The Big Abu Dhabi move !

Hi all !
Back after a blogging hiatus again... or probably the other way around ! But new coordinates, new place and lots of new friends !
Moved to Abudhabi around 8 months back and it has been action packed so far ! So many nationalities from all corners of the world, all living and working together in harmony.

Roller coaster ride to get through the HAAD licensing process and staying at home for longer than expected. I also realised the importance of actually not doing something I love for so long.. that it helps you detach your happiness from external things  - including orthodontics ! Never thought I would say that out aloud ! But I am so glad that in my 'Housewife' times,  I made some friends in the meanwhile , whom I connect with .

Things that I can point to that have surely changed :

1) Whatsapp has almost completely taken over my world. Very minimally used in Oman , but unlimited internet here has different effects on each of us ! Being connected 24 x 7 is not something that I find necessarily beneficial .
2) Use of Smileys.. Yes , I have succumbed to it completely ! Earlier , I couldn't stand those posts / blogs who incessantly used smileys but I think I have now slowly replaced all full stops with them :) ( Controlled myself by not using them so far ! ;p)
3) Physical activity & Night life - In Abu dhabi as there is sooo much to see and do ! Services are more expensive but I definitely appreciate the fact that we actually have so much to see and do which wasn't the case in Oman. Russel Peters , Color Run and many more ! Loved Abu dhabi so far !! Ana hobb Abu Dhabi !
Will keep it short for now .. more later !!

 Shoofik Baden .. Maa Salaama !

Share Your World – Week 26

Congratulations on the six month anniversary with Share Your World ! Lets look forward to the first year anniversary now !!

Thankyou Cee for all these interesting questions .. Here are my answers -

1) What made you smile today?

My cup of coffee! It’s just early in the day here and my pick-me-up has had its effect ! I get my coffee powder couriered all the way from India as I’m truly addicted to this blend and nothing ever matches up to it. I dislike instant mixes.

2) Have any hidden talents?
I am very crafty. I keep making things out of waste.. tissue rolls, cloth bags , old bottles.. Waste – to – Best ! Recycle and proud of it :)



3) Are you usually late, early, or right on time?
I have to admit that I’m usually late ! I don’t estimate time well and my husband always does.. so he’s usually the one telling me I’m going to be late while I shamelessly argue.. only to be proved wrong ! I hope I change this sooner than later.

4) What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
I believe , truly living is when you allow all the sounds, senses, emotions around to penetrate you. In our day-to-day life we keep fretting about issues and in our attempt to find a solution,we stonewall ourselves from all that is happening around us. I worry too much .. and earlier I used to do it for everyone.. that left we very little time to observe what was happening around me. This left big voids in my memory of those time periods. It took someone strong to tell me to wake up and look around .. and I’m lucky that I married that person. I’m still a cribby bitch sometimes and he knows it ;)

Share Your World – Week 24

http://ceeslifephotographyblog.wordpress.com

Here are my answers for this week's questions :

1)Are you left or right handed?

I am essentially right handed but often use both my hands. As a kid, this irked my parents because in Indian brahmin customs, you eat only with your right hand and the left hand is not supposed to touch the food ! I was often confused as a child and got whacks for handling food with my left hand. Eventually I began writing an 'L' & 'R' on my palms to make it easier for me !

2) What is one thing you love about being an adult?

For want of a better phrase - I think I'm a 'Grass-is-always-green-on-the-OTHER-side' kinda person! So there aren't too many things I love about being an adult. Probably the only thing that comes to my mind is being allowed to wear off-shoulder t-shirts & Skirts which I was often not allowed a child. This doesn't mean that I do wear them now ( I too shy!! ) but I can buy them if I wish too !!

3) What do I need to unlearn?

Assumptions - I tend to assume the worst and that keeps me worried the time! The logic is that if I assume the worst, the reality of things always will be good news to me.. but this also means unnecessary hours of playing out all different situations in my mind and my reactions to them ! So I wish I could unlearn this instinct.

