The eyeliner Ninja
I travel 80km every day, to and from my workplace. Often I come across scenes that are way out of ordinary. Like the time when an adult woman sat next to me and started licking her elbows, or the teenage girl who started scratching my back with a long pointy stick that had plastic fingers mounted on top.
But last week I saw a girl who has singlehandedly redefined my goals. I spotted her on the staircase that connected upper and lower levels, wedged between humans, handbags, and backpacks, swaying along with the movements of the train. She was holding a palm-sized mirror in one hand, and hold your breath… applying eyeliner with the other.
Yes, my friends, it is now officially possible to apply eyeliner with one hand. It’s nothing less than a supernatural phenomenon. I turn into a raccoon even when I utilize both my hands. If I was any more flexible, I would have used my feet as well.
10k A Day
The registration for 10k-A-Day challenge officially closed in my workplace. Employees across the company worldwide have formed teams and are religiously trying to clock 10000 steps every day. The team that I belong to are proudly called Lazy Nerds, mostly consisting of developers.
For the first time, I have clocked 10k steps 6 days in a row. Yaayy! That’s a big win. The weekend was a challenge as it was so cold that the only way to clock steps was if I jumped around the house. And that is what I did. I connected my Xbox, played Dance Central and did some heart-pumping cardio dancercise for 2 hours. Mission accomplished.
But you know how siblings are, always looking for an opportunity to Jhand karofy you. My brother sent me his stats! What in the world is this!

Surprise!!
Last Wednesday, when I opened the door to welcome my husband, he handed me this huge box of art supplies – an advance birthday present. This was like a dream. I mean look at it… I felt like I was holding a treasure. But that wasn’t enough. He unzipped his bag and handed me 3 boxes of graphic sketches. Damn, now if only I had the skills to match the tools.
Cho-co-le-te
All attempts to curb down snacking at the office came to a sudden halt when my teammate brought us chocolates from Dubai. And then last week, the product owner gave me this orange shaped chocolate for resolving her production issues. It even had slices like an orange.
Client testing started last week and I haven’t slept well since then. But I learned to build an authentication service to validate encrypted passwords. I had no idea about validating soap headers when I first started the task, in addition, I had to deliver the code in few hours. Talk about deadlines huh. But it was all done and dusted well in time 😀

Aaishhh! Oppa
My zeal to learn Korean increased by ten folds after I finished watching Strong Girl Boon Soon. This K-Drama is so ridiculously adorable that I held a pillow and squealed like a teenage girl. Korean actors for sure know how to melt your heart into a gooey mess.
The next series I am planning to watch is Goblin, starring Gong Yoo, the lead actor of zombie flick Train to Busan.
If only I had started learning 10 years ago when I watched my first Korean movie!! Right now my Korean is limited to Aaish Oppa Sarangheya. I started with the Hangul alphabets and have installed 3 apps to learn Korean. But I find the YouTube videos more helpful. Aniyeonghaseyo. Rajlakshmiewo. Bangawo.
Python, not the snake!
Talking of languages, I am also learning Python at home, a programming language, which is available for free in Codecademy. We use Java and React (a framework developed by Facebook) at my workplace, but there’s no harm in learning a couple more and keeping yourself updated.

Backyard tales
Did I tell you I was growing ginger in my garden? Well, last week I pulled out one of them, and look how much it had grown. I am gonna dunk this in my tea, piece by piece.

We had our first BBQ lunch party at home last month. My uncle loves this activity and he took complete charge of cooking. Aunty and I acted as helpers, while the rest of the gang played table tennis. It’s fun to spend time with family, especially when all your loved ones are thousands of miles away.
Funky Pose
I first saw this pose on Instagram and it baffled me to no end. How gravity is supposed to work! So I gave it a go today. It is incredibly hard to balance… like seriously, I don’t know how others make it look so effortless.
Yes ginger in tea is good. Congrats on being in the ITB 2018
Ok. Don’t hate me BUT i apply liner with one hand too. Liquid Liner, using a No Zero paintbrush :)))
Having said that I cannot attempt a single yoga pose, of the ones you’ve mastered. So I guess we are even!
Those chocolates are just …* drool collects in a puddle near hr laptop *
As always loved coming by and indulging a slice of happiness , your post.
Hello….nice read. Oh and that eyeliner thingie, I can apply it even if I use both hands plus both legs…so applying it on a moving train for me is incredible. Good that you are involved in lots of things…it’s good to be engaged to keep the mind ever fresh and young. Cheers!!
Amazing post with good thoughts, Keep posting
Not to show off or anything, but I can apply eye-liner with one hand too 😛
You are an amazing woman, with that yoga pose. Plus, I can imagine the wonders that you will do with the gift the husband got you. The colors just has me swooning.
Python is great! I’m looking to learn it sometime soon, but I hardly get the time for that now.
May life bless you with more ginger for that cup of tea 😀
Oops! where is my comment? 🙁
What a fun post and loved to know all the things you are doing. Python is great and glad you are doing that. I keep hearing how much value it brings to technology world. That yoga pose? OMG! who are you?
And your brother is like you – not real!
Jokes apart – you are so cool, Raji. I always enjoy reading about you.
This was a very interesting and entertaining post. Loved your surprise the most – art supplies are always so exciting.
You wonder woman! So many hats, you wear.
I love that I get to know you through your words.
And I love the gift.
Can’t wait to see you work with those 🙂
Seriously awesome – the one handed eyeliner trick and the Yoga balance on the knee ! But for your 10k challenge , my daughter’s office too had a global challenge and one guy out the Fitbit on his dog and made him run around ( your brother might have done that! ) and another guy strapped it on his ankle and every time the car stopped at a red light, he shook his leg so that the counter kept ticking….
Whoa, Raj! That’s one splendid birthday gift. COngratulations. I can’t wait to see how you’ll put them in to use. And 10k steps for a week is amazing! I should find out where my fitbit is. It has been lying around in the cabinet, untouched for two years.
Can I say my mouth is open in awe at everything that you do? Like ALL the time? Like every single moment of the day? That pose is Yoga GOALS!
Also, YAY for the 10k steps and please, your brother is not human. That’s the only explanation 😉
I am so glad you are learning Python and the thing I love about you is that you never stop learning. That is incredible and inspiring. Go, RAJ!
Raji, I’m always in awe of the variety of your interests and how beautifully you balance (quite literally too) them all! More power to you. Looking forward to see some great art work with your new stuff.
So many titbits all put together! Enjoyed it.
Hi, I am new to this page and I already feel overwhelmed by your superwoman abilities. I loved the birthday present but that yoga pose is unbelievable.