#91: Peek-a-boo! I see you

          Now, I know this may seem a little girly coming from a guy, but what the hell! This is one of my most fond memories of playing with my baby nephews and nieces.
       
          You see, the most awesome thing about this age-old favorite game is its versatility. There's no one fixed way to play and usually everyone can develop their own favorite technique. Also, you don't need to be a millionaire to buy fancy toys or expensive gadgets. And like me, you don't need to be really great fun or great with kids either. Mom-tested-and-certified across the globe as being fail-proof, it also avoids you the embarrassment of being the one who can't even get a kid to laugh.

          The formula too is fairly simple:

Ingredients: 1 large piece of cloth and 1 grumpy baby

Process: Hide yourself from the baby with the cloth, utter your favorite magical "re-appearance" phrase and drop the cloth for one of the cutest "Top 100 Moments"of your life.

This post is dedicated to my youngest niece..Kanika. Congrats Vipul bhaiya and Priya bhabi

P.S. Just found out that this works on some adults too via Skype....even more awseome

#92: "You were thinking of that too, were'nt you?...;)"

         The reason this instant makes it to the list of "Top 100 Moments" is due to its sheer improbability coupled with its spontaneity and the uncontrollable excitement when it does occur. It strikes when you least expect (and usually around the most unexpected of people); in the midst of some random conversation, some intellectual/scientific discussion or just plain lazing around with buddies.
       

           Remember that awkward pause ("Hey wait a minute..."), the exchange of curious stares ("are you thinking?....), bursting into a smile ( what im thinking?....") and the awesome high-fives that follow ("Hell yes you were!!").
       



 Also, here's the creme de la creme of all  "You-Were-Thinking-Of-That-Too,-Were'nt-You?" moments definitely is "Telepathic Friends". You see, this is a very rare and elite group of friends who happen to know you inside out. For whom your life is an open book. No need for need for over-the-top emotions, just a look at each others faces, a wide grin and you continue as though nothing happened, but silently content at this legen-wait for it-dary "Telepathic Conversation".

P.S. : Remember Ted and Barney's telepathic conversation from How I Met Your Mother??

#93: "Chai aur Biscut"

Before starting, I want you to pause for a second and think of your favorite "Tea + Biscuits" moment. Also, I bet that if all readers post their favorite "Chai-Time" memories in the comments below, we can have a unique list of "Top 100 Chai n Biscuit Moments" altogether. Lemme begin by sharing a few of mine:

1. At a roadside stall, drenched in rain:

As is the case with Mumbai rains every year, this particular year too, I ended up without an umbrella on the day of the 1st downpour.
Looking for shelter, I landed up at a roadside tea stall. Drenched in the rain, shivering in the cold, ruined phone and with Rs 15 in my pocket, this sure doesnt feel like a "Top 100 Moment" does it?

Quite the contrary, this turned out to be the ultimate refuge from the deluge. Coz you see, at this little haven, the rates of little treats read:

                                     

1 "Full Masala-Chai" : Rs 6
1 "Chhota" Parle-G : Rs 4
Dunking biscuits in a steaming cup of tea during rains: Priceless!

Speaking of dunking biscuits, remember "The 1 that fell in the cup"? We all hate it, but with patience, it can turn out to be one of the "Top 100 Moments" indeed. Surprised? Well here's how:


2. Avenging "The 1 that fell in the cup":

It isn't rocket science really. The trick is to not tilt your cup too much and manage to (somehow) finish your tea. Now, thats easier said than done, but with luck (or enough practice) you'll finish the tea only to find that little piece sitting there at the bottom, soaked but almost intact. Well what are you waiting for?

Grab that cup, look to the skies and tilt it towards you waiting mouth. Close your eyes as that little piece slides in slowly for an amazingly sweet and squishy end to a truly awesome beverage.                                                                                                                  

#94: PAIN!!

Agreed, that in keeping with the theme of this blog, at first sight "PAIN" being one of the "Top 100 Moments" looks counter-intuitive. The fact however is, pain is not always a bad thing. You see, the way mother nature has designed it, pain is not only necessary, but also GOOD for you.