4)What is success for me?

Success for me is that feeling inside when things go exactly as I planned them to. This can be in the form of successful exams, organizing events, patients' treatment results, appreciation by hubby for my cooking... I keep putting up tests for myself everyday and hope to succeed in them !

Share Your World – Week 23

Inspired by Cathy from http://catbirdinoman.wordpress.com Ihave decided to start answering Cee's Life questions and try to answer them asregularly as possible.

I enjoyed reading her answers for 22 weeks andloved that it made me think about things we label as routine .. So here goes.... betterlate than never -

Here are my answers:

You are comfortable doing nothing? For long stretches oftime?

No.. Doing nothing is not an option for me !! I cannot sitstill... !! I love to multi-task if I have nothing to do I create projectsto start..and hopefully finish. I have always been like this..indulging in a lot of crafting in my study leaves.... taking up upcyclingprojects in my free time at work.. or cooking up something special. Ofcourse Iwould love to laze around and do nothing during a vacation.. but then tooI would try to max it out by finishing a long pending book or swimming.

If you could inherit a vacation home anywhere in the worldin which you could spend two months a year, where would it be?

Well.. there are so many places in the world I still need tovisit.. but one thats top on my list is Bali.. So I would imagine if Icould inherit a vacation home.. It would probably be in Bali with myown garden, swimming pool, reading room & meditation area.

If you were instantly able to play one musical instrumentperfectly that you never have played before, what would it be?

The only musical instrument I have trained in & played isthe Harmonium - a classical south indian karnatic instrument but ifI had to play another one .. it would probably be drums (ina sound-proof studio) !!

Would you rather be given $10,000 for your own use or$100,000 to give anonymously to strangers?

At todays' dollar rate - complared to the Indian rupee...Iwould shamelessly choose to keep the 10,000$ ! We (Me and my husband)are presently working abroad so we can earn enough to open ourown exclusive Orthodontic clinic in Mumbai. So , we try to save asmuch as we can.. so 10,000$ would'nt hurt too much! We do believein charity but more as service and time rather than giving money.

My All-time Favorite boyfriend :)

"Shunka" That's a strange name for a cat.. what does it mean ?!

Shunki Popi... Shunka...

R.I.P

We lost our pet of 13 years.. 2 days back.... and my mind has been a mess... devastated.. muddled.... sad. This blog should help me reflect on all that he meant to us.. in a comprehendable manner.. though of course.. there are no words to gauge / express how much he did for us and me.

13 years is a long time..and even though the last 5 years have been spent away from him..cuddling him only on those weekends at home... he's never been away in my thoughts for more than a day.. each day's prayers included family members & shunki... That was the only way I learnt to be close to him...to not miss him too badly.. by sending him my kiss everyday... till now there was a definite address for that kiss to land on.. so to say... now i wonder where to send it..

To all those who knew him..or came across him even once.. they all knew he was no ordinary cat.. He had a mind of his own.. his attitude.. likes & dislikes.. He was more human than most people i know.. and it took time to crack his indifferent exterior to get some loving out of him :)

All our attempts at training him.. ( He was our mini dog/ cat - He sometimes had an identity crisis himself !! ) resulted in him learning 2 words in English.. "Fishhhhh " preferably in my dad's loud grizzly voice and "Shunka" when we were calling out to him .. desperately trying to locate him in the compound!! Anything more than that was simply not required to be learnt -according to him.. !! So try as we might.. he had a mind of his own..

To think that the Vet had proclaimed him to be terminal with ulcerative colitis when he was only a few months old.. and to literally have exhausted all his 9 cat lives.. maybe some extra too.. and live for 13 years seems like a miracle in itself.. in retrospect.. but still its really difficult to believe that I wont get to cuddle him the next time I go home.. it must be so empty at home...

