Surviving the Jungle

I work in a pretty male-oriented field.

This has it's own advantages and disadvantages.

I was at a 2 day conference recently. All of our major clients and partners were at the event, and our company was there too, invited by one of our major vendors. We were all put up at a 5 star hotel.

In the morning, during coffee break, this one guy walks up to me and starts talking to me about what I initially thought was work. What countries am I handling? Do I travel to those places? Oh good, we should travel together.

*warning bells*

While traveling with clients is pretty usual in my line of work, something sounded off. I said we could plan our schedules later on and left it on a pretty non-committal note.

In the evening, there was a dinner party, and the men were all out on the prowl! They all gor drunk ( FYI, I didn't! I don't get drunk when I'm on the job). After a while, the decent guys left the party and the coyotes took reign. I tried to leave but there was this one guy from the vendor who stopped me as I was about to leave.

"Where are you going Sonia? Don't leave so early, the party is just about to begin!"

I didn't want to create a scene so thought I'd stick around for a few more minutes until I could get away.

A couple of girls from my marketing team were around so we stuck together, wondering when we could leave without anyone noticing. We were sitting at a table together, chatting, when the guy from the morning walks up to me, all drunk and sits next to me and starts chit-chatting.

I haven't seen you in ages... it's a shame we meet only during events... we should really do something about that... don't tell me I should start (doing my line of work) to see you more often... which floor at you on... the view from my room is amaazing...

I jump up and excuse myself to go to the restroom.

"I'll walk with you!"

I somehow slip away and leave him behind only to be besieged by another drunk dude who wants me to dance with him. I got rid of that guy when the guy who initially stopped me from leaving starts talking to me and his room also had an awesome view apparently! This guy was sober btw. He doesn't drink cos he's a pious muslim. Pfft! Married with 2 kids and trying to get me to check out the view from his room! Creep!

In college, if a guy said something nasty, I could react! I'd cut him to pieces with words and if that didn't work (sometimes that just spurred them on! weirdos!) I could report him and he'd be done with it (never had to do that, but threatening to do it usually worked!).

I can't do that anymore! I have to continue dealing with people who behave this way! Even when they make these horrible advances, I have to deal with it politely. This is not easy! Diplomacy does not come naturally to me! The leo in me wants punch them in their faces and kick them in their balls! But I swallow my anger and try to get away.

Why is it than people behave this way and get away with it? There's nothing I can do to stop it other than quit my job! And what difference would that make? I'd get another job and face the same thing with other men!

I want a break from the creeps! I don't have the energy to ward them off nicely anymore! I'll snap sometime soon and then what'll happen?

How does one handle stuff like this?!

Find something!

I need to update cos I don't want to have to stare at the previous post every time I'm on this page.

Ok... I'm going to talk about 5 good things that I have going on in my life now. Count my blessings so to speak.

#1 I have a great group of friends to hang out with in dxb. I enjoy spending time with them, we take vacations to exotic places together, we also enjoy spending time with each other doing nothing. Which is great! And I have a few awwwesome friends elsewhere, even though they're far away, they care for me, and that matters.

#2 I got a free laptop bag which has wheels so I don't have to carry my laptop-bag around and stress out my very screwed up shoulders anymore.

#3 My boss agreed (very nicely) to let me work from home for this week cos of my effed up neck and shoulder problem.

#3 I have to take these meds which make me feel like I'm drunk, and that's a pretty good feeling to have! Plus, no hangover! :P

#4 My college friend from the UK is shifting to Abu Dhabi (even if she's not in dxb, at least she'll be in the same country!)

#5 I'm going on vacation in April! To my favvvvvvourite city in India... Dillllllli! I'm going with a friend from work, and she's gonna take me to Lucknow too! So come April 15th and it's adios dxb and hola dillli! :o)

Finito!

Lonely Planet

Due to my chronic neck problem being worse than ever, I have to wear a collar and take meds that leave me in a daze all the time. After missing out on the crucial last one hour of my friend's delivery, I was half toying with the idea of not taking the meds in the day. I thought I'd just take them at night and be only half as dazed! But if I don't take them, my neck starts hurting again. So yes, daze-dom it is! *sigh*

I've arranged it with my boss to work from home this week.This basically means I don't see a human being at all throughout the day, and all my interactions are through the phone or email.

It's brought "living alone" to a whole new level altogether.

It sucks, of course!

I've never been more aware of how alone I really am. If something were to happen to me, it'd easily be several days before someone would take notice and probably many more till someone actually reached out to find out if things were ok.

It's a humbling thought. It makes me question my entire life. What have I done wrong?

Why am I not needed by anyone?

