Addicted !

I've been addicted to a lot of things in my "short life" so far (Any more age jokes and I'll be killing one of y'all sometime soon!).. Vietnamese coffee (Diesel Cafe, I miss you!), alu parathas (I fear I might still be addicted), boys (Well, now that I haven't had one in a while, I fear I'm cured!), Jane Austen (Hooray! Pride and Prejudice this Sunday at Fame Adlabs!), Roman history (am devouring Colleen McCullough currently) and finally TV.

There are more to add onto that addiction list but I fear that since TV came into my life in 1988 (Yep. We were the old fashioned "No TV, only books" family), I've been addicted. From Krishi Darshan and Chhayageet when we only had one state channel - Doordarshan to The Bold and the Beautiful and Crystal Maze when Star TV reared it's beautiful blond firang head to Indian Idol and The Amazing Race today; I've seen, heard and remember them all.

To the point where I can sing the "Sooraj ek, chanda ek" song, do the "Tree of Unity" dance, talk like a Fraggle and tell you about the Cruz Castillo - Eden Capwell romance at one sitting. I can tell you why "Sa Re Ga Ma" was good once upon a time and I can tell you to the nearest hundred how many times Anu Kapoor cried on TV during some crap-ass deshbhakti song on Antakshari (The answer is 400). I can explain the family relationships in Khandaan and I can tell you just when Veerawali went wrong in Buniyaad. Don't even get my started on the Friends, Frasiers, Seinfelds and Will and Graces of this world..

But my all time favourites are the reality shows. I used to be addicted to Survivor (when I still lived in Boston) and got my folks addicted to The Amazing Race as well when I got back (Now Amma will not make dinner/visit plans on Wednesday night! Sweet! I've trained her well). But my all time current fav show has got to be "America's Next Top Model". Tyra Banks and a whole posse of gay fashionistas (honestly, those guys are so gay, they make me feel like Butchy McButch!) bitch, moan and criticize a bunch of low self esteem having, sob story carrying, weird disease having, gangly women with giant boobs. How much fun! I've gotten my folks into it (though I suspect Annu just watches it in case Tyra Banks has a boob pop out or something!).

It's on Sundays on Zee Cafe sometime in the afternoon..just as I'm into my post-lunch funk. Last weekend I conned Vij into watching it too...and from what I heard, she loved it. Though that could have just been the giant joint we both smoked talking. Watch Tyra bitch - inhale - eat some alu sabzi - inhale - watch more Tyra - eat more sabzi - inhale - feel guilty for eating sabzi in front of models - inhale - criticize ads during commercial break - eat chips - inhale - Laugh at Jay Manuel - ooh and aah at the make up - inhale - talk about boys - watch more Tyra - mop up alu ki sabzi with chips - laugh - inhale - cheer when token bulimic makes appearance - inhale - laugh - Boo Tyra - flip through Cosmo and do quiz - Boo Tyra again - inhale - pass out just as they're announcing who is voted off.

That is why I love my life. I can combine all my addictions into one thing. I got my Sunday joint, I got my TV, I got my alu sabzi, I got my friend, I got bitching, I got to talk about boys, I got to drool at the Cosmo models..and at the end of the day, I'm sober enough to take an auto back to Bandra. Where I spotted Kunal Kapoor getting into a car and did the "mptch mptch" sound that sidey Bhaiyya-types make when they want to show appreciation. I think he might have spotted me..in which case, that's one more stroke through the list of boys I'd totally do. Heading the list? Still Johnny Depp.

Current Music:
(Feast of) Passover - Lee Perry

To go with the whole joint theme, some fantastic ol' skool reggae with the incredibly high pitched Lee Perry. Still remember listening to it the first time at Ilya's house as he gave me a lap dance while trying hard not to wake up his old land lady. Yes. My life has been "that" weird.