All my college friends..even those who were only acquaintances have heard of him .. seen him.. meowed him.. laughed at his non-cat like antics ... and asked about him every time they spoke to me hence.. Difficult to ignore him.. and not like him.. everyone always patiently heard my stories too... coz I always had so many of them about him... My all time favorite boyfriend..

He sat up with me when I studied for my entrance exams.. both times... he tolerated my whining and never left when I was crying.. He loved my rajai as much as I did.. same goes for my bed ! He had his own bean bag too ! Who could have asked for a better partner.. especially coz he could not talk back !! I always wonder what he would have said.. or how much things would have changed .. if he could talk... More memories? More episodes to remember? Is it possible to miss someone anymore.. ?

His excited eyes when he would hear the sound of a plastic bag.. maybe with fish in it.. or the cracking of a boiled egg.. to his boredom at our antics.. trying to get him to play like a dog.. and his uninterested stare - like he was telling us to wrap it up and behave like adults..

His aversion to cold milk.. or milk which was only a few hours old.. His penchant for hitching a ride in the lift with the other residents of the building.. His circus in the car while going to the vet.. His circus in the bathroom while trying to give him a bath..and the cold shoulder for 2 days after it .. His loud meows asking us to open doors.. announcing his arrival or departure... His knack of making dad stop doing office work at home by sitting / sleeping on his papers.. sitting in front of the tv to gain attention.. getting us headless pigeons or rats for breakfast.... these and many many countless memories to live by.. and smile at..

Teaching me so many things..by not saying a word... Showing me what unconditional love was.. to only give.. and for showing me that I was capable of it... Shunka is loved and hugged every single day.. every moment .....

Thank you for coming into our lives.. and making it so much more livable.. even though its difficult to believe that you are no more.. You had a purpose .. in our lives.. and I'm hoping that what all those spiritual guides say is true.. That you will always be connected to us.. and come back soon.. :)

Love you always & forever,

One of your mommies.

Im Alive !!

Hello to my blog !!

After so so long!! a year almost...This year saw so many changes - Marriage, name, Address, priorities, weight ;) , food , mannerisms, worries...everything..and i mean everythings' changed !!

Am I happy with the changes....well .... some are good, some are bad....but all have been inevitable!!

For all those in the know, my marital status from 'Single' to 'Married' - so thats a good change.. :)

Name has gone from Deepti Rao to Deepti Gupta !! Thats good too...

I've changed addresses from Bombay-Pune-Belapur (New Bombay)-Salalah, Oman all in the matter of 9 months!! I hate packing !!!

Priorities - hmmm..heavy one!! Priorities are so different from when I was single....now one puts everyone else before self...somehow marriage does that to you I guess. The funny part it is- even I want to stop myself...I cant !! And the other strange fact - Those that are actually the closest to me often feature on the end of the priority list..! hmmm..lil too complicated to explain huh !

Along with my husband, Sumit we have opened a new clinic here for Exclusive Orthodontic practice...and as clinicians its been very fulfilling. Its the best of evything - equipment, material, work freedom, job satisfaction that we could dream off...ideal for us in every way..glad for all that we have.. :)

Weight ;) - well- this is what I meant by inevitable! Salalah air seems to suit me just fine...will have to start getting some exercise ...soon!!

Worries - Dont they ever leave us alone! New day, new problems, new solutions !! Gosh I sound like an ad for some construction company!! Adjusting to the new place has had its ups and downs...but together we are definitely learning to cope and in the company of friends we have here, life's definitely better... :)

Salalah seems to have a lovely set of bloggers whom I have been following queitly for a long time now...Its refreshing to read their views on many things relevant to the world here....shakes you up from the inertia of daily living...good and reponsible writing....

Hoping that I'm more regular from now on..!!

Secret Salalah: The Gulf Orthodontic Center Salalah

Secret Salalah: The Gulf Orthodontic Center Salalah: "Thanks to the newly opened Gulf Orthodontic Center, Salalah's smiles can now be even more beautiful. The highly trained husband-and-wife tea..."