretty shoes in well lit showrooms. New shoes get me out of a bad mood- similar to how ice cream or chocolates would work on an average person. I love cleaning my shoe collection even when they are all clean.
To clarify, I am not into high end shoes- the Choos , Blahniks and Louboutins do not even interest me. I think any pair of shoes should not cost more than Rs 2,000- be it sports or strappy or evening wear. Blame the Indian mentality- but I love a good bargain. Nothing delights me more than the four letter word’ SALE’ screaming out to me via newspapers or smses.
I recall this one time I was assigned on a client on the outskirts of Pune. Any professional shopaholic can tell you- that the first day of the sale is the day when you have access to the crème’ of the stock. My sale plus shoe combined obsession led to manipulative tendencies where in I sold a hackneyed story to my unsuspecting client of how I had a friends engagement to attend and had to be in the city by 8 pm. Needless to say, I ran away at 6.30 p.m and reached the mall at 8 p.m just 30 minutes short of closing time on the first day of sale- and the adrenalin rush I felt on having reached the destination before the shutters fell was unbelievable.
Additionally, I remember how in 2009- I lugged back shoes and sandals from Bangkok in every color I wear. They didn’t last too long which has made me wiser about quality and not going in for too much of a bargain either.
Much to my parents dismay- I have made it imperative that I need a partner who is atleast a six footer. 5’11’’ will not make the cut as I wear 2 inch heels and I just cannot be the same height as my partner. (I don’t understand the Katie Holmes/ Nicole Kidman school of thought of being taller than your partner either). Plus what would become of all my dear shoes with heels then?!!
My ROI (return on investment) in them would turn negative!!!
Well, to look on the brighter side, it is a mercy that I don’t feel the same way about clothes. :))
Monday, March 14, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Hello 2011!
With this entry, I mark my first foray into the blogosphere in 2011. This auspicious beginning hopefully heralds a certain consistency in my blogging and will not be as intermittent as it was in the previous year. As cliche' as it sounds, any entry made in the new year would be incomplete without mention of a new year resolution and well, my resolution for the year is to have no resolutions (also a cliche' mostly).
This past year has been hugely fulfilling and has taught me some enduring lessons at the workplace and in life. The highlight of the year was achieving a career milestone- becoming an Assistant Manager at age 25. Other than this, I had a lot of my perceptions shattered and had to do a rethink on many things I had taken for granted up until now. Important lessons learnt:-
a) Egos can destroy friendships: If someone is not ready to set aside their ego and even discuss what is bothering them, there is no friendship there. As hard as I tried to even get a word across, a conversation is only possible with mutual consent. At the end of the year, all I kept wondering was whether it was all so fickle in the first place that at the end , it was just me attempting to salvage equations.
b) Age doesnt matter: Met two really amazing people in the last one year- both of them atleast a decade older than me but developed an easy, platonic bond with them. One of them is a friend and mentor while the other is my sounding board- to both I am so thankful ;)
c) Do your work and forget about the fruit: This is right off the Bhagwad Gita but so applicable in everything we do. I remember the angst I went through a couple of weeks before announcement of my promotion and the entire 'will it happen, wont it happen' see- saw of emotions. A very wise colleague of mine (Mr.RDX) put it so plainly and simply- 'If you have done what you have to and if you are good at what you do, no amount of office politics or external factors can stop you from moving ahead.'
Getting back to the new year- I shall not make any resolutions as they become psychologically binding. Hence, the new year is all about a new outlook and a 5-point agenda.
The agenda (in no particular order):-
1) Lose weight- about time really!!!! The Eureka moment was brought about by a colleague who sent me pictures from when I first joined office in 2006. The comparative pictures of 2006 and 2010 were shocking to say the least. Its amazing how much weight one can add just sitting on one's backside and working all day while munching on oily food prepared in client canteens. Even more amazing is how I never realised when I was 3-4 kilos heavier. Now, 10 kilos overweight and realization strikes me like a bolt of lightning. Its a mammoth task- which is why the entire year has been earmarked for this.
2) Get out of the comfort zone- Maybe being a Chartered Accountant makes me inherently risk averse. However, I find that I have slipped into a comfort zone. 2011 shall be the year to introspect and understand how best to not get stuck in a rut of quicksand. There shall be new hobbies, new networks and new challenges.
3) Travel more- A not so proud confession- I went nowhere in 2010 (Mumbai doesnt count). My last planned trip was to Bangkok in November 2009. My dad says he would rather I saved the money (read invest). My polar view is why spend tomorrow what you can spend today ( a mantra that obviously grates on my dad's nerves and which my shopaholic nature can be largely attributed to) and more importantly what you can enjoy better at the moment. On the cards- trip to Andaman and Nicobar islands as well as a Euro trip planned around my best friend's wedding in Denmark.
4) Find a guy- Emphasis on the word ' find' a guy and not so much on 'marriage'. This point makes its way into my agenda mainly owing to my mom's emotional turmoil on the lack of tall and qualified boys and due to some alarming promos of an upcoming movie called 'Turning 30'!
Its hilarious but I still recall watching the promo in the theatre and remarking intially-' Oh, this movie is going to be so drab.' Until at the end of the promo, Richa and me sheepishly realised that the 5 minute promo had just mirrored our social incapacities in terms of getting older but not finding the right one! (Uff!!) So watch out world- I may have had blinkers on all this while but I shall now keep my eyes open even though the hopeless romantic in me wishes the guy finds me and not vice-versa. (Coming soon- blog entry dedicated to this caption and progress on it so far).
