Chop, chop. And chin up!

There’s a very good reason why I get haircuts only once every six months. Two, in fact. a) My hair takes its own bloody time to grow out and b) Getting a decent haircut in Bombay these days costs an arm and a leg. And im running out of places to hide the bodies.

No, seriously, I remember a time when I used to pay Rs 250 for a haircut (not trimming). This was when I was still in junior college and already planning my monthly expenses. Now I’m forced to pay upto (shudder) Rs 1,300! And that’s the lower range in a high-class (read b:blunt) salon.

I kept going back and forth on whether I should be shelling out that much money just for a haircut, specially when the *same* hairstylist at the *same* place charged me Rs 850 just six months ago. 

Finally, I decided to get some opinions, which one is never short of in this country. So I made the mistake of asking a male friend whether he thought it was worth it. He was pretty decent about it: “I’m the wrong person to ask about this because this is straightway 26 times more than what I pay for a haircut.”

Fair enough. So I ask another friend (making sure that this one is of the female persuassion and could be easily manipulated to give me the answer I was looking for). “Rs 1,300 is alright. I’m going for a haircut myself and paying my regular stylist Rs 1,500.” Perfect!

But before you start judging me and shoving me into the ‘Will do anything to appear fashionable’ category, hear me out. The only reason I’m going back to this stylist, even though she’s upped her ante by Rs 450 is because she gives me the haircut that I want, not what she wants to give. Simple.    

I *Dove* blogging!

Anyone who knows me well, knows this about me. I am totally and utterly technologically-challenged. And by that I mean using any kind of technology – whether it is gadgets, my PC, or social networking sites. (Hell, I have been known to beat the crap out of my *keyboard* when the *internet* was down.) I couldn't even relate to blogging, until I discovered the joys of it quite by accident a year or so ago.

Which is why you’d almost never find me at a get-together of serious bloggers. Even I don’t take myself seriously as a blogger, so why should anybody else, right?

But I DID find myself at this Indiblogger meet a week ago that happened at Four Seasons, Mumbai. And I have only one person to thank for it! My dearest friend Purnima, who is, by the way, a game designer!

So she told me about the Indiblogger meet where they would have free mani-pedi, head massage, hair styling, and lunch sponsored by Dove. Did I mention it would be for free? We would also be meeting 100 fellow bloggers and exchanging notes, which is always a good thing.

But I was not prepared for what lay before us. Although the mani-pedi was cancelled (because of obvious logistical reasons), we did get a wonderful 10-min foot massage, hair styling – that included a hair wash – free vouchers, T-shirt, and gift hampers from Dove! 

We also played games, which were really good fun, and discussed how to get our blogs more ‘out-there’ - thanks to ideasmith. But most of all, I am thankful to Indiblogger and Dove for helping me connect with all those wonderful women, who are doing so much more than just blogging! They are superwomen in their own right!

I want to end with the slogan that our team ‘Fortune Seekers’ was required to come up during a treasure hunt game. And it was more or less created by this 11-year old blogger (or possibly a blogger’s daughter). It went: ‘We seek, we find. We got, you mind?’ Absolutely loved it!  

I hope you also find what you’re seeking.

Note: See pictures of the event here.

Crowd? What’s that?

Loneliness, thy name is Mumbai.

Whoever said that must have been drinking. Or visiting BMC headquarters after 6.01pm. No but seriously, Mumbai is a city where you can NEVER be alone. Even if you want to. Here, speace (an amalgamation of space and peace) is the ultimate luxury because whether you like it or not, someone is always stepping on your toes.

Here ‘rush-hour traffic' and ‘chivalry’ are terms that don’t hold any meaning anymore. Neither does ‘single, interesting men’. This means that people living in Mumbai have really lowered expectations now. They know it’s a good day when the first cab/auto they approach agrees to take them.

South Mumbai is no longer the place to be in, unless you’re old, retired and have lots and lots of money because all the ‘action’ (by which I mean the crowd) has moved to the ‘burbs. Gone are the days when we were packed like sardines; Mumbai is no better than a can of worms now. And if you don’t believe me, a tour outside Andheri (E) station might be an eye-opener.

Hell, who even has the time to feel lonely here? If you’re not elbowing and pushing, you are jostling and negotiating. And if you happen to be a woman, you’re busy learning the art of avoiding the nudge you know that oncoming new-to-town, spineless penile implant is going to give you.

Nope, just like empty political speeches and love, loneliness doesn’t stand a chance here.