Just to be clear (for all those of you who post long depressing posts on Facebook and expect people to read and "like" them) I'm talking about the REAL physical pain here and not the emotional type (I really don't give a damn about your heartbreak, just keep it off my "wall" please). Anyways, I digress.


You see, pain is really your body playing good cop and saying "Hold on there buddy, looks like something's wrong here. Better go to the doc and get it checked out." For no matter how much we curse it, pain is still the body's first line of defense.

Pain reminds us of preventing further harm to ourselves. (For example, would you have gone to the doctor and got your troublesome knee checked, only to discover a sprain there, if not for the excruciating pain?) What a wonderful phenomenon of nature indeed!


So remember, the next time you feel those weird niggles anywhere in your body, you know its your body's call to you to take good care of it, coz unlike machines, you only get 1 of it for your entire life.

#95: The 1 pefect dish at an (otherwise) crappy buffet

If gluttony is your passion as is mine, you know what I'm talking about here. With a buffet dinner planned for the evening, you starve your way through the "4-pm-hunger" (and lunch too if you are me). The meal costs a bomb, but you willingly pay through your nose for a few moments of "I'm-gonna-hog-every-penny's-worth-of-food" indulgence.

But alas, the party-pooper. How often is it that the spread well and truly sucks? (Well it may not necessarily be bad, just that it's a rip-off if you could've had all that stuff at home too). Everywhere you look, just the plain old regular stuff, nothing new or as my sis puts it "exciting" enough to tantallise your taste buds.

As you turn your back and head back to your table disappointed, you spot it!! Yes, sitting surreptitiously at the far end of the table, that 1 dish, looking exquisitely delicious, the 1 dish it appears nobody can get enough of. Be it the pasta, biryani, noodles, paneer tikkas , tandoori chicken, heck maybe even the desert, but you know thats its there and that's probably saved the day for you. 

Target acquired, you attack with full ferocity as the mini-mountains of food on your plate and are gobbled down almost instantaneously with people wondering about the cause of the sudden and disproportionately large disappearance of food from your side of the table. (Remember the classic scene from "Satte pe Satta"?)

Sure, trying out all the different stuff at a buffet is great, but "selective gluttony" (a term I've just coined) is one phenomena to cherish (should you ever be in the situation), making it truly one of the "Top 100 moments" of life. Buuuuuurrrrrrrrrppppp!!!

#96: Watching your favorite team win....LIVE!!

Love sports? Well you're surely gonna love this...

Now imagine, its game day, you're at home, in a sports bar or anywhere else watching the match on a giant screen with your best buddies. Your favorite team's winning, the drinks are flowing and the celebrations have just begun. Hey, is there anything that matches the adrenaline/testosterone powered rage as the ball strikes the back of the net or the uprooting of the middle stump?? Think that makes it to the list of "Top 100 moments", right?

Wrong..

You see, when i say LIVE!, I mean "In The Stadium" kind of live. Screaming at the top of your voice with thousands of cheering fans, celebrating with a few craziest friends, the camaraderie of Mexican waves with total strangers. Imagine a world with no commercial breaks and no useless statistics thrown in your face by bored commentators. This, my friend is where you need to be to really enjoy the raw passion in sports.

#97: First workout after a long break

If you are as unfit as I am (and this can be quite a challenge), love junk food and have no workout regime whatsoever, you probably know what the 1st workout after a long time feels like.

After hours of coaxing you finally get your lazy bum off the couch, put on some running shoes and get out there with a vengence on last night's double cheese burst pizza. Alas! Within minutes every single aching muscle (some you never knew existed) curses the glutton in you. But it sure does feels good to get back on your feet after a long time and running (literally!).




Now, what makes this one of the truly "Top 100 Moments" is not the workout in itself. Yeah, sure that exercise is good for your heart and all, but remember that weird feeling of accomplishment while nursing your thoroughly sore body?





 Remember rising that extra inch in self esteem? (But dont you head out to McDonald's just yet to celebrate) Remember looking in the mirror, and seeing a more desirable version of yourself? Endorphins can be such a high. So yes, treasure that little pain buddies, wear it for a day as a proud medallion for the day's heroics (and hopefully come back for more tomorrow).

After all, all that matters is how you look at yourself, doesnt it?

P.S. Now that exams are finally over, I thinks its time to for me to experience this one again.