5) Give the GMAT- For all friends of mine reading this, I am sure you guys just remarked ' Thank heavens for small mercies- she still remembers it!'. I may have cleared my Chartered Accountancy exam in the first attempt which ought to have made me feel invincible in terms of passing tough examinations. However, never has an exam or rather its format frustrated or stumped me to this extent. Firstly, whoever thought of the adaptive feature in the exam is one sadistic human being. This basically means that if I falter in the intial few questions- I am screwed even if I manage to pick myself and survive the rest of it. How defeatist in spirit is that!!! Anyway , the GMAT and me have been playing hard to get for a while because I simply dont get it! I refuse to join classes that rip you off with their tall claims. And I also cannot manage sitting down and focusing on studying for it while keeping my job intact. So this year- the exam needs to be given and the target score set is 700.
All in all, thats an exhaustive line-up for the year.
Agenda review date: One year hence.
This past year has been hugely fulfilling and has taught me some enduring lessons at the workplace and in life. The highlight of the year was achieving a career milestone- becoming an Assistant Manager at age 25. Other than this, I had a lot of my perceptions shattered and had to do a rethink on many things I had taken for granted up until now. Important lessons learnt:-
a) Egos can destroy friendships: If someone is not ready to set aside their ego and even discuss what is bothering them, there is no friendship there. As hard as I tried to even get a word across, a conversation is only possible with mutual consent. At the end of the year, all I kept wondering was whether it was all so fickle in the first place that at the end , it was just me attempting to salvage equations.
b) Age doesnt matter: Met two really amazing people in the last one year- both of them atleast a decade older than me but developed an easy, platonic bond with them. One of them is a friend and mentor while the other is my sounding board- to both I am so thankful ;)
c) Do your work and forget about the fruit: This is right off the Bhagwad Gita but so applicable in everything we do. I remember the angst I went through a couple of weeks before announcement of my promotion and the entire 'will it happen, wont it happen' see- saw of emotions. A very wise colleague of mine (Mr.RDX) put it so plainly and simply- 'If you have done what you have to and if you are good at what you do, no amount of office politics or external factors can stop you from moving ahead.'
Getting back to the new year- I shall not make any resolutions as they become psychologically binding. Hence, the new year is all about a new outlook and a 5-point agenda.
The agenda (in no particular order):-
1) Lose weight- about time really!!!! The Eureka moment was brought about by a colleague who sent me pictures from when I first joined office in 2006. The comparative pictures of 2006 and 2010 were shocking to say the least. Its amazing how much weight one can add just sitting on one's backside and working all day while munching on oily food prepared in client canteens. Even more amazing is how I never realised when I was 3-4 kilos heavier. Now, 10 kilos overweight and realization strikes me like a bolt of lightning. Its a mammoth task- which is why the entire year has been earmarked for this.
2) Get out of the comfort zone- Maybe being a Chartered Accountant makes me inherently risk averse. However, I find that I have slipped into a comfort zone. 2011 shall be the year to introspect and understand how best to not get stuck in a rut of quicksand. There shall be new hobbies, new networks and new challenges.
3) Travel more- A not so proud confession- I went nowhere in 2010 (Mumbai doesnt count). My last planned trip was to Bangkok in November 2009. My dad says he would rather I saved the money (read invest). My polar view is why spend tomorrow what you can spend today ( a mantra that obviously grates on my dad's nerves and which my shopaholic nature can be largely attributed to) and more importantly what you can enjoy better at the moment. On the cards- trip to Andaman and Nicobar islands as well as a Euro trip planned around my best friend's wedding in Denmark.
4) Find a guy- Emphasis on the word ' find' a guy and not so much on 'marriage'. This point makes its way into my agenda mainly owing to my mom's emotional turmoil on the lack of tall and qualified boys and due to some alarming promos of an upcoming movie called 'Turning 30'!
Its hilarious but I still recall watching the promo in the theatre and remarking intially-' Oh, this movie is going to be so drab.' Until at the end of the promo, Richa and me sheepishly realised that the 5 minute promo had just mirrored our social incapacities in terms of getting older but not finding the right one! (Uff!!) So watch out world- I may have had blinkers on all this while but I shall now keep my eyes open even though the hopeless romantic in me wishes the guy finds me and not vice-versa. (Coming soon- blog entry dedicated to this caption and progress on it so far).
5) Give the GMAT- For all friends of mine reading this, I am sure you guys just remarked ' Thank heavens for small mercies- she still remembers it!'. I may have cleared my Chartered Accountancy exam in the first attempt which ought to have made me feel invincible in terms of passing tough examinations. However, never has an exam or rather its format frustrated or stumped me to this extent. Firstly, whoever thought of the adaptive feature in the exam is one sadistic human being. This basically means that if I falter in the intial few questions- I am screwed even if I manage to pick myself and survive the rest of it. How defeatist in spirit is that!!! Anyway , the GMAT and me have been playing hard to get for a while because I simply dont get it! I refuse to join classes that rip you off with their tall claims. And I also cannot manage sitting down and focusing on studying for it while keeping my job intact. So this year- the exam needs to be given and the target score set is 700.
All in all, thats an exhaustive line-up for the year.
Agenda review date: One year hence.
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