Happy First Anniversary

I must make myself stand in the center of a stage that is placed in the center of all the bloggers and have them throw eggs and tomatoes at me. I am the sinner who got too lazy to put up a one-year anniversary post of her own blog. I know how much it means to the bloggers as I have read their posts.

Although, I made this blog in the July of 2011, I gathered the potency to write my first post exactly one year ago.

To be honest, this blog was not like my diary or like my baby or my friend. For me, it was a medium to channel my views, my amateur writing, my beliefs, my callings towards the society and my urgency in trying to talk about some social issues that were hitch hiking in my head from years.

Now, when I look back and read my past blog posts, I feel surprised by how much I could express and emote, regardless of being an introvert. I am overwhelmed by the response too. I never thought thousands of people would actually take the pain to visit this blog and read my ramblings. Every single comment here was like a reward.

So, I thank every single one of you, who have been a part of My Cactus Dress.

The ones who left inspiring and encouraging words, the ones who agreed with my beliefs, the ones who appreciated my efforts, the ones who left essay-comments (you were my favorite), the ones who giggled with me, the ones who got wrathful along with me, the ones who shared their stories after reading mine, the ones who just Liked my posts, the ones (thousands) who came to get the McVeggie recipe to fill their burger-hungry bellies, the ones who Followed me, the ones who gave those cute awards, the ones who came through Google search, even the one who landed on my blog with the Google search "Madhuri Dixit without clothes". Yes, I am talking to you Mr. Pervy Perverson. You all were a part of it.  Every single one who brought this blog to 30,000 views in just a year without a single hateful comment or an upset reader.

Thank you.

Yeah and that happened in one year too.

It was a beautiful journey. I look forward to more memories.

One love,

Help needed!

It's my request for everyone who comment on my blog through Facebook, to comment on the blog itself, using the options provided below the Facebook comment section. As my blog was made in the USA, I can only read Facebook comments that are posted from the US (URL - "mycactusdress.blogspot.com").

Due to Blogger's new feature, when you open my blog, it automatically opens it under your country's URL. Similarly, when you post a Facebook comment from your country, it is registered under the URL of your country. For example, if you are Facebook-commenting from India, the comment is only visible on "www.mycactusdress.blogspot.in" and not on ".com" which disables me to read your valuable feedback.
I am trying to solve this issue but, till then I would appreciate the above mentioned option.

Any HTML experts or fellow bloggers here who can help with this issue? I am also starting to lose a lot of my FB likes from my posts. My post "An open letter to a rapist" had more than 180 likes however, it shows 15 likes on my computer. I am able to see correct number of likes from my phone though. Not that it matters much but, I would be glad if it would stop acting crazy.

I am also opening a sort of blog-post series called "Semblance". It would reflect a similar pattern like that of "Happy Ganesh Visarjan" post. With just the title and contradictory pictures. I would list all such articles in one tab which you would find above ^ under the tab "Semblance"

That's it for now.

Love and rockets,

Random things every Indian mother tell their daughters

1. Why do you keep a cell phone when you don't want to answer it?
2. Get off that phone. NOW!
3. Get off the laptop. NOW!
4. Shaadi hone de, tab pata chalega. (You'll come to senses, once you get married)
5. Prakash mama was talking about a boy, he is 25, Engineer, good looking.
6. Why don't you want to get married?
7. Ladka dekhne me kya harz hai. (What is the big deal in looking guys for marriage)
8. Social functions ma jaai toh 2-4 manas sathe odkhan thai. (Gujarati for- People would only identify you if you are social) (loosely translated as, "you'll start getting marriage proposals only if you attend social functions!)
9. Ashok uncle's daughter is already married and she is only 20. You are 21! Kuwari rehna hai kya? (You want to stay un-married your whole life?)
10. I was a mother of two at your age
11. Why don't you ever cook?
    
12. At least wash the dishes
13. Don't make me get up. Don't make me come up there.
14. Why don't you ever clean your room?
15. I am not the maid of this house.
16. Ek baj gaye. Why can't you sleep early? Saat baj gaye. Why cant you wake up early?
17. Don't use that tone with me
18. Aane de papa ko! (Let your dad come home)
19. Don't you have anything else to wear?
20. Those pants are too tight. That t-shirt is so loose.
21. If you don't oil your hair, they'll turn white soon.
    
22. You have a million friends.
23. (on the phone) Call me when you reach. (10 minutes later placing a call) have you reached?
24. Facebook ki exam deni hai kya? (you want to appear for a Facebook exam?)
25. Teach me Facebook. What is YouTube?
26. Look at abc. How smart she is. Learn something from her. Look at xyz, why can't you be like her?
27. Learn something from your sister. (To my sister) Learn something from your sister.
28. It wasn't easy in our times.
29. In our times we worked really hard.
30. In our times we didn't have so much luxury
31. In our times girls didn't have so much freedom
32. Wait for five minutes until my serial ends. Wait for just 30 minutes, my favorite one just started.
33. An extra roti wont hurt you.
34. Why don't you walk enough. You are starting to put on weight.
35. One day you'll understand me.

Huhhh? Huhhhhhh? Have I missed any?      

      I don't think I even have to mention how all of these gave me more happiness than any kiss or hug on earth could've given me. Regardless of what I mentioned above, you are one of the coolest, liberal-est and swag-iest  mom on earth.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!