Ok, I can feel the meds starting to take effect again. If I don't update in another day or two... who cares anyway eh!

Fairies and wishes work their magic!

We threw a baby shower for my friend yesterday, 33 weeks into her pregnancy. The theme of the party was "fairy godmother". So we all represented different fairies (I was fairy of Travel! :D) and we all bestowed wishes with our fake fairy wands that we made out of bbq sticks and foil! We gave the yet-to-be-born baby gifts (of a unisex nature cos we didn't know the gender yet). It was all so much funnn!

And then... an hour after, as she was driving back home... her water broke, more than a month before it's supposed to happen! Because the girls were throwing the shower and the guys were not allowed, they'd had all gone to brunch (how girly is that?! :P) and the husband was totally tipsy when the mommy-to-be called and said "could you come home?" and he was like ... " I'll be there in half an hour". She said "err... could you come NOW?!" He sobered up immediately.

All of us trooped into the emergency ward of the hospital. Since the water broke and she was dilating fast, the baby had to come, and it was going to be premature. The hospital we were at didn't have enough space so we had to move to another hospital... we got there and the men waited outside while the women went in turn by turn (they wouldn't let us go in together for some odd reason) while the mom-to-be waited anxiously. The doctor had assured us there was nothing to worry about, and all of us friends were around... trying to keep up spirits and think up baby names and whatnot.

I am on medication cos of my stooopid effed up neck, so I had to get back home and once I had taken the medicine, I was out for several hours! I woke to missed calls and messages saying " it's a girl!" :o)

It's a girl! And she's here! The mom is fine, and so is the baby. I'm soooo excited I can't sleep (anymore!). I want to go to the hospital right away, but it's blooody 4 in the morning!

It feels like I'm living out a life in some funny sitcom or something!

Gosh!

A baby girl just jumped into our lives... I bet she's gonna be a spitfire! She'll get things done her way alright! She won't be the kind to wait for things! :o)

Welcome to the world little one! Its not that awesome a place, but we all love you, and love makes all the difference in the world!

Something to believe in!

You know that wedding I went to in Jan? The hindu-muslim one? The reason I flew to Bombay for the weekend?

I'm going to tell you about that now.

We went through a lot of stress before the wedding, with the relatives from the girl's side of the family creating a fuss about stuff and my poor darling N (the bride) being stressed beyond endurance! Things were crazed from the moment her relatives landed (flights had been delayed for houuuurs due to a bomb-threat, which was the least of our problems!), but things got really tense on the day itself.

There was a moment in between, right before she had to face the 400 people invited for the wedding, where her uncle stormed into the dressing room and yelled at her and she had a mini-meltdown. She started crying and her makeup was running, she was already late... it took some strong tough-love to keep her from completely breaking down!

I am so pissed off with him!

So okay, your sister's daugther is getting married to a hindu. If you had a problem with that you should never have come for the wedding in the first place, like the rest of the people who stayed away! If you came, you should have had the grace to accept what's happening and not ruin her special day for her!

Some people just burn me up!

But the ceremony itself... there was something so magical about it! I can't explain it, I've been to several weddings and nothing ever made me feel this way... but when two people... who are right for each other ... when they get married.... marriage actually means something then! There was something so sacred, so overwhelming... I was just reduced to tears! Both us bridesmaids sat in the corner just beaming (and crying) with happiness!

I want to tell N this:

N, I love you babe! You've had a rough life, and I'm not saying that things are gonna be easy now, cos that's just the way life is... but I'd like to believe you'll be happy now!

I'm just glad that you've found a guy who appreciates you for what you are. I'm glad that you've gotten a guy who's kind and courteous and sweet and funny and handsome, and gets you, one who realizes how lucky he is to be with you. One who doesn't care where you're from and what your religion is... one who's been through hell to get married to you, and feels that it's all worth it!

You two give the rest of us a reason to believe in love!

I know it all sounds like a silly chick-flick movie, but if you knew the story of her life, you'd not believe that one person could have gone through so much and have grown up to be the sorted person that she is!

I wish them both love, happiness and ... spice!

Well...cos ... you gotta have spice! :o)

nocturnal and hormonal!

It's that time of month for me and though I'm extremely tired, I can't seem to get to sleep.

So I spent my Thursday night, not going out, and also, not sleeping.

I watched movies all night long and it is now past 5 in the morning.

I never learn do I?

I mean.... I'm hormonal enough as it is... and then I watch stuff like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and end my movie marathon with The Notebook, of all movies!

I bawled like a baby throughout the movie (even when it wasn't sad)!

I knew I should've stuck to HIMYM!

Damn!