Do One New Thing - Second Week

A lot of friends wrote in with suggestions about things that I could do in my second week of my plan of doing something new every week.

There were many things that caught my eye, especially the one about going on a blind date. Among the things that caught The Girl Friend’s (TGF) eye was the one about going on a blind date.

TGF: Interesting idea.

Me: Yes.

TGF: Can you outrun a bullet?

Me: Eh….No.

TGF: Would you like to eat a knife?

Me: I guess the one about the blind date is ruled out huh??

So I spent the weekend trying to figure out a different thing to do this week. I was excited, because after the first week, my love for going on long walks returned and I found myself going off on long evening walks whenever I could get a chance. I was sure the second week would rekindle an old flame again.

Genetics is a funny little scam. My parents passed on all the good looks to my sister, and some of their terrific cooking genes to me.

Good looks gene as my genetic code was being written: Should I go to the boy, or should I stay. Should I go or should I stay.

The porter gene as my code was being written: Look good looking gene, I am carrying a mirror.

Good looks gene checking itself in the mirror: Damn I look good here! I am not going anywhere. The boy does not get me.

Genetic code writer: Hey! But we are still running one gene short. If you are not going good looks gene, who do I send to the boy.

Good looks gene: How about a cooking gene?

Genetic code writer: Is there one? Ok, done. He will be a good cook.

It is not that my sister can’t cook. But for the sake of this paragraph, let us just pretend that I am a better cook.

Better or not, I am a decent cook. Which brings me to the new thing I did in my second week of the plan of doing a new thing every week. Having lived alone for the best part of the last six years, I had found cooking to be a nice little stress buster. Last year, weekends usually meant me and TGF skipping the usual movie for day long cookouts.

But ever since my parents returned about six months ago, I had left cooking. After all, children get their names cut off from the family will for lesser crimes.

Father (when writing the will): Should I leave the house to Gaurav?

Mother: Remember the day he cooked for us?

Father: Yes. The house goes to the girl.

This week my mom was not feeling well. Which gave me a good chance to unleash Chef Gaurav on a pair of unsuspecting parents. It was also a good chance to break the monotony of daily life.

So I cooked dal, sabji and rice for my parents. I think I saw a hint of a tear in my mom’s eyes when she tasted the dal. Which made me kind of nervous

But my fears were laid to rest, when mom insisted that I put the tadka in the dal the next day. She said it was one of the best cooked dals she ever had. My father just shrugged his shoulders and said that all Parab’s can cook. No big deal.

The whole plan is shaping out well, and I think my life is getting exciting again. In fact this week, I decided to take part in a marathon for the first time. So that’s two new things in the week in my life.

I guess it is not about running, or about the fact that it is for charity, for me – it is about getting up and doing a different thing on a Sunday morning instead of watching mindless television or sleeping the day off. It means one more thing done in life.

I strongly suggest that go do something new! You never know, one day you might bring a hint of a tear in your mom’s eye. That’s worth more than anything.

See why I am doing this
See what i did the first week